LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Kia ora and welcome to the nostalgia issue! We wanted to make this a bit of an ode to our childhoods and 2000s Aotearoa. As members of Gen Z, we’re not quite iPad babies, but we grew up with this rapid development of technology. Many of us will remember dial-up broadband, Video Ezy and CDs. Fast-forward not even two decades and suddenly we’ve got an entirely new hyper-capitalist metaverse, complete with bitcoin and TikTok. I’ve been feeling nostalgic about a couple of things lately. Mostly because I’ve had a lot of time to think. Four bouts of tonsillitis in a month will do that to you. Thankfully, this all came to an end about a week ago and I’m pleased to announce they’re gone for good.

Firstly, I’m nostalgic about being a student. I remember everyone around me saying that they’re some of the best years of your life. I shrugged it off at the time, but they were right. Don’t get me wrong, getting a degree is a lot of hard work. But it’s a great place to be. You’re surrounded by clever, interesting people. I’m not sure when I decided to turn this into an advice column, but take every opportunity that comes your way. Definitely try to get those A’s (that took me a couple years to figure out).

And make sure you study something you enjoy. I was in such a rush to graduate and move on to the next chapter of my life, but being a student is so fucking cool. Again, I don’t know why I’m giving advice - it’s my first year out of uni, I haven’t even had my capping ceremony and I also work on campus. Maybe it's nostalgia, but once you graduate, your friends start working fulltime and some will move overseas. Above all else, being in your 20s is strange. I don’t wanna grow up.

Which brings me to my next point: I’m also feeling nostalgic about being a kid. Life feels way more complicated lately. Which is silly because in our 20s, all we really have to worry about is ourselves. Most of us aren’t married. And we don’t have kids. Honestly, a lot of the time our biggest concern is probably where we’re gonna be and what we’re gonna wear on Saturday night. Right now I’m post-operation, post-graduation, post-breakup but thankfully not post-mortem. So, I’m giving myself a trip down memory lane by playing Skate 3 and turning the soundtrack up to full volume. I suggest you do the same.