Nucleus vol 1, no 4

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Federal Cuts to Universities Staff Strike at UNE Feminists Who Can’t Take a Joke The Rainbow Crossing

Whilst we will not be producing a June issue - given the intensity of exams and the rest of it - we will make what content we do have available to you, our beloved readers, and should produce the next issue in early July.

We hope to then also provide an introduction by the new Chancellor, John Watkins.

Where are we at? Since the last issue, the University of New England has appointed a new Chancellor, opened a campus in Western Sydney, been witness to staff strikes on campus and also unwilling spectator to the astounding $2.3 billion diversion of funding from universities by the federal government.

Furthermore the article we published in our last issue entitled ‘Why Doesn’t UNE Have a Chancellor?’ triggered reactions far beyond what was intended. Putting the threats of legal action aside for now, it seems relevant to reiterate that ‘Why Doesn’t UNE Have a Chancellor?’ served two purposes. In the wake of Richard Torbay’s abrupt resignation it was pertinent to summarise what had happened and the events that had caused so much talk including the multiple articles in national media to which we referred. But most importantly, we posed a series of questions about lack of communication. We aimed not to spread rumour but instead begged to be alleviated from an environment in which rumour was flourishing.

We, as editors and indeed writer, had no intention of defaming, offending, misrepresenting, or implying allegations against, any of the people referred to in that article. It is not in our or our readers’ interests to defame anyone and is certainly against our integrity as editors. But we do stand by the message of that article: that students need to be informed and communications need to be improved.

Between that last issue in April and this, UNE has also borne the death of the remarkable Jenny Crew AOM. Her memorial service, held on May 5th in Lazenby Hall, drew tributes from many including the mayor, the VC, and MP Tony Windsor. The life they commemorated was one of astounding achievement; the life of one who not only made things happen but who stood for the real values of universities.

She was a woman who through her very existence made an impact on the world; who made change by turning up and being there, carried on by the strength of that in which she believed. As noted in her memorial service, she learnt from parents who exemplified the belief that education was the key to the peaceful co-existence of nations and individuals.

The kindness, strength and dedication of a woman such as her will leave a great void.

With respect, The Editors.

NUCLEUS Vol. 1, No. 4, May 2013

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- Editorials - Letters to the Editors - NTEU Takes Action - The Rainbow Crossing - Regional Universities Stung by Federal Parliament - Student Representation - The Walk of Shame - The Problem with Feminists - Clubs & Societies - Research Page - Profiles - Environment: UNE and Sustainability - Arts Pages - Neucleus 23rd October 1973

EDITORS: Sarita Perston and Stewart Horsfield Cover art by Jarrod Bevear and Madeleine Clarke Arts Pages Cover art by Yinika Perston To submit art, email editors@nucleus.org.au

Contact Us:

www.facebook.com/NucleusUNE email: editors@nucleus.org.au website: www.nucleus.org.au post: P.O. Box U1, UNE Armidale NSW 2351

Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the staff of the Nucleus or UNEG. 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. 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.

Walking the Talk It has been a hectic few weeks at UNE. Assignments are the constant reality, a mixture of stress and relief in the atmosphere depending on which side of the assignment submission date. Intensive schools have just finished and it was great to meet a few of our external students. Last month the federal government announced a $2.3 billion cut to tertiary funding. Last week there were threats to the Nucleus editors and the ever present building of a new student organisation.

Over the mid trimester break the amenity services for the intensive schools provided a very different atmosphere on campus.

Our two independent welfare advocates, Sam and Lloyd working with a team of volunteers should be applauded for the effort of managing to run a mixture of social functions across the fortnight, well attended and appreciated.

Last month the federal government announcing $2.3 billion budget cuts from the higher education sector to fund the implementation of the Gonski reforms has sent a shudder through universities. The federal opposition showed a rare bi-partisan policy and declared that nobody should expect the cuts to tertiary funding to be reversed. These funding cuts will particularly harm regional and low socio-economic students. The

National Union of Students (NUS) has been particularly vocal on this.

This University has a long history of holding tertiary education ideals above all else. Last week was not one of UNE’s better weeks.

Chewed up and spat out by UNE administration is how I feel and I can only imagine how Stu and Sarita feel. Being threatened by this administration that has resources running out the ‘whazoo,’ was intimidating. University student newspapers are expected to be edgy and Nucleus is running on a shoestring budget. Poor communication, a lack of respect, and high expectations of mushrooms is about the strength of it. Transparency and communication has been an ongoing issue. Under attack was the editorial independence and principles of free speech of the student newspaper, Nucleus.

As the president of the undergraduate student association, I do not and will not presume to dictate the editorial content of Nucleus. The ideal and principle of Nucleus is as the voice of the UNE students and a conduit for the UNE community to communicate. There is a perception that the UNE administration sees students and teaching staff as a necessary evil; I would remind them, we the students are the clients that determine the purpose of the university, ‘it is about

the education’.

There seems to be at times a genuine commitment to the rebuilding of student fraternity and amenity at UNE, but it is time this administration started to ‘walk the talk’. Students cannot afford the patience and endurance of the granite heart. Students are the vibrant culture and fraternity, providing one of the foundation stones of the vision, values and purpose to any university. Somehow this university, unlike others, has allowed the student voice to be lost and the foundation to crumble. It is important that UNE administration work on supporting an independent and autonomous student representative organisation (SRO), providing advocacy and representing a fair and just tertiary experience for students. Raising the phoenix is challenging and exciting at the same time. The new unified student association will bring life back to the dusty stone heart of this university.

There is light at the end of the tunnel and for the sake of all those people with their shoulder to the wheel, I am assured it is coldest before the dawn and it will get better.

- David Mailler

To Whom it may concern When the UNE Student Union dissolved Services UNE was set up to provide the support and services once provided by the UNE union.

The CEO was employed through friends on the board, the position was not advertised and a suitable CEO hired on merit.

Food and Beverage Manager position was not advertised. The appointment was done in secret and nobody knew that the position was going to be refilled until a month before commencement date.

All student representation was removed from the Services UNE board.

Tune FM employs a manager who lives at the Gold Coast and has not been on campus for a year.

Services UNE has cut and/or reduced student services sighting lack of money, yet the CEO has continued to receive yearly pay increases.

Regards, Anonymous

In response to Jeremy Turner, I am wondering when the last time Jeremy did any of the things he suggested?

While I completely agree that those in college should car pool or something to reduce congestion, Jeremy’s suggestions just don’t strike me as comments

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from someone who is in touch with Students.

I this afternoon walked from the Wright Village Car Park to Booloominbah and it took me 15 minutes. Now I am not the fittest person, however neither is the average Uni student.

To bike ride from Town to the Colleges, would indeed be roughly 15 minutes if you were a good biker. However the ascent from the colleges to the Campus would indeed take some time and make you smelly - and who wants to be smelly for class?

Finally the Bus - the true reason for my letter. I haven’t caught the bus this year (as we bought a car in December); however we (my partner and I) were getting the bus to Uni almost every day for classes. A single trip to the Uni anywhere from Girraween to town is $3.

When I first came to UNE in 2008 it was $2. One way. So a return trip for the average student is $6 a day, $48 a week if you’re going to Uni 4 days a week. Yes, there is a card you can buy that discounts trips by a whopping $0.18 - but isn’t much of a saving. If you have the travel concession sticker on your student card, you can get a fare of $2.10 however you can’t use the discount card. The distance of Town (courthouse) to the northern car park UNE is 6 Kms. In Sydney this distance would be charged to a student at approx. $1.80.

The problem is that Edwards Coaches are running a bus service in a university town but not aimed at university customers. If they did, the bus service would run after 7:30pm during the week and would run on Sundays. College students and students who live

in West Armidale need a good way of travelling to town (not to mention that students need a way to travel in winter when walking and bike riding are not friendly options).

Edwards need to get on board and offer more services and lower fares. Their clientele will increase rapidly if they do.

Make a noise about this, if you don’t things will not change.

James Ellis

In response to Jeremy Turner’s recent letter regarding public transport, I’d like to respond.

Firstly, there isn’t ample public transport options - I’ve looked into it. I live on the opposite side of town.

I’ve used the bus system and found that it isn’t anymore efficient or cheaper than driving to uni.

There’s also those of us that go to/from uni straight to jobs, and other commitments.

For those of us that have 8am lectures, there are no buses that run early enough to arrive on time. The buses that run are timetabled to mean you either arrive 45mins before your lecture or about 10 mins late. This is due to buses leaving town 5mins to 9 etc.

To encourage more people to use public transport, maybe the uni and the bus company should coordinate their timetable so that they are slightly more synchronised!!

Hannah

Dear Editors, I was fortunate enough to spend some time at the UNSW campus in Sydney recently, and apart from the obvious differences between our universities, one thing that really hit me was the enormous disparity in service and amenity. You can’t walk ten metres in any direction at UNSW without encountering a cafe or food outlet. And we’re not talking about the fried ‘food’ that tastes identical to the cardboard it’s packaged in, or the stale flavourless sandwiches that still somehow cost six dollars here, but fully stocked Indian/Chinese/ Lebanese/Japanese/Deli/Burger places. I counted NINE different places on my first short walk around campus. And not only is it quality food, but the competition drives down the prices, so you can get enormous, satisfying (and great quality) meals with a drink for under $10, which at G&S will barely get you a sandwich and a bottle of water. Also, I never payed more than $3.70 for a coffee.

I’m not saying that we should have the same scale of amenity as a university like UNSW, we clearly have far less demand and far fewer on campus students, but damnit, some choice would be nice. And maybe if ServicesUNE were nudged out of complacency and monopoly by some competition, we might just see a reversal in the trend of prices-up/quality-down.

Regards, Anonymous

Hey all, On May 6th I’m gonna start eating like a poorer person because the medical school is making me, with their *judgmental little eyes*. I hate them and their “ethics” so very much.

But at least they’re not Rineharting

it and keeping any money I raise, it will probably be blended and fed to orphans (hey, LBTL is an NGO thing, what can you say).

I know we’re all poor (and if you’re reading this and not then WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING this is poor people’s communication) but if we all pull together... well, we’ll be *really* poor (except me, as I’m going to *save* money doing this) but at least some Cambodian kid won’t become a child prostitute or live in a legit garbage tip (*poverty is not fucking funny*).

Ok, enough for now, give me money so I look good, or don’t, but keep in mind I’m going to eat *nothing but eggs* for five days, so if you want me to hide in Pete’s room and just... emit, then you have to give me money. (Pete, you too, but for the opposite thing. I love you, I would never hurt you. But I will give you pillow-shits if you do not give me money).

This is the link to do this: www.livebelowtheline.com.au ...and search: Chris Myers. I’m the only one that comes up to date, either because it’s an uncommon name, or there is a strong tendency for people with that name to be terrible people, we will never know.

Below is what Live Below the Line told me to send you. I would have deleted it, but you know... they’re always, always watching.

DO NOT READ THIS BIT Hey, I’ve got some news!

For five days in May I’ll be eating on $2 a day -- the equivalent of the extreme poverty line in Australia. It’s part of a campaign called Live Below the Line. From May 6th- 10th, I’ll

gain a window into the day-to-day lives of people who live in extreme poverty.

It’ll be tough, but it’ll be meaningful. Can you support me and donate $40 to my campaign? All you have to do is head to www.livebelowtheline. com.au, search for my profile page and donate to me. And of course, you can choose to make your donation tax-deductible.

Your generous support will help provide schools, teacher training, books and bicycles for young people living in extreme poverty. Could you chip in $37? It’s an amount that will provide a student scholarship for 6 months in Cambodia. (That bit sounds like lies though, I remember giving a guy in Phnom Penh $90 for his kid for a semester to go to school and he said it would only just get him through *oh goddammit I got screwed*. Never paid for tuktuks again though.)

Thanks for your support, Christopher (Christopher does not approve this communique in any way and retracts his name from its heinous, garbled message) *P.S If you’re really up for a challenge, why not Live Below the Line with me?

Head to: **www.livebelowtheline. com.au* * and we can start a team and compete for some great prizes! **DO NOT DO THAT *I want to be the only person who does this. It makes me special and I need to feel that way sometimes. Plus I don’t work well with *people*. My doctor calls this disorder “spectral” but I don’t think I’m a ghost.

Cool cool cool.

Seriously now give me money.

Chris

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NTEU TAKES ACTION

On May 1st the UNE branch of the National Tertiary Education Union held a picket and 24 hour strike as part of its latest efforts to sway enterprise bargaining discussions with UNE management. The strike, held by an estimated 50 members of academic and English language teaching staff, was described by NTEU Armidale branch President Dr Tim Battin as the Union’s only option following 12 months of lesser industrial action and what the University believes have been ‘good faith’ discussions.

Staff picketed throughout the morning at the corner of Elm Avenue and Trevenna Road, bearing signs at cars that drove past and stopping passing students to discuss the significance of the action. A member of UNE’s academic staff at the picket told Nucleus that enterprise bargaining discussions don’t only concern staff, but also affect students and the quality of education that the University provides.

icised the Union for asking for what she claims is “way above what anyone else in the [tertiary education] sector would expect to get”.

UNE Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Annabelle Duncan said the university has made “quite a number of concessions” regarding the NTEU’s suggested changes, but crit-

Included in the NTEU’s requests are a 7% per year pay increase over four years for academic staff. Professor Duncan asserted that this amounts to a 31% increase over time, which given her estimate of a lecturer’s average salary as $100,000, is a pay increase to which the University “cannot agree”. The Deputy Vice Chancellor further suggests the federal government’s recent 3.56% reduction in tertiary education funding has made financial concessions even more unlikely. Dr Battin however argues Professor Duncan’s case would be “much more cogent” if the university had done all it could

from left: Denise de Vries, Lyn Mallise and Clare Sandal at the May 1st picket

“we’re grown up people, we’re professional people and we expect to be treated decently”

a striker talking to Saad Abdelrahman

to offer financial concessions prior to the Prime Minister’s announcement.

Outside of financial matters, Dr Battin said the NTEU’s efforts were aimed at restoring a “collegiality” to the University, and described the University’s insistence on achieving the aims outlined in its Strategic Plan 2011-2015 (accessible online) as “distractions” from the priorities the Union believes the University should have. He outlined these priorities as a mature sector staffed by well qualified people; decent remuneration; an institution characterised by transparency and accountability; appropriate complaint handling procedures; and freedom

among staff and students to express themselves.

These priorities he said should aim to restore a “well organised and functioning university community”.

Professor Annabelle Duncan denies the University and management’s lack of collegiality, and both UNE management and the NTEU accuse the other of failing to consult suffi-

ciently throughout the negotiation process. In the past month discussions between the the parties have cemented as a standoff between two near-diametrically opposed groups. A statement by Professor Duncan sent to staff last month said that the University would not be swayed by industrial action. Dr Battin cited that statement as an example of “infantilising behaviour”

by the University, and responded in saying “we’re grown up people, we’re professional people and we expect to be treated decently”.

While movement on the issue has ground to a resolute halt, the easing of this stalemate will be watched closely by staff, students, management and Nucleus alike.

- Elias Wilson

The Rainbow Crossing in north car park Many will have noticed the addition to the north car park that appeared on the 16th of last month. A DIY Rainbow Crossing applied in spray paint on the asphalt in front of the bus stop.

This is one of many DIY crossings showing up all over the country in protest to the removal of the rainbow crossing in Sydney that was created for Mardi Gras 2013.

The crossing on Oxford St was constructed for the festival, but quickly became a powerful symbol of LGBT culture which the area has long been popular for.

The destruction of the crossing in April was not taken well, and a movement sprung up in its wake, with people creating DIY rainbow crossings in chalk on footpaths, alleyways, and roads all over the country.

The crossing in the north car park, painted anonymously, was one of the first in the New England area, and has since helped to inspire others showing up all over the Northern Tablelands.

This DIY crossing is unique as it’s quite possibly the only ‘permanent’ DIY crossing around, and as such it will stand with its message long after its chalk counterparts have been washed away by the rain.

- Stu Horsfield

Regional Universities Stung by Federal Parliament - (Left and Right) Last month the new Minister for Tertiary Education, Dr Craig Emerson, announced the federal government would be making $2.3 billion in budget savings from the higher education sector to help fund the implementation of the Gonski reforms to school education.

Reform of the education sector is inevitable, although taking from one part to fund the other parts is nuts, and affects all prospective and current university students. The impacts on the future sustainability of this country from a politically economic decision will reverberate well into the future, loading the next generation up with debt. Future students will have to bear the shortsighted myopic decisions of a group of politicians that have taken advantage of the golden days of education and failed to pay forward the opportunities they were privileged to receive.

It should be remembered that when the Labor Government came to power in 2007 the ‘Education Revolution’ was a central policy platform. While there have been some modest reforms to higher education it cannot be said to be a revolution, more a jump to the right and step to the left…

The problem is how to fund the Gonski reforms and to increase funding to the higher education sector; education needs to be treated as a whole. We need to ensure the entire timeline of a students’ study life and to invest in our national future. Gonski highlighted the repeated failure of successive governments, state and federal, to invest adequately and responsibly in education. Our politicians and voters have failed this and the next generation of students, whether they are primary, secondary and tertiary. The planned tertiary education funding cuts will disadvantage low socio-economic and regional students most. Given

that this university has a larger than most portion of these two groups of students, UNE can expect to be among the hardest hit of higher education providers. Students that need the most assistance will be the worst affected. Low socio-economic and regional students already face huge obstacles just to get to university and these cuts represent another hurdle.

Federal Tertiary Education Minister Craig Emerson must have come down in the last shower, if he thinks this is a good news story for tertiary education. This decision is enshrining tertiary education only for the wealthy. Our children and grandchildren will be paying for a legacy of mismanagement and failure to invest in strategic physical and social infrastructure. I will say it again, a legacy our children and grandchildren will shake their heads at and not thank us for.

The federal Opposition has declared that nobody should expect the cuts announced to be reversed. Opposition is piggy-backing on the federal government’s announcements to slash and burn crucial areas of tertiary education to fund another sector, primary and secondary education. This amounts to a federal bi-partisan decision of preferring to live for here and now and show an absolute disdain for national economic and social sustainability.

The federal government and opposition want us to believe slashing funding out of tertiary education is a good news story. While Gonski is important, Gonski alone is like owning a bike with a flat tyre and no repair kit, we are not going anywhere. So our federal members should focus on funding the whole not stealing the repair kit.

- David Mailler

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(CUT OUT AND RETURN TO YOUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES)

-----------------------------------Student Representation – The wheels are turning, but what is ahead?

In March the Undergrads enthusiastically endorsed the proposal of a new student association and as David has already passed on the details of the vision, purpose and values of the new association I won’t linger. The hot news is that the Postgrads also endorsed the creation of a new association in mid-April. The vote however just passed.

Although I have never walked the proverbial postgraduate mile, as an attendee of their SGM at the invitation of the Postgraduate President I hope to try and allay the legitimate concerns the postgraduates have. The main concern seemed to me that in a single student organisation postgraduates’ issues would be swamped

by issues other than postgraduate issues. While there will be a multitude of issues that will be facing a new executive at any one time; the President, Vice-President and General Members were elected to represent all members and cohorts of the association and their office should rightly be judged and critiqued upon that. The newspaper can provide that platform and happily so, as everyone loves a good scrap. The Postgraduate member of the executive, supported by the Postgraduate Sub-Committee (that all cohort groups will have) will be able to provide clarity of argument and support for any of those positions that are filled with undergraduates. The membership of the cohort sub-committees is to my mind up to the determination of those cohorts and will take the form they want.

That aside, the next challenge for the new association will be to build membership, which under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 dictates that membership be opt-in. So apologies in advance to anyone within reach of the interim postgrads and undergrad executives but we are going to be hounding you and apologies in advance to those out of our reach, for the electronic maelstrom coming your way. In the ideal world everyone would be a member and I hope that all students enthusiastically take up the opportunity of membership, so they can vote and stand for election if you are so inclined.

You can never have too much democracy! So if you are not hit up in person or electronically for membership, which is free as we all pay SSAF, please hit us up because it is important.

- Josh Osborne

The Walk of Shame: where it went wrong

On April 23rd, many students in the UNE community found themselves invited to a Stro night, organised by the Combined Presidents Committee of the colleges. The theme: Walk of Shame.

The Facebook Event, of which The Stro’s official account was among the administrators, invited students to “see what your hook up will look like the next morning before taking them home, instead of waking up, rolling over and having instant regret”. The event information encouraged costumes that included running make-up, “sex hair” and carrying high heels. The accompanying picture depicted a woman walking home “the morning after”, with captions pointing to, among other things her messy hair, her full purse because the man she slept with bought all the drinks and “the taste of random man semen” in her mouth.

According to Frithjof Herb, President of Mary White College, the event was intended as “a fun evening of socialization, and to help students embrace and as such debilitate a serious social issue.” Other students, however, did not see it that way.

Simon Paul, CEO of ServicesUNE (which owns the Stro) received a phone call from a “concerned student”. He says the student suggested that the Facebook Event was inappropriate and asked him to investigate it. After listening to the student’s complaint and looking at the Facebook page for himself, Mr. Paul says that he decided “it was not something I wanted to be on the Facebook Group”. He asked the Stro staff member managing the Stro’s Facebook profile to take the page down, which the staff member promptly did.

Frithjof Herb, speaking on behalf of the Combined President’s Committee (CPC), explained to Nucleus that his decision to cancel the event was not based on pres-

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sure from any higher authority. He made the decision to cancel, on the committee’s behalf, as soon as he became aware that the event was causing offence to other students. He has also chosen to issue an official apology, published in this edition of Nucleus.

While ServicesUNE only received one official complaint, outrage was by no means limited to one student. Milly Roberts, President of the UNE Women’s Society, says that many of the society’s members were deeply upset by the event’s theme.

Among the complaints she heard were that the event was ‘sexist’, ‘degrading’ and ‘slut-shaming’, with many of her members expressing disappointment and anger.

UNE student Ashleigh Baker told Nucleus “I’m by no means a strong feminist but I think this was incredibly degrading to both genders not just women - because it means that this is how the young men and women are happy to view each other at the institution.” Milly Roberts agrees.

“I think the picture and accompanying words weren’t just degrading to women, but to everyone in the university community. As students we come here to better ourselves and participate in intellectual life…” Roberts told Nucleus. “We can do better than that, and we should expect more from ourselves. There are so many good student groups who are doing their best to contribute back to the community and create an exciting environment of diverse ideas and engagement at the university. This sort of playing to lowest common denominator is cheap, and we can certainly do better as a group.”

Roberts was particularly disappointed to find the event scheduled for Blues Stockings Week, an event intended to celebrate women’s participation in intellectual life and higher education. She described the two events being scheduled the same week

as “particularly unfortunate”.

But how was such an offensive event allowed to be organised in the first place?

According to Simon Paul, the Stro staff were not aware of the proposed theme before advertising for the event began.

While the CPC had been given permission to host a ‘Stro night, they had not specified the theme. Mr. Paul says that in the future, “we would like to communicate with groups that want a theme night, before promotional material is distributed”.

He states that processes have been put in place to ensure this occurs from now on.

He also described the steps he has taken to control what is posted to the Stro’s facebook page. These include the page being monitored by a non-Stro staff member, as the nature of employment of Stro staff makes it difficult for them to constantly monitor social media.

Nucleus asked Frithjof Herb whether he thought the ‘“Walk of Shame’” theme was appropriate.

“Was it appropriate? In light of what has happened, no it wasn’t. Though we should have worded and presented it differently so it wasn’t as easy to misinterpret. At the time I certainly thought it was appropriate otherwise I wouldn’t have given it the go ahead, and here’s why. We live in a world filled with bigoted hate, where people use simple normal things to shame people.

Rather than give them that power, would it not make more sense to embrace and ridicule their very argument, for the silly hateful thing it is? It’s proven to work in the past, look at how well the international SlutWalk campaign worked.”

Apparently, the subversive intention behind the event was not the message received by many students. According to Milly Roberts, this depiction of women in a sexual manner contributes to a culture

of sexual harassment and assault within our community, including on university campuses.

“I have heard too many stories of sex based harassment occurring on campus and at the colleges… The recent ‘Talk About It’ survey revealed a shocking number of female uni students have had an unwanted sexual experience. The whole culture needs a shakeup, and universities should be leading the way.”

Roberts says that the number of accounts of sexual assault and harassment she has

heard from female UNE students is “disturbing”. However, Simon Paul does not share her concerns. He says he has heard nothing of the rumours of harassment and assault and that it is his understanding that “the university actually has in place some good policies in relation to sexual harassment”.

Certainly, ServicesUNE’s reaction to the ‘Walk of Shame’ facebook incident was prompt. It seems that Simon Paul was as outraged and offended by the proposed event as some of the students. When asked why some people found the event offen-

sive, he responded with passion: “I think the answer to that’s obvious. I think anybody in their right mind would think that was inappropriate - no matter what part of society you are in.”

- Kate Wood

I would like to express my feelings of regret towards the offense experienced by some individuals; this stemming from the CPC party that was to take place on the 1st of May. The theme was “Walk of Shame”.

This theme was not meant as a personal attack on any gender. It most certainly wasn’t an act of “slut shaming”.

It was intended as a celebration of the arguably less glamorous side of human sexuality, as experienced by a large portion of the universities population. I truly find it regretful that some people took offense to the theme and I would like to extend my sympathies to those whom had a negative experience due to the event’s creation.

Please understand that the theme was chosen for multiple reasons, and always with equality and inclusion in mind. The theme was a humorous take on phenomena that a lot of sexually active people will have experienced. It is something that people of any gender and any sexual orientation can relate to. It was a theme that would have allowed people to dress as themselves, while still fitting to a theme.

The reason for why the anatomy of a heterosexual female’s morning after was used as an example is simple. It is because in general there are many more obvious items to a women’s apparel, such as makeup which looks notably different the morning after a night out. It will also have been something that more people could relate to as the majority of the university’s student population is heterosexual females. I wish to apologies to those who felt females where being targeted negatively.

It’s regretful that the personal context of the offended resulted in such a negative reaction. I hope that those offended understand the intent behind the event, in which we were simply trying to help people embrace who they are without shame or judgment. I do understand the nature and the reasons behind the offense some took, and personally do not have any regrets about cancelling the event, nor do I bear ill will. I feel the cancellation was appropriate as even though the intent behind the event was well meaning and in a kind spirit, the feelings of a few are too important to be overlooked. I hope in the future we can still provide an event with a similar goal, though with a theme less offensive to some.

Regards Frithjof Herb President of Mary White College Junior Commonroom Committee

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Is the Problem with Feminists that They Can’t Take a Joke?

Blue Stockings Week at UNE

Blue Stockings Week is a celebration of women in higher education and intellectual life and a time to focus on the achievements women have made in the sphere, and the obstacles they have overcome. It is also an excellent chance to bring some of the issues that may affect women in particular into the fore.

The University of New England Women’s Society jumped at the chance to reach out to the UNE community again. We decided to try and capture a bit of the fun (and controversy) from last year’s Blue Stockings Week by holding a debate. We chose to debate the assertion “The problem with Feminists is they can’t take a joke”. We also ran a fundraising cake stall, provided a free BBQ for attendees (and hungry ring-ins), and the kindly staff of the Stro opened the bar for us as well. It was a great success; the generous attendees supported the cake stall whole stomachedly, and I’m sure there were some stom-acheys later as well (mostly for those of us who had to dispose of the left-overs).

ing with the other. The debate was fantastic, not only because it provided us all with half an hour of entertainment, but because it started conversations.

It started conversations about the “F” word, about what it meant to each of us, and what it meant in a broader sense. These are important conversations to have, as feminism is often misunderstood. It is also vital for a healthy intellectual environment that no idea or movement exist without also being criticised, and interrogated. This particular F word needn’t be a dirty word. In order for feminism to achieve its goals it has to engage everyone, so it is important that everyone feels they can contribute to these conversations, even persons who, for whatever reason, do not identify themselves as feminists*.

The issues that many feminists believe need to be addressed in our culture do not affect women exclusively or even men exclusively. It is radically mistaken and counterproductive to believe that there are only two sides to any debate; there are a plurality of viewpoints even within the feminist movement. So next time you hear the “F word” don’t tune out, the “F word” is for everybody.

I thought the debate was hilarious, which double proves the point that the negative team did by winI am proud to be a student at UNE because Blue ning. That’s right ladies and gentlemen the problem with feminists isn’t that they can’t take a joke. Stockings Week showed me that we can have these Whether there is in fact a problem or problems with conversations in a way that is respectful to all parties, that we can have these important and sometimes feminists remains a moot point. edgy conversations without the tone descending to It can be difficult to know how to have a con- vitriol. The same cannot be said for all universities. versation about gender as it can often turn into a Thanks to all who made the day possible, and all hopeless endeavour with neither side really engag- those who showed their support by attending.

- Milly Roberts, UNEWS President

*I feel I should also take this opportunity to restate the fact, that even though many of the members of UNEWS (myself included) would happily identify ourselves as feminists, we also welcome women who do not identify themselves as such.

Photo: Morgan Jane

12

CLUBS AND SOCIETIES UNE and Northern Tablelands Astronomical Society Interested in astronomy?

We are UNENTAS. We meet monthly at UNE’s Kirby Observatory on Weirs Rd for 7:30 pm start on the second Wednesday of each month. Take a look through the Webster telescope. Listen to interesting presentations by our members. Whether you are casually curious or a serious stargazers, all are welcome to attend!

For further details please visit www.unentas.org.au to learn more about us.

Law Students’ Society UNE Law Students’ Society hosts academic, cultural, social and sporting activities, in an effort to supplement the legal education of students, both internal and external. Activities this year include Academic Competitions, Cocktail Night, and the Multi-Sport Challenge between Law and Economics, among many others! Membership is just $10, which entitles members to discounted rates to LSS-hosted events and merchandise, access to LSS facilities, and a rather splendid membership card. Join us in our common room in the Law School, post to our facebook wall, or email us at lsociety@une.edu.au if you have any enquiries, suggestions or just feel like a chat!

Contact Us: lsociety@une.edu.au Facebook: www.facebook.com/une.studentssociety UNEWS The University Women’s Society (UNEWS) is a group which organises fund raisers, cultural events, activism and social gatherings among many other things. Our mission is to collect a group of women together to get things done in a positive way. We also aim to empower women through knowledge and skill sharing. Most of our events are open to all women, even if you’re not a member so feel free to come along, you might even like it enough to become a member or associate member.

Contact Us: arober38@myune.edu.au

Austrian composer and percussionist Reinhard Flatischler has since 1970, been helping people reconnect with their rhythmic consciousness through a method he devised called TaKeTiNa. Reinhard calls this the ‘forgotten power of rhythm’, forgotten because he thinks our natural connection with rhythm has disappeared. Two senior teachers Justine Bristow and Nick Townsend, trained

by Reinhard, will be holding a TaKeTiNa workshop in May. Taketina is useful for musicians and non-musicians. It has been the subject of neuroscience research and found to promote positive neurological states. In a workshop, rhythm is built in layers, steps and claps are based on different rhythms while voice adds an additional layer. According

TaKeTiNa to Reinhard, everyone who goes through the process repeatedly, will find themselves in a state of being in which the more they add, the clearer and empty the rhythm state becomes.

“Rhythm can be understood as polarity in motion and this is precisely why it is so effective in dissolving opposites and resolving the kind of dichotomic thinking that our polarised worldview draws us into. Rhythm and movement give access to a third state of being, beyond the habitual patterns of ‘mine - yours’ ‘happy - sad’ ‘tense - relaxed’. Simultaneity replaces the familiar ‘either or’. You can be simultaneously tensed for activity and deeply relaxed. Your awareness is tuned to both yourself and another person. Through this

process, you experience deep inner calm within the supposition of polar opposites: movement and stillness at once.”

An Introduction to TaKeTiNa Workshop will be held on Friday 17th May 7pm - 9.30pm continuing on Saturday 18th 10.30 -6pm.

Venue - Madgwick Hall UNE Cost: Friday evening only $25/20/15 Une Students - Full workshop $120/90 Further info/ bookings - www.newworldrhythm. com Contact Catherine 0451375056

Jennifer Mary Crew OAM (1932-2013) For the past 55 years Jennifer Crew, or Jenny as many knew her, has been an actively contributing member of the UNE community. She began as a moral tutor in 1958 (which was a role essentially designed to keep the young female students of the time in line and out of trouble) before moving on in later years to lecture history. Over her time with the university she also served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts, initiated the External Studies Advisory Committee, served on almost too many committees and boards to count and was even Deputy Vice Chancellor for a period – all this despite having to resign and re-apply for her position as senior lecturer during the later stages of the pregnancies that produced her five children. She received a number of awards over her life including an Order of Australia Medal in 1998 for her contributions to the community, such as her establishment of the North and North West Community Legal Service.

Jenny was well known throughout the community for her passion, honesty and persistence with regard to the causes she championed, and was always regarded as somebody you were glad to have on your side of the table. It is this nature, combined with a deep care for her fellow citizens, which allowed her to accomplish the great many things she did over her life. I feel personally very privileged to have known her, even if only for the short time that I did, and know that I am far from alone in this sentiment. We will miss her high standard of ethics and integrity, and will honour her legacy through the continued enrichment of the community we live in, as she no doubt would have wanted.

- Jeremy Stibbard

215 Mann street Armidale NSW

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“Saturn In Sight”

Have you ever wanted to discover Saturn and its famous ring system yourself?

Or How about getting up close to the craters of the Moon?

The UNE & Northern Tablelands Astronomical Society would like to share this opportunity with you, and also help you catch some other celestial delights along the way.

Bring your digital camera or video camera to capture Saturn and the Moon through the telescopes.

Bring the family, BYO food and drink (no alcohol) and don’t forget to dress warmly.

You’ll be amazed at what you’ll discover!

So come along to Kirby Observatory (Weirs Rd) on Saturday evening the 18th May, starting at 7pm. Bookings preferred. Entry by Gold coin donation.

Contact us: unentas@gmail.com or call Michael on 0438518483 www.unentas.org.au

The University of New England Labor Students formed and met for the first time on May Day, a fitting day that celebrates the International Labour Movement and its achievements. The Labor Students are the only progressive party on UNE campus and aspire to play an active role in the university, community and at the Labor policy making table.

The fundamentals of this country and by extension every reader of this article are built upon a Social Democracy that Labor was instrumental in realising. The Labor principle of equity has give us public education, welfare and legal aid; the principle of collectivism has given us public health care and workers’ rights; the principle of proper economic management has given us a stable economy while expanding environmental protections.

If the principles of Labor’s legacy resonate with you and you want to have a part in seeing them protected and expanded, get in contact with us!

Contact Joshua Osborne at j-osborne@live.com. au or on 0414 768 518. Winter is coming and we need your help building an Abbott proof fence or if not a fence a trip wire.

16

Raise money for cancer It’s time for all UNE to get together and raise some $$ for a fantastic cause.

• Live Music rock band provided by the music department • Raffles & Prizes • Clubs & Societies welcome to host a table Our fundraising page is located at http://nsw.cancercouncilfundraising.org.au/StudentCentralmorningtea

For more information contact Sam at Student Support

Club? Society? College?

Faculty?

(02) 6773 2506

All welcome to host a table to help us raise funds

scarter@services.une.edu.au and ‘like’ the Stro on facebook to stay up-to-date

On Campus?

Come up to the Central Courtyard or Student Central at 10am and indulge in the morning tea provided by your student clubs, societies, faculties, Services UNE and SASS teams

Off Campus?

Tamworth, Taree and Parramatta study centres will be holding events for you to attend

Not near a study centre?

We really want you to be involved as well. If you organise a few friends to have a morning tea or go for coffee post your pictures to this event.

We will be sending out prizes to the pic with the most likes.

TA L L O I R E S 2 0 1 3

School of Behavioural Cognitive and Social Sciences

Poster Design Competition

Addy’s On Marsh Addy’s on Marsh is one of the most successful little Restaurant/Takeaway businesses in the region. Offering fresh homemade Pizzas, Pastas & Risottos at very affordable prices people can afford to dine out or have yummy takeaways.

PRIZE POOL $1000 BRIEF:

UNE ONLY COMP

www.une.edu.au/talloires

The theme this year is ‘tree plant the creeklands’ to encourage volunteers to plant trees down at the creek.

UNE Landcare and Armidale Urban Rivercare Group have been working to transform the creeklands in the interests of biodiversity, water quality and of course amenity - pretty learning environment for students and working environment for staff!

DETAILS:

PDF A4

Open to all UNE students, individuals or in Committee, Iain MacKay imackay@une.edu.au groups, undergraduates and with name, student number, and contact details clearly identified in the email. postgraduates, with a limit of one entry per student/group.

Entries may be used in promoting sustainability Entries must be a single A4 promotional poster at UNE. to encourage volunteers to plant trees Entries close first day of T2 Monday 1 July 2013. down at the creeklands.

Entries will be assessed by an expert judging PRIZEMONEY: First place $500, second $300 and third $200.

Entries should be in PDF format and sent as an email attachment to the UNE Talloires

Located across from The Whitebull on the main Highway, they provide dine in (BYO), takeaway and cater for special events.

Addy, (Adam Moore) and crew have been serving Armidale’s discerning pizza lovers for nearly 3 years from their Gourmet pizza and Pasta Restaurant. As a young man himself he caters for the student population with his special deals & functions that he has provided over the years & is open to any new ideas from the student population & public.

Check out our website www.addys.com.au to view the menu & what Addy’s is all about.

Call us for College, Societies and club function quotes.

panel whose decision will be final and the winners announced on Monday 22nd July 2013.

For info and pics: www.une.edu.au/talloires

REGISTER TODAY! fun T S O he M ve ALL t s ’ a “It ’ll h ...” u o y r yea

Package includes: • • • •

registration accommodation uniform social pass

Phone 6773 3856 for more info

What’s on Tune… May/June Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

The World with Tim Stackpool

Nat. Indigenous News Review The Why Factor

8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30

Scientifically proven music that will activate your energy receptors, stimulate brain activity and fire-up motivational pulses.

WARNING: Listening to TuneFM may cause spontaneous dancing in public.

All The Best Radio Atticus

Fourth Estate

Documentary Hour

Playing the best radio documentaries on radio

13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30

(okay so it’s not actually scientifically proven but we do have scientists who volunteer here)

15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00

Beat Generation

Primary Perspectives

Bandwidth

The Showcase

(new Australian music)

Deadly Sounds

(all things tech with a bit of nerd thrown in)

(UNE news and current affairs)

(culture and travel show)

It’s Time

Blue Before Sunset

Pirate Radio

Indij Hip Hop Show

Asia Pop Radio

Freestyle Friday

Feature Album of the Week

What Up… Wednesday

Top of the Pops

(exploring life, the universe and everything)

(blues n roots)

20:30

Geology

21:00

(heavy metal)

21:30

(classic rock)

Guerilla Radio

(request show)

(punk)

Club Zef

22:00

Refraction# STARTS 23 May (looking at gender & sexuality issues)

(dance & electronic)

22:30 23:00

The Suitcase

Between 11pm and 8am TuneFM turns mellow as you work away well into the morning hours

Show Spotlights: Bandwidth is TuneFM’s hub for all things tech (with a bit of nerd thrown in). Join James, Conrad and Melinda as the unravel the tangled web of technology we live in. Hit us up, ask questions, disagree with us, get involved!

Bandwidth goes to air Wednesdays 4pm — 6pm and is available as a podcast on iTunes or on tunefm.net.

The Showcase is TuneFM’s current affairs show. Join Elias, Judd and Peter as they explore the world of academia and research. The Showcase is a great way for students and staff to keep up-to-date no matter where in the world you are located.

The Showcase goes to air Thursdays 4pm — 6pm and is available as a podcast on iTunes or on tunefm.net.

Listen live @ www.tunefm.net

RESEARCH

projects

Universities are universally ubiquitous unifications of unique universes converging in a coven of coveted discoveries. As the cogs and wheels of a university turn (however rustily), and we all click on and offline or trot across to class and back, another sort of learning is taking place: discovery. If one pillar of universities is to educate, the other is to investigate, and behind the red velvet curtains of a “productive learning environment” based on such ephemeral diagnostics as retention rate and student satisfaction, there is a realm of true inspiration. A place where only the hardiest apprentices are invited in to hone their talents, where cognitive abilities are tried and tested, and where aged academics can continue into eternity as foundation stones of knowledge and critical thought. A place of laboratory technicians scurrying around in underground basements, chemistry students setting things on fire, minds being probed by the mystical talents of the psychologically endorsed, things being designed that have never been designed before, books being written, papers published, discoveries made... Nucleus invites you to come with us into the weird and wonderful world of university academia and research.

This month we’re giving you a taste of honours projects being conducted in psychology, which is fun because if you’re lucky you can get involved and play guinea pig.

HREC Approval No. HE13-079 ‘The Assessment of the Effects of Online Training for Anger Control’ UNE Psychology Honours student, Amanda Howie, has just started a study that is designed to determine whether online anger training can be delivered effectively to help teach individuals strategies for controlling their anger. The training program involves four interactive online modules that should take approximately four hours in total to complete. The study is open to all individuals who would like to decrease the level of an anger problem, on the following conditions; a) >18 years of age; b) currently not receiving clinical care from a psychologist or psychiatrist; c) have regular weekly access to the internet.

To find out more about the study, you can contact Amanda, in complete confidentiality, at ahowie@myune.edu.au.

This project has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of New England.

HREC Approval No. HE13-056 ‘A Study of Emotions’ Lisa Butcher is currently completing her Honours year in the Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) through the University of New England. She is an external student and she is currently in the process of writing her thesis with the assistance of her supervisor, Associate Professor John Malouff.

Lisa’s research aim is to explore the relationship between emotion, well-being and the use of music. Participation involves an online survey which will take approximately 10-15 minutes.

You must be 18 years or over to participate.

HREC Approval No. HE13-037 An examination of ‘the individual differences that exist among participants’ responses to a painful stimulus.’

Participation Anyone aged 18 years of age or older may participate.

Participation will involve completing the cold compressor task and filling in some questionnaires, all of which will take approximately 40 minutes. Participation is entirely voluntary and you may withdraw your involvement at any time, without having to give a reason for doing so.

This research has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of New England.

For more information please contact Melissa at: mdaugela@myune.edu.au

If you would like to participate in Lisa’s study please type the following address into your internet address bar: http://unebcss.us2.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9XFUdONryXtg08B

Or alternatively, email Lisa at lbutche2@myune.edu.au and she will send you the link to click on.

If you participate you will have the satisfaction of helping others and contributing to new psychological knowledge.

Lisa’s study has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of New England.

20

STUDENT PROFILE

Methuen Morgan Hometown: Condamine, Western Queensland Studying: PhD candidate Methuen Morgan is a mature age student in the third year of his PhD candidature. He currently tutors in PSYCH315/515 Environmental Psychology, PSYCH202 Research Methods and Statistics, and lectures in this topic. He is the father of two young men – both studying at UNE – and a three year old daughter.

Methuen first studied at UNE in the early ‘80s. Despite being fully involved in the student life, playing all three codes of football, and enjoying the traditional college social life, he managed to complete his undergraduate degree in Financial Administration. For the next twenty years he worked in the cattle industry. While loving the farming lifestyle he found that he wanted a different challenge, and so with fond memories of his time in Armidale, he decided to follow his passion and returned to study Psychology at UNE in 2005.

While working part time, and running a “postage stamp” property he completed his Bachelor of Arts (Honours First Class) in 2010. If this wasn’t challenging enough his youngest child, Eilish was born in 2010. Despite a newborn in the house he was awarded the 2010 UNE Australian Psychology Prize for his thesis “Future Time, Environmental Attitudes and Behaviours within the Australian Rural Sector”. His thesis was based on a substantive survey of Australian farmers and looked at how a range of psycho-social variables including, environmental attitudes, time perspectives and self-efficacy impacted on their levels of engagement in sustainability of farming practices.

His current PhD thesis topic is “ Australian Farmers’ Responses to Coal Seam Gas Extraction Operations”. This study is looking at behavioural responses, coping style, resilience, and mental health outcomes of farmers dealing with CSG companies together with those farmers who aren’t. His thesis is attempting to develop cognitive profiles of Australian farmers. To do so, he has chosen to investigate farmers’ attitudes to chronic man-made stressors such as mining lease interactions which, he says, are not generally well understood.

Australian farmers are less than 2 % of the population, supply approximately 90% of the fresh food consumed in this country everyday and provide stewardship to approximately 60% of the Australian landmass. Contributing to and progressing the current understanding of the psycho-social issues impacting farmers’ well-being appears to Methuen to be an imperative task.

The issues associated with CSG industry share some similarities to other resource sectors such as the nuclear power industry in as much as it appears to polarise the communities affected. While some farmers appear quite happy to engage with the CSG operators others appear to be trenchantly opposed as a result of a range of concerns including but not limited to; water extraction/contamination, environmental destruction, farm productivity issues, privacy, impact on autonomy, and community adhesion. What has not been explored in any detail to date and what this study hopes to address is the mental health impacts on farmers who are confronting the possibility of CSG drilling operations and compare this then to the general farming community.

Methuen hopes that this study will provide the beginnings of a template on the impacts of chronic man-made stressors which may assist those concerned with the development and implementation of policy together with those delivering services to and representing the interests of rural Australia.

Methuen is evangelistic about rural men’s health and has been a speaker at several rural men’s mental health events, Tie up the black dog in Qld in 2010, and the 11th National Rural Health Conference in 2011. He has recently been invited to speak at the Rural and Remote Mental Health Conference later in 2013.

Dr. Adam J. Rock Lecturer, School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences University of New England

STAFF PROFILE

Dr Adam Rock is a lecturer in Psychology at UNE. He teaches PSYC202 - Research Methods and Statistics, a 4th year reading unit titled ‘Altered Consciousness’, and shares PSYC101 duties with other members of the Psychology faculty. His eccentric and unorthodox teaching style has made him well known among Psychology students even in the year he’s been teaching here.

Though Dr Rock teaches a unit based around statistics, the main focus of his work is very different. “My area of research is human consciousness. More specifically, I have focused on the experimental induction of a variety of altered states of consciousness with special reference to the phenomenology (intensity and pattern of subjective experience) of those states.” In collaboration with others he has published three books (others pending) and an enormous number of journal articles on Shamanism, altered states of consciousness, and even a thematic analysis of the extremely controversial substance N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT).

Dr Rock says of his interest in this area; “When I was undertaking my second year of undergraduate psychology I had a lecturer who was interested in eastern philosophy, meditation, shamanism, and altered states. This subject matter opened up a whole new world of inquiry for me and ignited in me a deep interest in human potential.” And chances are he will have a similar effect on students of his own.

Dr Rock’s classes are a totally unique experience. His seemingly inexhaustible energy, humour, and unconditionally positive attitude make his lectures hard to forget. A student of his PSYC202 2012 class said of it, “I found the lectures to be an utterly terrifying and hilarious experience, and I was devastated when the unit was over. Somehow he managed to make me interested in statistics, for which I will never forgive him.” Another student said of PSYC101, “He is engaging, energetic, and brings even the most banal subjects to life.”

As for his recent work, “Currently, I am working on various projects.

For example, I am completing a chapter on “neurophenomenology” (the study of brain and experience) for the Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Transpersonal Psychology. I am also working on a number of books including Advances in Parapsychological Research Volume 10, and The Survival Hypothesis: Understanding Mediumship. Finally, I am working on a number of journal articles concerned with, for instance, experiments examining mediumship, shamanism, and holotropic breathwork (i.e., a therapeutic technique involving extreme breathing).”

PSYC101 and 202 are available in Trimester 1 only.

- Stu Horsfield

©2011 Australian Institute of Parapsychological Research

ENVIRONMENT

The University of New England and

Sustainability

Did you visit the Sustainability Stall at Market Day? At Open Day? Well, just in case you missed us, here is some information about sustainability at UNE.

Firstly, what is Sustainability? Some people do research into sustainability, projects think of it as economic sustainability, and which span the arts, sciences, business, edbeing able to operate a business, knowing ucation, health, law and more. Students at that it will offer jobs and security in the UNE are researching carbon markets and long term. Other people think of it as en- storage, coal seam gas, preparing plans for vironmental sustainability, and as humans coastal areas to manage climate change: behaving in a way that does not place un- the aspects of sustainability are endless. due pressure on the natural resources that Through this research UNE students and sustain us. The truth is sustainability is all academics have a growing understanding of these things, and more. It also means of the ways in which human wellbeing and giving the Earth “a fair go”, social welfare are recognizing natural limits, “Sustainability is also linked to environour own limits and working mental health. They to our strengths to address about the way we are using this apour weaknesses. teach and research” preciation to advise policy makers and Secondly, what is UNE’s inassist non-governvolvement in sustainability? The University ment organizations and private landholders has been a signatory to the Talloires Dec- and businesses to manage both our envilaration for Sustainability, an international ronment and human affairs for the betteragreement for sustainability in higher edu- ment of both. cation since 2005. Winning a Green Globe award from the NSW government in 2010 Sustainability is also about the way we for its 10 year performance in Sustainabili- teach and research, as well as the what, and ty was great recognition for the university’s how, the university campus is managed. Reachievements and performance. cent initiatives include the electronic bikes for hire and electronic marking of assignThere are many people at UNE, including ments, reducing paper usage. The universiboth staff and students, who are commit- ty is also making the campus environment ted to sustainability and helping build a more conducive for learning and working, better world for all of us. You may already as well as more welcoming for biodiversibe working in sustainability or enrolled in ty. If you have been down to SportUNE or a degree that studies sustainability, such as the creeklands lately you will have seen the the Bachelor of Sustainability, or the Bach- hundreds of milk cartons along Dumaresq elor of Environmental Science, or Peace Creek. No, not rubbish. Each milk carton Studies or Environmental houses a native tree or initiatives shrub planted by stuAdvocacy, or the MBA. “Recent But nursing and medical dents, staff and cominclude the electronstudents are studying susmunity volunteers over tainability too, for health ic bikes for hire and summer and autumn is a central concern for the this year. UNE Landelectronic marking social sustainability of our care and the Armidale communities, particularly of assignments...” Urban River Care Group in rural areas. And educa(AURG), in consultation tion students will be studwith the University, ying sustainability as part of the curriculum have been in charge of this project. A calenthat they must teach, but education also is dar of planting activities have transformed critical to the sustainability of our commu- the creeklands from being weed infested nities, and our species. and looking slightly despondent into what will be in future a haven for biodiversity This is part of the teaching that UNE pro- and a riparian environment of which we vides, but staff and students at UNE also can all be proud.

“Tree Plant the Creeklands” “Tree plant the creeklands” is the theme of this year’s student poster competition.

We hold this comp every year to promote the sustainability events around campus.

One year students designed posters promoting new recycling bins. Another year the theme was the new water bubblers.

The prize pool is $1000 and the competition is open to all UNE students, individuals or in groups, undergraduates and postgraduates, with a limit of one entry per student/group. Entries must be a single A4 promotional poster to encourage volunteers to plant and maintain the trees down at the creeklands. Entries close first day of Trimester 2, Monday 1 July 2013.

Entries will be assessed by an expert judging panel whose decision will be final and the winners announced on Monday 22nd July 2013. For further information please see: http://www.une.edu.au/talloires/poster-competition.php.

You can check out previous competition entries at http://www.une.edu.au/talloires/ …and join our email list to be notified of all sustainability happenings – including student competitions and tree planting events https://mail.une.edu.au/lists/cgi-bin/ listinfo/talloires

- Robyn Bartel

[Med Beats] This is an incomplete and incoherent version of a Med Revue work in progress which will be performed by UNE med kids later this year (if I have anything to do with it). Read it as a rap. Or maybe as Dr Seuss. In it, a surgeon is examining the knowledge of a few interns.

But do you know the location of the epiphysis?

Do you know what to do during a surgical crisis?

Do you know if IGF-beta is Diprotic?

And that iodide forms an acid most iodic?

But what are implications of trichotillomania And how to examine the anatomy of the crania I don’t think I ever will explain to ya The amount that I hate ya.

If I ask to hear some ethics will you read me some Hume?

Have you ever identified the round ligament of the womb?

Do you know the time to take a patient’s serologies?

Can you tell me the whole textbook of gastroenterology?

Was Parkinson’s ever treated by experimental ablation?

Will lumbar puncture cause pneumodeflation?

Does the current knowledge yield cures to pathologies?

If I say the names of disease will you give me aetiologies?

You can’t really be telling me that you know …the right time and dose of adrenaline?

Why I whistle out my bum when I put a feather in? …the foundational tenents of modern medicine? … the sweet, sweet taste of pethidine?

- Christoff

Christoff is a medical student at UNE. In his spare time, he studies medicine. He is also a physiology tutor! You should check that out: 0458 964 204. Most 2nd and 3rd year subjects covered. He knows all that stuff in that stupid poem, what a smart feller.

Also check out Med Revues on YouTube, because they are amazing.

A Word with Judd

Once again I am back to give you an imaginary vocal ear-bashing. Did you miss me? Probably not. My next words are here to give you a rollercoaster of emotions and the occasional want to saw your own leg off.

Enjoy.

Pulchritudinous

There are many words in the English language which convey a meaning in such a way that they sound nothing like what they actually mean. Take the example of ‘pulchritudinous’, pronounced ‘pole-kree-tude-in-us’. When you hear this word, images of a short, squat person with an upturned nose, wearing a curly blond wig and sitting on a three legged stool abound. Yet the word actually means somebody or something which possesses great physical beauty.

Imagine you and your partner of

choice sitting by an open fire, thinking of those long lonely nights spent alone before you found them. Your eyes meet.

You move closer. You admire their pulchritudinous figure…

Pulchritudinous figure…

At this point you may choose to leap from the window as your partner goes to get the wig and three legged stool again. I am not saying this is a particularly good way of expressing your adoration for their beauty, but it

does mean that if you remark this to a complete stranger, in the hopes of wooing them, they probably will quickly turn and touch you. By punching you in the face.

is somebody who is being ‘supercilious’. Supercilious refers to a person who is showing a haughty distain for someone or, in common terms, is being proud and perhaps a little bit arrogant. When you observe this behaviour, not only should you phone the local zoo and tell them that one of their baboons has escaped, but you should also bellow across the room,

“OI, YOU! STOP BEING SO SUPERCILIOUS”. Make sure it is loud enough that they spill their yogurt, to save them the trouble later. At this point it is vital that you should look at yourself and make sure that the tub of yogurt which just appeared in front of you is well sealed, and that your sneer is not too noticeable… you may be in for a good bellowing shortly.

Supercilious You know that guy sitting over there?

The one sneering at you whilst you try to open that difficult pre-packaged food item which eventually results in you having to use your teeth?

You know the one who clearly thinks of themselves as superior to every living person, right before they trip over and spill their organic yogurt all over themselves? That, dear reader,

Front cover illustration by Jarrod Bevear & Madeleine Clarke.

Both artists available for work on commission basis.

http://www.facebook.com/jbeveardesign http://www.facebook.com/MadeleineClarkeFineArt

Jarrod – digital artist from Darlinghurst, NSW Bachelor of Digital Media – University of New South Wales College Of Fine Arts Bachelor of Law – University of New England

Maddie – artist from Paddington, NSW Bachelor of International Studies/ Bachelor of Communications – University of Technology, Sydney

Love music? Need to find a media outlet to do a WORK300 Unit?

Looking to gain some experience in Media, Communication or Journalism? Working on your New England Award or Duke of Edinburgh Challenge?

TuneFM, Australia’s oldest university radio station, offers opportunities for both Internal and External students to volunteer in a wide range of roles. Contact us on tunefm@services.une.edu.au to register your interest.

Are you interested in Journalism? Are you looking for experience writing for a newspaper? Or are you just looking to improve your writing skills? Nucleus is looking for student writers to work with us on future editions. We’re looking for people to who could do one or more of the following; • Research and write pieces on news and events at UNE • Write column-style opinion pieces on topics rele-

vant to students • Draw, paint, sketch, sculpt, cartoon, or generally

“do art” related to upcoming stories, or pieces of

your own inspiration • Write short stories, poetry, haikus, crosswords, or

other creative word-oriented things for our Arts Pages

If you feel you would be interested in any of these things (and can work to a deadline), or don’t have any specific talents or dreams but just want to help out, drop by our office in the Union Arcade (opposite Campus Essentials [looks like a hair salon but isn’t]) or send us an email!

We also accept anonymous submissions by post!

Nucleus is pleased to announce a revolution in journalism: The Gender Non-Specific Advice Device – or GNSAD. This revolution in journalistic technique is to Aunt Agony what your iPhone 5 is to your grandma’s stationary set, GNSAD is to Dear Abby what a modern motor car is to a sloth in roller skates. We’ve been working on its calculatorial capabilities for literally weeks and now its ready- spitting out the fast facts of life at NBN speeds.

We’ve dialled the snark to 11 and loaded the memory stick full of relevance, so if you have a quandary a head-scratcher or any other social, moral or human difficulty who better to ask then the most up to date machine?

ntly e r r u s c i cal i D n A h S c N The G ncing te . s ie exper fficultie di to s wishe any s u r e fo Nucl but e d s e i s g u apolo nience ca ty for ve n o bili c a n i i l lt. s no u t s p n e i c ac or e g a m da you e eliev these b you ith w f I t ase s e i l s p s a can us. ies e t l l c u u c SAD@n diffi N G ct a t u n o c org.a

Email: editors@nucleus.org.au Post: P.O. Box U1, UNE, Armidale NSW 2351 Deadline for contributions for Issue 5 is the 24th of June.

We hope to hear from you soon!

To contact the GNSAD directly, send your questions to GNSAD@nucleus.org.au