Yak March 2012

INSIDE: SURFEST MAKES A RE-ENTRY Paddy Kilmurray plops his couch on the beach to take a look at Newcastle’s iconic surf festival.

THE GIRL IN THE BAND MC Blue from the Potbelleez talks to Katie Burgess about their upcoming gig at Bar on the Hill.

UoN GUIDE TO CLUBBING

There’s more to uni than just study.

Discover some of the amazing clubs and societies UoN has.

ISSUE 6 / MARCH 2012 BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE U

CONTENTS 08

Cover design by Jessica Rykers

EDITORIAL Matt Hatton - Managing Editor Rowena Grant - Managing Editor Nick Turner - Deputy Managing Editor Claire Young - Deputy Editor Esther Savage - Deputy Editor Jessica McAneney - Deputy Editor Lachlan Stevens - Deputy Editor Angela Geddes - Lead Graphic Designer Jessica Rykers - Junior Graphic Designer Jock Spence - Promotions Officer

CONTRIBUTORS Ben Pickles - Graphic Design Emily Wood - Contributing Writer Gemma Roulstone - Graphic Design Jane Hume - Graphic Design Kate Lamont - Graphic Design Katie Burgess - Contributing Writer Lauren Johns - Graphic Design Paddy Kilmurray - 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.

ADVERTISING

10

13

SURFEST MAKES A RE-ENTRY

THE UON GUIDE TO CLUBBING

LUNCH FOR LESS THAN A TENNER

16

18

20

WOULDN’T IT BE NICE

15000 KMS AWAY AND BACK AGAIN

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

21

22

25

IT ISN’T EASY BEING RED

THE USUAL STUFF

THE GIRL IN THE BAND

ENTERTAINMENT REVIEWS

04 Stalkerspace

06 Careers

04 Yak or Yuk

07 The Awkward Moment When...

04 Green U 05 Dear Bernie 05 Watt Space 06 Support U: Student Hubs

07 How to: Survive University 14 What’s On 27 Vox Pops

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

facebook.com/yakmagazine

twitter.com/yakmagazine Yak magazine is a free publication of UoN Services Ltd © 2012. www.uonservices.org.au Printed by PrintCentre on Callaghan Campus.

Get your free copy from press-points around campus on Monday, April 02.

• WE CATCH UP WITH FREESTYLE FOOTBALLER CHRIS BEAVON. • THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN THE HUNTER VALLEY. • A PROFILE OF THE 2012 MS BALL.

LETTER FROM

THE EDITORS

THIS MONTHS BITING QUESTION: “If you could form a club or society of your own, what would it be?”

MANAGING EDITOR

ROWENA GRANT

MEET OUR MANAGING EDITORS,

ROWIE & MATT

Our new editorial team are now settled into the Yak nest and are producing content that our shaggy overlord has deemed worthy. We think it’s pretty damn good as well. Hopefully you’re settling into university life as comfortably as we all feel in our Yak nest. But what have you noticed around campus? For the newbies: is it what you thought it would be? Have you found that everyone is helpful and nice?

Being nice is something that should come naturally. Human beings weren’t designed to live alone, and human interaction is sometimes the only thing that can keep us sane.

Considering this, you would think that people would jump at the chance to chat to, help, nod to, or even look at the different people around them. But is this really the case? The Yak team puts the theory to the test and wanders around on campus to gauge our humanity. You can read all about it in Wouldn’t it be Nice?

Other than an intriguing look into humanity on campus, we’ve got a profile on a familiar face around Callaghan, Danny Craft, a guide to some clubs and societies that exist at the university, and an awesome interview with The Potbelleez matriarch.

Happy Yakking!

Mountaineering Club

Club/Society: I would definitely be the president of the ‘Grammar Club’. The members would be skilled in the art of grammar and violence, culling those who don’t know which “your” to use.

MANAGING EDITOR

MATT HATTON

Club/Society: The ‘Make Matt Rich Foundation’.

This philanthropic society serves the goal of making Matt rather rich - possibly a goal more noble than that of Mr Gates or that hodge-podge group the United Nations.

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

NICK TURNER

Club/Society: The ‘Third Person Society’. Nick Turner would like to form a club or society that talks only in the third person. Nick thinks this will be a huge success.

DEPUTY EDITOR - ENTERTAINMENT & TECHNOLOGY

LACHLAN STEVENS

Club/Society: The only logical answer to this question is for me to form the ‘Add @lachlanstevens on Twitter Club’.

DEPUTY EDITOR - REGULAR CONTENT

JESSICA MCANENEY

Club/Society: I would form the ‘Money Should Grow on Trees Society’, where our aim is to discuss how one can sort their budgeting lives out, whilst spending money on activities including beverages, food and shopping.

DEPUTY EDITOR - REGULAR CONTENT

ESTHER SAVAGE

Club/Society: The ‘Ewok Appreciation Club’. We all know that the rebels wouldn’t have defeated the empire without our furry little friends.

DEPUTY EDITOR - FEATURES & PROFILES

CLAIRE YOUNG

Club/Society: The ‘Lovers of Awful Reality TV Shows Society’. I know I’m not the only one who gets emotional over a good episode of Wife Swap, Toddlers in Tiaras and The Biggest Loser.

JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER The Potbelleez

JESSICA RYKERS

Club/Society: Claire, I’d have to say I’d be signing up to your club, get me to ‘The Bachelor’ :-)

PROMOTIONS OFFICER

JOCK SPENCE

Club/Society: I’m with Claire. Lame TV is the bomb! I’ll be Vice President.

Yak Magazine - March 2012

03

NEWCASTLE Tutorial Registration: The only time when not UNI STALKER- even hipsters can maintain their cool.

SPACE 287 people like this

ALEX

Keeping your cool is pretty 2011, man.

It’s all frustratedcore and panicpunk now.

4 people like this

JAKUS

To the two girls Sunbaking in Civic park over the road from the CHIC ... there is nothing healthy about a tan ... or the thoughts you are making me have.

11 people like this

TROY

They should just have every class open at the same time. Battle royale style.

5 people like this

TROY

... Style.

0 people like this

LUKAS

I thought they used to?

1 people like this

TROY

No, like, an actual battle royale, Put forms up in the Great Hall and have everyone fight it out.

Clearly, if you die during this assault, you were never cut out for uni anyways.

17 people like this

See more @ Newcastle University Stalkerspace Facebook page.

Aeroguard

89%

11%

Public Urination (Doing it, not watching it)

45% 55% 28%

Timetabling Bar on the Hill Refurb O-Week

95%

5% 78%

22%

Tute Rego

04

72%

Yak Magazine - March 2012

NUSEC President and UoN Services Sustainability intern, Emily Wood, introduces the Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment.

The future is a curious thing. We can never know for certain what it will look like; our capricious expectations are often fringed with a mixture of hope (for a better future) and fears (of one worse). What we do know for certain is that it is our decisions and actions today that will ultimately shape our future as individuals, as communities, as nations and as a planet. It is especially important that we consider the impact of our current activities on the future when it comes to the environment.

There are many local, national and global groups, organisations and individuals currently dedicating a lot of time and effort to the development of solutions for a sustainable future. The Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment at the University of Newcastle is one such organisation. The Tom Farrell Institute was established in 2006 and is the gateway to environmental research and teaching at the University of Newcastle.

Their vision is to help develop regional solutions for a sustainable future.

Tom Farrell, the Institute’s namesake, was an incredible Novocastrian. Farrell worked at the Newcastle Abattoir for nearly 50 years, during which time he was instrumental in the establishment of the University of Newcastle, as well as playing a fundamental role in the foundation of major parks and reserves at Blackbutt, Mount Sugarloaf, Barrington Tops and Myall Lakes. Tom Farrell had a passion for the environment and certainly played a huge part in shaping the Newcastle that we know and love today.

The Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment aims to continue his legacy, focusing on ecosystems and sustainable regions research, as well as developing knowledge and skills for a sustainable future. The institute aims to develop partnerships with and build support from governments and community groups as well as business and industry.

The Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment is now located in the new IDC building on Callaghan campus.

To find out how you can get involved with the Tom Farrell Institute, including volunteering opportunities and supporting local projects and events you can find the Tom Farrell Institute on Facebook or by searching for them on the University of Newcastle’s website.  www.newcastle.edu.au

46% 54%

Dear Bernie, What can I do about my cheese addiction? I cannot stop eating cheese. I’ve even started injecting it. Help!

Firstly, and immediately, stop injecting cheese. By injecting cheese you’re missing out on all that amazing cheesy flavour and cheese without flavour is just a pile of suspect-looking yellow mush.

Dear Bernie, Chicken or Beef?

Ahh, a question that can leave you paralysed in fear and confusion at that most inopportune time of just before you’re about to cook a meal to satisfy your hunger cravings.

There is really no correct answer to this question. The fairest way, if you were genuinely stuck, would be to toss a coin and let the fates (along with gravity, inertia and centripetal force [yes, that’s right, science people?]) solve this quandary for you.

I do have another idea though, and this should appeal to the Island of Doctor Moreau fans in the audience; start working on a way to breed chickens and cows together.

Surely, if someone were to find him or herself so turn between two delicious meats, the only practical solution is to combine them into one amazing and most delicious Chickow (You owe me a royalty if you use that name).

Do you have a question that you would like our resident guru Bernie to help you find the answer to?

Cheese is organic, so I can’t imagine there would be any harm in just existing solely off it. I mean, it can’t be worse than that girl in the news recently who lived off nothing but chicken nuggets for 15-odd years.

Note: Don’t let Dear Bernie guide your dietary choices. He is not that kind (or any kind, really) of doctor.

MAR 14 - APR 1

Oceans of Chaos

Little deaths little releases - Shan Turner-Carroll Matter and Void - Lyndon Savio | Shadows and Fractures - Emilie Caillot Turning Circle - Jane Farrah | Oceans of Chaos - Zyana Walker Thursday, Mar 15, 6.30pm

Thirdly, out of all the substances on this planet one can become addicted to, cheese is probably one of the least harmful. Embrace your addiction. Start a cheese blog.

Travel the world in search of delicious cheeses (and, perhaps, some lovely vino to accompany it).

Simply drop an email to yakmagazine@newcastle.edu.au with “Dear Bernie” in the subject line and, if your problem is so great that Bernie decides to deliver unto you a pearl of wisdom, Yak will deliver unto you $10 of Umoney that you can spend around campus…probably to buy a drink or two to help dull the pain.

FEB 22 - FEB 11

Turning Circle

Secondly, unless you typed this out one-handed, you are actually capable of stopping yourself from eating cheese.

So don’t lie to me.

Connections

Fauna in Print

Monozygotic - Anna and Sarah Morewood Augment - Curated by Amy Hill | 3,200 - Casuarina Bird Connections - Christine Jaggers | Fauna in Print - Douglas Webb Exhibition proposals for Semester 2 due Friday 20 April

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 12 noon -6 pm, Wed - Sun. Ph: 4921 8733

Yak Magazine - March 2012

05

SUP PORT U At the very least, there will be one time during your university tenure when you just don’t know who to turn to.

• Printers, photocopiers and scanners

It’s at this point that you will recall this article, and make your way to one of the Student Hubs. Located on both the Shortland and Hunter sides of Callaghan campus, Ourimbah, City campus and Port Macquarie, the Hubs are there to help you with a variety of problems that you may face during your time at the University of Newcastle.

• Referral to Careers Service, Counselling Service, Dean of Students, Disability Support Services, Graduate Studies, and Loans and Welfare • Scholarships advice • Travel Concession

It is here that you can seek advice on policy, enrollment, admissions and credit information. You will definitely have to visit your nearest Hub to have a mug shot of yourself taken and placed on your student ID card. And let’s not forget the rush hour leading up to 5pm when there is an assignment to submit!

You can also visit your nearest Hub for assistance in the following areas: • Computer access and wireless enabled areas • Fees advice and information • Information about applying for special circumstances • Information about cross-institutional study • Official transcripts • Parking Permits

Do you know what’s out there once you finish your degree? Our Graduate Programs offer a wide range of employment information and opportunities. The majority of Graduate Programs close their applications in March and April, so it’s time to find out!

T

he 2012 Graduate Careers Expo is an event used by employers to promote their organisations, employment opportunities and 2013 graduate programs. They’ll also help by providing you with information on the labour market, potential employers and professional association contacts. Check out the fantastic Degrees to Careers web pages (www.newcastle.edu.au/ students/degrees-to-careers/) for upto-date information.

06

By Jessica McAneney

Yak Magazine - March 2012

• Program advice and information

Locations: Shortland Hub Shortland Building Mon - Fri: 8.30am - 6pm City Hub (CHIC) University House Mon - Thurs: 9am - 6pm, Fri 9am - 5pm Hunter Hub Student Services Centre Mon - Fri: 8.30am - 6pm Student Hub - Ourimbah Mon - Fri: 8.30am - 6pm Student Hub - Port Macquarie Mon - Fri: 8:30am - 4:30pm All Enquiries 9am to 5pm Callaghan - 02 4921 5000 Ourimbah - 02 4348 4030 Enquire Online: Ask UoN

At this expo you can obtain information on: • The type of graduates organisations employ; • The structure of each organisation’s graduate program; and • When and how organisations recruit graduates – it’s the perfect opportunity to ask questions about their recruitment process!

Date: Tuesday 20th March, 2012 Venue: The Great Hall, Callaghan Time: • 10.30am – 1.00pm: Business, Humanities, IT and Law • 2.00pm – 4.30pm: Design, Engineering and Science

• Nursing and Allied Health Careers Expo - Date TBA • Vacation and Volunteer Expo Monday 6 August 2012 For more information, look up ‘Events’ on CareerHub. Don’t forget to visit the Careers Service and collect the latest copy of the Graduate Opportunities book which is filled with graduate programs for all disciplines.

Remember it’s never too early to start planning your career!

Careers Service

The Careers Service is also holding the following expos throughout the year: • Education Careers Expo - Friday 30 March 2012 • Accounting, Economics and Finance Careers Expo - Date TBA

> Callaghan – SC2.12 Student Services Building > Ourimbah – Student Support Unit www.careerhub.newcastle.edu.au

By Rowena Grant

Moving out can be hard and finding a somewhere to live can be the hardest part of the journey.

ave you ever lived your life in someone else’s shadow?

A sibling’s shadow? A classmate’s? Even a friend’s?

Living in someone else’s shadow can be hard, especially if they are doing what you would like to in the future.

The Student Housing Assessment Scheme (SHAS) – lead by their intrepid coordinator Christine Cuthbert – can help you answer all the questions you may have if you decide that you want to, or if circumstances mean that you have to, live out of home.

What if you were living in the shadow of somebody you had never met and they had no idea of the psychological impact* they were making on you? Welcome to my life.

“The problem is,” she says, “most students don’t know what we offer or how to access our services.

Hi. My name is Rowena Grant. And I want to be a writer, preferably in the style of frankie. However, I have a problem.

There is already a Rowena Grant. Who writes. For frankie.

Although we do have slight differences in our names – she’s a little chillier than I am, with the additional hyphenated ‘Frost’ – opening one of the magazines you hope to write for in the future (or even in the present) and finding they already have a Rowena Grant to write for them is dismaying.

SHAS helps students find quality, off-campus accommodation and can help out international students by actually taking them out to inspect properties to rent.

H

Why on earth would they want to replace this proven Rowena Grant for another younger and less experienced prototype?

Grant-Frost is a good writer. Some (including me) would also call her great. She has a unique point of view and a way of writing an article and telling a story that keeps people interested. Her quirky humour and the way she shares details about her own life are appealing and you just can’t help but like her.

So how am I to separate myself from her? Do I need to separate myself from her? Shouldn’t those of us with unique names like ‘Rowena Grant’ (well... apparently not so unique) stick together and help each other out? Am I even really in her shadow?

Perhaps, rather than focussing on how successful Grant-Frost has been, I should focus more on myself. Concentrating on someone else’s achievements is going to get me nowhere. All it’s going to do is drag me away from developing my own writing skill and push me towards bitterness. And that just gives me a headache.

However I would still like to write for frankie, so I’m working on usurping her. Anyone with creative ideas on usurping, please post them on the Yak Facebook page. They will be considered. *It’s not so much as a psychological impact rather than more of an annoyance at the fact that I finally found someone with a similar name to me and they seem to be succeeding at my chosen career... Bitch.

“It can all be accessed at home from the website, but the secret is to come in and see us.”

Christine also stressed the importance of students taking the time to read the fine print on leases before signing anything and handing over money for a bond.

“It doesn’t happen often, but there are some sharks out there and occasionally a landlord will try to take advantage of a student,” she warns.

Another bonus about going through SHAS is that the university staff go out and inspect a number of properties before listing them on their database to ensure they meet standards set by the university.

Once you have got that sorted, you need to consider things like groceries.

The Newcastle University Students Association offers fruit and vege boxes, which are available each week for the mere sum of $15. You can order your box from NUSA by 4pm on a Wednesday and they’re available to pick up by 11am the next day. Talk about service!

Each NUSA fruit and vege box can feed a household of four for a week and is a great way to ensure you can eat healthy for a low cost.

Keeping costs under control is a crucial part of living out of home.

Write yourself a budget, monitor your bank account and make sure, at the very least, you only spend as much money as you’re making. Everyone is different, but some general awareness goes a long way to keeping things on track.

Of course sometimes things go wrong. When that happens, the university offers students advice and assistance when things don’t turn out the way you expect. You can find details at http://www. newcastle.edu.au/service/loans-and-welfare/ Hopefully with these few tips, you’ll be able to better enjoy your new, independent life.

Yak Magazine - March 2012

07

Paddy Kilmurray takes a look at the resurgence of Surfest, and discovers it’s not just waves and babes.

F

or Novocastrians, Surfest is an institution - a summer tradition which has forged its way deep into the sporting community like the colours red and blue.

Contest director Warren Smith has been involved since the competition began in 1985, and says it’s not only a cultural experience but a lifestyle one too.

And, like our football and soccer teams, Surfest has been incorporated in Newcastle’s sporting revolution, with its future now resting comfortably under the financially secure blanket that Nathan Tinkler and the Hunter Sports Group provide.

“Being there and watching an international sporting event at a beautiful beach like Merewether provides the perfect backdrop for everyone to enjoy the contest.

However, Surfest offers something different to the rough and tumble that we’re used to seeing at Turton Road.

It’s individual, cultural, expressive and so unique it’s only available once a year.

It’s individual, cultural, expressive and so unique it’s only available once a year.

You won’t see breathless red-faced fans waving flags and chanting “Newcastle, Newcastle”, although the surroundings are equally rousing.

It’s not played in front of a packed stadium, but the atmosphere is equally inspiring.

The competitors aren’t built like brick shithouses, but display the same amount of courage and skill as our footballers.

For the past 27 years Surfest has been showcasing our city to the surfing world, in a way no other local sporting team or event has been able to do.

08

Yak Magazine - March 2012

“It’s not just the surfing and competition, but everything else that comes with it, the people and the lifestyle that this event promotes is what makes it so unique,” said Smith.

When Surfest began in 1985, it was the richest event of its kind, and although it’s stood on shaky ground at times, it now has its feet firmly cemented for years to come.

Mr Smith was there in the competition’s first year, a year that saw Tom Curren and Shaun Thomson battle it out in front of 30,000 spectators at Newcastle beach.

This memory is firmly etched in his mind, along with many others.

In the 27 years it’s been running, Smith has managed to bring Mark Richards and the 10 world champions together, he’s seen Mark Occhilupo come back from adversity to win in ‘98, and witnessed the greatest competition surfer of all time, Kelly Slater, in his prime.

But something that he prides the competition on most of all is the international contingent, and what they bring to the event.

Before Nathan Tinkler and the Hunter Sports Group brought LA Galaxy to town, Surfest was the only international sporting event in the Hunter.

Competitors come from all over the globe, putting Newcastle on the world surfing stage for all to see.

Smith says the foreign contingent provide the ideal opportunity for international students to meet and support their fellow countrymen and women.

“We’ve always had a host of international students come down and support their favourite surfer, whether they’re from France, Spain, America, England or Indonesia,” said Smith.

“They bring their stools and couches, put them in the sand and cheer and support their heroes.”

“The commentators have always made a point of getting around to these people and interviewing them, often sending well wishes in their native language, it makes both the surfers and their supporters feel welcome.

“We love to experience their culture as much as they love ours,” he added.

The competition has regularly featured the worlds best, and this year is no different.

World number two Joel Parkinson and number four Taj Burrow have both confirmed they will be a part of the 2012 edition.

They’ll go up against one of the strongest fields assembled, which includes a strong group of local surfers looking to make a mark in front of their hometown crowd.

Ryan Callinan, Jake Sylvester and Jesse Adam are just a few of the local names who’ll be looking to upset the likes of Fanning and Burrow in the men’s draw.

On the women’s side, local natural footer Phillipa Anderson will go up against

female champion Carissa Moore, and world number two Sally Fitzgibbons.

Former professional and pro junior winner Travis Lynch, is yet to confirm if he’ll make a cameo appearance, but admits Surfest is a massive experience for the young locals looking to make their way in the tough world of professional surfing.

“They spend the year travelling the world exchanging stories of their hometowns,” said Lynch.

“Having Surfest in Newcastle gives the locals an opportunity to showcase Newcastle to their peers, while having an extra edge in competition with home ground advantage,” he added.

Lynch knows all too well how cut-throat the world of professional surfing can be.

After being one of Rip Curl’s most photographed surfers back in 2010, the rigours of travel got to the Merewether local who now enjoys a pressure free lifestyle since leaving the tour.

Although it may all seem like beer and skittles, the world of professional surfing is a lot less glamorous than it appears, and Lynch knows how important this competition is to the locals.

“Getting the chance to compete at this level on your home break is amazing.

“There is nothing better than getting a pat on the back and a good luck from your best friend or Mum and Dad before a big heat,” said Lynch.

“The tour is generally a lonely place, so to be home with some support is an awesome experience and something that should be cherished,” he added.

The staunch reputation the competition built began to fade, crowds dropped, surfers went elsewhere and the women’s event was teetering on the brink of extinction.

Since the prize money has gone up so too has the event rating, and the calibre of surfers are beginning to follow.

Now is the time for Surfest to make its journey back up the ladder as one of the top rated competitions in the world.

The city is doing its part, providing free buses all around Newcastle for the final weekend of the event.

Smith says the event is a friendly environment, and spectators planning on making an appearance can expect a large welcoming crowd.

“Depending on names and surf conditions, organisers are expecting anything up to eight thousand spectators for the final day of the event,” said Smith.

“If the surf is wild and dangerous we generally get a lot of people coming to have a look at that,” he added.

Surfest may have become just a blip on any Novocastrian’s sporting calendar, huddled in amongst the plethora of Knights and Jets games.

However, all that’s changed, it’s surging back to the heights of its inception, a time when Mark Richards dominated the world of surfing.

Although times have changed - location too - Surfest is no longer just a blip on the sporting calendar, it’s riding the wave of success into what will hopefully be a long and successful future.

After spending some time in the doldrums, Nathan Tinkler’s injection of funds has been the catalyst for change.

Yak Magazine - March 2012

09

Your

g n i b b u l C o t e d i u G UoN (…and

e not o, we’r

n

talkin

For some people, making friends at University is no easy feat.

Getting into the routine of going straight from your car to your lectures and tutes, before jumping back in your car again and going home is effortless. Sometimes it might seem like the only human interaction you have on campus is telling the guy at Subway that you’ll have BBQ sauce on your footlong sub.

If this is sounding like you then you might want to think about joining a club.

Did you know that the world record for the fastest badminton smash is 332km/h, which is 81km faster than the record serve in tennis? President of the Badminton Club, Chaston Wu, admits that most people at Uni aren’t very familiar with the sport.

“Yes, it’s the sport with the mini tennis racquets and the feather ball things,” he jokes.

The great thing is that anyone can join this club regardless of whether you’re a serious competitive player or someone who has never touched a racquet before. Members of the Badminton Club get together and play every weekend in The Forum.

If you’re interested in joining but haven’t played before, the club will be conducting some beginner’s training sessions this month where they’ll teach you the basic skills of badminton to get you started.

10

Yak Magazine - March 2012

nys)

t Fan g abou

Cost: $10 per semester. Each session is $4 for members, $6 for non-members and your first session is always free.

Website: http://www.uonbc.com/ Facebook: Newcastle University Badminton Club

BREAATHHE is a Rural Health Club that aims to promote rural and remote practice to its members through information exchange, placement opportunities and support.

Members of the club run a number of different activities, which provide fun and educational experiences for students.

Activities include their annual skills night, trips to rural and remote areas, BBQs, cultural awareness training, indigenous health nights, inter-professional development speaker nights and subsidised first aid training.

They also have themed networking nights including the upcoming ‘Old Texas Ranch Party’ this month on the 9th of March.

The club is aimed at students within the Faculty of Health so by joining you’ll get to know a little bit more about other health professions. Liaison Officer Simone Young points out that a great benefit of the club is making new friends who will be great contacts for you at the end of your studies.

“It’s a great way to meet heaps of people in and out of your course and to meet students in older and younger years,” she says.

Cost: $2 for the life of your degree.

Website: https://breaathhe.nrhsn.org.au Facebook: BREAATHHE - University of Newcastle Rural Health Club

The Newcastle Christian Students (NCS) club exists to help people get to know Jesus better. President Sam Broadfoot emphasises that NCS is open to anyone and everyone.

“We have public meetings, small groups, camps and days away which are open to people even if they didn’t want to commit to joining,” he says.

“The great thing about NCS is that we’re all uni students who are keen to understand what God says to us through the Bible. So it doesn’t matter where you’re at in life, if you want to know God then you’re in good company.”

The NCS have free meetings every week where you can simply be a face in the crowd or even catch up one on one. Sam suggests that if you’d like to learn more about this club, you should drop into one of their meetings at the Life Sciences Theatre at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Cost: Free Website: www.newcastlechristianstudents.org Facebook: Newcastle Christian Students

This is a club for students who love nothing more than getting outdoors.

The Mountaineering Club run trips that range from bushwalking to rock climbing, white water kayaking to cross country skiing and all things in between.

President Bek Lewis thinks that the best part about the club is getting to meet so many like-minded people.

If you’re inexperienced with the great outdoors don’t worry, Bek says that there are many members in the club who are experienced and love passing on their knowledge to anyone enthusiastic enough to learn.

Cost: annual membership is $40. Trips will cost extra.

Website: http://numc.nusa.org.au/ Facebook: Newcastle University Mountaineering Club

The Atheist Society is a social club as well as a special interest group. On one side they’re a club that gets together for movie nights with free pizza, snacks, BBQs and trivia nights. On the other side they’re a society for those who like to get down to some serious intellectual discussions on a range of atheism and religion-related topics.

President Tim Chaston stresses that anyone can join the club, surprisingly even those who aren’t atheist.

“We count among our members a chaplain from the University’s chaplaincy service and members from the christian societies on campus,” Tim says.

“Everyone’s welcome so long as they’re up for free and open discussion.”

This club is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves the snow, would like to get into snow sports or for anyone who just loves to party down and make new friends. President Joel Pilgrim says that anyone can join the club regardless of their skill level.

“There are rail jams and competitions for the more go get ‘em snow lovers, great social ski trips for the not-so-competitive and parties for… well everyone,” Joel says.

“Last year a stack of people who had never seen snow before came to New Zealand and they all had a blast,” he says.

According to Joel, the only negative of the club is that the snow is so far away, but that doesn’t seem to stop them.

“We have several rail jams a year where we get ice from local suppliers and have a makeshift snow run with jumps and rails.

After a slide on the hill you can jump in the surf which is great – and something you can’t do at the snow!”

Cost: membership is $20 (Please note: this cost does not include trips to NZ… if only) Website: http://nu-ss.com/ Facebook: Newcastle Nu-ss

Cost: $2 and according to Tim they’ll throw in a blasphemous sticker for free.

Facebook: University of Newcastle Atheist Society

Yak Magazine - March 2012

11

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Staying over on the Shortland side of campus, make a visit to the sandwich artists at Subway to take advantage of their summertime deal. They are currently offering two six-inch subs of your choice along with two 390ml bottles of Coke or Mount Franklin Water for just $9.95. This is too good an offer to share, so skip breakfast and fill yourself up at lunch.

Koboh at BotH When the Yak team discussed the idea of an article about

When I was first informed about Koboh, a fusion of Korean

cheap food on campus, all fingers pointed directly at me.

and Mexican cuisine that is now available at the revamped

Naturally, I thought that this was because they acknowledged

Bar on The Hill, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Was I going

my love for all things food, but it turned out they consider me

to be seeing barbecued guacamole, Asian inspired burritos

to be rather ‘careful’ with my finances.

or kimchi quesadillas? Well, rather pleasantly I got none of

Thanks, guys!

those. Instead it was soft and delicious barbecued meats

But my tightness aside, I absolutely love eating and we are

lashed with a flavoursome sauce and other goodies. Throw in

blessed here on the Callaghan campus to have good food

an ice cold beer and you’ll still get change from $10.

at reasonable prices. So read on to find out where to go and what to buy. And best of all, it will cost you less than a

For the vegetarians out there at UoN, hop into the Huxley

$10 note. It’s almost cheaper than bringing your own!

Library’s Bytes Cafe to pick up a glass noodle and vegetable salad. Full of crunchy vegetables, soft noodles and

This place is hands down, the cheapest place for lunch on campus. Situated next to STA Travel at the bottom of the Shortland Building, the Uni Bakehouse provides baked

accompanied with a delicious dressing, this one was a hit with my good self. At just $5.50 you’ll have enough change leftover to buy yourself a coffee to wash it down with.

goods that will keep your wallet fat. We here at Yak can’t

Now, these are just a few of the options available for a cheap

go past their deal of a pie or sausage roll, a Coke and a

eat on campus. So don’t stress if you forget your lunch and

sweet treat for only $7. Bargain!

all you have in your pocket is $10. There’s just about something for everyone.

Share your views

voice

Newcastle

Have you wanted to be more involved in shaping Newcastle’s future? Are you interested in providing input into Council decisions and activities?

Join today

Register online at www.mynewcastlevoice.com.au

“There’s enough decision-making done on our behalf; younger citizens need their own voice heard and not have others speak for them.”

James, 16-24, Wallsend, Newcastle Voice member

WEEK 2

An Evening with John Cleese 8pm - Civic Theatre

05 MONDAY

08 THURSDAY

Wii Wars 3pm - GT Bar

Surfest Merewether Beach

Poker 6.30pm - Bar on the Hill An Evening with John Cleese 8pm - Civic Theatre

06 TUESDAY

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

09 FRIDAY

Trivia 1pm - Bar on the Hill

Surfest Merewether Beach

Bar Bingo 4pm - GT Bar An Evening with John Cleese 8pm - Civic Theatre

07WEDNESDAY

WEEK 3

Trivia 1pm - GT Bar

12 MONDAY

Pool Comp 3pm - GT Bar

Surfest Merewether Beach

Wind-Up Wednesday 3pm - 7pm - Bar on the Hill

Wii Wars 3pm - GT Bar

Glenn Murcutt 5pm - The University Gallery

MARCH

Doors open 7.30pm Bar on the Hill

Soccer: Newcastle Jets vs Gold Coast United 4pm - Ausgrid Stadium

Surfest Sat/Sun - Merewether Beach

Campus Markets 11am - 2.30pm Auchmuty Courtyard

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

10/11 SAT/SUN

Surfest Merewether Beach

Bar on the Hill Gig Sparkadia

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

Common Lunch Hour BBQ 12pm - 1pm Bar on the Hill & Auchmuty Courtyard

8

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

13 TUESDAY Surfest Merewether Beach Common Lunch Hour BBQ 12pm - 1pm Bar on the Hill & Auchmuty Courtyard Trivia 1pm - Bar on the Hill Bar Bingo 4pm - GT Bar

14 WEDNESDAY Surfest Merewether Beach Trivia 1pm - GT Bar Pool Comp 3pm - GT Bar Wind-Up Wednesday 3pm - 7pm - Bar on the Hill 2012 Alumni Lecture 5.45pm - Newcastle City Hall

15 THURSDAY

Surfest Merewether Beach U Member Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm - GT Bar

16 FRIDAY

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

Poker 6.30pm - Bar on the Hill

28

MARCH

Bar on the Hill Gig Ball Park Music Doors open 7.30pm Bar on the Hill

MARCH Soccer: Newcastle Jets vs Brisbane Roar 4pm - Ausgrid Stadium Newcastle Show Newcastle Regional Showground

17/18 SAT/SUN

Surfest Sat/Sun - Merewether Beach St Patrick’s Day Newcastle Show Sat/Sun - Newcastle Regional Showground

WEEK 4

19 MONDAY

Harmony Week Launch 12pm - 1.30pm - AIC Wii Wars 3pm - GT Bar Interfaith Devotional & Discussion Services 4.30pm - 5.30pm - Chaplaincy HA152A, Hunter Building Poker 6.30pm - Bar on the Hill

20 TUESDAY Graduate Careers Expo 10.30am - 1pm - Business, Humanities, Law and IT 2pm - 4.30pm - Design, Engineering and Science The Great Hall Common Lunch Hour BBQ 12pm - 1pm Bar on the Hill & Auchmuty Courtyard

30

MARCH

Trivia 1pm - Bar on the Hill

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

Bar Bingo 4pm - GT Bar

Cerebral Palsy Fundraiser 3pm - 8pm - Bar on the Hill

Interfaith Devotional & Discussion Services 4.30pm - 5.30pm - Chaplaincy HA152A, Hunter Building

21WEDNESDAY A Taste of Harmony 12pm - 2pm - Bar on the Hill Trivia 1pm - GT Bar Pool Comp 3pm - GT Bar Wind-Up Wednesday 3pm - 7pm - Bar on the Hill Interfaith Devotional & Discussion Services 4.30pm - 5.30pm - Chaplaincy HA152A, Hunter Building 2012 Alumni Lecture 5.45pm - Newcastle City Hall

22 THURSDAY

Harmony Sports & Games 12pm - 2pm - Auchmuty Courtyard U Member Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm - GT Bar

23 FRIDAY

International Cultural Dance Off 1pm - 3pm - Bar on the Hill

24/25SAT/SUN

Newcastle Jockey Club Races Sat - Broadmeadow Racecourse

WEEK 5

26 MONDAY Wii Wars 3pm - GT Bar Poker 6.30pm - Bar on the Hill

27TUESDAY Common Lunch Hour BBQ 12pm - 1pm Bar on the Hill & Auchmuty Courtyard

Bar on the Hill Gig Ball Park Music Doors open 7.30pm Bar on the Hill Tix: U Members: $17 Students: $19.50 Guests: $22

29 THURSDAY

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

30 FRIDAY

U Member Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm - Bar on the Hill Bar on the Hill Gig The Potbelleez Doors open 7.30pm Bar on the Hill Tix: U Members: $20 Students: $22.50 Guests: $27.50

31/01 SAT/SUN

Trivia 1pm - Bar on the Hill Bar Bingo 4pm - GT Bar

28 WEDNESDAY Trivia 1pm - GT Bar Pool Comp 3pm - GT Bar Wind-Up Wednesday 3pm - 7pm - Bar on the Hill 2012 Alumni Lecture 5.45pm - Newcastle City Hall

Easy! Drop us an email to yakmagazine@newcastle.edu.au with your event name, date, times and other details.

Bar on the Hill Gig The Potbelleez

Pre-sale tix available on campus at:

Doors open 7.30pm Bar on the Hill

U Contact Bar on the Hill

Is chivalry dead? Are random acts of kindness a thing of the past? Do we tell people if their dress is tucked into their undies?

Claire Young and the Yak Team find out…

By Claire Young & the Yak team. Designed by Jane Hume

Fashionable – …well mostly. Unlike some American colleges you won’t see a pair of pyjama pants on this campus. Overall we dress to a fairly high standard (excluding the odd pair of jeggings here and there.)

Students and staff at the University of Newcastle are: Tough – between swatting mosquitoes, fighting to the death over precious parking spots and climbing the hill to the Great Hall, studying here is no easy task.

Multicultural – currently more than 7,800 international students from 80 countries are enrolled in our programs in Australia, outside Australia and online.

JESS Deputy Editor (General Content) The Challenge – Look utterly lost and hope that somebody would be kind enough to offer me directions.

Round one - At the start of this challenge, my dreams of chivalry, charity and finding a good samaritan were still alive, and with an A4 print out of the Callaghan campus map and a look of disorientation on my face I wandered around outside the Shortland Hub.

Intelligent – our University consistently ranks in the top 10 universities for research in areas like health and medicine, science and engineering, and energy and the environment.

It’s safe to say that people on our campus have got it all going on… but are we nice to one another?

In order to find out our Yak Team was put to the test… Well, actually, we put YOU to the test, and the results are in.

the Hunter Building is a labyrinth of winding hallways, hidden classrooms and constant misleading turns.

stranger would interact with me, offer some assistance and hopefully help me look for the keys.

I thought my attempt to find HC19 would be susceptible to those passing by. How wrong I was.

Round one - AIC. I approached a girl in her mid 20s hanging in the centre of the room.

What I didn’t realise is that she had her headphones in and it’s safe to say I scared the hell out of her.

Despite her initial terror, she was extremely helpful and looked around and under the desk before suggesting going to the IT Rover to see if they’d been handed in.

SUCCESS

10 minutes later I was still wandering around and hoping for a stranger to take pity on a lost student.

I thought I should persist further and began walking awfully close to the very few people nearby, to no avail.

No directions and no Good Samaritan make for a very ‘lost’ student - FAIL Round two - hoping that Hunter side would hold more promise, off I wandered to the Hunter Building.

It is a well-known fact to the experienced college campaigner that

16

Yak Magazine - March 2012

Round two took place in the AIC Courtyard by a bench.

Almost getting lost in a literal sense, as opposed to my pretense of being lost as apart of the challenge, I gave up within 20 minutes- FAIL CLAIRE Deputy Editor (Features) The Challenge - Walk up to a stranger and ask if they’d seen my car keys lying around. Ideally the

The guy I approached was happy minding his own business when I went up to him.

Me: You haven’t seen my keys lying around by any chance, have you?

Guy: Nope, when do you think you left them here?

Me: (not prepared for question) …

About twenty minutes ago.

Guy: I’ve been sitting here for half an hour.

Me: Oh that’s right… I was sitting at that bench… over there… (walks away) FAIL Round three left me wanting to try something different.

I went upstairs at the Auchmuty Library and within a few minutes I had a kind stranger help me look for my keys around the computer desk.

thinking that the challenge was a disaster, before finally being given a hand in picking the remainder up by a second year psychology student.

Success at last!

So if you’re reading this Matthew, thank you for not only restoring my faith in humanity, but for also not judging me too much for carrying round a stack of Cosmopolitan magazines. SUCCESS

Round three - I thought my third occasion would be a success.

I could feel it in my waters.

I knew someone was bound to take pity on a poor blonde like me who needed some help in the common sense department.

Once again, nothing. Zilch, zip, nada.

Am I to take it as a compliment that you like to see my bum?

Screw you, Callaghan campus. FAIL

After a minute I reached into my handbag and “found” them.

He cracked a joke and said “No worries, I was looking for my sunnies this morning and found them on my head ten minutes later”. SUCCESS

Hopefully by reading this, we’ll all learn a thing or two from the results of this challenge.

NICK Deputy Managing Editor

• If someone looks lost, help them out with directions.

The Challenge – Drop a stack of books in the AIC Courtyard, hoping that a kind stranger would assist me in picking them up.

• If someone’s in an awkward situation and needs a helping hand, give them one (unless it means physically pulling someone’s dress out of their undies… don’t do that!)

Round one - I walked straight past a group of students eating their lunch, coming to grief only a few feet away from where they were sitting.

Obviously their ham and cheese sandwiches were far more important than my misfortune, as I wasn’t even given a second glance. FAIL Round two - My second attempt saw me drop my big stack of books as I was about to make my way up the steps to the library. Still, nothing. FAIL Round three - I was halfway through picking up my dropped goods,

It’s simple stuff.

ROWENA Managing Editor The Challenge – Walk around with my skirt tucked into my undies and see if anyone has the heart to let me know.

Round one - My first outfit was a lovely blue dress, a favourite of mine.

Already short, it was extremely obvious that this beautiful attire was tucked into my alluring Batman undies underneath.

After visiting Bar on the Hill, Student Services near Hunter, and walking around to where my car was parked, the only reaction I got was the wind plucking my skirt out of my undies.

• If the person sitting next to you has toilet paper on their foot, a pen stain on their cheek or spinach in their teeth, take the time to politely let them know – maybe even crack a joke over it, it will make the whole situation more comfortable.

• Smile at the person serving you at Pinkies and make conversation with the people who work in the Hubs on campus.

We’ll be spending a lot of time on campus in 2012 so we might as well enjoy it and help each other out as much as we can.

What a great guy. As for the humans on campus? Zilch. FAIL Round two - My second outfit was a little longer than the first, and even more obvious to any onlookers.

Leaving the toilets in the AIC, I walked through the room to the furthest computer.

Really, people? Zip. FAIL Yak Magazine - March 2012

17

Looking at his shorts, pluggers and one of the famous UoN caps, you wouldn’t believe Danny Craft was not an Aussie local. Although considering his experiences in Australia so far, you could say he’s become one.

Flying over from the state of Indiana, USA in early 2010, Danny had no idea what to expect from his international adventure to study IT at the University of Newcastle.

Coming from a managerial position in a retail convenience store in the USA, Danny tells of his desires to get out and get a career.

He wanted to go somewhere to escape the ‘intensities’ of scanning Twinkies and Lays chips for customers in his quiet home town.

While most Novocastrians walk casually past Newcastle’s finest monuments, like the Brewery’s … giant and erect piece of architecture, Danny recalls his personal amazement as he got lost in a lively and exciting city so different from his home.

“Coming from the States to here, there aren’t too many differences in culture, but I’ll admit the drinking culture is a little bit stronger,” Danny jokes.

Also contributing to our ‘Aussie pride’, Danny notes how good looking Aussie girls are – one point to Australia.

18

Yak Magazine - March 2012

“Guilford, where I live in Indiana, is a quiet town with a completely different atmosphere to Newcastle, so it was a big change for me to come to a place where more is happening and so many more people are around.”

For any international student it’s a tad scary coming to an unfamiliar place where you don’t know anyone, have no idea what the culture will be like, or sometimes can’t speak the language.

However Danny found no problem becoming a social butterfly within months.

“When I came over, I got involved with NUSA in the international student department. I helped out with a lot of stuff on campus for Ramadan and the Islam society. I also helped out with a lot of clubs, societies and events on campus.”

Soon enough Danny, the new kid on the Newcastle block, had been appointed Activities Officer on campus, the Senior Coordinator for Barahineban College and had even started up his own photography club.

With a bit of chuckle, Danny tells how “there used to be a photography club on campus about 10-15 years ago, but somebody took off with the money, so that kind of put a halt to it I guess”.

Forgetting the unfortunate ending to the last photography club, Danny took initiative in founding the International Photography Society of University of Newcastle (IPSUN).

With a thriving 60 members, the club has been meeting once a month and is helping students express their passions for their hobby or career.

After a full year studying IT, Danny realised like many others before him that his degree was not where he wanted to be, and so he changed to a Bachelor of Communication for his second year in Australia.

Continuing on his exciting path to new places, people and positions, Danny’s popularity, especially amongst NUSA and international students escalated quickly.

“I got elected to become the president for all of NSW international students, which means I had to look out for the welfare of international students attending high schools,

By Rachel Otto Designed by Ben Pickles

private colleges, TAFEs, and Universities” he says.

“I handled issues for international students concerning accommodation, transport, mental health and physical wellbeing, and especially helped if they had any problems in their uni life.”

Unfortunately, what Danny had not foreseen were problems in his own life at university leading to his abrupt departure.

“In order to study over here, my study had been funded by a private loan company, much similar to a HECS debt, but this company for some reason had not renewed my annual loan,” he says.

Not only were Danny’s plans to finish his degree in Australia at a standstill, his desire to explore more of Australia had also been put on hold.

“I always thought I’d have more time, and while I will have to figure out my loan when I go back home, there is always a big chance I won’t get to come back here straight away.

“It was hard, and frustrating trying to figure out what was going to happen when the loan company wouldn’t give me a straight answer.”

While the sudden change in Danny’s plans was seen to be an unfortunate one, there is a silver lining to his return to the USA.

“Over the past two years of my time in Australia, I have experienced more than just the fun of being overseas. I have felt the disadvantage of it too,” he says.

helped people and made a lot of friends along the way. I’ve learnt more about myself here than I ever knew when I was back home.”

Within the first year of living in Newcastle, Danny found a huge obstacle in not only international study, but in life, with the loss of his mother taking him back to Indiana to say goodbye.

Danny notes that studying abroad is not only a chance to expand your horizons and your experiences, it’s about opening yourself up to other cultures and appreciating people’s differences in order to learn from those around you.

Only months after, another huge blow came about with the sad loss of his grandmother in May. Danny admits how hard it has been for him to cope with these sad family tragedies from so far away, especially when the bereavement had not stopped. Sadly, only weeks ago, Danny’s aunt also passed away.

Three close family members lost, and 15,000 kilometres away, Danny confesses he’s faced hardships he didn’t anticipate in his time overseas.

“It’s been a rollercoaster two years here, but I think that the good in my journey has definitely made up for the bad. I have experienced so much, met a lot of different and exciting people and have had such an incredible time here in Australia. It will be good to go home to my Dad and be with my family again,” he says.

“I’ve been salsa dancing, I’ve met the Governor of Tasmania, formed clubs,

“While I don’t want to sound cliché when I say you become worldly, you do. International study opens you up to opportunities to find out about many cultures. I learnt about Australian, South American, Malaysian, Chinese and Asian cultures, much more than I would have in USA,” he says.

“My advice to any student considering overseas exchange would be: don’t be scared. Get involved. Mingle with people and learn their culture. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Go to NUSA, go to the international student department.

You learn and see so much more with an open and eager mind.”

Danny’s experience in Australia has not been one to be forgotten, but one to be admired. While most of us settle for ‘Ps get degrees’, Danny explored much more in the potential of university and made a difference to himself and everyone who met him while he was here.

Yak Magazine - March 2012

19

Jessica McAneney discovers why straying off the beaten path can be a good thing, as she interviews Lakshmi Nayana Vootakuru from the University of Newcastle’s Alumni community.

I

T I s N OT E V E RY DAY that you meet someone who will encourage a prospective doctor to postpone both their study and career to pursue other interests.

Lakshmi Nayana Vootakuru is not your everyday person.

With an approach to Medicine that displays wisdom beyond her years, Nayana is a young woman looking to change the world and is well on her way to achieving her goals.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine from the University of Newcastle in 2006, Nayana moved to Sydney to complete her internship and residency training.

Currently studying to be an anesthetic register, Nayana is moved every few months for her training, the nature of which will provide her with a breadth of experience in her medical career.

Such a breadth of experience is something that Nayana has always focused on, having worked in remote and indigenous communities in different capacities.

She has spent time in northern Western Australia with the Royal Flying Doctor Service and in the Northern Territory with the Aborigine medical services. The time spent in these remote parts of Australia has allowed

her to gain different perspectives on various policies.

interests, and not be solely focused on their medical careers.

“When you are off the beaten track, so to speak, you are forced to break the patterns that develop in medicine,” Nayana explains.

“It was an entirely different experience to clinical medicine, and some of the most salient years of my life,” she explains.

“There are no x-rays, no access to various pieces of equipment. It is completely different, as they (the patients) do not come to a clinic; we (the medical team) drive and visit them for vaccinations.”

“I learnt more about humanitarianism, Australia’s unique place in the world and the context of Australia amongst its neighbours in Asia and the Pacific. It was instrumental in expanding my experience.”

In 2008 Nayana worked as a policy and diplomatic officer for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Working for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in no way detracted from Nayana’s medical career, as her love for policy and humanitarianism fueled her passion for the work.

“When you are off the beaten track, so to speak, you are forced to break the patterns that develop in medicine,” In an environment where most people come from a business, economic or political background, Nayana brought an entirely new perspective with her medical science background.

Nayana credits this time working for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as life changing, and uses it as an example as to why medical students should chase their other

In the future she aspires to work in health policy, refugee and migrant issues and contribute to the greater discussion that is Australia’s role, and what it should be in relation to these various issues that are at the forefront of the world stage.

More recently, Nayana has returned from a year of studying her Masters in Medicine at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, USA. This unique opportunity came about after she was awarded the 2010 Menzies Scholarship.

Nayana is very humble when discussing this outstanding >> Article continues on pg 20.

20

Yak Magazine - March 2012

accomplishment, crediting the University of Newcastle as she was one of three chosen from the University of Newcastle to receive this scholarship.

“It is an honour that UoN as a smaller university produces quality students who receive such recognition.

Nayana comments that her experience in Boston was both eye opening and rewarding, considering how medicine in the USA is approached with a sense of possibility where one has access to people with experience, stories and opportunities to broaden their approach to medicine.

Nayana’s advice for medical students isn’t the most expected, as she encourages students to prolong their studies and pursue their interests.

“Don’t be afraid to stray off the beaten path. Embrace those parts of the puzzle that you are interested in, as interconnecting these with medicine will give you a more innovative and creative approach.

Avoid the tunnel vision, you are never just a doctor.”

“It is an honour that UoN as a smaller university produces quality students who receive such recognition.”

Nayana’s respect for the field of medicine is inspirational, as she acknowledges that it is not a career, but a lifestyle choice that requires incredible stamina with the hours, training, and approach one must take to succeed.

Nayana recalls her time at the University of Newcastle fondly, finding the interconnectedness and ability to reconnect with the UoN network refreshing and comforting.

Nayana is a doctor whose approach to modern medicine is refreshing and innovative.

Her drive to contribute to the issues on the world stage is inspirational, and in her case, absolutely achievable.

There is no doubt that she is not just a doctor, she is a young woman ready to change the world.

Do you know anyone who has graduated from UoN and has had remarkable experiences? Let us know at yakmagazine@newcastle.edu.au or on our facebook page.

I

Minister, I am not a fan of her hairstyle and she is hardly a natural redhead. Sorry Jules.

I am not going to pretend that I love it. I avoid certain colours in my wardrobe as I look washed out, or like Christmas has come early. People ask the question, blonde or brunette? Never red.

As a child of the 90s I loved that I had ‘shotgun rights’ on Ginger Spice and I Love Lucy reruns are reassuring that I am not the only clumsy, rather gullible redhead out there.

Cleopatra, Thomas Jefferson, Vincent Van Gogh, Queen Elizabeth I and Mark Twain are some historical ‘ranga’ counterparts, whilst today we have the stunning Christina Hendricks, Nicole Kidman, Prince Harry, Florence Welch and Lily Cole, to name a few.

am not one to complain about my appearance. I was born with red hair, and for most of my life I have embraced it.

I have had friends nickname me Red, hairdressers gush over how lucky I am to have this amazing natural hair colour, and Chris Lilley tell me that I deserve endless taunting and teasing as I resemble, to an extent, an orangutan (minus the bare butt and tear-jerking ad on television).

One would even argue that being called a range of terms (I am not going to go into details, but Ranga, Carrot Top and Safety Match are a few) based on your hair colour, is as awful and offensive as being called something based on the colour of you skin.

But I, like those around me, acknowledge that we are slowly dying out, being a recessive gene and all, and hold my auburn head high knowing that I am unique on the inside and the outside. I don’t have those dumb blonde jokes following me around, although some of my friends might argue that I should.

Consider those successful who have red hair. Now while the most obvious would be our current (at time of writing) Prime

Why, J.K. Rowling dedicated a whole family to our ‘dying hair colour’, so surely we’re not that bad?!

I am luckier than some of my counterparts, not having ‘other’ red hair. I even have freakily brown eyebrows. Go figure. But I embrace my ‘redness’ so to speak, and slip slop slap against the rays that taunt and dote with sun-kisses the lily-white complexion that walks hand-in-hand with red hair.

So to those who taunt, tease and laugh at the few who remain: ease up! Remember, it isn’t easy being red, but boy do we embrace it, temper, passion, sunburn and all! •

Yak Magazine - March 2012

21

Katie Burgess chats with MC Blue about gigs, life spent in transit and what’s next for The Potbelleez.

By Katie Burgess - Designed by Kate Lamont

nyone who is familiar with The Potbelleez’s indefatigable, pulsating club beats and hooks devised to be hollered across the dance-floor can only imagine the people who create this kind of music must be crazily vivacious and energetic all of the time. But when we caught up with The Potbelleez’s very own MC Blue, the lovely lady sounded anything but lively. Napping through our first attempt to interview her, we managed to get lucky the second time around.

“I sound so much more in the world now,” she laughs forgivingly, but sleepily.

She has good reason to be exhausted too. The Potbelleez, based these days in Sydney, played corporate shows in Caloundra and Brisbane on Friday and Saturday nights before hopping over to the other side of the country to play at a beach party in Perth on Sunday.

“You never quite know how the weekend is going to turn out, you know,” she yawns.

The band seems to spend as much time in airports these days as they did in clubs when they first started out and this weekend in transit is no isolated anomaly for these guys. Since MC Blue met The Potbelleez in 2004 – at this stage the electric DJ duo of Irish ex-pats Dave Goode and Jonny Sonic – it has been non-stop. Introduced through their agent, Miles Cooper, the trio played a gig at Moulin Rouge in Kings Cross together, and while Blue was living in London, the boys called and asked her to tour with them during the Australian summer.

22

Yak Magazine - March 2012

“I actually fronted The Potbelleez by myself for the first three years,” Blue says. “Throughout that time, Ilan (Kidron) was also in the studio with them [in Australia] working on tunes and stuff but he was fronting another band at the time so that’s where his commitment was, so initially the four of us were working together but in separate capacities – they were working with Ilan in Australia and working with me in the UK and when we were touring – then gradually it all kind of came together.

“After a couple of years working with them, we released Junkyard, [so] that was the point at which I moved back from the UK, committed fully to The Potbelleez as a project and at the end of that year ‘Don’t Hold Back’ came out and it’s all history from there.”

Are you with me?

Bringing together this insane bevy of individual talents was no menial task however.

“It’s always a process, you know,” she says of trying to make The Potbelleez work in those early years. “It was incredibly hard to get balance right when we first started working together and still is. That’s what makes the dynamic.”

When writing, the group tends to focus on their own particular parts before bringing all of the elements together as a group, which Blue says forces the band to draw deep from their pool of respective individual talents and makes them strong and complementary as a collective.

“Ilan has a great talent for writing hook-lines with the intention [of them] being sung back to him and fair dues to the guy for nailing it. [Dave and Jonny] aren’t from the same musical background that Ilan and I are from; they’re from the DJ world which is a whole other animal in itself…Me and Ilan just sing with the guitar and figure shit out. I’m the girl in the band [and] as a rapper I am quite feminine in my energy. I bring femininity and feminine sexuality in an open way to each performance.”

Trouble Trouble for The Potbelleez?

Touring incessantly has taken its toll on the members of the group however, with talk of solo projects plaguing the group.

To these rumours, she responds frankly.

“To be totally honest with you, it’s always been my goal as an artist [to go solo],” she says. “I ultimately do want to do solo projects and I’ve been making some music with a good friend of mine recently, but until this point I’ve actually been solely dedicated to The Potbelleez as an outlet for my work. I don’t want to split myself up, but you know as time goes on, it’s like ‘Okay, well, we’ve already achieved so much now, we’ve come such a long way in such a short amount of time and it’s so much pressure’. I think all of us at this point are feeling that we want to express ourselves as individuals outside The Potbelleez and all of us are doing so.”

Don’t Hold Back Don’t expect The Potbelleez to split any time soon though as the group are moving onto bigger and better things. “Gigs are our bread and butter… [but] for The Potbelleez, there’s no more that we can do in Australia, there’s not really much further that we can go. We’ll go overseas and see who else wants a piece.

It’s a real make-or-break point for us depending on where we choose to go with the third album,” Blue says.

Their third album is currently in the demo phase, but Blue says it’s still early stages yet.

“We haven’t really had a lot of time [due to touring] but Jonny has made a bunch of demos and they’ve been writing some stuff already. We’re going to take some time off in April, May and June from performing and pretty much from each other, so we’re just working as much as we can before then so that we can still pay ourselves our wages while we’re away and just get into some different stuff.”

The band shared their supporting act role for the first few shows with US rapper Trey Songz, and Blue raves about the level of support they received from the crew and from their fellow performers while on tour.

“Usher is just the loveliest man,” she says most affectionately.

“I couldn’t speak highly enough of him on a personal level.

His whole energy is just smooth and relaxed and genuine and that filters through to his whole entire crew and everyone that works for him.”

She says that the crew were genuinely amazed at the reaction the band got from the crowd.

“We only had like a 20-minute set, but we had the whole stadium singing along to every one of those five or six songs and the crew couldn’t believe it. The dude in [Usher’s] band said to us, ‘We’ve been all around the world and no first opening act has ever done that before’.”

Never gonna get too far away from the music Despite their indescribable love for what they do, their constant touring schedule wreaks havoc on their personal lives.

“I’ve learnt in this job that there’s no point in even really trying to think too strongly about anything more than two weeks ahead because everything just changes all the time,” Blue laments. “You think you know where you’re gonna be or should be, but it really takes until the day before to know that it’s actually gonna happen.”

Not that she’s complaining too much though.

“It’s harder for the boys who have families at home [than for me] but essentially, you don’t even try to plan your own life.

“The bottom line is, you can’t plan anything for yourself because your job is your life and it is first priority of everything that affects you and that’s a huge challenge that I think not many people and fans out there would realise. Then again it’s like, how much do we really need to plan for ourselves when this job takes us everywhere that we could possible imagine or want to go to be doing exactly what we love. We do need a few more breaks though,” she concedes.

“Gigs are our bread and butter… [but] for The Potbelleez, there’s no more that we can do in Australia, there’s not really much further that we can go. It’s a real make-or-break point for us depending on where we choose to go with the third album.”

This break from each other appears to be long overdue. The band has been on the road since October 2010 and even supported Usher in his OMG tour in March and April of last year, which Blue says was an interesting experience considering the band are accustomed to being the headlining act.

“It was like headlining anyway to us”, she states bluntly. “We can be very humble when we choose to be, I’m sure we can all be very egocentric when we choose as well, but to us, that Usher tour was such a great opportunity and we’re so grateful for it and our attitude towards the whole thing was humble and was like ‘We are just here to support and do whatever it is that you guys want’.”

Although sounding thoroughly exhausted, Blue promises that their upcoming show at Bar on the Hill will be “high-energy”.

“If anyone’s seen us before, you can expect more of the same, and if you haven’t seen us, it’s just a whole lotta energy. Get ready to put your hands in the air and scream at the top of your lungs!”

The Potbelleez will be playing at Bar on the Hill on Friday, 30 March.

Yak Magazine - March 2012

23

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CD

By Lachlan Stevens. Designed by Ben Pickles

Leonard Cohen – Old Ideas

Triple J’s Hottest 100 Volume 19

Out Now

Out Now

Out Now

When American singer Lana Del Rey released the single “Video Games” in mid2011, the internet lit up with discussion of her talent, and prophesising of her possible future popularity. Describing her lower voice as something she did to “help stand out”, her style could be described as a bit of pop-soul. With the release of Born to Die at the beginning of February, many have been left disappointed. The overly processed nature of the album makes it a smooth listen, but when stretched across a length of 12 tracks, the whole things seems a little bit long and drawn out.

44 years on from his first album, and Cohen’s still got it. But don’t let the title fool you: while it might be the same Leonard Cohen we know and love, there’s nothing old about the tracks on this CD. Despite his age, it might even be the best of his career.

There’s plenty of character to speak of in the record, from the gentle self-ribbing of “Going Home” to the lament of a broken relationship in “Different Sides”. It might be Cohen’s first album in eight years, but he’s lost nothing that made him an all-time great.

The Hottest 100 isn’t just a countdown – it’s an Australian institution. With 42 tracks spread across 2 discs, you’re certainly getting bang for your buck with this one.

Featuring big winner Gotye along with The Black Keys, Skrillex, Ball Park Music, Jebediah and 360 among many others, there’s a bit in it for everyone with this year’s Hottest 100 CD.

Game of Thrones S1

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn

Real Steel

March 7

March 15

March 28

HBO produces another winner. Along the same lines as earlier hit Rome, Game of Thrones adapts fantasy author George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series for the small screen. Sean Bean, Lena Headey and Peter Dinklage, winner of an Emmy and Golden Globe for his performance, combine with brilliant costuming and cinematography to produce one of the best series of 2011.

Look out for season 2, set to air mid this year.

Included to satisfy the “twi-hards” amongst us, we here at Yak aren’t on Team Jacob or Team Edward; We’re on Team Decent Acting, and this movie certainly does not sway us to its side in this regard. As usual there are several versions of the film coming to DVD, with a raft of different features and numbers of disks. Perhaps they could have remastered Kristen Stewart’s face to be something else other than a pout. Copious immature sex scenes might keep the simplest of us entertained, but the rest will surely see through this one.

It seems like an age ago that trailers for Real Steel first began to appear in cinemas.

Finally, Hugh Jackman’s newest film is coming to DVD and Bluray. For a movie with such a huge lead up, it was a disappointing one. With a story more predictable than the average episode of Neighbours, don’t expect any surprises from it, but if equal parts Rocky and Transformers seems like a thrilling combination to you, consider Real Steel.

DVD

Lana Del Rey – Born to Die

Imagine the possibilities

With the wealth of services available from the PrintCentre on campus, you’re only limited by your imagination!

Find us at facebook.com/printcentreuon PrintCentre University of Newcastle Level 2, Shortland building tel 02 4985 4474 email printcentre.uon@aus.fujixerox.com www.fujixerox.com.au/printcentreuon

This month, we asked the kids on campus

“Where do you keep your tomato sauce?”

With Nick Turner

JUSTIN

BEC

Degree: 3rd year Medicine

Degree: 3rd year Medicine

Where do you keep your tomato sauce, do you keep it in the fridge or cupboard?

In the cupboard. Although, I don’t really believe in tomato sauce.

Where do you keep your tomato sauce, do you keep it in the fridge or cupboard?

I’m a fridge kind of gal. There’s something about the feel of cold sauce on a hot meal that I just like.

Fess up, what did you have for dinner last night?

Steak. Just steak.

Fess up, what did you have for dinner last night?

Chicken and vegetable stir-fry.

Sticking to my roots.

GABI

MILKO

Degree: 3rd year Medicine

Degree: Masters of Human Resource Management

Where do you keep your tomato sauce, do you keep it in the fridge or cupboard?

Cupboard, without a doubt.

Fess up, what did you have for dinner last night?

I was lucky enough to go out for dinner last night. I had the chicken salad from 3 Monkeys on Darby Street. Yum!

Where do you keep your tomato sauce, do you keep it in the fridge or cupboard?

Even in the Philippines we keep it in the cupboard!

Fess up, what did you have for dinner last night?

I’ve only been here for three days and I’m still settling in. I had a fry-up though, pork and prawns.

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