The Tertangala: UOW Lifestyle Issue

THE TERTANGALA THE UO W L I FE S TY L E I S SUE

I SSUE 02 V OL UME 52

R UR A L H E A L T H I N A L I CE S P R IN GS

Kelsey McIntosh describes UOW’s Student Health Alliance for Rural Populations in Alice Springs.

T E N T H I N G S T O G E T Y O U T H R OUGH UN I Natasha Tamburini talks procrastination, navigating

building 19 and getting around poor phone reception.

T H E R E G UL A R S

News and Opinion, The Debate, Arts and Culture, a Gig Guide and much more.

DISCLOSURE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

DISCLAIMER

The content of this publication is made for and by the students of the University of Wollongong. Views expressed are of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of WUSA or the publisher.

Tertangala and WUSA acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land upon which we meet and work, that of the Dharawal people, and pay respect to their elders past, present and future, for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and the hopes for Indigenous Australia.

Responsibility for Tertangala is taken by the WUSA council. The University of Wollongong accepts no responsibility for this publication.

thetert@gmail.com

twitter.com/Tertangala

facebook.com/Tertangala

The following issue is a tribute to: sweaty Quidditch games, the UniBar’s delicious jugs of James Squire, Chloe Higgins’ sense of humour, the ‘Game of Tones’ puns, wondering what the fuck

student unionism is, free stu, Jamehs Lidsidangle and that one duck that keeps trying to eat our magazine.

We hope you like it as much as that duck did.

CO-EDITORS Belinda Quinn

PHOTOGRAPHY

CONTRIBUTORS Brittany Carter

DESIGNER Jess Nesbitt COVER ART Jess Nesbitt POETRY COORDINATOR Joel Ephraims

Nicole Langridge

Sarlie Drakos

Kelsey McIntosh

Peter Munford

Michelle Flavia Silaen

Natasha Tamburini

Belinda Quinn

Jamie Reynolds

Gemma Mollenhauer

Rebecca Wiggins

Ruben Tabuteau

Brittany Carter

Natalie McLaren

Paul Ell

Lauren Barrett

Alexandra Smith

Kelsey Sutor

Joel Ephriams

Mostafa Azizpour

Gemma Mollenhauer

Jess Nesbitt

Kelsey McIntosh

Belinda Quinn

Laura Polson

ILLUSTRATIONS Milo Kelly SUB-EDITORS Isabelle Chesher

Tyler Heycott

Nick Chlopicki

PRINTER

FICTION EDITOR

Laura Polson

Daniel De Filippo

James Crowe

Print & Mail

Chloe Higgins

Gemma Mollenhauer

23-25 Meeks Road, Marrickville NSW 2204 PH: (02) 9519 8268

CONTENTS

EDITORIALS Editor’s Notes

THE UOW LIFESTYLE ISSUE 4

NEWS AND OPINION

I Am Woman, Watch Me Kick Butt!

22

Accio Long-Lasting Friendships

26

Artist Profile

28

How To Build Your Character And Your CV

34

Don’t Believe Everything You Read

6

Call For UOW

36

Curfews Raise Questions

7

Cancer Council On Campus

38

Abbott & Pyne, Hands Off!

8

Be Like A Duck

39

For The Love Of Sport

40

Alice. Alice. Where The #%!* Is Alice?

42

The UOW Lifestyle

46

Get Into The Groove

10

The Prince Charming Idea

11

UOW 101 Column

12

Mightier Than The Sword Column

13

Your Opinion

14

The Debate

16

10 Things

18

ARTS AND CULTURE Liam Mcclair Gig Review And Interview

50

Sundays At The Giddy Goat

52

Book Review:The Help

54

Book Review:Day Of The Dead

55

Bar Review: The Three Chimneys

56

Creative Writing

58

Poems

60

Gig Guide

62

EDITOR’S NOTES

If UOW’s electronic billboards said anything about student lifestyle, they’d say that students either spend most of their time clutching books to their chests or staring at a computer in the library, with artificial smiles stamped across their faces. Fortunately for all of us, student life isn’t as bland as that.

We decided early on this year to place a greater emphasis on the clubs and societies of our University, and on the stuff our fellow students really wanted to read. Hence arose the idea to devote an issue entirely to the ‘UOW Lifestyle’. Inside you’ll find an eclectic mix of opinion, news, features and creative work.

Kelsey McIntosh discusses her passion for rural healthcare and her experiences visiting Alice Springs. Nicole Langridge from UOW’s Harry Potter Society talks Yule Ball’s, Harry Potter pick-up lines and how to make sweet, succulent Butterbeer. Our two columnists speak up about the diversity of UOW’s clubs and societies and share their tips to help you get around social anxieties at UOW. Brittany Carter reports on the scientific expedition that saw scientists trapped in Antarctic ice for 10 days, in the name of studying climate change. Gemma Mollenhauer interviews Iranian international

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EDITORIALS

student, Khorsand Masoumi, who believes that UOW can do far more to support minority groups.

In our brand new Social Justice Review – put together by UOW Law Student Seppy Pour – Zia Khan breaks down some of the key issues in the asylum seeker debate.

This issue’s ‘local creative profile’ looks into the work of mixed media artist and realist painter, Joel Tonks, whilst Alexandra Smith provides a new Gig Guide for April and May. To top off our Arts and Culture section, we’ve got poetry from the talented Joel Ephraims, Daniel De Filippo and Nick Chlopicki.

The UOW lifestyle issue was built on student hijinks’, office naps and the enthusiasm of an overwhelming amount of students. A few thank you’s: to David Young for supplying Bel with a large supply of stand-up comedy, which prevented her from going into hibernation in the Tert cupboard. And to Claire Johnston, Chloe Higgins and André Charadia, for looking out for us, as always.

BELINDA QUINN & BRITTANY CARTER, CO-EDITORS

TERT NEWS

DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ ABOUT THE ‘SHIP OF FOOLS’

BY BRITTANY CARTER @_BrittanyCarter

There has been a great deal of media hype surrounding an Australian scientific expedition to Antarctica late last year. The expedition, led by Chris Turney, Professor of Climate Change at the University of New South Wales, became beset in the Antarctic ice on its way back to New Zealand.

surrounding the expedition. Invited along to help with logistics, he says that while there are rumours suggesting that Professor Turney went against Russian Captain Kiselev’s orders, and kept exploring the area when the captain thought it best to leave, it was nowhere near as clear cut as that.

A great deal of mainstream media have politically scrutinised the expedition and Professor Turney; labelling them as ‘The Ship of Fools’ and commonly quoting a statement he made onboard, “We’re stuck in our own experiment”.

“The captain called the shots,” he said. “As the situation unfolded, half the party was still on the ice, and [although] the captain wanted to move on quickly, it took a while to get everybody back onboard the ship.”

Experts argue that while the sole aim of the trip was to conduct global warming experiments, the group themselves were provided with proof that the ice is just as thick as ever; when they were surrounded and trapped by it. The team of scientists and paying volunteers were stuck onboard the Russian ship, Shokalskiy, for 10 days before the Australian embassy had to send a ship to their rescue.

Dr Ben Maddison, historian and Senior Lecturer at the University of Wollongong, said that the media has created untrue hype

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NEWS

Dr Maddison reinforces that the ships entrapment did not hinder or restrict the research conducted on the expedition, as they were on their way home when they became stuck. “Quite a few people say to me, ‘Oh it’s a shame you got stuck because you weren’t able to do everything that you had wanted to do’ as though the whole thing was a waste of time,” he says.

“Sometimes in those ten days we weren’t able to do as much as we wanted to because there was a raging blizzard outside... [But] scientific work was done right throughout the voyage, even when we were stuck in the ice.”

Allegations have been made that Turney is trying to downplay the extent of the expedition’s aim to prove the East Antarctic ice sheet is melting.

Climate change sceptics claim he is embarrassed and that the expedition’s unfortunate series of events have proved climate change a myth, with one blogger on Pirate’s Cove forum posting, “Cute how these warmists who hate fossil fuels take a trip to the Antarctic to show just how horrible fossil-fuelled climate change is, then need rescue from their fossil-fuelled trip by other fossil-fuelled ships and helicopters.”

Despite this, Professor Turney says that the research they gained throughout the trip is invaluable. In an article published by scientific journal Nature on January 6, he said, “the value of our expedition must be judged by the quality of the research it always intended to produce, and the remarkable rekindling of public interest in science and exploration that has come with it”.

TERT NEWS

CURFEWS RAISE QUESTIONS

BY LAUREN BARRETT @LaurenLjbarrett

New lockout and curfews were enforced in Sydney ‘hotspots’ on February 24, this year. The new laws target drug and alcohol fuelled violence in order to make the city safer - but there have been mixed responses to the governments’ new legislation.

possible to make our streets safer and tackle drug and alcohol abuse in our community”.

The laws, which were originally to be implemented from April, were brought forward in anticipation of events such as Mardi Gra, and other ‘big’ weekends.

The lockouts affect areas such as Kings Cross, Darlinghurst, Cockle Bay,The Rocks and Haymarket; and restrict people from entering hotels, registered clubs, nightclubs and karaoke bars after 1:30am. Furthermore, it means that alcohol cannot be served after 3am in these venues, takeaway alcohol won’t be sold after 10pm, new liquor licenses and approvals for existing licenses will be frozen, and ‘troublemakers’ in the precinct will be temporally banned from venues.

A UOW science student comments that, “by placing restrictions on access to alcohol, you’re hopefully reducing the blood alcohol levels of most clubbers at the times violence usually occurs”. He, amongst many, believe that the new laws will be helpful in limiting violence in areas of high alcohol consumption and that this could make young people feel safer in areas such as Kings Cross. A number of other students believe it to be a restriction of their rights.

New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell, publicly announced that, “recent violent incidents have demanded strong action – the NSW Government is determined to put in place these measures as soon as

Comments on a number of news sites are reflective of these opinions. One man says, “let’s just hope that the results of this insanity will be as bad as expected so that they back flip sooner rather than later.”

Another says, “Let the exodus begin!

Melbourne’s weather ain’t that bad… come say hi!”

Lockouts may not have arrived in Melbourne, but Adelaide is well used to the alcohol curfews that were introduced in 2011. Similar laws were introduced in Brisbane in 2006, though Premier Campbell Newman stated that he favoured regular police crackdowns rather than a cut in trading hours. During a question and answer session set up by the Australian Christian Lobby, he stated “I want to say that I’m not a wowser; I actually want Brisbane and Queensland to be a vibrant 24-hour place and I don’t think ultimately the answer’s about plastic cups and actually curtailing trading hours.”

One thing is agreed by all parties, including the opposition - alcohol and drug related violence needs to be controlled. This is just one way of doing it.

NEWS

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TERT OPINION

ABBOTT & PYNE, HANDS OFF OUR EDUCATION!

BY CHRIS BOURNE & SARAH GARNHAM

Tony Abbott’s cabinet is filled with conservative dishonest creeps but none fits the bill quite as well as education minister, Christopher Pyne.

Pyne has an unfortunate habit of licking his lips when he gets excited. He seems to be most excited by making funding cuts to public education and student income, expunging women, gays and indigenous people from the high school curriculum, and devising ways to help the corporate sector make a profit out of our education.

This year, the national union of students (NUS) is running a campaign to fight back against Abbott and Pyne’s attacks on our education. The first national day of action for the campaign is planned for Wednesday 26th March. There will be demonstrations in every major city.

WHAT WE’RE FACING:

Funding cuts Last

8

year

OPINION

the

Labor

government

announced $2.3 billion of funding cuts to higher education. Despite rhetorically condemning the cuts at the time, Christopher Pyne has now tabled bills in parliament to enact them all.

Their first agenda is to cut $900 million from university budgets, calling it an ‘efficiency dividend’. This will mean massive funding shortfalls of up to $50 million on some campuses. Such a cut would place further pressure on academic and general staff who are already stretched, and will likely result in a loss of course diversity for many students. We have already seen the results of similar measures at UOW, with the recent axing of the Gender Studies major. The merging from eleven faculties to five last year has primed the university for further cuts as courses and subjects get ‘restructured’.

One of the worst aspects of the cuts is the conversion of start-up scholarships to HECS loans. Start-up scholarships are

deceptively named. Far from representing a windfall for students, these scholarships are a mere lifeline. A one off payment designed to offset the fact that welfare payments have not been significantly increased for over a decade.

Transforming these ‘scholarships’ into loans will mean that students who can’t survive on Centrelink payments alone (which currently amounts to ~45% below the Henderson poverty line) will now finish university with up to 40% more debt than our wealthy counterparts.

Attacks on our curriculum Pyne’s advisors have already made his reactionary agenda for the high school curriculum clear. They want to abolish discussions of non-heterosexual sex from schools. Such a reinforces the ideology that people who don’t identify as straight are of lesser value, something that may further contribute to the disgusting homophobia that exists in high schools across the

TERT OPINION

country. Pyne has also stated his desire to whitewash Australian history, emphasising British colonialism and brushing our indigenous past under the table.

Such a program means that students will find it increasingly difficult to avoid enrolling in subjects that do not espouse the virtues of the “Judeo-Christian ethic” or the glories of “Western Civilisation” (sic).

More attacks to come Pyne has indicated that he wants to find new and innovative ways to undermine our education. For example, he has suggested that HECS debt may be privatised, a move that would inevitably see fees increased and the introduction of interest rates, as has happened in both the US and the UK But Pyne hasn’t left the task of privatizing education and impoverishing students up to his own efforts. He has installed some of the most notorious neoliberal hatchet men and women onto the boards of the

commission of audit and the review into the demand driven education system.

These bodies have been set up purely to find ways to help out big business and cut spending on public services. Students will inevitably be negatively affected.

Why get involved Students have to take a stand against this Abbott government. If Pyne and co. can convince themselves that we are passive and apathetic then they will feel more confident to make further cuts. We need to organise together to demonstrate our opposition, and pressure the government to back down. This is why we have a national campaign and why the first action scheduled for the campaign is a national day of rallies. Last year, when the Labor government slated the cuts, their top advisers came out confidently asserting that tertiary education was not an election issue and that there would be no backlash from their announcement.

But thousands of students did care, and we came out into the streets in numbers not seen in years. Around 3000 protested in Melbourne, with hundreds more across the country. And as a result of this campaign, the Labor party has now come out publicly to oppose the cuts (which they actually introduced). Though this shows the power of students taking mass action.We now need to aim our campaign at the Liberal party in power, particularly the mastermind leading the cuts to our education, Christopher Pyne.

The first step is to get involved in education activism, both on campus and as part of the national campaign. There will be events happening throughout the year for students to come out and defend the basic right of education. For more information about upcoming events and to get involved, contact NUS Education Officer, Sarah Garnham: 0423 742 453; sjgarnham@gmail.com.

OPINION

9

TERT OPINION

GET INTO THE GROOVE

BY TYLER HEYCOTT @THeycott

Digital music makes sense theoretically. It’s portable, easy to access, of pristine audio quality, and literally takes up no space. Why then are we seeing the resurrection of a fairly cumbersome medium such as vinyl?

There have been many reasons argued for either side, and most, if not all, are fairly sound (pardon the pun) arguments.

But its been picked up once again by the generation that originally moved on from its ‘old technology’, and by their offspring,.

One thing above all else makes it enduring; vinyl is the personal medium.

Picture this, you’re home after a long day, looking to unwind and celebrate a night of hard day’s toil. You flip through the faces, slip the inner sleeve out, place the vinyl on the platter, and lift the stylus to the groove.

It’s a ritual, one with a lot more gratification and devotion than a library of tactile-less entries of binary code. Placing a disc in a disc holder is so rudimentary and typical.

What satisfaction is there in a double-click?

This is why vinyl is such a personal medium; there is a plethora of memories and emotions that are ingratiated into the listening experience. In order to own

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OPINION

a vinyl, you have to go to a store and physically purchase it. Sure you can order it online, but you risk receiving warped and damaged contents. It’s the thrill of the new and the hunt for something you may not know - potentially out of your comfort zone. Sometimes this is the best method in becoming privy to new genres, bands and music in general. You even have a living, breathing recommendations list standing behind the shop counter.

It’s not as if vinyl is standing in the way of progression, forcing you to experience music as they did in the fifties.The inclusion of high quality download cards have become widely prevalent, if not accepted.

Some turntables even have the option of direct output to a computer.

These technologies are now not mutually exclusive opposites, but co-habitation outlets. They allow for the turntable to be accepted as more of a dedicated music platform, with its technologies supporting different functions. This is a situation in which the consumer must not sacrifice one virtue for another. Essentially, you can aurally have your cake and eat it too.

Speaking less of the actual technology involved, most artists who were granted high accolade and acclaim were those to release their material on vinyl. Being the preferential sound medium during a pivotal period in the realm of popular music, vinyl maintains the associated notion of authenticity.

The allotted time per face of vinyl is the reason album’s are kept to a certain runtime.

The quintessential pop song is on average three-and-a-half minutes because that is all a 45” single would allow for.

Vinyl essentially birthed what we know as the music album. These classic records are meant not only to be heard, but experienced on vinyl. Even the fact that when you place an artwork that is supposed to be viewed upon a twelve inch vinyl sleeve on the mere five inch space of a jewel case, the limitations are made very clear.

Records are bold, tactile, and visually appealing. They lend themselves so much more to collection as a result and is why it encourages this lifestyle. Simply put, it’s the choice of a new generation.

TERT OPINION

THE PRINCE CHARMING IDEA

BY GEMMA MOLLENHAUER @GemmaMolle017

From a young age girls are lead to believe that one day, our Prince Charming will sweep us off our feet, presenting us with the all-envied glass slipper and diamond ring. Boys, on the other hand, are taught to grow tall and strong, be steadfast in the notion that success in business and/or their career is imperative. A disconnection therefore occurs between men and women, between their wants and values, and between what constitutes as success between the sexes.

From baby dolls and kitchen sets to G-IJoe muscle-men, toddlers are generally conditioned to believe that they will fulfill similar roles in their futures. Girls tend to be raised based on the ‘good wife’ role, where as boys, rather than becoming ‘house husbands’, are raised to think that fulfillment comes through their own career success.

I was desperate, convinced that the next boy who gave me attention was ‘the one’, and it wasn’t until my friends stepped in that I knew I had a problem.

I knew that my urgency to be in a relationship was simply an irrational mix of emotions after I found out that the boy I was interested in was a taken man. Yet already had I built him up in my mind. Just like Bella believed Edward was perfect, so too had I fallen under the spell of a fairytale. The need I felt to be in a relationship infected my independent attitudes, and negativity sank in.

Thinking back, I could have prevented this chain reaction of events if I had realised how silly the ‘Prince Charming’ concept is. Too often, I see my single friends pining over their idea of the perfect man, believing that he will one day whisk them off their feet and complete their life. By doing so, they miss out on the present, and give-in to an unhealthy pattern of thinking.

Society needs to start challenging traditional norms and remember that “Happily Ever Afters” do exist for single people too.

To some degree, society does encourage females to aspire towards successful careers. But the glass ceiling stays in place and children are still taught that marriage is the biggest achievement that a woman can have – her ‘happily ever after’.

NEWS FLASH: Fairytales aren’t real.

I’ve never considered myself a romantic, and have always been convinced that dating and marriage are not necessary to feel complete. With my hopes set on being a career girl as a successful writer, I knew I didn’t have time to invest in a relationship anyway. I secretly despised my girlfriends for acting like ‘scorned women’, with their self-blame, break ups and various relationship dramas.

Yet, in the lead up to my 20th birthday, I too began to follow a path of selfdestruction. As negative thinking took hold, I became a hypocrite; a blubbering mess who was ready to fall into the arms of a man at the flash of a bearded smile.

OPINION

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TERT COLUMN

THE PEOPLE YOU’LL MEET AT THE PLACES YOU’LL GO

BY REBECCA WIGGINS

Hey! You there!

Yes, you! Are you sick of having to read articles with simulated interaction to get your daily dose of human connection?

Then it sounds like you might need to make what we call ‘friends’!

There’s always those days where you’ve had to bring in your heaviest textbook, where your lecturer decides tangents are his “deal” now and where your last class ran 15 minutes over (thanks for asking all those extra questions, Susan!).

It’s on these days that it’s hard to make it through alone and you’d just like some quality time with some people who don’t drive you completely bananas.

Without my friends I’m sure that by now I would have committed terrible acts of coffee fuelled violence. So, getting to meet a whole new social group and make cool new friends has been, by far, my favourite part of university.

Unfortunately, making friends isn’t the easiest thing. I recall the days when all it took was a Barbie doll, an introduction and a common age. I don’t really think many people would be keen to play Barbies with me anymore.

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U O W 10 1

We’re surrounded by people on a daily basis, but the majority of the time we never interact with them. Every morning I step into a tightly packed train but I’m still cut off from everyone on-board. There are people with me in the coffee line but it really doesn’t seem right to start up a conversation with the sleepy, grumpy students. And of course we all know lectures and tutes aren’t the time to be socialising... they’re for procrastinating.

Luckily, I’m a very persistent person and I wanted friends so I was determined to find a way.

I’ve found that joining clubs is not only a really rewarding experience but also an awesome way to make friends with similar interests and values. And it’s effective. You’re joining something which is specifically set up to connect you with likeminded individuals; not even the most socially awkward person could mess this up. You’ll also find that when meeting people through clubs they’re much more open to talking to strangers then they might be normally, so you can break down those socially constructed anti-social barriers and let the love flow in.

Rebecca Wiggins is in her 3rd year of a Bachelor of Communications and Media studies and Bachelor of Arts double degree. She majors in Journalism/Professional Writing & Sociology and enjoys spending most of her time blogging.

She is co-founder and writer for the popular Uni themed blog UOW101, found at www.uow101.wordpress.com

And at UOW, it’s a clubs bonanza!

We’ve got clubs for your faculty, political affiliation, favourite charity, cultural background; and joining fees have been slashed by 100%, yes that’s 100%! Clubs to help you get a job, clubs for your religion, clubs for sports and special interest; you can join them all!

Much like porn on the internet, if you can think of it, that club probably exists.

And, much like porn on the internet, if it doesn’t exist you can actually make it yourself! And again, much like porn hubs on the internet, although some have a whopping $5 joining fee, most clubs are now dropping their joining fee altogether.

Becoming involved with my University and meeting new friends has been the most gratifying experience I’ve had at uni so far. I’ve gained so much from just a little effort and I’m still benefitting from it. If you take only one piece of advice away from me then I’d hope it’d be this: join a society at uni; it’s a life changing decision you’ll never regret.

TERT COLUMN

MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD

BY RUBEN TABUTEAU @epictangent

In Praise of Clubs and Societies Every year, just before uni starts for the semester, for three days the walkaways of the campus are filled with aisles of tables occupied by legions of characters.

There are wizards, knights, politicians, scientists and countless other, who all call to swarms of new first years and returning students on campus to join them.

This spectacle, which occurs every year, is more commonly called O-week; it’s the time when all the university clubs and society have a chance to recruit new members.I may be biased from my own experiences as a member of many clubs in my time at uni, but joining at least one of them is one of the best things you can do to get involved in extracurricular uni life for many reasons. Yes there is the Wollongong nightlife, gigs and all sorts of other great stuff to check out, but clubs and societies offer so many opportunities all in one place.

For instance, one of the advantages of clubs is the sheer variety of groups to join.

There is a club or society for almost anything you could think of, from science-based clubs like the Physics Society, to arts based groups like the Craft Society. There is a Music Society and Literature Society, and clubs for specific cultural groups such as the Australian Born Asian Society, the Buddhist Society; there’s Brew.O.W and countless others. Hell, there is even a society for diehard Harry Potter fans and a Medieval Society! Regardless of what interests you have, there’s a club that would mesh with them and some of them might surprise you.

Finally, one of the great advantages of clubs is that they’re a great place to learn new things outside of traditional stuff; they provide a chance to either apply your study coursework or all kinds of things that wouldn’t be taught at uni like brewing, knitting, metalwork, and more.

So for anyone who missed out on the chance to join one during O-Week or Clubs Day, make a point of visiting the ‘Clubs’ page on the University’s Centre For Student Engagement site and get stuck into some serious student culture!

One of the other advantages of becoming a member of one of UOW’s clubs and societies is the way they provide an almost instant new social group. This is welcoming to students first starting at uni, especially if they’re travelling from different cities or even different states to study. Since joining clubs always involves people who are passionate about whatever activities the club involves, they are a perfect way to meet other like-minded and enthusiastic people and make new friends. Even for returning students it is a great way to branch out.

MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD

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VOX POPS

DO YOU THINK THE RECENT ‘NO MAKEUP SELFIES’ BREAST CANCER CAMPAIGN IS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF RAISING AWARENESS FOR CANCER RESEARCH? YOUR OPINION

Yes, I do think it’s quite awareness raising. It gets the word out and social media is pretty out there now, everyone follows it.

Andrew Khoury, Bachelor of Commerce and Psychology

I don’t know if it’s just vanity, but everyone already knows about breast cancer.

It’s nice for people to do, but I don’t think it’s very effective - I mean, if they’re not donating to the cause.

There’s a lot of talk about cancer being a multi-million dollar industry, and they might not want it to stop, some people are saying they already have a cure.

Nicolas Ozolins, Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Arts

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YOUR OPINION

I think it’s more about vanity, I don’t really see how it’s raising anything, because it doesn’t link to breast cancer, or any cancer at all.

Crystal Wood, Bachelor of Psychology

VOX POPS

A campaign that revolved around women posting makeup-less ‘selfies’ has aided in raising over $3 million for cancer research over two days. The trend supposedly started when Laura Lippman tweeted a photo of herself makeup-free in support of 81-year-old actress, Kim Novak, after she was criticised for her appearance at the Oscars. Lippman included a number that donations could be sent to withhin the tweet, as well as the hashtags: #nomakeupselfie and #breastcancerawareness.

This triggered the circulation of the no-makeup selfie campaign across various social media and has lead to a debate on whether this is an altruistic or self-indulged act – or something a little more complicated. A few UOW students have their say.

I think it has raised a little bit [of awareness].You can see a lot of people and a lot of awareness is coming out and a lot of pages coming up and a lot of stalls here at the campus regarding breast cancer. I feel it’s a good initiative that people have tried to recognise recently.

Shashank Suresh, Mechanical Precision Engineering (MPE) Mechatronics

I think the no make-up selfies are kind of attention seeking. [Makeup-less selfies] are okay unless they’re captioned with the title ‘No make up selfie’.

Hayley Collins, Bachelor of Arts

I think this is much more about vanity than raising awareness. It’s really not focusing on any form of awareness. A face without make-up has nothing to do with breast cancer. My mother had breast cancer, I saw the effects of it and I just don’t think it’s relevant. I asked my mother about it as well, and she just didn’t see the point of it either.

Anica Mcglinn, Bachelor of Psychology

YOUR OPINION

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THE DEBATE

THE UNION MOVEMENT HAS LOST ITS WAY

BY PAUL ELL

This week Craig Thomson, the former Labor member for Dobell and National Secretary of the Health Services Union (HSU), is due to be sentenced for a number of fraud convictions, which relate to his time at the helm of the union. Many of us may remember Thomson standing before our national parliament and denying the allegations, defaming numerous innocent people in the process.

As Mr Thomson is punished for stealing from some of the lowest paid workers in Australia, it is appropriate that we take the opportunity to reflect on the relevance of the union movement in Australia today. Those workers who came together in the late 1800s in the shearing sheds of Australia, to fight for better working conditions and basic workplace entitlements we now take for granted, did so because they wanted to provide a voice for working people. It may be a surprising thing to hear from a Liberal, but I have enormous respect for the trade union movement and believe that, generally speaking, they have a history that they can be proud of.

However, whether its the ongoing HSU saga or the AWU slush fund, it seems that we are bombarded almost daily with stories about deep-seated issues at the heart of the union movement.

If what we are hearing is indeed correct, the conduct of Craig Thomson and Michael Williamson has become the rule rather than the exception when it comes to today’s union leadership.

We are left questioning whether rorts, lurks and perks are the new normal in the union movement, to the detriment of the workers they are employed to represent. It seems that the trade union movement of today is merely a shadow of its former self.

However, in the sea of patronage and corruption which pervades various unions today, there are a few shining lights of reason. Most prominent is Kathy Jackson, the much maligned whistleblower who first brought the deplorable goings on at the HSU to the attention of law enforcement and the public. Jackson’s bravery in standing up for what is right is inspirational. Sadly, she instead received the opposite from fellow leaders in the HSU, and the wider union movement.

In an interview on radio 2GB on 16 October last year, Kathy Jackson recalled a meeting in 2011 of the HSU council at Darling Harbour, after these matters were publicly aired. She said: “There would have been 900 delegates… I kid you not… This is after I went to the police… [Michael] Williamson got a standing ovation… they played the Rocky theme when he walked in… there were people heckling me and screaming at me and [fellow HSU whistleblower] Marco Bolano… that I was a traitor to the movement… people were calling out ‘Judas’ from the crowd… this went for four hours.” If this account doesn’t convince you that there is a problem, I don’t know what will.

The fact that many in the union movement and the Labor Party are so opposed to the Royal Commission and the introduction of tougher penalties surely tells us something. If they’ve done nothing wrong, what do they have to hide?

If the union movement is to once again become a positive force for Australian workers, they need to stand up and be counted, and get their house in order. Otherwise they will continue to lose members and soil their proud history. The workers of Australia deserve great unions, not ones that betray them.

Paul is a former President of the UOW Liberal Club.

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THE DEBATE

THE DEBATE

PRO UNION- FIGHTING FOR THE WORKERS

BY PETER MUNFORD @petermunford93

Unionism is the great foundation of the Australian workforce.The union movement has provided this country with great reforms to the workforce, and has stood up for the rights of workers since before federation. But with unions only representing roughly twenty per cent of the workforce, and the Royal Commission impending into union corruption, it forces the question - what place does the union movement have in modern Australia?

The answer is, that the union movement has a very prominent place in our modern society. To suggest otherwise would be to ignore all the great victories that unions have won for workers.

Among these include the weekend, the minimum wage and the right to a safe and fair workplace.When worker’s rights have been attacked by governments and greedy corporations, the union movement has fought hard for them, and won.

Take the case of Workchoices in 2005, legislation that the Howard Government introduced to force workers into unfair contracts where they were under threat of being sacked by their employers. When this legislation was introduced, the Union movement fought tooth and nail for the workers of this country, and campaigned through grassroots action. They beat this cruel legislation, not only having the legislation overturned in 2009, but seeing the defeat of the Howard Government altogether.

The famous ‘Your Rights at Work’ campaign that was the centrepiece of this fight, continues today, and unions continue to fight for fair working conditions and fair pay throughout many industries. Among these campaigns is a campaign led by the Shop Distributors Alliance (SDA) to end youth wages (the ability to pay a worker less purely because of their age, which causes great financial loss to young people).

Unionism also extends to university life, through student unions (e.g. WUSA) that provide services to students and fight for fair conditions for students; and the National Tertiary Education Union, which fights for the fair pay and working conditions of those we trust to provide us with our university education.

As I have shown, unions are important to our modern society as they fight for us in our most vulnerable area of life - our employment. As I write this piece, the Union movement is facing many attacks, not just from the conservative coalition government, but also from the business community, who wish to see the abilities of unions to fight for workers to be scaled back, all for ‘profit’ and ‘productivity’.

The rights of workers are once again in the sights of the government. We have already seen their willingness to scrap penalty rates (overtime, public holiday pay) which would create huge financial losses for students, and there is little doubt that the union’s involvement in bargaining for fair pay conditions is set to be scaled back. The unions are more important than ever, and the government knows it.

The government, through its bogus Royal Commission into ‘union corruption’ is attempting to paint the union movement in Australia as corrupt and self-interested. Whilst there are some examples of union corruption, it is very limited. I’m telling you now; don’t believe what they tell you, it’s purely an ideological smokescreen. The union movement is fighting every day to ensure that your employment is fair and equal. Unionism is alive and well in Australia, and is always ready for a fight.

As the song goes - Solidarity forever, for the unions make us strong!

Peter is the President of the UOW Labor Club and WUSA Secretary.

THE DEBATE

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ALCOHOL

THE 10 THINGS THAT GOT ME THROUGH MY DEGREE

BY NATASHA T A M B U R I N I

@MissTash92

Now I’m in my last semester of my Communications degree, it’s easy to reflect on the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s been such a whirlwind experience. I’ve pulled a thousand all-nighters, made some life-long friendships and spent many nights at the beloved Uni Bar. I’ve seen relationships come and go, and experienced all the emotions that entail, and supported myself through waitressing, assisting at a surf shop and only recently obtained a job working as a Communications Officer for a major firm in Sydney.

Health professionals would encourage those who take on a University degree to focus on maintaining a healthy life balance... However, the following 10 tips worked for me!

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FEATURE

COPIOUS AMOUNT OF CHOCOLATE Chocolate is your very best friend.

It’s always there for you, including the times you failed that assignment because you were up all night watching ‘Breaking Bad’ instead of submitting your essay. And the time your computer died and you forgot to save any of your work…

Chocolate will be your ultimate savior.

It will be there for you when you need something to ease the pain from any stress you are dealing with. It’s also scienfically proven that chocolate releases the same “happy” endorphins that are released during sex!

I cannot tell you the amount of times I’ve been to the Uni bar to de-stress! The cocktail jugs are amazing and the food is divine.

Particularly the nachos, oh and the hot chip rolls.

A word of caution though - do not consume alcohol before your lecture. It doesn’t look pretty rocking up to class drunk…

Oh and for those nights where your creativity is failing you and you really have to get an assignment in, a glass of wine might be your answer.Your work will instantly gain expression and an insight that you never knew you had.

NB: Don’t try this if you have an addictive nature.

CAFFEINE

AN UMBRELLA HAT

Ask for super strong, double shots in your morning coffee and your fatigue will quickly diminish. Even if you don’t like coffee, you will by the time you complete your degree.

Otherwise there is always Red Bull!

How many times have you rocked up to class with an umbrella because it looks like rain is coming only to then drop all your books and your bag and stab yourself by accident with the umbrella? Then you look around to check if anyone actually saw you. Ugh!

A warning though, energy drinks can be extremely addictive and although they will help you through an all-nighter, they can send your body into overdrive where you will eventually burn out.

A few cans here and there though won’t hurt.

Over do any of these stimulants and you may end up looking like that out-of-control squirrel from Ice Age who is constantly chasing after his nut!

Or the times you woke up and the sky was completely clear but when you get to University, it rains.

The weather in Wollongong is unpredictable and can cause a great deal of stress.

An umbrella hat is the answer for you. I didn’t know they existed until I saw my friend wearing one the other day. It was purple and matched her outfit. I liked the logic, so I bought a red one and haven’t had an umbrella incident since! I’ve also found it a great way to avoid weirdoes.

A WALKIE-TALKIE. Don’t bother trying to make a phone call on the University premises.You’ll probably just get your friends stupid voicemail where it sounds like they have answered but they really haven’t and all you end up doing is stomping your feet and looking around anxiously.

Even with texts, you might think the recipient has received it but it’s really likely they won’t have. Go on, try calling them and check. I bet you it will go straight to voicemail.

Seriously, UOW does not have great phone reception. Mobile phone withdrawal will have you shaking. If you don’t want to end up eating your lunch in the botanical gardens, bring in those old Barbie: or Ninja Turtle walkietalkies.

AN UNDERSTANDING THAT BUILDING 19 IS DEFINITELY THE REPLICA OF HOGWARTS’ GRAND STAIRCASE. If you go into the building 19 with zero understanding of this complex architectural building beast, your stress levels might increase to the point of an emotional breakdown.

I’m warning you right now, building 19 is your worst nightmare. If you get a class in there, be sure to study the map ferociously. Maybe leave a trail of breadcrumbs behind you just in case you can’t find your way back.

If you still can’t find your class don’t worry, no one else will be able to find it either.

TRAVELLING TO RANDOM COUNTRIES I didn’t get a chance to do this, but I know of many UOW students who took spontaneous holidays to places such as Bali, Europe and America. My Facebook newsfeed is covered with pictures of my uni friends travelling on random international adventures. Those who have been able to do this seem to be calmer, happier people.

Have you ever imagined what University would be like somewhere else? Go on and try exchange.You’ll meet people from all around the world studying the same degree as you. Who wouldn’t want to see the Golden Gate Bridge, Leaning Tower of Pisa or the Eiffel Tower whilst they are studying?

FAMOUS CELEBRITIES ON YOUR BEDROOM WALL Channing Tatum helped me to keep up the hard slog. That luscious body I woke up to every morning definitely motivated me to do my best.

So whatever floats your boat! Put up a poster of anything that makes your pupils dilate. Shakira, Beyoncé, Chase Crawford, Channing Tatum, Orlando Bloom. Anything that makes your heart go boom.

I also watched a lot of Jim Carey’s movies, and these are a proven stress reliever! Or you can search Google images for some of his crazy facial expressions. Only the best will do.

RIDICULOUS AMOUNTS OF NOODLES. SOMEONE SAY MI GORENG? Let’s face it; unless you a superman and can work full-time whilst completing a degree at university, then you will most likely struggle financially. Buy in bulk and store copious amounts of two-minute noodles.

They are super easy to make, cheap and you can pretend they are delicious. They are perfect for all-nighters and a better option then consuming take-away every night (which will quickly lead to obesity). Although the odd pizza breakfast did cheer me up every now and then.

FACEBOOK I have one word to describe social media sites such as Facebook procrastination. They may be your biggest enemy, but I also found using them was an excellent stress buster.

C’mon you’re telling me all the meme’s about Leonardo Dicaprio never winning an Oscar failed to increase your serotonin levels enough for you to finish that dreaded essay on biochemical engineering?

FEATURE

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PHOTOGRAPHY: BELINDA QUINN

UOW LIFESTYLE

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PHOTOGRAPHY: MOSTFASA PHOTOGRAPHY

I AM WOMAN, WATCH ME KICK BUTT!

BY SARLIE DRAKOS @sarlie14

I am always surprised by the reactions that I receive when I tell someone for the first time that I do karate. Much to my annoyance, one of the most common responses involves the person that I am speaking to attempting to mimic an elaborate kick that they saw in a Kung Fu movie or pretending to ‘karatechop’ my arm off. After continuing to laugh hysterically as if it were the most original and witty joke that has ever been created, they then tend to ask a bunch of annoying questions like “can you break wood with your hands?” or “does that mean you can bash me?”

I’m not sure if it has always been this way but, these days, it seems as though Martial Arts is viewed by the vast majority of people as a type of showmanship rather than a sport or art form that takes years of dedication to master. The fact that Karate and other types of Martial Arts are being seen in this superficial light saddens me. And, even though I know that this can be said for practically any sport, it feels almost unfair that unless a person actually does karate themselves, they are unable to understand what it is all about.

When I asked a few students at the University of Wollongong why they think people do karate they mentioned things such as: improving your health and fitness, learning self-defence and making new friends. While these things are all true, the factors mentioned above should be viewed merely as the surface values of karate rather than the core values of the sport or art form.

By this I mean that they are not the only benefits that a person can gain from doing karate and, in my opinion anyway, should not be viewed with any more weight than other less-obvious benefits such as improving mental wellbeing, increasing a person’s ability to concentrate and focus, instilling determination, improving coordination and flexibility, and educating people about respect through offering a valuable

insight into traditional Japanese culture. These are just some of the positive traits that the style of karate that I practice has to offer. Believe me when I say that there are many, many, many more positive outcomes from doing Karate but, as I do not wish to bore you with an arduous list, I will get back to the main point of the article…

Karate is so much more than just throwing a few punches around or proving that you are the best at fighting. After speaking to a few members of different karate clubs, I was shocked to discover that some of the men who practice karate have experienced occasions where other males have tried to coax them into a fight after hearing that they are training in the sport. Adam, a twenty-one-year-old male, even stated that during his time at high school, the other boys in his year sometimes saw him as a “challenge” and would bait him or pick on him so that they could test their ability to fight against someone who was professionally trained in self-defence.

As a female, I am fortunate that I have not had to encounter the same challenges as some of my male counterparts. But, I would be lying if I said that I haven’t endured my fair share of egotistical behaviour as a result of people learning that I do karate. I am not trying to communicate that this is true of every male, but, in more than one instance, I have had to bite my tongue while being told by men who have no real insight into karate other than what they have seen on movies tell me that they would be better at the sport than myself.

Though I would like to believe otherwise, it seems that there is still a misconception that only certain people can be good at karate and, because I am a young woman who may appear quite feminine or delicate, apparently I don’t fit the brief. Because what does over eight years of training matter when you have seen every Jackie-Chan movie anyway?

THE UOW LIFESTYLE ISSUE

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The notion that karate can only or should only be done by certain people is a myth. Karate can be taught at almost any age as long as children are old enough to remain somewhat focused or interested during training sessions. People can also continue to do karate as they reach the older stages of their lives with some of the Shotokan JKA instructors being well over seventyyears-old.

The perception that boys are better at karate than girls is also untrue. In fact, during my interview with Christopher McKechnie, a well-regarded Shotokan JKA instructor, he told me that “girls are usually easier to teach than boys”. “With boys, their egos can sometimes get in the way; they start Karate with the attitude that they already know everything. Girls are usually a lot more relaxed and willing to learn. They can often be faster and more flexible as they are not constantly focusing on trying to be strong when they are training, which counts for a lot in karate.”

McKenchnie is not the only person that has noticed the potential of women in the sport. There are numerous women on the Australian team for Shotokan Karate and, at local karate clubs; some male members have stated that they feel as though the women are out-performing them at a technical level. Women are therefore not viewed as being disadvantaged because they’re weaker than the men that do karate but, in some cases, they are seen to have an advantage over the men because, as anyone who does karate knows, it’s all about repeating the same movements over and over again in order to perfect technique.

Though some people view the repetitive nature of Shotokan Karate as tedious or frustrating, McKenchnie says, attempting to master technique is what makes karate great. “There are always new things to learn which keeps it interesting” he states.

The sport is continuing to evolve as time passes and more people decide to join. There are now countless different types of Martial Arts so it would be quite hard not to find a style that suits you. So, if you are considering trying it out I urge you to give it a go, it’s the best thing that I’ve ever done!

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THE UOW LIFESTYLE ISSUE

WHILE WE’RE ON THE TOPIC, WHY NOT TRY HAPKIDO? Hapkido is a style of martial arts that originated from Korea which integrates kicks, blocks, pressure points, joint locks, throwing and much more.

The University of Wollongong Hapkido Club was formed in 2012 by Genevieve Steiner and her fiancé after they discovered that there wasn’t anything which offered a similar experience at the University. When speaking to Steiner she stated that “Hapkido is a really practical style. It improves overall fitness, flexibility, strength, and discipline.

It’s lots of fun and you learn in a cool way how to defend yourself.”

The University of Wollongong Hapkido Club now has around twenty members and trains every Monday and Friday at 6pm at URAC. The Hapkido club also trains in seminars and competitions outside of the University with a member of the club recently winning two silver medals at the National All Styles competition.

Members of the UOW Hapkido club gain access to affiliated clubs in Heathcote and Cronulla at no added cost.

The first session at the Wollongong University campus is free and people can join at any time during the year including the training sessions that continue during university holidays.

For more information about the UOW Hapkido club check out their Facebook page (www. facebook.com/pages/UOW-HapkidoClub/303034409742940), website (www.clubs. uow.edu.au/clubs/hapkido-club/home) or email (uowhapkido@gmail.com) for an enquiry.

ACCIO LONGLASTING FRIENDSHIPS

BY NICOLE LANGRIDGE

Don’t you hate when you’re reapplying make-up, you lean forward and your antennae get hooked on the wall? Wait… what? Imagine an electric blue dress, glittery wings arcing from your back, a pipe-cleaner antennae protruding from your head that will catch on everything; and you’ll have a Cornish Pixie ready to party at the annual Yule Ball. It may sound a little Lestrange, but I’m just a dedicated member of the University of Wollongong’s Harry Potter Society.

When I came to UOW in 2012, I was fresh out of high school and bursting with nerves. I was stuck in that looming mindset of: “How do I make friends again?” I’d heard rumours of the mysterious Harry Potter Society long before I went to the O-Week festivities. Suddenly, there was this glimmer of hope for this group of nerdy Potter-fanatics that I could get to know.

When I joined the society, I didn’t know that I was making a life changing decision. I didn’t know that I would find not only friends, but family too.

The Harry Potter Society had not long started; Law student Alice Beasley brought it to life in Spring semester 2011. “I thought it could be something fun and was disappointed there wasn’t something already Harry Potter related on campus,” said Beasley. “So many clubs and activities on campus were academic and faculty based, so to have something purely social is great.”

The end of its first session welcomed 100 new members and the CSE’s runner up for ‘Best New Club’.

My chance to introduce myself came with a fundraising BBQ early that session. I wandered down to the McKinnon lawn, a bit unsure, but once the fun-loving Harry Potter pick-up lines and inevitable wand innuendos started flying, I knew I’d found my kind of people. So next time you’re eager to make friends, you can try using this line, “Hey,You must be my Horcrux, because you complete me!” It works like a charm.

Eager to bring magic to UOW, the society’s first year was celebrated with trivia, a movie marathon for International Harry Potter Day (May 2nd), dozens of bake sales and a Yule Ball.

As current President of the Harry Potter Society, Cian Corby, takes charge for 2014, she remembers a time where she thought she’d be too nerdy even for a group of people obsessed with the perfect butterbeer recipe. However, decked in a costume

dedicated to the eccentric Luna Lovegood, she took part in a fashion runway. “I’d never felt so easily accepted like that before,” Corby said. “I’ll never forget it.”

The Harry Potter Society is all about acceptance. From the outside, it seemed daunting; this group of crazy enthusiasts I was eager to know. But through those wand-whirling wizards, I found friendships that completed the atmosphere of University life. The Harry Potter Society brings a spark of magic everyone needs in life, with a handful of sherbet lemons and a glass of butterbeer.

BUTTERBEER RECIPE

Ingredients For the Butterbeer you will need: 6 cups of room temperature club soda 1 cup of butter 1 cup of butterscotch topping For the foam topping you will need: 1 cup of heavily whipped cream 3 tablespoons of sugar 1 teaspoon of vanilla flavouring ½ tablespoon of butter Preparation To make foam: In a large bowl, whip the cream on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and continuing whipping until very soft peaks begin to form.

This should take 3-4 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and butter; whip for another 30 seconds.

To make Butterbeer: In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, microwave butter and butterscotch topping until it is hot and bubbly (approx.

1 minute). Add 2 cups of the club soda; mix well. Add the rest of the club soda and do not mix. Microwave the butterbeer for 2-3 minutes, or until butterbeer is warm.

Ladle into glasses and add 2 spoonfuls of foam to each glass.

Serve immediately. Makes about 6 servings.

THE UOW LIFESTYLE ISSUE

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AN INTERVIEW WITH LOCAL CREATIVE JOEL TONKS

BY BRITTANY CARTER

Joel Tonks is determined to make a name for himself in the art world. A UOW Creative Arts Honours student and mixed media artist with a speciality in painting, his portfolio boasts a variety of works that incorporate printmaking, sculpture, installation and robotic art.

He’s received various recognitions for his creative talent. A stop-motion video in his HSC major body of work was displayed in the 2010 Art Express Exhibition. He’s exhibited individually and collectively many times, and was highly commended by the Australian Artist Magazine for his nomination in the 2011 Young Australian of the Year awards. In 2013, he was a Grant Recipient of the William Fletcher Foundation, and was a finalist for both the Lloyd Rees Memorial Youth Art Prize and the Calleen Art Award.

‘THE HITCHHIKER’ - ACRYLIC ON BOARD

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‘BETWEEN THOUGHTS AND THORNS’ - ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

Growing up in Orange, and raised by two parents with a natural flair for painting and design, Tonks was always surrounded by creative minds. He began painting from photographs when he was just 14, and decided in high school that he wanted to pursue a career in the creative industry when his teachers “repeatedly told [him], that it was impossible to make a ‘real’ career out of art”.

His practice explores “the interactions between computational media science and traditional mediums,” and portrays his underlying interest in the intersections between art, science and technology.

It’s also heavily influenced by his surroundings, with most of his early paintings portraying the unique Central-West landscape of his home town. “Orange [experiences] the extremes of all seasons;” he says, “[you get] hot, dry summers, bright coloured autumns, snow in winter and flowers everywhere in spring”.

However his favourite subjects were always the landscapes and ocean views he was subjected to on various family trips to the coast, and now that he lives and works in Wollongong, these landscape and ocean subjects have become more prominent in his work.

The rest of his inspiration comes randomly, and can be anything from places he’s been and people he’s met, to a book he’s reading for his honours thesis. “[Inspiration] blindsides you right when you are about to fall asleep,” Tonks says, “even at 2am in the morning... It may be a sentence or a concept that sparks an idea. These days I never go anywhere without my trusty notepad.”

When asked to reflect on his practice, he says “I’d like my artworks to be memorable; to leave their viewer with a personal experience. I’d like them to be received as engaging and immersive.”

Many of his artworks contain small narratives that offer insight into his own experiences. These stories are “hidden within the image for the viewer to decipher”.

A poignant example of this can be seen in one of his recent works, ‘Between Thoughts and Thorns’. The painting presents its viewer with damaged film from an analogue camera.

We’re shown little snapshots of the ocean, a fish market and a Mr Whippy van. These pictures may have been taken on a weekend trip or holiday, and involve viewers in the smaller plots that make up the grander narrative of the work.

Why is the film ruined? Did something happen to the photographer or camera? Or are they merely old memories that have just worn away over time? The viewer is left to question and make sense of these individual and broader narratives, a theme common throughout all of Tonks’ work.

After graduation, Tonks plans to take a break from academia, and travel the world or spend a few months putting together a large body of work. “I’d like to eventually make a career out of my passion,” he says, “ideally painting for galleries and making large-scale interactive artworks for public spaces”.

There is no doubt in my mind that he will prove those highschool teachers wrong.

To see more of Tonks’ work you can visit www.joeltonks.com

ARTIST PROFILE

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‘SUAVE’ - ACRYLIC ON CANVAS ARTIST: JOEL TONKS WWW.JOELTONKS.COM

HOW TO BUILD YOUR CHARACTER AND YOUR CV

BY LAURA POLSON @laura_polson

Starting at university is exciting.You’re told about all the opportunities and reminded that everyone will be and is - an individual. Though once you are there, this difference and individuality can disappear Academically, we are all learning how to become teachers, lawyers, engineers - the list goes on. But eventually you learn that a degree is not enough, no matter what marks you get.

You need a way of differentiating yourself. Whether it be work experience, volunteering and any other extra-curricular activities. All this will come together and can be used to create your CV – the golden ticket that will land you the job of your dreams.

In my first year I wasn’t concerned with this CV nonsense. I felt like I was learning enough as is. However, this changed in my second year. I realised I was on a timeline.

Three years.

Three years to get ahead.

Three years to show employers why they want ME. My degree had become a to-do list.

At the same time I had just enrolled in a Community Power and the Common Good class. In a reading for the subject I came across this quote by John Ruskin: “The highest reward for man’s toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it.”

The reading was in fact a speech by the Vice Chancellor of Macquarie University, Steven Schwartz and was titled ‘Remoralising the University’. Schwartz speaks of how historically, universities aimed to build a student’s character. These days the idea of character building is gone. Instead universities are placing a larger emphasis on building the perfect CV.

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THE UOW LIFESTYLE ISSUE

To try and re-establish the moral aims of the University, Schwartz decided to make volunteering compulsory for all students. He believes these experiences will develop a student’s character - through finding a concern for others. The above statement made by Ruskin stayed with me for a long time.

Before university I’d volunteered for things and taken leadership opportunities purely as I cared and wanted to contribute to my community. All I’ve ever really wanted to do is help people. I’d never been concerned about getting anything from it, so why was I now?

Bruce Macfarlane, a writer for the Times Higher Education website, argues that students with a genuine desire to do good for others are encouraged to use volunteering as “selfpromotional material for their CV; as a badge of their ‘caring’, and suitability for employment”. He likens the experience to a Miss World contest, where contestants vie for approval by stating their commitment on how they will change the world.

I’m lucky this reading was set for week one, as from then on I stopped caring about what I should be doing. I stopped thinking of my degree as a to-do list or a ticket for a job and realised that if I wanted to, I could help people now.

I started using the skills that I’d learnt at university. I volunteered by writing and speaking for charities I cared about, like Oxfam and the Cancer Council. Eventually I started seeking leadership opportunities again too.

I came across the Australian Student Leadership Association (ASLA) at UOW. They run a range of programs including the S4S leadership conference, which I attended in September last year. At S4S I met Louise, a third-year International Studies and Commerce student, who had been a part of ASLA’s ‘Elevate’ program.

In doing so, Louise worked with year-eleven students at a leadership forum held at UOW. Here she contributed to the organization and facilitation of activities that encouraged students to see their leadership potential. Now when she sees some of these students on campus, she is reminded of the contribution and influence she had on their lives.

Justine, a second-year Communications and Commerce student, admits that she originally took part in ASLA’s ‘Alive’ program to build contacts and her resume. However the most important thing she took away from the experience was a newfound confidence in herself. I could tell when I spoke to both girls that they both hadn’t just added another line to their CV by taking part in ALSA. Their enthusiasm and fulfillment was based on how they grew as a person.

Soon to be former UOW student and co-editor of BULLSH!T blog, Harrison Cartwright wrote an article that reshaped the original thoughts I had when I began this piece. In his article titled, ‘On Higher Learning’, Cartwright looks back at what university taught him. I found that some of his lessons cross with mine.

THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF EXTRA-CURRICULA’S DO:

•

What you care about and like. Whether that means joining the Harry Potter society or BREW.O.W. Everything you do at university doesn’t have to be immediately relevant to what you want to graduate as.

•

Be persistent. If you want to be involved with clubs and societies, then BE involved with clubs and societies. They aren’t going to chase you up if you don’t show up to things. If you care - be there.

•

Look for experience that builds knowledge and also character, like internships and volunteer work.

DON’T:

•

Overly compare yourself to others in your degree.

LinkedIn will become a scary and almost torturous place if you do.

University is full of opportunities where “there’s nothing more important than opening yourself up to the possibility of something new.”

•

Let all this extra stuff take over your life.You need a social life and will obviously need time to do a bit of studying too.

Finally his article reminded readers to take “pride in [their] achievements,” as you will be and are more than a piece of paper.

•

See internships and volunteer work as CV fillers. Remember the knowledge you will gain from these experiences and your contribution is more important than a line on paper.

University is full of individuals with “their own uniquely compelling story to tell”.

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CALL FOR UOW TO OFFER GREATER SUPPORT TO MINORITY GROUPS

BY GEMMA MOLLENHAUER

Australian students are often quick to forget how many support networks we have. Whether they come from churches, university clubs and societies, or from what is arguably the most important support network of all, our family; many international students are not so lucky, and may feel alone and overwhelmed in a new country. Iranian born Khorsand Masoumi (Corey), is one such international student, who believes that UOW could do a lot more to support people like him who belong to a minority group.

Studying a Master of Engineering (Civil), Corey has lived in Australia for a year and two months. In his view, a better UOW support system for minority students would be extremely helpful. Whilst UOW does offer many clubs and societies to international students in general, there are none that cater specifically to those from countries like Iran.

“To be honest, no I don’t feel supported by the university,” he said. “I think they see us as a salary. For example, if we have any problem, we need to apply for it, and usually they [don’t seriously consider] our evidence.”

Corey also explains that in his case, since the Iranian government does not support students studying internationally, things such as subject fees can be a problem. And whilst Corey sees himself as someone who makes friends easily, he admits

that even he struggled to find social support networks when he arrived at UOW. “For the first few months it was really hard,” he said.

When asked what he would advise other new international students, Corey said, “They should know that living in other countries is totally different from their home. They need to ready themselves for living in a different culture.”

As the opportunity to study abroad becomes easier and more appealing, universities all over Australia need to lift their game and ensure that all students have adequate support systems to turn to. Already UOW offers individuals the opportunity to create their own club/society. However, giving people incentive and knowledge on how to create their own support groups would go a long way in helping minority groups becoming self-sufficient.

It is crucial that students who feel unsupported speak up and seek help, rather than accepting their loneliness. It can be as simple as starting a Facebook group, which would provide a quick and easy way to meet new people and develop the kind of networks you need to truly embrace overseas studies.

No one should feel alone because of where they come from.

If the university can work to prevent that from happening, it should.

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CANCER COUNCIL ON CAMPUS

So, you’ve decided 2014 is the year you’ll join a club on campus.

Maybe you want to join one to meet great people and have a bit of fun, but you also want to be a part of something that will help you with your career and really make a difference in the world.

Okay, so we admit that any club with the word ‘cancer’ in it doesn’t sound like a blast – we can’t compete with Groove Central or the Extreme Events Society on the fun scale - but Cancer Council on Campus actually ticks all the boxes. It’s all about working together to defeat Cancer and you really can’t beat that feel-good factor.

Our club is a stepping-stone into the real world. We don’t want to hold on to you forever. Instead, we want you to move up in the world. The experience you feel you lack? We can give it to you. The workplace confidence you feel you need? We can help with that. We can also help you gain the professional connections you want. We’ve got your back, and we’ve got proof.

The founder of Cancer Council on Campus, Andrew Horne, was highly commended for his efforts with Cancer Council in the running for the NSW youth volunteer of the year award.

Candice Kielly-Carroll had a two-year Public Health internship with Cancer Council and now works for Cancer Australia.

Anisse Penning volunteered for the Cancer Council in a

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community engagement position in the final year of her degree, and now holds a full time position with UOW. The experience these guys gained from Cancer Council was the basis on which their careers have been built.

You’re probably wondering what you actually have to do as a member of Cancer Council on Campus. We’re pretty flexible with our roles. Some of our titles include: Public Relations Coordinator, Public Health Intern and Communications Officer. Or you can simply be a member of the Cancer Council on Campus community. If you want to gain experience for your specific degree, we can arrange that too. We hold monthly meetings at the Innovation Campus and would love to see more friendly faces.

By joining our club, you are making a difference in the local community. Every single ounce of energy you contribute goes straight back into making a difference in the cancer sector. All you need to do is email campusclub@nswcc.org.au and let us know how would like to be involved.

BE LIKE A DUCK ANONYMOUS

There was a poster in my old career adviser’s room at my high school that had a cartoon duck calmly floating on top of some water. Underneath the water, you could see it kicking as hard as it could. The slogan read, “Be like a duck. Stay calm on the surface, but paddle like hell underneath”. That poster pretty much sums up 2013 for me.

I paddled like hell, and was somewhat successful at appearing calm on the surface. In 2013 I developed depression and severe anxiety. I failed class after class and not even some of my closest friends, nor my partner of 14 months, noticed a change in me. It took all my effort to maintain the facade.

I didn’t seek any academic help, and constantly lied when people asked me about my grades. I didn’t want anyone to know I was paddling like hell, and through all my best efforts, sinking. The only reference to what was happening to me was when I began to scratch, and later, cut myself. The facade became harder and harder to maintain as I began to cut into it.

The more I sunk, the more I had to paddle to just barely be out of the water. It took all my effort to attend uni, and then still, it was hard for me to attend tutorials. Getting out of bed was a struggle. I couldn’t spend time with my family or most of my friends. I began sinking faster and faster.

Only when one of my closest friends told me about the mental health issues they suffered did I realise that my feelings were not okay and that I was in total self-denial that cutting myself was actually self-harm.

I found help at Headspace, and after months of treatment during the later half of last year and over the summer, I am finally in a place where I can begin to talk about it with others. I wish I had allowed people to see my paddling and failing. I wish I had given people the opportunity to know that I needed help.

Uni life is advertised to be full of fun, with no possible downside.

I’ve never seen a billboard advertising university life with students cramming before an exam or failing a test. Students are never told “it’s okay to fail once and a while,” or that “taking an extra year to finish your degree isn’t bad”. There is way too much pressure to outperform others, and there’s this idea that the average mark isn’t good enough.

It’s important to know that it’s okay to show others, your friends and family, that you might be starting to sink. I think the poster in my former career adviser’s office may be some of the worst advice you can give anyone, and would encourage anyone that is struggling with the pressures of uni to seek help.

If you feel like you might be struggling with anxiety, depression or just feel like something isn’t quite right, you can learn more on the Head Space website at http://www.headspace.org.au/is-it-justme/getting-help The website provides resources and online support. Otherwise you can speak to your local GP about taking further steps towards getting on track. If you need to talk to someone urgently please call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14.

ILLUSTRATION: MILO KELLY

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FOR THE LOVE OF SPORT

BY KELSEY SUTOR @KelseySutor

Anyone who knows me knows there are two things close to my heart: sport and the United States of America. Combine the two and you get the phenomenon that is college sports.

UOW. “We even have to hire the grounds at a discounted price.

People reckon I’m joking when I tell them we have to pay to play on our own grounds.”

Basketball, football, baseball, gymnastics, hockey, La Crosse and amateur wrestling - you name it, the university played it. The students would all wear their colours and sing in unison as they made their way to the stadium. Everyone would gather to the nearest bar or restaurant to watch the game together.

UOW SNOW SPORTS

Sport truly is the pinnacle of the American college experience.

So imagine my disappointment when I came home to Australia.

Granted, sport is huge here, whether it’s kids playing soccer on a Saturday or meat pies at the footy. But what about at a university level? Where’s all the talk of UOW sports teams?

I spoke to a UOW sports club and a society to find out what they can offer students and why sport seems to fly under the radar here at the university.

UOW CRICKET CLUB

Personally, I find snow difficult to walk on, let alone compete on. So UOW Snow Sports Society Treasurer Siri Schlebaum told me all about the group.

“The Snow Sports Society was established in 2009. On our Facebook group page we have over 600 members, and then every year during O-Week we get 300 new students sign up...

This year we had 450 sign ups.”

Schlebaum says that the society is becoming more popular every year and that their big events are held annually during the middle of the year. “Our main trip is to Perisher or Thredbo on the first weekend of August, and then [we have] movie nights, pub crawls, retro parties and joint snow trips with ‘I Like to Party’ to Japan and NZ.”

Arguably it’s one of our national sports, so why don’t we hear more about the UOW Cricket Club? “We have no way of advertising,” says UOW Cricket Club President Bruce Tosswill.

She encourages anyone to join who has an interest in snow sports, regardless of their experience. “When I joined Snow Sports, it was my second time snowboarding. I just liked how cool the people were that were already in the society. It gives you the chance to make friends with people.”

All sporting clubs at UOW receive no funding from the university itself or from the SFA fees. Mr Tosswill believes this has resulted in very little access to students and publicity around the university.

However, she feels that those who join the society generally don’t take part in any of the activities organised throughout the year.

“We do not have access to SOLS emails… the university does not want the email system being blocked up. URAC is hopeless.

We are offered the chance to a have a table at O-Week but there’s no point because our season ends a week or so after that.

We have no way of getting [our information out] to students.”

Previously, UOW had 26 teams in a variety of sports. Today there is only four. In order to fund the club, Mr Tosswill says that all UOW sports clubs must seek sponsorship and charge fees to members. “Many students can’t afford to pay the minimum fees… luckily we have sponsorship from the Masters Builders club.”

Despite this, anyone can sign up to play for the UOW Cricket Club. The club currently has six teams in the Illawarra competition with different grades and training every Tuesday and Thursday.

However, Mr Tosswill believes that without university support or funding, all sports struggle to make an impact on students at

“We are a very seasonal sport and the cost is really high. We don’t do that many trips. Membership gets bigger every year… but then people seem to forget about us after they sign up. ” Schelbaum also believes there is a lack of advertising for sports around the campus. “There’s Uni Games once or twice a year but that’s it. There are teams that we have but you don’t really hear about it… the uni should publicise that more.”

So, if hitting the slopes and meeting a whole bunch of new people sounds right up your alley, UOW Snow Sports might be the society for you.

“We’re more like a group of friends,” Schelbaum says.

So will sport ever be a priority here at UOW? Definitely not until the sporting clubs and societies receive more support from the university. We can only hope that in the future, with a little advertising or funding from UOW, our university can offer more spirit and in turn more sporting opportunities to our community.

THE UOW LIFESTYLE ISSUE

41

ALICE. ALICE. WHERE THE #%!* IS ALICE?

BY KELSEY MCINTOSH @KMcintosh21

“It’s a dangerous business Frodo, going out your door.You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

studying medicine, nursing and public health. As fifteen very different individuals, the common thread that brought us together was a love and passion for rural health.

August 2013 presented me with an incredible opportunity.

As a member of SHARP (Student Health Alliance for Rural Populations) at UOW, the National Rural Health Student Network provided me with the chance to spend a week in Alice Springs, touring health facilities and immersing myself in a rural community.

Friday morning saw a visit to the Purple House, Western Desert Dialysis Clinic. Walking in, the place could be mistaken for a family home, complete with a veggie patch and plants chosen to withstand the heat. We were shown nothing but overwhelming hospitality. The small team of nurses were genuinely excited in telling us about their jobs and were interested in our future endeavours. I couldn’t help but think that this was a far cry from being just another student number, rattled off a roll call in a packed Hope theatre.

Initially yes, I did view the whole experience as an opportunity for adventure or a chance to tick something off my bucket list.

There was no way in the world I could have prepared myself for what a week in Central Australia had in store.

Despite being born and raised in a country town, flying into Alice, I couldn’t help but feeling like a city kid. The view from my window seat was sparse at best. Everything was red. Miles and miles of nothing but flat, paprika dirt. Clusters of houses were scattered few and far between and as we inched closer to touchdown, I saw road trains and camper vans navigating the unmarked roads.

The heat was the first thing that struck me, closely followed by a swarm of flies. My phone didn’t have an inch of reception and all I could think was, “Toto, we are so not in Kansas anymore”.

Arriving at the hotel, I found that I was one of fifteen complete strangers thrown together, travelling to Alice from all different parts of Australia. As a collective team, we were all students

Not everything was as carefree and seamless as it seemed on the surface. In groups of three or four, we were lead down a corridor, where the scent of disinfectant became dominant.

Quietly, we entered a dark room in which the dialysis routines take place. There were six beds lined up, filled with both men and women of varying ages, all hooked up to different machines.

The box television in the corner projected children’s cartoons into the room, entertaining the young boy and girl who sat at the end of their mother’s bed. She couldn’t have been more than thirty years old.

The nurses told us that many of the patients they see are from communities outside of Alice Springs. When they find out dialysis is needed, because of the lack of help and resources where they live, patients move to Alice for a period to learn how to administer dialysis themselves - needles and all.

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“

“Passion,” Dr. Goodwin stated without pausing to think about the question, “I genuinely believe that I can make a difference to someone’s life.”

“

As we headed to the Hospital’s ED, the feeling was bittersweet.

Whilst patients do have access to help, the lack of medical staff was obvious. In hindsight, it’s laughable that on the coast, we complain about waiting just an hour to see a doctor. I can’t shake the knowledge that the lifespan at best for people living with dialysis is five to six years. Before any of us, public health, nursing or medical students are qualified enough to help, the young girl and boy at the end of the bed will be most likely be left without a mother.

Upon entering the ED, we were met by Dr. Sam Goodwin - a god in the eyes of rural health. After being an active member of his rural health club RHINO at James Cook University, Goodwin finished his specialised GP training in Central Australia with the Rural Flying Doctors Service.

This hospital was much quieter than most. We were told that once a patient is admitted to hospital, many do not return home again. As we followed Dr. Goodwin down the clinical, hospital corridors that he referred to as his second home, everyone we passed paused to greet Dr. Goodwin.You got the feeling that this close-knit community had become a family of sorts.

Our visit didn’t last long as Dr Goodwin was called to a patient.

He had been at the hospital for the past 48 hours. Before he left us, Matt McAlpine, a fourth-year Medical student at UWS asked Dr. Goodwin why he continues with the demands of being a GP in such a rural setting.

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“Passion,” Dr. Goodwin stated without pausing to think about the question, “I genuinely believe that I can make a difference to someone’s life.”

Three days later after a whirlwind trip to Uluru, the Olgas and Kings Canyon in the back of a camper van, I found myself back at Alice Springs airport. Utterly exhausted both physically and mentally, I was seated next to an American couple on the twohour flight back to Sydney. Almost asleep as the miles of red disappeared underneath me, I heard the couple complaining at the lack of variety in vegetarian meal options. I thought of the two children from Purple House and wondered how the limited meal options on a short flight begin to compare with days sitting in a dialysis clinic.

After Alice, the whole ‘keeping up with the Jones’’ concept doesn’t make sense to me. It’s hard to comprehend that such inequality can exist a mere two-hour flight away. However, I also understand how easy it is for us to be naïve on the coast and caught up in a world that always wants more. I’m so grateful to have had this experience because the things I thought were important as a 20-year-old, suddenly don’t seem to matter as much. It’s taught me that life is precious and opportunities are rare and fleeting, and, if you let yourself, you might be lucky enough to be swept off to a place that you won’t forget.

THE UOW LIFESTYLE

BY JAMES CROWE @jcrowe595

“People just seem happier here and chilled out.”

There is a certain lifestyle that goes hand-in-hand for people that live in the city of Wollongong and attend UOW. Living by the beach and escarpment, the diversity of residents, good weather and beautiful campus, all make for an amazing lifestyle that locals may sometimes take for granted.

However early in 2014, San Francisco based smartphone app, Jetpac, used their entirely erroneous methods to rate the happiest city in Australia. Their findings were based on the width of people’s smiles in Instagram photos.

Wollongong, according to their research, was found to be Australia’s happiest city. The report, dubious as it was, caught on like wildfire around town, and was shared widely across social media and even printed in the Illawarra Mercury.

Perhaps the residents of Wollongong just have large mouths?

Or the fact that there are 140 men for every 100 women here, might have had all the ladies on Instagram smiling? Or maybe, just maybe, despite their utter lack of credibility, the good people at Jetpac were actually onto something!

Conducting interviews with three international students, I found that all mentioned that UOW seemed to be home to so many happy people. Aside from theorising different reasons for why this could be, I managed to gage a glimpse of what makes Wollongong different from other universities around the world.

I met Allie Travis, an American exchange student from the University of Kansas, in a coffee shop on campus to discuss her perception of Wollongong and UOW so far; and was amazed by how alien this town and its “chilled out” inhabitants seemed to her. The concept of having a coffee or going to the Uni bar in our breaks, things that UOW students indulge in everyday, was unheard of in the mind of this young American. “[People] sitting around and having coffee in the sun just wouldn’t happen back home,” she said. At the University of Kansas where Allie studies, most students are on a very tight schedule of “go to class, go to the library, and go home”. There are no coffee shops on campus, and there is certainly no bar.

“I feel like the university encourages binge drinking here, with the bar throwing parties and sponsoring pub crawls” As Allie searches for a polite way of suggesting that perhaps UOW students don’t take class time as seriously as they could, a man dressed up in a giant silver bubble-suit skateboards past,

chased by a cameraman. It was if this had happened at the perfect time, it helped demonstrate her point.

Aside from on-campus-drinking and the chilled out vibe; our lack of university spirit was apparently extremely evident. Not a single person on campus that day was wearing any UOW apparel. “Back home everybody wears the school colours,” Allie says. “I’ve got track-pants, shirts, hats and sweat-shirts all in Kansas colours. And everybody goes to see our basket team play, or [goes] to a bar to watch the game live”.

Despite this, after only spending two weeks so far here, Allie has noticed how much happier people are in Wollongong. However, she isn’t the only person to get that memo. Swedish student, Michelle Tommosgård, who has been here since last March, said she noticed the same thing.

She studied at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden and although she misses her family and friends, she admits that she would very much like to stay in Wollongong.

“It’s hard being here sometimes,” she says, “you get to know who your true friends are.”

“The weather’s good, there’s nature everywhere and the people are so happy” she said. “I know Wollongong is a lot smaller than Stockholm and I do miss some things back home, but I love the lifestyle here”.

The last student I spoke to, ex-exchange student from Toronto Canada, Becca Mayers, was more than willing to talk about her overall experience in Wollongong; and how she is desperate to come back. “Spending a semester at UOW was one of the greatest four months of my life” Becca said.

“I was able to live near the beach like I had always wanted, and be immersed in such a laid back culture. The fact that I went there alone was quickly forgotten, everybody was so happy and easy to get along with.”

Memories of sunbaking here in the middle of winter, keep Becca sane as she braves yet another Northern Hemisphere winter back home and counts down to days until she can move back to Wollongong.

The evidence is abundant. Three foreign students; one whose just arrived, one whose been here for a year and one who is desperate to come back, see Wollongong in a positive light.

Although all three are from different countries, different cultures and different backgrounds, they’ve fallen in love with the UOW lifestyle and want to make it their own.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURA POLSON

ARTS & CULTURE

LIAM MCCLAIR GIG REVIEW AND INTERVIEW

BY LAURA POLSON

“There’s a good band called Lucha Libre.”

Manchester in the U.K. was not a place I’d expected to be bonding over Wollongong bands. Tonight I’m interviewing U.K. singer songwriter Liam McClair before his gig. As it turns out Liam has family in the Wollongong area, and has visited Australia three times. ““My cousin’s the bassist. I went to see them at RAD? Is it RAD? It was wicked.” He tells me.

To hear good vibes on the Wollongong music scene from a musician frequenting venues in Manchester, the music capital of England, shows we must be doing something right.

Tonight’s gig is taking place in Soup Kitchen, a venue in the Northern Quarter in Manchester. Sobi, a friend of Liam’s and another Manchester based musician, tells me that with venues in this area, “You just have to come across them almost accidentally; it’s like a discovery every time”. After following streets lined with music posters, I finally discover the Soup Kitchen. Inside it gives off a His Boy Elroy vibe that meets the crafty goodness of Milk Thieves.

Liam is playing downstairs. The crowd gathers and he begins.

However his guitar doesn’t quite get the message that it’s time to perform and cuts out.

“Sorry, my guitar’s got stage fright”, he says.

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Beginning for a second time, Liam lightens the room with his clear vocals. Similarities could be made between his voice and the lead singer of Boy and Bear’s Dave Hosking, teamed with the slower acoustics of Angus and Julia Stone’s earlier material.

These summery Aussie comparisons fall short when McClair begins his darker track ‘How’. ‘How’, Liam tells the audience, was based on a Louis Theroux documentary on dementia.

He tells the story of an elderly couple that struggle with the complications the disease causes to their relationship.

“You mean The Notebook!” An audience member calls out.

Liam laughs.

“Okay here’s the song I didn’t know was about The Notebook,” he says.

‘How’ is followed by my favourite song of the night, ‘Roam the Globe’. He sings the sweet lines “...nothing to hold me down, I just want to roam around, I just want to roam the globe”. Before you download this one beware – its catchiness could lead to restlessness and the impulsive purchase of plane tickets.

Despite feeling right at home on stage, music wasn’t always Liam’s main career aspiration, giving up a promising football career due to serious injury. He went on to study and graduate in sport at Liverpool and afterwards, decided to turn his love for music from a hobby into a passion.

He started playing shows more regularly in May 2013 and since then he’s built an impressive fan base including listeners from as far as Belgium and Poland.

He’s released an EP ‘How’ with another soon on the way. He hopes this will be followed soon with an album. In terms of touring, anyone who follows one of Liam’s numerous social media pages can see how hard he is working at honing his live performance, by playing shows most nights of the week.

These gigs have even included a performance in Australia at Sydney’s Hard Rock Café’s Open Mic Night. Playing there in February, Liam treated the crowd to his music as well as covers of ‘No Diggity’ and the Arctic Monkey’s ‘R U Mine?’.

He found the Australian crowd welcoming and would definitely like to come back to tour one day. Who knows, with some of his family currently living in Wollongong, a local gig could possibly be on the cards.

You can like Liam on FB here: www.facebook.com/LiamMcClairMusic Listen to his music here: www.soundcloud.com/liammcclair Purchase his music here or on Itunes: www.liammcclair.bigcartel.com

Liam McClair on his sound, influences and gig aspirations.

LP: What three words would you use to describe your music?

LM: Ambient, catchy and I suppose poppy, it gets a bad name pop, but I think it’s poppy.

LP: Who are your main musical influences?

LM: I admire people like Paulo Nutuni and Ed Sheeran. I quite like Radiohead and I like Stevie Wonder, and guy called Nick Drake, who’s a British singer/songwriter. I guess it’s like a big mix - my family have given me inspiration for my music and my friends too, so it’s a big melting pot of sounds.

LP: What would be your dream festival including headliners?

LM: It’s got to be Glastonbury with Stevie wonder, Fleetwood Mac and Simon and Garfunkel.

LP: What about dream venue?

LM: The opera house would be cool! ...Or there is a cathedral in Liverpool. It’s where I graduated so to play there would be kind of nice.

GIG REVIEW

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SUNDAYS AT THE GIDDY GOAT

BY GEMMA MOLLENHAUER

Wollongong is already renowned for its close-knit music community.Yet tucked away in the suburb of Keiraville, the quaint café The Giddy Goat plays host to buskers every Sunday. Squished between a newsagent and grocery store, The Giddy Goat is tapping into this communal spirit, encouraging visitors of all ages to give their ears a break from the bustle of city living, and listen to an acoustic set list from local performers.

With regular café goer’s flocking to The Giddy Goat for these sensational Sunday sessions, café owner Rob Fairway and his girlfriend Victoria Rebbeck believe that music and quality coffee are key to creating an environment worth returning to.

Fairway says, “We’d like to create an environment that we’d like to come to ourselves”.

The Giddy Goat has not only maintained an environment for young and old, but has also added new life to Wollongong, in an area of the city that was developing a reputation as stale.

The café has developed its popularity organically since opening just 18 months ago, as customers know that ‘Causal Sundays’ at The Giddy Goat are worth being involved in.

Fairway wants to provide people with a unique experience, saying “we want to be different, so people will actually drive to Keiraville for quality, organic, fair-trade coffee and amazing

acoustic sets”. Its remote location means that its customers mainly come from within Keiraville, but The Giddy Goat is becoming more and more widely known for its quality coffee and service.

The Giddy Goat welcomes acoustic performers of all ages and backgrounds to play for an hour or two. Fairway believes that “giving people the opportunity to play” is extremely important in a university-based town like Wollongong. “We love it when customers enjoy it, [and] giving exposure to up and coming artists in a relaxed environment is something we strive towards”. With free food and coffee as well as payment being offered for artists wishing to play for a few hours, performing a set at The Giddy Goat is something our local talents should definitely consider.

So whether you are nursing a hangover from the night before, in need of a well-deserved study break, or one of the thousands of people who appreciate good music and fantastic coffee, shop 4/207 Gipps Road on Sunday mornings is the place to be.

To become involved in the live music scene contact Rob or Victoria via The Giddy Goat’s Facebook page, or you can express your interest on the way to work/uni by popping in and grabbing some 10/10 coffee.

CAFE REVIEW

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BOOK REVIEW: THE HELP

BY JAMIE REYNOLDS @despressing

Lately I’ve been fascinated with any material related to the 1960’s civil rights movement. Being not as educated as I’d like when it comes to the era, I decided a great place to start to wrap my head around it was with Kathryn Stockett’s novel The Help. Stockett has been described as being the next great Southern writer, after Harper Lee, who wrote ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.

witnessing her friends fall victim to extreme racism and abuse, Aibeleen makes the decision to talk about her life as a house maid, and the struggles of raising and loving a white child, only to have them grow up, turn out like their parents, and become their employer. The maids soon come together to tell their stories, and help Skeeter’s dream become a reality; but not without consequence and fear for their lives.

The book, published in 2009, is set in the early 1960’s and based on the African-American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi. The main protagonist is a young white woman by the name of Skeeter (Eugenia) Phelan, who grew up on one of Mississippi’s notorious cotton farms. The book focuses on Skeeter, her childhood friends Hilly Holbrook and Elizabeth Leefolt, and their African American maids Aibeleen, Constantine, Minny,Yule May and Pascagoula.

After reading the novel I did some research on the civil rights movement and found that comparatively, Stockett largely numbs the segregation in the south, and focuses mainly on the nasty, manipulative personalities of the white women during this time.

Stockett never incriminates or includes the actions of the men who actually controlled the segregation, who in contrast, are seemingly portrayed as upstanding citizens, or at least marginally less racist than the women in the novel.

Skeeter is a developing writer, hoping to break out of the chains of her mother’s constant pleas for her to change her appearance, give up on her dreams and pursue a husband. Wishing to write about something different, she sets out to explore the never before heard perspective of ‘the help’.

While the book is heart warming and definitely a good read, it skims over a lot of the important events happening at the time.

It provides information that isn’t entirely accurate, and bypasses subjects that should have been explained more clearly. Although it certainly does outline important issues and provokes a lot of thought, I’d only recommend it to people wanting a vague idea of life during the civil rights movement, or for leisurely reading, but not for accurate or detailed information.

With danger and violence becoming more common everyday towards the African American community, nobody wants to risk their lives helping a white woman write a book. But after

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BOOK REVIEW

BOOK REVIEW: DAY OF THE DEAD

BY NATALIE MCLAREN @nmae22

Puerto Vallarta seems like the perfect holiday destination for Michelle Mason to regroup and make some major life decisions after the death of her financier husband Tom. Tom’s business wasn’t as clean and successful as she was led to believe, and she is left in debt and despair. Unsure of what her next move should be, Michelle goes on the holiday that she and Tom had booked, alone.

In an attempt to enjoy the holiday regardless of the circumstances Michelle says yes to almost anything. When a tall, dark stranger offers to buy her a margarita she enthusiastically agrees. After all, what does she have to lose? The summer night progresses with her new friend, Daniel, and they spend the night together in her hotel. But when she is rudely awoken to find Daniel assaulted, Michelle’s time in Mexico turns sour.

Lisa Brackmann’s writing style is truly engaging because she writes actively. This novel is so fast paced that there is never a moment where the author just fills in time. Whenever I had a few minutes to spare, I would pick this book straight up, telling myself I had time for one chapter (although I inevitably ended up reading much more than that).

The simplicity of the writing allows you to fly through the pages without having to re-read sections and contemplate their meaning. What I loved most about Day of The Dead was that

you could pick it up after forgetting about it for weeks, and still be able to follow the plot, immersing yourself in it easily. Put simply, it is a captivating novel.You will always be wondering what is next in store for Michelle.

Her imagery was so descriptive that a part of me actually feels as though I have been to Puerto Vallarta myself. I can describe the hot sand, sticky humid air, and those world-class sunsets; as though I have witnessed them with my own eyes.

Character development is another strong point in this novel. We learn more and more about Michelle with every new dilemma she faces. As a grieving woman who seemingly has the world’s worst luck, one would be forgiven for assuming that she’s weak and vulnerable. Instead, Brackmann builds Michelle’s character through every set-back, and presents us with a “fiery” woman that readers will barrack for in every situation.

You will find it difficult to put this one down and it is guaranteed to keep you guessing from start to finish, with a new plot twist in every chapter. Brackmann has blended action, mystery, suspense and even a hint of dysfunctional romance perfectly.

A great read for uni students to break up the dense, dry class readings.

BOOK REVIEW

55

BAR REVIEW: THE THREE CHIMNEYS

BY BELINDA QUINN @belindaquinn10

How do you feel about soaking up the smell of freshly baked bread, coupled with the soft aroma of coffee beans? What about lazing on a leather couch sipping a tall glass of premium brewed beer? Well, at The Three Chimneys, you can do both.

The Three Chimneys is a new wood-fire sourdough bakery, coffee roastery, bar and restaurant all rolled into one. It’s currently tucked away in a little sneaky spot behind Globe Lane (I’d give you better directions, but I’m assuming you know how to work that search engine called Google by now). Whether or not you’ll enjoy this multifunctional venue depends on the kind of atmosphere you’re looking for. I’ve provided four scenarios that will settle whether The Three Chimneys has the vibe you’re looking for.

Scenario 1: A First Date If you’re heading out for a first date it may be a little intense, (and yes, I am the dating venue expert now; please come to me with all your date/venue enquiries. I’d recommend Sugar Cubes waffles every time by the way).

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BAR REVIEW

The temperature got a little steamy (which you’d expect from a wood-fire bakery) so if you’re like me and the idea of talking to someone you don’t know very well makes you sweat profusely, The Three Chimney’s might not be your best game plan. However, if you’re a normal human and don’t have this problem, it should be okay.

Scenario 2: Chilled Beers with Mates With a wide range of affordable drinks on tap, The Three Chimneys has the perfect environment to enjoy a few relaxing beverages and wind down with friends. It’ll be especially cosy in winter because of the heat created by the bakery’s wood-fire oven.

The music transitioned from quite loud house-music to a live performance with the lovely folk singer and acoustic guitarist Jess Allen, to then something that sounded like the Triple J top 100 of 2013.

Its combination of music, pretty rad mural of pop-funk legend Prince, cut-outs of pop-culture icons and dangling pot plants

WOODEN DOORS ARE MADE FROM 150-YEAR-OLD WOOD TAKEN FROM WOOLOOMOOLOO WHARF.

all confirm one thing: it’s trying to do a lot of things at once.

At least the frequent changes in music and various decor keeps your mind stimulated while you’re drinking.

Scenario 3: A Fancy Dinner Party If you’re looking at going for a big, cheap dinner, it’s probably not going to be your thing. We split five tasting plates between the three of us and each one ranged between $11 to $22. They arrived super quickly and we were always checked on and cared for by their friendly staff.

Every single dish tasted amazing. I’d recommend the sautéed enoki mushrooms with passionfruit, basil, red peppers and liquorice powder. These chefs are obviously incredibly talented, as shown by their creative ability to pull a range of exceptional flavours together in the one meal.

The only downfall is that when my friends and I want food, we typically want a lot of it – and comparing the prices of the dishes to small portions probably wouldn’t appeal to the budget of a student.

My two pals still had to order another meal at Howling Wolf (which was cheaper and more generous in portion size). I’d save it for special occasions unless you can afford it. That said, I can see that the restaurant is aiming for quality over quantity, so it was definitely worth it.

Resisting going back for the sake of my bank account is proving difficult.

Scenario 4: A Tasty Breakfast The egg and bacon rolls are wonderful, substantial and not too pricey. And if you want breakfast beers, you can totally have breakfast beers - enough said.

--Overall The Three Chimneys is undeniably worth checking out. Their opening hours are seven to four on weekdays and Sundays, and they reopen at five until eleven thirty on Thursday to Saturday. If you pop in you may even have the viewing pleasure of watching the bread bake and the coffee beans roast.

BAR REVIEW

57

BABYSITTERS

BY MICHELLE FLAVIA SILAEN

The old Toyota pulled up to their new home. An old two-story house, it had plenty of rooms, two large mango-trees out the back, and enough shade to cover the beating sun of the Bogor weather.

Andy stepped out, her book held to her chest, followed by her mother. Her dad cut the car engine and stepped out.

“Well, what do you think? It’s been years since we’ve been back to this town, but I’ve finally found a new place for us,” Andy’s dad exclaimed.

“Wasn’t this the Mikaelson’s old house? Poor family,” Andy’s mum sighed. Guess they couldn’t live here after their children disappeared.”

As the Jacobs’s family settled into their new home, Andy did what any twelve-year-old girl would do in a new environment and started to explore. Looking around the house she counted the rooms on the second floor, the windows around the house and how many steps there were on the staircase.

Making her way to the backyard Andy saw the two mango-trees as an opportunity for climbing, and a sense of familiarity came over her as she played there in the backyard for the rest of the afternoon.

That night Andy settled into her new room, which was slightly bigger than her old one, and despite her mother’s order of going to bed, she stayed up a little longer to read her favourite R.L Stine book that was so worn out from the numerous times it had been read.

She must have drifted off in the middle of her book, because Andy later awoke to a light and a continuous tap, coming from somewhere near her. Lifting up her curtains slowly, Andy saw nothing but one of the big trees in the backyard. None of its branches were anywhere near her window. Suddenly she could hear shuffling from the guest-room next door.

---“Did you sleep on the couch all night?” her dad asked, tapping her

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ILLUSTRATION: MILO KELLY

lightly on the shoulder the next morning.

Andy shrugged....uh couldn’t sleep.”

Strange things began happening over the next few days. As Andy got ready for bed, she walked back to her room and froze as she suddenly spotted something outside her window. She gasped, shaking. In front of her bedroom door Andy cried out in horror as she spotted what looked like two faces outside her window. Feet glued to the floor, Andy stared openly, not able to move a muscle in her body, until they disappeared just as fast as they appeared.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” her mum stood beside her.

“There was a…” Andy couldn’t even finish her sentence. The thought was crazy and unbelievable. Not wanting to step foot in her own room, she decided to grab a blanket from the hall closet and sleep downstairs.

The next morning she got dressed in her stripy top, faded jeans and brown Docs. After breakfast, she grabbed her satchel before heading out the door, and began walking to the bookstore. As she made her way into town, she noticed the trees beginning to turn orange and dry, and couldn’t help but smile.

Walking through the aisle of books, she found the Horror/Thriller section. These were her favourite, she loved scary stories. She loved all things that gave her goose bumps - especially the R.L. Stine kind.

“You don’t wanna read that one,” a voice said, before Andy could pick up The Girl Who Cried Monster.

She turned around to face a young boy her age, with a full-faced goofy grin and wild green eyes that were hidden behind his brown messy hair.

“Bad?” Andy asked, giving the blurb another read.

“Not... bad. Just not as good as the others,” he walked closer to her, picking up another book.

“Have you read this one?” He handed her The Ghost Next Door.

“No I haven’t actually, I’ll check it out. Thank you,”she said reading the blurb.

“I’m Cody by the way,” he smiled.

“Andy,” She replied On the walk home Andy couldn’t get Cody’s story about the old owners of her house out of her head. Haunted? Missing kids?

Possible murder? No way, Andy reassured herself.

pressed her hands to either side of her head.

“Like it’s taunting you?” Lexi’s expression changed.

Both the babysitters’ faces twisted into sinister grins.

“What?”Andy whispered, hesitantly. “What do you mean?

Someone’s playing with me?”

When she got home her parents were rushing around getting ready, all dressed up.

Lexi walked over to her.You know, the girl and boy that lived here were babysitting a kid in once and she went on a psychotic break and murdered them. Then she buried them between those mango trees out the back.”

“Your father has a work party to go to. We’ll be home later tonight. We also called a babysitter okay sweetie,” her mum said, rushing out the door. Her dad beeped the car horn outside.

“Ha Ha, do you two go around telling everyone that story?” Andy rolled her eyes. The room fell silent. “It’s true! We’ll show you…”

Cody suddenly jumped up and started towards the back door.

“Bye.”

There they were in the middle of the yard, two large mango-trees.

Behind them were two shallow graves. Lexi handed Andy a shovel.

“Dig!” she said, her voice suddenly stern.

Andy’s parents left, but just as she was about to head upstairs the doorbell rang.

“Mum! You didn’t have to get me a babysitter!” Andy muttered under her breath, before opening the door. “Cody, what are you doing here?” Cody was standing at the door with a bag full of board games in his hands.

“Turns out my sister is babysitting you guys tonight, so I thought I’d tag along,” he grinned.

“I’m Lexi, you must be Andy,” the girl standing next to Cody at the door smiled.

Halfway into their second box of pepperoni pizza and their game of Cluedo the lights suddenly went out.

“Sometimes I hate autumn, the wind…” Lexi was interrupted. A loud, aggressive banging on the windows upstairs could be heard.

Startled, Andy jumped to her feet. “Why does it keep doing that!” she cried out. “It just doesn’t stop, I can’t sleep at night, and there are always noises all around the house! Tapping, banging and floorboards creaking like footsteps. It’s driving me crazy!” She

Andy turned around slowly, and fear trembled through her body.

She stared into the siblings’ faces, their smiles wicked and their eyes dark.

“You killed us, Andy,” Lexi stepped closer.

“In our own house,” Cody followed.

“No!” Andy croaked out. “That’s not true! I... I’ve never seen you before.”

“Look at us, Andy. Two years ago... Don’t you remember us?” Lexi moved closer.

“HOW COULD YOU NOT REMEMBER US?” Cody jumped in, both siblings surrounding Andy. They both stepped closer and closer. Andy’s scream escaped her throat, her head spun, her vision blurred. She could feel tears running down her face but could hear nothing.

That was the last thing Andy remembered before she woke up in a hospital bed...

CREATIVE WRITING

59

NIGHTS AND DAYS

BY NICK CHLOPICKI (For Silvia) Antwerp nights Barcelona days red blanket nights park river zoo days dancing ceremony fiesta nights wine delight gin vomit nights hangover lazy comfy siesta days fight nights days forgiving days nights nights where there is no time days where there is all the time blossoming in nights shaped shined in days spring nights to winter windy days ending in summer lonely nights and days days and nights with long breaks of almost seasons between and soon to be continents not being able to read it all now we save the rest for manana

RUNNELING

BY DANIEL DE FILIPPO Might I disintegrate?

The dark centreGod said something

He didn’t mean…

Here. Here, here hewnThe sad sun sleepwalking…

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POEMS

PRINCE KRISHNA AND THE VOYAGE OF THE ZEN POET

BY JOEL EPHRAIMS I’m sunk into the refused armchair on my porch.

Used tea bags, skeletal umbrellas, rain overdosed book marks. Small bands of festive people dissolve into unknown locations, brightly.

Croutons balloon in microwaved pumpkin soup.

An Arabian woman looks like a female wizard from a new Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Pushing a pram, thinking up things for her baby.

The girl from class with the cobwebbed hair picks up her prose assignment and speeds away in her mother’s Landrover. It was a screwball comedy about Armageddon featuring a magic kazoo.

Hypothetical religious events, hardcore parties, institutional dinners, bellowing father’s, unquenchable adolescents, tooth-picked shrimp, strangers who want what they have.

I applied for night sorting at the Postal Service.

I watched a film about a lunatic plastic surgeon.

Ending idea no. 3The taste of universe too much in Prince Krishna’s mouth, he vomits it up at the Greek gods’ brainstorm.

POEMS

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GIG GUIDE THANKS TO ALEXANDRA SMITH

APRIL Thursday 3rd

Sunday 20th

I NDI AN R ED

HUNX & HIS PUNX (USA) // SHANNON &

RAD, Tickets $8

THE CLAMS (USA)

Thursday 3rd S HEERKAN // BIN JUICE // A NA -MA RIA F AJAR DO The Brewery Friday 4th TWI N L AKES RAD, Tickets $7

Farmer & The Owl, Tickets $20 Saturday 26th MITCH & MIKE GORDON EP LAUNCH Howlin’ Wolf Saturday 26th SHINING BIRD The Heritage Hotel Bulli

Friday 4th WO L L O NGO NG’S PREMIERE V INYL DJ’S Howlin’ Wolf Saturday 5th

MAY

THE JAC KIE HOWLERS Howlin’ Wolf Saturday 5th C LO UD C O NTROL Waves, Free Entry Sunday 13th LANEWAY PA RTY (KING GIZZA RD // WAL KING WHO // DA Y RA V IES + MORE) Farmer & The Owl, Tickets $20 Thursday 17th THE ED GE Waves, Free Entry Friday 18th THE S C O UNDRELS FT. KOKO

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Friday 2nd JUSTIN FREW AND THE LOOSE INTENTIONS Howlin’ Wolf Saturday 3rd JACOB SGOUROS Howlin’ Wolf Thursday 8th HIGH TAILS RAD Friday 9th SPLASHES: PERCH CREEK JUGBAND // WOOHOO REVIEW // PAPA PILOK & THE BINRATS

Howlin’ Wolf

Beachbar, Tickets $25

Saturday 19th

Friday 30th

VINYL D J’S

DZ DEATHRAYS // PALMS // FOAM

Howlin’ Wolf

RAD, Tickets $16

GIG GUIDE