Hi Bondies! Welcome to Week 9! Went to frat party last night and am not in good shape right now - hope many of you are in a If there is ever an indication of a successful party, it is when the DJs start taking their clothes off. If you were at Don’s last Thursday you would have seen the first Mid-Sem Bash run by the new BUSA. There were snakes, a stick insect, a lizard and a face painter, and Don’s was transformed into an Animal Kingdom. The costumes were, as usual, very creative, and it was great to see some animal onesies and even a Dog suit (high five to Shaun Rotman!) The photos are pretty funny – when we got a fake crocodile prop we didn’t imagine how many inventive poses people would come up with...
similar position because I would hate to be suffering on my own. All up, it was a superb
We unveiled our brand new light equipment and DJ decks. The light equipment was organised by amazing (and very attractive) Social Director Carl-Frederik Wibroe, and will be used every Thursday night at Don’s. It is semi-portable, which means it is also able to be used at other events held on campus.
night for all involved and a massive congratulations to BASIC and Bond Cheer for putting it on. There’s definitely something great about hiring out a club and filling it with only bondies.
Last week’s Wednesday by the Water also welcomed our reptile friends onto campus thanks to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary and the Bond Animal Welfare League (BAWL), and Bond Aid cooked curried sausages in honour of their forthcoming trip to Sri Lanka. Next week the Muslim Students’ Association will be putting on a feast for their Meet and Greet, followed by the HSA Language Festival in Week 11. Amnesty International will also be running their Letter Writing campaign.
A big thank you to Ben Thangkam for doing the graphic design for this week.
Executive Drinks is coming up in Week 12, so start thinking about which clubs and societies you have been impressed by this semester, and which have been the best events you have been to. Nominations will open next week. If you enjoyed Bondstock this year and think you have the passion and drive to make Bondstock even better, you may be interested in becoming part of the Bondstock Committee for 2013. Make sure to check your emails this week, because applications are opening shortly. BUSA will be calling for applications for: Events Co-ordinator – responsible for planning, organising and managing events during the Bondstock week Special Guests Co-ordinator – the main point of contact for special guests of Bondstock Corporate Relations Director – responsible for sourcing and liaising with corporate sponsors Promotions Director – responsible for the internal and external branding of Bondstock Successful candidates will be able to dedicate 5 -10 hours per week to Bondstock over the next 12 months, able to work well in a team and will be enrolled until the end of semester 133. More comprehensive position descriptions will be delivered via email. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email me at Fiona.self@student.bond.edu.au. Have a great week!
My personal favourite this week is the ‘5 Ancient Archetypes of the Bond World’ on the next page - read for some giggles. Also, the article on page 13 about the library will provide some laughs.
Apologies for the brief letter, I’m off to have a cheeky nanna nap!
Love Caro x
This is what I was wearing when I ASKED FOR IT.
They’re there, on top of you, against you. You’re forced down, prickly hands dragging at your body. Gasping for air, the bruises grow deeper and deeper as they blunder across you. They’re tearing at your clothes now, ripping apart any sanity you had left. Helpless, your protests go to the wind as they invade every part of you. You feel so dirty, filthy; like you’ll never be the same again. And you won’t. I don’t need to tell you what the statistics are on rape per year to make you realise how truly vile the problem is. One case of sexual harassment, no matter how mild or how terrible, is enough to prove this a problem. I would love to say that it wasn’t a large-scale problem either, but it is. At an anti-rape march, much similar to ‘Slutwalk’ and other anti-rape protests that often feature in today’s society, a woman stands in front of the camera wearing jeans and a t-shirt. The woman holds a sign that reads, “this is what I was wearing when I was raped, did I ask for it?” Another woman nearby holds a picture of herself as a young girl and asks the same question. As far as I’m concerned, I could walk in to surfers stark naked and still not be ‘asking for it’. As I walk around in Surfers, at night or during the day, I should not have to feel conscious of an unwelcome hand being shoved up my skirt every time I turn my back to get a drink, nor should I feel scared if I have to walk alone for any distance at all. I shouldn’t feel anxious being alone and I shouldn’t have to steer clear of the dance floor for fear of the groping hands it brings. I’m sure that most women and men can maintain some element of empathy, understanding or experience with what I am talking about, whether it be in Surfers or elsewhere. It is not ok. This culture, of people being objectified and dis-
Martika Palmer
respected to the point where they feel unsafe is not ok. Any sort of sexual harassment is unacceptable, no matter whether you are male or female, what age you are or what occupation you hold. The examples of the women who attend protests such as ‘Slutwalk’ and who tell their story are the minority who manage to discuss what has happened to them. Thousands more victims feel helpless every day. Many people feel unable to go to the police, or worse, have gone to the police and felt guilty and unwanted, as though they do not have the right to complain or stand up to what has happened to them. This is rape culture. Rape culture is the feeling of unsafety, the idea that people can ‘deserve to be raped’, that it is not always entirely the rapist’s fault. Rape culture is people feeling unwelcome or deliberately discouraged at a police station. Rape is rape. Silence is not consent, nor is flirtatiousness, nor is intoxication. Consent is as easy as a yes, as easy as a question. Respect is asking permission first and waiting for an answer, it’s as simple as that. One of the main campaigns in the US at the moment is framed around the idea that “men can stop rape”. One insightful genius on the Internet wrote that men couldn’t stop rape unless they are in a ‘gang rape’ situation because they aren’t responsible for the individual. My little friend on the Internet exhibits perfectly the main issue we face everyday when addressing rape culture. We have taken a protective response for so many years, telling people to walk in groups, to keep their phone by their side, to monitor their drinks carefully, to sometimes even go as far as carrying pepper spray. All of these defensive measures act to protect people from rape, but what is truly grotesque is that we have to feel unsafe at all. We are teaching people not to get raped, rather than teaching people
not to rape. Rape is a culture that can be exasperated or discouraged, just as any culture can be. So when someone states that “men can stop rape” what they are really saying is that the more objectification and disrespect is discouraged among social groups, by parents, by the community, the more rape culture will be eliminated. The more children that are brought up with strong moral codes regarding the respect of their own sex and the opposite sex, the more this culture will die out. The more people are made to realise that rape is a legitimate, prominent issue and that no one ever deserves it, the more we will see it forced to the forefront of society. Rape culture disappears when people feel as though they have a right to complain, to stand up for their rights. Rape culture disappears when people know that they have done nothing wrong and that they didn’t deserve it. Rape culture disappears when they feel welcome in front of the detective and at a police station. I am not a ridiculous feminist. I wear short dresses, I enjoy it when a male shows some chivalry, I shave my underarms and sometimes I even like my hair pulled. As I am writing this article, I fear that the first few lines would have people wondering whether I am going to go ahead and burn my bra under the arch in the form of some ridiculous protest. While that would be entertaining, no bras will be burnt today. I am just a woman who appreciates that this issue affects us all and is not getting any better. Rape culture... It’s up to all of us.
WEEK NINE Photographers: Shaun Rotman | James Mulholland Events: Halloween | Midsem Bash | USA v ROW
STUDENT ADMINISTRATION
CONTINUING STUDENT ENROLMENT (This information does not apply to Bond College students)
ENROL FOR THE JANUARY 2013 SEMESTER BY FRIDAY 30 NOVEMBER, 2012 Enrolment in subjects You can enrol in your subjects for 131 from Friday 9 November, 2012 starting at 9 am. Continuing students are required to enrol in subjects by Friday 30 November, 2012 (week 12). You can log in to eStudent to enrol in your subjects. International student visa holders must maintain full time enrolment or you will breach your student visa conditions. There is a late enrolment penalty of $350 if you fail to enrol by Friday 30 November.. It is your responsibility to ensure that you enrol by the due date. It is also your responsibility to ensure that you do not have any sanctions which will prevent you from enrolling. Do not leave this until the last couple of days as this will not be an acceptable reason for enrolling late. If you require assistance with enrolling please contact your Program Advisor. You are also encouraged to double check your enrolment once you have completed the process. This is done by selecting the ‘Current Enrolment’ link found in the left-hand panel menu under the ‘Enrolments’ tab. Registering in classes You will be able to register in your classes for 131 from Monday 12 November, 2012 starting at 9 am. To register in your classes go to mytimetable.bond.edu.au. You can view the complete University class timetable for January 2013 on http://timetable.bond.edu.au/swsodd. Please be aware that there may be timetable changes and you are encouraged to periodically check the timetable. Student visa Holders Visa regulations require all student visa holders to be enrolled full time by the Monday 14 January, 2013. Best wishes for your upcoming exams and enjoy the rest of your semester.
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