Story actually by Joshua Drummond (ASPA) – Salient’s News Ed doesn’t know how to change the byline
Parties unknown made off with 3, 900 copies of Nexus left outside the Citizens Advice Bureau on the Waikato University campus on Monday morning.
The magazines had been left outside the CAB by a driver from APN Print, Nexus’ printer, who had logged the trip on his GPS, and was adamant the magazines had been dropped off correctly.
Nexus staff contacted Campus Security who then contacted police. The theft took up the best part of Monday morning’s WSU Board meeting.
Nexus Advertising Manager Tony Arkell said that the theft “could have significant impact” on advertising revenue.
The theft means the magazine had to have the entire magazine’s print run reprinted, at a cost to the company of approximately $3600.
Outgoing WSU President Sehai Orgad said the matter was being taken extremely seriously.
“If we find out who did it, we will be pressing charges. The whole Board is completely pissed. This is a waste of student money and an attempt to stamp out the democratic process,” said Orgad.
Interim Editor Art Focker was similarly infuriated.
“This is disgusting, no matter the motivation behind it, whether it was meant to be a prank or not,” Focker said.
“It impinges on the student’s right to a free student magazine. I’m just so enraged, I don’t even have words,” he said.
WSU Manager David West said the theft was most likely perpetrated by someone who knew about the magazine’s distribution process.
“It appears to me to be somebody who knew about the delivery times and so on of the magazine,” West said.
“I’m extremely disappointed at this occurrence, which costs the students, the WSU and Nexus money and time.”
He added that the nature of the theft had led to “finger pointing” as it occurred at the height of campaigning for the WSU elections.
“It’s created a lot of tension and animosity that wouldn’t normally be there,” he said.
The magazine can be viewed at: www.nexusmag.co.nz
News Editor’s Note
In the stormy history of Nexus, the magazine has never before been stolen. It has been censored, withheld from circulation, sued for defamation, the office computers have been confiscated, but it has never been stolen. The theft marks a new milestone in the magazine’s history – but we’re still unstoppable!