MARCH 2018
ISSUE 1 | VOLUME 2
HUNCH
on the fringe Paanda makes its festival debut
anthony gadenne
the cryptocurrency conundrum:
notre dame med student bringing healing to rohingya refugees
the millenials guide to investing
on campus: all the latest discounts, happenings and more
WELCOME TO 2018 we've got a hunch its going to be a big year
on the fringe Paanda makes its festival debut
anthony gadenne
the cryptocurrency conundrum:
notre dame med student bringing healing to rohingya refugees
the millenials guide to investing
on campus: all the latest discounts, happenings and more
WELCOME TO 2018
in this issue (3) FROM THE EDITORS (4) PREGNANT AND PURGING (6) CRYPTOCURRENCIES EXPLAINED (8) LEADING FEMALE LEGALS (9) ON THE FRONT LINE
hunch on social media
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there is no cover price and issues are given away, for example in street dispensers, airline in-flight LETTER FROM A VISIONARY magazines, or included with other products or publications. Controlled circulation is the model used by many trade magazines ENTERTAINMENT REVIEWS distributed only to qualifying readers, often for free and determined by some form of survey.
Cover image courtesy Raquel Rebello HUNCH * 2
MARCH2018
FROM THE EDITORS Some people begin each January with a word, quote,
So as you get ready for another semester of assignment
Bible verse or some other inspirational saying as a way
deadlines, parking fines and coffee lines, take some
of establishing a direction and focus for the year to
time out to read about what's been happening over the
come. Others are just glad to have made it home with
summer in the ND community.
their keys and wallet after their New Year's celebrations. Got your own idea for a great story? Hit us up through For Hunch, 2018 is another opportunity to build on
our Facebook page or send us an email.
what we started last year by pumping out even more campus news, student survival tips, politcal
After all, what's the point of having a student paper
commentary and interviews with folks going out and
without the student stories?
making a difference in the world. No university should be without a student paper, a platform not only for informing the community of current events and developments, but to also give voice to the issues troubling and exciting students at Notre Dame.
HUNCH * 3
adrian r. phoebe p. MARCH 2018
health
PREGNANT AND PURGING BY PHOEBE PIN
THE SECRET LIFE OF WOMEN CARRYING A CHILD AND AN EATING DISORDER There are few things more intimate, more precious than the bond between a mother and the child growing within her. Indeed, pregnancy is a time of eager anticipation for most expecting parents, though not all. “Pregnancy was hell for me,” one mother of three with a history of disordered eating said. Women with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder or EDNOS, often go through pregnancy torn between wanting to nourish their growing baby and the frantic need to continue their purging, restricting, exercising or binging regime as normal. This particular mother, who shall hereafter be referred to as Pamela, has battled intermittently with disordered eating behaviours and poor body image since the age of 11. Wonderfully, the birth of her first child offered a respite from her restrictive regime, but her purging behaviours returned soon after. “I found out April 2014 that I was expecting again. I knew for the health of the baby that I couldn't continue with the way I was eating, so I went to see a therapist and dietitian,” Pamela said.
The young mother suffered from extreme nausea and vomiting, a common experience among pregnant women with eating disorders. “My body was used to starving and now I had to start feeding it,” she said. “I was getting fat again and I got really depressed.”
HUNCH * 4
MARCH 2018
health
Women who choose to disclose their eating disorder to a
.“In pregnancy you have no control over your body…For
health professional may have their weight, eating habits and
people who like to have some control, pregnancy can be really
mental health closely monitored during the pregnancy. For
scary,” Burton said.
those already obsessed with kilograms and calories, the constant reminder of their changing body can be exhausting.
“They were really struggling with feelings of guilt and shame because they knew that they needed to stop their behaviours
“I had to stand on a scale for my doctor every two weeks. They
but they couldn’t.”
measured my stomach. I had bi-weekly ultrasounds from 20 weeks to make sure the baby was growing,” Pamela said.
Unable to put an end to their habits themselves, the women reported needing someone to give them permission to stop
“All the measuring, weighing, and touching was torture.”
what they were doing.
All three of Pamela’s children are now healthy, although her second child had to be resuscitated three times when she was
Unfortunately, many women felt unsupported by maternal
born.
health professionals who were unable to identify or treat eating disorders.
“I was convinced that it was my fault because I had started purging again when I was seven months pregnant,” she said.
“The women just wanted someone to say, ‘it is not okay to do this’ and then they would stop. Because they weren’t asked,
“I promised her that I would do better.”
they continued,” Burton said.
University of Notre Dame Australia PhD Candidate and
“Being a midwife, I was really saddened to hear that the
registered midwife Terri Burton recently concluded a study
midwives the women dealt with were not as caring or
that explored the lived experiences of women living with an
compassionate as they could have been.
eating disorder prior to, during or after pregnancy. Women of childbearing age are most at risk of developing an
Burton says the maternal health industry in WA has not
eating disorder, with an estimated 10 per cent of pregnant
implemented any formal clinical guidelines or standards of
women.
practise relating to the treatment of pregnant women with eating disorders, and antenatal clinics do not currently screen
Nevertheless, an eating disorder is a stealthy, secretive beast,
women for conditions like anorexia, bulimia or binge-eating
and Burton had difficulty finding women willing even to
disorder.
participate in her anonymous study, let alone those who had alerted health professionals of their illness.
A questionnaire presented to women during their first antenatal appointment could be used to identify distress over
“Their pregnancies were shrouded in secrecy,” she said
body image, food or eating, Burton suggests.
According to Burton, women were torn between “opposing
Burton also recommends the further development of an
forces” where the need to nourish their baby competed against
Australian support group network for those with eating
the frantic fear of eating and losing control over their weight.
disorders, including pregnant women.
H2U N C H * 5 2
8 w i l d mM a gAaRzC i nHe .2c 0 o 1m
business
BANKS WILL HATE YOU! LEARN 1 SIMPLE TRICK TO TURN $1000 INTO $2750 IN 1 DAY!!! By Adrian Rauso No major assets. Racking up HECS debt. Working a low-paid, part-time or
How exactly do they work?
casual job. When you’re at uni, receiving a whole lot of money in a short
This is an extremely simplified version. Firstly,
time is particularly appealing.
there is a limited supply of each form of
According to some financial analysts, cryptocurrency is the best way to
cryptocurrency (e.g. there are 21 million
achieve that in 2018. But are cryptocurrency investments a viable way to
Bitcoin in the world, of which 80% have already
climb the first rungs of the financial freedom ladder? Or are they as much of
been “mined”). Mining is essentially when
a scam as those virus-filled “Banks HATE him!” Google ads? Here’s Hunch’s guide to cryptocurrency...
people running special software on their computer/s figure out a complex algorithm (before you ask, no, miners don’t make much
What are cryptocurrencies and when did they begin?
money). In regards to Bitcoin, once the
This will be the only straightforward answer I’ll be
algorithm is solved, it becomes a “block”, which
able to give in this guide! Cryptocurrencies are a
is 25 individual units of Bitcoin. The block gets
digital currency in which encryption techniques are
added to Bitcoin’s public ledger, called the
used to regulate the amount of currency and verify the
Blockchain, which is used to verify each unit of
transfer of funds. Unlike regular currencies (e.g. the
the currency (like serial numbers on a bank
Australian dollar), central banks aren’t involved in the
note). Bitcoins are then stored in virtual wallets
transfer and regulation of cryptocurrencies. This
and a “public key” identifies a sender or
means cryptocurrencies go directly from buyer to
recipient, and can be distributed to others. A
seller. The first known cryptocurrency (and still the
“private key” then creates a virtual signature
largest to this day) was Bitcoin. Bitcoin emerged on
which means the transaction is unforgeable.
the international market in 2009, only months after
Oh, and this is only relevant to Bitcoin-like
the Global Financial Crisis, which numerous studies
cryptocurrencies, there are dozens of other
suggest brought peoples’ trust in the traditional
variants of cryptocurrency which use
banking system to record lows.
completely different methods.
H 2 2U N C H * 6
He .2c0o1m 8 w i l d mMa A g aRzCi n
business Wait… What???
That didn’t matter to investors, the mere mention of a
Yeah, exactly. Getting a grasp on how
cryptocurrency term was enough to get them more excited than
cryptocurrencies even work is difficult enough,
an alcoholic entering a half priced liquor store. On the day they
let alone predicting their future value.
changed their name, Long Blockchain Corp’s share price went up 275%.
But don’t worry, you are definitely not alone. There isn’t a general consensus among market
So, should I stay away from Cryptocurrencies?
analysts as to why Bitcoin went up by 2,237% in
According to most credible analysts, for at least the next few
2017, before going on to lose two thirds of its
months, yes. Cryptocurrencies are in a bubble as financial
value by early February 2018 and then nearly
markets and the general population tries to gain a better
doubling its value in the following few weeks.
understanding of how they work and what influences their value.
In fact, many cryptocurrency investors have absolutely no clue what they’re doing.
By Adrian Rauso
But, if you like to live life on the edge and don’t want to wait until prices stabilize, here are some common tips from
For example, on December 21st last year, a
successful cryptocurrency investors...
small, New York-based sweet beverage company called Long Island Iced Tea Corp,
1. Stick to the main cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Litecoin and
decided to put out a press release which stated
Ethereum are the three biggest. Many investors caution against
they wanted to “leverage the benefits of
smaller cryptos, as they can be incredibly unstable at best, to an
Blockchain technology”.
outright scam at worst.
So, they changed their name to Long
2. Buy when there’s about to be bad news about the banks: As
Blockchain Corp.
cryptocurrencies are an alternative to bank regulated currency, when there is bad news about the traditional central bank
That’s it.
system (such as the Eurozone crisis in 2013), there tends to be a spike in cryptocurrency prices in the following days/weeks.
They didn’t have any known sums of cryptocurrency. They didn’t change their
3. Keep your private key offline: Hundreds of millions of
payment systems.
dollars’ worth of cryptos have been stolen by hackers targeting websites that store private keys. So, teach yourself how to create
They didn’t even outline any plans as to how
your own virtual wallet and store your private keys offline.
they were going to expand into Blockchain
Storing the key offline could include printing off the digits on a
technology.
piece of paper and locking it away in a physical safe.
H 2 2U N C H * 7
AaRzC 8 w i l d mM ag i nHe .2c0 o1m
FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT: FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN THE LEGAL SECTOR BY JARROD PYNE Typically, television shows portraying the legal sector
Maia’s mentor, Diane, presents the challenge that older people
overdramatise workplace relations or turn a seemingly simple
face in how they deal with problem solving and interaction with . clients in this technology-filled era.
task into a character-defining moment. Social nuances, complex gender dynamics, many young lawyers being constantly fatigued and certain cases being unwinnable; this is
The central idea surrounding this is that the traditional approach
an unheard of experience for many characters in legal dramas.
to problem solving and simply "getting the work done" is no
Suits is a perfect example of this.
longer an effective method. The show aims to challenge and present the concept of an ever shifting professional environment.
A series that challenges the common portrayal of the legal profession in the media is The Good Fight. Rather than
The big firms rely heavily on reputation and the illusion that the
focusing on winning the unwinnable cases, interwoven aspects
life of a lawyer is one of glamour and large pay. However, as many
of legal complexities are met with realistic challenges and
law students and graduates know, the hours are typically long and
characters. The central appeal for many viewers of the show is
the stress is near constant, and each episode acts as a reminder of
the change in focus, with excessively masculine characters
the gruelling progression system through top tier firms.
being ridiculed and unique female lawyers taking the lead. The central aim of the show is to leave the viewers with a sense of The show centralises around a young female lawyer called
engagement that allows them to understand the complexities that
Maia and her godmother Diane. Through a family scandal,
many young law professionals face, as well as revitalising the genre
both Maia and Diane are forced to rely on their “gut-instinct”,
of professional dramas.
as they survive the mounting pressure from the cut-throat legal industry.
Overall, this series is a must watch for law students and others interested in questioning their current beliefs in the
The show highlights the imperfections of characters, whilst
administration of justice.
providing insightful social commentary as to how each character is marginalised in a dissimilar way, effectively portraying the multifaceted concept of discrimination.
entertainment
Whether this discrimination is Diane’s age, Maia’s sexual orientation, or a minor character’s gender or race, the central aim of the series is to challenge the viewer’s conception of the status quo. The strength of the show lies in its character development of the central character Maia. Her character directly challenges the stereotype of an out-of-touch, rich and overly confident female lawyer. Maia is portrayed as the exact opposite of this, with her role in cases being somewhat minor, but her timid nature and stubbornness are traits that blossom into strengths which allow her to succeed in areas where overly aggressive and egotistical lawyers fail.
HUNCH * 8
MARCH 2018
on the front line by phoebe pin in the bangladesh tent city that houses upwards of 600,00 refugees, notre dame medical student anthony gadenne witnesses firsthand the consequences of ethnic violence and hatred. Not-for-profit organisation Backpacker Medics is one of the many NGOs being deployed to provide medical attention and support to those displaced by conflict around the world.
Not-for-profit organisation Backpacker Medics is one of the many NGOs being deployed to provide medical attention and support to those displaced by conflict around the world.
Founded in Western Australia, the small team of volunteer paramedics, nurses and doctors has attracted international support for their work assisting the least-reached people groups around the world, with US actress Susan Sarandon being among their donors.
Familiar with treating injuries associated with trauma, the former paramedic said refugees commonly presented with gunshot wounds, burns and poorly healed injuries, but conditions within the camp were also ripe for the spread of chronic illnesses like diphtheria. The refugee population in Bangladesh is predominantly female and campsites are only expected to become more crowded with women continuing to fall pregnant.
In late 2017, Backpacker Medics sent a Disaster Response Group to Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh to provide crisis care to the thousands of exiled Rohingya currently residing in refugee camps across the border. Officially, the flow of refugees into the camps is reported to have ceased but DRG team leader Anthony Gadenne said there has been no end to the number of new arrivals needing medical attention in the overcrowded camps.
“It’s almost a cultural thing within the community,” Anthony said. “The women felt that if they were pregnant, this would offer them some protection from all the violence and rape that was going on.” According to Bangladesh officials, approximately 20,000 Rohingya women are pregnant, with some 600 already having given birth since arriving as refugees.
HUNCH * 9
MARCH 2018
world
PHOTO COURTESTY BACKPACKER MEDICS
"WE'VE BEEN HAPPY WITH WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE IN BANGLADESH BUT THERE ARE STILL LIMITS AND AS A SMALL ORGANISATION RUN PURELY BY VOLUNTEERS AND DONATIONS, WE CAN ONLY DO SO MUCH."
Naturally, the additional mouths to feed and bodies to house
To date, the Rohingya Volunteer Ambulance Network (RVAN)
places further strain on Bangladesh’s already limited
consists of about 34 local refugees trained to treat wounds and
resources and incentives like voluntary sterilisation and birth
bear stretchers, an essential role in allowing the sick and
control, although many refugees are reluctant to make use of
injured to be transported to hospital. By all accounts, the
these.
RVAN has been successful not only in providing continuous care in BPM’s absence, but also in renewing the hope and
What’s more, aid organisations are limited in their ability to
sense of purpose felt by those facing an uncertain future.
care for newborns suffering from polio as an outbreak threatens the campsite.
“Most of the time as a refugee is spent waiting for news or
provisions because they are not able to produce anything on
What we are seeing is a lot of babies paralysed because of the
their own,” Anthony said.
polio virus and unfortunately, they basically won’t recover,” Anthony said.
“Now the refugees feel like they’re a part of helping
themselves, not just relying on everyone else.”
Given the scale and visibility of the crisis, there is no shortage of aid organisations working on the ground to help those in
Myanmar and Bangladesh reached an agreement in late 2017
need, but with more than 600,000 Rohingya living as
to resettle Rohingya refugees in temporary camps in
refugees in Bangladesh, humanitarian efforts have failed to
Myanmar where they would be assigned identity cards and
produce any substantial results.
receive assurance of personal freedoms. Nevertheless, few refugees are eager to go back to what they fear is an
“Overall, we’ve been happy with what we have been able to
unchanged political environment.
achieve in Bangladesh but there are still limits and as a small organisation run purely by volunteers and donations, we can
“Go back to what? Go back to be kicked out again six months
only do so much,” Anthony said.
later?” Anthony said.
“We’ve had limited impact at the end of the day.”
“Some of them will move back, though, because they’ve got nothing where they are and at least they had a livelihood in
Instead of following the lead of other NGOs providing aid
Myanmar; they feel stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
primarily as handouts to refugees, Backpacker Medics have attempted to establish a network of self-sufficient locals equipped with the tools and skills to treat patients in the organisation’s absence.
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MARCH 2018
culture
Grogwarts: Aussie Bogans given a magical experience
By Jarrod Pyne
Time and time again we see remakes of well-known TV shows and films like Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and obviously, Harry Potter. In my experience, a lot of them merely offer cheap laughs and prove cringeworthy to watch. In these cases, much of the humour was found in poorly delivered jokes or laughter so piercingly loud from one audience member that everyone can’t help but laugh along with them. PAANDA’s (Performing Arts Association of Notre Dame Australia) Fringe show, Grogwarts, was something entirely different in nature. The target audience was primarily university students, with the exception of anyone who loves the Aussie bogan culture and is known for their vast skill in goon of fortune. Grogwarts skilfully meets audience expectations of certain character tropes in the Harry Potter series, while also adding a twist of Australian humour. Laughter ensues when the collection of sharp-tongued Aussie bogans are placed in the midst of a plot by the wicked "department" to shut down the school. "The Fringe show was a huge step forward for PAANDA, having never performed in Fringe before,” PAANDA member and actor Monte Nathan said. “It was a risk for us, taking a self-written comedy and performing at Fringe meant we weren’t sure how it would be received.” “Despite our worries, we sold out almost every night and surprised ourselves with the show we had created over the past few months,” Monte said. Current PAANDA President Rachel Porter also said performing the show was an “amazing experience for PAANDA”. “Unlike our usual shows, there were nights where nearly the entire audience were complete strangers and still loving the show that was produced,” Rachel said. Although no longer showing at Fringe, the hard work of all involved was rewarded with constant applause and audience engagement throughout its screening period. With characters called Professor Kingscup, Ranga Holden, Stevo Pot, Grogwarts was Aussie humour at its finest and most absurd. I went in with low expectations, but quickly found myself thoroughly entertained by talented actors and familiar Australian traits. I am eager to catch the next Fringe performance that PAANDA puts on next year, as the comedic value for money in this show is likely to be unparalleled by many shows at the Fringe. HUNCH * 11
MARCH 2018
student life
PARKING ON A BUDGET Studying in a town university like Notre Dame is great… if you can ever find a place to park your car. Save yourself some stress and dollars by checking out our parking guide updated for 2018. Campus Parking Street parking is available for $2.80 an hour near the
South Beach Parking
campus along the streets of Cliff, Croke, High, Phillimore, Henry and Mouat. This is a convenient
Looking for free parking in Freo? Here it is! Park at
option for those yawning their way in to an early
South Beach free of charge for up to four hours every
lecture but those arriving any time after 10am might
day of the week. The only downside to leaving your car
have better luck elsewhere. If you are staying late, all
at South Beach is the 30-minute trek you’ll have to
students can access free parking in the lot behind the
make to get to the campus. While some might enjoy a
Drill Hall and the one next to Tannock Hall after 5pm.
morning stroll, those who have a lecture in 10 minutes
may choose to take the free Blue CAT bus that runs
Collie Street
every 10 minutes. Plus, you can drool over all the cute puppies while you wait.
Located about 300m away from campus, the multistory complex is a convenient place to park your car for
North Fremantle
the day. The complex is undercover, a feature that is much appreciated on the hottest or rainiest of days.
Parking at the North Fremantle train station will only
Notre Dame students also get a hefty discount if you
set you back two bucks for the whole day. Just hop on
register online and book a bay in advance. This way,
the train for the last stop to Freo station and walk the
you will only have to pay $8.50 for the whole day
last five minutes into campus. For those who are
instead of $22 for a stay of more than five hours.
prepared to take the extra time, the savings are sure to add up.
Victoria Quay Car Park Another all-day option is the Victoria Quay carpark on Peter Hughes drive. The huge complex overlooking Fremantle Port has space for 660 vehicles. All day parking is available from Monday to Thursday for $10. HUNCH * 12
MARCH 2018
student life
SOROPTIMISTS STAND AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT By Olivia Bunter Amidst recent events in the Hollywood
Karess spoke of the importance of the Young
entertainment industry, the stand against sexual
Soroptimists in providing “a space of
violence has never been stronger. The “Time’s
empowerment for women” and of its plans to
Up” campaign has received global recognition
initiative “discussion at university about the
and has allowed victims of sexual abuse and
issues relevant to women now.”
harassment to have a safe platform to share their stories.
In this way, the Young Soroptimists’ agenda is on track with the decision by the Australian Human
The Young Soroptimists is a student club at the
Rights Commission to set up a campaign to raise
University of Notre Dame, Fremantle that aims
public awareness of sexual assault and sexual
to provide a platform for students to discuss
harassment at Australian universities.
issues such as sexual harassment and gender inequality. Their mission is to engage students in
The AHRC conducted an anonymous survey in
activities that bring gender inequality to the
which 18% of Notre Dame students who
forefront of their minds and to inspire action that
participated in the questionaire reported
aims to empower women and achieve greater
being sexually harassed on the university
equality.
campus (excluding those who sustained abuse while travelling to uni).
Vice President Belinda Brady said the Young Soroptimists offer a safe space to discuss sensitive
If you'd like to find out more, or come along to
issues and hope to encourage further
one our events, search @youngsoroptimists on
conversation about the problems associated with
Facebook.
gender inequality at university. This year, the club also hopes to raise awareness about the occurrence of sexual harassment on university campuses and explain how students can stand against it. “The group realizes that gender equality requires the cooperation of both men and women,” club treasurer Karess Dias said.
HUNCH * 13
Sexual assault support services: • 1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732 • Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 • Lifeline: 131 114
MARCH 2018
satire
HELLO! I’M THE GENIUS WHO CREATED THE ALLOCATE+ TIMETABLE SIGNUP SYSTEM AND THIS HOW I WOULD CHANGE SOCIETY! BY ADRIAN RAUSO Firstly, a fair and efficient allocation of resources? Pfft... The major parties are so out of touch with what the common person wants. Luckily, I’m so smart that I’ve figured that what people really want is an anarchist, free-for-all system. So, only once a week on Thursdays at noon, the government will allow grocery shops to open and all citizens will have to shop on a first-come, first-served basis. Now, you may be thinking, there’s an obvious problem with this...What if someone gets too much food and someone else misses out completely? The solution is actually so simple. They can die. Well, there is also a second solution. Implementing a preference system would alleviate most of the inefficiency, as it would calculate everyone’s demands in order of importance for survival, which would ensure nobody completely misses out. This is a concept that other university timetable software providers across Australia have utilised in their timetable signups. But unfortunately, that would take a lot of time and require me to use my brain, and I got my qualifications from the Bernard Tomic Institute of Effort, where my teachers advised me not to do that (when they could be bothered to show up). So let’s go with the death thing. Now, let’s move on to how this society will adhere to the basic economic laws of supply and demand. It won’t. Allocate+ doesn’t see that much traffic throughout the year, so we made our servers quite small. The only day that we saw a lot of traffic, was, you wouldn’t believe this, on signup day. Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either! Anyways, we found that demand for the website rose on signup day, so did we increase the supply (our server size)? No of course not, that would require a lot of time and effort to organise that and yeah, I can’t be bothered repeating where I got my qualifications from. This principle can be applied to essential services in my utopic society. For example, a hospital notices that during the first week of winter they get an influx on flu and virus patients. What should they do? Should they increase their staff numbers or available beds to accommodate the extra patients during this period? No, the solution is actually so simple and I bet you can guess what it is…
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MARCH 2018
reviews
BLACK PANTHER BY
BY DAVID BROAD It’s always a long impatient wait for me when a new MCU film is getting released, and Black Panther was definitely one of my most anticipated. First already being a fan of Black Panther in Marvel comics, and then becoming one of my favourite characters in Captain America: Civil War, the hype just kept building…but can King T’Challa carry his own film? Well…yes. Yes he most definitely can. The story picks up not long after the events of Civil War. After the death of his father, T’Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his rightful place as king. When a powerful enemy suddenly reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king, and as Black Panther, gets tested when he’s drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. I had a blast with this film. The story was marvelous and emotional, the action set pieces were spectacular, and most of the characters were enjoyable and relatable. Speaking of characters, the main star, T’Challa, was the best character in the film. Brilliant performance by Chadwick Boseman. Watching his arc and what he went through was a massive part of the film’s experience. His struggle and responsibility as both king and the Black Panther.
Another spotlight character was Erik Killmonger who was an MCU villain with actual purpose, motivation, and goals. He’s an antagonist you can really sympathise with. But unfortunately he doesn’t properly show up until sometime in the second act. Other great characters include Shuri (T’Challa’s sister) and Ulysses Klaw. Neither had much in terms of character development, but both were really entertaining to watch. But unfortunately, Klaw eventually became a wasted character in the end (although it was awesome to finally see his sonic arm). Nakia and Okoye were badasses, but unfortunately there wasn’t much else to their characters. Nakia had a bit of development, but not enough to satisfy, and Okoye was pretty much just a stone wall of a character. The film’s visuals were spectacular, from the CGI, to the fight scenes, to the really well done camera work. The fight scenes weren’t just flashy fight scenes, they were fight scenes with real tension and dangers to the characters. Although there was the very occasional noticeable CGI. It was a tad distracting, but it wasn’t too bad. Another nitpick was that the film felt a little short and a tad rushed in one or two scenes. Black Panther. Really loved the film. One of the MCU’s best, with a short but exciting lead up to Infinity War. Can’t wait to see where T’Challa’s story goes to next. Overall score: 9.1/10
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MARCH 2018
reviews
AWARD SEASON REVIEWS With the award season for films from 2017 in full swing, here is Hunch's reviews of two of the main contenders FOR BEST PICTURE.
BY PATRICK WILSON
Lady Bird Ah, growing up. I’m twenty-two now, but I still think about
iI've not lived in America before, and especially not
my adolescence and teenage years. Overall my experiences
during the early 2000s, but the attention to detail in the
were alright, yet I still have some kind of fondness for
dialogue, cultural references, and the set design is very
coming-of-age movies. Many of my friends find them boring
admirable. It’s almost mesmerising how cosy everything
and redundant (and I understand why; it’s essentially
is: the film is very comfortable viewing, and from a time
unwarranted nostalgia for a fictional person’s teenage years),
which I want to see portrayed more in film. Sacramento
but I think there’s something consistently charming about
is portrayed as a little rough-around-the-edges, but
seeing characters change and grow up into more three-
ultimately home to people of different social classes and
dimensional people. It’s Oscar season, and with that said, we
cultural backgrounds. It seems to be the “small town big
need to have at least two or three big named contenders for
city”, like Bunbury or Fremantle. However, there are
Best Picture or Best Adapted Screenplay, or some other
quite a few flaws in Lady Bird. The story, while
award which ultimately means nothing outside of a private
compelling, is a story which we have seen before. Not
industry awards show. This means we usually get Oscar-bait
literally, but there have been almost countless films
films, or some pretty great ones which are trashed in the public eye just because critics think they’re great. We saw this with La La Land (2016) and Moonlight (2016), despite the films being fantastic in their own ways. And then we get films like Lady Bird, directed by Greta Gerwing, which sit kind of in-between “Oscar-bait” and “Hey, This Is Actually Great”. The film tells the tale of Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson, a high school senior living in Sacramento, California, as she tries to find herself while living in (relatively) small-town
which tell the story of a teenager, about to graduate High School, who ultimately has no idea of what they intend to do after graduating. There are also some character arguments which we’ve seen before. I won’t spoil it, but it’s one of a few clichés that I think could have been totally avoided. That, and Lady Bird herself isn’t the most relatable protagonist due to her selfishness. Ah, well. Lady Bird is a good film. A very
California in the Post-9/11 years of the early 2000s. The
comfy watch. The visual directing is a little too flat for
strengths of this film come with the performances of the
my taste, but ultimately this should leave the typical
main actors (with exception to Lucas Hedges, who in my
theatre-goer as very pleased. As for me? I liked it, but I
opinion is a consistently terrible actor) and the portrayal of
don’t think it deserves as much praise as it has received.
middle-class living.
Still, you should watch it. Rating: 7/10.
HUNCH * 16
MARCH 2018
reviews
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri The 2017 film season was a particularly great one, in my opinion. While we did get our usual levels of end-ofyear shlock (such as the primitively uninventive Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle), the filmgoer got a particularly high concentration of understated, captivating films. One of the films I was anticipating the most from this year was Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, which was touted as a black comedy drama, along the lines of Joel and Ethan Coen’s Fargo (1996). I was mildly skeptical at first, but nonetheless, I watched it on a sleepy afternoon in January at Luna Palace in Leederville. And, simply put, Three Billboards is one of the finest films of the past year, and potentially of the past decade. First, a recap of the story. The film takes place with Mildred, a grieving mother, buying three billboards in the small Missouri town of Ebbing. The billboards have text which directly address the lack of action in finding her daughter’s murderer. Mildred ruffles the feathers of the local police department, follows leads, and tries to find closure in the months following her daughter’s death. That’s as far as I’m willing to go in terms of spoilers. One of the many strongpoints of Three Billboards is the revelation and progression of the story. It’s an often-under-appreciated aspect of filmmaking, but in my opinion, it’s one which should be fully celebrated when done well. The bonds which Mildred makes with the local townspeople (and the people she tests with her “no B.S.” attitude) serve the film in the best way possible. The characters are all very well developed and incredibly well acted. Many characters have a very satisfying character arc (i.e. when a character changes throughout the course of a film), which serve to answer the questions posed by Mildred. Mildred may be one of my favourite characters in film history, conveniently behind Maggie from Fargo (1996), which Frances McDormand also plays. McDormand excels in this film, assisted by brilliant direction from Martin McDonagh. Not to be outdone, Sam Rockwell gives another fantastic supporting performance as Ebbing’s unprofessional alcoholic cop, Dixon. I may be waxing lyrical about this film, but the only reason I am doing so is because this film is so flawless. This film is a brilliantly crafted piece of sceptical hope, which analyses how the butterfly effect can change a small town, and the lives of people who help others in need. Rating: 10/10.
HUNCH * 17
MARCH 2018
on the fringe Paanda makes its festival debut
anthony gadenne
the cryptocurrency conundrum:
notre dame med student bringing healing to rohingya refugees
the millenials guide to investing
on campus: all the latest discounts, happenings and more
WELCOME TO 2018
HUNCH VOL. 2 ISSUE. 1