scope features | kelsie realf (sub-editor) georgia hick (sub-editor) anis lutfi (sub-editor)
contents
sport | jessica drummer (sub-editor) rizal redzuan (sub-editor) arts | nicholas o’hara (sub-editor) antony scholefield (sub-editor) david simmons (sub-editor) james jeffree (sub-editor) student life | ellen kaldis graphics |ashleigh sullivan
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build your bond golf or fuck around? materialism seasons in gc arts photos sport
from the
editor from the
Vice President Recreation
Caroline Stanley
Hi Bondies!
Welcome to Week 7! Can’t believe how far along we are in the semester already! I hope that everyone is coping okay with the midsemester struggle. The bat labs smell permanently of red bull and McDonalds, I’m frequently seeing sleep-deprived students stumbling around in a daze, everybody If you see seven stressed out Bondies running around campus, it’s probably seems much more up to date with their your Bondstock Committee working tirelessly to ensure this year’s Bondstock is favourite TV show and basic things like a week to remember. As next week is our Teaser Week where you can buy your eating, sleeping and showering are falling packs and get around Bondstock, we thought we’d let you know what we’ve been by the wayside. But have faith! Freedom working on for the last six months. is just around the corner, and it comes For those of you who are new to Bond, Bondstock is the most highly-anticipated in the form of Bondstock Teaser week. week on the social calendar. It is a week-long festival of events that celebrate all By this time next week, you should be aspects of life as a Bondy. The week is jam-packed with events ranging from our finished with all of this mid-semester Launch Party, to guest speaking events, to sporting events and of course, Secret madness and well on your way in Location Party and Student Ball. preparation for mid-semester bash.
Fiona Self
This year, Bondstock is making a few changes. We are bringing back the Bondstock Markets, which will be held on Wednesday 18 June, and will be a car-boot style event and your chance to get rid of those clothes you never wear and the stuff you have hoarded over time and no longer need. Live on the Lawns, formerly known as Music Festival, will be a live music event with more of a relaxed feel held on the Ornamental Lawns, and Secret Location Party will be held at – wait a minute, that’s a secret. You’ll have to wait until Tuesday 17 September to find out. Student Ball is a bit different this year, and is a stand-up cocktail event on the stunning Hilton pool deck.
We have had an extremely busy week though. I would like to congratulate the outgoing LSA on the fabulous job they did with law week. I had an enormously fun week and it was a huge success - very intheme with the way they have functioned for their entire term. Keep a look out for another new exciting event that we will reveal in due course. All I will say is “may the odds ever be in your favour…” With their goodbye we welcome in the new LSA and I congratuAnother exciting addition is our Teaser Night. This year, Bondstock 2013 brings you Midlate every student who nomiSem Bash: Fourth of July. Think red, white and blue everywhere, a silent disco area, and nated themselves for election. what kind of Fourth of July celebration would it be without fireworks! Make sure you get to Running independently is a Don’s by 9pm so you don’t miss the fireworks. frightening concept and the campaigning process was The Bondy Bolt is back again this year, starting next week on Tuesday 3 July in the Amphitheatre. The Bondy Bolt is a race around campus and Market Square where you and a partner one of the best I’ve ever seen. will decipher clues in a quest to win a complimentary Bondstock pack. To register email I look forward to seeing bondstock@bond.edu.au with your name and the name of your teammate. what the new committee brings to the law school Don’t forget to like Bondstock 2013 on Facebook and check out our website, www.bondstock. and to the university. com.au Bondstock packs go on sale next Wednesday at WBTW on the Ornamental Lawns. Make sure you don’t miss out on the best week of the year! Bondstock 2013 - GET AROUND IT!
See you next week and pop by Dons for State of Origin tonight! Love, Caro x
Fandanshitsof aAaron Sorkin’s ‘the Newsroom’ will be familiar with the story of Moses and Jesus playing golf. Moses steps up to the tee beautiful shot, straight down the middle of the fairway. Jesus steps up to the tee and hooks the ball into the trees. He looks up into the heavens, raises his arms. As he does, the sky darkens and a thunderclap rings out. Rain pours down and a stream rises among the trees. The golf ball, floating on top, finds its way into the mouth of a fish. Then an eagle flies down and takes the fish and the bowl out over the green, drops it in the cup for a hole in one. Jesus turns to Moses with a satisfied grin and Moses asks,
“Did you come here to play golf or did you come here to fuck around?” It is an anecdote that crossed my mind just the other week as I lined up among a few hundred Bondies to join in the celebration and festivity of graduation. I did consider myself somewhat of a fake graduate. Yes I have completed my law degree, but no I will not be leaving Bond just yet. Nevertheless, between time with family and the awkwardness of mis-measuring my head-size and as a result collecting an ill-fitting hat, I did find time to pause and reflect on the lessons learned during the game of golf that was my undergraduate degree:
1. Become a global citizen, go forward and see the world 2. Don’t eat the butter chicken at Bond Cafe 3. Back yourself. Never be afraid to say you want to do something and become involved 4. If someone mistakes you for Hamish Blake in a nightclub, think twice before kissing her 5. Accept some failure is inevitable, overcome it with determination and tenacity 6. You can fit a stretch limousine through Hungry Jacks drive-through at 5am in the morning. 7. Life here is better with company 8. If you ever have a business card, don’t let your friends hand them out in a strip club 9. It’s possible to approach a destination via a detour 10. You never know who you might end up with at the casino on your 21st birthday 11. Form meaningful friendships with faculty and staff 12. Bond can host a party inside a MovieWorld Roller Coaster 13. It’s not the crown that makes the king 14. If you are going to swim in the lake, don’t get caught 15. Fight the battles that come to you, don’t sweat the other stuff 16. Try an ABC shot once, but never try it again 17. What’s right isn’t always popular and what’s popular isn’t always right 18. Get to know the cleaner’s name, if you can’t spare a moment for the person who gets up at 3am to clean your shit, you aren’t welcome here 19. Embrace change, don’t fear it but recognise change is not always for the better 20. Enjoy every moment
That last point is paramount, because one day not long from now, you too will be walking down the aisle of graduation and wishing it could all start over again. When you do, remember to ask yourself,
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Did you come here to play golf or to fuck around? by Matthew McLEAN
Scope Magazine
Materialism and the
by Kelsie REALF
P erhaps it’s time to investigate why the significance of person-to-person contact has slid down our list of priorities to nestle between our mother-in-law’s birthday and the whereabouts of the television remote. Hamlet, frocked in his Shakespearean frills, posed the mighty question: “What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world! The paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?” He pondered the reason of life. It appears as if twenty-first century society may have conjured an answer to our existence: owning things. Somewhere along the journey we become persuaded towards the idea by the skillful manipulators we call advertisers, who all drive consumerism and moralize materialism. Are you a Christian, or a Catholic? A Buddhist? Money won’t buy you a place in Heaven. Perhaps an Atheist? God or not, assets won’t assure you of an afterlife. An optimist? Then perhaps you can make excuses for the ignorance of mankind.
Mighty Question days, exquisite backdrops – all exhilarating experiences that cannot have a price put on them. Yet too many people experience life through camera lenses or consider experiencing a culture to be tipping a local waiter. Swarms of graduating highschool students, little more than children, get asked the same questions every year: what do you want to do with your life? Their answers are varied shades of “own a house” or “have a high-paying job”. Do they consider what may transpire when their eyesight fails and they’re too frail to walk the many stairs of their mansions? Their cherished money will pass from hand to hand and one day their cars will be twisted scrap metal... And alas, most of those affluent grandparents will probably be struggling to reconcile with the families they never had time for.
Too much of society’s attention is invested in the material world; what we can touch, see, spend money on, or boast about. In fact, the only legacy we can
Whoever said that money buys happiness was delusional. Money buys sensational food, exotic holi-
Scope Magazine
WEEK 7, SEM 131
leave behind us is the people knew and the ways we touched their own lives. History books are fraught with millionaires - overachievers who had their fifteen minutes of It seems as if the unspoken foundations of society are being fame - but it’s the charismatic martyrs and the philanthropic leaders that manage to resound in our memories. People hammered with the slander of modern ritual. Our legal system, which was designed to affirm the average citizen’s only truly exist in relation to the people in their world; rights, is being challenged with the material world it previ- contemplate that the next time you’re tempted to choose a house over a home. ously had no room for. Not only are women now power players in the economic world, but they have the freedom to choose their own lovers, alarmingly based upon the depth of their pockets; Marilyn Munro set the tone for the blonde floozies of the 50’s, crooning “I prefer a man who lives and gives expensive jewels”. Closely following is Madonna, swearing “the boy with the cold hard cash is always Mister Right”, on behalf of all the Material Girls.
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Seasons in Gold Coast City of Sun by Lalitha MONISHA The following poem describes my ten semesters at Bond – starting with my journey in Bond College and ending, thankfully, at Graduation.
Skies would turn blue, skies would turn grey. Wrote a song about love on an old Spanish guitar, Can’t remember how it goes now, seems so bizarre.
Fresh-Faced First Fresh faced and new to the sensation of freedom, Barely 18 but that was no reason to abstain from spirits and the pleasures of life, Cancer breathing sticks of smokes and whisky drowned in ice. I explored musical madness with creative geniuses, We clanked, jangled, tinkled, rattled, strummed and conversed.
Sixth Sense Week 2 saw Bondstock happen – what an incredible experience, Not something I would ever forget despite the time and the distance. ‘Twas the beginning of Year Two, and it dragged me back to reality, Slammed with a workload I could barely carry. Last minute habits were hard to shrug off, I learnt the hard way what laziness cost.
Settled Second Back for seconds after many lessons, Never once learnt the meaning of attendance. Nights spent chasing fireflies and driving down dark roads, With poker-playing addicts and various friends from abroad. Watching the sun rise on the Surfers Boulevard, Listening to waves crash and living without regard. Troublemaker Third At last! Finally, the days of legality, Of drinking and entering taverns without penalty. No more would I need to flick out my cousin’s ID, To convince the bouncer at East that she was, in fact, me. They were days of adventure and discovery and potential, Of failure and falling, but also good memories in making.
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Fumbling Fourth The life of a law student never gets easier, The subjects get harder and there’s always an insurmountable pressure to do more than is required; write faster; speak louder, Bond College was a deceptive precursor to First Year. I gathered the help I could from my North Tower family, Through the joy of Easter Egg hunts and common room movies. Fifth on a Flambeau I discovered what love meant during the month of May, It was magical and new and I wanted it to stay. Life was good but in a different way,
Scope Magazine
Satisfactory Seventh Innumerable King of Cups and karaoke sessions later, You feel the unpleasant effects of an all-nighter. Rushing to the lawbry to drop that piece of paper in, Feels like you ran a marathon and finished with a win. Late nights were had in the vastness of the MLC, It contained my favourite people and a can of red bull or coffee. Exploratory Eight The baby bird takes flight and spreads its wings, Moving off campus meant tying my apron strings. I had to rely on more than instant noodles and crackers, I would think of my mum and realise how much I missed her. I’d also come to realise, six months from now, How much I missed The Reserve and the memories it stowed. Nostalgic Ninth A world of goodbyes, farewells and tears, The atmosphere was filled with trepidation and fear. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if things stayed the same? But I learnt long ago the only constant is change. Embracing every last moment that touches the heart, Clutching at memories you hope won’t turn to dust. Tenth: Tata! Meaningful nights spent discovering the stars, And what it really feels like when home is so far. The journey is over; this chapter is done!
Arts
What does Disney mean to bond? by James JEFFREE
Disney means a lot to Bond.
There’s no doubt somewhere right now on campus someone is watching a Disney classic. What makes it so pervasive to the Bond culture though? Why do us as young adults obsess about Disney as much as twelvies obsess about 1D? With time honoured romance, and extravagant songs Disney classics are exquisite fairytales. Do they mean something more? Over this past week I have relived Disney and spoken to many fellow Bondies to find an explanation why there’s such love for the films. To many it’s pure escapism: not just going along with the tale, but escaping from Uni life. Others wish to be princesses or princes: to save or to be saved. This all can be found throughout other films, yet Disney means more to us than those others. I spent the week rewatching several of the classics – Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast – trying to find for myself why I too have caught the fever that is Disney. Once upon a time I agreed with the idea Disney just reinforces gender stereotypes, but both films do not subscribe to these. The girl and boy fall in love, yet the girl is not helpless; rather, both Belle and Jasmine are independent. So the cynic inside lost out. Aladdin is layered with relevance to both children and older audiences. Robin Williams, as Genie, plays the diverse audience well. Only now do the subtleties, like the Jack Nicholson impersonation, make sense. But, all decent children’s films have this humour. Returning to escapism I started to think that it wasn’t just escapism, but Disney–sized escapism. Talking to one friend, she admitted to spending childhood wishing to be a little mermaid. Up until I was eight I had a Peter Pan costume. Disney then wasn’t just a film, that was fun and humourous, but was life itself. The one time I saw my Dad cry was in Toy Story 3. Disney seems to tap into something deeper than most films. It removes all the complexities of life, but holds onto the essence. It takes morals and shapes them in an accessible way. Replace the Beast or Aladdin, with any number of marginalised groups, and the truth inherent is the same – it’s the inside that matters. At Bond where life rushes by maybe we can lose sight of what’s important. Disney reminds us of what matters when life’s to fast for us to do it ourselves. And, it does it by playing on our desire for the fanciful; the desire for more than is possible. But, maybe it’s not that impossible. Next time someone suggests to have a Disney night embrace it, and maybe even dress up as your favourite character. Sing along, as we do at Don’s – sober or not-so-sober. Disney classics are there to be enjoyed, so enjoy them.
WEEK 7, SEM 131 Scope Magazine
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Arts
Movies
by James FITCHETT
Chicks In The Flicks
Girls just want to have fun… and possibly the most prominent role within a film. What do After Earth, Fast and Furious 6 and The Hangover: Part III all have in common? Well, you might have guessed that they are all currently showing in cinemas, feature incredibly famous actors and are, in my opinion, just plain terrible, but something you may have overlooked because it seems so incredibly obvious is that they all feature male protagonists.
If you have a look at what films are showing in the cinemas on the sunny Gold Coast you will find nearly every single film shares this trait. Not even the Gold Coast Arts Center, which strives on deriving away from the mainstream, can break away from this. Now I’m not saying that all these films’ target audience are males. For example, The Great Gatsby is in cinemas and it’s hard not to say it’s targeted at women and certain homosexual men. What I’m saying, however, is there seems to be a real lack of female protagonists within the film industry. Why? Last year Jennifer Lawrence won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her astounding performance in Silver Linings Playbook. Now I have a problem with this. The protagonist in the film was clearly Bradley Cooper’s character, Pat. Tiffany (Lawrence) is only really seen when Pat is present within the scene, or if Pat has made a decision, which, in turn, affects her and vice-versa. Her character is solely present and affected within the film due to the actions and presence of Pat, therefore making Pat the protagonist. The film industry, it seems, has a huge population of male screenwriters and directors who are in charge of the big decisions. This could be the main catalyst as to why we aren’t seeing more girl power. Two of the biggest directors of our time, Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Avengers) and J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, the upcoming Star Wars), have recognised the lack of female heroes. In an interview, Joss Whedon was posed the question, ‘Why do you feel the need to use a female protagonist in your shows/films?’ to which Whedon responded, ‘Because of questions like that.’ Whedon is trying to make the point that it shouldn’t be a big deal a female is stealing the most screen time. This is why we could be seeing the story of Princess Leia and Han Solo’s daughter at the forefront of the next chapter in the much-needed comeback for the Star Wars franchise. Under the reigns of newly appointed director J.J. Abrams, the future looks bright and hopefully they find the right gal to be the next Jedi.
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Not all is doom and gloom for the portrayal of a heroine. Characters from Ripley in the sci-fi horror blockbuster Alien played by the xenomorph ass kickin’ Sigourney Weaver to Juno Macguff in the indie flick Juno portrayed by the ever so mousey Ellen Page to Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s played by the too-elegant-for-words Audrey Hepburn all provide perfect examples of strong and complex women in leading roles. All these films were huge box office successes in their time, along with more recent hits such as Bridesmaids, Black Swan and, god help me, the Twilight series. In the big scheme of things, percentage wise, films with females in lead roles are more likely to be successful than those without. I can’t say I know what it’s like to be a woman, nor do I want to, but what I will say is that I can imagine you’d like to see more females taking on those bigger roles in what is currently a man’s world of cinema. I do think things are changing
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The VOICE Recap by Antony SCHOLEFIELD
It’s been nine days since The Voice stopped dominating
TV ratings and teenage girls stopped Googling Ricky Martin’s sexuality. Just in case you live in a box under a rock (on Pluto), however, here’s a rundown of the finalists.
Music
Harrison
Nickname: Guy With The Stutter Reached: First place Deserved: First place. Once the semi-finals culled the black sheep, he had it. Description: Incredibly deep voice belies his youth. Eyebrows like well-trained caterpillars. Female friends inform me that he’s highly shaggable. Review: YEEZUS Wardrobe Department... Loved him. Super-duper suits, every When Kanye West projected his imposing face on buildings around the week. world, rapping a verse of anti-discrimination protest piece ‘New Slaves’ a clear message was sent to the western world. Luke Nickname: Guy With the Opera The release of Kanye’s latest release Yeezus was met by many with elaReached: Second place tion. Some heralded it as West’s greatest album, trumping 2010’s My Deserved: 1.5th place. The gaps between places weren’t even Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. And perhaps it might be. An album filled the competition was really between him and Harrison. with powerful messages and obscenely sexual imagery, Yeezus marks yet Description: Like coach, like student. Give him a pop song, and another chapter for West. he’s Ricky Martin’s mini-me. Wardrobe Department... Didn’t love him as much as Harrison. The imagery on Yeezus is hard to ignore. West, Kanye’s self proclaimed Suits were good but not great. “slave-name” is destroyed and replaced by Yeezus - a beacon of empowerment and solidarity. Around this figure the album is formed. Celia
Kanye WEST
Nickname: Girl What Was Ginger Reached: Third place Deserved: Less. Leapfrogged two better singers in the semi- and quarter- finals. Description: Voice like an angel and hair like industry-strength ferroxide. Ethereal vocals roll around the clouds, but do little else. The next three tracks, ‘Black Skinhead’, ‘I Am A God’ and ‘New Slaves’ Wardrobe Department... Hated her. Same white, virginal form a trilogy, which this reviewer sees as the transition of West to dresses every week. Hair sometimes looked a Van de Graaff exYeezus. The screaming in ‘Black Skinhead’ is a battle cry – a call to arms periment. Finale dress needed more coverage - if you don’t have if you like, against inherent racism that still exists in western culture. ‘I them, don’t flaunt them. Am A God’ is a key moment in Yeezus that echoes the screams heard in ‘Black Skinhead’, except they hold a different kind of passion; almost Danny fear. ‘New Slaves’ closes the trilogy and holds very significant lyrical Nickname: Guy What Was Bloody Weird meaning for the rest of the album. Reached: Fourth place Deserved: Less. It’s nice to see individualism rewarded, but From there the album becomes a celebration of West’s personal greatness Madden had several stronger candidates. and true experimentation in music. ‘Hold My Liquor’ and ‘Send It Up’ Description: Vocally, a Passenger-esque crooner. Physically, are great examples of 2013 hip-hop, and ‘I’m In It’ and ‘Guilt Trip’ incorGollum in a hat. porate the very trap influenced aspects of the album to a T. Wardrobe Department... Loved him. Took his weird hipster style and pimped it up with flowers and jackets. ‘Blood On The Leaves’ is the seminal track on the album. The track underneath Kanye is what makes it brilliant. TNGHT’s beats are madly euphoric in a pained way. West’s singing almost echoes the brilliant ‘Heartless’; you could almost say he is singing about the same person here as he was back then. There is real passion in the pained vocals (as auto tuned as they are). Opening with Daft Punk produced track ‘On Sight’, West blows away the listener with loud synthesiser blasts, transgressing into an airy sample, only to be drowned out by that some bassy synth once again. “Yeezy season approaching” is the first lyric we hear – apt for such an album that is truly a huge ‘fuck you’ to basically everyone.
WEEK 7, SEM 131
The closer, even though brilliant, doesn’t seem to fit on the album as much as the other tracks. ‘Bound 2’ is jubilant and celebratory. On an album about oppression and heartbreak, the joyful sample recurring through the track sits uneasily at the end of the album, as if the addition of the track were an afterthought. But what did the projections mentioned earlier mean? Well West puts it quite perfectly himself: “Yo niggers can’t fuck with Ye”.
Rating: 8.7/10 Best Track: Blood On The Leaves
Scope Magazine
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week seven Photographer: Ben Thangkam Events: Beauty and the Geek | Dons week 6
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Scope Magazine 11
SPORT
by Sports Editor: Rizal REDZUAN (Student-AthIn the coming weeks as most students at Bond University are busy preparing for their mid semester exams and also what parties are happening next, some student athletes are busy preparing for the Northern University Games (NUG) in Week 9 to be held in Brisbane. In the lead up to the major sporting University event of Semester, Scope’s recently appointed Sports Editor, Rizal Redzuan has been speaking to athletes of different sports who will wear the Bullsharks colours to represent our University. This week, we speak to one more experienced student athletes representing the Bullsharks team, Sebastien Wei. Seb, with the Northern University Games being less than 2 weeks away, how have your preparations been so far in the lead up to it? I usually practice three times a week. On Wednesdays and Fridays I will conduct practice sessions with fellow teammates. I will also have one day where I train on my own to help increase my stamina levels. Music is seen to be a major factor in athletes’ lives. Do you listen to any particular Athlete Bio: Full Name: Sebastien Wei artist or music that helps you focus and get ‘in the zone’ before a match? I enjoy listening to rock music because it helps build the adrenaline in me. The Age: 26 pumped up tempo gets the blood flowing and I enjoy the sound of the instruments be- Relationship Status: Taken ing played prior to a match. Semester Started: 103
Degree: Law
Athletes have weird and outrageous superstitions at times. Do you believe in such Representing Sport: Squash things? Position: NA Well no I don’t. Although this is the case, ever since I started playing squash, I have been using the same brand grip for the grips of the racquet. I’ve gone through so many Experience: 5 years Goal for NUG: Winning the event in my playing career that I wish they could sponsor me… How many racquets do you go through a tournament? Personally I carry 4 racquets in my bag. Who is your sporting athlete? The Egyptian Rami Ashour is my idol. He is the current World Number One in the sport. What are you most looking forward to at NUG? It’s always nice meeting new Bondies from different sports and even though I have been playing the sport for a long time, the feeling of more getting experience would help. Also considering this is my last Semester donning a Bullsharks uniform, I hope to set a good example to the rest of the athletes. You competed in AUG 2012 (Australian University Games 2012), how do you think this would make you perform better in NUG 2013 being a regional event compared to a nationwide event in AUG? Before AUG, I never exposed myself to outside competitors. I only trained at Bond and was the best player and was hard to gauge my standard compared to the rest. But when you expose yourself in a larger field, I know where to improve and gain experience from it. What will be cutting edge skills you possess over the other athletes at NUG? Speed and stamina are my two major strengths. I also give a high commitment to every point in a match. How have you been balancing both studies in your final Semester doing Law and squash commitments? I have constantly been disciplining myself to attend all classes and studying ahead because I know I will be missing a full week of classes in week 9. With the University giving support to student athletes, my teachers know and understand that I am missing a handful of classes albeit being my last Semester. They therefore do not penalise me for my absence. Thank you for your time Seb and see you at NUG!
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Player Subsidy Announced for Clubs Representing Bond
SPORT
From the SPORT OFFICE:
BUSA and the Office of Student Experience are happy to announce that commencing Semester 132 all externally
competing sporting clubs will receive an $80 subsidy per registered player*. This is great news for all students representing Bond in the Gold Coast community. At present we have 3 clubs competing externally in regular weekly competitions. These are Soccer, AFL and Netball. All seasons are well underway and the $80 subsidy per player will ease the financial burden on competitors. We hope this subsidy will encourage more students to get active and join our externally competing clubs. The Bond Bullsharks Soccer team have six home games left this season. If you haven’t had the chance to watch the boys in action, make sure you head along to a game. The AFL team have one home game remaining on July 27th, so mark your diary! The Bond Mixed and Women’s netball teams play every Monday night at Carrara with the season concluding at the end of July. Make sure you like ‘Bond University Campus Life’ on Facebook for further details on home games. *Subsidies are subject to review
SPARTAN RACE Brisbane by Kiara GREENWAY
BONDIES became Spartans over the weekend with a dozen students from various faculties and different backgrounds of educa-
WEEK 7, SEM 131
tion participating in the Spartan Super Race in Brisbane. The challenging 14km course comprised of mountainous terrain, icy swamps and rivers, rocky, uneven grounds and never ending bushland as well as over twenty obstacles that competitors had to complete. Team Bond started the race at 8:30am with times of completion ranging from two and a half to four hours. The course tested some participants’ courage and determination and allowed them to overcome fears and barriers that have prevented them from participating in past events. Whilst testing strength, endurance and willpower, obstacle also forced participants to overcome fears of heights, confined spaces, and simply the unknown – when walking into those murky swamps and mud pits, participants had no idea what to expect! For others it was a mere test of speed and power in competition to see who could be crowned the ultimate Spartan, with the fastest time of the day being one hour and twenty seven minutes. There was definitely not a deficit of team work out on the course with complete strangers coming together to ensure nobody got left behind and that everyone eventually crossed the finish line. People, especially some of the stronger, tougher and more powerful males, were more than happy to help those that were struggling on a particular obstacle. There were also people who met in the first kilometre of the race and stuck together right until crossing that finish line – there was definitely an “all for one, one for all” attitude on that course. Participants and spectators were also lucky enough to be given tips from the best with appearances from Commando Steve and Michelle Bridges – two personal trainers from The Biggest Loser. The two arrived early, speaking to competitors and providing photo opportunities, and then later actually participating in the race themselves. Competitors said the course was most definitely a challenge but crossing that finishing line is a feeling like no other. The sense of accomplishment felt by finishers is one that many struggle to describe, but simply leaves them ready and excited to participate in another event. Fellow Bondie Corey Wedding was among those keen athletes for more action in that he is planning to sign up for the Sydney Beast and Brisbane Sprint next year in that upon completion he will be rewarded with the ‘Trifecta’ medallion for competing all 3 Spartan Races. Overall, it was a gruelling and fun experience competing in such a race and I hope to see more Bondies involved Scope Magazine 14 in events like this in the future.
tr ivia Nig ht B SA
B O N D A F R I C A N S T U D E N T S A S S O C I AT I O N
PRIZES TO BE WON! Time 7.oo pm Location: the hub Date: wed, 26 june
www.facebook.com/BondAfricanStudentsAssociation
the hub