Nexus 2017 Issue 16

FREE STUDENT MAGAZINE

N.16 / V.49

Shit’s Changing: Everything You Need to Know Part One — Page 05 Rose-Coloured Filters — Page 17 Ode to the Road: Cameron Rd — Page 26

1 EDITORIAL 4 NEWS Keeping up with the Kommentary

NEXUS ISSUE 16 31ST JULY - 4TH AUGUST 2017

Dangers of “Synthetic Cannabis Quite Blunt Shit’s Changing: Everything You Need to Know, Part One TL;LR News in Numbers The Diminutive Post Top Ten

16 RANDOM AUDIT 17 FEATURE

Rose-Coloured Filters

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

MANAGING EDITOR James Raffan james@nexusmag.co.nz

DESIGN Vincent Owen design@nexusmag.co.nz

DEPUTY EDITOR Jennie-Louise Kendrick

10 SPORTS

Erg Enlightenment Time to Front Up?

Artwork by Loryn Engelsman

jen@nexusmag.co.nz

REVIEWS EDITOR

Interview with BAYNK

Alexander Nebesky reviews@nexusmag.co.nz

CONTRIBUTORS

Puppet Master Politics FOMO Ode to the Road: Cameron Road Club Spotlight: CS3

Cameron McRobie Tom Collopy David Simes Ben Hansen Conor Maxwell Chris Thresher Jacqui Swney Jean Balchin Amanda van der Klompf Troy Anderson Richard Swainson

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

DISTRIBUTION Matthew Rae

20 CENTREFOLD 22 FULL EXPOSURE 24 STUDENT EXPERIENCE

13 ENTERTAINMENT COLUMNS 30 14 REVIEWS Film: Dunkirk directed by Christopher Nolan Video Game: Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy by Vicarious Visions Film: Baby Driver directed by Edgar Wright Album: Woodstock by Portugal.

The Man

Pass the AUX Opinionated The Fashion Critic Lonely Tarts Club Yam & Troy the Science Boys Auteur House

37 SNAPPED 39 BLIND DATE 40 PUZZLES

Editorial — Pānui Ētita

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Keeping up with the Kommentary We make the mistake of thinking that our lives when we’re older will be similar to our parents. We plan for the future as if the 9-5 ideals the older generation instilled in us are still relevant and we will one day be able to work in a traditional job, have a nuclear family and own a title deed to a house, as if our futures are a cosmic boardgame.

The reality of the situation is that people have jobs now that couldn’t have even been fathomed 10 years ago and at the speed we’re going, we’ll probably have careers that don’t even exist yet.

Once upon a time picking up a Nexus would inform you about pop culture, magazines were afforded the luxury of being ‘ahead of the game’, but this just isn’t true anymore. Print media acknowledges and responds to the zeitgeist, but it simply isn’t fast enough to truly be ahead of the curve. It’s like a Now That’s What I Call Music CD; the majority of the songs are no longer in the Top 40 by the time the album is released. This doesn’t mean that it’s dying or irrelevant (although some may disagree), it just

means things have changed so much media takes on a whole new role.

With that comes the increasing effect of social media on our lives. We churn through vast amounts of information on the daily, it is dizzying to try and keep up with what’s relevant. Everyday there’s a new cause celebre, a new handpicked social issue to comment on. We retell our whole life stories through the internet and when you stop to comprehend that it is a terrifying concept; we knowingly compromise our safety and privacy as the price of keeping informed and in the know.

How much of what we say and do online will come back to haunt us, and how much does making connections through social media help guide us in such an uncertain period of history?

Maybe lay off the incriminating tagged photos on Facebook, just in case. ♦

— Lyam & Bron

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Uni News — Pitopito Korero

NEXUS MAGAZINE

U N I N E W S December Graduation Have you recently completed your studies?

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

Go to the common tasks tab in iWaikato and select apply to graduate. The deadline for applications to graduate if you wish to attend the December ceremony is 11 October. Apply now so you don’t miss out. Read more at http://www. waikato.ac.nz/students/graduation/graduation-faqs

International Student Ongoing Orientation Sessions Join us every Wednesday from 1-2pm in TC.3.01 for informal but informative and interactive sessions to help you adjust and succeed with life and study in New Zealand. This week’s session looks at Budgeting for Students, and Finding Part-time Employment for International Students. Keep an eye out for further topics as they are made available.

Summer Research Scholarships Do you want a summer placement that involves real-world research and academic experience?

Check out some of the Summer Research Scholarship projects on offer (worth $5000).

Applications close 31 August. Visit waikato.ac.nz/ scholarships/s/university-of-waikato-summerresearch-scholarship for more information.

Are you a WMS student looking for intern experience?

The Waikato Rugby Union are looking for three intern roles involving Events, Media and Sponsorship & Corporate Hospitality. Get involved and make your CV stand out! Details are available in MyCareer - www.waikato.ac.nz/students/careers

Bus to Uni The Bus to Uni is up and running for Semester B. Students who live in outlying areas of the Waikato region can catch a bus to Uni for just $1 a ride. Visit waikato.ac.nz/student-life/campuses/ buses-to-campus to find out about routes and registering for the bus.

B Semester Fitness Sorted?

UniRec’s popular B Semester student membership ends today (31 July 2017)! 4 months for only $220 upfront. Buy online at unirec.co.nz/memberships or at UniRec reception. T&Cs apply.

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

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News — Pitopito Korero

Dangers of “Synthetic Cannabis” Quite Blunt Jennie-Louise Kendrick After the eighth death from synthetic drugs in the past month, a leading drug researcher is urging the public to stop referring to ‘dangerous psychoactive substances’ as ‘synthetic cannabis’.

Chris Wilkins from Massey University told Duncan Garner on the AM Show that not only is the surge in synthetic drug use a global health risk, it’s also dangerous to refer to the substances as ‘synthetic cannabis’.

“People then expect the effects to be like cannabis,” he said, “but these are completely different compounds and are much more potent, and they have different effects than cannabis”.

St John’s Ambulance Service revealed that they are called out approximately 20 times a day to synthetic drug cases. Medical Director Tony Smith told Radio New Zealand that he hasn’t been this concerned about an illegal drug since GHB came on the market many years ago.

“Patients under the influence of this drug are exhibiting grossly disturbed behaviour, suffering seizures,” he said.

“Most concerning is that the drug appears to be linked to some people’s hearts stopping beating and we have had seen seven sudden and unexpected deaths.”

“In some instances their hearts have just stopped from a massive cardiac arrest.”

The side effects of cannabis are pretty standard; munching chippies and laying on the couch, maybe a bit of paranoia. Comparatively, people have reported synthetic drugs causing far more severe consequences. Adverse effects include non-stop vomiting, agitation, seizures, severe paranoia, and psychosis.

Recently, non-profit group KnowYourStuffNZ revealed that 31% of the drugs tested were not exactly the drug recreational users had thought they had purchased. The study was run by the group undercover on over 300 party drugs at eight festivals. They also found that 20% were entirely different to what the user thought they had purchased.

KnowYourStuffNZ spokeswoman Wendy Allison 04

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admitted the testing was done without the knowledge of the police.

“We run this service so that people can make informed choices about their drug use, because that information could keep them alive,” she said.

“Without drug checking, people go to events and use drugs, which they purchase illicitly with no assurances that what they have is what they think it is, or what quality and strength it is.”

Auckland Action Against Poverty’s Alastair Russell said the use of synthetic drugs is disproportionately affecting those below the poverty line.

“If you are looking at employment that offers you low wages, low conditions, no security of hours and no way forward, then you are effectively excluded from the ‘rock star economy’ the Government keeps on talking about.”

Mr Russell was adamant that in order to reduce substance-related harm, the Government must commit to tackle poverty and health underfunding.

“At the absolute root of the problem is a system that doesn’t care. There is no intention of addressing poverty,” he told Newshub.

Detective Inspector Gary Lendrum said “We’ve got reports of 13-year-olds right through to 64-year-olds using this product, so it’s right across New Zealand, and right across society” and that the Police are concerned that “If we don’t do something about this, further people are going to die,” Cannabis is often regarded as a relatively harmless and accepted drug in New Zealand culture, especially amongst young people so the association of a vastly different substance with weed is misleading.

Chris Wilkins said that a regulated natural cannabis market could be worth experimentation as he believed that many of the people buying psychoactive substances do so because it is cheaper than natural cannabis, despite preferring to smoke marijuana.

“If you look at potency, it’s safer”, he said. ♦

News — Pitopito Korero

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Shit’s Changing Everything You Need to Know, Part One Lyam Buchanan The University is implementing a bunch of big changes in 2018, including changes to paper points, removal and addition of majors/minors and the launch of a new undergraduate degree.

This piece will cover the specific effects these changes will have on FSEN and WMS; a more in depth look at other faculties will be released in the coming weeks.

Universal 15 Point Papers The move to 15 point papers will enable students greater flexibility and choice in choosing the subjects they wish to study (they can select eight papers in each of their remaining years rather than six). The University has ensured that workloads have been reduced in each paper so that students will do the same amount of work in four 15-point papers that they would have done in three 20-point papers. From 2018, all 100 and 200 level papers will be worth 15 points and from 2019 all 300 and 400 level papers will be worth 15 points (or 30 points in a few cases). Thus, students who enrolled in 2017 will complete their second, third (and fourth) years using 15 points papers. Faculties will provide guidance for students on which papers they should take to complete their programmes. Students who enrolled in 2016 and are completing their third year in 2018 will do so using existing 20 point papers.

Changes to majors and minors →→ Majors being removed – →→ Biotechnology →→ Studies in Religion →→ Majors being changed to new majors – →→ Biological Sciences is changing to two new majors – Ecology and Biodiversity,

→→

→→

→→ →→

→→

and Molecular and Cellular Biology →→ Māori and Pacific Development is being replaced by two new majors- Māori and Indigenous Studies, and Pacific and Indigenous Studies. →→ Education Studies is changing toEducation and Society. →→ Statistics is changing to- Data Analytics →→ The Bachelor of Health, Sport and Human Performance is introducing three new majors- Community Health, Human Performance Science, and Sport Development and Coaching.

Majors being shifted to minors – →→ Agribusiness →→ Animal Behaviour →→ Applied Physics →→ Biochemistry →→ Labour Studies →→ Leadership Communication →→ Public Policy →→ Supply Chain Management →→ Women’s and Gender Studies New minors →→ Coastal Processes →→ Dance →→ Hydrology →→ Geology →→ Soil Science Majors not being offered at this time →→ Entrepreneurship and Innovation New approved majors – →→ Digital Learning →→ Materials Science New proposed majors (pending approval) – →→ Aquaculture →→ Biomedical Science

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NEXUS MAGAZINE

News — Pitopito Korero

New Degrees: Bachelor of Design will replace the Bachelor of Computer Graphic Design, including some aspects from the Bachelor of Media and Creative Technologies. This has three new majors. →→ Communication Design →→ Interface Design →→ Media Design Bachelor of Business (BBus) is also being introduced as a new three year degree within the Management School.

What effect will these changes have on current students?

All students in existing majors will be able to complete those original majors.

In the case of the majors in FSEN, they can choose to transfer into any of the new majors or minors while keeping to the old degree rules (that is, they will not be required to complete the numeracy requirement, the cultural perspectives or workplace/community engagement that are part of the new degree requirements). For any majors undergoing change, the University has identified completion pathways based on new courses that deliver to the original graduate attributes. The University is also running information sessions and will ensure all students can receive one-on-one advice about their options and programs if they wish. →→ The Biological Sciences major will be maintained, but will not accept new students except through the existing articulation agreement with Toi Ohomai (originally with Bay of Plenty Polytech) until 2019 to complete the cohort of students who started at Toi Ohomai (or BOP Poly) when the old curriculum and GCA was in place. →→ The Materials and Processing major will also be maintained, but will not accept new students except through the HEBUST articulation agreement.

What does this mean for...

FSEN- Faculty of Science and Engineering “Biotechnology” as a discipline has become much more nuanced and in examining the options during the curriculum renewal, we realised that elements of biotechnology were more aligned with different offerings such as: a Molecular and Cellular major/Chemistry minor; a Chemistry major/Molecular and Cellular minor; a Materials Science major with either a Chemistry or Molecular and Cellular minor. The Biological Sciences major was a broad offering which allowed students to select courses from Molecular, Cellular, Genetics, Microbiology, 06

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Physiology, Ecology, and Evolution/Biodiversity.

Examining student choice over the last five years indicated that students select courses from Cellular and Molecular topics or from Ecology and Biodiversity topics with a mixture in between. In working through the curriculum design from first principles, it became clear that two streams were relevant as majors with the opportunity for students to select a minor from the other subject if they chose. This change will allow graduates to have a more specific and unique reflection of their skills when they move into the workforce. We will consider a “Biotechnology” minor as we bed down the change of curriculum.

Animal Behaviour was a shared major between FSEN and FASS. With changes in staffing due to retirements and departures in both faculties, the ability to fully deliver on Animal Behaviour major was compromised. In addition, changes in the research focus of FASS new hires suggested that substantial revision of the Animal Behaviour major would be required.

We therefore took the decision to reduce the offering to a minor that supports the Ecology and Biodiversity major.

The Biochemistry major attracted a low number of students directly, but provided support teaching into the Molecular and Cellular “stream” of the Biological Sciences major, and the Chemistry major. Consequently, the decision was to shift Biochemistry from a major to a minor.

The Physics major consistently received fewer than six students and a decision was taken several years ago to withdraw the major on financial grounds. However, the curriculum review supported the establishment of an Applied Physics minor which would support the other key Science majors and meet student interest in a more contextualised way.

WMS- Waikato Management School From a WMS perspective, 2018 will see the launch of a new three year undergraduate degree, the Bachelor of Business (BBus). This is an exciting new development, based on extensive research and consultation with how best to appeal to modern students (both locally and in Tauranga), international students, as well as streamlining the faculties offerings. The BMS (Hons) will continue as a premium degree offering, while the BCS will continue as a more communications focussed degree. The BBus will feature all undergraduate majors, allowing students to have greater flexibility in terms of their degree structure, particularly as they discover topics they are passionate about in first year, which they may not have considered

News — Pitopito Korero

prior to starting university life. This has had an impact on some undergraduate major subjects (listed below): Agribusiness remains an important discipline for WMS, however comparatively low numbers and staffing resource means that in the shortterm it will work better as a minor rather than a major. This will be reviewed on an annual basis, with strategies in place to build numbers within papers. Agribusiness is still offered as a postgraduate specialisation.

Leadership Communication – This major had a significant overlap with the Public Relations major and has had declining student numbers. In view of the introduction of the new BBus degree in which all undergraduate majors will be offered, it was felt that its distinctiveness was as a minor only, not as a major. Leadership Communication is still offered as a post-graduate specialisation.

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Supply Chain Management - Supply Chain Management has strong alignment with developments in the Waikato region, however overlaps with other majors, comparatively low numbers amongst first year students and staffing resource mean it will also work better as a minor rather than a major. As with agribusiness, this will be reviewed on an annual basis, with strategies being investigated to build numbers within papers.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation – This was a new major to be introduced in 2018, however this has been delayed until 2019 to make sure it aligns better with strategic management papers.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation is also still offered as a post-graduate specialisation.

Any students who have questions about these changes are recommended to speak to the Student Admin team at info@waikato.ac.nz, 0800 924 528. ♦ 07

News — Pitopito Korero

TL;LR

Too Long; Lyam Read “Oi nah I’m absolutely mangled let’s just give it a minute.”

— Stuff.co.nz enlightens the nation with their piece ‘Not in the mood for booze? Here’s how to decline a drink gracefully’.

“Smokin’ bulbs may itch my bones but kina will always cure me.”

— Gang members cheer on scrappers at Whangarei fight night, while enjoying kai moana together.

“Preppy teen throws a tantrum when creepy man tries to cut in line.”

— Heroic Starbucks customer batters knifewielding robber with chair.

“How the fuck did he not die years ago?”

— The fate of Shortland Street’s Chris Warner hangs in the balance.

“Small child almost causes national economic crisis.”

— Outrage after five-year-old girl brought to tears when council fines her for setting up lemonade stand.

“Igloo folk mourn death of furry child.”

— Beloved honorary cat mayor of small Alaska town dies at 20.

News in Numbers 50%

90%

$250,000

8 issues

200ish

$130,000

of Kiwis no longer trust hazard warnings from officials according to recent study.

fine could be coming for a family who helped a lost baby seal get back to his buds.

sheep were killed when a bear chased them off a cliff in Spain.

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of a lovely old man’s Otago farm has been left submerged.

of Nexus left for the

year after this one.

top live streamers in China.

a month made by

The Diminutive Post

NEXUS MAGAZINE

News — Pitopito Korero

NEXUS MAGAZINE

TOP 10 Acquaintances Walking past Each Other Intently Stare Elsewhere before Acting Happy and Surprised at the Last Minute “I usually pull out my phone and pretend to be busy but this time I completely blanked” Ex College Hall socialite opens up about her horrific encounter on campus “Why the fuck did I suggest a catch up?”

Last week Shane Jones proclaimed his urges to ‘drop a nuke on gangs’, specifically the Whangarei recreation centre which recently held a gang boxing event. Realising the immense detrimental effects this would have on nearby buildings, and the Southern Hemisphere as a whole, we’d like to instead offer our top ten strategies for dealing with unruly gangs: 10. Accept the fact that they’re more than mildly intimidating and just leave them to it.

9. Offer Government Subsidy allowing all gang members to move to New Plymouth, providing a much needed boost to the economy of the West Coast.

8. Observe. Document. Dramatise. NZ needs a TV export as successful as The Sopranos, let’s attack it with verbatim writing and method acting.

Management School Pedestrian Crossing under Review after 70% of Drivers Admit to Homicidal Thoughts “If I see one more person awkwardly walk-jog in front of me I’ll flatten them”. Nexus correspondent speaks to a mildly infuriated car owner who admits to passive aggressively revving his engine during the midday lunch rush. “You’d think with my sub blasting people would notice my ride and let me through”.

7. What’s Little Barrier Island good for these days?

Preserving our wildlife is SO 1993. Ship them there.

6. Come to think of it, the religious cult that resides on Great Barrier Island could teach gangsters a thing or two about life, including how to go without power between 8pm and 6am.

5. Appropriate gang culture through pop music to the point that they just give up, because who the fuck wants to see Max Key try to duplicate their aesthetic?

4. Introduce gangs to the splendour of veganism and kombucha tea. You simply can’t be vegan and run in gang circles at the same time, the two cancel each other out.

3. According to John Cleese, forcefully relocating gangs to Palmerston North should solve the problem momentarily.

Trend Alert: Narcissists Can’t Stop Pretending They Did Shit on a Test Whilst Knowing They’ve Cracked Above 80% “I know I say it all the time but this time I’m actually serious guys, honestly”. Attention seeking cunt puzzled as they continue to lose respect from their peers after refusing to admit the effort they put in. “I swear this time I’ll be stoked if I scrape through with a C”.

2. Fuck it, drop Shane Jones on gangs. It might not have the explosive quality of a fully fledged nuke, but the visual absurdity brings satisfaction nonetheless.

1. Address elevated risk factors for joining a gang, strengthen families, reduce youth’s conflicts, and improve community-level supervision of youth (not comedy, because here at Nexus we are woke™ - take that Salient). ♦ 09

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Sports — Hākinakina

Erg Enlightenment Cameron McRobie One of the arguably stupidest racing sports around is rowing – who the fuck wants to damned near shit themselves putting 112% of their effort into an awkward distance race where you face backwards the entire time? The answer is a lot of Kiwis, actually – of course we’re going to jump at the chance to pump all our precious Government sport funding into sport that doesn’t have major global popularity or really even make sense.

Though the back and forth rowing swing is usually danced in skinny boats on filthy fucking rivers (up the mighty Waikato) or cold, foggy lakes – every rower (and many pleb gym-goers) knows and hates the rhythmic whizz of an Erg (rowing machine).

Ergs are used as a land based training for rowers. If you’re looking for a way to kill motivation, try to find some purpose in pulling a handle for an hour, 22 times a minute (that’s 1320 strokes in total, FYI) with each stroke feeling heavier than the last – and not actually moving anywhere.

There’s nothing particularly exciting about Erging, similar to thumping on treadmills or zoning the fuck out on an exercycle – it’s just not as stimulating as the real thing. You’re alone in your thoughts. Looking at the numbers on the on the screen can be as motivating as watching paint dry, especially if you’re ticking up 12 or more Ks or even aiming for an hour. As a well-seasoned Erger, here are some common thoughts I’ve experienced: “Sweet, 500 metres down in xyz time! If I hold this pace and don’t tire like a little bitch then I should be able to do the next 14, 500 metres in abc time!”

“Actually, make that 14, 386 – do I need to redo my math?”

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“I really hope someone walks past so I can do some people watching.”

“Oh shit I’m getting sweaty.”

“Okay, finish off this stroke Ima check if there’re any hotties behind me.”

“Wait, I didn’t get to look long enough – round two I guess.”

“Now I’m just embarrassed.”

“Did I have an assignment due today?”

“If I stop now, will the people behind me judge me for only having done half?”

“Stay strong, a few big strokes to impress the gal behind ya.”

“Wait – when did she leave, what will become of our future relationship now?”

“Why do I even do this again?”

“Am I on dinner tonight?”

“Fuck I hope not.”

“Jet fuel doesn’t melt steel beams.”

“I wonder if changing degrees would increase my dating pool?”

It’s unlikely you’re going to think up the cure to cancer on an indoor rower, and will almost certainly be that you’re too worn-out to have any life changing shower thoughts. Just don’t go and try and chat up the attractive specimen on the spin bike behind you post Erg, chances are they weren’t having the same enlightening thoughts as you were and they certainly won’t appreciate a sweaty mess at risk of barfing on their Lululemon. ♦

Sports — Hākinakina

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Time to Front Up? Tom Collopy Refereeing is one of the hardest jobs in sport and isn’t for the faint hearted. It takes a lot of nerve and confidence to make decisions and trust in those decisions whilst knowing that you’re not always going to get it right. These decisions come under constant scrutiny from players and fans alike but yet there is still the question of accountability floating around sports. Many governing bodies make it such that referees do not have to front the media or be publicly scrutinised by those under its management without receiving fines and penalties which has bought up this topic of accountability. Whilst I understand this practice I can also understand players and coaches’ frustrations when it comes to press conferences and they are asked questions regarding the outcome of the game when it has been decided by refereeing decisions and they are unable to speak their mind.

I understand the procedure, due to the fact that within your sport you want confident referees out on the field making decisions. If a referee has been publicly scrutinised by a player or member of management from a team they have to referee again it puts unnecessary pressure on that individual which can lead to poor decisions being made. It is very understandable that a player or coach can be upset with decisions made by a referee and I am sure refs understand that also but I don’t think it does anything for any sport to have those involved in the game publicly blasting these individuals.

I do though understand how it can be seen as a governing body creating double standards as players and coaches have to face up and publicly own up to their mistakes. Taking

Rugby League as an example if a player or a team has produced a subpar performance which was the catalyst of their defeat they have to come out and front the media to own up to their mistakes. With the game’s referees, Tony Archer, the elite performance manager for the game’s refs comes out after every round and clarifies when decisions were right and admits when the officials have been wrong. Thus whilst they are held accountable by their superiors they and their mistakes are admitted, they don’t have to face the music from the media like players and coaches do.

Within sports I think there definitely is things that need to be done to provide more clarity to players and coaches alike. Whilst it can be hard to explain on field at the time I believe that captains and coaches should be able to sit down with the referee’s after a game and put forward their questions and frustrations which can then be answered by that official. By doing so the officials can then explain their interpretation of particular calls whilst also having the chance to admit to any mistake they believe they made. By doing this behind closed doors it provides clarity and accountability to those who deserve. It also would negate players and coaches from venting their frustrations to the media and getting fined which is a plus for both parties. ♦

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Entertainment — Whakangahau

NEXUS MAGAZINE

ENTERTAINMENT Crush of the Week – Shark who Beat Michael Phelps in a Race It galvanised Shark Week audiences when the Discovery Channel announced it would show a Great White Shark racing the only formidable opponent available: Michael Phelps.

It was then revealed that the pair didn’t race against each other real time, but through the magic of CGI, Phelps swam 100 meters against a computer-generated shark. The shark won and the leaderboard revealed that not only was he two seconds faster than the 23 time Olympic gold medal winner, but he was also South African. So sharks can have a nationality but a name is too preposterous? Here at Nexus, we took some liberties.

Clickbait Moodboard

Hottest to Nottest →→ Stuff’s Black Hands podcast →→ Taika Waititi’s fashion →→ Seal pup spottings →→ Sunday Theatre movies warming up the winter →→ Overly oily baklava →→ Smearing lipstick on straws and bottle lips →→ RIP to Microsoft Paint (pouring one out optional) →→ Todd Barclay’s smug lil’ mug →→ Boris Johnson’s presence in New Zealand →→ The Twins from The Block NZ

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NEXUS MAGAZINE

Reviews — Arotakenga

Film

Video Game

Arotakenga Kiriata Dunkirk directed by Christopher Nolan Review: Alexander Nebesky

Arotakenga Tākoro Ataata Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy by Vicarious Visions Review: Conor Maxwell

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

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

Christopher Nolan has delivered his greatest film yet in Dunkirk. It’s a film that excels in capturing the tension and fear that so many experienced, presenting it to the audience in such a way only a great film can. It is a spectacle of sound and vision. The diving Stukas scream in your ears, thunderous explosions shake you to your core, and the waves crashing against the beach draw you into a world that is almost inconceivable to us in the present day. The setting and storytelling are remarkable, in another film they could have drowned out the performances. In Dunkirk, it is these engaging and emotional performances that tie the spectacle together. Of particular note is Tom Hardy, who conveys the emergency and alarm of a dogfighting pilot, even under a flight mask, only his eyes visible to the audience. Mark Rylance embodies that legendary ‘Dunkirk spirit’ so revered in British war history. Even Harry Styles provides a certain character to the film without distracting you with the fact that he is heart-throb dreamboat Harry Styles.

Nolan often finds himself delivering grand, yet sloppy films. Inception comes to mind as a film heavy on concepts, but light on story. Dunkirk is undoubtedly his most fully realised work, the most effective use of non-linear storytelling, and the most compelling of his tales.

Spoiler alert: the Germans lose the Second World War. What Dunkirk does well is present the enemy as they were to the soldiers on the beach, and to the world as it was. Unstoppable. There is no nagging thought in the back of your mind that the good guys win. For us the audience the only nagging fear that this unstoppable German war machine will kill everyone you love and lay waste to the world. ♦

Most remasters or re-releases of classic video games only make cosmetic changes to the source product. Developers take games you loved as a youngin’ and make them pretty, so you can be less embarrassed about sharing your childhood favourites with your cool new friends. The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy was developed by Vicarious Visions (not Naughty Dog, the developer of the first three Crash Bandicoot games) and is certainly an attractive collection of games, but they play differently to the games you remember. Crash himself is heavier, jumping and navigation are annoyingly precise, and the trilogy is generally more difficult than it has ever been.

Are they bad games? Fuck no, they’re so much fun, but my nostalgia for the Crash Bandicoot franchise hindered my experience with the games, rather than heightening it. I admittedly enjoy rediscovering all the challenges and secrets I loved as a kid, but my time with the remastered games (particularly Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back) saw me dying far too many times due to a control scheme that’s just different enough to the 1990s classics to be a nuisance.

I definitely recommend this collection to people who want experience the adventures of Crash and Coco for the first time, but if you’re a hardcore fan who just wants to see Dingodile’s sweet, sweet tail in 4K Definition, watch a Let’s Play, because the controls are going to make you angry, and slightly ripped off. ♦

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Re v e w

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Reviews — Arotakenga

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Film

Album

Arotakenga Kiriata Baby Driver by Edgar Wright Review: David Simes

Arotakenga Pakaemi Woodstock by Portugal. The Man Review: Ben Hansen

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

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

Coming from the brain of the man who gave us Hot Fuzz and Scott Pilgrim, I walked into Baby Driver with high expectations. They were met. Baby Driver has a great story, a wicked cast, amazing visuals, tonnes of pop-culture references and a fucking amazing soundtrack.

Never before has a soundtrack been worked so well into a film. Edgar Wright has always had amazing vision, and Baby Driver is a testament to that. The way he is able to flawlessly merge all the aspects of the film together, really shows he is at the top of his game. Thank God he pulled out of Ant-Man to make this film.

Baby Driver follows ‘Baby’, played by Ansel Elgort, a driver for a series of heists and robberies. We see his life, from a tragic backstory to falling in love, to kicking some serious ass.

Alongside Elgort, we have Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx. That’s an ensemble and a half. The film has the fun, wit, and referencing of Wright’s previous films, but with a newfound sense of pacing.

To sum it up, it’s basically Drive, mixed with Hot Fuzz and Scott Pilgrim, set inside a music video. Honestly, I can barely even fault the film. It just simply rocks. I urge you to see it. You’ll laugh, your heart will race and you will be astounded.

It’s the most entertaining, thrilling and wonderful film of the year. Buckle up, you’re in for one hell of a ride. ♦

If there’s one good thing about Woodstock, it’s the tight grooves. They’re really quite tight.

The eighth album from Portugal. The Man is relentlessly high-energy and pumping, never stopping to take a breath for its 38-minute duration. There are some big radio pop sounds on ‘Easy Tiger’, and some clever left-field constructions on ‘Noise Pollution’ - the final and standout track of the album. But the production is dense and heavily compressed - even by pop standards - completely smothering the album’s dynamics, making for uncomfortable loud listening (a terrible shame for an album that would sound better turned up all the way).

Woodstock keeps a steady pace to the point of monotony, one of several unfortunate consistencies. The weaknesses are most pronounced on its worst track, ‘Live in the Moment’. The ever-present driving beat and bass grooves can’t save the flat and generic songwriting, and the lyrics would be better as a caption on some superficial feel-good Instagram post. It’s a similar situation on ‘Tidal Wave’, which panders to the worst idioms of contemporary pop, and sounds too much like the typical soundtrack from some long-haired GoPro-toting hippie travel vlog.

In other moments, the band aspire to greater depths of politically charged lamentation.

But where the great political songwriters of generations past would offer serious criticism and protest, Portugal. The Man just offer their frustration. They’re out of their depth. There are some worthwhile moments of musical craftsmanship, particularly on the opening and closing tracks. But otherwise, Woodstock is middling and uninspired. ♦ 15

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Random Audit — Kauwhau

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Feature — Kupu Whakaatu

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ROSE-COLOURED FILTERS

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Feature — Kupu Whakaatu

TIME magazine recently wrote that according to a survey conducted by the United Kingdom’s Royal Society for Public Health, Instagram is the worst app for your mental health. The survey revealed that the photo-sharing platform is associated with “high levels of anxiety, depression, bullying and FOMO”, and argued that it is becoming increasingly dangerous in the wellbeing of young people. For some time now, our lives have been becoming increasingly digital and transparent.

We’re able to stalk the shit out of people using Snapchat, make money from “haul” videos on YouTube and tag people in memes on Facebook, because that’s basically the only thing Facebook is good for anymore. Social media is a powerful platform for self-expression, networking, art and communication, but recent studies show more than two hours a day mindlessly scrolling through your Instagram feed can put you at higher risk of psychological distress. So how did we get this far?

And how do we navigate a vapid world obsessed with curating a filtered life online?

Let’s start at the very beginning Instagram was never meant to be the behemoth it is. If you’ve been with the app from the start, you’ll remember a time when people shared heavily filtered, framed and kitschy photos, designed to mimic the style of polaroid and old timey sepia photos. (The name Instagram is a portmanteau of instant camera and telegram, thanks Wikipedia.) Somewhere along the line, it blew up and the zeitgeist transformed it into a platform that capitalises on our most shallow attributes. In a time when apps were just fun addons to make smartphones flashier, Instagram flourished and no one could have predicted what it would become or that you could actually make money from it.

Almost famous Artistically, Instagram is a trap that promotes uniformity and blasts through trends faster than you can say ‘selfie’. The pressure to stay

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ahead of the game and keep up with whatever hashtag is most popular kills all creativity, and any true creativity that manages to seep into ‘gram is then snatched up, replicated by the big dogs and spat out again. It’s no secret that there’s a formula to make it big, and it basically involves being exactly like everyone else. The algorithm isn’t hard to crack, but it requires luck, persistence and an eye for trends and aesthetics.

A uniform feed, a solid theme, consistency, dog pics, ass pics, travel pics, food pics, and a fuck tonne of hashtags (#like4like, #travelgram, #booty, #followme, #picoftheday), these steps can help send you on your way, but they aren’t guaranteed. If all else fails, for less than $100, you can buy thousands of followers. They won’t engage with you or provide you with any type of meaningful connection, but hey, it brings the numbers up. And in the game of Instagram, bigger is always better.

La Vie en Valencia Instagram not only deceives you, it actively promotes jealousy. It’s a kind of CV for millennials, a chance to share your highlight reel and say “Hey, this is me, this is my life… it’s better than yours”. But life isn’t all brunch, scuba diving in Bali and bouquets of fresh flowers every day.

“Lifestyle” bloggers drag their photographers/ partners out for shoots wearing carefully crafted outfits, just to snap that perfectly candid #OOTD, edit the absolute shit out of it and then pretend this is their “most authentic self”. For example, Instagram travel blogger Amelia Liana was recently called out for photoshopping herself into her travel pictures. She posted a photo atop the Rockefeller Centre of her and the New York skyline, but the skyline is clearly missing the Freedom Tower, which was completed in 2013 and is one of the world’s tallest buildings. Further investigation showed a whole ream of suspicious looking photos, including one where she appears to be lying on her bed floating on a fucking cloud with the London skyline behind her. Viewers who claimed to be at the Taj Mahal the same day as her accused her of photoshopping birds and a blue sky into an otherwise smoggy day. Comparing

Editorial — Pānui Ētita

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your own life to someone’s else’s highly edited feed can not only be widely inaccurate, but is a one way ticket to feeling dissatisfied. Real life doesn’t always look aesthetically pleasing and our desire to have it all on social media doesn’t change that. A visually spectacular photo of a trip to the Cinque Terre is still just a photo, and not necessarily indicative of that person’s life or experiences. It’s all too easy to snap a picture of the beach, apply filters, post and go back to throwing up in bed from some superbug you caught from eating street meat. This may sound cynical, but people too often get caught in the sad trap of feeling shit about their own life because they’re not perpetually on holiday like their friends appear to be. If you’re familiar with a news story from way back in 2014, there was a university student in Amsterdam who literally photoshopped her way around a fake trip to Asia from the comfort of her own couch as a graduate project to prove that social media does not always reflect reality.

Anti-social media Not only does Instagram make you compare and despair, it gives us a warped perspective on socialising. Once upon a time we would go out to a cool, new bar to have fun with our friends and try something different, but now we do it to show-pony our lives, to make sure these events appear on our social media feeds so we can and prove what social butterflies we are and how much fun we’re having. Next time you’re at a concert, look around at all the people filming, Snapchatting and taking pictures, desperate for validation from people online, and then check the tag when you get home. You’ll be able to relive all the best songs through other people’s pages. Photographs are great, especially as a tool to remember things you won’t be able to when dementia is knocking at your door, but next time you’re documenting your #foodporn artisanal pizza, ask yourself why you feel the need to. Is it to impress strangers? This may sound old fashioned a bit too preachy, but in the end, are you really having a good time, or just having a time that looks good online? ♦

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ART BY LORYN ENGELSMAN WWW.LORYNENGELSMAN.COM @LORYNENGELSMAN

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B A Y N K. Full Exposure — Mārakerake

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Full Exposure — Mārakerake

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BAYNK is a true Kiwi battler, he studied chemical engineering in Canterbury for four years then realised that was an awful idea. Instead of finding a job and getting on with life, he decided to become an internationally poppin’ muso. He dropped a sweet tune on Soundcloud and blew up from there.

Now he’s sprinkled throughout ‘Summer Vibe’ playlists, tours wherever he pleases and gets rowdy with the best of them.

NZ Tour Dates 2 4 A U G U S T - M O N O, C H R I S TC H U RC H

1 S T S E P T E M B E R - M E O W, W E L L I N GTO N

2 N D S E P T E M B E R - R E C,

How would you define your sound?

This is always a tricky one, I’d say it’s a collection of tastes that I’ve picked up from my favourite artists. I wouldn’t say it’s any one thing in particular, over the years I’ve just collected a bunch of sounds and techniques that I really like.

There’s no name to describe it, it’s just sound.

You can’t pin it down to one thing.

AUCKLAND

What have you been working on recently?

I came back from LA a few months back and I wrote a tonne of music over there, one track I just released last week. Other than that I’m just finishing off and starting some new stuff to release as an EP in hopefully about two months. I’ve also got my first headlined NZ tour coming up, playing Christchurch on the 24/08, Wellington on the 1/09 and then Auckland on the 2/09.

Big plans for summer?

Yeah I’ve got a couple of festival offers on the go so I’ll just sort that and see where I end up.

I’ve also got an American tour coming up later in the year though that I’m super stoked about, right through November I’ll be touring North America which is sick. But yeah I’ve got a bunch of shows lined up, I just really want to finish as much music as I can and keep shooting music videos and whatnot because that’s what I really enjoy, just more of the same really.

Most interesting post-gig experience?

We were playing in Washington DC and a bunch of people at the show were like “yo come back to our flat, we’ll have an afterparty and all that” I thought fuck it why not. We have an app to tell us when we had to be back at the tour bus, so it should’ve been sweet. Normally it was right but this time they changed it at the last minute.

The crew might’ve even told me in person but I was too caught up in having fun to remember.

So anyways I went to the party but I fell asleep, I had set all my alarms so I knew I was good to go even if I did pass out. In the morning I had to wake one of the girls up in the flat to drive me there but when I arrived the tour bus had already

left. I checked my phone and realised I should’ve been here an hour ago. The rule of the bus is that if you’re not there they don’t wait, the worst part is they’d started driving from Washington DC to Grand Rapids which is like a two day drive. I had no money, no anything so I had to ask the same girl to pay for my bus ticket which was like $170US. After that I just had to survive the 26 hour ride with nothing. I was still in my wifebeater, shorts and jandals so I was freezing this whole time, people started to feel sorry for me and when they heard my accent they realised I was travelling so they started giving me money and food because I seemed so homeless. In the end I made it to the next show but only two hours before we were meant to start the gig.

Best post-gig experience?

We were in San Francisco and the CEO of Dropbox and the CEO of Reddit just happened to be friends with the guy who was playing after us who took us back to his San Fran place. It was just the most ludacrous house I’ve ever seen, top floor of this apartment building looking over the Golden Gate Bridge. The party was just ridiculous and everyone there seemed like the type of person off The Social Network movie except they were getting rowdy, there were huge animal heads on the walls and they’d hired all these exotic dancers to come in. Honestly another world but that was a heap of fun.

Favourite place to source your threads from?

Opshops. Everything I put out on social media, music videos and the majority of what’s on my Instagram is all opshop stuff. My mate George is super into fashion and is really good at it so I make him come shopping with me and tell me what’s a decent look.

Who are three artists you’d love to collaborate with? →→ Mura Masa →→ Flume →→ Chance the Rapper ♦ 23

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Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

Puppet Master Politics Rahui Papa Last week’s report card showed me two things.

Firstly, Lyam could be the most vacant excuse for a political writer we’ve ever had, secondly, that he may also be genuinely incapable of forming coherent opinions. In order to remedy this I called in a member of the Waikato Alumni, someone who knows more than a thing or two and someone who remembers Hamilton from it’s glorious pub driven past.

Why should us youngins vote?

“It’s your right, and a right that was long fought for. The growing force will be the youth so they need to exercise this”. Yeah alright fair enough, it’s refreshing to have an answer to this which doesn’t involve a series of awkward rambling. He’s got a point, he shared that point.

I’m unsure if this alone would convince me to vote, but the way he said it sounded hella cool so I’ll give him brownie points for that.

Quick rundown of Māori Party Policies →→ Whanau first- looking after family and communities →→ Supporting those that are in most need →→ Education and employment It’s probably bad that I relate most things back to the Greens but I’m getting the vibe that they’re not too different from the Māori party, just swap trees for whanau and they’re pretty much the same. Obviously most things are driven by money but they don’t seem concerned with this.

Rahui Papa is all about the “eradication of poverty and ceasing inequality”, he understands the role of big business etc, but he’s more concerned about ensuring those who need it the most can receive the help they need. He’s laxed and down to earth, what more do you need?

What is the Māori party wanting to do for students?

They’re super passionate about strengthening education. One main point of difference is 24

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their drive to improve accessibility, the goal of “providing students with free transport to and from education establishments”. Another point which has been mentioned throughout most interviews is a “review of the student allowance in order to make it viable for students to actually survive”. Now I love hearing that politicians are aware of this issue, but I can’t help but feel that this is only brought up because everyone is trying to appeal to the younger demographic.

I’m sure there are plenty of plans to carry out this review, but it’ll be interesting to see more in action, rather than it simply being used to ‘relate to the students’. Other than this the Māori party is also very interested in increasing cultural diversity throughout tertiary education, and providing further support for tertiary education to ensure a more stable and viable job market.

Thoughts on the ciggie tax?

“It shouldn’t be at the detriment of those who make a life choice”, you’d think this means he’s all for bringing back $5 packs but sadly he still aligns with Smoke Free 2025.

Today Lyam Learnt: →→ Different political parties can share similar views, wowee! →→ Some people aren’t the biggest fans of craft beer. →→ Some people also aren’t huge fans of dying young as a result of a few too many cheeky darts.

The Last Word I always enjoy talking candidates from the more low key political parties, they’re far more chill and haven’t honed in their yarns quite enough for you to be instantly manipulated. As I said before, I feel like the Māori party share fairly similar views to the Greens. Except obviously a lot less intense about the environment and a lot more intense about family and providing support. Would I vote for them? Who knows, I’m yet to be truly enlightened so it’s still a fairly even playing field. ♦

Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

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

CS3 Careers and Networking Fair, Wednesday, 2nd August, 1pm 4pm

Mac Miller , Thursday 21st September, 7pm, Logan Campbell Centre, Auckland

CS³ have invited a collection of industry reps to attend a series of Q&A panels here on campus.

Panels are being run for Software Engineering, Graphic Design, Hardware and Networks, and Data Analytics.

If you’re wondering what internship and graduate opportunities are out there over the next few years, come along and see what the representatives have to say! It’s also a great chance to see what you could work toward in the next few years.

Each panel will be open Q&A style, so bring questions! We’ll also have trusty moderators at hand to ask some common questions as well. After each session pizza and networking opportunities will be available.

This is more of a reminder for those who were planning on going, general admission (standing) is already sold out but there are still a bunch of seated tickets available if you’re that way inclined.

Fazerdaze - Morningside Release Tour, Friday 8th September, 8pm, Kings Arms Tavern, Auckland After selling out across Europe our humble queen returns home for her very first NZ headline tour.

She’s rolling in to Auckland on the 8th of August to grace us with her dreamy tunes. Jump on Under The Radar and grab your tickets for $20.

Daffodil Day - Golden Key Society, Wednesday 16th August, 10am - 2pm, Level Zero, Waikato University Daffodil Day is Cancer Society’s most important annual fundraiser. The Golden Key Society will be holding a fundraiser over at Level Zero, the money raised is used to support patients with cancer and their families, fund breakthrough cancer research and help reduce the incidence of cancer for our children and grandchildren.

Strangely Arousing, Knights of the Dub Table, BT & the Vibes, Saturday 5th August at 8.30pm, Altitude & Gravity Bar Strangely Arousing are joined on the Hamilton leg of their album tour by local legends Knights of the Dub Table as well as Brendon Thomas and The Vibes. If you’re into music you can feel deep in your soul, man, check this gig out.

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Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

Ode to the Road Cameron Road The humble watering hole of Hillcrest, the central point en route to the beanabout and the longest stretch on a walk of shame. Each dusty morning brings hordes of deprived souls to the esteemed Sunshine bakery, a religious pilgrimage to acquire the crispiest nibbles and the saltiest of chips. The Royale Indian provides a roof for those in need of an intoxicated dining experience, eliminating the burden of preparation and culinary expertise. Cameron Road is an accidental orphanage for the most incapable cretins, the soft lighting on the footpath nourishing the roughest and toughest back to the softies they once were. Its inability to become a one-way shitfest allows it to become a hub for vehicular enthusiasts. The entrance of each side street constantly coated with a fresh hint of rubber, passengers left bamboozled as their driver gives the handbrake another hearty tug. Inhabitants however recommend to keep in mind the fairly regular presence of authorities, dependent on demeanor you’ll either be pulled over for a brief yarn or sent straight to the cop shop. Ensure you choose the right moment to be proper loose. ♦ 26

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Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

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Student Experience — Wheako Tauira

Club Spotlight CS3 Chris Thresher Computer Science Students’ Society, a.k.a CS3, look after the students in the Faculty of Computing & Mathematical Sciences. We represent a diverse range of students in the subjects of computer science, graphic design, mathematics, software engineering and statistics. Originally formed in 2012 as a disorganised group of students with the common goal to see representation improved for our students, we now provide an open communication channel for informing members about cool events and opportunities, and host events to maximise the student experience here at Waikato! Over time we have grown in member base and board size into the well oiled machine you see on campus today.

Behind the scenes we also work hard to connect our students with industry and promote all the innovative and interesting things happening in the Waikato region.

You might know of us as the group that does that big pub crawl at the end of every year, but we also run many other events such as LAN

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nights in the R block labs, tenpin bowling social nights and social trampoline nights at JUMP. Our next big event is the CS³ careers fair which is on August 2nd and features a range of companies from Hamilton, Auckland and Wellington. We are running industry Q&A panels in the areas of Software Engineering, Graphic Design, Hardware and Networking and Data Analytics with time after each panel to mingle with the industry representatives. More details including a schedule of all the panels is available on facebook.com/cscubed. ♦

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Columns — Maramara Kōrero

Pass the AUX Playlist_11

↑ D M A’ S

Jacqui Swney This week’s playlist is a stellar compilation of bands musicians who have covered other musicians. There’s always two ways things can go when someone decides to cover a song: the first is complete and utter garbage that comes up in every X-Factor audition ever, thereby ruining a song forever. The second is a magical combination of two things you love (or even better: making a song you hate actually sound good). Below you will find a list of covers that have made the world a better place to live and restored my faith in music once more.

Sticky Fingers, Rhiannon (Fleetwood Mac cover) Triple J radio does a segment called “Like a Version”, that has a rep for pumping out some insanely great covers, and that’s where you’ll find this beauty. Sticky Fingers have a way of stripping back songs and purifying them when they play acoustic. Their classic chilled out sound does the song so much justice, starting with piano and entering with their easily identifiable wavy guitar riffs, all of which put their own spin on an old time favourite. In addition to their smooth musical happenings, the vocals of lead singer, Dylan Frost, really make the cover as great as it is. His voice compliments the song and somehow makes a thirty-year-old song sound like it was meant to be sung by Sticky Fingers. I rate that so hard.

DMA’s, Believe (Cher cover) Triple J brings out the goods, once again. This cover is a rare occasion, combining together two things that I’m not particularly a fan of and 30

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somehow making them into something sounds pretty damn great. I’ve tried to get into DMA’s but they’ve never really stuck. And I have vivid cringe-worthy memories of singing Cher on karaoke back in the day when flare jeans were cool. Both don’t have particularly positive associations in my book, but stick the two together and I was pleasantly surprised. They’ve gone down the acoustic path and changed the obnoxious and tacky techno beats of Cher’s original song into a more pleasant guitar version. The switch makes the whole thing more authentic and far less pop-y, turning a song that I genuinely find tacky into a jam worth listening to. Good stuff.

The 1975, Sorry (Justin Bieber cover) The 1975 is pretty hit or miss with most people (I’ve personally been a fan from day one), but there’s no denying that they have a style all their own and always manage to turn a song into something completely different to fit their sound. All of their BBC Radio Live Lounge covers are absolutely brilliant, and I would 11/10 recommend them all. But this one has changed a Justin Bieber song into something soulful and smooth and funky, with the addition of saxophone and a heavy bass presence. The sax is the best part for me, and the change in tempo is refreshing. The whole thing, again, makes a pop song so much more authentic and turns a JB hit into something totally unique. ♦

↑ STICKY FINGERS

↑ D M A’ S

↑ THE 1975

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

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Opinionated ↑ A R T BY C L I F F O R D RICHARDS FOR A ST M AT T H E W - I N -T H E - C I T Y BILLBOARD

Let’s All Go to Church Jean Balchin Anyone who has read my columns for Nexus over the past year will realise that I don’t pull any punches when I describe or critique fundamentalist Christianity or the church life, camps and youth groups I grew up in. However, lest I be accused of being a vitriolic atheist, hellbent on vilifying religion, churches and spirituality, let me explain why religious communities - from mosques to Jehovah’s Witnesses to evangelical fundies - rock (sometimes).

For a start, these religious communities can offer immense social support to their members.

When my mum suffered a miscarriage, members of the church flocked to our door with trays of lasagne, bouquets of flowers, warm hugs and prayers. When my brother died, we were enveloped in the church’s warm and supportive embrace. When, at the age of 18, I was outed as being anorexic and depressive, church members tried to help me in their own special way, telling me stories of their grandchildren who had battled similar eating disorders and made it through. I felt claustrophobic and overwhelmed at the time, but I know now they were only trying to help.

Secondly, many churches and religious communities in New Zealand welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other queer individuals with love, acceptance and a lack of judgement. We tend to hear a great deal in the media about the awful ideals espoused by certain churches (I’m looking at you, Westboro), with their picketing, hate-speech and outright discrimination. But there do exist religious denominations, individual churches and congregations that do not consider

homosexuality or transgenderism to be sins.

These communities exist as safe spaces and should be thoroughly celebrated. I can’t describe how happy I felt looking out a cafe window one day and seeing a beautiful rainbow banner with the words ‘We Accept All People’ on it, hanging from the Knox Church railings.

Religious communities bring a great deal of joy, peace and spiritual connections into people’s lives. Most people long for community and connection with others. Churches, mosques, temples, and prayer groups can fulfill this need, offering us a chance to encourage others and be authentically involved in each other’s lives.

Non-believers can also enjoy and appreciate being part of a family of faith, even without the faith. There is also something profound about experiencing the ancient liturgy, or hearing a full choir. One morning, while wandering along the Thames in London, I came across Southwark Cathedral. The congregation welcomed me in, and gladly encouraged me to participate in communion, prayer and worship with them.

I didn’t believe in God, but I appreciated the beauty and love of these fellow humans.

So I’d like to thank the religious communities that go out of their way to provide support and assistance to those in need. In today’s culture, there is often little opportunity to experience camaraderie and affiliation with other people - men and women who may be very different from ourselves in a number of ways. Religious communities can offer a rare opportunity for meaningful fellowship. ♦

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Columns — Maramara Kōrero

The Fashion Critic Woke Couture Amanda van der Klompf It is natural for an industry that is comprised of overbearing, obtuse individuals - most of whom believe that they’re god’s gift to the world to regularly attempt the oh-so-chic political statement. You can’t blame a young designer for feeling that it is their pressing duty to express strong political sentiments. Often a collection is nicely designed, but will the buyers be able to consume that extra dash of “woke” that they’re sifting through shop shelves and rails for?

Fashion very rarely pulls off a political protest without making me wince. When you begin to address serious, real-life issues through a consumerist medium, it gets lost in bourgeoisie static. I adore fashion. But I’m also aware that it has been constructed to tell 99% of it’s audience that they’re too ugly or too fat, grotesquely overprice its products, champion the use of textiles that are created through animal cruelty… the list is endless.

So, when Acne Studios released a collection of men’s sweatshirts emblazoned with the phrases “Radical Feminist”, “Gender Equality”, “Please Call Me Girl”, and “Woman Power’, one couldn’t help but feel hesitant to applaud. Whether you personally agree with such phrases as accurate descriptions of gender equality is beside the point, the sentiment was there. But the price point negated authenticity. Is purchasing a printed sweatshirt for 220 USD really an effective way of showing my support for women’s rights?

Or could I instead donate that money to women’s shelters, women’s health clinics, or trans youth support organisations?

Another distressing appropriation of the women’s rights movement was Karl Lagerfeld’s 32

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Spring 2015 collection for Chanel. Lagerfeld once referred to his signature sunglasses as “his burqa” and in 2009 told Focus magazine that “no one wants to see curvy women. You’ve got fat mothers with their bags of chips sitting in front of the television and saying thin models are ugly.

Fashion is about dreams and illusion.” For Spring 2015, he sent a cherry picked army of thin white girls down the Chanel runway carrying picket signs, shouting through megaphones. Again, it was the fashion interpreting misusing the then buzzword “feminism” for a capitalist motive.

It was easy to predict that, as a result of the most recent US presidential inauguration, New York Fashion Week for Fall 2017 would be a flurry of political slogans. W Ate R presented a camel coat embroidered with “Keep Out of Politicians’ Reach”, Jonathan Simkhai released a white T that read “Feminist AF.” Christian Siriano distilled his thoughts into the mind blowing observation “People are People”, upon a black t-shirt avec silk maxi-skirt.

Siriano’s insight is a safe formula to follow - fashion people are fashion people; they sell creativity, beauty and a sense of cool. What they shouldn’t commodify is real social justice.

Fighting for what you believe in is hot, stamping it on a t-shirt is not. ♦

↑ ACNE STUDIOS

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

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Lonely Tarts Club Starkers & Self-Conscious Jennie-Louise Kendrick No-one ever said that the twenties club was going to be easy, nor did they say that we would be any more comfortable in our skins than before. I did think that by university I would be more secure with my body image and my selfworth, perhaps naively, but I have spent a large portion of my life focussed on both recovery from mental illness and external appearance.

Which is pretty bleak, but not uncommon. I was a late-bloomer in terms of dating and sex, but with that juxtaposition with the ‘norms’ of my peers, I came to realise the importance the self compared to the other in a relationship.

My sister, a critical but somewhat loveable human, always says “you can’t love someone else until you learn to love yourself”. Although, she may have stolen this legendary drag queen RuPaul Charles. While I do not love myself and will not lie to myself and say that I do, I do somewhat accept my body; in autonomy and appearance.

As the wise prophet Titus Andromedon once said, “I’m pretty, but tough like a diamond. Or beef jerky in a ball gown”.

Like most lizard people, I don’t want my true form to be revealed, and the thought of wearing revealing clothing anywhere makes me physically repulsed. But a woman* gotta get hers* and getting laid is a fundamental human need - for all you commerce students, that was a reference to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; I know reading between the lines can be real difficult. This does mean that some nudity is required for coitus, and self-conscious tendencies can dampen the mood - and not in the good way. If a dentist can distract a patient from the pain of the needle with a wiggling

finger on the gum, then so to can one distract themselves from the aversion to disrobing. Some things to focus on; how your partner may share your trepidation in the joint experience of being naked, the eventual acclimatisation to being naked and/or the fact that sex is pretty darn fun.

Your partner has already decided to sex you up, they’re not likely not gonna focus on the parts of your body you focus your nitpicking, but rather the fact that they get to see you naked and get their freak on with you.

If they do say something negative, you better get the fuck out because those that matter don’t mind, and those that mind don’t matter. Sex should be consensual, mutually pleasurable, fun, and positive. A sexual partner should never leave you feeling bad about yourself, and your coping mechanisms should not have to come out to sugarcoat the situation. No matter how early, it is incredibly easy to overlook negativity at your expense because you want the relationship to continue. Words hurt just as bad as any other kind of attack and can greatly influence your selfimage. If you don’t feel confident in the presence of another when you’re fully clothed; nude is going to be no better. Stand up for yourself and focus on the blessings of wonderful things in your life. Even if you start with liking one single tooth about yourself, take time to learn to like your body and discover your own beauty. ♦

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NEXUS MAGAZINE

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

Yam and Troy the Science Boys Biohacking Pt 1 Troy the Science Boy When the fuck did biologists get loose? No longer are they just a little too enthusiastic about living things, they’ve finally managed to get a tad rowdy and cause a bit of a ruckus. These lovers of the natural world have completely jumped onboard with the same anti-establishment movement the computer weenies thrive in, deciding their own ideals, then taking it to themselves to modify and enhance the human experience. In reality they’re just using their bodies to experiment with a whole bunch of hectic shit, ranging from surgically implanting RFID/NFC chips into their wrists to trialling homemade eyedrop concoctions in the hope of having night vision.

Implants are probably the rowdiest of biohacks. At the lower end of the spectrum you’ve got simple magnet implants, typically these would sit in the tip of a finger and allow you to feel magnetic fields like a 6th sense. Other than this you could probably lift bottle caps without holding them to freak everyone out at a party, loose. Moving up the scale you’ve then got Firefly Tattoos, also known as Subdermal tritium lighting implants. These are purely cosmetic and serve no superhuman purpose other than being able to show people that you thought it was a great idea to chuck a huge fucking needle into yourself with the sole purpose of inserting a small glowing vial. At the higher end we’ve got RFID/NFC and implants, now these are either inserted the same way as those glowing vials which isn’t too bad, or if you’re absolutely off the rails you do some DIY surgery to chuck one of the big chips in. Their main purpose is to replace passwords, ID, bitcoin 34

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wallets and store arbitrary binary data somewhere that you’ll never lose it. Some would say it’s fairly pointless but the idea of never getting locked out of an account is pretty appealing, I’d rather slap my wrist against my phone than endure the ordeal of a password reset.

Supplements are another biggie with biohackers. Creatine, protein, vitamins etc aren’t cutting it anymore. These menaces have decided to develop their own alternatives, designing compounds which immediately improve our capabilities. Projects in this field range from methods of restoring the Epiphyseal plate in bones which would allow us to grow taller, to devising solutions which provide professional levels of physical endurance for the most average of humans. Now this is where ethics really comes into play, I couldn’t care less if someone decided to shoot up a shitload of something which made them seven inches taller and able to run for 10km without breaking a sweat, but I’m sure there are a lot of people who would. Instead of rambling on for years we’ll come back next week to finish off this sizeable yarn. ♦

Columns — Maramara Kōrero

NEXUS MAGAZINE

Auteur House ↑ MARTIN LANDAU IN NORTH

BY N O R T H W E ST ( 1 9 5 9 )

George A. Romero & Martin Landau Richard Swainson

↑ GEORGE A. ROMERO

On July 16 horror maestro George A. Romero and actor Martin Landau died within hours of each other. Though Landau had never acted in a Romero film, the two had a slight professional acquaintance. In 1959 Landau was cast as a henchman in Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. Romero got a job as “gofer” on the same film. The future director retained a lifelong affection for the Hitchcock masterpiece, once listing it in his top ten movies of all time.

So far as the cinema goes Landau’s career was stop-start. North by Northwest was for years his only noteworthy performance. What gave the role its edge, other than his delicate underplaying, was the suggestion of homosexuality. Landau’s thug only had eyes for suave villain James Mason, expressing a misogynistic jealousy toward Mason’s character’s fiancee. It was racy stuff for the 1950s, if today woefully incorrect.

When I was a lad it was possible to catch Landau in re-runs of the original Mission: Impossible television series. He was also the commander in Space: 1999, an embarrassingly silly piece of British small screen science fiction, a show whose premise was that the moon has left Earth’s orbit and travels the universe. Little respect was shown for the laws of physics.

The actor was saved from this ignominy in the late 1980s, Landau had a showy role in Tucker: A Man and His Dream (1988), one of Francis Ford Coppola’s few post-70s career high points. Oscar nominated, he was so again the following year, playing a philandering middle class murderer

in Woody Allen’s Crimes and Misdemeanours (1989). Landau won the award a half decade later, camping it up no end as Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton’s wonderful re-imagining of the life and times of Hollywood’s worst director, Ed Wood (1994). The actor’s delivery of the line “no one gives two fucks for Bela!” in itself ensured his immortality.

Romero’s worth cannot be overestimated. Few other filmmakers can be said to have invented an entire genre. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead (1968) gave birth to a zombie subculture that continues to this day. While that first film is an indelible underground classic, its sequel, Dawn of the Dead (1979), is better still. A grand satire on mall culture and consumerism, it’s got more thematic ambition than all of the hundreds of homages, remakes and rip-offs it inspired put together. ♦

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Snapped — Atapaki

SNAPPED.

NEXUS MAGAZINE

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

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WIN

37

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 She’s a law-abiding choir girl, avidly volunteers and is known throughout the Waikato as being far too lovely. He’s a strapping young lad with military background and seductive British accent to top it off. Will these perfect humans dabble in a lil’ basic training? Or is true love the flavour of the evening?

She said: I applied for the spiciest of lads, and boy, Nexus did you deliver. After being convinced that I had an abundance of time, I was then rushed out of my modest flat at the time I was supposed to arrive. Luckily (or unluckily), House was packed with people I knew who shouted words of encouragement at me as I headed inside.

My outfit and face was on point, so I didn’t feel too bad, until I arrived and discovered that my date had already been waiting on me for 25-ish minutes. My bad. He forgave me for my tardiness and we got down to business - ordering a pizza and a drink for me to play catch up. He was a dreamy British lad with the banter to match, and was definitely confident in his masculinity as we ordered matching cocktails as the night wore on. His spicy muscles were a big tick in my book, and I could listen to his Army stories any night of the week. The conversation flowed well with jokes about escaping out the bathroom windows - but he came back to our table every time ;) I tried to lay the groundwork by getting my girls out, and thought it was all set as almost everyone left but us, but alas, the night ended with a sweet hug and exchanged numbers. He had work and I got drunk, but all in all, fingers crossed there’s a second date in our future! Thanks Nexus, and thanks to the House for the best pulled-pork pizza and Mojitos. <3

He said: As I waited I sent a few texts out to my mates asking for pointers and emphasised how awkward I felt sitting alone in a crowded bar drinking. After about five or ten minutes a few friends coincidentally came in and came over to catch up briefly, asking me about what I was doing there. Thank god that happened because my nerves completely subsided and I was as comfortable as I could have hoped for when my date arrived, fashionably late might I add, but I let her off for that. My friend was ushered away and the chat started flowing relatively smoothly. My first impression was that she had a lovely smile and she seemed proper and classy. I had nightmares the night before that I would be paired up with a loud, in-your-face type of girl, so this was a pleasant surprise. We ordered some drinks and started with the standard small talk and eventually got to what we are studying.

Once again, I was impressed. She is a third year, communications major and has a clear vision of what she wants to do with an admirable music background. We slowly chipped away at the tab with drinks and experimental cocktails, coupled with quality banter throughout. I let her choose the pizza we shared and we exchanged drunken stories from our pasts. Although we seemed to have many differences, during the last period of our date, of which we were comparing pictures of our pets and talking about our families, we found that we also have many things in common.

Unfortunately, after about 3 hours of getting to know each other my ride gave me the call to let me know they were on their way and we had to cut our night there. We exchanged numbers and the standard social medias before hugging out our goodbye. I left feeling relieved at how well it actually went and I would like to thank Nexus and my date for a great night out.

Date.

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NEXUS MAGAZINE

Puzzles — Panga

HOROSCOPES Aries: March 21 — April 19 The looming tide leaves you indecisive. Take the rest of the day off, reflect on the embarrassment you suffered as a child.

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Libra: September 23 — October 22 Your pockets are flowing, left wide by the astral presence of mercury. Keep close watch on your phone, walkabouts are on the cards.

Scorpio: October 23 — November 21 New allergies are acquired in the winter chill of the early morning, lay off powdered nasal goodness till the coming of spring.

Sagittarius: November 22 — December 21 Solar interference clouds your prefrontal cortex, you don’t feel like yourself. Scout social media for a new persona to emulate.

Capricorn: December 22 — January 19 Birds and bees are ripe in presence. Keep safe, keep wrapped, fertility is at an all time high.

Aquarius: January 20 — February 18 Your mellow aura allows you to glide through this week, avoid overly smooth surfaces during this period of soulful lubrication.

Pisces: February 19 — March 20 Thursday eve will bring vivid dreams. Ensure your enjoyment, unconscious you is much cooler than real you.

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WORDFIND

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THEME: Serial killers and characters from the Pixar film ‘Cars’.

Lightning McQueen

Tommy Lynn Sells

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Sarge

Gary Ridgway

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Mater

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SIMPLE PUZZLES 4 SIMPLE PEOPLE

Can you find the the mistake?

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2. Get rid of (7)

8. Deviation from the rule (7)

3. Fastidious (8)

9. Fabric (5)

4. Former name of Sri Lanka (6)

10. Rubbing or clash (8)

5. Shout (4)

11. Woody plant (4)

6. Male singing voice (5)

13. Egyptian statue (6)

7. Admit to (7)

14. Creatures (6)

12. Feeling remorse (8)

17. Wander (4)

13. Glut (7)

19. Expert on precious stones (8)

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22. Decree (5)

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20. Helps to raise dough (5)

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