The Flashback Edition Issue #5, September 2019
Editor’s Voice No Ragrets Let’s talk about throwbacks. The earliest memory that I can conjure up from the deep depths of my longterm memory bank is riiiight back to when I was the ripe old age of 2. This was a period when mud was edible, nudity was socially acceptable, and procrastination was a lifestyle not a choice – ah, tis really was the good ole days. However, this also happened to be the age when meal time wasn’t your average everyday pleasurable experience, but rather a wholehearted battle of infant spirit and spoonfuls of the molecularly-mushed Aussie classic - Weet-Bix. I’m not sure what inspired it…Was it just that my rebellious spirit peaked early or was it a morbid curiosity of the true limits of food? Whichever it was, whenever I was sat comfortably at the breakfast table, 9/10 times instead of putting the food in my mouth, I would lift the bowl of sloppy Weet-Bix remains above my head and proudly give myself a compressed wheat deep condition. Shout out to Sanitarium for sponsoring my hair growth. Although looking back at these memories brings me so much joy, the taste of the good ole’ days is bittersweet. Bitter in that it’s now socially unacceptable to wear only a nappy and take Weet-Bix baths and sweet because all of those little weird and crazy moments add up to the person I am now - gluten intolerant. Just kidding. Focusing on the past has been coined “anti-productive” as it prevents us from focusing on the now, but how would the now be possible if not for the past? As a self-diagnosed overthinker, it’s literally impossible not to think back to that time I accidently waved at the wrong person or completely bombed that test. And you know what? Looking back has made my looking forward so much clearer. Think of it like proofreading an essay. “Wait, you do that?” Yes, do-it-the-night-before-kid, we do that. *the tea is hot sis* What you may have written with your heart and soul (and ten pints of caffeinated rage) almost always proves to have flaws. In an essay, you can change those past mistakes, but in life, all we can do is let those mistakes change our outlook and our outcome. Looking back enables you to validate what is truly important; identify changes that need to be made, and forces you to grow in order to become the person you can ultimately look at in the now, and be proud of. And to think…all of this came from a humble bowl of Weet-Bix.
CONTENT 7
Photo Competition
8
My First Crush
10
Lecturers Flashback
12
Scents that sent me somewhere By Linda Edorsson
16
Come Alive By Ashley Cotter
By Noah Baensch
P. 2
EDITORIAL
P. 4 - 5
CONTRIBUTORS
P. 6
CONTACT/PAGES TO LIKE
P. 14 - 15
WO/MAN
P. 18 - 19
REAL TALK
P. 20 - 21 #AVONDALEXP P. 22 - 23 THE CHEAT SHEET
C O N T R I B U T O R S
Emmerson Grey
Chris McClelland Secondary Education student, untalented art enthusiast and, ineffective procrastination combatant. Ask me about my mild addiction to video essays.
Noah Baensch Noah is studying Accounting. He doesn’t know why and neither does anyone else. All we know is he applied for a job with ASIO and he’s hard to get into contact with. Not jumping to conclusions, but we think he’s a spy.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ELSE WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED // OTHER IMAGES SOURCED FROM #AVONDALEXP // GRAPHIC DESIGNER: ANGELA WOOD
Ashley Cotter
Ashley is a reluctant uni student getting by on frequent coffee breaks and SkyScanner flight deals.
Linda Edorsson
Linda Edorsson is an aspiring filmmaker from Scandinavia. She has studied Stage Craft, Acting and Scenography at Örebro Universitet before coming to Avondale to study Nursing which later changed into pursuing a BA in Communication.
Thanks & No Thanks
Thanks: Fairy Bread (Australia’s Best Cuisine) Tamogotchies Handball No Thanks: Broccoli Nap time Being asked to read in front of the class
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Emmerson is like most other stereotypical college students: she loves to binge Netflix, hype up her peers, complain about not sleeping enough and downplay her life problems with sarcastic remarks.
GET IN CONTACT Security: Phone: (02) 4980 2333
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Email: scott.hill@avondale.edu.au College Church Phone: (02) 4980 2272 Email: collegechurch@avondale.edu.au Or message the College Church Facebook Page. College Counsellors: Phone: 0403478994 Email: counsellingclinic@avondale.edu.au Our counsellors offer confidential counselling to students experiencing a range of academic, mental health and personal concerns.
PAGES TO LIKE The Voice LAMP ministries (@AvondaleSAM) College Church ASA student association Avondale College One Mission SALT Avondale
Photo Comp In celebration of our FIFTH edition of this year’s Voice and also, making it half-way through the semester (go us), we wanted to do something special for this issue’s Photo Competition.
All of our contributors have shown you their best #throwback pics for this issue, so now it’s your turn! Tag us in your best pre-college THROWBACK pictures and be in the chance to win a FREE JB TEA Starter’s pack! Prize includes: 5 x Bubble Teas of your choice 2 x SIGNED JB Tea Posters of your choice 1 x JB Tea Signature Bucket Hat (so you can serve looks and tea) 1 x Metal Straw & Cleaner (#savetheturtles) WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR: 1. Break out the baby pics/primary years/midschool crisis photos! Last week’s profile pic doesn’t count as a #throwback….sorry. 2 .Make it funny! – we’re humans here at The Voice…we like laughs too.
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My First Crush Hey! My name is Noah and if we’ve already met, Sweet! If not, Hey! When it comes to funny stories and memories, I have a tonne; however, I thought in the spirit of childhood memories, it would be nice to share a different kind of story. This is the type of story that’s a little less funny but all the more lovely. So, without further ado, I present for your reading pleasure: My First Crush. To set the scene, you’ll need to imagine a semi-rural primary school that is: one part gorgeous rolling hills heavily populated by alpacas and, the other part being the perfect place to hide a dead body. I’m in year four, and my class has maybe fourteen other kids, so it’s pretty safe to say that it’s a small school. My teacher’s name is Mrs. Carrol and despite having a constant coffee buzz and smoking cigarettes in front of the kindy kids - she’s an okay teacher. Unfortunately, this meant our class had to endure the stench of her mid-life crisis - a stench so incredibly raw that Maddy Dower, once passed out holding her breath during one of Mrs. Carrol’s lengthy rants about Miss Lane. Yes, you read that correctly, “rants”. There were many and they became a common practice after recess and lunch. In hindsight, it was due to their unprofessionalism. However, I’ll get to that in a bit. Regardless of the stench; the strange rivalry; Maddy Dower’s attempt of breaking the world record for breathholding; and half the kindy kids suffering second-hand smoke inhalation, school was alright! Albert Einstein, once said, “You can’t change your past, but you can change your future.” Or it might have been the turtle from Kung Fu Panda? Either way,
By Noah Baensch
it’s a great transition in the story. To keep it simple, this is the part where I get to introduce you to the new girl, Jodie. She is nothing short of stunning. She is funny, humble, smart and genuinely lovely. So, it’s no surprise she quickly became everyone’s crush, including mine. Unlike the other boys in my year, I was just that little bit ‘extra’ in terms of planning and events management. Ultimately, this led to a plan that I still think is brilliant. I paid attention to which extracurricular classes Jodie was in and decided to sign up to them. Great plan, right? Well, I ended up taking every extracurricular activity the school had on offer. These included: The school band, drama classes, the choir, computer group and I even became a sports monitor. Why, you ask? As it turned out, Jodie, wasn’t in any of those classes! Jodie, was actually in a ‘special learners’ group the entire time. Despite this situation, I wasn’t about to give up. It was time to call in the big guns - my Mum. That afternoon, I rode my bike home reciting what I was going to say, how I was going to explain the situation, and how Mum would react. Eventually, I came clean and told her everything. She didn’t say much. Nevertheless, she assured me she’d handle it in the morning. Quickly and discretely. The next morning, Mum drops me at the school gate; gives me a nod of reassurance, and we went our separate ways - me to class and Mum into the office to bail me out of all the extra classes I had so suddenly joined. I patiently waited on a note to arrive from the Principal or Mrs. Carrol to call me up the front and confirm my withdrawal
from those classes. Still by the end of lunch, nothing! I reluctantly trudged to Choir practice, which just so happened to be solo tryouts. (Keep in mind I can’t sing-making it one of the worst experiences of my life!) The school bell finally rang, and I bolted out of class. Walking home that afternoon, I worked through all the possibilities of what went wrong. Had my Mum stitched me up? Was she punishing me for something? Regardless, I planned to quietly sneak home. As I approached the front door, it swung open and my older sister Holly, sings out the dreaded words “Mum, he’s home”. I sit down at the table, and before I get an explanation of what happened this morning, my Mum shoots a series of rapid-fire questions: “Tell me about Miss L.”; “Tell me about Mrs. Carrol”; “Is the Principal married?” As it turned out, there was an argument in the office that morning… I’ll let your imagination figure this one out. Mum and I ended up talking for hours and eventually wound up in the KFC carpark where I had my first ever Oreo Crush. And that ladies and gentlemen, is the story of my first ever crush. P.S – Mrs Carrol quit. Miss L is still good looking. Maddy Dower actually holds a real World Record, and Jodie and I are still in touch! We just haven’t talked much, since she turned me down at our formal… Unless?
#hayleyjoy_
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AVONDALE STAFF FLASHBACK
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Peter Kilgour
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Kevin P et
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Warrick Long
Hill
Richard Morris
Scents that sent me somewhere THE VOICE 12
By Linda Edorsson
“Smells trigger more vivid emotional memories and are better at inducing that feeling of “being brought back in time” than images.” - Jordan Gaines Lewis The scent is bergamot, perhaps sage and possibly patchouli. I take one breath and am instantly transported 15,757.03 km from here. There is a house in Waverly that has the same scent as my best friend’s house where I have some of my fondest memories. I naturally project good vibes onto this one. My friend’s house is an old missionary house. The family resides on the bottom floor and the upper floor is a huge hall with a stage and a balcony. In the upstairs hall, there are parts of sets and big boxes; my friend’s parents are clowns, drama teachers, and all-around fun people. On the stage, there is a drum set with an old pillow stuffed into the bass-drum, several guitars - electric and acoustic, a grand piano, a rocking horse, and plants and props (so many props). The balcony is filled with costumes hanging on a long rack. We would play dress ups and we would go rollerblading across the floorboards. Some days we weren’t allowed up to the hall because the older sisters were rehearsing with their punk rock band. We would sneak up the stairs, as close as we could without getting caught, and sit quietly like burning little candles and listen - pretending that we were their groupies. We figured it had something to do with wanting to hang out with the band (and we desperately did). We also did weird things like performing cleansing rituals involving drinking disgusting potions while humming cross-legged around a yellow candle with a red rose on it…(don’t ask). The house that I am currently writing this in has the same density of curious objects and books. It oozes creativity. It has that same comforting smell. The walls are filled with stories. The dint in the couch comfortably fits the hip when lying on the side - the imprint of many people before. Life happens here. Sleep does not. Inspiration is visiting, and I think she feels at home here like she’s stayed here many times before (yes, inspiration is a she). It’s as if she has a key to this house and is used to busting through the door in the middle of anything, forcing phones, napkins, notebooks or arms to become holders of ideas. She’s a rude guest but people who let her stay are all the better for it and she certainly seems welcome here. A friend of mine, who is a bit of an essential oil freak (love her), introduced me to the concept of scent being a healing component in grief. She explained that smells can instantly have us flashback to pleasant memories but also painful ones. I currently love the smell of rose - I didn’t always. Its Grandma’s scent. Rose and Chanel N°5 (I still have a bottle of hers). For years after she died, I could not stand the smell. I avoided the scent because I missed her so much. I didn’t realise it was connected. It brings back the memories of her copious collection of hats, the high heels I would shuffle along in when I tried them on and her golden and purple jacket that wore more like a robe on me. I am part her. She will always be part of me and I now love breathing in that piece of her memory. One day we’ll share stories again. That’s the stuff I get homesick for heaven for. Imagine the scent. I bet it will smell like newly baked bread, fresh linen, rose water and possibly patchouli. - Jordan Gaines Lewis Oh, and my hat collection is becoming pretty great. By the time I’m 80, it’ll be magnifi-scent.
“Smells trigger more vivid emotional memories than images.”
@gemsmusiclessons
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Tash Muller
WO /
1. We looked for people who have recently gone through a significant milestone in their life to answer our questions this time. What was yours? I got engaged 9 months ago. 2. What was your favourite food as a child? Tomato sauce on bread. 3. How diligent are you at note-taking? 75/100. 4. What do you remember about your first day at Avondale? All the palm trees. 5. What’s one recent thing you hope to remember in twenty years? The joy, happiness and warmth I felt when Roly proposed. And of course our upcoming wedding day! 6. Do you have a go-to order at Rejuve? A chocolate milkshake with an added shot of coffee. 7. Have you ever forgotten something that made for a sticky situation, like someone’s name or birthday? Every. Day. Of. My. Life. 8. Did you get out of it? How? Just smile and wave boys, smile and wave. 9. Have you accomplished anything significant in your time at Avondale, even if it’s just a personal achievement? Yes #thefullavondaleexp 10. What’s something you’re very thankful for? There are too many things to mention but the greatest is Roly!
/ MAN Alex Kovac
1. We looked for people who have recently gone through a significant milestone in their life to answer our questions this time. What was yours? Proposing to my soon to be wife. 2. What was your favourite food as a child? My mother’s pasta, I loved the Yugoslavian spice she added to it. 3. How diligent are you at note-taking? It is sad for me to admit that I am not very diligent at note taking. 4. What do you remember about your first day at Avondale? The one thing I will forever remember about my first day at Avondale is meeting my amazing Fiancé for the first time. 5. What’s one recent thing you hope to remember in twenty years? I hope to remember all the highs and lows which I have had to go through to achieve the goals I’ve set. 6. Do you have a go-to order at Rejuve? A large mocha. 7. Have you ever forgotten something that made for a sticky situation, like someone’s name or birthday? I have forgotten someone’s birthday which created a world of problems for me at the time. 8. Did you get out of it? How? I had to explain how I forgot it, it was a misunderstanding. 9. Have you accomplished anything significant in your time at Avondale, even if it’s just a personal achievement? I am the first person in my family that I know of who is going to complete their studies in higher education. 10. What’s something you’re very thankful for? I am thankful for all the opportunities that have been presented to me throughout my studies at Avondale, they’ve helped me develop into the person I am today.
Come Alive THE VOICE 16
By Ashley Cotter The summer of 2017 was the one that changed everything. My home was open to travellers, strangers needing a place to stay; my heart was open to new experiences, new people, and a new me. The first day of summer was spent in a new apartment - a studio in the heart of the city. It was tiny, but mine, and within a week, a group of three travelers from Slovakia were sharing the space with me. It was tight and crowded but I loved the energy, the struggle to understand each other when only one of them spoke English and the connection we formed despite it all. I picked up an extra job serving drinks at the soccer stadium in my spare time. Other evenings were spent exploring the city by myself, chatting with anyone that looked interesting - taking advantage of happy hours to avoid eating at home alone. Days off often consisted of spontaneous road trips to anywhere, as far as I could go, with the back of my hatchback as my bed. If I’m being honest, these trips would happen even when I was scheduled to work at 8am the next day. A quick jaunt to the coast for sunset, or to the east, the mountains for sunrise seemingly led to waking up early to drive back into the city for work. I craved the movement. Laundry would remain unfolded for weeks, unused produce would go bad, but my soul was searching, and whatever it was finding was making it happy. Free nights were spent at the local climbing gym, a place I felt challenged and vibrant and part of a community. Nothing felt better than sending a problem that just the week before had been unattainable. I loved the validation of visible improvement, the growing muscles in my arms, the tension knots that would form in my back - all proof of hard work. The city itself was filled with events, especially for an outdoor and coffee enthusiast like me. One day I would be introduced to world-class rock climbers at the local Patagonia store, the next I’d be sitting in a stuffy warehouse, surrounded by the smell of coffee beans slowly roasting listening to talks about decaffeination processes, sustainable production, and fair pricing. I began to recognize people that would frequent similar places, and my community grew in the weirdest but best of ways. More Couchsurfers came and went, and I loved playing tour guide whenever I had the time. It was always crazy to me how even people with vastly different upbringings and cultures could still become instant friends, if just for a moment in time. The energy of people, of learning their story, was fascinating, and I was lucky to work in a popular and busy café with a constant flow of people, finding stimulation in discovery. I converted customers into friends, and my heart was full. There was someone different I met during this time, someone like me, in constant pursuit of adventure. The first time we met I jumped into his car straight after work, and we wound our way up through the hills, no longer strangers as we chatted about anything and everything. We arrived at a mansion that sat overlooking the city, and we giggled as we ran through the house, taking half an hour to turn on all the lights so he could take pictures. He was a real estate photographer, and I instantly became fascinated by his knowledge. We spent full nights talking cameras, editing, and techniques, only parting ways once the sun was rising. Free days were filled with whatever idea came to mind; floating down the river in the hot sun, playing hide-and-go seek in the enormous houses he would photograph, driving hundreds of miles just to see what we could find. Anything seemed possible. Eventually our spirits became too much for each other, causing the other to feel trapped when it came time to commit. I stopped hosting Couchsurfers as the leaves on the trees turned colors and soccer season came to an end. I was promoted and work became more demanding, and my sessions at the gym became less and less frequent. Road trips turned into an event that needed to be planned, and slowly, my soul began to wither. I spent one more year in that city. The next summer was spent roaming the country, searching for that girl I discovered the summer prior: the girl that was empowered, confident, fulfilled, and constantly growing. That girl with the feeling that adventure was just around the corner waiting for her. I never quite found her again. These days, when I look at my life and myself and don’t quite like what I see, I think back to that summer of 2017, and the girl with the spirit that could make anything she wanted to come alive.
@avondale_au
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In 2018, 79% of Australians were active social media users and of this percentage, 59% check their social media 5 times a day . Do you think that our use of social media is putting distance between God and us in daily life? Annalise: Okay, so I’m gonna make a black and white statement here: If you are addicted to social media right now, your life is not hard enough, and it’s not interesting enough. *Say it louder for the people at the back*. You’re too comfortable. Your goals aren’t big enough. You’re looking at other lives to entertain yours. You are relying on that social media bubble. As a Christ follower, I don’t believe a comfortable life is an option for you. God didn’t create you so you can spend your life scrolling and checking for that little red notification. I’m not saying that social media is the devil and you should shut down all accounts and live as an unaware, uncultured swine - I’m talking to the addicts in the room (you know who you are). That was me for YEARS. Whenever I get sucked into being addicted to social media, I know that I’m too comfortable and I need to review and establish exciting goals. Social media addiction puts a distance between you and God, you and God’s purpose and you and God’s blessings *sips tea* Kirah: I believe that Social Media, like anything, can be used for good and for bad. Social media can be wonderful in connecting us with other likeminded individuals and sharing some of our faith and our beliefs with these
people, but it can definitely be taken too far. I am definitely not immune to letting social media take over from my relationship with God. I’m not scared to admit that the first thing I do when I wake up is check my phone, and regardless of whether I do my devotions that morning or not, my first thought is always ‘social media’ related. I find that unless I turn my phone off or disconnect it from the Internet, I am constantly distracted in my ‘quiet time’ with Jesus. I don’t doubt that there are a number of people just like me. We are so used to instantaneous replies, answers and
Real
This week’s panel: Annali
results that when we choose to spend time with God, we struggle to feel His presence or any real answers to things that we are asking. It’s easy to turn to social media and the other things that give us the instant results we have learnt to crave.
Do you feel that this form of media can be used to outreach? Why or why not? Annalise: I cannot tell you how many times the word of God has come through my screen exactly when I needed it. I joked before about the possibility of God having an Instagram
account - well he does! He handed over the privilege to all of us in the great commission (Matthew 28). We are his hands and feet- so when you feel compelled to share a quote/verse/storydo it! We belong to a house owned by God- what harm can haters do to us? You will never know the true extent of your outreach online. They might not have liked the post- but they saw it. Media is a medium. God’s love is the message. Use it. Kirah: Definitely! I am all for people using social media to share their faith with others. When people are on their phones
Talk
ise Vaovasa and Kirah Jones
all day, everyday, it is one of the most effective ways to reach others! This may be an unpopular opinion, but I believe that even if people are just scrolling past the bible verses or inspirational quotes you post (and the more people do it), the more the message is subconsciously reaching the minds of others we might not normally be able to reach. At the end of the day, I believe that when we openly share our faith (whether that be in person or over social media), God will use us to reach others. For me, and I know for a lot of other people, we believe that our social media outreach can and will be used by God to introduce others to Christ and I love that.
#avon dalexp
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The Voice now has Instagram! @thevoiceavondale Tag us in your photos for your chance to win some amazing gifts and features on our page.
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The Cheat Sheet
Are you feeling the stress yet? Sure feels like the semester has been moving fast! Don’t worry, that just means the break is going to be here sooner. So, let’s talk about some things I’ve found to keep things interesting until then.
APPS Canva: This is a nifty little graphic design tool with plenty of functionality before you even pay a cent. It’s very much a beginner-friendly piece of software that probably can’t compete with more professional applications, but if you’re hoping to just make a pretty leaflet or an attractive looking handout, it’ll be enough. I also see a lot of use for teaching as well. {7/10}
Yummly: For most of us, I think it’s a fair assessment to say we’re going to need a bit of help with our cooking. Maybe you’ve been in dorms with your meals all taken care of. Maybe you are moving out from home and need to learn to fend for yourself. Maybe you’ve been surviving on noodles for so long you’ve forgotten what it means to taste things. Maybe you just want some neat recipes. This will probably help. {8.5/10}
Dark Reader (Chrome Extension): It’s just kind of the way of things that you’ll probably find yourself up late this semester. Not much we can really do about that, but we can make it easier for you. This extension changes the colour of the web page you’re looking at so that it is less harsh on the eyes. It also has a sepia mode so the blue light doesn’t affect your ability to get to sleep, which is a known issue with screentime. It works on (supposedly) every website, and all it takes is one button press. {8/10}
Book
For our first book recommendation, I figured I might as well recommend one recently recommended to me. No Friend but the Mountains was written by a Kurdish asylum seeker during his still-ongoing detention on Manus Island. The process of writing this book involved sending his manuscript one text message at a time over the course of five years – now translated and compiled. I myself am yet to fully read this, but I have heard enough praise from trustworthy folk to offer my recommendation regardless.
Playlists & Podcasts All Out 00s: Some cosmic law demands that I include at least one nostalgia playlist per issue. So, I guess this is that one. Again. Britney Spears, Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, early Taylor Swift, they’re all here, but most importantly it has the absolutely vital ‘Fireflies’ and ‘Mr. Brightside’. Instrumental Covers – Modern Pop & Classic Favourites: This is a fun one. Basically, what it says on the box - a bunch of songs played as instrumentals. They make for interesting spins – familiar, but novel enough to be interesting in their own right. Very soothing too. Myths and Legends: Listening to this podcast made me remember how nice it is to just hear a really good storyteller tell a really good story. The narrator is engaging and humorous, and the stories fascinating and broadly sourced. You have my permission to indulge that childish sense of wonder again.
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No Friend but the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison | Behrouz Boochani
Rising up. Speaking out.