TOGATUS
EDITION TWO
@TOGATUS_
TAKE ME, I’M FREE!
Tog atus. Est. 1931
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STUDENT SERVICES FACING CUTS
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MALE WOMENS OFFICER RESIGNS
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WEIGHING IN ON THE DEATH PENALTY
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 the Togatus staff or the publishers. The copyright in each piece of work remains with the contributor; however, the publishers reserve the right to reproduce material on the Togatus website www.togatus.com.au. Togatus staff: Editor-in-chief: Michelle Moran editor@togatus.com.au Print Editor: Tabitha Fletcher printeditor@togatus.com.au Web Editor: Nathan Gillam digitaleditor@togatus.com.au Design: Laura Wilkinson, Leanne Steer Proofreader: Meghan Scolyer Contributors: Andrew Grey, Angela Koh, Charlotte Burgess, Daisy Baker, Jess Flint, Kendall Boyd, Mark Glidden, Meghan Scolyer, Sarah Pearson Togatus welcomes all your contributions. Please email your work or ideas to editor@togatus.com.au It is understood that any contributions sent to Togatus may be used for publication in either the magazine or the website, and that the final decision on whether to publish resides with the editor. The editor reserves the right to make changes to submitted material as required. Contact Togatus: Twitter: @togatus_ Facebook: facebook.com/TogatusOnline and Website: www.togatus.com.au Instagram: @togatus_ Post: PO Box 5055, UTas LPO, Sandy Bay 7005 Email: contact@togatus.com.au For Advertising, please contact the editor. Togatus is printed by Monotone Art Printers. We support the locals. Front cover art and snake illustration by: Laura Wilkinson follow her on instagram: 7_willa
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Con tents
PAGE SIX
PAGE EIGHT
PAGE FOURTEEN
‘Recognise This’ paste up
Male women’s officer resigns
The death penalty
PAGE SIXTEEN
PAGE EIGHTEEN
PAGE TWENTY-FOUR
Fifty Shades of WTF
UTas smoking ban
Look after yourself
PAGE TWENTY-SIX
PAGE TWENTY-EIGHT
PAGE THIRTY-TWO
Influence vs. infringement
Profile: Katy Pakinga
Contribute to Togatus
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Con tributors
ANGELA KOH
ANDREW GREY
CHARLOTTE BURGESS
DAISY BAKER
JESS FLINT
KENDALL BOYD
MARK GLIDDEN
MEGHAN SCOLYER
SARAH PEARSON
MICHELLE MORAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Why hello there! My name is Michelle, and I am your shiny new Editor in Chief! What a few months it has been! So much has been going on across all the campuses. It feels like only last week semester was starting! We are well into semester and have been running two contributor workshops a week! The turnout has been fantastic, and it has been a pure delight to meet the wonderful people behind the beautiful articles. The most amazing thing to see has been everyone meeting one another and getting the chance to build Tog together as a family.
By the time you read this, we will have had our first industry guest in to speak to our contributors and everyone will be busy thinking about our next edition. It’s not too late if you want to join us! Just shoot me through an email and we can hook you up. Student media wouldn’t be possible without you, and it’s a vital part of campus life. Please consider this your official invitation to come and visit me in the office (at Sandy Bay, located above the Ref in the TUU building) and grab a coffee, or drop me an email (editor@togatus.com.au) and look over some old issues of Togatus. The archives go all the way back to 1931 with endless entertainment and inspiration.
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TOGATUS
EDITION TWO
WORDS: MICHELLE MORAN
#NEWS
Student services facing cuts Student services are in for a massive overhaul, as the Division of Students and Education undergoes a restructure, with no student consultation. The University of Tasmania boasts that the restructure is a win for students, due to a ‘streamlined administration communication chain’. Did someone say ‘efficiency dividend’? The cuts will see many student advisors and support officer roles abolished. Under the new structure, student advisors’ roles will become more generalised, leading to a lack of specialisation to handle complex or specific student enquiries. The Tasmania University Union has expressed concern about the lack of student and staff consultation. State President Heidi La Paglia said in a formal response to the DVC restructure “These staff are currently essential to meeting the needs of specific student cohorts.” Ms La Paglia cited examples of international students, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) students, students from low-socio-economic backgrounds and mature-aged students. While the chain of command is alleged to have been simplified, there will be fewer staff to cater to issues which are reported by students and offer support and resolution. Faculties are also set to lose funding for casual staff, leading to higher work loads. While cuts have been made to supporting existing students, the restructure injects more money into the
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university’s promotional reach, to entice more people to study. While this is ultimately beneficial for the community, it is unclear how these new students will be supported once they reach a campus. “Putting funding and effort into community outreach programs to get students into university does not make sense if support retention services are at the same time being cut” said Ms La Paglia. The fate of the Cradle Coast campus in Burnie is also in question, with widespread concern among the student community. Beyond that Burnie may become a distance only campus. Cradle Coast Campus President, Sue Kole, said “The fact is they’re going ahead with this with literally no consultation with students or even staff.” The campus, which is a vital component of the North West Coast, already struggles to offer face-to-face units for school leavers and those who are unable to relocate from the local region. “We don’t really have that many face-to-face units as it is at Burnie.” said Ms Kole. The Department of the Vice Chancellor was reached for comment, however failed to respond by deadline.
TOGATUS
EDITION TWO
A media furore has engulfed the UTas community and indeed the nation, over the controversial election of James Ritchie as Women’s Officer for the TUU SRC North. In recent by-elections, Mr Ritchie was elected for this role with 112 votes, 20 votes ahead of opponent Raven Paton. This is the first time since 2000 that a man has been elected for this position. The UTas Women’s Collective launched an online petition against Mr Ritchie’s election. The petition called for his resignation or disqualification from the role of Women’s Officer and gained more than 700 signatures overnight. In this petition, the Women’s Collective claimed that, “…a man being elected (unconstitutionally) over a woman for a role that focuses on women’s welfare, empowerment and equality is absurd and offensive to women students”. In response to this, Mr Ritchie said he was saddened by the bitterness, hostility and personal attacks he has; faced around this issue. He said, “I definitely believe I got elected on the basis of being able to get things done, rather than my gender.” In 2000, a similar stir occurred when Nick Corney was elected for this position unopposed. The issue was taken to Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Jocelyn Scutt. Scutt ruled that the role of Women’s Officer could be restricted to women on the basis that it would benefit women, as a disadvantaged group. This is supported in Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act (1998) in sections 26 and 27, which refer to equal opportunities and gender respectively. Subsequently, Mr Corney lost the position. Since this controversy, a clause was inserted into the position description stating that “The incumbent must sign a Statutory Declaration confirming that they identify as a woman”. An outdated position description was used to advertise the role in 2015, omitting this section. Mr Ritchie said he was unaware of this
WORDS: DAISY BAKER
#NEWS
when he nominated for the role and he considered himself eligible to nominate. TUU State President Heidi La Paglia said “It is disappointing that this situation has occurred, and regretful that members of the student community have suffered as a result”. Shortly after, the TUU State Council passed a motion to amend the position description of the Women’s Officer to include that the representative identifies as a woman. This motion did not exclude Ritchie from continuing in the role, but was put in place to prevent future mishaps. Mr Ritchie questioned whether excluding men from this role perpetuates the barriers between men and women. Ritchie said, “I really think the answer is not saying that a man can’t do this role, the answer is saying let’s include men in this debate let’s include men when we’re trying to address these issues.” TUU Executive Officer Jennifer Hart confirmed that Mr Ritchie’s resignation had been accepted on Wednesday 8th April. In a resignation letter posted on the TUU website by Ms Hart, Mr Ritchie stated that, “the reason for my resignation is not bowing to public pressure but rather a reflection of my willingness to handle situations in an appropriate, mature and rational manner.” Mr Ritchie said he was “genuinely saddened that some people can spend so much time and effort arguing about who should hold a certain position, yet fail to recognise the ability of that person to break down barriers and use solidarity to enact positive change.” The position will now go to expressions of interest. Ms Hart said, “It’s up to State Council but what’s normally happened in the past is it will go to the SRC for election and then it has to be ratified by State Council”.
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TOGATUS
EDITION TWO
Over the last month there has been a lot of media hype around the election of a male-identifying student to the Tasmania University Union (TUU) Northern Women’s Officer position. Stories have included arguments both for and against James Ritchie holding the position, and various opinions about what and who caused the situation. If you’re reading this you’ve probably already developed some kind of opinion about the situation. I hope however that you will attempt to read this without bias. Unlike the media spin that has been saturating your news feeds, this article will provide you with the facts. Firstly, I’d like to clarify that, despite being accused of having nothing to say before Mr Ritchie won the election, I was the first to intervene in the process. When Mr Ritchie was first nominated for the position of Northern Women’s Officer, I raised the matter immediately with Returning and Executive Officers. As a previous TUU Women’s Officer, I knew very well that Mr Ritchie did not fit the criteria. Clause 6 of the Women’s Officer position description states “the incumbent must sign a Statutory Declaration confirming that they identify as a woman.”
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WORDS: HEIDI LA PAGALIA
#TUU
I was subsequently informed that the position description advertised did not include the clause, and that Mr Ritchie could not be disqualified from the election. This was despite the fact the description had clearly specified the position must be held by a woman since the year 2000 when a similar controversy arose over the election of a male student to the role of Northern Women’s Officer. When the by-elections were released for 2015, I expressed fear that there would be a media blow up. It is the convention of every student organisation in the country to restrict representative positions to individuals who identify with the community. My fears were realised over the Easter weekend, when a post promoting the Network of Women Students Australia (NOWSA) conference on my personal Facebook page attracted vicious arguments about whether the TUU should be running a women’s only event. This was followed by a petition by the UTas Women’s Collective, in opposition to a man becoming a women’s representative at the TUU. It gained traction quickly. Within 24 hours the petition had been signed by over 1000 individuals and had gained the attention of national media.
“Within 24 hours the petition had been signed by over 1000 individuals and had gained the attention of national media”
My phone started buzzing on the evening of Easter Monday and didn’t stop. By 12pm on Tuesday the 7th of April, I’d had enough. The situation had to be acted upon. I called for an emergency State Council discussion, and let my phone ring out through the decision making process. It was unanimously agreed that the position of Women’s Officer should be held by a woman. The motion read “State Council reinstates [sic] the clause ‘The incumbent must sign a Statutory Declaration confirming that they identify as a woman’ in the TUU SRC Women’s Officer position description.” The claims that have since been made about me “changing the position description” after Ritchie’s election are, in fact, false accusations. On the 7th of April, State Council simply confirmed the original position description which stated that the candidate must identify as a woman. On the same day, I personally discussed the situation with James, and Clark Cooley, the Northern Campus President. We looked at the arguments for and against, and the opportunities James would have to help women outside of being a TUU representative. James was not excluded from remaining in the role of Women’s Officer, but he did
voluntarily resign the next day with a letter to the Executive Officer. While James Ritchie’s resignation was accepted, no vendetta was held against him. James was not at fault for running for a position for which he thought he was eligible. The people who petitioned were not angry at James as an individual. They were angry at the situation. In the end, it needs to be recognised that the problem was procedural. The Women’s Officer position was always intended to be held by a woman; and if the right position description was advertised that would have been the outcome. The TUU has always supported representation for autonomous groups. It is unfortunate that this has been challenged. But on the positive side, we are now working to safeguard autonomous representation in the future. All other position descriptions for autonomous representation within the TUU have a specification of this kind.
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Recognise This Paste Up
TOGATUS
EDITION TWO
WORDS: CHARLOTTE BURGESS
#NEWS
Photo: Michelle Moran
Street art project, “Recognise This Paste Up,” recently hit Tasmanian shores, aiming to spread awareness about constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Students and members of the wider community gathered outside of Lazenby’s on 16th March to show support and join in with creating the exhibition. Large portrait posters of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students are pasted throughout the Sandy Bay campus, with each person’s reasons for supporting constitutional recognition. The project was organised by the student union’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Officer, Ariel Wells, in collaboration with Recognise. Mr Wells said “Australia needs to close the gap, and increase health and welfare standards among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Constitutional recognition is the first step to realising this.” He said many people are not aware of the issue of constitutional recognition, and that the project is a good way to highlight it.
Tasmanian Executive Officer for Recognise, Marta Lenton, said the Australian constitution is silent about Aboriginal history. [The Australian constitution] “says that there aren’t any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and it also has sections that permit racial discrimination.” Ms Lenton said the project is a fun way for people to come together and make a statement. The Federal Government recently accepted submissions for a committee on constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has also announced his support for constitutional recognition. TUU President, Heidi La Paglia, said while the university has a long way to go to properly address Indigenous disadvantage, the Recognise project is a great start. “It’s great to see Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders students being recognised on campus.” Recognise This Paste Up has launched at several other universities across the country. The project will stay at the Sandy Bay campus for approximately three months.
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SMOKING BAN AT UTAS
TOGATUS
12
EDITION TWO
WORDS: MARK GLIDDEN
#NEWS
There is little in the world more satisfying to a smoker than taking a puff of a cigarette after a two-hour lecture. However, new proposals to ban smoking completely on campus could see this small pleasure go up in smoke. What will happen if the ban is enforced? One suggestion is that all areas be smoke-free, with the exception of small sheds where smokers will be able to go and enjoy their addiction. But how realistic is this? If I want to have a cigarette in the ten minutes between classes, and the smoking shed is placed on the other side of campus, having said cigarette would be near impossible. I anticipate cries of “well, don’t have a cigarette then!” but I think of it as an addiction rather than as a habit. Without a cigarette, my mind may wander off during the class, which would cause my grades to suffer. The main issue, however, is students who live on campus. If the smoking ban is enacted, it would presumably include the student accommodation, which is within the boundaries of campus property. What happens to the smokers among them? Are they expected to travel a good distance away from their homes, possibly late at night, simply to have a cigarette? The solution could be to place another smoking shed near the accommodation. However, if a student is paying a good sum of money for accommodation, is it really fair to ask them to travel away
from their front yard simply to smoke a cigarette? I think that making the whole campus smoke-free is a waste of time. Yes, smoking is very bad for one’s health, every smoker acknowledges that. Likewise, it is also terribly rude to smoke around people who don’t want to inhale a lung full of tobacco smoke. But many smokers are quite conscious of how their habit affects others. Please, provide us with clear distinctions concerning where we can and cannot smoke. If you don’t want us to smoke in an area, then simply put up some ‘smoke free zone’ signs. Don’t make life needlessly difficult by making the whole campus smoke-free.
“I THINK THAT MAKING THE WHOLE CAMPUS SMOKE-FREE IS A WASTE OF TIME.”
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TOGATUS
EDITION TWO
WORDS: MEGHAN SCOLYER
#OPINION
Weighing in on the death penalty Editorial note: Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran It is impossible to avoid the media hype surrounding the execution of two Australian citizens, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. Chan and Sukumaran were the ringleaders of the infamous Bali Nine, a group of nine Australians who were arrested in 2005 for attempting to smuggle 8.3kg of Heroin from Indonesia to Australia. In 2006 they were sentenced to death. In 2014, newly elected Indonesian president Joko Widodo rejected the duo’s plea for clemency. In February 2015 the pair were transferred from Kerobokan prison to Nusakambangan Island to await execution by firing squad, which was carried out last week. The Australian government launched numerous appeals for mercy, all of which were rejected. The dominant frame in the Australian media in the weeks leading up to the executions illustrated compassion for Chan and Sukumaran, and hostility towards both the Indonesian legal system and President Widodo. Despite this, there seemed to be an underlying attitude of indifference from many members of the Australian public. A poll conducted for Triple J’s Hack program found that 52 per cent of respondents supported the death penalty for Australians convicted of drug trafficking overseas. ABC’s Media Watch and other media outlets criticised Triple J’s decision to publish the results, as it was cited by the Indonesian government as evidence of Australian’s supporting the executions. Nevertheless, the results of the poll portrayed a clear message.
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When President Widodo announced that a factor in his decision to reject the Australian’s appeal for clemency was to “send a strong message to drug smugglers”, a number of Australians took to social media to voice their agreement. It is highly disconcerting that in a seemingly modern and progressive era, some members of our nation still give concession to the execution of human beings just to prove a point. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission state that there is no place for the death penalty in the 21st century, and supports universal abolition of capital punishment. The Amnesty International website describes a study conducted for the United Nations between 1988 and 2002, that found the death penalty does nothing to deter crime to a greater extent that any other punishment. Since the death penalty was abolished in Canada in 1975, the homicide rate has actually fallen by 40 per cent. These findings suggest that the death penalty is ineffective and contradicts ideas of a contemporary justice system that focuses on both accountability and reform. Indonesia should be proud of a justice system that had effectively rehabilitated two men convicted of a very serious drug offence. Both men were considered to have significantly reformed during their time in prison. Chan was a committed Christian and a qualified pastor, acting as a minister to other inmates. Sukumaran completed a fine arts degree and facilitated the implementation of several education courses across the prison, from IT to philosophy. Both men repeatedly expressed deep remorse for their crimes. The execution of two reformed prisoners who showed a capacity to greatly improve the prison community and act as role models for their inmates is a tragic waste.
Drug trafficking is an abhorrent and selfish crime, motivated by greed and a disregard for the destructive effects of drugs within our communities. It is indisputable that both men should have been severely punished and deserved lengthy prison sentences, but they should not have paid with their lives.
Australia’s commitment to the protection of human rights has, and continues to be, questionable. In light of these tragic circumstances, we have the opportunity to reform an unsympathetic attitude by sending a message to Indonesia and the rest of the world that such a barbarous form of punishment can no longer be tolerated.
For those who were in support of the executions of Chan and Sukumaran, I urge you to reconsider your perspective. This was never a campaign for release, rather, it was one of advocacy for compassion and mercy. Two of our own have faced an unimaginable and terrifying fate; for friends and family, the grief is untold.
Let their deaths not be in vain, let us all unite in a stand for mercy.
“A study conducted for the United Nations between 1988 and 2002, that found the death penalty does nothing to deter crime to a greater extent that any other punishment.�
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FIFTY SHADES OF WTF
TOGATUS
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EDITION TWO
WORDS: CHARLOTTE BURGESS
#COMMENT
In the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, an angry Fifty Shades of Grey-inspired status popped up in my news feed. It claimed that the story depicts violence disguised as BDSM. BDSM is an overlapping abbreviation of bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism and masochism. It’s about finding pleasure in pain and exchanges of power. Thousands of people have said that Fifty Shades of Grey lacks two concepts central to BDSM: consent and respect. In case you’ve been fortunate enough to not have read the book or seen the film, Fifty Shades of Grey follows the BDSM adventures of girl-next-door Anastasia Steele and entrepreneur Christian Grey. I thought I’d look into the Fifty Shades of Grey hype and quickly discovered an article in the Journal of Women’s Health, published by researchers at Ohio State University. The researcher’s claims that Christian Grey’s behaviour in the Fifty Shades of Grey book is consistent with the behaviour of emotional, physical and sexual abusers. These behaviours include intimidation, threats, stalking and humiliating. Eek! Not kinky. Watching the movie I could understand the claims being made across the internet of Christian’s behaviour being controlling. He becomes furious when Anastasia decides to visit her mother. He sells her car without her permission, and buys her a new one. There are people in the BDSM community who give
their partner permission to control every aspect of their life, but Anastasia isn’t one of them. Christian takes away Anastasia’s autonomy without her consent. That’s not a BDSM relationship, rather, it’s emotional abuse. BDSM creates the illusion of the dominant having all the power, but the submissive has total control because they can take away consent at any time and the dominant must respect that. Otherwise, it’s rape, not BDSM. In the book when Anastasia tells Christian “no” he says, “If you struggle, I’ll tie your feet up too.” It’s true that people sometimes get a kick out of pretending to not want something they actually do. Such things are discussed beforehand and a safe word is established, so both parties have a mutual understanding about when “no” means “no.” There’s no such discussion between Christian and Anastasia. She says no, means no, and Christian refuses to listen to her. I’m not a BDSM-hater. And there are a few good things in Fifty Shades of Grey, like elements of open communication about what both parties do and don’t find acceptable. But it’s concerning that this story is reaching millions of people who might view Christian and Anastasia’s relationship as a perfect example of a consensual BDSM relationship. It isn’t, it’s Fifty
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TOGATUS
Minimalism
EDITION TWO
WORDS: ANGELA KOH
#LIFESTYLE
The concept of minimalism is pretty simple. Contrary to what most people believe, it isn’t about living a threadbare life or owning as few items as possible. It’s about preventing what you own from owning you. Minimalism is about stepping away from the culture of consumerism, to cut down on unnecessary duplicates by shopping more consciously, instead of completely giving up shopping. By doing so, one can come home to a clutterfree living space, and appreciate the finer things in life. Blogger Zenhabits asserts that minimalism “allowed him to be content”with his life, where he is, what he is doing, what he has, who he is with and who he was.
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Lately, I have been reading minimalist blogs and the concept interested me so much I decided to introduce it to a friend. I showed her one of my favourite minimalist blogs. One I found particularly inspiring is The Minimalists and Twenty One Delights. One of the side effects of having lived in share houses since I arrived in Tasmania is that I did not own an excessive amount of possessions to begin with. However, I still felt I could do with owning less stuff. I wondered what I could get rid of first. One glance in my wardrobe told me I definitely had more than I needed. I wanted to jettison some clothes that have not seen the light of the day in a while and probably wouldn’t any time soon.
Maybe there is a culture of consumerism where people are always looking to keep up with the latest trends or copying the latest fads donned by red-carpet stars. Or maybe, I am just a whimsical person when it comes to fashion and my preferences change quickly. Whatever the reason, I wanted to get rid of superfluous items. “I’d rather own just a few outfits—outfits I enjoy wearing, clothes I feel confident in, a wardrobe that brings me joy—than a mediocre collection of once-loved threads,” wrote Joshua Milburn, author of The Minimalist blog.
This might seem like something a communist would do, owing to the perception they are allowed barely any material goods, but to me, it feels quite liberating once you are done with your list. By taking an inventory of stuff you have but no longer need and donating usable items to a charity, your consumerist guilt may be lightened. I can’t claim to be a minimalist yet, but I swear I felt somewhat liberated from the snares of possession after dropping off a few bags of clothes at the Salvos. I quite enjoy the concept of minimalism; it makes me feel lighter.
Milburn suggests writing down everything you own, to help put everything into perspective.
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TOGATUS
EDITION TWO
WORDS: ANDREW GREY
#CREATIVECHRONICLE
1: Homeostasis is becoming dull. Settling on a song, you tune out the world around you. Turning right, you see the same tree again. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. The sound of your footsteps hit your ears softly, as a cold breeze rustles your hair, golden leaves falling through the wind. The sky is grey now, the colours around you are losing vibrance. Thud, Thud, Thud, Thud, Looking over your shoulder, there’s nothing there. Walking faster, the footsteps still follow, echoing yours. A hand brushes your cheek, tickling ever so gently. Your pace quickens, fear washes over, pure, unadulterated fear. Lightning tears the sky apart, thunder cracks like a gunshot. Another shadow, yet still nothing visible around you. Turning left, you see the same tree.
Illustration: Milly Yencken
It should only take 10 minutes. Nothing, really. You’ve walked that street a million times, yet today the same walk feels like an hour. Cars pass, people bustle by. Hell, you’ve even walked past the same tree twice. For some reason, the walk is never-ending. You’re hardly paying attention. You didn’t put your iPod on, just started walking. To be honest, it’s been a long day, and you just want to get home, open a bottle of absinthe and watch Hannibal. At this rate, it seems impossible. Turning left, you see that same tree again. Perhaps it’s the feeling of indifference. You are not happy, sad, tired, alive - just “ugh”. Your hand reaches into a pocket, pulls out headphones, fingers dancing between the loops, attempting to untangle the mess. Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.” The problem is sifting through 3000 songs; you’re not sure if you want to listen to Taylor Swift, or Marilyn Manson. Storm clouds start to roll in, the world around you
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Running, music gone, the footsteps louder, rain like bullets, the sky breaking, wind screaming. Looking back, there’s footprints next to yours, newly formed in the water. A cackle falls upon your ear. An icy hand falls on your shoulder, another around your neck. Coldness follows the touch, yet warmth trickles, blood, your throat slit open. Faster, you run. Thud, Thud, Thud, Thud, There, at the end of the lane, is your house, hidden so comfortingly behind a white picket fence. You run towards the light in the windows. Looking back, more footsteps. A hand grabs your face, trying to rip it apart. You’re inside now, calmness washes over you; only one set of footprints mark the floor. Checking the clock, it’s been 10 minutes since you left, the sun is shining outside, no sign of rain. Hours pass, with dinner devoured, calming absinthe flows through your veins. Having another, you slip into the warm comfort of the fire, and the sounds of You are home. Then you hear it. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
TOGATUS
EDITION TWO
WORDS: SARAH PEARSON
#CREATIVE WRITING
Poetically beautiful You’re the kind of girl poets write about stringing such delicate words about your pearly white skin and ruby red lips and all those other clichés. What they forgot to mention is the sorrow in your eyes and if someone should gaze so deep into those whirlpools of sadness surely they would drown. The boys you love leave you feeling ashamed as you crawl out of their bed the next morning picking up your clothes as you walk out the door. You scrub your skin until raw trying to get the dirty off. Rocking yourself under the cold water nothing can heal your broken soul.
Illustration: Milly Yencken
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TOGATUS
EDITION TWO
WORDS: KENDALL BOYD
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF
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#LIFESTYLE
Hey everyone, my name is Kendall and I am a journalism and history student at UTas. You can often find me cooking, playing sport or walking along a beach and dreaming of travelling. Writing about being healthy is one of my favourite tricks to break through fitness barriers. Not only do I get to share my favourite tips for staying healthy, I get to learn new tricks from research, which contribute to a healthier and happier me. I’d like to share some of the best things I’ve learned so far with you! Make it your mission to develop into a healthier you with these five helpful tips: 1) Set goals with your friends Setting group goals can be a great way to give your exercise program specific structure whilst also having fun with friends. It is important to set achievable goals and setting them with friends encourages you to keep going and not give up. Remember that even joining a team sport is a great way to start. Ask yourself: 1) What would you like to achieve? 2) Why are you doing this? 3) What will you do to achieve this goal? 2) Get some exercise every day Whether you are studying, working, or in lectures all day, by the time you have gotten through it all, finding the time for a workout can seem near impossible.
Try breaking it down into more manageable blocks so you can reach 30-40 minutes of exercise each day.
bring radiance to your home and extra flavour to your food. They’re also extremely expensive when bought from the supermarket.
Positive actions include taking the stairs, parking your car a few extra blocks away, or getting off the bus a couple of stops earlier. Walking is a great way to add exercise especially when you are short on time. For when you are short on motivation, jump off that couch during the commercial breaks at night and do some sets of push-ups, lunges and squats!
Rosemary: As long as there is plenty of sun, this hardy herb can grow all year. Rosemary is absolutely delicious on roast lamb, fish, chicken and potatoes.
3) Cherish your leftovers Wasting food is like throwing away your money. Let’s face it, a majority of university students live consistently on the broke side of the fence. So use your leftovers and save! Here are a few ideas on using your once forgotten vegetables. Limp vegetables (as long as they are NOT mouldy) can be used for stir fries and pasta sauces. Many vegetables such as squash, capsicum and carrots can be chopped and tossed into stir fry to become quick lunches which save time and money. Chop and toss soft tomatoes into a Napoli sauce and freeze any extra sauce. Stew fruit that’s past its best for a treat for later. Lots of vegetables can also be re-invigorated by letting them stand in some water. 4) Grow your own herbs If you have a sunny window sill, a balcony or a backyard, herbs can
Oregano: Plant it in a well draining pot with quality potting mix and this herb will reward you with strong growth most of the year. Oregano is an Italian based herb and as such it goes very well in tomato based dishes (spaghetti) or on pizza, meat and in stuffing mix. Basil: Is best grown in full sun to semi-shade over summer. Basil does very well in pots inside or out. Regular picking encourages new growth. Add basil to any dish. It is a must in any of my tomato based dishes and summer salads. 5) Get outside Vitamin D and fresh air are great for you. Try and get outside for a few hours every week whether it is going for a walk, meeting someone for coffee, or hitting up a market. There are many health benefits in getting outside, including improving your focus. Spending time in nature can provide your brain with a break from everyday overstimulation, creating a recuperative effect on your attention levels and mood. Here’s hoping you feel a little better, sooner!
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TOGATUS
EDITION TWO
WORDS: JESS FLINT
#MUSIC
That’s it. I’m done! I’m taking my vinyl and my iPod and retreating to the wilderness. I’m locking myself away where creativity is appreciated and musicians feel safe. I don’t want to live in a world where people can consider themselves the true owners of a style, genre or movement and expect to get away with it, or be paid $7 million dollars. I am talking about the recent court case that pitted Blurred Lines (written by Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams) against Got to Give it Up (Written by Marvin Gaye). I would first like to make it clear that I absolutely detest Blurred Lines, and all the other drivel Pharrell Williams comes out with, but my hatred doesn’t extend so far as to support the ruling that Blurred Lines infringes on the copyright of Got to Give it Up. The court case arose when Williams and Thicke filed a complaint against the Gaye family, hoping to prove that there was no legal requirement for them to seek licensing rights to Got to Give it Up. The ruling was not in their favour and now they must to cough up $7.3 million dollars in damages and a portion of future royalties. The verdict was made based on the song’s composition and no recordings of the tracks were permitted to be presented as evidence. Leading musicologists were invited to interpret the sheet music for the jury (and suffered constant objections from the Gaye family’s lawyer). Unfortunately for all you musicians, this is where the details of the alleged infringement become a little hazy. It appears that the disputes were made by comparing passages of music as short as four notes, and matching the bass line of one song with the vocal stylings of the other. Despite similar percussion instruments being used, the patterns are both different, and lyrically the parallels look
like this: “Shake the vibe, get down, get up”, (Blurred Lines) and “Move it up, turn around, shake it down.” (Got to Give it Up). This is scary stuff! If songwriters are living in constant fear of accidentally stealing somebody else’s originality, will the music industry turn into a formulated hit machine? Will musicians be forced to approach all leading artists of a genre for permission to write songs that might sound similar to theirs? According to Williams, “the [Blurred Lines] verdict handicaps any creator out there who is making something, that might be inspired by something else.” Don’t forget that earlier this year, Tom Petty was awarded songwriting credits on Sam Smith’s Stay With Me, after similarities to Won’t Back Down were deemed indisputable. Never Fear, it’s not all bad news! It seems that the real factor that decides whether you could face prosecution for ‘ripping off’ someone else’s music is the artist in question. For example, Madonna laughed off rumours of a court case against Lady Gaga over Born This Way, saying, “what a wonderful way to redo my song.” Similarly, when One Direction caused controversy by blatantly stealing from The Who! in their hit Best Song Ever, Pete Townshend refused to pursue legal action and is quoted as saying “The chords I used and the chords they used are the same three chords we’ve all been using in basic pop music since Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and Chuck Berry made it clear that fancy chords don’t mean great music – not always […] I’m happy to think they may have been influenced by The Who!” So don’t pack away those instruments yet, but my advice is to make sure you choose your influences carefully!
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TOGATUS
EDITION TWO
WORDS: DAISY BAKER
#MUSIC
TAKING FIVE WITH KATY PAKINGA Katy Pakinga is known for gracing stages across Tasmania. She has tackled roles from Pippy in The Great American Trailer Park Musical, to Nancy in Oliver, and most recently, Eva Per贸n in Evita. Katy took a moment to discuss her journey so far, and introduces us to the life of Eva. Image: Ross Marsden
What was it about music that first attracted you? I actually remember seeing an acapella group [...] and I was amazed at their harmonies. I’d never heard anything like it, it was just one of those moments that blew me away and made me go, ‘I want to do that!’ I didn’t know what it was or how they did it but I knew I wanted to investigate more. I started taking singing lessons, and singing in choirs and doing everything and anything I could really, and that was probably the beginning of it. How did your teaching singing to children at home evolve into the Encore Performing Arts Studio in Burnie? It started when I was about 19 or 20. I was approached by Hellyer College to tutor some of their students. They had an upcoming musical and I said “I’ve never taught before but I’m happy to have a bit of a sing along with them”. Then it just grew, and grew […] people asked me to start teaching their children. I decided to open Encore with a friend of mine, Tina Radford, and that’s when work separated from personal life and I could have my home back. Being able to help other people do what they want to do is great, too. I guess from that came Burnie Youth Choir. I just really felt that I missed out as a youngster, not having music as an option when I was really young. So I don’t think kids should miss out on music. You know PE is compulsory and I think music and the arts should be as well. Absolutely. You’ve been involved in many musicals over the years but you played Nancy last year in Oliver. I’ve read in some interviews that you were hesitant to audition and take on that role. What was holding you back? Extremely! I still really consider myself a small town girl and I just do what I like to do and that’s it. That’s literally all I do, it’s not to be bigger and better and all that. I just want to enjoy what I do as work as well as a hobby. I’ve done a lot of musicals and stuff locally but then Brett Budgeon, he’s now moved from Devonport down to Hobart, he said to me “would you consider auditioning for Nancy,” and I said, “Oh, not in Hobart, Hobart’s too big and here’s little me”. Next minute, here I am travelling down for the next month and then putting on shows at the Derwent Entertainment Centre. So wow, what sort
of a change is that for this little girl. Then from that came someone, actually Ross Marsden who played Fagin - we would travel together to Hobart for Oliver - he said, “Launceston’s putting on Evita, you should go for it” and I was like, “No, that’s even bigger than Nancy”. But again I thought, “what have I got to lose”, I tried out and boom, here I am. Maybe I’ve just got to put myself out there a little more.
“You know PE is a compulsory thing and I think music and the arts should be as well.” Can you describe the feeling you have while you’re on stage? It’s funny, I actually feel sometimes a little bit lonely. I don’t mean physically because you’ve got upwards of 900 people in front of you, for Evita at least. You are in charge of telling this story and the lights are blurring in your eyes and you can’t really see anyone when you look out to the audience and here you are, you sort of feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere, trying to convince hundreds of people what you’re trying to tell them. So it’s kind of a bizarre feeling too […] people get scared on stage and say, ‘oh, there’s lots of people out there’, but I never really see them. I feel like I’m just performing to emptiness sometimes but then you hear a loud applause and you think, ‘oh yes, we’re taking people on a journey here’. I also love performing with different characters on stage as well. That’s what helps you. Other people help me get through. If I was just standing there singing a song I’ll feel quite lonely but if I’ve got someone to sing to, it gives you a reason to be there, it gives you someone to react with and interact with. It’s sort of a bizarre feeling, but I love it. It’s really creative. Really, you have hundreds of people at your mercy and you take them on a journey that is quite magical. What advice would you give to aspiring singers and actors? Go for it! Don’t let anyone stop you. I tell people all the time, and it’s no biggie but I tell my students it doesn’t matter what other people do and say because I failed my singing exams in year 11 and 12 but look at me now. So don’t let anyone else tell you that you can’t do it. Do it anyway, prove ‘em wrong.
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TOGATUS
EDITION TWO
WORDS: ISAAC FOSTER
#EVENT
NOWSA comes to UTas
Photo: Jennifer Macey
Every year, hundreds of Australian women converge for the largest national conference discussing the issues facing women today. The Network of Women Students Australia (NOWSA) was created in 1987 with the intention of forming a grassroots, autonomous network concerned with issues that impact women and women students.
and 1990 as dual initiatives of NOWSA and the Tasmanian Branch of the National Union of Students.
NOWSA practices the principle of political autonomy at its conference: in order to be a safe space for women, where women’s voices are in the spotlight. The conference is only open to women and people who experience oppression for being perceived as women (this includes non-binary people).
“Because women’s work is never done and is underpaid or unpaid or boring or repetitious ... and we’re the first to get the sack ... and what we look like is more important than what we do ... and if we enjoy sex we’re nymphos ... and if we don’t we’re frigid ... and if we love women it’s because we can’t get a ‘real’ man ... and if we ask our doctor too many questions we’re neurotic and/ or pushy ... and if we expect community care for children we’re selfish ... and if we stand up for our rights we’re aggressive and ‘unfeminine’ ... and if we don’t we’re typical weak females ... and if we want to get married we’re out to trap a man ... and if we don’t we’re unnatural ... and because we still can’t get an adequate safe contraceptive but men can walk on the moon ... and if we can’t cope or don’t want a pregnancy we’re made to feel guilty about abortion ... we are part of the women’s liberation movement.”
NOWSA puts Women’s issues and Women’s voices in the spotlight: the conference is designed to build new skills and knowledge for women of all backgrounds, ethnicities, religions, sexualities and abilities. Workshops are run specifically for LGBTIQA people, transgender women, people with disabilities, and Women of Colour (WOC), among many others. This year the conference is being held in Tasmania for the first time in NOWSA’s history, operating as a national body for women students. Despite this, NOWSA and University of Tasmania students share a long history. The first Women’s Room and the creation of a Women’s Officer at the Tasmania University Union were created in 1988
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NOWSA first came about at a time when Joyce Stevens’ famous speech to International Women’s Day 1975 was still echoing across university campuses. Her words are still relevant today:
See www.nowsa2015.com for details.
CONTRIBUTE TO TOGATUS Be a part of history in the making, since 1931.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD. PUSH THE BOUNDARIES. Contributions are always welcome on student issues, politics, science, international affairs (student or otherwise), music, law, social issues, creative arts, environment, performing arts, creative writing, poetry, popular culture, film, TV, gaming‌ You name it. Volunteer experience is available in advertising, marketing, social media, digital content creation, blogging, web design, photography, fact checking and proofreading.Gain valuable work experience, polish your communication skills, connect with all manner of people and experience all range of events! A range of equipment, software and contacts are at your disposal.
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Illustration by: Eugene Herbener
Illustration: Molly Turner
It was difficult to read James Ritchie’s resignation letter without being deafened by the dog whistles. Minimising the barriers to gender equality faced by women in developed nations, by comparing them to the struggles of women in developing nations, is not new. It is probably new coming from a Women’s Officer, however. It’s nice that James wanted to revamp global gender relations while Women’s Officer of the TUU North SRC. It’s unfortunate that he didn’t Google feminism 101 beforehand. If he did, he may have realised a man speaking for women is never as good as women speaking for themselves. And now we have spoken.
I’m glad James did the right thing and stepped down. This oversight of having a man representing women should be really embarrassing for the TUU. The TUU let down James, not us women who pressed for his resignation. I am really angry about this and I have every right to be. Women deserve to be represented by someone who identifies and knows what it is like to live as a woman in current day society. There are plenty of support roles men can play. This is not one of them. Men suggesting women are having tantrums and using interstate hype to justify their claims over this issue is just proof that women at UTas need all the help we can get.
PAIGE GLEESON
JULIA SAFFIRE GRANT
Chaffed egos of ‘nice guys’ aside, I cannot stress enough that throughout our fight for equitable, autonomous representation for women-identified students at UTas, it has been heartwarming to see so many women standing up and making their voices heard. Women like our TUU President, Heidi La Paglia are an inspiration to us all in their demonstrations of integrity, fortitude and determination in the face of continual criticism from opponents. One positive outcome of these events has been a surge in solidarity and activity in the Women’s Collective, in addition to an influx of new members passionate about our cause. We hope to channel this new energy into our ongoing initiatives to support and advocate for women-identifying students on all UTas campuses.
Equality begins when good men and women stand up against injustices. It’s a sad day when a collective feel that they’re the only ones who can champion gender equality and women’s issues. For the Women’s Collective to start a petition against a democratically elected representative on the basis of gender is unjust. The United Nations and Emma Watson’s campaign HeForShe cried out for men to join in the battle for equality. I feel ashamed to see James’ passion leave the position of Women’s Officer and student representation. Judge people on their actions, not their gender. Isn’t that what gender equality is about? #HeForShe JOEY CRAWFORD Read more letters at www.togatus.com.au
RUBY GRANT UTAS Women’s Collective President.
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