GRAPESHOT, VOLUME 14, ISSUE 5: YEAH, NAH by Grapeshot Magazine

ISSUE 5: YEAH, NAH

NOVEMBER MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Orange Day

Cyber Monday

Movember (begins) & NaNoWriMo (begins)

International Day for Tolerance

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Remembrance Day

6 13

World Kindness Day

Thanksgiving (USA)

White Ribbon Day & Black Friday (USA)

Do you have an upcoming event? Let us know and we’ll do our best to include it in our calendar. Email: grapeshot@mq.edu.au

CONTENTS

ISSUE 5: YEAH,NAH Newsflashes The Tragic Passing of Olivia Newton-John Scott Morrison’s Secret Ministries NSW Trains: The Ongoing Industrial Action

4 4 5

Campus News What the Heck is Synbio? Response to the Women’s Collective in Grapeshot Issue 1, 2022

6 7

National News That’s Not My Job: Recapping the Latest from Auspol

International News A Journey into Trump’s Investigation by the FBI Chinese Warships Push Boundaries with Taiwan Humanitarian Crisis Under Taliban Regime

10 12 14

16 REGULARS

Illustrated: What Your Favorite Aussie Party Food Says About You Challenge: Australian Movie Speed-Dating Pop Culture Rewind: Kath and Kim Pop Politics Understood: The Republic of the Commonwealth of Australia? I Don’t Get It: The Australian Creative Industry (On Set of Home and Away) You Are Here: Castle Hill

17 18 20 21 24 26

28 FEATURES

Robert Irwin, Will You Marry Me? Can’t Take the Greek Out of the Aussie Julia Jacklin: The Aussie Music Scene Interview with Indie Rock Band Gully Days The Traitorous Birthday Experimenting the Brain Australia’s Questionable Multiculturalism Oxymoron: Quiet Wog Put Some Shrimp on the BBQ Mate!!!

29 30 32 34 36 37 40 42 44

Koffee Kulture The Carricature of Greg An Australian Sanctuary (Short Story) Splintered Song An Ode to the Bin Chicken

46 48 49 52 53

H2O (TV Show) You Bloody Beauty Nic’s Flix: Princess Mononoke Grapey Bookclub: Son of Sin by Omar Sakr Horoscopes

55 56 58 60 62

3 NEWS

45 CREATIVES

54 REPEAT OFFENDERS

Views expressed by the authors are not those of the publisher.

EDITORS’ LETTERS Dear Grapey Readers,

Hello Grapeshot readers,

I feel like I say this in all of my editors’ letters, but this year has been a wild ride. As the world changes so fast that it cannot keep up with itself, I too have changed as a person and learned so much about life and this fiction that we call “reality”. Everything has changed, and yet everything is so much the same.

I would like to start by acknowledging that I am writing on Darkinjung Land and would like to pay my respects to the elders who came before.

I am so excited to present you with Grapeshot’s Australian-themed issue for 2022. It is really the most appropriate issue for everything that we are presently experiencing as a country. The death of our Head of State has rightfully been used to encourage a referendum to become a Republic. The 2021 Census data revealed that almost 40 per cent of the population do not identify as religious. We’ve had a major political shift towards a Labor government and a Senate filled with Independents and Greens candidates. Our identity as a country and as a people is more in flux than ever before. Australia seems torn between a series of binary oppositions: Do we increase coal and oil exports, or do we save our dying heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef while investing in renewable energy? What is the difference between an old government with financial culture issues and a new one? These age-old (and, somehow, all too contemporary) juxtaposing questions are plaguing the country and some of the answers to these queries are inside the pages of this issue. In this issue, you’ll find an explanation of what an Australian Republic might look like, an interview with an up-and-coming Aussie band, meditations on Australian multiculturalism, creative odes to bin chickens and coffee, and more. I hope you enjoy this beautiful issue. I look forward to talking to you in the next one.

Welcome to the flamin’ hot Australian edition of Grapeshot, make sure you’ve packed your sunscreen. Our Aussie issue has always been important for our publication as it allows our readers and writers to provide their thoughts on all things Australia. From the rich landscapes, distressing political climate or diverse culture and history, this issue has something for everyone. The premise of ‘Yeah, Nah’ is to illustrate a culmination of facets that exist in Australian life. Be it our accents that have gone viral to naur surprise or the casual approach to issues such as climate change and gender inequality, the phrase ‘Yea, Nah’ perfectly encapsulates Australia’s duality. ‘Yea, Nah’ could be interpreted from the perspective of citizens from diverse backgrounds who can’t wholly relate to the Australian experience or the reaction to the government’s first attempt at teaching consent. The limitless bounds of the phrase inspired our team to write authentically and from their hearts. My favourite parts of Australia are the beaches that I was raised on. Being tossed around in the waves during the summer and walking along the coastline as an excuse to leave the house during lockdown are just some examples. We need to do better in protecting this country from environmental threats to ensure experiences like these can be had by future generations of Australians. As you flick through the pages of Issue 5, reflect on your own memories of Australia and the actions you’ve taken to help preserve this Great Southern Land.

With love,

And as a concluding remark, let’s retire the pronunciation ‘Straya’, we are better than this.

Nikita Byrnes, Editor-in-Chief

Yours truthfully, Jackson Robb, Deputy Editor-in-Chief

NEWSFLASHES THE TRAGIC PASSING OF OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN In light of the passing of Olivia Newton-John, her battle with breast cancer is detailed by our Editorial Assistant, Zoe van der Merwe, who gives homage to Newton-John’s achievements. After battling breast cancer for nearly thirty-years, beloved music star and actress Olivia Newton John passed away on the morning of 8 August 2022, aged 73. From statements posted to her official social media accounts, her husband John Easterling confirmed the tragic news, saying Olivia “Passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California” surrounded by her family and friends.[1]

Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Newton-John, in her five-decade long career was well known for her many contributions to the music and film industry. She first achieved success as a country music singer, but it was her role as Sandy in the film Grease that transformed her into a household name. Throughout her career she went on to win multiple awards, including four GRAMMYs and ten American Music Awards. In 1981, she even earned her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, her legacy will most notably be remembered for her decades of charity work and efforts in progressing cancer research.

Following her sister’s death from brain cancer and her first diagnosis of breast cancer in 1992, Newton-John became a leading advocate for cancer research. She founded her own independent charity, the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, and raised millions for research into plant medicine as an alternative cancer treatment. On her mission page for her foundation, she stated: “My dream is that we will realize a world beyond cancer. I honestly believe we can do it!”.[2] Despite a second diagnosis in 2013 and a third in 2018, she continued to campaign and work towards realising this dream before her passing by establishing the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre. In a statement shared by the hospital running the centre in Melbourne they said, “She was the light at the end of the tunnel for many, many people.” [3] She received many honours for her advocacy and was even recognised by the Queen, who bestowed upon her the title of damehood in the 2020 New Year’s Honour’s list. Olivia Newton-John will always be remembered for her impact and will be missed by millions across the globe.

SCOTT MORRISON’S SECRET MINISTRIES Enjoying the memes of five Scott Morrison heads all pictured for different Minister profiles? A brief coverage on what it means will be led by our Editorial Assistant, Zoe van der Merwe. Scott Morrison made national headlines on 15 August when it was revealed that he had secretly appointed himself to five additional

ministry roles while still as acting prime minister. Between the period of March 2020 and May 2021, Morrison had appointed himself to ministerial responsibilities in the treasury, health, home affairs, finance and resource portfolios, without his own cabinets or the public’s knowledge. There was no official record of his swearing in by the Governor General, and as such he was granted key decision-making powers in these areas. Current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labelled the former Coalition’s leader’s actions as “an attack on the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy as we know it,” and despite the numerous calls from government leaders for Morrison’s resignation and formal apology, he defended his actions at a press conference held two days later [4]. He stated that his actions were undertaken during the crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and as such he believed it was “necessary to have authority” that could be exercised in “extreme” unforeseen circumstances [5]. With his actions however comes growing concerns and questions over their legality. In advice released Tuesday 23 August 2022, Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue said the ministry positions were in legal terms “valid.” Under the advice of the Prime Minister, the Governor-General, under section 64 of the Australian Constitution, could give additional State ministerial roles to existing Ministers of the State [6]. The problem then lies not solely in the actions themselves but with the formation of these ministries in secret. In terms of undertaking immediate action, Albanese said he would direct new legislative changes that

NEWSFLASHES would see the practice of publicly publishing ministerial appointments in the Commonwealth Gazette [7]. The actions by the former prime minister, however, have called in to question government accountability, and have placed further pressure on the Federal parliament to ensure there is more clarity and transparency in ministerial changes.

NSW TRAINS: THE ONGOING INDUSTRIAL ACTION Our Editorial Assistant, Zoe van der Merwe, sheds light on Sydney’s hectic train schedules. On the week beginning Monday 22 August 2022, NSW train services were again disrupted as a result of ongoing industrial action by the Rail Union against the NSW Government. NSW Train staff refused to operate train services that did still not meet the minimum maintenance standards, causing significant delays across the majority of Sydney’s rail network. On Monday alone thir-

ty-seven trains were taken out of service, leaving thousands of commuters stranded at railway stations across the city. This action by train workers sits on the back of months of continuous strikes and protests across NSW transport services concerning the implementation of improved fair work and safety standards. Alex Claassens, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RBTU) secretary, stated that workers “deserve[d] better respect,” and shouldn’t “have to wait to try and get a train fixed” [8]. On Wednesday 24 August 2022, the NSW Government finalised a new deed which set out alterations to the state’s intercity trains, addressing the key areas of safety concern. Despite this significant breakthrough, on Thursday 25 August, train services on many suburban lines still ran on amended timetables. With the deed requiring 48 hours to be reviewed, this saw a reduction of much needed train services during peak hour travel periods. Commuters were advised to consider alternate travel options available but with many relying on

NSW Trains to get to work, school or university, delays caused a significant inconvenience. Damien Tudehope, the Minister for Employee Relations, said the union’s ongoing industrial action was solely for “political purpose,” and the government committed to the train alterations not because it was necessary, but because they wanted to protect the public from future disturbance [9]. Subsequently, the Regional Transport and Road Minster, Sam Farraway, agreed with this, also stating it was “Now up to the RTBU to sign on the dotted line and give peace to commuters” [10]. The RBTU however stated that they have tried to get the government to commit to a written legally binding document addressing the safety of intercity trains for “over six years” now [11]. This continuing tension, despite the headway made, leads us to ask if the NSW Government will indeed follow through with their action and implement improved measures for workers and commuters. by Zoe van der Merwe

Easterling, John. “Dame Olivia Newton-John (73) passed away peacefully at her Ranch in Southern California this morning, surrounded by family and friends…” Instagram, 9 Aug 2022, https://www.instagram.com/p/ChAntToP_D0/. [2] “Mission.” The Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, http://www.onjfoundationfund.org/mission.html. [3] Gillett, Francesca and Matt Murphy. “Olivia Newton-John: Tributes as Grease star and singer dies aged 73.” BBC News, 9 Aug 2022, https://www.bbc.com/ news/entertainment-arts-62472100. [4] Butler, Josh and Sarah Martin. “Scott Morrison secretly appointed to five ministries, including Treasury and home affairs, says PM.” The Guardian, 16 Aug 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/16/scott-morrison-five-more-secret-ministries-minister-portfolio-ministry-including-treasury-home-affairs. [5] Orr, Aleisha and Akash Arora. “The Scott Morrison ministerial self-appointments saga is ‘unprecedented’. What can be done to stop a repeat?.” SBS News, 18 Aug 2022, https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/the-scott-morrison-ministerial-self-appointments-saga-is-unprecedented-what-can-be-done-to-stop-a-repeat/ kqhss4hkz. [6] Visentin, Lisa. “Morrison’s extra ministry legal but undermined principles of responsible government: solicitor-general.” The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 Aug 2022, https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-s-ministries-legal-but-undermined-principles-of-responsible-government-solicitor-general-20220823-p5bc2j. html. [7] Ibid. [8] Eldridge, Stacey. “Sydneysiders told to prepare for week of mayhem on NSW trains as ongoing industrial action significantly disrupts services.” Sky News, 22 Aug 2022, https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/sydneysiders-told-to-prepare-for-week-of-mayhem-on-nsw-trains-as-ongoing-industrial-action-significantly-disrupts-services/news-story/535354d48ca27fbcac82147213e967ce. [9] Connell, Cecilia. “Sydney train strike to proceed despite NSW government finalising deed for changes to new fleet.” ABC News, 24 Aug 2022, https://www.abc. net.au/news/2022-08-24/sydney-strikes-going-ahead-despite-government-finalising-deed/101369038. [10] Cockburn, Paige. “Sydney commuters battle another day of cancelled trains as union considers government deed.” ABC News, 25 Aug 2022, https://www.abc. net.au/news/2022-08-25/train-disruption-continues-as-union-considers-government-deed/101370010. [11] Evans, Lauren. “‘We have stuck to our guns’: Chaos on NSW trains continues as RBTU Secretary Alex Claassens confirms Thursday’s strike.” Sky News, 24 Aug 2022, https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/we-have-stuck-to-our-guns-chaos-on-nsw-trains-continues-as-rbtu-secretary-alex-claassens-confirms-thursdays-strike/news-story/521136326339d2c355ef02c7db9b33b7. [1]

CAMPUS NEWS

WHAT THE HECK IS SYNBIO? Have no idea what “Synbio” means? Have no fear as Jasperine Phetchareun and Jessica Liana from MQ Synbio detail what it means and how it can change the world. Have you ever thought, “What if we could stop coral bleaching?”, or, “What if we could make something to recycle all our plastics?”. Well, what if we tell you that we can - through synthetic biology. If the words “synthetic biology (SynBio)” have left you with feelings of extreme puzzlement and curiosity, that’s great! This makes it an even more exciting opportunity for us to share with you what synthetic biology is about! Synthetic biology is a multidisciplinary science that combines ideas from biomolecular science, design and engineering. In this field of science we genetically redesign microorganisms, such as bacteria (e.g. E.coli) or yeasts, by deconstructing their complex biological systems into discrete parts that can then be re-assembled in novel systems to produce new functions. To achieve this, we view microorganisms as little factories that are given capabilities not usually found in their native state. An example of this is how the compound for anti-malaria drugs, artiminsin, that was originally found in wormwood plants can now be synthesised in yeast. What many people don’t realise is that Macquarie University is one of the central places for synthetic biology in Australia - the ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology (COESB) being located right on Wally’s Walk. There is a growing body of research in this area being conducted right along the pathway we all walk through on a day-to-day basis. Currently, exciting research is being done at COESB to synthetically build yeast chromosomes in the Yeast 2.0 project. It’s also the place where the MQ SynBio Team of 2022

is working on our exciting project for the Australasian Synbio Challenge 2022. The Australasian SynBio Challenge requires student teams, supported by mentors in academia, to develop an original synthetic biology project designed and tackle real-world problems and encourage innovation. This is not a competition but rather a chance for students to take part in the process of collaboration and research that is involved in the field. The overarching promise of this challenge is to facilitate a growing and sustainable bioeconomy within the Australasian region for the near future. This challenge is currently happening across various universities across Australasia and will conclude in mid-October this year! Our project is called Leucine in the Sky with Cas9 (points to you if you recognise the song name). It aims to make a very popular genome editing tool, CRISPR-Cas 9, more effective. CRISPR is short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats and Cas9 is an enzyme! CRISPR allows for precise genome editing in which molecular biologists can incorporate new DNA into an organism by cutting the organism’s DNA exactly where they intend to target, and inserting the new DNA into that cut site. However, there are some limitations to this technique, one main limitation being that this technology is heavily reliant on the natural repair processes of the organism, mainly homology-directed repair (HDR), of which not many organisms are effectively capable of this. Therefore, our project aims to increase HDR efficiency by incorporating a system created by Andrew Hao and colleagues from Adelaide University so that CRISPR can potentially be used in a broader range of organisms. [1] This project excites us because it’s one of many potential applications of synthetic biology. What’s interesting about this field is that it encourages us to think about alternative pathways to solve long-standing problems with the help of microorganisms as unconventional tools. It has the potential to alter the industrial production

Hao, N., Shearwin, K.E. and Dodd, I.B., 2017. Programmable DNA looping using engineered bivalent dCas9 complexes. Nature communications, 8(1), pp.1-12. [1]

CAMPUS NEWS of resources and to encourage a more sustainable approach in agriculture, manufacturing and more. It’s hard to believe that many years ago it was incomprehensible to think that microorganisms could produce compounds such as artiminsin to cure malaria, or that we could even build synthetic yeast. Yet, we live in that time now, and there’s still so much potential to be discovered. It doesn’t mean that synthetic biology will be the panacea for all our ills. Yet, we believe that we could secure a more promising future for Australia if we simply asked ourselves, “How can we use microorganisms to change the world for the better?”. Now, that’s a question synthetic biologists can’t wait to answer! Want to learn more about MQ Synbio? Visit their socials on Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok: @/mqsynbioteam Explore these links to find out more: COESB: https://www.coesb.com.au/ Australasian SynBio Challenge: https://www. aussynbiochallenge.org/ by Jasperine Phetchareun and Jessica Liana

RESPONSE TO THE WOMEN’S COLLECTIVE IN GRAPESHOT ISSUE 1, 2022 Amy King from the Liberal Club (currently unaffiliated with MQ Student Groups) responds to a think piece from Issue 1. The distinction between the satirical and the offensive has long been a point of conflict in the trenches of the so-called ‘culture wars’. The first 2022 issue of Grapeshot featured an article by the co-president of the Macquarie University Women’s Collective titled ‘Misogyny Under the Guise of Satire’. The author cites the ‘Wheel of Punishment’ at the Macquarie University Liberal

Club O-Week stall as an example of satire which enables ‘dangerously misogynistic’ individuals to promote bigotry. The purpose of the Wheel was to humorously point out everyday scenarios which are seen as insidious by the radical left. These included: Eating meat, being patriotic, and talking to women. Evidently it is the latter which has aggrieved the Women’s Collective. Although feminism promotes issues of importance for women, it has gone beyond its initial purpose of facitating equality. It divides the genders by highlighting grievances and demanding special rights in the name of ultimate equality. This ultimate equality lies on an infinitely receding horizon; on a day-to-day level, the result is inequality, and a movement which appears openly hostile to men. Students, including women, appreciate our satire not because of a culture of sexism but because of the excesses of a feminism whose emphasis on victimhood does little to empower women to face the challenges of modernity. Despite the author’s claims of a misogynistic culture, women command significant power at Macquarie, with dedicated spaces and courses of study for women. The Collective should be proud to call Macquarie a place which nurtures women. Instead, it adopts a battleground mentality which pits it against a ravening horde of sexist white males. But those of us—including women and minorities—who are Liberal or traditionalist must listen as our views are mocked by lecturers and tutors in a manner that would cause outrage or even disciplinary action if directed against leftwing or feminist ideology. Nobody should be above satire. All ideas can and should be made fun of in a light-hearted way, and not just for comedy; satire is a perennial means of speaking truth to power and must always hold a place in the cultural dialogue. by Amy King

Grapeshot is not affiliated with any student political groups and the views expressed by the author are not those of the publisher.

NATIONAL NEWS

THAT’S NOT MY JOB! RECAPPING THE LATEST FROM AUSPOL As a hot topic on #auspol, In the last year, the Austraments if the identity of the Grapeshot’s Deputy Editor, lian Government has endured ministers who have been apJackson Robb, delves in detail significant changes. Howevpointed … is not publicised”. on the implications of Morrison’s er, between former Deputy secret ministry on the Australian NSW Premier John Barilaro’s Calls for Morrisons resignapolitical landscape. New York position scandal to tion have emerged from forformer Prime Minister Scott mer cabinet members as his Morrison’s secret appointment to five additional actions are deemed an “unprecedented trashing positions, the state of the Australian Government of our democracy” by current PM, Anthony Albais not to the standard the population expects or nese. [2] Such acts which misled the parliament deserves. Both incidents have involved withholdand the Australian people triggers a parliamentaing information from the media and withholding ry inquiry, which will reveal exactly why Morrison information from the general public. The unstable believed his appointments were not worth sharnature of the Australian political landscape also ing. For now, the public have Morrison’s Facetakes away from issues Australia should be focusbook statement to provide clarity on the situation. ing on. This article will examine the current flaws Morrison states that due to the uncertain nature in the Auspol climate and how reserving inforthe pandemic instilled in government, “The risk mation from the media is creating a distrust beof Ministers becoming incapacitated, sick, hospitween the Australian people and the government talised, incapable of doing their work at a critical designed for them. hour or even fatality was very real.” [3] He continues, saying that to ensure specific departments Whilst everyone can admit to taking on more could function despite the constant changes, it work than they can handle, former Prime Minister became necessary for him to be appointed to Scott Morrison took this to a new level as it was these positions, as a matter of national interest. revealed he was appointed to five additional minMorrison labels these arrangements as a “‘break isterial roles during the COVID-19 crisis. Morriglass in case of emergency’ safeguard,” claimson’s time as PM can be labelled tumultuous from ing that “thankfully it was not necessary for me issues such as the delayed vaccine rollout to his to trigger use of any of these powers.” However, holiday in Hawaii during the bushfire crisis, and Morrison contradicted this point, stating, “I used the passing of the religious discrimination bill, all such powers on one occasion only,” when delibof which were extensively covered in various Auserating in the PEP11 offshore gas decision. tralian media outlets. Morrison’s appointments were all legally valid, with Solicitor-General SteMorrison claims he acted in the benefit of the phen Donaghue stating that appointments do not country during a time of great uncertainty, which need to be publicised and recipients do not have is valid to a certain extent. However, his inabilto take an oath. [1] However, if Morrison took all ity to release any form of statement on his new necessary avenues to obtain these positions, why appointments during a period where misinformawere the media not alerted of the responsibilities tion was very prevalent, proves why Australians he carried for the nation? This evokes just one distrust both politicians and the media. So as refacet of the problematic nature the government sources are used to determine why Scott Morrimaintains. Subsequently, the Solicitor-General son appointed himself to these positions yet failed commented that “it is impossible for parliament to alert the mass media, the government is directand the public to hold ministers accountable for ed away from other pressing issues of national the proper administration of particular departconcern. Such examples include the endangered

NATIONAL NEWS status of the Australian Koala Population, [4] ensuring the healthcare system are well equipped to deal with the ageing population, and the revaluation of the net zero 2050 target and 2030 target which are currently in breach of the Paris Agreement, [5] just to name a few. Australia is suffering at the hands of negligent politicians who prioritise their self-interests over the ministerial roles they work for. Such evidence can be compiled from incidents over the past year, including the ICAC inquiry into former NSW Premier Gladys Berijiklian and the recent assault charges laid against former NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro towards a member from Channel 7 media team. The relationship between the government and the media is critical for a democracy to function as it advises the people about how government officials plan to operate the country. However, the Morrison job scandal is not the first instance of questionable activity occurring within the walls of Parliament House. The most recent example involves, yet again, former Deputy Premier John Barilaro, who was favoured for a New York trade position role, despite more qualified candidates being nominated. [6] Ministers are now denying their involvement as a parliamentary inquiry begins to understand the issue further. Mr Barilaro was favoured for the job over two qualified candidates, solicitor Kimberley Cole and former senior bureaucrat Jenny West, who had already been selected as the successful candidate last August before the offer was rescinded due to recruitment changes. [7] Mr Barilaro, who was facing a defamation case against youtuber, Friendly Jordies, last year, who responds to corruption within government, had stepped down from his position as Deputy Premier last October, claiming the intense scrutiny from the media was a contributing factor. [8] Despite Barilaro priding himself in his application letter for the position on his “energy, resilience and passion,” [9] he has since withdrawn from the New York position. Such issues surrounding Morrison and Barilaro present worrying concerns over the current workplace culture of Parliament House; an institution designed to represent the people of Australia. While the media has a responsibility to fairly construct a narrative based on given information, this should not be an excuse for politicians to withhold information that the public has a right to be informed of. As inquiries reveal the background information to these issues, hopefully the government can establish trust within the nation and realign with their objective to represent Australians. by Jackson Robb

Butler, Josh. “Secret Ministries: What The Legal Advice Means For Scott Morrison And Australia’S Parliament”. The Guardian, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/23/secret-ministries-what-the-legal-advice-means-for-scott-morrison-and-australias-parliament. [2] Butler, Josh, and Sarah Martin. “Scott Morrison Secretly Appointed To Five Ministries, Including Treasury And Home Affairs, Says PM”. The Guardian, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/16/scott-morrison-five-more-secret-ministries-minister-portfolio-ministry-including-treasury-home-affairs. [3] Facebook.com. 2022. https://www.facebook.com/scottmorrisonmp. [4] Cox, Lisa. “Koala Listed As Endangered After Australian Governments Fail To Halt Its Decline”. The Guardian, 2022, https://www. theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/11/koala-listed-as-endangered-after-australian-governments-fail-to-halt-its-decline. [5] Evans, Jake. “Prime Minister Says He Has ‘Drawn A Line’ Under Decade Of Australia Lagging On Climate Change, As Nation Steps Up Commitment”. Abc.Net.Au, 2022, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-16/australia-updates-emissions-reduction-target-paris-agreement/101157008. [6] McGowan, Michael, and Tamsin Rose. “John Barilaro Was Ranked Second By New York Trade Role Selection Panel, New Documents Reveal”. The Guardian, 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/01/john-barilaro-was-ranked-second-after-new-york-trade-role-interviews-new-documents-reveal. [7] Raper, Ashleigh. “Secret Documents Contradict Claims By NSW Premier Over US Trade Job”. Abc.Net.Au, 2022, https://www. abc.net.au/news/2022-07-26/nsw-government-documents-about-us-trade-job-released/101269776. [8] Cockburn, Paige. “NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro Resigns As Coalition Crisis Deepens”. Abc.Net.Au, 2022, https://www. abc.net.au/news/2021-10-04/nsw-deputy-premier-john-barilaro-resigns/100511638. [9] Aston, Joe. “Revealed: John Barilaro’s Application Letter For New York Trade Job”. Australian Financial Review, 2022, https:// www.afr.com/rear-window/revealed-john-barilaro-s-application-letter-for-new-york-trade-job-20220801-p5b6c2.

[1]

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

James Devaney/GC Images

Editorial Assistant Nilab Siddiqi takes you on a (not so) top secret ride into the FBI’s investigation on Donald Trump. On 8 August 2022, FBI agents seized 20 boxes of material evidence from Donald Trump’s home. [1] The former U.S. president is currently under criminal investigation for three major criminal violations: apparent violation of the ‘Espionage Act’, obstruction of justice, and the destruction of government records, as outlined by the search warrant. [2] The ‘Espionage Act’ strictly outlaws any retention of unauthorised national security information which could either directly harm the United States, or aid an adversary. This means that the FBI is under the suspicion that Trump has taken unclassified documents and records from the White House to his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. The search of his home revealed that Trump had kept records so sensitive in nature that they were exempt from the inventory detailing what was taken from the home. [3] Further reports from the BBC indicate that some of these taken records contain national secrets so sensitive that they would cause extreme damage to the U.S. national security if revealed.

A JOURNEY INTO TRUMP’S INVESTIGATION BY THE FBI Why exactly is it so dangerous for Trump to have these records? There are three different levels of classification of materials: confidential, secret and top secret. These labels are given depending on how much damage the material would do to national security if they were revealed to the general public. [4] There are various rules surrounding the handling of these materials, with only certain individuals who have passed relevant security vetting having the permission to view them. There are also rules determining where the documents can be handled and read. Accordingly, documents which have been marked as “Top Secret” are only to be viewed in secure rooms, known as “sensitive compartmented information facilities”. The 11 records taken from Trump’s home were generally classified as “various classified/top secret/sensitive compartmented information”. When considering that these documents were kept in the basement storage area of his home, it seems that there is a clear violation of law. [5] While it is certainly in the power of both the president and certain senior officials to declassify these materials, documents cannot be declassified simply by word-ofmouth; there must be a record of them doing so. Typically, a drafted written memo clearly signed by the president would be followed by a consultation process with relevant agencies. If a decision was made to declassify the materials, the document would state that it was declassified and on a certain date. [6] The issue at hand is that it is unclear in the present whether Trump followed this declassification process with the records which were seized from his home.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS There has been minimal clarity offered by Trump himself, however, he claims that all the records which were seized were declassified. This claim has been met with much suspicion as the documents have no markings of declassification, which would have been dealt with during the official declassification process. [7] That being said, it may not be relevant to the case whether the documents were classified or declassified as the ‘Espionage Act’ doesn’t actually distinguish between the two. Unauthorised retention of any documents which are relevant to the statute is a crime, punishable up to 10 years in federal prison. [8] What were the ramifications? Following the press coverage of this case, there have been concerning reactions from followers of the Republican party. Both the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security have seen a spike in violent threats being posed to them online following the search. [9] The nature of the threats have been varied, with some threatening to place a bomb in front of the FBI HQ and some suggesting targeted killings of judicial, law enforcement and government officials associated with the search warrant. [10]

For example, at 9am on 12 August 2022, an armed man attempted to breach an FBI building in Cincinnati, Ohio. The gunman, 42-year-old Ricky Shiffer, later died from wounds inflicted during an exchange of gunfire with officers. It is believed that the gunman was in Washington at the time of the insurrection on January 6, 2021, and is suspected to have been at the Capitol on the day of the attack. [11] Federal officials are now tracking a variety of concerning threats to the FBI. Trump and his allies, including Republicans in Congress, have responded to the situation in anger, inciting more unrest among his supporters. The former president’s allies are also calling him to release the CCTV footage of the raid in hopes that it would encourage and motivate followers of the Republican party. However, some close allies have stated that releasing the footage could have the opposite effect, inciting distaste in viewers at the sight of the sheer amount of material taken from the estate instead. [12] At time of writing, there is no definitive conclusion to the case. by Nilab Siddiqi

Evans, Gareth. “What we do and don’t know about the FBI search of Trump’s home.” BBC, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62528709. [2] Lowell, Hugo. “Trump under investigation for potential violations of Espionage Act, warrant reveals.” The Guardian, 2022, https://www. theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/12/fbi-agents-trump-search-mar-a-lago-documents. [3] Evans, Gareth. “What we do and don’t know about the FBI search of Trump’s home.” BBC, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62528709. [4] Ibid. [5] Lowell, Hugo. “Trump under investigation for potential violations of Espionage Act, warrant reveals.” The Guardian, 2022, https://www. theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/12/fbi-agents-trump-search-mar-a-lago-documents. [6] Evans, Gareth. “What we do and don’t know about the FBI search of Trump’s home.” BBC, 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62528709. [7] Lowell, Hugo. “Trump under investigation for potential violations of Espionage Act, warrant reveals.” The Guardian, 2022, https://www. theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/12/fbi-agents-trump-search-mar-a-lago-documents. [8] Ibid. [9] Riga, Jessica. “The FBI has warned of a spike in violent threats after their search of Donald Trump’s home. Here’s what we know.” ABC New, 2022, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-15/fbi-homeland-security-warn-of-threats-after-donald-trump-raid/101333242. [10] Ibid. [11] “Armed man who tried to ‘breach’ FBI office in Ohio killed in standoff with US police.” ABC News, 2022, https://www.abc.net.au/ news/2022-08-12/armed-man-tries-breaching-fbi-ohio-office/101326026. [12] Orr, Gaby et al. “Trump considering releasing surveillance footage of FBI Mar-a-Lago search.” CNN Politics, 2022, https://edition.cnn. com/2022/08/17/politics/trump-release-surveillance-footage-fbi-mar-a-lago/index.html. [1]

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CHINESE WARSHIPS PUSH BOUNDARIES WITH TAIWAN Chinese boundary breaches with Taiwan led to an alarming rise in tensions between China and Taiwan, as reported by News Section Editor, Olivia Chan.

On 4 August 2022, Chinese naval ships and aircraft crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait, which have contributed to peace between China and Taiwan for 70 years. This was part of China’s protest against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei at the beginning of August. Taiwan currently prepares for routine breaches of the median line by the Chinese navy. [1] According to a Taiwanese source, 10 Chinese navy ships briefly crossed the median line before being driven away by Taiwanese navy ships. Consequently, Taiwan may be forced to react militarily if China continues to breach the line. This began due to targeted military drills conducted by China in zones near Taiwan, shortly after Pelosi’s visits. [2]

“We need to join our hands with like-minded partners to make sure that the median line is still there, to safeguard peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” - Foreign Minister, Joseph Wu Currently, Taiwan has no immediate plan to confer more power to the military or coastguard. This accords with President Tsai Ingwen’s repeated statements against the provocation or escalation of conflict by Taiwan. [3] Accordingly, the strait currently upholds its status as international waters through the passage of Western navies. Under interna-

tional law, peace is implied upon international waters, thus preserving an obligation against conflict in the strait. However, such passive retention of peace may cause the erasure of the median line, with respect to active Chinese aggression pushing the limits of international law. As the line itself lacks legal standing, China’s push would not lead to consequences such as international sanctions. This is the basis for the beginnings of military conflict, as shown by China’s repeated incursions to the expense of Taiwan’s patrol forces. Frigates have been pursued by destroyers, while Chinese fighter jets dived short distances past the median line. [4] This may signify a turning point in the constant tensions between China and Taiwan. The conflict arose from a long-standing political opposition between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Kuomintang (KMT). In short, this arose after the death of Sun Yat-Sen, a key Chinese revolutionary in the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, which resulted in the collapse of the Qing dynasty, and the first leader of the KMT. A struggle for power followed his death, leading to a period of instability and the Chinese Civil War. It was in this period when the left-wing CCP and centre-right-wing KMT broke their alliance against imperialism and feudalism and conflict erupted. Consequently, following the occupation of China by the CCP in 1949, the KMT and its supporters fled to Taiwan, establishing the Republic of China (ROC). [5]

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Beyond political spats, territorial issues complicate and contribute to the current China-Taiwan situation. In the late 17th century, China gained control of Taiwan for about 200 years, before Japanese acquisition after the first Sino-Japanese War. In 1945, Taiwan was returned to KMT control following Japanese defeat in WWII. Yet, following the KMT’s defeat in 1949, jurisdictional issues have run into a grey area. This was the genesis of China’s ongoing strive for unification with Taiwan. [6]

“...[reunification is the only way to] foil the attempts of external forces to contain China, and to safeguard the sovereignty, security, and development interests of our country.” – A Chinese government report on reunification. [7] On the other hand, acquisition of Taiwan would reap militaristic and economic advantages for China in Asia. Particularly, it would threaten the US “island chain strategy”, which uses a barrier of islands between the Chinese mainland and the Pacific Ocean. Furthermore, China would be able to grasp control over Asia’s major shipping routes, utilising Taiwan’s geographical situation between the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, and the South China Sea. Thirdly, Taiwan would provide economic benefits to China, as the small

Artyom Ivanov\TASS via Getty Images

island alone produced a gross domestic product of almost $US790 billion in 2021; China produced $US17.5 trillion. [8] The government paper further discusses processes of reunification by proposing a “One Country, Two Systems” mechanism. This would essentially deem Taiwan an administrative region of China. This will be challenging for China, considering that only 1.6% of Taiwanese people supported unification, according to a Taiwanese poll. [9] With regard to vain attempts at reunification in the past, the paper also warns of the inclusion of the use of force as an option in claiming Taiwan. This draws attention back to the current breaches of the median line, which sketches a birth of conflict on the horizon between China and Taiwan… by Olivia Chan

Maguire, Dannielle. “Why Does China Want Taiwan When It’s Already So Big And Rich? The Answer Is About More Than Land And Money.” ABC News, 12 August 2022, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-12/why-does-china-want-taiwan-military-strategic-location/101321856. [2] Lee, Yimou. “Chinese Vessels, Aircraft Make Multiple Incursions Over Median Line - Taiwanese Source.” Reuters, 4 August 2022, https:// www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-made-multiple-incursions-median-line-taiwan-deployed-missile-systems-track-2022-08-04/. [3] (n 1) [4] Ibid. [5] “Nationalist Party.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Nationalist-Party-Chinese-political-party. [6] “Taiwan.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/place/Taiwan. [7] “The Taiwan Question and China’s Reunification in the New Era”. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council and The State Council Information Office, 10 August 2022, http://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zgyw/202208/t20220810_10740168.htm. [8] (n 1) [9] Cheng, Joyce and Bang Xiao. “Taiwanese Peopl Take Beijjing’s Fury Over Nancy Pelosi’s Visit In Their Stride.” ABC News, 4 August 2022, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-04/pelosi-visit-taiwan-china-response-taiwanese-australian-views/101295636. [1]

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HUMANITARIAN CRISIS UNDER THE TALIBAN REGIME A horrifying yet insightful journey on the current situation in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime is guided by News Section Editor, Olivia Chan. With civilians killed, others struggling to scrape meagre amounts of food, and sexist policies placing Afghan women and girls at a retrogressive subjugated position, the Taliban regime has forced upon a humanitarian crisis on the Afghan people in just the past year. Background The Taliban took occupation of Afghanistan just over a year ago on 15 August 2021. This became possible after commencing the withdrawal of the US, UK, and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Allies and partners from Afghanistan on 1 May 2021. Consequently, between May and August 2021, the Taliban seized control of regions until they occupied Kabul, the capital, on 15 August 2021. [1] Statistically, there were 7400 civilian casualties with 2091 killed and 5309 wounded were recorded between 1 January and 14 August 2021 by UNAMA HRS, with women and children contributing to almost 40% of the casualties. 29% of these figures occurred just between 1 July and 14 August. [2] Of the casualties: • 42% consisted of ground engagements. • 29% involved improvised explosive devices. • 11% were targeted killings. • 7% were contributed by aerial attacks. These statistics alone already paint a violent portrait of the Taliban regime. Current Situation The numbers have slightly lowered, with 2106 civilian casualties with 700 killed, 1406 wounded. 88

women (37 killed, 51 wounded) and 441 children (159 killed, 282 wounded). [3] 26 August 2021, Kabul: ISIL-KP attack on Hamid Karzai International Airport using two suicide bombers amongst a crowd of civilian attempting to leave Afghanistan, killing over 72 and wounding over 140. More casualties were also inflicted on US forces and de facto security forces. 29 August 2021: US drone attack in residential area killed 10 civilians, 7 being children. However, many attacks were ramped up on mosques, public parks, schools and public transport by ISIL-KP. This demonstrates a targeted approach at ethnic and religious minorities instead. These included Hazara Shias, Shia Muslims in general, and Sufi Muslims. [4] A few of the multitude of attacks include: • 8 October 2021: Suicide attack in Kunduz city in Sayed Abad Shia Mosque killed over 80 and wounded over 150. • 15 October 2021: Suicide attack in Kandahar city in Imam Bargah Fatimeyah mosque killing over 41 and wounder over 70. Beyond such violence, sexist ideologies were put into practice. Two days after the takeover, the Taliban pledged that there would be “no violence... and no discrimination against women”. [5] On the contrary, girls have been prohibited from attending secondary school, women are forced to wear the hijab or burqa, park visits are segregated by sex, women have been dismissed and banned from jobs, women are forced to travel to work with a male family member, and many more rules. There was even

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a pedantic rule requiring female news anchors to cover their faces on air. On the other hand, men were instructed to grow beards and to wear local clothing. [6] Furthermore, countries have put on a cold front to Afghan refugees, leading to a refugee crisis. Iran has deported thousands of Afghan refugees whilst the public and authorities subject them to abuse. Turkey has deported over 10000 Afghan migrants. Belgium rejected hundreds of asylum claims. Germany evicted Afghan refugees from their homes within a 24-hour period for Ukrainian refugees instead. Canada will take no more than 40000 Afghan refugees despite having no limit on Ukrainian refugees. [7] As if the tolls Afghan people are suffering through are not enough, mass hunger also plagues the country, leading to consequential economy impacts that live in a cruel symbiosis with starvation. As measured between March and May 2022, almost 19.7 million people (half the population) are suffering level 3 “crisis” or 4 “emergency” levels of food insecurity. [8] Accordingly, key factors to the food crisis involve:

•

Economic Decline: Economic isolation including a lack of international grant support (>$8 billion p/a) coupled with a loss of access to offshore assets, financial linkages, and the Ukraine crisis, have walked Afghanistan into a vicious cycle of economic instability leading to poverty, high unemployment rates, and high inflation, which leave Afghanistan in a trench of economic deflation.

•

Drought: A very dry season between 2021-2022 along with high agriculture input costs led to reduced winter wheat cultivation. This is predicted to cause a 7-13% decrease in the expected wheat harvest.

•

High Food Prices: High prices of commodities and reduced incomes have forced a double whammy on the already starving population.

Impact of Ukraine Crisis: Increased global food prices as Russia and Ukraine were large exporters of wheat. Regional suppliers would rather keep their resources to themselves. Coupled with high food prices and a low crop harvest, only starvation is on the horizon. With the implementation of the Taliban’s militaristic regime, the lives of many Afghan people continue to be endangered. One way to reach out is by supporting the International Committee of the Red Cross’ efforts in administering health care, rehabilitation support, welfare support, family reconnection, and access to clean water, sanitation and energy: https://www.icrc.org/en/donate/afghanistan. by Olivia Chan

Abdullah Sahil/Associated Press

“Human Rights in Afghanistan”. United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan’s Human Rights Service, July 2022, p. 7. Ibid, p. 9. [3] Ibid, p. 10. [4] Ibid, p. 11. [5] Ritchie, Hannah, and Nada Bashir. “Taliban pledge ‘no violence against women’ but say international community ‘should respect our core values’”. CNN, 17 August 2021, https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/afghanistan-taliban-us-news-08-17-21/h_18411afdb1e8b9e760b4e07fcdbdc9ff. [6] Asefi, Ferdouse. “Afghanistan A Year After The Taliban Occupation: An Ongoing War On Human Rights”. The Conversation, 1 August 2022, https:// theconversation.com/afghanistan-a-year-after-the-taliban-occupation-an-ongoing-war-on-human-rights-187728. [7] Ibid. [8] “Afghanistan: Nearly 20 Million Afghans Experiencing High Acute Food Insecurity”. ipcinfo.org, May 2022, https://www.ipcinfo.org/ipcinfo-website/ resources/resources-details/en/c/1155598/. [1]

[2]

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ILLUSTRATED: WHAT YOUR FAVOURITE AUSSIE PARTY FOOD SAYS ABOUT YOU Fairy Bread In the very heart-warming words of Eleanor Shellstrop, “ya basic.” You’re into astrology, long walks on the beach, and you’re a Taylor Swift stan since her country days. Or you’re a three-year-old girl in a pink tutu. Pavlova You’re the mum-friend of the group, aren’t you? You’re always prepared, you always have tissues, hand sanny, tampons and pens stashed in your bag, no matter the size. You also love fringe fruits like pomegranate, dragon fruit and grapefruit. (Natural Confectionary) Party Mix Your friends tell you you’re a picky eater. You tell them your taste buds are “refined” (even though no one believes you…not even you). You have a personal vendetta against food with strange textures, like chia pudding, cottage cheese, oysters and boba. Party Franks I don’t know if I should be inspired by your bravery or concerned for your apparent lack of taste buds. Food is food to you; you don’t care much about the flavour or preservatives (sometimes the more the better), as long as you eat, you’re content. Party Pies and Sausage Rolls You are either 10 or 21. Either way you’re a True Blue, through and through. But you’ll never be seen eating a regular-sized pie because you’re no tradie. Lamingtons (with Jam) You’re sophisticated. You must have your lamingtons accompanied with tea. You’ll often be found poolside in a fashionable swimsuit and a hat with the diameter of a satellite dish, reading the latest rom-com, but you’ll never actually be seen getting into the water. by Lauren Grzina

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CHALLENGE: AUSTRALIAN MOVIE SPEED DATING When I asked, “What movie is so iconic that it is embedded in Australian culture?” the responses I got, and the subsequent confusion reflected by my furrowed eyebrows and tilted head, had those people who answered baffled. “You’ve never watched The Castle? At all? Tell me you’re dreaming.” “Paper Planes? Never saw it? It’s with the guy from Avatar and this guy,” (shows pic of Ed Oxenbould), “surely you’ve seen those guys!” “These movies define Australian culture.” I began to think: what made these movies iconic in popular culture? So to answer my question, I decided to watch some of these suggestions and see if such movies represent the accuracy of Australian culture. Movie 1: The Castle Practically every Aussie I know quotes the lines. Whether it’s, “tell him he’s dreaming,” or “how’s the serenity,” to “it’s the vibe of the thing,” The Castle has become a classic cult film in Australian culture. Daryl Kerrigan and his family live near the airport, however they have been given notice that their house has been compulsorily acquired by the government. As such, Daryl commences legal proceedings to withdraw the government from acquiring houses near the airport in favour of plans to expand the development of the airport. As the audience, we see this all unravel from Daryl’s son, Dale, who narrates this whole movie. When finishing the movie, I realised that it is not the journey of pseudo-legal proceedings that defines the plot. Rather, this movie displays the idea of home, a helping hand, and the value of family from ordinary people – a culture relatable to the everyday Australian. As Daryl says it best, “a man’s home is his castle.” We understand the sentiment of the Kerrigan Home. It is a comfort to the Kerrigans, a source of familiarity, and the chamber of the family heart. We see this extend to Wayne, the eldest sibling of the Kerrigan family, who is in jail for eight years for robbery. The scenes of Wayne staring at a picture of his family and laying in his jail cell, show that the comfort of family photographs is what keeps Wayne sane, that familiarity. The interaction that Dale and Wayne have when Dale visits him every Friday shows that family is family, where you don’t need to re-earn your place at the table. And the fight that Daryl puts up to stop this action from happening not just for himself, but for his neighbours as well, epitomises the fighting spirit we Aussies have. Though in real life, it is believed that Daryl Kerrigan would have lost his legal battle, this film created a greater level of empathy from the Australian audience. The audience can relate to seeing such ordinary, working-class people with good intentions, coming with welcoming arms. Overall, this was a feel-good movie.

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Movie 2: Muriel’s Wedding

Muriel’s Wedding was the next movie I watched. The only thing I knew about it was that it was the movie that made Cher get into ABBA. The story follows Muriel, the target of harassment from her friends, considered to be socially inept. Burdened by her family and home life, lacking in romantic experience, and daydreaming to hopefully find love, she steals money from her parents to go on a vacation with her best friend to fulfil that promise. When watching this movie, we watch someone else’s struggles and follow them to the end of their journey.

Muriel’s Wedding is a rom-com movie where the main character, Muriel, is a source of consolation. As an “outsider,” it almost seems she’s drowning in indescribable emptiness. Yet, her journey towards empowerment and escaping the anxieties of the world acts as a hug to the audience. This movie reassures us that we all have the capacity for joy, even through the painful disappointments of life. This movie is one that is catered to the broader audience, not only the Australian audience. At Muriel’s age, there is a lot of confusion with social expectations which pressures one to adhere to false ideas of happiness. Her moments of fictional marriages, singing to ABBA, her ventures into different dates, give a sense of vulnerability and insecurity that make her authentic. The constant hurdles make us feel that it is okay to go at our own pace for personal growth, amidst a society that demands so much from us. Movie 3: Paper Planes I remember when this movie came out. It was plastered on every movie cinema and featured in YouTube advertisements with Shepphard’s “Geronimo” playing in the background. Yet, the simplicity of this movie exudes a familiar but reassuring fun warmth. This movie had everyone grabbing the nearest piece of paper, making paper planes. The story is about Dylan, who has recently lost his mother due to a car crash, and his father, Jack, who is dealing with the loss by watching home-videos all day. One day at school, Dylan discovers his passion for flight and paper planes, and gains determination to join the world paper planes championship. We see moments of his father and him mending their relationship as Jack becomes more involved with helping Dylan maximise the flying of his paper planes. What I didn’t realise until after I watched this movie was that the paper plane competition was popular in Australian culture. Despite the simplicity of the film, it brings a lot of nostalgia of just being a kid and venturing into unlikely pursuits, though it may be questionable to an audience outside Australia why this would be a source of entertainment for us. Like mentioned earlier, I remember seeing parents, who were not concerned with making paper planes, suddenly constructing their own. Seeing them re-folding, making test paper planes and writing down improvements, was symbolic of them rekindling their childhoods, inspired by Paper Planes. This movie highlights the creativity and sportsmanship central to the journey of Dylan’s achievements and growth. by Mikaela Mariano

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POP CULTURE REWIND

KATH AND KIM

Image Source: Sydney Morning Herald

In May of 2002, Australia was introduced to its most loved sitcom. It revolves around the mother-daughter relationship of permed empty-nester Kath Day-Knight (Jane Turner) and her lazy, self-obsessed daughter Kim (Gina Riley). I like to think of Kath and Kim as Australia’s Keeping Up with the Kardiashians, but with a more suburban-chic aesthetic and thinner lips. Since its premier, Kath and Kim have become nothing short of household Australian personalities, and their bogan-vogue phrases are parroted again and again. The supporting cast of hilariously droll characters and the string of witty, indulgent plots has, in my eyes, deemed Kath and Kim as Australia’s most iconic TV show. “Look at moi,” is a phrase everyone and their mother has stretched their lips over at least once in their life. Kath and Kim’s dialogue revels in working-class colloquial fabulousness, Kim classily speaking of “cardonnay” and Kath adoringly referring to her husband Kel as a “great hunk of spunk.” The exaggerated Australian accent, ridiculed and mimicked by the rest of the world, is lovingly celebrated in Kath and Kim, simultaneously laughed with and at by the audience. There are so many scenes from the show’s four seasons that still make me crack up laughing. When Kim comes home to find that her mother has turned her room into a gym, Kath defends the renovation: “I like to keep myself trim, Kim. Does it make me a

crim to keep myself trim?” Kath’s rhyme and wordplay never ceases to impress. When she’s in the kitchen holding a cantaloupe, she says “I can’t elope, Kim.” And every appearance of the homewares duo Prue and Trude, their grey bobs shining beneath fluorescent mall lighting, is priceless. But we can’t forget Kel (Glenn Robbins), Sharon (Magda Szubanski) and Brett (Peter Rowsthorn), the people who keep Kath and Kim from ripping each other apart. Kel’s gelled fringe, and the gold necklace nestled in his chest hairs, certainly peg him as the show’s middle-aged heartthrob. He is – oh la la! – a purveyor of fine meats, and warmly tends to Kath’s every desire and ambition. He’s a supportive, troubleless partner who lets Kath be the best version of herself. Sharon, a sports-enthusiast with a large collection of polo shirts and an undying rash, is Kim’s “second-best friend.” Szubanski’s exceptional portrayal of Sharon always leaves me cry-laughing. Despite Kim’s harsh love towards her, Sharon is always looking out for her best friend: “You look like a fashion victim, Kim.” Compared to the rest of the family, Brett is a lot more reserved. His biggest moments of heat are when he is arguing with Kim – well, when Kim is arguing with him – which is, let’s face it, always. He has a better relationship with his mother-in-law than with his wife, but, ultimately, he never quite does enough to keep Kim happy. The Kath and Kim universe blew up in 2012 with the release of the feature film Kath and Kimderella, which gave all of us greedy Australians a goold old movie starring our favourite suburbians to hunker down with. In July 2022, it was announced that Kath and Kim will be returning for a one-off special in celebration of their 20th anniversary. Time to pop open the cardonnay! “Alright then, Chardonnay, Chardonnay, you pack of chunts!” by Bruna Gomes

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POP POLITICS UNDERSTOOD: The Republic of the Commonwealth of Australia? The Prime Minister is the leader of Australia, right? The Australian Constitution doesn’t think so. According to section 61, executive power is vested in the monarch as exercised by their Governor-General. What the Constitution doesn’t tell you is that the Governor-General’s power is subject to the PM’s advice. So while the Governor-General holds all the power, they’re practically powerless: a mostly invisible and ceremonial figure who signs the bills and drapes medals onto honourable Australians. Everyone can name the Prime Minister; you’d be lucky to find anyone who could name the Governor-General. Recently, many learned the name, David Hurley, for the first time. It was revealed that former Prime Minister Scott Morrison advised Governor-General Hurley to appoint Morrison to five ministries without informing the government or the public. Bound by conventions, the Governor-General followed the Prime Minister’s advice. The press grilled the former PM. How could he fail to inform the public? But others targeted the Governor-General. How could he let this happen? Why didn’t he question Morrison’s advice? Why didn’t he require public disclosure? For the first time in years, the Governor-General was thrust into the spotlight, and whenever this happens, the natural question arises: why do we even have a governor-general in the first place? Why aren’t we a republic? Republics and Monarchies A republic is a system of government where executive power is held by the people through their elected representatives. In contrast, a

monarchy is where executive power is held by the monarch, a person who holds power until death or abdication. Australia is a constitutional monarchy, a form of government where the monarch’s power is exercised in accordance with a prescribed constitution. This is opposed to an absolute monarchy such as Saudi Arabia where the King exercises absolute power. In this way, Australia maintains both a strong democracy and the monarchy’s sovereignty. Much of our understanding of Australian politics doesn’t come from the text of the Constitution but rather, unwritten conventions rooted in the Westminster system of government. In this system, the Governor-General appoints the PM from the House of Representatives – specifically, the leader of the House majority – and acts on the PM’s advice. So while the Governor-General is the Australian head of state, it’s the PM who represents Australia on the world stage. When discussing a possible Australian republic, we usually mean a “parliamentary republic.” This model is almost the same as our current system outside of one key aspect: the Crown and Governor-General are replaced with a President. This President would be a ceremonial head of state and would either be elected by the people, the Parliament, or appointed by the PM. This is distinct from presidential republics such as the US. There, the president is elected by the people to be both head of government and head of state. In a parliamentary republic, we’d still look to the PM as our political leader while the President replaces the Gover-

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nor-General who, like the Governor-General, would only act on the PM’s advice. That begs the question: if a ceremonial head of state only acts on the advice of the PM, then what’s the point of a Governor-General or President? Shouldn’t we just abolish the office altogether and make the PM the head of government and head of state? What’s the Point of a Ceremonial Head of State? While the Governor-General can only act on the PM’s advice, there’s one exception. By convention, the Governor-General has “reserve powers” that they can exercise at their discretion, such as the power to dismiss government ministers. Supporters for a separate head of state say reserve powers are a check on the government of the day, allowing for a Governor-General or President to act as a “constitutional umpire.” However, the use of reserve powers is rare. This brings us to the “Dismissal”. In 1975, the Whitlam Government was blocked by the Fraser Opposition in the Senate from passing supply (money bills) until the PM called for an election. When the PM finally caved and advised the Governor-General to call a half-Senate election, the Governor-General refused. Instead, he dismissed Whitlam’s government, a power exercisable in situations where supply cannot pass the Senate. While the Governor-General acted within his legal right, there was intense public outcry that an unelected official could dismiss an elected government. Almost half a century later, the Dismissal remains controversial. However, if we expect a head of state to act as a “constitutional umpire,” then reserve powers are necessary. This feeds into the expectation that an apolitical Governor-General or President will intervene to protect our democratic institutions in the event of a constitutional crisis.

Outside of politics, a ceremonial head of state is important as a “symbol of national identity” in the same way that the King or Queen is a symbol for the UK. According to the 2004 Road to a Republic report, a separate head of state wouldn’t merely be a rubber stamper but one who “promotes the unity of the nation.” If a separate head of state is necessary as a national symbol and constitutional umpire, then the question of a republic is really: “Who do we want our head of state to represent?” If we want a symbol to represent Australia, should they, or should they not, carry its historical colonial connotations? What Will It Take to Become a Republic? To become a republic, there would need to be an amendment to the Constitution to replace the monarchy with a presidential office. While any legal amendment simply requires a majority in the House of Representatives, a constitutional amendment is more complicated. Because constitutional amendments concern the nation’s highest law, the people are required to vote in a referendum. Section 128 of the Constitution states that a proposed law must be passed through both Houses before being presented to the electors. It must then achieve a double majority: first, a majority of the population nationwide; second, separate majorities in a majority of the states. If a double majority is achieved, the bill is presented for assent and is enacted. In the Commonwealth’s history, there have been 44 referendums. Only eight have passed. The last referendum was the 1999 referendum on a republic which only reached a nationwide vote of 45.13 per cent.

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There were many reasons why the referendum failed. While the Hawke-Keating Labor Government adopted republicanism as a policy in 1991, the Coalition didn’t. In the months leading to the referendum, the Australians for Constitutional Monarchy presented a unified message: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Meanwhile, the Australian Republican Movement argued that the presence of the British monarchy in Australia’s Constitution prevented Australia’s institutions and symbols from being “unequivocally and unambiguously Australian.” However, the republican movement was divided over which republic model should be adopted: should a president be directly elected or should a president be appointed by Parliament? Ultimately, when the referendum proposed for the president to be appointed by a two-thirds majority in Parliament, many disappointed republicans voted “no.” If republicans seek to win in a referendum, they should look to the most successful referendum: the 1967 Australian Referendum on Indigenous Australians, which won a 90.77 per cent majority. Its success has been attributed to a clear question, the bipartisan support of the Government and Opposition and the unchallenged campaign by pro-First Nations supporters.

A ceremonial head of state is important as an apolitical symbol and an additional check on government power. While a referendum wouldn’t change much in our political institutions, it’ll offer Australians the opportunity to decide what these symbols and institutions represent. The fact is, symbols are important and for many, the office of governor-general represents a foreign institution with a legacy of ‘unutterable shame’ which devastated Australia’s First Nations. While a republic wouldn’t rectify the ongoing effects of dispossession, it would mark a symbolic step away from this history, a step toward Australia’s own identity and a step toward the “Australian values” that ex-Governor-General Sir William Deane echoed through his tearful shedding of golden wattles into the Saxtenbach River after the death of fourteen Australians in 1999: a gentle reminder of Australia’s place in the shared spirit of humanity. by Bradley Cagauan

Could an Australian Referendum Succeed Today? A republic referendum is likely to be held, now that Queen Elizabeth II has passed away. As such, a debate on a republic is on the horizon with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promising a republic referendum in a potential second term. At this point, an Australian Republic isn’t a matter of “if,” but “when.”

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I DON’T GET IT:

THE AUSTRALIAN CREATIVE INDUSTRY On The Set Of Home And Away Summer Bay is everyone’s holiday getaway dream. For Grapeshot’s Aussie issue, I wanted to touch base with this cult classic. To gain first-hand insight into Australia’s creative industry, I interviewed a member of the Home and Away crew, who has worked on the show’s set for years.

Q: What do you enjoy most about working in the Australian creative industry, specifically on the set of Home and Away (H&A)? A: I’ve always had an interest in films and filmmaking and we shoot only an hour away from my house so it seemed like a natural fit, right place, right time and all that. Specific to H&A, I would say, for the most part, it’s all the lovely people I’ve gotten to know and the location that pushes it up. Q: How does it feel as an Australian working on a show with such a large international audience in an industry that often struggles to break through national borders? A: While it’s definitely nice to have had a hand in making something that’s been seen by so many, I don’t take much pride from the perspective of it being uniquely Australian because (at least to me) it isn’t. Outside of its location (and there is a novelty to seeing that location on TV) the actual content of the show doesn’t reflect anything inherently Australian. I will say that the more recent inclusion of the Māori family has been a nice touch though, and many of my Māori and Polynesian friends have responded positively to that. Q: The Summer Bay setting of H&A is iconic. What is it like working at the beach while you’re on set? Is it as romantic as it sounds? A: Some days when the weather’s nice, it’s a dream. For a smaller production capturing sound with the wind and the waves and dealing with all the sandy equipment it would be a nightmare, but we have the budget and an incredible team of professionals that have been working down here for years that really helps streamline the process. When the weather isn’t nice, however, you can spend long stretches huddled under the surf club or “KD” (a portable rain proof gazebo) waiting for the sun to come out from behind clouds or battling strong winds. We’re essentially completely at the mercy of the elements which hasn’t led to the best time this year with La Niña.

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Q: H&A has a legacy of contributing to the career growth of Australia’s best actors. From Guy Pearce and Heath Ledger, to Isla Fisher and Chris Hemsworth, H&A was a home for internationally-acclaimed talent. How does it feel to contribute to this Australian legacy? To elaborate, do you think H&A is important to Australia’s creative industry, particular for those who are starting to make their way into film and television? A: Definitely, behind and in front of the camera, the focus is of course on the world-famous actors, and I think it’s great that local actors get that opportunity in an incredibly saturated, hard industry to crack into. That being said, there are a number of younger grips and camera assistants who are getting their start behind the scenes and I think that should be applauded too. It might be a little off-topic but having consistent work in this industry is also nothing to turn your nose up at. There’s a lot of jokes about how long the show has been dragged out for, but as many of the people on set are independent contractors, it’s incredible that they have any degree of job security, especially on a show that shows no signs of ever slowing down. Q: Were there any boundaries you had to overcome while on set as a creative who is not directing/leading the project you’re working on? A: At this stage in my career I wouldn’t expect (nor want) to direct something of its scale or budget, and even then the directors have their own constraints placed on them by the producers who have constraints on them from Channel Seven. There’s no one person in charge nor could there be on something that’s run for as long as it has. As for me, I have no issue starting small and working up. Q: H&A has been known to controversially explore adult-rated topics and storylines during family-time broadcasting. How does H&W navigate the creative industry’s need to express emotional complexity while compressing and editing it into a PG-rated soap opera, and how do you think H&A has contributed to Australia’s television identity during its 34 years of broadcasting? A: I watch no Australian television so I’d struggle to say, especially in regards to the long term landscape. Like you’ve said, however, they were known for exploring more controversial themes and subject matters in the early days, and considering ratings and censorship was a lot more conservative back then I can understand and appreciate their look into those topics. Q: Working on the set of H&A, do you feel a sense of pride as an Australian in the creative industry? Do you think opportunities abroad would offer you more? A: There is a certain novelty to turning on the TV and being greeted with Palm Beach and its recognizable landmarks. There’s not so much a sense of pride as there is a happiness that there’s still mass-consumable, highly profitable content being made by countries other than the States. As for future opportunities, it definitely won’t hurt to have the name on my resume. by Bruna Gomes

Image Source: Mark Horsnell

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YOU ARE HERE: CASTLE HILL Castle Hill: once a rural out-of-the-way suburb, but now a sprawling new metropolis of apartments, dining, and the convenient drunken stumble home from the metro station at Castle Towers. Castle Hill, home to the Bidjigal Clan of the Dharug people. This town is also referred to as Mogoaillee by Narguigui (Chief of South Creek in 1840); “mogo: refers to a stone hatchet and “aillee” is a denotative term for belonging. Living in between the Hills Shire Council but bordering on the Hawkesbury Council, Castle Hill used to be a colony of rich orchards and farms which have all but disappeared with the suburb’s gentrification. The colonisation of Castle Hill dates to July 1801, when Governor King started the first European settlement in the area through the convict operation of the Castle Hill Government Farm. Built on a strong foundation of agricultural roots, this town’s abundant produce brought farmers to compete in the original 1886 Castle Hill Show (which ran up until 2016 before people realised the council wasn’t going to put any more effort into it). With Australia’s first convict uprising in 1804 where Irish convicts wanted to return to Ireland – the Battle of Vinegar Hill – Castle Hill carries its history through landmark buildings and heritage sites scattered on Old Northern Road. I love my little suburb. Well, it’s not so little anymore; it only seems like yesterday that I had my Kindergarten picnic in the old Arthur Whitling Park across from Castle Towers. Under the cool shade, we all clutched onto our new build-a-bears and were in absolute awe of the beautiful flower gardens nearby. In its place is the new Arthur Whitling Park, attached to the back of the Metro, which does remind me somewhat of a giant glass cockroach. It seems that as I’ve grown from childhood to adulthood, Castle Hill has transformed with me. While I could speak forever on the exciting plastic show bags from the Castle Hill Show (sorry Dad for conning you into that one), letting go of the past and embracing the change of my suburb has allowed me to look back on those moments with gratitude. Although I easily reminisce on the core memories of going to Kernel Popcorn outside of Event Cinemas, the excitement of the new people brought in has finally cultivated a nightlife and brought a greater diversity of ethnic food grocers and eateries. Maybe the phrase “nightlife” is a bit generous. It’s only recently that Castle Hill has expanded from its restaurants to include the infamous Hillside Hotel and their $12 espresso martinis on Friday nights. With the Castle Hill RSL also down an unusually long and seclusive road, finally we have a buzzing night-time economy. At last, the need to escape the Hills has transformed into the desire to stay in the Hills. This isn’t to say that I froth over the tremendously unproportionate new apartments towering over the Castle Hill metro station.

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I recently asked some of my friends on Instagram in a public poll about the best and worst things about living here, and I had to agree with the majority: the damn convenience of the metro line. I take for granted how connected the suburbs around me have become, and even travelling into the city has become less of a dreaded feeling. Whilst the roads themselves seem built to torment learner drivers (my blood boils remembering the Victoria Road roundabouts), the new swimming pool centre and convenience of shopping choices seem to outweigh the ageing conservative population in my town. Try these recommendations from a Castle-Hillean herself: try Youeni if you are looking for a bougie plant-based menu for brunch, or Betty’s Burgers for a group dinner. However, if you’re looking for a cute date spot, there is a cute Italian candle-lit restaurant called Modo Mio on the corner of Terminus Street (though it gave my bank account some real damage). Castle Hill may not be as developed and thrilling as Chatswood, but we still have our own entertainment with escape rooms, bowling and, surprisingly, a museum discovery centre. Castle Hill will always be home to me. Those reminders of driving down my leafy street during Autumn with the golden branches overhead make me grateful I live in a suburb that boasts so many green spaces. Being so close to the Bidjigal bush walk and having friendly visits from brush turkeys has had a huge impact on my identity growing up and influenced my respect and passion for the environment. With a new Green Corridor Plan implemented by the council, I can only hope Castle Hill further balances its development with the sustainability that so many of its residents strive for. Perhaps you’ve never been to my not-so-quaint suburb Castle Hill. But it’s worth checking out the eateries at Towers and visiting Heritage Park for a picnic. Plus, who can argue with a $12 espresso martini night? by Sophie Poredos

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ROBERT IRWIN: WILL YOU MARRY ME? Australian Heartthrob Robert Irwin has captured the heart of Ella Scott. She praises Irwin on his success, wildlife conservation and nature photography, as she professes her love for the famed zookeeper. I don’t know whether it was his Stellar cover shoot, or his Tik Tok debut that made it happen, but Robert Irwin has captured the hearts of women across the country, and around the globe. Emerging from the legacy of his late father Steve Irwin, Robert has taken his rightful place as Australia’s sweetheart. From his photography ventures captured on Instagram, to his infamous crocodile show at Australia Zoo, Robert has solidified his place in Australian history, as well as Australia’s hearts. Similar in age, Robert and I have a lot in common. We’re both blonde, we both love the beach, and we both rock the colour khaki. My vegetarianism might have an impact on our love story, but that’s something we can work on. But in all seriousness, at just 18 years-old, Robert has created an impressive and inspiring career for himself. In 2016, he was junior runner up for the Australian Geographic nature photographer of the year, and in 2017, became a regular on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. In 2019 he began his campaign to overturn the legislation of harvesting wild crocodile eggs, and the following year won People’s Choice Award for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, as well as being named as an ambassador for his royal highness Prince William’s Earthshot prize.

find him on your screens. His Tik Tok account has over 4.5 million followers, and 27 million likes. His engaging and infectious personality has won over the hearts of people across the globe. His authenticity seeps through the screen, as he talks about what he loves, all expressed through his huge goofy smile. He follows Tik Tok trends in his own Aussie manner, using viral sounds and dances with his own Irwin twist. On Instagram, he expresses his love for photography, sharing behind the scenes photos and videos from Australia Zoo, as well as capturing Australia’s unique landscape. As stated above, he has won multiple awards for his photography, and has an upcoming project being revealed in October named, ‘Robert Irwin’s Australia’. It’s easy to see why the world has fallen in love with Robert Irwin, I mean, how could you not? His legacy and Australianism transcends generations, and will continue to have an impact on the Australian people for years to come. His relationship status remains murky, so if by chance you do see this Robert, the offer stands. by Ella Scott

He continues to follow his passion for wildlife photography, and his dedication toward teaching people about conservation and the importance of the natural world. When you don’t find him behind a camera, or putting on a show, you’ll definitely be able to

Australia Zoo

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YOU CAN’T TAKE THE GREEK OUT OF THE AUSSIE Family is complex and so is belonging. Anthea Wilson explores her family tree and her place amongst the branches. Visiting Grandma and Grandad’s house was always a chore. Maybe it was the hour long drive down to Wollongong, or maybe it was that I felt like I didn’t belong. My dad was adopted when he was a baby to my grandparents Bert and Joan. He is a true blue Aussie bloke that grew up in Wollongong, surf lifesaving on the weekend, wagging school and sneaking cigarettes with friends that later became my godparents. Mum, on the other hand, grew up with Greek immigrant parents. She is a first generation Greek Australian raised on traditional values and good olive oil. My mum lost her mum when she was 10. Her dad, my papou, remarried a woman named Kitsa, my yiayia, a few years later. Apart from my immediate family,

the only blood relative I have is my papou, and he passed away when I was 12. This used to bother me growing up. I know my cultural heritage, Greek and whatever version of anglo my father is. What I was yet to understand was these “strangers” I call family. I was very observant as a child. I remember going from room to room in my grandparents’ house counting how many photos I was in. I would search for my face in every photograph only to notice there weren’t as many photos of me as there were photos of my little brother and older cousins. It was clear to me who grandma’s favourites were and I guess I didn’t make the cut. I remember calling grandma out on this. “Grandma, why don’t you have very many photos of me?” I asked. When talking about this memory with Dad he told me how caught out she felt. It wasn’t too

long after demonstrating how good I am at counting how many photos I am in, new photos of me began to appear in the Wilson home. I still made sure to check, still not as many as my grandkid counterparts. I always felt out of place with my dad’s side of the family. I wasn’t tall and slender like my cousins and I wasn’t the baby of the family like my brother. I felt like the chubby Greek black sheep of the family. Mum explained to me she felt the same way when she was engaged to my dad in the nineties. Mum and I overcompensate by wearing fabulous outfits to family gatherings, but we often still felt out of place and often overdressed. Just two short, curvaceous wog women in a family of white Australians. Grandad, however, always made me feel special. He would be the only one to compliment my outfit, every time.

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Visiting Yiayia with Mum was a completely different experience. We would leave in the morning and drive all the way over to Roselands to pick up a seafood lunch. We would arrive at the small cluttered apartment and sit together at the little table in the middle of the lounge room and eat and laugh for hours. Unfortunately, I can’t speak Greek apart from a few phrases like ‘hi, hello, how are you, I’m good’, despite my best efforts at Greek school when I was little. So I would sit there and listen to Mum and Yiayia converse in Greek, only picking up on what they were saying through few contextual clues. Although I couldn’t understand what they were saying most of the time, I was included and engaged. Yiayia would reach across the table to hold my hand and tell me how much she loved me in broken English. My yiayia was a poet and philosopher. She would spend her time alone in the apartment writing, keeping her brain active and her imagination alive. She would present her new works to Mum to translate, so I could understand her wisdom. We would end each visit with a Greek coffee. Once the coffee was gone and the coffee grounds were left, we would swirl our espresso cups and tip them over. Yiayia would then read our fortunes in the cup.

As of 2022 I am grandparent-less. Even though three out of four grandparents weren’t blood, they were mine and they each loved me in their own way. A special moment for me was when Grandma came and visited me at my retail job selling handbags. She was the original shopgirl working for David Jones when my dad was growing up. I took Grandma around the store and helped her pick out a new handbag. For the rest of the night back at home she sat on the couch with her new handbag sitting right next to her. That’s when I knew that she did love me in her own funny way. Thinking back now as an adult, all the cakes, knitted socks and tapestries she made for me was her way of showing love. It wasn’t as obvious as Yiayia with her grand outbursts of love and affection. It was subtle and often overlooked. Although my family tree is untraditional I have embraced this part of myself. Family isn’t always who you are related to, it is who is there to help you grow. I have experienced the pain of clearing out their homes and taking home with me a part of them through their belongings. My childhood bedroom is now filled with heirlooms ready and waiting for their next place in the Wilson family. by Anthea Wilson

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JULIA JACKLIN

THE AUSSIE MUSIC SCENE AND ITS MASCULINE PRESENCE Through the perspective of Australian indie folk singer Julia Jaklin, Jasmine Oke discusses what it is like as a female musician in the Australian music industry

from her earlier walk along Avoca’s shoreline. It’s a nice break from the bustling cities, but it still doesn’t quite feel like home, with its towering mountains and calming waterfalls.

The end of March is drawing near, and yet the Autumn air is thick and pulsing with heat. Julia enters the dark, foreign theatre via the side entrance beside the stage. Her head is lowered as she watches her feet with caution; one foot after the other. Left. Right. Left. Right. They fall softly and with purpose as her black skirt tickles the bare skin of her lower shin - long enough to cover up, but short enough to not jeopardise her steadiness.

The young girls and women of the audience look up at her in awe, as she smiles back at them encouragingly - she hopes it’s enough. The facade cracks as she makes her first mistake of the night. They don’t condemn her; they don’t give her disapproving looks or act as though she’s done something wrong. Instead, they laugh with her.

She spends most of the performance with her eyes softly shut - but not squeezed tight as they were earlier in her career – she’s gotten much more confident since then. She traces the silhouette of happy memories on the back of her eyelids, and they flutter at the best parts. When at last her eyes must open – lest she falls into a deep slumber – she gazes to the deep back corner of the ceiling, where perhaps arachnids and termites alike have made safe and nurturing homes over the years. With her hair pinned back, she doesn’t have the option to use them as curtains to further close her off from the audience. Instead, she can feel the wet air mingling on her skin – the salt

“You can do it, Jules!” a comforting voice shouts out to her from the direction of the crowd. That sweeping swell of human connection rushes through her in a current akin to that of the Katoomba Falls. She now opens to them completely, inviting anyone interested to join her backstage after the show – there’s not much back there other than some blueberries that she was willing to share. There are a few more mistakes, a few more laughs, and cheers of encouragement – but ultimately, there is a sense of utter respect. The crowd is silent throughout each song before erupting into applause at the end every time. With the melody of her soft voice and the gentle strum of her guitar, Julia creates a safe and calm place for all.

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But why is it that Julia is generally more comfortable and popular in an international setting? Why is it that so many of us may never have even heard of her? Born and raised in our Blue Mountains, one would think that Julia would feel the most herself on home soil. However, the Australian music scene is largely dominated by masculine voices. When one thinks of Australian music, what do they think of? King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, DZ Deathrays, Dear Seattle – a myriad of male-dominated psychedelic rock bands. We’re lucky to have Spacey Jane, with their one female member (wow!). It’s no wonder Julia has gravitated towards a more international audience. Bumping shoulders with the likes of Lucy Dacus and Lana Del Rey - the indie pop icons of the United States. Sure, there are the likes of 00’s pop icons Kylie Minogue and Delta Goodrem, but there is a lack of a feminine presence on the Australian music scene in 2022. So, if you too find yourself wondering why you don’t listen to as much Aussie music as you’d like, or simply need something new – our neighbour Julia Jacklin is waiting for you, with her new album ‘Pre-Pleasure’ having been released this August. And if you happen to have the chance to see her on tour early next year, I promise you won’t regret it. by Jasmine Oke

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INTERVIEW WITH UP-AND-COMING INDIE ROCK BAND GULLY DAYS Features Section Editor Anthea Wilson met with indie rock band Gully Days to discuss how they got their start and their aspirations as a band. and down to earth, I really enjoyed getting to know them.

After battling my way through peak hour Sydney traffic in the pouring rain, I finally made it to Bondi to meet indie rock band Gully Days. Gully Days formed in the early months of 2020 unaware of the challenges they were about to face as a newly formed band. In their home studio rehearsal space, I was introduced to lead singer Ethan, guitarist Luke - nicknamed Pookot (it’s a long story) - bassist Holden, and “captain of the engine room”, drummer Lewis. Their rehearsal space is small but full of character with guitars lining the wall. I later found out that Luke’s dad had made most of the guitars, including Luke’s guitar that he plays with. The Gully Days boys were very welcoming

When I asked them how they got together Luke told me, “I think we all knew each other from surfing, just down around Bondi, Brontë, we didn’t really know we all played a bit of music. First we started out with Lewis, Ethan and myself and then started jamming … then Holden came along.” They started jamming in 2019 and became Gully Days in 2020. I was very curious as to where the name Gully Days came from. Luke explained the origin: “We originally wanted to call ourselves ‘Salad Days’ which is actually a Shakespearean idiom, but we decided that it would be really good to give it a bit of significance within the local community. So we decided gully, Brontë gully, is just a sentimental place within the local community, so we decided Gully Days would give us some real local value to it.” I never did find out what goes on in Brontë Gully, but rumour has it, it is where Pookot was born. Gully Days get together at least once a week to rehearse, depending on if they are playing a

gig or writing a new song. Ethan and Luke lead the creative process, with Luke coming up with a guitar riff before bringing it to Ethan to craft the melody and lyrics. Luke said, “I kind of imagine Ethan singing something over it and that’s how I kind of give reference to what might be good.” Luke praised Ethan on his lyric writing ability. “Ethan does write about some worldly issues, he doesn’t give himself credit for but he does write some very interesting lyrics.” Gully Days calls it as they see it; their songs comment on society, materialism and they satirise the eastern suburbs. Luke and Ethan then bring the new song to the rest of the band to build up the rhythm and bass. The members of Gully Days all expressed their musicality from a young age, except for Holden, who said, “I’d never played bass in my life… I just picked it up when they offered.” Each band member came from different musical backgrounds. Ethan grew up singing pop songs, Luke has punk rock influences that he owes to his dad, Lewis learnt jazz and orchestra and played for his school band, and Holden first found his sound with Gully Days. Luke detailed the experience of their first gig. “The first gig was for Brontë Boardriders which has been like a long running relationship between us and the beach community. It was sort of like an informal gig. We brought our own PA system and everything, we didn’t even, like, have a band name.” Luke described what it

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was like to play for the first time: “It ended up going absolutely crazy, it went off essentially… I still put that gig as probably one of the best feelings.” Lewis chimed in and said, “But technically speaking, compared to now it was so ‘loose’, we weren’t technically playing properly as a band back then, but like in terms of the euphoria of playing live as a band was pretty sick.” I then heard all about the first official Gully Days gig. Luke said “The next gig for us was at the Robin Hood hotel in Waverley. We’re actually going to be playing there in about a month’s time. So we’re calling it, we haven’t played there since we’re calling it; back to where it all started, back to the hood something along those lines. That’s where it all started. That’s going to be hopefully be an exciting gig. That was our first official gig and that was March 2020 that was like our first gig and that was before what was about to come, because two weeks later we were in a full lockdown.” Gully Days expressed feeling defeated by the Covid lockdowns but they were still determined to make a name for themselves. Luke went on to describe how they navigated getting gigs during Covid. “So we went around and organised some gigs at local bowling clubs, bought our own PA, ticketed the

gigs ourselves. Kind of a DIY little thing. Taught ourselves the sound engineering specifics. Put on our own shows, they were 50 people sit down shows. That’s kind how it all started out. As the restrictions eased slightly more and more we were playing bigger and bigger shows so it was just like we just constantly wanted to play bigger shows.” He continued to describe the first gig once lockdown had ended. “I remember the first gig when the restrictions ended and you could finally stand up, it was at this place called the Spring Street Social and it went absolutely wild, like it went crazy.” Gully Days advocated for themselves, walking into venues asking to play there, and essentially walking out with a gig. In a suburb full of DJs, Gully Days infiltrated the eastern suburbs pub scene with their live performances. The band just wants to get people up on their feet and experience live music. They indicated that their gigs have a more electrifying atmosphere than DJ concerts. Luke explained, “It’s great to see that live music can still have such an impact. A lot of kids have never felt the drums and the guitar, just the rawness of it all going straight through them.” Gully Days ultimately just wants to “play fat gigs.” They have long term goals of opening for someone big and playing a stadium show one day.

Gully Days is playing their first festival later this year at the Relish Music and Arts Festival in Bellingen. Lewis told me, “We always said our goal was to play a festival and we’re playing a festival at the end of the year. Now we don’t even consider it as achieving a goal, but looking back to two years ago, it’s massive.” Gully Days has grown as a band in the two years, they attribute their success to working collaboratively together and being good mates. At the conclusion of the interview I stuck around to listen to them rehearse. I snapped a few photos and had a groove. It was a fun afternoon getting to know the boys. Listen to their latest song “Ay-Oh” on streaming services and follow them on Instagram @/gullydays to keep up-to-date on their latest gigs. by Anthea Wilson

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THE TRAITOROUS BIRTHDAY Nilab Siddiqi feels betrayed by her birthday. It is a constant reminder that she will never be truly celebrated in a country that doesn’t celebrate its peoples cultural differences. Under the scalding sun, on one suffocating summer day, I turned 21 years old. While many would rejoice such an apparent momentous occasion, I spent the day navigating the streets of Newtown in an exhausted haze. Now don’t get me wrong, I am fully aware of the melancholy that befalls many-a-people on their birthday, but for me, and for many other children of immigrants, birthdays often feel like reopening of a fatal wound. I was born in the summer of 2001, a neat seven months prior to 9/11 and, thus, seven months prior to the excruciatingly cruel division of my people, Afghans, from the rest of the world. Nowadays, I often think back to that day and ponder on whether my parents feared for what any of it meant for their young children. After fighting so hard to find their way to this country, fleeing from all sorts of persecution, yet again, they became the enemy. Many people liken sensations of loneliness and isolation to a person drifting into space, but I’ve always felt that it feels more like drifting through the dense and dark waters of the ocean. Life blooms in every direction you turn. Coral, bright and bountiful, lining the ocean floor, schools of fish, swirling together in unison, snails, clams and crustaceans skittering to-and-fro, but you? You’re drifting through this fierce display of life on your own, and no matter how gracefully you swim nor how successful you are in your doings, nothing will ever change that one simple fact. You are alone. As Australians, we love to boast about our supposed multiculturalism and how this flat, dustfilled country values nothing more than that but with every cruel birthday, immigrants, and the children of immigrants, are forced to look upon the cracks that run along such a blatant facade. To be an immigrant in this country is to be totally and utterly alone. Each birthday serves to remind us that, in the short amount of time we’ve graced this Earth, we have borne the pain of hundreds and thousands on our own and will continue to do so till we simply cannot bear anymore.

Yes, I have the Afghan community tucked into the crevice of the West, yes I have my family here with me, but it just is not enough to fill the void that this country rips into you when you are not white. Every year that void grows deeper and darker and every year I find myself exerting less and less effort to try to close it. Throughout my life, I have found myself teetering upon the Australian identity. Creeping closer and closer to becoming the person local politicians want us so desperately to merge into, and then whenever something bad happens regarding Afghans, and it always does, I am forced to acknowledge just how alien I am, just how alone I am. The rise of the Taliban. The fall of the Taliban. The detention of refugees. The death of refugees. On August 21, 2021, the capital city of Afghanistan, Kabul, fell to the Taliban and every day since then has been filled with the undoing of my country. Swaths of innocents executed, women stolen from homes, banned from schools, whipped and pelted with stones for minor ‘transgressions’, children starved, the country failing. People look at me in sympathy, they say they’re so sorry, they discuss the source of my pain in University halls and behind retail counters like they’re juicy little points of trivia and not the thing which has left me so desolate. Despite it all, I march on, reluctantly aging in a place that wants little to do with the likes of me, swallowing the hurt inflicted upon me and tending to my wounds on the days that I cannot. To age in a country that simply does not want you is a painful thing indeed. by Nilab Siddiqi

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EXPERIMENTING

THE BRAIN

On a Tuesday in the middle of April, the world outside of the Westmead Institute for Research is overcast and windy. Inside, I am waiting to meet Ana Rita Barreiros, a neuroscience researcher and the clinical research coordinator at the Brain Dynamics Centre (“BDC”), a unit within the Westmead Institute that is pioneering research into biological markers of mental health disorders. Ana Rita has come to Australia from Portugal to obtain her PhD from the University of Sydney, a partner of the Institute. Her thesis is titled, “A comprehensive study of the effects of real-time functional MRI neurofeedback on treatment-resistant depression”. Put simply, Ana Rita is researching a solution to depression that does not respond to traditional treatments like antidepressants and antipsychotics. She is studying something that most people know little about – something called neurofeedback. Neurofeedback is a type of biological feedback that visually presents someone’s own brain waves back to them in real time. The goal is to “train” your own brain activity, so that you can regulate your brain’s responses to various stimuli. It is at once an exciting and a terrifying prospect, to be able to rewire your brain. This type of technology could revolutionise the treatment of neurodiverse and emotionally dysregulated individuals. If it’s so powerful though, and seemingly accessible in its definition, why is it so little-known? As I sit in the reception area, I look around and I am taken aback by the sheer immaculateness of this building, the architectural glossiness of it. Everything is painted shades of white and grey. Donors’ names are engraved in a marble wall. Ana Rita finds me and welcomes me to the building. In light wash jeans and a leopard-print shirt, she leads me up a set of stairs encased by glass walls that leads to the third floor where the BDC is based.

Nikita Byrnes met with neuroscience researcher Ana Rita to discuss the potential of neurofeedback to revolutionise treatment for mental health disorders and neurodivergent peoples. The design of this building is brilliant, if not terrible for acrophobics like myself. Later, Ana Rita will tell me about how the staff and researchers are so proud of the building, because it won the same architectural prize that the Opera House won when it was built. Fame and fortune abound. I first met Ana Rita over Zoom about a month before our meeting at the Research Institute. During our first online meeting, I was struck by her animation, the passion she has for her area of study, and just how human she is. Her hands subconsciously wave around as she talks. She speaks with a lilted Portuguese accent which accentuates the mesmerising cadence to her sentences. When I ask her a question that she has to think about, she slumps forward, head tilted back and mouth open, cogs turning. When she finds an answer in the library of her brain, she swivels happily in her chair as she replies. Ana Rita is so unlike the stereotypes of neuroscientists; straightbacked, humourless, dedicated only to finding the answers to their hypothesis. And yet, her research is so far out of the bounds of every-day knowledge and discourse. This might be because neurofeedback is an incredibly “young” path of scientific inquiry in comparison to other scientific practices. In the nineteen-sixties, Dr Barry Sterman began a Pavlovian-style experiment training the brains of cats.

FEATURES Using electroencephalography (“EEG”) electrodes, Sterman found that the cats’ brains were operating on a particular rhythmic frequency. Sterman’s discovery was that with positive conditioning, we can change our brain’s physical activity. That was the beginning of neurofeedback. I ask Ana Rita why so few people seem to know about what neurofeedback is. There are a couple key reasons, she supposes. Firstly, science –in particular, neuroscience – has evolved to use a method “so complex” that without focused study and years of training, it isn’t accessible to the everyday person. Taking me to the open-plan office space where the BDC team works, Ana Rita explains that neurofeedback data analysis is group-based, and there is a “pipeline of complicated steps” starting from data collection to data interpretation. As we walk from room to room down a brightly-lit hallway, it becomes clear that very little of her work is client-facing. Ana Rita chuckles and explains that her job isn’t as “glamorous” as everyone thinks. Her job primarily involves software-writing. She programs scripts to process the raw data that is received from the neurofeedback imaging, whether that is through EEG or fMRI scanning. EEG and fMRI are two techniques used to collect the brain data before the neurofeedback takes place. EEG data calculates the brain’s electrical activity using electrodes on a person’s head. “We map the activity in the brain by really visualising that activity across all the electrodes in the cap,” Ana Rita explains. By comparison, fMRI involves patients lying down in a bed that slides into a circular scanning machine. It uses magnetic resonance imaging data which measures the level of oxygenation in the bloodstream and the brain. When an area of the brain is more active, it consumes more oxygen to meet the increased demand in blood flow, and that creates a similar kind of “brain map”. Down the end of the hallway, we turn right into a series of rooms where the lights are turned off. We enter one room, turn

the lights on, walk to the back of the room, open the door to enter another room, turn the lights on. Eventually, we reach the “data collection room”. It is separated into two sections with desks that bend along the walls. On the right, there is a built-in wardrobe with floorto-ceiling sliding doors. Ana Rita opens one of the sliding doors to reveal a series of giant Linux computers that store and process large amounts of EEG and fMRI raw data. She tells me that in her current study, she has one-hundred and fifty participants. “The data is so ‘heavy’,” she says, gesturing with her hands in a cupped shape, as if struggling with the weight of something invisible. The data must be pre-processed through the software that she writes before it is ready for interpretation and analysis. That’s where the computers come into play. These computers are not the average monitor interfaces, but the blocky, plastic storage devices that have fans whirring loudly, keeping them cool. Ana Rita tells me that the director of the BDC has named each computer after cricket players because they are so “powerful”. She laughs as she admits that she doesn’t know who the names are, but she doesn’t mind. It strikes me that even in such a sterile, technical environment, the people that inhabit these spaces are just that: people. They might be working on extraordinary, possibly life-changing research, but they have the same interests and downfalls as the study participants they work with. Another reason that neurofeedback is so little-known is because even within the scientific community, each field is so specialised that it is hard for everyone to have a general understanding of each field. “Different scientific fields speak very different languages,” she observes. Telling me this, Ana Rita sighs, hands fidgeting in front of her. This field of mental-health-related neuroscience, especially, she says, receives less funding because of the “huge cultural baggage which surrounds the research”. This in turn impacts funding. She shrugs. “It’s a bit of a niche field in the neuroscience research field and in translational psychiatry.” People are a bit sceptical about this kind of research, she tells me. I understand, I think – research into the brain has always been highly contested. Research into the illnesses

FEATURES of the mind is difficult, because how do you understand something that you can’t see or touch? Why should we trust this technology? On average, a new science takes an average of seventy years to become established; neurofeedback has only been “alive” for roughly fifty years. In comparison, psychology as a field of research began in the mid- to late-nineteenth century with the appearance of “alienists” who were doctors that specialised in illnesses of the mind. Mental health as a concept is still, in the twenty-first century, something that is widely misunderstood. Some people still refuse to “believe” in the connection between our physical and mental health; that severe stress can cause ulcers and stomach pains, that depression is linked to a shrinking of the hippocampus (the part of the brain that controls learning and memory). The apprehensiveness and uncertainty surrounding these technologies is unsurprising because there is so much that is unknown, and it is frightening to play around with our brains, that central part of who we are, what makes us us. The potential for neurofeedback as an intervention is vast and wide-reaching. Dr Barry Sterman’s preliminary research in the second half of the twentieth century showed, for example, that positive conditioning could, over time, promote a sixty-five percent reduction in seizures for patients with epilepsy. Today, it is being investigated as an intervention for neurodiverse individuals, such as those with ADHD and Autism Spectrum disorders. But, Ana Rita is quick to advise me, neurofeedback can be implemented and studied “across a wide range of conditions, and even in ‘healthy’ individuals.” More than that, it’s important to study as an alternative treatment to a range of mental health issues. “When patients are given a treatment, a drug, a medication, they don’t get better,” she explains. “So, what I feel is that patients are seeking for other alternative treatments for their conditions.” So, if it is so important, why isn’t it more mainstream?

The answer is that there is simply a lack of access. One fMRI neurofeedback session can cost between seven- to eight-hundred dollars, accounting for a trained person to activate the exercises and the use of an MRI machine. “And, to have neurofeedback as an intervention”, Ana Rita clarifies, “you would need multiple sessions.” The money is in the research. People are still studying the parameters and boundaries to both the EEG and fMRI processes, still studying what strategies work best for different individuals. The money is in finding the secrets of the brain, because so much of it is unknown. All we can hope for is that in the near future, when the parameters are defined and the strategies established, that this doesn’t develop into something that some people – the kind of people whose names are engraved into the sponsored areas of this building – have easier access to over others. Ana Rita takes the elevator down from the BDC with me and drops me off at the reception with a wave. As I leave the Research Institute, a father and son walk past the building, and I am reminded of how I first came across neurofeedback. In Richard Powers’s newest novel, Bewilderment, a widowed father in the near-future on a dying earth enrolls his neurodiverse son, Robin, in a neurofeedback trial. The experiment works brilliantly until the funding is lost, and then Robin is undone, lost to the hopelessness of a world that cannot, or will not, save itself. Powers writes: “Every one of us is an experiment, and we don’t even know what the experiment is testing.” by Nikita Byrnes

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AUSTRALIA’S QUESTIONABLE

MULTICULTURALISM Is Australia truly multicultural? Under the guise of celebrating diversity, Tiffany Fong uncovers the truth to Australia’s attitude towards multiculturalism. Australia has a complex and paradoxical relationship with multiculturalism and buried racism. Our rich and diverse history has always included the story of immigrants and refugees who were vital to Australia’s nation-building, yet these stories are often buried by tales of the British. The rich diversity and multiculturalism in Australia has been paraded since the 1970s, celebrating the range of cultures who have built a home in this country. However, Australia continues to struggle with racism and bigotry, conveniently ignoring issues with racism or reacting defensively to them. Australia’s tension between multiculturalism and racism is evident within various government policies and media narratives ingrained within the national psyche. As pointed out in a speech delivered by Dr Tim Soutphommasane, Australia’s former Race Discrimination Commissioner, “In a multicultural country, common identity isn’t defined in ethnic or ractial terms”. It seems that as various ethnicities assimilate into the Australian identity, Australian society forgets that except for our First Nations peoples, everyone in this country was an immigrant at one point. Various tensions exist within Australia’s migration policies, as well as its treatment of people of colour. Australia has been publicly shamed by the United Nations for its horrifying treatment of refugees, yet our refugee resettlement program is incredibly successful. Or, we could talk about how 84 per cent of respondents to The Scanlon Foundation’s

survey agreed that “multiculturalism has been good for Australia”, and 71 per cent believed that “accepting immigrants from many different countries make Australia stronger.” Yet many of the respondents reported having negative views towards people from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and oppose the government providing assistance to ethnic minorities to maintain their customs and traditions. In other words, Australia would like to reap all the benefits of multiculturalism without grappling with the messiness, vibrancy, and liveliness it brings with it. In 2017, Dr Southphommasane criticised a Bill to “Strengthen the Requirements for Australian Citizenship”, where applicants would be required to reach an International English Learning Standard (IELTS) of Level 6. He noted that, “Many Australian-born citizens would not possess a written or spoken command of English equivalent to this standard” - a damning comment about both the Bill and Australia’s education system, highlighting the hypocrisy of the requirement. Since 2016, the number of people who use a language other than English at home has increased by nearly 800 000 people. According to 2011 figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, while migrants contribute an estimated fiscal benefit of over $10 billion in their first ten years of settlement, countless barriers still exist. It is well known that recent migrants often face hurdles finding their first jobs despite being qualified or even overqualified for the positions they are applying for. Many of these difficulties arw due to a lack of Australian work experience or references, language difficulties, lacking a local network, or having their skills and qualifications not recognised according to the Australian Human Rights Commission. The recent COVID-19 lockdowns brought many of Australia’s racist attitudes to the forefront. Donald Trump’s reference to COVID-19 as the ‘Chinese Virus’ not only sparked Asian hate in America, but globally.

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Following the pandemic, the Stanton Foundation found that 47 per cent of respondents held negative views towards Chinese Australians, while Asian Australians also reported that 39 per cent of them experienced heightened discrimination increased during the pandemic. While racism can simmer in society’s undercurrent, individuals who experience it often have a hard time making a complaint about it. When comments are made under a person’s breath or out in public, often it is easier to swallow the discomfort than make a scene. Even when complaints are made to employers, corporations, government or officers, an apology may be made but there are no long-term reparations or policy changes to address the root of the issue. A PR response to address the wrongdoing, but ultimately one that demonstrates that it really isn’t that big of a deal. In an interview with the ABC, David Le stated that, “No matter the life I may be able to forge in culturally-diverse Sydney, it is improbable that I will ever be seen as an equal in this country.” Racism affects a broad range of people, from Indigenous communities, refugees, temporary migrant workers, people who speak a language other than English as their first language or temporary visa holders and migrants that have been here for over 20 years. Yet racism does not only affect those who moved to Australia. Indigenous Australians have faced oppression and racism ever since the First Fleet landed. From the removal of Indigenous children the government agencies and church missions until 1969, forced assimilation, and the false declaration of terra nullius - racist and oppressive policies have had an undeniable and ongoing impact on Indigenous people as institutional racism continues to trickle down to individuals. In 2020, the Australian government acknowledged that Indigenous people continue to face entrenched disadvantages due to institutional racism in areas such as the healthcare, education and the justice system.

Further barriers exist when attempting to address institutional and systemic racism that may be a culmination of little things that are not felt by a single individual, but by a community as a collective. The Australian Human Rights Commission has noted that racist attacks are significantly under-reported due to barriers in accessing justice but also the lack of concrete change it is likely to result in. In March 2022, the Diversity Council report found that 43 per cent of non-White Australian employees commonly experience racism at work, but only 18 per cent of White workers reported racism as a problem. The huge gap reveals the glaring disparity regarding the lived experience of racism and perceived experience of racism. In the 2021 Census, 48.2 per cent of Australians have a parent born overseas and 27.6 per cent of the population was born overseas as well. While the rich multicultural community Australia has is undeniable, the overall global trend in western political climates and uptick of individuals experiencing and reporting racism does indicate a growing problem. When intolerance and xenophobia is expressed and shrouded in far-right nationalist rhetoric that is increasingly threatening and violent, placing whole communities at risk. As our world becomes increasingly globalised and various people from various cultures begin to settle into and call Australia home, it is important to have open and honest conversations about cultural differences and address racism head on. by Tiffany Fong

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OXYMORON: QUIET WOG Jessica Mohandes-Barg questions her ethnicity in relation to Australian Culture. She explores the challenges of fitting in or perhaps standing out alongside her inner-child. “Quiet wog.” Have you ever heard that saying? I know it’s cruel in nature but nonetheless true. It’s puzzling. Of course it was a belief I always mocked as a champion for nurture over nature. Maybe this affliction towards nurture stems from the neglected inner child within myself. You see, since I was a child I gripped onto the hope that I could be trusted with a baby polar bear. Logically it made sense that I had the metaphysical capabilities to raise a baby polar bear in the summer heats of Western Sydney to adore and love me simply due to my nurturing capabilities. Mrs. Baby Polar Bear (deep down I knew she was married) would walk with me to school everyday, share my disdain for loud and sweaty boys eating crayons at the back of the class and lie down on the grass littered with bindis with me during recess. We never talked but we were always bound; bound by our blooming and buzzing thoughts.

At some point the idea of Mrs. Baby Polar Bear left, she probably drifted off on some unfortunate sheet of melted ice in the Arctic. Other strange changes preoccupied my time as I grew up, like learning to ride a bike, perpetual sarcasm, the mystery of Tumblr. But the most puzzling of all was learning to drive. I remember being 16 sitting in a car with a driving instructor who had a painful habit of producing garbled noises out of his mouth (his excuse for small talk). I distinctly remember his astonishment finding out that I was a Christian Iranian, apparently something more obscure and mythical than spotting Big Foot at Bunnings. It took everything in me to not swerve his Toyota into oncoming traffic putting us both out of our misery. But he told me something. Something that struck a chord. “I didn’t know wogs like you exist.” Of course you can understand my astonishment.

“What do you mean?” I mumbled, my eyes piercing into a telephone pole with the burning desire you only see in the eyes of students in week 12 of uni begging for it all to be over. “Well, I guess you’re just so quiet. Oh! You don’t shout or use the word yallah like all those other people.” Those other people. If I’m not those other people, then what type of people could I fit myself into? I feel like this is a great time to let you know that growing up, my parents taught me both Farsi and English, so I never felt excluded. I was the only Middle Eastern kid at my Christian High School but I never even realised until I graduated. In fact, I wrote in my highschool Major Work for English Extension 2 (thanks Mum and Dad for the English skills) about how proud I am of both my Australian and Persian heritage. As hard as it may be for both the whites and ethnics to understand. I’m ashamed to say I’ve never been ashamed of my ethnicity.

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In a way I’ve been torn by the fact of the existing dichotomy I am as an Australian. It never mattered how much I punched my puzzle piece, squeezing and bending the cardboard edges to fit in, I was never complete. Even in high school people helped me try to understand. Maybe it’s internalised racism? Maybe it’s because you can’t drive and don’t have a car to hoon in? It’s your fault for being mean to your driving instructor. Maybe it’s because you are white passing? I mean really white passing. White! Me. No way! No? Surely not, I mean I did tick that box in Naplan that one time… but you’ve got to understand there was no Middle Eastern option, it was either tick ‘white’ or tick ‘other’. There is nothing worse than being other.

I suppose the saying is right. I am not an Iranian born in Australia who becomes an Australian. I am just an Iranian who was born in Australia. When you have no space to exist you always believe you are taking up too much space. My puzzle piece will never fit in with the thong-wearing Aussies and will also never be squeezed in with the Adidas tracksuit wearing Wogs. It can be confusing, all these paradoxes and contradictions. It’s hard to know when I stopped being the child raising Mrs. Baby Polar Bear like a single mother and when I woke up and started questioning my identity as another sunburnt Australian. All I know is that this is my voice, whether I want it or not. by Jessica Mohandes-Barg

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PUT SOME SHRIMP ON THE BARBIE Australia has some pretty interesting slang. Priyanka Sanger analyses whether Aussie slang is representative of all Australians or if it’s actually culturally cringey.

Have you ever wondered where that phrase actually comes from? It originates back to the late nineties from an Australian Tourism commission advertisement that stars Paul Hogan. However, the irony is that so many Australians hate that saying as it moulds Australians as laid back country-bums who constantly cook on the ‘barbie’. Australians also use the word prawn instead of shrimp - shrimp is the term used in America. Australian slang itself has been Americanised, like so many things. To many tourists travelling to Australia after watching Crocodile Dundee in the early noughties, we were seen as the home to snakes, sharks, spiders and many more deadly animals that could potentially kill you. This is one of the factors that reduced tourism rates in Australia. However, in Paul Hogan’s ad, Australia became the 7th most desirable holiday destination in America. This was also the beginning of Australia’s cheesy stereotypes that we all know and hate to be known by. Personally, I was very dumbfounded by how much culture cringe has affected not just Australia, but people all over the world. When I went to Disneyland in Orlando on a school trip and the theme park workers were meeting and greeting the theme park guests that had come from all over the world, they stopped to talk to my little cluster of classmates. They were asking us a few questions about Australian culture and our school life. We sarcastically replied saying “we rode into school on kangaroos” and that “you need to watch out for drop bears whilst driving”. After we made those comments, some of the other guests looked strangely at us and were very confused about the lives we lived in Australia. One of the parents came up to us and asked us “Is this all true? About the drop bears and the kangaroos?”. As Australia is its own

country and continent, people from outside assume that we live differently on this isolated island of ours with no exposure to the outside world. Due to this stereotypical lens that other countries perceive Australia through (perpetuated largely by Australians ourselves), Australia’s portrayal of our culture was overruled by ‘cultural cringe’. Arthur Angell Phillips, who coined the term, explains that ‘ cultural cringe’ is defined as the inferior dismissal of Australian art and work by bigger western cultures such as America and Britain. This idea was evident in the 1960s and 70s where Australia had a huge influx of migration. There were great shifts in social conventions throughout those years and a great segregation from British cutlure and the ‘American Dream’. As a result, Australia’s national identity became more unclear and was determined by what others thought of their culture. The talent and culture has been undermined by outsiders to the point that we have had to outsource ourselves to be noticed. If you had to google ‘Australian Celebrities” you will be surprised to see the abundant amount of celebrities that you didn’t realise were Australian. Even I recently discovered that Iggy Azalea was born in Sydney, in Ryde hospital. However, these celebrities fail to represent the multicultural nature of our country. Within our roughly 26 million individuals, Australia is home to over 270 different ancestries. Our population has increased by 60% over the past 10 years due to the high influx of migration. Most of our well-known celebrities fail to show our multicultural nature. Since we don’t globally exhibit the diverse population that we possess, we fall into these cookie-cut stereotypes formed by ridiculous ideas. We are so much more than our barbecues, beers and stereotypical slang. We are more than just an idyllic holiday destination with a bunch of beaches and bush locations. We are a country that’s filled with so much art, culture and talent. So next time you rock up to your next barbeque party, your next shrimp… I mean, prawn, dish might not just be your common ‘ shrimp on the barbie’ - it might be a marinated mix of everything that represents what Australian culture means to you. by Priyanka Sanger

CREATIVES

KOFFEE KULTURE Guadalupe is walking down Darling Harbour, the grey, thick water on her left, the towering casinos and squat aquariums on her right. She is moving briskly, the wind smacking against her neck, her hands submerged in the pockets of her coat like two anchors in the woolly harbour. Guadalupe has only one thing on her mind: a flat white. There is just one café on this side of the city who she trusts to make her flat white, and she is on a mission towards it, one foot in front of the other, Dios mío, an expedition or what! Guadalupe turns into Barangaroo, peels away from the harbour, and arrives at the beloved café. A long line at the counter slithers through the shop and out onto the street. She finds the end and joins it patriotically. At the very front of the line, a man wearing a navy blue suit orders an espresso because he is Better Than Everyone. His companion, whose suit is also navy blue, orders a double espresso because he is Better Than Everyone (Authenticated). Both these suited men buy tubes of tooth-whitening Colgate once a fortnight and scrub viciously at their gums. Their smiles dazzle like yellow stars against their clothing. A woman steps up to the counter and orders a cappuccino. She is immediately loved by all who overhear her order: cappuccinos are for the indulgent folks, the ones who treat themselves to froth and choc, the ones who think coffee is breakfast and dessert rolled into one, the ones who make the most of life, c’est la vie, a cappuccino for me! Who cares if the kids have been screaming since yesterday? Who cares if the essay, still unwritten, is due in two hours? Who cares about the country which is, in fact, blistering beneath a hole in the ozone? With a cappuccino in hand, the world is a good place. A cap. Not a hat or a pill but a generous coffee for people with lots of love in their hearts, etc.

Behind her, a girl whose denim jeans are overwhelming the lower half of her body, the hems flooding the café floor, orders an oat iced latte. She is most definitely an Earth Lover and/or Feminist. What a queer kid, the old crone behind her is thinking. But who cares! When she receives her oat iced latte, the girl jingles the ice against the wall of the plastic cup. She has a scrunchie on her wrist and a tote bag bumping against her hip. She considers all oat iced latte drinkers to be her family. The jingle of the ice is a platonic mating call. Further down the line, a boy with an excellent fringe perks up at the sound and, deep down, concedes that the city isn’t as cold and dark as he thought it was. The old crone steps up to the counter and orders a mugaccino and the barista says so, a large cap? She looks at him over the frame of her glasses. What? I said mugaccino, alright, you’ve got that? The barista has tattooed arms and cuffed pant legs. In his spare time he buys vats of olives at the supermarket and goes road tripping in his van. When he’s at work, he sips piccolos. Sometimes, when the line snakes like it does today, the dark brown foam of his coffee congeals on the lip of his glass, untouched. A woman named Karen orders skim milk because she’s on a health kick. A man named Jasper orders soy milk. Even though he was an alternative milk trailblazer, he will never admit that society has progressed to better-tasting milks, so, as to not bruise his ego, he drinks the stuff that tastes like dirt. And the almond milk folks drink the stuff that tastes like bamboo (until they find out about the unbelievable amount of water it takes to farm almonds, and the toxins in the nut husks that poison the women who shell them, which is when they switch to oat milk). The people in the line who order good, old-fashioned, full cream milk either a) have souls so strong that they are

CREATIVES

happy to put up with the disgust of their friends and family, b) are a father, or c) came back from a trip to Italy. A man steps up to the counter and orders a long black. He’s a purist who enjoys his six-step nighttime skin regiment and ergonomic furniture, but if people ever ask about his coffee choice, he usually pulls the lactose intolerant card. As if lactose intolerance has ever stopped anyone from a good dose of dairy! A woman, rather loudly, orders an Americano, to which the queue behind her simultaneously and silently mutter America-NO! The woman is wearing loafers and cigarette pants and is a self-described worldly soul. She frequents the spice aisle in the supermarket and insists on serving house guests coffee boiled in a Moka pot. The barista puts long black into the till, and later, when her coffee is ready and called, long black for Millicent! She feigns deep and underserved confusion. A woman orders a decaf latte, and everyone wonders if she is pregnant, because if she isn’t,

then lord, tell us, why is this woman in a coffee shop? The person behind her orders a latte because they despise the Western world’s complication of coffee. Everyone in the line longs to one day reach the goal of ordering a latte just like they all long to one day gut their homes of all their material belongings. Does this coffee spark joy? Guadalupe finally steps up to the counter. Her feet are sore, her lower back is tight, her nose is numb. “A flat white, please.” She taps her credit card on the Eftpos machine. She stands aside and waits dutifully for her order. “Flatty for Guadalupe!” She steps up and takes the warm cardboard cup. She holds it up to her face, first to warm her cheeks, then to tip the mouthpiece against her lips. The coffee, smooth, rich, hot, swills around her mouth, then down into her body. Guadalupe is filled, sublimely, with satisfaction. by Bruna Gomes

CREATIVES

THE CARICATURE OF GREG “AW Hooroo, I’m bundling off for the night. BLOKE! Alright Groover I’ve left you A series of jobs That I expect to be completed Once I return from the graveyard. NOW I’ll just sit here in my armchair of power With my beer of no alcohol and rings of cheese. Don’t you dare speak to me while the footy’s on. Alright this weekend I’m off On the bike with the boys We’re going to the church of coffee To confess our sins, Growing old disgracefully. WHEN I return I’ll tend to the Weber For a meat feast Good on Greggy.” by Anthea Wilson

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AN AUSTRALIAN SANCTUARY It is my twenty-first birthday, and I am depositing the contents of my stomach onto a blank canvas. How is that for artistic expression? For once I am grateful for my tendency to arrive to class long before any of my fellow students – this is the last thing I need an audience for. The circular room does nothing but aid my dizziness and the low-hanging mahogany beams appear to be inching closer and closer to me. Like a wounded bush animal, I stumble down the spiralling staircase and towards the bathroom. The tiled floor is a small comfort to my burning skin as my stomach continues its assault on me and my unsuspecting victim: the toilet of the first cubicle. My bag hangs on the back of the door and mocks me knowingly as I reach into its lining to fumble for what I need amongst a well-stocked collection of contraceptive pills. If the worst thing I must endure today is an unexpected meeting with my closest confidante, Clearblue, then it may just be the best birthday yet. There is one thing I know for sure: I am not ready to become a mother. I am not sure what kind of appeal that could have to a girl just trying to get through university – a girl who is barely more than a baby herself. But then again, maybe I am the problem. Only when I am completely sure that I am still alone and cannot hear anyone in the near vicinity do I dare leave the sanctuary of my cubicle. Swallowing my pride, I wash the front of my fawn brown hair in the sink, being sure to add some dampness to the back of my head while I am at it. For all anyone knows, I just did not have time for a blow dry this morning. The towering mirror threatens to swallow me whole as I suddenly feel the insignificance of my own existence. What if this is all I am meant to do – bear children? My mind is in overdrive as I wait for the plastic pregnancy test to share its prophetic knowledge with me. I think of Klaus and how much he adores me, but how much he also longs for children of his own. I would not be able to stand the distraught expression that would adorn his features as I crush his hopes and dreams of becoming a father right now. The worst part is, I know he would be more upset for me than himself, and that guilt eats away at me as I await a result. His poor girlfriend who isn’t ready to fulfil her ‘life’s purpose’ which she was bestowed with at birth, or – as I prefer to see it – who wishes to remain free from Rhea’s curse. As a child, Mum would tell me stories of Greek mythology as I fell asleep. I am not quite sure how much of it stayed true to legend and how much was her own creation, but that is just because she always was such a gifted storyteller – I would believe anything she said, my bright eyes eager and earnest. She could have been so successful in the literary world. The one story that stuck with me most

CREATIVES

throughout the years, however, was that of Rhea – the mother of the gods. Daughter of Gaia and Uranus, and Titan goddess of female fertility and motherhood – Rhea created the first Olympian generation. She was burdened with the task of maternal protector very early on, due to a prophecy received by her husband, Cronus. Cronus was warned that he was ultimately destined to be overthrown by one of his children. With his patriarchal power threatened, he proceeded to devour each of his first five children upon their birth. With their sixth child Zeus, Rhea was forced to bear him in secret and, upon his birth, hide from her husband in a cave. When their location was found, she had no choice but to deceive him with a swaddled stone. Zeus’ life was kept a secret from his father until he ultimately defeated him and consequently freed his brothers and sisters. Rhea’s grief and burden were something that haunted my dreams for most of my adolescence. A woman with a domineering husband who lived solely for her children. Not only that, but despite being a devoted and selfless mother, Rhea still could not protect all her children – this duty was instead left to her son. I never wish to have those same shackles on my wrists. I could not bear it.

The glaring pair of red lines confirm just what I suspected, though I had hoped it was yet another false alarm. The green eyes staring back at me are dull and lacklustre. “Happy birthday to me.” I do not need time to consider my options, and I am beyond grateful for it. I have been prepared for this moment for years now. Not because I have been waiting in anticipation for it, but because I knew it was almost inevitable. My clammy hands struggle with the door handle, and I can feel the tears of frustration prickling and burning behind my irises. I just want to exit this damn building. It finally opens from the other side, and I am met with a confused-looking Ivy. “Freya! Happy birthday! Wait, are you leaving? It is 10:56am? You know how Astaire feels about tardiness!” “Ivy, hi! Oh, yeah… I am going to have to miss this one unfortunately, turns out Klaus planned this whole surprise thing–” “That man! You really found a good one there.” I can feel my stomach churning yet again. It is as though something sharp is being rammed into its lining. “Yeah…” “Oh, but it is Kahlo week! You cannot miss Kahlo week!” I know Ivy means well, and it does disappoint me that I am missing the one week we are studying my favourite artist, but I need to get out of here. “Lucky I am knowledgeable on the topic! Let me know anything I miss!” I am already making my way down the cobblestone footpath as I yell the farewell behind me.

CREATIVES

The medical centre across the road from the National Art School has four arched windows above the awning that remind me of the inside of a church. Perhaps that is why this building provides me with such solace. Or perhaps it is just because it will always be here for me when I need it. A small sanctuary amongst the bustling and vibrant culture of Glebe, nestled amid weathered storefronts and vibrant heritage homes. The green trim, together with the brown brick, have the calming sensation of nature and the ageing exterior gives the impression that the establishment has helped many other women before me. Women of all ages and circumstances, who too have exercised their right to make their own decisions regarding their life and body. I notice I have three missed calls from my mother. Those will have to wait. “Freya! How are you?” I am greeted warmly and immediately upon closing the door. Though the receptionist tries to appear uplifting and positive, I sense the concerned undertone of her voice and the slight pull of her eyebrows. I am not due for a renewal of my prescription, and she knows this. The women’s clinic was my safe space, and I had shared everything when I first started coming here. I had explored what my options were if I were to ever fall pregnant and was warned of the risks and repercussions of termination. Standing here today, I knew I wanted to terminate this pregnancy. When I had stated a couple of years ago that this would be my plan, they supported my choice. However, they also assured me that it would be perfectly fine to change my mind when the time comes. The nurse had mentioned that a lot of women are overwhelmed with emotion and feel quite a strong connection to their baby after learning of its existence. I do not feel this connection, even after several hours left alone with my thoughts in the waiting room. And though it has still only been a short period of time, I am not willing to wait around and determine whether this will change.

“Are you sure this is what you want, Freya?” There is no judgement in the nurse’s calm tone. “Yes, positive. Thank you.” She squeezes my hand at that point and promises to not let go until I ask her to. A silent tremor rolls through my body, like that initial flash of lightning in the distance before the storm unfurls. The very structure of my bones is splintering, and it is as though my soul is being spliced, severed, and brutally ripped. It is a cool sense of dread that slowly drips down my spine at the realisation that I do not know what is going to happen. Not just to my body, but to my relationship with Klaus; with my parents. It is impossible to decipher how I can keep this from them, or even look them in the eye again knowing how badly they want grandchildren. But what I do know is that the feeling of dread and despair that had clouded my mind all day will soon be released. Thank God I live in Australia. by Jasmine Oke

CREATIVES

SPLINTERED SONG A past, Of glass, Shattered, Fractured. A shard, A façade, A g’day and a grin, But the present cannot mask the massacre within. Drift into dreams of a buried era, When sapphire oceans were sparkling clear, Stars were seen, The country was clean. Deep in that memory, A beckoning melody, Cicadas singing on ghost gum trees, Galahs gliding on a summer breeze, A hissing, hushing, racing, rushing, Of rivers and streams gracefully gushing, The sky a canvas, spattered with clouds, Possum hollows and shaded shrouds, Vermillion rocks, Slumbering crocs, Starfish scattered across the sand, Canyons and chasms entrenched in the land, Pearly beaches and tumbling waves, Jewels and gems and opaline caves, Wrapped in the arms of the sun’s warm caress, And blades of grass stooping with dew-drop duress, Burn it down, Build a town, Strangle it with smog and smoke, Let it die, let it choke, Sacred ground where you trespass, And build your city of shattered glass. by Kayleigh Greig

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an ode to the bin chicken oddly they prowl as owners of the land where we once littered, plunging their long beaks as they command. “those are bin chickens” me mate once said as we sat down, devouring our hot chips, “careful mate, they’ll bite off your head.” bin chickens? one has the right to feel scared threatening with their presence gleaming, on the grating metal our eyes paired. a watery bird a restless creature, an endless search its sickle-shaped beak lies there quite absurd. dumpster diving, debris-dirt-drawn lurching, hurling, perching swarming bins from dusk to dawn. in it’s ecstasy, scoffing down the scraps fruit, vegetables, onion rings, it’s pride, it is joy, those feathery wings flap. the breeze releases from its clutch my nose goes into hiding, “mate, the bloody bin chickens smell so much.” picnic pirate, wreckless scavenger slurping the juice of the food we refuse, “mate that bird is a challenger.” you have originality, that we can praise bin chicken, you’re a true blue aussie, with your lazy honk, and rapid escapes. perhaps we could shine and bathe in your bright smelly gleaming light, the true title ibis, in the vast swathes, there you feel just right. by Lauren Knezevic

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H20: JUST ADD WATER A pivotal experience in my childhood was watching a trio of young Aussie teens living double lives as mermaids. This heavily accented TV show filmed on the Gold Coast is a medley of friendship, love, and jaw-dropping underwater shots. When the callout to review an Australian TV show came up, it seemed like a golden opportunity to rewatch this TV series. The overall plot for those who haven’t had the pleasure of belting out ‘Cos I’m no ordinary girl’ is as follows: three distinctive girls end up trapped on a boat which drifts to a mysterious island known as Mako Island. Trying to get reception, they search further inland before falling into an ominous cave. However, the ‘Moon Pool’ is the only entrance out and with the sun setting, tensions begin rising. Due to impressive timing (and a little early 2000s CGI), these teen girls are in the pool when the full moon’s unique planetary placement grants them mermaid tails and cool powers. As one can expect, this causes a headache for these teen girls navigating their adolescence and finding their identity (whilst trying to avoid interacting with water at all costs). The Australianness of this show comes through in nostalgic waves. You’ve probably heard the iconic TikTok “Cleorrr the condensation” or “Naurrr”, which are inspired by the beautiful Aussie accents in H2O. One thing not to expect is stellar acting. With a young cast, there are certainly moments of second-hand cringe (Cleo’s script within the first five minutes, “So coool!”), but this show also presents itself as an iconic time capsule of early 2000s fashion: cargo pants, tank tops and funky headbands. Though this dated style ages with later seasons, the uniqueness of their costumes helps create multi-dimensional characters for the three main girls: Cleo, Rikki, and Emma. Whilst there are some slightly questionable angles (Specifically the close-up of Zayn in S1:E2), we are swamped with beautiful coastlines of the Gold Coast that taunt us with a year-round summer glow. Even the JuiceNet Café (which is essentially a high-brand Boost) boosts the show’s colour palette of rich orange, yellow and deep blue tones that carry its cosy coastal life through four seasons. Dubbed as one of my favourite comfort shows, H2O explores the beauty of teen girl friendships, first love dramas and the magic of growing up. The balance of tension and comedy explored in the show makes it a surprisingly enjoyable watch even as an adult. Whenever I watch re-runs of this series it allows me to escape my responsibilities of being an adult for a while and reminiscing on those important shopping trips with my friends and tests that seemed like absolute dealbreakers. It’s almost a reminder of not taking life too seriously. In the bigger scheme of things, I worried so much growing up about fitting in and finding love but re-watching H2O: Just Add Water reminds me just to have fun with life. Even if it lacks the cool powers of spraying down annoying mates with a fire hydrant. by Sophie Poredos

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YOU BLOODY BEAUTY As a self-proclaimed beauty addict these are 10 iconic Australian products that, in my opinion, revolutionised the beauty industry.

Australis AC On Tour Powder Contouring & Highlighting Palette, RRP: $17.00 In 2016, everyone (including myself) was obsessed with doing the “Kardashian/ Jenner’’ three stripe contour and intense upside-down triangle under-eye highlight. How the times have changed. All the beauty influencers on YouTube created tutorials promoting the Anastasia Powder Contour Kit. The only problem for us Australians was that it was always sold out. When the Australian cosmetics brand Australis announced its version of a contour palette, us make-up obsessed individuals ran to Priceline and it ironically sold out.

Glasshouse Fragrances Candle: A Tahaa Affair 380g, RRP $54.95 This candle is intoxicating, delicious and captivating. I am sure I don’t need to express how amazing this candle smells if you’ve ever walked into a Peter Alexander store, because this is the smell. This gourmand creation smells like caramel, coconut, vanilla, and pineapple. I would describe the scent as a fresh caramel; as the fruity notes balances the composition from being sickly sweet. The 360g candle burns for up to 65 hours and is vegan and cruelty-free. I like to reuse the beautiful glass candle jars as cotton pad holders on my vanity table. It’s very chic. Lucas Papaw Ointment 25g, RRP $6.99 You were either a Papaw or a Vaseline carrier; or if you were fancy then you toted Lanolips. Lucas’ Papaw Ointment heals chapped lips and feels like melted butter sliding down toast. The company still operates in Queensland where the ointment continues to be manufactured as proudly Australian-made. This multi-purpose ointment contains only 3 ingredients and claims to also heal boils, burns, chafing, sunburn, gravel rash, cuts, and minor open wounds. I love gifting this to my cousins overseas. Impulse Body Spray, RRP $5.99 I was obsessed with Impulse Body Spray in high school. My personal favourite scent was “Paris Chic” though this was sadly discontinued. It was a hero during days when I had PE class on the scorching days of terms 1 and 4. Impulse body spray deserves to be an icon as it was an egalitarian steal at $5.99, and anyone can wear it. It made me feel expensive. Funny story, one of my teachers asked me if I was wearing Miss Dior and she was horrified when I told her it was Impulse Body Spray. Alpha-H Liquid Gold 100mL, RRP $69.95 This Australian-made exfoliating treatment contains 5% Glycolic Acid and licorice extract, claiming to accelerate the skin’s renewal process. It promotes collagen production and reduces the signs of sun damage, ageing and pigmentation. I prefer chemical exfoliants like Liquid Gold over physical ones. Physical exfoliants tend to come as a face scrub, such as the St Ives Fresh Skin Scrub Apricot and Kylie Skin Walnut Scrub, are extremely harsh and can destroy the skin barrier. I like to use Liquid Gold during my night-time routine after double-cleansing on a cotton pad before a Vitamin-C serum.

REPEAT OFFENDERS Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face SPF30 Facial Sunscreen 100g, RRP $40.00 I can’t stress the importance of using SPF every day; the Cancer Council states that it can prevent UVA damage. UVA causes long-term damage like wrinkles, blotchiness, and potential skin cancer. This Mecca sunscreen I received as a sample in a Mecca Beauty Loop Box; is without a doubt the best feeling facial sunscreen I’ve used. It is matte, does not clog pores and works amazing under make-up. Mecca has recently released an SPF50 version of this iconic sunscreen for those who want higher protection. Which I am trialling now and so far, it’s promising.

Kevin Murphy Repair-me Wash and Rinse 200mL, RRP $48.95 (each) Kevin Murphy’s aesthetic was to encapsulate international style and mix it with the easy-going relaxed nature of Australian beauty. The Kevin Murphy Repair-Me shampoo and conditioner duo gently cleans hair without leaving it damaged or dry. It smells like the “clean girl aesthetic”. If you’ve stayed at a Meriton, this is the shampoo and conditioner that the hotel provides. I always ask the concierge for extras to take home. The full-sized bottles are designed so beautifully it won a D&AD (Design and Art Direction) Award for packaging design in 2015.

Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash 500mL, RRP $43.00 Have you ever walked into an Aesop Store? You should, it’s an experience. Aesop’s hand washes and lotions are neatly lined up at the front of their store for you to sample. It’s visually appealing to the eye. Many people don’t know that Aesop was founded by Australian Dennis Paphitis who opened the first Aesop store in St Kilda, Melbourne. The brand is internationally recognised for its minimalist aesthetic with stores that match this vibe.

Frank Body Coffee Body Scrub 200g, RRP $20.00 Coffee as a body scrub? My first thoughts were what, how, and why? I was first exposed to this scrub on my Instagram feed. Yes, I bought into the hype, that’s the power of digital marketing for you. I was impressed that it performed amazingly, and the packaging was very “aesthetic” and environmentally conscious. I like to use it in the bathtub as it does tend to get messy, but you’re left with glistening smooth skin after. The creation of this product has an interesting backstory; Australian co-founder Jess Hatzis and her friends were drinking coffee in a café and had the idea to use the beans to exfoliate the skin. She then proceeded to ask the barista for leftover beans. Now the company is valued at $100M, that’s what makes this scrub iconic.

Mor Marshmallow Eau De Parfum 50mL, RRP $54.95 This perfume has been around for almost 20 years. This distinctive scent contains notes of rose petals, pink musk, marshmallow, and cotton candy. I would describe this fragrance as a grown-up and sophisticated version of Impulse Body Spray. Fun fact: there is an internet meme that various celebrities claim Rhianna smells ‘heavenly’. She reportedly uses Kilian Love Don’t Be Shy, which cost $360. But Mor Marshmallow smells almost identical; it has similar fragrance notes for a fraction of the cost.

by Giselle Fernandez

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REVIEW: PRINCESS MONONOKE An Environmentally Poetic Near-Masterpiece from Studio Ghibli The world is complicated. It is filled with pain, suffering and hatred, but also beauty and harmony. It’s beautiful because of the forests, the lands, and the greenery that enable the cycle of life and nature, and because of the emotions, connections and memories we make together. It’s also ugly because of the overwhelming damage we humans are responsible for. Not only does that hurt the environment, it also hurts humans because we can’t live without our world. Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke marked a turning point for Studio Ghibli. While retaining the colourfully rich animation, nuanced storytelling, and sense of hope their films have been known for, Princess Mononoke delves into the darkness of humanity through historical, mythological and fantasy elements to create something imaginative and deeply heartbreaking. Set in the late Muromachi period of Japan, Ashitaka (Yōji Matsuda), the last Ainu prince of the Emishi tribe, defends his village from a demonically possessed boar god. He kills it, but in the process, becomes inflicted with a curse that gives him superhuman strength but also causes pain and threatens to kill him. To cure himself, he must travel to the western lands, though he can never return to his hometown. As he journeys, he encounters San (Yuriko Ishida), a human girl raised by the wolves and with a deep hatred of humans. She is hostile to Ashitaka and tells him to turn back. Later, he reaches Iron Town, an industrialised, progressive refuge for its citizens to create weaponry in its land mines, and meets its leader, Lady Eboshi (Yūko Tanaka), who intends to expand her town by destroying portions of the forest and strengthening her people. Learning of the conflict between San and Eboshi, Ashitaka hears stories about the Great Forest Spirit, a deer-like God and Night Walker that can cure him. It is the heart of the forests. San and her animal clans are fighting to protect the Great Forest Spirit. Eboshi wants to destroy it for political ambitions. Ashitaka, caught between both sides, must find a way to bring balance and peace to this conflict. Princess Mononoke is not a simple tale of good and evil. There are no heroes or villains, just characters with opposing intentions that end up being part of the problem. San’s desire to protect nature is linked to her hatred for humanity, despite being human herself, and she is willing to kill, making her behaviour almost animalistic. Eboshi has empathy for her people, especially those without a voice like women and people with disabilities, and she is willing to destroy the environment if it means advancing her society and helping them. San reflects a violent, tribal individualism, while Eboshi is a leader of industrialised conformity. Both of their actions create a war that hurts both humanity and nature. There’s nothing to gain from it and all that’s left in its wake is pain, disease, and destruction.

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Ashitaka is a character that comes close to resembling pure goodness and selflessness, and yet he struggles with that because of the curse inflicted on him. A curse that sets his fate and hero’s journey forward, brings him closer to death and almost to the breaking point of hatred, yet he fights back because of his good nature, focusing on bringing peace rather than joining anyone’s side He loves San but tries to change her views on humans while he denounces Eboshi’s actions yet demonstrates respect for her intentions. The supporting characters are just as flawed. San’s adopted mother and wolf, Moro (Akihiro Miwa), attacks humans, even the innocent ones, and has a general distrust against them, yet it comes from witnessing her homeland being destroyed by the very people threatening her existence. Jikō-bo is a selfish, opportunistic character working for Eboshi but doesn’t believe his intentions are of a malicious origin. The blind boar god, Okkoto (Hisaya Morishige), and his clan are dedicated to fighting against the humans, willing to sacrifice themselves if it means protecting the forest, even if the effort may be futile. And yet the motivations behind their actions are valid, driven by conflicting interests that tear their worlds apart, so they are not simply selfish. As such, Princess Mononoke is more than just a message about taking care of the environment. It advocates for balance between humanity and nature through its confident, tonal blend of epic historical drama and Japanese mythology. It contrasts the evolving, human society of Iron Town against the gorgeous yet demanding order of the forests. The clash between technology and nature fuels Miyazaki’s juxtapositions against the worlds he creates, along with the harrowing, grim imagery that follows in portraying violence and conflict. The forests are gorgeous, with Kodama to signify the liveliness, spirits and colour of the environment. Within its depths lie animal clans completely hostile to humans, and protective of their environments, and the Great Forest Spirit, the one that brings all life and heart to the forest. By day, it appears as a deer, where its every step blooms with flowers and greenery, even with the ability to walk on water. But whenever the sun finally sets, consuming the world with darkness, the Great Forest Spirit transforms into something so enormous, so majestic, and so magical that those able to see it would be lucky. A giant Night Walker, seemingly made of water and sky, and filled with stars. The form of a true god. By contrast, the Iron Town has a heart made of the thrashing machinery and the diverse residents that build and run their technology. It is drab and drained of colour, yet advanced in function to make the way of living easier, ultimately signifying humanity’s strong, uncompromising nature. Both settings have their own politics and hierarchical structures, but it’s the war that brings them against each other, and when both sides fight, it’s followed by bloody, emotionally distressing imagery. Princess Mononoke is bleak with how it lets its images take control of the story, but it has empathy for its character nuances. It has a romantic, sophisticated approach towards its genre elements, and it has an immaculate beauty to its seamless mixture of primary hand-drawn animation and 3D CGI rendering. Princess Mononoke is entirely composed with nearly all of its elements, save for its minor pacing issues in the middle. Other than that, it stands out as one of Studio Ghibli’s richer, more emotionally rewarding offerings. by Nicholas Chang

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GRAPEY BOOK CLUB

SON OF SIN

“He was beyond saving, and still he chose to pray.” One sentence of ten short, modest words, perfectly encapsulates the essence of Australian poet Omar Sakr’s debut novel, Son of Sin. Through this marvellous text, Sakr paints the life of Jamal Smith, the young child of a Lebanese immigrant family settled in Sydney’s west. A child who is burdened by the absence of a father he never knew, an abusive semi-present mother, a struggle with sexuality and the position of his faith amongst all these things. As the child of immigrants settled in Western Sydney, I was apprehensive of reading this novel. I was afraid that every facet of this novel would hit too close to home, that it would all be too sobering for me to face. Spoiler alert: it was. But in a remarkably refreshing way. The novel which once sat on my shelf collecting dust for months was neatly devoured in two sittings. Go figure. One major reason why this novel was so easy and enjoyable for me to read was the writing style. Sakr was a published poet prior to writing fiction and it shows quite plainly in his prose. He writes about some of the most painful experiences of immigrant children but successfully manages to lace them with all the beauty in the world. However, his unique style of writing also has some setbacks. One thing I simply must mention is his purposeful avoidance of quotation marks… yes, that’s right. No quotation marks. Godspeed, my friends. Now, I personally don’t flinch at manipulated punctuation, and so, the lack of quotation marks made no real difference to me, but I know that it could be a massive red flag to many readers out there. Further, Sakr’s narrative employs a multitude of flashbacks, which aren’t very clearly marked out, so be patient and take your time with your reading, otherwise the entire narrative will slip between your fingers. Moving onto thematic concepts in the novel, Sakr’s exploration of religious faith, as experienced by an immigrant family, was refreshingly blunt. As much as many love to bury their sins into the darkest depths of their minds, the various religious transgressions explored by the characters in Son of Sin provided a realistic reflection of the hypocrisies many cling to in our society. Having sex before marriage but not eating pork, smoking hash while demonising alcohol, having sex with fellow men while also being homophobic, the list could go on and on. Son of Sin lays it all out in the open.

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I should clarify that Sakr doesn’t necessarily romanticise these transgressions but rather writes them in to offer readers a glimpse into the incredibly complex relationship many immigrant families have with their faith. Combined with the trauma and repression experienced in their mother countries, many immigrants experience their faith in a way which is entirely unique from any other individual, even though it may be hard for some of us to read without cringing, Sakr’s novel hinges on this premise. Although I typically shy away from bleak representations of familial relationships, I found myself becoming more and more invested in Jamal’s relationship with his family as the novel progressed. There is the absentee Turkish father, his abusive and semi-absent mother, his pseudo-mother-aunty and his detached siblings. This cast of characters absolutely consumed me and left me utterly full of grief. The tone of this familial exploration is best explained in the following line narrated by Jamal: “But this was the story of his life, the slow making of family out of strangers, and so he was at least familiar with the tension of bodies catching up to the burden of their names.” While many readers may perceive his family to be abhorrent and toxic (I don’t disagree), Sakr does such a beautiful job of showcasing the nuance to these relationships when you’re the child of an immigrant. It’s not representation that everyone can relate to, but to those who do resonate with Jamal Smith, I know it means the world. The older you grow, the deeper the fractures in your family become and Sakr plays upon this notion perfectly. Covering the protagonist’s life from being a young teen to a grown adult, the novel naturally covers pivotal moments in Australian history, such as the infamous 2005 Cronulla riots. While many of us are only acquainted with these riots via what we’ve seen on the news and in media,

Sakr offers us a heartbreaking glimpse into the perspective of young Lebanese individuals facing mobs of young Anglo-Australians. What I particularly enjoyed about Sakr’s representation of this experience is not only the visceral rage felt by the characters in the novel but also the inclusion of how these riots affected all Aussie POCs who did not look ‘white enough’. You could say that the novel is actually an exploration of grief more than anything else. Jamal’s grief regarding his family is possibly the best example of this. He first experiences grief when he is removed from the aunty who raised him as her son, consequently also being removed from his cousins he considered brothers, and from then on he only experiences more loss and grief. But what I loved most of all was the lack of happy, neat endings. There is no heartwarming reunion of his family, no mending of broken relationships, no dazzling boyfriend or dramatic coming out scenario. Just Jamal Smith having a painfully strange conversation with his erratic mother. A fitting ending to such a grief-packed text. Overall, Son of Sin was a stunning debut novel. Although a bit bleak at times, I would recommend this novel a hundred times over, as I believe Sakr has crafted a narrative so diverse that every Aussie will find something in it to love. by Nilab Siddiqi

HOROSCOPES

You’re a happy little Vegemite aren’t you Aries? Just as long as you’re getting your way.

A collection of Coles catalogs awaits you dear Taurus. So much value for money and so little time. But why don’t you share that family bag of twisties? Genuine question. Oh and don’t forget your receipt for the Liquorland docket deals.

What’s more embarrassing than one cockatoo laughing at you? A family of cockatoos laughing at you! Don’t worry Gemini, they’re not really laughing at you. They’re just letting you know it’s about to rain for the rest of your week.

I hear we’re in for a wet summer, Cancer. It’s okay though. You can tell people, “that’s not tears on my face, it’s just rain.” La Niña’s got your back.

Leo, more like Cleo. Avoid condensation, and Emma.

Virgos are like Australia’s coffee culture. Aloof, overpriced and a little bitter.

I’m not saying you look like a bin chicken but you do smell like one.

Crocs and footy shorts in winter? Manspreading on the Sydney Metro? How many hate crimes can you commit Scorpio?

With summer on the horizon be sure to wear sunscreen. Nobody wants to hear you complain about your sunburn you little lobster.

I hope you get stuck at the zebra crossing at school pick up time. Those kids don’t give a fuck about your schedule.

Yeah nah… nah yeah…aw mmm yeah … nah. Your avoidant attachment style is really kicking up a gear.

Please stop inviting the seagulls to our beach side picnic. They’re eating all our hot chips and being quite rude.. You always had an interesting idea of good company.

by Anthea Wilson

EDITORIAL PRODUCTION EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Editor-in-Chief - -Nikita SalihaByrnes Rehanaz DEPUTY Deputy Editor EDITOR - Jackson - NIkita Robb Byrnes News NEWS Section EDITOR Editor - Olivia - Olivia Chan Chan Regulars REGULARS Section EDITOR Editor- Eleanor - Bruna Taylor Gomes CREATIVES/FEATURES Features Section Editor EDITOR - Anthea - Rayna Wilson Bland REPEAT Creatives OFFENDERS Section Editor EDITOR - Clara - Harry Kristanda Fraser Repeat Offenders Section Editor - Harry Fraser

CREATIVE PRODUCTION Liz To, Stephanie CREATIVESutton, PRODUCTION Lorenzo Meli Creative Director - Liz To Lead Illustrator EDITORIAL- ASSISTANTS Stephanie Sutton Design Jaime Assistants Hendrie, Bruna - Giselle Gomes, Fernandez, Bodie Murphy, Farnoosh Clara Rafiei, Kristanda, MuskaanAshleigh Miglani, Ho, Lauren Knezevic, Jackson Syed Robb, Haneef Isabella Trope, Anthea Wilson, Jasmine Joyan, Sruthi Sajeev, Nam Do, Nicholas Chang

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS MARKETING & ADVERTISING Zoe van der Merwe, Lauren Knezevic, Mikaela Mariano, Nilab Siddiqi, Tiffany Unnati Fong,Tayal, Priyanka TessSangar, Marsden, Kayleigh Nicola Greig, Stewart, Jasmine AngeloOke, Andrew Nicholas Chang, Sophie Poredos

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS MARKETING Polina Bilinsky Mycak, Georgina Binns, Racquel Soares, Tahlia White, Rohini Banerjee, William Marketing Lawrence, Director Gypsy - Lauren Bryant, Grzina Rebecca Ryan-Brown Marketing Assistant - Ella Scott Marketing EDITORIAL Assistant REVIEW - Anjali BOARDPremkumar Allastassia Carter, Recruitment Amanda Manager O’Neill,- Alexandra Racquel Soares, Tzavellas Jarrod Currey, Anahera-Keita Chessum

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jasperine Phetchareun, King, Bradley Cagauan, PUBLISHER Jessica Liana, AmyCOORDINATOR Jessica Mohandes-Barg

Mariella Herberstein

Melroy Rodrigues

EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD GRAPESHOT Lauren acknowledges Wallumattagal clan,Wylie of the Darug nation Grzina,the Jalaj Agarwal, Fiona as the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and meet. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceeded, no treaty was signed, and would like to pay our respects to Elders, past, COORDINATOR present and emerging. PUBLISHER

Mariella Herberstein

Melroy Rodrigues

We would like to extend those respects to all First Nations people reading. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

GRAPESHOT acknowledges the Wallumattagal clan, of the Darug nation as the traditional custodians of the land on which we work and meet. We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceeded, no treaty was signed, and would like to pay our respects to Elders, past, present and emerging.

GRAPESHOT, VOLUME 14, ISSUE 5: YEAH, NAH

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