Yak August 2012 by UON Student Central

40 HOURS: LOST WITHOUT YOU Can the Yak team survive time away from something they love?

IT’S ELECTRIFYING! Learn about the pros of the Electric Vehicle Festival with Matt Hatton.

JOIN THE HOOD Lachie Leeming interviews one of Australia’s best entertainers.

ISSUE 9 / AUGUST 2012 BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE U

CONTENTS 06

Cover design by Angela Geddes

EDITORIAL Matt Hatton - Managing Editor Rowena Grant - Managing Editor Nick Turner - Deputy Managing Editor Claire Young - Deputy Editor Jessica McAneney - Deputy Editor Lachlan Stevens - Deputy Editor Richard Baines - Deputy Editor Jessica Rykers - Junior Graphic Designer Leah Henkel - Promotions Officer Angela Geddes - Art Director

CONTRIBUTORS Amy Theodore - Contributing Writer Emily Wood - Contributing Writer Jack Morrison - Contributing Writer Jamie Nelson - Contributing Writer Jane Hume - Graphic Design Joshua Uren - Graphic Design Katie Burgess - Contributing Writer Lachie Leeming - Contributing Writer Laura Hart - Graphic Design Leicha Stewart - Contributing Writer Livvy Brown - Contributing Writer Rachel Otto - Contributing Writer Stephanie Fisher - Contributing Writer Yasmin McCall - Graphic Design

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 to yakmagazine@newcastle.edu.au.

AUTONOMY DAY

JOIN THE HOOD

AND MY SEMESTER 2 ELECTIVE IS..

DID SOMEONE SAY REUNION TOUR?

Newca s Newca tle, stle

ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW

UP TO THE CHALLENGE

NEWCASTLE, NEWCASTLE

THE USUAL STUFF

04 UoNline

20 Spotted

05 How to

23 Places and Spaces

05 Watt Space

23 You Study WHAT?!

08 Green U

26 5 Things

08 Support U

26 Dickie’s Dilemma

14 What’s On

27 Vox Pops

20 The Awkward Moment When

ADVERTISING For advertising opportunities, contact Nick at yakmagazine@newcastle.edu.au yakmagazine@newcastle.edu.au

facebook.com/yakmagazine

Get your free copy from press-points around campus on Monday, Sep 03.

• This is Not Art graces Newcastle with its presence. • Swapping degrees isn’t nearly as scary as you might think. • Lachie Leeming chats to some Beautiful Girls + all your regulars! Yak Magazine is published by UoN Services Limited at the University of Newcastle. The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views of UoN Services Limited or the University of Newcastle, unless explicitly stated. UoN Services Limited 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.

LETTER FROM

THE EDITOR

THIS MONTH’S BITING QUESTION: “If you could have a place or space at the university named after yourself, what would it be?” MANAGING EDITOR

A WORD FROM OUR MANAGING EDITOR,

ROWIE Birthdays are a wonderful thing. They allow you to stop and reflect on the year that’s passed. Our fluffy Yak has seen a great many things in the past year; from music festivals and the Hunter Valley to features on The Dapper Gentleman and sexually transmitted infections (who would have thought to have seen those two things mentioned in the same sentence?). Safe to say, our Yak has been sufficiently warned off shady-looking lady Yaks and introduced to much debonaire ones. A year has seen many changes to the magazine, with a larger team and more amazing ideas for the magazine. All of the original team are either still on the team or closely associated with Yak. The new team has bonded over karaoke, bowling and laser tag and we’ve broadened our reach to try and include something for all students and staff at UoN. We’ve loved the different topics we have covered. As ever, we are always on the lookout for new contributors, feedback, ideas and general friends of Yak. Our audience is truly what makes our magazine what it is, because everything we write and everything we design is with you in mind.

ROWENA GRANT

The Cashiers’ office would be turned into the Grant Centre to inspire confusion among students. Those who think they may be getting some benefits coming their way will be sadly disappointed. Sadistic, yes. Entertaining, yes. MANAGING EDITOR

MATT HATTON

UoN really does need a coat room, the Hatton Coat Room. Think about it.

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

NICK TURNER

As the University Ring Road is kind of round in its shape, I am going to rename it the Turner Round Road.

DEPUTY EDITOR - ENTERTAINMENT & TECHNOLOGY

LACHLAN STEVENS

I think the fail grade should be renamed to the “Lachlan Stevens”. “Damnit, I Lachlan’d that course” “too many LS’ on my transcript”. DEPUTY EDITOR - REGULAR CONTENT

JESSICA MCANENEY

With the ICT Building being full of Macs, it would only be fitting for it to be renamed the J-Mac Building.

DEPUTY EDITOR - FEATURES & PROFILES

CLAIRE YOUNG

This issue, we tackle etiquette in the AIC (thanks to a reader’s suggestion), take a look at a familiar event that has changed and evolved into a week-long festivity (PAGE 6), some amazing acts that either have graced or are about to grace Bar on the Hill (PAGES 9 & 16), our Yak team gives up something they love in honour of the 40 hour famine and we take a look at some interesting courses and degrees from around the world.

I’d change Pinkies to Youngies in the hopes that I would then be able to consume an insane amount of zappos and nerdropes for free every day.

If you have any ideas for a story, email us at yakmagazine@newcastle.edu.au.

JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Here’s to another Yaktacular year!

DEPUTY EDITOR - COLUMNS

RICHARD BAINES

I would have Autonomy Day changed to Bainesonomy Day, so that I could forever be associated with a day of drinking cheap wine at 7am and celebrations.

JESSICA RYKERS

I think I’d have to rename the Design building. Quite frankly, considering it’s a building full of creatives, they didn’t put much thought into its name.

PROMOTIONS OFFICER

LEAH HENKEL

I’d change the Science Theatre to the Henkel Theatre. Small buildings need strong names *says Henkel in an assertive German accent*. Yak Magazine - August 2012

MICHELLE

University maths bus stop: “The girls at the Uni subway are rubbish at making sandwiches. I mean, if you can’t make a sandwhich, who is ever going to wife you?”

53 people like this

No, really, it happened.

Memes: Sourced from UoN Memes.

UoNline

Did you know that actually based

isn’t a work of fiction, but is

If you would like to participate in simply ‘LIKE’ the Yak Magazine Facebook page and let the science wash over you. Don’t like Facebook but still want to participate? That’s OK. You can also get in touch with us by email at yakmagazine@newcastle.edu.au or on Twitter: @YakMagazine.

Pizza Fridays Olympic Games

Yak Magazine - August 2012

82%

18% 42%

Carpark Stalkers Aussie hip-hop Cider

100%

33% 22%

58% 67% 78%

CONDUCT YOURSELF IN THE AIC & CHIC By Leicha Stewart

There is a line. OK, there isn’t always a line, but if it’s after week five between 10am and 3pm there is probably a line. Please use it. When you’re leaving the AIC/CHIC, I’ve found it both very helpful and very well received to point out your newly vacant computer to the person at the head of the line. It can be difficult to figure out who is coming and who is going in the AIC and a quick point to the computer you came from makes a big difference. Once you find yourself a computer there are a few things to avoid. Excessive Facebook use is one of them. We all understand the need for breaking up the monotony of study with a quick stalk, but sitting on Facebook for hours is incredibly frustrating for those who genuinely need to use the computers for legitimate study. And if you have a screen that

is facing the line, aggressive death stares will be aimed right at the back of your head, and no-one needs those getting all up in their brain waves before exams. Be nice and stalk at home. Discussions of any medical afflictions you may have, particularly of the sexually transmitted variety, although funny, are very distracting. It would be safe to assume that you don’t want people knowing the results of your herpes test, and people probably don’t want to know either (actual overheard conversation). Tell your mate at the pub or make the phone call outside. The AIC isn’t a café. If you’re there just to socialise, chances are you’re annoying a lot of people around you, and you can multiply that annoyance by 10 if you are taking up a chair, but haven’t even bothered to log onto the computer. Similarly it’s not the right place to schedule a group meeting, that’s what the Flowers Room is for. The AIC & CHIC can be places of high stress and anxiety, but they also have the potential to be places of support and camaraderie. If someone you’re sitting near looks truly desperate or distraught, go on, offer them a chip or a Caramello Koala, if you have one.

AUGUST EXHIBITION

29 AUGUST – 16 SEPTEMBER

8 – 26 AUGUST

Fashion Overload

> Fashion Overload- Allan Duncan, Emma Alexander, Kathleen Mackay > CEE9- Curated by Isabelle Freckelton and Sylvia Taylor > Kaleidoscope- Jordan Fardell > Transportation through life- Emilie Caillot > Flight of Thought- Barbie Procobis Fashion Overload

Thursday, August 9, 6.30pm

> Kindred- 2012 UoN Services Annual Student Art Prize - Curated by Barbie Procobis ENTRY FORMS AND $10 FEE DUE FRIDAY 17 AUGUST. Check web site for details, or call the Watt Space office on campus, or the gallery.

Kaleidoscope

When it comes to acting appropriately in the AIC or CHIC there are two things you must use: common courtesy and common sense. Sadly, looming exams, excessive procrastination and general week nine blues generate enough stress for the average university student to lose one or both of these things at any time. So to help keep everyone’s stress levels in check here are a few suggestions for good AIC/CHIC etiquette.

Transportation through life

Thursday, August 30, 6.30pm

Email: wattspace@newcastle.edu.au Website: www.newcastle.edu.au/group/watt-space Facebook: Search: Watt Space Student Gallery of the University of Newcastle. Watt Space Gallery, University House, Auckland St Newcastle. Open 11am -5 pm, Wed - Sun. Ph: 4921 8733 Watt Space is funded by UoN Services Limited and supported by the University of Newcastle School of Drama, Fine Art and Music.

Yak Magazine - August 2012

Delve into the illustrious past of our university with Yak’s new Promotions Officer, Leah Henkel.

uick question: what has been celebrated for 46 years, is one of the most important dates marked in a student’s diary, sees the highest number of students actually attending university on the same day and most people have no idea of the reason why they are actually ‘celebrating’ this event? If you answered Autonomy Day, pop a gold star on your chart. But the real question is, why do the university, and its diverse cohort, revel in such fun activities?

By Leah Henkel Designed by Joshua Uren Sir Eric is the reason why thousands of UoN students have looked forward to a day of festivities over the past few decades on Autonomy Day. He must have been so chuffed with this achievement that he retired from his post on July 31 of that year.

Let me take you back to a warm summer’s day on January 1, 1965 – the Rolling Stones were about to tour Australia, the rock ‘n’ roll revolution was in full swing, and young people were anxious to get their par-tay on. Amongst all this, the government obliged the still young University of Newcastle to grant it autonomy from its forbearer, the University of New South Wales. Since 1951, our regional university had previously been named the Newcastle University College, with the massive total of five full-time students enrolled (How quick would the customary ‘introduce yourself’ tutorial be?). Initially, only engineering, mathematics and science were offered as areas of study. By 1964, it was felt that the time for the Novocastrian arm of the University of New South Wales to spread its wings and become a fully-fledged university had come. It was made possible by the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Eric Winslow Woodward, declaring the University of Newcastle as autonomous – formally cutting its ties with the University of NSW.

We know what the celebrations are like today, but what have they been like previously?

Initially celebrated on July 1, Autonomy Day is rumoured to have begun with a ceremonial bonfire at the Great Hall. At this event, the legendary Professor Godfrey Tanner poured wine libations onto the ground to sanctify university land (possibly a contributing reason to why there is now a bar named after him). The festivities got a little wilder in the 1970s, with students taking it upon themselves to steal a double-decker bus. Other years saw garden gnomes taken from their homes across campus, to be gathered together at the university entrance for a bit of fun, as well as impersonations of an oil Sheik ending in a police chase (if you want that story, hit up UoN history legend, Bernie Curran). No matter who I talk to, it seems the event has always been one of exuberant celebration.

Although they now make it sound like World War III is upon us with talk of body armour, bulletproof vests and boarding up windows, former student Shaun Johnston, admits things could get a little wild. “It was a much bigger event with activities going on all around campus,” Shaun admits of his Autonomy Day experiences from the mid-90s to mid-2000s.

“It’s a celebration of us, of Newcastle University itself where [UoN] crosses boundaries…and it’s a really good reminder that we are something important.”

2-10

• ASSASSINS OF AUTONOMY

•AUTONOMY- THE EXHIBITION Auchmuty Library, on show daily

•VINTAGE PHOTO BOOTH Bar on the Hill

THUR

Although Shaun fondly remembers some harmless fun such as bubbles exploding from university fountains, and karaoke at all hours, he is one of the few who has always remembered the importance of why we celebrate Autonomy Day.

•LIVE ENTERTAINMENT - NEON CONNECTIVE 12.30pm - 1pm, Bar on the Hill

•HILLTOP HOODS

7.30pm, Bar on the Hill

FRI

•INTERCOLLEGIATE SPORTS COMPETITIONS •RUGBY LEAGUE CHALLENGE MATCH:

MON

NEWCASTLE SEAHORSES VS CANBERRA COWS 6pm, Sportsfield No. 1

12.30pm, Oval 4 (behind Commonwealth Bank)

•COMEDY DEBATE

7.30pm, GT Bar - FREE entry

TUE

Autonomy Day credit to photos: Special thanks to University of Newcastle Archives Cultural Collections (flickr url) and photographer: www.flickr.com/photos/uon/sets/72157601130140961/

11am - 2.30pm, Fosythe Cellar, Edwards Hall

•COMMON LUNCH BBQ •LIVE ENTERTAINMENT - Leroy Lee 12 pm, Auchmuty Courtyard

•AUTONOMY TRIVIA 1pm, Bar on the Hill

WED

• AUCHMUTY MARKETS

11am - 3pm, Auchmuty Courtyard

• AUTONOMY TRIVIA 1pm, GT Bar

•BLUEJUICE

7.30pm, Bar on the Hill

THU

Tix on sale at U Contact, Bar on the Hill, GT Bar, Rock Shop & www.bigtix.com.au

FRI

As you are reading this you are probably near one of these events now, or reliving all those fantastic (and maybe slightly blurry, if you went to the Autonomy Day party) memories. Hopefully you have already gained something from Autonomy Week, or if it’s still going on, why not go have a gander at one of the events today! Who knows, you might actually learn something.

•ICC ART SHOW

12 pm, Auchmuty Courtyard

“It might open a few more people’s eyes through cultural activities”. Those that may not have experienced Autonomy events before due to its reputation may now become a part of this encompassing experience that crosses faculty and language boundaries. This year the uni will be busy hosting markets, sporting events, gigs, parties, debates, a carnival, cinema screenings, and even historic re-enactments. Don’t worry, though: the familiar party will still be a part of this Festival, but hopefully with no body armour and bulletproof vests.

11am - 2.30pm, Fosythe Cellar, Edwards Hall

• UNIVERSITY QUIDDITCH CHALLENGE: UoN vs UNSW

If you haven’t heard already, the Festival of Autonomy is replacing the normally one-day event with a week long celebration allowing both staff and students of the university to embrace both UoN’s past and its present. Shaun believes this new format will engage people with university history and other experiences that the university has to offer.

•ICC ART SHOW

•LIVE ENTERTAINMENT - NEON CONNECTIVE 12.30pm, Bar on the Hill

•AUTONOMY DAY PARTY Bar on the Hill, 7am - 4pm ENTRY: U Member: $5 UoN Student: $10 Guest: $20

All guests MUST be accompanied by a student. A student may only bring ONE guest.

• THE CARNIVAL

Food stalls and FREE activities 9am - 4pm, Oval 4 (behind Commonwealth Bank)

• AUCHMUTY 500 BILLY CART RACE 9.30am, Aviation Carpark

FOR DETAILS VISIT WWW.UONSERVICES.ORG.AU

Even after almost two years at Callaghan campus, I am still discovering new and interesting corners of the university. In early 2012, I explored the Don Morris Walk and Wetlands Pavilion for the first time. It was like escaping into a secret, leafy, green labyrinth - a world away from the windowless computer labs of CT and the seemingly endless corridors of the Hunter Building. What a discovery. Surely this was the last interesting place I could ‘discover’ at our university Callaghan’s final secret. I was wrong. Earlier this year I learnt about Trees in Newcastle’s (TIN) bulk order nursery on campus. After chatting to TIN about the nursery, I tried to visualise the location they described. Callaghan is a big place, but how could I miss something as substantial as that? I guess we all get stuck in the weekly routine, always charging off to the same lecture theatres and the same buildings. It took some intense Google Maps satellite image detective work, but I managed to find it. While not officially on UoN land (the nursery is technically on Transgrid’s site) a bird’s eye view of the campus confirmed there was definitely a nursery, exactly where they described. TIN is an enthusiastic and passionate community organisation, established in the Hunter Region 21 years ago.

SUP PORT U On the days that I decide to attend class, I walk past the Birabahn building. I have never been completely aware of its purpose, apart from it being home to the Wollotuka Institute and that the name was awfully similar to Barahineban. I would like to think that after two and a half years at university, I am pretty aware of my surroundings here at Callaghan campus. Little did I know that the Wollotuka Institute incorporates aspects of indigenous culture, and provides many opportunities and support to students across all of the University of Newcastle’s campuses. The Wollotuka Institute has established itself as a model for other universities. The cohesive framework that looks after their purposes (academic, research, indigenous student support and development, indigenous staff employment and development) has been instrumental in this achievement. Student support is a primary goal of the Wollotuka Institute. Support and development services are offered in relation to access and participation of indigenous peoples in higher education, as well as raising the profile of indigenous students and graduates. There are a variety of facilities available for indigenous students at the Wollotuka Institute, all located in the Birabahn building at Callaghan campus. These include:

Yak Magazine - August 2012

They specialise in growing and supplying local native plants, bush regeneration, volunteer engagement and environmental education. The Newcastle University Student Environment Club (NUSEC) has been helping to bring TIN’s tube stock back to sale standards. Volunteering with TIN has been a great opportunity to learn about native plants and local bush regeneration, right here on campus. If you are interested in learning more about native plants, bush regeneration or volunteering with TIN, check out their website. Or alternatively, contact NUSEC at NUSEC.UON@gmail.com. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty exploring the lesser-known areas of Callaghan, I would still encourage you to take your eyes off the footpath next time you’re making the epic journey from Shortland to Hunter. We have an amazing bushland campus, so take some time to check it out. But always remember to respect the native vegetation and wildlife, put your rubbish in the bin and make sure you wear suitable footwear (I made that mistake). Happy exploring.

Wollotuka

By Jessica McAneney

Undergraduate Computer Room – designated for Indigenous undergraduate student use with 10 computers and a printer. Indigenous Medical Student/Out of Hours Study Room – a room designated for indigenous medical student use with six computers, a printer, photocopying facilities as well as tea and coffee making facilities. This room is also offered as an out of hours study room to indigenous undergraduate/ postgraduate students. ITAS Tuition Room - this room is available to students and their tutors who are registered under the Indigenous Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ITAS). Yuranna Research Study Centre - the Yuranna (Awabakal word meaning “to grow”) Room provides RHD students with access to the various indigenous resources. The room also has computer facilities, wireless Internet access for laptops and photocopying facilities. Kitchen and Function Room area - offers tea and coffee making facilities as well as a place to relax with friends. For more information contact: The Wollotuka Institute – Birabahn Building The University of Newcastle University Drive, Callaghan 2308

Lachie Leeming tries not to let his voice break while he talks to some Aussie Hip-Hop legends.

makes a beat… It’s not like we are on a schedule or anything. It’s just kinda when we have a break from touring.” This comment alludes to the Hilltop Hoods’ legendary live performances and backbreaking tours that are now synonymous with the band’s reputation. Pressure scoffs at my suggestion that they are perhaps natural live performers.

By Lachie Leeming Designed by Jessica Rykers

ressure can do funny things to a man. Before the Hilltop Hoods interview, I was a sweating, ruffled mess; a mere shadow of my usual debonair self. The dial tone as I waited to be hooked up via phone was like something out of a horror movie, with me desperately hoping I would be able to squeak out my interview questions without sounding too much like a 12 year old school girl. And then there I was: thrust into a one-on-one with MC Pressure, one third of the Hilltop Hoods, the proverbial godfathers of Australian hip-hop. Over the phone came that gravelly voice of a true music pioneer, a voice that has helped shape the Australian music landscape by bringing the once maligned genre of hip-hop into mainstream consciousness. Pressure ignores my intense nerves with the laid-back manner of an interview veteran. And a veteran is exactly what he is. The group’s latest release, Drinking from the Sun is the ’Hoods’ sixth studio album, punctuating a career that began all the way back in 1987 when MC Suffa and Pressure met in high school (before being joined later on by DJ Debris). This mottled journey is reflected in the content and title of the latest album. Pressure explains more when I quiz him on what the album title means. “It’s a bit of a metaphor,” he explains. “Hip-hop started as an underground culture; in the dark, so to speak.” “These days particularly, (it) has risen into its limelight and gone from strength to strength and is now out basking and drinking in the sun, as opposed to being in the underground.” This explosion of Australian hip-hop into the general public’s awareness is something that has surely been majorly influenced by the Hilltop Hoods’ robust music output. “The creative process never really stops. Whether a line comes into my head and I just jot it down, or Suffa has a day off and he

“I don’t think anyone is naturally a good live performer. I guess it’s like anything, you work at it and you get better at it. It’s about translating music, you can’t just get up there and do the raps off your album, you do have to find different ways to work it live. We put a good month’s rehearsal into any show we do.” Pressure admits that earlier in their career the live performances did not have such a disciplined lead up, with a few warm-up beers often consumed. The lighter constraints of fame earlier on in their careers is exemplified when I ask the rather loaded question of whether there were any horror stories in particular about their early performing days. “Since we’ve started taking it seriously, the worst thing I’ve probably done is thrown up on the front row,” he chuckles. “I wasn’t drunk or tanked, I’d just eaten too close to the show.” Which was probably of little condolence to the front row audience members. It’s this light hearted humour that makes it obvious how grounded these troupers of the scene are. When I ask about any international performers who have left a major impression on him, he talks of his admiration for American rap innovators Public Enemy. Public Enemy lined up to perform at Groovin’ the Moo along with the ’Hoods, with Pressure making the effort to watch four of their five shows. “I started rapping ’cause I love these dudes, so to be able to do Groovin’ the Moo with them was amazing. They’ve got that dynamic that some groups spend their entire career trying to capture. And on top of it they are really cool and humble dudes as well.” Such a respectful and measured statement is typical of this elder statesman of the scene. He also makes special mention of another Adelaide-based rapper, K21, who remixes one of the tracks on the ’Hoods latest album, saying that he is the ‘hot tip’ to watch out for in the future. And speaking of the future, you could do worse than pick up the latest Hilltop Hoods album and hopefully you did your best to sneak a peak of them performing at Bar on the Hill last week. A decade long journey to the throne of Australian hip-hop will ensure you won’t be disappointed.

And my Semester 2 elective is… By Stephanie Fisher • Designed by Jane Hume

Stephanie Fisher enlightens us about some of the more, erm, ‘interesting’ courses on offer around the world. If you think some of the courses offered at our university are weird, you haven’t seen nothin’ yet! From ‘Gelato University’ to ‘The Lesbian Phallus’, these bizarre courses are sure to make you say WTF?

The Gelato University in Bologna, Italy specialises in - you guessed it - gelato! The university’s most popular course is, naturally, ice cream making, where students are schooled in the art of making real Italian ice cream. However, the course isn’t all practical, as students are also required to attend technical lectures to learn traditional methods of making gelato, as well as marketing and management tactics.

So you loved Dawn of the Dead? Well why not study zombies? The University of Baltimore in America is offering students the opportunity to undertake zombie studies as part of ‘English 333’. Zombie studies aims to prepare students for the ‘zombie apocalypse’ by writing horror scripts, making up their own monsters and watching zombie flicks.

If you’ve seen Hitch and plan on making a career as a matchmaker or you simply need help finding love, you might want to consider going on exchange to China. A university in Beijing offers lessons in love, where students receive a helping hand on how to fall head over heels.

If sex education in primary school wasn’t enough, Occidental College in California offers a course that studies the phallus. The course looks at the relation between the phallus and the penis, the meaning of the phallus, phallologocentrism, the lesbian phallus, the Jewish phallus, the Latino phallus, and the relation of the phallus and fetishism. Phallus, phallus and more phallus! The University of Nottingham in Singapore offers a course in campus culture, drinking and brewing science. The course consists of learning about the history of brewing and how to brew, as well as cultural and social reasons for why students engage in drinking during their time at university. Now this course looks like a winner! Campus culture and drinking? HDs all round! I’m sure every male student would jump at the opportunity to undertake this elective! Providence University in Taiwan offers an Appreciating and Analysing Pornographic Movies course. Yep! It’s exactly what you’re thinking... a course that studies porn. And now, here’s one for the ladies! Staffordshire University offers David Beckham Studies. The course includes topics such as Beck’s ever-evolving hairstyles, the state of his marriage to Posh and his status “as the object of a great many fantasies.” That’s certainly one textbook I’d enjoy leafing through. The number one dream of a diehard Harry Potter fan is to attend Hogwarts, right? Well, the University of Durham in the UK has the next best thing. It offers Harry Potter and the Age of Illusion Studies. Sadly, you don’t learn spells or play Quidditch, but you do get the opportunity to study the famous JK Rowling novels. Perhaps one of the strangest courses at any uni in Australia is the study of Ufology. The University of Melbourne offers Philosophy of Ufology, which is a course aimed at studying the culture of UFOs and the philosophies held by those who claim to have been abducted. Mulder and Scully eat your heart out!

Yak Magazine - August 2012

5 University Fun Facts: • Martin Plowman graduated Melbourne University with a Doctorate in the Philosophy of Ufology and was awarded a PhD for significant contributions to the field. Students at Waseda University in Korea can take up the opportunity to study ‘How to resist sugar daddies’. The course aims to give girls a crash course on how to resist the sweet talk of ‘sugar daddies’, while teaching the students about selfrespect. So girls, if you don’t feel like being spoilt rotten by a high-flying millionaire, you can take a one-off Korean crash course on how to avoid them.

• 12,000 students enrolled in the Gelato University this year, with the course costing $840 a week. • It’s rumoured that a university in the US offers a course in Ghostbuster Studies... So, who you gonna call? • Universities across California offer courses including, The Art of Walking, Learning From YouTube, American Soap Operas, The History of Tupac, How to be Gay and even Star Trek Studies. • Underwater Basket Weaving has been offered at Reed University since 1980, and the University of California since 1984.

Yak Magazine - August 2012

Students get the Herald for less WHY THIS MAN SPENT $17,000 ON A NEW NOSE

Fri Jan 20 10:10

LITTLE MASTER’S MISERY

GOOD WEEKEND

WEEKEND SPORT

2012 FACES TO WATCH SPECTRUM

WEEKEND

FIRST PUBLISHED 1831 NO. 54,375 $2.50 (inc GST)

January 14-15, 2012

OVERSEAS INVASION

When children’s shows become naughty

There’s action aplenty as the five-day game takes its lead from Twenty20, writes Malcolm Knox.

Jessica Wright ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

THE Prime Minister has dismissed a call by the Labor elder Bob Hawke to slash the power of unions within the ALP. Julia Gillard defended the factional and union influences that were responsible for the destruction of Kevin Rudd’s leadership in 2010. Mr Hawke, a former prime minister and boss of the ACTU, said in an interview with the Fairfax publication The Australian Financial Review that while his ‘‘first love’’ was the trade union movement, its influence over the Labor Party had grown to ‘‘suffocating’’ proportions.

‘Our great trade union movement is important to Australian society and to representing the needs of working people.’ Julia Gillard But yesterday Ms Gillard said the unions were the champions of ‘‘working Australians’’. ‘‘I believe our great trade union movement is important to Australian society and to representing the needs of working people,’’ she said. ‘‘It was the trade union movement, shoulder to shoulder with the Labor Party, that fought back and got rid of Work Choices.’’ Responding to Mr Hawke’s advice to the ALP to recognise the perceived negative association with the unions, Ms Gillard said the matter had been adequately addressed at the party’s national conference last month. She tried to soften the public rebuke to Mr Hawke, once the nation’s most popular leader, saying he was an important part of the ALP’s history. ‘‘Bob Hawke is of course a living legend,’’ she said. ‘‘Bob is right to say that the Labor Party needs to keep modernising.’’ His criticism of undue union influence within the ALP mirrored the view of another former prime minister, Kevin Rudd, who savaged the power of the unions

and factions in a speech to the national conference. Mr Rudd said the party had failed to take any significant steps to rein in the power of factions and union bosses. ‘‘While some claim we have moved forward on party reform, the truth is we have barely moved at all,’’ Mr Rudd said. ‘‘The stark alternative remains: either more power to the factional powerbrokers or more power to the 35,000 members of the Australian Labor Party.’’ An internal review by the former premiers Steve Bracks and Bob Carr and Senator John Faulkner recommended a guaranteed say for unions and Labor supporters in party preselections and aired dire warnings that the party faced a membership crisis. Senator Faulkner has repeatedly warned that the ALP risks a wipeout of its membership – as ‘‘a small party getting smaller, [and] an old party getting older’’. Ms Gillard welcomed the review but resisted the suggestion that the unions be given a say in policy and parliamentary decisions. ‘‘As Labor leader I will insist on the right to freely choose the executive of the federal parliamentary Labor Party,’’ she said at the time of the review’s release. ‘‘I have chosen my team of ministers and parliamentary secretaries and I will continue to do so.’’ Mr Hawke also addressed the leadership question that continues to dog Ms Gillard, saying he believed she was the best person for the job. ‘‘I don’t think they should change leaders,’’ he said. ‘‘There has been a lot of criticism of Julia, but you have got to give her credit for a lot of achievements and tenacity. ‘‘She has shown a lot of courage and determination, particularly on the carbon tax and the mining tax. When those things are bedded down they may even become positives.’’ Ms Gillard has refused to address questions about the leadership this year, telling reporters on New Year’s Day to ‘‘check the transcripts’’ of last year for her answer. It is more than 20 years since Mr Hawke was prime minister of Australia but the ‘‘Silver Bodgie’’ has enjoyed a resurgence in the media, most recently in a renewed spat with the former prime minister Paul Keating. The pair showed the passing of time had done nothing to ease the rancour in their relationship with Mr Keating this week blaming Mr Hawke for the wage explosions of the 1970s. Mr Keating said that Mr Hawke, as the ACTU national secretary, had ‘‘nearly destroyed the economy twice’’. The spat coincides with the release by the National Archives of the 1982 and 1983 cabinet documents.

AS IF obligated to compete with the evening’s entertainment, 22 Test cricketers of Australia and India romped through three bright and breezy sessions. The batsmen clubbed the ball to all corners when they weren’t losing their wickets. The bowlers served up bouncers, wides, late outswingers and unplayable in-duckers, with the occasional nagging length ball for variety. Fieldsmen fell asleep if the ball hadn’t come to them in an over. What is this new thing, and how can it be stretched to five days? Perhaps each team needs three innings in a Test. Perhaps there is no problem. Test matches have a natural duration of 31⁄2 days, and we should celebrate the plebeian uprising of the bowler. While M.S. Dhoni and R. Ashwin were together, putting on 54 in 81 balls for India’s seventh wicket, an anxious Australian voice in the Churchill Stand muttered, ‘‘They’re digging in now – we need a wicket, Hilfy!’’

Resurgent Punter holds key to series If the opening day was all about Sachin Tendulkar, the central character leading into today is Ricky Ponting. Summer – Page 26

How good is James Pattinson? ... Australia’s hottest new quickie celebrates the wicket of Virender Sehwag. Photo: Steve Christo

Bowler Ben Hilfenhaus did his bit, and concerns about a partnership lasting more than an hour were allayed. Mexican waves couldn’t even make a full circuit as a wicket fell first. When security guards seized beach balls, they weren’t booed, because something had happened on the field to distract the crowd’s attention. Bill Lawry surely couldn’t cry ‘‘It’s all happening!’’ for fear of understatement. When Dhoni won the toss, the crowd cheered – they were going to see Sachin Tendulkar. Of course, they never considered the Indian top three might bat all day, and they were right, though it did look, for a moment after tea, as though they might be back in for their second innings. Tendulkar did not make his 100th international century. Two constants of his career – that he scores runs in Sydney and that his teammates let him down – collided, resulting in his dismissal for 41. He came to the crease at 2-30 when not one ball had been hit convincingly in front of the wicket. From there it was a contest of his cover drive versus Australia. The bowlers fed the shot. He laced drive after drive between point and mid-off, then dragged one onto his stumps. As wickets go, it was a cheap buy. In general the bowlers didn’t have to strike any bargains. Hilfenhaus rediscovered his fast bouncer to remove Ashwin. Then, like a child who remembers last year’s Christmas present was even better than this year’s, Hilfy used Continued Page 2

Economic woes hit US defence ambitions Daniel Flitton ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

AUSTRALIA is about to confront the biting reality of US military decline as its cash-strapped ally moves to abandon the longstanding doctrine of being ready to fight two wars simultaneously on opposite sides of the globe. The New York Times reported yesterday on cuts expected to be announced this week by the Defence Secretary, Leon Panetta, to slash hundreds of billions of dollars in defence spending across ground forces, navy, air force and the nuclear arsenal. Coming after earlier reduc-

tions, the US’s formal strategy to fight two large adversaries at once – as it did during World War II against Nazi Germany in Europe and Japan in the Pacific – will also be surrendered. For 60 years the Defence chiefs in Canberra have had the luxury to assume Washington will be free to come to Australia’s aid, no matter what the US entanglements outside the region. But those days are gone as a teetering economy forces deep cuts to the US defence budget – at the same time as many are concerned about China’s growing military ambitions.

Buzzcut Pentagon prepares to slash spending. World – Page 8

The troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, of which Labor has committed to buy between 14 and 100, is also reported to be targeted. Despite the cuts, the US would remain the pre-eminent military power with the ability to fight and win one major conflict and ‘‘spoil’’ a second adversary’s ambitions in another part of the world. But The New York Times

reported that the cuts inevitably posed questions such as whether a reduced aircraft carrier fleet could counter an increasingly bold China or whether a smaller army could fight a long ground war in Asia. Australia has already made plain its hope to see a greater US engagement in the ‘‘Asian century’’ as the Obama administration withdraws from Iraq and Afghanistan. The agreement to train up to 2500 US Marines near Darwin, announced during Barack Obama’s visit to Australia in November, was widely interpreted as

insurance against China’s rise. The US has also made clear a desire to shift the focus to Asia and Mr Obama used his speech to federal Parliament to pledge the US was ‘‘here to stay’’. The shift from fighting two simultaneous wars against major forces recognises the significant changes to warfare during recent decades, with insurgent conflicts the norm and the growing use of drones and other high technology. The Defence Minister, Stephen Smith, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd, would not comment on the change.

Killer given passport, licence and freedom

Gareth Hutchens ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

700 2100

AUSTRALIA is on the cusp of a white collar recession with insiders warning that thousands of ANZ jobs to go this year jobs are at risk in the finance sector, after it emerged yesterday that ANZ planned to cut 700 jobs. But the Herald has established the job cuts will total as many as Australian jobs cut by ANZ 1000 by the end of this year, in past two years which will be more than the bank shed at the height of the global financial crisis. They come a day after the Royal Bank of Scotland announced Local jobs lost in Bank of plans to close its investment Scotland closure banking business, leading to the loss of more than 200 jobs in Australia. you count all those jobs since Economists have warned Aus- October, along with what will be tralia is vulnerable to a recession announced in the next week . . . this year with a wholesale fund- we will lose more staff than we ing squeeze in Europe raising did as a result of the GFC.’’ debt costs for banks such12 as ANZ. The national secretary of the STARTS PAGE Experts have warned thous- Finance Services Union, Leon ands of jobs will be lost from the Carter, criticised the bank for industry this year as banks shedding jobs when it had scramble to adjust to an era of record profitability. ‘‘Yet again low credit growth and higher the first time anything gets funding costs. tough in finance the only trick in This comes on top of cuts of their locker is to put jobs on the 2150 jobs between March 2009 line,’’ he said. and last September in ANZ’s ‘‘It continues to be a highly Australian division. ‘‘We have profitable organisation that is run a policy of shedding jobs making multibillion-dollar prothrough attrition since October fits. They have an obligation to last year,’’ an executive said. keep everybody employed.’’ ‘‘Temps have not been rehired The Financial Services Minisonce their contract has expired. ter, Bill Shorten, said: ‘‘We Secondments have been stop- haven’t been briefed specifically ped. We have outsourced two on any decisions of the ANZ in First published 1831 No. 54,364 $1.50 (inc GST) term of jobs.We regard any job whole floors of operations staff from a [Melbourne] office to losses as unfortunate.’’ Manila [in the INSIDE Philippines]. If Experts say banks will be for-

Saffron Howden and Alicia Wood ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

TRENT JENNINGS packed his passport, driver’s licence and, unsupervised, took off in a stolen car from a prison psychiatric hospital. As authorities scrambled yesterday to shift the blame for the bungle that allowed the killer to walk free on Friday and outsmart police hours later, the nationwide hunt for him continued. Jennings, 26, stabbed a man to death eight years ago during a casual sexual encounter. He was granted day leave rights from Morisset Hospital, near Newcastle, only a month before he absconded from custody and allegedly arranged over the internet to meet a man, 50, at his home in Sydney’s Zetland. Last Thursday, Jennings, pictured, tied the man up with his consent then stole some of his belongings, including his black Mercedes four-wheeldrive, police say. That night he returned to hospital after curfew, having contacted staff to tell them his train was running late. Satisfied with this explanation, hospital staff allowed him out unsupervised at 2pm the next day, the eighth anniversary of the night he stabbed Giuseppe Vitale, 32, in the neck after binding him at the hands and feet in a park at Narwee. Jennings did not return on Friday evening and, four hours later, he was pulled over by police in the stolen car south of Coffs Harbour. His licence and vehicle registration were checked, he was issued with some fines, and allowed to drive off. Last night, police across Australia were searching for the former Sydney waiter, who in 2005 was found not guilty of Mr Vitale’s murder because a court concluded he was in a druginduced psychosis at the time. Yesterday the Premier, Barry O’Farrell, ordered a report from all relevant departments into the circumstances surrounding the getaway and the delay in notifying the public. ‘‘I share some of the concerns about the lack of information about his release or his escape,’’ he said. This week the NSW chief psychiatrist, John Allan, will review Jennings’ case and patient leave procedures at Morisset Hospital. The local health district Continued Page 2

BOMB BLAST THAT ROCKED THE WORLD NEWS REVIEW

ANNE SUMMERS

SILENCE LIKE A CANCER GROWS NEWS REVIEW

Year of job Who’s for a dip? But there is a dark side pain to hit banks, shops

First published 1831 No. 54,366 $1.50 (inc GST)

Gillard Wickets tumble as Test cricket hits fast-forward button rebukes Hawke on unions

PAUL McGEOUGH

NEWS, PAGE 6

NEWS, PAGE 7

summer

F Foreign-made car ttops sales NEWS, PAGE 3 Wednesday January 4, 2012

MEET THE $10b HEIRESS

2011 a year in weather

200

Tertiary advisory days: your five-page guide to starting university

summer FESTIVAL OF THE COUCH

THE TENDULKAR DY YNASTY DYNASTY

The son also rises

The world of the box-set addict

SPORTSDAY

Monday January 2, 2012

Call to cut city speed limits to 40km/h Anna Patty STATE POLITICS ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

TRAFFIC across the city would be slowed to 40km/h as part of City of Sydney plans. Terry Lee-Williams, a transport strategy manager at the City of Sydney, told the NSW Parliament’s joint standing committee on road safety that the council would like a “blanket” 40km/h speed limit across the city in “predominantly residential areas”. He said 20 per cent of the existing city speed zones were 40km/h. ‘‘Once we do the CBD, that would take it up to about 35 per cent and we would progressively like to roll that through. I say progressively because it is a cost issue,’’ Mr Lee-Williams told the committee late last year. The costs include hundreds of thousands of dollars in studies ‘‘and hoops we must jump through for the RMS [Roads and Maritime Services]’’. The NSW Labor MP Walt Secord, who is a Staysafe committee member, said he disagreed with the council plan to introduce the 40km/h speed zone across the city, saying it would further congest traffic. ‘‘Recently at a Staysafe parliamentary hearing, the staff from Sydney City Council were advocating changing the entire city to 40 kilometres,’’ he said. ‘‘While I understand they have safety concerns, I fear that it could slow city traffic to a snail’s pace. ‘‘This would make journeys across Sydney even longer in duration and slower, especially at night.’’ A spokeswoman for the City of Sydney said it was the responsibility of NSW Roads and Maritime Services to approve any changes to the speed limit. “The RMS is responsible for signposting and speed limits throughout NSW,” she said. “The City of Sydney supports improving road safety and minimising the risk of injury and death in pedestrian areas

Howard honoured, for Queen and country

ANZ staff wait for axe to fall — Weekend Business

Sun, sand and fun ... Tabitha Palmer, 6, centre, plays with Liv Knight, 7, and Harry Hamilford, 5, at North Bondi. The girls are in the under-7 nippers. Photo: Dallas Kilponen

Economic conditions are preventing children learning to swim, writes Nick Ralston. LIFESAVERS have a simple explanation for the spate of near drownings and a record number of rescues in recent weeks. ‘‘There was pretty poor weather leading into Christmas and I think that everyone was frothing at the bit to get out to the beach,’’ said Dean Storey, the lifesaving manager of Surf Life Saving NSW. ‘‘Then the sun came out. At the same time we had the big swell . . . and it all came together to create a couple of weeks of

carnage.’’ The solution to the problem is not as simple. Water safety groups are concerned that pool closures and entry costs are denying young children the chance to learn to swim. While an estimated 1.2 million children have private lessons, experts conservatively predict that each year at least 50,000 children nationwide graduate from high school without being able to swim 50 metres. In NSW classes are offered

through an Education Department, two-week intensive program in schools for students in years two to six. The program – the most affordable in the state – is offered to 100,000 students but is not compulsory. The peak industry body AUSTSWIM said in recent years issues of cost had made some parents reluctant to send their children for lessons. The chief executive, Gordon Mallett, said: ‘‘If there is no local pool, despite any efforts the Department of Education may make, it starts to get more difficult. Then you’ve got the cost of

entry to existing pools, which is a barrier to some socio-economic groups, and the increasing cost of bus transport. ‘‘The Department of Education tries to minimise the cost but there are some limitations on that. It’s just a sign of our economic times at the moment. People are being pinched a bit.’’ On the plus side, Surf Life Saving is enjoying a boom in the number of young people becoming involved in the volunteer rescue organisation. This year it has 30,000 nippers on its books and the number has been rising annually for the past four years.

Dylan Welch SUVA, FIJI

News — Page 3

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

THE Fijian regime of Voreqe Weather, or not ‘‘Frank’’ Bainimarama hassummer re-in The most miserable Sydney in 50 years. The coldest cruited one of Washington’s most autumn nationally in more than notorious lobbyist firms – that 50 years. Record flooding in Victoria. A Christmas in has been raidedMelbourne by the FBI Day and with hailstones the represents repressive regimes inand size of eggs. Massive floods in the Middle Eastcyclone andYasiAfrica – to Queensland. it all help manage itsWhat’s reputation and Frank Bainimarama ... advice. mean? lobby foreign journalists. Paul Sheehan, And diplomatic sources be- lations, only to enshrine them in Opinion — lieve the firm, Qorvis Commu- a permanent law. Page 11 nications, may be behind the The company is represented decision by Commodore Baini- in Suva by a fresh-faced former Road toll falls marama to lift The the2011widely con- business journalist, Seth Thomroad toll was the second lowest since 1944, according demned public emergency regu- to as Pietras, who has been in the

ROAD RULES Pedestrians in the city centre: 600,000 Vehicles in city centre: 85,000 International safety speed: 30km/h City of Sydney safety speed: 40km/h through the reduction of speed limits, as is international best practice. On any given working day, there are 600,000 pedestrians in the city centre and 85,000 vehicles. The slower the vehicle, the less risk of severe trauma to the pedestrian.’’ A spokeswoman for Roads and Maritime Services said it had “received a copy of the concept proposal for a speed zone reduction from the City of Sydney on Christmas Eve and is reviewing it early this year”. The former Labor premier Kristina Keneally and the City of Sydney lord mayor, Clover Moore, agreed to a plan to slow traffic within the city centre to 40km/h by early 2011 in a memorandum of understanding dated September 13, 2010, when Mr Secord worked as chief-ofstaff for Ms Keneally. A spokesman for the NSW Roads Minister, Duncan Gay, said the minister had not yet seen the City of Sydney proposal. Mr Lee-Williams told the Staysafe committee in late November that someone hit by a car at 40km/h was far less likely to die than if they were hit at 60km/h. ‘‘Internationally it is 30km/h, but because it has taken about 12 years to get the RTA down to 40km/h, we did not want to push the envelope to 30km/h,’’ he said. ‘‘Traffic also flows better in crowded areas at a slower speed because . . . you do not get compression between intersections: the vehicles are moving easily; they do not have to accelerate, decelerate, accelerate, decelerate.”

provisional figures from the NSW Centre for Road Safety. Last year, 376 people were killed on NSW roads, down from 405 the previous year. The toll has dropped from 524 over the past 10 years.

Kelly Burke

IN GOOD COMPANY

NOT since Sir Robert Menzies has the monarchy bestowed such approbation on an Australian politician. John Howard’s decade-long prime ministership and his dogged adherence to a constitutional monarchy have earned him admission to an exclusive club with a capped membership of just 24 after Buckingham Palace announced yesterday he had been appointed a member of the Order of Merit. Only Menzies’ Knight of the Order of the Thistle, to which the Liberal Party founder was invested in 1963, carries more kudos. ‘‘I’m very honoured,’’ Mr Howard told the Herald from his home in Wollstonecraft. ‘‘It’s a compliment to Australia and a recognition, among other things, of the respect the Queen has for this country. I’m very grateful for it.’’ Mr Howard, along with the British artist David Hockney,

Debra Jopson ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Dirty business ... litter lines the foreshore at Iron Cove. Photo: Jon Reid before, NSW Maritime’s latest annual report reveals. ‘‘One can draw the conclusion that there would be more litter in the harbour,’’ said Peter McLean, the NSW chief executive of Keep Australia Beautiful. ‘‘I hate to see

country on and off since October. A contract published by the US Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act reveals that in October the Fijian Attorney-General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, signed a deed with Qorvis worth $US40,000 a month for a year. In return, Qorvis has agreed to provide ‘‘public relations services relating to business and investment to the government of Fiji’’. But it appears to the Herald, which spent the week in Suva being lobbied by Mr Pietras, that his ambit is far greater than spin. It is likely Mr Pietras, described

programs like this not continue in some form. It would certainly be very detrimental. We have millions of people living in that catchment.’’ Research indicated it was likely that since the end of the

as Qorvis’s chief speechwriter, helped draft Commodore Bainimarama’s recent speeches, including his New Year’s Day address announcing the lifting of emergency regulations. Several countries with an interest in Fiji expressed a belief to the Herald that, given the timing, Qorvis might have played a role in Commodore Bainimarama’s decision to lift the emergency regulations. A diplomatic source also expressed concern that the kind of role played by such lobbyists in the Middle East and Africa was being imported to the Pacific.

News Review Fiji’s future of uncertainty

Last year, during the Arab Spring, Mr Pietras was Qorvis’s spokesman when its role in defending Middle East regimes was the subject of debate. ‘‘Our clients are facing some challenges now,’’ Mr Pietras told The New York Times. ‘‘But our long-term goals to bridge the differences between our clients and the United States haven’t changed. We stand by them.’’ In 2004 when Qorvis was raided by the FBI as part of an investigation into whether an advertising campaign it helped run broke federal law by not disclosing Saudi funding.

Mr Pietras, an executive vicepresident of Qorvis’s geopolitical solutions section, is at least the second Qorvis employee to travel to Fiji, after Tina Jeon, an Olympic archer and Qorvis spinner. In early November Ms Jeon posted on Twitter a photo of herself and Commodore Bainimarama aboard a boat in Fiji with the caption: ‘‘No better place to write a press release’’.

The Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, said she warmly congratulated Mr Howard on receiving such a distinguished award. ‘‘This is a rare and singular honour for his service to Australia,’’ she said. The Order, founded by King

drought more rain has meant more litter washed into waterways, he said. Most of the man-made refuse consists of food and drink packaging dropped on streets and swept into the harbour through stormwater drains, a NSW Maritime spokeswoman said. While the fall was partly caused by Maritime’s environmental service losing its flagship vessel for more than six months as a replacement was built, it also followed a decision in December 2010 to stop using detainees provided by the Department of Corrective Ser-

vices for the foreshore clean-up, she said. Minimal risk detainees began working with government waterways cleaners 17 years ago and the program has contributed between 12 and 28 per cent of the volume of waste collected every year up to 2008-09, official figures show. However, the program was suspended when the Department of Corrective Services began to phase out its periodic detention program last October, according to NSW Maritime. The Herald understands that staff were unwilling to work with

higher-risk detainees receiving intensive correction orders, which have replaced periodic detention. The detainees’ assistance was hailed as a success in previous years, as NSW Maritime crews worked to remove boating hazards and rubbish from Sydney Harbour and the navigable waters of the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers over a combined foreshore length of 270 kilometres. Four minimal risk detainees worked three times a week with government staff to clear debris in areas inaccessible to boats,

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who was also appointed to the order yesterday, will join luminaries including the former British prime minister Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the playwright Sir Tom Stoppard, the naturalist Sir David Attenborough and Prince Charles.

SYDNEY CITY shower or two 19°-23° LIVERPOOL shower or two 17°-24° PENRITH shower or two 18°-24° WOLLONGONG showers clearing 18°-21° GOSFORD few showers 17°-23° NEWCASTLE few showers 20°-23° CANBERRA shower or two 12°-24° ARMIDALE showers, storms 12°-22° DUBBO shower or two 15°-31° COFFS HARBOUR storms 19°-26°

Mitt Romney and Ron Paul appeared to be running neck and as may have rendered exceptionneck in Iowa before tomorrow’s ally meritorious services in Our first vote on the candidates Crown Services or towards the vying for the Republican Party’s advancement of the Arts, Learnpresidential nomination, with ing, Literature, and Science or Rick Santorum mounting a late such other exceptional service as charge. Contenders have been We are fit to recognise’’. blitzing shopping malls, public Although writers and artists meetings and local media. have traditionally dominated World — Page 8 the field, politicians appointed p.a. to the order have included Sir Winston Churchill, Clement Attlee and Baroness Thatcher. Mr Howard becomes the ninth Variable and comparison rate Australian appointed, following in the footsteps of the philosopher Samuel Alexander, the intellectual Gilbert Murray, scientists Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet,as at 13 January 2012. The comparison rate is based on a secured loan of $150,000 over the term of 25 years. WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the examples given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison rate. UBank is a division of National Australia Bank Limited ABN 12 004 044 937 AFSL and Australian Credit Licence 230686. Rates current Howard Florey and Robert You should consider the terms and conditions for UHomeLoan, available from ubank.com.au, before making any decisions regarding this product. Fees and charges and lending criteria apply. UBA526/smhfp1_G3982327AB McCredie May, former chief justice of Australia Sir Owen Dix1HERSA1 A001 on, artist Sir Sidney Nolan and Chloe Hosking won a thrilling soprano Dame Joan Sutherland. first race of the Bay Classic and Mr Howard is expected to promptly called Union Cycliste receive his Order of Merit – an Internationale boss Pat McQuaid eight-pointed cross bearing the ‘‘a dick’’ for failing to implement imperial crown to be worn a minimum wage for women. around the neck – at a ceremony Third placed Rochelle Gilmore later this year. also called for change.

Only available at

On merit ... clockwise, from top left: Baroness Thatcher, Prince Charles, Sir Tom Stoppard, David Hockney and Sir David Attenborough.

At the time, Qorvis was the beneficiary of a six-month contract with the Saudis worth almost $US15 million to help improve its reputation after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Last year an Egyptian steel tycoon with ties to the Mubarak regime retained Qorvis to manage his public relations during a trial regarding claims of widespread corruption. He was eventually sentenced to 10 years in jail. The company has also represented the man widely known as ‘‘Africa’s worst dictator’’, Equatorial Guinea’s Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

BONUS Sum

News — Page 5

Exceptionally meritorious services ... Mr Howard at home in Wollstonecraft yesterday. ‘‘It’s a compliment to Australia,’’ he said of his award. Photo: Quentin Jones

‘‘We have kids who are doing nipper training, who are rescuing kids their age on days when the surf is a bit tricky,’’ said the nipper manager at North Bondi Surf Life Saving, Jim Walker. North Bondi has 1400 children doing nipper training, up from 850 a few years ago. A Bondi resident, Julia Palmer, was raised in England and wanted her daughter, Tabitha, to gain a better understanding than she had of safety at the beach. ‘‘We offered for her to do it and she loves it. She’s much more confident now in the surf than she was,’’ Ms Palmer said.

Bowser blues

NSW drivers could face more petrol price rises when the government bans regular unleaded fuel, pushing up demand for ethanol-blended and premium unleaded, the industry has warned. From July, petrol stations will no longer be allowed to sell regular unleaded in a bid to promote renewable biofuels.

Come in spinner: Fiji pays Washington lobbyists for image makeover

Classic stoush

SportsDay — Page 32

Harbour rubbish pile on the rise after prison drain gangs get the brush-off THE amount of litter and waste Sydney Harbour garbage collectors pick up each year has plummeted to the lowest level in more than a decade after NSW Maritime suspended a long-running clean-up program that used prisoners on periodic detention. The environmental services team, which clears debris ranging from plastic drink bottles to fallen trees from more than 5000 hectares of waterways, collected just 2284 cubic metres of waste last financial year, almost 500 cubic metres less than the year

ced to cut staff numbers for the next few years to protect profit margins. The high levels of consumption and lending they enjoyed in recent years will not continue. At the start of 2007 Australia’s banks, excluding ANZ Asia, employed 155,000. Four years later that figure had grown to 178,000 people, an increase of 23,000. In ANZ alone, the number of employees in the group’s global operations increased by 12,000 since September 2008, from 36,900 to 48,900. But ANZ’s Australian division has shed more than 2100 jobs in the past two years – from 19,922 to 17,768 – as it sends more jobs to offshore. The job losses could exacerbate conditions in Australia – already vulnerable to recession. The chief economist at JP Morgan, Stephen Walters, said: Australia has not undergone adjustments observed elsewhere ... it remains vulnerable to shocks. Economists also say we might expect a further shake-out in the retail industry, which employs 1.2 million people, following the jobs losses last year. The Grattan Institute’s Saul Eslake said: ‘‘I wouldn’t be at all surprised if 2012 was a year in which some of the almostinevitable consequences for employment in retailing of the deterioration in retail trading conditions over the next couple of years came to a head.’’

such as mangrove swamps, the NSW Maritime spokeswoman said. The agency expects to restart the program using volunteers provided by a non-government organisation in the first quarter of next year, another spokesman said. Mr McLean said volunteers were difficult to attract. He warned that the loss of extra assistance with garbage collection coincides with the NSW government setting a target in its new state plan of achieving the lowest litter count per capita in Australia by 2016.

SYDNEY CITY sunny 18°-26° LIVERPOOL sunny 15°-31° PENRITH sunny 16°-33° WOLLONGONG sunny 18°-26° GOSFORD sunny 15°-28° NEWCASTLE sunny 18°-26° CANBERRA partly cloudy 15°-35° ARMIDALE mostly sunny 10°-27° DUBBO sunny 17°-35° COFFS HARBOUR partly cloudy 16°-26°

DETAILS PAGE 18 ISSN 0312-6315

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SYDNEY CITY shower or two 20°-32° LIVERPOOL shower or two 17°-39° PENRITH shower or two 18°-39° WOLLONGONG storms, showers 20°-32° GOSFORD shower or two 16°-34° NEWCASTLE shower or two 20°-31° CANBERRA shower or two 18°-34° ARMIDALE shower or two 12°-29° DUBBO partly cloudy 19°-37° COFFS HARBOUR mostly sunny 18°-29° DETAILS PAGE 16 ISSN 0312-6315

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WEEK 2 30 MONDAY/JULY Wii Wars 3pm - GT Bar Poker 4.30pm - Bar on the Hill

U Member Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm - GT Bar U Event Hilltop Hoods Bar on the Hill Doors open: 7.30pm Tix: U Members: $39.95 Students: $42.45 Guests: $42.45

31 TUESDAY/JULY 03 FRIDAY Live Entertainment Jaymayjane 12pm - Auchmuty Courtyard

2012 Festival of Autonomy Intercollegiate Sports Competitions

Trivia 1pm - Bar on the Hill Bar Bingo 3pm - GT Bar

01 WEDNESDAY Trivia 1pm - GT Bar Pool Comp 3pm - GT Bar Wind up Wednesday 3pm - 7pm - Bar on the Hill with Live Entertainment ‘Gemma’ - 5pm - 6.30pm National Campus Band Comp - Heat 3 7pm - Bar on the Hill

02 THURSDAY

2012 Festival of Autonomy Assassins of Autonomy begins Vintage Photo Booth 2 Aug - 10 Aug - Bar on the Hill Autonomy - The Exhibition 2 Aug - 10 Aug - Auchmuty Library, on show daily Live Entertainment Neon Connective 12.30pm - 1pm - Bar on the Hill

AUG

Bar on the Hill Gig Hill Top Hoods Doors open 7.30pm Bar on the Hill

AUG

Rugby League Challenge Match Newcastle Seahorses vs Canberra Cows 6pm - Sportsfield No. 1

04/05 SAT/SUN WEEK 3 06 MONDAY 2012 Festival of Autonomy ICC Art Show 11am - 2.30pm - Fosythe Cellar, Edwards Hall University Quidditch Challenge UoN vs UNSW 12.30pm - Oval 4 Wii Wars 3pm - GT Bar Poker 4.30pm - Bar on the Hill Comedy Debate 7.30pm - Bar on the Hill

07 TUESDAY 2012 Festival of Autonomy

ICC Art Show 11am - 2.30pm - Fosythe Cellar, Edwards Hall Common Lunch BBQ 12pm - Auchmuty Courtyard Live Entertainment Leroy Lee 12pm - Auchmuty Courtyard Autonomy Trivia 1pm - Bar on the Hill Bar Bingo 3pm - GT Bar National Campus Band Comp - Heat 4 7pm - Bar on the Hill

08 WEDNESDAY 2012 Festival of Autonomy Auchmuty Markets 11am - 3pm - Auchmuty Courtyard Autonomy Trivia 1pm - GT Bar Pool Comp 3pm - GT Bar U Event Bluejuice Bar on the Hill Doors open 7.30pm Tix: U Members: $20 Students: $22.50 Guests: $27.50

09 THURSDAY

2012 Festival of Autonomy Live Entertainment Neon Connective 12.30pm - Bar on the Hill U Member Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm - GT Bar

10 FRIDAY

2012 Festival of Autonomy

Bar on the Hill Gig Bluejuice Doors open 7.30pm Bar on the Hill

AUG

AUGUST Trivia 1pm - Bar on the Hill

Autonomy Day Party 7am - 4pm - Bar on the Hill Entry: U Members: $5 UoN Students: $10 Guests: $20

‘Gemma’ - 5pm - 6.30pm

(All guests MUST be accompanied by a student. A student may only bring ONE guest.)

Live Entertainment 12.30pm - Bar on the Hill

Trivia 1pm - GT Bar

Wii Wars 3pm - GT Bar

U Member Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm - GT Bar

Pool Comp 3pm - GT Bar

Poker 4.30pm - Bar on the Hill

U Event Jinja Safari Bar on the Hill Doors open 7.30pm Tix: U Members: $20 Students: $22.50 Guests: 32.50

Wind Up Wednesday 3pm - 7pm with Live Entertainment ‘Gemma’ - 5pm - 6.30pm

National Campus Band Comp - Semi Final 7pm - Bar on the Hill

16 THURSDAY

The Carnival Food stalls & FREE activities 9am - 4pm - Oval 4 Auchmuty 500 Billy Cart Race 9.30am - 12pm - Aviation Carpark

11/12 SAT/SUN WEEK 4 13 MONDAY

17 FRIDAY

U Member Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm - Bar on the Hill

Wii Wars 3pm - GT Bar

18/19 SAT/SUN

Poker 4.30pm - Bar on the Hill

14 TUESDAY

Hunter Valley Electric Vehicle Festival EV Show Sat: 10am - 4pm - Newcastle Foreshore Park

Live Entertainment Jacob & Daniel 10am - Derkenne Courtyard

WEEK 5 20 MONDAY

Live Entertainment Vocal Students Showcase 12pm - Auchmuty Courtyard Trivia 1pm - Bar on the Hill

Newcastle Fashion Week Launch 6.30pm - Kloster BMW Showroom

Trivia 1pm - GT Bar

21 TUESDAY

Pool Comp 3pm - GT Bar Wind Up Wednesday 3pm - 7pm with Live Entertainment

Live Entertainment 12pm - Auchmuty Courtyard

2012 Autonomy Day Party 7am - 4pm Bar on the Hill

AUG

WEDNESDAY

National Campus Band Comp - Semi Final 7pm - Bar on the Hill Newcastle Fashion Week Emerge Showcase Newcastle Museum

23 THURSDAY

Live Entertainment 12.30pm - Bar on the Hill U Member Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm - GT Bar

24 FRIDAY Newcastle Fashion Week Runway 1 7.30pm - Newcastle Museum

Poker 4.30pm - Bar on the Hill

15 WEDNESDAY

U Member Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm - Bar on the Hill

Wii Wars 3pm - GT Bar

Bar Bingo 3pm - GT Bar

Kenny Rogers & Glen Campbell Newcastle Entertainment Centre

25/26 SAT/SUN Newcastle Fashion Week Runway 2 Sat: 7.30pm - Newcastle Museum

WEEK 6 27 MONDAY

28 TUESADY Trivia 1pm - Bar on the Hill Bar Bingo 3pm - GT Bar

29 WEDNESDAY Trivia 1pm - GT Bar Pool Comp 3pm - GT Bar Wind Up Wednesday 3pm - 7pm National Campus Band Comp - UoN Final 7pm - Bar on the Hill

30 THURSDAY

Live Entertainment 12.30pm - Bar on the Hill U Member Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm - GT Bar

31 FRIDAY

U Member Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm - Bar on the Hill 2012 Human Rights and Social Justice Lecture Griffith-Duncan Theatre

01/02 SAT/SUN

U Event Bodyjar Bar on the Hill

SEPT

Bar on the Hill Gig Jinja Safari Doors open 7.30pm Bar on the Hill

Sunday - Doors open 6pm Tix: U Members: $25 Students: $27.50 Guests: $34.50

AUG

Bar on the Hill Gig Bodyjar Doors open 6pm Bar on the Hill

Rachel Otto discovers what brought Bodyjar back to the stage.

t would seem that 2012 has ignited the desires of many 90s favourites to return to the stage. We’ve recently seen the likes of S Club 7, Big Brovaz, Vengaboys and the list goes on. But if you’re looking for something bigger, something huge, then look no further gig-goers because Bodyjar are back! For over a decade, the Melbourne-formed punk-rock pioneers Bodyjar rode the slippery rollercoaster of gigging, jamming and performing both nationally and internationally since the early 1990s. This August these keen beans are returning to the University of Newcastle (along with other venues in both NSW and Queensland) to celebrate the release of their 1998 album No Touch Red on coloured vinyl. In late 2011, Bodyjar kick-started their No Touch Red celebratory tour with long-term friends, and supporting acts, One Dollar Short, Amusement Only and newly formed band, Irrelevant, in Victoria and South Australia. They soon discovered that their desire to continue on their musical journey was shared by thousands of fans, including members from other punk-rock bands such as Millencolin, Bad Religion, Foo Fighters & NOFX. With the passion still burning in the hearts of their fans, jam packing their sold-out gigs, Bodyjar decided that this August it was time to extend their tour by returning to both NSW and Queensland. After having a chat with front man, Cameron Baines, it was clear that there was still so much passion in the band even after so many years. This made me ponder how these bands keep their music alive and reach longevity in such an overwhelming, commercially-affected industry? “I think we were always pretty good friends even before the band, and we didn’t have that person in the band that everyone hated,” joked Cam. “It was all in good fun, at the end of the day we all just enjoyed writing good songs. There wasn’t that rivalry, we just wanted to do what we loved together. Australian bands are actually rather good at that I feel: being able to keep it chill and concentrate on what is important.

• By Rachel Otto • Designed by Jessica Rykers

Yak Magazine - August 2012

“We had band members leave, but we’re still mates now, and they’ve come back to play a few shows as well. Life comes in the way sometimes, but we never forgot that writing good music was what we wanted to do.” After years of touring, you could imagine that it would take a little more effort to get pumped up for a show, but Cam said that despite this, a good, wild crowd never fails to do it. “We love entertaining and getting out there and seeing our fans have a spectacular night to music they’ve helped us make. Our shows in South Australia and Victoria really showed us how much our fans are still really into the whole scene.” After a heroic incident involving Cam’s intervention to help a damsel in distress, it appears even a broken arm can’t keep Bodyjar from playing. “It was a bit of a struggle as I had to have an operation, but surprisingly I could still use the arm to strum. If it had have been the other arm it might have been a bit weird, but I was glad that we didn’t have to cancel any shows after all this work and organising.” When quizzed about the future, Cam was tight-lipped about the band’s future plans. “I reckon it’ll depend on the result of these gigs. I’m still keen to keep going and do something else, maybe write some more songs, see if it sounds alright. I’m really enjoying touring. After not playing for a few years, it was just fun to play those songs again, they’re actually not that bad.” It was great to discover a fire still alive in Bodyjar and the sweaty, screaming stage diving fans that have been there throughout these many years. So if there’s a tour you shouldn’t miss, it’s No Touch Red. Be there and don’t deny yourself this ‘One in a million’ opportunity. • Bodyjar play at Bar on the Hill on Sunday, August 26. Tickets are available from U Contact, Bar on the Hill, Big Tix, Rock Shop and www.bigtix.com.au.

DVD

BOOK

The Hunger Games

The Lorax

City of Lost Souls

August 17

Available now

Availble Now

The Hunger Games stays true to the original storyline in the books, which is a massive plus. The cinematography is good and the special effects live up to modern expectations. It’s not a blockbuster, but if you’ve read the books you won’t be disappointed by this movie.

Zac Efron and Danny DeVito lend their voices to a vibrant, CGI rendition of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax. The story revolves around Ted, who is roped by a cute girl into leaving his all-plastic world in search of a living tree. The Lorax features an underlying pro-nature message coated in modest laughs.

As the fifth book in the bestselling Mortal Instruments series, it follows heroine Clary as she struggles to help Jace, a teenage demon hunter, who is now linked by blood to her evil brother Sebastian (awkward!). Read this if you like the other books or are a fan of the adventure/fantasy genre.

- Jack Morrison

- Jamie Nelson

- Leah Henkel

DVD

Battleship

Avengers

American Pie Reunion

Available now

August 29

April 22

Ok, so this movie isn’t going to win any awards for acting, even with Rihanna’s kick ass debut. However, if you are looking for a light, entertaining action flick with an interesting way to tie in the popular Battleship game, then you will love this!

The Avengers is a movie that does nothing to differentiate itself from the fad of high action, low storyline films. Despite this, it’s a good, solid watch with plenty of input from the huge cast. If you’re up for a quick dose of special effects and action, it’s worth a watch.

This movie brings nothing new to what we’ve seen from the previous movies. I can’t help but think this one was thrown out in an attempt to milk that last piece of profit from a series far past its use-by date. For fans of the series only – and then only just.

- Leah Henkel

- Lachlan Stevens

Yak Magazine - August 2012

Here at Yak HQ we’ve been challenged to give up something important to us all in the name of the 40-hour famine. We hope you’ll do the same.

Claire Young- Deputy Editor (Features) Spiderman and the Green Goblin. Rock and paper. Taylor Swift and Kanye West. Everyone has their arch-nemesis and mine just so happens to be hunger. The first time I attempted to do the 40hour famine, I ended up eating a donut at a birthday party just six hours in. This time was barely better – 27 hours into my challenge I devoured a toasted sanga like it was nobody’s business, and had to restart my challenge by giving up something else – my car. The moral of the story is that you don’t have to give up food for the famine this year. Get creative! 6 hours: It’s no secret to anyone that public transport and I aren’t buddies. I haven’t caught a bus since I was in Year 11 so hightailing it to my internship in town by taking the bus wasn’t the best experience. It should be noted that

Jessica McAneney- Deputy Editor (Regular Content) It was obvious to our Yak team that for this challenge, giving up my diary would send me into 40 hours of chaos. My vanity won against the idea of having a photo of me without make up published in the magazine... then a bright idea came flying across the table with enthusiasm – no talking! It was feasible, or so I thought. 6 hours: I started my 40-hour mission by going to bed. Let’s just hope that I don’t talk in my sleep. 12 hours: Winning! Yet my housemate points out a vital flaw in my plan – she returns to Scotland during my 40 hours. What to do… 18 hours: This is really hard. I have started brainstorming everything else I could have given up over this time.

Yak Magazine - August 2012

I forgot that you have to ring the bell to make the bus stop. Yep. 12 hours: Did you know that Newcastle offers free buses along Hunter St and a free shuttle all over the city throughout the day? What a great way to get around town on a lunch break.

40 hours: I never thought I’d say this but getting the train back to Newcastle was actually a pleasant experience. I can’t say I’ll be catching a bus daily from now on, but I’ll definitely consider it for future trips. Plus I saved $30. Success!

18 hours: A mid week trip to Sydney without my car means having to climb aboard the Newcastle to Central train ride of death. Hand sanitiser and headphones are essential. Apparently showering before climbing aboard is not. 24 hours: Sleep, glorious sleep. 30 hours: After starting my day with two quick train trips, I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of public transport. An afternoon meeting in another part of the city would normally mean a quick cab ride, but after realising it wasn’t all that far away I ditched the taxi and hit the pavement instead.

My bed, my car and even showering come to mind. That would be gross – but thank god for Rexona… 24 hours: Epic fail. It wasn’t even an exciting phrase that broke my code of silence. Nothing profound, no quote that will be found on an inspired meme. Rather, ‘oh hey’ managed to ruin my task at hand. 30 hours: I am relieved that I broke the code of silence. I am taking the time to truly examine why a ‘lack of voice’ is something that we should give up. 10 hours to go, who knows – I might come up with something truly profound. 40 hours: I can’t help but notice that it is in the areas of the world where food is minimal and phones and twitter are nonexistent, that somebody’s ability to talk is all they have got. Whether it is to inform the rest of the world of their situation or to make the most of each day with those around

them, it is someone’s voice – no matter how small – that means something. I am glad that I failed this Yak challenge. I only hope that those who really do feel as if they do not have a voice can break their silence and realize that every word counts. Profound, or what?

Matthew Hatton- Managing Editor I use Twitter quite heavily – to the point where I actually had to sign up a second time for those nights when I tweet so profusely that Twitter steps in and temporarily suspends my main account. So, when the Yak team callously ganged up on me and said I wasn’t to use Twitter for 40 hours, I may have cried a little.

Cutting myself off from what is essentially an extension of myself for nearly two days was not something I was looking forward to. My final few tweets leading up to the 8pm Friday commencement of the challenge show that quite nicely, I feel. 2 minutes: OH SWEET JESUS THIS IS THE MOST AWFUL THING IN THE WORLD. WHAT’S THE POINT IN EVEN BEING AWAKE? I’M GOING TO BED. 12 hours: It was about here where it actually dawned on me just how disconnected from the world I was without Twitter. Organising where to meet a tweep a bit later that morning was…interesting. 14 hours: Catching the train to Sydney without having Twitter to distract me from the other passengers is, literally, the worst thing I have experienced. Thankfully, once you get past the Central Coast there’s some nice scenery.

Rowena Grant- Managing Editor Ahh technology, I love you. Especially you, smart phones. You are sweet aids that help me prove my boyfriend wrong, stalk randoms on facey, keep in contact. What am I going to do without you? One: I am extremely competitive and must prove everyone wrong. Two: my housemate is scarcely home and I have

no landline. Three: I’m stuffed. 6 hours: It’s two in the morning on a Saturday. I didn’t go out. I didn’t know if anyone was going out because I couldn’t contact them. One thing I have noticed is that the room is a lot quieter, my eyes aren’t strained, and my annoying email tone hasn’t woken me up! 12 hours: 8am. I haven’t woken up because my alarms are on my phone. Instead, the sun has made its way around to my side of the flat and is burning my eyelids. Nature has decided to make a comeback. Bastard. 18 hours: 2pm Saturday. Went out to a friend’s for a BBQ and klop. (Google that!) It’s been lovely not checking my phone every few minutes and actually being able to sit down without it sticking into my bum and having to readjust. 24 hours: Still at the friend’s house. Still deep in conversation. While not being

18 hours: Two hipsters in a Glebe café spend over 30 minutes photographing their coffee, their food and even themselves while they ate. I could not mock them on Twitter. This hurt. A lot. 19 hours: Beer. It numbs the pain. 24 hours: Went to a gig in Parramatta. Was lovely. Would have tweeted some photos, but couldn’t. Sad panda. 30 hours: Bed. Sleep. Mysteriously my phone battery is flat by this point, despite me not actually using it. Weird. 40 hours: Marked my triumphant return to the land of constant connectivity with a simple “So, hi!” tweet. Angels descended from the heavens and it was glorious. I may have even smiled a little. What have I learned? Well, withdrawals suck. Remind me never to take up drugs or something because I don’t think I’ll ever cope with sobering up. Would I do it again? Oh HELL no. able to look up cat videos and websites that have been mentioned, instead there have been re-enactments of cats in boxes by humans that don’t fit. 30 hours: Dead asleep. I spent over nine hours at the BBQ and not once was there a lack of conversation because there was always someone without a phone. Nine hours of conversation straight is pretty dang tiring, though. 40 hours: Immediately I am harassed by missed calls, messages and emails. Noooo! The peace that I found in 40 hours without my smart phone exceeded all my expectations, and I miss it straight away. I engaged more in conversation. I listened and learnt more. People tend to freak out when they can’t contact you 24/7. There’s no need for the freakout! A word of wisdom, though: tell your parents. Yak Magazine - August 2012

By Rowena Grant

Life would be so much easier if we were all characters on The Sims.

n The Sims 3 I have created a character that, let’s face it, is a better version of me. Closely resembling yours truly, I live alone, and (for once in my life) have not cheated during this game.

My conscious is telling me I should probably concentrate on my actual life. Yet still, I find myself sitting here trying to finish writing so I can go and advance Navanea to the final career stage. So many Simoleans are coming my way.

I bought a lousy house with my lousy 20 000 Simoleons and have renovated it so it doesn’t look like a junk heap. I’ve established myself as editor-in-chief of the local newspaper, and while I don’t have any children and I’m not married, I have a cowboy boyfriend and am only one step from my dream job.

Thinking about it, it would be much easier to be a Sim with someone controlling me and making me achieve my goals. If someone clicked “Stop Playing Computer Games”, I would. If they had then clicked “Refine Writing Skill” I would. Sure, if they blocked off all the doors in my house and didn’t allow me to eat any food, I’d have to do that as well. But I’m operating under the hypothetical that my controller would be compassionate and much like myself.

I socialise when I want to, I eat when I need to, and I have attuned my character to have traits just like mine… mostly. I am a bookworm (true), lucky (plausible), ambitious (also plausible) hot-headed (fact), and in possession of a good sense of humour (debatable). I control my Sim and tell her what to do for every second of the day. I have put off assignments, articles and work to play this game, just so my alter-ego (Navanea), can improve her work performance by writing articles in her spare time. I didn’t know whether to dye my hair brown, so I made her do it instead. I could go to the gym, but instead I make sure Navanea doesn’t get fat.

at U N I G AM ES P h o to g r a p hy c r e d i t: s p e c i a l t h a n k s to A I C

Yak Magazine - August 2012

I’ve learnt two valuable lessons from The Sims 3: I control my own destiny and I have to work hard to get the things I want. But when it comes down to it, having a ridiculously successful Sim is way better than actually working hard… right now.

I have to go for at least one last breakfast on Darby Street; one more late-night ice cream from Kiwi; one last barefoot run along Nobbys Beach.

Newca stle, Newca stle

Newcastle is the city that elicits an identical response from every non-Novocastrian with whom you speak. From Australians: “Why on earth did you choose Newy?” From non-Aussies: “Where?” In short, I chose Newcastle on a wing and a prayer. I’d never crossed the equator before, let alone been to Australia. I’d heard amazing things from fellow year-abroad alumni, so I crossed my fingers, applied for my visa, and jumped on a plane. It was the best decision of my life. Where else can you lie on golden sands, basking in the sun, whilst counting the coal ships silhouetted on the horizon? Where else can you wander the shops barefoot, without eliciting so much as a sideways glance?

s of this moment, I have lived in Australia for 310 days. In 33 days, I will take the godforsaken train down to Sydney for one last time, have my last Boost juice and board my last Australian plane. In 33 days, I’m going home. I’m already baulking at the prospect of the barrage of questions I will face at home. Worst of all will be “So – how was it?!” How do I answer that? How can I possibly sum up all 343 days of the greatest almost-year of my life? How can I possibly explain the feeling of swimming in the Bogey Hole as the sun rises over the Pacific Ocean? Or stroking the shell of a sea turtle whilst diving off the Barrier Reef?

Where else can you go on a tour of literature, poetry and homemade sonnets, just by walking along the breakwall? Newcastle is a unique and heady brew of academia, ocean spray and sunshine, whilst retaining the flavour of the real Australia, bogans and all. I’ve been here for only a year, which I have filled with incredible experiences. Knowing that your time is limited forces you to squeeze out every last drop. Why hit the snooze button, when you can go for a run along Nobbys, hopping over driftwood, puffer fish and even, once, a penguin? Who needs a nanna nap when they can be out watching the dolphins gambol through the surf? So many of us see free time at university as a chance to catch up on TV, or ignore a towering monolith of assignments. Why not try a more productive form of procrastination? In my year abroad, I have cracked this little gem. I’ve discovered the best coffee this side of the equator; found the most amazing spots to watch the sunrise; the best views of the city… But I’m keeping them a secret.

I can’t. Instead, I am going to focus on making the most of my little remaining time here. Along with some fellow exchange students, I have drawn up a last-minute bucket list. I refuse to leave Newcastle without at least one last swim in the Bogey Hole. I can’t possibly bid this city adieu without one more hike up the harbour side tower nicknamed after a certain male appendage.

Go for a walk along the beach. Discover a new cafe for breakfast. Swim in the ocean baths, or just sit by and watch the waves. Find your own secret spots. Get outdoors. Explore. Discover. Newcastle is brimming with hidden treasures – you just have to be willing to find them.

Yak Magazine - August 2012

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By Katie Burgess

ost of the time, it doesn’t exactly take a genius to figure out where a building got its name from (slow clap for the guy who thought of the name ‘Bar on the Hill’). But what is it exactly that qualifies someone as being worthy enough to get their nom de plume consecrated in brickwork?

“From one perspective, having a bar named after you is a somewhat dubious honour.” In Tanner’s case, it’s an indication of the extent to which he was happy to meet students on their own terms, explains Scott.

Research assistant, project officer for Towards UoN50, and veritable treasure trove of hilarity, Scott Brewer, says having your name put to a building was considered recognition for services to the university. Because most of our uni’s prominent buildings were thrown up around the 60s and 70s, the majority tend to take their nomen from revolutionaries of that era or from people who helped the uni reach its autonomous state.

“He was always involved in the student life of the university, and was extremely generous and supportive,” Scott says. “Many remember him with great fondness, and suggest that Tanner was the exemplar of the university spirit in Newcastle – a little bit of Oxbridge in the Hunter.

“Formerly, the prevailing practice seemed to be that buildings were named in honour of someone as a matter of course. Now, if you are a significant benefactor of the university, or happen to have the name ‘General Purpose’, you might get your name on some bricks and mortar,” quips Scott.

Although knowing which Deputy Chancellor Edwards Hall is named after or that Barahineban in the Awabakal language means ‘bright place to live’ won’t help you navigate your way to class during those first disorienting weeks of semester, if you do ‘accidently’ find yourself in Godfrey Tanner Bar instead of Griffith Duncan Theatre, at least you can sit back, purchase a fine brew and think about some of the people who made the places where we learn and where we like to fall asleep (apologies Griff Duncan) the places that they are today.

In many cases, Scott says, the name of the building tends to reflect the spirit of the person for who it was named. Godfrey Tanner (GT Bar) is what Scott describes as a most conspicuous character.

hat are little boys made of? Slugs and snails and puppy dog tails. So what are teenage boys made of? Jordan Smith, a current PHD student at the University of Newcastle, believes that the health and wellbeing of adolescent boys is a growing issue – and one that can make a difference to the rest of their lives. All nursery rhymes aside, studies have shown how the sedentary time of teenage boys – meaning their couch potato time in front of the TV, Xbox and the like – is dramatically increasing. Instead of running around with friends in the backyard, they are running to get a better shot at zombies online. Having completed a degree in PE Teaching at UoN and spending time working at secondary schools with both teenage boys and girls, this issue has always been an area of interest for Jordan.

“Of course, that being the case, it’s quite apt that we acknowledge that with a bar.”

“Adolescence is a period where people form their identity and create habits that could possibly bump them off to a negative path in regards to health and wellbeing,” explains Jordan. Jordan assisted with the pilot studies of this research topic, forming the groundwork on researching ways to increase the health and wellbeing of teenage boys. Currently, the research has received ethical approval from UoN, and is waiting that same approval from the Department of Education. The intervention strategies and program ideas are being developed, primarily underlined with strategies to reduce teenage boys’ couch potato time. Jordan admits that this is not as simple as turning off the TV. “Everyone enjoys television,” says Jordan. “That’s obviously why it is still going. Yet growing up I was always

engaged in the outdoors, and feel that people who don’t engage in physical activity are missing out”. “Not only does it promote wellbeing, but the experiences one has in physical activity. Training and participating in sport builds confidence in all areas of one’s life”. The teenage boys to participate in the study are being recruited in the Newcastle and Hunter area – specifically from schools that have just participated in a similar intervention study aimed at girls. Jordan is making a difference with his research, believing that the intervention that will occur has the potential to affect students. This will be a step in the right direction of improving their health and wellbeing early on, which will hopefully make a long term difference in their physical and mental lives. And maybe one day in the future they might use their new fitness skills to run from real zombies…

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By Matthew Hatton Designed by Laura Hart Images supplied by TFI

Matthew Hatton takes a look at the future of the automobile and learns about plans to make the Hunter the electric vehicle’s version of Detroit.

’m not sure about anyone else, but when I hear the word “supercar” my mind goes to exotic European cars like Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Aston Martin and the like. I think of cars that look like sex on wheels, have engine notes that are operatic in nature and have engines with cylinders whose number are more than a few multiples of what you and I generally have in our car. I think of cars that feature on Top Gear and cars that I will not, in a million years, ever own.

The festival is broken up into three components that each address specific issues when it comes to talking about the future of transportation. There’s a policy workshop, the show itself and also an endurance race. The policy workshop kicks off the festival on the Friday and has a focus on the Hunter region and how it can be placed to take advantage of the move away from petrol powered machines to ones built using newer technology.

What I would never think of is a supercar that is electric, for one, “It’s a think tank to try and develop policy,” Tim explains, “and to and Australian made, for another. But there is one and you’ll be influence government, influence industry, influence individuals able to see it at the Hunter Valley Electric Vehicle Festival. to lead the way in where we’re going.” The festival, now in its second year after debuting in 2011, is Where we’re going is a big question at the moment. all about showcasing the latest developments in electric The Newcastle region has already seen a large number of our technology and attempting to build the Hunter area as a leader transport-related manufacturing businesses either downsize or in the development of electrically powered vehicles that are close over the last few years. better for the environment. Tim highlights poor strategic planning as a main cause of these Director of the Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment, Professor problems. Tim Roberts, says that the idea for the festival came about as a “Part of the idea of the workshop day is to try to get better way to discuss creating cleaner machines and vehicles. planning for the region, to integrate Department of Planning “We initiated the idea with a view to getting the community and with the Department of Transport with the manufacturers and the government aware of the need to go to clean technologies,” other industry groups and get them working together.” he says. The Electric Festival Show is the centrepiece of the festival “So as an idea we thought we could do a festival on electric and is held at Foreshore Park (the bit of green that connects vehicles because that’s then a way to talk about battery Nobbys with Queens Wharf) technologies and so on.” “We’ve got as many electric vehicles on display as possible,” Tim says. And it’s hard to argue. At the show you’ll be able to see a large variety of electric vehicles and other technology from cars to mining equipment to trains to boats. There will even be an electric surfboard. You’ll be able to take a good look around, learn a lot of things and be entertained by demonstrations. There will also be electricity related fun to be had over at the Newcastle Museum and the Smart Grid, Smart City Information Centre at Honeysuckle. The third component of the festival is the EV Prize endurance race.

Yak Magazine - April 2012

The race involves school teams designing and building their own electrically powered vehicle in order to race them in a Le Mans style endurance race around the Cameron Park go-kart circuit.

whose usual business is building utility vehicles that closely resemble golf buggies probably wouldn’t make a good go of building an electric supercar. Well, you’d be wrong.

Built in Queensland and looking like the result of a Ferrari 458 Teams are given a set of regulations and a budget that they having a baby with an Audi R15, the evS450 promises 0-100 km/h have to keep to. They then go off to design and build their own electric vehicle (usually a bike) over the first two terms of the school year, ‘At the show you’ll be able to see a large variety of electric then race them to see which team’s vehicles and other technology from cars to mining equipment vehicle lasts the longest.

to trains to boats. There will even be an electric surfboard.’

In 2011, it was thought the race would last somewhere in the order of 30 to 40 minutes. However, such was the ingenuity of the designs made by the school teams, the race instead lasted well over two hours at an average speed in excess of the mandated 30km/hr. “Last year was unexpected because the old technology batteries – the lead-acid batteries – could provide a better amount of stored power for your $200 budget than you could get in a lithium battery,” Tim explains.

“It was a real endurance test for those kids to stay on the bikes.” The success of last year’s race has seen the number of entries nearly triple for this year with 20 school teams signed up to compete and test themselves against the clock and each other. The Electric Vehicle Festival Show is being held at Foreshore Park in Newcastle on August 18 from 10am. The EV Prize endurance race is being held at Cameron Park Kart Raceway on August 26.

On Display Tesla Motors – Founded in 2003, Tesla Motors made a name for themselves by producing the world’s first fully electric sports car ever to be put into serial production: the Tesla Roadster. The Roadster shattered the conceptions people held about electric cars by demonstrating how you could actually make one that didn’t look like a rejected prop from a 1970s B-grade space movie and could get you from home to work and back again without needing to stop for a couple of days to recharge the batteries. Varley Electric Vehicles – You would think that a company

in four and a half seconds, a top speed of 160km/hr, a range of 160km per charge with a recharge time of 8 hours. Catavolt – Did you know that we had a world record holding electric motorbike designed and built right here in Newcastle? I’ll bet you didn’t. But on Friday, March 12 2010, a bike powered by a forklift engine and made in Tomago set the world land speed record for (deep breath) Modified Partial Streamlined Electric Motorcycle by hitting a top speed of 177km/hr on a salt flat in South Australia. A bike powered by a forklift engine.

I bid you, did thou knowest about the University Fencing Club? Now with its own Forum studio, the club is open to any staff or student wanting to indulge their medieval side. Whether you’re just looking to widen your social circle or you’re a serious fencer, the club caters for all. U.F.C. offers regular training sessions and social events, provides all equipment, and the opportunity to compete in local and state competitions. Whether experienced or not, the club is open to anyone with the enthusiasm to give it a go.

N.U.D.I.S.C.S is the Newcastle University Ultimate Frisbee Club. Combining football, netball and gridiron, this selfrefereed sport requires no skill level and is one of the cheapest sports on campus, a major plus for all of us living on the infamous university student budget. So if you’re looking for a change of pace in your exercise regime that’s inexpensive and a bit out of the ordinary, why not give ultimate frisbee a try.

e live in an era of growing and changing technology. In my lifetime I have seen at least 10 different upgrades of computer come through my household, and I am still recovering from the shellshock of being told that my regular Xbox was “obsolete”. In simple terms, there is no stopping technological progress. But is it starting to go too far? Recently I discovered that (much to my horror) an iPhone can tell when another iPhone has read a message. There goes any possibility of me ever entertaining an iPhone. Which is disappointing because hanging out for Wi-Fi in order to use Instagram on my iPod touch is really getting old. As horrible as it sounds there are certain times when responding to a message simply can not, and should not, be done. For example: • When your friend messages you for a lift after you have just made hot milo and started watching Desperate Housewives. • When your boss messages you at 8.55 to see if you can work at 9.

Skiing, snowboarding, cycling, hiking, kayaking, paintball and pub-crawling: just some of the activities the Newcastle University Mountaineering Club has to offer for the more adventurous and thrill-seeking individual. The club has access to The Forum climbing gym, provides equipment and organises frequent off-campus trips. So for those adrenaline junkies who need something a little more stimulating than your studies, this could be the place for you.

• When your girlfriend/boyfriend/illegitimate partner messages you that they have finished work early and would like to go for dinner… when you are seven beers in at The Beach Hotel. • When a friend messages you about where the goon sack they left at your house is. Directly after you consume it and party-on to the Cambridge Hotel on a Wednesday night. While these examples are a little fruity, the general idea is valid.

Originally taught in Samurai schools, the traditional Japanese martial art sport of jujutsu has expanded across the globe and developed its own school in the Newcastle University Jujutsu Club. With various training regimes suited to people of all age groups, men, women and children can learn skills such as joint locks, strikes and throwing techniques. For university students it’s the perfect way to learn some self-defence skills should you ever find yourself in a spot of bother.

N.U.D.E.S is the student-operated Newcastle University Diving and Exploration Society. To any individual who has ever had a fascination for exploring life under the sea, N.U.D.E.S provides an affordable way for staff and students to undertake diving and snorkelling. With regular dive trips, all the gear you need available year round, as well as their own social events, check out the gear store located behind The Forum sports complex to find out how you can explore the other 70% of our planet.

By Amy Theodore

Basically there are times when the sender does not need to know that you have received and read their message. The same goes for Facebook chat and the introduction of “seen” appearing when the message has been viewed. Ignoring awkward/inappropriate/bizarre messages is often the best way to opt out of a conversation that is not leading anywhere. With the introduction of “seen” the old “got to go cya” or “brb” is well and truly dead. Now the social rejection and anguish of being ignored can no longer be softened in a parcel of “they must not have read it yet” denial. Also, when receiving a Facebook message on mobile, it is often irksome and inconvenient to respond immediately, especially if the message is not of importance. Once the “seen” tag enters the fray, anything other than an immediate response can be seen as rude. There is no stopping technology or the ways it is developing. Let’s just hope someone draws a line in the sand somewhere.

By Richard Baines

This month, we asked the kids on campus > Nick Turner > Matthew Hatton

JOEL

• If you could compete in any event at the • Olympics, which • If you could compete in any event at the upcoming London would you choose? what ingredients do • With Bluejuice performing during UoN’s Festival of Autonomy, name? same the of l cocktai a in d you believe should be include would it be? • If you had the option of choosing any superpower, which one

ASHLEY

Age: 21. Degree: B. Nursing.

?: ? Degree: B. Visual Arts.

Olympics: Mixed Beach Volleyball. For obvious reasons.

Olympics: Definitely swimming. I love the water and I envy their athleticism.

Cocktail: Blueberry juice, Blue Curacao, vodka, gin, Malibu, and absinthe. The only rule with the Bluejuice cocktail is that there must be no Jagermeister.

Cocktail: I’d mix lemonade flavoured vodka with raspberry soda to make it blue in colour. All finished off with one of those tacky little umbrellas. Superpower: I’d like the ability to travel really quickly. Being American, I’d like to be able to fly home in the blink of an eye.

Superpower: I’d like the ability to grow a beard really quickly. I have very poor facial hair growth and it makes me feel not the least bit masculine.

JENNA

Age: 21.

SASCHA

Age: 21.

Degree: B. Industrial Engineering. ?: ? Olympics: I do some martial arts back home, so I suppose it would probably be that. Jujutsu, perhaps.

Degree: B. Psychology. Olympics: Volleyball. I’ve played all through high school and I still play at my university back home.

Cocktail: Blue Curacao, salt and lemon juice. Keep it nice and simple.

Cocktail: We have a mixer in America called UV Blue. I’d start with that and add a little Sprite and some Malibu.

Superpower: I would like to be invisible. Getting around without being noticed would be really cool.

Superpower: I’d like to have the ability to read people’s minds. Being a psychology student, I would really like to know what people are thinking. And, it would make my job much easier.

Want a free coffee and the chance to win an iPad? Then fill in the library satisfaction survey before Sunday, August 12. Last time the UoN libraries ran the survey they received over 6700 responses – the second highest response among 32 universities! They’d love to break that record, not only for the mad props, but also because it means they’re getting more information from students. In the last two years, the UoN libraries have been going ahead with the changes you wanted. Picture increased

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Age: 25.

online resources, more places to sit, better wireless access and more space for both group and quiet study. They’ve also put in more power points, reorganised their collections and extended library hours during exams. The link to the survey is easy to find – visit newcastle.edu.au/ library. So tell them what you think. Results indicate they’re going to listen!

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HILLTOP HOODS THURSDAY, 2 AUGUST

Tix: U Members: $39.95 │ Students: $42.45 │ Guests: $42.45

BLUEJUICE

WEDNESDAY, 8 AUGUST

Tix: U Members: $20 │ Students: $22.50 │ Guests: $27.50

JINJA SAFARI THURSDAY, 16 AUGUST

Tix: U Members: $20 │ Students: $22.50 │ Guests: $32.50

BODYJAR

SUNDAY, 26 AUGUST

Tix: U Members: $25 │ Students: $27.50 │ Guests: $34.50

THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS THURSDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER

Tix: U Members: $25 │ Students: $27.50 │ Guests: $37.50

TIX ON SALE NOW From U Contact, Bar on the Hill, GT Bar, Rock Shop and www.bigtix.com.au Conditions of entry apply. For more info, visit www.uonservices.org.au