Nucleus Vol 3 No 4

how we like our lecturers|college values i & ii|does une truly value their students|UNESA

editors.

john shirley sarah owen cassandra keogh

cover art.

sharnee miles-king

backcover art. sharnee miles-king

contributors. john shirley cassandra keogh david mailler annabelle duncan anna ingham melanie eve pease rupert jones mark jongebloed elke henderson kate carter cassarndra slade-potts the o’malleys (the irish feckers) taylor mcbeath

casey thatcher katya rose fred moss anna creecy ellie faulkner lucy froud judd newton tayla burton constance chatterley kirsty raines the lorax ashley pianca ally wiggins sharnee miles-king

disclaimer.

The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the staff of Nucleus or UNESA. If you have an issue with an item published in the paper, write a letter and we will be glad to print it.

All contributions must include name and contact details however we may not be able to individually reply to each contributor.

Ensure that all contributions contain nothing that may be considered sexist, racist, discriminatory, violence provoking or plagiarised.

We assume our readers can tolerate a degree of satire and the odd swear word, but anything containing unnecessary profanity will not be published. Publication is always at the discretion of the editors. All content is published under the Creative Commons by 3.0 license.

Refer to website for license information.

contact us.

Visit www.nucleus.org.au Or write to us at editors@nucleus.org.au Come and see us at the office in the Student Media Hub with Tune!FM We’re always happy to get new writers and artists on board, so send us an email for more information, or send us some of your work if you have it ready! We look forward to hearing from you!

contents.

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 4, MAY 2015

Editorial // 03 Letters to the Editor // 04 UNESA President’s Report; UNE Vice-Chancellor’s Report // 05 News // 06 These are a few of my favourite things // 08 Some jokes never get old // 09 Our Deadly Mob! // 10 Features // 11 How we like our lecturers // 12 College Values part i // 14 Does UNE truly value their students? // 16 Lecturs are important! No way?!!; Education Schmeducation // 18 College Values part ii // 20 UNESA // 22 Communities in danger // 23 Are you being SSAFed?; Opinion // 24 Reviews & Advice // 25 Naughty Bits! // 26 don’t budge // 27 The Lorax // 28 College cuisine // 29 Game review - League of Legends // 30 Cards Against Humanity // 31

Whattup hipsters, Welcome to the 4th edition of the Nucleus!

This last month has been filled with some crazy world events as well as (for me) the bulk of my trimester 1 assignments. Fill in the spare time with sporting events, work, and family commitments and I have barely had any time to call my own.

Coming up to tri 1 exams though, I’m sure I’m not the only one going through this mid-year crisis. Many of our external readers have families and lives outside of uni, for those of us still studying on campus though; our lives have consisted of fresher weddings, food fights, and occasional sub-freezing temperatures.

.editorial JOHN SHIRLEY

With all the craziness that life and Uni bring, we thought it was well past time to ask whether or not coming to UNE is even worth it when we hear stories of lecturers using the same class recordings from 2-3 years ago, we have horrific parking opportunities, and Armidale seems to be gearing up for one its famously cold winters. Why not stay at home with our family and friends and just read a couple of textbooks?

important notices.

LECTURES END FOR TRIMESTER 1 29 MAY

What value are we getting from our experiences here?

TRIMESTER 1 EXAMS START

We’ll also be exploring the topic of self-exploration (page 26), who UNESA are, and what they do (page 22), following the ongoing parking debate between students and staff (pages 9 & 17), and much more.

As we don’t put out an edition in June, the only places to keep up with student news until then are our website and our Facebook page.

1 JUNE

QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY 8 JUNE

Website: www.nucleus.org.au Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NucleusUNE?fref=ts

EXAMS END! 15 JUNE

Until next time, you stay classy UNE! P.s. Good luck with your exams everyone :-D

INTENSIVE SCHOOLS BEGIN 16 JUNE

Hey Guys and Gals!

TRIMESTER 2 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

What a busy term this has been!

ORIENTATION

With all the events going on at the colleges, going to class, and all the assignments we all deserve a nice break. Grab a tea, maybe a biscuit too and this month’s Nucleus and sit back relax and enjoy all the witty and intelligent articles.

25 JUNE

TRIMESTER 2 ORIENTATION FOR ALL STUDENTS; YEAR-LONG 3, 2014 AND TRIMESTER 1 RESULTS AVAILABLE

It was nice to see in this edition how passionate students are about their colleges and what each college’s values are.

I would still like to hear from more from the colleges and about their events that go on. I know a lot of colleges have fundraising events that often go unnoticed. Let everyone know what sort of things go on down here in the colleges; show them what we do as part of the college system.

The opinions surrounding the parking issue at the colleges has been very insightful and controversial and I hope that students living at college continue to write about the issues that we have! Also, the opinions surrounding the values of University have been very entertaining to read and most insightful.

I have enjoyed hearing from a few colleges in this edition that I haven’t heard from before and hope that these articles will be one of many from your colleges.

26 JUNE

INTENSIVE SCHOOLS END 27 JUNE

TRIMESTER 2 LECTURES START 29 JUNE

SSAF PAYMENT DUE FOR RESEARCH PERIOD 1; LAST DAY FOR ELIGIBLE STUDENTS TO SUBMIT A SA-HELP FORM 30 JUNE

I also hope that the colleges we have not heard from yet will join and show us what their colleges are about!

LAST DAY TO ADD YEAR-LONG 2, YEAR-

Cheers, Cassie

LONG HONOURS 2 OR RIMESER 2 UNITS TO AN EXITING ENROLMENT 6 JULY

Nucleus acknowledges the Anaiwan people who are the traditional owners of the land University of New England is situated on.

We would also like to pay our respects to elders, both past & present and extend that respect to other Aboriginal people.

Nucleus would like to advise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers that this issue may contain images and names of deceased persons.

03

letters to the editor.

Dear Editors,

In the meantime the question remains:

I have a real sour taste left in my mouth courtesy of Cafe Life and Booloominbah. It’s not a result of the food, that’s for sure: there has been a slow, but consistent increase in quality in terms of the menu offering over the last 18 months.

Why is the SSAF committee throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars at an organisation that is already profitable? Any ‘discounts’ were absorbed by the increase in costs.

What has got my nose out of joint, is that we have seen prices raised on a significant number of menu items, close to (and in some cases exceeding) the value of the 10% discount now offered to students courtesy of the SSAF scheme.

We have also seen quite a spread in the New England Focus at the start of the year trumpeting the arrival of new staff members. Those with a keen eye may have noticed a couple more.

The 2013 financial reports for Services UNE, the controlling entity at that time, operated at a loss of $115,000. Sport UNE during that year made a profit of $268,973.

These businesses were merged last year. If these arrangements were in place at the time, the two entities would have made a profit of $153, 973. I eagerly await the 2014 financial reports.

The business is entitled to make decisions with respect to margins. What it should not be permitted to do, is line its pockets with SSAF money and suggest it is actually doing something for the students. The reality is, it is doing nothing but increase its own overheads so as to plead poverty and keep its hand in the SSAF money pot.

Tellingly, UNE Life, the entity who controls these organisations, is an entity wholly owned by UNE. In the meantime, the Student Association remains under resourced, and volunteer organisations Shame on you UNE. Regards R. U. Hungry?

YOU ASKED AND WE LISTENED. Last month we recieved a fantastic email suggesting an anything goes college segment. We love this idea, and if you send us the content we’re happy to print it (this includes you too Townies)! have something to say? a rant, a compliment, a complaint, an idle thought? we want to hear it! send your letter to editors@nucleus.org.au or come in and see us!

DESIGN PRINT POST freecall 1300 853 700 email sales@evansprinting.com.au 215 Mann Street Armidale www.evansprinting.com.au

your local printer proudly suporting the Nucleus

.UNE set to change its stars with new Strategic Plan MAY REPORT

DAVID MAILLER - UNESA PRESIDENT

U

NE has some unique and important aspects to shine it lights with not least the fact that it is a regional university with a cohort of students that have worldly experience. UNE is unlike the pretentious G8 universities who admire their status without the UNE credentials.

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to go along to Annabelle’s presentation on the new UNE Strategic Plan. Annabelle made a point that it is often not the brightest that are the movers and shakers of the world; rather it is the hard workers. UNE is, to be fair, the institute for hard workers and historically has been the university to produce the movers and shakers as its core business.

I was very interested to hear the message about positioning UNE to be sustainable, work to the strengths and be student centric. I was reflecting after the presentation about an executive officer having to make a statement that a university has to be student centric in its Strategic Plan. This explains the difficultly of changing direction and the culture of what has become a distant and largely ineffective bureaucracy. The UNE student association is looking forward to working on walking the talk with the Vice Chancellor.

In my experience the most important step in dealing with an issue is recognising the problem in all its complexity. Annabelle is tackling the biggest issue up front and with some courage.

That is how to fit the expectations of students and academics and the purpose of a university into a difficult political climate. It occurs to me that Annabelle has decided that business as usual (follow the politics) is the definition of insanity and she is shaping a new model.

While a five year strategic plan is important, UNE might be well advised to utilise its Strategic Projects Group and Corporate Intelligence to come up will a vision and strategic plan for the next twenty five years, something that would provide a general direction without being too prescriptive to provide leadership principles to UNE and the wider community.

There are good messages coming out of the VC office and I think all students, staff and the community should breathe a sigh of relief after the past decade.

The UNE community should be well pleased that UNE in the next five years will focus on its core business as a way to assure its future.

.from the VC

A

s we quickly approach the middle of the year, I wish to take the opportunity to share with you some updates of what’s happening at UNE.

As you may be aware, UNE is currently going through the process of developing its new Strategic Plan 2016-2020. This is an important document for a number of reasons. Not only does it give us the opportunity to discuss what UNE means to all of us, it also gives us the chance to envisage what we want our university to look like in the coming years.

Despite a new budget being released by the Federal Government this month, a good deal of uncertainty still surrounds the higher education sector, particularly concerning deregulation and funding cuts. These issues will obviously have an impact on the new Strategic Plan, and we will need to keep them in mind when going through the planning process.

ANNABELLE DUNCAN - UNE VICE-CHANCELLOR As we are still in the early stages of developing the Strategic Plan 2016-2020, the final product will not be released until later in the year. I am of the opinion that for this to be a meaningful document that reflects the values and vision of UNE, it needs to be the result of a consultative process across the University. For this reason, I anticipate that a draft of the Strategic Plan will be shared with students in the coming months. Your feedback and thoughts on the Plan will be encouraged.

As always, UNE remains committed to producing meaningful research and teaching that will bring value to our communities. Our students are our main priority, and we will continue to keep your best interests at the forefront of our planning and decision-making processes.

On an unrelated matter, many of you will be aware of the fundraising efforts made over the past weeks by a group of UNE students from Nepal. These students have rallied together to raise money for their home country following the tragic earthquake that struck on April 25, and a second quake that hit only a few short weeks later. The solidarity and support shown by the UNE community has been truly heartening, and I was very pleased to learn that over $5,600 has been raised. Efforts such as this show the strength of community that exists at UNE, and I wish to commend all involved for their hard work.

05

une

news

WE DIG PARTIES!

BALI EXECUTIONS

ANNA INGHAM - VICE-PRESIDENT

In 2005, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumuran were just 2 of the people, dubbed the Bali nine, who were later convicted of smuggling $4 million worth of heroin into Bali.

On the 14th Feb 2006, Chan and Sukumuran were sentenced to death by firing squad for their crimes.

UNE ARCHAEOLOGY SOCIETY

The UNE Archaeology Society celebrated their first birthday at the ‘Stro on Friday 17th April.

What a great night it was! 45 guests partied into the night, with the main attraction the amazing photo booth hired from the UNE Skills Trade Society. The mood was set by the live band, then DJ iPod got the crowd dancing with some golden oldies beats.

The theme was ‘come dressed as an archaeologist’ with many of the guests going all out on costumes; shout out to Aileen who won the best dressed completion!

True to the theme the cake featured Stonehenge and was cut with a recreated stone blade made especially for this occasion by Mark Moore.

This event was held on the last day of the Archaeological Field Methods intensive school and was a great opportunity for internal and external students to kick back, relax, and mingle after a week of heavy slogging.

The event was primarily funded by SSAF so a huge thank you to UNESA for making this event possible.

For more information on the UNE Archaeology Society email: unearchaeologysociety@gmail.com or join us on Facebook (UNE Archaeology Society).

On 29th April 2015, Chan and Sukumuran’s sentences were carried out. The executions have strained relations between Australia and Indonesia with senator Julie Bishop and Prime Minister Tony Abbott condemning the executions and labelling them as ‘deplorable’ and ‘ghastly’. Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s first public statement said: “Our sovereignty must be respected, we’re ready to respect the sovereignty of other countries as well.”

Part, if not all, of the reason the Bali nine were captured were because the Australian Federal Police tipped-off their Indonesian counterparts days before their arrival and departure.

The parents of Sukumuran and Chan have criticised the AFP for allowing the company to be arrested in a country that holds the death penalty instead of arresting them when they arrived back in Australia.

Had the AFP done this, Chan and Sukumuran may still be alive today…

VALE JONATHAN CROMBIE 12.10.1966 - 15.04.2015 In 1985, with no previous acting experience and a photo from a kiosk, Crombie auditioned for the role of Gilbert Blythe and stole hearts across the world.

Although Gil was his most fondly remembered role, Crombie appeared on stage several times and debuted on Broadway in 2007. His final performance was early 2015, playing two roles in the Denver Center for Performing Arts Theatre Company’s Benediction.

Crombie died of a brain haemorrhage aged just 48.

“I won’t change, that’s the least I can promise you.”

06

VALE B.B. KING 16.09.1925 - 14.05.2015 In the Country of the Blues, B.B was the King.

You only live but once And when you’re dead you’re done.

-Let The Good Times Roll.

B.B King was a man who did his fair share of living. A legend of American Blues, touring until late last year, the twice-married father of fifteen certainly made his mark on the genre he helped shape. Always with his beloved ‘Lucille’ in his hands, King averaged over 100 shows a year in his later life.

And I got to see exactly none of them.

Despite being born 22 183 days before me and 14 404 kilometres from my hospital in Sydney, King was always present in my life. In the sort of pervasive yet intangible way all the music greats have been. Records, cassettes, CDs and digital downloads of his work have followed me, providing the background soundtrack to my life.

In return, I can only mark his passing with a few, totally inadequate, words.

Born Riley B. King on a cotton plantation near Itta Bena, Mississippi, King was ultimately raised by his maternal grandmother when his parents separated, he was four. He sang in the gospel choir, served in the army and followed the same path of many of his contemporaries.

In 1949 King began recording with RPM Records and began touring. It was on this tour that his guitar got its famous moniker. In Twist, Arkansas the venue was a hall, heated and lit by flame from a half-filled kerosene barrel.

During the performance a fight broke out between two men. The barrel was knocked over and the building caught fire. King escaped the inferno only to discover that he had left his much-loved Gibson ES-355 inside. Foolishly he ran back inside and retrieved it from the still-burning hall. Two men died in the blaze, after their fight over a woman named Lucille. From then on, King named all of his guitars Lucille, a permanent reminder to never fight over women or run into burning buildings again.

This seemed to be advice that he heeded. By the mid-fifties, King had become one of the most famous blues performers in the US and the world. He and his Lucilles continued performing together until complications from diabetes forced King to cancel the last four shows of his tour last year. He retired to a hospice in Las Vegas, where he died peacefully in his sleep aged 89.

And now that it’s all over All I can do is wish you well.

-The Thrill Is Gone.

une

news

UNIVERSITY TAKES TO THE COURT TO DISSOLVE STUDENT Student Mia Kwok states that this is unusual; However, loopholes in the legislations have enASSOCIATION. there has never been any instance whereby a abled Universities to shift funds away from the RUPERT JONES

Macquarie University in Sydney took their own students to court to dissolve the Student Association (MUPRA). Tensions have been building between the University and the MUPRA since 2012. The implications if successful could set precedence for other Australian Universities and give them the ability to forcibly close their Student Associations and Unions. The University is of the view that organisations and initiatives set up by them would better serve the needs of the students.

According to the court documents the University seeks to dissolve the MUPRA and gain approximately $500,000 of the associations funds.

These funds were mainly procured through compulsory membership fees, until 2005 when they were no longer compulsory. Furthermore, the University openly stated its intention to claim legal costs of the court proceedings from the Student Association.

The Student Association has been fighting to survive since late 2013 when the University requested the NAB to freeze their account.

University has used the courts to ‘wind up’ a Student Association in this way.

Furthermore, she said that a ‘bullying culture’ has emerged with Universities using this as a way of dealing with Student Associations. Vice-President of MUPRA, Doug Williamson said he was completely shocked at how far and how willing the University was to close the independent union. It is hard to imagine that a University would do this to students who pay them to be educated.

On Friday the 8th May the Supreme Court of NSW ordered the Macquarie University and the MUPRA to mediate. This has stalled the effort of Macquarie University. The MUPRA see this as a very good outcome.

The University must now come up with other options rather than just shutting the MUPRA down and taking their money. The representatives from Macquarie refused to comment.

In 2012 The Gillard Government tried to regenerate Student Unions by introducing the SAFF fees.

uni4me independent advocacy.

Has the University Written to You? Might You be in Trouble?

Uni4Me Independent Advocacy is here to help you.

If the University contacts you about: plagiarism misconduct show cause Uni4Me INDEPENDENT Advocates can assist you to respond and work out an overall plan to get you back on track!

We are totally INDEPENDENT from the University. Anything you tell us is completely confidential.

Uni4Me can also advise you about any APPEALS of assignment, exam or overall unit results.

We cannot always get the outcome you want, yet we always do our best to help you improve your situation.

Drop into the Uni4Me office top courtyard next to the Student Media Hub phone us on (02) 6773 2506 or email uni4me@une.edu.au

Student Unions. Furthermore, many Student Bodies have struggled to stay afloat without the revenue.

The implications of this ongoing battle between the MUPRA and the University is concerning. It is quite frightening that if Macquarie University’s battle is successful that if Universities are unhappy with their independent bodies then they will just be able to shut them down.

The Greens are calling for Macquarie University to drop their court case and allow for the MUPRA to continue and to provide support for postgraduate students.

However, if the case goes ahead it provides great concern for Student Associations and Students Unions across Australia.

are you an artsy type? we like art! editors@nucleus.org.au or come in and see us!

.volunteer with the blue shirts Help improve the on-campus experience for your Student Community! help plan and run events contribute your own ideas to build bigger and better events gain experience in teamwork meet new people and broaden your social network obtain points towards the New England Award Being a Blue Shirt is totally flexible.

Some give a lot of time and others a little.

Whatever you can manage makes a big difference!

All students are welcome.

To register your interest or for further info, drop into Uni4Me, phone (02) 6773 2506 or email uni4me@une.edu.au MELANIE EVE PEASE

07

THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS...

MARK JONGEBLOED

M

y favourite part of budget time is watching the Treasurer squirm in front of the media.

I have no doubt there are many considerations to take into account. But, the reality is if you don’t do appalling things like trying to kick the sick and the elderly, you wouldn’t be sweating so much.

The government has clearly not gotten this message with respect to students. Hidden amongst increased levies for bananas and honey and subsidies for small business, was a renewed call to deregulate university fees. And here it is folks, straight from the budget papers: “From January 1, 2016 the Government will fully deregulate higher education by removing fee caps and expanding the demand-driven system to bachelor and sub-bachelor courses at all approved higher education providers. Supported students will still continue to be able to defer the costs of their studies through HELP.

In addition, from January 1 2016, the Government will rebalance student and Commonwealth contributions towards a new student’s course fees by reducing subsidies for Commonwealth supported places by 20% on average.”

08

Let’s summarise: The Government is going to allow universities to charge whatever they want for your degree. Simultaneously, the Government is reducing the subsidy it applies to your fees. This means that if an approved tertiary education provider (we’ll call them Universities) wants to operate at the same level they were prior to the commencement of the proposed changes (this year), they will have no choice but to increase the cost of your fees by at least the difference between the subsidy received in 2015 and 2016. This is reported by the government to average at least 20%. In short, if the legislation passes, you can expect fees to increase by a minimum 30%, just to make up the shortfall in Government contributions.

This 20% increase excludes any increase you would expect to see on account of the fact that universities will be permitted to charge whatever they like. No figures or projections are available (publicly) yet, owing to the fact the legislation has not passed the senate. But let’s be real here: why wouldn’t they? Are we really to believe that universities will attempt to keep an education affordable? The reality is that Vice-Chancellors have publicly stated they expect fees would increase as much as 60%. This doesn’t just affect undergrads, this will extend to postgrad students as well, and we all know how expensive those post grad courses are.

Also: let’s not forget that the Government has also proposed to increase the interest charged to you on your HELP loan. So they’re not just hitting you once, they’re hitting you twice: You’ll pay more for your degree, and you’ll pay more interest on the loan you need to take out to get your degree.

I might also remind you, that Mr Pyne publicly stated on television last week that it cost him about $1600 to get his law degree. I accept that I must pay my way. I don’t accept that means the government will reduce their subsidy, increase my repayments, and allow universities to charge whatever they see fit.

We’ve seen how that went down in America, and it’s not what I wish for my country.

If you agree, let your views be heard and make them sweat. Write to your Senator now and make your opposition to these changes clear. Also write to the independents and the smaller parties as they will often have the deciding say in the senate given its current composition.

You can find contact information for all members of parliament, here: http://www. aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members

some jokes just never get old.

ELKE HENDERSON

I

t always amuses me when the ones to make an opinion on someone else’s statement, are always the most ignorant or ill informed on the matter. When an educated doctor tells you vaccinations help, there will always be at least one naïve idiot hippy to tell you it causes autism. When an educated scientist tells you global warming is an issue, there is always some naïve idiot to say it’s not even real. And likewise, when a university student/college resident tells you there is a serious issue with the parking at UNE, there is always some naïve idiot, who is completely unaffected by the situation, to say this isn’t true. So to all the naïve idiots out there saying the UNE college parking situation is a non-issue, let me explain something very simple to you: you are the equivalent of a male walking into the health isle and trying to buy tampons for his girlfriend. In even simpler terms: you clearly have absolutely no f**king clue.

So to the thoughtful individual who wrote a letter to the editor asking them to provide me with a bus timetable, while I appreciate the effort, it was about as useful as unused indicators, men’s nipples, a parachute that doesn’t open, a condom with a hole in it.

Need I go on?

In other words you didn’t actually help at all. Perhaps next time you could suggest they give me the Armidale taxi number- it would be more effective. A taxi would end up costing about the same and at least I can get picked up and dropped off from where I actually want and when I want. So in case there is any confusion as to who actually falls into the “naïve idiot” category, let me break it down for you: if you’re situated down by Western car park where you are not actually suffering from the lack of car parks, and you say there is no issue, then you fall into this category. If you are an employee of the university, then there is a 90% chance you actually have a red parking permit, and again, are not limited by parking, and you say it isn’t an issue, then you also fall into this category. Lastly, if you don’t actually reside in college and are therefore unaffected by parking here, and you say there isn’t an issue, then you also fall into this category! Now imagine if all three apply to you? You’ve essentially hit the trifecta in terms of factors that class your opinion as invalid. So now I ask anyone who falls into one or more of these categories to step aside and let the people who actually know what they’re talking about state the facts; that being blue permit holders who are students and those who live on campus.

Nonetheless, here is an updated list of facts regarding the parking situation: (you know, now that we’ve been given a bus timetable)

Fact 1: Parking still doesn’t cater for 8 colleges or the student body Fact 2: In fact, no new parks have magically popped up at all Fact 3: People do not pay $84 a year for a parking permit to not actually drive their car and catch a bus instead (which also costs might I add).

Asking someone, who must drive to live in Armidale due to distance, to then essentially pay double to actually travel around Armidale is idiotic.

Fact 4: I had friends come visit from Newcastle on the weekend and the first thing they said to me was, “Christ, is the parking always like this?” Yes. Yes it is.

Fact 5: People still prefer to starve themselves than travel into town to get groceries in fear of losing their park.

Fact 6: Friendships are still strained over arguing which poor bastard has to drive up top when car-pooling.

Fact 7: In the event of some brave soul actually leaving the college, some have actually resorted to placing down traffic cones when they leave in an attempt to keep their park.

Fact 8: Lighting beyond that of a cheap strip club is still yet to be a thing for the car parks and footpaths.

Fact 9: UNE is still yet to provide us with rape whistles.

Fact 10: Hmmm, it appears I still suffer from “spoilt brat syndrome”. Oh well.

09

our deadly mob!

Disclaimer: deadly does not mean bad! To us it means ‘essentially awesome.’

CASSARNDRA SLADE-POTTS

So the trimester is coming to, what seems an abrupt end. While students are busy finishing those last few assignments and getting ready for that exam, Oorala has been very busy. This year we have over 500 hundred Aboriginal students enrolled at UNE, which is massive for the four years I have been here. The centre is being used this year by more students than previous years combined.

The centre has kept up with this extra influx of students by offering more events and programs to keep the students interested, connected and less stressed. On the 29th of April the centre held a pancake and fruit breakfast. Though it was early, especially for a student who doesn’t really have classes till 10am at the earliest, it was a nice and homely treat. Students and staff sat together to enjoy the delicious food and coffee, as their minds tried to catch up with their awake body. Later on for lunch we had soup, which was honestly the best thing on such a chilly day.

The best part wasn’t the break from studies or classes but the fact that it was free food. Free food that we didn’t have to cook!

I love it when I don’t have to pay or go home and cook for myself!

On the 1st of May Oorala had a booth for open day where I was lucky enough to work.

We had a lot of indigenous students looking to study at UNE, who came up to ask about what we offer and what we could help them with. It was really nice to see the fresh faced high school students nearing the end of their high-school careers.

Coincidently we had a protest march in town, happening simultaneously at venues all around Australia. This march was bringing awareness to the Government’s treatment of indigenous affairs, including the communities over in Western Australia. This was huge in Melbourne, with thousands of people protesting, closing up sections of the CBD. Here in Armidale we had over 200 people marching, including members of the staff from the Oorala centre.

10

For any information or enquiries please call our toll-free number 1800 622 384

FEATURES image by Yinika Pertson

HOW WE LIKE OUR LECTURERS

SEAN & DEAN O’MALLEY - THE IRISH FECKERS

Firstly, we’d like to preface this all with a massive #notalllecturers and #notallstudents – in fact this whole section should be a disclaimer ‘how two stereotypical (alcoholic) Irish lads like their lectures.’ That’s right – this is by no means a general consensus just the opinion of two borderline alcoholics. As usual, I’m Sean O’Malley, the slightly more attractive O’Malley in this piece, my musings will be written in dark blue.

I on the other hand am the smarter more endowed of the two O’Malley’s, Dean. I will be writing to you through the green text so read mine more closely.

1. Confidence!

Lecturers, you’re some of the best in your respective fields, own it. I realise that might come across as unfair, given that you are talking to often full theatres of complete strangers, but this needs to be said. Nothing is drier to sit through than a lecture in which the lecturer is practically whispering because they are so timid. Now, I’m not saying rock up to the lectures behaving like the ‘Fons,’ – that would just be ridiculous – instead, turn up as yourself and own it.

People admire confidence and generally a confident lecturer is more interesting to listen too.

2.

Stay On Topic

If we come to class to learn about math or chem or whatever it is we study, we probably want to actually learn about that topic. If you’re going to bring up an example that you hope will help us learn but instead talk about Nazi Germany for 10mins of our precious time when we are learning about Organic Chem plz just stop. We don’t care about these irrelevant things that waste our time, we want to learn our shit then go home and drink till we forget the terrors of this world. If you start out the year with an armada of student attending then as the Tri progresses you begin dwindling down to single digits this may just well be the issue. Legit if you’re worried about this ask one of your students, if they seem like a wanker they might just tell you the truth straight to your face, mean people are usually quite honest.

3. Humour.

I find some of the lectures I’m most engaged in all have a lecturer with an excellent sense of humour. Sure, not everyone is witty or hilarious but even just including a funny video or anecdote relevant to the topic is great. For instance, if you’re doing a lecture on Pandas maybe showing the panda cheese advertisements – you know the ones! – might be great for laughs. If you’re doing a lecture on dissociative personality disorder, why not throw in the SNL clip of Seth MacFarlane arguing with himself entitled ‘the voices’ or clips from The United States of Tara?

4. MEMES On the topic of humour many a lecturer has tried to utilise the common internet pop culture references known as memes. For one, if you’re gona use them, use them correctly, do some research, get some insight, don’t embarrass yourself with ignorance. If you need a master of the memes to teach you their ways ask Parasitologist-Tommy Leung. Tommy uses internet references in a very large percentage of his lectures and brings about many a good laugh. Unfortunately very few lectures can match his standard of meme knowledge and instead just put pictures and words together and go “Hey look young people, I’m hip, I’m down, hashtag yellowsweg” Just to be clear. Dilbert comics – are not memes.

5.

Lose the political correctness.

It’s ok to have an opinion on something, especially in a place of higher learning and even more so if you’re well read on the topic. Watching you stumble over words to try and maintain neutrality on the tightrope of political correctness is funny and all, but it’s more in an awkward kind of way.

I don’t even think you realise just how bad it’s gotten, or maybe you have and are just unable to stop it. Case and point, I can see the no eating or drinking in the lecture theatres but I’ll sit there with a bag of lollies, gladly munching away right up until that moment you call me out on it and I respond “sorry, I’m hypoglycemic,” – I am in no way hypoglycemic – but you’ll back down because there’s that tiny chance that I legitimately am diabetic when I’m actually just full of shit.

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6.

Theme songs

Get one, Can’t hurt.

Can make or break the situation.

Never seen one tho.

Come on someone be the first.

7.

Enjoy it.

art by Sharnee Miles-King

Chances are you’ve chosen a specific field for a reason, maybe it’s what you’re good at, maybe it’s what you are interested in. Either way – let it show. If you just stand there and ramble in a monotonous robotic manner it makes the whole experience tedious for everyone, you’ll make us bored and our boredom will make you bored and, well, reciprocal determination is a bitch. Personally, it’s the lecturers that get you to see the course work with their same interested perspective that are the best and most interesting to learn from.

8.

Don’t Just Read

If you are one of the lecturers that spend their entire lecture literally reading the slides out loud please give me your job cus I will do it better for cheaper. Legit, you are paid by the university to teach us things not just read out the same shit you’re posting on Moodle. There should always be a benefit to turning up to lectures, you should get more insight than just the base dot points you can read at home. If you fill this niche of lecturers and are surprised by the lack of students that turn up to your lectures then you’re idiotic, you can’t expect people to put in effort to come to lectures if you’re not going to put in effort teaching them.

Yeah, it’s amazing when you see a child read for the first time – or someone with a learning disorder, grown adults, not so much. Things just being read at you isn’t interesting or amusing, unless it’s Microsoft Sam and you’re making him beat box.

9.

Don’t use the word ‘Moodle’.

No, seriously, don’t. We fucking hate it. The second you bring that shit up we tune you out. What was the point of us coming to lectures if you were just going to tell us to go back and look at a computer screen? We don’t like how impersonal the moodle site is, it’s rigid, we sure as shit don’t want to look at it more than we have to – if we did we’d be externals.

So please, never, ever, say the ‘M’ word. Just know, that if you do at least one person in the room is actively contemplating the consequences of throwing various close at hand items at you including, but not limited to: shoes, pens, books, laptops, coffee etc. #NotAllO’Malleys I’m actually okay with moodle, probably cus I’m an intelligent young fellow who understands its many uses.

I’d like to point out how many times spell check was brought into Dean’s section… I’d also like to point out the use of the word ‘cus’. Bro, we may be Irish, but that’s no excuse to defecate all over the Queen’s English.

10.

Class Control

If you’re teaching a lecture and there are some wankers talking to each other about their trivia game or whatever please by all means tell them to shut up. No one likes people talking while they are trying to learn and nothing shuts a talkative trap faster than a lecturer singling them out for being a rood twat. Also another common student problem that is not reprimanded is the infamous “I read the lecture slides before this and am going to ask a shit load of questions to try and make myself look/feel smart”. These kinds of people make me want to go postal, no one likes this person and I swear I have never seen one get past second year. Either way if as a lecturer you notice this kind of person inadvertently extending your lectures by 15mins with their plethora of stupid questions please tell them to stop, everyone will love you for it.

Preach. If what they are saying is not conducive to the lecture, verbally smack them down! I guarantee you’ll get mad street cred.

wanna rant and rave? give your neighbour a break! editors@nucleus.org.au or come in and see us!

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a page from the earle TAYLOR MCBEATH

Earle Page College prides itself on its ability to create a truly balanced college experience. Our student leadership committees strive to provide academic, cultural, community and social opportunities for all residents within a pastoral care system that values family.

Family is one of our greatest values, each floor has a distinct character that serves all of it’s residents and enables us to get the most of the opportunities offered by each of the dedicated student teams.

Earle Page College is enriched by the individual contributions we all make. As a team the college is able to achieve substantial contributions to the community. An example of this is our annual Coast Run which since 1980 has raised $450000 for the Children’s Medical Research Institute. Another is the annual Earle Page Musical which has held a stellar production each year since 1973. None of this would be achieved without encouraging the individual talents in all of our residents.

Many of our values stem from our college’s namesake Sir Earle Page.

Advocacy and service to the community is a key aspect of resident life. Our charity work includes the CMRI, the Red Cross Blood Service and the Armidale PCYC. One of our latest projects is the Sustainability and Community Garden group which will be working towards reducing our footprint on the environment and raise awareness to our impact on the world around us. This month they will hold a candle lit dinner for Earth Hour to promote efficient energy use.

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With a generous grant from SSAF Earle Page College will be building a garden to grow our own produce, manage our organic waste and partner with local schools to promote local organic produce and educate primary school students about where our food comes from and encourage sustainable practices.

All of this of course is balanced by our vibrant social life with our Junior Common Room organizing events all through the year.

Some of these are Blacklight, Oktoberfest, Welcome to the Jungle, Back2School, and Pirate Party to name a few. Most of this is held in our newly renovated JCR where residents can go to party, play table tennis, watch the footy, or just play some music and relax.

Academic success is ultimately the reason we are all here. Our Academic Mentors provide support with discipline specific workshops for academic skills as well as one on one help to ensure each resident maintains a balanced student life and fulfills their potential.

All of this is supervised by our academic master Associate Professor Amanda Kennedy who provides resources and assistance to students as well as general advice on university life from someone who has been through the system and continues to work within it.

The most important thing to us at Earle Page College is balance. Our biggest strength is the ability to participate in everything the college and university has to offer. The result of this is well rounded graduates who have made substantial contributions to the community and have something extra to show once they leave UNE. They leave having demonstrated their greatest academic potential and a legacy of positive change for the university, community and themselves.

THE TRUE VALUES OF DUVAL CASEY THATCHER

‘Vivimus Vivamus’ is the motto for Duval College. For those of us who don’t speak Latin (so pretty much the entire population) it means: ‘while we live let us live’. Even in English it didn’t make much sense to me. Two years in and I’m starting to get it.

As one of the oldest colleges at UNE, Duval has a lot of history and tradition. Since the 1950’s people have been calling Duval home, which is essentially what it is. People move from all over Australia to Armidale to study at the university, so every college becomes a home away from home.

I’m sure that most parents are hesitant to let their children move from the protection of home to the freedom of college. I know my parents based their perceptions of on-campus living off American movies, but Duvalian parents can breathe a sigh of relief; college isn’t just about drinking and bed sharing- it’s about being yourself, forming relationships, and having great fun along the way.

With smaller floors and fewer residents, Duval has a very familiar vibe that it prides itself on. The college has a mixture of long and short hallways. This means that in your second and third years you have a choice: A longer and probably louder family, or a quieter floor (more sleep, yay).

Do not think that O-Week is just partying and drinking. No, it’s more than that. It’s about getting settled, feeling comfortable and making friends. O-Week is a preparation time with a few parties in-between.

After O-Week, Duval doesn’t become just accommodation and a source of food. It’s a lifestyle, and more importantly a support system. Resident Fellows are always on call, and Academic Mentors are keen to help out.

‘Might As Well Monday’ is a great motivation to go down to the Dining Hall and study.

Unlike other colleges Duval cannot be boxed, we like to think of ourselves as all-rounders. Last year Duval came first in MB (we are on top of the ladder this year too) and we did exceptionally well in SFK last year, beating Earle Page at what they usually do best- Small Music Ensemble.

Exclusive to both Duval and Drummond & Smith Colleges is the opportunity to participate in the Professional Development and Leadership Program. Duval strongly values preparing its residents for life beyond college and university. The PDP was designed to help Duvalians do exactly this, and each year it is changing as it is molded to fit the needs of participants.

Basically, Duval College values its residents before anything else.

Built on pride and tradition, the college allows Duvalians to live and be/find themselves. Tight families formed from the smaller floors are another important value, as well as the cultural, social, sporting, and development program, which is what separates Duval from the other colleges.

Duval is the perfect fit for its students, which really helps when you are taking on the struggles that the university generously provides.

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DOES UNE TRULY VALUE KATYA ROSE

UNE has over 4500 students on campus, many of whom are wondering if they are worth more to the University of New England than the five star satisfaction rating. With the rise of technology only being matched by the rising discontent with the trimester system, students and lecturers are seriously wondering whether UNE values its students over the profits they make.

Many agree that the university trimester system is ridiculous for students. While some lectures agree that trimesters are more efficient because they are flexible for students to finish their degrees faster, almost every student asked agreed that trimesters put a strain on lecturers to teach more content in less time and puts a strain on students to learn it.

For example, we have a unit that relies on collecting insects that we can’t offer right now because of the season and time. It really doesn’t make sense” On campus learning does have its advantages for on campus students, as many do enjoy the face to face interaction with lecturers. But in today’s job market, a student has to ask themselves: is graduating with a bachelors enough to gain employment?

While some lecturers insist that it’s fully dependent on the type of job you want, most students and faculty agree that sitting in class and passing an exam is not enough to get you a job even if you tried.

Peter McClenaghan states simply “Trimesters are so people can finish their degrees faster, to get more bodies through, to make more money. If people think that’s beneficial, I respect them for saying that but I think it’s incredibly unhelpful”

McClenaghan teaches his students this from day one: “The professions such as law and medical science require professional degrees of course, but that in itself isn’t really perhaps the most important thing employees are looking at. They want communication skills, they want graduates that hit the ground Students agree, with some even saying teaching has suffered running. UNE graduates are the highest sought after in the with the implementation of the trimester system. When asked, work force, because they, excuse the expression, have dust on law student Maggie Endacott replied their boots. University experience should be much more than just the academic aspect.”

“Semesters sound so much more viable. Because of all the pressure to get through the unit in 12 weeks, we have to cover Students such as Darcy Ryder and Maggie Endacott agree that a topic a lecture!” you need to undertake work experience, practical classes and degree based jobs in your holidays at the very least in order to Another student was incredibly annoyed with the notion of have a chance at finding a job in today’s market. shorter trimesters next year.

“There’s a lot more things that contribute to a job rather than “There’s a massive strain on the lecturers and it’s harder to give just a degree. A degree is the bare minimum these days.” students the interaction they crave as they’re struggling to get through the content. Your degree is a lot less enjoyable, you Pharmacy lecturer Anna Barwick agrees “In pharmacy it’s question whether you even want to do your degree full time. those interpersonal skills that make the difference in the job Both internal and external students have to make sacrifices in market. If you sit in the basic lecture, pass your exams and go order to get the work done”. home it doesn’t make you a good employee”.

Lecturers such as Tommy Leung agree that trimesters aren’t in the best interest of the students; especially in Zoology.

With UNE constantly focusing on the rise of technology and the fast tracking trimester system, some are worried it’s at the expense of the quality of teaching.

“I know some people like the trimester systems, but for me it seems like I have much less time to teach students things, so Lecturers such as Aileen Kennedy disagree, insisting that techI have to cram things in or skip things entirely, and the feed- nology should be purely a delivery platform and students benback is crammed in with assessments. Zoology is dealing with efit from different pedagogic elements as well as technology. living things that correlate with seasons, and we’ve had to not offer units because it’s not ideal for now.

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THEIR STUDENTS? In turn, Tristan Taylor insisted that technology only improves the student experience: “We’re getting more tools for teaching.

There are those who favour technology and those who don’t, most of the faculty I’m aware of are embracing technology to improve the student learning.”

The internal students however, don’t see it the same way.

Some lecturers say no, that students are the priority, making the point that the university would not have things like honours, where one student has four lecturers to turn to if they have an issue.

These things aren’t cost effective but are in the interests of the students. Taylor agreed, saying the five star rating is super important and that the university cannot separate the two.

“Yes technology is great, but there are some buildings that always have recording issues, and we have to sit there and wait The basic consensus among lecturers is that the university for the IT guy to come fix it so the externals don’t miss out. By needs its students in order to turn out a profit, and that the that time the lecture’s almost over” reflected one student. profit is geared towards improving the learning experience for the students.

Endacott agreed: “whenever we’re in class it’s always “we’ve got a new system bear with me”. Lecturers always tell me “email The students themselves acknowledge that the university may me this, or I’ll put this on Moodle”. Like if it’s so relevant to the be a business after all, but the profits being used may or may course teach it to me now, don’t just put it online.” not be in the benefit of the students.

But the big question still remains: Does UNE value its students The one main response for this would be, of course, the godover profits. damn parking. *NAMES HAVE BEEN WITHHELD AS REQUESTED

PARKING MAD! Students once bothered driving through the beautiful green UNE signs at the start of Elm Ave, students would bother checking the western Wright village carpark, we would turn left into Meredith Rd, check the Austin/Duval Parking area and the wright centre parking area, not anymore. Straight out the back to the parking between Duval, D&S, Albies and Austin, from there you will still find no parks and head to the EPC parking area near Bellevue Oval. You hope there’s still a spot under the Poplars in the dirt, aptly named “Rape Valley” by students who then have to walk through the ill-lit area back home to our respective colleges in the evening and early morning.

It’s the same up top, how can we call it the Western “Overflow” when it is also full, every morning, with students needing to get to class. This isn’t new, although at its worst this year. Back in 2013 when this article’s author was a fresher, you could walk down a college corridor and overhear the conversation; “Hey don’t you have class man?”

“Nah, I didn’t bother going. I couldn’t find a park!”

It is still a common conversation today.

I wonder what would happen if you collected data on students with cars, who drive to class, who live in college or even in town? Observe attendance at each hour of the day from 8am onwards in classes, based on whether the person walks or drives?

It won’t take a PHD student to hypothesise this link.

FRED MOSS

So what is good about parking at UNE? Well there are many, many parking areas throughout campus, and the parks are wide enough for our rural students to get their wide-tray utes into. Awesome, but each of these parking areas may only accommodate 10 or 20 vehicles, such as the row of blue parks at the very top of the hill at the Engineering Building, or the small, dirt, blue area outside McClymont, right in the heart of the campus.

Students drive from far and wide to study at UNE and live in our colleges and in town. From Brisbane, to Ulladulla, to Walgett, to the Victorian border and beyond. But its ok, the extra 10-odd parks added to the wright centre, and making Abbott Rd one way, adding the 20-odd parallel parks will accommodate the extra vehicles now that we have Wright College as number 8… No complaints for the extra parks that were added; it’s simply that not enough were added to satisfy demand. We can’t forget that when ROBB gets its upgrades and becomes liveable again there will be more on-campus accommodation than ever. Parking density due to ROBB joining other colleges this year significantly increased in the central college parking areas, strongly contributing to this problem, of course it is not ROBBs fault, nor are they being blamed.

So how does one resolve the issue? Leave the car at home and harass your parents to drive you here every time it’s exams, holidays, the start or end of the year? Do you simply not study on-campus? Wait, UNE is on a hill; has multi-storey parking been considered, it’s a simple concept right? Maybe the SSAF could be used to pay for free student bicycles like the Boris Bikes in London? But students need their cars here, so how can it be said that parking is not an issue, it is, and more parks are needed, ASAP, around the colleges and around the academic campus, ASAP!

LECTURES ARE IMPORTANT! NO WAY?!!

CASSANDRA KEOGH

A

I

s a third year student at UNE I have have had some good lecturers and found lectures to be important if some bad but the good lecturers made they follow these guidelines… the difference to my marks and their lectures were extremely important in pass1. Lecturer must be tech-savy. If your ing my subjects. lecturer is not technology inclined do not even bother turning up to your lec- Now that we have discussed the lecturture on time. I suggest 15 minutes late ers guidelines here are some for you! that way you avoid all the frustrating fussing around that they do just to be 1. Make sure you are fully caffeinated! able to start the lecture. God forbid that It is easier to get the most out of your by the end of the trimester they might lectures if you are awake and paying atactually know how to use the equipment tention. If you are not caffeinated, why or realise they need to be there early to did you even bother turning up? Are you set the equipment up. even listening?

2. Lecturer must not talk in a monotone.

As a Law student this is a common one!

Have some expression people! Try to get excited about what you are teaching! If your lecturer has a monotone you may as well have had that extra hour of sleep and not have gone in the first place.

3. Lecturer should not recite from the textbook or read directly from slide! I could do this myself in the comfort of my PJ’s in my bedroom! Teach me the material, I can read the textbook and slides all by myself! I am quite advanced I know.

4. Be involved! If your lecturer does actually ask questions, don’t be shy, and have a go! Be able to vocalize your ideas throughout the lectures. You will get more from the lecture.

If these are followed you are going to get the most out of your lectures and it is going to make a difference to your marks.

Furthermore, if you are an on-campus student and are not going to lectures, what are you doing?! That’s the whole point of being here!

One last point to consider, if you do not 2. Read the textbook/ moodle notes be- go to your lectures, catch up! fore the lecture. Yes I know it’s hard to find time to do everything that your lec- You will not pass if you do not learn the turer asks but this one is the most help- content and the easiest way to do so is to ful. It allows you to get the most out of listen to the lectures. your lectures.

The lectures usually cover all the points 3. Make sure you do not just write down you need for you assignment or exam what’s on the slide. Why bother those and your textbooks and tutorials are exslides are available online later. Write tra help! down the extra really interesting stuff the lecturer tells you!

EDUCATION SCHMEDUCATION ft.

CHRISTOPHER PYNE

W

ANNA CREECY

hen ever I hear Christopher Pyne talk about his educational reforms and re4. Lecturers actually have slides! Really! shuffling of funding allocations, this is what I hear: “I want everyone to have How do you expect me to learn anything if I cannot see and just have to listen to access to higher education. The upfront pricing/deregulation scheme means you you for the duration of the lecture? Some need to be in the top 35% of earners in the country to afford it, but it’s still going to be for everyone. of us are visual learners.

5. Do not give me useless advice because you think it is funny! I am here to learn about my chosen subject! I don’t understand what your little ‘digs’ at my generation mean to my subject. I am sure you can enjoy those little rants with your colleagues. We do the same with our friends about you.

I also like research in our universities, but if you want to do it, I’m going to push you below the poverty line by cutting your wages and research funding (if you have any already) but it will be accessible to everyone. What do you think? I did a good job right? Damn, I’m a good politician.”

Ever since the budget was released earlier in the year, educational reforms have been a hot topic. As it currently stands, education at a tertiary level can be either paid upfront or put onto the HECS scheme (which I assume most of the readers have done).

If your lecturer has followed these guide- This was initiated by the Bob Hawke government as a 4 year initiative to increase the level of Australians entering into a university level education. lines you have struck gold!

Once all the pieces fall together you have a good lecture, that is worth going to!

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It worked so well that it stayed up until now. So why all of a sudden has this government decided to scrap the HECS scheme and introduce funding measures?

Let me spell it out for you.

HEC’s fees are costing the government approximately 4 billion big ones, with no intention of getting any smaller.

Why? Well, if you earn under a particular amount of money per annum, live overseas, don’t have a legally recognised job, work in the health sector, have a disability, have a pension of any kind, have kids (under certain circumstances), or a the head of single parent household you are not obligated to pay back the money to the government.

So that cancels out a large chunk of university-educated people.

But what about the rest?

art by Sharnee Miles-King

The moral of the story is this: the younger generation now has Well if you forget to tick the “add tax to HECs fees” box on to foot the bill for the older generation who were too competyour tax file declaration you also don’t have to pay it. I hope I itive on a global scale to think 30 years into the future. With don’t give anyone ideas here. wages across the professional industries at an all time low and postgraduate job seekers unemployment being at a whopping So lets lay out the new reforms proposed by Christopher Pyne 23%, how are we expected to come up with the money? as of the most recent budget: Christopher Pyne is emulating the ideals of the older gen• Deregulation and uncapping of fees: the government erations in which they have recognised a problem and just is stating that this means students are welcomed to pay an up- thought “oh well, better fix it now, the kids won’t mind. front cost to their tertiary education each year. What it actually means is the government is allowing university to create A Roy Morgan poll recently found that people between the a monopoly by setting their own upfront fee amounts, thus ages of 17 and 29 were much less inclined to begin a tertiary allowing for an elitist university war, much like the Ivy League education if the new educational reforms were put into place. universities in America.

Basically, we’d be back to square one: this is what Bob Hawke was trying to prevent in the first place right?

• Cuts to government funding in research: The government is the major contributor to research funding in our uni- Lucky for us, there are some quick thinking senators and backversities. This funding is responsible for such new age marvels benchers that believe the harsh reforms are not the answer to as GPS, Wi-Fi, heart transplants, pacemakers, and smartphone the solution. Only 2 weeks ago, the split bills of educational reApp technology, to name a few. However, the research sector is form were declined in the senate. So for now, we’re safe. If ever supposed to have their government funding slashed by nearly there were a time for the younger generation to be politically half. So, all new research will have to rely on self or philan- active, it is now. thropic funding. Say goodbye to any dreams of research PhD’s my friends.

If ever there were a more dim-witted politician, good old Chrissy has trumped the lot. I honestly have never seen or ex• Chasing up HECs: Pyne and his support team have perienced someone who thinks so little of the intelligence in put forward new plans to chase up more HEC’s fees by having the country he represents. the ATO look into individuals. The focus plans to be those who are living and working overseas, those that are earning When it comes to his educational funding reforms, Pyne has well above the tax bracket and the lazy suckers who forgot to managed to not only make an ass of himself, but also make the tick the right box. This, I actually agree with. Apparently Pyne rest of the population feel so stupid that they have considered thinks it will generate 140 million back into repayments, which going back or starting a higher education degree. If that was in turn is better than nothing. However, in recent budget cuts the plan: kudos Pyne, you did well. the ATO, Centrelink, and other federal departments, including the ABC, had their manpower slashed by 40%. Great idea I think mum was right, sometimes you should think before Pyne, but who’s going to do it? you speak.

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#swiggityswooty

austin education “Through Living We Learn” LUCY FROUD

As an underage fresher at Austin College this year, I definitely feel I can vouch for the effectiveness of the implementation of this motto in day-to-day life. With a network of reliable, supportive mentors and role models, Austin College has made moving from the coast of Queensland down to Armidale a hell of a lot easier.

From being surrounded by four older siblings, two dogs, and my parents to living a minimum of six hours away from any family, the move was a pretty big change for me. However, with the support offered at Austin and UNE, I feel I am settling in quite well.

Now, before I continue on down this path of praise for Austin College and inspirational messages relating to my life, I feel I should clarify that this piece is not going to be a tedious ramble. It is, however, going to illustrate the underestimated value of learning through the simple act of living.

In theory, I know it would sound great if I used a famous example of someone who has learnt from their mistakes and for it, have become a better person. But that would be all too easy. Instead, I am going to share the most significant lessons those around me have taught me.

Prior to writing this piece, I asked myself how I could personally relate to the topic. What have I learned from my life so far? At first, this proved to be a pretty tricky question – especially considering I am only 17 years old.

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But then a surge of insightfulness passed through me and I realised: we are constantly learning. We always have been and always will be. One cannot simply pinpoint a single way that a lesson can be taught to every individual, hence why the phrase ‘through living we learn’ is so valid. The only truthful description that can be applied to learning is that everyone grows and evolves in their own way depending on every aspect of their lives.

So, when I considered this concept in relation to my own experiences I found that there was a general trend. The cause of each ‘life lesson’ that I have learnt so far has basically fallen into three general areas: from asking questions, taking up opportunities and doing things I truly love. I know my parents have certainly influenced the way I have learnt as they have impacted the way I have lived.

However, as I said earlier, every individual has a unique way of learning and it can never be completely understood or controlled by others. Through living I have learnt that asking questions is the best way to learn. If you don’t admit to yourself that you don’t know everything about a person or their motives, then you will never allow yourself the opportunity to learn from them.

Through living I have learnt that pushing myself out of my comfort zone and endeavouring to excel in a range of areas is a perfect way to learn things about yourself, other people, and other things in the world. Finally, through living I have learnt that by doing things that I thoroughly enjoy, I have put myself in the best position possible for learning.

THE YEAR OF THE ROBBER “The family who eats together stays together” - Unknown ELLIE FAULKNER

This year it’s hard to look past the fact that the Robb College residential buildings are sitting empty, with no scaffolding in sight, while Robb is split between three different colleges. The question of where Robb was going to live in 2015 became a hot topic at the end of 2014. Our, and all the college’s, concern over what would happen this year and how it would affect everyone was a highly talked about issue. So what’s the latest, and why hasn’t the building started yet? Keep reading and we will try to clear up some of that confusion for you.

As you will all know we have been moved out of our residential blocks for this year and split between 3 colleges: Austin, Earle Page and Drummond and Smith. Our dining hall and courtyards are still functional and so they continue to be the heart of Robb. The current situation is not at all ideal, but is necessary for the successful future of Robb. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our host colleges for having us, and in essence giving us somewhere to sleep!

In 2014, the Heritage council, after much deliberation, made a recommendation to the Minister that the whole Robb precinct should be listed.

Meaning that only refurbishment of the residential buildings would be allowed, keeping minimal change.

The University also put forth their recommendation which was that only the Robb dining hall should be listed and not the residential blocks, or that the listing be put on hold until after the compliance work is completed.

This would mean the University would be able to do what they believe is right for the residential blocks - either rebuild or refurbish. No decision was made in 2014. The process was further delayed due to the State election this year, which resulted in a new Minister for Environment and Heritage, Mr Mark Speakman, being appointed.

The next step in the decision making process is for the new Minister and the Heritage Council to have a meeting, which happened early this month.

The outcomes of this meeting are unknown as yet, but hopefully a decision has been made about the Heritage listing for Robb. As a college we are waiting, in anticipation, as to what the listing will be. Our preference is the recommendation that was made by the Heritage Council. We strongly believe that the architecture of Robb, as it currently is, is vital to keeping the spirit and unique culture that is Robb College.

In writing this article we wanted to be able to give everyone the most current and up to date information about what’s really is going on with Robb.

To do this we recruited the help of one of our Senior Common Room Members, Professor Wal Whalley. Wal has helped the cause immensely and has given us the most current information which we will relay on to you now.

The Robb College Foundation Association has put together a five-year redevelopment plan. This plan will allow the college to be upgraded whilst also keeping the essential architectural features that make Robb, Robb.

They have been following on from the plan that was provided by the original architect, Michael Dysart in 2013. However, the next step in Robb’s future will ultimately be determined by the outcome of the Heritage listing, so fingers crossed everyone!

To go back to the beginning, in 2012 someone from the Armidale community put an application for a Heritage listing on Robb College. This was done at a time when the University had firm plans to demolish and rebuild the Robb College residential courts in a style similar to the new Wright College buildings. Since then our dedicated Senior Common Room, alongside the University, has been trying to get the best possible decision from the Heritage council and the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, but it has been a long process.

2015 is a challenge in many ways for Robb, but we are taking the bull by the horns and our culture and spirit is stronger than ever. Every member of Robb College is playing a very important part to uphold the traditions of Robb through our sporting teams, events and ability to stay together. The fact that Robb is at 95% capacity this year is the proof, that this hiccup will only make Robb stronger for the future. 2015 will be the ‘Year of the Robber’ and we don’t plan on letting geographical separation make an impact on our beloved college.

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UNESA

Like Swan Lake, with less swanning about.

Which brings us to the next point: Where have we been?

It is an unfortunate fact that as student representatives we haven’t been engaging with students as much as we would like and the reasons for this are two-fold; we are all students like yourselves with the same workload, and when we do spend time representing students it is normally in back-room battles like the SSAF committee, and maintaining an independent and well-oiled student media presence.

Really what UNESA should be doing is being at the front of every student led protest, being a visible entity on campus and online, and not being thought of as something that operates on a level above the student body.

Needless to say, as a federally-legislated INDEPENDENT You may be wondering what this article is doing in a student student body, we are not necessarily all that popular with the newspaper. I asked myself that very question when writing it, modern business-oriented university. because you see dear reader, in an ideal world you should alAfter all, who would want an independent organisation operready know all that I am about to tell you. ating in the confines of your business?

This article is about UNESA, you know your student repre- Where are we heading (let’s hope Tahiti –or at the very least a reasonably priced hotel in Noosa)? sentatives?

More importantly this article is to tell you why they seem so We have made progress. Well at least we think we have made progress, however there is still a long way to go. UNESA is still distant and benign. not what people think when the word student advocacy comes I should know, because I am your internal student represent- up at UNE, and the current times have done wonders to make ative –surprise! *cue streamers and annoying horns*. And on people feel isolated in their communities. It is time we break that bombshell I am willing to bet that many of you wouldn’t that. know my name nor what I do. To help rectify the deficit I have made some nice headings to help clear up some of the basics Together the student body possesses immense power, however and by the end of this article I hope you shall be sitting on the divided we couldn’t arrange a nun-shoot in a nunnery(even edge of your chairs with anticipation as to what we will do using candid photography).The bottom line is we love our university, and there is very little we wouldn’t do to see it surnext. vive and thrive. If the students and the administration could work together we could provide a unique potency to anything Who the blooming heck are UNESA? that UNE does –we might even stop being the butt of some 1. UNESA stands for the University of New England Students’ jokes. We are YOUR representatives and YOU should speak to us and guide our hand. If you see a problem, tell us.

Association 2. We do our darnedest to represent the student body, provid- If you hear a problem, tell us. If you smell a problem, call ing advocacy and working to make your overall experience at maintenance. Add your weight to the student voice now (elections are soon).

UNE a good one.

3. Being little more 2 years old we are one of the youngest UNESA your choice in student advocacy; for everything else student associations in Australia and we have had to build there is Mastercard. everything from scratch.

There that was easy, wasn’t it?

22

Judd Newton UNESA Student Rep.

Article 5: Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions, while retaining their right to participate fully, if they so choose, in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the State.

Article 8: 1. Indigenous peoples and individuals have the right not to be subjected to forced assimilation or destruction of their culture.

COMMUNITIES IN DANGER You may not have heard, due to the lack of recent media attention, but the Western Australian government made the decision late last year to close down up to 150 Indigenous communities. Tony Abbott backed the W.A. government’s decision to close these communities saying “What we can’t do is endlessly subsidise lifestyle choices if those lifestyle choices are not conducive to the kind of full participation in Australian society that everyone should have” This has sparked outrage from communities and political leaders with Labour’s Indigenous Affairs spokesman Shayne Neumann saying: “He really is a disgrace and he really should apologise unreservedly for these comments.”

Aside from the obvious reasons for not wanting their communities closed down (loss of homes, loss of land, dispersion of friends and family members), they also have legitimate legal concerns over these forced closures.

In 2009, the Australian Government signed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which, interestingly enough, the Howard Government refused to sign in 2007. After reading through the declaration it is abundantly clear that both the W.A. and Federal Governments will breach a number of the articles contained within if they go ahead with their plan to close these communities. Here is a list of articles that will be breached: Article 3: Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.

2. States shall provide effective mechanisms for prevention of, and redress for: (a) Any action which has the aim or effect of depriving them of their integrity as distinct peoples, or of their cultural values or ethnic identities; (b) Any action which has the aim or effect of dispossessing them of their lands, territories or resources; (c) Any form of forced population transfer which has the aim or effect of violating or undermining any of their rights; (d) Any form of forced assimilation or integration; (e) Any form of propaganda designed to promote or incite racial or ethnic discrimination directed against them.

Article 10: Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories. No relocation shall take place without the free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous peoples concerned and after agreement on just and fair compensation and, where possible, with the option of return.

Article 18: Indigenous peoples have the right to participate in decision-making in matters which would affect their rights, through representatives chosen by themselves in accordance with their own procedures, as well as to maintain and develop their own indigenous decision making institutions.

Article 19: States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them.

By forcefully closing Aboriginal communities the Australian Government will be preventing numerous communities from pursuing their own cultural development (article 3) by removing them from their traditional lands, and maintaining and strengthening their distinct cultural institutions (article 5) (again by removing them from their traditional lands). Closing communities in this manner will also force these peoples to assimilate into other communities (article 8, 1.) and as the state government (backed by Abbott) is leading this charge we can clearly see that no effective mechanisms for prevention of, and redress for articles 8, 2. a), b), and c) exist.

Article 10 also clearly states that Indigenous peoples “shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories.” While article 18 states that “Indigenous peoples have the right to participate in decision-making matters which would affect their rights…” Obviously the governments will be/have been in clear violation of these articles.

Finally, article 19 says that “States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned…”. There has been no consultation on any such terms, let alone those of good faith.

You might be asking yourself why the Indigenous community of Australia needed a document like this to prevent our elected officials from committing such heinous acts… short answer? White is good and black is bad.

What bullsh!t. We are all human beings, regardless of our skin colour and what our government has proposed is in clear breach of the United Nations Declaration, which they signed only 6 years ago.

22

ARE YOU BEING SSAFED? JOHN SHIRLEY

We recently discovered an interesting fact that the UNE look to have been hiding from students. As students we have access to the list of proposed expenditures from the SSAF committee.

It may have only taken 6 different links and 2 extra tabs to find on the UNE’s website, but it is there: http://www.une.edu.au/study/fees/student-services-and-amenities-fee/ fee-management-and-student-consultation/april-2015-proposed-itemsfor-expenditure

For one thing, the security upgrades mentioned in table one (which total a massive $875,000) are not mentioned, or even alluded to in the list of allowable expenses, and why the hell should they be? Let’s not forget that all of the land and buildings that UNE operate in and on belong to the university, not the students, so why the absolute f*#k should we be the ones paying to upgrade things like lights and fences?

We’re talking about UNE property here, not student property. We already pay to live here on campus; surely some of those funds could go towards keeping us safe?

Secondly, why do we need another outdoor deck at the ‘Stro? Don’t we already have one? Half a million dollars seems like a lot of money to be throwing around on something that we don’t actually need…

Thirdly, and this is more of an overall WTF, why are the UNE looking to spend $26k just to keep us informed about SSAF amenities? Don’t get me wrong $26k is a lot of money for a student, even a group of students, but couldn’t the UNE just tell us what’s happening?

Fourthly, the residential college amenity upgrades (bottom of table 2). This goes in the same category as the security, lighting, and fencing upgrades.

Not our property, not our responsibility to upgrade. If the chairs and tables were getting a bit old at my place I wouldn’t expect you to upgrade them for me.

The last thing I have an issue with here is the statement just below table 2.

If the UNE are inviting our feedback on these proposals, why the hell is this page so god damned hard to find?

“WHY DON’T YOU LIVE AT HOME IF YOU CAN STUDY ONLINE?” TAYLA BURTON

Now, I have a couple of issues here. After reading through the information provided by the university it is abundantly clear that the university should not be spending our compulsory student contributions in the way that they are suggesting.

24

My family asked when I journeyed the long and arduous twelve hours home for a handful of months during the summer. It’s a good question, but one I couldn’t immediately answer. How could I describe it? The multitude of experiences I had had in the past year, which made November through to February a torturously long time while I waited to come back to college. I was high off of the exciting independence of my fresher year. With a head full of new things I had never dreamed of, and accompanied by a pocket full of debt, I was asked, “Was it all worth it?” My immediate answer: “Yes.” While at work over the holidays, I heard the radio advertisements for UNE, with “over 200 courses available online”. It made me proud. The fact that our university is able to reach out to every corner of Australia and even to overseas is an undeniably fantastic achievement. For many people, off campus study is a wonderfully helpful option for attaining a degree, while having the comfort and flexibility of living at home or even abroad. But does this suit everybody?

An off-campus friend of mine told me recently that, while she loved being home, if friends asked her to come out for a drink, they weren’t able to understand the commitments that she had, and that, no, she couldn’t “just do it tomorrow.” While at college, everyone was in the same boat as her. Everyone’s priorities are work and study, though when a break is needed, anyone is willing to provide entertainment. My friend’s move back home was an emotional departure, though the seamless transition from internal to external student was made easier by our impressive online study program.

However, as she and many more people are choosing to study online, I fear for the future of those of us who now call college, or a share house in Armidale, home. As more of our units move out of the classroom, who and what will be left behind? Who would move twelve hours from home, for something that they cannot do, except online?

To me, university in not just a timetable of classes to attend and assignments to complete, while an alternate life of friends, parties and weekend sports lays separate. I want a hodgepodge, a crucible, a patchwork. I want to be in a tutorial room, discussing thoughts and ideas with my lecturer and the rest of my class, knowing their names, faces and voices. I want to be involved in the healthy competition between the colleges in MB/PT and SFK. I want to meet, live and study with people from places I’ve never heard of. For myself, and for thousands of other internal students, these underrated and undervalued moments are our university experience. These are why our lectures need to stay in a room with student-filled chairs, instead of a lecturer’s office, while they converse with a silent computer screen.

warning this next section contains naughty bits!

REVIEWS & ADVICE

25

image by Kirsty Raines

selfie still taken from The To Do List

the naughty bits.

CONSTANCE CHATTERLEY

Episode 4 – I’d like to be on my own please…

“Hey, don’t knock masturbation. It’s sex with someone I love.”

-Alvy Singer in Annie Hall (1977) ~

Obviously, I masturbate. What can I say? I’m a woman and therefore have a clitoris, so good luck keeping me away from it.

The clitoris has 8,000 nerve fibres, if you want to get all scientific. That’s a higher concentration of nerve fibres than what you’ll find in your fingertips, lips, and tongue. And, just to rub it in (heh), my clitoris (and everyone else’s) has twice as many nerve fibres than the penis…So, suffice it to say, when I figured out that I could achieve orgasm all by myself, life was instantly more awesome. I was never bored again.

But there are so many other benefits to masturbation (other than killing time) for both women and men, and while most of you probably don’t need any more encouragement, you might as well read on. It could even get you in the mood, and for that, you’re welcome.

To reduce stress You have a presentation at the end of the week, exams are coming up, you’re broke, and you can feel a pimple coming through. Life in general is stressful, so masturbating might seem like a strange thing to do amidst it all, but sometimes it can be the answer. Like exercise, masturbating releases a buttload of endorphins and allows you to focus on one thing.

Rubbing one out also helps you sleep, which when you’re stressed can seem impossible. So, why not kill two birds with one stone?

To do your next lover a favour Guys: The more you ejaculate into some tissues, the better you will be at sex. But only if you do it right, and by this I mean: stretch it out. If you’d like to go inside your chosen guy or girl and not instantly have to pull out and get it all over his/her thigh, you need to get into the hang of edging.

Masturbate, and when you feel like you’re on the cusp, back it off. Do this for as long as you like, so that the next time you do have sex, you last longer than a single Tom Jones song.

26

Girls: The more you masturbate, the better you will be at hitting the big O, which means that when you’re actually having sex, it won’t take so long or require as much relentless concentration. Do you prefer light rubbing, or hard and consistent penetration? Can you only get there if you have clitoral stimulation? Figure these things out, and sex will no longer be a matter of lying there and making the appropriate noises while he goes to town.

To do your vagina a favour Oh man, this is such a great reason. Do you know how good masturbating is for your vagina? Well, you will in a second. Masturbating makes a woman’s pelvic muscles contract, allowing for fluid circulation and secretion, which then flushes out bad bacteria. Alright! Also, I know it might seem icky to some of you, but masturbating can relieve menstrual cramps AND make your period end faster. Two thumbs the f#!k up.

To show you’re totally independent!

Your crush isn’t interested? Your boyfriend is away? You’re crazy horny for some reason and no one is willing to take their pants off and help you out? Those bastards! But seriously, we’ve all been there. And don’t sweat it because nothing says “I can take care of myself ” like giving yourself your own damn orgasm with your beautiful, bare hands! Oscar Wilde once said “I think it’s very healthy to spend time alone. You need to know how to be alone and not be defined by another person.” Now, I’m not sure whether his main squeeze had checked out for a bit, or if he was going through one of his single phases, but Oscar clearly had to service himself a few times.

I bet you $5 he wrote The Importance of Being Earnest, like, straight after, because he was feeling so liberated and jazzed with himself. ~ If you actually need some more convincing (really?), it never hurts to look to the wise and fabulous Truman Capote who once said “The good thing about masturbation is that you don’t have to get dressed up for it.”

Amen to that!

image courtesy 1min

don’t budge.

KIRSTY RAINES

2015 Budget

Across

Down

2. the total sum of money set aside or needed for a ACROSS purpose

4. living in the country

3. a victor 2. the total sum of money set aside or needed for a purpose 5. diligent and systematic investigation into a subject in 3. a victor order to discover or revise facts, theories, or applications 5. diligent and systematic investigation into a subject in order to discover 7. supervision of another's son or daughter or revise facts, theories, or 9. applications something that is owed or that one is bound to pay to 7. supervision of another’s son or daughter or perform for another 9. something that is owed or that one is bound to pay to or perform for another 14. inoculation to prevent disease 17. freedom from danger and risk 18. resistance against attack; provides protection 19. a tropical plant of the genus Musa, certain species of which are cultivated for their nutritious fruit

image courtesy of The Sydney Morning Herald

1. government-funded health programs DOWN with programs sticks on both field and ice 6. a team sport played 1. government-funded health 7. the average cost of food, clothing, and other 4. living in the country necessary or usual goods and services paid by a person 6. a team sport played with sticks on both field and ice 8. a person who has failed at a particular activity 7. the average cost of food, clothing, and other necessary or usual goods and 10. a person not native to or naturalised in the country or servicesjurisdiction paid by aunder person consideration 8. a person who has failed at a particular activity 10. a person not native to or naturalised in the country or jurisdiction under consideration 11. the process in acquiring knowledge 12. on-demand Internet streaming provider 13. a burdensome charge, obligation, duty, or demand.

15. capital city is Baghdad 16. a person formally engaged in learning

27

CLIMATE CHANGE MAKES ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY REDUNDANT. THE LORAX - NOT THE NEO-LIBERAL ECONOMIST

I

n the headlines last week was that Maurice Newman, Chief advisor to the LNP and Tony Abbott, declared climate change a United Nations conspiracy.

With this head in the sand and bum in the air attitude, we are all f**ked and no doubt there is a humanitarian and ecological crisis around the corner.

This just goes to show that Australian political leadership is scraping the bottom of the barrel. With the Mad Monk, Smoking Joe, the Wombat and a Barnacle supported by a cast of sociopathic troglodytes Australia is f**ked. We are bereft of any care for future generations and the environment.

Jared Diamond in his book “Collapse,” outlines the cultural and social importance of natural resources to the rise and fall of civilisations.

Forest, food, water and soils in the past have been the limits to growth of civilisation. In the modern world we can add the atmosphere to the list of degraded ecosystem services that will be overcome by the ecological serial killer – homo-sapiens.

The IPCC predict 2 to 4.5 degree Celsius increase in global temperature will be a catastrophe. This catastrophe makes all other issues of ecological sustainability redundant.

What is this generation’s excuse for ignoring the obvious?

Past generations doomed by creeping normalcy were without a comprehensive ability to chronicle the decline and the eventual ecological crisis. This is not the case in the modern world with video, satellites, telecommunications and the internet.

It occurs to me in my arrogance that the complex reasoning for business as usual has six areas.

1.

The ancient brain unable the cope with anything but a crisis.

2.

Confidence that technology will subdue ecosystems and mitigate reliance.

3.

Denial of any anthropogenic effect.

4.

The assurance that it is natural variability.

5.

Conspiracy theories led by the socialist left greenies.

6. Stupidity.

Although on reflection 1 and 6 cover all possibilities. It occurs to me that collectively homo-sapiens are in the last chapter of a tragic story, ecological serial killers determined to commit suicide and genocide on a massive scale.

One thing is for certain, Mother Nature will go on as she has always gone on, without a care for the particularly vicious little homid that swept all before it, taking itself out in the process. Australia is complicit by accepting the cast of sociopathic troglodytes.

28

art by Eunice Pegg

#throwback

pesto pasta with ashley pianca

What I love about this recipe is the strong and pungent flavours that it combines. It is perfect for lunch or dinner and also as a cold salad the next day. It is incredibly quick and easy to make and I highly recommend giving it a go and sharing with friends.

Ingredients Spaghetti (However much you desire. I used about 250g so I had leftovers!)

125g grated parmesan cheese 80g pine nuts Bunch of fresh basil (can be bought from supermarket) 4 cloves of garlic Âź cup of olive oil Method: 1. Finely chop the basil and garlic and place in a large bowl. Add the cheese, pine nuts and oil and stir until well combined. Set aside.

2. Place spaghetti in a large microwave-safe bowl or container and fill with water until the spaghetti is covered. Cook in the microwave for approximately 10 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes.

3. Once the spaghetti is cooked, drain away the water and stir in your desired amount of pesto.

Note: Pesto can be made days ahead and stored

reviews

Spoiler Alert

JOHN SHIRLEY

DOTA 2

.game

image courtesy of DOTA2HDWALLPAPER

A

nyone who plays games knows of the feud between Aside from the differing hero pools available at the start of DOTA2 and League of Legends (LoL), but in case you each game, the main differences between Dota2 and LoL are: LoL was launched in 2009, a full 4 years before Dota2. LoL don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s a brief overview: have approximately 67 million unique players each month, DOTA2 and LoL are both Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas whereas Dota2 has only 7.8 million. The total championship (MOBAs) or Action Real-Time Strategy (ARTS). Both games pot for LoL’s 2014 international competition reached over consist of 5 players on each team, who each pick a character $2 million, but Dota2’s 2014 International payed almost $11 (or hero) to play as during the match. The main objective is to million to its winning teams, with >$5 million going to first destroy the enemy’s ancient (Dota2) or Nexus (LoL). To do this, place. Dota2’s 2015 International is just about to kick off, and each team has to fight through a series of towers, and enemy so far the prize pool is currently sitting at $8.4 million after heroes, to reach the opposition’s main base. To be successful only 2 and a half weeks of fundraising with another 3 months each hero must either: kill enemy creeps (minions that spawn until the final event. every 30 seconds and run down the map to attack each other), neutral creeps (that live in the forest area), or enemy heroes For those who have the time, these games provide an unlimited to earn gold and experience, which the player uses to make amount of variation and fun. They come highly recommended themselves stronger by upgrading their abilities and buying by almost 80 million people worldwide, so why not find out what they’re all about when you get the time? special items.

LEAGUE OF LEGENDS image courtesy of CreateMyIntro

30

Student Media 2015 What did you do with your year?

WRITING

BEHIND THE SCENES DESIGN

FEATURE ARTICLES ARTICLES

EDITING MUSIC SELECTION

MAGAZINE LAYOUT COVER DESIGN

OPINION PIECES CREATIVE WRITING PIECES REVIEWS ON AIR COPY WRITING SCRIPT WRITING BLOG WRITING

SHOW PRODUCTION DEBATING SHITUFF FACT CHECKING MARKETING COFFEE/TEA DRINKING

POLITICAL CARTOONS GRAPHIC DESIGN PHOTOGRAPHY

ACTING/PRESENTATION

INTERVIEWS

VOICE WORK - ADS & IDS RADIO THEATRE PERFORMANCE ON AIR ANNOUNCING SHOW HOST OUTSIDE BROADCASTS

NEWS TEAM

STUDENTS STAFF/LECTURERS RESEARCHERS AUTHORS POLITICIANS BANDS/ARTISTS

now recruiting for: 2015 announcers

NEWS COLUMN LAYOUT SOCIAL MEDIA REPORTING ON AIR REPORTING PHOTOJOURNALISM INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING

FUTURE PREP

NETWORKING UPDATE RESUME

news team

music team

Sharpen your broadcasting skills by taking on a Cover UNE, national and international news as position as an on-air announcer with Tune!FM. part of the student media News Team.

You’ll be broadcast locally on 106.9FM and During your shift you’ll report on-air, on social streamed live around the world on tunefm.net. media and in print.

There’s a great team working behind the scenes at Tune!FM reviewing the mountain of new music that comes in every week to decide what gets played and what doesn’t.

TIME COMMITMENT: 2 HOURS A WEEK TIME COMMITMENT: 2 - 4 HOURS A WEEK

TIME COMMITMENT: AS MUCH AS YOU CAN GIVE

come find us at the Student Media Hub (union square - on the corner between Uni4Me and the ‘Stro) www.fb/TuneFM106.9

THEY FOUND www.nucleus.org.au

www.tunefm.net

IN MY COLLEGE ROOM

ALL MY CARDS ARE TERRIBLE AND I AM PUTTING THIS DOWN IN HOPELESS DESPERATION

SHAVING YOUR HEAD BRITNEY STYLE IN AN EXAM STRESS MELTDOWN

BROUGHT TO YOU BY UNESA helping you hang on