Cruwsiblei04p

UWS STUDENT NEWSPAPER

SUMMER EDITION 4//2013

Summer School

pull-out Activities Guide

Turnitin terror Merits promotion BS Bushfires close to home Privatising HECS a bad idea Student celebrates 74th birthday COVER: Stephen Tran

contributors editors Maryam Azam

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 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.

sharoon prakash

Send us your original articles, reportage, stories, photos and artwork. crUWSible.com.au

Student editors: Maryam Azam, Liam Bell, Zahraa Ahadzada, Kevin Summerell, Zeinab Farhat

designers benjamin punzalan

WRITE FOR US

Thank you to all the terrific contributors to the Summer edition of Cruwsible.

craig guerrero

rohan brown

CONTACT US crUWSible@uws.edu.au facebook.com/cruwsible cruwsible.com.au

Advertising inquiries: crUWSible.com.au COVER ART: Stephen Tran

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CONTENTS NEWS

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Privatising HECS Threatens Access Students with Disabilities Left Out Bushfires Burn Close to Home Leadership Trip to Nepal Australia Day for Some Gay Marriage Petition Stall UWS by Choice

SUMMER SCHOOL PULL-OUT GUIDE STAFF PROFILE

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Professor Roy Tasker

LETTERS

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CLUBS & SOCIETIES

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FICTION

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UWS Offshore

FIRST HAND

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REVUWS

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LOVE GURU

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HOROSCOPES

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Turn-it-in

by Ian Escandor

Damn Turnitin!

With its stern disposition, I’m sure Turnitin Had a strict upbringing, With its assertive service, decisive conduct I’m sick of its certainty of what I submit!

Damn Turnitin!

In my last minute stints, My eyes on the time - upload in suspense, My slow internet, With no ink to print, And when its all sent No ‘thank you’ nor ‘cheers’ not even a ‘ta’, Just some proof of submission from a digital receipt.

Damn Turnitin, Your system is flawed, No heart like the tin-man on yellow brick road, I admit it, we both know that it’s one minute late…

That the word limit’s low like a mime display…

That the sentence, structure, style is the same as some old alumni, who (just so happens) is an old distant mate,

How are the exams treating you?

How do you deal with exam anxiety?

MARYAM AZAM put the question about at Bankstown.

Daa Eucabo - B Arts (Pathway to Primary) “It’s so stressful. I wish I could sleep two, three, four hours. I’ve lost weight from stress.

My friends help a lot.

Yi Ren and Lu Wang - B Arts (Pre-Primary) “It’s too hard compared with last semester. We make plans, go through the lectures and listen to the lectures as much as we can. We go through the notes and make summaries. International students have to memorise more knowledge because of the different background. We still take care of ourselves but sometimes feel not healthy and so tired.

Damn Turnittin!

Or is it Tur-ni-tin?

Or am I nit-picking?

Your typeface design is sickening...

Jess Gordon - Primary Teaching

… though, Turnitin, Lets set this straight, I admire your earnest , consistent aim, These technologic advances have come a long way.

“The exam anxiety hasn’t kicked in yet but as I get closer I will be stressing out and grabbing every book I can. It’s stressful juggling study with work. I get regular sleep and am eating fine. I don’t have much of a social life anyway.

You’re the calculator to the human brain, The defibrillator to a human’s fate, The social media for a human’s face but will you be the decider of the human grade?

But damn Turnitin!

When I’ve finally reached the end, with this oil-tin, and with this flint, pile my assessments in in this oil drum bin focus on the flames and burn it all into bits, This damn Turnitin!

With it’s turned up grin, Has all my writings and my works on Word documents, I’m left with nothing, just downloadable links, No post-graduate ceremony involving fire and friends, Nothing to burn, but my gratification of success...

Damn Turnitin!

You win again

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Sean Tomlin-Shearer - Primary Teaching “I’m coping decently. Pretty good marks already helps with the stress. Basically getting on top of it before it’s on the doorstep. You can’t really go out and see as many people. But you do need to balance it out.

Pashawa Rahim - UniTrack to B Psychology “It’s stressful because I haven’t been studying since I was at school. Going from the military to study is a big change. You have the discipline but not the study techniques. I always plan ahead and don’t leave anything to the last minute.

Privatising HECS could close doors to university Paying HECS sooner and faster could put many off the idea of higher education, MARYAM AZAM writes.

Education Minister Christopher Pyne has said that the government is considering the idea of privatising student HECS debt as one way to save the government money. Pyne has argued that since Britain has sold off its student debt, we should consider following suit.

Industry insiders say the sale would likely earn the Government between $11 billion and $16 billion.

What kind of consequences could this sale of student debt have for us, the common student?

Currently, there is no interest owed on HECS debt, though it is indexed according to inflation. Students only start paying the debt back once their income reaches a certain threshold, which currently stands at $51,309. This is a fair arrangement which allows most students, regardless of their socioeconomic background, the opportunity for a tertiary education.

However, if HECS debt were privatised, students are likely going to have to pay interest on their loans and be expected to start paying back the debt sooner. The worry about selling off HECS debt to the private sector is that the private sector is looking to make a profit, and the only way it will do so is off the back of higher student fees.

According to Senator Kim Carr, the opposition higher education spokesperson; “The only way this makes any economic sense to a purchaser is if they can make money out of it. It would have to involve higher charges for students via increased interest rates or altered terms of repayment.

“It’s naive to believe you can privatise the HECS debt and have the terms and conditions of the scheme operate in exactly the same way. Only an innocent would see it in those terms.”

Greens higher education spokesperson Lee Rhiannon said shifting HECS into private hands

would create “perverse incentives” to raise student debt. “The private sector isn’t lobbying for this change out of the goodness of their hearts,” Senator Rhiannon said.

On the other hand, the Vice-Chancellor at Central Queensland University said he would accept the idea, as long as there were safeguards to avoid scaring off future tertiary students. In fact, he said if a financial institution took over the debt, which was reportedly $23 billion, it might even encourage more people to go to university, though how making higher repayments sooner could encourage people to pursue a tertiary education is baffling.

However, the potential lack of safeguards is concerning. Britain is a case in point.

Britain’s National Union of Students said it had asked the government to legislate that student loan conditions could not be altered retrospectively.

“The government refused and gave weak assurances that they had no plans to do so. Now (its) own advisers are suggesting that very move,” said then NUS president Liam Burns.

Our own Australian NUS president, Jade Tyrell, has argued that privatisation will create a more uncertain future for university students.

“Abbott and Pyne need to keep their hands off education, keep student service and amenities fees and retain equity targets to help ensure access to education for all,” she said.

The idea of privatising HECS debt is being floated as part of a commission of audit arranged by the Federal Government which will report on which public policies should be axed or modified to save the government money. Mr Carr says he is particularly concerned about the inclusion of former Coalition minister Amanda Vanstone on the audit committee, given she’s previously advocated

reducing the HECS repayments threshold from $51,309 to the minimum wage.

Meanwhile, university students in Melbourne and Adelaide have been protesting the potential privatisation of HECs debt.

In Adelaide, outside Mr Pyne’s office, about a dozen protesters chanted “bulls**t, come off it, our education is not for profit”, “No cuts, no fees, no corporate universities”, and “No ifs, no buts, no education cuts”. They continued to protest despite the fact that Mr Pyne was peacefully going about his day in Canberra.

In Melbourne, there were five arrests as student protesters clashed with police, chased Treasurer Joe Hockey and burned an effigy of Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Some, however, like ANU professor of economics Glenn Withers, who is also the founding chief executive of Universities Australia, believe a sell-off would give the tertiary sector a stable source of revenue into the future.

This, of course, is taking a purely economic view of things and does not consider the likely increased financial burden students will have to carry, which may even prove a deterrent for some to even pursue a university degree.

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CAN WE FAKE OUR EMOTIONS?

Attitudes lag behind, say students with disabilities Being a student with disabilities presents a world of negotiations and others’ ignorance doesn’t help.

JAMES STANLEY speaks about parking, smoking and the Queer Room at Bankstown Parking for people with disabilities is really limited.

I received a $101 fine for parking in a restricted area, but I had my permit in full view. It was an unmarked footpath, with no signage or zebra crossing markings and nothing to identify it was a footpath.

The university should clarify photo identification for each disabled pass for uni students, and use them with UWS permits to prove they are legit, not borrowing someone’s permit. They should get rid of the red spots, they are barely used, and add more disabled spots. There are some disabled spots at Building 8, but it’s too far to go. The library is the main spot for the campus. I’ve noticed more disabled students coming to campus but they haven’t increased parking; they have increased it out the back but that is useless.

Once I jumped out of my car to hand in an assignment. I was going back to my car and I saw someone parking in the disabled parking spot and I voiced my opinion on why he shouldn’t park there.

He said: “I never realised’’. I said: “There’s a bright blue man in a wheelchair painted on the road. How can you not notice?’’

Parking inspectors need to broaden their minds too. I got a handwritten note left in my window once, saying “Please do not park here. This is Restricted Parking’’. They assumed I wasn’t disabled because of the P plates on my car. It’s stereotyping. Again, my disability sticker was in full view. I have P plates so I’m stereotyped as a young P-plater who has his grandma’s disabled permit.

People just see me from the waist up in the car.

You can tell the people who have a sticker they’ve borrowed from their mums and grandmas.

Disabled people are still classed as a minority: We aren’t included in the planning stage for developments. One of my complaints would be the Smokers’ Areas. There is one near the library but there is no shelter and you have to wheel through grass. So if it’s raining, I get mud all over myself.

I get dirt on my chair and it goes in my car. They didn’t include us in the planning stage. I have

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been smoking nearby and a man approached me and said: “The smoking area is over there”. I said it is hard for me to get onto the grass. He said: “Well, don’t smoke then’’. They have no training or etiquette on how to act towards us in society.

When I get out of my car into the rain, I have to reassemble my chair. Able-bodied can run through the rain. I have to sit there five minutes in the pouring rain to get out. I get to class drenched and I’ve caught cold before.

On our campus we are a multicultural and diverse community, but we don’t have much regarding sexuality – there’s no set-up for it. Maybe we could come up with an event.

We’re going to start using the Queer Room more often and organising different events. Many people are not going to accept everything about someone’s difference, but it’s good to be aware that there are certain things you say that can offend us. We could have a Rainbow Day, where everyone wears bright colours for the day. It could be a fundraising idea, maybe going towards an anti-bullying campaign.

We could have drag queens on campus for an event.

The first thing to do is paint the Queer Room with a rainbow. There’s some tacky posters in there and that’s all. We need to spruce that up. Queer students should be able to feel comfortable and confident in what they are wearing. You should feel free to dress how you like, wear make-up all over your face if you wish.

We would like to offer Queer support if you are having dramas at home. I’m not a professional counsellor, it’s like friend-to-friend support.

comment at crUWSible.com.au

Research to date seems to support the claim that we can fake emotion. However, it may come down to individual differences in the ability to portray and perceive authentic emotion.

Research has focused largely on facial expression.

In 1862 Duchenne began measuring the difference between facial muscle activation in real (“Duchenne”) as compared to fake smiles. In 2013 Gunnery et al. demonstrated that individuals are able to deliberately produce Duchenne smiles in accordance with the activation of relevant facial musculature by mimicking photographs of real smiles. Some 71% of individuals portraying posed Duchenne smiles were perceived as genuine.

Pugh, Groth and Hennig-Thurau in 2011 proposed there are two ways to feign emotional expression; surface acting and embodiment. Surface acting is displaying emotion that is not actually felt, and embodiment is modifying emotion to produce the relevant emotional display. Pugh claimed that embodiment was percieved as more authentic and surface acting was more detrimental to health. vBrinke, MacDonald, Porter and O’Connor last year also claimed that cognitive load and physiological arousal elevates for liars, thus resulting in leakage through at least one behavioural channel.

Brinke found that faking individuals displayed a wider range of activation in facial musculature, alternating between positive and negative facial expressions more often than those who were sincere. Brinke also found an increase in the amount of speech hesitations, suggesting this may be a result of increased cognitive load, and an increase in negative ‘micro-expressions’ displayed.

Researching the impact of micro-expressions on the perception of affect, Stewart, Waller and Schubert in 2009 illustrated that although politicians may attempt to mask micro-expressions of disgust and contempt whilst delivering political speeches, viewers generally appear to unconsciously detect deception and alter their opinions accordingly. Participants were exposed to a political speech delivered by President George W. Bush, with controls being exposed to the speech with micro-expressions removed. Participants exposed to the speech including micro-expressions felt less motivated by the content, less angry and less threatened. Such evidence supports the idea that although we may be able to fake or mask an emotional expression, unconscious perceptive mechanisms may allow us to perceive true intentions.

Ultimately the ability to fake an emotional expression may come down to a winning combination of an individual “skill” to deliver a believable performance, and an observer’s individual capacity to identify authenticity.

SARAH NASSEREDDIN

HOW TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE ON YOUR CAMPUS We’ve been issued our six-yearly report card on the state of the climate and the news isn’t good.

Bondi’s going to be in the drink, giving new meaning to waterfront property and we’re likely to see more heat, drought, flood and fire.

But before we throw our hands up in collective despair, let’s look at what we might do as individuals.

Student cars wrecked during strong winds I was walking to my car at Bankstown campus with my friend and saw a branch on a few cars. As I got closer I saw it was my car.

Security took my details down and called the other people whose cars were there. I heard from the parking people and they said I needed to go through my insurance. I wasn’t insured. The parking people said you park at the uni at your own risk.

I work seven hours a week. I’m doing six subjects for my Masters and I’m doing prac. I told them no one comes to uni thinking a tree branch will fall on their car and get stuck with fixing it. I’m a student; I don’t have that kind of money. I pay for parking here.

My windscreen was smashed. I drove it home – I had to. The other girl couldn’t drive home. A branch was inside her car and the whole windscreen was smashed, the bonnet dented.

Gumtrees have those little balls; it was like every one had been smashed on top of my car.

I could park outside where there are no trees by the road. We bought the car recently, I share it with my husband.

I have been calling and doing everything and no one has come forward to help.

I feel the uni is only good to help security walk around all day, giving people fines. I had to wait two hours with my car for someone to come and help.

Imagine if someone was walking past. It would have knocked them down or worse. Would the uni say “Sorry, you are in our car park’’?

It doesn’t work like that. This is not a public place, but a place for UWS students.

Four cars were damaged – one on the right side and two on the left. His roof was completely dented.

The girl next to me, her whole windscreen was shattered and the branch was inside the car and the bonnet dented. Her car is an old car, for sure it would be a write-off.

I was so excited to get a park there.

ZEINAB TOUBI Weeks later, a second tree branch was brought down across the pathway to the library at Bankstown campus in high winds. Passers-by were shocked but no one was hurt.

1 Modify Your Energy Use Electricity generation currently accounts for around 38% of our emissions, so reducing electricity usage actually translates to lower overall emissions. Most of us spend a good deal of time on the computer so we’ll start there. If you think you’ll be away from the desk for more than about 20 minutes, it’s worth switching off your monitor. More than two hours, and you can switch off the hard drive, or at least go to sleep mode.

You probably can’t control the air-conditioning in lecture halls or buildings but if you can, set the temp slightly warmer in summer and slightly cooler in winter. Additionally, it may be better to not keep turning the aircon off and on too much as starting up the unit consumes a lot of power.

2 Watch What You Eat Food production contributes significantly to carbon dioxide and methane emissions (stop laughing, you at the back). You can counter these effects in part in three ways; buy locally produced products that require less transportation, reduce animal product consumption and consume food in ways that reduces wastage.

3 Think About Your Transport Options Getting around produces plenty of emissions but you may find ways to reduce your overall impact from transport. This might include things like living closer to uni or work, driving a smaller car or opting to go by bike or foot more often.

4 You Can’t Watch TV On The Footpath What do people expect will happen when they put a dead TV or computer out on the footpath? Next time you get a new TV, find a way to reuse the old screen. There are recycling services to deal with e-waste.

If we at least adopt a few of these measures, that’s part of the society-wide response to living more sustainably that results in other benefits as well.

If we don’t, the next report card might come with more heavy-handed punishment.

DAVID THOMPSON - BHortSci/BCom, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment

Bushfires burn close to home As I’m sure you’re all aware, these horrific fires have destroyed nearly 200 homes in the Blue Mountains. These issues are very close to home.

I grew up in Springwood and am now am a resident of Katoomba. My mum still lives in the house we grew up in. So, it is no wonder that the fires are scaring the bejesus out of me and the community.

But the Blue Mountains community really knows how to rally together in a time of crisis.

A facebook event has been organised by Maddi Ventura called ‘The Firey Formal Dress Exchange’, to help provide a formal dress to ladies in year 12 that have been affected by the fires. Others are offering different services. I’ve offered to take photos, my motto being “No selfies on formal day”, and a professional make-up artist is giving away a bridal makeup session. I doubt the youngsters of today would touch my pseudo-indi-goth formal dress from 1995 with a ten foot pole.

I haven’t been affected personally; my mother’s house is in Springwood, but we expected it would be safe. I had to go to my mother’s house. She was safe at my sister’s house, but I had an ominous feeling in my gut so I called her. “I’m going to the house. What can I pack?”. “Nothing, I have everything that’s important,” she said. “Where’s Dad’s ashes?” I asked. “Oh, they’re still in the house”.

So I made the journey to get the one thing no insurance company could cover, the thing the Salvation Army could never replace. It’s those things that make the threat of fires so horrible. The confrontation of the loss of memories.

I just want to help, especially the youngsters that are affected. I took my year 12 friend Jodie down to Penrith to buy fabric to make her dress. Though her house wasn’t in serious danger, her mother was out every day helping the Rural Fire Service so her mum couldn’t be there for her. It’s not much, but it’s helping one person in a tiny way I guess.

Also, my boyfriend’s-flatmate’s-father has lost his house. He’s a bikie and burnt down with the house was his beloved Harley Davidson. It was not insured. The family have asked for help from Harley Davidson via facebook.

BEC FOLEY

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Global Youth Leaders Meet in nepal One of the poorest countries in the world, Nepal sits between two global giants and struggles with 40 percent unemployment.

Students from UWS visited the mountainous country and learned why the tiny nation loses its brightest students to the neighbours.

WAYNE ARDLEY and MEGAN ECOB brought back their stories.

In August 2013 I had the great honour to be selected to attend a conference in Kathmandu with two fellow students as representatives of the UWS Student Council. The Global Youth Leaders Travel and Learning Camp (GYLTLC) offered the opportunity to interact with students from countries all across Asia including, Malaysia, The Philippines, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore and China. The conference took place in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Nepal is a small country located in the Himalayan mountain range in South Asia, with the People’s Republic of China to the north and the Republic of India to the south. It is the home of eight of the world’s ten tallest mountains, including Mt Everest, and the location of the birthplace of Buddha.

At the conference we learned about the social and political problems faced by the Nepalese.

Nepal is regularly listed as one of the poorest countries in the world. It has almost 40% of its adult workforce unemployed which has huge ramifications for the country.

It relies heavily on its manufacturing industry for employment but its geographic location and small size hamper its ability to compete with its larger neighbours – both of which are global giants in manufacturing. The high unemployment rate affects the amount of tax that can be collected and the amount of welfare required to support those in need.

There is little prospect of the situation improving in the foreseeable future as the country remains gripped in political turmoil following the massacre of its royal family in 2001.

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Infrastructure is limited within Kathmandu. There is no rail network and no buses as we know them.

Commuters travel in mini-buses which they can jump on and off as they need. The roads are filled with motorbikes, auto rickshaws, bicycle rickshaws, cars, and taxis. And I mean filled! There is hardly any room to move and crossing the road is a very scary thing. We decided to try a bicycle rickshaw one day when heading to our hotel from the main shopping precinct of Thamel. It started to pour with rain just after we started. We ended up feeling so sorry for the poor guys having to pedal us in the deluge that we stopped them early and walked the rest of the way.

Limited infrastructure and poor access to modern technology provides great opportunities for ingenuity and we saw this first hand when we came across some road works in the city. A road was being dug up for some reason and there were guys in the pit which was over their heads. The hole had been dug by hand without using bulldozers! To help them a man would stand outside the pit and hold a rope which was tied to the head of the shovel being operated by a man inside the pit. Between the two of them they would throw the dirt out. It really was very inventive and fascinating to watch.

One of the highlights of the trip was a meeting with Temba Tsheri Sherpa, the youngest person to reach the summit of Mt Everest. He achieved this feat on May 24, 2001 at the age of 16 years and 14 days.

He spoke to us after the session and told us of his first attempt in 2000 when he had to turn back 22 metres from the top. He lost five fingers to frostbite

in that attempt but he was determined to try again.

He was a truly inspirational man.

As a social work student with an interest in ageing issues I was very interested to have a look around the only state supported nursing home in Nepal.

Roughly 35 older people are housed in the facility which is really just a series of tiny rooms around a central square. Each room has a number of beds and the conditions are quite crowded.

The residents are provided with basic meals and given support with bathing, cleaning and other daily activities. Funeral rites in Nepal involve cremation which is provided by the family of the deceased.

The Nepalese government has guaranteed to cover the costs of firewood for those Nepalese who have no family or are too poor to provide firewood for their cremation.

Overall the conference was a highly rewarding opportunity to meet other student leaders from around the world and to be immersed in the rich culture, history, and geography of Nepal. The conference was packed with seminars, information sessions, and activities, with no time to explore areas of Nepal other than the capital city so I plan to return one day and trek into the mountains.

WAYNE ARDLEY

The Global Youth Leaders Conference was organised by a group of eager students from the National University of Singapore and was based in the Yak and Yeti Hotel, a grand old palace.

This was the third conference organised by the committee and the first time the conference was based out of Singapore. The conference participants were from a range of countries in the Australasian region, creating a mixing pot of nationalities.

For the first two days, UWS student representatives Wayne, Manmeet and myself explored the Kathmandu city through walking tours, ate at local restaurants and had fun bargaining with the store merchants.

A reoccurring point made by each of the lecturers on the opening day of the conference, was the need for Nepalese business to change to accommodate the growing level of educated citizens.

The current system sees most educated young people migrate to other countries for career opportunities.

During the first day we were invited to spend the afternoon with students form Siddhi Ganesh School, a local school in the heart of Kathmandu City. This school was for the lower class children and was community funded. On our arrival we received an overwhelming response with all the students lined up in the courtyard, greeting us each individually with “Namaste” and a bouquet of local flowers they had gathered.

The mood was electric as we were the first international group that had come to visit and the children were overcome with enthusiasm. The children had decorated the school with handmade welcome posters and went on to perform national

dances, plays and karate tricks.

I noticed that it was getting to 6pm and asked the teacher what time school finished, she informed me that these children finished at 3 but were so eager to meet us that they wanted to stay back.

On the third day of the conference we were taken to Tribhuvan University for a tour of the campus and research centers. The campus was very large with over 300,000 students. We observed the limited facilities that students had for eating, socialising and studying due to lack of financial assistants from the Nepalese Government. It was a stark contrast to our own university campuses and again made us realise how the constant political struggle that the Nepalese Government has experienced is directly impacting the people.

Students of Tribhuvan University have a reputation for being extremely vocal and even partaking in political uprising. On our tour we noticed many spray painted slogans on the walls and posters.

According to the Professors and the tour guides Nepal has experienced constant political struggles since the abolishment of the monarchy in 2007; it has over 15 political parties, a high level of corruption and a lack of national strategic direction. This is a very sad fact, for the opportunities for the citizens are small and the country is constantly losing its brightest educated youth to other countries.

We spent our afternoon listening to the evening hymns by the nuns that lived at the Dupsing Rinpoche Monastery. Even through it was so

close to Kathmandu, the blissful monastery couldn’t have been more in contrast to the chaotic crammed city that we had spent the beginning of the week in.

Our final evening involved dressing in our national costumes and taking part in a debate. Even though the we hadn’t been taught ‘leadership technique or skills’ we had all learned so much about each other, making others feel comfortable and looking out for one another.

After the conference we couldn’t stop thinking about our experience at the school. Wayne, Manmmet and myself went to a local stationary store and brought exercise books and pencils for the students. When we were explaining why we wanted so many books the owner told us about another school that he thought could also do with some help. So we split our gifts and the shop owner introduced us to the principal who lined up all the students to each receive their book and pencil. It was a really unexpected but touching experience being able to say thank you to a country that had been so welcoming to us.

I think UWS could create an international mates program where a local student and international student partner up.

The university could also engage different student groups and create a program on how to hold a conference with a focus on a particular idea or theme.

MEGAN ECOB

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Australia Day to some is Invasion Day to others:

Cultural strength comes from our cultural inclusion

Change the Date petition stall

Should Australia Day be celebrated on the day that Aboriginal people were disenfranchised and violently colonised by the British? A petition stall at Bankstown asked people what date would be more appropriate.

Jarrah Martin: We are asking people about changing the date of Australia Day. A lot of people since 1938 have been celebrating this day as Survival Day or Mourning Day, because it’s not an appropriate day for celebration. We are using strong language to grab attention and get people talking. We are asking people what day they would nominate. One guy had no idea about the debate but was interested. We had a discussion. We want to get people talking, it’s not about forcing them to agree.

Moses Dut: The day, January 26, is when a lot of people lost their culture and their families were shattered. Should this day be celebrated ? We are asking for something more inclusive.

Kellee Brower: We are not going to Parliament yet with this campaign. This is a trial run and we would like to take it to other campaigns. We are letting people know that there is a voice from all Australians. One guy said he wasn’t sure about the language, “Invasion Day’’, and I said we are not here to teach but to make you think – Socratic.

PHOTO: Jarrah Martin, Kellee Brower and Moses Dut

PETITION BACKGROUND: In 1938 Jack Patten joined forces with William Cooper to organise the Australia Day of Mourning.

This protest by Aboriginal Australians drew attention to Australia Day as the day marking the beginning of the dispossession.

The 1938 Day of Mourning was a unique event in Aboriginal history. It was the first national Aboriginal civil rights gathering and represents the identifiable beginning of the contemporary Aboriginal political movement.

Their journey continues…

Day of Mourning protests have been held on Australia Day ever since 1938. However, in recent years, other counter-protests held on January 26, such as Invasion Day and Survival Day, have been more prominent.

“We, the Aboriginies of Australia, assembled in Conference at the Australian Hall, Sydney , on the 26th day of January, 1938, this being the 150th anniversary of whiteman’s seizure of our country, hereby make protest against the callous treatment of our people by the whitemen in the past 150 years and we appeal to the Australian Nation to make new laws for the education and care of Aboriginies, and for a new policy which will raise our people to full citizen status and equality within the community.’’

- The Aboriginies Progressive Association

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Living in a world filled with endless possibilities and the stream of interminable success from all over the world should guarantee we do not cast judgement on what a person from a particular minority group is capable of achieving. Each cultural minority group seems to be given a particular notion against another. Why does racism remain within our high schools, our workplace and our social surroundings? It’s time to call it enough.

These days where machines wash our dishes for us, our cars can open their own doors, mobile phones contain everything from social networking apps to GPS devices, is there really room for racism? People from all over the world invent wonderful creations – from pieces of art, works of literature and everlasting technological advancements.

Why are we limiting ourselves from greatness by not appreciating the earth’s people, purely based on pride and discrimination?

It’s often within the public eye, seen within the media or heard of by word of mouth - something about this person or that person.

The future requires us to walk hand-in-hand and with an open mind. Has Australia not come far enough to be kind and accepting to all its people?

Forget racism.

Accept an individual aside from the fact of where they come from, how they got to Australia or where their ancestors first migrated from.

Kindness is not just caring for those that care for you. It’s about being fair to every human and treating every person the way you wish to be treated. It will define your level of integrity.

PAULINE SEMAAN

In defence of virginity Is being a virgin a big deal anymore? I say yes.

These days it is as rare as a unicorn. Only about 24 per cent of students at university say they have the V card.

But how many people think that being a universityaged student and still a virgin a bad thing?

For a male it is seen as a very bad thing, which any teenage movie will tell you; the lengths a male character will go to get laid are endless. Female less so, unless you’re 30; anyone over the age of 30 and still is a virgin is seen as a desperate sad cat lady or man.

But why is it such a big deal? Why is it that you are suddenly obligated to have sex and get drunk so you are not seen as a loser?

Why is your self worth defined by whether or not you have a boyfriend or have had sex?

By age 16 most girls in my year had lost their virginity, saying that on their 16th birthday they were so excited because they were finally “legal” to have sex.

Why is it so bad to wait?

I have heard university confessions such as “still haven’t had a boyfriend yet, or my first kiss” followed by feedback such as “you must be ugly”.

Why is your virginity, or not being with someone, something that you have to be ashamed of?

Whether you wait or have sex is your choice – not something that should be changed because of someone else’s values.

GAY MARRIAGE PETITION STALL While the Federal Government prepares a High Court challenge to the ACT’s same-sex marriage laws, students at Bankstown called for support from local politicians.

Gay marriage is important because in 2013 there are a lot of people who want to treated equally under the law. Opinions on gay marriage aren’t what they were 20 years ago.

I have two friends who have been together for 20 years. If one of them was to die, their family could void the relationship and take all assets.

Marriage would keep any property safely within the relationship.

WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES TO GAY MARRIAGE? People believe a lot of what they have been told, that gay marriage will “ruin the sanctity of marriage’’ and that it goes against tradition. People who hold strict religious beliefs are against it. But these are false beliefs. When you consider the sanctity of marriage, take a look at celebrities and people idolised in the media: Larry King is onto his ninth marriage ! Britney Spears’ first marriage lasted 55 hours and her second only about two weeks ! It’s ridiculous.

In countries that recognise gay marriage, there is evidence that it has a stabilising effect on the economy. A couple is a more stable economic unit and is able to afford more.

WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF ACCEPTANCE ON THIS CAMPUS? I have been very surprised. I expected this campus to be very blase because of the many varied cultures and socio-economic backgrounds here.

But I have found acceptance among individuals of religious backgrounds.

One thing I like about the gay community is that it’s part of every community and this issue has the potential to reach all communities.

KRISTOPHER SPEAKMAN – Social Sciences student (centre)

comment at crUWSible.com.au

TEMARRE EVANS

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UWS

BY CHOICE A note on UWS: I find myself having to defend my enrolment at UWS when I tell someone I go there.

Yes, I did only go there because I didn’t do well at HSC, I will admit that. But despite the two-hour commute out to Penrith and Bankstown, and a GPA that will allow me entry into uSyd, I am not planning on transferring.

Recently UWS offered guaranteed places to any HSC student impacted by the Blue Mountain Fires.

It’s situations like this that confirm my decision.

Sharing campus with grandkids the greatest joy for Angela Happy Birthday to Angela Lorenzato who turned 74 in October and is possibly the most senior UWS student on campus I am studying post graduate studies in translation and interpreting.

I have another two semesters before I finish.

For ten years I owned a childcare centre which I sold, and before that I was a high school teacher for six years.

Upon retirement, I wanted to study. Twice I took my Super but I didn’t enjoy being at home. I got bored.

I enjoy uni life. Other students are very respectful – I am like a grandmother to them. I have good relationships with the tutors.

My grandchild is also studying on this campus to become a teacher.

I have one daughter, two sons and nine grandchildren.

My advice to all is to work hard.

ANGELA LORENZATO

UWS was established under Whitlam to service the people of Western Sydney who are statistically of lower socio-economic status. Many of these people would never be able to go to university if it were not for UWS. Education is the key to breaking the poverty cycle – anyone with half a brain can acknowledge that. This is particularly true as Sydney has transferred into a service economy.

Universities that service people of higher socioeconomic status do not contribute to breaking the cycle. I think it is folly to say that uSyd and UNSW don’t service on the whole, people of higher socio-economic status. I don’t imagine any other university in Sydney offering guaranteed places to people effected by natural disaster.

Almost all the people I know at UWS work 30 hours a week on top full time study, some are supporting families, some are supporting themselves. Many don’t have parents who are in a situation to support them – and the vast, vast, majority are the first person in their family to gain a tertiary degree.

And yet, we can all sit around and agree we love UWS. I’ve never had a bad lecturer or tutor. I’ve learnt so much and have felt a change in my language and thinking in the past two semesters of studying there. I have been humbled by the exposure of my privilege as a white girl whose mother supports me financially, in a family where tertiary education is the norm.

We don’t have any fancy sandstone buildings; our campuses are old hospitals or TAFEs, and most courses have an ATAR of 70. Other universities are prestigious because of their age, most older than Australian Federation, whereas UWS is not much older than the students who attend it. I’m sick of having to justify my attendance there; so please don’t flinch, act surprised, or worse; look at me with sympathetic eyes when I say I go there. Please, don’t do it.

ELIZA SCARPELLINO

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UWS SUMMER SCHOOL: YOUR DEGREE, YOUR WAY Finding it hard to juggle study with the many demands on your time? Want to fast-track your study and graduate sooner, or to catch up on missed or failed units? UWS Summer gives you the opportunity to study in a way that suits your lifestyle.

UWS Summer runs over three periods between December 2 and February 5, with a break over the Christmas/New Year period. More than 100 units are available for study over three Summer periods – visit the UWS Summer Units webpage to find out more. Most Schools are offering a range of core and elective Summer units, delivered in a variety of teaching modes including online, blended and face-to-face.

Enrolment for Summer 3 (January 6-February 16) is open until January 10, so there’s still time to take advantage of what UWS Summer offers.

Coral Yopp is studying Bachelor of Business and Commerce (Advanced Business Leadership)/ Bachelor of Laws degree, and is considering taking one or two units during the Summer session. “My degree is rather long, and it will give me the opportunity to speed up my studies,” she explains. “The integration of a Summer session will benefit students by allowing them to fasttrack their degree. This will mean being ahead of other students in their cohort when looking for employment opportunities. It may also take some of the pressure off during session for students who take units in the Summer.”

Andrew Whitney, President of the SRC, says UWS Summer brings opportunity for students to get involved in other aspects of uni life. “They will have more time to meet up with other students, form friendships and, as a result, make the most of University life,” he explains.

Contact your Summer Course Advisor or Director of Academic Program for details.

Welcome to your UWS Summer School Pull-out Activities Guide Make the most of your UWS Summer with uwsconnect and Student Representation & Participation UWS is delighted to be offering a full summer program with 105 units between December 2013-February 2014. More than 5,449 students are taking advantage of the opportunity to fast track their degree and finish more quickly, lighten their workload by spreading units more evenly across the year or make up a missed or failed unit. But it’s not just study, study, study. There are many fun events, competitions and social activities taking place over UWS Summer.

For the sporty types, there are pool and table tennis socials as well as screenings of major sporting events like the Ashes Test, the Australian Open tennis and the Santos Tour Down Under; while gamers can join in PlayStation and Wii socials. To help keep you going, there are some free BBQs and breakfasts, as well as water, fruit and ice block giveaways. For further details of what is happening on your campus and when, see the UWS Summer website at uws.edu.au/summer.

We’re keen to get your feedback on all aspects of UWS Summer: how the units were delivered; your study workload; social activities and events; facilities such as parking, library, food and security; how information was provided to you before and during Summer; and the general buzz of UWS Summer life on campus. Your thoughts on what went well and what could be improved will help us to deliver an even better UWS Summer experience in 2014/2015.

Meanwhile, make the most of your UWS Summer with these terrific events brought to you by uwsconnect and Student Representation & Participation. *Check online for updates as calendar may change

With giveaways and special events across all campuses, you wont be short on entertainment.

We’ve picked out some highlights for you.

SPECIAL EVENTS Brought to you by UWSCONNECT and student representation & PArticipation PARRAMATTA: Silent Summerfest: Pick up a pair of headphones, choose between two live DJs and guess which channel others are tuned into at the silent disco.

Add a mechanical surfboard, slushies, BBQ and energy drinks and you have silent Summerfest, 4-8pm, January 10.

Connect Fitness Challenge: Fancy yourself as the fittest on campus ? Put yourself to the test with these strength and endurance challenges. Not for the faint hearted. December 17.

Chill Out Day: Relax to the max with free massages, henna and spray tattoos, live music, fortune tellers, psychics and food specials, 11-2pm, January 7.

Speed Wrapping: Put your dexterous fingers to the test with some Christmas wrapping paper and a box in this challenging time trial. Great practice for the Christmas rush. December 16.

Thank SCC it’s Tuesday: Pick up your $5 meal voucher and enjoy the discount on your choice of campus cafes – Boilerhouse take away, 1898 and River Cafe. Throw in live music by students and you will thank the SCC it’s Tuesday, 11-2pm.

Icy Cold Thursdays: Freezing cold favourites like ice cream, frozen yoghurt and slushies from 12pm

BANKSTOWN: Craft activities: Feel the need to get creative with paint, paper, scissors and glue? Ground floor of Bldg 1 is the place to get crafty.

Icy Cold Tuesdays: Freezing cold favourites like ice cream, frozen yoghurt and slushies from 12pm

ACROSS FOUR CAMPUSES: Cook Your Own BBQ: Select a snag, grab a kebab and turn up the heat for this DIY favourite.

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Outside Bldg 1

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13-17 January

6-10 January

16-20 December

9-13 December

tENNIS SCREENING

CHILL OUT ZONE

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16-20 December

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SUMMER CHILL OUT ZONE: NEXT TO THE HUB

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20 - 24 JANUARY

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6 - 10 JANUARY

16 -20 December

9 -13 December

SUMMER CHILL OUT ZONE: BAR CAFE BALCONY

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20 - 24 JANUARY

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16 -20 December

9 -13 December

SUMMER CHILL OUT ZONE: BLDG 2 TERRACE

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UWS Summer School Pull-out Activities Guide

Craft Activities

APIA TENNIS ALL WEEK tENNIS SCREENING

AUSTRALIAN OPEN tENNIS

Craft Activities

Silent Summerfest 7 jan, 4-8pm

Thank SCC it's tuesday 11 - 2pm

Connect Fitness Challenge TENNIS SCREENING Craft Activities Dj ALL WEEK

PlayStation Ashes Screening Thank SCC it's tuesday Icy Cold Thursday speed Wrapping Comp

Water giveaway, 10am Iceblocks, 10am Table tennis Wii

FOYER BLDG K

3 -7 FEBRUARY

27 - 31 JANUARY

Fruit giveaway, 10am

3-7 FEBRUARY

CHILL OUT ZONE

BAR CAFE

FOYER BLDG K

CHILL OUT ZONE

BAR CAFE

FOYER BLDG K

CHILL OUT ZONE

BAR CAFE

20 - 24 JANUARY

Cook Your Own BBQ, 10am

Cook Your Own BBQ 10am Pool

l2

THE KIOSK

l2

27-31 January

20-24 January

OPEN WEEK tENNISALL SCREENING

Free breakfast, 8.30-10am

3-7 February

THE KIOSK

l2

THE KIOSK

FOYER BLDG K

CHILL OUT ZONE

STUVAC

THE LEG END

* check online for daily updates as activities may change

OUTSIDE THE HUB

CHILL OUT ZONE

Outside Bldg 123

CHILL OUT ZONE

Bldg 1

Outside Bldg 1

CHILL OUT ZONE

Bldg 1

27-31 January

20-24 January

l2

PUBLIC HOLIDAY

THE HUB

3-7 FEBRUARY

Icy Cold Thursday 12pm

OUTSIDE THE HUB

27-31 January

Outside Bldg 123

CHILL OUT ZONE

Bldg 1

Outside Bldg 1

Icy Cold TUESDAY 12pm

CHILL OUT ZONE

THE HUB

OUTSIDE THE HUB

CHILL OUT ZONE

THE HUB

20-24 January

8pm

OUTSIDE THE HUB

CHILL OUT ZONE

CHILL OUT ZONE

BLDG TWO

CHILL OUT ZONE

BLDG TWO

CHILL OUT ZONE

STUVAC

Public Holiday

Hawaiian Theme Mon-Wed

Live Sport Screenings

Silent Summerfest, 4-8pm

3 - 7 FEBRUARY

27 -31 JANUARY

Cook Your Own BBQ 10am

SERVICES DIRECTORY Study and Life Skills Workshops

Chaplaincy

Mates@UWS

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

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, confidentail and can be carried out as e counselling if preferred.

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

Student Welfare Service

PASS - Peer Assisted Study Sessions

Careers

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

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

PASS is free and voluntary.

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

Visit uws.edu.au/pass

Family Planning NSW

UWS Disability Service Indigenous Australian Students

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

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

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

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

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

With CareerHub you may search for jobs, internships, work experience, overseas positions, book in to career expos and access career information and resume advice all in one place.

This free service is available to all UWS students and recent graduates. Register with your current MyUWS Account.

Email careerhub.uws.edu.au

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

Unity, equality and diversity make for stronger world leaders The Chinese community gathered for a special dinner organised

by UWS to celebrate its contribution to student and academic life.

KELVIN TRAN addressed the crowd.

I think the Chinese community in Western Sydney has a lot to celebrate this Diversity Week, happily coinciding with Moon Festival. As we’ve heard, UWS is world-leading in Chinese cultural and clinical research. But I’d like to speak more personally on my experience at UWS, and how my upbringing as a Chinese-Australian shapes the window through which I view the world.

I grew up in Cabramatta during the 90s, and I’ll always feel connected to the town. My father’s family resettled there after escaping the Cambodian Khmer Rouge regime. My mother moved to Sydney from Hong Kong to study. Both carried strong ties to the Chinese mainland, where my grandparents were born.

By then Cabramatta had gained its identity as multicultural melting pot, among other notorious descriptions. Not the most affluent family, my sister and I went to public school and my parents worked multiple jobs to keep the family afloat. The Chinese way rewards hard work and perseverance and looking back to those times, I can see how I’ve adopted these values into my personal way of thinking.

Medicine wasn’t the first course I entered at UWS. Last year I was studying medical science

at Campbelltown campus where I’m still based.

What I came to appreciate about UWS was the diverse mix of students, truly representative of the Western Sydney make-up. The University stands by its commitment to serve the needs of Western Sydney first, regardless of whether you come from a family of means or not, whether you went to public or private school, whether you excel at study or get average marks. This, among other reasons, was why UWS was my first choice for medicine and, with a determined mindset, why I’ll continue to give back to the community that raised me.

By learning in this environment, UWS students gain the edge and learn to negotiate sensitivities between people. My friends are people of Indian, Bengali, Vietnamese, Filipino, Anglo-Saxon and Afghan heritage. I think we can only grow stronger by understanding each other’s backgrounds. This is the strength of UWS graduates.

And applying these skills on the wider scale, interacting with others to approach global challenges, taking theory and putting it into practice, that’s what it means to be a student at UWS. As the population grows towards an estimated 9 billion by 2050, we as a global community have more questions to answer than

ever before. Will we leave behind a sustainable Earth for generations to come? Will our children hunger for food? Can wars between people be prevented? Can the world be rid of disease?

As a Chinese-Australian, I feel a responsibility to help find these answers and shape this better future. My medical education will help me tackle the problems of global health. Confucian ideals of harmony, family and humanity for others will go a long way in combating the challenges to come. The Chinese community has so much to contribute, not only by putting our culture on display like tonight, but sharing the founding ideas which have led to Chinese success across millennia.

The Equity and Diversity Unit is doing wonderful things to encourage collaboration of cultures at UWS. And I’m very lucky to be surrounded by likeminded, forward-thinking individuals through the Aspire Future Leaders program.

When interacting on a global scale, I urge you to keep in mind three things. Unity in the face of issues which affect all cultures. Equality of access for every person. And diversity to promote it all.

KELVIN TRAN PHOTO: Veng, Kelvin and Grace Tran

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The merits of merits-based promotion When Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced a nearly all-male Ministry, many Australians called it outdated and unrepresentative.

JANE CARO called for quotas.

There’s an old piece of early 1930s newsreel footage I saw in a documentary somewhere that features Mahatma Ghandi visiting Britain for the very first time. With his classic white loin cloth and round glasses on the end of his nose, he is an exotic sight amongst the British newspapermen (they’re all men, of course). One of the journalists yells out a question; “Mahatma, what do you think of Western civilization?”

“I think it would be a very good idea.”

ing about the claims by some that –much as they’d like to help women – they ‘prefer’ to promote on merit. Those who like to congratulate themselves on such exceptional fair-mindedness and commitment to excellence are so often members of the very same group that they think has all the merit!

Another quite remarkable co-incidence (honestly, I think there must be a few potential PHD’s in this.)

And that is precisely what I think when I hear people talking about promotion on merit. I am all for it but I see absolutely no evidence of it occurring at the moment. If you doubt me, just think for a second of all the places you have ever worked.

Think of all the people in authority you have ever had dealings with. Now, tell me, hand on heart, that all of those people got to the top purely on merit. I sometimes think I have met more idiots at the top than I ever have at the bottom but, to be fair, that’s probably because idiots with power are far more of a problem than idiots without it.

When anyone suggests that it is ‘tokenism’ to include members of ‘minority’ groups simply because of their gender or ethnicity – indeed, that it might even be ‘insulting’ to do so, I am reminded that women are not a minority group. In fact, they make up the majority of Australians. Mind you, if you are one of those people with merit, it is an understandable mistake on your part because one place where women are always a minority, of course, is in any corridor of power. Wherever there is an underpaid, overworked and undervalued workforce, on the other hand, they are in the majority. Not because there is any systemic bias or prejudice, presumably, but because they lack merit.

What I notice about people at the top is not their merit, but how similar they are. If we really do promote on merit, as so many claim, then merit is astonishingly concentrated amongst white, middle class, private school educated men. (Someone claimed on twitter that there were more ex-students from Riverview in the Abbott cabinet than women.) This is either a biological and evolutionary reality that is well worth scientific evaluation or a rather stark demonstration of bias. This doesn’t mean that people who fit the above description have no merit but simply that they may not have quite the stranglehold on it that many of them appear to assume.

Because that’s another thing that is a little reveal-

There is also an enormous fear of quotas to help get more women into positions of power. This is also curious to me. Quotas are not new. Indeed, until relatively recently, there was a world wide 100% quota that reserved all positions of power, authority and privilege for men. This was regarded as natural, normal and unexceptional. Even in our very own Federal cabinet, quotas are in existence.

I heard a discussion about how difficult it was to select a new Ministry given how the PM had to balance the required number of Ministers from Queensland, WA, Tassie etc, plus the required number of National Party people. Um, sorry, pardon my ignorance (perhaps it’s my vagina-owning lack of merit) but aren’t they quotas? Do the

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Ministers from Queensland feel patronized that they may have got their cabinet positions based on their location, not their merit? (I’m not going to ask if the National Party members feel patronized, I am sure they do, all the time.)

Many boards in the private sector have similar interstate quotas so – pardon my presumption – why is it only quotas for women that are so unacceptable? Indeed, one could ask why it is only women who appear to have to earn their place at the decision making tables by proving their merit at all.

Perhaps it’s because men – particularly those who tick all the class-related boxes listed above – are assumed to have merit unless proved otherwise.

Women – no matter what boxes they tick – are assumed to have no merit unless they can prove otherwise.

Until men are actually promoted on merit I see absolutely no reason why women should have to be. In fact, I believe we will only have true equality when there are as many mediocre women in positions of power as there currently are mediocre men. And if you’d like to see just how mediocre things can get, look no further than our new Federal cabinet.

JANE CARO – lecturer in Ad Creative at UWS, author, novelist, journalist, columnist, advertising writer and media commentator.

Midwifery lounge at ParramattA could become a great gym: Petition =

+ Health and well-being is a hot discussion in the media. What is the perfect weight? Are curves okay? How much work is too much work? Is socialising a deterrent from studying? Well, maybe a proper gym at Parramatta might help solve these questions.

A gym with weights and treadmills can definitely improve health and well-being, as well as help individuals find their perfect weight. However, others are there just to get fit, tone up, bulk up, or to see what they can lift, bro. Essentially, it is not just a place of blood, sweat and tears, but a place of self-discovery.

But who has been to a gym, not for training or bulking, but just for relaxation? A gym is a great social space to improve mental health. Working out reduces stress, so throwing a gym on Parramatta campus would relax students before big assessments and exams, and hopefully raise the success rate.

Now, people are going to say, “Wouldn’t a Gym take away from the essence of an educational institute, which is to study and attend classes?” Well, first, how boring is that, to just go to uni to study and attend classes? You spend almost your whole day at uni, five days a week, so why would you not want to do something else to improve your social life? A gym could help with that.

They say uni is the time you get to meet your true

love, so maybe a gym on Parramatta campus could help push that along.

There is plenty of talk about why we don’t have a gym on Parramatta campus, and the plain answer is, it is heritage land. Fair enough, Parramatta having so much history they don’t want to ruin it, but how many buildings have already been built on the land that are not in frequent use? Plenty, I say. One space, which could be transformed into a gym, would be the Nursing and Midwifery Lounge on the ground floor of Building EB. Honestly, who is there most of the time? Nobody, apparently, and everybody sees it. All that needs to be done is remove all the furniture, replace it with treadmills, cross-trainers, weight benches, medicine balls, and free weights, and there you have it; a gym. Now not to forget fitness classes; we could make it a versatile space which everybody could use, even clubs like Kendo or the Martial Arts Club could use the space if we put floating floor boards on top of the existing carpet.

ANDREW TRAN - Parramatta SCC Sign the petition below, tear it off and pop it in the box outside EA.G.35, if you agree that we could put a gym/multi-functional space in the Nursing and Midwifery Lounge.

Surveys do the work for you Surveys provide important feedback for different sectors around the university. Surveys are conducted in different ways; students may receive an email about services like the library or may receive something through VUWS regarding the units they are enrolled in. It may be a handout survey that requires a response on the spot, usually about academics.

These surveys are an opportunity to examine the student needs and services provided. However some students do not respond to surveys or do not respond to all questions. Only a small percentage of students participate completely in surveys.

Surveys only take a few minutes to respond to.

By giving feedback, participants benefit from the collected data.

I have helped in many tutorials and lectures with surveys, and students often ask me if they have to write comments in the space provided. My answer always is yes; if you have suggestions and want them to be heard, then state them. On the other hand, some students did not bother to participate because they were in a hurry or simply did not feel like participating.

Surveys are students’ unheard voice - you have the power to say what you want and still remain anonymous!

TAHANI HAMDI HUSARI - Member UWS Academic Senate and UWS Student Ambassador

Please consider installing a gym and multi-functional training space in the Nursing and Midwifery Lounge on Parramatta campus.

Name: Course: Student ID:

STAFF PROFILE Professor Roy Tasker Professor Roy Tasker bridges the divide between visible and invisible worlds. He was named Australian University Teacher of the Year in 2011.

What first attracted you to the world of the tiny?

I was sitting in the library as a second-year science student when I read about the way haemoglobin molecules, like little tiny handbags, pick up oxygen molecules we breathe into our lungs, carry them through the blood system, and release the oxygen molecules efficiently, just when and where they are needed in our tissues.

Without boring you with the excruciating (but beautiful) details, the way these inanimate molecular handbags ‘know’ when to attract and hold onto the oxygen molecules, and when to release them easily, just blew me away. How could these exquisite little molecular machines have evolved naturally, without intervention by an intelligent designer?

I then found so many more examples of apparently designed molecular machines, even more amazing than haemoglobin, and I realised then that the molecular world was absolutely fascinating. I just had to learn as much as I could about this world, so I could play in it and build my own new molecules.

At the time I was a committed Christian with a strong faith in a supernatural ‘God’ as the intelligent designer. Since then however, I have completely changed my mind and philosophy of life. Between then and now I slowly understood how evolution through natural selection could explain the origin of living chemistry (life!), and the breathtaking beauty of complex biomolecules that can perform chemistry that scientists can only dream about mimicking. Science will slowly unravel the deep mystery of the brain at the molecular level, and possibly even consciousness itself, without any need to resort to supernatural causes!

So, to summarize, the evolution in my understanding of chemistry—the world of the tiny—has paralleled the evolution in my worldview and philosophy!

What is the most mind-numbingly tricky concept you ever had to explain, and how did you explain it?

The Second Law of Thermodynamics explains why anything happens at all. In short, it says ALL change is the consequence of the purposeless collapse of energy and matter into disorder. More concisely, things always get worse!

This law is sacrosanct, and has never been, and never will, be broken.

How then can complex, ordered structures, the ultimate example being the human brain, form naturally? This was a mind-numbingly tricky concept for me for a long time.

Then I read Peter Atkins’ (Professor at Oxford University, and one of my influential mentors) explanation that although any change involves an overall increase in disorder, a part of the change may result in intricate order, but only if there is another compensating part of the change that results in even greater disorder (usually in the form of the release of heat to the surroundings). This is a bit like a heavy weight falling can lift a lighter weight against gravity. Deep, yeah?

How has uni life changed since you first started teaching?

When I was in my first year at university in 1972, we only had final exams in November, and tertiary education was free. I had time to learn how to play snooker very well, plenty of time to socialise, smell the roses, protest by marching on the streets and get arrested, and pursue my own academic interests. I even attended lectures in other units that I was interested in!!!! There were far fewer distractions – no Facebook notifications, no mobile phone calls or email, and no internet, thank

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goodness. Since I hated writing letters, I only communicated in person, and only if I wanted to communicate. That’s freedom.

I honestly sympathise with students these days who are surrounded by so many distractions, pressured by computer-mediated deadlines, and forced to have a part-time job to support themselves during their studies.

Then again, there was no such thing as student support. I had to learn how to teach myself in those units with inaudible, disinterested lecturers who hated students. We were rarely given any idea what content was examinable, and we just hoped we had studied the right stuff. Books were everything, with few pictures and diagrams, all in black and white, and no colour except ink spills.

What is your primary coping mechanism ?

My only forms of escape from worrying, and coping with stress, are sleep, playing sport—football and tennis—and a third way that I will leave to your imagination (no, not drugs!). I am a football legend (in my own lunchtime), as can be seen by my Facebook photograph with my team.

There is something completely immersive about worrying where a bag full of air is on the playing surface, and exhausting yourself trying to reposition it for some kind of reward.

What is your advice to those considering studying science?

Any science course is a foundation for so many careers, from sciencerelated jobs to jobs like banking, business, and journalism. You get training in genuine problem solving, using evidence to make decisions, being comfortable with numbers and calculations, and not having to resort to magical thinking to make sense of the world.

Learning science requires a good imagination to visualise the invisible (the very big, like the cosmos, to the very small, like molecules), and an ability to think logically and quantitatively.

Most importantly, a career in science offers opportunities to be usefully creative, and make a real contribution to society.

If the excuse is that they are spending on the infrastructure then they should start by getting better computers; a computer in a university lab should not take 3-5 minutes to start up.

The university is answerable to us as students and as taxpayers. End Rant!!

Name not supplied

LETTERS

ERRANT TREE SHOULD BE FINED Regarding the article about the tree crushing cars in Bankstown, page 7, the university should cover damage costs for all the vehicles. It’s ridiculous to say that you park there at your own risk. It’s the university’s responsibility to provide a safe environment for students.

Burak Bozkaya

VIRGINITY MYTHOLOGY STYMIES WOMEN I don’t believe in the myth of virginity (article page 11).

The idea of virginity – which has historically been a term reserved mostly for women – suggests that you are fundamentally changed by letting a man enter you.

I don’t think that’s okay. A man does not change a woman – nothing changes after you have sex. It is just a new experience.

Part of being a feminist, part of being a human being, is not judging others for their actions. If someone wants to have sex at 16, that’s fine. If someone wants to wait until their 30 or 50 or never have sex, that’s fine also.

Let’s start a conversation about freedom of choice – about not placing worth on something so personal and so different for each individual. As long as it is between two consenting adults, there is no issue here.

Eliza

LEARNING ENGLISH DIFFICULT FOR SOME There are many reasons why people speak with broken English (Thoughts on Refugees article, page 12, Spring crUWSible). They may have just arrived and they have to start to learn somewhere. People have differing linguistic capabilities. Learning a new language as an adult is very difficult, especially when you come from a non-European language.

But most will try and learn. Those who don’t want to learn are the ones who will miss out; no skin off my nose.

Edgar

INDIGENOUS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT EXISTS Regarding the Change the Date article, page 10, the thing is, we have days that admit and apologize for the harm done to the Indigenous communities, and acknowledge the importance of Indigenous cultures (National Sorry Day, NAIDOC week). I’m not trying to minimize the issue, I just think we also need to recognize the people who gave up everything they had to come and start a new life (and those forced to for stealing bread for their starving children!) Also, your article is pretty confusing. Are you trying to change the date or the name? Are we not allowed to have an Australia Day at all? (and it’s Socrates when you are quoting his work, Socratic thinking when talking about his methods. Also, I’m pretty sure that quote is ‘There is no teaching, only recollection’ ... Socrates asked questions, but this article is pretty blatantly telling people what to think. Food for thought).

Ebony Taylor

Staff and students strike at Bankstown campus over erosion of conditions in new pay agreement

SPEND ON TEACHERS NOT BEAUTIFICATION Eliza Scarpellino, article on page 12, I admire your courage and enjoyed reading your piece.

I must say though, that UWS administration has to change its outlook towards improving academic outcomes over improving the aesthetic feel of its campuses. I felt disappointed when I saw perfectly good benches (just one example among many) outside Student Central replaced, while the administration cries poor when justifying redundancies of academic staff.

The students here are as good as anywhere else given the right academic help but I have witnessed some of the most talented staff made redundant without any justification. I asked very senior staff and the reason given for redundancies was that they expected a fall in enrollments in the future, so I asked what were they doing to increase the numbers and was met with silence. Anyone off the street of Parramatta would have told them to cut costs in non-core areas (building monuments), if they are facing a slowdown in revenue. Maybe you can use marketing to attract new students. But a more sophisticated person (including UWS staff) could have found a way to do both.

I know what you are thinking; they gave i-Pad's to attract new students. Umm, majority of these students were coming here anyway. I don't think anyone changed their decision on the choice of university to get an i-pad; any increase in enrollments was probably from school leavers who wouldn't have started uni, and a majority of them would have dropped out by now. If there was a sustained increase in student numbers then the university should release this information in a transparent way and I would be happy to withdraw this statement.

By promising as well as delivering better academic outcomes and support for students, the university could have achieved a more sustainable increase in enrollments if the i-pad money was spent in this area. But the administration chose to cut cost in the core area, which is educating us, by laying off academic staff and keep spending like there is no tomorrow on benches fences and ovals no one uses.

UWS are more likely to issue a $150 fine for parking under branches.

Vincent Cataldi Was the branch displaying a valid parking permit?

Ken Tinker

POSTGRAD NEEDS FORGOTTEN It might seem normal that a Student Representative Council member is talking about something that the SRC has done. But in this case, it is something that the SRC has not done. I am talking about the representation (or lack thereof) for the postgraduates across this university. The SRC is too narrow-minded and all they want to focus on, and have focussed on this year, has been affiliation to the National Union of Students - an association for undergraduates. Postgraduates have been forgotten about and this is wrong.

The SRC is for ALL students of the University of Western Sydney, not just the few. It seems unfair to not properly represent the 16.48% of students (as of 2012) at a national level. It might only be 16.48% of the entire student population, but that does not give the SRC the right to forget about them. I am a postgraduate myself, and even though I am on the SRC, I feel that the voices of postgraduates have been all but forgotten. I stood up this year to make sure that postgraduates were considered in the decisions of the SRC, and it will be a very big shame if next year’s SRC does not have one postgraduate representative.

I have seen that only one Student Campus Council has a postgraduate representative on it. The voice has been diminished even further, the light is almost extinguished, and if UWS postgraduate students are not represented at a national level, then what hope is there for postgraduates?

Want to fix this? Get involved in your Student Campus Council; send emails to your SCC and the SRC, attend a meeting of your SCC or even the SRC, send notice on their Facebook pages that postgraduates at UWS actually exist and that we are not going away and that they need to start considering postgraduates and not just undergraduates.

We might be the 16%, but we must not be silent.

LEAM MARK FARRAR Write to crUWSible@uws.edu.au Comment at crUWSible.com.au Facebook.com/cruwsible

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What inspired you to start the group?

Last year I witnessed many people dropping out of university because they found it hard to cope with their study. I decided to make a difference to the lives of struggling students and help them as much as I could, despite the fact that there are already several UWS student mentoring programs. I do believe my study2graduate has filled the gap in providing substantial services to the students for the sake of keeping them at university. The group has produced small posters that contain vital information that may aid struggling students.

clubs & societies

Who are your members?

I have just enlisted 150 members through my free BBQ. I am planning to expand the group over the next two years and to enlist members from other UWS campuses.

study2graduate

What helps motivate a person to stick with their course and finally graduate?

A constant campaign to remind them of the UWS services available to them.

In addition to the holding of a free BBQ are my attempts to inform all the students that the club cares about them. It is worth mentioning that the club has sponsored the first free writing workshop in November and is planning to hold a weekly writing workshop. It is always good to remind students that they ought to study in order to graduate. Many students have already been supplied with free study2graduate pens and t-shirts. The club is planning to introduce an Ambassador Program where many students will be appointed as club ambassadors to spread the word about the club inside and outside.

What kinds of obstacles do your members face?

Many students are not aware of their duties and responsibilities when they do not read their course handbook. Furthermore, students are shy to speak about their problems at the university. Students are normally struggling to write meaningful essays. There is also the problem of financial hardship that threatens their presence at university.

What is the most personally satisfying aspect of running this group?

To see students overcoming some of their existing problems at the university. However, there was a case of a person accused of copying, where I had to inform her of the steps that she needed to take to fight that charge. To my content, she was able to escape penalty and she is now continuing her course. I had the honour of meeting the oldest student at the campus. Finally, I do hope to plan for extensive projects for the coming year.

FOUAD ABI-ESBER

Thanks for the memories: UWS Debating shout-outs As 2013 comes to an end, we take a short moment to look back on our successes over the last twelve months, and to look forward to bigger and better things in 2014.

This semester we sent our first ever contingent to the Australasian Women’s Debating Championships, hosted by UNSW. Congratulations to Priya Goyal, Winnie Jobanputra, Holly Pitt and Anna Hawkins!

We’ve also been busy attending tournaments at ANU, UNSW, Sydney, Wollongong and Macquarie Universities. Special congratulations to Tom Morgan and Luke Lau, who, at Macquarie, broke the record for the most points scored at a tournament by a UWS team!

Still to come this year are tournaments at

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Melbourne University, UNSW and Sydney University!

This year was our first full year as a club. We’ve expanded to Parramatta and Campbelltown campuses and enjoy increased membership. We hope to grow even bigger in 2014.

Thank you to the 2013 Executive, who guided us through this year: President Robert Barrie, Parramatta Campus Representative Laura Sampson, Secretary Lana Nguyen, Membership, Welfare and Socials Officer Zahraa Ahadzada, General Executive Members Luke Ryan and Mitchell Purser.

Thank you to all our members who represented us at competitions in 2013, and who attended meetings and helped make the year a big success.

We’d also like to extend our thanks to crUWSible for publishing our articles and to Brendan, Jo, Matthew, Gordon, Tony, Tania, Nap and everyone at UWS for their support of us. We couldn’t have done it without you!

We welcome our 2014 executive. Congratulations to President (and Campbelltown Rep) Robert Barrie, Secretary Winnie Jobanputra, Treasurer Holly Pitt, Parramatta Campus Rep Laura Sampson, Asst Parramatta Campus Rep Andrew Olivares, Asst

Campbelltown Rep Priya Goyal, General Executive Members Thomas Morgan, Andrew Montgomery and Jessica Fenech.

Congratulations to our first contingent to the World University Debating Championships in Chennai, India - Robert Barrie, Thomas Morgan and Winne Jobanputra. Our team will head off after Christmas for 10 days in India to debate with nearly 400 teams from all across the world!

Like us on facebook to stay up to date with everything that’s happening! We hope to see you in 2014!

F: facebook.comuwsdebating T: @UWS_Debating E: uwsdebating@gmail.com

fiction

consequence if I looked back. What have I been forcibly enrolled into? “Boys, get her!”

UWS offshore

by Jesse Neo

Falling in love at UWS, in the year 2114, can be murder

“This way!” A boy pulled me behind a stack of hovering boards.

“Mr Robinson shot a boy!” My body was shaking as I sank to my knees. “I can’t be here anymore! I want to go home!”

“It’s okay,” he said softly. “No one will ever find you here.”

The boy buried me in his arms and I opened my eyes to look at his face. His blonde hair gleamed in the lights. He was tall and built, which was rare these days. He looked like an angel.

“You’ve gotta be strong, Jessica,” he said, his warmth coming over me. “Come, we can take these hovering boards to class. We’re in the same lecture on the top floor.”

“How did you–” I looked at his eyes, those gold eyes that assaulted by breathing.

He smiled. “Your MicroMammon.”

I marched into the orlop with thirty-thousand-plus students and positioned myself on the deck. I felt strong and steady, despite only a vitamin bar for breakfast.

“Radioactive toxins and sunburns have always been burdensome for those heading home after school,” Mr Robinson was announcing atop a hovering stage. “As the education minister for the year 2114, I welcome you to UWS Offshore, where your semester will happen on-board a ship equipped with cutting-edge technology of today’s world.

You’ll be pleased.”

I turned my head but heard no cheering. This was “Your name is Mitchell?” I asked as we travelled the fact of overpopulation. You just don’t know who along the top floor of the ship on our hovering to trust and the government doesn’t care about boards. justice because there are too many of us.

“Universities used to start after high school,” came an anxious whisper. “We’re only 16.”

I spun around. There was a girl with blue hair; obviously someone in her generation had been radioactively mutated. I widened my eyes. “That’s what my great-grandfather told me!”

“You heard me?” The girl smiled and raised her hand. “I know making friends is not recommended, but so is being murdered in a place where no one can tell your family. Hi, I’m B.” “Like the letter ‘B’?”

B grinned. “I was named after my great-grandmother Bee but without the double ‘E’. She was a UWS graduate.”

“So was my great-grandfather!” I said, excited. “I wonder if they were friends.

IMAGE: Torley By the way, I’m Jessica.” “…Lectures start today!” the voice of “Everyone calls me Mitchy though,” he said. “Our Mr Robinson pulled me to turn back around. “If lecture theatre is just at the other end of the sun unsure, consult the MicroMammon on your wrist.” deck.”

I looked at my forearm, at the screen of the MicroMammon sewn into our flesh the day we were We reached the open area and I stared into the water. The sun was bright with a haze of pollution born. It was the only way to keep overpopulated shrouding it. I sometimes wonder how much longer societies civilised. life can be sustained on Earth.

“Hey look!” B pointed at my MicroMammon. “It says we’re in the same class on the 37th floor." She “Did you know 200 years ago Australia had very clear sky?” Mitchy started. stepped back with the dissolving crowd and headed I nodded. “That was before America turned into for the lifts. “We’ll talk later!” Afar, her figure was 13 districts, before its capital was named New scrawny, but then – we’re all like that.

Beijing.”

People swarmed around me, smacking their “Do you believe it though?” Mitchy’s lips slumped shoulders with mine as they left too. This wasn’t into a line. “I think it’s just false hope to keep us a good sign. Dizziness knocked me. If it wasn’t believing in ourselves. That’s why you, Jessica, because of my brother spending all our rations on need to keep believing in yourself too.” His hand organic water over decontaminated water, I would brushed down my arm and made its way to hold my have been able to eat a better breakfast. When my hand. “Do you mind if I take a photo of you with my world settled, I was behind two computer towers.

MicroMammon? Your hair looks beautiful.”

“You’ll be caught soon!” hissed a boy’s voice. “All He wants someone as short, as boney as me on his waters are governed by One World International.”

MicroMammon? The thought of it made my face “What do you know!” Robinson roared. hot.

The sound of a shot gun pierced my ears. I peeked “Now don’t stand in the sun for too long, your from my hideout. My hair turned into pins. On the face is pink.” Mitchy laughed as he lowered his floor was a boy with a bracelet of blood leaking MicroMammon. “Scientists still haven’t been able from his head, his eyes frozen. I screamed. to create a new ozone layer.”

Robinson’s eyes flew to mine.

I pulled his hand and stared at the floor. I hope he “You!” he shouted. “Get yourself here!” doesn’t know I was blushing. “Let’s keep moving.”

I dashed to the lifts, afraid to even think about the

“

I sometimes wonder how much longer life can be sustained on Earth.

“Bienvenue dans mon monde!” My lecturer, Kristian, opened his arms as our eyes lit up. Neon lights were emitting from all the edges of the room. At the far end was a projector constructed of crystals.

“Technology created in New Beijing is unbelievable!” I looked at Mitchy. “I want to go there.” He placed his sturdy hands on me. “We should go together one day.” Kristian cleared his throat. “Today we’ll have an introduction on how cancer can be cured.”

I gasped as the crystal projector at the far end lit up with a lifelike diagram.

“The cure, you see, was developed by–“ Kristian stopped, and turned to look at his MicroMammon that was suddenly flashing on his forearm.

“Actually class,” he said, “our first lesson is known as ‘Train and Fire Up.’” Kristian led us down some steps to the centre of the theatre where I saw a black hut.

“Look, a 4D box!” B cried. “A what?”

“That black hut down there,” she clarified. “To what I’ve heard, it holds more space than what it can actually occupy by turning the space inside 4-Dimensional. Inside, the computer can alter the environment to anything – underwater, outer space, even another planet!”

“That’s correct, B!” Kristian stood proudly by the black hut’s door. “Inside you’ll have hand-on experience with the world’s best workout system.”

One by one, students entered the black hut and the doorway they past emitted a bright hue.

“Do you want to go first or me?”

Mitchy asked when it was his turn.

“Ladies first?”

I laughed. “Why don’t you go first?”

I watched as Mitchy was devoured behind the glowing door, leaving only me. I breathed in, excitement rolling, and then– “Don’t go in there!” came a moan. “It’s a trap.”

My heart hammered. “Who’s there?”

“Me, Sena.” On the ground beside the hut was a timid-looking girl in a black dress. Angry bruises appeared all over her. She made her way to me.

“The whole point of Mr Robinson creating this offshore campus is so that he can kill us without being restricted by the law. Do you think he cares for our education?”

The image of the dead boy flashed into my mind. “I know the government is corrupted but what gain would Robinson get from killing us?”

“He’s working for the CEO of One World International, and they’re trying to reduce the number of people in the world to less than a billion, the way it was in 1804.”

I looked at her indifferently. “But One World International isn’t evil.”

“You can believe what you want, but I’m getting out of here,” Sena’s voice was getting angry.

“Remember; just because someone doesn’t look evil, doesn’t mean they’re not.”

I lowered my head. “I believe you, Sena, I witnessed a boy getting shot. In fact, Robinson is looking for me. But there’s no way he can kill everyone on this ship.”

“I know the truth.” Sena’s eyes fluttered and a teardrop rolled down. “I should add that the boy you saw was my brother.”

TO BE CONTINUED…

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FIRST HAND SPOT THE DINGO A HOWLING SUCCESS IMAGE: Phylomon

It’s 4:30am. I know this because Venice Queen by the Red Hot Chili Peppers has been slowly getting louder as the song evolves, waking me in peaceful bliss. Birds have also started chirping whilst shaking the dew off their feathers. Outside my swag there is an eerie stillness and chill, and I’m wondering … could today be the day?

Before I had the chance to reach across and turn my alarm off, I heard the voices of two girls saying my name and shaking my feet to wake me. Then I heard a thump on the balcony and felt my swag get kicked with a deeper, brotherly voice, ‘Get up! You want a coffee?’

This happened to me for about a fortnight. I was making a movie! It wasn’t exactly a movie, in as much as I didn’t have a Winnebago or a makeup artist. It was however, a documentary based on my dingo research in the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. I was leading a production team and this trip was the last of five month-long trips. We were hoping to film dingoes hunting from the air.

The culprits that woke me were three of the seven Animal Science students volunteering their time as dingo spotters. I arrived in the kitchen to see them and two UWS staff, chopper pilots, cameramen, research assistants and a director hustling for breakfast and daily food rations. To add to the excitement I began handing out handheld radios, instructions, and blaring a ten-minute time limit before the vehicles had to leave. They actually had twice as long but I was a little edgy cause my waking thoughts were broken, and I still felt like conditions were good for a hunt.

By the time the chopper was in the air, the two vehicles packed with spotters were half way to the first drop off site. We surveyed the area in front of the cars for dingoes and flew around the site but couldn’t find any. The blanket of cloud had blocked most of our view anyway, and both the director and aerial cameraman were more excited by the sun rising over the mountains in an ironically timeless fashion.

After landing at a farmhouse in the valley, we heard radio announcements that the last dingo spotters

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were in position. From then on it was a waiting game. After a couple of hours and coffees, the fog had only slightly lifted and the day remained a dull grey instead of a vibrant yellow. Perfect for a hunt.

I was looking out into the green abyss when the silence was broken.

A pack of dingoes erupted in chorale. One, two … probably at least five dogs were in this pack between the nearest dingo spotter and us. Then the radio broke silence with the two closest dingo spotters advising of the howl.

Due to weight limits in the chopper, it was decided that I would be better on the ground with the spotters if a hunt began. I started driving to have a look and listen for dingo activity. When I arrived at the first dingo-spotting site, some of the dogs howled again and other dogs soon replied, from further down the valley. The dingoes were on the move.

Wild dogs seem to have a sixth sense, where they communicate in silence or telepathy This is common behaviour in wolf hunts, where they gather in a ‘touch noses’ pose, howl and start to hunt. Wild dogs seem to have a sixth sense like this, where they communicate either in silence or telepathy. In 2011 I was camping near the Tetons in Wyoming near a wolf rendezvous site, as part of my Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travel Fellowship. When I woke, I howled to see if the wolf pack nearby would respond. But there was nothing.

Thirty minutes later, three wolves howled from the west, another responded from the north and then the pups howled in unison with an adult from the southeast. They had surrounded me. These dingoes were communicating in the same way. I can only imagine them touching noses and splitting into pairs to sweep the valley for prey.

I continued travelling north, through to the third

dingo spotting location. One group claimed to see a dingo on the road, and then there was more howling from the river a few hundred metres away.

Chopper blades started slapping the air in the distance. There was more howling to and fro from opposite sides of the valley, followed by radio calls from dingo spotters. The dingoes were talking to each other. From my location, I could see the second and fourth dingo spotting locations and it was excellent for triangulating their location to tell the aerial crew.

Then the pack howled again. They were within metres of dingo spotter four. I asked dingo spotter three, standing in suspense beside me, to tell her not to move, and the chopper to flyover spotter four.

The helicopter was now in full view and flying in an arc toward spotter four. Suddenly I saw the dogs.

They were running like cheetahs across the plain, away from the chopper and quickly disappeared into the gully.

Meanwhile, the helicopter was hovering in the opposite direction of the dingoes and struggling to find me. They circled back around toward spotter four and found a lone dingo feeding on a freshly killed kangaroo. We missed it.

I travelled across to spotter four to hear what happened from her perspective. She was pumping from adrenalin. The dingoes were no further than 50-metres from her when they howled, and then she saw one. It stopped walking, looked at her, and then vanished into the grass. It doesn’t get any better than that.

It was now 3pm. The dingoes were spooked. The camera crew were frustrated, and we had three more hours of daylight before we packed up. By 6:30 all the volunteers were in the cars and we stopped by the river to give a group howl, and let off some steam. Our chorus was far less than amateur, but it had the right structure to represent a pack.

The dingoes didn’t only respond, they put us in our place. Like the wolves in Teton, the real dingoes know what’s best.

Dr BRAD PURCELL - Churchill Fellow and Adjunct Fellow with UWS School of Science and Health

RevuWS

CELEBRATE SUMMER LIVE It’s that time of year again, time to slip, slop, slap with fellow music lovers in the summer music festival season. Some fear this may be a memory in the not too distant future, with several festivals around the country being cancelled or downsized.

Thus far Homebake, Harvest, Movement and Pyramid Rock have been scrapped. Future Music Festival is set to go ahead, however large debts of the organiser loom overhead. Big Day Out has cancelled the planned second day in Sydney for 2014, however it’s tough to see this stalwart of the Australian music scene going under.

The future of live music in the country seems to be bleak; gone are the days of local bands playing

film Thor: The Dark World Is there no stopping the Marvel Studios juggernaut?

They clearly know what they’re doing with their property, especially when it comes to adapting a hammer-wielding Norse god for the big screen.

A year after the Battle of New York, the bifrost bridge is repaired and the Nine Realms are at peace once again. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) must now deal with an enemy as old as the universe itself, who is bent on returning it to a state of darkness. Alan Taylor (The Sopranos, Game of Thrones) replaces Kenneth Branagh as director and brings an earth-toned palette and less shiny looking Asgard, making it just that much more believable. The humour strengthens the film, especially during the climactic battle.

All the characters are more rounded, their stories fleshed out (if only a tiny bit), which is a huge improvement over the first installment. Finding out Hogun has a family, seeing Fandral in the company of women and Heimdall having a drink are small details that add to the larger picture.

ANDY THAI

pubs and hotels. Being born in the 90’s I wasn’t able to experience it, but I’d love to jump in my DeLorean and head back to the 70’s and 80’s, where pub rock ruled. Losing live performance is losing a fundamentally human element of music, of both imperfection and drawing together those with a passion for the art form. Why should we try to express human emotion through electronic means? Front-men and women will always be able to stir a crowd more effectively than computers and logarithms. It’s about real people playing real instruments.

Thankfully many Sydneysiders are gearing up for the music festivals soon to grace our state, with most focus again on Big Day Out and Soundwave.

Big Day Out’s big scalp for this summer is Pearl Jam, a part of the explosion of grunge rock that came from Seattle in the 1990’s. Led by one of the greatest front-men of all time in Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard (guitar), Jeff Ament (bass) and Mike McCready (guitar) will be sporting new tracks from their brand new “Lightning Bolt” album. This along with hits such as “Even Flow”, “Alive” and “Jeremy” from their debut album, and hopefully some from those in between, will get the crowd going.

Indie rock fans will also be looking forward to Arcade Fire (pictured) being on the line-up. Since their formation in the early 2000’s, Win Butler and co have had critically and commercially acclaimed success with several albums, including a Grammy for Album of the Year in 2011 for “The Suburbs”.

Their blend of orchestral indie rock and waistcoatbased fashion, Sydney-siders will be sure to enjoy hits such as “Neighbourhood #1” and “Rebellion (Lies)” from their debut album.

Blur has pulled out of the Big Day Out. Snoop Lion and Flume will also be on the scene for those with slightly different music taste, along with

The Lumineers, a Grammy-nominated folk rock band. Tickets are now on sale for Sydney’s show on Australia Day. Soundwave has recently released their second line-up announcement for 2014, and we weren’t disappointed. The bill already featured Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Temple Pilots and Alice in Chains, and will now include metalcore/pop punk stars A Day to Remember, as well as Mastodon, The Dillenger Escape Plan and Jimmy Eat World.

Held on the 23rd February next year, we all have the chance to get nostalgic with Green Day’s hits from the 1990’s and 2000’s, before semester starts again. Having mainly positive critical response for their latest album 21st Century Breakdown (2009), the band will also without doubt regale the crowd with American Idiot memories from 2004/05.

It’s hard not to go on about each band listed above, which provides such a strong rock/metal/punk line-up, but there wouldn’t be enough space in the paper if I did. With organiser AJ Maddah stating there would be a third line-up announcement soon, fans are sure to be in for a treat.

Other celebrations of music are also available over the summer. Festival of the Sun, held in midDecember this year boasts headliners You Am I, The Rubens and Ash Grunwald. Along with many other artists, this festival held at Port Macquarie is set to be a relaxed revelry of summer. Splendour in the Grass and Bluesfest will provide further entertainment through the middle months of 2014.

So come along and support live music at these festivals and their side shows. Help preserve the integrity of musical performance and enjoy the day out!

LIAM BELL

theatre

film

All My Sons Eternity Playhouse

Gravity

It’s heartening to see Sydney’s old buildings beautifully restored and, even better, turned into a theatre.

The old Burton St Tabernacle Church in Darlinghurst has become the Eternity Playhouse, thanks to City of Sydney Council. Resident in the 1887 building is the Darlinghurst Theatre Company, transplanted from Kings Cross.

The first production in the new venue is Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. This is a solid production of a gut-wrenching family drama set in America in 1947, where old truths break through and bring down the façade of ``family’’ and ``respectability’’.

This ends December 1, but next is Tony Award-winning Falsettos from early February.

Whatever the production, this venue is a welcome addition to the landscape in Sydney and embeds the legend of Arthur Stace, the WWI veteran who attended the original Baptist church on the site and from there was inspired to chalk ``Eternity’’ on the pavements of Sydney every morning for 30 years.

3D is now seen as a marketing gimmick to inflate the box office. But when used correctly, the results can be breathtaking. And have no doubts, Gravity is a truly breath taking 3D experience.

After their shuttle is destroyed, astronauts Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) are stranded in space. With oxygen running low and communications cut, the pair must figure out how to return home. The film’s simple premise belies its depth: Gravity explores themes of life, death and the power of the human spirit.

It’s a moving piece that anyone can relate to, with Bullock truly shining in her role.

Smooth camera movements, flawless CGI and an incredible soundtrack are masterfully combined by director Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) to create the feeling of being in space, capturing it in all its beauty. None of the scenes were shot in zero gravity; a testament to the meticulous planning that went into each scene.

ANDY THAI

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LOVE guru

Let crUWSible relationships expert Jesse Neo solve all your problems Hey Jesse, Is it wrong for a guy to date a taller woman? This funny, smart and really nice tennis player asked me out to the movies the other day, but I’m dreading a kiss where it’s ME who has to stand on my tiptoes.

Women always seem to go for taller men, but this seems a strange reversal of roles. Is it superficial for me to feel emasculated when I stand next to her? On the upside though, she’d be really easy to spot in a crowd.

5 foot 3

Dear Love Guru, My girlfriend laughs EXCESSIVELY. She’s upbeat and bubbly, but when she starts gasping and honking like an upset seal, it’s a bit too much.

There are only so many neural conditions that explain this. Her ability to laugh at anything defines her and is a quality I love, but she needs to tone it down.

Embarrassed Dear Embarrassed, If you love that she can laugh at anything and that this bubbliness defines her personality, I’m pretty sure you can get over her laugh. Everyone has some habit that really annoys their partner. But if it really bothers you, be honest and tell her. The Love Guru hopes she doesn’t rip your head off when you do this.

Dear 5 foot 3, As a short person myself, I do feel your pain.

However you only have to look to famous sporting people to see that this really isn’t an issue. Look at jockeys – they are some of the shortest men you will ever see and they have the tallest, most beautiful partners.

At the end of the day, personality is what women look for in a guy. This girl obviously saw something in you the day you guys met and was able to look past the difference in height.

Whilst I wouldn’t say it is superficial for you to feel emasculated – the media defines the ‘perfect man’ as tall, muscular, good looking etc - but lets be honest; no one is perfect. As for the kiss, who says you guys have to be standing up? You guys can be sitting in the theatre, or in the car when you give her a goodnight kiss. Improvise! That way the height isn’t even noticeable and you won’t have to stress as much about her bending down to kiss you.

LOST LOVES I picture you in slow motion, bouncing upon the jumping castle at Campbelltown campus Carnival that day. Some parts of you moved more gracefully than others. But it was your mind that really intrigued me.

To the hot landscaper at Nirimz campus that drives the white pick-up truck: You’re the One!

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Dear Love Guru, I’ve recently met a fifth year uni student, and I’m in first year. He’s great looking, really nice and funny, but I’m worried about the age gap and what my parents and friends will think of it. How much of a gap is too much?

Lots of people say that age is just a number, but the difference between our numbers may seem strange to some. It’s not a problem for me, but I feel like others will look down on the relationship.

If you don’t have a way to shave four years off this guy, what should I do?

Lovestruck Dear Lovestruck, I’m going to be completely upfront: Who cares!

You guys are both adults; a four year difference is practically nothing! Just look at the positives! He’s older, more mature, nearly finished university…

It’s not like he’s Hugh Hefner and you are Crystal Harris with a 60-year age gap.

If you are worried about what your friends and parents may think, just emphasise all the wonderful things about him. I can guarantee that your parents will probably be impressed with your new, mature boyfriend – relieved that you haven’t brought home another immature guy who struggles to construct a single sentence. contact the Guru and LOST LOVES at crUWSible.com.au

Silver fox at the stationary shop Kingswood: You’re from the 70s and I’m a 90s bitch. So where’s my mixed tape ?

Mum said you were bad for me which makes me want you more. You know who you are. I don't know who I am but I love it when you tell me. Maybe Mum was right.

May I compare thee to an Ibis diving for a sandwich in the bins at Parramatta? Thou art more cunning and resourceful. Let’s lock beaks and honk at the passing parade.

Aquarius

Laura Sampson’s

WSIBLEHoroscopes HOROSCOPE ICONS

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Aquarius

Gemini

Exams are done for the year, summer is here and it’s time to party… unless you’re doing Summer School.

Feeling anti-climatic after this semester? Worried about your results?

Let crUWSible Horoscopes put your mind at ease, even if it’s not what you want to hear!

Gemini

Sagittarius

Cancer Libra

Gemini

Cancer

Pices

Libra Virgo

Taurus

Aries

Sagittarius CRUWSIBLE ICONS Scorpio Capricorn Leo HOROSCOPE

Cancer

Feeling a bit sluggish after eating tonnes of junk during exam preparation? This might be the perfect opportunity to test out the gym equipment on Parramatta campus. You don’t mind people watching you sweat it out, right?

Libra

Taurus

Aries Sagittarius CRUWSIBLE HOROSCOPE ICONS

Taurus

Pices

You are an adventurous one. Stop spending a fortune on Subway and test out your culinary skills with homemade lunches. Soon you will have friends insisting that you try out for the next season of MasterChef, which will be upon us before we know it!

Pices

Virgo

CRUWSIBLE HOROSCOPE ICO

Taurus

Aries

Aquarius

You are itching to get creative.

Be open to anything that could be your next inspiration. When Mercury opposes creative Neptune, make sure you have the facts to back up any of your great ideas.

Aquarius

Gemini

Sagittarius

Pices

Virgo

Libra

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

CRUWSIBLE HOROSCO Virgo Leo Scorpio Capricorn Stop overworking yourself, put down that third cup of coffee and relax. All that hard work will pay off, Reminiscing about last summer? Relive those Cancer whether it’s that jobAquarius you’ve been dreaming of, or Gemini memories by planning a holiday. This will give you

Pices

that HD that’s always been just out of sight.

Libra

something to work towards and now that university is done and dusted for the year and you are lying on the beach indulging in your favourite alcoholic beverage, you know this semester will have been worth it!

Taurus

Aries

Aries

Aquarius

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Libra

Capricorn Pices Gemini

Scorpio

Cancer

You see two people fighting over a car spot on campus. Help to resolve the situation and you might get more than you bargained for…

Scorpio

Leo

We know you don’t like complications, so that one friend who always bothers you is starting to get annoying! Rather than gossiping about their imperfections, talk it out with them. You may discover something is really troubling them.

Sagittarius Virgo Cancer

Pices

CRUWSIBLE HO Gemini

Taurus

Aries

Virgo Libra

Aquarius Taurus

Cancer

Gemini Aries

Suppress those party instincts; you don’t want to end up on the next edition of Current Affair do you?

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Next year, get motivated and don’t sit in the corner of your class and play Candy Crush and browse Facebook. Get involved in the discussion and you will find this to be very rewarding!

Sagittarius Leo Libra

Scorpio Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

Capricorn AriesLeo

Summer is in the air and with this comes unexpected surprises. If you need to tell someone special how you feel, ask the Love Guru. They haven’t failed yet!

Scorpio

Pices Sagittarius Capricorn

Make your 2014 resolution to let your guard down and make some new friends next year at university.

Join a new club that plays to your strengths (Debating perhaps?) and socialise with people you would normally never consider being friends with!

Leo

Virgo

Libra Pices Pisces

Taurus Virgo

You’ve been inspired by a text that your lecturer insisted you read and analyse. Channel that caring nature of yours and take up a summer volunteer project; you won’t regret it!

Scorpio Leo

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Capricorn Scorpio Capricorn

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