Getamungstit Magazine - Freedom Edition (April 2018) by Student Guild

m o d e e r F The

Edition

ISSUE 02, VOLUME 04 MARCH 2018 EDITORIAL TEAM Bec Marshallsay - Editor in Chief Fruzsina Gál - Editor Zak Johnson - Editor Angel Nikijuluw - Editor PUBLISHER Harriet Nash TALENTED CONTRIBUTORS Cover artwork Tahlia Murati Editorial Fruzsina Gál - Monique Hotchin Zak Johnson - Bec Marshallsay Harriet Nash - Angel Nikijuluw Creative Tomas Heligr-Pike - Rachtanakorn Kamonrat Jack Malin - Chelsea McLachlan Levi Dexter Miller - Ivan Nangin - Maylen Walker Photographic Daniel Janeczek - Emiliano Sihua Mazzoni DESIGN

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Email us at getamungstit@griffith.edu.au

Griffith University Gold Coast Student Guild acknowledges the people who are the traditional custodians of the land, pays respects to Elders, past and present, and extends that respect to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

DISCLAIMER

SUBMISSIONS Are you a budding student journalist, photographer or have a random idea that could be a great story? Getamungstit accepts art, photo and story submissions for consideration however there is no guarantee your work will be published.

The opinions expressed in this publication may not reflect those of the Griffith University Gold Coast Student Guild. The information contained within this edition of Getamungstit was correct at the time of printing but could be subject to change. If any article, document and/ or publication is inaccessible and you require copies and/or more information, contact the Student Guild where staff will ensure your requests and needs are met.

Liveworm Gold Coast by QCA Students Creative Director - Alejandra Ramirez Vidal Studio Administrator - Sharon Searle T +61 7 5552 7262 E goldcoast@liveworm.com.au W livewormgoldcoast.com ADVERTISING Jessica Brown Marketing Manager GUGC Student Guild T +61 7 5552 8651 E j.brown@griffith.edu.au W gugcstudentguild.com.au CONTACT Griffith University Gold Coast Student Guild, The Link (G07) PO Box 96, Griffith University QLD 4222 E getamungstit@griffith.edu.au W gugcstudentguild.com.au/getamungstit F facebook.com/Getamungstit

8 Contents

18 22

Editorial note

Message from the President

Getamungstit Writers’ Award

Geta giveaways

Freedom facts

The Scully Effect

Money talks

Stop striving

Guns do kill people

The value of freedom

Freedom on film

Snapped on campus

Fifty years of freedom in fashion

What’s on

Feature artist – The Steele Syndicate

Online

Entertainment

Being creative

Get the hell outta here

54 40 1

EDITORIAL NOTE

Hello! How are you finding your way through Trimester 1? By now the summer break is probably nothing more than a distant memory as you find yourself buried in fastapproaching assignment deadlines, midtrimester exams and a back log of readings (around four and a half weeks’ worth). Despite all this we hope that your experience has been a positive one so far full of inspiring new ideas, an exciting social life on campus and a robust self-confidence that can only come from a trip to the Uni Store to stock up on an artillery of stationery that will help you colour code your way to a full set of HDs. We have a lot of exciting things going on this edition. Our Being creative section features some impressive submissions from design students and a short story on freedom, while in the On film section Zak has an eclectic list of freedom themed films for your viewing pleasure. Fruzsi considers what is unique about the American situation in light of recent discussions on gun violence, and Bec

has a chat to Griffith’s Innocence Project about the value of freedom. Behind the scenes we have recruited several new students to the Geta Team so you can expect to see a host of fresh ideas and content coming to you over the next few months. In this vein, we also want to hear more from you so we are rolling out the Getamungstit Writing Award. If you think something is missing from the Freedom Edition or you are struck by a bolt of afterthe-fact inspiration, it’s not too late; you can submit your freedom themed pieces for the chance to be published and win Campus Cash. Check out page 5 for further details. Enjoy the break while the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games is on and we’ll see you on the other side! The Geta Editorial Team

ITE R W US! R FO

Editorial note

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT It’s hard to believe it is week 5 already. By now we should all be well into the swing of things for the trimester. The excitement of O-Week has settled and we are all eagerly awaiting the next event in order to shake off whatever stress our classes have brought along already.

that you think are relevant to the Guild please don’t hesitate to contact any of us. We’re all pretty friendly... most of the time.

Speaking of classes, I’d hope that everyone had been able to find their way to lectures and tutorials or, if not, what a perfect week to start going. The more work you do now, the less you have to do later (or at least that is what people keep telling me). Attendance aside, you’d be silly to not take advantage of every aspect of uni life on offer. Join a club, sign up for Guild rec trip, or pop your name down for one of the many workshops the Guild has on offer. Life at uni can be far more exciting than just attending classes, right?

Finally, the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games are just around the corner and our campus is electric with energy. Friendly reminder that the Queen’s Baton ReIay will be on campus on 4 April - tram, cycle or walk in to catch all the action.

I’ve found recently that a fair few people don’t know what the Student Board does (or that we even exist). So for those of you who don’t know, here is a quick summary of what I believe our purpose is. We represent the students of our campus. We relay ideas, liaise with the Guild staff and play a vital role in the decision making of Student Guild events and activities. So please, if you have any ideas or opinions at all

You can find our details at gugcstudentguild.com.au/ home/meet-your-board-members

I hope you enjoy your time off, don’t spend all of it studying or catching up on lectures. Take this time to get into the Games spirit. Or just get away and recharge your batteries. I’ll see you back on campus refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the trimester. That’s all from me for now. Until next edition, Harriet Nash Student Guild President

This is your chance to tell us what you love, what you want to see more of or suggest new ideas. Maybe there is an issue you think we should be covering or you want to weigh in on the best coffee debate... whatever you need to get off your chest, we’d love to hear from you. Connect with us and stay up to date! - facebook.com/Getamungstit - facebook.com/groups/getamungstit.contributors/ - getamungstit@griffith.ed.au - gugcstudentguild.com.au/getamungstit

FREE MOVIE NIGHT

FREE POPCORN AND SOFT DRINK + COMFY BEAN BAGS!

WEDNESDAY 9 MAY | 7.00 PM FUNCTION CENTRE (G07) KEEP AN EYE ON OUR FACEBOOK TO SEE WHAT BLOCKBUSTER WILL BE RELEASED CLOSER TO THE DATE GUGCSTUDENTGUILD STRICTLY 15+ EVENT - EACH GUEST NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A CURRENT STUDENT/STAFF MEMBER

Article Title

For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. - Nelson Mandela

GETAMUNGSTIT WRITERS’ AWARD

If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine; it is lethal. - Paulo Coehlo

Do you have something to say about freedom? Do you think we missed a great article opportunity on this theme? This is your chance to have your ideas published. You are invited to submit articles or creative writing on the current edition theme for your chance to win and be published. Submissions must be the writer’s original work and must not have been published elsewhere.

I’ll tell you what freedom is to me. No fear. - Nina Simone

Theme: Freedom, liberty, opportunity Closes: 11.59 pm 30 April, 2018 Prize: Publication in the subsequent issue of Getamungstit magazine + $50 Campus Cash

Win! $50 Campus Cash + your article published

People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use. - Søren Kierkegaard

Conditions Entries are open to current Griffith University Gold Coast students - student number must be provided with entry. Entries must be under 1000 words and must be submitted by email with the heading ‘Geta Writers’ Award’ to getamungstit@griffith.edu.au by the closing date. Entrants grant Getamungstit non-exclusive rights to publish the work in Getamungstit (in print and/or online).The winning entry/entries will be selected by the Geta editorial team and/or appointees based on quality of writing and fit with the magazine. If there are insufficient entries or the team cannot determine a winner, the editorial team may decide not to award a prize. All decisions are final, no correspondence will be entered into.

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. - Abraham Lincoln

GETA GIVEAWAYS Freeeee stuffffff! New edition, new Geta goodies up for grabs. Want to win one of the awesome prizes below? Simply email us at getamungstit@griffith.edu.au with your name, email, mobile, the prize you’d like to win and ‘Give me Geta goodies’ as your subject line.

WIN ME

Uni Fitness Merch pack - Unisex muscle tee, t-shirt and hoodie, gym towel, drink bottle and protein shaker. RRP: $100.00 gugcstudentguild.com/uni-fitness Geta giveaways

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Tickets 2 x tickets to the Athletics Semi Finals, Wednesday 11 April. Session: AT1101 RRP: $50.00 per ticket.

Visit .com.au/ guild dent ngstit u t s c u ns. gug getam d conditio pm n 9 rms a s 11.5 for te ion close 018. e2 petit Com EST) 1 Jun 18 (A ast 20 o old C ickets t for G ition h Games ) t e p *Com onwealt pm (AEST m Com ses 11.59 18. clo il 20 1 Apr

The Uni Store 4 x bottles of lollies of your choice. Fill your bottle up with over 100 varieties of lollies from the Uni Store RRP: $120 TheUniStoreGoldCoast

FREEDOM FACTS Contrary to popular belief, free speech is not an enshrined legal right in Australia. In Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Wills, the High Court of Australia found that there is an implied right to freedom of political speech.

While the image of the bra-burning feminist from the 1960s is a popular one, many historians and commentators believe that this was largely a media myth that was fanned in order to trivialise the women's movement and paint participants as hysterical, silly and unreasonable.

Gandhi pushed for swarāj or self-rule through non-violent means including noncooperation, peaceful protests and boycotts to try and encourage the British to quit India during the 20th century.

'Free at last, Free at last, Great God a-mighty, We are free at last'. The famous closing to Martin Luther King Jr's ‘I have a dream’ was taken from an African-American spiritual. King delivered the speech on 23 August, 1963 during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Freedom facts

German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, is generally credited as the first person to articulate the distinction between positive and negative freedom. While negative freedom is generally regarded as freedom from things like external interference, positive freedom is concerned with the freedom to take action and control.

Hong Kong enjoys the greatest economic freedom in the world according to The Heritage Foundation's 2018 Index of Economic Freedom. Australia is ranked fifth with the index taking into account factors such as property rights, business and labour freedom, tax burden and government integrity.

Slavery continues today with 40 million people worldwide caught up in modern slavery according to the United Nations. This includes people trapped in forced labour, human trafficking, forced marriage and forced sexual exploitation.

South Australia was the first state to decriminalise homosexuality on 17 September 1975. It took another 22 years for Tasmania (the final state) to decriminalise homosexuality on 13 May 1997 after the matter was taken to the High Court.

As of March 2017, there were 40,577 people in prisons in Australia, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This is an increase of 25,968 people since 2007 with the biggest increases in female, remand and Indigenous prisoners.

OUR FACILITY OFFERS A FULLY EQUIPPED GYM INCLUDING CARDIO MACHINES, FITNESS MACHINES & FREE WEIGHTS. WE ALSO OFFER A RANGE OF DYNAMIC GROUP EXERCISE CLASSES IN OUR STUDIO AND SPIN ROOM.

DISCOUNTED GYM MEMBERSHIP FOR ALL STUDENTS

12 MONTHS: $475.00 | 6 MONTHS: $292.00 4 MONTHS: $216.00 | DIRECT DEBIT: $20.00 VISIT US AT THE LINK (G07) PH: (07) 555 29137 UNIFITNESS@GRIFFITH.EDU.AU

.50

$3 coffee

refillS THE VILLAGE CAFE IS ALL FOR REUSING! REFILL YOUR STUDENT GUILD COLLAPSIBLE CUP FOR JUST $3.50! *SURCHARGE APPLIES FOR EXTRAS. ASK IN STORE FOR DETAILS 11

The Scully Effect Monique Hotchin

There has always been a negative light on watching too much television or getting too invested in fictional characters and stories. Like your eyes will go square if you watch too much telly or that your brain will melt into an uneducated puddle. These negative views suggest that there is nothing substantial or inspirational in television shows other than simple entertainment and something to cure boredom. Now taking all of that into consideration, would you believe me if I said that a television show helped shape a whole generation of women?

unusual and unsolvable cases that were tagged as x-files and kept down in a dreary and low-lit basement and were, more or less, the laughing stock of the FBI. The show quickly took on a cult following and gave light to the Scully Effect in the mid to late 90s. The Scully Effect was derived from the character of Dana Scully, the lead female and Fox Mulder’s counterpart. At the time, the character of Special Agent Scully, M.D was unlike anything else playing on the small screen. Dana Scully was a highly intelligent

That television show was The X-Files, and yes, that’s the one about aliens with the iconic yet off-putting theme song that you might remember hearing late at night. The X-Files premiered in 1993 and ran for nine impressive seasons with its thought-to-be end in 2002, and was recently given new life in a few follow-up seasons. Before the boom of crime and supernatural themed shows, there was The X-Files, and the show became one of the most influential sci-fi dramas to date. The often grim and atmospheric show focused on two starkly different FBI agents, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigating

The Scully Effect

and educated woman (a medical doctor with an undergraduate degree in physics) and was far more than just Mulder’s sidekick or side piece. But let’s take a step back and look at the origin of how one of the most beloved redheaded characters in pop culture came to be. In early 1993 a casting call went out for a tall, blonde bombshell for a new crime drama with a touch of supernatural theme to stand behind the male protagonist.

female protagonist that stood beside the male protagonist and not behind, which was unprecedented at the time. Agent Scully came to be a role model for women and young girls, as she was a strong, ambitious and relatable character that females watching at home could identify with. And most importantly, Scully defied all the common and often hyper-sexualised female tropes that were popular in the 80s and 90s. Then walks in a 24-year-old Gillian Anderson who stood at 5’3 in heels, had mousy brown hair and was wearing a pant-suit that was a few sizes too big that she had borrowed from a friend. The young lady hailing from Chicago (who also lied about her age), was far from what the show creators were searching for. And by some strange twist of fate, Anderson was given the chance to read with the handsome David Duchovny, who had already been cast as the hero of the show. The pair had a notable and undeniable chemistry that the character of Dana Scully was altered from Mulder’s sexy support girl to his smart and fierce partner. And thus, the Scully Effect started to bloom when the show aired later that year with a

While Scully was always a force to be reckoned with, she was also rational and sceptical in her beliefs about the supernatural and the existence of extra-terrestrial beings (which often led to her butting heads with Mulder). She also had sass, carried herself with grace as she carved out a career in a generally all male environment and had a cool authority over all situations. It was her consistent character attributes and strong storylines, that never paled against Mulder’s, and gave birth to the phenomenon that was the Scully Effect in the 90s. Anderson’s character inspired young girls and women to pursue careers in STEM fields - resulting in a notable increase of women in those areas. Recently when

Anderson was asked at a comic con about the Scully Effect and how she felt about it she delightfully replied with: ‘It was a surprise to me, when I was told that. We got a lot of letters all the time, and I was told quite frequently by girls who were going into the medical world or the science world or the FBI world or other worlds that I reigned, that they were pursuing those pursuits because of the character of Scully. And I said, “Yay!”’ While all of this doesn’t seem too impressive nowadays, the character of Dana Scully and the effect she had was pivotal in the progression of women into STEM programs and careers in the late 90s. The badass, intelligent and brave Dana Scully became a touchstone and stole into mainstream media and pop culture before the end of the decade, and continued to inspire girls and women across the globe to succeed and forge careers in science, medicine and law enforcement in a time when things weren’t as progressive.

MONEY TALKS Fruzsi Gál

The saying ‘money can’t buy happiness’ has been around and used to console those of us in the working class for decades now. But money is a double-edged sword. Ever since being rich couldn’t just straight up buy you a lordship and an army, rich is never truly rich. There is always richer, and richest. And somehow, it still isn’t enough. The saying ‘money can’t buy happiness’ is therefore a tricky one. Although its exact origin cannot be attributed to one person alone, as so many have reiterated it in a number of ways, its initial use was to emphasise the necessity of non-material things in life. That is to say, the concern of the saying is material possessions that are expected to bring happiness – or rather, the unreality of them. It is trying to assert that a new watch, a new car, a new property does not bring personal fulfilment to those

purchasing them in a way that time alone or effort spent on loved ones might. Which is all nice and well. As workers ourselves, we like to think that we will be successful in the end, but the promise that even if that success isn’t mirrored in money earned, we will still have love and family and community, provides a sense of comfort. We tell others and ourselves that money can’t buy happiness because we experience or are told time and time again that real, sustainable happiness comes from time invested in those that matter to us. There is various research proving that income only influences contentment up to a certain amount (that amount being around the $75,000/year mark), after which the likelihood of happiness is relatively consistent. One only has to look at the general social media presence

Money talks

of millennials to understand that standards have been lowered so much over the past decade that people would be content with having enough to pay the bills while also affording not to starve. The millennial dream and standard of happiness, according to the often nihilistic but almost always straight-on representation on various social platforms, is simply being able to afford to live. And although standards are lowered and expectations are less, there is still some truth to the correlation between money and happiness. Although this relationship is not exclusive, it is also proven that financial stability has major impact on one’s mental health and thus a likeliness of contentment. According to TIME Health, ‘people with higher incomes tend to feel more positive emotions focused on themselves’. Money, or more precisely its lack, takes out leading

“

...it is also proven that financial stability has major impact on one’s mental health...

contributing factors in causes of divorce, stress, and mental health problems. When money isn’t an issue that needs to be repetitively solved, life becomes easier. And although after that $75,000 mark things might not fluctuate so often, up until then money matters quite a lot in contentment levels. To have something to fall back on is to have security, and security plays a major part in the body’s sub-conscious relaxation – no wonder those who have a roof above their head and food on the table start from a much better position. But what are we to do if we want to be happy today? Consumerism is a cycle fuelled almost day and night by all sorts of media outlets, and escaping it to attain happiness is easier said than done. There is a reason we like to watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians or follow Tammy

Hembrow on Instagram – those who can afford almost anything always seem to have more exciting lives than us, but happiness should not be measured by the ideologies thrust upon us this way. Money can only buy so much happiness – while financial stability might be what we strive for in technical terms, it is important not to lose sight of those things that sustain us, better us, complete us. They say those who don’t have much give the most, and while working our way up to that $75,000 a year, it is important to remember that real happiness comes from love and compassion, not dollar bills.

“

Stop striving Bec Marshallsay By now we’re all fully aware of the old ‘social media is not reality’ catch cry. This should not be a revelation to you. And if it is, then sweetheart, you need to start chugging back some cynicism like it’s 2-for-1 tequila Tuesday. If we’re being honest, a snapshot into a curated life is not a bad thing at all. I’d rather see Sallyfrom-high-school on a spirit-quest through the Mojave Desert than get a daily update on her persistent battle with elbow eczema. There is something a little more insidious happening in your social media feed though and it is something you might not have built up a full immunity to yet; happiness and motivation. These values are peddled by an army of fitspiration gurus, tech start-up minimalists, mum-trepeneurs, well-being coaches, and B, C and D grade new media celebrities. They want you to strive more, be more, do more, experience more… Sometimes it comes in the form of a motivational quote in a catchy font. Sometimes it is a grab you by the shoulders and shake you violently ‘why are you sitting on the couch/life is short’ video. And sometimes it comes as a candid

giggling-at-something-off-camera photo with a litany of pursue-yourbest-life hashtags carefully curated to elicit a barrage of ‘praise’ emojis. Other times it is a friend who provides a constant hail of unsolicited life coach advice. You know, friends who post peppy things first thing Monday morning like ‘Monslay’ or a screen shot of their 4.45 am wake-up alarm with a purple ‘Time to hustle’ caption. In this relationship you have unknowingly crossed from friend to follower who should be grateful to be hit in the face with whatever ‘I’ve got my sh*#t together’ gems your buddy is happy to lob into cyberspace. You can sharpen your pitchforks now if you want. How can you tear down people who are just trying to help others? We need more positive vibes in the world. I get that; but this chase your goals, free your spirt, walk your own path mantra is, to a large extent, predicated on making you feel as though you are not already doing these things. As well-meaning as many of these people might be, there is a tacit judgement of others built on the fact that they need you to feel lesser so that they can help you feel stronger.

Stop striving

And realistically, the problem is not that these people are putting this content out there in the first place but instead, how much of it you consume. I liken it to a huge sugary tree of lollies and sweets. It’s shiny and enticing but if you eat too much of it, it will rot your teeth (or in this case your soul), make you very unhealthy and quite possibly cost you a lot of money. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t jump on the old motivational band wagon to pep yourself up on some sugary, life-affirming goodness from time to time but it is important to question the story you are being told and whether it is the most helpful way to get you where you really want to be in life. There is a prominent motivational speaker who regularly espouses the fact that she started a magazine with absolutely no experience. Absolutely no experience. Absolutely no experience. Did you get that? This completely ignores the fact that she had professional experience in book publishing, sponsorship, public relations and marketing. This is not a zero experience story. But this zero to success narrative is more compelling than telling people that you had a great

foundation of highly transferable skills and networks that you utilised to take this next great step. Like your peppy Insta-feed this is because it relies on an empowerment myth. You have nothing or you are nothing until these people build you up. Take a leap is a lot sexier than telling people that they can slowly evolve their career in any direction they want through continued upskilling and quiet self-reflection. Psyching people up to leave their current life behind and go shake things up is so much more bankable than accepting that they might already be happy where they are.

toward me and probably quite a few that don’t even like me very much. But an army of haters? I’ve yet to see them lurking behind every corner wishing me ill and sabotaging my life goals.

This is not dissimilar to the ‘haters gonna hate’ narrative that every other Facebook pseudo-celeb and their Insta-worthy dog are throwing around. Who are these haters? Maybe you need to check your interpersonal relationships. I’m sure that in the thousands of interactions I’ve had in my lifetime that there are many, many people who are indifferent

And in this modern day retelling it is not just the ladies who are waiting to be rescued so that they can become the self-actualised butterfly they were always meant to be. We are all sitting around

For me, this feels like a modern iteration of the princess-rescue narrative. In this case the dragon is a mythical world of people (the haters) telling us it can’t be done (seriously, re-evaluate your choice in friends) and the knight is some rando with a YouTube channel who can drag us out of mediocrity into a life of peachy buns, shiny hair or a 4-hours a week dream career.

...I liken it to a huge sugary tree of lollies and sweets. It’s shiny and enticing but if you eat too much of it, it will rot your teeth (or in this case your soul)...

waiting for the next dose of Insta-spiration to passiveaggressively undermine our current life choices and rescue us from our inability to self-inspire. So what is my own dose of smug, completely unsolicited advice on navigating all of this? Happiness is a very worthy goal. Motivational content can make us feel great and keep us focused on what we need. But like the shiny sugar tree you need to consume it in small doses.

GUNS DO KILL PEOPLE Fruzsi Gál

It is no secret that gun ownership has been a controversial part of recent American history. According to BBC’s data, there were 372 mass shootings and 64 school shootings in the US in 2015 alone – which, compared to all other countries adjusted to population, is an almost unimaginable number. Although those in favour of the US’s second amendment often like to bring

up mental health, innate human violence, and societal distinctions as the causes of the reoccurrence of these attacks, Max Fisher and Josh Keller debunk these theories with precision for The New York Times. As they point out, ‘the only variable that can explain the high rate of mass shootings in America is its astronomical number of guns’.

“

ACCORDING TO BBC’S DATA, THERE WERE 372 MASS SHOOTINGS AND 64 SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IN THE US IN 2015 ALONE

Guns do kill people

“

As the rest of the world watches on, the USA continues to let innocent children die rather than turn to gun reforms. Following the Parkland Florida shooting on 14 February, a serious debate has been reintroduced into the global narrative surrounding gun control laws. It is shocking, although not entirely surprising, to see just how many people turn to the excuse that ‘guns don’t kill people – people kill people’. After the 41st case of mass shooting in the US just in 2018, it is perhaps time to reiterate – guns do kill people.

Australia had its deadliest mass shooting since the genocide of Indigenous Australians in 1996. Almost immediately, then Prime Minister John Howard introduced gun control laws in Australia – since then, there have been none. The government responded with the appropriate actions to a national nightmare, resulting in the halving of the number of gunowning households in the country. Let’s look at another example. Just hours before the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut in 2012, one that killed 20 children and six adults and that is considered the most senseless and brutal attack on a school in US history, a man in China walked into an elementary school and proceeded to stab 22 children, none of whom died. As Dr. Ding Xueliang, a Harvard-educated sociologist at the University of Science and Technology in Hong Kong pointed

out, ‘the huge difference between this case and the US is not the suspect, nor the situation, but the simple fact he did not have an effective weapon’, (thanks to strict gun control in China). Although these are only two of the numerous examples underlining the problem, it is almost stupidly obvious that while people are most certainly needed to operate guns, it is the accessibility of these guns that puts the US into such a terrible position. But if this is indeed the problem, then why is nothing being done about it? There are a number of different possible explanations, a major one of those being money. The National Rifle Association (NRA) is one of the most financially influential interest group in US politics, reportedly spending $4m on lobbying and direct contributions to politicians as well as more than $50m on political advocacy in 2016. If the

Trump administration is not seen to be making action, it is perhaps owed to the fact that the NRA invested an estimated $30m into Donald Trump’s presidential election. As it has been proven time and time again, ‘thoughts and prayers’ seem to be Republicans’ choice of action following the murder of their own children. Fortunately, not all hope is lost. What makes the Parkland shooting different from most recent school shootings is that the victims and those who witnessed the attack first-hand are not kids, but teenagers. They are seen to be responding to those dismissing the fatal role of guns in attacks like this all over social media. As a generation, they are the first that cannot be dismissed as shocked kids who don’t know what they are talking about – the narrative is more personal than ever. These are teenagers that have grown up watching on TV as school shooters 19

killed a horrific amount of innocent people. These are teenagers that have lived and watched as nothing has been done about it. Unlike their peers at Sandy Hook, these teenagers are old enough to have the words and the means to speak out. As grown politicians continue to send their ‘thoughts and prayers’ and effectively not do anything, these teenagers are initiating change to save the lives of others. Whether stricter gun control laws will be implemented as a result of the various protests and sit-ins that are being planned at the time of writing, we will have to wait and see. But while it is undoubtedly true that people do kill people, we must acknowledge the extension of this truth too – that the accessibility of guns makes that killing terrifyingly easier. Guns kill people; what’s worse, guns kill innocent people. And until their distribution is more strictly monitored, they will continue to do so.

THE VALUE OF FREEDOM Bec Marshallsay On a day to day basis, many of us encounter or consider restrictions on our freedom in ways that are not always tangible and are often just one aspect of a discrete experience or interaction. Restrictions on what we can say or wear, how we can behave or limitations of circumstance that stop us from doing exactly what it is we would like to do in the way we want to do it. For some, however, their freedom is restricted in the most literal understanding of the word, by physical imprisonment. Although a wide-ranging topic underpinned by a vast web of social, political and philosophical discourse, at a day to day level, imprisonment is generally regarded as a necessary aspect of our society’s infrastructure. But what happens when someone is imprisoned based on a wrongful conviction?

The Innocence Project Depending on your field of study (and how often you use the indoor G01/G06 corridor to circumvent taking the stairs on campus), you may or may not be aware the Griffith University has its own Innocence Project. The Project is part of a worldwide Innocence Network of 69 organisations working to exonerate wrongfully convicted persons and advocating for practices and

policies that will reduce the number of wrongfully convicted people unjustly imprisoned. Ms Lynne Weathered is the Director of the Innocence Project at Griffith and explains that the Innocence Project movement is about freeing innocent people from prison. ‘The Innocence Project is about having the right person in prison and understanding that if an innocent man or woman is in prison, then the real perpetrator isn’t. So no one wins in that situation including the general public. What has happened over the years, particularly with DNA exonerations that have happened in the United States, about half of those exonerations have also identified the real perpetrator of the crime’.

More than physical imprisonment While the Innocence Project movement initially started with the sole focus of getting wrongfully convicted people out of prison, the movement has become painfully aware that wrongful conviction is more than just a physical imposition on a person. For every exoneration that occurs, an exoneree is in prison for an average of fourteen years. ‘You realise that life has changed so much; that there’s so much adjustment and so much disadvantage and that requires The value of freedom

attention as well. So common psychological issues for exonerees include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety’ says Ms Weathered. These issues are often compounded by the pressures of having to find a job, having no money, and readjusting to life on the outside. ‘What do you do about the fact that your father died while you were in prison or the child who was two months old is now 16 years old? It’s not as simple as just coming out and life goes on – it doesn’t.’ For those people who are released at the end of their sentence without having had their name cleared, the situation is just as dire. ‘They write to us that they have a wrongful conviction and they are still really desperate to have their name cleared because they’re still living in the community as someone who [is believed to have] committed this offence. So they’re not free even though they’re no longer in prison’ says Ms Weathered.

Changing the way we work Innocence Project exonerations do not just impact the individuals and their families, but they are changing the way we approach key elements of the justice system.

‘There’s all these areas where the exonerees have shown us that the evidence we used to think of as really reliable has actually got flaws,’ explains Ms Weathered. ‘The evidence going into our courtroom, evidence that we thought of as really reliable, has been shown to be highly fallible. Up to 70% of the DNA exonerations in the United States have involved eye witness identification. People think of eye witness identification as really solid evidence and now all the social science research has realised that our memories are a lot like video recorders, they’re really malleable’. This is leading to new strategies for identifying suspects such as replacing traditional photo boards with a one image at a time approach that is led by someone who does not know who the suspect is. These new approaches are leading to similar numbers of accurate identifications while reducing misidentifications. Ms Weathered says that ‘The learning moment for the criminal justice system is “Let’s take this on board and work out what we do about it”; how we improve it and [how] more research can go into different areas to help improve the system, so that we’re more likely to get the right person in prison to start with’.

A worthwhile investment In Australia, without a formal body for criminal case reviews, when new evidence or tests become available that might exonerate a wrongfully convicted person, the onus falls upon the wrongfully convicted person or claimant to fight for the right to be heard and to prove that there has been a miscarriage of justice. This is at odds with the standards and onus regarding the burden of proof that underpins our judicial system. As such, these people often rely on organisations such as the Griffith University Innocence Project to help them secure the opportunity to clear their name. So what is the value of organisations such as Griffith investing time and resources into a project such as the Innocence Project? According to Ms Weathered, first and foremost, this is a good investment because of the moral imperative. ‘It is a wrong that is so wrong that it just demands attention. We all want to have faith in our criminal justice system and having an innocent person spending however many years in prison – or even once they’re released from their prison term still living under the cloud of a wrongful conviction – it’s just a dreadful, dreadful wrong. Then you have the societal impact – if 21

the wrong person is in prison then you’ve got a public safety issue’. Not all projects are operated from universities and Ms Weathered sees that Griffith has a unique resource in its students who can work with the Innocence Project for course credit. In addition to learning about the intricacies of our criminal justice system, Ms Weathered believes students gain incredibly important skills for the workforce. ‘I think it’s a reminder to the students as to how important their role is as is anyone who is in the criminal justice system’. While many students won’t practice criminal law, those who will are encouraged to work in any field they want from defence to the Department of Public Prosecution. Ms Weathered confirms, ‘We want good lawyers out there in all these roles who have a good understanding of some of the things that can go wrong’.

If you want to find out more about the Innocence Project and movement you can visit: Innocence Project – Griffith University: griffith.edu. au/criminology-law/innocenceproject The Innocence Network: innocencenetwork.org

FREEDOM ON FILM Whether to do with literal chains and boundaries or more figurative ones, this edition’s On film deals with motion pictures that feature characters desperate to shrug off their restrictions and gain their liberty.

Zak Johnson

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) You really can’t mention freedom on film without discussing arguably the greatest prison film of all time, and if IMDB’s Top 250 is to be taken at face value, the greatest film of all time in general. After being given a life sentence for the murders of his wife and her lover (which he may or may not have committed), Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary, where he must compete with harsh guards, corrupt wardens and volatile inmates. Despite the dire situation he is in, Andy never loses hope regarding his release, an attitude helped by his strong friendship with inmate Red (Morgan Freeman).

Cube (1997) A truly Kafka-esque horror film, Cube features a group of unwilling people who are trapped in a series of cube-shaped rooms that become progressively more and more deadly. Paranoia and distrust arise amongst the group members as they struggle to find a way out, or figure out why they were selected in the first place. Cube suffers from a low budget and some pretty awful acting, but the film’s originality and claustrophobic tone makes it well worth at least one viewing.

Easy Rider (1969)

Persepolis (2007)

“A man went looking for America. And couldn’t find it anywhere,” reads the tagline of this counterculture classic, one that informs Easy Rider’s stance on the Land of the Free as it existed in the 1960s. After making a hefty profit from a drug deal, two bikers, Wyatt and Billy, take off on the road, encountering a wide array of individuals, from communal hippies to bigoted locals. Unconventional editing techniques, a ripper of an era-specific soundtrack and a memorable early performance from Jack Nicholson as an alcoholic lawyer who joins the duo help make Easy Rider one of the defining films of that decade.

Based on a graphic novel which in turn was based on the real-life experiences of author Marjane Satrapi, Persepolis is the autobiographical account of one girl’s childhood amid the Iranian Revolution. Marjane’s obsession with punk fashion and Michael Jackson conflict heavily with the policies of an increasingly oppressive government, with her family ultimately deciding to send her off to live abroad for her own safety. It’s through her coming-of-age experiences both as an Iranian and a European, shown in gorgeously animated black-and-white, that Marjane cements her identity.

Freedom on film

Billy Elliot (2000)

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Heavenly Creatures (1994)

Set against a dreary Northern England backdrop beset by unemployment and poverty, the titular character, Billy, an 11-yearold miner’s son (played by Jamie Bell in his first role), combats his bleak surroundings with his love of ballet dancing, a hobby that obviously doesn’t go down that well with his conservative working class family. Nevertheless, with the aid of his supportive but stern teacher, Billy is able to transcend the expectations of tradition placed upon him and pursue his passion.

Featuring the acting debut of former N.W.A member Ice Cube, Boyz n the Hood is a harsh and unrelenting look at the lives of three African-American youths in South Central Los Angeles during the 80s and 90s. Whereas Doughboy is content to indulge in gang activity, Ricky and Tre attempt to escape their socially imposed boundaries and better their lives, aspirations that are challenged by the vicious realities of living in their crimeaddled neighbourhoods.

Though Peter Jackson’s reputation was immortalised by The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it was Heavenly Creatures that gave him the artistic credibility to get the gig in the first place. Pauline and Juliet (played by Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet in early roles) are two eccentric and isolated teenage girls in 1950s New Zealand who form an obsessive and borderline unhealthy friendship based on their mutual love of storytelling and the arts. When their concerned parents threaten to tear them apart, the girls resort to drastic measures to ensure that this doesn’t happen.

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)

Room (2015)

The Shape of Water (2017)

Jack (Jacob Tremblay) is a 5-yearold boy who has lived his entire life within the confines of a small backyard shed, as a captive of the man who abducted his mother (Brie Larson) and fathered him. After launching a daring escape, Jack is exposed to the outside world for the first time, something that he thought never existed. Though Larson deservedly won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as “Ma”, it’s Tremblay’s turn as Jack that’s a true marvel to behold, with the at-the-time 7-year-old dishing out a performance that would make even the most experienced Method actor green with envy.

Guillermo del Toro has established his career as a filmmaking scribe of contemporary fables and fairytales, with his latest being his most accomplished since Pan’s Labyrinth. Once upon a time (in the early 1960s), Elsa (Sally Hawkins) is a mute cleaner working in a top-secret government lab who becomes entranced with the arrival of “The Asset”, a captive humanoid amphibian creature with whom she quickly establishes a bond. Upon hearing of plans to dissect the creature, Elsa launches a risky rescue plan, one that mirrors her own process of self-discovery. Simultaneously a melodramatic fantasy and an interspecies love story, there really isn’t any film like The Shape of Water.

Simultaneously one of the best and most underrated films to come out of Australia, The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith tells the true story of an Aboriginal labourer whose attempts to integrate into white society are met with apathy, ridicule and hostility. After a seemingly endless onslaught of abuse and rejection from his employers and the surrounding community, Jimmie snaps and commits a horrific act of violence, one that sparks a nationwide manhunt. As with this year’s Sweet Country, Jimmie Blacksmith is an indictment of Australia’s past, as well as a showcase of the importance of human dignity.

CREATIVE CONCEPTS | GRAPHIC DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY | ILLUSTRATION IMAGE RETOUCHING | PRINT & WEB SOCIAL MEDIA | BRANDING Liveworm Gold Coast is staffed with a collection of skilled multidisciplinary design students, guided by a highly experienced team of industry professionals. The studio is also a creative incubator for student industry concepts, supporting the local business and cultural community. The studio opened its doors in 2008 after being converted from a grungy fine art and sculpture workshop into a creative studio and incubator space — under the wing of the 130 year old Queensland College of Art.

Liveworm Gold Coast designers are the future experts of their field. They know what’s current, enjoy predicting future trends and utilising classic design strategies. In the midst of a new studio image and direction— Liveworm Gold Coast is working towards a stronger position within the evolving creative Gold Coast culture. The team of students and staff embrace the changes that are occurring locally and globally and enjoy creating design outcomes that reflect this unique approach.

E E FR

SHIBORI WORKSHOP

THURSDAY 3 MAY | GRASSED AREA NEAR STUDENT GUILD (G07) TAKE A BREAK FROM STUDY TO REFOCUS AND LEARN THE ART OF JAPANESE DYEING. GRAB YOUR FRIENDS, BE INSPIRED, LEARN NEW SKILLS AND SURROUND YOURSELF IN CRAFT!

THREE SESSIONS TO CHOOSE FROM: WORKSHOP 1: 11.00 AM – 11.45 AM WORKSHOP 2: 12.00 PM – 12.45 PM WORKSHOP 3: 1.00 PM – 1.45 PM WORKSHOP PROVIDED BY THE CRAFT PARLOUR

O -W E E K 19-21 Feb @ GUGC

Snapped on campus

e-IN D i vMovie 19 Feb @ Griffith Aquatic Centre

Snapped on campus

ROLLER - Disco

20 Feb @ Rooftop (G55)

Snapped on campus

UNI

- Night 22 Feb @ Uni Bar

A C- H B E- Party 23 Feb @ Uni Bar

Snapped on campus

FIFTY YEARS OF FREEDOM IN FASHION Angel Nikijuluw

In this edition of Getamungstit, we take a brief look at how fashion has liberated young people over the past fifty years.

What we choose to wear every day can be a political or social statement, and it helps us non-verbally communicate to others how we feel, what we think, and what we believe in. While today we like to borrow from fashion trends from decades past, there are some notable fashion moments that are derived from iconic social and political movements, liberating some and allowing others to express themselves during these times.

60s Second wave feminism marked an important milestone for women’s rights in the US and other western countries such as the UK and Australia in the early 1960s. This movement opened a new conversation for women and their right to their sexuality, along with the social and political position of women in society. Janet Allured from the McNeese State University observed that 'Second wave feminists, then,

sought to dismantle traditional feminine “beauty” behavior by adopting alternative or counter-cultural styles, emphasising “naturalness” and an anti-consumerist ethic', meaning that women at the time were ditching popular fashion trends, such as form-fitting, feminine silhouettes, for a more relaxed, androgynous silhouette. Countercultures in the late 1960s also reflected how youth

Fifty years of freedom in fashion

culture searched for freedom through what they wore, what they listened to, and what their political and social stance was in society, (especially within the hippie subculture). This was especially prominent in 1969 during Woodstock, where the social attitude radiated peace and unity. This was reflected in the bohemian style featuring flowing tops, dresses and pants and warm colours, as it emerged into popular youth culture.

70s

Photo by Stephen Shames

While the Black Power movement began in the 1960s, it hit its peak in the early 1970s, and served a political and social statement against racial oppression in the US. This movement created the Black Panther Party, in which their black berets used in their uniform was inspired by a film about the French resistance to the Nazis in

80s While the music genre of hip hop was born in 1973, many like to dub the 1980s as the ‘Golden Age’ of hip hop, as the key themes and aesthetic imagery of hip hop became inspired by Black Nationalism movement of the 1970s. Hip hop eventually evolved into somewhat of a socially conscious statement, bringing bright, bold colours such as green, red, black and yellow

WWII. The creators of the Black Panther Party, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, felt that this was a strong display of their militancy but also a proud expression of their ‘blackness.’ The uniform allowed the Black Panthers to stand out wherever they went and arguably physically illustrated the seriousness of their revolutionary

into the colour palette, as well as Africa medallions, gold chains and bomber jackets, worn by big names such as Salt N Pepa, Public Enemy, and Run DMC. Hip hop also served as a way for artists to express their frustration of the current social and political climate through their music, establishing the genre as a massive point of reference in black history and popular culture. The fashion trends that accompanied hip hop are still prominent in street style today, and it continues to embody the origins and identity of the music genre.

ideas. Also during this time, more African-American women were embracing their Afro-hairstyles as an act of reclaiming their pride and identity as African-American women.

90s

In the 1990s, prominent “outcast” subcultures such as grunge and goth reached their peak, and created groups in which likeminded, outcast individuals found solace in solidarity by dressing in off-beat styles. The Goth subculture is heavily inspired by punk fashion and Elizabethan style, including dark and black clothing, lace, velvet and jewellery with religious or occult imagery and themes. Goth also conceived other substyles of the subculture such as Gothic Lolita and Cyber Goth. Grunge as a subculture was heavily influenced by the music genre

Fifty years of freedom in fashion

that emerged in the mid-1980s, with bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice In Chains. Grunge is often referred to as an anticonsumerist movement, in which the less you spent on clothes, the ‘cooler’ you were. With this said, the grunge subculture found freedom in adopting these anticonsumerists attitudes. The 1990s was also a time for the creation of iconic festivals such as Big Day Out and Falls Festival, which marked the beginning of festival culture, and serving as a catalyst for big fashion trends to reflect the music and bands that play each year.

2000s A prominent subculture of the 2000s is kawaii culture and Harajuku style in Japan, where Japanese youth utilise different themes or items of clothing to communicate how they feel inside.

2010s

FRUiTS, a legendary Japanese

street fashion magazine, has been capturing Harajuku street fashion since 1997, and has shown the timeline of how fashion has been able to reflect current styles and the way the youth express their identity through their choice of clothing.

Even in the 2010s, these Japanese subcultures are still quite prominent and popular through online communities and street photography as a means for others to express themselves through fashion – even in the west.

While cosplay existed well before the 2010s, it has gained an unfathomable amount of traction within the last decade.

cosplay because it allows them to adopt a new identity, adding a new dimension of fan culture and belonging in their respective fan communities.

In her report ‘Stranger than fiction: Fan identity in cosplay’, Nicolle Lamerichs from Maastricht University interprets cosplay as a 'form of fan appropriation that transforms, performs, and actualises an existing story in close connection to the fan's own identity' – and while cosplaying is light fun for some, many peole

Again, this concept originated from Japan; and while it is more common in the public domain in Japan, the west has established a whole subculture, with conventions and fan-meetings dedicated to cosplaying their favourite characters from anime or other pop-culture books, shows, and comics.

APRIL

What's on? Easter Monday 2 April

GRIFFITH TAKES OVER: RUGBY 7S

UNI NIGHT AT THE UNI BAR

Student vacation 2-13 April

Griffith Takes Over: Beach Volleyball 7 April

Self Defence Course 17 April

Market Day 18 April

Self Defence Course 24 April

Anzac Day 25 April

GOLD COAST

2018 COMMONWEALTH

GAMES 4-15 APRIL

MAY

28 MAY - 1 JUNE

STRESS LESS WEEK

MOVIE NIGHT

Uni Night at the Uni Bar 2 May

Labour Day 7 May

Self Defence Course 8 May

Trivia Night at the Uni Bar

MARKET DAY

11 May

National Sorry Day 26 May

National Reconciliation Week 27 May - 3 June

- Public Holiday

gugcstudentguild.com.au/events

Feature artist – The Steele Syndicate Fruzsi Gál

On Australia Day I entered Miami Marketta, unsuspecting of the amazing time I would have that night. Surrounded by couples sipping cocktails and families sharing food, an 8-person band filled the small stage, started playing, and transformed the place into the grooviest party. The Steele Syndicate is a Brisbane-based octet whose music cannot be described – it has to be experienced. With the band currently on tour around Australia, we sat down for a Q&A – about music, music, and some more music.

How did the band come to be? We started playing as our current line-up for a university battle of the bands – which we won – in 2015. At the end of the gig, we decided that we wanted to keep doing this. We make music because we love it – we also have our best times playing live and we want to share that joy with everyone who comes to see us play.

It isn’t very often that we see bands of more than four or five people. Naturally, the number of people, and therefore the number of different instruments, is what makes you great, but how do you make things work with eight band members? As with anything there are pros and cons - but the pros definitely outweigh the cons. Organising a regular practice time with everyone studying or working full time can be a bit tricky (and things can get pretty snug on stage). The benefit, one

Feature artist

of many, of having a large number of members is that the song creation process is incredibly collaborative. Steele will come up with the foundation of the song and we can all contribute our ideas stemming from our wide range of musical interests, from pop rock to jazz to classical. We have a lot of respect for each other and this shows in how we have all been very open to new ideas as our music has been developing. This year as we push to move onto bigger and better things we’ve split the eight of us into different portfolios – management, booking, publicity and marketing, with two people working on each. This has allowed us to handle a much larger workload and also take on opportunities that would otherwise have been impossible to manage. Another advantage is that our different musical backgrounds and instruments allow for a huge penumbra of musical styles we can play and this means we are quite versatile - we were playing

in Byron Bay once when the power cut out. The horn section and drums can be heard without amplification so we had an instrumental jam while they fixed the issue.

I think your music stands out not only because of the unexpectedness (and simultaneously, sheer genius) of your tunes, but also because of the real depth of your lyrics. Is relatability a deliberate aspect of song-writing for you, or do you simply put yourself into it and hope that the listener gets something out of it too? Thank you! That’s quite the compliment. The most important element of song-writing would be writing from the heart. Steele creates songs from inspiration in his life: the demands of a gruelling work life; finding and losing a girl in a festival; and, for one of our more recent songs, the want to have a nice breakfast.

There is an honesty there that people relate to. Even if they don’t face that exact challenge, there is a genuineness of emotion that people can share as they face their own challenges – it ‘strikes a chord’ in them, if you pardon the awful pun.

Your song ‘Scissors Paper Rock & Roll’ seems to present you, or anyone else in your industry, with a choice – between ‘paper pushing pens all day’ and ‘rock until you drop lead dead on a stage’. Have you found a happy medium? Is it possible in careers like yours? So far so good, but of course the biggest sacrifice is time. Where we are at right now we have found a happy medium – as mentioned we all study or work full time, so we had to.

This question is for Steele – one of my favourite lines off the album Antipodes is ‘I’d rather love what I’ve never had than love what I’ve lost’. Is that a preference of ideals over something real? Could you tell me more about this line and this song? This line is about classic heartbreak. It was about moving on and realising that the pain of loving someone that would never love you was preferable to the pain of lost love. Essentially it’s just me trying sound poetic. I must have liked the line because I repeat it twice!

You go from Matt Corby to Ball Park Music within one album – do you prefer the slower, more in-depth tunes, or the fast-paced groove? We love both – our sound is definitely evolving into good grooves that get people moving. The style of sound is hugely dependant on where we play (for

Feature artist

example, an African drum beat would sound awful in a church, and similarly a church choir would sound pretty thin out in the open air). We play gigs at pubs and live music venues where people like to dance and have fun and this has shaped it; we also like to have fun on stage and let the audience join in – and so dancey-groovy tunes are what we have ended up with. It’s constantly transforming though – should we start working on a full LP with considerable studio time, our preferences might change. And that’s not a bad thing! Keeps it fresh without too dramatically departing from what makes us us.

At the moment, you’re on the Funky Trombone Tour. Has it been funky so far? What have you learnt from the experience? So much! It’s been funky - but only just getting underway. With publicists, booking agents, gigs and promotion, the machination of a tour starts months

in advance. Splitting the band portfolios is a must, without it this whole thing would never have happened.

Is there another album on the horizon? If so, what can we expect – more energy, or more emotion?

If you had to sum up The Steele Syndicate in a sentence, what would it be? We ended up making a haiku: The Steele Syndicate Dancey moves and funky grooves. Like our Facebook page.

Another EP to be specific. And expect both! Our sound has steadily evolved and we’ve moved from our folk roots to something more funky and dancey. Stay tuned.

What is one thing, if anything, that you would change about the Australian music scene? It would be great to see it as a community event - we’re all for an accessible and inclusive music culture. Not necessarily free shows but an openness to expose yourself to new and fresh music.

Find out more thesteelesindicate.com facebook.com/thesteelesyndicate/

Online

ATO

HONEST TRAILERS

App

YouTube channel

You weren’t mistaken, ATO stands for Australian Taxation Office. That’s right, we’re spruiking a tax app! While you can’t complete your tax on the app, the ATO’s tax app is a free and handy way to keep track of your deductions. No more scrounging for receipts or doing a dodgy and guesstimating your deductions... you can keep track of expenses as you go on the ATO app and then securely import them into your e-Tax return come tax time.

Honest Trailers self-proclaimed mission is to tell you the truth about your favourite TV shows and movies. Delivered by Screen Junkies, Honest Trailers make their own trailers for films and TV shows that show what the trailer might have looked like if it was brutally honest, scathingly snarky and full of spoilers.

This is a great tool for anyone who works for themselves or incurs work related expenses as part of their job (such as PPE, travelling between locations, self-education or professional development courses). The app includes a number of handy calculators, in-app receipt capture and a log for recording your work related travel down to the exact kilometre. The ATO app is available for iOS and Android devices. ato.gov.au/General/Onlineservices/ATO-app/

Not only will they make you giggle but they will often hit the nail on the head when it comes to pinpointing what it was that bothered you about that film you saw. Plot holes, lazy tropes and fallible logic are all laid bare without mercy. A new Honest Trailer is released every week but there are over 100 trailers to choose from in the vault . If you’ve never seen them before we suggest you start with something ripe for ridicule like their take on Fifty Shades of Grey or Transformers. youtube.com/user/screenjunkies

THE AWKWARD YETI Instagram What if your organs had their own personality that dictated their behaviour? This is the premise of the incredibly charming, The Awkward Yeti comics created by Nick Seluk. Lars is the titular awkward yeti whose feelings and behaviours are often shaped by his anxious Brain, carefree and excitable Heart, and other organs. A surprise favourite is the Gallbladder who is incredibly proud of the stones he ‘maked’ for the ungrateful Liver. For such an unusual premise, there is a lot to identify with in The Awkward Yeti and if you love it as much as we do (or for all you med students) you can continue the fun with the OrganATTACK! card game where you get to pit your favourite characters against each other. @theawkwardyeti

Online

WAIT BUT WHY Blog Wait But Why is a weekly blog written by Tim Urban that explains, unpacks and waxes lyrical on a range of questions you never knew you had or topics you never knew you were interested in. Using diagrams and graphs to illustrate his claims, Urban’s blogs range from humourous musings on the personal such as ‘10 Types of Odd Friendship’s You’re Probably Part Of’ and ‘Why I’m Always Late’ to the inquisitive such as ‘The Fermi Paradox’ and ‘Neuralink and the Brain’s Magical Future’. There are also thought provoking posts such as ‘100 Blocks a Day’ which considers your waking day as 100 10-minute blocks of time for you to enjoy, utilise or waste as you see fit. If this makes you feel motivated (rather than anxious) then you might also enjoy ‘Your Life in Weeks’ which looks at the typical allocation of weeks across a 90 year lifespan. Wait But Why is definitely worth spending a few of your 10-minute blocks of time on. waitbutwhy.com

TED-ED RIDDLES Online videos You know how it goes, you like a few TED pages to try and improve the quality of your social media and to convince yourself that you are going to get smarter. And then you scroll straight past the TED posts to a meme of Kris Jenner throwing shade that totally encapsulates who you are as a person when the bar runs out of espresso martinis. But we’re here to tell you that the TED-Ed riddles are worth a look. If you like a brain teaser then you don’t want to miss these. TED-Ed has a series of animated riddles to test your patience and problem solving skills. The cute animations talk you through a scenario and then it is up to you to work out how to solve problems such as how to best divide treasure among a group of murderous but brilliantly logical pirates, or how to use maths to cross a bridge and escape a horde of zombies. You can pause the video to mull over the puzzle before the narrator talks you through the answer. You can check out all of the TED-Ed riddles on YouTube. youtube.com

SATURDAY 28 APRIL | 7.00PM THE STAR GOLD COAST BLACK TIE EVENT

TICKETS ON SALE NOW TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM THE STUDENT GUILD OR

GUGCSTUDENTGUILD.COM.AU 18+ ONLY EVENT

Article Title

Entertainment

Sweet Country (2018) 110 mins Western, Drama Director: Warwick Thornton Zak Johnson

Warwick Thornton’s Samson and Delilah is lauded as one of Australia’s finest films due to its raw and visceral portrayal of the lives of contemporary Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory. Now, nearly a decade later, he’s returned with Sweet Country, a western that places themes of racism and colonialism that have come to define his work at its centre. Inspired by true events, Sweet Country focuses on Sam Kelly (Hamilton Morris), an Aboriginal farmer under the employ of the compassionate and religiously devout Fred Smith (Sam Neill). Fred makes the mistake of letting Sam assist his more closeminded and psychologically disturbed neighbour Harry, whom Sam is ultimately forced to shoot in self-defence. Knowing the consequences of killing a whitefella, Sam goes on the run with his wife across the Outback,

with a small posse, led by the insatiable Sergeant Fletcher (Bryan Brown), hot on his heels. Sweet Country is as breathtakingly beautiful with its visual treatment of the Australian countryside as it is brutal with its unflinching portrayal of violence and prejudice. Despite being set in 1929, it still features many of the hallmarks of the western, a genre of film with instalments often being set a good half century before. Gruff and aggressive men struggle to exist on the margins of society while illequipped authority figures attempt to impose law in a lawless world. Whether this says a lot about the timelessness of the genre or how backwards our country’s history has been is up for debate. Despite this being his first acting role, Morris’ performance as Sam anchors the film emotionally. Like Eastwood or Wayne before him, Sam maintains the stoic

and reserved quality that is archetypical of any western hero in his attempts to keep his wife and himself safe from harm. Yet there’s an added vulnerability to his character, one that becomes all the more prominent in the film’s final scenes. Veteran Aussie actor Bryan Brown also gives a cracking turn as the committed albeit aged lawman limited by his own physical weaknesses and ingrained biases, while Sam Neill’s good-natured Fred gives Sweet Country the necessary injections of warmth and humour into an otherwise bleak affair. The film isn’t afraid to take its time, narratively speaking, a decision that may not sit well with those who prefer their cinema with an extra hit of caffeine. Yet it’s this deliberate pacing that suits Sweet Country. Tensions, whether to do with race, class or religion, bubble constantly below the surface until they reach a boiling point. And yet there’s a sense of futility in this constant state of conflict, as the Australian landscape, captured magnificently by Thornton and his son/cinematographer Dylan River, looks on impartially as it has for thousands of years. Verdict: a violent, beautifully shot and timely Aussie western.

Entertainment

I’m Dreaming Alice Ivy Angel Nikijuluw Australian electronic artist Alice Ivy first made her mark with her debut single featuring Georgia Van Etten, ‘Touch’ in 2016, launching her into a string of festivals and winning her a spot on the Listen Out line-up through Triple J Unearthed. Now, just after two years since her debut, her first full-length collection of songs is called I’m Dreaming, and features her previous tracks such as ‘Almost Here’, and ‘Get Me a Drink’, along with a collection of new tracks.

Turtles All the Way Down John Green Monique Hotchin

I’m Dreaming is well-constructed, well-paced and well-produced Ivy seems to have placed everything so meticulously in every single track – yet somehow, the finished product sounds effortless, with its sweeping synths and an assortment of vocals such as E^ST, Bertie Blackman, and Georgia Van Etten.

flair as an artist projects this record as one of the best electronic albums I’ve heard in a while.

On stage, Alice Ivy captures the energy of her music and projects it through her physical performance, making her one-person band seem as though she has a 10-piece orchestra on stage with her. I’m Dreaming is a dream both on and off stage, and Alice Ivy’s

It’s been a while since the world was graced with a John Green novel, but finally readers and fans have a new story to devour. John Green is a well-known and highly praised American author who has a distinctive skill of breaking hearts and enchanting minds with popular books such as The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska, (as well as many more interesting stories). The newest novel by the beloved John Green is charming, engaging and a spiral of emotions, with real struggles and obstacles that people tackle on a daily basis. Turtles All the Way Down has been labelled by long-time Green readers as stunning, brilliant, relatable, cathartic and filled to the borders with everything that makes his stories notable. The book centres around Aza, a sixteen-year-old girl trying desperately to be the best 49

she can be. Along with her best friend, they investigate the mystery behind a millionaire’s missing son, and the reward money becomes a secondary motivation as the two girls grow closer to the truth. And they all find something more important along the way: the power of friendship. Turtles All the Way Down harbours John Green’s engaging, beautiful simplistic style with a touch of his iconic dark humour. And while most of John Green’s stories are centred around teenagers, including this novel, his stories and well-crafted characters are perfect for all ages.

Being creative Liberte World Plans

This is an Irving Penn, 1940s, inspired Magazine Cover with a remade moral. Chelsea McLachlan Web: chelseamclachlan.com Being creative

A Trumpet Among Violins Feast your eyes on this steaming hot slice of pure American â&#x20AC;&#x153;freedomâ&#x20AC;?. Levi Dexter Miller 51

Being creative The Only Freedom Trio Collection

Koi Fish

A digital Sketch of Japanese Kohaku Koi fish. Jack Malin Instagram: @jack.design.aus

‘It’s the magic of risking everything for a dream nobody sees, but you’. The collection is called ‘The Only Freedom’ Trio Collection, consists of three different dresses for three different women and personalities. The collection was inspired by the Isan Region traditional dresses. Rachtanakorn Kamonrat (Eve) Instagram: @rachtnk Web: rachtnk.wixsite.com/rachtnkdesigns Being creative

Being creative Freedom Tomas Heligr-Pyke Freedom, something this world doesn’t have. Not yours, silly. Mine. My world has no freedom, my world has no peace. Nothing ever is as simple as freedom and peace. Think about it. You live your life living the dream, thinking you can speak freely, or live freely. Have the life that you want to live. I don’t have that, I don’t live in your world. I live in Atriad. Atriad. There is something strange about knowing that in another universe, you are reading this. It is even stranger that I will never see you, or know what it is like to live in such a wonderful place. You may think it is horrible there. You may protest for veganism or other psuedo problems. First world problems. You have no idea what it is like to live in a certain hell. A hell like my world. I don’t have long to tell you the things so I will keep it short. I heard you have some kind of card, a kind of test to let you work with children. It isn’t the same over here. We have to pass a test, but it is worse. If you don’t pass, they will take your children away. But this test is different. It isn’t just, “I am not a paedophile so I can work with children”. It’s like this. Do you have an illness of any sort? Are you mentally ill? Say goodbye to your children, and pray they don’t sterilise you like Winston Churchill once wanted in your time... On the subject of prayer, you’re not allowed to do that here. Imagine that, a world without religion. Some of you may be celebrating. At least some of you. But don’t. The thing about religion is that it taught humans what was right, morally. Before those philosophers were around. Your law system is based on religion! Now in my land, there is no religion. They have been erased. Anyone which had those beliefs have been killed and put in mass graves. We call them the dead lands now. The books were burned. The idea of religion was abolished. But that means anything goes in the law system. No freedom of speech anymore. No quality of life. Media started getting paid to skew media, or flat out lie. There is no law for truthful journalism. As your leaders would say, most of the news was fake news. Literal history books have been rewritten in order to make the world think everything is okay. The scary thing is that in a couple of generations it will be normal. People like me won’t exist to know the difference that has happened. The dead generation... But how did this all happen, you may ask? If this ever sees the light of day after what the future holds, then I will tell you, it was our fault. We let it happen. We once were at war, not Atriad, but the Western societies. The government, they saved them... but a leader came from the ashes and turned them into corruption. They bought out each country when the economy fell. But Atriad survived. We are the last nation. We thought we were safe. But eventually, they came for us, and now the world is under one rule. I want to tell you, when they finally come for you, please, fight back for your freedom. Don’t let them take your freedom away the way they took ours. They may make you happy with their lies, but they are that. Lies.

Get the hell outta here Hit the beach ‘Gold Coast’ and ‘beach’ might seem like an obvious pairing that don’t warrant any further explanation. But if you’ve moved for uni from overseas, interstate or even just out of town, you might not have made it much further than Surfers yet… and trust us, there’s more to see and do. This edition we have all the hot tips to help you navigate Gold Coast beaches like a local.

LIFEGUARDS AND THE FLAGS

MIAMI

Swim between the flags. We can’t stress this enough. While Gold Coast beaches may look impressive, they can be very dangerous with big surf, flash rips and changeable conditions. According to Surf Life Saving Queensland, during the past 10 years 72.7% of drowning deaths on Queensland beaches have occurred less than 1 kilometre from a patrolled beach. If you’re unsure about the conditions, have a chat to a lifeguard or lifesaver on duty.

Miami Beach is the perfect beach for fitness enthusiasts. Start in Broadbeach and cycle south along the dedicated bike lane on Hedges Ave to pick out your future house. You can stop at Mermaid Beach for a few cheeky pull-ups on the free gym equipment in the park. Once you get to Miami you can tackle the Miami Hill stairs. Get your heartrate up with as many stair runs as your calves can handle before finally heading to the water for a well-deserved dip and cool down.

Get the hell outta here

COOLANGATTA & RAINBOW BAY

TALLEBUDGERA CREEK

There’s a lot more to see at Coolangatta than just the airport. If you head to the southern end of Coolangatta you can sneak around the corner to the beautiful, calm stretch of paradise that is Rainbow Bay. Have a swim and then walk along to the headland to watch the surfers in action at one of the Coast’s most popular breaks, Snapper Rocks (home to events like the Quicksilver and Roxy Pro).

Tallebudgera Creek is another strip of paradise within paradise along the 57 kilometres of coastline we are lucky enough to call home. Tallebudgera Creek features two gorgeous beaches sheltered just inside the mouth of the creek, perfect for a lazy day of reading, swimming and generally lazing in the sun. The only drawback is that it is notoriously difficult to find a car park at Talle.

For great views you can walk up the hill to Point Danger and straddle the Queensland/New South Wales border. You can also check out another iconic surf break with a bird’s eye view of D-Bah (Durangbah) just over the border. Your day isn’t quite done yet, jump in the water again before heading to Eddie’s Grub House in Coolangatta for some killer music and even better burgers.

To combat this we suggest you make a day of it. Park at Burleigh Heads and have a quick peek through the quirky James Street before heading to Burleigh Hill. Snap a couple of pics looking back toward Surfers and then head into the National Park. There are two routes around to Talle through Burleigh Headland National Park. The first is just 2.3 kilometres and takes you over the top of the headland and via the not-to-be missed Tumgun Lookout. The second trail is the much flatter Ocean View Circuit which takes you around the base of the headland for an easy stroll. Once you arrive at Talle spread out your towel and settle in for a few hours of beachside bliss.

ISSUE 3, VOLUME 4

T H E

E D I T I O N

ARRIVING WEEK 10 G U G C S T U D E N T G U I L D . C O M / G E TA M U N G S T I T

GRIFFITH

TAKES OVER SATURDAY 14 APRIL FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT GUGCSTUDENTGUILD.COM.AU/RECREATION

$45 PER GUGC STUDENT

INCLUDES TICKET, SHIRT, BBQ, ROUNDTRIP TRANSPORT & MORE! THE INCLUDED GOLD COAST 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES RUGBY 7S TICKET IS $40

GRIFFITH

TAKES OVER SATURDAY 7 APRIL $35 PER GUGC STUDENT

INCLUDES TICKET, SHIRT, BBQ, ROUNDTRIP TRANSPORT & MORE! THE INCLUDED GOLD COAST 2018 COMMONWEALTH GAMES BEACH VOLLEYBALL TICKET IS $30 FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT GUGCSTUDENTGUILD.COM.AU/RECREATION

Proudly provided by