Nexus 2017 Issue 10

NEWS IN NUMBERS — Page 09 THE HAMILTON MUSIC SCENE: WHERE’S IT AT? — Page 18 ALL YOUR DISGRUNTLED SUDOKU SNAPS — Page 38

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01 04 05 10 13 15 16 17 18 21

23 26 31 38 40 41

Editorial

Full Exposure: Merk

Uni News

Student Experience

News

Columns

Sports

Reviews

Entertainment

Random Audit

Auteur House

Feature

Centrefold: Finn Wilson

Snapped

Blind Date

Puzzles

CO-EDITORS

CONTRIBUTORS

Bronwyn Laundry

Finn Wilson

Lyam Buchanan

Tom Collopy

editor@nexusmag.co.nz

Cameron McRobie Alexander Nebesky

DESIGN

Richard Swainson

Vincent Owen

A Smithson

design@nexusmag.co.nz

Conor Maxwell Ben Hansen

DEPUTY EDITOR

Ian Duggan

Jennie-Louise Kendrick

Emily Reid

jen@nexusmag.co.nz

Alessandra Tane Amanda van der Klompf

MANAGING EDITOR

Brook Melody

James Raffan

Jean Balchin

james@nexusmag.co.nz

Jamie Miller Tiari Killeen-Townsend

DESIGN INTERNS

Julie Charlton

Liam Coffey

Troy Anderson

Rowan Porter

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Editorial — Pānui Ētita

The Day the Music Died Time for a quick lil’ history lesson. This week we’ve got a feature article from Ian Duggan who gives us the complete rundown on the local music scene, he talks about the glory days of Hamilton bands and mentions student radio as the central point which held it all together.

Student radio is a fairly foreign concept for current students, some of you may have heard rumours of the fabled Nexus Radio but that’s no more than a glorified podcast, especially when compared to the former prestige of Contact 89FM. When the majority of us were born was when Contact was at its peak, the golden oldies of this University would even go as far to call it ‘cool’. Sadly this is now no more than a pipe dream, back in the early 2000s a bunch of sensitive right-wingers took complete control of the WSU and decided to completely kill it.

Thankfully, all was not lost. At this point in history The Hilly was still somewhat relevant. Artists such The Exponents, Kora and Dave Dobbyn would frequently play with the rest of the local scene filling the gaps. Though sadly this didn’t last too long. Through a combination of overly liberal ideals to the student lifestyle, an ever increasing rough reputation and a growing mound of bad debt, The Hillcrest Tavern also died out. What you’re left with resulted in the fleeting nightlife we have today.

I’m all for nearly dying at a house party before embarking on an out of body experience in Back Bar, at least occasionally. But what I’d really be all about would be a local pub scene with bands that are tied to student culture and aren’t socially stunted. However,

bands need a venue and a venue needs a crowd. All of New Zealand’s best bands started in pubs, though if you were to go into a pub today all you’d find is some guy with his acoustic guitar who’s flirting with the youngest girl in the room. If Shenanigans or House on Hood were to start getting more bands in nothing would really change, you’d get a few more interested in the already incredibly niche acts from Nivara Lounge but it doesn’t entice students to throw themselves at it.

A student bar on campus, that could actually make a difference.

Just imagine having accessible cheap piss, live music and being able to easily walk to and from the venue instead of being forced to pay for a cab or hustling a ride in someone’s boot. Throughout the 90s our campus had a bar called the Wailing Bongo, it stretched from where we now know the weights room to be right through to SUB building where Namaste resides. It may have also been shut down due to ‘not being able to cater for the average student’ though as the legend is told they had the fucking Red Hot Chili Peppers play a gig there.

The reality is that it is easy to lament the days of old, songwriters have been making money off it for decades. A bar would be fucking cool, a radio would be cool but the truth is we are still going to go to 101 or the static and listen to DJs or some weird two piece and think we are indie. Unless we as students decide this stuff is important to us nothing is going to change, but at least we have the memories of when our campus was less average...

- Lyam & Bron

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Editorial — Pānui Ētita

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Uni News — Pitopito Korero

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News from the University Keep Waikato Smokefree Please remember that the University of Waikato Hamilton campus is smokefree. This means smoking is not permitted on any campus grounds, including fields and gardens. Smokers are asked to move to an area away from campus to smoke.

Double your protein with Pita Pit Waikato Uni UniRec members can double their protein for any Pita or Salad or add a free protein shot to any Smoothie for FREE with Pita Pit Waikato Uni. Just show your UniRec membership to redeem. Terms and conditions apply.

Kukri clothing sale Kukri, apparel partner to the Waikato Rugby Union, is having a sale on the Hamilton campus on Wednesday 17 May from 11-2pm on the Village Green. All stock is extremely discounted (mostly around $10-$20) and includes everything from Waikato Rugby Union jerseys, hoodies and t-shirts to Kukri branded sportswear.

Free Movie Night!

The Eco Emporium is hosting a discussion with Merren Tait, who went one year with no plastic, followed by a screening of the movie A Plastic Ocean. Everyone is welcome on 23 May at 6.30pm in S Block. For more information, check out Eco Emporium on Facebook.

Scared of presentations?

Presentations and public speaking are a major part of life for most of us, but they can still be a stressful process from start to finish! Overcome your fear of public speaking and learn how to give great presentations by registering through waikato.ac.nz/students/careers/ mycareer to attend our upcoming workshop.

Keen to earn some money?

The University has an experimental economics lab (WEEL), and they’re always looking for people to take part in behavioural research. You can earn between $18 and $20 an hour, depending on results. You can register online to participate in specific experiment sessions – you can always say no if the timing doesn’t suit. For more information, and to register as a potential participant, go to www.management.ac.nz/weel

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News — Pitopito Korero

Out with the Young...

And so it came to pass that on the 11th of May 2017, in front of a small crowd of interested parties, the Waikato Students’ Union received the resignation of their Vice-President, appointed two replacement directors and appointed a new Vice-President. It was either the greatest show of democratic efficiency in existence or confirmation that the Waikato Students’ Union may have real depth of leadership, for a change.

How did we get here?

We asked WSU President (and man who has yet to buy the Nexus staff a presidential round of drinks at House) William Lewis what was going on. It turns out it may just all be coincidence.

“We have been carrying a vacancy for a director for quite a while now because one of our directors went overseas on exchange. We’ve been flat out with things like advocating for better student spaces and rolling out The Hub (check out wsu. org.nz) so recruitment hasn’t been a top priority.”

“Recently we advertised for candidates. Even shortlisting was really tough because there’s a heap of students out there who are really passionate about contributing to everything we are doing for students. At the end of an interview process we still had two excellent candidates.

Kaelyn then made her decision and said she was confident WSU would be left in great hands.”

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Noho ora mai Kaelyn Word broke on Tuesday that Kaelyn would be leaving the role to fulfil other commitments, so Nexus decided to sit down with her and discuss a choice that she described as “heartbreaking and difficult”.

“I have served as a member on the board for over a year and it has been a great pleasure working alongside such incredibly talented and driven individuals. However, there have been many contributing personal factors that have influenced my decision to resign.”

“Recently, I was given the opportunity to sit in as we sought candidates to fill a vacancy. In all the candidates, and particularly the shortlisted ones, I saw a commitment and an enthusiasm for the work and the role that allowed me to be comfortable with my resignation.”

“I want to thank the current board and David West, the WSU General Manager, for their incredible hard work. Thank you to HanaTe Kowhai Ohia and the two Presidents I served under, Indula Jayasundara and William Lewis, for their unwavering support.”

“The WSU has been an exciting and challenging part of my university experience and I would encourage anyone with passion, perspective, and most importantly time, to get involved.”

News — Pitopito Korero

← K A E LY N K I N G I

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...in with the Younger?

NICOLA SMITH ↗

Meet the new Directors So as we understand it: with two vacancies the WSU have appointed Candra Pullon and Soni Samara, restoring the board capacity and allowing someone to step into the role of VicePresident. Without further ado, let’s introduce you to Candra and Soni.

When we got a minute with Candra she said “I’m really excited to come on board with WSU and look forward to all the new and interesting things we have planned this year! As an adult student, I really want to connect with the older demographic of people studying at uni and want to work with students from all walks of life. I’m currently completing my Bachelor of Communication Studies majoring in Marketing and will be graduating in the middle of 2018. But that won’t be the end of my studies as I plan to do post-grad, so hopefully you’ll see me around for years to come!”

Soni Samara is in her third year of a Bachelor of Communications with double major in Marketing and Tourism Management. “I’m so excited to have been gotten the chance to join William and the fellow board of directors to continue making a change on campus. This is something I have been looking forward to since first year of uni. I can’t wait to start working on the great ideas to ensure that everyone in uni has a great experience throughout the duration of their time here.

And the winner is…

With all that settled, all that remained was the race for the corner office and the title of VicePresident 2017. Unfortunately, for a number of years the WSU has dismissed our calls to make these appoints through either rose ceremony or the extinguishing of a torch and the use of the phrase “the tribe has spoken”, so they went a more civil route. Three candidates, Robbie Mercer, Charmaine Riley and Nicola Smith all put their name forward for the role and were given the chance to make their case before voting. Nexus can now report exclusively that the tribe has spoken and Nicola Smith gets the rose.

William said, “WSU is privileged to have had such a passionate Vice-President in Kaelyn and to have so much incoming energy and enthusiasm in Nicola.”

It’s only fitting that we give her the last word.

“I couldn’t be happier after hearing the decision that I’m the next Vice-President of the WSU. This gives me a chance to do something amazing for the university and with our strong board, I hope we can enhance everyone’s experiences not just our own.” ♦

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News — Pitopito Korero

Getting Stoned: The High Cost of Blasphemy Bronwyn Laundry Parliament was in a spin last week when the archaic blasphemy law came under the spotlight.

As it stands, the law should have resulted in the entirety of the Nexus writing staff thrown in jail for anything they’ve ever written.

In an interview about proposed legal changes to the blasphemy law, ACT party leader David Seymour also took the time to speak about current cannabis and abortion laws. Upon mention of the words ‘cannabis’ and ‘legalise’, our journalistic interests were piqued, and we spoke to him directly for further comment.

Seymour took the peace, love and libertarian front in regard to cannabis legislation, stating that, “It’s becoming clear that prohibition of cannabis is only serving to provide a revenue source for gangs.

My personal view is that people should be free to live their life however they want so long as they’re not harming anyone else.”

In regard to abortion Seymour made it clear Parliament had yet to see a private member’s bill address the matter. “Ninety-three of my colleagues could produce a bill that would modernise our abortion laws, but unfortunately, none have,” he said, “If I didn’t already have a bill in the ballot on the issue of assisted dying, I’d seriously consider using my spot to address abortion law,” Seymour added.

We reached out to several other Hamilton political candidates for further comments on these three issues.

On Blasphemy: Jamie Strange, Labour candidate for Hamilton East and wholesome intermediate teacher, thought the proposed changes to the blasphemy 07

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law were unnecessary, “The real issues New Zealanders are facing are unaffordable housing, a health system that’s stretched to the limit, and an education system that’s not working for many of our students.”

Hamilton East Green candidate Sam Taylor, echoed these sentiments. “Although it’s a bit funny that no one knew an archaic law like this existed and the only attempt at prosecution, nearly 100 years ago, failed, I’d much rather our politicians were finding ways to agree on issues that matter,” she said.

Green candidate for Hamilton West, Jo Wrigley, took an edgier stance and when asked whether or not these laws needed to be changed, she simply said “Fuck yeah.”

On Wacky Tobaccy: Strange shared a more conservative stance on the matter, “I agree with the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes, but would not support its legalisation,” he said.

It was no surprise that the Green candidates were in favour of the green stuff, with both Taylor and Wrigley giving their support. “The legalisation of marijuana is a win win solution, taking it away from a gang oriented black market that can risk people’s safety and costs the public in prosecutions and prison time to a system with safe access to regulated sources, clear legislation that can be applied consistently and reduced costs. People get high regardless of the law, so let’s have a law that increases people’s safety,” Taylor said.

“An age restriction should apply to the purchase and consumption of cannabis.” Wrigley added

↑ D AV I D S E Y M O U R

↑ JAMIE STRANGE

↑ S A M TAY LO R

News — Pitopito Korero

↑ JO WRIGLEY

On Abortion: Strange shared a personal anecdote, “Abortion is deeply personal for me. In 1976, my unmarried mother, while pregnant with me, was encouraged by her doctor to fly to Australia and have an abortion.” He added, “Support is vital for women contemplating an abortion. My mother had two people who were willing to bring up the baby for her. I sympathise with the view that abortion is more of a health issue than a crime issue.”

“Abortion is a health issue, not a criminal one.

It needs to be removed from the Crimes Act and pregnant women need to have equal access to all the options in considering what is right for them and their families. Abortion is a deeply personal decision that can be emotionally complex, or not, and the one in four New Zealand women who

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choose to have an abortion need to be trusted and supported in making those decisions,” Taylor said.

Wrigley was outright in her support of decriminalisation stating, “I endorse the view that it’s a woman’s right to choose and that we need to decriminalise abortion by removing it from the crimes act as well as introducing laws to protect the right to an abortion.”

Nexus made a number of attempts to reach out to both David Bennett and Tim McIndoe of the National Party, but were unsuccessful.

However, from previous statements by McIndoe where he claimed God told him to vote against gay marriage, we are able to gauge where he might stand on issues such as abortion, cannabis and blasphemy in particular. ♦

A Mile in Her Shoes Jennie-Louise Kendrick Kate Harpur is a 19-year-old University of Waikato student, studying a Bachelor of Teaching. She works with the YMCA and OSCAR programmes, goes on teaching practicums, and follows multiple sports teams; all while living with Cerebral Palsy.

This week, Nexus interviewed Kate to raise awareness and rally support around a fellow University of Waikato student for the lifechanging surgery she needs.

Hi Kate! Do you want to start by talking about your condition and explaining how it affects your life?

I have Cerebral Palsy Spasticity from what I call a “medical misadventure” at birth. It means both my leg muscles are weak and tight, it’s often difficult for me to consciously control them. While I can walk by myself, I often need my stick for balance. I often get really fatigued walking from Orchard Park to the Faculty of Teaching, which makes it hard when I’m out on practicum too - I want to be able to run around with the kids and keep up with them.

You’ve been approved for Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy surgery in America, can you tell us a bit about what the surgery will involve?

SDR surgery involves the surgeon, in my case, Dr Park at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, cutting

some of the sensory nerve fibres that come from the muscles and enter the spinal cord. It is the only operation discovered to have such good results for CP patients, and you can’t get it done in New Zealand. ACC won’t fund this kind of surgery, and definitely won’t fund surgery outside the country so I am fundraising for the $100,000 I need to fly my family over to Missouri, get the surgery, and pay for rehab post-surgery. I know that students don’t have much money to spare but any little bit would be awesome.

What are you hoping to achieve postsurgery?

I’m hoping to ditch my [walking] stick and have higher energy levels. I want to be able to walk completely unaided and be able to play sports - to do all the things that normal people can. I want to be able to have more control over my body, especially when teaching.

How long will you be in the States?

My family and I are hoping to fly over to the States two days after Christmas at the end of this year, then once I come out of surgery, I will be in the hospital for a while. From there, I will need several weeks of physical rehabilitation to help me walk again. All up, we are hoping to come home by the time the new university year starts. ♦ 08

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News — Pitopito Korero

TL;LR Too Long; Lyam Read “What if we asked Jesus real hard?”

— Scientists: Moa revival still a no-goer, Kiwi scientists have taken a hard look at deextinction and again remind us that the weird concept isn’t as straightforward as movies such as Jurassic Park would have us believe.

“Just give it a cheeky limmy bash in the Countdown carpark.”

— Tararua District burnout pad skids to a close, an abatement notice from his own council has put the brakes on Tararua District councillor Ernie Christison’s burnout pad at Rua Roa. “The job market is cruel to everyone that’s why you have guys with PHDs pushing trolleys at Kmart for minimum wage and the occasional hand job.”

— The job market is cruel to graduates.

“Three quarters of a bottle of Jim Beam and a McDonalds ‘to share’ box is an excellent feed unless you mismanage it, how is this news.”

— John Roche: Pasture is an excellent feed, unless you mismanage it, pasture is a very high quality, balanced feed, unless you mismanage it by leaving high post-grazing residuals.

“No, they should fuck off to Ireland and only call when they want to passive aggressively guilt trip me into telling them about the new girls in my life … thanks mum.”

— Should parents charge their adult children board? Or should they allow them to live at home cost-free and accumulate savings?

$9

$170,000

175kg

23

400kg

of heroin was also seized after the Air Force spotted a couple of ships being a little snoopy.

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Top 10 Fast Food Romance Novels 10. 50 Shades of Gravy

8. Love in the Time of E Coli

News in Numbers

of methamphetamine has resulted in 15 years of jail for a dude who sucks at smuggling.

Last week KFC announced as a Mother’s’ Day treat they would be releasing a romance novel “On the Wings of Love.”

Some called in cynical, craven and horrible marketing.

We thought it was a genius move on the wave of a new industry. So we thought we would help and showcase the next:

9. The Up-Size She Craved

“Who?” — Shania Twain aiming to prove she’s still the one with new album.

an hour is the going rate for Lorde’s babysitting expertise.

Top 10:

was saved by kiwifruit dudes who improved their productivity.

Christchurch women have been forced to give birth in other cities.

108,000,000,000 humans have come before us.

7. Six Inches of Love… Extra Meat!

6. A Whopper for the King 5. Carl’s Junior 4. We Fill Jo 3. Left to Pull Pork 2. Happy Meals and Happy Endings 1. Filet O’ Flesh

Sports — Hākinakina

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NSW to Leave the Maroons Feeling Blue Tom Collopy New South Wales 1. James Tedesco, 2.

David Nofoaluma, 3.

Dylan Walker, 4. Josh Dugan, 5. Jarryd Hayne, 6. James Maloney, 7. Mitchell Pearce, 8. Andrew Fifita, 9.

Cameron McInnes, 10. Paul Vaughan, 11. Boyd Cordner, 12.

Wade Graham, 13. Jack de Belin, 14. Tyrone Peachey, 15. James Tamou, 16. David Klemmer, 17.

Tyson Frizell

Queensland 1. Billy Slater, 2. Darius Boyd, 3. Dane Gagai, 4.Will Chambers, 5.

Valentine Holmes, 6.

Anthony Milford, 7. Cooper Cronk, 8. Jarrod Wallace, 9.

Cameron Smith, 10. Josh McGuire, 11. Matt Gillett, 12. Sam Thaiday, 13. Aidan Guerra, 14.

Michael Morgan, 15. Dylan Napa, 16. Josh Papalii, 17. Coen Hess.

As New Zealanders we spend 240 minutes a year pretending to be Australian as we choose a State to support in the annual State of Origin Series between New South Wales and Queensland. For me I choose to back the Blues and while I can’t exactly remember why, I have a good idea that it was because everyone else jumped on the Queensland bandwagon and I was having none of that. Ever since we have suffered many defeats not only on the field, but off the field in countless sledging matches. We showed some resurgence in 2014 but it was short lived as Queensland have reinstated their dominance in the last two series.

This year is interesting, both teams are without key players, which means that the coaches have some tough calls to make in terms of selection.

Queensland will be missing 97 appearances of experience with Corey Parker retiring and with Jonathan Thurston, Greg Inglis and Matt Scott suffering injuries. New South Wales will be without Aaron Woods, Josh Mansour and most probably without Paul Gallen, who came out of representative retirement to make an appearance for City this month. This leaves the Captain’s armband vacant and I expect that role will be given to Boyd Cordner.

Taking into consideration the players who are unavailable, these are the game one sides I think

will take the field on May 31st at Suncorp Stadium.

When selecting these sides I took into consideration current form and the loyalty/experience aspect that tends to count for a lot when it comes to Australian rep footy.

While it comes under terrible circumstances, there is a massive opportunity for NSW to capitalise on the opportunity of playing a weakened Queensland side this year. JT and Greg Inglis have been a pivotal part of Queensland’s success over the past 10 years and them not being available is a massive blow to the side. Another thing that I think does not help Queensland’s cause is that Kevin Walters has shown faith in out of form players such as Nate Myles and Michael Morgan while players who have been in better form have been passed up on. Laurie on the other hand began to be inventive with his team last year, debuting eight players who all deserved the opportunity. While it didn’t result in a series win, I think he was moving in the right direction and I hope he comes in with the same mind set this year as he could name a really dangerous side that could give Queensland a real run for their money. For me I am hoping for a 2-1 NSW series win, I would love if we did it at Suncorp during game three in front of all of those Queensland fans. ♦ 10

Very Superstitious Cameron McRobie Superstition is the belief in the supernatural connection between totally unrelated events or practices. Although it is commonly written off as a load of absolute shite by anyone with half a brain – it still runs rampant in sport, particularly at a highly professional level.

The question is, how many snags short of a Bunnings’ sausage sizzle do you need to be to make the big time in sport?

You’d think basic hygiene would be a nobrainer. Serena Williams, one of the goddesses of tennis has decided that she enjoys marinating her feet in the same socks for the duration of a tournament. It’s not even like it’s an old wives tale that stank socks = success, she just really enjoys the feeling. Wearing a single pair of socks for any given tournament, Williams has once blamed a poor performance on ill luck due to changing socks between days (like any sane person would).

Ever wonder why basketballers wear loose, long, totally impractical shorts? Michael Jordan would always wear his UNC shorts under his Chicago Bulls NBA shorts to bring him luck – as he had led his university team to a National Championship in 1982. Wearing two pairs of shorts, Michael had to make sure he didn’t allow the baby blue UNC shorts to be seen, so he wore especially large shorts over the top. Since he debuted in the NBA in 1984 he continued this lucky practice right up until retirement and also influenced an entire basketball culture of unreasonably baggy shorts. Honestly – who are we to argue that the shorts weren’t the reason he was such a fucking baller?!

A lesser known athlete, MMA fighter Lyoto Machida, drinks his own piss every single day.

Personally I thought this fuckery was limited to Bear Grylls only but apparently not, he said himself: “People think it’s a joke. I never said it in the United States because I don’t know how the fans will react. I drink my urine every morning like a natural medicine.” Lyoto is considered to be one of the best MMA athletes in the world – and he puts all his success down to the superstitious practice of drinking of his own urine, obviously.

Closer to home in New Zealand our most superstitious happening has been Sir Peter Blake and his lucky red socks. Blake’s wife gave him a different pair of socks for each yachting campaign, for good luck. For the 1995 America’s Cup, the socks were red. Every time the New Zealand yacht ‘Black Magic’ raced, Blake would wear them. On the one instance he was injured, there were no red socks on board, and for the only time in the 1995 Cup Black Magic lost. The crew began wearing lucky red socks as did many Kiwis of the time and surprisingly – they never lost another race.

Though all of these small practices may not logically contribute to any sporting performance – there is science to back the peace of mind an athlete can gain from the wacky pre/ mid game habits they have. Research shows that superstitions can actually be linked with improved performance —they can grant players a psychologically significant illusion of control over events. This can often come down to toe taps, excessive ball bouncing before a basketball free throw/tennis serve or one particular movement that helps an athlete gain peace of mind or trigger muscle memory and sequential movements before go time. ♦

↑ SERENA WILLIAMS

↑ LY O T O M A C H I D A

Reviews — Arotakenga

Video Game Arotakenga Tākoro Ataata ‘Retro City Rampage DX’ - Vblank Entertainment Review: Conor Maxwell

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

Single Arotakenga Waiata GAS - Narkopop (Kompakt, 2017) Review: A. Smithson

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

Album Arotakenga Pakaemi ‘Temple of Low Men’ - Crowded House Review: Alexander Nebesky

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

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REVIEWS

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I may be a creature composed almost entirely of memes and pop culture references, but even I know that it’s possible for a piece of media to become ‘too meta’. Retro City Rampage DX is an homage to the era of 8-BIT Grand Theft Auto games, and that is where the respect— the homage—begins and ends. Marketed as a “nostalgic throwback”, RCR places the player character (cleverly called “The Player”) in the city of Theftropolis in 1985, as hired muscle under the employ of the Jester. Get it? He’s the Joker from the Batman universe, but he’s not called the Joker! It’s a parody! Fuck this game is hilarious. Early in the game, you go for a joyride in the TARDIS from Doctor Who and end up sometime in the 21st Century, and meet up with Doc Choc—an almost-too-subtle reference to Doc Brown from Back to the Future. This is in no way an original video game or a unique idea, but rather a smorgasbord of throwbacks to films, video games and TV shows far better than this hilarious parody I chose to spend money on. You can’t make me beat up the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles without making me want to play the TMNT arcade game, instead of this tripe. ♦

Narkopop, released by celebrated minimal techno and ambient music producer Wolfgang Voigt under the moniker GAS, occupies a domain simultaneously beholden to, and curiously beyond music. Abandoning conventional compositional structures, Voigt constructs Narkopop as a musical palimpsest. Mossy synthesisers, spectral horns and distorted orchestral samples, layered and looped, overgrow the industrial regularity of Voigt’s sparse 4/4 percussion.

The undulated spaciousness of Narkopop’s instrumentation evokes Italo Calvino’s description of the fictional metropolis of Zora. The soundscapes of Voigt’s Narkopop and the landscapes of Calvino’s Zora similarly possess few monuments of striking grandeur or rarity. Instead, Narkopop and Zora alike extract beauty and memorability from satisfyingly ordered sequences of succession; musical, and architectural. Contrasting Zora’s ceaselessly fascinating honeycomb, however, Narkopop’s patterns and repetitions occasionally, disappointingly, drift toward colourlessness and monotony. ♦

Near 30 years old and still holding its own, Temple of Low Men is a perfect NZ Music Month listen just as it is an excellent listen any time of the year. Released in 1988, it is a thematic departure Crowded House (1986) and leans towards the darker side, but it is no doubt a marvellous and rewarding record. ‘I Feel Possessed’ opens the album, with its ethereal quality, Neil Finn’s vocals floating atop the clear and deliberate instrumentation before the band launches into the track’s chorus. ‘Into Temptation’ develops the sonic themes of the album, that is, sparse verse instrumentation, vocals front and centre, followed by a lush chorus with a melody that draws you in, its simplicity is a masterstroke and its effectiveness is measureable. ‘When You Come’ offers Finn’s belting vocals, as well as one of the strongest cases for buying a 12-string guitar in the form of the track’s introduction. Temple of Low Men also contains one of Crowded House’s signature tracks, and a classic of New Zealand music.

‘Better Be Home Soon’ is a song that captures a feeling we are all familiar with, and transports us back to the feeling every listen without fail. It’s a track everyone has belted out at the top of their lungs any and every time it plays on the radio.

Temple of Low Men is an album that commands you to enjoy it, not just listen to it, and even though there is a slight smattering of duds, it is easily one of the greatest pop records ever produced. ♦

Reviews — Arotakenga

Exhibition Arotakenga Whakakitenga ‘Selling the Dream: Classic New Zealand Tourism Posters’ - Canterbury Museum, Waikato Museum 10 April- 16 July.

Review: Alexander Nebesky

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Selling the Dream is a brilliant retrospective of New Zealand tourism and advertising. Once upon a time New Zealand’s tourism industry relied on posters, stylistic art, colourful screenprints, not just TV spots about checking out green New Zealand to inspire (mostly British) tourists from checking out all this beautiful land has to offer.

Covering a range of styles and subjects from the 1920s-60s, Selling the Dream gives insight into New Zealand’s unique history of advertising, as well as showcasing some of the most significant artistic styles of the eras covered. Instantly recogniseable bold art nouveau is juxtaposed with the striking and colourful prints of the 1950s.

Various artistic styles are showcased in the exhibition. There is a breakdown of an intricate 1950s screenprint on offer for those interested in examining the multitude of layers and colours that go into the work, and the outstanding examples of lithography, a method I still don’t understand but appreciate the results of, hang boldly on the walls.

Each poster captures a feeling of wonder and exploration, as it should, given these works were commissioned to inspire tourism and travel. Over 50 posters are are on exhibition, each one outstanding, and with free admission there is no reason not to see this slice of New Zealand history. ♦

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Album Arotakenga Pakaemi ‘Slowdive’ (2017) - Slowdive Review: Ben Hansen

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Food Arotakenga Kame

Part of me really wanted this album to be bad, so I could show my critical chops by writing mean things about one of my favourite bands. In this respect, Slowdive let me down. After twenty years of silence, they have produced the strongest work in their catalogue: Slowdive is truly brilliant. First ‘Slomo’ eases you in with a delicious, bell-like bass; then you’re dropped into the thick noisy soup of ‘Star Roving’. With ‘Don’t Know Why’ the intimate sound of this record takes shape. It’s airy and dreamy, but with an arresting presence. The music doesn’t play as a distant happening, but as something that’s unfolding right there with you. The final track on the A-side, ‘Sugar For The Pill’, is really as good as it gets.

Slowdive is contemplative and wistful. When it reaches into despair, it is a measured, mature, and wise despair—unlike the cloying angst of their earlier releases. The album has an air of retrospection. It’s the sound of a late-night drive through the countryside. It won’t fill the emptiness inside, but it will help you come to terms with it.

The only weakness of Slowdive is the lyrics, which is true for the band’s entire output.

The final track, ‘Falling Ashes’, repeats the line “thinking about love” over and over again.

They didn’t really need to say it out loud. Lyrical complaints notwithstanding; this is a superb album. Slowdive were late to the shoegaze scene in the nineties—only making a name for themselves as the style went out of fashion. Twenty years later, they’ve produced a record worthy of great praise, for an audience willing to give them a chance. ♦

A vegetarian walking into a chicken ship sounds like the start of a shit joke, but when Winner Winner announced their menu it promised an equal dining experience for vegans and vegetarians, so I had high hopes for my first visit. They weren’t quite met. The roasted capsicum and vegan aioli chips were nice, but not amazing, and the mac and cheese balls were kind of dry and flavourless. After listening to my flatmate rave about the vegan burger for weeks on end I decided to give it another go. The second time I was not disappointed. I had the vegan burger - a pulled BBQ jackfruit creation that was disturbingly meat-like and super delicious - and the fried mushrooms with vegan aioli which were coated in the same breading as the chicken and served with thick pickle slices. I was stoked because I fucking love pickles.

The vibe of shop can be summed in two words ‘cool’ and ‘Melbourne’. There’s no flashy decor, but it’s clean, simple and stylised and has great food on offer. A real winner. Ba dum tiss. ♦

Winner Winner - Grey Street Bronwyn Laundry

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Entertainment — Whakangahau

Entertainment Hottest to Nottest →→ Nicki Minaj helping to pay her fans’ student loans →→ The baked pancake from Hayes Common →→ Anika Moa’s dimples →→ Frolicking →→ Wearing socks and Birkenstocks →→ Reviving long-dead NZ reality TV shows *cough* Survivor *cough* →→ Morrinsville Mega Moo-er aka. a giant fucking cow →→ Using hydrocortisone on your eyelids every day for five years →→ Treating Stuff Opinions as a credible source of news →→ Mispronouncing Māori names

Please Don’t Quote Me “They’re raising these concerns about backdoor entry.”

— MP David Parker admits his part in shutting down Bralais in attempts to please his electorate.

“We did toe-mojis… the bottom of our toes with, like, little faces.”

— Margot Robbie explains how she can now text with her feet, thanks to a particularly creepy yogi.

“Ah, mother fah! Stupid computer.”

— Jono Pryor discovers that, due his midnight visits to questionable websites, his PC is completely bugged.

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Best of the Web - Weirdest Buzzfeed Quizzes Your Zodiac Sign Will Tell Us What Kind Of Porn You Should Watch Horoscopes or whore-oscopes? They may be wildly inaccurate but when you can’t find inspiration to flick your bean or choke your chicken to… this quiz may come in handy. While Nexus wholeheartedly supports University of Waikato students flogging the dolphin; we do not endorse the flogging of real dolphins or porpoises.

Can You Identify A Chip Just By Looking At It? When you were looking at the University’s prospectus and considering whether to take Law to appease your parents, or follow your FASS dreams, you may have not realised that you would be learning the most valuable skill of all… the accurate identification of chippies. Is it a Dorito or just a regular corn chip? Prove your mastery with this quiz.

Build A Farm And We’ll Tell You Which Cow You Are Pick your own barn, pasture and farmer, and this quiz will tell you what you’ve always wanted to know. It’s a real surprise that this quiz isn’t included in the all quizzes that the high school careers advisor makes you do - I mean what else is there to do in the Waikato, other than being a farmer. What kind of cow are you? A fuzzy one? A friesian? No doubt, you’ll be tasty.

Is Your Boyfriend Great or Just A Raccoon?

Raccoons, also known as “trash pandas”, would make great boyfriends. Quick racckie fact: these little scavengers were called “washing-bears” in the 19th century because they wash their food before they eat it, which is far more effort than your manchild puts in when he picks stuff up off the ground. But if you’re confused whether you’re dating a hairy man or an actual animal, maybe this test would come in handy.

Random Audit — Kauwhau

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Auteur House — Aho Whakaari

Jonathan Demme Richard Swainson Jonathan Demme, who died at age 73 on April 26, presents something of a conundrum for hard core auteurists. Demme’s career dated back to 1974, when he both wrote and directed the women-inprison exploitation film Caged Heat for legendary B-grade producer Roger Corman. The film attracted a cult following but hardly hinted at achievements or eclecticism to come. Big budget Hollywood productions alternated with low budget documentaries.

Caged Heat’s score was written by John Cale, a founding member of The Velvet Underground. Perhaps his employment was coincidental. More likely, Demme was a fan. The director’s passion for music can be seen in everything from the ground-breaking Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense (1984) to his penultimate project, a record of a Justin Timberlake performance. In between Demme made either music videos or documentaries for New Order, Bruce Springsteen, UB40 and The Pretenders. His last feature, the modest but nevertheless fun Ricki and the Flash (2015), gave Meryl Streep the chance to play a 60 something rock n roll mom that never quite made it, an idea that gains great strength from Demme’s attention to musical detail.

He was certainly an actor’s director. Eight different performers were Oscar nominated in Demme films. The ensemble acting in 2008’s Rachel Getting Married could be compared favourably to that seen in Robert Altman’s work, the naturalistic performances and free ranging camera giving the film a relaxed, improvisation feel, especially in the musical interludes. Anne Hathaway has never had such a challenging leading role nor delivered so completely.

There were also movies which left you wanting more. Philadelphia (1993), a well intentioned AIDs melodrama, belongs to its period.

Married to the Mob (1988), a Mafia comedy with a cracking lead part for Michelle Pfeiffer, isn’t as funny as it should be. Beloved (1998), from the Pulitzer Prize winning Toni Morrison novel, collapses under the weight of its own pretensions, its magic realism still born, undermined in part by a miscast Thandie Newton.

Silence of the Lambs (1991) is the obvious candidate for Demme’s best film yet to me it has always seemed a little overrated, a well crafted thriller praised beyond its merits. Melvin and Howard (1980) is richer, a nominal true story about a small time loser whose path crosses that of the mad-as-a-hatter Howard Hughes. Demme always knew how to champion losers. ♦

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Feature — Kupu Whakaatu

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THE HAMILTON MUSIC SCENE: WHERE’S IT AT? IAN DUGGAN 18

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Feature — Kupu Whakaatu

In the 80s, 90s and early 00s, Hamilton had a plethora of excellent bands, who played regularly at a variety of venues, including now defunct university bars such as Gurus (today taken up by the weights room of the gym). I’m talking bands who were commonly musically challenging, unique in style, or lyrically interesting. The types of bands you should expect university students who are seeking intellectual stimulation, in both their university and personal lives, to hunt out. I am definitely not talking about mindless middle of the road dross like Ed Sheeran and Adele here, so popular among the great unwashed.

Compilations were once regularly released of our local homegrown music, while touring musicians were regular visitors here. Much of the music scene was driven by the university student radio station, Contact 89FM, and by bands that were centred around university students. With the radio station long gone, the scene cooled, leaving the city overrun with middle-of-the-road covers bands performing to undiscerning crowds. Over the last couple of years, however, momentum has again been building, in large part due to the efforts of Hamilton Underground Press (HUP). Besides organising regular gigs, late last year HUP released the compilation ‘Life Beneath a Gravel Streak’, and in March they brought us the two-day ‘Future City Festival’, both featuring bands from Hamilton, elsewhere in New Zealand, and overseas. Important bands from elsewhere are also coming back to play again. In the next few weeks, for example, we look forward to a gig by The Bats at Nivara Lounge where the presales are already sold out, while English indie legends The Wedding Present are also set to play. The Hamilton music scene is looking healthy again!

Outstanding Hamilton bands from the past, ranging from the obscure to the locally popular, have included Watershed, Book of Martyrs, Huge Industrial Artsnob, Dribbly Cat Attraction, Romantic Andes, Inchworm, Grok, Tweeter, Mobile Stud Unit, Dead Pan Rangers, The Deadly Deaths and The Clampers. You may not 19

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have heard of any of these bands, as they largely went under the radar on a national of international scale. Outside of popular consciousness, these bands nevertheless produced music that was as strong as anything elsewhere in the country, or indeed the planet. Hamilton has long been spoilt, but also generally unappreciated, with respect to its bands.

So, who are the local bands in 2017 you should be taking the time to check out? Below is a diverse, but by no means exhaustive selection of current Hamilton bands, some of whom should meet the needs of discerning music enthusiasts no matter what your preferred tastes.

Ancient Tapes: Arguably the brightest star on the Hamilton music horizon currently. Influenced by alternative guitar bands from the early 90s, with layered guitars and a good collection of effects pedals, the band have recently been chosen to support UK indie legends The Wedding Present throughout the North Island segment of their tour. For starters, find the ‘Gravel Streak’ compilation on Bandcamp (hamiltonundergroundpress.bandcamp.com), and check out their song ‘Don’t Fade Away’.

Celebrity Death Hoax: A three-piece electro-guitar band, with the best associated art of any current band (liberally featuring imagery of headless celebrities, obviously!). Vocalist Pip Six proves to be an enthralling front-person.

Contenders: A hardcore/punk band, this is another femalefronted outfit who are regular participants at the ‘Hamtown Smakdown’ hardcore event. Hamilton has long been strong in this genre, and Contenders continue this tradition. If you like it fast, loud and aggressive, this is band the for you. Try their Bandcamp here: contend.bandcamp.com

DateMonthYear: A band who claims not to be a band. They have found success in getting their eclectic array of songs placed in movies, television shows and adverts overseas.

Feature — Kupu Whakaatu

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sorashima.bandcamp.com The Trons: The band of robots whose video ‘Sister Robot’ went viral on YouTube in 2008, and is still occasionally active in 2017.

Glass Shards: An electronic experimental army of one, the music of Glass Shards is pretty much indescribable. He goes at it with vehemence, commonly with his head wrapped in gladwrap, hidden behind a mask, or similar. Take a listen at: glassshards.bandcamp.com

Also well worth checking out are the ‘Hamilton-related’ bands Elider, The Joint Chiefs, and Ghosts of Electricity.

Hollow Grinders: One of Hamilton’s perennial bands, and described as “New Zealand’s best and only instrumental surf band”. Their performances are fairly sporadic now, but well worth checking out when they do play. Take a listen at: hollowgrinders.bandcamp.com

Elider is an Osaka-based ex-Hamiltonian, who fronted Hamilton’s popular indie-pop band ‘Inchworm’ in the ‘90s. Featuring pop songs with layers of guitars, Elider released their debut album ‘Redbird’ early this year, and returned to Hamilton to play the ‘Future City Festival’. Check out the song ‘Lift’ on Soundcloud. They are likely to return again early next year.

Rumpus Room: Another perennial, this indie rock outfit have been playing since 1996. For a recent example of their sound, try ‘Living life in Reverse’ on the ‘Gravel Streak’ compilation, or find the video on YouTube.

The Recently Deceived: Another punk rock band, but this time with mainstream sensibilities. They released their debut EP ‘Use Your Head’ late last year: therecentlydeceived.bandcamp.com The Scones: Fronted by a Hamiltonian and backed by three Aucklanders, The Scones get the award for the nice guys of the local music scene. With their Flying Nun inspired pop songs, they are regularly featured at HUP organised gigs. With Ancient Tapes, the band have been deservedly rewarded with the support slot for the upcoming The Bats gig. For an introduction, try ‘Thompson is in Trouble’ on the ‘Gravel Streak’ compilation.

Sora Shima: Instrumental sonic rockers, who haven’t played in a while… but will hopefully awaken from the hibernation soon:

The Joint Chiefs are a Wellington based two-piece comprising drums and keyboards, featuring ex-Hamiltonian and current The Datsuns drummer Ben Cole. Producing clever pop songs, diverse in style, a great place to start is the perfect pop of ‘Run Down’ on the ‘Gravel Streak’ compilation. They are good enough to visit us occasionally.

Finally, Ghosts of Electricity are an ex-Hamilton band who left for Auckland several years ago. While their last album, 2015’s Trolls, was described as ‘white collar punk’, their upcoming album ‘Music to get Puppies to Sleep’ instead comprises a mix of wellcrafted pop and musically sparse and spoken songs. Lyrically clever, I expect we will see the band return to Hamilton again regularly later this year.

Check out Hamilton Underground Press for music articles and details of upcoming gigs, The Hamilton Music Wiki for our musical history, and radio station The Hum 106.7FM for a regular supply of Hamilton music. ♦ 20

INSTAGRAM: FINN_GERRY_WILSON FACEBOOK: FINN WILSON ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN WEBSITE: WWW.FINNWILSONARTIST.COM

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Full Exposure — Mārakerake

MERK 23

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Full Exposure — Mārakerake

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Merk is an Aucklander in a wholesome clique alongside the likes of Fazerdaze. He has a slick Insta that looks like a 2nd year Vic student’s masterpiece. He also bears a strange resemblance to Mark Fullerton, Craccum’s former editor and he signed his email off with ‘xx’, maybe he’s keen???

How would you define your sound?

Brightly lit alt pop.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

I try to draw inspiration from wherever I can! These days more and more I’m finding that ordinary everyday life has a lot to offer.

Observing how people interact and the things I see or that happen to me. Also I’m always trying to find new books, art, movies, music that makes me feel something.

What’s your writing process when creating music?

It’s always different! Sometimes it starts on a piano or guitar, or else by making a beat on my laptop or maybe a melody will come to me while I’m driving. I haven’t figured out the formula yet haha - but I like that the process is a mystery. I’m in London right now and this morning I took my laptop to a park in the two degree cold, freezing and jet-lagged, to try put myself in a new scenario to try and make something I wouldn’t make usually.

Favourite place to source your threads from?

The Bread & Butter Letter on K Road in Auckland! It’s right below my studio and they have a really good range of vintage clothes.

Best post-gig experience?

Denny’s! Me and my band love going to Denny’s after our shows, it’s like a ritual. Always the best post-gig activity!

Favourite venues?

In Auckland my favourite venues are Whammy and Wine Cellar, I’ve played and been to so many cools shows there. My most favourite Merk show though was in our studio, Okie Dokie. It was our first performance and we put on a party just for friends, it was a really special night.

Any chance you’ll popping down to Hamilton sometime soon?

I’d love to! I want to do an NZ tour later this year, would people come if we played Hamilton?

Who are three artists you’d love to collaborate with?

Damon Albarn, Grimes, Daft Punk. ♦

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Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

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Puppet Master Politics Sam Taylor This week Nexus not only secured a number of key political interviews but also one of the greatest sponsorship deals of all time as Good George became the official squealer of both Puppet Master Politics and Nexus Magazine. Thanks Good George, you’re good...cu… people.

To celebrate, the Puppet Master organised an interview with former WSU VP and biggest lightweight drinker, Green candidate for Hamilton East, Sam Taylor.

Why should I care about politics? Can’t I just go with the flow?

“There’s not inherently something that means I have to give a shit but of course we do. We care about issues and we care about other people. I want to know that the person down the road can have as good of a life as I can,” said Green Candidate Sam Taylor within two minutes of meeting her for the first time.

Apparently going with the flow has a direct correlation with how much of a useless fuck you are. Sam believes that politics are the invisible influence in every aspect of our lives, though she understands how daunting it can all be.

“It’s perfectly reasonable to want to ignore the bickering old men in suits but it’s nonsense to refuse to acknowledge the effect it’s having not only on your life but of those around you.”

She then proceeded to mask a guilt trip under the guise of a challenge. Using clever candid tricks like “How many people fight and die for the rights we take for granted?” and “Are you happy with the world and the way that it’s going?” before leading into the classic “You’re just cashing in on your privilege by not needing to worry.”

Everyone can now rest easy knowing I’m fully aware of how much of a piece of shit I am.

Who are the Greens and why should I vote for them?

The Greenies are defined by their charter (paraphrased): 1. Don’t be a dick (Non-violence) 2. Don’t forget about the locals (Appropriate decision making) 3. Don’t fuck the environment (Ecological wisdom) 4. Don’t be a pleb (Social responsibility) Along with acknowledging Tiriti o Waitangi as the founding document of our country, this more or less sums up what the Greens are all about.

I’m sure this would mean something to me if I could compare their values to those of other parties, unsurprisingly I’m still

uneducated and ignorant to the world of politics so thankfully Sam just gave me a rundown on what this actually means.

Today Lyam Learned 1. Greens view tertiary education as a public good. The Greens have no interest in profiting from students, they instead want to invest in whatever is required for a sustainable and thriving country.

2. They’re passionate about making the clean green brand we put out to the world to actually accurate. Supporting the needs of our biosphere and ensuring sustainability.

3. I’m a complete wanker who’s just flexing his privilege by being ignorant to politics and the world around me.

4. They think marijuana and abortion should be legal.

5. The cost to make 1km of road could cover the cost of a comprehensive and free tertiary public transport system.

Lyam’s Last Word One squealer down, 15 to go. Sam talked about a lot of the things I always thought were pretty standard around education, drugs and abortion but maybe not.

Would I vote for the Greens? Maybe, but I am still pretty ignorant so we will see what is out there.

Would I vote for Sam? At this point I would, not purely because she’s now all I know about politics, but she’s genuine and her values seem fairly solid.

Did Sam get sick of me asking for Chloe Swarbrick’s number?

I can neither confirm nor deny that I was open to being bribed. ♦ 26

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Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

FOMO

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

Hillary Scholars Bake Sale: On the 31st of May the Hillary Scholars will be running a bake sale from 10–2. They’ll be down on the Village Green fundraising for the Himalayan Trust with a whole bunch of homemade delights and a raffle packed with exciting prizes.

WUSSA Quiz: The science association is hosting a meme based quiz night on the 17th of May. This will be held at the Faculty of Science and Engineering with the doors opening at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Tickets are $5 which cover pizza, snacks and non-alcoholic bevys. Jump on Facebook or WSU Vibe for more details.

Wai, Waste And What You Can Do: Val from the Eco Emporium is hosting a screening of A Plastic Ocean on the 23rd of May over in S.G.01. This documentary follows a team of adventurers and researchers across the globe in order to document the global effects of plastic pollution. Along with this there will also be a discussion with Merren Tait on her year without plastic as well as a panel of experts answering questions about reducing, reusing and recycling in Hamilton.

Rock n Roll Beach Party: The Rivercity Rock n Roll Club is having their 31st Birthday down at Sacred Heart Girls’ College on the 10th of June. Doors open at 7pm with tickets ranging from $6 for kids to $15 for adults. The theme for the night is Hawaiian Beach Party with special guest performance from Midnight Special.

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Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

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Club Spotlight: WESMO Brook Melody WESMO (Waikato Engineering Student Motorsport Organisation) is a student organisation at the University of Waikato in Hamilton consisting of honours engineering and management students in their final year of study. Each year the team research, design, manufacture and race an open wheel racing car in the world’s largest engineering design competition, Formula SAE. Organised by the Society of Automotive Engineers or SAE International, the Formula SAE competition is held throughout the year and involves both static and dynamic events. Static events are where the design of the car is judged and teams are required to present business and cost analysis presentations. This part of the competition allows teams to share their design philosophies and display excellence in the marketing and financial aspects of the project. Dynamic events are where the cars capabilities are truly tested and compared against other designs. These events include autocross, endurance, acceleration and skid-pad racing and are performed on tight tracks that demand absolute control.

WESMO competes in the Australasian competition of the 10 events held worldwide and is currently ranked 46th of 590 competing university and tertiary institutes from around the world.

As the years go by, the competition is getting tougher with the introduction of new technologies and materials but WESMO is rising to the challenge. We have an ever increasing quality of both team and car with steadily improving results which includes coming 9th in Melbourne last year.

To help with the ambition of going further, WESMO is receiving increased support from the local community and the University.

UniRec for example has taken on the role of using its great facilities to help with conditioning our drivers to reach their potential when we race in Australia in December. This year WESMO looks to maintain a minimum of a top 10 standing in the Australasian competition but has its ambitions to finish in the top five.

This car is a project driven by passionate motorsport loving students that want to see New Zealand and Waikato University get recognised on the world racing stage. If you have any inquiries or think you can help contribute to the growth of WESMO in anyway please contact wesmoteam@gmail.com or find us on Facebook. ♌ 28

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Columns — Maramara Kōrero

The Fashion Critic Bringing Up Balenciaga Amanda van der Klompf The metamorphosis of Balenciaga from fash to trash to high-trashfash has been one of the most fascinating evolutions the fashion industry has seen in recent years.

Spanish designer Cristóbal Balenciaga became famous for popularising the “cocoon silhouette”; boxy-shaped coats, widesleeved jackets, and perhaps even the oversized clothing trend in general, have all trickled down from Balenciaga’s work in the 50s and 60s.

In recent history, Balenciaga has been helmed by Nicolas Ghesquière (1997 to 2012), followed by a short and unsuccessful stint by Alexander Wang. After this failed attempt at reviving the brand, who on earth could jump on board to save it? Introducing Demna Gvasalia - fashion’s own personification of a crisp B&H cigarette. The Romanian designer, often seen sporting baggy jeans, a jaded smirk and (I assume) the smell of unwashed scrotum, was appointed Creative Director of the brand in 2015. The rather left field appointment left most of the fashion industry confused and somewhat apprehensive.

Before immersing himself in the elite couture industry in Paris, Gvasalia was making a name for himself through the infamous brand Vetements. As once sported by Celine Dion and many a hipster Welly youth, Vetements has gifted us with a plethora of oversized hoodies, metallic thigh-high boots, and even, DHL t-shirts. They sold DHL t-shirts for 200 fucking dollars.

It’s safe to say that the new Balenciaga is a visual cacophony - a curation of the clothes only worn by Instagram art hoes chugging Victoria bitters and chain smoking in flame-covered hoodies. Since his first collection, Gvasalia has introduced high-necked couture puffer jackets, candy cane striped tights, and men’s tailoring that replicates the shape of an ironing board. Pedo-chic is now in for men - suddenly one finds herself taking a second look at the

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neighbourhood flasher to spot a Balenciaga label. Gone are the days of the pristine purse; instead, Gvasalia provides lofty canvas bags, intentionally designed to replicate IKEA’s cheap and easy totes. Thanks to Gvasalia, the elite women of Paris sport $2000 supermarket bags.

The most fascinating part? Fashion writers, bloggers and stylists eat it all up. One hopes that Gvasalia’s designs are deliberately obtuse in order to point out society’s failings. Perhaps he is trying to prove how desperately fashion devotees will scamper after the latest trend. Nevertheless, Balenciaga offers a somewhat delightful sense of contrast to the steady drone of Paris Fashion Week. ♦

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

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The Morning After Markets are Still Cool Julie Charlton If you have the first half of your Sunday free it may pay to have a wander ‘round the Hamilton East Markets. You might not back with an absolute steal but a $2 Hot Wheels car still in it’s packaging ain’t bad. They are every first and third Sunday of the month and run between 9am to 2pm on Grey Street.

First, grab brunch at any of the dope cafes around Ham East. If the cafes aren’t your style or you’re looking for something under ten bucks then there’s a McDonald’s 100 metres down the road. Maybe just skip food all together because eating is cheating and StudyLink doesn’t come through ‘til Monday. The markets themselves are full of everything and anything. Old tools, plants and a System of the Down CD collection can all be found. My Auckland mate asked if the vendors had stolen what they were selling. She may not be wrong, but who can’t get behind some Hamilton ingenuity and a little bit of old school capitalism.

There’s a lot of stuff that no one would ever buy, but there’s a couple of gems. There’s also an old lady who does psychic readings. I’m always tempted but I’m scared she’s just going to tell me I won’t graduate and I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life. Mostly, the market is full of the colourful characters Hamilton has to offer. There is a man in a floor length fur coat who sells 70s dinner plates and corduroy jackets. On the opposite side of the street a man was trying to convince pedestrians to take his rocking horse for free and his reasoning was he couldn’t be assed putting the damn thing back into his station wagon. My rejection of that offer is probably still the biggest regret of the semester, along with taking BIOL251.

Even if you don’t buy anything from the markets, (because you need cash and who even carries that anymore?) you will at least have gotten some fresh air and a bit of second hand smoke. Sunday markets are slowly dying and you can kinda see why with Hamilton

East. Still, go out and get amongst it, even if that means dealing with the guy wearing no shoes and muttering under his breath and the woman who constantly stops dead in front of you to look at crochet beanies which she’ll never buy. ♦

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Columns — Maramara Kōrero

Opinionated Prayer not cutting it? How about something that actually works?

Jean Balchin April 2013. I was an ickle first year, adrift in the big wide world of university assignments, keg stands, noisy lecture theatres, goon bags, and overenthusiastic health science students. To cut a long story short, the combination of university stress, a genetic predisposition to mental illness, insomnia, major life changes and the ever-persistent existential question of what I was doing with my life propelled me into depression and generalised anxiety disorder. Yet when I finally admitted this to my well-meaning parents, they insisted that my issues were due to me being apart from the Church. I was discouraged from taking the medication I needed, and from seeing any secular counsellors or doctors – even though I wasn’t eating, I was hearing voices, and I woke up crying every morning. My dear mother even flew down to visit. Needless to say, her remedy was to drag me to church, where, ironically, the overwhelming number of enquiries from strangers brought on another panic attack.

The Church is often painted as a safe haven for sufferers. For many however, it is not a safe place for those who struggle with mental illness. According to a recent LifeWay Research study, about half of evangelical Christians believe that prayer and Bible study alone can heal mental illness. Even more horrifically, many people believe that mental illness is the direct result of a person’s sin. We need to overcome the evangelical idea that demons, malicious spirits, sin, or separation from the Church are causing mental illness, and that it can be prayed away.

My brother John did not receive the medical care he needed.

He suffered from depression, anxiety, paranoia and the onset of schizophrenia, yet he received no medical support, counselling or really any intervention outside of prayer and regular church services.

He was hearing voices, had stopped eating, didn’t recognise family members and was essentially catatonic in his final days, yet nothing

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was actually done. All the prayers in the world, all the bible verses, the laying of hands, and well-meaning reassurances could not cure the chemical imbalances in my brother’s brain.

I’m not trying to antagonise anyone or insult anyone’s faith, but let me be clear: if you think someone you know is struggling, offer them real, material help. Suggest counselling or medication, tell them you’ll support them and be with them every step of the way.

And, if you like, pray for them. But do not substitute prayer for actual medical assistance, psychiatric evaluation or counselling. If someone you know broke their leg, you wouldn’t just ‘pray it away’, would you? You’d get them to a hospital, and you’d trust that the doctors and nurses could heal your loved one. I don’t really believe in God, but if I did, I’d argue that God is capable of working through doctors, nurses, psychiatrists and counsellors.

So, for my brother’s sake, for everyone who is struggling with some sort of mental health issue, by all means pray your heart out. But do not ignore the actual, scientifically-backed methods of care and rehabilitation. Prayer, scripture and medication and/or counselling are neither enemies, nor are they mutually-exclusive. Scriptural authority is not challenged by the efficacy of medical science. ♦

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Postcards from Abroad In Hawaii with Tiari Killeen-Townsend Jamie Miller Tiari is in her final year of studying a double major in psychology and sport and leisure studies. She’s currently living it up in Hawaii on exchange at the University of Hawai’i in Mānoa. Exchange Ambassador Celine caught up with her to check out how she’s doing.

Hi, Tiari! How are you settling in?

Good! I’ve been here for three months already.

Really? When did the semester start?

It started in January, and it ends in May. I won’t be back in New Zealand until the start of June.

That’s a long semester! So what’s it like studying and living in Hawaii?

I’ve found that the assignments and tests are really mellow in comparison to Waikato so I’ve had a lot of time to get out and hike.

Right now, I’m on the island of Oahu living in the capital, Honolulu, living in the dorms on campus. Honolulu is a small city, and it’s super easy to get around. People here are so friendly and down to earth. They all practice mālama ‘aina, which is Hawaiian for ‘nurture and take care of the land’. Everyone embraces that saying, which I love. I’ve also found that everyone is super keen to go on adventures. Strangers are always down to have a chat, which is rad.

Why’d you choose UH Mānoa?

Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to live in Hawaii while studying?

I also chose UH because I was interested in coming here and learning about the native Hawaiian culture. Being Maori and learning about the native Hawaiian customs, traditions, language and struggles with colonisation has really helped me reconnect with my own culture. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be immersed in that while I’m here.

That’s pretty interesting. What are you hoping to get out of your exchange?

The biggest benefit for me is definitely gaining more cultural competence, which is important for students wanting to pursue postgraduate study or opportunities in psychology. I’d recommend anyone to just do it and make it happen. There are so many scholarships out there and you get the opportunity to make lifelong friends and memories, it seems silly not to! Putting yourself in a foreign place means you are forced to get out of your comfort zone, and growth is the biggest thing to look forward to.

Rapid-fire round: Favourite…

Food: Hot pockets are bomb. Just the cheese ones though, not the meat.

Place: Pipeline and Waimea Bay! I grew up watching surfing docos with my older brother and it was cool to be there in person finally.

Cultural difference you’ve found: People on the streets talk like they have known each other their entire lives, when really they are complete strangers! That continues to surprise me. Also, the uni is super chill. No one’s rushing around, especially not the lecturers!

Three words to describe Hawaii: Mellow, proud, green Three essentials for Hawaii: Togs, GoPro, sturdy sneakers!

Keep up with Tiari’s adventures on Instagram at @tiari_townsend. ♦

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NEXUS MAGAZINE

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

Hectic Troy the Science Boy Apocalypse Postponed Troy Anderson I’ve been thinking about the impending apocalypse a lot lately and how it will affect us. So, the apocalypse, what’s it all about?

I’ll stop all you Walking Dead fans right now, there will be no zombie apocalypse, that’s fucking a wee bit off, so get it out of your head. Some of you who are a bit more switched on might be thinking something along the lines of ‘weaponised flu virus’ or some other such bollocks. Far more realistic you clever devil, you.

Certain organisations have said outright that they can and are manufacturing super viruses, for the purposes of “study”. However to be so bold, I am almost certain these organisations would kill everyone in the building at the slightest inkling of an outbreak, so again, possible but unlikely. “Hectic Troy the Science Boy, what about an asteroid like the one that killed the dinosaurs?” Now you’re talking mate, but still a slim chance. No, our apocalypse will be death by incompetence. Not the kind of incompetence that’ll result in a nuclear holocaust, but our dependence on electricity.

So back in 2012, one of the largest solar storms ever to have occurred in the last 150 years happened during July. This combination of X-rays and UV light, electrons and protons, and magnetised plasma passed right through our path of orbit and had it occurred one week earlier, it would have hit us. If we were exposed to this, several things would have happened. Every one of our satellites would have been destroyed. Anything that plugs into a wall socket would be disabled. Your taps would begin to run dry (modern water supplies use electronic pumps). The internet, lights, radio and television would be gone. Given all of these things happening, there is also an exceptionally high chance your job would also be gone. Food outlets would no longer be able to function. It would be quite literally, chaos.

The lack of electricity, water, food and to a large extent, money, would result in a widespread panic. Rioting would no doubt result

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N.10 / V.49

as the greater public began to realise that they cannot survive without the systems that are in place, systems we rely upon every day. Our civil defence forces would also be in disarray and as a result, for at least a few weeks, it would be up to you to look after yourself and your people.

Well fuck, sorry to bring the mood down my lovelies but it’s worth mentioning. There is a 12% chance of being hit by such a storm in the next decade, sending us right back to the dark ages for several years. So perhaps actually have a plan, suss yourself a survival kit, invest in some books that’ll get you through, you know, those things that are a bit like the internet, but still work when the electricity disappears. And remember above all else, breathing is an excellent way to stay alive. ♦

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

NEXUS MAGAZINE

P H O T O G R A P H Y : A L E S S A N D R A TA N E → @ A L E S S A N D R A R O S E T TA →

Darts & Crafts Laptop Sleeve Emily Reid I don’t know if this is a universal thing, but when I moved to university, my family inundated me with tea towels. This not only gave me the vague impression that they thought my place was in the home rather than in tertiary education, it also meant I had a few too many than was necessary. In order to utilize them, I made one of these and now you can too.

Materials: →→ A decorative tea towel →→ A piece of felt or other squidgy material →→ Scissors →→ Thread →→ Pins →→ A sewing machine How to craft: →→ The basis of this sleeve is fairly simple, it involves folding the sleeve in quarters and sewing it so there’s a pocket. So to begin, make sure your tea towel is big enough for your device. →→ Cut the felt into a rectangle which is the same size as the tea towel folded width ways. Then tuck the felt inside the folded tea towel and pin in place →→ Sew the open edges of the tea towel closed so you are now left with the felt sewn inside the fold. →→ Fold this in half again and sew around two edges (one is already folded), leaving one of the short ends open for your lappy to slide on in. →→ Tip: If you don’t have access to a sewing machine, pop into the Eco Emporium between 10 and 1 from Tuesday to Thursday.

They have one for the use of students and all you need to do is sew a little something to sell in the shop while you’re there. ♦

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SNAPPED Snapped — Atapaki

NEXUS MAGAZINE

ER

NN

WI

Snap nexusmag your shenanigans! The best snapchat each week wins a voucher from our mates at BurgerFuel. Claim it from the Nexus office in SUB. Disclaimer: If you wish to withdraw a snap from the magazine before publication on Thursday, email us a detailed account of what the snap is and why it needs to be removed.

38

Blind Date — He aru makau

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Blind—

Brought to you by House on Hood Street.

Each week Nexus attempts to make a romantic/sexual connection.

If you're keen for a date on us, email editor@nexusmag.co.nz Her flatmate nominated her in a series of haikus praising her accounting skills and talking about the ‘weird almond biscuits’ she eats. He is a comp sci student and skaterboi turtle enthusiast with an uncanny ability to grow a ‘proper seedy mo’.

She said: Luckily, my flatmate agreed to let me take my rosé with me in the car because there is nothing wrong with having liquid courage right up till the moment you walk into House, except maybe for Hamilton’s liquor ban. After running to the bathroom, I was ready to meet the love of my life and I wasn’t mad when I was presented a pretty respectable guy.

His facial hair was a strong feature.

The conversation wasn’t awful as we both discussed our experiences with minor alcohol abuse and I wowed him with my lack of any sober weekends so far in 2017. We went old school with sharing a pepperoni pizza but sorry kids there was no Lady and the Tramp sharing of food. However, there was a great deal of shots. I never knew feijoas went so well with vodka. I tried to keep my flatmates informed on how the date was going via the flat chat but unfortunately, I was making too many typos to make any sense. Definitely a sign of good night.

Looking back on my Wednesday night, now in bed and only slightly hungover, I met a genuinely nice guy who wasn’t too bad on the old eyes.

We added each other both on Facebook and Snapchat so who knows, we may become friends in reality too. Thanks for not being the creepy old guy with bad banter that I was expecting – it made for a good first blind date experience. Don’t worry team, still going to hit town this Saturday, can’t lose that streak!

He said: First of all, fuck you to the friend that signed me up to the blind date without my permission.

Here I am being a computer scientist, having little confidence in talking to people and now I have to spend an entire evening with some random person… Well here we go with the cliché of sinking piss before the date, trusty Waikatos specifically, in order to calm my nerves. After a few too many my nerves are somewhat subsided.

I rock up earlier than her (I hope), to be greeted by the beautiful host at the House who comforted me by saying that everyone else doing this was nervous too. And then she walks in… The girl was great, smart, funny, well-travelled and easy to talk to. She started off by saying that she was fussy in what kind of food she wanted to eat but after suggesting a pizza to share she instantly picked what she wanted, PERFECT. I promised myself, even after my friends tried to talk me into it, that I wouldn’t order tequila shots however the bartender persuaded us and we agreed on some less tragic alcohol remedies. After a bit of wine, work and social life talk her ride was on their way and I had my turtles to care for. She was super fun to hang out with and spin yarns (which I might credit to the alcohol consumed) and finally to all the guys and girls out there that think they aren’t confident enough to go on a blind date, take this moderately drunk computer scientist’s advice that you can. And you’ll have a good time doing it too I swear. Don’t be a pussy ass motherfucker.

Date.

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NEXUS MAGAZINE

Puzzles — Panga

Horoscopes Aries: March 21 — April 19 This week hard work, diligence, and the academic pursuit of excellence will pay financial dividends in your future. Unless you’re a woman because the pay equity gap still exists. #ThanksNational Taurus: April 20 — May 20 Passion ignites as Venus moves out of alignment. An unspeakable connection develops that stokes a carnal desire, and a love that knows no equal. Of course we doubt they will mention that in the text when they leave you to be with the one they really love.

Gemini: May 21 — June 20 Pessimism clouds your head this week. You could look at your sub-par performance this year and consider yourself a failure or you could look on the brightside and realise at the rate we are going you will probably outlast the faculty giving you the grades.

Cancer: June 21 — July 22 In dark times when everything is quiet you will find your voice. Unlike engineering students who just tend to find internet porn when it is dark and quiet.

Leo: July 21 — August 22 This is a week to fear reality. Paranoia is the notion that someone is out to get you. Reality is the unease you feel when you recognise your toothbrush isn’t in the same spot you left it and trying to recall if you have ever seen your flatmates toothbrush in the three months they have lived with you.

Virgo: August 23 — September 22 Clouds surround your stars, miserable, rain filled clouds. At times like this the only cure is to persevere, or to have a delicious, reasonably priced three choice meal on rice at Sue’s Kitchen in Oranga.

Note: Portions of this horoscope may be sponsored.

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THEME: Phrases commonly spotted on University of Waikato social media platforms.

Peeps

Keen

Snapsquad

Giveaway

Get Involved

Insty

Flashback

Love the Tron

Pumped

Friyay

Win a GoPro

TGIF

Stoked

Cheeky

Screenshot

Blast

Instapuzzle

Holla

Shout Out

Study Abroad

Don’t Forget

Libra: September 23 — October 22 Jupiter recommends you take chances this week. Of course Jupiter said that to your flatmate six weeks ago and now they are pregnant. I guess the lesson here is Jupiter is the type of prick who doesn’t actually pull out.

Capricorn: December 22 — January 19 Construct your own horoscope using the following key words or phrases correctly: Justin Trudeau; 2 state solution; old king clancy; peace in our time; spaghetti on a pizza.

Scorpio: October 23 — November 21 Beware of money lenders and false promises. The realisation of happiness and self actualisation is seldom found in a bank balance... Actually fuck that.

Wouldn’t you rather be miserable on a yacht than happy in Snead Place?

Aquarius: January 20 — February 18 In fleeting moments of introspection you find yourself questioning the choices you have made in your life.

But if you didn’t want to ask yourself tough questions you never would have decided to study early childhood education in the first place.

Sagittarius: November 22 — December 21 Love is the greatest gift you can give this week, HPV is one of the worst but sometimes it’s a package deal. You have some decisions to make.

Pisces: February 19 — March 20 Allow yourself to feel this week, don’t think. If you thought too much you would realise that horoscopes are the idle pastime of the intellectually inferior.

N.10 / V.49

Puzzles — Panga

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Sudoku 7

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1. H. Jon Benjamin voices Bob Belcher and this

15. A known or established fact or situation (5)

2. An aeolian sediment formed by the

cartoon character (8,6)

16. Certain as the sun rising in the ___ (4)

accumulation of wind-blown silt (5)

5. Pirates believed wearing earrings would

17. Splitting (5)

3. Require (4)

improve this (8)

18. An artist’s studio - Lagerfield and Valentino

4. Songstress featured in last week’s Nexus (5,7)

6. J. J. Abrams show starring Jennifer Garner (5)

have one (7)

8. A Marmite alternative (8)

7. A young lower-class person typified by brash

20. Hit me up (1,1,1)

9. Same answer as number 8. Making crosswords

and loutish behaviour (4)

21. Uncle Sam (1,1,1)

is hard, okay. (8)

10. Rub out (5)

22. Tattoo, stick and …. (4)

11. Spine-tingling, spooky (5)

13. Otherwise (4)

23. Deep male voice (8)

12. Cheeky ginger grandson of Queen Lizzie (6,5)

14. Grimes’ 2015 album (3,6)

19. Sexually arousing (6)

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