Y ou &
Nauru
ISSUE #05 OCTOBER 2016
Editorial
Contents
Allow me to tell you an inspirational story from my life.
Editor Claudia Houstoun
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August, 2016. 3:52 pm. I roll into Brisbane city, after an exceptionally fulfilling day of prac. I have to take a form to the Electoral Commission to avoid being fined $250 for not voting in a local council election.
Assistant Editor Sharna Kosmeier
Contributors
Aunt Edna’s Advice
#Avondalexp
Why is the traffic so bad? I wonder. I remember -Thor. Thor. They’re filming Thor in Brisbane today! Half the CBD streets have shut down. Walking down the street, people are crowded on the path and there’s a road full of yellow New York taxis. No Chris Hemsworth in sight, I press on. The road is full of huge boom-lights and catering caravans. An artificially red-headed lady steps out of one, carrying a dummy underneath a black sheet with a foot poking out.
Cover Art Viema Murray
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#WO/MAN
Contributors Wanted
You & Nauru
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Interview: Alex McAndrew
Avondale Green Week
Have you heard of Boccia?
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Albums of the Month
Spotlight on the Classical Musical
Why You Should Be Reading
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She falls into step in front of me, carrying her dummy merrily away from the film-set. A pen falls out of her pocket and she stops. She can’t stoop to pick it up, because she’ll drop the dummy. I step forward, pick up the pen and hand it back to her.
Graphic Designer Chloe Lwin
Special Thanks Dr Paul Stevenson Spring sun Gluten Andy Samberg Carolyn Rickett No Thanks Break FOMO Craptober Impending adulthood
“Thank you”, she says in an Australian accent and walks on. That, friends, is how I saved the production of Thor. Unlike me, the people in this issue seriously put themselves out to follow their consciences. Being the change ain’t easy. I think they’re pretty inspiring.
Acid Attack Survivor walks runway at NYFW
While You Were Sleeping
Claudia 03 | The Voice Issue 05 October 2016
Contributors
Karina Parker
Karina is your go-to-girl for colour-matching, holiday-planning and insta-advice .
Zoe Romero
Help! I really want to make a good impression on the girls in Ella this semester. What’s the best way to ensure my laundry looks spic and span? Viema Murray
Well my dear, I do have a few tips up my sleeve, one of these is that you could wash your clothes. I’ve seen the state of some of you boys in Watson Hall and quite frankly, I am disappointed. If you want to impress these ladies, you will need to begin by wearing fresh clean clothes each day. When you wash your clothes ensure you separate your colours from your whites and remember that a little bit of Napisan Oxyaction goes a long way. If you are a mummy’s boy who has never been taught how to use a washing machine at home, try asking Uncle Shane for some tips. Now he’s a man who knows how to keep his laundry looking spic and span! I can’t think of any other tips off the cuff to help you right now my dear, but I would recommend wearing a nice shirt and tie to your lectures each day. It would really suit you!
Kyle Armstrong
Keep sending your questions to #askAuntEdna, I love sharing my knowledge with the future of Avondale.
Viema once got a detention in school for not having her hair tied back. She has been the resident rebel ever since.
Zoe recently got hitched and thinks Townsville is the best place in Australia. Bethany Morrow
Beth loves acai bowls, Russia and long Taylor Swift sing-alongs.
Marcel Neuhoff
Marcel is an Arts student and an absolute visionary, who appreciates Richie’s decision, and at last, his gorgeous absence from Channel Seven.’
Once the proud parent of a rainbow lorikeet, Kyle now spends his days soulfully being the Eagles mascot.
Tata for now love, Aunt Edna xx
Alex McAndrew
Soon-to-be Tasmanian citizen and trail bike enthusiast.
Do you have a question for Aunt Edna? Email thevoice@avondale.edu.au 05 | The Voice Issue 05 October 2016
THANK YOU FOR
#avondalexp tag to be featured in our next issue!
WO/MAN
WRITTEN BY KYLE ARMSTRONG
King Kyle is back, bringing you Avondale’s finest.
How are you still single? I haven’t cracked the top five pun-makers on campus yet.
Madeleine Rashleigh Do you have any nicknames? The most common would definitely be Maddie. Unfortunately, I’ve lately been receiving Mad Rash from a number of people. How are you still single? I guess I must just be too perfect that every guy feels unworthy – at least this is what I tell myself to stop the tears. What do you look for in a guy? That they are non-fictional and vegetarian. What would be your ideal romantic holiday destination? Somewhere tropical, so that we can both relax on a peaceful beach drinking our coconut water like Rhonda and Ketut. #couplegoals Who is your celebrity crush? Does Spiderman count? What is your most attractive feature? Probably my ability to eat the Caf food and not miss meat since I’m the coolest vegetarian out.
Do you have any nicknames? In Year Four everyone called me The Steam Train.
Describe your perfect date. A romantic picnic with our with kebabs from Nargis. Only 6 bucks and definitely worth it. Do you have any special talents? I cook a mean vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese, and I’m pretty talented at subtly slipping it in to everyday conversation that I am in fact a vegetarian. Shocker I know… bet you had no idea. What’s the most unattractive thing in a guy? Probably if they’re self-conceited and arrogant. What is the most important thing in a relationship? Well in my case it’d have to be that they accept/put up with my crazy and weird obsessions and personality. I really am pretty cool by the way. At least that’s what my mum says.
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What is your most attractive feature? I used to be able to count to three in five different languages. What would be your ideal romantic holiday destination? Bora Bora, French Polynesia looked alright on Google.
Lachlan Harders Do you have any special talents? I almost did a cartwheel once. What’s the most unattractive thing in a girl? If she can’t have a laugh at herself. What is the most important thing in a relationship? Leaving room for the Holy Spirit.
Who is your celebrity crush? Betty White. What do you look for in a girl? Eyes. Describe your perfect date. 6th of October, 1997.
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Contributors Wanted BE PART OF OUR NEXT ISSUE
Be strong & courageous.
Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
Writers • Artists • Photographers • Web designers • Social media managers Would you like to be involved, but don’t know how? Is there an issue you’d like The Voice to cover? Do you know someone with a good story? Speak to Claudia or Sharna Text 0468377938 Email: thevoice@avondale.edu.au
Fairfax Media via Getty Images
WRITTEN BY ZOE HILTON ROMERO
‘This is a population of people intent on killing themselves.’ These were the chilling words spoken to me one evening on a Skype call from London. Paul Stevenson, a psychologist and traumatologist, had graciously agreed to speak to me of his time at the Nauru Regional Processing Centre. Many refugees are stuck on Nauru and Manus with no hope of a better future. The Age recently released an article entitled The Men of Manus, where they profiled men - men just like you, or your boyfriend or your brother. These men had seen it all. Take Omid. Part of a persecuted minority, he helped the USA-Australia military alliance in Afghanistan and was threatened with death by the Taliban because of it. Omid learned English through reading Romeo and Juliet five times over while detained at Nauru. He wanted a safe life for his family, and he has been constantly denied this. These are the people Paul saw during his time there. 12 | The Voice Issue 05 October 2016
Nauru houses fewer than 1,500 refugees. This is essentially the population of Avondale. Among this small population, the suicide rate is four times the national average. And that’s not including the rate of self-harm and attempted suicides. In this place of despair, Paul’s role was to meet with the guards after each and every incident - many of which they had perpetrated (as reported by The Guardian1). In addition to these responsibilities he spent his spare time with the refugees. This gave him first-hand experience of the chilling suicide statistics, as well as the high rate of mental health issues and child abuse. Paul’s long career in traumatology has led him to many disaster areas, more notably the Port Arthur massacre, the Boxing Day tsunami and the Bali bombings. Having experienced much over his 25-year career, he has developed unique skills which make him especially qualified to speak out against what he saw at Nauru. He knew exactly what he was up against - and yet his sense of justice prevailed. Unable let what he was seeing continue, Paul spoke out to The Guardian. Immediately following this, he was terminated from his position and has now dedicated his life to campaigning for the rights of the Asylum Seekers detained on Nauru and Manus Island. Paul now dedicates the majority of his time to raising awareness for the issues, at great personal expense. He was recently instrumental in a petition that was delivered to the House of Representatives asking for the centres to be closed, and the detainees to be moved on-shore for processing. He also travels the country speaking on refugee rights, as well as speaking with members of parliament. In speaking out, Paul has paved the way for others with concrete evidence (Nauru Files, 10/08/16). However, the sad reality is that those willing to join him are few and far between. It seems that we as Australians have become numb. We just don’t care - but we should. These people have risked everything to seek a better life for themselves, and yet we treat them worse than criminals. 13 | The Voice Issue 05 October 2016
Paul J. Stevenson
You and Nauru: my conversation with Paul J Stevenson OAM
As students at College, we are seeking better lives for ourselves when we go to work, embrace adventure, or strive to better ourselves in any way, we are seeking a better life. Since when did this luxury become selective?
One Year On – my year of service
NEWSFLASH: being born in Australia does not give you the right to refuse someone a chance at a better life simply because they were born into different circumstances. Granted, it is our prerogative as a sovereign nation to ensure our country’s safety. But there are ways to do this which do not involve treating our fellow human beings as animals. We as Australians have the privilege of existing in a peaceful country: this is a gift which should be shared - and this is what people like Paul understand. There is a gross injustice occurring, but we have the power to change directions. Change IS coming, people are waking up, and we can all help. We need to quit hiding and make our voices heard. It doesn’t take much to be on the right side of history, to stand up and say “This is wrong”. Paul Stevenson did, and change is happening. The tides are turning. My talk with Paul concluded on a very positive note - if things continue, and people speak up, these people will be out of detention and given a fair go by Christmas. So please, don’t sit silent. Be a voice in the darkness and we may very well give people just like us the best Christmas present ever.
You can read the Nauru Files at bit.ly/2cGYDUQ and more of Paul’s story at bit. ly/2010HGL 1. The Nauru files: cache of 2,000 leaked reports reveal scale of abuse of children in Australian offshore detention, The Guardian, 10/08/2016 2. Paul is holding a conference in Sydney on November 25 speaking about these very issues. Visit pauljstevenson.com for more.
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INTERVIEW: ALEX MCANDREW What did you do? From mid2014 to mid-2015, I volunteered at Cambodia Adventist School as the high school English and Drama teacher. During time off I volunteered at different NGOs. Why did you go? I’d been to Cambodia a few times before and met a heap of people who were engaged in various projects all over the country. On my third trip over, I volunteered at Betreed Adventures where I continued to fall in love with service and the Khmer people. During that time, I was introduced to the principal of CAS, which led to me heading back over six months later. It was a case of God opening one door after another which made it clear that I was supposed to be at CAS that year.
How did you feel when leaving Cambodia? I felt really odd, a weird mix of happiness, sadness and guilt. I’d built some great relationships in the community and felt like I was bailing on them. At the time I was seriously considering just ditching College and staying there. At the same time, I knew I needed to go home and see my family. Was it difficult adjusting to life back in Australia? It was really hard moving back. Initially, I was on fire and had become a little Khmer in my thinking. I was pretty judgemental and it took a while to get used to Australian life again. I wasn’t used to wasting time, spending money and the general bitchiness we Australians share. Dorms were the hardest, I’d lived in the steeple of a church for a year, so the noise and games of dorms definitely affected me. In saying that, I’m now the one creating the noise again so I think I’m fine!
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Spring is when life’s
ALIVE
Avondale Green Week WRITTEN BY BETHANY MORROW
in everything.
Christina Rossetti
Week 10, assignments are in full swing but Pulse is over and the campus has gone bit quiet. How are we supposed to fill our weekly quota of procrastination? I’m here to invite you to be a part of Green Week. During Week 10 we will be hosting heaps of fun events. So, if you’ve ever wanted to plant a tree, help clean up a beach or ride your bike to College this is your chance! However, Green Week is more than just a fun way to avoid studying (cause let’s be honest, those are pretty easy to find!), it’s your chance to take action and help fight climate change. The Green Week team believe that taking care of our environment should be a part of all of our lives. Climate change is real and is affecting some of the world’s most vulnerable people. So, consider this your call to action. Chuck on some overalls, strap on that bike helmet and get keen for Green Week! Step 1: Like us on Facebook to find out how you can get involved! 17 | The Voice Issue 05 October 2016
Have You Heard of Boccia? WRITTEN BY SHARNA KOSMEIER
Albums of the Month WRITTEN BY CLAUDIA HOUSTOUN
Fingertips - Vera Blue She started life on the talent show that stole our name, but Celia Pavey has distanced herself from those sweet, Celtic-country beginnings. Her storytelling instinct remains, though, and her voice is a Siren, luring sailors to murky electro shipwreck. It cuts through the mellow beats of stripped-back Hold and gives depth to chartfillers like Fingertips. The material plays with darkness and the electro-folk meshes don’t always quite work, but I suspect we ain’t seen nothing yet. Top tracks: Settle and Patterns. So the Olympics, a big leap-yearly hype of sport and national pride that has us craning our necks to the Caf TV and suddenly developing a keen interest in men’s gymnastics actually finished just over a month ago and to be honest, I’m sure we haven’t really thought much about it since then. Then, following the closing ceremony by just over two weeks was the Paralympics. Unfortunately, it’s probably not as hyped as the traditional summer Olympics, but no less deserving of our awe. As most of you would know, this form of Olympics is reserved for athletes with a disability to showcase their sporting prowess, allowing them to compete at a professional level with a global audience. What you may not have considered is how the various disabilities are actually categorised. There are actually ten categories that differentiate between the disabilities, including impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia, ataxia,
athetosis, vision impairment and intellectual impairment (Sports, 2016). Now that’s just a lot of big words in one sentence, but it basically means that this classification system allows the paralympians a fair-as-possible playing field. Of course, traditional sports form the backbone of the competition, but when you have such a unique cohort of athletes, the comp deserves some exclusivity. Boccia (BOT-CHA), played in the Paralympics is a wheelchair-only, mixed-gender game similar to lawn bowls in which the player aims to throw coloured leather balls as close as they can to a target called a ‘jack’. Other sports such as athletics swimming also feature across both kinds of Olympics. And, in case you were really looking for some eye-watering motivation today, YouTube “We’re the Superhumans” and thank me later. Sports, F. (2016). Paralympics 2016: All you need to know about Rio’s second bout of sports - Firstpost. F.Sports. Retrieved 18/09/2016, from http://www.firstpost.com/sports/paralympics-2016-all-youneed-to-now-about-rios-second-bout-of-sports-2990778.html
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Lonesome Dreams - Lord Huron So it’s not a new album but it’s not like you care, so we’re all happy. This record is a gift from folk outfit Lord Huron, who recently featured at Byron Blues Fest. It’s an audible pang for wilderness, with vistas of pine forest and midnight lakes and twinkling desert skies. Nods to Paul Simon and Mumford & Sons set a wide scope, from cowboy harmonies in shin-diggy Time to Run to whispering acoustics and spectral marimba in Lullaby. Perfect for sitting in the library, gazing at the mountains, knowing where you’d rather be. Top tracks: She Lit a Fire and The Ghost on the Shore Every Night the Same Dream - Ball Park Music This one’s the musical equivalent of whiling away endless lectures, holding your breath for summer. Three albums in, Brisbane indies BPM are loyal to their garage-band roots but hint at ferocity. Flashes of Queen and Magical Mystery Tour-era Beatles float to the surface in a hazy reverie of synths, low-fi guitar and dribbled vocals. The first half lets out steam with all things jangly and frenetic like the jammy Ever Since I Turned the Lights Out before breezing into the sweetly plodding second half, anchored by the lead’s ode to his wife Leef. Top tracks: Peppy and Whipping Boy 19 | The Voice Issue 05 October 2016
Spotlight on the Classical Musical WRITTEN BY MARCEL NEUHOFF
There’s just something about old-school musicals. The epic numbers with their flashy, feathered costumes, and the smooth melodies accompanying unashamedly token love stories – the 50’s and 60’s were definitely the golden years for musical cinema. With My Fair Lady now on stage at the Opera House, directed by Julie Andrews no less, there’s never been a better time to impress that music student you fancy by brushing up on the musicals of yesteryear. High Society (1956) In the time when music stars ruled the box office, High Society combines Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Louis Armstrong with his entire band, with the effortless Grace Kelly in her final performance before becoming Princess of Monaco. Laid-back, successful jazz performer C.K Dexter-Haven (Crosby) lives next door to his sophisticated ex-wife, Tracy (Kelly), who is intent on a marrying a dull businessman. Complications multiply when charming reporter Mike (Sinatra) arrives to cover the wedding and falls for the bride-to-be. As Connor and C.K try to soften her icy exterior, the big day looms and it’s up to Tracy to decide what she really wants in life. High Society is light-hearted and fun. The music is definitely the real winner, featuring Sinatra’s ‘Sensational’, Crosby’s ‘True Love’, and of course Armstrong’s infectious vocals and trumpet tunes that all but steal the show. Camelot (1967) A regal Richard Harris (Gladiator, 2002) and elegant Vanessa Redgrave star as the legendary English King and Queen of the Round Table in this lavish film. A vibrant King Arthur’s courting and marriage to the beautiful Guinevere is played out in epic fashion through glittering sets, brimming with platearmoured knights and gaudily-laced maidens. But happily-ever-aftering is gradually threatened by the schemes of the brooding Mordred and Guinevere’s growing affection for dashing Lancelot. An aging Arthur slowly loses grip on his beloved queen and Camelot itself. Harris’ wistful performance of ‘How to Handle a Woman’ is possibly the best sequence, while the classic ‘If Ever I should Leave You’ adds further class to this criminally underappreciated production. 21 | The Voice Issue 05 October 2016
Why You Should Be Reading WRITTEN BY LAURA MITCHELL
Acid Attack Survivor Walks Runway at New York Fashion Week WRITTEN BY KARINA PARKER
When was the last time that you sat down and read a book? Not a caption, FB status, or news article - but an actual hard-copy, action-packed, few-hundredpage novel? People often question why I read books when “the movies are so much cooler.” WELL siddown, movie-lovin’ folks, and let me learn you a thing or two about edu-ma-catin’ the jelly in your noggin! Our brain interprets paper stories in a completely different way to narratives on screen. Dr Tim Jennings (author: The God-Shaped Brain) describes the way that television and movies send information straight to your brain’s emotional centre without processing it first. Who knew that those bright lights, pretty colours and emotional soundtracks would quite literally hit us “straight in the feels”? He explains that the correlation between television consumed and emotional instability is ridiculously high. Reading has the opposite effect - it actually has crazy health benefits (wave goodbye to chia and kale). Just a few novels later you’ll find yourself with a boosted vocabulary, lowered stress and increased imagination to make you an innovative group project member, not to mention an entertaining conversationalist at your next party, potluck, or pirate ship… whoops, there I go again using my shiny new imagination upgrade! In all seriousness, let’s not forget that reading has the power to lower risks of mental disorders, improve memory and brain function, decrease symptoms of depression, and raise emotional intelligence. Yes - there is a downside. Unlike blog posts and news articles, books take long periods of concentration. Difficult at first, but reading will dramatically increase your attention span - and I think we all need a good dose of that. Your brain is a muscle too (well, sort of), and if you’re already doing leg and arm day, why not brain day too? Here’s the kicker - reading books helps you live longer and makes you seem like a more interesting person to the opposite sex. What are you waiting for?!?! Dust off your bookshelf right now! 22 | The Voice Issue 05 October 2016
Reshma Qureshi’s life changed drastically at age 17. In 2014, her brother-inlaw threw acid on her face. The attack took place as Reshma’s brother-in-law mistook her for her elder sister, since both of them were wearing burqas. She was left with horrific facial scarring and vision impairment. Things took a turn for the better when she met Ria Sharma, the founder of Make Love Not Scars, an NGO that pioneered the #EndAcidSale movement in India in 2015 with Reshma as its ambassador. They used short videos to promote their message and in the episodes Reshma would usually give a beauty tip and follow it up by talking about how it was easier to buy concentrated acid in the country, than getting your hands on the perfecat beauty product. Her videos went viral. Reshma was invited by FTL Moda to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week. This follows their decision to have Madeline Stuart, a model with Down Syndrome, walk the runway in the 2015 NYFW show. Two years after the acid attack, Reshma confidently strutted down the runway, as a beacon of hope to so many other acid attack survivors, aspiring of moving on to a better life. Hopefully, not only will her step help change the societal perception of beauty but more importantly turn the lens on an important issue plaguing the women of the country. In other Fashion Week news, Kanye West’s season 4 collection was unveiled at an abandoned small pox hospital, which show-goers were escorted to on an hour-long bus ride. Attendees watched on as models fainted in the heat and fell off the runway as their shoes broke. At the conclusion of the show, one attendee speculated whether it was “part of some ‘performance’ and we’re all being trolled”. 23 | The Voice Issue 05 October 2016
while you were
sleeping...
Japanese fans have dismissed Hollywood’s rebooted Godzilla as too
fat. Online fans have dubbed the 2016 film’s version of the Japanese-born character “marshmallow Godzilla” and “supersize-me”, saying “It’s true that you gain weight in America. It’s a calorie monster.” (SBS News)
In the world of Trump, Pauline Hanson has stretched the hand of friendship across the Pacific by hiring one of The Donald’s former advisors. According to her chief-of-staff James Ashby, “..that’s pretty exciting and we [One Nation] need to build credibility...” (SBS News)
Elves
have forced the Iceland Road Administration to halt work at a sacred site. They reportedly caused local flooding, machinery failure and injuries after Álfkonusteinn, the enchanted Elfin Lady Stone, was mistakenly buried during construction. Workers were puzzled by the disasters but “Nobody even thought of the rock”, according to boss Sveinn Zophoniasson. The rock was eventually remembered and uncovered. (SBS News)
Avondale has been setting food trends since at least 1897,
according to new research. Australia has the third fastest-growing market for vegan food in the world, behind only China and the United Arab Emirates. Alternative milks are the most popular product, so stock up on So Good while you can. (Sydney Morning Herald)
A Jewish couple from Melbourne who met in a labour camp recently celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Sigi and Hanka Siegreich, now 91 and 93, met in Poland and were married 20 days later, after their camp was liberated. According to Sigi, “When I saw her, the whole world was turning around me. I saw a pair of beautiful eyes and I heard bells ringing.”
(ABC News)
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#avondalexp