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The views expressed by the author are not those of the publisher. This piece was written and created by an independent student journalist. Grapeshot reached out to the university for comment, and their response has been published on our website via the QR code.

Media student Donya Amadi produced a report interviewing MQ current students to reveal the university’s lack of support as they forced students to transition back to on-campus learning after two years of individualised learning and isolation. Watch the report on Grapeshot’s website here:

Transcript:

Students at Macquarie University have reported that current university policies fail to respond to supporting students’ mental health challenges, as face-toface learning resumes during semester one, following almost two years of online learning due to New South Wales COVID-19 lockdown measures.

A report by the University of Sydney has found that lockdowns have “disrupted social relationships” and led to feelings of “loneliness, disconnection and anxiety” amongst students.

[2]

“It’s been quite confronting returning to classes on campus and interacting in large groups after such a long time. I don’t think the Uni acknowledges how difficult this transition has been for students’ mental health.” [3]

Macquarie University currently offers six free, confidential counselling sessions annually with a student well-being psychologist to support students’ social and emotional needs. [4]

77% of young people reported a decline in their mental health since the COVID-19 outbreak. [5] The Australian Government provided an additional $12.25 million of funding in July 2021 to ensure people in New South Wales can access additional mental health support during such difficult times. [6]

The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic shifted university teaching online as New South Wales went in and out of lockdowns and deemed on-campus learning ‘unsafe’ as positive case numbers increased daily.

COVID-19 case numbers have been trending slightly lower in New South Wales, with 11,939 new cases reported by 4 pm on Wednesday. [7]

Donya Amadi reporting for MQTV news from isolation.

by Donya Amadi

[1] Wilson, G. I. (2005). Screening for social anxiety disorder in first year university students: a pilot study. Australian Family Physician, 34(11), 983-984. https://hekyll.services.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2440/17216/1/hdl_17216.pdf [2] Bower, M., Smout, S., Ellsmore, S., Donohoe-Bales, A.,, Sivaprakash P.P., Lim, C., Gray, M., Francis, A., Richer, J., & Australia’s Mental Health Think Tank. (2021). COVID-19 and Australia’s mental health: An overview of academic literature, policy documents, lived experience accounts, media and community reports. Australia’s Mental Health Think Tank. https://mentalhealththinktank.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/AustraliasMentalHealthThinkTank-EvidenceSummary-COVID-MentalHealth.pdf. [3] S. Kafle, personal communication, (May 3, 2022). [4] Macquarie University (2022, May 4). Confidential counselling for students. https://students.mq.edu.au/support/personal/counselling. [5] Headspace. (2020). Coping with COVID: the mental health impact on young people accessing headspace services. https://headspace.org.au/assets/ Uploads/COVID-Client-Impact-Report-FINAL-11-8-20.pdf. [6] Minister for Health and Aged Care. (2021, July 14). COVID-19 Mental Health Boost for New South Wales [Press release]. https://www.health.gov.au/ ministers/the-hon-greg-hunt-mp/media/covid-19-mental-health-boost-for-new-south-wales. [7] NSW Health. (2022, May 4). COVID-19 (Coronavirus). https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/default.aspx. NOTE: Video of student on laptop and COVID testing was retrieved from Shutterstock. All other content was created myself. URL: https://echo360.net.au/media/e092a426-367f-48a9-b528-268f1897e5fa/public 27

There’s a Jinn in My Bathroom

Jinns are everywhere, as Nilab Siddiqi explains, and she is terrified of them. Why is she being haunted? Read on to find out more about this interesting aspect of Islamic folklore.

T

here are jinns in my bathroom and they scare me half to death.

It is 11:30pm. I’m tucked into bed, the lights are off and the melatonin pill I downed is leeching away at my consciousness when all of a sudden it hits me. I need to pee. While not a daunting bodily sensation to most, for me, using the bathroom after everyone has fallen asleep is quite possibly my worst nightmare.

You see, my bathroom is haunted. Well…not haunted, more so possibly inhabited?

According to Islamic belief, our world is not only host to human beings but jinns as well. Jinns are creatures made of smokeless fire, invisible to the naked human eye and just as capable of good and evil as us. They are also capable of many things humans are not, such as meddling with the world around us without us humans ever (ever!) seeing them. Based on the Islamic tradition, jinns can do good or do harm, including possible harm to humans. But if you are relying on Afghan cultural norms, jinns are creatures which can, and will, push frames off their hooks, slam your doors, move your spectacles and generally cause mayhem.

Many cultures where Islam is the predominant religion use jinns in their lore. The first ever encounter I personally had with the lore surrounding Jinns was through one of the many thrilling tales told to me as a child. A hazy recollection of the tale recounts that a mischievous jinn in rural Afghanistan- where they are found aplenty- would bring a beautiful young girl golden trinkets consistently, as a token of their affection. While that may sound sweet, I would rather not have an invisible being following me around and giving me gifts. As I grew, however, I came to know more and more about the complex nature of jinns.

Now do not get me wrong, not all jinn are bad. They’re actually very similar to humans, except for the fact that they are made from smokeless fire and have amazing abilities. They have free will, like humans, and are, therefore, accountable for their actions before God. This free will means that there are ill-intentioned jinns, just like humans, although many jinn are harmless. There are actually many categories of jinn but that is beyond the scope of this story; we’re concerned with the unbelieving and ill-intentioned category. The types of jinn which tend to lurk in dirty places, including bathrooms, which brings me back to my original point. There are (probably!) jinns in my bathroom and they scare me half to death.

While regular Aussie kids were scared of the Boogie Man and Bloody Mary appearing in their mirror at night, I was, and still am, terrified of jinns meddling with me in the bathroom. If I close my eyes to wash my face, will a jinn be staring back at me in the mirror when I open them? If I turn to face a wall in my shower, will a jinn be waiting for me when I turn the other way? Realistically, I know these things won’t happen as jinns are invisible to the human eye. What I should be scared of is a jinn possession while I’m taking a wazz, but it’s hard to be rational when you’ve been raised on purposefully terrifying stories.

I will reluctantly admit that I naturally scare easier than others, but I truly believe that anyone fed as many scary tales about the dark would be just as frightened as me. One recollection summons the insane stammer of my stressed heart as a young girl in a dark cabin park in Wollongong. My older cousins had just finished excitedly telling me they had seen a wretched jinn peering out at them from the inside of a parked car. Until this day, I turn my eyes away from the inside of cars when it’s dark out, even though I know jinns don’t appear to us in frightful, ghostlike forms. If a jinn did reveal itself to us, it would only really be in the form of a creature and, well, what is really so frightening about seeing a stray goose, dog or snake in a car? Chances are my cousins simply concocted the tale to scare me, and it worked.

There are a variety of strict rules to follow when using the bathroom to avoid jinns causing trouble. And by trouble, I mean possession. No singing, talking, crying or reciting in the bathroom. All seemingly simple rules. But when you’re an abnormally stressed 21-year-old who has a bladder the size of a pistachio, all of these rules will fly right out of your mind if you’re not careful. Especially that rule about crying in the bathroom. This fear of jinns in bathrooms isn’t only restricted to my own bathroom but to all bathrooms, even the public kind, especially the public kind. If anything, I’m more scared of public bathrooms than my own. If evil jinns fester in dirty places, then they would surely have an absolute ball in public bathrooms. How truly horrible it would be to be possessed in a dank public bathroom.

I know I am painting a rather bleak picture here but, in fact, there is a dua, a type of supplication, provided to us to recite before entering a bathroom, which will protect us from the eyes and mischief of evil bathroom Jinns. Although, in my pre-bathroom anxiety, I almost always forget to recite it and instead just speed up my bathroom proceedings to an almost impossible pace in order to avoid any supernatural meddling.

So now you see why my need to pee at night is such a scary prospect. Who knew such a natural need posed such chaotic risks?

I open my eyes and ponder my options. I can either tip-toe down the hall to the bathroom, recite my dua and anxiously relieve myself, or I could close my eyes, pretend like I’m not in deep pain and hope I eventually fall asleep…

Frankly, it’s not a hard choice to make. I turn to my side and silently apologise to my bladder.

The jinns win tonight.

by Nilab Sadiqi

KURENTOVANJE

A Monstrous Call to Spring

Editorial Assistant Sophie Poredos takes you through a cultural celebration that is central to her Slovenian heritage.

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uddling indoors in my ridiculously oversized Oodie knock-off, my mind keeps drifting to the fruitful promises of spring. If only I could chase away the blues of winter and our never-ending rain bomb with a few monstrous cries like Kurentovanje.

Growing up with Slovenian heritage, I was always drawn to the strange and other-worldly pagan history in a predominantly Christian country. Within the fairy-tale landscape of this forgotten country lies rich Slavic culture built on 8th-century pre-Christianity traditions.

Kurentovanje is a celebration I have not had the pleasure of yet seeing in person, but my parents are strangely reminiscent of its loud ringing cattle bells and woolly fur suits. This February festival takes place in Ptuj (Slovenia’s oldest town) where citizens are encouraged to dress in sheepskin costumes to represent Kurent. Kurent is a God not for the faint-hearted, known as the god of hedonism (think of Dionysus, but Slavic). His monstrous sheep-skin costuming is embraced by the local’s handmade masks that aim to scare away the lingering remnants of winter. This pagan tradition between Candlemas and Ash Wednesday also brings forth the upcoming light half of the year. Beginning in 1960, only young men wore the costumes of ‘Kurents’ where the pack was often led by the devil. Nowadays this lively spring celebration can be celebrated by all as it promises a good harvest and an abundance of fertility.

This festival has been compared to Mardi Gras due to the colourful folk characters, but I believe this label does not give justice to the traditional food and folk music encompassing locals in a week-long celebration of life. Whilst the Kurent makes an appearance, other lively and bizarre characters such as Baba Nosi Deda (An old woman carrying her man) bring forth fertility and the Cigani (Travellers) add merriment to the floats. I’ve certainly never seen such attention to detail and a strong folk tradition with any costume parade like Kurentovanje, where local Slovenians are proud to embrace their strangely beautiful traditions.

Everyone is invited and welcomed to participate through the Shrovetide custom of door-knocking by the folk characters. Recognised as a UNESCO custom, door-knocking in this case is actually desired as the Kurents would circle each home and ring cow bells covered with bright ribbons to bring luck to the owners. Just watch the devil in bright overalls with the net slung lazily over his back, your soul just might be captured if you underestimate his clever sheepskin mask. I can’t imagine anyone could be seduced under a smelly sheep-skin costume but as they say, watch those dressed in sheep’s clothing.

Kurentovanje is the only celebration I can think of where I’d enjoy rowdy locals in my front yard, although I’ve heard the Devil likes to pinch a kransky or two.

by Sophie Poredos

Source: Aleš Kravos 2019

CARVED FROM MARBLE

MALE BODY STANDARDS AND THE MYTH OF ADONIS

Greek myths have woven their way into our lives in ways we could never have expected in our modern world, and not necessarily for the better. Bodie Greatbatch Murphy writes about a new perspective on these legendary stories.

ne of the persisting legends that wove its way through Ancient Greek civilization and their way of life was Aphrodites’s lover, Adonis. So magnificent in his beauty that he courted the affections of Apollo, Heracles and Dionysus, he was cruelly slain by a boar while hunting and was honoured through an annual festival and centuries of artistic depictions of his physical form. However, the classical image of Adonis and many other mythical depictions of idealised beauty has laid the groundwork for one of the most surprising issues facing young men in modern society - body dysmorphia. What is Body Dysmorphia, and how do we combat it? Body Dysmorphia is defined by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America as “a body-image disorder characterised by persistent and intrusive preoccupations with an imagined or a slight defect in one appearance”. The condition can make one overly focused on a single aspect of their body, such as their nose, skin or stomach, but it can also relate to one’s relationship with their entire body. Despite affecting around 1 in 50 Australians, it is a condition that is extraordinarily difficult to diagnose, as many who suffer from it do not feel they are suffering from a delusion. If left untreated, Body Dysmorphia can lead to eating disorders, anxiety, depression and in extreme cases, high rates of suicidal thoughts. However, part of the difficulty with Body Dysmorphia is the medical and societal perception of it as a “female condition”. We have been conditioned to consider disorders like bulimia

Oand anorexia through the narrow lens of teenage girls and Instagram models. In 2000, Dr Harrison G. Pope published his landmark work The Adonis Complex (2000), revealing that body image concerns not only affect women, but have now affected an entirely new and previously unaffected group: young men. The titular “Adonis Complex” – which Pope clarifies is not a psychological term – asserts that “[The Adonis Complex]… is created by biological and psychological forces that combine with modern society’s and the media’s powerful and unrealistic messages emphasising an ever-more-muscular, ever-more-fit, and often-unattainable male body ideal”. Pope asserts that while it is important for young men to eat a healthy diet, groom themselves and have a desire to look their best; the societal pressure to push past the boundaries of health can have a “devastating impact on emotional and physical development in the young, and on well-being for men of all ages”. This complex is compounded when we consider how rapidly the internet has changed since 2000. The “Wild West” era of the Internet has long since passed for a more curated and highly profitable machine. Now, young men searching for a way to feel better about their bodies are bombarded with social media feeds that continuously promote influencers with unrealistic body types. These influencers often portray their image as the result of hard work and a clean, controlled diet, promoting the idea that if you work hard enough, you can achieve the

progress behind protein shakes, workout plans and secret dieting tips. As someone who has struggled with my weight, it’s easy to be won over by the siren song of people you admire for their knowledge and dedication to their bodies. Often what is conveniently ignored by these influencers, and entirely hidden from the passive viewer is the real secret behind their performance - anabolic steroids.

Users and proponents of anabolic steroids draw their arguments clearly and simply. There are scientifically proven benefits to steroids alongside scientifically proven harmful effects. It is up to the individual to investigate and ultimately make the choice themselves if they wish to partake in steroid usage. Yet, this sentiment ignores how the choice to use steroids may be due to existing conditions such as Body Dysmorphia and media that normalises dangerous activities to achieve the perfect body. Much like a person who deeply despises their nose likely won’t be completely satisfied with plastic surgery, men suffering from one of these conditions will not be pleased with their natural growth efforts. They will likely turn to steroid usage to ‘achieve’ their perfect body. Young men who sign up for this on the advice of money-hungry influencers are likely not aware they will be signing up for a permanently increased risk of heart disease, liver damage, decreased testosterone production, and aggressive behaviour. Additionally, steroids cause permanent effects that require frequent medical attention and oversight.

Sleep deprivation is another rising problem. As workouts begin to increase in frequency and become more intensive, sleeping difficulties are being remedied with excessive caffeine consumption in the form of pre-workout. A friend of mine and my personal fitness inspiration noted, “caffeine has a half-life of about nine hours, and the ‘average serving’ of pre-workout is about 240mg of caffeine. If you’re going to do a workout at 7:00pm and use pre-workout, you’re going to still have about 120mg of caffeine or about a cup and a third of coffee in your blood at 4:00 in the morning. Not only are you fucking up your sleep, you’ll nullify any benefits you got from the workout because your muscles recover and rebuild themselves during sleep”. Unfortunately, immediate gains inevitably defeats later consequences, a sentence inflicted upon men seeking the bodies of Greek sculptures due to their lack of knowledge.

How do we begin to fix this? Ideally, we could begin by normalising the struggles men face with their own body and the battles inside their own mind. If we can craft a system that effectively supports men suffering from these conditions, we can stop many future cases before they happen.

It is critical that we take a closer look at the media we consume to stop promoting toxic double standards. The Adonis, Achilles and Heracles of the world are now celebrities and movie stars – transforming into the Henry Cavills, Chris Hemsworths and Chris Evans. These celebrities and their ‘miraculous body transformations’ hide the intensive personal training and wafer-thin margins of error in the food they eat. Instead of embracing the double standard, it is time that we should start holding ourselves to the same #METOO standards we have societally applied to female action stars like Scarlett Johanssen and Jennifer Lawrence, and stop sexualising them and start understanding them.

Instead, a more healthy approach to superhero stardom is found in the open way Robert Pattinson has admitted to his struggles with body dysmorphia and refusal to use steroids or exercise intensively for his 2022 film The Batman. Similarly, John Boyega who is casting actors of different body types stating “it’s about rebranding the way in which we are fed a false narrative of perfection”. At the end of the day, we should treat the men in our life as people, not soldiers or Ken dolls.

As I write this, my brother comes home with a friend who studies sports science. He’s a healthy young guy, six foot three, heavy from lean muscle and a resident gym junkie - the perfect opportunity for some homespun truths. I ask him some questions about body image issues and he tells me, “There are some days where I wake up and I’m a little heavier than I was before and I feel like shit, but there are always days like that. I think what social media and movies do is make it harder to celebrate the small goals, which are the ones that really matter”. Ultimately, when we can start to celebrate our personal achievements and the length of our body’s journey over quick results, we can move on from the myths of the past. We are comfortable carving our heroes and mythical gods in perfect form, but we hold unreasonable expectations of obtaining such an idealised form in ourselves. The Greeks and other ancient people looked to the stars and saw figures in heavenly perfection that inspired them to chisel divine beauty into their art.

However, we are not statues carved from marble. We are people moulded from clay.

If you are going through an eating disorder or are struggling with your relationship with eating or your body, you are not alone. Call the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673.

by Bodie Greatbatch Murphy

The Art of Feminine Translations and Interpretations of Greek Mythology

Tiffany Fong examines the importance of women-centred interpretation in a culture of translation that favours male superiority.

t’s hard to say when I developed an [un]healthy obsession with Greek and Roman mythology, but it must have been due to one of the countless illustrated books you can find while wandering through the library. Like with many other readers, the author Rick Riordan proved to be a highly effective catalyst for me exploring mythology while showcasing the differences between Roman and Greek myth. Until I began forming a niche interest in translation and translated stories, I never considered that Greek and Roman mythology must have been translated works as well. In 2017, Emily Wilson was celebrated as the first woman to translate Homer’s Greek epic, The Odyssey, into English. Unheard of during its time, the poem explored the stories of women and slaves, demographics that were heavily overlooked in literature during that time. Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey inspired conversation on how an individual’s social context and gender identity impacted the manner in which they interpreted Greek classics. In fact, The Odyssey has so successfully captured the imagination of the Western canon that it has approximately 60 English translations, with 12 of them produced in the last decade. In his 1860 series of lectures, Matthew Arnold stated that the “translator of Homer should above all be penetrated by a sense of four qualities… that he is eminently rapid; that he is eminently plain and direct; that he is eminently plain and direct… in his matter and ideas; and finally that he is eminently noble.” Authors of Western classics generally prioritise these values, meaning that new barriers are created for both female writers and non-Western authors, who often value non-linear structures and ambiguity. Wilson’s translation of The Odyssey paid careful attention to metre, modern language and the subtle changes to word choices that

Iwere more accurate to the original Greek meanings and, in doing so, exposed how much of our understanding of Greek mythology is framed by patriarchal values. Translating a body of work always contains deliberate choices and a value judgement from the translator. Should a phrase be translated literally? Should the syntax and rhythm of the sentence be preserved? Is it more important to keep ambiguous language, even if it may make the translated sentence harder to read?

Julie Candler Hayes stated that the work of translation enabled women to engage in intellectual debates. Despite this, women were restricted to translating their contemporaries, while the classics were left to men, due to the perceived importance of their role in nation building. To translate a work is to interpret a work, and the interpretation of a work is explained in the preface and commentary, allowing female translators to engage in criticism.

One significant issue with translations is that translators often choose English words which are ‘correct’ according to the dictionary they refer to, rather than words which engage with the broader context of the story. It’s due to this issue that important subtexts are often lost. Wilson’s translation revealed the stories of those who surrounded Odysseus: his wife Penelope, the nymph Calypso, the witch Circe, and even the slaves in his household. This provided a new way to think about, and engage with, characters who had often been overlooked.

Odysseus’ twenty year journey home is often framed as a series of temptations and challenges that he must overcome. However, it cannot be denied that Odysseus was free to have sex with whomever he desired; meanwhile Penelope was expected to stay home and remain loyal to a husband whom may or may not be dead. Due to this expectation, when he returned home to find the palace filled with suitors vying for Penelope’s hand, he ordered for them all to be slain. While Penelope refused the suitors, the slaves had not and Odysseus ordered his son to kill the “sluts - the suitor’s whores!” However, Wilson noted that the young female slaves would not have been able to refuse these powerful men, and the translations that refer to them as “sluts” and “whores” failed to convey the true context and circumstances these slaves found themselves in.

In an essay she wrote for The Guardian, Wilson noted that “the legacy of male domination is still with us - inside the discipline of classics itself and in how non-specialist general readers gain access to the history and literature of the ancient world.” Upon reading Wilson’s translation and her essays, I began critically thinking about how male perspectives have shaped many of the canonical texts we have in English. However, as a person of colour, I am also aware of the influence of elite white institutions have over shaping perspectives.

Retellings of The Odyssey (c. 6th century BCE), from a female character’s perspective are abundant, including Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad (2005) or Madeline Miller’s Circe (2018). Collectively, they seek to place women at the forefront of Greek mythology and provide a different perspective to the stories which have been passed on till now. However, Wilson’s choice to provide a new translation of an original source text strikes me as more radical than a retelling of Greek classics. Rather than reinventing an epic poem that has existed for thousands of years, Wilson revisits the original text for a contemporary audience, shining a light on why we continue to read and study the texts. While writing this article, I began thinking of a conversation I had with my father when I was young. I had been complaining about studying Shakespeare in school, as I couldn’t wrap my head around Elizabethan English and eventually got tired of it. After hearing my complaints, my father said to me, “the reason why Shakespeare is so widely studied and read today is because his plays reveal something about human nature and human emotion.”

When engaging with texts in their original language, it is open to a reader’s unique interpretation. However, the specific choices made when translating a work mean that we engage with a text through the translator’s interpretation before adding our own perceptions to it. So, whether it be male orators shaping narratives typically told to a male audience, or privileged men translating ancient texts, it is important to question stories we think we are intimately familiar with and consider how the voices of women and those with less social power are ignored or undermined.

by Tiffany Fong