Yak September 2012

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BYE-BYE BEAUTIFUL Mat McHugh reflects on his time as a Beautiful Girl.

SWAP TILL YOU DROP Turns out your degree is not a life sentence.

THIS ONE TIME...

Ruth Kotevich tells of the quirkier things that happen in hostels.

ISSUE 10 / SEPTEMBER 2012 BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE U

CONTENTS 07

Cover design by Jessica Rykers

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

CONTRIBUTORS Alexandra Neill - Contributing Writer Alex McFarlane - Graphic Design Charlie Rogers - Contributing Writer Danielle Said - Graphic Design Edie Stevens - Contributing Writer Gemma Roulstone - Graphic Design Holly Royce - Contributing Writer Jack Morrison - Contributing Writer Jasmin Harrison - Contributing Writer Jess Tisdell - Contributing Writer Jessica Charnley - Graphic Design Katie Burgess - Contributing Writer Lachie Leeming - Contributing Writer Lara Field - Contributing Writer Leicha Stewart - Contributing Writer Ruth Kotevich - Contributing Writer Sophie Ruddell - Contributing Writer

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

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

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BYE-BYE BEAUTIFUL

THE GIFT OF LIFE

THIS IS NO TART

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ENTERTAINMENT REVIEW

ALL WORK AND NO PAY

THIS ONE TIME, IN A HOSTEL

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SWAP TILL YOU DROP

THE USUAL STUFF

04 UoNline

09 Dickie’s Dilemma

05 How To

14 What’s On

05 Watt Space

24 The Awkward Moment When

06 Green U 06 Support U 08 You Study WHAT?!

09 5 Things

25 Places and Spaces 26 Spotted 27 Vox Pops

Get your free copy from press-points around campus on Monday, Oct 01.

• Get ready for Halloween with our feature on ghost tours and haunted houses.

• Read our guide to spring cleaning.

• Find out what Oktoberfest is all about.

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.

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 had a time machine, would you use it to go forwards or backwards in time, and why?”

MANAGING EDITOR

A WORD FROM OUR MANAGING EDITOR,

MATT Science has managed to put man on the moon, it sent probes beyond the outer reaches of the solar system, it landed robots the size of small cars on Mars and we’re within spitting distance of understanding how the universe itself came into being.

Sure finding signs of fossilised microbial life on another planet would be cool. But would interest in it really extend beyond on the “Oh, that’s rather nifty” reaction once the announcement is made? I doubt it. How many of us can genuinely state that we understand what the Higgs Boson is and how its existence resulted in the creation of the universe? An exceptionally small number, I’m sure.

I just can’t shake the feeling that science has been ignoring the area that would have a direct and understandable impact on the lives of every day people. They haven’t yet stood in front of the world and said, “Here is a discovery that will immediately change the way you live your life for the better. Isn’t it amazing?”

I refer, naturally, to time travel.

I know that I’m not the only person out there who struggles with finding a balance between work, study, family, life, friends and all that other stuff that fills our lives with obligations and commitments we have to meet.

There are many people, like myself, that would enjoy being able to revisit a moment in time, or perhaps completely skip over others. Having this ability would make me a lot less stressed and a lot happier.

Yes, I know there are issues like the grandfather paradox and infinite timelines that need to be taken into consideration. But, really, how hard can it be?

MATT HATTON

Forward. Always forward. Skip over the terrible things and have a life filled with the good things. Also, maybe, find a point in time where I have decent Internet at my house.

MANAGING EDITOR

ROWENA GRANT

Backwards. I once read this Paul Jennings book where this kid could look into some weird eye thing and see the future. Then he would try and change it AND THE THING HE SAW WOULD HAPPEN. I learnt never to mess with ‘the future’ that day. NEVER. DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

NICK TURNER

I’m tempted to say that I would go forward five years, primarily to see if my Bachelor of Arts degree will see me employed somewhere other than the gardening department of Bunnings Warehouse.

DEPUTY EDITOR - REGULAR CONTENT

JESSICA MCANENEY

I would go back in time to the 15th of August, 1969.

To witness Woodstock would be incredible - not to mention experiencing that whole ‘punk rocker with a flower in my hair’ scene.

DEPUTY EDITOR - FEATURES & PROFILES

CLAIRE YOUNG

I’m pretty hungry so I’d probably go forward three days to Pizza Friday at Bar on the Hill, aka the best part of any week.

DEPUTY EDITOR - COLUMNS

RICHARD BAINES

I would go back in time to last Autonomy Day, and find my mind.

JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

JESSICA RYKERS

I would go forwards in time because I’d be too afraid that if I went back in time I would alter my future and it would bite me in the bum.

Time travel, science. Get on it.

But, to fill the void until that happens, we’ve got another fantastic issue of Yak for you, filled with a veritable tonne of great content. So get cracking. Time’s a wasting.

PROMOTIONS OFFICER

LEAH HENKEL

I would go into the future to December 21, 2012 to see if the world is really going to end. If it is true and I am wondering “why did I just spend three years at uni for?” I would then go back in time to when I finished high school and just go travelling! Who’s with me?

Yak Magazine - September 2012

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facebook.com/yakmagazine

R U OK Day

86% 83%

17%

100%

0% 47% 53%

Double Denim Big Day Out Lineup

JOSEPH

18%

82%

Best parking experience ever! To the guy who came up to a free park the same time as I did and then decided we should do a rock off for the park, you are a fair and gracious loser! I owe you a beer or something...

323 people like this

KRISTY

To the couple who thought it was a lovely idea to sit on the bonnet of my car and argue, proceed to hug and then eat a packet of chips, whilst I was still sitting in it.

How did you not see me sitting in the car?

Lucky I was too scared to beep the horn, start the car, or turn the windscreen wipers on.

1888 people like this

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Yak Magazine - September 2012

Memes: Sourced from UoN Memes.

14%

Fat As Butter Lineup

Soft Cheese on Pizza

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STUDY ABROAD

By Nick Turner

Here’s an interesting question for you: what do the countries Botswana, Czech Republic and South Korea all have in common? Well aside from the bleeding obvious (they all currently have a Prime Minister or President whose surname begins with the letter ‘K’), not a hell of a lot. But they actually do share one thing, and it’s something which many of us here at the University of Newcastle might not (but really should) know about.

These countries just happen to be a part of the 25 nations you can visit through UoN’s Study Abroad Program.

their chosen overseas institution. (You’ll still incur your regular HECS or HELP debt for any subjects studied away from UoN.) You will, however, need to pay for airfares, accommodation, food, drinks (possibly several) and other things like textbooks. The great thing is that there is help available for this. Travel grants are available through the University, as well as the OS-HELP Loan and DEEWR Scholarship. These are all designed to help kick-start student study overseas. Of course, there’s no real substitute for sticking your head down and putting away your own pennies.

So why leave the paradise that is Newcastle? With testimonials from previous students describing their experience as “the most valuable, life-changing and maturing of my life”, perhaps it’s something that you should consider. The helpful folk at the University’s International Office have given Yak the lowdown on how to go about studying abroad in 2013:

Where in the world can I go? UoN has 120+ partner institutions overseas, ranging all the way from the Alps of Austria, to the star spangled USA, and cheese and croissants of France.

Who’s eligible? If you’re enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at UoN, have completed at least 60 units of your degree, and have a cumulative GPA of 4.5 (a credit average) or above, you are eligible to apply to Study Abroad.

How do I apply? It may only be September, but now is the time to start planning your Semester 2, 2013 overseas adventure. Pop into the International Office in the Hunter Building, quiz the helpful staff for information on studying abroad in 2013 and you’re already half way there.

Pick three destinations that you think that you would like to go to, complete an Expression of Interest form and await your fate. Expressions of Interest close on January 31, 2013, so start planning now!

Money, money, money... Those who take part in the Study Abroad Program won’t have to pay any fees to

Study Abroad information can be found at www.newcastle.edu.au/students/study-abroad/

SEPTEMBER EXHIBITION 29 AUGUST – 16 SEPTEMBER

19 SEPTEMBER – 7 OCTOBER

> Kindred (2012 UON SERVICES ANNUAL STUDENT ART PRIZE ) Curated by Industry Scholar, Barbie Procobis

> Earth Shadow RisingAndrew Styan > Transformations – reflections on Ash Island- Becc Spiteri > The Human AnimalMadolin Savidge > AIR (artists in residence at Watt Space)- To coincide with the annual TINA Festival, join students from UoN as they take up residence at the Gallery and provide opportunities for visitors to become involved in art making activities.

The Human Animal

Transformation

Earth Shadow Rising

Thursday, August 30, 6.30pm

Thursday, September 20, 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.

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In 1968 Louis Armstrong introduced us to ‘A Wonderful World’. Green trees, red roses and blue skies – it was all just peachy.

Now we are in 2012 – where, instead of hearing how great this place we call Earth is, we hear about climate change, the carbon price and how we are slowly but surely destroying Mother Nature.

Environmental concern has been a pressing issue for decades, with ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ first being released by Joni Mitchell in 1970. One can’t help but notice a little prophecy in this song, and how Counting Crows’ cover was much more timely for our generation’s role in making an active change in looking after our environment.

Lucky for you – the ever involved student at the University of Newcastle – there are several opportunities for you to take a stand against the nearing death sentence of Mother Nature.

The Tom Farrell Institute for the Envrionment, Newcastle University Student Environmental Club (NUSEC) and the Sustainability initiative of UoNS are just a few things that we have brought to you over the past year – with the assistance of our regular columnist, Emily Wood.

SUP PORT U Feeling a little lost? Believe it or not you are not the only one.

Something that we have come to realise here at Yak Magazine is that a GPS is not always going to get you on the right path.

Our focus on R U OK Day was the foundation for this month’s Support U column, and we had the pleasure of meeting Jenelle Langham, the Mental Health Advisor of the Student and Academic Services at the University of Newcastle.

Employed by health services through project funding, Jenelle’s primary role is to coordinate the improvement of support offered to students at the University of Newcastle.

Mental Health is what is often referred to as the invisible illness. This does not make it any less serious, nor any less common.

Not only has Jenelle established a Mental Health Advisory Group, that is the driving force behind a Mental Health Policy for the University of Newcastle, they are also marketing what is available to students more effectively.

Currently, the only mental health services that are offered at UoN are the Mental Health Nurse at the Doctors and Health Services and the Counselling Service.

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Yak Magazine - September 2012

Like every chapter, this must come to an end. Here at Yak Magazine, we would like to thank Emily for her efforts towards this column, and we are green with envy (excuse the pun) at her future endeavours.

But, as Semisonic so often remind us, “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”

Yes, this is in reference to our welcoming of the new Sustainability scholar at UoNS, Pasqualina Perone, who will be signing in each month to keep us up to date on what a wonderful world we live in – or the latest parking lot.

We are very excited to see what Pas will bring to the Yak team, not to mention what environmentally friendly causes she will inform us of in the process.

So here is to the great Louis, Joni and Counting Crows – and the one-hit-wonder but ever loving Semisonic.

Sometimes music expresses what words cannot – like our love for Mother Nature.

Most importantly, here is to being green and our refreshed Green U column. Kermit said it wasn’t easy, but we are determined to prove him wrong.

Mental Health

By Jessica McAneney

Cue the Care Info Line. The Care Info Line is coming soon to the University of Newcastle, and will be a way to seek guidance on where to turn to when you are not sure which road to take. A direct line to Jenelle herself, the Care Info Line will be available for students wanting to reach a counselling service, medical attention or need someone to talk to.

So if you are feeling a little lost – don’t be afraid to ask for directions. The Care Info Line is coming soon, and in the meantime, the counselling service is also available.

Counselling Service Callaghan Phone: (02) 4921 5801 Email: counselling@newcastle.edu.au Room HA209, Hunter Building Counselling Service Ourimbah Phone: (02) 4348 4060 Email: student-support-ourimbah@newcastle.edu.au Student Support Unit, near the Library.

Lachie Leeming hears about the next step for The Beautiful Girls.

I

t’s been a busy decade for Mat McHugh. These last 10 or so years have seen Mat, accompanied by a constantly changing support cast of musicians, performing under the moniker of The Beautiful Girls, a vessel that has propelled this quintessential Sydney Northern Beaches surfie on a seemingly endless stream of worldwide adventures.

So it may come as a shock to the fans that Mat has decided it is the end for The Beautiful Girls. Talking to Mat, he broaches the topic with a tone of genuine content. When I remark that he sounds tired, he explains that it is because he has been up all night with his one year old son, not from lying awake wrestling with the decision to retire The Beautiful Girls ensemble.

“I don’t have any kind of sadness or weirdness about it whatsoever. For me, it’s just the retiring of a name,” he explains. “Nothing’s really changing. It’s really a celebration of those 10 years, and then on to the next era.”

And on to the next era it is. Even in general conversation, it is obvious just how tight Mat’s life and music have been intertwined. Growing up in a musical household meant Mat’s earliest memories involve a multiplicity of instruments, and almost subconsciously this has guided him into a position where he could make a living from his passion.

“I never had any kind of aspiration to be a musician. It doesn’t even feel like it is a job, I’ll just keep doing it until I get kicked out,” he laughs.

For someone who has taken it all as it comes, Mat has compiled an enviable folder of international destinations, to the point where even he isn’t sure just how many stages, festivals, countries and continents he has traipsed. “12 world tours… ah…at least,” he ponders.

With the sheer magnitude of travelling, it would be understandable if some level of fatigue had set in. But Mat credits this incredibly hectic schedule, where he would often

spend 10 months of the year overseas, in helping him mature his music.

“When we first came out, we got thrown in with that whole movement of the Ben Harpers and Jack Johnsons. I didn’t really enjoy always being compared to those guys even though there were similarities. Now I feel like it has honestly come full circle, I don’t really care if I’m compared to Jack Johnson…I’m just trying to express myself now without worrying about that kind of stuff.”

Working a menagerie of labouring jobs before his music career took off also ensured that Mat would never curse the grind of touring. “There were lots of years where I was working shitty, hard-core jobs. I don’t come from the perspective where I just left high school and got in a famous band…I never take it for granted, basically. If it’s a hard day on tour, I just have to remind myself what a hard day really is.”

This solid grounding is evident again when I inquire if there is any specific memory that he holds particularly close to his soul.

“The first time we went to Brazil, like four or five years ago… we didn’t know what to expect and we played at this outdoor festival site…and it was only us. There ended up being like 10,000 people show up…then everybody sang every word to every song, in their second language.”

The press release regarding The Beautiful Girls’ final tour describes it best: “He is The Beautiful Girls and The Beautiful Girls are Mat.” And even though their dissolution is on the horizon, fear not. Mat has big plans for his solo future, especially after the success of his latest album Love Come See Me. So if you do want one last glimpse of The Beautiful Girls in action, get down to Bar on the Hill Thursday, September 13, for what is shaping up to be a deeply individualistic and soulful performance. Mat would love to see you there.

Designed by Jessica Rykers

E

very year thousands of students come to study at our fair University. And so many creative and interesting individuals are bound to mean a huge range of creative and interesting areas of study, major essay subjects and thesis topics.

In the interests of sharing some of the interesting stuff that our clever comrades in academia are hunched over until the early hours or the morning, I spoke to Honours student, Dirk Gibbs, to find out how he’s been filling up thousands of thesis words. Dirk is studying South Park. More specifically, he is doing a comparative study between Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park and the work of Aristophanes, an ancient Greek comic playwright.

They may seem like two relatively unlikely works to compare, being separated by over 2000 years and all, but Dirk explained that they share a number of

common features. Apparently even the Ancient Greeks loved a good fart joke.

“The most interesting similarity I think that I’ve found between Aristophanes and South Park is basically the level of bawdy humour … so both sex related humour, or humour to do with bodily functions like fart jokes and shit jokes,” he explains In South Park we see insightful and witty political and social commentary camouflaged by vulgar, foul-mouthed humour in all its shitting, projectile vomiting and farting glory. This is also found in Aristophanes’ work.

“Both Aristophanes and Parker and Stone balance the whole childish humour related to bodily functions and sex, but there’s also a deeper message about some sort of political or social aim to be rectified.”

Aristophanes held nothing as sacred and used his plays to ridicule and

satirise people or social and political policies he found ridiculous. Trey Parker and Matt Stone have done the same thing, relentlessly taking the piss out of celebrities like Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Mel Gibson, Britney Spears, Bono, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Jackson, Paris Hilton, Oprah, and Hillary Clinton.

Main story lines like ‘the great journey’ where a hero goes on a journey to realise a grand idea are used in South Park episodes, but it’s mainly features of comedy that overlap the two: fantasy, technical elements, interacting with deities and figures of faith, sex, and political satire.

Although these similarities suggest that both Aristophanes and Parker and Stone may have been working in a similar social and political climate, I think the most important thing to remember is that fart jokes are ALWAYS funny.

By Le ic

ha Ste wart

5

Yak Magazine had the pleasure of sitting down with Sydney’s fun-loving five piece, Bluejuice, prior to their Festival of Autonomy gig at Bar on the Hill. We asked bass player, Jamie Cibej, a few hard-hitting questions, and here are the results: What would you put in the band’s own branded cocktail?

Whiskey, vitamin-rich fresh watermelon juice, and preventative STI medication. With a twist of lime.

Why Bluejuice? Why not Orangejuice?

Indeed. If nothing else, we hope to encourage others to spend more than five seconds deciding on a band name. Like a bad tattoo, you might end up with that band name for years.

What’s your take on YOLO? *Googles YOLO* It makes me feel old.

Everybody loves a good cape. Or alternatively, getting around with very little clothing on. You guys seem extremely comfortable in either get up. How did ideas such as these originally come about?

We generally couldn’t be trusted to wear decent looking clothes on stage, so we asked our more fashion orientated friends to design us weird things to wear. We’ve worn yellow jumpsuits, karate outfits, yeti costumes, LED jackets, fluoro warrior garb, and those ‘Vitriol’ robes. They all looked very different, but shared a quality in being oppressively f*cking hot.

What’s your number one tip for students who can’t stop procrastinating?

We know a thing or two about procrastinating (indeed this questionnaire was filled out two days late). However, what works for us is this: make yourself a cup of tea, have a bit of a stretch, and then burn down the Internet. It’s the only way to be sure.

I

really do not want to be another student/staff member/ parking activist harping on about the lack of spaces freely available at the University. However, in recent weeks I feel like I have a better chance of becoming a Portuguese salsa dancer than finding a place to park near my class.

This issue seems to have equally frustrated my peers, to the extent that it is now becoming more and more common for people to park on nature strips and various other nonintended spaces.

When faced with the option of having to endure the killer pursed lips that result from arriving to a lecture or tutorial late, I can understand the logic of leaving your vehicle in a slightly less conventional position.

The real question lies as to whether or not this is acceptable and, if it is, where do we draw the line?

Will it soon become common practice to simply park wherever we please?

I for one would love to park in the middle of the roundabout; a place I see as completely safe and a complete waste of invaluable parking space.

But what happens when the alternative spaces run out?

Will we start to resort to parking in designated injury-victims spaces and hobbling to class?

Overall this is unfortunately a dilemma that has no immediate solution. Allowing off-road parking creates disparity and inequality with no standard of acceptable and unacceptable.

Forbidding off-road parking leaves the issue of an inability to freely park any time after 9.05am burning strong.

This issue is not without its alternatives: many carpool and many more use public transport to get to and from university.

The problems here include timetable differences which result in potential stranding on campus and the inherent risks that come from braving Jesmond bus stop.

Many have also been forced to arrive at university several hours before their designated class time, maybe spending a few hours reading and doing work that is swept under the carpet when the distractions of home are readily available. Perhaps the lack of parking is a clever ruse designed to subliminally boost the academic productivity of our students?

Overall, off-road parking will more than likely be clamped down on in the very near future. Students, by nature, are (when they want to be) highly resourceful and I for one am thoroughly looking forward to seeing the next strategy to combat parking blues.

By Richard Baines

Jess Tisdell discovers that everyone’s a winner at the Australian Transplant Games.

Designed by Alex McFarlane rom September 29 to October 6 this year, something really special is going to happen right here on our doorstep. For the first time ever, the Australian Transplant Games are going to be held in Newcastle. With the games focusing on the celebration of life through receiving or donating organs, it’s sure to be a week of sport that you won’t want to miss.

Beginning in 1988, the games are used as a way to unite all those touched by donation, with the aim of exposing new recipient competitors. Through events including swimming, bowling, golf, athletics and many other activities, the competitors demonstrate their renewed health by representing their own state and saying thank you to those who make donations.

Alison Brown, 43, a kidney recipient and organiser of the local games, experienced a kidney disorder that caused antibodies to build up in her kidney tissue.

“I wasn’t aware I even had a problem and then my kidneys gave up with the strain of two pregnancies,” she says.

Alison has been attending the games since 2002 and believes participating helps her to forget about her medical issues.

She can also proudly say that she has won both a gold and silver medal in golf and tenpin bowling.

“You really get inspired,” she says. “I have seen a man in a wheelchair climb out of his chair just to bowl a ball and a blind man swim the length of the pool.”

Alison says she’s glad that she was given a second chance at life after the whirlwind she had experienced.

“It makes you appreciate life much more,” she says.

Margaret Hill has also been participating in the games, ever since her husband, Ian, received a kidney 23 years ago. They were originally approached by the transplant coordinator at the hospital seven years ago, and have been attending the games ever since.

As a stay-at-home wife, Margaret dedicates time towards volunteering for Transplant Australia and is a team manager for this year’s games in Newcastle. She believes that all new comers should feel welcome, as well as informed of the dayto-day running of the games.

“I think the most inspiring part of the games is to see the recipients being able to compete no matter what the result

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Yak Magazine - September 2012

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 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! is, because before transplant they were not able to do very much at all,” Margaret says Kylie Welsh, mother of three, was also touched by a life-threatening situation when her middle child, Adam, became sick at the age of one. Blood tests later identified that he had renal failure. After a week of being placed on life support, Adam was taken home and placed on dialysis. He was on a 10-hour cycle of dialysis every night until they decided to test family members for a donor match, and it turned out that the perfect match was found in her husband, Peter.

I’m sure life, every male jump at the toYou regular and onestudent most ofwould us probably takeopportunity for granted. can’t place a price on the selfless act of donating, so make sure you let your loved ones know if you’d like to be an organ donor. And, of course, don’t forget to check out the Australian Transplant Games later on this month, with events happening across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.

“It was extremely tricky putting a full sized adult kidney into a 9kg baby,” she says.

In 2011, records of donors were the highest since national records began with 337 organ donors giving 1001 Australians a new chance at life.

“In fact, at the time, Adam was the 2nd youngest baby in Australia to undergo a kidney transplant.”

One organ and tissue donor can change the lives of 10 or more people.

People are usually on the waiting list from anywhere between six months to four years 43% of Australians do not know or are unsure of their loved one’s wish in regards to donation, even though 82% understand that donating is an important topic to discuss with their family.

Adam bounced back from the operation and is now able to ride his bike and play soccer just like any other child. Since 2010 the Welsh family has also been attending the Australian Transplant Games.

“Adam has never been a super athlete by any stretch, but the confidence boost he got coming home from Canberra with those medals was worth its weight in gold,” she proudly says.

Donating is like no other gift you can give to another person.

For people who have had to rely on dialysis like Ian, Adam and Alison, receiving a transplant provided them with a

It will be held on Sunday, September 30 at Customs House starting at 10am. This will be followed by a procession of all state teams & donor families to Nobbys Beach, where a reef of flowers will be taken out on the water by a surf club boat in honour of both donor families and living donors.

For further information: Transplant Australia: (02) 9922 5400 http://www.australiantransplantgames.com

Yak Magazine - September 2012

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Alexandra Neill investigates Newcastle’s This is Not Art festival.

T

iNA, rather than a girl’s name, stands for This is Not Art, a celebration of alternate and emerging culture held annually in Newcastle. For four days in late September, young creatives descend on the backpacker hostels of Newcastle to discuss, showcase and network.

TiNA actually encompasses three smaller festivals under its large, shiny umbrella – Critical Animals, National Young Writers Festival and Crack Theatre Festival: • Critical Animals is a “symposium” which celebrates academic writing and thinking. The festival focuses on critical analysis and research.

• The National Young Writers Festival (NYWF) brings together established and emerging writers, editors, journalists, poets, bloggers and zine makers to talk about creative practices and the state of the industry.

• Crack Theatre Festival is a forum for alternate theatre makers, writers and performers including the annual exhibition of exciting new works of experimental theatre.

But TiNA is so much more than these definitions would suggest. TiNA is no ordinary writers’ festival.

For me, the strength of the festival is in its willingness to run events which no other festival would go near with a ten-foot pole. One year they held a ‘Survivor’ type event in which representatives from various literary journals battled it out in a contest of brains and brawn (this event almost came to a tragic end when the representative for Voiceworks went through a slated glass window). The NYWF Annual Spelling Bee is entering its fourth year and is more hotly contested than whatever it is people win at the Olympics.

Many residents of Newcastle are completely oblivious to the festival’s existence. The town is completely invaded by hipsters for five days a year and most Novocastrians don’t even notice. In saying this, I think there is a certain section of bogan subculture which reveres the weekend as an annual opportunity to yell at trendy types out of car windows.

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This involved wearing a pillow case over my head, going on a date with a comedian of some reclaim and having Lawrence Leung give me relationship advice while he was sitting in a tree.”

I’m heckled by more bogans over those few days than the rest of the year combined, and I live in Newcastle.

Without sounding melodramatic, TiNA changed my life.

If you’re interested in working in the arts, then TiNA is an unparalleled opportunity to meet likeminded characters.

The Australian writing community is an incredibly small place, and most of the people in it have cycled through Newcastle one October or another. Nowhere offers the same chances to dance, laugh and frolic alongside the rising stars of the Australian creative community.

Sian Campbell, writer and blogger, says that deciding to travel to Newcastle for the festival is one of the best decisions she’s ever made. “The quality of the information and opportunities I discovered that first year, along with the friends I made, convinced me to return, and I see myself attending for years to come,” she says.

When I met Sian two years ago we were both timid wannabes.

We met each other in a crowded room of like-minded people and we became friends. Just like that. Because that’s how life works when you’re at TiNA. “I think being able to immerse yourself in something, especially when it’s something you don’t often have a chance to immerse yourself in, and being around people that are as equally excited to do so... it’s invaluable,” says Sian.

In the years since we met, both Sian and I have gone on to bigger and better things. At last year’s TiNA we were part of an event called ‘Writer Wants a Wife’. This involved wearing a pillow case over my head, going on a date with a comedian of some reclaim and having Lawrence Leung give me relationship advice while he was sitting in a tree. Sian was on a date with Lawrence at the time. Not a bad way to make industry contacts. It was all very surreal.

This year’s festival will, undoubtedly, be just as wonderful as previous years. Geoff Lemon, one of this year’s co-directors for the National Young Writers Festival, says there are “TOO MANY” exciting things planned for this year’s programme.

Here’s an exclusive sneak peak of what you’ve got to look forward to:

1

Christian Lander, author of ‘Stuff White People Like’ is flying to Australia JUST for the NYWF. Lander’s blog has generated millions of hits and the book inspired by it was on the New York Times best seller list. No big deal.

2

After sell-out events right across the country, Women of Letters returns to TiNA. Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire present another tribute to the art of letter writing. These usually make people cry. And laugh. Plus you get to send postcards to people.

3

Every year The National Young Writers Festival hosts a themed costume ball. Last year the theme was ‘Big Top’. Several people mistook me for a man. But that could be because I had a moustache drawn on my face.

This year’s theme is yet to be confirmed but you can guarantee it’ll be wonderful.

4

Australian hip-hop group, The Herd, are running workshops about writing and music. The workshops aim to help writers try out new mediums, like poets moving into rap. There’ll be a showcase performance at the ball.

5

At a sit-down black-tie dinner, Australia’s best and brightest will talk about the future of the country.

“Australia 2050” is bound to be fascinating and in 2050 you’ll probably be able to trace some exciting idea back to TiNA 2012.

Have I mentioned that every single event held at TiNA is 100% free and open to the public? Because it is. You have zero excuse to not check it out.

This is Not Art is happening from Friday 28th until Sunday 30th of September in venues right across Newcastle.

For more information check out www.thisisnotart.org

Alexandra Neill is the official blogger for The National Young Writers Festival. You can follow her exploits at www. adventures-in-tv-land.blogspot.com. She will not be going on any dates this year.

Designed By Jessica Rykers Yak Magazine - September 2012

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WEEK 7 03 MONDAY

06 THURSDAY

Cultural Awakenings Festival U Member Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm - GT Bar

Cultural Awakenings Festival Parade of Nations 11.30am - Great Hall

Australian University Snow Sports Championship Mt Buller - VIC

Wii Wars 3pm - GT Bar

Xavier Rudd 8pm - Civic Theatre

Poker 4.30pm - Bar on the Hill

07 FRIDAY

Australian University Snow Sports Championship Mt Buller - VIC

Cultural Awakenings Festival

Bill Bailey 8pm - Civic Theatre

Cultural Awakenings International Food Fair 11am - Bar on the Hill

04 TUESDAY

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

Cultural Awakenings Festival

Judith Lucy 7.30pm Civic Theatre

Trivia 1pm - Bar on the Hill

The Elephant Man 8pm - The Factory Adamstown

Bar Bingo 3pm - GT Bar

Sleeping Beauty. The Imperial Russian Ballet Company Sat: 8pm - Civic Theatre Sun: 2pm - Civic Theatre

Australian University Snow Sports Championship Mt Buller - VIC

05 WEDNESDAY

Newy Parkrun Sat: 8am - Throsby Creek, Carrington

Cultural Awakenings Festival Trivia 1pm - GT Bar

World Urban Golf Day Sat: Oriental Hotel

Pool Comp 3pm - GT Bar

Kloster Group Race Day Sat: Broadmeadow

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

The Elephant Man Sat: 8pm - The Factory Adamstown

Australian University Snow Sports Championship Mt Buller - VIC

King Cannons Sat: 8pm - The Great Northern

Cultural Awakenings Party Night - ‘Around the World’ 7pm - Bar on the Hill

SEP

Wallsend Winter Carnivale

11

2012 Cultural Awakenings Festival 3-7 September

WEEK 8 10 MONDAY Wii Wars 3pm - GT Bar Poker 4.30pm - Bar on the Hill

11 TUESDAY Trivia 1pm - Bar on the Hill Bar Bingo 3pm - GT Bar National Campus Band Comp - State Final 7pm - Bar on the Hill

08/09 SAT/SUN 12 WEDNESDAY

iLEAD Lecture - Anton Kriz.

6pm - Ourimbah

3

Newcastle City Farmers Market Sun: 8am-1pm - Broadmeadow Showground

SEP

Creative Hands 10am - 4pm - City Hall

Campus Markets 11am - Auchmuty Courtyard Trivia 1pm - GT Bar Pool Comp 3pm - GT Bar Wind up Wednesday 3pm - 7pm - Bar on the Hill Party Night 7pm - Bar on the Hill

13 THURSDAY

R U OK Day Creative Hands 10am - 4pm - City Hall

National Campus Band Comp - State Final Doors open 7.00pm Bar on the Hill

SEPTEMBER U Member Happy Hour 4pm - 6pm - GT Bar U Event The Beautiful Girls Bar on the Hill Doors open 7.30pm Tix: U Members: $25 Students: $27.50 Guests: $37.50

14 FRIDAY

Nobbys Lighthouse Open to Public Sun: 10am - 4pm

WEEK 9 Wii Wars 3pm - GT Bar Poker 4.30pm - Bar on the Hill

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

18 TUESDAY

2012 WIL Awards Applications close today The Elephant Man 8pm - The Factory Adamstown Impending Doom 8pm - The Cambridge Hotel

15/16 SAT/SUN Newy Parkrun Sat: 8am - Throsby Creek, Carrington Creative Hands 10am - 4pm - City Hall Newcastle Wine and Food Festival Sat/Sun: 11am - 5pm - Pacific Park The Elephant Man Sat: 8pm - The Factory Adamstown

Bar Bingo 3pm - GT Bar

19 WEDNESDAY

Australian University Distance Running Championship

13

SEP

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

22/23 SAT/SUN

This is Not Art Festival Newcastle

Fat as Butter Festival Sat: Newcastle Foreshore

28 FRIDAY This is Not Art Festival Newcastle

DanceVibe Heart Foundation Fundraiser Sat: 7pm - Cardiff Panthers

The Wharf Revue 8pm - Civic Theatre

25 TUESDAY Australian University Games Adelaide - SA

Newcastle City Hall. Tooheys New Newcastle Gold Cup Race Day - Broadmeadow

26

13

R U OK? Day

Australian University Games Adelaide - SA

Wollombi Music Festival Sat: 11am - Wollombi

Australian University Games Adelaide - SA

20 THURSDAY

A conversation could change a life.

Recess WK1 24 MONDAY

Pool Comp 3pm - GT Bar

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

Oh Mercy 8pm - The Cambridge Hotel

Newcastle City Farmers Market Sun: 8am - 1pm - Broadmeadow Showground

Trivia 1pm - GT Bar

Australian University Games Adelaide - SA

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

Australian University Games Sun: Adelaide - SA

Patinack Farm Cameron Handicap Race Day Broadmeadow

Newcastle City Farmers Market Sun: 8am - 1pm - Broadmeadow Showground

27 THURSDAY

Snow Jam Sat: 7pm - Bar on the Hill

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

John Turner Memorial Lecture 5.45pm - Newcastle City Hall

Newy Parkrun Sat: 8am - Throsby Creek, Carrington

Trivia 1pm - Bar on the Hill

Toranafest Sat/Sun: Newcastle Foreshore

Australian University Games Adelaide - SA

21 FRIDAY

17 MONDAY

Creative Hands 10am - 4pm - City Hall

Vienna Boys Choir 8pm - Civic Theatre

SEP

The Amity Affliction Sat: 8pm - Newcastle Panthers

29/30 SAT/SUN Newy Parkrun Sat: 8am - Throsby Creek, Carrington This is Not Art Festival Sat/Sun: Newcastle The Wharf Revue Sat: 2pm - Civic Theatre Sun: 8pm - Civic Theatre Australian Transplant Games Opening Ceremony Sun: 10am - Customs House Newcastle City Farmers Market Sun: 8am - 1pm - Broadmeadow Showground Regurgitator Sun: 8pm - The Cambridge Hotel

WEDNESDAY

Bar on the Hill Gig The Beautiful Girls Doors open 7.30pm Bar on the Hill

WHEN THERE’S A WIL THERE’S A WAY TO WIN $$$ Have you completed a WIL program - an internship, practicum or clinical placement - as part of your studies? Then you have the chance to win $1,000 by entering the 2012 WIL Awards.

GET CRACKING. Applications close September 14. www.

newc

astle.

edu.a

u/wor

k-inte

WANT TO BE ON WIL TUBE?

grate

d-lea

rning

$3,000 is up for grabs for the best short video showcasing your prac experience, by entering the WIL Student Video Awards.

GET FILMING. Entries close September 14.

Got any questions? Contact WIL@newcastle.edu.au

Resident Evil (film) Resident Evil is the video game turned movie series that captures the essence of how a crossover should work. With a semichronological game series that follows the development of a virus that turns people into monsters.

The film focuses on a group of survivors, most notably Alice (Milla Jovovich) and their fight for survival. The main plot lines stem from the different strains of viruses that are developed and spread by the Umbrella Corporation. A must watch for monster film lovers.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (film)

ANTZ (film)

Adapted from acclaimed best seller of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is seen through the eyes and mind of the eccentric and inquisitive Oskar Schell on his journey across New York to find the lock for a key of his father’s he found after the “Worst Day”. While the movie stays relatively true to Foer’s story, you can’t help but feel the quirkiness and charm of the book has been compromised by director Stephen Daldry’s (Billy Elliot) desire to make a blockbuster.

As a keen ant enthusiast, I found the 1998 film Antz a fairly disappointing view into the world of ants and how they live. Some aspects of the film were just downright creepy. For example, the main character “Z” (ants don’t even have names) is in love with the princess of the hive, Bala. Inability to fall in love notwithstanding, both these ants came from the same Queen, which technically makes them siblings. Some role model for children! I personally found it hard to relate to the Queen, a “noble” ant who rules the colony and declares war on a nest of termites, then forces her daughter into an arranged marriage. In real life, Queens don’t make decisions. They are the reproductive organs of the colony. Do you ever rely on your genitals to make life-changing decisions for you?

- Sophie Ruddell

- Jack Morrison

50 Shades of Grey (book) For those of you who weren’t aware, the book-porn phenomenon 50 Shades of Grey actually started off as Twi-hard fan-fiction.

Yes, Christian Grey is actually based on our favourite sparkly vampire, Edward Cullen.

Having unfortunately read both of these novels, I have realised that Twilight could have only benefitted from the addition of some ‘50 Shades’ style action. Who knows, maybe Edward would be a little less angsty if he got to chain Bella up and whip her to his heart’s content.

- Edie Stevens

Pride, Prejudice and Zombies (book) Combining elements of modern zombie fiction with classic Austen, the plot follows the fortunes of Elizabeth Bennet, as she confronts issues of love, social class and the undead in 19th-century England. The love story is still the same – but with zombies!

Some may claim that the addition of gore is an unnecessary one; however I feel that the senseless violence adds some punch to Austen’s occasionally tedious prose.

FEATURE REVIEW

Z, fed up with his job, kidnaps the princess and escapes to find a utopian society called Insectopia, which the local ant drunkard in a pub told him about. I’m not kidding. Treating the ludicrous story as fact, he travels with the princess to find it. In real life, the two lone ants would have been carved up by predators within minutes. And there’s no such thing as Insectopia.

I will conclude by explaining that ants are an example of evolution done right. They would never spawn a shameful, lazy, free-thinking nay-sayer like Z and I am ashamed to see meagre human emotions slapped onto an otherwise fascinating species, simply for human entertainment.

- Charlie Rogers

Yak Magazine - September 2012 - Katie Burgess

17

Claire Young discovers that prac-tice makes perfect.

Going on prac is something you’ll probably encounter through your time here at UoN. So, with that in mind, we thought we’d catch up with four students, from four different degrees, in order to find out how they survived the horrors of unpaid work experience.

LIAM BONE

STEPHANIE FISHER

Bachelor of Teaching (Primary)/Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Communication

I really enjoy working with children, and I get along really well with them, so that’s why I chose to do a primary teaching degree.

During high school I was really good at English and I liked writing, so choosing to study a Bachelor of Communication was definitely the right choice for me.

During the second year of my degree I went on my very first prac. In the weeks leading up to it I was as nervous as anything. You don’t actually think about how much teachers have to prepare each day until you find yourself in that situation. I was shaking when I walked into the school and my mouth was really dry when I had to teach my first lesson. Once I started I realised, “Hang on, these are just Year 3 kids.” You realise quickly that they want to learn and that they want to have fun, so all my nerves immediately went away.

I’ve been doing work experience at the University’s radio station, 2NURFM, since October last year and I’m basically a journalist there now. That’s what I love about it, I don’t do coffee runs; I’m treated like a real journo.

Since then I’ve just had fun on prac, and I haven’t been nervous at all. I see this as a sign that I’ve chosen the right degree.

Working for free isn’t great but I really had to stop and think about the benefits in the long run. Even though it was tough to work so hard for nothing at the beginning, about half way through I realised how much I loved teaching and how I didn’t want the prac to end.

I never realised how much work it was going to be. It’s not a 9am-3pm job – it’s so much more than that. A lot of people have the perspective where they think the job finishes when the school hours are done, but it’s not like that at all.

It was a lot of fun, but it wasn’t always easy. One time, a girl got out in a game, blamed me and began to cry. I didn’t know what to do. There was another time where I was teaching Kindergarten and a little girl put up her hand when I was midsentence and said “I love you” and then just sat back down.

I was so thrown off I just looked at the supervising teacher in shock.

I’ve realised that teaching really is my passion and it’s what I want to do in life. Prac just made me realise this a little more.

Ian Crouch, the Director of News at the station, came to speak at our radio journalism lecture and I remember him saying that 2NURFM love having journalism students in for work experience. So I just called him the next week and said that I was really interested in coming in and it went from there.

I was so nervous on my first day. I got in there at 10am and had to write up a news piece for the 12pm, 1pm and 2pm news bulletins. It was something to do with one of the local politicians who I’d never even heard of. I had to call them for an interview and I didn’t know what questions to ask. You get thrown straight into it, but now that I’ve done that, I can see that it is the best way to learn new things. Now I can interview someone and write news stories at a much faster pace.

When I first started there I obviously didn’t get to go on air straight away, so I did about three weeks of voice training with the boss. I was only doing the news readings to begin with but now I do sports as well – it’s slowly becoming more hours and more days with more responsibilities, but I like it that way.

Looking back, I wish I had known about the benefits of work experience much earlier. Our lecturers always said to get as much experience as you can, but they never said to start first year.

It can be hard to work for free, but you just have to remember why you’re doing it. Work experience is what will get you a job in the long run. I’ll admit that getting up at 4.30am to start work at 5am at a place where you’re not getting paid isn’t easy, but I know that I just have to do it and that it will all be worth it in the long run.

ERICA HARRISON

ALEX SMITH

Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science (Diagnostic Radiography)

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy

Both of my parents are in health and I always thought I’d follow a similar path at uni. My degree is really challenging because you’re working with new technology, which is always improving and changing.

Basically, diagnostic radiography focuses on taking x-rays of people. It could be due to a broken bone or they could have some kind of disease, like asthma or pneumonia.

During my second year of the degree I had to put my preferences down for placement. I was saving up for an overseas holiday, so I put my preferences down as Newcastle, Gosford and the Central Coast – something close to home.

After you put down your preferences, if you don’t get any of them, you are randomly allocated a placement to what’s left.

I was with a couple of friends when I found out, and I thought it would be a good laugh. I figured I’d probably be sent somewhere really random, but I was hoping for the best.

I looked at the screen and it said Cairns.

I was so shocked.

Then panic set in because it was too far away and I didn’t think I had enough money. I was pretty worried initially and I was kind of pessimistic about it all. I went and saw the placement coordinator to ask if there were any other options for me because I didn’t think I’d be able to afford it and she said you can go to Darwin or Broome and I thought that I might as well just stick with Cairns.

I’m always nervous going on a new placement because I think, “Oh, what if they don’t like me or if they don’t like my technique”. I never want to feel like a hassle, but on my first day of placement in Cairns my supervisor was really nice and I immediately felt like part of the team.

The work was great experience. It was my first time in private practice but I ended up doing a whole lot more than just the work experience. On my first weekend, my mum and sister came up and we went on a day trip to the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation. The next weekend I went skydiving with some of the other radiographers, and the last weekend I went to Port Douglas with my friend Kate where we went scuba diving.

I’d recommend having savings if you are going on placement.

It’s luck of the draw so you have to be prepared. I think being sent to Cairns was a life experience, as well as a radiography experience. I’m really glad I got the chance to push myself.

I always knew that I wanted to do a degree where I could help people and I’ve always been interested in health, so that’s the main reason I applied for OT. The last placement for Occupational Therapy is in fourth year and goes for three months.

Before you go on placement, you put down five preferences – one of them has to be a rural placement. Taree was my fifth choice and that’s what I got. When I first found out where I was going, I’ll have to admit that I cried. I was a bit jealous of all of the other students who got in a local area close to home, and I felt really disadvantaged being sent away.

To add to that, I also felt like I was under a lot of pressure because, when you’re a fourth year student, there are really high expectations of what you can do. It’s your last placement so you really have to put your best foot forward and be autonomous in your practice, which was all a bit daunting. I didn’t really know if I had built up the skills to be able to handle it.

With rural placements you can apply for a grant through the university. As this was a 12-week placement I could get the maximum amount. I received $750, which covered all of my accommodation, meaning I only had to pay for food and petrol.

I went to a community hospital 15 minutes outside of Taree, and was placed in the rehabilitation section. I was primarily dealing with people who had suffered strokes and other neurological condition, hip or knee replacements or just anyone who just needed to get back up on their feet.

I think some students might be scared of rural placements because often you might be there by yourself and you might not know the area. It can also be tough if you’re far away from your family, but I really think rural placements are beneficial, as the slower pace of the country doesn’t give you the same level of stress as a city placement might.

I really felt like I was a part of the team because it was a smaller hospital. I got to know everyone well and I don’t think that’s possible when you’re at a big metropolitan hospital.

The staff at Taree made me feel like I was a part of the team.

I wasn’t really addressed as “Alex the student” I was addressed as “Alex the OT”. Despite the fact that I was so disappointed with getting Taree initially, I really would advise a rural placement now.

Designed By Jessica Rykers Yak Magazine - September 2012

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Ruth Kotevich discovers her true love for hostels.

It was an achingly cold night in London. My friends and I were the last guests to arrive in the hostel room. Entering what would be our quarters for the week, we were met with foggy windows and impossibly narrow bunk beds. The other visitors had opted for the lower altitude beds, leaving it to me to manoeuvre the ladder to the summit — four bunks high. The only thing thinner than the air was the curtain failing to confine the snores of the foreigner sleeping beneath me. Then, I was horrified. Now, looking back on this time, I wouldn’t change a thing.

If you have spent a single night in a hostel, you have probably been privy to at least one of the following:

Or, if you’re as lucky as my friend Ned, you’ll have seen a Brazilian guy tending to his own sexual needs while continuing to talk to you about his blossoming Farmville career.

The hideousness of hostels is often in stark contrast to the beautiful settings that surround them. As was aptly demonstrated during a stay in Washington D.C. Upon entering the hostel, the first thing to seem a bit bizarre was the presence of a bathtub in the reception area. It appeared recently used, with water dripping from the tap.

Standing at the front desk was Greg. Greg was about 30, wore khaki stubbies, a white t-shirt and was completely covered in paint and dust. He sat down on an archaic computer and told us that our arrival was one day early (it wasn’t).

“How does this sound?” he stared. “Your room is a bit congested, so I’ll take you up there and you can see if you still want it” Greg began every sentence with “how does this sound?” and it did little to ease our suspicion about this tumbledown terrace. So, without a Plan B, we took him up on the offer and headed up to our room. Keying in an access code, Greg opened the door. The room housed a bunk bed and two single beds and we (three of us) thought it looked pretty damn good. Hey, there was even a spare bed!

Once he saw that we were okay with the state of the room, he made himself comfortable and proceeded to give us more than his two-cents on Washington D.C. Basically, he rendered every monument and museum undeserving of a visit, only endorsing a kebab restaurant, the hostel’s WiFi (“you can download movies really, really fast”) and the pancake breakfast to be offered the next morning.

After a wonderful dinner (not at the kebab joint), we went back to the hostel and embraced the speedy Wi-Fi. As I sat in bed brushing my hair, I pensively gazed out the window.

Through the brightness given off by the streetlight, I could see snow beginning to fall. I know that we could have seen the snow anywhere in Washington that night, but the experience of seeing it out the window of that hostel will stick in my mind forever.

The team at STA on campus here at UoN have assisted all of my overseas trips.

Their suggestions for hostels include: • Choose a hostel in the city centre. Who wants to stay miles away from all the action?

• Good communal areas such as TV lounge, pumping bar, big kitchen and outdoor area is a must. This is where you will meet fellow travellers, share stories and begin new friendships.

• It’s all in the name - choose hostel chains that you have heard of or stayed at in another city. They have a reputation to uphold and generally have a similar level of service at all their locations.

If you have any hostel suggestions, be sure to let us know on our Facebook page! facebook.com/yakmagazine Designed by Gemma Roulstone

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ne of my standout memories from during the lead-up to university is people around me discussing very specific job-related degrees.

My friends who wanted to be lawyers enrolled in a Bachelor of Laws and those who wanted to be psychologists enrolled in a B. Psychology.

Not only did they discuss such practical degrees, they also applied themselves and, by default, picked a life profession. Well, that’s what I thought I would do as well.

help a hapless first year, lost in the jungle of potentials?

According to Susan Eade, Manager of Career Hub, if you’re not sure you’re in the right degree, giving her team a visit is a good starting point.

“From a careers perspective we talk to students about broader applications of their current degree,” she says. “[Then we discuss] what they want to change to by exploring interests and opportunities.”

Susan explains that a helpful part of their service is the online resource, Degrees to Careers, After peer pressure saw me which can be accessed from hastily enrolling in a Bachelor of Communication, I found the the uni’s website and allows courses it offered were just not a student to see broader outcomes from degrees. for me. I started to question whether or not a degree (and one you don’t even like) should With the help of staff from set the foundation for the rest Career Hub, I realised all I wanted to do was read and of your life? The answer, in write, with no set agenda. short, is no.

For me, that meant saying I, like many others before me, goodbye to my Bachelor of have successfully transferred Communication and hello to a Bachelor of Arts. Once I degrees and lived to tell the realised where I wanted to go tale. So if you’re not happy to, it was then simply a process in your current degree, rest assured knowing chances are of getting there. that you can do the same.

Marty Mag Uidhir, Manager of UoN Enquiries, says that The first place I went was to the process of swapping your the Career Hub. Could they

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Yak Magazine - September 2012

degree depends on the degree you’re currently enrolled in and what you want to transfer into.

“The basic advice, that is indeed correct in the majority of cases, is to apply for the new program through UAC,” he says. “Some programs can be transferred out of or into [through an] internal transfer form.”

process? Were they happier in their chosen degree?

Robert Tompsett, who initially studied a Bachelor of Education, is now a second year podiatry student. He says one of the best things you can do if you’re thinking about changing degrees is to seek advice from the Career Hub.

Because we need to keep it real, it’s worth noting that not everyone can simply just swap their degree.

“You are not married to your degree for life, so let the commitment-phobe in all of us rejoice!”

“Obviously, if [a student] wants to move from a low demand degree to a high demand degree and they haven’t got great academic standing, we advise that a successful application is unlikely,” he says.

“The process itself was relatively easy and pain free,” he says. “It was as simple as applying online at UAC, inputting my preferences and waiting until the date of the release of main round offers.”

When she wanted to swap out of a Bachelor of Arts. Her first step was emailing her program convenor.

“I mirrored what I would do in a first year Communication degree, and took all the same subjects and courses,” she says. “The program convenor then told me to apply for a Bachelor of Communication degree through UAC.” But does she think the switch was worth it?

“Honestly, looking back, it was pretty easy and everyone was really helpful,” she says. “I’m thankful for my time in Arts; it showed me what I did and didn’t want to do.”

After paying the $56 through UAC to change my degree (yes, I know, you have to pay again, shock horror), I was able to slot into a second year Bachelor of Arts position for the following year, and I’ve never looked back.

So, fellow lost souls, live in fear no longer! Help is out Robert says the plunge into the there for anyone who wants to change degrees. You’re not deep end was worth the hard work, and is grateful for all the married to your degree for life, so let the commitment-phobe help he received. in all of us rejoice!

“I can happily say that I definitely made the right decision in changing degrees.”

But I wanted to hear from other degree swappers. How did they handle the application

Another, who was a little lost, was third year communication student, Sarah Roberts.

More swapping success: I commenced an Arts degree straight after high school, as I had no idea what I wanted to do at uni. About half way through the year I had a bit of an epiphany about doing speech pathology. I enrolled in a Bachelor of Speech Pathology in 2011 and have never looked back. It was the best decision I’ve ever made!

- Laura Turner

I changed degrees a couple of years ago from combined Commerce/Law to Civil Engineering. It’s very easy to chalk it up to the fact that lawyers are “sometimes unpleasant to work with/ be around”, but in reality I changed because I would have regretted graduating and not having given something science-based a go. Engineering is the best; I have no doubts that it was the right call for me.

I changed from a teaching degree to a Bachelor of Social Work this year. After a re-assessment of my longterm goals and dreams in life I felt this degree was more suitable. I am so happy with my decision and feel a great sense of contentment now.

- Jacqueline Gissane

- Sam Roberts

If you’d like to check out the cold hard facts, visit AskUoN at: http://askuon.custhelp.com.

You just need to type in “transfer” and hit search.

Yak Magazine - August 2012

23

By Rowena Grant

Whenever we get in a car, we are risking our lives.

L

ast year, one of the valued members of our society that had been granted a license to drive backed in to my car.

Seemingly unaware of my presence, she started to reverse while I frantically got on my horn, scaring the living daylights out of everyone around me. This unfortunate incident happened in the Stockland Jesmond car park.

‘Oh no, Rowie!’ I can hear you saying. ‘It’s not a good idea to go on about the Jesmond locals!’

No, what I will be talking about here are not the fantastic and entertaining human beings that I see at Jesmond. Instead, I am just going to have a good ole bitch about the Stockland Jesmond car park.

Built sometime in the last two decades, the car park at Jesmond is a man-made wonder. But I don’t mean wonder in a good sense. Have you ever tried driving around that thing when you have a hangover? Don’t. You need to strap yourself in and use your full concentration to navigate that labyrinth of poorly-designed intersections and minimal signage.

Exhibit A: Upon entry, you are presented with a roundabout.

If you are going to get some delish KFC for consumption, you have to turn right. Naturally, you assume, you will have right of way when you come off the roundabout and are presented with an intersection. WRONG. Nobody seems to know who has right of way. There are no give way signs, and the roundabout is blocked from view by a few trees. Well done, Stocko.

Exhibit B: There are constantly trolleys EVERYWHERE. Exhibit C: There is a tree in the middle of one car park.

‘Nuff said.

Would anyone like to join with me in creating some give way signs and buying some spray paint so we can set this car park right? Then, maybe, we might be able to spare someone else the experience of having a guy with a Southern Cross tattoo hit on them while they’re catching the bus because their car is being fixed. Shudder.

By Katie Burgess I do a lot for this university. I turn up to class every now and again; I take great delight in shushing people in the quiet zones of the library; and were it not for my hankering for sushi, I’m fairly sure Delish would’ve gone bust by now.

Let’s face it: I’m an incredibly important person around here and I feel like a fitting way to honour my innumerable contributions to the university would be to put my name to a little corner of it. I don’t want like an oval named after me or anything – I’m a rather sedentary sort of person and don’t like to run – but I would like the fanfare. I’d like the recognition.

So how do I go about getting my name on the map? Cornucopia of universityrelated trivia, Scott Brewer, says that spaces like the Brennan Room and Birabahn derive their names from particular characters who, quite like myself, were either valued members of the university community, or people

whose personal traits were reflected in the intended purpose of building.

“Ted Brennan was a student hell-raiser from the Newcastle University College days,” says Scott. “He seems to have been everywhere back then.”

There are photos of him dressed as an oversized infant on one of the Autonomy Day marches; playing piano at the Throsby Creek Regatta; and wearing a dress in one of the infamous University College revues.

“I have no evidence to suggest that he might have nominated himself for naming rights, but it would have been a typical lark,” Scott says.

That does explain the scent of Old Spice and ostentation wafting around the Shortland Building. Sometimes though, having actually been at the university at some time point or another isn’t necessary attribute.

Birabahn was an Aboriginal man born around 1800, who was taken to Sydney as a boy and worked as a servant for an officer, becoming fluent in English.

He worked as a tracker of escaped convicts in Port Macquarie before returning to Newcastle, where he began to work with Reverend Lancelot Threlkeld, translating the Bible into the language of the Hunter River Lake Macquarie people.

“Birabahn was a scholar of remarkable ability well before the majority of colonialists could contemplate an Aboriginal man with such formidable talents. The building named in his honour is a belated recognition of his ability,” acknowledges Scott.

So take heed UoN. Although I may not be wild enough by Brennan’s standards or trailblazing by Birabahn’s, you’ll be seeing me on the map soon enough.

Heck, I’d settle for a parking space.

sometimes, the pressure of life is too much, and realising that something as simple as asking “Are you okay?” can actually make a huge difference.

The day also aims to remove the taboo associated with suicide.

Staying connected with others is crucial to our general health and wellbeing. Feeling isolated or hopeless can contribute to depression and other mental illness, which can ultimately result in suicide. Regular, meaningful conversations can help protect the people we know and love.

Written by Jasmin Harrison & Lara Field Designed by Danielle Said

First held in 2009, an estimated 58% of Australians now know of, and participate in, this event - and this year it’s coming to the University

It’s Week 8, and the domination that study has over all students is tightening

of Newcastle.

its grip. Three assessments are due in the next 48 hours, the pyramid of empty Red Bull cans provide a sore reminder of sleep depravity and you

On Thursday, September 13, we’ll be raising awareness with fun, food,

can’t remember when you last consumed a healthy, wholesome meal.

games and more. Yellow is the colour to look out for – so don your brightest sunshine shirts or dresses and join in! Keep an eye out around Callaghan

You are at the end of your tether, wondering how you are going to get

campus for more info in the lead-up to the big day.

through this week, heck, this one assignment. Isolated, sleep deprived and lacking nutrition, your head falls into your hands in a sign of defeat.

So remember, it can just take a minute to check in with someone and make a difference in their world, simply by asking “Are you okay?”

It’s a feeling we all know, and after all the assignments are done and a passing grade has been achieved, a collective sigh of relief can be heard campus wide. But there are many students who do not see the light at the end of the tunnel.

R U OK Day is a national day of action, with the aim of encouraging people to connect with someone they care about and help stop the little problems becoming something much more serious. It is a day to acknowledge that

Lifeline provides 24/7 crisis support for all Australians. For telephone crisis support call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Its online crisis support chat service is also available 7 days a week from 8pm - midnight.

AUTO N OMY DAY PA RTY 20 1 2

26

Yak Magazine - September 2012

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

LYLE

• If you were able to swap to another degree from the one you are currently studying, what would it be?

• If you had the opportunity to be a part of UoN’s Study Abroad program, which country would you like to visit?

• Adaptations seem to be all the rage at the moment, so if you could have anything adapted into a movie, what would it be?

ALEX

Age: 23 Degree: B. Engineering (Electrical)

Degree: B. Engineering (Electrical)

Degree Swap: An anti-Arts degree, that would contain a course on how to annoy Philosophy lecturers.

Degree Swap: Music, as it seems fun. Or, perhaps a degree that would qualify you to be an Apple Genius.

Study Abroad: I’ve actually just got back from studying in Sweden. It was pretty awesome and I’d recommend it to anybody.

Study Abroad: I’d love to go to Antarctica. It’s cool, and I’d love to study ice.

Adaptation: I’d love to turn Pain of Salvation’s album Be into a movie. It’s a bit of a favourite of mine and I’d love to go and see an opera/film.

Adaptation: Firefly. I know they did Serenity, but I just want to see more Firefly. It’s the best TV series ever to be cancelled after just one season.

CHRIS

Age: 22

IRINI

Age: 22 Degree: B. Engineering (Chemical) Degree Swap: If UoN offered Sandwich Engineering, that is what I would swap to. Sandwiches are awesome and I am a bit of a sandwich aficionado.

Study Abroad: I’d love to go to New Zealand. You could be an optimist about the entire trip, and if it actually happened to be enjoyable, you would be pleasantly surprised.

Adaptation: Definitely my calculus textbook, as it would be way more engaging. I don’t know how it would work, but it would definitely star Halle Berry.

Age: 21 Degree: B. Early Childhood/Primary ?: ?

School Teaching Degree Swap: At this point, no degree. I just want to get out and work and kind of see university as a means to an end.

Study Abroad: I’d love to go to Paris, France. I really love handbags and shoes, so I think it’s a pretty logical decision for me.

Adaptation: Round The Twist, definitely starring the original cast from the TV show. If that’s not possible, I would love a Dr Who movie.

GET INVOLVED! We know how important it is to get experience and build up a portfolio of your work. So if you’re a writer, a graphic designer, a photographer or otherwise creative individual, here’s a chance to get your work published in an awesome, shiny mag seen by thousands of students! Just email us at yakmagazine@newcastle.edu.au.

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