Game Changers by The Tertangala

GAME CHANGERS

ISSUE FIVE

game changer noun an event, idea, or procedure that effects a significant shift in the current way of doing or thinking about something.

CONTENTS NEWS 6 FEATURES 9 YOU BE THE INSPIRATION MIXING BUSINESS AND PLEASURE

6 TIPS TO INSPIRE YOURSELF TO HIT THE GYM 15 VENEZUELA’S “BOLIVARIAN REVOLUTION” 17 FANTASTIC FEMALES 19 HISPORIATION

UNCLE RICHARD

I SURVIVED

RISKING LIFE AND LIMB AT YOSEMITE 29 FIGHTING TOGETHER 30 SEXISM IN SURFING 32 THE 6 STAGES OF FREAKING OUT

FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY

REVIEWS 40 LOCAL MUSIC 45 CREATIVE WRITING

EDITORIAL Gemma Mollenhauer & Bec Wiggins Once upon a time... There were two young women who had never met each other but whose worlds would, for the next year at least, be inseparable. Literally. They had to be in almost constant communication and plan their everyday lives around each other. It was both wonderful and exhausting. “…Gemma?” One asked the other cautiously, in the afternoon shade of the UOW library. “Yes! You must be Bec?” And that was that. Then they got coffee and wrote 5 issues of a magazine. 5 issues of a magazine later and we’re here. What originally seemed to be an impossible task was only made possible through the continuing support of our contributors, friends and of course, wine. Our meeting of like-minded people, the sharing of our ideas, aspirations, hopes and dreams for UOW’s humble student publication is the reason we decided to theme this issue ‘inspiration’. Because it’s you who’ve inspired us to produce the 2015 series of The Tertangala. Gem: To me, this once daunting task to produce a bi-monthly magazine was only possible through an audience that was willing to accept the failures Bec and I experienced as editors, as well as support our success. To the community of UOW, I thank you. With our first two issues infected with many a spelling and grammatical error as well as design flaws, Bec and I knew issue 3 was the time to pick up our game. You inspired us to do so. To our team of contributors, photographers and subeditors, my gratitude to you is immeasurable. Without you, not only would we not have any content but we wouldn’t have the friendships and community I believe the Tert is all about. To our designer, Bridget you were a good designer before starting your contract with us, now- you’re a game changer. Congratulations on your progress, persistence and your commitment to a magazine that could never repay the effort you applied. I lift my glass to you. And lastly, to our 2016 editors, Claudia Poposki & Jake Cupitt, thank you for your commitment and support to The Tertangala this year- you’ve well and truly earned our vote. I have no doubts that you both will thrive in your terty endeavours next year. Learn from our mistakessubediting is your lifeboat, patience is a skill that can always be improved and wine is your best friend.

Bec: It’s not a new story and certainly not original, but when I was 8 I made a lifelong friend and his name was Harry Potter. It’s not that Harry Potter was the first book I ever read (I believe my catchphrase as a child was “just one more story please?”) but it was the first book I was truly immersed in. The reason Harry Potter was such an important friend to me was because of the love affair he sparked within me; a love of words. I love writing. When I came to uni I told myself it was time to buckle down, get good grades and get a job. I was already under a lot of pressure from my family and peers to excel, since I had opted out of an offer to study a science based degree and into a degree which had apparently no job opportunities. I chose this degree because I decided I wanted a career that I loved rather than a career that was necessarily “easy”. But as my degree progressed the more I worried about the difficulty of the industry I wanted to enter. I was so wrapped up in these sorts of thoughts that I wasn’t enjoying uni anymore: I loved writing but I wasn’t in love with writing. Harry Potter would be ashamed. One day, my very lovely, very stubborn friend (who also happened to be the graphic designer of The Tert) finally convinced me to bite the bullet and submit to the Tertangala. And that was that. I had a column, I met the editors, I did subediting and I got a job. Working on the Tert was the hardest and most rewarding thing I had ever undertaken. I think only parents and editors will understand the profound awe one feels when they’re holding this thing in their hands that they put so much time and effort into creating and now it finally exists. They show it off and hold it up to their friends and proudly say “look what I made!” It has been an absolute honour and a privilege to work on the Tertangala. This has been one of the most life changing experiences of my life and I will carry this experience with me always. Don’t ever give up on your passions. In fact, join The Tert and see them realized. Love Gem and Bec

WUSA REPORT Peter Munford

Hi UOW Students It is with a note of sadness that I write this President’s report to you, as it will be my last in this job. I have thoroughly enjoyed serving the students of the University of Wollongong this year, and I will miss many elements of this job. It is hard to believe that it has been almost a year since the students of UOW elected me, and I look forward to seeing who the students choose as my successor in this year’s election. I would like to pay tribute to some of the people that have helped me to run WUSA this year. Firstly, previous Presidents Sam Dixon and Mitchell Bresser, and previous Secretary Jack Boyd, thanks to them for all the advice they have given us this year in our attempt to run the best union possible. In particular to Mitchell Bresser, who once again made a valuable contribution as Education Campaigns Coordinator. Thanks to our WUSA Team for 2015, in particular WUSA Secretary Seppy Pour and Treasurer Lachlan Foster, for all the hard work they put in to ensure that WUSA runs smoothly. To our office bearers, in particular Welfare Coordinator Cameron Barlin, thanks for all the hard work that they have put in. Finally, to our amazing Tertangala Editors, Gemma Mollenhauer and Rebecca Wiggins, both of them have put in so much work into producing this magazine this year, and it is a testament to their hard work that the University Council has requested copies of the magazine with each new issue due to the high quality of the magazine. This year has seen many great achievements for WUSA. We have balanced the WUSA budget and are on track to be in a far greater position than anticipated at the beginning of the year. We have seen Book Bank sales nearly triple, with the Book Bank receiving a much needed upgrade thanks to receiving SAF funding through the efforts of the 2014 councillors. We have also seen the Free Breakfast grow in size and usage through it’s SAF funding. The current council is fighting to see this funding continue for 2016, however, I am sure that the 2016 council will continue to fund the free breakfast due to the benefits it has provided to students since it was started in 2013. WUSA is growing from strength to strength every year, and it is my sincere hope that this growth continues in 2016 regardless of who is elected.

This year has also been a big year for the student movement in Australia. Thanks to the lobbying efforts of students around the country, in particular the National Union of Students, we have seen some big wins for students in fighting the unfair changes to Higher Education and Newstart allowance proposed by the Federal Government. Fee deregulation has now been defeated three times in the Federal Senate, and hopefully our new Prime Minister will finally give up this futile quest for these ideological unfair reforms. It is my firm belief that student advocacy should be at the forefront of what a student union provides to university students. I have worked every day I have been at university this year to act upon this belief, and I hope that you as the students have benefitted from this. The university year still has a few weeks left, and WUSA will be providing it’s usual services during this time. As always, WUSA’s Free Breakfast is available from 9-11 every day, and our printing service continues to provide members with 20 pages of free printing a day, and half price of what you pay at the Library for non members. Our Book Bank is open from 9-2pm Monday-Thursday, so if you need a textbook come and see us first and see if we can save you money! It has been a real pleasure for me to serve you all as WUSA President this year. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time, and I look forward to seeing what WUSA does in the future. UOW is a great university to be a part of, however it can always do more to support the students. WUSA does its best to provide support, but we cannot do it without some kind of long term funding in the near future. I am proud to have began the process of connecting WUSA with university administration in order to move towards long term funding, and I am sure that with more hard work in the future this can be achieved. I wish all of you the best in your studies, and I hope you get the results you are looking for. For the final time, this is your President signing out. Peter Munford, WUSA President

NEWS Heather Wortes

AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE TO RUN LEADERSHIP S I M U L AT I O N AT N I N T H ANNUAL UOW STUDENT CONFERENCE The Australian Defence Force will host an interactive leadership activity at the ninth annual Students 4 Students (S4S) UOW National Leadership Conference in September, the Australian Student Leadership Association (ASLA) has announced.

12 students from different faculties and year groups at UOW are responsible for organising the conference this year.“One of the major strengths S4S has is that it is run by leadership students for other leadership students,” Coralie said.

Leadership Program Coordinator Coralie Fleming said that the leadership simulation will be a unique chance for S4S participants to apply the theoretical skills they learn on day one of the conference to a real life challenge.

Fifth year Science/Arts student, and Experience Coordinator for the conference Kirbie Storrier said that passion is the most important aspect of leadership for her. “I don’t believe in having one construct or one definition for leadership but in terms of what every leader should have and does have it is passion,” Kirbie said.

“What sets ASLA and S4S apart is that we give students an opportunity to really apply themselves and their leadership ability and skills in a scenario,” Coralie said. “We are the only conference in Australia that provides that opportunity. It’s always incredible to see how much people change in that scenario. To go from theoretical experts talking about building their own business to someone who can actually lead a team of ten people through a scenario is most exciting for me.” Over 20 workshops will be held during the conference on topics including event management, data analysis for social change and how to build a startup. “You can hear from engineers, artists, designers as well as entrepreneurs, social change makers, activists – it’s incredibly diverse,” Coralie said. The theme of the 2015 conference is “Purpose and Passion”. Each year the theme is set by the students in the ASLA committee based on what interests them about leadership. “For us that makes sure that our conference is always going to be relevant because it’s based on student feedback, on student involvement, as well as what students are really focussing on in terms of leadership right now,” Coralie said.

The main part of Kirbie’s position as Experience Coordinator is to find ways to turn different aspects of leadership into fun and different experiences that students can benefit from. “Sitting down and listening to your keynotes is a big part of a conference but we also want to be involved in leadership and have firsthand experience,” Kirbie said. “That’s definitely something we’ve come up with as a team and that I think is the benefit of having student led events like the S4S conference.” The two day weekend conference also includes a gala cocktail event on the Sunday night where students have the opportunity to network with local community members, conference speakers and industry representatives. “You get taught a lot of things about networking and leadership but it’s a matter of actually testing those waters,” Kirbie said. “The gala evening is putting all of the skills you learn during the leadership conference back into practise in a very fun environment. Everyone gets to dress up!”. Universities from around Australia participate in the conference and around 200 students are expected to attend this year. The conference will be held on the 26th and 27th September.

F E AT U R E S

F E AT U R E Zoe Simmons @ItBeginsWithZ

YOU BE THE I N S P I R AT I O N So, you’re in a bit of a rut, huh? Don’t worry. We’ve all been there. Many more times than most of us are willing to admit. I may not be a professional in the area of helping people, but I do my best. I, like many other people, have seriously struggled in life. It’s hard—but you can get through it. Here’s my tips on how to best kick bad feelings in the butt!

Plan ahead. This may seem like a bit of a ridiculous notion. I mean, we can’t see the future; how are you supposed to plan for it? That may be true, but you can plan to the best of your ability for the situation you know—or expect to know. Careers seem to be one thing that send normal rational people stark-raving mad. What am I supposed to do? What do I even like doing? What if I don’t like it later on? How will I get there? What if I’m not good enough? Trust me, we all have these thoughts. And the answer to this can change. For instance, when I was 5, I wanted to be a queen. When I was 9, I wanted to be a forensic scientist. When I was 15, I wanted to be an author. Now, at 20, I’m still not totally sure. All I know is I love writing, and I want to help people and make a difference—no matter how big or small. Start small: what is something you enjoy? And if you don’t know, try things—it doesn’t hurt. Do what feels right. Plan for your future. Get that degree. Study hard. Do work experience, apply for scholarships and internships. Go to that gym, eat that salad. Let your strongest desires take control. Do more of what makes you happy—and don’t let anyone else judge you for it.

It’s okay to take some time out Some days, I’m goal oriented to the point I dream about my future. Other days, I really can’t do it. Listen to your mental health and your body: if you’re stretching yourself too thin, take a break. Have a night off from study to play mindless video games. Take a long bubble bath. Drink that vodka. Go on a shopping spree, spend that money. Don’t get so caught up in the future that you forget your present. It’s a fine balance. Don’t burn yourself out: know when to say “no”. Don’t sweat the small stuff In the scheme of things, getting a bad mark on an essay isn’t the end of the world. Absolutely failing an exam is probably not the end of the world (though I don’t recommend it). That person who broke your heart? In a few years, you’ll forget why it all mattered. Bad things happen. We can’t explain it. You might get sick, you might drive your car into a wall trying to park (whoops), you might accidently spend $100 on fancy alcohol (again, whoops). Try not to get so caught up; emotions are fleeting. You need to accept the good, and the bad. Afterall, life goes on. Why waste your time feeling crappy?

Also, appreciate the little things Start small. Bubble baths. The feel of the sun. The crash of the waves. Pretty flowers. Tasty food. Good movies. Having a roof over your head. Internet—god bless the internet! Friends. Family. Intelligence. Random acts of kindness. The list is endless. Try new things If you’re not happy with yourself or your life, do something about it. Do something you’ve never done. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If you never change anything, nothing is ever going to change. Now, I’m not saying drastic things. It can be as small as trying a new drink, or a different meal. It can be joining a gym, learning to cook., joining a club and making friends, going to uni—or Tafe, even. Try a random subject. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. If you do, score! There is always a solution to every problem. And almost nothing is impossible.

F E AT U R E Gemma Jamison @gemmcraft

Starting a business was the perfect way to combine all the stuff I’ve learnt over the last 5 years of my life. By the end of this semester I’ll have basically completed my Marketing Communications and Digital Media Communications majors, and starting a quarter of the way through my Science & Technology major. This year also marks my 2nd year of being a Communications Manager for an awesome charity, the 4th year of my blog, the first year I’ve been a Science & Tech editor for the Tertangala Online, the first time I’ve been a Digital Literacy Peer Leader, and the 6th year I’ve worked in the hospitality industry. And every one of those things has contributed hugely to what I’m starting now. You never know what kind of things will teach you skills you never expected to have: networking, time management, motivation, passion, communications and tech skills, attention to detail, ability to work under pressure, the ability to self reflect… all things I know now because of what I was learning at university and work that, at the time, I had no idea would be useful later on. Don’t wait for someone to hire you, create your own opportunities. Last semester I had a meeting with a Careers Councellor at UOW. I had always wanted to but never bothered because my high school careers counsellor was terrible and I didn’t realise how much a really good one could help me. Walking out of her office after an incredibly good chat, mind-map and self-reflection session, my hope had been restored. Not only did she highlight how my first degree matched unexpectedly well with my unknown aspirations (I never had a ‘dream’ per-se), she had also given me drive to complete my second degree through guiding me towards two very important realisations: 1) that the passions I thought were procrastinations were actually worth investing in, and 2) that the job was perfect for me might not necessarily exist yet and it might be up to me to create it.

GEMMCRAFT isn’t just a baking or chocolate business for me It is a fusion of my communications knowledge and practical skills, my absolutely compulsive baking and desire to experiment with textures, flavours and smell. My desire to build something from the ground up driven by my love for good design, and my aspiration to show the world I am a good communications professional so that one day I might be able to teach people something new through knowledge festivals and talks. For such a long time I couldn’t figure out how to combine all my interests in a job or aspiration. As soon as I stopped thinking about achieving someone else’s vision and start trying to achieve mine, it all made sense. The Open Source/ YouTuber/ Instafamous tone of the 2010s has shown that anyone can start something by following their passion and committing to it. Before I decided to commit to this business, I was following many YouTubers and Instagrammers incessantly. This group of amateur producers included beauty bloggers, amateur pastry chefs, DIYers, science enthusiasts, and all manner of other creatives. I absolutely LOVE video tutorials, and I have learnt so many practical skills that I can use, whether that be through my brand marketing, personal image, product design or experimental attitude. They have also taught me that anything can be done if you love it enough. Role models Katherine Sabbath and Caroline Khoos of Nectar & Stone never trained as pastry chefs, and yet they are now on almost the same level of popularity and success as Adriano Zumbo and Heston Blumenthal in Australia. They have made me, and so many others, believe that taking a chance on their passion is a good move. Network. A LOT. I used to think that all those university courses, clubs and events claiming to revolutionise your networking game were completely uninteresting. But at this stage of my professional and university life, I can now see how very very important networking really is, no matter who you network with or how. Some of the greatest things that are

MIXING BUSINESS AND PLEASURE: MY RECIPE FOR SUCCESS happening in my life at the moment came from creating close links with friends who were really going somewhere, old bosses I’ve had coffee with, people I’ve stalked on Instagram, people I’ve randomly complemented like a complete weirdo, or people who’ve stalked ME on Instagram. You never know what’s going to happen. Most importantly (at least for me), you’ve got to take every opportunity for a chat with someone you admire. Whether that be someone who you think is really smart, fascinating or knowledgeable at university (Christopher Moore & Ted Mitew of the LHA Faculty), a local business owner who inspires and motivates you (Rachel Golding from Blue Bird Sweets), or a driven change-maker who offers you an olive branch (Mia Devries from The Fox & the Hair), take the opportunity to make yourself known. You never know what might happen. Care just as much about how other people see your product as what it tastes, feels, operates or runs like in person. Make damn sure that you’ve got some photography skills under your belt (or get a friend to help you) before you start broadcasting your work to the world. Unfortunately we live in an era where a picture speaks more than a thousands words and people will judge your entire business, product or brand based on the first photo they see. I won’t post a photo anymore if it’s not consistent with my brand; whether that means the content of the shot, the tone, the brightness and contrast, the regularity of my posts, or the clarity of the shot, it has to all fit together, otherwise people will lose interest. The maxim ‘everyone’s pretending to know what they’re doing’ is astonishingly true. They might know a little bit more than you about something, have more experience in a particular industry, or look super professional, but no one else knows what the f**k they’re doing either. Even the most seasoned business owner is probably lacking in one thing you’re really good at, and that’s where you fit in. I’m still trying to figure it all out, and that will probably never stop being the case.

F E AT U R E Zoe Simmons @ItBeginsWithZ

6 TIPS TO INSPIRE YOURSELF TO HIT THE GYM Going to the gym is hard. I find I often start off with the best of intentions, only to find myself falling into a pile of procrastination and excuses. If it’s in the morning, I groan as I put my alarm clock to snooze for the seventh time (I am not kidding, I need this to even consider waking up in the morning). Then I think to myself, I work hard at uni. I have such long days. I deserve a sleep in, yay me. Night time is quite similar—I think, well, it will probably be crowded now it’s after 5pm. Honestly, I just want to go home and make some kind of delicious elaborate food. Maybe I’ll study. Maybe I’ll even have a bubble bath. Do I do any of these things? Absolutely not. My routine normally consists of lazy (yet still somewhat healthy) vegan meals and a lot of time procrastinating either gaming, watching movies, or binge-watching TV shows and anime. So, how do you make yourself change? I asked personal trainer Melanie Hawksley for her best tips— along with some probably embarrassing anecdotes on my part.

Find your motivation What do you want out of exercise and healthy eating? Is it for the right reasons? As women, we’re so often bombarded with a relentless stream of people telling us how we should and shouldn’t look. Maybe, sometimes we just want to feel sexy and confident. I’ll admit, I often feel the need to work out because I am unhappy with my body. However, this can become a bit obsessive. Instead, I like to repeat Jennifer Lawerence’s ideas of body image. When training for her role as Katniss in the Hunger Games, she famously argued: “I’m never going to starve myself for a part . . . I don’t want little girls to be like, ‘Oh, I want to look like Katniss, so I’m going to skip dinner . . . I was trying to get my body to look fit and strong, not thin and underfed.” Instead of thinking of working out as a way to get sexy, think of it as a way to nourish and strengthen your body. After all, it will carry you for life.

Find like-minded people Specifically, people who will keep you motivated. People who have similar goals. “You need to find someone (or a group of people) who will push you to the gym, and you to them, even when you may not feel interested,” Melanie Hawksley said. This is difficult for me. I’ve recently moved to a new area, so I know pretty much no one. I briefly considered posting in random Facebook pages (but they could possibly turn out to be a total psychopath). My solution: I started a Facebook chat group with my friends who have similar goals. We motivate each other (mostly) and try to keep ourselves accountable. We even have friendly competitions to spur each other on—like who can run the most in 20 minutes, or improve the most in a week. Any and all achievements are celebrated.

Set specific goals “If your goals are not important enough, then it is likely you won’t follow them through.” Are you training for a certain marathon? Is there an occasion you’re working towards? A holiday where you want to feel confident and sexy in formalwear and swimwear? For me, I want to be happy with my body. I want it to be strong. After all, it will support me in all of life’s ups and downs. And honestly, I really like eating food. “So many people do [it] just to look better but it is often not a powerful enough reason to keep you going back month after month. There needs to be a very powerful driver to keep up the motivation as you go,” Mel added. This is why a more wholesome approach to health is far better—if your goals are to be healthy and nourish your body, you’re more likely to stick to it than if it was just to look like a Victoria’s Secret model.

Keep a diary I don’t mean some kind of obsessive calorie-counting record. Buy a cute diary, fill it with motivational quotes and pictures (Jennifer Lawerence for me), as well as your goals and progress. I also wrote a note to myself: never give up. Any time I felt like giving up, I’d read this and usually get a sense of motivation enough for me to change into gym clothes. Don’t feel like you have to conform to societal standards of beauty All my life, I have struggled intensively with my own body image. I remember sitting in Kindergarten, and having a fellow classmate whisper to me: “you know you’re fat, right?” to which my five-year-old self nodded. Since then, I’ve struggled with eating disorders and fad diets. Honestly? They’re not worth it. Seriously. Don’t waste your money on Isagenix or any other teatox. Yeah, you might lose weight, but that is because you are not eating. It’s not healthy, and it’s not sustainable. But time and time again, I try these things because I felt I needed to be skinny to feel happy. Wrong.

My dear reader, if you ever feel like this, I encourage you to metaphorically (or literally) yell: “fuck that!”. Because you are beautiful. Because you are powerful. Because you are strong. Because you’ve overcome every single challenge you’ve come across. Because you know true beauty is in the person you are, and how you treat those around you. Make a change for the right reasons, not the wrong ones. And most importantly? Find a form of fitness you love Try joining a local sporting team, take a yoga class, go for a walk on the beach, try pole dancing, or even random every day exercises at the home or gym. Find something you genuinely enjoy, and it won’t feel like a burden to you. Personally, I’d love to either learn pole dancing or self-defence. But then I remember I’m poor, and stick to my cheap gym membership. Love yourself. Know that what you look like does not decide your worth as a human being. Screw society’s beauty standards.

OPINION Ben Kohler @FakeBenKohler

Two years ago the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, died of cancer. The reaction was immediate and, above all, very interesting. Chavez and Margaret Thatcher died within about a month of each other. The Economist had Chavez on their cover after he died with the words “Hugo Chavez: A rotten legacy” while a month later they had Thatcher on their cover with the words “Freedom Fighter”.

from Spanish colonialism. The Bolivarian Revolution is a socialist one, but it is something quite different from anything else before it. There was no insurrectionary uprising to seize power, like in Russia in 1917, and there has been no campaign of revolutionary violence against counter-revolutionary elements within the country like in the French Revolution or again, Russia from mid-1918.

The devastation Thatcher brought to the general British population, particularly the poorest peoples and the working-class, with her neoliberal reforms obviously doesn’t matter because she freed up the banks and financial firms to do whatever they wanted. Opposed to this, Chavez’s “rotten legacy” is a great one: one that I would certainly say inspires me. Chavez was elected to the presidency in 1998 on a social democratic platform. Education, health care and all other sorts of benefits were to be brought to the Venezuelan people under the program he was elected on.

The revolutionary process in Venezuela has been rather slow. Sometimes the president may make decrees to speed up the legislative process but due to the emphasis on elections, progress has mostly been steady.

His policies greatly displeased the global overlords in Washington and they backed the opposition. Conservative and some liberal parties started working together after Chavez was elected due to the immense support Chavez’s program gave him and his government. In 2002 there was a coup attempt by the conservative, US-backed opposition. It was defeated within 3 days or so and ended with Chavez being president again thanks to the huge amount of people who took to the streets and wouldn’t go home until Chavez was reinstated and the opposition stepped down. Not long after this Chavez declared that a new and more radical political program was necessary. He said that a middle-road between capitalism and socialism is not possible and that Venezuela must make its choice; the people and Chavez opted for socialism. Thus began what is popularly referred to as the “Bolivarian Revolution”. It takes its name from Simon Bolivar, a nineteenth century hero of national liberation who led the struggle for the freedom of northern Latin America

Chavez was elected in a parliamentary election and, until his death, continued to be elected in such elections with a very clear majority. He was first elected with just over 56% of the vote. Nicolas Maduro, the new president who is continuing Chavez’s program, was elected with just over 50% in elections in 2013. Maduro was struggling at first since to many Chavez was the revolution, but Maduro has since proven that the revolution is not just about one person, as important as Chavez was. So why would I find this to be inspiring? Because since the mid-2000’s in particular, Venezuela has been walking a totally different political path, one that has resulted not in debt and misery for ordinary people but rather one that has resulted in the empowerment and bettering of the Venezuelan masses. In the areas of education and health care, the progress that has been steadily made over the last 15 years or so is incredible. Venezuela in 2005 was declared free of illiteracy by UNESCO, one of just a handful of Latin American countries. In health care, there was just over 1,600 primary care physicians in the public sector in 1999 but by 2007 there was just over 19,500. Of immeasurable help here was Cuba, that little island that everyone picks on, with so many doctors and teachers it makes everyone else look really bad. Venezuela undertook Mission Barrio Adentro to bring quality, free universal health care to people who had very little acess to

health care prior to this. They also implemented Mission Robinson to bring at least a basic level of education to the Venezuelan population: reading and writing, basic maths, etc. These missions were carried out with the aid of Cuba. In 2004 Cuba and Venezuela established ALBA, a regional intergovernmental trading organisation in which socialistic principles of solidarity and social welfare and justice are actively applied. A major part of this is that Cuba provides Venezuela with more doctors and teachers than you could poke a stick at while Venezuela provides Cuba with cheap oil. Since then, however, other countries have joined such as Bolivia which is also experiencing a revolutionary upheaval directly inspired by the Venezuelan example.

V E N E Z U E L Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; S â&#x20AC;&#x153; B O L I VA R I A N REVOLUTIONâ&#x20AC;? INSPIRES ME

The key part of the Bolivarian Revolution, however, is social ownership and control. For years more and more factories and farms and other workplaces have come to be owned and operated by state and non-state collectives and coops. The general populace is taking more control over the communities in which they live and also over national economic and political life through these new institutions. The gains here have been steady but significant. These are just a few of the incredible ways that Venezuela has been revolutionising itself since Chavez was first elected. The environmental practices that have been adopted over the years are also fantastic and should serve as models for the rest of us. We are still on the path that Venezuela opted out of over 15 years ago, the path of neoliberal capitalism, and so we are still beset with the problems Venezuela has been dealing with for years. Whenever I get kind of cynical and pessimistic I think about Venezuela and how unlikely it seemed that revolutionary change could happen there any time soon, and that helps to inspire me and keep me going. And considering how reactionary and conservative Australia is, some outside inspiration is desperately needed!

OPINION Claudia Poposki @claudiapop13

Jessica Pearson from Suits

Francesca Spinelli from Saving Francesca

Veronica Mars from Veronica Mars

Allison Argent from Teen Wolf

Hermione Granger from Harry Potter

Jessica Pearson is the managing partner of one of the biggest law firms in New York, and she makes sure everyone damn well knows it. Jessica is African American and female and when she finds out she was brought into the firm as the ‘diversity card’ she gets mad, because Jessica is the best at what she does. One thing I really like about Jessica is that she has taken Rachel, another woman of colour under her wing, believing she has to present her with opportunities she didn’t have. Some people think that Jessica is harsh, but in reality she is just doing everything to protect what she has built.

Francesca is an Italian-Australian who has to deal with moving to a new school, losing all her friends and her mother falling into depression. She has to become strong for the rest of the family, the force holding them all together. The best thing about Francesca is that she feels so deeply. She is a hurricane of emotions and she is unapologetic for that, which I think is an excellent message for all young girls who feel forced to hide certain sides of them.

Veronica stands up for what she believes in and who she believes in. When all of her friends told her to choose between them and her dad, she chose her dad even though she knew life would have been so much better and easier if she went the other way. Justice, being a badass and caring are just typical traits for Veronica. Plus, being a teen private eye is pretty cool.

Allison goes from being the love interest to being the strongest character on the show. Sick of being the victim whilst her werewolf boyfriend protects her, Allison learns to defend herself. Allison comes from a long line of hunters and when she disagrees with their code of honour, which is ‘we hunt those who hunt us’, she changes it to ‘we protect those who cannot protect themselves’. They go from being the villains to the helpers. Allison’s only fault, if you can even call it that, is her blind trust for people – particularly her family. Her character shows that elders aren’t always right.

Harry Potter was the first novel I ever read, and from the first moment I fell in love with Hermione Granger. She was intelligent, brave and fiercely loyal. She was everything I wanted to be. Hermione was definitely my first role model, as she was for so many people.

FA N TA S T I C FEMALES IN FICTION As a young woman who consumes a lot of television and reads quite often, the women in these forms of fiction undoubtedly influenced me growing up encouraging me to be brave, intelligent and fierce. They all taught me a lesson – that I could be better. These are a list of women from fiction who have inspired me.

Mackenzie McHale from The Newsroom

Taylor Markham from On the Jellicoe Road

Sophia Burset from Orange is the New Black

Emily Fields from Pretty Little Liars

Mac was probably my first professional role model. She’s absolutely insane, but she believes in the purity of the journalism industry. She inspires her younger team and brings out a side of her anchor that hasn’t been seen in years. I also loved her because her personal life was a mess, but she kicked ass at work, never letting that affect her hour of producing.

Taylor is in charge of her faction for the territory wars between her school, the Townies and the Cadets. She has no family or friends and has been hardened by this fact. She softens as the novel goes on, caring for those she is in charge of. She realises that there is more to the story of why she was left at a 7/11 and that she has always had people that care about her. Taylor is witty and speaks her mind and her story just changed me forever. It possibly inspired me to undertake creative writing.

So, I will admit that I have only seen season one of OITNB, but that did not stop me from falling in love with Sophia. Why? This woman went to prison just so she could be whom she truly is. Now, whilst I don’t condone doing stuff that’ll land you on the wrong side of the law, you have to admire the dedication and cry at the fact that things are so hard for transgender people to transition into who they are.

Again, a show I only watched for a few seasons, but I loved the character of Emily. Once she came to terms with her sexuality, Emily really came into herself. She became brave, a fighter and no longer the ‘weakest link’ that A always pegged her to be. Emily presents the struggle of many LGBTQIA+ identifying people and shows how it can be great once that struggle is over.

Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy Rose has literally put everything on the line for her best friend. She was born and bred to put her needs before others, but not in the way that females typically are. Rose is a fighter, the best damn guardian there is. She is tough, but feminine, loyal, but independent. Rose is a teenage girl who just happens to be able to kill any threat that comes her way.

F E AT U R E Laura Melhiush

H I S P O R I AT I O N : Oskar Schindler – during the Holocaust, Oskar Schindler saved around 1200 Jewish people by employing them in his ammunitions and enamels factories. The movie Schindler’s List is based on the life and times of Schindler and is a darn good watch. Eleanor Roosevelt – The wife of American President, Franklin D Roosevelt, Eleanor was an advocate for women’s rights, racial equality, and for the rights of refugees from WWII. Mrs. Roosevelt is best known for politicising the position of first lady, which before her had been a role of domesticating and hosting. Colonel Sanders – was fired from a number of jobs before he found himself cooking in a Shell Service Station. After perfecting his secret chicken recipe, Sanders was rejected over 1000 times before he found someone willing to partner him in a franchise business. Nelson Mandela – a political activist during the Apartheid government of South Africa. Mandela spent 27 years in prison as a political dissenter, during which he continued to campaign for equal race rights and also completed a Law degree through the University of London Oliver Tambo – alongside Mandela, Oliver Tambo was another political activist in South Africa. He was president of the African National Congress, the main anti-apartheid organization, for around 25 years and was forced to live in exile for over 30 years, running the ANC and gaining international support from London. Margaret Thatcher – although many of the reforms introduced by the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom were, and still are, considered very unpopular, it cannot be denied that the Iron Lady was a strong and independent woman who don’t need no voters or union support.

Woodrow Wilson – was fundamental in the formation of the League of Nations, a precursor to the United Nations, following the First World War. He was also the president that put an end to America’s policies of isolation and essentially saved the rest of the world’s butt by deciding to enter into WWI. Malala Yousefzai – a Pakistani advocate for female access to education, Yousefzai survived an assassination attempt in 2012 and continued to fight for the right for women to receive the same level of education as men across the world. In 2013 Yousefzai was granted the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17, making her the youngest Laureate in history. Bill Murray – the star of the Ghost Buster Franchise, Bill Murray is hilarious. He goes out to pubs and clubs and joins in on various complete strangers’ nights out. Please google this. Penny Wong – currently the Labour Senator for Western Australia, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Wong was the first lesbian to come out whist sitting in the Federal Parliament. She is also a champion for environmental protection and equal rights regardless of race, gender or orientation.

I N S P I R AT I O N A L F I G U R E S THROUGHOUT H I S T O RY Five Notable Favourites: Mikhail Gorbachev – was the last president of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), more commonly known as the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union had a highly centralised, authoritarian socialist government which was at odds with most of the democratic rest of the world. Towards the end of the 21st century, during the 80s, the USSR was struggling to keep up with the economy of the rest of the world, and was further hindered by its policies of isolationism. Mikhail Gorbachev became president in 1985 and immediately began to introduce policies of freedom and liberal economic reforms. These actions flew in the face of the country’s values of the previous 50+ years and were very unpopular with the socialist social elite. However, these reforms undoubtedly saved Russia from its spiral into social and economic ruin. (Fun fact: ‘Soviet’ is the Russian word for union. Well done to western society for producing the term Soviet Union which literally translates to Union Union) Margaret Thatcher – was the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom. Although she is often viewed in a negative light, The Iron Lady had many impacts on history that resonate through to the current day. One example is that Thatcher essentially introduced neo-liberalism into the market economy, a system which is still utilised in the current system. Additionally, she contributed to the fall of the Berlin Wall, which started a major transformation of central and eastern European economies from relying mostly on central planning to being governed by markets. It is also important to consider that the economic policies introduced in the Thatcher era have subsequently lead to the deregulation of the economy, and a rise in the power of multinational corporations. Regardless of this, Thatcher is one of the strongest female politicians of modern history.

Nelson Mandela - In 1962 Nelson Mandela was arrested for his contribution to anti-Apartheid protests and subsequently spent 27 years of his life in jail. During this time Mandela continued to fight for the end of Apartheid, and completed a Law degree from the University of London. Mandela was released from prison in 1990, and in 1994 Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa, a position he held for four years. Oliver Tambo - after being served a 5 year ban from political activity, Oliver Tambo was sent abroad in 1959 as an ambassador of the ANC with the purpose of seeking international opposition to Apartheid. For 30 years Tambo lived with his family in exile, only being able to return to his home country in 1990, three years before he passed away. During his exile, Tambo was elected as president of the ANC, a position he held for more than 20 years. Penny Wong - is currently the Labour Senator for Western Australia, and holds the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. During the Gillard government, and the first and second Rudd government’s, Wong held positions of a Federal Minister. She was also the first member of the Labour Party to come out as a lesbian whilst sitting in Federal Parliament. Wong is a voice for equality, regardless of gender, race, or orientation, and has been a constant champion for environmentally conscious legislation and renewable energy sources. *The ANC – The African National Congress was a political party in South Africa during the period of legislated racial segregation known as Apartheid. The ANC consisted of many now famous political activists such as Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo.

F E AT U R E Amy Fairall

Aboriginal and South Sydney Rabbitohs flags cover the walls in the small and simple apartment of Indigenous Elder Uncle Richard Archibald. This is a man who’s not afraid to wear his culture (and his footy team’s) colours with pride. An already well known Wollongong local, Richard has been making quite a name for himself nationally over the last few years. Although retired, Richard is still doing near full time work for a cause that has seen him travel overseas and has allowed many Indigenous families to be at peace. All through his childhood and adolescence, Richard was subjected to discrimination. Living on an Indigenous mission on the north coast of New South Wales, Richard felt like a prisoner on his own community’s land. But he still preferred to stay with family and friends on the mission than venture into town where he was seen as inferior. “It was a waste of time going down the street, cause you’re not shopping. You could look at clothes, but...if an Aboriginal person touched them, they were second hand. And they’d say we can’t sell that any more.” However it’s the racism Richard witnessed his father, uncle and cousin s endure, all of whom were returned soldiers, that motivated him to seek justice and recognition for their sacrifices. “My father wasn’t treated the same on ANZAC Day. The first time they went marching, he wasn’t allowed to go in the RSL, with his medals on...They were returned soldiers too, yet they weren’t allowed go buy a beer.” All four men enlisted in World War II and Richard’s cousins fought a second time at Kokoda. One of them, Frank Archibald, was killed and buried there. Over ten years ago, Richard began digging up lost photos and information about his relatives and their experiences in the wars. “I didn’t even realise I was doing it...I was doing it for ten years, but I was just collecting things, like a bower bird, just going around getting little bits and pieces.”It was only about five years ago, that Richard realised how important the work he was doing was. “Then I realised I was the only Archibalds left of the males.” Richard was preserving history. Not just the history of his family, but the history of Indigenous servicemen. Yet it wasn’t enough just to collect memorabilia, Richard wanted to reunite his family, and as the last family male, he felt it was his responsibility. “He (Frank) was the only person buried outside of Australia. And with us, we like to have the people back home...with Aboriginal people, spirits are just the same as bodies. A spirit is just as important to bring home.” Richard made it his mission to bring his cousin Frank’s

spirit home to Australia, so the deceased and living could be reunited and finally at peace. A staggering amount of work was involved, as Richard intended to bring the spirits of as many Indigenous men as he could from their graves in Papua New Guinea, back to their home towns. After months of wrangling with the government, only five other men’s names were released. But it was enough for Richard. He travelled with seven other Aboriginals, including Aunty Grace, the sister of fallen soldier Frank. Richard carefully hand selected the men and women he wanted to be involved and asked them to play a special part in the ceremony that was planned. A didgeridoo was specially hand crafted and painted, by Richard’s mate in Wagga Wagga, to be played at the ceremony. The images on the didgeridoo all bare meaning and significance to Richard’s journey in commemorating his family. “It’s not just a didgeridoo, it’s a story.” The faces of Richards father, uncle and cousins stare up from the instrument. The Australian and Aboriginal flags symbolise the country they fought for and the Australian Army emblem recognises their sacrifices. The instrument was crucial to the ceremony as it was the key tool in beckoning the spirits home. “That’s what made it so easy to bring the spirits back home with us, the dig playing, with all the soldiers on it.” The eight day trip was significant culturally too, as it was the first time that the Aboriginal and Papua New Guinean people had met. “They were so beautiful, the way they took us in...They welcomed us anywhere we went... Cause they wanted to see us.” The ceremony took place on March 25th 2012 at Owen’s Corner, a section of the Kokoda Track where the bodies of all six Indigenous men were buried. A ceremony filled with culture and emotion was conducted at Frank’s grave site. The didgeridoo rumbled as Richard and Grace collected handfuls of dirt from the grave. Three of the Aboriginal men were painted in red and sang or played traditional clapping sticks. The ritual was repeated five more times at each soldiers grave, and dirt collected as a symbol of the fallen soldier’s spirit. The ceremony was an emotional time for all the Aboriginals who had travelled so far and the Guinean’s who were witnessing a new culture for the first time. But it was particularly emotional for Richard, who had worked so hard to get there. “I can’t explain that, it’s inside of you.” But the journey did not stop at the Papua New Guinean border. The spirits still needed to be laid to rest in their home towns. For the next several months, Richard and the selected group travelled to towns from central New South Wales to Western Australia, visiting the grave sites the fallen men would have been buried in at home. The

UNCLE RICHARD

collected dirt was scattered across the graves of family members and a cultural ceremony was conducted to recall the fallen soldiers’ spirit’s back to their resting place. Richard’s accomplishments were significantly rewarding for his family and five other communities around Australia. But his fight to see Indigenous soldiers commemorated continues. More recently, Richard and Aunty Grace campaigned for a commemorative plaque to be placed in the Wollongong CBD, specifically to signify the service men and women of Aboriginal and Torres Strait decent. The plaque was installed in 2013 and was strongly supported by the local council and RSL clubs. Now, Richard spends his time teaching people about the service of Indigenous soldiers and his personal journey to bring his cousin home. He often visits schools in the Illawarra region and the University of Wollongong to share stories about his work and his family. Shiralee Hartnett works at the Woolyunga Indigenous Centre at the University of Wollongong. She met Uncle Richard in 2012 and has bared witness to his work whenever he visits the Indigenous students at the university. “The work that Uncle Richard does is extremely important as he is fighting for a better future for all Indigenous Australians” she said. Hartnett says that the work Richard is doing is critical as Indigenous soldiers, even in 2015, are not receiving the recognition they deserve.

“It is heartbreaking to read how Indigenous soldiers were treated once they returned to Australia from war and I feel that many Australians are unaware of this treatment. Considering the adversities and discrimination that Indigenous people were facing in their own country during wartime, it amazes me that many Indigenous men and women had the strength to fight” she said. For his diligent work advocating for the recognition of Indigenous soldiers, and his struggle to reunite their spirits with their families and home, Richard was awarded the NAIDOC Award for Male Elder of the Year in 2014. But for all the prestige and publicity his work has brought him, Richard remains a humble man above all else. His life and love revolves around his family, culture and the land he lives on. Richard will continue striving for the recognition of Indigenous soldiers and understanding the struggle they endured - as it was truly a struggle, as great as any war. “Australia was the worst place to come back to. They had to do another fight. Fight racism. That was the worst one to fight. Cause you couldn’t see your enemy, but you knew about them.” - Richard Archibald, 2015

F E AT U R E Bernadette Clarke

I SURVIVED. A S T O RY A B O U T A B R AV E G I R L W H O ’ S H E A R T, STOLE MINE Chloe Bradshaw, an aspiring primary school teacher is the strongest nineteen year old I have ever met. After beating the fear of becoming a paraplegic, multiple open heart surgeries and back operations, Chloe is now studying at the University of Wollongong with high hopes. “I aspire to become the best teacher I can be”, Chloe told me. Chloe spent a lot of time in hospital and explained that the hardest thing about being there wasn’t the harsh reality of her back and heart condition, but it was walking past small sick babies, she could hardly believe her eyes. Chloe wants to be a teacher so she can help children develop and grow. Chloe’s heart has also directed her aspirations to work with special needs students .“I really do feel as though I have the patience and compassion to help them”, she said. Chloe has tolerated countless tests, cancelled operations and visits to Westmead hospital every six months, so it is obvious that she has enough patience to deal with whatever the world throws at her. The genuine smile Chloe wears every day makes it hard to believe that she has had to tackle so many health obstacles. When Chloe was born at Taree hospital the doctors noticed a combination of things were severely wrong with her heart; there was a blockage of her aorta, several holes, her left ventricle was smaller than her right and there was an uncomfortable twist of her heart’s major tubes. Careflight flew her to Westmead hospital urgently and at just 24 hours young, Chloe had her first open heart surgery. Remaining strong ever since, Chloe has had to have three more open heart surgeries.

It doesn’t stop there, on top of this was Scoliosis. The abnormal lateral curvature of Chloe’s spine wasn’t noticed until the age of 14. One day Chloe’s mum noticed something odd and told her to stand up straight “I am, I am” Chloe cried. All in the one day Chloe saw a doctor and visited a radiology where the professionals “were like, oh my god” she said. Chloe’s spine was curved like a snake, she had an 80 degree kerb, 45 and 38. “At a 35 degree angle they put a brace on, mine was almost three times that,” Chloe explained. Chloe had to have surgery right away, two Harrington rods were put in her spine and 12 screws later her back was straightened up. That surgery created her largest fear, the possibility of becoming a paraplegic. Fortunately Chloe’s fear did not prevail, although after being in a wheelchair for so long her next obstacle was conquering how to walk properly again. When I asked Chloe ‘Do you think you would be the same person if you didn’t have to go through all of this?’ she said “No I don’t, I think I would appreciate less and have a different perspective on life. I wouldn’t be as close with my mum either.” Chloe’s mum, Kate, supported Chloe every single step of the way. There was never a night at the hospital where she didn’t sleep by her side, during one operation there was a tiny single person couch “she slept on it every night” Chloe told me with a smile. “I am really excited to become a primary school teacher and I wouldn’t change my life, even if I had the chance.”

Merry Xmas!

Brock Walsh

F E AT U R E Gemma Mollenhauer

THE APPEAL OF RISKING LIFE A N D L I M B AT YOSEMITE On Saturday May 16th, BASE jumpers, rock climbers and all-round dare-devils, Dean Potter (43) and Graham Hunt (29), died from impact during a wingsuit flight from Taft Point, a promontory that overlooks El Capitan, 3,000 feet above the valley floor in Yosemite National Park. Potter said that falling to his death was his greatest fear. But facing that fear of falling was also what initially drove him to start free-solo climbing, and later, wingsuit BASE jumping. Potter and Hunt’s deaths are the latest in the bleak history of Yosemite rock climbing and adventure sports past, where the National Park Service of Yosemite reports averaging around a dozen deaths per year over the last decade. According to Search and Rescue Ranger John Dill “Most climbers do a good job coping with the hazards of their sport, yet more than 100 climbing accidents occur in the park every year”. Despite this, rock climbing continues to grow in popularity, with Yosemite’s most popular peak, Half Dome, resorting to limiting the number of climbers to 400 per day since 2011 in a bid to increase safety. Since the dawn of rock climbing, Yosemite has continuously drawn both amateur rock climbers and daredevils alike. But why is risking life and limb at Yosemite so appealing?

about being strong enough to tackle this cliff face. The adrenaline and unlikeliness of a small town young girl completing this immense task is the stuff of legends. But it’s more than just going down in history, according to research conducted by the head Psychology Professor of Queens University in Canada, Gerald Wilde, people will always have a subconscious and never-ending desire for risk and adventure. After adrenaline kicks in and we complete the task at hand, our body releases chemicals, such as dopamine, which make us feel good. Talk about an awesome pay-off right? This has also been said to have negative affects such as addiction and, quite clearly, risk taking and potential death. “People need a blanket to feel safe”, Bradd Pitt’s character, Tyler Durden said in the 1999 film Fight Club. If you rid yourself of this blanket, this false sense of security in stability and safety, then you truly find adventure. I believe it is this reason that people like Dean Potter continued to push the boundaries of what is considered possible by the human race. To challenge oneself and risk life and limb; the potential for death is the true adrenaline rush and adventure.

For starters, Yosemite houses El Capitan, America’s biggest rock. It’s history and legacy are the stuff of legends. Even as a novice in the sport of rock climbing, I dream

F E AT U R E Georgia Holloway @grumpy georgia

FIGHTING TOGETHER I first came across Mandi Holman, and her identical twin sister Melissa (Fahey), while waiting for my mum’s roast chicken dinner to be served. WIN TV had featured a story about Mandi’s unfortunate breast cancer diagnosis. It immediately struck a chord with me, as it was only four years ago that my mother faced a similar situation, but being a twin myself, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what these women were experiencing. The reminiscent feelings of hopelessness began to trickle back. But Mandi’s story wasn’t one of hopelessness: it was one of sheer determination. Fast forward a week, and I was sitting across from them at a local café, learning more about their relationship and Mandi’s diagnosis. It began as seemingly innocent pain near Mandi’s armpit, but when it didn’t subside she grew suspicious, which led to a doctor’s appointment, a mammogram, a biopsy, and then a diagnosis; stage three triple negative breast cancer. It was a shock to everyone, especially since Mandi had already tested negative for the ‘breast cancer genes’, BRCA1 and BRCA2, which are commonly inherited mutations which greatly increase the risk of cancer. Although there was no immediate family history of breast cancer, after Mandi’s diagnosis, the sisters discovered a distant aunt also had breast cancer. Melissa explained, “There are now over 150 genes linked to breast cancer”. “Unfortunately some women just slip through the cracks.” As I turn back to Mandi, she points to herself, sighing, “and that would be me”. Her frustration is understandable, but her determination to beat this diagnosis is beyond admirable. As a mother to three children, the youngest being just a toddler, she puts it simply, “I can’t give up, I have a toddler at home, I refuse to”. Melissa has been there for Mandi right from the start, selflessly giving up a years leave from work to support her twin sister through the ordeal. Despite this close bond, their shared DNA meant Melissa also has a 97% chance of developing the same cancer in the next five years. In the hopes to decrease her risk factors Melissa also underwent a double mastectomy. 30

From sharing a childhood and creating lifetime memories together, to supporting each other through surgeries, both sisters remain positive that Mandi will beat her diagnosis. “There’s no point in sitting at home feeling sorry for myself, sure you have those days, but I can’t give up, I want to see my kids grow up” states Mandi. Over the past year Mandi has endured continuous chemotherapy and radiation sessions, though she says she now takes an oral chemotherapy treatment that is “much easier” and doesn’t make her as nauseous, and now her hair is beginning to grow back. She has also undergone four surgeries, including a bilateral mastectomy, reconstruction, and, the removal of eight lymph nodes. However her doctors’ efforts have so far been unsuccessful, with five more tumours appearing in her breast and back, the cancer has also now spread to her skin. Triple negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of the cancer. It doesn’t possess any of the three receptors found on common breast cancer cells. The receptors, oestrogen, progesterone and HER2 are utilised to direct treatment and therapies in order to defeat breast cancers. However Mandi’s doctors are still without a plan of attack, but she refuses to give up. I asked her if it was frightening to have such a quick succession of treatments and tests, “not really it was actually relieving to know that they were doing everything they could to get on top if it”. “It’s just frustrating that nothing has really worked yet, but I’m not stopping treatment. If a doctor tells me there’s nothing they can do anymore I’ll go to someone else. You have the right to seek a second opinion.” When we spoke Mandi was awaiting test results from tissue samples that were sent to the USA for genetic testing, which will hopefully provide a directed course of action for treatment. She has also been visiting Melbourne’s Specialist Cancer Centre in the hopes that a current medical trial could help her case.

All the while sister Melissa has been there to support Mandi, “she’s been there for everything, every treatment, and every surgery,” says Mandi. Both sisters are now passionate about early prevention, “every woman should know how to check herself, because you just don’t know what can happen,” urges Melissa. Both sisters believe that breast cancer awareness shouldn’t be restricted to those age groups in the ‘at risk’ categories, encouraging younger women to seek advice from their doctors about how to self check. “There’s even an app for it, it’s called Curve Lurve*” mentions Melissa. Mandi’s determination and positivity is overwhelming and incomprehensible. She refuses to be overcome by the negative aspects of her diagnosis, “You’ve gotta take it each day, I’ve had plenty of bad days but that doesn’t mean I’m just going to give up”. *Curve Lurve is a national breast health awareness initiative developed by the Jane McGrath foundation. It aims to educate women of all ages about breast health, encouraging them to get comfortable with their breasts. Mandi was also fortunate enough to receive care from the McGrath foundation’s breast care nurses. Their aim is to provide cancer patients with a nurse able to care for them through treatment and answer any questions. “They’ve become like my family, and it’s really important because I’m able to have conversations with them that I don’t want to burden my friends with,” explains Mandi.

F E AT U R E Te i s h a C l o o s

Surfing dates back as early as the 1770s where it was practiced by South Sea Islanders and was very prominent in Hawaii. Surfing in Australia was introduced in the 1900s and it wasn’t until 1915 when famous Hawaiian surfer, Duke Kahanamoku came over to Australia and demonstrated Tandem Surfing for the first time. Dukes partner was fifteen-year-old Isabel Lathem, who changed the world of surfing; not one professional female surfer in Australia today wouldn’t know her name. Women have always been involved in surfing from the very beginning. There has been a wave of “surf pioneers” for women throughout history all over the world. These women include Isabel lathem, Mary Anne Hawkins, Marge Calhoun, Margo Oberg, Wendy Botha, and Layne Beachley. Surfing is seen as a male dominated sport, however there are Hawaiian tales of female surfers dominating the water. Surfing professionally for females didn’t take off until the 1980s; prior to that they were competing in bikini competitions on the beach whilst the males were surfing. Surfing took off professionally for women in the 80s and a women’s circuit was introduced. Today women are on a more even platform and patterns have changed within the surf culture. When surfing was beginning in Australia the professional women surfers were paid less than the men and were usually sent out in harsher surf conditions. A motive for discrimination was the thought that women couldn’t be athletic and also have sex appeal. The 90s was considered to be the start of a new culture; one that didn’t discriminate against women. There was a new respect gained from male surfers and advertising companies, as well as surf magazines that were dedicated to women were introduced and a clothing line for women, which included more items than bikinis. In the 1960’s was the founding era of the phrase “surf bunnie.” This is a term which labelled women who surfed, but was more commonly used to label young non-surfing women. This was also the era that women or “beach bunnies” started posing on the beach in bikinis, usually with surfboards. Fast forward 50 years and the same thing is happening, however it is now stored in a shiny album called a magazine.

SEXISM IN SURFING

Tracks, the self renowned “surfers bible”, is infamous for sexualising female surfers and women through a section in their magazine called Girls. In this section there are endless photographs of women posing in bikinis and sometimes even less than that and not surfing in any of them. This section has brought a lot of hate from the female readers. Female surfers such as Olive Bowers have written into Tracks to inform them of the problem that having a sexualised images of women who surf isn’t good for aspiring surfers and it creates a negative stereotype of what women should look like if they want to surf. I have interviewed two surfers, Tamika Sadler and Jake Dempsey, to understand both sides.

Tamika Sadler, 19 Queensland. What age did you start surfing and why? I began surfing at 10 years old. I’ve always lived near the beach and always wanted to learn the sport. Before I did start surfing, my parents started me off doing nippers to gain more water experience. Do you feel that there is a gap in equality when it comes to surfing? Is it a male dominated sport? I believe there is a gap in equality when it comes to surfing because it is a male dominated sport. Working in the surfing industry made me realize that even more. It is promoted by the best male surfers internationally to everyday male surfers. The only time you see a female surfer is when they are modelling a bikini. Even that is for the pleasure of men. Surfing myself, I see there aren’t many females taking up the sport, because it isn’t a sport encouraged for women to participate in. When surfing, are you treated differently to the male surfers? How do guys react when they see you surfing or hear you talking about it? When I talk about surfing to males, they think I’m a beginner who is just learning and bragging about it. Especially because of my indigenous heritage, they also give the impression that I’m not capable of participating in the sport. Like I’m not the stereotypical Caucasian blonde hair, blue eyed surfer girl. It’s disappointing to still have people assume things like that. When I do go surfing, I notice that males do stare to see if I flake a wave or if I can even stand up. Once I take that first wave, it’s usually a proof that I am capable and they won’t watch as much. Do you ever get any sexist comments? E.g. about what you look like etc? I haven’t had many sexist comments upfront towards me, but when I was in high school I would hear rumours saying that I probably don’t even know how to surf or even own a board. I did have one comment that stood out to me; it was “black people can’t surf”. It’s disappointing that people are so narrow-minded about your appearance that apparently makes you incapable of participating in the sport. Do you feel girls worry about what they look like more when they go out for a surf, as opposed to a guy? I do believe girls worry more about what they look like when they go surfing. I’ve noticed working in the industry and also surfing that girls, even beginners, need to have the high cut g bomb wetsuit that Alana Blanchard wears. The wetsuit has a zip in the bust area to show more cleavage and the bottom of the wetsuit is cut like a Brazilian bikini. I see girls wearing these expensive, minimal wetsuits and they haven’t had a surfing lesson before.

culture. A great example of it is Alana Blanchard who is sponsored by Rip Curl. The Surfer magazine chas a cover of her in minimal clothes and it isn’t even relevant to how she actually surfs. At Rip Curl she has her own range of bikinis that are Brazilian cut like her wetsuit. It is popular among young women because they aspire to have a body like her, rather than aspiring to be able to surf at an elite level like her. Jake Dempsey, 22. Do you think that surfing is a male dominated sport? Why? Yes, although competively girls are starting to catch up. But I do see more guys in the water. I think there are still way more guy surfers! But there has been an increase of female professional surfers. Do you think girls are more sexualized in surfing than males? Yes, it’s more about how girls look rather than how they surf. But not overly! They will still show girls who surf in magazines but only if they look good. Why do you think female surfers are being more sexualized in magazines such as Tracks? Because it’s predominantly a male driven sport. Males read these magazines so they want to see these sections of girls. Do you think professional female surfers get treated equally with male professional surfers? Girls do get worse conditions, after the guys surf a few good round they will put the girls in the water and the waves aren’t the best. Do you think surfing will ever be an equal sport? I think males will always think that they’re better at surfing than females. It will always be male dominated, so it won’t equal out within the next 20 years. No way! Do you personally judge female surfers on their looks? Regarding their surf skills? I usually can tell if people surf or how well they can surf based on the way they look and the vibes they give off. If I saw a girl was fit, blonde and white… I’d think she was a surfer.

Do you feel girls get sexualised in magazines and photos when it comes to the surf culture? If so, what publications have you seen proof of this? What magazines etc? Women do get sexualised in magazines in the surfing

F E AT U R E Zoe Simmons @ItBeginsWithZ

T H E 6 S TA G E S OF FREAKING OUT FOR AN INTERNSHIP INTERVIEW— AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM Stage 1: Excitement

Stage 2: Intensive research

Stage 3: Fear

You get that phone call or reply email. Your jaw will most likely drop at this point, and—if you’re like me—you will be highly likely to do some kind of embarrassing happy dance. Possibly in public. Like on a bus. Or a Telstra shop. Geez guys, no need for those questioning looks. Enjoy this stage. Let it empower you and propel you into action.

And I mean intensive research. Possibly to the point of being slightly creepy (although I’d rather call it thorough). First, there’s the obvious stuff. What is the company? Who are their main players? What’s their mission statement? Have they won awards? Who started the company? When? Why?

Mind-numbing, underwear-wetting, bone-chilling fear. You realise the magnitude of the opportunity before you and subsequently proceed to shit your pants (not literally—I hope). This is the stage where your self-doubt will inevitably trickle in. For me, this is mainly about how my so-called “lack of confidence”. The thing is, no one ever actually tells you how to be confident, and anxiety only amplifies this issue. So what are you supposed to do? I force myself to do things that make me afraid. This can be as small as exploring a new part of the city, or giving a presentation. If this fails, try taking some natural remedies to calm your nerves—like St John’s Wort (though this can interfere with the contraceptive pill), Rescue Remedy, or even smelling some calming essential oils, like lavender or rose. It’s probably best if you don’t resort to alcohol. I repeat: do not do this. Abort mission. Have faith!

Then there’s the less-obvious stuff, like Twitter feeds and examples of the company’s work in order to get a feel for them. And then there’s the really less-obvious stuff. For one particular internship interview, I was asked general knowledge questions like: who is the Lord Mayor of Wollongong? Of Shellharbour? Who coaches the Illawarra Dragons? Really? I mean, come on. Expect the unexpected.

Internships. I feel like they’re this mysterious, unearthly opportunity that no one really tells us how to deal with or how to prepare. Sure, there’s the basics, like research the companybut even that isn’t foolproof (trust me). So, from me to you, here’s my 6 stages of freaking out for an internship interview: what to expect to experience, and how you can hopefully overcome it.

Stage 4: Change

Stage 5: The Pep Talk

Stage 6: The Final Countdown

Obviously, you want to look fabulous, right? Well, don’t do what I did; that is, spend oodles of money. Learn from my mistakes! I ventured into David Jones with the best of intentions, and ended up spending more than I’ll admit—but now I’m not even sure I’ll wear the professional dress I purchased. I can’t help but think: is it possible to look too professional? Should I dress for comfort, instead? Surely, a killer pair of heels and accessories would take away from any mistakes made with the dress! What do I do with my nails?

By this, I mean a lot of talking to yourself. Practise your responses and facial expressions to potential questions. Write them down, if you have to: memorise them, recite them. That way, you’re less likely to be caught out looking like a tongue-tied, incoherent fool. But make sure you’re at the right place for this—I tend to let my mind wander on public transport, talking to myself without sound. You should see the downright hilarious and mystified looks I get. Whoops.

It’s a combination of each stage. You can’t help but think: am I prepared enough? How can I show initiative? Does this dress make me look fat? If I have red nails (red, a power colour), will they judge me? Would it show confidence, or just make me seem cocky?

But then, I think: well, I want to look really good in whatever I wear—I’m actually going to go to the gym, every day! WRONG. I want my skin to look nice and clear. Oh, what’s that, face? You’re going to pick now to have a massive break out? Yeah. Thanks so much—it’s not like I spend hundreds of dollars on you each year. And I also want to have some sweet eyebrows. Whoops! Plucked a wrong hair. Aaaaaand now I look strange. Oh god, oh god, oh god.

Put your mind at ease. You wouldn’t have secured an interview if they didn’t see something awesome in you—let that shine. Just like when you know you’re ready to ace an exam, you know you’re ready to totally ace an interview. Do your research, look professional, show them who you are. What can you do for the company? What can they do for you? Why should they choose you? Simple—you’re awesome, and you’re prepared. Now go get ‘em, tiger!

These are all very important questions, and my best advice is to wear what makes you comfortable, as well as classy. Be neat and well-groomed. Don’t make unrealistic expectations of yourself. Remember, who you are is more important than what you look like. And whatever you choose, own it like the rock star you are.

F E AT U R E P H O T O G R A P H Y

PHOTOGRAPHY Gemma Mollenhauer

For this issue, I sat down with local, up and coming, already-published, all-inspiring, photographer Brock Walsh, here’s the interview for you’re viewing pleasure. Who are you and what do you do? My name is Brock Walsh, I’m an 18-year-old Journalism student and photographer. I realise that’s probably a bit of a standard response, so: I’m over 6750 days old, I write things that at a stretch are considered newsworthy and in my spare time, I point a camera at people and hope that when I press the button what I see in my head translates to a photo. How would you describe your art? I guess my style of photography resides in that void between fashion and editorial, it has elements of both, but it definitely goes against the grain. I love simplicity, and I absolutely loathe using Photoshop. I’m a very “it is what it is” sort of person, and that comes through in my photos I think. What is your creative process? Normally, initially, I’ll be listening to music; it’s a big part of my process. For as long as I can remember I’ve had a habit of listening to a song, and dreaming up a scenario to fit that song, sort of like a backing track from a movie scene. It’s incredibly useful to have that little quirk, because from that I think up ideas for shoots. From there, I will put more of that particular artists music on and start to create a ‘mood board’, photos that gel with that idea, and stick them together.

Where did your passion grow from? It’s hard to pinpoint where it actually began. Dad bought home a camera one day, and him being the technophobe that he is it came down to me to learn how to use it. From there, the passion laid low for a bit, and really only hit me in a big way earlier this year. Thanks to two of my now-closest friends, we found ourselves exploring Headlands Hotel about a week before it was destroyed. Completely unplanned, we went in and just started taking photos, having a ton of fun and probably inhaling a great deal of asbestos. After that, seeing what came out of it, I just kind-of made a decision to start taking myself seriously as a photographer, and it’s definitely changed my life. Which artists inspire you? Internationally, guys like Neave Bozorgi, Larsen Sotelo and Kesler Tran are doing incredible things. I’ll often find myself absent-mindedly scrolling through pages and pages of their work in most lectures, making mental notes. Locally though, photographers like Jack Steel, Rowan Henry and Ryan Pike are producing photos I can’t get enough of. What is your most successful moment? I suppose from on one hand, I called myself a success when I received my first pay-check from taking photos. On the other, the fact that people are starting to see what I do, and actually come to me first because they think my work is something they want to be involved in, and that’s real success to me.

After that concept has marinated a bit, and I’ve found a location (being a student with no access to a studio does suck sometimes), the actual shooting can begin. I hate forced poses, so I like models to be as candid as possible. I’ll give some ideas of poses, but only really as a reference point so they can understand better what I’m trying to shoot or put their own spin on it.

What do you hope the future is for you?

After that comes minimal editing, lots of coffee and a whole lot of N.W.A. If all goes to plan, I’ll have a stack of images ready to go, and hopefully some of them are good ones.

Some feel like there’s a certain type represented in those publications, and there’s so many people that aren’t as recognised; photographers, journalists, artists, musicians, everyone. I want to create something tactile, that people can pick up and truly enjoy reading; expose them to completely new articles, opinions, art, and the people behind them all. Maybe it’ll be worth something one day, when they all become famous.

I find myself returning to the same idea a lot lately, that is, creating a zine for creatives. Some people tell me that’s already been done by guys like the Zephyr Magazine collective and the Future Perfect boys, and mostly I agree. Mostly.

F E AT U R E Ty l e r H e y c o t t @theycott

LOVE AND MERCY REVIEW Music biopics carry a lot of baggage which can often be hard to curtail in order to present a movie that is enjoyed by both audience and critics. There is a thin line between painting a by the numbers play by play which may end up uninteresting or the film becomes too bogged down by the liberties it takes with it’s source material, working with more fiction than fact in order to embolden the reality. While films like Walk The Line and Get On Up hit a happy medium, there have been less than successful attempts (The Doors, CBGB’s). That’s where Love and Mercy is so refreshing. Admittedly, I’m a huge Beach Boys fan so I was going into this film with somewhat high hopes for it’s depiction of the group’s chief songwriter, Brian Wilson. The film starts with his nervous breakdown on an airplane in 1964, which saw his retirement from touring with the group all the way through until the early 90’s, after his traumatic experience under the therapy of Dr Eugene Landy. This is, however, not shown in one continuous chronology but rather split into two sections with the younger Wilson played by Paul Dano, and the later played by John Cusack. This keeps the film moving at a brisk pace and serves as a great dichotomy between the two eras. Its also an ingenious way of telling the story of a man with such a colourful life. When other films attempt similar storytelling, they are hindered by the confines of telling the story biographically, from start to finish. This causes inconsistency and parts may be rushed for the expense of others. By telling Brian Wilson’s story in this way, focusing on two major points in his life rather than a condensed retelling, the film has greater depth and colour to it. Considering his life-long struggle with paranoid schizophrenia, it’s a suitably apt way of telling the story.

Of course, being a movie about the creator of one of the most important albums of the twentieth century, the earlier portion is devoted to the creation of Pet Sounds. These sequences could have become rote depictions set to the original backing track, instead the pieces are actually performed by musicians with Paul Dano employing excerpts from the actual recording sessions. It really captures the genius that was present and creates a wonderful re-creation for those unable to experience it at the time. It also gives a greater insight into what made the album so radically different for its age. The latter half contains how Brian Wilson met his current wife, Melinda Ledbetter (played by Elisabeth Banks) which led to the exposure of the exploitation of therapist Eugene Landy (played by Paul Giamatti). These are the obviously more dramatised points in the film but certainly to no fault. There’s barely a scrap of misused screen time, bolstered by the wonderful performances present in the film. Another aspect worth noting is the film’s score, composed by frequent David Fincher collaborator, Atticus Finch. Considering the wealth of aural material the subject of the film created over the years, instead of composing an entirely original score, the soundtrack has rather been composed out of the countless sessions and takes of the Beach Boys. These are then remixed and re-appropriated to create one of the more unique and innovative approaches to soundtrack in recent years. This is a film that largely succeeds due to the attention to detail made, capturing all the technicolour hip of 60s California with a suitably strong cast and memorably unique approach to the well worn genre. Sure, it may get somewhat sentimental at points but it’s a film about Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys. Sometimes you’ve just got to pick up on the good vibrations.

8 10

REVIEW Claudia Popski @claudiapop13

T W O Y E A R S H E WA L K S THE EARTH Into the Wild is a film based on the true story of Christopher Johnson McCandless, who in 1990 changed his name to Alexander Supertramp, gave all his money to charity and began to make his way across the United States for two years before heading into Alaska. The film is based upon research by Jon Krakauer, which he documented and released as a novel. In the film, Emile Hirsch plays the idealistic young man who believes that possessions and money weigh him down. He meets all kinds of influencing people along the way, including a man who wants to adopt the university graduate. The film is polished for Hollywood, making certain aspects happier, taking out some of the more gory details mentioned in the novel. It is nonetheless impacting. The message is that there is so much more to life than the daily grind, there are so many more experiences to be had and occasionally you just have to throw caution to the wind. He was a little obsessive and cruel to anyone who didn’t share his beliefs. Of course, Christopher Johnson McCandless did meet a terrible end in the Alaskan wilderness, he probably lived so much more in his 20 odd years on this planet than most do in 80. In the film, however, he does realise that happiness only means something when shared and so he reflects on all of the people he has met in those two years. Being the sap that I am, this makes me really happy because this is something I have always believed in. From what I can gather from the novel, this isn’t quite the case. Alex is loyal to beliefs, not particularly caring whether they hurt anyone around him. He criticises openly, with no regard on how his words could potentially damage those he says them to.

Into the Wild really changed me growing up. It caused me to look at the world critically in a way that not many things before it had. It was very anti-establishment. The only thing that really irks me about the film is the dramatic portrayal. I’m unsure if it was intended to be biographical but the truth is, maybe it wouldn’t have had such an impact if it were? In any case, the aesthetic of the film was incredible thanks to it’s natural settings and voice overs.

Into the Wild is definitely a film that I would recommend. Two years he walks the earth. No phone, no pool, no pets, no cigarettes. Ultimate freedom. An extremist. An aesthetic voyager whose home is the road. Escaped from Atlanta. Thou shalt not return, ‘cause “the West is the best.” And now after two rambling years comes the final and greatest adventure. The climactic battle to kill the false being within and victoriously conclude the spiritual pilgrimage. Ten days and nights of freight trains and hitchhiking bring him to the Great White North. No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild. - Alexander Supertramp May 1992

8 10

REVIEW Ben Kohler @FakeBenKohler

DRAGON BALL Z: RESURRECTION ‘F’

Resurrection ‘F’ follows the events of the last DBZ movie from 2013, Battle of Gods. The story centres on a small army loyal to Frieza, the fan-favourite villain, who seek out the dragon balls in order to bring said evil bastard back to life, which they succeed in doing. You might think it’d be pointless because the plotline continues on from Goku holding his own against the God of Destruction Beerus. Goku’s so far beyond the level where Frieza was when they fought that Frieza just has no chance. Beyond that, the Z Fighters have fought so many powerful enemies over the years that they too are on a whole other level than when DBZ first started. But it turns out that Frieza never trained a day in his life because he was just always stronger than everyone else anyway, so when he’s brought back he gets to training so that he might become powerful enough to defeat Goku. So much about this movie was awesome. The animation and the battle sequences were truly brilliant, and this is one thing that Resurrection ‘F’ has over Battle of Gods better action. Battle of Gods was really great but it was rather weak on the action, but Resurrection ‘F’ will rock your socks off with its awesome battles. Especially considering that it’s Goku, stronger than ever, up against Frieza, also stronger than ever and who has managed to train himself up to be a challenge for Goku. The humour in Resurrection ‘F’ was also brilliant. The comedy between Goku and Vegeta in this movie is some of the best between them in anything. Although, much to my disappointment, Chi-Chi and a few other classic characters, were not in this one so we didn’t get any great Goku and Chi-Chi moments, nor did we get any of that with Vegeta and Bulma. Though we did get some classic moments with 18 and Krillin!

Something else that’s very interesting is what the movie does with Beerus and Whis and Goku and Vegeta. I won’t be spoiling anything but there’s something really cool going on there and I can’t wait to see what Dragon Ball Super, the upcoming new series, will do with that. There was also a new character I enjoyed very much called Jaco. He’s part of the Galactic Patrol and provides plenty of great humour and I hope we get more of him in Super. There was one thing that did really disappoint me. Although the movie seemed to lead towards one ending it just never happened. The ending they implied would have been awesome, it just would have been the right thing to do story and character wise and would have been such a perfect conclusion. But then they did something else and while I didn’t hate the ending they gave Resurrection ‘F’ I still would have much preferred the ending that it seemed like they were going to do. In spite of some shortcomings, I still thought Resurrection ‘F’ was one of the best DBZ movies ever and I had tonnes of fun with it. It has awesome action and comedy and it makes me even more anxious to see Dragon Ball Super.

8 10

REVIEW Ness Mercieca

They say the mind does not create, and that it only cuts and pastes the stimulus it receives from the outside world... Author Isobel Blackthorn has a talent for this, in fact, I often get the feeling with her that she is cataloguing my idiosyncrasies. I suspect I am not the only one to suspect this, and that she has an arsenal of our traits and habits to be appropriated for the right character at the right time. It’s the literary skill that brought us Plath’s The Bell Jar, and it goes by the name of semi-autobiography. When I asked Isobel about her creative process, her words confirmed what John Cleese (whose name my computer insists I correct to Cheese) once said about creativity: the subconscious will reward you with an idea if you spend long enough contemplating a topic. Here it is in Isobel’s words: “I let the story brew inside me for a while, sometimes years, and when some other far larger part of me has it all figured out, I have a powerful irrepressible urge to write. And I go into lockdown and give that other self total freedom.” The true art to Plath and Blackthorn’s (Plath-thorn’s, if you like) literary style, however, is dissecting the self. Most authors do it, a mood or thought is isolated. It becomes the embryo from which a new self germinates, and it becomes a complex character. Ever wonder why writers think of their characters like children? Well, there you have it. Entire books can be populated by these alternate selves of the author, and a narrative becomes the ship through which the self is navigated. Who’s at the helm, you ask? Isobel speaks not only of smaller selves, but of a larger one who personifies her creativity; “I prefer to think of my source of inspiration as some other greater me deep inside,” she says, “and every time I write a first draft, I’m paying homage to her, to the muse.”

N A R R AT I V E A S N AV I G AT I O N THROUGH THE SELF: ISOBEL BLACKTHORN’S ASYLUM Isobel’s most recent book, Asylum, is the story of such an alternate self. Yvette Grimm speaks with an incredibly honest voice from the perspective of an illegal immigrant waiting to be told to leave Australia, but having no-where else to go. She has been given a personal prophecy that she will meet the father of her children in Australia, and her hopes of permanent residency depend on meeting him very, very soon. What resonates the most with me, however, is the creative block that all of this brings about in Yvette. Blackthorn made me want something, as a reader, that a book has never made me want before; I wanted Yvette Grimm to paint. Blackthorn played on a knowledge we all have that when you find inspiration, it’s probably because you’ve found something else too.

7 10

LOCAL MUSIC Belinda Quinn

FRUIT // QUEER & NOW Jessica Corcoran’s ensemble FRUIT embodies moody and enchanting harmonies, powerful story telling and a quirky interactive live set. The 5-piece stemmed from a solo project and recently grew to include Obscura Hail’s Sean Conran, Jess’s roommates Emiliee and Nancy, and her classmate Sean Crombie. After finding they fit together like paper daisies in a flowerbed, Jess has decided to make playing shows and writing songs a priority. Jess also co-organises Queer & Now, a local non-for-profit aiming to bring together Lesbian, Gay, Trans, Queer, Bisexual, Asexual, Intersex members of the community together to enjoy tunes, art and each others company. Let’s start from the top. How did you get into making music? By making simple recordings in Cubase with a crappy direct to computer mic. I was 19 and just realising I could do things too, singing wordless melodies and fleshing the songs out with the sounds from an old yamaha keyboard. I’d always played music, I’d just only discovered – making – it. I’ve noticed from yours and Nancy’s Facebook/Insta that you both really, really dig flowers, and that there’s a few plant-y references in your songs i.e. ‘Figgy’. Is this something that inspires your sound? For my day job I work as a gardener, and both Nancy and I are horticulturalists, so plants are a big part of my life and our house. I am inspired and moved by nature and I like drawing parallels and symbolism between plant-life and human-life, and that is what the song Figgy is doing. How long did it take you all to get those harmonies so on point? Everyone in the ensemble has good musical intuition, so they pick up on stuff pretty fast once I show it to them. It has been surprisingly easy to create a good sound with this group, which is great!- we all feed off each other and complement each other and really enjoy making music together.

Tell us a bit about Queer & Now. Can you tell us what’s in store for the next one? Aww, that warms the cockles of me heart. We are so happy about the reception of our first event, everyone has been completely lovely and supportive. We (Queer & Now) wanna throw some creative events for the LGBTQIA+, with a focus on local artists within our community. The next event is on Saturday the 14th of November @ Jane’s in Wollongong! We are looking for expressions of interest from music/visual art/performance/ dance artists, contact us via our Facebook page if you want to be involved. I’ve noticed there aren’t a lot of women or queer promoters in the local scene, but there’s a pretty huge amount of dudes. And the women/queer/non-binary folk that are doing their thing aren’t getting much visibility? What are your thoughts on this? I’m not sure, really. I’ve only just become actively active in the music scene, so I don’t have a lot of insight at this time. I think the business world is a boys club, and when music and other arts meet with business then they’re inevitably influenced by the structures within that world. It’s sad that lot of perspectives, ideas and creations are ignored and smothered because of blatant prejudice and intentional/ unintentional neglect. I am hopeful, though, and I believe that people can create and demand space and visibility put on a gig, or have a show for your people - and let your voice be heard. This issue of Tert is about inspiration and community. What inspires you day-to-day? Other people and their generosity. Seeing people giving their energy and creativity to bringing other people comfort, meaning & joy. I think that is at the core of community and inspiration- appreciating, giving and feeding off the abundant activity that is happening all around you.

What does the future look like for FRUIT? New music and more gigs! I’d love to write some music with the rest of the ensemble, they all have really unique creative minds and we have great musical and personal chemistry. I think we will make some good music together.

You can listen to FRUIT on SoundCloud: https:// soundcloud.com/fruitsfruits To get involved in Queer & Now: https://www.facebook. com/queerandnow?fref=ts

C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G

C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G Anne Maree Apanski

THE GOOD MANEULOGY FOR TIM I first met Tim at work. Was it love at first sight? He was handsome, with a fine boned face, a little racehorse; lean as a nine year old. Blue eyes, wavy soft longish hair combed on the side. He liked exotic women. I knew this but I still made my pitch. He could spend Christmas with his parents in Canberra and a few days on the coast with me on the way back to Sydney. What should he bring? He sounded a little above my usual friends who were all bums and spongers. I’d recorded a movie to watch: The Magic Flute. “Wow, I haven’t heard of it. I know the Opera…” he said. “No it’s a movie,” I said. I was so fucking pleased with myself. Of course when I turned the TV on it was the opera; I thought it was similar to Shakespeare’s film where a man wakes up as a donkey. He suppressed a cynical and confused laugh, jumped up and opened a bottle of wine. We became friends and researched the making of street drugs, and it was this edgy wild part of the work that led me to see that the life I was leading was just fucking sad and that it was time I enrolled at university and became a real person; one that Tim would want to go out with. I almost never read the trade magazine sent to my home, but last Saturday, I picked it up and flicked through. He was on the front page. He had died; he had bought himself some heroin and died in a toilet block near a railway station in the western suburbs of Sydney. I had lost track of him when I moved on. I moved on, hoping to be the sort of person he might be interested in one day.

C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G Anonymous

A METHOD OF EXISTENCE I write because I need to. At present, I have a collection of 9 journals which I’ve been writing in since I was 12. Life has changed a lot since I started: births, deaths, new friends, losing friends, holidays, the HSC, starting university, the crushes, the dates, and the break up. (I honestly could go on). But through it all, one thing has remained singular – which I know will always remain singular – my access to a pen and paper. My journals have allowed me to relive my happiest days, they’ve been companions and they’ve sat alongside me on park benches in England. They’ve felt the pain of my tears, they’ve held the memory of lost loved ones and – goddamn – have they occasionally felt like the only things keeping me grounded. I am slowly discovering who I am by writing about my experiences, by sketching out my feelings – my distress, my desires and my losses. (And yes, I am 19 years old and seriously don’t know who I am yet, but am totally okay with that). While there are some memories that I never wish to look back on, there are others that I am so grateful to have stored safely away. There really is something eerily comforting about scribbling your thoughts down in a book in which you know is exclusively yours. Journals are a realm in themselves; offering a space in which time can crinkle, and both present and past can coexist as one.

C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G Melanie Hughes

As night becomes morning, I stare at the ceiling. Watching the light grow, I feel so unrested. Reclined on the bed, I’m resigned to the feeling that sometimes the aching and the pain has me bested. With all the fatigue that sends my body reeling I spend every day feeling like I’ve been tested. Already weary, the depths of my soul, I’m wishing this bed would just swallow me whole. Preferring to lie here, I get up instead. I move my knees slowly, they protest and bend. I summon the strength to get up out of bed, but my body is adamant. It’s not my friend. My legs feel so heavy, as if made of lead. I heave and I swing, getting there in the end. Moving upward and out, I’m now on my way, though I’d much rather rest, I’ve got a big day. My left leg is wobbly, not wanting to stand, I’ve got bruises in places, from daily injections. Hot and cold feelings run down the left-hand side of my body in different directions. One eye feels swollen, it has blurry vision and breakfast is holding its own insurrection. For some, this’d sound like a form of psychosis, but put it together, it’s Multiple Sclerosis.

GOOD MORNING

C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G G e o rg i a M a c & S h a n e Wa t t s

Crown

Star-child

Where Bones Lie

On the corner of Kings Way and Power Street, I saw a woman vomit the lights of the casino.

I saw you floating in space Dotted with scars and stars My little dwarf planet, My long tailed comet. You explored my belly, With tiny fingers That poked and pricked And made me feel full.

she told me about the day you left your car abandoned beside a forest. trekking through ceilings of green, to find a place to lie.

I fed you wasabi moon cakes That burnt my tongue, But made you burp And sweet sugary tea That left us sleepy. Little astronaut, swimming In a cosmic sea Growing huge my beautiful nova, You kick and play, Leaving tiny footprints in an exploding world. But you leap too far. On my sheets the next day, in water You leave me a tiny sprinkle of star dust Enough to drown me. Child, sweet child of mine 私の子供 Whatashi no kodomo のの Now you sleep, curled up to dream の Little long tailed comet, My astronaut For the stars you can see, I cannot As you glide along a full moon’s orbit, Disappearing into the unknown

sun-soaked grass felt warm amongst the rays of cool darkness, blocking the light that burns your eyes. you laid down, arms stretched out, bones breaking, losing your eyes and died. the universe slowed down, and you spent your first night alone, letting water flow over you, tearing away the first layer. when winter came your fingers curled up and in spring they unfurled, like the ferns growing around you. summer bleached your bones, skin peeling back, hair stolen by magpies for nests. hot rain sizzled and fizzed like the sherbet you ate with her, acidic and yellow as your teeth. she said when you were found, years later after a flood that tore down mountains, a small flower that grew so healthy was gathered up by a hiker and taken to his new love. she saw you and cried.

CONTRIBUTORS Co-editors Bec Wiggins Gemma Mollenhauer Design/Illustrations Bridget Peters Creative Writing Editor Nicola Selvey Sub-editors Claudia Poposki Jake Cupitt Photography Kayla Reay Printer Print & Mail 23-25 Meeks Road, Marrickville NSW 2204 (02) 9519 8268

Disclosure: The contents of this publication are made for and by the students of the University of Wollongong. Views expressed are of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect those of WUSA or the publisher.

Contributors Heather Wortes Georgia Holloway Teisha Cloos Zoe Simmons Amy Fairall Ben Kohler Claudia Poposki Laura Melhuish Bernadette Clarke Ness Mercieca Tyler Heycott Melanie Hughes Georgia Mac Shane Watts Anne Maree Apanski Brock Walsh

Acknowledgement of country: Tertangala and WUSA acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land upon which we meet and work, that of the Dharawal people. We pay our respect to their elders past, present and future, for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and the hopes for Indigenous Australia.

Disclaimer: Responsibility for the Tertangala is taken by the WUSA council. The University of Wollongong accepts no responsibility for this publication.

T H AT S A L L F O L K S !