ISSUE 2
SWINE
2019
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CONTENTS
EDITOR’S LETTER Sophie Evans
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STUDY TOUR SERIES 8 SARAWAK, MALAYSIA Ellen Inglese, Ruby Potter
EUROPEAN UNION Josie Mulcahy
BUSINESS INNOVATION IN EUROPE: A VISUAL Zoe Abletez BE A BETTER HUMAN SERIES 18 HOW TO TALK ABOUT ASSAULT WITH YOUR FRIENDS Claire Picouleau
I TOUCH MYSELF Tina Tsironis
ARE FOOD DELIVERY SERVICES RUINING THE DINING EXPERIENCE? 26 Sophie Evans HOLI FESTIVAL Duong Nguyen
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POETRY Noeleen Ginnane
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TWO CHAIRS UP HIGH Aazaad Faraz
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SHE WASN’T SURE Jessica Murdoch
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY Syed Saif
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ILLUSION 37 Vishwa Patel CRIME AND PUNISHMENT: BOOK REVIEW Jaiden Connell
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CAPHARNAÜM: FILM REVIEW Sophie Evans
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ADVICE FROM ALUMNI: AMY SHULTZ Sophie Evans
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Cover Photo by Sebastien Gabriel on Unsplash
MEET THE TEAM
SOPHIE EVANS | Editor An aspiring magazine editor (oh, wait—look!) majoring in Professional Writing & Editing. I feel as though I was born as a Parisian with an Italian appetite. Recently, I have been obsessing over dachshunds and have been trying to think of a prospective cute/dorky name. Counting down the days until I get to go to Milan Fashion Week in September!
ZOE ABLETEZ | Designer Third year engineering student here, out of her element but somehow I’ve made myself right at home. Currently saving up to go travelling because ever since I set foot on international soil I’ve been craving to see more. So if you’re ever looking for me I’ll be working. Or buying waffles because that is my ultimate comfort food and god knows being in university requires a LOT of comforting.
Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash
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EDITOR’S LETTER
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Photo by Ashkan Forouzani 6 on Unsplash
ISSUE 2
Welcome to Issue 2!
have outside of uni too. As the campaign dictates, it is about empathy, consent and respect.
We had so much great feedback about our revamped first issue of Swine. Thank you for picking up a copy, plus your compliments, likes and follows on social media, and those who we saw at O Week! Zoe and I poured so much time and love into giving it a brand new look and we were itching to get started on this next issue.
No one should be made to feel vulnerable in the supposed safe environment of uni, or your partner’s company. Tina, as well as new writer Claire, address the issue very poignantly and I’m sure you’ll think so too. By the time this issue goes to print, we will have had the BABH event in March. Discussions around sexual consent will no doubt help the incidence of sexual assault and harassment be reduced.
The uni year is well and truly underway as I write this and the overwhelming mountain of assignments thrown at you in the first couple of weeks can be daunting. I hope new students have found their feet (and their way around!), and existing students are swimming along nicely, perhaps even towards graduation.
If this dialogue triggers any past or present experiences, please talk to a professional (some listed below), or someone you trust.
This issue, we have writers discussing a range of topics, and sharing some photography and poetry. One of our regular writers, Tina, has addressed the topic of sex positivity and consent. This perfectly aligns with the SSU’s Be A Better Human (BABH) campaign partnered with Safer Community. Whilst BABH was created following the National Report on Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment at Australian Universities, the subject is very much relevant for any relationship you
Enjoy the issue, Sophie SWINBURNE UNIVERSITY PSYCHOLOGY CLINIC 9214 8653 EASTERN CENTRE AGAINST SEXUAL ASSAULT 1800 806 292 LIFELINE 13 11 14 1800 RESPECT 1800 737 732
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STUDY TOUR
Photo by Simon Migaj on Unsplash
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SERIES
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re you cannot speak the mother tongue can be daunting, but it’s even more w you must go and teach there!At the beginning of this year, we embarked on aw us travelling to Kuching, Malaysia, with ten other Swinburne students all at ational journey. As part of the Global Education Practicum (GEP), we intended Placement at various Malaysian schools. The GEP is a collaboration between ns of Education, The Australian High Commission, The Malaysian Ministry of sities. We were lucky enough to be granted a $3000 scholarship from the New nitiative to encourage Australian and Malaysian professional integration. We accompanied by Dr. Narelle Lemon, an educator at Swinburne University, who mentor and point of call for all things education related, but also was a rock for I were placed at a secondary school called SMK Green Road. We taught English were completely blown away by their levels of English competency! We quickly e school community and were involved in many extra-curricular activities (we ’s daughter’s wedding!). Our relationships with teachers and students were eat insight into the Malaysian education system. An event we participated in g Championship, which was held at Swinburne’s campus in Sarawak. Over 30 Malaysia and Indonesia participated, however Ruby’s team were able to take sion (proud teacher moment!!).Despite being there for educational purposes, ortunity to explore the beautiful Sarawak region. This included trips to Bako ral Village and Chinese New Year celebrations. We consumed approximately kilos of sambal chilli and as much tofu as you could poke a (chop)stick at.We h new people, placed in unfamiliar environments building on our 21st centuryd confidence in our ability as pre-service teachers. We would 100% recommend n training. It reignited our passion for learning, not to mention how good his esumes in years to come. The only downside to this experience was having to
SARAWAK, MALAYSIA By Ellen Inglese and Ruby Potter
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A
rriving in a country where you cannot speak the mother tongue can be daunting, but it’s even more terrifying when you know you must go and teach there!
with teachers and students were meaningful and gave us great insight into the Malaysian education system. An event we participated in was the Interschool Debating Championship, which was held at Swinburne’s campus in Sarawak. Over 30 schools and 90 teams across Malaysia and Indonesia participated, however Ruby’s team were able to take out first place in the top division (proud teacher moment!!).
At the beginning of this year, we embarked on an exciting adventure that saw us travelling to Kuching, Malaysia, with ten other Swinburne students all at various stages of their educational journey. As part of the Global Education Practicum (GEP), we intended to complete our Professional Placement at various Malaysian schools. The GEP is a collaboration between the Victorian Council of Deans of Education, The Australian High Commission, The Malaysian Ministry of Education and various universities. We were lucky enough to be granted a $3000 scholarship from the New Colombo Plan, which is an initiative to encourage Australian and Malaysian professional integration. We were fortunate enough to be accompanied by Dr. Narelle Lemon, an educator at Swinburne University, who not only acted as a fantastic mentor and point of call for all things education related, but also was a rock for all things personal.
Despite being there for educational purposes, we took every available opportunity to explore the beautiful Sarawak region. This included trips to Bako National Park, Sarawak Cultural Village and Chinese New Year celebrations. We consumed approximately 35 litres of Tiger beer, four kilos of sambal chilli and as much tofu as you could poke a (chop) stick at.
Ruby and I were placed at a secondary school called SMK Green Road. We taught English to students aged 14-17 and were completely blown away by their levels of English competency! We quickly became fully immersed in the school community and were involved in many extra-curricular activities (we were invited to the Principal’s daughter’s wedding!). Our relationships
We were challenged to travel with new people, placed in unfamiliar environments building on our 21st century-learning
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skills, and developed confidence in our ability as preservice teachers. We would 100% recommend this program to all teachers in training. It reignited our passion for learning, not to mention how good his experience will look on our resumes in years to come. The only downside to this experience was having to say goodbye to our gorgeous students and hope that we may be able to visit them again one day. Terima kasih!
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EUROPEAN UNION By Josie Mulcahy
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t’s freezing, it’s 7:00AM, and all across Europe, young professionals are hopping on their bikes and pedalling to work. Whizzing down dedicated paths that weave through environmentally sound cities. Meanwhile, you’re lying in a hotel bed, salivating for the enormous pile of pastries awaiting you at the buffet downstairs.
Photo by Alex Vasey on Unsplash
visit we were joined by a friendly official who answered our multitude of questions that would eventually serve to inform our final assessment. We came away from each meeting with a new insight into the complexities of the EU, our mitten-warmed hands grasping the complimentary pen.
Hi! My name is Josie and in November, myself and fourteen of my fellow Swinburnians braved the chilly European winter to explore European Union (EU) institutions. In under three weeks we enjoyed a whirlwind adventure through the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg.
I promise you it wasn’t all meetings, though. After a long day of EU chatter, we kicked off our business shoes and traversed the cobblestone streets to enjoy all the yummy food Europe has to offer. Given the time of year, we were fortunate enough to experience the extravagant Christmas markets in Luxembourg and Germany (the Europeans certainly put our surfing Santa to shame!)
On our adventure we visited the European Commission, Parliament, and Council; The European Court of Justice; The French and German Parliaments; Australian Embassies and Consulates; and even NATO! At each
The European Union Study Tour presents an amazing opportunity to see Europe in a way no Contiki tour will: at the heart and soul of European politics… (Just don’t mention Brexit!)
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By Zoe Abletez
BUSINESS INNOVATION IN EUROPE: A VISUAL
Sainte-Chapelle, Paris
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Roman Forum, Rome
Eiffel Tower, Paris 17
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BE A BETTER HUMAN SERIES
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SSU.ORG.AU/BABH 19
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HOW TO TALK ABOUT ASSAULT WITH YOUR FRIENDS By Claire Picouleaau
‘But does it really happen that much? I don’t know anyone who’s been raped.’ When I have begrudgingly entered into discussions with my male friends over the wave of women speaking up about their assaults and the #MeToo movement, it is always met with a vehement denial of this “anecdotal” evidence. For me, I often try and start these discussions with a degree of emotional separation from the subject. I don’t want to out the women I know that have been assaulted and I don’t want to talk about my own experiences with the subject. But for many of these men, the conversation is a debate just for fun. They have no emotional stake in this subject because it has never directly affected them. But as our conversations wear on, the inevitable happens. ‘None of my friends would ever do something like that, what kind of man would?’ This is always the hardest question to answer and it forces me to make a choice. Do I
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stand up for myself, make my point and sacrifice my emotional distance, or back down and encourage this person to keep thinking this way? If I choose to be brave and try and help a fellow human being understand the gravity of this issue, I am at risk. I am at risk of being labelled as a whiner. I am at risk of panic attacks. I am at risk of being labelled as someone “who always makes it about them.” I am at risk of alienating my friend because they are unable to deal with such a difficult piece of information about me. I am at risk because when someone you like doesn’t believe you about something so important, what does that say about their opinion of you? I am at risk because they indignantly demand to know who it is—and my attacker is their friend. Most men are apologetic upon hearing this, they immediately lose the bravado of their debate. But the damage has already been done. I’ve been already in an extremely vulnerable position and they will still pry into the details of my assault to judge the legitimacy of it. My autonomy has been restricted once again. These conversations are important and having them with friends makes it less taboo. But we need to be gentler when broaching these subjects. If you would take your friends word for it, try and think about these other women. All of them have friends and family and a lot of them probably haven’t told most people. Don’t let them hear you making light of something that may have been the worst moment of their lives. How can we learn to respect each other’s bodies when we can’t respect each other’s opinions?
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I TOUCH MYSELF Reclaiming Sexual Agency Through the Power of Sex Positivity
By Tina Tsironis 22 Photo by Julian Schropel on Unsplash
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Content Warning: Sexual Assault, References to Sexual Acts The way I experienced it, high school wasn't the most judgement-free environment for teenagers experiencing sex for the first time (or second, or third). Judgement seemed to be especially reserved for female-identifying students who dared venture into the big bad world of blowjobs, intercourse and the rest. Coming to university has been an entirely different story. Consensual sex seems to be viewed in a much more positive manner here, rather than as something to be kept firmly under wraps – for women, men and non-binary students alike. The amount of free condoms available during O Week is proof alone that a healthy attitude to sex is essentially celebrated in a higher ed environment. Sexual encounters are seen as part and parcel of the university experience, rather than as proof that someone is a "slut". Making friends who embraace sex as a perfectly normal part of life, rather than as something to be mocked, also makes a world of difference to the way we end up perceiving ourselves and our sex lives. For someone who, growing up, was taught to be ashamed of their sexual agency, this has been god damn refreshing. This shift to sex positivity has not always been enjoyable, or even led to positive outcomes. But it's helped me learn about what enjoyable sex means to me, what it doesn't mean, and just how cathartic having a healthy attitude to sex can be. A big aspect of this catharsis comes down to the nexus between sex and individual pleasure. The female-identifying among us can point to more than a few sex-related experiences involving minimal sexual pleasure on our part, yet maximum good times for our maale partner. Funny how that works, right? If my partner/s get to climax thanks to my amazing body or my A-grade mouth, that's good enough, right? Wrong. Sexual intercourse is by nature a two-way street. Obviously there are certain consensual scenarios and kinks where it might not be (more on this later) but fundamentally, what matters is that the pleasure of both parties is communicated and considered ahead of time and during the act. Ask for what you want. Enter into an ongoing dialogue with your partner/s about what's working, what isn't, and what you'd like to try next. A little more tongue here, a little gentler
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there. Honestly, your partners will more than likely embrace your eagerness, and welcome the challenge and excitement of heightening your experience. If they don't? Chuck them in the bin, because that's where they belong. Thanks to shitty social conditioning or maybe even due to some downright fucked-up non-consensual sexual experiences, it can be difficult to figure out just what we want, sex-wise. And as an extension, how to express what we want. After a particularly horrible sexual experience two years ago, I was advised by a friend to go the self-love route. This advice was a little anxiety-inducing for me – why should I explore my body that way when it had recently been explored against my own will? But I eventually eased myself into the process, just in case it would help. Slowly but surely, it did. By discovering what I liked and didn't like, I was re-equipped with the power to please myself, on my terms, the way I wanted. Ascribing so much power to something that's essentially an everyday act for many people sounds over-dramatic, I know. But masturbation allowed me to reclaim by body as mine, rather than as a tool designed merely to please others. For sexual assault survivors or even for people who aren't all that experienced at knowing and asking for what they want, self-love can be a powerful first step towards a healthy sex life. For those of us further along the sex positive road, the kink community can be an exciting avenue towards further sexual liberation. Exploring BDSM and other "unconventional" sexual practices can
often lead to amazing, firework-worthy sex. But if you're going to go down this particular route, it's important to remember that sex positivity and healthy exploration is always centred around consent. No matter how "experienced" your partner is, if you don't consent to something, they must respect this. If you find your boundaries are continuously being pushed, if you're questioning whether you actually wanted them to diverge into rough sex even though you only initially asked for rough foreplay, or if you aren't sure whether you're okay with them slapping your face mid-act even though you never consented, think twice about engaging. Sex positivity is fundamental to kink and its associated acts and communities but the reality is, dangerous people will utilise sex-positivity and faux-wokeness as a smokescreen for behaviour that is problematic at best, and downright taking advantage at worst. Sex positivity, in the kink community or otherwise, should never remove you of agency over your own body. What it should do is equip you with power. Power to ask for what you want, power to explore your own body shame-free, and power to have some incredible, firework-worthy sex. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault and is need of help, please contact the Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault hotline at 1300 342 255, or visit https://www.easternhealth. org.au.
Photo by Sylvie Tittel on Unsplash 24
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there. Honestly, your partners will mor than likely embrace your eagerness, an welcome the challenge and excitement o heightening your experience.
If they don't? Chuck them in the bi because that's where they belong.
Thanks to shitty social conditioning o maybe even due to some downrigh fucked-up non-consensual sexu experiences, it can be difficult to figur out just what we want, sex-wise. And as a extension, how to express what we want
After a particularly horrible sexu experience two years ago, I was advise by a friend to go the self-love route. Th advice was a little anxiety-inducing fo me – why should I explore my body tha way when it had recently been explore against my own will? But I eventual eased myself into the process, just in cas it would help. Slowly but surely, it did.
Photo by Chase Chenevert on Unsplash
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By discovering what I liked and didn't like was re-equipped with the power to pleas myself, on my terms, the way I wanted Ascribing so much power to somethin that's essentially an everyday act for man people sounds over-dramatic, I know But masturbation allowed me to reclaim by body as mine, rather than as a too designed merely to please others. Fo sexual assault survivors or even for peop who aren't all that experienced at knowin and asking for what they want, self-lov can be a powerful first step towards
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ARE FOOD DELIVERY SERVICES RUINING THE DINING EXPERIENCE? By Sophie Evans
26 Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash
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We’ve all been in the situation. You’re sitting down in a restaurant or café and suddenly, there is a pizza box-shaped bag right next to your table. Tens of food delivery drivers are milling around the payment register or leaning across a bench with their phones in hand. Scooters are blocking entrances or frantically being parked to pick up the order for the waiting customer. In a city like Melbourne, with its amazing culinary culture and plethora of authentic and hybrid cuisines to explore, not to mention the interiors and spaces new restaurants are held in; is the ambience of dining out becoming unbearably interrupted? The positives of food delivery services may be inherently obvious to most people, however the social aspect of going out for dinner has largely become tedious and distracting. I clearly remember sitting in a Chinese dumpling restaurant on Bridge Road in Richmond, and there were almost as many delivery drivers as there were diners. The ambience was no longer there and the volume went up as a result due to competing conversations. My partner and I devoured our BBQ pork buns in near silence—not because we are an old couple who no longer talk, but because we couldn’t hear one another other speak. 27
Of course, we primarily go out to enjoy food, socialise with friends and perhaps even disassociate from our worries a little bit, but we also go out to support businesses. Whether it is a conscious action or not, dining out helps local communities and gives staff the money that they need to live on. How many students do you think rely on people eating out at their place of work? When you use a food delivery app to order your dinner in, you are only giving a slice of the percentage to the business.
spend small fortunes at nouvelle cuisine restaurants in order to not be disrupted?
A local business in Hawthorn, who did not want to be directly named, says even to generate more customers, it is “barely worthwhile for restaurants to be a part of the [food delivery] platforms” due to the commission of more than 30% raked in by the companies running the apps. Instead, this restaurant turns off the tablet during peak times with alerts of new orders to-go, and focuses on prioritising and minimising disruption for the patrons who could be bothered to get off their couch.
“We put a lot of effort into the appearance of our venue, the ambience, the service and so on, and diners ordering take-away definitely miss out on the experience [that] we work so hard to share,” the same local business rues.
Fonda, a Mexican restaurant on Glenferrie Road, has seen an increase in the amount of orders that they receive thanks to the food delivery epidemic. The business has created a personal system for their sites that doesn’t affect diners inside the restaurant.
Comparatively, we must recognise that food delivery services were predominantly first used by take-away and fast food restaurants to capitalise on the increased revenue from homebodies. Another consideration is that we as consumers are not paying for ambience or fantastic service when we receive our $2 cheeseburgers and fries, unlike when we go and dine in at finer establishments.
Since when did the idea of going out for dinner become so draining and monotonous, anyway? Thanks to our obsessions with Netflix and the like, we can be more comfortable sitting in our pyjamas alone on a Friday night eating home-delivered pasta alla carbonara than enjoying someone’s company (or no one’s, which is just as nice) amongst the buzz of a restaurant.
‘The drivers that pick up the orders have specific instructions, and this does not affect the dining experience at all for our guests.’
“The food is never the same quality if it sits in a container to be delivered as it is… fresh out of the oven or the pan. The food is often mishandled by delivery drivers which reflects badly on the restaurant and is out of our control,” says the anonymous business.
Whilst food delivery services like Uber Eats, Foodora and Deliveroo are fantastic when you need them—hungover on the couch, feeding guests of an impromptu party, or simply pure laziness—the disruption that these services cause to the enjoyment of eating out has become a problem. Do we really have to head in to the city and
Ordering via an app and eating out of a plastic container is showing slight disrespect to the worked-to-the-bone chefs and menu creators who work tirelessly to provide the best tasting menu that they can. We are a species that demands the new and extraordinary as soon as we are done consuming the
last fad, and this includes the food industry. In recent years, we have gone from various superfoods and umami flavours, to now exploring fermentation and urban cultivation. Restaurants are influenced by trends with varying degrees but cater to the ultimate foodie-- an increasing slice of Melbourne’s population. We must now stop thinking that our food desires stop where we buy our food and begin realising restaurants’ efforts to adjust to our demands too. Another negative aspect that we may not think about is the overload of waste caused by all those paper carry bags and plastic wrappings that our delivered food comes in. A sessional academic of sociology at Swinburne, Garrity Hill protests that the prevalence of food delivery services in the past few years has already reached the point of no return for our environment. ‘This waste is undoubtably placing an added strain on Australia's already urgent waste and recycling crisis. Melbourne's recycling infrastructure has recently reached its capacity for the amount of recycling it can process. Food delivery services are surely contributing to these problems.’ The only real way we can resolve the environmental issues surrounding food delivery (the plastic and waste, as well as carbon emissions from vehicles) is cutting off a few links of that chain and just heading down to the restaurant. Whilst there are still elements of a kitchen affecting the world we live in, we can sit down and use washable cutlery and perhaps even walk the journey if it is local. Burns up some room for dessert, doesn’t it? So maybe next time you have an urge to pick up your phone and select your bento box ingredients, call and make a booking at your favourite restaurant instead.
Photo by Kai Pilger on Unsplash
MELBOURNE HOLI FESTIVAL MARCH 10, 2019
The Holi Festival with my friends kicked off quite slowly. When we first arrived there at about 12pm, there was not much going on. But after one hour, things started to heat up and colours started being thrown wildly (which was the time in most of the shots). After a while, everyone looked as vibrant as possible. Also, I got hit once in the eye, though it did not hurt as I thought. But overall, it was very fun to connect with my friends, as well as enjoying a colourful festival. By Duong Nguyen
(“THE LAZY PHOTOGRAPHER�)
In isolation I exist in amongst The Others.
By Noeleen Ginanne
Photo by Bia Andrade
Two Chairs Up High By Aazaad Faraz "...both sat by the creaking chairs sipping the chai as the lips moved on their own accords with notes of life, reason and varying rationalities. He got up to bring another one to sit along with and discuss how it all was, came to be and how it will shape out in the time to come. While lighting the lighter and watching it burn the world that he in his hand now possessed, he chuckled and said that, 'Do you not find it comical that we degrade and then sell. It had come to us with light for those times in the darkened well. The one that acquired hallowed tears for a drink bitterly sweet for all those that crawled towards in dearth of a full fleet. Despite all of that we all sell it like cheap flesh in the crowd Or just another commodity under a scarlet laden shroud.' I then picked up the cup again and..."
Andrade on Unsplash
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34 Photo by Jake Melara on Unsplash
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SHE WASN’T SURE by Jessica Murdoch
Taking steps like this; I’m being proactive and brave. She rounded out the subconscious pep-talk. She just needed to trust her gut. Put herself out there. Then she rolled her eyes again, this time at herself. What did she actually want?
‘Love will come when you least expect it. You just need to make sure your mind is open...and that you're doing everything you can to be ready for it.’ The words drifted towards Jen in her dark little corner.
Lisa, her best friend of twenty years, was getting married to the perfect man (for her) and Jen’s mother was constantly voicing concerns - always with the plausible deniability of being right on the edge of her overhearing - about the benefits of long-term relationships and the risks of childbirth in older mothers.
She rolled her eyes. She hadn’t snuck out of work early – risking the wrath of scary boss lady – just to hear how these problems were all in her head. Next they’d be selling her a little positive thinking. She looked furtively around at the (almost exclusively female) crowd seated in the workshop. The waves of an almost frenzied desperation were palpable, tightly held back, sure, but threatening to spill over.
Every second reality show was banking on the idea that everyone desperately wanted their happily ever after, and would be willing to humiliate themselves publicly on what had to be a mathematically improbable way of finding it.
Jen gripped her pen (that she'd optimistically pulled out of her bag for note-taking) and muttered, 'I'm a feminist but...' She sighed again. There's nothing wrong with wanting something, she reassured herself, wanting something and seeking out help when you can't achieve it.
So much external noise but...what did she really want? Children are cute, she mused – for short periods of time. She loved her nieces and she definitely wanted kids of her own. Right? Everyone did!
She warmed to her theme.
She paused to examine that thought. Picked it up in her mind and weighed it carefully. Not everyone wants kids, she conceded. Do I want kids? It hit her again – this time with more certainty – that she’d never actually, explicitly, asked herself the question and she realised the answer was...no.
That's like a fundamental step to being successful, right? Knowing what you want, setting goals and then making plans to achieve them. No shame, no fear! She was almost convinced. There was a cute guitarist down at the local bar and he wasn’t completely terrible. He seemed different to the flashy types that demanded attention for all the wrong reasons. 35
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY By Syed Saif
Calmer waters though now prevail, perched on the branches of a river that ran red not long ago Moments lost in time, my zeitgeist punctuated by your silence with nothing left to show. Etched in reality the brutality of a thousand half-truths and so many jagged lies Beautiful things die and escape notice but their corpses, indicated by circling flies. Gentler and gentler, those three words heaped on high until they turned into a curse Find meaning find truth in the end when you finally stand obverse. Every battle we lost on every hill of silence even though it seemed destiny signalled to come hither Morose spirits though beckoned to weather one last blow even though everything else seemed to wither. A lasting mark found deep inside made, by every wrong done to make it all alright To stand in the flames of anger and bathe in the springs of forgiveness took every ounce of my might. Go forth and blossom for all you are and meant to be, stand proud of what you are that many can never see In that dreamcatcher, plushie or withered roses, all pieces of a soul that loves you find me. The ridges on our fingertips though may not match anymore as they turn up burnt, I stand here wishing you a very happy birthday The bridges we burnt though they stood on twigs at last they fell, hoping that I now go my own way.
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Life was full of abundance just like a heroic fairy tale Suddenly one day and all at once everything turned pale. The dream of becoming a mountain, that once gave her strength to rise Was now nothin’ but full of pain that made her roll down her eyes. The ocean was all she admired deep, calm but always full of rage Then of the tides, she grew tired the reason her dreams are still caged. The fire was what she wanted to help spread light in everyone's lashes But the fear of failure that haunted soon burnt it all into ashes With all her fantasies that she once used to flirt Alas! They left her in sand and dirt. The lifeless desert she hated, truly showed her the reality that waited " The Mirage is seen at all places But never forms an Oasis"
ILLUSION By Vishwa Patel
Defeated by the forces, her strength vanished in elusion They said she had no dreams It was all ILLUSION.
37 Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
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CRIME AND PUNISHMENT BY FYODOR DOSTOYEVSKY
BOOK REVIEW By Jaiden Connell
To talk nonsense in one's own way is almost better than to talk a truth that's someone else's 38
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Nihilism. Remember the word. Crime and Punishment first and foremost, is a fascinating psychological analysis of the main character, Raskolnikov. We are thrust right into the middle of his story at the beginning of the novel and very quickly come to understand that he is extremely prideful and a hypochondriac, not to mention that he talks to himself often. These monologues inside Raskolnikov's head foreshadow the mental battle that is to come for the majority of the novel, as they comprise of two opposing personalities: an intellectual, cold, rational nihilist and the other being an empathetic, warm-hearted human being. This first personality eventually leads Raskolnikov to commit a double murder, as he rationalises the crime on utilitarian grounds: ‘One death, and a hundred lives in exchange - it's simple arithmetic!’ For the rest of the novel, Raskolnikov is tormented by his two inner voices, as well as the theories that come with them. Here, Dostoyevsky reveals the title's importance-- this is the punishment. The crime? We will get to that later. Nihilism. That word again, what does it mean? At its essence, Nihilism is the idea that life is meaningless, thereby making morality and religious beliefs non-applicable. This ideology swept through Europe, and especially Russia during the 1850s and 1860s, at the time of writing of this book. It incorporates the idea that “God is dead”, an idea Friedrich Nietzsche later becomes famous for, likely influenced by Dostoyevsky. It needs to be known that both of these great minds had different views on the consequences of Nihilism on society, as Dostoyevsky's view is apparent through this novel. Raskolnikov's inhumane, malicious side is due to his falling into the beliefs of Nihilism. We as the reader are able to sympathize with Raskolnikov's situation, as Dostoyevsky illustrates a messy, crime-ridden, poverty-stricken and dreary environment of 1860's St Petersburg, which would drive any sane man mad. Raskolnikov is also extremely poor and cannot afford to continue law school; his friend Razumikhin is in a similar situation. However, their response to this situation mirrors each other: Razumikhin is an eccentric intellectual who seems to thrive in the face of adversity, whereas Raskolnikov becomes an introvert who would rather engage in philosophical arguments inside his head than speak to a human being. Therefore, Razumikhin's purpose in this novel is that of serving as Raskolnikov's foil.
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Alienation from society and the idea of a Superman/super-being are two important and directly related themes that Dostoyevsky tackles throughout this novel. Raskolnikov's descent into the dark notions of Nihilism marks the beginning of his separation from society, as his moral and religious values dissipate in the face of a meaningless world. The double murder serves as a catalyst for Raskolnikov's separation. The middle section of the novel brilliantly illustrates his gradual dehumanisation, as he is often portrayed as emotionally numb-- to his own emotions as well as his family members and friends. He sleeps for days at a time, he wanders the streets aimlessly, debating various theories. Many of his close ones predict that Raskolnikov is turning insane, with mystery as to the reasons why. Toward the latter part of the novel, Raskolnikov's reasons for committing the double murder come to full circle as an old article of his (the fact it was even published was unbeknownst to Raskolnikov) is dug up by the lead investigator into the case (and hot on Raskolnikov's trail), Porfiry Petrovitch. This article examines Raskolnikov's theory of there being two types of human beings: the “extraordinary” and “ordinary”. Raskolnikov's article is about crime and
strongly implies that the extraordinary are exempt from any bounds of morality or law, as their actions are for the better of all mankind. Napoleon is the example that Raskolnikov often uses and compares his own actions to. This is the idea of the superman. His double murder is, in fact, Raskolnikov's attempt to prove this theory, and hence his own belonging to the “extraordinary” group. This obviously does not come to fruition as Raskolnikov does feel guilt and glimpses of remorse for his actions. What I love about Raskolnikov's character arc is that it isn't straightforward-- it's back and forth. He shifts from remorse, to contempt, to almost giving himself in, to focusing on escaping his actions. This inner conflict is Raskolnikov's punishment for his crime. The crime, for Dostoyevsky, is Raskolnikov falling into nihilistic beliefs. He is essentially saying that Nihilism is futile and disturbing-- it can only lead to negative consequences for the individual and society. Dostoyevsky's idea of the crime perfectly juxtaposes Raskolnikov's redemption. Raskolnikov finds redemption through the devoutly religious Sonya, a young girl who is selling her body in order to provide for her family. She is a part of one of the sub-plots of the novel, that of Marmeledov. Marmeledov is
40 Photo by Emile Seguine on Unsplash
a drunken former civil servant who dies in the arms of Sonya after he is trampled by a carriage. His plot shares similarities with Raskolnikov's; they both feel alienated in a meaningless world and resort to suffering as a way to deal with their guilt. Marmeledov becomes a cautionary tale for Raskolnikov. There are a few ideas I can gather from this. I feel as if Dostoyevsky was suggesting that suffering is needed in order for redemption, as well as citing the importance that religion serves for the meaning of life and structures of society. This once again ties into his overarching message: Nihilism is bad. Overall, I would highly recommend Crime and Punishment to all audiences. I would suggest taking your time-- it is a more enjoyable read when you analyse as you go. Considering Raskolnikov was the character that inspired Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (side note: Raskolnik means 'schism' or 'divided' in Russian, hence giving away the character's psyche), and Dostoyevsky's works influenced thinkers like Nietzsche and Freud; this is a must-read book for anyone interested in philosophy and psychology.
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CAPHARNAÜM FILM REVIEW
By Sophie Evans
What are your problems in life? Is your apartment not spacious enough? Are your parents or family members bugging you about your uni degree or job? Can you not afford to go out for dinner and drinks on the weekend? It is rare that a film makes you feel small. Usually one leaves a cinema feeling jubilant, exhilarated or pained from laughing. After watching Capharnaüm by Nadine Labaki (pronounced cap-er-num), I felt small. Small in the sense of scale, sadness and influence. A raw feeling of taking seemingly “normal” aspects of life for granted: money for food, education, a secure house to live in. We sideswipe these luxuries—and that’s exactly what they are—and films like this one come along and slap us in the face.
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We don’t live in Beirut, Lebanon, where the film’s protagonist, Zain lives with his abusive parents. Many of us don’t live in shanty houses or run-down apartment buildings where tyres litter the roofs above to hold down makeshift ceilings made of sheets. We don’t eat ice blocks dusted with raw sugar as a meal to survive, or give our babies a spoonful of milk powder sans liquid. The only living things in this screenshot of Beirut poverty were the flocks of birds overhead and bed sheets waving in the wind. Zain, who is maybe twelve years old—he has no birth record— is jailed for stabbing a man whom his eleven-year-old sister, Sahar, was sold and married off to. In a rather admirable and humorous way (that I will leave unspoiled), he makes a public announcement of the desire to sue his parents. According to Zain, he was born into a world of hell and wants to stop his parents conceiving another child into the life they lead. The film highlights the desperate sacrifices made by the disadvantaged and poor in order to have a better life, and wealth; where wealth means food on the table and not being evicted from their homes. Children—predominantly girls-- are bid and sold in exchange for chickens to eat, a lease on an apartment or a chance for a better life in Sweden. Zain realises that the arrival of Sahar’s first period signals the chance she will be married off to an older man to bear children. Hiding the fact from their parents and the prospective husband results in Zain rolling up his tank top and giving it to her to use as a temporary sanitary pad. The crossover between naivete and maturity is equally heartbreaking as it is heart-warming. Throughout the film, he acts like the father that his siblings and adopted brother never had. He runs away from home and meets an illegally-working Ethiopian refugee, Tigest and her son Yonas. The humanity in this relationship sparkles through its difficult circumstances. With his childhood cut short, the first time Zain smiles is after Tigest sneaks home a half-eaten cake for her son’s birthday, and allows Zain to blow out the candle. Those little, seemingly insignificant moments and character idiosyncrasies break up the pain and bleakness of his young life— and for the audience watching too. These brief moments of humour save the film from becoming a slowly burned guilt-trip to the upper echelons.
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Surviving off dry ramen noodles and asking for a hose-down shower at a car wash, the film highlights the will to survive when every sign is telling Zain that he should be dead, along with other populations in a similar vain. ‘We are parasites to them [working and upper class, and government],’ Zain’s father tells him with resignation. The other street kids that Zain meets on his journey lust after a life in Sweden where “they only die of natural causes”—not through the poverty and abuse suffered commonly in less-fortunate worlds such as the slums of Beirut. Through the pain of having their lives being shone in front of a wealthy judge and barrister, Zain’s parents unravel in court and submit to being poor parents in all senses. Evidently a proud man on the inside, Zain’s father admits that he “was expecting to be a good man but God [didn’t] want that.” In a twisted way, they could also be proud of not-so-little anymore Zain, despite being sued by him. His premature realisation that bringing children into a world of despair has merit even if callous. Foreign films can often get a bad wrap from the uninitiated and non-multitaskers hating subtitles, however films like these desperately show the reality of what our world is or has been. The immigration crises along the Mediterranean in recent years have seen the death rate for migrants attempting the crossing of various channels doubling annually, according to a 2018 NBC News article. Capharnaüm is devastatingly raw about life in a second-to-third-world country in modern times, and is clearly rattling some minds and hitting the nerves of those watching—it received a fifteen-minute-long standing ovation and the Jury Prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Capharnaüm is one of those rare films that leaves your mind dulled but also in thought. We walk along through our lives in our own bubble, often not thinking how truly minute and insignificant we are. We can walk down the street and not see the same faces ever again, and only manage to visit a onehundredth of the places we desire to. However, we have the opportunity to do these things: walk freely, travel freely, live freely. So, who are you really in the world to complain?
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ADVICE FROM ALUMNI: AMY SCHULTZ By Sophie Evans
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Which course/s did you study at Swinburne? Bachelor of Arts - Media and Communications.
successful in their job application is never fun, but I try and do it in a way where the candidate has some tangible feedback to walk away with.
What are you doing now? I lead Product Recruiting at LinkedIn.
What is the most challenging aspect? Prioritisation and time management - still working on perfecting both!
Where has your job taken you? Working in recruiting has taken me from Melbourne to Sydney, Sydney to Shanghai, Shanghai to Singapore, and Singapore to San Francisco, where I live now!
Career highlight? Moving to Shanghai was a game changer for me. Is there an aspect of your Swinburne education that has stuck with you and you use day-to-day? Communication is one of the most in-demand soft skills, so doing a Communications-based course has helped set me up for success in my career. Studying media studies and marketing at Swinburne have both stuck with me and now recruiting at LinkedIn, which is the world's largest professional network, I use various social media channels every day to build LinkedIn's talent brand.
Any tips for earning scholarships or internships? Internships are very competitive now, but a valuable source of talent for companies and a way of building skills and networks for students. My tips would be to consider any internship as an opportunity to learn both technical and soft skills. Worry less about the company name you will be interning for and more about the type of work you will be doing. Look for companies that are inclusive so you have the best opportunity to make great connections.
Any advice for Swinburne students? You will have many different jobs and potentially career pivots throughout your long career, so focus on building transferable technical and soft skills. Most importantly, have fun! The friendships I made at Swinburne are all still strong and valuable 20 years on!
What is the best part of what you do? I get to help people find economic opportunity and realise their life aspirations. What is the worst part of what you do? Telling someone that they haven't been
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