Editoral

Welcome to the windy season (paranati) and welcome to Issue 2 of Empire Times! One of our guiding words for this issue of ET was ‘community’ which, according to Kurt Vonnegut, is one of the ‘most daring’ things we as humans can create together. Within these pages, you will find interviews with members of our community that Jess and Tahlia find inspiring; you will be introduced to some of the Flinders’ clubs who work hard to foster a strong campus culture here at Flinders; and you will read articles written by those you share classes and a community with. There is light and goodness here, and we as Editors have taken the time to revel in it. We hope you can as well. You will also find pieces that ask our community to do better. The two articles that were withheld from Issue 1 are amongst them. Our contributors discuss workers’ rights, the power of protesting, and the crisis of our healthcare system. We take a new look at Vice Chancellor Stirling’s approach to staffing in recent years, through the eyes of a Flinders’ student, and chat to some of the high-achieving academics affected by his decisions. We also discuss FUSA’s decisions regarding First Nations’ issues and representation in recent years. We understand that this is a difficult topic for some, and want to reassure our readers that we have taken great care to handle this matter delicately, and a range of perspectives have found a platform within this issue. Regardless, we want to take a moment to ask you to be kind to one another. We believe that community cannot exist without solidarity, and that part of loving your community is wanting it to be better. We, as a media team, care for our community and recognise that we have been entrusted with the ability, and the responsibility, of telling the stories that matter to you, even if it is not always easy. As Eugene Debs once stated, ‘progress is born of agitation’. We hope this issue finds you well, and we are all very grateful to share a community with you. In love, and solidarity, Tahlia, Jess and Claire.