Togatus Edition #3 2019

1

Togatus is published by the TUU State Council on behalf of the Tasmania University Union (henceforth known as “the publishers”) It is understood that all submissions to Togatus are the intellectual property of the contributor. However, the publishers reserve the right to reproduce material on the Togatus website at togatus.com.au Togatus Team: Editor-in-Chief: Joe Brady Deputy Editor: Logan Linkston Publication Director: Monte Bovill Creative Director: Maddie Burrows Graphic Designer: Liam Johnson Foreign Correspondent: Bethany Green Copy Editor: Anastasia Stojanovič Editorial Assistants: Genevieve Holding, LJ Parks, Mackenzie Stolp,

Megan Oliver, Morgan Fürst, Pius Kung, Tyra Kruger Togatus welcomes all your contributions.

Please email your work and ideas to contributions@togatus.com.au Edition 1, 2019 Contributors: Dan Prichard, Elise Sweeney, Joseph Schmidt, Joshua Scott, Lizzie Dewis, LJ Parks, Mackenzie Stolp, Megan Oliver, Miles Kahles, Norah Wenrui Wu, Rainer Curcio Edition 2, 2019 Contributors: Dalipinder Singh Sandhu, Dan Prichard, Elise Sweeney, James Kelly, Joseph Schmidt, Lili Koch, Nathaniel Lau, Norah Wenrui Wu, Sophie Sliskovic, UPS Team, Will Boddy Edition 3, 2019 Contributors: Dalipinder Singh Sandhu, Dan Prichard, Eden Noble, James Kelly, Joseph Schmidt, Miles Kahles, Niamh Schofield, Norah Wenrui Wu, Sarah Davison, Taylar Bowerman Online Contributors as of August 2019: Benjamin Dudman, Lili Koch, Niamh Schofield, Thomas Bearman, Zoe Stott The opinions expressed herein are not those of the editors, the publishers, the University of Tasmania, or the Tasmania University Union. Reasonable care is taken to ensure that Togatus articles and other information are up-to-date and as accurate as possible at the time of publication, but no responsibility can be taken by Togatus for any errors or omissions.

Contact Togatus: Website: togatus.com.au Facebook: @TogatusOnline Twitter & Instagram: @togatus_ Post: PO Box 5055, UTAS LPO, Sandy Bay 7005 Email: contact@togatus.com.au Contribute: contributions@togatus.com.au Advertise: marketing@togatus.com.au Togatus is printed by Monotone Art Printers.

2

3

WanderLust

2

4 4 6 8 Motivation on the Rocks with a Drive, Please!

The Small Distilleries Behind a Billion Dollar Industry

Purgatorials

Yo u

12 14 16 18 The Modern Face of Greed Piano, Piano

20 Let Them Eat Avo

Ar e

3,

He 201 re 9

To ga tu s: Ed iti on

The Seven Sinful Students

10 22 24 26

30 The Deadly Game-Breaking Sinz

34 36 38 40 42 Fallen From Grace

44 People That Dislike You

Fatal Colour

The World’s Best Painting App Made Right Here in Hobart

Bystanders and the Eighth Deadly Sin

The Virtues of Studio Ghibli

32

Don’t Drop the F-Bomb

An Unlikely Marriage

28 46 48 50 52

5

Dalipinder Singh Sandhu

Contributors Dan Prichard

Niamh Schofield

James Kelly

Norah Wenrui Wu

Miles Kahles

6

Artwork

Online

Eden Noble James Kelly Joseph Schmidt Monte Bovill Taylar Bowerman

Niamh Schofield

Sarah Davison

Editorial Assistant

Genevieve Holding

Togatus Team

Editorial Assistant

LJ Parks

Editor-in-Chief

Joe Brady

Deputy Editor

Editorial Assistant

Logan Linkston

Mackenzie Stolp

Publication Director

Editorial Assistant

Monte Bovill

Megan Oliver

Creative Director

Editorial Assistant

Maddie Burrows

Morgan FĂźrst

Graphic Designer

Liam Johnson

Foreign Correspondent

Editorial Assistant

Copy Editor

Editorial Assistant

Bethany Green

Anastasia StojanoviÄ?

Pius Kung

Tyra Kruger

7

Purgatorials Pride (Superbia)

Sloth (Acedia)

Logan Linkston

Monte Bovill

The Seven Deadly Sins theme was born during one of many late night Togatus phone calls with Joe. Edition three falls during the dead of winter and we decided a dark, somewhat sinister and yet sensual theme was ideal. All we could talk about was using Brad Pitt’s line, “WHAT’S IN THE BOX?!” for the tagline (if y’all don’t get that reference, I don’t know what to do with you). The fact that there are seven senior staff members just made it even more perfect.

This particular sin isn’t applied to me in irony, because it is hilariously opposite from who I am — in fact I was feeling quite personally attacked when I read how pride is often associated with creating conflict and the failure of romantic relationships. It was a weird horoscope kind of moment. And I’m really trying not to think about how I’m also considered the worst and most deadly sin.

I have a lack of interest or enthusiasm for many things, whether it be getting up early or drinking coffee. And in most cases, these instances of apathy are harmless.

But there are some aspects of life where there is a little bit too much apathy, and now is our time to change that. In many aspects, the way in which the vast majority of UTAS students have interacted with the Tasmanian University Union over the last few years directly relates back to the deadly sin of sloth – without much care. But why?

Good news is, it is one of the few sins that’s considered to have a virtuous side.

The student representatives that make up the TUU have the wider student interest at heart. They sit on countless University committees, share student opinions and deliver services to students – basically the complete opposite to what sloth represents. It may not seem like the couple of dollars of SSAF that goes to the Union each year does much, but it matters, and it matters a lot.

Without that student voice, it’s hard to imagine what our University would look like today.

You can take pride in your country, your community or yourself. But God forbid we take too much pride in something, it could turn into nationalism or vanity. We’re told our whole lives to believe that we can do anything and then we’re told our dreams are unrealistic and we need to be more practical.

It’s also important to remember that not all of the 35,000 students that study at UTAS are going to be happy with what the TUU is doing, but, at the end of the day, the TUU reps are students, just like the rest of us. It is time for the student body to start working and engaging with the people that represent us.

But conflict and failed relationships aside, when I think about it, I do take pride in a lot of things — colour coordinated lecture notes, a bangin outfit, getting a good grade on an assessment, a perfectly edited Instagram photo. Something tells me I might not be alone in that. I believe in appreciating life’s little pleasures and I think y’all should too.

With the annual TUU elections fast approaching, now is the time to start breaking away from the sloth, particularly on issues as important as this.

8

Envy (Invidia) ^

Anastasia Stojanovic

Envy can be one of the most misunderstood deadly sins, often confused with greed. Rather than possessing an insatiable desire for material gain, to envy is to want something that someone else has. Also, the Cambridge Dictionary describes that to be the envy of someone is “to be liked and wanted by a lot of people.”

Envy can now be found in the form of social media, where some have an unhealthy obsession with wanting constant attention and to be liked by others. Instagram’s recent change that hides the number of likes people receive on their posts has been met with uncertainty — there’s no public validation when the world can’t see how many likes a post gets. While some might celebrate the attempt to remove envy from the Gram, others might prefer to gain public validation from another social media platform. The internet has made it almost impossible not to commit this deadly sin — it seems envy and social media go hand-in-hand. But… this change could start a trend for other sites to follow suit.

To envy is to be dissatisfied with one’s own assets or abilities and long for someone else’s.

For me, I am envious of a lot of things. I envy the people in my family who can speak another language besides English; I envy friends who seem more put together than me, despite being the same age; and I envy celebrities who’ve already found success for things about which they are passionate. If anything, I believe envy represents one’s own insecurities and serves as motivation for what you want to achieve the most.

Gluttony (Gula) Liam Johnson

Simply put, gluttony is about excess.

It is over-indulgence, over-consumption and over the moon — historically gluttony refers to gorging on all things food. Usually considered by many to be wasteful, meaning that others would go without. One could indirectly murder another by denying them food. Not to mention our worldwide dependence on eating animals which we prefer not to think about.

I wouldn't say I'm a gluttonous person, at least not in the traditional sense. Anyone who knows me knows I'm famously not gluttonous at all, especially when it comes to food.

But at the same time if we take a broader view, I’m completely and utterly gluttonous. I guess it depends on how you look at it — I work in large blocks of time, indulging in deprivation in order to deliver my artwork on time and to the absolute highest standard.

Everything else be damned. Gluttony always brings connotations of physical indulgence but I'd classify myself as a gluttonous workaholic. I don't necessarily like that but… it's just how I operate. If I'm committed to something, then full steam ahead… right off a cliff.

Ten out of ten. Would ride again.

As they say, ‘Everything in moderation’ but I say not! If I'm committed to something, like attaining mastery in my craft, then full steam ahead… right off a cliff. Ten out of ten. Would ride again. But if I’m not interested. Well, I’ll avoid it like the fucking plague and put it off ad infinitum.

Anyway, go on and be a glutton. Find all those juicy avocado's I've hidden for you.

9

Wrath (Ira) Joe Brady

The thing that surprises me about adulthood is just how angry I seem to be all the time.

I’m ready to crack heads after watching an elevator approach me with a detour on every floor, and any number of careless inconveniences by strangers has the squeaky-voiced fascist inside of me wheedling the throng of my heart. Damn it, Il Duce yells, the trains will run on time!

The way people talk about wrath, you’d think it was the thinking man’s choice of instinctive rage. It implies the sort of cunning needed to enact revenge or satisfy the angered, and while we can’t condone it in school or the gospel, it’s at least an attractive way to sin.

It recalls images of masculine anti-heroes defying sanctity to get things done. There’s sex in it.

The problem with attractive wrath is that it requires you to act cool to justify it. That is not within the ability of most students, nor the kind of people that write editorials.

I am a wrathful person, but I find myself seething at elevators instead of hunting my wrongdoers. There’s no sex in that. What’s so attractive about a grown man dialling Thyssenkrupp or Mitsubishi Electric to whine about their lift algorithms?

So perhaps a proper debasing is in order. I think popular culture places too great a standard on those trying to qualify as ‘sinners’. Sure, wrath may look attractive on Harrison Ford or Emily Blunt, but what about Harry Downluck and Joe Glum, fuming quietly over the piece of shit that took the last hash brown at the breakfast buffet?

How are these unrealistic depictions of wrath supposed to make slobs like them feel?

I for one resonate strongly with Harry Downluck’s tale of a breakfast heist (as recalled to me in furious bluster).

So let’s naturalise everyday wrath and put it back in the hands of ordinary men and women. We’ll never be confident enough to act on our murderous instincts, which evaporate as quickly as they appear. Nor will we do much other than complain quietly to the trusted around us. Sins can often be just as quiet as they are loud.

Welcome to the Edition 3, the edition of quiet sins.

We’ve got pages full of good stuff ahead of you. This stuff is for you guys — the kinds of losers who read editorials. We’re all sinners at heart, so there’s no shame in indulging them now and then. Let’s reclaim sins as the boring, domestic symptoms of mortality that they are.

Avocado Treasure Hunt!

The mysterious Captian Odacova has hidden a grand bounty right under your nose and within it, a treasure trove of riches!

The bounty is none other than glorious avocados, and the riches, well they're bragging rights. You'll need a keen eye and a sharp hook to uncover them all.

Here's some advice, trust me, you'll need it: Avocados cannot hide in the fine print of articles, the likes of which you are reading right now. They simply wouldn't fit. But anything else is fair game.

The mischievous little fruits are commonly found pear-shaped with a pip in the centre. However, do not be taken for a fool my friend. The rare avocados take far more difficult forms so treat anything unusual with suspicion.

10

Greed (Avaritia)

Lust (Luxuria)

Togatus

Maddie Burrows

Wasn’t it Dickens who wrote ‘it was the best of times, it was the worst of times?’ Well, considering not a single person at Togatus has read a book, we interpret that to mean you should make the ‘worst of times’ the ‘best times’.

That’s right, honey, we’re buying our way to freedom, and you’d be a fool not to think the suit-wearing lanyardbrained office jockeys around you aren’t doing the same.

It’s time to meet the misunderstood sister of Love and Desire, and the unwanted cousin of Passion and Devotion, the so called ‘deadly sin’ — Lust. She is often mistaken for being uncontrollably aroused or sexually deceiving. Life amongst the Deadly Sins within us is lonely but it’s time for your first date with Lust in the start of a committed relationship, because she’s no longer just here to hook-up.

You hear a lot of talk today about climate change. Well, we're no climate magazine, but the soul of the entrepreneur is primed for change. That’s your opportunity to strike. A future you is rich. You’ve just got to find your way to them.

Lust is often interpreted as the desire for immediate pleasure of an arousing nature, which is usually only around for a short time. However, lust can coexist in our lives as deep passion, a longing for achievement and a desire for goodness. You can lust after the happiness of your loved ones, and lust after your lunch! Get off your Tinder, Wish and UberEats, and lust for creativity, culture and peace. Let kinder emotions fuel your inner passions, give them space to grow and climax to success.

1.

Set to work accumulating absurd levels of wealth.

This is the tricky bit, but scanning ads in an airline mag for Aussie unis offering MBAs is a good start.

2.

Acquire enough sociopathic tendencies to embed yourself parasitically in the financial sector. Then, suck like a tick, baby.

3.

Purchase isolated land with satisfactory buffer zones against neighbouring properties. Ensure your purchase is at least 200m above sea level. Artesian wells and unusually stupid wildlife are all bonuses that will carry you into prosperity post-collapse.

4.

Liquify your assets and move them into hard currency, or better yet — tradable goods.

5.

Consider purchasing the talents of a child slave to maintain your property. Only consider this precollapse with cryptocurrency or iTunes gift cards.

6.

Finally, pay desperate people to smuggle weapons on their body into the country. The more firepower you acquire, the better your seat at the negotiating table in the post-collapse world. Investing in exotic items like nerve gasses and spent fission cores is tempting but consider your financial situation and strategic interests before investing in these items.

7.

Profit.

If your conscience intervened at any point upon reading this list, no matter how fleeting, we’ve got bad news — Tog will own people like you in the new age. It’s not a matter of suppressing altruistic impulses, but denying their existence altogether. Your mind is as serene as a tea house on a still lake, perfect for acts of ravenous consumption and violence when the last of the ice-caps fall into the sea.

Now, don't forget your humble student magazine and her faithful editorial team when you’re crushing human skulls to make protein powder in the end times.

If you let her, Lust can show you the way to a stronger relationship your passions in life and with the things you love. Don’t be fooled by the myths of Lust which steer towards the desire for non-permanency. It’s easy to lust after instant gratification, objects, emotions, experiences and people, none of which can last forever and require repositioning in our lives with Lust. Let’s get back to basics and start caring about the things that really matter, and give Lust a chance to show us the way.

Hmm, it seems there are

9

avocados in this edition!

Note: The one under the magnifying glass on the left there doesn't count.

11

The Seven Sinful Students Megan Oliver

The postponing of required readings and sensible preparation Creates little understanding and stress from procrastination Classes once interesting now seem stressful and irrelevant And those days of arriving late are only to their detriment ‘I’ll do it eventually’ is a phrase that is a tragic farce And at this rate, it will be a miracle if they manage to pass

This student embarrasses themselves constantly from drinking And their unsavoury incidents leave their other peers thinking They are unhealthy slobs full of junk food and alcohol Who turn up to class hungover, if they even show up at all The constant rounds of drinks have destroyed their bank account And their health is also damaged from eating a copious amount

When they don’t achieve their desired grade,they’ll yell prejudice Arguing that the marker is unfair, and the work was too complex For the simple, lowly, spiteful teacher to comprehend And even if their work was poor, they will just pretend That ‘I am a genius and no one else can see it’ and such Though their tantrums and complaints don’t help them much

12

This student struts through campus showing some of their skin

Inferno

And wears eye-catching clothing to gain flirtatious grins They’re solely focused on attractive people in their class And no matter where they are they aren’t afraid to make a pass While some people despise them for being a distraction They love the attention, and feeling of being the main attraction

This student does not pursue a degree for the sake of learning But chase qualifications for their own sad and selfish yearning For a high paying job that will make them “better” or bring fame And will cheat and bribe their way through this twisted game Their need for material possessions, and things others adore Drives them to work hard, but they don’t care what for

One believes they are better than any other student at the school Smarter than their teachers and their parents, and ‘way more cool’ They have no respect for elders they ‘know’ they will overtake And will gloat about all of the ‘witty’ comments they make They will say to their teachers ‘you know nothing at all’ But truth is the student is insufferable, and that is their downfall

This student sees a classroom as the ultimate chase And if you achieve a higher grade, then best make haste ‘Listen to them, trying to impress the teacher, I hate her’ Are some words used to mock your success should it occur Their insults are fuelled by feelings of being inferior In their constant comparisons, and desire to be superior

When it comes to being a sinner, this person is a special case If you desperately need them, they're gone without a trace And though there are lies and broken promises they make They do not mean to make these ‘harmless’ mistakes The person that acts as though they are a kind of preacher Which is, of course, none other than the university teacher

13

Motivation on the Rocks with a Drive, Please!

Dalipinder Singh Sandhu “Motivation derived from external

sources will eventually run out, leaving one in a desolate state.�

Motivation in today’s time is considered as precious as vitamin D. Though being abundantly available to everyone alike, only a few can afford to derive it naturally.

The sun provides us with the nourishment which we seek from tablets and similarly, our own mind also provides us with motivation from YouTube videos and Instagram posts, or maybe from other sources such as celebrities, personalities and materialistic goods.

The data of the average one spends on the internet seeking motivation may not be revealed. However, there is no denying the number of followers motivation-based social media accounts have and the influence they hold. Before the age of the internet, the source of motivation may have been substituted by religion, faith, fear, or something else. This has evolved into people now watching movies like Rocky, following routines of celebrities and sharing corny quotes in cursive on a background of white sand beaches to make them feel more whole as a person or allow them to dream bigger.

14

The argument of working out without having music on to distract from listening to our own rapid breathing and heart rate has been brought up as evidence of this.

Rightly so, because the music acts as an external source of motivation and when one wishes to work out without it, they would feel exhausted much sooner. The athletes preparing for professional competitions also refrain from getting addicted to secondary sources of motivation and rather try to replicate the conditions of a real competitive environment. For example, athletes in combat sports will bring in a small crowd while sparring to get used to the adrenaline rush and experience how they’d motivate themselves in an arena full of spectators later on.

One may struggle to deal with reality when that illusion is not there to cushion their experience. This goes beyond sports — students who prepare for an exam are advised to practice solving questions in a straight two/three-hour sitting. Astronauts and pilots are trained under simulation of reality. Stand up comedians, singers, dancers, and other artists too go through dress rehearsals and perform in front of small crowds in order to replicate reality. In each professional field, the emphasis is about disciplining your own self to an extent where you no longer rely on external motivational sources. The effort is to keep oneself composed under pressure and be comfortable by having adequate levels of self-motivation and drive.

The goal is to face and embrace reality, as it is.

The drive that pushes one to break the water’s surface and breathe is the same drive one shall rely on for motivation. The external sources and secondary forms of motivation, which one can derive from the small talks of friends, family, coaches, teammates, etc. can only work and last if the primary mode of motivation, from within oneself, is strong enough.

Idols like Conor McGregor and Cristiano Ronaldo have themselves even claimed that they had no particular role model whom they wanted to be like. They saw themselves as their own role model. Conor McGregor has been vocal about the ‘Law of Attraction’ and the envisionment which

he has practiced throughout to become the megastar he is today. Cristiano Ronaldo himself may not have explicitly mentioned the term per se but has described the same process of self-belief, faith, motivation and the determination to be the best at all costs.

Law of Attraction states that whatever one strongly envisions and speaks out loud, will certainly become a reality. If one truly believes in something and is vocal about it, that already sets the parameters for them to work for it. Having adequate levels of primary motivation is a prerequisite for that to happen. If one isn’t motivated enough, then they will never be confident enough to believe that their dreams will become reality. Though in technicality, the Law of Attraction goes deeper into the science of vibrations and energy, the basics remain in self-motivation and belief.

Once a person resorts to self-belief for motivation, it not only boosts the confidence of that person but also enhances the positive persona that leads to significant gains in terms of influence on others. One is also likely to develop a positive approach towards issues confronted and find a solution sooner. In case of absence of such belief, optimism, and confidence, the person may eliminate many options which might actually solve their conflict, under a veil of realism; a mask of pessimism. It is safe to say that extinguishing one’s own self-belief is a sin. An act similar to extinguishing a Charmander’s tail fire in Pokemon, which results in its death.

Another sin is to bank on secondary sources for motivation. External motivation is as good as the charge of Game of Thrones’ Dothraki screamers towards the army of the dead. All the blazing curved swords put out within seconds. That’s what external motivation is like. It may seem to possess and influence more prowess but in reality, it falls short and leaves one in a state of distress, confusion, fright, and most of all, helplessness. One may end up feeling lost for believing more in something else rather than their own self.

Thus, instead of ordering motivation like a cocktail, it’s worth a shot to become a bartender and pour your own drink to see what tastes best. Things may not work out in the beginning, but relying on the primary source of motivation will serve as a cocktail for the soul.

15

Limbo

Though such activities aren’t a form of evil to get rid off, it is essential to realise that the motivation derived from external sources will eventually run out, leaving one in a desolate state. It cannot be a replacement or a supplement. It is not a worthy substitute for the fire which ignites one’s soul to work for achieving the desired goal.

The Small Distilleries Behind

a Billion Dollar Industry Sarah Davison

The birthplace of Australian whisky has given way to a new spiritual incarnation. At the forefront of Australia’s well-publicized gin boom, Tasmanian distillers have been shunning the traditional route of producing the golden nectar in favour of a spirit that truly embodies all that our island home has to offer.

The president of the Australian Distillers Association, Stu Gregor told me that the Australian gin industry is more than double the size it was two years ago, and “more than double the size it was four years before that.”

Whilst this trend for small-batch distillers and unique gin offerings is Australia-wide, it is in Tasmania that the industry was first born and where it continues to flourish. With its clean air, pristine water and innumerable Indigenous botanicals, Tasmania hosts a smorgasbord of distillers who are flocking here to pursue their craft spirits ambitions.

16

Images: Sarah Davison

Audiologist by Day, Gin Distiller by Night In the front yard of an unassuming home in West Hobart, childrens' toys are strewn across the front verandah and a note on the front door politely requests to knock instead of ringing the doorbell. It's the home of Graeme, which also happens to be the home of Knocklofty Spirits.

A chat at a barbeque between three mates led to the creation of Knocklofty Spirits, and for Graeme, “the biggest hurdle after that was trying to convince our three wives!”

Months of experimentation and “blind tastings” followed amongst friends at dinner parties, where their homemade distillation went head to head against some of the world's most popular gins.

These tastings finally led to the creation of Knocklofty’s flagship ‘Penn Gin’.

"We do everything ourselves, and will always continue to do everything ourselves. So we’ll keep small and keep petite... and stay a business where we can have personal relationships with our customers."

In the backyard of his home, Graeme shows me a copper still housed in the garden shed.

Designed by the Knocklofty team and handmade by still master Peter Bailly, the still itself is a work of art. With the smell of botanicals deeply embedded and the air steamy, it almost feels like a potions class in a Harry Potter film.

Currently Graeme's working on a re-distillation of their ‘All Juniper Gin’ — the first gin in Australia to utilize Juniper berries alone without the addition of other botanicals.

It has quickly become a favourite amongst bartenders as a versatile base and received much acclaimed from the world of distilling.

Laughing, Graeme tells me that Sean Baxter of Never Never Distillery in South Australia (the 2019 winner of the ‘Worlds Best Classic Gin’) was angling to hear Knocklofty’s secret after trying and failing to produce a similar style gin a few years earlier.

Behind the large copper still that takes up most of the shed, a smaller still is also working away. At the time of writing, this still was housing a secret project for MONA. Undertaking such a project is a coup for a small distillery, but this display of Tasmanian ingenuity in a garden shed seems very David Walsh.

We make our way over to the garden table where Graeme lays out Knocklofty’s entire range of spirits for me to sample. Each has an intricate backstory and clearly hundreds of hours of development.

The ‘Garden Gin’ is a particularly standout annual limitededition release that utilizes surplus seasonal fruits from West Hobartian locals.

Last year featured quince, and this year is celebrating damson ("a plum-like fruit that’s come straight from a neighbour's orchard"). The result is a slightly sweet and beautiful rosy-hued gin.

"We’ve called it The Garden Gin because it's basically rescued fruit from other people's backyards " While he takes me through the range, Graeme shows me how he labels each and every bottle of Knocklofty Spirits.

Utilizing a handmade device called “Bruce” (an homage to its designer and creator — Graeme and Roger’s father) each bottle of gin is individually labeled before the batch number is written on by hand.

Initially very nervous about being interviewed, Graeme becomes noticeably more relaxed and expressive as he settles into this task.

I calculate that the labelling of each bottle takes him approximately five minutes. It’s fastidious work but I get the feeling that for Graeme, it is these small, intricate touches that he enjoys the most.

From Reality TV Stardom to Distilling Gin in a Shipping Container For Harry Foster, the lure of Tasmania’s craft spirits scene and a chance meeting with budding distiller Tyler Clark led to the establishment of 7K Distillery in Brighton.

Originally a bartender in Townsville, Harry found mainstream recognition after his stint as a finalist on Channel Ten’s Masterchef Australia in 2016. For Harry, gin combines his love of science and creativity. Just 30 minutes from Hobart and located atop a hill on Tyler's family property, 7K Distillery is essentially a trio of modified shipping containers.

With an ethos of environmental consciousness and waste minimisation, “upcycled” shipping containers proved to be the perfect solution. After all, they manage to comfortably house a copper still, laboratory, bottling line as well as administration facilities; it is clear that this unorthodox design choice is working.

“Gin is an amazing spirit,” he says, “because you can express yourself through the products you make. Juniper berries are the only non-negotiable — from there you have total creative freedom.”

7K’s flagship is the ‘Aqua Vitae Modern Gin’, meaning “Water of Life”, this gin stays faithful to its surrounds with wholly local botanicals.

Harry and Tyler personally forage for many of these botanicals themselves during their regular day trips around Tasmania.

Eucalyptus, wild fennel and Tasmanian pepperberry all feature heavily and give their gin a unique flavour profile.

Harry believes it is these more unusual botanical choices that sets 7K apart from the competition.

“We really want to produce modern and innovative spirits. We use quite unique botanicals in order to create something a little bit different. So I guess that’s our goal, just doing things a little bit different.”

17

Indulgence

An audiologist by trade and married to a clinical neuropsychologist, Graeme isn't someone you'd assume would be drawn to distilling. For Graeme, his brother Roger and their longtime friend Richard, Knocklofty was a passion project spurred by a lifelong love of gin and a burning desire to “create something wholly Tasmanian.”

The Godfather of Tasmanian Gin It’s nine degrees Celsius and heavy with fog when I arrive at the shed that houses Nonesuch distillery in Forcett. I am greeted by the Godfather of Tasmanian Gin, Rex Burdon. A physically imposing figure, he's wearing an Akubra hat and R.M Williams boots — rough around the edges, but instantly warm and welcoming.

Immediately, I can't help but think this scene would make for an incredible Tourism Tasmania campaign.

Born and bred in Tasmania before making his way to Sydney to further his career. Rex left his 9-to5 after 20 years in the insurance industry to return to his childhood home.

Originally planning on using local botanicals to flavour mineral water, it was his old friend Bill Lark who suggested he “forget about the water and flavour alcohol instead.” His old friend Bill was none other than the verifiable linchpin of Tasmania's distillery community after he lobbied politicians to overturn an archaic law that prohibited small-batch distilleries in Australia.

Lark Distillery is now one of Australia's most celebrated producers of whisky.

Nonesuch is clearly a family affair, with Rex 's wife Annette handling administration and distribution and eldest son Chris working as a distiller full-time. Although similarly imposing, Rex and Chris have different ideas about the future of Nonesuch. Chris recently convinced Rex to allow him to trial a barrel of whisky.

“The emphasis, of course, is on it being a singular barrel of whisky,” Rex said as Chris rolls his eyes.

18

Father and son do tend to disagree on certain aspects of Nonesuch, with Chris evidently keen to modernise production and increase Nonesuch's presence in the international market. Rex however, seems intent on continuing to run his business on a “quality over quantity” basis and refuses to enter international competitions, as he doesn’t believe awards are true reflections of success.

As the first wholly gin-focused distillery in Tasmania, Nonesuch continues to be a creative force in the industry.

A first within the Australian market, their ‘Hemp Gin’ is incredibly weighty and unlike any other I’ve tried, with a distinctly earthy flavour. Another first in the Australian gin industry is Nonesuch's ‘Sloe Gin’. Using sloe berries that were originally brought to Tasmania by colonial settlers, batches are small and the waitlist long.

Rex is demonstrative and doesn’t hold back in sharing his views on the ever-growing gin industry and the inherent competition involved in producing something different from iconic Tasmanian whisky.

Like his old friend Bill Lark, Rex will forever remain a bastion of spirit distillation in Tasmania. When I arrived, Rex explained to me the meaning behind the name, “Nonesuch;” with a glint in his eye, “or without an equal”.

Upon leaving, I understood the name to be totally fitting.

The Tasmanian gin industry is booming, and after meeting these passionate producers it is easy to see why. With each distiller as unique as the gins they are creating, their days of living quietly in the shadow of the Tasmanian whisky industry may be numbered.

Luxuria

WanderLust Morgan Fürst

I have wanted to travel after uni since I began my degree in 2017. I started learning German, the language two of my grandparents speak, with the hope of visiting the countries of my ancestors: Germany, England and Ireland.

That same year I met someone online from Finland who would become one of my closest friends and decided I wanted to visit them as well. My plan was always to take a gap year after university instead of before.

As the trip started to form a vague shape, I began saving money and set out a goal to speak passable German by the end of my degree. Once my lease ran out at the beginning of 2020, I would stay in Melbourne for a week with friends before flying to Frankfurt. Then I’d spend the first week or two with my cousin there before heading off into another continent on my own to meet my online friends after two years. The list of countries I wanted to see grew as I figured out what a whole year of freedom could look like. Austria, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the UK are all on the itinerary now.

However, as I got halfway through my first year as a media student, I started paying more attention to the news — not just as something that happened in the background of my life anymore. I noticed how much people were talking about climate change more than ever before.

Once the United States announced their withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, and then after the 2018 climate meeting in Poland stalled progress, I felt afraid of the future for the first time. The Australian Government seemingly had their fingers in their ears on the issue, with denial of climate change being so prominent in Liberal-National party rooms. Even media professionals in public relations were part of the problem — producing messages of environmental responsibility for the companies driving the greatest natural crisis humanity has experienced. All the while I was being trained to potentially join their ranks when I graduated.

Suddenly my travel plans turned into a yearning to escape from all the issues which had begun to plague my thoughts. At the same time, that yearning felt like a

cop-out. Instead of facing the issues by devoting myself to them and entering a media industry to try and forge a more positive path, I was day-dreaming about escaping to another continent, another schedule, and another language. Worst of all was the fact that by taking the trip in the first place, I would be contributing to the very problem. Underneath it all was a niggling fear of the possibility that once I finally escaped to start this adventure I had convinced myself I wanted more than anything, I would just feel lonely with most of my friends left on the other side of the world.

The round trip to and from Europe will release 6.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide, but ultimately the responsibility for that does not fall solely on my shoulders, and besides the flights there and back I probably won’t be flying at all during or after the trip. Dishonest marketing has existed since long before climate change became a major issue in the public consciousness, and will likely continue to exist beyond my lifetime. However, it is my choice whether or not I willingly participate in that. Plus, I’ve already made several friends overseas so it is safe to assume it wouldn’t be difficult to make more while I’m there.

Those of us born at the turn of the millenium came into the world with the majority of the damage already done to the climate and decades before we ourselves could do anything to prevent more. It is not our fault, and it isn’t even our families’ fault for not doing anything sooner, given the campaigns such as the ExxonMobil controversy. However, pushing for adequate action on climate change and doing things like cutting down on flights to help prevent further damage is important; but this never means that we should live our lives racked with guilt for the actions that caused us to be born into a world on the brink of catastrophe.

If anything, pushing for action while refusing to let it prevent you from living a happy life is the ultimate form of rebellion. Wanderlust isn’t a sin, and like it is never wrong to ask questions it is never wrong to want to see the world beyond your own.

19

20

Monte Bovill Bachelor of Media | Third Year Twitter: @MonteBovill Instagram: @monte.bovill (All) A Country of Contrasts, 2019 Vietnam is a country of contrasts. From Ho Chi Minh in the south to Hanoi in the north, Vietnam is brimming with friendly locals, unique landscapes and intriguing sights.

21

Let Them Eat Avo Genevieve Holding

Political cartoons like to paint a scene like that of The Last Supper, where the aristocratic and affluent feast upon great delicacies that overflow from the table to represent gluttony. Watching one person eat close to five days’ worth of food in one sitting sounds like something similar to a dystopian novel. The rich gorge on food, only to drink a tonic that will ‘empty’ their stomachs to allow them to consume more. And yet, the overconsumption of food is a primarily middle to upper class ‘challenge’ to perform, with hordes of YouTube channels and social media pages dedicated to the excessive indulgence in ungodly amounts of food, proving that our embellished, nightmarish view of gluttony is not that far from our reality.

Not to mention the mukbangers. Those whose main aim in their videos is to make their excessive eating as obnoxious and auditory as possible whilst eating more than humanly possible in one sitting.

And what’s worse is that people flock to these accounts for content. Gluttonous, binging content. A fancy thumbnail with bright colours and graphics is all it takes to transform what once was a gory, shambolic pie eating competition staged in front of crowds on a long table into entertainment for the masses through a vast and glamorous digital space in the 21st century. And now competitive eating is brought back into the trending feed on YouTube. Calories are the main focus of these videos, with the most popular being those that try challenges of 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 or upwards in calories a day as some twisted eating festival that needs meticulous planning. Calories are then paraded at the end of each video, with the final tally appearing as the final triumph of the eater, a new PB in their food training.

22

Themed challenges are also a major trend for these eating channels with holiday-themed food hauls making up a majority of videos. Restaurants and well-known chains like McDonalds are also featured and foods like burgers rake in the views for these channels.

But where does this obsession stem from? Why do YouTubers gorge themselves on food to a sickening limit? And why are we so obsessed with watching? Is there some part of us that finds it relatable? After a long day of work, university… nothing, a lot of people throw around jokingly how they “could eat twenty burgers” or “absolutely murder a pizza right now”. When we see men and women consuming copious amounts of sugar, fat and carbs, viewers can only think that they can easily demolish that food too. These people aren’t superhuman nor the size of sumo wrestlers or houses, just a regular person with normal cravings. Their food challenges represents what most people salivate after daily and dream about eating in their ‘weak’ moments; clearly they’re just like us and we can eat that too.

Could it be a ramification of the diet culture that exists in our society? We’re taught to follow a constant cycle of restricting and starving to attain a ‘beautiful’ body when really, what we want to do is follow the people on our screens who binge on junk and seem to enjoy it. The habit of binging which we have treated as taboo up until now is available on all your screens to watch, in the privacy of your own home. Let alone these videos encouraging another set of unhealthy eating habits.

However, our abundance of food still shows how privileged we as a society are. The sheer amount of options we have to choose from show this as well as the fact that some people force themselves to consume days’ worth of food. And moving past gorging on food and the ‘mundane’ in developed countries, what about videos of people melting brand new iPhones with lasers and consuming gold leaf lattes? The items that are considered a luxury for a majority of the population are a source of morbid entertainment for the masses, performing actions most would (and can) only dream about.

This in contrast with, and pardon the cliché, the starving and poverty-stricken people in this world shows how fortunate and advantaged we are. Our privilege allows us to consider some of the most expensive and some of the most easily attainable items as entertainment pieces in the view-driven world of YouTube and social media. Our lives are so easy that we don’t have to think about the price tags and entitlement attached to our consumption in all senses.

Maybe that’s a fact we don’t want to be reminded of however, because it means acknowledging something that requires change and action. Something that can be all too hard in our everyday lives. And instead, we want to consume as much as humanly possible on video and watch this play out for the trivial matter of entertainment on a resource that is both everywhere for some and nowhere for others. Privilege right in your living room.

I am sure that people will continue to watch this drastically gluttonous videos behind closed doors however, and gorge in their own way on overflowing calories through a laptop screen.

23

Gula

Might it go deeper than that though? Is it not strange that people want to watch and actively encourage content of people performing the mundane action of eating but on a grandiose scale? And the weird sense of guilt we, the viewer, feel when we see these ‘eating shows’, is that a recognition of this as strange behaviour? The overconsumption of anything is frowned upon in our culture but when it’s based on such a common item as food, is the feeling of sinning lessened? Are calorie challenges a guilty pleasure like the occasional glass of wine or an hour sleep-in?

The Modern Face of Greed Niamh Schofield When I was younger, I nurtured quietly a whirring, unhealthy obsession with Grimes’ early discography.

I used it as implied artistic inspiration for everything from prolific ink portraits of nightmarish pastel creatures to creative writing. Grimes, otherwise known as Claire Boucher, is a French-Canadian producer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, known for her screeching, ambitious song writing and obscure lyricism.

Possessed with obliterating anxiety, I returned to her music as often as my heartbeat grew quick and my head became blurry. I stumbled through my childhood and teenage years with all the grace of a drunken boyfriend making his way through his sleeping girlfriend’s bedroom at three am. I remember very little of anything that happened before I turned sixteen apart from some sharp, throat clenching highlights: •

Making a stupid, impulsive comment about a boy I had an untidy comradery with, and watching his long face fall after I’d made it.

•

Abandoning a girl who asked for my friendship when we both needed it.

•

Lots of crying in mathematics.

•

A gross boy named Chase slapped my bum, and my bum cheeks and internal shock rippled in the same way.

•

Watching Clueless at least once a day, every day, one summer holidays. (“Dionne and I were both named after great singers of the past who now do infomercials.”)

Depressed and traumatized by looming darkness beyond my control, the pounding beats, high pitched wails and somber synth of Grimes early music remain my brightest young memories. It was aural ambrosia.

I’d never heard anything like it.

24 $24.95

When I came back to Grimes I discovered her not to be the electric badass maestro I had conjured up when I was fourteen; but a flawed, oblivious rich person. Dating wannabe Bill Gates (Elon Musk), she used her indie status and tired internet lingo as a mask to defend her boyfriend’s aggressive exploitation of his Tesla workers.

The Grimes I idolized never existed. But to me, it felt like money taking something else from me. Like greed seeping into the mental refuges I kept the cleanest.

She is now complicating her persona with a streak of the Divine. In her upcoming concept album, Miss_Anthropecene, Grimes is the Goddess of climate change, and she relishes the apocalypse. It strikes me as kind of fucked. Each track promises to show a new visage of human extinction. She wants to make climate change “fun”.

Grimes is right that the “doom and gloom” approach does not seem to be forcing climate change to evaporate.

It places inordinate stress on individuals as opposed to the bodies with actual power — like politicians, and the direct profiteers of fossil fuel industry. Grimes embrace of the anthropocene still seems to me to be the epitome of greed. She is now a member of the upper echelons that have almost single handedly created climate change, the same class seeking profits from its eruption. This upper echelon also almost solely controls the power to prevent climate change’s most damaging effects. I expect this greed of investors, buying up water in the Murray Darling basin to sell to farmers at exorbitant prices, and bank executives and Government officials. But as it is paralysing, jarring, to find this greed eeking quietly into the things that I love.

One of his favourite passages, that also most frequently whisks through my brain is this: “it is harder for a rich man to get into heaven, than it is for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle.” All people can acknowledge that to be rich, a person almost always must benefit off cruelty, unfairness, and greed. The other six deadly sins are easier to translate to modern life — exorbitant horniness, six-day Minecraft binges, being mean to a boomer on Facebook instead of correcting his spelling and moving on. But now, in the hot, slick, juicy garbage mess of modernity, all of us are implicated in the rich man’s greed, simply to achieve stability.

To achieve my most basic needs, I am being in some sense “greedy”. I am squashing someone underneath my feet and I know I’m doing it. To have my place in a house, I force a less able person to the streets. My cheap coffee relies on somebody else’s suffering. My bin dived tomatoes rely on the waste of others. Almost all of us, regardless of our low financial positioning, are forced to participate in greed. The ideal aim of participation, at least for people of my strata, is to one day be financially comfortable. This also means I must be greedier than others, more callous, not give away my money and belongings to friends and family and those who need it, to get to comfort. This is not to mock people who desire comfort and stability, as I do too — to a suffocating degree. We all do. We have no ability to avoid greed, as the poor must be greedy in a capitalist system to survive. And the rich will be greedy because they can be.

Greed is the fabric of our culture — to the point where we almost can’t see the most disgusting expressions of it. To see these expressions would implicate us. Maybe this is why Grimes’ less than abrupt turn to the dark side upset me. Publicly witnessing her half heartedly clinging to morality, while showing her fleshy underbelly of want, forces me to reckon with my own nasty entanglements with greed. The blushed hickeys that greed leaves over my body, when I walk past someone who needs my money more. The bruises on my shoulder as I try to squeeze through the eye of the needle.

“I’ll get my law degree, and if I get rich I’ll give twenty bucks to every old mate who needs it,” I croon soothingly to myself, my rent burning in my pocket. I worry that if I ever do get financially comfortable, the eye of the needle will grow smaller and smaller, until I forget it’s there.

$25.95 25

Avaritia

When I went to Church, I never paid any attention, fidgeting and covertly annoying my siblings until I could leave. As an adult, I only believe in the divine after a four week Mi Goreng cleanse. Still, eerie psalms and gory passages strike me randomly. Solomon’s dismembered babies and the crimes done in the name of Yahweh plague my thoughts. Our Ugandan Parish Priest, Father Augustine, would awkwardly squeeze out analogies about homosexuality like “the parent… would never... feed his child… to the snake?,” with the effort of pushing out a dry turd.

Piano, Piano Norah Wenrui Wu Melbourne four-piece Slowly Slowly have been on their music journey since 2016, when they released their debut album Chamomile, which was followed up by the success of their second album St. Leonards in 2018.

This year, Slowly Slowly are launching a new chapter with their new single, ‘Jellyfish’.

Last week was Slowly Slowly’s first time performing at Splendour in the Grass. After the festival, they’ll start preparing for their upcoming regional tour. It’s Thursday morning when frontman Ben Stewart and I speak on the phone, the day before they arrive at Hobart Brewing Co. — the first stop of the Jellyfish tour.

Images: Norah Wenrui Wu

“Everything was amazing. I still couldn’t believe we were playing at the main stage, sharing it with huge artists like Childish Gambino, Catfish and The Bottlemen.

It’s just so strange to be able to move in the same space with these artists. I’ve never been to a festival before that has this kind of scale.”

Jellyfish, released in April, focuses on love. A passionate story simmers beneath the lyrics and music video.

“I had this sort of idea quite a while ago, about a surreal kind of love, I guess? I drew upon the ridiculousness of the world, and tried to think about how love could fit in that context because it's such a serious thing,” Ben said. “It’s a hard one to explain, because it’s a topic that’s so expansive. I tried to make it personal, but also talk about some big things, like how to exist on Earth… something like that. I just love it, it was really fun to write, like a zoomed-in style of writing that was also really zoomed out.”

In May this year, Slowly Slowly performed on the Like a Version programme at Triple J. In addition to Jellyfish, they also performed a cover of Bon Iver’s ‘Skinny Love’. You could tell from their performance that this song has special meaning for them. They delivered so much energy and passion into the song and filtered it with their own style.

26 26 26,

The future releases will be centred around the place I currently live — I can’t help but to have influence from that, I think.”

“I’ve always strived to connect it with my own songs, and at different points in my life that song means different things. It was a nerve-driven performance ‘cause we only got one shot, and we were in Tasmania the night before so we flew in at 4am to do it, and it was a little bit stressful but I’m so glad with how it all worked out.“

Winning Triple J Unearthed and performing at Beyond the Valley in 2017 was a milestone for Slowly Slowly, and since then they’ve been getting more recognition from the mainstream. From appearing on stage at festivals like Big Sound and Falls, to supporting artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Amy Shark and Luca Brasi.

Memories of growing up in Melbourne play an important part for Ben to situate his songwriting.

I asked Ben Stewart how he feels about Slowly Slowly’s newfound attention.

“The songs I wrote are autobiographical — they’re about my own life, and I can’t help but to get my own life involved in songwriting. For me, a different album means different things… like Chamomile sort of feels like the places where I grew up, and St. Leonards is a reflective album about the places I went after spending too much time at home and stuff like that.

“Maybe the first time I started to have that feeling was when I started to feel the pressure from public just watching us. In terms of creating, whether you choose to have that knowledge or not, it has an effect on your subconscious… ‘cause when you’re creating, you can’t help but to have it in the back of your mind that people will be hearing it.

“But [that feeling] was pretty short-lived for myself, because we all just sort of focused on getting the songs right. I think that’s probably the most important thing as an artist. At the start you were like, ‘hey, I should probably not read that YouTube comment,’” he laughs, “but then afterwards, creatively, I still feel the same as I did a few years ago, when I just started the project: just trying to be as honest as possible.”

Getting more attention from the public eye also means coping with fans’ expectations while preparing for new music.

“Obviously we’d love everybody to be happy all the time, but I think while the band is expanding. You’re creating the best of your music and you’re excited about the music you’ve created, so you can’t stay the same forever… that’s why most artists try different styles, and start to get away from what they originally created, because they are just trying to stay happy and I think I definitely subscribe to that idea.”

“I can see myself changing with the music I’m writing.

We want to keep everybody happy, but at the end of the day you create the things that make you happy, and that’s probably my priority. We’ve got a loyal, beautiful, trusty fan base that seem to be onboard the Slowly train, so we are very lucky in that regard.”

27, 27

Crescendo

“Yeah, I love the lyrical content of [Skinny Love],” he says. “Sometimes when you listen to that song, it seems so scornful about the relationship that’s gone sour, and sometimes it’s also hopeful… this song just has this duality to it.

Dense lyricism is a recurring symptom of Ben’s songwriting. Thematically, it injects his personal feelings to all of his songs. He captures his joy, sadness, excitement and anger, wraps them up in his music, and that is the essence of Slowly Slowly.

28

“Why is the band called Slowly Slowly? Seems too slow for a rock band,” I ask him before we hang up.

He laughs and says, “My grandad passed away a few years ago, and he was Italian, so when I was little he always said to me, ‘piano, piano’, which means ‘slowly, slowly’ in English.”

Tavern

An Unlikely Marriage Bianca Blackhall and Pub Rock Miles Kahles

Even as I was getting my ears blasted out by the considerable wall of noise ringing from the amps, I did not for a second connect Bianca Blackhall’s performance to Australian pub rock of the 80s. The music, in all its magnificence, seemed too artful and indicative of a wide palette of emotions — which was of course to its credit. But, as I read the descriptions online, the text clearly read “pub rock and country”.

Although mystifying at first, as I rehashed the events of the night the connection grew on me. Bianca Blackhall’s EP launch was a masterful demonstration of power; emotion, tone, volume and skill. On the flick of a coin, Blackhall’s band was able to shift from tentative, contemplative and wistful to driving, soulful and fierce.

This capacity led to a gripping odyssey of a set, at the centre of which rested Bianca’s powerful voice.

The music's intimacy was matched by the fervour of the crowd, and being part of it felt like an old group of friends celebrating the start of something new and special.

It was then that the link became clear; like the egalitarian atmosphere of blokes at the pub having a beer to some Cold Chisel, the camaraderie invoked by Bianca Blackhall’s music was truly infectious. Blackhall’s dynamism and presence was fit to match any character out of the 80s rock scene in Australia.

Perhaps the most compelling success of Blackhall, I realised, was her (intentional or not) subversion of the pub rock scene — a realm normally closed to non-masculine actors. Through her artistic prowess, the Hobart native has managed to outdo many of her predecessors, making her distinct mark on the pub rock genre. How fantastically poignant.

Images: Norah Wenrui Wu

29

Bystanders and the Eighth Deadly Sin Dan Prichard Seven. It’s a magic number. Not sure why, but over the past few millennia we’ve seemed to obsess over seven as an answer to many of the big questions; a blanket answer in which we can retreat comfortably from our bubbling existentialism. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but many believe the universe was built in seven. We know that we’ve only seven days to slink through to call it a week, seven continents to tick off our bucket lists, and seven glorious colors in the rainbow we so often catch in these sleepy Winter afternoons. Seven seas to sail, seven wonders to send as postcards and sit on the mantelpiece. Some say that seven heavens exist, each considered a home of different people for different reasons. And we all know of the seven grim acts which are considered deadly sins. They’re creepy and they’re kooky. Mysterious and spooky. They’re all together ooky.

The seven deadly sins.

We’ve all heard of them, but a quick recap never hurts.

This ancient doctrine throws eternal shade at seven specific acts: greed, lust, pride, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth. Before you stop reading, please hear me out — I too recognise how outdated a fair bunch of these sound. Whilst we still stray away from murder and bite back at the label of couch potato, times change, as do

30

“…‘ignorance is strength’. I don’t

know what it is about ignorance, but we seem to be all over it.”

standards and common social expectations. These days, we’re easily frustrated, often by comparing ourselves to the filtered lives of the internet personalities and plastic bodies many of us envy. We are expected to take pride in our achievements and personal appearance and salivate over those of others through the privacy of our own touchscreens. We also love our food, but perhaps not as much as our couches. We adore the sofa, the altar of the twenty-first century, so much so that we’re willing to pay for our churros’ own personal taxi to avoid leaving these sacred sanctuaries of sleep, Netflix and chill. And whilst adorable Facebook stickers, sloths don’t make for the best company. Long story short: we’re still caught up in the mess that once drove us to write out this guide of how not to live. We just seem to be better at ignoring them more than ever before.

To quote George Orwell’s prophetic directory to the new world we seem to be welcoming, ‘ignorance is

An eighth deadly sin has long been forgotten, probably due to this very human instinct to ignore pressing matters of importance when they force us to feel uncomfortable (refugees, climate change, etc.) I find it ironic that the easiest of the deadly sins to avoid and commit has been ignored in the first place. It’s as though the powers responsible for charging generation after generation with guilt for being born naturally flawed were themselves guilty of committing this unforgivable travesty. Were they too bystanders in watching the havoc so generously named human civilisation dig its own deathbed, nation choking nation, human slaughtering human and animal and planet and atmosphere until the cows come home, and further still, until there are neither no cows to return home and no home to return to?

Like I said earlier, we love our food.

We’re first bystanders in the playground, witnessing bullying or littering or loneliness and choosing to ignore all of the above, because at age five we’re busting to head home for discount Coles donuts and tree-climbing or whining until mum lets us watch Fairly Odd Parents or whatever else Elliot is playing on Rollercoaster. We must forgive ourselves for this, it’s understandable we’d engage in this culture of ignorance in the same way

our school environments ignore the value of interest in maths or arts over athletics. The ironically sad thing about this is that from a young age we become oblivious to the fact that ignorance encourages disengagement from the world around us. Like tantrums, avoiding eye contact and frowning at strangers, ignorance is normalised, and we are misinformed too early that a bystander is a role that should be celebrated. Conflict is invisible. Bravery is overrated. Mediocrity rules!

When do we stop being bystanders? I still surprise myself with my own ignorance every day. From experience, I’ve found that overcoming this inherently human tendency to ignore the challenging and uncomfortable requires a conscious recognition of our own flaws. This shouldn’t be so difficult; as sheeple we all seem to feel threatened by difference, conflict or the idea of swimming against social expectations and the opinions of others. But as the ancient to-don't list reminds us, humans are proud, and as such the idea of being bold and brave enough to do things differently frightens us. So we watch our world burn and our species bring forth both its own extinction and that of the many creatures with whom we share our home. That is, unless we make the decision to be more than bystanders. In 2019, the world needs no more bystanders. What it needs is the bravery of people to stand up for those that can’t, for what they believe in, for something other than passiveness.

The seven deadly sins. They’re not ideal. But at least they encourage active involvement with something. I don’t condone them, but I’d much rather be openly angry about or proud of something than completely ignore the tragicomedy playing out on the stage around me.

Not everything warrants ignorance, in fact very little does. So please, human race: raise your standards.

Don’t be a bystander.

31

Acedia

strength’. I don’t know what it is about ignorance, but we seem to be all over it. We ignore what makes us sad, the beauty of the clouds, litter on the sidewalk, the fact that birds live without electric blankets and still sing in the winter, those looking for a friend or a place to call home, and the fact that our planet is silently dying as we cry ourselves to sleep over the fact that we are not a Hemsworth or Beyonce or inheriting Lorde’s crown as teen musical prodigy through our parents’ connections (love you Billie). However, there are few things we are better at ignoring than our own ignorance.

Joseph Schmidt Second Year | Bachelor of Fine Arts (Drawing Major) Abstract When Protesting No. 1, 2019 Tavar Zawacki and his method of bringing people together through abstract works has been a metaphorical acceleration to my love for screen-printing. I experimented with his designs and formed abstract landscapes for the people brave enough to protest against the Australian government and make a difference regarding climate change.

32

Taylar Bowerman Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours (Professional) | Printmaking and Drawing The Lonely One, 2019 My honours project aims to explore extinction as a visual narrative, using the Thylacine as an example of how humans have impacted the environment. My story follows a young Thylacine in search of a mate. However, with the scarcity of the species due to excessive hunting and deforestation, the animal faces the harsh reality of being alone on the brink of extinction. The use of blue ink and pen is used to indicate a cold night scene and the Thylacine has been left white to separate it from the land it once belonged to.

33

徳 Studio Ghibli

The Virtues of ^

Anastasia Stojanovic Studio Ghibli, Inc. is a Japanese animation company founded in 1985 by Toshio Suzuki, Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. Known as “the grandfather” of Japanese animation, Miyazaki is globally recognised for the following films.

Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) From this renowned animator comes the whimsical fantasy story of a young witch who leaves home to discover her true potential. She chooses to land in a charming seaside town and by chance starts her own delivery service to practice her talent of flying on a broomstick. It’s a classic coming-of-age story about girlhood independence, with a boy-next-door love interest named Tombo and the sinful twist of possessing unwavering pride in one’s own abilities.

Laputa: Castle in the Sky (1986) Set in an alternate-world mining community inspired by the scenery and architecture of industrial Wales, this steampunk adventure follows the story of a mysterious young girl. After falling from the sky, Sheeta is brought down to earth safely by a magical stone necklace and caught in the arms of a young boy named Pazu. Throughout the film the two are chased by greedy sky pirates and military men wanting the magical stone for material gain, trusting that it will lead them to the fabled floating city in the clouds known as Laputa.

Ponyo (2008) Similar to the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale, “The Little Mermaid”, this animation centres around a fish who wants to become human. With the help of her many sisters, Ponyo escapes from home, defies her father’s wishes and is later found on a beach by a young boy named Sosuke. Comparing the two films is interesting, but the same message remains — the protagonist is envious of the life that others have around her.

34 三十四

My Neighbour Totoro (1988)

Kokoro

This family fantasy follows the tale of two young sisters, Mei and Satsuki, who move to the countryside with their father to be closer to their sick mother in a nearby hospital, and in the process find a community of quirky forest spirits invisible to grown-ups. There is barely any conflict in the story and instead focuses on the gentle giant named Totoro, who Mei discovers and names when she falls into the roots of a camphor tree while playing. Totoro helps the girls with their mother’s illness by being a cuddly, lovable sloth.

Spirited Away (2001) Known as a Japanese cult classic, this fantasy film begins by showing a family travelling in their car after recently moving, and their daughter, Chihiro, is obviously unhappy.

The young girl is an only child and becomes scared of the idea of inevitable loneliness, clutching a bouquet of dying flowers given to her by the friends that she had to leave behind. Eventually the family becomes lost in a wooded area and encounter what they believe to be an abandoned theme park. As they wander the grounds, Chihiro watches in horror as her parents excessively eat from a mysterious banquet left on a table and turn into a pair of gluttonous pigs. Now being trapped in a strange spirit world without her parents, Chihiro has to find a way out.

Princess Mononoke (1997) This animation is an intense story that follows humanity’s war with nature, and the combined tales of the exiled prince Ashitaka, who seeks an alliance with the forest, and the warrior princess San, who is raised by wolf gods to fight against early iron age profiteers.

After mankind causes harmful pollution and deforestation, they test the wrath of the environment and local spirits, who become angry and vengeful towards the humans.

The Wind Rises (2013) This final feature by Hayao Miyazaki is an astounding story that’s half reality and half dream, influenced by the life of WWII plane designer Jiro Horikoshi and the works from Tatsuo Hori. It details the 1923 Kanto earthquake, years of the great depression, the tuberculosis epidemic and decline into the war — but even in this sombre setting, imagination and ambition rise high. Jiro possesses an intense desire to fly, and later becomes an engineer despite negative effects, and has a desperate love affair with a woman named Nahoko, who suffers from tuberculosis. This story is more mature in comparison to other Studio Ghibli films, and focuses on issues about death, destruction and desire.

35 三十五

The World’s

BEST PAINTING APP Made Right Here in Hobart

The Procreate Team Talks Art, App Development and Tassie Joe Brady No, it’s not hyperbole. Procreate is the world’s best painting app. It is difficult to overstate just how tremendous of a success Procreate has become. If you follow even a handful of artists on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, it’s almost certain you’ve seen art made in it. You might best recognise the app for its time-lapse feature, a favourite of artists on social media, which begins with a ‘wipe’ transition and displays the whole creation process in a voyeuristic glimpse into naked art-making.

In some sense, the ‘app’ label carries a certain stigma — it implies mobility, connectivity and content consumption rather than creation. This is distinct from the humourless desktop ‘application’, which is traditionally the castle of serious creative types. The desktop is the world of Corel Paint, Paint Tool SAI, Adobe Illustrator, and so on.

Well, Procreate has totally turned this characterisation on its head. The app was launched in 2011 by Hobart-based dev team Savage Interactive and has since flourished into a feature-rich and beautiful workstation for digital artists.

Procreate literally sells iPads — it was introduced on Apple’s stage a few years back to sell the iPad Pro — and helped unlock art-making for a new generation of artists.

I asked the Savage Interactive team what they thought about art, app development and our humble island state.

With the amazing success of Procreate and institutions like MONA, have you noticed the humble Tassie art scene changing?

The arts have always flourished in Tasmania. Savage, MONA, and others like us just serve to highlight what has existed here for a long time.

When Savage founder and Creative Director James Cuda moved down to Tasmania, one of the things that drew him here was the vibrancy of the arts scene he encountered. At the time, the Salamanca Arts Centre had open studios: you could just walk straight into someone’s studio, talk to them, ask questions, and admire their work and process. Those are our people! The major change in recent years is that the wider world has begun to notice what’s happening on our island.

We didn’t give rise to the Tasmanian arts scene - the Tasmanian arts scene gave rise to us.

Procreate Pocket was 2018's App of the Year on iOS, and you've even appeared atop Apple's stage — looking back, what are your fondest memories of Procreate's development and its rise to success among casual artists and the industry alike?

There are so many to choose from. The quirkiest is probably the Morgan Freeman Controversy. An artist used their finger and Procreate on the iPad to paint a photorealistic Morgan Freeman portrait, then exported their process video with our Timelapse feature and uploaded it to YouTube. It went viral. People said it couldn’t be done — that it had to be a fake. They lost their minds over it and it even went mainstream ending up on CNN news. Major news agencies reached out to us for comment and it got a lot of people curious about Procreate and what could be done on iPad. But what delighted us

36

Genesis

most about the Morgan Freeman Controversy is this: when was the last time thousands of people talked so much, and so passionately, about a painting? We loved playing a part in that.

Another proud moment came when Phil Shiller mentioned us onstage during Apple’s unveiling of the iPad Pro, complete with a two-storey-high screen display of Procreate. He used a line we’d written — “Procreate comes alive with the new iPad Pro!” Seeing him up there in front of millions of viewers, sharing this piece of technology we’d worked so hard to create, was a huge moment for us personally and as a company.

Finally, winning iPhone App of the Year in 2018 for Procreate Pocket was fantastic, because we absolutely hadn’t expected that or even aimed for it. We’d just set out to build something to the best of our ability.

Procreate has ushered in a new generation of illustrators and digital artists who have grown up with iPads and a presence on social media. How have you noticed social networking and marketing change what it means to be an artist in 2019?

Definitely. And there’s no question of “for better or for worse” here. It’s absolutely changed things for the better.

Quite a few of us here are artists. In his early twenties, James Cuda worked a variety of odd jobs in an effort to sell his traditional paintings in galleries around Hobart — it was incredibly difficult to get his name out there, even in a very small and local way, in the days before the internet. Now that’s changed completely. You can upload a piece and have thousands, even millions of eyes on it. It's a lot easier to get yourself out there in the digital world than it is in the physical world.

There is so much great content and inspiration readily available and these things can be incredibly valuable to the creative process. Procreate users in particular are a friendly, helpful and passionate group of people.

We find our experienced artists are more than happy to help out the less experienced, and social media provides them with a way to offer encouragement, advice, and content like tutorials, walk-throughs, live streams, and even Procreate brush downloads, building a beautiful environment of growth and learning.

Where do you see the iPad evolving as a workstation for creative types? A recent major update to Procreate added text manipulation and the ability to export layers as GIFs. Is there a future for animation or 3D modelling on the iPad? We see the iPad as the absolute future of creativity.

We founded this company when the iPad first came out, to make creative tools specifically designed for that platform. It’s in our DNA. And we definitely believe Procreate is the first and finest answer to the problem of drawing on a mobile device.

As to what we’re working on, all we’ll say is we’re working on the most ambitious plans we’ve ever undertaken and we’ll be making an official announcement sometime in the future.

To our UTAS readers, what's the one piece of advice you would you give to bright-eyed amateur app devs?

Follow your heart, not the money. That’s the one thing every app developer should know. Don’t look for an angle into developing something because you think it’s cool or a moneymaker – just follow what you love, and in doing that, you’ll find your way towards making something great. Product quality is absolutely fundamental to success. There is no shortcut.

But when you make something you love, sooner or later the money will follow. Once you’ve found your customers, work hard to understand who they are and what they want, and build your product to delight them. Even if the industry isn’t ready for it yet, if you keep following your passion with dedication and original thought, eventually people will see the outstanding work you’ve been doing in your field. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in: when you move past artisan and become a master of your craft, you will find success.

37

The Deadly Game-Breaking Sinz James Kelly

- -- --- ---- ----- Envy ----- ---- --- -- Sin simmers within every single one of us on planet Earth. Returning to the 1980s, the main aim of arcade or pinball games was the satisfaction of achieving a high score. And I swear on your relatives, they sweat the good sweat to gain top-tier numbers on Pac-Man, Galaga and Donkey Kong. Jealous kids and families would feed the arcade machines some coin just to gain the chance to be number one.

This leaderboard envy is still relevant today, thanks to ranked multiplayer matches in popular games such as Halo and Overwatch. We want to be the very best, like no-one ever was… but then we find out that there are many gamer pros around the world, who could get 20 eliminations without a lick of damage. They know the intricate control systems, have fast reflexes, and we just get jealous of their skills and attributes. Give us the high score opportunity already.

- -- --- ---- ----- Pride ----- ---- --- -- The Xbox 360, PS3 and Steam have gifted us bragging rights, in the form of trophies and achievement awards that are gained by succeeding at a certain challenges in the game. It could be to kill 10,000 enemies, or complete the game 100 per cent, or win 30 ranked matches online.

They require you to utilise the games you’re playing and show off to your friends the awards you’ve gained.

These digital trophies are designed to make you grind extra hours even on the worst games of all time. And then everyone will begin to despise you for being part

38

of 0.1 per cent of the population for completing Persona 5 without taking so much as a paper cut. That pride will not last forever, for the satisfaction of gaining a physical hockey trophy instead of a digital reward in NHL 2009 is more… realistic. So get your platinum awards, and be sure to play Avatar: The Burning Earth for a quick bang for your buck.

- -- --- ---- ----- Sloth ----- ---- --- -- You know what’s a slow… arthouse… painful… kind of extortion? Grinding in games like Final Fantasy or World of Warcraft, just to level up. Level 99 calls out to you, and in order to reach that accomplishment of a lifetime, you have to keep on fighting monsters, you have to keep on completing quests… and life just becomes slow for a long while. You had the rush of gaining levels in seconds… its beautiful, and you feel like the ultimate champion. But in order to fight a four-hour long boss battle or a giant turtle, you have to grind like a Tony Hawk Pro Skater till 4am strikes. Might not have any more time for it, but the payoff could possibly be worth it.

- -- --- ---- ----- Wrath ----- ---- --- -- You might be rage-quitting your Castlevania: Bloodlines playthrough because it was way too hard for you, or someone killed you in Rainbow Six: Siege and you think they cheated. I don’t have time for unleashing my fury towards a video game… even the worst games on the planet. Trust me, I’ve played Shrek Treasure Hunt. But if it came to wrath, that’d be the top pick because it’s obvious. You definitely have that friend that gets way too mad at games so… give them Pepto-Bismol.

Game Over

- -- --- ---- ----- Lust ----- ---- --- -- We can become obsessive in a relationship (or even someone else’s relationship), but what about objects?

You betcha. I have a lust for collecting video games and still continue to pursue them. Even if I don’t play all of them, it’s at least a fun hobby. But there are a few gamers who love a specific game franchise so much that they will buy the complete edition, emptying their wallet another $50, and go on to collect all the merchandise. At what point does it become all-consuming? I mean, who doesn’t love wearing a Shadow of the Beast t-shirt in public?

But lust has never been stronger than with Nintendo’s Amiibos. Oh boy, weren’t they a couple of hot cakes back when they released? And I literally mean ‘a couple’, because that’s how many it seems Nintendo thought were needed, leaving collectors rushing and moshing into stores for a plastic… golden… Mario amiibo figures.

Those already exist… but now they’re golden. How’s the dust looking on that nowadays, bro? There’s no shame though, because we all have our needs and wants. Did you know Spyro Reignited Trilogy is coming to the Switch in September?

- -- --- ---- ----- Gluttony ----- ---- --- -- Microtransactions are a recent crime in the game industry, and we can thank the corporate publishers and their indecent evoking of a “little bit more” to get your village upgraded. It’s very apparent with mobile games, and it has suckered people into gambling to get a bit further into their video games. And it’s a pile

of trash, especially in how it’s manifested in console gaming. FIFA, Metal Gear Survive and EA's Star Wars Battlefront II are some examples of how toxic and evil microtransactions can become.

Paying for digital coins/cards are gateways to tainted slot machines that will give you less, the more you pay. And it’s a serious issue in the gaming community.

Many stories have arisen about how adults get lured and trapped into gambling addiction, and the virus will still spread if it isn’t stopped. My nephew had access to a tablet to play a game. When it popped up with skin cosmetics and the opportunity to play again immediately after dying, he pressed the coin and took money out of my older sister’s account without her knowledge. $200 was taken — gone — poof. So keep your cards safe, and keep your brain locked down from chasing that “little bit more”.

- -- --- ---- ----- Greed ----- ---- --- -- The cause of all this gluttony? Well, companies like Electronic Arts and Activision of course. Well known for Call of Duty, Battlefield and other games that now contain microtransactions, expensive downloadable content and season passes. The companies themselves are destructors, with Electronic Arts being voted the worst company in America for two years in a row.

Now that’s democracy at work.

39 XP 39

40

Eden Noble Honours Year | Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Communication Major)

(All) Self-Portrait, 2019 This selection of work is a part of my ongoing honours year thesis titled; Aethereal.

Aethereal is an imagined hyperreal space that exists between the clouds and the outer reaches of earth’s atmosphere. It is a delicate and light filled space containing beauty and awe beyond all comprehension. My honours thesis aims to visualise the aethereal and its relationship with contemporary art and design practice.

Self-Portrait explores the destruction, frail mortality, and fragmentation of the human body within the unearthly aethereal plane.

41

Fatal Colour Two Years on From the Formosa Fun Coast Tragedy Bethany Green On the 27th of June 2015, clouds of coloured cornstarch powder used for party effects during a “colour play” party at Formosa Fun Coast, Taiwan, suddenly ignited and engulfed partygoers in flames. Around 1,000 young people were at the water park when the explosion occurred. Fifteen people died and over 470 were injured. It was the largest medical emergency in Taiwan since the 1999 earthquake.

Danica Chan, 23, was among the partygoers that horrific evening. She was 18 years old at the time — a freshman at Yuan-ze University — and was celebrating the end of their first semester together with several of her high school friends.

“We arrived at the water park around 4pm. It was a scorching hot day,” Danica said. “The DJ was playing music on a stage in an empty swimming pool, people were dancing and coloured powder was being spread out from the stage into the crowd. Everything seemed perfect.”

Danica and her friends had squeezed their way to the front of the crowd, about five meters away from the DJ. “Everyone was having a great time,” she said. “Powder was being tossed around in large quantities — we were ankle deep in the stuff. So many colours; blue, pink, red, yellow. There was so much of it in the air that I felt that I couldn’t breathe properly.”

Suddenly, they heard a loud sound coming from the stage, and a sudden rush of bright orange and red light.

“At first, we thought it was a stage effect. Then the screaming started. I will never forget that sound. By the time I realised it wasn’t a part of the show, it was too late — my whole body was on fire.”

After a few moments, it was as if Danica had suddenly come to her senses again, “almost like I had ‘woken up,’” she said.

“The first thing I noticed was the smell; it smelt like a BBQ. Then I realised I had been burnt by the fire.

I raised my arms and saw that the skin had turned dark and was peeling off in large flaps.”

42

Bethany Green is a foriegn correspondent at Togatus and a current New Colombo Plan scholarship holder.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the views of the Australian Government. Togatus would like to thank Radio Taiwan International for assistance in producing this story.

“I felt like an actress in a disaster movie, walking through the aftermath of a tragedy. People were crying in pain and shouting for help, with blood and coloured powder spread all around. It just didn’t feel real.”

For many of the young partygoers, Danica included, the physical and mental trauma they suffered that horrific evening will accompany them throughout the rest of their lives.

But how did a tragedy like this actually happen?

According to Lu Shou-chien, Wufeng University fire science department instructor and Taichung Harbor Fire Department deputy captain, there were a number of factors at play that evening.

“We define this tragedy as a powder fire, rather than an explosion,” Lu said. “At the venue, there was a large amount of powder being spewed from cylinders into the air while electric fans were used to create a stage effect. There were ignition sources too, such as cigarette butts, the light emitting from the big computer screens and electric switches.”

The event organiser had used starch-based powder and gave additional packets to all of the participants. Lu said that the packaging had contained warning messages, such as, ‘It is dangerous to use this powder in an enclosed space’ — but there was no precedent to this event in Taiwan. No one had any idea of the extent of damage this seemingly harmless coloured powder could cause.

are banned, non-smoking bans are put in place, and participants are not allowed to use lighters. There are also regulations regarding the density of the powder used.

“To ensure personal safety [during these events], I suggest that people stay in the places the wind is blowing from, rather than downwind.”

He further suggested that organisers at these events must strictly check everything, including whether first aid service is available and make sure to use inflammable powders such as hygienic powder and gypsum.

“I also strongly recommend that the organizer sprays large amounts of small water droplets in the air to increase humidity as it reduces the risk of a fire,” Lu said.

While Taiwan has responded to this tragedy, for the victims of the 2015 fire, it’s too little, too late.

Following the incident, Danica spent two months at the hospital and took a leave of absence from study for a whole year.

“I suffered burns to 63 per cent of my skin, the worst of which were the burns on my legs and hands. The skin was so damaged, it was unable to grow back anymore.

So they had to shave my head and use skin from my scalp to transplant onto my legs.

“When I looked at my legs, I didn’t recognise it as my own. It was red, swollen, inflexible and was covered in scars. After five surgeries and many therapies, I was finally able to return home.”

At first, she thought returning home would be a relief.

However, readjusting to daily life proved to be a significant challenge — both mentally and physically.

“Plus, except for one fire extinguisher, there were no other fire safety measures or equipment present at the venue, nor was there a smoking ban,” Lu said. “These elements combined caused the unfortunate incident.”

“I had to relearn everything again from scratch: how to walk and stand, how to bend my knees, arms, and fingers, and so many basic movements and simple actions. I went to the therapy centre every day for a full year.”

Following the accident, the government imposed a sweeping ban on all events using powder. The next month, the Interior Ministry banned the use of flammable powder in public spaces.

“Nowadays, people continue to openly stare. Especially, on the bus and the train, it’s very uncomfortable, but I can’t do anything about it,” Danica said. “I don’t want their pity, or to be treated differently. It’s fine.

Just treat me like a normal person.”

Four years later, the memory of the water park fire remains fresh in the minds of the public, and not a single power related event has been held in Taiwan since. However, colour powder events, particularly colour runs, remain popular internationally, including in Australia. UTAS has even hosted several “Colour Me Active” events held in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Now, Danica has returned to Yuan-ze University, where she is studying foreign languages. After graduation, she hopes to find a job that allows her to communicate with people, perhaps working as a psychologist, to help people solve their problems.

So, should we be concerned?

“Powder events held in other countries are strictly regulated,” said Lu. “For example, flammable materials

“Even today, I sometimes feel like I am living in a dream.

I want to wake up, but I can’t. Facing the difficulties head on and controlling my thoughts are the only thing I can do. I’m not better off because of what happened to me, but I won’t let those differences define me.”

43

Crimson

She knew she had to find water to cool down her skin, and as she hobbled her way out of the pool — her shoes had been completely burnt away by the fire — she passed a boy lying on the ground unresponsive. His friend was by his side, desperately calling his name.

James Kelly Third Year | Bachelor of Visual Communications (Media Major)

44

(All) Rooms, 2018 Rooms is an abstract documentary that explores themes and stories of death, love, family and memory. It’s a personal journey that flows through various spaces that are important, telling their own intriguing stories. Without giving much away, I use the past as my tool to create new connections to the now. Rooms itself will describe more than this paragraph could.

45

People That Dislike You Pius Kung

Do you know how many people dislike you? The answer will definitely surprise you. We live in a society where interacting with people is an everyday occurrence. Family, friends, acquaintances, strangers; everyone we meet is so different that we can’t imagine what they truly think of us.

Most people never think about the number of people that dislike them, because people are not aware of it. They choose not to think about it, or lie to themselves that they are doing great and everyone will like them. Sorry to break your heart, but the truth is that a lot of people do not like you, at least more than you’d think.

I had never thought about how many people would dislike me until someone dropped a bombshell. What?

He doesn’t like me? She doesn’t want me to be around her house? What are you talking about, mate? I had no clue!

It turns out that more than half of the people I meet dislike me. Wait, half of the population? You mean 3 billion people in the world? I am joking of course. Not 3 billion people — though 300 people might be in the ballpark.

Think about how many people you have met so far in your life. Let’s say 300 is a pretty big number. My first reaction was obviously shock — 300 — man!

46

How many bad things have I done? Am I such a bad person that 15 per cent of the people I know dislike me? And then it made me upset. Why don’t they like me? I thought I was doing great with some of them, I even see them as friends! Then it changed into anger.

I didn’t do anything wrong, they’re all nuts! In the end, I had so many emotions fluttering in my chest, it made my head spin.

Why don’t they like me? That’s the question that was stuck in my head. Is it because I am not nice enough, or do they think I am a bad person? Did I do anything to offend them? Or am I just not good enough for them? I don’t get it. It’s not fair. Why do they hate me? At the end of the day, I’m exhausted by all these thoughts.

Not all people are compatible, and you can’t please everyone. So what’s the point of trying? You shouldn’t let yourself down to please other people. You could be angry, like me, writing this cynical article and venting my anger.

Or you could be a hermit, I guess; I won’t judge you either way. I haven’t met anyone that’s perfect yet.

So here it is — don’t ever think that everyone likes you. But on the other hand, not everyone hates you, so you can’t be that bad.

LJ Parks

Invidia

Don’t Drop the Opinion Piece

Why do so many people hate feminists anyway? I was raised to believe that fighting for the rights and freedoms of the disenfranchised is a good thing and that equality should be the norm in all aspects of humanity, so naturally it’s something that has puzzled me for quite some time. Is it just because some people are scared of change?

Recently, I had a spark of enlightenment. Don’t worry, I haven’t found the meaning of life or anything that drastic.

Thanks to the Internet I discovered why feminism is so often seen as a bad thing.

Here’s why — many feminists have fallen into the trap of focusing only on their own situation while forgetting about the bigger picture. Whilst women’s rights is an important topic, there are better ways to fight for it than to shame others or keep to ourselves. Allow me to delve further into three common issues that can hinder feminists’ full potential and make some suggestions as to what you can do to improve our chances at a better world.

Stop Blaming the Boys Contrary to popular belief, not all men are inherently evil. Whilst it is true that some males are inclined to be misogynistic, violent, perpetrators of toxic masculinity, this is not the case for all. We should absolutely call out unacceptable behaviour and hold those men responsible for their actions, but we shouldn’t condemn an entire gender because of the actions of a few. By putting all men into the same box here we’re only creating negative stereotypes (not dissimilar to labelling females as weak, emotional and submissive beings, but replaced those terms with aggressive, cruel and anti-social), and we all know fighting fire with fire doesn’t lead to a Nobel Peace Prize. Malala Yousafazi was awarded hers for empowering women and girls, not boycotting men. There are many kind and good natured-men out there who will come alongside you as allies and companions throughout your life.

Check Your Privilege Life as a female can be tough, but the chances are there are other women who have it much worse. White feminism — when people only focus on issues faced by Caucasian women without taking into account the greater hardships of ethnic minorities — is a prevalent issue in modern day society. Let us not forget how much larger the gender pay gap for women of colour is, or the hardships faced by women in other countries — sex slavery, child brides and no rights to vote, education or safe and legal abortions. Count your blessings, and support those who don’t have them so one day we are all equal. Which brings me to my last point…

Everybody’s Got Problems, Not Just Ladies If you’re only concerned about women’s rights, then you’re kind of missing the point of “gender equality”.

Whilst feminism is about the struggles of womankind in its purest form, sometimes it can be easy to forget that we’re not the only gender community facing hardship.

The gender-diverse face scrutiny for not conforming to the label assigned to them at birth and deserve just as much respect and support as women. Believe it or not, our male counterparts are struggling to find their own freedoms too. Toxic masculinity plagues boys from a young age, causing lasting psychological damage. In many environments, guys are forced to have short hair, are not allowed to wear skirts or dresses and are expected to present both in their appearance and behaviour as masculine and “tough”. The battle for girls to be allowed to wear pants in schools and the workplace may be drawing to a close, but the strict uniform and hair regulations imposed upon boys means that we are still a long way away from being equal. Go ahead and fight for women’s rights, but never forget we’re not the only ones in strife.

True equality doesn’t come from lowering people to below your status, but from finding common ground. Whatever our cultural background or gender identity, everybody deserves to have a good time while they’re still alive.

Because we’re all gonna die one day and I suppose we’ll be equal then anyway.

47

Ira

Let’s face it — feminists have always had a bad rap. Many of us see them as the (gender neutral) heroes we need while living in a “man’s world.” Others think they’re whiny, reckless and “unattractive.” Whatever your stance might be on feminism, there’s a good chance that someone you know believes the opposite.

Fallen From Grace Logan Linkston

Something about the concept of pride seems antiquated and irrelevant to modern life. Somehow this particular sin has been simplified to the ceaseless intonement of “pride goeth before fall”.

A quick Google search of the word leads to lengthy articles that discuss how pride historically was considered to be the antithesis of God — it is arrogance, dangerous over-confidence, an overestimation of one’s capabilities. Suddenly it kinda seems super relevant.

“Pride” actually comes from the Greek word “hubris,” and doesn’t just have roots in the Catholic church.

Hubris played a huge role in Greek mythology.

Cryin’ shame we don’t have the Muses from Hercules to tell the story of how prominently pride was featured in Ancient Greece.

Since then, it’s often applied to political leaders in positions of immense power who refuse to accept advice from others, act impulsively and are irrationally confident in their abilities. Because that doesn’t sound like any high-profile politicians we know. Lord David Owen coined the term “hubris syndrome” after studying high profile individuals with significant power in post-World War II politics. In fact, famous historian Ian Kershaw named Part I of his Hitler biography “Hubris”.

Pride is more than just a sin or a flaw; it has been defined as a personality trait or characteristic.

48 XLVIII

Psychologically, a very prideful individual lacks contact with reality and rationality. They’ll seem to think they’re invincible and go through life with zero humility.

In Greek mythology, similar to the Catholic church, pride was seen as an antonym of honour — deeply rooted in shame and humiliation. Hubris was disparaged within the myths of ancient Greece because it meant humans believed they were equal to or better than the gods. The sin is subtly woven in and out of the fabric of many stories, often delicately alluding to the dire consequences of pride.

Hybris is the Greek goddess of “reckless pride, arrogance and insolent behaviour” and she was neither delicate nor subtle. She may not be a wellknown goddess like Athena or Aphrodite, but more often than not, she packed a powerful punch and led to the downfall of many Greek heroes. The myths tell of her destructive nature and caution to keep far away from her spirit.

If the goddess of pride doesn’t lead to annihilation, then surely flying too close to the sun will. The story of Icarus is a cautionary tale of the dangers of pride. Instead of acknowledging that his wings were a gift and not of his own creation, Icarus lost touch with reality and his humanity. He ignored his father’s advice because, in that moment, he chose himself and believed he knew best. His desire to fly higher than anyone before, to touch the sun, was more important.

Superbia

Flying close to the sun was bliss. Then the wax wings melted, burning his skin and branding him with the mark of his pride. Icarus flew and that was a miracle — but that’s not why his story is legendary. He’s remembered because he fell to his death in an embarrassing image of his own hubris. So pride really does go before the fall.

Caution against pride can be found all throughout history. Greek and Roman mythology, the Renaissance, the Catholic church, Judaism and classic literature.

Dante’s nine rings of hell are intertwined with the seven deadly sins, and he characterised pride as a “love of self, perverted to hatred and contempt for one’s neighbour”.

Dante placed pride in the lowest ring of Hell, believing it the worst of the seven sins. Pride is considered the source of all other transgressions, and more importantly, it was the original sin. It was pride that caused Lucifer to fall from his favoured position in Heaven with God.

But hubris is broad and all-encompassing throughout history, manifesting not just arrogance or selfishness.

Pride is tied to violence — the goddess Hybris was associated with war and chaos. There’s an entire book called Hubris: The Tragedy of War in the 20th Century that details five battles led by the Japanese, Russians and Americans and how reckless pride turned into a bloodbath century.

Or how the church believes pride breeds vanity, which makes sense considering hubris is considered the antonym of humility. There are certainly differences between the two — one can be vain and not proud, though they are both considered to be self-serving and ultimately serve as reminders of the inevitability of death.

It seems as though pride has been condemned in all walks of life and in most major historical time periods.

Myths and retrospect alike heed to the perils of pride.

And you know what they say, those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.

XLIX 49

Expressions of Interest for Graphic Designers are Now Open This is a great opportunity to gain valuable experience in media, with a strong focus on the publication’s visual identity. This position comes with potential for professional development, networking and the chance to showcase your talent like never before.

The graphic designers of Togatus are responsible for maintaining visual elements of the Togatus brand, including magazine editions, website graphics and miscellaneous media. This individual should be a creative thinker and problem solver, with a keen eye for detail and the ability to maintain a consistent visual language.

The Gig Togatus is currently searching for graphic designers to begin training alongside the current Design Team for the upcoming Yearbook, with the hope they will continue on into 2020.

Required Skills

Eligibility Criteria

• •

The candidate must be currently enrolled at the University of Tasmania and must be continuing their studies throughout 2020. Studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts or Bachelor of Design is required, with preference to those specialising in graphic design related subjects.

•

Proficient skills in Adobe Photoshop and InDesign.

Organisational skills that enable you to work to deadlines alongside your university commitments.

A willingness to learn and collaborate with others.

Duties and Responsibilities • •

• •

50

Provide design for print editions, website graphics, advertisements and other media.

Ensure that the Togatus brand identity remains consistent across all platforms, including social media and the website.

Collaborate with senior staff members on magazine layout, brand aesthetic and promotional material.

Attend meetings organised by the Editor-in-Chief.

Application Process To submit an expression of interest, please email Maddie Burrows and send a brief letter outlining why you think you would be suitable for this role. Send expressions of interest to creativedirector@togatus.com.au

Do you have a restless pen?

Are you an aspiring writer, journalist, or artist?

Then Contribute to Togatus!

See the details below for more information.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Togatus is the independent student media magazine at the University of Tasmania and simply wouldn’t exist without the contributions of our fellow students.

We are always looking out for new students to contribute.

Togatus showcases UTAS talent, news and discussion across every campus. As well as publishing four print editions each year, we also report on student news through our social media channels and website.

If you’re keen to contribute, feel free to shoot us an email or message us on one of our social media pages. All students are invited to join the team!

51

If you want to talk about or submit an article contribution, email Togatus or Joe. Likewise, for artistic contributions talk to Maddie and for advertising inquiries chat with Monte. We look forward to hearing from you!

Togatus Joe Brady Maddie Burrows Monte Bovill

contributions@togatus.com.au editor@togatus.com.au creativedirector@togatus.com.au marketing@togatus.com.au

51

52