Empire Times 48.1

FLINDERS SURVIVAL GUIDE Parking

PRICE hike

Save the Drama Centre

48

Vol Issue one

LIVE MUSIC & GOOD VIBES

V THE TA B E F 5 2 THUR FF O K C I 5PM K @fusassociation | @flinderstav

48.1

ISSUE ONE Empire Times acknowledges the Traditional Owners of lands in which its contributors and readers are located, and honours Elders past and present.

These are the traditional lands of the Arrernte, Barngarla, Boandik, Dagoman, Erawirung, Gunditjmara, Jawoyn, Kaurna, Larrakia, Nauo, Ngadjuri, Ngarrindjeri, Peramangk, Ramindjeri, Wardaman, Warumungu, and Yolngu peoples, spanning across South Australia, Northern Territory and Victoria.

Empire Times is written, designed, published, and printed on land that always was, and always will be Aboriginal land.

Editors

Join the Team!

Artemis Perry Brie Dark Nathan Cheetham

Empire Times is always looking for contributors. If you’re interested in becoming a writer, photographer, illustrator, or sub-editor, contact us for details.

Sub-Editors Natasha Nagle Carmen Giffen

Writers Amy Bennett Amy Tschirn Artemis Perry Brie Dark Bumi Sanchila Bandara Ciara Simpson Mia Oolgaard-Snijder Nathan Cheetham Sean Henschke Tony Saad Tully Templeman

Cover Art Brie Dark // ‘Zombie Boy’

Visual Artists Brie Dark // 1, 2, 3, 11, 14 Tony Barber // 6 Rebecca Stevenson // 12

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Empire Times is a publication of Flinders University Student Association (FUSA).

The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editors, Flinders University, or FUSA. Reasonable care is taken to ensure that Empire Times articles and other information are up-to-date and as accurate as possible as of the time of publication. No responsibility can be taken by Empire Times for any errors or omissions contained herein.

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Contents

3// Editorial: Welcome to 2021 4// President’s Address 5// What’s on at FUMA 6// Flinders Survival Guide 10// Expectations, Meet Reality 12// ‘Revolutionist’ 13// Like No Other 14// The Problem with Parking 16// The Delivery 18// Save Drama 20// Academic Assessment Policy

22 // Pets of Flinders 24// Fun and Games

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Studying a Bachelor of Creative Arts (Visual Effects and Entertainment Design), Contributor turned Editor, Chicken Run Soundtrack enthusiast.

French and Environmental Science student, has never written an ET article before, obsessed with IKEA hotdogs.

Vampire goth extraordinaire, likes to play Minecraft.

Yes, I’m a film student. Yes, I’m a good person.

We exist.

Editorial Hi there! Welcome to semester one, and happy 2021!

fb.com/empiretimesmag As you’re likely aware, 2020 was a weird, long, and hard year. Because of that, Empire Times is gonna look a little different this year, and we’re so excited to share that with all of you! Printed issues of Empire Times are going to be smaller than previous years, there are going to be fewer issues, and there will be fewer copies per issue. It’s a little bit sad that we’ll have slightly less of a physical presence, but we’re hoping that this will be balanced with our greater online presence!

We’re going to be publishing a LOT of content online over the year that won’t be published in the magazine, so make sure that you’re following us on Facebook and Instagram to catch all our latest releases!

We’re always looking for new contributors, and with our new online focus, we’re able to accept submissions constantly, instead of intermittently for print issues. We’re always seeking opinion pieces, lifestyle articles, new pieces and creative works, so if you’ve ever wanted to contribute, now is the perfect time!

You’ll also notice that there’s no theme for this issue, and there likely won’t be themes for the rest of the year, meaning that our content isn’t limited and can be anything!

We’re really excited about the content in this issue and we hope you are too.

We’ve tried to focus on issues that are affecting students that students care about so that you know what’s happening on campus.

Happy reading!

Artemis, Brie, and Nathan 2021 Empire Times Editors.

empiretimesmagazine.com

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President’s Address who would be here today that are getting the best support possible and can return to campus as soon as safely possible.

Hey Flinders, I’m your 2021 Student President, Sean Henschke. I’m one of the 19 student representatives on FUSA student council.

Welcome to semester 1 of 2021! You can contact me at student.president@flinders.edu.au As FUSA President, I’m excited to continue the great work that FUSA has always done for students. My role is all about bringing people together to make change and a lot of my work involves amplifying the voices of students.

If you’re not familiar with FUSA, we are a student union directed by students for students. This is the space where your issues can be heard, and we ensure your voices on issues that are important to you, as students, get attention. We also help fill your social calendar: from O’Week to Uni Balls and supporting clubs’ events, we can connect you with all the fun ways to meet other students on campus. We also provide emergency and financial assistance for students in challenging circumstances as well as offer support for your academic success!

I’m looking forward to the exciting array of events this O’Week; this is a great opportunity to join a club, meet friends, and engage with the broad student experience at Flinders.

Though this will not be the case for everyone in 2021, as many students are currently stuck overseas, unable to be here. We have been working on ensuring that as many students

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As of writing this, my team and I are working with students to help combat wage theft in South Australia. We’ve seen the media make visible the high prevalence of wage theft among our student population, as well as its disproportionate effect on international students. With 77% of international students being paid under the minimum wage, wage theft has a dramatic effect on many students at Flinders. Keep an eye out for future statements about how you can support this campaign.

We’ve also launched the Stop the Carpark Price Hike campaign to stop the huge price hikes of $210 to $420 per year, as we know that increasing parking fees to a cost that many simply can’t afford will inevitably hinder accessibility to higher education for those most affected by the pandemic. In the long-term, it will create a significant barrier for prospective students.

In addition to demanding the price hike is stopped, we’re also calling upon Flinders University to fight for increased transport accessibility on campus that ensures that Flinders is a place where we can all participate.

You can get involved by signing the petition here: bit.ly/2YGFkC3 We also have issues continuing from last year: Since the University’s surprise announcement to alter the drama centre program without proper student consultation,

students have been working hard to fight back against the University. FUSA will continue to work to help save the Drama Centre. Have a read of the article in this issue, and check out their website at www.savedramacentre.com Despite travel restrictions, I have been ensuring that campuses outside of Bedford Park aren’t forgotten. I have safely visited as many campuses as possible since the beginning of my term.

This includes our Riverland campuses - Renmark and Murray Bridge - our other SA campuses, such as Mt Gambier and Victor Harbor, as well as interstate campuses in Darwin at CDU and the Royal Darwin Hospital. This has been an incredible opportunity to connect with all the diverse and amazing student communities that Flinders students are a part of, and it’s allowed FUSA to connect with hundreds of students who aren’t in metro Adelaide.

There is also a bunch of work being done to reignite the clubs community following the challenges of 2020, as well as amazing wins for students on academic policy, so check out the info from your other Student Council members in this issue of ET. There is a huge year ahead and I look forward to seeing you all at O’Week!

In solidarity,

Sean Henschke.

FUMA 2021 @ FUMA

Flinders University Museum of Art (FUMA) are excited to share their 2021 exhibition program which puts Australian women front and centre. This year FUMA embraces historical and contemporary works in a line-up of four freshly formed shows. Representing Indigenous and non-Indigenous voices, these exhibitions traverse the personal, poetic and political.

If you are interested in reviewing the exhibitions and a chance to win $250, register here: www.flinders.edu.au/museum-of-art/programs For more information about FUMA’s upcoming exhibitions, public programs and workshops follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Located Ground Floor Social Sciences North building, adjacent carpark 5 Open Monday to Friday 10am – 5pm Thursdays until 7pm

RITUAL NATURE The Guildhouse

Collections Project with Flinders University Museum of Art

Curated by Nic Brow

22 February – 16 April 2021 Ritual Nature features a new series of evocative performative videos by South Australian artist, Ray Harris, that explore ritual actions in connection to cleansing and death. Her work is the result of a research-based residency investigating the mid-1960s and 1970s conceptual art collection at Flinders University Museum of Art. The Collections Project is a collaboration between Guildhouse and Flinders University Museum of Art. Ray Harris, Saltwaters, 2020, HD digital video, © the artist

FREE ENTRY FUMA is wheelchair accessible, please contact us for further information.

RAY HARRIS

FLINDERS SURVIVAL GUIDE - ARTEMIS PERRY

The very first semester at university may seem daunting for all the first-year students who don’t quite know what to expect.

So I’m here to help ease some of those nerves and give you a couple of tips on how you can stay organised for your semester, show you some fun places to study, and to tell you about a few of the best places on campus to get something to eat or to grab that morning coffee before class.

My primary tip to first year students would be to look into keeping a planner or diary for your classes and all of your assignments. Every year, the Flinders University Student Association (FUSA) releases a diary for the year that you can collect for free. It’s incredibly useful for keeping track of all of your upcoming assignments, study sessions, and all of your lectures and tutorials.

The FUSA diaries are a very simple way of doing your best to stay organised and on top of your commitments. You can also pick up an annual wall planner that the uni makes each year.

Finding a good spot to study might make the world of difference for first years trying to get their work done. A lot of students enjoy studying from the comforts of their own room, but if that doesn’t work for you then it will be worth your

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time to look into the study rooms that the library offers. These are quiet rooms that you can access and use to hold study sessions, whether you get together with a group or choose to work solo.

You can book these spaces online to guarantee you get your favourite spot when you need it.

If you want to study somewhere that isn’t indoors, there are beautiful courtyards and grassy areas across campus that are available for anyone to sit and study - around the lake is a particular favourite.

The Hub is easily the best place to get food on campus. There is a selection of places to eat inside and out, on multiple levels of the Hub. Due to the popularity, it can get crowded around lunchtimes, but the food is always worth it no matter what you find (especially from the Tav). There are also a few good spots to grab a coffee around the Hub, like Grind & Press located to the side as you walk into the Hub, Urban Paddock Co (UPCO), which is up the back of the ground floor of the Hub near the food section, and Bon Voyage, which is up in the Laneway past the Library.

SILC

Siberia

Community Garden Earth Sciences

Education

Physical Sciences Anchor Court

Biolo

Lake (ducks)

SSN

FUSA

Plaza

Your first semester of university can sometimes prove to be an overwhelming experience so if you do find yourself Oasis struggling with attendance or getting your assignments in on time due to mental or physical health, Flinders has the option for a Disability Access Plan. You can get an Access Plan by making an appointment with a Disability Adviser at Health, Counselling and Disabilities who will work with you and develop a plan that works for you. As scary as starting university can seem at first, you are never alone and there are always resources for you on campus.

Coffee

Coffee

Drama Centre

Connect Library

Health, and Dis

Busses

Gym To Sturt

I hope that this has been somewhat helpful and that you have learnt something about how to survive at Flinders. I wish you all a successful first semester and most of all, I hope that you all have a wonderful time studying here at Flinders!

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FIND YOUR FOLK Hi! My name is Molly Turnbull antd I am your General Secretary for 2021.

I have been involved in FUSA in the past as the Indigenous Student Officer in 2020. As general secretary I am responsible for advocating and supporting clubs however I can, so feel free to reach out to me whenever you need at general.secretary@flinders.edu.au

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What is the FUSA Clubs Program?

At FUSA, we have over 90 affiliated clubs.

Whether you want to try something new, stay involved with an old hobby or find a community, FUSA Clubs and Associations are a great way to connect with like-minded people while you’re studying. Clubs allow you to expand your social circle, develop your professional skills, or simply catch up with friends. Whatever your interests, FUSA is bound to have a club for you. And if there isn’t already a club that interests you, it’s super simple to start a new one – keep reading for more information.

What’s New For Clubs in 2021?

Over the summer break we completed the Clubs Space renovations to ensure that the Clubs Space is a versatile, accessible, and useful space at no cost to the clubs. We’ve added additional tables and chairs to allow for an array of ways for clubs to use this space.

Over the summer, we’ve also doubled our club storage options. As we continue to push for ensuring that clubs have secure places to keep their belongings, we’ve added an additional room for clubs to utilise as storage.

We’ve worked to ensure that clubs were able to have as safe presence at O’Week 2021 and are continuing to work towards securing club spaces and opportunities across all Flinders campuses.

We’ll soon be launching a new website that will make creating and maintaining a club easier, and also reviewing and reforming templates and forms to make them as accessible and simple as possible for students

Want to Start a Club?

Got a great idea for a club? FUSA’s here to help!

FUSA’s Club Affiliate program offers a wide range of support, including access to funding, equipment hire, room hire, design services, printing and much, much more.

Best of all, it’s free! If you want to find out more info about starting a club go to the FUSA website or contact the FUSA Clubs Officer at clubs@flinders.edu.au

Expectations, meet

REALITY Tully Templeman

One of the worst places to find yourself is that space between your expectations and the reality of a situation. For me and everyone else, 2020 occupied that space indefinitely.

I envisioned a year full of celebratory 21st parties and engaging group projects, of upgrading my job and graduating with a pride-filled smile – none of which was possible, thanks to our new reality: a global pandemic threatening and taking millions of lives. Now that is a crushing reality to live through, so I urge you to take a moment to congratulate yourself. You made it to 2021.

Despite understanding that safety takes priority over any expectations we could dream, all the missed opportunities and personal struggles can make it difficult to begin reflecting and even learning from the past year. I felt this way too, until I took a good look at my 2020 experience and realised I hadn’t failed as much as I thought, and I learnt the lesson of a lifetime: self-compassion.

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Discovering the Whys At the start of 2020, I was eyeing up the end of my BCA (Screen) degree. The last two years had been spent learning the basics of filmmaking and I finally felt confident that if need be, I could make video content on my own.

Thanks to the shutdown imposed during semester one, my newly realised self-confidence was put to the test.

Being a student means having no budget, so getting cohort members and friends to help out is essential to a great production, but COVID meant we could only film with those living in our household. During this time, I was directing two projects: a music video and a drama for my independent research topic. We were cut off from our usual support networks and the possibilities began to shrink.

Group projects felt like one man shows – either you had all the roles or barely any. The expected goal of creating high

quality, inspired work shifted towards solidifying perseverance and learning to communicate through technology - both important aspects of filmmaking that we hadn’t been pushed to worked on before. We had to direct shoots over Zoom and sit around for hours uploading edits to Google Drive for group feedback. I held my first Messenger meeting, no audio or video, just my small crew typing away our ideas and concerns in a group chat. The production formula perfected over two years needed to be flipped in order to meet the challenges of the situation.

The original goals I had expected to reach gradually became more unattainable, and during the study year, I felt like I didn’t achieve anything. Looking back now, I can’t believe how I could have ever seen my 2020 as anything but full of successes.

Sure, I didn’t finish the year with the portfolio of work or high

GPA I wanted. My hopes of pumping out projects in my spare time never happened either (because…what spare time?).

Instead, I created things I enjoy watching and reading. After years of unhealthy study habits, I now understand the importance of a work/life balance.

All those planned projects received more development, and I used my alone time to discover more inspirational art.

These realisations didn’t occur to me until after the year had finished, but they have definitely helped sweeten my memories of the disastrous 2020.

Empathising With Yourself Despite the rosy realisations, 2020 was really tough. Among all those trying experiences, one that hurt me most was failing my first topic.

I don’t think academic failure is anything to be ashamed of, but once it was happening to me, I felt like the smallest person on Earth.

It was a topic I had been excited for since the start of my degree, and I actually completed all my work for it – just not on time.

My mental wellness was at an all-time low, largely due to a family member passing but also COVID locking down the things I need for good mental wellbeing (seeing friends, working out, plans in my calendar). The one constant in my life has always been school turning out OK, so failing was the ultimate kick while I was down.

In hindsight, I should’ve deferred for a year, but my nagging expectations to finish a degree by the end of 2020 scared me away from reaching out to explore all my options.

When semester two rolled around, I fearfully asked to overload my study plan. Six topics. Everyone I told winced in response, but something had shifted in me. Like everyone, I watched in awe at all the BLM protests. It was history in the making, and it truly showed 2020 for what it was – a massive, worldwide dumpster fire. No one was thriving, everyone was toughing it out, and I empathised deeply with them. But hang on, where was my empathy for myself? Had I not also been enduring a pandemic, losing loved ones, and grieving missed opportunities and milestones?

After months of minimising my own struggles, I realised it didn’t matter if others had it worse, we were all suffering - and that includes little old me. So, finally I cut myself some slack and reached out to teachers and friends for help. This made semester two achievable for me, and I’m beyond thankful for the self-compassion I found along the way.

Final Reflections Yesterday, I heard a friend say they wished people would stop talking about 2020. It’s in the past, they said, let’s move on. I think we can all agree with this sentiment, but the heck of a year that was continues to ripple its consequences into this new year. When looking back at the 2020 version of me, my 2021 self is proud and exhausted, but thankful to have survived an impossible year and pocketed a couple new lessons to help guide me in the future. I urge any readers who can, to reflect on your 2020 experience as well.

The thought of opening up that hidden away box of memories might sound awful, but you may just find something that helps 2021 be your best year yet.

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‘Revolutionist’ Original digital artwork Rebecca Stevenson

Bumi Sanchila Bandara 13

THE PROBLEM WITH PARKING - NATHAN CHEETHAM As every student is now no doubt aware, Flinders University has announced that student parking prices at Flinders will be increasing from $210 for a yearly permit in 2020 to $420 by 2023.

You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that after years of complaints about unreasonable pricing, the lack of available parking, and lack of security within carparks, this move seems a little tone deaf. You also wouldn’t be faulted for thinking this after coming out of a year when many students experienced unprecedented financial hardship with minimal support from federal, state and private institutions. So why now? And what does the University hope to gain by doubling the price of parking over a three year period?

Parking at Flinders University operates on a ‘ring fence’ model across all campuses, according to the Director of Property, Facilities and Development, Shane Jennings. This means that all money from parking fees and fines are invested back into the parking system in the form of maintenance and upgrades. The annual cost associated witth parking at flinders is approximately $4 million. The amounts generated from both fees and fines cover roughly half of that, meaning that the annual ‘parking fund’, as it’s referred to internally, sits at about $2 million.

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According to Shane Jennings, the new parking model was created by the University with the goal of being ‘financially sustainable in three years’ after years of income shortfall from parking, hence the release containing the new parking prices noting gradual increases from 2021 to 2023. In an interview, Jennings noted that this was intended to give students prior notice to plan for changes in getting to uni.

However, while the new pricing model may aim to ensure that parking infrastructure remains safe and accessible, it incidentally makes the campus inaccessible to those students who simply can’t afford the cost of parking on campus or catching public transport. Staff from FUSA’s Student Assist team have confirmed that there are students that can’t afford the current cost of coming to campus, let alone the proposed new costs.

One might think that public transport is the obvious solution to the problem of parking: Afterall, a concession fare (which all full time tertiary students are entitled to) is only $1.91 if you’ve got a MetroCard or $2.90 for a single use paper ticket.

However, Adelaide Metro has its infamously poor reputation for a reason: bus services are slow and unreliable, and train lines service precious few areas.

The travel time on public transport is considerably longer than driving privately Our ET research has found that a direct bus from a major interchange averages a 41 minute journey, and an indirect route (two or more buses) averages at 79 minutes to get to Flinders University Interchange. These figures are only based on travel times from interchanges, and don’t account for the time required to drive, walk or use public transport to get to an interchange. By contrast, driving from the same places averages at a 28 minute journey.

Sure, maybe you can use the bus ride to do your readings or mindlessly scroll through TikTok to fend off the dread of what to do after your degree, but wouldn’t that time be better spent in a productive environment? Maybe the answer to our transport troubles is an adequately resourced public transport system that meets the needs of people, but that’s a whole other story.

One glimmer of light in what is otherwise a bleak space is the Flinders train line: from the city to Flinders Medical Centre in 22 minutes.

The downside? The fact that the train stops at the hospital instead of continuing on to either the Sturt or Bedford campus. Your best option from the train stop is the Campus Connector Loop Bus which you’ll be able to track by logging into the free BusMinder app (#notsponsored), which you can catch to either Sturt or Bedford Park campuses. If you want to get to Tonsley, you can either use the train or catch the Tonsley Link Loop Bus. You can find more info by searching the Flinders Loop Bus.

If you have thoughts or feedback on the changes to parking, Shane Jennings says that the Parking at Flinders team are always happy to receive feedback. He also shared that very few students actually lodge official complaints.

Overheard at Flinders, unfortunately, is not an official complaint forum for the Uni—go figure.

Alternatively, if you’re intimidated by sending official feedback, FUSA Student Council are familiar with petitioning on behalf of students and have put together a petition with demands related to the changes to parking prices.

The demands of the petition include: • Stopping the price increases • Implementing a concession rate for low-income earners • Establishing a financial hardship scheme in partnership with FUSA Student Assist • Establishing an option to pay for permits by instalments over time— Vice Chancellor Colin Stirling has since publicly committed to implementing such a system by semester 2, 2021 • Increasing Loop Bus services • The University to fight for increased public transport services to and from the University As of writing, petition is currently sitting at over 1000 signatures. You can find the petition and Student Council’s ‘Stop the Carpark Price Hikes’ campaign here:

bit.ly/2YGFkC3

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THE DELIVERY

BY AMY BENNETT

The gates to the Greylands closed at dusk and Nasir was already off-schedule. Making it on time shouldn’t have been a difficult task, not really, but Nasir’s mother had always tipped his chin up in her hand and scolded him for being a leaf. ‘Oh, how easily you are blown along at the slightest hint of wind!’ She would cry, eyes twinkling brightly despite her chastising.

‘Sorry, Mama,’ Nasir whispered to himself. ‘I’ll be late again today.’

He should’ve met Handa at least an hour ago— all deliveries needed two people, and she was his partner. Mouth twisting down into a frown, Nasir thought about how fiercely she’d chew him out for leaving her in the lurch again.

So, he started running.

He dashed out between the labyrinth of houses all shambled together; it was a strange intersection of wood and rock and metal. In Suna, anything salvageable had become a home to the survivors left behind. They needed each other in the wake of all that had gone wrong.

Yet some people choose differently, deciding to survive in the wasteland of the Greylands by their own means. They were like metal dolls, lacking the warmth of kindness or hope to keep their mechanical bodies running. Suna, on the other hand, was an example of people who had banded together to fuel that everlasting flame of humanity.

There were no real borders barring them from the Greylands, just squat boundary walls and shallow ditches to keep contaminated soil and rubbish from piling into people’s homes. Anyone would be accepted into the places like Suna if they wished it. They just had to be willing to place their faith in community—and trust in people. The gates worked as a transitional space where you signed for a new life, agreeing to share all you had and help rather than harm.

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And Nasir was delivering a package just outside those gates. Most likely, the client wanted a change of clothes or something new and untainted before they chose to join society again. It was a celebratory thing. That’s why Nasir loved working for his mother so much—to see people take their first steps to leaving the Greylands. To be a part of Suna and work as a unified whole towards something greater, together.

Smiling at the thought, Nasir followed a familiar path as he darted between people and colourful strings of laundry, vaulting through windows and running across battered roofs.

Ha! Watch him make the delivery with time to spare now.

Nasir ran ahead, disappearing between the maze of buildings and sharp-turned paths. The ground flattened, opening up more. Shafts of late afternoon sunlight streaked hot and bright across Nasir’s back. He could smell the acrid stench of petrol nearby. Between caged animals and stalls towering with things like battered shoes and spineless books, hagglers and traders shouting over each other, Nasir could see the road ahead.

He inhaled, lungs swelling with air, before running forward and jumping. The ground beneath him rumbled. Nasir caught the metal loop of a ladder rung, laughing as he climbed up a few steps.

Watch your little leaf fly, Mama!

The machine he boarded was called the Worm.

It was a large metal train, a giant monstrous chain connecting carriages together on a track embedded deep in the soil. It pulled them along at a steady pace. It was a relic of the past, like a mechanical earthworm that had survived the death of its colony long ago.

Suna was an old merchant route—but instead of travelling along it to sell and barter in far-off places, the trade came to people. Through them.

The town and markets and community of Suna flourished on the trail of Worm, clinging to it, stretching far across the land.

And if you caught the side of the train, riding on its path, it was also the quickest way to get to the nearest gate to the Greylands.

‘What was that?’

A voice teased.

‘You’re late and you bungled a landing?’

His mother had drawn him a shaky map of a human body once—and this was what Suna looked like from the side of the Worm. It was a connection of working parts, complex and robust, held together by the people in it. Outside that, the Greylands lingered at the far horizon of Nasir’s vision. The awful dreary greyness of the world beyond Suna still made Nasir’s skin prickle every time he stepped outside the gates. The people there weren’t that bad, not really, they just didn’t believe in working together anymore.

Nasir looked ahead and clutched his package tighter to his chest. The gates loomed in the distance. The low-slung sun even looked a grimy dishwater colour where it sat on the horizon, as if tainted by the contaminated zone.

Yet Nasir’s heartbeat didn’t waver. He knew he had to complete the delivery for his Mama. Both her and Nasir, and Handa, too, did all they could to help whoever in the Greylands asked for it. They always had.

The Worm steadily chugged forward. Soon Nasir would have to jump off, nearly lined up with the road leading to the gate. Mama better celebrate his return tonight—she usually bought mandarins in gratitude, and they would sit peeling them at their kitchen table, the sweet smell of citrus curling in the balmy night air.

Nasir breathed in, then out. He gathered all the courage he had to make his body relax, unbreakable, before hanging off the lowest ladder rung as his destination approached. One, two, three—go! He pushed off the great machine, soaring into the air. But, at the last minute, Nasir caught sight of Handa glaring at him, arms crossed. He lost focus of the ground and came down at an awkward angle, ankle rolling, grimacing at a bright flash of pain.

‘Well, I would’ve been fine, if it wasn’t for some idiot distracting me.’

It was Handa. She’d grown up a few houses away from him, a frustrating full head taller and more suitably dressed for the Greylands than Nasir, forever proving herself to be a more capable delivery partner.

Handa snorted at Nasir’s sharp tone, used to the well-worn familiarity of their interaction.

She dropped into a crouch, looking at his ankle.

‘Are you okay?’

‘I’m fine. We have a package to deliver, anyway.’

She ruffled his hair with a wry smile. Handa offered to carry Nasir, who tried to dismiss her incessant worry, but took her up on her offer eventually.

The guardsmen at the gate were less convinced

by Nasir’s assurances.

‘The gates will be closing soon,’ one of them said, glancing at the sky. ‘You sure you kids can get back in time?’

‘We’ll be fine.’ Nasir laughed. ‘We have each other.’

They were admitted passage into the Greylands with the guardsmen’s pledge they’d hold the gates open as long as they could for Nasir and Handa’s return. Nasir called out his farewell as Handa carried him onwards, feet crunching under the ashy floor of destruction. Yet they weren’t scared. They had no reason to be—Suna would keep them safe.

They knew they would return home safely.

He tumbled forward, coming up with a mouthful of dirt. The package in his arms seemed intact, thankfully, as Nasir sat on the ground, legs stretched out in front of him. He sighed.

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Tony Saad

To be or not to be?

That is the question everyone in the arts community is asking after Flinders University has released a review of the Drama Centre with proposed changes.

With the changes, the Bachelor of Creative Arts (Drama) would incorporate elements of marketing and video production alongside acting. However, Flinders students and industry professionals fear it will degrade the quality of the course and hurt the chances of many aspiring actors and directors. The university has made it clear that ‘it was necessary’, but doubts and questions remain.

The Drama Centre

The Drama Centre was created around 1970 and has seen the graduation of top artists the likes of Melanie Vallejo (Winners and Losers, Upgrade), Noni Hazlehurst (Candy, Play School), and Oscar awardwinning director, Scott Hicks.

In the Drama Centre, students specialise in acting or directing.

They first learn classical theatre - Shakespeare, Stanislavsky, and other classical theatre artists - before progressing into professional acting. Students also focus on contemporary acting means like television and film. They also undergo rigorous voice training, to strengthen their voices, and to gain control over their vocal range. Movement training is also provided as it is essential in all forms of acting from stage to motion capture. Students in the Drama Centre complete a well-rounded degree with foundational skills that can be applied to different means of entertainment.

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Every five years, the Drama Centre undergoes a review, but this year’s proposals sent shockwaves throughout Adelaide’s entertainment industry.

The Review

Under the proposed changes, different elements of stage and video production such as motion capture, voice acting, social media marketing would be integrated into the Drama course, and more collaboration with other BCA fields like Screen, Creative Writing and VFX would be necessary.

According to Dean of Education of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Eric Bouvet, ‘The point made here is the need for artists to embrace technological platforms…it would be good that newer technologies and social platforms are acknowledged in the curriculum, as they are becoming more and more central to career development’.

This has also been backed up by the impacts of the ever-so-

present COVID-19 crisis on the arts industry, with large media companies promoting online technology as the way forward.

The review also allegedly aims to lower costs associated with the program and bring a greater technological focus to Drama at Flinders, but the proposal has generated public uproar from students and industry professionals across Australia.

The Outrage

In a show of protest against the proposed changes, students took to Victoria Square to publicly share their concerns and demands, and even staged a three-day sit-in at the Drama Centre itself. However, it was clear from the onset that there was a distinct lack of communication with the Drama students from the College.

‘They say there’s a problem but they won’t tell us what the problem is or how to fix it’ James The change of focus from conservatory-style acting training to general drama training threatens to drive future students interstate for specialised training. The proposed changes are made all the worse when considering the fact that Drama Centre is the only government-supported specialised acting school in South Australia. Another thing to note was the lack of proof of the claims made by the Uni. For instance, the University claimed that students do not have enough exposure to sociopolitical issues like #metoo, despite them regularly exploring these movements in their coursework.

‘Just have a conversation with us and see what it’s really about and have an insight into what we do here. It’s pretty remarkable’ said Ella, another third-year Drama student.

The Way Forward

In an e-mail, Prof. Bouvet shared that ‘At this stage, an advisory group including Drama students, staff and industry professionals is being put together. The group will respond to the review’. After the sit-in, the University and CHASS leadership has met with the students and agreed to a number of the drama students’ demands: a) that all actions related to the review will cease until the review has been analysed. b) that current students will be able to finish the course as promised to them upon entry, and the curriculum will not undergo any structural changes before current students graduate. c) that University and college understand the crucial nature of the fourth year of the program in career preparedness. d) that University and college executives work more directly with students to figure out the future of Drama Centre.

Despite these agreements, the outcome still appears uncertain and the situation is still developing. What’s very clear is these students’ desire to be heard.

‘We’re just hoping for a positive outcome that acknowledges both sides’ views and opinions so that … the decision can be made based on all perspectives. We just want fairness’ Ella The Drama Centre is going through a phase with many questions over the future of the legacy institution. It’s unclear how the situation will unfold, but what is clear is that a greater emphasis on working with students, and careful communication are crucial if Flinders wishes to remain the top trainer for actors in South Australia.

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New Year, New Assessment Policy Important Changes for 2021 Grading scheme to be corrected to align with South Australian universities Hi! My name is Benika Bhoola and I’m your 2021 Education Officer. My role is to advocate and fight for you to get the best education possible from Flinders University. At FUSA, we’ve got your back, and you can contact me any time at education.officer@flinders.edu.au for any issues about your education. FUSA also offers a free, confidential, and independent advocacy service for students that can work with you if you are dissatisfied with a grade, facing claims of plagiarism or otherwise struggling with anything related to uni. You can book an appointment to see one of our experienced advocates on the FUSA website.

Find the new academic policy here: bit.ly/3b8rM7Y Over the past three years, FUSA Student Council has worked with Flinders University to draft and develop the new Academic Assessment Policy. Over that time, we have pushed to make a policy that is student-focussed and learning-orientated.

We fought to ensure there are structures in place to ensure assessment is a way to demonstrate learning and an opportunity to develop your knowledge to avoid assessment feeling like a box to tick to complete your degree. We managed to secure some big wins for students.

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Previously, the GPA you would receive for a Fail was a 0 as opposed to a 1.5. Inconsistencies like this resulted in you getting a different GPA depending on the university you attended.

Now GPAs will be standardised within south Australia, resulting in your learning deciding how your GPA stacks up compared to other universities.

Medical certificate only required for extensions requested within three university business days of assessment due date Previously, this was not standardised and resulted in inconsistencies based on the topic and, occasionally, large amounts of time spent acquiring supporting documents.

This new policy allows you to focus on managing the challenges that resulted in the need for an extension and get back to learning.

Penalties for late submissions to be standardised per course to ensure consistency Previously, this was not standardised and resulted in varying results if you submitted your assessment a day late depending on the course.

You will be given a single opportunity to resubmit a failed assessment activity worth 20% or more, provided you meaningfully attempted the assessment activity, submitted the activity by the due date and did not receive an opportunity for feedback on a draft or answer guides as part of the feedback Previously, it was uncommon for students to be eligible to resubmit an assessment.

This new change will allow you to resubmit any major assignment if you fail it, so you have the opportunity to improve and demonstrate your learning instead of giving up on that assessment and acquiring those learning outcomes.

Important Changes for 2022 Exams will only be included in topic assessment when demonstrated to be the most appropriate form of assessment for learning outcomes or required by the professional body Previously, this was not the policy position, which resulted in exams being given with limited justification.

The new policy means topics you pick will not have unnecessary exams and the assessment type will be chosen based on relevancy of the topic’s learning outcomes.

Attendance is not to be a component of final grades unless crucial to ensuring safe practice, professional competencies, or registration/accreditation.

Previously, this was not in the policy, which resulted in attendance being a common component of assessment.

Number of assessments to be kept to a minimum Previously, there was no limit to the number of assessments per topic. This often resulted in huge inconsistencies in commitment expected of students per topic.

This new policy allows topics to maintain a learning focus and assessment to be used as a component of achieving learning outcomes.

Any large assessments which make up a major percentage of the final topic grade must be clearly scaffolded with staged opportunities for students to review their learning progress.

Previously, it was possible to have single assessments weighted over 40% in a topic without opportunities for feedback prior to submission.

This new policy will break up your assessments to allow multiple opportunities for students to learn and receive feedback. This results in less dreaded nights cramming for big assessment items that may not be an assessment form that appeals to your strengths.

Assessment moderation to occur at three stages in the assessment cycle: in design, during the teaching period, and when submitting grades Previously, how thoroughly assessment was moderated was dictated by staff time availability, causing some assessment to not receive as thorough moderation which would result in confusing outcomes.

The new policy will ensure there are several opportunities for you staff to review assessment items and receive high quality structured assessment and help eliminate unclear assessment items.

The new policy will result in topics rarely having attendance be an assessable component, unless you have a requirement such as accredited courses or to demonstrate competency. This, of course, will be dependent on your degree.

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CHARLIE

OWNER: CIARA SIMPSON I like cuddling, snoring, and sleeping on my owner’s bed.

Also, giving kisses to my family which includes: Lucy the cat and Hugh the baby.

My hobbies include going to the beach then having a bath because I smell bad.

Fun Fact: I weigh over 50 kilos and when standing tall, I’m over five feet tall.

AHSOKA

OWNER: BRIE DARK I like meeting new people, staring ominously, my Ben 10 ball, and receiving belly rubs.

My hobbies include chewing socks and leaves, plotting world domination, and chasing the garden hose.

Fun Fact: I can outsmart and destroy every puzzle toy my owners buy me in less than an hour, much to their exasperation.

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TRUFFLE

OWNER: AMY TSCHIRN I like to go on picnics in the park and nibble on fresh fruit.

My hobbies include climbing all over mum and travelling around with her.

Fun Fact: I’m a brush tailed bettong – a critically endangered native Australian marsupial.

ANYA

OWNER: MIA OOLGAARD-SNIJDER

I like sleeping. I also like to run and bark in my sleep, like I’m still on the racetrack.

My hobbies include sleeping and blocking everyone’s way like a Snorlax.

Fun Fact: My owners have only heard me bark three to four times while awake in the eight years they’ve had me!

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Fun and Games

1

2 3

4

5

6

7

Down 1. What is the most popular video conferencing program?

Across 3. Who was the statue in front of the hub built for?

2. What do you use to access your topics online?

6. Who is the Student President?

4. Finish the vine: “It is _________, my dudes”

7. Where can you get a free diary at the uni?

5. What’s the name of the coffee caravan in the Hub?

1. Zoom 2. FLO 3. Matthew Flinders 4. Wednesday 5. UPCO 6. Sean Henschke 7. FUSA

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The Tav | Mon 22 Feb | 3–4pm

The Tav | Tues 23 Feb | 2–3pm

The Tav | Wed 24 Feb | 5–7pm

empiretimesmagazine.com