The Voice Issue one, April '22

THE VOICE

VOL. 1 |APRIL 2022

FROM THE EDITOR BAILEE MCLEOD

It was 8:30 am, possibly a Tuesday - I can’t remember - as I walked into the Centrelink building in Noosa. It was a hot summer morning, so the long wait in the air conditioning wasn't too painful. When I finally reached the counter, I expected the usual procedure of being asked what I was here for and if I had proof of identity etc. A very typical scenario - many of you might relate. Except for this time I was asked if I’d been to mainland China within the past fourteen days. I had to stop myself from scoffing, and replied politely “no, I have not”. It was January 2020. At this point in time, we had only heard whispers of what the WHO was calling a Novel Coronavirus, and we were all pretty certain this would blow over like swine flu. It would be an epidemic, never anything more.

Well, we were naive then, very naive. If I had known the events that were about to take place over the next few years, I might have done things differently. Maybe I would have enrolled in another university - sorry Avondale - so that I wasn’t having to deal with interstate travel. Maybe I wouldn’t have bought that dress, and those pair of shoes… okay and that really cute bag - it was from Depop so don’t @ me. Maybe I would have travelled abroad in my gap years. Maybe, maybe, maybe. I think humankind will always say “I wish I had known…”, because it is reflective of our very human want of control.

I’m tired after these past few years. And they have taught me that I can’t control everything that is going on in the world, but I can control how it affects me. There has to be a point of letting go, not everything is ours to carry. Some of us are wrapping up our time here at Avondale this year, for some, it’s just the beginning. If you are a new reader, WELCOME! We love having you here. I hope that your Avondale XP is everything you want it to be. Wherever life takes you this year, take it at your own pace friends. Don’t get caught up in the ‘rat race'. You’ll get to where you ‘need’ to be in good time, and you’ll get there refreshed and with much clarity.

Bailee

GET IN CONTACT The Voice Team Bailee Mcleod - s17056539@student.avondale.edu.au Nik Baumanis - s20075121@student.avondale.edu.au Eilish Ryan - Elilish.Ryan@avondale.edu.au

Security Phone: (02) 4980 2333 Extension: #333 Email: security@avondale.edu.au

Avondale University Church Pr Norman Hurlow - Norman.Hurlow@avondale.edu.au Pr Morgan Vincent - Morgan.Vincent@avondale.edu.au Phone: (02) 4980 2272 Extension: #272 Email: collegechurch@avondale.edu.au Located: in the main foyer of University Church Open: Monday - Thursday from 9am - 5pm & Fridays 9am - 12pm

Wellbeing Centre Phone: 0403 478 994 (SMS preferred) Email: counselling@avondale.edu.au (appointment queries only) Located: the counsellor's office is situated in the well-being centre

Counsellors THE VOICE // PAGE 2

Lana Hubbard (Lead Clinical Counsellor) Jonathan Gould Our counsellors offer confidential counselling to students experiencing a range of academic, mental health and personal concerns

CONTRIBUTORS Bailee McLeod Editor-in-Chief Bailee is an English and Visual Arts Major, who is ‘no, not doing teaching!’(and yes, she’s considered it). If she is not doing yoga or drinking coffee, she will be at the beach with a good book or listening to Sam Fender on her way to the shops.

Nikolai Baumanis Assistant Editor Nikolai (or if you’re unsure of the pronunciation) “Nik” - is an English and Food Technology Major studying Secondary Education. He spends most of his time listening to local Aussie music, daydreaming about ridiculous hypothetical scenarios, and cringing at grammatical errors.

Danae Grolimund Graphic Designer Danae, pronounced ‘duh-nae’, is studying a Bachelor of Arts and Primary Teaching. She spends her spare time hanging out with friends and watching Gemma Collins's funny moments on youtube or the Great British Bake-off funny moments.

Rachael Thomson Photographer Rachael is completing her fourth and final year at Avondale as a Bachelor of Arts Student. She loves travelling & photography, so any chance for her to do both is a win. She also considers herself a major connoisseur of Chai lattes, unable to resist a smooth, creamy mug.

Caitlin Carey Guest Writer Caitlin is a Secondary Education student majoring in History and Religion. She has a passion for travel and intends to travel to 30 countries before the age of 30. When she’s not writing articles for The Voice, she will likely be found hanging with friends, cooking up a storm or binge watching Heath Ledger movies.

Danika Fatnowna Guest Writer Danika is a Secondary Education student studying Visual Arts, Geography and English (just a few things). If she's not out saving the environment in her Blundstone’s, she'll be walking to the beach in her Birkenstock’s with her float - IYKYK.

Acknowledgement of country

THE VOICE // PAGE 4

We acknowledge the Awabakal and Guringai peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the Country in which we work and play. We thank them for protecting this coastline and its ecosystems, and we recognise their continuing connection to land and waters. We acknowledge that they never ceded sovereignty. We pay our respects to elders past present and emerging, and extend that respect to all First Nations People present today.

WHAT WE ARE LOVIN' RN SUMMER '21//'22 New team, new recs!

From novels, activities, albums, Films, best of Netflix, Disney+ etc, these are some of the things the team loved over the summer.

Bailee McLeod: Three book recommendations for you - as it's impossible to pick just one.

Beautiful World, Where are You by Sally Rooney - She never fails me, this woman could publish her to-do list and I'd read it. That aside, another spectacular novel from Rooney about the importance of communication and connection in any relationship, class consciousness, climate anxiety, world events, and where the beauty is in it all.

Olive by Emma Gannon - About female friendships and their ebbs and flows, along with a really important conversation about not wanting children and the pressure society places on women to procreate.

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell - An exquisite novel where the spotlight shifts focus from Shakespeare - he's never referred to by name - to his children and wife and their life when he was off in London in the Playhouses. The prose is spectacular and vivid, allowing you to experience the emotions of the characters - making it devastating at times. There is no doubt in my mind, that this will be a modern classic.

Nikolai Baumanis: Spontaneous adventures are where memories are made - so here are 3 activities to create some life-long memories.

Night Swim at Ocean Baths - sure it may be a little cold splashing around in the freezing ocean, but this is a great way to refresh your brain and mood; bonus points if you go when there’s a full moon.

Sunset Picnic at Hickson’s Street Lookout - this lookout has been laid with synthetic turf and provides a beautiful view of Burwood Beach. Make sure you take a cheese platter and fruit yum!

Car Trips - get some of your friends together and hit the road. Choose a destination you’ve all never been to and scream your lungs out to karaoke classics on the drive. Try this with no navigation assistance for some added thrill.

Danae Grolimund: Amazon prime and alone time? I think so. Here are some iconic movie recommendations to watch, from yours truly, that isn’t a waste of your time.

1.

Shrek - let's be honest, this is one of the greatest films ever. From the cast to its iconic soundtrack, this film is a great comfort movie if you ever need one. There are also sequels so you can end up in that rabbit hole of watching Shrek for an entire day.

2. Shark Tale - This movie is packed with gags and pop-culture references. The plot is nothing special, but the visuals for 2004 are pretty darn good. The soundtrack also has hit songs, including a remake of the song “Car Wash” by Missy Elliot and Christina Aguilera, which has over 10 million views on its YouTube video alone and will definitely stick in your head for the next couple of days.

3. Spencer - This is a more historical based movie. It follows the marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles through the rumours of affairs and divorce, etc. The movie is an imagining of what it would have been like during such times. There's a mix of tones portrayed throughout the film that encapsulates the audience and the actress, Kristen Stewart, who plays Diana, does a credible job.

Rachael Thomson: Wow, who doesn’t love summer, the warm sun, the sand and sea, gentle breezes, oh and HOLIDAYS. I love to travel so I’m going to give you all a few recommendations of some places to go, as well as some epic tips.

So my first recommendation is the scenic hike on the East Coast of Tasmania, Mt Amos. The view going up is absolutely breathtaking and with each step, it gets more impressive. However, once you climb over the last boulder to the very top of the peak you look up and catch your breath from the glorious view that is before you. Overlooking the famous Wineglass Bay, you can also view an entire 360 perspective of the East Coast of Tasmania, as far as your eye can see.

My last recommendation for when you’re travelling is to appreciate the wildlife. You can see so many cute marsupials just by exploring wildlife parks and nature reserves.

THE VOICE // PAGE 8

Sometimes with travelling, there are some crazy long car trips. Here are a few tips that I use to make that sometimes dull car rides a little more lively. 1. Charge your camera up and keep an eagle eye out for some insta worthy shots on the side of the road. 2. Download a few podcasts and tune out your life's dramas as you listen to someone else's. 3. Who doesn’t love a singalong, especially when you're rocking a Celine Dion Hit at the top of your lungs. 4. Lastly, and my absolute favourite option, a snooze (only to be taken when one is a passenger). How could you not love going to sleep in Queensland and waking up in Victoria, I mean it's the perfect way to go.

A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT GRACE O'TOOLE

Hey hey, my name is Grace and I am the Avondale Nursing Student Association (ANSA) President for 2022 down at the Wahroonga campus in Sydney. I am in my third and final year of a Bachelor of Nursing and currently live at the nurse's residence provided by the SAH here on campus too.

First, I just want to say a huge hello to all returning students; how great does it feel to be able to go back to campus, back to the post-class banter and making the most of all the free lunches! I'd also like to say a big hello to all our new students at Avondale; I hope you know that we are so excited to have you and really encourage you to make the most of the experience while you're here.

The ANSA team is an awesome committee made up of six enthusiastic leaders and 20 very helpful volunteers who all work collaboratively to serve the nursing students on and off-campus. The ANSA team is such an honour to be part of as we feel it a privilege and pleasure to serve the needs and hear the voices of nursing students at Avondale. When I started out as a first-year in 2020, I really admired how Avondale encouraged student leadership and to just get in and be involved with student life. I like to think: what you put in, is what you get out, and it's so true! Getting involved with activities, day trips, games nights and sports night allows you to grow in leadership skills, meet so many people across all courses and create memories you'll be able to look back on!

I'd like to think that my vision for Avondale in 2022 is to see the university continue to flourish and become a place where people feel they can participate, enjoy learning their course in an environment that encourages fun along the way and for people to feel a sense of Christianity or the Christian values too. This is something that I personally value about Avondale; they uphold values I strive to have in my own personal life.

THE VOICE // PAGE 10

I can only say I have had a positive experience so far at Avondale, and have been so grateful for all the opportunities I've had and all the people I have met who have added to my Avondale experience. Good luck to all the returning and new students this year, let's make 2022 YOUR ultimate Avondale year!

2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021

DEAR 2021 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021 || 2021|| 2021 || 2021

Dear 2021…

It’s safe to say 2021 wasn’t exactly amazing for most. Here are some college inhabitants who have beef with, and who are making sense of the year that was.

Emma-Leigh Coombs - Undergraduate, third [and a half] year 2021, You were one of the best and most challenging years that I could have imagined.

You didn’t exactly start out great. The beginning of the year saw me going back to college without my best friend, with whom I was attached at the limb.

To me, the thought of having to make new friends and move back into dorms – without her - was honestly overwhelming. Now looking back on it, I’m grateful I did because that was when you [2021] started to become one of the best years. Although our time in dorms was cut short, the year seemed to get better and better [despite lockdowns]. With the QLD border closed, there was no way to get home; so, my sister and I moved into a house on the Northern Beaches. To be honest, I don’t think I could have had a better spot to spend the rest of the year, my daily routine slowly changed from going to my classes and studying, to checking the surf and sunbaking.

So 2021, you came good and became the year of monthly Spotify playlists, haystack manifestations, pool days and rigatoni day.

Much love, EC

Paul Bogacs - Lecturer Dear 2021, There is so much I could say to you but some of it would not be able to be printed in a respectable little magazine such as The Voice. So let me tone it down a bit and say… you were a bugger!! Ok, ok, so you want to know why? Well, how long have I got…

You gave us a sense of complacency like ‘Covid and lockdowns are soooo last year. Just as we got comfortable, just as we were enjoying face to face classes and planning our year that way, you hit. I remember. It was the long weekend in July and it was announced on Monday, that Sydney was going into lockdown. Even then we didn’t think it would be for long. Maybe just inconvenient. Well, you were a lot more than inconvenient!! Don’t you know the joy of being a lecturer in the interaction we have with students and other lecturers? Don’t you know that it’s NOT sitting in front of a computer all day that does it for us?

Perhaps the hardest thing for me was seeing how this affected our student cohort; what started off as a strong and enthusiastic bunch ended up with tired, anxious, worn-out students staggering over the finish line (well, there may have been a few that we had to put in a wheelchair and push to the finish line).

And so, 2021, Begone!!! A New Year awaits; we approach it cautiously, hopeful yet nervous, optimistic but wary, we peek into the unknown of this new academic year and gingerly take a step forward.

PS By the way, in 2021, you cost me a coffee machine and a mountain bike. Well, I had to do something to keep sane. Your fault.

Zoe Cochrane - Undergraduate, second year Dear 2021, Soraya Diase Coffelt (who I am told is apparently famous), wrote, “Letter writing can be seen as a gift because someone has taken his/her time to write and think and express love”.

As I wrote this, I certainly took my time to think and write, but I must admit that though you were not all bad, “love” was not the central emotion I wished to convey to you.

I can recall January the 1st, 2021, spending my night at a New Year’s Eve party where a friend joked, ‘wouldn’t it be hilarious if 2021 was worse than 2020?’ to which we promptly screeched, ‘don’t jinx us, you idiot!’ I will never know whether it was indeed that jinx which prompted you to mess up the lives of millions of people with your sickness, lockdowns, 5-people-only-weddings, political strife, and online classes, but I can only hope that as this year marked the end of you, things will change for the better.

2022 will be my second year of university but I, and my fellow students, old and new, will live as though it is our first. We will wave goodbye to you as we greet those who we have dearly missed, laugh with our lecturers, sway to the various music, eat copious amounts of cafeteria food, giggle in the library, and scream ourselves hoarse on sports nights. Every ‘good thing’ from 2021 will be our anthem for 2022, our perfect revenge for a lost year.

So goodbye 2021, may we never see you again.

WO/ Akanesi Folau

DO YOU HAVE ANY NICKNAMES? Most people call me Nesi, some people call me Nes, my family call me Neso, and my Nan calls me her Nescafé.

WHAT ARE YOU STUDYING HERE AT AVONDALE? Bachelor of Arts/Secondary Teaching - majoring in English and specialising in Religion.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ARE YOUR TOP 3 STRENGTHS? Confidence, Problem Solving, and Communication.

WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF THIS SUMMER FOR YOU? My nephew being born #imauntygoals

IF YOU COULD HOLIDAY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, WHERE WOULD YOU GO? Mykonos (Greece), I’ve always wanted to live out the Mamma Mia life; but maybe without the baby and the wonder of who the father is.

WHAT IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVOURITE LYRIC FROM A SONG? It honestly depends on my mood and what's trending on TikTok. IF YOU COULD CHOOSE TO MAGICALLY OBTAIN A SKILL THAT YOU DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW, WHAT SKILL WOULD IT BE? WHY? To see into the future. I hate hate hate (in Nicki Minaj voice) not knowing how something will go. Plus, when I was younger, I thought that I was Raven Baxter.

IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, WHO? WHAT TOPIC WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT? Jesus and talk about all His experiences, but I'd be lying if I said I'd never want to meet any of the real housewives and get the inside scoop.

IF YOU COULD GO TO A MUSIC ARTIST'S CONCERT RIGHT NOW, WHAT ARTIST? Tyler the Creator, TLC, or Shania Twain.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COMPLIMENT YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? I know this is going to sound super shallow but anything to do with my appearance lol.

WHO INSPIRES YOU? I’d have to say, my Mum and my Nan, they are two very God-fearing women and have the biggest hearts.

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2022?

New experiences and hopefully saying goodbye to covid because it’s literally cancelled.

/MAN DO YOU HAVE ANY NICKNAMES? Dreno

WHAT ARE YOU STUDYING HERE AT AVONDALE? Secondary Education; Maths Major WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE ARE YOUR TOP 3 STRENGTHS? Empathy, Maths, and Computer games

MAX DRENAN

WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT OF THIS SUMMER FOR YOU? Yarrahapinni summer camps

IF YOU COULD HOLIDAY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW, WHERE WOULD YOU GO? Germany WHAT IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVOURITE LYRIC FROM A SONG? "And wisdom always chooses. These black eyes and these bruises. Over the heartache that they say Never completely goes away.”

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE TO MAGICALLY OBTAIN A SKILL THAT YOU DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW, WHAT SKILL WOULD IT BE? WHY? Motorcycle stunt riding, coz its awesome but super hard to learn IF YOU COULD MEET ANYONE, WHO? WHAT TOPIC WOULD YOU TALK ABOUT? Jesus, any topic would be fine with me

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE COMPLIMENT YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? I'm repeatedly told that I don't look as old as I am WHO INSPIRES YOU? Jason Hinze

THE VOICE // PAGE 14

IF YOU COULD GO TO A MUSIC ARTIST'S CONCERT RIGHT NOW, WHAT ARTIST? Polaris

MESSY MEDIA

By Danika Fatnowna There's many things to love about the internet, but there's also many things to hate. Danika does what we are all too afraid to do, call out ‘those’ trends that we all secretly can't stand.

Last year I took a six-month break from Instagram. It was eye-opening, to say the least, as someone who was raised in the pioneering years of the “iPad kid” generation it was a well-needed break. Upon my return to Instagram, I realised how ridiculous our behaviour on social media really is.

The wise Noel Gallagher provides us more insight into the topic, “Twitter is the playground for … idiots”. Gallagher’s anthropological observations of the social media platform Twitter summarises perfectly what we’re all thinking. The internet is a place where silly people can do or say anything they want, and today I’m outlining our least favourite happenings on the old dot coms.

1. Fake pranks. What more do I have to say? The irony of a FAKE prank video.

Surely the only victim of a fake prank is the person who watched the video.

2. Gender reveals. I’m so sorry but we just don’t care, save it for the family group chat champions.

3. Spam accounts. Don’t be shy! I’m sick of following three different accounts for one person. How complicated can you be? A film photography account, cheeky spam, and the main…you’re doing too much.

4. Thrift flipping couches and other furniture. It just never looks that great.

5. Anything that mentions planting a tree for every like, follow, or share. We all know you’re lying.

6. Publicised social media breaks. We don’t need your phone number. No one needs your phone number. Just go.

THE VOICE // PAGE 16

THE VOICE // PAGE 18

THE UNPRESIDENTIAL DEBATE We have spent the last few years inside, away from friends, communicating on the internet, or chatting with neighbours over the fence. For some isolation was heaven, for others, a complete nightmare. Taylah Manners and Trinity Alt discuss the predicament of being introverted and extroverted during lockdowns.

I want to break free The predicament of Covid lockdowns completely changed my everyday life. As an extrovert, my life revolves around the people I’m going to see. Everyone around me provides structure and energy in my life, the lack of this resulted in some really tough times.

Lockdown brought on many challenges as I was working less and I wasn’t able to see all of my friends and family. This completely demolished any sense of a social life that was previously standing. Other than the occasional facetime, a few memes and some texting lockdown had brought on loneliness and detachment.

As someone who gets their energy from the other people around them, lockdown resulted in some very unproductive days. I spent more time in my bedroom than ever before simply scrolling through TikTok for hours at a time with the company of my cat. This was awful for both my physical and mental health.

Most of my immediate family are essential workers and every day they were at work I would be sitting waiting for them to come home for someone to have a real conversation with. As someone who despises silence, being by myself isn’t exactly enjoyable at the best of times let alone being alone for multiple days at a time.

When the announcement of online learning was first released at uni, I thought it would be fine, just one semester? Easy as pie.

Little did I know the social and emotional drain that was about to come. Prior to this experience, I didn’t realise just how important going on campus was to an extrovert.

A large part of university is the social dynamics and new bonds formed within the lecture halls. Not to mention the opportunity to discuss and share information on the lecture topic.

The screen between my peers, lecturers, and myself became more isolating than I could have ever imagined.

trinity alt

Serenity now!

For the past 2 years, lockdown has taken over our lives, and quite frankly, I’m not ready to get back into society. I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time in my pyjamas all day (even while attending zoom classes), avoiding all awkward social interactions, and just in general, giving my brain a break from the many decisions that I would otherwise have to make daily.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love going out and spending time with my friends, however, I can be a very indecisive person at times (ok, yes, maybe a lot of the time) and so can a lot of my friends.

Being able to stay home has given my brain a very well-deserved break from all that planning and thinking of the very important decisions of our daily lives such as where we are going to eat breakfast or lunch and what activity we will do afterward.

And who doesn’t love spending the whole day in their PJ’s? I can wear whatever I want, when I want, no matter how bad it will look, without worrying about anyone judging me (other than my parents and younger brother). If I have a zoom class? No worries! I just chuck on a jumper, and no one will ever know my little secret ……oooh, maybe they do now. Oh, how I wish we could show up to faceto-face classes in our pyjamas! I’m not ready to get back out into the real world and have to very strategically plan what to wear for the day and think about the comfort levels of each and everything that I put on my body.

Another thing I absolutely despise about being out in the real world again are those very awkward conversations with the checkout workers at Woolies and Coles (and yes, even some customers who think you may work there when in reality, you are just trying to buy one thing and leave without ANY social interaction). We didn’t have to deal with this during lockdown. All we had to do was click a button and our shopping could be delivered straight to our door. No social interaction whatsoever, and definitely no awkward checkout conversations.

All in all, I am sort of looking forward to getting back out into society, however, it’s the quietness and serenity that I’ll miss from being stuck at home.

taylah manners

THE VOICE // PAGE 20

Being at home has given me the opportunity to do more of the things that I enjoy, such as reading, learning new instruments and making up weird and quirky songs, and completing many (and I mean MANY) jigsaw puzzles. While I may not have been as productive around the house as my parents would have liked me to be (sorry mum!), I have enjoyed my quiet time to myself and just zoning out in my own world. Going back into society would mean I would have to actually focus on the specific task at hand and not mindlessly try to fit a puzzle piece that seems to fit in NO WHERE! (Clearly no anger issues here).

- The Forum Truth. A word we hear quite a lot. What is it? How can we find it? Does it exist? Caitlin Carey and Lynnette Lounsbury discuss all this and more.

Caitlin Carey: Objectively speaking; truth can be defined as a quality or state of being true, furthermore, true is defined as being in accordance with fact or reality. I believe that truth is not always fact, and fact (as we know it) is not always true. When we look to the past, we can see that history has always been written by the winners. We have seen and read the victor's truth, and now view this narrative as fact.

But what if we could know the whole story? What if we could see the big picture? Everything we believe about the world and our history would change.

So, has the definition of truth changed? Does truth even exist? I think the truth has always and will always exist, but it is grounded in every individual’s personal experience. My truth and my reality could be completely different for the next person. Truth is not a fallacy, it is a reality of human experience and reality of society and humanity.

In saying this, there are some things that opinion and personal truth cannot overcome. For example, it is a fact that Rafael Nadal won the 2022 Australian open, it is a fact that the freezing point of water is 0°C, these things cannot be argued with, they are indisputable. My opinion of these does not change the reality of them.

Society has become more comfortable with the notion that everyone has a personal truth, and the media has played a large role in this. Through the internet, it is now possible to retrieve information that would not have been possible in the past. There is so much information at our disposal that it can be difficult to distinguish fact from fiction or fact from personal truth. I would love to hear Lynette's thoughts on this and how we can go about distinguishing between fact and truth.

Lynnette Lounsbury: Thanks, Caitlin. I’ve thought a lot about this actually, mostly in my capacity as a historian, where it becomes apparent very quickly that “truth” is filtered, changed, believed and un-believed over time, and that it is written by the people who have the most power. Of course, there are clearly absolute events, moments, scientific principles etc that occur, but can we ever access them entirely? Or in the same way as someone else? I don’t think we can. Even documentary footage and photographs only show you a sliver of a moment. Everyone arrives at their understanding of something through their own prism. That might be their physiology (their actual ability to learn, understand and take in information) or their psychology, which is influenced by their environment. Just look at how many different ways of interpreting the Bible there are. And what about the scientific data on Covid?

I think the best we can do when it comes to “finding” truth, is to be open to the fact that we can’t truly find it. If we are open, we’ll remain flexible to adjust when we find out new information or perspectives. If we’ve learned anything from the internet, it’s that truth and fiction can look remarkably similar. I do think we can be discerning though – looking to see who is sharing information, where it came from, googling to see if anecdotes are real or not. I use Snopes a lot!

I think we all end up with our own “truths,” but then we have the new problem of everyone believing their own truth is the most valuable and important one! We’ve all heard people say “that’s my truth”, particularly lately around politics and pandemics. Are all personal truths valid? What do you think, Caitlin?

CC: Some really interesting insights. I have also definitely seen the concept of “personal truth,” popping up more and more in recent times. Through the digital era, we have seen technology and information become so much more accessible to us. We do not have to rely on one textbook, or one teacher to learn about a given topic. With this plethora of information, we can learn about any concept, any object, any event, any person in a matter of minutes. Furthermore, we can back up our own personal opinions very easily with a quick google search. Making one's “personal truth” much easier to support and validify, whether it be factual or not.

This doesn’t make personal truth any less valid, especially when it comes to one’s own life or opinion. I have memories that are so vivid to me, that my sister remembers completely differently.

We will never know who was/is “right,” but the way we have been impacted by these memories are completely different and valid.

If I were to wake up tomorrow completely convinced, and I mean truly absolutely convinced, that trees are purple aliens trying to take over the world, I would obviously be wrong. But to me, that experience and, what I would assume to be fear, would be very real. My truth would be valid to me, even if it was ridiculous to other people. So how can we question another's truth? I think personal truths can be right and they can be wrong. Fact or fiction. But that doesn’t make them invalid, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t worthy of time, discussion and especially respect.

LL: I think the main thing I would say about truth from my experience is – to keep yourself open to new ideas and let your truth expand. I’ve found many times that what I thought was the truth was nowhere near wide enough, didn’t take in enough perspectives or was just plain wrong. (Being wrong doesn’t make you stupid by the way – not bothering to check if you are wrong, that’s stupidity). Truth is a tricky, beautiful thing – something to search for and keep searching for. As Caitlin said, a world where there was one experience of every truth would rapidly get old.

THE VOICE // PAGE 21

In closing I would say, there are absolute truths and facts that exist, but that doesn’t mean that we as free people can’t disagree or question these things. It doesn’t mean we can’t have our own truths and opinions. All of which should be respected. What a boring world it would be if we could only accept that which is an indisputable fact.

Child of the Universe

Sometimes it’s like I am a marionette, that there’s someone pulling on my invisible strings. But then I think my silly little thoughts and I know there can’t be. Because if there were, I’d like to believe they’d puppet me into taking more risks, to fight harder for things I love, and avoid the world of pain I dive into within my mind.

I do think there’s something there, I just don’t know what - but then again, I don’t like to think about it too much.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want someone to blame for my troubles, but there must be something to channel my feelings of helplessness and heartache into…

So, I just call it “the universe”.

The universe has been with me all along, but I’ve only recently become conscious of it due to its bitterness.

I believe the universe is to blame for why there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day, why the belt loops on my pants get caught on door handles when I am mad, why I forget the name of someone I just met as quickly as it leaves their lips, and why my best friends all seem to move away.

In my life, it always seems as though the stars just don’t align. This has caused me to pick up a new saying – “I wonder how cruel the universe is going to be right now”. I say it right before I find out the answer to things, - things as simple as being in the city and trying to find the nearest bathroom on maps, before I scan an unpriced item at the checkout, or about to open the freezer and see if there’s any ice-cream.

Then you click ‘get directions and find out the nearest bathroom is a 3-kilometre walk, the unpriced item is far more expensive than you could’ve imagined, and there is no ice cream left.

You see, hoping for the best possible outcome for these scenarios is futile - like making a wish on a satellite that you mistook for a star - because they’re objective scenarios that no amount of hope can change.

So, after the question, I often nod and answer myself – “cruel”. I think that perhaps I am coming to realise just how much everything is out of my control, how much I can be tossed around in this washing machine called ‘life’, how I’ve just got to pick myself back up and hope that the universe has better things in store for me. I do believe that hope is important, even if it is sometimes pointless, because what else would keep us going?

I like to think that I will always be put where I need to be and that the universe is going to piece everything together for me soon.

If there’s one thing I have learned, it’s that I am just a child of the universe.

Nikolai Baumanis

It's a beautiful little world

THE VOICE // PAGE 22

Navigating this beautiful world is hard. The events of the past two years are all-consuming and have taken up space in our conscience. So, while I never want to hear the ‘c-word again – get your mind out of the gutter – it is inevitable. We thought 2021 would be better, but I am sure we could collectively agree that it was not quite ideal. A recap: last year, pro-Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol; Scomo continued to prove that he is indeed just ‘Scotty from marketing’ – bring on the 2022 federal election; the Taliban seized power of Afghanistan after the US withdrew its military; Australia was made the laughingstock of the world with our coal focused climate policies – they approved three coalmines weeks before the COP26 summit; former British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking young girls for Jeffery Epstein to abuse [this was justice being served]. There were earthquakes, Kimye broke up, Harry and Meghan talked to Oprah, the Duke of Edinburgh died, there were two new virus outbreaks, and Betty White passed. [Yikes, a big year]. We all watched these countless events play out from our homes – many of us in isolation, but luckily, we were kept entertained by our very own state premiers who fought like stars of ‘The Real Housewives. It’s a beautiful little world, isn’t it?

One thing the pandemic has brought to light is the enormous gap between everyone and the top 0.01%.

During these two years, it’s been reported that they have doubled their wealth. One went on a joyride to space, one became Time’s Person of the Year, and one wants us to live in his Meta-verse. We could spend hours going down rabbit holes of how these people – predominantly, if not all, men – acquired their wealth, who has fingers in what pies and how they get away with a multitude of sins and ‘inconveniences’ – like paying tax. While it’s easy to curse their wealth and their ways of getting it, these, shall we say, ‘very few’, played the game of Capitalism, very well. We can criticise and philosophise about these structures forever, however, nothing will ever change as philosophy is just the liminal stage of the matter. Karl Marx himself said, “philosophers until now have only interpreted the world in various ways. The point, however, is to change it”.

It’s an overwhelming thought, that we must change the world. With 2021 as an example, so much goes on in this world, and we only know a soupçon of it. So how are we supposed to change it? But when you bring Jesus into the picture, he completely turns every political philosophy on its head. The very thing they are lacking, answers and truth, is what He is. They are just theories to understand the world, but He is the truth.

Ultimately, this is why I think disparity will always exist. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t fight for justice, but should there be a time when we learn to let go of what we cannot change?

It’s our duty to be aware of the events and ideologies that make up our society; they make for understanding and growth. But it is not about knowing it all and perfectionism. The things we know presently are just a speck of what there is to know, about anything. Luckily, there are 7.87 billion people in the world, who are all actively seeking to know an array of different things. So maybe the fact that disparity will always exist in this world isn’t negative. Perhaps that’s diversity. Maybe the fact that we have all been dealt different cards could be used to our advantage; to the advantage of everyone. We can seek to know the goings-on and understand the world, but we cannot know everything, as not everything is ours to carry.

- Bailee McLeod

THE VOICE // PAGE 22

My nephew likes to remind me, “it’s not your pwobwem” [problem], and he’s right. We can attempt to understand these theories and seek change until Jesus comes back but the only true change will happen when He does. Our time is short. Navigating this beautiful world is hard. It’s about being in the world, but not of it. Content with not knowing everything. It’s also realising that these things we want to take place might not come true. So, therefore, it’s about letting go because there will come a time when justice will be served, and freedom will prevail. But none of this will be done by the likes of mankind. That’s why it’s our responsibility to make this earth as fair and beautiful as humanly possible. What we can’t do, He will inevitably do. In the meantime, enjoy the ride, it’s a beautiful little world, isn’t it!

l a d n o v A e !

P X

THE VOICE // PAGE 24

VOICE