Yak Magazine - September Issue by UON Student Central

Issue 33 | September 2015 By Students, for Students

12 14 16

Cover designed by Mia Engel

EDITORIAL

Madeline Link - Magazine Managing Editor Owen Harvey - Deputy Managing Editor Jackelyn Bassett - Digital Managing Editor Sarah Webb - Deputy Managing Blog Editor Isabella Batkovic - Editor Renae Burgess - Editor Lauren Gross - Editor Jackson Langford - Editor Bridie O’Shea - Editor Samuel Rayfield - Editor Breanna Yates - Lead Graphic Designer Mia Engel - Supporting Graphic Designer Kathleen Maier - Supporting Graphic Designer Chelsea Groth - Promotions Coordinator Paige Cooley - Contributing Writer Bridget Gunn - Contributing Writer Thomas Hamilton - Contributing Writer Bronte Hoy - Contributing Writer Gunnaina Kohli - Contributing Writer Jonathon Momsen - Contributing Writer Chris Neale - Photographer Stephanie Reed - Contributing Writer Nicholas Smit - Contributing Writer

SUBMISSIONS The Yak editorial team is always on the look out for passionate student writers and graphic designers to contribute to the magazine. If you would like to take the opportunity to get your work published, please send a sample of your writing or graphic design work to yakmedia@ newcastle.edu.au.

ADVERTISING For advertising opportunities, contact Yak Media at yakmedia@newcastle.edu.au

CONTENTS // 03 Editor’s Letter | This Month’s Biting Question // 04 Sports | Five Tips for Starting the Best Conversation of Your Life at Uni // 05 Go Back to Where I Came From // 06 Clubs & Societies | Health: Bowel Cancer // 07 PhD: Creativity & Innovation in Virtual Teams // 08 Get Yakked // 09 A Day in the Life of a University Lecturer // 10 How to Balance University and Life // 12 Shocking Energy Sources // 13 Humans of Earth, How Decent Must One Be? // 14 How Jackson Langford Learned to Love the Emoji // 16 The Real Cost of the GST // 18 Nailing Life in the Big Smoke // 20 Are University Leadership Programs Really Worth It? // 21

www.yakatuon.com

The Story of Radical Newcastle // 23 Mass Debate: Should Marijuana be Legalised? // 24

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Watt Space // 25 Mic Drop: William John Jr. // 26 What’s On

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Check out Yak Digital online! Scan here.

NEXT ISSUE // White Saviour Complex // Drug Decriminalisation // The Most Annoying People on Campus // Uber // Introverts // Cats vs. Dogs Get your free copy from press-points around campus on Monday, 5 October.

Yak Magazine is produced by students at the University of Newcastle. The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of the University of Newcastle, unless explicitly stated. The University of Newcastle accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of any of the opinions of information contained in this issue of Yak Magazine. In addition, Yak Magazine may at times accept forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of affiliate compensation to subsidise the costs associated with producing the magazine. We recommend you do your own research and draw your own conclusions about any product claim, technical specifications, statistic, quote or other representation about a product, service, manufacturer, or provider.

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EDITOR’S LETTER

It has come to my attention recently that I’m spending more days in my gym gear than not. One would assume this has something to do with an increased rate of exercise as I prepare my body for the inevitable summer months creeping ever closer to our doorsteps, but one would be wrong. This lifestyle choice has more to do with laziness than Lorna Jane. Edison, Gates, Da Vinci; we all have something in common. We’re innovators. Finding needles in a world of haystacks. I know I’m not the only one that struggles to balance university life with all the rest of it, but it was around a month ago that I struck gold. Wearing gym clothes is a double-win. First, one is welcome to look as unkempt as one would like while exuding the persona of a fitness guru, however far this may be from the truth. I’m lucky enough to have found balance in my life, and this month at Yak we’re hoping to help you do the same. Because sometimes, you’ve just gotta’ life-hack your way through. Happy reading folks.

Madeline Link

THIS MONTH’S BITING QUESTION:

What’s the most embarrassing thing you have ever Google searched?

EDITOR

What does “whip” and “nae-nae” mean?

What horrible thing did I do to deserve Madeline Link as a boss?

ISABELLA BATKOVIC

JACKSON LANGFORD

DIGITIAL MANAGING EDITOR

SUPPORTING GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Is there a connection between Flo Rida and Florida?

Strange food items on restaurant menus.

EDITOR

AO3 The 100 fanfic Hogwarts AU OOC enemies to lovers trope #bellarke #quidditch #ithinktheygotpairedupindivinationclass??

How does Twitter work?

SUPPORTING GRAPHIC DESGINER

EDITOR

How to procrastinate productively.

Will she come back to me?

JACKELYN BASSETT

RENAE BURGESS

MIA ENGEL

KATHLEEN MAIER

Bridie O’Shea

Samuel Rayfield

EDITOR

DEPUTY MANAGING BLOG EDITOR

Can you die from eating raw cookie dough?

“Easy” get rich quick schemes.

LAUREN GROSS

SARAH WEBB

PROMOTIONS COORDINATOR

LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Can dogs get human viruses?

How to correctly spell a word.

CHELSEA GROTH

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

OWEN HARVEY

I’m a stupid moron with an ugly face and a big butt and my butt smells and I like to kiss my own butt

Breanna Yates

4 | Yak Magazine October 2015

So what’s been happening online at Yak Media? On our YouTube channel (@YakAtUoN), we covered last month’s Black Light Party at Bar on the Hill and shared a brief preview of what’s to come in semester two. Our blog (www.yakatuon.com) has been regularly updating, with posts about travel, local events, health, music, food and heaps of other stuff. Drop us a line if there’s something you want to see covered! Here’s an excerpt from Jackson Langford’s review of last month’s Splendour in the Grass; Best Headlining Act - Florence + The Machine We're not sure if chance plays a part in this one. Blur just couldn't muster up a crowd as big as Florence, and it was pouring rain during Mark Ronson's set. In any case, once the donned-in-white siren fluttered out on to the stage, 30,000 punters lost their absolute shit. Her onstage persona is as booming as her voice, never shying away from crowd interaction (even dancing on stage with some drunk bloke from the audience rocking a wedding dress). Whether it be the stomping ‘What Kind of Man’, the deceivingly beautiful ‘Sweet Nothing’ or the grandiose closer of ‘Dog Days Are Over’, this woman and her machine made sure that the Saturday shone as bright as her very star.

Best Blindside Act - Purity Ring I daresay most punters would not have called Purity Ring to have one of the greatest sets of the entire festival, but anyone who saw their ridiculous light show accompany their thumping set that was banger after banger would have certainly changed their tune. Worst Sportsmanship - Azealia Banks I'm not sure what's worse: the fact that Azealia Banks said the festival was a "waste of my f***ing time" or the fact that she said this and put on one of the most energetic and incomparable sets of the Saturday?

GET PERSONAL WITH A PRESENTER Meet Rebecca Plumridge, Yak TV presenter and self-proclaimed aggressive shimmier. Why did you decide to join the socially deviant cult that is yak media? I was up at like 1am one night binge watching the videos and saw they were hiring on the blog. It looked like a lot of fun and I'm not one to shy away from a good cult! (That's a joke) What are you studying? Communications Majoring In Media Production. Basically a whole lot of journal entries and great humans. What's the most money you've ever drunkenly spent at McDonald's? I couldn't tell you exactly but it involved me being in the passenger seat at the drive thru demanding their finest nuggets.

Are you a believer in the "five second rule"? Depends how hungry I am, what it is and where I've dropped it. A biscuit on my kitchen floor? Probably. A KFC chip on the bottom of my friend’s car? No way. It's gone forever. Which Spice Girl do you identify most strongly with? Buzzfeed says I'm most like Baby Spice. They also once said my future husband is Zac Efron so who am I to argue? How would you describe your personal style? I love floral dresses and pretty skirts but they don't work in such cold weather unless you add another 42 layers. You can't go wrong with some nice jeans and a warm jumper!

At a party, where would you most commonly be found? A) Next to the buffet table. B) Twerking like Miley. C) Discussing Australia's political climate with a guy with a man-bun and boat shoes. If another location, please specify. As fun as option C does sound, I'm either A) Searching for where the fairy bread is at. Or, B) Saying to someone, "What kind of party doesn't have fairy bread?"

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Bridget Gunn

sheds light on the details of this summer’s

As the warmer weather starts to roll around, so too do summer sports. Coming up soon on UON’s social calendar is 2015’s Australian University Games (AUG): summer edition, which is held on the Gold Coast at the end of the month. Historically, the AUGs are known as the ‘best experience of your uni life’, and this year we expect up to 8000 students from 42 universities around Australia to compete in 31 sports. This year, UON is in with a real chance, sending away 300 students to compete in 22 events; our biggest team since hosting the games 12 years ago. AUGs are known for catering both for professional athletes and more casual competitors, without jeopardising the quality of events. More popular events have been very competitive in the last few years, which serves as a statement to our impressive results from last year, where we placed in the top 10 universities on both points and pennants.

Australian University Games.

including Montana Perkins and Julia Barton, who recently won gold at the World Uni Games in South Korea. “We have a really good chance this year,” said Andrew. “Newcastle’s team is the most competitive it’s been in about eight years.”

Historically, the AUGs are known as the ‘best experience of your uni life’ As well as the water polo, Andrew suggests tuning in to watch the relay, which is set to be a highlight of this year’s AUGs. Be sure to keep your eyes on the Uni Sport website and Uni Games Facebook page to support your fellow Novocastrians!

But it isn’t easy to single out a particular team amongst all the Newcastle potential. Andrew Yapp from the Forum suggests keeping an eye on UON’s women’s water polo team that’s expected to give the other teams a real run for their money. Amongst the ranks are members of the Hunter Hurricanes,

Five Tips: For starting the best conversation of your life at uni. Isabella Batkovic helps you find your friend-making mojo! As an outspoken Bachelor of Communication student who despises an awkward silence or conversation lull, here are five tips to help you start some killer conversations on campus!

Mention the word ‘coffee’

When you’re standing amongst a group of students all waiting to enter a lecture hall, why not make friends along the way? Carefully drop a good ‘c’ bomb (coffee, obviously) and watch where it takes you. Whether it’s a question about the best brew in town or comments such as “I really need a coffee after this,” you’ll find yourself walking to the nearest café with your new friends in no time at all.

Refer to an assignment

Note: this terribly boring subject matter is to be used in extreme circumstances only. If conversation turns staler than that loaf of bread you left untied last night, it’s time to bring out the big guns. EVERYBODY has something to whinge about when it comes to course work, so at the very least it gets you and your fellow students talking up a uni-related storm.

Photography by Chris Neale

Offer those in your circle a piece of gum

Reference Game of Thrones

Offering gum is a universal gesture of goodwill. Not only does it provide a short-term burst of sugary, chewy deliciousness, but it highlights just how thoughtful and lovely you are (or at least that’s what they’ll think), so pleasant, minty-fresh conversation is sure to follow. Just be careful you don’t offend someone by implying that their breath is less than satisfactory. This needs no explanation. If you know what’s what in the world of Westeros, you’ll be talking happily about the ‘Red Wedding’ and ‘Kingslayers’ until the dragons come home.

Don’t be afraid to be yourself

This is a very cliché point, but it’s the most important. Smile, laugh, crack a joke, burp loudly, order a beer before 12pm, sleep in the food hall, caress someone’s cheek (or don’t), JUST BE YOU. You can always tell when someone is keeping it real, and this is enough to form some lifelong friendships. As Dr. Seuss said, “There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” True dat Seussy, true dat. Designed by Breanna Yates

6 | Yak Magazine October 2015

Go Back to Where I Came From

SEPTEMBER 2015

Samuel Rayfield chats to Marius Hockel about the land of beer and bratwurst. “German summer is pretty nice,” Berliner and industrial engineering student Marius Höckel says. “There are a lot of festivals and open-airs in the cities, you can have relaxed and inexpensive beers in parks, at lakes or even in the metro without worrying about the police.” Originally from Bruchsal, a town in between Karlsruhe and Heidelberg in the west-German state Baden-Württemberg, Marius moved to Berlin – a playground of youthful selfdiscovery – for study. “It feels very liberal and free to live there,” he says, citing the eclectic and expressive underground scene as a major example. “Some parties start on Friday and just won’t stop ‘til Monday.” “There are no restrictions on where you can drink alcohol and there are no lockouts in the clubs.” Earning his keep as a bike messenger, he speaks positively of the well-facilitated cycling culture in Berlin, but not so much of the Australian equivalent. Comparing the two, he laments the lack of respect for cyclists by “bogans racing their cars around town.”

“Going around by bike is very common in Germany and there are no laws that make you wear helmets.” “I don’t like how push bikes aren’t seen as a form of transport and that cars seem necessary even in cities and towns.” Similarly, he is disappointed in the slow Australian political shift to renewable energy development. In Germany, he says, “the overall trend of moving towards a sustainable future feels pretty vivid, especially in Berlin.”

It gives everyone the opportunity to pursue whatever studies one’s looking for. University is cheap there, too. “It gives everyone the opportunity to pursue whatever studies one’s looking for.”

In Newcastle for the duration of 2015, he hopes to regain his confidence in English and a sportier, healthier attitude. He is achieving this through UON’s student clubs, which have affordably allowed him many social opportunities for outdoor activities. Designed by Mia Engel

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Vinnies Youth Social Club

Have you ever thought about making a difference in the lives of others? Have you ever wanted to help disadvantaged youth, or people experiencing poverty and homelessness? Do you want to make a difference in your community? If you answered yes to any of these questions then the UON Vinnies Youth Social Club is for you. “The ball is the perfect opportunity to get together and join us for a night to remember, all whilst making a difference for those less fortunate” The club began this year as a way to provide students with a forum for addressing social justice issues and to volunteer in our local community.

The not so super bowel Bronte Hoy investigates the rise of bowel cancer in young people

When you’re young, there are a lot of scary and obscure things about adulthood that seem impossible, or far off to say the least, like electricity bills and actually paying off your HECS debt. That’s why when it comes to being checked for serious illnesses like cancer it can be easy for us to ignore our responsibilities because we are ‘too young for that’. What’s scarier is that diseases like bowel cancer are on the rise in young people and doctors are increasingly misdiagnosing patients, as the disease is usually only found in older people. Bowel cancer is a potentially lifethreatening growth that forms on the inner lining of the large bowel and either blocks the bowel or causes bleeding. These growths are usually caused by another form of growth called a

On August 13, the UON Vinnies Youth Social Club held a student sleep-out on campus. During the sleep-out, students spent the night huddled up outside, experiencing what it would be like to be homeless. Whilst everyone had a lot of fun, and learnt much from the experience, it sure made us grateful for the luxury of a warm bed and a roof over our heads! The UON Vinnies Youth Social Club will be holding a number of BBQs, as well as a charity ball to cap off the semester. The ball is the perfect opportunity to get together and join us for a night to remember, all whilst making a difference for those less fortunate. Tickets will be on sale from November 1 and all funds raised will go directly to programs run by the local Vinnies Youth conference, including ‘buddies days’ and camps, that provide respite for disadvantaged kids and teens. ‘Buddies days’ give disadvantaged kids and teens time out from whatever may be going in their lives for a day of fun, playing

‘polyp’. These aren’t always cancerous but should always be removed on the off-chance that they become cancerous later. According to Bowel Cancer Australia, 90% of cases can be successfully treated if polyps are found and removed early (woo!).

“What’s scarier is that diseases like bowel cancer are on the rise in young people and doctors are increasingly misdiagnosing patients, as the disease is usually only found in older people. The big problem with bowel cancer – other than the obvious – is that it seems to be thought of as an old person’s disease. While it’s true that the risk of bowel cancer increases from the age of 50, the disease is increasingly being found in younger patients with over 1,000 Australians under the age of 50 being diagnosed each year. According to Stuart Shortland, pharmacist at

laser tag, bowling, visiting local wildlife parks, or even tackling challenging high ropes courses! For further enquiries about the club, you can contact the UON Vinnies Youth Social Club at uonvinnies@gmail.com or check out their Facebook page www.facebook.com/uonvinnies.

Clubs Societies

Callaghan Campus Pharmacy, lowering the risk of bowel cancer comes down to a couple of potentially life-saving steps. A healthy lifestyle never goes awry so it’s good to get some exercise, eat healthily, avoid drinking or smoking too much, and crack open a packet of blueberries because antioxidants are your friend. “Clean living is always good! Vitamins, minerals, a healthy diet, and antioxidants are fantastic to use starting from when you’re young,” Stuart said. It’s also important to have regular health screenings with your doctor or pharmacist, but if you’re shy, concerned, or just curious about what’s up with your butt, bowel scan kits are for sale at the Callaghan Campus Pharmacy, courtesy of the local Lion’s Club.

HEALTH

Stephanie Reed shares how UON Vinnies Youth Social Club shows that you can have fun and help others at the same time.

8 | Yak Magazine August 2015

PHD

Creativity and Innovation in Virtual Teams

Gunnaina Kohli talks to Dr Harbindar Sangha about whether virtual teams affect creativity and innovation in a world away from the physical office.

Dr Harbindar Sangha, who likens himself to Morpheus from The Matrix because he is a cool mentor who wears glasses at night, was interested in how advances in communication technology have enabled people to work from home or other non-office environments. Upon noticing a link between creativity levels and virtualisation of organisations, he decided to complete his Doctor of Business Administration in this topic at the University of Newcastle. After completing pre-requisite courses, he could finally submit a Research Proposal and be assigned a supervisor from the uni. Juggling work and his degree, he became accustomed to early (and I mean 4am -it’s-still-dark-outside early) starts. For six hours each day he would read and summarise articles, then write and rewrite about his findings.

“I never felt like quitting,” Dr Sangha explained, “… a Doctorate is a great way to learn exciting new stuff that one would not dream of learning.” He also felt fortunate that his daily 45 minute meditation program (before it was “cool” or “hipster”) helped him manage stress, work and time. Dr Sangha hopes his research will help organisations and people be more innovative and creative when working in virtual teams. But more importantly the cool, night-goggles wearing Dr Sangha believes the knowledge and learning processes involved in his Doctorate helped in his personal growth. And his final words of wisdom for others in the same boat? “Perseverance, commitment and meditation will help you complete your Doctorate.”

It took him four years to complete his thesis, during which he had to take four months leave from work. It’s a miracle that he somehow remains sane. While his hunger for knowledge was the primary driving force, the actual readings “made me realise how little I knew,” he said. Designed by Mia Engel

A day in the Life of

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A University Lecturer

Renae Burgess uncovers the studen t beneath the lecture r by chatti ng to Bethan y Root There’s probably been at least one moment during your university education where you’ve found yourself sitting in your lecture hall watching your professor roll eloquently through a pile of information and knowledge about their hill. subject with the demonstrated ease of a boulder down a you’re soon, e They don’t look like they’re stopping anytim trying feebly to outrun them without getting flattened and you’re thinking, “God, how do they do it? Is it hard? Do they g remember what it’s like to be sitting here instead of standin down there?”

as well, so it makes for a big day. On days when I’m not teaching, I’m busy with a combination of lecture writing, marking assignments and working on my PhD.”

When Bethany first started out at university as an undergraduate student, she had originally planned to undertake a combined Law and Arts degree and then leave university the moment she graduated. “Clearly that’s changed,” she laughs. As it stands, Bethany is undergoing her PhD in the area of political science. The focus of her research is the application of a political theory known as Biopolitics to the act of genocide in order to better nt understand the phenomenon analysed through two differe (1995). ovina Herzeg Bosnia case studies: Rwanda (1994) and

Well, for first-time lecturer Bethany Root, it wasn’t that long ago that she counted herself as a student among the crowd, she and from the nervous and excited energy she exudes as tand unders to start can takes a stand behind the podium, you career of wall the what shook your professors loose from options to come hurtling down the path of education.

sity Bethany Root started her undergrad days at Griffith Univer where stle, Newca of sity Univer the to rring before transfe she majored in Politics, International Affairs and German. Currently the lecturer for the university’s politics course POLI2202 Global Terrorism, she is both knowledgeable and passionate about the course as she completes her PhD on the same subject.

“I’ve been a tutor in politics since starting my PhD in 2013. I love Becoming a lecturer has been a big learning curve, but s classe small in be to got it. Being a tutor was great; you ts, and engage in discussions and debates with the studen that course a teach to get but being a lecturer means I is really current and something that I’m also passionate about,” says Root.

It’s hard to imagine where someone could find the time to write lectures, make PowerPoint presentations, grade a assignments, at the same time as writing and researching the also is y PhD. As well as juggling such a workload, Bethan course coordinator for her politics course.

ity “On the days I teach,” she says, “I’m normally at the univers , emails ring answe t, conten ing prepar for twelve hours either or marking. I obviously teach in the lectures and tutorials

Bethany’s topic is a huge undertaking on her part as she on struggles to pin an accurate and all-encompassing definiti ethnic on what exactly separates genocide from the act of cleansing throughout history. As well as reading copious to amounts of journal articles and books in order to keep up and a date with the criminal tribunals happening in Rwand Bosnia concerning genocide, Bethany is also planning to and head to Rwanda herself in a month to visit the memorials there. to get a first-hand understanding of what occurred

The highlight of crossing that student-to-teacher barrier for she’s Bethany isn’t just to teach others more about a topic that that found she’s how of e becaus also passionate about, but she learns as much from her students as they do from her. “The students always bring up some interesting points that you may not have thought of at that time. We’re all always a learning so it’s great to have a student do some research into it. on report and back particular area and come Bethany reflects that deciding to become a lecturer was a very rewarding experience, though she’s not sure if her end goal is to land a full-time professor position once she finishes her PhD.

“My aim is to eventually work for NATO over in Europe.” Whatever Bethany Root decides to do once her PhD is over, whether that be staying to lecture or leaving to work for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, she’ll be impacting our future either way.

10 | Yak Magazine October 2015

How to balance university and life Renae Burgess Dishes Out Balancing Advice As She Too Tries To Find Her Footing So you’re studying at university full-time, working parttime hours at your job, and have yourself an extracurricular weekend obligation. You’re already exhausted by this, yet you’re still not prepared to give up a social life, despite the fact that you can count the spare hours you have each week by how many cups of coffee it takes to wake you up come Monday morning. You’re a trooper. We salute you. We feel your struggle. However, while you wait to be handed your graduation certificate like an honourable discharge, don’t think that you need to give up your weekly games of netball, or that you can’t see your friends, because you missed a few lectures and now you’re oh so terribly behind in everything. So, to recap; are you feeling completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of your commitments? Fantastic. Here are some tips to help you balance out your life while studying and pretending to be an adult at the same time.

Get Organised

Set Yourself Realistic Goals

Exercise

Learn How And Where To Study

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help

Make Time For Your Own Needs

Buy a yearly planner and write in your university classes, work times, any appointments or reminders or assignments scheduled every Sunday night. Buy two whiteboards. That’s right, two. Use one (a big one) for you university and long-term commitments. Write out your courses and their assessments with corresponding dates clearly. Important Upcoming Events and a To Do list are also advisable headings to add in bright colours. Use a second smaller whiteboard as a weekly planner. You’ll be amazed what a difference it will make to be able to clearly see your upcoming week, and it’ll cut down on your anxiety that you’re forgetting important appointments.

Try to exercise at least once a week. Yoga is great for stress release, but anything that will up your heart rate and clear your head for an hour will do. You will also find that after exercising you’re more focused and prepared to get other important work done.

If you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed and are having a hard time coping, remember that it’s not a failure to ask others for help. Whether that means talking to a manager to reduce your hours at work, discuss taking a more reserved role within your club at university, or seek advice from an on campus counsellor. Remember that your health comes before anything else.

You know yourself better than anyone. If you know that you can’t attend university four times, do two assignments, work thirty hours, meet up with your book club and entertain your friends’ desire to go to a party in one week, don’t commit yourself to the task in the first place, even if you’re only doing it internally. You don’t need the stress, and besides, you’re probably better off not getting into another almost-fist-fight with Sara about her appalling inability to recognise Pulitzer-worthy literature even if you hit her in the face with it.

Instead of studying in front of Law and Order reruns, go to the library where there are far fewer distractions. Additionally, aim to implement a study schedule where possible, as routine will stave off the inevitable waves of procrastination that threaten to drown you.

Set aside an hour (at least) every day to allow yourself to relax and do something you enjoy. This can be reading (fanfiction counts!), catching up on your guilty pleasure television show, lying in the sun or playing Xbox. Let yourself forget about your obligations for a little while and you’ll find that when you come back to them, they look a lot less daunting than they did before. Designed by Kathleen Maier

12 | Yak Magazine October 2015

Shocking Energy Sources Nicholas Smit shines a light on sources of energy you may not have thought of. Whether it’s due to a sudden twinge of conscience or an unexpectedly large electricity bill, we’ve all, at some point, thought of switching to an alternative energy source. But what’s a solar panel here and a wind turbine there when the world around us – and even inside us – is saturated with energy? Take a moment to think about the forms of energy in your daily life that go pretty much squandered. To skip the memory trip back to high school science for you, there’s thermal, chemical, and kinetic energy to name a few, and these bundle up in various everyday objects and processes that could probably be put to much better use. Many alternative energy sources occur naturally and are simply waiting for someone to think of a way to harness them. What if cars could be fuelled by sugar? Could you charge your phone using your body heat? To answer these questions and more, let’s take a dive into the bizarre and wonderful world of very alternative energy sources. Sweet Ride Borrowing a cup of sugar isn’t so much associated with fuel as it is with low-key hitting on your neighbours, but your car might already be partially powered by sugar-based products. E10 fuel contains

up to 10% ethanol, which is made from the B-grade sugar and starches of crops like sugarcane. B-grade means that they would normally be thrown out anyway, so this method cuts on a lot of waste. Unlike fossil fuels, ethanol can simply be produced again with each new season of crops. A blend of 85% ethanol (unsurprisingly named E85) has found little use in Australia due to the fact that it wrecks engines not designed for it, but Brazil has rolled out a number of vehicles that can run even on 100% ethanol.

“Many alternative energy sources occur naturally and are simply waiting for someone to think of a way to harness them.” If you’d rather be putting spirits in your mouth than your car, similar attempts have been made to turn sugar into hydrogen. Virginia Tech biochemical engineer Percival Zhang heads a research team that takes the “dirty biomass” of crops and uses enzymes to break it down into hydrogen, skipping the processed sugar part that older methods have used. This makes the process surprisingly energy-efficient,

and could very well be the next step when our pools of liquefied dinosaurs finally dries up. The main problem for both of these fuels, however, is a catch-22. Fuel companies won’t stock ethanol or hydrogen products because cars can’t use them and cars aren’t made to use them because there’s nowhere to buy them. In Your Hands Now I know some of you out there have been waiting for something weird, so how about generating electricity from your hands? While not exactly making us the lightning-spewing sith lords we all wish we were, research into thermoelectricity holds intriguing potential for electronics that come into contact with the skin. Humans emit the vast majority of energy in the form of heat, which can be captured by a conductive metal. Estimates say the energy lost through heat is somewhere between 90 and 100 watts a day, which I could gladly do without in the height of Australian summer. Unfortunately, current attempts fail to generate anywhere near this amount, either due to inefficiencies in the design, or simply because of the fact that you can’t cover your entire body in heat sinks (for obvious reasons). That’s not to say there aren’t some neat tricks for the technology, including the slightly antiquated Seiko Thermic watch and 15-year-old Ann Makosinski’s handpowered flashlight that eliminates the need for batteries in both devices. While neither of these technologies hold the key for an energy revolution, perhaps they’re a building block. If we continue to find uses for what used to be waste, we can plug hole after hole in this energy ship!

Design and Photography by Breanna Yates

Yak Magazine October 2015 | 13

Humans of Earth, how decent must one be?

Jackson Langford asks the pressing question: do we, as decent human beings, have a responsibility to help? Growing up, we’re paraded with words from those in authority – parents, teachers, and the television – that we have to stay far away from strangers. In the same contradictory light, we’re also told that it is our responsibility to help out those we need, even if we don’t know them. You know the drill – helping elderly people across the street, giving your seat to a pregnant person on public transport, etc. Despite the elderly truly reaping the benefits of life, we’ve been brought up in a world where we’re constantly reminded that helping others is the mere premise of humanity and why we’ve been able to thrive. The pressing question is; when, as responsible and decent human beings, do we actually have a responsibility to help? Let’s be serious - most of us have walked past someone who was homeless on the street, not spared a dollar, potentially felt bad for it for a few minutes, and then went about our business like nothing happened. Michael Jackson said it best when he crooned that he “was starting with the man in the mirror,” and filling the void we all have that we’re not helping enough starts with that very same person. There are some situations where you might be legally obliged to help someone. For example, if you hold a First Aid Certificate and you see someone that needs CPR on the street, you’d best believe that you are required by law to help that person. Of course, there are also certain requirements of you in a particular line of work to make sure a customer gets the most help they can. When I used to work at an unnamed fast food chain (it still haunts me), it was necessary of us to carry someone’s bags out to their car if their hands were too full, regardless of how busy we were or of how nice the customer was or wasn’t.

“We’ve been brought up in a world where we’re constantly reminded that helping others is the mere premise of humanity and why we’ve been able to thrive.” Photography by Splitshire

Outside of being required to help someone to avoid the risk of being fired or incarcerated, things do get a little bit dicey. Any of us can walk down the street and see a plethora of people that need some assistance, whether it be someone crossing the road, using a new iPhone (especially for those who are technologically inept) or something as commonplace as finding a park. But even helping in those situations is a risk. Some people, frankly, just have too much pride and will remain adamant in achieving a task without anyone’s help. This means that if you were to offer your assistance they’ll dismiss, yell, or punch you until you get the point. Combine that with everyone’s innate reluctance towards strangers, and you have yourself one absolute hot-ass mess.

“Let’s be serious most of us have walked past someone who was homeless on the street, not spared a dollar, potentially felt bad for it for a few minutes, and then went about our business like nothing happened.” In that regard, it isn’t as much about whether you have a commitment to help, but more so about whether you can move on if you don’t. If you’re that type of person who is incredibly independent, does things on their own terms and would stick pins in your eyes before taking assistance from someone else, then it’s most likely that you’re not going to offer your help to anyone. Not in a malicious way, but in the sense that you’re not going to give it a second thought. Helping strangers is not the only way a good human is identified, and some people just aren’t comfortable giving or receiving it. When it comes down to it, there are two types of bad people; people who do bad things, and people who witness bad things happening, but don’t do anything to stop it. While one’s aversion to helping strangers might not be vindictive or even intentional, I’m sure once you think about it, you’ll become a lot more aware. There are far more kind people in our society than otherwise. Designed by Breanna Yates

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Yak Magazine October 2015 | 15

Earlier this year, the lords at Instagram blessed us with the ability to legitimately hashtag emojis in our captions. Disregarding the fact that no sentence has summed up our digital culture more than the one I just penned, there was one restricted emoji that users still cannot hashtag. The eggplant emoji has been banned from being searchable due to its phallic nature (???) and the pretty ridic(k)ulous connotations that surround it. Besides the fact that if anyone’s genitals do resemble an eggplant or aubergine, then they need to seek professional medical help immediately; the eggplant emoji is basically viewed as a curse word. I repeat; A VEGETABLE IS NOW TOO PROFANE TO BE CONSIDERED APPROPRIATE. This speaks volumes about the way modern society is using language, and even bending the rules of what is traditionally considered language. Of course, language has been evolving since the dawn of time. We’ve gone from the occasional grunts of our Neanderthal ancestry to the “What light through yonder window breaks?” poetry of Shakespeare, which of course would now be translated to “bae, you’re looking lit as” and could even be further translated to:

It’s part of our nature as humans. Every single thing we do additionally serves to search for a better way to do that same thing. Progression is key, but sometimes progress doesn’t always have the desired outcome. You can practically hear baby boomers scoff at the mere thought that our form of communication is reduced to simple images. This is when light bulbs should be going off, when you realise that we’re just reverting to what those civilisations who were around millenniums before us did, communicating to each other via images. Caves across the globe have inscriptions marked upon them by the ancient, indigenous communities that inhabited those areas before language as we know it was even conceived. Is it possible that the evolution we’re currently witnessing in the way we speak is a mere reversion back to what the predecessors of humanity did? Of course not – our generation is just obsessed with making things as compact as possible. ‘You’ became ‘u’, love became ‘luv’ and the shit-storm of correct titles that one uses when formally addressing Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen has been reduced to a mere ‘Khaleesi.’ Cars, phones and screens are all getting smaller, and if you have a decent look at any trend-setting Instagram account, you’ll quickly learn that minimalism is key. However, there’s definitely more to why people use emojis that goes beyond basic aesthetic. In a survey conducted by yours truly earlier this year, I discovered that 74 per cent of people surveyed used emojis because it takes the process of articulating a thought out of the question. This was for a myriad of reasons; from people being afraid to invest too much emotion in a text message,

to people feeling like they just don’t have the time. While it is astonishing to me that some people feel like they don’t have the time to write a simple three words, I find myself here writing a thousand of them. It would seem that, as a millennial especially, it is less about time-saving now and more just the way things work. Once you do something long enough, it is going to be ingrained in you that that is what you must do. In regards to emojis, for example, no matter what the snapchat is of, I’ll probably chuck in this emoji because I would honestly feel bizarre if I didn’t have one in there – and because I identify most with the sunglasses emoji, let’s be honest.

You can also tell that the cultural impact of emojis extends far beyond that of your standard emoticons of yesteryear because people have actually pointed out, and rightly so, social and discriminatory injustices within the soulless faces of the emoji keyboard. Last year, anyone with a tapping social conscience probably noticed that there was an extreme lack of racial diversity with predominantly white human characters, even though emojis are of Japanese origin. Not to mention, the only two characters that were not white seemed to be representing a costume more than another ethnicity. So earlier this year, options of different skin tones of human emoji were added in a praised effort to increase representation of other races. The addition of same-sex couples and families is a huge step, to the point where big ol’ homophobic Russia wants the samesex couples emojis banned. Call me Putin, but I’m really not sure anyone would care about this stuff if emojis hadn’t so seamlessly and almost unnoticeably worked themselves into our lives, becoming a basic staple of the way we communicate. The fact that emojis are becoming a cornerstone in 2015 language isn’t necessarily a problem. Humanity is traditional by nature, so any time a big change comes along there will always be naysayers parading with tired cries of “back in my day.” Emojis are, at base level, a cool, relatively innovative way to communicate with one another in our intense digital culture. I think it’s safe to say that all of us have looked up to the emoji of the woman in the red dress and admired her for her grace, power, and the ability to remain so self-assured. With evolution in language, though, this is obviously temporary. Soon enough, there’ll be some new form of zany way to speak to each other that will make abbreviations like ‘LOL’ and ‘OMG’ ancient history. Until that time, I feel we should all just embody the spirit of the woman in the red dress and love what we have.

16 | Yak Magazine October 2015

The Real Cost of the

Yak Magazine October 2015 | 17

Bridie O’Shea discusses the inequality of a broad, regressive tax system that hits those who are already down.

Taxes. Yuck. Nobody likes them. Nobody wants to talk about them. Therefore, understanding what they’re all about can be bit confusing. Especially when politicians discuss changing tax rates such as the GST. The common idea is that high taxes equals bad for Australians, good for government and vice versa. But what we need to look at is how taxes like the GST really work before we make assumptions.

“Hands would be rising up all over the place when asked, “How many of you have ever felt personally victimised by Regina George the GST?” Mine included” According to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) the GST (Goods and Services Tax) is “a broad based tax of 10 per cent on most goods, services and other items sold or consumed in Australia”. Basically businesses add 10 per cent to the price on most goods and services they provide to consumers, and this 10 per cent is passed on to the tax office. And for the most part, consumers aren’t actually hit with the GST addition at the checkout; it is already included in the sale price of an item. Which is a good thing, because if you can’t see it, it doesn’t exist right? (Note: Sorry, but if you try to ignore it, it still exists). But imagine if it wasn’t included in the sale price. Imagine how frustrating it’d be if you went up to a checkout but were a few measly dollars short because of the added GST. Hands would be rising up all over the place when asked, “How many of you have ever felt personally victimised by Regina George the GST?” Mine included. That being said, the GST was implemented for a reason. It was introduced by the Howard Government and launched on July 1, 2000 in order to replace the previous federal wholesale sales tax system and other duties and levies like banking taxes and stamp duty. It also helped lower personal income tax rates – a huge tick in higher income earners’ books. Economics Professor at the University of Newcastle Dr Martin Watts said, “Taxes are really for two things. Firstly, the distribution of income; if you're talking about income tax, you ideally want a progressive tax system so that tax rates go up as you earn. And one characteristic of the GST is that, particularly if it's imposed across the board, is highly regressive." Basically, lower income earners are paying a higher percentage of their disposable income on goods and services compared to higher income earners who pay a smaller percentage of their disposable income on these goods and services because they have more disposable income to spend. "So the criticism about the GST is that it's regressive,” Dr Watts explained, “in that it hits low income earners proportionally more.” The other reason for imposing taxes, he believes, is to change behaviour. Now the GST really isn't levied for that purpose. It's consistent with the political discourses that the Australian government has to generate tax revenue from somewhere, so why not have a GST? There’s a reason why governments, including Australia’s, like moving away from high income taxes to having and potentially

raising a GST. Since the Thatcher-Reagan era in the 80s, governments have been very sensitive to personal income tax rates and trying to lower them. “The argument was if the best and brightest who were earning high salaries were paying 60 per cent on their last dollars in tax they would go and live somewhere else. Governments have been really reluctant to raise income tax rates and given they've got this view that taxes fund spending, then a GST is a logical consequence," Dr Watts said. Recently, NSW Premier Mike Baird suggested raising the GST to 15 per cent and some political reporters have views that the GST should also be broadened to stop any arguments about inequality. According to the ATO, ‘GST free’ items include: “most basic food, some education, some medical, health and care services, some medicines, some goods produced for export, some childcare, and some religious services and charitable activities”. If the GST were to be broadened to these items the effects would hit lower income earners the most. Remember the famous “Stop Taxing My Tampon” petition created by university student Subeta Vimalarajah? Well if the GST covered all goods and services, we could be seeing a whole lot more of this on our Facebook news feeds. Then there is the question of increasing the GST. Politicians have been looking at the New Zealand government’s example of raising their GST to 15 per cent. Logically, if our government followed in New Zealand’s footsteps they will be receiving more revenue but the same problem keeps arising: the social costs. Dr Watts said, “The problem is that [GST is] a tax that has no progressivity in it at all because you aren't going to charge the rich 20 per cent GST and the poor 10 per cent. So from the government's point of view, it's taking any pressure off personal tax rates." Now, I don’t want half of my income going to the government because of high personal income tax rates more than the next person does, but the system can be designed better. If you’re concerned about inequality, broadening the GST or raising it is certainly not the way to go. But that’s politics right? “Show the people that we can run a budget surplus instead of a deficit. That’ll win us votes!”

"So the criticism about the GST is that it's regressive,” Dr Watts explained, “in that it hits low income earners proportionally more.” Dr Watts believes that health and education should stay completely free of GST and that it would be interesting if they rose the GST and offered changes in personal tax rates. But if the government is worried about distribution they should leave things the way they are. However, Dr Watts isn’t confident they will. “It's all about revenue,” he said. With inequality leading the political discussions at present, it’ll be interesting to see how both the Labour and Liberal parties address the GST debate. Voters want to see political parties accomplishing projects but winning political battles doesn’t come cheap. It looks like the GST is here to stay.

18 | Yak Magazine October 2015

For many, the idea of moving out of the parental home and leaving behind Sunday roasts, fresh bed sheets, Monopoly nights, clean clothing and, most horrifyingly, free Wi-Fi is the stuff of nightmares. According to a 2009 study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, for some it marks the important transition from dependent childhood to independent adulthood. Regarded as a challenge, an adventure, and an exhilarating change, some people not only move to new homes, but to completely different cities. It may sound daunting, but 22-year-old former University of Newcastle student Kayne Hill and 22-year-old Novocastrian April Chapman did just that.

“My main struggle was the initial breaking into a friendship circle. My personality type is quite shy, so I had to learn to move beyond this by inviting people over and being more hospitable, which definitely helped,” April said. it gets better

After hearing about Kayne and April’s initial, relatable experiences, it’s clear that moving to a new city can be rocky at the start, leaving many wondering if they’ve made the right move. However, both Kayne and April remain optimistic and believe such a transition is worth it in the long run.

from bad

While some thrive in their new locations, others find the change a little more difficult. For Kayne Hill, the idea of moving from Newcastle to Sydney seemed like an exciting venture following his return from a holiday in Europe. Moving into the unknown is always a frightening notion, but for Kayne, being alone in a big, new city was not the most difficult element.

“It’s a fresh start, a clean slate, a new chapter. You get to choose how you want to portray yourself to those around you, no matter who you have been in the past. It’s another chance at a first impression, so make the most of it!” April said.

“The hardest part personally was the fear of failure or that I wouldn’t like it, and how I would deal with that. Also living on couches until you have a home; now that’s hard!” Kayne said.

“You grow up massively, meet numerous new people, and get to have many adventures just being young in a new city that you can call home,” Kayne said. tips

For anyone considering a move to the Big Smoke, it is important to be proactive in finding ways to make a foreign place feel like home. Moving to a new city can evoke many feelings of self-doubt and uncertainty. For those who have made such a big move, the idea of ‘failing’ at living on one’s own is a very common fear. For Kayne, this was the hardest part to deal with, but for April Chapman it was the social aspect that worried her. to worse

Travelling from Tauranga, New Zealand to Sydney, and then making the move to little old Newcastle, April’s relocation was very big indeed. Wanting to experience new things and have a gap year after graduating high school, April was excited for her great adventure. However, like anyone who has moved to a city where they don’t know anyone, she also had some obstacles to overcome.

“Wherever your hobbies or passions lie, make a point of finding these clubs or groups in your new hometown. Being surrounded by like-minded people makes things feel less foreign and conversation is much easier,” April said. “Don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone- it’s the only way you’re going to get to know your city like it’s home. You aren’t going to make friends on the first day; it isn’t school. Don’t worry if you don’t have solid connections straight away because it actually takes time when you’re an adult. Tinder, Grindr, one night stands; you’d be surprised how well it works,” Kayne said. It seems there’s no real tricks to acing a big move, but perseverance and optimism will go a long way.

Yak Magazine October 2015 | 19

Design and Photography by Breanna Yates

20 | Yak Magazine October 2015

iLead Not Worth The i-Effort? renae burgess wonders if she’s wasting her time with leadership programs It’s not an unknown fact that it’s harder to snap up a job today, in any kind of industry, than it was for our parent’s generation. You need a university degree, a legitimate qualification, past experience in order to gain experience, no fails on your transcript, the blood of a virgin and one thousand innocent souls in order to get just a preliminary interview. University careers are not just about our degrees anymore. Despite the stress that already comes with learning and being assessed on four different subjects per semester while also working part time, trying to do the weekly readings and seeing daylight, there’s also the overwhelming worry about having your future résumé stand out from the crowd.

“If there were career advancements possible in the future it may be something that would split two competitive candidates apart.” Apprenticeships slowly cut into your time, as do internships, plus extracurricular activities can prove your devotion to your field, and hey, maybe if you complete a leadership program you’ll get a call back when you try to forge ahead into the Brave New World of post-graduation. But, are leadership programs worth the effort, or a waste of your already diminished time? The University of Newcastle boasts one such leadership programs called iLEAD, which “Gives you the opportunity to gain experience and skills in the areas of leadership and international awareness,” according to the website. The program can be undertaken throughout your entire university career, so there’s no rush, however it can seem a bit demanding for some when it comes to the elements necessary for its completion. Members of program are required to attend a minimum of nine Skill Building Lectures (extra on-campus lectures from guest speakers on various topics), four International Leadership Series speaker events (extra on-campus lectures from international guest speakers on topics of leadership and international issues), and accumulate 100 iLEAD activity points (scored through participating in specific university courses, undertaking a leadership role oncampus, participating in exchange, becoming involved with organisations within the community, or attending

lectures). You must also document any and all lectures or activities undertaken for the purpose of iLEAD in a folder which serves as proof of completion before you can receive your certificate. For so much work and effort, you’d assume that surely it would be worth it as a bonus to your resume. However, 45 year-old Karlene Jordan, unit manager and recruiter for the State Debt Recovery Office in Maitland wasn’t completely sold on the idea. “Would a completed university leadership program certificate on a résumé improve a potential employees chances of being hired? It’s hard to say,” she admitted. “It would really depend on what the job the employer was interviewing was for; you need to be looking for the skills applicable to the advertised position.” According to the Financial Review in February, among the top things employers seek from graduates, good grades are merely one factor weighed against “a candidate’s work experience, extracurricular activities and achievements, motivation to join the business and their problem-solving ability.” The Sydney Morning Herald in January this year also advised that among good marks, travel, volunteer work, and work experience, being able to demonstrate leadership qualities and experience may give you an edge.

“For so much work and effort, you’d assume that surely it would be worth it as a bonus to your resume.” “Leadership programs do show a level of commitment to learning and development in a potential employee that would be beneficial down the track,” Jordan added. “If there were career advancements possible in the future it may be something that would split two competitive candidates apart.” Leadership programs may seem like more effort than they’re worth on the surface, but within a workforce where good grades simply aren’t enough anymore, they may just be that bonus feature of your résumé that expresses the kind of commitment, leadership and potential that an employer is looking for.

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Newcastle’s reputation needn’t rest on its glistening shoreline, writes Samuel Rayfield.

“The mapping or writing of Newcastle history in a published form … is very limited,” UON Senior Lecturer in History Dr James Bennett said. “Even in respect of general histories, relatively little has been published.” Inspired by the 2010 launch of Radical Sydney, Dr Bennett, with a research background in labour history, returned to Newcastle with a similar idea. “The struggle between labour and the forces of capital in such a significant industrial region as the Hunter Valley is an important narrative in Newcastle’s history. There are elements of this story that have been suppressed, hidden from history, and our objective was to recover these stories by drawing on the talents and energies of local activists, academics, post-graduate students and others, some of whom no longer live in the region but in one way or another all share an important connection with it,” Dr Bennet said.

It’s unearthed some unexpected Hunter histories. For example: Ernest Burgmann, Anglican Warden of St John’s Theological College in Morpeth in the 1920s and 30s, was the mind behind the Morpeth Review, a national quarterly publication and ‘the first of Australia’s quality, thinking journals – an interwar equivalent of the Griffith Review, Eureka Street or The Monthly.’ Bernadette Smith’s story of the Star Hotel riot harkens to a pub of true community undone by overwhelming socioeconomic tension. Recent history is not forgotten either, with Paula Morrow’s intimate diary account of the fight for Laman Street’s fig trees, now just a memory.

“We very much allowed it to be driven by contributors,” Dr Cushing says. “We made a call-out to people to tell us to what you want to write about.”

To look deeper into Newcastle’s history, Bennett enlisted the assistance of fellow labour historian Prof Erik Eklund and UON colleague and local historian Dr Nancy Cushing to form a three-pronged editorial team.

But, as conceded in the volume’s introduction, there remain stories untold, or not given the treatment that Radical Newcastle did for others. ‘Our focus on high-profile incidents may well leave out the tireless activists who organised and campaigned without achieving public notice’, for instance. Dr Cushing, however, humbly asserts that it mightn’t be their job to ensure future volumes.

“I think it sort of got [Dr Bennett] thinking, ‘If Sydney’s got a radical history, then Newcastle must have lots of it,’” Dr Cushing says. “It’s always been a kind of edgier place, with a stronger working class and maybe more to grumble about.”

On her not working for a second volume: “I don’t think we should. In that spirit of radicalism, we don’t want to become the ‘establishment’ of Radical Newcastle – we’re much happier to pass the baton to other people.”

The result was Radical Newcastle, a ‘historiographic’ collection of the city and region’s radical history, with focus for the definition of radical as found in the Oxford English Dictionary that is ‘advocating thorough or far-reaching political or social reform; revolutionary, especially left-wing’. Why such a contribution was necessary for the local historical literature became clear as the project developed.

“In some small way, we’re hoping that this can be a sort of platform for people in the present and future … [to] get that sense that what they’re doing is part of a tradition – we don’t have to start from scratch and ignorance each time.”

“I guess [we realised] what we could do with the book was to encourage, commemorate and document radical action, which we see as something that is an important part of a healthy society.”

Radical Newcastle is $39.95 at the Co-op, a few dollars less as a member. Google ‘radical newcastle wordpress’ to find the blog, on which the spirit is continued.

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Should marijuana be legalised?

Jackson Langfor

“YES”

When we’re talking about marijuana, it’s naturally going to be a pretty choppy (obligatory weed pun) topic. There are so many perfectly viable arguments for and against decriminalising marijuana, but as Newcastle is going to be the first city nationwide to trial the use of medicinal marijuana, it’s time to seriously start looking at the drug’s curative properties.

“Prohibiting alcohol is going to do zero favours for anyone, so why is prohibiting marijuana any different?” I don’t mean to just gloss over it as a way for stoners to keep on stoning, but seriously consider marijuana’s ability or inability to help cure or treat various ailments. Newcastle’s trial starts in 2016, and is spearheaded by UON’s very own Assoc. Professor Meera Agar. “[This] will assess the potential ability of cannabis to alleviate distressing symptoms [in terminally ill patients] including fatigue, low appetite…low mood…nausea, insomnia and pain,” Professor Agar said. I don’t want to make snap judgements, but if you really want to deny terminally ill patients the opportunity to feel some sort of relief, you’re basically the worst.

Yak Magazine October 2015 | 23

en Jonathon Moms

“NO”

Is there a way legalising marijuana use in Australia may benefit the community? Possibly. I mean taxes and regulation right? But the effects of this drug on the community will far outweigh any temporary high. Look at the short-term effects of marijuana and it’s easy to see why releasing this into the Australian public is a bad idea. The ‘high’ is a result of THC inhibiting the brain’s normal function. It’s already illegal to drive or operate machinery, as well as work in a number of professions, under the influence of marijuana due to the detrimental effects it has on the body’s ability to perform complex, or even simple, tasks. While the illegality of performing these actions while under the influence might not stop people once they’re high, preventing them from getting their hands on the drug in the first place alleviates the risks even further; unloading the gun rather than expecting Aussies not to fire it.

“We need to consider the quality of life we are providing not only for us, but for the next generation that would have to deal with the consequences of this decision”

I understand the worry that legalising weed might lead to a likelihood of more intense addictions. Yet, let’s be honest, there are literally thousands upon thousands of venues that serve alcohol like it’s going out of fashion. Studies show that an astonishing 15 Australians die from an alcoholrelated illness or injury PER DAY. If we’re speaking frankly, prohibiting alcohol is going to do zero favours for anyone, so why is prohibiting marijuana any different?

Then there are the more worrying long-term effects; depression, anxiety and schizophrenia just to name a few. Moving outside of just the brain, we move onto increased risk of lung and heart problems and problems developing in unborn children. Remember those taxes we’d be collecting from pot? Guess where they would end up - treating the long-term users of marijuana for the myriad of mental and physical issues they now suffer.

And I’m not saying we should legalise it out the gate with no sort of restrictions. I definitely think there needs to be some sort of trial period. If it works, the government can use their noodles to figure out a way weed can be managed, distributed and possessed appropriately, causing minimal harm. If it doesn’t work, then we all have the peace of mind that we’re better off with it being illegal. It’s really not that difficult, is it?

We need to consider the quality of life we are providing not only for us, but for the next generation that would have to deal with the consequences of this decision. They shouldn’t be burdened with cleaning up our mess. Especially when we’ve gotten on for so long without legalising marijuana. There’s no real need for a newly available drug in this country.

24 | Yak Magazine October 2015

Thomas Hamilton gets the lowdown on the new and improved Watt Space.

The new Watt Space venue will feature five indoor spaces, as well as two outdoor areas that will be complemented by state of the art equipment to help facilitate the showing of contemporary art works in the same professional manner alongside their more traditional counterparts. This will be important as we head further into the 21st century with art and technology becoming increasingly intertwined. Watt Space Manager Penny Finnigan stated that earlier this year, an open call for student submissions of new work was conducted resulting in a fantastic response, indicating

that both the gallery staff and student artists are equally enthusiastic about the new venture. The new Northumberland House venue will be opening early November with the hosting of its first major exhibition- the Newcastle Annual Student Art Prize. This is an open competition where the lucky artists whose works get selected will be up for cash prizes! The judging panel this year will comprise of Lauretta Morton and Izabela Pluta, who will bring their own artistic expertise to the event. Morton is the manager of the Newcastle Art Gallery and Pluta is an alumni of UON who has also been awarded various prizes and scholarships for her work. Additionally, she has held artistic residencies in not only Australia but across the world in places such as China, France, Spain, Ireland and the UK. Watt Space scholar Eloise Genner will also be responsible for curating this exhibition, which will open November 5 and be available for showing until November 15. For those of you who enjoy seeing new and exciting works created by your fellow students as they develop as artists, it is highly recommended that you take a look at what’s on offer at the new Watt Space Gallery.

Email: wattspace@newcastle.edu.au Website: www.newcastle.edu.au/community-and-alumni/arts-and-culture/watt-space-gallery Phone: (02) 4921 8733 I Office: (02) 4921 5188 I Facebook: facebook.com/WattSpaceGallery Watt Space Gallery, Northumberland House, cnr King and Auckland Streets, Newcastle. Watt Space, the University of Newcastle’s student art gallery, is brought to you by Student Central.

This month will mark the beginning of a new era for the iconic institution that is the Watt Art Space. The venue is celebrating 26 years of being a vital location for the students of the University of Newcastle to showcase their work and view the creativity of others. This space runs many different exhibitions throughout the year, and is now moving to a newly refitted venue at Northumberland House on the corner of King and Auckland St in the Newcastle CBD. But don’t fear readers! The location may be different but the name will be the same and it will still be committed to providing a platform for emerging local talent.

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William John Jr. Paige Cooley discovers Newcastle

the blues-rock fusion of act reminiscent of

East Coast Blues is the debut EP from Newcastle blues-rock act William John Jr. ‘The Son and the Poor Boy’ and ‘High Road’ kick things off with effortlessly cool guitar lines that are the hero of East Coast Blues. ‘Out of Time’ is the ultimate instrumental outro, wrapping things up delicately and tying them together in a William John Jr. styled bow.

“My main objective has been to ‘modernise’ the sound of blues.” William Anstis, better known by the stage name William John Jr., provides the ultimate soundtrack to a night at the Lass. Drummer Lochlane Huntington sets the perfect pace for stomping around and attempting to yell along with singersongwriter Will. Bass player Luke Hay’s stage presence features cheeky bass interludes between songs, keeping the audience amped. The band is currently recording a highly anticipated, yet-tobe-named follow-up album. So in the meantime ladies and gents, read a bit about the man behind the music and be sure to catch William John Jr. live to hear a taste of what’s to come. You can find more details on upcoming gigs on Facebook or Instagram (@williamjohnjnr). Hey William, can you tell us a bit about yourself? My name is William John Jr. I’m from Newcastle and I’m a blues singer and guitarist. How would you describe your sound? Basically my main objective has been to ‘modernise’ the sound of blues without losing its crucial characteristics. So it’s kind of ended up being a mix of older style blues and modern rock ‘n’ roll. Who are your major musical influences? My influences range so much, I don’t ever strictly listen to one artist or genre because that can be limiting to my songwriting. I mean some days I’m listening to Hendrix and other times I’m

William John Jr., an up-and-coming B.B. King or the Black Keys. listening to Mac DeMarco. But overall it would have to be The Doors or something like that. What is your music predominately about? Well the ideas for the songs come from inside somewhere, but I like to think that people can take their own meaning from the record and songs. Where can we find you when you’re not on stage? At the beach or playing guitar somewhere. Tell us a little bit about your band mates? Lochlane Huntington is the drummer and I met him through school, but we didn’t really hang out much because he was in the year below and it wasn’t until I finished the album and needed someone to play the songs live that I gave him a call. Luke Hay is the bassist who I met a few years ago and we briefly lost contact until late last year and he kindly offered to support me. He also has an EP coming out soon, titled Completely, which people should check out. Both of them are such sick guys and I’m so lucky they offered their time to support me.

“The ideas for the songs come from inside somewhere, but I like to think that people can take their own meaning from the record.” What is your favorite lyric ever written? “Now I’m glad, glad about the good times we had,” by Captain Beefheart, just because hindsight is a wonderful thing. What matters most to you other than music? Having an internal drive to get to the next point in life and having a positive effect on the people that surround me. What’s next for WJJ? I’ve just finished writing a bunch of music, so I suppose I’m going to look to record and release that soon. Designed by Breanna Yates

26 | Yak Magazine October 2015

WHAT’S ON: SEPTEMBER Mon

Tues

SEPt

Trivia Bar on the Hill 1pm - 2pm Spring Festival of Flowers Hunter Valley Gardens

Wed

Colour Carnival Main Quad, Central Coast campus From 11am

Thurs

The Getaway Plan The Small Ballroom

Pool Comp Godfrey Tanner Bar 3pm - 6pm

Wellbeing Workshop: Introduction to Mindfulness Skills The Clubhouse (under Bar on the Hill) 1.30pm - 2.30pm

Trivia Bar on the Hill 1pm - 2pm

Semester 2 Recess

Pool Comp Godfrey Tanner Bar 3pm - 6pm

Public Lecture: Student Sessions: Scenes from Daily Life Bar on the Hill on Athenian Vases 7pm - 10pm UNH 421 University House 6pm

Trivia Bar on the Hill 1pm - 2pm Megan Washington Lizotte’s Newcastle

Kill Bill (R18+) At Monday Movies by Moonlight Derkenne Courtyard 6.30pm

Bike Maintenance Workshop Bike Hub East 3pm

Beat Lounge Bar on the Hill from 3pm

Relay for Life Maitland Sports Ground

Trivia Godfrey Tanner Bar 1pm - 2pm

Semester 2 Recess

Trivia Godfrey Tanner Bar 1pm - 2pm Beat Lounge Bar on the Hill from 3pm

Pool Comp Godfrey Tanner Bar 3pm - 6pm

Semester 2 Recess

The Olive Tree Market Civic Park 9am - 3pm

Beat Lounge Bar on the Hill from 3pm

Student Sessions: Bar on the Hill 7pm - 10pm

Sat

Sun

Megan Washington Lizotte’s Newcastle

Band Comp: Final Bar on the Hill From 7pm

Fri

Run Newcastle Foreshore Reserve, East Newcastle Newcastle City Farmers Market Newcastle Showground 8am - 1pm

Community Music Open Day Harold Lobb Concert Hall, The Conservatorium

Vacy Country Carnival Vacy, NSW

Broadmeadow Sundays Handmade Market The Entrance Farmers PCYC Broadmeadow 9am - 2pm & Makers Market Memorial Park, The Newcastle City Entrance Farmers Market 8am - 1pm Newcastle Showground 8am - 1pm

Semester 2 Recess

Central Coast Ukulele Festival Memorial Park, The Entrance

Avoca Beachside Markets Heazlett Park Foreshore 9am - 2pm

The Olive Tree Market Maitland Regional Art Pennywise + Anti-Flag Gallery Panthers Newcastle 9am - 3pm

Newcastle City Farmers Market Newcastle Showground 8am - 1pm

Wollombi Music Festival Wollombi

Semester 2 Recess

Semester 2 Recess Last Day of Spring Festival of Flowers Hunter Valley Gardens

1 oct

Semester 2 Recess

2 oct

Semester 2 Recess Wellbeing Workshop: Introduction to Emotion Regulation Skills The Clubhouse (under Bar on the Hill) 1.30pm - 2.30pm

3 oct

The Entrance Farmers & Makers Market Memorial Park, The Entrance 8am - 1pm

Find out more at: www.newcastle.edu.au/events/current-students

4 oct

Newcastle City Farmers Market Newcastle Showground 8am - 1pm

Yak Magazine October 2015 | 27

REGULAR activities TUESDAYS

FRIDAYS

Trivia

Bar on the Hill: 1pm - 2pm, Tuesdays

Godfrey Tanner Bar: 1pm - 2pm, Fridays

Test out your trivia skills each week at Bar on the Hill or Godfrey Tanner Bar.

WEDNESDAYS Pool Comp

Pool sharks of Callaghan unite! Free to enter and there are prizes for the winner. 3pm - 5.30pm, Wednesdays Godfrey Tanner Bar

Student Sessions @ Bar on the Hill

Your student night starts here with $4 drinks, DJs, free pool and buses into town. From 7pm, Wednesdays Bar on the Hill

CLUBS & SOCIETIES UON Fencing Club Training Every Wednesday 7.45pm - 9.45pm, Studio 2, The Forum

Test out your trivia skills each week at Bar on the Hill or Godfrey Tanner Bar.

Student Life Meet-Ups Thursdays 5pm - 9pm, The Clubhouse

Beat Lounge

Wake Up! Every Wednesday 7.45pm - 9.45pm, Studio 2, The Forum

Chill out and enjoy $9 jugs, $7.50 Schnitzel + chips and free lawn games! From 3pm, Fridays Bar on the Hill

Philosophy Society AGM Thursday, 3 September 5pm, Derkenne Courtyard and Godfrey Tanner Bar

Godfrey Tanner Bar Happy Hour

UONQC Fireballs Canberra Tri Wiz Competition Saturday, 5 September 9am, Australian National University

Bar on the Hill Happy Hour

Philosophy @ the Pub Tuesday 8 & 22 September 5pm - 7pm, The Clubhouse

ALL WEEK 4pm - 5pm, each weekday of semester

5pm - 6pm, each weekday of semester

THURSDAYS

Communication Society Trivia Night Wednesday, 9 September 7pm , Godfrey Tanner Bar Robogals AGM Friday, 11 September 6pm - 11pm, Godfrey Tanner Bar

Games with Godfrey

Settle down in the bar and roll the dice for a social board game or two.

NUSEC Jenolan Caves Conservation Excursion Jenolan Caves 12 - 13 September

From 3pm, Thursdays Godfrey Tanner Bar

NUAC’s ZLAN 18-20 September Brennan Room NUTEC Trivia Night Friday, 18 September 7pm, Godfrey Tanner Bar

TOP PICK

Vacy Country Carnival Sunday, 20 September, Vacy NSW Spring on the way out in Barrington Tops but it is made better only by the nestled little Vacy Village Country Carnival. In addition to the tavern’s cheap beer, Jack Russells will bound for supremacy in the famous annual race. Stalls will be there and so will a camp oven boiling lamb for sandwiches. It is country hospitality at its humblest. Photo: Vacy Country Carnival Facebook Page