tog atus x
YEARBOOK 2014
THIS IS FREE
Published by the State Council on behalf of the Tasmania University Union Inc. (hf. ‘the publishers’) The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of Togatus staff or the publishers. The copyright in each piece of work remains with the contributor; however, Togatus reserves the right to reproduce material on the Togatus website www.togatus.com.au. Togatus staff: Editor-in-chief: Tabitha Fletcher Print Editor: Olivia Congdon Digital Editor: Nathan Gillam Proof reader: Evan Miller Design: Jess Curtis, Tabitha Fletcher, Nathan Gillam Contributors: Ben Armstrong, Nina Barnett, Debbie Baird-Bower, On Ee Chin, Danis Chong,Clark Cooley, Joey Crawford, Alison Dower, Honey Dower, Zac Duggan, Waqas Durrani, Cameron Foster, Matt Howden, Alex Hoysted, Marcus Johnson, Sam Kean, Andrew Lock, Eloise Macdonald-Myer, Adam McDermott, Evan Miller, Holly Monery, Camilla More, Kirstyn Patterson, Damien Peck, Tom Reale, Emma Skalicky, Laura Smith, Tim Stoklosa, Michael Law, Ken Tng Contact Togatus: Twitter & Instagram: @TogatusMagazine Facebook: facebook.com/TogatusMagazine Web: www.togatus.com.au Post: PO Box 5055, UTAS LPO, Sandy Bay 7005 Email: editor.togatus@utas.edu.au
Togatus welcomes all your contributions. Please visit www.togatus.com.au/contribute for information It is understood that any contributions sent to Togatus may be used for publication in either the magazine and/or online, and that the final decision on whether to publish resides with the editor and the publishers. The editors reserve the right to make changes to submitted material as required. Togatus is published monthly during semester. Front cover art by Cristina Palacious, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Hunter St To see more of her work visit www.CristinaPalacious.see.me Back cover art by Esther Stride: Instagram @esther_helene Mushroom illustration by Laura Wilkinson: Instagram @7_willa Printers: Monotone Art Printers, Hobart
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CONTENTS Editorial / 4 2014 Contributors / 6 This year at UTAS:A listicle Life after graduation Without UTAS Tomorrow starts today There’s a hole in the fence Backpacker behaviour Pachamama – Origenes Goodbye privacy, hello secrecy Over to you George… Hamlet: Heads or Tails Aurora lights A backfiring gun This is my life, it’s not about me
/ / / / / / / / / / / / /
12 15 16 18 19 20 24 26 27 28 30 31 32
Student profiles Societies reports State Council reports SRC Cradle Coast report SRC North reports SRC South reports The artists
/ / / / / / /
34 38 44 47 48 52 56
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EDITOR To everyone, our 80-odd contributors and everyone who’s joined in with Togatus in 2014, thank you. What an eye-opener of a year. We listened. We talked a lot. We learned a lot. We reported some things. We tried to give a voice to the discussions going on around us. But of course, everyone wants something different, so you got a bit of everything in this year’s Togatus. Overall, to help get you polished up a bit, before you jump on the soap box to engage each other in a public discussion. Ideally, we would cover all of the most important things that you demand, and we have been overwhelmed with interest and events - often at the last minute – so the more people who join the contributor team to write regularly next year, the more it will be possible to cover more of student life and continue to connect each other more. It’s important to communicate, and to slow down, more all of us will likely agree, and the print edition of Togatus in particular is a path for us to achieve this, in our immediate environment, and the setting which we find ourselves in. In a University, full of smart and cultured people such as yourselves, the public sphere is a tricky domain to be in. We have definitely felt that. Every person who has contributed to Togatus in 2014 was putting their neck on the line, while extending a gesture to all who come across it by entering the public domain. Unfortunately, when it comes to controversial topics, particularly politically charged topics, the criticism and dare we say it, besmirching, is inevitably directed back at the writer, but also Tog staff. We also found (more explicitly than average), that there are some who just pick on anything, and anything is fodder for therapy. You’re welcome. Togatus is open to everyone. The opinions of our contributors are not a representation of the editorial staff. And that’s what’s so great about doing it, because student media can be as laissez faire as YOU want to be - to comment on or seriously investigate - whatever you please. And you have!
It’s been a big job keeping to keep up with you all, and we often thought we’d bitten off more than we could chew, but it’s been worth it, and we’re definitely not disappointed to be sliding into home on the seat of our pants. We’re lucky to have made it. At the start of 2014, Togatus was a vacant office, a blank PC and two strangers, our editors Olivia and Tabitha. Tog finally found a permanent web editor in April, with Nathan. Who with many thanks to, we finally re-launched Tog’s web presence, gathering 4-5 thousand views on togatus.com.au each month. We also did several Instagram takeovers, tweeted a bunch of events and things, created some videos and got to know many, many more people in the UTAS community and beyond. Tog has also doubled the number of print copies we put out, hosted a candidate forum for the student elections, acted as moderator for a University panel about UTAS and its future in the regularly changing face of well, everything. A 2030% drop in funding, for the most part. And it’s been a pleasure, you delightful, interesting and generous bunch of people you! Thanks for having us. While the print editions will now take a hiatus over the summer break, our web presence will continue, so students can still contribute and follow Tog on the website, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram. We’re also heading to Falls, so make sure you say hi so we can take your photograph! Tabitha Fletcher (Editor-in-Chief), Olivia Congdon (Print Editor) and Nathan Gillam (Web Editor)
IAL Gold stars to: The writers! Without you it wouldn’t have happened! Shout out to Holly, for your great style, Allie and Evan, for taking on the heavy issues, Brendan, for your quality music reviews, Joey, for your creative commitment with the Doug series, and many pieces, Anneliese for your candid insights into depression, and Topher Webster, for your splendid blathering. The artists! Milly Yencken, your wonderful illustrations have graced Tog’s pages, and the first front cover of 2014. It has been much richer and insightful for them. Molly Turner, who joined in semester 2, your great comic reflections, we love them. And Laura Wilkinson, thank you for sharing your beautiful, finely-detailed pictures to every contents page. The photographers! More of that please. Your work is art, too. Many thanks to Damo Peck, Evan Miller, Nathan Gillam and Steph Morrison. Also kudos to Damo, whose article and photographic essay on “Cunts and other conversations” (the art piece at MONA, you heathens), got the most web traffic and positive response of any piece – over 500 views. Our Web Editor Nathan! You’ve brought in a much greater level of web traffic to the Togatusphere, and your enthusiasm for working out how to do new things keeping everything going. Designer Jess Curtis! For your ceaseless positive attitude and collaborative work ethic. We’d be well up the creek without you. To the printers! Franklin Direct and Monotone! Thank you for helping out far beyond what we expected. Like when Tab locked herself out of her car. The TUU for securing Tog a well-provisioned budget, for supporting our initiatives, and for not interfering in operational and editorial decisions. Thank you. And last, but definitely not least, all the people who’ve put up with our moaning! Parents, boyfriends, friends and random people we’ve met at Uni who ask what it’s like. Thank you.
CONTRIBUTORS
Judy Augustine “Praise be to the benevolent flying spaghetti monster”
Kate Richardson Safety First!
COMAL KHAJURIA “Scrive for essellence” - Gucci Mane
2014
Nina Barnett ’What noise annoys an oyster?’ ‘A noisy noise annoys an oyster!’
Alex
Hoysted
I like magic.
Alexandra Humphries You’ve got to fight for your right to party. - Gandhi.
JACK PITT “Are you too considerate to consider it?” - S.A. Hunn
REBECCA HARRIS #unilyf
Topher webster “My only regret is never having featured on “Hotties of UTAS”...yet”
Jessica Hancock
brendan FIsher
Sophie jarman
“Every once in a while I’d go to Lazenby’s and get a bit anxious by the sheer mass of people around. Then I’d remember that UTAS existed outside of Level 4 of the Chemistry building. You don’t get to go outside much in Honours.”
“It seems to me that the real political task in a society such as ours is to criticise the workings of institutions, which appear to be both neutral and independent; to criticise and attack them in such a manner that the political violence which has always exercised itself obscurely through them will be unmasked, so that one can fight against them.”-Michel Foucault
VINO RAJANDAN
ZARA GUDNASON
Calling somebody else fat won’t make you any skinnier. Calling someone stupid doesn’t make you any smarter. And ruining Regina George’s life definitely didn’t make me any happier. All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you.
Quoting student politician Pyne (1985) to reflect my thoughts on the new fees on PhDs “it (is) my duty to stand for election and do everything possible to forestall the introduction of fees and indeed to end any movements by the Federal Government to introduce fees”.
On Bill Clinton: If you have the audacity to tell a grand jury your statement about not having an extra-marital relationship was predicated on a misunderstanding of the word ‘is’, then you also have my vote”
Heidi la paglia
SARAH DUFF
BRIGITTE TROBIANNI
Be good to others because what you give out you get back twice. Stand with others and it will improve your life.
I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” (The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul)
“If I owned a company, my EMPLOYEES would love me. They’d have huge pictures of me up the walls and in their home, like Lenin.” - George Costanza
“There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened. Douglas Adams”
MADDIE CHARLES
AKSEL WAECHTER
DANIEL BERNAL
Politicians and the media like to panic. They need activity; it’s their substitute for achievement!
It doesn’t matter if you’re 45 years old and didn’t win any fights. You beat everyone who’s still sitting on the couch -Said to my oldest student after his first comp this year.
HOLLY MONERY
SARAH CHARLOTTE
We’re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh? Because it was you know, it was the best. - The Doctor
Dreams are like the stars above. You will never get to touch them, but if you follow them, you could do the impossible.
KATE EDWARDS Study hard kids!
EMMMA SKALICKY [internally screaming]
JACOB GEORGE There’s no passion to be found in playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.
JADE STANDALOFT I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions - Augusten Burroughs
DEBBIE BAIRD-BOWER I like seals
CAMERON FOSTER “See how this single mum found a secret to getting whiter teeth for under $5 ***WARNING: DENTISTS HATE HER***”
MADDIE KRAMER
SAAD RAFIQUE “Never think hard about past, it brings tears. Don’t over think about future, it brings fears. Live this moment with a smile, it brings cheers”
ROSIE HUNT
CLARK COOLEY “Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides”
KATE ELPHINSTONE
Don’t forget to smile, be brave, dream big and eat dessert! The glass is always half full... don’t quote me on that though.
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed” - Ernest Hemingway
This is a shout out to the entire Togatus Crew, worth their weight in gold. Thanks for all you’ve helped create.
Damien Peck
SUE KOLE
waqas durrani
This should mean that I’ve finally fucking graduated.
Oh my this onesie is like a sauna. Who needs soup to keep warm!
It’s not about if you can or cannot, because if you really want to, nothing is impossible!
anneliese farmer “Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.” - Ron Swanson
JOEY CRAWFORD “I love freedom, I’m just not at liberty to discuss it.”
JESS SMITH “Remember why you started “
FREYA GRIFFIN “Believe you can and you’re already halfway there.” Theodore Roosevelt
stephanie morrison “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them” - Walt Disney
EVAN MILLER “I was angry before I had the beard”
LARA HEMBROW “Each year around 75 shark attacks are reported, world wide.”
mark acheson “An apple a day gathers no moss.”
Alice Camm “I’m a celebrity, get me out of here”
STEPHEN MAZZA “No damn cat, and no damn cradle.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut
LI XI To those who are graduating this year (that’s me!) - CONGRADUATIONS!
ON EE CHIN “Da(beep!) is a dim sim?!”
KOSTA GENARIS “Hannah Montana says no one is perfect. But here I am.”
DIPESH RAJ GAUTRAM Han’ go, paki come
Not pictured on these pages: Simon Burnett; Josephine Cahalan; Liam Carswell; Nick D’Elia; Sarah Duff; Emily Dunn; Isaac Foster; Rebeca Furtado de Melo; Mark Glidden; Ruby Grant; Caitlin Gregorette; Kat Induni; Zoe Kean; John Keane; Emma Luimes; Farah Modh Radzi; Mikayla Schleich; Gene Stewart-Murray; Christian Street; Emma Tanchik; Saraswathy Varathajullu; Mark Buckland and Emma Fluke
THIS YEAR AT UTAS: A LISTICLE Tabitha Fletcher – BA JMC
A non-definitive look over our shoulder at the year that was… O-week!!! How good was Violent Soho? … Sorry North. The biggest ever Societies Day. Oh, the fuzzy, fuzzy memories… Money for student activities got somewhere close to preVSU days, with the TUU securing 40% of SSAF funds. UTAS marketing flew off the chain – an audible groan from students registered a 5.9 on the Richter scale. Are you a challenging thinker? Well? You’ve got the tote bag, are ya, punk? TUU student councils tried to throw out the State President not once, but three times. Ah, the great failed coup of 2014. The 2014 Federal Budget… Earn or learn, you entitled bitches! The biggest student rally in more than a decade. The revolution will be served over soup and toasted Budget, reportedly. Breadth units. UTAS casually changed the entire undergraduate course structure in roughly less than 12 months. Anything close to adequate car parking remained an elusive policy unicorn. Also the national animal of Scotland. Battle of the Bands. How impressive was that girl metal singer’s voice? - And a big congrats to the winners and our favs, The White Rose Project. Speaking of girl power, feminism returned to the student boroughs in the form of the Women’s Collective. Yes I’d like one helping of gender equality, please. Enrolments reached a new record of 30 thousand students. Aww, ain’t we all just one big, rowdy family?
Scores of nude, freshly tattood students rampaged around, perpetrating all kinds of depravity on themselves and an unsuspecting campus (in relative seclusion, calm down) in the annual, newly classified terrorist activity that is ScavHunt The First Southern Uni games. All teams sportsed their hardest. Yay medals! TUU elections. Controversy ahoy! But also a record voting turnout. So they’ve got that going for them, which is nice. UTAS and the TUU became a little more environmentally friendly, earning a nomination for the ACTS Green Gown Award. More solar panels were had. Discussion of ethical investments was discussed. TasPostgrads got a heroic advocacy officer to champion their cause. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It's the Postgrad Advocacy Officer! So many epic society events. The Engineering Society threw not one, but two festivals. No worries, mate! After a bout of solid campaigning by SRC South and students, UTAS promised to restore our beloved, the Arts Amphitheatre. Fiesta International proved yet again that international students will give anyone a run for their money at throwing the best celebration, with the best food. Marvel at our cultural tapestry! It’s quite valuable, you know. Togatus stretched out its dusty wings and doubled our print output, back to monthly editions like the good old days. Coffee prices skyrocketed in our wake, but the epic amount of student involvement and fantastic tales from all kept us inspired and ready for much, much more…
Illustration: Molly Turner
LIFE AFTER GRADUATION
Illustration: Molly Turner
Cameron Foster BA - JMC/Sociology It’s been roughly a month since I graduated. The transition from praised future-of-the-country to full-time unemployed waster was underwhelming to say the least. Every jerk and their dog will tell you all about how university was a waste of time/money/the most precious years. I can’t help but think they found employment elsewhere and just gave up on aspirations. No one wants to think of themselves as a quitter, so there’s this apparent attempt to drop everyone else’s standards, as a service, preparing the young’uns for the handful of disappointments that make life exciting. The one thing nobody can prepare you for is the way unemployment becomes a full-time job, and in this line of work, a day off is more or less out of the question. I’ve been lucky enough to get weekends – manual labour unloading trucks, piecing together stages and the like – about four shifts this month, which if nothing else, is coherent with the analogy. But this is a temporary gig, inconsistent, and I don’t
know how to explain it to Centrelink. Every other day I’m scanning for jobs, but the relevance of my applications is stretched pretty thin when the pickings are slimmer.
and now I have a certificate. It says I’m skilled – I have a skill – I am no longer a part of the skills shortage in Australia. The assumption now is that I’ll do nothing with it and maybe that’s true.
Oh yes, your taxes paid for my dead-beat lifestyle, they paid for my food these past few years, my petrol, my socks and jocks – shit, if you pay taxes, you’ve probably even funded a few illicit habits here and there. You also, in part, paid for my University degree; albeit a BA. I certainly wouldn’t have been in any position to attend without some sort of welfare system in place. I’m sure I’m not the only one.
Just before I entered the halls of the graduation ceremony I heard two middleaged women, soon to be paramedics, talking about the dark blue sashes adorning the BA graduates. They weren’t bitter, but they chortled irreverently; “I remember getting my arts degree. I was young – guess I didn’t know what I was doing.” I wondered if she would have been there without it. Maybe all this has been is a fucking expensive preparation to come back once a final blow leads me to accept that doing what I love will not make the money come, I have to do what I’m good at. Until then, I’ll live with my immature ambition intact.
The fact that I have an A4 foot in the door is comfortable, more so than to be unemployed without it. The indirect rejection is less painful, and if or when I do find work, make a decent living and pay these taxes everyone keeps banging on about, I’ll do so snug in my arrogance over the person I would have been without the opportunity. I graduated,
WITHOUT UTAS Holly Monery, BA JMC
Between anxiety-induced Cadbury binges and working on my insidious nail biting habit, the last few weeks of my degree have also brought with them a warm feeling of nostalgia. I’ve given the past five years of my life to my degree, but instead of telling you all things I plan to do now, I thought I’d reminisce on the things that would have never happened if I hadn’t been through this. Without UTAS... I would never have had an appreciation of Hunter S Thompson. Or Ernest Hemingway. Rachel Carson. Martha Gellhorn. Carl Bernstein. Bob Woodward. The list is endless. The work created by these journalists is truly inspiring. To learn of the path forged by the predecessors in my chosen career is something I would not have admired as keenly without JMC’s own Nicola Goc. Thankyou. Without UTAS... I would never have been a part of TARTS. For all the shortcomings of working behind the bars at barrels, putting up with weekly meetings, the inevitable
I definitely wouldn’t have got stuck halfway up Mount Wellington in the middle of the night while it was snowing. backstabbing when things get clique-ey, being on the committee of a society is something I am really proud to have done. Not only that, I was there when it all started. I helped people much smarter than I turn their idea into an enduring part of UTAS that I hope lives on for a long, long time. Without UTAS... I would never have experienced Superbarrel. For the people who weren’t there I can’t compare it to anything else, but let’s just say it was probably one of the best nights of my life. Think of the best barrel you’ve been to, then multiply it by 50 and you might be getting close. Without UTAS... I would never have discovered how impressive laws students
are. While it is easy enough to know that law students lead pretty intense lives – seriously just ask one – the dedication it takes to do well far exceeds normal limitations. You have to not only be a good student, not only be a dedicated student, but you have to maintain a level of passion for something that can be death-defyingly dry. If I hadn’t studied law for two years (and then realised I DID NOT want to be a lawyer), I would think the law was all about great clothes, thick books and an even thicker paycheque. It is so much more than that. Without UTAS... I would never have poured a beer at the Shamrock stark naked. I also would not have sat on the steps outside Parliament House naked. I definitely
Photo: Supplied by Holly Monery
wouldn’t have got stuck halfway up Mount Wellington in the middle of the night while it was snowing. Oh and did I mention the whole porno in the Morris Miller thing? Yikes. Two words – Scav Hunt. Without UTAS... I would not own a copy of The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. I haven’t read it in its entirety but it’s on my toread list. On a side note, even if you’re not remotely interested in International Relations or Politics, you should sneak into a lecture by both Matt Sussex and Matt Killingsworth. They are, by far, the most engaging, intelligent, informative, passionate, and insightful lecturers I ever had the pleasure of meeting. I am a better person for having learnt from them.
Without UTAS... I would never have broken my leg in O-Bar. Three weeks into first semester, first year. Classy. Without UTAS... I would not have a fulltime job as a journalist. Personally the past year has been hell. I’ve been completing my degree part-time, while working fulltime and commuting between Burnie, Devonport, Launceston and Hobart. But you know what? Not much beats the feeling of seeing your byline on the front page of a newspaper. It still hasn’t got old and I hope it never does. Without UTAS... I would never have met my first love. It only lasted three months. He was an international student who had
problems with his student loans; he left to go home for the summer and never came back. It was magical while it lasted and heartbreaking when it ended. I think there will always be a place in my heart for him, but part of what makes love so special is how transient it can be. Without UTAS... I would not know the depth of true friendship. All the clichés about great friendships are totally true; you just have to find those people. It may be through an art project, a coffee after a lecture, or a smile of understanding over a tutorial table. There are about 30,000 people at UTAS and some of them are just fucking awesome. True friends.
Alex Hoysted, B.Bus Have you seen UTAS slick new marketing promo around? Perhaps it’s left you feeling cool and satisfied like a minty mojito, or perhaps you thought: “wow, they went full hipster there…”
Questions? No doubt you have a few. Is this just a hipster thing or…? Oh yeah! All the cool, big hipster organisations like the International Monetary
Here’s what bothers me though (bothered enough to write about it) – the Uni
Fund and the World Bank have discontinued funding new coal projects. Pft,
spends millions (yup, millions) on marketing to make itself seem like this
crazy hipsters.
awesome progressive, forward thinking institution. But are they...are they really?
How much money does UTAS have invested in Fossil Fuels? We don’t know, though we have been asking for the last 18 months. Probably
Well no, turns out they are not. Here’s a fascinating and not well known
around $5 million. But we will know soon, courtesy of an FOI, unless UTAS
fact – the University of Tasmania has investments in the fossil fuel industry,
decides to be sneaky. Like the Facebook page below and you’ll know as soon
investments which are contributing to climate change – super forward thinking
as we do.
UTAS – tomorrow starts today, and here’s some shares in a coal mine whilst
Where do you want them to re-invest the money?
you’re at it.
Across a range of other industries and companies, this decreases the risk and
So, what I thought I’d do was write to Togatus and ya know, put forward a
increases the chance of portfolio profitability.
well-reasoned argument about why UTAS should divest (move its (our) mulla)
Is it financially responsible to divest?
out of the fossil fuel industry. Okay. Ready?
It is, there are even whole studies, like a bunch of em’, all mentioned in the text
Climate Change. Yes, we are actually on track to quite literally break
of our open letter text, link at bottom.
everything.
Aren’t fossil fuels profitable to invest in?
Okay, so that bit’s done. Now on to the practicalities:
If you want long term returns, it’s actually more profitable to avoid volatile
Let’s say you’re into this, you’ve bought my premise; ‘fossil fuels: bad’ – but
stocks such as fossil fuels; again sources provided in the link at the bottom.
how do we actually get UTAS to divest (move its (our) money out of fossil
Are there any other reasons to divest?
fuels)?
Did I mention climate change? Yeah well turns out, fossil fuel investments will
Well, turns out UTAS is actually accountable to its students, staff and alumni.
become even more financially volatile as governments act on climate change; in
There’s even a provision in the 1992 UTAS act which says that the institution
English – they’re soon to be shit investments.
must act ‘…to the benefit of its constituents…’ And what’s more beneficial than
Is anyone else divesting?
not financing the raw-dogging of one billion people out of their homes and
Yeah, University of Sydney and the Australian National University are on the
lives, and destroying 90% of biological life on the earth?
way, as is the largest super fund in the world (the Norwegian Pension Fund)
If enough people write to the Vice Chancellor, he has to listen, it’s just that
and even oil magnates – the Rockerfellers are getting in on the act. All up
simple.
there’s about $50 billion being moved out of the fossil fuel industry this year.
Would it actually matter though? Yeah it would! Think about the stigma
Oh, I was kinda thinking of working in fossil fuels …
divesting would put on the fossil fuel industry; look at big tobacco and
Totally your call, everyone has to eat, after all!
Apartheid in South Africa, not exactly everyone’s best friend, right? So by this point you’re either onside or you’ve got some questions, that’s all good; I’ve got you covered.
Questions are good, you have more? The crew at Fossil Free UTAS would love to answer them here: facebook.com/fossilfreeUTAS or here: fossilfreeutas.com/ contact-us.html. Go here to sign an e-open letter to the Vice Chancellor (he’s like UTAS’s Prime minister, sorta) 350.org.au/divestutas it’s an e-open letter, already written; to which you can add your own thoughts should you so desire. Ladies and gentleman, thank you for your time and patience if you got this far! Again the link to write directly to the Vice Chancellor, asking him kindly to divest from the fossil fuel industry: 350.org.au/divestutas Remember, Tomorrow starts today.
THERE'S A HOLE IN THE FENCE, AS BIG AS A CAR
Tim Stoklosa, B.Env.Des, M. Arch Tasmania has a bit of an identity issue. Currently the state is seen as something of a basket case for the rest of the country. The few shiny things like MONA make it seem like we’re doing alright for the tourists, but morale is a touch low. Federal dependency for state revenue, embarrassing unemployment figures, and intense conflict over natural resources have defined what it means to be Tasmanian. But the Tasmania that exists today is built upon a shaky, and at times misinformed representation of its colonial past. The identity issue stems from the lack of recognition of the darker sides of history, the ‘skeletons in the closet’ that haven’t yet moved into the mainstream. Take the thylacine, for example. Football and cricket teams, council logos, beer, postage stamps, and potato bags all use the animal to symbolise wilderness, individuality and pride. But it’s dead. It’s been dead for a long time. Tasmanians systematically destroyed the thylacine. The last of its kind, Benjamin, passed away with a whimper in 1936, after contracting pneumonia. The final resting place of Benjamin, the former Beaumaris Zoo within the Queens Domain, is an unremarkable, disused block of land, contaminated from its use as an oil storage site for the Navy. There’s a hole in the fence, as big as a car, but the council probably don’t want everyone to know that. It mostly consists of mown grassy hillsides, exotic trees and remnants from the zoo era, maintained as possibly the most historically charged paddock in Hobart. The spot where the thylacine enclosures were, where possibly the most emblematic symbol of our state lived
and died, is indistinguishable from any other bit of mown grass. It seems that pride for the thylacine is somehow connected to the possibility of its continued existence. The many reports made since the last recorded sighting in the wild in 1930, evoke such optimism - some even on the mainland. But despite several (big) offers of reward, no conclusive evidence has ever emerged. The moral negligence of this extinction is that it is characterised by an absence, rather than a presence. If a day came when it was found alive, everything would be ok, the stuffed tigers you can buy at the market would symbolise the tiger’s enduring nature - rather than hypocritical pride. I think some people are still waiting for that day. The Black War between 1824-31 is another bloodied example of an event which attracts very little discussion or attention publicly. Following the initial arrival of European settlers in 1804, conflicts with the aboriginal people inhabiting the vast majority of the state were infrequent. But by the 1820s, large swathes of the countryside were being granted to settlers for livestock cultivation. The pressure from ever-advancing land grabs, and mistreatment of aboriginal women culminated in the most bloody frontier conflict in Colonial Australia. Described as a ‘war’ by Governor George Arthur, at its, peak the whole island fell under Martial law, with colonists given legal immunity to kill. In 1830 able-bodied European settlers were conscripted to participate in the infamous Black Line, which swept across the south east of the state in
an effort to corral the remaining aboriginal people onto the Tasman Peninsula. Whilst largely ineffective, the pure display of force was enough to convince the aboriginal people to negotiate surrender. It was the largest domestic military operation conducted in Australian history. There were heavy losses on both sides. The war resulted in the death or exile of almost all aboriginal people in the state, and a mortality rate two and a half times higher per capita than World War II, for the colonists. Despite the severe nature of this defining conflict, it still carries no public recognition. It seems it has been relegated to the shadow of public knowledge, known and understood by few. The exhibition on the top level of the Bond Store at TMAG extensively explains both sides of the conflict, but its purpose is to educate the public, rather than memorialise the event. Memorial, and recognition of past histories are essential for the state as a whole, as much as those more directly affected by them. A student I met visiting from the mainland suggested that there is such a thing as inherited guilt and responsibility, and that there is a ‘lie of the land’. It’s true. The effigies of the tiger don’t seem that clever once you accept that’s actually all that’s left. Tasmania isn’t doing so well at the moment. To the rest of the country it’s seen as the kid that never moved out. I’m not suggesting that two memorials will fix all of the state’s problems, but history has shown that the confrontation of a dark past, whilst requiring a great deal of maturity, results in a reaffirmation of identity, confidence of self, and pride. The real kind.
BACKPACK
Photo: Supplied by Sam Kean
KER BEHAVIOUR Sam Kean B, Tourism + JMC, Mrkt
Sam investigates the implications of how we act when on the backpacking trail. Some thoughtful insights for your summer’s travels. Backpacking as a form of travel has provided me with nothing but positives, I constantly encourage friends to do the same or to come with me on my next adventure. It wasn’t until recently that I began to think about my own, and fellow travelers, behaviour. The more I look the more I see, people change when travelling in whichever form of holiday they take. A recent trip to South East Asia, and Laos in particular, opened my eyes to the real consequences this can have. The sun was peaking through the clouds but the sweat was flowing from the humidity, the beerlaos were cracked and we were slowly drifting down the river in our inner tubes towards the next bar. You could faintly hear the techno music playing, seeming so out of place when looking around at the towering jungle canopy and mountains in the background. We were having fun and in no hurry, just chatting and laughing, with new travel friends and others we had known a little longer. It all seemed so crazy and unusual, but relaxing at the same time. You would never do this in Australia, my travel mate and I thought out loud. When we arrived at the next bar there were sun lounges, a basketball court complete with a cascading sprinkler to keep you cool, some structures that apparently counted as toilets and of course the bar! As I ordered drinks for my friends and I the bar tender promptly asked if I wanted a ‘happy’ shake (a concoction of opium, magic mushrooms and marijuana among other things) I laughed thinking it was a joke, I had heard this kind of partying was long gone. But I quickly realised it wasn’t. The chalk writing on the wall came into my field of vision; ‘Happy shakes, only 1400 Kip’ - roughly 2 Aussie
Should developing countries provide the same ‘babysitting’ approach as it’s been said many western countries do? dollars. Later back at the hostel I thought to myself, ‘imagine if you did take that ‘happy’ shake, how on earth would you knowingly and successfully work your way down the river and back into town?’ This was Vang Vieng, Laos and for the past decade or so visitors, mostly young backpackers such as myself, have rented tubes and worked their way down the river running alongside the town, stopping at bars along the way, jumping off diving platforms, sliding down waterslides, swinging out of trees and along zip lines. While this all sounds like a bit of fun, it got out of hand. The injuries and deaths rose, to 27 reported deaths in 2011. Worldwide, the media made outlandish claims that the operators were solely at fault and that it must be stopped immediately. It did. In late 2012 the Laos government carried out a crackdown, demolishing bars, diving platforms and rope swings with great force. People took to the Internet to voice their opinion; “About time this ridiculous and pathetic form of tourism came to an end!” But others said that the locals were just trying to provide an experience to visitors, and it was the tourists themselves who took it too far. It does raise some interesting questions. Should developing countries provide the same ‘babysitting’ approach as it’s been said many western countries do? Is it up to travellers to take responsibility for their own actions? And why did these people die? Was it because they thought they were invincible while drunk and on drugs, or was it because they threw their rationale and responsibility out the window simply because they were travelling? It was three months before we left for our South East Asia adventure. I was already anxious, impatient and excited all at the same time. While it was only a short trip in comparison to others I had done, I was hoping the month long journey would last forever. I somehow justified that this trip was going to help further my tourism studies at university, and the debt I would no doubt come home with would be worth it. South
East Asia as a destination had never really appealed to me, possibly I thought, due to many of the people that already chose to travel there. Pictures of themselves covered in glow in the dark paint and imitation t-shirts littered Facebook. This being said it didn’t take long for me to change my opinion. I’m a sucker for a good time and I was hooked from the first night. My friends and I enjoyed ‘street beers’ as they are known, sitting with other travellers on the small children’s chairs in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City. For the next three weeks we had the time of our lives, diving in the south of Cambodia, scootering around Koh Chang in Thailand and of course trying to re-enact The Hangover Part II in Bangkok. Throughout our adventures I tried to be conscious of my actions, eating locally wherever possible, choosing hostels run by and employing locals rather than western chains, and abiding by the rules such as covering up when walking back from the beach. After zigzagging our way around, meeting countless friendly backpackers and locals along the way, we finally made it up to what was my most anticipated leg of the journey; Laos. Why? Because I had not only read deeply into the Vietnam War and how Laos is still the most heavily bombed country in history, but because I had heard of the tubing craze. I had read the article Vang Vieng, Laos: the world’s most unlikely party town by Abigail Haworth and been hooked. This went against many of my, ‘silly’, as my friends sometime said, rules, where I tried to travel to places that had gained a slightly more positive reputation. I had also heard of and read about the injuries, deaths and what it had allegedly done to the culture of the town. Despite this anticipation I knew not to expect too much. I had more recently read of the shutdowns in the article titled The Tubing Phenomenon is Dead! by Neil Mugas. I justified the visit by thinking that this town really grew because of backpacking rather than being overrun by it. Of course this isn’t quite true but I didn’t need much of an excuse.
My tourism lecturer at university, Alison Dunn, rarely spoke of backpacker tourism when describing trends, destination life cycles and even eco tourism. Of course many of the same characteristics and trends can be applied across the board, but the concept of risk taking and changes in behavior when travelling compared to when at home never came up. I met up with her to ask her about this topic, and knowing she had ventured to Laos on previous occasions made her, I believed, a perfect start to my investigation. I put to her the question of did she believe that people change when holidaying? “Of course, you can be whoever you like,” she said, “and while of course not everyone chooses this, travel gives people that opportunity”. When discussing South East Asia and backpacker behavior she stated, “I do think that to some extent destinations, like Vang Vieng, have encouraged tourists, and particularly backpackers, to take these risks and push themselves further, to generate profit”. I mentioned though that while this may be true, in their hometown people could still do wild and crazy things if they choose. She said, “Well, they’re allowing at the least and encouraging at the most, for backpackers to behave in a hedonistic way”. I had to look up this word and discovered that it summed up the situation well. Hedonism is a school of thought that argues that pleasure is the primary and most important intrinsic good and that people have a right to achieve for themselves the most pleasurable and enjoyable outcome. As I was standing to leave, Alison said to me “Remember, backpacking is supposed to be about rite of passage, being young and being free”. Many of the traits that I have learned made backpacker tourism so frowned upon in its beginnings. For the month that I was away on my trip, I noticed that a friend, Korrina Davis, was on a similar adventure of her own. Pictures popped up on Facebook of her and her friends also having the time of their lives in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. What was most noticeably different to my trip was that they were volunteering in local communities, something that my friends and I never considered. I caught up with her once we were both back to see what she could possibly add to my investigation. I always thought of Korrina as a conservative, calculated-and observant-of-her-actions kind of person. When I started talking about backpacker behavior, and did she think people change when travelling, she started
nodding before the question was finished. I asked her what was the most important element in her choosing to volunteer in developing countries. “I always search for a local organisation so that I know what we are helping with is what the locals actually want”, she said. This brought me to Vang Vieng. Were the drugged and drunken backpackers that were making these dangerous and sometimes life ending decisions what the locals wanted? Probably not. Korrina added to my train of thought by stating that she didn’t believe it was just one or the other to blame, “I think it falls on both the venue and the person,” she said. “There’s no such thing as a standard drink in South East Asia, and people travelling there need to be aware of this”. We also both agreed however, that we would have thought it would be in the operator’s best interest to keep their tourism experiences safe. Although this does raise more questions regarding what constitutes safe.
After my discussions and research so far I had come up with no conclusions other than people do change when travelling, something I was confident occurred in the first place. I even ventured to a local hostel in Hobart where I asked Nadira, an employee there, if she noticed anything like what I was talking about happening, “Yes definitely, they (backpackers) certainly ‘loosen up’ and come out of their shell”, she said. Nadira agreed with Alison, saying; “Isn’t that what backpacking is all about?” I thought about everything I had been told, read about and observed, and concluded that it seems no matter where in the world they are, people change while travelling and this can often be a good thing. I had observed myself certainly growing and opening up, being more inquisitive and conscious because of my travels. What happened in Vang Vieng, from my point of view, can’t be solely blamed on
the operators and their ‘dodgy’ business practices, or simply because people behave slightly differently while abroad. Alain De Botton has written a well-known book on a similar topic, The Art of Travel. He gives an example of a Caribbean holiday and how the postcard draws him there, but once actually there he finds there is so much more than the image on the postcard. Could this be related to Vang Vieng and tubing? The town is beginning to move on from the sole experience of tubing (this was the towns postcard image), to cave exploring, quad bike riding and even hot air ballooning. De Botton states, “We are inclined to forget how much there is in the world besides what we anticipate”. Perhaps it was not only the visitors to Vang Vieng, but also the operators themselves who fell into this mindset. My experience at this amazing destination wasn’t dominated by tubing as many previous visitor’s once was, and the town appears to be moving on in the destination life-cycle to attract a new, possibly older and more conscious traveller, still up for a good
PACHAMAMA – ORIGENES
Cristina’s work, was exhibited in Times Square, NY. Her work has gained a following through See Me, an online organisation which supports and promotes artists. The work was selected by a popular vote.
Cristina Palacios, BFA “She who dreams in the dark hours of the night with far away worlds comes upon, in the abstract language of the mind, the path to unknown mysterious universes, finding herself travelling into the mesmerizing luminosity of the cosmic womb...” - Cristina Palacios In South American mythology ‘Pachamama’ (Mother Universe), is a sacred, cosmic, living being and a feminine god that is fertile and nurturing. ‘Pacha’ represents infinity, the feminine spirit of force, space and time, the divine and the sacred or the universe. The core of my project is about the origin of life in the universe when ‘Pachamama’ gave birth to ‘Mama Quilla’, (Mother Moon) 13.7 billion years ago. I believe that all life starts as a dot in the universe, a single cell or atom, a particle that transforms into matter, energy, and sometimes humanity. As a particle of nature in the Universe I am the power of force behind my creativity; this force is compelling and unstoppable; it is a force of humanity. As a woman and a mother I witnessed firsthand and felt deep within my body the miracle of life transforming and preparing my body for the birth. We are all a consequence of nature; you and I are Pachamama. My project combines an eclectic range of influences. This openness is an important aspect of my practice, which aims to communicate notions of energy, transformation and potential across cultures. My works reveal a Latin American sensibility, with strong links to both traditional art and the Neo-concrete movements in Brazil.
I investigate ‘formless’ abstract motifs and the recurring orbital motif of the circle in order to contextualize my intuitive use of this shape to represent cosmic subject matter and natural processes. To situate my research within a contemporary art context, whilst maintaining strong links to my Argentinean heritage and cultural influences. My investigation is inspired by human’s relationship to the natural world. I am from Argentina and in my world, as is the case for indigenous Australians and many other cultures, man and nature are as one - evolving together in spiritual harmony. What was once an intuitive relationship built on reverence, wonder and chance, a time when man worshipped the Moon, the Earth, the Universe and greater cosmic beings has become one where man’s detritus is choking the waterways and sky, the lands stripped barren. No longer does it appear that the environment, the Universe, is considered sacred. My practice is an intimate orbital exploration using the domestic, the mass produced and the universal forces of nature as inspiration. My interest in the temporary nature of all things and my environmental concerns take me to a circular journey, a loop, a binary that keeps going back the starting point. I use mundane materials, detritus and otherwise overlooked objects, to explore my own response to the Universe, and engage the audience to think about the impact we have on nature. My work is both 2D and 3D, both static and performance, private and public. The anomalies that my work highlights echo the dramatic contrast I have found between the reverence for nature and
Photos: Nathan Gillam & Cristina Palacios
human’s relative irreverence for the importance the Earth that until now, has kept man alive. My connection with nature and South American mythology led me to explore how abstraction can represent mystical subject matter. I researched how other cultures have used abstraction to represent spiritual beliefs, including Aboriginal, South American, and Japanese art. I discovered that detail and repetition in my drawing practice allow me to enter into another world, and to lose myself in the making process. These techniques were used to represent growth, transformation, proliferation, and expansion within a void space. I used scale and repetition to suggest forms that might exist on a micro or macro level within nature. I love the creative possibilities of chance, which often occur when I am not ‘officially’ making art. I was having breakfast one morning and preparing to do drawings with Sumi-Ink. I had some calligraphy rice paper and heavy watercolour paper ready. A drop of ink got to my spoon and combined with left over yoghurt. I noticed how the pigment started to break down so I thought that I could use some yoghurt in my drawings. The ink reacted differently, in the rice paper with soft feathering marks and almost with a 3D effect on the heavy paper. Since then I have use milk, vinegar, food colours, oil, coffee, wood fire charcoal, tea, salt, turmeric, and paprika. As an additional aspect of this investigation I projected the small images onto a large screen to test scale and experience the micro changing to the macro. That is what has inspired the cover art you see.
Goodbye privacy, hello secrecy Evan Miller BA JMC, SocSci Illustration: Milly Yencken
Under a shroud of secrecy, obscured with a haze of Islamophobia and heightened terror threats, the Federal Government recently passed the most draconian security laws Australia has ever seen. A set of laws that are so overarching they make America’s Patriot Act look pleasant. Despite there being no deaths from a terrorist attack on Australian soil, ever. These changes give a raft of new powers to ASIO and its personnel. They can now monitor as many electronic devices as they please, under a single warrant. The wording of the new law is so broad that ASIO could monitor the entire internet with a single warrant if they so desired. They can also copy, delete or modify any data held on those computers. They also get their warrants from a single person; the Attorney general, George “Metadata” Brandis. ASIO personnel are now no longer bound by pesky laws like not assaulting and killing people, while on what is called a “Special Intelligence Operation”. According to Shadow Attorney General Mark Dreyfus, who voted for these laws, these are quite a small number of operations, and they will be monitored closely. And who decides if an operation is classified as a Special Intelligence Operation, in which the ASIO staff have carte blanche? That would be George “Right to be a Bigot” Brandis. The third and last major change is that anyone who discloses information about Special Intelligence Operations will face five years jail. Anyone who is determined to somehow endanger or in any way hamper a Special Intelligence Operation would be looking at ten years jail.
They can also copy, delete or modify any data held on those computers. The new laws do provide some limitations on what ASIO staff can and cannot do while on an SIO. They are not to be engaged in conduct that could lead to injury or death, involves a sexual crime or that causes significant property damage or loss. However, if they did break any of these rules, it would be illegal to report on it, so it would be unknown. The thought that the national security agency have been given a free pass to run riot through Australia, accompanied by what is effectively a media gagorder is absolutely disturbing. The fact that it was rushed through Parliament with very little debate and almost no publicity, when all the while we were kept distracted with big, ultimately pointless, highly publicised, press-packaged terror raids and a government blitz of Islamophobia and warmongering (sorry, “mission-mongering”) paints these laws in a highly reactionary light. So, now our and everyone else’s media has kindly spread the Islamic States’ threats to all that they wanted to hear, and perpetrate them, and we’ve gone and stuck our nose yet again, firmly in the backside of wherever the United States has stuck its nose while following the scent of killing, it better well be bloody-well necessary. Bring on the end of privacy, bring on the terror. Bring on the securitisation, for it’s the only way to ensure our alleged freedom, right?
The royals are probably lovely people but a baby and a baby is, inherently. However, they exist in the public conscience; not as actual people, but as distorted twodimensional, robotic figures who fulfil their roles simply by ‘being there’. There is something hollow and lonely about this, and the voyeurism which perpetuates it. There they are now. It appears they’re coming out now, coming out of the plane. There’s Prince William. Words like dashing and resplendent, come to mind. As do others. And that’s the Duchess of Cambridge, Catherine Middleton, Kate, by his side - as expected. We can see little baby George now, we can see one of his tiny arms sticking out - it seems to be moving around. The Duchess is waving now, holding little baby George, but waving nonetheless. Her dimples really are quite something. It is expected that they will be descending the stairs soon. The greeting party are there at the bottom - men, women, wearing different types of clothes, some with hats. They are waiting to be greeted by the Royal Family, as is expected - or rather - is soon to be expected, when the Royal Family, and official party, descend the stairs. As we have been expecting. Perhaps little baby George will smile and gurgle at the Vice-Rear Admiral, who we can see standing at the bottom of the stairs - dashing, resplendent - with his hands behind his back, as he’s standing there. The breeze is lulling or wallowing. The Duchess hands Prince George over to his father, Prince William. There is some applause. Prince William’s shirt is perhaps a mottled-eggshell blue. His face has all the right features, and we can well imagine them working together to produce all manner of expression: surprise, fascination, lugubriousness - these are some of them. He
holds the child out from his chest now - this is expected, this is applauded. He walks with the baby, the little Prince George, to the side of the stairs, without going down the stairs, in effect, remaining at the top of the stairs. We can see that the handrail extends here, along the edge of the flatter, platformlike part of the stair apparatus, serving presumably as a resting place or balancing aid, as opposed to the descent - or ascent facilitating role we can assume it plays on the steeper, more substantially inclined part of the apparatus. He’s dropped the baby now. Prince William has - quite deliberately - just let little baby George go. And the royal infant is plummeting, spinning slowly in a summersault or forward roll motion. We can see all of his little limbs now, we can’t tell if they are wriggling or otherwise moving about, because the tiny Prince is falling really quite rapidly now. The Duchess turns and waves again, facing the greeting party who are still waiting - off-kilter, dumbfounded. The baby is plump and prone to falling very vertically with a uniform acceleration. Prince William has joined his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, at the top of the stairs and it appears that we might see them descending soon. They both wave once more - there is no applause. The Duchess holds onto her hat as blood spreads on the tarmac and she takes the first step, the first of many, we expect, down the stairs, as we have been expecting, towards the greeting party, who have been waiting for - expecting - the Royal Couple to come down the stairs, as they are now doing. We are all very aware that a giant cone-shaped parasite is burrowing its dreadful way down into the emptiness at the center of all things.
OVER TO YOU GEORGE... Ben Armstrong BA, Soc Sci
Illustration: Molly Turner
Shakesqueer: Experiments in Gender with The Bard Emma Skalicky BA, English
Last month I was lucky enough to participate in Loud Mouth Theatre Company’s Hamlet: Heads or Tails. The concept is simple enough – twelve actors, in pairs, are assigned two roles each. Every night we flipped a coin on stage to see which of the two roles we would play. In practise however, the simple act of swapping roles gave rise to sixty-four possible combinations of cast, and a treasure trove of interpretation. Gender in Shakespeare, it turns out, is very uneven ground. You know the play about the tragic hero who grapples with his sense of self, faces a trial, and makes a series of dramatic choices that result in the deaths of the people he loves? The one with the tragic female figure who inevitably dies for the love of the hero? Yeah, in a general sense, that’s quite a few of Shakespeare’s plays. Don’t get me wrong, I love them all to death, but Hamlet: Heads or Tails presented our cast with a golden opportunity to critically attack the shit out of gender roles in Hamlet, and my god, it was glorious. It’s often argued that Shakespeare is at its most accessible when it is interpreted for a contemporary audience. A male-dominated story, with two female characters, therefore begged for fresh eyes. One major point outlined as soon as rehearsals kicked off was that gender pronouns would conform to the actor, not the character. This allowed for a huge amount of dialogue between actors and characters that were canonically of the opposite gender.
In an ideal world, perception of personality would perhaps not alter so much with gender. But in the world of Hamlet, very solidly rooted in the gender binary, where the most innocent of women is reduced to being a “breeder of sinners” and accused of falsifying the face God gave her, the sudden introduction of an autonomous female fighting with pen or sword makes for a wild Shakespearian ride. How could Lady Hamlet reconcile herself with her role as a woman; the very thing Lord Hamlet comes to despise over the course of the story? How could Lady Laertes (a sister) or Lady Polonius (a mother) justify preaching to Ophelia on the importance of her purity? How could Hamlet treat the female Horatio as a trusted companion, where all other women were liars in his/her eyes? Did Danish society perceive the relationship between Lady Hamlet and Ophelia as no less moral than that of Lord Hamlet and Ophelia? (That’d be pretty rad). The answer to these questions came in the form of a beautifully dedicated and intelligent cast. All of us, male and female, relished in the opportunity to develop the voice of our characters, and to take on every possible interpretation available. Campbell McKenzie and Maeve Mhairi MacGregor alternated in the role of Hamlet and Laertes: A lost young man grappling with life, death and his own self worth at the precipice of insanity – immediate and relatable – and a woman king who cannot reconcile herself with neither virgin, nor whore, nor the face God gave her.
I and my partner in crime, Simone Dobber, shared the roles of Ophelia and Horatio. This in itself was an endlessly fascinating combination; one character is widely considered a pinnacle of femininity, and also madness, while the other is a young man who is often interpreted as doing little more than acting as a foil for Hamlet. In working together, Simone and I found a politically active, leather-jacket-toting, witty Horatio who felt deeply for the people falling to pieces around her. While in Ophelia we found a little girl crushed under a history of broken self-esteem and people who could not see her as anything but the sum of her purity. Her madness became tangible; altogether heartbreaking and easy to understand. This depth and breadth of interpretation in character also varied in each of us as actors. Not only did our genders change the nature of a scene, but so too did our heights, temperaments, and physical mannerisms. No performance ever played out quite the same way; nothing could ever be truly anticipated.
For me, character and gender analysis was my safety net in a show built entirely upon chance. Where the people I interacted with were one night male, the next female, one night calming, the next abrasive, and consistently ever-changing, I had to rely solely on the characters I inhabited to guide me through whatever another actor threw at me. So did we all. It was a case not of “imitating humanity” as Hamlet himself puts it, but of very fully inhabiting the lives of other people. It was great fun, and full to the brim of wonderful ideas and challenges. If you missed Hamlet: Heads or Tails, I wouldn’t worry too much. PLoT will soon be doing their own wonderful interpretation of Hamlet, with their own gender experimentation – which roles will be swapped? You’ll have to wait and see! On top of that, Loud Mouth Theatre Company are pretty fond of crazy, high quality productions. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more of that passionate madness, because they’re doing another play in January. You should definitely see it.
Photos: Supplied by EmmaSkalicky
AURORA LIGHTS Debbie Baird-Bower, PhD Antarctic Fur Seal Demographics
Just outside the light poulltion of Hobart is a celestial sphere waiting to be discovered. On a rare clear night you can see the bright dancing lights of the aurora. The collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun and the earth’s atmosphere, creating majestic natural light show.
A BACKFIRING GUN Joey Crawford, B.Bus
Illustration: Milly Yencken
The final Instalment of our monthly psychological crime fiction series, Doug. “Lobster for the gentleman,” the waiter says placing a reddened animal – garnished with salad – in front of me. It’s strange how the cliché of calling a female in short skirt and apron – not a waitress – but rather a waiter has passed. Supposedly, that is politically correct now. She continued to place an identical meal in front of my female companion for dinner. “Thank you dear,” Sharon said humbly. The waiter disappeared shortly after and we dove into our lobster, the room gained the unique smell of a perfect chef’s creation; not that I minded. “How is the case going?” I asked. I had good reason to ask as well, it was important that I knew. She was the Chief of Police, and I was an unconvicted murderer. It was evidence on her front desk that would incriminate me, and I needed it. It’s crazy to think that a series of many murders could be undone by just one silly little turtle. Turtle cam. How pathetic that one of the most successful people in society and in crime, would be brought down by a little inanimate object. “It is actually doing quite well, the turtle camera results should be in tomorrow
some time and then we just have to ID the victim. Psychologists are assuming that the person committing these murders is either in medical practice or in law enforcement.” How wrong they are; I am neither. “Why do they say that?” I asked. I wanted to know why they were so wrong. “No one could be as good as he is without having industry expertise.” Again, I detected that she was faintly impressed with the murderer. Impressed with me. “Would you like to see the wine list, sir?” Our discussion was broken by the waiter’s request. She looked at me, expectantly. I didn’t want to see a list. “I’d rather take a look at the cellar, thank you.” It wasn’t a question or request, but an order. I followed her to the side of the restaurant. It was five stars, and my favourite restaurant. It was a big occasion, really. I wasn’t proposing or asking her to move in, hell, we weren’t even dating. It was the video I needed destroyed. The video inside that turtle incriminated me in my last murder. I picked the perfect Pinot and returned; waiter and a bottle of the finest followed me. I sat down and Sharon was engrossed in the large screen of her phone. It was amazing
how much technology had changed even the most lavish of meals; she appeared to be watching a video, probably on her Facebook feed. It wasn’t though. “They sent me the live stream of the turtle cam, it’s just been cracked.” My heart pounded, and the sweat instantly began to pour from my glands. I was done. I had nothing left to lose, she knew. I picked up a knife, suspenseful and without any grace. I launched it at her, but I was too late. She slid back, knife in her stomach, in her chair ferociously and reefed at her thigh. A gun emerged and before I had time to consider my options, she shot me. There was no time to think, the arm that held the knife had been shot and people screamed. She pulled up a badge, waved it and stood above me in the position my chair fell to. “How could you do this to me? I loved you all this time. No one will be able to identify you, it’s too blurry. But I know! It’s that same walk I always detested.” I had moved too soon. And now I was done. She held the gun above me, and tore the knife from her abdomen; blood pouring like a waterfall above me. She was a highly trained senior police officer; she knew full well the consequence of her action. I heard the gun release, again; sending the shot ringing through the air, and I fell….
This Is My Life, It’s Not About Me Nina Barnett, B.Bus
Illustration: Milly Yencken This year I attended the National Student Leadership Forum, held in Canberra, this September. The event sees the coming together of over 200 delegates from diverse backgrounds and faiths and is hosted by about 40 Members of Parliament intent on equipping the next generation with leadership character and purpose. NSLF is unique in that its intent is to unearth the faith and values behind a leader’s motivation and behaviour, rather than attempting to prescribe a long list of leadership skills ‘dos and don’ts’. An understanding of your own, as well as other people’s motivations is an important quality which I have come to understand is of greater value than we may realise. I have always aspired to do something ‘big’ in the world; to ‘make a difference’. My family have had a profound impact in shaping that mentality (Dad has even written a book called ‘Make a Difference’, in the political sphere). I believe this objective of doing your best and changing the world in a positive way to be a very good one. However, I have often struggled with indecision and a lack of confidence in my own capabilities and self, an inability to know what it means to be ‘good enough’. I would try enormously hard to do well, only to find a sense of dissatisfaction because
I didn’t feel that whatever it was I was striving for was worthwhile. The product of these difficulties was inaction, and a compromising and poisonous mindset – the Forum helped me to see that. Humans have an inbuilt yearning for purpose and hope. Without this, nothing that I do seems worthwhile. NSLF is a multi-faith forum which gave me the opportunity to learn about what others believed their purpose was and what motivated them. As a Christian, I know that when I act out of a love for God and a love for others, I am contented. When I lose this I find myself back in the rat race of trying to please others and myself – chasing a lost purpose. I feel directionless, a failed and unworthy leader. The act of servant leadership, modelled by Jesus, removes this problem entirely. No longer do we serve our imperfect and ever failing selves, but instead we serve others. This does not negate responsibility and hard work, but it does paint a broader picture that looks outside of oneself and seeks to invest in the preciousness of every human life. At its very heart, leadership involves a level of trust and reciprocal vulnerability. As was highlighted by speaker Jock Cameron, betrayal of this trust results in anger, disappointment, and cynicism. We see this often in politics today where the power invested in leaders is misused and
community distrust breeds. To be a good leader, we must seek to be part of the solution by knowing what our faith and values are and being consistent. Overall, this leadership forum helped me to uncover my purpose and what was preventing me from achieving it, but my final difficulty was learning how to act on what I now knew. Often I have become so caught up in trying to assess which option would best align with and most efficiently and effectively achieve my purpose that I never made a decision. Jock solved this issue for me on the last day of the Forum. ‘There is work to be done. Do the work.’ he said. I realise now that I just need to trust God and make a decision, bite the bullet and take opportunities. I hope that by sharing the insights I have gained through this experience, you might also know that you do have a greater purpose here, and that purpose will give you direction when you feel lost and guide the way you live and do things. This is your life, but it is not about you. You can do far more, you can have contentment and joy, and you can touch so many more lives when you are no longer concerned about how others perceive you and how you see yourself. As a leader, have faith in your ability to make a difference. You’ve been gifted an opportunity, take it.
STUDENT Ashlea
PROFILE S
Where did you come from? Calvary Hospital, Tasmania If there was only one dish that you could eat from now on, what would it be? The one dish would have to be Grandma’s pavlova, soooo good! Is there a song or image that is stuck in your head right now? “Louder than Words” by Les Friction. If you weren’t doing the course you’re currently doing, or if you weren’t doing uni, what would you be doing? If I wasn’t doing uni right now I’d be working full time to save enough money to travel all around the world and to buy more books to fill my future home library. Your house is on fire. What are the first 5 things you grab? Oh no, the house is on fire?! First five things I’d grab would be my swords, the photo albums, the animals,
Schott Age: 19 Bachelor of Agricultural Science.
my favourite books (they’re like my children – I can’t leave them behind!) and my computer (it has all my uni work!). What is your favourite childhood toy? Favourite childhood toy would have to be Nicolas the bear. He even had to have a little purple jacket sewn on so his arms wouldn’t fall off. Dream collaboration? Dream collaboration would be working with Dr. Vegapunk to create a devil fruit that increased its user’s Talk no Jutsu effectiveness by 100-fold when used against a Uchiha, thereby preventing this so called ‘Revolution’ and probably preventing the war from occurring in the first place.
John
Where did you come from? Murray Bridge, South Australia. If there was only one dish that you could eat from now on, what would it be? Lembas bread. Is there a song or image that is stuck in your head right now? “Idiots Are Taking Over”by NOFX If you weren’t doing the course you’re currently doing, or if you weren’t doing uni, what would you be doing? Psychology, or chefing. Your house is on fire. What are the first 5 things you grab? 1.Keys 2.Phone 3.Any t-shirt and pair of pants so I’m not naked. What is your favourite childhood toy?
Tanner Age: 24 Bachelor of General Studies, Health Science Pathway
My Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder action figure. Dream collaboration? A Spiderman-Batman crossover comic book with anyone. If you were shoved into a fight cage, what would your weapons and battle strategy be? A red lightsaber. Blindly flail until the other person is dead.
Audrey
Where did you come from? 37 kilometres north of the equator; 1°17’N 103°50’E – Singapore. If there was only one dish that you could eat from now on, what would it be? A dish of vitamin supplements and health pills… o_O”. Is there a song or image that is stuck in your head right now? Yup, Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I A Woman“ speech performed by Pat Theriault at Kansas State University’s 8th Diversity Summit on April 1, 2011. If you weren’t doing the course you’re currently doing, or if you weren’t doing uni, what would you be doing? If I didn’t choose UTAS, I would either be in Sydney doing a Masters in Environmental Law; or in New York pursuing a Juris Doctor. What is your favourite childhood toy?
Heyzer Age: 29 Masters in Environmental Management.
The pink elephant my mum bought for my 10th birthday. Do you still have it now? No, four years ago I passed it to a friend who agreed to sew up its torn ears… but she didn’t want to return it to me thereafter. Dream collaboration? To work with the United Nations on matters addressing climate change and social justice.
Victoria
Where did you come from? Melbourne, Victoria. If there was only one dish that you could eat from now on, what would it be? Chicken Caesar salad….. with mozzarella cheese. Is there a song or image that is stuck in your head right now? “Pretty Girls” by Little Dragon. If you weren’t doing the course you’re currently doing, or if you weren’t doing uni, what would you be doing? A Bachelor of Music or volunteering. I’d also be trying to get involved in experimental filming with special effects. It’ll really be just me running around with my camera, filming everything! Your house is on fire. What are the first 5 things you grab? 1 - Two specific teddy bears 2. My two dogs 3. Camera 4. Hard drive
Acuña Age: 20 Double Bachelor’s degree in Arts (Journalism), Fine Arts (eMedia)
What is your favourite childhood toy? 1 of the 2 teddy bears I grabbed when my “house was on fire”. ‘Shis’ name is Chrissy. If you were shoved into a fight cage, what would your weapons and battle strategy be? A war hammer. Freak ‘em out and smash the hell out of everything.
David
Where did you come from? 3rd Floor of the Morelos Hospital in Mexico City, Mexico. Is there a song or image that is stuck in your head right now? “Don’t You Want Me” by The Human League. If you weren’t doing the course you’re currently doing, or if you weren’t doing uni, what would you be doing? Doing research on and working on the conservation of sea turtles in Mexico, and taking care of volunteers. Your house is on fire. What are the first 5 things you grab? 1. Pet dog 2. Computer 3. Passport 4. Pair of shoes. Any. 5. A towel. Because you always need a towel. What is your favourite childhood toy? A Lego killer whale. Dream collaboration?
Moreno Age: 25 PhD in the Life History of the Dogfish Shark in Macquarie Harbour,
An underwater film documentary with Jacque Cousteau. If you were shoved into a fight cage, what would your weapons and battle strategy be? Whoever won before me. I’d make him fight for me, while I sit down and watch him do his thing.
Jenn
What’s your favourite memory or highlight of 2014? Confetti - one of the mysterious events from Junction Arts Festival What are you going to be when you grow up? I want to be a registered psychologist What’s the worst thing a family member or housemate has ever busted you doing? Nearly burning down the kitchen. Okay… it was an accident, and I did not actually burn it down; only nearly. What fruit or vegetable most accurately describes your mood right now, and why? A sad little lemon. You ask why? Let’s face it, exams and mountains of assignments are something to be peachy about.
Molina
Age: 20 Bachelor of Behavioural Science
Millie
What’s your favourite memory or highlight of 2014? I really enjoyed intense classes in Winter School and meeting heaps of new people. What are you going to be when you grow up? I am either going to be a Human Resources Manager or a Paramedic, because I like saving people. What’s the worst thing a family member or housemate has ever busted you doing? I like to sing to my dog, and my family happened to walk into my room whilst I was screaming the ballads of Whitney Houston that happened to be on the radio. What fruit or vegetable most accurately describes your mood right now, and why? Banana. Because they have skin, like me. Because they are yellow, and yellow is happy.
Applebee
Age: 18 Bachelor of Business
Sophie
What’s your favourite memory or highlight of 2014? The best moment of my year was when I found out I was getting a Pomeranian puppy. There is nothing cuter than looking at the little man’s face. I happened to name him Toby. What are you going to be when you grow up? I want to be an early childhood teacher, I would take Advanced Skills Teacher in Early Childhood or something cool like that as well. What’s the worst thing a family member or housemate has ever busted you doing? One night at a younger age, I would sneak out in the middle of the night and eat ice-cream; carefully returning it to the freezer in the same spot. Mum caught me, and banned me from eating ice-cream for a month. To her dismay, I continued to eat ice-cream at night for the remainder of that month.
Rees
Age: 18 Bachelor of Education
What fruit or vegetable most accurately describes your mood right now, and why? A big chapter in my life about to begin, and thus I have many mixed emotions. However, I would probably be a peach, as it is not only fruity and colourful on the outside but it is also sweet and juicy in the inside; with a solid core to keep it together.
Alison
What’s your favourite memory or highlight of 2014? Learning how to snowboard on Mount Buller in Victoria with friends. What are you going to be when you grow up? Travel and save lives as a nurse. What’s the worst thing a family member or housemate has ever busted you doing? On my midnight raid of the fridge. Apparently my mother thought I was ‘stealing’. Armageddon is forecast for 12pm tomorrow, what do you do? I would party hard, like a rock star, with all my friends so at least I was not sober when it happened; and so I don’t remember the next day. What fruit or vegetable most accurately describes your mood right now, and why?
Wright,
A mango, because they are very bright and happy.
Age: 21 Bachelor of Agriculural Science
Bree
What’s your favourite memory or highlight of 2014? Starting university, independence What are you going to be when you grow up? Something working in indigenous community development or the occasional politics, or an HR consultant. Armageddon is forecast for 12pm tomorrow, what do you do? Tell everyone that I love them and thanks for a good life. What fruit or vegetable most accurately describes your mood right now, and why? Pumpkin, because I like pumpkin. It makes me happy and I am happy.
Groves
Age: 19 Bachelor of Social Science
Arlen
What’s your favourite memory or highlight of 2014? Being able to once again drive myself wherever I wanted to go. What are you going to be when you grow up? I hope, more than anything, to be working in senior Human Resources or Management. Armageddon is forecast for 12pm tomorrow, what do you do? Spend time with my close friends, family and girlfriend to celebrate all that is. Nothing too spectacular. What fruit or vegetable most accurately describes your mood right now, and why? A squash. One of those dull green ones, because it is a damn intense week of assignment writing; preparing for finishing.
Rule
Age: 20 Bachelor of Business
SOCIETIES Hobart University Judo Club by Damien Peck
2014 has seen the club strengthened in time and commitment, with training three nights a week. The expansion of the club in numbers has meant that several grades were awarded and more entries in the competitions have offered progress for newer members over the past year. An ambitious target of sending a squad to compete in the University Games team in 2015/16 is not too far away, if all goes to plan next year. New members can start beginners lessons on Wednesday nights from 7-8:30pm with the first four lessons costing $55 (including judo suit hire and membership) with the option of liking it so much that the second month is only $30 and a brand new judo suit to keep.
Among the local clubs and societies, is a rather obscure Olympic sport that doesn’t get much attention. But it’s the oldest martial arts club in Tasmania, and the longest continually-surviving University judo club in Australia. 2014 has been largely successful for the Judo Club, in its 60th anniversary year. Training out of UniGym, the club welcomes all members of the public as well as students in a range of levels, from beginners, juniors and seniors. Members doing state training, the club competed in two competitions this year. International exchange student, Roman Kolbel was in fine form competing against several higher grades to finish 4th in the Tasmanian state titles. Not only Kolbel, but in only his first meet university lecturer Colin Curtain was the oldest member but amazed other competitors to also claiming 4th in his competition. Masters student, Mark Richards was graded to senior blue belt. This takes quite a long commitment and Richards graded excellently to this level. Female participation was back up this year, which is surprising given the male dominance of the sport. As club President, Daniel Bernal puts it, “female students have tried judo and some have continued with their commitment to the sport” with a couple more to soon grade towards the yellow belt level. Judo is the kind of sport that requires patience.
www.unijudoclub.com www.facebook.com/HbtUniJudoClub Painting/Art Society by Alison and Honey Dower The re-invigoration of the Painting Society culminated this semester with our first meet and greet a few weeks back. Along with a name change to the Art Society, it was a wonderful way to engage with members new and old over some lovely food and drink supplied by Fiona, our president. The second meeting found even more momentum: with pizzas, wine, and good conversation, everyone in the society chipped in and made it a thoroughly enjoyable occasion. Due to the success of our society, we have found our numbers tripling, to a robust fifty members, all dedicated to connecting with their fellow artists. It is with pride that we also announced the Art Society’s Long Gallery exhibition, held 14th-19th Octiber. The exhibitions are open to all society members across the art school, incorporating all disciplines, it is set a great opportunity to showcase the breadth of our members’ work. The society’s other latest venture includes buying art supplies in bulk in order to sell them on to our members at a discounted price! In a creative, friendly, and open atmosphere, even new members will find the society conducive to their wider experience on campus.
This community spirit is a wonderful way to meet new people and to connect with like-minded peers. The Artists’ Society aims to support all students no matter what their discipline; with our name change, our goal is to present an allinclusive environment for our members. Coming together to create society events, to support and encourage one another, and to have a laugh over a complimentary glass of wine, is what brings that personal, fun feel back into societies. We meet every Tuesday at midday in the first year painting area. Feel free to bring your lunch, your ideas, and your enthusiastic support to make the Artists’ Society stronger than ever. Tasmanian University Business Society by Danis Chong This year of all the events TUBS held, I personally loved the Career Nights. There’s one in each semester - Finance, Economics, and Accounting focused in Semester 1; and Management, HR, Marketing, Tourism, and Entrepreneurship focussed in Semester 2. However, I believe most people probably associate us with our Mexican Barrel (joint event with TARTS), and ScavHunt Spectacular (a joint event with TUU and 3 other societies), unless they were too drunk to remember such ‘boring’ details! With business units being taught in almost every corner of the Sandy Bay campus, the one
biggest challenge for us as business students (and TUBS members) is to make us all feel as a ‘family’ of Business students. All of us have different classes scattered around, significantly reducing the availability for students to hang out and see each other often. This leads to (from the TUBS point of view) a challenge to get business students interested in, engaged in, and be/feel more involved with our events. But do it! I have great memories of TUBS, especially the chance to meet people, instances where I pushed myself out of my comfort zone,
of European armed and unarmed martial arts. What unites these arts is that at some point each of them stopped being taught and were forgotten. New students are welcome to take part; just come along to any of our regular 6pm training sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays at the Hobart Unigym and we can get you started. “Even if you don’t want to take part yourself, come along, enjoy the atmosphere and cheer people on as they battle it out.”
Tas Uni Dive Club by Laura Smith
are dancing in wet-suits til the wee hours of the morning, surface swims back to shore after night dives on clear starry nights with bioluminescent plankton sparkling off my fins, spontaneous bubble-wrap face-painting (with actual paint and with beetroot juice, of course) parties, and laughing so hard underwater that you just can’t keep your mask from flooding. IMPACT Society
by Rebecca Kelly
and the chance to learn and experience the local culture from a different vantage point - cheesy stuff, but true! Historical European Fighting Tasmania by Michael Tarbath
The annual event that tops the list every year has to be the Combined Clubs Weekend. Every year on the Queen’s birthday long weekend, divers from 8+ clubs converge on Bicheno for a weekend of diving and socialising Aside from Want to beat Aragorn or Jamie Lannister in a duel? HEFT offers to teach you how. One of the university’s newer and more unusual groups, HEFT trains students in historical European martial arts. I sat down with instructor Matt Browne to talk about sword fighting, martial arts and what we can look forward to from one of UTAS’ more colourful sports clubs.Matt’s not what you’d expect of a martial arts instructor. His beard, long hair and relaxed attitude make him look more like Dave Grohl than a teacher. His interest in historical European martial arts (HEMA) started whilst learning Olympic sabre fencing, sparking a journey of learning and historical scholarship that has continued over 10 years. “The HEMA movement represents an effort to return to original martial arts roots by studying teaching manuals written by historical masters,” Matt says. HEFT runs extra short courses covering aspects of cane fighting, bartitsu, bare-knuckle boxing, and even some of the stuff from Sykes-Fairburn from WWII. Matt also notes that they have some exciting new projects lined up for 2015, including armoured combat and competitive tournaments. Fencing, another club favourite, evolved from short sword fighting, and some of the sporting techniques are derived directly from that older fighting tradition. Short sword fighting was a fighting style that started and was practiced within the courts of Europe, and as time went on it transitioned and became our modern sport, fencing. HEMA represents the martial tradition at the beginning of that process. HEMA itself is an ambiguous term that encompasses a diverse array
the truly outstanding dive sites, traditions such as the Scuba Olympics, underwater gnome hunting, a video competition, and the friendly rivalry between clubs always make this weekend unforgettable. The Flinders Island trip was another stand-out. Divers flew to the island by light plane and stayed for 5 days of diving, hiking, swimming, and exploring. Our club gets bigger and bigger each year, and with increasing popularity it can be a challenge to make sure we have enough equipment and resources to meet growing demands. I think we rise to the challenge pretty well most of the time... our club is all about facilitating opportunities for divers to get in the water, so we do get disappointed when ever an occasion arises where anyone misses out. One of my favourite diving experiences with the Tas Uni Dive Club was an encounter with a cuttlefish. My dive buddy and I were cruising in a gentle current and literally ran into a large cuttlefish. Its inquisitiveness was humbling. It swam with us for a good 10 minutes, suckering on to our cameras and fingers and putting on an impressive colour-change show. It only lost interest in us when it spied prey and hunted it successfully before our eyes, a real treat to witness. There was also the time that the pod of 20+ dolphins joined us in waist-deep water in Waubs Bay. A couple of our divers were lucky enough to have captured video of the lasting encounter, or I don’t think people would’ve entirely believed it. Other wonderful memories
IMPACT is a global health society dedicated to raising funds for healthcare projects and promoting awareness in communities, both local and internationally. This year we have focused our greatest efforts on student education, holding a four part academic lecture series at the Menzies Research Institute, on the health issues highlighted in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, such as reducing infectious disease and maternal mortality. The links between humanitarian law and medicine were a focus in our ‘Healthcare in Danger’ workshop. The annual medical electives night and recently introduced first-aid courses also kept our members busy! The ‘Quiz for a Cause’ was once again a successful evening, raising funds for the Sudan Medical Relief project and entertaining students with the much anticipated ‘Harry Potter’ round. Mid-year brought us the IMPACT & ISSUE collaboration, featuring the tones of Verticoli, The Beautiful Chains and The Mornings, in support of ISSUE Foundation’s continued healthcare initiatives in Uganda. The annual Red Aware Week (RAW) and The Red Party were the ultimate culmination of our year. RAW engaged several local community organisations, such as Sexual Health Service Tasmania, to host lectures and workshops on HIV/AIDs and our cupcake stall was a major attraction. The Red Party was an unforgettable night with hundreds of red balloons, hoards of students dressed in red and musical entertainment from Detour. Looking to next year, we cannot wait to create some exciting new projects and hope to work on expanding our reach within the student community.
Geology Students’ Club
There’s been a lot of interest in Oxfam UTAS from other students, but getting them active within our group has been challenging. Our challenge is to get across to students the opportunities of joining our group such as to make a positive difference, meet like-minded people, develop transferable skills, connect with employees of Oxfam Australa and community volunteers, volunteer for Oxfam at Falls, and for some exec members to attend a training session in Melbourne at the beginning of the year. It is really a worthwhile thing to be involved with.
TARTS By Zac Duggan 2014 has been a good year for TARTS, and TARTS has been good to 2014. Who are TARTS? Put simply we are King Ink, doyennes of the written word, an Avengers-style supergroup of a society, with representatives from the majority of arts/humanities based disciplines such as English, History, Classics, Sociology, Foreign Languages, Fine Arts and International Relations. We are on the hunt for representatives for
Geology has held some great events this year, including a number of successful barrels and some inspiring ‘student meet industry’ evenings for which we arranged a selection of geologists from different areas of the industry to come in and give a talk about their careers so far. Our annual dinner was a great time as well. The biggest challenge for the society has been the weather, with rain interrupting all but one of our barrels. We have also been challenged by the small size of our committee. A favourite memory from the year was having the pleasure of listening to lecturer Garry Davidson in the song contest held at our annual dinner. Though, his lyrics were mildly offensive to the students (who he and the other lecturers complained are hard to teach), the song was highlight of the evening. Oxfam UTAS (North) by Kirstyn Patterson
Tasmania University Pakistani Society by Waqas Durrani
2015, so anyone interested should talk to us at our events, or stay tuned for meetings in late 2014/early 2015. TARTS threw many successful events during the university year, including our Quiz Night and Mexican themed barrel in Semester 1, and our Oktoberfest barrel in Semester 2. On the more formal front, our annual Stress Less cake and tea stalls helped to alleviate student tension in the major assignment to exam revision intermediary period. Another highlight was our Careers Event in semester 2, showing students that an arts degree is worth more than what those in other disciplines may joke about. TARTS also made helpful and important contributions to several co-sponsored events, including the
One of the highlights of 2014 was the “Lollywood
collaboration effort with ENGI and TAPS that was
Gala”, organised at MONA. It was even published
the semester 1 safari-themed cocktail party, as well as
on the front page of The Mercury newspaper.
providing bar staff and sausage cookers at the TUU’s
Lollywood is the film industry of Pakistan and to
Scav Hunt Superbarrel Extravaganza.
make the theme more fun and colourful, we had a
This all couldn’t have been done without good
giant lolly bar at the Lollywood event. It showcased
leadership, and on behalf of all the Execs and Reps on
multicultural performances from all over the world
the TARTS board, I would like to thank the Josef Sta-
and the proceeds of this event were donated to
lin to our hardworking soviet, President Grace Green.
Make A Wish foundation. It was an enjoyable night
Our fearless leader has set the standard high for her
of entertainment, socialising and dance, aimed at
successor, and will be missed as she moves on into her
bringing students, staff and community members
post-TARTS existence.
together to celebrate the diversity of the student body. A particularly popular performance was the showstopper dance performed by myself and Gabrielle Muir, the Taiko Drummers, Phoenix Danze
So to everyone who has enjoyed our events this year, keep a look out as TARTS move onto bigger and better things in 2015. UTAS Car and Motorcycle Society
Phormula, Mongolian dance group, Grace Nguyen (Vietnamese dance number), Raga Fusion Band, and Gabrielle Muir (a belly dance performer) were other The Oxfam society is a rewarding society to be a part of. Every one of our fundraising and awareness-raising events has been amazing this year. It is satisfying to raise money which we then use to promote awareness of issues and send to Oxfam Australia to make a positive difference to people’s lives. So far this year one of our most successful events was a Fair Trade Bake Sale during Fairtrade Fortnight. We also raised awareness of the importance of buying fair trade and raised money for Oxfam. We also had a fair trade chocolate Easter raffle which was hugely successful as a fundraiser. We set up a stall on campus to sell raffle tickets, and to also give away discount vouchers for the Oxfam shop and free Oxfam choccie samples. More events are yet to come this year and early next year.
performances. The Lollywood Gala event attracted about 200 guests and raised more than $1000. We recently presented a cheque to Robyn Moore, National Patron of Make-A-Wish Australia. This event was organised in collaboration with the Community Friends and Networks Program, UTAS and has set a trend to be organised every year to celebrate diversity at the University of Tasmania.
Our favourite events of the year have included the merger between Automotive and Motorcycle societies, and increasing our membership base. This year we’ve also driven down the private track day at Baskerville raceway, been on a trip to Queenstown and to Gordon River Dam. 2014 has also included some great social events.
University Fellowship of Christians by Michael Laws
Robogals
least 1 Sensei who visits the club, to train and to
by Judy Augustine
guide us in our kendo techniques. We also held a Winter Seminar - We organised an intensive seminar for our club members. The purpose was to introduce them to shiai (competition) and to improve their techniques in shiai. The biggest challenge has always been keeping our members interested in kendo. My Sensei once said that “Kendo is not ikebana (flower arranging) or origami (paper folding), it is a martial art - there will be full body contact where there are possibilities of injuries such as bruises and soreness - the only way to get better is to practise regularly.” It is a lifetime of challenging oneself to
Our favourite events of 2014 included the mid-
hard training of practice and self-discipline.
year conference, which was a great opportunity to
Seeing everybody’s happy faces when we gathered
meet new people, catch up with old friends and
together during our social activities is my favour-
delve into the topic of God’s holiness. Our citywide
ite part of the club. We may be a small club but
events have also been fantastic, with the pinnacle
we enjoy each other’s company, be it on the dojo
being the Super Citywide in August. Guy Mason
or off the dojo!
came down from Melbourne and spoke on God’s free gift from John 3 in the Federation Concern
University Water Polo & Swimming Club
Hall where we had over 200 in attendance.
by Tom Reale
This year, the University Fellowship of Christians has reviewed how we can have a bigger impact at university. We truly believe we are God’s hands and feet here at uni, so we have been working hard to figure how we can best serve, love and equip the community at UTAS. My personal favourite memory of being in the society this year was right back in February at our Pre Season Conference playing board games, drinking tea and getting to know new people. The entire year, however has been great as we have looked at what it means to be a Christian on campus, both formally in meetings but also infor-
2014 has been a wonderful year for the Uni-
mally among the friends I have made. I have been
versity Polo and Swimming Club. Our favourite
personally challenged to think more widely about
events included a very successful quiz night in
why I believe in God, and how that impacts on my
first semester and a season opener dinner during
life and the lives of those around me.
second semester. The club is now competing at all
University of Tasmania Kendo Club by Ken Tng
ages in the Tasmanian Water Polo Championships.
tainable. The most memorable thing about the club this year is the people you meet. I’ve met some amazing people and made many close friends at the club. It has such a social environment; I’d recommend the club to anyone, no matter your competence in the water! The University Water Polo Club has run swimming for any ability all year and will continue to do so into 2015. Water polo commenced later in the year, and the ‘Honey Badgers’ have gained the
2014 have been many, including: Joint Training
reputation of the most social club in the league and
sessions with Hobart Kendo Club. There are only
has more A-Grade members than any other club!
2 kendo clubs in Tasmania and training with them
The University Water Polo and Swimming Club
represents kendo training at the state level. The
are also proud and active members of the ‘Racism.
manu club BBQs. We train hard and we party hard
It stops with me.’ campaign.
too! We spend a lot of time eating and chatting and most importantly, having fun together! Also, visiting Sensei! Every semester, we have at
STEM subjects.
The biggest challenge has been recruiting junior members to the club, and keeping swimming sus-
The Kendo Club’s Top 4 Memorable Events of
Last year, the UTAS chapter of Robogals faced many challenges, which unfortunately, caused them to short circuit. 2014 saw a rewiring of Robogals UTAS and, with the recruitment of a shiny new executive committee Robogals has made an electrifying comeback. If you are unfamiliar with our work, we are a global volunteer initiative which holds robotics workshops in schools. With drastically low rates of girls pursuing science and engineering courses, our goal is to educate as many girls as possible, to combat the gender imbalance and break down the stereotype that girls are not interested in engineering. The last member standing in 2013, Ally Pasanen, sparked the interest of new members to join the full, rebooted committee. This year, we have exceeded our goal of teaching 150 girls, teaching 213. This was achieved by applying the three engaging robotics programs developed by our training managers to school visits, and through community events such as family fun day and schools outreach day. All in all, the 2014 committee has functioned like a well-oiled machine and had a great start and a positive impact on many school students. In future, we hope to reach more schools in the community to neutralise the gender imbalance in
Enviro Collective 2014 has definitely been a big year for the UTAS South Environment Collective with a strong group working to support on-campus events as well as big environment issues around the state. The passions and diverse backgrounds of the people in the collective enable us to do many fun and important campaigns. We have jumped on board and helped with Tarkine campaigns, saving our World Heritage Forests, protest laws, keeping up weekly meetings and bringing Sustainable Transport Week to campus, attending the Students of Sustainability Conference in Canberra, soup nights at Source Community Wholefoods and the Fossil Free University Divestment Campaign. This year one of our biggest events was the Sustainable Transport Week which welcomed some great local musos as well as transport stalls to campus.
Thanks to the Hobart Bike Kitchen, Bike Tas,
Looking forward into the 2015 season many
Tassy Cycles and many more we were able to
changes are starting to happen already including
show students on campus how easy it is to either
the approval of a new score board going in over
walk, catch a bus, car pool or jump on your bike
summer, endless amounts of recruits being looked
to campus!
into.
One of our main focuses on campus this year
Hobart Bike Polo
A complete change in structures and social
has been the Fossil Free Universities campaign,
media which will heavily involve the University as
a part of the international divestment from fossil
well new roles and leadership positions being put
fuels campaign run by 350.org. Joining with other
in place to help make our club grow bigger and
universities around Australia, we have taken this
stronger and hopefully in turn be enough to bring
head on and started having a campus presence as
great success in the 2015 season.
well as engaging with the Vice Chancellor of the Uni to find out what areas students think the university invests in and where they think we should be investing.
Student Liberals Student Society
During the mid-semester break in April a crew of 12 keen environmentalists and adventurers travelled across the state for the inaugural Camp Tarkine to experience the amazing and diverse rainforest and to attend constructive workshops. We also had the opportunity to network, creating lasting friends and helpful relationships. After the camp we came away feeling inspired to create positive change in this special place. Next Year with fresh determination we will be tackling some big campaigns! We hope to see you there! University Mowbray Football Club
One of the biggest challenges this year has been attracting new players. The sport is very young and it is a combination of a bike riding / roller derby / polo so a lot of potential players are put off by the seemingly high amount of skill needed to play, – or the danger. The grand finals of the summer tournament are my favourite part of the year. Even though there were not any Tasmanian teams in the finals, the atmosphere was great. We always welcome new players and loaner The Student Liberals Student Society was bikes and mallets for newbies to play on. Check out founded at the start of 2014 and has grown sigour Facebook page for updates on upcoming polo nificantly since then. Starting with a mere handful days and to find more out about polo. We will be running the Ho-Town Hoe-Down of friends, the society has built its membership up again in 2015! to twenty seven members. The society has a firm policy not to accept Student Services and Amenities Funding (SSAF) as they have been actively campaigning for its removal.
numerous social events this year ranging from annual balls, dinners, Last Man Standing, Mexican Fiestas, trivia nights, ladies’ days as well as hosting Uni nights during the year. We have nine home games each year at the University oval, with our support base ever growing. We have had various challenges during the 2014 season starting with multiple injuries throughout the year, hurting our on field performances significantly. But also just simply advertising our club and recruiting new players throughout the University always brings forward many challenges with other clubs offering substantially more money. Playing our first game under the big new lights that were put in this year and just the social feel around the club and amongst all players, supporters and club members has been a big highlight.
Business and Accounting Student Society
The Business and Accounting Student Society (BASS) has come leaps and bounds since the start of 2014. From the beginning of the year, blue banner, at every market and open day the society has raised money for Cornerstone opportunity, the society has worked to build Youth Services through a trivia fundraiser night. up the only political society on the Newnham Along with a second trivia night the society has Campus. had a back-to-school party with an attendance The society has written letters to members of of around sixty people. However, the highlight parliament voicing the views of the society, such of the society’s year is the annual Industry Mixer as a letter to Senator McGrath supporting his that allows business students and members an proposed legislation on the removal of the SSAF. opportunity to meet and mix with members of the Headlined by the monthly social drink (or business community. This year, it was sponsored two) “Politics at the Pub” on the Newnham by Deloitte with around forty people attending. Campus’ Walk Bar the society has worked to give BASS has also had a free barbeque to welcome their members a chance to voice their opinion and new members and first-year students to the campus as well as participated in Market Days shape the direction of the society. and Open Days. The success of the Student Liberals has not Among the top highlights of the year been without its struggles, however, with many includes securing a new mini fridge for the of the group’s signage being removed and the BASS office. Next year, they hope to reach more occasional words of abuse on market day and business students and provide more connection society events. As a society, they encourage those opportunities among students. with differing opinions to express them in a way We encourage all business students of the that is respectful of others and constructive to a Newnham Campus to join the society. discussion. For more information, students can contact: For more information, students can contact the bassuniversityoftasmania@gmail.com society; utasliberals@gmail.com From holding a stall, boasting the young and
The University Mowbray Football Club ran
Hobart Bike Polo’s most memorable event of the year was the Ho-Town Hoe-Down over the Australia Day long weekend in January. We attracted players from all across Australia and a few from NZ to come down to Hobart to play in a 2 day polo tournament hosted on campus.
TAS Pop TasPop’s biggest event of the year was in March with pop culture convention AICon. The convention – now in its ninth year – was held at the new venue of the Wrest Point Convention Centre, having previously run at the Stanley Burbury theatre. The move was a success, as the 1800 attendees shopped in the packed traders’ hall, investigated the art corner and games room, took part in a wide variety of events including improvisational comedy, game shows, Japanese fashion parades, and auctions, and emptied the Wrest Point kitchen of all its wedges. The main event of the weekend was the Cosplay competition, with 26 entrants demonstrating the high standard of costume construction among Tasmanian pop culture fans. Another major success was the fourth annual MAICon, a scaled-back one day rendition of AICon which is held at the UTAS Newnham campus in Launceston every September. This year’s MAICon demolished expectations for attendance numbers, with 575 attendees walking through the door. Highlights included an exhibition by Tasmanian Brick Enthusiasts that catered to Lego fans both young and old, informative panels, a café run by gorgeous maids both male and female, a medieval fighting demonstration from the Sovereign Military Order of Knights Templar Tasmania, and a fast and furious auction that sold over 100 items in the space of one hour. A challenge has been an increase in fundraising events to help cover increased costs. However, the committee has risen to the occasion, having already run online competitions and quiz nights to great success, with a Halloween party and an over 18s event among the upcoming fundraising events.
UTAS Society of Student Paramedics Australia The UTas Society of Student Paramedics Australasia (USSPA) has kicked off its inaugural year with a range of social and professional development events aimed at strengthening the first and second year paramedic students friendships and providing opportunities to develop as a group with a mentoring focus between the two year groups. Social events have included a pub crawl through the CBD of Hobart with a ‘Retirement Home Escape’ theme and an added challenge of racing teams three-legged style, and a Exam After-Party Fun Bus with a ‘Nerd and Geeks’ theme which saw many unsuspecting victims egged on to dance with the infamous poles (some were surprising good for their ‘first’ time). USSPA has also held professional development days including a joint OSCE practice for both year groups, triage nurse handover session, and our biggest event of the year so far being the 2014 USSPA Career Conference.
The career conference included representatives from two ambulance services, an international tactical paramedic, UTas lecturers and staff, and a representative from the Australian Defence Force. All events have been run successfully and the feedback from society members has been really positive. What has been the biggest challenge? The biggest challenge USSPA has faced has been the start up process. Initiated by our current president, Bess Swinton, the formation of the society began at what we would call a ‘cellular’ level. Starting from scratch Bess worked tirelessly and put in countless hours to get the society up and running and her hard work has evidently paid off. After collaborating with representatives from Student Paramedics Australasia and Paramedics Australasia the foundations were set, constitution written and committee members elected. The ball was in our court and the game was on!
I have two personal highlights of 2014 with TUCS. The first was the great student participation and success at the GovHack Hobart event. With seven TUCS members participating over two of the eight tasmanian teams they took out five National awards between them and as well as a few local awards. When starting up the TUCS chapter in Newnham, some of the executive committee (from the south) went and ran a casual games day in the computing student common room. We were truly touched by their follow-up comments about how excited they were that something like TUCS was coming to their campus. It was exactly what I think TUCS is all about. Improving the student lives through the sharing and collaboration of people interested in computing.
Engineering Society by Andrew Lock
Tasmanian University Union Computing Society by Eloise Macdonald-Meyer
This year TUCS has participated in, and hosted many great events. But by far, the initiative to get more students to conferences has been up there as one of my favourites. As president I have thought it incredibly important to help make our UTAS future graduates more visible in the wider community of computing. We’ve managed to support students to attend conferences all over Australia and even New Zealand! This year, like many, has had a lot of firsts, and plenty of ups and downs. We’ve been working with a new committee with very little influence from past executive members and this has spawned a lot of fresh and new ideas but also been a new and challenging experience for a few. This has been compounded by the fact that, as of this year, the school of computing has been merged with the school of engineering. It’s been an obstacle for TUCS to reevaluate it’s place within the university, while trying to help students figure out how this new merge affects them. We have, however, been very fortunate to find plenty of support and guidance from staff within computing as well as the Dean of Science, Engineering, Technology. We look forward to seeing our new school move forward and improve as we all regain our bearings.
2014 has been an active year for the Society. We assumed new roles in representing students, ran multiple events for the first time, introduced new executive positions and began new and rewarding partnerships. The Engineering Society has had fantastic success again with annual events such as the quiz night, cocktail party, and social ‘barrels’. 2014 saw the introduction of a “First year student camp” held before the beginning of semester one for first year engineering students, which gained some really positive feedback. This year also saw the expansion of the “Laneway Festival” event, a social event with live music. This event is considered the biggest student run event at UTAS during 2014, and was a large success with student attendance from different faculties nearing 1000. An equivalent event run in second semester for the first time was also held, with similar success. Additionally, we continued our sporting rivalry with the Law school, with the repetition of both the annual cricket, AFL and planned soccer game between schools. This year also saw the introduction of two new sports in netball and touch football. The Law school currently holds the lead with a 2-1 result after three sports, with touch football and soccer to finalise who will be awarded the Engi V Law sports shield for 2014. Thanks again to those who contributed to the Society in 2014. It was only with the help of an enthusiastic and dynamic committee that we were able to expand our presence and hopefully have a larger contribution to improving the student life for undergraduate engineering students.
TUU REPORTS
STATE
COUNCIL
Isaac Foster /
on campus radio whether I was qualified to represent students, given that I’d been home educated. I had no idea how they knew! To explain, I'm latviešu
State President
Austrālijas – half Latvian (home-taught with family elders who only spoke
The Wins - If you can claim sole credit for getting something done here, you’re
of those families that came here after the war preferred to home-teach; plenty
probably not doing your job very well. These are some of the standout things,
had been kids that had lived childhood years in POW camps and ended up
to me, we’ve won as a union, for students this year:
speaking German better than Latvian, so they had to do everything they could
- For the first time in the union’s history, creating jobs for Indigenous student
to hold on to culture.
reps. Secured a greater proportion of SSAF funds - almost 40% Improving campus safety for trans and queer students, reviving the women’s collective. - The biggest ever SRC in Launceston, and really active student reps in Burnie. - Biggest student rally in Tassie, in ten years –– my cabbie friends still talk
English as their third language, strong roots in the immigrant diaspora. A lot
In the end you need to be able to come to terms with the fact that people won’t necessarily remember what you did in your time at uni, even though student politics consumes your life while you’re in the thick of it. And then time's up, and it’s time to do something else with your life. But, you’ll be hard pressed to find something better at keeping you up at night, and getting you out of bed in
about it.
the morning.
- Getting Jacqui Lambie to publicly commit to voting against fee hikes and
I’ve also learned a lot about how the University and the Union operates.
uni deregulation.
The idea that you can ‘take the politics’ out of anything –– the union, the
- Some many great student events
university, for example –– is just crap. It comes up every year, and I learned,
- The international events were my highlight, such as the Fiesta, the Malaysian
I think, that one of the most aggressively political things you can do at your
night markets
work, as an academic, or in your relationships is to refuse to allow yourself
- Improving the muslim prayer room
to be identified as having an ideology and therefore closed to criticism, by
- Improved conditions for greatly increased student media coverage. I’m glad
painting yourself as objective, impartial, ‘just going by the facts’. Every choice
we stood up to people at UTAS that were telling us that it’s a waste of money.
you make sits on a set of values. Being non-partisan is something different;
It isn’t.
go for your life if you don’t want to be in a party, but you can only make that
The Challenges - The role has been quite challenging personally. I didn't
choice for yourself, and never pretend that that makes you apolitical. Even the
expect to get as much hate as I did for supporting trans equality on campus,
choice not to choose is a political choice.
after supporting funding for gender neutral bathrooms. There was a real lack
One of the strange things about UTAS is how damned by our own luck it is.
of understanding or tolerance. I got asked, ‘are there even trans students at
Being the only show in town means we depend more on our state government
UTAS?’, and told, ‘we should cater to the needs of the majority before spending
than any other university in the country, and they depend more on us. It's won
money on a couple of people.’ Once a student even joked about me being
them access in Canberra and in the State offices that no university our size
murdered in a gender neutral bathroom. In the end the anger directed towards
(UNE, Flinders, ECU), or even most of the Group of Eight can get close to. But
queer people for trying to build safe spaces just demonstrated why those spaces
in Canberra politics is brutal. Clive Palmer scored himself votes on committees,
need to exist. It was just bizarre to see how behind the times we all were.
because he controls the Senate and can ask as many favours as he likes.
Finding mentors and support networks in unexpected places has been
Universities, on the other hand, are easy to ignore. If universities like ours were
challenging, and eye-opening. We’ve got all sorts of people in the union these
more open about how close we are to the cliff edge, I'm not sure we'd have
days, but I didn’t fit the mould for student politics that existed when I got
made it through the front door.
involved. Didn’t go to Friends or Collegiate; not doing Arts-Law; tough past experience with mental health; ethnic; didn’t have many friends at uni, and I
It's tough explaining SSAF to students, other than by pointing out everything
wasn’t in the Lib/ALP/Greens club. Before I’d even started someone asked me
we'd lose and how little we pay for it (less than the cost of a single science unit
across an entire uni degree). But you only need to look at how ugly things got after Howard and Abetz worked to get student union fees banned in 2007. We went out the door, and the culture was sucked out with us. As for the perennial Young Lib question, 'Why should I have to pay for [emergency loans/food/ societies/free counselling] if I, personally, do not need them?' – well, mate, the same reason you pay tax. Because we're all in this together. For all the Peter Pan Young Libs like Eric Abetz and Chris Pyne that started barking their nonsense when they were at uni and never grew up, just re-enrol at the University of Never Land: the bar is crap, if you run out of money you're
Cassandra Shim /
stuffed, and the degree isn't worth anything.
Campus President North
The Memories - There’s some pretty basic work we do on a day to day basis,
Greetings from the North! As president of the TUU Northern Chapter, it is my
in academic appeals, approving grants, supporting clubs, helping international
duty to not only promote campus life but also organize, facilitate and handle
students to network. For pretty basic respect of privacy, you just can’t talk
administrative business in regards to student advocacy for both the Inveresk
about those stories in much detail. But I know for a fact that there are students
and Newnham Campuses. Taking on the Northern TUU has indeed been
still at uni who wouldn’t be, and people with new friends and skills who
quite the experience thus far. Coupling the TUU and being a fulltime student
otherwise wouldn’t have found them, because we helped out. Those days at
simultaneously has been the greatest yet most stressful ordeal I have ever put
work are the greatest. There were very difficult days. I lost one of my best
myself through; but do not get me wrong, I loved every minute of it.
friends. I lost a grandfather. On the days when it was hardest, meeting cabbies and security guards who saw you in the paper, or listened to you on the radio,
With the amount of events held on the Launceston and Inveresk Campus this
and being told that they’re on your side, that really helps to keep you going.
year, it is tremendously difficult in selecting a highlight. Each event hosted
Have a lovely, well-deserved holiday everyone. Best of luck to next year’s TUU
of performers at events, and trying random pieces of clothing on for ‘Clothes
crew, I hope you’ll embrace them, I have great faith in what they can do to
Swap’, to serving Wallaby Stew after screening “The Sapphires”, there just is
keep building this place up for us all!
no scale that could begin to categorize all the wonderful moments during every
by the TUU and Northern SRC has had its special moments, from the variety
event. Other events were planned by myself and the Activities Officer, which were executed by the entire Northern SRC. One of these events included Stufftember, with the month of September being dedicated to various events raising awareness of student issues and to also integrate the different cultures on both the Inveresk and Newnham Campuses. Stufftember consisted of 3 different weeks; Arts Week, Cultural Week and Health Week.
Sarawathy Varatharajullu / Campus President South
It has been such an eventful and a joyous year for the Northern TUU. Not only was I very blessed with an amazing and hardworking team but I have made some unforgettable memories through my term as Campus President. It was
Being part of the SRC and serving the student community has really been
never easy from the get-go but coming to the end of my term, it really seems
an honour for me. It has had its ups and downs, but I would not have had it
bitter-sweet. I wish nothing but the best of luck for the future Northern SRC
any other way (like smooth sailing). I have had the privilege of working with
and may they have as good a run as we did.
some amazing individuals this year. They have inspired me and improved my knowledge on a variety of matters ranging from women's to environmental to higher education issues. One of the biggest things I believe we achieved this year was focusing on bringing more small scale events to more campus areas in order to achieve maximum outreach. For example, more free breakfasts at satellite campuses, more O Week events in second semester and more collaboration with colleges, societies and sports clubs. The biggest challenge this year has definitely been losing some team members
Waqas Durrani /
and having to update newer members. We had wonderful individuals who had
General Secretary
to leave the SRC due to personal commitments and I would like to thank them
I have greatly enjoyed working in the role as General Secretary to the State
for contributing to the SRC in the invaluable ways that they did. And to the
Council this year. It is very refreshing to be in a position, as a student, to have
new team members who joined us, thank you for fearlessly jumping into your
some ability to see things progress.
roles and working with the team so well. The Muslim community at the University of Tasmania is growing in number My favourite memory has definitely got to be collecting, sorting and cleaning
and require special arrangements for their prayer rooms. As Secretary, I helped
the beer cans from first Semester O week events, for the sculpture initiative. It
secure the approval of access to Prayer Room in the TUU Hobart from 4 am to
brought me closer to my SRC team and it was all round fun turning those tons
11 pm every day throughout the year to serve the prayer needs of the students.
of cans that are thrown away every year into a structure, which our Environ-
Since the Muslim student population is growing at the University and the
ment Officer then recycled after. Memories of my days with the SRC and the
current prayer room doesn’t serve the needs of the students as it is small in
relationships with students that it has brought will always bring a smile to my
size (which poses a work health and safety risk). I also secured the approval
face.
for a bigger prayer room for the Muslim students. It was great to be able to effectively raising student concerns and achieve a solution.
STATE COUNCIL CONTINUED I have also worked on developing the understanding and provision of various
- Thesis Thursday- Morning tea at various schools and faculties
dietary requirements at student food outlets. By voicing the need for provision
- Postgraduate Futsal Tournament
of better food options for gluten free, vegetarian, and Halal meat for students,
- Entertainment: 4 Movie nights (Hobart and Launceston), Crib
this has increased the understanding of the needs of students with special
Championships
dietary requirements.
- Trips for Launceston postgraduates
Throughout the year I have worked on the Corporate Internship program to have something like this available across all different faculties, in order to increase work experience opportunities for students from international backgrounds and domestic students in Tasmania. I worked on getting host organizations to provide students with internship opportunities that would
- Mental Health Awareness week events - R U OK day, ‘Let’s talk about mental health at lunch’ - Postgraduates catch up on Halloween - Postgraduates Annual Dinner program Keep up with more Post Grad news at www.taspostgrads.org
lead to work experience and better employment prospects in the industry. I had also voiced the need of having a small kitchenette in the Morris Miller Library at the Students Matter Forum in 2013 and pushed it again as your General Secretary. We now have a small kitchenette for the students at the Morris Miller library 3rd level, which is so much better. It has been a pleasure serving you.
Oliva Jenkins / Societies President This year the Societies Council President position was moved onto the State Council from the SRC South. This has meant that the year has been one of trial and error and learning on the run. Regardless of the changeover period, we have seen societies put on some absolutely amazing events throughout the
Aarati Khanal /
year. From the Malaysian Society’s JOM! Festival, to Engineering’s Laneway
Postgrad President
see the diverse range of events that have been put on by our many different
The year 2014 was very productive for the postgraduate student at UTAS. This year we successfully negotiated with the University for more Postgraduate Advocacy & support, a dedicated postgraduate space, and a review of the
Festival, and a million events in between, I have been incredibly proud to societies. There has been a multitude of new societies affiliating with the Societies Council throughout the year, including the South Sudan Support Society and the Red Cross Society, which is incredibly exciting to see.
graduate certificate units, amongst other things. This has translated to more
The biggest day of the year for both the Societies Council and the students is
study space and facilities, a dedicated 'Postgraduate Advocacy and Support
obviously Clubs and Societies Day during O Week. Thanks to Ingrid and Dave
Officer', and a review of the Graduate Certificate.
(southern TUU staff, and the two best people ever!) the day went off without
Major changes for postgraduates in 2014: - Postgraduate Welfare and Support Officer: This is a full time position introduced this year that provides free, independent and confidential support for postgraduate students on all matters concerning academic and administrative rights. - Working with our national counterpart Council of Australian Postgraduate
a hitch, with more clubs and societies involved than ever before, to the point where we almost couldn’t fit everyone in. I’m going to assume that everyone had an amazing time, since I had enjoyed myself so much by the end of the day, to know what was happening. It’s a huge event. But it was definitely the perfect last Societies Day ever for a gal who has attended every Societies Day possible during her five-year degree.
Association (CAPA), fighting against new changes proposed for higher
Whilst no one can deny that this year on the TUU has had its ups and downs,
education.
seeing what the societies have done has made it completely worth it. As have
- Senate Submission: We made submission on behalf of the UTAS
the incredible TUU staff, who deal with all the major problems we face.
postgraduates to the Australian Senate rejecting the new fees proposed on all
Ingrid, Dave, Jenny and Kate are real assets to the TUU and without them
research degrees. The new fees will mean that PhDs and Masters (Research)
nothing would actually happen. They made my life and the life of every society
students would have to pay new fees, of up to $3900 per year
executive much easier, especially Ingrid, who solves every problem brought to
- Postgraduate space: Finally a space for postgraduates to meet and interact
her no matter how big or small. So to the staff and those on societies, who give
- Graduate coordinator support day
up their time to run so many amazing events for students, I say thank you.
- New research plan and strategy along with significant revision of rules of
Without you guys my time at uni would not have been as amazing as it has
HDR candidature introduced
been, and definitely a whole lot sober.
- Review of Grad Certificate Units - Graduate research conference Social and Networking events in 2014 - Blue Stocking Week - Orientation sessions in Hobart, Launceston, Cradle Coast - Postgraduates meet the Alumni- Quiz night
Taking up the role at the Union was something that I will never regret doing. It allowed me to bridge the students with the TUU and TUU with the university. I definitely met with a lot of challenges but managed to conquer them. One such notable challenge was to keep all the Sports clubs happy and I believe that I did a good job at making all the Clubs happy. During my time in office, I hosted the TUU Unigames in Hobart for the first time ever. It was such a great success that it attracted 300 participants and even David Sadler was
Shanty Priya /
pleased with the event.
Sports President
Also, this year through the SAFF Funding negotiations, I managed to increase the subsidy for clubs from 15% -30% which helped a lot of clubs. I am hopping that this will continue in the years to come. I must say that the most memorable part of being in the Union is meeting new students, helping clubs grow and encouraging more social sporting.
Sue Kole /
COAST
Cradle Coast Campus President The SRC on Cradle Coast have had a busy year providing all types of fun and exciting activities for the students studying up on the North West Coast of Tasmania. We also played a large role in advocating for SSAF funding to get a 24/7 Kitchenette on campus, something that students have been requesting for years, as currently there is no facilities for students to make a cuppa after hours. It will be great to see this work begin. First semester was filled with an action packed O Week, BBQ lunches, the Market day, Breakfast Chat, and sports day. We also did a bus trip down to Launceston Campus to join in on the Comedy Night. March saw a movie under the stars night for the first time on campus. Other events held in semester one were: Close the Gap morning tea, Harmony day BBQ, Easter raffle and Australia’s biggest morning tea. Second semester saw O Week winter soup day and launch of the ‘1000 Can Challenge - collecting canned food donations for City Mission, Bluestocking Week feminism BBQ day, an RU Ok Day morning tea, Mental Health Week morning tea, and Stress Less day. A big thank you to the SRC team for 2014, Sue Kole – Campus President, Edward Costello – Regional Secretary, Heather Haines – Education Officer, Andrea Courtney – Societies and Sports convenor, Camena Dawnstar – TIA representative, Lance Glover – General representative. I look forward to working with the 2015 SRC team, increasing the interactions between students and with the SRC and providing some great activities in 2015.
S
SRC NORTH Darshan Ranjit /
Janice Chan /
Activities Officer
Secretary
As the Activities Officer, I focused my efforts on student
Many people don’t think that secretary plays an important part in
participation and overall enjoyment in TUU events. The team
any committee of societies, clubs or faculties. The truth is without a
worked hard to reignite the presence of the TUU in the lives of
secretary, many of these groups can’t function properly. One of my
UTAS and AMC students in Launceston. I believe, we were able to
requirements was taking minutes of the committee meeting. These
achieve that goal.
minutes are essentially the proof of the work we done, the discussion
As part of our yearly agenda, we helped the university manage Harmony Day and Multicultural Night, two annual university events that are held to celebrate the many cultures that exist in the university and Launceston. We also conducted many student
taken about certain issues, approval of budget, and reminder of the tasks that lies ahead. It is an official document that could be held legal in a court. Occasionally I will go the extra mile and provide food during extended meetings that are lengthy.
barbeques to bring smiles to the students’ faces. I personally
Besides taking minutes, I have also participated in every event that
organised the TUU Crafts Fair to help students learn more and
the TUU SRC North have organised making sure that the event went
appreciate what Tasmania has to offer in terms of agriculture
smoothly and they have an extra pair of helping hands. As well as
and adventure. The event was small but was well received by the
directing students or people to the correct channel, I work hand in
students.
hand with the senior staffs at the university when requiring university
Stufftember was our biggest project for the year. The team was split into 3 teams to plan, organise and execute events based on a theme. Week 8 of the university calendar was Arts Week. The week
permission for an event or things related to the TUU. Lastly, I am an acting personal assistant to my president both in the TUU and in the real life. She knows she can’t live without me.
was filled with flash mobs, photography displays and parties. Week 9 was Cultural Week. Riawunna Centre for Aboriginal Education and Accommodation Services collaborated on Cultural Week to help organise a week full of events that include a Trivia Night at Saltz, and a movie screening with traditional Aboriginal food. Health and Science Week was on week 10. The team faced a few setbacks with a tour of the Planetarium at the QV MAG and the cancellation of the TUU Fun Run but performed one of the most successful BBQs this year. The healthy food BBQ was a success with students. I am happy to have worked with such a stellar team on all our events. As a member of the TUU, I was exposed to many aspects of running an organisation, from student politics to the various setbacks we faced when planning and running events. I had to better my time management and communication skills. I have met many wonderful people in my year in the SRC and thoroughly encourage my fellow students to consider joining the TUU. To my team, thank you for being such amazing and supportive individuals. It has been a whirlwind journey full of laughs, blood, sweat and tears…and more laughs.
Photo: From top: Nelson Blake, Sarah Duff, Cassandra Ng, Janice Chan, Jessica Crosswell, Cassandra Shim, Levenesh Athavan, Johanna Van Der Hek, Michael Ware, Tang Chee Yan. Absent: Darshan Ranjit
THE NORTH CONTINUED Johanna Van Der Hak /
Levenesh Athavan /
Education Officer
International Students Officer
The main education event run this year focussed on the Australian
The International Students Portfolio in the North this year focused on
government’s proposed budget cuts to higher education. We aimed
increasing Tasmanian international student presence on a national level.
to ensure students understood the implications of those budget cuts
While UTAS may not boast similar statistics of international student
concerning their education, and to enable them to voice their opinions
enrolment compared to universities on the mainland, it is important
on this nationwide issue. We held the event at both the Newnham and
for our International Students to have their contributions noted and
Inveresk campuses, both of which were successful and garnered a large
appreciated. In lieu of this, TUU SRC North worked with our Southern
number of opinions on the education cuts. These were brought forth to
counterparts and the Council of International Students Australia (CISA)
local senators, ensuring our students’ voices were heard. The budget cuts
to promote the stories of four Tasmanian based international students
continue to raise educational concerns throughout Australia and this event
through social media, which for me personally, was the highlight of the
provided Launceston students with information and a chance to speak
year. It improved the TUU’s working relationship with CISA, opening up
their mind.
many more opportunities for collaboration on various issues concerning
Sarah Duff / Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Officer As the first and only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representative for all of the TUU, my main aim this year has been to build up the
international students in UTAS. The biggest challenge was probably getting international students involved in TUU-held activities due to their reserved natures. However, as the year progressed, the participation of international students during events has shown marked improvement.
relations between the TUU and other elements of the community that are
Being in the SRC has certainly exposed me to various areas pertaining
already involved in improving university life for Aboriginal and Torres
to student politics and, by virtue of my portfolio, introduced me to many
Strait Islander students. One event that I organised and ran recently
international students with a wide variety of stories, each one different
is the Sapphires Movie Screening. It’s a great musical-comedy about
from the other. While it hasn’t all been rosy, I can say that the positives do
indigenous Australians, based on a true story. It features Jessica Mauboy
outweigh the negatives. Besides making some good friends along the way,
and other great indigenous performers. Held during our Cultural Week,
the people you meet, the challenges you face and the decisions you make
this event helped to expose a wide range of students to the issues affecting
not only help define you on a daily basis, but may even teach you a thing
the original peoples of this country in a light-hearted and entertaining
or two about yourself in the long run. I know mine did.
way, evoking questions and conversations on the topic. After the movie screening students were served with wallaby casserole that had been
Finally to my SRC, I’d like to say thanks. It’s been fun guys and our team
prepared by members on the Aboriginal community on campus.
has been great. I wish you all nothing but the best. Onwards and upwards!
Jessica Crosswell /
as the year went by, we noticed the increase in student participation.
Women’s Officer This year I served as the TUU’s northern Women’s representative. The year’s highlights include organising and running the Health Week BBQ, which drew a large crowd and provided food which was s enjoyed it was gone in just over half an hour! This showed the amount of people keen to eat health food when it is available. We had on offer smoothies, chicken wraps and scrogen mix. My most enjoyable time this year in the SRC was the World Cup screening
The biggest challenge was involvement of students in events. However, For students who are interested to take up this challenge, I definitely recommend it as it will surely enhance your experience and leadership skills. Thanks for being such lovely people, my fellow SRC members. It has been great fun! A huge thumbs up for being an amazing team. Cheers.
Michael Ware / Environmental Officer
put on at 4am. There was a great turnout and amazing atmosphere which
Throughout the year many steps has been taken towards the improvement
lifted everyone in the TUU team’s spirits.
of the sustainability on campus, including the opening of a new bike hub at the Inveresk campus, the growth of the campus gardens and the
My biggest struggle this year was establishing the Women’s Collective. In
encouraging turnout at our Earth Hour event. The TUU has also been
semester one it seemed hopeful with many joining and coming to meetings
moving towards having more sustainable events throughout the year, with
but we did not hold events. Instead it was used as more of a forum and
a move towards healthier foods and less waste being created at events.
space to chat about issues around the university. Anyone who is interested
UTAS has also taken steps towards increased sustainability action and
in joining the SRC in 2015 should embrace the challenge with enthusiasm
awareness, with the creation of a sustainability working group within the
and ideas on how to improve the Uni in a practical and realistic way.
senior management of the university.
Nelson Blake /
Chee Yan Tang /
Sexuality and Gender Equity
Clubs and Societies Convener
Having joined the SRC in the second semester, my main priority was
As a third year Engineer and studying abroad for the first time in my life,
familiarising myself with the campus system and liaising with relevant
taking up the role as the Clubs and Societies Convener (North) in the TUU
people from student services, QSOC
was challenging. However, with various backgrounds also in sports and
(Queer Society) and the community.
various societies, it has helped me adapt well into the role efficiently.
The focus of my job was to represent and advocate for students who
In conjunction with the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the SRC North held the
identified as a LBGTIQ within the union and in appropriate forums but
final screening for all students to promote the love for sports, which
to show that we do not aggressively pursue radical awareness campaigns.
enforced camaraderie of students with similar interest. It was a blessing to
This was a result of my personal feelings about how and why people
witness a huge success in the event that indicates the support of students
identify with the wider sexual spectrum and how they engage with student
towards the TUU has greatly improved. While working with the Sports
life.
Council, the TUU has organised TUU UniGames that was held in August,
Perhaps someone else may have done the job differently, in hindsight I could have held pride festivals and rigorously pursued an ‘in yer face’
which forged a stronger friendship between both SRCs and will be handy in the future.
agenda, but in my view, this would not have been compatible with the
Personally, being in the SRC has been great fun. Being a new student
atmosphere of the Newnham campus.
at UTAS, it has forced me to be out of my comfort zone, but in return,
Throughout the year I supported the introduction of the Ally Network, a program that is already in university campuses nationwide. It is one of my favourite achievements and I am proud that the University of Tasmania implemented the model effectively. Laura Della-Pasqua also deserves acknowledgment for her immense contributions to the queer community. The Rocky Horror Picture Show party, as part of the TUU Arts Week (north) was a major event that sought to integrate the Inveresk campus students with the Newnham campus and to promote an inclusive atmosphere for students of all sexual persuasions. Overall, the portfolio has been a challenge. It is never easy to wave a minority flag and assert your rights and I hope that people view my term positively. In the moments of the year that has passed, I knew I always did the best I could.
Cassandra Ng /
brought me many wonderful memories. What I loved about being in the SRC, is the fact that we got to work together as a team. Although we come from different countries and backgrounds, there were no conflicts or discrimination among members and we all worked to achieve the same goal. The biggest challenge was involvement of students in events. However, as the year went by, we noticed the increase in student participation. For students who are interested to take up this challenge, I definitely recommend it as it will surely enhance your experience and leadership skills. Thanks for being such lovely people, my fellow SRC members. It has been great fun! A huge thumbs up for being an amazing team. Cheers.
Alex Rollo / Sydney Campus Rep
Inveresk Representative
Considering I was only a representative for about 5 months my experiences
Being the Inveresk Representative has been an immense joy to me, and
representative has been quite interesting. I now have much more of an
I’ve grown so much through it. From planning events for the students on
understanding of the TUU’s role within the university, both its capacity
Inveresk to meeting their needs, this responsibility has indeed provided
and limitations are something I have been attempting to promote within
much experience. One of the highlights for me this year was to host the
the campus, so students can have a better idea of where they can get
Inveresk Pizza Movie Night as a form of welcome back to school treat for
support from.
the Inveresk students. More than 50 students turned up, exceeding my expectations as this was the first of its kind event to happen on Inveresk. One of the biggest challenge was to foster the bonds between both students from the Inveresk and Newnham Campuses. However, it was heartening to see students from Inveresk come up onto the Newnham campus for the Arts Week events and vice versa. Of course, it has not just been all work and no fun. Being a part of the wacky SRC North Committee has provided me the opportunities to meet countless new and fun people, as well as create strong friendships with
have been limited. However, my experience as the Sydney campus’s TUU
Personally, a big highlight of the year was finally receiving some funding, although minimal and after months of followip, for the Sydney campus ball. I truly hope this to become an inaugural event which the TUU is willing to provide funding for in years to come. The biggest challenge I have faced has been the physical distance barrier between myself and the rest of the TUU representatives. The inability to meet people face to face and discuss matters definitely made things more difficult.
everyone. My time with the SRC has been such a beautiful memory and I
I have felt really honoured to be elected unopposed both earlier this year
will deeply miss it. Nonetheless, all good things must come to an end, and
and most recently at the elections for the upcoming term. What I really
I wish the best of luck to the 2015 committee! Have fun, stay wacky, and
would like to do in the small time I have as SRC is to develop an interest
simply enjoy the journey!
in the SRC and UTAS life in general amongst Sydney campuses students. This is my ideal goal and is something I use as a driving force behind campaigns and decisions to push for certain avenues to be taken.
SRC Back: Sophia Mallick, Lewis Ringwaldt, Ariel Campaign, Topher Webster, Liam Salter Front: Marissa Mahmoud, Kat Induni, Saraswathy (Saras) Varatharajullu, Heidi LaPaglia, Marilyn Ho, Esther Stride Absent: Tomas Thiele, Nicolas D’Elia, Anna Young
Topher ‘Budget Smoulderer’ Webster / Activities Officer The SRC (South) is potentially one of the greatest organisations on the planet.
Marissa Mahmoud / Secretary
Tasked with spending money on improving the lives of some of the coolest and hottest kids on the block: students. Via multiple specific representatives, your cash dollars (i.e. SSAF) are channeled into the aspects of student life we think need improving. The Activities Officer exists to tie these disparate directions,
It has been such a privilege working as the regional secretary for the SRC
occasionally, together: I have helped (or, according to some, "helped") at
South this semester. Meeting all the representatives has been wonderful and
almost every single event the SRC did this year and debuted on the news for
getting the chance to work with them, and for the organisation, has been a
lighting budget documents in a supportive manner. I've fried about a thousand
great opportunity.
eggs and sausages, in addition to planning two O-Weeks and a ScavHunt, and
This position has allowed me to work with students and staff to help ensure
have sat through more hours of meetings than I've had lectures all year. I've
that you get the best of the your university experience and I hope we have
come in on holidays and weekends, worked with as many societies as I could,
brought that to you the best that we can. I have learnt so many skills and
and generally, I've tried to make student life just a little easier.
qualities that I have not only used being regional secretary but have also used outside of this position in my everyday life, such as organisation skills, communication skills, time management and being able to work efficiently and effectively with others to reach the same goal. I am excited to have the opportunity to be working for the TUU as regional secretary again next year, and bettering my knowledge and skills so I can work with the representatives to bring you more great experiences within the university, as well as help you communicate your needs and wants to them effectively, to make what you want and your visions for the Union happen. I wish you all the best with your exams and I look forward to representing you as secretary next year.
Once upon a time, the Activities Officer was actually a President, and worked closely with the societies' own Activities Officers. The synergy of this many great men and women did great things (come check out the History of the TUU book in the Union offices, above the Ref—so many glorious and compromising photos of students past, taken at events they threw): we can do so again. The highlight of my job was the one event where I worked with Christ College, TARTS, TUBS, GEO, and TULS societies: ScavHunt. The role of TUU SRC (South) Activities Officer is an excellent one to have, because students are awesome. AO is but the whip to the student body's derriere , and it's been a complete pleasure spurring you nutters on. See you next year, kids!
Tomas Thiele /
Lewis Ringwaldt /
Conservatorium of Music Rep
Pubs and Comms
Hi, thank you, I have been the Conservatorium Representative over these last
As this year’s Publications and Communications Officer on the TUU SRC,
couple of semesters. During my time on the SRC I have been lucky to work
it’s been my job to oversee SRC publications and both internal and external
with a great bunch of people who are both like minded and challenging with
communications with the SRC. One of the definite highlights as part of this
their ideas, and who come from many diverse backgrounds.
was succeeding in a campaign to bring back the Arts Amphitheatre from its unusable state to be enjoyed again by students. I really felt like I had made a
As far as achievements for this year, I have been grateful for the support of
difference for the students I represent. Other memorable occasions included
students both at the Conservatorium of Music and at all other campuses, for
Scavenger Hunt, the big National Day of Action (rally on higher education
the various events that I have had a hand in. Some of these events include:
reforms), and the education forums. I feel confident that these all provided a
The live music events held at Conservatorium common room, “The Commons”
contribution to student health and wellbeing. I’ve also enjoyed opportunity
and the AACA Battle of the Bands and SAS (Starving Artist Soiree) at Hunter
to be involved in directing SRC budget on things that students really need, as
Street Art School. I also worked on the Dark Laneway festival, put on by the
part of my portfolio, with SSAF being an integral part of this. Overall I’ve had
Engineering Society, the Togatus launch party and many more...
a memorable time representing your on your SRC this year. Thanks to all.
It is my hope that future SRC Representatives continue to work together across campus and with other University bodies to achieve as much as possible with the resources bestowed upon them. It’s been a great year and I hope that many more are to follow.
Marilyn Ho / International Students Officer It has been almost a year since I assumed this role, and I tremendously enjoyed
The medical science precinct is a fairly tight campus, with most people
my time with the TUU. Thinking back on my term, I have flashbacks of me
knowing each other. It was great to be able to speak with a number of students
BBQ-ing, carrying trestles tables and chairs, running up and down the TUU
about what could be done to help them. Working directly with TUMSS was
building floods my mind. I am really going to miss it all, haha.
also enjoyable, and allowed me to make sure the money being spent at Menzies
With no doubts, it may be stressful and tiring at times when trying to organise
was appropriate.
an event (especially when there are heaps of assignments and tests to do as well), but at the end of the day, the hard work pays off because the feeling of seeing students enjoying themselves at your event is simply indescribable. Throughout my term, I basically had a high level of autonomy to run social activities in support of the continuous development of International Students at UTAS, and all these social activities were organised with the aim of getting different nationalities together and to promote the understanding of different cultures.
Sophia Mallick / Environment Officer This year my focus has been on making the TUU more environmentally friendly as an organisation. In regular activities I’ve also worked on providing alternative forms of events on the southern campus and food for students
Events such as Harmony Day 2014, International Night Markets and
to help them be more sustainable in their everyday lives. For example, the
International MASKquerade Party, were such instances of my efforts to
yummy, ethical food kitchens we held during winter time with organic soups
encourage interaction, and to further the integration of the International
and curries (from local producers).
Student Body with the wider student population. But I think, the highlight of the year for my portfolio, would be the annual state-wide multicultural night event - Fiesta International 2014, which celebrates Tasmania’s multiculturalism by bringing together performances and good food from all around the world.
My biggest ongoing project has been drafting an environmental management plan for the union which will hopefully be implemented next year. I am hoping to see the installation of the second set of solar panels for the union before the end of this year, which will take us over 50% renewable energy (and lower the electricity bills!). I have also worked with several societies, including the
I strongly believe that such activities are necessary as they help spice up the
Student Environment Collective, on events throughout the year and on the
experience studying abroad, and provide great opportunities for the exchange
Fossil Free University campaign. The campaign has gained new ground this
of cultures in an interactive and fun way. So hopefully, the students have had
year with the university acknowledging the need to screen fossil fuel companies
an enjoyable and meaningful time attending these events.
from its investments.
In addition, my role involves creating a more supportive and enriching
One of the biggest challenges within the union for me has been getting
University experience for all International Students. As such, apart from all
substantial changes made within the structure of the organisation that are
the fun activities, I strive to provide other types of supports for International
effective and will actually make the union more sustainable while having a
Students as well. Take for instance, information sessions on topics applicable
positive effect on students’ lives at university. This will hopefully be overcome
to International Students like leadership workshops, immigration and visa
in my term next with increased communication and lots more input from
talks were being held to aid the smooth undertaking of studies. Also, we have
students on environmental projects.
the International Student Forum page on Facebook, which is an interactive platform to update students on upcoming events or for them to raise any concerns they may have. All in all, I really believe that a supportive and inclusive University
Lewis Ringwaldt / Pubs and Comms
environment is important to all International Students, and I hope that
As this year’s Publications and Communications Officer on the TUU SRC,
through my efforts this year, I have achieved this goal and that International
it’s been my job to oversee SRC publications and both internal and external
Students do feel more comfortable and satisfied with their experience at
communications with the SRC. One of the definite highlights as part of this
University.
was succeeding in a campaign to bring back the Arts Amphitheatre from its
Nick D’ Ella / Medical Science President I have enjoyed my time as medical science precinct representative, and am proud of what was done this year at the Menzies and Domain campuses. This year was the first that the TUU made contact with the Domain campus and subsequently, started initiatives specifically aimed at nursing students. This led to the creation of a brand new nursing society, so that the Domain campus can be consistently represented in all aspects of university life. The biggest challenge that came with working on the SRC was trying to represent the major interests held by students in the Medical Science Precinct without forgetting minority groups. I think this was something that other members of the SRC also found difficult. There is much disdain with SSAF at the Menzies campus, for example; which was often mistakenly taken as direct criticism of SRC members. It’s important the SRC remembers students have
unusable state to be enjoyed again by students. I really felt like I had made a difference for the students I represent. Other memorable occasions included Scavenger Hunt, the big National Day of Action (rally on higher education reforms), and the education forums. I feel confident that these all provided a contribution to student health and wellbeing. I’ve also enjoyed opportunity to be involved in directing SRC budget on things that students really need, as part of my portfolio, with SSAF being an integral part of this. Overall I’ve had a memorable time representing your on your SRC this year. Thanks to all.
Heidi La Paglia /
Kat Induni /
Women’s Officer
Welfare Officer
When I started as TUU Women’s Officer in 2014, I had many plans for the
Being Welfare Officer for the second half of 2014 has been a great experience,
role and for improving women’s position at UTAS. I aimed to run events
and I have learnt a lot. So many aspects come under the umbrella of student
and campaigns which raise awareness about the experiences of women
welfare, however my focus has been on financial welfare, access to food and
at the university, andstand up for women’s interests. Most importantly
mental health. I have discovered a whole new level of university staff who
however, what I wanted to do was kick-start a women’s movement on
work behind the scenes to make UTAS what it is and ensure students are safe
campus. While other universities around the countries have had groups
and looked after. I wish now I had been Welfare Officer for the entire year so I
running women’s initiatives for years; Utas has been pretty quiet on the
could have achieved more long term projects. The TUU and the university has
feminism front.
many support services available and I think its really important that people
The first thing I did as Women’s Officer was start up a society; ‘The Women’s Collective.’ The purpose of the collective is to provide a space for women identifying students to network with other students and talk about any concerns or issues they have about the University. In order to start up
know about these and utilise them. There are lots of provisions and services available to see you through if the pressures of studying, remaining financially afloat and mentally healthy are conspiring against you. The student welfare officer can help you to find what you need.
the group, I decided that I would run a stall on societies day to gain sign
It has been challenging to balance study, TUU, work and volunteering and
ups for membership. I was told at the time that I would be unlikely to get
sometimes I felt that I was letting my SRC down because I had focus on studies
much interest. The collective now has over 100 members.
or because I was working. I also realised how many things are required to run
Running the Women’s Collective this year has provided students with the opportunity to participate in events and campaigns aimed at promoting
an event, and sometimes organising everything becomes quite overwhelming. But everyone has been so supportive and helpful.
and improving the well-being of women students. There have been
I have really learnt this year that the university experience is more than
numerous events throughout the year which have attracted a keen student
attending classes and finishing assignments, and interaction on campus is so
participation. These have included: women’s health breakfasts, movie
much fun. There are so many students that just come and go solely for classes,
nights and ‘crafternoons.’ Since the release of the federal budget in May,
and I think it is crucial we encourage more people to hang out at uni, interact
the Women’s Collective has also been involved in numerous political
and participate in the events the TUU runs, because it is so much fun and
campaigns aimed at celebrating safeguarding women’s participation in
meeting new people outside your bubble is great.
tertiary education. The highlight of the year for the Women’s Collective was definitely Bluestocking week, held August 11th-15th. In collaboration with the NTEU, the TUU Women’s Department ran an array of events including a feminist quiz night, public lectures and an exhibition celebrating women’s university participation in Tasmania. The week was a success by all accounts and had a great attendance. Having Bluestockings Week late in the year allowed us to get a good idea of how much the feminist movement has grown at UTAS.
Anna Young / Queer Oiifcer Hello, I am Anna Young, the 2014 Queer Officer for SRC South and have been re-elected for 2015. What is the Queer Officer? Well, it is my job to be there in support of all ‘queer’ identifying students; including the LGBT* community, gender fluid and non-binary gender identifying students, and students involved in the Kink and Drag communities of Hobart. I do this by managing the upkeep of the TUU Queer Space, helping to run QSOC (student Queer Society),
Although I will be moving on from the Women’s Officer role in 2015; the
running events, getting students involved with the national event Queer
Women’s Department is at the stage where I feel comfortable doing this.
Collaborations, connecting students to relevant support groups and services,
The Women’s Collective is active and visible on campus and the TUU
and running the Hobart LGBT Social. My door is always open and I am happy
has big initiatives planned for the 2015 Women’s Department, including
to offer help to all students in need or help them where try to find services they
playing host to the National Organisation of Women Students Annual
need.
Conference. Queer Collaborations is an autonomous week-long conference for all queer If you would like to get involved in the Women’s Collective, or join the
identifying students. It involves workshops, group meetings, support services,
organizing committee for NOWSA, then get in touch with me at Heidi.
social activities, performances and learning opportunities. On October 10th
lapaglia@utas.edu.au; or the incoming Women’s Officer, On Ee Chin, at
there was the first major queer event of the year. It is a major celebration of all
oechin@utas.edu.au
aspects of the queer community and incorporating the aspects involved with previous year’s Sexpo event. I am hoping to send a much larger group of Tasmanian delegates to QC in 2015 and am hoping to host it at UTAS in 2016.
ARTIST STATEMENTS What is life without art? These three fabulous ladies have been your artistic accompaniment this year, and togatus has been much richer for it. Be sure to get them to sign your favourite piece at the end of year barrel, before they get famous!
LAURA WILKINSON I always say the wrong thing and I really like toast. I feel most inspired when it’s raining and when I’m wearing my pyjamas. Words inspire me, I listen to little things people say and record them, my favourite one at the moment is ‘Silky pants that he has pissed in.’
MOLLY TURNER I would probably best say that my drawings are mainly influenced around my strong affection for Australian culture and its traditional rural and simplistic lifestyle. Also the idea of what it is to be a drunken yobbo passed out at the pub with a 40 year old mullet splashed to buggery in your own vomit and piss. Okay maybe that’s a little horrendous of a description for a person, but in my ideal world everybody would be that embarrassingly wasted. I wish to capture this dirty humorous aspect of Australian culture that involves sauce slopped meat pies, beer stained clothes, counter meals, horseracing on the wireless and copious amounts of Victoria Bitter. My artwork includes personal traces within the particular friend group I have who continue to inspire me every Friday and Saturday night by doing the most memorable intoxicated shit that I want to preserve and re-create into my own illustrations. My desire is to exploit the idea that here is an essence of ‘togetherness’ that comes along with ‘drunkenness’. Prominent artistic influences include Reg Mombassa, Robert Crumb, Raymond Pettibon, Wil Laren, Brett Whiteley and The Australian Music industry, past and present.
photo: Nathan Gillam
MILLY YENCKEN
Life appears to be full of lessons that don’t always make sense, my artwork aims to explore this confusion through the comfort of a piece of paper placed below a pen ~ ||’|’||.
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