Empire Times 42.7

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- Editorial -

Sumai!

Hello lovelies!

Dobrý den!

Welcome to the explore issue, filled with some fabulous content, from exploring unemployment in South Australia, to an incredible hair transformation for Avcon, to a Royal Adelaide Show experience like no other to the wonders of a student exchange; this issue has it all.

As a student you have a million and one chances to do some thorough exploring.

There are endless opportunities to discover more about yourself, what motivates you and where your passions lie. You are opened up to a world of varied and often contrasting opinions, fervent dialogues about political, social and cultural issues and an array of other likeminded people who will see you well into the later years of your degree as friends, study buddies and trusted allies.

Exploration is something we all learn from a young age. Whether it’s exploring language, exploring relationships, or even exploring a new city, it’s one of those intrinsic experiences that more-oftenthan-not change us for the better.

While you’re at uni, I urge you to not just dip your toe in the water but to cannonball into the deep end because life is short and someone has to make a splash—you won’t regret it. Learn a language on campus, join a sports team, attend a rally, run for council, feed the ducks, write for ET…whatever it may be, try to see the opportunities all around you because being a student isn’t just about study.

Video games are increasingly being recognised as an artform, with their unique mode of storytelling and immersive interactive gameplay. You can explore the universe, fight darkspawn and capture serial killers all from the comfort of home.

I have never been one for leaving my comfort zone, but sometimes in the right environment it can be exhilarating to do the unexpected. Just like the day my two friends and I hiked up a mountain in Wales and Bear Grylls’ed it down a cliff just to stand at the bottom of a magnificent waterfall! Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be brave enough to agree to something like that, but I had such a great time!

A few hours later my two friends and I were walking around the countryside and found an abandoned castle and thought why not, lets “break in” and see what we can find. Again, never in a million years did I ever think I would do something so bold, so out there, but let me tell you, it felt awesome!

The moral of my story may be don’t make friends with crazy people (sorry guys!) but also, just maybe when you let your hair down and do the unexpected, it turns out to be extraordinary!

In other news, Semester 2 O’week was a blast and we were delighted to have so many happy faces signing up to take part in Empire Times. We get lonely all the way up here in our IS&T office so it will be awesome to have some more company to see us through the making of future ET editions!

All the best, Jess

Nos da, Laura

But you don’t necessarily need a truck load of cash or even to leave your home to explore. One of my favourite ways to explore can be done from my computer chair.

While this might not really seem like exploration, video games can work in the same way as books or movies in showing you a new perspective, a new location, or even guide you into a new way of thinking. You may never have to decide between killing off an entire society of sentient Androids or brainwashing them into subservience in real life, but through being forced to make such considerations, you may learn something new about yourself (I learned that I have no qualms brainwashing to suit my own need. That’s probably concerning).

However you like to explore, I hope you learn something new.

Simone

TOP PICKS FOR THIS ISSUE

TOP PICKS FOR THIS ISSUE

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p. 22 p. 14 p. 30 p. 34

p. 16 p. 17 p. 18 p. 39

p. 15 p. 29 p. 40 p. 45

Living on a Farm!

We Need To Talk About Aeroplanes 7 Things I Learned

Technologica Get Smart AUS V UK Between Two Worlds

Feminism Bob’s Burgers Walking Down the Aisle Level Up

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OH HELLO there.

EXPLORE ISSUE

EDITORS Jess Nicole Laura Telford Simone Corletto

SUB-EDITORS Jess Miller Tamsin Alexander Kayla Gaskell Liam McNally Anupol Bordoloi Riana Kinlough Justina Ashman

COLUMNISTS Jonno Revanche Emma Sachsse Kaisha Wyld Eleanor Danenberg Karen Smart Kelly Guthberlet Kevin Clark Aden Beaver Bethany Lawrence

ILLUSTRATORS Sheydin Dew Aden Beaver Hannah Everett Amber Hall Rafal Banasiak

PHOTOGRAPHERS Matthew Bird Laura Telford Emilie Stirling

Issue 7 Vol 42 September 2015 empire.times@flinders.edu.au www.empiretimes.com.au Advertising: stephanie.walker@flinders.edu.au Empire Times is the student publication of Flinders University. All work within remains the property of the producers and may not be reproduced without their consent. Empire Times reserves the right to republish in any format.

Empire Times would like to acknowledge the Kaurna people who are the traditional custodians of the land Flinders University is situated on. We would also like to pay our respects to the elders past and present of the Kaurna nation and extend that respect to other Aboriginal peoples.

“The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editors, Flinders University, or Flinders University Student Association. 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, but no responsibility can be taken by Empire Times Magazine for any errors or omissions contained herein.”

FRONT COVER Rafal Banasiak

BACK COVER Amber Hall

INNER BACK COVER Hannah Everett

CONTRIBUTORS Sheydin Dew Kayla Gaskell Justina Ashman Sarah Nelson Laura Telford Simone Corletto Jess Nicole Sarah Barrett Emma Cresdee James Vigus Liam McNally Lisa Merlot Tamsin Alexander Marithe Solis Jordon Early

FUCK YEAHS • • •

Royal Adelaide Show!

Upcoming events in the calender: check out page 4!

Bronwyn Bishop resigned

WITH THANKS TO All the new students and old who visited our stall during Semester 2 O’Week and for all those who signed up!

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Index INTRO 1

EDITORIAL Words from the Editors

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PREZ DISPENSER A message from the President

FEATURES 8

COLUMNS

CREATIVE 40

POLITICS Unemployment in SA

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AUS V UK Who is better?

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A HAIR TRANSFORMATION Becoming Wendy

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FICTION Walking Down The Aisle POETRY When in Rome; Home Sick REVIEW Soul Eater

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10

LGBTIQA Privilege

LIVING ON A FARM What is it like?

FUN STUFF

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12

OPENLY SEXUAL Getting you know you!

VOX POP Voice of the people

44 CROSSWORD Win movie tickets!

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14

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT Misrepresenations in Hollywood

KYLIE CARDELL Best Teacher

48 QUIZ What Type of Explorer are you?

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FEMINISM But I Trusted Them

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BOB’ BURGERS Interview with a Writer

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TECHNOLOGICA Space the Final Frontier

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AEROPLANES Come Fly With Me

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GET SMART Self Exploration

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FOR SALE Selling Out for Tourists

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LEVEL UP The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

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7 THINGS I LEARNED Canadian Exchange

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FOOD REVIEW Handsome and Duchess

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EXPLORATION One Person’s Journey

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MUSIC Osimia // Nicaragua Nights

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DAVID LYNCH Between Two Worlds

what kind of traveller are you? 48 28

45

12

pop

vox

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3

WHAT’S GOING ON SEPTEMBER

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

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FUSA Says Relax 10-2pm, Sturt Campus

Health Sciences Students Happy Hour, 4-6pm. DeCafe

14 FUSA Free Brunch 10-12pm, School of Medicine Courtyard

FUSA Free Brunch 10-12pm, SILC

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THURSDAY

FRIDAY

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FUSA Says Relax 102pm, Anchor Court

Health Sciences Students Happy Hour, 4-6pm. DeCafe

Health Sciences Students Happy Hour, 4-6pm. DeCafe

National Campus Band Comp State Final 7pm, Fowlers Live

FUSA Free Brunch 10-12pm, Main Library

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FUSA Free Brunch 1012pm, Main Library Optometry Students Assoc. Annual Ball Speakeasy Event, 2pm, Humanities 133

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Health Sciences Students Happy Hour, 4-6pm. DeCafe

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Health Sciences Students Happy Hour, 4-6pm. DeCafe

FUSA’s Relax and Brunch Days are free events for students. If you would like your Flinders University event in the calendar, contact us at empire.times@flinders. edu.au

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Tri-School Tournament Quiz Night, University of Adelaide 7-11pm

Prez Dispenser

The Student Council President (“Prez”) is the official spokesperson of students and the Student Council. They make representations on behalf of students to the university, media, government, and external organisations.

James Vigus In my experience, it doesn’t take much exploration of students’ experiences to unearth problems of discrimination, hardship or exploitation that are crying out for action. Like any justice-seeking explorer, my own investigations often start with a casual conversation— usually it will be in the coffee queue, in a class during those precious minutes while the lecturer inevitably sorts out their IT issues, or on the bus home. During these encounters I hear all sorts of troubling anecdotes. As President, people often seek me out to recall incidents of concern or come and speak with other representatives or student counsellors.

Of course at FUSA we also make an effort to hear these stories in a more systematic way—through surveys and investigations for instance. Recently, the student council worked very hard conducting the National Union of Students (NUS) student quality survey. This survey is designed to document student experiences of campus life at Australian universities in 2015. The results of this survey contained, amongst other data, individual antidotes.

Amongst the piles of completed surveys, there was one response about a student’s experience of campus life that stood out to our Education Officer, Caleb Pattinson. This student, no doubt horrified by what they saw, reported witnessing a racist attack on a Muslim student at Flinders culminating in her Hijab being ripped off her head.

Although in one sense this was an isolated attack on our campus, it does speak rather loudly of a pattern of Islamophobia that is broader and more common in our community. One only has to turn on the TV to see the constant stream of commentary about Muslims to know that this group is being singled out and scrutinised in ways that are intrusive and racist. Unfortunately, the aforementioned attack at Flinders is not the first racially violent act that has occurred here. In late 2014, a number of Muslim women were physically assaulted. Again, their headscarves were removed and they were spat on and verbally abused.

I want to explore the issue of racism, in particular anti-Muslim racism and the way it has manifested in our community. There is a common perception that Islamophobia is the product of ignorance and symptomatic of the attitudes held mainly by people ‘out in the suburbs’.

Recently I was the spokesperson for a large counterdemonstration against the racist, ultra-nationalist ‘Reclaim Australia’ group who organised a ridiculous protest in Adelaide against Islam, Mosques, Halal food and in support of so-called ‘Aussie pride’. It’s not that surprising that on the same day federal government MPs spoke at similar racist gatherings of the Reclaim Australia group—a group who obviously feel they have the tacit sanction of the government.

It’s clear that Tony Abbott and his right-wing shock-jock mates in the corporate media have being trying to stir the pot of Islamophobia for some time now. Take for instance the maniacal way they seized the comments of Zaky Mallah on the ABC show Q&A, and constructed a narrative from these surrounding the boogey-man of ‘Muslim extremism’.

The racism against Muslims in Australia comes from the top down. The ‘people in the suburbs’ themselves are victims of Abbott’s austerity measures, rising unemployment and increased marginalisation, and when they accept some of the nonsense peddled about Muslims by groups like Reclaim Australia (because people in power make their arguments seem legitimate), it just goes to show the extent to which racism is indoctrinated into some sectors of the community.

I encourage all students to explore why our government espouses such Islamophobia, and explore ways of showing your defiance to it. I have no doubt that, aside from exploring the air in expensive chartered helicopters, the government is still exploring new and creative ways to whip up prejudice—such is their style. Our job is to bring their helicopter jaunt to the ground.

- James Vigus, Student Council President

5 curious as to what et looked like through history? check out special collections at the library or ask the eds!

technologica Space: The Final Frontier

by Kevin Clark

Yes, this is about technology and not Star Trek.

Several days before writing this, New Horizons passed Pluto and showed to us all what a loving (dwarf) planet it really is. In fact, if you look at the photo, you can even see it’s big heart pinned to its front. All of this based off of an interplanetary game of pinball that NASA plays with their space probes, launching them in one direction and calculating that they will successfully just miss hitting Pluto in a different direction in 10 years time. Even further out, the Voyager space probes are still kicking (transmitting) decades after their original mission plan. But is awe-inspiring space science just for big organisations like NASA? Earlier this year, one of my favourite science personalities, Bill Nye, launched a Kickstarter to fund an expedition into space based off LightSail technology. The concept? That just as some of the early explorers of the globe sailed with wind in their sails, robots will soon be exploring our solar neighbourhood in a similar way. Not only will they be able to use light in the way traditional ships use wind, but these ships will also never run out of fuel, and have the potential to reach increasingly high speeds as there is very little in space to slow them down.

we can take part in this next wave of community space exploration. In the United States, schools have the opportunity to send their designs during various competitions and promotions to NASA, the Planetary Society, and other organisations to have the opportunity to see their project launched.

Increasingly, with private organisations like Space X taking growing roles, the move for space exploration has moved away from government.

Space budgets around the world are on the decline and it is important to consider how we will find different ways to engage the public in this growing sector. After all, space exploration has so far brought us now ubiquitous technology and economic growth beyond initial investments and there is still plenty left to explore.

AUTHOR Kevin Clark, 20, Bachelor of Engineering (Software) At the top of his travel bucketlist, Kevin says is Mars. Short of that, Europe would do.

This will all be enabled by a massive (32mx32m) piece of material propelling a satellite the size of a bread loaf. The best part was that almost this entire mission was crowd funded. People like you could be sending their money to our mate Bill or other crowd funded missions, for the excitement of receiving their mission patch and seeing the results of the satellite launched into space—all this without having to put down your cup of coffee.

Cubesats are small satellites of standardised sizes, which make up projects like LightSail, allowing them to be attached to existing launch programs cheaply and regularly. This allows anyone with an idea and spare time to design and construct an experiment to be performed in space and have a chance at having it launched into orbit. While we can’t all build our own LightSails (although the schematics are being released)

7

Politik

Unemployment: Whose problem is this?

South Australia. The home of Fruchocs, Farmers Union Iced Coffee, and Mad March, but not of booming employment. As it stands, in June of this year South Australia has the highest rate of unemployment in the country. Grave statistics such as 8.2% unemployment, the highest rate of unemployment in South Australia for fifteen years, has everyone concerned, especially those hoping to enter the workforce. South Australia is entering a troubling time for the economy and sadly new graduates, like myself who finish their degree at the end of this year, have cause for concern. Though Premier Jay Weatherill has tried to maintain a positive outlook, when he has been asked about the increasingly high rate of unemployment, he said there is still worse to come; particularly with the closure of Holden manufacturing by 2017. Ultimately, those most affected so far have been males in the manufacturing and mining professions, particularly those in rural areas, but unfortunately that will no longer be the case.

South Australia’s economy must go through a transition from manufacturing to a new, less resource based alternative as has been promised by the Weatherill government. The Weatherill government have already made attempts to prop up jobs, one example being huge infrastructure builds around the city, such as the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, Southern expressway upgrade, impending Tonsley to Tonsley roadwork project at the intersection of South and Sturt Roads by Flinders University, and upgrades to the Adelaide Convention Center which hopes to attract future international conventions. Yet this is still not enough to counteract the impending job losses to come.

Whilst this is a short term solution to ensure that there are jobs available, and continuing once the end of these infrastructure builds arrives, the jobs become absent and alternatives are few and far between. The State Government is attempting to put in place longer terms solutions such as an investment fund of $20.15 million in order to increase production and business.

The fund, chaired by Adelaide Crows chairman Rob Chapman has been given the task of increasing employment and business confidence. Nevertheless the effects of such endeavours are still a long way off.

The State Government hasn’t had much help from the Federal Government, who have placed a ban on renewable energy investments, in particular wind and solar. The Federal Government has also avoided committing to invest more money in building a new line of submarines in SA, a contract which would be held by Australian Submarine Corporation, employing over 2,600 permanent workers, a large chunk of whom reside in South Australia. This, along with the decision to finish assisting the car industries, solidifying the end of these companies building in Australia, all bode quite badly. The Weatherill government has called on the Federal Government to assist them in this troubling time of unemployment saying there should be a ‘South Australian North Adelaide plan rather than a Northern Australia plan.’

Business SA CEO Nigel McBride has called these new unemployment results a crisis, and urges the State and Federal governments to take immediate action. McBride is calling for a Jobs Package from the Federal Government which ‘would be a

range of things, from payroll tax reform to specific incentives to employ young people, to bringing back payroll tax exemption and work cover exemption for things like trainees.’ The recent tax reform measures have been welcomed by businesses, but are not quick enough to change the direction things are headed now, which according to McBride is into double digit unemployment.

The opposition have been venomous in their attack of the Weatherill Government, arguing that after 12 years in power the economy is in it’s worst position for over a decade. State Liberals are pushing for payroll tax cuts and a reversal and reduction of the Emergency Services Levy introduced in the 2014-15 state budget. Weatherill has been accused by the Shadow Treasurer Rob Lucas of ‘throwing in the towel’, when it comes to unemployment and called for more radical action to turn the economy around.

All of this news comes after Joe Hockey sensitively stated that if first homebuyers wanted to enter into the market than they should ‘get a good job that pays good money.’ I think South Australia, whilst one of the more affordable states to live in, is going to be in serious trouble if we can’t even get the ‘job’ part of ‘good job’. It is obvious that the federal reaction to the growing unemployment problem in South Australia has been minimal and worse yet, it is unlikely to garner a response until it is too late. This is possibly due to the friction felt by the State Labor government meeting a Federal Liberal Government very opposed to working with the ‘enemy’. Hopefully COAG talks and discussions begin a fresh start in talks as according to Weatherill this is where a solution to the ever escalating problem can be found.

All this grim talk about unemployment is why students who will soon be either new to the workforce, new to full-time roles, or returning to the workforce, need to be prepared for the hardship to come. This is now a shameless plug for the Careers Centre at Flinders (flinders.edu.au/careers), which offers great programs, such as the Flinders Connect Mentoring program which puts you in contact with a professional in the field you wish to enter, great tools for development like the online Skill Development Certificate, and advice on how to work towards securing a job.

In order for South Australia to succeed and become competitive with the other states once again, it is vital that the students that enter the workforce have the tools to reinvigorate SA with new ideas, ambitions and entrepreneurship.

If it is old thinking and being out of step that has landed SA in this position, it needs to be South Australians that start thinking of how the new and transitioning economy will work.

Whilst a lot of this will take time, and it will be predominately on the shoulders of the State and Federal Government to see the state through the most difficult period of this, there must never be doubt that standing still is not the option, and neither is thinking inside the square.

AUTHOR Emma Cresdee, 20, Bachelor of Arts At the top of her bucket list Emma says is visiting Europe, which she plans to do for all of next year!

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- Equality -

SPEAKING FOR YOURSELF AND THE PROBLEM WITH BIAS Opinions by Jonno Revanche

The greater cultural narrative of “oppression” appears to have inspired a number of literary trends over time. I’ve been observing it for a while, and whether it’s on The Guardian, Vice, Dailylife, or some other website, there are people in the hundreds pretending to be the authority on topics that they have never really experienced. Sometimes this can be ok, but I have to ask the question of how ethical this is. This could be about racism, like Aboriginal or Indigenous issues in Australia, or it could be as simple as a straight person talking about homophobia.

While academics can collate the experiences of many people to create their hypothesis, it still means that there can be an inherent bias that goes into the writing when it doesn’t come from the target group. The most insidious kind of discrimination can often be subtle, ingrained, accidental, so, in my opinion it’s best to let people affected by hardship have the mic to themselves whenever possible. With recent dialogues about entitlement (especially in creative spaces) happening more frequently, especially on the Internet, we are forced to address it as “activists”, as writers, as people who are sharing in a public dialogue.

This dialogue, for the most part, centres around ownership. Do we truly own our experiences, and is it unfair to draw upon the experiences of others to get a point across? Is it ethical, particularly when the person we’re speaking for doesn’t often have a platform? Are we being exploitative?

Generally, when we’re writing about institutional oppression, we have to draw upon the testimonies of the people affected by this oppression. The ethics of our arguments are, structurally, quite weak if we’re not referring to the people most affected. What is the point otherwise? Even if we’re referring to academic studies or texts that are based upon these experiences and testimonials, if we’re not getting it firsthand from the source, how legitimate is this kind of writing? Does it have any real value if it’s excluding the people most affected by it?

It just removes the humanity from what we’re writing about, making it more about writer credibility and shallow debate.

So, is it ok for someone who doesn’t have direct experience of a certain kind of oppression to talk about an issue so sensitive? It’s a difficult question to answer, especially considering how essential it is as a writer to explore new ground and break down barriers. In a way, we have the privilege of getting new concepts out into the world, reaching audiences that might not have heard of them. On the other hand, is it really necessary to share these messages anyway? Some topics don’t need western validation, or more specifically, recognition from outside sources in order to be considered relevant. These are all very tricky questions, but can be answered by listening to the feelings and thoughts of the people around us.

In my own life, I feel the most actualised when I can speak for myself and have the platform to do so. Generally I don’t want

people talking for me, unless I don’t have the energy. Unfortunately a lot of the time people, especially cis and straight people, do it when it’s unwarranted.

Privilege means that they assume their voice is more inherently powerful. It’s actually just perceived that way, and in a more cultural sense that’s how we’ve been taught to think. Unfortunately, this spills over to the way people address things in even the most “progressive” spaces.

It’s white savourism - or, the attitude of a lot of white people that non-white people explicitly need our help to survive and achieve a better quality of life. This attitude is not entirely constructive, and one has to wonder what the intentions are behind this kind of approach.

This is not to say that we should only talk about the things we’re affected by. A lot of the time, people affected by oppression do not have the time, or emotional energy to address it in that way—they’re too busy living their lives and dealing with those things. A lot of the time, there call for representation in media (books, movies, video games, etc.) for non white-straightmale demographics which would rely on the white-straight-men in those industries addressing issues that don’t affect them.

With every issue or idea that comes to the fore, we have to think whether our voice is needed. It is situational and depends on the details. It always has to come back to what the person most affected feels.

If they need to be passed the mic, then that’s what needs to happen. If they need people to fight on their behalf, then that should be the better option.

In recent times I’ve become critical of myself and of other white people who have access to literary spaces. I’ve listened to trans women of colour, as a non-binary person. I’ve realised that we need to talk about our privilege, be aware of it, and recognise how it’s a part of our society, and how our society is structured.

These kinds of dialogues are empty without this recognition.

It often doesn’t come down to just “knowing the right amount of social theory.” It means self-awareness, kindness, lessening your ego, and realising when it’s time to step down and listen instead. We have so much to learn, always.

AUTHOR Jonno Revanche, 23, Counselling

“

Is it ok for someone who doesn’t have direct experience of a certain kind of oppression to talk about an issue so sensitive? It’s a difficult question to answer, especially considering how essential it is as a writer to explore new ground and break down barriers.

“

Conversations are so important. Empathy is so important. Listening is one of the most important things we can do as allies.

As a queer person I want people to listen to me when I’m talking, and provide me the space to do so, instead of looking for kudos and “I am good person” points.

Unfortunately, this really does not do much to help any cause. The ideas often get diluted by their own views and power.

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OPENLY SEXUAL

Getting to know you, getting to know all

about you! with Emma Sachsse As Mistress M I used to sign off with ‘Love yourself, touch yourself and be good to each other’. I did this because it was an excellent piece of advice. To be a good lover and to enjoy sex, you really need to start with an appreciation of yourself, your body and what turns you on. The old adage—‘How can anyone love you if you can’t love yourself?’—is especially true when it comes to sex and masturbation.

Unfortunately, masturbation starts getting weird for most of us at some point or another. We can start as early as infants (there are even reports that say we start in the womb) and most young children will explore their bodies. So we are all good with it until our parents notice and freak out or get embarrassed. Most new parents don’t get told that their precious, innocent child will play with their genitals. They’re also not told that this is a pleasurable act, rather than a particularly sexual one. So they freak out and tell you to stop, and you—being the perceptive little thing that you are—pick up on their embarrassment and learn to be ashamed of touching your genitals. Of course, as a teenager you will probably get over that and start touching them again, but for a lot of us there is still an element of shame, fear (if your parents reacted angrily) or just a vague feeling that your genitals are “dirty”.

Your parents aren’t at fault. No one warned them that you might touch yourself; no one told them that they shouldn’t feel weird when you do. If they were better prepared, they could comfortably and calmly tell you, ‘Touching your genitals is fine, but it’s best reserved for when you’re alone,’ whilst saying to themselves, ‘Please don’t do it in front of me again because it makes me feel weird and icky.’

can give you some pointers about new ways to masturbate if you are having trouble thinking of any on your own. Enjoy yourself. Trust yourself. Love yourself.

The other way masturbation can be fun is when you do it in front of or with someone else. Not only is it incredibly sexy, but by showing your partner what turns you on, you can teach them how to touch you and vice versa. You can also try slowing down and touching one another. If you take away any pressures to have sex or orgasm you can learn so much more about each other.

For those of you still uncomfortable with masturbation, at least take the time to get to know yourself—if not in a sexual way, then sensually. Appreciate yourself; discover your body through sight and touch. You are stuck with this body for quite a while so try and get comfortable with it. A lot of us (I am guessing about half) haven’t really had a good look at our genitals and some of us don’t even know what they feel like.

Check them out, get comfortable with how they look, feel and react. You explore your ears and nose; why not your genitals?

And yes, when I am imploring you to explore I admit I am mainly talking to women. Lets face it, you men seem to be pretty familiar with your equipment, but I am sure you too could benefit (and enjoy) from some more prolonged, detailed investigation.

Whatever you choose to do; love yourself, touch yourself and be good to yourself—then you can work on being good to others!

Suggestions for a get to know me/you session: • Massage oil • Hand mirror • Feathers or silk • Time • Privacy • Flattering light Suggestions for a masturbation/exploration of self/each other: • Lube • Patience • Vibrators

This scenario may be why you feel like masturbation is a naughty indulgence. Alternatively, it may just be society’s fault or your religions’. I want you to try and allow yourself to be okay with it. Stop making it a furtive secret to be done efficiently and quickly. Start treating yourself as someone who deserves to experience the full gamut of being a sexual being.

Begin exploring your body and take your time with it. Stop thinking that you should be striving for an orgasm. Instead, strive to discover new sensations, new erogenous zones, new methods, techniques, and fantasies. By using the same technique or the same stimulation each time, you are training your brain to only respond to one thing. If you do that for too long it can lead to less fun when you are ready to explore new things sexually. For instance, if you only ever use Johnny Depp or Ruby Rose as a ‘lock in’, you need to expand your wank bank. Try someone new (or many new ‘someones’). If you only ever use Tony Abbott, get some professional help. Even if you identify as straight and vanilla, this is a time when you can safely explore new territory. There are plenty of websites that

• Dildos • Fleshlight • Erotica • “Lovers Guide” DVD’s (can be sexy and educational or hilarious— especially the really old ones) • Ben Wa balls • Detachable shower head • Different strokes and pressures

AUTHOR Emma Sachsse, 42, Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) Emma doesn’t want to travel anywhere in a bucket but she still hasn’t been to China or Russia...

ARTWORK Amber Hall

13

- Feminism -

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT Representations of women, people of colour, and transgender people in Hollywood (film and television) (Mis)representations in Hollywood and on the big screen…

by Eleanor Danenberg Hollywood is a white boys club, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why this is a problem. It’s important to have a diverse and realistic representation of characters when it comes to race, gender, sexuality, and appearances (i.e. characters with physical disabilities, or characters who don’t fit the stock standard Hollywood body measurements); and it’s also important that the people behind the script and the camera are diverse too.

The people working behind the scenes are not only responsible for how the characters will look, but also for putting the words in their mouths, which gives them a lot of power. The issue of representation is a big one; whose voice is being heard, and who is doing the speaking? Can white directors, producers, and screenwriters accurately represent African American characters?

The same questions can be asked of cisgender production teams representing transgender characters, or male-run projects representing female characters.

The statistics are telling when it comes to the underrepresentation of women and people of colour in film: women directed 17 of the 250 top-grossing films of 2014; first time television episode directors are 82% male and 87% white; and of the 100 top-grossing films of 2013, women made up only 30% of characters, 29% of speaking parts, and only 15% of protagonist lead roles. The position of women as a minority in Hollywood is made clear by the fact that there are designated ‘Women in Hollywood’ events. At the 2014 ‘Elle Women in Hollywood’ event, Jennifer Garner (after oddly being presented by a male actor, Steve Carell) made a passionate speech about sexism in the film industry. She stated, ‘The fact that there even needs to be a Women in Hollywood event is a little bit sad. I mean, the men in Hollywood event is every day—it’s called Hollywood’.

She went on to add that ‘51% of the population should not have to schedule a special event to celebrate the fact that in an art that tells the story of what it means to be human and alive, we get to play a part.’

While women, people of colour, and transgender people are often misrepresented, and underrepresented in Hollywood, progress is being made. An all-female Australian production company, The Doll House Collective, has been formed by five Australian stars, including Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids, Spy, Bad Neighbours), and Gracie Otto, an actress/producer/writer/director, whose documentary films have received international acclaim. Byrne has stressed the importance of a company that is run by women in film and for women in film; one that takes women’s careers and contributions seriously and encourages collaboration and support among women.

African American actress Viola Davis, and star of the primetime television series How To Get Away With Murder, was named a few years ago as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World

by Time Magazine, and for good reason. She is a Tony and SAG award winner, and a Golden Globe, Emmy, BAFTA, and Academy Award nominee; and while it may seem minor, she insisted on a script change in a How To Get Away With Murder episode, which rocked audiences and critics worldwide. The script called for Davis’ character to remove her make up at the end of the night, but the actress insisted that the character also remove her wig, revealing her natural hair beneath. The scene involved the complicated character of Annalise Keating removing her make up, which symbolically can be seen as her armour, and her public self. Davis, taking it one step further and removing her wig, made a cultural statement to reveal her natural ‘afro’, which are rarely shown on network television. Through this, Davis exposed and temporarily rejected the white beauty standards imposed on women of colour—and it was a raw, honest, and artistic moment in television.

Another significant moment in Hollywood recently has been the subversive television series Transparent, which revolves around a family and their lives after their father (Arrested Development’s Jeffrey Tambor) comes out as transgender. The show only aired in 2014, but it has already won two Golden Globes, a significant congratulatory nod toward the show’s creator and directors, who are all female. The creator of the show, Jill Soloway, was inspired by her own transgender father’s experiences, and she incorporated transgender people into the production of the show; Soloway hired over 80 transgender people to work on the show (including transgender consultants and an openly transgender writer for the show), and all of the bathrooms on set were gender neutral. Transparent is a unique project that will hopefully set a precedent in the industry, to represent characters as accurately as possible; who better to write and portray transgender characters than a team of transgender consultants and writers?

While Hollywood is still predominantly a white boys club, projects like those listed above are working to change that; they are working to create a more inclusive, supportive environment, where viewers see characters on the screen that can accurately represent them. Things can only go up from here.

AUTHOR Eleanor Danenberg, 19, Bachelor of Arts (High Achievers) At the top of her travel bucket list, Eleanor says is the USA, specifically New York and Seattle.

- Feminism -

But I trusted them !

Considering Consent and Shame Words by Kaisha Wyld

“

I have taken nude photos of myself and sent them to lovers. I’ve taken nude

Ignoring the fact it is illegal to hack private messages, illegal to display images of someone without their consent, and to both store and distribute child pornography, many media outlets asked (directly and indirectly) why the images had been taken in the first place. If the images didn’t exist, then they couldn’t have appeared on a webpage, and everybody’s dignity would be preserved. Very few public discussions occurred on the wrongdoing of the people who actually broke the law—instead the heat was directed at the women who had consented to share an image of their body with someone they once trusted.

For me, it is incredibly clear that revenge porn should be illegal in the same way that blackmail and fraud is.

The victim must never be blamed for the unfortunate nature of others who have sought to hurt and damage their reputation. However, there are two other issues that not many people consider when it comes to revenge porn: consent and shame.

People had consented to share their image with someone they trusted, and only that person. Similar to the consent of sexual activity, this consent is not transferrable except at the discretion of the person who originally provided that consent. For example, Jordan consents to both sharing images of their body and sexual acts with Charlie. Based on social convention, it would be Jordan’s fault if Charlie shared these images with Sam without Jordan’s consent, but Charlie would be at fault if they invited Sam to engage in sexual acts with Jordan without Jordan’s consent. Consent is non-transferrable in all definitions of the word, and it doesn’t seem well-known that sharing personal images is an act of consent. Both the sender and receiver consent to the sharing of images, and if consent has not been provided, the violator of consent is the person at fault.

photos of myself when I’m bored. I’ve taken nude photos just because I have a smart phone and it’s fun. None of that means I have asked for my privacy to be violated, my photos stolen and my very self made available for public humiliation and judgment. Consent is everything. — Clementine Ford

“

This year an individual in the USA collected nude and semi-nude images of Australian women and potentially underage girls, from private messages and revengeseeking ex partners. The images were displayed online for the whole world to see and accompanied by the individuals’ names and cities. As they appeared on an American-based webpage, the perpetrator is out of reach of the local law jurisdiction.

Revenge porn, to be ‘successful’ in enacting revenge, rests on shame. It is incredibly shameful to have your private images distributed without consent, yet why is this? People are encouraged to embrace their bodies, except when that embrace includes sex and sexuality.

Where does this shame of nudity come from? This in itself is a huge topic; I propose that the shame of revenge porn comes in bulk from the violation of consent. In much the same way that rape is about enacting power over a vulnerable person, revenge porn uses shame to enact oppression.

So what do we do now? Do we ignore revenge porn? Remind people to stop taking nude images of themselves? I suggest that next time revenge porn is in the spotlight, we make the conversation about the criminals, and not the victims.

AUTHOR Kaisha Wyld, 22, Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) On top of her travel bucket list, Kaisha says is Italy—the food, the art, the history.

15

- Get Smart -

TRUST YOUR COMPASS “What we have to remember is that we can do anything. We can change our minds. We can start over. The notion that it’s too late to do anything is comical. It’s hilarious. We can’t, we must not lose this sense of possibility because in the end, it’s all we have.”

- Marina Keegan, The Opposite of Loneliness

I have lived my life backwards.

By the time I was the age of most new uni graduates I had already been engaged, married and had birthed three children, and none of those big life events followed the typical order in any way. I spent most of my adult life raising kids and not exploring—at least, not in the traditional way.

Our sole overseas trip was a pre-wedding honeymoon to Bali in 2000. It was before September 11 or the Bali Bombings; before terrorism was thrust into the global spotlight; before Schapelle Corby or the Bali Nine. I was five months pregnant at the time and quite the attraction to the local sellers. The women would touch my belly, immediately initiate a conversation about their own children, and knock several thousand rupiah off the price of whatever we were naively attempting to buy. Travel was simpler and cheaper, the people were perpetually happy, and Paddy’s Pub and the Sari Club still stood.

Generally speaking, people think of exploration in terms of a change of location. Backpackers trudging through Europe, or exciting and cheap wanderings through South East Asia spring to mind. If you’re lucky enough to have already done some travelling, then it’s a life experience that will stay with you forever and I’m incredibly jealous (no, seriously, I am).

But exploration isn’t just about discovering new places. At the risk of sounding completely arty-farty, it’s also about discovering who you are becoming within those experiences. It is entirely possible to be an explorer just going about your daily life. Trust me, I know.

For a large portion of the Flinders student body, starting (or returning to) a degree isn’t as simple as finishing high school, praying for a good ATAR, and applying to your course of choice.

For some, myself included, walking into a lecture theatre and sitting amongst the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed is an act of exploration. We have no idea what we’re doing either. We’ve managed to survive several years—sometimes decades—of adulthood, and our wanderlust just happens to manifest when we open a history book, or listen to a lecture, or walk amongst the library stacks in a Redbull-induced haze after sitting up with a sick child all night. We explore with our minds before we ever explore with our eyes.

Explorers of the past wrote down their discoveries as a blueprint for those who would come after them. In this grand tradition, here are some of my case notes from 30-something years as an explorer.

You are not the sum of your past mistakes.

Your decisions are not set in stone.

You are not a collection of lost opportunities.

It’s okay to change your mind.

You don’t need to know your ‘end game’ yet.

It’s a good thing to ditch that crappy boyfriend or toxic best friend.

It’s an act of bravery to embark on a new path in life, or study.

You are precisely where you need to be.

Some of the best discoveries you will ever make in your life happen when you burn the map.

AUTHOR Karen Smart, ‘On the flip side of 30, Bachelor of Arts (History/ Creative Writing) On the top of her travel bucket list Karen says is Europe with a backpack, Moleskine notebook and camera.

‘Explore’ Photography by Matthew Bird

17

The Aussies v The Brits, who comes out on top?

Politics, by and large in any country, has the same common elements; a somewhat-elected person leading some other elected people, who make decisions on behalf of the people who voted for them.

Every so often an election is held to make sure voters think the right people have power, and the wrong people do not. We can usually see the process whereby our elected representatives make decisions that affect us, and our opinions are usually formed around what we see on television and read in the paper.

Pretty standard stuff right? For example, when looking at Australia and the United Kingdom one would think the two political systems would be fairly similar; England settling Australia, their Queen is our Queen, we are all in the Commonwealth and we all believe in democracy. Simple?

Not that simple. In fact, the differences between the two political systems are so vast sometimes you need a translation book just to get a grasp on what is going on.

First up, what is with voluntary voting? In a political system set up to represent the people, how is that even possible if not everyone votes? Australia has had compulsory voting at national elections

since 1924, and state elections not long after that, which means even if you decide to draw expletives and waste your vote, you still have to get your name marked off. One might argue that the mere act of forcing someone to take part in the voting process infringes on their democratic right to resist. My argument to that is, no one is forcing you to mark the paper, no one is forcing you to vote in a particular way and no one is allowed to ask you who you voted for, eliminating the threat of being persecuted for voting in a particular way.

Furthermore, in a number of countries around the world, including Australia, at some point minority groups deemed the right to vote so important they fought and died for the right; some were stigmatised and others were tortured to within an inch of their life. If you choose not to vote, you are doing a disservice to humanity.

Another crazy difference I struggled to wrap my head around is why the day on which elections are held differs. Australians also hold elections on a Saturday (mainly to capitalise on BBQ sales and bake stalls obviously), not on a Thursday when most people work and struggle to make it to polling stations before they close! While holding elections on the weekend is perhaps a concession for forcing people to vote, it generally does seem inconvenient to most people to hold elections on a Thursday.

An obvious, important sidenote are shift workers

or those who work unusual hours. However, unfortunately they would be at a disadvantage no matter when elections were held. Moreover to counteract this predicament, pre-poll voting stations are set up and voters are also able to utilise the wonders of a postal vote.

Furthermore, having polling stations open until 10pm, as they do in the United Kingdom, messes with the sleeping pattern of every political junkie and election guru who only hopes to go to bed on election night after the results are in; way past their bed time, unless of course that political junkie is currently residing in another time zone, in which case, good going! While again, this is an obvious allowance for holding elections on a Thursday, those who want to celebrate a win, or console themselves after losing, cannot do so as they must front up to work just mere hours after the vote has been counted.

Moving on to how votes are counted, by using the First Past the Post voting system as they do in the UK, it means that even if you cast a ballot, you may not end up having any preference towards the elected candidate, as only first preference votes are counted. In Australia however, generally speaking, the system of Preferential Voting (while flawed in its own ways) ensures, even if marginally, every voter has some degree of preference towards the winner, which in a democracy is what the founding fathers envisioned, as democracy means that everyone has a chance to be heard. While no voting system is perfect, it seems to me that indicating at least some level of preference for the successful candidate no matter how superficial is a much better trade-off than the outcomes of First Part the Post. I must note however, that there is some evidence to suggest this may not always be the case.

Once you arrive in the chamber, all those in the Upper House in the UK are either appointed or have a hereditary right to sit, whereas here, another name for the Upper House is the States House, designed to allow the states and territories to exclusively have a say in national matters. Some people are unaware of this fact, but if all the current members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords sat in their respective chambers in the United Kingdom they would not all fit; that fact alone baffles even the most politically-minded here. Why elect (or appoint) more members than will fit? Our obvious solution was to build a bigger building next to the original one, something which is geographically not a viable option on the banks of the Thames. In the Lower House here, we have 150 members compared to 650 in the UK and the Upper House consists of 76 Senators compared to a whopping 793 Lords, Ladies and Peers. That being said, the motions and procedures that take place inside the chamber are remarkably similar in both parliaments, despite all their other differences.

All in all, Australian and British politics have similar overarching systems but the devil and differences are in the details. Aussies would say our system is more democratic but the British system pays more of a homage to its rich history. Neither is better, but it is just one more thing to talk about other than the Ashes‌.

AUTHOR Laura Telford, 20, Bachelor of Arts (High Achievers) At the top of her travel bucketlist, Laura says is going inside the German and Hungary parliaments, and the US congress.

19

A hair journey for Avcon: Becoming Wendy This year, AVCon was held from Friday the 17th of July to Sunday the 19th at the Adelaide Convention Centre. For those who don’t know, AVCon stands for Anime and Video Convention and is heaven on earth if you’re into anything animated, but in particular Japanese anime and manga. It’s a convention where your inner geek gets to run wild and no one will call you out for it. In fact, you’re out of place if you don’t let your inner geek run wild.

AVCon is pretty much like The Royal Adelaide Show but rather than animals and rides, it purely relates to anime, manga, and games. There are stalls everywhere selling things from badges and keyrings, to replica swords and armour. In addition, there are screening rooms where various anime and movies are played, and gaming rooms for board and card games, as well as console gaming areas. Another main feature of AVCon is the cosplay competitions.

People enter these competitions and dress as their favourite characters with as much accuracy and detail in the costume as possible. Some people spend the entire year working on their outfit and their effort totally pays off.

I first went to AVCon back in 2013, but I didn’t get to go last year as my only friend who would have come with me was in America. This year, I was so caught up in uni work that I thought I wasn’t going to have time to even think about going, until about a month and a half beforehand when my friend, back from America, said ‘we should go to AVCon’. Nothing stresses you out quite like doing five topics, when everything’s due all at once, while having a part time job and trying to organise and create your cosplay outfit at the same time.

This year I went to AVCon as the same character I did in 2013 —twelve year-old Wendy Marvell from Fairy Tail —but this time, in order to be authentic, I decided to dye my hair blue. In 2013, I attempted to dye my hair blue with a temporary colour. Owing to the fact that my hair is dark brown, however, the colour didn’t take.

My hair went a sort of a violet-grey, then almost black, before going back to normal – all within the space of three days. So when my friend said that we should go this year, I knew what I needed to do: bleach my hair.

Over the years, I haven’t been very creative or outlandish with my hair. Back in primary school, when it was the in-thing, my mum used to put in blonde and I dyed it back to brown once I had decided to abandon the streaks. I also temporarily dyed it red once, which didn’t show up very much unless I was in the sun; so deciding to bleach my hair was a huge thing.

Weeks before actually bleaching and dyeing my hair, I asked my manager at work if I’d be able to work with blue hair and, to my complete surprise, he said yes. Our agreement was however, that it would just be for the weekend and that I’d dye it back to a natural colour shortly after. As we already had two people away on holidays over the AVCon weekend, and since we work together waitressing, my friend and I were unable to take the time off, hence why I asked for permission to dye my hair, as I knew I’d be working whilst it was blue.

Come Friday the 17th, my friend and I went shopping and bought everything we needed, and from then on everything was rush, rush, rush. Bleaching my hair took a lot longer than we expected; while my hair is quite fine, it’s also quite long, reaching halfway down my back when fully straightened. Due to this, sectioning my hair and making sure all the roots were covered took a long time. I’d always thought I wouldn’t suit blonde hair, but I was curious to know what it would look like. After getting out the shower, I knew for certain that blonde didn’t work for me at all.

When my apricot blonde hair was dry, it was time to add the blue.

We started applying the blue at four o’clock and at five we had to be out the door leaving for work. We were feeling the pressure.

Fifteen minutes before needing to leave for work, I jumped in the shower and, in my mad rush to wash the dye out as quickly as possible, I forgot to wash my hair away from my body. My hands looked like they’d been washed in ink and my nails remained blue even after vigorous scrubbing. After getting out of the shower (at about three minutes to five), my friend hair dried my hair while my mum and I furiously scrubbed at my blue (da ba dee da ba die) face.

In the end, my make-up covered the majority of the blue left on my face, but the blue on my back, stomach, and legs had to wait until Saturday morning.

As I started work first on Friday night, I got to see the reactions of my fellow workers as they all came in. And it was totally worth it.

‘Oh my god’, ‘wow’, ‘you actually did it’, and—from my supervisor who wouldn’t stop saying it all night—‘your hair is fucking BLUE’. At least, those were the guys’ reactions. From the girls I got numerous comments of ‘oh my gosh, I love it’ and ‘I really want to dye my hair again’. From customers I received trying-to-be-subtle-but-it’s-notworking looks and one comment directly to me about how cool she thought it looked.

On Monday the 20th, I dyed my hair chestnut brown, though it really turned out more chestnut (reddish) than brown, but at least it’s more natural than blue. Dyeing my hair blue was quite an experience and, while it made my character work for AVCon and the looks I received were entertaining, there was a downside: blue everywhere. My nails were stained blue for the entire weekend and only now (three days after dyeing my hair red-brown) are back to normal. Every time I touched my hair to rearrange it, my hands would come away blue and the necks of all the shirts I wore were also attacked by the colour. My shower and towel are in dire need of a thorough clean and even my hair brush has changed colour.

Despite all of these complications, I don’t regret dyeing my hair for one minute. In fact, I rather liked it blue and, if it wasn’t for the colour leaching into everything, I probably would have stayed a bluenette for a whole lot longer.

AUTHOR Tamsin Alexander, 20, Bachelor of Behavioural Science At the top of her bucket list, Tamsin says is going to the UK because she won’t be judged there for the copious amounts of tea she drinks.

21

LIFE ON A FARM During my first semester studying here at Flinders, many people were surprised to hear where I live when they met me. Most students find it more convenient to live in the vicinity of the city or Bedford Park, like I know most of my friends do. However, that’s not my case.

I live about an hour away from Flinders in the small country town known as Birdwood, mostly known for the National Motor Museum. There, my family owns a 20 acre hobby farm where we not only hold the usual household pets, such as dogs, cats, rabbits and birds, but we also own about 12 horses; some rescued from the desert and others that we have bred. Also housed among our menagerie, I own a miniature pig (which isn’t so miniature), an abnormally large goat, and a rescued turtle and joey.

As you would have guessed, this keeps me unbelievably busy; attempting to balance my studies at uni, a boyfriend and the animals, but I really wouldn’t have it any other way.

All my animals have their own story, habits and party tricks.

Many of the animals that are a part of our big family are rescued.

Jet, who is my own dog and perhaps not the sharpest tool in the shed, was adopted when I realised that the neighbours could no longer keep him. Other members of our family who were rescued include our two desert brumbies, Jewl and Yulara. These two were allegedly caught, put on semi-trailers and driven down to a major sale yard. Here some horses are lucky enough to be saved by the amazing efforts of private rescue groups, however some are not.

Jewl and Yulara were thankfully, and were shipped to a brumby rescue sanctuary.

There, my mum found and adopted them and brought them home to join the rest of the herd. Horses and dogs aren’t the only animals that we come across and adopt. I guess you could also think of our hobby farm as a sanctuary for native wildlife.

When driving along country roads, it’s inevitable to come across road kill, whether it be birds, possums or kangaroos. It’s incredibly important that people stop and check road kill especially possums or roos, as it’s likely that they have pouched young. In early July, my mum travelled interstate and came across only one roo that had been hit. Like always she stopped and checked the pouch and sure enough, there was a small velvety joey clinging to his mother.

Carefully wrapping him up in blankets and feeding him special formula, Jeremy was the next addition to our tribe.

Like my unusual life style, I have some pretty unusual hobbies that go along with it as well. Many people go to the Royal Show and try to find showbags with the most value. Whereas every year I find my ‘showbag’ while exploring the many animal pavilions dotted around the perimeter of the showgrounds. In 2005 I was given my very first, long lasting showbag that started a long tradition in the following years. Stormy was the first step in the ritual and was my very first pony. Many parents with kids dying to have their very first pony would probably buy a safe, well trained one. Not my parents; they decided that an un-broken stallion with sass problems would be perfect for their eight year old daughter. Funnily enough, Stormy has travelled with us from one end of the country to the other when moving houses and still suffers with his sass issues.

Later, in 2008, I decided to try the goat and alpaca pavilion to find another lasting show bag. Here we found about 5-6 male baby Anglo Nubian goats. For $50 Casper was the next animal in our miniature zoo. Casper had only just been weaned from the bottle and hadn’t grown into his ears. Anglo Nubian goats are the kind that can wrap their long ears around their head about two times.

We all thought that Casper would grow into them and they’d look normal, but, alas, the rest of his body just grew. Today, at his full height, Casper-The-Friendly-Goat now stands taller than Stormy (approximately a meter and a bit).

A few years later in 2012, I visited The Show once again and travelled through the pig pavilion. When I was almost too overwhelmed by the smell and about to move onto the cow pavilion, I found a tiny miniature pig beside a large sow and her piglets. A small laminated sign read ‘Gary’. I bet you can guess who the next little member was in our growing menagerie.

Unlike Casper, who we walked out of the showground gates with, we had to come back a few days later in my mum’s Nissan Silvia to pick Gary up. He was given to us in a small brown box, but didn’t seem all that happy. I can tell you now, we turned a few heads when we carried that squalling box to our car. We nestled Gary into the back seat and even put the seat belt around him to keep him still, but that wasn’t enough. He managed to poke his head through the top of the box and struggle his way out. Gary sat on my lap for the entire way home, however it was pretty entertaining seeing people realise that there was a miniature pig perched in a hot little Silvia.

Even though I have the papers to confirm that he is miniature pig, not many visitors to our farm believe that he actually is. Gary now stands almost as tall as Casper and is covered in fat rolls. Even though he sleeps and rolls in mud all the time, when I rarely hold a party, he’s a great trick to pull out as he knows how to sit and spin.

Many people would assume that all these animals add up to an expensive and time consuming hobby, however, that is not how I see it. I have grown up amongst all these animals and, like your cat or dog, they are a part of my family. It’s not so much a hobby farm for me; I see it more as a lifestyle… with an addiction for expensive showbags.

AUTHOR & ARTIST Sheydin Dew, 18, Bachelor of Creative Arts (Digital Media) At the top of her travel bucket list, Sheydin says she wants to visit Japan in the Autumn.

M

23

VO Q.

1.WHAT’S ON THE TOP OF YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET LIST & WHY? 2. MOST BEAUTIFUL THING YOU’VE EVER SEEN? 3. IF YOU WERE A POLITICIAN, WHAT WOULD YOU EXTRAVAGANTLY SPEND YOUR MONEY ON? 4. FAVOURITE PLANET? 5. WHAT’S THE WORST PART ABOUT TRAVELLING? 6.YOU’VE COMMITTED A CRIME, HOW DO YOU ESCAPE? 1. South Korea because I’m a fan of PopAsia and Korean pop star CL from 2NE1

1. North America driving trip 2. Cambodian countryside, landmarks and people!

3. Not a helicopter rides obviously. Probably on my electorate 4. Earth, but always feel sorry for Pluto :( 5. Lack of sleep

1. To travel to each and every 13,000 and islands in Indonesia 2. Tones in Speedos

3. Solid gold Tones statues on every street corner 4. Earth, for now

5. Feeling obliged to speak their language 6. Take refuge in the Ecuadorian embassy

6. -

GENEVIEVE

(HEALTH SCIENCE)

JARRYD

(INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AND INDONESIAN)

2. The Robot Restaurant in Tokyo. It’s so shiny!

3. Fleets of Telsa cars for corporate travel

4. Mars because it is possibly the only viable planet left and Mars Bars means we won’t be short on chocolate :) 5. Having to spend money on accommodation

6. The Twinkie defense?

frances

(ARTS, POLITICS MAJOR)

pop

X O 1. Australia because I live here but haven’t seen the Outback 2. No errors in my database

3. I wouldn’t, but I can make an exception for Magnetic rail

4. Planetoids Charon and Styx. If you were on Pluto and underneath them they will be above you (wouldn’t move) 5. Finding privacy to sleep on a camp, sharing 1 room with 7 people 6. Explain your decision to people involved

JOHN

(APPLIED GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS)

1. Central America to visit family 2. Nature while camping

3. Helping people in need

4. Earth because of all the different people and places 5. Jetlag and spending money 6. Chuck on a pair of fake glasses and a beard

sarah

(justice and society)

1. South America and China 2. -

3. Use the excess from student car parking to charter bus routes 4. Jupiter 5. Homesickness 6. Run away

LUKE

(LAW AND LEGAL PRACTICE)

25

Dr. Kylie Cardell Tucked away on the second floor of the Humanities building is a brilliant but modest academic and teacher, Kylie Cardell. This down-to-earth powerhouse is a senior lecturer in English and Creative writing, the School of Humanities and Creative Arts representative for the Faculty of Research Higher Degrees Committee, one of the two School level Postgraduate Coordinators for Humanities and Creative Arts, as well as teaching and coordinating in a range of English topics, from Life Writing to Exploring Genres. After being nominated as one of Flinders’ Best Teachers by readers of Empire Times, Kylie sat down with Simone Corletto to chat about her impressive career and the importance of the Humanities.

Growing up in Queensland, Kylie recalls that her path to academia wasn’t a straight one.

‘I wasn’t a very good student in high school. I wasn’t really interested in what my teachers had to tell me, and I really didn’t do well at all,’ she says. ‘I was a checkout chick for a long time.’ Eventually she found her way to the University of Queensland, which she says opened many doors and really invigorated her passion for knowledge and research.

University felt like somewhere she belonged, with others who shared her love of reading. ‘I loved university so much that I didn’t want to leave,’ she says, before acknowledging that it took her a while to realise that being an academic could be a career path, as it didn’t, and still doesn’t, seem like a very realistic option, considering how competitive it is.

When asked about how she balances her busy career, Kylie jokes that she doesn’t. She admits it can be a struggle to find a balance in academia between research, admin and teaching, but most students will understand this struggle.

Certain responsibilities get pushed aside, but it’s about managing what is flexible and what needs immediate attention.

Of all her roles, Kylie says her favourite is definitely teaching. She enjoys being able to connect her research

and her teaching, and sharing with students what she’s passionate about. She says it’s ‘energising to talk about the things that matter to students and scholars at the same time.’ She remarks that she often learns from her students, just as the old adage goes about the teacher becoming the student, discovering new books or research that her students bring from their own circles. Having been in several topics Kylie has helped run, I can see evidence of this especially through FLO, where students are encouraged to share any relevant finds for everyone to enjoy and supplement their learning.

Teaching Life Writing alongside Kate Douglas, Kylie notes that she loves getting to pass on knowledge that she wishes she had as a student. ‘My degree was very literature based, and the idea that non-fiction is important didn’t really exist,’ she notes. While she studied fiction and poetry, the closest they had to non-fiction was academic essays. Creative non-fiction, such as memoir, simply weren’t recognised as literature. But after working in a bookshop, she saw how popular these genres were, and so when it came to doing her PhD she really became interested in those previously excluded forms. Now in Life Writing, students are taught to value all sorts of forms of creative non-fiction, from diary writing to blogging.

While some academics are quick to dismiss Facebook and Twitter and blogs as time-wasting, Kylie points out that these are simply new mediums for communication, and should be recognised as forms of life writing, which often give a voice to people who have been traditionally marginalised or erased in culture, especially children and teenage girls. Now thanks to the internet, everyone can have a voice, and let their stories be heard, and that’s a really ground-breaking thing that hasn’t happened in our history before.

Speaking of children, Kylie is currently working on a project about children’s diaries, having just published a book last year, Dear World: Contemporary Uses of the Diary, much of which came out of her PhD work. She says the new work is a bit contentious, due to the ethics around reading diaries and privacy. ‘We don’t really like when children have secrets, but we also think it’s important that they do,’ she says. ‘We think of the diary as a kind of private space for writing, but then we want to know what they’re writing about, while questioning if we even should want to know what they’re writing about.’ This is what she and Kate Douglas are trying to investigate, once again citing the importance of bringing attention to the kinds of voices that aren’t well represented in history. Kylie is also working on a series of articles about humour and memoir and how comedians, like Judith Lucy for example, often combine these two aspects in their act.

Kylie agrees that Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Creative Arts degrees often get a bad rap for not being as careerfocused as other degrees, such as Education and Law. But she argues this is a misinterpretation. ‘We’re currently in a society where certain kinds of knowledge are viewed a little more highly,’ she says, arguing that there’s nothing less valuable about knowledge from the humanities, but the perception of being less employable seems to feed into the idea that these degrees aren’t worth it. Of course, this perception is false. The humanities are responsible for many of the things we all enjoy. ‘When you come home from your “job”, what are you going to do? You’re going to read a book, watch a TV program, play some music. Without that [Humanities] production, then our culture would be a lot less rich.’

Kylie does admit that Humanities industries can be harder in many ways, especially because these degrees don’t always have a clear path for students. ‘You need a lot more confidence, and you need to be a lot more committed, in some sense, to what you’re doing.’ But BA and BCA degrees aren’t necessarily about the end result; they’re about finding what you’re passionate about and learning how to pursue that. She adds that the skills learned in humanities degrees can be used in almost any industry, making them very flexible qualifications. Kylie believes that ‘if you’re strong and brave and bold, then the jobs will turn up.’

INTERVIEWEE Kylie Cardell At the top of her bucket list Kylie says is ‘So many places. I’m going to Cyprus next year – really looking forward to that. I really love to travel to islands. I’d be really happy spending the rest of my travel bucket list travelling to islands, small islands, Mediterranean islands, in warm climates. Yeah, I’d be pretty happy doing that.’

HD

When asked what the hardest thing about her job is, Kylie says it is juggling the needs of her students and the needs of the university. The best thing she replies is getting to read and write for a living, and sharing her passion with students.

When asked what she wished students knew about her, Kylie joked that she wished her students realised ‘I was once young and cool too.’ She does understand their fears about uni and how hard it can be, but she wants them to know that she’s challenging them for good reasons. ‘The students tend to transfer authority to me, where I feel like we’re more in this together. It’s important to earn mutual respect’.

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B

OB’S urgers

Bob’s Burgers is an American animated comedy created by the talented Loren Bouchard, which has been running for five glorious years under the FOX Broadcasting Company. If you’ve never seen Bob’s Burgers, you’re in for a treat and I urge you to go watch an episode immediately. While the basic concept behind the show is all too reminiscent of The Simpsons and Family Guy, involving the adventures of a working class nuclear family, Bob’s Burgers is a step ahead of the rest. The show provides the satirical edge shows like these forgot to continue beyond their earlier seasons. The comedy series is wrought with wit, charm and sass, making it a clear successor, resisting predictable jokes hinged on vulgarity or outlandish possibilities. The humour is quirky and original and the fast pace will have you missing clever jokes and puns if you’re not attentive enough.

The show focuses on the antics of the Belcher family who barely make a buck in

profit running their hamburger restaurant.

Unlike other shows where comedic archetypes are haphazardly thrown together to produce something loosely funny for the audience, Bob’s Burgers’ characters feel like they actually have chemistry and belong together. Even when Bob’s seriousness is so heavily juxtaposed with the personality traits of other members of his family, there still remains an enormous element of support and camaraderie.

The main protagonist Bob, voiced by Archer’s H. Jon Benjamin, is both a talented and earnest burger artist and terrible businessman with a competitive streak. Linda, Bob’s wife, is a flamboyant and nurturing mother whose love for the performing arts borders on excessive. Voiced by John Roberts, her supportive and enthusiastic nature is endearing and she is perhaps the most underestimated of characters. Louise, the youngest daughter voiced by comedian

Kristen Schaal, is impressively dramatic and feeds off the trauma, humiliation and manipulation of others. Gene, the middle child, reminds me of that stereotypical childhood friend that picked his nose and ate dirt. Voiced by Eugene Mirman, Gene is an uncomplicated child, desperate to disturb the peace with his portable keyboard and fart sound effects. The oldest of the Belcher children, Tina, is voiced by Dan Mitz. Tina is a socially awkward teenager whose love of writing erotic friend fiction and obsession with butts is both loveable and slightly unsettling.

The writing for Bob’s Burgers is exceptional.

The large team of writers include Wendy Molyneux, who co-writes with her sister Lizzie. This year I had the unique opportunity to discuss Bob’s Burgers and writing with Wendy whose sharp and quick wit is reflected in the most loveable antics of Bob’s Burgers. Here’s what she had to say:

“

We sometimes experience some fun condescension, such as when a producer told us that “maybe someday we could work in television like that Amy Poleman,” even though we already had jobs in television.

— Wendy Molyneux, Writer from Bob’s Burgers

“

ET: How did you become such a successful writer? Was it through study, experience, low-paid internships or something else entirely? Did you always want to be a writer? If you could walk me through your journey that would be great!

WENDY: Oh friend, that pilot is already dead. Welcome to Hollywood!

WENDY: Oh, I’d get a monkey. It would probably kill me, but what a way to go!

ET: ‘All the great artists get censored!’

Linda Belcher has said. Does censorship interfere with your creative process (given that Bob’s Burgers is rated PG)?

ET: What do you do in your down time?

WENDY: When I got out of college I had a series of very terrible and low-paying jobs because I had no idea how to be a successful human alive on the Earth, much less a writer. And then along came the internet, and with it online humor sites willing to read submissions from unknown writers. I started out by writing for McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and after a few years, got representation and started actually working a little in the business. When I teamed up with my sister, Lizzie, things really started to take off and we wound up getting a job on Bob’s Burgers where we’ve been ever since!

WENDY: Not really! The only thing I can remember is that we had to change “dildos” to “vibrators” when Tina said “If you think about it, any box could have vibrators in it.” Oh, and in Art Crawl, we got a note to reduce the size of a mouse anus.

But I’m sure everyone gets that note.

ET: What is the best advice you could give an aspiring student writer?

ET: As a sister team, do you tend to have creative differences between the two of you? If so, how do you settle these?

WENDY: We don’t really disagree. We agree a sickening amount.

ET: What memorable experiences have you had while working together?

WENDY: We sometimes experience some fun condescension, such as when a producer told us that “maybe someday we could work in television like that Amy Poleman,” even though we already had jobs in television. Also, one time we saw Tom Cruise at the Soho House and stared at him pretty heavily.

But honestly, and I’m not bullshitting, working on Bob’s Burgers is fun every single day. I think maybe this response did not go with your question, but hey, here we are.

ET: You’re writing and exec producing 20th Century Fox and Imagine TV’s comedy The Brainy Bunch – can you tell me about it? Any tidbits you can give away?

ET: Who is your favourite character on Bob’s Burgers and why?

WENDY: Spend time with my kid and husband and watch TV. I am very boring!

WENDY: Ugh, it’s so boring, but the only advice is just to write a ton. And then write some more. Then do some writing.

Then write more. Do this until you are reasonably good at writing, then continue writing.

ET: Finish this sentence: when in doubt….

WENDY: I love them all. Don’t make me choose! Of our side, Gayle has a special place in my heart because she first appeared in one of our episodes and she’s played by Molyneux friend and wonderful actress Megan Mullally. But I love everybody! Everyone!

ET: They say everyone has a vice – what’s yours and does it help or hinder your writing?

WENDY: My only real vice is coffee, and it helps. It’s the only thing that helps!

ET: What would you consider to be one of your key virtues?

WENDY: The ability to accept that sometimes you have to say vibrators when you want to say dildos.

ET: How does it feel to play such an integral role in Bob’s Burgers?

WENDY: I won’t lie, it feels great to work on this show. The people involved that we get to work with every day are just as funny and kind as you’d think.

WENDY: Ask yourself, ‘What would Amy Poleman do?’

Earlier this year, FOX announced the television series would produce a sixth season, set to have an exciting and eclectic mix of guest stars. These include Boardwalk Empire’s Steve Buscemi, comedian and actress Wanda Sykes, Flight of the Conchords’ Bret McKenzie, Jemaine Clement and Rhys Darby, as well as Paul Rudd who is rumoured to be Tina’s imaginary horse friend.

Keep an ear out for Wendy’s guest appearances as she voices Jen the babysitter, as well as Dr. Yap’s hygienist.

AUTHOR Jess Nicole, 24, Bachelor of Psychology At the top of her travel bucket list, Jess says is Canada because the wildlife and scenery is beautiful and completely different to the dry lands and bush of Australia.

ET: I’ve heard on the grapevine that you’re quite the animal lover. What kind of animals would you home if practicality (and safety) weren’t an issue?

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Come fly with me According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), every single day, more than 8 million people travel via aeroplane. Whether visiting friends, doing business, starting a new adventure, or heading home, air travel has enabled people to travel the world in almost no time at all. Since the days of the Wright Brothers, who are credited with the invention of the aeroplane, the aviation industry has grown exponentially, with so much of our modern lifestyles now dependent on air travel. Aeroplanes have allowed us to span thousands of kilometres in a matter of hours, at a reasonable cost. Although for some, they are simply a means to an end, for many, much of the excitement comes from boarding that aeroplane, taking off into the unknown.

The first commercial flight in history took place in the United States on the 1st of January, 1914 and it involved a 23-minute flight between St. Petersburg and Tampa.

According to IATA, the plane was a two seater aircraft piloted

by Tony Jannus and one paying passenger, who paid US$400

for his flight, a sum that in today’s terms would be equivalent to about $5000. Although the cost of air travel began as phenomenally expensive, after the Second World War the costs dropped and air travel became more accessible. Today, I can fly to Bali or New Zealand for as little as $400 return. I can be in another country in a matter of hours, for the same price as a decent handbag or a mediocre television set. The world is quite literally at my fingertips.

The history of aviation in Australia is linked to the development of our country’s first airline service, Qantas.

In 1920, the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd was formed, and commercial air travel in Australia was born. The company began by operating airmail services in Queensland, before steadily growing in size and services offered, making Qantas one of the most profitable airlines in the world today. It was a Qantas plane that was used at the launch of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in 1928, and in 1935, Qantas operated its

on daily air travel, the aviation industry is highly regulated, with security being absolutely paramount. In Australia, the federal government is responsible for creating and enforcing laws relating to aviation. From air traffic control, to Australian air space, air cargo security, air safety and everything in between, the risks and responsibilities when it comes to air travel are almost immeasurable.

Not only do aeroplanes themselves allow for adventure, but airports also facilitate travel and exploration. There is something both exhilarating and enthralling about an airport. The hustle and bustle of people transiting, seeking new adventures, new business endeavours or embracing a loved one after their absence; everyone has a story, and an airport is a place where a person’s story can collide, intersect and change with those around them. Airports also provide adventures in and of themselves. Changi International Airport in Singapore, for example, boasts three terminals with another scheduled for completion in 2017, countless shopping opportunities, eateries, playgrounds, gardens among many more attractions. This airport is one of many international ‘hubs’ around the world that have effectively tapped in to the jet-setter market, to create mini cities in airports themselves. Coming from little old Adelaide to a hub like Changi, LAX or Dubai can be overwhelming, confusing and daunting, but for my thirteen year old self, experiencing a place like one of these was my first realisation that I wanted to travel, I needed to travel. As the US security officers took my fingerprints and my photograph as I disembarked in Los Angeles, I knew that I needed to experience the world, as much of it as I possibly could, and these hubs were the best place to start doing that.

Aeroplanes are an amazing feat of technology, and who knows where the future of air travel lies? Earlier this year, pilot André Borschberg flew 7212km in a solar plane from Nagoya in Japan to Honolulu in Hawaii, potentially highlighting a sustainable way forward in terms of air travel. Although the plane came to a stop in Hawaii after suffering severe damage, the voyage set a new record and proved there is a way forward using sustainable energy. Another innovation in air travel that is well under way is the development of a supersonic jet. The jet is being designed by a company based in Boston, and could see passengers travelling from New York to London in just three hours, travelling of speeds up to 2,205km/h. The cabin of the jet will also boast panoramic windows to display projections of the outside world, and a configuration similar to a train, rather than a traditional plane set-up. This technology, which is still in the early stages of development, could allow people to embark on all sorts of adventures in almost no time at all. first international flight, flying from Darwin to Singapore.

It was also Qantas, in 1979, which introduced the world’s first business class flight. The Qantas story is one that is full of successes and triumphs, and although there are many different options for domestic and international travel in Australia today, it is and always will be Qantas that epitomises the Australian aviation industry. Qantas is synonymous for home in many Aussies who are travelling abroad. Their advertisements constantly reminding us that no matter where we are and what happens, we’ll always call Australia home.

According to the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Planning, in May of this year, 4.73 million people travelled domestically within Australia, myself being one of them, and in April, 2.74 million people travelled internationally. 52 different airlines operate flights to and/ or from Australia, carrying thousands of passengers every day. As a result of the high volumes of people embarking

Aeroplanes are the beginning and the end of the journey.

From the young family going on their first holiday together, to the teenager unsure if they’re ready to tackle their solo European trip, to the retired couple finally headed on the cruise they always dreamed about; adventure is now easier to embark upon because of air travel. Technology has allowed us to do incredible things, but perhaps one of the most amazing, is that for around a thousand dollars, we can fly to the other side of the world, and explore new cultures, new ideas and new ways of thinking in the blink of an eye.

AUTHOR Sarah Barrett, 20, Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) and Bachelor of Arts At the top of her travel bucket list, Sarah says is New York.

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For Sale

The Commodification of Culture for Tourism

Earlier this year I went to China as part of the Asiabound Creative Writing cultural exchange, with eight other Bachelor of Creative Arts students (and one awesome teacher). We spent an amazing ten days travelling from Guangzhou to Zhuhai, Jiabgmen and Yangshuo. We met with creative writing students at Sun Yat Sen University and ate delicious food in dodgy-looking roadside restaurants and put our lives in the bus driver’s hands in braving the insanity that is Chinese traffic. It was undoubtedly an exercise in exploration; in exploring ourselves, our friendships, and of course, exploring another culture, one so removed from our own.

But one thing I kept finding on this trip was the way enterprising individuals were always popping up to sell you something. From religious trinkets to jewellery, chopsticks and calligraphy sets, knock-off purses and novelty lighters, to a thousand different kinds of hand-painted fans; markets are everywhere and they’re all just dying for your money.

Of course, this isn’t something unique to China. Shopping is probably on the itinerary for any traveller, regardless of the destination. But in all the places I’ve travelled, around Europe and America, I’ve never seen as many sales pitches as I did in China.

Not that you can blame them. Tourism is a big industry for many economies, and all these people are just trying to make an honest living—there’s nothing wrong with that.

Memories are great, and it’s not a holiday if you don’t have several hundred selfies to upload to Facebook to your jealous friends, but many of us would find it hard to walk away without at least a few keepsakes of our adventures.

So we can hardly blame people for providing us with those endless magnets and mini statues and glow-in-the-dark orbs; it’s just simple supply and demand. But some people are looking at what exactly all this commercialisation is doing to tourism.

In 2002 Robert Shepard wrote a paper called ‘Commodification, Culture and Tourism’, in which he

notes ‘while tourism may promote a renewed interest in traditional arts and social practices among local craftsmen and others, tourist purchases are fueled by a desire to possess a mark, rather than any genuine interest in local cultural traditions or beliefs.’ Here he talks about culture being reduced to trinkets and experiences, which tourists will buy without necessarily embracing or learning about the meaning behind them. It’s as thoughtless as getting a tattoo of a Chinese or Japanese character without knowing what it means (it probably means ‘Soup’).

Exploring another country promises to let you experience something you might not get back home. But this isn’t always the same as experiencing what it’s like to actually live there. After all, even here most of us don’t own a boomerang or go surfing every day or cuddle koalas; yet this is what we sell to tourists as “Australian”. There’s a definite disconnect between what we, who live here, experience, and what we market to outsiders. But that’s not to say the marketed version isn’t still legitimate. We do in fact have koalas anyone can cuddle (at the appropriate wildlife parks.

Don’t touch the wild ones; they have chlamydia), and you could go surfing every day, if you live near a beach and love the water that much. These are still aspects of our culture, just not the sum total of it.

And ultimately this is what we need to keep in mind in our own overseas explorations. Yes, the Chinese do eat with chopsticks and have pandas and produce some amazing calligraphy art. But they’re also much more than that, just like everyone else.

AUTHOR Simone Corletto, 24, Bachelor of Creative Arts Honours (Creative Writing) At the top of her bucket list, Simone says she’d love to go back to Europe and spend a year seeing it all. But there’s no way she’d fly economy class again.

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Seven things I learned outside the on a student exchange...

Being in a place that is unfamiliar can be very challenging. It can be an opportunity to explore your surroundings and to explore yourself. To be the only person in a room that is from your own country is a rare situation however it makes you dig deep into yourself to bring out qualities that you did not know existed. Here are the most important things that I learned during my student exchange experience to the University of Guelph, Canada in 2003: 1. How to build new communities and bonds with different people.

It’s amazing how a bond with someone can be forged when you are in the same situation. Regardless of their age, gender, culture or beliefs, making friends with someone who has the same thing in common (student exchange) can be enough of a reason when you are abroad. My friendship circle in Canada consisted of students from France, Spain, Sweden, Scotland and Mexico in addition to the friends I made from Canada. The University supported the International Students by providing meetings and events for us.

Not too long after, we started to make our own connections with each other. It helped so much to feel connected to a group. Some of the friends that I made are friends for life, simply because they shared the unique experience with me.

2. Building inner strength and resilience.

Being in another country for an extended period of time is quite challenging. Not like a holiday where you are taken away from your daily routine, living in another country means building the resources and knowledge to live day to day. When everything is new, it’s up to you to find out where the supermarkets are, the bus routes, the local doctor if you need it, any part time work if you want it and also where other facilities are that are essential for daily life. You are in complete control of yourself and when things go pear shaped, it’s up to you to solve the problems without the help of those who are usually there for you back at home. This is where you find out how capable you really are and your level of resilience is tested.

3. Learning to adapt to the customs of another country.

When you step into another culture, the rules change. Everything that you learned growing up in your own country is not always relevant to the situations that you will be faced with in another country. We see this all the time on the news when people get into situations overseas that would normally be accepted in Australia.

It can be a huge challenge to adapt to the social norms that are encountered and to also respect them. It is a great opportunity to see how other societies deal with different situations and to observe the set of rules that apply, by stepping back and just watching instead of participating.

4. How to appreciate what you have.

It is so easy to take life for granted when you are comfortable.

When you are not challenged and things are secure, it’s hard to see the little things that make the day enjoyable. However, when those things are not there it breeds appreciation for them. Here are just a few of the little things that I came to hold dear when I was aboard: a hug, having a pet in the house, watching an Australian news program, the smell of the ocean, seeing the stars at night, eating vegemite on toast without being looked at like a freak, Jimmy Barnes on the radio, driving on the ‘right’ side of the road, Tim Tams, getting mail, ranting about our politicians and hearing the chitterchatter of Australian accents at the next table. Such simple things

can help you feel part of the bigger picture but when these things are not there it can take away the sense of being part of a group.

5. The ability to strengthen your sense of identity.

As previously mentioned, the little things that you take for granted in your life help add up to your identity. It is not just what you are studying, where you work, what you aspire to do that is your identity, it can be what music you like, which footy team you go for and how you choose to spend your free time. Having the opportunity to take on new experiences or just be exposed to them can help you evaluate your identity in two ways: what you like and what you don’t like. Living in another country is an opportunity to take you out of your comfort zone and evaluate your preferences.

6. How to cope when bad things happen at home.

This challenge was an immense one for the exchange students and I when we were there. Something that you kind of forget when you leave your home is that life still goes on. You get a false feeling that everything stops and will resume once you return but this is certainly not the case. During the time I spent on exchange, there was a bombing in Madrid by the way of a terrorist attack. Luckily all the Spanish exchange students did not have any friends or family in the event, but that did not matter. From the time that the news hit us, to the time that they found out that none of their loved ones were involved, it was an extremely stressful time. We pulled together to support each other even though there was nothing we could do, just asking and being concerned was the only option.

Family and friends are usually the people we go to when things go wrong. Our little community was there for each other.

7. How to not take life too seriously.

When you take on such a huge challenge, your perspective on life can change. Now some of the little things that annoy you become trivial because of the incredible experience that you have gone through. Moving to another country, surviving, being deprived of home comforts, these are big things for a person. They are also opportunities to see your world in a different light and to make braver decisions in the future that you would have not normally made.

There is no doubt that the benefits of doing a student exchange program are much more than studying at another university—it’s learning about yourself and testing your capabilities. It’s about building connections and thriving in unfamiliar territory. It’s about testing yourself, but all of this may only be discovered after you get home. If you asked me at the time if I learned these things while I was in Canada the answer would be no. In hindsight I see how incredibly brave it was to do this and the lessons that I had learned because of the experience. Oh yeah, the classes were good.

I learned heaps, I think. I can’t quite remember a lot of the actual study that I did.

AUTHOR Lisa Merlot, 37 (‘but I tell my kids I’m 28’), Bachelor of Psychological Studies At the top of her travel bucket list, Lisa says she wants to visit Burgsponheim, a little village about 50 minutes away from Frankfurt.

ARTWORK Sheydin Dew

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Exploration “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

— H. Jackson Brown Jr. What does the word ‘explore’ mean? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as the following: • To look at (something) in a careful way to learn more about it • To talk or think about (something) in a thoughtful and detailed way • To learn about (something) by trying it • To travel over (new territory) for adventure or discovery Can you say you explored something lately? Do you remember the last time you set foot on unexplored territory?

I love exploring because I am endlessly intrigued and fascinated by the parts that make up our world and how it works. I think life is insanely beautiful, but also bafflingly intricate. It is incessantly loaded with puzzling mysteries and all these mysteries just impatiently sit there and wait to be unraveled.

I guess it’s fair to say that humans are complicated and perplexing creatures. The way our brains work just never ceases to amaze me.

It’s very intriguing to say the least. We may think we know someone but really, we don’t. We may think someone is happy just because they beamed at us, but behind that smile may be a person who feels like all the odds are against them. It’s so easy to make assumptions based on what we see on the surface, but there is always so much more to us than what meets the eye. I allow myself the pleasure of knowing others and developing emotional and mental connections with them. I make time to know them and every time they just surprise me in ways I could never even imagine. I love it because I learn so much from talking and listening to individuals from diverse backgrounds.

If there’s one thing in life I have learned over time, it’s that we humans have unlimited desires but limited resources, such as time and money, to satisfy ourselves. Should we let the ‘limited’ resources we have stop us from exploring and doing what we want?

If you’re looking for a sign to do that thing you have always wanted to do, this is it. Whatever you want to do, do it now. There are only so many tomorrows. I used to be terrified of trying new things and taking risks, until I realised a life of fearful stasis is no life at all. I took chances and I challenge you to take risks now. If you succeed, you will be happy. If you lose, you will be wise. Make memories and moments and discover the world around you now. Life is short so stay awake for it.

Have you ever seen the sun set or rise? Did you think the scenery was breathtaking? I have and it’s one of the most beautiful things my eyes have seen. My favourite by far was when I was on the plane looking out over the sky as the night gradually turned into day. Have you ever gone mountain hiking? I have and it was so amazing to look at the beautiful scenery once I reached the mountaintop. Every time I see beautiful places, I always think to myself how incredibly lucky I am to have been given this opportunity to witness and see God’s beautiful creation. That feeling just never grows old.

There is just so much beauty around us and it is a shame if we do not explore it. Do not let the anger and bitterness of the world make you lose sight of its kindness and sweetness. Go explore now.

AUTHOR Marithe Solis, 19, Bachelor of Commerce At the top of her travel bucket list, Marithe says is visiting New York.

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David Lynch

— Between Two Worlds — To peer into the strangeness of David Lynch’s art is to look into the surreal realm between worlds and perhaps to see our own world clearer…

Driving in the darkness, down the highway with nothing but the broken yellow line changing. You are driving out of this world and into the next. And what is there in the next world? White picket fences, well-manicured lawns, sunshine and happy neighbours in a trustworthy community. A cherry tree. And a severed ear in the grass. Underneath, is the writhing mess of subterranean bugs. On the cherry tree, there’s yellow and black pitch oozing out. This is the abstract way Lynch describes his own childhood—it was ideal in many ways, but there was always something faintly off.

Welcome to the world of David Lynch. This is a world where people can have a banal conversation in a diner and just behind there, if one takes a wrong turn, a monster is there, sitting amid the rubbish. David Lynch is widely regarded as one of the most unique and fascinating directors of modern times. He is well known for his use of transcendental meditation in fuelling his creativity, a technique he began using while creating his first feature-length film, 1977’s Eraserhead. Of all his works, he is best known for the television show Twin Peaks, which he co-created with Mark Frost. Many critics pay less attention to his paintings and music, but taken collectively, this paints a picture of a wellrounded artist who approaches his topics through many forms of media.

Lynch’s second album, titled The Big Dream, goes some way to confirming the belief many have of the dreamlike state present in all his work to various degrees. The presence of the otherworldly ‘Man in the Planet’ and the ‘Lady in the Radiator’ in Eraserhead prove to be forerunners to an expansive pantheon of supernatural beings who bridge the gap between worlds.

Lynch’s close association with the otherworldly began at the outset of his career, before filmmaking had even appeared on the horizon. At the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1966, Lynch was painting a dark picture of a green garden he described as ‘real dark green coming out of black’. Upon hearing the wind, Lynch saw the illusion of movement in the painting and so, the beginning of Lynch’s focus on filmmaking began.

The next year, Lynch’s first film debuted. The result was the highly experimental Six Men Getting Sick (Six Times). 40 seconds long, and costing $200, the film won an award at the Academy’s painting and sculpting contest. It gave Lynch his start and contained many of his unique themes, albeit in miniature.

Lynch followed this experimental short film with the slightly longer The Alphabet in 1968 and The Grandmother in 1970. These three films followed a progression of more thorough narratives told in increasingly longer form.

Each film continued to play with and stretch narrative in a variety of different ways, and all are recognisably Lynchian.

Lynch continues to paint unusual dreamscape pictures and obscurely abstract figures. The Unified Field, a book of art released last year, collates a sizeable portion of Lynch’s past work in this medium. Earlier this year, Lynch came to Australia and presented his artwork in an exhibition in Queensland’s Gallery of Modern Art. It was at this recent exhibition that Lynch made a comment that caused great concern: Twin Peaks, his short-lived television drama, may not return after all due to contract negotiations. Since then, the concerns have been resolved and the show will indeed return, only now with a longer series.

This will see the series return as Laura Palmer predicted: 25 years later. Filmed in the same town with many of the same actors and crew members returning, the upcoming Twin Peaks third series is the

subject of much excitement in its devoted (and patient) fan base.

Twin Peaks—infamous for its confusing narrative style and difficult concepts—is regarded by many to be the crowning glory to Lynch’s long and varied career. It is still upheld as one of the most influential television programs of all time. The long-form style of television drama lends itself to a long and lasting look into the themes at play in any text. Twin Peaks truly provides the deepest and most thorough look into the Lynchian world of his many productions.

Serene and idealistic Middle America has its façade punctured once again as Lynch delves into the social rot beneath the surface. Laura Palmer, a volunteer at Meals on Wheels, is a popular and muchloved member of the community and is the school’s ‘Homecoming Queen’. But after her murder, another side is revealed; she was a mentally ill cocaine addict who became a prostitute after suffering a childhood marred by abuse. She is the very character of Lynchian art with an idealised perfection giving way to a far more confronting and difficult truth.

Much of the mystery in Twin Peaks is unraveled in dream sequences that take place within the Black Lodge, a spiritual place of pure evil.

A line can be drawn from the surreal realm of spirits; from the Black Lodge through to the dull everyday life of shifts at coffee shops and days at school and eventually to the rotten and corrupt underside of society. It is Lynch’s style to tie the mystical to the banal and to break down the barriers between these concepts usually kept so separate.

It is clear that Lynch has a distinct style, regardless of the medium he chooses, and this has led to some negative commentary. 1990’s Wild at Heart and 1997’s Lost Highway are Lynch’s least positively reviewed films. Film reviewer Roger Ebert described Wild at Heart as ‘lurid melodrama’ and other critics claimed that he had gone too far into the realm of the evil and corruption, without keeping enough contact with the idyllic façade of Middle America.

Lost Highway received similar criticism with accusations that the particularly unusual narrative ended in ‘Lynch painting himself into a corner’ and that the film was ‘disjointed’. It still carries many of the hallmarks of a Lynch film, despite the criticisms, presenting a peculiar and outlandish world, complete with a supernatural figure of evil presiding over the events of the film. Lost Highway is a highly atmospheric work albeit labyrinthine and confusing. Lynch, in a fashion typical to him, offers little to nothing to the viewer to ease their passage through the obscure narrative.

Perhaps the ultimate in Lynch’s unorthodox narrative style is the last film he made. 2006’s Inland Empire is a three hour long film featuring all the Lynchian staples of normality giving way to a dark, hidden world populated by figures standing on the edge of reality.

This latest addition to Lynch’s filmography has been described by one critic as ‘a bucket of Lynchian leftovers, stirred slightly and left to ferment in the dark.’ It has been dubbed as a ‘typical David Lynch fare’ on the review aggregating website Rotten Tomatoes.

It is clear that Inland Empire shares more than the usual collection of Lynchian staples with some of his previous films by focusing on the world of Hollywood like Mulholland Drive and the change and morph of characters as previously depicted in both Mulholland Drive and Lost Highway. It also receives much of the same criticism as the former, being accused of indulgence and of being almost purposefully Lynchian and impenetrable.

Since Inland Empire, Lynch has not returned to the world of cinema, instead focusing on a vast variety of other productions. He has released two music albums, a series of short internet productions including DumbLand (an animated comedy which is crude in nearly every conceivable way; from animation style to the coarseness of its content), and even his own brand of coffee.

It is most likely Blue Velvet for which Lynch is most remembered and celebrated as a filmmaker. Released two years after Dune, perhaps the most notable failure in Lynch’s long artistic career, Blue Velvet has gone on to be listed as the eighth greatest mystery film of all time by the American Film Institute (AFI, the institute from which Lynch got a grant to make The Grandmother).

Like Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet puts that image of Middle America run through with a terrible underworld, at the fore. One must often wonder at what point reality ends and the dreamworld begins.

Characters such as the psychotically vicious Frank Booth of this film (celebrated by the AFI as the 36th greatest villain in film history) and Bobby Peru of Wild at Heart lack the supernatural powers of BOB (Twin Peaks) and the Mystery Man (Lost Highway) but appear as such perfect creations of evil and malice that they almost transcend reality. Even without BOB’s power to possess people and the Mystery Man’s ability to be at numerous places at once, they come from a hidden place under the veneer of decency.

These villains are grotesque and seem almost unstoppable, thus also tapping into the style of neo-noir films. Jeffrey Beaumont, the protagonist of Blue Velvet (played by Lynch collaborator Kyle McLachlan), remarks that in delving into the mystery, it is like he can see something always hidden. Discovering something hidden is a theme that runs throughout Lynch’s filmography, and into the rest of his art.

Blue Velvet is notable not only as one of the best examples of Lynch’s stylistic choices but also for marking the beginning of many significant collaborations for his career. Angelo Badalamenti makes his debut as a composer to Lynch’s films (a role he would take into Twin Peaks and other collaborations); it also marks Lynch’s first collaboration with Isabella Rossellini (who he would be in a relationship with for five years) and features the return of Kyle McLachlan in a starring role after Lynch’s failed Dune.

Blue Velvet, along with Lynch’s feature film debut Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive, remains one of his most celebrated films.

Lynch’s second film, 1980’s The Elephant Man also proved a tremendous critical success for him but bears far fewer of Lynch’s traditional hallmarks. Coming to direct the film from reading its title alone, Lynch took a significant jump in his career to direct and began his long history of awards and nominations. The ‘grotesqueries’ of Joseph Merrick and those of his kind found at the freak shows of Victorian London are no match for the subtler horrors that would be found in later Lynch films. The Elephant Man, thoroughly mainstream by Lynch’s standards, still exhibits the concept of what lies below the surface. Beneath Merrick’s twisted visage, lies an intelligent and kind young man, against whom the truly twisted and grotesque may be judged. If you peer under the surface of Lynch’s Middle America, you will find things of unsettling horror and cruelty. However, if you look under the surface of Merrick’s deformities, you find the most beautiful young man in London.

Lynch has turned his hand to a great many styles of art and every time there has been a common theme. He has always subverted the normal and traditional aspects of whatever art he has been working in and tried to push its boundaries. The conventional is rarely to be found in Lynch’s work, and when it is present, is only there to be deconstructed. Trying to navigate the works of David Lynch is a great challenge, and who knows what is at the end of that navigation, but the journey between this world and the next is certainly worth the ride.

AUTHOR Liam McNally, 22, Bachelor of Creative Arts (Creative Writing) At the top of his travel bucket list, Liam says is Yellowstone National Park for the truly awesome sight of nature and that hint it could all go in a second—perched so precariously atop a super volcano.

39

- Fiction -

Walking Down the Aisle ‘Why decide between Camembert and brie?’ she asked slyly.

‘When you are obviously a cheddar guy?’

‘Paparazzi.’

‘The paparazzi make me headline news again. Goodbye.’

The tone was flirtatious but the words quite bitchy.

Essentially asking: why pretend you’re special when you are basic and common? Even as she pressed the wheel of cheddar against my chest with a wink, I wanted to say that she was parmesan. Something that seemed appealing but in close proximity, repelled people with its aroma of puke.

She didn’t literally smell like vomit though, she smelt expensive. Her red hair glittered like she used diamonds for shampoo. Her breast-enhancing dress was designer.

She wore sharp heels that could’ve been used for surgery.

Various customers that walked past did unashamed doubletakes probably wondering how a professional model had accidentally stumbled into a common supermarket.

‘Don’t you just love a delicatessen?’ she asked me as I held the cheddar.

Delicatessen? Has she started doing crosswords again? ‘Uh… definitely…heh…’ I replied.

Her eyes flashed angrily at me. ‘Remember confidence is the key,’ she whispered.

I straightened my posture. ‘Well…it seems weird hearing the word ‘delicate’ come from someone who looks untouchable.’

She nodded her approval before giving me a sultry smile. ‘I wouldn’t say I’m…untouchable.’ A high-pitched laugh that came out sounding epileptic rather than sexy. ‘By the way, I am Duchess Mariah Amberly, and who may I ask are you? My Knight in Shining Cheddar?’ She giggled.

Are you kidding right now? ‘I am Kyle.’

Her maroon-painted nails clenched my flabby arm. ‘Kyle who?

You look familiar…like some sort of billionaire entrepreneur I may have read about.’

Accept the prompts. ‘Oh why yes…I am Kyle…Matherson…I am a billionaire entrepreneur and I’m afraid I don’t have much time until my helicopter comes and picks me up.’

I placed the cheddar back on the shelf and started walking down a random aisle. A line from the article I’d read came into my head: Raw sexual energy comes from the ability to create an erotic environment in any setting. Looking around, I found myself in the pet food and maintenance aisle. If any man managed to get so much as a semi while inhaling the aroma of kitty litter, they should seek psychiatric help.

Regardless, Mariah had followed me and leaned against a crunching together alongside her joyful sighs created the most unpleasant symphony. It sounded like she was actually having sex with a guy who was also eating a packet of chips during. Her intended effect was to give me an erection but mine seemed to be invert itself. ‘Uh…Mariah please stop following me,’ I weakly commanded.

She removed herself from the cat food and grabbed one of those scoops you use to remove your pet’s shit from their litter box or lawn. I cringed as she started smacking it against her ass. ‘Am I being naughty Mr. Matherson?’ she purred.

‘Should I be punished for pursuing what I want?’

Every plastic whack against her posterior with the poop scoop seemed echoed. I looked at the old lady who was still appraising dog toys by some miracle. ‘We will both be punished if we continue this charade. We will become social… uh…pariahs Mariah. We will be hurting a lot of people.’

I watched Hel—whoops, Mariah—throw the poop scoop down and press my body against a shelf. The coldness of food tins radiated through my shirt and I flinched. She looked down at my now-protruding nipples like they were the traffic cones guiding both of us in the right direction. Her minty breath brushed my face as she asked a bit aggressively: ‘Aren’t we two people exploring the territory of pure pleasure? Surely the people in our lives love us enough to let us experience each other for the sake of our own happiness? If they would have us deny our desires for the sake of themselves, then are they really people worth considering?’

She pressed her lips against mine dramatically and I responded in kind. ‘Mariah,’ I sighed.

‘Surely you have time for Duchess Mariah Amberly?’

‘Duchess Mariah Amberly.’

‘The only woman I have time for is my beautiful wife. I’m afraid I must leave before the…uh…shit…the uh, pepperoni – ’

‘I am not saying all of that Helen.’

‘You’re not supposed to break character!’

‘Sorry, I mean…I am not saying all of that because I want you to be your bare self. Stripped of titles…stripped of clothes…

Let us just be Kyle and Mariah for one night.’

Judging from the stirring in my groin, our experiment was finally working. Mariah raised her eyebrows in approval and pushed herself away from me. She strutted further down the aisle, closer to the old woman, and stopped before what appeared to be bags of bird feed. Grabbing one by the edges above her head, she started trying to pull it from the self, grunting. ‘I just want to be your dirty bird for one night,’ she puffed. ‘I want to feed upon all of your seed!’

‘Wait stop pulling that!’ I yelled too late.

By pulling on the edges, Mariah had been ripping the bag open. She lost grip as part of the packaging came off in her hands and a tsunami of bird feed hit her. All I could do was watch as varying seeds and pods filled her cleavage and got caught in her hair. Mariah wasn’t moving, she just stood there in defeat as she became an encouragement for every bird outside to go Alfred Hitchcock on her.

I wondered if tonight was still salvageable. ‘Duchess -’ I began.

‘Shut. Up. Evan.’

She started tramping out of the aisle and out of the store. The old woman was finally paying attention but seemed detached.

The once-jealous and appraising stares of customers transformed into amused or disgusted expressions. Just like Queen Elizabeth II after Diana’s death, the masses had so quickly turned against royalty.

Helen started running towards the carpark and I could her sobs. I quickly caught up, pressed her against me and let my arms enfold her. ‘I thought this would be easier…’ she cried. ‘I thought this would make it easier.’

‘Look I know it didn’t necessarily work but tonight was a good idea,’ I reassured her. ‘Sex is about exploration and trying new things. I enjoyed being a billionaire entrepreneur. I enjoyed you being a Duchess. It was fun…it was hot.’

‘But it would just be so much hotter if you were my husband.’

We both paused in our embrace and looked at each other with excited expressions.

‘Maybe we just weren’t roleplaying – ’ ‘As the right people!’

‘How about next week I be your wife and – ’ ‘And I’ll be your husband!’

The sound of our high-five echoed like a gunshot and was almost just as painful. In the midst of the burning sensation, I had a brief twisting sensation in my stomach: something that could only be guilt. Looking at Helen, I realised how horrible we really were. Leaving a huge mess behind in the store that a poor staff member would have to sweep up. She must’ve sensed something was off because she said: ‘I know Evan. I’ll come to the store tomorrow and apologise for the inconvenience I caused.’

We pecked each other on the lips deciding not to go back to the hotel room. It would be more exciting next week when we role-played properly. I couldn’t wait to see how Helen would nail my wife’s mannerisms. I said a prayer of thanks to God that we all went to the same church. If her acting skills as Duchess Mariah Amberly were any indication…well her dialect at least; I could expect Meryl Streep-level perfection next week.

I waved goodbye to her as she hopped into her car and drove away. As I walked to my own, I noticed the old woman leaving the store holding the same yellow dog toy. It looked so weird.

There was a circle in the middle of it that looked like a camera lens or even a screen.

Is technology for dogs a thing, I asked myself as I got into my car. I let out a laugh. So stupid.

AUTHOR Jordon Early, 19, Bachelor of Creative Arts (Creative Writing) At the top of his travel bucket list, Jordan says is an American lolly shop that allows you to scoop huge quantities of gummi bears, gummi worms, and gummi sharks into beautiful plastic containers. He would purchase so many of those that the company would get him to sign a waiver.

‘And it would be so much hotter if you were my wife.’

41

HOME SICK

I once suffered wanderlust A desire to travel in unexplored lands To write stories and draw maps and capture polaroid stills And see places pure and untouched I left the country I grew up in To pursue an education But this concrete jungle is ensnared with Coffee fuelled corporations, grinding travellators and Angry feet I lived in a wonderland Where earth was earth to the horizon line Where trees grew as I did and Sunsets streaked my hair with gold I went to explore but I found that The world wasn’t what I wanted And I missed not only the land I grew with, But the person I was I do not need fenced oceans or towering malls, I just want to run with wolves, not against the falling dollar Familiar footholds in cliffs I know And water that flows for peace Not survival I don’t want to explore the world If I know where I can breathe It does not do for a fish to desire Desert sands and cactus trees — Words

by Sarah Nelson

WHEN IN ROME

In Rome you walk for hours through cobblestone streets and soak your blistered feet in the hotel bathtub In Florence you stare at the Duomo, tracing emerald lines You stand under frescos in the Uffizi and stare at them too In Siena you buy a cashmere scarf for your mother You sit in the Piazza del Campo and wind and unwind the soft red fabric around your fingers Venice smells a lot like the sea and a little like rotting wood and it’s Good Friday so you go to mass and mouth along to the Lord’s Prayer Pizza tastes worse and pasta tastes better but the air tastes the same on your tongue and the ground feels the same beneath your feet and if you close your eyes you can almost pretend you’re still home You thought you would feel different halfway around the world The colours would be brighter, the smells stronger—reality turned up to eleven You told yourself everything would look better from the back of a gondola That the Spanish Steps would lift you out of your own head That you could just toss your problems over your shoulder and into the Fontana di Trevi You’ll try France next, then Spain, England, Prague, Germany You can’t run away from yourself But you keep running anyway

Photography by Emilie Stirling

—

Words by Justina Ashman

- Anime -

SOUL EATER

First aired in 2008, Soul Eater was produced by Bones in conjunction with Media Factory and TV Tokyo. Based on Atsushi Okubo’s manga of the same name, it boasts a unique and quirky animation style filled with bold lines and attention-grabbing character designs. At first the animation was something that distracted me, but after the first few episodes I was hooked by the compelling storyline.

The story follows a group of friends and their adventures at the Death Weapon Miester Academy (DWMA). The academy is run by the Grim Reaper (Lord Death) with the purpose of teaching Miesters how to turn their Weapons into Death Scythes. The Miester and Weapon must have compatible soul wavelengths in order to have a successful partnership. In order to graduate the Weapon into a Death Scythe, the Miester and Weapon must collect 99 evil souls and one witch’s soul.

The series contains a massive cast and a number of complex characters who change over the course of the series. The main character, Miester Maka, desperately wants to live up to her late mother’s reputation by turning her Weapon, Soul, into a powerful Death Scythe. It seems she will stop at nothing and even Soul’s impulsiveness cannot curb her determination. Their friend and fellow Miester, Black Star, is incredibly arrogant, believing that he will surpass god.

Black Star’s partner and Weapon is Tsubaki, who, like Maka, is top of the class.

Black Star constantly lets her down, but as he grows and learns, so does she. Lord Death’s son and future successor, Death the Kidd, seems to have it easy. Despite being part Shinigami (‘God of Death’) he decides to train as a Miester. He is easily distracted and obsessed with symmetry. His twin pistols, orphans known as Liz and Patty, complete the gang.

One of the team’s biggest challenges comes from inside the DWMA when a witch is discovered to be experimenting on Weapons. The witch, Medusa, is experimenting with ‘black blood’ to taint Weapons from the academy. She succeeds in driving one of the students’ professors, Stein, mad and tries to send Soul down the same path. As Soul and Stein struggle to regain control, Medusa sets another much more dangerous plan in motion. It seems the DWMA will be at risk. Will the gang be able to stop her in time?

Soul’s dalliance with the black blood is terrifying. Each time Soul sits down in the ‘Black Room’ to play his piano I thought that it might be the last. Little Ogre, a demonic representation of black blood, is always there to tempt him.

The lure of power is like a drug to Soul, something that is at first a choice, but with time becomes addictive. As Soul’s visits to the Black Room become more and more frequent, it became uncertain whether he would give in to the power of black blood and lose all sense of self.

Soul Eater differs from many traditional Shonen anime by having a female lead. Maka is strong, smart and optimistic. She is always proving Black Star and Death the Kidd wrong, and whenever she fails she becomes more determined than ever to succeed.

Reminiscent of Tim Burton and J. K. Rowling, Soul Eater is definitely something to put on your ‘to watch’ list.

Episodes aren’t long, usually around twenty-five minutes and although the season spans fifty-one episodes it is nothing compared to other popular anime such as One Piece or Naruto. A spin-off prequel, Soul Eater NOT! was aired in 2014. I haven’t yet watched it, but I look forward to a continuation of the DWMA. One of my favourite episodes surrounds the discovery of Excalibur, an ancient Arthurian Weapon. Excalibur is one of the most annoying recurring characters in the series, but he is brilliant. Despite the limitations of his animation, he can be quite expressive and useful. Soul Eater is a long anime with some excessive filler however the storyline remains interesting and is well worth your time.

AUTHOR Kayla Gaskell, 19, BCA (Creative Writing) At the top of her travel bucket list, Kayla says is Japan because she loves the sound of the Japanese language and it has such an interesting culture that she’d like to experience.

43

Up

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

L evel

Here Be Dragons

Back in June, Steam had their annual Summer Sale and thus I became the last person ever to finally buy The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. I regret nothing. Skyrim was developed by Bethesda Gaming Studios and released back in 2011, with the Legendary Edition including Hearthfire, Dawnguard and Dragonborn downloadable content (DLC) packs, released in 2013. Of course, I opted for all the DLC, which add on features such as the ability to build your own house on empty land, further vampire and werewolf gameplay, and an additional island with even more dragon interactions.

As I began to play Skyrim, I realised why it has earned such a great reputation. Even on low graphics settings, the world looks beautiful with picturesque mountain scenery, beautiful valleys and detailed towns. The people aren’t always amazing to look at, but I hear there are mods for that and just about everything else you can think of.

Character creation is very open; you choose a race, appearance and gender, then play. There is no need to select a class since all races can develop all skills to their fullest extent. Of course, some races are better suited to certain skills but there is little restriction on what you can do. My current character is a Dark Elf who primarily uses two-handed weapons (uncharacteristic of this race) and has branched into flaming destruction magic, but really you can do just about anything. For example, one is not limited to magic, range or melee weapons—if you can find it, you can use it, and the races are incredibly varied, ranging from the typical Nord humans to Kajit (cat people) and the Argonian “lizard folk”.

My favourite part of Skyrim has to be the exploration; the world feels so open, and trekking across the landscape brings exciting encounters and amazing views. You never know what you’ll come across and when the next dragon will appear. There is the option to quick travel to locations you have already visited, but sometimes it’s more fun to scale mountain faces on my horse, exploring cave systems and whatever else I come across.

When playing, you quickly learn what not to do in the world of Skyrim. My first encounter with a troll ended in the deaths of both me and my horse, one time I misjudged the height of a cliff and watched my corpse bounce from rock to rock until it finally hit the ground, and I learned the hard way that you shouldn’t test your shout power around guards.

If you are like me and have somehow managed to avoid playing this game for the past few years since its release, I definitely recommend getting a copy. Open world games have always been popular, from the Grand Theft Auto series to Minecraft, and this one certainly does not disappoint. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy roleplaying games as this is a staple of the genre.

The unlockable quests and gameplay options, such as blacksmithing, weapon enchantment, potion making, and so on, will keep you playing for hours. In fact, the sheer amount of time you sink into this game would have to be the only real downside.

It’s hard to just sit down for a 20-minute session without getting lost in the world and spending at least an hour or two playing.

My character has bought a house, adopted a child, married a mercenary, become a vampire, and that’s only at level 12 with 33 hours of gameplay, so I have a lot left to do. Wish me good luck and may your dragons be slain!

AUTHOR Kelly Guthberlet, 20, Bachelor of Science/Education At the top of Kelly’s travel bucket list is Denmark because it’s a really pretty country and she’s heard they have Legoland.

ARTWORK Aden Beaver

45 “I used to be an adventurer like you, but then I took an arrow in the knee.” —NPC guards everywhere

FOOD REVIEW: HANDSOME AND DUCHESS

In the spirit of exploration, one day my friend and I decided to take a stroll in a random direction of the CBD. We’d just spent a rather chilly morning down at the Adelaide Uni campus, filling out forms and picking up leaflets for my friends’ latest venture into a degree.

It’s freezing as fuck outside, and we’re both spent for the afternoon after being doused with campus info, so we decide the best thing we can do at this point is to find food and a source of warmth.

If we had been paying attention, instead of having a totally mature battle of Flinders vs Adelaide, we probably would have noticed that we weren’t headed in the usual direction of food—aka Rundle Mall. Nope, in the midst of fighting about updated hubs, lack of construction sites and ducks, we’d wandered into Gawler Place, and then lazily made our way down until we reached a tiny alleyway known as McHenry Street.

At first glance, we were both pretty hesitant to go down there. The road was a dead end at that point, and we weren’t familiar with the dimly lit excuse of a road. As my friend pulled out her phone to immediately reroute us, we decided to venture in anyway, thinking that maybe there might be some sort of slip lane onto another street.

This is when we found Handsome and the Duchess, which is a tiny (and I mean, tiny—like Harry Potter running a business under his stairs tiny) bakery and cafe. It looks as though it simply sprung up overnight, and seems out of place with the dark decor of McHenry Street. We both can’t help but be captured by this quaint little joint, and as it heads into lunch hours, we both just shrug and decide to go for it.

As men in tailored business suits walk through the door laughing, their biodegradable coffee cups in hand, you can’t help but look around and assure yourself that you haven’t walked into the middle of a photo-shoot for something Italian and rich. Upon entry we are warmly greeted by staff and shown the cabinet at the counter, which is brimming with delights, such as macaroons, cakes, and sandwiches. It’s a tough choice between a beef teriyaki pie and a spinach and salami brioche, but we both eventually are won over by the overwhelming smell of hot pastry wafting through the establishment.

As we take our seats, it seems only moments before we receive our beautiful pies made from handmade puff pastry. The beef is

absolutely tender and just melts in our mouths, and is a warm welcome to the freezing conditions outside. We find ourselves torn between savouring every bite and not being able to get it in quick enough. The latter wins out, and before we know it, we’re back up at the counter ordering green tea and a crimson-spotted baby blue macaron each. Unlike a lot of other cafe macarons, the blue is the only baby thing about this dessert. It arrives roughly the size of a grown man’s palm, and as it comes to the table we both seem to stare at this God of Macarons for a good five minutes, marvelling.

When we both eventually crack our spoons on the top, a rich caramel goo oozes out, and I immediately have to withdraw the criticisms I had made to my friend earlier about the ‘boring and over hyped exposure’ macarons got, when this dessert totally justifies the hype.

Smaller than most lounge rooms, the Handsome and Duchess was a very welcoming mistake on our part, and will easily be visited again very soon.

AUTHOR Bethany Lawrence, 22, Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing) At the top of her travel bucket list, Bethany says is a tiny speck of a town called Kitee in Finland. She has a friend on Facebook who keeps uploading photos of it and all she sees is nice lakes, log cabins, saunas and food. So it’s now on the list as her new paradise.

OSIMIA // NICARAGUA NIGHTS Music is a wonderful thing, and is well suited to this issue’s theme of ‘explore’. You can keep exploring music and you’ll always find something new, every time. I first heard Oisima’s debut LP when it dropped in May, and after hearing his jazzinfused melodies and ambient-laced, hip-hop beats being performed live during his album tour, I decided to revisit the album.

Oisima—Anth Wendt—is a multi-instrumentalist and producer from Adelaide, and his debut record Nicaragua Nights had me feeling the beat right from track one. My ears were greeted by a textured influx of sitars over a simple drum pattern. It was like arriving in a foreign land with a feeling of tranquillity. The beat gives a quick introduction of what to expect for the next 45 minutes, before the album kicks straight into motion with the track ‘Grover’s Lament’. The honey-soaked saxophones guide the house beat as multiple sax solos fly in and out.

Over the whole album Oisima proves he can consistently craft colourful beats. The track ‘Sidewalk Cerve ces’ is reminiscent of a heavy, bass-house melody with chopped vocal samples on the track. Other tracks showcase Oisima’s unique style, without relying on samples as a crutch. ‘Catcus Canyon’ is a track more focused on synthesizer and saxophone melodies, and the track after, ‘MmmHmm’, shifts the vibe into coffee-table jazz with a simple repeated piano riff.

Some of the better tracks off the record come from Oisima’s collaborations with singers. The Perth-based singer Mei Seraswati—who also makes similar beats to Oisima—is featured on ‘Sun of Truth’ where her soulful vocals are accompanied

by Oisima’s shuffling instruments. The tracks ‘Makes Me Feel Alright’ and ‘Everything About Her’ feature the vocals of Anabel Weston, and while she doesn’t provide an engaging vocal

performance, the atmospheric and soulful qualities of her voice do work hand-in-hand with Oisima’s more spacious sounds.

Oisima experiments with sound over the whole record and for the most part it works. The mood is interrupted by the track ‘Missin You Now’—I never cared for the rap performances by Danny Watts and Sam AI. Only a few chord progressions are used in multiple songs, but that’s just nitpicking. The sheer amount of instruments in any one song never reaches overload, and are evenly balanced and controlled. Nicaragua Nights steps away from the “Australian sound” of electronic music (i.e. Flume, Bonobo) and is an album worthy of a listen if you’re feeling adventurous.

AUTHOR Aden Beaver, 18, Bachelor of Creative Arts (Digital Media) At the top of his travel bucket list, Aden says is North Alaska and other countries with snow.

You can read the review of Oisima’s live show at empiretimes.com.au Feeling adventurous? Aden recommends a few albums released in the last year for you to explore. Some are experimental, others are underrated, but they’re all worth a listen: Moon Ate The Dark // Moon Ate the Dark I + II Ben Frost // A U R O R A Hannah Miller // Hannah Miller Dawn of Midi // Dysnomia Natalie Prass // Natalie Prass Parov Stelar // The Demon Diaries Olafur Arnalds // Broadchurch (Soundtrack) Alex Glass // Stillbirth (Single)

47

what kind of traveller are you?

Are you willing to rough it?

Best kind of destination?

Somewhere with good food

I could manage, no problem

Hell no!

Something really different to what I’m used to

Do you keep a travel diary?

As much as I can afford, within reason

Doing things you wouldn’t normally do

It’s all about the experience

Perche no los dos?

All booked months ago

Hotel or hostel?

Hotel

You prefer the finer things in life; first-class plane tickets, golden truffles on your hotel pillow, and sipping champagne from your balcony overlooking the Efiell tower.

Growing as a person

A break from the everyday

I have a public travel blog

Momentos vs memories

5-star luxury

Somewhere close to home

Travelling should be about...

How much do you spend?

You can’t put a price on adventure

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Hostel

contiki party animal

What better way to experience another culture than to order beer in another language and dance in their finest nightclubs? Those blurry photos will do all the remembering for you.

I keep a personal physical journal for reminiscing later

That would require leaving....

Flights?

I’ve got a oneway ticket. I’ll work it out

Up to date on any required shots?

I’ve taken everything I could possibly be exposed to

Adventurous Backpacker

Who needs plans? It’s all about the journey. Even if you end up lost in Budapest with no luggage and one shoe, well that’s just another great story.

No one said anything about shots...

stay-cationer

Why leave the country when you have everything you need right at home? It’s not a holiday without home delivered pizza and your Netflix subscription.

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