Brainwash Magazine by Jess Barlow

Brainwash MAGAZINE

Editor’s letter:

Jessica Barlow Founder & Editor-in-Chief

Brainwash Magazine began out of frustration-– frustration that the mainstream magazines of today present such a one-sided view of the world to their readers. The magazines that I read as a teenager told me about the value of my appearance, that I must work to be attractive to boys and that I must never, ever, leave the house without a coating of make-up across my face. But these are not lessons that ring with truth, but with money. These mainstream magazines tell us that we need make-up so that we buy the makeup they are paid to advertise within their pages. They feed us advice about boys and relationships so that we feel dependent upon their pages to survive in own lives. They tell us we are too fat, too pimply, too curvy, too unfashionable so that we feel as though we need to buy those products they advertise in their pages. Those products that they are paid to advertise. Not one company or person has paid to have their work shown in Brainwash Magazine. Everything within these pages is here because I feel as though it is something that readers will enjoy and/ or benefit from hearing about. The emphasis of the Brainwash Project is not placed on money, but on the quality of the content and the enjoyment of the readers. Brainwash aims to make readers feel good about themselves, to encourage them to expand their mind and to branch out and try new things. It is about recognising the beauty that exists in diversity and the innate beauty that resides within each of us. It has been an absolute pleasure working with so many inspiring people, both young and old, to put together this magazine. It’s definitely been a lot of hard work but I have really enjoyed meeting many of you and learning about your lives. So, this issue is dedicated to all of you: the incredible individuals and organisations that contributed to this project and were courageous enough to share your stories, ideas and values with the wider community.

Mayamu Trawally (12 years old, Sunshine Heights Primary School VIC) I am Mayamu and I am a twelve-year-old girl who loves to dance, sing and talk a lot. I especially love singing One Direction. I love playing 'Guess My Number' game, too. I was born in Australia, but my heritage is Liberian. I have two sisters and one brother. My favourite sport is tennis. I love it so much that I want to become a tennis player when I am older.

Without your help this magazine would never have been made and I am so thankful to each and every one of you for helping bring Brainwash into reality. Happy reading! Jessica Barlow

contents

Entertainment

Health

Magazines

168 Book Reviews

8 Brainwash Project explained

164 Horror Movies

95 Boys have a penis, girls have a…

172 Life’s Mix Tape

Art 142

163 Mean Girls Alternative photography

37 Attention: people with body parts 120 Crayola art

137 Procrastination lifeboat 119 Riddles

Are you ready?

94 Busting sex myths 146

Quick health guide

147 Superfoods

166 The world of teen fiction

Life Skills 156 Be your best: get stressed

38 Mixed media painting

Environment

138 How to cope when things get tough

Body Image

Africa’s Wildlife Angels

141 How to cope when your friend is sick

An ode to trees

140 Mum’s best home remedies

28 Could you give up mirrors?

65 Types of clouds

40 I hate the way I look Mum 158 Let’s get hairy 160 Secrets of the beauty industry 29 The ‘I love me’ photo shoot 35 The Dove Real Beauty campaign

Culture 89

36 Photoshop from a photographer’s perspective

Personal 132

A lifetime of change

130 Growing up with epilepsy 103 Letter to your younger self 122 P is for Pickles 115 Shardia’s mantra 123 Slut 14 Summer camp

118 Wonder women

Alternative uses for nail polish

106 Fashion in the Park 43

muslim fashion trends

Relationships

44 Models of Diversity

90 I’m not contagious

48 Plus-size fashion

83 Relationship stereotypes questionnaire

49 Online shopping

124 What guys look for in a girlfriend?

Fiction

98 For the benefit of mankind

127 Tyana Cicilia Hobson poem

66 The annual question

61 Monsters in disguise poem

91 The word ‘gay’

121 Perspective a navigator poem

68 Youth around the world

responsible resources or money-hungry corporations?

102 Voice of a young feminist

42 Hannah Svendsen poem

134 Woman: the new oppressor

Fashion

100 gender equality: fact or fiction?

76 We are the Youth

136 The failed perfectionist 139 The friend therapist

Advice for teens by various

10 Craft is the new black

24 Mags not adhering to code

170 The Darjeelings

74 Melbourne Zombie Shuffle

A love story

26 Mag advice: buy it or bin it?

82 The girl in the magazine poem 128 Turrets short story

Science 60 Carbon Tax and Climate Change 67 Discover careers in Science 58 Nuclear Power 57 Quirky.com

Sport

Volunteering

148 Believe: achieve

175

151 Female skateboarders

180 Chicks for charity

152 Secret women’s business: belly dancing

178 Movement to end poverty

159 Ready, set, run 154 Victorian Roller Derby League

7 Women

57 Opportunities for youth 174 Organisation: the places it takes you 181 Volunteering opportunities

Technology 126 Girl gamer

Youth Talent

116 No such thing as a first world problem

Artist: Bec Firag

155 Social media: tool not a toy

50 Fashion Designer: Eve Walton-Healey

127 Tech lingo

56 Inventors: BaCon Boys

125 The sometimes cruel geography of Twitter

53 Photographer: Winnie Laws

Travel

Contact

22 Cambodia changed my life 18 Japan 16 Smile and the world smiles back

If you would like to write for Brainwash Magazine please email Editor-in-Chief Jessica Barlow at: thebrainwashproject@gmail.com.

why paper people? The reason for the Paper People that are associated with this project, is to illuminate how unrealistic it is to lust after a different appearance to our own. The paper people symbolise the product of all the ‘ideal’ body parts we are repeatedly shown in women’s magazines. We lust after those lips, that hair colour, her eyes and that dress. Yet if you put together all these supposedly perfect parts, the combination will never be as right as the way you look naturally. The other reason for the Paper People was to highlight how easy it is to change an appearance using Photoshop or even just old magazines and scissors. Magazines commonly airbrush their models such that the models themselves wish they looked like their own picture. The problem is that at the moment, magazines don’t have to tell us when they do this and resultingly, it has lead to many girls having an unrealistic expectation of beauty and negative thoughts about their own appearance. I hope these Paper People serve as a reminder of the harm that is repeatedly inflicted by modern day magazines to generations of women and young girls. The people who read these magazines and repeatedly see these unrealistic bodies are trained to see anything else, including themselves, as not ‘enough’ in comparison. It is wrong, it is unhealthy and it needs to be stopped.

THANK YOU Huge thanks to these incredible people who backed my Pozible Campaign and allowed Brainwash Magazine to happen. I’d also like to extend my appreciation to RMIT University for affording me a grant that assisted in paying for the printing cost of the magazine. The staff at Change.org were also extremely supportive of my campaign from its inception and worked hard to help me to achieve my goals. Tony Robertson and Nathan Elvery, the success of this campaign is largely due to you. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

Founder, Editor-in-Chief, Marketing Director Jessica Barlow Managing Editor Helen Symonds Designer Antoinette Beirouty Photographers Bianca Anderson, Julia Christie, Sheridan Ten Haaf, Winnie Laws Illustrators Antoinette Beirouty, Sasha Mutch Proofreaders Antoinette Beirouty, Georgia Knight, Helen Symonds, Jenny Barlow High School Representative Emily Palmer Translators Cynthia Bae, Molly McMillan Project advisors Dan Beirouty, Emma Barlow, Farris Nehme, Francine Sculli, Freya Jane, Genevieve Ray, Hannah Gordon, Hayley Wilson, Josephine Mandarano, Kelli Benjamin, Laura Kay, Liz Walker, Meg Walker, Ruby Mahoney, Tricia Palmer

Finally I would like to extend my most sincere thanks to Antoinette Beirouty for her exceptional dedication to this project and putting in countless hours to help me make it happen.

Financial contributors

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vip Financial supporters

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ip barlow l il

ie blanch n a

ie stockda h p

walker liz

tine lewis s i r

Kathleen Wilmore

Jazmine Hope-Scuderi

Alison Taylor

Ellen Jobling

Francine Sculli

Emma Schubert

Patty McNamara

Janine Tennille

Melanie Rosker

Kathie Mayer

Laura Kay

Kathleen Ryan

Kara Hower

Jessica McLean

Tricia Palmer

Bec Olsen

Louisa Dent

Fiona wolf

Hannah Morgaine

Genevieve Ray

Lizzie Scally

Jennie Blake

Louise Butler

Justine von X

Rob Lewis

David Nowell

Samantha Rule

Ruby Mahoney

Kathryn Hagen

Dalal & Stephen Benko-Nehme

Sam Lara Nat Salvo Mark Hummerstone Sammy Conn Miri Stone Nicolas Delhorbe Margaret Black Margaret Baldwin Joanne Van Elk Sandy Edgar Christine Brook Dunja Nedic Claire Jenkins shoot Ings Katie Harris Lisa Rodrigues Lynda Roberts Tiani Chillemi Carol Crawford Olivia D’Arrigo Deb Smith

Manuj Sekhri Hayley Wilson Ted Crosby Jane Mills Francis Hadid Josephine Mandarano Shu Shu Zheng Kelli Benjamin Zoya Patel Ali Hocking* Lucinda Bawden* Liz Walker* Sophie Stockdale* Michael James* Sandra Ross* Kitty Flanagan* Victoria Maxwell-Davis* Stephanie Blanchard* Freya Tomren* Phillip Barlow*

* Chief financial supporters

Brainwash Project explained

Melbourne, Australia, but from around the globe. This magazine has been put together by people from as young as 11 to as senior as 81. Not only that but every single person involved has donated their time to write, photograph and draw for your benefit. I raised funds to print the magazine using a Pozible Crowdfunding campaign, was awarded a grant from RMIT and dug into my savings to fund the rest.

and they don’t have as good a body image policy Photoshopping images of models is a common as magazines like Dolly and Girlfriend, which practice in the world of magazines and in many both won positive body image awards from the instances I have no problem with it. (Changing Victorian government in 2012. lighting and backgrounds is fine for example.) Where I do have a problem is when the true In fact, the Cleo Photoshopping policy states that: sizes and physical appearance of girls featured “CLEO does not use Photoshop to remove/ are changed without telling the reader and airbrush nautral lines, freckles, or any even more so when this happens in magazines permanent features like birthmarks or tattoos targeted at teenage girls. Physical features such as freckles, pimples and flyaway hairs are removed unless specifically requested by the person photographed for the magazine.” and body shapes are often manipulated. This slowly changes readers’ perceptions of beauty to The reason this is such a problem is that during my ideals that are not attainable by healthy practices. meeting with Gemma Crisp she acknowledged Teenagers aspire to be like the girls that they see that almost everyone the magazine photographs on the pages. I know I did. Digitally creating these requests retouching. Nobody wants to be the first unreal girls is setting readers up for failure. person to put themselves on the page as they are in reality because they know that everyone else on After completing a writing course at RMIT when the pages is digitally altered, and I suppose they I was 21, I realised that I had the power to do something about the problems I saw in magazines. believe that they can’t compete. In June 2012 the Brainwash Project was born. My meeting with Gemma Crisp was somewhat It involved two components: the creation of a disappointing in that she was not receptive to prototype magazine that reflects exactly what the idea of putting a disclaimer in the magazine teen girls want in their reading material, and the and she took the campaign, which was directly collection of signatures asking CLEO Magazine targeted at CLEO, the company, very personally to stop using editing software to change the - which was not my intention. Despite this, we appearance of people in their pages. I collected agreed that from now on CLEO magazine would over 22,000 signatures on this petition and publish their Photoshop guidelines in every issue met with then Editor-in-Chief Gemma Crisp in in an attempt to be more transparent to their November to discuss what CLEO could do in readers. It’s a small step and it took a lot work to response. make it happen but I believe that it is a step in the right direction. I chose to target CLEO because they were the most popular magazine when I was at high school 10

Ideally, I would like all women’s magazines to promise to stop photoshopping or digitally altering the physical appearance of the women and men they put on the pages. The reality is however that money is involved, and it is going to take a industry-wide collaboration of some kind to allow this change to happen. After my meeting with Gemma and being printed in the November 2012 issue of CLEO as part of a 6-page body image spread to address the issue, I set to work creating the magazine that you are currently reading. I wanted it to be an example for magazine editors across Australia to follow and learn from, with the hope that some positive change will be implemented as a result. The idea was to produce a magazine that steers clear of body shaming content, doesn’t present unrealistic or computer generated ideals of beauty, reflects all skin colours and sexual preferences with no bias, includes fresh, stimulating content on a variety of topics, and most importantly, that reflects exactly what teen girls want. To achieve this I put out the call for contributors with one very simple directive: “Write or create content that you would like to see in an ideal magazine for teenage girls.” The call went out to libraries, writing groups, primary and high schools, universities, couchsurfers, friends, family, neighbours and colleagues. Submissions flooded in not only from

I really struggle to put into words how important this project is to me. Even if magazines don’t directly tell readers to get thinner, they imply it by featuring only stick-thin models in their pages and by editing real women thinner/smoother/more tanned wherever possible. Readers learn that they should be a size six, they should know how to apply makeup and they should be attracted to and attractive for, boys. Since starting this project motivated by own experiences with magazines as a teenager, I have heard from hundreds of young women who also had negative experiences. Like me, many teen girls grow increasingly selfconscious the more women’s magazines they read. Many girls, particularly at high school are bullied and excluded for not living up to the beauty ideals perpetuated in the magazines read by their peers. These magazines certainly aren’t nurturing young minds and helping girls develop and grow their potential. It is my utmost hope that this magazine helps to raise awareness of how magazines and media impact upon our self-esteem. I also hope that it encourages healthier practices in regards to photo editing and placement of weight-loss related advertisements in magazines targeted at teenage audiences. As well, I’d like it to encourage the major players in women’s magazines to start showcasing a diverse representation of beauty to reflect the reality that teens face every day. So where to now? From now on Brainwash Magazine will be run by teenagers, for teenagers. It will exist in an online space at: brainwashmagazine.com. If you are interested in providing much-needed financial assistance to Brainwash Magazine, please email: thebrainwashproject@gmail.com. And make sure to check out the Facebook page: facebook.com/brainwashproject. 11

craft is the New Black

There’s been a real uprising over the past few years. We are not talking politics, or global warming or financial crises but we are talking about a quasi-rebellion. It’s the crafting and DIY movement. Imagine this–a rebellion where thousands, maybe millions, of people around the world, are all tapping into their inner creative, making and growing things with their bare hands and putting the fruits of their labour and passion out into the world. And imagine all the shoppers that are purchasing these handmade goods rather than some mass-produced, same-same product. Imagine the bustling craft markets, artists’ markets and farmers’ markets that are alight with a unique shopping experience that not only allows shoppers the good fortune of actually talking to the person who made or grew the things they are about to buy but also affords the creators an opportunity to talk about something they love. It’s like a grassroots creative paradise really–a place to get back to basics. So how can one get a piece of this paradise? The best place to start is shopping at said markets, it’s good for the soul and you’ll find something that very few others will have. But if you’re feeling really game and itching to tap into your own creative, I suggest you roll up your sleeves, read the rest of this article for some ideas on where to begin and then start making. “Hello inner creative, are you in there?”

By Francine Sculli

Image credit: All photos Francine Sculli

You might be beating yourself on the chest, all King Kong-like, asking yourself this question with a dazed look on your face but rest assured, there is no escaping the inner creative–it is inside of all of us, you just might not have realised it yet. Remember that being creative is not about being born a gifted musician or painter or any other artistically inclined pursuit; creativity is as much about thinking skills and the ability to generate ideas as it is about ‘talent’. As Steve Jobs once said: ‘Creativity is just connecting things’. So start with something that you do everyday – thinking. As I’m a bit of a list-lover, I suggest taking a blank piece of paper and filling it with a list of all the things you love. It can be anything–cactuses, cats, rats, cheese, moss, driftwood, running, farms, TV–nothing is out of bounds. Be as ludicrous or as everyday as you need to be. While your passions

are bubbling to the surface, think about the other skills you may possess. Are you handy with tools? Fancy with a needle? Clever with words? Brilliant at bending things? Better at breaking things? Grow an idea. Once your list is looking plump with your passions, take a good look at it and pluck your most favourite thing from the list. Write that one thing in the centre of a new piece of paper. Now brainstorm; write absolutely anything you associate with that one thing. Anything at all. For example, if ‘cactus’ was my most favourite thing I may be thinking of words like: prickly, gloves, fail-safe for plant killers, hanging baskets, indoor/ outdoor, child-friendly covers and so on. Once you’ve exhausted all possibilities, look down and see what jumps up at you. Does anything from your brainstorm catch your eye? Keeping in mind that when you’re starting out on the maker’s path, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes it is as simple as taking something household, turning it upside down and giving it a little shake to see what comes out. Using my ‘cactus’ example, as the mother of a very curious prodding boy, my eye is naturally drawn to the child-friendly covers. If I were to run with that idea, my next step would be thinking about what a child-friendly cactus cover might look like? What might it be made of? What do cactuses need from a childfriendly cover to live and be beautiful? How can I use the skills I have to make a child-friendly cactus cover? What skilled-up people do I know that can help me learn the other skills I might need to make said cover? What will I need to get started? Answering these questions may require a bit of ‘googling’ and research. The more you think about it and the more you commit to creating something you love, the more likely it is that your idea will grow into being. Besides, once you get started on the brainstorming and ideas building, you’ll be so addicted to the flow of ideas that you’ll never want to stop! Even for those of you who have ideas about what they want to create, brainstorming is an excellent tool to stretch those ideas into something that goes above and beyond your imagination into new terrain. 13

incredibly passionate about what you are making. Needless to say, the more passionate you are about it, the more others will share your passion and love your creative ideas. Market Me.

Make it, don’t fake it. Once you’ve got an idea, no matter how light it is, you can now put on your hunter and gatherer hat and get cracking. Collect all the things you might need to start – tools and materials are important, but so is a space to work. Your space doesn’t have to be grand but I do find that having a little inspiring corner with all of my crafty belongings in one spot gives me a place to get lost in. When that is all in check, start playing. Yes, playing! Have fun with the exploring and experimenting while you’re busily creating. Making something you are passionate about should be more fun than work. There are a couple of important things to remember when you’re nosediving into your craft: Remember that your first foray into making something will be an experiment. You may have an idea of how to make it happen, you may not, but either way you’ll learn new things and ways of doing something along the way. Be open to change things–materials, tools and ideas are never set in concrete. If there’s a better way to do it, or something more suitable to use – go with it! Remember to be kind to yourself and don’t expect things to come out perfectly the first time. I sometimes look back on the first pieces of jewellery I made and laugh embarrassingly at how amateur they look. There’s always room for improvement, but making things with your bare hands should give you enough pride to charge forward. The most important thing as that you just keep making things (and keep enjoying making things). The more you make, the better you will get at doing it. And the better you get, the more confidence you will have in your craft. The more confidence you have, the more you will be 14

When you’ve had plenty of practice bringing your idea to life and when you’ve fallen madly and deeply in love with the whole process and product, why not brave the big creative world out there and take your work to some markets? Sure, it’s scary, putting yourself out there like that, but never forget the words of this marvellous quote from one of Apple’s honchos, Guy Kawasaki: ‘Don’t worry, be crappy. Revolutionary means you ship and then test… Lots of things made the first Mac in 1984 a piece of crap – but it was a revolutionary piece of crap’. In no way are we suggesting your work be a piece of crap, but the essence of what he is saying is that you have to put yourself out there. But like anything–it’s good to know where you are putting yourself. If you do take the next step and take your passion to the market place, take yourself on a little adventure before you do. Go visit some markets, meet some stallholders and talk to them about their products, the market itself and get some hints from them. Stallholders at craft markets are generally some of the most approachable and cool people you’ll meet. It’s also a good way to see how they display their products–not that you’d go their to rip their ideas off, but it is good to see what could or could not work for your creations. You can also do some investigating online at havens like The Market Roll (www.themarketroll. com.au), where you can find craft and fashion markets and browse stalls. It’s always good to try and find the right market for the type of thing you will be selling, but also be open to trying a few markets as they are all different and can change from month to month. Don’t forget to get some business cards and have a point of call outside of the market. People may not always buy on the spot, but they might like what you do and look you up after the market. That’s why having an Etsy (www.etsy.com) site is always a good option. It’s relatively cheap to list items for an extended period of time, they take very little percentage from sales, and their website

is accessible to people ALL over the world. We can’t forget our love/hate ol’ pal –Facebook. Yes, Facebook pages are good little addition for your newly founded creations. It costs nothing to start a page, it gives people an instant and easy way to find you and keep up to date with all the exciting things that are coming your way and you can feel extra special that your amazing products have a public face. Whatever path you choose to get yourself out there, remember this one thing– your work does not have to appeal to absolutely everyone who sees it. Don’t be afraid to make (and do) what you love. There is a place for your creations in the world and sooner or later those who love what you love will find them, you just have to persevere. The best piece of advice that was ever given to me came from a fellow stallholder at Rose Street Market. She said to me: ‘Your stuff is very unusual and unique. I haven’t seen anything like it. Keep doing it. It might be slow at first, when I first started it took ages to build a base of people who would come find my things but eventually it happened. Just keep doing what you love.’

Francine Sculli is a maker of outlandish things, which she sells under the title of ‘The Lines Outside’. Her jewellery and textiles are all stitched together and united by their daringly bright colours, spirited shapes and patterns and curiously large sizes. Francine uses an amalgam of materials from driftwood collected on beaches to grand glass and ceramic beads from Africa to vibrant West African wax print material and bright recycled leather–all bound by wire, plastic, upcycled electrical wire, rope and chains. You can find her at the Rose Street Artists’ Market once a month, on Etsy www.etsy.com/shop/TheLinesOutside at her website www.thelinesoutside.com.au

Alternative uses for nail polish When it comes to nail polish, not a lot of people can say that they use up a whole bottle before buying a new one. This means that most of us have a lot of nail polish bottles from the past few years that aren’t being used. Rather than let them go to waste, check out the below list for a variety of things that you can do with them besides painting your nails. • If you’re having trouble sealing an envelope nice and tight, put some clear nail polish on the flap and press it shut. • If your shoelaces are getting a bit frayed around the ends, dip them in some nail polish, roll them between your fingers and then leave them to dry overnight. Not only will this stop the fraying but it will make them look a lot neater too! • Prevent cheap jewellery from tarnishing by coating it in a thin layer of clear polish. *Don’t do this on expensive jewellery as you might ruin it. • Use coloured polish to distinguish between particular items. For example, if you’ve got more than one house key, paint a bit of coloured nail polish on the top of one so that you know which is which. • Apply nail polish to the edges of holes in tights or stockings to prevent the hole from getting any bigger. • If you accidentally break or crack your glasses and need them for a few more hours before you can get a replacement pair, paint clear nail polish over the cracks. This should hold them together long enough for you to find an unbroken pair. • Extend the life of your nail polish by adding some water to it. • Utilise the bottle itself by cleaning it out and filling it with small precious items for a gift or even to store the last little bit of perfume so that you can put the bigger perfume jar to better use.

and on Facebook www.facebook.com/thelinesoutside 15

Summer Camp By Erika Davidoff

appearances. They came in all different sizes, but they hardly noticed. They weren’t consumers. They were people. They were people who were encouraged to shed the jewelry and cosmetics, slap on a pair of ragged jeans, and head to the barn for a trail ride. They were people who led dance parties on their porches and were considered “cool” if they dressed in mismatched colors and developed prominent tan lines from their Chaco sandals. They were people who shared quotes about kindness and stories about courage, and who reminded each other regularly that they were beautiful and capable and loved. Cheesy? Yeah, sometimes, maybe. But it didn’t really matter, because camp was also pretty much a judgment-free zone. We didn’t tolerate nastiness or pettiness or laziness, of course, but as long as you were being a nice person and pulling your weight you were free to be yourself, whoever that might be.

High Trails (which is the girls’ half of Sanborn Western Camps) offered the traditional summer camp experience–hiking, swimming, horses, campfires, getting dirty, living in cabins in the woods and engaging in a number of wacky traditions–with Colorado flair; we climbed a couple of Rocky Mountains every summer and took backpacking trips along the Colorado Trail. We learned about camping techniques, animal tracks and constellations, how to tie knots and saddle horses, how to make friendship bracelets, and how to make friends to give them to. More importantly, we learned how to love our communities, each other, and ourselves. 16

The second one was to challenge myself, to seek out new opportunities, and to do things because they made me a little afraid. I was terrified of my first mountain climb when I was ten, but I did it anyway, and I fell in love with hiking. I’ve climbed over thirty peaks since then. You never know where hidden passions might lie. The most important one was to be present, always–to interact with the people around me, to actively seek to better my community, and, overall, to be real. When you’re surrounded by other girls 24/7 for a month, you can’t help but be yourself. And camp, more than anything, showed me that was okay.

I hope that every young woman (and young man!) gets the opportunity to experience life in such a warm, close community. I hope that A lot of us walked into camp for the first time teenage girls know that there are people as ten-year-olds who had no idea who we were. who value and love them for who they are But every summer, we figured it out a little more. whenever they feel pressured by societal There’s no better way to learn about your own expectations and arbitrary standards of strengths and weaknesses, physically and mentally, beauty. Most of all, I hope everyone finds an than to strap some gear onto your back and live opportunity to explore, to create, and to live.

Image credit: Bianca Anderson

I was lucky enough to have one of the best opportunities an adolescent girl can have. Every summer, from age ten through sixteen, I spent a month overseas at High Trails Ranch for Girls.

camp was ‘lame’ and complained about the hard work. It was tempting to succumb to their influence, but life was far more enjoyable when I didn’t.

The camp experience is so removed–so wonderfully removed–from life during the rest of the year for a number of reasons. For one, camp is a technology-free zone. Phones and laptops were handed over on day one; the only screens in our possession belonged to our much-loved digital cameras. In the rest of the world, it’s easy to get lost in electronics. Communicating with people hundreds of miles away sometimes makes you forget about the people around you. At camp, that’s impossible. Camp forces you to constantly be present. Camp is also a media-free zone. Sometimes parents sent magazines for reading material, but those usually get cut up and pasted into collages. For a month, the girls at High Trails didn’t see a single commercial. They didn’t hear any negative messages about their bodies or clothes or

for five days in a tent with a group of fellow young women in the alpine valleys of Colorado. It’s not as though we left camp as teenagers knowing exactly who we were, but we certainly grew to be far more comfortable with ourselves. I spent my seventh and final year at camp as a junior counselor – I was able to pass my love for camp and all things Colorado to my twelve-yearold campers. I spent most of that month thinking about how to share the lessons I learned over my seven years at High Trails with people who weren’t lucky enough to have shared those years with me. I wanted to live my life the way I lived at camp. So after that final summer, I came up with a list of the most important lessons I’d learned. The first one was not to let other people drag me down. I wasn’t friends with every girl at camp. Some of them just didn’t share my goals or interests, which was fine. Others had negative attitudes or were self-absorbed–they thought

To find a Summer Camp for you, check out these websites: CRU Camps (ages 8–18) www.crucamps.com.au/ Teen Ranch Holiday Camps (ages 10-17) www.teenranch.com.au/ Camp Cooinda (ages 12-18) www.campcooinda.asn.au/ Camp Icthus (ages 12-17) campicthus.org.au/about/faq/ CYC Ministries Camps (ages 8-17) cycministries.org.au/holiday_camps Rotary Australia RYPEN Camp (ages 14-17) www.rotaryaustralia.org.au/gettinginvolved.php

SMILE and the world SMILES back

An Binh, Mekong Delta, Vietnam–This little lady pulled me in by the arm to her house where she sat me down for a cup of tea and offered me some snacks. We spoke no word of each others language but improvised with hand signals and a smile. Growing up I used to think that I was an unhappy kid. I also used to think that I couldn’t make any difference. Thankfully that’s since changed. I started to take photos when I started to travel and my camera became the way through which I viewed the world and later how I came to see myself. It became my voice and my passion. I started my journey in South East Asia by myself. And while I had no friends or family by my side I never felt alone. I found comfort and companionship in many places; a smile from a stranger, a cup of tea with a lone old woman or watching a sunset knowing millions of other people were sharing this moment with me. One of the first questions people would ask me is, ‘Aren’t you scared?’ I never felt this way. Travelling alone isn’t scary, people aren’t scary. Every time I encountered a local who raised a solitary finger enquiring if I was traveling alone I’d smile and nod. Usually they’d beam back and show a clenched fist; strong woman. I believe we’re afraid of things that are unknown. So instead of being afraid and standing back I’d introduce myself and share a moment and a smile with a stranger. I found that people are more likely to go out of their way to help you, not hurt you.

I recall one conversation with a young Burmese boy who worked in a hotel I was staying at in Myanmar. He asked me, ‘Where are you going today?’ I shrugged my shoulders, smiled and replied, ‘I’m not sure, I’ll tell you when I get back.’ Hours later I returned to reception when he questioned me about my day. Bouncing and full of energy I told of all the amazing people I met, those who helped me and concluded, ‘People here are amazing! Everybody is so happy!’ He smiled back at me and said something that I think I’ll always remember. He said, ‘That’s because the world is like a mirror.’

Photo credit: Bianca Anderson (all photos)

Photo credit: Bianca Anderson

By Bianca Anderson

Kelimutu, Flores, Indonesia–I asked these boys to jump on the count of three. It took 3 goes but they all squealed while their friends sitting aside couldn’t stop laughing.

Kalaw, Shan State, Myanmar–As I was walking down from the mountains these ladies raised a finger to ask if I was by myself. When I nodded, ‘yes’ they smiled and raised their fists in support.

I always loved my photos of people. Now I love them more. Beyond just seeing a smiling face of an unknown person I see a reflection. My photos show the way I see the world but also how the world sees me. At one point I thought, ‘Hang on a second. Those smiles are half mine!’ That was when I realised that I am a happy person. I like to remind myself that you never know how you positively influence those around you. If you think you can’t make a difference to someone’s life or at least to someone’s day smile-it’s contagious. Armed with a smile and my camera I document my travels through the people I meet. By living your passion you’ll inspire others to do the same.

Chumphon, Chumphon Province, Thailand–These sisters saved me by inviting me to stay with them in their family home when our bus was delayed – missing my next connection. They hosted me for 2 days and showed amazing hospitality even driving me around to explore the local area.

Japan By Carly Michelle Dennis Travel is fantastic. Everything is new and exciting and fleeting. Once you start travelling you don’t really want to stop, and that’s a good feeling. Going travelling with a friend is different. Don’t get me wrong, it’s full of great times, but before you go travelling with anyone make sure it’s the right choice. I got lucky, my trip to Japan with my friend Sasha worked well–but not without reason. Below isn’t a definite guide to Tokyo, and it’s certainly not a guide of how to live with someone for two weeks and still remain friends after–but it worked for me.

Who we are Sasha and I have known each other for about two or three years-not an insanely long time by most standards. But we work well together; we’re honest about everything, which helps, and mostly we just have fun together. However, we are both really introverted, meaning two solid weeks of interaction was a daunting concept. Especially with the question that was initially a joke, but actually held some worry to it, what if we weren’t friends after this? Respect the crap out of each other’s privacy, and don’t feel like talking is the be all and end all of your time together. Conversation is, like all things, good in moderation. Everything we did, we mostly did together so it’s not like we could keep talking about it–it would get old fast. We also had WiFi in our hotel, which meant we were able to talk to people other than each other–this was incredibly good.

All drawings/images credited to Sasha Mutch

The Good On our first week, we spent it getting used to everything, doing a few big day trips, but mostly keeping it small. The second week we did as much as we could – and it worked really well for us. We ended up spending our first day walking around locally then getting a train out to a garden to relax for the day. Gardens and temples in Tokyo are not to be underestimated. They’re all different in their own ways, but each is equally beautiful. One I would recommend is the Harajuku garden and shrine, across from the train station.

Adjusting to Tokyo Tokyo is in some ways pretty similar to Melbourne – the trains and busses all run with a ticket and touch card system – it was comforting to know that if didn’t know where we were going, we at least knew how we were getting there. Language was a barrier, and we didn’t exactly become fluent over two weeks – but we got better. One of the best parts of travelling somewhere so different is talking with the locals, picking up words and phrases and pronunciations the most natural way possible – by hearing them. We also learnt very early on that of the several different ways to say thank you and good morning – you should always go with the most formal choice. The locals respect you much more for it. Oh, also here’s a hot tip. You have to remove your shoes for a lot of restaurants; usually you place them in a locker and go sit down. Don’t do what we did and wear the staff shoes – it’s pretty embarrassing.

Actually, Harajuku itself is a great area, good shopping varying from bargain buys to expensive impulses. Like shoes. And Japanese crepes. Close to Shibuya too, which is a huge shopping and nightlife district. Something really important to note, especially going somewhere like Tokyo, where some tourist attractions are difficult to get into, you need to book tickets in advance to things. We ended up having to reschedule and buy new tickets to the Studio Ghibli, which was a huge hassle and disappointment, avoid that if you can. However there are things like Kabuki performances in Ginza that you can pay for at the venue. Also, if you’re anything like we are, and don’t like forking out hundreds of dollars for meals, you’re in luck. Tokyo has countless (literally) little eateries around, with meals of roughly ten dollars each, and the food is always amazing too. Unless, of course, you don’t like Japanese food but they do have plenty of Western choices around. One thing you can’t plan for, but it is great, are the street buskers. They get a lot more attention than even Melbourne buskers usually do. Even Sasha and myself, who amused ourselves one night walking home to our hotel by singing loudly and badly, were given a few interesting glances. Also many, many concerned looks. I think it also goes without saying but Tokyo Disneyland is amazing fun. However, get there early in the morning and do as much as possible, the lines take up most of your time there anyway. But go. Seriously. Go. The good times we had in Tokyo were countless, and sometimes odd and fuelled by cheesecake from the Tokyo Skytree mall – but they were good nonetheless. They were good because we took our time, we relaxed, we planned and we

did things spontaneously. The trip itself being spontaneous in the first place – we decided on a train home one day we should go to Japan together, three months later we went. The… Not So Good If you’ve ever lived with a friend you are aware – living with someone means finding out all the fun ways you guys clash and annoy each other. And it’s good. If you’re living with someone and they don’t occasionally make you consider murdering them – you’re probably not living with the right person. The best part of having a good friend is knowing they have their faults, and you have yours, and you both work with that the best you can and that’s what makes it worth it, and what makes it memorable. To prove this point I’ll tell you the only place in the world that can turn good people into balls of inconsolable rage. Airports. In fact we invented a new emotion called ‘airport’ which is essentially anger, boredom, insomnia, jetlag, homesickness, popped ear discomfort and excitement all mixed together. Sasha and I on our way home had our fair share of Getting-Mad-Like-We-Are-FourteenYears-Old-All-Over-Again simply because we didn’t get enough sleep. And despite the hiccups along the way, as long as you can say sorry, and admit each others issues, you can still be friends, if you’re honest with each other. This is probably solid advice for travelling with a romantic partner too. Summary I don’t think I would have enjoyed Tokyo nearly as much as I did with a friend by my side. It’s good to look back on photos and see other people in them. It’s good to have someone to get lost with or get mad with or laugh incessentally for hours with. It’s good. I wouldn’t change a single thing about my trip to Tokyo – going all around the city of Tokyo, the museums and zoo in Ueno, travelling out to the mountainside town of Nikko, then flying back to Melbourne life. I’ll also never forget how amazing the shopping was over there. And I don’t even like shopping. So travel. Go places you want to go, and leave time to go places you don’t even realise exist yet, but will make the trip phenomenally worth it. Experience. Live. Travel. Enjoy the world in all of its glory. 23

Cambodia changed my life By Emma Barlow I had it all wrong. Not words I often use. I was a self-confessed vanity queen, materialistic shopper, and would never set foot near Target or Kmart. I valued objects, and anything that could be purchased. But, when I went to a foreign land that re-trained my brain to be a better person, I began see the world in a clearer light. It was the 29th of December. Something didn’t feel right in my life. I wasn’t happy anymore, the objects and beautiful items that cost a whole weeks wage weren’t satisfying my needs. I felt for the first time, empty. My Chanel nail polish didn’t even do the job in cheering up my day as I painted the top coat on to my perfectly manicured nails. My brand new iPhone started ringing with the new ringtone that I just had to have; it would be a life-changing phone call. ‘Come to Cambodia with me, detox your life.’ It was one of my oldest friends, who had returned to Australia to visit his family over the Christmas break. He was shocked to see what I now valued and considered important. He was determined to make me see what life was all about and give me some perspective.

Image credit Emma Barlow

By the 31st of December I was standing on the beach of Sianhokville watching hundreds of thousands of fireworks being set off by locals and tourists celebrating and bringing in the New Year. There was elation in the air, and I already felt different. As the night wore on I spent the early hours of 2013 talking, dancing, interacting with people from all over the world, a myriad of diverse economic backgrounds and life experiences. It was a revitalising kick-start to changing my values. Once our feet were sore from dancing and our eyes could hardly stay open we hunted 24

for anywhere that had a spare room to stay for the night – out of luck we bunked down on some chairs in an empty restaurant that had closed for the night. We awoke the next morning to the sun streaming violently onto our faces, forcing us to get up and make the most of a brand new day. A day that would include the journey to a place that would change my outlook on life: the Island.

Two and half hours from the coast, no electricity, limited phone and internet connection, no air-con, shops, no nail salons…Koh Rong was an extreme change to my life at home. 78 square kilometres of jungles, pristine untouched beaches, 7 fishing villages, one tiny abandoned police shack, two jetties and the most welcoming people who opened their arms to include you and make you feel welcome. I instantly fell in love. The perfect sandy white beaches that squeak beneath your feet, the crystal clear blue water filled with darting fish, warm fresh beams of sunlight kissing your skin from the moment you wake up: it was paradise. Freshly grown fruit from the island for breakfast, the chickens, roosters and brand new litter of puppies from the villages… all play on the beach with the local children fussing over the animals like worried parents. Everyone lives off what the ocean and the jungle provides. The community, about 200 strong, works together to create one giant family. Each meal is prepared together and eaten collectively, the children are watched and cared for by everyone, no-one would survive on the isolated island without being 100% reliant on everyone else. Koh Rong has a quality I had been overlooking in Australia. Human Interaction. My iPad, iPhone, computer, tv, Skype,

radio were all gone. I had no shopping centre to distract myself with. I was forced to spend time connecting with people in the real world.

And it felt incredible. It was shocking to realise that I had decreased my interactive skills in a social setting as majority of my communications had been via a form of technology. I found I had many more hours in the day. The feeling of checking my pocket and desperately staring at my phone willing an update or notification to populate the screen of my essential phone had dissipated. I was content with living in the moment, being a part of something bigger than just my own created cyber world.

I have since returned to Australia, back to my St Kilda apartment, filled with designer clothes, expensive hair treatments and everything else I once considered a necessity. Whilst I still enjoy these items, I now see that what is most important is creating a vibrant happy community of real life people that come together, adding value and meaning to each other’s lives. I am now energised, happy, and appreciating the small things in life that are free. I feel a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I have removed myself from many realms of social media and have made a conscious effort to live in the now and never take anything for granted. Without sounding like a preacher, I would encourage everyone to take a day, or even an hour to turn everything off and see how much more you feel when you disconnect from a world that is abstract and existential. I promise you will be amazed. 25

Of the ten magazines studied, Shop til You Drop, Madison and Cosmopolitan came out on top, being the only magazines to follow all three of the guidelines under investigation in the study. According to Bronwyn Buckley, Health Promotion Officer at Women’s Health Queensland Wide, magazines still have some work to do,

Image credit: sophia a. Zhou

“We were disappointed to find that three of the ten magazines studied did not incorporate any of the Code’s guidelines. We recognise that the Code of Conduct is voluntary and the results of this study show that Australian girls’ and women’s magazines have a long way to go to fully adhere to the Code recommendations. In the meantime, we’re encouraging women to make up their own minds and use their purse power.”

Research backs claims magazines not adhering to code By Paige Craswell & Jasmin Scholl A study conducted by Queensland University of Technology students and Women’s Health Queensland Wide has supported claims that women’s fashion magazines are not adhering to the Australian Government’s Code of Conduct on Body Image. The Voluntary Industry Code of Conduct on Body Image was released in 2009 as part of a wider campaign following the recommendations

of the Body Image Advisory Group. A key recommendation by the advisory group was to provide the fashion, media and advertising industries with guidelines to endorse healthy body image. The Code advocates the use of a diverse range of body shapes and sizes and encourages restraint from any digital manipulation of images that alters body shapes to unrealistic standards.

What is the Voluntary Code of Conduct exactly? There are seven aspects to the code: 1. Positive content and messaging: To support the development of positive body image and realistic and healthy physical goals and aspirations among consumers 2. Diversity: Use a diverse range of people that are appropriate to their target audience. A particular focus should be given to including a range of body shapes, sizes and ethnicities. 3. Fair placement: Use advertising that supports positive and healthy body image behaviour. Advertising that contradicts positive body image messages will not be used. 4. Realistic and natural images of people: Do not use digital technology in a way that alters images of people so that their body shapes or 26

features are unrealistic or unattainable through healthy practices. 5. Healthy weight models: Use models that are clearly of a healthy weight. 6. Appropriate modelling age: Only use people 16 years or older to model adult clothes. 7. Fashion retailers supporting positive body image: Stock a wide variety of sizes that reflects demands from customers. For the study analysis magazines were analysed according to their adherence to categories 1, 2, 4 and 5; the use of diverse size, shapes and ethnicities of swimwear models and the use of positive textual and pictorial evidence of enhancing diverse body types and shapes.

The results from this study are concerning, as girls tend to compare themselves and evaluate their appearance according to models and celebrities they see in magazines. Printed images of models and celebrities often do not represent a realistic view of society as a result of being digitally retouched and enhanced – a process commonly known as “photoshopping”. These images are not biologically achievable for young girls, and therefore the view of their bodies will always remain unsatisfactory, causing major problems with low self-esteem and body image problems. Low self-esteem and body image problems are enormous issues for girls in Australia. Body image in particular is reported as one of the top three concerns of young girls. “Body dissatisfaction can lead to engaging in dangerous eating behaviours in an effort to achieve the ‘thin-ideal’ presented in media such as magazines. These dangerous behaviours such as dieting, bingeing, purging and skipping meals can lead to eating disorders, mental health problems and low self-esteem” Amanda Dearden from Isis, the Eating Issues Centre Inc said. The Voluntary Industry Code of Conduct on Body Image is certainly a pleasing step forward in promoting positive body image in Australian media, however, as is evident from the study, many magazines are ignoring this Code, possibly due to its voluntary status. In order to make any real developments in this area, government should consider the implementation of a compulsory code, one that cannot be ignored any longer!

Hot tips for channelling your inner positive body image! • Appreciate all that your body can do. Every day your body carries you closer to your dreams. Celebrate all of the amazing things your body does for you --running, dancing, breathing, laughing, dreaming, etc. • Keep a top-10 list of things you like about yourself - things that aren’t related to how much you weigh or what you look like. Read your list often. Add to it as you become aware of more things to like about you. • Remind yourself that “true beauty” is not simply skin-deep. When you feel good about yourself and who you are, you carry yourself with a sense of confidence, self-acceptance, and openness that makes you beautiful regardless of whether you physically look like a supermodel. Beauty is a state of mind, not a state of your body. • Look at yourself as a whole person. When you see yourself in a mirror or in your mind, choose not to focus on specific body parts. See yourself as you want others to see you – as a whole person. • Surround yourself with positive people. It’s easier to feel good about yourself when you are around others who are supportive and who recognize the importance of liking yourself just as you naturally are. • Shut down those voices in your head that tell you your body is not “right” or that you are a “bad” person. You can overpower those negative thoughts with positive ones. The next time you start to tear yourself down, build yourself back up with a few quick affirmations that work for you. • Become a critical viewer of social and media messages. Pay attention to images, slogans, or attitudes that make you feel bad about yourself or your body. Protest these messages: write a letter to the advertiser or talk back to the image or message. • Do something nice for yourself - something that lets your body know you appreciate it. Take a bubble bath, make time for a nap, find a peaceful place outside to relax. • Use the time that you might have spent worrying about your weight to do something to help others. Reaching out to other people can help you feel better about yourself and can make a positive change in our world. 27

Magazine advice buy it or bin it? By Zoe Davies When I was invited to collaborate on this project, I jumped at the opportunity. I wasn’t sure why, I haven’t bought a typical woman’s magazine since I stopped getting pocket money. In fact, I actively steer clear of the things. Mixed messages scrawled across the front covers have deterred me from delving deeper into the pages that I assumed contained more of the same sentiments that I found so plainly insulting and mindbogglingly stupid. I headed for my local library for some serious catching up. I entered like a shoplifter sussing out the cosmetics counter at Myer. I gazed shiftily around and casually strolled over the magazine shelves and began idly flicking through the pages. My senses were poised, awaiting judgemental gazes and critical stares. I felt ashamed as I plucked issue upon issue from the shelves and felt compelled to justify my choice of literature to the woman scanning the barcodes – it’s for research I insisted, rolling my eyes as if the task was onerous. Honestly though, I couldn’t wait to see what scrutiny of these glossy magazines would reveal. I opened my mind, opened the latest issue of Cosmopolitan, and let my education begin. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Sex. Oh, and just a little bit of sex. Did I mention sex? I don’t think I did. I sifted mechanically through the pages, confronted by intimate descriptions of dildos, sex toys and sex positions usually reserved for shows of the pornographic genre. Laughably contrived images of toned models performing sensual acts 28

to bare chested meatheads threatened to push me over the edge. I became acutely aware of my own inability to take the messages seriously. In one publication, a portion of the magazine was dedicated to what women shouldn’t do during sex – all this was dictated by the experiences of men of course. ‘I’d have liked her to play with my back door’, one disgruntled man reflects. ‘Nothing too invasive, just a little tickle’. That’s right ladies, the key to giving him sex he will remember is having the ability to play with your partner’s bottom with just the right amount of intensity. Oh, but refrain from using terms of endearment that ‘could be used by his mum or the elderly waitress – they have no place in your relationship’ says a relationship ‘guru’. Relation – WHAT? I am incredulous and insulted that this kind of advice would even attempt to categorise itself under ‘relationships’. A relationship implies a connection born out of mutual respect, it should contain elements of give and take – whether this means emotionally or sexually. These publications seem to define relationships as grounded one hundred percent in fulfilling the unending array of contrasting sexual and emotional desires and attending to the whims of his ‘ding dong’ – oh, yes, apparently in presenting his package with an endearing nick name means you will start to view it less as anatomy and more like a friend you want to spend time getting to know and, as an added bonus, will keep him from shaking the sauce bottle. I don’t know about you, but I feel

my troubles with the male gender can be satisfied by having absolutely no expectations regarding my own levels of pleasure or self respect. Respect comes from understanding that ‘complete domination by a man is hot because you’re completely restrained which means that you have permission to experience your pleasure totally’. Apparently, total pleasure means being totally trapped by a man. It seems women’s magazines have forgotten the original premise upon which they were founded: to empower women by acknowledging we were no longer confined to generic gender roles. To empower us through our sexuality. Editors stopped assuming that women were in the home collectively searching for the answer to a get the stains out of their husband’s footy shorts and have a roast on the table by five. Empower us through our sexuality they did, but have they now gone too far in that direction? These messages made me laugh, loudly. In the middle of what was shaping up to be a fit of hysterical, schoolgirl giggles, I stopped suddenly. Schoolgirls were impressionable. This wasn’t actually that funny. Not everyone could laugh at these articles. In fact, the people that regularly buy these magazines propably aren’t buying them for their comedic offerings; it’s likely they’re buying

them for what they deem to be educational; empowering even. Oh, em, gee – could it be? All I could see was a blatant illustration of the Madonna-whore conundrum that has plagued the construction of women’s sexual identity since the dawn of time. It is based on the desires of men who harbour a complex desire of a lover who he can degrade and who is subservient (the whore) while still wanting the respected partner whom he can own and protect (Madonna). But these are mutually exclusive. It just doesn’t work. Clearly, women are still being categorised by how far they are willing to go in the bedroom. It’s easy to blame men for this problem but we bought into it. Women buy women’s magazines, and by handing over our hard earned cash for these publications, month after month, we are funding our own acceptance of the shockingly inadequate and elementary information they provide on ‘relationships’. I’m not saying that there isn’t a place for magazines in our society; they play an integral role in maintaining a dialogue, in keeping things open and fresh. Perhaps what needs to happen is a tightening of our nonchalance towards ourselves. We need to think about what we could be doing rather than what we should be doing and ask ourselves how much of ourselves are we willing to jeopardise because we can’t be bothered to think. It’s okay to have a laugh but it’s important to think about the bigger picture too. 29

Could you give up mirrors? By Jessica Barlow

I don’t tend to associate myself with vanity. I don’t constantly primp my hair or parade myself around in fancy clothes to show everyone how good I look in my new jeans. But, admittedly, I do look in the mirror a lot more than I should be. And apparently, I’m not alone in this.

It was definitely an off-putting experience. On the drive to the station I had to be particularly careful not to see myself in the rear view mirror. To be safe I chucked some sunnies on and avoided changing lanes too often. I made it to the station without having seen myself once but I knew that the real test was still to come.

A recent study found that on average, women check their reflection eight times per day. Albeit car windows, bedroom mirrors or picture frames – women have got this routine down pat. Other people’s sunglasses tend to deliver good results too, depending on the lighting of course. We just can’t help ourselves. If there is a shiny reflective surface and we have the chance to whip our eyes over to it – chances are that we will.

We have no power to remove shiny surfaces in the real world so we have to rely on self-control. Don’t look at the big metro signs while you wait for the train. Don’t pretend to look out the train window when really you’re just checking your hair.

It’s amazing how much we rely on seeing ourselves. Could you leave your house without using a mirror or giving yourself that one final look-over? Could you do your make-up, put in your earrings and decide on an outfit without relying on your reflection? I honestly didn’t think I could, so, naturally I decided to give it a go.

Eventually I stopped feeling self conscious and aware of the fact that I hadn’t seen myself that day. Occasionally I would feel myself automatically flick towards a reflective surface and I would quickly stop myself. By nightfall I was walking past prime reflective surfaces without a thought.

On the big no-reflection day, I woke up with hair that felt greasy to touch. But often it feels that way and doesn’t look it… I must be paranoid I decided. Navigating my house without catching my own reflection turned out to be trickier than I thought. The night before I set about covering anything that might project myself back onto my retinas and it was no easy task. If you try this, make sure you cover windows, picture frames, glossy kitchen surfaces and put your watch away! But back to the morning. I decided to risk the hair and set about choosing some clothes. This was relatively easy as I just chose something that I knew always looked good. Next up was brushing my teeth. It was weird not looking in the bathroom mirror while brushing so I did a little dance instead to pass the time. I think I might actually maintain that – it was surprisingly fun and it got all the sleep out of my muscles. Next was makeup time. I opted for a tinted moisturiser so any mistakes I made wouldn’t be too obvious. Unsurprisingly, the eyeliner wasn’t such a walk in the park. I think I stabbed my left eye about six times before eventually giving up 30

and attempting to wipe off what I assume was a haphazard black mess under one eye. Hoping I didn’t also leave dots on my iris, I left the house.

But most of all, don’t look for yourself in the objects around you because you feel like you have to. Don’t do it compulsively any more, and if you’re super committed, don’t do it at all.

It’s only by stepping back from something like looking in the mirror that you realise how reliant on it you are. I never thought I was a vain person, but thinking back to before my little experiment, I was definitely in some stage of body image obsession. While I still use mirrors now, I try not to rely on them so much. My day didn’t fall apart because I didn’t know what I looked like. It didn’t matter that I walked around with my cardigan tucked into my jeans all day because no one treated me any differently because of it. Sure I was embarrassed when I eventually realised but it was more funny than disastrous. The best part about ignoring my own reflection was the way my whole day seemed to open up. Instead of wondering if that pimple has healed yet, or if my hair got fluffy in the wind I was thinking about what I was going to eat for lunch or who I was seeing next. Rather than monitoring my appearance, I spent my whole day simply enjoying being where I was. Instead of imagining how I looked walking around, I simply followed my eyes. It doesn’t sound like much but if you give it a go you will absolutely see what I mean. I promise.

The ‘I Love Me’ photo shoot was about promoting all types of beauty.

We hope that this shoot will inspire you to look for and appreciate you own beauty every day. Don’t be afraid to march your body along the beach in a

bikini – not only is it likely that most people on the beach with you are just as self-conscious, but you, your friends, and even the girl who gets bullied for her looks are all just as beautiful in your own ways as those you see around you.

‘I have been bullied all of my High School life. For years I believed I wasn’t good enough or pretty enough. I quit modelling because I thought I wasn’t pretty enough to do it.’

Katie

Which feature of yours isn’t stereotypically considered ‘beautiful or acceptable’?

Probably my body shape I guess. I’m curvy, so I’m not the typical stick figure model with long legs that the public see in magazines or on TV or the internet.

It would probably be my weight; I’m bigger than what is ‘average’.

How has this affected you? This has affected me more so emotionally than socially. I’m happy with my body most of the time, but sometimes you can’t help but feel a little down about your body image and this obviously affects your confidence. I’ve learnt that the key is to be confident and happy with who you are; everyone is unique so there’s no point in comparing yourself to others, or to want to look the same as someone else. Any other comments?

EMILY

CYNDI

Often the wrong message is sent out to younger people by the media basically telling us what is beautiful, but I think we should be turning that message around to say that everyone is beautiful. Every girl needs to believe that she is beautiful. I didn’t become comfortable and confident with myself until I was about 17, and I know my High School years would have been much better if I’d developed this confidence earlier. By participating in this project I want to help girls believe that they are beautiful.

How has this affected you? It’s affected me when I’m shopping with my friends and they are all looking at sizes small to medium and sometimes I can’t even fit a large. I feel that I have to work harder than most to lose the weight and keep it off. Any other comments? I think that so many people, even if they realise it or not, judge others for their outward appearance before what’s inside and constantly being judged and compared can alter who a person is. There’s no such thing as a perfect person, everyone is beautiful in their own way.

“Skinny doesn’t always mean beautiful” Which features of yours aren’t stereotypically considered ‘beautiful or acceptable’?

Advice for other girls who might feel insecure about their bodies?

It seems to me like tall, skinny and blonde is what you need to be considered beautiful. I’m the opposite of these things; I’m a short, not skinny yet not fat brunette. I feel that there’s nothing about me that is stereotypically considered to be beautiful or acceptable in Australia and worldwide today. Emotionally, it took a huge toll on me; I tried so hard to become something that I’m just not. I ended up developing (and recovering from) an eating disorder and self-harm. I was so insecure about myself all the time because I’m different. – Pascale

There are a lot of people out there who are going around thinking they aren’t pretty and they aren’t beautiful. I wanted to let everyone know that they are and that they shouldn’t care what people say. They are all beautiful in their own way. – Emily

It’s not that I’m unhappy with them but I consider my boobs so be very small, and often girls with bigger boobs are considered to having a beautiful body. It’s embarrassing in a way sometimes.. –Esme

A girl’s personality, I think, is what makes her so much more beautiful than what is on the surface. I hope through this project we can do exactly that; let our personalities shine through and give people more idea as to who we are and not just what we look like. – Katy Try to keep in mind that we’re all different and all beautiful. – Esmee

I have quite a curvy figure, with a larger bottom and thighs which society recognizes as unacceptable and not stereotypically beautiful. In the past this has affected me emotionally as I would get bullied and teased about my body shape, leaving me with no self-confidence. – Ellie I am a slightly curvy girl so I guess I’m bigger than average. My bust and bottom can sometimes be considered a disadvantage. Luckily I am quiet sporty and toned though, so I keep quite a good figure. – Taelar

sheridan???

Sheradyn 34

Taelar

My eyes, I was diagnosed with Graves’ disease when I was younger. One of the symptoms of Graves’ disease can be excess fluid and pressure build up behind the eyes which can cause the eyes to be pushed forward. – Emily

The dove real beauty campaign

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By Tierney Israel We’ve all heard about the Dove Real Beauty campaign. On the surface it sounds wonderful. Dove promotes “real” women of various shapes, sizes and colors in their ads and runs camps for young women and girls to learn about positive body views and help them boost their self-esteem. What could be wrong with that?

From the photographers mouth… ‘I love that the Brainwash Project promotes individuality. There is nothing worse than being a clone and feeling constantly under pressure to be

something that you just aren’t. Being a teenage girl in today’s society is

challenging enough without feeling like we have to dress/act/be a certain way if we want to succeed or have a boyfriend or be accepted.

I got a handful of local girls together and we headed down to the beach. They’re all different, they’ve all got their flaws but they’re also real and

that’s what I wanted to promote. They were brave enough to step forward, get in a bikini and share their insecurities. These are the kind of girls you’d expect to see kickin’ around on a day to day basis, these girls are real.’ - Sheridan ten Haaf, 19 years old, Perth, WA.

Several things, in fact, the first being the company behind the campaign. While their message may sound appealing to women who don’t fit into the “beauty norms”, we can’t forget that Dove is a company selling a product. While they’re promoting positive body views and self-esteem, they’re selling shampoos that make your hair softer and shinier and lotions and soap that make your skin more smooth and radiant. Their camps are telling you that you should love who you are and their commercials are selling you something to make yourself better. As well intentioned as Dove may be with their Real Beauty campaign, we can’t ignore the fact that they’re also promoting products, the same as any other company. They’re promoting to the non-conventionally beautiful masses by telling them that they’re beautiful the way they are, but if they’d like to be a little more beautiful, they should buy Dove products. Another issue with the Dove Real Beauty Campaign is the models in their ads. The campaign claims to be waging a war of sorts on the usual models and spokespeople we see trying to sell us beauty products. Dove uses models who are bigger, some have pale skin, some have tattoos, some are white, others are black, others

are somewhere in between. The diversity in their ads seem to support their claims that they’re more concerned about the beauty inside us than finding a thin, tall model to show us beauty on the outside. But if we take a closer look at the models in these campaigns, we can find a common denominator. Though they may be bigger than the usual model, the women in the ads are still beautiful. They still have flawless, glowing skin, not a stretch mark or skin blemish in sight. Since their original campaign in 2004, Dove has branched out a bit and gained a few wrinkles and age spots to promote their products to an older generation, but they’re still beautiful women. I will give credit where credit is due, and I do feel that Dove deserves a small hurrah for their commercial of the make-up and Photoshop process that most models undergo before gracing the pages of our favourite magazines. We’ve all heard about it, somewhere in the back of our minds we know people aren’t that flawless in real life, but I find it much more believable to actually see the process that happens. Dove’s video shows the true extent of the lies that are the flawless models we see in magazines. Dove’s campaign isn’t all bad, camps supporting self-esteem and positive body image to young women should be common practice as the young women of our world are overwhelmed with beauty products and beauty standards from the time they learn to walk and talk. But it’s important to take a longer look at where these ideas are coming from as well. Don’t let the surface perfection fool you. 37

Photoshop From a Photographer’s Perspective what they would be used for and where they would appear.

Photoshop is a major part of the magazine world so Brainwash had a chat with photographer Dan Beirouty to have a look at it from a different perspective. As a photographer what are your concerns regarding photoshop being used on images that appear in magazines? Photo editing is part and parcel of any imagemaking these days. I think it’s important to ensure it’s used appropriately and for the right purpose. When we talk about Photoshop for art’s sake, it’s a major tool to make your concept or theme a reality. It is a must in any digital darkroom. Once we move away from artistic photography into the realm of selling products that relate to body image, this is where things get complicated - you have different parties involved, with different ideas, values and expectations. My concern is when it comes to children and selling products that relate to body image. I think it would be very difficult to police the use of Photoshop in advertising, but I think we need to guide children better as to what’s real and what’s not. Do you put conditions on the usage of any photos that you sell? I haven’t been approached to provide images for the purposes of skincare advertising or new swimwear! If the situation arose that some business was interested in my images for such purposes, then I would have to carefully examine 38

What role do you think photographs in magazines play in regards to the development of poor body image in readers? Photographs represent an image of something, but it’s our interpretation that plays a part in development of body image issues. Adults can generally analyse a piece of advertising and make sense of it. You can look at skincare ads and make a judgement on whether what they’re selling you is realistic. You might then go off and Google the chemicals found in that product to make a purchasing decision. I think that’s tougher for kids - and probably much different in our society for girls than boys. I think the representation of actors, pop stars and other “heroes” in magazines are a huge issue. As a kid, you obsess over a pop star or actor and follow their every move. You see them everywhere they go, at the Oscars, in their promotional material and advertising the next Coca-Cola product. Every time you see them they are glamorous. You never see them in the bathroom at home! So what kind of reality is that? Is that the photographer’s idea or society’s idea of what’s important? Photos are only a representation of an idea. Is there anything that needs improving in regards to the images in magazines (in your opinion)? What/How? I like what Brainwash has promoted in regards to disclaimers in magazines... I think that’s a major step in the right direction. There are so many different avenues to explore: engaging young people who buy these magazines through the Internet, focusing that passion directly and vocally against the celebrities and companies who use such images, as well as getting some people in high places to support the message. What

you need is numbers...Numbers of people supporting projects like Brainwash to say to these magazine/companies/celebs “we want to see something different”. Can you tell me about your photography business? I am a freelance photographer based in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. Currently, I’m shooting a lot of concepts and themes with likeminded creatives - I’m loving the idea of telling a story through photographs, so I’m spending countless hours planning, shooting and editing images. And that’s aside from my day job! I’m also shooting an increasing number of live music events and family portrait sessions. Life’s good! Do you have any advice for aspiring photographers? I’m still a young freelancer, so I’m not sure whether I should be giving advice! What’s working for me is to let my passion guide me through this journey. It’s taken me a while to get to this point where I’m not following other expectations. So I’m trusting in that passion to move me into different areas of photography as well as pushing me to work hard at it. Do you have any advice for readers of magazines that use Photoshopped images? I would say most professional images of people in magazines are edited in some way. This may include things like blemish removal (freckles, acne, scars), skin smoothing or body shaping (tucking tummies, or removing folds) or just basic colour correction or styling. Some of this editing is done as standard work by the photographer or as requests from the client or model. If you are looking at pictures in magazines, make sure you keep this in mind. The image may not be an accurate representation of that person. Keep that in mind. They have zits, blemishes and freckles just like you and I!

Dan shoots creative editorial concepts, live and promotional music material and model portfolios. He does freelance work as well as running Danko Photography. His cat’s name is Vladimir. See Dan’s work at www.danko.com.au and follow the links to his Facebook page.

Attention: People with Body Parts By Lexie Bean Attention: People With Body Parts is a new international project that encourages the celebration of body parts and their connections to ourselves and to others. The project started last summer in the United States when I collected letters from folks who have written to one of their body parts. All of the submissions went together in the book to deconstruct how different bodies are layered and connected— but far from equal and whole. This project as body encourages other bodies to become portable safe spaces. To increase the accessibility of the moving movement, an online submission based archive and an outreach initiative have been launched! If you’re interested in getting involved in Attention: People With Body Parts, please see the guidelines below. All bodies are welcome. • Consider how your body moves and takes up space with other bodies. Whether it is questioning who your reproductive organs allow you to love, or hiding a scar from a day you beat the odds, we all have these parts and pieces that give and take power. • Write a letter/ode/treaty/manifesto to a body part! For more details on this and the organization as a whole, please visit www.attnpeoplewithbodyparts.org or the Facebook page for regular updates. • Read the book that so many people gave body to. Attention: People With Body Parts is now available for purchase on Create Space and Amazon, and I have anonymously posted letters that have since arrived in the online archive. I am seeking out a variety of transition homes and shelters, activist circles, book/zine stores, clinics, empowerment/support groups, and other groups that support safe spaces and portable safe spaces. Please shoot me a message if you have an organization in mind for future collaboration! Find me at attnpeoplewithbodyparts@gmail.com for more information on considering power, writing, reading, and collaboration. Keep on keepin’ on. 39

A Love Story By Bianca Oder I love my body. I love that I have over thirty visible moles and freckles and beauty spots, and how most of them are above my waist. I love how some are dark and some are light and some stand up from the surrounding skin and are gathered in clusters of three or four. I love the Monroe-style one above my lip, I love the oval-shaped one on the ribcage beneath my right breast, and I love the one on my right buttcheek that peeks out from my bathers when I get a wedgie. I love my bony, knobbly, skeletal hands and feet that could double for Voldemort’s. I love that my toes are arranged uniformly by size. I love that I can easily find men’s shoes in my size. I love my leathery soles that come from my hatred of socks, and the callouses on my fingers that come from my awkward pen-holding style. I love that my skin is almost blindingly pale, except on my forearms where it’s all olive-y. I love that it’s hard to find make-up to match my face. I love the birthmark on my back and the scars on my knees. I love that every part of my body seems to be a different shade of pale. I love that when I feel like tanning, it takes a long time to fade and I end up with ridiculous tan lines – fishnet patterns on my legs, bows on my back, t-shirts on singlets on halter neck straps. I love that I have hair on my arms, and my upper lip. I love the shape my pubic hair makes. I love how far it travels. I love my leg hair, and how it grows in patches. I love how it all reminds me what my real hair colour is. And I love that I can grow it all or shave it all or rip it all out from the roots, however and whenever I like, because it’s mine. By Joshua Duncan, in collaboration with Concordia University, NE students. Paint and mixed media on canvas.

I love my vulva, and I love that I understand it and can call it what it is – not a box, or a pussy, or a vajayjay, or a ladygarden. I love my vulva. I love

that I know that it’s mine. I love that it does its job without me telling it to. I love the size of my labia, majora and minora. I love my clitoral hood (and what’s beneath). I love knowing that all the parts together are like another thumbprint. I love that my collarbones jut out. I love that my ribs strain out of my skin, front and back. I love the bumpy knobs of my spine. I love that my hipbones have been known to cause injury. But I also love the stretch marks on my bum. I love that the skin there is slightly puckered with cellulite. I love the way my legs jiggle and ripple as I run. I love the way my upper arms sag. I love that my thighs touch in the middle. I love the layer of soft on my stomach that hangs over the top of my jeans. I love that I can do sit-ups and crunches and build up my core, but that layer of soft clings to me, unwavering and familiar. I love my fat – because that’s what it is, and why should I be ashamed of that? I love how my breasts can apparently be any size between a B and a D, depending on the day. I love that they sit far apart, and rarely provide cleavage. I love that I can flatten them out if I like, or push them up, or do nothing with them at all. I love that I’m not an hourglass, or a pear, or an apple, or a bell, lollipop, vase, or brick. I love that I need to hunt for clothes that mould to my shape, because the legs are too tight or the top is too baggy or the waistband is too loose. I love that I am not a 6, or an 8, or a 12 or 16. I love that I am not Small, Medium or Large. I love my body, and that’s okay. Because it doesn’t look like yours, or hers, or hers, but that’s okay as well, because it’s not any one else’s: it’s mine. It’s come so far with me – I’ve lived my whole life with it. My body is me, and I love it. 41

I Hate the Way I Look Mum By Tricia Palmer

‘this girl stays at home and reads magazines. She is determined to learn the ways of glamour.’

Image credit: thisgirlhasissues on DeviantArt

When a 13-year-old girl avoiding the school swim day reads magazine articles, she becomes someone else. A more glamorous her. She fears that her aspirations are not the way to become a woman… 1974—A young girl sits in her room. She brushes her hair this way and that way. Her brow wrinkles into a frown and she moves closer to the mirror. What is that she has seen? She sighs. She has discovered more freckles on her forehead of all places. Oh so many… hundreds of little ones. Spots all over the place. Damn the summer. Damn her freckly skin. What will she do? She tries to brush her hair in way that it camouflages the new-found disappointment. It won’t stay where she puts it. Will she ever look normal? She sits back down on the chair facing the old stained wooden dressing table. Her shoulders sag and she sighs. Slowly her eyes drift away from the mirror. Unconsciously she stares out the window. It’s the day of the school swimming sports. She has feigned illness to her parents. She just cannot go out in front of the others without any eye make-

up on, without her hair dried and shaped, without covering up her un-tanned white and blotchy skin, showing bulges in places they just shouldn’t be. Her bathers look nothing like the glamorous swimwear in the magazines and her body shows no resemblance to the svelte swimwear models. Today will be an opportunity to catch up on some reading. There are old magazines in her bedside drawer. While her fellow students swim in the sunshine, she stays at home and reads magazines. She is determined to learn the ways of glamour, to make herself more attractive, more acceptable; more like the girls on the pages. She reads article after article. The information is beyond her years and experience yet she reads on, eager for answers to her problems, a teenager searching for identity. On the wall, the mirror reflects a healthy 13-year-old girl with a fresh face and sun kissed golden hair. But all she can think about are the bumps and lumps, fat bits and blemishes. In her small world of magazine images and articles, she feels different. She dreams of a career, but fears that her looks and aspirations are not the way to be a woman. COSMO October 1974 - “How to keep him

interested when he is away from you”; “What to do with an inhibited man”; “How to look like the new girl”; “Are you sexually mature, 11 ways you (and he) can tell”; “Get thin stay thin” by Dr Alan Fromme. COSMO November 1974 - “How to get him to do what turns you on sexually”; “The 600 calorie diet to make you skinny without hysterics”; “You’ll get married again”. COSMO December 1970 - “72 ways to jolt a man into loving you again”. CLEO February 1972- “Put your money where your fat is”; Quiz “are you a wife or a mistress?” Dolly and discovers “How to do it gracefully”; “How’s your sex appeal?”; “From Schoolgirl to cover girl”; “Have a passionate winter”; “Do you really know your guy?”; “How to have lovely skin”; “So how do you get to him?”; “Keeping him yours”; “Roll up roll up , test your sex appeal”; “It matters. VIRGINITY, No it doesn’t”. She finishes her reading. Her body is heavy. Her heart is sad. She has found no solutions. She feels a failure, a misfit, unattractive and unlovable. She is so glad she did not go swimming. The magazines are placed back in the drawer, out of sight, too painful to see any more today. 2012— A young girl sits in her room. She is 13 years old. Coat hangers are scattered amongst shoes on the floor. She adjusts the fifth outfit she has tried on and checks it out in the full length mirror. She tightens, then loosens her belt. Her brow wrinkles into a frown and she moves closer to the mirror. She turns and looks at her back, then moves from side to side inspecting all angles. The shoes are removed. The top is shortened. She moves away from the mirror and stares. Head shaking with exasperation, she rummages through the clothes once again. But instead of a better option, her hands land upon a magazine. Her friend gave it to her last week. They had had fun poring over the fashion, the makeup and the hairstyles. Dreaming of their own possible transformations. She pushes clothes off the end of her bed and sits down. Her heart sinks as she leafs through the pages and the images of perfection stare back. Her mother calls from the kitchen, enquiring if she is still coming to the shops with her. She declines. What’s the point? Someone might see her looking imperfect. She decides to spend the rest of the day searching for answers in

her magazines. Somewhere in there she will find a way to look better. DOLLY tells her “You see him, you like him, here’s how to get him”; “Tricks for clear skin”; “10 guy rules you need to break now”; “10 ways to get your crush’s attention”; “Love your laugh and 39 other reasons guys fall in love with you”. She goes to the bookshelf and picks out a few magazines a cousin gave her. She looks at COSMO. Wow it’s Selena Gomez, so pretty. She can read “how to flatten your belly”; “Why guys love it when you bite your lip”; the “BUTT Facial”; “3 clues he’s secretly into you”; “Slim your waist in 6 minutes”. Maybe her CLEO will have information that can help? She reads on - “Get a better body in 6 minutes flat”; “Sexy hair in 4 easy steps”; “Get a beach body in without breaking a sweat”; and “Skin so good, you’ll look Photoshopped”. The girl heads into the bathroom. She works for over an hour. Hair tied up, scrubbing this, peeling that. Applying cover-up, foundation, powder, rouge, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara. She turns her head from side to side, viewing her face in different lighting. She picks up a magazine and holds it beside her face and moves in closer to the mirror. She screws up her face, looking closer. Her eyebrows are wrong. Her face is too round. Her eyes are too far apart. The pimples still show through. And her top lip is too thin. The magazine is dropped to the floor. The make-up is put away and she goes back to her room. She climbs into bed and seeks comfort under her doona, far away from the critical world of beauty she cannot measure up to. Mascara and tears paint her pain on the pillow. After a while she hears her mother return from the shopping. She hears the phone ring and her mother answers it. The mother comes down to her room to see how she is. ‘Who was on the phone?’ the girl asks. Her mother replies ‘It was Aunty Rose asking if they would like us to join them at the swimming pool.’ ‘We are not going are we?’ the girl enquires, alarmed. ‘No, we are not going’ her mother replies ‘besides, I don’t have bathers’. Her mother does not want to go swimming. The girl sighs with relief. Neither does she.

Students from Sunshine Heights primary School in Victoria heard about the Brainwash project and have been working on some pieces of written art to convey their thoughts about magazines, body image and self-esteem. I would like to thank these students for their hard work and thoughtful analysis of the topic. - Editor, Jessica Barlow

Leading Modern Fashion Trends for Muslim Women By Aisha Malik In years gone by, the words ‘Islamic’ and ‘fashion’ were not a pair that you would regularly find in the same document, let alone a paragraph or even a sentence. Today, Islamic fashion is one of the fastest growing and popular niche phenomena in the world. Muslim women everywhere are starting to embrace modern fashion trends that allow them to wear stylish garments yet remain dressed modestly in respect of their faith. There are even a number of events displaying Islamic fashion for women. Jakarta Fashion Week, in Indonesia, is one of the fastest growing events of its kind in the world, and is set to challenge the established ‘Big Four’ or London, Milan, New York, and Paris for fashion supremacy in the coming years. It is clear that Muslim fashion for women is on the Today, these are one of the more luxurious and rise, and that more women than ever before are desirable garments a Muslim woman can wear, seeking out comfortable, functional garments that especially if it is in the colors that are defining the will make them look great. Within this, what are current fashion season. While these tend to aim the most popular trends, and how are they making towards more a formal setting, the colors on offer a difference? mean there is a variety of casual choices, too. Color and Pattern Before we start looking at specific garments and at why they are popular, it is better to cover this point as a general one. ‘Traditional’ Muslim garments, such as the abaya, the burqa, and the niqab, have always been associated with sober and conservative colors, especially blacks, navy blues, and grays. Sometimes, women wear white on special occasions. More often, however, the darker tones may have been preferred.

Hannah Svendsen (12 years old, Sunshine Heights Primary School VIC) I am Hannah, a twelve-year-old girl who loves performing arts. I love to sing and dance. My favourite singers are One Direction and Justin Bieber. I love being with my friends and going out with my family. When I grow up, I would love to be a fashion designer and change the world with it. My dream is to finish school and go to university. 44

Kaftan Dresses This is definitely the leading item when it comes to finding the essential ground between formal and casual. A kaftan dress is so good that the Muslim woman who has a full-time job, has to collect her children from school, do the shopping, and has a busy social life, can wear a kaftan dress all throughout the day and never feel uncomfortable or out of place. Simple and elegant, it is easy to identify why this is such a top trend.

Today, color and pattern is a part of Islamic fashion in much the same way it is important in contemporary style around the rest of the world. Granted, no items are over the top and featuring bright, loud colors, but then you would not expect there to be.

What You May Not Expect Many expect particular items, such as the hijab, not to have undergone this modern makeover. However, this traditional headdress also features color and pattern, making the most central part of many Muslim outfits also one of the more stylish.

Everything remains tasteful, timeless, and classic, perfect for the modern Muslim woman who wants to appear stylish.

Islamic fashion trends have dramatically changed for the better, and Muslim women everywhere love it.

What are the most popular elements of modern Islamic fashion?

Aab Collection is an e-commerce retailer selling Islamic clothing, such as hijab, kaftan dresses, predominantly aimed at Muslim women with multiple roles to play in today’s society. A kaftan dress is a tasteful and elegant option for a woman to wear to a job interview.

Abaya Cloaks We touched on the abaya cloak earlier, and will revisit now.

MODELS OF DIVERSITY MODELS OF DIVERSITY (MoD) is a London-based non-profit organisation that advocates for more diversity in models, and demands that the fashion and marketing industries recognise the beauty in women and men of all races, ages, shapes, sizes and abilities. Their mission is to change the face of fashion and modeling by campaigning for models of all types. Brainwash Mag loves their work because they stand for equal rights and opportunities within the modelling and fashion industry. Brainwash spoke with Angel Sinclair, Co-Founder of Models of Diversity to find out more about this great campaign, as well as with Debbie Van Der Putten, a model and spokesperson for Models of Diversity. Debbie Van Der Putten (age 27) When did you start modelling? After my accident, during my rehabilitation my doctor asked me if I wanted to be part of a Dutch TV show called Miss Ability; a beauty pageant for girls with a disability. I accepted and before I knew it, I was doing international model work, became part of reality TV series Britain’s Missing Top Model and become spokesperson of Models of Diversity.

Why did you want to become a model? I never wanted to become a model, I wanted to inspire people and show young girls you could feel beautiful with a disability.

Model: Kelly Knox Image credit: Ranking

How much importance do you place on maintaining your appearance? I love fashion, especially bags and shoes and I love to dress up, but when I have a day off I just love to walk around without make-up in a tracksuit so I think that I find my appearance important but not overly important.

Do you think that diversity in the modelling industry is important? Absolutely! I think we should see a better representation of society, and the general public is tired of only seeing beautiful tall skinny models. They want to see more size

diversity, more ethnicities and abilities on the catwalks, fashion magazines and in advertising.

What advice do you have for aspiring models? Follow your dream, if this little Dutchie can do it you can do it to!

Is there any reason that you would discourage someone from becoming a model? As long as it happens in a healthy and happy environment - go for it! It’s the most fun job you can have! So no, I would not discourage anyone to do it.

As a model you are judged based on your looks. What do you do to protect yourself from negative judgments? Sometimes you have to have a thick skin, but I’m doing this to prove those judgments wrong. I’m doing this to prove you can feel beautiful in any body.

Have you benefited from the existence of Models of Diversity? Absolutely! Angel has created a beautiful platform for me and now gives me the same chance to create that for other disabled models. I feel very blessed to be part of MoD. 47

What motivated you to start MoD? The motivation to develop the ‘Models of Diversity’ campaign came after I was approached by television producers to audition for ‘Miss Naked Beauty’, which was aired in 2008 and hosted by Gok Wan and Myleene Class. The programme aimed to celebrate the beauty of women who, happily, do not fit the model stereotype.

Why is diversity in the modelling industry important? Well, we live in a diverse society, so its important that the Fashion Industry represent that. For example, in the UK, the magazines on the rack do not represent what’s on the street. The only black people gracing the front covers are the ones who are celebrities.

What advice do you have for girls that want to be models but are not considered to look like the average model we see in magazine? Don’t give up! And don’t take society’s idea of beauty seriously. Be your own kind of beautiful.

Have you seen a change in the attitude towards models of different sizes, ages, abilities & ethnicities since you began MoD? Well, there have been some changes. Plus size models have become more apparent. However disabled models are still unable to find work.

How do you define ‘Beautiful’? Beauty is not about looks, make up or clothes. True beauty comes from being yourself, the more you show who you really are; the prettier you will be.

What can people who read Brainwash do to help promote diversity in the modelling industry? Well, they can support organisations that campaign for diversity. They should also demand for more diverse models in the fashion magazines they read regularly or the retail stores they shop at.

Models of Diversity campaigns at fashion events, protests the tragic effects of the size-zero culture, conducts surveys, produces catwalk shows and photo shoots, sponsors workshops for people with disabilities, promotes their models in the media, and vigorously uses social networking websites – they have over 10,000 followers on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. From their extensive online and street surveys they know that the public is in favour of more diversity; their ambition is to change how the fashion industry thinks, until it understands the importance of using all kinds of beautiful models with whom ordinary people can identify. Model: Angel Sinclair

Image credit: Terri Lee Shield-Photography Model: Kelly Knox

Angel Sinclair

Do you think anyone can be a model? Why/Why not? A successful model must be able to sell a product. However I reject the notion that only a very narrow range of races, sizes, ages, shapes & abilities are marketable. Also there are different aspects to modelling: runway, editorial, artistic etc so if you have the right look for it, then why not?

Their models convey that beauty comes in all colours, ages, shapes, ability levels and sizes, because you too are entitled to ‘feel beautiful’ within your own skin. The word ‘beautiful’ should not be relegated to the select few, but to everyone! If you would like to follow their work or show your support, make sure to check out their website and like them on Facebook. Links below: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=129403085499 www.modelsofdiversity.org 49

plus plus size size fashion fashion By Georgina Horne

something beautiful, and quite unique. That I had a beautiful hourglass shape that would never fit in, and so why try to dress like others? If I could visit my former self now, I would tell her to make the most of the parts that she DID like. To start off with, I would take her bra shopping for something with a nice firm back band, and cups that didn’t have boobs exploding out of them. I would tell her how she COULD wear a dress if she wanted, it was all about finding something with boob room, and maybe adding a belt. Patterns were not something to be shy of, and she didn’t need to wear black or try to look slimmer, she should work with her current shape and size, and stop trying to crash diet, which always resulted in bingeing. Being called ‘fat’ was not something that should completely destroy me, and I was the only one who could control if that did or didn’t happen. Reading magazines about celebrities was all very well, but aspiring to look like or be like one of them should not be a main priority. There is more to life than appearance, and although it may feel like it is the most important issue it really isn’t.

Being a teenager is a hard time for so many reasons. Your emotions are running wild, your body is changing beyond recognition and you start to be more aware of the world around you. And when you are faced with adverts for diets, images of celebrities sporting a little weight gain and plastic surgery ads at every turn, it’s no wonder that young women are left feeling confused and inadequate. As a former teenager girl, I can safely say that my adolescent years were quite difficult. I was far larger and curvier than a lot of my peers, and I struggled a lot. I felt fat and frumpy, and wished that I could fit into the trendy clothes that my friends wore. I didn’t ever think that I could be happy with my body as it was, and alternated between hiding it, and doing my best to emulate the fashion choices of the slimmer girls around me. I had no idea that the figure I sported was 50

I do feel that fashion and celebrities have their place in our world, but there needs to be more choice, and it needs to be ok to have a different shape and size and fashion style. For me, growing up was about my struggle to fit in, and yet it is only now, when I am several stones heavier, that I am happy with how I look and dress. Yes, I may stand out from the mainstream a bit, but why does that have to matter?

Online shopping

Online shopping for plus-size fashion Dream Diva www.dreamdiva.com.au Stocks the latest looks and styles in size 14 plus.

CHEAP ONLINE SHOPPING WITH FREE SHIPPING WHEN YOU SPEND OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT: store.americanapparel.com.au/ www.asos.com/au www.topshop.com/ www.jcrew.com/index.jsp

Yours Clothing www.yoursclothing.co.uk Stocks a range of clothing in sizes from 14-32, at competitive prices.

Damn You Alexis www.damnyoualexis.com.au Born from the recognition that plus-size girls need more fashionable options, Damn You Alexis comprises strong silhouettes, luxurious fabrics and quality craftsmanship, and sets out to fill a void in the plus-size market by producing sophisticated, well designed pieces for fashion savvy girl in sizes 16 to 24. The Damn You Alexis girl is young, fashionable and chic first, and plus-size second.

Camilla Jayne www.camillajayne.com Offers trendy youthful women’s clothing in sizes 8-28.

Not everyone can look the same, can suit the one look and style, and it’s about learning that your body and your tastes should not be determined by those around you, but by how you feel.

Virtu Shop www.virtushop.com.au Fashion for sizes 12 to 24.

Forever battling with diets, huge bras and high street dresses, Georgina shares her experiences about living with and shopping for a fuller figure and bust on her blog, Fuller Figure, Fuller Bust. To keep updated about what she’s doing, and to find a link to her blog, make sure to visit her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/FullerFigureFullerBust

Jacaranda Lane jacarandalane.com.au All of Jacaranda Lane’s products are available in sizes 18 to 28, with some products being available up to size 32. All products are designed and made in Australia.

www.urbanoutfitters.com/ they will also do international returns for $5 onlineshoppingusa.com.au/free-shipping/ sells everything not just fashion CHEAP ONLINE SHOPPING WITH FREE SHIPPING www.theiconic.com.au/ shoeempire.com.au/ au.strawberrynet.com SHOP THE PLANET only provides online international stores that ship to Australia, some have free postage, some you have to pay for. www.shoptheplanet.com.au/ Don’t like online shopping? Check out My Body Gallery www.mybodygallery.com/ In a world full of images of how we “should” look it can get difficult to tell how we DO look. The My Body Gallery website is a place where women can see what real women look like. What we really look like. Most women have spent so many years looking at themselves in mirrors that we can no longer see what’s really there. The My Body Gallery project’s goal is to help women objectively see what we look like and come to some acceptance that we are all beautiful. There is the option to upload your photo into the database to help others to recognise their own beauty. It’s a small thing to do but the potential to help another person is huge. 51

As the big fashion chains’ profits dive in today’s economic climate, labels like White tailed Fawn are utilising online platforms to access niche markets, inviting a broader reach of potential customers to their products, and are able to shine and engage with their buyers on a more intimate level. Eve speaks admirably of Melbourne’s homegrown designers and artists and notes their unique, distinctive style. Melbourne’s fashion culture is booming. Despite retail markets plummeting, this is actually paving the way for individual designers and local markets to thrive. Eve says it’s a ‘privilege’ to be able to experience Melbourne’s fashion scene each day, and it is hard to disagree. Wherever you turn there are different cliques, social scenes and cultures with distinctive ways of dressing and using clothes and accessories to express themselves and how they understand their place in our world.

Model: Remy Coleman

Eve Walton-Healey is the creator and designer at new fashion label, White tailed Fawn. White tailed Fawn is based in Melbourne and I recently spoke with Eve gaining insight into her practice, how she got to where she is today and future plans for her label.

young designer: Eve Walton-Healey

Model: Remy Coleman

By Esther Levy-Fenner

Most of Eve’s garments are made from materials she’s sourced from op shops, markets, local fabric suppliers or vintage retailers. She believes that ‘the fabric tells a story in itself’, which is a beautiful thought to ponder. Other garments at White tailed Fawn are created from pre-existing items with kimonos featuring frequently, in line with the label’s oriental focus. This process of restructuring other pieces of clothing is a practice Eve prides herself on in terms of its sustainability and recycling sentiment. Oriental prints and patterns are ‘stunning’ Eve says, and the textures of the fabrics are also of great appeal to both designer and buyer alike. This is a marketing tactic Eve had cottoned on to, because the feel of clothing when worn has a significant impact on the buyer’s decision to purchase an item or not. And being a business with its roots planted in the ether, Eve is initiating a relationship with her customers based

Model: Remy Coleman

Eve speaks fondly of ‘growing up in Northcote… being exposed to many different and unique artists and designers’ and how this has influenced her design process and her overall idea of what constitutes fashion. Eve is an appreciator of fashion itself and makes a point of noting that ‘fashion is beautiful [and it is] not just the people’ that model the clothing who sport this beauty.

on trust, quality and comfort.

Making a point of how we as consumers choose items to purchase, Eve says, ‘I’ve always thought that if I buy or make a particular garment it is because I like it and will feel comfortable [and confident] in my appearance’. Dressing always comes down to confidence. If you are comfortable in your own skin and the garments you drape over your body, you will exude a glow that can only come from within. Girls and boys with this confidence will often find it spreads to other aspects of their lives, whether it be their social life, their studies, or the way they interact with family and communicate their desires and interests. White tailed Fawn’s garments are currently available on Etsy. Eve makes a point of starting to get her garments out there early, making a critical difference in an industry as competitive as fashion and retail. It’s about getting your name out there, ‘even if your skills aren’t as advanced as the most celebrated fashion designers’. You are an individual and no one else can produce the work you do, as each piece is an amalgamation of the designer’s experience, skills, inspirations and hard work. ‘I prefer individual designers as I understand and admire their experiences and [the] hard work [they have put in] to get to where they are today.’ It is important to accept that you may not be wildly successful your first time round. But remember, it’s your name out there that counts. People talk and in this increasingly digital community, links are easily posted and emailed, making discussion and exposure available at the click of a mouse. Eve’s advice to those with their own passion for fashion is to ‘take every opportunity you can get and don’t be afraid to take risks as it could be the best decision you have ever made, and [will] benefit you in the future’. Opportunities include internships with small local designers; producing garments and selling them through an online store, going to markets and setting up your own stall, or even just putting yourself out there and contacting designers and artists in the local area that you admire, hear their stories and ask their advice. 54

Model: Remy Coleman

Eve says, ‘I am inspired by other countries, cultural prints and textures. I’ve already started using Japanese [materials]’ and a recent trip to India left her in awe of the ‘gorgeous silks and saris’ in the markets and worn by the Indian women.

Establishing a personal relationship while learning from their knowledge and industry experience can be invaluable. Eve also recommends doing promotions on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to lead you down the path to greater success. Eve’s own background and training started with studying both Fashion and Studio Arts in VCE. Currently, she is studying The Associate Degree In Fashion Design and Technology at RMIT. She is in her first year but has already ‘gained so much knowledge and experience from my teachers and course’ such that ‘although I have not experienced the industry [on a large scale] I have received plenty of inspiration and gained an awareness of expectations for when I do reach that level’. ‘White tailed Fawn is a small business… specializing in cute, quirky clothes for girls sizes 6-12.’ Eve is ‘happy to communicate’, even letting customers pick their own fabrics to make your purchase fit you and your unique style like a glove. Eve is an inspiration to young and emerging designers across Australia. For more information, contact Eve at: www.etsy.com/people/evewaltonhealey.

young photographer: winnie laws How long have you been calling yourself a photographer? I’ve always considered myself to be an artist, but more recently I have been more into photography. Do you think there’s a difference between a person with a camera and a photographer? Yes, for sure. There is definitely a big difference between taking selfies or a few quick shots and a photographer. How do you hope to involve photography in your life in future years? I am not too sure about that yet, but I will definitely keep taking photos. Do you have trouble finding models/things to photograph? No! Not at all! I find so many things interesting, however my little sisters get a bit fed up of me wanting to take photos of them . Has anyone been particularly inspiring to you? I can’t particularly name anyone, but I really love all fashion photography. What is your favourite... Colour? Black and blue. Food? Mango Book? Hunger Games Subject at school? Art and maths

young artist: Bec Firag By Jessica Barlow

Age: 19 years Occupation: Artist

How long have you considered yourself an artist? If you’re producing art with the intent to make a living out of it (or at least some of your income), that’s what separates a professional from a hobbyist. That’s the way I see it. I’ve been calling myself an artist since I rented my first studio in 2011 because I consider art to be my career.

How did you get to where you are now? If I never took a gap year after school, I would never be where I am today. I would never have produced as many paintings, I would have never gotten the chance to work in a studio with other artists, and I would not have the networks in the industry that I do now. I also wouldn’t have my lovely manager, Sue, either.

Can you describe your artistic style? Each painting I’ve done so far tells a story and relates to another one of my paintings. For a time I labelled my art “still theatre”, which is a name I made up myself, because each painting links to one another to tell a story.

The Art Gallery of Western Australia was a big help for me because, through them, I was able to fund that year. At the end of Year 12, one of my pieces, a picture book entitled Bag of Sand, was accepted into the Year 12 Perspectives exhibition, which displays the best Year 12 artwork in WA. Of the participating artists, I was selected as the recipient of the International Foundation grant, worth $5000. This was how I was able to pay for materials and studio rent.

At the moment, I’m not sure what to call my work but if I had to put a label on it, I might say it’s like a surrealistic fantasy. What artists do you look to for inspiration? I find more inspiration in musicians than I do in fine artists. Artists like Eminem and Lady Gaga have inspired a lot of my work.

What type of art do your prefer? I have a huge amount of respect for classical European art. It amazes me that the artists from that era could produce work with so much detail and produce it at such a large scale. Take, for

example, the roof of the Sistine Chapel. It must have taken Michelangelo an amazing amount of time and effort to complete, not to mention all the time he must have spent before hand, learning the skills and developing his technique.

‘Artists like Eminem and Lady Gaga have inspired a lot of my work.’ I also have a lot of respect for modern-day street art because it’s so honest and simple. You don’t need to have studied fine art to be able to understand it, as you would with something like abstract art. A lot of artists tend to blame their audiences for not being able to understand their art, without themselves trying to understand how to properly communicate to their audience. I like street art because if its intent is to spread a message, the artist tends to make it clear to the

public what the message is – it’s low brow. This is where people like Banksy really inspire me because his art is direct, to the point and it looks cool all at the same time. Do you have any advice for other young artists? For people that are coming out of school, I would recommend taking a gap year and renting a studio like I did. It taught me so much about the industry, and it gave me a chance to volunteer for galleries and organisations, which allowed me to meet a lot of industry professionals who gave me a lot of advice. Going straight to uni to study art is good for someone who needs a lot of guidance to get into things, but if you already have the basics, that’s all you need. You’d be surprised how much you can figure out on your own.

To keep up to date with what Bec is up to, make sure to check out her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/bec.farag.art

young inventors: BaCoN boys

with other building concepts such as the mouthpiece. Did the BaCoN Team work well together when constructing the Spacer or were there some disagreements? We’ve known each other for a long time, and get on well. Most of it was fun and games for us, and that definitely helped, and everyone knew their job, so that was also helpful. The only time we had disagreements was when we spent a month living with each other on our engineering study tour in America, but it was fun. Even our disagreements are fun—we all like to have a say!

Front: Matthew O’Malley (holding Spacer), Sue O’Malley (coach), Liam Scott (holding Young Inventor of the Year Award), Michael Lynch. Back: Brandon Matthews, Adam Sheridan, Daniel Woods, Damon Smith

Calling themselves BaCoN after the periodic table elements Barium, Cobalt and Nitrogen, self- confessed nerds Team BaCoN have achieved a lot of awesome things. The seven South Australian high schoolers won the ABC’s New Inventors Bright Sparks in 2011, are competing in the First Lego League World Festival with their robot, and may have invented the most important device for helping asthmatics lead more normal lives; a collapsible asthma spacer designed during a school project. Helen symonds got the chance to ask them a few questions the spacer, and where they’re headed with it next. Team BaCoN are an Australian engineering phenomenon and they’re only finishing school. The winners of the ABC Bright Sparks Young Inventor of the Year Award in 2010, they won with their clever asthma Space Saver Spacer, a project they made in their Technology classes. What gave you the inspiration for the Space Saver Spacer? The inspiration for our idea came from Year 9 school camp to the Grampians in Victoria. A lot of our classmates had asthma, but [most of them] didn’t take their asthma spacers with them because they wouldn’t fit in their backpacks... We thought it would be a great idea to make a spacer that could fold up. We did a lot of research on materials, how spacers work and the static impact on the medicine. We made some prototypes, which evolved into…our Space Saver Spacer. Can you describe how the Space Saver Spacer works? The reason spacers are needed is to maximise the efficiency of the Ventolin™ [medicine]. What a normal spacer does is when the Ventolin is dispensed in the spacer—the spacer mixes the 58

Ventolin (a compressed gas) with the air to make it easier to inhale. Our spacer does that more efficiently as it is made of silicon and does not have static, which can grab the medicine. [Our Spacer] also collapses down into a smaller, more portable spacer. We figured this would be good as it is hard to carry around a giant piece of plastic; ours fits in your pocket. Is the Spacer on the market to purchase? Or is it still just a prototype? At the moment, it is a prototype. We have been completing Year 12 and have had to wait to work on it again. [We feel confident that] The Medical Advisory Committee of Asthma South Australia will help us to develop our prototype through the clinical trials. Once you had your idea what did you do next? What was the process in constructing the Spacer? We did some research, then more research, and then experimented with materials which [the Spacer] could be made with. We did research on the materials, and then found the best material, and tested them…we repeated that process

Have you always been interested in design? We’ve always been interested in engineering… [As] little kids we played with toys which sparked our imagination, and we invented ways to change them so they were stronger and could kill the other toys... We all loved our Technology classes in primary school, especially the Engineering Challenges. We all love gaming and designing worlds—it has been great to invent something that can save lives. What is Team BaCoN working on now? Right now we’re at the end of our schooling, finishing Year 12 and our exams. After that, who knows where we’ll go, we sort of bludge it. Do you have any advice for our young designers out there? [We] find that, as young people, we’ve always loved experimenting and messing around with things…and…think that’s the best way to work your creative mind to harmoniously work with your logical mind…When [we] have nothing to do, that’s when creativity shines.

Donate to the BaCoN boys’ Spacer project: www.teambacon.org.au

Have you heard about quirky.com? Quirky.com is a website that allows anyone, yes anyone, to become an inventor. Pretty cool, right? Quirky.com has been operating since 2009 and now produces at least three brand new consumer-designed products to market each week. It only costs $10 to submit your design for consideration and if the other members on the site vote for your design then your invention might be made. Best of all, you’ll receive a perpetual royalty from Quirky. com. This means that for the rest of your life, you’ll earn money from the invention you designed. You can also buy products that other site users have designed and Quirky.com has produced. Some of our favourite inventions are:

The Scratch-n-scroll mousepad: How have we been living without a mousepad with an erasable writing surface? This one is genius, but then, the simplest designs always are.

Cordies: This is a clever compact little gadget that keeps all of your cables organized and weighted-down.

To check out even more fabulous inventions and to submit your own idea, head to: www.quirky.com. 59

Nuclear Power

By Harriet Farlow

Image Credit: Antoinette Beirouty

emitting neutrons, which are just particles found inside atoms. The neutrons whiz around and bump into more uranium, making them release power too. Water is piped through the reactor to cool the uranium down, but also so it turns into steam and spins the turbines. And that’s how nuclear fission works. See, easy? Problems can occur when there are too many neutrons whizzing around, which creates too much power and leads to a nuclear meltdown. It’s not really an explosion as such, it just all gets so hot that the containment vessel starts melting and all the radiation leaks out. And the by-products of fission are usually radioactive, too. So then we have to get rid of more nuclear waste when all the uranium’s gone.

I have a confession to make. No, it’s not about my sexual preferences, and no, I don’t have a secret fetish for Gardening Australia. It’s about science – or at least my love for it. In every other way I’m a typical teenager – I like fashion and my friends and I like to giggle and squeal about boys. But before I go to bed, after I’ve finished my homework, I sit my physics book on my lap and flip to the extension chapter and I pore over it until my feet go numb. It’s absolutely mesmerising learning about what everything is made of and how we came to be here. One topic I find interesting that you might have heard about lately is Nuclear Power. It’s sounds pretty dry, doesn’t it; how exciting can nuclear power get? But nuclear power is actually really interesting and most people don’t even understand the half of it. We know it can be dangerous, we saw that with the Fukushima disaster in Japan. But what makes it dangerous? Basically, every element on the periodic table over atomic number 83 is radioactive, which means that it spontaneously and unpredictably decays into smaller elements and at the same time releases energy in the form of alpha, beta or gamma radiation. 60

We have radiation around us all the time as it’s released naturally by the sun and through cosmic rays; so since you’ve been reading this article you’ve probably been hit with a count of radiation every few seconds. And you’re more radioactive if you eat bananas (because they contain potassium isotopes but don’t worry about that, I’ve gone off on a tangent). Alpha radiation is pretty harmless, and can’t even get through anything thicker than your skin. It’s pretty much the wimp of the radiation world. Beta is a bit stronger, but can still be stopped by a thin piece of metal. Gamma radiation is the one we have to worry about. It can get through metres of metal and does a lot of damage to your health – if you get too much exposure it will make your DNA mutate and cause cancer. That’s why anything that emits gamma radiation is stored in enormous containers reinforced with metres of metal and concrete. To get power from nuclear energy scientists get a whole heap of radioactive material, usually uranium because it’s efficient and found naturally, and whack it together in a reactor. It operates pretty much the same as any other power plant would, except the power source is uranium instead of coal. The uranium starts decaying and

But what if there was another way of getting power without creating any harmful waste or having to use heaps of uranium? Well, that’s what scientists are working on at the moment. Instead of bashing uranium with neutrons to get energy (fission), they can just bash really tiny elements like hydrogen together so they combine and form bigger things and release energy. Even more energy than we would get with uranium! This is called fusion. It sounds like the future of nuclear power, but there are a few tiny details that need to get sorted out. Firstly, in order to get two elements to stick together it has to be hot. And I mean really hot – 100 million degrees! And once we manage to get it this hot, we need to figure out what we can hold it in that won’t melt or spontaneously combust. However, scientists are optimistic that they’ll find answers. In fact, there has recently been a lot of excitement due to successful experiments using lasers to create this amount of heat. So you see, nuclear power is a lot more complex than it’s depicted in the media. And you can’t really discuss whether it is a good or bad option until you understand the science, which is the same with most things. I’d better stop here because otherwise I’ll go on a rant about the radioactive tableware they used in the seventies (it’s true – manufacturers unknowingly used radioactive material in the paint) or how we can find the age of thousand-year-old rocks and bones that we dig up (they use a radioactive isotope of carbon, which is found in every living thing). So I’ll bid you adios and hope that you’ve been somewhat enlightened or at least had an ‘aha!’ moment because you’ve finally discovered how interesting science is. Or you’ve decided to eat more bananas.

Youth leadership Opportunities Pop these into Google to find out more: Australian Teenage Expo The Australian Teenage Expo is the very first and only event of its kind in Australia that’s all about YOU. Check out the website for more info. Happening in August 2013 @ The Melbourne Showgrounds.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is Rotary’s leadership training program for young people. It is run and organised by local Rotary districts, and can span from 3 to 6 days in length. Participants can be aged 14 to 25.

YMCA Youth Parliament The YMCA Youth Parliament provides an apolitical environment where participants aged 16-15 can engage with community issues as youth representatives. YMCA YP is a fantastic opportunity for you to improve confidence through interacting with participants of varying backgrounds and opinions.

Young Social Pioneers Program Young Social Pioneers invests in inspired young Australians to develop their leadership skills and support their vision for social change. The program is a year-long learning and development program for Australian social changemakers aged 18-29.

UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador Are you between the ages of 15-24 and ready to represent an organisation that has changed the lives of many? Apply now to become a UNICEF Young Ambassador. Each year one young person from each state and territory will take on this exciting challenge. 61

By Sam Lara

On the 1st July 2012, a carbon pricing scheme in Australia was introduced. Before and since, there has been much confusion over what the carbon tax actually is, how it works, and who it effects. Miscommunication, misunderstanding and misinterpretation have meant that much of the public has been left confused and anxious as the word “tax” resonates through the ether and causes concern in low-income earning households. In order to be as informed as possible in the lead up to our next federal election, I’ve aimed to give a run-down on what is considered to be one of our current government’s most controversial policies. Thus, some clarification: Why a Carbon Tax? Over 97% of the world’s climate scientists agree that the earth is warming due to an observed increase in greenhouse gas concentrations. The result of a continued rise in global temperatures will have a detrimental effect on the entire planet, not just the ice caps and low-lying islands whose images dominate climate news. Currently, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is free, despite the harm it causes. In order to combat climate change, many countries are aiming to reduce their emissions. However, in a world heavily reliant on coal and carbon-emitting transport, this can be incredibly challenging. Significantly reducing Australia’s carbon emissions in a way that pleases everyone is like trying to solve a puzzle with pieces missing and no perfect, complete idea of what the finished picture should look like. All the involved parties are trying to create a different landscape with the same pieces, but without cooperation between factions, the puzzle can’t be solved. This has meant that governments are forced to try and find ways to meet their emission targets in a way that simply displeases the fewest amount of people. Introducing a carbon tax is one such method, albeit still a controversial one.

How does it work? The Carbon Tax in Australia is not a tax on households or small businesses. It requires large businesses to purchase permits for their emissions. The idea is that businesses and industries who emit the most carbon will have to pay more in order to offset this, driving their manufacturing costs upwards and forcing them to take one of two paths. They can either raise the cost of their product to compensate for their increased spending, or find ways to reduce their carbon emissions, therefore reducing the amount of money they have to dedicate to purchasing emission permits. From a merchandising perspective, if the businesses simply choose the first option their product becomes less competitive, both due to cheaper alternatives on the market and by driving away conscious consumers- a growing number of shoppers every year. Who does it affect? The Carbon Tax only requires businesses emitting over 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year to purchase permits for their emissions, meaning only the top 300 or so polluting businesses are directly affected. Some industries that will be heavily hit will receive compensation from the government, specifically emissions-intensive coal-fired generators. The Australian steel industry, for example has been allocated a $300 million adjustment fund as well as an allocation of free permits. Many environmental groups and left-leaning organisations believe that these bail-outs are defeating the purpose of the tax. The Productivity Commission is due to assess industry compensations in 2014-15. Will I have to pay more? The Carbon Tax will not tax you directly, like the GST which appears on the bottom of your receipts. The effects will be more subtle and filter down to your living expenses. On average, you should see an increase of about $9.10 on your spending per week. A study done by The Climate Institute into the impacts of the carbon tax on the costs of living estimates that electricity bills will increase by up to around $3.20 per week and the weekly grocery shop by about $1.20 per week. The government has put in place a number of taxcuts and increased assistance payments to relieve

the pressure of increased prices. The majority of households should benefit from this. In some cases, the benefits of these household assistance measures will actually exceed the extra financial burdens of the carbon tax, resulting in an overall increase in income. The biggest change is the change to income taxes. The same day the Carbon Tax was introduced, the tax-free threshold was increased from $6,000 to $18,200 with plans for it to increase again the following year. This means that if you earn less than $18,200 per year (as many students with part time jobs do), you will pay no tax, hopefully offsetting any increased prices you, as a low-income earner, encountered throughout the year. Overall, by 2020, average incomes are projected to actually increase by about 16% and national employment by 1.6 million jobs. Where does the money go? The carbon tax is expected to generate $24 billion over three years. 100% of the revenue obtained by the carbon tax will go towards assisting households, supporting jobs in the industries hardest hit by the tax and investing in clean energy, with more than half the money going towards household assistance. What do they hope to achieve? The hope for the carbon tax is that it provides a measure for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, encourages business and industries to investigate greener alternatives of production, increases income and employment and encourages the production of renewable energies. For the big emitters, the carbon tax is an incentive for them to find ways of reducing their carbon emissions without pushing their prices up and compromising business. This means that the cleaner their products, the more competitive they’ll be. It also stimulates the growth of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal and gives them an added competitive edge. With consumers increasingly shopping for products that are both cheaper and environmentally friendly, the carbon tax is hopefully a step in the right direction for reducing the chasm between low prices and environmental sustainability.

Image credit: Nicole Shively

carbon tax and climate change

monsters in disguise By Umbra’Moon N Buntman-Bryant Gorgeous delicate children can be bitter boiling brats, They’re spoilt sickening stealers that like to wear expensive hats. Their looks are teasing, tempting, tantalising, girls want to look that way, But really all they are, are harassing, hassling, hounds that bully all day. They seem like angels, I’m not surprised, But they’re really monsters in disguise. They come in all ages and sizes you may frown, What they really like to do is put people down. Emotionally physically you name it that’s right. If you witness this it is a horrific sight. But if you do observe this don’t just stand around! Tell someone who cares don’t be a big hound. A teacher, parent, guardian, adult anyone of the kind, Or else things could happen beyond the imaginations of our minds. Watching a child being bullied, watching them suffer the mean, It is so wrong to support the scene. So now you know not to fall for those parsimonious, penny-pinching girls Even if they have the most perfect curls So perfect you could just die, Even if they do, don’t be fooled, don’t be gullible you know why. 63

Africa’s Wildlife

To find out more about IAPF, their different campaigns and how you can help visit: www.iapf.org/en/ Watch the 60 minutes interview with Damien Mander www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0yxeQYca-U

Angels

Blog iapf.wordpress.com/ Follow iapf on twitter twitter.com/iapf

By Veronica Mather

Founder of IAPF, Damien Mander

For most of us, our lives are busy and with all the commitments that we juggle on a daily basis it is easy to become self absorbed. Take some time to step outside the world that you know.

the ridiculous and unfounded belief that rhino horn is a miracle healer. This is a total myth as rhino horns consist of keratin, the same substance as our fingernails.

Right at this moment, a momentous battle to save rhinos, elephants and other endangered species from poaching is being played out in Africa. At the forefront of this important campaign is Damien Mander, a former Australian Defence commando and his organisation IAPF (International Anti-Poaching Foundation). When reading about IAPF and the plight of endangered wildlife it is hard to not feel moved.

IAPF is forging the crusade against poaching both on the ground and in the air.

Dozens of Anti-Poaching Rangers, some veteran poachers themselves serve as the front line for wildlife protection. These courageous warriors put their lives at risk each time they go on patrol. Technology also has its place in the war against poaching with the use of drones. The unmanned drones provide aerial intelligence day and night monitoring poaching activity in Mozambique’s Niassa Reserve. Thanks to the dedication of organisations such as IAPF there is hope for a future free from poaching. A world where the animal kingdom will thrive, safe from cruelty and suffering inflicted by mankind. What a wonderful world that would be.

Photo credit: IAPF

The trafficking of wildlife is illegal, but this serves as no deterrent for heavily armed and ruthless poachers who will stop at nothing to get their prize. Reasons for poaching are varied. In some South African provinces, elephants eat crops and are viewed as vermin. Financial greed is a huge motivator where there is a fortune to be made from selling ivory on the black market. Cultural beliefs in South East Asia are also a factor with

Photo credit: IAPF

Photo credit: Davina Jogi

Facebook www.facebook.com/iapf.org

Fun facts: types of clouds Cirrocumulus: are characterised by small rippled patterns.

High level clouds (above 6km above sea level.

Cirrus: resemble white tufts or filaments and are made up of ice crystals.

Cirrostratus: look like a transparent sheet or veil and are made up of ice crystals.

AN ODE TO TREES By Jess Naylor

I have never really been a huge nature lover. Maybe this comes from me being such a textbook Gen Y teenager. I love my phone and my computer and I watch way too much TV. But lately I’ve started to realise that the one thing I really couldn’t live without (in more ways than one) is trees. Recently I spent an incredible 2 months in a busy French city. But apart from the bread, cheese and beautiful Christmas lights, the thing that began to stand out to me, was the lack of trees. The streets were bare, with cobbled stones and brick houses. And with the cold air settling in and the rain pelting down, I felt like I was missing something. This choice to swap the huge trunks and green leaves for old buildings and fancy shops, wasn’t something that occurred to me until I was there. And even though trees still existed in all their immense glory, I felt the difference. I realised that trees are the one solid thing in our lives that truly do not rely on humans to continue. They feed from rain and sun and they grow and they stand tall, and they provide me with something to look up to. There are memories I have of climbing them as high as I could, of picking the sweet smelling leaves, of hiding behind them in hide and seek. Now I lean against the fat trunks to read a book, I hang fairy lights and streamers from their spindly branches and I 66

watch my cats circle them for the birds that shelter above. These Trees- eucalyptus, oak, gum, wattle, apple, lemon- in all their forms, illustrate the different moments of life. A few years ago, I travelled Western Australia with my family. My sister loves trees even more than me and when we saw our first Boabs, we stopped the car and ran around them with excitement. We took photos, drew pictures and marvelled at how different they were to anything else. Even when they get cut down, there’s always a bit of them that lives on and it’s that I love, that sense that the hundreds of lines that span the trunks, tell stories that we can never understand. I love the smell of the eucalyptus leaves, the excitement as the first nectarines begin to grown from amongst the deep green. I love the feeling of swapping the sky scrapers for tall trunks and falling leaves and birds in the air. And I love that it’s something away from a TV screen, something that can’t be deleted by my faulty hardrive. Now, I may not think of myself as a nature obsessive, but to me, trees are more than just pieces of the land. They represent moments of life within their wrinkled trunks and long branches. And when we think we know the answers, we can watch Pocahontas and realise that nobody is as wise as a tree.

Altocumulus: are layered clouds with rippled elements and are generally white with some shading. May produce light showers.

Middle level clouds (2.5km to 6km above sea level) Cumulonimbus: have very large cauliflowershaped towers to 16 km high. Can cause showers and snow. Often accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.

Altostratus: resemble a grey sheet as they have a thinner layer, which allows sun to shine through slightly. Can cause rain or snow.

Nimbostratus: are thicker, darker and lower than altostratus clouds. They produce heavier intensity rain or snow.

Low level clouds (max 2.5km above sea level) Stratocumulus: are layered clouds with a series of rounded roll and are generally white. May cause drizzle.

Stratus: are an unbroken layer or mass of gray colour. If ragged, they are referred to as ‘fractostratus’. Can cause drizzle.

Discover Careers in Science

By Claire Mcrae

I have a dilemma. In a few months it will be New Year’s Eve and I’m still unsure of what to do. Yes, go on; roll your eyes at my ‘first-world problem’ and proceed to turn to the page. Although perhaps, if you are a young person like myself you may understand the pressure that this holiday brings. New Years, according to sacred teenage code embedded into the minds of the youth for decades, is the most important day on the social calendar. Having a good time over New Year’s is crucial, not only for enjoying yourself in the moment, but for the memories - made, exaggerated or fabricated. Everyone wants a good New Year’s story to tell. The wilder, more unbelievable or scandalous the tale, the better the response, and the more likely you are to elevate/maintain your social status. Even more perplexing is the build-up, arguably surpassing that of Christmas. It seems that on January 1st, as soon as the fireworks have stopped, the bands have packed up, and the sleep-deprived teenagers begin to surface, a full circle has been made. Almost instantly, the inescapable question of ‘What are you doing for next New Year’s?’ crops up, yet again. But please, if you don’t yet have a plan, don’t fret. It’s not the end of the world. I’ve got a few tips for how to answer that question: Try replying that you’re not sure what you’ll do yet; besides it’s only [insert insanely early month of the year to be considering this here]. Or, you could nonchalantly say that you have a few options up your sleeve – but be prepared to back these up with some examples! If your questioner is so fixated on New Year’s, chances are they’ll be itching to spill the details of their own plans, so try turning the conversation around and listening intently. Then, let’s not forget, there’s the postholiday question of ‘So what did you do for New

Year’s?’ Lying will most likely get you into hot water later on, so instead tell them that New Year’s isn’t such a big deal for you, and talk about other holiday highlights. If nothing springs to mind and worst comes to worst, you could always complain that you have the world’s strictest parents and your holiday/New Year’s totally sucked. Also, remember to take the stories you hear with a grain of salt; it’s likely that they will be altered or at least exaggerated, and the reality may be much less appealing. Believe me; blasting your eardrums out to music you don’t even enjoy and being cooped up in a wet tent can sound pretty good if told in the right way. Although to be fair, it is possible to have a good time over New Year’s and rightly earn some great memories. If you do choose to make an event of it, just remember to trust your judgement and do things you actually enjoy. New Year’s is supposed to be a celebration after all, so why not celebrate it the way you want to? It’s interesting to look at how these celebrations have transformed as we’ve grown. I remember my first New Year’s Eve as the millennium ticked over and the year 2000 began. I was almost 5, and was woken by my mum at 11.30pm (which was inconceivably late for me at that age). At a lookout point at the top of our street, we watched the city’s brilliant fireworks display. As my childhood progressed, a few sparklers were thrown into the mix and I managed to stay awake past midnight, which was a real achievement! Up until a few years ago New Year’s was a family affair, which was fine. That was before all this pressure. I hope that sometime in the not-sodistant future this hyped-up teenage fad will pass and my yearly dilemma will disappear.

By Veronica Mather remove hazards to people or the environment. Marine Biologists observe marine organisms researching their behaviours, interactions and impact on the environment. Photo credit: L’Oréal Australia/sdpmedia.com.au

Image credit: Winnie Laws

The Annual Question

Sociologists study human behaviour within society. They research how people interact with each other and analyse the results to provide conclusions and predictions. Science Writers specialise in translating science topics into educational and inspiring writing that people without a science background can understand and relate to.

Dr Suetonia Palmer

Have you ever considered pursuing a career in science? Perhaps your mind just conjured up the image of an eccentric old man creating some wacky new invention. Often there is the misconception that science is more suited to males or people with brilliant minds. These ideals could not be further from the truth. Do you enjoy research, have a creative mind and a passion for improving people’s lives and the world that we live in? If so, a career in science may well be worth exploring. Rewarding Employment Working within the science world offers an astounding amount of rewarding and challenging opportunities. Science careers also provide many job options if you decide to change direction within your field. This enables scientists to have an exciting career that continues to evolve. Keep reading to find out more about potential careers available. Volcanologists are brave scientists who study active volcanoes. They map the volcano, monitor changes and predict eruptions. Epidemiologists study diseases such as cancer. These clever scientists investigate the cause of diseases and work on methods for prevention and finding a cure. Environmental Scientists study environmental problems and develop solutions to reduce or

Check out Science Buddies The website below provides a wealth of information about science careers, including jobs available, detailed position descriptions and education required to create a pathway to your chosen career. www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/ science_careers.shtml Women of Inspiration Dr Suetonia Palmer is dedicated to improving the treatment of chronic kidney disease. She was awarded a L’Oréal Australia & New Zealand For Women in Science Fellowship in 2012. To read more about Dr Suetonia Palmer and other amazing women who have excelled in their science careers, visit the below website. There is no doubt that their stories will leave you feeling inspired. www.scienceinpublic.com.au/loreal/ Bright Futures So what does your future hold? When you make a decision about your studies or career path are you influenced by your peers? It is important to make choices that support your own interests. Discuss your options with a career guidance counsellor, search the web, contact people who already work in a role that you are interested in. Maybe you could undertake some volunteer work to gain a greater perspective. Believe in yourself, listen to your heart and be willing to work hard. The world is waiting for you to leave your mark. 69

YOUTH AROUND THE WORLD

Photo credit: All photos Bianca Anderson

SOUTH EAST ASIA: A day in the life of Sim Sim is 7 years old and lives in a rural village in Laos in South East Asia. The village is set amongst limestone karsts by a river with a lagoon and has three small shops, a 5 classroom school, the village office and about 50 homes. She lives with her younger sister, mother and father while her aunties, uncles and cousins all live close by. The house she lives in is simple - it has 2 large rooms which have no walls on one side. There is a communal area where the family all sleep on mattresses under mosquito nets separate by thin sheet walls and a kitchen room. She giggles a lot, takes care of her younger family members, explores and knows many of the secret places in the village. Photo 1: The mornings begin with a communal breakfast around a small table. Sim eats sticky rice and egg with her mum, sisters and cousin. Photo 2: In the mornings all of the students in the village walk to the local school where Sim is in the junior class. The older students wear red neckties while the younger students wear blue. Sim is here with one of her best friends. Photo 3: When the weather gets too hot in the break from school the village kids go down to the lagoon to play. Sim hangs out on a rubber tube while her sister and village friend skip rocks behind her. 70

Photo 4: There are no supermarkets or shops in the village so the women go to catch dinner. While her mum and aunties fish in a nearby waterhole Sim helps to pick fresh vegetables and herbs for the evening meal from the local vegie patch. Photo 5: On special occasions the family hold a special â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;baciâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ceremony to bid farewell to visitors. Sim and her sister wear traditional dress while they tie strings around the wrists of their visitors to wish them a safe journey. Photo 6: Sim always seems to be smiling and poses outside her house with the picturesque limestone karsts in the background. 71

Malaysia: Fatin

* Not real name

My name is Fatin Afifah binti Fadzil and I am from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I am 17 years old, born on 25 October 1996 at Kedah, Malaysia. I live in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur currently. Living in a big city which hunger for money moulded the way we live. In Kuala Lumpur, the financial needs is higher than the other cities. Because of that, my parents have to work hard to earn as much money to support our needs.

I also have a swimming pool at my condominium. When holiday or weekend, I love to swim especially with my family. Moreover, in my free time I love to spend my time playing computer games. Some games I love to play are Ib, Virtual Villagers, and Slenderman. I’m one of anime fan and love to watch InuYasha and Death Note. But my art style aren’t specifically towards anime style. I love to watch comedy programmes like Running

Man. My ambition is to become an Animator, or graphic designer. I wanted to make a Malaysian successful animation like Upin-Ipin, and BoboiBoy. In Malaysia, there live many different races such as Malays (me), Chinese, and Indians (these are the major races living in Malaysia). Kuala Lumpur is the capital city in Malaysia which is the most high financial state in Malaysia. The principal languages include Malay which is the national Language also known as “Bahasa Malaysia”, Chinese, and Tamil (an Indian language); English is widely spoken and used. Buddhism, Islam, and Hinduism are the principal religions practiced by Chinese, Malays, and Indians, respectively. Malyasia’s weather are hot and rainy seasons only.

Korea: Cynthia*

BRAZIL: Flora

In Korea, we have an important test called ‘Suneung’ which is necessary to enter an university. Korean students study very hard for this test. But studying is not the only thing we do in school. We participate in sporting event such as dodge ball competition and prepare a birthday party for our homeroom teacher. We also have a special lecture that teaches us about traditional manners. In this class, we have chance to wear Korean traditional costume, which is called ‘Hanbok’. Sometimes, we go to amusement park as a field trip. After school, some students stay in school for after school classes and to study more in the library. When there is no after school classes, we go to cinema or Internet café. Korean students usually spend their weekends with their friends or family. In my case, I enjoy watching performances. Among the show I watched so far, B-boy dancing performance was excellent. In Korea, there are a lot of idol singers. So, many teenagers love K-pop music and we love going to K-pop star concert.

Describing Brazil to non-Brazilian people feels a bit challenging to me. I didn’t want to write about clichés, such as Carnival, Rio de Janeiro and soccer. So I decided to talk about 3 aspects that really interest me about my country: our music, our language and our people. Brazil is a big mix of different cultures, and that definitely influences our music. The 60’s were a really intense period, not only in Europe, but also in Brazil. Os Mutantes were a fantastic psychedelic band; Jorge Ben Jor and Toquinho recorded “Carolina Bela”. Jorge Ben (along with Mutantes and Caetano Veloso) took part in a musical movement called Tropicalismo , in which he made tropical and dancing songs. Chico Buarque sings the wonderful “Roda Viva” - he wrote lyrics that challenged the Brazilian military dictatorship . The 70s offerred “O leãozinho” by Caetano Veloso. Obviously, there are dozens of artists that are not in this list, but this has got to be summarized. I’d like to finish this paragraph with musicians from

Collage by Flora Nakazone

My father is a mechanical engineer, while my mother is a bank officer. I have 5 siblings and I am the oldest. I went to high secondary school in SMK Cheras. I took Science Technical class which taught ICT subject. I went to school by my bicycle. That’s why riding a bike is one of my hobbies. Besides, I love to draw in my computer using Paint Tool SAI software. I had draw many arts that I publish in DeviantArt. My username is Tintinfifa. Also, in my free time I love to read books like novels, comics, and encyclopedia. That is why I became a librarian in my school. My favorite color are blue, green, purple, and black, and my favorite animal are cats!

my generation, such as Criolo, Tulipa Ruiz and Silva. All of these songs have very poetic lyrics. Our Portuguese is different from the Portuguese from Portugal – it has African and indigenous influences. It’s more fun, informal, and melodic. Also, it’s a quite difficult language for foreigners. However, its characteristics make our writers a puzzle to be deciphered. One last thing that I really like about Brazil is Brazilian people. I mean, I can’t generalize our people. But there’s definitely something going on. Last weekend I went to an exhibition and waited for 3 hours in the line. 3 hours! And surprisingly, everybody around me made the wait fun, by being friendly and making jokes all the time. Besides that, I also really like the fact that you can never tell if a person is Brazilian by just looking at him/ her. You can find every phenotype in here! It’s really interesting. By Flora Nakazone, 16, Brazil. 73

usA: Lindsay

francE: Julie Translated by Molly McMillan

I am a young French girl of 17 years. I have a relatively simple life; high school, friends etc. In September I will go into year 11. My home is a little far away from school so I live at a boarding house from Monday to Friday, going home only for weekends.

I think most girls like what I like but I notice that everyone is way too worried about “fitting in” than doing things that make them happy. Girls my age tend to do whatever it takes to be liked even if it means being like anyone and everyone else, especially the models and celebrities we see on TV and movies or in magazines. The reason girls over here try so hard to fit in is to avoid things like bullying or not having friends. So many think they must have sex, wear certain clothing and make-up or they won’t be liked and even though I know it’s not true, I have fallen into that trap before myself. You can’t just run out and buy “any” clothing, it has to be name brand or you are risking being judged, when there shouldn’t be a price or “brand” to have friends. Wearing what everyone else is wearing because you are too scared to be judged isn’t how girls should be living their lives! Some girls even begin changing their whole personalities all together. I see girls starving themselves because they have been brainwashed by commercials, ads on the computer, models in magazines and people around them saying that being skinny, covered in tons of makeup and wearing “what’s in” is most important. I just want to be a normal girl who is liked for who I am and not by how I look or what I wear. I love life and it’s way too short to worry about those things. So be proud! Be Confident! Be Happy and Love Life!”

Image credit: krissybdesignsstock on DeviantArt

“My name is Lindsay Johnson. I’m 15 and I live in the city of Kansas City, Missouri in the US. I think I am pretty much a normal teenage girl. I have 2 older brothers, one younger brother and a step-brother and step-sister. I go to school, hang out with my friends when I can and I even work part time at a fast food restaurant. I love things like shopping, taking pictures, cooking, eating, playing football, exploring new places and believe it or not, cleaning. My favorite foods are pizza, Mexican food, BBQ, ice cream, chocolate and Cheetos!

The boarding house is a place of study and work, as it is inside the school, but for me, it is more a place that is full of life- except that you don’t have the comforts of your own home! And we cannot do exactly as we want, we must respect the rules imposed on us. During the week I busy myself with schoolwork and friends. Living and studying at school with the same friends works well for me and we laugh a lot. I have three sorts of friends; my classmates- I am least close with them as I only see them during study hours. Then I have my friends from the boarding house- I eat and sleep with them and so, naturally, we are much closer. On Wednesday afternoons (when school finishes early) we all go shopping and to the local pubs together. Lastly, I have my friends that I have known since I was little and I am much closer with them than any of my other friends. On Fridays, when I come home

from the week at school, I am happy to find my old friends and my bedroom there to help me relax. So, on Saturdays I go out with my good friends and we go to the local town for drinks and gossip. In the evenings we have a sort of outdoor cabin (which the boys built) where we hang out before heading out to a nightclub- of course not every Saturday, but we do enjoy going and dancing and having a good night together. Outside of friends and school, I go to “auto-school” to obtain my driver’s license. In France, you must first pass a road rules test in which you are only allowed 5 wrong answers, and for which you study at “auto-school”. Then you can drive accompanied by a parent although my parents are not very keen to let me drive with them! Jullie Vericel, lives in Tence, France

poland: Maciej My name’s Maciej Parat, I’m 15 years old, and I live in a small Town in a northern-east of Poland, called Gołdap. Here are a few words about my life in my country. School year is divided into two terms. Our summer holidays last for 2 months and winter holidays for 2 weeks. I’m not a very conscientious student, but I have many hobbies instead. My schedule is quite busy. On my typical school day I go to school at 8, have 7 lessons, finish school at 2.30 p.m., do my homework, and go to extra activities such as music school, extra English lesson, or photography classes. Then I come home at 9 p.m., and go to sleep. Next year I’m about to go to high school in the capital of Poland – Warsaw. It is said, that if you want to achieve success in Poland, and have money in the future, you have to learn a lot, and have a lot of luck.

My main hobbies are music and photography. I play the saxophone, piano and the guitar, but my greatest passion is photography. In the future I would really like to be a photographer. Polish culture is quite rich in many traditions, such as “Smingus-Dyngus” – custom of pouring water on one another on Easter, or before sitting down at the table on Christmas Eve, everyone anxiously has to wait for the moment when the first star, known as the Gwiazdka, appears in the eastern sky. When it happens, it means, that you can eat all the traditional dishes. The thing I don’t like about my country is polish mentality. If you are different than the others, wear different clothes, or just behave other way, the others will dislike you. They also envy you, if you are better at something. That’s why I wouldn’t like to live in Poland in the future. 75

Photo credits: All photos Bianca Anderson

melbourne zombie shuffle

Zombie Shuffle has been running in Melbourne since 2005 and is a day in which people of all ages are encouraged to dress up as a zombie and march united through the city. Usually held around October, Zombie Shuffle is a free event although many venues will host themed nights to extend the festivities. Make sure to head to the Melbourne Zombie Shuffle Facebook page for more information and to keep updated in regards to similar, smaller events held year round. www.facebook.com/melbournezombieshuffle

We are the youth

We Are the Youth is a photographic journalism project chronicling the individual stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in the United States. Through photographic portraits and “as told to” interviews in the participants’ own voices, We Are the Youth captures the incredible diversity and uniqueness among the LGBT youth population. We Are the Youth addresses the lack of visibility of LGBT young people by providing a space to share stories in an honest and respectful way. To tell your story, email: hello@wearetheyouth.org Jahmal, Age 20, Brooklyn, New York I moved out of my family house my junior year of high school. I was doing a lot of outside things my family didn’t agree with, and they gave me the ultimatum. At that point, I could support myself through ballet and modeling for the adult entertainment industry. Ironically, the modeling was also the thing they didn’t agree with. I started modeling when a promoter saw me at the club in Cincinnati, where I grew up. At first, I did a lot of underwear modeling, and after I turned 18 I started doing nude photography.

-Photographs by Laurel Golio, Interviews as told to Diana Scholl.

I was very hesitant at first, because at that point I had started developing myself professionally as a dancer. And nude photography can tear someone’s career apart. I don’t do it anymore, because I’m even further in my career as a dancer. People started to notice me from some of the modeling work I was doing. But it was great money, free traveling, and a lot of extra perks I was liking. Living with my family, I was so closed off to a lot of things. I started going out and meeting different people from different cultures. I was attracted to the fast, fun lifestyle that came with modeling. I was young. It made it even better, all the attention that it brought from males. As I started to get more work, I just decided to tell everyone at my high school I was gay. Once I did come out, a lot of people came out themselves. I was very popular at the high school with people thinking I was straight, and after I came out other people did too. They knew they could come to me if they had questions. During this time, I was also on an MTV reality show. It was kind of like Fame, and it was produced by Nick Lachey. I was just a background dancer, but people would notice me. I hosted a party for Cincinnati Gay Pride. I chose to wear these very bright orange stilettos and bootie shorts. I was walking in the Pride parade, and I wasn’t aware a news camera was filming me. My father was watching the news, and saw me walking 78

in my orange stilettos. He had no knowledge prior to that of me being gay. He, of course, didn’t want to have anything to do with me afterwards. For a year we didn’t talk. But he saw I was standing my ground, and didn’t need his approval. Our relationship got a lot better. I don’t think he wanted to lose his son because of my sexual preference. Now my family comes to New York to see my shows. I started dancing my sophomore year of high school. I was at a performing arts high school, and one of my best friends invited me to the dance show. The teachers saw I was naturally flexible and quick to pick up choreography. In the dance world in general, since there are not as many guys, it’s easier for guys to get into things. I just worked hard, and kind of followed everyone and tried to pick up as much as I could. I started dancing with Cincinnati Ballet. I was then accepted to be a dancer for Alvin Ailey. I had no family in New York to stay with, and didn’t really have money to survive, so myself and the artistic director of my school called Nick Lachey, who personally sent me a check to sponsor my first year in New York to continue to pursue my dream. Now I’m a dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem (PTP Ensemble). Most people perceive ballet as a more gay thing. But as a male, and an African-American male especially, whatever your sexual preference is, or your lifestyle is, you’re representing more than yourself. Being an African-American male dancer, you have to be a strong male character on stage. For a long time, a lot of people didn’t think African-Americans would do ballet. The bar is 20 times higher for African Americans. But we are able to move just as hard as the Caucasian dancers. I do know I cannot dance forever. But I intend to keep dancing as long as my body allows. I’d like to go out and mentor youth, and stay connected to the dance world as well. I work with Youth Pride Services, and I want to use everything I’ve been through to help young black gay youth worldwide. 79

When I was little I wanted to be a boy and I would call myself Sam. I’d go to Sunday school and people would be like, ‘Is that a little boy or a little girl?’ My mom would be like, ‘Why does it matter?’

Jaydee, Age 16, Bellevue, Nebraska

As I got older I realized I was comfortable being a female. And researching the gay community I realized what I was feeling was the butchness of being a lesbian. I like short hair and hate dresses. It’s more of a masculine appearance than a masculine action. If I’m anything, I’m a soft butch. I never try to do anything just to be weird or individual. But people have come up to me and told me I’m brave for dying my hair. I’m like, ‘Soldiers are brave. Firefighters are brave. I just dye my hair funny colors’. But so many people are scared to do strange things with their appearances. I had wanted to be out in Middle School, but I was scared because when my girlfriend Brittany first came out teachers had to walk her to class. Brittany and I dated for like, a month, but I wanted to keep it a secret. I started hearing rumors about us, and got ticked about it and broke up with her.

I switched schools because of bullying. There was a lot of harassment, and people calling me a lot of names. Fag, dyke, tranny. Nobody would do much about it, even my principal. I was like, screw this, I might as well go to a different school. I like to go by “Mizter.” I made it up myself. I’m more male than female, but I’m not scared to feel feminine. Before I came out as trans I came out as a fake lesbian because it was more generally acceptable. Everyone would make the joke that I was a she/he. I kind of knew I was always masculine, but didn’t know the name for it. One day I just looked up “lesbian, gay” on Google, and on Google’s autocomplete saw “transgender” at the end. I just clicked it. I was like, Woah, it’s kind of like me. When I first told my mom I liked girls, she told me I was a disappointment. That was one of the worst things. But I told her “You’re my mom, you’re supposed to love me no matter what.” It worked. In all honesty, now my mom’s been pretty accepting. I didn’t know if it would seep through. 80

I can probably go on hormones by April or March. Seeing as how she’s my only parent, I think she’s done really well.

When I started High School, I was 14 and shouting that I was a lesbian from the rooftop. I became the big lesbian on campus and the big activist. I helped found the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, and started my school’s participation in National Day of Silence. I realized I was gay when I was in 4th grade. I had seen a music video for the band t.A.T.u. I looked them up on the Internet and it was the first time I had seen the word lesbian. Then I went to a girl scout sleepover at the Birmingham Museum of Art, and I had t.A.T.u. written on my hand because I thought writing on my knuckles was really cool. This girl said she really liked them. Then I started staring at her all night. I realized, ‘I don’t just want to be friends with her. I think I have a crush on her. I think I’m gay’. I came out to my parents and my sister when I was 13 and they have been incredibly supportive. My mom is very active in the community, and she went to PFLAG meetings. My dad wants to be more of an activist than me. He goes off on anyone who says anything anti-gay.

“Anna”, Age 19, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

My concept of relationships is very negative. I call them relationshits. My experiences with relationships have never been good. With every relationship I’ve ever been in I let myself go. At the end of the relationship I was the one who got screwed over. It’s about time I focus on myself. I want to build more muscle. I’ve thought about modeling — alternative modeling, for people who have piercings and tattoos. I’ve thought about animation and graphic design. I really, really, love to draw. I’m a comic book fanatic. I like to sing even though I suck at it. I love music, just in general. I listen to a lot of Lady Gaga. Her music is very inspirational. She and Adam Lambert really helped me come out. If Lady Gaga could do that, and if a gay guy could strut on the street, I can too. To keep track of what We Are the Youth is up to, follow them at: wearetheyouth.org, wertheyouth.tumblr.com and @weRtheyouth 81

fake tan companies make gigantic profits implying that women who are pale are ugly, but it is us girls who give them permission by handing over our cash. Similarly, major conglomerates like Victoria’s Secret preach ‘Love your Body!’ all the while glorifying one kind of body over all others, but it is us who buy their bras and envy their model’s bodies, playing right into their hands. It is obviously unrealistic to attempt to only buy products from moral corporations who appreciate all body types and airbrush moderately, as there is probably no such thing, however some are noticeably worse than others. If a brand really stands out as being a proponent of negative body image, why not keep your cash for something else? For me, such unpleasant brands include Victoria’s Secret, Urban Outfitters (creator’s of the T-shirt slogan ‘Eat Less’), and anything to do with Unilever, the conglomerate behind Lynx. I will never support these companies, as, in my view, they do not hold the well-being of girls and women to heart.

Image credit: JubilationRaina on DeviantArt

Magazines: responsible resources or money-hungry corporations? By Sophie Stockdale

The typical fashion or gossip magazine cover displays a very slim, young, and airbrushed celebrity or model accompanied by a slogan like, ‘how to get THAT body!’ This is because it is presumed that we all want that body. We all want to change. Apparently, we all want to be thinner, or more tanned, or taller, or have curves in all the right places. God forbid we like ourselves the way we are. I argue that this presumption is rife in beauty and fashion corporations and sadly, even in magazines targeted at young women. It is this presumption that makes most girls and women

feel inadequate, but thankfully, every single one of us has the power to vote with our wallets. Huge fashion and beauty labels almost exclusively use the kinds of girls we are all so used to seeing: thin and airbrushed into absolute perfection. And of course they do, because an insecure and desperate woman who compares herself with these flawless beauties is an excellent spender. At the end of the day, a corporation will do whatever it takes for money, and so it is up to us to take responsibility for our spending. For example,

Amidst the bombardment of unattainable images of beauty, fashion and gossip, magazines aimed at young girls and women only sporadically spread messages that promote positive self-image. Even when they do, the latest diet or glorification of a model is usually close behind, making the message seem insincere and tokenistic. In fact, some of the content is actively harmful. A prime example is the proliferation of statistics from a small group of men dictating to the reader which celebrity body type men prefer, as in ‘The Sexiest Celeb’, which informed readers that Miranda Kerr was ‘the fairest of them all’. (Cleo, August 2012) Another example is showing naked women and displaying what percentage of people find this kind of girl attractive, with positive and negative comments added, as in ‘Naked & Rated: What a Sexy Body looks like’ (Cosmopolitan, June 2012). Even if the articles are intended to be positive, they are simply toxic, poorly executed segments which encourage girls to think negatively about their bodies and compare themselves to the mostliked bodies. A flat chested woman does not need to read that Lucy, 27 believes that Sarah ‘could be more well-endowed’, and a petite woman does not need to read about how Michael, 29, perceives Lisa R as ‘too short’. And after all, the

kind of person who looks at a female body and is happy to have his or her unpleasant comments published is probably a pretty unkind person, so why do we care what they think? It is an utter disgrace that their criticisms are being projected onto young women, and that journalists are orchestrating it. Equally damaging, is the intense and neverending discussion around dieting and weight-loss displayed in magazines. The startling statistics around eating disorders and negative body-image are well documented, but behind the statistics are real girls who have literally been trained to loathe what they look like, to pick apart every flaw and to feel like no matter what they buy, or how much they exercise, they will never be truly beautiful. Constant calorie counting, over-exercise, bingeeating, guilt, self-induced vomiting, laxative-abuse and self-loathing are the reality for thousands of girls. Intelligent and ambitious women with so much going for them toss around the words ‘I’m fat’ and ‘I’m ugly’ and waste so much time and head-space worrying about their apparent flaws. But beyond weight issues, is the unpleasant implication circulating in modern media that you need to change, no matter what you look like, or how healthy you are. Advertisements tell us every day that our skin colour is wrong, and so we need fake tan. We are too fat, and so we need such and such diet or protein supplement. Celebrity interviews focus heavily on food, exercise and body image in general, proliferating body-angst and implying to its readers that your body and your diet should be an intense focus, to an arguably unhealthy extent. Teenage girl and women’s magazines preach about healthy bodyimage, all the while filling their pages with various diets, on one hand proliferating healthy food ideas but on the other, discussing body-shape so much that it is becoming a major source of angst for young women today. Until magazines use their popularity and resources to encourage self-love and imply that we should adore a variety of women and all their healthy body types, skin tones and individualities, they will always be just another corporation. Just a collection of people who proliferate negativity in the hopes of earning a dollar, and who will never get mine.

The Girl in the Magazine

Poem

I see you in the magazine

I guess I should just stay at home

I wish I looked like you

Away from all the laughs

But in the mirror, there’s a girl

Sit down and read your magazine

So uglyit is true.

Learn the makeup arts

I need to changes the horrid bits

Learn more about the diets

The bits that make me sick

I seem to get them wrong

I need to see the way you look

Learn more about my horrid bits

To learn what must be fixed

And make my legs look long

My hair, my nose, they’re not like yours

I think I might need surgery

My body is so fat

I need to lose some weight

I shouldn’t eat—…but then I binge

But as I’ve just turned fourteen

I don’t know where I’m at.

I guess they’ll make me wait

I see the other girls at school

They do not know my torture

They try to do your style

Your beauty on the page

They throw away their lunches

They do not know the horrid truth

Fake tans with eyes black lined

My looks, my flaws, my shame.

The Relationship Stereotypes Questionnaire How often have you made assumptions about couples you see? One of the most common assumptions made about couples with a large age difference is that the younger person must be a ‘gold-digger’ or the older person must be rich. Yet this is often not the case and our assumptions are greatly misguided. Brainwash had a chat with a few different types of couples to see what it’s like to be on the receiving end of such assumptions.

By Tricia Palmer Every day I see myself Looking back at me I’m never going to look like you You would definitely agree

Age difference

Different Nationalities Luke*, Aussie background

Debbie*, aged 21. David*, aged 37.

Describe your relationship.

*Not real names Are you comfortable displaying affection in public? At first David was conscious at displaying affection in public but not because of the age difference. It was something that he had always had trouble with however as our relationship progressed and I was able to show him that showing affection in public wasn’t a scary thing. Now there are no uncomfortable moments.

We haven’t been in any awkward situations however there are often comments such as Debbie looks really young or how old is she and David looks quite a bit older how old is he. But that’s it there isn’t any negativity or judgment towards us because of the age difference.

Have people questioned how much you love your partner because of the age difference?

Do you worry about growing old because of your age difference?

Debbie has been asked about whether it will be an issue for when the idea of kids come into the picture but David is open to it and we will be able to deal with it when it comes.

Debbie doesn’t worry about it however David will sometimes have some insecurities that I will leave him when our age difference becomes much more apparent because of aging. However, what we have is much more important than just looks.

At first some people were slightly wary about the age difference however whenever anyone sees us together they can see how happy we are. Being in different stages of life, do conflicts between you arise? We haven’t had any conflicts yet; at times there will be references to some things that we don’t know but we love it because we can teach each other stuff and have fun with it. 86

Have you experienced awkward situations introducing your partner to others because of age?

Any other comments? Age difference doesn’t matter if you love the person you are with, you make each other happy and respect each other for who they are and what they want to do and get out of life etc then they should be together. If people have a problem with it then that’s their issue to deal with because they aren’t in the relationship so they cant judge it or think of it as ‘wrong’.

Alice*, Indian background

We’re very close, and have a strong relationship based on respect and a lot of mutual understanding. It’s hard to ‘describe’ our relationship without any more context, but I guess we spend a lot of time together, are interested in each others’ interests, and like doing a lot of the same things. We try to be there for each other, and make room for each other in our lives. How did you meet? Luke* : We met at a university newspaper meeting. And then more comprehensively on Facebook. We were friends for a long time, meeting up on a semi-regular basis to discuss feminism, politics, music and whatever crossed our minds. This continued for nearly 2 years before I summoned the courage to ask Alice* out, via txt message because I was too scared to bring it up at coffee! How long have you been together? 8 and a bit months.

*Not real names being non-Indian. However, I will be telling them this year, before we move in together. Luke: None whatsoever, I have the sort of parents who wouldn’t have cared or thought twice if I had been a homosexual. It wasn’t even like I’d say “I have a girlfriend, by the way, she’s got an Indian bcackground.” No need. Have you always been attracted to people of your partner’s nationality? Alice: I guess so! But his nationality has very little to do with why I’m attracted to him.

Do your cultural or religious beliefs differ? No, despite the fact that our backgrounds are very different. (I was raised as Muslim by my Indian parents, Luke was raised as an atheist, by his formerly-catholic parents). Did you have any problems introducing your partner to your family? Alice: I still haven’t introduced Luke to my family, because they would strongly disapprove of him

Have you ever received public comment about your relationship? Occasionally we get some strange looks and raised eyebrows from other Indians we run into. There was one woman who worked at our local supermarket who seemed to take a strong disliking to us. But then other Indians seem to like us, and we used to get discounts at a local takeaway… I guess you can never tell!

Height Difference Brent* – 29 and 6’0” (183cm)

lesbian

Michaela* – 26 and 4’11” (150cm)

No children Cynthia*

Louise*

Simon*, aged 30.

Describe your relationship. Our relationship is a secure and loving one. We both share common values and beliefs, such as the importance of caring for the environment, respect and acceptance of people of all different races, religions and sexual orientation. Dianne*, aged 30. How did you meet?

How did you meet? We met on a street corner at 4am on a Sunday. Nothing seedy, though–we were introduced by a mutual friend. We hit it off…eventually.

This year marks seven years.

How did you meet? We met at a bar in Diamond Creek, both there for separate parties. We’ve been together for 2.7 years.

Are you comfortable displaying affection in public?

Are you comfortable displaying affection in public? Yes we are.

How long have you been together?

Absolutely, if you consider a hug or holding hands “affection”; we’re not so keen on swapping saliva and/or groping in public. Can you share any funny/memorable stories involved with your difference in height? [This question has totally stumped us! Only thing we can think of is…] When Brent first took me to meet his friends, his best mate turned to another guy and said: ‘Um, why is [Brent] bringing children to my house?’ Do you wish you were the same height? No. Aside from my neck pain from having to look up at him and his slow-developing hunch from having to look down at me, it’s not an issue. In all seriousness, though, our height difference is insignificant. *Not real names 88

Describe your relationship. Out of control! We have 4 kids, all Louise’s,* and sometimes it’s a massive drainer! When we are alone and have no worries or stresses we are like a house on fire but when we are short of cash or not working we can’t even stand each other! There is always arguing! Otherwise we love each other!

Have you ever been made to feel uncomfortable because of your relationship? We have felt a bit uncomfortable around my parents (Cynthia) and Louise’s ex husband, but we get over it. Do you want to start a family? Yes. Even though Louise has already got 4 children of her own it would be nice if we could have a child or 2 between ourselves to grow into our already existing family. We are trying at the moment!! Is one of you more masculine than the other? We are both tomboys and sporty! Louise is more rough and tough than what I am but I dress in men’s clothes as they are more comfortable and I don’t like girly clothes! Her kids however say I am SOOOOO much more butch than her!

We met at Uni where we were both studying the same course - Bachelor of Teaching. Simon held open a door for me and it was love!

*Not real names

How long have you been together? We’ve been together for almost 8 years, married for 4.5 years. What is the reason you don’t have children? Firstly, we feel that the world is overpopulated, creating a strain on the earth’s precious resources - we’d rather not add to this. Also, there are many children in our world who need a family as it is. Secondly, we both need to work in order to support ourselves. It wouldn’t be fair to bring a child into this world and then palm them off to the grandparents or send them off to childcare everyday. It wouldn’t be fair on the grandparents and it wouldn’t be fair on the child. We are of the belief that unless you are willing to spend the time raising your own children and instilling in them positive values & behaviours, particularly during the formative years of their lives, then you shouldn’t have them. How do your friends and family feel about this decision? Depends which family you talk to! My family is distraught and in denial. They think we’ll change our minds. His family is quite supportive and happy to let us make our own choices. Most of my friends are childless too, so there’s no baby talk when we get together - thank goodness!

What would you do if you got pregnant by accident? If we got pregnant by accident then we would keep the child. I couldn’t bring myself to abort my child when I know we could provide it with a loving family, even if it didn’t meet the ideals set out above. Any other comments? There is the perception that if you don’t want children you must hate kids. For us, that is far from the truth - we love kids! Another misconception about us is that we are selfish for not having children, selfish for not giving someone life. A lot of this talk is based around religious beliefs to which we don’t subscribe. We think it’s selfish to have kids you can’t afford or raise yourselves. It’s also selfish to have biological children when there are so many children out there who need loving parents. Add to that the huge environmental impact an extra, breeding human has on the Earth... We have thought it through thoroughly and there are just so many unselfish reasons not to have children. The common line that gets thrown at us is, ‘What if you regret it when you’re older?’. I think I would rather regret not having children than regret having them. 89

Most people who meet us, would never from the surface this we were gay, we do not carry the common appearances associated with the stereotypical gay image. Are you comfortable displaying affection in public? Not really, it is one of those areas that we believe society is not ready to see. If we are comfortable with who we are around and it might be more private then sometimes affection is displayed. In most cases affection is displayed at home.

Have you ever been made to feel uncomfortable because of your relationship? Not really, I think you need to be comfortable with yourself and what others do or say is their opinions and the way you interpret them is entirely up to you. Any other comments? Everyone has a different story, When I first came out my parents did not accept it, while I was not kicked out of home, it took 6 years for them to come to terms with what ever they had to deal with and now it was worth the wait. As they say all good things come to those who wait.

“Trends come and go - the most important part is being true to yourself.”

rd ay

No, most people would need to get to know us for a while before they get the idea and ask the questions.

Your VCE score does NOT define you.

If yes, is that your biological appearance or have you chosen to appear that way? Why?

Do people ever assume that because you are gay you have a certain set of characteristics or will enjoy particular activities more? Eg. Shopping.

Yes and no, we both have feminine characteristics in different ways. I can be more emotional and he likes to cook and clean. Together we make a great team and balance each other. He likes to shop and I sort the bills. I like to shop too but as he would say for nerdy things... he is into fashion and styles the home.

At this stage there is no idea to, we have spoken about this but we would like to adopt and would need to feel financially stable to bring up a child.

olve

Is one of you more feminine than the other?

Do you want to start a family?

oe s n

s ’t

We meet at work, we become friends and the relationship grew from this. After a few months we become “official”.

d ip

How did you meet?

Get job experience early on.

Treat people the way you’d like to be treated and realise that when they don’t treat you the same way it’s not necessarily because of you.. In fact Just be yourself because people aren’t judging you the way you might imagine (they are likely too concerned in being insecure and awkward themselves).

th e

Of y, da

*Not real names

e g a

Like all relationships there are ups and downs. We are a gay couple who have been together for 8 years. This year we moved into our own home and are living a couple life. Working hard and paying bills. We often socialise with friends and family but don’t have the wild clubbing weekends.

Teenage r o rs sF

gos

Describe your relationship.

“Smoking doesn’t make you cool.”

Jonah*

Smile!

M es

Gary*

High School is a really strange place. If you don’t think you fit in or others aren’t inclusive, it’s not a reflection on you, it’s just because you’re in a very small group of people. Once school is over you’ll be able to choose the kind of people you want to hang around. It’s awesome!

“Wear Sunscreen. Doesn’t matter how annoying it is, just do it.”

Get invloved in some type of community work , charity, or cause close to your heart. Your life will be more meaningful and you will meet like minded people.

ythin an

gay

Listen to the advice older people give you - we’ve all been a teenager once.

There’ll be a lot of pressure, particularly around school and uni, but it gets easier and take the time to find out what makes YOU tick, not everyone else

e t ee y nagers of

Get invloved in some type of community work , charity, or cause close to your heart. Your life will be more meaningful and you will meet like minded people

“Your body is amazing, be kind to yourself.”

e t s

It will all be ok in the end, if its not ok then it’s not the end when I was a teenager everything that went wrong felt like the end of the world to me!! But it will work out eventually!

Know that there’s not one thing that will magically make you happy - not having your dream job, or being a size 8, or having a boyfriend. While those things might help, happiness is a state of mind that you decide on. It’s not a destination.

‘I’M NOT CONTAGIOUS!’ By Sunny Werner

Alice grinned as she told me this. Apparently she’s run into many people whose lack of knowledge about LGBT people leads them to fear even being in the same room with her. Alice is a young lesbian woman, who lives in a small town in Eastern Oregon, U.S.A. Attitudes are old-fashioned and anyone who is ‘different’ is viewed with suspicion. Many locals are quite religious, and the community standards tend to preclude acceptance of lifestyles that do not fit the mould.

By the 8th grade she realized she really did like girls better than boys, and told her bestie, CC, while they were watching movies one weekend. CC and Alice laughed as they described the conversation, as Alice had felt quite scared about coming out to the friend who had known her since they both were two. CC, however, while not having any knowledge of gay people, had been raised in a warm and accepting family. She said she was a bit startled, but really didn’t see that it made a difference to who Alice was.

Alice certainly does not fit into local standards of ‘normal’, and her journey through accepting her own sexuality and becoming an advocate for other young teens who are not drawn to the heterosexual lifestyle has put her outside the pale for many residents. In addition to her lifestyle, Alice is outspoken and can be confrontational when she sees a need to speak up. While many people view this as a positive attribute, others are uncomfortable or offended.

When Alice came out to her mother, she found acceptance and support. She tells of how strong a woman her mother is, and how she was reassured that she was loved no matter what lifestyle she lived. She says she knows her mother lost a lot of friends because of her refusal to judge Alice.

Alice has come to terms with who she is, and is ready to grow into her own woman. I met with Alice over coffee in one of our local restaurants. We sat outside as it was a beautiful late Summer day, and the mountains were clear in the distance. She brought moral support (being interviewed can be a little nerve-wracking!) in the form of her sisterin-law, Nancy, and her best friend, Sierra (CC). Her mother would have joined us, but unfortunately had been ill. Alice is 19, just graduated from High School last June. She is a pretty woman, with shoulder-length brown hair and lovely eyes. She’s vivacious and laughs a lot. She intends to work towards a career as a Human Rights Activist, and her experience throughout her term in High School has certainly provided much direct knowledge of how to motivate, advocate and address uncomfortable issues. Alice described her involvement in the Day of Silence movement, and how she succeeded 92

She said she was standing and waiting for friends when a new girl in school walked by, and her first thought was ‘Wow, she’s gorgeous!’ followed immediately by the thought ‘oh, that’s weird! I think a girl is gorgeous...I’d better find a boyfriend fast!’. She says she followed up on her plan to ‘be normal’ by finding a boy who was related to a friend, and lived a long way away. They were girl-and-boyfriend in name, and communicated by email and text, but Alice says she was absolutely miserable the entire time. However, she was still struggling with her feelings, and this helped her feel like everyone else.

in enlisting more than 300 of her fellow High School students to observe the Day in 2011. For this remarkable accomplishment, she received a national activist award, the LGBT Equality Champion Award. She has also received death threats and threats of harm. Her concern has never been for her own personal safety, but she worries about her friends who have chosen to stand with her, most of whom, like CC, are not gay but support everyone’s right to love freely. Alice told me how she first became aware of being ‘different’, telling of her first day of 7th grade.

Reactions from the rest of her family have been mixed. Her brother and sister in law (Nancy) are supportive, her father is not. Her grandmother struggles with it. Because of Alice’s activism in school and her outspokenness, the local newspaper had interviewed her – and so Alice came out to a far wider public than the average young LGBT person. These days, Alice is taking a bit of a hiatus from activism. She returned to her hometown a couple of months ago, after living in a much larger city. She says it’s time for her to concentrate on thinking about her goals in life, and that the quieter pace in this rural town gives her more time to do that. She plans to move on soon, back to a big city where, she says, there are many more opportunities for her to find work, support from a large LGBT community, and a more progressive outlook.

The word ‘gay’ - how often do you use it correctly? By Emma Barlow Gay. Happy, flamboyant, carefree and bright, well at least that’s what it meant until the turn of the twentieth century. What was initially an adjective used to describe a persona, the term ‘Gay’ has morphed into one of most commonly used words of teens in western culture. Now more commonly associated with homosexuality, the term ‘gay’ (also a noun) is used more often than not in a derogatory sense. ‘That’s so gay’, ‘How gay is that’ are terms that no-one blinks an eye at anymore, but should we? If society is making a direct correlation between the word gay and relationships of same sex unions and then using those terms on a frequent basis, surely a person involved in a homosexual relationship would become frustrated. Most major capital cities in western society are now made up of 10% of people who are openly homosexual. Maybe the remaining 90% should find an alternative term next time they are looking for a negative connotation to describe something. By 1990 the majority of youths described the term gay as offensive, derogatory and insulting – which is exactly why it took off. Like swearwords and other derogatory terms such as ‘slut’, ‘skank’, ‘bitch’, ‘dick’ and so on, gay became the new fad word. I personally cannot wait until a new word comes along that does not share the same negative and ignorant tone.

*Consider how you use the word gay and how it is used by those around you. Would you tell one of your friends about the dangers of using this word incorrectly? Why/why not?

Are You Ready?

Thinking about having sex for the first time?

By Emma Schubert

Photo credit: Storms-stock on DeviantArt

Are you doing this for your own pleasure, or someone else’s? Sex is good. It feels good, it’s fun and it can bring the participants closer together. However recent research has shown that the majority of heterosexual young women are focused solely on pleasing their partners sexually, while not really sure what they like themselves. Sex is a two-way street; it is not just about one person’s pleasure. It is your partner’s responsibility to make sure you are comfortable and enjoying yourself, as much as it is your responsibility to make sure they feel the same way. If this is not happening, perhaps it is too soon for sex, or you’re doing it with the wrong person.

‘express your needs and take your partner’s needs into account.’ What fallout could this have?

‘Sex isn’t just about knowing what goes where. It’s about being comfortable and coping with what happens afterwards. Psychologist Emma schubert gives some important advice for those considering that next step. When I was a teenager I felt like everyone was having sex except for me. It was whispered about during lunchtime and we all knew which girls had “done it”. We were equal parts impressed and judgemental. We received all the mixed messages about how sex is amazing and life-changing, but also not a big deal and could be done whenever and wherever. All the boys in my year talked like they were doing it regularly. There were always articles in the magazines we read not just about how to have sex, but how to be good enough/ adventurous enough/ submissive enough. The teenage characters on TV were all doing it, or agonising over when they should, and how to make it special. Looking back on this now I also notice how “hetero” these messages are. Rarely

was it mentioned that we might be struggling to figure out who we were attracted to, or that we might be same-sex attracted. Now 28, in my work as a psychologist I often hear from young women how confused they still are about these messages. I was pretty damn confused myself at the time. If I could talk to my teen self these are the questions I would ask, and note they are just as applicable for same-sex partnerships: Do you think you’re ready for sex? It’s not just about putting the body parts together like Lego. As a teenager I understood how it worked, I had practised putting the condom on the carrot in PE class, and I knew it would be bad to get pregnant. What I did not understand was the emotional issues around being sexual. Sex is one of the most intimate things you can do with another person. It requires vulnerability and trust, and can change relationships for the better or worse.

We all know about STIs and pregnancy, but what about the emotional and social fallout? Research tells us that the human brain is not fullyformed until our 20s. The major bit that is still in production is a complicated understanding of cause and effect, what consequences or results an action may have. As a teenager I was a swirling mass of hormones and emotions, I know now that these didn’t help me to make the best decisions. I wasn’t considering the future most of the time, for example taking up social smoking at 16 (I quit at 21). Similarly I’m not sure I really that I had the insight to foresee how things might change—for me, between me and my partner, and for me and my friends if I chose to have sex. What do you think the age of consent is all about? I remember feeling I’d missed the shaggin’ wagon at 14, that I’d left it too late. What I didn’t really understand was that legally, in Australia, the law says we cannot have sex until 16 (17 in South Australia and Tasmania). This applies to everyone, straight and gay sex. This law was put in place to protect young people from sexual

Consider the below pieces of advice before committing to anything. Love yourself first. Sex doesn’t make you a prettier, smarter or cooler person. It just makes you someone who has had sex. – Genevieve. Sex might hurt. It doesn’t for everyone. To minimise any discomfort make sure you’re well-lubricated (naturally or otherwise) and that you’re reasonably relaxed. (I’m not going to tell you to calm your nerves because sometimes that’s impossible!) Talk to your partner, take it slow. Stop if you need to. The most important thing is to feel comfortable and in control of your own body. – Ruby. Ask yourself lots of questions – do I feel safe; do I feel ready; is it me who wants this or am I feeling pressured (by peers or partner),or am I being manipulated by my partner?; do I know what I need to know about STIs (sexually transmitted infections) and contraception?; Do I know how to set healthy boundaries based on mutual respect; etc. etc. And please, please, please, realise that we are in the midst of an STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections) epidemic, with the 15 – 29 age bracket at highest risk. It’s really important to confirm that the person you are with has been tested and is clean, and that you always use a condom in combination with hormonal contraception. - Liz. Until you have sex, it seems like this big, monolithic, scary and exciting thing that everyone else knows about, and you just have no clue. Don’t freak out about it – just let yourself discover it as it happens. And don’t feel like you have to match up to someone else’s agenda either – your sexual experiences are yours to own and experience as suits you. - Zoya 95

By Liz Walker

abuse, and is usually only used in court when one sexual partner is more than 2 years older than the other. According to the law people under 16 cannot consent (agree) to any sexual acts, the people in charge think this decision is too big for people younger than 16. I tend to agree with them. Friends and clients I know who began being sexual this young often regret it later, or with reflection feel that they were pressured into it.

It’s time to wise up to manipulative ‘one-liners’ such as this one: “Hey babe, it’s all good – I’ll pull out in time”. Woah!! Is this supposed to be some sort of alternative contraception?? Uh uh!! NO protection = NO way. Try standing by this mantra instead of taking unexpected detours with STIs or pregnancy impacting health, education or career plans.

Is it safe and ethical?

Guys want sex more than girls – FALSE.

Dr Moira Carmody from the University of Western Sydney ran a very interesting research program with teenagers to find out what they knew about sex. Turns out they knew the mechanics, but were not so sure how to talk about it and negotiate what they wanted to do in a healthy way.

If you believe TV or ‘other’ magazines, it seems that men are more eager for sex than women. After all, it’s just their way of showing affection and it’s up to women to meet that need, right? Oh please!! Some men may have these expectations, but not all. Respectful guys are happy to slow it down, get to know the person and show affection in other ways too. PLUS – newsflash – enjoying sex is not just for guys! When a woman feels safe, valued and emotionally ready, eager just might be her middle name.

She suggests that both sexual partners ask themselves a few questions before embarking on any sexual act: will sexual interaction enhance this relationship? Is this what I want / what I like / what feels good? Are we taking steps to protect ourselves? Is this what the other person wants / enjoys/ how do I know, have I asked? Do I feel comfortable asking for what I want or saying no if I am not enjoying what is happening? Yes, it is awkward to ask these questions or talk about this stuff. However part of being “ready” for sex is being mature discuss is, express your needs and take your partner’s needs into account. These questions can help to protect you and your partner from a sexual experience which is regretted afterwards, or worse, coercive or violent. In the end I decided to draw the line at fooling around, and wait a few years before embarking on the main attraction. Even now I think it was the right choice for me. The age of consent is there to protect young people and needs to be part of your decision making. The bottom line is that you need to decide when and how you want to become sexual. Don’t let other people or other pressures make that decision for you. I encourage you, as I would encourage my teenage self, to think through these questions, talk about them with friends, and to not rush. Trust me…not everyone else is having sex, they’re just talking about it.

‘Pulling out” early is a good form of contraception – FALSE.

Oral sex is dirty – FALSE. Where did the myth that oral sex (particularly on women) is dirty and girls shouldn’t expect guys to do it without being grossed out?? NOT TRUE. To expand on this we might just need an R-rated sealed section so let’s leave it there. Sex is just physical – FALSE. There’s so much more to sex than just physical – it can also be emotional, psychological and spiritual. And ALL of this is influenced by our personal values and the social world around us. Sometimes sex can leave a person feeling used, rejected, depressed and ripped-off. Other times, emotions run high with a deep sense of meaningful connection. Everyone is having sex with everyone all the time - FALSE While some suburbs might seem to resemble a bad episode of Desperate Housewives, most people aren’t finding a new nest every night. Even though sex is so ‘out-there’ in the media, there’s lots of misinformation and misunderstanding. It’s worth giving sex more reflective thought - find a safe, smart adult to talk to and make sure it’s your choice, free from pressure or manipulation.

Boys have a penis, girls have a... By Karen Kelsi

Image credit: Jessica Barlow

BUSTING SEX MYTHS

Vagina art, ugly inner labias, misinformed toddlers and confused doctors—Karen Kelsi campaigns for women to reclaim the word vulva so we all know what’s going on. The first time I noticed the word vagina being used to describe a vulva was in a conversation that a friend’s daughters (2 and 3 years old) were having with each other. It was clear from the conversation that they meant ‘vulva’ but they’d obviously been taught to use ‘vagina’. Toddlers have no knowledge of their vaginas, why would their parents teach them to say ‘vagina’? It’s an internal organ, it cannot be seen without a speculum and a torch; they might as well have been using the word ‘womb’ or ‘ovary’. If we want to teach small children that they have internal organs like a uterus and vagina in connection to reproduction, great. However, a child experiences only her vulva, which comprises (mainly) the public mound, labia, clitoris and urethra. A girl doesn’t experience her vagina directly until she has sexual intercourse, or uses a tampon; she doesn’t need to know those things at the age of two or three. What she needs is words to describe the parts of her body that are relevant to her. I can understand why women might merge vulva and vagina in their minds as one contains the gateway to the other. Even then, it seems to me that we are discounting a huge part of our sexual pleasure by using only one word for everything. At the very least, the vulva is being given a subordinate status to the vagina, even though there are a lot of sexual experiences that occur within the vulva – not just from the clitoris but also the inner labia and the vestibular bulbs beneath our outer labia.

Twenty years ago, it was just a trend. Now, the misuse of vagina is a ubiquitous weed in the landscape of our sexual discourse. It’s in books, on TV, in general conversation. Vagina Art is now a thing. I’ve even read about women who think that their vagina is ugly. I know the beauty industry has invaded every part of our bodies but to describe something you can’t see as ugly …? OK, so they were describing their vulva in general or their inner labia in particular, which shouldn’t be subject to judgements about appearance anyway, but you get the point. The way we use language is important because there are times when it’s vital to know what someone else is actually talking about, particularly when we are using medical terminology. In these circumstances, the words we use can save a life. Vagina is not another word for vulva. Men would never allow foreskin to stand in for the word penis.

‘vagina is not another word for vulva.’ It’s time to reclaim vagina and vulva as the separate entities that they are. Tell your friends, teach our kids. We have a lot of ground to make up.

By Lucy Le Maurissier Scott

More information can be found at www.youthwellbeingproject.com.au or you can follow at facebook.com/TeenSexInfo and facebook.com/YouthWellbeingProject

collectiveshout.org Collective Shout is a grassroots campaigning movement against the objectification of women and sexualisation of girls in media, advertising and popular culture.

sti.health.gov.au/internet/sti/publishing.nsf STIs are spreading fast – always use a condom.

There’s a lot of mysticism about giving birth and an unspoken agreement between those who’ve been there to hide the truth from the uninitiated. Most likely you’ll either hear horror stories of extreme ripping or how one woman had an orgasm when she pushed the baby out: neither of which is a foregone conclusion.

www.letthemknow.org.au/ Let them Know website helps people who have been diagnosed with an STI to tell their (past or present) partners that they might also be at risk.

So, as someone who has been in the birthing suite, here are the things that the courses, the manuals and the mummies probably won’t tell you.

Your sex health is about reproductive and sexual health. It delivers expert information on emotional, practical and relationship issues, helping you to see the impact of your decisions about your sexual and reproductive health.

www.1800respect.org.au/

separating fact from fiction about what actually happens in a birthing suite.

If you Google ‘what’s it like to give birth?’ you’ll get over 77 million results. It’s all ‘like passing a kidney stone’ or ‘pissing a watermelon’… but how many people have actually experienced either?

www.yoursexhealth.org/

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) is a free 24 hour national counselling service - if you are at risk of or have experienced physical or sexual violence.

and swimmers (nothing white) because after a few sessions in the shower or the pool you’ll start to feel pretty soggy and cold in jeans.

• Go to the gym. Mums-to-be - everything will be a lot easier if you’re even just a bit fit, so get walking, cycling, do as much yoga as you can. And if you’re a birth partner you’re going to get sweaty. Proper sweaty. Imagine being forced into 24 hours of intermittent boot camp. I found myself relieving my wife’s pain by doing downward dog on her back, straddling a toilet cistern (she was on the loo) to massage her pelvis, and running back and forth to the shops to get energy drinks (you won’t eat much: sugar is your BFF on birthing day). So get prepared and wear your old gym shoes. • It’s a messy business. Mum-to-be should come in comfy gear and prepare to strip it all off by the end. If you’re the birth partner bring trackies

• Get a wax. Ok, ok, you don’t really have to, but I know someone who thought her baby had an afro when she looked into a mirror to see him on his way out. He didn’t. She just hadn’t pruned the garden in 9 months. • Do you doula? Pronounced dooo-ler, this is someone who’s basically half way between a midwife and a birthing partner. Usually female and with a side order of hippy, they come equipped with things like head massagers and essential oils, but also know how to hold mumto-be still enough in order to safely get an epidural. Seriously consider it. Student doulas are a cheaper option – they know what they’re doing but need to rack up the birth hours to qualify as ‘full price’. We had one and she was awesome. • Get some shuteye. I was psyched for action from the offset but after 3 days of leakage, multiple trips to the hospital and still no movement, the adrenaline gave way to exhaustion and we all ended up having a kip on the birth suite floor. Me, my pregnant wife and the doula, snoring top to tail. If you can: sleep. Once it all gets going you won’t rest for hours or days. • Ignore the witches. Every birthing class we went to banged on about doing it the ‘natural’ way. There’s a stigma that if you’ve not done it without pain relief then you’re a failure. Let’s face it, one way or another a baby is going to come out. So if you want drugs: take them. If you don’t: don’t. It’s your body, it’s your day and it’s your decision. The calm that descended on my wife once she’d had an epidural made me cry. I’d watched a war being waged on her uterus and finally she got some rest before the big push. How can that be a bad thing? • It’s a bloody mess. Blood is a given. It’s everywhere and there’s a lot of it. I skidded on a bit of something trailing across the floor. Squeamishness has to stay outside the door. On the plus side, mum-to-be is in a world of her own and probably won’t notice any of this. As the birth partner, give your other half the dignity of turning a blind eye to bodily functions – you’re not the one going through the toughest experience of your life. Which brings me to… • The poo question. There’s a lot of stigma and no one likes to admit to it. So, the truth: if you’re

having a vaginal birth you will have some sort of faecal leak. It’s a given. You’ve got a baby slowly shifting southwards and pushing on your rectum. For hours. Like it or not, there’s going to be some displacement. It’s not fun and it’s not fragrant, but it’s a fact of life and it’s nothing a wet wipe and air freshener can’t fix. • Desperate to record the event? Some hospitals won’t let you use a video camera and some won’t even let you take pics. Make sure you ask in advance so you’re not disappointed. My wife was relieved I wasn’t happy snapping her bits as they expanded beyond all recognition. It was huge and swollen and purple. To be honest it’s a little terrifying but don’t worry, I have it on excellent authority it returns to normal. • Afterbirth and after birth. I don’t remember the placenta coming out because I was too awestruck by this crying, pink, cone-headed bundle of wrinkles in my best mate’s arms. However, what really hit home at this point is, as a birth partner, you are suddenly completely useless. This is mum and baby time. No one notices you and it doesn’t matter how much you’ve been a part of everything, now you’ve got to sit quietly whilst the bonding and breast feeding begins. You’ll hold the new arrival in a few hours, but until then it’s time to suck it up, keep quiet and remember who’s really done all the hard work.

Image credit: Addonemore on DeviantArt

Looking for cutting-edge strategies to assist teens in navigating healthy sexuality and relationships? Sexuality Educator Liz Walker is the National Director of Youth Wellbeing Project, providing wholeperson centred education, resources and presentations for teens, parents, educators and youth support workers.

What it’s like to give birth

Image credit: Addonemore on DeviantA

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This day was the most important of my life so far. It’s – literally, obviously – a life-changing experience, and one which left the two of us battered and exhausted yet so much closer than I ever could have imagined. I have utmost respect for my wife and am so proud of her. I’ll never forget the birth and am honoured to have been a big part of it. And no, it hasn’t put me off having a baby. In fact, quite the opposite. 99

performer and then director says “This industry definitely attracts a certain mindset. You normally have to be a little bit liberal... but you also have to be very young... eighteen, nineteen, twenty years old with little education, little business sense, little financial skills… It just has to do with who’s... going to do something cheaper than you.”

For the benefit of mankind?!?

Whatever a person’s reason for entering the porn industry, most have no idea of the reality of the physical, psychological and emotional toll this industry takes on them. US courts are now realising the clear correlation between pornography and sex trafficking. “Sex trafficking is coercing or selling a person into a situation of sexual exploitation, such as prostitution or pornography”. There is a deepening understanding of how pornography harms women and the ways in which pornography and prostitution are the same for the person who is being sexually exploited for profit.

By Liz Walker

Naked... Skin on skin... Steaming... Hot flesh on flesh... Tension...

were spent in a cubby house reading Playboy magazines.

Stop. Oh wait. This is not 50 shades of grey... this is the magazine where you figure out how much society has been brainwashed. I can’t possibly keep writing an erotica scene (or was that porn?) Whether you’re 14 or 40, those 10 words above would have triggered a response from you, the reader. Your prior viewing and experiences dictate how the fantasy in your mind would have played out. Imagine if the next 7 words were “Shut up bitch, you like it hard”. Yep – even these words take you somewhere only you will ever know.

But what I will ask you to do is take a step back and consider firstly, what aspects of a person’s life, relationships and attitudes to sexuality are impacted if they choose to view it regularly? And secondly, how does it affect the lives of those on camera who deliver these scenes under what is often, painstaking circumstances?

Whether we like it or not, porn has taken all of us for a ride. Since the internet began, global pornographic revenues are approaching $100 billion. It’s virtually impossible to be a user of the internet without opening X-rated material. The porn industry targets children, anticipating their spelling mistakes as they search for school project materials. Surfing for something innocent results in being assaulted with images that no child should ever have to experience. Understand that the porn industry has cunningly lulled many people to sleep with attitudes of “I thought this is normal”; “it’s no big deal”; and “everybody watches it”. I’m not about to make a judgement on your personal viewing habits if this happens to be you because my early teen years 100

Perhaps the most significant way in which a regular viewer is affected by pornography is the attachment to screen images instead of connections between real people. Desensitisation occurs towards the deeper and more meaningful aspects of sexuality, including the loss of desire for ‘real sex’; and the erosion of empathy for human beings - particularly women.

The above quotes come from the book Big Porn Inc: exposing the harms of the global pornography industry. This is not an easy read NOT for younger readers and too confronting for many adults. When I read it I lost sleep - angry and sickened by the ways in which an industry treats women and children. One actress details her extensive abuse at the hands of her husband and pimp, how she was forced, sometimes at gun point to perform in pornography and said that “every time someone watches that film, they are watching me being raped”.

Where do porn actors and actresses come from? After all, they are acting - what you see is not what’s really going on behind the scenes nor is it an accurate reflection of engaging in “real sex” (within the contexts of a meaningful relationship).

Women and children are physically, emotionally and psychologically traumatised through brutal acts of violence, rape, abuse and molestation – all to cater to an increasingly sadistic industry. Even writing these words on the page makes me feel sick to the core. In the 1980’s, child pornography was rare because of the high risk and high cost in production. Now (according to the U.S. Department of Justice), it’s increasingly accessible and affordable for people to access child porn. Every 26 to 30 seconds another child is trafficked – most sold into sexual slavery. Are all of these sold into the web of the porn industry? No – but all are victims of a culture which has depicted that this is acceptable.

Many porn performers are trying to get their lucky break into fame and stardom – others have financial woes that draw them in. Ex porn-

My, my, look how far we’ve come. The deeply saddening reality is that some children (teens) have now become so pornified and so

One aspect of this complexity which is a common thread for us all, is the ability to empathise with another human being.

desensitised to sexual abuse that they are making pornographic videos of each other on their cell phones. What happened to empathy? Care for another human being? While many are still lulled to sleep by a lust-driven industry, countless others are saying “enough is enough”. There is a growing surge of women awakening to the realities of what is happening to our culture through this insidious disease. Being called to action, women who have the fortune of education are standing up to this assaulting trend to society, refusing to be seen as ‘sexual body parts’ and determined to do something for their fellow sisters and children who are being trafficked for sexual exploitation (in other nations and our own). Movements such as the Coalition against trafficking in women: catwinternational.org; thea21campaign.org; destinyrescue.org; missrepresentation.org; stoppornculture.org; onebillionrising.org and countless others are taking a stand. These are led by those who will not stand idly by and allow pornography to shape the attitudes of men towards women, or women towards men – not to allow apathy to erode the empathy of one human being towards another. Matthew Arnold, 19th Century British poet and philosopher said “If ever there comes a time when the women of the world come together purely and simply for the benefit of mankind, it will be a force such as the world has never known.” This is happening now. Right now, in your life time, women are coming together to fight against the harms of a global industry. Now that you know… will you too, awaken to this call? Liz Walker is the National Director of Youth Wellbeing Project. Speaker, author, blogger and educator, Liz has a big mission for positively impacting young people, including advocating for healthy sexuality and equipping young people to deal with the harmful effects of pornography. More information can be found at www.lizwalkerpresents.com or www.youthwellbeingproject.com.au or you can follow at facebook.com/TeenSexInfo and facebook.com/YouthWellbeingProject 101

rated the sexual performance of women (some as young as thirteen) from Central Victoria. Complain about this sort of behaviour and your male friends will likely tell you that you have no sense of humour and that you’ve been smothered by boring old political correctness.

Gender Equality: fact or fiction?

But sexism is really no laughing matter. According to a report by the World Health Organisation (2010), gender inequality is the root cause of domestic violence, and happens more often in societies that embrace traditional gender roles—dads go out to work, mums stay at home. Domestic violence in Victoria has outstripped street violence as the fastest growing form of assault, even with 60% of domestic incidents going unreported (ABS). What that means is that there are far too many men in Australia who believe they are entitled to dominate, humiliate, control, coerce and assault their wives and girlfriends.

By Caroline Zepackic

Let’s talk about the ‘F’ word. Feminism. Is it still relevant in Australia? Or should Aussie women stop whinging and be grateful? Caroline Zepackic investigates. fem·i·nism noun \ˈfe-mə-ˌni-zəm\

These men often blame their victim: It was her fault, she wound me up. The very same sexist attitudes see rapists blame their victim too; she was dressed in a way that was sexually arousing... she came back to my place for a coffee…what did she expect?

1: the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes 2: organised activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests — fem·i·nist noun or adjective: a person who supports feminism What image immediately springs to mind when you hear the word feminist? Do you see an angry woman with hairy armpits and a chip on her shoulder? A strident, shrillvoiced man-hater? Or do you see a passionate activist, fighting for fairness and equality? Your view of feminism probably depends on whether you think the movement has achieved its aims. Do we have political, economic and social equality of the sexes in Australia? Should Aussie women stop whinging and appreciate how privileged we are? Or is gender equality just a myth? At the Edinburgh Comedy Festival in 2012, rape jokes were the new black. A whole article could be written on why rape jokes aren’t funny. Let’s just say here that rape isn’t about sex. It’s an act of violence and it has been used all over the world to suppress women. According to a 2005 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) survey, 1 in 5 Aussie women have experienced sexual violence, and in 2003, 82% of all sexual assault victims were female. Women are more likely to be victims of domestic 102

violence, and to be homeless. In the Australian home, women still do significantly more housework than men, and spend more time caring for their kids and their own elderly parents, even when both partners work full time (all ABS). Online, sexist memes and threads are everywhere. The catchphrase ‘make me a sammich’ is commonly used to mock female posters. Think for a moment, though, about what’s being said: ‘Shut up and restrict your behaviour to serving food to men. You’re not worthy of a public opinion, the only voices that should be heard are male.’ People who use this kind of comment probably think they’re being clever. They’re not. They’re just reinforcing tired stereotypes. In 2011, the Brocial Network, a ‘men only’ Facebook group, was widely criticised for posting pictures of scantily clad female friends without their consent. The women were being rated on their sex appeal by members. In August 2012, a man was sentenced to eight months in prison for ‘using a carriage (communication) service to publish objectionable and offensive material’. He and a friend had started a Facebook page which

Maybe we’ve still got a little way to go before we achieve true social equality, but what about economic equality? We’ve got equal pay for equal work in Australia, haven’t we? Aussie women are more likely than men to work fewer hours than they wish and to be employed as casuals or on short term contracts (ABS). Equal Opportunity Fact Sheets show that the national gender pay gap is 16.9% (August 2010). In Australia, men earn on average 16.9% more than women simply for being blokes. But isn’t that just because women leave work to have babies? That accounts for some of the difference, but it doesn’t explain why female graduate starting salaries are on average $3,000.00 per year lower for women than for men. In some fields the difference is as much as $6,800.00 a year. Women are also seriously under-represented in board rooms and senior management roles, despite the fact that more girls than boys stay at school until Year 12; more girls go on to tertiary education and more girls graduate from university or college (ABS).

The Three Waves of Feminism The word ‘feminist’ was coined in France in 1872 (les feministes). It was imported into the English language by the British newspaper, The Daily News, who used it in 1894 to describe a ‘dangerous’ French political movement. ‘Feminist’ first appears in the Oxford English dictionary in 1894, the word ‘feminism’ in 1895. First-wave feminism: Lasted from the 18th century until World War II and was centred on securing basic civil rights, such as the right to vote and to own property. Second-wave feminism: Predominantly occurring in the 1960s and 70s. This wave centred on achieving equality in the workplace and protecting reproductive choice. Third-wave feminism: Today’s feminism incorporates racial justice, LGBTI rights, and class oppression into the feminist worldview and seeks real, practical equality for all women. What does this mean for you? No matter how high your ATAR or how well you do at uni, you’ll still have to fight a lot harder than the boy at the next desk if you want the corner office; simply because you’re a woman. If corporate life isn’t for you and you’d rather work in child care, social work or any other field that’s traditionally female dominated, you’ll have to fight just as hard, this time simply to have your work valued by society. In 2011, Fair Work Australia found that the social and community services industry (eg: social workers, child protection officers, child care workers, aged care workers) was subject to gender-based undervaluation—the work isn’t considered valuable because it’s mostly done by women. The tribunal accepted the argument that ‘nurturing’ work has traditionally been considered ‘women’s work’. It is seen as a ‘natural “female” skill’ rather than one that is learned and is therefore considered less worthy of decent pay. Fair Work Australia said that both employers and the government were hypocritical about gender equality. Economic equality? Not so much. Surely political equality has been achieved, though? After all, we’ve got a female prime minster. 103

If you Google the words ‘Julia Gillard and clothes’ you will find that the top ten items relate in some way to derogatory comments made about Ms Gillard’s wardrobe or appearance, her need for an image consultant or advice that she needs to think more proactively about how she looks. If you Google ‘John Howard and clothes’ or ‘Kevin Rudd and clothes’ you will find that exactly none of the top ten returns relate in any way to their personal dress sense or image (searches done August 2012). What conclusion should we draw from this?

Are Mr Howard and Mr Rudd simply much snappier dressers than Ms Gillard? Or does our society place far too much value on the way a woman looks? We may have a female prime minister, but only 30.1% of all state and federal parliamentarians are women (March 2012 Parliament of Australia Report). Since Julia Gillard came to office, the issue of gender and leadership in parliament has attracted considerable media and public attention. In October 2012 Prime Minister Gillard took Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to task for his sexism, in a speech that quickly went global. She condemned him for comments he made suggesting that men were better suited, by physiology and temperament to leadership roles, for calling abortion ‘the easy way out’, for standing next to signs describing her as ‘a man’s bitch’ and for catcalling at her across the table in parliament. Whatever you may think about the Labor party’s politics, Julia Gillard’s speech was inspired. “I could not take the hypocrisy of the Leader of the Opposition trying to talk about sexism,’’ the Prime Minister said. ‘‘I was not going to sit silent.’’ It was a timely reminder to Australian women that many men still believe they can denigrate women with impunity; a reminder that the “F” word is still relevant.

From a young feminist By Georgia Luckhurst Feminism isn’t just activism; it’s a state of mind. As a young feminist, I’m still figuring out what I believe. It’s not always easy – I face opposition from friends, teachers, and family – but feminism has really made me grow into myself. It breeds confidence, a sense of community, and a unique way of looking at our world. So, what are feminists like me attempting to achieve? 1) The end of the assumption that every girl must either be a supermodel or a porn star, looks-wise. Whether it is through magazines, television shows, or music videos, girls and women are pressured to feel as though we should look different/better than what we do now. 2) Opportunities for mothers with children and babies to be able to continue work if they wish . Women are underrepresented in almost every profession, and it’s about time we tackled it. Crèches are not a luxury, they are a necessity, so that the most successful and worthwhile workersand-mothers do not need to give up their jobs if they don’t want to. 3) More welcoming, honest and approachable sex education. At the moment, sex education feels like 98% “DON’T EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER CONSIDER HAVING SEX, EVER” and 2% “you can have sex, but only after you’ve been dating for more than at least three decades.” What teenagers really need to hear is the truth: that sex is a normal, healthy part of life that actually isn’t evil. I’m lucky to receive very good sex education – but not everyone does. 4) The right to wear whatever clothes we like without being judged. Whether you wear short skirts, and are labelled promiscuous, or prefer flowing dresses only to be deemed “frigid”, you should be able to wear both outfits without any negative attention. You go girl. 5) The right to believe in woman’s rights and not to have your sanity, sexuality or personal hygiene called into question.

If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would you write? Dear 15-year-old Ruby, I remember you. You’re on the cusp of womanhood, you’ve finally speaking French with a French accent, you passed a ballet exam and your friends are the most loyal girls you know. And yet I remember too, you looking in the mirror a dozen times a day and berating yourself. You want straighter hair, bigger breasts, darker skin… If you had all these, maybe you wouldn’t be the only girl you knew who hadn’t been kissed. Mum doesn’t let you read women’s magazines, but you log onto their websites whenever you’re home alone, clicking through their advice about boys and kissing. You read the beauty tips too: you dab concealer in the corners of your eyes to make them look wider; you bite your lip in bottom to make your cheekbones higher; you blast yourself with cold water before you turn off the shower, to achieve perfectly smooth hair. Argh, you still don’t look perfect! What’s wrong with me? you worry. You know what, Ruby? There’s nothing wrong with you at all. Take a look around at your friends, at the girls at school. Not one of them looks like the supermodels in the magazines. Your best friend with the ‘perfect’ tanned skin wishes she was thinner. Your 10D French buddy wishes she had curly hair like you. The coolest girl in school has iridescent orange stains on her school uniform from her adventures with fake tan. Over the next few years you’ll discover that nobody looks ‘perfect’ and it definitely isn’t looks that achieve happiness. Let me tell you a secret. In a few months, you will kiss a boy. You’ll kiss quite a few boys over the next few years. And they’ll like you because you’re smart and funny, and you have strong morals – not because you look like the girls in magazines. The thing is though, what you’ll realise in the next few years is that you are not defined by how much boys like you. By the time you’re twenty, you’ll have made that trip to France; you’ll have moved to the big city; you’ll be reading and writing for magazines that offer more than the boy advice you read when you were fifteen. You’ll have ditched concealer for moisturiser, and you’ll look in the mirror and smile. You’ll be reminding your little sister that her freckles and curves are beautiful, even though she won’t listen to you yet. High school is always tough; life is sometimes tough too. But when you’re twenty, you’ll have forgotten that dreadful pimple on your forehead, and that time your hair wouldn’t sit flat. You’ll have forgotten that Year Nine boy who just wouldn’t like you back! What you’ll remember is the laughter and the holidays and swimming in the beach in your school uniform with your best friends after sitting your last highschool exam. Those are the memories you’ll have. So please stop worrying, Ruby. Put the mirror away and log off the Cleo website – everything’s going to be okay. Love, 20-year-old Ruby

I think this last one says it all. 104

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Dear 13-year-old Me, Wow, I never thought I’d get to be this old. 37. Seems so old when you’re 13, doesn’t it? But with age comes wisdom, and yes, some clichés. The smart girl, not the one who just worked hard and did her homework— you are already her. And the one who doesn’t have to try? Her too. You want to be the all rounder— the friendly, smart, sporty girl who looks great without trying. People won’t envy that perfect girl or say narky things about her, because everyone likes her. She’s pleasant and brilliant, athletic and popular. Boys like her for not only her looks but her intelligence and wit. It has taken me many, many years to learn that ideal, popular girl is fictitious. She is not the gorgeous Tiffany who flicks her blonde hair and has a natural tan and perfectly straight teeth. Tiffany now works part time as a receptionist and is divorced with two children. Not so idyllic, hey? The smart and amazing Rachelle who topped every class with the highest scores threw it all in and now lives on a hippie commune raising chickens. She was smart enough to realise the façade was too hard to maintain. Stop wasting time beating yourself up about how you look—it is something you cannot change and you need to learn to embrace your reflection. That 106

nasty inner voice is not your ally, constantly telling you it’s not enough to be who you are. It doesn’t take much to undermine your confidence when you’ve already sabotaged it yourself. Friends’ joking comments about the size of your nose, or your flat chest, the pimples on your face or your lack of tan, all cut to the core of your very being. Don’t laugh along. Say something to stop the jokes. Stand up and tell your friends the comments aren’t funny. That they are incredibly hurtful and will take years to undo the damage to your body image and confidence. Don’t think you’re good enough? You are studious and athletic; you are a loyal friend and a responsible daughter. These things will carry you far—your true friends will stand by you for years to come, and share all your amazing achievements and tough times. Your ability to commit to study and work will see a colourful career realising creative dreams and meeting inspiring people. You will marry an incredible man and together have four children. Your skin will remain a moon shadow, your pimples will clear. You’ll learn to love your freckles. Straight teeth won’t seem such an achievement, your face will grow into your nose. That lanky frame will serve you well, bouncing back from four pregnancies. That flat chest will not become an impressive DD but you’ll experience

the joy of breastfeeding four babies and realised that despite the dismal chest size, those breasts will fulfil their intended purpose remarkably. You will wise up about life, but still have insecurities. You are a woman and I think it comes with the territory. How you look, how you are perceived by your peers, what you wear, how you speak, who likes you, who doesn’t, where you belong in the social pecking order— these components fizzle out once you leave school. And when I say fizzle, I mean they disintegrate into universal waste matter. What’s left? You. Just you. There are so many worlds beyond school— universities, workplaces, and world travel. You’ll meet new people—fresh faces with no preconceived ideas, no expectations about who you are or how you should behave. A clean slate! An opportunity to be YOU! The joy is in the discovering who that is. Sure, that comes with some pain too, but you need to keep your eye on the ball. Focus on the end score, channel your energy into developing your individuality. Nobody is interested in a carbon copy. The dreary days and hardships of those teenage years will be easier to swallow once you know that life can be amazing and liberating. Free from the constraints of shallow superficialities and

empty popularity. Don’t waste another second worrying about things you can’t change. Think of your own future daughter who will grow with all the same worries and insecurities and remember to nurture her inner soul, tell her she is amazing and beautiful and caring and important. Maybe, just maybe, she’ll believe you. Be kind to yourself. Love, Kylie Now it’s your turn.. Writing a letter to your younger self can be a really fun activity and can help you realise how much you’ve learnt in the space between then and now. But another activity you can try, which is super fun, is to write a letter to your future self. You can seal the envelope and then either keep it in a special place until you turn the age that it’s addressed to, or (if you don’t trust yourself to wait!) give it to a family member and ask them to post or give it to you on a particular date in the future. Receiving a letter from yourself might seem strange, but it’s also a fun way to see how your goals and priorities change as time moves on. Make sure to let us know how you go if you try this! 107

fashion in the park Fashion isn’t always about following the trends, it’s about wearing clothes that make you happy and comfortable. You don’t have to spend heaps of money to do this either. On the contrary, often our favourite clothes are those that would never appear in a fashion shoot - those worn out jeans that have seen three summers of love, that singlet you borrowed from your friend and never found time to return... There are so many reasons we wear clothes besides following the trends and this is what this spread is all about. Hopefully it inspires you to look away from what everyone else is wearing, ignore the hype about various brands, and think about what clothes would make YOU feel happiest. Enjoy!

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‘Today… the top’s new. I got it as a present. And the shorts were only what I had in my cupboard.’ - Olivia, 11.

Zea

Olivia

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‘What I wear depends on the mood and the day I guess. In Winter I’m more likely to wear a darker top and in summer it’s the opposite.’ - Amelia, 15. 111

‘I wore this because it’s comfortable and I love these shorts… and my favourite colour’s yellow.’ - Yali, 13.

‘These shorts are a Christmas present from Grandma… I bought this top 2 years ago with my own money – it’s my favourite.’ - Hannah, 13.

Yali 112

Hannah 113

‘Well, I don’t really wear what everyone else wears. I kind of dress with jewellery as well as all the quirky stuff like moustache rings.’ - Zea, 11

‘This dress sort of represents my personality, I s’pose… It’s very feminine.’ - Felicity, 14. 114

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‘I just always wear these glasses. Everyone’s so used to me having them on. They say I look different without them.’ - Zea, 11. ‘There’s a lot of yellow in my wardrobe and I’ve got lots of shorts - I don’t have many skirts…’ - Yali, 13.

shardia’s mantra This is to Shardia, from Shardia.

‘This is comfortable and versatile as an outfit.’ - Millie, 15. ‘I like pastels, lace and pearls… sort of classic kinds of things. Wearing this sort of thing is what I’m automatically drawn to.’

- Felicity, 14

I want to tell everyone, so that it becomes real. From this day forward I promise that I will always keep trying, I won’t feel guilty about what I eat if I want to eat it, I won’t worry about what the world thinks of me when I speak my mind, I will stand up for myself - by myself, I won’t feel bad for what I wear or the way I wear it, I will fall in love and not be afraid of it, I won’t pretend to like people more than I do, and I will tell those I do like that I care. I won’t second-guess someone’s motives just because I have been hurt before, I will let go of the past,

‘I’m pretty fussy about what I wear.’ - Olivia, 11.

‘I normally wear my hair down. If it’s hot I put it in a bun or something…’ - Hannah, 13.

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I won’t feel embarrassed just because I don’t know twentynine times seventy-three off the top of my head, I will find at least one thing beautiful about myself every time I look in the mirror, I will follow my intuition every step of the way, and I will get to where I need to be - to every perfect or imperfect moment that will influence the person I am and will be. I will from this day forward love me. I pinky swear it.

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thinking, it does not help them understand or connect to people who are experiencing hardship. It also diminishes recognition for people within well-off nations, like Australia and the US, who do not have enough resources to meet their basic needs like housing and food. It aggregates all people who live in these contexts as one happy mob of petty-minded, cashed-up narcissists.

No Such Thing as a First World Problem

There is a racial and cultural element to this term too. It belongs to the nudge nudge wink wink wryness that underpins the success of the ‘Stuff White People Like’ (SWPL) meme that Christian Lander captured.

By Jessica McLean

By isolating particular behaviours and interests as only belonging to the rich, white people of the world, we are in effect displacing a whole range of emotional realities that shape lives of people regardless of wealth and status and colour.

Is the First World Problem meme harmless or does it cause offence and reinforce class divides? Jessica McLean unpacks how the saying began and why we should be concerned by its popularity.

In persisting with the FWP meme, we reinforce the hierarchy that celebrated colonial powers by placing them ‘First’. I doubt that when people use the FWP meme that they intend on recreating uneven power relations and stigmatising poorer people as less complex as themselves, but that is what happens, if only as a by-product. So I hope some other phrase kicks FWP to the kerb.

The first time I read an admission that ‘it’s just a First World Problem, I know’, I nodded to my screen with a slightly bemused expression. But then I thought again. Why is this expression even in circulation? What does it reveal about its user and reader? And what does it say about us all who share this thing called humanity? Once I had seen it, the First World Problem (FWP) meme seemed to pop up everywhere. By way of quick definition, ‘First World’ referred to the United States and its allies, (Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand) all using democratic, capitalist modes of governance. ‘Second World’ was the Communist nations and ‘Third World’ was left to, well, the rest. Now, the ‘Second World’ has pretty much disappeared out of general use and for ‘Third World’, the more benign ‘Developing Nations’ or ‘Global South’ is generally preferred, at least by those engaging in projects aiming to develop human capacity in these spaces, and by those situated in such countries. Development workers and academics throughout 118

the world would balk to use such a term today. It harkens to a time when ‘Third World’ and ‘First World’ were dominant in global geopolitical parlance – that’s all the way back to during the Cold War – even the World Bank does not indulge in such hierarchical language. Using the FWP identifier alerts the reader that yes, the writer speaks from a privileged position and that there may be an element of artificiality in going in to detail on something that is not a life and death matter. But here lies the problem. It assumes that the reader is also from that First World, and shares the same context, including having the luxury of enjoying quibbles about the small things. To think that people in less wealthy situations do not suffer similar ‘superficial’ complaints – like whether they can stay in shape – seems to create an artificial separation between US and THEM. While I do accept that people who use the term are intending to beg forgiveness for shallow

Fast facts: Australia’s Prime Ministers If you don’t already know the five most-recent Prime Ministers of Australia, you will by the time you finish this article.

Australia’s first PM: Edmund Barton (1901) On January 1st, 1901, Barton was sworn in as Australia’s first Prime Minister at the ceremony inaugurating the Commonwealth of Australia.

Australia’s 23rd PM: Robert (Bob) Hawke (1983) Bob Hawke was sworn in as the head of the Labor government.

Australia’s 24th PM: Paul Keating (1991) Paul Keating replaced Bob Hawke at the head of the Labor government.

Australia’s 25th PM: Examples of First World Problems • My smart phone changes ‘lol’ to ‘LOL’ making me sound overexcited and I don’t know how to fix it.

John Howard (1996) John Howard was sworn in as the head of the first Coalition government in 13 years. He remained in office for the following 11 years.

• Software update requires that I restart my computer but I’m using it at the moment. • It’s 35 degrees and sunny. I can’t decide whether to roll down the windows or use the air conditioner? • The restaurant doesn’t have Coke so now I have to choose between Pepsi and Lemonade. • The teacher erased the board and I wasn’t even finished copying.

Australia’s 26th PM: Kevin Rudd (2007) Kevin Rudd was elected as the head of the New Labor government in 2007. He led a very successful election campaign using the slogan, ‘Kevin ‘07’.

• I’m so tired of eating at all the restaurants near my work but I don’t have time to go anywhere else.

Australia’s 27th (current) PM:

• There are too many choices of salad dressing at the supermarket, I can’t choose and will have to eat plain salad now.

Gillard is the first woman to be elected as Prime Minister in Australia. She was elected unopposed by the Parliamentary Labor Party.

Julia Gillard (2010)

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By Belladonna Took

We all have important women in our lives who influence and inspire us, whether they are famous…or more close to home. Over the centuries there have been many incredible women whose life work and experiences have inspired and moved us—and continue to do so today. Women like the tireless champions of the poor, Mother Teresa and Australia’s Saint, Mary MacKillop, the Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, champion of animal rights Jane Goodall, Australian Aboriginal sprinter Cathy Freeman, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, African American civil rights activist Rosie Parks, scientist Marie Curie, champion of the deaf and blind Helen Keller, anti-slavery crusader Harriet Beecher Stowe, holocaust victim Anne Frank, actress and UNICEF supporter Audrey Hepburn…the list goes on and on. But there are many more women out there who are not so famous. These are the women in our everyday lives: our mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, friends, workmates, neighbours… The wonder women who will probably never go on to win Nobel Prizes or Olympic medals or Australian of the Year awards, but who nevertheless have made a huge difference to us in our life journeys. Here are the five wonder women who have made a huge difference to me, and the important lessons they have taught me (Note: I have not used their real names). 120

1. Desdemona: My 65-year-old mother. Like countless others have done in the past 200 years, Desdemona came to Australia with her husband and three young children to begin a new and better life. She and my dad worked very hard to make sure that me and my brothers had a roof over our heads, food on the table, school uniforms to wear, books to read, and of course, Star Wars toys to play with! Desdemona worked in various non-glamorous jobs (a nursing home, factory, petrol station, carpark station), and in fourteen years she was able to pay off the entire mortgage on our first house and buy a second, much larger house. Mum is excellent with money. Now she and Dad are enjoying the fruits of their labours— they’re off on a South American adventure in October, and they’re planning a European river cruise in the next two years too. I wonder if I can fit into one of their suitcases? Desdemona’s lesson: be a wise planner for your future! 2. Ophelia: I have much more in common with 71-year-old Ophelia than I do with most women of my own age. Ophelia grew up in a poor ‘coloured’ neighbourhood in Cape Town. When the apartheid arrived in South Africa, her entire neighbourhood was destroyed, so she migrated to Australia with her husband and little boys. Today Ophelia is a loving grandmother and matriarch of her family, and she’s a champion of the rights of the poor and disadvantaged. She’s always busy fundraising for orphans and AIDS victims in South Africa, volunteering for the homeless in Sydney, and supporting the rights of children with special

Image credit: swatchangel on DeviantArt

Wonder Women

3. Juliet: Juliet is my best friend. She’s in her late 20s, she’s a mother to a gorgeous little boy, and she’s a proud Aboriginal woman. Her mob is the Dainggatti people of northern NSW. Juliet works as a teacher’s aide for Aboriginal students. Before I met Juliet 6 years ago, I had a very narrow view of indigenous people and issues. But Juliet taught me so much about what it means to be an Aboriginal woman in Australia today. She is passionate and determined to teach the younger generation to not be ashamed of who they are, to embrace their cultural heritages, and to write their own stories and be their own voices for their people. Juliet is an incredible inspiration to me to be proud of my own Filipino heritage. Juliet’s lesson: be proud of your culture! 4. Cordelia: Originally from the Central Coast and now living in Sydney, thirty-something Cordelia comes from a large and loving family. She’s close to her brother and sister, she adores her sister’s children and spoils them rotten, she goes to the footy every week with her father (they’re mad Roosters supporters), and she took care of both her grandmothers and was there for them until their very last moments. Cordelia will do anything for her family. She loves sharing her life with the people close to her. Cordelia’s lesson: be connected! Don’t ever lose touch with the people you love. 5. Miranda: This former Toowoomba girl (now of a certain ‘vintage’ as she would say) comes from a very large family, and she has seen it all and been through it all. She married in her late forties, couldn’t have children, and so she and her husband adopted a beautiful girl from Guatemala. Miranda’s gone through cancer, many of her family members have lost their battle with cancer, and her husband is currently going through the disease himself. But in spite of all this, Miranda is probably one of the happiest women I know. She loves life, she makes me laugh, and she certainly enjoys a glass of bubbly every now and then. Miranda’s lesson: be happy! Life is too short, so you may as well enjoy the ride. I am very lucky indeed to have these wonderful women in my life. Who are the wonder women in your life and what have they taught you?

Riddles 1. I am the beginning of the end, and the end of time and space. I surround every place. What am I? 2. What always runs but never walks, often murmurs, never talks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never eats? 3. The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it? 4. You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What did you eat? 5. You saw me where I never was and where I could not be. And yet within that very place, my face you often see. What am I? 6. Say my name and I disappear. What am I? 7. What lives in the corner but travels the world? 8. Take away my first letter, and I still sound the same. Take away my last letter, I still sound the same. Even take away my letter in the middle, I will still sound the same. I am a five letter word. What am I? 9. What starts with the letter “t”, is filled with “t” and ends in “t”? 10. I have a little house in which I live all alone. It has no doors or windows, and if I want to go out I must break through the wall. What am I? 11. A boy was locked in a room by some robbers. All that is in the room is a piano, calendar, and a waterbed. The room is locked from the outside. What does he eat, drink, and how does he get out?

Answers: 1. The letter ‘e’: End, time, space, Every placE, 2. A river, 3. Darkness, 4. An ear of corn, 5. A reflection, 6. Silence, 7. A postage stamp, 8. Empty, 9. A teapot, 10. A chicken in an egg. 11. He eats the dates on the calender, drinks the water from the waterbed and use the piano key to escape.

needs in our education system —but she also manages to fit in Pilates, bellydancing, walking, and socialising with her huge network of friends! Ophelia’s lesson: be a champion of social justice!

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perspective a navigator

artist spotlight

we are people,

perspective a navigator,

sketching out life,

we are free,

a plan,

to exist,

and some courage,

or to live,

some day,

no deprivation of freedom,

friendship will come,

not sheer hate,

when difference no longer barriers us,

contrasting laziness,

peace ﬂows through us,

contradicting negative energy,

laughter ﬁlls dark days,

demonstrating passion,

one minute,

a one man’s game,

sky high,

givers are beggars,

the next,

but not,

dungeon low,

how we see the world,,

for change is not change,

passion gets you through,

it’s evolution,

strict keeps you going,

poem

we are people,

it’s what send us on our paths, one path in,

we are people,

two paths out,

perspective a navigator, simply a tool,

Artist: Eduardo Escalente Age: 18 Location: Venezuela This piece was made by looking at live models. It was painted by using Crayola/coloured markers to color and then sprayed with water to make them run. Finally, it was traced and decorated with sharpie marker.

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we are people,

those who are reliant,

perspective a navigator,

don’t see beyond,

maybe our lives,

to the deep depths,

are already mapped out,

of anything,

all we have to do is live them,

to have,

like a train on its tracks,

is to possess,

exist or live,

to dream is to possess,

strict is not strict,

but in a less guilty manner,

it’s deﬁnitive,

fanaticism,

it knows,

we are people,

whoever can practice it,

perspective a navigator.

sees structure, discipline, direction,

By Caitlin MacDonald

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Pfor Pickles

Slut

By Carolyn Alfonzetti

By Georgia Luckhurst

‘a mustard-hued Datsun 12Y caught my eye among the motley selection of second hand vehicles’ P Plates mean independence, excitement and adventure. And a small car that smells strongly of wet dog… It was old, smelled like a wet dog inside, had a hatch back that had to be propped open with a stick, and a radio with dodgy reception, but I thought my first car was the best thing on the road. Up until her four small wheels rolled into my life, the only car I’d driven was my father’s large, automatic Ford. Dad’s keys were only lent for worthy reasons such as visiting my grandmother (something I loved to do – not just because I enjoyed the 45 minute drive with my recentlyearned P plates attached and my own choice of music blaring loudly from the radio). I was eighteen and the P of those infrequently-aired plates could have stood for Parole from my rather rigid home, secretarial college and parttime supermarket job routine. The day I secured my first full-time job I decided I needed my own transport. The following Saturday morning my father drove me and my life savings, to the Flemington car markets where a mustard-hued Datsun 12Y caught my eye among the motley selection of second hand vehicles in my meager price range. Pickles, as I came to name her because of her colour, was a manual transmission, so Dad drove her home whilst I followed in his car. I had just 36 hours to learn to drive my new wheels before work on Monday morning and the P of my plates temporarily stood for PETRIFIED! 124

“Um, I don’t mean to, like, offend anyone, but isn’t she… a slut?”

After a stressful excursion to work during which I prayed the traffic lights wouldn’t change and require me to crunch my way out of second gear, and a mortifying incident in which I ‘kangarood’ Pickles down the entire length of the office driveway in front of my new workmates, I came to love that car. I felt proud I’d purchased her with my own savings, I washed her each Sunday afternoon on the front lawn, and I made her look less shabby by covering the threadbare carpet and grubby upholstery with new mats and seat covers. Little fragrance sachets that hung from the rear-view mirror helped a tad with the smell. Pickles’ pong was now more like a wet dog in a pine forest. I relished the freedom and spontaneity Pickles allowed me. I no longer had to rely on my friends, or yawning parents wearing dressing gowns, to get home after parties. I quickly learned not to waste money when faced with the cost of petrol, insurance, and car servicing. You could say Pickles helped me “come of age”. Several years later, after it became clear that Pickles was poorly and would require costly repairs, I traded her in for a brand new Mitsubishi Colt. Neddy was rust-free, had a boot lid that didn’t fall down, air-conditioning, and that unmistakable new car smell, but as I drove him out of the car yard and glimpsed his predecessor in the rear view mirror, abandoned and alone, I choked up. No car I’ve driven since has given me more pleasure than that first, liberating set of wheels – my musty, rusty, mustard-coloured Datsun named Pickles.

I’m in English class, and we’re studying Of Mice and Men. To be honest, despite what the feminist world might have to say about the book, I love it. If I have to study a book for my exam then I’m grateful it’s this one – something I genuinely enjoy. But wait, let’s rewind a minute. Did I just hear the word “slut”? I think I did. We’re discussing Curley’s Wife, and she is a prime example of what our society would term a slut. She’s provocative, heavily made-up, and she flaunts herself massively. But what’s a slut? Because last I heard, there are loads of definitions, and I’m only just becoming accustomed to them. It’s a harsh word. S-L-U-T. Sounds like some kind of drill, or a big, heavy-duty, farming machine. Slut. What does it even mean? I’ve only become a feminist quite recently, and I love it. There’s still a lot I don’t know, though, and it’s definitely, as my mum would say, a learning curve. I’m going to my first SlutWalk, and I’m pretty excited. But hey, SlutWalk is all about taking the rape-blame out of “slut”, isn’t it? What does “slut” mean to a feminist, especially a young one, like me? 1) My Peer Group’s Definition Slut – noun Used to describe a person known for flaunting their sexuality through the means of revealing clothing, heavy make-up and engaging in sexual intercourse with more than one partner, looking purely for lust. (Not exactly a compliment, then.) 2) The Feminist Definition

(So, not exactly clear, then.) I’m thinking now about the word, right in the middle of English. My teacher’s explaining to the student to be careful not to call Curley’s Wife a slut in an essay, because it could be taken badly. Why though? What do I think a slut is? Loads of people say that slut as a term is too far gone to be reclaimed. But what do I think, as a young feminist, as someone who has heard slut and whore and flirt be hurled across her school yard? How would I react if someone calls me a slut? 3) My Definition, after a long period of thought and much self-confusion Slut – noun Used to describe a person, typically a woman, who people are scared of. These people are scared of “her” because she is in charge of when, and with who, she has sexual intercourse. These people often use “slut” in a derogatory sense because they are scared of someone who is confident wearing “different” clothes, and war-paint makeup. These people don’t understand that sluts can be as inspirational as they can be scary. So, how would I react if someone were to call me a slut? Well, I haven’t slept with anyone, so I’d be a bit surprised. But, hey, I wear what I want. I am who I am. So, for that, I’d actually be, well – proud. And with that, I pack away my English books and walk out the classroom, standing up straight because I damn well own this place. I’m confident, and no-one is going to take that away from me.

Slut – noun Used to describe – well, it depends what kind of feminist you are. 125

Brainwash mag spoke to a few guys in their teens to get the inside scoop.

Let’s start at the beginning. This may sound a bit shallow but I look at a female’s physical attributes. See I have a “type”, short and cute, very girl next door if you like. Not everyone is going to find that attractive but for most guys the first thing they see in a girl is her appearance. Commence ‘Operation Ice Breaker.’ Making girls smile is a specialty of mine. There is something amazing about seeing a girl smile for that first time. Even more so when you are the one that made it happen. Next on the agenda is to see if we can connect via a range of common interests. This process can be awkward but in a fun way. Being silly and a bit flirty usually does the job. Discussing favourite musical artists is an enjoyable way to identify potential matches. If a girl isn’t too receptive of this form of fun, it means (for me anyway) she is too serious about herself. This implies that she probably doesn’t have the capacity to be serious about another person. By now I can tell if we are compatible and if she is what I see in a girlfriend. But it has taken me a handful of relationships (mistakes) to find what I like: fun-loving, intelligent, next door girls. Sounds a bit like my girlfriend I’ve been dating for 20 months. By Dylan Hornsby

Girlfriends are hard things to come by, especially when we are young, girls appear to us (adolescent males) as confusing ‘creatures’. Always talking (about everything under the sun) with their friends, they travel around in big groups and make it hard to even get to know girls these days. There are many things I look for, the main thing is that they can be themselves, in all conditions, and have a go, even if they think they can’t do it all. They get in and have a go, don’t mind if they get messy, they just live in the moment, not under the make-up. I love outdoor activities, I also love to dress up, and dab in the more elegant side of life (wearing a suit), so if she can do that for a night, she is perfect. The girlfriend needs to be versatile, and able to empathise with people. I don’t mind if we don’t have the same views, as long as she sticks to her values she will have my ever lasting respect. What I look for is a best friend, someone I can trust, before she becomes someone I kiss, I need that trust in her, before we become more intimate. (Anonymous) A decent guy above all else will have the utmost respect for a girl and not just want to know her for sex. When it comes to girls, some boys are very fussy about a girl’s appearance. They are always looking for a girl with fashionable clothes, perfect hair and a great body shape. But are these things the only good qualities of a girl? A decent guy is only looking for a girl who is reasonable and not what they look like. In other words, it is not what you look like on the outside, it is what you are on the inside. (Anonymous)

Ok here’s what needs to be said first. There really isn’t a ‘dream’ list of what girls should be like. To get the right guy for you, be yourself. Otherwise you will be getting attention from guys who want who you present yourself to be, rather than who you are. Guys in general tend to take things on face value, they aren’t very well known for seeing multiple dimensions of people. If you are looking for a sensible guy however, simply being interested in that kind of guy should mean you are the kind of person they will like. You don’t have to be talented, wear the newest clothing, and be up with the latest trend... What sensible guys are looking for is dependability and strength of character. They are looking for girls who don’t hold things like makeup and getting wasted in high regard. Good guys don’t care about appearance; it’s what you are as a person that counts. Being able to provide good conversation and behave responsibly are good ideas. I can’t stress enough that you MUST BE YOURSELF. Even if you think you aren’t good enough or would get embarrassed, by simply taking that step you might be proven wrong. (Anonymous) 126

The Sometimes Cruel Geography of Twitterland By Jessica McLean

Twitterland is the space structured by Twitter but made by us, its users, and as an emerging terrain it has courted no end of controversy. Like any relatively new medium, Twitter has become the subject of concern for its negative impacts, mostly due to the troll phenomenon. ‘Trolls’ in internet land, unlike the one the billy goat gruff dealt with, are anonymous individuals who usually target famous people or entities with aggressive or demeaning comments for similar reasons to bullies in the school yard. This was certainly the case with Charlotte Dawson’s experience at the end of Winter 2012. Her strategy was to retweet offensive tweets about her, using a name-and-shame strategy, and the vitriol that ensued resulted in Dawson’s hospitalisation. The sustained abuse she received included recommendations of suicide and graphic violent images. Why would people persist in such anti-social behaviour? I argue it’s partly to do with the particular geography of Twitter – where the distance between cause and effect is removed from the equation. It is unimaginable that someone would say to a person’s face, in screaming all-caps, DIE BITCH, and yet that’s possible because of the ‘not-thereness’ in Twitterland. Twitterland is just that, a land with slightly different rules and regulations to the everyday face-to-face reality, where people can use such difference to good or ill. For instance, tweeting during natural hazards such as bushfires and floods, serves as a useful form of communication when people who are close to the impact zone, but without access to other media, can let others know of the nature of the risk. As a very new user of this technology I do not have a long timeframe to draw on and the most irritating ‘retweet’ I’ve had was more dismissive than abusive. Rather than bite back I chose silence. I don’t judge other people for choosing otherwise but imagine that if in the future nasty

Image credits: Antoinette Beirouty

What do guys look for in a girlfriend?

messages did wind their way to me I hope that the block option will override my first instinct to argue. Twitter is not something that only exists out there in the mysterious internet – obviously it manifests real relationships and connections, while also rendering new ones. What determines the quality of experience is how honestly we choose to engage with the technology, if we choose to make the geography of responsibility readable. One way that the internet enables this clarity is with the traceable qualities of binary code – even deleted Tweets do not disappear forever. Twitterland exists in relationship with us: we shape it and are shaped by it. The opportunities that exist to make it a space where ethical engagement dominates are everywhere and we can choose to pursue these, or go to the lowest common denominator of erosive bitching and moaning. The choice is yours. To read the extended version of this article, head to the Brainwash Magazine website brainwashmagazine.com 127

How long have you been playing video games? It feels like forever! From the age of 5 I used to spend endless hours on my Grandpa’s computer playing kids games but I only really started playing what most people consider ‘hardcore’ games in about year 9 or 10. Up until then playing video games was just something I did casually to pass the time.

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When did you first get interested in gaming? It was probably half way through High School, I had always grown up around computers but not until Year 10 when I met people with similar interests that I took up gaming as a hobby.

By Jessica Barlow

How ‘hard core’ would you say you are in terms of your dedication to gaming? I have definitely backed off, but looking back to my VCE years computer gaming took up a huge percentage of my time. It got to the point that I would schedule gaming sessions and have to leave social events just to ensure that I was home in time. A lot of the time you would find that because you are playing online you have to sync in with different time zones so I would often set alarms for ridiculous times such as 3am just so I could join in an online gaming session with friends from the US. It was at this point where my parents got involved, they were concerned that my ‘nerdy addiction’ (as my dad loved to call it) was having a negative effect on my VCE, and they encouraged me to back off. Since then I have cut back considerably. These days I will sometimes go a week at a time without touching my PC, that’s not to say I don’t miss it but I have since matured 128

Have you ever gotten any strange reactions from people when they find out/you tell them you’re a gamer? You have no idea! I like to think I don’t look like your typical ‘girl gamer’ so when it comes up in conversation that I could kick any one at Call of Duty people were almost hesitant to believe me. In some cases it can be really positive, I like to think that one of the main reasons that I am with my current partner is that we share the same passion for killing zombies, and often spend Saturday nights on the couch giving the PlayStation a workout. But then again on the other hand I often find that it can have a negative impact, other girls can often feel threatened and sometimes see it as a masculine hobby, this often causes them to become very judgmental and I have often felt as if they are looking down on me. Over the years I have learn to deal with peoples reactions, its something I enjoy doing so why let their opinion stop me…

Top 3 games? World of Warcraft, Diablo and my favourite as a child, Croc.

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What is your preferred console and why? Even though I own almost every console under the sun the one which sits closest to my heart is definitely my PC, because it is something I built myself and really enjoyed working on, and to be able to actually use it is really rewarding, especially because I know the hours of hard work that I put into it.

and realised that there is a life outside of gaming.

Do you call yourself a girl gamer? Do you find specifying that you are a girl important? Honestly I never give myself a title and I don’t feel that it is important to advertise that fact that I am a female when I play. I will admit that occasionally there have been times when whilst playing online other males have started to throw sexist comments out and I always get a kick out of their reaction when you let them know you are female then point out the score.

If you could name a reason why you don’t think more girls play video games, what would it be? I think it comes down to the same reason why boys don’t play with Barbies. From day one when children are born girls are dressed in pink and given dolls, while boys are dressed in blue and given trucks. It’s not something that is drilled into girls from our childhood, its not seen as ‘normal’ for girls to kill zombies. That doesn’t mean it’s not right! And it just so happens that my favorite colour is blue!

TECH LINGO By Stephanie Simios WiFi, Ethernet, motherboard, processor. You’re probably all familiar with the terms but still not exactly sure of what they all mean. In a time where there’s a new technologic product on the market every week, it gets difficult to keep up with additional features that keep appearing. Luckily for you, I’ve compiled a list of five terms that will get you sweet talking that sales assistant into giving you a discount the next time you go and buy a new gadget. Central Processing Unit (CPU): Otherwise known just as a processor or a microprocessor, this computer chip is the brain of all devices. Like our own brain, it receives messages (input) and responds to them (output). This message might be unlocking your phone or clicking an onscreen command with your mouse. If a product claims to have dual or quad core processors, it simply means that they have a processing system made up of two or four individual CPUs respectively. Multiple CPUs even out the load, making it easier and quicker to process commands. WiFi: This is one of the most used terms in society (although most people don’t know that it stands for Wireless Fidelity). WiFi is a wireless networking technology that aims to enable separate devices to communicate with one another. Devices are inserted with WiFi cards that then allow them to search and connect to wireless routers. This can be used to then share files to and from an external hard drive or to connect to the internet. Ethernet: Pronounced EATH-ernet, this wired Local Area Technology (LAN) connects computers to other computers, a network or the internet.

Some people may argue that wired systems are a thing of the past, but data transfer rates are comparatively faster than many current wireless technologies, making Ethernet perfect for office use. Motherboard: Also known as the logic board or the main board, the motherboard is the circuit board of any device. Most of the other hardware components are attached to the motherboard (like the CPU, RAM and USB ports) - after all, it’s the motherboard’s job to keep all the computer’s internal systems running smoothly. USB 3.0: The infamous Universal Serial Bus has become one of the most used pieces of hardware in computers since its introduction in 1997. USB ports are just like any other average computer ports: they allow users to connect additional devices to the computer. The newest revision to the Universal Serial Bus has lead to the introduction of the SuperSpeed data range. Realistically, SuperSpeed USB 3.0 devices can run at a comfortable transfer rate of 400 megabytes per second. This means you can move a music file from a USB storage device to a computer in roughly 8-10 seconds. Computers and other technologic devices are made up of hundreds of hardware components - too many to fit in one article! However, the five mentioned here are a handful of the most important and renowned pieces of hardware that can be found in a stellar range of computers, tablets, phones and external hard drives. With any luck, continued revisions will enable them to adapt and stick around for years to come.

Tyana Cicilia Hobson (11 years old, Sunshine Heights Primary School, VIC) I am Tyana, an eleven-year-old girl who loves singing and art. I consider myself to be a kind person that loves her family and friends. In my spare time, I love doing nothing more than reading and writing.

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Image credit: Antoinette Beirouty

fiction

superior. Its turrets fall into the mote like the men before them, sending water to spray furiously over the armies by the drawbridge. Their heads hit slabs of brick as they are sent flying into the chaotic mess of the trembling castle. The men behind the hill watch in horror, as the ancient manor becomes a wasteland of debris, corpses and the haunting cries of those who face their deaths. The fortress lay flat against the earth, the water from the mote collecting itself in puddles in-between the crevices of the remains, as a giant human foot smothers the fortress’s core.’

turrets By Cassie McBlane Soldiers call from the tallest turret, violently roaring demands and appointing the men by the mote to lift the drawbridge. Over the brickwork of the castle’s ledges, cannons drop into their positions, eagerly waiting to let release of its burdens. Someone from the eastern tower births a war cry to the lashing wind. Men hurl themselves, their eyes full of malevolent fury and utter angst. They fall like pinheads, their last callings choking their throats before their bloody faces feel the cool, harsh greetings of the ground below them. Most fall from the turrets above, bidding their last farewells to the wind as gravity sends them hopelessly to the earth. Their tiny hearts give-way to the searing agony in their chests as arrows, knives and spears soar like a plague of crows, giving black death to those in obstruction. ‘Fire begins to ravage the corpses on the ground, with the cannons unleashing a wrath of the unforgiving hell upon the castle’s forefront. The cyan mote reflects the dancing flames, ash raining upon the waters like tiny insects—their attempts to alight the surface of the wet diminishing like

the hopes of the army now fronting itself along the castle’s boundaries. A soldier on ground smiles menacingly as he sends a dagger through the neck of an opposing swordsmen. He looks up just in time to see slabs of sandstone loosening from the center turret. He shouts in a panicked mania at the men on the second landing of the ancient castle, but the brickwork becomes jagged and debris collects its victims below it, making its final stop on top of the witnessing soldier. ‘The enemy, flying in on foot and horse, takes to a sudden halt at the sight of the crumbling structure. Backing themselves up quickly, they retreat to safety behind the hump of the hill before their opponent’s landsite. Their pupils dilated as they watch, from afar, the billowing flames along the castle’s edge, and the overwhelming display of the fortress’s skeleton crumbling from the outburst of war. Oh, how heads will roll! As quick as the deaths of the men unfortunate enough to be sent into the slaughter, the castle comes down under the mysterious force of a

Things I’ve learnt from Libra’s Odd Spots*: #1

The first VCR was made in 1956 and was the size of a piano.

#13 Leonardo da Vinci invented scissors. #23 In the course of an average lifetime you will, while sleeping, eat 70 assorted insects and 10 spiders.

The child looks up, the sun prickling his eye in an odd sensation of agitation. He has sand under his fingernails, up the lengths of his arm and along the line of his youthful face. The turrets had been the hardest part. He glances at them now, scrunching his nose in utter irritation. The damn turrets had been the hardest.

#30 No piece of paper can be folded in half more than seven times.

‘Why’d you do that for?’ The boy sobs, as the intruder withdraws his foot from the sandcastle, the combination of ocean water, shell remains and sand sticking to the sole of his shoe. He swipes it off with his large hand and laughs harshly as he adjusts the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose.

#44 It is physically impossible for a pig to look up to the sky

‘All in good fun, brother,’ he says, retreating back to cross his arms in the wake of his younger sibling, who begins to forage around manically in the ruins of his afternoon’s work in front of him.

#65 You are more likely to get attacked by a cow than a shark.

The child reaches violently for his blue spade, ordering for his older brother to fill his bucket immediately. He smoothes the sand back to a polished pane and shoves his pale into the piles next to him. In the centre, he lets the bucket mold a perfect pillar in front of him and looks up to ensure his brother is collecting the salty water from the calmed bay beside them. He glances down at the small structure, employs a stick to his tiny hand, and begins to detail the fringe of the shape; the turrets are the hardest part. ‘The men watch from their hill as the castle renews itself before their eyes. Doomed soldiers begin to remove themselves from the rubble on top of them, brushing sandstone off their shoulders indifferently...’

#34 Mosquito repellants don’t repel. The spray blocks the mosquitos sensors so they don’t know you’re there. #37 If you keep a goldfish in a dark room, it will eventually turn white

#46 By law, every child in Belgium must take harmonica lessons at primary school. #57 A snail can sleep for three years.

#77 More people are killed annually by donkeys than die in air crashes. #75 Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite #76 Until 1990, sausages were still legal tender in East Germany #105 The reason honey is so easy to digest is because that its already been digested by a bee #81 The human eye sees everything upside down, but the brain turns everything right way up #87 Most lipsticks contain fish scales #102 Bulletproof vests, fire escapes, laser printers and windshield wipers were all invented by women *Libra Odd Spots are the facts printed on the sheet protecting the adhesive backing of Libra pads.

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growing up with epilepsy By Helen Symonds

When I was fourteen, I liked to think I was like everyone else at school, obsessed with certain musical acts and outrageous because I occasionally used foul language. I didn’t think I was different because I had nocturnal epilepsy. But then I would have my epileptic seizures. I’d have them when I’m sleeping, or waking up from sleep. Sometimes I’d get to sleep through them, which was great. Often when I would be woken from my dreams and go stiff in my body, like I was pretending to be a corpse. Then I would curl up like a worm, my foot often catching on the doona. Sometimes I’d kick just one leg, sometimes I’d bite my tongue or lip and bleed on my pillow. I’d sit up because that way the whole process went faster but Mum was often there and she’d push me back down and tell me to let it happen. I didn’t want to let the seizure happen, I wanted to fight it. My epilepsy got in the way of learning at school, particularly Maths. I struggled with concentration, and my brain couldn’t process rote learning, or remember important but dull information like birthdays and dates. Maths. Yawn. I still reckon I have a Maths phobia. I got really sensitive to the word ‘retard’ in Maths class. I honestly thought I was retarded with my Maths learning. My memory had always been bad, Mum said it was because of my epilepsy. She was always trying to get to remember my times tables. I liked kinaesthetic learning, that is, learning by doing. Drama, Art, learning new languages. 132

There was the one time I was in Religious Studies that I felt a funny feeling; my right arm go funny, tingling for about thirty seconds and then it just... stopped. I didn’t know if it was linked to my epilepsy or not. It felt like the kind of weird feeling that epilepsy can give you, but I wasn’t sure enough to tell my parents or a doctor or anything. So I just shrugged my shoulders and forgot about it. I didn’t learn until years later that was a partial seizure. I’d only learnt about the big ones. Most annoying were the doctor’s visits. I got to skip classes,which was cool, but to visit the doctor with Mum. I saw one particularly thick doctor, who I saw a lot, told me she reckoned I’d grow out my epilepsy by the time I turned sixteen. I screwed up my face and wanted to shout at her I was so angry, but I couldn’t because Mum was right next to me, so I just nodded and smiled. Thinking that was a horrible comment to make, and she was lucky that I didn’t believe her. I knew I wasn’t like everybody else, but I didn’t think it was linked to my epilepsy. I just didn’t make the connection. I thought it was because I wasn’t good at anything, or that I was too gay, or too slow. Stuff like that. Not my epilepsy. Years later, I learnt that it was the reason I wasn’t like everyone else. But I still find it boring. Helen Symonds is writing a memoir on her experiences as a person with epilepsy.

Epilepsy explained: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological (brain) condition or disorder. It is not a mental illness nor is it contagious. Epilepsy affects 3–4% of Australians. Epilepsy can start and stop at any time in a person’s life. Epilepsy can start after a head injury and brain damage. (10% of strokes lead to epilepsy.) Often epilepsy just starts on its own. Only 5% of people with epilepsy are photosensitive (sensitive to strobe lights etc.) Epilepsy comes in many forms and there many different types of seizures. An epileptic seizure is when a brain cell gets too excited, resulting in loss of consciousness, confusion, and abnormal movements such as jerking. Sometimes they might ‘go blank’ as if they have fallen asleep with their eyes open (an absence seizure). If you know someone who has epilepsy and they have a seizure near you, then keep any dangerous objects out of their way. Call 000 if the seizure goes on for a longer than a minute. They will usually be confused or embarrassed afterwards. Having epilepsy means more than just having seizures. People with epilepsy can suffer from their condition, from the psychiatric aspect, the physical stress of not getting enough sleep or the humiliation of losing control if they have seizures in the day. Depression and anxiety are very common with people who have epilepsy, and many medications list depression and suicidal thoughts and even thoughts of self harm as side effects as well. People with epilepsy can also struggle with coordination, concentration, memory, mood swings, awareness and alertness. A lot of people with epilepsy complain that stress sets their seizures off. There will definitely be restrictions on what they can do, but it varies from person to person as there are many forms of epilepsy. People with epilepsy can learn to drive if they haven’t had any seizures in the day for 2 years, but they may need to get 10 hours of sleep if they have nocturnal epilepsy, so can’t stay out late, etc. People with epilepsy usually take medication, may be on special diet (the Ketogenic Diet; high fat, adequate protein). Some even have surgery. But it is rare to hear of a person with epilepsy being cured.

Bizarre Food Fetishes So it turns out that no matter how disgusting you think two food items combined might taste, there is always going to be someone who thinks that the same conbination is absolutely delicious! Brainwash Mag spoke to a LOT of people to find out the weirdest food combinations around. Whether the idea of them sounds good or bad, they’re definitely worth a try as you might just be surprised...

Vegemite on one slice of bread, peanut butter on the other and pickled onions in the middle. Tomato sauce on anything e.g pasta, tuna, salmon, baked beans... Corn chips dipped in coke. Hot chips with coleslaw and gravy. Grilled bacon and banana is the best ever, especially on toast. Hot chips and ice cream. Vegemite spaghetti. Jam and cheese toast. Yoghurt with everything...including chinese food. Rice with raw sugar. Pasta and peanut butter. Honey onion and cheese sandwiches.

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A Lifetime of Change

‘it was the start of a change in perception and a new respect for women’s abilities’

By Shirley Burgess

shirley burgess gives Brainwash a vital history lesson on women’s rights with a blast from her own past in the WAAAF.

Photo: Shirley Burgess

Today we accept that there are many job choices for women. Courses of training, including university courses, can be taken alongside with men. However, it was not always so. WWII effectively put an end to the terrible days of the Great Depression, lasting from 1929–1939, when there were not enough jobs to go around. Unemployment figures reached a high of over 30% in 1932. In this era, the husband was the breadwinner, and so given precedence to any government help. For women the opposite applied. No help from the government was available if a woman lost her job. After having gained a foothold in the workforce and independence in many ways after the end of WWI, they lost most of this ground and were expected to remain the “little woman keeping the home going” in those hard times.

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keep women out of the male dominated jobs, as the women would provide a threat after the war ended.

‘it was decided to offer the women two-thirds of the male rate of pay’ It was decided to offer women two-thirds of the male rate of pay, so there would be no precedent that could flow on after the war. The War Cabinet consoled itself by deciding that women would not be posted overseas, and in that way, paying full repatriation benefits could be avoided.

In 1941, when WWII had been grinding on for over two years, the Navy, Army and Air Forces all reluctantly admitted branches for women; so that they could release the men to do more useful jobs in the war zones.

However, to18-year-olds like myself, a new world was suddenly being offered. Job positions as radio operators, flight mechanics, teleprinter operators various jobs in weather forecasting, and as wireless telegraphists were among the plethora of different jobs now available. Access to which we would never have had in previous circumstances.

Wrangling over this move had gone on for two years. Government departments worried about having to pay women the same wage as men for the same work, as this would prove costly. The Union Movement was also very concerned to

I was particularly attracted to the magical idea of sending andreceiving messages far and wide in Morse code, and in 1944 I enthusiastically joined the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF(3 As)), to commence training.

There were a few shocks in store, such as the very basic living conditions, existing in a “bay” of ten personnel, sleeping on a wire stretcher, straw mattress, no sheets, with one blanket under and one over me, and the fixation by the WAAAF service to have every inch of the place spick and span at all times. There were no cleaners. We were the cleaners. Seeing we were housed in the Showgrounds pavilions, that was an ever-present difficulty. But a word about the straw mattress and the 10 person rooming arrangements: That mattress eventually became the most comfortable of mattresses, and we all became good friends in our living quarters, never becoming lonely, and ever-ready help—advice was always at hand if needed. We were very aware of prejudice, however. A new Commanding Officer appointee to our Base gave us a great “welcome” speech. This consisted mainly of the fact that he disliked women in the Air Force. He didn’t think we could do the job we were supposed to, and vowed to make it as hard for us as he possibly could. Well, he certainly did that. He ended his speech with the warning that we were not to socialise with the members of the RAAF in any way, making it clear that he was protecting them from us, (the Jezebels that we apparently all were). He added that of course, if the RAAF members wished to socialise

with us, then that was OK. We never ever did work out the logic of that one, but we learned to be very wary of that particular officer. We all worked hard at training , and loved our jobs even after graduation, making many friends, In my case, three lasting to the present day. After the war ended, it was abundantly clear that women could be relied on to do any job asked of them. Some had been so important that many lives had been saved; for instance, when WAAAF radio telephonists guided in planes, perhaps blown off course, to land safely. There was no question of filtering out females from top courses at University, and schools of all types, as before. It was the start of a change in perception, and a new respect for women’s abilities. Look at what we have now. There is a full selection of interesting jobs to be considered, all useful and above all, important. Value what you have; the freedoms that are now yours were gained with difficulty. Always keep faith in your own ability, and use your talents for the best benefit possible.

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Woman: The New Oppressor By Sarah Abell As women we have progressed at a tremendous speed. We have gone from women who stand longingly at their ironing boards dreaming of an alternative reality to doctors, lawyers, activists and independent beings with our own minds. We have finally found the courage to stand up to these archaic ideals and almost eradicate them completely. However, it seems to be that the oppression has not stopped. The new pressure women face is the pressure on appearance. Pressure to change ourselves. Pressure to contort and paint and dismember our bodies into a new warped version of beautiful. Pressure to be the perfect girlfriend. Pressure to be a girlfriend. We know this pressure comes from society. We know it comes from the expectations placed upon women. But where do these expectations come from? Beauty magazines, models, female fashion lines. These are not the misogynistic expectations that we claim they are; they are expectations placed upon us by other women. We are deluded when we claim that the biggest problem women face is men – it is really other women.

Image credit: Cree Morghan

The editors of major beauty magazines are these so called ‘feminists’ who while pursuing an apparent women’s liberation agenda pursue a misogynistic agenda. However, we already know about this. The point is that these editors are not middle aged, cigar smoking, gold necklace wearing men, but women. The women’s magazine culture is a culture which has the potential to be extremely beneficial to the advancement of women’s rights and the empowerment of females, but it has become the battleground for a bitter war fought between sisters, a war fought over our bodies.

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We are being oppressed by our fellow women, the same women we stood with as suffragettes in long dresses starving for the vote, the same women we said no to our husbands with. The same women we walked out of the kitchen with, the same women we finally gained ownership of our own bodies with. It is these same women who want to take all of this back and return us to where we were before, standing at our washing

machines staring forlornly at our cheap make-up in the laundry mirror. Women are the ones who tell women that they are worth no more than the way they look, that they are of no more value to society than as a pretty face. In addition to this, it seems to be that even some of the most successful women in the country are not able to recognise this. Marie Claire magazine ran a feature where they asked six of the senior Labor government politicians, including our first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard, their favourite feminine guilty pleasures, or, as the magazine called it, feminist fantasies. They were asked about various superficial aspects of their lives, such as their favourite dance songs. Further, the meeting was even initiated by Julia Gillard, who hoped to connect with more Australians, mainly younger females. For a woman who is supposed to be championing feminism and be the national face of anti – misogyny, she is not exactly encouraging the empowerment of women. While claiming to be a feminist warrior, she asks to be interviewed by a magazine that, instead of telling women about how their mind is important, tells them that they are sex objects first and individuals second. This is a warped version of feminism. It is indicative of the way women are blindly joining these wars, fighting against a non-existent male enemy and not realising the full reality: that we are only fighting against ourselves. ‘Our women’s world is sunk so deep, who can help us’ are the strangely relevant words of Chinese poet Qui Jin written as she was leaving the oppressive China of the late 1800s for the more progressive Japan. In our case, our women’s world has sunk so deep to the extent that we are now oppressing each other, but still letting men take the blame. If we cannot even liberate ourselves from oppression and merely resort to oppressing ourselves when others stop, what is left for women? We cannot blame anyone but ourselves for this, and we are the only ones who can fix it. Feminism is no longer about retaliating against men; it is about retaliating against our fellow women.

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Procrastination lifeboat

The Failed PerfectionisT

disaster-like proportions in my head was curtailed into a happy outcome. My second major crisis struck when I was at uni. (You can cue the dramatic soap opera music here.) I submitted an essay worth one half of my mark for a subject, and the essay was failed. Failed! Oh, the dishonour! For shame sir, for shame! For someone whose personality depends on doing well in their studies, being handed a failed essay is like watching someone lick all your ice cream before handing it back to you. That’s the way you think, anyway, in your mental rage against the tutor who dared to question and deride your genius.

siobhan argent doesn’t think she’s changed since high school. Still a perfectionist at heart, she survived two major knocks to her veneer and has come out the other side. She tells Brainwash how she learnt to deal with failure.

If you were to shuttle me back the seven or eight years necessary to return me to high school, I doubt you’d find me much different characterwise. My hair’s a bit longer, yes, and I’ve gotten used to paying bills (sigh). But the girl who chewed her fingernails when she was anxious lives on. Actually, I’m biting them right now. Must stop. I’m a perfectionist, forever and always, a fact made all the more unfortunate given I’m under no illusions about it being one of the most annoying character traits ever. I was good at high school—the academic part, anyway. When my grades were good, I knew where I stood. It may not have made me the world’s most popular person, but that was never my aim. I knew where I belonged, and my friends accepted me for all my quirks. But there’s a problem with relying on being good at something as a form of identity. When it caves on you—and it does, more often than you think—you are left with the glaring reality of everything else that makes up who you are. In the wake of failure, these leftovers often feel like nothing at all. It took a few significant crises to crack my veneer. My first major crisis came with my end of Year 12 results. This isn’t really surprising as in Year 12, 138

your final score seems like the end-game of your existence. At this point in time, a perfectionist’s head swirls with appealing numbers and fantasy post-school lifestyles. I conceptualised my dream results, which lead to my dream uni course, which emphasised the true majesty of my post-uni job, which was to be the most magnificent and thrilling job one could ever imagine. I wanted to be a lawyer for the United Nations, spending my days doing Human Rights Things and speaking a mix of fluent French and English. Naturally. While I waited for this dream to materialise, I finished Year 12 and left Australia to spend a couple of months as an exchange student in the West of France. My lovely host mother couldn’t understand why I was sitting in her office chair crying like a four year old and trying not to swear in either language. I couldn’t explain that I’d just logged in to check my final results and they were lower than expected. Goodbye, Super Amazing Lawyer lifestyle. A lower-than-expected final result in Year 12 seemed like the end of my world. It wasn’t, of course. I was accepted into a degree that actually suited me better than law, even though it was my second option. Something that had spiralled into

‘Sometimes you just stuff up. It’s not a mark of failure on you as person.’ Of course, the failed essay was no one’s fault but mine. I was too embedded in my perfectionist mould to realise that sometimes you just stuff up. It’s not a mark of failure on you as a person. It’s been seven years since I finished Year 12. Life is sweet, even when it’s bad. I’m a little more comfortable with failure now—but I still like to look back and remember that once my Year 12 results seemed like the only thing that would ever matter. It’s more than likely that what devastates me today will probably only inspire a flicker of empathy in me in a year’s time. The point is Failure can be galvanising; it can force you to look inside yourself and see that there is more to you than the strengths people already know you have. Those hidden, generally unnoticed things are worth developing. If you’re anything like me (a gosh-dangit irritating perfectionist) you’ll need to remind yourself of that fact each time failure, disappointment or another freaking annoying perfectionist mess up your perfectly-laid plans. And if that perfectionist turns out to be me…sorry about that.

Professional writer Jessica Barlow gives you her top recommendations for what you should be watching when motivation to study takes a hike. One easy way to rescue a day of procrastination is to watch a movie or a TV series related to your field of study. Not only can this help rekindle your dwindling desire to achieve good study scores, but it can also teach you about opportunities available within the industry and deeper ingrain lessons covered in class. If you’re studying journalism, writing, or English, check out the below movies next time homework or studying is too hard to bear. Shattered Glass, 2003 This is a movie about a young reporter at the New Republic who ruins his career after fabricating many of his articles. It is a great movie about ethics and what not to do. Broadcast News, 1999 This is a brilliant movie about how sometimes looks can be more important than the news and how important it is to maintain professional standards. For the main character, Jane, it is important enough to risk her happiness for. Paper Giants: the birth of Cleo, 2011 This TV mini-series profiles the beginnings of Cleo Magazine and is a stunning insight into what the world was like for women working in the industry during the 1960s. Incidentally, anyone who likes fashion will have also have a great time checking out all their groovy outfits! In their own words, 2012 This BBC mini-series takes you on a journey through the British writers of the 20th Century. It includes the only recording of Virginia Woolf in history as well as a variety of similarly interesting facts, stories and advice. 139

The Friend Therapist

How to cope When things get tough

By Shannon McKeogh

Ever felt so sick of school that you just feel like running away? Like you never want to go to school ever again? kate benjamin has. She’s run away lots of times. You know that feeling when you think that the whole world’s against you? The feeling when you KNOW the whole world is DEFINITELY against YOU? For me it always starts off with a bad day at school. Friends aren’t acting like friends anymore and they make you cry or feel upset. Naturally, I try not to talk about it and just pretend that I had a good day. But I’ve learned that you can’t hide feelings — there have been times where all I have wanted to do was punch something. I wanted to make someone feel as bad as I did, I wanted to let my anger out onto someone else. And when I couldn’t do that I ran. Ran out of my house, through the streets and into the local school—I could’ve been there for hours feeling sorry for myself. I just broke down. Each year I would have one of these breakdowns. The reason I break is because of school. I just get sick of everyone. Everything feels terrible. I feel like I never want to go to school again. But gradually I realised that running didn’t help. I had to face the problem, not run away 140

from it. I ran into my kitchen where I found my mum. I opened my mouth and I blurted out all my problems and complained about how they couldn’t be fixed. Something I didn’t expect happened. Mum yelled at me. I burst into tears and sprinted out of the front door once again. I didn’t realise it was getting dark and cold— I didn’t want to admit it but I was scared. Nobody was with me and I was running in the direction of a deserted school. I stopped and sat down on a wooden bench. I knew I wasn’t out there for long but it felt like forever. I just sat and thought. I thought about how lucky I was to have a house, clothes, food and most importantly a family. Without thinking I ran again but this time towards home. I paused at the door and cautiously opened it. Maybe my mum hated me but I didn’t let that thought stop me. I quickly walked inside grabbed her around the waist, burst into tears and hugged her. She hugged me back. Later, Mum and I chose a tree in our backyard and she taught me how to climb it. Whenever I have to think I sit up in my tree. When I’m up there I feel like there’s nothing to worry about. It’s nice just to look down on my backyard and look at all my pets. The most important thing that I keep in my mind is that I know that I can get through anything with my family.

We all know that to be a good friend you need to take the good with the bad, be a shoulder to cry on. But what happens with your friend asks for too much? Shannon McKeogh tells her story.

Image credit: theywillsufficestock on DeviantArt

‘I wanted to make someone feel as bad as I did... And when I couldn’t do that I ran.’

Image credit: G.C Stock on DeviantArt

By Kate Benjamin

There was no leather couch or an office. No appointment or hourly limits. There was no $120 incentive at the end. Payment was in friendship, in understanding. The therapist was fifteen-year-old me. The closest thing I had to a qualification in Psychology was being a magazine personality quiz enthusiast. The mistake I made was thinking that it was my responsibility to make my friends happy.

own. There’s being nice and then there’s being too nice. And by being that, you leave yourself open for manipulation. My phone vibrated in my pocket, a reply from Emily, ‘No. I can’t do this anymore.’ My throat tightened, I felt like I was going to puke. I punched out a text message trying to cheer her up, tell her a joke. All the while thinking: please, please don’t kill yourself. I had been friends with Emily for the past six months. She dyed her hair black, wore an oversized school shirt and was half my height. Emily swore like a drunken poet and her ideas were radical and in the early hours of the morning at sleepovers she told me her secrets. I was flattered that she trusted me.

‘There’s being nice and then there’s being too nice. And by being that, you leave yourself open for manipulation.’ We became best friends, inseparable. Even when we were apart we texted each other or talked late into the night. I didn’t realise I had become her friend therapist, it just seemed like part of the natural progression in friendship to move onto deeper stuff. One moment we were talking about South Park the next Emily was confessing her addiction to cutting herself. My childhood was all My Little Pony and The Animals of Farthingwood, but when Emily showed me her pocket knife I nodded, pretended to understand. Emily always wore long sleeves and pants even in summer, hiding away hundreds of cuts. I told her that she should get help from a counsellor but she shook her head,

‘Are u ok?’ I texted my friend.

‘You’re the only one who can help me.’

The reply wouldn’t be good. Emily* was never ok and that was the problem.

Working overtime as a friend therapist wore me down. I was too tired to disagree with anything Emily said.

Everyone knows that being a true friend is about being there for more than just to celebrate the good times. A million clichés tell us friends are there to ‘have a shoulder to cry on,’ ‘lean on me,’ and ‘let me lighten your load.’ But how much should you take on? If you become a friend therapist, your friend’s problems become your

‘If you don’t come to the party I won’t have fun.’ So after a long argument with my parents they let me go. ‘I need you to ring me. If you were a real friend you would.’ Emily demanded and so I shut my 141

bedroom door, phone shaking in my hand. I had nightmares about self-mutilation and suicide. In the mornings I woke up to desperate texts from Emily, threatening to kill herself. I forced cereal down my throat and flinched every time the home phone rang, believing that it was someone ringing to tell us she had gone through with it. Emily was making me miserable but I was optimistic that she wasn’t a bad person. There were rare glimpses of her being funny and generous, she could be happy. After eight months of offering intensive free therapy with no leave I finally snapped. Tears rolled down my face as I told my mum everything. I felt like a failure speaking out, I had broken the unspoken confidentiality agreement between friends, which really is a load of cow dung. Your friend’s safety is more important than keeping secrets. Telling an adult about the situation created a loose thread in this manipulative friendship. It started unravelling like a badly-made cardigan. I distanced myself from Emily and encouraged her to get some help, ‘Your texts about suicide upset me Em.’ ‘I don’t control anyone!’ She yelled. If she was going down I would be going down with her. But my family helped me separate myself from Emily. I ignored abusive text messages and emails from her. I even changed schools and did a leadership program called Breaking Free to regain my confidence. Mum contacted Emily’s parents who were unaware of her self-harm. Emily did eventually seek help, professional help, but we were no longer on speaking terms. It was better for both for us not to be friends anymore. Things had gotten too ugly. Speaking out and stepping back from a situation is not easy. It hurts like hell but no matter how many friendship clichés tell you that being a good friend is about offering support, know when you’re taking too much on board. You are not a qualified therapist. *Name has been changed.

If you, or your friend is experiencing depression or considering suicide please seek help. The Kids Helpline are professional counsellors specialising in helping young people from age 5 to 25— call 1800 55 1800. 142

Mum’s best home remedies

how to cope when your friend is sick By Arianna Merritt

• Eat yogurt to Cure Bad Breath The neutralizing powers of yogurt and other probiotics treat the bad breath smell that originates from the stomach. • Have a spoonful of Sugar to Cure Hiccups One teaspoon of white granulated sugar, swallowed dry, should cure hiccups almost immediately. • Wash your feet in Vodka to get rid of foot odor Wipe them down with a vodka-soaked washcloth to get rid of the nasty smell. • Inhale the scent of Lavender to help you sleep Dab some lavender oil on a hanky or tissue and place it near your nose as you lie down to go to sleep. It should help you relax and get to sleep quicker. • Drink flat lemonade to help an upset tummy If you’re feeling queasy drink a glass of flat lemonade to settle your stomach. • Get rid of dead skin with lemon juice and salt Combine sea salt with lemon juice and rub all over hands or feet to exfoliate and remove dead skin. • Gargle water to prevent against colds. Gargle water at least three times per day and you are less likely to get a cold. Combine this with plenty of oranges and vitamin C and you might just get through cold season without getting sick!

Image credit: thisgirlhasissues on DeviantArt

Perhaps you were like me; you never really thought death or serious illness would happen to you or to someone you cared about deeply. Then one day, you get the news. Trust me, how you cope with it makes all the difference. One night in sixth grade, I got a phone call from one of best friends. She told me she had been admitted to the hospital. I was worried, as my friend hadn’t been at school for a few days. She shared with me that she had been diagnosed with diabetes and was really sick. I was unsure of how to cope with this news, as I had never dealt with anything like this before. I knew for certain that I didn’t want my friend to go through this ordeal alone and wanted to help her in any way she needed. Friends stick by one another through good and bad. The disease doesn’t just affect the person – it influences their relationships too! It took adjustment from both of us, but we learned a lot about how to help each other persist during times of trouble. We became better friends as a result. I’m happy to say that my friend is happy and healthy to this day. If you have a friend who is experiencing a lifethreatening illness (i.e., cancer, diabetes, severe depression, eating disorder, etc.), here are some tips for you: Don’t leave. Yes, you may have times when you pull away temporarily because you feel like you can’t deal with it. Or, your friend may pull away because she doesn’t want to burden you. But, be there for your friend!

Communicate. If you are nervous or concerned, be honest and share this with your friend. Talk to her. Remind her that you are there for her. Be aware that social dynamics may change. Your friend may not be able to participate in the same activities anymore. Make sure you take time for yourself, too. The illness won’t just influence your friend; the illness will impact you as well. Stop the jealousy. Your friend may forge new relationships, but you will still have a great bond with her. Talk about issues. I remember being nervous about whether I could catch the disease, so I initially acted differently around my friend. If you are feeling awkward or unsure, voice your concerns to your friend and/or a counsellor/ parent. There is a possibility that your friend may die. Talk about this issue and have a support system for her. It is okay to cry with her, just make sure she smiles too! Treat your friend with respect. She is just like you. Most importantly, talk about things that are not disease-related. Your friend is not just her disease. Love her for who she is on the inside. These are some of the life lessons which I have learned through having friends and loved ones with life-threatening illnesses. The most important thing is to communicate; that way, you can travel the journey together! 143

I feel so strongly about positive body image and the way in which the media has manipulated our views on what is acceptable. I myself have struggled (and still do struggle) with esteem issues and figured it was time to tackle the issue first hand. Because of this, I started photographing pin up/alternative portraiture (however I freelance overall) to help battle the negative impact society has on how we should look and feel within our own bodies. The girls I work with are everyday women who range from a variety of sizes and shapes, and because of my approach to photographing them, they look just as amazing as any professional model out there. Unlike normal â&#x20AC;&#x153;modelsâ&#x20AC;?, I find my clients appreciate the overall outcome and gain self confidence from my shoots, and the feedback I have had is amazing. I capture a portrait of someone as I would view them, and I think there is nothing better than giving my clients the reality check needed to feel comfortable in their own skin and to view themselves in the positive light that I see them in. I fell in love with the kustom kulture/rockabilly scene during my teenage years. I have grown up with a variety of influences which have supported this love and now, through the use of reoccurring fashion and trends, there is an overwhelming response to itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifestyle. 144

Photo credit: All photos Jessie-Lou

Alternative Photography: Jessie-Lou

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Photo credit: All photos Jessie-Lou

As a freelance artist, photography gives me the ability to capture the world as I see it. With a natural talent for the still image, I have utilized my abilities as a self taught photographer to further my career within my chosen field. Studying at schools such as Brighton Bay (School of art, design and photography) as well as completing my Fine Art Photography/Print Image Practice degree at RMIT, I not only understand the art industry in conjunction with the commercial, but try to blur the line between the two within some of my work; pin up/alternative portraiture being my main strength.

“When people look at my pictures I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice.” - Robert Frank.

To check out more of Jessie’s photography work, visit her at: Instagram: @jessielouphotographer Facebook: www.facebook.com/ jessielouphotographer/

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Superfoods - are they worth the price tag?

quick health guide

By Catherine Kladakis

Ever wondered what Zinc is? If you really need antioxidants? Never fear! Georgia Hill has put together this Quick Health Guide to help.

Lactose Lactose is the main type of sugar in milk products. A lactose intolerance is when the body is unable to break down this sugar.

Antioxidants Found in fruit, vegetables, tea and coffee, antioxidants are compounds that clean up molecules in our bodies called ‘free radicals’. These free radicals harm our cells. Antioxidants have been linked to protecting our bodies from to some diseases and cancers but they can also damage the nervous system and increase the risk of heart disease. So why not load up on the fruit and vegies to give your body a helping hand!

Zinc Zinc is essential for a healthy immune system but it also helps the brain function, heal and repairs itself and is important for proper senses of taste and smell. Foods that are good sources of zinc include: seafood, meat, legumes, nuts and seeds.

Cholesterol Cholesterol is a fat that the body needs to function properly. When too much of this fat is consumed it builds up in the arteries and causes problems. High cholesterol is a very preventable lifestyle disease caused by a diet too high in fat. It is one of the main causes of heart attack and stroke.

Nutrients Nutrients are various chemicals in food that play a big part in our diets. Many nutrients are essential for living and provide energy to our bodies. The six main nutrients are carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. 148

Blood Pressure Blood pressure measures the force of blood pushing through the artery walls. High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is when the blood pressure is constantly way too high. One of the main causes of this is living an unhealthy lifestyle—smoking, obesity, poor diet and too much alcohol put you at a higher risk. High blood pressure can cause heart problems and stroke.

Quinoa Pronounced keen-wa, these little beauties contain more protein than any other grain. You can use quinoa as a substitute for rice. Quinoa is fabulous for lowering cholesterol.

GI (Glycemic Index) The Glycemic Index ranks blood glucose levels from 1 to 100. It measures the effects meals have on blood-glucose levels in the body over the two hours after the food was eaten. Research shows that having very high glucose levels after meals can be damaging to the arteries and blood vessels. Eating low GI foods avoids this risk and gives a much more even spread of energy. HIGH GI = 70 or more MEDIUM GI = 56-69 LOW GI = 55 or less

Wholegrains When you hear the word ‘wholegrain’ it means that every part of the grain was used: the endosperm, bran and the germ. The first provides energy, the second is a source of fibre and the third is also a source of vitamins and minerals. Chow down on a cereal made with wholegrains for breaky every morning and feel fuller for longer.

Forget Manolos. These days, exotic Superfoods seem to be the latest ‘fashion’ accessory, from Miranda Kerr’s noni-juice to ‘super’ green smoothies- sprinkled with chia and spirulina of course. So are these trendy ‘Superfoods’ actually worth eating, or are they just media food porn to be ignored? Here’s 5 of the most hyped and my verdict.

Chia seeds Just one tablespoon of these nutty tasting seeds has as much fibre as a bowl of oats! They’re also full of omega-3s, and bone building calcium.

to consume a lot of the stuff to reap the benefits. Advocates claim that it fights cancer, boosts the immune system and aids in weight loss, but more studies are needed to prove these benefits.

Worth the price tag? Yes. Try it on cereals, yoghurt, and smoothies.

Goji berries These tart, dried berries come from China- where they have been used in Chinese medicine for years for their supposed anti-ageing and fertility benefits.

Noni-juice Noni is a tropical lime-green fruit that hails from exotic Polynesia. Studies on innocent, little mice show that it may help prevent cancer, but when it comes to us humans, there is not much evidence to prove this. Worth the price tag? No. Whilst it’s a source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, you can get these from other fruits. Quinoa This super-grain is a great substitute for white rice. It is not only higher in fibre but a fantastic source of protein- good for vegetarians and for keeping food cravings under control. It is also a source of heart friendly Omega-3. Worth the price tag? Hell yes! Whip quinoa flakes up into a hot cereal with blueberries, or serve for dinner with chicken and vegetables. Spirulina Mean, green and full of vitamins, spirulina is a blue-green algae that is often added to smoothies to give it that ‘Hulk-like’ hue. It is rich in protein, antioxidants, B vitamins, minerals, and betacarotene-which is good for your eyesight. Worth the price tag? The jury is out on this one. It’s full of nutritional goodies, but you would have

Worth the price tag? Not for their hefty price. They may be rich in cancer fighting antioxidants but you can get similar benefits from other berries such as blueberries. Top 5 Superfoods that won’t break the bank Blueberries: Boosts memory and keeps skin healthy- great for those pesky breakouts during exams. Green leafy vegetables: The king of Superfoods! Try kale for the ultimate vitamin booster in a green juice or smoothie. Broccoli: A star cancer fighter. Eggs: The ultimate protein and vitamin bomb. Salmon: Full of Omega-3 fatty acids for a healthy heart and glowing skin. Tip: Superfoods won’t compensate for a bad diet. Ensure you are eating a variety of fruit, vegetables, lean protein, health carbs and fats in the first place. 149

in thick black texta and hang them around my room where I would see them every day. What I didn’t realise was that I was using positive affirmations and retraining my brain into a positive frame of mind. It was as if all the things that I was telling myself the whole time were actually coming true.

Photo credit: All photos Bianca Anderson

In the year 2000, I was completing Year 11 and training for the Sydney 2000 Paralympics. At the last possible moment I swam a 12-second personal best time in the 400 m freestyle that automatically got me selected on the team. It also ranked me as the fifth fastest 400m freestyler for my disability classification in the world. I was 16. I went to the Paralympics and it was an amazing experience and I learnt so much about myself and how to operate in a team environment. I swam a personal best time and came 12th overall. I was extremely proud of how all my hard work had paid off.

believe: achieve. It wasn’t always easy growing up with something as obvious as walking in a different way and using a wheelchair to get around. I was born with a muscle and joint condition called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congentia – basically my joints and muscles don’t fit properly together which means my bone is often rubbing on bone. I also have a hand abnormality and club feet. I did struggle with it for a long time and I believed that I was the only person in the world to ever have something that wasn’t ‘normal’. It wasn’t that I was angry at anyone, I was angry at myself for being the way I was. It was as if I thought I had some kind of control over how I was born and how I looked. But the best thing is, once I got over the ‘I feel sorry for myself because I’m the ‘only one’ attitude’, I actually learnt how to use my disability to my advantage and achieve many of my goals. My family has always been a great supporter in everything I achieved, and at age 11, my parents 150

joined me up to a club that specifically created opportunities for kids with disabilities. I started swimming on Sunday mornings with about five other kids that also enjoyed swimming and had disabilities and eventually I was selected to swim at the Junior National Wheelchair Games. This was a real turning point in my life and the moment when I realised that I was good at something. I came home with five gold, three silver, two bronze medals and the title of the female of the swimmer of the meet. Over the next five years I trained with a swimming club in Richmond where I was the only swimmer with a disability. This was a great experience for me because I realised that I was the same as every other kid – I had a dream and with hard work I could fulfil it. I started searching for positive quotes that I would type out again and again placing them all over the walls in my bedroom. I would gather large pieces of paper and write the times that I wanted to swim

If you believe that you are worthless, you will project that out into the world, showing people that is what you believe about yourself. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t like one day I just changed my thinking and started seeing sunshine and rainbows everywhere. I worked away at my thoughts, tapping away at every negative thought that came into my head. I called the little voice in my head my ego. I learnt that this voice was only trying to protect me. Changing the way we see the world and the way we think and react to things is really scary if it isn’t something we are used too. Whenever I heard my ego start up and say something like ‘Elle, why would anyone want to hear about your sporting career, you’re not even a Paralympic medallist’, I politely thank my ego for its words and tell it that I may not be but that everyone has a story to be told.’

In the years that followed my sporting career wasn’t as successful – injury after injury occurred. Then during my key event in the selection trials for the Athens Paralympics my racing bathers split and were choking me – I couldn’t perform at my best and missed the team. I was the only Victorian Paralympic swimmer to miss out on selection for Athens 2004. I retired from swimming in 2006. In the year after, struggling with my personal identity, I went through a transformation of sorts where I learnt some very important life lessons. I learnt that I could be amazing no matter what I was contributing to the world. I had grown to think that I couldn’t be anyone else but Elle – The Swimmer. I was too scared to let the ‘Real’ Elle shine and let go of the category I had placed on myself! Once I had removed this category, my self-belief grew and I knew that I could achieve anything. I am so thankful for the inspiring women that taught me that I am in control of my destiny; Louise Hay (Motivational Author), Karina Godwin (Director at Flying Souls), Jacqui Louder (Psychologist) and my Mum Liz Steele. During this time, I learnt that our thoughts and beliefs about ourselves create our lives. We focus on what we want to believe to the exclusion to everything else, creating a life of happiness and joy or despair and isolation.

In 2008, I went to watch a game of wheelchair rugby (aka Murderball); it was a life-changing moment for me because I found that thing I had been longing for since giving up swimming. I began training with 12 athletes and two years later I was the only female to ever play wheelchair rugby for Victoria. I believed I could achieve this despite the toughness of the sport and worked hard to make that come true. Eventually the injuries from that sport mounted up and with almost full-time work I had to retire. One of these injuries was getting worse and in 2011, I couldn’t walk 10 metres because of the pain and state of my right ankle. Over a ten year period it had slowly turned in so that if I was to walk I was walking on the outside of my foot. 151

Female Skateboarders

By Stephanie Simios

skateboarding is cool, it’s fun and it’s on the rise. But some still don’t think girls should be doing it. stephanie simios explains. Photo credit: All photos Bianca Anderson

Skateboarding started out in California, USA in the 1960s. Californian surfers would use skateboards to perfect their technique on land. The link between skating and surfing has widened since then, with the sport evolving into many different forms, from standard trick skateboarding, to high speed downhill long boarding.

I had had over 20 cortisone injections and countless tests but then had to have a triple ankle fusion earlier this year. I was in hospital for a week, plaster for eight weeks and the prospect was for me to have months of rehabilitation to learn how to walk again.

Our thoughts create our emotions and our emotions create our feelings. Our feelings create our lives. You are the only one that can make you bored, unhappy or rejected. Just as you are the only one that can make you feel happy, loved and empowered.

Two weeks later, I was back in hospital with a wound that wouldn’t heal. My ankle was dead straight, stuck at a ninety degree angle – but I hated it. I had to start all over again. I started by staring at my ankle, saying in my head, ‘I love you; I thank you for everything you have done for me’.

I chose to get through the trauma and survive it. I am now back at work, learning to walk, drive, and exercise to be independent again. Choose your thoughts wisely, for they create our worlds.

Day after day after the second operation I sat in my recliner rocker, unable to do anything without help and continued to write down my dreams and goals. I was sure that everything was going to turn out just as I had planned! But once again I ended up back in hospital – this time having all of the metal removed from inside my ankle as my body was rejecting it. It was devastating. On the second day in hospital, Mum came in with my morning coffee and asked me how I was. My reply – ‘Mum, I am just so happy. I have never felt this happy in my whole life.’Mum’s face showed it all, she wasn’t expecting that reaction. I said; ‘Mum, I am happy because from now and on and forever, I choose to be happy no matter what.’

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Elle Steele, Life Coach Create Believe Achieve www.createbelieveachieve.com.au

Before I go any further, let me set one thing straight. I’m not a “skater girl”. I’m not the perfect representation of the females you see plastered all over the internet, donning beanies and JanSport backpacks. I can’t skate in bowls, do kick flips off sets of stairs, grind rails or ride switch. If anything, my board is a form of transportation. A form of fun. However, I can’t help but feel inadequate whenever I’m carrying my board under my arm or skating on it. Generally, I’m given weird looks from passers-by. Up until June 2012, the most abuse I’d gotten was beeped at by a car. That all changed one day when a friend and I were waiting for a train , boards under our feet as we sat on the bench. An outbound train arrived on the opposing platform, and two 16–year-old-tradesmen felt the need to yell at us: ‘Girls are meant to ride dick, not boards!’ . The most astounding thing though is not what they said, but the efforts they went to in order to say it. The young men had to force open the away-facing carriage doors in order to see us and their philosophical view on female skateboarding was just the cherry on top. There’s still a lot of hostility shown towards female skateboarders. Mothers and fathers don’t want their daughters skating because girls are supposed to be delicate and pretty, and skateboarding is certainly neither of those. Older men and women believe skateboarders in general (both male AND female) are rowdy misfits, going on rampages around quiet suburbs and causing havoc. Boys can love female skateboarders or hate them - it’s either a physical attraction (“Oh man, she skates? That’s hot!”) or they feel threatened

‘Girls are meant to ride dick not boards.’ by a girl who can ollie higher than them. So where does this leave us girls who like to ride our boards? Already, society is telling us that we aren’t really good enough. As soon as we find skateboarding, something that we’re passionate about and that we enjoy, we’re beaten down until we lose faith in ourselves and we hang up our board and throw away our skate shoes. NO! This attitude is constantly changing and it’s getting better. Many skateboarders are giving up their time to better the world, one deck and four wheels at a time. Skateistan is a school located in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, and aims to “use skateboarding as a tool for empowerment”. Skateistan works with children aged 5 to 18 years, 40% of its students are girls. Since the school’s beginnings in 2007, Skateistan has grown from its Kabul campus to a Pakistan campus (which opened in August 2010), a Cambodian campus (which opened in March 2011), and a Mazar e Sharif campus, also located in Afghanistan. This organisation in particular and others like it will hopefully shift society’s view on skateboarders being anti-social and disruptive. As for us female skateboarders though, there isn’t much that we need to do. Keep skating on your shortboard, cruiser or longboard. Keep shredding up the pavement and testing out new tricks. The only way attitudes are going to change are if we stay united. Show the world what we’ve got.

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Secret Women’s Business: Bellydancing By Belladonna Took

Every Wednesday night, 80-year-old Margaret slips on her long gypsy skirt and ties a colourful scarf tinkling with coins around her hips. Likewise, 14-year-old Cassie ditches her school uniform and homework, and puts on her bling. Bellydancing is perhaps Canberra’s best-kept secret. In dance studios, halls and community colleges all over the city, Canberra women sparkle and shake and shimmy. I had a chat with Fran, co-owner and teacher extraordinaire of Bellyup Bellydance school based in Tuggeranong. Fran started bellydancing when she first moved to Canberra in 1996. Living with her husband and two growing boys, Fran wanted something feminine to do, some ‘me’ time (at least for one hour a week!), so she enrolled in a bellydancing class with a friend-and absolutely loved it. She met Donna in one of her classes, and together in 2006, they started their own bellydancing school called Bellyup Bellydance. ‘One of the other women in our classes suggested the name,’ Fran said. ‘It’s tongue in cheek. It says who we are and what we do, but we also have a sense of fun.’ Fun is definitely what you’ll have when you attend a Bellyup Bellydance class. I attended classes for over a year and I enjoyed them immensely, thanks to the friendly, easygoing, supportive teachers and students. Students learn the core movements through choreography. After all, you don’t learn basketball just by dribbling a ball around in circles. You learn it by actually playing a game. And so Bellyup Bellydance teaches students how to dance. But there’s a serious side to it all as well. Bellydancing is a woman thing,’ Fran said. ‘You learn to love your wobbly bits. Our society is constantly bombarded with ridiculous images of skeletal-looking women…but bellydancing says that it’s all right to have that bit of extra padding, or extra upholstery.’ That’s the wonderful thing about bellydancing. 154

‘You learn to love your wobbly bits... bellydancing says that it’s all right to have that bit of extra padding, or extra upholstery.’

You learn to love your body, no matter what size or shape or soft bits you’ve got hanging out. Bellydancing, of course, has always had its stereotypes and provocative connotations. It’s often been viewed in highly sexualised, negative terms But as Fran said, ‘ bellydancing is really all about us women appreciating and loving our own bodies and being in control of them. Our modern way of living can be very inhibited and uptight. But bellydancing is about letting it all hang out and just doing it…bellydancing celebrates our natural movements. It gives women a whole sense of empowerment.’ That’s especially important for our teenage girls and young women who have been led to believe that being thin is the only right and acceptable way to be in our society. Bellydancing teaches them that ‘it’s all right to have things on our bodies that move and jiggle,’ Fran said. ‘We had a 15-year-old girl who came to our classes and told us that her friends and classmates thought she was fat. She told them that she didn’t care because her belly could do tricks!’ Over the years Bellyup Bellydance has had hundreds of women enrol in their classes-women of all shapes, sizes, and ages. ‘Nowhere else do you get such a mixed group of women,’ Fran said. ‘We’ve had 8 year olds start with us, and Margaret is in her 80s—she took up bellydancing when she was 75.’ The Bellyup Bellydance troupe (the group of more experienced bellydancers who perform at festivals, fetes, and private parties) also consists of women ranging in age from 14 to their 50s. Bellyup Bellydance holds haflas (bellydance parties) twice a year and they’re a fantastic opportunity to see some amazing bellydancing performances as well as getting up there and trying it out for yourself. The haflas are fun, relaxed nights of dancing, music, food, and connecting with other women. Bellydancing has made me appreciate myself more as a woman. I also made some fabulous new friends, laughed lots, kept fit, wore some fantastic bling and gorgeous costumes, challenged myself out of my comfort zone, and yes, I learned to love my wobbly bits, too!

Jamealah Bellydancers Darwin, NT Cost: First class free! darwinbellydance.com.au Bellyup Bellydance Canberra, ACT Cost: Fees based on terms Haflas $5. www.bellyupbellydance.com

Image credit: Antoinette Beirouty

It’s sexy, exotic, and great exercise. Women have been bellydancing for years. Belladonna Took reports on the surprising Canberra bellydancing scene.

Dance Baladi Melbourne, VIC Cost: Up to $15 a class. www.bellydancer.com.au Sisters of Samarkand Geraldton, WA, Cost: Classes $10 sistersofsamarkand.vpweb.com.au 155

SOCIAL MEDIA: A TOOL, NOT A TOY

Victorian Roller Derby League

By Yoanita Marselia

How would you best describe Roller Derby to people who’ve never heard about it before? This is how I describe Roller Derby to new people. Roller derby is a women’s sport - played on roller skates on a track, there are 2 teams, 5 skaters of each teams on the track at the same time. 1 from each team is the ‘jammer’ who ha to score points by overtaking the opponents. The rest of the skaters are called ‘blockers’. They are there to help their jammer, while also stopping the other jammer from scoring on them. It is a very physical game, lots of hits, falls, speed involved. Really fun to watch. What made you want to get involved with RD? When I first saw a game, I thought WOW.. can I do that? Can I be that tough, can I be that fit?? I wanted to put my ability to the test. I had never played team sports before, I wanted to experience what it would be like to be part of a team. Is it dangerous? Have you or any teammates had any major injuries? Like any sport, there is always injury risks involved. Yes I have seen a few of my friends broke their leg, or wrist, or anything. And I have seen them recover and come back to roller derby! It CAN be dangerous, but we train to be as safe as we can. For example, one of the first things you learn when you start roller derby is ‘falling safe’, which 156

means falling in a position that puts you and others in the least danger. Do you have any advice for teen girls interested in getting into Roller Derby? In most leagues in Australia you have to be at least 18 to play roller derby but there are things you can do meanwhile. Start skating now! Get a pair of roller skates - they don’t have to be expensive ones - and start skating at rinks, or outdoor, in the driveway, anywhere! By the time you turn 18 you would have good skating ability already and that will fast track you through your roller derby career. If you could tell teen girls one thing about Roller Derby what would it be? Roller derby brings out your inner physical and mental strength that you don’t know you have! What is your best memory throughout your time involved in the sport? Best memory.. was a recent bout where my team was losing, we almost lost hope, but somehow we got it together and fought back, and ended up winning! At the end of the game we hugged each other in tears and happiness. Any funny RD-related stories to share? When I just started roller derby, in one of the training sessions. I accidentally pull down a fellow

Photo credit: Jesse Booher

Brainwash caught up with Roller Derby Skater Speedy Wasabi to find out more about the sport that has taken the nation by storm.

Photo credit: Manning Blanchard

As a young, teenage girl looking at social media for the first time, I thought it was just for “socialising”. It made it easy to catch up with friends, keep in contact with family and people overseas, and make new friends. But the difference between now and back when I was a teenager is that social media isn’t only about socialising anymore.

skater’s short when I was going for a hip whip. (Hip whip is when you grab your teammate’s hips and pull yourself forward to give you more speed) I was sooo worried she was going to yell at me and get really angry for exposing what’s not supposed to be exposed. But instead she just chuckled about it and carried on like nothing happened. Pheeuww! Is Roller Derby a sport that people of all ages can participate in? In most leagues you have to be 18 to participate. But there are some that has a junior league that is open to under 18s. Can you describe the atmosphere at a bout? Imagine hundreds, maybe a thousand people sitting track-side. Some are standing. Some are wearing team colours, holding up signs for their favourite team/skater. They are roaring as they see their favourite skater in action. Big stack happens, the crowd goes “OOHHHH!!!!”, their favourite team is winning, they go “YEAAAAHHHH!!!!”. Any final comments/statements about your involvement with Roller Derby? Roller derby keeps me fit, healthy and gives me a lot of friends. It has pushed me beyond my limits both mentally and physically, in a good way.

The types of photos you upload and the things you say on your FB, Twitter and Instagram profiles show people the kind of person you are. You can say and do whatever you want on your profiles, but you should know the consequences of your actions if necessary. We all have reputations. It’s what we see ourselves as, and of course, what others see us as. We have all sorts of reputations that range from family to school, to our social standing with friends, friends of friends and strangers. Of course, as we all communicate and socialise over the Internet, we also develop an online reputation. In this way, social media goes beyond “socialising”. You’ve created an online identity for people to see and know. From here, it’s all about how you shape and maintain this identity. The main thing to remember is to not post things that you’ll regret later. Don’t base your posts on temporary feelings. Sure, we all have days where we just want to rant about our feelings online, but you should realise the things that you write may offend others, or may spark rumours and conversations. This is how gossip starts! The way young teenagers and new social media users present themselves on social media needs to change. Whether you are applying for jobs or if you already have a job, it’s important to keep your online reputation intact. This is because employers would like to see their team members behave appropriately outside of the workplace to preserve the company image, and because many employers check social media profiles before hiring new staff. Whatever you aspire to be in the future, your social media accounts are very important. They should reflect a professional image just as much as a personal one. It’s time to start thinking about how you can use social media to your advantage. Your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts aren’t just profiles, they’re the start of something bigger.

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Be your best: get stressed

Score: Humans 1, Sabre-tooth tigers 0. Rock on.

By Lucy Le Maurissier Scott

2 performance

Stress and anxiety are constantly portrayed as the anti-heroes: bad for our brains, our bodies, our relationships and our quality of life. But the pleasure / pain principle dictates that everything has a flip side – so could stress and anxiety actually be good?

Stress The short answer is yes: there’s a strong link between performance and stress. Just over a century ago, a couple of psychologists called Mr Yerkes and Mr Dodson used their grey matter to find out exactly what goes on inside our brains and bodies in challenging situations. What they came up with is called the Yerkes-Dodson laws shown as a graph that tracks productivity against stress levels. Performance anxiety affects us all: job interviews, public speaking, playing sport, sitting exams. Falling apart at the critical moment is horrendous. But did you know that just before we crumble we’re working at our peak? Simply put, a bit of anxiety can actually make your performance a whole lot better. However, before you ramp up the stress-o-meter be warned - stress only works to a point. Go too far and your ability declines as quickly as it rose. Here’s what to do and what not to do to get you working at your peak: Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Obvious, maybe, and yes we sound like your mum, but doing your preparation is half the battle. Try to anticipate challenges; predict what questions you might be asked; foresee potential obstacles and hurdles. That said, there are always going to be times you’ve got to wing it, so here we go… 158

1. Into battle! It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for / dreaming of / having nightmares about (delete as appropriate) – running onto the pitch, walking into the interview room, turning over the exam paper. Now, if you’re totally cool you won’t perform your best. You’ll probably do an ok job, it’ll be passable. But remember: this is D-Day. It’s not a rehearsal: it’s the real deal. The chances are you’ll feel some nerves – good, it’ll enhance your performance in the long run. But you must keep them under control, which brings us to… 2. Watch out for when you start to go all caveman Yes, it’s the good old fight or flight response kicking in and you’re watching out for increased heart rates, faster or shallower breathing, sweating, upset stomach and tense muscles. Your brain’s hypothalamus is getting your body ready to face the modern-day equivalent of a sabretoothed tiger. Our bodies were hard-wired yonks ago when we had to fight off those dentally superior beasts and get ourselves out of pretty dodgy situations. We literally had to attack back or run away as fast as our Fred Flintstone legs could carry us – and thanks to our hypothalamus we actually stood a chance.

3. Grab your energy and use it Thankfully, today we’re under a little less pressure to save our skins and the threat may be psychological rather than physical. However, our brains don’t know this so our bodies are still reacting the same way. And it’s not such a bad thing. These automatic responses give us faster reaction speeds, sharpen our mental clarity, raise our pain thresholds and make us hyper-alert. Imagine facing an interview panel – having to think on your feet, or playing in a game – maintaining the stamina and energy to own that ball as you head for the winning goal. 4. Get on top and stay there But – and this is a big but – fight or flight can go a bit far. We need to harness this energy when it’s at its peak and not let it continue to augment and leave us a gibbering mess. The minute we tip over the top of the Yerkes Dodson curve, hyperalert can turn into obsessive behaviour, mental clarity can be smothered by physical urges, and tolerance to pain can end very badly indeed. Feel the physical triggers, be aware of how they’re helping, then put all your concentration on the task in hand. This may be easier said than done, but learning to focus your mind can be a key tool for success. Learning basic meditation or relaxation exercises in advance of the big day can really steady your focus. It’ll also help quash that irritating inner monologue, because in a situation like this it’s rarely telling you you’re awesome.

remembering that life will definitely go on and the sun will still rise regardless of how you do, will help you get a sense of perspective and reduce anxiety to the right level.” Don’t forget to look outside you at your immediate environment. What’s it like? Is it hot or cold? Is it quiet or noisy? What’s the light like? Environmental factors also contribute to stress levels, so work out what you need to get you to be your best. 5. The long way down Once you’ve started to fall, it’s much harder to pull yourself back up. You might end up despairing at your chances, feeling bleak, depressed and under threat. The likelihood of chronically underperforming is way higher. Damn those tigers – they’ve got a lot to answer for even though they’ve been extinct for 10,000 years. Isn’t ‘fight or flight’ meant to end in a physical burnout? Yes, it was designed for life-or-death situations. Fortunately, these days you’re less likely to find yourself faced with that sort of ultimatum. That’s why it’s important to be aware of the triggers and the causes. Whether it’s a physical or mental challenge, too little stress equals boredom, too much equals stress and burnout. The key is to find your unique equilibrium. It’s not about having the most energy or being the most relaxed. It’s about the best process for you.

“Instead of dreading an exam, interview or Dr Adam Martin, top psychiatrist at Sydney’s Level performance, look forward to it as a game to be played and won. This will get you to right level 8 Practice, gives this advice, “Visualise how it’s going to be on the big day, get plenty of sleep, do of anxiety where you are ‘gee’d up’ and ready for a little exercise most days, eat healthily, and avoid the fight (GOOD) rather than in a state of nervous panic (BAD!)”, Dr Martin advises. too much caffeine or sugar. “It’s normal to be anxious, so don’t worry about being worried! Instead, turn that worry to your benefit, into healthy excitement about the challenge, and let a little anxiety work for you. “Anticipating the challenges is really important. Imagine what questions you might be asked, or what you might be expected to do, and how you will answer these questions or perform will really help when you are expected to deliver.” “Whatever the challenge, it will be helpful to remember that if it all goes wrong, it’s not the end of the world. The old saying ‘try your best” but

If you’re part of a team, it’s important to recognise that everyone has their own optimal balance. What works for you might send someone else over the edge. A good coach will recognise this and work the team accordingly. Finding your ‘sweet spot’ won’t happen overnight but if you start noticing things from today you’ll pick up clues to help you cope better in pressured situations. You’ll develop a personal toolkit that won’t just serve you well in the near future, but keep you performing at the pinnacle of your Yerkes Dodson curve throughout your life. 159

By Carly Michelle Dennis

‘All that time I save in body hair removal I devote to revolution.’ – Janet Fraser

One of the first things you’ll worry about shaving will be your legs and armpits since they appear the earliest. The first thought is, something is there that wasn’t there before, so you get rid of it. But then it grows back and you break into the routine of shaving every two or three days. This works fine for most people, but what about those who don’t want to? Again, it’s not a matter of shaving it because that’s the norm. If you find yourself not wanting to shave, but then not wanting to show your unshaven self out in public. Ask yourself why. Nine times out of ten it boils down to confidence. I’ve got friends who are confident walking around with armpit hair and friends who would rather die than be seen like that. This raises the question of “What if I do get called a crazy ugly feminist?”

Before I get started, a quick story. I was walking around my university campus with one of my friends before he met up with his girlfriend. She was waiting for us both outside the library, minding her own business. When she saw us, she walked towards us, past a group of construction workers. They immediately started wolf whistling, cat calling – you name it, they did it. It’s a questionable method of courtship. She didn’t like being jeered at so much, so she proceeded to give them the middle finger. They were shocked, appalled to the point where they looked away. Not The best part about your body hair is it’s yours, because she gave them the bird – no – because she had unshaven armpits. This scared them; they and like anything that’s yours, you have the right to be proud about it. Its not limited to your legs, didn’t know how to deal with a woman who had your arms or your pubic hair – it’s a choice that such obvious body hair. One of the construction no one should be making but you. If you feel workers yelled out to her – “Crazy ugly feminist.” comfortable, happy and sexy without hair, go To disclaim, this is not about ‘shaving is evil’ or any without, if you feel comfortable, happy and sexy message for or against body hair. Its about the with it – well you see where I’m going with this. choice, the choice that so many girls don’t realise The human body did not come with a rulebook; they have. Body hair has been ingrained into our there is no chapter or illustration of a crazy ugly minds as a filthy thing for a girl to have – this is feminist because there is no such thing. And not true. I’m not going to spew facts out either to yes, there are people who are going to judge convince you of what we should ideally look like you – there always will be, it’s about having as women. The human body did not come with a the confidence to ignore them. Take crazy ugly rulebook, and even if it did who says you need to feminist and make it something beautiful. follow it? While I could easily tell you it boils down It’s your body; it’s your rulebook. And if it wasn’t to the simplicity of shave if you want to, grow it if clear in the story above, you can do whatever you you don’t – it’s not that simple. want with your body, someone is going to love you for it, hair or none. 160

By Georgia Hill

Running is great exercise, good for you mentally and physically. But not everyone takes to running on their first go. These tips could help! Getting Started Whether you’re doing it to get fit , lose weight or simply for something to do, running is fabulous for your body. It tones your legs, is great for cardio health and leaves you feeling on top of the world afterwards. With so many benefits, you’d be mad not to get into it. Many people feel a little daunted with the thought of people seeing them running and struggling. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Be Realistic If you don’t normally go out for a run you can’t expect to be able to run a 4km course without stopping! Take it slowly. Try running for one minute non-stop and then walk the next. Then the next time you go for a run upgrade it to two minutes and so on. Being willing to improve is key, if you gradually work at it you’ll be going non- stop in no time! Staying Motivated Staying motivated is a hurdle for many runners. After all it’s way too easy to make excuses. Pumpin’ up the tunes is definitely a booster. Having an energetic playlist blasting really pushes you along. Choose songs with a beat you can run at a good pace to and save the slow stuff for another occasion. You want songs to get you pumped and ready to move. The Buddy System Exercising with your buddies is a great idea. When you‘re by yourself you don’t have anything to prove and don’t have the need or desire to push harder. But running with a mate changes everything! Especially for those with a competitive edge. When you’re with a friend you don’t want to let them down and this will motivate you to take your running to the next level. With someone alongside you with an encouraging, positive attitude it makes all the difference.

Be Prepared To get the maximum out of your run you need to prepare yourself. A sports bra is a MUST! Just ask anyone who runs: you don’t wanna be stuck without one! For comfort and care-free running, make sure it’s fitted correctly. The right running shoes are also super important. When getting fitted at the shoe shop be sure to ask for shoes with great ankle and knee support. Off You Go! Now you know how to get started, what are you waiting for?! Be sure to stretch well before and after, holding each stretch for 15 seconds, you’ll be grateful you did the next morning! Remember to stay hydrated!

Image credit: Jessica Barlow

Let’s get hairy...

Ready, set, RUN!

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Secrets of the beauty industry By Lucy Le Messurier Scott It’s pretty much universally accepted that ‘you are what you eat’ but how about ‘you are what you slather on your skin’? Ok, it’s not as catchy, however skin isn’t the external barrier to our body it was once believed to be. It’s our largest organ and scientists have discovered that it’s also terribly absorbent. Unfortunately, the skincare industry isn’t subject to the regulations of the food industry, so how do you know what’s lurking in your body cream? It might make you feel fantastic today, but could it be harming you in the long run? According to Barbara Gare, co-founder of Australian Certified Organic skin and hair care company Y natural, the answer is a resounding yes. What you put on your skin could not only be building up hidden chemicals in your system but also be contributing to skin problems ranging from acne to eczema to psoriasis. We had a chat with Barbara to find out what’s hot and what’s not in the world of lotions and potions. Many products tout themselves as ‘natural’ – what does that mean? Actually ‘natural’ means almost nothing at all. As there’s no universally recognised definition that determines the use of the term ‘natural’, companies can make it mean whatever they want it to mean. For example, many companies attest to using ‘plant-derived’ ingredients to allude to the idea that their products are ‘natural.’ However, these ingredients are often chemically combined with a toxic petrochemical in a process called ethoxylation, which then creates a carcinogenic (cancer forming) by-product called 1,4-dioxane. In fact, there’s currently a class action in the US against some of the skincare giants because of their products containing 1,4-dioxane – a component of Agent Orange, the toxic chemical used to defoliate the trees in the Vietnam War to prevent the enemy from hiding. So the term ‘natural’ in effect, means precious little and doesn’t help you to know whether a product is doing you more harm than good. What about ‘organic’? ‘Organic’ also lends itself to controversy and misuse. Does organic mean sourced from organic 162

farming, or does it mean organic in the sense of organic chemistry- i.e. does it have a carbon atom in its structure as opposed to being produced in a method that is free of petrochemicals and synthetic ingredients? In the chemistry sense, it would be completely truthful if we were to describe petrol as organic! This is where it is so important that the public is educated on the differences between choosing natural, organic and certified organic. With so much ambiguity, how do we know what we’re buying? Certified organic provides the consumer with more certainty as to the purity of a product – an independent party is attesting to you meeting certain standards. But even in the case of certifying bodies, you still need to do your homework as standards differ throughout the world. Not all certifications are equal. Australia’s certifying body Biological Farmers of Australia (Australian Certified Organic accreditors) is widely recognised as the strictest for our industry - 95% of ingredients must be produced under the strictest methods that allow for absolutely NO presence of petrochemicals or synthetic ingredients in the manufacturing process, and the other 5% must be sourced from an approved list (also not petrochemical, synthetic, etc.). Most other certifying bodies (e.g. Ecocert) allow petrochemical or synthetic ingredients that would be outright rejected by the ACO. But the worst we’ve seen is that there’s one certification that means you can call yourself ‘certified organic’ with just 15% certified ingredients, and the rest can be petrochemical and synthetic. Is it all doom and gloom in the skincare industry? Definitely not - if you know what you’re looking for. My number one tip is to educate yourself on what to avoid. You can quite easily become quickly knowledgeable about the most important chemicals we should be avoiding, and their abbreviations or other known-names.

Many bigger companies actually recognise the benefit of purely organic ingredients but choose not to use them due to their cost and time. Essential oils and extracts are widely known for their benefits and have been universally celebrated for years. Would you recommend organic as a sensible all-round life choice? In regards to choosing certified organic, I suggest starting with simple choices, and skincare is a great place to start for this very reason. You only have to think about this once every couple of months when you run out of a product. Food on the other hand, is something you have to think about every day – this often takes more time and a little bit of experimentation to find what works for you. Start small and build on it, and before long, you’ll notice the benefits both inside and out. People have reported such positive and significant changes in their skin since incorporating our products into their skincare routine. And this can be as simple as cleansing, toning and moisturising. Can natural products do anything for problem skin? People that come to us are often concerned about their skin, whether they experience severe sensitivities or persistent break-outs and oiliness. [Our products] have been formulated with specific proportions of botanical plant extracts and essential oils that are internationally recognised for their healing qualities. We use a code to help make it easy to know which products are best suited for your skin profile. ‘Breakout’ product tip Y natural tip: Got acne or congested skin? Try pairing 102 CLEAN Foaming Cleanser with 200 BUFF Marine Skin Polish and 302 DEEP Clay Mask. For those with super-sensitive skin, we often recommend the simplicity of our 603 BALANCE pure Jojoba, which will help to soften any dry areas, especially associated with eczema and dermatitis. It is so gentle, it can even be used on newborns for massage, nappy rash and also cradle cap.

The beautiful thing about our products, is that they continue to nourish and heal the skin whilst they draw out toxins and impurities in the purest way. How important was it to you that Y natural was ACO approved? Y natural was founded on a philosophy of no compromise. As an ACO approved brand, we can proudly attest to our products being amongst the purest, safest and most luxurious in the world. When we say we are certified organic, we say it in the absolute truth of the word. In our products, you will only find the finest ingredients that have been produced in a way that is truly organic, ethical, and untainted by any chemical processes… and are deliciously nutritious for your skin. If you were going a desert island and could only take one skincare product with you, what would it be? Y natural’s 601 NOURISH Luxury Treatment Serum – the stuff is liquid gold! It acts as an 8-hour facial, nourishing your skin with the most luscious ingredients that soften, refine and replenish. The scent is absolutely stunning too, infused with the luxurious Bulgarian Rose Otto. If I use it the night before, I look better in the morning. It’s that simple. It doesn’t get any more straightforward than that. I wake a happy woman! You must be proud of how far you’ve come in under 10 years? I am incredibly proud of not only our success within the beauty industry, but our passion in educating and empowering thousands of women to choose a lifestyle that is free from harmful petrochemicals and synthetic ingredients. Our brand means something; it’s not just about beauty. If it was only about vanity, I wouldn’t be at all interested. I wanted to be part of something that respected the world in its entirety, and be part of a company that was exactly what they claimed to be. I am passionate about producing something that is true, authentic and ultimately, is the catalyst for change in this industry. To find out more about Y Natural Products or to purchase Y natural skin and hair care visit www.ynatural.com.au.

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Become a label-reading expert!

ETHOXYLATED CHEMICALS Ethoxylated chemicals may cause irritation and contact dermatitis. During the ethoxylation process, impurities of known carcinogens (such as1-4 dioxane) can form. Ethoxylated chemicals may be identified by the prefix PEG (polyethylene glycol), PPG (polypropylene glycol) or the endings eth, oxynol or sorbate. Note that some brands attempt to mask the presence of ethoxylated ingredients e.g. by omitting the PEG prefix. Examples include PEG laurate, PEG-60 almond glycerides, sodium laureth sulphate, ceteth-5. steareth-21, PEG20 stearate, oleth-10 phosphate, octoxynol-9, polysorbate 20 (& 40, 60, 80 etc.), emulsifying wax, PEG-8 stearate, Glycereth-26, PEG-40 Castor Oil. ALKOXYKATED CHEMICALS Some may cause irritation and contact dermatitis. They can also form nitrosamine impurities which are known carcinogens. Examples include: MEA monoethanolamine (MEA), DEA diethanolamine (DEA), TEA triethanolamine (TEA), TEA-lauroyl, acetamide MEA, lacamide MEA, cocomide DEA, cocomide MEA. PARABEN-BASED PRESERVATIVES These are toxic petrochemicals that may cause dermatitis, allergic reactions and rashes. BHT is a known carcinogen. Examples include: ethyl paraben, methyl paraben, butyl paraben, propyl paraben, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolinyl urea, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butulated hydroxytoliene (BHT). PLANT INGREDIENTS EXTRACTED THROUGH CHEMICAL OR PETROCHEMICAL PROCESSES Ingredients designated as “plant derived” or “derived from coconut” are particularly common in products promoted as natural or organic. These ingredients are usually ethoxylated, alkoxykated and/or synthetic and should be avoided. Examples include coco-betaine, cocomide DEA, cocomide MEA.

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SOLVENT EXTRACTED ESSENTIAL OILS Some oils are extracted using petrochemical processes. Examples include common essential oils such as jasmine essential oil, rose damask, boronia and frangipani. SYNTHETIC ALCOHOLS AND RELATED CHEMICALS Synthetic alcohols and other related chemicals are known to cause skin irritations and dermatitis, and some have been shown to promote acne. Examples include benzyl alcohol, isopropyl palmitate, octyl palmitate, butylene glycol, propylene glycol and other compounds that have the following as part of their name: benzyl , butyl , isopropyl , myristyl , propyl , propylene. POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS PAHs are directly linked to cancer in general and breast cancer specifically. PAH impurities are known to occur in include mineral oil, petroleum jelly and paraffin. ARTIFICIAL FRAGRANCES Fragrance or parfum typically denotes a chemical cocktail of up to 200 different chemicals, most or all of which are man-made. These chemicals are known to cause the majority of allergic reactions with cosmetics and skincare products. D&C and FD&C COLOURS These colours are synthetic or derived from tar or harsh petrochemicals, and can have impurities that are known carcinogens. In addition, they can be very irritating to the skin, which is why so many products make a big deal of being free of colours. SILICONE OILS Silicone oils are synthetic emollients which are occlusive and clog skin causing allergies and dermatitis. They are known to accumulate on the liver and lymph nodes. They can often be spotted on product labels by the suffix thicone. For example: dimethicone, cyclomethicone. Check out the full list of chemicals to avoid at www.ynatural.com.au/whatisnot.php

The magic of

mean girls By Erin Fischer

Is there anyone reading this that hasn’t seen the movie Mean Girls, starring the pre-meltdown Lindsay Lohan and the now famous Amanda Seyfried? If you are active on Twitter, you probably saw some of the hype on October 3rd about the movie, relating to a specific scene where Cady’s crush asks her the date (and it happens to be October 3rd). It’s become a classic of the new millennia, probably to live on as a classic for decades to come. Now, this movie doesn’t exhibit any sort of new idea….the group of popular girls at a normal high school torture the new girl and everyone else….a quite cliché view of adolescence. So what exactly is it about this movie that struck people?

to twenty times and wouldn’t mind watching it twenty more. I am not a movie person but it will always have a special place in my heart. I think this is true for a lot of people; it seems to have become the go-to media representation of acrimony in our society. I think the appeal comes from its candidness. While we have seen this story repeated a million times over, never have we seen it done in such a real way. The movie is so authentic and doesn’t dance around the issue- there is a clear recognition of high-school hierarchy among girls. There is no “happy” ending (in the cliché sense that is), there are no reconciliations and certainly no remorse. Mean Girls, to be frank, doesn’t bullshit.

I remember seeing this movie in theatres. I was only about 9 years old at the time and my mom was horrified. She thought it was much too mature a movie for me to be seeing, as I was only in elementary school. In some ways, she was right, but in others oh so wrong. I had already experienced the “mean girl” phenomenon in my own life many, many times. I have Aspergers Syndrome, which makes it hard for me to socialize and read social cues. Because of this, I had already faced my fair share of bullying. This movie gave me a real perspective on it, like nothing else had before. It made me feel that I wasn’t alone, that my experiences were shared by many outcasts. I wasn’t the only Cady out there.

In that, there is truth. High school is, for many girl’s, a literal hell. They have to go in everyday with guns blazing and ready for attack. That is the way society has conditioned girl’s to behave. There is a seemingly real competition to be on the top of the food chain and trust me, you are swimming with sharks. Mean Girl’s succeeded because of its unwillingness to sugarcoat this. It’s so raw that you can step right into the shoes of any of the characters and understand their point of view. No matter if you are 25 or 60, it takes you right back to high school. No matter how much you have blocked out the pain and humiliation, this movie pulls it out. There are no more secrets, no more shame. That is the true magic behind Mean Girls.

Since then, I have seen the movie probably close

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By Stephen Benko-Nehme With some film genres (action and romanticcomedy to name two), there are no surprises; it’s clear what you’re going to get before you’ve committed 90 minutes of your life. But horror is different; there are many faces to this oft-maligned collection of films. As such, there is always something to cater to those of us who love a good scare; psychological horror, slasher or splatter films (the contemporary version tastefully also known as ‘torture porn’), zombie flicks, cannibal movies, scifi horror, Japanese horror (J-horror), etc. For the hardcore enthusiast you can even delve into subsub-genres; fancy developing a fetish for movies about possessed vehicles? You’re covered. As people so often refuse to take horror seriously (partly because there have been so many bad horror flicks released), it’s at times dismissed and can get lost amongst the other, more serious genres. However, over the years there have been many fine films crafted which also happen to fall into the horror category; below you’ll find thirteen of the best. (We’re talking about horror here, of course there are thirteen!) Not all of these will be to everyone’s taste; like any list, what follows is one person’s opinion. If you’re new to the game, beware not only of the overwhelming quantity of poorly made horror films waiting to catch you off-guard, but also of the long-term effects that watching disturbing content can have; once something has been seen, it cannot be unseen! In no particular order, (BEWARE! - spoilers follow!)

28 Days Later (2002). Rated MA. Zombie. Wolf Creek (2005). Rated R. Slasher. The Cabin in the Woods (2012). Rated MA. Horror comedy. The Omen (1976). Rated MA. Supernatural horror. 166

The Exorcist (1973). Supernatural horror. Rated R. In what is widely considered to be one of the scariest films of all time, Linda Blair plays a 12 year-old who undergoes demonic possession while her actress mother seeks the assistance of two priests to perform an exorcism. Directed by William Friedkin, the movie includes some remarkably shocking sequences over its two hours. All of the performances are sensational and the manner in which the film’s tension builds over its runtime is just exquisite. Alien (1979). Rated M. Sci-fi horror. The Blair Witch Project (1998). Psychological horror. Rated M. One of the first in the current wave of “foundfootage” horror flicks (my finger is pointing at you, Paranormal Activity). Three filmmaker friends go on a camping trip to explore the local Blair Witch legend, the footage from which is later discovered and which constitutes the film itself. Watching the frightening events unfold as the budding documentarians lose their sanity, and finally themselves, is a whole heap of scary fun. This film (from directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez) also stands as a big middle-finger to the Hollywood establishment; made independently for a pittance, it raked in the dough at the boxoffice.

Ju-On - The Grudge (2002). J-horror / supernatural horror. Rated M. Follows the horrific effects of a malevolent spiritual force on anybody who enters its house. Sounds simple, but Takashi Shimizu’s film uses the right mix of darkness, tension, stillness and sound to create a chilling atmosphere of terror. Far superior to the U.S. remake and also the more popular 1998 J-horror flick Ring. Definitely one to enjoy in the wee nocturnal hours.

Twin Peaks - Fire Walk With Me (1992). Supernatural / psychological horror. Rated R. The flick works as a prequel (and sequel) to the 90’s television phenomenon Twin Peaks. Universally panned by critics upon its release, this unconventional horror film (directed by David Lynch) was such a box-office bomb that it constituted the final nail in the franchise’s coffin. But it has aged well and has achieved somewhat of a cult following over the years. The viewer needs to be familiar with the series to enjoy the movie, so if you’re not, track down both seasons before watching this. It follows the final seven days in the life of high-school student Laura Palmer, culminating in her brutal murder. It’s bizarre, dream-like, at times beautiful, and scary-ashell. As you’d expect from David Lynch. The Shining (1980). Psychological horror. Rated MA. After agreeing to a job as caretaker at a remote hotel in its winter off-season, a father’s state of mind begins to falter as a supernatural presence takes hold of him. Meanwhile, his wife and young son (who has supernatural abilities of his own) do their best to weather both the storm that has cut the family off from civilisation, and the haunting one residing in the hotel itself. Stanley Kubrick had a knack for making the quintessential genre flick; 2001 - A Space Odyssey (science-fiction), Full Metal Jacket (war), Barry Lyndon (period). Add to that list The Shining. It’s a masterful movie; beautifully shot and acted (all three leads are spectacular but in particular Shelley Duvall shines as the tortured wife and mother). It’s proof that a horror film can constitute a serious movie.

Planet Terror (2007). Rated MA. Action horror. This film is best watched as part of the Grindhouse double-feature alongside its other half Death Proof. The Thing (1982). Rated MA. Sci-fi horror. Hellraiser (1987). Rated M. Slasher / body horror.

Image Credit: Florey (mrflorey.com)

Horror Movies

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Once Upon a Time in the World of Teen Fiction… By Belladonna Took

Running out of fantasy books to read? Sick of sappy heroines? Regular YA Fantasy Reader Belladonna Took has some recommendations for you. I read a lot of teen/young adult fiction. I suppose I’m just compensating for the fact that a lot of my teenage reading years were spent in the halls of Francine Pascall’s Sweet Valley High! Most of the books I’ve read recently have had very similar storylines: once upon a time there was a doe-eyed girl-next-door who fell in love with a boy. Well, she fell in love with a handsome prince, really, or a knight in shining armour, or Romeo of the House of Montague. And then he was the boy who lived who wore glasses and had a lightning scar on his forehead and who saved the world from nasty wizards. Now the boy is a vampire, or an angel, or a fairy, or a werewolf , or a troll, or some other supernatural creature and the girl has developed some magical powers and badass moves of her own. So, with the glut of young adult fiction out there, which books stand out above the rest? Here are 5 of my top recommendations: 1. The Hunger Games trilogy: The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay, by Suzanne Collins. 168

If you haven’t already read these, then I strongly urge you to! I was absolutely hooked. The heroine, Katniss Everdeen, is the complete opposite of Twilight’s Bella Swan. Teen fiction desperately needs more heroines like Katniss. She’s strong, brave, protective of her family and loved ones, is thrown into one of the worst situations anyone can possibly be thrown in, and *spoiler alert! * comes out of it fighting. A must-read. Published by Scholastic Books and recommended for ages 11+. 2. The Lumatere Chronicles: Finnikin of the Rock, Froi of the Exiles, and Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta. This renowned and award-winning Aussie author has created a mesmerising fantasy of a wasted land and its raw, fierce and resilient people. A trilogy filled with tragedy, sorrow, despair and darkness, but there are also many moments shining with light, hope and love. This trilogy is one for older teens. Published by Penguin Books. 3. The Mortal Instruments series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, and City of Heavenly Fire (out in 2013) by Cassandra Clare. Clare made her name in Harry Potter fan fiction, and now this new ‘Queen of Fantasy’ has crafted her own hypnotising series based on the

adventures of sixteen-year-old Clary Fray who gets drawn into a strange, secretive world of demons, extremely good-looking Shadowhunters (humans with angel blood whose mission it is to kill and protect New York, from demons), vampires, werewolves, fairies, and magic. Clare’s plot is complex, rich, and fast-paced. Published by Walker Books. Clare also wrote a prequel to The Mortal Instruments series called The Infernal Devices, and I actually prefer it to The Mortal Instruments. The three books in the Infernal Devices trilogy are: Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, and Clockwork Princess. This trilogy is set in London during the age of Queen Victoria. You’ll find Shadowhunters and demons here too, as well as strange mechanical creatures powered by demon magic. 4. Matched Trilogy: Matched, Crossed and Reached by Ally Condie. A trilogy set in a dystopian world where the Society determines who people love, how many children they have, where they work, and when they die. Seventeen- year-old Cassia Reyes is ‘matched’ with her perfect partner—but the problem is, he’s not. I absolutely love this trilogy, and I bet you will too! Published by Razor Bill/ Penguin books.

5. Huntress by Malinda Lo. Two unlikely girls, Kaede and Taisin, are chosen to go on a dangerous journey to the City of the Fairy Queen to help save their dying world. This is an enthralling fantasy adventure filled with strange creatures, magic, fairies, terrifying visions, lush Chinese influences, and two girls who fall in love. It is refreshing to see gay characters appear in teen fiction and it is just as refreshing to see characters who are Asian—many children’s and teen books are filled with characters who are overwhelmingly white. Huntress is published by Atom Books in Australia. Other terrific books you might also like to read are: Garth Nix’s outstanding Old Kingdom series, Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus Trilogy, Lauren Oliver’s Delirium, Marie Lu’s Legend, Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series (no sparkling vampires here), Lara Morgan’s action-packed Rosie Black Chronicles: Genesis, Equinox, and Dark Star.

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book reviews

I would recommend this book to teens and young adults, but both females and males because the story is told not only through Katla’s eyes but also through Riley’s. There are a few things within the book that only a teen or young adult can relate to. I loved the book and I could barely put it down. I give this book a score of 4/5 stars.

The Witches’ sleep Interview by Ash Hoskings The Witches’ Sleep is a fantasy novel written by teenager, Kaitlyn Deann. It is a story world full of wonder and extraordinary things. Main character seventeen-year-old Ella Barnes, is pushed into the world of Raena; a world of witches and were-animals. She wakes in another body after being brutally murdered, and is forced to become accustomed to a new life. All Ella knows is that she must try to change the ways of the far-from-perfect creatures of Raena – even if that means a death sentence. Brynn Wilmore had a chat with author Kaitlyn Deann to find out more:

Review By: Emily Palmer The novel How to be a Goddess by Sarah Nestler is an enchanting, exhilarating and somewhat inspirational book, full of love, loss and unexpected fates. In the book, Sarah Nestler invites us into a world much like our own, into a public high school where we go on an amazing journey with Katla, a 16 year old, not so popular student and her best friend Riley. Through a twisted tale of events Katla finds that she isn’t living in the world that she thought she was, in fact her best friend Riley is an actual Greek God called Apollo. With his help she learns how to use her own powers when she is turned into the God of Ice by Hades, as they teach her, ‘How to be a Goddess’! I really liked the way that Sarah Nestler skips between the opinions of both Katla and Riley as it gives us great insight into their own thoughts and feelings. I really felt as if I were inside the book due to the way that it was written. The book is not a difficult read, the language is relatively simple though there is a little bit of difficult language and it is also a rather short book, being only 202 pages long. But for me personally the subjects in the book moved on far too fast and I felt as if it needed a little more information on some of the topics within the book, but overall it was a great read and a very intriguing story line. 170

Review by Jenny Barlow Are you familiar with the history of bicycles? If not, then this is the book for you. It looks at how the bicycle became very popular in America in the 1880s and 90s and how it changed women’s lives. It talks of bicycle slang, songs, magazines, advertisements, achievements and more. There are numerous illustrations and photos within the book which helps to make it an interesting read. Did you know that in the late 1800’s the horizontal bar that linked the wheels was dropped to create the drop frame to make room for women’s skirts? Bloomers and shorter skirts were soon found to be more suitable for riding, but not without controversy. Cycling seems to have played a part in unburdening women of their bulky undergarments, enabling them to become more healthy and active in the coming years. Wheels of Change highlights how bicycles have had a great impact on our lives, giving those that ride a sense of freedom and more, and this continues on today.

ASH: Let’s start with telling us the story of how you got published and the steps that you went through. KAITLYN: Well, it all starts with the story, of course. And you write the story and it has to go through editing and there are drafts after drafts after drafts. Luckily, I had an editor in the family who edited my book. And then we did self-publishing through Creative Space an Amazon [.com] company. A: So where did you get the information and ideas from? K: Inspiration for me comes from everywhere, like conversations of people standing in front of me at the grocery store, I listen to their conversations. I’m an eavesdropper - don’t judge me! [laughs]. But for The Witches’ Sleep specifically, I was watching a movie and the main character said something along the lines of “When we die, we’ll wake up”. A: What does your family think of your writing? K: They are very, very supportive. Dad buys me writing books and software programs to help me perfect my writing. My mum and my dad are both my proofreaders. He says; ‘Well, this doesn’t make any sense’, ‘You need to expand on this’ or ‘Fix that - add a little more detail’. My dad is actually the one who created Kindness; he kind of wasn’t in my first draft. And so Kindness kind of changed the whole story. And my Dad said ‘You need someone or something else… you’re missing a boyfriend’.

A: Do you have any suggestions on how teens become a better writer? If so, what are they? K: I guess I do: you need to read a lot, a good a reader is a good writer and if you can read you can write kind of thing. I’m home-schooled so my curriculum is literature based. My whole home schooled life - I haven’t always been home schooled - but in my home-schooled life, all my work is literature based. I love reading; my family is a huge reading family. So we just devour books. Reading is a big thing when you want to be a writer. If you want to be a good writer you need to learn the art of writing. You need to get some how to books, you need to get software programs. It’s all helped me incredibly. A: Do you hear from readers often? What do they say? K: I do hear from a lot of people. I’m actually so glad because I haven’t had anything majorly negative – which I’m very thankful for. I’ve had some amazing reviews they’ve said some great things. I’ve honestly never had a review [on the Kindle] lower than a three. A: What kinds of things make a great story? K: I want a little bit of everything. I mean, I like romance but I’m not too big on the whole romance thing you know. A little bit of romance here and there is cool, but I’m not a romance reader. I guess I’m just not a lovey dovey kind of person. [Laughs]. I do, however, think every good story has love in it. It’s the driving point of every story I feel. It can be any kind of love; the love of a sister or brother, the love of your country kind of thing. A: That’s… beautiful! [Laughs]. Is there a message in your novel that you want your readers to grasp? K: YES! And I tried really hard to get my message across without shoving it down people’s throats. [Laughs]. I don’t like people doing it to me, so I try not to. That message I wanted to get across was that if you believe something is morally wrong, you have that right [by law or not] to stand up for what you believe in and the cost of that should not matter because in the end what you did was right. The first instalment to this new trilogy was released on July 22, 2012 and was self-published. It is available on the Kindle and Amazon.com. 171

The darjeelings By Esther Levy-Fenner

The Darjeelings are the upcoming band to watch. esther levy-fenner spoke with their Drummer, Bella, for a sneak peak into how they work, where they work and why they are pursuing what they love. How did you form your band? Greer and Mairead both met at the beginning of High School, and started playing and singing covers together, then branching out to write some of their own stuff. I joined later, as I heard through mutual friends that they were looking for a drummer to form a band, so jumped at the opportunity, knowing that they were such talented gals. After a few months we asked Izzy to join (also through mutual friends) to fill out the sound. We knew we loved the same music from the beginning, which did bring us closer as a band, as well as great friends. Where does the band name come from? We’re all obsessed with Vampire Weekend, so the origin of our name comes from one of their lyrics ‘English Breakfast tastes like Darjeeling.’ We are also big tea drinkers! Tell us about your live performance experience. We love performing all together. We always have 172

heaps of fun getting ready beforehand and up on stage sharing the experience, especially with a gratifying and supportive crowd (which does usually involve our parents). It’s a wonderful feeling performing to an audience, though it is a struggle being underaged as our friends normally can’t come to support us. Can you talk about your Unearthed presence? Has it helped kick start other opportunities? There has definitely been some buzz and recognition from our Unearthed presence, which we are truly grateful for. Triple J Unearthed is great for supporting upcoming bands, allowing their music to be exposed online. For us we have been extremely lucking to get noticed from Triple J; having some airplay since we released our E.P., so it’s most definitely contributed to our success and popularity. Are your families supportive? How do they keep up with your successes and gigging commitments? Are they there at your gigs? Our families are extremely supportive of us, we couldn’t have been luckier! Driving us to gigs, paying for so many opportunities and supporting us in any way possible since we began; they’re pretty much an extension of the band. I know my parents have come to every gig we’ve had, as well

as the other gal’s parents, and always work around the band. Our siblings also love getting involved, with Greer’s brother creating our artwork for our upcoming E.P. and my sister playing at our launch. How do you juggle the life/school/music balance? We seem to all be really good at managing our school work and the band, though school is always top priority. Still, we always try to get as many gigs as we can (as long as we don’t have exams coming up, and we finish performing at a reasonable hour), and there have been quite a few times were we have to shift or cancel gigs to fit around our busy lives. I think we’re all just really pumped to finish school so we can focus on the band a lot more, but for now focusing on school is what we’ve got to do. Next year will be a hectic time for us, being in year 12, so balancing the band and school will be challenging, but I know we can easily do it. Who are your musical inspirations? We have so many musical inspirations! It’s so difficult to list them all. I know as a band we have a shared love for Vampire Weekend, but also love and admire local bands and artists that we’ve played with and love seeing live. We’re also really into jazz like Ella Fitzgerald and Chet Baker, which do influence some of our music. Really any music that we love and listen to are our inspirations, as well as our teachers.

never been so excited! What does the future hold for The Darjeelings? Exams. In terms of our music we will still be playing here and there next year, though school is top priority and will probably take over our lives, but after all that is over we will definitely play more gigs, maybe even interstate, or even a new record? We don’t know at this point, we’re just enjoying what’s happening right now and we’ll see where the future takes us! What advice would you give to other emerging artists looking for a big break? Don’t give up! I know that sounds incredibly cliche but it’s true, as well as take every opportunity you get; it is really important if you want to be recognized to perform as much as you can, as well as to improve. We’re really lucky in Melbourne to have the fabulous FReeZa to help with all this, and I know Darebin FReezA have helped us immensely in getting gigs, and have completely organized our EP launch. Definitely get involved in your local FReeZa groups! To keep up with the latest updates or to download their EP check out www.facebook.com/thedarjeelings and www.soundcloud.com/thedarjeelings

Talk us through the exciting process of releasing your first EP. It was one of the most incredible experiences ever. Working with producer Benjamin McCarthy was probably the most exciting thing ever, right from choosing the songs, going through the preproduction process, in the studio recording, and physically having copies of our music is absolutely surreal! I never thought we would get to this, and now I understand why so many bands want to get right back into the studio; it’s just so much fun being a team and working together to create something we can call our own, and we have definitely become closer because of it. At the moment we’re at the end of creating the E.P., so what’s next to come is selling copies both online and physically. We’ve 173

Life’s Mix-Tape

“don’t toss aside or dismiss music to which you no longer listen”

By Stephen Benko-Nehme Have you ever asked yourself if the music you’re listening to today will, as time passes, stay with you? As the sun set on my teens (a time when Titanic won a bunch of Academy Awards, of U.S. presidential impeachments, and when both the Spice Girls and The Nanny were still popular), there were a number of albums which constituted personal obsessions. These were listened to repeatedly by a burgeoning music geek, eager to digest their sounds, back-stories and histories. I wanted to understand them, with complete intimacy. Fifteen years later, the albums that soundtracked my transition from angsty, authority-questioning teen to awkward, inexperienced-yet-self-righteous young-adult are still with me; Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral, Green Day’s Dookie, Björk’s Post, Marilyn Manson’s Antichrist Superstar, The Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and Radiohead’s OK Computer. (Look at that list - I really was angsty...) A cursory glance at that roll-call of “mainstream alternative” and you could be mistaken for 174

thinking that my musical journey began with Triple J, circa-1995. However, I was a complete slave to the Top 40 in my younger days. Literally. Each Sunday night I bunkered down in my bedroom, ritually writing out the Top 40 in my logbook as I listened to the countdown on the radio. The logbook became superseded when I discovered the printed ARIA chart at my local Brashs. I still remember revisiting these as the months and years passed, fascinated as I was by the weekly movements of my favourite singles and albums. These days, like the music itself, the charts can be found on the Internet. It really is a different world... As my mid-teens neared, I migrated from commercial radio to independent dance radio (in Melbourne we had Hitz F.M. and Kiss F.M.) and finally to alternative radio. ‘Alternative’ was the ‘indie’ of an era bygone, but neither term has been indicative of the actual music. Triple J’s alternative playlist became the musical sermon to which I listened with rapture, convinced as I was that the real music played on ‘The J’s’ was infinitely superior to “all the commercial crap” played elsewhere.

Into my twenties I graduated from Triple J and moved to independent community radio (Melbourne’s Triple R). Later, I stopped listening to the radio altogether in an effort to focus on what I considered to be the pinnacle of a musician’s artistic output - the album. I have since, in an effort to improve my musical literacy and historical knowledge, spent my time absorbing as many albums from as many different artists, eras and genres as I can. In hindsight, the breadcrumb trail is clear; from pop, to dance, to independent radio, and finally to alternative and community radio - each change was informed by its predecessor. Most importantly, much of the music played on Triple J in my midto-late teens constituted my “gateway drug” to the infinitely broader and more interesting music not played on the radio at all - Green Day to punk, Nine Inch Nails to industrial and metal, Björk to glitch and experimental electronica / I.D.M. The lesson? Everything up to now has formed part of my current musical identity. Which is why I never dismiss my adolescent love affair with Hocus Pocus’ Here’s Johnny! (If you’re not old enough to remember this song, track it down on YouTube so you too can scratch your head in wonderment at how the hell a song as messy and noisy as this became a #1 single.) Everything I have passionately listened to in my life has meant something to me at some time, and correlates to an associated memory. Although I rarely pull it out for a spin these days, my old copy of Mariah Carey’s Daydream L.P. invokes very specific feelings and images. It’s why I never throw out a C.D. from my collection, regardless of age or how rarely it gets played. Every album and single I own forms part of my story. To me, the thought of binning an L.P. is akin to discarding a memory. My advice - don’t toss aside or dismiss music to which you no longer listen. If it held some intrinsic value for you at one point in your life, then it has formed part of your life’s journey. When an obscure song from your past pops up on ‘shuffle’, you never know just what memories will surface; sense memory associated with music can be a powerful thing. Hold on to your music history you’ll thank yourself when you’re older and have the opportunity to listen to the songs that meant

the world to you as a teenager, when you’re given the opportunity to re-live for a few minutes the feelings of being seventeen once again. So, ask yourself once more if the music you’re listening to now will stay with you for the rest of your life. And, instead of waiting to find out the answer, hold sacred every album or song with which you have identified over the years. Collect them like memories, because like the most important memories, in the years to come they could make you smile, laugh, and maybe even cry. -----The following albums are not my favourites. They’re not even the best examples of these artists’ works. But they did, and still do, mean a great deal to me. Green Day - Dookie (1994). The major-label breakthrough for the Californian punk band. At 15 years of age, the songs about dope smoking, masturbation and apathy (wrapped as they were in short bursts of melodic punk) combined my love of melody with a burgeoning need for something that felt dangerous. Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (1994). Where Dookie was dangerous, The Downward Spiral was positively menacing. Sex, the evils of religion, drugs and even suicide were all touched on in Trent Reznor’s concept album. And the songs were noisy! Presented in a goth-lite latex and fishnet package of controversial music videos and touring controversy, the album was a parent’s worst nightmare. Björk - Post (1995). The L.P. that helped me to realise that pop music can still be considered art. The tracks were alternately gorgeous string- and synth-laden ballads, and angry industrial-esque slabs of melodic, percussive noise. This 15 year old music snob was in heaven.

-----Which albums, songs or artists have soundtracked your youth? Write in to The Brainwash Project and tell us which pieces of music mean the most to you!

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By Jaime Lee My typical week consists of full-time study, two part-time jobs, two volunteering positions, playing tennis twice a week and running training. When people hear of such commitments, they tend to jump to conclusions and believe that one activity takes its toll on another. More specifically, they believe that my studies must suffer due to the amount of extracurricular activities. However, I can confidently say that that is far from the truth. With a bit of organisation, belief and passion, it is possible to volunteer, work, enjoy your hobbies and hang out with friends all while performing well at school. The key is to use time efficiently and plan in advance. I use my diary, yearly and monthly planners, while writing a weekly plan on my whiteboard. It may sound like a lot of effort, but it allows me to partake in one of the most rewarding experiences of my life – volunteering. Volunteering is something that I am very passionate about and an integral part of my life. I have partaken in volunteering activities since I was fifteen years old. It started as walking around the city, waving money tins and waiting for generous people to support some worthwhile causes. Gradually, it was volunteering at local festivals before I discovered Interchange OuterEast. I have been at Interchange for over three years accompanying children on day activities and camps. It is amazing spending time with these children. While their varying disabilities can pose 176

some restrictions in activities, these children are so fun-loving, friendly and happy. Perhaps one of the most defining moments that put my life into perspective was something as simple as a young girl with left sided hemiplegia where she had no use of her left arm insisted that we play basketball. The clear disadvantage that she had against the rest of the children and volunteers did not deter her from playing, nor did it impact upon her abilities. Clearly, the love of the game made her determined to master the skills. There are many stories that I can recall from my several years of volunteering. But each result in the same conclusion: You can achieve anything you put your mind to. From a young age, the importance of studying is drummed into us. I am in no way denying this; however, it is also important have a good balance in life. Not only does it provide a refreshing break from studying, but various other skills can be developed. Working part-time has developed my communication and problem solving skills; tennis is a fantastic way for me to keep up with my hobbies, socialise and keep fit at the same time; and volunteering helps me keep life in perspective, while also learning about dealing with various situations and responsibilities. I am not lucky – I am organised and it is amazing the impact that a bit of organisation can have.

Image credits: All photos Seven Women

Image Credit: Bianca Anderson

Organisation: the places it takes you

‘Seven Women’ Stephanie Woollard is the founder of Seven Women: a charity that assists the most marginalised and disadvantaged women living in Kathmandu. This all started after Stephanie travelled to Nepal in 2005. The vision was to create an opportunity, the foundations, by which these women could be empowered to take charge of their lives and raise their standard of living. So Stephanie used her own money to give these women the training and design skills to create handicrafts to sell back in Australia with ALL the proceeds going back to these women. It started with 7 women and now has over 460 women. We had a chat with Steph to find out a bit more about her and the great work that she has been doing for others.

What has been the greatest challenge you have faced in establishing Seven Women? Working with a whole new culture and mindset. Training the women in the importance of quality to enable us to sell the goods made by the women here in Australia and raise money to assist them to gain an income. What’s the future direction for Seven Women? By the end of 2013 we aim to have enabled 500 more women and girls to take control over their own futures. We have worked with 7 women living in a tin shed to create a women skills training centre, which now operates and runs as a separate entity that the women manage. The number of women it has trained and employed to date is 463.

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Image credits: All photos Seven Women

Participants on a Seven Women study tour We are also in the process of establishing a transition centre for single mothers and widows. Our goal in to create long and lasting change through the empowerment of marginalised and socially exluded women living in poverty. Nepal is a popular destination for travellers worldwide. Is there any way that fellow travellers could assist you as they pass through? Yes, the women love having visitors that buy their products. It gives them great confidence in their work and their abilities when visitors compliment them on their work and they know that foreign people like what they have created. Volunteer opportunities are also available at certain times for different skill sets that are needed. Seven Women has been running for 5 years now. 100% of the funds raised have gone directly back into the work they do in Nepal. If you would like to connect with Stephanie you can find her onÂ Facebook, Twitter, Youtube or on her website.

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The Ambassadors have emerged from the week inspired, energized and committed to ending extreme poverty in their lifetime.

Image Credit: All photos The Oaktree Foundation

Many of the Ambassadors have committed to carrying the Movement to End Poverty into their own communities, while others are now focused on taking part in Live Below the Line - an Oaktree fundraising campaign that sees participants live on $2 a day for all their food needs in May. Viv Benjamin, CEO of the Oaktree Foundation, is amazed by the passion and dedication shown by these young people. “It’s truly inspiring to

see young Australians so engaged in social justice issues. These Ambassadors are showing our nation’s leaders that people care about our commitment to the world’s poorest.” To add your voice, join the movement at endpoverty.com.au. The Movement to End Poverty petition is a joint action of the Make Poverty History and Micah Challenge coalitions, for all Australians who support the movement to end extreme poverty. Supported by the Oaktree Foundation. Visit www.endpoverty.com.au.

Want to join the Movement to End Poverty? In March 2013, 850 Youth Ambassadors took part in the Roadtrip to End Poverty – Australia’s largest ever youth mobilisation to help tackle extreme poverty. The Ambassadors aged 16 – 26 embarked on a life-changing journey of political immersion, community engagement and personal development representing The Oaktree Foundation. Over a nine-day period they held over 150 events, had over 55,000 face-to-face conversations with Australian’s across regional and metropolitan centers, and in the processes gathered 50,000 names in support of ending extreme poverty. They led the Movement to End Poverty, a nationwide petition that calls on our nations leaders to honor Australia’s commitment to the world’s poorest — just 70 cents out of every 100 dollars. All of the Ambassadors joined together in our nations capital for a day of political lobbying and advocacy campaigning and met directly with over 100 political representatives. 180

They then took Sydney by storm with a day of street campaigning followed by a public celebration featuring an address by Federal Youth Minister Peter Garrett and Young Australian of the Year Akram Azimi. During the Roadtrip the Ambassadors attended workshops and seminars in campaign strategy, personal narrative and activism - teaching and equipping them to become agents for change in the world. The Ambassadors also learned hard lessons in rejection and resilience through door-knocking and street campaigning. “While the public engaged with the campaign incredibly well, there were definitely challenges,” said Ambassador Experience Manager, Fiona Canny. “One Roadtrip arrived at a town to host an event, only to find out the town was practically empty on that day. Instead of giving up, they coordinated a ‘phone blitz’, calling family and friends until they had collected 500 signatures in the space of an hour.” 181

WANTED: Teen Volunteers By Veronica Mather Do you have a passion to make the world a better place? Have you considered offering your time to a charity or organisation? Charities and Not-for-Profit organisations rely on helping hands to survive. Being a volunteer is rewarding. It not only gives you a sense of achievement but enables you to grow in confidence and self-esteem. As a volunteer you will learn new skills, gain valuable experience and make new friends. Did you know it has been proven that undertaking volunteer work can actually help to improve your mood, physical health and reduce stress? What can you do? Not sure where to begin? There are many opportunities available for volunteer work and the choice of who to support may leave you overwhelmed. Some things to consider: • What are you passionate about? Do you want to live in a world free from animal cruelty? Perhaps you want to help find a cure for cancer or help victims of a natural disaster.

Chicks for Charity As a group of close girlfriends we decided we wanted to make a difference in our community. After a few of us faced tragedies, we knew how a little support from friends and family can make such a difference so we decided if we harnessed our collective energy we could “give back” in our community, to individuals and organisations in need. Chicks for Charity has simple beliefs: Give back. Enjoy life. Laugh a lot. Be thankful. Cherish your family and friends. Share the wisdom. We do this through the occasional chicks movie nights, chicks lunches and chicks events – large and small. We encourage members to join us on facebook or on our website: www.chicksforcharity.com.au. We particularly encourage and support “junior chicks” to get involved and organise fundraising events that will help us to help out more people in the community. It doesn’t take much to get involved, for example a group of fabulous “junior chicks” from a local high school recently held a sausage sizzle which raised $400 for chicks for charity and they had great fun doing it. Every little bit helps! For 182

example, with the help of our supporters we recently purchased an ipad for a 4 year old boy diagnosed with a rare cancer in his kidney. This little boy faced days and weeks in hospital, the ipad made the world of difference to him and his parents and helped him get through some very traumatic and painful times. Chicks for Charity has been operational for 4 years now and in that time we have raised over $100,000 and helped over 41 recipients with things such as house cleaning, fresh produce delivered to the home, the purchase of special equipment for sick children and much more. But over and above the material things, the families we assist are also very humbled and grateful to a group of “strangers” who are prepared to help them in their time of need. If you think that you may be interested in doing something to support chicks for charity or you would like to make a difference in your community and raise money to help someone in need – we would love to hear from you. You can join the junior chicks on our website by going to the “junior chicks” tab and then joining the club by entering in all of your details. Together – we can all make a difference.

• How much time are you able to commit? What are your responsibilities, school or work commitments? • Keep yourself safe. Involve an adult in your decisions. • Is transport readily available? • How do you want to help? You could join a fundraising group, support a campaign for a cause or assist in a hands on role such as customer service or administration.

Need some inspiration?

UNICEF promotes and protects the rights of children in over 190 countries. www.unicef.org.au/

An organisation dedicated to providing support for Australian’s who suffer from eating disorders and negative body image. thebutterflyfoundation.org.au/

The Australian Cancer Research Foundation funds world-class cancer research in Australia and is dedicated to finding a cure for this devastating disease.

Swags for Homeless provide Backpack Beds for people sleeping on the streets. This special charity also won the 2011 Australian Human Rights award and partners with over 200 homeless organisations around Australia.

www.acrf.com.au/

www.swags.org.au 183

Wildwood Wildlife Shelter located not far from the Grampians provides a haven for sick, injured or orphaned Australian Native Wildlife. It is self-funded and operated by dedicated volunteer carer Pam Turner. Pam cares for these beautiful creatures until they are ready for release back into the wild. wildwoodwildlife.com.au/ *photo kindly donated by Pam Turner

The Epilepsy Foundation provides support for people with epilepsy and their families. www.epinet.org.au/default/supporting_us

Unleashed is an Australian youth animal rights group. This amazing team is dedicated to ending animal cruelty and helping the environment. www.unleashed.org.au Edgars Mission (Kilmore,Victoria) www.edgarsmission.org.au/how-to-help/volunteer Relay for Life – Find a relay in your area. www.relayforlife.org.au/GetInvolved/ FindARelay.aspx

The Everyday Hero website lists many organisations and their current fundraising projects. You can even create your own fundraising page. www.everydayhero.com.au/charity/ search_for_a_charity?terms=1&search_ type=tag#search_results The Philanthropy Australia website also has an extensive list of Australian charities. www.philanthropy.org.au/involved/charities.html

Click for a Cause Do you only have a few minutes to spare? A great way you can make a difference is to click to donate. It’s totally free. Businesses that advertise on the page make a donation every time somebody clicks on a button. The GreaterGood Network The GreaterGood Network is a group of websites that have come together to help the planet, people and animals. theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/ clickToGive/aboutgreatergood.faces?siteId=3 Free Kibble Answer trivia questions to feed cats and dogs. For each question answered, right or wrong, 10 pieces of kibble is donated to animal shelters. www.freekibble.com FreeRice Donate rice to the needy. It’s easy. All you have to do is answer a question correctly and FreeRice will donate 10 grains of rice to the World Food Program. www.freerice.com Care2

Give Back To Your Community To find organisations or groups in your area, contact your local council, search the yellow pages or surf the net. Good places to start include: Go Volunteer: govolunteer.com.au 184

Care2 is an online community committed to environment, healthy living, animal welfare and human rights issues. www.care2.com Ripple Click here to help Oxfam, Oaktree Foundation, WaterAid and Grameen Foundation. www.ripple.org

Volunteer holidays

• Write and perform in a play. Let your inner star shine.

Cross-Cultural Solutions Teen Volunteer Trips CCS teen summer service trips are for high school students ages 15-17. The Teen Volunteer Abroad program offers you an awesome opportunity to volunteer side-byside with local people and new friends on a teens-only group volunteering project in our dedicated Costa Rica, India, Peru, Ghana, and Guatemala Teen Home-Bases

• Ask students at your school to donate a piece of their art for a fundraising auction.

Young People Without Borders Young People Without Borders is a movement of young people making a difference. Join the movement and begin the ultimate journey of discovery where you will learn, act and lead in your local community during your high school years, volunteer around Australia or Asia Pacific after you finish school and be a mentor to others who have joined the movement when you return.

• Organise a book drive. Donate to a school in need of books.

Me to We Volunteer trips Me to We volunteer trips are driven by the goal of creating systemic change—for the participants and within the communities where they travel. We are different from other tours that provide opportunities to volunteer abroad because we offer trips that aren’t just built for travellers, but built for the benefit of the communities that the trips travel to

Fundraising Fun

Do you want to fundraise for your chosen cause? Here are some ideas to get you started. Be creative and most importantly, have fun! • Make a video highlighting your charity and upload it to YouTube. • Host a trivia night. • Organise a casual day.

• Sell chocolates. • Create and sell bead bracelets. • Make a cook book. Ask friends, family or classmates to contribute a recipe. • Have a car wash day. • Host a movie fundraising night.

Take Action! So you’ve identified a cause and have decided on your fundraising event. It’s time to put your plans into action. What materials do you need? Do you need to assemble a team of volunteers? Is permission required to run your event? Do you need to identify a venue for your fundraiser? How will you collect and document donations? Get your message out there. Distribute flyers. Advertise in the school newsletter. Contact your local newspaper and have a press release. Spread the word via email, texting, MySpace, Twitter or Facebook.

It’s Your Time to Shine Teenagers are renowned for their passion, energy and dedication. Contribute as a volunteer and discover more about who you really are. It will change your view on the world and put things into perspective. Identify a cause. Lend a helping hand and make the world a better place.

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VOLUNTEER WITH INTERCHANGE OUTER EAST

We’re looking for volunteers aged 14 or plus. So, join in the fun and start volunteering with us!

Contributors Arianna Merritt, M.Ed., is a life coach, an educator, and the founder of Arianna’s Random Thoughts (http://ariannasrandomthoughts.com). The focus of her work is centered around issues of: perseverance, mentoring, self-worth, body-image, and bullying prevention. Arianna empowers individuals to reach their full potential through finding their voices and sharing their stories. Ash Hoskings is a 14-year-old girl living in the suburban areas of Sydney. She has aspirations involving creative writing and journalism. Once she finishes school she wishes to take a year off and travel the world before hopefully attending Melbourne University. Belladonna Took is a writer from the bush capital. She writes articles for Her Canberra, a website for Canberra women, and she is also writing her first novel-a teenage/young adult fantasy that is not about vampires (well, not the sparkly, goodlooking ones, anyway). Bianca Anderson is an emerging young photographer based in Melbourne and is passionate about using her skills to benefit causes which create positive social impact. In her spare time she volunteers with Engineers Without Borders, contributes to an online magazine and works on new photography projects. www.biancajanderson.com Bianca Oder is a bad writer and slightly better student from Melbourne. She has been called an aggressive feminist, a silly girl, and an angry woman, all of which are apt. Her words can be frequently read at music blog Tunetheproletariat, and on her personal blog Silly Girl/Angry Woman. Caitlin MacDonald A pen gliding across paper, the melodious sound of words,

Have fun! Assist others!

Make new friends!

To find out more aboout volunteering at Interchange Outer East call (03) 9758 5522 or check out:

www.ioe.org.au

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the aroma of paper books, the gratifying sound of a camera shutter, the pleasure of the perfect photograph, the marvelous feeling that schoolwork gives, 12 years of existence, a secondary school student, that is who she is, in 50 words.

Carly Michelle Dennis is an eighteen-year-old university student studying creative writing and film, currently in her first year. Quite new to the writing scene but it is her passion.She has a background in Film and Television and acting for screen. Caroline Zepackic is a Melbourne-based freelance writer/editor and graduate of RMIT’s Diploma of professional writing and editing. She has had work published in The Pluck online magazine, and embraced the ‘F’ word several years ago when her then-teenaged daughter studied feminism at university. Carolyn Eldridge-Alfonzetti lives in Sydney. Her short stories, poems and articles have been published in mainstream magazines in Australia and the U.K. as well as a variety of literary anthologies. The 12 women that make up Chicks for Charity have been a core friendship group for many years. A community within ourselves, we are always there to help each other out in good times and bad. We want to share and spread this feeling of love and support amongst the wider community. Our motto is love life, laugh a lot, cherish friends and family. Give Back! Claire Mcrae is a 17-year-old girl born and bred in Auckland, New Zealand. Currently she’s completing her final year of high school and is passionate about writing. She enjoys films, books & literary pieces that make her think. She also loves vintage clothes shopping, being at the beach and spending time with her two younger sisters. Cree Morghan was born on April 30th in a north Florida town. Right now, she is an aspiring entrepreneur pursuing a journalism and art degree at the University of Missouri. She believes knowledge to be power and someday hopes to travel the world and inspire others to do the same. Elle Steele is currently completing her Advanced Practitioner in Life Coaching and has been practising in Melaie Intuitive Healing for two years. She’s an award-winning sportswoman and experienced motivational speaker. During her 13year swimming career, Elle represented Australia at the 2000 Paralympics and held a Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship for eight years. 187

Emma Barlow is 24, spent her childhood growing up in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne where she still lives today. Loves traveling, great food, learning new things and having a laugh. Follow her life in photos on Instagram at Emma_Anne88. Emma Schubert is a feminist with a passion for the rights of women and children. She turns this into action through her work as a psychologist. She has worked with street based sex workers, survivors and abuse and domestic violence. She stays sane by cooking, travelling and spending time with her husband and friends. Erika Davidoff is a debater, a designer, a hiker, a complete nerd, an Irish dancer, an xkcd fan, a senior in high school, a writer, a future engineer, a former Latin student, a blogger on the media activism site Powered by Girl, and a child of the mountains. Erin Fischer is a 17 year-old college student,. She is also a social justice activist who is working on many projects, including a youth education group with a rape crisis center, launching and also her own project, Restyle. Additonally, she is an active blogger/vlogger who makes videos and writes articles about various social justice topics. Esther Levy-Fenner is a Professional Communications student with a love for writing and the arts. She hopes to create awareness of people, causes and events through her work, inviting people to consider new ideas and opportunities to contribute to their society. Other pastimes include smelling book pages and trawling over blogs. Flora,16 year-old Brazilian girl. Feels awkward describing herself. Her life goal is to visit Greece. Plays the guitar terribly bad. “Bizarre love triangle” is a song that genuinely touches her. Writes for www.verdesaoleu.com.br, a website she founded with friends. Dislikes tomatoes. Gemma Bouwmeester is a 21 year old girl born and raised in Melbourne. She studies I.T and would love to work for a big software company such as Google when she graduates. She doesn’t really fit into any one box; she has a somewhat unhealthy obsession with Doctor Who and loves country music. Playing video games and painting her nails consumes most of her time, when she’s not doing any of these she plays basketball. 188

Genevieve Ray is a theatre director and writer from Southern England. She studied at Goldsmiths College University of London and currently lives in Hampshire with her partner. When she isn’t working or directing she works on her collection of short stories. She is excited about the Brainwash Project because she thinks teenagers should be given space to discuss their thoughts and beliefs not told them. Georgia Hill is a 16 year old who has a strong passion for health, fitness and the wellbeing of young women. She enjoys staying fit, playing netball and one day hopes to work in the health and fitness industry educating young girls about the importance of looking after themselves and staying healthy. Georgia Luckhurst is a 14 year old British girl obsessed with fashion, feminism, and music. She is known for singing (loudly) in the shower when guests are around, being in love with all things Shakespeare, and being a member of the awesome SPARK movement. She blogs at artfornosake.blogspot.co.uk/. Harriet Farlow is seventeen and is in her final year of school at Canberra Girls’ Grammar School. After a gap month in India, she plans on going to Melbourne University next year to study bioengineering. She does physics, chemistry and specialist maths at school. She also loves to write and is currently working on her first novel. Editor/writer/poet Helen Symonds is busy writing her first non-fiction book about her life with epilepsy. Though she considers herself more of an editor than a writer, Symonds has managed to get poetry published in The Cordite Poetry Review and prose in Meanjin. She is the Managing Editor for Brainwash Magazine. Jaime Lee is a recent graduate with a Science degree in Psychology and Psychophysiology. Writing is a hobby that she has vowed not to give up on while endeavouring to enter into the field of medical research, where she is preparing her first paper to be published. Jessica Barlow is the creator and founder of the Brainwash Project. She is 21 years old and lives in Melbourne. Her aim in life is to leave the world a better place than she found it.

Jessica McLean is a human geographer, writer, music devotee and new Twitter user. You can find her @Jessica_Emma_Mc or smilingatcrocodiles.tumblr.com/. Joshua Duncan will graduate from Concordia University, NE with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art. Raised and educated in Nebraska, Duncan hopes to continue his education in graduate school so that he can work as a professional artist and teach at the college level. The experience of studying under Concordia’s faculty taught Josh to never let feelings of doubt inhibit his creative drive, and he hopes he can pass this lesson on to younger generations of artists. Karen Kelsi has an honours degree in sociology. Her studies focussed on gender and sexuality, feminist theory, social psychology, prejudice and discrimination. textual analysis, discourse theory, and semiotics. She is particularly interested in the power of language (written, spoken and visual) and how it interacts with social justice issues. Kate Benjamin is 11 years old and is currently in grade 5. She loves to write, sing, dance and act. She plans to study theatre and screen acting and hopes to be on stage performing for audiences as soon as she can. After that she wants to change careers and be a writer and/or fashion designer (she loves clothes!) Her dream of becoming a back up dancer for Janet Jackson was quashed by a distinct lack of talent, forcing Kylie Orr into a day job of writing. She has four children and one husband to fuel her inspiration. Laney Elyse is a 17 year old from Illinois. She lives in a hick town in between cornfields. A free spirit in a hatful world, she still strives to be different. She thinks that she is beautiful and she loves herself. Simple as that. Lexie Bean is a writer and activist finishing her degree in Idealism from Oberlin College in the United States Attention: People With Body Parts, her first published project, is only the starting point for her continued work to create bodypositive spaces through the arts. Lila is a Serbian freelance illustrator and 2D animator. She graduated from college for Audio

and Video technologies. Her interests beside drawing are taking care of her pets, singing and learning languages. You can see more of her illustrations and animations at my site: lilastudio.deviantart.com/ Having training as an actress, Lucy Le Messurier Scott discovered her passion lay behind the camera. She worked as a television scriptwriter and script editor and as a theatre critic in the UK, before moving to Australia in 2010. She now works as a copywriter for magazines, websites, blogs and advertising campaigns. Nicole Shively, young student hoping to get a career in visual design or psychology, also hopes to achieve something through writing. (Caterbargie at DeviantART.com) A third-year Creative Writing student at RMIT, Ruby Mahoney’s passions include (but are not limited to) lentil soup, lists and yoga. Ruby currently interns at Express Media and is writing a screenplay about vincibility and flying home in the winter. Sarah Abell is a half radical, half moderate feminist and amateur writer from Adelaide. She enjoys reading, writing and following politics, current affairs and the always shocking antics of Germaine Greer. She used to read Total Girl magazine and then graduated to Girlfriend magazine before loosing interest in it favour of better quality publications. Sasha Mutch: 19 years of age and currently studying Animation and Interactive Media at RMIT University After finding a love affair for Japanese culture back in high school she became a dedicated hermit to her drawing desk and in a long term relationship with her Wacom Tablet. Shannon McKeogh loves reading, writing and chai tea. She briefly considered studying psychology but decided creative writing would be more up her alley. She blogs at www.freedomtights.wordpress.com Shirley Burgess grew up in Strathfield, Sydney, and completed her education at the Burwood Domestic Science School. After completing a Stenography course and moving to Melbourne, she joined the WAAAF as a Wireless Telegraphist. After the War, Shirley married, had two children, 189

and is now retired. She lives on the Mornington Peninsula and is involved in various community groups.

writing stories and poems. She also enjoys skiing, swimming, tennis, basketball, soccer, netball, drawing, music and playing with her friends.

Siobhan Argent is a writer and book editor who enjoys eating crunchy chocolate, hooning around on her road bike and reading books about people who have done interesting things. Her review blog can be found at www.ausink. wordpress.com.

Veronica Mather is a writer and works as a consultant within the employment industry. She is an avid reader, loves photography, drawing and is passionate about animal welfare.

Spider Lee is a creative individual who believes strongly in owning your own power. A painter, poet, author and teacher, Spider is creating her own story of success. The negative judgements of other are not something Spider chooses to keep; she kicks them to the kerb where they belong. Sixteen years young and looking forward to escaping the halls of high school, Stephanie Siomos is just another teenager who is trying to find her place in the world. In her spare time she enjoys writing, pulling apart computers and cruising the streets on her skateboard. Sunny Werner was born in New Zealand and is currently living in the U.S. She has been in social services most of her career, is now retired and raising a plethora of small children. Adoption is not a journey for the faint of heart! She presents trainings on a number of issues, mainly revolving around child welfare and services to victims of abuse. Her mantra is “Follow your heart!” Tierney Israel is a recent college graduate with a degree in English and Gender Studies. She’s from a small, Midwest town and is currently serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA before heading back to school to get her PhD in school counseling. She loves music, reading, and fighting oppression every chance she gets. Tricia Palmer is a mother, daughter, sister, aunt, a reader, a writer, a social worker. Trying to make life fairer and more humane in my own small way. To be a voice for those who cannot speak, lack the resources or simply do not have the capacity for whatever reason. To complain without action is futile. Umbra’Moon Nettillia Buntman-Bryant was born in London England in 2000, the Chinese year of the golden dragon. Umbra is in year 6 at Melbourne Montessori School and loves 190

Yoanita Marselia is 20 years of age, living in Melbourne and is currently studying a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) at RMIT University. She loves food, culture and everything that happens in the social circle: facebooking, instagramming, tweeting. She’s all about chasing dreams, having fun and positive change in the world. Zoe Davies is a regular contributor to online blog Alphabet Pony and has written creative and non-fiction articles for Catalyst Magazine. Her photos have been displayed at Brunswick St Gallery and were published in the most recent Visible Ink annual artists anthology. She’s a radio documentary enthusiast, enjoys all things adventurous and spends her spare time covering bare walls in any way she can.

‘Don’t judge by appearance’