08: Vaccines are the best medicine, followed by hugs.

Last week the Trans-Tasman bubble opened, and we’ve got mixed emotions. The risks associated with opening up the borders are not chill. We are again putting our faith into contract tracing after the announcement of a positive case, as no changes have been made to the travel regulations. 

We’re not in the “post-COVID world” people keep trying to refer to. International travel is scary—especially for those who are most vulnerable. We’re at the start of the vaccine roll-out. Unless you’re in one of the first three groups (which you can see online at https://covid19.govt.nz/) you won’t be able to get the vaccination until July. In the meantime, we have to keep on top of the hand washing and mask-wearing and testing and doing all the things. 

There’s a reason why the opening scene of Love Actually is one of the most iconic movie moments. You’re seeing unfiltered expressions of emotion—happy tears of joy in a public setting. Airport hugs are at once a private embrace, and public display of love. 

And now we’ve got this real-life movie montage heightened by a pandemic. When the photos started rolling in of arrival lounges in New Zealand and Australia, some of us wept. These reunions came after over 15 months of separation, and a journey across the sea. Not being able to see those you call family can be rough, and we were reminded of those first post (NZ) lockdown hugs. After all the shite news, we’re getting stories of grandparents meeting their grandchildren for the first time, or of people who did lockdown in apartments on their own returning to friends. 

Despite a lot of us having the luxury of FaceTime and Zoom, some of our family members cannot afford, or have not adapted to, these modern technologies. Matthew spent an hour on the landline trying to explain to his Grandma how to use YouTube to stream the Easter Sunday Mass during lockdown. There really is no substitute for irl communication. 

Even if you’re not having a reunion with whānau from Australia, maybe just hug someone you love. A lot of people still can’t be hugging. A recent survey (British based) came up with a list of 30 things people are most looking forward to after lockdown, and giving someone a hug came in at number four. 

In this issue, we’ve got pie charts, an interview with an NZ pie expert, and a pie quiz. See Johnny’s feature on page 14 for a run down on the Student Services Levy (SSL). Johnny argues that VUWSA is being underfunded, especially when you compare it to the funding that other Students’ Associations are getting. The last time students were surveyed about the use of the SSL was 2019, and only 26.6% of undergrads responded. So, have a think about how you want that money spent. 

We hope you enjoy the crossword,

Sally Ward (she/her) and Matthew Casey (he/him)