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UNESA Election Results
POLITICS: ON YOUR MIND?
TimetableIntensive Schools
NUCLEUS Vol. 1, No. 6, August 2013
ISSUE
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Oh dear most Beloved and most beholden Readers! It brings us joy to deliver to you your monthly Journaux d’information locale. We have been gazing into the depths of the sky and digging into the musty vaults of the past in order to place upon your palate for contemplation (omphaloskepsis?) many of the goings-on and other noteworthy containments and entertainments of your most esteemed university. We would like to thank the Chancellor for his graceful foreword, and would also like to express our pleasure toward the rest of the wonderful cast of characters who stepped forward to contribute articles, information, reports, and other musings. We feel grateful to them, as without them, our pages would doubtless be desolately bare. Yet never sated, always ambitious, we want more, and for this we need YOU! Send us your pitch, things you have written, or even just your email address so that we can hunt you down - and become a part of the student voice, the university community, and of Nucleus, YOUR medium of expression that is rising from the darkness of silence. In particular we search for those with a command of language and a keen sense of interest or reporting ability; undisclosed prizes will be awarded to the most passionate and marvellous among you. As editorship takes its toll and we become old, wizened and increasingly incoherent, we are begininning the search for our successors. At the same time, we are expanding for shits and giggles’ sake and are in need of people to fill new positions that we have made up. There are a few more sparing details of this on page 15. Remember, live long, laugh loudly, join in and have fun. Liberty of the press! Equality of the students! Fraternity for the university! - The Editors
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- Editorial - Foreword: John Watkins - Letters - UNESA Election Results - Politics is the Flavour of the Next Few Months - The Water and the Wait in Kenya - Opinion: 21st Century Australia - A New Option? - Noticeboard! - Student Profile - Staff Profile - Environment: Powershift - INTENSIVE SCHOOLS: Timetable - Arts Pages - Neucleus: June 1950
EDITORS: Sarita Perston and Stewart Horsfield Contact Us:
facebook: www.facebook.com/NucleusUNE email: editors@nucleus.org.au website: www.nucleus.org.au post: P.O. Box U1, UNE Armidale NSW 2351 Cover Art by Melalin Mahavongtrakul
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.
Chancellor John Watkins In March 1974, I stood in Eddy Avenue outside Central Railway Station, surrounded by hundreds of young people waiting to struggle on to an express bus taking students out to the Uni of NSW campus at Kensington. It was my first week in my first year at University. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was the first in my family to go to university which was free following Gough Whitlam’s election in 1972 and his Government’s desire to rapidly increase opportunities for tertiary education. I was doing Arts/Law, fresh out of an all boys’ high school in Sydney. It took me a while to get my head around it all but it started a life-long fascination and involvement in Education. Since then, I have been a school teacher for 16 years, the Minister for Education in NSW, a University Council Member and now the Chancellor of one of Australia’s most unique and quality universities. That first bus trip has, for me, lead to a long and satisfying journey. Recently I have been thinking about the benefits of university education and what UNE students can expect from their time at UNE. First, university still provides that most remarkable opportunity for individuals to change their lives through education. UNE, with other universities, unlocks human potential and allows opportunities to flourish. Second, it plays a critical role in professional and vocational education and training. It prepares individuals for careers and assists our country to grow economically, in reputation and in the contact it engenders between people. Third, UNE allows students to meet inspiring teachers, to develop relationships with other students who will be life-long friends and provides many with the opportunity to experience the world through meeting students from overseas and for some, studying in foreign universities. Fourth, studying at UNE, as with other universities, helps the development of a more tolerant, enquiring, more sensitive and democratic Australia. That is what education does for people and UNE has been doing it superbly for generations. Finally, studying at university satisfies that deep yearning human beings have for knowledge, for understanding the mystery of our existence, for sensitivity towards the beauty of music, art and literature and to give us the opportunity to reflect and ponder on such aspects of life. All of these qualities are present in the life of UNE, in the students we embrace and in the staff who devote themselves to the challenge. Accordingly, I am delighted and humbled at being elected Chancellor of this great university.
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LETTERS
To submit a letter, email editors@nucleus.org.au with ‘Letter’ or ‘Letter to the Editors’ in the subject line. Anonymous submission box coming soon to a location near you.
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managementunews@gmail.com | c/o University of New England Armidale NSW 2351
Dear University, I am writing to you in my capacity as the President of the UNE Women’s Society, a student founded and operated group which aims to further women’s issues and promote community and cooperation between all women affiliated with UNE. A key aim of our constitution is to create and maintain a safe space for women at UNE. We have begun to realise this aim by creating an online safe space, and now we seek your help in realising phase two of our strategic plan which is a women’s room on campus. Our space would be a women’s only space where we could:
• Provide a safe autonomous space for all women who visit the Armidale Campus; • Provide a non-confrontational, and anonymous access point for information and services relating to sexual health and contraception, mental health, crisis counselling, drug and alcohol use etc; • Provide a quiet, private and clean place for mothers to feed their babies and for mothers with small children; and • Provide a meeting and resource sharing space for groups like the UNE Women’s Society, Mums@UNE and other women’s groups on campus.
We also envisage that the existence of such a space will encourage cooperation and peer support between all the women at UNE, who are a group which represent a diversity of backgrounds, ages, beliefs, and lifestyles, and will be a vital resource in helping women to achieve their goals at university. If you agree that UNE needs a women’s space, we would ask that you help by; 1. Sign our online petition at https://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/the-university-of-newengland-armidale-give-women-space 2. Send a letter of support to the UNE Women’s Society at managementunews@gmail.com (ask us about membership, T-shirts and pins as well) Thank-you in advance for your support in this important issue.
Yours sincerely, Amelia Roberts, on behalf of the UNEWS Executive and the women of UNE and, Sikiki Lloyd, President of Mums@UNE and, Rachel Campbell, Vice President of Mums@UNE. 5
UNESA Election Results
Nucleus is pleased to announce the election of the following persons onto the board of UNESA, the students’ association, it having been recently re-formed, registered and a consitution finalised, and the following now consituting the Board of Directors of UNESA, or more apprpriately termed in reference to the reponsibilities now beholden to them - your student representatives.
The Board of Directors
The UNESA board is structured on a cohort model to ensure that all the cohorts of the University student population are represented, so that equitable and informed decisions can be made when representing student issues to the university.
Undergraduate Rep Rachel Campbell
Postgraduate Rep Sikiki Lloyd
Vice-President Josh Osborne
Internal Student Rep Adrian Le Gay Brereton
College Rep Penny Wright
UNESA
President David Mailler
board
International Student Rep
Kholoud Hilal
2 x General Reps Polly Wong
Samantha McIntyre 2 x External Reps Ian Mathewson Emily Willmott
DESIGN PRINT POST freecall 1300 853 700 email sales@evansprinting.com.au 6
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your local printer proudly suporting the Nucleus
Politics is the flavour of the next few months It is hard to believe that we are nearly half So sadly be assured this federal election is way through trimester two. Already I am not about the rising number of university hearing students talking about assignments students living below the poverty line or and last week the exam timetable was pub- the difficulties faced by families trying to lished. Congratulations to Stu and Sarita for support the aspirations of students from what is the sixth edition of Nucleus. There all cohorts. It is about increased funding has been plenty going on at the University to primary and secondary education that of New England Student Association (UN- will deliver a new generation of students to ESA), a fresh start fierce competition for with a new conuniversity places that “So sadly be assured this stitution and elecare poorly funded or tions. UNESA will non-existent. Where federal election is not be a new fresh and did the education about the rising number of strong advocate for revolution disappear university students living all students at UNE. off to, burnt up in below the poverty line...” the fiery blaze of the For the next month phoenix of elections or so the news will past. be dominated by another election and asylum seekers are again centre stage in the The current politically expedient decisions lead up to this election. What is it about our will load higher and higher debt on a young politicians and their preoccupation of being generation who one day, might be asked to un-Australian? Australian history of human bail the country out of the excesses of sucexistence is of people arriving on boats and cessive neo-liberal government policies. Fuleaky boats at that. The fifth and sixth line ture generations will have to bear the deciof the often overlooked second verse of our sions of politicians who have failed to pay national anthem welcomes, to my mind spe- forward the opportunities they were privcifically ‘irregular maritime arrivals.’ ileged to receive. Regional university students already face huge obstacles in receiv Verse 2 ing a tertiary education. So the students at UNE should not expect Beneath our radiant Southern Cross any respite from our poWe’ll toil with hearts and hands; litical masters.
To make this Commonwealth of ours Renowned of all the lands; For those who’ve come across the seas We’ve boundless plains to share; With courage let us all combine To Advance Australia Fair. In joyful strains then let us sing, Advance Australia Fair.
I am not for a moment encouraging people to employ people smugglers to put those same people in harm’s way. I am questioning the seemingly un-Australian treatment of desperate people.
citing year of rebuilding the student fraternity at UNE. I would like to thank Abdullah Alanazi and his Postgrad committee and the members of the Undergrad committee for their effort over the past year. - David Mailler UNESA President
UNESA’s vision To represent students without fear or favour and to encourage participation in a fair and just tertiary experience through shared higher thinking
On a brighter note, the UNESA election is over. The privilege of UNESA representative comes with responsibility, so welcome and congratulations to the new student representatives of UNESA. Eight years without student representation has left deep scars on the collegiate psyche of the student fraternity, something UNESA will turn around. It will be an ex-
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by Katy Carlan Was a difficult start to the trimester for me here as I battled various housing and postage dramas. Thinking I would get on to study early I ordered my textbook – Resolving Conflict by Tillett and French – quite early from the Armidale bookstore. I judge that my success rate with receiving packages here is 30%, not bad really. By my count the things missing are: 1. Make-up, sunscreen and hairdye from my younger sister; 2. Purple jeans from my younger sister; 3. A teddy bear from my Mum (oh you’d request the same, admit it…); 4. Various postcards and letters; 5. A replacement credit card; 6. And oh yes, the PIN code for that credit card.
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The Water and the Wait in Kenya
Somebody in the post service is quite enjoying the generosity of my family (and bank). When you pay over $120 for a textbook + postage the same week you pay your Uni fees you do so with a lengthy, and firm, prayer it’s going to boost your success rate not lessen it. I was all excited when I got the little pink slip announcing the textbooks’ arrival a few weeks later. The trip into town to the General Post Office isn’t exactly a long one. It’s more…an adventurous one. It’s a process. A looong process. The GPO is open from 8-5 Mon-Fri, exactly the hours I work. Going to town during the day involves either a couple of matatu trips (public transport vans with names like EXTREME and BLITZ QUEEN and BEND OVER and ALICIA that play blaring Luther Vandross as they hoon all over the footpaths) that are inevitably slow, crowded and confusing, or an expensive taxi drive which also takes a fair chunk out of your wallet and your day, traffic and the road system being very restrictive here. Like most people around the world, my work day is filled with meetings, discussions, emails, lost pens, phone calls, attempting to unjam the printer/secretly pretending the printer jam was not your fault, more meetings and wandering around the corridors of our office holding my mug in one hand and a tea bag in the other, asking everyone I meet ‘hakuna maji? Kwa nini?’ (there is no water? Why?) when the water doesn’t fall from the taps like it should and we must go to the tank out the back with the bucket, or the jug, or just the kettle itself if you are lazy like I am. The water and power infrastructure here in Nairobi is haphazardly built and maintained. Water shuts off for no apparent reason and there are regular power cuts. A power cut in a cavernous supermarket packed with murmuring people is at first an eerie experience – hushed silence, breathheld and brief, like a small break out of the world. I recently moved apartments after the water issues in my previous place. Long and ridiculous tale but let’s just say it involved confusing complications with the downstairs tank, the roof-top tank, the sensor, the pipes, the expensive existing hot water system and the installation of a cheaper – but dodgy – hot water system, using up the water, the intermittent and unreliable Nairobi town water system, accidently leaving the pump on and cleverly flooding the downstairs neighbour’s yard while emptying both our tanks, the water sellers busy filling other parts of the city and a steady stream of young and inept plumbers. The
brightest idea the enthusiastic plumbers had for fixing things was to break another part of the system to do so. There wasn’t malicious intent, just the merry cheeriness of a workman who’d been called out to fix a job and was damn well going to fix that job using all available materials on hand. The funniest part was when the hot water stopped due to air collecting in the pipes – the result of the town water cutting off and restarting a couple of days later (it didn’t affect the cold water because of the shiny-new-butdodgy hot water system that was installed because of…well, I digress.) It took the plumbers and us some time to work out the problem, during which time it was cold showers and a frantic visit to the salon for a hair wash. The fact the previous plumber had taken off the hot water switch to fix another switch caused some further confusion. The new plumber attached a vent on the inside water pipe, with instructions to – after the town water was turned back on – turn the vent and wait. Easy plan. So the first time we listen in merrily, putting our ear up close to the vent and listening to the air escape, listening to a mysterious pause and an odd gurgling sound that’s coming closer…and closer… Well.
The new apartment has had few water problems. There was that one weekend the workmen turned off the pump and forgot to turn it back on. After that there was only cold water for two days. Then only scorching hot water for one day. But then it was all good again. So the adventurous trip to the GPO. It took me two weeks to get down there, I dedicated a whole afternoon to it and hired a taxi to do a round trip, at which time I discovered that the bookstore at Armidale had sent the wrong book. Frantic emails and nail-biting ensued as I prayed things would co-ordinate by July 1 and the textbook would also make it through the post. In miraculous news, it did, the hardest part of which involved taking a day off work and a five hour wait after DHL ascertained they had accidently delivered it to the incorrect, far distant DHL office and had to locate and motorbike it back to my local one. I think I used that time to catch a matatu in to the market and buy a shower curtain, with fingers crossed that it will not live out its life forlorn and useless like the one in my old place and like the copy of Psychological Assessment of Testing textbook that the bookstore kindly insisted I keep after the description of our postal system…
OPINION
21st Century Australia - A New Option?
by Ashleigh Baker
Two political parties, both alike in dignity, In fair Australia, where we lay our scene From vintage grudge break to new mutiny Where adults bicker, makes bickering seem unclean,
came a multi-millionaire in less than 5 years. I assumed that this story I had heard was a load of exaggerated melodramatic bull-dust which had absolutely no relevance to my life, so I pretty much ignored it.
From forth the fatal laws of these two foes A new party creates its life……..and…That’s the best I can do.
I work in an IT store and one of my customers whom I regularly talk politics with told me about a new political party running for federal parliament in the upcoming election against Barnaby Joyce. The party was called the 21st Century Australia Party and whilst excitedly googling their webpage I came across the name Jamie McIntyre and was able to link the broke to riches story of ‘average Joe’ Jamie to the founder of the new political party.
Over the past few years we have watched the Liberal and Labor governments in our parliament bicker like school children. Without relaying a chronological timeline of the events taken place between the parties over the past few years, I can confidently say I don’t really want to vote for either party in the upcoming election. My problem lies in the fact that as a student of history; I value my vote, and I want my vote to count and contribute to creating the best possible outcome for Australia. A few months ago a man named Jamie Something-a-rather flew across my radar. He had a wonder story that I didn’t really believe. Jamie was just this average guy who had hit rock bottom, owed $150,000 and slept on his friend’s couch. After some form of epiphany surrounding what he lacked in education and correcting this he managed to turn his life around and be-
21st Century Australia Party suggests not only new legislation but a new political model for the roles of both the politician and the Government. This would mean revolutionising the government system from one that we know into a system that we haven’t really seen yet. According to the political party’s website the fundamental traditional way our government has been run over the last hundred years is not suitable moving into the technological 21st century and thus the party has a 25 point plan to ‘Improve Australia.’ For example step 2 of the 25 step plan dictates that ‘Government spending (be) removed from the
hands of politicians and placed in the hands of an independent board, similarly to how interest rate settings are set independently.’ The political party was launched on the 22nd of April 2013, it is a brand new party and I find it amazing that the party has in such a short time been able to come up with solutions to some of Australia’s greatest issues. It makes me wonder just how efficiently these solutions could be implemented by such a young party. One skeptical Facebook user said he believed the page was full of Propaganda; the word ‘Peacocking’ came to mind when I first viewed the page as there are photos of Jamie with politicians like Tony Blair, celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger and George Clooney as well as self-made man Richard Branson. There can be no doubt over who is in control of the new political party and the website would have us believe that Jamie is the political saviour Australia needs to oust the Rudd/Abbott problem and move Australia into a compassionate capitalist styled future. I am intrigued by this new party and find its political ideology refreshing and modern, only time will tell if the 21st Century Australia Party is ready to play with the big boys of politics and if they are competent enough to walk their peacocky talk. 9
UNE Wins National Accolades for Entrepreneurial Spirit Competing against 21 other universities nationally, a team of 11 young entrepreneurs from the University of New England (UNE) took out the prestigious Enactus Australia Championships on Friday 5 July. Enactus is a global organisation, which brings student, academic and business leaders together to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. UNE Enactus Team President, Rachel Price said the team was over the moon with the win after making it to the final round last year, but falling short of first place. She said the team had worked tirelessly on the projects, putting in over 5,330 hours over the past year, raising just under $115,000 and directly impacted the lives of 1,482 people. Each team in the Enactus competition must develop, manage and report on outreach initiatives that address areas of human need. Teams must approach these projects as sustainable business enterprises, working to maximise returns to targeted beneficiaries.
“In the long-term the Minimbah project aims to gain legislative support to ensure every Australian receives a free, automatic birth certificate when born. In the short term, we’ve been raising money to fund the birth registration and/or certificates of over 1200 Australians,” said Mr Artuso. Minimbah was born out of the Fin-Lit project, which equipped primary students and their families in predominantly indigenous schools with basic financial literacy skills. “Part of the Fin-Lit program helped sign participants up to a bank account, however many students couldn’t without birth certificates. We found about 40 per cent of the indigenous population in the New England region didn’t have birth certificates. It’s estimated around 31 per cent of indigenous communities nationally don’t have birth-certificates,” said Mr Artuso. The team’s Farming Futures project linked the many companies crying out for quality graduates from agricultural courses to the talent they’re after.
The UNE team presented on three projects, addressing key issues in the New England region: Farming Futures, meeting demand for skills and careers in agriculture; Fin-Lit, focusing on financial literacy in local indigenous schools; and Minimbah, redressing the “identity crisis” facing under-privileged communities where many births aren’t recognised by a birth certificate or registration. Ms Price said these weren’t just local challenges; they were national. “We’re hoping each of these projects makes a fundamental difference to what are significant national problems. While we’ve started on a relatively small-scale, our vision for these programs to make significant changes to people’s lives all over the country,” said Ms Price. Leader of the Fin-Lit and Minimbah projects Jason Artuso said a birth certificate in Australia was profoundly important as it is the primary document for citizenship. “Without a birth certificate there can be no bank account, passport, driver’s license, tax file number, access to schools; the list goes on. Research is currently underway to understand the full consequences of not having a birth certificate. It’s clear that Indigenous communities in particular have a high incidence of unregistered births, without certificates. 10
“Demand for graduates outstrips supply in the sector by a factor of four to one, yet 30 per cent of recent graduates aren’t employed. Through an agricultural career fair and an industry dinner, we’ve showcased the many professions on offer in agriculture and helped match graduates with leading employers,” said Ms Newton. The UNE team will now proceed to the World Cup to be held in Cancan, Mexico - 29 September to 2 October 2013.
The New Era of AIABP
AIA Buddy Program (AIABP) has been an active group within the UNE community since 2010. For over three years, our dedicated founder Sewa Emojong has been working tirelessly in developing and organising social events, and connecting students from all over the world together in Armidale. This has positively enhanced both the university and the local community.
With the desire to focus on her studies, Sewa (together with Prashanth Van Houten, another highly committed member of the AIABP Committee) have decided to step down from the committee as of this trimester. Despite this, she will always be someone who we can turn to for mentorship and guidance. Though under a new leadership, our goal still remains the same. We will still thrive to create a cultural understanding between international and local students through various social events. Our present committee itself is very international, comprising of students from five different countries studying five different majors. Diversity starts with us, and it has always been interesting to have members from different backgrounds working together towards a common goal. The new committee has already
From its humble beginning, the Buddy Program has taken many leaps and bounds and started to become bigger and better as the years went on. Our array of events include: International Food and Dance Party (2011), Armidale Amazing Race (2012), AIABP Talent Showcase (2012), Rollin’ in the ‘Dale (2012), Courtyard Cooking Show (2013), Future Leaders Workshop (2013), and the highly successful ‘I Love Culture Festival’ which was held in March this year. With over 400 people in attendance, it was the biggest event we’ve had so far in the history of the Buddy Program.
had its first success organising the ‘Dinner Club’: a feast for everyone to experience international food here in Armidale. Our first Dinner Club (titled ‘Sawasdee Thailand’) was held at Happy Thai Restaurant on July 19. It was a great night with everyone trying out the scrumptious and exotic cuisine from the Land of Smile, and Happy Thai was indeed the land full of smiling faces that night. The authentic cuisine sure made everyone happy and some of us have now become their regular customers. AIABP has come a long way since 2010, thanks largely to the support of the university, the Armidale community, and the hard work of dedicated students wanting to make a difference. We are looking forward to the next chapter of this exciting journey and things certainly look bright for us. Keep an eye on us because we have great things in store for everyone. For more information and updates on our latest events and more, visit http://www.facebook.com/AIABuddyProgram. We can’t wait to see you all at our events in the weeks to come!
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The UNE International Student Photography Exhibition International Student Perspectives of Life in Armidale Friday the 12th of July saw UNE International (supported by the New England Regional Art Museum) host the inaugural UNE International Student Photography Exhibition. The exhibition sought to address a recognised need for additional activities for international students in the colder months, and to provide a chance for the wider community to acknowledge the valuable contributions which international students make to the Armidale region. Many international students in Armidale give willingly and generously of their time; volunteering in the community, participating in local events and working around town. Yet the wider community often does not have the opportunity to experience their impressions of their time in Australia. The chance to articulate these perspectives is also often limited by a student’s English language level; therefore, the exhibition also provided a chance for students to communicate with their audience through a purely visual form, without the issues and anxieties surrounding their English language level. Students were given the broad theme of “Life in Armi-
First Place - Julia Gorzitzke
panel included local photographer David Elkins, Vincent Blokker - PhD candidate and Senior Resident Fellow at Drummond and Smith College, and John Davidson – a community volunteer who generously shares his time and Australian culture and experiences with international students and their families. NERAM awards (selected by NERAM Acting Director Christine Durham and gallery staff), highlighted the work of students who had demonstrated strong artistic merit while also addressing the “Life in Armidale” theme.
Phu Thi Tran
dale” and had to address this theme in all entries. Overall, the exhibition drew participants from 11 countries; Saudi Arabia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Germany, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Bhutan and Italy. News of the event spread quickly around the university and throughout the Armidale, with articles in both the Armidale Express and the Armidale Independent. Twitter and Facebook were also abuzz with the event, with community members, including local MP Adam Marshall, re-tweeting news about the exhibition. The response for this exhibition from the UNE international student population was overwhelming with a broad range of interpretations and entries – photos addressed concepts such as exam stress, the local environment, cross-cultural knowledge exchange and experiences in homestay programs. Due to the strength of these entries, UNE and NERAM presented two award categories. UNE prizes were awarded by a panel of judges and focused on the successful delivery of the exhibition theme. The UNE judging 12
Due to the overall success of this exhibition, “Life in Armidale” will now join Rob Yen the University of New England’s 2013 promotion at Ag-Quip, where a People’s Choice Award will be announced for the most popular photo as voted by expo visitors. UNE International hopes that the International Student Photography Exhibition will become a yearly event on the UNE social calendar and garner further Donatella D’Anniballe support from students, the university and the Armidale community. - Kylie McCarthy
Mums@UNE Retreat - Christmas in July
26 excited women descended on the Nation’s Capital for the inaugural Mums@UNE Christmas in July in Canberra Retreat, some ladies assisted to the Friday night Mingle by a policeman in a onesie at the airport! This retreat was to build on the successes and ideas from our previous retreats in Albury and Coffs Harbour, with the theme of ‘The Gift that You Are’. On Friday night we mingled over mulled wine and hot chocolate, and then retired to our accommodation ready for a full day of activities on Saturday. Despite being fairly freezing, the ladies arrived at the Burns Club ready to participate in the program which had been kept a big secret. We had Zentangle workshop with a Canberra educator, Maria Reeves, who is the mum of a Mum@UNE! The mummies loved this as a stress-busting activity and the word ‘procrasti-zentangle’ was heard several times. We
were inspired by a life coach with some goal-setting and dream-setting activities then after all that hard work: Lunch!! The afternoon session included a singing workshop, gingerbread decorating, ornament decorating, then writing a letter to our teenage selves. This session saw the tissues come out, and some very lovely ladies allowed their letters to be shared with the group. We then concluded the day and went to get ready for our Christmas Dinner! We all dressed in our Christmas Finery and gathered for an amazing dinner complete with presents. On Sunday we braved the Canberra cold with an Amazing Race Around Canberra collecting the answers to clues at Canberra’s most beautiful landmarks. All agreed that it was a really special weekend full of fun, laughs and Christmas cheer!! It was an honour and a pleasure to organise this weekend for this special bunch of women and I loved hosting the retreat in my home city. A huge thanks needs to go to the brave women who came to meet their friends off the internet and the Mums@UNE Executive. - Rachel Campbell Vice President, Mums@UNE
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. 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. 6772 2300
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POSITIONS V A C A N T
The following are now open for expressions of interest and from all students _____________________ at Nucleus:
UNE students are requested to contribute to the September edition of Nucleus Under the theme
‘EDUCATION FOR PEACE’ What does peace mean to you?
- Assistant Editor - Advertising and Distributio n Manager - Web Design and Managem
ent
at UNESA: - Web Design and Managem ent ____________________ If you’re interested in any of the se positions, contact UNESA@une.edu.au for more info.
How can we educate for peace? Short articles, poems, cartoons and artwork welcome
let’s celebrate
PEACE! (submissions to: editors@nucleus.org.au)
A fresh start for PhUNE (pronounced funny) 2013! We’re inviting everyone to get involved and help re-energize our student body. Become a member in 2013 and receive automatic membership of NAPSA (National Association of Pharmacy Students Australia). You will be able to help promote UNE pharmacy students to our professional community, & develop friendships between internal and external students. In the meantime you can express your interest in becoming a member for 2013 by emailing Helen, hhall2@myune.edu.au. Meetings will occur via Adobe Connect, so we can all participate as members, whether internal or external. A recording of the first meeting is available on Moodle. We have established a PhUNE committee that is: - Accountable - Professional - Inclusive of all students - Maximizes quality benefits for all members & ensures there is a reliable line of communication with NAPSA. We’re inviting all UNE BPharm students to get involved and be a part of PhUNE whether you’re an internal or external student we will have activities, events and forums to suit all members 15
We Love Our Mothers In fact, we love all mothers. That’s why ASPIRE held our first ever Maternal Health Weekend in May. Thanks to our sponsors, Community Mutual, Services UNE, Zonta International Armidale Division, and Booloominbah, it was a great success with a splendid turnout to all the events. The first success came in a little late thanks to the fog at Armidale airport but eventually Dr David Browning arrived for our fundraising lunch on Friday May10th. David is one of the founders of the Barbara May Foundation, the charity which ASPIRE has chosen to sponsor this year. The Barbara May Foundation raises funds to support the work of David’s sister Valerie Browning and son, Dr Andrew Browning in Ethiopia. The Foundation aims to decrease the high incidence of women and babies who die or are injured during childbirth and thereby reduce the number of women suffering from obstetric fistula. David gave a great interactive speech about his time working in Africa, the interesting people he has met and some really interesting facts about Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world. The Afar Region where the Barbara May Foundation does most of its work is mostly Muslim and the 1.5 million Afar people in Ethiopia are traditionally nomadic herders. Before the Barbara May foundation there were no obstetric services
in Ethiopia, most women deliver in their villages with no medical attention whatsoever. As a result it is estimated that up to 1 in 12 women will die from pregnancy during their lifetime. It’s not too late to donate to David’s cause, go to this website www.barbaramayfoundation.com/ The success and charity continued on Saturday morning with the construction of 600 birthing kits in less than 2 hours. Our keen volunteers from around the uni and the ladies from Zonta International, Armidale Division got straight to work, after washing their hands and putting on gloves of course. Once the birthing kits are constructed they are sent to women in developing countries to assist the provision of a clean and safe birth. It all happened in a flurry and in no time we were celebrating with a well earned BBQ lunch and watching a very moving film about five women in Ethiopia suffering from devastating childbirth injuries, called ‘A Walk to Beautiful’.
If you want to know more visit www.birthingkitfoundation.org.au/ Sunday May 12th was our Maternal Skills day; it featured hands-on practical stations taught by local doctors and senior medical students. The skill stations helped to equip us with some basic skills in obstetrics and neonatal medicine, including foetal parameter checks through ultrasound, and management of some of the leading causes of maternal death. It was a very motivating and interesting day had by all. The Maternal Health Weekend was great fun for all involved and through the kindness and enthusiasm of the many volunteers we raised $990 for the Barbara May foundation. Hopefully next year will be even bigger and better, see you all then. Jonathon Stacey Sponsorship Officer Armidale Students Promoting International Rights and Equality (ASPIRE) unemsa.org/aspire www.facebook.com/ASPIREUNE
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Zoology The reasons for studying Zoology are diverse as the subject itself. Some students choose to study Zoology to increase opportunities for travel, the love of outdoors or the theoretical side of the subject. Many of the Zoology students are also in awe of animals and their role in the environment. As the need for conservation and understanding of the world around us and the species that inhabit it increases, Zoology research has become more popular. Not to mention appealing to those of us who love big cats, quirky insects, physiological adaptations to extreme weather conditions and just animal survival in general. A fascination and love of animals started for some us from the moment we could walk and discover the outside world, while others have grown to love creatures that fly, bite and socially interact differently to the human race. The Centre for Behavioural and Physiological Ecology in the Zoology Department offers anyone with a keen interest and a love of all things zoological, the chance to get involved in the theoretical side of the study. The Bachelor of Zoology opens many doors for students to study the behaviour, ecology, environmental and comparative physiology of animals. Additionally, the University of New England offers entomology, marine ecology and freshwater ecology.
RESEARCH
As Zoology is also a practical science, and being around animals is the main reason most of us want to become a Zoologist, it is important to gain experience as a volunteer whilst studying the degree. Volunteer experience on a resume increases your chance of employment after your degree is finished. Who knows? You may even find your niche within Zoology and want to continue your studies as a postgraduate student in our Honours program, Masters or even gain a Doctorate of Philosophy! A variety of volunteer opportunities with postgraduate student projects (emails provided) are currently available. Please feel free to contact us about getting involved in fieldwork. If you want to contact anyone about the research in Zoology and their email isn’t listed here, contact Dr. Paul McDonald, Zoology Convenor and he will gladly point you in the right direction (email: paul.mcdonald@ une.edu.au). Even if you love animals and you aren’t studying Zoology, we will still gladly share our love of the animal kingdom and our own research endeavours. After all, Sir David Attenborough needs more people to continue his legacy! - Kathryn Lambert
Current Zoology Research Projects at UNE I’m currently doing my honours on Noisy Miner communication. I am recording numerous calls from individuals varying in sex, age and family group to determine if they are capable of individual recognition.
My PhD project is on the development of torpor in the Fat-tailed Dunnart. Fat-tailed Dunnarts are small marsupials that lower their body temperature to save energy. I am investigating changes in the patterns of torpor as the animals age.
– Juliana Holt (Honours student).
- Chris Wacker (PhD candidate)
Aphids, with their short time of generation and sensitivity to the environment, are one of the most important pests in agricultural field and can be used as indicators for climate change. My PhD project aims to explain the dynamics between repeated extreme temperatures and the activity, biology, physiology and survival of aphids in terms of the impacts of global warming. – Behnaz Ghaedi (PhD candidate)
Bat hearts beat 800 times per minute at rest, more than 1,200 times per minute in flight and down to 10 times per minute during torpor. Daily torpor occurs in microbats due to their small body size and high energy consumption required for flight. Therefore, understanding cardiac function is important in terms of energy consumption. I’m interested in how heart rate is reduced during torpor to minimise energy consumption.
My PhD project is based on the behavioural ecology of the Bell Miner and whether it is the primary cause of Bell Miner Associated Dieback in New South Wales. My work aims to determine whether the treatment of Lantana, a nesting habitat of the Bell Miner, will improve forest health and restore forest habitat for a variety of threatened species.
I focus on the ecophysiological adaptations of microbats in response to wild and prescribed fires. I am researching where they live, what they eat, and how much energy they spend in order to increase their chance of survival during and after fire.
- Shannon Currie (PhD Candidate)
– Kathryn Lambert (PhD Candidate)
– Anna Doty (PhD Candidate)
I’m looking at the specialised feet of the Black-shouldered Kite, if the “specialisation” is found in other raptors, and how it has evolved in birds. I’ll also be looking at any functional advantages it might offer over the various hunting strategies used by birds of prey.
During the breeding season, some birds delay breeding and instead assist other individuals to raise their offspring. I am looking at possible explanations for this unique behaviour and its subsequent effects on nestling condition and survival focusing on Noisy Miner, a cooperative breeding bird.
– Leah Tsang (PhD Candidate)
– Ahmad Barati (PhD Candidate) 17
STUDENT PROFILE
Chronicles of a Distance Education Student Name: Chloe Delaney Degree: B.Arts Late nights, coffee runs, dangerously high stress levels and the occasional breakdowns - we’ve all experienced at least one of those factors (I know I have anyway). But one thing some of you may not have experienced, and something that may in fact be a foreign concept to a lot of on campus students, is studying by distance education. My name is Chloe Delaney, and I can definitely say that I have experienced the odd breakdown and late nights. I have been a distance education student for the last three years, studying a BA in archaeology and palaeoanthropology, and hope to continue on to study osteology and forensic science. All from Brisbane! A fun sized fact about me is probably that I am not much more than fun sized at all. I am only 4’11’’ at 20 years old, which is really awesome when limbo comes into play. Unfortunately, not so awesome for subway counters though…
and realise that I am on Facebook some time later - it’s so easy to be sucked into social media! Without being forced to go to class, there is the occasional day (okay, maybe
Egypt 2010
more than occasional) where you just REALLY don’t want to get out of bed because it’s TOO COLD.
It may be hard to believe, but there is life outside the semester. During the holidays, my nose does not come out of books, and in November, I will be travelling through Europe for a few weeks. I’ve previously been to Italy and Egypt, two absolutely amazing places in the world that I think you should definitely visit if time and funds allow. I’m fortunate to have a casual position at a museum, where I was originally hired for the Mummy: Secrets of the Tomb The other thing that I The utterly ridiculous collection exhibition that some of you love about distance edu- of hockey sticks may have made the trip to cation is that it makes you Brisbane to see. I love my work hard. I won’t lie, you need a lot of mo- job! I spend my time there on a casual basis, tivation to study by distance. It’s easy to put performing science shows and volunteering work off for a day, watch movies and take in the archaeology and exhibition departprocrastination to the next level because you ments. I am also a hockey player, and spend don’t physically have to be present on cam- all of my Saturdays sweating it out on the pus. Some days I find I go to open Moodle field as a fullback or Centre Half. So what’s distance education all about? Distance education is the exact same as being an on campus student, everything is the same except for physically being present. You get the same lectures, the same readings and the same assignments. And the best part about lectures is that I can use the pause and rewind button - definitely comes in handy!
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The thing I am most excited about is coming to UNE in August for the residential school. I will be the little one wandering around, with an 80% chance that I am lost. I am really excited about meeting new people and making new friends so if you see me around, whether in Brisbane or Armidale, definitely come and say hi. So there you have it - an insight to the experiences of those elusive distance education students everyone talks about and no one sees until residential schools or exams. I can’t wait until I get to step foot onto UNE campus and be one of those on campus students for a week, see you all there!
Yes, this is me digging through my rubbish bin for assessment. It did happen. Distance education students get prac work too!
STAFF PROFILE Kathryn McKay is a Postdoc Fellow in the School of Rural Medicine at UNE, and is a researcher in the field of mental health and wellbeing in regional communities. She has co-authored multiple papers with Associate Professor Myfanwy Maple on the subject of the Twilight books, deconstructing the dangerous effects they have through the demonisation of sex and romanticising suicide. - What is the focus of the work you have done on Twilight? Essentially, I’m really fascinated about how relationships, self-harm and suicide are written about, and demonstrated, in the Twilight series. It’s marketed as a teenage romance - and references ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Wuthering Heights’ within - but the way in which suicide particularly is written is concerning. It’s romanticized and glamorized and Bella is shown to survive a method that in real life would have killed her. We don’t know enough about how young readers interact with pop culture to see how best to protect them from seeing this as a
way to end sadness after a relationship breakdown.
- Why Twilight? At least 100 million copies of the books sold - and that would be an underestimation in terms of people sharing books and re-reading. Plus the fandom and social media interaction it’s spawned. Twihards (including Twi-Moms, Team Edward, Team Jacob) who interact with each other over so many different social media and fan sites in a way that crosses time and space but also requires fandom to be absolute and complete. A true fan seems to be required to believe wholeheartedly in Bella and Edward’s love - that if someone loves you enough it will protect you even from death - and that this belief needs to be broadcast over the internet. The example of the fan who sobbed while begging for people to understand Bella/Kristen and Edward/Rob on youtube comes to mind.
- What’s next for you two? For me, an extension of this project. I have a little study attached to see how Twilight readers interact with the story (the link to participate is https://www.research.net/s/twilightrelationships). I’m also beginning to examine how mental wellbeing and reasons to live are written and demonstrated by female characters in other examples of global literature including the Harry Potter and 50 Shades of Grey series. It’s really important to unpack these stories that are consumed by so many people on a global scale. However, Myf and I are also working on projects closer to home - seeing how community-based programs help those most vulnerable to self-harm and suicide in rural and remote parts of Australia.
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POWERSHIFT 2013 - James Halliburton and Judd Newton
From the 13th to 15th July, seven young students from UNE attended the Australian Youth Climate Coalition’s (AYCC) ‘Powershift’, which was held this year at Monash University, Melbourne. Powershift is massive initiative aimed to encourage, educate and empower young Australians in regards the potential impacts of climate change and the importance of action. They attended what was a very informative weekend, given flare by various speakers including Commissioner for Climate Change and scientist Tim Flannery, green business entrepreneur Paul Golding and Brianna Fruean, a15-year-old environmentalist and campaigner who travelled to the summit from her native Samoa. A lighter touch was provided by comedian Claire Hooper who discussed how humour can effectively be used to communicate environmental messages. Various workshops and panels were held where every participant had the opportunity to learn from a broad range of panellists who discussed the current issues and interests of the climate movement. On the final day 1,800 people including the students from UNE had the chance to participate in a political Q&A in Melbourne Town Hall, attended by the Shadow Minister for Climate, Environment and Heritage Greg Hunt, ALP member for Willis Kelvin Thompson and the Greens Leader Senator Christine Milne. The audience was able to ask the party representatives how they would reduce carbon emissions, promote renewable energy generation and employment, and their plan, if any, to keep the Earth’s atmosphere below 350 parts per million of carbon. Following the Q&A a powerful and vocal mock parliament was held – Australia’s first Youth Climate Cabinet. The AYCC then marched the streets to the federal Offices of Parliament to deliver a piece of draft legislation which would ensure that Australia is not left behind in the green revolution. We have now returned full of pep and vigour ready to start pushing for a better future. Regardless to where you stand on the issue of climate change, it can be admitted that economically Australia has some vested interests in keeping the mining industry going. However, at some point we must ask ourselves, is this really how we want to leave the planet, and once all the mineral reserves in Australia are extracted, what else will we have? And is the monetary gain for the few in the short term, really going to be something that future generations will look back and think was a great idea? AYCC New England would like to thank the generous sponsorship provided by UNE and local sustainability network Starfish Enterprises. 20
Anyone who would like to know more or get involved with AYCC New England can like our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ayccnewengland or email James at james.halliburton@aycc.org.au.
Movement.
Standing in the middle of a crowd of passionate, determined, hollering young people, I feel a fascinating shiver of déjà vu. I’ve been to rallies before, but they’re distant memories, tucked away into the woven stories of my childhood. Most distinct are the anti-war protests, where I don’t remember the place or the people so much as I remember wearing a comical sombrero with a baubled brim so gargantuan that it gave me personal space in the tight crowd. That was what I noticed as a kid, the little quirks; it was hard to see the bigger picture when I didn’t have an understanding of the wider world or an appreciation of political consequences. An understanding of the wider world takes a while to develop but it also requires you to be interested in, aware of, and I would argue critical towards, what happens around you. An appreciation of political consequences is a more elusive achievement – it takes a lot to come to terms with the idea that you can actually make a difference. It’s counterintuitive. It’s the old light bulb analogy again: how many environmentalists turning off their light bulbs does it take to change the world? Yet imagine you’re a young person in Western Sydney right now, and you write a letter to Kevin Rudd personally telling him how scared you are that boat people are going to take your job and it’s his responsibility to stop that it from happening. Or rather, imagine you’re Kevin Rudd and you get that letter. It tips into the notion already formed, from polls, from media, from your advisors and PR army, that Western Sydney holds the key seats for you to win this election. If a personal message reaches you and taps into your political instinct, that one person, that single voice, can have an enormous impact – because it’s part of something bigger. There is movement, and this voice is the ripple on the surface that tells the captain of the swell underneath. Political action is driven by what? My cynical self would say, playing for votes. Think how many politicians can truthfully be said to display any lasting integrity. But even shrouded in cynicism the point is that if politicians are
convinced that acting on climate change will get them the votes they need, that’s inevitably what they’ll do. Which is where an appreciation of political consequences comes into it. At Powershift 2013, more than 1200 young people came to the summit in Melbourne to hear and learn about taking action against climate change, about how to build a movement, and about what we can do to affect political action, because political action is one thing that needs to happen to make change. And it feels strange to be standing here in this crowd, having just stamped and chanted our way from Melbourne’s grand Town Hall to the parliamentary offices. We’re here at the culmination of Powershift, having just conducted Australia’s first Youth Climate Cabinet, where we presented the following legislation: Our future, politicians, is your mandate. The climate crisis impacts the world’s most vulnerable. To fix this we must limit global warming to less than 1.5°C. Move beyond coal and gas. Strengthen the price on pollution. And transition to 100% renewable energy. This draft legislation that we produced was more to make a point than anything: start making real, effective policies, or we’ll have to get up there and do it ourselves. The rally that followed was something like 1800 people. We had the trams stopped, a police escort, and gave ourselves the almighty thrill of public rallying, the kind of thrill I didn’t get when I did it at ten years old peering out from my sombrero. Over the weekend summit, we also trended twice on Twitter (w00t!), left a 1500-person voicemail message on Kevin Rudd’s answering machine, and got media coverage all over the place, something like 19 times that weekend, including ABC tv and Triple J. Think about Brazil, where in June this year, some 20,000 protesters stormed the streets in the largest protests in twenty years. The trigger – a rise in bus fares of 20c. But the real reason? A culmination of deteriorating social conditions, that drove people to raise their voices and demand more.
The lasting legacy of the Howard years was that even with the many thousand-strong throngs of opponents to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the public was treated less than elegantly with a blatant disregard for their message: Do not invade. We do not want to go to war. Being ignored takes its toll. Whilst we can spout about the importance of democracy, when it fails, it falls. A remarkable thought strikes me. For many of the people here, this is probably their first rally. Some of these protesters are maybe fifteen, and it’s taken the imminence and scale of the climate change disaster to bring them here. Overall we, the youth of Australia, have forgotten how to protest. When do we raise our voices? When was the last time you truly cried out about something you cared about, to more than your friends, or relatives, or maybe your RF? But there’s something different here, something powerful. Young people, at least some of us, are beginning to realise that we do in fact have a voice. And it doesn’t have to be taking to the streets. We speak in all our actions – in the political parties we vote for, in the media and information that we do or do not consume, in the words and ideas we bandy about with our friends, in the criticalness we apply and in each and every thing we choose to give a shit about. We speak through the world we see around us and the way we respond to it. As the rally falls to a close, we dissipate for lunch with the appearance of nonchalance. But we’re enlivened by what we have just done: in the streets we moved, and began to stir others. Where now we walk the pavement, half an hour ago we took the street itself. We began to push against the resistance of apathy. The momentum of movement, for us, some of us for the first time, began.
- Sarita Perston
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Intensive School Program
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Arts Pages
That Previous Beer On a stock route whip in hand Traveling far across the land My horses first time on the out No wonder he keeps jigging about
We set up camp right out in the open In case of a storm and trees were broken We hobbled the horses letting them eat And fast we did fall into a sleep
Old Clancy up front yells ‘hey boys take a look’ And what do you know we’d reached the old babbling brook A tree to the left and one to the right Two tall Red Gums reaching into the light
I woke up that night, hearing a noise It sounded as if something was poised I sat straight up, grabbing my gun And looked right around, I was the only one
‘This must be the spot Where the old man was shot’ Sad Bill on his horse from the side Sitting up straight, eyes really wide ‘No, no’ said Percy, ‘I’m sure it was not, Wasn’t there a large boulder or rock?’ ‘Yes’ said Clancy ‘its right over there’ Pointing just past the old grey mare
I started to worry remembering the stone Next thing I heard was a very deep moan I had to get out of here, back to the rock Where all would be safe, but my path was blocked! I scrambled under the roots of a tree Maybe this ghost wanted a fee I threw forward my money, all that I had Covered my eyes and my face with my hat
We looked at the rock, eyes wide with fear Or maybe it was that previous beer There was an inscription carved into the stone ‘Go past this point and you’ll be alone’
‘Get out from there you silly old goof ’ They were laughing so hard they nearly raised the roof ‘Just playing some games’ old Clancy laughed ‘Scaring you was our whole task!’
Perhaps the killer carved the rock In order to protect his precious stock There’s nothing to fear, this was a long time ago The man is now buried far far below
‘Damn you boys and your old stupid tricks Watch yourselves or I’ll give you the flick!’ Maybe it was true all of that fear, Had to have come from them that previous beer. - Penny Wright
ENACTUS UNE fundraises to send entire team to ENACTUS world cup. On the 6th of September Enactus UNE will be collaborating with the Armidale Bowling club for the running of a fundraising event. This fundraiser will fund members heavily involved in Enactus to attend the Enactus world cup in Cancun, Mexico. This cocktail function will host the presentation that Enactus UNE will be presenting at the World Cup and an auction. Enactus is currently still looking for donations to be auctioned at the function. Items to be auctioned include artworks donated by local artists, including the works featured here by artist Scott Harrison. The event will take place on the 6th of September and tickets will be on sale soon to be announced ořn our facebook page Enactus UNE https://www.facebook.com/uneenactus. Each year Enactus UNE competes in the Enactus world cup against up to 28 universities across Australia. However, this year Enactus UNE took out the national title earning them the right to represent Australia at the ENACTUS world cup in Cancun, Mexico. Enactus
Australia pays for the presenting team and a faculty advisor to represent Australia in Mexico; however, this covers only 6 members. Many more than six members are heavily involved in Enactus projects, and these members would have to either not attend, or pay their own way, if it were not for Enactus UNE’s decision to fundraise. Enactus UNE, formerly known as SIFE, is a community of student, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives and shape a better, more sustainable world. Enactus UNE is one of 28 university organisations in Australia. It has 1600 universities world-wide, 62,000 members world-wide and contributes 7,300,000 project volunteer hours.
- Blake Mallon Enactus UNE Media Officer
The piece below and the Arts Pages cover are by Scott Harrison, whose works will be available at the auction.
A Word with Judd Kakistocracy.
Have you ever wondered what society would be like if the common man ruled? Well, yes hypothetically that is what a democratic or communist society does, but who would really want a nation in which people who perhaps care more about dinner than economic restructuring or more about football than national security ran every aspect of society. Well, there is a form of society which could be considered a step even lower than our ‘governance by the people’: a ‘kakistocracy’ - a government led by the least qualified citizens.
Could you imagine a person who holds the lowest rank in our society, without any qualifications, running the nation? Let’s face it, that person is probably a 17 year-old boy, who is illiterate, blind, deaf and impotent, who lives like a hermit in a wombat burrow, because he has yet to learn how to build shelter, make fire or wear clothes. Yet in a kakistocracy this is the ideal person to oversee social reform and immigration policy. So remember, as bad as this government might seem it could be worse, at least we do not live in a kakistocracy.
Omphaloskepsis. Have you ever just looked at your belly? You know that thing in the middle of your body which is constantly making noises? Making sure when you feel self-conscious that it is the first to notify you of your impending dieting session? Have you noticed it has a hole in the middle? Does this unassuming thing in the middle of your belly mean something more than that you were born to a human mother?
Is it there to remind you that you were ripped screaming into the world? Does it mock you? Can you see the hatred in its shallow depths or just some of that bizarre lint that some people get? What you are doing right now is called omphaloskepsis, a process which refers to the contemplation of one’s navel. I would hazard a guess to say that you don’t
TIP SHOP ART COMPETITION “Find Art” is an exciting new art competition for all UNE students, running in Trimester 2. The initiative aims to promote sustainability, student arts and culture, and reducing waste - all entries must be created from repurposed, recycled or junk materials. Students are particularly encouraged to utilise items that could not normally be reused in novel ways, for example broken electronics or jigsaw puzzles with missing pieces, though any repurposed objects are acceptable. Participants can receive some great prizes, including vouchers and display opportunities. Entries must be in shortly after the mid trimester break, by Wednesday 4th September. Voting will follow, and the organisers hope to exhibit the shortlisted entries in the weeks before exams. Further competition details will soon be made available through the new University of New England Student Association (UNESA) Moodle portal and facebook. Make sure you’ve signed up in order to be involved! Melissa Jones (email: mjones69@myune.edu.au)
contemplate your navel enough. Think about it, you probably haven’t thought much about it at all. HA! Got you now! You are doing as I told you and because you listened to me, we are well on our way to becoming a kakistocracy! Government from the few at the bottom and no suffrage for the many! God bless, Australia!
Love music? Want to keep up with what’s happening at UNE? Need podcasts to make your commute home less boring? Want to get to know your lecturers outside of Moodle? TuneFM, Aus tralia’s oldest university radio station, brings the campus to you wherever you are. With UNE students scattered around the globe, TuneFM helps you keep connected by playing great music during the day and an array of feature shows from 4pm onwards. Want to h ear something differen t? Have a favourite song you’ve just heard and want played? Found evidence that reality t.v. has been infiltrated by aliens? Join us on https://www.facebook.com/TuneFM106.9 and help us make TuneFM what you want to hear.
Listen live on:
www.tunefm.net/listen.php
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! Email: editors@nucleus.org.au Post: P.O. Box U1, UNE, Armidale NSW 2351 Deadline for contributions for Issue 7 is the 26th of August. We hope to hear from you soon!
GNSAD Last week, we arrived to find GNSAD gone from its corner in the Nucleus office. We have since received this postcard advising us of its condition. Come home, GNSAD.