Nucleus - Vol 2 No 4 by Nucleus

EDITORS Bridgette Glover Alana Young Jessica Kelley

COVER ART Nathan Dawson

BACK COVER ART

Contents Volume 2, Issue 3, April 2014 3 - Editorial 3 - UNESA President’s Report 4 - Letters to the Editors 5 - What’s Happenin’ Hot Stuff?

Stu Horsfield

6 - News

CONTRIBUTORS

8 - “Free”dom

David Mailler James Boyce Professor Graham Maddox Hoi Sin Helen Taylor Cate McDowall Alana Young Belinda Marsh Rach Hopkins Office Cadet Jack Loftus Ashley Pianca Stu Horsfield Kate Wood Clancy Wall Harley Macnamara Judd Newton

9 - Free Speech and Honest Speech 10 - Words Flow Like Rivers 11 - Zines and DIY 12 - A Chat with UNE’s Student Support! 14 - An Interview with Emma Dean and Francesca de Valence 15 - Review: Songs of Love and War 16 - Environmental: Barricade 18 - #indie 20 - A Weekend in the Life of an Aspiring Army Officer 21 - Young People in the RFS 22 - (College) Recipes: Baby Spinach, Pumpkin, Chicken and Feta Salad 23 - (Separate) Movie Reviews by Helen Taylor and Stu Horsfield: Divergent and The Lego Movie

IN-OFFICE COFFEE COUNT 79

24 - The Adventures of Arabella Henderson - Episode 5: A Brand New Era 25 - Universe 26 - Address from Harley Macnamara: student representative to UNE Academic Board 27 - Words with Judd

Visit www.nucleus.org.au Or write to us at editors@nucleus.org.au Come and see us at the office in the Union Courtyard, across from Campus Essentials.

PUBLISHING SCHEDULE Nucleus is published monthly—but not in January, June or October. The submission deadline is the first day of the month of issue. Issues may have a theme, but these are never exclusive — all content is welcome!

We’re always happy to get new writers and artists on board, so send us an email for more information, or send us some of your work if you have it ready! We look forward to hearing from you!

DISCLAIMER The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the staff of Nucleus or UNESA. If you have an issue with an 2

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our readers can tolerate a degree of satire and the odd swear word, but anything containing unnecessary profanity will not be published.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.

EDITORIAL H

ey all,

Whoa! A heap has happened since the last issue, and we don’t know about you,

but it has also gotten bloody cold where we work. Uggs have officially entered the office, the intake of coffee has risen, and one of the editors has already been hit with a cold. But despite the fact that #winteriscoming, your hard working editors have not stopped, and you will see our snot and tears in this Free Speech edition of Nucleus!! Starting with the hard-core stuff, we’ve covered the reactions to the Commission of Audit report that came out at the beginning of the month and also the sacking of the beloved David Cushway; don’t forget to read the VC’s statement on her reasons for “the change.” We’ve also got some wicked letters, as well as pictures from the Clubs and Societies Fair #2 that was a hit on the 8th of May, giving students another chance to see what they could join whilst listening to the mad tunes by Fabio Tolli. Remember, if you want to be a part of a Club or Society head on over and see the charming (and attractive) folks at Uni4Me, who’d be happy to show you all the groups UNE has to offer. Not to anyone’s surprise, when the theme of “free speech” called, awesome contributors answered. We’ve got everything you could think of relating to the right to speak your mind including debates on whether free speech is a myth, freedom of expression through the best indie films and DIY zines and of course Hoi Sin’s thoughts on how we should speak up more! But don’t fret, your favourite regulars are here too, including film reviews, the college recipe, and UNE’s time travelling detective. What a relief. Now for an IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! Sorry about that, the caps lock was on. There will not be a June issue. We are already so impressed every month when we actually receive contributions, so we’re not going to push it; we know everyone has exams so take it easy and put your thinking caps on for the July issue. The deadline is: the 25th of June. The theme: UNDECIDED! Keep your eyes out for a poll from us on Facebook. Have fun kids. Until next month, Alana, Bridgette and Jessie P.S What do you think of our front cover? The talented Nathan Dawson did it while you were all away on your mid-tri breaks. Nucleus thinks it’s pretty amazing.

May Report - David Mailler, UNE Student Association President

ur Vice Chancellor Annabelle Duncan has demonstrated in the first few weeks her style of leadership. There is a consistent concern for student welfare and experience, and the mood of UNE to my mind, is shifting. There are definite signs that UNE is more engaged with notion of educating and shaping of next generation of problem solvers and leaders. Annabelle is very approachable and genuine. The enterprises that UNESA now manages are consuming much of my time, and the need for additional support is now a priority. However UNE senior administration is working with UNESA and we have started to scope a strategy to ensure the sustainability of a vibrant and engaged student association. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the residential school period. It was especially busy and Tom, Mark and Jade and the team of drivers and helpers did a colossal job of providing a UNE welcome experience during the residential schools. I along with a few enjoyed the opportunity to do a few of the transits, and the service is popular. At another level, the UNESA enterprises have some issues with the age of some of our inherited IT. This has become the latest headache with windows XP no longer being supported past 8 April 2014. This poses a threat to UNE systems and has become a priority to fix as it affects all the UNESA enterprises. The Postgrad centre is also affected. ITD is helping UNESA develop a strategy to resolve these problems. The Federal Government threatens a radical and nonsensical erosion of tertiary education by Commission of Audit report. I would urge anyone who has not looked at this latest this latest draconian scenario to do some reading. Firstly, it proposes to load commonwealth-supported student up with additional debt. This is paramount to steal from a future generation by the generation that received a free education. This country and the world needs to invest in this generation of students because we’re going to need some very talented leaders to lead us out of the mess of neo-liberal economics that successive federal governments have created. I would like to suggest that Abbott, Hockey, Pyne and company tighten their own belts and act a bit more like leaders and not like the thieves and raiders that history I am sure, will see them as. If the Commission of Audit were not likely to be adopted and not so frightening I would think they would be laughable. April 2014 saw another milestone in the march of economic growth at all costs that passed without a murmur. In the mainstream media this barely rated a mention although seems to have been mildly more important than Johnny Depp’s latest movie. Atmospheric CO2 passed 400 ppm for the first time in over 800 thousand years, to be almost double the pre-industrial levels. The importance of this is that 400 ppm is thought by climatologists to be a threshold level. Keep in mind the Special General Meeting on the 21 May 2014 and good luck with the studies.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS 3 1 In proper Game of Thrones fashion, UNE is continuing to kill off its main characters. The most recent to go (at time of writing) is Chief Operating Officer David Cushway.

We'll miss you David. You were only here for a year, but you'll always be remembered for embarrassingly threatening to sue the old Nucleus editors, and for doing absolutely nothing else of any significance. I hope the Police Integrity Commission investigation goes well for you. At least it's not ICAC, huh. Sincerely, Anonymous

Dear Nucleus,

I just want to use my right to free speech by announcing how much better Grind & Squeeze has gotten this year. I order a coffee every day there, and the service is amazing. The wait is miniscule (especially compared to last year), and even the food has improved. I love the new range of food, such as the sushi, lasagne and even the little trail mixes. Oh and finally, I’d like to show my appreciation to the extra staff, in particular the young guy who I believe to be the most charming person to have ever taken my coffee order. Sure, he probably just remembers my name because I get coffee there every morning, but I stand by the possibility that it’s purely flirtation-based. Good work Grind and Squeeze!

Dear Editors,

I felt very cheated when I received my new PC. Here I was thinking it was capable of delivering scent over the internet. Turns out it is just that the contributions of Colin Hargreaves and John Drake emit the foul stench of sour grapes. <insert clever pseudonym here>

Anonymous

UNE currently sits at an odd junction of change, confusion and hope. Any management consultant will tell you that change and confusion always follows a major change in the upper levels of an organisation but in this case the “out with the old” has also brought hope to those who had despaired at the direction that the university had been taking. When the much hated trimester system was implemented, when lectures and on-campus teaching disappeared from so many of our units, and when we as internal students had to listen to our VC saying time and time again that he valued external students over the internals it is amazing that any sense of community remains on campus.

This Month… Our Free Speech theme is in honour of World Press Freedom Day on May 3. This day seeks to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and freedom of expression. Here are some other interesting days in May: 2 — UNE Open Day 15 — Internation Day of Families

And yet it does. The recent success of the coffee shop in helping UNE win a university based competition for a music festival shows that clearly. Despite our smaller student and staff numbers UNE won the competition in a landslide. This victory wasn’t because of any management incentive or because of paid marketing but because the people behind the counters were engaged and enthusiastic enough that students and staff alike not only drank far too much iced coffee but also took that vital step of voting. So as I come to the end of my degree all I can say to the new VC is that if the years of being under a VC that blatantly devalued on-campus students didn’t completely kill UNE’s on-campus community imagine what you could do if you actually cared. Anonymous

22 — International Day of Biological Diversity 31 — World No Tobacco Day

Have something to say? A rant, a compliment, a complaint, an idle thought? We want to hear it! Send your letter to editors@nucleus.org.au or come and see us in our office and grab a Fantail while you’re there!

What’s Happenin’ Hot Stuff?* EARLE PAGE COLLEGE COAST RUN FASHION PARADE! 17TH MAY - 6:30PM

IT MAINTENANCE ONLINE

ARMIDALE EX-SERVICES CLUB

17TH MAY from 6am 21ST JUNE from 6am

Fundraising event for the Earle Page College Coast Run Charity, which raises money for the Children’s Medical Research Institute

+61 2 6773 5000 1800 763 040

For details: Evelyn Longhurst, Coast Run Convenor 0468 627 517

BOB CARR PUBLIC LECTURE VISUAL STORYTELLING SYMPOSIUM 16TH MAY 8:30AM-6:00PM A2 LECTURE THEATRE, ARTS BUILDING For more details conact Dr Elizabeth Hale 6773 2356

ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTATION AND DINNER 22ND MAY 4:15PM-10:00PM Formal dinner to award successful scholarship recipients and thank donors. LAZENBY HALL (PRESENTATION) BOOLOOMINBAH (DINNER)

20TH MAY 2:00-3:00PM LEWIS LECTURE THEATRE Former NSW Premier and Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, will be at UNE for a presentation and discussion session. There will be a Q&A session at the end followed by a book signing of his new book Diary of a Foreign Minister Open to all

*Obviously a reference to classic film Sixteen Candles (1984)

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

your local printer proudly suporting the Nucleus 5

Cushway and UNE Part Ways By Bridgette Glover On the 10th of April 2014, ex-Chief Operating Officer David Cushway left his position at UNE after only 14 months; this was the same day that Vice Chancellor Annabelle Duncan made the announcement that there was to be a restructuring of the senior executive team at the University of New England. Professor Duncan released a statement explaining that UNE is going through a “period of change” following Jim Barber’s resignation and the international search for his replacement. Duncan described it as their chance to ensure “the roles and responsibility of our senior executives more accurately reflect the core business of the University – teaching and research.” Duncan did not want to comment on the reasons for Cushway’s departure, but the community of UNE and Armidale have already come to certain conclusions. After being appointed in February 2013, Cushway was already surrounded by controversy a few months later, concerning his private business dealings with former UNE Chancellor, Richard Torbay. Nucleus of course, has a history with the ex-COO, after he threatened to sue last year’s editors over an article they wrote about Torbay. Cushway was prepared to pay out of his pocket for any legal action he took against Nucleus for supposed defamation, but 2013 editors, Stu Horsfield and Sarita Perston stood by their article, and offered him a right of reply. Duncan told Nucleus in her own words the reason for undergoing a restructure: Four years ago UNE was facing some significant financial challenges: student numbers were dropping and income from research was not as strong as it had been. Caps on student numbers were due to be removed in 2012, which meant that universities no longer had guaranteed numbers of students. Essentially, students could enrol in any university that would take them. Given UNE’s position at the time, in particular in light of lower enrolments, there was a feeling that this policy decision could spell disaster for the University. Over the past four years, there has been a particular focus on ensuring that the UNE not only survived, but came out of uncertain times stronger than ever. This required an emphasis on the ‘business’ side of the University. It is now time to return our focus to academia, to our students, our academics, our teaching and our research. To that end, I have implemented a restructure of Senior Executive positions at the University of New England to bring a renewed refocus on our research, teaching and learning role. I believe this was the right moment to reallocate portfolios and responsibilities, allowing time for the restructure to settle into place prior to a new permanent Vice-Chancellor being appointed. 6

In order to achieve these goals, I have made moves to strengthen UNE’s Senior Executive by adding two senior academic leadership roles to it: the Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC) Academic and the PVC Research. Previously, these PVCs reported to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor; they will now report directly to the Vice-Chancellor and participate in all Senior Executive discussion and decision-making. This means we now have four academics within the Senior Executive, and four other members representing the service side of the University: the Chief Financial Officer, the EDO, the PVC External Relations and the Chief Legal and Governance Officer. It is my intention and hope that this structure will ensure that academic ideals, experience and expertise is complemented by innovative business management practices in order to ensure a more holistic decision-making process. This structure will support the university in its key endeavours: excellence in research and innovative teaching. We are dedicated to providing all students with the highest-quality education, whether they choose to study on-campus or online. Year after year, UNE has been recognised for its student experience by being awarded ‘five stars’ in the Good Universities Guide. We fully intend to continue to provide a first rate experience for all students. Already, the new Senior Executive is already working very well together and we are engaging in productive and pragmatic discussion and planning in order to make sure that UNE continues to go from strength to strength into the future, for the benefit of all on-campus and online students, prospective students and staff members.1

Commission of Audit Report By Bridgette Glover

The National Commission of Audit report, which was released on May 1 2014, suggests that students need to be paying more for their degrees. Recommendations in the report included propositions that the average contribution paid by students increase from “41 per cent to 55 per cent” as well as suggesting the HELP-repayment threshold drop from “$51,309 per year to the minimum wage of $32, 354” per annum, forcing graduates to repay their debt much sooner. David Mailler, President of UNE’s Student Association believes the report shows a “very limited strategic plan for Australia.” “The reality is…if we create impediments to higher education, the next generation of students are not going to be able to get us out of some of the holes we’re digging for ourselves.” “It’s short sighted to penalise people who, at the point of starting out life, are going to be more indebted 1

Full statement on Nucleus website

and more indentured to a previous generation; so, effectively, what they’re doing is stealing from the future generation of leaders.” Students will not know how they will be affected until the release of the budget on May 13.

Psychology Artwork By Bridgette Glover Upon returning from your Easter break you may have noticed the latest exterior addition to the Psychology building on campus at UNE. Before anyone could begin wondering if this had been some sort of protest against the School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences the mural had been signed and clearly stamped “BCSS”. The man behind the unusual (to UNE) art is Nathan Dawson, a UNE student who grew up in Glen Innes and after spending most of his twenties in Japan, who came back to study with the hope of becoming a Japanese and TESOL teacher at secondary schools. The BCSS were taking expressions of interest in which artists had to submit a proposed design. “I was excited to receive an email from them saying that they had chosen my design for the mural”, says Dawson, who recalls the School saying they were looking for something “new, that had an edge.” Dawson began the mural a week before Easter, and although he wasn’t able to work on it every day because of the weather, he had it finished Easter Friday. To the surprise of many of the on campus community, the individuals in the mural are not based on any familiar faces. “In designing the mural, I wanted it to be a representation of the Australian population, and also indicate a connection with psychology. I have included an elderly man, young woman, youngish man and a Muslim woman, because this was more of a cross-section of our society than the blond, blue eyed surfer or jackaroo that is so commonly depicted.” “I purposely made the majority of the colours used in the mural various shades of grey, with only the eyes of the people being orange-red. I did this to draw the viewer’s eye to the eyes of the people in the mural as the eye is recognised as the window into the soul or mind of a person,” says Dawson, stating he thought it would be very appropriate for the building, “as psychology is a study of the mind.” Although Dawson stands by his design being of four “generic specimens of human beings” he has heard people guess the elderly man resembling Sigmund Freud, as well as other people in the murals being lecturers. “Maybe the artwork is exactly how you interpret it, and you can tell something about the person viewing it, like an inkblot or something?”

Clubs and Societies Fair #2

“Free"dom By James Boyce Free speech is a myth. There, I said it. The idea that we can say or express ourselves however we want is nothing more than a myth. Now, before you recoil and turn the page to someone that will encourage you to say and act however you feel, do one of three things;

churches get away with it because they are sacred ground. But stand on a street corner and it’s an ‘Unlawful Act’. When Brandis suggested that this section was no longer needed in Australia, he received an opposing barrage of people wanting to strengthen it!

First, read through our Constitution and see if you can find the clause that tells you that you can say or do what you like. Ok, that’s a boring idea. Instead, why don’t you think back to standing at the ANZAC Day Service and imagine the guy behind the pulpit swearing a lot during his speech. That doesn’t seem suitable? But it’s not exactly illegal is it… righto; instead, Google Australia’s incumbent Attorney General, George Brandis QC, and the Racial Discrimination Act of 1975.

We don’t call this censorship, because we really like our multicultural façade that covers our racist tendencies; that way have our cake and eat it too. Our society recognises that some things are restricted for a variety of reasons; reasons designed to reflect societies values. We recently permitted computer games to hold an R18+ rating so that the more violent or adult-themed games can be sold in Australia, even though we subsequently removed elements from some because they went too far. We similarly restrict TV, movies and some music from being watched or heard by younger members of society, as they may not be able to comprehend it in context. We ban completely sexual material involving violence or children, and rightly so, as our society considers it to be vulgar and disgusting. All these things reflect what is common and what is ordinary.

However you consider it, speech in Australia is not, and should not, be free. The Racial Discrimination Act that was so talked about last month is predominantly to do with protecting people of all race, ethnicity and colour from discrimination. Its final selection of clauses, specifically 18C, makes it illegal to stand in a public meeting, like a Town Hall, and spout rhetoric against a particular ethnic group: Pauline Hanson only got away with it because in Parliament, you can say anything you want, and 8

Our legal system is designed this way; to reflect the values of Australia. It’s why we restrict and ban drugs and guns. But on the flip side, the

Photo credit: http://blogs.voanews.com

responsibility of society is that we have to ensure, through the vote and exercising the freedom of speech we have, that the restrictions do properly reflect society. We do not make things legal in our society, we make things illegal. Our society is built on the idea that everything should be available to everyone, except the things we expressly restrict and the voters, periodically, review those restrictions. Every individual in Australia can write or contact their local Member of Parliament, Federal and State; to have their voice heard on current issues. You don’t have to be over 18 or have voted for that person to have your voices heard on any topic. Whether it’s gay marriage or legalizing marijuana, if only one side of an argument makes their voice heard, the debate ends. That is the value and the price of living in Australia. Free speech is not a right in this great land. It’s a duty.

James is about to finish a Bachelor of Arts before starting a Master of Teaching. He enjoys exploring as many new things as possible.

Free Speech and Honest Speech by Professor Graham Maddox They called him ‘honest Abe’. Could this really be a politician they were speaking about? Yet Abraham Lincoln is honoured throughout the world for creating one of the biggest social upheavals in any country: the emancipation of American slaves. He paid for it with his life, falling to the assassin’s bullet, but also with the lives of many thousands of young men who fought out the civil war that Lincoln’s bold policy provoked. Great reforms are seldom achieved without fierce opposition. The thing about Lincoln, who gave us the best succinct statement of democratic government — government of the people, by the people, for the people — was that he unveiled his thoughts in an open and honest way. His was supremely the art of persuasion, bringing stern opponents around to his reasoned thinking. He himself was always steadfastly opposed to racial discrimination and the enslavement of human beings, but he initiated the war in defence of the Union of the United States, and in defence of democracy. The country had been irreconcilably divided between defenders and opponents of slavery, and Lincoln, quoting scripture, said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. There was the skilful politician. The emancipation of slaves came as a necessary consequence of the defence of democracy. We live in different times from Lincoln. People rarely give up time to listen to long and detailed speeches. It is the world of the doorstep grab, the pithy (excuse the lisp) one-liner, the slick headline and the endless prattle of tweets. These abbreviated statements mostly give half the truth, or often enough, completely distort the truth. This is damaging to the political life of our community. Our communities are built on conversation. The freedom to speak as one wishes is the foundation of all freedoms, and the lifeblood of the democratic community. In political life a high standard of honesty is necessary to maintain stability. In the first recorded democracy, ancient Athens, all male citizens were required to govern the country in the assembly. They were required to swear oaths that they would vote in accordance with the law, and not to destabilize the place by seditious action. It was their form of constitutional restraint. Keeping the language honest was essential to forming agreements and understandings that produced stable government. In a very famous passage of the history of Thucydides, the chronicler of the deadly war between Sparta and Athens and their respective allies, political language became entirely corrupted. Following the civil war in one of the allied states, Corcyra, there was a wave of uprisings throughout Greece, accompanied by a complete break-down of civic life. ‘Words had to change their meanings…’ wrote Thucydides (3.10). Reckless, rash action was called ‘courage’; careful consideration before action was called ‘cowardice’; to act in moderation was called ‘unmanliness’; ruthless violence was called ‘manliness’. We have plenty of our own changed words. Shooting your own troops is called ‘friendly fire’; bombing women and children is called ‘collateral damage’; killing the enemy is called ‘wasting’ them; torture is called ‘extraordinary rendition’ or ‘enhanced interrogation’; global warming is softened into ‘climate change’; a price on carbon production is called a ‘toxic tax’ when all the toxicity comes from the carbon burning; and now a budget repairing tax is called a ‘levy’; immigration policy is called ‘border protection’ and, best of all, asylum seekers, committing no crime and breaking no law, are called ‘illegals’ by official government instruction. They are called ‘queue jumpers’ when there is no queue. Given that our governments, on both sides of politics, systematically denigrate and humiliate destitute and persecuted asylum seekers, it is little wonder that

surveys of the public show that around sixty per cent of our population want harsher treatment for asylum seekers. Oh for an Australian Lincoln, who would tell the truth, and aspire to lead the country into a more just stand, where human dignity is respected wherever it is found. Instead, we are led by fear — fear of losing office — and so our politicians on all sides rush down the short cut of appealing to the lowest instincts of the populace, when Australians, being generally decent, are capable of much better. It is worse than that. For some reason, our ‘leaders’ are leading the people into selfish, xenophobic and racist attitudes, although under the regime of ‘Newspeak’, of course such would never be admitted. The lesson is that leadership can work, but at present it works in quite the wrong direction. Our universities have a time-honoured commission to help create a more enlightened public. Yet universities are by no means immune to the corrosion of corrupted language. That language is not in itself sinister, but it represents the infusion of business practices which are distracting from the main purpose of higher education: to enlighten students, prepare them for professions with high ethical standards, and to conduct original research which, besides expanding the world’s knowledge base, will inform public debate, draw attention to public and private injustice, and assist in technological progress. A moment’s reflection will remind us that the purpose of business is to make profits, and that is by no means the same thing as seeking truth wherever it may lead. In the halcyon days of quality assurance we were told emphatically that, ‘whether you like it or not, the university is a business’. Of course universities must manage large funds in an efficient manner, but there the resemblance to business should end. We were then urged to start talking in terms of clients, customers and stakeholders. The public good ran a distant second. We had management plans, core business, (necessary) marketing campaigns, ‘smarter’ rather than ‘harder’ work, Presidents and CEOs, had to meet deadlines by ‘close of business’, while teachers had to produce key result areas (KRAs) and key performance indicators (KPIs). Communities of scholars quickly became subject to ‘management’, with increasing powers of control over academic life. None of this was conducive to free speech. The federal minister of education, Christopher Pyne, has recently been reported as wanting our universities to become more like American ones. There are many very distinguished universities in America, but a quick riffle through American newspaper sites will reveal many headlines like ‘what is wrong with the university system?’ or even ‘universities are dying’. Almost all except the famous, massively endowed universities are in deep financial trouble, while students pile up huge debts for inordinately high tuition fees. Moreover, there has allegedly been a concerted effort to reduce public funding to state universities, and one wonders whether that is what Mr Pyne has his eyes on. An American professor of English, Christopher Newfield, has produced a startling book called Unmaking the Public University. He argues that powerful financial elites have worked hard to reduce public funding of universities because they have been places which produce an articulate, politically aware and active middle class, and which themselves have been sites of vigorous political protest. The universities had seen their role as promoting informed and articulate free speech, but contrary forces have been determined to limit freedom of expression and the practice of communal democracy. If Australia is destined to succumb to similar pressures, we are living in dangerous times indeed. 9

do not feel comfortable talking about taboo subjects, or if they are okay

Words flow like rivers

with it, they might not want to make someone else feel uncomfortable by chatting about it. But a conversation can elevate us, bow and shape us, and sometimes the thoughts of others resonate with us for years. For is that not the reason we converse? To find opinions that we cannot otherwise see? Forming your own opinions is a very easy thing to do, but forming someone else’s? You usually need help with that. In this day and

t seems, dear readers, that people of today talk way too much. We

age, we need to exercise our minds more than ever.

talk to our friends on Facebook, our families on the phone, our followers on Twitter, our lovers by text, ourselves in the mirror and

when no one’s looking, we even talk to our cats. If this is the free speech everyone was harping on about back in the 60s, well, this must be the future. Never before have people spoken with so many others, or nearly as much. If your parents chose the beach over you and decided not to live on top of a mountain like the hermit you might be, it might take weeks for letters to be delivered—assuming the postman made it through your gauntlet of poisonous animals. Now, though, you can just text them. You don’t have to leave behind your friends, instant messengers solve that for you, and you can even talk to the person in the room next to yours without having to come face-to-face to their judging eagle eyes that buzz over you and find all the defects of your tongue. It’s so easy, you don’t need to even write good. In fact, you may as well find a new use for all

In years gone by, people did not really care about what was happening in the outside world. They just went on with their lives and let the government deal with whatever great cause needed attention. After all, what can one human do? But now we are realising that it is we who are changing everything. We are finding out that it only takes one person to make a difference. A singular human can have massive impacts on the world. And how can one of our dear readers know that they are making the right changes on the world? We must discuss our thoughts, emotions and intentions with others, and allow them to judge us. It is very easy to see the flaws of others, but quite difficult to see our own. If this were not true any time someone did something annoying they would immediately stop and swear up and down to never do it again, and Hitler would have given up faster than we gave up trying to write about space.

those pens. Maybe a divider for your compact disks? To finalise: we need to talk. Not specifically “we”, just in general—huBut no, dear readers, this is not what they meant back in 1964 when a bunch of students who thought anarchy okay protested with their “FREEv SPEECH” signs. In time, we will change, they thought. They were talking more about the content of the speech, rather than the amount

mans. “We” talk all the time, however, we have chosen to not tell you that. To better ourselves we need to gather opinions from all ways of life, and we need to gather opinions on our opinions. Without conversation, our lives would become perpetually incomplete.

of it. Thanks to them, we are free to talk about sensitive topics like homosexuality and equality. We can shout our fetishes to the wind without fear of reprisal, wear shirts with bad words on them, hide music

But take everything with a grain of salt. Think about things before you commit to an opinion.

references in our writing or even publicly discuss the three fates we call our editors; weaving, measuring and publishing our lives, with far more

Who do you believe?

knowledge on grammar than any mortal can hope for—and they cannot edit that out, free speech and all.

But dear readers, we did not change. Humans do not instigate conversa-

Until next time.

Hoi Sin

tions about asylum seekers or gay rights with their baristas, despite how devilishly friendly they are. It is always something safer, like that missing plane, or the weather. Even if you do try to talk to them about your fetishes, they just go all quiet, and they have not made eye contact since.

Humans barely use all the rights and freedoms thousands have fought for in the past. Often for good reason, of course. Most people simply 10

Hoi Sin does not exist, has never existed and can never exist. But we keep getting articles.

ometimes, it’s nice to say the things you have to say in a creative, I-don’t-need-norules kind of way. It’s nice to pick your own topic, to put a spin on it that is yours alone, and to put it out there into the world looking just exactly how you want it to look. A zine (pronounced “zeen”) is a handmade, independent publication. It can be magazine-like, but the format really is up to the maker. Some zines are all writing, some are all drawing, some are both, some have collaged parts. Most often, they are put together in such a way that they are easily reproduced by way of a photocopier in print runs of anywhere between 20 and 500 copies. Many of the zines in my collection are A6 size; easily created with the help of your friendly photocopier. Some are thick A5 booklets with cardboard covers. Some are tiny; 4 pages at A7 size of cartoons. A more academic examination of zine culture is “Intimate Ephemera: Reading Young Lives in Australia Zine Culture” by Anna Poletti, accessible as an e-book through Dixson Library’s webpage. Poletti examines zines as an expression of youthful experience; a response to popular culture which often standardises identity.

ZinByesHelen andTaylor DIY She has chosen to study it as a form of autobiographical writing that is able to move away from the need to meet criteria otherwise required to make something acceptable for publication. What are zines about? I have loads of favourites, but some of the best ones (according to me) include: “Updated Report of Observations Which Somehow Seem to Reflect Abstractly on Life” by Sarah McNeil, full of pie charts and graphs about things like “Things I Do When the Modem is not Working”, “Priorities” and “Food in My Fridge”, a collection of Kurt Vonnegut quotes illustrated with cat drawings by Gemma Flack called “Vonnecats” and “I dig you” by Nat, devoted to guitar-wielding band members she is crushing on. The point is that zines can be about anything that captures your imagination. I have many potential zines bubbling away in my brain, including one full of half-finished letters, one on hot beverages that I like, a feminist one with other contributors... there’s an endless list. Sometimes the title of the zine is enough to inspire its content, for example: “Spoiler Alert”, “How to be Undead” or “Tyrannosaurus Rox”. Instead of trying to impress editors (after all,

Helen is studying Arts Management, and things that make her happy include chocolate milk, paper goods and 80’s teen movies.

they’re not all as cool as the Nucleus gang), you get to self-publish whole zines full of cat pictures, or comics made of stick figures, or a poem and a story about a wombat and a photo of your shoes. It’s a grassroots publishing situation: often zines are swapped, and sometimes sold for a few dollars to cover printing costs. My favourite zine store is The Sticky Institute in Melbourne – their site http://www.stickyinstitute.com is a place you can buy zines online and get a taste for the various zine-related events going on. That’s all well and good for the big city, but I think Armidale needs to get on board. I want to start an Armidale Zine Collective. If you agree, you can email armidalezinecollective@gmail. com and we can organise a get-together with butchers paper and markers for brainstorming. I’m thinking workshops and events, a zine library and a way to get our creations out into the world. Winter is coming. Let’s stay inside making awesome stuff, and then cover the world in paper! 11

A Chat with UNE’s Student Support! by Cate McDowall Student Support has a range of services available to students of the University of New England to assist them with study and any nonacademic issues that they are concerned about. Cate McDowall caught up with Annette Stevenson to find out more about the services within Student Support.

What is the role of Student Support? Student Support comprises Counselling as well as Career Development. There is also the Student Support Team which has a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and the UNE Insider’s Guide blog within the student portal. The Student Support Team can be the first port of call for students who are not sure about what they need or who can help. We also have the Student Special Needs Office that supports students with any kind of disability, temporary or ongoing, that might impact on their studies. Student Support also includes our Regional Study Centres located in over a dozen locations in NSW, and which provide students access to technology, and a place to study and meet other students. Students can find out more about Student Support by navigating from the UNE home page to the current students page, then going to Support@ UNE. Who is the Counselling Team at Student Support? There are two full time counsellors, myself and David Bruce. There is also a half- time counsellor, Catherine Passey, as well as Michael Clarke who is here one day through the week. We also currently have a Masters student, Deb Warren, on placement two days a week. We like to think we have an approachable counselling team. We provide a free, professional and confidential service, staffed by either fully qualified and registered psychologists or social workers. What is your advice to students who may not be aware of this service available to them? 12

We always encourage students to engage in appropriate help-seeking

for themselves. If in the first instance they can get their questions or concerns answered by their friends or immediate peers or family that’s fantastic. The University web pages, such as AskUNE, or our Student Support webpages, also have a lot of information/answers that they can access (such as our tip sheets, useful links, information on the Insider’s Guide blog), but if they are still at a loss as to what to do or how to resolve an issue, we certainly encourage them to come and speak to a counsellor or contact the Student Support Team. A lot of the students we see in counselling are not necessarily in a crisis. They just need to think out loud and get a different perspective on their situation. Students should not feel that an issue is too small to talk with us about – or too big for that matter. If it is an issue that can be resolved in 10 minutes, that’s fine. If it takes longer than that, that’s okay too. We will see the student as long as possible to address whatever their concern is, or will refer them to other relevant services when required. When I say see a student, we not only provide in person counselling, but also counselling via phone or skype – as most UNE students are off-campus. What does counselling cover in terms of support for students? We never really know what students are going to present with. Students will present with academic concerns but also personal concerns or both. We recognise that study doesn’t occur in a vacuum and so a lot of students will bring what is going on in their personal life here to then look at how they can manage that along with their studies. People see us about relationships, situational stresses like finances, moving house and possibly legal matters which we can then refer them elsewhere for. Some may have had past or recent trauma or may be managing depression or anxiety, exam anxiety, procrastination, lack of confidence, self-esteem issues, being away from home for the first time or living independently, getting used to being their own person, and trying to figure out who they are. So the whole transition into being an independent person who isn’t defined necessarily by their family can be challenging. At this time of year we will certainly have students return with some homesickness because they have had that opportunity to catch up with family and friends over the trimester break, so when they come back to uni they have to readjust. For others it’s the pressure of assignments which are generally all due around now, before the next final lot of

assignments and then the need to revise for exams. So time management is obviously something that students come see us about. We see students who are either recent school leavers but also students who are managing part time jobs and children, and paying off mortgages. It’s the unique challenges that each student brings and how they can get that balance right in terms of how much time they can devote to study without it effecting family, work, etc. I, as a counsellor, represent only one of the services within Student Support. As mentioned, we have quite a range of support services. More information about these and how to contact us can be found at http://www.une.edu.au/currentstudents/support/student-support I would also encourage students to check out the uni4Me webpage at http://www.uni4me.com.au/ plus the range of other student support services that can be found from the current-students UNE webpage. Let the mouse hover over the word “Support”, and a large list of services, such as Academic Skills, Oorala Aboriginal Centre, Chaplains and more will appear. I represent only one of many support services available to students, but we all work together for the same end – to help students thrive in their time at UNE. Cate is in her final year at UNE studying a Bachelor of Media and Communications and enjoys reporting local new in the community.

5th Annual Nonviolence

Film Festival 12-16 May 2014 A Week of FREE Lunchtime Films. Peace Studies at UNE is hosting the Fifth Annual Nonviolence Film Festival including a lineup of films from the UK, USA, Israel and India Monday:

How to Start a Revolution

Tuesday:

Soundtrack for a Revolution

Wednesday: Lemon Tree Thursday:

Acting Together on the World Stage: Performance and the Creative Transformation of Conflict

Friday:

Lage Raho Munnabhai - Indian blockbuster comedy

Time: Starting at 12 noon daily Location: University of New England Di Watson Lecture Theatre (near the Northern carpark). For more information contact: Dr Marty Branagan P: 6773 3951 or E: mbranag3@une.edu.au 13

Photo credit: Stu Horsfield

An Interview with Emma Dean and Francesca de Valence I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Emma Dean and Francesca de Valence before their show at the Armidale Club for their Songs of Love and War tour. We talked about finding inspiration in unusual places, forgetting to listen to new music, and passionate people. Read the interview with the talented songstresses to find out what new instruments they would learn if they had the chance, and read the review of their show to find out what it sounds like to explore themes of love, heartbreak and what it means to fight for something you believe in. Alana Young: You’re both part of Emma’s band Emma and the Hungry Truth, but before that you had solo musician careers. Emma Dean: We still do! AY: What led to you two deciding to do this Songs of Love and War tour? EM: We bonded over email while I was living in New York and Fran was in Brisbane. Francesca de Valence: I was releasing my third EP, you were just doing your EP trilogy, and we both were in the throes of “How f-ing hard is this?!” Because neither of us fit in a particular box, and that can be lonely at times. ED: Then I moved back to Brisbane and I put out a call on Facebook, about this new project – my band. FV: And I was feeling particularly lonesome, because I don’t work with other musicians often, so I was already thinking “I need another project where I get to play with others as well as playing my own music”. And then Emma put out the call and I answered. 14

ED: And then, obviously, that all went very well

indeed, and we discovered that we work really well together, and we needed to find a way to tour together. And I guess the common thread in some of our songs were themes of love and themes of … FV: Fighting for what you want, and what you need, and what you believe in. And the fight – we kind of have this fight for this career where we don’t even know where we fit. Especially in Australia, because we’re such a small market, and especially independent, without financial or industry support. So it’s not just a literal fight, fisticuffs, and not just in a relationship with a partner, but also about our personal personalities. AY: So how different do you both find it making and playing music as part of a band to as a solo artist? Is there one that you prefer over the other? FV: We are making music, but the music was already created, so now it’s just more making a different sound with the music. And I love it! I was just saying yesterday after our show in Toowoomba, “I don’t want to play my solo songs by myself ever again!” ED: Yeah, it’s been really fun! And, just to be clear, this show is Francesca’s songs, and my songs, and we’re performing on each other’s songs. It’s been so fun figuring out little ways, and, you know, thinking about

“How are we gonna tour with these instruments?” Finding the smallest drum possible to make the biggest sound. FV: And put on a plane! And also the songs sound different to the recordings because now we’re adding different parts in and they get a new lease on life. AY: Do you feel your musical styles have changed since transitioning from solo to band to this project? FV: I think with my songs, I, last year particularly, felt – before the Hungry Truth project or even working with Emma on tour now – I felt particularly like I needed a change. I’m playing around with the idea of some vocal sounds, as percussive things. But I need to move away from just the voice and piano. Not move away from, sorry – I need to add that, enhance somehow. I just feel one-dimensional. I need to become twodimensional. ED: For me, I think, my writing style has definitely involved/improved since last year even. I was very aligned to the cabaret world, which was wonderful and I loved that, but I’m taking a step away from that; and the music is still very theatrical, and being able to work with a band allows me to stand up from behind the piano and think outside of that little comfortable

dimension. And that’s changed the way that I write music and the way that I think about live performance as well. You know, you can feel very limited sitting in a corner behind a grand piano or behind a keyboard, but having five other amazing musicians back me allows me to explore further possibilities. AY: Musical icons! Have they changed? Have you gotten new ones? Have you questioned why you had old ones? ED: My musical icons – I don’t really have … Well, I mean, yeah, there are maybe three of four artists that I refer to when I’m asked this question, but I’m always finding – to be really honest – the people that inspire me most, musically, and theatrically, are usually my friends, and people in my home community. That’s where I get most of my inspiration from. But, artists like Tori Amos, Queen, Kate Bush … I love their work and it’s influenced what I do on a really fundamental level. FV: I am a funny musician, that I sometimes forget to listen to new music. But I find musical inspiration not necessarily from music – I mean, I totally do listen to new music, but I sometimes have to consciously go, “I haven’t bought any music for two months, I mean, can I just buy something and force myself to listen to it?” I teach as well, so there’s always new music being made in some capacity in my life. And certainly the artists that I’m totally in love with, like Neil Finn and Stevie Wonder and Carol King, I don’t think I sound anything really like. Maybe I’d like to think I sound like Neil Finn. But it’s the passion and what they sing about that I find the most inspiring, actually. It’s … when you see someone 100% into what they’re doing, and that’s why it’s not just about music. Anybody that’s 100% into what they’re doing is so inspirational. ED: Yeah. FV: Does that make sense? You get it? AY: I get it, definitely. Okay, I’ve got some quick-fire questions for you now. ED: These scare me a bit. FV: I like the deep songs. AY: Hopefully these aren’t scary! If you could learn a new musical instrument, what would it be? FV: Practically, I want to play the guitar. But passionately, I wanna play the cello. ED: Oh my god! They were my answers! FV: Oh my god, are you serious? ED: Holy shit! I was like: guitar and cello! FV: ‘Practically’ only for guitar. ED: I wanna, like, rock out on guitar. FV: Can we just practise together? Because I’m such a bad practiser. ED: Yeah, I’m terrible. FV: We should do training sessions where you can train me, and then we can both muck up the guitar together. And then we’ll do a cooking class afterwards.

ED: Done! And when are we going to do this?

ED: No, no, no, it could be either!

FV: Um, in our spare time!

FV: Sorry, I was so … talking about my own!

ED: In our spare time, so, see you in 2015!

ED: No, it could be either! So that, that is an outstanding, just beautiful music video. I’ve learnt to say “music video” because when I say “film clip” in America that doesn’t translate at all. They don’t know what a film clip is. I just thought I’d say that. But my favourite music video that I’ve been a part of? I think I’ve got two: there was one for ‘Sincerely Fearful’, one of my songs, where there were ninjas. So I was working with, I think it was six stunt men. And also a song called ‘Something They Can Hold’, which was sort of butoh-inspired, with one of my ex-performing troop physical theatre fold, so she was the dancer in that. So that was another beautiful experience. But check out ‘Every Single Night’. It’s so … it’s just really surreal.

FV: What’s that month after December, the one that’s before January? Let’s do it in that one! AY: The secret month. ED: That’s right! AY: Do you prefer big festivals or intimate gigs? ED: Intimate gigs for something like this. Festivals for Emma and the Hungry Truth. FV: For me … Intimate. Yep. Answer: yep! Definitely. For something like this. And Emma and the Hungry Truth: festival! AY: What’s your favourite new band that you’ve found in the last year? FV: Fiona Apple. I’m really into a band called Emma and the Hungry Truth. AY: Oh yeah, I love those guys. FV: I’ve never heard anyone like them. They’re really unusual but interesting and unique. ED: I thought you meant: “I’ve never heard anybody say they like them”! I was like, jeeze. God, Fran, talk it up! FV: What d’ya think I’m doing, what d’ya think I’m doing?! AY: Alright, last question: what’s your favourite film clip that you’ve made, or been a part of? ED: Ahh, this is plug central! FV: I just, not even two weeks ago released a music video called ‘The Fighter’. AY: I watched that this morning! FV: Yeah, that was definitely my favourite that I’ve made. It made references to musical theatre shows. Did you notice? AY: I did! FV: There’s a few little references in there … Funny Girl, Chicago, Cabaret, The Produers, little bit of Sound of Music sing-a-long-ness. It was one of those magical moments where all the stars aligned and I had twenty cast and crew who all volunteered to do this project. And the vibe on the day was fricking unreal! Everyone was loving it! I was just having … it’s like, seriously, on-your-birthday vibe, but it’s like it’s gonna be the last day of your life so everyone’s just loving you! It’s awesome! Beat that story chick-a-dee! No, I’m joking! Sorry, no, no. ED: I didn’t know it was a competition! Well, one of my favourite recent clips that I’ve discovered is Fiona Apple’s ‘Every Single Night’.

AY: Thanks so much!

Songs of Love and War - Review

his was the first time I’d gone to the Armidale Club exclusively for a concert, not for a few drinks and an embarrassing game of pool. And I might never go back for another concert, because Emma Dean and Francesca de Valence’s Songs of Love and War tour will be hard to beat. When I interviewed the two lovely and energetic musicians before the show, Dean and de Valence spoke of the inspiration they feel from watching people do things they’re passionate about, and if I was a better musician than I am I would have been inspired to go home and write a hundred songs because of their passion. The show alternated between songs from both musicians, and Dean’s cabaret-esque ‘A Mess A Mess’ kicked the show off with excited gusto. de Valence’s songs were quieter than Dean’s but no less exciting: the sweet piano was the perfect accompaniment to her angelic voice. The duo played one song by their band Emma and the Hungry Truth, which left me very excited and eagerly awaiting the theatrical pop band’s first album. There was never a dull moment and never a dull note. Dean and de Valence jumped between instruments during the night, and I was in awe of their control over and finesse with the piano, the violin, the drums, and, my favourite, the melody horn (for high-school music class nostalgia only - the melody horn doesn’t come close to the power brought to the show by the violin). Their songs are brilliant showcases of songwriting in their solo form, but Dean and de Valence playing together brought a new life to them, one filled with dynamic sounds and excitement – and that passion I mentioned; both musicians looked totally delighted to be on stage playing music. 100% passionate.

FV: Oh, other people’s music videos?! 15

ENVIRONMENT

BARRICADE T

Photo credit: Marie Cameron - A Woman with a Camera

By Belinda Marsh

he little black puppy is sleeping on a pile of blankets, ignoring his owner who is sitting with him in the large concrete tub that is strategically blocking a driveway. His name is Barricade. He may be oblivious to the fight taking place around him while he dreams doggy dreams, but his name carries hope and gives strength to the cause.

The camp has set up on the adjoining property, with permission from the farmer who owns that land. He wants the protectors there, and has asked them to stay. The camp has knuckled down and is getting on with the mammoth task of organising such a large group of people, and they are doing it effectively and peacefully.

Metgasco plan to drill for coal seam gas in Bentley, inland from Byron Bay, in Northern NSW. The farmer wants the cash on offer, and the protectors in the area arrived many weeks ago outside his driveway to halt the proceedings. They were joined by many others, and have stayed ever since. This is a standoff; this is war.

Their dedication to the cause is breathtaking. As I wind my way along the road, travelling past beautiful, rolling hills and glorious, green pastures, I spy the camp in the distance. I was unaware of simply how BIG it is. Hundreds of tents show the strength, commitment, and the power of the people. This is democracy in action.

There is a simple explanation for the drastic action taken; the drilling of coal seam gas in various parts of the world has led to environmental destruction and devastation, especially to our planet’s water supplies. And the protectors are there to ensure it doesn’t happen here. Can’t eat coal, can’t drink gas.

Many locals drive by and beep their horns in support of the battle brewing, waving to me as I walk up the hill from the camp towards the main gate. This small piece of driveway is the front line, and the enthusiastic protectors are there for the long haul. They have had visitors: Pete Murray, John Butler, Mama Kin, Ash Grunwald, Xavier Rudd, Blue King Brown, and many, many others who offer their support in song. A group of Aboriginal Elders have camped on the land itself, reminding the haughty farmer that he is not actually the ‘owner’; ergo, he has no right to do this.

The neighbouring farmers are distinctly unhappy about Metgasco setting up a gas well in their area, and are very angry that their neighbour has ‘sold out’. Coal seam gas mining will more than likely ravage their dairy farms and water supplies. There are reports of children with too many nosebleeds, people with headaches and migraines, animals dying from drinking water from local dams, and skin rashes and nasty reactions from bathing in the bore water in Tara, Queensland; all caused by the coal seam gas wells in the area. Of course the vast majority of the landowners adjoining the site are upset, and the locals are very concerned; wouldn’t you be if this was happening in your neighbourhood? 16

Metgasco now has a problem on its hands.

Photo credit: Marie Cameron - A Woman with a Camera

Companies such as Metgasco are notoriously difficult to speak with about their drilling processes. They cloak themselves in secrecy and refuse to talk to anyone who doesn’t agree with them, to anyone who may shine the light of negativity on their methods and techniques, or to anyone who may ask difficult questions that hold them to account for their behaviour. The mystery

surrounding their operations makes them appear arrogant and superior, and it also allows a person with even the most limited intelligence to draw the conclusion that they obviously have a damn lot to hide. Add into the mix the use of the police to enforce the will of a corporation, instead of protecting the people that pay their wages through our taxes and are supposedly there to help US, the people; plus the political pockets the mining company must line with cash to be allowed such concessions and bam! We’re slapped sharply with a reminder of how we, the people, and the land we humans, not to mention animals and plants,

need for our very survival mean absolutely nothing in the face of money and greed. Can’t eat coal, can’t drink gas. As I am sitting in the camp, I notice the vast array of people dedicated to the cause. This is not just a bunch of ‘dirty hippies’; there are grandmothers, farmers, office workers, teachers, teenagers. 3000 people turned up recently very early one morning when the call went out that the police might be on their way: labourers, factory workers, bus drivers, check-out chicks, accountants, lawyers, local councillors. And they are fighting for YOUR future. You may be wondering how Coal Seam Gas mining relates to you. I am here to remind you that this army is the front line against the environmental destruction and the devastation of the water supply that will indeed affect your life, while you sit and read this article over your decaf fair trade skim milk latte in your favourite inner city café. I dare you to take more of an interest of life outside the petty squabbles of the office, the P&C meeting at your kids’ private school, and taking your car to be serviced. The Great Unwashed are fighting this war on your future on your behalf, and you’re too wrapped up in your life to open your eyes. Your money will not buy you a future on a dying planet that has been ravaged by the almighty dollar you hold so dear. Can’t eat coal, can’t drink gas. Barricade still snoozes, dreaming of chasing tennis balls, gnawing bones bigger than his head, and long walks in the park. In the meantime, he will protect the front line on your behalf. You’re welcome.

Photo credit: Marie Cameron - A Woman with a Camera

Belinda likes to think she’s a writer, but honestly, she just likes to put on her rangry pants and have a good old rant. You can read her shenanigans at rangry.wordpress.com; she is also a regular contributor at thebigsmoke.com.au and theaimn.com.

New in-store lay-by option at United Campus Bookshop! LAY-BYS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE AS WELL AS IN STORE. This payment option doesn’t cost extra. Contact Us:

Requires a 20% deposit and allows 4 months to pay off, with regular email reminder alerts.

Armidale Campus

Currently taking payments manually (over the phone or direct debit), but this is expected to become fully automated by Trimester 3.

Phone: +612 6772 2468

UCB can terminate the lay-by and refund already-made payments (minue a fee), or alter the order, if requested.

University of New England,

Facsimile: +612 6772 3469 armidale@ucb.net.au Regular Opening Hours:

Lay-bys are a ‘no worries’ method of dealing with finance issues and allow students to plan ahead to ensure they have the books they need, when they need them. UCB is still stocking Earlew Page discount cards (cost: $20), and encourage students to use these. Students not only get a discount with these cards, they also go into the draw to win a $250 gift voucher each Trimester at UCB.

9 AM - 5 PM

Next draw is 12th August!

Monday - Friday

UCB discounts do not require any membership or joining fee, unlike other University bookshops. Students are free to use the website for their orders and lay0bys 24/7 and can ‘Click and Collect’ using the shopping cart delivery option when they have completed their order,

#indie by #RachHopkins

Photo credit: http://www.toptenz.net

t has been said that every idiot with an iPhone thinks he or she is a photographer. In the case of actual professional photographers I completely understand being frustrated, however, aren’t iPhone photographers just expressing their own free creativity? Something amazing happens when a world of free speakers, free thinkers and free creators are bestowed with incredible technology. That something is the independent entertainment industry. While the iPhone photographers aren’t likely to take jobs from hardworking professionals, there are other idiots with technology who have contributed to the arts in amazing ways. Every idiot with a video camera thinks he or she is a film maker, and some of these idiots make fantastic films. Every idiot with a keyboard thinks he or she is a writer –and this is a fact I can personally vouch for- but some of these idiots write amazing pieces worth reading. The industry of amateur arts contains some incredible stories made by people with little resources who create simply because they want to, not because they are paid to. Here are three of my favourite indie gems: 1: John Dies at the End by David Wong Did you ever see such a spoilery title? This is the story of a supernatural drug nicknamed ‘Soy Sauce’. This drug is a living thing which destroys the walls between realities for the consumer, in this case David Wong. Suddenly every moment between the beginning and the end of all time is interchangeable, every plane of reality melds into one and every bump in the night reveals itself to David. Receiving psychically linked phone calls from your dead friend via a hotdog is unusual to most; however this is actually the least crazy thing David has to deal with in this novel.

Photo credit: http://escapepod. This book began as David Wong’s random short story about hunting monsters with his org/2013/01/22/book-reviewfriend John. It was a single blog post among many john-dies-at-the-end/ he had written, but some people liked it and wanted more. The story was turned into a series, and then into a book. Someone important must have liked this book because it has since been made into a movie. John Dies at the End embraces the limitless nature of independent stories to create an incredibly unique horror/Sci-

Fi that will either: a) Mess with your head and make you want more b) Mess with your head and make you throw the book across the room while shouting “WHAT DID I JUST READ?!” If experience a) is what you relate to, go check out the sequel ‘This Book is Made of Spiders, Seriously Don’t Touch It’. 2: For Lovers Only If you are a sucker for romance, an admirer of the beautiful country of France, or just someone who likes watching people make out in black and white, For Lovers Only is the film for you. The story follows Sofia (Stana Katic, known for her role as Detective Beckett on Castle) and Yves (Mark Polish, not really known for much other than a few indie films but who cares because Stana Katic), two exlovers who have both fallen into miserable marriages since their separation. They run into each other in Paris and decide to run away together. That’s basically it. There is a lot of romantic stuff. Lots of shots with Sofia looking lush. I am going to admit that I only watched this movie because it stars Stana Katic, who has proven through several awful films that her acting is just as amazing when the story sucks. I will also admit that there is some incredible artistic beauty in the filming and writing of For Lovers Only. Photo credit: http://www.thewrap. As much as I hate the lack of substance com/movies/column-post/polish- in the love story side of the film, I cannot help brothers-new-movie-no-budgetbut be impressed by the amount of depth and huge-profit-exclusive-28989 realism in the tragedy side of it. For the first half I wonder why I am watching, then in the second half I am being moved by words that were spoken in conversation but flow like poetry.

Katic and the Polish brothers decided to make this film out of a spontaneous desire to create something beautiful. Michael Polish, who directed the film, used a camera he already owned and the three of them paid their own fair to France. The budget for this film was zero and through nothing but an iTunes release it made over half a million dollars. This is about as indie as indie can get. It is set in a foreign country, stars fairly unknown actors, and is in black and white. If you choose to watch this movie out of curiosity, absorb it like an artwork. Then rake in your bonus hipster points. 3: Joss Whedon’s Much Ado about Nothing

READ OUR MOVIE REVIEWS OF ‘DIVERGENT’ AND ‘THE LEGO MOVIE’ ON PAGE 23!

http://www.upcoming-movies.com/new/joss-whedon-s-much-ado-about-nothing-getsfirst-trailer/#.U2w79_mSySo

The plot of Much Ado is as follows: Benedick and Beatrice verbally spar while their friends create a scheme to make them fall in love. Everyone drinks and parties a lot. It is your basic romantic comedy beautifully shaped by William Shakespeare’s lovely words. This version is a black and white film in a modern setting made with only the money and resources the director had to offer. Sounds pretty indie, right? Indie films are not just for amateurs. Joss Whedon, king of geeks, is the creator of such iconic television series as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse and Firefly. He directed and wrote The Avengers and is now a key voice in all things Marvel. This is a man who struggled through industry wide creative rejection to finally make it to the top. So what does he do on his two week break from filming the third highest grossing film of all time? He films a Shakespearean romantic comedy at his house. Granted this indie film has many advantages over other small productions. The director has a lot of actor friends, his house is amazing, and the script was already written for him. Some may argue that this does not count as an indie film, but I think a Shakespeare play filmed in a guy’s house over two weeks then presented in black and white fits the indie description perfectly. Cinematically speaking, Much Ado about Nothing is beautiful. The musical score, written by Whedon and various members of his family, glides through the mood of each scene with grace and finesse. While the script is the original play the direction helps the audience to get into the flow of the language, keeping them interested regardless of their previous exposure to Shakespearean language. Another element that plays a great role in achieving this is the acting, which is fantastic. Many of the characters Whedon killed in his TV shows are alive again in this film, thanks to him keeping in touch with basically everyone he has ever worked with. It is like Whedon’s thank you gift to the fans who have suffered through every heartbreaking moment he created for them. In every tiny cinema that actually played this movie you could hear at least one hard core Whedonite say “just this once, everybody lives!” The industry of independent arts is an excellent product of our freedom. We have freedom to write stories about monsters made entirely of frozen meat*, freedom to film a story of infidelity across the French countryside, and freedom to take someone else’s story and have your friends recreate it in your backyard. To all the bitter people complaining that every idiot thinks they are an artist, you are one of those idiots. Now go and create some art. *this is an actual plot line in John Dies at the End. I swear I am not making it up the book is just crazy. Rach Hopkins is a severe story addict making no efforts toward recovery. She is enrolled at UNE studying a Bachelor of Arts doing a double major in English and writing in order to feed into her filthy habit and increase the quality of her own product.ct. 19

A weekend in the life of an aspiring Army Officer

y name is Officer Cadet Jack Loftus, currently posted to New England University Company, University of New South Wales Regiment (UNSWR) as a part of the Australian Army Reserves. I joined the Army Reserves in Adelaide 2012, appointing into the General Service Officer First Appointment Course before transferring to UNSWR in order to commence a Bachelor of Medicine at UNE. Since then I have enjoyed a variety of both challenging and thoroughly enjoyable experiences that would not have been afforded to me outside of the ADF. Today I would like to discuss a recent training exercise that I recently took part in.

you filled with a great sense of achievement when the job is done, but the team that you share these experiences with become great lifelong mates. This training exercise was indicative of the course as a whole and while the challenges are great, there are always new and exciting activities,

The training involved Officer Cadets at all stages of training, from the newly appointed Officer Cadets who have only qualified on weapons such as the F88 Austeyr (the basic service rifle) and the F89 Minimi (Light Support Weapon) to others whom hope to be commanding a platoon of their own in just a few short months. The training emphasises leadership, management and command at all levels from small military team leader theory through to platoon level command. Officer Cadet training involves a number of different challenges, while physical challenges are present, mental toughness; self-discipline and perseverance are also tested. One of the most physically demanding tasks was carrying a stretcher weighing 80kg between a Section (8 people) for 3.5km while wearing equipment weighing up to 35-40kg. While this task appears extremely difficult, with the help of your team and mental toughness the task becomes quite achievable. This difficulty of this task was compounded by the fatigue, weather and lack of sleep experienced over the preceding two days. However rather than feeling down and unmotivated due to the task at hand, as a team we spurred each other on, before finally enjoying the sense of achievement as a team once the activity had been achieved. Throughout my time in the reserves I have overcome many challenges and reaped the benefits, I am fitter than Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever been, more motivated and possess the personal organisational skills which have allowed me to achieve my goals outside of Army, most notably, academically. I have gained notable civilian qualifications including senior first aid certificate and navigational skills, as well as learning about a variety of different weapons and pieces of equipment I would not be exposed to elsewhere. Despite the difficulty of these challenges, they are possible, not only are 20

which are thoroughly enjoyed as much as the common bond you share with your team mates. When I return to my studies and college I am always filled with self-confidence and the knowledge that whatever new challenge or task is thrown at me, its achievable with persistence and a team of like minded individuals standing next to you. If this sounds appealing to you or if you would like to know more we are running information sessions at the Army depot behind Sport UNE every Monday from 4 pm until the 30th of June 2014. Alternatively you can drop in to the depot on a Tuesday night where our recruiters can help you through the recruiting process. By Officer Cadet Jack Loftus Armidale Depot, University of New South Wales Regiment

Young PEOPLE in THE RFS Y

OUNG people in the Armidale New England community and across the state volunteer in the Rural Fire Service every year. In the New England alone young people help out in a variety of roles. Cate McDowall caught up with young members of the service Keiren Mcgrath, Joseph May and Nikki Donaldson who continue to make contributions to the community. Kieren McGrath is a dual member of Kentucky Rural Fire Brigade and Diggings Rural Fire Brigade. Why did you decide to join the Rural Fire Service? I first decided to join the RFS because my dad is in it and I got sick of watching him go out all the time. It looked like a good idea to join up. I like it a lot and when I finish school I would also like to have a go at State Mitigation. I have been a member for a year now. How did you get involved? Kieren McGrath, Joseph May, and Nikki Donaldson

I was a member of Kentucky but now I have done enough training in Diggings brigade that I decided to have a dual membership with the two brigades. I have completed Bush Firefighter, TFT (chainsaw), First Aid, and will be going for Advanced Firefighter and maybe training for a crew leader this year. I have been to the Region North Exercise twice, helped out at Day on the Green. What are stand out experiences you have had being involved in the service? Some of the best times so far have been helping out at Penrith when the blue mountain fires were going. I also helped out at South Australia last week of the holidays and my biggest fire in the New England was at Blomfield out past Walcha. Joseph May is Deputy Captain of Dumaresq Rural Fire Brigade. When did you first get involved in the service? Around 4 years, give or take. I decided to give it a go at a friend's suggestion and joined Dumaresq Brigade. The variety of skills required to do the job well and safely surprised me. I've enjoyed investing myself in improving them since.

Nikki Donaldson is an active member of Diggings Rural Fire Brigade and New England Catering Rural Fire Brigade. How did you become a member? I decided to join the RFS after my parents did. I wanted to give something back to my community and meet other people who wanted to do the same. I have been a member since 2007, so for 7 years. What are some of the experiences you have had in the service? A stand out experience is going to the Regional Exercises in Glen Innes. I met so many amazing people there and got to learn and practice new skills. Another was when I joined the Diggings brigade first and went out on the fire line. Through courses in the Rural Fire Service I have gained a variety of skills such as I did my first aid certificate. I also decided to join the New England Catering brigade and go out to larger fires and feed the fire fighters as well as cater at courses. 1

What are some of your experiences you have had in the service? I have been an active member since I joined, assuming crew leader responsibilities to a larger extent in the last year. I have been brigade treasurer for 3 years, and this year deputy captain. I was involved in blacking out after a fire in the Blue Mountains on nightshift. The hill on one side of the trail was covered in glowing red points in contrast to a sky full of stars, which was singularly striking. Arriving with fire about 30 seconds away from a shed and saving it, was another experience that was rewarding too.

The Rural Fire Service relies heavily on the support of people in the community. The RFS doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just offer firefighting roles, they have a range of areas that need volunteers. Communications, catering, logistics, planning and aviation support are critical. The minimum age to join the RFS as a volunteer is 16. If you are thinking of joining the NSW RFS see their Membership Application Process and Enquiries page on their website: www.rfs.new.gov.au

(College) RecipeS

by Ashley Pianca

Baby SpinACH, PUMPKIN, CHICKEN AND FETA SALAD

fter overindulging on chocolate at Easter I came to the realization that I should probably consume

something that didn’t contain the glorious compound known as cocoa…and sugar for that matter… and probably that other thing I like to call insulation (winter’s coming). Though this attempt to abstain from the delectable pull of chocolate was short lived, I did however; manage to pull together this salad and restore nutrients to my body. Quick, easy and full of flavour, I highly recommend this recipe for lunch or dinner with friends or just a quiet study day in your room. Remember to send your recipe requests in to: collegerecipes@outlook.com!

Method 1)

Slice pumpkin into medium cubes and place into a microwave safe

Ingredients

bowl with a small amount of water and cover with plastic wrap. Cook in

•

Large handful of baby spinach leaves

microwave for approximately 6 minutes or until soft. Drain excess water.

•

Large slice of pumpkin

•

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

•

1/8 of a raw onion, sliced

•

50g of Feta

•

Small handful of walnuts

•

1 TBSP of honey

before crumbling the feta over everything.

•

2 TBSP of balsamic vinegar

Place chicken into a microwave safe dish with the onion, about 1

TBSP of olive oil and salt and pepper. Cover and cook in microwave for about three minutes before turning the chicken over and then cook again for about 4 minutes or until it is cooked all the way through. 3)

Place spinach on serving a dish and add the pumpkin. Slice the

chicken into strips and put on top. Roughly chop the walnuts and add them

Place honey and balsamic vinegar in a small dish and put in the

microwave until the honey melts. This should take less than 30 seconds. Mix together and pour over salad. Ashley is studying a Bachelor of Criminology/Bachelor of Laws and can’t go a day without listening to Beyonce. 22

(S eparate) Movie Reviews by Helen Tay lor and Stu Horsfield DIVERGENT time.

I couldn’t talk Stu into seeing this one with me, which is a shame, but in the interests of “Free Speech” this edition, we’ve decided to pick our own movies. Don’t worry, we’re still friends – we’ll go to the movies together some other

I’ve been quite excited about this one coming out, and it did not disappoint. I am a big fan of action films, as well as post-apocalyptic utopic/dystopic scenarios. Partly because my inner anarchist just wants to see the world burn, and partly because I love seeing or reading what a writer will make of a new world, when anything imaginable is possible. I was going to avoid referencing the plot, because well, spoilers, then I realised if you’ve read the books or even seen the trailer, my observations aren’t really spoilers at all. Divergent is book one of a series written by Veronica Roth – another book-tomovie scenario which has already been compared to The Hunger Games, possibly because of the kick-ass lead character. And this, my friends, is why I heartily recommend this movie. Shailene Woodley is Tris, initiate of the Dauntless faction, known for their bravery. She starts off brave and just gets braver, climbing stuff and jumping off other stuff and punching stuff/ people, and of course, falling and being punched too. The fight sequences fed my action-hungry imagination, but the larger plot is what grabbed me– in the world of Divergent, the population is divided into five factions, based on personality traits: selflessness, peacefulness, honesty, intelligence and bravery. While Tris chooses the bravery of the Dauntless, she tests positively for no less than three of the factions: Tris is Divergent. This is bad, because it means she doesn’t conform to the system. While she is fighting to prove herself in her faction, she is also fighting to hide the truth of her test, and eventually becomes caught up in a much bigger issue festering in this post-apocalyptic society. It’s a busy time. Plus, she’s falling in love with one of her instructors (fair enough, too: the guy is a babe) which makes for some scenes with that rose-coloured lighting that goes along with Significant Lingering Looks. This love story certainly doesn’t drive the plot, although it is a nice addition, and I couldn’t fail to notice it, given that I was sharing the cinema with probably 80 girls under the age of 16. Much more of a selling point, however: a true and sincere effort to work away from gender roles. It’s almost irrelevant that Tris is female: she faces all the same challenges as her fellow male initiates; she fights against them in training; she is expected to beat them to pass her tests. She gets to be tough and brave while also being emotional, loyal and passionate. The audience gets to see weaknesses of the male characters, too – and not just as a way of bringing the bad guys down. This is why I think you all should go and see this movie. Go for the action, and over a cup of coffee afterwards, reflect on the refreshing portrayal of a woman as a main character and a hero. I can’t wait for the next movie, even though I suspect they’ll probably split the third and final book into 2 movies, as is the fashion of the time.

5/5 Factions

THE LEGO MOVIE The Lego movie is manic, disjointed, childish, and frankly exhausting. Though, it was SO FUCKING FUN that none of that really matters at all. I didn’t know what to expect from it when I heard about it. It looked like a big ad for licenced Lego products, another attempt to cash in on the childhood memories of multiple generations, but with a decent enough cast that it wasn’t immediately obvious (you know, like Transformers, and Transformers 2… and 3… and almost every Tim Burton movie since ‘99*). Then I started hearing people say it was ‘legitimately good’, and ‘surprisingly mature’, and even ‘subversive’. And while I would argue it wasn’t really any of these things, I enjoyed it so much I watched it again almost immediately. The characters are great, and the plot is simple but effective. The dialogue is a bit jilted at times, with people answering questions that weren’t asked, weird unprompted subject changes and things like that, but I guess that’s what happens when you try to fit a hundred bits of information into a 20 second conversation. And what kid is actually listening to that shit anyway? Amidst the blur are some genuinely hilarious moments, and the overall pace of it means the annoying or cringe-worthy parts are over in a flash. As for being subversive… it got half way there. In the first 10 minutes it had managed an astonishing amount of what appeared to be social commentary, pointing to the potential rise of corporate dictatorships, the power of pop culture television and radio to distract from otherwise alarming political and social turmoil, and even implying corporate corruption within voting procedures, all with the excitement and ferocity of some kind of amphetamine induced fever dream. Like if George Orwell wrote an episode of Adventure Time. Except… not. What at first looks like a meaningful allegory for a modern anti-corporate revolution falls apart pretty quickly. If you follow the metaphor to the end, you will learn that the best way to overthrow an economic rationalist despot is to… DO WHATEVER! Great advice. #occupywhatever Seriously, I’m all for the sentiment, thumbs up, but It takes more than pointing at something and saying “hey look, that’s a thing,” to actually say something meaningful about it. But regardless of all that, this movie had the humour and nostalgic charm of old Simpsons episodes, and the astonishing immersiveness that comes with truly innovative filmmaking. It reminded me of the experience of watching Avatar 3D at the IMAX in Sydney; I already knew it wasn’t a great movie, but the experience alone was worth the ticket price. It really felt like something new; really NEW. And so did this. It’s hard to describe the aesthetic without just simply saying, “It’s like a movie if everything was Lego,” but that’s exactly what it is, and it’s done to such a meticulous extent that it creates a tangible world and when the credits roll you’re left with an emptiness feeling like you want to go back. Go see it. P.S. I’ve had that song stuck in my head for a week now and I don’t care. * BURN. You know I’m right though, don’t lie.

3/5 Lego Bricks

The Adventures of Arabella Henderson UNE Time Detective Episode 5: A Brand New Era

Like Kate’s writing? Check out her blog, where she promises you’ll find lots more to tide you over until the next episode of Arabella! The Man In Room 13: www.themaninroom13. wordpress.com

IT WAS A TYPICAL MONDAY MORNING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND

hen you last saw Arabella Henderson, UNE Time Detective, she was unzipping her backpack full of mystery solving equipment, in order to end a riot at the Dixson Library in 1977. Then, to everyone’s shock and outrage, a mighty rift in the space time continuum caused the April Episode of our serial to be mysteriously transported to May. “That’s a relief,” said Nucleus Editor Jessie, from her Helsinki Chalet. “I thought perhaps the author was distracted by an assignment, but it’s just a Space Time Continuum Mistake, as always. We should have known.” Having been given an extended piece of dialogue to make up for not getting an appearance in the previous episode, Jessie moved the scene back to the library, complete with punks, hippies and hep cats. Arabella, having promised through exposition to kick arse and take names, took a notepad, pen and megaphone from her backpack. Seeing a young man with a wicked porn star moustache and a blue crushed velvet suit, she did exactly that. First she ferociously hammered her Doc Martin into his gluteal muscles, and then she asked for his name. ‘Whoa, babycakes!’ He said, with great incredulity. ‘I’m not part of this scene, you dig! I’m just here to learn.’ ‘If you give me your name right now, I’ll overlook you calling me babycakes,’ said Arabella. ‘You’re one of those Women’s Lib Chicks?’ he asked. ‘I can dig that. The name’s Joey Joey Jimmy Joe Joe.’ He extended one hand, and Arabella held it as briefly as she could. Vice Chancellor Obama shook the hand firmly, with an appraising stare. ‘You seem like a popular guy,’ said Obama. Joey Joey Jimmy Joe Joe shrugged. ‘Quintuple J does okay.’

More voices rose out of the crowd, until there was a distinct rumbling again. The shouts turned from cries for help to accusations and threats. Joey Joey Jimmy Joe Joe picked up the megaphone again. ‘Hey hey! Cool it, everyone. Cool it!’ Having regained the crowd’s attention, he handed the megaphone to Arabella. ‘Greetings students of 1977,’ she said. ‘My name is Arabella Henderson, and I am UNE’s foremost Time Travelling Detective.’ ‘Gosh!’ cried a librarian. ‘That’s an ominous greeting.’ ‘I came here on my time bicycle, but my mission must wait, for I see you are in need of advice from the future.’ With her free hand, she pulled the card from the Official UNE Branded Lanyard around her neck. ‘Behold! My photo ID card!’ She passed the card to Joey Joey Jimmy Joe Joe. He turned it over, checking out the back and rubbing his thumb across the photograph. ‘It’s just got her name, her picture and a number,’ he said. ‘And UNE written all over it.’ ‘But how do you stop them from stealing your identity and using your photograph to track your movements?’ asked a young man with a safety pin through his nose. ‘Nobody does that in my time,’ Arabella said. ‘The University isn’t interested in using my personal information to oppress me.’ ‘But that’s the purpose of organised power structures,’ said the punk. ‘To oppress the common man.’ Arabella shook her head. ‘It soon won’t be. The corporate 80s are coming. Reaganomics is almost upon you. The purpose of an organised power structure is to grow its own brand.’ ‘What’s growing a brand?’ asked Joey Joey Jimmy Joe Joe.

Arabella picked up the megaphone and gave it to the young man with the long name. ‘Do me a favour and take this megaphone. Ask everyone to calm down and stop smashing things.’

Arabella took off her lanyard and gave it to him. ‘It’s about name recognition and education as a commodity. In thirty years, your degree will be a product, and UNE the brand that sells it. Look!’

With a boost from the VC, Joey Joey Jimmy Joe Joe was able to get up onto the loans desk. When he began to speak through the megaphone, all heads turned towards him.

Reaching into her Official UNE Branded Backpack, she took out her Official UNE Branded Drink Bottle, her Official UNE Branded Pencil Case, her Official UNE Branded Magnifying Glass and her Official UNE Branded Tactical Cruise Missile.

‘Alright, let’s have some quiet. Groovy, kids, groovy. You there, in the tweed, get your hands off that guy’s throat. You all know me: Joey Joey Jimmy Joe Joe, man about campus. This chick with the boots and the cat in the suit want your attention.’ Now the library had returned to customary quiet, Arabella joined her new acquaintance up on the loans desk. ‘Joey Joey Jimmy Joe Joe!’ called a flowerchild, ‘They’re saying we can’t borrow books without photo ID! UNE is becoming a Police State.’ ‘Help us, Quintuple J!’ shouted her friend. 24

‘The era of fearing your Government is ending,’ Arabella said. ‘I envy you, suspicious yet innocent souls in a world untouched by rampant privatisation and the commoditisation of the abstract.’ Joey Joey Jimmy Joe Joe was looking closely at the pencil case. ‘But… how do you know they’re not conducting covert surveillance through all these UNE Products in your home?’ Lifting her Official UNE Branded Megaphone back to her lips, Arabella sighed. ‘Joey Joey Jimmy Joe Joe! You’re a man about campus. Wake up and smell the corporatism.

The Government, the university, the military… they don’t want your identity. They want your money.’ ‘That does explain all the library fines…’ said the youth with the safety pin nose ring. ‘No, those are because you keep the books longer than your allocated borrowing period, which is inconsiderate of others,’ said Arabella. ‘It has nothing to do with branding. Branding is about a company, or a University, or even the Government building an image of itself to encourage you to buy a product. Sometimes that product is a simple hamburger, but other times it can be as complex as degree or even a Government.’ ‘So what you’re saying is we should not worry about the ID cards?’ asked the flower child. ‘But refuse to pay our library fines!’ agreed her friend. ‘Smash the Capitalists and their making books into commodities!’ ‘Books are commodities,’ Arabella sighed, but the students had all stopped listening. They were confabulating amongst themselves as they lined up to have their photos taken for their new ID Cards. The Vice Chancellor helped Arabella and Joey Joey Jimmy Joe Joe down from the loans desk. Perhaps the assembled students hadn’t quite understood the point, but they had stopped rioting, and that was good enough. ‘Thank you for ending the riot,’ said Joey Joey Jimmy Joe Joe. ‘It was making it hard to study.’ ‘I don’t really approve of your methods,’ said Vice Chancellor Obama. ‘There’s nothing wrong with branding.’ But he was a magnanimous man and though he lead the corporate system against which Arabella had railed, he recognised her strengths as a detective and as a leader and restrained himself from remonstrating with her. ‘You mentioned a mission,’ said their velvet-suited companion. ‘What brought you to 1977?’ Arabella had forgotten all about that. ‘We need to dig up a field and see if there’s a skeleton there.’ ‘Perhaps I can help,’ said Joey Joey Jimmy Joe Joe. The Vice Chancellor nodded with approval as they left the library. ‘Thankyou Young Man. Why, I even have a spare Official UNE Branded Shovel. To the empty field!’ And so, Arabella, Vice Chancellor Obama and a young man with a porn moustache came together in a spirit of peace and harmony to look for a corpse.

To be continued . . .

“Look at the sky, isn’t it beautiful?” She stops mid-dance to say, directed at you, but only as part of the general vicinity. You’re walking between the college flats at midnight, her arms outstretched, revelling in the razor cold breeze as if she had just escaped hellfire. Each movement lithe and potent, dancing to some inaudible tune, made especially for her. Then again you can’t help but think maybe it’s the other way around—her perfect movements are the source of all music. “What are you dancing to?” You ask quietly, not really expecting her to hear. She turns—a twirl of simple grace, on the balls of her feet—and tilts her head, considering in that way she does, jaw pushed to the side, eyes narrowed and brow wrinkled. Clear emeralds analysing your every atom. “The sky is beautiful, isn’t it?” And you know you won’t get a straight answer as she spins away again, a face full of wonder and delight. The slight curl of her lips marking her carelessness. So you look at the sky, but it is black, with no moon and the surrounding lights from the flats hiding any stars that may have appeared. The odd cloud glowing slightly gold in the otherwise empty expanse. You shiver, finding the nothingness to be far more formidable than you would have expected, quickly returning your eyes to the solid ground and the gorgeously mysterious dancer before you. You think back to the sunset you watched hours earlier, and the brilliant blue, clear day. Weren’t they far more beautiful than this morbid vacancy? You noticed her staring at both, full of awe, sitting on the roof until the sun no longer cast its gold on the furthermost clouds. Why didn’t she ask you then? It would have been an easy answer: Yes. Yes it was one of the most beautifully spectacular scenes you’d ever had the privilege to witness. Her silhouetted figure against the reds, pinks, and golds of refracted light on the majestic spires and pillows of colossal cloud formations. A ring of fantastic flames with her in the very centre, hair

flowing freely in the breeze, in a rare moment of near perfect stillness. “Which is your favourite sky?” You hope to avoid her question—to avoid telling her how terrified this black makes you feel—to turn it back towards her. As surely she’d pick the sunset and you could agree. She silently flows around to behind you, resting her chin on your shoulder—ear pressed to neck—and you can feel your heartbeat reverberate into her body, your breathing shallow as you freeze. But all she does is lift your face to stare at the blackness, holding it there while she sways in time to the unknown tune. And you find yourself swaying too, relaxing with her body pressed to yours—one hand under your chin, the other around your waist— both staring into the nothingness that is the sky. You don’t want to move, to break this most intimate contact you have ever felt, knowing that she is giving you an answer. But you don’t understand, or even know the question, so you stay there, silently together, for what seems like both a moment and eternity. “The sky is beautiful tonight, isn’t it?” She whispers in your ear, and at last you agree. The longer you stare the more the stars seem to appear before your eyes, the expanse not so empty, completely bearable with her warmth relaxing your terrified muscles. So you nod, ever so slightly, in time with the sway— agreeing that it is wondrous, but still unsure of its appeal. “What are we dancing to?” Murmuring the question as if you were hiding from someone with impeccable hearing, although the spaces between the flats are completely deserted. She laughs quietly into your ear and spins away, but this time you spin away as well, dancing into the night, following her lead—experiencing, just for the moment, the true meaning of elated contentment. Eventually you reconnect and slow waltz through the lightless time and freezing breeze without noticing either. She whispers before spinning away again, and you understand.

CREATIVE

Universe By Clancy Wall “You’re dancing to me.” But you’re not content, you want to know. So when she comes back and is slowly swaying against your chest you ask her, wondering in anticipation if she’ll even answer. “Are you dancing to me?” But, of course, she just smiles up at you, knowingly keeping her secrets, and you hope that she’s hoping you’ll find them. Though at the same time you wonder what would happen if you did. If she’d still be the same without the mystery, or if her appeal would disappear, becoming just another soul in a world full of souls. Maybe that’s what she’s scared of. But you can’t help yourself, you need to ask the questions, and she needs to lead you towards the answers. After all what else can you do? “Come.” She says, pulling you along. “Go go go go.”

And just like that you run with her, and she stretches out her arms into the wind—head back, hair streaming out behind her like a cape. You do the same, running into the dark, away from the lights of civilisation, having no idea where you are going. Trusting with no other reason than that you know nothing about her. Then she just stops, and you do to, almost tripping over at the suddenness. She falls back, as if trying to make snow-angels on the grass, pulling you with her. And you stare up at the sky again, in silence, and watch as countless stars twinkle into being, far away from the bright lights of humanity. She whispers to herself, in her own way providing the answers, and you lie there, until sunrise, with this perfect mystery, comforted in her silent warmth. “It’s the same sky. The brighter the light, the less you see.”

Clancy is currently studying psychology, and enjoys indulging his imagination far more than is probably advisable. Then again, he argues, wandering through the woods doesn’t break any promises, nor does it make the miles any longer. 2525

Address from Harley Macnamara: student representative to UNE Academic Board Hello fellow Nucleus Readers! On behalf of the student representatives to UNE’s Academic Board, I

studying on campus (to replace Mr Osborne), one further undergraduate

(Harley Macnamara) will be outlining the role of your representatives to

student and one further coursework postgraduate student.

Academic Board and I’ll also be briefly discussing some academic matters

Student Retention/Completion Concerns

that we are currently engaged with. Please feel free to contact us on the SARG (Student Academic Representative Group) Moodle site to partake

Student concern has been registered at the website over the low completion

in the discussion. I’m excited about communicating with students through

percentage (34%) of external students who enrolled in 2000 and had

Nucleus and I am hopeful it will become a regular in upcoming issues.

completed their degree by 2009. We believe this is a concern for both UNE and students and we are seeking comment from Academic Board regarding

The Academic Board is the principal academic body of the University.

current initiatives and plans to enhance student completion. Student

It furthers and co-ordinates the work of the Faculties and other academic

retention is an issue of concern for both UNE and students. From the April

units, encourages scholarship and research, and advises the Vice-

28th meeting, we have been advised that we will receive documents from

Chancellor and Council on matters relating to teaching, scholarship and

UNE’s executive regarding progress with this issue.

research within the University. Academic Board also considers and reports on matters referred to it by the Council or by the Vice-Chancellor.

Prescribing Self-Authored Textbooks as Mandatory Application to Own Units

The student representatives to Academic Board provide a students’ voice in debates about academic matters and policy at UNE. We are full voting

The AB student representatives felt it valuable to follow up on student

members that can influence the direction of academic policy. We also

concerns raised around academic staff prescribing self-authored textbooks

have representation on the Teaching & Learning, Research and Academic

for teaching purposes. We wondered whether it was worth considering a

Program Committees that handle specific areas of academic policy. Any

formal policy regarding this practice to ensure any pedagogical and ethical

comments, concerns and views about academic matters can be brought to

concerns are considered. This issue has been progressed to the Teaching

and discussed with your student representatives.

and Learning Committee for consideration.

Present Student Representatives to Academic Board are: Ms Sarah-Dane Garden (Undergraduate off campus representative)

Professional Experience Office (PEO) Sikiki Lloyd has investigated concerns regarding student dissatisfaction with Education Practicums. Sikiki sought to ascertain how best to support

Ms Sikiki Lloyd (Postgraduate off campus representative)

external students in securing their Practicums (Pracs) and ensuring the process helped rather than hindered students during their school

Mr Harley Macnamara (Postgraduate on campus representative)

experiences. She also sought response on issues of support, direction, feedback, understanding, empathy from PEO.

Elections The PEO has received some funding which allow the restructure of the Council approved amendments to the Academic Board (AB) Constitution

PEO in terms of staffing and technology. This in turn will alleviate many

on 20 March, including increasing the size of student representation on

of the current issues faced by students and in the long term provide a

board from four to six. The decision was made to initiate elections to replace

more streamlined Practicum process. It will be beneficial over the long

Mr Osborne, who has recently resigned, as well as appoint the two new

term particularly with Pracs embedded into units now which has meant a

members. The positions to be filled are one male undergraduate student

specific period of time to complete a Prac, unlike previous years.

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editors@nucleus.org.au Musicians wanted for future gigs! If interested get in touch with Uni4Me!

6773 2506 uni4me@une.edu.au

Words with Judd Confabulation

Magnanimous

Having a fabulous conversation, but the words, discourse and dialogue don’t seem adequate? Want to sound like you are making up a word? Why not describe your conversations as confabulations?!?

Some people are nice. Not me; but some people are nice. Some people are so nice that they are even generous and kind to people who would be seen as lesser than themselves. This, my dear friends, is a person who is being magnanimous.

Yes, yes, yes, I am well aware that it makes you sound like a pompous git, but you know in your heart that you need that. You want that. You’ll take that. You’ll confabulate.

A magnanimous person is one who is kind to those who are the downtrodden of their own feet, those who can’t blow their own trumpet or toot their own horn because it is made of a toilet roll and duct tape, those who wallow in self pity not understanding that it is their own misconceptions of body odour. You know, those kinds of people. It can also be just someone who is your rival that you have beaten, and rather than using their tears as a dressing for your salad sandwich, you are quite humble and nice about it. Bleh, disgusting.

(Disclaimer: confabulation in psychology refers to a fictitious story made up by a patient to fill in memory blanks… you probably shouldn’t confabulate too much as there may be side effects.)