Empire Times 50.7 by FUSA Association

EMPIRE TIMES Vol 50 Issue 7

‘The Forbidden CreativiTea’

By Rosey Matilda 2

Art By Jeremiah MorningStar

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY Nina Marni (translation: hello, how are you?). Empire Times would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands in which the editors, contributors and readers live, and honour elders past, present and emerging. Bedford Park is a significant site in the complex Dreaming of the Kaurna ancestor Tjilbruke. We write on behalf of the students and faculty on this land, First Nations, Non-Indigenous and Immigrant, who work and learn here. Empire Times is edited and distributed on the traditional lands of the Arrernte, Dagoman, First Nations of the South East, First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee region, Jawoyn, Kaurna, Larrakia, Ngadjuri, Ngarrindjeri, Ramindjeri, Warumungu, Wardaman and Yolngu people. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded, and that this land is stolen.

Artist Statement: Jeremiah MorningStar was born into the Kamilaroi tribal grounds & brought up in the Wiradjuri tribal grounds and has lived in the Kaurna tribal grounds for over 25yrs now. My mother taught me how to connect with spirit to bring forward their inspirations. When I draw, it’s channeled work and it’s supposed to mean what ever the viewer takes from it. I’ve had people from all different cultures find their native symbols within my works which to me brings a cultural unity via my works.

Contents PA G E

PA G E

Contents Page

Editorial

Flinders at night photography

Horoscopes

PA G E

Left, Right, Centre

The Strange Case of The Missing Master Alchemist

Performing a Biopsy on Science Fiction

Poetry: Wherefore Art Thou Poetry

By Jade C Wildy

By Daniel S. Drazetic

By Mahalia Clark

PA G E

Artworks That Shocked The World

‘Wait! What?’ Column

Does it always have to be original?

By Georgia Nolan

By Margot Albrecht

By Katie Stedman

PA G E

Interview with Author S ean Williams

Hide Hunters Short Story

Red Fern

PUZZLE BREAK

By Maxwell Willis

By Georgia Nolan

By Mahalia Clark

PA G E

ARCANUM

I am courageous Claire.

The Flinders University 2022 Creative Writing Anthology

By Claire M Lush

PA G E

Tabletop Times With Oliver

CONNECT

Creating Art With Your Desktop Scanner: Course Review

PUZZLE ANSWERS

Harmful Sex Industry Bill Introduced by South Australian Government By Kat Morrison

Next Edition The Last Edition for 2023

Clubs & Student Advocacy

ISSUE 7

EDITORS Katia Rawlings Rachelle Summers Katie Stedman ASSOCIATE EDITOR Georgia Nolan WRITERS Margot Albrecht Maxwell Willis Oliver Land Jade C. Wildy Daniel S. Drazetic Mahalia Clark Katia Rawlings Katie Stedman Georgia Nolan Kate Mandalov Amber Foxwell Claire Lush Kat Morrison

Find Flynn the Mallard Duck and win! Hidden on one of the pages in this magazine you will find Flynn. Good louck finding him! (The above image of Flynn is not the one you need to find. This is just something fun to do during this issue and no prizes are being awarded if he is found.)

LEFT Maddy Tapley Jacob Grant UNITE Lachlan White COVER ARTIST Harry Kellaway ARTISTS Jeremiah MorningStar Harry Kellaway Rosey Matilda Daniel Drazetic Lachlan White WHAT IS ET? Empire Times is a publication of the Flinders University Student Association (FUSA). It is your student magazine. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the editors, Flinders University or FUSA. Reasonable care is taken to ensure articles are accurate at the time of publication. 5

EDITORIAL Throughout the year, we have had a more creative approach to Empire Times, and we wanted to dedicate an issue to the amazingly creative individuals here at Flinders University. Within this issue you will find artwork and illustrations, short stories and articles that discuss and shed light onto different areas of the creative. Make sure to check out an interview with none other than esteemed author Sean Williams on page 26!

Warmest regards, Katia, Rachelle, Katie and Georgia

6 Photo by Harry Kellaway

Photo by Lachlan White

H ORO SCOP ES FOR NOVEM B E R

Ar ies

Ta u r u s

Aries! Secret: you guys are my favourites (shush, don’t tell the others). And it’s got nothing to do with the fact that I’m also an Aries. This month is smooth sailing for y’all. Sounds like you’ve got a trip or two planned or, if not, will be planning a trip. Drink some fancy margaritas while sun-tanning on the beach, or sip some mulled wine and cosy up with a good book— whatever you fancy! Forget about your woes—they’re slotted in for next month.

Taureans are boring…ens. You guys are just slaving away this month. Hunched over your laptop screen and getting stuff done, leaving fifty empty mugs in your makeshift office at home. I do sense mystery, however. A mug will go missing! Not just any mug but your favourite mug. It’s up to you to figure out what happened, detective. I don’t know about you but my third eye senses foul play…

Cancer

Le o

Cancerians will get their 15 minutes of fame this month! You may just be ambling around the city one day, and then BOOM, you’re all over 9 News! It happened to my sister once. Pack on the orange-tinted foundation—I heard it’s good to wear cakey makeup on camera. If they are Channel 9, I’d suggest sporting a deadpan look and replying with ‘no comment’ to every question—the media can twist everything.

Connect with the earth this month, Leos. Your head’s been in the clouds far too long and you need some grounding. Smear mud all over your body, have a dip in the Torrens, eat some bush berries and slugs. Gaia will reward you with smooth skin, and cholera. Friends may judge your new lifestyle habits. I’d suggest growling like a bear and throwing mud at them in retaliation—most will run, but the right ones will stay.

Ge m i n i Geminis are lacking creativity this month. You guys will find yourselves between a rock and a hard place that’ll force you to brainstorm. You might be in a job you hate and want to leave. Creative solution? Fake your own death. You might have to go to a family barbecue with all your insufferable rellies. Creative solution? Send a postcard with you photoshopped in a Norwegian fjord and write about how much you’re enjoying the ‘bloody peace and quiet’. Creativity is basically just telling everyone to f*** off.

V i rgo Virgos—it’s date night! If you’re taken, you’re gonna spend lots of time with your partner(s), if not, you’re going to be dating someone soon! Don’t let your obsessive attention to detail ruin your night. Yes, the decor might be drab, but things are too expensive to revamp nowadays— enjoy your companion’s beautiful visage. If their face ain’t pretty, enjoy their beautiful ‘personality’ and lower your goddamn standards. If you want a perfect partner, settle for an AI bot.

Libra

Sco r p i o

Sa gi tt a r i u s

Libra! I feel money on your mind! And why wouldn’t it be? Coming up to Christmas, with all those get-togethers where you either need to bring food, gifts or both. Don’t worry though! I see some dough coming your way. Actually being recognised for all that hard work you do in your job? Keep working, finish those last assignments and exams and you, my dears, are home free.

November Scorpios, Happy Birthday! Now, I know you don’t like change—so here’s a head-up… be prepared for some changes! Some might be good, others may be bad, but you’ve got to roll with the punches and try and keep going through it all. Some new clothes and furniture, a new house, a husband, or a haircut—whatever changes you face this month, I wish you luck!

It’s Scorpio season my dear, and I’m afraid I see some heavy lifting this month. As this season activates your solar twelfth house, it’s time to lift with your knees (NOT your back), and get to work on lifting up your relationships. Take a break and call your friend, say ‘love you!’ to your loved ones and make sure to keep in touch even as you get swamped by the final stretch of the uni semester.

Capricor n

Aquarius

P i s ce s

Alrighty Capricorns, this might not be your month, but you’re gonna make it through with some of my amazing advice! Be careful of pens—might seem insignificant I know, but just imagine what a damaged leaky pen would do to your bag! Also, before I forget, please pick up and put away that washing you’ve been putting off, I really don’t want to see what kind of creepy crawlies it’s hiding.

Okay, I’m not going to lie to you, the month ahead seems littered with bad energy. Uni assignments handed in just before they’re due or a week late, cramming the night before, and a very snappy attitude towards anything related to Christmas. Try and find little moments throughout your day to remember that this is only now and not forever. And get over the fact that you don’t like celebrating Christmas early and let people have their fun!

I sense an adventure brewing. A mission that holds the entire fate of a dearly loved relationship, you must succeed. The task may include getting batteries, a carton of juice and chocolate. Will you choose correctly? Or will you get the triple-A’s instead of double-A’s, Apple instead of orange, and just a simple cherry ripe chocolate bar instead of the favoured Cadbury! Oh, the horror! Choose wisely Pices… there are so many things that can go wrong, but I have faith in you. 9

Left, Right, Centre 1. Many have criticised the State Budget 2023-24 for neglecting the arts sector. Associate Professor

Caust from Melbourne University claims, “Sports events are a winner under the Malinauskas Labor government. The arts do not get a mention.” To what extent do you agree/disagree?

2. In 2026, the UofA and UniSA will merge to make Adelaide University. Peter Høj, Vice Chancellor

of the former, claims “[f]rom this day on and towards 2026 there will be no forced redundancies as a consequence of the merger.” Do you believe this statement?

3. How important is it to maintain a level of openness and creativity when making legislative

decisions?

***DISCLAIMER: THE GREENS, YOUNG LIBERALS AND LABOR LEFT DID NOT RESPOND.

LEFT Left Action 1. Malinauskas clearly has a passion for many things. While the arts might not be one of them, he generally goes where the big bucks are; sports tourism, Santos, and nuclear submarines. But $40 million injected into tourism is clearly at odds with the interests of other South Australians. Instead of ripping up the parklands, that money should be immediately invested in mitigating the worst cost of living crisis many of us have ever seen. It would be positive if there was more funding to the arts, which has been disregarded since the COVID pandemic. But remember when Malinauskas was elected on the promise of fixing the ramping crisis? Since then, it’s only worsened. The millions should be going towards what is best for ordinary people, health, housing, and education. But it’s clear that what captures Malinauskas’ imagination, is the art of economic development and the lure of corporate interests. 2. No. It’s unlikely that Hoj, a man who has made millions for himself, and the universities’ corporate partners, is telling the truth. His whole job is to make the uni as profitable as possible. The very idea of a merged super-mega uni is the natural conclusion of education run for profit. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare made clear that the role education plays is not for the betterment of society, but for the financial returns. He said education is ‘Australia’s biggest export that we don’t dig out of the ground’. Even the rosiest example of a ‘successful merger’ that the Labor party points to is the 2004 University of Manchester merger. This put management into massive debt that was paid for by sacking 400 staff! And don’t be fooled by Flinders sitting it out. In a student council meeting, a member of the planning committee for the new Festival Plaza campus said Flinders was ready to sop-up the students and staff who look elsewhere. We need to not just say no to the merger and it’s corporate logic, but demand that education be made free and make rich wankers like Hoj and Striling pay for it. 3. Unfortunately, politicians aren’t very interested in openness or creativity. Albanese stitched up a plan to buy nuclear submarines through closed-door chats with Biden and Sunak. And creativeness? Well, politicians ruling for the rich is about as uncreative as it gets.

CENTRE Unite 1. Certainly, sports are winners however so are the creative industries under the Malinauskas Labor Government. Now, for the readers who don’t know how big and significant this industry is for our state, I’ll try to explain in short. Creative industries are an important part of our state’s economy with adding over $1.40 billion that includes nine thousand businesses and over 15 thousand full-time workers. Under the Malinauskas Labor Government, creative industries have more support and stability compared to the previous Marshall Liberal Government. While under the previous Marshall Cabinet, in the first year, the Minister of Arts ceased to exist. Arts South Australia was dismantled, and its functions were directly overseen by Premier Marshall until Peter Malinakuas was elected. In contrast, the Malinakuas Labor Government is delivering magnetic results for creative South Australians, recently committing an additional $2.3 million for the Adelaide Festival and investing $4 million in the Adelaide Film Festival. Malinauskas also doubled the Fringe’s funding with an additional $2 million each year and invested $10 million in live music acts. In October, the Malinakuas Government will reveal the State Cultural Policy, which will give life to our industries that were forgotten and starved by the laissez-faire support of the past state and federal Liberal governments especially during the height of COVID-19. It has to be mentioned the work of the Federal Albanese Labor Government in this sector, which released the much-anticipated National Cultural Policy this year. The results directly benefit our creatives in this state as a result of a renewal of cultural policy. I recommend a read of the federal National Cultural Policy Revive, if you are a creative. 2. It’s essential to understand that it is legally binding, irrespective of someone’s beliefs of that statement. Flinders Labor Unity caucus supports the NTEU campaign on securing concrete evidence of making sure that there are no impacts on Flinders University and our students, as well better education quality for students, and job security for staff for the new university. 3. Openness gives lawmakers the ability to see the bigger picture and provides an opportunity to see things from other people’s perspectives. It’s vital for the government to be open and listen to people as it’s the people’s government after all. Laws shouldn’t be emotionless and brutal, even though the people on the right such as the Young Liberals may argue that legislation should be only ‘facts and logic’. Luckily, we are privileged to have a social democratic society, with one of the many benefits being that all legislative decisions are discussed, reviewed, improved and implemented for our communities. Recently, our state government has added another opportunity for our social democratic system to listen to Indigenous people regarding issues related to their communities that will improve our legislation. Creativity brings innovation. Innovation to eliminate inequality and oppression of underprivileged groups. Innovation encourages adaptability in the face of challenges. We should aim to be a social democratic society of equal opportunities and equal rights for all. 11

The Strange Case of the Missing Master Alchemist By Jade C Wildy

Mister Slout was not a nice man, but he was a brilliant alchemist. He was also missing. The fact that his cane and coat remained by the door—things Mister Slout would never have voluntarily ventured without—and the contents of the ripped note found on the laboratory floor, suggested he had come to an end most foul. At least, that was what Oliver, Mister Slout’s apprentice, had concluded given they were to present their research into transfiguration at the upcoming Great Exhibition in London. Mister Slout had been very clear about the importance of this opportunity to both their careers. He was quite stern about it. “There must be something here,” Oliver said, reaching past a small blue-hued dragon to pick up the torn note from where he had left it on Mister Slout’s writing desk. He was becoming quite desperate, and he read the torn note again. “—you won’t listen. Therefore, I am forced to take drastic action to prevent such a perversion of the worst kind unfolding. I cannot allow you to be a part of the heinous act of transmutation.” The fact that the note hadn’t been signed suggested Mister Slout knew his killer, but the local constabulary remained confounded. It had been weeks since the master alchemist had told Oliver he had procured the dragon that would provide the scales and life essence needed to transmute a human into another creature. The dragon had taken up residence shortly after, but with Mister Slout missing, and his research with him, it had not been put to use. “Aren’t you lucky?” Oliver said to the dragon, picking up the invitation to present themselves at London’s Crystal Palace for The Great Exhibition. He groaned. A coach would arrive first thing in the morning, but all he had to show for 18 months of apprenticeship was a discovery on the cusp of being realised, a laboratory filled with the lingering odour of decay, and a missing master alchemist. “Slout’s notebook must be here somewhere.”

Oliver scooted the dragon aside to again search the papers that littered Slout’s writing desk, for some hint of the final step in the process. The dragon hissed at him. “Don’t make me put you in the cage,” Oliver warned as he turned up the Gaslamp, ignoring the indignant lizard. Oliver’s eyes settled on the desk’s locked drawer. “Slout will kill me if he is still alive, but…” He took a thin letter opener, inserted it in the lock and levered it until he heard a click. The dragon came to watch over the lip of the desk as if in wry amusement as Oliver pulled the drawer open. Oliver stepped back, hand over his nose at the foul stench that wafted up from the drawer containing a questionable-looking paper parcel tied up with string, and Mister Slout’s alchemy notebook. Eyes watering, Oliver lifted the book, avoiding the odorous parcel. The movement dislodged a scrap of paper that had been wedged in the drawer, which fell to the floor. Oliver picked it up and read it. “Dear Oliver. Your assistance has been invaluable, but the next phase of the experiment requires a human subject. This goes against the natural order of things so I shall attempt it alone and not risk your life. I know you are as stubborn as I, and —” The bottom of the note had been torn off. With trembling hands, Oliver brought the two torn notes together. He swallowed as they matched perfectly. His eyes drew level with those of the blue-hued dragon watching him from its position on Mister Slout’s desk. Hand pinching his nose, Oliver reached for the package wrapped in string and drew it open. Oliver retched at the sight of a dragon that, aside from missing a patch of its blue scales was identical to the one perched on the desk. The transmutation experiment had been a success. Mister Slout had never left the laboratory.

‘Performing a Biopsy on Science Fiction’ Illustration and Words By Daniel S. Drazetic Science fiction is a genre saturated with futuristic worlds, multi-vibrational beings, and interplanetary existence. Too many times have I walked through the entrance of the Flinders University Central Library only to be greeted by a display cabinet filled with a plethora of science fiction novels and journals dubbed the Allan Bray Science Fiction Collection. If the book titles fail to capture the eye’s attention, then the cover art surely will. But why is it that authors like Isaac Asimov and Philip K. Dick have the ability to transport us away from our mundane affairs of daily life to a realm of existence overflowing with possibilities? Science fiction is no mere literature of escapism, the genre contains narratives penned by authors well-versed in scientific research and multiple schools of thought. This genre is the wormhole to exploratory thinking. Its form is structured by a constellation of ideas uninhibited by the present state of reality and social convention. Glimpses of a future tomorrow are contrasted against our existing mode of reality by taking us through the possibilities of ‘whatif?’. The laboratory of science fiction serves as the place to conduct experiments in thought. As a phenomenon of the modern world its value comes from sociological speculation. Most people are quick to dismiss the genre as pure fiction. After all, that’s what it is. But if the totalitarian states depicted in novels like 1984 by George Orwell and We by Yevgeny Zamyatin are a mere act of creative fantasy, why are they such a common point of reference in regard to our own existing state of affairs? Ursula Le Guin already said it in her introduction to The Left Hand of Darkness, “science fiction is a metaphor”. Its form can be seen as a commentary on the attitudes prevalent throughout society. Books like The Dispossessed by Le Guin and The Penultimate Truth by Dick exaggerate the madness of social structures only to highlight them in our own lives. It is narratives like these that serve as an allegorical way of conducting social criticism. This is not achieved through a reproduction of the world as it is, but with an exaggerated and symbolical version of our ideological constructions that can place our existing social structures in the foreground. 14

Critics of science fiction, such as Adam Roberts, have come to refer to it as a ‘literature of ideas’. An appropriate title for a genre that acts as a conduit for political, technological, and scientific concepts. In a world where everything around us is in perpetual change and transformation science fiction develops its text in tandem with our constantly evolving techno-industrial society. Many of the authors regarded as the custodians of the genre have a keen interest in the latest scientific and social developments. Asimov was a biochemist that taught at the medical school of Boston University. Arthur C. Clarke had a degree in physics and mathematics and had made contributions to scientific discovery. Both authors had also written non-fiction works that elaborate on the frontiers of science and space. Much of the content that goes into writing science fiction has been drawn from discoveries originating in the research laboratories of the modern world. Given its close alliance to developments in scientific and technological innovation it should come as no surprise when authors of the genre become the earliest prophets of certain ideas and gadgets. Robert Bly has linked 83 science fiction ideas that were turned into reality in his book The Science in Science Fiction. As far back as 1958 Asimov mentions the first pocket computer in his short story The Feeling of Power. Cyberspace was a term used by William Gibson in his 1984 novel Neuromancer. This being a virtual world of graphically represented data that parallels the way we would describe our internet of today. Using these instances as examples, science fiction demonstrates that it continues to inspire inventors in the advancement of technology. The corpus of science fiction has its validity in the world in which its readers actually live. Its works are continually absorbed into mainstream cultural discourse and contributes to constructions of who we are. Its visions are set toward the future, yet the material from which it has been born is of today. It continues to develop its form alongside the progress of humanity. But this leaves me wondering, which came first. Science or science fiction?

Poetry: Wherefore art thou poetry? Words by Mahalia Clark Wherefore art thou poetry. A crash course. Poetry can be pretty intimidating. But why do people have a precept that is only for uptight hipsters and academics? Because is for everyone to enjoy. It can be enjoyed for simply sounding nice and for the deeper meanings that poets may or may not have intended for you to see.

- Lyric is the form most of you are familiar with. Sharing emotions, typically spoken in the first person. Think most Taylor Swift’s songs. Her songs are really good for Literary devices bingo.

So let’s start at the beginning. Well, that is a long time ago. It is thought that poetry dates back to caveman… If a caveman can get poetry, you definably can. But what is poetry, dictionary definition says “literary work in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature.”

- Limericks was popular in 18th-century England. They are probably one of the more fun things about 18th-century England. They are traditionally funny drinking songs and they can be a bit obscene.

So… sharing feelings through words… simple!

- Villanelle is a bit stricter. They consist of nineteen lines. Five tercets, crossing with a quatrain. Tercets have a rhyming scheme of ABA. Quatrains are ABAA. The first line repeats in line 6, 12 and 18 and the third line repeats in lines 9, 15, and 19.

Poetry is a very old form of creativity and storytelling. Everyone in the world has consumed some form of poetry in their life. If you listen to lyrical music,

BAM POETRY! You hear fables and fairytales as a kid,

BAM POETRY! Here are a few different kinds of poetry:

- Elegies are normally serious and talk about death and the dead a lot.

- Odes… if you write an Ode, yes you sound pretentious. They are mainly performed with a musical instrument…If you perform an Ode, you are pretentious.

- Free verse. Probably the easiest kind of poem to write. Just write whatever. No need to rhyme you don’t ever need rhythm.

JUST SHARE YOUR FEELINGS! - Haiku are the kind of poems you have probably heard a lot about, and you may have even had to write one in high school when they briefly touched on poetry. A haiku is three lines long. Five syllables in the first line, seven in the second and finishing with five. - The Epic. These are the poems that go on forever. A whole book can be one poem. And not just a thin, few-page book. I’m talking like you better start this book before the semester starts because you won’t catch up when it comes up in week nine. They normally follow the story of someone really strong doing stuff and killing things. - Sonnets are pretty popular. A little indie

poet called William Shakespeare, you may or heard of him. He wrote a lot of sonnets. Mostly about love, and they consist of fourteen lines. Shakespeare used three quatrains and an ending couplet. Quatrains rhyme scheme of ABCB and the couplet scheme of DD. And written in everyone’s favourite iambic pentameter. Personally, I think the first thing most people think of when you say poetry is Haiku and epics. Even if they don’t know the names. They think all poetry must be long and complicated and follow a bunch of rules… It does. It can be short and simple and easy. Just depends of what kind you want to consume. Here are more types of poetry if you want to look into it yourself!

- Sestina

- Occasional poetry

- Acrostic

- Pantoum

- Ekphrastic

- Blank Verse

- Ballad - List Poems

- Prose Poetry - Concrete Poetry

- Echo Verse

- Epitaph

- Erasure/Blackout Poetry

- Palindrome Poetry

- Narrative Poetry

- Diminishing Verse

Artworks That Shocked the World Words by Georgia Nolan. ‘Controversy is part of the nature of art and creativity.’ (Y. Ono, 2009) With each controversial piece of art comes the breaking down of convention and predictability. The following artworks I discuss have generated controversy by encouraging and/ or signifying a change in social thought and artistic convention at the time of their making. Such artworks have led to new ways of thinking about not just art but society at large. The Alexamenos Graffito’, ca. 200 C.E. The first artwork I’ve selected is the ‘Alexamenos Graffito’, an etching on plaster dating from around 50 to 250 CE. The etching is of a mule being crucified, and below it, a Greek inscription which translates to ‘Alexemenos worships [his] God.’ It is the earliest known depiction of Jesus’ Crucifixion, which seems to be a topic of mockery for the artist. Romans at the time were pagan and dubious about Christian beliefs and practices, which had only begun around the 1st century CE. Edouard Manet, Luncheon on the Grass, 1863 In Paris, 1863, Eduoard Manet submitted an oil-oncanvas innocuously titled Le Bain (‘The Bath’) to the Salon de Refuses (‘Exhibition of Rejects’) – however, the painting itself was far from innocuous. Two well-dressed gentlemen are picnicking in a park with two women, one completely naked and staring at the viewer, the other washing herself in the background. These women are indicated to be prostitutes entertaining two wealthy gentlemen. Manet imitates Raphael’s The Judgement of Paris and then subverts its allegorical conventions to represent 19th-century Paris in a brutally honest light. In many ways, Luncheon on the Grass marks the beginning of modern art.

Manet, Luncheon on the Grass. Oil on Canvas. 1862-63.

Andy Warhol, Campbell’s Soup Cans, 1962 Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962) is a series of thirtytwo paintings on canvas, each one representing a Campbell’s soup flavour. Warhol used a combination of projection, tracing, painting, and stamping, repeating this process over and over. Many believe the artwork to be a commentary on 1960s America’s mass production and consumer culture. Whether it’s a homage or critique, however, is not entirely obvious. Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans, much like Duchamp’s Fountain (1917), challenges the notion of what makes art art, placing emphasis on context and symbolism over originality and technique. Ronald Harrison, The Black Christ, 1962 In 1962, during the South African apartheid, young artist Ronald Harrison painted The Black Christ. The painting depicts African National Congress (ANC) leader and anti-apartheid activist Albert Luthuli as Jesus and Prime Minister Hendrick Verwoed and Justice Minister John Vorster as Roman centurions. The painting not only criticises Verwoed’s apartheid regime by depicting him and his government as oppressors but also challenges the idea that Jesus was white. Harrison pointed out a paradox in Verwoed’s government, which claimed to uphold Christian values but simultaneously subjected black people to discrimination and barbarity – much of what Jesus faced.

R. Harrison, Black Christ. Acrylic on Canvas. 1962.

Marina Abramović, Rhythm 0, 1974 In 1974, artist Marina Abramović performed her most controversial work to date. In Rhythm 0, Abramović laid 72 objects on a table, ranging from a rose and perfume to a gun and a bullet, and permitted her audience to use her as an object for six hours. It began innocently, with one person turning her around and another raising her arms in the air, but took a dark turn when participants started cutting off her clothing, sexually assaulting her, and threatening her with a loaded gun. When the six hours were up, Abramović walked toward the audience, prompting many to flee in shame. While many still fail to understand her work, Abramović’s Rhythm 0 unveiled a disturbing side to human nature.

Boris Eldagsen, Pseudomnesia: The Electrician, 2023 Pseudomnesia: The Electrician (2023) was created using DALL-E 2, an AI image generator. Boris Eldagsen fed the generator a series of prompts enabling it to produce a 1940s-style black-and-white familial portrait. The image won the Sony World Photography Award’s creative open category earlier this year, leading Eldagsen to reject his prize at the award ceremony and reveal its AI origins. Eldagsen argues this AI art form is completely separate from photography, which uses light to capture an image, and coins it ‘promptography’. While open to the ‘creative possibilities of AI generators’, Eldagsen also argues that competition panellists must learn to distinguish between genuine photographs and AI ‘promptographs’ with AI technology becoming more advanced.

B. Eldagsen, The Electrician. Promptograph. 2023.

D. Sbarra, Photograph of Rhythm 0, 1974.

Over history these artworks pushed the boundaries of gender, race, class and society, prompting backlash from many who clung to social conventions and orthodoxy. These artists posed questions through their work that no one else would dare to ask, paving the way for new modes of thinking and methods of creating.

Lost in the Bardo “Wait! What?” Margot Albrecht’s Column

We all have flashbulb memories; moments of vivid recall of where we were, who we were with and what we were doing when a notable piece of world news course-corrects our lives. I remember when Elvis died, when John Lennon was shot, when Michael Hutchence was found dead in a Sydney hotel and, four months later, Princess Diana’s death in Paris after a paparazzi car chase. And I will never forget my own 9/11 ‘where, who and what’ as I watched live coverage of first one plane and then another slam into New York’s Twin Towers. On 27th July 2023, an unremarkable Thursday morning, another such moment was about to be committed to my flashbulb memory coterie. I was loo-scrolling through social media, casually reading a post by Amanda Palmer (of Dresden Dolls/“The Art of Asking”/ Neil Gaiman-ex-spouse fame). Palmer was reminiscing about her young self, how Sinéad O’Connor’s song “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got” changed her life, setting Palmer on her own creative course, and about the 1992 showstopping moment on Saturday Night Live, when chart-topping Sinéad sang an acapella rendition of Bob Marley’s protest song “War”, then fixed her mesmeric green eyes on the camera, tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II, said ‘Fight the real enemy’, tossed the shredded Pope into the air and walked off set. I remember it well. It was a prophetic truth-to-power call-out on the endemic sexual abuse within the Catholic Church and its top-down cover-up; an act that resulted in Sinéad’s personal and professional crucifixion as, in Sinéad’s own words, ‘It was open season on treating me like a crazy bitch.’ She was “cancelled” long before that term became part of this millennia’s lexicon and a 20

whole two decades before Pope Benedict formally apologised for the abuse carried out by the Catholic clergy.

Credit: Yvonne Hemsey/Getty Images

And I’m agreeing, as I read Amanda Palmer’s post, that Sinéad was ‘very fucking right about the church. She was right about so many things. And now that she is dead . . .’ Wait! What? Sinéad is dead? My stomach lurched. Sinéad O’Connor is dead. I was, at once, shocked—and not. Sinéad’s mental health struggles had been gutter-press fodder for decades. But how many ever paused to consider what shaped such a unique creative and polarising activist? That voice. That passion. Those lyrics. How could they have been wrought from anything other than trauma, and loss, and anger?

Many assumed the infamous (real) tears she shed in the “Nothing Compares 2 U” video—which had catapulted her to stratospheric fame—must have been for a lost lover. Those tears, sparked by the line “All the flowers that you planted mama . . . died when you went away”, were for her late mother. The same mother who had physically, sexually, and psychologically abused young Sinéad.

From: Kathryn Ferguson’s 2022 Documentary (Showtime)

To date, O’Connor’s cause of death has yet to be announced. It is, though, within the understanding of many (including myself) that she may have finally chosen to follow her 17-year-old son, Shane, who took his own life in January 2022 after escaping a Dublin Hospital where he was on suicide watch. A few days before her death, Sinéad shared that she had ‘been living as an undead creature since. He was the love of my life, the lamp of my soul . . . the only person who ever loved me unconditionally. I am lost in the bardo without him.’ We are … were … the same age, Sinéad and I. Born at opposite ends of 1966, on opposite sides of a world in which the Vietnam War was raging, Berlin was still divided by a wall, China’s Cultural Revolution began, and John Lennon sparked a lynch-mob furore with his remark that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus.

I was a vacuous 21-year-old when I saw Sinéad O’Connor perform in my hometown of Nottingham, UK. She was the support act for INXS’s Kick Tour. It was December 8th, 1987 (coincidentally, also her 21st birthday). The tabloids were already dismissing her as a “Bambi and bovver boots” and Ensign Records, Sinéad’s record label, wanted her to ‘dress like a girl’, grow her hair long and wear short skirts. I had a second-row view of Sinéad and was awestruck. She was gob-smackingly beautiful with unflinching powerhouse vocals that loomed large from her tiny frame. She took my breath away … so much so, that the headliners, INXS, seemed a bit, well, silly by comparison. Over the years, I may not have always understood Sinéad’s life choices—her priestess ordination or Islam conversion—but I admired her steadfast authenticity. She could not be bought, never compromising her artistry (or activism) for money or fame. I wonder how many of us could, presented with the same temptations, remain as resolutely true to ourselves as Sinéad? I would love it if you wanted to share your own Wait! What? flashbulb memories or moments that changed the course of your life. Email: empiretimes@flinders.edu.au Insta: @empire.times Facebook: @empire times

D O

YS HAVE TO A W BE AL We consider originality in the creative world and why sometimes it’s okay to follow the formula. By Katie Stedman

Is there such a thing as originality in the world of art? Many people would say no, and refer to the number of times they have felt deja vu or been able to compare works when reading a book, listening to music or watching a film.

compared the similarities between the rhythms and chord progressions of the two songs as “the letters of the alphabet of music.” She said, “These are basic musical building blocks that songwriters now and forever must be free to use.”

I’ll admit that this idea that everything must be new and fresh in entertainment has confused me. I enjoy something new as much as the next person, but I also enjoy falling into the ‘formula’ of a story, of knowing what to expect and having those expectations met, of being told you’ll love x if you loved y. This is also a substantial part of marketing new creative works. But we’ll come back to that later.

Each form of creative work has its standard building blocks: chords and rhythm in music; tropes and character types in storytelling; styles and colours in art. Each piece of work will draw on these building blocks, but the artist will always inject their own creative flavour into the work. Artists create based on their experiences and it’s impossible to imagine that that don’t bring the ideas of other artists that have inspired them to their own work. Every artist is a building block or one extra layer on all the artists that have come before. But the important thing to remember is that they are adding their own combination of inspiration to this mix.

There is of course a big difference between using a previous work to draw inspiration from, and straight up copying it. This was highlighted earlier this year when Ed Sheeran was hit with a lawsuit claiming that his song Thinking Out Loud infringed on the copyright of Marvin Gaye’s song, Let’s Get It On. Sheeran ended up winning the case. According to an article in the Guardian, his lawyer 22

“ Just because something’s been done before it doesn’t mean it can’t be done again or better. ”

The way I think of it is like this: In the middle of a room on a table is a bowl of fruit. Around the table sits a ring of twenty artists, all working away at drawing the fruit bowl. All these artists are seeing the fruit bowl at a slightly different angle. They might be inspired by different artists that have gone before, they might use different techniques, or make different colour choices. At the end of the session, despite their similarities, you have twenty different works of art. What they all do though, is elicit a reaction.

If you just watched a new film that you loved, how do you work out what to watch next? Where does the creative work fit into the general world of art? How do you know what type of art you even like or dislike?

Imagine for a moment that every single creative work was somehow original. What would that look like? How do you know if a new creative piece is worthwhile or not if there’s nothing you can compare it to?

I think it comes down to this: the next time you are producing or consuming a creative work, don’t think about if it is original or not; think about if it entertains you and brings you joy.

I don’t think the problem is so much that there’s nothing creatively new out there. Technology is always changing, and people are still coming up with new ideas. Monet’s work and AI generated art come from very different periods, and yet both are considered art. I think the problem is Just because something’s been done that we get saturated with similarities before it doesn’t mean it can’t be done after someone has an original idea. again or better. Why shouldn’t you use Marketing pushes creators to jump the masters as inspiration? There’s a on the money train, and consumers reason they’re known as masters of to extend the train track for as long as their field. possible.

‘Creating Art With Your Desktop Scanner’: Course Review Words by Georgia Nolan The Digital Age has spurred new and innovative ways of creating art. For graphic designer Jim Krause, technology is at the crux of his creations. One of the many skills Krause displays in his portfolio of work is “scanography”, “a form of photography that uses a flatbed scanner as a camera” (Braggion, n.d.). A well-seasoned professional, Krause has generously published a course for beginners called “Create Art With Your Desktop Scanner”. I decided to give it a test drive. Accessing the course was simple; it can be found through the LibrariesSA database (you will need a library card). In full, the course is roughly an hour and a half. It is split into a series of short clips, meaning the viewer can take breaks between clips to grab a cuppa or write things down.

In the introductory segment, Krause advises that four things must be kept in mind when creating a scan – foreground items, a main subject, backdrop material, and an element of movement. These four elements form the basis of a good-looking scan. I incorporated these elements in my own rough scans. The results were mainly positive. In one, I used my partner Harry as the main subject, a yellow rose as the foreground object, and a black cloth as the background. The rose is in clear focus, whereas Harry’s face is out of focus. The reason for this, Krause explains, is because my scanner is a CIS model and can only record images up close. A CCD model can record images further away. Harry’s face is still discernible, however – it just has an untouchable, ghost-like quality.

Krause briefly introduces scanography and then gets right into the nitty-gritty. If this sounds scary, don’t fret — Krause keeps the scanning experience simple. He instructs on how to create scans using everyday household items, botanical specimens, film negatives, and your own face (a “scanner selfie”). As a safety precaution, he warns his viewers that the scanner light may harm one’s eyes and suggests wearing sunglasses or keeping one’s eyes closed when doing a ‘scanner selfie’. Pressing on the scanner glass too hard can also result in damaging the scanner’s internal machinery, so applying minimal pressure is advised.

Most of my scans don’t include an ‘element of movement’, as I found it difficult to implement. For example, I moved two yellow roses across the scanner glass to create a kaleidoscopic effect. The outcome was a distorted image of yellow caterpillar-like shapes which were mildly interesting, but unimpressive on the whole.

Krause encourages viewers to create more advanced compositions by experimenting with these principles – symmetry, asymmetry, dynamic spacing, static placement, visual hierarchy, visual congruency, visual framing, minimalism, and maximalism. Admittedly, I didn’t attempt this challenge. I did, however, learn how to manipulate a scan’s subject and space to create a variety of visual effects.

My final scan is of a battle scene using railway miniatures. I placed a group of unpainted figures in the centre. Contrasting these naked figures are painted soldiers in the corners, separated into groups by miniature power lines. I draped an A3 sheet over the top for a backdrop. The effect is a violent one – the unpainted figures are vulnerable and without identity, whereas the soldiers have a purpose and prepare for attack.

Krause also encourages applying post-digital enhancements to your scans as a finishing touch. Using Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom, you can edit your scan’s brightness, exposure, shadows, and colour properties, or apply a filter. To demonstrate, I applied a Lightroom filter to my battle scene which emphasized the blues and yellows. This downplays the scene’s seriousness and adds a touch of comedy.

Krause’s course was not only achievable as a beginner but also very enjoyable. The only criticism I have is that post-digital enhancements are not so easy without an Adobe subscription – Krause doesn’t suggest any free alternatives. Regardless, Krause leaves me wanting to reach new creative heights with my scanner and will undoubtedly make you feel the same. 25

or h t u a h t i w w e i v r e s t m a In i l l i Sean W

By Maxwell Willis

Dr Sean Williams is a bestselling author of over 50 award winning books and 140 short stories across numerous genres.

How did your creative practice first take shape? Were you involved in creative arts from an early age?

I feel I gravitated naturally towards storytelling, having enjoyed writing since the 3rd grade of school. I still have my grade three composition book, where I wrote my first short stories. Every opportunity I could get, I’d be writing. Both of my parents were schoolteachers, and avid readers, and they never once said, “that’s too old for you,” so I was exposed to lots of different stories from an early age. I actually dropped English in high school. I loved creative writing but didn’t like English. I had a wonderful music teacher, so I took music theory all the way through. I made a conscious decision to be a writer at the end of 89’. I was writing more-or-less full-time and studying music theory at university. My writing career was starting to take-off, so I knew I’d have to make a choice. I knew that to continue writing I’d have to devote all my attention to it.

How did your Master of Arts and PhD degrees effect your writing?

The Masters provided the new opportunity of writing a fantasy novel with a personal theme. It didn’t have to be published, so I had the freedom to write whatever I wanted. I found it very productive, satisfying, and creatively successful to dig deep into areas that I found quite painful, which I normally didn’t do in my fiction. It was encouraging to find that I should confront myself personally and creatively. The PhD allowed me to focus on an area that I felt passionate about: the matter transmitter. I also wrote an exegesis for the first time, which I found both difficult and enjoyable. It’s great for writers to experiment with new ways to write, and new genres to write in. It took some time for me to become comfortable with academic writing, but it really lifted my game in the end. Studying writing at university can be a great way to acquire skills and can be very creatively stretching.

Do you make a conscious effort to go out and find ideas, or do you allow them to come to you as you go about your life?

I have a folder of ideas that must contain tens of thousands of words. Sometimes they’re just a single word, sometimes they’re half a page of notes. If I’m commissioned to write a story, I’ll have a look in that folder for an idea that connects. Often, there’s also a situation where you say, “I have an idea for a story, but I need more ideas to flesh it out, or I need to do some research.” In that case, I’ll browse the internet, or read a textbook, or a history book. There’s so many ideas out there, you’ll never know what you’ll find if you go looking. But at a certain point, I have a sense of when I have enough; when I have a sense of the character, the plot, the ending, and the style. If I get stuck partway through, I’ll go on another hunt, or phone Garth Nix. Some writers like to keep a schedule, others prefer to write when inspiration strikes. where do you fall on that spectrum?

When I was writing four books a year, I had to make sure I met the deadline, so I’d write every morning. I’d write 1500 words a day and once that was done, I was free to do whatever else. I’ve tried to retain that habit since then. If I’m writing a novel, I like to start on day one and write every day until the book’s

finished. Because of my university role, I haven’t been able to do that lately, so my last novel was written on weekends only. When you’re trying to make a living as a writer, you’ll starve if you wait until inspiration strikes. Some mornings I might be feeling lazy or distracted. I fight getting to the computer, for whatever reason. But I know that if I get there, I’ll be hooked within minutes. I’ll be enjoying the challenge, the craft, and the art of it, and time will fly by. How much truth is there in the argument that an idea can't be covered more than once in fiction?

An idea can be explored over and over again, and all while still being interesting or exciting, because a story is more than just an idea. A story is characters, setting, voice, and tone. You and I could both write a matter transmitter story that would be completely different. It’s useful to know what stories are out there, but I think everyone should feel free to use ideas that have appeared in previous work. The matter transmitter goes back to 1877. It’s almost 150 years old, and there’s a wealth of stories involving it. In fiction, it can feel like you have to do something new all the time. If it’s not new, what’s it bringing to the genre? But the reality is that fiction is more than that. The novelty comes from the combination of things. It’s your version of the matter transmitter. Your version of the themes, settings, and characters, that’s unlike anything else that’s been done before. 27

Hide Hunters

TRIGGER WARNING: Death, Animal Death, Gun Violence Killing buffalo wasn’t as easy as just standing on a rock and picking the beasts off one at a time. Mostly, it was a race between skill and pure dumb luck. It didn’t matter how experienced you were, you never knew what was going to happen. You had to be ready for anything—or be prepared to get seriously injured. The beasts had this sixth sense that was extremely goddamn annoying. It’s best to be at least 200 to 250 yards away from the herd for shooting—step just a whisper too close and it’s as if they know exactly where you are. Then you’re screwed. This was why I was crawling the last stretch through the itchy grass and gravel, up to a pre-arranged vantage point that was hopefully just the right distance away and downwind of my targets. Even this far away, the wind was able to carry the earthy smell of the buffalo’s musk. It mingled with the scents of dust and sweat and swirled in the wind’s warm, twisting currents. The land was quiet but for the wind’s eerie whistle, punctuated sporadically by my heavy breathing and occasional muffled curse as my skin was punctured by small evil thorns. As my head crested the rise, suddenly there they were, the beasts seeming to rise from the shadows cast by the moving clouds in the sky. They were a herd of about thirty, their dark brown hides standing out starkly against the golden horizon. Taking a lungful of air, I reached for the gun slund across my shoulder. Settling down, I held it, scanning the herd, I lined up my target. Kept my arm steady. That’s it… just behind the shoulder. I slowly breathed out half a breath, moved my pointer finger and—BANG! pulled the trigger.

more.

I grinned as I saw the figure let out a bellow of pain and confusion. Then it crumpled to a heap and moved no

The familiar weight of the gun in my hand, in the crook of my shoulder, the taste of gunpowder in the air. It was the only thing that made sense to me anymore. I lined up another shot. BANG! # Walking back down the hill I stretched my cramped muscles. Greg and Case were sitting on opposite sides of the fire eating an early lunch of tough jerky. I lowered myself on the ground next to Case, who looked like he’d attempted to wake up by way of dunking his head in the nearby stream. He looked up at me and smiled, ‘How’d it go?’

I hooked my arm around his shoulder, ‘Got all of them.’ I said, and grinned. # We made our way back over and past the rise where I had shot the buffaloes only a little while ago and ventured out onto the clear grassland that stretched far off into the distance. Any neighbouring buffalo herds had long since disappeared into the haze, frightened off by the gunshots, leaving only the thirty dead and bleeding out buffalo unmoving on the red soaked grass. I could taste its metallic flavour on my tongue and puckered my mouth.

alive.

Drawing closer, I caught a glimpse of something that I hadn’t previously noticed. One of the cows was still

Casey and I set off at a sprint toward the cow, leaving Greg in the dust. I called for Casey to move on the opposite side of me as we went to try and surround the animal. If we could just stop it from getting up, I could shoot it properly. I fumbled with my gun and dropped my skinning equipment. Panic made my breath come in short, ragged gasps. No! I thought to myself, stay calm and shoot the damn thing you great clumsy idiot! But it was too late. Struggling, but managing to get up on her feet, thrashing her head around, the cow gave a massive bellow that echoed across the plains. I froze. The animal looked like hell itself, rising despite blood oozing from its wound—the lust for revenge in its eyes. Suddenly, I felt very small. I couldn’t help wondering in that moment, whether this was to be my punishment for killing so many of the animals. Just as she was about to charge, and I had decided that I was fated to die by the hooves of the massive, enraged cow, a bellowing came from behind me. ‘Casey, stop!’ I yelled, but I may as well have asked him to grow wings and fly. I watched, helpless, as my old friend charged at the thrashing cow. Greg was too far away to help. My hands finally moved, not letting my thoughts take over. The butt of my gun rested snug against my shoulder and my left hand steadied the rifle while my right itched to pull the trigger. I aimed… dread pooled in my stomach. Casey was in the way. I didn’t have a clear shot. In desperation and panic the cow gathered her bravery against the shouting animal charging at her. With a massive bellow, the cow’s head whipped around, connecting with the figure that prevented her escape. A massive whoosh, as the air was sucked out of Casey’s lungs. Then a sickening thud as his lifeless body hit the hard-packed, stony ground. I grit my teeth as I stared at the cow. It was breathing as hard as I was. I looked into its eyes. I aimed. BANG! ###

Redfern Written By Mahalia Clark

I am a writer through and through. With my years of aging of which I have some My mind has grown pompous with concepts created by old dead men. But before higher education there was a someone who aided in my foundation. In fact, I would not be here without her meddling. She too is a writer. But kept her writings in beautiful private piles of notes. I will tell her story that is too often overlooked. You such give her more throught than the time it takes you to read this. So here it is. A simple poem with complex emotions. About an extraordinary little witch. Born in a time of great conflict. She rose from the rubble to stand not taller than five foot nothing. Big of chest to store the size of one’s heart. She weathered the rain and drizzle for near twenty turns til she wanted better. She flew across lands and seas. Not just herself but with her son in womb. as they grew together, they faced many hardships. She fought Valiantly. Against serpents and monsters with countless legs. As her son left to seek his adventures She stayed, but not idle. Unsatisfied with names people had given her she went to a library to find her own. She researched the word of the world and its manhy question marks without periods. She protested and fought. She knew the gods like they, her friends. She devoured literature and all forms. And decided on her own way to see the world. She also learnt to take down a person twice her own size. Due to her strength and their stupidity. All with the aroma of sandalwood. 30

Her son always came back to her with tales that made her smile, laugh and wince. She worked as many things, created her own chapters of life. She met a young woman with a vision of a silver cat whom she took a fancy. You see she made my father, but she knew my mother before my father did. So, with a simple five words. She built herself a family. Maybe a spell in those syllables. Or maybe the spirits liked her thought. Her son and friend made family fit like a yin to its yan. First, they brought two suns into this world in the form of grandsons. Giving her another title. Twins. Bond by blood and moon.

Same, same but different. The elder of the two showed no hair on his head and had skin of a tapestry. Put fear in most. The young had hair down to there and collected art of another kind. And got fear from most. Different, different but same. They were brave and would fight if need be for their family. And the love they all shared same, same. Sometime later after many more trials now faced by a clan rather than one. Came a not-so-wee girl. Bringing the family of people to six. She grew as all five before her. Before outer influences could catch us. The witch they knew showed all a bit of magic. Yet with time changing. Memories fade. People are altered. She has created so much. A name. A family. A smile of when one thinks of her. Now as the monster that is time catches up with this incredible woman, It is up too her family to spend her lesson and carry on her ways. 31

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Cryptogram Puzzle | Discovery Education Puzzlemaker

Puzzlemaker is a puzzle generation tool for teachers, students and parents. Create and print customized word search, criss-cross, math puzzles, and more-using your own word lists.

Cryptogram Puzzle

Decode the message. Each letter in the phrase has been replaced with a random letter or number. Try to decode the message.

Tabletop Times With oliver With this edition focusing on creativity, I found it hard to narrow down something specific to talk about. I’m going to delve into some homebrew stuff, maybe even talk about the setting up of my own campaign, but as is on par for me, I’m going to waffle on a bit first talking up Dungeons and Dragons in general. You see, when it comes to creativity, I don’t think I’ve ever found a better exercise in creative thinking then a solid D&D session. Usually, I plan a session, a few plot points and NPCs, then immediately have to discard all of that for some random stuff that my nine (which is way too many, God help me) players decide they would rather do. Case in point, my players made their way to the capitol of one of my countries (creatively called The Capitol) where they immediately decided, rather than follow the main quest line, or investigate the murdering happening in town, that they would like to find a bakery. Which they proceeded to rob. Mind you, no gold was taken, only baked goods. Of course, this was one of the funniest sessions we had, and basically turned into a group improv exercise, where I had to name the bakery, the baker, figure the guard response, the townspeople’s response, and most importantly of course the types of baked goods the store sold. All while asking for the right rolls and encouraging the players to describe what they were doing and what their next move would be. As someone who aspires to write a book one day, I cannot push just how playing these games has encouraged some of the most creative thinking I have ever done, as well as let me sneakily work in some plot points of said book into a game and see how real people would react as characters. This provides a nice little segway into the next point.

A whole lot of people who create material for D&D will freely share as much of that material as they can. This material (that isn’t part of the official books) is known as “homebrew”, material made by DMs at their home table that they think other people will get a kick out of. I think my most used homebrew is either magic items, or character-building material like classes and races. As a DM, I find googling stuff like “100 useful magic items” usually lends plenty of doohickies and whatchamacallits for me to throw at my players in shops or dungeons, and sometimes as a player I want to play something a little left field as a character, that I find a class for online.

Now, and this is important, not everything you find online is balanced, or actually any good, and it can sometimes take an experienced hand to look them over and go hey… no. This isn’t going to work. So, then what? Personally, I’ll try to change it or adapt so my players can use it. Or if its all wrong and no good, then I just have to tell them no. Or pick something else, and we’ll change it to fit. For example, a player might want to play a ninja but can’t find anything that fits. Well, I’d say you can play a fighter, but we’ll start you with shuriken and stealth proficiency and call you a ninja. Notice I’m using the word “we” a lot. Involve your players in these decisions!

Theres a time for secrecy, but character creation and rulings is not it! We all want to be creative sometimes, especially people who play D&D. Personally, I can say that the only time I have run a book-based adventure was my very first foray into D&D, when we ran, (say it with me those who know,) Mines of Phandelver! This was an adventure that came with the starter kit for D&D 5e and boy, did we butcher it really quick. I think we ran it three days in a row over a school holiday, and then come the next time we could play, I had already created my own story and setting. The first campaign I ran went for something like 2 years of weekly sessions and was… okay. I guess that does it a bit of an injustice. The story went like this. A long long time ago, there were nine gods. One went rogue, and killed another, and launched a war against the remaining seven (typical dark lord stuff). The seven gods locked the evil one away in a pocket dimension alongside most of his army, then promptly bailed on the material plain. Thousands of years later, a giant crack opened in the sky, and guess whose back! Its up to our plucky adventures to foil the dark lord’s plan. So yeah, totally cliché, but lots of fun and the player characters were awesome. Now we’re about half a year into campaign two, and its set in the same place 50 years later. The demons

were defeated, the dark god killed. We don’t talk of that war. Mysterious strangers have started showing up from beyond the seas and are waging a war on the continent. I learned a lot from my first campaign which I used in my second. Firstly, I set the stakes far too high. There is no room for intrigue or side questing when guess what, the entire world is at risk get with the program or die (not that I pressed this point in them, this was a conclusion they came to that I didn’t want to discourage as I felt it too late.) The second campaign is a lot slower paced, a lot more character focused. Now to stop airing my unrelated regrets here on a public platform, I think my point is that I think it evident that my creative skills have constantly improved and it’s a collaborative effort through the medium of shared storytelling that has allowed that to happen. I would encourage anyone that has any interest in creative writing to give some form of D&D a go. As a player, a DM, or just listen to a podcast! Listen to some of the behind-the-scenes stuff if it’s available. Listen to them explain creative choices, mechanics, and plot points. It’ll only improve you as a creative person, to listen to others be creative. Plus, in the world of D&D it’s a whole lot more accepted to “borrow” ideas.

Arcanum The Flinders University 2022 Creative Writing Anthology Words by Anthology Editors, Katia Rawlings, Kate Mandalov, Katie Stedman and Amber Foxwell Flinders University’s creative writing program provides students with the unique opportunity to work together with Glimmer Press to publish an anthology of short stories at the end of their third year. The 2022 cohort has created an anthology titled Arcanum, Tales of Myths Mystery and Mishaps. Arcanum is the result of combining a room of creative minds with the support of their teachers and mentors. During the semester we chose a theme that all the stories had to incorporate and spent time workshopping our stories as a group and individually. We discussed many themes that would suit our favoured genres, and in the end felt that the theme Tarot would be best suited at incorporating and showing all of our different strengths and potential. Each story has been inspired by a Major Arcana card, sometimes very obviously and other times more subtly. When putting our indivdual works together, we grouped the stories into suits that the cards themes would fit into, these being Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles. All of the stories were completed by the end of the semester last year in early November. It was then time to make these individual stories into a book. A team of editors, appointed from the original anthology team, began to comb through every story, making edits, big and small. The editors worked closely with Lynette Washington at Glimmer Press to make these edits to the original stories and get them into the best condition before publishing! 36

Book Launch! Arcanum: Myths, Mysteries and Mishaps The Tavern, Flinders University, Bedford Park 21st NOVEMBER 2023 6:30PM - 8:30PM Join us for a book launch and dramatic performance of the readings for the 2023 creative writing anthology Arcanum: Myth, Mystery and Mayhem. Published by Glimmer Press, this anthology is a collection of thirteen tantalising tales inspired by the Tarot. Watch these short stories come to life with readings from Flinders Drama students in this intimate setting in The Tavern. Don’t miss out! At this event you’ll get the chance to meet the amazing authors behind ARCANUM and pre-order the book. REGISTER NOW: eventbrite.com.au/e/creative-writingdrama-student-showcase-book-launchtickets-707653519727?aff=oddtdtcreator

I am Courageous Claire. Most children can hear well before they are born and have a great start ahead of them. I can see this with my grandson who is nearly four years old. I, however, did not have the best start in my life. I was born deaf with cerebral palsy and dysarthria, a speech impediment due to weak muscles in the mouth. There has been a lot of progress with assistive technology since my childhood. As a very young child back in the 1960’s, I wore the old-style hearing device. A silver box, which weighed heavy on my chest. It hung in a bag tied around my neck and waist with a singular cord going into my left ear. The whole contraption made me feel claustrophobic. One night I became determined to get rid of it. When I was around five, I had the idea of using the toilet to dispose of the silver box. I knew that things magically disappeared with the pull of a lever. I jumped out of bed, crept down the hallway and into the toilet. Splash! In went the box. I watched as it sunk to the bottom of the toilet. I reached up and pulled the lever expecting the whole thing to disappear, but it stayed firmly rooted, glaring up at me. No matter, I thought it was gone for good. I felt a huge sense of relief as I crept back into bed. Tomorrow I will be free... but I wasn’t. The next day I had to go to a day care program at Ashford House for Crippled Children. I was completely deaf without my hearing device and whilst at day care my parents sought to replace the silver box that was now water damaged. A month later the box was back, oh bummer! 60 years later: I am with the audiologist. This is the moment. This is what I have been waiting for. I am excited and nervous too. It had been such a long and slow

journey to come to this point. A year waiting for the first operation on my right ear and another year before the operation on my left ear. I am 62 years old now and I am ready for this. The audiologist turns the implants on, and the noise is unbearable. I burst into tears and jumped out of my chair. I am shocked by the vibration and sudden loud noise. I am distraught. She immediately turns it off and reassures me that she will take the programming (‘mapping’) slowly and that this will take a few sessions to readjust. I am anxious at every appointment, but the sounds come gradually. Still, it is not what I had expected. It feels strange and uncomfortable, and the noises are mechanical and robotic. I know this is not what noises sound like naturally because I had a little bit of hearing in my left ear before. This is gone now because they had to sever the nerve to implant the cochlear. I feel a deep sense of grief for that loss. I did not know that that would disappear for good. My audiologist touched my arm, and I looked up. ‘You will adjust. Give it time’ she assures me. Five years on and I have slowly adjusted to my cochlear implants. The sounds have become familiar, and they do not frighten me anymore but sometimes the noises can get distorted and become unclear, I still need to rely on lip reading to fully understand someone. My ears and my eyes work in tandem so I can connect better with people. It takes a lot of my energy to communicate, however this is something I am proud of. Something I learnt incredibly early on in my life is that everything takes effort and sometimes that effort can seem insurmountable, But I never give up and I will always have a go. I will always be Courageous Claire. Words by C. M. Lush

Harmful Sex Industry Bill Introduced to South Australian Parliament The South Australian Sex Industry Network (SIN) calls on all South Australian politicians to reject the Summary Offences (Prostitution Law Reform) Amendment Bill 2023 (the Bill). SIN is the South Australian sex worker organisation that is run by and for sex workers. If passed, the Bill would add criminal penalties to clients of sex workers, as well as people who “cause, assist, facilitate, persuade or encourage” sex work. This approach is commonly called the “Nordic Model” or the “End Demand Model”. This model is internationally opposed by sex workers, but has been implemented in Sweden, Northern Ireland, Canada, France, South Korea, and Iceland. In each of these jurisdictions the model has harmed sex workers. Studies have shown a direct correlation between laws that criminalise clients and an increase in violence against sex workers1, rates of sexually transmissible infections, and exploitation in the sex industry. The Bill positions all sex workers as victims2 that must be rescued from the sex industry and ignores the voices of sex workers in South Australia and internationally that oppose it. It is an infantilising model that removes agency, self-determination, and choice. The legislation is not rights based, nor does it speak to empowerment. It is, instead, moralistic legislation that posits women have the right to work – but only in industries the Hon. Centofanti MLC deems moral, valuable, and acceptable.

The Bill is being sold as “partial decriminalisation”. This is a lie. This Bill continues the harmful approach of police as regulators of the sex industry, and it would continue to see sex workers surveiled, harassed, and arrested by police. The Nordic Model has been thoroughly discredited and demonstrated to be harmful by the World Health Organisation, Amnesty International3, and the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women. SIN strongly condemns the introduction of this legislation. The Nordic Model pushes the sex industry further underground, re-enforces barriers to accessing support and other services, and undermines harm reduction and safety strategies4. Despite the overwhelming global evidence5, Nicola Centofanti believes this legislation will abolish the sex industry and save sex workers. Nicola Centofanti is out of step with the evidence, what sex workers want, and what the broader community wants. This Bill is antithetical to progressive policy and will, without doubt, harm sex workers if passed. SIN will continue to fight for the full decriminalisation of the sex industry as best practise law reform.

SIN Inc 220 South Road, Mile End 5031 08 8351 7626 www.sin.org.au

For further comment please contact: Kat Morrison, General Manager, SIN gm@sin.org.au 0433 559 337

Mish Pony, CEO, Scarlet Alliance mish.pony@scarletalliance.org.au 0402 633 424

1. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/beyond-trafficking-and-slavery/long-read-how-nordic-model-france-changed-everything-sex-workers/ 2. https://nswp.org/sites/default/files/en_challenging_the_nordic_model.pdf 3. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/05/amnesty-international-publishes-policy-and-research-on-protection-of-sex-workers-rights/ 4. https://phipps.space/2016/02/21/why-the-nordic-model-sucks/ 5. https://www.lse.ac.uk/women-peace-security/assets/documents/2022/W922-0152-WPS-Policy-Paper-6-singles.pdf

CONNECT The SAMESH ‘CONNECT’ Project is the first Federal Government funded pilot in Australia. It utilises vending machines to dispense free HIV self-test kits to strengthen pathways to treatment and support, whilst also addressing barriers to testing experienced by newly arrived migrants and international students. Since June 2023, the vending machine in the Flinders University Student Hub has been gaining traction for students wanting to self-test for free. Accessing a HIV self-test kit is simple, completely safe and includes links to confirmatory testing and care. Just scan the QR code, answer a few confidential questions and provide a valid mobile number, then follow the instructions provided. As the most successful project of its kind globally, the CONNECT pilot is proving that the distribution of free HIV self-test kits via vending machines can increase testing amongst these priority populations and plays an important role in reaching the United Nations’ 95-95-95 targets in Australia. For more information head to the CONNECT webpage: samesh.org.au/connect-free-hiv-test-kits/

PUZZLE ANSWERS

10/17/23, 8:25 PM

Cryptogram Puzzle | Discovery Education Puzzlemaker

Puzzlemaker is a puzzle generation tool for teachers, students and parents. Create and print customized word search, criss-cross, math puzzles, and more-using your own word lists.

Cryptogram Puzzle

CREATIVITY Decode the message.

Oletter A or Dnumber. Y P R Each letter in the phrase has been replaced with a random L WN X M I Try to decode the message.

S V J I N V E N T I ON J I P WW Q Z N T B K P H H O J Q K I M S S N RWA F T K A Z S P R R D HH F N E E Z NO L T M Y T L D L Z I P C H P MM Y P MO F P A TWU E D V G E I B O S U Y E H I V E O TWD A N P I R T M T I S L T OON A S T T A T B T N F GO A G I TWV F T S T S T O R Q F A O A QMG CW I J I T O P I I E OG V L R Copyright © 2023 Discovery Education. All rights reserved. E U K P I Q R B C S HG I OO R E S I M S N C NONG I E R U E R R N N Y K T A T Y K A O E A F T A E A B A A V A I Y N H R O R B S T T R I U A L E P T R L C C E F P T A B E R I E N T T A HH I L V E T P A S S I ON Y O I G I I HO Y OD P I D R AMA P K P A NGO C O A L R N V C S S U N I QU E F O J L G I N T D I K S I R E N A I S S A N C E A C A HD E Z F Q I WA D V A N C E M E N T R N Z J R E Q K A R T I S T I C K P A I N T I NG

Eye of the Beholder

1 5 3 7 8 Professional

Skill

Photography

Art

Imagination

Performance

Advancement

Renaissance

Inspiration Painting

Invention 9 4 6 8 Beautician 3 1 2 5 7 Innovation 7 2 8 5 Artistic 4 9 6 1 3

Pottery

8 4 1 9 6 Passion 3 5 7 2 Writing

Originality

Creation

9 6 7 4 5 Unique 8 1 2 3 Poetry

Tattoo

Talent

Drama

Aesthetic

Visual Music

Our Next Adventure

Are you ready for Issue 8?! Issue 8 will be completely online!! Deadlines have closed, but make sure to keep a lookout on our socials for when the Issue is available and check it out on our website! Empire Times will continue into 2024! We can’t wait to see what Lachlan, Miriam and Noah will do next year, but to do so they will need submissions! If you want to contribute to the magazine, please don’t hesitate to contact us with any ideas or submissions you have! Whether it be for a story, poem, photospread, cartoon, or article, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us! Email: empiretimes@flinders.edu.au Website: www.empiretimesmagazine.com Instagram: @empire.times Facebook: @empire times 43

With over 80 different clubs to join, there are plenty of ways for you to get involved in uni life at Flinders! FUSA’s clubs and student communities are a great way to make friends, develop your professional skills, stay involved with an old hobby or try something new. Collectively, FUSA clubs host over 1000 events each year run by over 500 student volunteers. Don’t see a club that interests you? Start your own! We support students in creating and leading new clubs.

Whether you’re interested in films, caving or board games, we’ve got something for everyone! Connect with like-minded people, develop your professional skills, build your resume or just have fun and make new friends. We have a variety of clubs including: •

Community clubs such as the Queer Collective, Students with Disabilities Association and Mature Age Students Collective

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Academic clubs such as the Business Students’ Association, Psychology Students’ Association and Academic Science Club

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Cultural clubs such as the Hellenic Association, Indian Student Association and Indonesian Students Association

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Special interest clubs such as the Performing Arts Society, Tabletop ‘Und Roleplaying Enthusiasts and Film Society

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Political and social justice clubs such as the Health and Human Rights Club, Sustainability and Environment Club and Socialist Alternative Club

So why wait? Join a club today and start making the most of your time at Flinders!

Many students face issues or difficulties during their studies. Our academic advocates are here to help explain policies and procedures, to make sure you understand your options and rights. We can support and advise you on issues like: • • • • • • •

reviews of grades for assignments and topics re-marks of assignments academic integrity student progress remission of fees placement problems lodging formal complaints

Academic Advocacy 46

Flinders University Student Association

Our financial counselling service is here for all things money-related and can help you find ways to improve your financial situation. If you’re in financial difficulty we have emergency financial assistance, interest-free $500 loans, and can help in working out how to make a budget. Our financial counsellor can also negotiate with creditors on your behalf and help with uninsured car accidents, disconnection of utilities, and unpaid fines. We are available for appointments via telephone, Microsoft Teams and face-to-face appointments. Our services are free and confidential to all students.

Financial Counselling

Flinders University Student Association 47