The Voice Issue #3, June 2018

THE create EDITION ISSUE #03 MAY 2018

@teeepppsss

ORIAL

S L E E P IS CO M IN G .

I’ve always admired creative people. They represent such a fun part of God that we often ignore or don’t even realise is there. When He created the world, He could have just given us beige sky and grey grass but instead He was creative and gave us a world teeming with life and colour. He wanted us to not just survive life but to also live it to its fullest extent. And within that He gave us the ability to create and enjoy what we create.

As I write this of course I do have to confess, my creative skills are lacking. I have been taking the ceramics class this semester and my pots are a bit wonkier that planned. I had hoped that the skill would just come easy and that every pot I made would be perfect but the reality of keeping the clay on the wheel long enough to make the bowl smashed that dream. However, with time it became easier and now my bowls look like bowls! Yay! So, while I’m definitely not going to become a world renowned potter (there goes my life dream!) I have come to deeply appreciate the work and mess that goes into creating something beautiful. Life is the same.

And so, this issue, we are celebrating all the beautiful that is created within our campus and we hope that we have inspired you to try creating something beautiful of your own.

Mad May is almost over folks, Sleep is coming.

Kayla

short story writing competition $100 prize money entries close july 12 send entries to

@ t h e v o i c e av o n d a l e

EDITOR Kayla Carter ASSISTANT emmerson grey GRAPHIC DESIGNER Minah Bocchino Images sourced from pexels.com COVER ART/ PHOTO Tepa Afele Thanks Late night renovation shows cookies good friends No thanks low phone battery butter side down toast cold feet

K AY L A C A R T E R Kayla loves chocolate and dark chocolate and is hoping that this semester doesn’t make her stress eat to the point of having to actually use her gym membership.

EMMERSON GREY Sometimes I think my life could be a really hilarious sitcom, then I realise that eating, watching hours of Netflix and running into every inanimate object isn’t classed as entertainment. Thank goodness I’m going to succeed with my stable Arts degree.

KO DY D O BSO N Has attempted almost every degree at Avondale college.

KEMY OGENDI Kemy is a chronic over-sharer, a lover of laughter and a proud sweet potato enthusiast (baked, roasted, doused in coconut cream… you name it, she’ll eat it)

J EFF E R SO N S H AW is in his third year as a English and Communications Student. He has recently realised his love for poetry and discovered caramel iced coffee. This has only furthered his mildly concerning caffeine addiction. Avondale College.

MELAN I E R E Y ES @mellyreyrey

04

regulars 10

wo/man

14

A r t F e at u r e

features

16

#avondalexp

dIY: creativity

08

22

interview

art thou complete?

12

32

t h e c h e at s h e e t

campus bus. interviews

18

Remembering my creator

20

poetry

24-31

05

14

w i n N ER

Focus photo competition

DIY:CREATIVITY Melanie Reyes This year I enrolled in a creative writing unit and I truly found it to be a surprising struggle. I remember thinking about how silly it sounded – having to teach creativity as part of a unit, something that I thought everyone naturally had. The truth is, there are way more wack units out there.

I looked up the weirdest college classes to enrol in (yes, these are all real) and found the following: • Elvish, the language of “Lord of the Rings” is a course taught by the leading expert in Sindarin (official term for elvish) • Street Fighting Mathematics is a course that teaches students to analyse fighting with math (e.g. velocity of a punch to the jaw) • Golf Course Management, not actual golfing lessons, just a DIY ‘how-to-keep-the-golf-grassgreen’ type of course • The Meaning of Life is a course full of philosophical classes and conversations, fun!

• Underwater Basket Weaving… self-explanatory?

So, I guess these classes make my Creative Writing class look normal. The truth is, and I found this out as I began to write my poems and short stories for the unit, that being creative is hard.

IT’S ALL IN THE PROCESS! I found myself spending hours looking for inspiration. I was constantly trying to get my creative process flowing and would find myself churning through my thoughts without really coming up with anything amazing.

These were my three repeated struggles: I was continually overthinking, I wasn’t taking risks and I didn’t know where or how to start.

Sir Ken Robinson presented a TED Talk on creativity and defined it as “the process of having original ideas that have value.”

When we work through our creative process we are generating ideas and assessing them for their value as we go. However, according to this scientific website I’m looking at, jumping back and forth between generating and assessing ideas actually causes our brains to go through a more tiring, intensive and trickier creative process. Separating these two processes helps to reduce this struggle that we sometimes feel when we are creatively stuck.

So, if you’re still reading this you’re probably a creative (shy) genius that needs a little push, like me. Here’s a few tips that helped me: • Become a goal (or gold, just as good) digger – have a vision in mind! Knowing what you want as your end product will help you to create mental steps that lead you to starting your creative process • No excuses – don’t blame your lack of creativity on the weather, the wrong time of the day or your mood. Sometimes just starting is enough, put pen to paper and know that you will learn and improve the more you get your rough copies out into the world • Set tasks – creativity doesn’t always come at once, and that’s okay! Set yourself a number of achievable goals in a short period of time (e.g. within a day) and use them to break down your project… it’s all in the process!

08

wo Chen 1. What job do you think you could lie your way into with no experience and no one would notice?

A TV presenter 2. Complete the sentence: Go out with me, I’ll provide you with…

Enriching conversations.

3. What does creativity look like to you?

Expressing one’s individual flare.

4. If you could try something with no consequences, what would it be?

Instant ramen for days.

5. Do you have a handy Avondale hack?

Bring a container to take extra food back from the Caf as study fuel in between meals, I like taking extra Weetbix and dates at brekkie.

6. What is one song that best describes your life?

That’s hard to choose as life is always evolving.

10

7. What’s the most important trait you look for in a relationship?

Empathy and kindness.

8. Name one thing you wish you did more of in your life and one thing you wish you did less.

To rest properly and spend less time on social media.

9. Do you have any hidden talents?

I’m a fairly competent hip hop dancer.

10. What is the most important legacy you want to leave behind at Avondale?

I think to be ‘known’ for the unique individual you are, made in the image of God, and to reach for all that God designed you to be, is the most satisfying thing in life. To be in relation with God and others that recognises this is the most enriching and fulfilling community one can foster and I hope to live my life in a way that nurtures an environment such as this.

man lindsay 1. What job do you think you could lie your way into with no experience and no one would notice?

I think it’d be awesome to be a test pilot. I feel like I could just fly around and punch out if things got tricky.

2. Complete the sentence: Go out with me, I’ll provide you with…

Pizza.

3. What does creativity look like to you?

I think creativity is when someone can continually find new ways to express themselves.

4. If you could try something with no consequences, what would it be?

Skydiving without a parachute.

7. What’s the most important trait you look for in a relationship?

I’m a big fan of being real, and people always being 100% themselves.

8. Name one thing you wish you did more of in your life and one thing you wish you did less.

I wish I got more involved in music when I was young.

9. Do you have any hidden talents?

I can do the Mexican wave with my eyebrows.

10. What is the most important legacy you want to leave behind at Avondale?

Biggest unnecessary dorm debt.

5. Do you have a handy Avondale hack?

Get a room near the guy with the xbox.

6. What is one song that best describes your life?

Ring the Bells by Johnnyswim, specifically the second verse.

11

artt thou complete?

Jefferson Shaw I remember hearing a question a fellow student had in my art class when I was young.

They asked, ‘When is my artwork finished?’.

It’s a question that has been reoccurring to me recently while doing some film editing work and writing poetry for the first time. On the surface it can seem like a very simple question, but the answer becomes difficult because it seems to me that art is never finished.

Well, ok. That’s an exaggeration, because everyone has to finish their art sometime.

Even if someone were to paint only a few brushstrokes, the minute nothing more was added, it becomes finished. Whether it’s a deadline to submit an assignment or the next meal for a starving musician or writer. The complicated question might be when is Art considered complete?

And how can we ever feel like an artwork is complete when others can interpret, appropriate, and expand upon our finished work? Art in this sense becomes a collaboration of the human existence, adding more and more, without end. It doesn’t have a conclusion, so it won’t ever be completed,— and to be honest that seems like a very sad conclusion to come to in this article, and at this point in semester, sadness is probably not what you need… since you probably have enough of that already.

12

The truth actually is, it isn’t sad. In fact, it’s beautiful. Art is not complete because it begs to be imitated, parodied, analysed and so forth. Creating a never-ending cycle of people striving to reimagine beauty and the human experience. Take for example the Cup song, popularised by the Pitch Perfect movie. Remember? Back when A cappella groups were new and cool on YouTube? Anyway, this song was originally ‘When I’m Gone’ by the Carter Family back in 1931. Later it was revamped in a YouTube video by Lulu and the Lampshades titled ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me’, and they added the cup idea, but were closer to the original vocals. It was only later still that Pitch Perfect picked up the song and had Anna Kendrick sing ‘Cups’. And we only see this connection because the inspirations are so blatant. The novels or songs we listen to are likely inspired by another artwork.

From a Christian perspective, Art without end can be seen as the entire world. The earth itself is often referred to as art, but as Christians, we believe that someday it will come to an end. But then we’ll see a new creation: Heaven. The world that we live in is only a sample of what is to come.

09

grey

14

kinchella

15

#avondalexp

09

campus business interviews

REJUVE IS THE BEST (AND ONLY) CAFE ON CAMPUS! BELINDA KENT MANAGES REJUVE AND HER PASSION FOR MAKING FOOD AT HOME FOR HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS HAS SPILLED INTO HER TALENT FOR THE CAFE.

AL OFF I E C

SP

R

E

Kody Dobson

REJUVE

bring this article in and receive a 10% discount on your haircut.

Why do you work at rejuve?

I work at Rejuve because I love coffee and people. I started visiting Rejuve in my first year at College and fell in love with the place! I love the atmosphere and the community of people who both work there and frequent it regularly.

What is your favourite product in rejuve?

My favourite product (besides coffee, of course) would have to be the ‘A Little Bit Extra’ Smashed Avocado - it is amazing!

What purpose does this business serve on campus?

I believe that Rejuve is primarily a place for students to hang out! Whether it be to study or socialise and whether you are an on campus student or off campus student, Rejuve is for you!

What do you create here?

I create most of the food options including the burgers, nachos, focaccias, toasties, salad wraps, salads, bircher mueslis and the freshly baked muffins!

What sells the best?

It varies a lot but I think at the moment, our nachos is our biggest seller.

18

What is your vision for rejuve in the future?

I’d love to see Rejuve continue to grow as it has in the past year or so. I’d love for it to be known as the student hub on campus, a place that offers quality service and serves good food, great coffee and awesome company. It’s a ministry. Our hope is that people might see God in the way we serve.

NATHALIE MICHELLE HAIR AND BEAUTY - HAIR DRESSER

BOOKSHOP

NATHALIE OWNS AND OPERATES THE SALON LOCATED NEAR THE COUNSELLING BUILDING ON CAMPUS. SHE LOVES TO CREATE MEMORIES WITH HER 3 AND 4 YEAR OLD BOYS AND OF COURSE HAIRDRESSING!

DOUG CLOETE RUNS THE BOOK STORE ON CAMPUS NEAR THE CAF. HE IS FASCINATED BY THE CREATIVE ARTS, ENJOYS SCULPTING AND PAINTING BUT WISHES HE HAD MORE TIME FOR IT!

What type of hair is your favourite to cut?

I love men’s haircuts for the fades, the creativity you can put into it is so exciting! But I also enjoy women’s hair because you have more to work with, you can incorporate shades colouring and layers.

What do you create here?

Nathalie Michelle offers the opportunity for someone to boost and enhance appearances as well as bring people’s ideas to life.

What purpose does this business serve on campus?

To provide a convenient location for students and staff to have their hair and beauty needs taken care of.

How much is a haircut?

Both male and Female cuts are $20.

How do I contact you/ Where are you located?

You can call me on 0450361232 or message me on Facebook. I am located behind the wellbeing centre, which is the first building after car park 1.

What is your vision for this hair dressing salon?

It would be awesome for the business to continue in the years to come and eventually get a bigger working space where it can provide an even greater service for staff and students.

What is your favourite book of all time?

Les Misrables – Victor Hugo How long have you been working in the book store for?

I’ve been here 11 Years What book would you recommend to students?

Future Babble – Dan Gardner (Why Expert Predictions Fail & Why We Believe Them Anyway) How many books are in here?

3500!

What purpose does this business serve on campus?

To support students through excellent service, by providing course textbooks at competitive prices, and provide stationary, binding, laminating, postal & courier services.

What is your vision for the book store?

Increased efficiencies, speedy reaction to changing trends, added value to the learning experience for Avondale students, and a pleasant interface for customers and visitors.

19

my creator Kemy Ogendi

As far as memory goes, mine is pretty mediocre. I frequently forget things like passwords, appointments and my own phone number (to be fair, you don’t call yourself).

I can, however, remember the words to The Saddle Club theme song* - after all these years! As adults, some of us still need to sing “The Alphabet Song” from time to time and that’s ok. There is no shame. Songs are just so easy to remember, they’re etched in the mind as we hear them. Do you recall that advertisement for the Reading and Writing Hotline? (“One, three, double OH, six, triple FIIIVE, oh, six” - I don’t know when I last heard that song, but it stuck!)

Music is incredible; sounds and words become something else when they’re intertwined - more pointed, more potent. For me, music is a place of refuge, a form of therapy, a conversation piece and a means of expression. However, it’s also a personal crutch, a distraction, a form of escapism and if I’m honest, a god. As a Christian, prayer, community and Scripture mean the world to me, but on a bad day, I’ll run and hide inside my headphones, I’ll write a song or sit at the piano for hours; it’s a knee jerk reaction, instinctual to a fault.

Now don’t get it twisted, I fully support having a playlist for every occasion, but let’s take a minute to confront the issue of idolatry (in my life, at least).

Here are two things that I am learning at the moment (and relearning and relearning):

1. Music is a beautiful thing, but it cannot compare to the God who created it.

2. God reveals His beauty in SO many different ways; Scripture, nature, literature, people… songs are simply a scratch on that surface. The same could be said for family, friendships, college, your significant other, your job, your studies… there are MUSIC IS A WAY OF WORSHIPPING HIM. things that we tend to enshrine as if they were God Himself. They’re not God, they’re just good.

A friend of mine shared this quote recently: “our identity, first and foremost, is who God calls us. Our gifts and talents are all great but they are secondary to His voice. We were never supposed to get our identity from what we can do because everything can change in an instant. Jobs can be lost, opportunities can be given to someone else, inspiration can run dry...” - Matt Stinton Looking at my life, God has been the only constant; music is a way of worshipping Him. I’m learning to seek God through music, not in it. Here’s to using creativity as a way of remembering my Creator. *Upon further research, I found out that there’s an extended version of ‘Hello World’ (From ‘The Saddle Club’) on YouTube which I intend to learn as soon as possible.

20

09

with

michelle down

1.What is your role at college?

I am the Director of Library Services, so I oversee the operation of both the Sydney Campus and Lake Macquarie Campus Libraries.

2.What do you love most about your job?

I love helping people and being able to assist students with their research and assignments gives us all a real buzz. Our staff are continually looking for ways to simplify processes and make research easy and productive.

3.What is one piece of advice you would give to stressed out students during Mad May? We know it’s a stressful time - we see it on your faces! Sydney Harris said, “The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it.” You probably feel like you are frantically busy, but taking time for exercise, quiet meditation and prayer, and sharing with others will work wonders. But be organised so that you still get that essential study done!

4.What goes into the managing and running of a library?

A lot goes on behind the scenes in a library - we don’t just read and shelve

22

books all day! I have to manage budgets and resources, liaise with staff and students and oversee library processes and procedures. Together with the enthusiastic staff in the library we work collaboratively to promote library resources and think of creative ways to help you all.

And talking about creativity, did you come to the recent Human Library event held in the library? There will be one next year, so watch for it.

Go to our Facebook page (Avondale College Library) and like us to receive cool updates on the exciting events that are happening in the library. There’s always something new happening and Tracey does a great job of letting you know the latest.

Our friendly and enthusiastic staff are here to help you - chat to us using Live Chat, or Book a Librarian using the new widget coming soon on the library homepage. And did you know you can now see the hours the library will be open and what is happening in the library on that day with our new widget? Like us on FB so you get notified of its arrival.

5.Tell us about your family.

I have three wonderful sons and a loving husband. I grew up in India with missionary parents (I went out when I was 8 months old) and only came back to Australia to attend Avondale. Talk about culture shock!

6.Do you have any hobbies?

I love reading (so appropriate for a librarian!) and I also love writing. I have stories published in Guide magazine regularly and plan to do more writing when I retire.

8.What is the best thing about a library?

Evolution. What I mean by that is seeing the ways libraries are continually changing and evolving. It’s an exciting space in which to work.

9.Did you study at Avondale?

Yes, I did primary teaching but as we shifted every year or so after I married I didn’t get to work much. I went back to Uni and did the librarian course in the 90s and have worked in libraries ever since.

7.What is your favourite book?

Hmmm, that’s a tough one. My favourite author when I was young was Jim Corbett who was a big game hunter in his spare time in India and freed many villages of the menace of a man-eating tiger or leopard. Exciting and true stories.

23

philosophy Jefferson Shaw

Petals and lust creep within this town.

Their caressed cheeks cause sinkholes in their minds.

This creased philosophy called together three friends to consume conversation and tea.

Realising their callous hearts had lied, they carried their footsteps across seas.

One of them returned to their tea; still hot.

24

09

tea Lorisse Bazley

“Spill the tea“. Universal female language 101.

Code for: What’s the latest gossip?

I am well versed in this dialect.

If it were possible, I’d have attained a PhD or something to that effect.

But the question remains…

Why has another person’s affairs become so appealing?

The intimate details, the dramatic revealing Picking apart the details like an all you can eat buffet.

Only they, still have the appetite for more.

Being “Petty” has become part of our culture.

To clap back, means you’re praised as a savage or a vulture.

At what point did we make it acceptable to tear each other down?

Break the chains that hold us captive let’s develop ways that make us adaptive.

Adaptive to encourage all who are in our presence.

Be a person that only tolerates truth and spread that very essence!

26

09

twenty-one Linda Ciric

One autumn evening as I was out on my usual stroll, I saw you. Through partially-opened blinds I watched you, watching the television. The hypnotic blue glow held your attention, like the stunning physique of a Victoria’s Secret model.

I stood there, and imagined your house as a museum and you as the artefact behind the glass. Your body now encased in plaster, and capturing your final moments before being burned alive by blistering Pompeiian lava.

Suddenly, your gaze met mine and those smiling eyes probably from a cheesy infomercial−narrowed in disgust.

It was then I prayed you did not know I lived at number twenty-one.

28

09

BLOSSOMS Chris McClelland

Stars blooming silver Like a thousand eyes of night And grass at my feet

30

09

Th e

Sh eet

This Issue our theme is creativity. Creativity is in the eye of the beholder, whatever your passion may be-music, videography, communication, drawing etc.-find a space that best inspires you to feel creative. Find a location that encourages a good headspace as well as creative boost, turn on some tunes, and let your creativity go wild.

APPS ProCreate (APP) For those people who love to draw or are interested in picking up a digital pen, Procreate enables you to draw with an amazing range of colours, brushes and vectorized content for high quality images without pixilation. This app is available on apple iPads compatible with the Apple Pen/Pencil. As a Graphic Artist myself, I highly recommend this app as I find it is the closest replica to the highest level of design – Photoshop (digital design) and ClipStudio Paint (Manga, Animation and digital art) in the comfort of your lap. { 10/10 }

SkillShare (APP) Whether you are already wanting to explore creative avenues or have already begun your journey and want to enhance your skill, this is a great app for you. It has a wide range of videos and in-depth tutorials that provide you with ways of enhancing your chosen creative pathway. { 7.5/10 }

Canva (APP/WEBSITE) Canva is a well-known design app which allows to creatively express yourself through design of posters, Social Media headers and so much more. { 8.5/10 } Pinterest (APP/WEBSITE) How could we do a Creative Issue and not mention Pinterest? Pinterest is a highly acclaimed outlet for people to find creative ideas as well as share their own.

This is a great place to start if you are lacking those creative juices and need a kick start.

32

Youtube Minnie Small: Minnie is a great resource if you are looking to get inspired in terms of creativity and writers block. There are so many specific channels that are out there that are specific to your task (writing, photography, art), but this channel is a great start to anyone looking to get in and get inspired. { 8/10 }

p l ay l i s t s For this issue, creativity is really defined by your own headspace, if you feel that you are best creative when listening to rap, awesome! If you get inspired by reggae-yeh mon!

Find your natural creative vibe and ride it till the end.

Creative Boost” on Spotify: Tunes to boost your natural creative cycle.

“Rad, Tad and a little Bad” by runawayirwin: This is my personal playlist which is a mixtape of fresh finds, chill hits and bops that personally help my creativity – and ease the hours of eye, hand and productivity strain. Be blessed. #blessupblessout

Coffitivity (website): For my ambience admirers out there, put yourself in a creative headspace with this café simulator for naturally bustling student locations like cafés…

(Or simply take your butt to Rejuve and hear it live.)

33

Get involved

@ T h e V o i c e Av o n d a l e