We made it e hoa mā! You survived multiple variants of Covid-19, a mountain of assignments, a change in Vice Chancellor, shitty hall food, a local body election, a cost of living crisis, the death of a monarch, and mouldy housing.

Survival warrants a party.

Here’s my last hot take for you—parties are more fun when you’re sober. Specifically, they’re more memorable.

I find gleeful, evil joy in walking away from a party knowing exactly who made out with who and how many drinks it took until so-and-so yakked into a monstera pot. Every glorious dance move and embarrassing overheard secret is permanently etched into my mind.

A lot of us drink to forget, but I hope 2022 was a party you’ll want to remember.

This week’s Party Issue is packed with advice on how to throw rowdy ragers and sophisticated soirées. Our News team investigates security concerns around ID scanners at clubs, the environmental impact of disposable vapes, the national TEU strike, and more.

I’m signing off as Salient editor. I’m not a fan of Irish goodbyes, so here goes.

I started off at Salient in 2019 as a contributor, and soon after became the poetry editor. In 2021, I joined the staff as a feature writer. This year, I’ve had the honour of being editor.

Somewhere between the pages of this magazine and the walls of our office, I grew up.

Writing for Salient helped me stumble across the border of adolescence and past the threshold of adulthood. With every piece I wrote, I got the chance to figure out who I was and what I wanted to say. Salient has been the gift that keeps on giving; a haven, a testing ground, a home. If you reckon you’ve got what it takes to run this wild and wonderful publication, applications are open to be Salient editor for 2023.

My team is my backbone. A group of insanely talented, extremely dedicated, completely underpaid students who are hell-bent on producing a killer magazine for y’all every week. A special shout out to my designer and partner in crime Alice Brown, who has pulled off some of the most beautiful covers and illustrations Salient has ever seen. I’m not just proud of my team, I’m in awe of them.

Salient is an organ of student opinion which wouldn’t exist without our contributors. Check out page 5, containing the names of every single contributor we had this year. This magazine belongs to you, the students of VUW. Keep putting Salient to good use.

With love and gratitude,

Janhavi Gosavi (she/her)

Going Out With A Bang