Swine Issue 2 2018

ISSUE 2 APRIL 2018 |ARTICLES | POEMS | PHOTOS

2

Only $20!

SWINEISSUETWO

CONTENTS. WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE?

2.

3.

4.

6.

8.

10.

12.

13.

14.

16.

18.

20.

22.

24.

26.

28.

30.

32.

33.

34.

36.

Meet the Team Contributors Presitorial Editorial Welcome Aboard Go Ahead and Study Abroad... Just Do It Smarter Than I Did Just Your Average Pusher - The Little Thrills of Student Life How To Master The Winter Freeze At Uni In Style What’s Happening In The World That We Aren’t Talking About* Mass Demonstration, Against Celebration Play Possum Allies Empty Mirrors, Empty Faces The Distance Apart

Poem for 2018 Poems by Faryal Rizwan Poems by Aazaad Faraz She Is A Caged Bird, In An Open Cage In Time Animalia Sudoku and Autumn Word Search

1

MEET THE TEAM

ABBEY THORPE.

SARAH SORDELLI.

RACHEL CHENG.

Third year student studying Media and Communications, majoring in Journalism and Media Industries. Lover of literature, film, gaming, cats and writing in all forms, from creative pieces and journalistic articles to analysis and reviews. Also, I am that person that is extremely pedantic about grammar, spelling and punctuation (sorry).

Call me Sez! I’m back as the designer for the second year!

A final year communication design student, interested in anything relating to arts and design. Loves photography, needs coffee to survive the day and always hungry!

EDITOR IN CHIEF

2

DESIGNER

If it’s not leopard print or rose gold, I’m not interested.

DESIGNER

CONTRIBUTORS

CONTRIBUTORS. Aazaad Faraz Abbey Thorpe Avi Leibovitch Blythe Whittier Charlotte Laursen Enuri Ranepura Faryal Rizwan Jasper Caverly Jonathan Greenwood Leo Torres Niamh Noble Olivia Josiane Rachel Cheng Sam Roberts Samuel McCarthy Sarah Sordelli Sophie Evans

3

PRESITORIAL

PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. Uni is back in full swing and your student magazine is back with edition two, which means another report on all that’s happening with your student union, and more opportunities for you to get involved. For me, that means another caffeine fuelled night procrastinating my way through a task that should really take 45 minutes. Well past the original deadline.

Sorry Abbey.

If you paid attention to my last address, you may have noticed it being recycled (certainly not plagiarised) from this year’s diary. Having jumped straight from two years of engineering into running the union’s admin and finance, I’m just really not well geared for journalism, or possibly written communication in general. Right now, I’d much rather be pouring myself over formulae on a spreadsheet, or a can of Bush Chook. That said, our team have given me plenty of great stuff to write about in the three short months we’ve been going this year, so I definitely can’t complain.

4

First off, we had a tremendous O-Week, and our biggest yet!

Thanks to the amazing work of our volunteers and new representative team – and in spite of some terrible weather – we engaged with thousands of students to grow the union’s membership by close to 10% on the previous year. We also held our annual welcome back party with over 700 students turning out in their best classical Greek attire.

Our volunteering program has grown too. This year we have new opportunities open to all students in office & admin support, promotions volunteering, and a massively expanded weekly BBQ. We are also looking to expand opportunities in our activities & events program.

Thanks to some excellent feedback from our members, we’ve been working hard to improve our social media content. And not just the memes. If you jump on any of our pages, you can now find

a heap of student discounts, competitions and giveaways.

The Hammer & Swine occasionally provide some cheeky discount bevs, and if that’s not your thing, the SSU page is regularly updating on local discounts.

And there’s more good news for the Hammer & Swine. Having hired a new bar manager this year, the bar has branched out from regular trading. On top of the usual Thursday night events, we are running some quality events with clubs – such as the recent Bollywood night. We have also expanded booking and catering packages for all clubs, student groups and departments here on campus.

It hasn’t all been positive though. Unfortunately, before the return of classes, many of our new international students received notice of an additional tuition fee invoice, just days before payment was due. The Union’s Education Department engaged with dozens of students on the

PRESITORIAL

issue, and provided advice to hundreds more as we sought clarity for our members. We will be continuing discussions with the University to seek assurances on fairness and clarity surrounding fees in the future as part of our increased engagement with university staff and committees.

I hope you all have a fantastic rest of the semester, and if you’d like to find out more or get involved with the Union at any time, be sure to get in touch!

In Unity, Sam Roberts President Swinburne Student Union

5

EDITORIAL

HI FROM THE EDITOR. Hi friends, how are you?

How am I you may ask? Well just like every other university student, I promised myself that 2018 would be my year. I kept up that belief until I submitted my first assignment of the semester about twenty minutes before it was due after having started it about an hour before.

The reason for this? I would love to tell you that it is because I have been so busy with the magazine as well as internships, but to be completely honest, as usual I have spent far more time playing World of Warcraft than actually studying (I finally maxed out my archaeology profession guys, pretty neat huh, way better than having friends and getting good marks).

As of writing this it is currently week five and I am having to suffer the consequences of having done absolutely no work over Easter break, I just mooched off my parents for a week and cuddled my cats until I had to go back to the harsh reality of rent, bills and university assignments *shudder*. What I am trying to say is that you should not look to me for university or life advice, I am utterly useless (why are you even reading this editorial? It is just a bunch of my nonsense ramblings).

6

Instead you guys should check out the marvellous content that this edition holds, once again there is some general university and life advice, journo articles and opinion pieces to keep you up to date with the world as well as some beautiful poetry and photography to take your mind off the stress of university life.

Thanks so much to all of you that contributed to this edition, I loved receiving your diverse range of work and look forward to seeing it in semester two as well.

Anyway, that is enough of my ramblings for now, I wish you all the best of luck with your exams, assignments etc. and for any of you that are currently dying of stress, here is a picture of one of my cats, I hope she helps (feel free to send me pictures of yours).

See you next semester friends!

Abbey Thorpe, Editor-in-Chief

The Swine magazine is currently seeking

content for our third edition of the year.

Send your creative work, journo articles, reviews, photography and illustrations to

swine@ssu.org.au.

Written submissions should also have

an accompanying photograph or visual.

Follow our social media for more updates: Facebook: Swine Magazine Twitter: @SwineMag Instagram: @swinemag

7

SWINEISSUETWO

WELCOME ABOARD

By Aazaad Faraz

Hello, hello, and G’day to you!

It seems like you received your selection letter. Unfortunately, J.K. Rowling hasn’t written a multi-million dollar selling novel series on the magical world of the Swinburne University of Technology, at least not yet.

A great way to take a crash course on getting through university is by attending the orientation week. It succinctly covers what to do in an emergency, getting to know people in charge and what social activities you can be a part of. It also has a great collection fun events and activities so the transition into the university and its campus is smooth.

When coming to university, some of the big concerns can be accommodation, finding a job, transport, and so on and so forth. There are many services that the university provides that can adequately satisfy these matters. It can also be helpful to use online platforms to aid with these things. Such as Facebook groups for accommodation or finding something about your unit or the university in general from former students.

These or any other online

8

community can be a great way to gauge costs that occur and can arise during the time of your course. Who better to ask than other students who have already gone through it?

Also, the time management required to juggle work, study and social life is something that can greatly differ in theory than in practise. Talking about it with someone already doing so is an excellent way to get a better understanding of it, and in doing so you will improve your academic and overall experience.

A big factor in comfort and enjoyment levels is the company that one has, whether this is in the form of family at vacations or friends in high school. For the same reason, the friends we have play a big part in our time at university.

Something that has such an impact can also be somewhat hard to come across. A new place with different people can become overwhelming. The great thing is that there are so many avenues to make friends and get along with people.

The best place to start of with is your tutorials, you will be sharing the semester with them and what better way to get to know people and maybe even make

SWINEISSUETWO

lifelong friends. You can also meet like minded people at the various events that happen on and around campus or by joining student clubs or associations at the university.

Personally, the friends I made in my politics classes and by being involved in the Model United Nations Society is the reason that university has been a pleasure to be in. Apart from the professional medical help that is present on the campus (in the George building on level 4), irrespective of what the concern may be, a chat with a couple of friends can be all that you need.

There may be a time when you are facing problems with an assignment, your group mates, or something else, and while you can go to your tutor or friends, sometimes having quiet time to yourself can make all the difference in the world.

Sitting by the Yarra River sipping a cup of Melbourne’s renowned coffee for a gentle calm when university matters became just too much, provides the serenity required to get through the semester. Your favourite coffee spot, park, book or hobby can play the same role.

Another way to deal with a problem, mostly academic, is by talking to yours tutors and lecturers. Even if they can’t offer helpful advice or do something personally, they will surely provide direction towards the right channels. The talk about the professional difference between teacher and student may seem a bit daunting at first.

However, I found most of my lecturers and tutors to be great mentors to look towards for consults and guidance.

A light house in confusing waters, which sometimes university can feel like as a new student, is the student union. By its inherent nature, the student union is an organisational body that stands to represent, support and benefit any student. Its light shines from miles away in the form of services, guidance, support, representation, and the feeling of being part of a family; in this light one can find what is sought after.

9

SWINEISSUETWO

GO AHEAD AND STUDY ABROAD… JUST DO IT SMARTER THAN I DID!

By Blythe Whittier

Alright so here’s the deal with the deal - I’m about six months into my study abroad program here in Australia and it has been quite an interesting experience so far, to say the least! Of course, I would recommend everyone to study abroad.

And I know that most students don’t think they can actually pull it off, I mean I sure as hell didn’t and yet here I am! To be completely honest, I kind of half-assed my way through the whole study abroad application process, not because I didn’t care, but because the study abroad application deadlines fell around the same time as midterms and I was also working so I didn’t give it my full effort and I really didn’t think that I was even eligible. But somehow it was enough to get me to the other side of the world, so give it a shot! If I can pull it off, literally anyone can!

I would also strongly recommend to anyone that’s going to study abroad – do it smarter than I did!

I wouldn’t say I’m a planner. I would say I’m kind of a fly by the seat of my pants gal, you know, moment to moment, yeah that’s me…and yeah that’s a Pretty Woman quote. But seriously, I did practically no research leading up to my arrival in Melbourne. I pretty much just booked a one-way

10

plane ticket, packed a suitcase and backpack and was like, “I’ll just figure it all out when I get there.” Which I did and everything turned out fine, I mean I’m still alive and kickin’, but I could’ve made things a whole hell of a lot easier on myself and probably could’ve saved myself a whole hell of a lot of money had I actually done some research and planning ahead of time.

Now, ‘Study Abroad Smarter than I Did’ tip No. 2: Don’t jump into a relationship just a week after landing in a new country! Now I know that sounds like common sense and only something a dimwit would do…By the way, this seems like a good place to introduce myself – Hi, I’m Blythe…But just imagine how completely nerve-racking and overwhelming it is to move to a new country by yourself…It’s scary! It’s lonely! So when a goodlookin’ Aussie with that sexy accent throws them self at you, it’s easy to throw your arms up and be like, “Yes please!” But don’t do it because a week into dating they’ll tell you they love you and you’ll be like, “Well that’s moving a little fast but you’re cute and I’m vulnerable so, yeah okay, I think I love you too,” and then another week later they’ll tell you that they’ve been diagnosed with cancer

SWINEISSUETWO

and you’ll be like, “…...well this isn’t quite what I had in mind for studying abroad but, of course, it’s not your fault that you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and how much of an ass would I be if I broke up with you because of that…” I’ve already introduced myself, right?

And then you’ll spend your entire first four months abroad prioritizing taking care of your sick partner and letting these really great once-in-a-lifetime experiences pass you by because studying abroad IS a once-in-a-lifetime experience and when semester break rolls around and everyone else is flitting off to Tassie or Indonesia, you’ll be in St. Kilda getting a tattoo one day and dying your hair Pennywise the clown bright red the next because you’ll feel like you have absolutely no control over your life so you’ll dramatically change the one thing that you do feel like you have a shred of control over...

And then by the end of your first semester, you’ll find out that your partner is a pathological liar and a master manipulator so you’ll break up and you’ll be broke because you didn’t work throughout the semester because you were overwhelmed with enough going on as it was and you’ll be so worn out and exhausted and devastated and fed up that you’ll come very, very close to just calling it quits and going back home because you’ve had enough and you’ve decided that studying abroad frickin’ sucks.* But that will be a fleeting thought. You’ll immediately realize that it’s not the study abroad country that sucks, it was just the situation that you fell into that sucks and the lying master manipulator that sucks. And you’ll decide to stay and to make up for lost time and to leave the study abroad country when you’re good and ready and on a note of triumph rather than on a note of defeat. And you’ll meet really amazing people and you’ll see really amazing places and you’ll do really amazing things and you’ll have the time of your life because, after all, that’s what you decided to study abroad for.

So yeah, go ahead and study abroad...just do it smarter than I did!

11

SWINEISSUETWO

JUST YOUR AVERAGE PUSHER -

THE LITTLE THRILLS OF STUDENT LIFE

By Blythe Whittier

Consider me just your average pusher.

How far can I push the needle to the breaking point before my car actually breaks down?

How many times can I push the snooze button – until I’ve pushed it to the absolute limit of the last minute?

How close can I push my bank account balance to zero – before it goes into negative balance?

How far can I push doing my laundry – before I have to launder my image?

How far can I push my procrastination – until I hit that fine line between culmination and reexamination?

Consider me just your average pusher.

Or consider me just your average twenty-something-year-old that enjoys the little thrills of student life.

12

SWINEISSUETWO

HOW TO MASTER THE WINTER FREEZE AT UNI IN STYLE (AND LOOK WARM EVEN WHEN YOU’RE NOT) One year down at Swinburne, and so much wisdom to share:

By Sophie Evans

1. Overdressing is better than underdressing.

But do it wisely.

There’s looking chic, and then there’s being warm. You can be both! Invest in simple layers that you can wear under and over items that you already have without looking like the Michelin man, and that you can easily carry in your bag or hands when it all gets a bit stuffy (you know what they say about Melbourne’s four seasons in a day). Layer long sleeve t-shirts and turtlenecks under knits, jumpers and coats. Affordable ones can be found at Uniqlo, Kmart and Zara for that stringent uni budget. At Uniqlo especially, they sell amazing thermals that are thin enough to wear under anything and don’t have that I’m-off-to-ski style dagginess look to them.

2. Avoid Smurf-itis.

If you’re anything like me and your body just cannot cope in the cold, then you’ve gotta cover up those poor hands with gloves. How do you expect to get all your study done when you have frostbite? (Hang on…) Gloves are genuine lifesavers in the cold weather and can be carried around everywhere. You can even buy pairs that are made of thermal materials AND allow you to use your phone or tablet without having to stick your thumbs out every two seconds. Yay! But whatever you do, just don’t bother with the fingerless gloves. What’s the point?

3. Save your shoes.

It’s bound to happen: you’re sitting in your lecture and it begins to pour down with rain. Fine, until you realise you have to run to the train/tram stop. One piece of advice: the rat-run walkway

between Glenferrie Station and the EN Building/ Haddon’s Café has pretty poor drainage and practically floods after a decent downpour, so take alternate routes (aka the long way) and walk on (mostly) dry land. Learn from the girl who had to commute home squelching in her favourite sneakers after she was stuck walking in puddles for 50 metres.

4. Bag a zip-up bag.

You were made to buy a $200 textbook for one or more of your units so why get home to have to get your mum’s hairdryer out in order to salvage it? Canvas bags and totes that don’t zip or close shut (despite how pretty or cool they are) are just not functional in winter when it rains or wind is picking up everything in its path and dumping it right in your bag. Leave them for use in the warmer months and go find one that won’t see all your lecture notes get washed away.

5.Warm your soul.

Keep your insides warm by drinking hot fluids throughout winter and give your hands a makeshift heater (when you don’t have your gloves on of course). Familiarise yourself with Rachel’s coffee descriptions in your copy of the Swine, Issue One if you don’t know what to choose, otherwise stick with the good old hot chocolate to give you an afternoon sweetness kick. Just remember that the caffeine in coffee is a diuretic, which means more toilet trips.

Counteract it with plenty of water which is still very important for hydration, and thus listening to your tutor.

13

SWINEISSUETWO

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE WORLD THAT WE AREN’T TALKING ABOUT* *MORE ACCURATELY, WHAT AUSTRALIA ISN’T TALKING ABOUT.

By Sophie Evans

Did you know that right now in Poland, there are major protests – people in their thousands - pleading with the Polish government and clergy to not further restrict abortion laws?

Did you hear about the divide in Spain where the Catalonians are fighting for their independence?

You may have only seen small snippets of footage about the Burmese Rohingya population whose homes and lives were destroyed by militants, killing hundreds and forcing families to become refugees in Bangladesh.

And why is this?

Turn on Channel Seven, Nine or Ten news and you’ll hear about the recent affairs and shortcomings of our politicians, a sprinkling of international politics and events, and a big dose of sports news. Most of the time they’ll include something light-hearted or plain ridiculous to fill space.

But they don’t seem to report on much worldwide news. As an example, there is plenty of news on Donald Trump and Kim JongUn, but there are two reasons to coincide with this: Australia and America are allies; and the psychology of inciting fear in audiences about a nuclear bomb reaching our shores is

14

enough to bring viewers in another night for updates. They don’t prioritise based on what’s important, only by what is exciting and intimidating.

Swinburne University journalism lecturer, Sue Green, agrees. “It is rare for an overseas bulletin to lead a bulletin, with coverage sometimes starting well after the item has become newsworthy, when it is no longer feasible to ignore. The networks are driven by highly competitive ratings.

Therefore, they aim to offer what viewers want and I think that on the whole Australians are not very international in their outlook.”

Commercial channels criticise the Korean Supreme Leader for his dictatorship and propaganda schemes, yet is feeding only a curation of world news their own way of manipulating our minds? Hiding us away from what we shouldn’t know? You’d be right to be suspicious.

Turn on the ABC or SBS, and you will likely be informed of Polish citizens protesting for their basic human rights, or another African-American shot down by police for merely existing, or another entire population in an Arabic nation displaced because of guns and money. The ABC and SBS are unparalleled when it comes to news reporting in Australia, and the rest need to catch up.

Worldwide news should be just that: worldwide.

The same could be said for newspapers. Though we have a fair understanding of how the owner’s political alliances sway headlines and stories, the prioritisation of articles within some publications are astoundingly misplaced. Tinysized spaces are reserved for ‘insignificant’ stories; though take a look and there are some that are significant, and you’d think a lot more important than the tabloid nonsense that takes up a quarter of the front page and all of page three.

It could be said that most Australians nowadays receive their news via social media, which is a worrying trend for TV channels. Apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have a strength in community sharing, and with the increase in citizen journalism (the creation and posting of news via social media channels by informed citizens), it has a major influence on how news channels report.

SWINEISSUETWO

Instagram @anja_rubik

Green concurs that poor prioritisation occurs in not only newspapers, but also radio.

Similarly, she agrees that the online sphere is much more dominant in news sharing in current times.

“The advent of online means more available space and more opportunity to cover international stories. But what has happened is more space given to soft and lifestyle-type stories. Again, the emphasis is driven by analytics rather than informing readers about what’s happening in the world.”

The fact that I found out about the Polish street protests via Instagram says a lot about how we now access news. It wasn’t posted by a broadcaster or journalism publisher, but a Polish fashion model who has been campaigning and showing her support. That’s the difference now: we read news from anyone that posts it; everything becomes news.

There is reason behind news channels wanting to avoid repetition, and of course reporting on local news.

Citizens want to know how their tax is being spent, and what is going on in our country. And there is only so many stories they can do about the Syrian and Afghanistan wars until it begins to sound similar every night on air.

But the issue is how news is prioritised and structured to filter out news that people won’t understand or relate to, compared to what could only be described as fluff.

One night on a commercial channel, they spent thirty seconds giving a brief recap of a major international incident, yet dedicated several minutes interviewing a man who dressed as a Smurf and drove his motorised esky down the road.

Go figure (and turn on SBS or ABC).

15

SWINEISSUETWO

MASS DEMONSTRATION, AGAINST CELEBRATION

By Jasper Caverly

In contemporary Australia the date of January 26th has an inconsistent meaning to the array of the nation’s citizens. For some, it is known as Australia Day - a celebration of the country, its achievements and its culture. For others however, it marks the beginning of a colonial reign that arrived over the sea 230 years ago.

Just as the year beforehand, thousands gathered at the Parliament of Victoria in protest of Australia Day, 2018. With record attendance in many statecapital cities, it begins to beg the question; how much longer will we be celebrating colonization?

Melbourne’s march, calling for the abolishment of Australia Day, gathered a force of an estimated 10,000. A leading float, with a PA system aboard, boomed the message, “Always was, always will be - Aboriginal land,” over and over as crowd joined in.

The organizers of this year’s event were the Warriors of Aboriginal Resistance (WAR), a collective of young Indigenous Australians in pursuit of decolonization and the philosophy of Aboriginal nationalism. They have called for a ‘recognition of sovereignty, truth about the ongoing struggles of Indigenous communities and justice’.

An ex-Black Panther, in 1972 Mr. Foley was heavily involved in the ‘Tent Embassy’ protest outside Canberra’s Federal Parliament.

“They feared the movement we had created. It was just like this is here today,” said Mr. Foley.

“This is the sort of history that they don’t teach you in school,” he said, encouraging the crowd to further their Indigenous history and culture education.

From the float, Jenny Munro (a Wiradjuri elder) orchestrated a minutes silence for a recently passed elder of the Indigenous community. 10,000 protesters hung their heads in respect, and the inner-city had never been so quiet.

“All we have ever sought is unity, and a voice for this mob,” Mrs. Munro said after the silence had broken. This was received with an uproar of applause.

Australia Day has been aptly renamed ‘Invasion Day’ by Indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders, and is now an increasingly debated topic amongst the wider community. Although it is clear that the public opinion is divided, as not everyone feels the same way.

Time-lapse footage, shared by WAR’s Facebook page, showed the abysmal lack of attendance at annual Australia Day parade along Swanston Street in the CBD. This was followed by thousands of protesters that marched the same streets shortly after them.

Recent high school graduate, Tom Elliot (18), was seen at this year’s march, adorning a singlet that read ‘Onya mate!’ alongside board shorts that donned the Australian flag. Although he wasn’t taking part in the march, he does believe that people do have the ‘right’ to protest.

The crowd walked with a police escort from Spring Street, down along Swanston Street and finally arriving at the famous intersection by Federation Square. Each level of the inner-cities commuting routes were temporarily shut down by the protest.

“It’s a day to celebrate Australia, the idea of changing the date is pointless,” he said.

Gathering outside Flinders Street Station guest speaker, Dr. Gary Foley (of Gumbaynggirr descent) spoke to the crowd - with their full attention.

“I realized that white academics were distorting history,” he said, recalling his education at Melbourne University.

16

The ‘Change the Date’ movement, sparked up through social media, has become popular for mainstream media to use as a marketing tool (e.g. Triple J). Although an acknowledgement of the past is present, WAR believe that it would simply mark another day to ‘celebrate colonialism’.

SWINEISSUETWO

Mr. Elliot, like many other Australians, planned on celebrating the 26th of January with “a few mates and some cold beers”. He believes that the protests “did not help” the cause.

The practice of celebrating Australia Day (in a ‘traditional’ manner) is still skewed by class, age and cultural diversity; yet the voices of Indigenous Australia seem louder than ever before. A powerful message from Mrs. Munro called for people to “learn from the mistakes of our history, so we can rebuild our home”.

By educating one another about colonialism in Australia, and supporting political action for change, maybe in years to come; we’ll be able to say we were on the right side of history.

17

SWINEISSUETWO

Play Possum

By Niamh Noble

Game summary: ‘Play Possum’ is a Twine game about being visibly queer and mentally ill. Through the protagonist, ‘Possum’ you must interact with the world as a werewolf. You face several conflicts and decide what she must do; feel, or do nothing. According to your decisions, you will find an ending with the relevant consequences. There are 3 possible endings.

Notes from author: Play Possum is an interactive narrative that follows a young person named Possum in a day of her life. She lives as a werewolf, in a postmodern setting where werewolves live normally in the world. The title ‘Play Possum’ refers to the phrase relating to opossums that play dead in the face of danger, which has also evolved into a phrase to describe someone who feigns ignorance. This phrase relates directly to the narrative, where the player must choose whether or not to feign ignorance and suppress emotion in order to survive. I wanted being a werewolf to work as a metaphor for being visibly queer and mentally ill.

Although this goal seems broad, the aim is to not limit the metaphor to any one mental illness or identity, so that it becomes more accessible for people to relate to and interpret.

The character Possum, must face several conflicts involving specific characters in her story, each which carry a lesson to develop her as a character. Connie (the girl she meets in the beginning) supplies the example of visible queerness that Possum is so afraid of, and she finds hope in Connie through her visibility and refusal to hide.

18

The man who attacks Possum in the first scene serves as a somewhat caricature of a bigot, amplified by the context of the narrative.

However farfetched his dialogue may seem, it is supposed to be a match to the ludicrously of werewolves being real. This stems from historical werewolf lore stating that werewolves were perceived as people who had made a pact with the devil. Although this man seems comically aggressive, he causes Possum to get fired no matter what the player decides to do. This moment is meant to demonstrate the environment of both werewolves in this narrative, and real-life scenarios in which people lose their jobs due to their identity or mental illness… and of course how customer service is always hell.

The friend on Facebook (Mary) is meant to be a polar opposite to this, providing the other example of judgement and marginalisation queer and mentally ill people experience in day to day life. It shows the personal betrayal that can come from the risk of being visible.

Possum’s boyfriend Larry (named after the lead werewolf in The Wolf Man film from 1941) provides an example of when people reject their own identities or illness and project self-hatred onto others similar to them. This connects to the common werewolf trope of a werewolf harming those they love most, a trope popularised by the novel A Werewolf in Paris (1933) by Guy Endore.

SWINEISSUETWO

Link to play for free!: https://possumproductions.itch.io/play-possum For more info and content from this creator: https://www.facebook.com/possumproductions/

19

SWINEISSUETWO

ALLIES

By Avi Leibovitch

It wasn’t the cold that woke me, but rather the cry from one of my own kind. I opened my eyes and stretched my wings. The only ounce of warmth I felt was within my nest, high above the snow-covered ground. Again, that irritating sound, only it came from a few more of my fellow crows, complaining about the lack of food. I couldn’t complain, since I had made an ally from a member of another species; a human. I took off into the air, rising high above the pine forest. The ground beneath me was both white and green. The air was cold, but fresh, and I happily breathed it in.

I flew over several human nests, all of which were made of wood and had smoke coming out of a hole on the top. While the forest surrounded the area, there weren’t many trees near these nests. I landed in front of my ally’s nest, which was in the middle of the human area, and began to caw. He didn’t come out immediately, so I pecked on the wooden entrance.

Tap! Tap! Tap! “I’m coming!” I heard him say from the other side.

The entrance opened, revealing a large man wearing thick fur on his body that once belonged to another animal. His name was Vitaliy, or at least that’s what I’ve heard the other humans call him.

“Good morning, Vorona,” he said.

He’s called me Vorona since the day we met.

“It’s always nice to see you,” he said. “It’s a shame that I’ve run out of bread.”

I cawed in protest, and he started laughing.

“I’m kidding,” he said, before pulling out a slice from his pocket. I plucked it from his hand, and began tearing off pieces.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would think that you understood me,” Vitaliy said, watching me eat.

Of course I understood him, but why he didn’t know

20

SWINEISSUETWO

that was beyond me. Vitaliy then picked up a large stick with a sharp grey end which leaned by his home’s entrance.

“Well, it’s time for me to go to work.”

Vitaliy didn’t know it, but whenever I finished eating, I’d follow him as he’d head towards the forest. Gliding close behind, I saw him wave to other humans who emerged from their nests, exchanging words and laughs. As we approached the forest, a horrifyingly loud and unnatural sound filled my ears. In front of one of the nests sat an old man holding an odd-looking object. The dreadful sound emanated from this object as he squeezed it together.

“Ivan, how much longer are you going to torture the village with this nonsense?” Vitaliy asked the man. “Everyone’s been telling you that you’re shit at playing music.”

I landed on the ground.

“Screw you, Vitaliy!” Ivan scowled. “You wouldn’t know good music if it hit you in the face.”

Vitaliy rolled his eyes.

“You haven’t even heard my latest composition,” the old man continued. “Once you hear it, you won’t be able to deny my musical talent.”

He then vigorously squeezed the object back and forth, creating a sound so terrible, my bowels were stimulated.

“You see!” Ivan exclaimed, pointing at me as I stained the snow. “Even the animals love it.”

I cawed in objection.

Roosting on a pine tree branch, I watched Vitaliy swing the stick on a fallen tree, slowly chopping it apart. I usually watch him at work, mainly out of a sense of ‘ally duty’. There was a rhythm to the sound of the stick slamming on the log, one that was making me doze off. Just as I was about to fall asleep, my eyes snapped open, for I heard a noise that broke the rhythm. I couldn’t find the source of the disturbance, until I spotted a large, brown shape standing at the foot of my tree.

The bear watched Vitaliy with a look I recognised as predatory desire. I cawed at him to get his attention, but my ally didn’t notice, and the bear advanced towards him. I leaped off the branch and swooped towards Vitaliy, startling him as I jumped on his head. He turned around as I returned to my branch, and he shouted in fright. The bear growled and began circling the man. Vitaliy gripped the stick tightly and swung it around. In response, the bear roared and pounced, pinning him to the ground.

I thought I was going to lose my ally, when a horrible and only too-familiar sound blasted through the trees. The bear stopped growling, and looked around for the cause of the noise. I spotted Ivan in the distance, sitting on a stump squeezing his noise-maker. He was probably looking for more animals to impress with his performance. As the racket continued, the bear’s face twisted in disgust, before letting out a roar of agony. Forgetting Vitaliy, the beast ran off through the trees.

Vitaliy lay on the ground, breathing heavily as he stared at the sky. I cawed at him to see if he was okay. He then began to laugh hysterically.

After catching his breath, he said, “I can no longer deny his musical talent.”

Vitaliy shook his head and left the old man to his ‘performance’.

21

SWINEISSUETWO

EMPTY MIRRORS, EMPTY FACES

By Leo Torres

It’s two hours into the flight before the woman first speaks.

“Claire Woods?”

You look up from your paper and turn to your right, at the woman who had already been asleep when you boarded the plane. Around you, the cabin lights are dim, most passengers dozing or already asleep.

Reading lights occasionally break up the gloom, but for the most part, the plane is plunged into a peculiar half-darkness, an artificial twilight. Outside, the moonless night sky rushes by, pitch black.

The woman sitting next to you peels her blanket back and a faint shiver skitters up your spine. Even in the low light, it’s immediately obvious that there’s something terribly… off … about her. Then she removes her baseball cap, tugs the large black sunglasses from her face and your mind just shuts down.

A familiar pair of hazel eyes stare back at you, bemused.

The same nose, same chin.

Same facial structure. Shoulder length brown hair cut into exactly the same bob.

It’s like looking into a human mirror. Your doppelganger smiles at you, but it seems hollow, never quite reaching her eyes.

“Hey.”

22

For a split second, you have an odd sense of disassociation, like you’re listening to yourself on a recording.

The woman gestures between the two of you. “You’re probably wondering …?”

You can only nod mutely.

“It’s because I’m your clone,” the woman says nonchalantly, as if that’s an entirely normal conversational topic between two strangers. You blink, not sure if you’ve misheard her through the ever-present drone of the engines.

“You’re a –” “Clone. Of you. Yes. Do pay attention.”

Your mouth opens and closes several times. The woman sighs before bending down and rummaging through her purse.

Offhandedly, you realise that both of you are wearing exactly the same clothes. Even her bag is identical to yours, down to the small wine stain that you’ve never managed to get out of the leather.

Your breaths start to come faster, eventually you muster up enough coherence to speak.

“W-wait. You–you’re what–?

That’s impossi–” Your words choke off abruptly as the hard barrel of a silenced pistol rests firmly against your chest.

“Do try and stay calm.”

Fear has a taste, you discover.

It’s bitter and coppery. “What the hell is this?” you hiss, trying to back away only to discover an armrest pressed against your back. Your feet tangle around the blanket that had fallen to the floor. The barrel follows your every move.

“This –” the clone says, shaking the pistol slightly, “– is an assassination.” She pauses, before adding, “Clearly.”

You stare into your murderer’s eyes – your eyes – and find them cold, hollow. “You’re mad,” you say with dawning realisation.

The clone purses her lips, looking deep in thought. “No, I don’t think so,” she says thoughtfully.

“Just very, very pragmatic.”

You flinch from the woman, using the motion to surreptitiously press the call button on the side of your armrest. Almost immediately, one of the flight attendants materialises beside your seat, all smiles and professional courtesy.

You look up, desperately trying to convey the situation, but your stomach drops when the attendant doesn’t even blink at the gun.

“Was there anything you needed?” he asks politely.

The clone waves him off and he nods once, disappearing

SWINEISSUETWO

down the aisle, but not before shooting you a look of what could have been pity. The true helplessness of your situation becomes frighteningly apparent. You would find no help here.

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” your clone says, her tone perfectly steady. “You’re going to walk to the back of the plane, enter the last toilet and leave the door unlocked.”

A choked whimper escapes your lips. “Why are you doing this?”

Steely eyes meet your own.

“Sometimes sacrifices are necessary for the greater good.” “Please, I have a wife – a son.” you plead.

The clone’s face seems to soften. “I know.” She pauses.

“If it’s any consolation, they will never realise the difference.”

Those words send a thrill of alarm through you, met by the unfurling terror in your stomach as it all begins to make a twisted kind of sense. “I am, after all, you,” the clone finishes. She taps the gun meaningfully and motions for you to stand.

You stumble to your feet and slowly make your way down the darkened aisle in a daze, half of you struggling to believe that all this was happening, the other half frantically trying to figure out a way to escape. Where though? You’re thousands of

kilometres in the air.

Nowhere to run. Unless …

You fumble inside your jacket’s chest pocket. The steel fountain pen your wife gave you for your last birthday is heavy and reassuringly warm to the touch.

You make a choice.

Shutting the toilet door, you don’t dare breathe. Heart pounding, your clammy hands clutch the pen like a knife. The wickedly sharp nib glistens with black ink and the sweat trickling down from your palms.

A minute later, you hear footsteps outside, along with the rattle of the curtains in this section being drawn shut.

You stare at the door lock, hear it creak as it turns, slowly – so slowly.

Calmly exiting the toilet, she locks the door before slamming it shut.

She spends the remaining twenty minutes of the flight perusing the films on offer, a glass of wine in one hand chased with the desperate urge for something far stronger.

When the lights go up and the plane finally lands, the chair to her side is empty. She gathers her bags, smiles at the flight attendants by the door and steps off the ramp without a backwards glance. She greets her family at the arrivals lounge; kisses her wife; hugs her son. *** It’s the next morning before the body is discovered. By then, Claire Woods is long gone.

An inane thought occurs to you.

Technically, does this count as suicide?

You raise the pen.

The door opens. *** Claire Woods washes her trembling hands until the sink no longer runs red. She carefully plucks the pistol from where it fell on the floor, and tucks it away in her pocket, steadfastly ignoring the violent splatters of red that paint the mirror and the rest of the small space.

23

SWINEISSUETWO

THE DISTANCE APART

By Olivia Josiane

Everything had been blown away by the radiance of her smile. He felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing. Except her. Then, from the within him, something stirred— a spark jolted his whole system. Remembering how to move, he walked away, unsteady.

Her eyes widened at the sight of his approaching figure. He’d normally do everything in his power to avoid her. The transfer went smoothly, the vessel switching from his care to hers, and he immediately walked back without as much as a word to her. She stared after him, still tingling from the warm pulse which bloomed and disappeared only moments before. She turned, the smile she gave him still on her face.

He attended the next transfer. He had to. Seeing her had done something…unexplainable…to him.

Never had he felt something so intense. Upon seeing her again, the same feeling assaulted him, though not as intense. The transfer proceeded.

He was mystified. He has never spoke to her, never spared a single glance in her direction.

So why, why was it that he now found her so…captivating?

She had always wanted to meet him. She’d occasionally see him from afar, see him laugh and smile as he diligently did his work. He is always bright in comparison to her, though it wasn’t too surprising considering the solemn nature of her work. Never had she imagined her first meeting would go the way it went, nor would she have guessed it would lead to a second. The unfamiliar warmth bloomed in her once again as she watched his retreating back until it was no more.

With another smile on her face, she beckoned for the vessel to follow. She was looking forward to their next encounter.

24

Something within him had changed. He could feel it but what, he didn’t know. As he walked down the now familiar route to the transfer point, he had to resist breaking into a run. There was something pulling him, attracting him, to her. During the transfers he found himself unable to speak a word, instead basking in her quiet presence. How he prayed for these moments to last longer.

No words were ever exchanged at their meetings.

They didn’t speak with words. The odd smile here.

A long glance there. But she treasured those blank conversations more than anything else.

Through them, she felt closer to him than she ever had been.

He had to wonder why he used to avoid her.

There had never been a specific reason, he just did. Had he not avoided her, would he have been as he was now? Would they have been closer? There was no way for him to know. Even from a distance, her black dress was distinct amidst the nothing. And her smile, that he knew was on her face, would be just as radiant as the first time. He never did feel that same intense feeling again, but he gained something much more precious. Whatever bond that tied them, be it love, attraction, kinship, was far more precious– “Well, aren’t you guys going to say something?”

He snapped out of his reverie. Without his realisation, he had reached the transfer point.

Say something? Was he capable of saying something? Say something? Talking never seemed to be an option. She had been happy with the silences and occasional smiles. Though…

“Hello.”

SWINEISSUETWO

She had to smother the laugh that burbled up.

How unlike him.

“Hey.” After glancing between the two of them for a time, the vessel sighed. “God, you’re awkward.”

It took a while for those greetings to gain a few extra lines. When they did, their conversations tiptoed on the edges of what they wanted to say, both aware they were treading unknown territory.

Yet, they continued to meet. Some of the older vessels offered advice to the pair and recounted tales of their own romantic adventures. The younger ones giggled and rolled their eyes.

All too soon, there came the point where curiosity got the best of them. At the usual point, not a soul in sight, they each stretched out a single arm.

It was agonising. Hesitation and uncertainty were laced in their movements as their fingertips reached. Slower and slower, their arms crept forward. Centimetre by centimetre, the gap closed.

Until…

Their hands stopped, pressed up against an invisible wall. Falling short of reaching.

He looked at her. She looked at him. But there was nothing to be done.

After all, Life can never be with Death.

25

SWINEISSUETWO

POEM FOR

2018

By Jonathan Greenwood

Dear reader, Before you read this, Try to clear your head, Breathe in, Get comfortable, And listen with your eyes and mind.

Cast your regrets into the wide open ocean Sink your worries into the deep blue sea There is yet more hope in these crystalline waters Than you could ever imagine would surface.

No matter how you went last year, The past should not cast a shadow over you You’re still alive, you’re still fighting You’re still kicking like the strong person you are.

So, I tell you, dear reader, let 2018 be your year!

Go into it like the mighty warrior rising inside you Put on your armour, grab your shield and sword And go for it; you have nothing to lose.

You can’t change the year that has already passed.

You can, however, try and forge a new path in 2018, Make new friends, make new memories, And come out stronger than before.

You may have anxieties and fears Try to sweep them aside Try and see the light on the horizon And as surely as the sun rises You will find the path you seek.

Finally, I say May 2018 invigorate you, Fill you afresh with hope, Give you strength and power, And a renewal of your mind.

26

END OF SEMESTER PARTY | HAMMER & SWINE SWINEISSUETWO

NAUGHTY NAUGHTY NOUGHTIES NOUGHTIES PARTY PARTY NOUGHTIES HITS ALL NIGHT LONG | DRINK SPECIALS | LIVE DJ | WEAR YOUR JUICY COTOURE SWEAT PANTS, DOUBLE DENIM & CARGO PANTS

HAMMER & SWINE | UN LEVEL 3 | 7PM

THURSDAY 24TH OF MAY THIS IS AN 18+ EVENT VALID AUSTRALIAN ID OR PASSPORT REQUIRED

27

SWINEISSUETWO Poems By Faryal Rizwan

MORALS i hide underneath i run to confess fight to defeat sin so to bless i will grow to stay small numb my glow shine for all i will bleed to live alive destroy to breed humbled by pride i will die to fade immortal move to stiff betray with moral

28

SWINEISSUETWO

ARTLESS LOVE in retrospect, a strange suggestion to agree to meet behind the train station in the half-light of dusk, but a resort made for solitude. tucked behind a concrete wall, they stand opposite and kiss with eyes shut. it is clumsy. teeth knock like hard pearls, their dry awkward lips slightly stick, but it is a first kiss, the most important, when the distant fuss of trains and traffic are muted and the heart hammers with young, artless love.

ROUGH i don’t want you to soften your edges for me i just want to be more (vulnerable) (impervious) to them

29

SWINEISSUETWO

‘Shadows’ Lights only showed the brittle outer lines In the darkness came out the inner vice Dense and darkened, intense and ecstatic Lights out, emerged the true shadowed shrine A truth that was seldom seen All extents found trapped with invisible crimes Flowing rivers of red wine and spirits erratic To this place before I have been © Aazaad Faraz

’Before Sunrise’ Rails clamouring in the haze Deep into the distance, In which there was a trap; It was your wistful gaze.

Drowning papers with ink on different tabletops, I lost track, was lost; I had missed my stop.

Will I find those eyes, would they meet mine?

In distant towns I now search; writing songs. © Aazaad Faraz

30

SWINEISSUETWO

‘Today I dreamt of a pleasing agony’ Today I dreamt of a pleasing agony Swimming, I found you in the water’s hold The pen explored at the body’s plea ‘Let’s stay’ said some, others said, ‘if Ye please’ How captivating it can be to dream To dream of death and sweet release There never was or will there be For roots stemmed in pain they heal Someone etching ink with pure glee The fascination with death; the last fold Realising their goal and for what they wrote I now understand these writers of old Why not suffer in a drunken slumber Waiting, giving into the soul’s hunger. © Aazaad Faraz

‘Again’ Another day passed with the same shining lights The naivety in glossy eyes was again at its height Having given in to fleeting winds, for a moment I did fly The ‘Bells’ soon rang on the mound I had slept Awakened to an empty side, shaken, I had wept Having already been shattered, to dream I did try Hollowed was the mound, next what will they take away In silence I left to walk someplace far away Having almost given up, to the ringing ‘Bells’ I ask why © Aazaad Faraz

31

SWINEISSUETWO

SHE IS A CAGED BIRD ,

IN AN OPEN CAGE

By Enuri Ranepura

She flew with the wind, Stopped for breaks She was a free bird that, Sang all day She was bright and shined, Even in the dark She dreamed high, Without fear She stopped herself, And never looked back She still remains a bird, A caged bird in an open cage

32

SWINEISSUETWO

IN TIME

By Samuel McCarthy Instagram @mccarthyasamuel

33

SWINEISSUETWO

By Charlotte Laursen

ANIMALIA

34

SWINEISSUETWO

35

SWINEISSUETWO

SUDUKO HARD

2

5 2 4

AUTUMN

WORD SEARCH

36

3

4 9 5 2

9 6 1

4

9 6

5

1 9

3 6

7

1 3

8 5

SWINEISSUEONE

Swinburne

Student Union

37

Swine Issue 2 Published April 2018 Š Swinburne Student Union Produced by Franklin Direct, Moonah 7009 Printed on FSC accredited paper that has been sourced in an environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and economically viable manner.