Issue 92.6 - Spooky Dit by On Dit

ISSUE 92.6

SPOOKY DIT SPOOKY DIT WELCOME TO WELCOME TO

EDITORS EDITORS

URVI PATEL

LOUISA TEDESCO

SAKSHI MALPANI SAKSHI MALPANI

THAO DAO

COVER PHOTO

SAKSHI MALPANI

SUB EDITORS

Ashton Hilton Miller

Jia ROU LEE

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Urvi Patel

Sakshi Malpani

CONTRIBUTORS

Alison Osborn

William Goh

FIONNE CHAI PING

NGAM

BILLY Z

TRICK OR TREAT, READERS?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

WewanttoacknowledgethattheUniversityofAdelaide’sOnDitis writtenandcreateduponKaurnaland.TheKaurnaPeoplearethe traditionalcustodiansoftheGreaterAdelaidePlainsandtheirculture, knowledge,andspiritualconnectionscontinuetorundeeplywithinthis Country.WeacknowledgethattheUniversityofAdelaideisaplaceof learningattendedbyFirstNationsPeoplefromaroundthecontinentand, likeKaurna,theirlandandsovereigntywasneverceded.Wepayour deepestrespectstotheEldersofthepast,present,andemerging.

EDITORIAL

Hello from the other side.

This Halloween, we’re bringing you all things spooky. Forget the cheap thrills of haunted house attractions (we see you, plastic skeletons) we’re diving into the real stuff. Ever wondered if that creepy chill in your room was just bad insulation? Think again. And the highlight? We got to chat with a real-life paranormal expert. Yes, you read that right! Our expert shared tales that’ll make you second-guess whether you should leave your lights on tonight (maybe, you should, we know we are).

We got the lowdown on ghostly apparitions, unexplained whispers, and even haunted furniture because who knew that your grandma’s old armchair could have more than just sentimental value?

But don’t worry, we’re not all gore and gloom. This edition is full of tricks, treats, and a few cheeky scares (because who doesn’t love a good jump). We’ve packed this issue with South Australia’s haunted history, ghost stories, and maybe even a cursed crossword. You’re welcome.

So, grab your pumpkin-flavored everything, light up a candle (or ten), and prepare yourself for a Halloween edition that’s spooky enough to make you laugh… and maybe scream. Just don’t blame us if something goes bump in the night.

Stay spooky, stay brave, and remember ghosts don’t pay rent, but they do stick around.

Forever Lurking, Urvi, Sakshi, Louisa, Thao

EDITOR’S

TOP HALLOWEEN PICKS

I have watched this movie a million times and will watch it again and I’ll tell you why - not only is the stop motion animation a treat for your eyes but it is a perfect mix of creepy and magical The movie and the scenes are already a bit creepy to begin withbut once Coraline discovers a door to another world, it seems like an upgraded version of her life that has everything - better clothes, food, more attention.

It also has her ‘other mother’ inside it. It all seems very fun and dandy for little Coraline but once she realises that the other mother wants to keep her there by sewing buttons in her eyes, the story suddenly turns into Coraline trying to escape the other world and realising that even when your life isn’t perfect, its still your life.

The movie is full of adventure, musicals and a story that is worthwhile. So this Halloween season, if you haven’t watched Coraline before, I really recommend wearing your pajamas, microwaving popcorn, snuggling in your blankets and watching CORALINE!

URVI’S PICK

C O R A L I N E

PICK

C A S P E R

Casper isn’t your typical ghost story it’s more about friendship than fright. Casper is a lonely ghost who lives in a big, old mansion with his three troublemaking uncles. While they love scaring anyone who dares step foot inside, Casper just wants to be noticed, to be liked maybe even have a friend When Kat and her dad move in, things finally start to look up. Kat, dealing with her own issues of feeling out of place, sees Casper for who he really is: a sweet, lonely boy trapped in ghost form. Their bond is what drives the heart of this story

Casper is charming because it mixes just enough spooky fun with real, relatable emotions Beneath the supernatural elements, it’s really about finding connection and acceptance, even when you feel invisible. It’s a reminder that, ghost or human, everyone wants to belong somewhere With its mix of humor, heart, and a bit of haunting, Casper is the perfect feel-good ghost story that makes you smile more than scream.

SAKSHI’S PICK

SRC PRESIDENT’S REPORT

As the year draws to a close, it’s a moment to reflect on the journey we ’ ve shared as the SRC together This year has been marked by incredible progress in student advocacy, welfare initiatives, and representation. It has been a privilege to serve as your president, and I am proud of the collective impact we ’ ve made on student life at the University of Adelaide I wish to use this opportunity to address some of the progress we have made collectively:

Health and Well-being Initiatives:

One of our key focuses this year was enhancing student health and well-being We worked closely with the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing (SMHW) committee, putting forward several important initiatives aimed at promoting both mental and physical health across campus These initiatives included physical activity campaigns and encouraging the collaboration with Medibank to offer grants that directly benefited students

Another significant milestone was the successful launch of the SRC Food Pantry Initiative which has drawn over 2000 students through the doors since operations This project has created a muchneeded support system for students facing food insecurity, and I am especially proud of the work the SRCFP Committee has done to bring this vision to life The pantry will continue to offer vital support to students in the years to come, ensuring their well-being remains a priority

Academic Excellence and Employability:

Throughout the year, we made great strides in improving academic support and employability for students. Strengthening our partnerships with career services and industry partners helped us deliver events like the Employability Program Celebration I have been invited to attend various employability programs and promote the SRC in all forums Further partnerships are currently under development for 2025.

Another important issue we tackled was the ongoing debate around trimester and semester preferences Our efforts to gather student feedback ensured that their voices were heard in decisions that will shape the academic future of our university The SRC played an active role in these discussions and with YouX

Inclusivity and Diversity:

The SRC continued the efforts to support underrepresented communities, including initiatives to support LGBTQIA+ students disability and ATSI students This year, we made great strides in ensuring that diverse voices were not only heard but actively engaged in decision-making processes that impact our entire student body

Advocacy and Representation:

The SRC has been active in its advocacy for students throughout 2024 We stood firm on crucial issues such as opposing sole trimester based courses and made comments on various political matters such as the Israel and Palestine war, the federal government spending and many more These actions were in direct response to the needs of the student body, and I’m proud of the steps we ’ ve taken in these areas

We also worked to ensure continuity and effectiveness within the SRC itself, filling key roles through the Casual Vacancies initiative This allowed us to maintain active representation across all student portfolios, ensuring that every student had a voice at the table.

The University Merger:

As we look ahead, the upcoming merger between the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia to form Adelaide University is the most significant event on the horizon This merger brings both opportunities and challenges, particularly when it comes to student representation

As the President, I have been activity contributing to the Student Representation Working Group, engaging with representatives from UniSA and USASA to ensure that student voices are prioritized during this transition We’ve made significant progress in shaping the preliminary governance structures of the new student service institution, with a focus on preserving strong and effective student representation.

As we approach the official merger, we will continue to advocate for student welfare during this period of change Preserving essential services like internship programs, elective course offerings, and student support structures will be critical in ensuring that students experience a smooth transition into the new university.

SRC Transition and Next Steps:

As we look toward the future, particularly with the merger on the horizon, I am confident that the work we ’ ve done will leave a lasting legacy The SRC remains committed to supporting, representing, and amplifying the voices of students in every decision that impacts our university life. Thank you for your trust, support, and engagement throughout this incredible journey Together, we have made a difference, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for our vibrant and resilient student community

Kind regards,

Aiden Zeyang Wang President of the Student Representative Council

VOX? POP!

Mansi - Master of Media

1 What would you do if you were locked in a haunted house for one night?

2 What are you dressing up as for Halloween this year?

3 Do you think Halloween commercialism dilutes its meaning?

1. If the house is anything like the ‘Casper’ movie, I will bake a cake, light some candles and hope to brag about it the next day to my sister …why you ask? because I have always been the girl who hides behind her younger sister when walking through a haunted house in an amusement park.

2. Since thanking Beyonce is one of the needs in the survival pyramid of human existence, I am saying ‘yeehaw’ and dressing up as a low-budget Cowboy Carter.

3. Undoubtedly. Halloween was a night to pray for the dead and I don’t see a single person thinking about the prayers but the costumes, party themes and hoping not to have the same dress as someone else. I love Halloween (an excuse to dress up weirdly and still be cool, come on!) but I think the majority doesn’t even know why we celebrate it. That’s where it gets a bit sad

Vishesh - MBA International

1. I’d stay calm, find a safe spot and wait out the night.

2. I’d dress as Mario or something fun!

3. Halloween's meaning can be diluted by commercialism, but it’s still possible to keep the tradition alive by focusing on creativity, community and overconsumption.

HALLOWEEN EDITION!

Lauren- Wine Business

1. Make friends with the ghosts or more likely scream in fear of everything

2. A Kangaroo

3. I think it helps to celebrate it instead. Coming from the US it is cool to see the aussie spin on things such as caramel chocolate koalas and quokka figurines dressed up as pumpkins. These definitely help me get in the spooky spirit

Tong Tong - Master of Marketing

1. I think I will have a nap.

2. I wanna cosplay Ichimatsu Ningyo if it’s possible

3 To some extend, it dilutes the deeper cultural and historical meaning of Halloween, reducing it to a mere excuse for parties and spending. More traditional more classic.

BYTEAMONDIT

Going to preface this by saying that I am a MASSIVE sceptic in terms of ghost hunting and paranormal things in general You might ask, then, why I would even go on a tour like this And to that, I say, well, because it seemed fun. Even if I wasn't expecting to see a ghostly figure in any of the rooms, or feel a presence looming over me, I thought it would be interesting to get an insight into a supposedly 'haunted' place, and if I were to bring home a ghost with me, who knows, maybe I would finally become the main character of a movie.

In reality, the experience was all that I could have realistically expected for someone as sceptical as I am. I found myself fascinated by the history of the building, and how it would have really felt as someone trapped in this sparse, isolating house--essentially a prison--for so many years with almost no hope for leaving The size of the building (way smaller than you would think) really drove that point home, with a lot of the cells barely seeming big enough to fit a single mattress Because of this historical viewpoint, the points of the tour I loved the most were the more solitary parts, where we were allowed to explore on our own. Not to mention the 'lockdown' at the end, which I loved, but maybe for a different reason than most Being closed off alone in a cell (or for me, a bathroom) for five minutes was truly enthralling for me. Scary--sure, a little bit, but I think that what hit me harder was the feeling of true isolation I felt in that dark, cold room Falling into my thoughts, as the ambience of the building resonated in my head and the lack of sounds made ears feel dull, I felt a profound sense of perturbation. The rest of the night, this feeling stuck with me, and I can evoke it even now. The night, for me, deepened my empathy for those who were imprisoned in this 'hospital' for so much of their life, and even those imprisoned in inhumane facilities to this day. A S H T O N

Amidst the peaceful surrounding suburbs of Glenside, its structure stood forebodingly with its brick exterior, barred windows and large metal gates which was made more eerie as the night settled in Despite the chilling premise of the tour, I found it a really interesting and exhilarating experience. I was intrigued by the rich history of the place along with the patients it housed The tour guides, Simone and Damo, definitely made the experience a memorable one Simone was animated and told stories of the Z ward ardently, which in turn made the tour captivating even to non-believers. Being at the back of the tour group, Damo provided a reassuring presence

Through the gripping stories, I felt invited to think about the people who once walked the halls from 1888 It made me consider what ghosts really were Are ghosts inherently evil? Or are they just humans whose souls had no physical body to inhabit? Do they even exist? Those questions weren’t concretely answered on the tour, but hearing the stories of some of the patients does instil some humanity into the ghosts some believe to haunt the building.

HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN

A highlight of the tour was the 5 minutes we got to spend in one of the cells Though I did not experience any ghostly presence while I was in, it was still very insightful. To live momentarily from the perspective of an inmate was thought-provoking To know that they were subject to be isolated for hours in confinement was really indicative of how far our mental health system has come. It really struck a cord of empathy in me for those whose mental illnesses were misunderstood, and even used as justification for I’ll treatment As a city girl, I found the ‘lockdown’ peaceful To listen to the wind outside and sit in general silence, cleared my mind; it felt like a nice pause from the hustle and bustle of the cityscapes I’m used However, I was only in the cell for 5 minutes, to be in it day after day for hours at a time would definitely be a traumatic experience. All in all, Haunted Horizon provided a fun night for the On Dit team Z Ward, although quite bare on the inside, is a source of curiosity On first impression, it does appear as a standard prison, however, I recommend that you come along for a tour and explore its fascinating stories.

As long as I can remember, ghost stories have fascinated me. I’ve always been a firm believer in the paranormal not because I’ve encountered a ghost or experienced a haunting, but simply because believing in something otherworldly makes life a little more exciting So, when I spotted a car with "Adelaide Haunted Horizons Ghost Tours" plastered on the side, I couldn’t resist. Within minutes, I was on Google, checking out the tours, and it was settled I had to visit Z Ward Of course, I wasn’t going alone! I dragged my fellow editors along (and my partner because, you know, boyfriend tax!)

At first glance, Z Ward looks like just another building, nothing remarkable if you don’t know its history Standing in front of it, I didn’t feel any chills running down my spine or the sense of dread you’d expect before a ghost tour. Instead, I felt a rush of excitement I was about to embark on a journey into the paranormal!

HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN

The moment we stepped inside, it was pitch black. Seriously, you can’t see a thing. Our tour guide, Simone, wanted us to feel the stories, to immerse ourselves in the eerie atmosphere of Z Ward And it worked the only thing I could see was the glow of my partner’s neon jumper.

Now, I don’t want to spoil too much for those who haven’t been on the tour, but I’ll share some of the highlights!

At one point, I found myself volunteering to stand in the corner of a cell. As Simone began recounting all the creepy, spooky things that had reportedly happened right where I was standing, my heart started racing I’m no hero, but I’m not a total scaredy-cat either So, even though my pulse was pounding in my ears, I stayed calm or at least I tried. Relief flooded over me the moment I stepped out of that cell

As the tour progressed, my curiosity only grew There were so many moments when I felt the urge to wander off on my own, to explore more of the dark hallways and hidden corners But I wasn’t about to be that character in a horror movie the one who gets killed off first because they didn’t stick with the group!

The real test came at the end of the tour, during the infamous ‘lockdown ’ I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea of being locked in a cell by myself for five minutes Sure, logically, I knew nothing was going to jump out at me, but I didn’t want to tempt fate either. So, I sat there, staring at the wall, counting down the minutes As soon as those five minutes were up, I bolted out of the cell like Barry Allen on a caffeine rush.

All jokes aside, the tour was an unforgettable experience Whether you ’ re a believer in the paranormal or a complete skeptic, it’s worth going If you ’ re chasing ghosts, who knows? You might just find one or at least a good story And if you ’ re more interested in history, Z Ward’s past is just as captivating as any ghost tale. Either way, it’s a night you won’t regret!

InConversation

HAUNTED ORIZONS

Urvi: Tell us something about yourself so our readers can get to know you better.

Alison: Well, I started all this because I was born into a haunted house in England, and it absolutely terrified me enough that I was still sleeping with my lights on right up to when I met my husband in my late 20s, I had to have a light on somewhere that was that terrifying the house, and I guess at the same time, It drew me into the paranormal and find out what that was And I was quite happy to find a natural explanation, not just a supernatural one Haven't found a natural explanation yet, but yeah, it does. It drags you in, and you get to love it And then I started researching it about 30 odd years ago So seriously researching, 1988 I started, and we were the official researchers for the old Adelaide jail here and for over 10 years, wrote the book on that, still there 20 is it? How many years is it now? 22 years later, still there. And of course, that graduated into when I was doing tours for them, into me doing my own tours, 2010, that's when we set up Haunted Horizons, because we wanted to bring that to people We wanted other people to be able to share that journey on seeing if there's anything there, but keeping it real, keeping it very different from other ghost tours There's no there's no jumping out of people. There's no dramatics There's no over sensation rising. And I wanted to prove that you didn't have to do all that with ghost tours You can actually keep it real and keep it sensible So I guess that's where I come from and my background

Sakshi: As you mentioned that you grew up, or were born in a haunted house. I'm assuming there was some sort of fear involved in that.

Alison: A lot of fear. I was there until I was five years old I have no real memories of that, apart from the my earliest childhood memory was in my bedroom and hearing a heavy male plastic breathing, like somebody was struggling to breathe. And it was just all around me, all this heavy male breathing I knew there was nobody in the room I was literally screaming, my earliest

childhood memory The other one was my brother used to have the cool toys. Bit of a tomboy, I went in to play with his toys when he was out done If you remember, well, Doctor Who and the Daleks, we used to in my day, because I'm quite old, we used to have the wind up like the key in the Dalek, and used to wind it up, and it used to take off while I was in his bedroom, while he was out And I remember the Daleks actually just moving across the floor on their own

Sakshi: OH WOW, okay, did not, did not expect that. I'm actually scared to continue. So despite all of this fear and experiences that you've had, what made you decide this field and like, what? What made you pursue this and what made you overcome that fear ultimately?

Alison: It was a biggie for me. I just couldn't let it go It does It gets its hooks into you Then I started. Once you've experienced it, whether it terrified you or not, it just doesn't let you go

Urvi: We were reading upon your old interviews, and you mentioned that after 150 years, there's still no like conclusive evidence of there being ghosts. So then what keeps you motivated to continue searching for that proof? Like even when you don't find anything?

Alison: That's an old interview, yeah, but that's true People have been searching for it, and when you think about them, 1000s and 1000s of teams out there today, nobody has proof that ghosts exist You can't, because anything you put out there, whether it be a photo, a video, an EVP, you were there, but the people watching it weren't So the first thing they're going to go is, well, you could have faked that. You could have manipulated that photograph You could have had somebody hidden that did that EVP, on that voice recorder, or it could have been you You cannot prove, the way we're doing it, that ghosts exist The only people who'll be able to prove it will be the science field and of course, they're not going to waste the time on the paranormal, grants aren't going to cover that SO basically, I think I started to understand it's just going to come down to

personal experience, and that's all it is And I think at the end of the day, once I realized that, once I realized we're never going to prove this, I started to enjoy it more and it became more of a well, it's a business for me, for the tours, but the YouTube channel we do, where we go around the world and we do the episodes, and it's become more of an expensive hobby for me. We're not going to prove it We're not going to prove it. Nobody. I'll never prove it, ever, because people, there's always an alternative explanation So enjoy it Enjoy it for what it is It's what I do That's what keeps me going

Sakshi: So you, you stated that you maintain a healthy skepticism, even while, investigating potential hauntings. So do you have an instance when your skeptical side overruled your believing side during an investigation and you were like, oh, no, this did not happen?

Alison: It always does you get something big happening that you know deep down there is no explanation for But within about 12 hours, 24 hours, your brain will kick in and go that did it surely not, and you'll start to question it There are experiences I still can't dismiss. We I want a real answer I want to know that what I experienced was real, not me going, oh, I want that to be a ghost. If you watch our YouTube channel again, just for an example, you'll see, we catch voices on tape, and you can see the whole process We're excited We're listening back It's like, fantastic And then you'll see that when I've got it home for editing, I check back on the video footage, the audio, because we always have a camera on us. And we'll see, oh my god, I moved my leg right at that point The one I've just put up, you'll see the jeans actually squeak as it rubs together. Now, if I hadn't had that video on me, I would never have known that to me. That would have been the best EVP ever. And this is a problem We can't be certain, unless you can you're prepared to go and look and see what it could be first. But I've got EVPs

that I can't explain So voices on recordings I really can't explain So it's not all of it can be explained, but I do like to try first.

Urvi: Now, when I was doing the tour, Simone mentioned that you did see, out of the 15 spirits or ghosts that you've seen, six of them were in Z Ward. And so if, when you see something like, actually a spirit in front of you, I wanted to know, like, what's the first thought that you have? Like, okay, it's it's there, like, It's proof that it's existing

Alison: On the tours, my first thought is, it's a guest, because we are in the dark, as you know

Urvi: So I've heard guests say, like, I know a couple of people said on the tour, like, Would something follow us home? Is there a probability of that happening?

Alison: People ask that all the time from me I can never say this is how it works. I'm not going to say they never can, because none of us know how it works In all honesty, in 30 odd years that I've been doing this professionally, I have never, ever had anything come home with me So Can that be forever for everyone? I don't know, but we've never had anything The ghosts are still there, so they're obviously not leaving anyway, sure So yeah, I always think, why would they, after all, this is the home They're there for a reason, whatever the reason is that they're there why would they choose a random person and go home with them?

It's, it's Yeah, but I can't say, wouldn't I just say, that's from my experience.

Urvi: When you started the haunted horizon goes to now, how did the local community respond? Were there any surprising reactions, whether it be positive or negative, like to them realizing that, okay, South Australia has a haunting past?

Alison: First, it was very difficult to persuade people to let us do the tours, because there is a big stigma on ghost tours, because the old style

ghost tours was always dress up, jump out, not be taken credibly, make things up, ruin history, completely ruin history. And why? Why spoil a good story so and it took me a long time We did the tourism awards to try and get the credibility We won them three years in a row

The South Australian Category We've got Hall of Fame. Now, once we started to get that, to show that we are serious, we are professional, we are part of the tourism industry, we found the doors opened up a lot more, and I think now it's more accepted, and well, tours have just taken off It's just were booked out most nights I think, I think it's a subject everybody's interested in After all, that's where we're all going to go one day And I think we all want to have that personal experience where we know there is something and reassure ourselves that when we die, there is something there

Urvi: Glad that you mentioned that, do you have thoughts about the entire concept of, you know, afterlife and the concept of Heaven or Hell? Do you have an idea or thought about it?

Alison: I stay neutral I'm not religious, so I don't have religion coming into it, so I have no religious bias on any of that That's I was brought up Christian as a kid, but I'm just not now. I don't have that. It's not that I don't believe there's something there I just don't feed into the the mainstream religions, and after all this time, I all I can tell you is I really don't know what we're dealing with, and I'm not going to put anything on it, because we can't prove it's like, it's hard enough to prove that ghosts exist without me saying what this is. All I can say is there is definitely, definitely something that indicates that there is a part of us that does continue Our consciousness does continue.

Sakshi: I remember you mentioning before, that the things that we see in movies and read about in books, that's completely different from actually what happens in real life. So yeah, like our ideaof ghosts and spirits, I think it all stems from the films that we've seen, especially Annabelle,

Conjuring and Exorcism of Emily Rose. So do you think like the commercialization of the paranormal investigation has somewhat changed how the industry is portrayed?

Alison: I think it's made it a lot more accepted It has its good sides for that, it has its bad side, because it's all because it's sensational and like, there are YouTube channels out there that are so dependent on the clicks that they will sensationalize, which makes it very hard, because that again, puts the stigma back on for the people who are trying to keep it honest It's yeah I was I was around before the internet I was around before the Facebook and social media, before computers And for us, it was literally letter writing and reading books and yeah, none of it was sensational So there has been this change Not sure it's for the better in some respects, but I guess the my side of it, the tour side, is for good, because obviously there's more interest There's more people coming in, there's more people wanting to experience this, and more places opening up as well, because they realize it is good business. These buildings are very, very old. A lot of them, they are decaying, and they need a lot of money to keep them, keep them alive, if you like, keep them in one piece And I guess the paranormal, by to make it into a business, you're bringing that money, and they're getting extra money to put these, to do the repairs or keep the building open. So there are good sides that definitely good sides to this There is the element, obviously, there always will be, there will be a bad side to it. So it's just a lot more accepted now.

Urvi: This one question I really wanted to ask you, when you see a spirit in front of you, the first thought anyone would have, okay, it's fear, right? But would you, would you say that you've ever met like seen a spirit that you feel apart from the fear? Like, okay, this is completely harmless, like it's not going to hurt me whereas you've met some spirit where you're like, Okay, I need to get out. This spirit I feel like it's going to hurt me?

Alison: Generally, it's you don't feel it's going to harm I mean, obviously there's personalities that were pretty horrid and in life that are going to take that personality with them could be the nicest of people I don't think it's demonic or anything, and most of the time, you just feel it's a jolt of excitement if I see something and if it's around me, I must admit, it's that adrenaline. But there is a couple of times where I have left Z Ward is one of them, when we had the Samson flat bushfire, I don't know if this one was told on the tour or not I tell it on my tour, my story, but when we had the Sampson flat bushfire about nine years ago, , it is close to where I live, Humbug scrub, when it broke out, I still had a tour to do So went down, finished the tour, and I couldn't get home because they'd already blocked the roads off, and I couldn't get home for four days I thought, well, that's alright I've got the keys to Z ward. Which made sense, because you got toilets, you got water, you got the portal from the corner for food It all made sense. So I thought, you know, I'll just and though, I'm gonna say, there was an element of excitement about that, about staying in this building on my own and living there And I remember standing in the hallway We didn't have the curtains then, which are on the windows Now, I was standing in the hallway wondering where I was going to go. And as I did that there was something very black down the mirror room, end of the hallway, and it kind of flitted across the hallway. Now I'm trying to rationalize going, is that a possum on the wall? Was it something like that, and didn't do anything else? Lost interest Look straight ahead I was about to step forward, and it flitted back across the hallway. But this time it wasn't at the end It was halfway up towards me, because it can move very fast in there as well. And the whole atmosphere changed And that's the one time I felt whatever that one was really, really wanted to hurt. And it was just like, You know what? I think I'm going to go and sleep in the bus. I failed. And people go, why did you fail? And it's like, because I do this all the time I've seen the collapses, I've seen the welts and

scratches. I'm on my own, and it's, yeah, I'll just bail Very rare, very rare But it, I can't say it hasn't happened.

Sakshi: Do you think like maybe since we don't know a lot about it, we might miss out on like things happening around us?

Alison: I think if you're in the locations, you probably wouldn't miss because at the end of the day you're going to be primed We can pay up to two thousand dollars per venue because we want it away from the tours. We don't want the tours there, we want it just for two of us to film I can't even put the episode up because we didn't even have a tap, nothing absolutely nothing And you know, you paid like all this money for it But the more you do it, the more you understand that that's the way it is It's that's the chance you take If it was happening every day, it wouldn't be called supernatural It would be natural It wouldn't be paranormal It would be normal

HISTORYOF HALLOWEEN

Halloween, celebrated by children and adults alike with costumes, candy, and ghost stories, may seem like harmless fun However, beneath its festive facade lies a history steeped in darker, more sinister traditions that can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain

The Roots of Halloween

Samhain, celebrated on the night of October 31, marked the end of the harvest season and the onset of winter, a time often associated with death The Celts, who lived in regions now known as Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France over 2,000 years ago, believed that on this night, the boundary between the living and the dead was thinnest, allowing spirits to roam the earth Druids, the priestly class in Celtic society, performed rituals to appease these wandering spirits, fearing that they might bring misfortune if not honored

Tom Sanguinet, a former high priest of Wicca, emphasizes that Halloween's associations with evil and the supernatural are significant, stating that it is "purely and absolutely evil " The celebration involved dark rituals, including sacrifices to Samhain, the lord of death, in hopes of appeasing him and preventing harm to the living

Rituals and Traditions

Many modern Halloween customs have roots in these ancient rituals. The act of "trick-ortreating" can be traced back to the practice of going door-to-door to collect offerings for the spirits. Those who complied were rewarded with prosperity, while those who refused faced curses. Over time, candy replaced the original sacrifices, but the underlying idea of appeasing spirits persists

The Jack-O-Lantern, a staple of Halloween décor, also has pagan origins Originally, carved pumpkins or skulls were used to mark homes that were sympathetic to the supernatural, signaling safety during the night’s terrors The costumes worn today also stem from Druidic practices, where participants dressed in animal skins to ward off evil spirits.

By A.D. 43, the Roman Empire had conquered most Celtic territories, leading to the integration of two Roman festivals with Samhain: Feralia, a day for commemorating the dead, and a celebration for Pomona, the goddess of fruit, which likely explains the tradition of bobbing for apples.

In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV established All Martyrs Day on May 13, which was later expanded by Pope Gregory III to include all saints on November 1 The church aimed to supplant the Celtic festival of the dead with this newly sanctioned holiday. By the 9th century, November 2 became All Souls' Day, celebrated similarly to Samhain with bonfires and costumes. This merging of traditions led to the term "All-Hallows Eve" for the night before All Saints' Day, which eventually evolved into Halloween

Despite its pagan roots, Halloween has evolved into a largely secular holiday celebrated worldwide. However, themes of death and the macabre persist, raising concerns about their impact on children's perceptions of violence

The holiday's association with the occult has faced pushback from various communities, especially religious groups, with the Pilgrims in early America banning Halloween due to its pagan ties. While today’s festivities are filled with fun, it's essential to acknowledge Halloween’s complex history rooted in ancient rituals, fear, and superstition.

r i c kor Treat

gothic

Literature

If I were to ask you to think of the Gothic, what comes to mind? The pointed arches of the Cologne Cathedral, perhaps, with its heaven reaching peaks and the cavernous spaces of the interior; the fashion and music subculture and their adoration of all things ‘dark’; themes of the supernatural and the ghost stories of Gothic Literature; or perhaps you think of the Goths themselves, the Germanic people on the shores of the Baltic Sea The concept of Gothicism, and for my interests, Gothic literature, has its etymology rooted in a complicated history that spans from the third century to the current day

The specifics origins of the Gothic people are a point of ongoing contention in ancient history today, but for the purposes of this discussion, what is important is the part they play in the fall of the Roman Empire. Like countless other groups of barbarians, as they emigrated across southern Europe they had engaged in battle with the Romans in 378 at the Battle of Adrianople which resulted in a total victory for the Goths Their namesake would later be taken and used by Renaissance figures as a catchall term to refer to that which is ‘anti-Classical’, and therefore Medieval and barbaric. Interesting to note is that the deeming of all that is Medieval (a period that spans 1000 years from the fifth century to the fifteenth century) with one term: the Gothic, essentially boils this entire period of human history into one conglomerate period, which contributes to the fallacious understanding of the ‘Dark Ages’ that a lot of us have in the modern period

The fifteenth and sixteenth centuries saw Renaissance figures rediscovering texts of the classical Graeco-Roman world, prompting inquiries into the natural world and early methods of scientific understanding This newfound wealth of knowledge and ways of understanding the world thus led to the people of the time creating a distinction between the classical, positively viewed Graeco-Romans and the barbaric, Medieval Goths. Thus, the term Goth began to be understood in its opposition to the ‘Classical’ This usage extends from the architecture of the twelfth to sixteenth century to the literature of the Neo-Gothic in the seventeenth century and eventually to the modern day, largely in a pejorative sense

Horace Walpole’s 1764 novel, The Castle of Otranto, would be the first true Gothic novel to be published, subtitled A Gothic Story in the second edition The story contains the nascent themes that would become abundant in later Gothic works, including the feudal tyrant, the threat of dynastic extinction, the persecution of an innocent heroine, and the labyrinthine decaying manor Walpole first published this story under the guise of a translation from Italian in order to experiment with resurrecting the imagined liberties of medieval romances and allow him to write freely in a time where novel writing was heavily influenced by specific expectations Novel writing at the time was an emergent art form and was written largely for moral instruction. Novels were expected to teach the reader moral justice Samuel Richardson’s Clarissa, one of the most fundamental and critical examples of the first wave of novels, depicts a virtuous young woman that readers are expected to aspire towards. Walpole’s, and other later Gothic and Romantic novels, would challenge this moral code and write for other purposes, including entertainment and historical criticism

The traditional Gothic novel and period of Gothic literature concludes with the publication of Charles Maturin’s Melmoth the Wanderer in 1820; however, Gothic themes continue to remain prevalent in later Victorian and Modern works. Themes of the supernatural and decaying antiquity would continue in the works of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, and famously Bram Stoker’s Dracula that would go on to shape our understanding of the vampire to this day

But what exactly is Gothic literature, and what makes it Gothic?

Gothic literature, in its modern usage, has become so generalised and ambiguous that it relies largely upon intuitive suggestion in its themes However, by tracking the progression of the Gothic from its inception and outlining its key principles, I hope to provide a better idea of the Gothic in literature

As I have mentioned, the Gothic is named as such for its distinction from Classical, and thus carries inherent themes of the Medieval and the barbaric. Perhaps most iconic to the Gothic novel is the haunted mansion, which carries the set piece for almost all Gothic stories An archaic, dilapidated castle, abbey or manor is essential to a true Gothic story However, the castle is not simply a castle but serves as an important symbol; a symbol of the structures of the past as they struggle to maintain integrity in the contemporary age Often times these mansions will have complicated hidden pathways and entrances, and just as often, dungeons, prison cells and torture chambers. These hidden aspects of the mansion can be read as revealing the gruesome reality of Medieval times, which was often overlooked during the Romantic Period (of 1798-1837) in lieu of as the name implies romanticising a return to nature that the Medieval period evokes.

Also essential to a Gothic story is the anxiety around tyrannical structures and a reversion to the past. Early Gothic texts, most prevalent in the eighteenth century, were written by mostly by Protestants in Britain, and set in Catholic countries such as France, Spain, and Italy Central to the themes of these stories were the critique of Catholicism and the figures that spearhead the Catholic Church. Important to understand is that the Counter-Reformation and the Spanish Inquisition played heavily upon the minds of Protestants, in that those who were not Catholic were at risk of being unjustly punished and killed for nothing but their religious beliefs Thus, the idea of writing about themes of corruption in Catholic churches and priests were a way of dealing with this anxiety and demonising these figures as a deterrent in public opinion Texts of this nature were often published anonymously to avoid criticism and even accusations of heresy The Friar’s Tale, one example of an anonymously published text of 1799, represents this critique of religion, in which a pious lady of the church has a secret affair with a man, and uses her influence to strip an innocent woman ’ s right to her dying father’s assets and love

This fear of tyranny extends outside the realm of religion as well, later becoming centred around dynastic family structures. A large number of Gothic stories in the nineteenth century were of female authors and were read by female readers, and thus often confronted themes of early feminism and challenged the structures of the patriarchy. The idea of the female Gothic is one that includes a female protagonist whose life or virginity is threatened by an older man Famous authors at the time, including Ann Radcliffe, who was the best paid and most popular writer of late eighteenth century England, would often have their books distributed in circular libraries which were most readily available to middle class women, the target demographic Sheridan La Fanu’s A Chapter in the History of a Tyrone Family is one such female Gothic, in which a lady is married off to an older man, and a secret first wife of his attempts to kill the protagonist throughout the story The most fundamental tyranny of society has been the tyranny of the husband over the wife, and thus the although the house represents a refuge for men, for women of history, the house has been a place in which they are dominated Thus, the mansion of Gothic tales is a place for women to espouse these concerns around marriage and their mistreatment by men throughout the ages.

The evolution of Gothic stories into the Modern age involves a shift away from the archetypical heroine trapped in a Medieval manor, and instead takes Gothic tropes and elements and spins them into independent tales Alejandra Pizarnik’s The Bloody Countess, for example, brings the barbarism of Gothic tyrants to an absurd degree, detailing the ways in which a countess murdered 610 young women throughout her life, and through this providing a critique of the aristocracy as sociopathic and above the law Jorge Luis Borges’ The Gospel According to Mark may not appear on first reading Gothic in nature, however it nevertheless contains undeniable Gothic elements The setting: a protagonist finding himself trapped within a large, run-down ranch due to an unceasing deluge, undeniably Gothic The critique of religion and dark themes: the protagonist being killed by the very residents he taught the Gospel of St Mark under the pretence that they would go to heaven just the same as those crucified Jesus Thus, even in works not readily appraised as Gothic, themes can all the same be found and lineages can be drawn to the origins of the Gothic movement.

Gothic literature has clearly evolved greatly through time, but it is truly a testament to its immense value that elements of a genre that appeared 250 years ago can still be readily found in contemporary stories of today The nature of horror in stories is one that finds itself deeply entrenched in our current culture, with the suspenseful horror movies and video games all finding their forebears in the Gothic tropes of the eighteenth century

Dyslexic’s GETLOST!

...AND WE FIND STUFF?

I'm unsure if you read my piece called Dyslexic's GET LOST! Part 1. But, if you did then this one might interest you Because, in the wonderful world of neurodiversity there is always a flipside.

Be prepared, we ’ re getting all sciency... READ PART I IN 92.4

Dyslexic people are loaded with ironies. There are very successful dyslexics in academia, STEM, and other intellectual pursuits, who also weren’t so great at school. These pursuits chosen by some dyslexics are oddly associated with using dense linguistics. Even Dr Cathy Foley, the Chief Scientist for Australia and physicist is proudly dyslexic. A quick Google search for "famous dyslexic academics" reinforces this confounding truth by listing quite a few.

That goofy kid at school who wasn't so bright, probably bullied as they struggled to read and write, becomes a great success for being… bright?!!

Research indicates correlations between more severe dyslexia and lower IQ result from environmental influences (Ferrer et al. 2010) These influences include inadequate teaching practices for children with learning disabilities. In other words, there isn’t a correlation to a dyslexic child's IQ found in preschool, but a correlation develops after years of inadequate/inappropriate schooling It doesn’t have to be this way

The Brain Is AMAZING

There is an immense diversity in how our brains work, we are all unique. Dyslexic people can exhibit some extreme characteristics that appear misaligned, counterintuitive, and crazy-talk even. Like, I know someone dyslexic who can speed read at 600 words a minute... It's true, but this intriguing line of discussion is not for this article.

Now I study a bit of genomics at PhD level, yet I'm no expert in the genetic disciplines But I have a tiny bit more than a personal interest in it and related topics like evolution. And, I found the below research fascinating.

Cool Research

Taylor and Vestergaard (2022), researchers of the University of Cambridge theorised that thinking about inherited dyslexia (i.e. most dyslexics; developmental dyslexia, or DD for short) as a disorder is all wrong. Since it should be seen as a specialisation. This makes sense, as having about 10% of people continuously born dyslexic is an unlikely genetic mistake. So, maybe DD genes have a purpose, and Taylor and Vestergaard think it might just be for human exploration.

Sinical Sausage Says: “What Good Is Reading And Writing Poorly?”

Dyslexia deficits aren’t the directly helpful thing. With developmental dyslexics, many of us appear to have strengths around discovery and creativity. It’s common to hear dyslexics are inquisitive, inventive, artistic, adventurous, wholistic thinkers, and even extraverted. These are all characteristics we associate with explorers, inventors, scientists, and risktakers. This sounds like the type of person who would be the first woman in history to cross the ice to the North Pole (Ann Bancroft), a person who would invent the light bulb (Thomas Edison), someone who pushes the boundaries to create a technological empire (Steve Jobs), and someone who stared at the stars and contemplated the mysteries of our universe (Stephen Hawking) These are examples of dyslexic people.

DYSLEXICDIT

It’s important to note, that as a group, dyslexic people are just as diverse as everyone else. Even though everyone can’t be a mega-brain superstar or adventurer, I still think all dyslexic people have a kind of grit to their personalities. The grit you find in those who have struggled and hopped back on the horse many times

So, dyslexics’ can be good at exploration ��

On the flip side, I wouldn’t take street directions from any of the abovementioned amazing people as they’re likely to get me bloody lost even the geniuses.

So, some dyslexics get lost and are good at finding stuff. What a fascinating upside-down world we live in.

BY WILLIAM GOH

References

Ferrer, E., Shaywitz, B. A., Holahan, J. M., Marchione, K., & Shaywitz, S. E. (2010). Uncoupling of reading and IQ over time: empirical evidence for a definition of dyslexia. Psychological Science, 21(1), 93-101. DOI: 10 1177/0956797609354084

Taylor, H. & Vestergaard, MD. (2022) Developmental dyslexia: disorder or specialization in exploration? Frontiers in Psychology, 13:889245. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.889245

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

A spooky spirit of a person who has passed away. People say they come out on Halloween night!

The month in which Halloween is celebrated.

A magical and often spooky woman who can cast spells and ride on broomsticks.

Sweet treats that you get when you go trick-or-treating on Halloween, like lollipops and chocolate.

A little eight-legged creature with silk-making abilities

The bony part of your head that protects your brain. On Halloween, it's often used as a spooky symbol

A flying animal that comes out at night.

A magical flying tool that witches use to travel through the sky on Halloween night.

A big, round fruit that's often used for carving jack-o'-lanterns or making pie.

A pumpkin that's been carved with a scary face and has a candle inside to make it glow.

MISSING PIECES

BY FIONNE CHAI PING NGAM

My father was reading a newspaper at the dining table when I ran down the stairs, ready for the first day of school. ‘Eight students went missing, are you sure you don’t want to transfer?’ he said and eyed me with concern.

I sat at the opposite side of the table, applying peanut butter jam on the lukewarm, toasted bread.

‘It’s alright, Dad.’ I answered with a smile, trying to conceal that it just worsened my nervousness. The last thing I wanted was to add another burden to his overwhelming work schedule.

After grabbing a bite of the sandwich, he reminded me, ‘If anything goes unusual, tell me immediately, okay?’ I nodded, quickly finishing my sandwich and my glass of milk. After hugging my father, I headed out for school.

Besides that unsolved case, everything was fine just like any other typical school until that night

I returned to school to retrieve an important note for an upcoming exam. After some pleading with the guard, he finally relented and allowed access for 10 minutes.

Before I shut my locker, I could sense a movement coming from the other side of the corridor. Assuming it was the guard, I quickened up my search and apologies were at the tip of my tongue. However, the footsteps were gradually accompanied by a soft squeak. Something was dragged across the floor. Goosebumps gradually rose along my arms upon the realisation that it may be not the guard that was moving towards me. The night air licked my neck as cold sweat slowly accrued Without thinking, I bolted

Panic surged as my left leg seized, a sharp cramp locking me in place. At that instant, I knew I couldn’t move. While trying to move my toe to relieve the cramp, I turned to the source of the sound. Squinted my eyes in the darkness, I prayed that all the sensual experience was just a mere hallucination induced by weeks of sleep deprivation. That hope was immediately annihilated as I witnessed something disappearing from a corner. It was a pair of black sneakers with messily tied dirty shoelaces gliding against the concrete.

As I was going to call out to the guard, I felt a soft tap on my shoulder. When I spun around, I was welcomed with the sight of a guy holding a torch indirectly below his chin, creating a ghostly figure Before I could scream, he muffled it and whispered ‘ I’m investigating the missing students.” Staring into my eyes, he slowly let go.

After a few more breaths, several thoughts came to mind. This was my first year, and I didn’t want to get into any trouble

The memory of his cold touch was still at the back of my head as I murmured, “Whatever you ’ re doing, don’t get me into it.” With that, I left empty-handed with a blank mind.

When I got back home, I aimlessly entered the bathroom and splashed my face with water. Staring at the mirror under the bright light, my heart once again raced as I saw a tiny crimson streak at the edge of my lip Looking down, I watched a few drops colouring the white sink before being diluted into nothingness. I had been biting my lip all the way home.

The next morning, a parcel appeared at the door. Dad has not yet returned from his overnight shift. My name was listed as the recipient. I could not recall either of us ordering anything online.

I shook the box, hearing a dull thud inside as objects knocked against each other. Something soft, not metal.

The wall clock showed that I had an hour left before school started. My curiosity won and then I sliced across the cellophane. My phone rang in the jingle tone.

Picking up the call, I mumbled a morning greeting while opening the parcel. Dad said in a rush, ‘Are you okay?’

‘Yeah.’ Quickly shutting a mental door on last night’s imagery.

‘A man was found dead at your school.’ My appetite for breakfast vanished. ‘It was the guard He was dragged along the corridor ’

My breath stalled. ‘The school told me … ’ A metallic tang flooded my tongue as I licked my lip ‘stains on your locker door ’

My phone fell from my clasp as I saw what was inside. Inside were a pair of black shoes, bloodstained laces tangled messily. On top, a note in bold red letters: ‘I saw you. ’

The doorbell rang. ...

To be continued

THE TRIBUNAL STRIKES BACK 2024 STUDENT ELECTIONS FINAL DECISIONS HANDED DOWN

It may be a distant memory with exams upon us, but voting for student elections finalised two months ago At long last, the Election Tribunal has handed down its reports on the elections

The tribunal has handed down three substantive reports concerning three separate groups of distinct complaints In a shock move, the Tribunal has ordered more than a dozen candidates not to be elected and there be supplementary elections held at some point. These complaints were levelled against candidates across the political spectrum

Decision 1 - Left Action

The first decision handed down by the Tribunal on October 14 related to twin complaints against a Left Action candidate who was provisionally elected to the YouX Board as well as the SRC. In the first complaint, the candidate allegedly threatened serious violence with the police being called to campus. In the second, the same candidate allegedly told another candidate that he should “ go hang himself”. This was accompanied by a signed statutory declaration

The Tribunal found that “ on the balance of probabilities both complaints have been substantiated” and that subsequently multiple sections of the Election Rules were breached Namely 39.3 concerning intimidatory conduct, and section 39 4 26 concerning attempted assault.

The Tribunal has ordered that the candidate not be elected and that the second-place candidate be elected in his place The candidate has additionally been prohibited from participating in any YouX Election until the end of calendar year 2025.

Decision 2 - Progress

The second and more substantial set of complaints came from students who felt coerced to vote by members of “Progress”

In the first of these complaints a student alleged that a Chinese Student Association event was held exclusively to gain votes. The complainant who felt afraid to name themselves, claimed that to join the activities and eat the food provided, attendees had to surrender their phones to club committee members who would vote on their behalf

In other complaints received, a total of 7 people complained that members of Progress had taken their phones, some in classrooms, and coerced them to vote for that Progress ticket. In their defence, fourteen Progress candidates signed statutory declarations saying that “I have not engaged in behaviours of coercion towards any students to vote” Progress did not put forward contradicting facts on the complaints quoted to them.

Due to Progress merely presenting denials, the Tribunal dismissed any value from the statutory declarations. On the facts, the Tribunal found that the Chinese Students Association did host an event where at least one attendee was coerced into handing over their phone after which votes were cast for certain candidates without consent. They also found that during the week, at least six other students were coerced into providing access to their phones for the purpose of voting

Subsequently Progress was deemed to have committed a “serious and calculated breach of the rules”. Almost every position that Progress won after the provisional declaration of results, has been declared void This includes SRC President, YouX Board, and a slew of other positions These will all go to a supplementary election at some point next year. Any Progress candidate from this year is banned from any campaigning for the first two days of the supplementary election

Decision 3 - On Dit

The final Tribunal decision concerned the election of the On Dit Editors for next year. The elections are always held following the regular elections and this year were contested by two teams: one consisting of unaligned independents, and the other of members of Progress

The complaint made by the unsuccessful, independent team of editors alleged that the victorious Progress team had people campaigning for them throughout the week who did not wear a registration lanyard as required wear and that the team campaigned using unapproved material, namely their ‘Mock Dit’ that was not submitted by the deadline to the Returning Officer

The unaligned team throughout the week sent multiple complaints to the Returning Officer that Progress were engaging in prohibited activity by not wearing their lanyard. The Tribunal revealed through its decision that upon the RO’s investigation, these campaigners were not registered as is required by the rules In separate instances, two Progress campaigners were found to have been campaigning without proper registration.

The other part of the complaint related to Adrian (one of the Progress candidates) allegedly campaigning with prohibited material He allegedly told a student that his team did have a Mock Dit and pulled out his phone and apparently showed it. In a video captured immediately after this interaction, an unsuccessful candidate confronted Adrian and asked why he showed the voter a copy of the Mock Dit, Adrian rebutted this by saying he was showing the “voting card” In his response to these allegations, Adrian provided a statutory declaration that he showed his “approved hot-to-vote card [sic] and my teammate Raktim Argha’s artwork”.

The tribunal found that on the balance of probabilities, with the video evidence as well as Adrian not denying what he said to the student, that he most likely did in fact show the voter prohibited material

Accordingly, the Progress team was ordered not to be elected with a supplementary election held next year. Each of the Progress team is forbidden from campaigning for the first day of the new election

Summary

This decision is frustrating for the staff who will now have to facilitate this election, students who will have to be confronted again by campaigners, and student democracy as a whole

This is the second time in two years where the tribunal has put their thumb on the scale of democracy Last year Left Action candidates were eliminated from eight positions they initially won including the presidency for wearing political party logos while campaigning which are prohibited These positions initially went to a recount, but the election of President was declared void as the second-place finisher was also found to have also breached the rules by offering gifts in order to exert undue influence. This resulted in supplementary elections for the position of President after O’week of this year That decision overwhelmingly helped Progress, but it is now them who reap the consequences of their actions

This decision says a lot about our democracy and the ambitious crop of wannabe hacks. Aspiring student politicians are unable to follow a simple set of rules in their campaigning Where once the tribunal acted as a rubber stamp for the Returning Officer, they are now a key player in the game of who makes decisions on your behalf

- BILLY Z