Issuu

Jackson McCarthy reviews Hannah Everingham and Debt Club’s new albums Ciph’s Cabinet kicks butt in Dynasty Warriors 8 XL Holly Rowsell buddys up with Arovision

The Night Before & Great Sounds Great:

Our Resident Photographer Captures the Highlights

THIS WEEK

Guy van Egmond takes his tongue to Roman’s Kitchen

VUWSA Executive Elections Kick Oﬀ:

Meet the Candidates

ISSUE 22 21 September 2026 Volume 89

MILKING THE C.O.W. Kelburn’s Hot New Band Finds the Funny in Nipple Play

Exclusive Interview and Photos Inside

ISSUE #22 21 September 2026 Volume 89 Editor Phoebe Robertson Designer & Cartoonist Jim Higgs Sub-Editor Holly Rowsell News Writers Dan Moskovitz Martha Schenk Otis Whinney Ali Cook Columnist Guy van Egmond

Phoebe Robertson We’re calling this issue of Salient a trojan horse, because you look at it and think it’s going to be about fun things; like music, or video game reviews, or even very important things like Jemimah Long’s informative feature about navigating university as a student with Auditory Processing Disorder (which is WELL worth reading). We also have a quote from Tamatha Paul about “delayed gratification.” Instead, you’re getting a 56 page issue, where 18 pages are about the VUWSA election (sorry about the printing costs, Matt), and only 6 about the general election (insert sad face emoji, Jim).

Comic Artists Grace Elzenheimer Jack Graham

You can vote in the VUWSA election today, fyi. Just check your VUW email inbox, the information will be there. Last year, 2065 votes were cast at a University with over 22,000 students. That's pretty embarrassing. However, that does mean that you, reading this, can actually impact this election. If everyone who voted last year gets one new person to vote, that’ll double the votes cast. Or, if you didn’t vote last year, just voting this year will have a similar impact.

Contributing Writers Tamanna Amin Zia Ravenscroft Christopher Curtis Ryan Cleland

It takes a couple minutes, and we’ve got basically everything you need to know about the candidates in this issue anyway! Or ask a mate who maybe made the debate last week and heard Will Tickner’s stuttering, they’ll be able to inform you about any candidate they remember (that’s why we have pictures).

Social Media Manager Will Tickner

Anyway, my personal pick for VUWSA President is Xandi Cooke, whos promises are as follows:

Critic-at-large Jackson McCarthy

Photographer Sophie Spencer Centrefold Artist Ruby-Louise Grant Advertising advertising@vuwsa.org.nz Read Online salient.org.nz issuu.com/salientmagazine Follow Us @salientgram

Want to get published? To contribute to Salient, you can submit poetry, creative writing, artwork, comics, puzzles, features, and other ideas. Feature articles must be pitched to the Editor before writing; send pitches to editor@salient.org.nz. Artwork should be sent to designer@salient.org.nz. Creative writing submissions are accepted through the form on our website. All other contributions, including puzzles and general ideas, should be emailed to the Editor. Submissions are welcome from first-time and returning contributors.

scan here to find out more!

• • • • •

Free pizza in the Hub every Thursday. Funded by an unspecified surplus. The wind on Kelburn campus will be asked, firmly, to stop. Cable car declared a student right. Legal advice pending. Every microwave on campus will be replaced by two microwaves. Anyone taking a phone call on the quiet floor of the library dealt with personally.

I, personally, want to take a phone call on the quiet floor of the library to meet my soon-to-be new Prime Minister of the Cooke party. Xanadi, if you’re reading this, call me. I hereby pledge my allegiance to be your campaign manager at the next general election. Everyone reading, please register to vote in the general elections if you haven’t already, check your voter details are up to date, vote in the VUWSA elections, and if you see him, give Xanadi my regards. I don’t ask for much, and I give you all puzzles. Surely you can do me a favor this one time?

About the centrefold artist - Ruby-Louise Grant Hello! I’m Ruby-Louise, I'm a second year design student majoring in fashion and communication design. This specific work is inspired by double exposure photography, and old movie posters. I love painting people in general and especially love focusing on trying to capture their emotions. The main emotion I wanted to focus on in this painting is the feeling of having a constant yearning for human connection, whether that's platonic, romantic or otherwise. @rubyloupaints on Instagram. Go to the centrefold on page 28, rip it out and put it on your wall!

Editorial

Kia ora Editor,

Letters

Gig Guide

I was very disappointed to see blatant information published in the Salient this week. The opinion piece by the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, the campus's Trotskyist club, is rife with misinformation. For instance, the article claims that NATO was responsible for the start of the war by supposedly sponsoring the removal of Russian-backed dictator Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, 'provoking' Russia into invading Ukraine. There is no evidence his removal was backed by NATO, and it is farcical to claim that NATO is responsible for Russian invasion of Ukraine, especially the full-scale invasion which broke out in 2022. The disinformation does not end there, with other items such as the common Russian propagandistic vilification of the whole Ukrainian state as Nazis, implying Russia was right to invade.

News

The facts are simple. Russia invaded the sovereign territory of Ukraine in an attempt to conquer it. Russia must take all responsibility for these actions, and the only moral solution is the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

That Salient would willfully publish such blatant misinformation with no fact checking whatsoever shows a severe lack of journalistic integrity. It is the job of the media to publish a wide range of opinions, however, this does not include harmful propaganda. Students expect better from Salient, and such an absence of any editorial competency must not continue if students are to continue faith in Salient in an increasingly low-trust media environment.

Strictly 4 The Islands

C.O.W.: Experimenting & Emerging with Nipple Play

Centrefold

I would like to say a massive fuck you to the writer of the horoscope, I got so excited about being a labubu blind box and proudly showed it to everyone without reading how incredibly depressing my horoscope actually was... do you hate Aries or do you just hate me ... 0/10 hoping for a better week next week

What Do I Call Myself?

(Said with love, the horoscope is definitely my favourite part of the salient and the first thing I read as I open my magazine to read in my 10 am lecture xoxo)

VUWFLS X Salient Feminist Writing Competition

Creative Writing

2027 VUWSA Executive Nominations

Comic Corner

An Eye For Arovision

Munch

Critic-at-Large

Ciph's Cabinet

Oh Yes! Oh No!

Puzzles

Horoscopes

Zac

@ayla.stichbury12

WINNER

Hīkoi for Palestine Saturday 10 October, 11 AM We will mobilise on Parliament Lawn, then hīkoi to Te Ngākau/Civic Square. At Te Ngākau there will be action stations, a solidarity market, kai and music of liberation. This hīkoi answers an international call to action, where people around the globe are coming together to stand against genocide. The people of Aotearoa will call on Chris Hipkins and the Labour Party to commit to sanctioning Israel in the first 100 days in their election manifesto. VOTE FOR SANCTIONS!! Apply for Editor 2027 via Seek!

Submit to the Letters page by emailing editor@salient.org.nz Best letter each week will win a FREE PIZZA from the Hunter Lounge!

Salient is published by, but remains editorially independent from, the Victoria University of Wellington Students Association (VUWSA). Salient is funded in part by VUWSA through the Student Services Levy. Salient is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA) and the New Zealand Media Council. Complaints regarding the material published in Salient should first be brought to the VUWSA CEO in writing (ceo@vuwsa.org.nz). If not satisfied by the response, complaints should be directed to the Media Council (info@mediacouncil.org.nz).

Week of Sept 21 - Sept 27, 2026 Wed 23/9 The Sun Kings and Tower of Flint Alt, Pop, Rock 7pm @ Valhalla Wed 23/9 Eyegum Free Wednesday Featuring The Splinters, Mothburn, and Lazarus - 8pm @ San Fran Thurs 24/9 Toxa Album Release Art/Noise, Electronic, Pop, Rock 7pm @ Moon

This week features Eyegum Music Collective! While they are known by students for their Free Wednesday gigs at San Fran, Eyegum Music Collective formed in 2013 to throw house gigs during a music venue drought. Their residency at San Fran showcases the best up and coming acts in Aotearoa and is not to miss. On 4 September 2026, Eyegum Music Collective took over Newtown to host a multivenue festival, “The Night Before,” the next day taking over Te Aro for “Great Sounds Great” festival. Our resident photographer captured her highlights from both nights in case you missed it, or in case you want to reminisce.

Nameless & Brainless @ TNB

Dale Kerrigan @ TNB

Thurs 24/9 Slow Jazz Ensemble Electronic, Jazz 8pm @ Rogue & Vagabond (free) Thurs 24/9 Abey Sparks, Aslan, Chris Beernink, Dave Wilson Jazz - 8pm @ Cuba Street Tavern Sat 26/9 Wet Denim - Water for Dogs EP Release Tour - Alt, Pop, Rock 8pm @ San Fran Sat 26/9 Kotahitanga: E Tū Mō Te Pōti Dj, Hip Hop/RnB, Soul/Funk, Reggae/Dub 6pm @ Meow Nui

Felix Bird @ TNB

Sat 26/9 Carlucci Carnival Multigenre Music Festival 3pm @ Carlucci Land Sun 27/9 Sclera, Mothburn, Lucid Metal 8pm @ Valhalla

Gig guide and photography by Sophie Spencer

Felix Bird @ TNB

Gig Guide

Boy Band @ TNB

Bug Michigan @ TNB

Boy Band @ TNB

Fazed on a Pony @GSG

Dale Kerrigan crowd @ TNB

MĀ @ GSG

Office Dog @ GSG

Gig Guide

Pearly_ @ GSG

Deathro @ GSG

Mokotron @ GSG

Fazed on a Pony @ GSG

Cruelly @ GSG Cruelly @ GSG

Gig Guide

Unauthorised Attack Ads Appear in VUWSA Election Psi/Andrew Booth A series of anonymous attack ads targeting candidates in the VUWSA election have appeared on Instagram in recent weeks, with some using AI-generated imagery and falsely claiming to have been authorised by current candidates. Salient has identified links between two accounts involved in the campaign, @studentlobbyist and @vuwsagirl. Separately, @vuwsagirl has been linked to an earlier advertisement associated with the Save Our Clubs campaign. Save Our Clubs says a former associate retained access to a dormant Instagram account and later used it, without the group’s knowledge or authorisation, to publish election advertisements.

A second false endorsement On the evening of 10 September, @studentlobbyist posted another graphic, this time involving campaigns officer candidates Blake Burrows, Pascal Buda, and Leonora Vejlebo. The post was not a paid advertisement and did not include an authorisation statement, but clearly endorsed Vejlebo. Its caption read: “Vote Lenora Vejlebo for Campaigns Officer!”

The first account, @studentlobbyist, came to Salient’s attention earlier this year after it paid to promote an advertisement targeting 2026 VUWSA president Aidan Donoghue.

The graphic presented the three candidates in a traffic-light-style design and differed markedly from the accounts previous ads. None of the advertisements seen by Salient resemble the candidates’ official campaign material around campus.

The ad featured a monochrome image of Donoghue superimposed over the Beehive alongside the words “DON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN.” The photograph of Aidan appears to have been taken from an RNZ article, “Uni students skipping meals and classes to keep on top of bills,” published in August.

Vejlebo responded on her public Instagram account that evening. “FYI - I am in no way associated with this account, and incredibly disappointed to see my image used in this way without my consent,” she wrote.

The ad criticised Donoghue’s record on promises made during his election campaign. He did not respond to a request for comment before this article went to print. @studentlobbyist later published another ad in a similar style, this time featuring presidential candidate Ethan Rogacion beneath the headline “IF ETHAN ROGACION WINS, YOU LOSE.” The image appears to have been AI-generated from a photograph used on Rogacion’s LinkedIn profile. Two publically available AI-image detectors assessed it as having a high probability of being AI-generated. The advertisement described Rogacion as someone who “wants your vote ... for his LinkedIn.” But unlike the earlier advertisement, it also included a very small statement at the bottom of the image, claiming it had been authorised by fellow presidential candidate Charlotte Lawrence. Lawrence told Salient she had nothing to do with the advertisement. “I want to make it clear that I have nothing to do with these recent accounts, and I did not authorize them,” she said. “I'm horrified that someone is pretending that I authorized such horrible content. It goes completely against everything that I stand for. Along with the team at VUWSA, we have made multiple complaints to Meta, and we have filed an ASA complaint. It looks like Meta has taken down the one that says, ‘Authorized by Charlotte Lawrence.’ “The VUWSA campaigning period should be centered around manaakitanga and transparency. These accounts are harmful, they are against defamation laws, and I sincerely hope the person creating them immediately stops.” While @studentlobbyist has since been deleted, the advertisement targeting Rogacion was later cross-posted to a new account, @vuwsa.aislop, which remains active.

“Excited for a fair race ahead with Blake and Pascal; we’re all united in our hope for a better university, and I have massive respect for the both of them.” The following morning, a new account called @vuwsagirl posted the same graphic as a paid advertisement. This version claimed it was “authorised by Lenora Vejlebo.” Vejlebo and Lawrence are campaigning together this year and held a joint launch on 9 September. At that stage, the ads Salient had identified from @studentlobbyist and @vuwsagirl exclusively targeted candidates contesting the campaigns officer and president races in which Vejlebo and Lawrence were standing. Vejlebo reiterated to Salient that she had no involvement. “I am not affiliated with the @studentlobbyist or the new @vuwsagirl accounts that have been posting campaign ads using my image to discredit other candidates,” she said. “This sort of conduct goes against the spirit of the election.” Both Vejlebo and Lawrence told Salient they had contacted other candidates featured in the ads to make clear they had not authorised them. Lawrence said she became aware of the ad bearing her name on the evening of 9 September, after several people sent it to her. She said she had initially followed @vuwsagirl without knowing what content it would publish, but unfollowed and blocked the account after becoming aware of the ads. Vejlebo said she had never engaged with @studentlobbyist, although she had previously seen a story claiming an advertisement had been authorised by Lawrence. “This was definitely not the case,” she said. “Both Charlotte and I want to foster a collaborative and friendly atmosphere throughout the election period and race, and would never condone such an ad.”

Article continues on next page. Kawepūrongo | News

Vejlebo later told Salient that @vuwsagirl had viewed one of her Instagram stories.

“American-style Super PAC attack politics” Salient attempted to contact the person behind @studentlobbyist before the account was deleted, but received no response. The owner of @vuwsagirl did respond, providing an anonymous Proton Mail address for further contact. Salient will refer to the person or people behind the account and email address as “Smeek.” Asked whether @vuwsagirl and @studentlobbyist were connected, Smeek declined to answer. “I'm not going to get into the mechanics of Instagram accounts or ads.” They were more forthcoming about their reasons for becoming involved in student politics. “For decades, student politics in New Zealand has been a joke,” Smeek said. “... It is an establishment spending millions in compulsory levy money, insulated from any real scrutiny or accountability. “... If you want to play national-level politics with students' money and futures, you don't get kid gloves. “... What New Zealand student politics needs is raw, unapologetic, American-style Super PAC attack politics. That is what this is.” Asked what they meant by “Super PAC” campaigning, Smeek said student elections had been treated as “popularity contests run on polite talk and zero accountability.” “American-style Super PACs work because they bypass the sanitised, scripted mouthpieces and force real contrasts into the open,” they said. “We make no apologies for bringing aggressive, results-driven scrutiny to VUWSA elections.” Asked why particular candidates had been targeted, Smeek called Rogacion “the Kelburn establishment” and said Vejlebo was “the only person on that ballot with the backbone to kick down doors and scare the university into action.”

Candidates respond After 11 September, @vuwsagirl published several further posts, including an AI-generated video alleging Rogacion’s campaign had been funded by “corrupt insiders and radical foreign donors,” and that he had presided over cuts to campus security. Rogacion told Salient he was disappointed by the campaign. “Given that this is the most contested VUWSA election in recent history, with a wide range of high-quality candidates, I am disappointed to see this sort of engagement with the election,” he said. “It is important for this election to be about the quality of ideas that candidates are putting on the table, and the way that we engage with tauira and understand their needs—not the amount of AI slop that someone can generate. “I encourage everyone to engage with this election in good faith, so that VUWSA's 2027 Executive reflects the needs and interests of students.” Rogacion rejected several claims made in the ads, noting that campus security and student fees sit outside of the responsibilities of his VUWSA position and, in some cases, VUWSA itself.

Buda told Salient he found the ads “a bit disheartening,” but had received a message from Vejlebo telling him she was not behind them. He considered the account a troll and said it was strange to see its material being promoted as paid advertising, but was not particularly concerned about its effect on the election. “I don’t think people get their policies from Instagram spam,” he said. Burrows said he “saw the ad pretty quickly,” and that the other candidates contacted him to assure him they had not been involved. He took a more light-hearted view, saying “any publicity is good publicity” and that the advertisement made the campaign feel “a lot more real.” He did not, however, endorse Smeek’s call for Super PACstyle campaigning.

How far did the ads travel? On 14 September, Salient spoke to 26 students on Kelburn campus to get a rough indication of the ads’ reach. Only three said they had seen advertisements directly relating to the VUWSA election. None of those three said the ads were likely to have a significant effect on how they voted. Salient also tested the approximate cost of promoting comparable material using an existing business Instagram account belonging to one of the writers. For an audience aged 18 to 65 within five kilometres of Kelburn Parade, targeted using interests including higher education, students’ unions, and politics, Instagram estimated that a budget of $3 a day could produce between 4606 and 8554 impressions. Meta’s recommended budget of $15 a day produced an estimated 21,132 to 39,432 impressions for the same audience. These estimates do not establish how much the anonymous advertiser actually spent or how many people saw the election ads. They do, however, indicate that paid Instagram advertising capable of reaching thousands of accounts can be purchased relatively cheaply.

Link to Save Our Clubs While speaking to students on 14 September, Salient was shown another advertisement targeting former VUWSA candidate Cam Dickson. The attack ad targeted Dickson over his tenure as Clubs and Activities Officer, despite him contesting this year’s election for Treasurer/Secretary. The ad was similar in style to earlier @studentlobbyist material and linked to the Save Our Clubs campaign. A student, who asked not to be named, located and screenshotted the advertisement’s details. Those details associated the ad with an advertiser using the name “vuwsagirl.” Salient subsequently located the advertisement record and found that the Save Our Clubs ad and later election advertising posted by @vuwsagirl were linked, through the URL recorded by Meta, to the same now-disabled advertiser account. Dickson described the campaign as “concerning.” “The fact that members of the executive can’t speak publicly to student issues without giving ammunition to those who will harass them with AI tools, and the fact that students can’t campaign for a role without fearing attack ads is sad, to say the least.”

He also made light of the corruption allegations.

On the evening of 14 September, Salient contacted the email address provided by Smeek, the Save Our Clubs’ press email and web form, and the student email address of Save Our Clubs spokesperson Arie Joe.

“If someone is paying anyone in student politics off to execute their evil agenda, they need to find a better use for their money.”

Joe responded through the Save Our Clubs email address on behalf of the campaign.

News | Kawepūrongo

He said an internal review had identified an unnamed person formerly associated with the campaign who had retained access to a “legacy Instagram account” that was no longer actively used by the campaign. According to Joe, the account was later renamed and used without the Save our Clubs’ knowledge or authorisation, to publish advertisements relating to the VUWSA election. He said the campaign subsequently regained control of the account and deactivated it. Joe later provided a further clarification about the timing. Asked about a paid advertisement which had appeared approximately two weeks earlier, linked directly to the Save Our Clubs website and used material consistent with the campaign’s platform, Joe said it had also been placed by the same person. He said the advertisement had been “scheduled in advance by the same former individual before their departure, and set to run some weeks later.” This meant that, according to Save Our Clubs’ account, the person responsible for the later election advertising had still been associated with the campaign when at least one Save Our Clubs-linked advertisement was scheduled. Joe did not identify that individual to Salient. He maintained that Save Our Clubs had “no prior knowledge” of the advertisement and that it had not been commissioned, funded or approved by the campaign. He also said Save Our Clubs had never run paid social-media advertising of any kind. Several sources, speaking independently to Salient, have alleged that Joe himself was involved with the @studentlobbyist and @vuwsagirl accounts. Salient has not independently established that those allegations are correct. Salient separately contacted Joe directly to ask whether he was involved with either account. He did not respond to those questions before publication, although he continued to respond to inquiries sent through the Save Our Clubs email address in his capacity as the campaign’s spokesperson. On the night of 16 September, after @vuwsagirl had been deactivated, the same Save Our Clubs-linked advertisement also appeared on Reddit from an account named FluffyFinish. Salient has not established who controls the Reddit account or whether it is connected to the people behind @studentlobbyist or @vuwsagirl. Joe told Salient on 16 September that the information had been passed to VUWSA and that the person involved had ceased to be associated with Save Our Clubs approximately one month earlier. A VUWSA spokesperson confirmed that they had received the email.

VUWSA condemns campaign VUWSA returning officer Em Maguire and chief executive Matthew Tucker both condemned the advertisements. “... If someone wants to argue that students' associations are bad, unnecessary, ineffective or should be ran differently, then go for it—we welcome that conversation,” Maguire said. “However, it is actively concerning that this isn't just criticism of VUWSA. These accounts are using individual candidate names and images, often within AI-generated imagery, to create perceived endorsements and campaign messages.

student candidates should not have their identities co-opted, targeted or used to imply endorsement for things they don't agree to or with.” Tucker said VUWSA had submitted reports to Meta, the Advertising Standards Authority, and Netsafe. “I also don’t want us to spend too much time and energy on a weird anonymous social media campaign,” he said. “To me, there is a bigger question here about the use of AI and the controls on platforms like Instagram that can allow people to run this kind of activity with very little transparency about who is behind it. “What I would say to the person doing this is: please think about the impact you might be having on the students whose names and images you are using. These are genuine, impressive students who have put themselves forward to represent their peers. They are actual people, not props for someone else’s campaign. Please do better and be better.” The @vuwsagirl account was deleted on the evening of 14 September. The advertisements appear to have since been cross-posted to @vuwsa.aislop, which remained active when Salient went to print on 17 September.

A timeline Earlier this year: @studentlobbyist published an attack ad targeting Aidan Donoghue. Around the same period, an ad targeting Cam Dickson is published and linked to Save Our Clubs. Week of 7 September: @studentlobbyist begins publishing election material falsely claiming to have been authorised by candidates. 9 September: An ad targeting Ethan Rogacion claims to have been authorised by Charlotte Lawrence. 10 September: @studentlobbyist posts a graphic involving campaigns officer candidates Pascal Buda, Blake Burrows, and Leonora Vejlebo. It endorses Vejlebo but does not contain an authorisation statement. 11 September: @vuwsagirl publishes the same campaigns officer graphic as a paid Meta advertisement, this time claiming to have been authorised by Vejlebo. @studentlobbyist is removed from Instagram. 11–13 September: Salient obtains contact details for the person behind @vuwsagirl and receives answers to written questions. 14 September: Salient identifies a link between the advertiser account used by @vuwsagirl and an earlier Save Our Clubs advertisement targeting Cam Dickson. Salient contacts the account owner, Save Our Clubs and spokesperson Arie Joe. Evening of 14 September: @vuwsagirl is deactivated. Arie Joe says a former associate had retained access to a dormant Instagram account, renamed it and used it to publish the VUWSA election advertisements without the campaign’s knowledge or authorisation. 16 September: Joe says the unnamed individual ceased to be associated with the campaign approximately one month earlier. Joe clarifies that the same individual had scheduled an earlier Save Our Clubs-linked advertisement before leaving the campaign, while maintaining it was unauthorised. Evening of 16 September: The same advertisement appeared on Reddit from an account using the name FluffyFinish. 17 September: @vuwsa.aislop, which has cross-posted some of the material, remains active as Salient goes to print.

“We have checked with the candidates involved and can confirm that none of them have been creating, authorising, endorsing, funding or placing any of the advertising we have seen. “This is our line; and this is what we are actively concerned about. If people want to critique VUWSA, they're welcome to, but individual

Kawepūrongo | News

Dan Moskovitz

election interviews

In the run-up to the 2026 election, Salient is interviewing all the major parties to understand their responses to the issues students face. Here, former Vic student and National’s youngest MP Tom Rutherford pitches National.

Why Should You Vote National? Why hasn’t it been a consideration? What is the biggest challenge facing students in New Zealand in 2026? Without a doubt it's cost of living and the state of the economy. I think students are under pressure and we shouldn't pretend otherwise. Over the last three years rents have started stabilizing—and in some parts of the country, coming down—which is a really positive outcome that our government has achieved. Aside from the cost of living, mental health is also one of the biggest issues facing young New Zealanders today.

So what is National proposing to support students? National will let Kiwis with student loans in New Zealand keep more on payday by reducing the compulsory student loan repayment rate from 12 percent to 10 percent. This means an accountant starting out on $75,000 a year will keep an extra $39 a fortnight ($1000 a year), or a junior doctor earning about $100,000 will keep $58 a fortnight ($1500 a year). We’re going to do this by getting tougher on overseas-based borrowers who make no attempt to repay their loan. They certainly know they've got a loan, but they're making no attempt to repay it, so we’ll be introducing new financial penalties, restricted KiwiSaver withdrawals and tighter arrest settings. This will reward graduates who choose to stay in New Zealand and while also pursuing those who leave and default.

Does this policy help students currently studying now? Yes. The policy will come into effect from April 1 next year, so if you’re a student who is in your final year, this will have a positive impact on you from next year. We know for many young professionals, student loan repayments are one of the biggest regular deductions and so we’re focused on helping them keep what they earn. And it’s not necessarily just for when you graduate. Student loan repayments start when you earn over $24,128 per year. So when I was studying, and I had a full-time summer job, some years I was reaching the threshold, some years I wasn’t.

Students are currently the only beneficiary group not eligible for the winter energy payment. Is this something National would change? We haven’t said we will broaden the winter energy payment’s scope, but our policy has been to retain it both in 2023 and now. This is useful feedback though which I can absolutely take on board back to the party however and I’m absolutely open to considering broadening the scope as part of future considerations.

10 News | Kawepūrongo

We’ve got lots of things in front us to consider at the moment. Obviously times are tough for a lot of people, including students, and we’ve got quite a strong fiscal envelope we have to work in. So we need to ensure our spending is targeted in the best possible way, and with students our focus is on the repayments policy right now. In 2023, a two-zone trip on Metlink cost a tertiary student $1.13 at peak time. Currently it costs $2.63, an increase of 132 percent. 50 percent of students get to Vic by public transport; how will NZ First reduce this financial burden? When I was at Victoria, I, like most students, either took a car or walked. So I, and we as a government, know how important having strong public transport in Wellington is. But ultimately, the cost of taking the bus is set by council rather than government. Still, we in our previous three budgets have put significant investment into public transport. So we are acutely aware of the increases but we don’t have a commitment of unwinding said costs—those are set by Metlink.

You said you've done significant investment in public transport, but you also removed half price fares and told regional councils to increase the private share, to increase the amount the user pays for public transport trips [to reduce the percentage central government covers]. How do those two things gel? We as a government have always been big supporters of user pay models because, rather than burdening the entire rate payer with a cost or a service which they may or may not use, it puts the onus on the person utilizing it. But I come back to the point on how we have invested significantly into public transport, alternative modes of travel for people to utilize, and I’m really proud of what we've delivered in that space.

What have you delivered? Significant investment into things like public transport, not just into public transport, but also our roads of national significance across the country as well. Transport and infrastructure has been a real priority for us as a government and I’m really proud of what we've achieved.

Okay, but when you say you've delivered significant investment in public transport, what have the results of that investment been? Well, it's been more money to the front line so we can have greater investment into public transport, not just here in Wellington, but across New Zealand. We've done a really great amount of work there.

Okay, so what is the result of that investment? Are we seeing more services? How do you mean?

What has that investment resulted in on the ground? The government provides more than $50 million annually in targeted public transport subsidies. This includes reduced fares for, say, community service card holders through Community Connect. Reliable public transport isn't a luxury, and it's how many students get to lectures, part-time jobs, placements, and more. And we've made a record investment in transport, including roads, rail, and public transport, because a growing country like ours needs infrastructure that can keep up.

Between 2014 and 2024, the amount course fees could rise each year was between 2 and 2.8 percent. In 2025 and 2026, course fees were allowed to rise by 6 percent. If elected, what would your policy on course fees be? I don't think students want politicians pretending like costs don't exist, right? Our challenge is both making sure education stays accessible, and the quality of it remains high. I do understand why students are concerned about rising course costs. But the reality is universities and tertiary providers have also faced significant cost pressures in recent years, and the government increased tertiary education subsidies in priority areas. Importantly, students still continue to have access to things like interest free student loans, student allowances and those support mechanisms.

So that's not something you have interest in advocating for? I think the view from ministers at the time was that fees had lagged behind inflation and the universities were facing significant cost pressures. The fee increase was proposed alongside increased government investment in tertiary education to help maintain the quality of teaching and learning. I accept students are feeling the pressure, but it’s also important we maintain the quality of our universities.

These course fee rises have come with the removal of final year fees-free. Is that something National wants to bring back? The evidence showed fees-free wasn’t achieving its goals. It didn't significantly increase participation in tertiary education. It didn't help more disadvantaged young people get into university. And already taxpayers subsidize around 80 percent of tertiary education costs. So we’ve redirected the funding into areas where we believe it can have a stronger impact.

I absolutely acknowledge it’s been really difficult for people, I’m not one to tell people to suck eggs, it’s been a really challenging environment. We’ve put significant investment into creating economic growth here in New Zealand and Wellington. There will be 220 thousand additional jobs with our focus. Things are difficult for people, but we are doing absolutely everything we can to create future opportunities for students once they graduate.

How many of those 220,000 jobs would be in Wellington? Sorry Dan, I can’t give you an exact figure there. But you did ask a question about how you retain people in Wellington. I absolutely understand why students and young people are concerned when they see the unemployment rate where it is, and then they hear about things like public sector job losses that you mentioned, right? I lived in Wellington for six years when I was studying and then had my first job out of university as this is a city of innovators, entrepreneurs, technology firms, creatives, and skilled workers. So our focus really has to be on creating the conditions for new jobs, higher wages and private sector growth so young people can build their future here rather than feeling like they have to leave to get ahead.

Access to mental health addiction services for young people has declined-there are 5000 fewer people receiving care than five years ago. How would National address the gap between demand for mental health care and the services available? I’m really proud of how we have had the first ever Minister of Mental Health in New Zealand as part of our government; it’s been a really big priority of ours. Our government mental health plan has three clear priorities: faster access to support, more frontline workers and a better crisis response. I’m never going to say we’ve solved everything there but we are making really positive progress about investing in the frontline so that there is more support available across the country. Couple of stats for you: 77.8 percent of people are now accessing primary mental health support within one week. We’ve improved youth access to specialist services. Since coming to government, the frontline mental health workforce has grown by 11 percent, while the child and adolescent workforce has grown by 19 percent. We’ve funded the organization Gumboot Friday, and thousands more young people now have access to free counselling thanks to this. We’ve also supported community-led organizations through the Mental Health Innovation Fund, the Sir John Kirwan Foundation, and Youth One-Stop Shop. Ultimately, we want there to be someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere to go when a young person needs help.

Thank you so much, Tom. Thanks, Dan. Read all of our Why Should You Vote? articles at salient.org.nz

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Dan Moskovitz

election interviews

In the run-up to the 2026 election, Salient is interviewing all the major parties to understand their responses to the issues students face. Here, Dr Parmjeet Parmar, ACT list MP and tertiary education spokesperson, pitches ACT.

Why Should You Vote Act? What is the biggest challenge facing students in New Zealand in 2026? One of the issues which I've heard in various debates is definitely the cost of living issue. I know it's a genuine thing as students have limited hours to work alongside their studies. This is why I’ve put in a policy to make the student services fee voluntary, which at the moment costs domestic students up to $1253 per year.

I recognize the hardship of students, but as you will know, students can go to the Ministry of Social Development to get support if they are in real hardship. But we don’t have any policy of making the winter energy payment available for all students.

Is this something you personally would have interest in advocating for? We haven’t discussed this. At the moment, we believe these support policies need to be targeted, and if someone is in need they can definitely reach out to MSD.

Assuming students don’t pay for anything, then they are easily saving over $4000 dollars across three years. I’d like to style the student service fee like a menu, where students pick what they want to pay for depending on what they want to use. This way they are not paying for the things they are not using.

In 2023, a two-zone trip on Metlink cost a tertiary student $1.13 at peak time. Currently it costs $2.63, an increase of 132 percent. 50 percent of students get to Vic by public transport; how will NZ First reduce this financial burden?

Is there a risk this policy could defund the things which make university worth coming to?

I think it all comes down to cost relief and which is why we have come up with our policy of making student services free voluntary. This way students are saving money.

Not at all. I think students should have a choice. They should have freedom of association; in 2011 ACT passed a bill which made student union membership voluntary, but then the universities shifted it into the student services fee, and now students are funding unions regardless of whether students agree with what unions are advocating for. If students think unions are worthwhile to join, then definitely, tick that box, and pay to join them. The same applies to other services as well. It doesn’t mean they disappear; it just means they become transparent and user-pays.

What happens if someone registers for student health without ticking the box to pay for student health? There are a number of scenarios there. There are students who are already enrolled with their family GP and prefer them. So even if you have your own family GP, you’re still paying for the university’s one as well. But if you haven’t ticked that box and you need Student Health’s services, you can just go and pay as you use.

It’s illegal for GPs to turn patients away. So theoretically, a student could sign up for student health while not paying for it. Once the system is set up, there will obviously be a fee system, so Student Health would check if you are in their system. If you’re not, you would pay as you use the system.

Students are currently the only beneficiary group not eligible for the winter energy payment. Is this something Act would change?

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So you don’t have any specific public transport policy? Not, not for making it free for all.

I’m not asking about making public transport free for all, I’m asking about general public transport policy. At this stage we haven’t discussed it.

Between 2014 and 2024, the amount course fees could rise each year was between 2 and 2.8 percent. In 2025 and 2026, course fees were allowed to rise by 6 percent. If elected, what would your policy on course fees be? It’s important to note that the student-loan is interest free, which is support students already get, and there is no requirement to pay it all up front, so sometimes students can take a bit of time to pay their tuition fee. [Editorial Note: Dr Parmar is incorrect on this point. NZ universities require up-front payment in full before courses begin.] Going forward, it comes to cost-relief. So we were thinking hard as to what we could bring, and this is why we announced the student services fee policy.

So you don’t have any specific thoughts on what universities should be allowed to increase course fees by? Universities have their own independent way of operating, but in terms of the taxpayer’s money spent on the various

resources given to students, it should only follow need, merit, and circumstance, not race or ancestry. So that’s one policy-

The question I asked was what reason is there for someone who is graduating from Vic to stay in Wellington right now.

Sorry, I’m going to interject there. That’s not what I asked. I asked about the increase of course fees per year.

Students are looking for opportunities, right? Those opportunities only come if we encourage investment and innovation. If we make our system so hard for people to think about investing here, well, they won’t invest. These policies which I have given examples of are highlighting how our government has made investment easier.

No, I don’t have any policy there. But I’ve just mentioned how we want the taxpayer’s money to be used by universities.

Is it something you’d seek to advocate for, reducing those course fee increases back down to 2 and 2.8 percent? Before COVID, we used to get a lot of international students coming here, and our numbers are beginning to return to those numbers. Universities need this income, so we have been working on the immigration side of things to ensure students are coming to universities and universities get revenue. Because at the end of the day, it’s about the revenue the universities can get.

Are course fee increases of 6 percent acceptable when inflation is 3.1 percent?

And this flows on to students by more jobs being created by businesses? If businesses are growing, there will be more opportunities for everybody, including students.

Access to mental health and addiction services for young people has declined-there are 5000 fewer people receiving care than five years ago. How would ACT address the gap between demand for mental health care and the services available? That’s a real issue, and we’re working on it at the moment. But no announcements there, not yet.

Any kind of inflation which is putting people in hardship is not reasonable. This is why we have focused on reducing government expenditure to control overall inflation.

Thank you so much, Parmjeet.

These course fee rises have come with the removal of final year fees-free. Is that something ACT wants to bring back?

Read all of our Why Should You Vote? articles at salient.org.nz

There are two ways of looking at fees-free. Yes, students who got one year free benefitted from it. But what was feesfree’s ultimate goal? It was to increase enrollment, increase completion, and reduce the socioeconomic gap, but we didn’t see any evidence of those things happening.

Thank you, Dan.

NEXT WEEK: Why should you vote Green?

For any amount of the taxpayer’s money which is used, it’s really important we achieve the targets for the whole country, not for a few individuals.

Wellington’s unemployment rate is at 6.3 percent, but for those aged between 15 and 24 it is 8.4 percent. There are ten thousand fewer jobs in Wellington than there were last election, and the government is looking to remove 8700 public sector jobs, which would disproportionately affect Wellington. Right now, what incentive is there for a graduate to stay in Wellington? For young people, it’s really important we create an environment where businesses feel more confident and able to create more jobs. As an example, we have reinstated the 90 day probation period for all businesses. This is where businesses can give an opportunity to someone who doesn’t have any work experience, and this way the business gains and the employee also gains, as they get the experience even if it doesn’t work out for them. We have also reduced regulations more broadly as they create a burden on business. This means businesses can focus on growing so they can employ more people. So there are a number of things we have done to support businesses.

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VUWSA ELECTION CANDIDATE INTERVIEWS Phoebe Robertson

Part One - President The VUWSA President leads the Executive and acts as the association’s principal student representative, advocating for students to the University and local and central government. This year, Skyla Ashford, Charlotte Lawrence and Ethan Rogacion are contesting the role. Salient asked each candidate questions tailored to the promises they have made during their campaigns, which you can read across the next three pages.

Candidate: Ethan Rogacion You’ve criticised a culture of overpromising and underdelivering in student politics. What would you do differently as President to make VUWSA more accountable for the promises it makes? Fundamentally, VUWSA exists for the benefit of students and my plan is to ensure that our Executive are directly responsible to all of our tauira for how we spend money, time and resources. The decisions that our Executive makes about campaigns and initiatives need to be led with real student consultation and student voice. This looks like the Executive being present and accessible at all campuses through regular events, frequent hui that allow students to question VUWSA about how we’re spending their money and—as President—an open door policy that means students can always reach me with ideas, concerns and whakaaro. I'm committed to having an open communications channel with Salient and to providing regular updates on social media about VUWSA kaupapa, to ensure students can see what their Executive is doing to act on their needs. After two years as Academic Vice-President, what have you learned about where VUWSA can genuinely achieve change— and where its influence is limited? The biggest factor that limits VUWSA’s influence is funding! As Academic Vice-President, I’ve worked hard to build a strong relationship with the University, meaning students are increasingly key stakeholders in how this place operates, with more tauira in the rooms where decisions are made. In that respect, we’ve made strides with the University’s AI policy, workloads for students and the equity of assessment across the University. However, if VUWSA wants to do more—whether it’s events, campaigns or direct support for students—we need more resources. Since Parliament introduced voluntary students’ association membership in 2011, our mahi has been constrained by the bounds of the Student Services Fee. That's why VUWSA needs to invest Trust money back into students now, and why I’ll keep fighting for law reform that will let us serve all students to the fullest. You want VUWSA to put more resources directly into students’ hands. How would you decide between spending on direct support, services, representation, and campaigning?

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VUWSA is one of the least funded students’ associations in the country, so how we use our money must be directly led by the needs of students. As President, my biggest priority will be affordability for students, which involves increased investment by VUWSA into our food bank and grants. I also believe that VUWSA needs to increase investment in our operational services, like Advocacy and Student Voice, to ensure that students are well supported at the university. By thinking creatively and planning well, the Executive can run initiatives that reach more students, more affordably. As Academic Vice-President, I’ve supported low-cost and high-impact initiatives, leading Tea Time events that connect students with VUWSA across all campuses. By running more kaupapa like this, VUWSA can better engage with students, understand student needs and build organic support for our campaigns in a way that reaches all tauira. You’ve proposed both immediate measures like cheaper kai and grants, and larger political goals like free public transport and a universal student allowance. How would you balance achievable short-term wins with longer-term advocacy? Our students’ ability to participate in political advocacy and campaigning is constrained by the fact that tauira already have to choose between going to lectures and picking up a shift just to pay rent every week. At the same time, ensuring that student hardship isn’t a rite of passage requires VUWSA to hold central and local government accountable to the interests of tauira. That means that VUWSA needs to both directly support students here and now, and push government to do better. As President, I’ll commit to providing immediate support to students to ease the cost of living pressures that makes student life difficult. At the same time, I’ll focus on holding the next government accountable to student needs, directly lobbying MPs and Ministers on student hardship and building a broad base of support from students for VUWSA’s political mahi. What would you change about how VUWSA currently operates to make it more transparent and accountable to students? The biggest thing that I’d change about VUWSA to make sure that we are accountable to tauira is making our goals clear, and our Executive available to all students, at all campuses. Every student pays around $80 per year from the Student Services Fee into VUWSA. I take the responsibility of using that money in the best interests of students seriously. As President, I’ll work over the summer with the Executive to draft a 2027 VUWSA Action Plan that sets out our aims for the year, including the outcomes, campaigns and initiatives we want to accomplish. This, alongside regular events at all campuses and more opportunities for students to directly

ask their Executive questions, will empower our tauira to keep us accountable. These forums also allow students to tell us what they want to see more of, and ensures our kaupapa aligns with what students actually need!

Candidate: Charlotte Lawrence Your campaign puts major emphasis on protest, organising, and building student power. How would you decide when VUWSA should campaign publicly and when working directly with the University or government would be more effective? The University and the government will not just collaborate with students through their own goodwill. Our recent 6 percent course fees hike shows this. We must put public pressure on them so that they come to the table. Students don’t have stacks of cash to lobby politicians but we do have thousands of us on our side. Hence VUWSA should utilize its people power! However, the full force of students is not always necessary and of course we must be practical. There are ways of working around this. For instance, in some circumstances a smaller delegation could attend a hui. It’s also critical that VUWSA holds ourselves to high standards and always acts with mana and manaaki, so that we can negotiate effectively with all parties. I think it is important to remember VUWSA is independent from the university—part of its job is to critique it on behalf of students. You’ve said you want VUWSA to focus its energy on campaigns that can win. With limited staff time and resources, what criteria would you use to decide which issues VUWSA prioritises? It’s true that VUWSA cannot focus on every issue. I would target our resources on campaigns that are ambitious, but also winnable. I’d also focus on campaigns that significantly affect the most students. We’re all affected by the cost of fees, housing and public transportation, so these issues would be a priority. These decisions should be democratized as much as possible. This year, our main campaign, Paid Placements, was decided by nearly 100 students at the Student Action Hui which I lead. This guaranteed that students had a voice and stakes in the campaign from the start. This meant the campaign belonged to students and not just the executive. If the right is reelected, students will have to fight for everything we have now. If the left is elected, we’ll have to put pressure on them to secure any wins for students. Either way, we need to have strong campaigns. Looking ahead to 2027, what is one concrete change you would want students to actually notice in their day-to-day lives as a result of your presidency, and how would you go about delivering it? If I’m elected, students' lives will get cheaper, our community will be strengthened and our student power will be boosted. All of these will affect students’ everyday lives.

It’ll become cheaper to study! I’ll boost our food pantry, our provision of period products and our public transport passes. We can study better when we’re not worried about money. I would go about this by creating a team within VUWSA that would apply to sponsors, seek donations and consider options like fundraising. We’d also pressure the university to increase funding for these services. Students would also notice a greater sense of community! This would be built by uplifting different clubs and representative groups, and running lively events. Lastly, students would notice a captivating increase in political activity. They’ll have the chance to join engaging campaigns, meet new friends, learn new skills and be part of a new era of student power. It's likely a number of executive members will have ties to political parties or political organisations. How would you ensure those affiliations do not shape VUWSA’s priorities in a way that undermines its responsibility to represent and advocate for all students, including those with different political views? I am a firm believer in the idea that student associations should have ‘no permanent friends and no permanent enemies.’ VUWSA should work on a case by case basis with whichever political party can offer the most to students, regardless of the political affiliations that executive members have. I would place clear expectations on the VUWSA executive that while we may have our own political beliefs, these should not interfere with our mahi. We need to act as a disciplined and unified group to achieve change. What’s clear is that regardless of the political views that our tauira have, everyone is facing the same cost of living crisis and the same fee hikes. A VUWSA that focuses on these issues belongs to all students. You’ve said you’ll ensure VUW does not begin charging students for Mauri Ora. As far as Salient is aware, there are currently no plans to introduce charges. Do you have reason to believe that could change, and if so, what information are you basing that concern on? Firstly, the University already charges international students for Mauri Ora, which I will advocate strongly against. International students deserve the same access to healthcare. This year, when the University was consulting on where the Student Services Fee is spent next year, they asked students whether they support adding a charge for using Mauri Ora health services. I’m completely against this because you don’t solve long wait-times by cutting access to healthcare. I’ll work hard to ensure this doesn't happen. I am a firm believer in the provision of universal services. While there’s significant room for improvement at Mauri Ora, so many students are better off because it exists. This is not the time to walk existing services backwards. Article continues on next page.

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Candidate: Skyla Ashford You’ve centred your campaign on meeting students where they are and supporting people directly. As President, how would you turn that approach into priorities for an organisation representing thousands of students with very different needs? The main thing affecting all students is the cost of living crisis. I plan to enact a greater subsidy on bus fares for all students, and also re-expand the number of passes for between campus trips given per office visit. I also wish to have VUWSA services available at Te Aro and Pipitea campuses offered. An example of this would be food pantry expansions on other campuses, as well as high nutrition options to be offered for students who would otherwise be skipping lunch to cut costs—within limits, same as the Food Pantry initiative already has. You’ve prioritised expanding on-campus physiotherapy and food pantry support. Why are these the areas where you think VUWSA can make the biggest difference to students in 2027? While they are priorities, I would love to hear back from the wider student body on what they need, not just what I have come across students needing around me. But to explain the physiotherapy, the representative of the WSM group, who provide the physiotherapy on campus, approached the Equity and Wellbeing officers of both UniQ and VUWSA about the history of physiotherapy offered on campus. Before their on campus space was downsized in 2020, they were holding ~11000 appointments for students and ~1000 for staff every year, showing clear demand. It was revealed to us that this last year, they only had ~700 appointments total, due to only having a single room part time on campus. I don’t need to tell you how significant of a decrease that is. What was asked for was 2-3 rooms to occupy and supply his group’s services at a 50 percent discount for students. Your background is strongly grounded in wellbeing and queer advocacy. How would you ensure your presidency also responds effectively to students and issues outside the communities you already know well? The other major part of my UniQ portfolio is equity, which is very significant to this question. While I have primarily advocated for queer students this last year- due to them seeking me out- I have been doing the same advocacy for students from all backgrounds as they have come to me, whether it be due to being in the bubble together or as a class representative for any of my given classes, which I only stopped doing this trimester due to significant timetable clashes. But queer students are also just another part of the student body, and while there may be different finer details, such as misgendering in emails, they are still students in the same courses as non-queer students, completing the same workload and living in the same circumstances as students from all backgrounds. So the nature of this question feels divisive in its wording. You haven’t previously served on the VUWSA Executive. What gives you confidence that you have the governance experience and institutional understanding needed to lead the organisation effectively from day one? While I have not served on VUWSA, I have worked closely with them through my leadership position in UniQ, allowing me insight into the institution in place, even if it is not yet

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the whole picture. I have confidence in myself to fulfil this role to the same standard as my competition for President, because I have a love for the student body at Te Herenga Waka, and until these past holidays, was preparing to officially step into the leadership role of President of UniQ, before seeing further into the system and wanting to make greater changes than UniQ is institutionally able to, being an outside entity and charity organisation. I also would not be starting from a blank slate, since VUWSA has permanent staff, and there will also be handovers, to make sure people understand the pieces on their boards. At the end of 2027, what concrete outcomes would you want students to judge your presidency on? This is a tricky question to answer, because it is all reliant on how compliant the university as an entity wishes to be in my own and VUWSA as a whole’s plans. We have seen plenty this year of Aiden being held in stalemate by Victoria University being a for-profit organisation first and foremost, with Manawa Ora; the Equity team employed by the university; being an underfunded entity which is entirely separate from VUWSA and the student run representative groups.

Part Two - Welfare Vice President The Welfare Vice-President advocates for student wellbeing and support, with a focus on issues including financial hardship, housing, health, equity and access to education. This year, Pyper Adams, Sasha Boyce and Katie Townsend are contesting the role. Salient asked each candidate questions tailored to the promises they have made during their campaigns, which you can read below.

Candidate: Katie Townsend Of food, housing, and health, which would you prioritise first, and why? I would prioritise food as food insecurity is one of the big issues among students, considering food is an essential need to survive and thrive. When you have better access to affordable food, you end up with better health, and you do better at your studies. How would you make sure your welfare initiatives reach students who need them most? Create a dedicated VUW app where we can have quicker access to information about the welfare and academic support services VUW provides. The app will also have a VUWSA section to show our initiatives and updates throughout the year. Beyond information campaigns, what practical change would you push for to improve student welfare? Partner with local supermarkets to create a consistent student discount for your groceries just like the gold card discount for 65+. Currently only a couple of supermarkets provide student discounts, and many people didn’t know about them either. That would be implemented alongside the cooking classes to create low cost, nutritious meals.

Candidate: Pyper Adams Which student hardship support would you prioritise expanding first, and why? I would prioritise transportation subsidies through pushing for the return of our intercampus trips across ALL zones, and the snapper grants that we saw from VUWSA in 2025. I support and will push for free transport for all students, however that is a long term goal, and restoring our lost transport initiatives will provide tangible and immediate day to day relief for students while we push for a bigger change. How would you deliver a dedicated women’s space by the end of 2027? I have been working alongside the current WVP in my year at VUWSA to begin the work towards obtaining a women’s space. We have already done most of the consultation with students to see what is needed in a space, and have successfully proven the need for one to the university. The groundwork has been laid; in 2027 my focus is on obtaining the space and putting the plan into action! How would you ensure welfare advocacy reaches students most affected by financial hardship? VUWSA needs to do more hands-on consultation and engagement directly with students rather than relying primarily on social media to let students know the services we offer! Instead of only running tea times when we want students to fill out a survey, I would expand the focus of waffles and tea times to inform students of our service, and strengthen our relationship with the student finance team to engage directly with students experiencing financial hardship

Candidate: Sasha Boyce What is the biggest barrier students face when trying to access welfare support, and how would you address it? From my time at university and my struggles I have meet students who are embarrassed to ask for help, embarrassed to admit that the "best years of their lives" are filled with struggle. I think its important to show that we are all here in this boat and we need to reset the expectations of university, and working environments to support students rather than trying to get them to "work harder" or "push through" because How would you improve access to services like student finance, health, and counselling? More advertising for these and a clearer process for student same day counselling because filling out a form followed by a phone call is a lot of pressure to put on an already struggling student. As someone who has helped lots of my friends and classmates get student finance and counselling appts I have seen how useful and how necessary they can be. These should be accessible for all and there should be clearer understanding What would you do to make campus safer and more supportive for women and LGBTQIA+ students? As a women I can relate to being in stressful and uncomfortable situations, I agree and will push for a women's dedicated

space, but I also push and help people find a group and that leads the important in clubs and the support from UNIQ, women in STEM and the minorities clubs, the positive influence have on these students is unmatched.

Part Three - Engagement Vice-President The Engagement Vice-President leads VUWSA’s student-engagement work, working across clubs, campaigns and events to strengthen participation in campus life and connect students with the association. This year, Lewis Collins, Sophie Guerin and Akasha Sergeant are contesting the role. Salient asked each candidate questions tailored to the promises they have made during their campaigns, which you can read below.

Candidate: Akasha Sergeant What would you do to make VUWSA more visible and relevant to students day-to-day? I'd make VUWSA's support, advocacy, and events genuinely visible where students already are, not buried on a webpage. That means consistent, engaging content, face-to-face presence on campus, and working with clubs and reps so students see VUWSA in their everyday uni life, not just during elections. Visibility comes from showing up consistently, not one-off campaigns. How would you engage students who don’t currently participate in clubs, events, or VUWSA? I'd meet students where they are instead of waiting for them to come to us. Through civics education work with UN Youth and advocacy with Politics Society, I've learned that low participation usually means low awareness, not low interest. I'd focus on clear communication, informal face-to-face engagement, and lowering barriers to entry for clubs and events. Make VUWSA feel genuinely accessible to everyone. Given VUWSA Exec members regularly have to vote without consulting every student, what does “every student feels heard” look like in practice? It means consulting broadly where possible, being transparent about decisions when it isn't, and explaining the reasoning behind votes afterward. With my media and journalism experience, I'd prioritise regular, honest communication with clubs, reps, and students directly, and follow up after decisions so people clearly understand how and why they were made, and what happens next for them. Being heard means being genuinely informed and included, not just consulted once.

Candidate: Lewis Collins Which of your campaign priorities would you tackle first as EVP, and why? Expanding our VUWSA community pantry. Student poverty is real, and the cost of living crisis is hitting our tauira hard. Too many students are choosing between food, rent, and getting through the week. How are we expected to succeed in our degrees when we’re stretched this thin? I’ll take action to expand access to food, menstrual products and toiletries. A stronger and engaged student community means supported students! Hauora comes first. Article continues on next page. Kawepūrongo | News

How would you engage students who feel disconnected from VUWSA or university life? VUWSA must engage disconnected students by supporting a university community students want to be part of. I’ll support clubs and cultural communities: whether that’s a Tararua tramp, shared kai, student theatre, kapa haka or a movie night with friends. My own wellbeing has benefited from student theatre (thank you Law Revue!) and cultural events (go try some chicken adobo!). I’ll back our community with continued action on fees-free, paid placements and renters’ rights. How do you specifically plan to strengthen university support for Ngāi Tauira and the Pasifika Students’ Council, and what consultation have you done with these representative groups to inform that commitment? I’ll push the university for stronger baseline funding for Ngāi Tauira and the Pasifika Students’ Council, while opening our VUWSA Trust to provide additional support. Both groups do incredible mahi with limited resources! I’ve met with Ngāi Tauira Tumuaki Takirua Mairangi and Apiha Mātauranga Shay, alongside Pasifika Students’ Council President Tau. I’ll keep listening to our communities and turn that kōrero into action, ensuring students are properly supported and Te Tiriti is honoured.

Candidate: Sophie Guerin Of your three big goals, which would you prioritise first, and why? My number one priority as EVP is diverse representation. I don’t believe engagement is possible unless it is proactively seeking to reach groups and people that slip through the gaps. While I also believe in VUWSA providing services that actively support student life, and providing opportunities and connection, none of that is possible without outreach first. How would you strengthen representation for groups currently underrepresented in VUWSA? One particular tool for strengthening representation at VUWSA is the Student Assembly. As a forum for representative groups, it allows for consultation, input, and accountability for VUWSA. Crucially, it also compensates members for participating, meaning effective representation can happen in a more equitable manner. I think Student Assembly needs to be better prioritised by VUWSA to ensure representation in a way that lessens the burden on those it seeks to consult with. How will you balance your plans to expand campus facilities—such as produce markets, repair hubs, workshop spaces, and bulk bins—with VUWSA’s limited budget and the need to secure approval from the University and Property Services? As Sustainability Officer this year I have already been in conversation with both the VUW Sustainability Team and Property Services about expanding campus services. Finding space at the university is an uphill battle, but one I intend to continue fighting if given the opportunity to do so. Regardless, I believe there is a path forward that has minimal cost to students by exploring options such as arranging student volunteers and collaborating with external groups.

18 News | Kawepūrongo

Part Four - Academic Vice President The Academic Vice-President represents students on academic issues, working with students and University staff on academic programmes, policies and procedures, and helping lead VUWSA’s student-representation work. This year, Sage Garrett, Aría Lal and Shay McEwan are contesting the role. Salient asked each candidate questions tailored to the promises they have made during their campaigns, which you can read below.

Candidate: Shay McEwen What have you learned from your current university committee experience that would shape you as AVP? For me, the biggest lesson I’ve learned this year is that showing up isn’t enough! Serving as Āpiha Mātauranga for Ngāi Tauira has given me firsthand experience in listening to students, asking tough questions, and following through once the doors to those meetings closed. Student representation requires consistency, deep curiosity, and constantly pushing to find out what happens next. What specific academic support improvement would you prioritise? Finding academic support lowkey feels like navigating a maze. When you’re already stressed about an assignment, searching through endless pages on the uni website just to find the right person to help is exhausting. My priority is streamlining that pathway so tutoring, extensions, and advocacy are straightforward and accessible for every community! Getting the help you need shouldn’t take so long. How would you make the University accountable for acting on student feedback? We’ve all gotten an automated email that’s like "thanks for your feedback" and some of us wonder where that information actually went. Students deserve transparency and a clear view of how their concerns turn into action through a simple tracker showing what changed and what remains stuck. When you take the time to speak up, your voice deserves genuine accountability, active follow-up, and continuous collaboration with student groups.

Candidate: Sage Garrett What is one realistic academic change you would achieve in your first year as AVP? Many students have noticed issues stemming from our lecturers being heavily overworked, such as turning to AI for lecture content and marking. While I will advocate for improved AI policy for both students and faculty, issues like this will continue to arise if we don’t better assist staff. Therefore, as AVP, I would extend external academic programmes (e.g. PASS) beyond 100-level to support your lecturers and you. What specific change would you push for to better support disabled and neurodivergent students? My policies for supporting neurodivergent students include body-doubling study groups and promoting neurodivergent-friendly learning strategies. Given our increased

likelihood of being visual and relational learners, video-recorded lectures should be the norm—not just slides and audio. Even better, these approaches wouldn't only benefit neurodivergent whānau, but all students. The breadth of disabled and neurodivergent experience demands significant student feedback, so I would also run focus groups to explore how we can improve student support. How would you make student feedback and VUWSA’s advocacy more transparent? Students have told me it’s unclear what an AVP is or how they can help. As AVP, I would consistently build awareness of what I can do for students. I’ll have an open-door policy and direct student engagement so that everyone has a more active role in decision-making. Crucially, more transparent communication starts now. In this campaign, I won’t promise anything outside of VUWSA’s control. You don’t need empty promises; you can expect actionable progress.

Candidate: Aría Lal Of your priorities, what would you tackle first as AVP, and why? My first priority would be building collective student power within the university. Students are too often treated as recipients of decisions rather than participants in making them. I would strengthen class representatives, build stronger links between student groups and decision-makers, and support collective organising around issues affecting students.

I would also make VUWSA’s advocacy transparent, so students can see what we are fighting for, what we have won, and where further organising is needed. What would meaningful student influence in university decision-making look like to you? Meaningful student influence requires students to participate in decision-making before outcomes are determined, with transparency about what follows. I would advocate for substantive student consultation on fees, courses, and academic support. I would also publish regular, accessible updates through VUWSA's social media outlining student concerns, how VUWSA responded, university decisions, and areas where advocacy has not succeeded. Student participation should have demonstrable outcomes, with VUWSA accountable to the students it represents! How would you ensure marginalised student groups are meaningfully represented in your advocacy? I can't represent every student, nor should I claim to. Real representation requires creating structures that let marginalised students articulate their own experiences and priorities. This means consistent consultation, resourcing students to participate in the decision-making spaces that affect them, and ensuring that they understand and respond to proposals before decisions are made. As AVP, I would advocate for these perspectives to be communicated directly to the decision-makers responsible for their academic experience.

Whoever Hates Tamatha Paul is Really Bad at It Ali Cook

[OPINION]

Election season brings with it one of democracy’s less celebrated traditions: covering every available fence, verge, and intersection with enormous photographs of candidates telling you to vote for them. And, almost as reliably, someone gives one a moustache.

of those respondents living in Wellington North. Hardly scientific polling, but enough to suggest Wellington’s politically motivated arts and crafts are not a figment of my imagination. Several respondents even mentioned the mysteriously multiplying number of Tamatha-less Tamatha Paul signs.

Election billboard vandalism is hardly new. Candidates have long acquired missing teeth, devil horns, and various anatomical additions before election day. But this year, Wellington’s vandals seem to have developed ambitions beyond the traditional political doodle.

Over the past week, I have repeatedly watched Paul disappear from Wellington’s streets. Presumably, cutting her out is intended to communicate a rejection of her politics.

Driving into university this morning, I passed a Tamatha Paul billboard that had been painted over until it was almost illegible. On another, her face and name had been cut out entirely. Labour candidate Ayesha Verrall has suffered similar treatment. Christopher Luxon, meanwhile, was sitting relatively pretty with a moustache, buck teeth, and googly eyes.

A missing face does not tell me whether you hate Paul’s housing policy, her position on climate change, the Greens, the colour green, or simply the particular photograph they chose. It only demonstrates that corflute is surprisingly easy to cut.

As far as I have seen, every major party has been subjected to some degree of amateur artistic criticism. But nobody seems to disappear from their own billboards quite as reliably as Tamatha Paul. An informal Salient Instagram poll suggests the damage is hardly isolated: 77 percent of respondents said they had noticed vandalised billboards in their area, with 56 percent

The problem is that it communicates remarkably little.

If you want to make a political argument, I would suggest the radical alternative of actually making one. One respondent to Salient’s poll defended the vandalism because it seemed like “the only way to actually grab politicians’ attention.” I am not convinced. Article continues on next page. Kawepūrongo | News

Wellington may be the easiest city in the country in which to tell a politician exactly what you think of them. During an election, candidates are appearing at debates, visiting campuses, and speaking at public events precisely so voters can question them. Parliament is sitting in the middle of town. Wellington has a proud tradition of yelling at politicians in person. There is no obvious need to outsource political disagreement to a Stanley knife at midnight. And frankly, doing it in person is much more satisfying. Nothing quite compares to the joy of encountering a politician in the wild and having the opportunity to make your displeasure known. More importantly, asking a candidate a difficult question actually forces them to engage with an argument. Cutting their face out of a sign only forces them to order another one. That brings us to the second problem: somebody has to put Tamatha Paul back. Paul told Salient that replacing one of her signs costs around $45. That is hardly going to bankrupt a parliamentary campaign. But the real cost is not simply another sheet of corflute. Someone has to notice the sign is gone. Someone has to organise a replacement. Someone has to collect it, drive it across Wellington, and put it back up. And then, apparently, someone has to do it again.

Draw the moustache. Add the googly eyes. I am not here to defend the artistic integrity of corflute. But systematically destroying campaign signs achieves very little politically. It does not explain your objection. It avoids confronting the candidate you supposedly want to challenge. It creates work for volunteers. And, apparently, it leaves pieces of politicians scattered around Zealandia. Worse still, in Paul’s case, it appears to have achieved almost precisely the opposite of what was presumably intended. After posting about the vandalism, Paul told Salient that around 100 people donated to help replace her signs. So congratulations to whoever keeps cutting Tamatha Paul out of her billboards: your contribution to the anti-Tamatha Paul campaign has apparently been to raise money for more Tamatha Paul billboards. Exceptional work. There is a certain Streisand-style irony to the whole thing. Someone removes Paul from a fence. Paul posts about it. Supporters get annoyed. People donate. Volunteers put her back. More people notice the vandalism. A Salient writer starts wondering why Tamatha Paul keeps disappearing from Wellington. Suddenly, the politician you wanted to make less visible is considerably more visible than she was before.

Political campaigns are ultimately human enterprises, sustained by more than money and ambition. They are made up of ordinary people donating their evenings: knocking on doors, making phone calls, delivering pamphlets, and cable-tying enormous photographs of politicians to suburban fences.

At a certain point, sabotage starts looking suspiciously like an in-kind campaign contribution.

As Paul pointed out, those volunteers have jobs and whānau of their own.

So the vandals have managed to create more work for volunteers, more plastic waste, more attention for Paul, more donations for replacement billboards, and now, an entire Salient article about Tamatha Paul.

Destroying an election sign may feel like sticking it to a politician. In practice, you may mostly be giving a volunteer another errand. Then there is the third problem: the bastards are littering. While taking photographs of campaign signs, I found the severed faces of Tamatha Paul and David Seymour lying in the bushes outside Zealandia.

Paul herself seems fairly unbothered. Speaking to Salient, she said: “I’m a big fan of delayed gratification and all of that just makes the W even sweeter.”

If the objective was to make her disappear, there may be room for improvement in the strategy. Turns out, Tamatha Paul is harder to cut out than a piece of corflute.

There was something almost touching about it: two politicians from very different parts of the political spectrum, finally united by being discarded in the same shrubbery. It was less touching for the shrubbery. Whatever ideological statement was intended became considerably harder to decipher once its final form was two pieces of plastic lying beside a wildlife sanctuary. If your political praxis concludes with David Seymour becoming litter outside Zealandia, it may be time to workshop the praxis. None of this means election billboards should be treated as sacred democratic artefacts. They are objectively ridiculous objects. Politicians who reproduce their faces at four times their natural size and scatter them across the city cannot reasonably expect complete artistic restraint from the public.

20 News | Kawepūrongo

Tamatha Paul and the ACT Party finding common ground—literally—outside Zealandia.

Birds of a Feather, Let’s Vote Together The ballots are in. Now we wait to see which bird rules the roost. Martha Schenk The year’s second-most-anticipated election is over. Voting has closed in Forest & Bird’s 2026 Bird of the Year, and somewhere in the depths of the ballot box, Aotearoa’s next celebrity is waiting to be crowned. For the past few weeks, more than 70 native birds have been competing for the title, complete with campaign managers, endorsements, and increasingly committed supporters. But behind the memes and electoral theatre sits a more serious purpose: raising awareness of Aotearoa’s native birdlife and the threats facing it. Around 80 percent of the country’s native species are at risk of extinction, one of the highest proportions of threatened plants and animals in the world. Habitat loss driven by urbanisation, agricultural intensification and wetland drainage, alongside climate change and introduced predators such as stoats, rats, and possums, continues to put pressure on native wildlife. For a competition built around picking favourites, Bird of the Year has always been partly about making sure there are still birds around to pick from. Last year, the kārearea (New Zealand falcon) took the title. In 2024, the hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin) wore the crown, while 2023 belonged to the pūteketeke (Australian crested grebe). This year, Te Herenga Waka threw its weight behind the korimako. Sustainability Engagement Co-ordinator Andrea Marsden had been waiting almost six years for a position as bird campaign manager to become available. When the chance finally arrived, she chose the korimako due to its incredible comeback story. Once locally extinct in Wellington, korimako returned to the region following conservation efforts centred around Zealandia, where korimako began re-establishing in the early 2000s. They can now be routinely seen and heard in the greener parts of the city. “We like sustainability wins,” Marsden said. “It’s not all doom and gloom…When we support programs and places like Zealandia, we can bring these birds back and help them flourish.” Lured by “huge quantities” of cake at the campus launch party, more than 108 students cast a Bird of the Year vote. The event also encouraged students to enrol ahead of the upcoming general election. “We’re promoting the idea of this as a warm-up for the election,” Marsden said. The timing gave the campaign a slightly bigger purpose. Students were being asked to choose between birds while also being reminded of another ballot looming later this year. One result will determine which native species gets bragging

rights and a year of increased intense media attention. The other has somewhat broader consequences. But Bird of the Year also offers a reminder of what can happen when public attention arrives too late. Marsden points to the two taxidermied huia displayed on the second floor of Ngā Mokopuna. The now-extinct birds were mysteriously recovered from a biology department closet almost twenty years ago and now sit inside a carefully controlled display case, protected from humidity and light deterioration. Their presence makes for a slightly sobering counterpoint to the cheerfulness of an election campaign. There are no conservation campaigns left to run for the huia. The exhibition also draws attention to relationships between native species, te reo Māori and mātauranga, and to the importance of keeping them present in public consciousness. Preservation is easier when something is still alive. Once it is behind glass, the task becomes remembering what was lost. The exhibition is a reminder that preservation cannot rely on putting something behind glass. Keeping species, languages, and cultural knowledge alive also means keeping them visible, talked about, and embedded in community life. For now, though, the living birds are still campaigning—or, at least, their human representatives have finished doing so. While we wait for the official result, here’s a reminder of some of the candidates Wellingtonians had on their ballots— and what your vote may say about you.

Korimako (Bellbird) Te Herenga Waka’s candidate of choice, the korimako—also known as the makomako or kōmako—has a varied and melodious song, often singing in duet. Males are olive green, while females are olive brown with a pale-yellow stripe from the bill to the eye. As the bird matures, their eye colour changes from brown to red. Korimako belong to the honeyeater family and have a special tongue that resembles a toothbrush, allowing them to collect sweet nectar from flowers. When they fly, they make a distinct whirring sound caused by a notch in one of their primary wing feathers. Korimako also play an important role in the pollination of native plants, and is this year’s favourite for Te Herenga Waka. The korimako’s current conservation status is Doing OK. If you voted for the korimako: You love a sweet treat, you sing in the shower, your favourite colour is green, you’re in your comeback era, and Otis is your favourite news writer. Article continues on next page.

Kawepūrongo | News

Toutouwai (New Zealand Robin/North Island Robin)

Ruru (Morepork)

The sparrow-sized toutouwai is a cunning and curious forager, with the male being the prominent songster. They agitate leaf matter with their feet, wings, and tail disturbing prey insects such as weta, earthworms, stick insects, and even tiny aphids.

The ruru is a small, dark, forest-dwelling owl who’s “morepork” cry can often be heard in the evenings in Wellington’s more vegetated suburbs.

Males are dark grey-blue-black with a pale patch over their chest and belly, while the females and juveniles come in paler shades of grey with white bellies. The toutouwai often comes close to people, and has even been known to land on a boot tip, waiting for insects to be uncovered. This year, the bird was endorsed both by Zealandia and the Wellington City Council for the competition. The toutouwai’s current conservation status is In Some Trouble.

The ruru is recognisable by its striking yellow eyes set into deep facial disks on either side of a sharply hooked bill. Its diet consists of insects, small mammals, and birds, which it hunts alone at night. The ruru has acute hearing and a sensitivity to light, but also the ability to turn its head through 270 degrees. Ruru nest in tree cavities, where depending on food supply often only one chick survives, eating its siblings. The ruru’s conservation status is Doing OK.

If you voted for the toutouwai: You’re the shortest in the friend group, you’re an extrovert, you have a good memory, you love bugs, and Ali is your favourite news writer.

If you voted for ruru: You stay up late, you absorbed your twin in the womb, you’re a little bit goth, you have 20/20 vision, and Holly is your favourite news writer.

Takahē (South Island Takahē)

The campaigning is finished, the ballots are cast, and the cake has presumably been eaten. All that remains is to find out which bird Aotearoa has chosen.

The takahē is a flightless bird often confused with the pūkeko, of whom they are a distant relative. Larger than a pukeko, they have stout red legs and a large red beak, with plumage shifting from deep royal blue through turquoise, to olive green across the wings. They live for 16 to 18 years in the wild and up to 22 years on sanctuary sites. Takahē eat mostly starchy leaf bases from tussock grasses, sedges, and rushes, making them vegetarian. They live in pairs or small family groups and raise only one or two chicks a year, Wellington’s Zealandia famously home to resident love birds Bendigo and Waitaa.

Whoever takes the title, Wellington’s contenders make a decent argument for paying attention to what is already outside our windows. The korimako’s return to the city shows what conservation can recover. The huia upstairs in Ngā Mokopuna shows what it cannot. Bird of the Year voting may be over, but election season isn’t. The VUWSA Executive Election runs from 21 to 24 September, followed by the General Election on 7 November. If you’re eligible to vote in the General Election, make sure you’re enrolled by 25 October.

South Island iwi Ngāi Tahu value takahē as taonga (treasure). The takahē’s conservation status is in In Serious Trouble. If you voted for the takahē: You love a bright accessory, you’re vegetarian, you keep your circle small, family is your everything, and Phoebe is your favourite news writer.

Kākā The kākā is a large, forest dwelling parrot that is a common site in Wellington city’s green belt. The olive-brown parrot boasts a red-orange underwing with a deep crimson belly and crimson under-tail coverts. They are adept fliers and obtain all their food from trees, enjoying seeds, fruit, nectar, sap, honeydew, and tree-dwelling invertebrates. Kākā tend to gather in the early morning and late evening to spend time in noisy groups, and breed mostly in the Spring and Summer. The female alone incubates the eggs and cares for the chicks, but is fed by the male through the breeding season. The kākā’s conservation status is In Some Trouble. If you voted for kākā: You have a big friend group, you like to party, you’re a bit hippie, you’re an early riser, and Dan is your favourite news writer.

22 News | Kawepūrongo

Photo by Salient's Volunteer Wildlife Correspondent, Kent Newman

STRICTLY THE ISLANDS Weekly Pacific Politics with Otis Whinney My Sincere Apology to Christopher Luxon (and the Aftermath of the Pacific Island's Forum) I have to start today’s piece with an apology to our dear Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon. Last time around, I claimed that he would not be attending the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) this year, but it turns out he did in fact make himself present. Luxon flew over and spent the last 36 hours in Palau, just in time for the hand shaking and photo ops that closed the gathering out. If Luxon wins this year's election, he will have the opportunity to make a much larger appearance—Aotearoa is set to host next year’s PIF, with all the drama that entails. Honestly, a cursory glance over the state of New Zealand politics makes it clear that Luxon probably has other things on his mind besides a gathering that he might not even be involved with in any capacity, but the PIF that concluded a couple weeks ago has left us with plenty of events to chew on. In general, this latest PIF has proven how broken these forms of regional engagement have become, with most of the biggest stories coming out of this relating to issues from outside the Pacific, issues the Pacific can’t agree on, and issues that can’t be addressed due to all of the absent leaders (not including Christopher Luxon, whom I must reiterate was present). Those absences were diverse in cause, with some boiling down to ongoing health issues. Some have been quick to point out China’s disappointment in the presence of representatives from Taiwan at the PIF as another possible reason. Palau, the host-nation for this year's PIF, maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan, and Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung was present at the PIF. China has yet to deviate from their one-China policy, and their Pacific envoy Qian Bo clarified that there will be “consequences” after this move from Palau and the PIF. Any country looking to have a formal relationship with China has to recognise this policy, but many still maintain informal relations

with Taiwan, including New Zealand. The absence of Taneti Maamau, Kiribati’s Prime Minister, some believe may have been influenced by China, considering the countries’ close ties. Naero, another state closely aligned with China, did not participate in the joint-condemnation of the Chinese missile test in Pacific waters in July. Whether China was actively placing diplomatic pressure on these countries remains to be confirmed, but the reality is that Taiwan occupying this amount of discussions around the PIF highlights the larger issue. Winston Peters was also not particularly chuffed, considering how adamant he had been that the Pacific’s response to this should be united in opposition to further weapons tests by China. While being interviewed on Herald Now, Winston Peters was pressed on whether the Pacific requires a strong presence from the USA to combat this influence from China. Peters argued what we actually need is collaboration from like-minded partners who share our values. A positive sentiment in theory, but one that is betrayed by Peters’ examples of countries who share these values. Name dropping Indonesia—a state currently responsible for a military build up in occupied West Papua that is seeing mass-displacements and violent action against those who resist, while the decades-long presence of armed insurgencies fighting against Indonesian occupation remain in a constant struggle with the state—is the clearest example of this. A union of countries in Melanesia, the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), have been trying to facilitate a visit by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to occupied West Papua to further investigate the on-the-ground situation. While progress has been made, many indigenous Papuans of West Papua have remained frustrated with the delays since the request was first made in 2019. If this is Winston Peters’ idea of a country acting with Pacific values, then perhaps he doesn’t have our best interests at heart. So, what should we take away from the PIF? I haven’t exactly painted the brightest picture, but if anything, perhaps the kerfuffle of the 2026 PIF can serve as a wakeup call to all involved that some serious work is to be done if our region is to tackle the crises facing us and our oceans.

Kawepūrongo | News

C.O.W. - Experimenting & Emerging with Nipple Play Will Tickner

Photography by Sophie Spencer

Wellington is a melting pot of emerging bands & musicians, with notable talents such as JQMIE, Mia-Nina, and Half/Angel. However, none have made waves quite like C.O.W., the hottest new Kelburn band. As of publishing, they have released their latest and only single, “Thank You Salient! (Feels Good On The Clit, Mate)”, alongside a full length music video. This magazine was given an exclusive interview with the elusive yet talented bandmembers—Edie Moore (19), Paige McOnie (19), Phoenix Columbick (20), and Jake Ellis (20). I sat 1-on-1 with them to get the full scoop.

TICKNER: It’s lovely to meet you. Firstly, what does C.O.W. stand for?

TICKNER: What does your songwriting process look like?

MOORE: Legally, I don’t think you can ask us that … But it means “Clit of the Week.” Each week we decide who has the best clit.

MOORE: We sit down on the floor of my flat, drink a couple Smirnoff Ice’s, and scan the most recent pages of Oh Yes!, and Oh No! in that week’s Salient. Then, we open Rhyme.com and see what alliteration we can pair with the word “prostate.”

TICKNER: When did you first meet? What were your first impressions of one another?

TICKNER: Can you please describe to me, in great detail, how you got scouted by Salient magazine?

McONIE: Edie, Phoenix and I met during high school, then we met Jake in halls. We were hiding from an RA after visiting hours, and hid together in a closet. As for first impressions—

McONIE: Put yourself in my shoes; we were all drunk, giggling furiously, and had just written a song about Salient’s latest Oh Yes! I decided at that moment to furiously type out a message to Salient’s Editor-in-Chief, Phoebe, to request to be Salient’s band for 2026. Hungover in the morning, I took the bus to uni to discover that she’d written back! She thought we were amazing, and would give us a bit of koha to perform at a Salient staff party. While she forgot to pay us the koha (and are too nervous to ask about it this late in the year), the Salient social media manager—who is a total weirdo by the way—scouted us, and offered to help produce a music video and recording!

COLUMBICK/MOORE/ELLIS: (in unison) I thought Paige hated me. McONIE: —I thought Edie was smokin’ hot. TICKNER: Where can people find you on a typical day on campus? ELLIS: I know it isn't the question, but my biggest fear is heights.

TICKNER: Where is the largest venue you have played?

TICKNER: Who are your biggest musical inspirations?

MOORE: (shifting uncomfortably) Um. The Salient office. Next to the kitchenette.

COLUMBICK: We look up to Lea Michelle, KPop Demon Hunters, and Orpheus (from Greece).

TICKNER: While recording in the studio, what are your biggest challenges?

TICKNER: Who are your target audience? ELLIS: People who are enrolled to vote, those who are anti-AI, and all the dirty, sticky, saucy FREAKS out there.

COLUMBICK: Probably figuring out how to open Ableton, the recording software. We were learning from scratch. And scratching each other. We all have scabies. It's like a massage train but back-scratching.

TICKNER: Where did your obsessions with nipple play come from?

TICKNER: Do you have any upcoming songs you are working on?

COLUMBICK: Well, early last year we were all standing out in the Newtown park one night shirtless, moonlight reflecting off our areolas. We all woke up in the dirt the next morning, feeling a divine presence over us. From then on we knew we were preachers. Prophets. Clairvoyants. We were given the task of spreading the gospel of nipple play.

ELLIS: We have a song about the Hunter Lounge bacon butty, one about having sex on the 83 bus to Lower Hutt, and our next single called “The Ballad of the Hunky Uncle.”

24 Features | Ahuatanga

TICKNER: When is your next live show?

ELLIS: Friday, October 2nd, during the Salient Pub Quiz! October 2nd is also my sister's 18th birthday. Happy birthday Lilah! Please don’t come to the Salient quiz. TICKNER: What was the best moment filming your MV? What was the worst? McONIE: The worst was filming getting delayed for six months because our band manager had to go get treated for gonorrhea. The best was getting to hang out with my friends for six months because our band manager got gonorrhea. TICKNER: Are there any funny moments that took place during filming? McONIE: My favourite was holding a fake protest sign saying “NIPPLES PLEASE” outside Pipitea campus while law students gave us funny looks. COLUMBICK: My favourite was when people honked their car horns while we were in the middle of filming a take in the garage. I think they were big fans! TICKNER: How did you manage to find such a crustylooking garage to film in? MOORE: I pay $300 a week in Karori to be able to park there, Tickler. Put some respect on that garage’s name. McONIE: And I pay $300 a week to call that place my home! TICKLER: A scene in your MV depicts the four of you as peaceful nipple play protesters who are beaten to an inch of your life by counter-protesters. Do you expect anti-nipple play extremists to react negatively to their portrayal?

COLUMBICK: Yeah. TICKNER: How do you respond to the polycule allegations that have recently surfaced? ALL: (in unison) Our relationship is not sexual in nature. Purely physical. TICKNER: How has your newfound fame impacted you? COLUMBICK: It’s amazing. Our musical talent and our success is fueled by how many people believe in us. We’re like fairies; gay, lightweight, and covered in glitter. TICKNER: Do you believe that you can, in fact, find the clit? MOORE: (firmly) Yes. TICKNER: Last question: would you consider C.O.W. as an “industry plant” by Salient Magazine? At this point, C.O.W. was only giving me blank stares. Then, simultaneously, the four of them pulled up their shirts and flashed me, before moving out of the room single-file in confusion. Left dazed and confused, I could not help but admire C.O.W.’s tenacity, and cannot wait for their next performance. If you would like to see more of C.O.W., you can find their music video posted to the Salient Instagram. C.O.W. will also be performing as the special guest of the Salient End of Year Pub Quiz on 2 October, where they’ll also be debuting a new song. For business enquiries, please contact Salient magazine’s Social Media Manager, as C.O.W. is keen to perform for birthday parties.

Paige

Phoenix

Jake

Edie

Favorite Color

Magenta

Piss Yellow

Chartreuse

Vantablack

Star Sign

Scorpio

Don't believe in them.

Scorpio

Favorite Movie

Tits a Wonderful Life (1994)

G-Force (2009)

Cars 2 (2011)

Terrifier 3 (2024)

Rice with ketchup

Steak (well done)

The Lab chicken bap

Butter noodles

Dream Travel Destination

Daytona Adventure Park

Adrenaline Forest

Carlucci Land

Karori Mall

Celebrity Crush

Nic Smith

The Mad Butcher

The Orange Voting Guy

Alf from Alf

Favorite Food

All band profile information was provided by their manager; the musicians were not consulted.

Favorite Food

Ahuatanga | Features

Thank You, Salient Salient!!

(Feels Good On The Clit, Mate) (Guitar on Capo 4, transpose all chords up by 4 semitones for actual names, G becomes B, C becomes E, etc.) B, E C#m F#, C#, G#, Ebm, F#m [Vamp 1] (E, A, Bm, D) What’s this? The latest issue of Salient magazine. ”The Sex issue of the Salient inspired me and a few buddies to experiment a bit with nipple play. It was the first time I had ever experienced something like this and, to be quite frank, it was incredible! Would recommend. Thanks Salient!” Huh. I bet they sure had… (Dm) [Chorus] (G, C, Am, D) Gary on my left tit Barry’s on my right If I can be frank, mate It was fuckin’ tight I would recommend it I had a great time What a way to spend my Tuesday night! Thank you, Salient I’m finally saying it Let’s get more gay, and Experiment with nipple play! [Vamp 2] (E, A, Bm, D) Margaret, Margaret! You’ll never believe what I’ve just found. What is it Mary? It’s a student magazine. What’s it sayin’? They’re talking about nipple play. Oh, that takes me back. Doesn’t it just To the “St Andrew’s Cross.” I bow down to that cross. Remember what we used to say? “It feels good on the clit mate!” God, that’d be what it’s like to have… (Dm) [Chorus] (G, C, Am, D) Gary on my left tit Barry’s on my right If I can be frank, mate It was fuckin’ tight I would recommend it I had a great time What a way to spend my Tuesday night! Thank you, Salient I’m finally saying it Let’s get more gay, and Experiment with nipple play! [Vamp 3] (E, A Bm, D) Breaking News! Heterosexuality has been declared extinct! With nipple play, which is pretty gay if you ask me, On the rise with young men in particular! And well, you listeners at home I’ve got a surprise for you! Here in the studio with me I’ve got two strapping young lads And oh, well what d’you know? Looks like I’ve got – ! (Dm)

26 Features | Ahuatanga

Lyrics and Chords by C.O.W. Find the music video on @salientgram and sing along!

[Chorus] (G, C Am, D) Gary’s on my left tit Barrys on my right And if I can be frank, mate It was fuckin’ tight I would recommend it I had a great time We’ve found a way to spend our Tuesday night! Thank you, Salient I’m finally saying it Let’s get more gay, and Experiment with nipple play! [Solo] Thanks to Salient, I love my boys We all spend our night with toys All our little bells and whistles (Ding!) Oh they make me shiver and bristle. Salient made me feel okay My boys and I are acting gay (So gay) It’s all just for shits and laughs We’re all fucking in the bath, with, Gary on my left tit Barry on my right And if I can be frank, mate It was fuckin tight (Fuckin’ tight!) I would recommend it I had a great time What a way to spend every fucking night! With, Gary on my left tit Barry on my right If I can be frank, mate It was fuckin’ tight! I would recommend it I had a great time What a way to spend the rest of my life! He was fucking Larry, I was fucking Harry, He was sucking Gary, I hope we all get married! He was fucking Larry, I was fucking Harry, (Thank you, Salient) He was sucking Gary, I hope we all get married! (Thank you, Salient) He was fucking Larry, I was fucking Harry, (Thank you, Salient. Feels good on the clit mate) He was sucking Gary, I hope we all get married! (Thank you, Salient. Feels good on the clit mate) He was fucking Larry, I was fucking Harry, (Oh Yes! Oh No!) He was sucking Gary, I hope we all get married! (Thank you, Salient. Feels good on the clit mate) He was fucking Larry, I was fucking Harry, (Oh Yes! Oh No!) He was sucking Gary, I hope we all get married! (Thank you, Salient. Feels good on the clit mate) He was fucking Larry, I was fucking Harry, (Oh Yes! Oh No!) He was sucking Gary, I hope we all get married! (Thank you, Salient. Feels good on the clit mate) Thank you, Salient

Ahuatanga | Features

? f l e s y m l l a c What do I Jemimah Long

Navigating university as a hard of hearing student with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)

efore you start reading, remember that I am one person in the disabled community who is hard of hearing. I do not speak for everyone with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). I am an APD advocate. I am proud of being hard of hearing and having APD, but I am not going to give you a warm, fuzzy, feel-good version of my experience. I do not want to sugarcoat it—though I will try to strike a balance. I was diagnosed with APD at 13 years old. Soon after, I got hearing aids. By the time I was 14, I had a remote microphone, which is worn around a teacher’s neck and connects to my hearing aids to amplify their voice. My hearing aids and remote microphone were not funded by the government because APD is often dismissed as “not a real” hearing condition. Instead, my family paid out of pocket. My own internalised ableism also shaped how I viewed my disability diagnosis. Growing up, before and after I was diagnosed, I was yelled at by educators or put in time out for things like asking questions or requesting repetition because people assumed I was not listening. I learned to keep my mouth shut. Young girls with APD can easily be mistaken for simply being quiet. My secondary school experience was pretty bad, but my story here begins at university. APD—also referred to as central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) or central hearing loss—is a hearing condition involving how the brain processes sound. It is widely misunderstood, frequently misdiagnosed, complex, and presents differently in every person. APD is not a learning disability or behavioural disorder, though it can create difficulties in both areas. APD is defined differently by different people, including audiologists, because there is no universally accepted definition. Essentially, hearing is a process: the ears detect sound, send it to the brain, and the brain interprets it. With APD, the brain can misinterpret the sounds and words it receives. In Aotearoa, getting an APD diagnosis was complex. People will usually begin with a hearing screening—which can be done by a general practitioner— to rule out peripheral hearing loss (damage to the anatomy of the ear). A formal APD diagnosis is done by an audiologist using seven specialised tests that measure different auditory processes. Behavioural symptoms are also considered and can overlap with other conditions, including peripheral hearing loss, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD).

30 Features | Ahuatanga

Main, or primary, symptoms directly related to APD may include: • • • • • • • •

Being overwhelmed by complex or busy listening environments. A preference for loud television volume. Requests for repetition/rephrasing and clarification. Mishearing spoken words. Hypersensitivity to loud sounds or noise. Appearing to not listen despite trying hard to. Taking a moment longer to process what someone has said. Difficulty listening in the presence of background noise.

Additional, or secondary, symptoms that may occur as a result of APD include: • • • •

Difficulties with meeting academic potential. Listening fatigue (e.g., exhausted after a day at university). Difficulties with speech and language skills (e.g., word retrieval difficulties, stuttering). Psychosocial difficulties (e.g., social anxiety disorder and depression).

At Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, I met some amazing friends and lecturers who were accepting, patient, and kind—but not everyone is. Most of the difficult moments come from people not understanding APD or not knowing how to communicate with someone who has it. Three-hour lectures meant I needed my remote microphone. Handing it to a lecturer while everyone was staring at me was incredibly anxiety provoking, especially after being bullied for wearing one as a teenager. At university, I would count down from 10 and force myself out of my chair every time. Sometimes, when people made disparaging comments, I coped with humour, telling them the remote microphone was a recording device. There were also plenty of times when lecturers forgot to take it off before going to use the bathroom. Suddenly, I was getting bonus audio content I had never subscribed to. When I first started university, I asked my sister what I should call myself. She suggested “hearing impaired,” so I used that term. I would introduce myself to lecturers as “the hearing impaired student.” Later, I learned that “hearing impaired” is discouraged by many people in the d/Deaf and hard of hearing community because it is seen as outdated. Now, I like to say: “My identity is hard of hearing;

my hearing condition is APD.” Language is important, and the terminology that people use should reflect their individual preferences. APD is a relatively new and under-researched hearing condition, so there is no long-established “community” in the same way there is, for instance, the d/Deaf and hard of hearing community or the autistic community. Because APD relates to how the brain processes sound rather than the anatomy of the ear, it is often placed in confusing categories. My own APD manifests in a way that resembles peripheral hearing loss, so those experiences shape how I choose to move through the world and identify with the d/Deaf and hard of hearing community. People I have met within that community recognise APD as a hearing condition and have welcomed me, which has helped give me a sense of belonging.

others do not. People also develop different coping strategies depending on how their APD manifests. One of mine is humour.

I had panic attacks in tutorials and lectures. I often stayed silent because I was afraid I would repeat what someone else had already said. I worried I would not be able to find the words, that what I said would not make sense, or that people would laugh and roll their eyes.

•

This was made even harder by the fast-paced discussions in tutorials and lectures, where conversations moved quicker than my brain could process. The social fatigue from trying to keep up, listen, interpret, and respond was exhausting and overwhelming. When I was doing my Master’s, I finally learned that my difficulty forming sentences had a name: word retrieval difficulties. I wish I had known that earlier. Some moments still stand out. One time, I logged into a Zoom lecture and the captions, which were usually visible, had disappeared. Disability Services tried to help, but the lecturer told me they had removed the captions because it made them dizzy—an explanation that none of my family or friends understood. I emailed the lecturer a long explanation of why captions are essential for accessibility and inclusion, but I never heard back.

Some practical communication strategies for supporting individuals with APD in an academic institution include: • • • • •

• • • •

Provide written information (e.g., before or after a lecture); include as much writing as possible on power point slides. Ensure captions are turned on when needed (e.g., Zoom, YouTube). Ensure listening breaks in lectures and/or tutorials. When possible, use visual cues and hands on demonstrations. Be patient and let the individual take as long as they need to process and/or speak. When communicating with the individual, refrain from trying to hurry them to speak or help them find words, unless they ask for help. Look at the individual when speaking, with a clear and slower voice. When speaking to the individual, stand no more than three metres away. If the individual asks for clarification/repetition/rephrasing—whether by email or in person—be patient, kind and responsive. Before starting a conversation with the individual, refer to them by their name first, to get their attention.

The most important things people can do for someone with APD are simple: be kind, be patient, use the terminology they use, provide the educational accommodations they individually need, and educate yourself. And remember, it is okay to ask an individual how best to communicate with them!

Another time, I had to follow up with a lecturer about enabling the captions on the lecture videos every single week. In the final lecture, they asked, “Would you like captions today?” I thanked them for asking, and they sighed at me. On another occasion, I emailed a lecturer asking for clarification about an assignment and was told to ask other students. I reminded them that my APD information sheet clearly stated that asking for clarification was one of my coping strategies. The lecturer’s impatience was obvious. APD looks different for everyone. Some people use assistive technology like hearing aids and remote microphones; others do not. Some people use sign language; others do not. Some use captions;

Ahuatanga | Features

The Wheels on the Bus go Round my Endometrium Gemma Bennion Dear [ One in ten women. On this occasion, me.] Your internal ultrasound does show signs of likely endometriosis. Please make an appointment to discuss the next steps. Kindest regards, Dr. [Bright eyes. Funny tie.] As the bus rattles into Wellington, I remember how I’d fought myself the day prior not to ask the ultrasound tech to buy me dinner first. Ah well. She hadn't seemed the joking kind. There I was, on my way to be told that short of a laparoscopy (diagnostic surgery) the fact my ovary doesn’t seem to move means I probably have endo. My headphones have died. I tune into two young women talking from the back of the bus. I think all girls’ schools are the answer one is saying. Fuck the Patriarchy. De-centre it all. You know I grew up thinking everyone supported abortion? It was a shock to get to Uni and find otherwise. An authoritative voice starts up from a phone speaker as they watch a video. The sound transports me to my bedroom at twilight, scrolling through clip after clip of women sitting on their beds or candidly in their cars with mini microphones, nostalgic for the freeing nature of their all-girls education. They explain how because of this, their enlightened minds now understand and tolerate men differently than their girlfriends, the vast majority who did co education. I blink and I’m back on the bus. I roll my eyes. To be clear, I have no qualms with girls’ schools in general. But proclaiming them the panacea? Or the lazy conflation of that environment with leftist or progressive views? As if Thatcher herself wasn’t an alumnus of such a place. Or more topically, Brooke Van Velden. But as I sit there, bus bumping along and a cystic knot cutting into my stomach, I feel both annoyance and shame. I considered myself a feminist, and as much as I felt that these girls were wrong, what had I done for women lately? I didn't have a podcast. I wasn’t educating, preaching or dispelling myths. If anything, I had spent this bus ride downplaying this alien new condition, when from all I’d seen online this was the moment to be marketing my strength. The moment to scream from the rooftops that yes, I have a woman's health issue, but it doesn’t define me! I am Wonder Woman! I can do it all!

32 Arts + Culture | Ahurea

WI NNE R

Of course, in 2026 Wonder Woman is a genocide supporter. Courage skips a beat as the bus jolts, and I correctly anticipate it’ll be a year’s wait if I want surgery to relieve my pain; the same to see a specialist unless I go private. It’s the stilted reality of that moment that bothers me. I could de-centre men all I like and still have a cyst. I could have gone to an all-girls’ school and still have a cyst. I could talk into a tiny microphone about female intelligence, excellence, strength and serenity in the abstract, and while all extremely important, none of it would rip this sticky growth from my ovary in a timely manner and stick it in a Petri dish. I guess my point here is I’m worried we’re missing the forest for the trees with these esoteric online takes, where even “feminist” influencers are profiting off the rage-bait their posts provoke. Because in this capitalist hell-scape, we cannot afford to have feminism sold to us as simply a lifestyle, a culmination of choices whereby excluding the patriarchy (as is apparently possible) you will no longer be plagued by it. A brand of feminism measured in fractions and increments, where acts like buying female only brands, nodding sagely at Adolescence and fighting incels online add up to create the Woman. But a lifestyle asks nothing concrete of us. You can always opt out. This individualised, square-eyed approach is far more myopic, and transient compared to feminism as an ethos or a movement. The girls get off and while my stop is next, I’m now much less nervous. It dawns on me that maybe, my feminist act for the day was to ride the bus. Not something overtly feminist. Not an act that is only feminist either. But as essential services are gutted, and women’s labour bears the brunt of selfish economies, our advocacy cannot be choice-based, aesthetic and siloed. It cannot stop at liking a TikTok, and it certainly cannot be sustained without putting ourselves physically out there to support our communities. So do it big or do it small. Make those placards, help out at food banks. Own those incels, but don’t leave a mother struggling with her pram. Read your de Beauvoir, I encourage it. Just do it on the bus.

The Invisible Woman and Other Naturally Occurring Phenomena Pluto Rennie Nobody notices when the tea towel is replaced. They notice when it isn’t: when it becomes damp, vaguely smelly, and functionally useless. But when a clean one appears, the flat carries on as normal. Nobody asks how it got there. The tea towel has simply, almost magically, replaced itself. Of course it hasn’t. Somebody noticed it needed changing, knew where the clean ones were, put the dirty one through the wash, and returned another to the kitchen. It is a very small job. That is exactly what makes it so easy to ignore. A lot of care work is like this. When it is neglected, its absence is obvious. When it is done well, the labour disappears. We tend to describe care as a personality trait rather than a skill. Some people are just thoughtful. Some are naturally organised, maternal, good with children, or good at remembering birthdays. More often than not, those people are women. Apparently, they emerged from the womb knowing when the sheets needed changing and carrying Panadol for everyone else. This myth is useful. If care comes naturally to women, it does not need to be taught, shared, respected, or properly paid. It can remain something women simply do because they are better at it. Strangely, people tend to become “naturally good” at precisely the work everyone else would prefer not to do. You can see this after a night out. Someone makes sure everybody has a way home, watches the drinks, finds the missing jacket, looks after the friend who drank too much, and stays awake until the last “home safe” reaches the group chat. If everybody gets home safely, it looks as though nothing happened. It was simply a good night. The work becomes visible only when something goes wrong. Then there are hobbies. A woman enjoys knitting, so knitting quietly becomes how she produces Christmas presents. She likes baking, so somebody volunteers her to make the cake. She owns a camera, so she becomes the unofficial photographer. What began as leisure is redirected towards other people. Even women’s pleasure is expected to become useful. An unmade bed can carry the same expectations. Domestic order is treated not simply as a preference, but as evidence that a woman is coping, responsible, and respectable. A man with a messy bedroom is untidy. A woman with one is somehow failing. She is judged not only by the life she lives, but by how effectively she maintains its background.

RUNNE R-UP

None of these tasks is enormous on its own. Replacing a tea towel takes seconds. Sending a text takes seconds. Taking a photograph takes seconds. This is partly why domestic inequality is so difficult to challenge. Any individual task seems too petty to argue about. Together, though, they form the infrastructure of everyday life. They consume attention, and attention is finite. I see the same narrative in paid care work. Caring for children is often described as though it consists of keeping them alive and being vaguely nice to them. In reality, it demands constant observation and judgement. When working with autistic children, for example, you learn to recognize when apparent misbehaviour is sensory overload, anxiety, or an attempt to communicate. You think about transitions, routines, demands, safety, and how to offer support without taking away autonomy. The knowledge does not become less skilled because it is used in somebody’s home rather than an office. Yet care workers are underpaid for the same reason unpaid carers are overlooked: their expertise has been recast as feminine instinct. We pay people poorly for work we pretend they were born wanting to perform. Good care can also make its own difficulty invisible. When a child feels safe and regulated, an outsider may assume they were easy to care for. They do not see the planning and adaptation that prevented distress in the first place. The absence of crisis is mistaken for absence of work. This is a feminist issue because women remain disproportionately responsible for producing that absence: no empty fridge, no missed birthday, no stranded friend, no overflowing laundry basket, no child left without comfort. Their labour is measured by all the things that never happened, while everybody else gets to experience the result as ordinary life. Recognizing care work must mean more than thanking women for everything they do. Gratitude is pleasant, but it does not redistribute time, responsibility, or money. Praise can become another way of keeping the arrangement intact: she is amazing, so we may as well let her continue doing it. Ordinary life does not organise, document, comfort, and clean up after itself. If everything appears to be running effortlessly, that is not proof that no work was required. It probably means somebody replaced the tea towel.

Ahurea | Arts + Culture 33

Amelie Chloe

Ealde Englaland

The racing of tongues

Running to finish the Swēg So foreign

(sound)

Under my maypole phonics The brewing vowels

Lingering like the boiling Ċetel

(kettle)

That announces itself each afternoon Acennan

(bring forth)

Anhaga

(Solitary one)

To this place of findung

(discovery)

The cobbles don’t wylde

(roll)

Like the paths of home The crumble comes out the oven And the ēaðm that surrounds it

(steam)

Isn’t as comforting Without the accompanying ciele

(chill)

Of Englaland

(England)

Nostalgic For a time I've never lived Our language forgotten Cyme eft tō þǣre wēoh-treowe

(come back to the willow tree)

Does it whisper In old Can you hear the organ mimic The ancient turn of phrase Lege handa ofer þæs tigelan þonne.

(place hands on the bricks of then)

And tell me They don’t mimic tone The lute, vielle, psaltery, Befongen on tīde

Creative Writing

(trapped in time)

2027 VUWSA EXECUTIVE NOMINATIONS Executive Roles:

The VUWSA Student Executive is elected each year by the students of Te Herenga Waka— Victoria University of Wellington. You’ll see the executive on campus, hosting events, rallying students and in the media voicing student issues.

• • • • • • • • • • •

The VUWSA Executive are here to stand up for social issues, advocate for better learning standards and ensure the students voice is included in critical university decisions.

MEET THE 2027 CANDIDATES Postgraduate Officer

VUWSA President Academic Vice-President Engagement Vice-President Welfare Vice-President Campaigns Officer Clubs & Activities Officer Education Officer Equity Officer Sustainability Officer Treasurer/Secretary Postgraduate Officer

Pages 35-43

Postgraduate Officer

Afra Ibnat

Eoin McGlynn

she/her

he/him

Kia ora! I’m Afra, a Master of Engineering Practice student specializing in renewable energy and I’m so excited to be running for Postgraduate Representative this year!

Kia ora! My name is Eoin McGlynn and I am running to be your Postgraduate Oﬃcer for 2027. I am ﬁnishing a BA in International Relations and Political Science, and next year I begin a Master of Strategic Studies. My experience advocating for students will help me give postgrads the representation you deserve.

Postgrad life can feel isolating… The structure of undergrad disappears and it’s easy to feel like you’re ﬁguring it out all alone. As a freshie myself, having graduated from Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering just last year, I know that feeling incredibly well. I know how hard it can be to ﬁnd internships and jobs after graduation, especially when you’re new to a country’s job market. I also know what it’s like to feel out of place in a male-dominated industry, especially when you don’t see many people who look like you. I want to make sure students from all backgrounds feel like they belong because no matter what course or campus you’re from, you should feel equally supported. If elected, I'll push to make postgrad studies more enjoyable and less isolating, with better community and support structures. I'll also work to make internships and job pathways more accessible.

My priorities: First, I will make sure that the thesis student resource agreement (RAFTS) is properly enforced, and keep pushing for more taught postgrad study spaces. Second, I will continue building our class and faculty rep network so systemic issues get solved, not just logged. Third, I want more social and practical ways for postgrads across faculties to meet, so we speak with one uniﬁed voice and nobody feels left out. Fourth, I will stand up for international postgrads, who deserve to feel welcome, especially with PhD fee subsidies recently cut. I will also advocate for a postgrad living allowance, and push back on research funding changes, like the Marsden Fund's new barriers for all subjects. Above all, I will be an accessible representative, always ready to hear your concerns and experiences.

Let's build a postgrad experience where no one feels left to ﬁgure it out by themselves. Elect Afra Ibnat for Postgraduate Representative!!

Whatever the result, I will keep ﬁghting for these issues. Vote Eoin for Postgraduate Oﬃcer!

Academic Vice-President

Sage Garrett

Aría Lal

he/him

they/she

My parents were students while I was a little kid, so I grew up in university disability services and lecture halls. Through this and my own experience with neurodivergence, I’ve seen how poorly academic life is set up for anyone other than wealthy, neurotypical school leavers. I’ve seen how standing up for those marginalised in academics can benefit everyone. Every student deserves to be more than an afterthought, and that’s why I’m running to be your Academic Vice President. I’m campaigning on honesty. I’m only going to promise actionable, realistic goals: quality advocacy for you and your academic life. As students, we don’t need empty promises out of VUWSA’s control; we need day-to-day support for our success. I’m here to listen to your needs and do everything I can to fulfil them. I have a background in speaking up for young people and getting our issues on the table. As Co-Director for Make it 16, I campaigned for youth rights in Aotearoa and internationally. As your Academic V.P., I’ll fight for a student-needs-first approach where transparent communication, accessible sensory-safe spaces, and academic assistance are prioritised. You deserve better, so vote for it.

Tēnā koutou e hoa mā, ko Aría ahau! I’m a Biotechnology, Art History and Philosophy major pursuing AI Ethics, and I’m running to be your Academic Vice President. I’m eager to continue working with VUWSA to improve the policies impacting every aspect of student life — from inaccessible lectures and unrepresentative AI policies, to impossible-to-manage workloads. Education is an inherently political act, and in a system that makes it impossible for students to thrive, educating rangatahi matters more now than ever. I aim to reduce the barriers to academia for those disadvantaged by the current system: tauira Māori, Pasiﬁka and international students, along with the diverse community of disabled and neurodiverse students at THW-VUW. I’ve worked extensively on improving engagement between students and the university through campaigns, hui, and many, many rounds of cake-incentivised feedback drives. If elected, my focus would sharpen to continue advocating for essential student goals like fees-free, paid placements, and integrating student voice in every aspect of university decision-making. Whatever rōpū you belong to, whatever campus you’re on, whatever you’re studying: this university should be there to make your life easier, not harder. If your values align with mine, vote Aría for Academic Vice President!

Academic Vice-President

Shay McEwan

Pascal Buda

she/her

he/him

Kia ora! ko Shay Hautai Ngaira McEwan tōku ingoa, he uri tēnei no Te Whānau a Kai, Ngāti Pāhauwera me Ngāti Porou!

Kia ora, Cześć, Hola, Apa Kabar! I'm Pascal, I'm a History and International Relations student in my ﬁnal year, running for Campaigns Oﬃcer. This time last month, I hadn't imagined running for VUWSA. Friends in the activist spaces I organize in told me I should, and it's their belief in me that's propelling this campaign.

I’m running for Academic Vice-President because every student deserves an education they can be proud of, and a university that listens when they speak. As the current Āpiha Mātauranga for Ngāi Tauira, I’ve spent the year showing up, asking questions and advocating for tauira. I’ve sat at Academic Board, Learning and Teaching, Academic Programme, Student Success meetings, and more, bringing student voices into the rooms where decisions about our education are made. As your Academic Vice-President, I will focus on three things: YOUR VOICE, stronger representation where decisions are made. ACTION, better academic support, clearer communication and practical solutions. ACCOUNTABILITY, making sure your feedback doesn’t disappear into the void. You deserve to know what happens next. Mā tini, mā mano, ka rapa te whai. By many, by thousands, the work is accomplished. Let's do this mahi, together! Vote Shay for AVP!

Campaigns Officer

My student politics and engagement have always been community-driven: through the Latin American and Spanish Club, the Eastern European Association, and student-led activist groups on campus, I've built real, active relationships across the university's communities, such as with Student Justice for Palestine and Climate Action. Campaigns Oﬃcer means doing that work with the backing to push harder. Cost of living isn't abstract to me either, I've worked as a dishwasher until recently, I know what it's like to budget heavily. I'll ﬁght for what VUWSA can actually deliver for students who need it, not just what we can ask the university or government. 2026 is an election year. Whoever forms the government, I'll push VUWSA to hold them accountable to student interests, no matter what. No shoulda, coulda, woulda with Buda. Follow @budaforvuwsa on Instagram for updates!

Campaigns Officer

Blake Burrows

Leonora Vejlebo

he/him

she/her

Kia Ora, I’m Blake and I study Politics, Philosophy and Economics. I believe I have the experience and goals necessary for your campaigns officer. I've worked on political campaigns through door knocking, phone calling, and advocacy. I'm hoping to build a career in politics, and I want to put those campaigning instincts to work for VUWSA on issues that matter to students here. If elected, I'd push for a winter energy payment for student flats, because no one should be choosing between heating and food. Also, for real investment in Mauri Ora Student Health, because weeks of waiting for a counselling session just isn’t acceptable. I've also been impressed by VUWSA's work this year with the Paid Placement’s campaign and want to build on this momentum. I follow local and national government closely and I pay attention to the decisions being made that affect students in both Wellington council and in Parliament. That means I can spot the issues worth campaigning on and turn them into something students actually engage with. If elected, I'll bring energy and a real, grounded voice to make sure student concerns land with the people who can act on them.

Kia ora! Ko Leonora tōku ingoa. Ko Taranaki te iwi. Nō Te Papaioea ahau. I’m running for Campaigns Oﬃcer because I know student life can be better. We shouldn’t have to choose between a bus to campus or a meal, or work multiple jobs just to survive. I will ﬁght to: • • • •

Achieve FREE public transport for students in Te Whanganui-aTara and see all workers at Te Herenga Waka paid a Living Wage. Rebuild connections with external organisations, unions, and community groups to strengthen student campaigns. Establish regular “campaign toolkit” workshops to empower students with practical skills and resources to form their own campaigns. Pressure the university to continue divesting from Israeli bonds and fossil fuels.

I’ve seen what good organising looks like, and I’m conﬁdent we can strengthen VUWSA’s ability to improve student lives. I advocated for tertiary students at the NZCTU’s Budget Lock Up, spoke out against the cuts to the Fees Free scheme at VUWSA’s “Secure Our Future” rally outside Parliament, and helped deliver the Living Wage National Election Forum that attracted 500+ attendees. Strong campaigns can do more than just spread awareness - they can create wins. He waka eke noa - we’re all in this together.

Clubs & Activities Officer

Kaleb Evans-lao

Zara Lyne

he/him

she/her

Hello! If you are reading this, then I appreciate you taking your time to evaluate your VUWSA candidates and (potentially) vote. I’m sure you are aware how diﬃcult it is to convince people to vote in elections. So I’m happy you're at the very least looking into it.

Kia ora koutou, my name is Zara Lyne and I am running to be your 2027 Clubs and Activities Officer. As a certified enjoyer of literally everything, I would be delighted to take on this role. Having been the Secretary and then the President of the Film Production Society (2025’s Supreme Club of the Year), I have a strong understanding of how Te Herenga Waka’s clubs fly; I know what works and I know what needs changing. Guided by the slogan ‘Our clubs, Our Taonga’, I will increase the efficiency of club-based communications and aim to elevate the level of engagement within your 150+ clubs. It is my promise to you to strive for excellence, promoting clubs as a fundamental and deeply important part of the university’s mana. Without nurturing our interests and feeding our communities, we cannot be the happiest and best versions of ourselves. Because of this, I will take this role very seriously (despite my silly posters). I would appreciate your vote at voting.vuwsa.org. nz from the 21st-24th of September. Our clubs are our most precious community resource and it is our job to celebrate and protect them together. Thank you.

I’ve been in the club space for a couple years now, I’ve been secretary of 4 clubs, so if there is anything you need to do to run your club chances are I can probably help out. I’m not one for campaign promises, as I believe to not keep such promises would be lying to voters, which I forbid myself to do. I do have ideas for what I would like to acomplish, but instead I encourage you to ﬁnd me around and bounce ideas of what you would like me to do. I’m happy to allocate time to this once I get elected as well. Alternatively feel free to email me: evanskale@myvuw.ac.nz. Thanks again for participating in the VUWSA elections, I implore you to encourage others to vote as well, even if you don’t vote for me I’d rather you vote at all.

Clubs & Activities Officer

Sophia Nevil

Emily Robinson

she/her

Kia ora, my name is Sophia Nevil. I believe clubs and representative groups are at the heart of the university experience that we are all striving for. But for the clubs and groups to thrive, they need the right resources and support.

Hi, I’m Emily and you should vote for me because I’m hella tapped in.

I am passionate about clubs because of the meaningful difference they have made in my life through attending club events and creating them. This year I have had the privilege of being the Co-President of the Victoria Business Consulting Club and the Vice President of Engagement in the Women in Business Club. In these roles, I have planned, organised, and led events, chaired meetings, built relationships with external and internal stakeholders, and kept them involved through active communication and updates. Through my leadership positions, I have also collaborated with other clubs to create events that connect people across the university with different cultures and interests. In these experiences, I have experienced firsthand where clubs struggle, and I am passionate about mitigating this. If elected, I will utilise my experience in these roles to advocate for more funding for clubs and representative groups, and maintain active communication with all clubs to ensure they have the support they need.

I’ve been up in all the clubs for a minute. I do yoga, I watch evil movies, I landed on the exec of the Latin-American Spanish club doing social media. I’ve also been part of Climate Action and Resistance, whose sustained pressure campaign resulted in the University’s pledge to divest from fossil fuels. Outside of that, I’ve been involved in the local music scene, organising shows with my band, Mass-Hammer and volunteering at festivals. I’ve also made a couple short films. This is to say, I understand how important clubs and activities are as third spaces to create community and organise together. However, as my bank account knows, this shit is getting expensive as hell. As Clubs and Activities officer, I will expand funding and visibility to our clubs and use my experience to put on events that you can afford to go to. I will create more opportunities for artists within our creative scene, in order to help our filmmakers, musicians, and other creatives come up. I will also expand support to our student activist groups on the ground advocating for the good stuff. #chud4clubs

Education Officer

Natan Chadzynski

Afra Ibnat

he/him

she/her

LOOK AFTER YOUR ACADEMICS FOR 2027!

Kia ora! I’m Afra, a Master of Engineering Practice student specializing in renewable energy and I’m so excited to be running for Education Oﬃcer this year!

In being your Education Officer, I would want to implement many things into the 2027 future. Alongside the Class reps of the coming year, I would make a better system to update you with events and active communication. You can then understand what you are learning, as everyone has different needs to be fully prepared for their academic life. Furthermore, you are all the people I want to represent, and I won’t know everything that needs to be changed. I will create clear abilities and access points for you as a community to be able to come to me to ask for the changes you need for this community. To make us a striving and active Executive we need to know what you as a community need. Education sits at the heart of your life here in VUW. Allow for your best success by voting NATAN CHADZYNSKI #1 for Education officer.

Education Officer

As a freshie who graduated from my Bachelor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering with Honours just last year, I’ve felt firsthand how hard it is to find internships and jobs after graduation, especially when you’re new to a country’s job market. I also know what it’s like to feel out of place in a male-dominated industry, especially when you don’t see many people who look like you, and I want to make sure students from all backgrounds feel like they belong because no matter what course or campus you’re from, you should feel equally supported. If elected, I'll push for stronger academic support and clearer pathways connecting university courses to job opportunities, making internships and career pathways more accessible for all students. Education should set you up for what comes next, not leave you scrambling to figure it out all alone. Vote Afra Ibnat for Education Officer!!

Education Officer

Engagement Vice President

James Noordermeer

Lewis Collins

he/him

You pay thousands for your education. You deserve a say in making it better. Kia ora! I’m James, a Public Policy and Economics student, policy nerd and Junior Policy Analyst running for Education Oﬃcer. As Education Oﬃcer, I’ll push for: Better assessment feedback: so you actually know how to improve, whether that’s going from a C to a B, or a B+ to an A.

Kia ora e hoa mā! I’m running for EVP because our future is worth ﬁghting for. Too many feel disconnected from university, worried about their future and unheard. VUWSA needs to support our students.

Better representation: ﬁnding out what’s working, what isn’t, and what students want changed, then taking your priorities to the University.

As your Campaigns Oﬃcer, I have shown up and fought for students. I have advocated for working students, challenged political parties to commit to universal paid placements, and fought for Fees-Free and renters’ rights. With a General Election coming up, students have a powerful opportunity to organise and make our voices impossible to ignore.

Clear AI expectations: building on VUWSA’s work to push for clear guidance in every course and assessment, so you always know where you stand.

I will choose action by continuing to ﬁght for a Living Wage University, renters’ rights, paid placements, Fees-Free and free public transport for students.

Listen ﬁrst. Do the research. Make the case.

I will choose community by backing our clubs, strengthening university support for Ngāi Tauira and the Pasiﬁka Students Council, supporting the call for a women’s space on campus, and ensuring our foodbank can support more students.

I’m not running to decide what students need. I’m running to make sure students decide what I ﬁght for.

I will choose students by putting students at the heart of VUWSA. Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini! Vote Lewis Collins #1 for Engagement Vice-President!

Engagement Vice President

Sophie Guerin

Akasha Sergeant

she/her

VOTE SOPHIE #1! Being on VUWSA this year it's been really special to be involved in the student community, and I feel so proud of all the mahi that we have achieved. BUT, the work done this year is only the beginning, and I am hyped to be running again to make next year even bigger and better. That’s why I’m bringing you my THREE BIG GOALS:

Kia ora, I'm Akasha, and I'm running for Engagement Vice-President because VUWSA should feel like something students are part of, not something happening in the background.

1. Strong and diverse representation. The university should be a place for every student, and so should VUWSA. I believe in strengthening existing mechanisms for student representation to ensure they function eﬀectively and advocating for support and resourcing of our representative groups. 2. Connect and provide for students. Students deserve to get the most out of their time at Te Herenga Waka, and VUWSA has a unique ability to ensure that happens. Let’s involve students in clubs and community, provide activities and upskilling, and connect students with careers and opportunities beyond university. 3. Expand campus facilities. With students’ lives being campus-centric, we deserve more from our space. From campus produce markets to repair hubs, workshop spaces to campus bulk bins, I want to build a campus that facilitates and supports students’ lives.

As Engagement VP, I'll make sure no student misses out on what VUWSA oﬀers: support, advocacy, clubs, and events, visible and accessible to everyone on campus. I know student engagement - I live it. As a UN Youth exec, I deliver civics education to young people so they understand what's happening in Aotearoa and the world. Through Politics Society, I push students to vote and write about policy changes aﬀecting their lives. Working alongside charities and taking on volunteer mahi has taught me one thing: real engagement is built face to face, not from a distance. I'll work closely with clubs, reps and the Engagement Team to grow participation in campus life, support the causes students care about, and keep bringing content and events that get students talking to each other, not just showing up. I want VUWSA to be somewhere every student, new or returning, feels welcomed and heard. I'll bring energy, consistency, and commitment to a VUWSA that's present, useful, and impossible to ignore. Let's get students engaged.

Equity Officer

Bram Casey

Katie Townsend

he/him

she/her

Tēnā koutou! My name is Bram, and I want to be your Equity Officer in 2027. I'm currently in my third year of a BA, majoring in Theatre. I am of Irish, Norwegian and Ngāti Maniapoto descent, and I proudly hail from Ōtepoti. Through my learning and activity as a member of the International Socialist Organisation, I have developed a strong focus on intersectionality and interconnectedness, which I would bring to my work at VUWSA. Myself and many of my peers feel that there is a significant disconnect between students and the services available to them. Through the overarching lens of whanaungatanga, it is my aim to better connect students to the university. Students are struggling to afford their education, feeling that their voices aren't being heard, and that the services they are accessing aren't doing enough for them. I also hope to help representation groups to forge strong bonds between themselves so that they may thrive independently of VUWSA.

Kia Ora, I'm Katie and I am running for VUWSA Equity oﬃcer for 2027.

I'm incredibly passionate about helping people connect to each other in meaningful ways, and if that chimes with you, I hope that I'll have your vote. Mauri ora xxx

I am running for equity oﬃcer because being disabled myself, I know the many barriers students face when accessing health, education and support services. I believe that students should have opportunities to participate fully in university life without barriers. My policies: • • •

Accessibility: Advocate for students to receive equitable access to health, education and support services. Inclusion: Meaningful representation of communities and voices in decisions that aﬀect them. Participation: Work to remove barriers preventing students from fully participating in university study and social events.

What I bring to this role is a strong commitment to equity, accessibility and inclusion, experience building partnerships with community groups and advocating for greater representation. As equity oﬃcer, I will listen to students, advocate for meaningful change and work to ensure that equity is reﬂected in all areas of university life. Together, we break barriers

Sustainability Officer

Simeon Collier-Foley

Sophie Guerin

they/them

she/her

Kia ora, I’m Simeon Collier-Foley, and I’m asking for your #1 vote for VUWSA Sustainability Oﬃcer.

VOTE SOPHIE #1! As VUWSA’s Sustainability Oﬃcer this year it has been really special to be involved in the student community, and I feel so proud of all the mahi that we have achieved. BUT, the work done this year is only the beginning, and I am hyped to be running again to make next year even bigger and better. That’s why I’m bringing you my THREE BIG GOALS:

I’ve always been an organiser for my communities. For several years I’ve been a climate justice campaigner with Generation Zero, connecting environmental sustainability, Te Tiriti justice, and the rights of youth and future generations, to a climate just future. Last year with Tiriti Action Group I was a coordinator in the Māori wards campaign, demonstrating Te Tiriti in action. I’m excited to bring my knowledge and connections to the VUWSA team to be part of an intersectional approach to sustainability at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University, while ﬁnishing my degree in Environmental Studies and Statistics. As your Sustainability Oﬃcer I will prioritise: • Cheaper public transport - Broadening VUWSA bus pass access, transport grants, and continuing to support the Free Fares campaign • Access to kai - Expanding VUWSA’s food bank, and working towards a community garden on campus - a place where students can learn and grow our own food • Repair workshops and sustainability programs - Clothing and electronics repair cafe, events and talks on sustainable, climate ready futures If you share my vision, I’d be honoured to receive your #1 vote. Find me online @simeon_losang

Sustainability Officer

1. A dedicated repair hub on campus. Initiatives like the clothing repair cafes can be more frequent and substantial with the support of a dedicated campus space. Let’s provide students with more support to learn new skills, save money and reduce waste. 2. Sustainable living support. Engaging students in sustainability needs to be accessible and aﬀordable by meeting students where they are. I’ll bring sustainability to campus by reestablishing initiatives like the produce market and starting a bulk-bin scheme. 3. Strong student push for climate action. The reality of the climate crisis is that it’s not going away, and we need to take action. I will ﬁght on students’ behalf to make our University, our Councils, and our Government do more to protect our future.

Sustainability Officer

President

Frankie Huthnance

Skyla Ashford

she/they

she/her

Tēnā rā tātou katoa! Ko Frankie Huthnance tōku ingoa I tipu ake ahau ki te taha o te maunga ātaahua, ko Te Ahumairangi He tangata tiriti ahau

Kia ora, my name is Skyla, I am 24 years old, and I study biochemistry, Māori studies and NZSL. I am the Vice President and Equity and Wellbeing officer of UniQ, the queer advocacy group on campus, and a Wellbeing Facilitator via The Bubble, and I came into both of these roles because I believe in helping and being there for people before anything else. I am running for President to further this goal, with strong beliefs in re-expanding the on-campus physiotherapy that is offered, and beginning a food pantry expansion based around single day support as two of my priorities. I am studying both of Aotearoa’s official languages because I believe in being able to meet people where they are to communicate, as best as I can, and I will bring that mahi into everything I do as President. If you are wanting to find me to talk in person, I am most often found on the second level of the SU building, and I would love to kōrero about the parts of the university I have not yet heard about, and how I may help.

I am standing to be your 2027 Sustainability Officer because I believe that together we can build enduring change for people and Papatūānuku. I will strive to achieve three pou - make student living more affordable, tautoko mana whenua and student taiao initiatives, and embed kaitiakitanga university development. I served as the head of School Strike 4 Climate Pōneke for two years, where I worked with a massive range of climate and social justice rōpū, and learnt the importance of kotahitanga. As your Sustainability Officer I will continue this mahi and bring together all of the passionate and hard-working people here at Te Herenga Waka to continue to protect Papatūānuku. For the last year I’ve also been on the board of InsideOUT Kōaro which has given me a proficiency in governance mahi, vital for best serving as Sustainability Officer on the VUWSA exec. If you vote for me as Sustainability Officer I will push for a fairer, thriving future. Manaaki whenua, manaaki tangata, haere whakamua. Ngā mihi nunui ki a koutou katoa!!

President

Charlotte Lawrence

Ethan Rogacion

she/her

he/him

Students deserve to thrive, not just survive. As president, I’ll:

Kia ora!

2. 3.

Make life cheaper for students: I’ll expand VUWSA’s food bank, provisions of free public transport and period products, and I’ll ensure VUW doesn’t start charging for Mauri Ora. Build real student power to take on the government: I founded the Student Action Hui this year because your life will only get better if politicians are made to listen. Create a greater sense of community here at Te Herenga Waka.

Ko Charlotte ahau! I’ve been your 2026 Engagement VP and have worked relentlessly to build student power. I’ve led voter enrolment drives, Working Women's Week, Democracy Week and protests against the cuts to fees free. I’ve also fought for the Living Wage, renters’ rights and justice in Palestine. I’ll focus VUWSA’s energy into eﬀorts that win, by training students, collaborating with diverse groups and building mass campaigns. 2027 will be an enormous year. If the right is re-elected, we’ll need to ﬁght for everything we have now. If the left wins, we’ll need to apply pressure to extract wins for students. VUWSA has a proud history of protest. I’ll embrace this legacy to tangibly improve students’ lives.

Ko Ethan Rogacion ahau, and I’m excited to be running to be your 2027 VUWSA President! For the past two years, I've served as Academic Vice-President, committed to improving study for tauira across Te Herenga Waka. I've seen what it takes to get results, and I’ve delivered. I've championed student wellbeing regarding assessments and workloads, worked directly with student reps to improve study conditions, and held the university accountable to student voice at all levels. But thriving at university is about more than just the lecture theatre. I’m committed to VUWSA directly investing in students and making study more aﬀordable, through increased student grants and getting cheaper kai at all campuses. I’ll also hold local and central government accountable, pushing for free public transport for students, greater investment in housing, and a universal student allowance! Student politics is broken: for years, we’ve been stuck in cycles of people overpromising and underdelivering. But we’re tired of waiting for better. The time is NOW for VUWSA to focus its resources on directly improving student lives, and to be accountable and transparent to all tauira. I’m committed to doing exactly that. For student money in student hands - VOTE ROGACION!

VOTE CHAR 4 PREZ!!!

Treasurer/Secretary

Cam Dickson

Destin Gallichan-Pierce

he/him

Kia ora koutou, ko Cam Dickson tōku ingoa. I’m running to be your Treasurer/ Secretary because I want a VUWSA better resourced to provide services that meaningfully support students!

Hi everyone, my name is Destin GallichanPearce, and I am running to be secretary/ treasurer of VUWSA. I showed plenty of passion in my pursuit for student representative on the university council, and just because I didn’t win doesn’t mean that will be diminished for this campaign or for the role I seek to fulfill. My capabilities, being a secretary on the executive in first year halls, on a board of trustees, alongside other community and club experience, should be used for the betterment of VUW’s students. Through secretary/treasurer, my range of perspectives, the drive I have for community, and my familiarity in this field, is where I can have the greatest positive impact.

I’ll proactively pursue university and external funding and make sure there’s more money to spend, guaranteeing that it goes where you need it most: to you. This means allocating more money to VUWSA’s community pantry and free meal services, increasing grants available to clubs and representative groups, and funding student representation and consultation. This will make sure your voice is heard here at Te Herenga Waka, and that the University prioritizes us. Aside from money, a well-resourced and properly supported executive is the best tool to improve your student experience – after all, they work for you! Throughout the year, the executive needs funding support, event support, tech support, personal support… if you can name it, I’d love to provide it! With transparency, clear communication, and backing when they need it, the executive will thrive, and you’ll see VUWSA like you’ve never seen it before.

As VUWSA’s secretary/treasurer, I want to elevate the quality of organisation and management, while being a supporting member for the rest of the association. I see myself making connections, distributing the workload, helping everyone be organised, and keeping track of details in VUWSA’s larger projects in terms of proceedings and ﬁnances. For students, I won’t be seen in the spotlight as much as other members of VUWSA, but the eﬀects I have will be; an organised and coherent executive team at VUWSA, for you.

We all want a better resourced VUWSA, a cohesive and supported executive, and an incredible student experience, so together, let’s make it happen!

Treasurer/Secretary

Lucas Roan

Jane Young

he/him

she/her

Kia Ora! I’m Lucas, a ﬁrst year student studying a conjoint Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce majoring in accounting and I’m running to be VUWSA’s Treasurer and Relations Secretary for 2026.

Kia ora, I’m Jane. I am delighted to be running for the Treasurer role.

I’m standing because I want VUWSA to be transparent, ﬁnancially responsible, and genuinely connected to students. The Treasurer & Relations Secretary plays an important role in ensuring that VUWSA money is managed carefully, decisions are made openly, and the Executive is held accountable to the people it represents. My experience in various sporting and extracurricular involvements has given me strong organisational skills and a practical approach to problem-solving. More importantly, my experience in accounting, Board of Trustees governance, and student leadership have provided me with foundational skills which will help me thrive in this position. It would be an absolute pleasure to serve as VUWSA’s Treasurer and Relations Secretary for 2026, and I would love your support in doing so. Vote Lucas!

I’m a first-year student studying Engineering, majoring in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Alongside my studies, I work as a receptionist at H2O Xtream where I have gained a lot of experience in administration, record keeping, communication and working with a range of people. I was also a Flight Sergeant in the New Zealand Cadet Forces where I developed leadership, organisation, responsibility and teamwork skills. Through my study, I have skills in mathematics, numbers and problem solving. Through my work, I have experience using Excel, Word, maintaining accurate records, understanding financial reports and communicating efficiently with a range of people. If I am elected I will be committed to making sure VUWSA’s finances are managed responsibly, openly and in the best interests of students. I will focus on making sure that student money is used properly and diligently. I want to be a Treasurer who students can trust. VUWSA’s funds are to support students and I will ensure that's what happens. As a first-year student I am also able to bring a fresh perspective to the executive team. Thank you for considering me. Vote for me :)

Welfare Vice-President

Pyper Adams

Sasha Boyce

they/them

she/her

Kia Ora! Ko Pyper tōku ingoa, I am standing to be your Welfare Vice President for Te Ake Tauira VUWSA in 2027. As your welfare vice president, I will push for an increase in support for the student hardship services that so many of us depend on, such as the students pantry, period products and intercampus bus passes, and ensure student safety is at the forefront of VUWSA’s focus by securing a dedicated women's space before the end of 2027, because no one should ever feel unsafe or uncomfortable at university. In my year at VUWSA, I have shown that I can deliver on what I promise. I have worked hard in the welfare space to organise against harmful government legislation such as the deﬁnitions of man and woman bill, I have advocated for fairer AI policy that won't unfairly target our disabled and international tauira, I have been a part of the return of drugs week alongside the welfare team, and I have stepped up to become the student voice on the student hardship fund committee.

Kia ora, I’m Sasha, and I’m running for Welfare Officer. I’m currently studying a Bachelor of Science, and over the past four years I’ve seen students increasingly struggle to balance university with the cost of living, poor housing conditions, and barriers to accessing university services. If elected, I will work to reduce the pressure on students who are already trying to find their footing by improving access to support, including student finance, Mauri Ora student health and counselling, and clearer pathways to the help students need. I will also strengthen welfare initiatives, advocate for more women’s and LGBTQIA+ friendly spaces, and make sure your voice is heard. Please reach out and share the stresses or pressures affecting your wellbeing and experience at Te Herenga Waka. Education should not be only for the privileged; we deserve to study and live without feeling we must sacrifice our health.

You cannot succeed at university if you cannot aﬀord to stay in university. Vote Pyper Adams #1 for Welfare Vice President! Ngā mihi!

Welfare Vice-President

Katie Townsend she/her Kia Ora, I'm Katie and I am running for VUWSA Welfare Vice-President for 2027 Many students are leaving home for the ﬁrst time, managing things independently. Students are also doing it tough right now with the current cost of living crisis. I believe when students receive nutritious food, safe and warm housing and are maintaining long-term health, students can succeed at university life. My policies • • •

Food: Budget cooking classes to help students create nutritious food at low cost while developing cooking skills Housing: Promote awareness of tenancy rights to help students understand their rights and responsibilities when renting Health: Student health campaign series covering a range of relevant health concerns for students to take a proactive approach to health.

What I bring is understanding of welfare issues students face alongside knowledge of support and resources provided by Te Herenga WakaVictoria University of Wellington. As welfare Vice-President, I will support and advocate for students by ensuring that they have the knowledge and resources to navigate university life, especially when navigating the next stage of life. Taking care of the basics.

VOTING CLOSES THURSDAY 24th SEPTEMBER Voting will open at 9 a.m. on 21 September and closes at 11.30 a.m. on 24 September. To have your say on the 2027 Student Exec head to vuwsa.org.nz or @vuwsagram for the voting link! 43

44 Comic Corner | Kōmeke

CARTOONED BY @JIMZ_ARTZ

What to watch on Welly’s local streaming service We are nearing the end of the semester and things are beginning to ramp up. I figured we’d all benefit from a bit of light-hearted hilarity, so this week I bring you a selection of buddy comedies that are guaranteed to grasp your attention for at least an hour and a half. Gather your own group of buddies and find some respite in these little pockets of joy. In the name of self care, go to ondemand.arovideo.co.nz and get laughing!

Holly Rowsell

Wayne's World (1992) - $6 dir. Penelope Spheeris, USA

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie (2025) - $7 dir. Matt Johnson, USA

The Nice Guys (2016) - $6 dir. Shane Black, USA

“Platonic love can exist between men” — annreinking, Letterboxd

“how on earth did they make this lol” — davidlsims, Letterboxd

A classic in the genre of buddy comedies, and one of the only SNL-affiliated films I wholeheartedly enjoy. Maybe it’s the Canadian of it all. Mike Myers is again awesome in an absurd but incredibly lived in role as the titular Wayne who’s World we inhabit for the film’s duration. Dana Carvey of Master of Disguise fame embodies Garth, the second buddy of this dynamic duo. The two run a public access television show out of Wayne’s basement that gets picked up by a big broadcaster. Despite its central comedic language, this gives some solid commentary on the troubles of giant media corporations (...very topical right now!). There's also a romantic plot with the hot bassist of a local rock band… you’ll witness Myers speak Cantonese in an effort to woo her. The plot means less than the humour here—its just really, stupidly funny. Some great gags about product placement and the wider television scene of the 90s. You’ll learn more about public access television than you thought you would.

I watched this by recommendation of our designer (thanks, Jim!) and it was all he said it would be and more. I don’t know that I’ve ever intentionally engaged with Canadian humour, but it was a real delight. This is a time travel movie about aging, fame, and— above all—friendship. After a failed publicity stunt involving an illegal skydiving incident, a bottle of discontinued 90’s soda turns an RV to a time machine and our buddies travel back in hopes of finally catalysing their entertainment career. It just gets weirder and weirder. This is a low budget masterpiece that utilises some crazy impressive D.I.Y filmmaking. Half the time, I genuinely don’t know how they filmed the stuff they did. Matt and Jay rope random people on the streets of Toronto into various kinds of on-camera mischief, which somehow blends seamlessly with the scenes they evidently shot with movie magic. Another movie that strikes a perfect balance of hilarious bits and sincere commentary on human connection. And the perils of time travel. It really has it all.

“You're expecting an angel, and you get Nixon.” — colonelmortimer, Letterboxd I love love love this movie. Those in the know have been aware of Ryan Gosling’s impeccable range as early as Lars and the Real Girl (2007). Here, he’s flexing his comedic chops alongside none other than Aotearoa’s own Russel Crowe. Set in 70s LA, Gosling plays a private eye and useless dad who is still reeling after the death of his wife (yes, another dead wife movie!!). Crowe, an enforcer, crosses paths with Gosling on his latest case to locate a missing porn actress. Despite the high stakes of this investigation, this movie is funny. Incredibly funny. Gosling is at his best when he plays a fool. We get to see the wholesome development of a father-daughter bond as the film illustrates exactly why a P.I. should not participate in bring-your-kid-to-work-day. It lands in this list of buddy films as the begrudging relationship between Crowe and Gosling slowly evolves into something much kinder. This is a really fun one to watch with your own buddies. I also recommend director Shane Black’s 2005 Christmas extravaganza Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. Another neo-noir which I’ll admit hasn’t aged flawlessly, but with Robert Downey Junior's wit and Val Kilmer’s embodiment of an unlikable gay this movie proves itself as a favourite in the canon of violent holiday flicks.

Tīwae | Columns

Roman’s Kitchen

munch rating:

What: Pasta Price: $10.00 - $12.90 When: 11:30am—11:00pm, Mon—Sun

A FEED FOR F*CK ALL

Filling value, but just a bit sad. (2 stars)

guy van egmond

Roman’s Kitchen, on upper Cuba Street and also High Street in Lower Hutt, is on the cutting-edge of efficient, modern-day food production and has gamed the food-delivery market for all that it’s worth. They operate under at least eleven monikers on Uber Eats, which all have slight variations or excerpts of the same menu, while competing with each other by offering meals at wildly different prices. It seems like an odd marketing strategy that surely must be a bigger administration headache than it’s worth. Nevertheless, squeezed together into one kitchen at 245 Cuba Street, there is: All about loaded Fries; Milano Pasta & Steak; Mac N Cheese Box and Mac N Cheese Box2 (electric boogaloo); Pasta Italiana and the hit sequel Pasta Italiana2, which offer pasta dishes at twice the price of their sibling-competitors, but with a Buy 1, Get 1 Free deal (go figure). The list continues with Steak On Pasta; Pasta O Pasta; the oddly sexual Take it, Cheesy; Signature Steak House; and, finally, Romans Kitchen. Out of all of these, Pasta O Pasta seemed to have the cheapest menu, selling a red sauce spaghetti bowl for $14. That still doesn’t beat going in person, however. The in-store menu lists that same pomodoro pasta for $10, while the most expensive pasta bowl tops out at $12.90. Roman’s effectively makes pasta with either a tomato sauce, a cream sauce, or a creamy pesto, plus a variety of additions like mushrooms, salmon, shrimp, chicken, etc. The service is efficient and impersonal—all touch-screen ordering systems and flashing signs for Kool-Aid—but the pasta was hot and the lone chef working in the kitchen passed me my meal with a cheerful smile. I ordered two bowls, the spaghetti in tomato and a smoked salmon cream sauce with penne. Both were still steaming by the time I got home and, even though the sauces were quite thin, the containers held and didn’t spill in my bag, which I was grateful for. Both containers were also hefty; you get a solid amount of food for the price. The smoked salmon penne was, from the get-go, far too salty. The sauce itself was overseasoned and then the pieces of salmon were salty too, meaning there was little reprieve. There was also far too much sauce for the amount of pasta. The pasta itself was overcooked, but the tender, torn slices of

smoked salmon were nice, reminding me for a flash of the salmon and pea pasta I used to eat growing up. There were also a few chunks of charred broccoli hidden in the sauce, which were a welcome surprise; I’m a sucker for charred broccoli. (I had the other half of this bowl for dinner that night, with a handful of extra pasta to soak up the excess sauce, as well as some sautéed green beans with a squeeze of lemon, which really balanced out the meal). The tomato sauce spaghetti was interesting, with a surprisingly deep sweetness as if it had been slow-cooked, and a little hint of vinegar acidity that suggested a distant relation to ketchup. None of this, however, stood up to an overall undercurrent of soapiness. Now, I’m not one to claim that coriander or any other herb tastes like Jif, but there was something about the mix of thyme, oregano and rosemary in this sauce that brought to mind bubbles and scrubbing brushes. That aside, it was again of soggy pasta swimming in too much sauce. While home-cooking is the Achilles’ Heel of this column that I’ve simply ignored, I just can’t recommend this dish when you could remake it with a can of sauce and dried spaghetti for less than half the price. Roman’s Kitchen is an interesting kitchen to review, and not only because of its Split-style digital identity crisis. Overall, it’s a reasonably cheap and sizably dense amount of food. However, its cheapest offer is arguably too bare-bones. The plain tomato sauce pasta is so simplistic, it feels ridiculous to pay $10 for. Instead, the added ingredients that you can get for a dollar or two more make the more expensive options on their menu feel like better value, especially the ones offering chicken, salmon, and shrimp, as meat is often a premium addition. All of this is details, however, that pale before the fact that it all just wasn’t very good. There are certainly tastier options for the same value. As the base of a meal that I might bulk out with more pasta or some extra ingredients, Roman’s pasta is alright, but it still won’t be seeing the top half of my list.

Have you got a go-to meal deal that other students should know about? Is there somewhere iconic that I’ve overlooked so far? Send me something to chew on at: guy@salient.org.nz

46 Columns | Tīwae

Jackson McCarthy is Salient's Criticat-Large. His first book of poetry, Portrait, is out now with Auckland University Press. want to get in touch, tip me off, or rage at me electronically? jackson@salient.org.nz

Debt Club: Foothold Wellington band’s beautifully played debut album The first thing to note on Debt Club’s debut album Foothold is the open, buoyant, intelligent musical arrangements—recorded and mixed, too, with considerable skill. This is a lovely record to listen to—like any record by The Beths, its first order is that loveliness— and it floats among its jangly, guitar-forward colour a prominent saxophone part. Playing their damn instruments is clearly not an issue for this band, a tight six-piece based here in Wellington, but the risk sometimes is that their polish undercuts the knottiness of their lyrics and the edginess of their stylistic forebearers, making them sound less like Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” (smuggling its critique beneath a sheen of stadium-ready melody) and more like what half of Americans mistakenly think that song’s about (uncomplicated pride). Loveliness sure is the musical affect, but the band’s called Debt Club for a reason, after all—and Foothold’s lyrics are actually spotted with mentions of down-and-out workers (“I Couldn’t Care”), addict fathers (“I Do Mine”), and grieving twenty-somethings (“How I Can Fix It All”). “Brand New Lovers” goes for (and achieves!) a lush, open-air sound, with its beautifully arching sax line over the pre-chorus and its anthemic hook. You’d be remiss, though, to neglect its cryptic lyrics, which first see their singer spurned a la Olivia Rodrigo’s “Deja Vu” (“The words you once exhausted on me / Are dripping from the mouth / Of the brand new lovers in town”), and only redeemed by leaving for a new town, with its promise of starting over. “We’ve done this dance before,” he tells us—and for how much longer will this dance go on? Chasing new feelings, new highs... the song’s anticipation of future dissatisfaction chafes against its bubbly instrumental, and brings the band’s Midwest-emo influences to the fore. Trying to turn further and further toward life, despite the future and its uncertainties,

is largely the position of Foothold and the nervy young adults that populate its world. Closer “Mandolin” finds acceptance in feeling like a “loser”, and throws caution to the wind for love: “So we’ll pick out our paths / And hope they cross / If they don’t, I won’t be mad”. (It also, by the way, has the record’s nicest spot of production work, as a cluster of instruments enter on the track’s latter half.) Still, one of the tough things about big feelings—and for Debt Club, there are plenty—is that everybody feels them, and there’s always the risk of coming off corny or just too general when you try to speak about them. Debt Club’s strange brilliance, then, is that, like young love itself, they make these moods and mood swings absolutely convincing—if only for the duration of a song.

the best line,” Everingham deadpans on the oddball beach jam “Judi Dench,” “Until I heard one much better.” Well, she doesn’t seem to mind either way, and the song proceeds on a kind of improvisatory rhyme scheme: “If it were a movie / You would be French / I would be Judi Dench.” This is music for searching, not finding, and the album’s finest tunes have an inviting air of spontaneity about them.

Big Surprise’s artful pose retains a coolness reminiscent of Esperanza Spalding’s more spacey work on albums like Songwriter’s Apothecary and Twelve Little Spells—and Everingham’s organic, tossed-off, syllabic melodies, placed closely on their texts, have her voice function almost like another percussion instrument. In that latter respect, “Want You”’s hypnotic desiring and the title track’s lazily syncopated refrain play off Hannah Everingham: Big Surprise against strict drum patterns to surprisingly catchy effect. And the drumming, contributed Meditative third album with a strong by bandmate Thomas Isbister, is consistently stunning across the record, punctuating undercurrent of acceptance instrumentals that might otherwise skew The third Hannah Everingham album turns too laissez-faire. toward hope. The “big surprise” of the record’s title is that love occurs and recurs As the album progresses, the sound perhaps across the span of a life; that “I can be kind to begins to open up (as on the brilliant 7/8 myself” even as that self becomes dissolved groover “Aguafiestas” as it spills into the in the larger fabric of social life, and you’re more extroverted “End the War”)—though unsure at the end of a breakup whether it it’s all over as dreamily as it began. “Not the was somebody else or yourself that you “left same as it was / I’m not the same as I was” are behind” (“Oranges”). Musically, Everingham’s the lyrics (“End the War”), but the album’s lightly psychedelic, lightly funky sound trajectory is meditative and circular rather draws together its trio of players into a mesh, than teleological, and the overall effect is but its sparky mix, handled by Josh Logan, more Monet than Manet. That’s not meant as doesn’t dissolve them into it: they retain their a dig, it’s just to say that radical acceptance individuality. Still, this is Aotearoa music, is both the lyrical and the structural feature meaning in this instance island music, and here; that development of idea or motif is not the attitude of the album as a whole is a Everingham’s priority. Nonetheless, what a cool, breezy, devil-may-care one, as though beautifully accomplished sound this is—and such musical skillfulness really could just if you can’t stay at the beach forever, you take over you too, on a Tuesday afternoon in certainly can stay for a good while on this the right kind of weather. “I thought I wrote record’s golden afternoon. Tīwae | Columns

Christopher Curtis Dynasty Warriors is a series I don’t hear discussed enough, and those who know of it can’t seem to agree on what kind of a game it’s supposed to be. While ironically that’s something my studies allow me to go on about ad infinitum, put bluntly this series can be whatever you want it to be. Whether you’re looking for a meaty experience to dive into or something to dabble in episodically, a challenge or a brain-off dopamine hit, Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition will deliver. The franchise is set during the Three Kingdoms era of China, modeled after the epic novel retelling the events. Dynasty Warriors 8 lets you choose between the campaigns of those Three Kingdoms—plus two additional side campaigns—and experience a romanticised history of their warlords, major figures or otherwise. Most missions will see your warrior of choice taking on thousands of enemy troops by performing over-the-top combos while seizing various bases on the map to give your allies advantages. The beauty of this easy to learn gameplay loop is that you can scale it to be however in-depth you want. If you ever want to just kick back and have some cathartic fun while feeling like a god amongst men, knocking the difficulty down to beginner or easy makes enemies barely fight back. If you want something genuinely strategic, even just the first difficulty above normal can give you a run for your money. Playing on Ultimate mode is effectively a post-game difficulty only; enemy commanders will exploit and punish any hole in your combo strings, and the mooks are surprisingly competent too. I could barely get through some campaign missions just on hard mode.

48 Columns | Tīwae

There’s so much room for experimentation and expression. Once clearing a map in the campaign, you can hit it up in free play, with any of the nearly 90 playable characters and two weapons—functionally movesets, of which there are just as many as the number of characters—each combo with their own attributes and synergies. Some of these weapons are ridiculous—even sci-fi—which for a game set around the third century C.E might seem a step too far, but the game isn’t afraid to break from its historic roots for the sake of some fun. Several what-if missions may let you fulfill certain objectives or keep certain allies alive, and every mission is backed by some screaming metal tunes that make it easy to suspend disbelief and bask in the absurdity of one person tearing armies to shreds with a flying carpet.

This week's game:

Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends C.E.

It may not be pretty, and the voice acting may make you laugh at some points, but it’s an endearing retelling of the epic novel (which is a great read by the way, Ciph’s bookshelf ?) and has something for everyone, no matter your mood. And hey, if ancient China isn’t your vibe, the Warriors franchise has alternatives, with games set in Sengoku Japan, or crossing over with other franchises like Zelda or One Piece. Any game you choose, you’re in for some mayhem. Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition is available on PC, Xbox One and Series S/X, Playstation 3, Vita, 4, and 5, and Nintendo Switch, including Switch 2.

CHOOSE YOUR CHARACTER!

Gameplay: 8/10 Writing: 8/10 Aesthetic: 6/10

Oh Yes, Oh No is where sex stories go to be judged. Was it hot? Was it a disaster? You decide. All stories are submitted by readers, published anonymously, and guaranteed to make you say 'oh yes' or 'oh no'. Scan the QR code to submit your own and see if it makes the cut.

SALIENT

A D V IS O RENYT EXPLICIT CONT

Earlier this year I made a group of friends, I was in a relationship but fancied two of the guys. I ended my relationship and kicked it off with one of the guys, we had sex many times but it ended very badly. A couple of months later I slept with the other guy who used to be really close to him but due to me they stopped being friends. During the midterm brake, guy number one was begging to slept with me so I slept with both of them one day apart and now they both are back to being friends and don’t know they shared me ;) submitted by anonmous

Made good friends with a guy and we have been hanging out in a group setting multiple nights every weekend for the past few weeks, and then (doesn’t look great on my part, I know) we went home from the clubs together less than 24hr after he broke up with his gf… Can’t lie tho it was fun asf submitted by anonmous

I caught my ex-boyfriend sending nudes to his mum - he got real defensive and said “it’s normal. Etc etc” Safe to say we didn’t last much longer #freudwouldbeproud submitted by anonmous

I had been seeing this guy for some time but never made it official as we were both going away for a while. When we met up again the sexual tension was through the roof. We started talking about porn and what porn we liked to watch. He reluctantly told me he enjoyed watching larger women having sex. A few weeks later when we were having sex he kept squishing my stomach. He was moaning and calling me slur words about how fat I could be. He wanted me to tell him how much cake I was going to eat the next day. Now I’m not against anyone’s preferred kinks but I have to say this made me uncomfortable and we basically drifted after that as I couldn’t have sex with him the same.

One night out I meet this guy, and started flirting with each other. Eventually we went back to his and started to get down and dirty. Now beer in mind ( no pun intended) I had one to many drinks and forgot I was on my period. We never talked about it and still f*cked through the night. When I woke up the next morning it looked like an absolute murder scene. We were both kind of awkward and didn’t really say anything however we started getting hands again with each other. Before you know it this man was sitting on my face getting me to suck his flaccid penis for at least 15mins. I eventually stamped and he got me a taxi home and I’ve never seen him again, nor do I remember his name.

submitted by anonmous

Tīwae | Columns

spoiler warning ACROSS

DOWN

1 Protector for a chocolate bar (7) 5 Seasoning that might not have iodine added to it (3,4) 9 Heartbeat and respiration, for example (the aliens are killed by water!) (5,2,4) 10 Electric guitar hookup (3) 11 New York newspaper co-founded by the author Norman Mailer (they're actually counselling patients in the present day!) (3,7,5) 13 Sticky notes (4-3) 14 Softer and kinder (7) 16 You might have it with your BFF (Samuel L. Jackson caused the train crash!) (11,4) 20 Big snake; drag queen's accessory (3) 21 Lil Nas X megahit (the beach is being used for pharmaceutical trials!) (3,4,4) 22. Tennis player Andy (7) 23. Ghost; 2015 James Bond movie (7)

1 "It ____ me!" (5) 2 Major African capital on the Mediterranean coast (7) 3 Chemical sprayed from crop-dusting planes (9) 4 Competitions in which you buy tickets to win gift baskets and the like (7) 5 Where kids get pushed a lot at the playground (5) 6 Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo (3) 7 'Space Invaders' company (5) 8 TV show that used to be hosted by Clarkson, Hammond and May (3,4) 12 Punishment in retaliation for something (9) 13 Tradie who might use washers to fix washers (7) 14 Long-armed apes (7) 15 "Be careful!" (4,3) 17 Goatee or Balbo, for example (5) 18 Photography company with a famous yellowand-red logo (5) 19. Evade; car company that makes the Viper (5) 21 Agreement in French (3)

“Spoiler Warning” Crossword author is Puck

Comic by Hamish O'Connor

50 Puzzles | Panga

i think i've been here? ACROSS

DOWN

1 Place for a banh mi or an O-Week gig (3,3) 4 Newest NATO member, ending a 210-year tradition of neutrality (6) 8 Te Mārua ______, geological feature overlooking the Hutt River (6) 9 Pipitea or Te Aro? (6) 11 Foster or Whanau? (5) 12 Main protagonist of 1999's Muppets From Space (5) 13 Zac of High School Musical (5) 18 Victoria or Cook? (5) 19 Online acronym sometimes used as reminder (5) 20 Like holders of a student loan (2, 4) 21 Kelburn or Oriental? (6) 22 Cuba or Bunny? (6) 23 Happy or Aro? (6)

1 On the way (2,4) 2 Brontë and Dickinson, for two (6) 3 Memorable (13) 5 Te __________-a-____, the tāone nui that’s home to the starred clues (9, 4) 6 Rely upon (6) 7 How an absentee might get marked as in a compulsory tutorial (2, 4) 10 Capital city Southeast of Salamanca (6) 14 Outlook inhabitants (6) 15 A group of crows getting down to Sophie Ellis-Bexter? (6) 16 How commuters on the Melling Line travel (2, 4) 17 Vineyard, like one of many in Martinborough (6)

“I Think I’ve Been Here?” Crossword Author is Nil Originally published in Salient, 2024

Panga | Puzzles

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mini tea time

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5227%281' 5(3277,1* So 62,/0,; what's the tea this08/&+ week? 02167(5$ 3(5/,7( My best friend of 6 years got )(51 with this guy 2 years ago, but ever since all I’ve heard about him is bad. Racist, homophobic, all the -ics you can think $/2(9(5$ &203267 of (mind you she’s openly bi). Other than this he treats her like a mother 681/,*+7 3581,1* and expects her to call him (on the phone) to get up in the morning like his personal alarm clock. He’s also done some not really good things to her 6(('/,1* 327+26 -this just being a few, we got together and made a pros and cons list of their relationship with 24 cons and 1 pro (that he’s hot). Anyway she finally sent &877,1*6 &$&786 the break up text and said verbatim “it feels like a weight has been lifted ==3/$17 %216$, off my shoulders”. Two days later I see his Instagram note basically hinting

he got back with her.. so I kinda blew up on her on text and we didn’t talk for 10 days. Then I reach out to her saying I missed her and she said she cried everyday at the thought of losing me, and I ask if we can meet up and she says she wasn’t free. This has been going on since January and it’s really bothering me, I think about her everyday and she’s got super dry with me on text, at the moment I’ve been “left on liked” for 5 days.. I’m just worried for her and miss her so bad like she was literally my other half and it feels like a part of me is missing #whatthefuck

would&UHDWHG XVLQJ WKH :RUG 6HDUFK *HQHUDWRU RQ you rather? 6XSHU 7HDFKHU :RUNVKHHWV ZZZ VXSHUWHDFKHUZRUNVKHHWV FRPLast weeks results:

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52 Puzzles | Panga

1. Die at a natural age?

60%

NOW!

2. Have your consciousness converted into an AI that is trapped inside Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3 for the rest of eternity?

40%

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

set square

worry · māharahara, āwangawanga

= 27

x 1 x

= 4 x

+ = 42

= 18

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

C N

E = 1

= 10

Notes:

word wheel

Q H

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

30 possible words

connections To solve connections, group the sixteen words into four sets of four based on a shared connection. Each word belongs in only one group. Continue until all four groups are identified. On our website, the groupings are uploaded one at a time, so if you get stuck, you can view the answer for a single connection without revealing the full solution.

BOWLINE

MORTAR

LIFT

HITCH

CAULK

QUEEN

SHEEPSHANK

GROUT

PINCH

PALM

DRONE

SWARM

WORKER

BEND

PUTTY

NICK Panga | Puzzles

taurus

aries

Someone’s campaign poster has appeared above the toilet seat. You’ve now made more eye contact with them than your flatmates this week. Do: Marmite, Khandallah, ketamine Don’t: networking, KeepCups, LinkedIn

You’re considering running for VUWSA President after receiving 14 likes on a Tiktok comment. Unfortunately, nominations have now closed. Do: Cosmic, hash browns, trespassing Don’t: Canva, accountability, fleeces

leo

virgo

Election season has finally answered an important question: what would people you vaguely recognise look like printed at A3 size? Do: flash photography, Cuba, martinis Don’t: humility, laminators, committees

You noticed a typo on a campaign poster three days ago. It is now the only issue you can meaningfully talk about. Do: footnotes, Berocca, Newtown Don’t: emdashes, democracy, situationships

sagittarius You attended one candidate debate for curiosity and somehow left promising to join a socialist working group. Block everyone involved. Do: Raro, hitchhiking, karaoke Don’t: minutes, Teams, governance

Horoscopes

capricorn You’ve started comparing campaign promises against the VUWSA Constitution. There is still time to develop an interesting personality instead. Do: Excel, boiled-eggs, Pipitea Don’t: sunlight, slogans, Re-O Week

Strange travellers from distant constellations have beamed you up to the Mothership to deliver some good news and hard truths. Consider the gravity of their words (or don't).

gemini

cancer

A person from your tutorial has developed strong opinions about student governance. Pretend you don’t recognise them near the Lab. Do: cigarettes, Moore Wilson’s, bangs Don’t: clipboards, sincerity, Courtenay

You read all the candidate bios because you genuinely care. Worse, you now have opinions on who would do a good job. Keep this humiliating development private. Do: dumplings, Lorazepam, cableknits Don’t: hustings, Instagram, oatmilk

libra

scorpio

The VUWSA ballot contains too many people you’ve once seen drunk at Ivy. This has made decision-making considerably more complicated. Do: olives, Metlink, yearning Don’t: abstinence, QRcodes, fleece

Election complaints season approaches. Your screenshots are timestamped, backed up and in chronological order. God gives his toughest battles to freaks. Do: receipts, black coffee, leather Don’t: disappearing messages, forgiveness, mediation

aquarius

pisces

Your anti-establishment campaign poster uses Comic Sans ironically. Unfortunately, four previous VUWSA candidates had exactly the same idea. Do: op-shopping, kombucha, cable ties Don’t: Helvetica, branding, landlords

A candidate promises to “make every student feel heard.” There are thousands of students. You wish them an absolutely fucking enormous inbox. Do: rosé, Island Bay, delusion Don’t: microphones, consultations, Outlook

Current constellation

VIRGO August 23 September 22

Horoscopes

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