The Encore 2022 by The Voice

THE ENCORE

2022

THE ENCORE

2022

ARTS WEEK

Brought to You By Susanna McQueen and Alice Haire

TABLE OF CONTENTS WELCOME TO THE ENCORE SHAKESPEARE AND CO. DRAMA NIGHT CHALK ART THINK TRUE STORY SLAM BOB ROSS NIGHT MOCKTAIL MAKING CLASS NERD NIGHT TRIVIA REVUE ART AT RMC PHOTOGRAPHY ROBERT MEMEIEZS COLLEGE CREATIVE WRITING COMPETATION

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RESIDENT ARTIST PROFILES Sam Golden Anna Evans Patrick Noble Owen Williams Luke Sieff Joseph Chandrasegaran Hayley Rogers Mitchell Clark Alice Haire Lina Ba Alice Haire & Susanna McQueen

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WELCOME TO

THE ENCORE Hey Menzies, Long ago, the five blocks lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the plague attacked. Only the media students, masters of the Adobe Suite, could format a new edition, but when the world needed them most, they were still in high school. Two years passed and Becky discovered that media students existed, two country kids named Alice and Susanna. And although their adobe skills are great, they have a lot to learn before they are ready to do The Echo at the end of the year. But we believe these two film majors can save the world. In 2019, Amy and Amy released the last Encore. A lot has changed since then, but The Encore is finally back, here to wrap up the events of Arts Week 2022, and all that came along with it. Between episodes of Pokémon, (and whatever Susanna does with her time) we have assembled the very best of Arts Week, and all of the people that made it great. Before we get into the fun stuff, we want to thank the Community RAs, Tully, Cera, and Ben for putting together such an incredible week of events, we know how much work you guys put into it and how much sleep was lost so that we could have a great time. Next, we want to thank the rest of the RAs and the exec for the events that you put on. Finally, a huge thank you to the people that did the interviews or submitted work for The Encore, we always love hearing from people all over college and getting your perspectives on Arts Week, you guys are the ones who make this publication possible. Thanks for reading, Alice Haire and Susanna McQueen

SHAKESPEARE AND CO. DRAMA NIGHT Arts week began on Monday with Shakespeare and Co. drama night. Organised by the Community RAs, the night saw various college students show off their skills at speech and drama by reading out monologues and duologues. This year the format evolved to include popular movies speeches as well as the classic Shakespearian monologues that give the night its name.

CHALK ART The Courtyard was filled with shapes and colours as residents spent their time between classes on Tuesday drawing on every blank surface with chalk. The walls and floor were covered with pictures; from the SVF flower garden to some excellent communist propaganda.

THINK TRUE STORY SLAM Residents showed their skill with a pen by writing and performing their own original stories surrounding the theme “Unexpected.” The Chaplaincy RAs who ran the event gave their own unique performances, with Caleb and Ben performing Breaking Free, and Cera and Rhea performing We don’t talk about Bruno.

BOB ROSS NIGHT On Wednesday night, the Community RAs hosted Bob Ross night. Bob Ross is a landscape painter, known for his positive attitude and his easy-to-follow tutorials. This event saw just how ‘easy-to-follow’ they are as residents followed a tutorial of a campfire.

MOCKTAIL MAKING CLASS

The Mocktail night had Community RAs teaching residents how to make well-known cocktails in a non-alcoholic form. We drank fancy juice, 10/10. Bon Appetit (that’s French)

NERD NIGHT TRIVIA

Students gathered around for a meeting of the minds, covering various topics from film to geography. The night was organised by the academic RAs and was won by The Royal Military College.

REVUE The final event of Arts Week was RMCSAs revue. Revue is RMCs talent show, where residents show off their various skills and talents. The SA finished the night with a murder mystery skit of the RAs. I’ve never read Murder on the Orient express, but I imagine it’s about the same thing.

ART AT RMC During the week, RMC residents sent in their artworks as a part of the annual RMC Art competition. This gave visual artists a chance to show if their skills and go in the running to win a prize.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Similar to the art competition, residents showed off their photography skills during the photography comp.

ROBERT MEMEIEZS COLLEGE The meme competition is a chance for residents to share their experiences at college in a comedic way. While the art and photography competitions give residents a chance to show of skills and talent, the meme competition is a more relaxed event that allows residents to reflect on the experiences that we all share as residents of RMC

CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION Jim was the only applicant. Jim won.

Chapter 3 (excerpt) Existing in a dark, cavernous space for any amount of time will cause other senses to become more advanced. At least that is what I have found. I have no idea how long it had been since I’d seen the sunlight, but I did see light once every so often. The King had not ordered my death yet and so I was permitted to be kept alive. This meant that some scrawny scullery maid would bring me bread and water, I know not how many times a day. She would always carry a torch so that she could find her way. That was the only light I saw and before long, I forgot what sunlight felt like. My other senses did develop with time. I became accostomed to the cold of the cell and consequently I could feel the heat radiating from the maid’s torch when she came. I soon began to be able to smell the bread before I see the light. My stomach did groan consistently, but soon I was used to it and it no longer bothered me. My hearing improved most of all. Soon I was able to hear the footsetps of the maid before I could smell the food or see the light. I had grown accustomed to my new environment and I wondered if I would ever feel freedom again. Each day a guard would check on me and each time they did, I would cower away from them like a timid animal. I knew that my scruff would be getting long and probably turn into a beard before long, but I hadn’t the ability to shave. Eventually, I believed myself to be safe from madness, but before long this notion was quickly dispersed. I began to see a flickering light appear from nowhere one day. It simply just sputtered into life. It was blindingly bright and hurt as much as staring into the sun. It began small, but grew in size and in brightness. This was it, I had finally lost my mind. Still the light grew in immensity. I turned away from it so that I would keep my eyesight, but it still hurt. The intense light stopped and was quickly replaced by a voice. “Look at me child.” It was a soothing voice, calm even. It was a command, yet it felt like an invitation. So I turned, and where the light had flickered now existed an angelic woman. She had magnificent blonde hair that seemed to shine without any light. She wore a pure white dress that only accentuated her perfect hourglass figure. Her face looked soft with rosy cheeks and luscious red lips. Her eyebrows were perfectly sculpted and framed her violet eyes perfectly. An intense light radiated from her in every direction, illuminating the cell. She gave an inquisitive look at me, obviously I was in stark contrast to her being ungroomed and filthy.

Sam Golden What talent/special interest would you like to talk about? Painting/Visual Arts in general Where are you from and what do you study? I’m from Tamworth (ew) and I'm studying law How did you get into this activity and is there anyone who inspired you (family, friends, celebrities, etc.)? All kids draw, so I’ve been doing it forever, but my dad just always encouraged me to keep developing my skills and to actually enjoy painting and drawing. So I keep at it, it’s my favourite thing to do in my free time, I would draw anything and everything. I was the kind of kid that drew on the walls of the house. That goes on for some years, and then we get to 2015 and I have a very dear friend who is an AMAZING artist. She was so skilled and I loved everything about her. I wanted to be exactly like her so I copied her art and tried to actually start getting really good at drawing just so I could be like her and maybe even impress her. I think it worked, I got over my weird infatuation with this girl and started doing my own thing and expanding on my skills in ways that I wanted to rather than in ways that she would. Then I got really into surreal art like Magritte, one of my favourites, and started painting like him, which my dad absolutely loved. Since then I’ve just been developing my own style and skills based around that love I had, and still have, for Magritte’s work. How long have you been involved in your art? I’ve been doing it since I could hold a pencil, but I didn’t start focusing on actually getting better at drawing until 2014/2015, so I’ve been developing my skills for about 7 or 8 years now. Does your art have a strong community, and do you have much contact with it? I used to be very involved in the visual arts community in Tamworth, but then it just got full of old people and I felt like my creativity was being stifled, so I moved to the internet and focused instead on things that I loved. I suppose I’ve had pretty significant contact with the digital art space online for many years now, some of my current favourite artists are digital painters that I discovered on instagram or even tumblr.

What do you enjoy most about your art? The freedom I have. I love using bright colours that clash and don’t go together at all, and I love breaking the rules! One of the foundations of painting is that you’re supposed to focus on tones in your work, but I threw that out the window and I prefer playing with hues. I love making my art and eyesore, really. Using bright colours that clash and could most definitely blind a poor victorian child make me happy. What have you done that you’re most proud of? My year 12 Visual Arts major work! I did a series of portraits about environmentalism and the state of the earth if we were to continue to disrespect the planet- but instead of the subjects being ‘earth’ I made them conventionally attractive people in order to grab attention and drill into my audience that by ignoring the state of the world we would effectively be destroying and degrading the things which we consider the most beautiful. It was a really meaningful series of paintings and I think it’ll always hold a special place in my heart. What challenges you most within your artform? Severe imposter syndrome, i.e. I don’t deserve to call myself an artist because I’m not very good I'm also not dead so nobody will ever care about my paintings while I’m still alive to see it. That or having to regularly go back and practice the foundations of drawing, it’s so boring and I hate just practicing tone and line and shape. God forbid I ever have to teach someone about the foundations of art. I might simply combust. How have you improved since you started and what do you hope to improve in the future? I have improved tremendously since I first started, and going into the future I know exactly what I want to improve on! I want to have a better understanding of form and the way that things take up space in our universe, and also perspective. Foreshortening is something I’ve never been quite good at and I think that once I can master it my art will be taken to a whole other level. Are there any milestones or goals that you want to complete in the future (short or long term) ? I really want to paint a portrait of a person from a low angle. Getting the chin right when it’s such an odd perspective is so hard and I have always struggled, and that’s something that I want to change.

Anna Evans

What talent/special interest would you like to talk about? Singing Where are you from and what do you study? I am from Gold Coast, Queensland! I am currently studying an Arts/Commerce double degree How did you get into this activity and is there anyone who inspired you (family, friends, celebrities, etc.)? My grandmother was a renowned soprano singer in theatre during 1950s London. She also went on to sing for the Anzac troops during the Vietnam War. She always encouraged me to explore my interest in music, and while I’ll never reach her level myself, I owe a lot of my talent and passion to her. How long have you been involved in your art? I did excellence choir for six years in high school, and I have been further developing my skill and technique independently ever since. What do you enjoy most about your art? There is something so liberating about singing for me. I find having full creative control over how I develop and adapt my voice to different genres to be really fun and a great distraction from study. What have you done that you’re most proud of? Doing a national tour with my choir back in the winter of 2017. We performed at the Parliament House (they have great acoustics FYI) and placed first in the National Eisteddfod. Needless to say, everyone got colds afterwards because of the freezing weather conditions and we couldn’t sing for weeks. What challenges you most within your artform? Confidence! It’s easy to perform in a choir with 30 other like-minded people, but that completely evaporates once it is only you on stage. That is definitely still a work-in-progress for me! How have you improved since you started and what do you hope to improve in the future? Choir gave me a great foundation in vocal technique, pitch, and harmonies, am now that I training my voice as a soloist, I have been able sing with more depth and dynamic. Are there any milestones or goals that you want to complete in the future (short or long term) ? I have started song writing and I intend to learn how to produce my own music some time in the future. For now, I am just focussing on improving my voice and having fun with it!

Story Slam - Unexpected

Patrick Noble

“It’s not fair!” Charlotte thought to herself while crossing her arms. “Why do I never get what I want! Mum is so mean!” Charlotte aggressively tries to open her door but finds herself locked in her room. In her hand she is holding a shopping bag with a juice box and a banana in it. “You have to have to be healthy no chocolate bar for you” Charlotte says in a mockingly tone imitating her mum. “Well why can’t it be a chocolate” Charlotte thinks to herself. Charlotte puts her hand in the shopping bag and grabs the banana, but it comes out as a chocolate bar. Charlotte is shocked but also disappointed. “I don’t want a chocolate bar; I want a sword! And this isn’t my bedroom, this is a pirate ship!” Charlotte is standing upright with the smell of sea water in her hair. She is surrounded by men with only one eye, rotting teeth and disgusting smells coming from peculiar places. Charlotte realised she wasn’t just an eight and half year-old girl from Birmingham with an annoying mum, but she was the captain of this ship, and she is in control of the wheel. “Ahoy” Charlotte proudly said. “Ahoy, Captain” said her first mate who wore a striped shirt and a bandana. “We have company, Captain Kidd and his men are coming our way” Charlotte quickly turns her head “Prepare for Battle”. Captain Kidd and his men board the ship. Captain Kidd looks around to find Charlotte but to his surprise she is ready for battle and standing right in front of him. “Ah, my arch nemesis. Captain Charlotte, you may have beaten me once, but you will not escape for a second time” says Captain Kidd with his deep voice spitting every word only for the spit to go on his sweaty beard. The quick-witted Captain Charlotte unsheathes her sword “come on Kidd, it’s been more than one time”. Captain Kidd flushes with embarrassment “Those other times don’t count; I had an itchy nose” Charlotte gets into her fighting stance “You’ll have more than an itchy nose when I’m done with you”. Captain Kidd furiously strikes Charlotte with his sword, only to be deflected. Charlotte retaliates with heavy swings at Captain Kidd who maniacally laughs while dodging all her attacks. “You’re out matched, out skilled and outwitted. Die or surrender” says Captain Kidd with a menacing smile. Charlotte is tired and is unsure what to do, but then a light bulb in her brain goes off. She swings her sword and chops off Captain Kidd’s beard. “Well, that’s just mean,” cried Captain Kidd. Charlotte pushes Captain Kidd into the Mediterranean Sea. Charlotte looks around to see all her men standing, with Kidd’s men on the ground unconscious. “We have won the battle!” screams the first mate. “I’ll get you next time Captain Charlotte!” Captain Kidd furiously shouts. Charlottes men shout together in triumph “Ahoy! Captain Charlotte! Ahoy!” Charlotte suddenly hears two knocks and realises she isn’t at sea anymore but in her room again. Mum opens the door “I’m sorry I got mad at you; do you want to get a chocolate bar after you’ve had your banana”. Charlotte stands up proudly “No thanks, I’m good. I have got a sword!” Mum laughs patting Charlottes back as they leave the room containing, many more adventures to come.

Owen Williams What talent/special interest would you like to talk about? Astrophotography Where are you from and what do you study? I’m from Maitland and am studying a Bachelor of Media and Communications (Screen Production)/Bachelor of Science (Astronomy and Astrophysics). How did you get into this activity and is there anyone who inspired you (family, friends, celebrities, etc.)? My parents were into photography and I really loved space as a kid. So I decided to try and see if I could photograph those amazing photos that you see of galaxies and nebulae. How long have you been involved in your art? About 4 years now. Does your art have a strong community, and do you have much contact with it? There is a great community of astrophotographers, here at Macquarie University there is an observatory where students can utilise professional equipment to capture photos of the universe. What do you enjoy most about your art? I enjoy learning about the universe and being able to show people photos of galaxies and nebulae taken from my backyard. What have you done that you’re most proud of? The photo that I am most proud of is taking a photo of a galaxy that is almost 30 million light years away. What challenges you most within your artform? Light pollution makes it hard to photograph objects that aren’t as bright which compels me to travel to new places with little to no light pollution. How have you improved since you started and what do you hope to improve in the future? The quality of my photos has gotten significantly better over the past 4 years. Are there any milestones or goals that you want to complete in the future (short or long term) ? I would like to continue to take photos of galaxies, improve the quality of my photos and explore more of the universe.

Luke Sieff What talent/special interest would you like to talk about? I guess drawing for now. Where are you from and what do you study? From the Central Coast, studying neuroscience, great combination for art, I know. How did you get into this activity and is there anyone who inspired you (family, friends, celebrities, etc.)? I used to collect a bunch of little art pieces from franchises I loved as a kid, my dad told me I should find better hobbies, out of spite, I decided I’d just learn how to make my own little art pieces. How long have you been involved in your art? A while, I’d have to do maths to figure out how long, and that’s hard. Maybe 7 years? Does your art have a strong community, and do you have much contact with it? There are plenty of places both in person and online for people who like to draw. Swapping ideas in drawing communities can be tricky sometimes, with everyone having their own preferred utensils and mediums, not everything translates well into someone else’s style. I used to be more active in these communities before I started uni and my free time decreased, I plan to get back into them when I can. What do you enjoy most about your art? I can put whatever I want on my page and not worry about whether anyone will like it. After all, they don’t have to see it. What have you done that you’re most proud of? When I was in year 10, I won an art competition I entered. Somehow, I didn’t find out until after I graduated. What challenges you most within your artform? Finding a balance between things looking realistic and stylised. It’s hard to keep that consistent. How have you improved since you started and what do you hope to improve in the future? It’s hard to explain in words, but I definitely couldn’t draw when I started. I didn’t know how to make things look like they did in the posters I had on my walls, and I still don’t, but I’m so much closer than I was. Are there any milestones or goals that you want to complete in the future (short or long term) ? I want to make a poster, and I want to get good enough at character consistency to make a comic, even just a short one. Is there anything you’d like to mention that we haven’t asked? Mouths are for storing pens.

Joeseph Chandrasegaran What talent/special interest would you like to talk about? I would like to talk about my acting and singing. Where are you from and what do you study? I am from Albury and I study a Bachelor of Dramatic Art. How did you get into this activity and is there anyone who inspired you (family, friends, celebrities, etc.)? I was always inspired to be on TV someday as a child and I haven’t regretted that dream since. How long have you been involved in your art? Pretty much throughout my entire education. Does your art have a strong community, and do you have much contact with it? I believe my art doesn’t get a strong community as much as I would like to, but I always strive to sing at least everyday. What do you enjoy most about your art? I guess what I enjoy the most is the enjoyment and fulfilment I find through performing on stage. It’s quite a cathartic experience. What have you done that you’re most proud of? I reckon I was most proud about performing in front of a crowd of around 1000 people three years ago. What challenges you most within your artform? Sometimes the lack of dedication and motivation is what really holds me back. How have you improved since you started and what do you hope to improve in the future? I feel I have improved a lot more since starting Uni, because I was very disappointed with my overall performance in Drama for the HSC. Are there any milestones or goals that you want to complete in the future (short or long term) ? I want to have a career in acting.

Hayley Rogers What talent/special interest would you like to talk about? Drawing and painting. Where are you from and what do you study? I’m originally from Hong Kong, and I’m studying Law and Psychology. How did you get into this activity and is there anyone who inspired you (family, friends, celebrities, etc.)? I started drawing in the beginning of primary school, and was encouraged by my mum and siblings to continue pursuing it throughout my schooling. How long have you been involved in your art? I’ve been actively drawing and painting since the age of 6, so around 16 years. Does your art have a strong community, and do you have much contact with it? I have been engaged with the art community via various online platforms, starting with DeviantArt and Tumblr, before becoming involved with the Instagram art community in 2015. What do you enjoy most about your art? I enjoy the therapeutic aspect of drawing and painting above all else, and incorporating psychadelic and dream-like elements into typical portraiture. What have you done that you’re most proud of? I am most proud of an A1 self-portrait I completed in Year 10, as well as my most recent painting of David Bowie that I completed in April of 2022. What challenges you most within your artform? Art block and the competitive nature of the online art community is where I experience the most challenges. Remaining motivated to continually create and produce unique and engaging art while studying full time is something that takes a lot of time and energy, and forces me to develop a work-life balance that I didn’t struggle as much with growing up. How have you improved since you started and what do you hope to improve in the future? I believe I have greatly improved since I started, but I hope to continue improving the realism of my portraiture and proportions through study of the human form as I continue to practise and develop on my art style. Are there any milestones or goals that you want to complete in the future (short or long term) ? I would love to present my artwork on a professional platform in the future, hopefully making an income from my work and reaching a wider audience in the long term.

Mitchell Clark What talent/special interest would you like to talk about? LEGO Building Where are you from and what do you study? I’m originally from Tamworth and am studying a Bachelor of Arts and Law, majoring in Modern History. How did you get into this activity and is there anyone who inspired you (family, friends, celebrities, etc.)? I’ve always loved LEGO, but didn’t build a lot of MOCs (My Own Creations, a fan-made LEGO model not produced by The LEGO Group) until I was about ten years old. I think I started getting serious when I went to a LEGO convention in Sydney and was blown away by some of the models there. I’ve been doing my own creations ever since, but I love collecting sets as well. How long have you been involved in your art? I got my first LEGO set when I was in preschool and I was immediately hooked. I collected profusely until about 2014 when I entered what many LEGO fans call a ‘Dark Age’. Nonetheless, I got back into it a few years later and began to engage with the LEGO community a bit more, which is when I began to get more serious about MOC building. Does your art have a strong community, and do you have much contact with it? There is a fair amount of Adult LEGO Fans out there, and I am in contact with a few... including a couple of LEGO Masters Australia contestants! I’m quite prolific on the fan site Brickset, and I also manage a LEGO Instagram, @raider_of_the_lost_brick. What do you enjoy most about your art? If I don’t have anything I need to do of an evening, nothing’s better than just settling down to work on my next LEGO project. I love it as a way to just wind down. What have you done that you’re most proud of? I produced a series of mosaics of my Grandparent’s old property in Armidale for my HSC Body of Work. Not only did they receive a Band 6, but my grandparents adored them too, so that really meant something. What challenges you most within your artform? Definitely looking for that perfect piece, however this can also be a blessing as it encourages problem solving. For example, I did a mini LEGO Titanic some time ago but struggled to find a way to have the funnels ‘lean’. Hinges were too large, so instead I used minifigure hands instead, The model turned out much better than I expected. How have you improved since you started and what do you hope to improve in the future? About a year ago, I started using a program called Bricklink Stud.io, which allows you to build digital LEGO models and then use them to purchase the pieces. Although it can be fun to just go with the flow at times, the program greatly allowed me to plan out larger, more detailed models overall. Are there any milestones or goals that you want to complete in the future (short or long term) ? LEGO Masters might be a few years off, but I might give it a shot at one point. Otherwise, I’m happy with continuing to build as a hobby. I have fun with it, and that’s all that matters

Alice Haire

- Run

Running Why does it always have to start with running? There were three things going through Arthur’s mind as he ran. The first was the incomprehensible idea that space and time were bending around him. Moving and turning as if the fabric of the universe were not only alive, but had a personal vendetta against him. The second thought was how he could possible escape when his enemy was the very laws of physics that, until a few minutes ago, seemed wholeheartedly unshakeable. He didn’t even know how he was still running, sometimes there was no ground to run on, others the ground was made of water or fire or several other things that he really didn’t want to think about, but he was pretty sure you couldn’t run on it. The third thought was possibly the most important of the three, where was he running to? With these three thoughts assembled, you should have a fairly solid idea of what Arthur was up against, perhaps a better idea than Arthur himself. Based on this limited information - and the adrenaline coursing through his body that stopped him from thinking logically - Arthur made a decision. With the world fracturing and changing around him, coming ever closer to breaking him apart too, Arthur chose to stop. Stop running, stop fearing, stop playing this stupid game of tag with whatever universal constant had decided to use him as a toy. So he stopped, ready to embrace his fate rather than being the universes plaything. And as Arthur stopped; the world stopped with him. Dancing lights became white and still, like the kind you would find in a supermarket at 2am. Screams of sound became silence around him, even his heavy breathing went quiet, refusing to echo in this new state of being. Everything else was blank, he existed within a void of light without shadow, sound without echo, and white without colour. ‘Who are you” asked the void “you’re not meant to be here” “There doesn’t seem to be much of a here” replied Arthur “Are you even here? I can’t see you. What are you?” “Yes.” “Yes?, then where are you?” “Yes.” “So you are here, what is this-“ “No.” “-“ “I am not ‘here’. I do not stand beside you. I do not speak to you. I do not live or breathe or love or die. I am this place, and this place is nothing. You are not meant to be here.” “So how do I leave? I don’t think I’m meant to be here either?” “Run.”

Creative Piece -

Lina Ba

Years ago, in my beautiful city Jeddah. in my old front yard in a warm windy day surrounded by our tall standing palm trees I was sitting questioning, What is bravery? What is freedom? I would sit at the yard for hours. I’d lay in the middle of the yard and enjoy the freedom of looking at the sky. I’d enjoy seeing the birds flying and ask myself “ do birds crave freedom as I do”? I’d cry when I remember that I share the sky with the rich and the poor, I share the sky with the ones living in war and the ones living in peace. The sky is for everyone. Or at least I would hope so! I’d look at the yard gate and the yard high fence and tell myself “this fence is my limit but just for now. Behind this fence I will be a powerful free human” Am I free? It is a simple question. But simple questions are big questions. They’re big enough to start an evolution. On a personal level. Simple questions has always turned into crisis. But I still love the evolutionary effect of a simple question. Simple questions have the power of turning my inner world upside down but they have always brought me from the other side a new person. A new free thinker. Simple questions got me starting a new habit of emptying my words of their meanings and try to figure out what do they mean to me? Because it’s important to redefine my concepts. My friend once told me that I’m too skeptical, but I was flattered! Being skeptical is the freedom of questioning. Freedom has always been a dream. It still is a dream! And it will always be a dream! The freer I get the more freedom I crave. Freedom is the meaning of life. It’s to speak up and be my own person. It’s to feel what I feel and to be what I want to be. It’s to create my own purpose. Bravery to me is the courage to identify fears and push gently through them. Bravery is the courage to make changes, and the courage to be free.

Alice Haire & Susanna McQueen What talent/special interest would you like to talk about? Susanna - Film Creation Alice - *Film Production Where are you from and what do you study? Susanna - I’m from the Bega Valley (think Bega Cheese) and study media and communications majoring in screen production Alice - I’m from Wee Waa up in Northwest NSW and I’m also studying media and communications majoring in screen production How did you get into this activity and is there anyone who inspired you (family, friends, celebrities, etc.)? Susanna - In high school I took photography and media and my teacher, Mr Staubli, helped me discover media production is what I wanted to do in my life. I went into film because I want to make queer films :). Alice - I’ve always enjoyed learning how things work, and films were no exception. Films were an interesting thing to break apart (especially before not everything was done with CGI). Once I decided that I wanted to work in the entertainment industry, I bounced between film and theatre before choosing to go into film. How long have you been involved in your art? Susanna - Started in 2017, when I was in year 9 when I got the Adobe apps for FREE!!! Alice - I didn’t start doing film until I came to uni last year, but I was big into theatre production in high school which is more similar than you’d think. Does your art have a strong community, and do you have much contact with it? Susanna - I’m very connected with my film major friends at MQ and Alice, I probably spend too much time with her. Alice - Ditto What do you enjoy most about your art? Susanna - Video editing and screenwriting is my favourite parts of filmmaking; getting to design a story is what I love to do. Alice - I enjoy both the chaos and order that happens on set. The order that occurs when pre-production comes together and all you have to do is follow the script, but also the chaos that happens when something goes wrong and you have to put your heads together to find a solution.

What have you done that you’re most proud of? Susanna - Directing my second short film with my friends in my favourite class. Alice - Making a bunch of friends that I work well with. One of the most important, and often the most difficult, parts of filmmaking is finding people you vibe with, so I’m glad I got that out of the way quickly. What challenges you most within your artform? Susanna - Dealing with film majors Alice - Translating what’s in my head onto the page. Also dealing with film majors. How have you improved since you started and what do you hope to improve in the future? Alice - According to Susanna I need to bully people more. Sadly, Susanna is 100% correct. Are there any milestones or goals that you want to complete in the future (short or long term) ? Susanna - create a portfolio of work that I’m proud of and get a job after I graduate Alice - Get a job working on a set, I may have to move to Gold Coast Queensland but that isn’t a dealbreaker tbh. Is there anything you’d like to mention that we haven’t asked? Susanna - gay rights Alice - Paramount, please hire me uwu.

A BLOCK - Arcade This year, A Block welcomed all our residents to the Arcade! Our retro video game theme was chosen to reflect some personal interests and to add to this year’s O-Week theme “Out of this World”. With some floating Pac-Man ghosts and Tetris blocks roaming the halls, we had video games and characters from across the years. A Block wanted to get into the game with some video game movie nights and catching up on the latest pop culture and we even asked people which games they wanted to see on the walls of the block! Video games represent both a fun hobby and for lots of people they remind us of games we played as kids. We hope our residents feel at home and immersed in the playful nature of this years A Block theme!

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - B BLOCK “Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. No doubt, no doubt, no doubt” was Theresa and Ben’s thinking when the B-Block theme ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ was created. Brooklyn Nine-Nine definitely wasn’t plan A, B or C, but 2 days before O-Week the captains of the nine-nice decided it was time to take control and create an amazing place for our detectives. It was then that our first case was given: block decorations. The walls were plastered with caution tape (watch out other blocks, B-block is here), quotes and memes filled the levels and common rooms are the home to our beautiful posters. Special mention must go the the poster in B2 common room … if you know you know.

C BLOCK - Celestial Cera’s obsession with unicorns dominated the discussion when discussing what theme we should do for C block and Celestial was born. We have a starry sky surrounded by Pinterest vibes, beautiful curtains and twinkly fairy lights and blue and black patches on the walls that add to the colour scheme giving the block a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’. But what really makes C block feel pretty out of this world, is the people and how we can all shine bright forming a collective constellation for all to see in the block we all can call home.

D BLOCK - Dungeons & Dragons After 2 years out of commission, D Block rose from the grave to play host to the Bottom C gang for term 2. We dubbed it D&D Block and over the course of our time there, we really made it our own.

Extraterrestrial - E BLOCK After much deliberation and some really amazing contenders (E Block Ed Sheeran… I mean?!...), Dan and Anna decided on ‘Extraterrestrials’ to tie in with the O Week theme ‘Out Of This World’. To decorate, we decided first to get some glow in the dark stars… which are still sitting on Anna’s desk. We then found ourselves in Typo where we thought that surely 5 Mandalorian Posters and 8 Star Wars calendars would be enough to get us started. We then decided that we needed something bigger… something more obviously ‘Extraterrestrial’. We started with the ginormous Baby Yoda’s that has somehow survived elevator vandalism (don’t get any ideas!). Then Dan and Gingy introduced the idea of having some Ewok’s. While printing, Anna decided that yes, 3 large human sized ET’s was just what we needed. The potential for getting a fright when coming back from Ranch at 3am only added to their appeal. Dan and Anna are having a wonderful time with you all this year, and are looking forward to whatever Semester 2 brings us!

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ROBERT MENZIES COLLEGE