Cruwsible spring small file

CRUWSIBLE UWS STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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STUDENT ELECTIONS

NO PARKING AT UWS WHERE’S THE GYM? CHILDCARE DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE HEALTHY FOOD, HEALTHY BRAIN 18 VAGINAS TOO MANY

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IS YOUR TRUE LOVE ON CAMPUS? SPRING EDITION 3//2013

WRITE FOR US $250 textbook voucher for Best Original Writing $250 textbook voucher for Best Original Artwork info at cruwsible.com.au

Editors LIAM BELL

Ever since the inception of Cruwsible, I have worked to inform the students of UWS about the developments and changes around the university. I am a second year Advanced Medical Science student, also on the Campbelltown Student Campus Council. I see this student newspaper as a great medium of increasing student participation, awareness of university issues and campus life.

Campbelltown Student Campus Council Secretary

MARYAM AZAM

Maryam is completing her Honours in English Literature and Creative Writing and splits her time between the Penrith, Parramatta and Bankstown campuses.

She has been previously involved in the Penrith Student Campus Council and the Muslim Students Association and started the UWS Writers Group at Penrith campus. She is also co-founder of the Muslim Kindness Movement Australia.

As one of the founding editors of Cruwsible, she envisions a student paper for UWS which is exciting, relevant, fodder for talk and an entertaining read with a tea/coffee between classes.

As a writer herself, she believes in creating opportunities for writers at UWS to be published and to reach an audience and strongly encourages fellow students to submit to Cruwsible.

If she could have any superpower, she’d like the ability to speak with animals.

KEVIN SUMMERELL

Kevin is studying a Bachelor of Laws/Arts, based at Campbelltown and Bankstown campuses.

He likes to read history books, is a Board member of a local charity and involved in the State Emergency Service (SES), and tries to emulate his favourite music by imagining he can actually play bass guitar.

He hopes to contribute in some way to reforming the culture of the university through an engaged and thriving student paper, and can often be found overstimulated on caffeine in a library well after hours immersed in, what he calls, “progress nights”.

ZAHRAA AHADZADA

Zahraa is currently completing her second year of Medical Science (Advanced) at the Campbelltown UWS Campus. She spends her time reading about the latest medical discoveries, learning about the complex interactions of the human body and fantacising about a future as a medical practitioner. Outside of her medical bubble, Zahraa enjoys tennis training and pretending to play the guitar and piano whilst singing. She can always be found on campus – just follow the trail of her laughter!

Her Afghani background leaves her vying for peace in the Middle-East and solidarity within the multicultural groups of Australia, like UWS. Her aim is to further establish the CrUWSible as a paper that students can connect with and use as a vehicle for criticising and analysing contemporary hot button issues.

Student editors Zeinab Farhat, Zahraa Ahadzada, Kevin Summerell, Liam Bell, Maryam Azam studenteditors@lists.uws.edu.au

Thank you to all the wonderful contributors in the Spring edition of Cruwsible.

Thank you for the images thenoddleeator, p19, MIgracionTotal, p26, catunes, p3, manwithatoycamera, p19, MarkBTomlinson, p8, Philip Ferentinos, p2, 1llustr4tOr, p13, Anifan for the knitted mouse on many pages, seng1011 for the pug on p3, Carl Cordell and Tracy Lee for the back page image, fozzman, p10.

CONTACT US cruwsible@uws.edu.au cruwsible.com.au facebook.com/cruwsible COVER ART: Matt Dos Santos A big juicy thank you to CHOPS

CONTENTS NEWS No Parking at UWS 4 Next Top Model 4 That’s Not a Gym 5 Childcare at UWS Fails Reality Check 6 Food on Campus 7 Blame Game in Child Protection 8 Green Light for Traffic Lights 9 Shock of the Newstart 10 STAFF PROFILE: Professor James Arvanitakis 11 TRAVEL: With New Eyes 12 STUDENT REPRESENTATION Vote in Student Elections 15 FICTION: Hell on Parramatta Campus 18 SPORT: Boxing Kangaroo on the Back Foot 19 SERVICES DIRECTORY 20 LETTERS 21 CLUBS & SOCIETIES 22 PUZZLING 24 REVUWS 25 LOVE & SOUL FOOD 26 WHAT’S ON 28

Andrew Whitney - President SRC We welcomed the additional 300 car spaces at Campbelltown, 300 at Penrith and soon-to-be 200 new spaces at Parramatta.

The uni last year sold over 17,700 permits and there are 7500 car spaces.

It’s now at a stage that, particularly before the census date, it’s impossible to get a park. When census date rolls around, people drop out. The way they’re doing it at Parramatta is to make the road one way and the other lane will become parallel parking. Parramatta desperately needs more spaces.

Manpreet Banga – Chair Campbelltown Student Campus Council Transport is not a problem here.

That’s one of the main reasons we don’t have parking problems. You might find people wanting to park closer to the lecture rooms, but the student provost would laugh at you if you mentioned it.

James Scully-Leaf - Chair Parramatta Student Campus Council We have been meeting with the Director of Campus Safety and Security about parking as there have been ongoing issues. Parking is one of the things a lot of students complain about. As a student you can get mostly blue permits, but the red spots are in high demand and more expensive, and there is a waiting list. We’ve noticed blue spots are being painted over to become red. Some students would feel it’s too expensive. I understand with economics that if it’s too cheap there would be way too many having permits. But if it’s too expensive, it’s not fair. You need a balance.

NO PARKING comment at cruwsible. com.au

Kevin Summerell I refuse to park here on the principle that education, which we are paying so much for, shouldn’t require extra costs.

I park in the streets. It’s annoying. You have to get there early.

There is always street parking at Bankstown. I know the local residents are a bit iffy about it. I have had flares with people.

They know I’m there for the day. They look at my car and see a guitar and a copy of the Cruwsible and they know I’m a student.

Parking in principle should be free.

We need to pull together some consultation from professionals not motivated by profits. There have been days I can’t be bothered coming to uni because of the transport.

I used to do the walk from Panania station before the shuttle bus: A 40 minute walk.

Liam Bell - Campbelltown Student Campus Council They’re getting rid of the parking outside the Med building, they are turning the road into a boulevard/ main entrance to the uni. Car park 8 tends to fill up quickly. If you get here after 11 you need to follow people around going back to their cards. I’ve gotten quite good at that.

Law student a finalist in Next Top Model Jade Collins, a law student at UWS, has been announced as a 2013 finalist for Australia’s Next Top Model. With no professional experience, Collins survived model boot camp to make it to Australia’s Top 15.

The first episode of the season aired on July 9 with new host Jennifer Hawkins, who labelled Jade one of her favourites in the competition.

“Jen has been in the industry for many years, and has no doubt met overwhelming amounts of incredible people,’’ Jade said.

“So for her to think I had potential was the biggest shock.’’ Amongst the judging panel was Didier Cohen, Charlotte Dawson and Alex Perry. Initially intim-

idated by the public figures, Jade wanted to impress them, but didn’t want to lose herself in the process.

Jade, 20, is a qualified personal trainer and recently deferred a semester at UWS where she is studying Bachelor of Law/International Studies, for the chance to be crowned Australia’s Next Top Model.

“I thought I would take a chance and put myself out there, so it was really awesome that they appreciated me for who I was, quirky style and all.”

The experience has been unforgettable for Jade who said she has gained better confidence, friendships, appreciation for family, friends and God during the opportunity.

TAMARA YRORITA

African Students call for Ethnic Studies at UWS CHIMEZIE KINGSLEY, President of the African Students Association, says cultural competence training is lacking in course curriculums across UWS. Without cultural knowledge, how can social workers, doctors and psychologists assist African clients?

PHOTO: Chimezie Kingsley, President ASA, with Moisema Fofana, Bankstown Coordinator ASA

Where’s the gym?

Students at Parramatta have wanted a gym for years and this year, they got an outdoor kiddies play area. ANDREW TRAN, Parramatta Student Campus Council, says this is not a gym.

UWS African Students Association has come to be an association, more than a club.

It is a body that has come to look after African students studying at UWS, as well as being a voice for African students at UWS. For instance, African Studies has been ignored and marginalised at UWS. African students studying here are concerned. They are asking why do we have Greek studies, Asian studies, Australian studies, while there is no African studies? Why, when civilization began in Egypt, in Africa? Many Australian students do not know how Africa functions.

We feel ignored, but now we have a voice. We can ask for our rights, we can have delegations and effect change. We came up with aims and objectives: First and foremost we must look after African students who are very new in this country – who don’t even know how to write resumes here. The way you prepare for interviews here is different. We need to help students settle into the culture and community.

Then, we say, hang on ! UWS is sending out professionals in the field. Medical, lawyers, social workers, psychologists; how can these people relate to our people? We have culture, traditions, a way of life that separates us from western culture. How can these professionals, people studying to graduate and work in these fields, effectively work with Africans? Wouldn’t it be good if there was African studies at UWS, an ethnic-based studies and department in UWS? This is one of the most important things lacking here.

Some people from African backgrounds have post traumatic stress and psychological injuries. Professional people need appropriate knowledge to deliver services. Many African men will not go to services – you need to understand our pride and how to relate to us. This cultural competency is lacking in universities today, it is overlooked by the institution which does not recognise the importance of ethnic-based studies.

I see a lot of graduates here say: You from Africa? They honestly don’t know that Africa is a continent, not a country. Some genuinely don’t know. The institution needs to help our graduates to be well-equipped in every aspect, as Australia is a global citizen. We have every tribe/race/kind of people in Australia. We need professionals well-equipped to work with every group – that can never be over-emphasised.

On the other hand, Mama Africa has a lot of diversity – let us celebrate our diversity, unity and intellect.

We have a lot of talented people that are very educated in various fields – comedians, artists, guest speakers, motivational speakers – let’s get together and celebrate this wonderful heritage.

We are having an African Cultural Night soon. We had a BBQ in August – over 100 African people and people interested in African studies turned up. Because the African Students Association is not only open to African students but non-African students with an interest in African studies, its people, government, tribal leaders and history. Any person that has interest and is eager to learn is more than welcome to become a member.

Contact us at info@asauws.org.au or visit asauws.org.au

I wouldn’t use the outdoor gym equipment. When we came to uni this semester, it was there, installed during the holidays. But it’s too far away from students. Students understand that the football field is out-of-bounds, so there is no point walking past these areas unless you are walking home.

I sometimes see some people go there, say it’s interesting, try it out, then go away.

But it just doesn’t look as if someone who wants to build muscle or to bulk up would head that way. It is there as an interactive space where people chat with friends. It feels like a park, not a proper gym.

Some 20-30 percent of students said they wanted a gym. When handing out pizzas in April, the SCC (Student Campus Council) had an ideas/suggestions book and students wrote down what they wanted.

Between 20 and 30 percent said they wanted a gym.

A gym has been debated over the past few years by the SCC at Parramatta. We’ve brought it up, but the uni said it was too expensive and on heritage land.

A gym could be installed in the School of Nursing and Midwifery lounge. That lounge is underused.

Also, the postgrad lounge: I don’t have stats, but postgrads don’t make up the majority of the uni. We have a post-grad member on the SCC and he disagrees. But the postgrads have two lounges.

A gym would make the uni a more social place. Students spend whole days at uni and have extended breaks. We could use it as time to bulk up. It gives another motivation to study.

Tell us what you think comment on this story at cruwsible. com.au

Online comment: We need a new building with a gym, as they have at Penrith Campus (instead of wasting money on iPads). But if they keep the exorbitant prices at Penrith (almost $40/fortnight), they’ll quickly find their 5 returns are slow.

Down the rabbit hole: Demand for childcare a bottomless pit while supply fails reality check Childcare on campus should prioritise students, be more affordable and offer care for a few hours not just a whole day, KEVIN SUMMERELL writes As fuel to a vehicle or sunlight to a plant, so too is childcare to a parent’s education.

Sarah, 22, is in her fourth year of study to become a teacher. She’s based at Bankstown campus and is currently doing four units. Some weeks ago, Sarah came into the Bankstown Student Council office and shared with me her very powerful and emotive insight, enlightening me on being a fulltime student while fulfilling a responsibility central to our civilisation—motherhood.

Sarah described taking her baby into an earlier lecture. She also described how she’d been on the waiting list for the conveniently placed and named UWS Early Learning Centre since March. Thus far, she had been waiting five months for childcare.

Sarah told me that taking her baby to university, into classes, is sometimes a necessity. Of the childcare centre, she said: “I was surprised that the Centre was for the community as well as students. If it were only for students, it would be better. It should only be for students. We need it more as we are from this university: we are studying here.”

There is significant inequity in the absence of a policy that prioritises UWS students and staff before non-UWS community members. With respect to the UWS Bankstown Early Learning Centre staff whose passion for kids I cannot dispute, the Bankstown Early Learning Centre cost students $2,575,000 from the Student Services and Amenities Fee, almost 30 percent of the entire SSAF spend for the year. In light of significant need for student services and education, why is each student paying in excess of $78 a year towards a seemingly profit-oriented service for community members and not students?

What are we getting?

Why are students funding a facility that brings no benefit to them and that they cannot access due to unavailability, unaffordability and rigid service? Why must parents must pay for a whole day of childcare,

even if they require only two hours of childcare?

Jacquie Dredge - Bankstown Student Campus Council, founder of Uni Family Support Milperra and long-time campaigner for childcare - puts it well in her August 6 letter to Ellen Brackenreg, a Director on the Board of UWS Early Learning Limited.

“Why is the SSAF (students service and amenities fund) being used for the construction of this centre,

“

Why are students funding a facility that brings them no benefit?

when it is clear that long day care does not suit the needs of studying parents in Sydney?”

On August 22, she received a response of equal length from Ellen Brackenreg: “All child care centres will have occasional care places [childcare for a few hours rather than a whole day] in 2014.”

Campbelltown’s Early Learning Centre is meant to be currently trialling occasional care with two spaces reserved each day at $10 an hour with a minimum of two hours. The Centre reported that

UWSELL Short-term objectives

UWSELL Long-term objectives

• Successfully consolidate the operations of 4 centres at the campuses of Hawkesbury, Blacktown, Penrith and Campbelltown into 1 coherent operation.

• Establish a new centre at the Bankstown campus in early 2013.

• Establish a new centre at the Parramatta campus in the ensuing triennium.

• Standardise all accounting and ancillary systems.

• Transfer the individual operating licences for each centre to the new company.

• Appoint an external Director to the Board to give the Company a better balance in its overall management structure.

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• Provide occasional care in addition to permanent placements to students and staff.

to date, there had been no trial but suggested that it was in an early stage, and that the Centre was planning to circulate pamphlets to advertise. Penrith Early Learning indicated that there had been one incident of occasional care usage but could not provide further information.

It is part of the Childcare Centre’s mandate to provide Occasional Care, listed as a long-term objective.

While their principal activity is “to provide affordable, high quality early childhood care and education for the children of UWS staff, students and the local community”, I am sceptical, for now, about whether the Early Learning Centres are maximising their obligation to meet students’ needs, and to reiterate Sarah’s point, I feel that the Early Learning Centre should prioritise students especially in light of the funding, but fundamentally to be compassionate, understanding and to mitigate some of the challenges in accessing education.

Some first steps:

•Appoint a UWS student with an interest in childcare to the Board of Directors of UWS Early Learning Ltd and to the UWSELL Management Committee.

The decision should be in consultation with Uni Family Support (UFS) Milperra, particularly in response to Jacquie Dredge’s immensely admirable efforts •Be transparent about the outcomes of the appointed working group on Parramatta’s forthcoming Early Learning Centre •Implement a key performance measure that reflects and quantifies UWS-affiliated clients relative to community clients. * Visit australia.gov.au/mychild for information on child care rebate, benefit and assistance. * Check out facebook.com/groups/UniFS for a supportive and collaborative group of parents.

* $2,575,000 – cost of UWS Bankstown Child Care Centre, paid for through the 2012 SSAF (more than 29% of the total actual SSAF spend for that year) * $300,000 of the 2012 SSAF spent on “scoping for a new childcare centre on Parramatta campus” * 26% of Bankstown clients are UWS students or staff. The Campbelltown Centre indicated that UWS cliental were predominantly staff. Penrith’s Early Learning Centre representative said 60-70% of clients were UWS-affiliated, mostly staff. Hawkesbury staff said 40 percent of their clients were UWS staff or students.

• Become financially self-sufficient from the University’s financial support.

* UWS students and staff receive a $3 discount off their daily fee.

The average fee at Bankstown is $78.35 per day, This subsidy seems to be later reimbursed through the SSAF (thus 2012’s allocation of $15,290 towards offsetting childcare’s “discounted rate”)

*UWSELL Directors’ Report, 31/12/12

* $404,365 - UWS Early Learning Ltd’s surplus December 31 2012

Helal Said: I am studying teaching and psychology. I like the balance. With this course, I can also work as a social worker.

I also work with people with disabilities, which I really enjoy.

They have taught me to really enjoy life and not to give up.

Alex Hatfield: I am studying psychology and primary school teaching.

I’d like to study educational psychology as it relates to being a teacher and gives a theoretical background.

I used to be a dancer. I do some pre-school dance teaching each week and I do kids’ birthday parties, disco and karaoke with a company called Bop Till You Drop. I do between four and ten parties a week.

One time the kids tried to bash me up but because it was a party, I couldn’t be a disciplinarian. I said: “Kids who don’t bash me will get a sticker’’. But I like naughty kids.

Ryan Sutton: I am studying teaching. I am about to start my Masters. I have always wanted to help people.

I do a lot of volunteer work with the SES. Our unit was burnt down twice: Once from an electrical fault, the second time from arson. When they had that fire near the refinery at Kurnell, the local fire station was closed. It only costs each person 2 cents a day to keep fire stations open.

Is your study also your passion ?

Vox Pops with Jacquie Dredge Roxanne Huang: My mum is an English teacher and has an English school in China so I have had a great deal of experience with children.

My hobbies are shopping. I met Zoe (see next interview) here at uni.

Most Chinese-background students are studying commerce and business, so it was great to meet Zoe who is also studying teaching.

Zoe So: I’m studying a Master of Teaching. My hobbies are travelling, so my hobbies and studies could be related as I like hanging out with children.

I really enjoyed travelling to Sichuan in China – it has very beautiful scenery.

Sara Whitehead: I’m studying teaching. I was working at a high school doing sign language interpreting with the deaf.

I am involved with the Occupy Sydney movement and have been working with the homeless. Homelessness is growing. The Poverty Industry is making more money.

I was talking to a guy who broke his toes at work and when he returned, his boss had gone to Queensland. His real estate agent said “bad luck’’, so now he is on the streets.

If it wasn’t for Occupy Sydney, he’d starve.

We crowd source funding. City of Sydney Council raid us regularly and say we are an eyesore and a public nuisance.

I was asked in class what assets and challenges I’d bring to teaching. I think they are both the same.

But I feel like my education is more of an indoctrination now.

What has really affected a lot of people lately has been moving single parents off the pension. The gap (between rich and poor) is getting bigger and it is not being reported.

Dining out at Campbelltown: Food on campus

Jawad Azzi – Vice-Chair Campbelltown Student Campus Council: We need healthy food on campus. I’d want Subway, Sumo Salad – healthier options. It doesn’t have to be completely healthy, but give us an option that is healthier and fresher than what is here.

Jessica Bacha, student at Campbelltown: This is a health science campus, focused on health, yet everything is fried – even chicken. You try to be healthy but it’s all fried. There should be bigger servings for healthier options. Even the large servings are really small. They should increase the price of unhealthy food and make the healthier options cheaper, so people are more likely to eat healthy.

You feel sick after eating unhealthy food.

Most of our time is spent at uni and we’re not getting much activity during the day – we are consuming too many kilojoules and not burning it off.

Healthy food can have an impact on functioning and attentiveness during lectures.

Maybe, as with coffee loyalty cards, you could have a healthy food option loyalty card to keep promoting healthy eating. Doesn’t Australia have the second-highest obesity rates in the world? So if we’re educated students and we are not making the right choices, where does that leave the rest of the population?

The library is now open 24 hours, which I like. But only vending machines are available at night. We need healthy vending machines

Tell us what you think comment on this story at cruwsible.com.au

Comment by Maryam: “I love the idea of a healthy food option loyalty card. But we really need a range of healthy food options first !

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Blame game hurts most in child protection laws A movement is afoot to blame Aboriginal culture for the failings of the DOCS system, TONI MCPHERSON writes, yet Aboriginal children are more at risk from dominant White culture.

While not discounting the very real tragedies that sometimes occur, I believe that ‘the rights of the child’ are misused to commit harms. What exactly does the rights of the child mean? There appears a presumption that the rights of the child are to prevail over the rights of, well, something. Perhaps children’s rights are meant to be placed above those of parents; community or culture. However, rather than feed the propaganda and limited reductive commentary currently encouraged by the media, I vehemently assert that Aboriginal children, and children more generally are more at risk from dominant White culture than Aboriginal culture.

critical analysis. The ABS indicates the prevalence of drinking is comparably the same with the mainstream community. The vast majority of child notifications against Aboriginal parents are for neglect rather than abuse. The rate of child sexual assault is actually higher in the wider population than the Aboriginal community. In 2003 alone, there were 321 substantiated cases of harm or risk of harm against foster carers and workers which were reported in the Inquiry into abuse of children in the foster system in Queensland. The whole idea of removal is a problem not an answer. A lot of the claims about Aboriginal drinking, individual Aboriginal behaviour and Aboriginal culture are a distraction from what else is occurring. Parenting Aboriginal culture is of any sort is difficult. Demonismanifestation of the ing anyone who clearly finds that difficult compounds the problem.

The idea of removing Aboriginal children from their parents, families and or communities originates from within the dominant White culture, not Aboriginal adage that it takes a culture. Aboriginal culture is a I have hoped to do here is community to raise a What manifestation of the adage that to steer everyone away from the child it takes a community to raise a same limited perspectives to see child. I have quite a few connecthat this is not about the failings tions with a variety of different Aboriginal groups of Aboriginal people and their culture, but about a around this nation. When I took my 12 year old to dominant system imposed on the most vulneraLaura Festival in Far North Queensland in June, I ble that has serious consequences for all of us. If was reminded of the strengths of Aboriginal culture a culture has thrived and prospered in a land for and the important contribution and strong characeons, it must have some really sustainable social ter of the Aboriginal men who were gathered at the practices. Child abuse, domestic violence, family festival. Everywhere I went, from performers on the violence, rape, torture, imprisonment, disadvandance ground leading their dance groups to those tage, Elder abuse are products of ‘modernity’ and back in the family camps and at the community foso called ‘civilisation’ and are found predominantly rums, all of them were ‘learning up’ and investing in mainstream culture. The reason why we identitime and energy into the children and community. fy these ‘problems’ with Aboriginal culture is due to So many of them were teaching the kids the dancthe media representations of Aboriginal people as es and leading the dancing for all to see. They are the problem, the main contact ordinary Australians culturally strong men who value education, children, have with Aboriginal people is through the media language, dance, knowledge, country and people. I which only reports in a mainly negative fashion about am yet to see this reported in mainstream media.

Aboriginal people and there is a perception that ‘modern civilisation’ is the answer not the problem.

A lot of the commentary that comes from privileged interests (such as certain psychology lecturers from The media and these other non-critical thinkers and Sydney, some Aboriginal spokespeople {ordained as self-promoters do not seem prepared to put in the time such by the media} and white magistrates) blame Aband effort required to think the whole issue through original culture for the failings of the dominant DOCS thoroughly. The approach is one of removal rather system. Aboriginal child removals are on the increase, than family support. Did anyone listen to the reports despite the Bringing Them Home Report and the ‘Inthat firmly found that removing children harms them? digenous Child Placement Principle’. Blaming Aboriginal people and their culture and reconstructing If you look at who else has their children removed, Aboriginal people as the problem is a manifestation you will find that single mothers, the socio-economof racism. It is racism because blaming Aboriginal ically disadvantaged and the mentally ill predomipeople and their culture for a white cultural artenate. You don’t find many rich kids being removed. fact and institution is an application of the idea that And I doubt that the rich look after their kids any white society is superior and therefore the answer to better. Instead they are usually off the radar. This the problem of Aboriginal people and their culture. is a bigger issue than is realised and there are many Only a very few children actually require complete pro-marriage and pro-adoption advocates out there removal to save their lives. Those that the system behind the push to remove kids because there is a have ignored and have perished are further evidence growing demand for small children and babies and that the system is flawed. Unfortunately the media a whole industry underway in the form of the foster being the media profits from sensationalising iscare industry. I truly wish we could get some proper sues because OMG stories sell more than in-depth, media on this issue instead of the same old garbage.

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Many hands make light work: A win for Bankstown campus The game of chicken is over, writes WAYNE ARDLEY Recently the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) completed installation of traffic lights at the Bullecourt Ave entrance to Bankstown Campus. This came about after a long battle by the Bankstown Student Campus Council (SCC) to create a safe way to cross the road. The issue was first raised by the SCC at its February 2012 meeting. The volume of traffic using the avenue created considerable danger for students and staff dropped off by buses on the far side of the avenue. What was difficult for most students became nearly impossible for students with vision impairment and mobility concerns. You really were taking your life in your hands with a mad dash between the traffic. It was like a crazy game of dodgeball, only it was buses and cars you were trying to dodge! The camber of the road offered a different type of problem for students in wheelchairs who had to push themselves uphill and then fly down the other side. The situation was just asking for trouble and it was a miracle no one got hurt.

On March 26, 2012, a gathering was held at the front of the campus to get a firsthand look at the problem. The meeting was attended by UWS students, members of the SCC, staff from UWS security and UWS capital works, Bankstown City Council, local residents, and local business people. At the meeting everyone had a chance to discuss their issues and it became clear to the City Council that the matter was indeed urgent. By the end of April 2012 the RMS and Bankstown City Council had approved the installation of traffic lights at the location.

This is a great example of the results that can be attained when students voice their concerns. It took a very long time to finally have the traffic lights constructed but at last they are functioning and we can all enjoy a leisurely stroll across the avenue in place of the terror-stricken game of chicken that it used to be. If you have any concerns about campus life then please get in touch with your campus council. Each campus has one.

“

Students in wheelchairs had to push themselves uphill then fly down the other side

National Day of Action against tertiary education cuts On Tuesday August 20 students across Australia left their lectures and tutorials to stand together and fight against the latest attack by the Federal Government on tertiary education.

Students from UWS Bankstown Student Campus Council, along with 30 other Bankstown students, left on a bus funded and organised by the Bankstown Student Campus Council to join and rally against the $2.3b worth of cuts by the Federal Government. This protest was called by National Union of Students. A cut of this magnitude is catastrophic for your chances of having a fair go at university.

Students face $900m of cuts to their individual university, resulting in less face-to-face teaching time, larger tutorials, cuts to subjects and an increase in

the cost of your HECS. UWS students will directly be impacted, as a large cohort of our students are from low socio-economic backgrounds. They will no longer receive the $1000 AUSTUDY to help with textbooks and equipment.

Bankstown Campus Chair, Marlene Carrasco addressed the rally at UTS. “Many single mums at uni have had many traumatic experiences and have courageously sought to redefine themselves as women through higher education”, Marlene Carrasco said.

“These cuts, along with other social reforms implemented by this government, and upheld by a possibly future Liberal government, have completely smashed the dreams of many women at UWS.”

Students from Newcastle, Macquarie, Sydney, UNSW and UWS marched from UTS to St Andrews Cathedral. A largely peaceful protest was marred when a transgender protester was wrongly accused of assaulting a person wearing a Liberal Party t-shirt and beaten and harassed by police, along with other innocent picketers such as myself, and threatened with Pepper Spray. We managed to recover from that horrible event and carried on with the protest.

I am proud to say that Bankstown was the loudest, proudest group there, and our 35m banner which Marlene Carrasco painted with volunteers from the Cross Campus Educational Action Network, was the centrepiece of the march.

9 MARKO PETROVIC

The Shock of the Newstart: Parents feel force of cuts

I came to the conclusion I needed a break from the rollercoaster of financial stress and uni study just before Christmas, when we single parents got wind of the changes to Parenting Payments.

You may have seen my rants before on the Facebook Page, Uni Family Support (UFS). I am a single parent of three children and have struggled to cope with the constant and continuous attacks on studying parents via government payments. During my time as a student, I have found the uplifting reward of a HD grade rapidly diminishes when confronted with aggressive and threatening conduct of the government via Centrelink. One example is stopping a payment if you fail to report your earnings on time, subsequently causing all your direct debits to fail, leaving you short on a weekend and of course the associated bank fee that comes from “insufficient funds”. Add to this study deadlines, school and social commitments for kids and maintaining casual and contractual employment and what you have is

me…a nail-biting, often basket case.

In 2006, under the Howard Government, Welfare to Work reforms came in. I was unaffected at this stage as I had separated in 2004 and commenced a Certificate III in 2005 through Open Learning.

Every government since has scaled back payments and/or benefits, dressing it up with a “baby bonus” here and a “school kids bonus” there. This year, I was one of the many dumped onto Newstart (the dole) because, according to the Gillard cohort, children that turn 8 years old suddenly cost a lot less to keep, can let themselves in after school, start dinner and take themselves off to netball or soccer training or music lessons. According to the Gillard government, single women can now also take up one of the millions of 9-3pm positions available.

Employers always choose mothers who have school kids over women that have no kids, so there’s no problem there. Thank you, Ms Gillard for your non-misogynist attitude towards the mostly single mothers that your government singled out to be “reformed”. How will it be easier for the next woman and the woman after that, when so many have quit study due to welfare “reforms”?

The harassment by Centrelink under the dole regulations was more humiliating than the lesser payment of Austudy. On Austudy, I lost my sole parent pension card that entitled me to cheap travel on public transport and discounted car registration, begging the question, how does one then afford to run a vehicle to get to work on either the Austudy/ Newstart payment? Only people involved in this ridiculous system can fully understand how time consuming it is to exist, not live on… and I use this term loosely, government “assistance”.

Anyway, I’m tired of thinking about it, tired of talking about it, tired of living it. I’m having a semester off to hopefully get some money behind me to start the Masters of Teaching and reignite the passion for changing the lot of single studying parents at UWS. In the meantime, can someone pay my $100 to defer….seriously!!!! I’ll still be around on Bankstown Campus, so come and say hi or find me on FB !

Jacquie Dredge UFS Milperra and Bankstown SCC

Motion for Palestine at NUS Conference I attended my first NUS (National Union of Students) Education Conference in Adelaide in July.

I came to the Bankstown Student Campus Council knowing nothing, but with these meetings, your confidence builds up and your ability for public speaking improves.

I proposed a motion to over a thousand delegates. I was very shaky – I never thought I could do that.

I am part of the Socialist Alternative party and I volunteered to propose a motion asking NUS to fund a Palestine activist to come to Australia for a national speaking tour. The NUS executives believed it was important to fund NUS delegates to go to Israel and witness what is going on. But I thought the war is not happening in Israel. It is very important that a Palestinian comes to Australia and shares their experience – where their mother has been raped, murdered, slaughtered, and their house has been bulldozed, kids left to be orphans. NUS approved the motion to be voted on. We lost that motion.

But the reason I went up there for the first time was that I wanted to stick up for my brothers and sisters overseas. If I could change that in Australia or in that room …then I would be happy and know that they would be happy. There’s a lot we can do on campus by listening to the students and learning what they really want so we can implement things for them.

Helal Said Bankstown Student Campus Council

Why not make this Summer a UWS Summer?

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Do you want to fast track your degree and finish more quickly? Or perhaps lighten your workload by spreading units more evenly across the year? Need a ‘do over’ for a missed or failed unit?

UWS Summer could be your answer. With over 100 core and elective, undergraduate and postgraduate units on offer, there are plenty of opportunities to do Your Degree, Your Way. Parramatta, Bankstown, Campbelltown, Hawkesbury and Penrith campuses are all participating in UWS Summer and with no rule waiver, you can enrol in units on any campus.

Units will be offered in a range of teaching modes from face-to-face to fully online to blended (a mixture of both).

With a compressed teaching calendar, all modes of teaching over UWS Summer will be intensive so you should only study a maximum of two units, unless you have approval from your Academic Course Advisor.

Why not join the 2,800+ students who have already enrolled and make this summer a UWS Summer?

ENROL NOW - Search UWS Summer, contact the Student Central Infoline on 1300 668 370 or email studentcentral@uws.edu.au

PROFESSOR JAMES ARVANITAKIS

Did you know UWS is home to the Prime Minister’s University Teacher of the Year? Professor James Arvanitakis researches globalisation, citizenship, young people, security and the cultural commons. If you are lucky, you may have seen him in action.

What do you enjoy about teaching the most?

That is easy: Working with the students. I always feel so honoured and privileged to be in front of a classroom and sharing knowledge. The best part is when you establish an environment of sharing, so you get to hear the insights of the students and how they are reflecting on what is being discussed.

This two-way exchange can happen in the classroom, over facebook or vUWS. It makes my day when I get an email from a student saying: ‘Hey, I just had a chat to my parents about what we learnt in class and they said…’ It is awesome!!!!

STAFF PROFILE

What do you do in your days off? How do you recharge the batteries?

How are students different these days, compared to when you were a new uni student?

I am really lucky to live near Coogee Beach so hanging out there is one of my favourite things in the world. Regular dinner with friends (many of whom are not academics) is also a must. I am a foodie, so either cooking up a storm or trying out a new place!

I am also crazy for Buffy, Game of Thrones, True Blood, Mad Men and so on. Love watching a good series! And of course, the footy: Roosters in the NRL and Swans in the AFL!

There are heaps of differences! One is the greater diversity at uni – and that is fantastic.

In many ways, students today have less time than I did when I was at uni: work commitments and less time. That makes it tough!

There are also more distractions like Facebook and smart phones – kind of unimaginable when I was at uni.

I think a radically changing environment: There is very little that seems stable these days – it has been said that we are living in a time of liquid modernity. One of the issues, is that jobs that once seemed stable are disappearing, climate change is altering the way we must see the world, politics has changed and not always for the better. It makes life feel unstable – and that is tough!

How do you play to a tough crowd?

Usually tell them about my mum – Mum Arvanitakis and her lamb can crack anyone!

I have played heaps of tough crowds and the thing to do is to always try and figure out what it is that makes them tough.

The aim is to always find a way to get the people to engage with just one thing. If you can read their body language change, then you know you can respond. But the best thing is to always be prepared and know your crowd, and that way you can tailor your presentation or lecture appropriately.

But sometimes crowds can’t be cracked and that is tough. Here I just go back to do what I can and think, maybe I can connect with even one person it is worth it!

How does a pirate teach?

What was your first class as a teacher like? Were there tears?

First time was a guest lecture and I tried to do too much! I spoke so fast, there was probably tears of boredom!!!

Afterwards I reflected and thought, ‘Man, that sucked! How can I do that better?’

The answer changed the way I thought about teaching: I always teach the way I want to be taught!

What is the most important thing you can instil in a student’s mind?

To ask ‘why?’ We live in world of incredible poverty and we often marginalise the most vulnerable (such as refugees) – the most important job of a teacher is to get the students to ask ‘why?’

This makes us better students (because we engage in critical thinking), better teachers (because it makes us answer real questions), and better citizens! We made the world the way it is, and by asking ‘why’, we can change it?

The other thing is that the top ten jobs created in 2011 did not exist 10 years ago. But getting people to ask why, we become better prepared for a changing world; both professionally and personally!

What is the single-most challenging issue facing graduates today?

Which teachers inspired you when you were a student and why?

Teachers still inspire me. When I was studying Financial Markets, I had a guy who taught me ‘Financial Statement Analysis’ and he was awesome: If you can make studying balance sheets fun and inspiring, then the sky is the limit.

But I still love going to see good teachers and there are heaps here at UWS. Prof David Rowe no longer teaches undergraduates but he taught me a lot about giving time to students as well as constructive feedback. Dr David McInnes was the first person who totally backed my teaching style and I learnt so much from him. Assoc. Prof Sara Knox is one of the most engaging people in THE WORLD! There are lots of others who love sharing knowledge and I love listening to them: Dianne Dickenson, Juan Salazar, Peter Mauch and of course the awesome Roy Tasker! You learn so much from all of them!

Thing about teaching is that it is one person who teachers, but your colleagues that make it happen!

With an eye patch!

Seriously… the idea comes from a student who once said to me, ‘James, you change your teaching style to suit the changing environment in which you teach. You are like a pirate, because pirates, like ninjas, blend in with their environments’ How cool is that?

For me, that meant that all teaching has to be contextualised to the class, time, location and people you are teaching! You need to change your style to suit the environment!

Why can’t we just have an online referendum on most major government policy issues these days?

I think governments need to change the way they govern taking advantage of the internet and the ability to communicate with the electorate much faster and have a two way communication! I am not sure referendum is always the answer, but better online communication certainly is. We need politicians to better interact with us, show us respect and discuss things intelligently – and an online environment makes this possible! This would be ideal for dealing with all the misinformation about refugees or climate change for example!

If they do this, maybe they can regain some of that trust and respect that they seem to have lost!

And last…

My uncle told me there were three rules to live your life by: Always be in bed by 11; never have more than 2 drinks in a night; and, never drink instant coffee! I have never drunk instant coffee!

Also… I think Buffy would beat Eric in a fight for sure (I won’t even mention the loser from the Twilight series) And finally… you should always sing in the shower!

NOMINATE YOUR FAVOURITE TEACHER cruwsible.com.au

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With New Eyes A travelogue by Zahraa Ahadzada Just because we don’t see it, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Having lived in a country far away from the degradation and malnourishment of human beings, I was blinded. I was blinded by the commonplace abundance of wealth. I was blinded by the hardships of sustaining family life and friendships and trying to be happy. I was blinded by what I thought was the only truth. But, as I have found out, there is more to the truth that we live and breathe every day.

As you pick up this paper and read this piece, there are children begging on the streets of developing countries. There are children whose futures are being dictated by drug lords. There are mothers whose newborn babies are being taken away from them because they’re ‘too poor’ to mother them. There are families too poor to afford even the tiniest bit of food.

There are girls who are being sold like pairs of worn out boots. So much is happening, and until now I was blind to the existence of these events.

It wasn’t until my recent trip to the Philippines where I was immersed in a culture so different from the one I am privy to. I was lucky enough to be selected to attend the 4th University Scholars Leadership Symposium in Manila alongside some other brilliant UWS delegates. This symposium honed in on the ways in which we can empower the global poor to break the chain and re-build their communities. The experience most certainly opened all of our eyes to a world that was previously only considered in passing.

We heard from a diverse range of speakers who reflected on their journeys of helping the global poor.

We learnt of the living conditions of the homeless.

We learnt of the hunger and starvation experienced by begging children on the streets. I learnt that I have had my priorities all wrong for the last 20 years of my life.

Just being in a developing country, your spirit is changed. There’s no other way of describing it than to say that it is as if someone has given you a new pair of eyes. Once you put these eyes on, everything changes.

There was one experience that I will never forget.

One night, as we sat chatting away to a group of Scottish delegates in a nearby pizza restaurant, there was a child beggar on the street who started rapping at the window in front of us. He was signalling to us that he was hungry and wanted something to eat. As though by reflex, one of the Scottish delegates stood up and took his pizza to the door and offered the child some food. Ecstatic at the idea of having food, this child took the pizza and ran off. I was struck with a deep sense of admiration for the delegate and his ability to be so compassionate to 12

a child who would have otherwise been ignored.

As everyone resumed eating, another child started rapping at the window. This time I felt a massive knot in my stomach. I stood up and ordered a pizza.

After what felt like hours, the pizza was ready and I proceeded to take the pizza to the child outside. He took the pizza with very few words and started running out on the street and calling out to his mother and his father in Tagalog. From the shadows of the streets, out ran a man clothed with only shorts, and a woman with rags – both without shoes. A younger child also ran out as well. The family huddled together around the pizza on the pavement and within a matter of seconds the entire pizza was gone. I remember the pang of guilt that hit me. It was like none other I had ever experienced.

There were instances I could recall where pizzas were ordered and only half eaten because everyone was over-satiated. There were instances that I could recall where children were being chased by their parents to eat, but they would refuse. There were instances where I personally had thrown away food with little regard. The guilt of all of those situations tumbled down on me like a tonne of bricks.

Just because I hadn’t seen it before, doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. It was most definitely there. And with it, I acquired new eyes. *** The pinnacle of my time there was most certainly the opportunity to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, an organisation dedicated to building homes for the impoverished communities whose dwellings were the sub-human conditions of slums. Merely by calling on the memories of that day, I am inundated with feelings of love, compassion and a longing to go back and visit those communities.

Simply put, these people were human beings.

They truly epitomised what it is to be human and to have humanity that transcends the confines of materialism and money. The smile on their faces was not impacted or severed by their living conditions or the fact that they had no shoes. Even though I was a stranger to all of those children, it didn’t stop them from coming and giving me a hug. One girl in particular, Marie-Lou, didn’t leave my side. From the moment I met her as I was walking down into the slum village, this girl captivated me with her beautiful smile and generous love. She called out my name as though she had known me for years, and had a giving spirit well beyond her 7 years of life. She held my hand and I personally had no intentions of letting go.

She taught me about happiness. She taught me about what it means to really be happy. The material objects that we take so much pride in having; they’re not even a part of the story. Happiness stems for an inward sense of thankfulness and love – and Marie-Lou showed me how thankful and loving a human being can be.

So, I have come back to my great land with new eyes. I have come back with an inner sense of thankfulness and love. Life is so precious. We need to remind ourselves of that. We need to remind ourselves of the children that go nights on end without food. We need to remind ourselves of the happiness glued in the hearts of many homeless and penniless children. We need to remind ourselves of what is important in life.

So, please. When you open your wallet and realise that you have a few coins and notes that you can live without, donate it. If you see a homeless person on the street, maybe try and speak to them instead of ignoring their existence. We need to shift our entrenched perceptions of the disadvantaged. You will find that life has so many inner folds you haven’t accessed. Go acquire your new pair of eyes!

Visit habitat.org.au/donate/savelives. $3000 can build a home in an impoverished community.

Thoughts on refugees I have this view about refugees; it’s stereotypical. I understand that these people are human and most are seeking a better life in Australia. Most have grown up with political instability, poverty, war and numerous other terrible things. I can empathize with them, but don’t come to live in Australia if you have no intentions of learning to speak English. I deal with customers on a daily basis that have the most terrible broken English. Often I tell myself they should learn proper English or go back to their home country.

When my mother came to Australia she enrolled in TAFE for a year to learn to speak English, as did my Aunty when she moved to Australia. If you want to live in Australia and be socially accepted you have to learn to speak English and adapt aspects of your life to Australia. I’m not saying you should forget about your heritage, but some adaptation is required for a smooth transition.

However, I’ve been reading this book (Stepping Up – Pamela Young), which pointed out the lack of diversity within Australia, especially in the corporate world.

Yes, Australia is multicultural, but that does not mean it’s diverse. We have so many different cultures within Australia which can create greater economic prosperity, however we tend to have an insular perspective: We’re too far to be affected, and too small to make a difference.

All those asylum seekers that have been detained are living on taxpayers’ money. What do we get in return?

The book raised a valid point: Rather than detaining these refugees, we should send them out into the workforce while they’re being processed. This would contribute to the economy. Some will raise the argument that Australia is already losing jobs to foreigners; an alternative would be to create training within detention centres to smooth transition into the economy.

It’s not only a problem for unskilled foreigners. Australia doesn’t recognize numerous international qualifications. The perfect example is from the Big Bang Theory. Sheldon enters a physics comp, recruiting the janitor. This janitor was a physics engineer in Russia, yet in the US he’s merely a janitor. Why? Australia is suffering from a brain drain yet we have so many qualified foreigners with useful skills. We set them up with low-skilled or mismatched jobs rendering their skills useless.

We seem to discriminate a lot on the basis of Anglo vs non-Anglo. We should determine employment based upon skills, not race, culture or how we came to Australia. Even Anglo Australians started as immigrants.

So I’ve now developed some conflicting views.

What are your thoughts?

MARIA JUCHKOV Tell us what you think Comment on this story cruwsible.com.au

The martyr, her mates and the media: How Gillard was undone by the nation Our first female Prime Minister was subject to the worst aspects of our blokey culture but she opened the door with dignity for women of the future, writes ZAHRAA AHADZADA Julia Gillard. A name that has been associated with feelings of frustration, feelings of angst and feelings of betrayal. But, personally this name overcomes me with feelings of disappointment in Australia and its Australians.

This disappointment doesn’t stem from anger at this woman’s method of ascendancy to the role of Prime Minister. This disappointment doesn’t stem from her carbon tax inconsistencies or her Pacific Solution plans for the asylum-seekers trekking land and sea for safety. This disappointment is directed towards the attitude of the Australian public towards a female Australian leader.

As a reader it may be very easy to classify me as a narcissistic feminist who has a severely skewed agenda, however I don’t believe this to be the case.

Why? Why would I sympathise with a woman who, it can strongly be argued, was hated by very many Australians?

I’ll tell you why. Former prime minister Gillard was treated with a repugnant and shameless air of media-driven criticism. This criticism, lacking the tact and ‘diplomacy’ of usual political slander, dug deep at the roots and coined phrases like “Ditch the Witch!”. It also found colourfully descriptive phrases in reference to Gillard, because of course the female Prime Minister should be adorned as a “man’s bitch”! As if opposing a man fuelled by female degradation and male virility wasn’t enough, Gillard was also the subject of commentary about her clothing choices – because every woman loves to hear that “her stomach and sides...flare out in an unflattering manner”. It definitely wasn’t an easy journey for the first female Prime Minister. Not because she was incapable. Not because she lacked the political valour or strategic vigour. It was because she was treated differently to her predecessors and colleagues, simply because she was a female.

Was Kevin Rudd ever criticised for the lack of shine

in his grey, wispy hair? Apart from two very prominent eyebrows, did John Howard ever get taken up on his ill-fitting suits or his odd choice of tie?

Were any of the past Prime Ministers disparagingly referred to as a “dog” with a “big ass”? I don’t recall there ever being a past Prime Minister whose name

fact that she was “ The treated very differently is unacceptable

was thrown on a Liberal Party fundraiser menu with tauntingly belittling meal descriptions as: “Julia Gillard Kentucky Fried Quail: Small Breasts, Huge Thighs & A Big Red Box”. None of the predecessor’s wives were questioned on their sexuality, or stereotyped because of the nature of their profession. 2GB callers definitely didn’t contritely observe them as “menopausal monster[s]”. There weren’t many who were deliberately egged by onlookers, either!

Whilst the self-righteous and oh so well-spoken Abbott fulminated Gillard’s openly discussed female profile as “not necessarily a bad thing”, I personally believe that this behaviour was unwarranted and unconscionable. No matter how ill witted or politically inept Gillard was perceived to be, there was no need for such debasement and denigration of a fellow female Australian. Aren’t we Australians known for our mateship and humbling compassion for one another? Where did that mateship run off to when Gillard was in government? I understand that politics isn’t a game necessarily associated with mateship, but why the persistent desire to emblazon ourselves with badges as detesters of a female leader? Did we forget that Gillard was still a human being worthy of at least an ounce of respect? Or, were we too caught up in the Abbott-fuelled misogyny used to deprecate and undermine the character and competency of a female leader? In retrospect, it disgusts me how disrespectful and Alan Jones-y some Australians became.

So, to me Gillard’s father definitely did not “die in shame”. To me, he fathered a woman who epitomised determination and resilience during a time where the entire country favoured her ousting.

Regardless of how you or I feel about her approach to politics, or her political agenda, the fact that she was treated very differently is unacceptable.

Gillard finalised her time in politics by saying, “it will be easier for the next woman and the woman after that and the woman after that. And I’m proud of that”. I believe Julia Gillard should stand proud.

Whilst swimming in the sea of entrenched Australian misperceptions of gender roles, she showed us that a woman can get the job done. She showed us how tough women actually are. She showed us that women, irrespective of race or age, can do what any man can do, even with multiple times the pressure. I think we should all remember that.

Stop cuts to education or risk student backlash

It is sad to see the Federal Government is planning to cut $2.3 billion of tertiary education funds. I always ask myself why don’t MPs and Ministers cut first their wages and travel entitlements?

Politicians need to know that education comes first, before even defence, since Australia is not in danger, neither are its territories or its people.

We should not fund other people’s war ventures. Australia needs to have an independent foreign policy.

We don’t know what the funding cut means to our UWS campuses. We feel courses will be abolished and HECS will be increased. Universities will do anything to fill the funding gap and students will pay a big price.

We wish the government would change its stand, otherwise students from low socio-economic classes will be disadvantaged.

A few weeks ago I attended the NUS education conference in Adelaide and risked my life while protesting Federal Government funding

cuts, as cars refused to let us march (the protest organisers failed to notify police). We did manage to complete the march. I only attend good, worthy-cause protests: Politicians need to wake up to themselves and see that if they do not support education, then they may lose the confidence of the students who are determined to safeguard their rights through constant lobbying.

As I am embarking on a campaign to write to every member of parliament to lobby them to keep funding cuts at bay, I do hope every student on this campus does the same thing, otherwise we may see more subjects and courses disappear forever.

FOUAD ABI-ESBER 13 Bankstown Student Council

Liberty, censorship and the inbetween When Sydney Uni student newspaper Honi Soit put 18 vaginas on the front cover, everyone had an opinion. MARYAM AZAM argues there is real freedom in choosing not to be viewed by the public eye.

Here’s an idea: What if we kept it all on?

The saga in question: On August 21, University of Sydney student newspaper Honi Soit released an edition with a cover that featured the vulvas of eighteen Sydney University students. Following legal advice from the SRC, which deemed the image illegal if distributed, the cover image was obscured by strategically placed black bars. However, due to a printing error, the bars were semi-transparent and a mass recall of the edition was conducted. Instead, the sealed edition with the original cover could be picked up from the SRC office upon showing ID, while the edition with the cover removed was re-distributed at the university.

The cover was a protest against unrealistic representations of female genitalia in popular culture, the double-bind pressure and shame of female sexuality and the anxieties women feel about their bodies due to living up to impossible social expectations of female beauty.

Unsurprisingly, the cover sparked huge controversy and was reported on by media far and wide including Dutch and Chinese newspapers.

The eighteen women who participated in the making of the cover described the process as a liberating experience from the impossible beauty standards of the pornography industry. In one participant’s words: “It was a big ‘fuck you’ to all of the ideals, all of the shame, all of the hurtful lies that we are told about ourselves day in and day out”. The cover was intended to provide comfort to women by showing them what real female private parts look like, that they’re all different but they’re all normal.

However, how successful were these women in challenging society’s unrealistic representations of female genitalia?

If the measure of the success of the project was the feeling of liberation and the letting go of anxieties about their sexual selves that the individuals experienced, then yes, it has been successful. As one participant states: “I can get through that (the snide remarks) knowing there are women out there who are now feeling less hung up on the way their vaginas look.”

But as a challenge to society’s dictates of beauty and the unrealistic portrayals of female bodies in popular culture and pornography, the project’s success is questionable.

The fact that the edition of Honi Soit is available from the SRC upon flashing some ID, sealed in plastic packaging with a category 1 restriction warning, highlights this. Rather than undermining the system, the edition instead joins the ranks of pornography, covered in packaging and traded secretly. Just like Femen, the women’s movement whose form of activism involves exposing their breasts, these women have made their bodies available for social judgement and objectification. It would be stupid to think 14

to subject ourselves to it. To dress modestly, in other words, and for me personally that includes a headscarf.

For me, the issue isn’t around whether realistic-looking vaginas are being adequately portrayed in media and pop culture, but why we need to encourage their portrayal at all. For decades, concerned people have been fighting campaigns to highlight the constructed nature of male and female bodies in magazines, posters and in films. There isn’t anyone who isn’t aware of the fact that photos are airbrushed and retouched. Yet we are still struggling with issues of body image.

Indeed, the anxieties the women of the Honi Soit Vagina Dialogues project have mentioned have been around issues of acceptance and of conforming to ideals of ‘normal’. In the words of the women: “we don’t want to feel fearful when we have a first sexual counter (sic) with a partner who may judge us because of our vaginas”. However, generating more images of vaginas and increasing the prevalence of their depiction in society can’t do much to change fears, which are a very personal thing. In fact, they only serve to add to the plethora of images women are going to compare themselves to.

For Honi Soit, the idea behind putting female genitalia on display was to force society to accept them as they are: “Either accept vaginas as normal, non-threatening, and not disgusting, or explain why you can’t”.

But again, the desire for acceptance is what drives the fears and anxieties so many people have about themselves. that there is no one out there treating these images as porn simply because these images weren’t put out there for that purpose.

As a young Muslim woman, the idea of putting my body on display to challenge social standards of beauty and the objectification of the female body is completely foreign to me. In fact, I find it a liberating experience to do the exact opposite and protect my body from society’s gaze.

Like the women who took part in this project, I agree that something must be done about the relentless objectification and sexualisation of women’s bodies which has crept into every nook and cranny of society. Women’s bodies are on display and available to the “male” gaze everywhere. On TV, on billboards, in magazines. Adding to the exhibition of female body parts in protest simply doesn’t make sense.

The only way we can frustrate the gaze that generates so much anxiety about our bodies is to refuse

True freedom is not feeling like you need to render yourself open to anyone’s judgement.

True freedom is not to need society to accept you for as you are.

MAKE YOUR COMMENT cruwsible.com.au

STUDENT COUNCIL elections Student rep Leam Mark Farrar spruiks the benefits of getting involved and urges all to VOTE in the student elections.

Between March 2011 and December 2011, I was on student leadership groups. From December 2011 to now I have been on both the Penrith Student Campus Council and the SRC. I wanted to make the university a better place; I wanted to see the university become a world-renowned institution where I can say to people it’s a good place to go. I wanted to see my niece eventually come to this university: She’s two !!

I’m the first in my immediate family to go to uni. So I want to see future generations do a lot better.

The way jobs are going today, the minimum you need is a bachelor degree. The time when you could leave high school in year 12 and get a job are gone.

I wanted to be president of the SRC. I was unsuccessful because of other aspects, but I have got something out of it. I have had the honour of being Chair of Penrith Student Campus Council for two years now. It has been a thrill to work with two great councils, and a great bunch of people under two SRCs and under two amazing presidents and secretaries who have taken advice I’ve given them.

While there may be a small number of people in it for themselves, the large majority are there for the students and have a commitment to do things not only for students but for the next generations.

To anyone thinking of getting involved in student politics, I would say think about it first – don’t just jump bull-at-a- gate. Make sure you are doing it for

YOUR VOTE CREATES CHANGE Coming in mid-to-late September are the Student Campus Council elections at each campus. It is important that every student votes, as student participation is generally low at elections. If you want your voice to be heard and have student members work to fulfil your wishes at campus – not to mention someone to talk to who you know and trust – it is in your interest to vote.

How it all works is that each of our five campuses at UWS has its own Student Campus Council which represents student issues on a micro level at each of the campuses. Three members in each campus council are in turn are elected to be representatives at the Student Representative Council and work on macro level issues that may affect students university-wide. So at the end of the day, the people you vote for not only look after your campus, but take your input to the SRC in charge of making your voice heard on a larger level.

Student Campus Councils and the SRC work collaboratively to convey the issues that affect you to the University, the Chancellor and others. We fight for fair and equal rights for all of our students and the only way we can do that is if you support us and tell us the issues you find critical.

So please, on Election Day, find a few minutes in your busy day to vote and make your voice heard.

Good luck and VOTE! MARKO PETROVIC - Student at Bankstown

the right reason, not just for a line on your resume or because you want to be able to say “I know something you don’t know’’. You need to make uni a better place for everyone – not just for yourself. You may only have four years here, but you have to think about the next generation.

People should vote in the student elections because the SRC is your voice.

A lot of students want to get involved, but don’t for many reasons. But they need to vote to make sure the candidates they are getting are the right candidates and not people who ruin things.

If we are elected in uncontested elections, those students who are elected unopposed don’t have a clear mandate. We need to get people out there, voting and making sure your voice is heard.

Voting isn’t compulsory in student elections, so it does take a little bit of extra effort to encourage people to vote. Students get sent an email from uni, but there’s just three paragraphs saying “elections are open” and “click this link to vote’’.

Of all the things I have been involved with, I am very proud of the fact that I was able to get a written agreement, in conjunction with Bansktown Student Campus Council, for traffic lights on the main road.

And of the agreement with Connect to get the shuttle bus for Bansktown campus. And I am absolutely proud of the fact that I was on the ground for the building of the new student representation in this uni, to build the framework for future SRCs. I want to leave at the end of the year knowing it is in good hands for 2014 and beyond.

LEAM MARK FARRAR - Chair Penrith Student Campus Council and SRC member

National Union of Students Education Conference: UWS delegation visits Adelaide I organised for six members from Bankstown Campus Council, one from Parramatta, one from Campbelltown and one from Hawkesbury to attend the NUS Education Conference in Adelaide this July. There were about 350 student delegates from all around Australia. It was a jam-packed session over three days with many different people addressing the conference and conducting workshops.

The monopoly that the Labor left (National Labor Students) and Labor right block (Unity) has had over time is slowly being cracked open by the real left. The real left block is made up of the Greens, Socialist Alliance, Socialist Alternative, Anarchists and other students concerned with social justice issues such as refugees, indigenous issues, cuts to education funding, people from low socio-economic backgrounds. We managed to change the agenda and have the cuts campaign slotted in much earlier than the agenda had planned. The national union president wanted to talk about the Labor election campaign, but the real left block led by Omar Hassan from Socialist Alternative repeatedly challenged the agenda and brought forward the cuts campaign; we were there to represent students and fight the cuts eroding our unis by the current Labor government.

The response from the floor from Unity was to “fuck off’’ and have our meeting in the foyer. I got up and said: “Respect your fellow students. We didn’t come all the way here to not talk about the cuts. So you will listen to us”. That is part of our role as student reps, to fight for what is going to affect the majority of students, especially students from low-socio-economic backgrounds.

There were some fantastic workshops. We looked at different unis and how little funding student unions are getting; some are getting $2-3 million and some are getting $100,000 like us.

UWS students were impressed by the calibre and diversity of students. They came to learn that being a student rep is not only about campus activities but broader engagement with political discourse and issues that affect the broader population like refugees, pro-life, apartheid, Israel, Indigenous issues, the intervention – things that are not on our doorstep but as student leaders we need to have a position on, hopefully a position that is progressive and in favour of the oppressed. It empowered students that would never get an opportunity to attend anything like that and would otherwise miss the boat on having a political perspective. It was the beginning of Ramadan and we all sat on the floor and said grace according to our religious denominations and that really was the most special moment; that we can coexist and share a respectful journey regardless of our background. This is what strengthens us, our university and the broader community, and is what happens when you engage in these broader events.

MARLENE CARRASCO - Chair Bankstown SCC, Vice 15 President SRC, NUS delegate

STUDENT AMBASSADORS Q and A with TAHANI HUSARI Member Academic Senate, Ask Us Program Assistant and UWS Student Ambassador Is campus life what you expected?

When I started uni I did not understand it. I was very happy to be at uni, but was overwhelmed at the same time. The semester system and the uni routine was not something familiar to me; it wasn’t easy to go through the first year and I did not expect it to be that difficult. However, I found it very interesting after that to meet new people and make friends and to find mutual respect with the academic professions. It was not until I volunteered to work at uni and become a member at Student Council Campus, that my uni life became more interesting, enjoyable and productive.

What could be improved?

I believe UWS is providing a wide variety of help and assistance to students, but new students may feel isolated and intimidated about where to go and whom to ask. I would like to assist in breaking that ice. My wish is to assist the first year students in a better way and to provide more details about university life, how to adapt to its system and how to enjoy it while studying.

I assume more advertising for uni services would make the student’s life at university more colourful and campus life would be more than just lectures

JAMES MIDDLETON Bankstown Student Campus Council As part of my policy on the free and open exchange of information, I wanted to share a little about myself, what I believe, and why I believe in what I do. To begin with, I am a second year student studying a Bachelor of Psychology, and whilst I am a “first in family” to attend university, and a “mature age” student, 26, I have done reasonably well in my studies. In fact, on top of a couple of publications I co-author, I will be presenting at a conference later this year. My success, I believe, is due to my determination and desire to do as well as I can in the world of academe, and after seeing what my attitude to my studies can achieve, and what my achievements have yielded for me personally, I wish to help others obtain success in their own studies. Whilst helping others succeed is something I strive for, I do not consider it to be an easy task, and I also think that simply inspiring people to do well is insufficient.

But to help you understand the methods I have chosen to best achieve this goal of academic success at UWS, I must first ask you a question. Why did you choose to study at university?

This is a question I have asked many students over the past, and have seen a number of responses, ranging from helping others and proving something to themselves, through to facetious—yet worryingly semi-serious—answers such as avoiding the workforce and even “getting a piece of paper to show others how smart I is [sic]”. Think very carefully about your real reasons to be at UWS, and ask yourself if these reasons are truly as auspicious as they appear to be.

To me, studying at UWS serves one ultimate purpose: Employment.

Obtaining a career in the field of your choice should be the primary goal of any student’s study; all other goals should be secondary to this. However, whilst it is the student’s responsibility to ensure they do the work, I also believe that UWS has its own role to play in this. UWS has a responsibility to ensure that, provided the students get the work done, graduates will be of a sufficient standard to enter into the workforce. With the current state of Australia, where even well-educated people often have difficulty getting work in their field, the provi16

and assignments. Students should be encouraged to participate in Student Campus Councils, volunteer work, clubs and societies and many more services and activities which could be a beginning for a uni life transformation.

What is working well?

Not everything that works for me would work for others. Nevertheless, I would suggest asking the librarians for any services you might need; they are very friendly and helpful. Attend ‘Academic Skills Workshops’. Counselling services are a very good facility to help students to organise uni studies and lifestyle and to reduce stress. Mature age student services and ‘PASS’ are recommended.

Reading Cruwsible (UWS student newspaper) to stay informed with what’s going on at uni, is also a good way to stay connected and you might find an answer to what you looking for.

How do international students find life on campus generally?

Being away from home and family is the main problem facing international students. Furthermore, many international students speak English as a second language which could be a barrier for communicating with other students and could necessitate longer times to complete assignments compared with native English-speaking students. Some students would take extra time to adapt to uni life because of the cultural differences. In addition, the financial situation is hard and finding a proper job with proper pay could be a burden.

On the other hand, international students like Australian society and enjoy making new friends here as well as the academic achievements they came to uni for. Many international students attend UWS College before proceeding to UWS University, so this helps them with the English language and the preparation for degrees they enrolled in and wish to achieve.

sion of adequate resources to students has never been more relevant, and it is this point that forms the crux of my perspective on student representation. I stand firm in my approach to ensuring all students a quality education that will help them succeed in the real world. By this, I do not simply mean helping students obtain a high grade point average, but to establish a learning environment that fosters both theory and practice, and gives students the best possible chance of success after graduation. But to do this, I need to convince UWS that doing so is beneficial to both students and UWS as a whole.

Joining the Bankstown Student Campus Council has given me new insight into the inner workings of UWS. For starters, it is obvious that UWS is a business; the streamlining of UWS to be as efficient as possible and to make the most money it can is nigh omnipresent, and has had, in some cases, detrimental effects on students. A cynical person could go so far as to say that UWS sees students as walking bags of money, and that the iPad initiative (to attract more students) and focus on student retention are testament to this. However, as sad as it is, UWS must be this way. The success of UWS is critical to ensuring continued education, and I do not think that anyone at UWS would actually benefit from UWS going bankrupt. What I take issue with is when money is naively placed before student education. When money becomes the sole focus, it is easy to lose sight of the intangible benefits of quality graduates against the shimmering lustre of a quick buck. However, there is no reason to think that money and educational quality are mutually exclusive, and I hope that I can convince people that UWS stands to gain from ensuring the quality of its education; that benefits come naturally to universities that produce the best graduates.

In sum, my focus is on the academic achievement of students, and quality of education at UWS, and whilst I can see the benefits of many other areas of focus taken by others, I do not think that any other goal should sacrifice these factors for ostensible benefits in other areas. Additionally, I take a pragmatic approach to obtaining these educational benefits, in which careful reasoning, and not simple begging, is used to secure them. Finally, I want to say thank you to all those who voted for me in the elections, and I hope to live up to your expectations in the future; your interest in UWS and student representation is what makes all this possible, and I am grateful for the opportunity to help in any way I can. And please, don’t be afraid to come say hello if you see me around campus, I am always happy to talk about any issues you have about the campus, or discussing any ideas you might have about how we can make this uni better. All the best for the coming semester.

STUDENT REPRESENTATION

ANDREW WHITNEY – President SRC I was drawn to represent students because of my passion for advocacy. Knowing that I could benefit the students, I made it a priority to first get elected and then progress to the SRC. I was elected as the Clubs and Societies member for Penrith Student Campus Council. At the time I was Vice President of the Engineers’ Society and Vice President of the Solar Car Project.

MANPREET BANGA –Chair Campbelltown Student Campus Council and SRC rep

Highlights of the last year include the fruition of some of the objectives that we as a council have gone about: Thanks to the SRC, students now have the benefit of lockers on campus, additional parking. Things that we are hoping to achieve for the second semester; an improved exam timetable policy which includes greater notification of exams for students One of our big issues is the exam timetable policy.

Before, you could not do more than three exams in 24 hours. Now the uni has redefined 24-hours a day. Now, students can get three exams in one day.

Some of my friends in engineering had a 1.45, 5.30 and an 8.30am exam the next morning.

This policy is handicapping students.

The SRC has made it a priority to bring about change. We need to increase the time between exams.

Lockers: The software is not working; They have been physically put in location, but they’re not operational due to software issues.

To anyone considering student politics: It brings joy and satisfaction, it’s a very primal feeling to be working in an office and to be able to look out over the social area here at Penrith knowing that as a Campus Council member you are making a difference. What you do day-to-day directly enhances students’ experience and campus life.

The uni has consulted with the SRC on a range of issues. KPMG are doing a timetable audit – we get to be part of that. We’re having a direct influence in relation to sports relationships between the uni and the greater community including the GWS Giants, Western Sydney Wanderers, Penrith Panthers.

Recording lectures: The SRC is looking at the recording of lectures. At the moment, it’s an opt-in system. Lecturers need to go to IT and give them the timetabling and organise it all. But the SRC has pushed for it to become a KPI for lecturers. Now it’s an opt-out system.

The units in vUWS are meant to be out prior to start of the semester. But what’s happening is that lecturers aren’t opening up vUWS until week one and week two. That will become a KPI for lecturers.

Summer school: I hear that enrolments are going well.

It allows students to accelerate their degree, allows flexible timetabling. The Summer School is going to be the same quality of teaching and learning, but a condensed format.

With Summer School, if it is successful the uni might uniquely position itself.

Regular trimesters don’t give students enough time Trimesters wont be introduced until 2015. It was proposed for 2014, but they are looking at a 2015 trial for the Business School. If you are doing law and business, a double degree, your law is on two semesters and your business is on three. There is a lot of messy overlap.

Summer School solves the problem of increasing the use of facilities and gives people flexibility.

Campus life: Clubs and Societies have to role to play in providing campus life and engaging with students. This in turn will increase their membership , their awareness and will be mutually beneficial for all. Clubs and Societies are where most of campus life will come from.

To have a proper functioning student council, reps should be getting paid as much as you would for any other part-time job. I think it’s only fair to the students they are representing. At Sydney Uni, Monash – the more established unis – they get paid as if it is a part-time job; their reps would leave the part- time jobs they have once elected. We need to create that here as well. Student council people could then concentrate on their job, instead of juggling study, part time work and student council jobs.

And it would be more effective for students to be represented by council members who can dedicate time to focus on them. The sitting fee covers petrol to meet with people on other campuses, but apart from that, you don’t get much out of it. The biggest positive about it is having a student union represented. Some students don’t understand, but most would, that if you have a strong student union, it leads to good things rather than bad: It’s harder for the uni to take certain steps without the students’ approval.

As a rep, I like meeting new people. I own my own business and I like meeting people and setting up things. This is the second year that the Campus Council has existed. Most university student unions control the food outlets and student services: We are the odd one out.

The giveaways go well: Students love free food. To see their faces ! A lot are hesitant about free food.

You say it’s “free’’ and they ask “why’’? We have to

say we are the student council and that the best way to promote is free food.

Our Carnival is on October 8, Tuesday, from 10am to night time. It’s all tied in with Mental Health and Wellbeing Month. I’d say stress would be the biggest mental health issue facing students, and juggling things. Students may not eat well and don’t exercise properly, which can send you down into a spiral. I like to exercise and socialise.

Recently we got the kitchen hours extended to 10pm so evening students can use it. Transport is not such a problem here.

But one of our most common complaints here is lack of food facilities; that is the biggest complaint I hear. There have been talks with Connect, telling them the problems and trying to get it resolved that way. My personal opinion would be to allow external businesses in. Just the competition would ensure there’s no monopoly and business can’t take what they have for granted.

Also, the lack of social events is an ongoing thing; that is a culture we have to build ourselves. Things like the Carnival (October 8) are trying to build that culture. There’s a certain time period when you see a lot of students here – around lunchtime. After that, 2.30-3pm, everyone is gone. So lunchtime is when most our events have been on. Most of the evening students would be coming from their job so they wouldn’t want to stay at uni for too long.

17 Vote in the student elections.

Fiction We all know hell is located below. I never thought it could be right below me. *** “My intuition says Mr Honewy-Bub will be exiting EB Building in no time.”

“He may not even have class today,” I groaned, keeping my voice low as the students filling the area between EA and EB Building begin to diminish.

“Oh Danny.” Emmy rolled her eyes at me. “You’ve seen him come out EB every Tuesday, at this time, since the semester started. I bet Mr Honey-Bub has a crush on you too,” she raised her voice. “I’ll stop, get his name and ask him.”

“You won’t!” My arms erected instantly. “There’s no one here; he might hear us!”

“And I hope he does.” Emmy smirked. “You’ll thank me when you’re kissing him.” *** We stepped into EB Building and my ears were tickled by the emptiness. “The uni has been getting quieter each week, hasn’t it?”

“Such first year questions,” Emmy responded, heading to the stairs.

“Though – I’ve asked myself that question too; why fewer people come to uni each week.”

I sighed. “Let’s just forget about Mr Honey-Bub and get to class.”

“Actually,” Emmy paused, grabbed my hand and pulled me from my stance, “let’s use the lift. We’ll go through each floor one by one and see if we’ll catch Mr Honey-Bub.” “But I don’t wanna be late.” Not for the second week in a row.

The elevator opened with the sound of three bells. The space inside was taken over by a crowd of senior men and women with late-night eyes, most likely lecturers.

In the corner stood a male cook with an oversized trolley.

“Sorry,” said the heavy set chef in an unusually high voice. “You’re gonna have to wait for the next one.”

Emmy’s face turned sour. She turned to me and lowered her head. “Stupid lecturers and staff thinking they have priority.”

When the lift opened again, Emmy pulled me in and reached up her hand. She yawned, but I could tell it was fake. Then… I couldn’t believe my eyes. She pressed the length of her elbow onto every button.

“Oops, did I just press all the buttons to every level?”

“Emmy,” I said, stunned. “I thought you were joking!”

“Oh Danny.” Her tongue pointed at me like a sword. “I’m a real Gemini.” *** “So Mr Honey-Bun disappeared too; this place is getting quieter each week,” I said gravely. “I wonder why.”

“No,” Emmy said. She stepped into the top floor, contorted her nose, and returned inside the lift as the door closed. The lift began to move. “We’ve gone through every level and saw hardly anyone. Where are the tutors and lecturers – and that cook, we saw? They can’t have just disappeared without some laughter or the rolling sound of that gigantic trolley.”

“Check this out.” I pointed to the elevator buttons. “There’s an underground floor in this building we haven’t reached yet.”

“Doesn’t that lead to the car park?”

“Well, you pressed the button.” I shrugged. “Let’s find out.” *** “This place exists?”

18

by jesse neo

hell on parramatta campus

“You’re the one that’s been here for four years!”

As we walked through the underground floor of EB, I noticed the walls were fitted with many closed doors to smaller rooms. There were cupboards too, stocked with vials, beakers – and dolls?

“We’re in luck,” came a sharp voice. “Two newbies wanna volunteer to join our club.”

I grabbed Emmy’s hand and spun around. It was the chief with the oversized trolley. Beside him were the people from the lift. Where had they come from?

“This is a club?” I swallowed.

“Are you a member of any clubs here in UWS?” the cook replied, with the same high pitched voice.

“Well…” My tongue was twisted. “I did consider joining the gay-straight alliance.”

“But Danny’s bi, you see,” Emmy added. “And I was an ex

member of the Japanese Australian club – because that’s my heritage, obviously – but all we did was watched Sailor Moon. I mean, we’re like – how old?”

I forced a smile. “We’re on our way to our lecture now so –” “Enough!” In a speed too quick, the cook was upon my throat, his powerful hands binding my neck. “Since you’re here and not infected, we’ll infect you ourselves then take over your bodies. You look like good fit.”

“What do you want,” I choked.

“Don’t you see?” the cook continued. “We were poor souls, born without parents. We had to be burned to death, and now have our homes taken by moronic adults?”

“What are you talking about?” Emmy shouted. “Let him go!”

The cook looked away from me and I felt his grip soften. I turned to look at Emmy and saw her jaw was dropped. The people that surrounded us had lifted their shirts up, revealing skin underneath. On each of their bellies were eyes, a nose, lips – and the face of a little girl.

Emmy shuddered. “You’re… you’re… the orphans that died in the fire years ago.”

“But our spirit remained.” The cook grinned. “Did you know we’ve been fooling around this building for some time now – causing mischief – except you couldn’t see us?”

“Ghosts don’t exist, he’s lying!” I protested. “Those faces on their stomachs are 3D tattoos.”

“It’s true.” Emmy swallowed. “There are rumours that fires cannot be started in certain places. I’ve experienced the

hand dryers in the bathrooms turning on with no one around. The IT Support on the first floor had once told me the SCEM accounts would randomly get reset without explanation. ” “Yes,” this time, a woman hissed. Looking closer, I was clear whatever facial expression the face on her belly held, the face on her head mimicked it. “You couldn’t see us… not until now.”

“We’ve possessed a PhD student’s body,” the cook snapped. “We used her intelligence to formulate a virus that once a person is infected, we’ll be able to parasite their body. Whenever the person kisses someone, the virus would spread.”

“And what is your goal?” I interjected, finally freed.

“Our goals?“ The cook laughed, almost childlike. “To be able to choose from a range of perfect young adult bodies and use them to collect more dolls and toys and live the childhood we never had.”

“We’ll report you!” I roared.

“You can try, but in that case, we’ll set this place on fire.” The cook lifted his hand and the door to the room beside me flew open. “The only way we can get out is through the lift, and we all know what not to use in case of a fire?”

I looked into the exposed room and the hairs behind my neck turned into needles. The room was filled with people – university students – that were groaning, trudging and their mouths foaming. They were all here, infected, and waiting to have their bodies occupied. Those that were possessed were playing with Barbie dolls and cutting out paper hearts.

“Bubby!” Emmy cried.

I looked at her. What?

“He’s among the infected students!” she said. “Mr Honey-Bub!” I looked into the room and that was who I saw. Mr Honey-Bub. His dark crimson eyes, though lifeless, stole my heart again. Was that really him? His hair still waved the way it did when he first caught my attention. He approached closer, licking his lips.

“Don’t kiss him!” Emmy warned.

I tried to resist, but it was hard. The only thing coursing through my mind was Mr Honey-Bub. I need to know his name. I was about to connect my lips with his until I heard the sound of three bells.

The lift.

Emmy locked eyes with me and in that second, we shared one thought.

We rushed towards the lift. The door opened to two students with deep dark circles under their eyes. I was convinced one of them was newly infected and the other was coming back to let the orphan spirit in him change bodies. I covered my eyes as Emmy pushed them out of the lift with two kicks and pressed the lift door close.

“No!” the cook snarled. “You’re not leaving yet!” The apron on his chest ripped open and under it stretched a pink tongue, expanding and darting towards us. It shot like a tentacle through the air and just as it was about to touch my face, the lift closed with a slam, and we were ascending.

“Don’t think it’s over,” came a chorus of girlish cries. “Sooner or later, someone is going to kiss you and no doubt you’ll be infected. There are plenty of irresistible dudes and chicks in this campus. Flirting and kissing thrives throughout this university I’ve noticed, and I hear a Halloween cruise is coming.”

I expected to hear louder cries, even the smashing of furniture, but all I heard was laughter and the beating of my heart.

liam bell’s

Success has been hard to find for this once mighty sporting nation in recent years, writes LIAM BELL

Is the Boxing Kangaroo on its last legs?

“

GOOD SPORT

Has the rest of the world finally caught up?

It seems the Boxing Kangaroo has lost its mitts, after a golden stretch of domination. The recent lost Ashes series held in England, has confirmed the fears of many sports lovers, particularly those in cricketing circles. Australian batting and spinning prospects have been bleak ever since the retirement of some of our greats, which began in the 2006/07 Ashes whitewash. Granted Warne and McGrath were a once-in-a-lifetime combination, but Australia hasn’t found a permanent spinner to work with our young and promising quicks, since our loss of the greatest leg-spinner of all time. The most recent experiment of Nathan Lyon has showed promise; let’s hope selectors realise that dropping players is detrimental to their development.

Whilst new coach Darren Lehman has abandoned the ridiculous rotation policy, having our best 11 on the field for each game this series still hasn’t yielded results. Of particular concern is the middle order, in which the wonder-captain Clarke has only contributed one century in the series.

The final drawn game of the series yielded centuries for both Watson and Smith, and the bowling of Ryan Harris was a silver lining in the Ashes defeat. We can only look for a November resurgence.

Gone are the days of the Waugh brothers and Ricky Ponting, the opening duo of Hayden and Langer and the destructive prowess of Gilchrist. The Great Depression was…depressing, but at least we had the likes of Bradman, Clarrie Grimmet and Bill Ponsford on the field.

Our traditionally strong Wallabies have also slipped to 4th in world rankings, after their recent 47-29 loss to the All Blacks in Sydney. Ewen McKenzie’s first game at the helm didn’t offer the new coach any sort of honeymoon period. Our rugby team could have risen to 2nd with a victory; however the margin of defeat was enough to push them below England in the rankings. Being 2-0 down in the Bledisloe Cup series after a loss in New Zealand, at their worst ranking since 2008, with one final game coming up in Dunedin, followers don’t hold much hope for the Wallabies, who once again lost the treasured cup, which has been with New Zealand for the past 11 years.

Nobody can question the break-down of the Australian swimming team at the London Games. Stillnox, disruptive behaviour and bullying derailed. Members of the team described low morale and disunity, not aided by the focus on the failed 4 x 100m freestyle relay and specifically James Magnussen. When team officials needed to make hard decisions, issues were swept under the rug. Olympic veteran Libby Trickett said she witnessed a culture within the team, in stark contrast to years before.

Traditionally strong, the team managed only one gold, three silver and six bronze. Since the London Olympics, changes have been made to both positions of President of Swimming Australia and the Olympic team’s head coach, with the aim of improving both team culture and results in the pool.

Some hope glimmers in the ever growing game of soccer, with our Socceroos qualifying for the 2014 World Cup after wins against Jordan and Iraq, and a draw against a favoured Japanese side.

The last rugby league test match for our Kangaroos was also a great victory, hammering New Zealand 32-12 in the Anzac test, back in April of this year. It was no surprise, given the star-studded line up of the Australian team. Names like Inglis, Cronk, Slater and Smith will be hard to defy, especially considering their form in the Origin series earlier this year.

Australia’s dominance over the past 20 years in some of our most treasured sports is receding. Is it a cultural issue? Has the rest of the world finally caught up? Is sporting administration to be blamed? Will tennis stars Stosur and Tomic, along with Adam Scott’s US Open and Jersey City victories be tales of false hope, or can we usher in a new era of seeing Aussies at the top ?

The massage tent beckons as City2Surf raises $4 mill Bondi’s asphalt was assaulted on August 11 with the soles of Nike’s and Asics’ finest, as 85,000 runners completed the City2Surf.

This year’s biggest fun-run has so far raised $4million for charity, and the money is still coming in.

Myself and Kevin Summerell, a fellow editor of Cruwsible, completed the run in some of Sydney’s finest weather. The 14km course runs from Hyde Park to Bondi beach, treating participants to magnificent waterfront views along the way.

The City2Surf provides a great atmosphere for runners, making the feeling of burning legs slightly easier to handle. Along the roads were bands and DJ’s, more than a few parties, as well as friendly locals, who were never far away with a refreshing hose down from their front yards. Inspirational messages from sporting stars were played out over screens to encourage those who had conquered the infamous “Heartbreak Hill”, spurring competitors on for the final stretch of the race.

There was never a boring kilometre, with superheros, Sesame Street characters and the occasional fairy interspersed in the swell of joggers. The now traditional ‘Smurf Party’ at the halfway point was also a great sight to see, as runners covered in blue body painted cheered on the crowd.

The relief was palpable as Bondi’s golden sand

came into view, with many striving to beat their personal best. Ben Moreau took out the men’s race, in a time of 41:47, whilst Linda Spencer led the women, finishing in 48:28. Kurt Fearnley won the Elite wheelchair event, with a blistering time of 34:10.

Many headed straight for the massage tents, or the marquees for their charity, to enjoy a cold drink and one of many sausage sizzles that dotted the sand and grass. A few headed for ocean to cool down.

The real value of this great event, does not lie in minutes and seconds, but rather the funds raised for worthy organisations, such as the “Make A Difference” foundation, which Kevin and I ran for.

For many such charities, fundraising events are their only source of income, and it was great to see so many causes supported. A big thank you must also go out to all the volunteers on the day.

I would encourage all those UWS students who can, to get involved in next year’s run. It would be great to see a sea of UWS runners contributing to what was a great day out. It’s never too early to start 19 preparing!

SERVICES DIRECTORY Skills Workshops There are a number of workshops that can help you develop and improve your study and life skills.

These workshops are free and available to all UWS students. Information about some of the different workshops including academic skills workshops, study and life skills workshops, academic writing library roving, maths.

Email mesh@uws.edu.au for maths workshops and hall@uws.edu.au for academic literacy workshops

Students’ Rights Advocate Student Representation and Participation offer this free service to help you with study-related issues such as academic and non-academic misconduct, review of grades, special consideration, exclusions and appeals, higher degree research supervision issues, decisions made by uni staff as well as help raising complaints with the university.

Visit uws.edu/advocacy, call 9772 6136 or email advocate@uws.edu.au

Student Welfare Service Sometimes you might need assistance from other services, such as a counsellor or a government agency. UWS welfare officers can help you with information 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

Family Planning NSW

The state’s leading provider of reproductive and sexual health services and 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 are in Ashfield, Fairfield, Penrith.

Services are targeted to marginalised communities, including 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 20

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

Mates@UWS Did you find starting Uni hard? MATES@UWS is looking for volunteer mentors for Autumn 2014 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

Counselling Service

Student Legal Service

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 and strictly confidential 9852 5199 or email counselling@uws.edu.au

A legal advice and referral service for current students with advice provided by practicing solicitors from Macquarie Legal Centre. The service is co-located at the UWS Parramatta Community Justice Clinic in Parramatta Local Court. Areas of law include tenancy, debt/credit issues,minor crimes,consumer rights,motor vehicle accidents, traffic offences, employment law.

Visit uws.edu.au/studentlegalservices, call 8688 7875 or email studentlegalservices@ uws.edu.au

PASS - Peer Assisted Study Sessions

PATHE

In PASS you work with other students to understand the content of your units and develop study strategies to improve your academic performance. Each PASS group is run by a facilitator who has successfully studied the unit previously.

It is highly recommended for all students whether you are striving for a high distinction or a pass.

Email pass@uws.edu.au or call 4736 0849.

Pasifika Achievement To Higher Education (PATHE) develops aspirations towards further education and training in Pacific communities. Weekly meetings are hosted across Bankstown, Campbelltown, Parramatta and Penrith campuses plus UWS College campuses at Westmead and Nirimba, providing peer support amongst Pacific university students. PATHE also works with over 80 Primary and High Schools and 40 community groups.

Visit facebook.com/pasifikaachieve

UWS Disability Service The Disability Service is 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. A previous student said: “Every disability is different, but registering with the service made uni much less stressful, especially around exam time or when I became unwell” Visit uws.edu.au/disability, call 9852 5199 or email disability@uws.edu.au

Indigenous Australian Students 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 Phone 1800 032 923 or email badanami@uws. edu.au

LETTERS Focus on education, not profit

UWS workplace rights for all

In regards to James Scully-Leaf’s article on iPads being an excuse to cut face-to-face hours (page 8): UWS is very quickly heading down the precipitous slide of extorting the maximum profit from its students instead of focusing on providing the best possible learning environment.

From cutting swathes of units and even courses offered to students and streamlining (read: making redundant) staff as to increase student:teacher ratios in what little on-campus teaching is available is a sorry state of affairs indeed Dave

I feel compelled to write about my disgust of UWS’s treatment of its employees, particularly Connect employees. I have been at UWS Milperra for some years and I live in the nearby suburb of Panania. I’ve seen many of the coffee ladies around the area on weekends doing their groceries, at the local club or as a fellow parent at my kids’ school. These people are part of the local community and the UWS community. I have seen some of my favourite coffee/ bookshop staff disappear over the years. I don’t know what happened to (name withheld) but she shared many stories with me about her kids and grandkids and the hardships of finding rental accommodation with her pets that wasn’t too far to drive to work. She also told me once that if you couldn’t do a shift or had to knock back a shift, you would get bumped down the list for shifts. Now she thinks she may lose her job. This has stuck in my mind. These people work bloody hard and are on their feet all day for what I imagine is a pretty crappy wage that disappears when semesters are over. Why is Connect allowed to get away with this?

Jacquie Dredge

Technology survey for first years This semester, UWS will be asking first year students for feedback on how use of technology is being integrated into their university study – through a survey and focus groups. A survey in 2010 found that UWS students wanted to use technology a lot more often in their learning activities. The issue of iPads to new students in 2013 and 2014 is part of the response to this. But UWS has also been funding improvements to the online learning systems (vUWS, lecture capture, etc.) and has recruited additional educational technology specialists to work with teaching staff.

We need evidence of how well this is working so far for students, and what still needs attention. The first phase of the evaluation will involve inviting all 1st year students to complete a short (10 min) online survey in September 2013 about their experiences of technology use for their studies at UWS, for comparison with equivalent data from the 2010 study.

In addition there will be focus groups with first year students to add contextual depth to our information on how students use technology for study. We will also be interviewing a cross-section of teaching staff to find out how the blended learning support systems for staff are working, and to build a picture of how the different disciplines are using, or planning to use, mobile and online technologies in learning activities. We will be able to report back to students and staff with some preliminary results from the student survey in November this year. The student and staff feedback will feed into priorities for further work in 2014 and 2015.

Carol Russell Office of Pro Vice Chancellor (Education)

Bankstown students attend National Day of Action against Federal Government cuts to education

National Day of Action a good cause Regarding the Bankstown students’ visit to the National Day of Action against cuts to education (photo above), this is really a cause worth fighting for. Well Done !

Ann Cheryl Armstrong via Facebook

African Studies at UWS a good idea I really hope UWS begins to offer an African Studies course. It would be so interesting and is not an area of study that other universities in Sydney are really singled out for. So many people are ignorant where the African continent is concerned, so such a course would be very beneficial to students. It’s so nice that the cultural night is getting a lot of interest. Sounds like something I should go to.

Sabrina

Great to stand ground at NUS I just wanted to say that it was nice to read that many UWS students attended the NUS Education Conference (page 15). I’m really happy that some students are taking a step forward and fighting for the issues mentioned, especially as they are too often left in the dark. Also, great to hear that you stood your ground against the so-called Left. The real Left are getting louder and I’m sure many students who probably won’t read this, support you also Online comment

Racism out in the open In regards to Zahraa Ahadzada’s article, Does Racism Have a Seat on the Australian Bus, in the Cruwsible Winter edition: Up until recently, I too possessed the naive mindset that Australia was an open culture that embraced differences. That was until I was the victim of racial debasement on a train towards Redfern, out in the open with no one to come to my defence. It’s time people stop viewing Australia as a white country where numerous cultures speak to the contrary!

Priya

Comment on stories at cruwsible.com.au Write to us at cruwsible@uws.edu.au Like us facebook.com/cruwsible

Vale Peter Horsfield fondly remembered Our friend and colleague Peter Horsfield passed away on July 6. We send our deepest condolences to Peter’s family and loved ones.

Peter worked tirelessly to support his fellow students at UWS as a member of the Penrith Student Campus Council, holding the Disability and Mature Age portfolio, and as a National Union Of Student representative.

In the last edition of the Cruwsible, Peter wrote a little about his life and influences.

He wrote that his paternal grandmother’s father fought and died in South Africa.

His paternal grandparents lived through WWI in England, and his paternal grandfather was not allowed to join the army as he was a steel worker.

Peter’s maternal grandparents were killed in a bomb blast during an Irish up-rising.

Peter’s mother was an orphan and lived in London during the Blitz.

His father was a veteran of the Korean War, but never spoke about it.

Peter grew up in the political turmoil of the Vietnam War and was opposed to Australia’s involvement in the conflict.

He remembered his mother crying the day JFK was assassinated and remembered the days John Lennon and Princess Diana died, as they meant so much to him.

Peter is remembered fondly and is greatly missed.

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CLUBS AND SOCIETIES Debating Club chats its way to Chennai Happy First Birthday to Us! Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, on July 19 UWS Debating celebrated its first birthday. It’s been a full-on first year, full of achievements and firsts. We’ve attended tournaments across NSW, Melbourne and the Gold Coast.

We’ve been Grand Finalists, and nearly made the finals a couple of times as well. And how did we celebrate our one year anniversary? By heading over to Malaysia for our first ever international debating tournament, the Australasian Intervarsity Debating Championships.

AUSTRALASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Known as “Australs” this tournament brought together over 100 teams from 15 nations in the Australasian region for 10 days of debating and holidaying in the beautiful city of Kuala Lumpur. Our team finished with three wins from eight preliminary rounds, which was an incredible achievement for our young society at their first international tournament. Congratulations to Robert Barrie, Sonyia Juarez and Jonathon Ruasol on a fantastic achievement. They certainly did UWS proud. Congratulations as well to the University of Sydney who ended up winning the Grand Final!

But it wasn’t all about debating; our contingent

had plenty of time to explore Malaysia and enjoy everything the city had to offer: Batu Caves, theme parks, Chinese and Central Markets, 14 story shopping centres, the Pentronis Towers, Butterfly Sanctuary, National Orchid Gardens and much more.

So how do you top that? Well, we received a very special birthday present while at Australs that might just do it.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS We found that we have secured a place at the World University Debating Championships in Chennai, India. Yes, that’s right! From December 26 – January 4, we will be attending the biggest debating tournament in the world, held in Chennai India. “Worlds” is the biggest and most prestigious tournament in the world, and attracts nearly 400 teams from across the globe. We are sending one team (two people) and one adjudicator, with accommodation and registration covered by the university.

TRIALS If you’re interested in attending Worlds in India, make sure you come to our internals and follow us on Facebook to receive all the updates on when and where trials will be held.

Everyone is welcome to trial for a position.

There is plenty happening at a domestic level this semester. In semester two, debating switches to the British Parliamentary Debating Style, in line with Worlds. Our internals will focus on this style to skillup all our members. Internals for this semester have begun, and happen weekly at Campbelltown and Parramatta. We meet at Campbelltown on Mondays, 5pm, and Parramatta on Thursdays, 5pm.

JOIN US We are always looking for new members, and no experience is required. Search “UWS Debating” and like us on Facebook, twitter @UWS_Debating or email uwsdebating@gmail.com Hope to see you soon!

ROBERT BARRIE

Sword v hotdog battle

UWS Kendo Club was founded in 2012 and has already been in a big fight with USYD, UNSW, ANU and UTS, at the Founders Cup in early August. With more members on board, the UWS Kendo Club hopes to host its own tournament in future, possibly at Campbelltown. Members Stefan Stojanovski, Russell Guy and Phil Pham said judges looked for spirit, Ken (sword work) and body position when scoring.

Kendo is Japanese sword fighting dating back to feudal times and the Samurai. Injuries are minimal and the outfit looks good. The club meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at Ermington Community Centre, 6.30pm.

Contact uwskendo.org.au

Scaredy Cat Society puts the frighteners on for members What is the Scaredy Cat Society?

It’s a horror club. We focus on all genres of horror, from zombie apocalypses to paranormal Japan.

What inspired you to create this club?

As first years, we were really eager to experience campus life. but there weren’t many clubs that applied to us. We have always been avid horror fans. Going on ghost tours and watching movies was the normal thing we did.

Who is involved?

The founding members include us, Aarti Khisty and Ashleigh Hayden. Some of our friends heard about it and got involved. The majority of members are general UWS students.

What kind of events are you planning to run?

We are planning ghost tours and movie screenings as minor events. We plan to go to places like the Quarantine Station and St Bartholomew’s graveyard, as they offer good ghost tours. We have our eye on Parramatta campus too. There’s been rumours that the orphanage on campus is haunted and we would love to host an event there. We are even thinking annual camping trips. Sitting around a

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fire with marshmallows in the dark, amongst the trees, just screams the ideal horror atmosphere. Picton, is one of our dream places. We would love to do a road trip to Picton and check out the haunted train stations and maternity wards. Fingers crossed.

What can potential members expect?

We are watching movies in the cinema and having dinners so members get to know each other. Expect a free and open atmosphere. We love suggestions and discussions and hope members feel comfortable enough to express themselves. We are also very laid back, so if potential

members don’t want to join in on events in their own, they can feel free to bring their friends. You don’t have to be a member to join our events.

What is the scariest thing you have ever encountered?

Aarti: I used to live in a bit of a weird house when I was younger. We had to rent a house ’til our actual house was built. So naturally we stumbled onto a completely normal house in a completely normal suburb. To this day we aren’t really sure if it was haunted or if we were just seeing things. The house didn’t exactly present typical horror movie traits. One incident in particular, I had a friend over and we were both sitting in the dark and watching movies. After the last movie had ended, we had turned on the lights and found handprints all over the walls. Not like muddy prints. But well-defined handprints that you get when you touch a very white wall with very clammy hands.

It didn’t match our hand size. Ashleigh: I went to a haunted house in Hong Kong. It was set up for Halloween but all the decorations were so realistic and people were jumping out from around corners and under beds. It was fun but no way could I walk through that with a straight face!!

CLUBS AND SOCIETIES Solar Car Project showcases World’s Best technology built on home ground In October the UWS Solar Car Project will embark on an ambitious race through the Australian outback with our very own solar car competing against the world’s best.

Racing against Cambridge, MIT, Stanford, and Tokai Universities, the race is the culmination of three years of work and tens-of-thousands of man hours.

It will start in Darwin on October 6 and finish in Adelaide several days later, covering a distance of 3021 km.

This car is made of the world’s best materials and resources all designed, prototyped, built and manufactured by UWS students (some machine work was outsourced).

The car is made of a carbon fibre and Kevlar Nomex sandwich, the same material used in Formula One cars, aeroplanes, the Super Maxi yachts: Exotic materials.

The project came about when in 2011 a group of engineering students decided, as part of their degree, to design a solar car with sustainability and environmental foresight in mind. The car is powered by the world’s best silicone solar cells, transmitted to electric motors which have the power of a hairdryer or toaster. The car when complete will weigh only 160kgs and have a top speed of 135kph. This thing will accelerate faster than a normal car.

The teams we compete with have over $ 1 million budgets; we have nowhere near that.

The history of the race: The regulations have reflected a greater need for these experimental vehicles to reflect everyday road-going vehicles. The class we’re in is World’s Best everything: You go for it as fast as you can. Other classes are about carrying multiple passengers and luggage.

Some of our sponsors include Lenovo – the world’s largest PC supplier, Gizmodo – a tech blog with over 23 million readers per month, UWS Connect, Campus Living Villages, and we have an education link with Strathfield High School where we take students from the high school studying industrial arts and guide them through studies with the idea (they are now in year 10, we started when they were in year 8) of doing physics and engineering studies in the HSC and then coming to UWS and joining the project and leading the 2017 race. We’ve looked into the future already and have a succession plan for 2015 and a leader program for 2017.

We won best overall club at UWS 2012 – the first year it was offered. We also won best club at Penrith campus, 2012. We can say this is something that students are capable of, this has all been done in-house.

ANDREW WHITNEY

Want to start a club?

Bushwalking a beautiful way to socialise and get wild

Clubs can be course-related, social, sporting, religious, cultural or political.

You will need to show how your club contributes to campus life and what kinds of funds you will need.

Visit uwsconnect.com.au

UWS Bushwalking Club started in March 2012 and has run walks in the Blue Mountains, Popran National Park, Dharug National Park, Kangaroo Valley and the Royal National Park. There are some 140 members and a regular group of walkers of about 20 to 30.

It’s a great way to meet people. The trips are very social with plenty of time to talk and enjoy beautiful scenery.

At the end of the year we have a very cheap holiday: Seven days for $50 including all food and equipment. In the first year we went to Bundeena with the Boating Club and went kayaking. There was a similar trip in the Kangaroo Valley.

The next walk is on October 20 to Minnamurra Falls, south of Kangaroo Valley.

The minibus leaves Bankstown campus at 9.30am.

It is a beautiful walk through old growth forest and we might stop at Kiama on the way back for dinner. We could pick people up from Kiama if they wish.

This walk is good for first timers.

Just bring a water bottle, good shoes and RSVP. Email j.isherwood@uws.edu.au JACK ISHERWOOD 23

PUZZLING 1

Cruwsible Spring Cruwsword

by Zahraa Ahadzada

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Across:

3 4

5

6

Down:

2. In 2007, the UWS School of ... was established (8) 7

5. Which UWS lecturer was named the 2012 Prime Minister’s Australian University Teacher of the Year?

(5, 11)

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8. Which famous UWS landmark is the oldest three-storey brick building still standing in Australia? (18) 10. After the restructuring of schools in 2012, UWS went from having seventeen main schools to a mere ...(4)

9 10 Thank you Puzzlefast.com

1. The Chancellor of UWS is Professor ...Shergold (5) 3. Which Prime Minister’s son attended UWS and was described as ‘evil’ on his report card? (5, 6) 4. The first campus introduced to UWS was the...campus (10) 6. Professor... Tasker was the 2011 Prime Minister’s Australian University Teacher of the Year (3) 7. ....was established in 1989 (3) 9. How many campuses does UWS have in total? (3)

Trending #mileycyrus At the recent VMA awards, Miley Cyrus put on a show that millions around the world will never forget. At the time, it was being tweeted about at nearly 300, 000 tweets per minute, earning the record of the most tweeted event in history.

Here’s what students had to say about the ex-Disney star’s media grab...

Laith: “I have no respect for

her at all. I think that she’s a bad role model for all the kids that looked up to her, and I refuse to play her music in the car especially when my younger siblings are with me.”

Liam: “I feel as if she has degraded her public image and her brand. She’s definitely not a great role model for all the Miley Cyrus wannabes.”

on behind the scenes, because no one just comes out and does that. Look at the photo from her youth, then look at her now. There must be something going on!”

Mary Ann: “It’s kind of sad. I feel sorry for her. I think she must be going through emotional problems. It started with her recent video, and it just escalated.”

Jamal: “For someone who young

women look up to, it’s pretty irresponsible. It’s presenting this image to young women and telling them this is ok. She went from Hannah Montana to this? It’s terrible.”

Stipe: “It’s teen stars

Khaled: “I liked it. It was some-

thing to talk about. Something new. Something fun. She’s the new Paris Hilton!”

Which campus?

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Rashad: “I think there’s something going

Kwaku: “I think it’s quite hilari-

ous that something so ridiculous was allowed on that stage.

Some people may be offended by it, but I took it as a joke.”

gone crazy. It’s just what they do. Justin Bieber’s done it. Now, Miley is doing it too.

Money talks, and that’s what drives the music industry these days.”

REVUWS Bonniedoon smashes Campus Band Comp heats UWS Heat 1 of the National Campus Band Comp was at the bar café, Kingswood campus on August 21, with six terrific bands competing.

The winner was Bonniedoon, a five-piece outfit formed by Sheridan Hurst and Bonnie Coady as a duo during their time at Springwood High. The group has expand to include Colin Mcintosh on drums, Charlotte Sagewood on bass and keys, Hamish Ryenheart on electric guitar with Sheridan on acoustic and electric guitar and Bonnie on vocals. The group performs covers and original songs from the world of rock, folk, roots, soul, pop, blues and jazz. Bonniedoon recently released their first self titled independent EP after winning the Gearin Hotel/Blu FM Band competition, they followed up by winning the IRONFEST battle of the bands competition in Lithgow at the end of 2012.

Runner up in the UWS Heats was Velocet, with Insider second runner up. The NSW Final of the National Campus Band Comp is on September 26.

MedRevue Games May the obs be ever in your favour, writes PATRICK BAQUIR Based on the popular book and movie “The Hunger Games”, this year’s MedRevue loosely revolved around six medical school graduates vying for a treasured internship spot to secure their future in a free-for-all hospital showdown known as “The Intern Games”. If you have no idea what a MedRevue is (like myself earlier this year), it can be described in many ways depending on your reception of it. But in short, MedRevue is a 2-hour or so live performance comprising a mix of song, skit and dance numbers in-between the plot scenes that aim to entertain, surprise and shock every member of the audience.

While being in MedRevue is a uniquely exciting experience, not all is fun and games as bringing the whole of MedRevue together is a monumental task undertaken by the directors (Luke Ryan and Mitchell Purser) and producers (Alice Fraser and Tarini Srivastava) who begin planning the show as early as April. From there, the main scripts and roles come together and up until the final weeks new content is being added and modified along with the assistant writers. Consequently, MedRevue can be quite taxing at times. As one of the directors, Mitchell, recalled, “MedRevue was always in the back of my mind

Five-piece Bonniedoon won the National Campus Band Competition UWS heats at Kingswood campus

[for 5 months]...there seemed to always be something that needed to be done.”

“Being a producer was a roller-coaster experience!”

Tarini told me, “We enjoyed every minute of it, from the publicity and logistics to the merchandise for ‘The Intern Games’.” Mitchell had similar sentiments: “Directing MedRevue will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of my time at med school...it was a lot of work, at times ridiculously stressful, but ultimately very rewarding.”

Even at the less complicated level of a performer, it is agreed that MedRevue has served to broaden everyone’s horizons. “It was challenging at times to fit [class and revue] in,” producer Alice had said, “and though we may never need to do a dance for our exams, it’s great to expand skills in areas otherwise neglected in our degrees.”

Roughly 40 medical students made up the performing cast, as well as costuming and backstage people without whom the show would not go on. I myself joined the cast as a minor character in several skits, once playing on my Asian ethnicity in a jokingly racist-sexist Sorting Hat skit and another acting as a doctor delivering babies for a Chinese ‘octo-mum’ to name a few. While the scripts were at times denigrating and at others outright offensive, MedRevue as a whole definitely had its shining and hilarious moments from the dramatic rendition of Chicago’s “Cell Block Tango” to the comical video about “Sibling Rivalry”. And let’s not forget the obligatory nude skit (yes, nude. Covering their bits, but otherwise nude), this year going behind the scenes of Gotye’s film clip for “Somebody That I Used To Know.” While recounting it would be too risqué for this article, suffice to say that body paint is most comedically supplied when given liberally and generously.

As a performer, inviting my friends for a good laugh and being able to provide that to them has been a unique thrill I would not otherwise get in my degree. I look forward to next year’s Revue, I hope that you will also make it a point to come and see us in 2014!

Comedy Store promises greatest show on earth Sydney is being told to bank up their laughs for the reinvigorated comedy stylings of The Comedy Store in Moore Park. This sanctuary of live comedy is promising a show that’s “All Killer, No Filler!”, and with the host of international stars accompanying our local comedians, the show is set to deliver.

Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:30pm, seven local lords of laughter and one visiting virtuoso of comedy will be on hand to deliver stitches to the audience.

The Comedy Store has been hosting stand up performances since 1981, and this year has a line-up with international guests include Tony Woods, Paul Ogata and JJ Whitehead. Tickets are $10 on Thursday nights.

Special guest Tony Woods gave a performance at the Comedy Store in early August, entertaining the crowd with his unique insights into world cultures gained from touring. Not afraid to make jokes at his own expense, Tony segued between topics, following diabetic marsupials and the conception of the first kangaroo-an apparent cross between a T-Rex and wombat.

Coming up on September 21 is the Hour of Power Spring Edition, showcasing three of the hottest comics back-to-back over one hour.

October 3-November 16 is The Biggest Comedy Show On Earth with 10 comics over two hours in a fast-paced non-stop night LIAM BELL 25

SOUL FOOD Love Guru Let Cruwsible’s relationships expert Jesse Neo solve all your problems Hey Jesse Neo! I told a girl I had feelings for her but then said that same thing to another girl. Then I’ve been messaging three other girls and I feel compromised. How do I salvage the situation and guarantee the friendships? I think I can’t handle intimacy and so I pull away and start up again repetitively.

Anon Hi Anon Can you see that your question is really just a reconstructed version of the age-old “can a boy and a girl be just friends?” question?

There is a fine line between relationship and friendship, and until you work out the difference, I can promise you your respective hearts will go through rocky whirlwinds of emotion.

One of the problems with young adults is that we forget which one to put first: relationship or friendship. We have been making friends since we were kids and now that we’re adults, is finding a partner the next most important thing?

If experience has taught me anything, it is that friendship is the only thing that lasts. Love comes and goes and may even trap you in its unprepared ways. Sooner or later, the person who used to mean the world to you will suddenly be like one of your failed essay papers from first semester.

My suggestion is concentrate on being friends with the girls. So yes, the answer to the age-old question is that a boy and a girl can be friends and nothing more. Take them ice skating, sit next to them in lectures, spend a day with them shopping or even take a weekend volunteering in a local charity store together.

As the friendships warm up and you understand more about each of the girls, then it is time to consider crossing the line and starting a relationship with one of them. At least then you will have an idea of which girl you would be compatable with, and if it turns out they are really not the type for you, you can still talk about the great things you did together and remain friends. Good luck.

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Dear Love Guru I slept with a girl from work (girl A), while a different work girl (girl B) and I had a fling. In between, I slept with a random girl at a uni party (girl C) without protection. I had an STI test immediately the following morning, but then slept with girl B. After this, I told girl B about girl A and so she immediately made me get another STI test only two days after my first. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her about girl C. Does this prove the “don’t screw the crew” principle?

Anon Hi Anon Guilt is a tendency that reminds us we are different from other living things, because deep in our conscious we can differentiate between right and wrong.

Sex is great! It is the core of a relationship and frankly, is the thing we all look forward to when we date someone. However, let me remind you that sex alone for pleasure is like eating dark chocolate without knowing when to stop.

I use this example because even though dark chocolate is considered a super food, overconsumption can lead to health issues. Only with the mindset that you want to be healthy can you consume; it is a devious, yet healthy treat in moderation, full of antioxidants and minerals. A health conscious person wouldn’t eat a box full of dark chocolates whenever they get a craving, would they?

So before you go around sleeping with different girls, ask yourself if you really care about the girl and want to commit to her, because that is what your conscious is actually trying to tell you. If you do, you will then realise you will have a better awareness to know when and how to have sex, just like having a healthy mind that knows when to have a worthwhile, tasty treat.

To answer your question, you can choose to indulge yourself whenever you get a craving, or only indulge in accordance to a health conscious mind. You can choose to freely screw everyone whenever you feel like it, or you can take some time off to first understand the reason why you want to have sex and then act in accordance with your conscious so the feelings of guilt can be supressed.

Good luck.

Zeinab’s Kitchen As students it’s not always possible to find healthy tasty meals. We are busy juggling study, work, sport and family, so the easy option is fast- food. I hope this healthy recipe brings out the Masterchef in you. Bon appetite!

VEGE FRITTERS ingredients • • • • • • • • • •

2 potatoes (400g) 1 carrot (150g) 2 zucchinis (360g) grated 125g can corn kernels, drained 1 onion, chopped 1/2 cup (75g) self-raising flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup chopped continental parsley 3 eggs, separated 2 tbs olive oil

method Peel potatoes and carrot and grate into a bowl.

Add zucchini, corn, onion, flour, salt, parsley and egg yolks, stirring to combine.

Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold through vegetable mixture.

Heat a little oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook 1/3 cup of the mixture for 5 minutes, turning to cook other side for 5-8 minutes. Repeat.

Makes 4

Will you find True Love on campus?

Mohamad Younes “It’s possible—you don’t know for sure. There are people from diverse backgrounds on campus. It comes down to the personal individual; everyone has their own idea. If I wasn’t in a relationship, then sure”.

Sylvia Naidu “Yes. There’s so much diversity here, there are so many people from different places and different walks of life”.

Giselle Rahme “Yes. You’re constantly here and you will find yourself attracted to people studying the same thing as you”.

Helal Said “Yes, of course. I find her every day, I don’t think she knows, but one day…”

Laura Bradley “No, I already have a true love, although we both go to UWS, but we met before uni. But for others, yes”.

Fadlih Zein “It could happen with the amount and different types of people here: High probability”.

“You are so beautiful!”

This line is such a cliche`, I know, But this line is also special, full of love, full of words that will never leave you cold.

It is both sincerity and truth that comes from the bottom of my heart, It expresses my love for you, and how you took my breath away from the start.

I need to show you what I see, Though, you still will not be able to imagine what you mean to me.

Before I begin, I just want you to remember: Don’t ever forget that you are beautiful.

Love lives at Cruwsible.com.au

Your gorgeous, light brown hair is usually tied up in a bun, Although, I think that it looks even better when it’s straight and undone.

Your soft, green eyes stand out, no matter how big the crowd, I call your fashion sense a talent. And on the days you wear red, my head turns around.

Forgetting faces is a regular habit of mine, But I thank God about how I’ve been fortunate to be able to remember yours.

It’s you, who changed my life.

Keep watching...now it’s time to show you what’s inside.

Stupid this may sound, but I believe that if you look closely, it is possible to catch a glimpse of one’s soul, I’m really lucky, then, because of what I have come to know.

With a loving, warm smile, you reach out to the world, Love, care and generosity- you have what many don’t...

“You are so beautiful!”

This line is such a cliche`, I know, But now I have shown you what it is all about.

It can be a genuine expression for love, Nonetheless, I feel that the words to effectively convey this are not enough. ...never forget what I’ve shown you: You are beautiful.

ALI MUFTI

That girl with the blue top and perfect straight black hair outside Building 2 Campbelltown, Week 4. Would you like to go on a romantic dinner with me?

LOST LOVES To the beautiful hijabi girl on crutches in the white top on Wednesday at bankstown campus.

I couldn’t take my eyes off you. I hope I can take you out for coffee some time?

To the echidna that walked through Campbelltown Campus last week, may I take you up for some ants or coffee sometime?

To my anatomy tutor, tall, glasses, good build, can’t keep my eyes off your anatomy.

C’town.

To the handsome young man on the kiddie gym at Parramatta, I just have to say I love your pecs. Keep up the good work.

To the person with black rock shirt, black fingernails, mirrored sunglasses, Hawkesbury, my eyes are still burning with your beauty. Call me.

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Story to Tell?

Cruwsible Writing Prize Cruwsible Artwork Prize $250 textbook vouchers for best original writing and best original artwork visit cruwsible.com.au

what’s on Diversity Week

NSW Final National Campus Band Comp

Carnival at Campbelltown

September 26

October 8

3MT Trans-Tasman Comp

Halloween Cruise

October 18

October 31

Celebrates our differences and promote inclusion What do Eskimo Joe, Jebediah, Grinspoon and The across cultures, religions, ethnicities, sexualities and Vines have in common? They were all discovered Campbelltown throws on a great day of rides, fairy genders. Activities includephotography exhibition, through the NCBC! Bonniedoon from UWS progress to floss, outdoor movies, popcorn, gladiators, mechanical Capoeira, African drumming, henna tattoos, lion danc- NSW State Final for the National Campus Band Comp. bull and music. Starts at 11am and movie screens at ing, Pacific Islander dance, Bollywood – Kal Ho Naa Email Emily at e.liddell@uws.edu.au 7pm.

Ho, gozleme, samba, belly dancing and more across all campuses. Info at uws.edu.au

September 16-20 Astronomy Night for Mothers & Kids

The special night is organized not only to attract more girls to take up careers in science and engineering but to also allow busy mothers to have quality time with their daughters and grand-daughters under an exciting starry night.

Visit uws.edu.au/observatorypenrith

October 12

UWS hosts the final of this three minute thesis compe- For UWS students and guests, some 3.5 hours of cruistition at Parramatta, 9-5. See higher degree students ing around Sydney Harbour with a DJ. Price includes sweating it out to explain their research before a gen- buffet, beer, wine, soft drink and basic spirits. $60 for eral audience, armed only with their wits and a single UWS students/$65 for non-students power-point slide.

Tickets theuniversitystore.com.au