Cruwsible issue 12

cruwsible

ISSUE 12| SUMMER 2015/16

Bankstown occupation call for carers policy save our EarthCare centre where’s the gym love guru | abuse in YA fiction study exchange name this paper | drone attacks in Pakistan | buy or stream why you totally need to care about climate change | MDMA

WRITE FOR US Send us your stories, artwork, blurbs, photos, articles, reportage, rants, poems, fiction, recipes, good news, not good news and pet photos. crUWSible@uws.edu.au

EDITORS Ian Escandor, Lucy Borg, Fenella Henderson-Zuel, Mia Sanders, Jarrod Bradley, Murray Robertson

crUWSible.com.au facebook.com/crUWSible @crUWSible

cover art Abel McLennan

Advertising inquiries: crUWSible.com.au

crUWSible acknowledges the country and People of the Darug, Gandangarra and Tharawal Nations and acknowledges their ancestors who have been Traditional Owners of their country for thousands of years. crUWSible pays respect to their Elders past and present

crUWSible n. A melting pot of cultures, backgrounds and interests that make up the UWS student body, the fusion that is WSU - a molten mix of dynamic and interesting content.

CONTENTS 7

Occupy Bankstown Call it Whitlam

12

Save EarthCare Centre Hawkesbury Where’s the Gym ?

18

38

Abuse in Popular Fiction Skating in Cape Town

55

31

Climate Change & Ocean Acidification Appearing in Court

42

19

MDMA Drone Attacks in Pakistan

33

14

Celebrating Multiculturalism Indigenous Constitutional Recognition

22

11

Love Guru

47

IMAGES: Kevin Tran

kevtran.co

By Marco Tomasello I read recently in the crUWSible that you guys are thinking about the name of the paper. I personally think that you should leave it as the cruwsible just to stick it to the uni given the whole rebranding ‘controversy’. However, if that’s not possible I thought I’d air a few suggestions: I initially thought ‘The Blue Bird’ would be a good name change. However, if the crUWSible is out, I suspect such a name would encounter the same problem. So another thought came with regards to one of the biggest accusations around the rebranding, that the new logo is unoriginal and to an extent stolen from other universities. The one I hear spoken about most often is Harvard, but I also read in the crUWSible that the University of Wisconsin at Madison has a very similar logo (which seems to be confirmed from a brief internet search). The student papers of these two institutions are The Harvard Crimson and The Daily Cardinal (it seems self-evident which is which). I thought perhaps some amalgamation of these two papers would be appropriate, to again ‘stick it’ to the uni.

However, if a serious and not so flippant name is desired, perhaps something involving the word ‘tribune’ (‘The Whitlam Tribune’ immediately comes to mind), as the word is defined as “a person who upholds or defends the rights of the people” – a goal it seems the crUWSible is striving towards. Indeed it is the title given to officers of the ancient Roman Empire whose duty it was to protect the interests and rights of the commoners from violation by the aristocracy. I think this would be a good basis for a student paper ‘for the students, by the students’.

Just my two cents

SEND your

SUGGESTIONS TO

Hi guys, just wanted to say great job with the paper, it’s always a good read and it’s great to see people passionate about giving a voice to the student body.

I don't think the name has to change, I think you can get away with a bit of a spelling change.

How about cruWSUble?

cruWsible@westernsydney.edu.au

Cheers, Billy Pringle

THE 1999

BANKSTOWN campus OCCUPATION

By Tim Briedis

The Revolution

Begins

in Bankstown !

At about 2pm, on Wednesday October 27th 1999 at the University of Western Sydney’s Macarthur-Bankstown campus, around a hundred students began an occupation of the university’s Student Centre.

strategies. To follow the author and historian Kristin Ross one can therefore think about history as: belonging to the past, and as a kind of opening up, in the midst of our current struggles, of the field of possible futures.

Lasting for 14 days, until midday on November 10th, it was the longest occupation of a university admin building in NSW in the 90s. Eventually, the university admitted defeat, signing a 6 page agreement with the occupiers that conceded to 27 demands. The activists had run a unionstyle ‘Log of Claims’ campaign, in which they surveyed as many students as possible, investigating what students thought the main problems with the university were, which were then drawn together into a series of demands.

They ranged from capping tutorial sizes at 25 (the first such cap in Australia), a guarantee that new library fines and proposed fees around car parking and printing be scrapped, better access to printing and computer facilities, improved security and disability services, better conditions for international students, a pledge that no staff be sacked over the holidays, to installing condom and tampon dispensers in the toilets. To put the occupation in context, Pru Wirth – a prominent student activist in Sydney in the 90s – recalled that: “A fourteen day student occupation was pretty much unheard of. So UTS was around 24 hours, Sydney Uni I don’t think was even that… A fourteen day occupation is crazy! So people saw this success at Bankstown and thought ‘we want to replicate that’

This article is in this spirit. Although the demands of the occupiers were only won temporarily, I argue that the Bankstown campaign highlighted a different way of doing activism, with an imaginative strategy for building and publicising it and a democratic, participatory process emphasised. This collective decision-making – as opposed to a committee of politicised students separate from the student body deciding on a list of demands on their own – was vital. Michael Thorn, a UWS student and participant in the occupation, recalled that the Log of Claims was: “just people getting blank sheets and filling out what they hated about the uni … The important thing was that it was all pulled together, and that it was done justice.

Once pulled together you have a log of claims that was expressing exactly what people were saying. You could very easily change it around, change the wording and make it sound different. I think because of that students at Bankstown felt a sense of ownership over the action”.

But beyond this the occupation itself was an extraordinarily radicalising, exhilarating and galvanising event for those involved. In order to situate Bankstown within a continuum of protest, it helps to conceive of it as a ‘moment of excess’: a term coined by the UK-based collective The Free Association, that describe moments in which capitalist normality is broken, alternative ways of living are experimented with and where: “time accelerates, creativity is amplified and the space of what is possible expands: everything appears to be up for grabs”

Beyond its length, why should we care today? First – amidst narratives of campus quietude and apathy – it helps show the possibility of something different, in an era not too far removed from our own. Second, although histories of radical politics can never provide straightforward and simplistic lessons for activists, they can offer a ‘useable archive’, complementing a toolbox of possible tactics and 6

When we charged in to the admin building, remembered Thorn, ‘that was the moment that radicalised me’. For Andrew Viller, the Education Officer at the Students Association at the beginning of the occupation, the level of solidarity and camaraderie revealed ‘glimpses of another world … a very communal existence, a very communist existence’. After the occupation, Viller recalls, even though they’d won people felt: “quite sad, as the space no longer existed.

Um, I remember very clearly having conversations with people I didn’t know prior to the occupation, we’d become almost like family. And we were sitting around having a coffee and smoking some cigarettes and this student said ‘what do we do now? I just don’t want to go back to regular life’.

Yet it also left a mark beyond the immediate event. The sense of excess generated by the occupation spilled over and was pivotal in catalysing activism at UWS for several years afterwards. Students played a vital part in supporting workers at the nearby Mirotone paint factory in a lock-out in 2001, and in the same year, they occupied Goolangullia, the Aboriginal education space at uni, for 52 days, preventing its closure.

‘Are you pissed off about this Uni?’: origins of the campaign The campaign came from humble beginnings. While there were some activists on campus, at the start of 1999 there was only a very small group. Yet despite this, because they were the only organised political faction on campus they had won left control over the SRC – giving them access to resources and a monopoly over the office-bearer positions.

That year left-wing activist Nick Harrigan was the NUS NSW Education Officer, a half time paid office-bearer position with a salary of $12,500.

Through his position, Harrigan was able to provide support to some of the key Bankstown students. He was in contact with Viller and during the

“To be truly radical is to make hope possible, rather than despair convincing” - Raymond Williams

mid-semester break the two of them met up and wrote a timetable for a Log of Claims campaign. One influence was the US ‘organiser model’ for trade unions, which stressed concrete, winnable demands. This sort of planning became entwined with a more spontaneous outburst of anger from a group of Social Work students. Both Karen Hooper and Amy McMurtrie, social work students on campus, remember a tutorial in late August in which the class started talking about the numerous problems that they faced on campus. Their lecturer suggested that they go to the Students’ Association about them and try and do something, and five students went as a group.

Upon arriving, they found that their grievances fitted in perfectly with the campaign that had been planned.

After this, the first meeting of the Education and Welfare Collective was called. The first few meetings were attended by 10-12 students, quickly growing to 20-25. By the week of September 13th, members of the collective began distributing Log of Claims surveys around the campus.

Posters asked: Are you pissed off about this Uni? Do you have an overcrowded tute?

Are you pissed off about the car park fee being introduced?

Have you been fucked around by Admin?

Are you not finding this place all it was cracked up to be?

John Mcguire, the Welfare Officer for the year, remembered that although he’d had difficulty leafleting for events and meetings the semester before, 7

once they started using the Log of Claims it became much easier to get people interested as: “this was saying to people ‘we don’t know what the issues are’, you should write them down and tell us … that definitely changed the dynamic, people were interested, people were excited, I remember hearing people talk about it, I remember people talking about it to us, people we didn’t know”.

The way in which the Students Association was structured was also important. Instead of just focusing on activism, they also ran the bar, food outlets and even put on a weekly trivia night. Even though this wasn’t explicitly political, it meant that they were known on campus, which made it much easier to communicate to students.

Perhaps the most effective strategy was the use of an informal class delegate system. Collective members became organisers in their own classrooms, encouraging their classmates to fill out the surveys, similarly building on pre-existing networks of commonality and trust. After about three weeks of distribution, they had collected several hundred surveys – an impressive tally out of a campus of 3000. After collating the surveys, they narrowed the list of grievances and a rally was called for Wednesday October 20.

To find put what happened next, read the full article at cruWsible.com.au

8

Old Friend

By Abel McLennan

Born in Guilin, a small city in Southern China riddled with beautiful limestone mountainous landscapes and untouched rivers, Gui is a 65-year-old labourer who lives entirely out of his van, and has been for the last five years.

The Toyota Hiace he willingly calls “home” provides little more comfort over the Ford Falcon which had served him similar needs for the previous two years. With no family or relatives other than his mother in China, Gui is alone in Australia.

He is a talented painter and dreams of leaving the city and living in the countryside. He previously worked as a cleaner at a Buddhist temple and as a groundskeeper maintaining lawns and gardens at a golf club. He is now working in a warehouse in Western Sydney.

He calls it living a “simple life” or a “natural life”, parking by the Nepean River, where he washes, or at a street nearby work, depending on the following day’s plans. Being able to relocate your home sounds quite adventurous and to many people living out of a van would seem to be a ‘hard life’. But happiness and substance is all this man exudes.

His outward situation isn’t normal according to the definitions of society, but what are these definitions and why do they dominate? For fear of being ridiculed, we suppress our creativity,. The power of consumption and the desire to ‘‘have’’ or obtain more, is so prevalent it now appears to be normal.

the unseen. It has refreshed my perspective on life, repaired the way I was living and redirected my desire to pursue something different. Seeing how one man could endure so much, be so strong, and willing to open up and share his experiences without fear or compromise, has made its impact in my life.

We share a common interest in art; when Gui discovered this, he immediately gifted me, without taking no for an answer, two of his oil paintings. One was on the back face of a broken analogue clock, and the other on an old canvas. Every few weeks during work lunch break, Gui will organise pizza for his work colleagues and half way into the meal he will start chopping up a fresh watermelon. These gestures may not seem like a lot, but the act of giving and not asking for anything in return is a strong characteristic of this man’s simple life, and it is quite heartening to experience being offered so much from someone who has so little.

The paintings each have a place on my wall, and it may sound cliché but they serve as a reminder that when life is tough, trouble is always a stepping stone to growth. Accepting what you have or are capable of is difficult, but will truly reward in a more valuable way.

Knowing Gui has been a privilege; he lives a life that finds value in

9

Everyone has a story, a voice and a gift to give. Lending an ear can offer much more than you know.

“Until you have it all, you won’t be free” - Eddie Vedder

NEWS ON

CAMPUS

Save EarthCare Centre, Hawkesbury Campaign for a Gym, Parramatta Call for an Equitable Carers Policy

NEWS ON CAMPUS

call it UWS, WSU or Whitlam ?

By Aldric Chuah

So the established board of directors has decided to rebrand the logo/image/name of the University. First off, hats off to Barney Glover our new VC. When Education Minister Christopher Pyne was trying to push education reform legislation through the Senate, UWS became the first university in NSW to freeze student fees in 2014.

fascinating people living throughout; North, South, East, West. Universities ought to establish campuses/identity throughout Sydney – within budgetary constraints of course!

I now turn to Lachlan Macquarie. Governor of NSW from 1810- 1821, he is regarded in high esteem in contemporary society. We don’t have room to cover everything he did.

Here’s three main points: inclusion of former convicts into mainstream society (see Francis Greenway), investment in public infrastructure and benevolence (in past standards) towards Indigenous Australians. As such, Lachlan Macquarie has many places (Macquarie University) named after him. Macquarie is better regarded amongst mainstream Australian society and is deserving of the accolades. It is arguable that Whitlam also transformed Australian society in a small amount of time. I’m not asking for streets to be named after him but surely we, as the custodians of his legacy, ought to recognise his work/efforts by considering rebranding this university as Whitlam University. Surely a man of his vision and outlook on the Australian psyche ought not have the implicit feature of being geographically specific? His vision extended throughout Australia and arguably in the region as well. His government argued the case for social justice and equality over prejudice and old habits of the past. He sought for an independent Australia and one in which the cultivation of knowledge was deemed more fundamental than the accumulation of wealth. Well may we say God Save The Queen to that.

This was a monumental decision as it went against the established orthodoxy of the sandstone universities. In his words, UWS “provided certainty for students enrolling anytime in 2014.” I state this as a form of qualification. As of August 30th the University of Western Sydney has been known as Western Sydney University. The stated purpose of this was to reflect the University’s commitment to the region. It certainly is a noble pursuit of the University to emphasise its focus on the Western Sydney region.

Without any shadow of a doubt this name change is very ennobling and imbues residents/workers of the Western Sydney region with a sense of pride. It certainly is the case that UWS has done a great deal for the region. However, it is my unrepentant belief that citizens/institutions should not be coalesced into a certain corner. This evokes Gramsci’s espousing of cultural hegemony and of ‘us vs them’. Other universities (particularly sandstone ones) ought to consider establishing campuses in Western Sydney too. Whilst there is explicitly no geographical identification, we all know that UTS, Sydney and UNSW are in the CBD, inner west and eastern suburbs of Sydney. We live in a magnificently fantastic city (and country) with equally 11

the petition As students of Western Sydney University who have benefited greatly from our engagement with the Hawkesbury EarthCare Centre we are aghast at the University’s decision to close the centre.

We appeal to Professor Barney Glover to reconsider this short-sighted decision and ensure that this unique and highly inspirational site can continue its invaluable role in educating students and the broader community about ecological sustainability.

The EarthCare Centre was built by volunteers including students, staff and local community. It is a demonstration site for sustainable living that promotes practical measures that everyone can take to be responsible Earth citizens, to protect our planet and preserve its natural resources for the generations to come. Since 1994 the EarthCare Centre has continually provided opportunities to learn and apply methods for growing and maintaining organic food gardens, sustainable building, using alternative technologies and designing better ways of living.

The EarthCare Centre has been an inspiration to countless students of the university as well as members of the wider community. It offers a variety of fieldtrips, seminars, workshops, primary school excursions, and it is also valued as a research site for studies of community-led sustainable agriculture. Each semester hundreds of pre-service teachers in the unit Education for Sustainability are amazed at how their visit to the EarthCare Centre helps to crystallise their understanding of sustainability education and inspires them to step up to the important challenge of promoting sustainability in their future roles as teachers.

Given the crucial role the EarthCare Centre plays in promoting sustainability education, it is baffling that the university could have decided to shut down the site. Its work is clearly pivotal in enabling the university to show ‘best practice’ as a leading partner in the Regional Centre of Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development. Rather than being forced to close, the EarthCare Centre should be valued as a considerable asset to the university which far outweighs any assumed financial obligation to the university.

SIGN the petition to save the Earthcare Centre at change.org 12

NEWS ON CAMPUS

saVE THE EARTHCARE CENTRE HAWKESBURY

By Megan Hounslow There’s this awesome space on the Hawkesbury campus that is regularly buzzing with life, with people cooking together, vegetables being tended to, and informative workshops being held in the mud brick house. This place is EarthCare.

Set on a 1 hectare block within the University campus, the site comprises a community-built mud brick house which demonstrates multiple sustainable living concepts, including rammed earth walls, passive solar heating, and a composting toilet (look them up, they are actually really cool and not as gross as they may sound!).

The rest, and majority of, the site is gardens, designed upon permaculture principles, where various community groups within and outside of the university can come and grow their own herbs, vegetables and fruit.

Let me set the scene for you…

Ginger is grown in one of the garden beds, its lush leafy tops hiding beneath the soil an immense array of intertwined ginger roots. This ginger then gets made into a crafty gingerbeer by a dozen people at a weekend workshop.

A rogue honeybee swarm makes residence in the side of the heritagelisted piggery on the site, next to our large avocado tree, which you don’t often see avocados on unfortunately.

The bees are there for a bit whilst a bee keeper who can take the bees safely can be found, and in that time, hey presto! The avocado tree produces avocadoes! The wonders of the bees and the birds in nature!

Visiting international guests ranging from students on exchange to business people tour through the site, many expressing great wonder at the beauty of EarthCare and how lucky we are to have it.

Students can be found before or after classes busy at work in their club plot or discussing their next event on the site, or just relaxing away from the books and admiring nature underneath the apple tree (I admit to doing this a number of times!)

Speaking of clubs, a number of student clubs run out of or regularly use the EarthCare site.

Greenthumbs is a student club all about growing your own fresh and tasty food and getting to know gardening. It has a large plot on the Earthcare site, from where they grow everything from mint to tomatoes to potatoes, all of which are then taken, used and eaten by students (for free!)

The Student Farm, a newly formed start-up born out of the Social Engagement and Leadership Program (SELP), is using a plot at the EarthCare site as a comparison plot for the Student Farm site research.

All about food, Youth Food Movement Greater Western Sydney, another student club, held its launch event the One Mile Dinner under the eaves of the mudbrick house patio. Some of the food on the night was grown at EarthCare too!

13

EarthCare is a learning space, and has been for over 20 years, run by community members and students through the not-for-profit Henry Double Day organisation. It has been a mainstay feature of the Hawkesbury campus over this time, and one of the few strong linkages between it and the local community.

Yet here lies our dilemma.

Our future is looking uncertain at best so we need to drum up student support for the centre, to say to the University that the Earthcare site is valued, that students want a green space where they can learn, relax and cultivate their food literacy, that we want to learn more about sustainability, about growing our own food, and about creating skills that will last a lifetime.

If anyone would like to join the Green Thumbs and learn more about organic gardening, sustainability and permaculture, we are open to all WSU students from every campus. We meet every second Saturday for gardening. Join us on OrgSync, to check out dates and times and connect with us on Facebook (Western Sydney U Green Thumbs)

NEWS ON CAMPUS

Campaign for a gym on Parramatta campus

By Jessica Mullen, Caitlin Luther and Amanda Ellis

As social work students at WSU Parramatta campus, we understand the importance of good mental and physical health to support our studies. We have identified the need and desire of students and staff for an indoor gym on Parramatta campus.

Other WSU campuses have an indoor gym. We believe that students and staff at Parramatta campus should have this equal opportunity. Parramatta campus is growing and therefore presents a higher demand for an indoor gym. A gym would also add an incentive to prospective students.

We note with interest that the University “recognises the importance of health and wellbeing and supports the efforts of staff and students to make positive, lasting changes to their health and wellbeing” (Western Sydney University, 2015).

Statistics: • 63% of Australian adults in 2011-2012 were overweight or obese.

• 57% of Australian adults do not exercise enough to meet the recommended guidelines.

• 20% of adults have experienced a mental disorder in the previous twelve months (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2015).

• 66.9% of Australians were sedentary or had low levels of exercise in the prior week (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2012).

Regular exercise can help: Improve mental health and mood, reduce anxiety, depression and negative mood, improve self-esteem, improve cognitive function, improve ability to complete daily activities, control weight, lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes and increase life expectancy (National Institutes of Health 2015).

In addition to starting an online petition at change.org, we undertook a quantitative and qualitative survey of 132 students and staff at Parramatta Campus. We identified: Reasons for using a gym: • 24.3% for health benefits • 18% for body image • 13.5% for weight loss • 17.2% for stress management • 12% for weight maintenance • 15% unspecified • 69% of people were aware of the outdoor gym but only 5% had used it.

Reasons for not using the outdoor gym included: • Location (in view of everyone next to the bus stop) • Embarrassing • It is insufficient and impractical • No showers • Not indoors (too hot in summer and metal can burn) 80.3% believed an indoor gym would be beneficial and they would use it.

Ideal facilities: Quality equipment, reduced rates for staff and students, group classes, full bathroom facilities, lockers, parking, personal trainers, nutrition coaching, women’s only area, childcare.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK &

SIGN THE PETITION at change.org

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NEWS ON CAMPUS

Carers need care: Policy required for equal access at WSU

By Katerina Christofides

I am writing this as a culmination of two years of hard struggle, determination, and great success in the face of significant barriers to my own education, and to those around me. I wish to bring to your attention a significant flaw, a black hole of uncertainty in the current policies of the university that I would like to shine a light on, and perhaps be the catalyst for significant change.

The current policies and arrangements regarding equal access to education, and assistance to students who experience significant barriers to their education are covered under the disability policy and the equal opportunity and diversity policy.

I know many mothers with young children who have had to defer or drop out due to the lack of accessible and affordable childcare on campus, due to the huge family pressures of caring for young children while trying to study at any chance they get, which always results in their marks being significantly lower than what they are really capable of. Also I know of a few fathers and mothers who are students who care for special needs children who receive no assistance at all.

I, myself, have three children under 5, including a set of twins and an older child with special needs. I do not qualify for assistance under the academic integration plan as I am a carer of a person with a special need/disability At present, only students who have a disability themselves and do not have a disability myself. I know I am a high achieving student. When the waters are calm in my home are recognised under the disability unit and applicable life, I have achieved high distinctions. But when they are to be under an academic integration plan. What is absent not, no matter how hard I try, my marks obviously suffer as from any of the policies, is a direct policy that deals with a result of the disruption. There are mountains of barriers carers. Currently the only option is to apply for special to carers that limit their participation and their access to consideration under extenuating circumstances for each university which should be overcome and removed. After event that may occur as a barrier to your studies. Special all, encouraging women to participate in the workforce consideration is at the discretion of the unit coordinator, starts with encouraging them to participate in education which is a hit-and-miss scenario with no guiding policy. and not locking them out.

The Student Support Services will most likely advise you to either drop a unit (or a few) to lighten your load, or I would like to see consultation and the implementation defer studies, effectively limiting access to education for of a carers policy that could be integrated with the current hundreds of students that may fall under the category of disability policy, to provide enforceable guidelines to assist having significant caring responsibilities. I have met many students where they have significant caring responsibilities, fellow students who have experienced significant barriers in order to maintain and enhance their participation and to their access to education. access to education.

15

THE NATION

Celebrating Multiculturalism Indigenous Constitutional Recognition Charity Dumpers The Dismissal 40 Years MDMA Jail Smoking Ban

THE NATION

A little light in Sydney’s dark:

Candlelight vigil for refugees

By Christina Alkhamisi and Jake McCallum

It was the photograph that shocked the world and Sydney’s despair has sparked a revolution in the heart of our city. Aylan Kurdi, three years old, laid face down on the shores of Turkey, the distressing face of a crisis many feel is being ignored.

Sydneysiders flocked in their thousands to bring the issue of refugee intake to light, from across the other side of the globe. Candles lit up Hyde Park on September 7 in remembrance of the short life of a little boy, alongside the thousands of refugees suffering worldwide.

Her message was clear. “Australia’s flag has lost its image.

People used to feel good about it and now they feel fear when they see it.”

The Light the Dark Sydney campaign was one of many events that took place across the country, with similar rallies lighting up every major capital. Solidarity and welcome was the key message throughout the event, with the Australian public demanding change.

“Germany is taking 800,000 refugees and that is a small country with a huge population,” Ms Morrison said. “We “They don’t leave because they want to, they leave because have a big country and small population. What is wrong with our thinking that we aren’t prepared to do the same?” they have to,” Eighty-seven-year-old supporter, Marty Morrison said. “They come here for refuge, we can give Emma McGearrity from the change organisation, Get Up, that refuge.” applauded the significance of activism across the nation.

“Activism comes in different forms,” Emma said.

Families of all backgrounds met as one in Sydney’s CBD “Donate money, donate your voice and join these to take a united stand in the hope of making a difference campaigns.” to the future of refugees. “Everyone just wants to have somewhere safe to live. They just want to get away from the bombings,” said fifty-four-year-old Rhonda Debneh, as she raised the Australian flag high over the candles of the ten thousand supporters.

17

THE NATION

Multiculturalism: Something to Celebrate

By Aldric Chuah

Pohela Boishakh, Bengali New Year

While Australia is a multicultural nation, there are differing opinions about the virtues of some communities and their inability to ”integrate” into mainstream Australian society. Pauline Hanson famously stated in her maiden speech that “we are in danger of being swamped

by Asians”. She has since somewhat changed her views.

showcase Indian culture. There is also the Polish Christmas Festival held around December in Sydney’s Tumbalong Park. Given the scale and ubiquity of it, I won’t mention the Lunar New Year Celebrations which occur every year throughout Sydney ! (guess I just did).

The road to multicultural Australia has never been smooth and in more recent times it has again been challenged.

As a robust parliamentary democracy, we accept the fact that people will have wildly different views, as long as they do not lead to violence. Unfortunately, violence did occur in the 2005 Cronulla riots. This atrocious behaviour was condemned by all corners of Australian society.

An inquisitive and skeptical mind might enquire as to the rationale behind all of these celebrations and publications.

Although it is enshrined in law that discrimination on the basis of race is illegal in all its forms, this will not per se prevent people from doing so. What needs to exist is a strong community base on which people from a non-Anglo Saxon background are facilitated into Australian society by having publications/media in their language.

Everyone has a right to feel safe and free from harm in Australia. Late last year the Abbott government scrapped plans to alter section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. It was dumped because people mounted great resistance and opposition to what they saw as an affront to the cultural tradition of Australia: A fair go.

Without much fanfare, several organisations have established their cultural presence in society through the presence of print media. The Indonesian community is blessed to have the publications of Indo Post, Indo Media and Bulletin. The Indian community is bestowed with the Indian Link and Indian Sun which are published in English.

Until recently, members of the Japanese community had Jenta, but this has since ceased publication. VrThai is for Thai expats and I’m certain there are more which I have failed to mention.

It cannot go without mention that there are many cultural festivals held throughout the year. Every year, around October, Parramatta hosts the “Parramasala” festival to

As for the publications printed in English, they serve a slightly different purpose. They have the intention of shining a light on the traditions, rituals, food and music of the respective cultures. By reading these publications we discover more about the region around us and are better informed about the many cultures which comprise modern Australian society. Australia has one of the highest rates of intermarriage in the world and Melbourne is home to the world’s largest population of Greeks outside of Greece – that’s a fact of which we should be proud.

Judeo Christian/Anglo Saxon Australians built the legal, educational, cultural institutions of modern Australia and fought for our country through various conflicts. We must acknowledge their contribution and sacrifice. The Australian society our soldiers fought for is hugely different to what it was 50 years ago. There are still many issues to discuss but we here at WSU acknowledge that injection of non-British migrants has been highly beneficial for our society, culture and country.

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THE NATION

Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians

By Aldric Chuah

Aboriginal Tent Embassy outside Old Parliament House, Canberra. IMAGE: Bentley Smith Indigenous people are recognised as the original inhabitants of the Australian land mass and associated islands. For 50,000 years they were autonomous and the concept of land was that no one individual owned it.

It was a natural resource that would be able to sustain everyone across the land.

However, British settlement in 1788 replaced this concept with the doctrine of terra nullius or land belonging to no one. Indigenous people were disposed of their lands, abused to the settlers’ advantage and children were forcibly removed from their mothers in what is now known as the ‘Stolen Generation’.

Ever since, successive governments have employed various approaches to address the many issues facing Indigenous Australians in contemporary Australia.

The policy of self determination was implemented by the newlyelected Whitlam Labor government in 1972. It was a radical change in government policy and it enabled Aboriginal people to continue living their lifestyles in an autonomous manner. The passing of the Northern Territory Act 1976 by the Fraser government enabled some Aboriginal Australians to live on their traditional lands. It finally gave Aborigines something tangible and a way to assert their cultural uniqueness in a non-Indigenous Australia. The policy

of self determination signalled that the government finally acknowledged the cultural contributions that Indigenous Australians provide to a non-Indigenous Australia, and dispelled the notion that Aboriginal equality could only be achieved by the loss of Aboriginal identity. The self determination policy of the Whitlam government finally drew a line between the policies of an old Australian establishment and a new and independent Australia.

Although Aborigines still suffer widespread discrimination, various Acts of Parliament such as the Racial Discrimination Act and the Anti Discrimination Act did improve slightly the well-being of Aboriginal Australians.

A watershed moment came in the landmark decision of Mabo v Queensland (No 2) case in 1992 when it was found that there was an existence of native title in the common law and that Australia was not ”terra nullius”. This decision changed the firmament of the Indigenous peoples and propelled the rights of Indigenous Australians into mainstream Australian discussion. The subsequent Native Title Act 1993 was enacted. The 1996 Wik decision found that pastoral leases and native title could co-exist there are conflicting schools of thought on what this means.

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In February of 2008 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a national apology to the Stolen Generations. In doing so, the Commonwealth of Australia readily acknowledged that its past policies and actions were detrimental to the lives of Indigenous Australians and in the words of that momentous day “parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.”

There is a current debate as to whether we should recognise Indigenous Australians in the Constitution. Rosalie Kunoth-Monks is of the view that we should not recognise Indigenous Australians because it will subjugate Indigenous Australians into a foreign constitution.

The argument is that sovereignty will be ceded. The opposing view is that we ought to recognise Indigenous Australians in the Constitution so as to provide acknowledgement on behalf of the Commonwealth and to restore dignity.

Indigenous Australians are part of a multicultural Australia as much as anyone else and I am of the view they should be recognised as the original inhabitants of this land. I also maintain that any alteration to the Constitution must be taken with full consultation of all relevant parties. As Australians we do not seek to alienate or discriminate on the basis of colour or cultural heritage but we all seek to overcome the missteps of the past.

THE NATION

Charity Dumpers Send Poor Message to Disadvantaged

By Carl Sargeant

In the main, Australians are a charitable bunch. We donate billions of dollars to not-for-profit organisations, more than 1 in 3 of us give gifts to non-government organisations and our volunteers rack up nearly a billion hours of unpaid work a year. However, while charity workers toil tirelessly to help the sick, poor and disadvantaged, their generous work is hampered by an avoidable nuisance – deciphering gifts from garbage.

Dealing with an inundation of spoiled foods, worn out clothing and otherwise damaged goods is a daily task for charity workers. These unusable or perished items place an unnecessary monetary and time burden on volunteers, and Rebecca Mawad of the Asylum Seekers Centre points out that, like any other organisation, they have to pay for and organise their own waste management. “When we found ourselves with nine old, rusty oil heaters this year we struggled to get rid of them. We called the local council and did several price comparisons for taking them to local landfills. Had we not eventually realised that we could take them to a scrap metal yard, we’d have had to pay $55 to get rid of these ‘donations’”.

While the strain it puts on volunteers should be enough to deter charity dumpers, there is an element to dumping that is even more concerning- the message it sends to recipients. “I sometimes fear that the message might be

all too clear for our clients; this is what you are worth, you don’t deserve better than this,” said Ms Mawad. The disturbing notion that those within our community living at a disadvantage to the rest of society are worthy only of the discarded and surplus goods of the fortunate is a poor testament to an otherwise charitable and empathetic country, and an ominous sign for a nation on the cusp of receiving 12,000 of the world’s most desperately disadvantaged.

While Ms Mawad doesn’t consider dumping of unusable donations a malicious act and suggests that most dumpers are oblivious to the social implications of their offerings, donators need to be more conscious of the quality of goods they provide. “Obviously everyone has different standards for what is and is not good or useful. However, looking at the goods we receive sometimes, the bar appears too low,” she said.

While Australians continue to give generously to charities year on year, it’s high time we revolutionised how and what we give. So next time you donate goods to charity, ask yourself this question: Would these gifts be good enough for you and your family? If you can answer yes, carry on, but if the answer is no, then dispose of your trash appropriately and try again.

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THE NATION

40 years since the dismissal

By Aldric Chuah

2015 marks 40 years since the dismissal of the Whitlam government.

On the steps of Parliament House, now Museum of Australian Democracy, Gough Whitlam told supporters to maintain the rage until Election Day. Whitlam changed the entire direction of the Australian political firmament. For generations after, both detractors and supporters of the Whitlam government can attribute their interest/involvement in politics to Whitlam.

Whatever you may say of his government and his policies, one thing is absolutely undeniable; he was a parliamentarian who stood his ground and made his opinions well known. Detractors and critics will state that Whitlam was the worst prime minister we ever had and he wasted taxpayers’ money.

It is absolutely correct that he did use taxpayers’ money but he did so to fund infrastructure (sewage in Western Sydney), to establish a universal healthcare system (emulating the UK), fund the arts (through the Australia Council) and one of his key commitments, free education for all. This was absolutely central to his idea of government; equal opportunity for all Australians.

Whitlam himself was seen as an impatient man, yet the Labor Party had been left in the wilderness for 23 years; he was itching to get governing and this was his signature ‘crash or crash through policy’. In this, Whitlam did succeed in implementing many of his reforms. Some of them were part of an undeniable mandate such as ending Australian involvement in Vietnam and his commitment

to provide independence to Papua New Guinea. However his other signature reforms were more controversial such as universal healthcare and free education. Expenditure grew by 19.8% in 74-75 and the final Budget brought down by Treasurer Bill Hayden was $3.5 billion. Inflation was rampant and unemployment was high. (Known as stagflation). Strikes were damaging the economy and the clandestine loans affair proved more disastrous than ever. This is not to mention the ministerial scandals that occurred as well. There is a discussion in current political discourse that the injection of welfare into Australian society (expanded greatly by Whitlam) has lead to a culture of dependency. Famed columnist Andrew Bolt has even criticised S18c of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, claiming it stifles debate and gags free speech. The Abbott government was to remove it but backtracked due to community opposition.

To supporters, Whitlam shall be the shining light on the hill.

For detractors he will be the prime minister who recklessly mismanaged the economy. In the words of Australia’s longest serving prime minister, Menzies, (1949-1966): "He will lead the party one day. It will not be dull."

Indeed it was not dull. We the custodians continue to maintain the rage and enthusiasm 40 years on.

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THE NATION

Party culture and the risks of MDMA

By Debbie Shankar

The neon lights dance, the beat drops and thousands of ravers throw their hands in the air. But there’s a darkness behind all the excitement.

Electronic dance music culture carries an association with substance use and escapism. Festivals like Above and Beyond, Stereosonic and Defqon.1 seem to focus not just on the DJs but on the experience itself. This “experience” often translates to getting high, dancing and being lost in the moment.

With the holiday season looming, the need for awareness is greatly important as attendance at these events is usually made up of school leavers. For many, it’s the first time they will try taking illegal substances.

Many partygoers aren’t aware of what they are actually taking. Detective Inspector Grant Healy from Penrith Police told the ABC that many people don’t realise what they’re ingesting and how harmful it is. Many ecstasy pills contain PMA, a far more toxic drug that mimics the effects of MDMA. Inspector Healy told reporters that unsafe drug use doesn’t only affect the the consumer but “friends and family who live with the scars for the rest of their life.” He said festivals and dance parties weren’t the problem as the organisers have a no-drug policy. “It’s adults making really poor adult decisions,” he said.

Lauren Ziegler, editor-in-chief of music news platform, Howl & Echoes, said “in an ideal world, the media would argue for regulation, testing kits at events, education and harm reduction.” Ziegler said the key to drugs like MDMA is “know, not no”. She said substances can enhance the festival or party experience, especially due to the sense of MDMAinduced togetherness and happiness that you collectively experience with thousands of people.

According to the Australian Drug Foundation (ADF), users of MDMA and especially those who are dancing, run an increased risk of both dehydrating and drinking too much water. The ADF recommends users drink about 500mls of water every hour if active, or 250mls if inactive, as prolonged dancing can cause considerable stress on the cardiovascular system and raise body temperature.

Ecstasy should not be mixed with any other drug, legal or illegal. Consumers should not drive a vehicle while using ecstasy or take alcohol as alcohol dehydrates the body further. MDMA users should stay with friends who can look after them if they begin to feel unwell or emotionally upset.

Anita, (not her real name), an avid festival-goer and user of MDMA, said, “I take one or two pills at festivals because it’s a sense of rebellion and excitement”. But she added that knowing recovery methods was highly important.

Taking MDMA relies heavily on the convenience of taking a pill as it has longer-lasting effects with much less effort and time. “For a drink you’re waiting in line for 15-25 minutes when you could have taken a pill and be out dancing,” said Anita.

Due to past incidents, holiday periods are heavily monitored by law enforcement agencies using drug detection dogs, continuous police presence and personal searches. A 26-year-old man recently died at Sydney’s Defqon.1 trance festival and eight others were hospitalised. Whether drugs were a factor in the death is still being investigated.

Ecstasy is the second most-used recreational drug in Australia and Australians are the biggest users of it per capita in the world; one in 10 people over the age of 14 have tried it according to the 2014 UN World Drug Report.

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THE NATION

jail SMOKING BAN seems PATCHY

By Angela van der Horst

With NSW jails heading into their fifth month of being smoke-free, questions are being raised about the discriminatory nature of the ban.

“The current ice epidemic in the state is leading to heightened crime rate, and therefore full prisons,” said Mr Morrissey.

“This is much more toxic than the actual tobacco, with the glue in the patches making a number of inmates sick.”

The smoking ban was implemented over a period of eighteen months in which Corrective Services and Justice Health staff worked in conjunction.

They discussed the effects it would have not only on inmates, but also staff.

“Nationally, twice as many people are using the drug ice in Australia than a few years ago.”

Sue has been dealing first-hand with inmates during the smoking ban.

She believes that illegal drugs are a primary issue which should be the main focus in many NSW prisons.

“This smoking ban has shed light on the amount of inmates sharing injecting equipment which then causes transmission of diseases,” said Sue. “As a nurse, the last thing I want to see on top of that is the health risks associated with the making of their own cigarettes, especially with the knowledge that prison staff may be smoking just outside their confinement.”

The NSW Government put the smoking ban in place in August, only one month after the ban was introduced in Victoria. There was much hesitation from the government about the ban, after the riots it sparked in Victorian jails. NSW Corrective Services believed that through discussion, NSW would see a more successful outcome.

The government’s main aim was to reduce second-hand smoke, protect the health of prison staff, and reduce mortality among prisoners. However, unlike Victorian prisons, NSW prisons have designated smoking areas for prison staff. Inmates believe that the acceptance of smoking from staff is discriminatory, but has also eliminated what was communicated to them as the main purpose of the ban.

Prison workers and inmates are not the only ones not completely on board with the ban. NSW Police officer, Grant Morrissey, said illegal substances should be the primary concern of the NSW Government.

Nurse at Parklea Prison, Sue Howlett, said that over the past few months she has noticed that the ban has been especially hard on new inmates.

She said many coming into jail were mentally unwell and detoxing from other substances. Prison staff often used cigarettes to encourage new inmates to cooperate due to them being a legal substance, which could be bought in jails.

The ban came after success in countries, with NZ prisons now completely smoke-free. However, according to the Australian Council on Smoking and Health, 79 per cent of Australian prisoners smoke, compared to 67 per cent of NZ prisoners.

NSW prisons hold a number of education days and interviews with inmates to accommodate the high number of smokers, in the hope they will participate in non-smoking programs. They are then able to begin nicotine replacement therapy.

However, Sue said that inmates are now melting down the nicotine patches they have been given and mixing them with tea leaves to smoke.

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Sue, a smoker herself, said prior to the ban, there was already much resentment from inmates for prison staff being able to smoke freely. Sue has used this ban as an opportunity to quit and to support inmates in their programs as much as possible.

“There is a support system in place to assist the prisoners with quitting, where staff can only seek ongoing help” said Sue. The ban has impacted staff in varying ways, with some deciding to quit or reduce their intake, while others have taken offence, believing they are being forced into doing something.

War and Back Again

By Melissa Swann

shore leave, years ago too many to keep count now, all he knows is it had to be around the time he stopped remembering how to not feel bare without the uniform on a girl with eyes too bright for the thick exploited air of a mining town, outside a building that belongs somewhere else her with it, and him too all things displaced dark hands stronger than they should be, a tug on his shirtsleeve, wilting flowers wrapped around wire and green and those too bright eyes wide and looking up at him not as young as he thought the trick of a hunched frame, and her voice of short answers, clipped words a broken language they try to share, built of halves and gestures sure with her newest creation, ‘crowns’ she calls them, placing one atop his head, he’s already greying by then and yet made king, cracked concrete a fitting kerbside throne something about it disturbs the scene of a dirty good for nothing town, a war raging on your doorstep, one that far outlasts the tired flowers already dying in his hair

image: Michelle Pantoja | misharosedesign.com

DREAM Sometimes in our dreams we are somebody else But it doesn’t matter They still count as memories Often introducing sweet savour not found in reality

THOUGHT Have you ever seen a wild thing sorry for itself?

No social quota to fulfil She wanders around freely Exploring the world and her mind Fear, is not present here

WATER If I were an animal The ocean would be my home The blue depths I would roam, Taking shape against refractions seeping in from above Seldom singing out to the ones I love Their paths in the distance, sometimes parallel to mine The deeper I go, the colder it gets I’ve seen the bottom, it is dark, But when I emerge

Dream, Thought, Water

The view across the divide makes its worth

Poems and images by Abel McLennan

I hold on

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image: Arnold Kumar

Soar High Above

By Aldric Chuah Perhaps one day the planets will align When all the stars in the universe are in place I will no longer have to wade through time and space To see your warm effervescent face There isn’t much I can offer now My achievements to date aren’t worthy of a bow In fact some people might say that I’m crude and rude I hope you will perceive me as just as a normal dude I will admit I’m not quite perfect There are valid reasons as to why I wasn’t a high school prefect I realise that this is all be just pipe dreams But I yearn and hope that there is much more bursting through the seams

Together we shall soar Into the sky forever more And so I ask, like one great dove Is it me of whom you love?

I shall not move I shall not seek For you shall see that I am meek And as you soar high up above I’ll be waiting for you, please come my love.

I learn from you my one true liege I yearn for you, I’ll create a siege For you can teach me noble ways I envision a future together of such happy days I cry for now, we soon shall part As it approaches noon, it shall break my heart When you are near we’ll make some art I love you dear, please do not part

Liminal

By Melissa Swann

Sunrise on the highway, sunset between backstreets. Your hand cast across the back of my seat like afternoon shadows stretched out atop the bonnet.

Street signs that lurk about take no notice of dulled headlights ambling. Our homesick engine a child’s whine, bouncing on and off the sidewalk.

But you know I wouldn’t mind if we were only ever this. These four tyres on the road, your two hands on the wheel, neither here nor there.

And going fast to nowhere.

Look Closer poem and artwork by Jenan Baltaji Close your eyes Can you see clearer now?

When your head is filled with dreams And your feet no longer touch the ground When your heart laughs freely When there is no longer reality When chains vanish Fear is banished Heart no longer tarnished

Where there are no more bad souls Consuming our happiness Where the sun breaks through the darkness No more hungry souls, Eating at our dream Where those who once hurt us can’t be seen Can you see clearer now?

Where the fog is lifted Our minds have drifted Where the world would be behind us The raging fire leaving ashes and dust As seeing made you blind Cinder and darkness engulfed your eyes So just close them Where a whole new world is what you will find

Can you see clearer now?

When there are no longer rainy days And you can see the sun’s rays Where birds are free We’ll fly you and me And find neverland where we’ll live carelessly Where time stands still, Imaginary becomes real Where our secrets fly away No longer at bay

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WORLD NEWS

Climate Change and the Pacific Climate Change and Ocean Acidification Clicktavism Intolerance

WORLD NEWS

Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Drone attacks in Pakistan

By Iman Sohail The mainstream media has largely avoided discussing a surreptitious military operation that has existed by the order of the Bush administration since 2004; drone attacks in Pakistan.

The ‘playstation mentality’ of targeted killings, the immoral and exceptionally inhumane method of combating identified high-risk terrorists, still remains questionable in terms of its legality.

Since 2004, an estimate based on the reported drone attacks has caused the death of 3,341 people in Pakistan.

Statistically, only 2% of these deaths were of high-level, high profile “terrorists”. Therefore, 98% of the remaining deaths were of Pakistani civilians, including children, the elderly and alleged combatants. The attraction of drone attacks is primarily justified by the fact that there is no deployment of troops nor subsequent casualties. But at who’s cost? Each of the civilians killed in the attacks, so easily deemed collateral damage in the name of War on Terror, had a story, a family, a life. Although in 2013, Obama acknowledged the incidents of

civilian casualties. He stated that ‘‘the terrorists we are after target civilians, and the death toll from their acts of terrorism against Muslims dwarfs any estimate of civilian casualties from drone strikes’’. So essentially, although the US’ anti-terror military operations have a recognized similar outcome to acts of terrorism, they are justified as long as the number of civilian deaths is less.

Furthermore, the extremely low success rate of such a cruel anti-terror manoeuvre completely violates the due process clause of the Constitution, for both the high-level terrorists and civilians. The Pakistanis killed by remote are not given any form of a fair trial, with the final decision being made by military figures and not by judges. The notion of our fight against terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda or the Taliban cannot simply eliminate the legal parameters designated for all human beings. Upon this, the United Nation’s Philip Alston, the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, has expressed great worry over the drone attacks in regards to the cycle of terrorism.

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The US drone policy in Pakistan has not only destabilised the already weakened Pakistani government, former CIA officers have recognised it as an accompanying motivation of the current Taliban for further terrorist attacks, facilitated additionally by the prevalent anti-American paradigm.

The counterproductive policy has essentially ignored the socio-political impact of the drones and the indirect costs.

The crux of my opinion is that you should not let a counter-terrorism policy that has yet to present an acceptable rationale or any accuracy in its methods, be perpetrated in order to win over our common fear of terrorism. Would you be just as accepting of such a military operation if it was implemented upon you and your family? Don’t let this conflict get out of your sight and out of your mind. Inform yourself of the details and allow yourself to consider whether you support drone attacks or not.

WORLD NEWS

Why you totally need to care about climate change

By Jessica Maher

Climate change is at the forefront of politics both nationally and globally, with world leaders defining it as one of the key issues of our time.

However, the attitude of our generation, the generation to be most affected by climate change, is somewhat indifferent.

In a 2013 report commissioned by Australian Youth Action Coalition, climate change adaption did not even come into the top six social issues concerning the participants, and to be completely honest, I get it.

Although the issue of climate change has been on the international agenda for over 20 years now, admittedly when people would discuss it, my eyes used to glazed over.

Before, when I heard scientists talk about rising sea levels, loss of agricultural land, severe weather changes and a host of other effects, it rendered me a zombie. But not anymore.

My catatonic climate apathy status took a dramatic turn last year, when my lecturer told us that in 50 years, climate inaction will mean the destruction of the communities of the South Pacific. Based on current scientific data, the islands of Kiribati, Maldives, Seychelles, Torres Strait Islands, The Solomon Islands, Micronesia, Palua, Cateret Islands, Tuvalu (pictured), Bangladesh and Tokulau and their inhabitants will face peril without dramatic action on climate change. And this is why you absolutely need to care about climate change.

The communities of small island developing states face an uncertain future due to storm surges, coastal flooding, and sea level rise. Their populations are at risk of death, injury ill-health and disrupted livelihoods. Indeed the effects of climate change will ultimately impact the poorest hardest and will drastically alter the living conditions of hundreds of millions of people living on the margin of survival. In

a speech to the United Nations, the President of Tuvalu compared climate change to “a slow and insidious form of terrorism� committed against them. The challenges of climate change adaptation is extremely problematic as populations of small island developing states face increasing hardship due to natural disasters and other climate change impacts which accordingly diminishes their capacity to adapt. As territories are submerged and rendered uninhabitable, the movement of people is inevitable and indeed some nations are already making plans to relocate their residents from the threat of rising seas.

But despite our increasing awareness about the impact of climate change and growing community engagement with the issue of climate change, the plight of our neighbours remains largely ignored by the international community.

Our neighbour, Fiji, has been forced to relocate residents, with Kiribati making plans to relocate its community within the next ten years. And this is why you absolutely need to care about climate change.

This is a perilous time in the history of the world. We are the first generation in history to feel the effects of climate change and the last generation to be able to do anything about it. Climate change, without urgent attention and action from our own leaders and our global partners, will continue to transform our region and shape our economic, migration and national security for years to come.

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WORLD NEWS

Ocean Acidification: The ocean’s other problem with CO 2

By Elliot Scanes

Humans are currently emitting CO2 faster than has occurred on Earth for millions of years. Currently, atmospheric CO2 concentrations are at their highest point in 800,000 years and don’t look like slowing any time soon.

Inevitable global warming as a consequence of the excess CO2 and other pollutants causing the “greenhouse effect” is well established among scientists (despite what politicians might say). This warming of the earth will eventually also cause warming of the oceans, most notably affecting species ranges.

But this is not the only way excess CO2 is going to change the world’s oceans. The oceans have already absorbed 40% of the CO2 emitted by humans, and will keep continuing to do so. As CO2 dissolves in seawater, it forms carbonic acid, which, in turn causes the oceans to acidify. So far, oceanic pH (the measure of acidity) has fallen 0.1 units, and is predicted to fall 0.3 – 0.4 pH units by 2100 unless drastic global action is taken to curb emissions.

This small decrease in pH may seem insignificant, however pH is measured on a natural logarithmic scale (for those mathematicians) which means that each unit is an order of magnitude larger than the previous. A 0.3 unit drop in pH means that calcium carbonate, the mineral that all shelled animals shells are composed of, is now soluble in

seawater. Predictably, scientists are most concerned about the shelled animals of the ocean like molluscs, crustaceans and cindaria (corals).

Investigations by our lab at Western Sydney University have shown that under these scenarios Sydney rock oysters will have difficulty forming their shell, especially in their juvenile stages. These difficulties waste vital energy, which is especially important in an environment where you always need an edge on your competitor.

Similar studies have found comparable effects in sea urchins, corals, scallops and almost every shelled animal in the ocean that you can think of.

Many marine ecosystems support hidden biodiversity, those animals too small to see or those which are just sneaky. Such communities are vital as a source of food for larger predators. We have found that these entire communities can change under ocean acidification. While shelled animals are the focus of a lot of research, studies have shown that ocean acidification’s effects aren’t limited to only them. Research on the Great Barrier Reef has found that under ocean acidification scenarios, clown fish can no longer use their sense of smell to find a suitable place to reproduce. Fish behaviour and their ability to hear predators has been altered by ocean acidification. Marine invasive species are also more likely to become more established as other competing species are affected by ocean acidification.

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These experiments have all been conducted over a relatively short time frame. Surely marine animals will just evolve, right? Well, as previously stated, the rate of current CO2 emissions is unprecedented. The physiological changes that shelled animals will have to undergo to cope with ocean acidification are highly unlikely in the timeframe that they have. And even if whole scale extinctions don’t happen, changes in ecological functioning are almost inevitable. But there is some hope, especially for tolerant animals like oysters. We have now exposed successive generations of Sydney rock oysters to ocean acidification and found that each generation is better at coping than the last. However, like always, this adaptation comes at a cost, we just haven’t worked it out yet. It looks like the life span of oysters is likely to be shortened in this compromise.

Ocean acidification is just one of many challenges that our oceans will face in the future. Unfortunately without a cultural shift away from fossil fuels and deforestation, ocean acidification is going to happen. The best we can do, is to continue to study the effects on our marine life. Understanding how they may be affected is the first step in a larger process of trying to manage these changes for the future.

Elliot Scanes, PhD Candidate, WSU IMAGE: Wil C Fry

WORLD NEWS

Clicktavism intolerance

By Lauren Stanley The vitriol and hypocrisy spewed by those that I know to be essentially good people never ceases to amaze me.

Let’s be honest, this is not a new trend; you give people a platform to speak their mind and they will.

Whether you want to hear it or they apply a filter to it, is another kettle of fish. More and more frequently I find myself opening my facebook feed to find several ‘‘friends’’ have mindlessly shared their xenophobia or hypocrisy with their online world.

One picture was something military and it read ‘‘before we pay for any new people, how about we help the homeless returned soldiers’’. Another was a picture of a dry landscape with the words ‘‘let’s support the farmers before ‘refugees’ with mobile phones’’, and the countless status outcries against the Yulin dog eating festival. My tolerance level for this ‘‘clicktavism’’ – which is basically just smoke-screened racism – is fading with great velocity and for several reasons: Firstly (based on my own very quantitative analysis), people participate in approximately zero critical analysis of what they are sharing. It’s all ‘‘yeah! I think that too!’’ with no consideration as to what it makes them look like and/ or what sort of rubbish they’re actually perpetuating. Let me address my example of the dog eating

festival before you rip this to pieces proclaiming that I’m a heartless monster. Not a single person who shared their outrage at that festival (on my feed) was a vegetarian or vegan. That makes them, and anyone reading this who did the same thing, a giant hypocrite. Why? Because you do the exact same thing every day, my friends. Just because you’re culturally socialised to see dogs as pets and not food, does not make eating cows, pigs, and/or sheep any different.

So when you share that, but still consume animals, then pretty much all you’re saying is ‘‘Your culture does gross things. Look how much more righteous and morally correct mine is’’ .

The first two examples run along the same line. You feel empathy for returned soldiers who struggle with homelessness because of the horrors of war? Or you feel the plight of farmers who have struggled with decades of drought? That’s a lovely sentiment. However, in these cases, that sentiment is where it stops and precisely where this argument becomes the exact same mind-numbing ‘‘I-don’t-agree-withgay-marriage-so-I’m-going-to-stopyou-from-doing-it-even-though-it-willaffect-my-life-in-absolutely-no-way’’ debate. By all means advocate for the awareness of these causes from the safety of your iPhone screen; they all need the exposure. But that’s not what you’re really sharing, right?

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Because the reality is that you have no idea what proportion of the federal budget gets assigned to international aid, and you actually don’t care that much about the vets with PTSD or the struggling farmers, because if you did, you would do something about it. What you’re really sharing is ‘‘I don’t care that there are people in need. I don’t want to share my toys with the kids in the sandpit who aren’t white’’. It’s those refugees that you’re spreading mindless hate about and there’s a good chance they’ve experienced something very similar to those returned soldiers.

Basically, many Australians have absolutely no insight into the lived experiences of refugees. Now I would definitely count myself within this bracket of ignorance as the entire depth of my understanding has been through personal research, reading articles and volunteer work.

I don’t expect anyone here to really understand it because we live in a very lucky country of peace and prosperity. But I also don’t expect this mindless and callous attitude that is just a thin veil for racism. I ask you as people who live in this country, what makes you think it is okay to not help everyone we can, and not just those who live here? The only reason you are here, and others ‘there’, is because you had the incredibly lucky fortune (and luck is all it was), to be born here, and not a place of conflict.

Too Late

By Georgia Fait I should have left earlier.

To go to Paris And walk along the Champs-Élysée Marvel at the Arc De Triumph Bask in the French sunlight And listen to the chattering of people around me But now it’s too late.

I should have left earlier.

To travel to Prague And join the hour of the orloj The statues running past the small windows Experience the beauty Appreciate the culture But now it’s too late.

I should have left earlier.

To walk the streets of Edinburgh Following the Royal Mile Like so many before me And ponder at the ancient buildings That surround me But now it’s too late.

I should have left earlier.

To frolic through the streets of London Glimpse the rooftops on the Eye Watch the changing of the guards Standing still and straight Professional But now it’s too late.

I should have left earlier.

To visit Dublin A small city Quaint But beautiful And so serene But now it’s too late.

I should have left earlier.

To take a boat around Amsterdam The river a steady flow Steadier than the locals Flocking around with clouds of smoke Trailing behind them But now it’s too late.

I should have left earlier.

To see Cardiff An amazing place With Cardiff Castle Standing center and proud Picturesque But now it’s too late.

I should have left earlier.

To make it to the airport On time Not speeding And then maybe That car wouldn’t have hit mine But now it’s too late.

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PODIATRY UniClinic at Campbelltown campus offers podiatry services to the general public at a reduced rate, including nail surgery, foot pressure analysis, diabetes assessment, orthoses, vascular/neurological/biomechanical/ gait assessments, and muscle rehabilitation. For students most of the services cost just $10.

Phone 4620 3700 and visit uws.edu.au/ uniclinic

STUDY & LIFE SKILLS Free workshops include academic writing workshops, library roving, maths, dealing with exam stress, mastering your memory, time management, planning, getting motivated, strategies for stress-free presentations.

Email mesh@uws.edu.au for maths workshops, hall@uws.edu.au for academic literacy workshops and counselling@uws.edu.au for life skills workshops

STUDENT WELFARE For assistance from other services, such as a counsellor or a government agency, UWS welfare officers can help you with info and advice about the right services to talk to in relation to accommodation, financial assistance including food vouchers Centrelink support, tax help, textbook vouchers, sexual health, bullying, advocacy on misconduct, review of grades and special consideration and budget meals.

Email welfareservice@uws.edu.au or visit uws.edu.au/askwelfare

CAREERS With CareerHub you may search for jobs, internships, work experience, overseas positions, book in to career expos and access career information and resume advice all in one place. This free service is available to all UWS students and recent graduates. Register with your current MyUWS Account.

Email careerhub.uws.edu.au

FAMILY PLANNING NSW MATES@UWS Reproductive and sexual health experts on contraception, pregnancy options, STIs, sexuality and sexual function, menstruation, menopause, common gynaecological and vaginal problems, cervical screening, breast awareness and men’s health. Clinics in Ashfield, Fairfield, Penrith targeted to marginalised communities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds, refugees, people with disability, young people and same sex attracted people.

Visit fpnsw.org.au or call 1300 658 886

MATES@UWS is looking for volunteer mentors to help new students settle in and make their first session at UWS a positive one.

Being a ‘Mate’ not only gives you the opportunity to help new students with their transition but allows you to meet other students, connect with UWS staff, receive free goodies and most importantly, have lots of fun along the way.

Visit uws.edu.au/mates

INDIGENOUS STUDENTS

Ever have unprotected sex? Get tested, it’s easy. Many Sexually Transmitted Infections have no obvious symptoms.

Sexual Health Clinics at Nepean Hospital in Kingswood and Blue Mountains Hospital in Katoomba offer FREE confidential testing and treatment. The Nepean Hospital Clinic also offers the ‘Men Out West’ Clinic with HIV testing in 10minutes. No Medicare card needed.

Visit nbmlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/ Sexual-Health or phone Nepean Sexual Health Clinic 4734 2507 or the Katoomba Sexual Health Clinic 4784 6550.

Badanami Centre provides support and encouragement for every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student enrolled at the University. Students can drop in to Badanami anytime to study or relax Badanami can put you in touch with a range of services across campuses, from study skills courses, careers advice, counselling and medical assistance all the way through to opportunities to study abroad 1800 032 923 or email badanami@uws. edu.au

SEXUAL HEALTH CLINIC

PASS: PEER-ASSISTED DISABILITY SERVICE STUDY SESSIONS

Work with other students to understand the content of your units and develop study strategies to help improve your academic performance. Each PASS group is run by a student facilitator who has studied the unit previously. PASS is free and voluntary.

Regular attendance of PASS will help improve your grades and make study more rewarding.

Visit uws.edu.au/pass

CHAPLAINCY The chaplaincy team offers a caring presence to all staff and students at UWS; encouraging spirituality, offering hospitality and creating community. We do this by embracing our diversity, encouraging conversation and respecting our similarities and differences. Chaplains come from a variety of spiritual traditions.

Email chaplaincy@uws.edu.au

A team of professionals to assist students with all types of disabilities including chronic illness, mental health conditions and learning disabilities by providing reasonable adjustments.

Reasonable adjustments, such as exam provisions, are steps taken to ensure all students have equal access to university.

Visit uws.edu.au/disability, call 9852 5199 or email disability@uws.edu.au

COUNSELLING A team of qualified social workers and psychologists to help you with any issues affecting your study. If you’re not sure that university is for you, a counsellor may be able to offer advice and support or help you improve your study skills. Counselling is free, confidentail and can be carried out as e counselling if preferred.

9852 5199 or email counselling@uws. edu.au

STUDENT LEGAL SERVICES:

Going To To Court Receiving a Court Attendance Notice Your Court Attendance Notice (CAN) will state the details of where and when your case will be heard, along with your details, offence and the details of the prosecutor. You should carefully read the CAN to check the offence details, as this is what you are charged with and what will be dealt with at court.

What if you can't attend?

If you have received your CAN for a NSW local court and you can’t make it, simply not turning up is the worst thing to do. The court can decide your case anyway, which is not going to be the most favourable outcome for you.

There is also the risk that the court issues a warrant for your arrest. You can apply for the date of your hearing to be changed, or, for minor charges, you may be able to submit written pleadings.

How to change the location If you pleaded not guilty, your case usually won't be moved to another court. This is because the prosecution may want to call witnesses, including police officers, to give evidence at your hearing. Usually the witnesses live or work near to the court where your matter is listed. You may be able to enter a not guilty plea in writing instead of going to court. Usually this means you will only need to attend court on the hearing date. You should get legal advice before pleading not guilty in writing.

How to prepare for the day Make sure you know where you are going ahead of time. Running late will add more worry to a stressful day. You can also bring character references and an apology letter for the court to take into account when determining your sentence. Be prepared to spend hours waiting for your case to be heard. Just because you are required to turn up at 9am does not mean

your case will be heard then. You are allowed to bring a friend or relative with you to court, so consider doing this if you feel they can support you during the day.

What to plead When deciding how to plead, you should consider the following: • Do you have a defence?

• Was the CAN sent in time?

• Do you agree with the police facts sheet?

• Do you have the time?

• Can you get to court?

• What penalties could you get?

• Is there benefit in pleading guilty?

• Should you get a lawyer?

Guilty: If you plead guilty it means you agree that you committed the offence, ALL the facts raised by police, and you do not have a defence.When you plead guilty, the magistrate will usually sentence you on the same day. You may be sentenced on another day if you were charged with a serious offence, or if you agree or are ordered to participate in a course or program.

Not Guilty: If you are pleading not guilty this means you do not agree with the allegations against you and you either believe you did not commit the offence, or that you have a defence.

You usually plead not guilty at the mention, and your case is then listed for a hearing on a later date. When you plead not guilty, the magistrate will give you a hearing date. At the hearing, the prosecutor will present evidence to try and show the court that you are guilty. You can also present evidence that shows you are not guilty or that you have a defence.

The magistrate will then make a decision. If you plead not guilty and you change your mind, you can change your plea to guilty at any time before or on your hearing date, but you should do this as soon as possible.

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What is a defence?

A defence is an explanation or reason that suggests you should not be found guilty. A defence can be a denial that you did what the prosecutor says you did. If you say you had a legal excuse or justification for your actions, this may also be a defence. Common examples of legal defences include: • genuine accidents • honest, reasonable mistakes of fact • self-defence or defence of another • necessity or duress (where you are forced to do something) • you had a legal right to do what you did.

Working out whether you have a defence can be very difficult. You should get legal advice about the circumstances of your case.

What if the CAN details are Incorrect?

If your CAN has incorrect details such as address or date of birth, it does not make it invalid. Occasionally if you mention the incorrect details at court, the charges may be amended, or a new notice issued. If you think the offence details are incorrect, for example, the offence is different to what you were told by a police officer, get legal advice.

This info was sourced primarily from LegalAid and LawAccess. It is general info and should not be relied on as legal advice.

By Corinne Deall, Event Coordinator and Jayd Raffoul, Solicitor, Student Legal Services.

WSU Student Legal Service is a joint venture with Macquarie Legal Centre, located at the WSU Parramatta Community Justice Clinic, Parramatta Local Court. Student Legal Service provides free legal advice to enrolled WSU students through SSAF funds.

For advice contact Student Legal Services on 8688 7875 or studentlegalservices@westernsydney. edu.au

why you should care about #stupol: open letter from a student rep

By Michael Wright SECRETARY, PARRAMATTA CAMPUS COUNCIL

On Tuesday October 27, the planned Parramatta Student Campus Council (PSCC) meeting was postponed due to a lack of quorum. Of the 9 members, only 3 attended, with just as many MIA. At both SRC and PSCC meetings in recent months, the number of student reps in attendance only narrowly outweighs the number of university staff. Meetings end with half of the agenda unaddressed because members showed up late, or quorum walked - not as an act of indignant protest, but because they got bored and wanted to go home.

Don’t blame these reps however, for this apathy reflects that of the entire student population. The fact that these reps don’t have any real power contributes to this. Consultation is phrased as “this is happening. Do you want to be involved or not”.

Suddenly these roles exist only to hand out pizza and restock the kitchenette.

In reality we exist to fight for you, the students, but we need the university to listen to make it worth us campaigning. We are stuck in this feedback loop, where students’ apathy breeds the university’s unyielding attitude, which creates even more indifference.

Yes, there are massive problems with the student representation model on display at USyd, where police and campus security get called to meetings to prevent fistfights, professional journalists are kicked out and camera crews are barred from entry. We don’t need student politics with the factional deals that end in (allegedly) stolen phones and acts of sabotage to prevent meetings and votes (as reported by Junkee and Honi Soit among others).

But it is undeniable that these students care about student representation, when the meeting’s hashtag (#repselect) trends nationwide. I for one would rather too much passion than not enough.

We need student rep to be a position that every student vies for, which every person believes is useful. You have to be deeply invested to bother stealing a phone or sabotaging the lights. The University of Sydney Union doesn’t have to worry about members showing up – they have to barricade the press and audience from joining in.

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At Western Sydney, I was declared elected with 14 votes for a position on a campus hosting 13,000 students. This means that .1% of students supported me and yet I won.

This isn’t democracy. This is me winning because you didn’t bother to vote against me.

To paraphrase Evelyn Beatrice Hall, ‘‘I may disapprove of who you vote for, but I will defend to the death your right to vote for them’’. We need this passion, we need you to care, even just a little.

Our system is broken, corrupted by apathy and a lack of vision.

Help change this. Find an issue on campus to be passionate about, and let us know. Shape our campaigns by telling us what battles are worth fighting.

As always, contact the Student Representative Council at src@ lists.uws.edu.au and your Student Campus Council at <campus>_scc@lists.uws.edu.au (i.e. parramatta_scc@lists.uws. edu.au).

My passion made me write this.

What will your passion make you do?

BOOKS ARTS MUSIC GAMING

Fifty Shades of Abuse in Fiction The Bluest Eye Carving His Way to the Tip Pre-order Games or Wait and See ?

BOOKS ARTS MUSIC GAMING

wn or stream ?

Music now

By Fenella Henderson-Zuel & Samantha Bulloch It is increasingly popular among young people to stream music via digital platforms such as Spotify, Pandora, and newcomer, Apple Music. The convenience and portability of these digital music libraries has counted towards their success.

Social media continues to consume much of our time.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the digital age of sharing and reposting. Twitter and Facebook make sharing new music discoveries very simple, particularly via hyperlinks. If you find something you love, all you have to do is post the link so that others can enjoy it too.

By the early 2000s, music consumers were being offered a rather novel choice; pay $20 or more for a physical album which could deteriorate with use, or less than $2 for an individual digital song, ready to use on multiple devices.

Which would you have chosen?

Apple Music has recently entered the crowded streaming music market, but how does it compare? It certainly has more music than its competitors, Spotify and Pandora.

The newly launched streamer is currently online and available to iOS users in over 100 countries, with plans to make it available to Android and Windows later in the year.

Experts from multiple fields predicted the same outcome.

As digital music could be bought and received on a computer without leaving the house, there was surely no real competition from physical discs. And those commentators were right. Digital sales did eventually overtake physical sales, in late 2013. It began to be suggested that digital music might hasten the end of commercial music sales altogether.

We all have our own relationship with music. Some listen to it, some create it and others download it. But do people still consider owning it, or have digital streaming services changed the way we obtain and consume music forever? Digital streaming services would have us believe the latter. In our current age of convenience, anything that cannot be invisibly purchased and stored on an evershrinking digital device is considered obsolete. But is that really the case?

First we had vinyl records, then cassettes, then CDs. Records were supposed to destroy radio music broadcasts, while CDs in turn were expected to obliterate the larger and more cumbersome vinyls. For a while that was true, until digital music reared its precocious head.

Between 2012 and 2013, music sales as a whole decreased by more than 11%, with digital sales surpassing physical by only 5%. However, most surprising of all was the contender almost no one had predicted: Vinyl record sales in Australia during the same period went up by 77%.

The hipster and indie music consumers are making their presence known once more.

Time will tell whether Apple Music has a firm stake in the digital music consumption industry, or whether it will have to admit defeat to the already strong contender, Spotify.

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BOOKS ARTS MUSIC GAMING

The Fifty Shades Effect: Abuse in Popular Literature

By Belinda Gleeson Abusive behaviours are rampant in literature, particularly in Young Adult literature and literature intended to be romantic, intended for women in particular. You know the ones I mean – I’m talking Fifty Shades of Grey, Twilight and some other books I’ve come across that romanticise abuse in its many forms.

Abuse doesn’t just mean being beaten up. No one has to hit you, stab you or physically intimidate you to constitute abuse. You don’t need to be sexually abused, though that is also a huge, huge issue in relationships, despite the general idea that sexual assaults by partners are rare. Abuse also comes in mental and emotional forms.

It astounds me how many smart, educated women I know have fallen into emotionally abusive relationships and convinced themselves that the behaviour of their partners is okay. I’m sure there are equal amounts of men who fall into this trap as well, but I can’t speak for their experience.

If she had signed the contract, he would have complete control over her life. It’s every abuser’s dream situation.

Even though she doesn’t agree to sign, he still exercises much of this control over her anyway - he forces her onto the Pill, chooses what she eats in restaurants, tells her she can’t see her friends, restricts her contact with family and even buys her workplace to have control over her there as well as at home. He threatens to hit her when she doesn’t call him. He threatens violence when she admits to having had coffee with her male friend, Jose. He threatens to hit her when she doesn’t let him masturbate her at his parent’s dinner table. I’m sorry, but on what planet is that behaviour acceptable or romantic? There is absolutely NOTHING romantic about demanding that level of control, or threatening to hit your partner. NOTHING.

It’s not necessarily the pseudo S&M in Fifty Shades of Grey that constitutes abuse, though there are incidents where he doesn’t get Ana’s full consent, or continues when she tells him to stop; those incidents do constitute sexual assault. It’s Christian’s controlling behaviour that is the true, overarching abuse in the series. Ana wouldn’t have even consented to the S&M if he hadn’t coerced and bullied her into it. From what I understand of S&M, full consent is a requirement and the Dom is supposed to monitor the Sub constantly to make sure they aren’t in real pain or distress, which Christian does not do. No sub would be expected to fulfil the requirements of Christian’s “contract”, which controls every aspect of Ana’s existence, from what she eats to what medications she takes.

Having escaped a relationship like the ones described, I find this dynamic in literature worrisome, especially in books intended for young men and women. I worry about it being portrayed as appropriate behaviour. I use the word “escaped” to describe my experience, because it really feels like I escaped. Though my ex never threatened or carried out physical or sexual abuse, it is SO easy to fall into thinking that your partner is telling you what to do for your own good, that you’re always in the wrong and that they only do it because they care about you….

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BOOKS ARTS MUSIC GAMING

But it’s not true. It’s about power. It’s incredibly unhealthy and emotionally draining. I’m not a stupid or weak woman, it’s not just “silly” or “Mary Sue” types who fall into this trap. It’s so, so easy, which is partly why it’s really scary.

It comes on slow and builds up, much like Edward and Christian’s behaviour towards their respective partners.

To romanticise this kind of behaviour contributes to the problem and normalises abuse, because that’s exactly what it is: Abuse.

From my experience, I definitely see it as emotional abuse and blackmail. Edward threatened to walk into the sun, because it’s “better” that way. My ex threatened to commit suicide if I left him or if he felt I was disagreeing with him… it’s the same thing. It’s a means to get what they want from the girl. They make that power call and the woman goes along with it; because you feel like you need to “fix” him, make him happy, you blame yourself, surely you’re the one at fault…

I read a Mills and Boon novel where the woman literally gets plastic surgery on her face and body to make the man stop belittling her appearance and fall in love with her. She loved him, despite him constantly calling her names and using her sexually, because she thought he knew best and loved her. It didn’t help that, like Edward and Christian, the guy was rich and powerful. That is not love, it is abuse.

Again, this is supposedly a romance novel marketed to women.

I escaped when he decided that he wouldn’t allow me to further my education. That was my final straw. This goes along with three years of telling me what to wear, who I should vote for, what opinions I was allowed to have, how to do my hair, what to talk about, what career I should get into, what shops I could go into, who I could go out with, what I could do with my own skin… sound familiar? It’s all in YA and women’s literature of the Fifty Shades variety! This is, for the most part, portrayed as romantic and acceptable behaviour. Even with E.L. James’ new novel from Christian’s perspective, it’s obvious that she has absolutely no awareness of how destructive and wrong the situation between her characters is. In fact, she defends it. It’s sickening, and I think it does impact how young girls see this kind of behaviour, and it lets young men think that it’s “romantic” or okay for them to behave in this manner.

When I ended my relationship, I felt a mixture of sadness and joy. I felt sad for what could have been. He wasn’t always so controlling, it didn’t begin that way. We did have good times, then we had really, really bad times.

I was angry about his behaviour through those bad times. It had got to the point where I was cherishing any good times we had, because they were becoming so few and far between. I also felt absolute joy, because I was free. He had no power over me anymore. I could do what I wanted, go where I wanted and I could make all these plans for my future… plans from dreams I knew he wouldn’t allow to become a reality. I wish the women who write these novels and even the characters within them could understand and experience this level of freedom. It’s liberating as hell.

This behaviour should never, ever be condoned in literature. The women cannot “change” an abusive man.

He will not change unless he recognises he is in the wrong, which many refuse to do. Fans of Fifty Shades believe that Christian realised he was wrong about the contract, but that doesn’t seem to have slowed down his other elements of control. While you’re fangirling over these characters, take a step back and think critically about their behaviour. If the main character was your best friend, would you tell her to run like the wind? Yes? Then this is not an okay situation. This mentality needs to change, and it needs to change NOW.

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BOOKS ARTS MUSIC GAMING

The Bluest Eye

Carving his way

By Edelle Gettings

By Avantika Prameshwar

Carving the way for experimental artists everywhere, Russian-based artist Salavat Fidai is at the tip of success.

Once a lawyer, this eye-for-detail genius quit his day job for the world of art, gaining fame from miniature pencil sculptures. With a pencil in one hand and remarkable patience in the other, Fidai carves everything from iconic landmarks to intricate small animals, to Darth Vader. But Fidai was not expecting such a large fan base to form.

I recently finished reading The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison for an English unit that studies race in literature. This is my second Morrison novel as I have previously read Beloved.

According to some statistics, The Bluest Eye is one of the most highly contested books in America despite being part of some schools’ curricula.

I personally enjoyed the novel. Morrison writes in a way that is not only thought provoking but also demands answers and shows both ends of the scale. Racism is ever present in the novel but so is this idea of beauty where many of the main characters believe that being ‘white’ is the paragon of beauty. The climactic scene not only makes you question your morality: Readers are responding to the text but also feel responsible for the way Pecola, the protagonist, feels.

“I did not expect my micro sculptures to be so popular,” he said. “For me it was just another way to experiment. I hope that soon I can surprise people with another form of art.”

Gaining global recognition with over 127,000 Instagram followers, Fidai’s success wasn’t born overnight. Salavat Fidai started young, drawing beside his parents who were also professional artists. Fidai’s transition into sculptures started with picking up a piece of chalk.

Documenting young lives of African-Americans, the novel sets the bar for a new racism. Racial self-hatred is quite a central theme in the novel which ultimately leads to the climactic scene.

“In elementary school, I carved the school chalk into sculptures of ancient Gods,” the artist said. “My parents were professional artists, so from a young age they have taught me to love art.”

Morrison speaks freely and without prejudice on ideas about incest, rape and sexuality. While the book did produce some cringe-worthy moments, it also sparked concern for not only young girls and women but for disadvantaged communities who face hate because of the colour of their skin.

Turning chalk into lead, Fidai brought Darth Vader to life starting, his pencil sculpture collection after seven careful attempts. “I cut it seven times. For me it was an interesting experience,” Salavat said. “Micro sculptures often break down because the graphite is a very fragile material. With each new attempt I got a new experience and I am still learning every day.”

This novel ultimately proves that Morrison’s writing is not only witty but highly relevant because she documents an historical period where many fell prey to hate based on race and colour. In the words of Morrison herself, ‘racism is a construct… a social construct. It has a social function, racism.’

Salavat Fidai isn’t just a pencil-carving genius, he also experiments with pumpkin seeds and matchboxes, using them as a blank canvas for paintings like Van Gough’s ‘Starry Night’. “I want people to know me as a versatile artist.

Today, it is a micro sculpture, but tomorrow it may be an art installation or street art.”

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BOOKS ARTS MUSIC GAMING

Game Pre-ordering: Yea or Nay ?

By Elizabeth Griffin

Whether it be the newest iPhone or the latest Call of Duty, companies across the world are encouraging people to preorder their products. Now, the question left for consumers is this; what are the benefits of pre-ordering?

However, just because there are risks with pre-ordering doesn’t mean that no one should pre-order anything again.

Being careful is key when it comes to pre-ordering and following a few simple guidelines can go a long way:

For those unaware, pre-ordering essentially means you reserve a product so that you can guarantee to have it on the day it’s released or in some cases before it’s released to everyone. Often this means putting down a deposit, with the amount varying from place to place.

•

Only pre-order if it has very limited stock. Don’t preorder a product if there is going to be heaps of stock because you will be able to pick it up after you have heard if it’s what you wanted.

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Wait for reviews. It’s good to wait for reviews so that you can get to know what the product is actually like, without risking money. Reading multiple reviews is recommended.

•

Don’t pay for the entire product when you pre-order.

Put down the minimum deposit, that way you have more money to spend in the present and less to risk in the future.

While this may seem like a good thing, there have been examples of people being stung by pre-orders. One example is with Aliens: Colonial Marines. A lot of people pre-ordered the now infamous game, only to take it home on launch day to find it was far from what they were expecting.

While reviews saved some people from picking up the game, the damage had already been done to the wallets of many consumers. Aliens: Colonial Marines went on to be named one of the worst games of the year by a number of sites including Gamespot and Kotaku.

Regardless of the product, make sure you are careful before pre-ordering a product, because in the end you’re the only one who will lose out if things go bad.

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It hurts less than you think: Q and A with skuws skater MARS

By Naomi Hastings

When did you start skating?

I started skating at 12, when I got a board for my birthday Which skater inspires you?

Elijah Berle gets me hyped – he can skate anything.

What’s your favourite thing to skate?

Probably ramps and rails Any advice for anyone just beginning to skate?

Don’t be afraid to try something because you will fall.

It hurts less than you think it will, anyway.

Where do you like to skate?

My local skatepark, Macquarie Fields.

Find skuWs - Skateboarders Western Sydney Uni on Facebook

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Skating in Cape Town

By Naomi Hastings

Skateboarding is alive and thriving in Cape Town, South Africa.

Skateboarding is alive and thriving in Cape Town, South Africa. I have had the awesome chance to go skating in this city on two occasions – in September 2015 and December 2014 – and to get to know the incredible people that make the skate scene there so amazing.

As soon as I returned to Cape Town in September, I was skating through the city streets, in the direction of the store where my friend David worked, Baseline, an independent skate store established in 1998. David showed me all the locally produced boards, clothes and shoes. I would later meet the designers and owners of many of them. He also gave me a stack of Session magazines and AV Skateboarding DVDs – the two main media sources on South African skateboarding. It was also cool to see that Baseline stocked shoes from a Melbourne-based company.

The Mill Street skate park in Cape Town’s city centre was a place where I got to know many other talented skaters, such as the “local celebrity”

Gavin ‘Moses’ Adams, a skater sponsored by DC and Red Bull, who was actually also well-known by some of some of my skate buddies here in Australia.

Another popular spot is Salesians, a trade school turned skate park, with DIY ramps, quarters and ledges set up on the basketball courts. There was a great sense of fun and community at this spot. On one occasion, skaters were seeing how many of them could Ollie over a rolling car tyre one after the other.

Many skaters in and around Cape Town have grip tape with ‘20Sk8’ printed on it. 20Sk8 is a skate group set up by Cape Flats local skater Shuaib Philander to support other young local skaters and keep them away from the influences of violence and corruption. Recently, student filmmakers created a documentary about 20Sk8, titled “Jas Boude”, which also explored themes of racial tensions.

The natural features of Cape Town and its surrounding areas add to the 47

enjoyment of skating here. Being at the base of one of the new 7 natural wonders, on the coast and filled with many winery regions, make Cape Town a very picturesque place with plenty of unique skating terrain.

The university town Stellenbosch, a short drive outside of the city, was also a great place to go skating.

Getting to know the local skaters here was terrific – they guided me to the cool street spots and taught me some Afrikaans slang.

I have found skateboarding in South Africa to be an unexpectedly exciting experience. There is a lot of opportunity and development underway over there and the skate culture is strong and supportive. I would love to go back.

Both of my trips to South Africa were courtesy of The Academy of WSU. In 2015 I went there for a short course in partnership with Stellenbosch University and in 2014 I went as a representative at the Talloires Network Leadership Conference.

STUDY ABROAD

Kansas in Spring Jakarta meets Penrith Iceland Cooler

STUDY ABROAD

Six degrees in Montana EXCHANGE

By Malinda Watson Some people regard procrastination in a negative light, however it led me towards the most positive experience of my life so far. Applying for an international exchange instead of writing my biology report was one of my rare excellent choices.

I didn’t do much research on Montana USA; had a quick look at the weather in Fahrenheit but didn’t bother to find out that 40 ° f equals 6 °c. It snowed a lot!

If you were looking at the landscape you would see snow-capped mountains, hot springs, boiling rivers, bison, elk and rock formations that you won’t forget. I didn’t spend much time looking at the landscape because my eyes were glued on the cowboys.

“Mam, would you like to dance ?” he asked before spinning me around dancing to all the country songs. “Mam, can I kiss you ?” One cowboy even played me a Garth Brooks song sitting in front of a fire; I sure did kiss him.

I made a best friend, a real deal Montanan cowgirl who chews tobacco, drinks whiskey, hunts and drives a pickup truck. We would go to boot night on Thursdays ($1 fills up a glass boot with whiskey and coke), rodeos on weekends, spend holidays riding horses through the mountains, and afternoons doing leatherwork with the cowboys.

Apart from the cowboys, I saw bears, eagles, coyote, bison, elk, mountain goats, wolves and a badger. And I lived to tell the tale.

The extra 10kg of weight I brought home is evidence that the food was amazing (the whiskey may have helped too).

I wasn’t just there for the 6 months, I went back again a few years later, and I go back there every time I speak about it. The memories just make my heart ache for more.

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STUDY ABROAD

Spring session in Kansas hits minus 22

By Jacob Hatze There are moments in life that inspire individuals to explore new possibilities and to step out of their comfort zone. The opportunity to study abroad in a new and different land is definitely one of those moments.

It was after many long and anxious moments of waiting for an answer from the ISEP program that I finally found out I had been accepted as an international exchange student for the Spring session at Emporia State University, Kansas, USA. After a long embrace, I farewelled my family and departed Kingsford Smith Airport for a fifteen-hour flight to Los Angeles. I was never an avid flyer and to make matters worse, I was seated at the back of the aircraft sandwiched between two other passengers. After a long day of flying, I arrived at Kansas City International Airport where I was met by ESU ambassadors and fellow international students who had come from Finland, Peru, Korea, China and Puerto Rico.

I stepped outside to the awaiting bus where we were immediately hit by the cold. Looking at the weather on my phone, I saw it was -22 degrees Celsius.

My international friends who had transferred to ESU permanently had decided that we would do a road trip down to Florida for sun, surf and new experiences. We spent the week-long break in Palm Beach, Miami, and Orlando where we went skydiving and enjoyed sharing stories about each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homelands.

The first couple of days during the orientation process were the most stressful. The fact that this was going to be my new home for the next four months and that I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to see my family, hit me hard.

After experiencing the various stages of homesickness, I went out and explored my new college and immediately found that I was accepted. People would talk to you and immediately took a shine to you on the basis that you were from a different land or culture. And before I knew it, the jokes about Skippy and koalas were flying.

After Spring Break, I traveled back to a mass of assignments and exams that continued until the end of May when I graduated from my semester-long program. I spent my remaining weeks in Louisiana, New York City, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Every week I was invited to a different social gathering with either international or domestic students, whether it be a basketball game or road trip to another city. Within three weeks of arriving, the weather went from average to terrible with snowstorms and blizzards that forced everyone to stay inside.

Choosing to study abroad was one of the best decisions I ever made. It not only taught me independence and provided me with new-found friendships that I will keep for a lifetime, but I explored new horizons and stepped out of my comfort zone. I would highly recommend this experience

After three months of classes and assignments, Spring Break came along and I was so excited.

If you would like information on WSU study abroad programs visit uws.edu.au/globalmobility 50

STUDY ABROAD

Study AbroaD from UIN Jakarta

By Muhammad Yaqin

“The flight to Australia will be taking off in five minutes,” announced the airline attendant. The story began when my home university in Jakarta announced that I had been selected as an exchange student to Australia. As a young man, I was feeling so excited and a bit nervous about spending a semester studying at WSU. Well, here I am. I’ve been in Sydney for a couple of months now and there is so much to say. First, everything here is so exciting, just because it’s all new and different. The environment is totally different from Indonesia – the people, the houses, the trees, the foods and of course the language. In the beginning I believed that “Matt” was the most common name in Australia, because everyone said “G’day Matt”. But when a shuttle bus driver said “Have a G’day Matt”, I realized I was wrong. He means ‘mate’, and it sounds similar for me. #WELCOMETOAUSTRALIA….MATE! Talking about my study, I have experienced a different culture. When I got my timetable, I was happy to know that I only take 3 units for this semester, so I imagine having a lot of spare time here (because I used to take 10 -12 units each semester at my home university). But, once again, I was wrong. Three units in WSU are enough for me; I have to attend a lot of sessions, not only lectures and prac, but also tutorials and lecture-tutorial. I have no tutes and lec-tutes in my home university.

Now, I’m getting used to life as a local but I’m still discovering new things here. Being an exchange student makes me learn a lot of things and helps me to be more independent. In Indonesia, I used to eat in food stalls three times a day, but here I have to make my meals and I’m having cornflake cereals and bread for my breakfast, and I like it.

Living in another country is also an opportunity to explore something new. I was also lucky enough to travel around Sydney and see things I had never dreamed of. Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe I’m so far away from home, and I have to remind myself that I’m here to gain more knowledge.

Eventually, studying overseas changed my perception of life. Although there have been a couple of hard days when I missed my family and friends, the good times have always come. It’s a journey of self-discovery and personal growth filled with unforgettable memories. And now I have to say that studying abroad is lovely!

51

STUDY ABROAD

Iceland

cooler than expected

By Henry Chau Hitchhiking, riding a rental scooter through the most unpredictable weather known to mankind, running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere and being trapped in the beginning of a sand storm; this was the adventure of a lifetime. Hiking on top of a glacier, descending 120km into a volcano which erupted 4000 years ago and taking a natural geo-thermic heated bath; the two weeks I spent camping and riding around Iceland was the most dangerous, thrilling and rewarding experience I’ve ever had. I felt like Walter Mitty, except way cooler!

STUDY EXCHANGE: Best Experience Ever

Going on exchange is one of the greatest life changing experiences that anyone can ever offer. The option to undertake study abroad is a window of opportunity to unlock the small secrets to life. I cannot say that I’ve mastered life, but my exchange has definitely changed me, my perceptions of the world, others and even everyday life in a new way, one that I could have never have possibly imagined! Don’t miss your opportunity!

Iceland is located north of Europe, just under Greenland and the Arctic Circle. For adventurers and nature lovers, I can only describe Iceland as basically stepping into heaven.

Every corner and every kilometre is a postcard picture, with scenery ranging from glaciers to dark volcanic sediments, waterfalls to desert and farmland to lush greenery. It’s no surprise big Hollywood movies such as Game of Thrones, Thor and the Secret life of Walter Mitty were shot there.

I have lived and experienced more things in my one year abroad in Sweden than in the other 24 years of my life.

Going on exchange is all about the experience of living and studying in a foreign country, regardless of where you are. A large part of my exchange revolved around the many opportunities to push myself outside of my comfort zone. This included deep self-exploration and challenges, meeting so many people that often names were forgotten, learning Swedish and experiencing the culture, in addition to the cultures of everyone else around me. In addition I was able to travel to 17 other countries and more rewardingly, make lifelong friends and of course party to a whole new level.

Riding around Iceland on a small and light 125cc rental scooter seemed impossible; even the local Icelander who picked me up while I was hitchhiking thought so. But this was a challenge I was willing to accept. Many of the days I was constantly harassed and bullied by the gale force winds, ridiculed by the horizontal rain and blinded by the low and heavy fog. In addition to the freezing temperatures and the unpredictable storm-like conditions, I faced difficulties keeping my clothing and backpack dry. Still, I soldiered on.

Setting up camp was determined by the prevailing factors; tiredness, weather and hunger. Camping provided a sense of tranquillity and freedom. And I would do it again (even if I had to survive on dried meals).

I’m not saying you’ll experience the same. But once on exchange, you’re outside of your comfort zone, it’s a different environment and your mates from home aren’t there for you to fall back on. So you begin to self-explore, do things differently and view life through a new perspective! And these are only a few examples of this life-enriching journey. So if you’re sick of living your everyday mundane life or if you’re looking for new and different experiences, go on exchange! It’s the best decision you’ll ever make. Trust me!

Eventually I managed to complete my goal of riding through the entire country. Along this journey I made deep self-explorations and discoveries, met a whole lot of adventurers, formed new friendships, gained a deeper insight into the Icelandic culture and those of other travellers. However, one of the most memorable and magical moments was on the flight out of Iceland. From my window I saw the glowing red of lava beaming through the clouds of the night sky, the frozen mountain peaks of glaciers reaching beyond the clouds, complimented by an array of the Northern lights.

Visit uws.edu.au/globalmobility for info on study exchange programs

53

Imagine

By Rianna Marie

I lay here in bed staring into space, Dreaming and imagining of what it’s like to see your face.

I’d imagine every part of me is filled with endless bliss, As I lean in closer and give you a kiss.

I don’t know who you are yet but it’s never late, Hope is very real and it has helped me to wait.

I’ll grow wiser with experience as life hands me its thrill, Until then I’d like to imagine the empty space that you’ll fill.

Even though I’m deprived and my heart cannot heal, I know somewhere out there you are very much real.

I imagine you’re missing something you can’t seem to see, Expressing feelings of uncertainty as to what it could be.

All this anguish will prepare us for what’s heading our way, Just imagine what it’s like when you come to me and stay.

No more longing, no more hurt, just our journey toward home, There’ll still be hardship but you’ll never have to do it alone.

Don’t be filled with regret, right now you cannot see, For every mistake you’ve made has led you closer to me.

You’ll be my light, my hope, my dreams, There’ll be a day where I no longer have to imagine, Because you’ll be laying right here with me.

the Love Dear Guru My flatmate and her boyfriend are at it all the time. I often walk in on them, on the couch, in the kitchen, on the balcony. But it is my place too.

Can’t they keep it in the bedroom?

Yours, Not Jealous.

It’s not just animals that mark territory. You can tell them straight to keep their erotic theme park behind locked doors. What you need to do is find ways to disrupt their hot spots.

Cover the couch with pillows, create a jungle on your balcony, and maybe put several mops in the kitchen and a sign that says ‘‘Caution Wet Floor.”

Or better, install live cams in all public areas and justify it with increasing crime rates. Now let’s see how daring your flatmate will go this time!

Wrong Side of The Stars

With the holidays coming up, let’s boil up some guilty laughter by finding the best ways to piss off our friends !

ARIES Boss your Aries friends with their mistakes from their past, and drown them with your sorrow for them. They hate intrusiveness and the thought of falling back.

TAURUS Piss off your Taurus friends by changing plans. Tell them the dance is tonight, then call to say it’s postponed till tomorrow, then again that it’s next week, and finally tell them it’s on now.

GEMINI Bore your Gemini friends with Shakespeare and talk slowly but consistently over them so that they have no room to speak. Limiting their freedom and excitement will easily drive them up the wall.

Guru

by Jesse Neo

Hey Jesse !

My bestie lost it when I accepted her offer to pay for my lunch. She said I was ``always broke and looking for a free feed’’. She hasn’t apologised (it has been a week). Is she just stressed out or does she really hate me ? Is our friendship over?

CANCER Invite your Cancer friends into your messy house or perhaps go into their houses and turn them into barns.

Then force them to make decisions on the spot; you’re booking a holiday right now – should it be Hawaii or New Zealand?

LEO Make your Leo friends bite your head off by asking them to pay for everything and not returning the favour, then moan and complain about how unfair life is.

Then ask another friend to tell your Leo friends you have been backstabbing them.

VIRGO Your Virgo friends will go ballistic if you arrive late. With bad breath and cheap perfume, take them to a park with noisy children and crooked flowers and ask your friends endless questions about their lives.

LIBRA Get on your Libra friends’ nerves by turning everything beautiful ugly. Give them outdated clothes, wrap your $1 Christmas gift in newspaper, and take them to a cheap fast-food joint.

SCORPIO Make your Scorpio friends hot under the collar by appearing weak and upset. Being superficial and not sharing your opinions about the gift they have given you will piss them off instantly.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

Well, maybe there is, but don’t bet your bottom dollar on it - if you have one! Perhaps your friend has been a pillar of strength, shouting you meals in the hope you are fighting tooth and nail to one day feed yourself. So, have you actually been doing anything to bear fruit? Have you been marketing your resume to employers? If you haven’t, I can see what’s turning her sane. She is your friend, and as a best friend, she doesn’t want you to turn into a pet because you are worth so much more.

SAGITTARIUS Watch steam plume out your Sagittarius friends by changing your holiday destination that they had decided on, justifying that their choices and opinions are not as great as yours.

CAPRICORN Put red in your Capricorn friends’ eyes by taking them to a new town and confessing you don’t know where you are staying. Waste time by wandering around and say you’ll sleep in whatever comes along.

AQUARIUS Cut one of your Aquarius friends’ fuses by letting them borrow your money and continually reminding them they have to pay you back, backed up with reminders of their flaws, like the last time they gambled and lost $500.

PISCES Bring tears to your Pisces friend’s eyes by mimicking their bosses from hell.

Be cruel and put on a severe face that says that by the end of the day, the house needs to be sparkling clean and dinner cooked.

JESSE NEO

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