Volume 1: Dawn by UTS Vertigo

February 2022

Chasing Highline by Joey Chalita & Clara Atkin

A Systematic Review of the University Food Court by Clara Atkin

Domicron: A Brief History of Government Backflips by Elodie Jakes

Dawn

Passionate about change? Get involved with your UTS Students’ Association.

Photographer: FJ Gaylor

utsstudentsassociation.org.au facebook.com/UTSStudentsAssociation

Acknowledgement of Country The University of Technology Sydney would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the Traditional Custodians and Knowledge Keepers of the land on which UTS now stands, and pays respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. – Maree Graham Deputy Director, Students, and Community Engagement Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education & Research

Personal Acknowledgements Vertigo would like to extend a personal acknowledgement to the Traditional Custodians and Knowledge Keepers of the land on which we lived and worked as editors and designers during the creation of this magazine. We pay respect to Elders past, present, and emerging, and extend this respect to any First Nations’ people reading this volume. As students, we must acknowledge the Indigenous contributions to academia that have enriched our understanding of Australian history and culture. We exist on stolen land, and recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded.

Can’t keep up? Make your academic life easier with our Peer Tutoring program.

Photographer: FJ Gaylor

Enquire Now UTS Tower Building, Level 3, Room 22 | (02) 9514 1155 utsstudentsassociation.org.au/peertutoring

Jess Prowse would like to acknowledge the Gundungurra and Dharug people of the Ngurra Nation. Alexander Kingsford would like to acknowledge the Cammeraygal people of the Eora Nation. Andy Lee, Clara Atkin and Joey Chalita would like to acknowledge the Dharug people of the Eora Nation. Ashley Sullivan would like to acknowledge the Burramattagal and Dharug people of the Eora Nation. Sophia Ramos would like to acknowledge the Boolbainora clan of the Dharug people of the Eora Nation. Siena Zadro and Joe Hathaway-Wilson would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. If it is within your means, please consider donating to an Indigenous organisation such as: •

Blak Business — “Bringing together information, knowledge and resources to facilitate broader learning and discussion about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander topics.” — blakbusiness.com.au

•

IndigenousX — Indigenous media organisation — Indigenousx.com.au

•

Seed — Fighting for climate justice — Seedmob. org.au

•

Black Rainbow — Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Sistergirl and Brotherboy (LGBQTI+SB) Organisation — blackrainbow.org.au

•

ANTaR — Advocacy organisation dedicated to justice, rights and respect for Australia’s First Peoples — antar.org.au

More organisations can be found here:

CONTENTS STUDENT LIFE

ARTS & LIFESTYLE

UNMASKING UNIVERSITIES: LEVERAGING A PANDEMIC by Charlotte Sheridan & Eve Cogan

FILM APPRECIATION POSSE REVIEWS by Various Contributors

SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL REVIEWS by Jacquie Adams

UTS FILM REVIEW: ANGREZEE by Alexander Kingsford Mortensen

A CONVERSATION WITH DIVYA VENKATARAMAN by Ashley Sullivan

HIGHLINE INTERVIEW by Joey Chalita & Clara Atkin

WHAT THE HELL IS THE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION? by Joe Hathaway-Wilson A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE UNIVERSITY FOOD COURT by Clara Atkin HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS AT UNIVERSITY (FOR PEOPLE WHO KNOW NOTHING) by Andy Lee

POLITICS

BUSINESS, LAW & STEM

BREAKDOWN OF EVERY POLITICAL PARTY’S ENVIRONMENTAL STANCE AHEAD OF MAY by Jada Susas

THE CHANGING NATURE OF FINANCIAL SERVICES by Madhumita Mukherjee

DOMICRON: A BRIEF HISTORY OF GOVERNMENT BACKFLIPS by Elodie Jakes

THE DAWN OF THE AGE: NEW BEGINNINGS FOR THE LEGAL INDUSTRY by Georgia Neaverson

IS AUSTRALIA STUCK IN A POLITICAL GROUNDHOG DAY? by Will Simmons

SOCIETY & CULTURE TENSION OVER TIME by Madhumita Mukherjee

DARKNESS AND DAWN: PERHAPS POINTLESS PHILOSOPHY by Ruby Hartley

SHOWCASE 1000 WORDS: PHOTOGRAPHY by Various Artists

NATURE’S GOLD: PHOTOGRAPHY by Daniel Chai, Sandra Giarta, Kezia Suryaputra & Timothy Worton

24/7: PHOTOGRAPHY by Oriana Peralta Camille

SHOWCASE PIECE by Siann Lau

100

HOPEFUL FOR SOFTER MOMENTS: DRAWING by Chantelle Cortez Maglalang

104

SHOWCASE PIECE Sophia Ramos

106

CREATIVE WRITING SHE; THE SUN AT FIFTY-FIVE by Lucinda Garbutt-Young

MISCELLANEOUS HOROSCOPES

122

124

108

SNOW by Minduli Withana

112

HOW TO STICK TO YOUR FOOD RESOLUTIONS by Isabel Cant

POETRY by Izzie Conti

114

HOW TO GET OVER A BREAKUP by Various Contributors

126

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ONLINE UNI STUDENT by Jess Prowse

SONDER CALL OUT

128

116 HOW TO SUBMIT

130

CHAOS THEORY by Ashley Elworthy

118

COMING BACK TO LIFE by Pragya Paneru

120

CONTENT WARNINGS Vertigo readers should be advised that there are content warnings before relevant pieces. Some articles and images contain themes or references to addiction, alcohol, blood, death, drugs, genocide, homophobia, injury, mental illness, police brutality, racial discrimination, racism, self-harm, suicidality, transphobia, violence, sexual assault, and sexual themes. Please keep this in mind as you enjoy our magazine; your health and safety are important to us. Contact the UTS Counselling Services on 9514 1177, or visit the UTS Counselling Services website to find out more and access the extensive online selfhelp resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please consider speaking to your local GP, a healthcare professional, or calling one of the numbers below. Lifeline — 13 11 14 Beyond Blue — 1300 22 4636 If you or someone you know is experiencing or has experienced sexual abuse, you can call or refer to the following confidential hotlines. General — 1800 737 732 Counselling — 1800 211 028 Crisis Centre — 1800 424 017

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or child abuse, call or refer to the following 24/7 confidential free hotlines. Domestic Violence Line — 1800 656 463 NSW Child Protection Helpline — 13 21 11 If you are struggling with self-injurious behaviour, such as self-harming or an eating disorder, please reach out to the following: Butterfly Foundation — (02) 9412 4499 If you, or someone you know, is struggling with or has struggled with drug or alcohol abuse, please consider speaking to your local GP, a healthcare professional, or calling the numbers below. Alcohol and Other Drugs Information Service (ADIS) — 1800 250 015 NSW Quitline — 13 7848 (13 QUIT) Available Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Available Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Y P L AYL IS

IF OT

Dawn 01. Every Summertime — Niki

02. Dizzy

(feat. Thomas Headon & Alfie Templeman)

—

Chloe Moriondo

03. Chasing Heaven — Highline

04. Dreamland — Glass Animals

05. Midsummer Madness —

88rising, Joji, Rich Brian, Higher Brothers, AUGUST 08

06. Pink + White — Frank Ocean

07. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) — Marvin Gaye

08. Mood Ring — Lorde

09. Pussy is God — King Princess

10. Out of Time — The Weeknd

Curated by the Vertigo Team 2022

PG#

Unmasking Universities: Leveraging a Pandemic Written by Charlotte Sheridan & Eve Cogan

STUDENT LIFE

“ Why am I enrolled at Sydney uni?” COVID-19 allowed Sydney universities to make cost and course cuts at the price of the student and tutor experience. In the last two years, Sydney ’s universities have had to adapt to a world where the established teaching methods aren’t possible. Many fear that the pandemic has allowed universities to make unchecked changes to the quality of tertiary education and occupations.

in the arts at USyd as it's the biggest, most diverse arts course offering,” said Claire Oh.

Since 2019, staff cuts at Australian public universities have reached nearly 40,000.

A similar investigation into UNSW ’s 2022 Handbook found that over 600 of the 3000 listed courses will not be taught next year.

Student investigations at the University of Sydney (USyd) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) showed that the institutions engaged in extensive content restructuring.

Dr Sarah Attfield is the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) branch president for the National Tertiary Education Union. She believes that the universities’ decisions have utilised the pandemic to make more extensive cuts than required.

“It has huge implications for people's workload. If your colleagues have been made redundant, the work is still there. So, it's not like the universities are saying, ‘Okay, this work doesn't exist anymore.’ It does, and somebody has to do it.”

Clair Oh headed the student investigation at USyd, finding leaked documents that showed one in three undergraduate subjects from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are in danger of being cut. These changes were drafted as cost-cutting measures despite the faculty forecasting a surplus of $135 million in 2021. “ They've always wanted to reduce the amount of courses, especially

“Have the universities taken advantage of the pandemic to make some changes? I think they probably have.” “It's hard not to think that in some way the idea of efficiency, and reducing costs, always seems to be there in the background,” said Dr Attfield.

“It has diminished the quality of what we've been able to do.” Despite this, Dr Attfield said teachers have been warned of further job cuts. “We think making staff redundant now is a very short-sighted thing to do,” says Dr Attfield, “especially since we're in a better financial position now compared to what we thought we'd be in.” LAYING DOWN THE LAW For students and employers, there are new fears that graduates will be underprepared for professional

Job Losses by Sub-Industry May 2020 -May 2021

Total Job Lost (000)

Full-Time Job Lost (000)

0 -5 -10 -15 -20 -25 -30 -35

as dc oa Br

ity El ec

nt de si Re

tin g

ly Su

lC ia

ru c st on C g

careers. Law students across the state are now wondering if their degrees will be eligible at all. Kurt Cheng is the Vice President of the UTS Law Students' Society and a member of the UTS Faculty of Law Board. Cheng is aware of concerns surrounding the quality of lawyers the universities are producing. “No generation of lawyers has ever learned online for most of the degree.” said Kurt Cheng (Source: Linkedin). The New South Wales Society of Law regulates the state's law degrees. Without their approval, universities cannot offer law certifications. “ They have very specific mandates that all exams must be in person, handwritten, in rooms of hundreds of people,” Cheng said.

With degrees being moved online due to COVID-19, lectures, classes, and exams were forced to be done at home. The mandates were altered to accommodate for the lockdown. However, when Sydney began to reopen, UTS’ Law degree stayed online.

STUDENT LIFE

ild

n tio

n io at uc Ed ia ry Te rt

-40

“[The Law Society] said to us, ‘It's been a year and a half of online exams. We want a return to in-person exams. We are concerned about the quality of lawyers that your graduates will become.’” Online law exams have their own issues. Many were designed to be completed over 48 hours. First-place law student at UNSW, Stella Wailes says that the exams have impacted her stress levels. “ They say it's meant to be done in two hours, but you never spend that time on it. It creates the constant feeling that, for those 48 hours, you cannot fully relax ,” Wailes said.

Casual Job Losses in Teritary Education Fed 2020 - May 2021

Changes in Casual Employment (000) 4 2 0 -2 -4 -6 -8 -10

UNSW’s Faculty of Law prides itself on its small classes. However, like many courses, COVID-19 saw an increase of class sizes. Katherine Wong is the Managing Editor of UNSW’s Tharunka. She has done extensive research into UNSW’s class sizes. “Seminar sizes have been increasing. You have too many students who aren't able to get that same experience, and their learning is compromised.” RETHINKING EDUCATION Claire Marshall is an innovative futurist and UTS academic for the faculty of Transdisciplinary Innovation. She believes that while change is painful, tertiary education could be facing an era of positive transformation, if done right.

“We should be encouraging and empowering students, more than teaching them ... We don’t have to choose between conceptual and practical.” said Claire Marshall (Source: Linkedin). Marshall believes that we should “hospice out” the old ways of teaching so new styles, such as blended learning, can be welcomed in. With this transition to blended learning, “engagement is something that we've had a problem with,” said Adam Bridgeman, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Educational Innovation at USyd. The Student Experience Survey 2020 noted a 16% decline in learning engagements amongst students aged 25 and under.

20 L JU

20 N JU

20 M

20 R AP

20 AR M

B FE

STUDENT LIFE

-12

“It’s not the screen; it’s the content on the screen… You can fall in love online. We just need to work a bit harder. We need to break the mould,” Marshall said. Marshall talks of this shift to online learning as “rethinking systems” and one that requires experimentation and exploration. “I think that’s how we will progress society, one little, failed experiment at a time.” “I don’t think online learning has to be worse than face to face. But I do think it has to be different.”

Need a lawyer? The UTSSA Student Legal Service provides free and confidential legal advice for students.

STUDENT LIFE

WHAT THE HELL IS THE STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION?

BY JOSEPH HATHAWAY-WILSON

You’ve seen the posters, the internet pop-ups, the handbooks and the print ads. You do not “need a lawyer” and are not yet dealing with “academic issues”. You have no need to call the phone number listed on the baby blue backdrop, but still, the silent question lingers - who are the Students’ Association?

Those who have half-dipped their toe into the realm of student politics will be familiar with the names of the various political factions at play: NLS, Unity, Socalist Alternative and the independents. They may also be aware of the ties some of these groups have to Australian political parties, such as the left and right branches of the ALP. However, knowing the names of these factions is vastly different to knowing how they come into play in the setting of the UTS Students’ Association (UTSSA). To understand how the UTSSA functions, it is best to disregard all of these labels, and any others with strings attached to Australian politics. Forget Labor. Labor doesn’t exist, neither do the Liberals, nor the Socialists. All of them. Banished. For now, UTS is the centre of the universe. At the centre of UTS is the UTSSA.

Part 1: What the hell is the Students’ Association? The basic function of the UTSSA is to provide legal, financial and academic support to UTS students. As a council, they also vote for and against motions that enhance the quality of the student experience. The UTSSA website reads: “The UTS Students’ Association is here to represent, support and advocate for the UTS student body. Run by students, for students, we run a number of free services to make sure that your time at uni is as enjoyable, rewarding and stress-free as possible.”

On top of providing services and passing legislation, the UTSSA also coordinates a host of collectives. Each of these collectives provides a safe space for any students who identify themselves as members of these communities. In short, the UTSSA is there for students when the shit hits the fan. In the meantime, they try their hardest to ensure that shit doesn’t hit the fan in the first place. They want the fan to be completely shit-proof. In the same way that governments aim to improve the quality of life for Australian citizens, the UTSSA wants the UTS student (and staff) experience to be the best it possibly can be. Of course, in the same way that there is no unanimouslyapproved method for governing a country, the management of the UTSSA is a topic of contention. Because of this, the UTSSA is composed of students from a host of different political parties…but, we’re not going to talk about them just yet. Before you get to know our student politicians, you need to understand the system in which they exist.

STUDENT LIFE

Part 2: F*ck the system! (but take it for dinner first) The UTSSA is roughly divided into two categories: the Office Bearers (OBs) and the General Councilors (GC). The third wheel of the UTSSA is the National Union of Students (NUS), however, to make things easy, we’re not going to talk about them here. They come in later. The only two categories that you need to pay any mind to are the OBs and the GCs. Every year, 14 students are elected as General Councilors. The vast majority of these 14 students do not have specific roles aside from “General Councilor’’. They form the majority of the UTSSA and are all qualified to speak at Council (the monthly meeting where UTSSA members move motions), each holding a single vote to either pass or block motions. On top of the 14 GCs, the UTSSA also consists of nine Office Bearers. Each of these OBs hold a specific role on Council, those roles being: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

President General Secretary Assistant General Secretary Education Officer Welfare Officer Wom*n’s Officer Indigenous Officer Postgraduate Officer International Students’ Officer

The OBs sit on Council alongside the 14 GCs and each holds a single vote in proceedings whenever Council moves legislation. As their titles denote, they also hold other responsibilities in the functioning of the UTSSA and the provision of certain services (e.g. General Secretary takes charge of organisational matters, Indigenous Officer takes charge of all matters pertaining to the Indigenous students of UTS, etc.). While this gives them a larger role within the UTSSA, it doesn’t make their Council vote any more influential than the SRC. Every vote is of equal worth, be it the President or a General Councilor. So, that brings the total number of Council members up to 23 (14 GCs and 9 OBs). On top of these 23 councilors, two students from the ‘Uni Council’ also sit on the UTSSA Council: an undergraduate representative and a postgraduate representative. These representatives each hold a single vote in Council proceedings (please note: this postgraduate representative is not the same as the aforementioned OB Postgraduate Officer). This brings the total number of Council members up to 25. Keeping up? Great, because this next bit makes things a little more confusing.

That was quite a lot to digest, so to make things a little easier, here’s a visual explainer:

Office Bearers 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

President General Secretary Asst. General Secretary Education Officer Welfare Officer Wom*n’s Officer Indigenous Officer Postgraduate Officer Intl. Student’s Officer

SRC Members SRC Member #1 / Ethnocultural Officer SRC Member #2 / Accessibility Officer SRC Member #3 / Queer Officer SRC Member #4 / Enviro Officer SRC Member #5 SRC Member #6 SRC Member #7 SRC Member #8 SRC Member #9 SRC Member #10 SRC Member #11 SRC Member #12 SRC Member #13 SRC Member #14

STUDENT LIFE

10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.

Uni Council Representatives 24. Undergraduate Representative 25. Postgraduate Representative

Woah-oah, you’re halfway there: Congratulations! You may now deem yourself educated on the basic structure of the Students’ Association. Good job, seriously. Most students will complete their degree without knowing how this stuff works, so the fact that you’ve persevered through this desert-dry article should really be seen as a testament to how focused and engaged you are. Anyway, who’s ready for some student conflict?! Let’s go, Part 3 on the count of 3.

Part 3: Crazy political shit Every year around election season, different tickets (equivalent of parties) form and campaign to be elected into the UTSSA. Within the election, tickets may put forward candidates for an OB role, a spot on the SRC, or an NUS position. Because elections for each of these categories function a little differently, allow me to break them down separately.

Office Bearers Much like ministers in the Australian federal government, OBs hold specific roles within the UTSSA. However, in a government, all ministers are members of the victorious, majority party. In the UTSSA, every OB is elected separately, regardless of whichever ticket holds the majority of positions on Council. In 2021, the two major tickets running for election in the UTSSA were Revive and Fire Up!, each of whom put forward a candidate for every OB role. Five of the directly-elected OB roles were won by Revive candidates (President, Asst. General Secretary, Education Officer, Wom*n’s Officer and Indigenous Officer), and four were won by Fire Up! candidates (General Secretary, Welfare Officer, Postgraduate Officer and International Students Officer). At the first Council meeting of 2022, four SRC members were elected from among the incumbent SRC to assume the remaining OB positions.The full line-up of OBs currently looks like this: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

President: Anna Thieben (Revive) General Secretary: Sabrine Yassine (Fire Up!) Asst. General Secretary: Melissa Sukkarieh (Revive) Education Officer: Cat Doherty (Revive) Welfare Officer: Nour Al Hammouri (Fire Up!) Women’s Officer: Eshna Gupta (Revive) Indigenous Officer: Camille Smith (Revive) Postgraduate Officer: Harry Ryan (Fire Up!) Intl. Student’s Officer: Antona Bursa (Fire Up!) Accessibility Officer: Cal McKinley (Revive) Ethno-cultural Officer: Suzy Monzer (Revive) Queer Officer: Gracie Abadee (Fire Up!) Enviro Officer: Bailey Riley (Fire Up!)

Student Representative Council The SRC are elected under a system of proportional representation. Students do not vote for specific candidates; they vote for a ticket. If votes were split 50/50 between two tickets, then each of those tickets would have seven GCs elected. If 93% of votes went towards one ticket and 7% went to another, then thirteen of the fourteen GC positions would go to the former ticket, and one to the latter. In the elections last year, five tickets ran for election to the SRC: Alliance for Accountability, Students 4 Climate, Divorced Dads 4 SRC and the two larger tickets, Revive and Fire Up!. The SRC subsequently looks as follows:

Elijah Hollero (Revive) Bailey Riley (Fire Up!) + Enviro Officer Cal McKinley (Revive) + Accessibility Officer Gracie Abadee (Fire Up!) + Queer Officer Suzy Monzer (Revive) + Ethnocultural Officer Mia Campbell (Fire Up!) Vanessa Lim (Revive) Zebediah Cruickshank (Fire Up!) Chloe Rafferty (Revive) Saihej Bhangu (Fire Up!) Sara Chaturvedi (Revive) Rufus Dadd-Daigle (Fire Up!) Simashee De Silva (Revive) Adrian Lozancic (Alliance for Accountability)

STUDENT LIFE

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Part 4: What the hell is the NUS?

STUDENT LIFE

And, at long last, Judgment Day hath dawned - our fated encounter with the inevitable question. The National Union of Students (NUS) is simultaneously the most and least important element of the UTSSA. Most important because it is the very reason we, along with 20 other public universities across the country, have a student union to begin with; least important because, for the vast majority of the calendar year, it has no impact on UTS in the slightest. Our NUS representatives are elected every year alongside the OBs and the GCs. There are seven positions on offer and, like the GCs, they are elected by proportional representation. A student who holds a role as a GC or as an OB is also allowed to be elected as an NUS rep. However, NUS representatives do not sit on Council (unless they also hold a position as an OB or GC). Currently, the NUS line-up at UTS looks as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Damien Nguyen (Revive) Zebediah Cruickshank (Fire Up!) Holly Hayne (Revive) Sabrine Yassine (Fire Up!) Eshna Gupta (Revive) Nour Al Hammouri (Fire Up!) Chloe Rafferty (Revive)

So, if they don’t sit on Council, don’t coordinate a collective, and don’t hold a specific title, what exactly do they do? To understand the NUS within UTS, you need to understand the NUS as a whole.

The NUS is, in a nutshell, the student union of Australia. It is built up of student unions and associations from all over the country, with most of the major universities in Australia being members. According to their constitution (2018): “The general object of NUS is to represent and advance the interests of post-school students in Australia.” In the same way that the UTSSA speaks for the 46,000+ students at UTS, the NUS speaks for 1,000,000+ students around the nation. Of course, because this is a much more arduous task, they meet on a far less regular basis than the UTSSA, who meet once a month. Instead, the broader NUS meets annually… in Melbourne. This meeting is known as the National Conference (NatCon) and takes place over a series of days. At NatCon, the whole NUS elects an executive committee, who meet on a far more regular basis to discuss policy. Every university part of the NUS sends a group of representative students to NatCon, the maximum number of reps being seven (as a certified big-boy-uni, this is how many UTS gets to send).

But… When the NUS representatives travel to NatCon in December, they don’t speak on behalf of UTS. In fact, they don’t even speak on behalf of Fire Up! or Revive. It is necessary to remember that while those two tickets may be the big dogs of UTS student politics, they don’t exist in the outside world what is Fire Up! to someone who goes to the University of Sydney, or Revive to a student from Deakin? Irrelevant, that’s what. Instead, these students go to NatCon as members of political factions. Yes, real-world-politics kind of political factions (but the student equivalent).

Damien Nguyen (GI) Zebediah Cruickshank (NLS) Holly Hayne (SAlt) Sabrine Yassine (Unity) Eshna Gupta (GI) Nour Al Hammouri (Unity) Chloe Rafferty (SAlt) This means that UTSSA elections are essentially a game of compromise. Two candidates such as Damien Nguyen (GI) and Holly Hayne (SAlt) might run on the same Revive ticket, but understand that when they go to NUS, they will be barracking for different factions. The same could be said about Zebediah Cruickshank (NLS) and Sabrine Yassine (Unity), who both ran with Fire Up! in the UTSSA elections but stand with different factions of the Labor party when it comes to the NUS. Everyone in the UTSSA is a member of a political faction, but it can be said somewhat uncontroversially that it is the NUS representatives’ which matter the most.

Well, there you go Congratulations, my friend! Together we traversed this arid landscape and emerged all the wiser. This is kind of like that book, The Alchemist, except you don’t need to be devoutly religious or spiritual for this one to make sense.

STUDENT LIFE

Factions of the NUS include: Student Unity, (Unity) otherwise known as Labor Right; National Labor Students (NLS), otherwise known as Labor Left; the Grassroots Independents (GI); and Socialist Alternative (SAlt).

With their NUS factions taken into consideration, UTS’ NUS representative line-up looks as follows:

What you do with this information is up to you and whether or not you decide that student politics is in your field of interest. You may not find it particularly engrossing, however, it’s important to remember that these people are making decisions, and those decisions are made for a constituency, and among that constituency is you. Keep your head up, your ears open, and stay informed however you can — it may not always be necessary, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.

STUDENT LIFE

A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE UTS FOOD COURT

kin a At lar C :

So, you’ve just finished a morning tutorial and have one and a half hours before your next one. You’re a little hungry, your only sustenance for the day has come in the form of an Up & Go on your way to uni, and you are already in Building 2… why not have some lunch? But wait. Should you go back to the same place as last week or try something different? To aid you in your decision-making, let’s jump into some honest reviews of your dining options in Building 2.

Illustrated by Sophia Ramos

PAPPARICH BUT MAKE IT #EXPRESS Gotta love some hearty Malaysian food. The small PappaRich Express store in the UTS Food Court is perfect for anyone’s Malaysian food cravings, and served with authentic Malaysian food including roti, chicken satay, laksa, dim sum and much more. Oh, and they also serve some pretty funky drinks that you should try such as the iced Milo and teh tarik! It must be said, ordering from PappaRich means you will likely be getting a heavy meal, which is perfect if you haven’t eaten in 14 hours, but might be a bit much if you’re just looking for a snack. This food is definitely the essence of salts, fats and sugar!

WAITING TIME:

CUISINE:

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

MY GO TO:

Malaysian

TYPE OF FOOD: Full Meal

STUDENT LIFE

Roti canai (with chicken)

THE LITTLE ROASTER (WITH A BIG HEART) What a little gem. Fun fact: I know of a cute couple who met each other here and I just think that is awesome. The Little Roaster is a one-stop-shop cafe that has all your basics — coffee, muffins, toasties, milkshakes, and everything in between. It is also open at 7 a.m for breakfast so you can pretty much guarantee a coffee-fix is available before that 9a.m. class!

WAITING TIME:

CUISINE:

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

MY GO TO:

Cafe Food Iced chocolate

TYPE OF FOOD:

Small Meal/Snack

MAD MEX (ICONIC) Not gonna lie, seeing Mad Mex closed week after week throughout last year was truly devastating. Heartbreaking even. I am sure there is not too much I need to say about Mad Mex but it is a fast food chain that shares the essentials of Mexican cuisine. I personally think if you are looking for a classic lunch fix, there is no going wrong with Mad Mex… if it’s open.

STUDENT LIFE

They sell made-to-order burritos, burrito bowls, nachos (God, I am so hungry) and more. I think something to remember (because it’s very embarrassing if you don’t), is this store works from right to left. Yes, I am not joking. At the time of writing this, Mad Mex UTS gets you to order on the right side and then work your way to the left side counter. There is a big sign that says ‘order here’ but, man, you can’t help it sometimes.

WAITING TIME:

CUISINE:

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

MY GO TO:

TYPE OF FOOD:

Mexican If I had to choose one, a tofu grande melt.

Snack/Full Meal

SUSHI WORLD (VS SUSHI HUB) If you love sushi then I don’t need to say anything here really. Sushi World offers all the sushi basics, as well as a small range of fried Japanese entrees. While I personally prefer walking towards Central for Sushi Hub, no matter how you look at it, eating sushi at UTS is a rite of passage.

WAITING TIME:

CUISINE:

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

MY GO TO:

TYPE OF FOOD: Light Meal

Japanese Salmon value pack

STOCK MARKET KITCHEN (AKA SALADS CAN BE NICE) I’ll say it. This place made me love salads. I thought salads were all bland and plain, but boy was I wrong. The Stock Market Kitchen offers a build-your-own salad structure that is similar to Subway. They also have a range of hot foods and soups that change every day! The salad bases and ingredients are all super wonderful and I highly recommend giving it a go (even if you are a salad hater x). You can really never go wrong with the Stock Market Kitchen! Except for when you awkwardly stand in front of the glass, ready to order, and then get told to go order around the corner. I have done this multiple times. I have seen it done multiple times. So you heard this here — when you order, go to the right corner!

WAITING TIME:

CUISINE:

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

MY GO TO:

Salads

TYPE OF FOOD: Full Meal

STUDENT LIFE

Jamaican jerk chicken salad

CHATIME (HOME OF THAT ONE DRINK EVERYONE GETS) I felt like I had to talk about this one. Chatime is so good, not underrated or overrated in my opinion. It has a different drink for everyone, and every mood of every day! Premium pearl tea, lychee green tea with lychee jelly, frozen mango… so many delicious drinks to compliment any meal you get from the food court!

WAITING TIME:

CUISINE:

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

MY GO TO:

Bubble Tea Premium pearl milk tea

TYPE OF FOOD: Drink

STUDENT LIFE

UNI BROS

Iconic. Iconic. Iconic. Uni Bros seem to kind of run the UTS food court, being placed in the centre and always serving people! Uni Bros are here for your hefty meal and comfort food fix — HSP, kebabs, pizza and $5 pide. Getting a halal snack pack from Uni Bros here is a must. Proof? Well, “Halal Snack Pack” was named the 2016 People’s Choice Word of the Year by Macquarie Dictionary. Plus, I think everyone forgets how good an HSP (or kebab for that matter) is until they have it again. It is also the perfect share-meal for you and all your uni besties. I will say, be careful when stopping in front of their store. They will be ready to take your order as soon as you glance at the menu. It can be very pressuring and you might just order something you don’t even want just to please them. Or so I heard… definitely from a friend.

WAITING TIME: CUSTOMER SERVICE: TYPE OF FOOD:

Light/Full Meal

CUISINE:

Kebab Shop

MY GO TO:

Mixed halal snack pack (BBQ + garlic sauce)

THE TERRACE (PROBS WHERE YOU WILL SEE YOUR TUTORS)

STUDENT LIFE

The Terrace is a cute lil’ cafe located around the corner from Chatime! Like the Little Roaster, it is often open in the mornings to offer you breakfast and coffee before your early morning classes. I think one of the best things about The Terrace is the fact that it is a not-for-profit cafe that aims to deliver sustainable food and beverages! They are also the only food and beverage venue on campus that invests back into the university and the programs they run!

WAITING TIME:

They sometimes have an interesting range of snacks near the counter (I have bought many purple and pink Nerds there). You can choose to dine inside or on the elevated platform outdoors… the terrace, if you will.

CUISINE:

UTS students and staff members receive 10%, so don’t forget to present your ID!

CUSTOMER SERVICE: TYPE OF FOOD:

Light Meal/Snack Cafe Food

MY GO TO:

Bacon & egg roll with a hot chocolate

STUDENT LIFE

HOW TO MAKE (for FRIENDS AT people who UNIVERSITY know nothing) BY ANDY LEE FIRST OF ALL, Australian university life doesn’t hold a candle to the party-raging, sorority-fraternity petri dish that is American college. Considering that you’ve genuinely taken interest in reading this article, you probably wouldn’t have made it into a sorority or fraternity anyway. Everyone should agree these are obvious tips on paper, but people who make friends are the ones who actually perform them.

WHERE TO START SMILING

NAMES “Oh, but I’m just genuinely really bad at remembering names.” For 90% of people, that is a poor excuse. If you genuinely care (which you should), you should put an active effort to remember names. Yes, it’s hard to remember, but it’s worth it. Actively saying people’s names instead of pronouns tend to subconsciously leave a good impression, considering 90% of the population consider themselves to be ‘bad with names’. Note about unfamiliar/difficult-topronounce names: Always go the extra mile to learn how to pronounce it. There is no other alternative. Ask repeatedly if your pronunciation is correct until you have their approval. 99% of the time, they’ll appreciate it. If someone is in the 1% and get annoyed, it’s fine. You were the better person who made the effort.

STUDENT LIFE

Smiling is a good habit. No, purposely being broody and wearing a constipation face will not make you cool. If that’s your way of conjuring a mysterious persona then congratulations, you’ll be mysterious and intimidating to every potential friend. Honestly, people don’t really care about you until they know you, and they’re not going to know you until you talk, and no one will talk to you if you’re too busy looking like you hate being here. So when you meet someone, smile and radiate some positive energy. Smile for you, not someone else. Plus, all that science stuff about smiling and how it can increase dopamine or something — that’s probably important.

LISTENING>TALKING If you’re still reading, it might be safe to assume that you’re not 100% confident in your social abilities (or you’re a social mega-donged powerhouse who’s reading this article and approving everything being said). So if you have trouble making conversation, ask questions about them. Easy topics include jobs, family/siblings, assignment updates, asking about interests, relationships etc. You, and everyone else, love to talk about their life and passions. Hence, we’re always looking for the first opportunity to spill our life-story the moment we’re asked. So genuinely listen instead of talking. Taking continuous interest and remembering the little things will separate you from the rest. Just be in the moment during conversation and not in your head.

APPLYING TO UNIVERSITY LIFE

STUDENT LIFE

CLASS, TABLES, ASSIGNMENTS I don’t want to over-exaggerate the importance of the first day of class, but where you sit in class is more important than any birthday or funeral you have left to attend in the rest of your life…combined. If there’s someone who you think you’ll vibe with (in any capacity), try your best to sit near them and on their table if you can. Try to be close with smart people to increase the chances of an easier time during group assignments. If your group has great chemistry, actively initiate a night out to get to know each other better and have fun. On a smaller scale, you can ask someone if they want to grab a bite after class. Having friends during class makes life more bearable. It’s not even remotely comparable to class alone, so try not to fuck this up.

SAY YES TO THINGS If you’re invited to an event, say yes. Just. Say. Yes. I don’t remember where I heard this, but this tip is especially crucial to those who tend to stay inside and don’t have great social circles. This rule is a great way to meet mutuals and generate social networks. Being social with others is typically a fake-till-youmake-it mentality. Again, easier said than done, but not being shy is the only way to overcome shyness, and there is no special hidden trick to overcome it. It just takes a bit of courage and persistence. To state the obvious: Do not attend any occasion where you think you will be threatened or harmed in any way. Don’t be an idiot. 32

SOCIETIES/CLUBS There are too many people who never join societies or clubs. Period. At the very least, join your faculty’s society and attend some events. Clubs based on specific interests are amazing for meeting people from different faculties. Some societies host camps for first-year students as a way to meet one another. This may sound corny but I promise these camps are friendship acceleration courses that can get you some good social circles. Just don’t be an arsehole; follow all the other rules that apply, and this will exponentially improve your uni experience. If you’re friendly with the people on your table, ask them about if they’re going to a specific event, and if they’re not, invite them. If they’re still not interested, then go and be a social butterfly (definitely easier said than done, but it is possible).

FRIENDSHIP AND CHANGES There is absolutely nothing wrong with maintaining friendships with high school friends, especially when the group chemistry is lively and kicks on. In fact, some people you meet in high school tend to understand aspects of you that no one in the rest of your life possibly could. However, going off personal and anecdotal experiences: friends made in high school are usually the result of similar worldviews and interests in a small sample of the world that is your year-group. Everyone is always discovering themselves, especially in high school. But in uni, where you can narrow down a huge population through interests and career passions, it can be clear what kind of person you want to be through the people you meet.

STUDENT LIFE

Remember, you are the company you keep. If your social circles are filled with people who are ambitious and hard-working, it’s extremely reasonable to presume you are — or prone to become — ambitious and hard-working. Drama queens stick with drama queens, arseholes stick with arseholes. So when you meet someone who you think would make a great friend, it’s probably because they radiate a potential value to your life that you’d want to grow and nurture.

34 POLITICS

POLITICS

36 POLITICS

POLITICS

Free supper with Night Owl Follow us on Facebook for regular updates www.facebook.com/ BluebirdBrekkie

utsstudentsassociation.org.au

Domicron:

A BRIEF HISTORY OF GOVERNMENT BACKFLIPS. Written by Elodie Jakes

If there’s one thing an Aussie politician loves doing in this pandemic, it’s a backflip. A backflip can be defined as a sudden change of policy, usually made after assuring the public that this policy was the right one. Written below is a small chronology of all the policy changes the state of NSW has had to endure and decode in the past two months, looking specifically at the confusing variability of isolation periods, mask mandates and RAT tests.

POLITICS

1. ISOLATION PERIODS: SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 14 DAYS AND A LUNCH BREAK 17th of December 2021 As Omicron first starts to rise, the NSW government announces that confirmed cases must isolate for 14 days, after which the patient would still need to be "cleared by a medical practitioner or registered nurse" before they could leave. This is the first policy given to NSW in response to the Omicron outbreak and, on the whole, it is pretty good. Fourteen days is the timeframe we've been given throughout the whole pandemic. It is medically approved and appears to put safety first. A slightly strange addition to the fourteen days isolation is the need for “assessment and clearance” by a medical practitioner, most likely a local GP. On the outside this decision seems sound, aligning with standard health advice. However, the policy is implemented with no prior warning or consultation with the medical industry. A letter signed by NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant was quickly sent to GP’s, stating “we now face a significant challenge with rapidly increasing COVID-19 case numbers related to

circulation of the Omicron variant”. Chant went on to comment on the suddenness of this policy, questioning the pressure it would put on the already strained health industry. “We were told the week before Christmas, when already many staff are already on leave, with no planning and no protocols in place,” she says. Instead of instating a clear, state-wide policy, NSW Premier Dominic Perrotett insisted on giving already struggling GPs the personal responsibility of monitoring a pandemic. Despite backlash from the medical industry, NSW Health insisted on going ahead with this protocol. 24th of December 2021 As case numbers begin to climb, the isolation period suddenly changes from 14 to 10 days. Although the shorter isolation period is informed by updating health advice, many Australians feel blindsided by the sudden change in time frame. On top of this, Perrotett and Minister for Health Brad Hazzard completely backflip on the

need for "medical clearance for de-isolation" and instead allow patients to leave isolation as soon as they hit day 10. With all the twists and turns, many Australians begin to wonder to what extent the "official health advice" was being influenced by political or economic pressures. Many question whether the government's desire for people to not spend too much time off work could see medical experts pushed into recommending iso periods that prioritised economic productivity over health and safety. 30th of December 2021 The official isolation period is shortened again to just seven days.

An interesting inclusion in the new seven day quarantine is that the patient must also produce a negative RAT on their sixth day of isolation before leaving. The new rule is inherently flawed. Australia is experiencing a RAT shortage, making them extremely hard to come by and extremely overpriced. Making them a requirement for leaving

31st of December 2021 The day after Scott Morrision announces that a negative RAT would be required for leaving isolation, he backtracks, announcing that a positive case can now leave on day seven no matter what. This is probably the quickest backflip we've seen from the Prime Minister. With the two announcements occurring within twenty-four hours of each other, this backflip encompasses incredible efficiency and "Cirque-du-de-Soleil" level technique. While Morrison is praised for the equitability of taking away this requirement, many Aussies are left wishing the federal Government could make informed, measured policy decisions that do not have to be changed week-to-week or even day-to-day.

POLITICS

This change seems to mark a shift in the way politicians are treating Omicron - it is not only a health crisis but a tremendous burden to the workforce. During the press conference where the change is announced, Scott Morrison states that "we need rules for the Omicron variant so we can keep our economy working, we can keep people in jobs, we can keep Australia open". The backflips in health policies continue to leave Australians confused and uncertain. The fact that isolation periods went from 14 to 7 days in just over two weeks is due, in part, to updating health advice. However, the constant readjustment of rules also seems symptomatic of a government that consistently waits until an issue becomes completely out of control before deciding to tackle it.

iso is downright inequitable. Despite these flaws, the RAT rule did seem more in line with the advice from medical experts; the point of isolation, after all, is to ensure that positive cases are not in the community while infectious.

20th of January 2022 There have been talks in the Federal Government about shortening the isolation period to only five days. The decision is still up in the air, but what is clear is that it is completely against health advice. Recent studies show that “30% of cases are still infectious on day five.” With such high numbers already, this could be devastating to the Australian population. The constant shortening of isolation periods seems dangerous and unfounded. At this rate, the next announcement from NSW Health will state that the new official isolation period will entail just a smoke break and a panadol.

2. "MASK ON, FUCK IT MASK OFF,” (JOKES, PLEASE PUT YOUR MASKS BACK ON) December 15th 2021

19th of December 2021

Due to the Delta outbreak, Australians have been mandated to wear masks in all indoor venues since the middle of 2021. This changes in December, as newly inducted NSW Premier Dominic Perrotett announces that "masks are now only required on public transport, planes and airports, and for unvaccinated front-of-house hospitality staff".

A few days after lifting the mask mandate, NSW hits an incredible 2,500 new COVID cases. Instead of reassessing his prior decision, Perrotett doubles down on not enforcing masks.

Despite the decline in Delta, the new Omicron variant means that, in the week of this announcement, COVID cases reach a ten-week-high. The day the mask mandate is lifted sees 804 new cases alone.

POLITICS

Sydney-based GP and epidemiologist Susie Yullie says, "in my opinion, this decision was not really in line with health advice". If Omicron is already known as highly transmissible and exponentially rising, why does Perrotett insist on no longer mandating masks, one of the easiest ways to lower transmission? It certainly isn’t for the economy, because Aussies were already going to pubs and shops while masks were still required. This decision, more than any other throughout, seems purely based-off ego. Against health advice, Perrotett wants to go through on his promise to lift mask mandates, probably in the hope that it would win over the people of NSW as their new Premier. In what has since become an absolute classic, Australians are given two completely contrasting messages about masks within the same announcement. In the same press conference, where Perrotett tells Aussies to take off their masks, Chief Health Minister Kerry Chant "strongly recommends that people continue to wear their mask in high-risk settings.” Even Scott Morrison says that “mask-wearing in indoor spaces is of course highly recommended” and “whether it’s mandatory or not, that’s what we should be doing”. But if it's what we should be doing, then why not mandate it? This announcement was meant to provide a moment of clarity for the people of NSW. Instead it leaves many feeling more confused and unsafe than ever before.

When questioned on the potential dangers of lifting the mask mandate, Perrotett says, "it is the time for personal responsibility for our state. We are treating the people of our state like adults". Instead of providing the state with clear rules to follow, the Premier leaves it up to individuals to decide whether they should wear masks. “This is all about taking personal responsibility. And the people of NSW are doing just that. The government can’t do everything. It’s over to the people of our state,” he says. 24th of December 2021 Just before Christmas, Perrotett joins ScoMo's Olympian-quality backflip by completely reinstating the mask mandate he brushed aside just a few days ago. In another display of too-little-too-late, Perrotett concedes that he brought back the mask mandate due to testing centres being completely overwhelmed: "I do know there has been a fair bit of frustration out there. Many people are waiting hours in queues, particularly as we come into Christmas,” the Premier says, "and we’re doing everything we can to alleviate that pressure". This recent announcement also sees Perrotett backtrack on his "personal responsibility" mantra. But it is too late to take it back now. Even within that one week where masks weren't mandated, Omicron has grown completely out of control. This crucial mistake made against health advice launched Australia and it's struggling health sector into a crisis.

3. THE RAT RACE September 2021 In a meeting with the Federal Government, Vice President of the Australian Medical Association Chris Moy insists that a national rollout strategy for free RATs is essential to managing future outbreaks. “I asked the question of them because I knew what was happening in other countries,” said Moy, months later. “We needed to get a lot of them [RATs], and we needed a really clear strategy to transition, it was so bloody obvious”. 27th of December 2021

30th of December 2021 Following a national cabinet meeting, ScoMo completely backflips on his earlier promise to make RATs free for everyone. Instead of providing the tests, Australians will now have to pay for this new essential item entirely out of pocket. Mr Morrison justifies this by claiming that "this is what the private market is for". In a time where many Australians are crying for help, the Prime Minister seems to turn his back on them: "We're now at a stage of the pandemic where you can't just make everything free, because when someone tells you they want to make something free, someone's always going to pay for it , and it’s going to be you.” The Prime Minister claims that this decision was made due to "concerns" from suppliers that making rapid tests free would be unsustainable. Mr Morrison assures us that not subsidising the tests was necessary under "advice from private industry".

"In a sense, I don’t think we really care if they are free or not in terms of supply of the tests, as long as there is a clear position from governments on the role of the tests. The industry doesn’t have a position because we sell to the government for market price.” he says. So if there weren't actually "concerns" from the private market about making RATs free, then who is Scott Morrison doing it for? 15th of December 2022 Australia faces a national RAT shortage. Despite being warned of this crisis as early as September, ScoMo failed to act at an appropriate time. In the months before the national shortage, the Prime Minister was hesitant to make deals with Australian suppliers. In this time, the US Government swooped in to make an 8.5 million test contract with Queensland-based RAT manufacturer, Elume. The contract means Elume can't provide tests to Australians until mid-2022, and is part of the reason why anyone in America right now can get a rapid test completely for free(!). So while Aussies scramble around different sold-out chemists trying to purchase an insanely priced and highly limited test, Americans get to enjoy the wide availability of RATs made in our own backyard. By not working with Australian suppliers, it seems like ScoMo has botched the RAT race in almost exactly the same way he botched the vaccine rollout; a strange pattern of acting on things only after they become a national crisis.

POLITICS

As Omicron cases surge, there is great uncertainty about the availability of RATs. This anxiety is seemingly eased by NSW Health announcing that “The NSW Government will procure Rapid-Antigen Test kits and make them available for free to people across the State, to give additional options to people and allow those who need to get a PCR test to do so”. This announcement gives Australians peace of mind that testing would be highly available and fully subsidised.

Dean Whiting, the chief executive of Australia’s largest RAT supplier, states that “it doesn’t matter to us whether they’re free, subsidised or some other thing”. Whiting has actually advocated for making rapidantigen tests free to improve accessibility,

In a pure sense, Australians are just confused. We get told one thing by health experts and an opposite thing by our politicians, sometimes in the same press conference. The constant backflips and twists of policy have left many Aussies feeling unsure and unsafe. We want to trust our representatives, but it’s hard when we’re busy watching them extinguish fires they helped start.

‘Is Australia stuck in a political Groundhog Day?’ Written by Will Simmons

POLITICS

SETTING THE SCENE Pervading our society, from local councils to state cabinets and the federal government, is the myth of ‘equal opportunity’. With the abolition of penalty rates 1 and wage stagnation amongst workingclass jobs 2, our class struggles in Australia highlight the Liberal party mechanism through which class traps are produced and reproduced, preventing true political discourse. How is anyone meant to “have a fair go” with all of these obstacles and more in place? With the federal election looming, the failures of the Liberal Party grow more apparent to all Australians, regardless of political allegiance. From bushfire blunders to covid cock-ups, the debt to the scandals, the selling off of public infrastructure to the wage decline, and the persistent climate inaction - they can’t seem to get anything right. Or perhaps they do? We propose a different view: the Liberals are not simply incompetent at managing Australia. Rather, they are managing Australia strategically by pushing the nation further into the depths of neoliberalism, and it’s doing its job well. Their goal, however, is not to serve the public - it’s to serve, firstly, corporations and, secondly, themselves. Why have welfare for struggling Australians when you can give it to billionaires who turned a profit during the pandemic?3 Why offer free Rapid Antigen Tests to those in need when you can let your mates in Big Pharma exploit their desperation?4 Why defend free speech activists like Julian Assange when you can push legislation to reveal the identity of your online critics or allow the Murdoch press to run its conspiracy theories? Especially when that same press plays the role of personal hype-men disguised as journalists.5 The justification of this is the same, decades-old played out slogans of ‘Trickle Down Economics’ or ‘Can Do Capitalism’ or just plain old buzzwords like ‘Freedom’ or ‘Safety’. One would think that Australia, this time, has had enough and that no amount of spin can change that. But what would a new Australia look like? Alternatively, what does the Australian Labor Party have to offer?

f ecretary o abor s e h t y b en alf. UTS L le is writt This artic Left Club on its beh inism, Socialism, f: Fem abor the the UTS L e the four pillars o an get involved in r c es a ook. You Left’s valu , and Democracy. cebook page: faceb Unionism contacting their Fa bor club by com/utsla

A RECENT HISTORY OF LABOR REFORM

During the 1970s, under Gough Whitlam, we saw the end of the colonial and racist ‘White Australia Policy’. Whitlam also oversaw the introduction of universal healthcare, free tertiary education, legislated equal pay for women, and the laying of groundwork for the historic Land Rights Act. Later, under the Hawke Government, Medicare was launched (which successive Liberal Prime Ministers have systematically weakened to push Australians into for-profit health insurance). The Sex Discrimination Act was also passed along with major economic reforms, which saw Australia avoid the Asian Financial Crash of ‘97 nearly two decades later. Keating would continue this legacy by introducing the National SuperAnnuation Scheme, allowing millions of Australians to retire comfortably without working into old age.

It was under Labor that Julia Gillard became the first female Prime Minister, a historic moment for gender representation within politics, which the ALP has consistently fought for. They achieved 47% of Federal ALP seats being held by women, in contrast to only 23% of Liberal seats. 6 With Gilliard at the helm, we saw the first inklings of progressive climate policy in 2012. The Gillard Government’s Carbon Tax saw immediate results with the decrease of carbon emissions, a policy that would have placed Australia at a strategic economic advantage if allowed to continue. Instead, we currently face sanctions for our inactions - ranking among the highest carbon polluters globally and ranked last in the developed world on climate change action. 7

POLITICS

To gain insight into what Australia could look like, we must first look at what previous Labor governments have done for working Australians. Despite only leading 30% of federal governments since Federation, there have been several significant forms introduced by the Australian Labor Party throughout its history.

(and the world) faces looming recessions and depressions heading into our third year of the pandemic, the Liberals have no plan of action. At least none that inspire hope.

The cumulative effects of these progressive policies are still felt today, despite the gutting of our healthcare and welfare systems by the Liberal Party.

While the global economy crashed in 2008, leaving millions destitute, evicted, and without jobs, Australia came out unscathed thanks to Treasurer Wayne Swan and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s stimulus package. Now, as the country

ALP AND THE AUSTRALIAN YOUTH: AN EXAMINATION OF PARTY POLICY

POLITICS

So, is the current ALP all it’s cracked up to be? We think not, but it certainly can be. The ALP is, at its core, is a left-wing political party that cares about the Working Class, LGBTQIA+ and Indigenous communities - that can not only get elected but can effectively implement its policies to the benefit of all Australians. While there have been many accusations of Labor under Anthony Albanese not offering any real change, it’s clear that those who make these claims have never deeply researched one of the most progressive platforms this country has seen in decades. So, let’s take a look at it. On tackling climate change, the ALP has promised a 43% reduction in emissions by 2030, with a net-zero target by 2050 under its ‘Powering Australia’ plan. While not the most radical plan, it is the most thorough. It comes with the creation of over 600,000 jobs, cheaper power bills for families, more affordable electric vehicles, and investment in ‘Green Metals’ to modernise and future proof our current mining and manufacturing industries. 8 Furthermore, Labor’s commitment to manufacturing our public transport and Green Infrastructure, among other things, ensures a decrease in the carbon footprint of these projects as we no longer need to have our projects shipped internationally on fuel-guzzling cargo ships. Labor understands that to enact real climate policy, we first must make room for the legitimate needs and worries of the working class and their families whose livelihood depends upon fossil fuel. That we must work hand in hand with energy and mining worker’s unions to secure these outcomes.

Labor Left, through its involvement through programs such as the Labor Environmental Action Network, and the Australian Manufacturers Workers Union’s Hunter Jobs Alliance, has worked directly with communities to develop its climate policies. For young people, the Albanese Government is offering free TAFE to support the ongoing diversification of the modern Australian workforce and skill shortages left by the pandemic. On top of this, it also supports regional, remote and outersuburban communities, first-generation university students, and First Nations Australians by ensuring more places at our academic institutions. This new dawn of Australian politics requires both a progressive government and young people’s empowerment – especially those not yet old enough to vote. Labor’s new youth engagement model provides a formalised engagement channel in government and policy development. Under the Liberal government, young Australians have been denied the opportunity to help form the policies and make the decisions that impact their lives and futures. Facing higher rates of casualisation and underemployment, 9 significant barriers to education and training, a rent 10 and housing affordability crisis, 11 and the climate disaster, the future for young people is dire. Since 2013, when the Abbott Government abolished the Youth Advisory Council and the Office for Youth (both introduced by the previous Labor Government), there has been no framework for engagement or communication. Young leftists, both at high school and university, are left behind by the government at every turn and for decades have found their voice in activism. The increasing mobility around climate change with the notable School Strike 4 Climate has triggered mass media and government attention. Young people need and deserve a

say on the issues that impact them, and the government needs the input of young people to develop successful youth policies.

time for the younger generation to have its say: Politics needs to be more than just a matter of voting once every three years.

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? THE FUTURE IN OUR HANDS In the lead up to a federal election, the ALP needs a strong, active, and young left-wing faction, willing to put in the hard yards to push the party in a new direction. Both Albo and Tanya Plibersek (Shadow Minister for Education and UTS Alumni) started their political careers as passionate students. Now they are shaping the future of the ALP, and hopefully, the nation. Australia cannot afford to endure more of the same old Liberal agenda. With the influence of third parties and independents limited, we shouldn’t have to settle for Labor centrists. Australia must push forward with a strong left-wing agenda capable of combating climate change without sacrificing workers, one that can avoid reckless spending while delivering on vital social services and public infrastructure. At the end of the day, to beat the right-wing of Australia, we must first fight it from within the ALP. We can’t fall asleep at the wheel of the machine, and leave Australia’s best chance at a brighter future in the dark.

POLITICS

None of this even scratches the surface of the ALP’s federal platform, nor does it mean that it can’t change and adapt for the better. Undoubtedly, the ALP has its faults, and it doesn’t go far enough in many areas. We at UTS Labor Left acknowledge this, which is why we are fully committed to changing the ALP both from within the party’s ranks and externally. Every time the party fails to live up to its expectations, whether it be refugee rights, or to fight Mark Latham’s transphobic legislation, you will find us protesting or marching. It’s important to remember that the most effective way of influencing the party as young left-wing activists is to ultimately engage in its spaces, branches, caucuses, and policy conferences. While the endless bureaucracy of a party machine might seem intimidating and hopeless, the beauty of it is that it is fundamentally democratic, with every member being able to get their say on policy at both state and federal levels. By having a little red card in your wallet, you are more likely to influence Australian politics for the better. In light of this, the biggest problem facing the ALP at the moment is its lack of support from the Australian left (particularly students), who have long since written it off as a legitimate means for progressive change. If more young people choose not to engage with the Labor Party its internal bureaucracy will continue to stagnate the party’s values at the behest of its right-wing Faction, who wish to see Labor’s progressive, socialist, and left-wing values stamped out to seem ‘more electable’. It’s

‘Is Australia stuck in a political Groundhog Day?’ REFERENCES:

POLITICS

1 Karp. P, 2017. ‘Sunday penalty rates cut by up to 25%, hitting retail and hospitality workers’, The Guardian, 23 February, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/feb/23/ sunday-penalty-rates-to-be-cut-by-25-to-50-fair-workcommission-rules 2

Cruse. K, 2021. ‘Workers’ wages are going backwards’, Australia Council of Trade Unions, 18 August, https://www.actu. org.au/actu-media/media-releases/2021/workers-wages-aregoing-backwards 3 Karp, P. 2021, ‘Harvey Norman repays $6m of the $22m it claimed in jobkeeper after record profits’, The Guardian, 31 August, https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/ aug/31/harvey-norman-repays-6m-of-the-22m-it-claimed-injobkeeper-after-record-profits 4

Evans. J, 2022, ‘Scott Morrison says he won't 'undercut' businesses by funding free rapid antigen COVID-19 tests’, ABC News, 3 January, https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-03/ morrison-resists-free-rapid-antigen-testing-for-covid/100735518

5 Vincent. M, 2020, ‘Scott Morrison and Murdoch's News Corp empire 'operating like a team', former PM Malcolm Turnbull says’, ABC News, 17 November, https://www.abc.net.au/news/202011-17/scott-morrison-murdoch-media-like-a-team-turnbullsays/12891218 6 Hitch. G, 2021, ‘What are quotas? Will they help solve the government's culture problems?’, ABC News, 24 March, https:// www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-24/what-are-quotas-sexismparliament-house-women/100024642

Doyle. M, 2021, ‘Australia scores zero on climate policy in latest Climate Change Performance Index’, ABC News, 10 November https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-10/australia-scores-zeroon-climate-policy-in-latest-report/100608026.

Australian Labor Party 2021, Powering Australia, ALP, Canberra, https://www.alp.org.au/policies

9 Ludlow. E, 2022, ‘Reports show worsening conditions for Australian youth,’ World Socialist Web Site, January 20, https://

www.wsws.org/en/articles/2022/01/21/yout-j21.html. 10 Norton. A, 2020, ‘3 flaws in Job-Ready Graduates package will add to the turmoil in Australian higher education’, The Conversation, October 20, https://theconversation.com/3-flawsin-job-ready-graduates-package-will-add-to-the-turmoil-inaustralian-higher-education-147740 11

Chowdhury. I, 2022, ‘Why are young Australians locked out of home ownership? The answer is politics’, The Guardian, 16 January, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/ jan/16/why-are-young-australians-locked-out-of-homeownership-the-answer-is-politics

Having academic issues? Speak to our Student Advocacy Officers for independent and confidential advice.

Drop in

Appointments

10:00am-12:00pm, Tuesdays utsmeet.zoom.us/j/484728509

To make an appointment email students.association@uts.edu.au

12:00pm-2:00pm, Thursdays utsmeet.zoom.us/j/120281737

50 ART & LITERATURE

ART & LITERATURE

52 ART & LITERATURE

54 ART & LITERATURE

ART & LITERATURE

UTS Short Film Review:

Angrezee Written by Alexander Kingsford M Poster Design by Misra Imran Khan & Elby Chai

Stunningly filmed, Angrezee allows its audience to understand a perspective of immigrant parents raising children with two cultures: one of their birthright and one of the land that they live. In this case, Sufi, who now is enrolled in school, lives with two cultures: one from her Pakistani father and the society she grows up in. Kids like Sufi grow up with a new perspective, one of multiculturalism. This is eloquently explained by a supporting actress: “I am the right puzzle piece in the wrong jigsaw box. I complete the puzzle, but I change the picture.” Throughout the Angrezee, language plays an essential role. Scenes are seamlessly edited and overlaid with static noise signifying how complex learning a new language can be. While traditional learning fails Fahad, we watch him use various avenues to understand the English language, such as watching American sitcoms. Scenes like these help the audience to not only sympathize with the struggles of the protagonist but of any individual assimilating to Australia culture. Not all moments of Angrezee carry a serious tone. Like I mentioned previously, Fahad watches and learns from TV. The show where both Fahad and Sufi bond and learn English is an American sitcom: Cashmere Kids — a show that

reflects the people in their lives. The characters in this sitcom crack jokes about their cultural backgrounds with canned laughter and corny 80/90s TV music. Cashmere Kids brings moments of comic relief complementing Angrezee’s defining topic of asssimilation and multiculturalism. Honestly, after watching Cashmere Kids, I’m upset that there wasn’t a show like it on air when I was growing up watching ABC or SBS. I think there NEEDS to be a YouTube spinoff series of Cashmere Kids. The editing, at times, is reminiscent of techniques used by my favourite film director: Wes Anderson. This can be seen from the transitions between scenes from the past and present — square and rectangle-framed scenes. Again, much like Anderson, who works closely with a colour palette, the scenes are meticulously staged and perfectly palleted with tans, browns, and various colours of beige making Angrezee very pleasing to watch.

ART & LITERATURE

Wow! Angrezee (2022) is a beautiful short film sharing an intimate story of an immigrant family living in Australia. Running only 16 minutes long, the film focuses on the struggles of Fahab, a father trying to adapt to a new way of life for his daughter Sufi. We watch as the protagonist tackles the bizarre nuances of Aussie slang and the complicated English language while raising his daughter as a single parent in a foreign country.

Lastly, there is something about the curated soundtrack of Angrezee that I quite like. In the beginning the soundtrack is light and gives scenes a nostalgic feel. The calming piano gives both scenes of the past and present a charming and intimate feeling. Whereas the flute music in the background of the fruit market is whimsical, but it quickly changes to a fiery remix energising the audience alongside Fahad in his pivotal moment of metamorphosis. I loved watching this film! I’ll be raving about it for a while. It’s such an intimate take on a shared story people should be watching here in Australia. My only note is that I wish the last phone call ended in cheers.

ARTS & LIFESTYLE

ed by Interview van ulli Ashley S

In Conversation With

Divya Venkataraman 58

Divya Venkataraman is a lawyer-tu rned-writer whose work has been published in Vogue Australia, GQ Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald, Time Out and SBS. With articles ranging from social action to arts, Divya currently covers cultu re, fashion and travel content across Vogue Australia , Vogue Living and GQ Australia. I was thrilled to chat with her and discuss her journey as a writer, the importance of uplif ting diverse female voices, and her hopes for the future of journalism.

CW: Discrimination AS: Hi Divya, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Could you please tell us a bit about yourself?

AS: You graduated with a degree in Law and Arts in 2018, and you’ve already made massive leaps and bounds in your career journey. What motivates you? DV: The idea of wanting to do something that I’m genuinely interested in every day is my biggest motivator, and I saw what it was like not to be able to do that. Personally, working in mergers and acquisitions at a law firm was not a fulfilling space, so that experience allowed me to ask myself: ‘How do I make my day-to-day life something that I actually get excited for?’ AS: You’re working as a Content Editor for Vogue Australia, Vogue Living, and GQ Australia. How do you juggle coming up with new ideas, writing and editing without burnout?

48-hour relevancy. The most useful tip is to find purpose in these things for yourself and not through external validation. Writing news stories about what a Kardashian wore is one aspect of the job, but you also get to do work that feels purposeful to you. You can balance creating entertaining quick bite-size content, and that can have its own space alongside longer, more in-depth pieces. AS: What article have you written that meant a lot to you?

ARTS & LIFESTYLE

DV: I’m a content editor at Vogue Australia, Vogue Living and GQ Australia. I spend my days writing and producing content. Creating content can sound a bit mysterious for people not in the media world, but it just involves pitching articles during morning meetings and writing them throughout the day. Some will be very short burn news, while others will be longer interview features. It’s not always in-depth features or glamorous reporting - there is definitely a mix of everything. I’m also involved in the technical side of things like uploading onto the websites, sourcing imagery, using design, and working with photoshop.

DV: I had a great time writing this piece last year about Bernardine Evaristo, the author of Girl, Woman, Other and the first black woman to win the Booker Prize. It was an amazing opportunity to interview someone I’ve admired for a long time, and my past self from two years ago would never have imagined having this interview. AS: Talk us through your creative process. DV: Chaos (laughs) I like to look at an idea from all angles, especially if it’s a feature or a conceptual piece, and write down all my thoughts. It’s a complete mess, and nothing is orderly, but I think having way too much material is comforting because then you can go in and strip it all back to the bones. Writing something is the first part of it, but it’s the editing where the real work happens. Especially in the digital world where you’re writing 3-4 stories per day, you don’t get the luxury of doing that all the time.

DV: It’s a constant challenge to balance the pace of things, especially when so many news stories have

AS: As a journalism student, I’m self-admittedly guilty of glamorising the media world, particularly magazine jobs. From The Devil wears Prada to Sex and the City, how realistic are the media portrayals? DV: Not accurate at all, but it’s kind of funny because I think everyone falls for those kinds of ideas, even though there is so much more to recommend beyond its ‘shininess’. Even though the job doesn’t have those superficial trappings, it has many more exciting things. In the fashion media space, you get to be a part of events and brand launches that allow you to meet interesting people in the industry. It’s a less talked about aspect of TV and film representations, but I think one of the most ‘glamorous’ parts of the job is being constantly surrounded by talented creatives.

ARTS & LIFESTYLE

AS: What is the most exciting opportunity your job has given you? DV: I don’t know about exciting, but the weirdest one was while working at Time Out Sydney, and my boss asked if I would like to attend a dog wedding. I knew I couldn’t say no to an invitation, and it was the most bizarre, pink, very fancy affair. It wasn’t even one of the dog’s first weddings. There were all these dog influencers and many dog treats going around, but no human food apart from champagne. It was very strange but very fun. AS: As we enter 2022, what are the most important stories to be told? DV: I think the momentum that we received talking about race in a more open way is something we need to keep at the forefront of people’s minds, particularly through the way we report. In the fashion space, I feel that it will become harder to tell pure fashion stories that don’t reveal how a particular piece or a particular show was made. I don’t think reporting can keep doing the same thing as before, which was focusing purely on aesthetics and not on the behind the scenes of fashion supply chains, labour issues and sustainability. I’m excited to see these elements continue to be woven into how we tell fashion stories.

AS: You’re also a member of Sweatshop: Western Sydney Literacy Movement. Can you tell us about your involvement and what Sweatshop stands for? DV: I got involved with them a few years ago, and it’s an incredible collective that focuses on uplifting the voices of writers of colour through literacy as freedom. They help writers be published and assist with their work being elevated to public recognition. They run workshops specifically for women of colour to receive valuable critical feedback, and they work with writers across all kinds of mediums.

AS: As a female writer of colour, how do you wish to see diverse female voices amplified in creative industries?

AS: Journalism is an ever-changing industry notorious for job insecurity. Are you hopeful for its future?

DV: I want to see their voices on their terms. All of the talent and abilities are there, but it often gets trotted out when it’s convenient for a mainstream audience. The future is embedding people into those conversations and keeping them there, not just pulling them in when there’s a race issue or a diversity issue. People of colour have a lot to say on a lot of different things, not just trauma, and having their perspective is always going to be useful.

DV: For sure! It’s an exciting place to be, and there’s so much that the coming generation can do. I don’t think it’s ever going to look like it did pre-financial crisis, and magazines don’t have the cachet they used to, but they’re still an important cultural tool. I think it’s all about people making decisions in media that focus on what journalists do well instead of copying social media influencers and content creators. It will be interesting to see how journalism continues to renegotiate its space in a world dominated by social media platforms and engages with it while simultaneously carving out its own space. AS: What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future?

I think a lot of this industry is about making it up as you go along, and the possibilities feel very open for the future.

ARTS & LIFESTYLE

DV: Lots of things! I’m currently working on an essay about forgetting your first language and the loss and guilt connected with that. I love that we’re including more of the experiences of first-generation women and migrants in Vogue, and placing them into mainstream conversation.

AS: Where can we see your work? DV: You can see it online at vogue.com and vogueliving.com, and GQ, as well as the print issues of Vogue coming out in the next few months. You can find Divya on Instagram and Twitter @divyavnkt

Home-grown in Sydney, Highline is a local band of four passionate and musically talented university students who are making sizeable waves in the Aussie music industry, using their lyrics, melody and ambition to make their path uniquely their own. Now you might be thinking: okay cool another small Sydney band…why should I care? Trust us: you will want to get behind this band. You want to be that friend who says: “Oh yeah I listened to them back when blah blah blah.” This is your moment (and of course Highline’s moment). Highline’s formula for success is there: their lyrics are meaningful, their team camaraderie is outstanding and they really do care about the music.Their unique execution comes with the slow building of local fans. Photo provided by Highline

CHASING HIGHLINE

An interview with a band breaking into the Sydney music scene Interview by Joey Chalita & Clara Atkin

The band consists of four high-school mates: Rhys Hope on lead guitar, James Priest on Bass, Jim Osborne on drums as well as lead singer and lyricist Sam Rigney. We sat down with Sam to discuss the bands’s success and tribulations so far.

V: Do you guys go by any one particular genre, or do you consider yourselves more of a blend? S.R: We take a bunch of different influences. We’re definitely indie rock, but we take influences from pop and alt-rock. The alt-rock label gets thrown around a lot, as well as indie with the catchiness of some of the choruses that are common with that sort of style. We are constantly trying to change what we do and who we’re trying to emulate and draw influence from. I guess there’s no real concrete answer, but we’re definitely a part of the indie rock category on Spotify and Triple J.

take risks and do something new? S.R: Yeah, definitely in terms of the structure of our songs, you know, we’re not playing any crazy stuff in five/four time just yet or anything. But we’re always trying to differentiate ourselves from acts that have gone before us; we don’t want to be tainted as the next DMA’s. And, we don’t want to be one of those bands that just copy Sticky Fingers.

V: How did you guys come up with your band name and what influenced your choice?

V: Yeah, I know you guys are definitely not afraid to do really long songs as well, which I really love…

S.R: When we started working together in early 2019, we were so pushed for a name. We went through all these shocking names, like Junior was one, but we never really got into that one. However, in New York there’s an old monorail platform in the city that’s overgrown, and it’s this blend of old rusty train tracks and a boardwalk. It’s called the Highline, so that’s where we got the name. There was no other real band called it, and we were just like, yeah, “we hate this one the least”. So we just ran with it. We didn’t really love the name at first, but then it became us.

S.R: Yeah (laughs), I mean our longest is a song called ‘Busy’; to which is definitely our favourite song we’ve ever made. The two-minute guitar outro is by far the most fun we ever have had playing both, in rehearsals and on stage. So we’re definitely looking to do more stuff like that down the line. We’ve got some new songs coming out this year that go down a bit more of a unique path, as opposed to that stock-standard verse chorus verse chorus bridge formula.

V: Would you guys consider yourselves a boyband?

ARTS & LIFESTYLE

S.R: No, definitely not. (laughs) No, nah. No… I don’t think we’re anywhere near attractive enough to be called a boy band.

So when we write songs, we try to keep that feedback in mind and try to be more original, whether it’s the soundscape, the structure of the songs, or the meaning of the lyrics. We definitely try to carve out our own reputation. We’re trying to work on our sound and develop our own sort of niche within that broader genre. Especially with me, I try to sort of sing with my own kind of voice. We do get compared to a lot of other acts as well, which is very flattering, however at the same time, we do just want to be our own thing.

V: Did you guys have any inspiration from other bands? Particularly from the Sydney music scene? S.R: Well, Oasis but particularly, DMA’s in terms of all four of us admiring one act. Going to the same school, we had known them since we were 15, and I’ve just followed them forever. The journey they’ve gone on in terms of creating their first EP and taking off, to smashing out of the Sydney scene and then really dominating over in Britain. It has been very inspiring to see what’s possible. V: It’s safe to follow what’s been done before and what’s been successful, but have you taken steps to

V: How long has Highline been operating/producing music? S.R: Well, we met in school, jammed in school a little bit, and then we did a gig straight out of school. It was like a battle of the bands thing. But I guess we played our first official gig at open mic nights, in March or April 2019. We’re about to enter our fourth year, which is cool. We’ve got a lot of fun stuff planned. But it feels shorter because we’ve missed out on so much time and so many gig opportunities because of COVID. We counted about 15 gigs we had to change or cancel.

ARTS & LIFESTYLE

V: Aside from COVID, how have you found breaking into the Sydney music scene? S.R: I think the Sydney live music scene is definitely growing. It’s getting stronger, and there are some great gig organising groups like Music and Booze Co. And you know, people are pretty kind, the venues are pretty lovely and very supportive. It’s really cool meeting all these other bands and making friends; it’s a nice little community to be a part of. We have really close friends who supported us in our first few gigs. When we started playing open mic nights in Newtown, there was this really full-on punk band called Sling who brought us to support one of their shows, which was our first supporting gig. From there, we bounced from the Townie to the Valve Bar, and then we played the Vanguard and Freedom and Lansdowne and Mary’s. So we’ve just been climbing up the venue ladder. And now we’re playing at the Lansdowne again on the 10th of February. Which we can’t wait for. We’re announcing that next week (cheeky wink). V: Favourite show so far? S.R: For me, it was the show at the Oxford Art Factory. It was the first time dance floors were back. I think we had near capacity of 200 people there at the Factory, and it just felt crazy. Everyone was going insane. It was one of th first times where we had released a song and people started actually singing it back, which was really exciting for a new release. And I don’t know, it just really kick-started what was actually a pretty good year, in 2021, despite the COVID

cancellations. We’ve got some great support, and it was a really exciting launch to our Off Track EP campaign. V: You guys cover a lot of different life experiences in your songs and a few of them are about love. So, do you think heartbreak leads to the creation of good music? S.R: I don’t know if you want to call it good. But it definitely leads to a lot of inspiration. The songs that you are probably referring to were definitely about a breakdown of a relationship that I had after our first EP in 2020. I had all this inspiration and all these emotions that were poured into songs and lyrics. V: It’s a very relatable experience… S.R: Yeah, I mean, that’s what I always want to do when I write songs: try to get people that can relate. I’m 22 now, and all these stories about young love and all these complicated emotions are what I think everyone has experienced in some way. Remembering a past partner they had at some early stage of their life. The songs I’ve written have always been about trying to get that empathy with the listener. And I think we’ve done a pretty decent job of that so far, and will continue to do so. V: So you’ve mentioned an ex, has she listened to the music? S.R: Yeah, yeah (laughs), she’s definitely listened to it. Yeah, I copped it a little bit after the song came out. There were a few questions about a few lines here and there. But um, look, she definitely knows it’s about her. And we’ve chatted about that. I think she’s actually been actually quite supportive and real nice about it.

Photo provided by Highline V: And you are all university students? S.R: I study part-time, the rest study full-time, and a couple of the boys are on academic scholarships. They’re all very switched on. I think a lot of the reason why we love making music is because it helps balance our studies. It’s a big point of difference in our lives that I don’t think a lot of the uni students get to have. I mean, it’s stressful as anything, and we fucking fight about a bunch of stuff all the time, like artwork and songs and things like that. But it is still a really great thing to put your energy into, and we make it work with uni because it’s just so much fun when you get to play. We’re not going to be dropping out. Yeah, everyone’s still pretty risk-averse, and we know we can’t be playing gigs all the time. When we have a free day, I like to stay active, try to learn and go to uni, work and be self-sufficient, but when it comes to nighttime, we just do what we love.

V: And recently with your song, ‘Shy Today’, you worked with Jack Niagara, who is pretty up there. So, how did you get to work with a producer like him? We emailed Jack in 2020; we really wanted to work with him because he had worked with DMA’s. We reached out to him, and he heard our stuff and really liked it. On top of being so good and so kind, he works so hard. He had success recently with Pacific Avenue and the Terry’s. He is such a good bloke, as well as a great producer. So we were lucky enough just to email him and ask, and after listening to our stuff, he took us on. It’s all about knowing where to find these guys and having the courage to sort of reach out and say like, “Hey, can you do this for us? I know we’re unknown, unsigned and very small, but please check us out cause we do have the room to grow.”

ARTS & LIFESTYLE

Photo provided by Highline

V: How many hours a week do you put into Highline? S.R: In terms of writing a new song, it sorta just happens, and I’ll do it after a night out or something. In the morning, it’s a bunch of sorting out things related to admin. We’re always talking about new artworks, new ideas and new gigs. So I couldn’t put a cap on it. I’d say leading into a gig you’d be rehearsing three times that week. So that’s like six to eight hours of rehearsals. It’s funny; you can stress out about it so much and rip your hair out fighting with each other, but in the end, it’s so worth it when we play the songs we’ve been working on. So we all are definitely soaking it in as much as we can while we are young and still able to do it.

V: What advice would you give to other people also trying to pursue music in Sydney? S.R: Just get started. Talking about doing shit is easy and, I mean, it’s so cliche, but getting together and playing and just playing poorly (laughs) is important. You have to keep going. We’ve spoken to people in the industry who have slacked off, and they eventually just stop. And I think it’s easy to get started and put out one song, but you’ve got to keep going. If you love it enough, you’ll do it.

V: Why should people care about Highline? S.R: I mean, we work really, really hard on our music to make it as original as possible. Every line is thought through at least three times. I write a lot of the lyrics, and we like making songs that are catchy and that people want to dance and sing along to. But at the same time, we also really want to garner respect from those who are musically inclined. We don’t want to be known as just another garage rock band (laughs).

Single cover provided by Highline

ARTS & LIFESTYLE

Yeah, I’d say that I don’t know too many other bands in this sort of space that really care and put a lot of effort into their demos and each and every individual line like we do. Not to say they don’t, I have no idea, but I just know that we really do care a lot about it.

V: Can we look forward to any music coming up? S.R: Yeah, we’ll be releasing a song in the first week of March! (big smile). So yes, definitely more music, more content, more shows. We’re planning to hopefully go more inner-state over the next few months, as well as do shows in Canberra and Melbourne and places like that...if they’ll have us. So we’re just going to keep going and try to put out as much music as we can this year!

Single cover provided by Highline

68 BUSINESS, LAW & STEM

BUSINESS, LAW & STEM

Can’t keep up? Make your academic life easier with our Peer Tutoring program.

Photographer: FJ Gaylor

Enquire Now UTS Tower Building, Level 3, Room 22 | (02) 9514 1155 utsstudentsassociation.org.au/peertutoring

OF A N E W AWN AG D E E: H T

New Beginnings for the Legal Industry BUSINESS, LAW & STEM

TW: Violence, domestic violence, misogyny, homophobia, discrimination, r*pe, racism

A plethora of tragedies plagued the 20th century. From World War I to the Great Depression to the Holocaust, the 1900s were bleak in more ways than one. However, as the ancient proverb goes: The darkest hour is just before dawn.

• •

• Various political and legal developments throughout the 20th century paved the way towards equality for Australian minority groups, including women, Indigenous Australians, and the LGBTQ+ community. These developments represented new beginnings for the legal industry — catalysts for social change. While considerable progress remains, each milestone signifies a step in Australia’s journey from darkness to light. 1934: Tuckiar v The King Tuckiar v The King1 is a landmark judgment handed down by the High Court of Australia on 88th of November 1934, which shed light on legal ethics and the treatment of Indigenous peoples in the Australian justice system. The case concerned a Yolngu elder, Dhakiyarr (Tuckiar) Wirrpanda, who was found guilty and sentenced to death for the murder of white police constable Albert McColl in the Northern Territory Supreme Court2. The Supreme Court proceedings were rife with procedural injustices:

Written by Georgia Neaverson Dhakiyarr was not permitted to testify; The defence counsel appeared “more concerned with protecting Constable McColl’s reputation than ensuring that Tuckiar had a fair trial”; 3 The police tracker doubled as the interpreter. 4

Drawing international attention to the plight of Indigenous peoples in the Australian justice system, Dhakiyarr’s case became the first of its kind to be heard in the High Court. The High Court unanimously found a miscarriage of justice and quashed Dhakiyarr’s conviction on appeal. There is a grim epilogue to the story — Dhakiyarr disappeared shortly after his release from Fannie Bay Gaol, and his fate remains unknown. Despite this, the case was monumental in affirming the right of Indigenous Australians to a fair trial. 5 1941: The Equal Pay Principle Although women’s groups campaigned for equal pay from the early 1900s, it was not until the Council of Action on Equal Pay in 1938 that times began to change. The Council, led by socialist feminists Muriel Heagney and Jessie Street, sought to combat sexism in the workplace and broader society.

The conference affirms the right of women to earn their living in industry, the professions and the public service and demands for all workers the legal right to equal occupational rates based on the nature of the job and not the sex of workers. 6 Prime Minister John Curtin subsequently announced the Labour Government’s support for the employment of female workers in historically male occupations but clarified that this was “for the duration of the war” only. It would not be until 1969 that the Conciliation and Arbitration Commission would accept the principle of “equal pay for equal work”. Even then, the principle only applied to women employed in predominantly male areas – benefitting less than 20% of working women at the time. 7

Human Rights. Born out of the experiences of World War II, the Universal Declaration is a statement of inalienable human rights to be enjoyed by all individuals.8 It provides for civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to life, free speech, privacy, health and education. Australia was intrinsically involved in the creation and development of the declaration. It was one of eight nations involved in the declaration’s drafting, and one of 48 nations to vote in favour. 9 Further, Australian Foreign Minister and Attorney-General Dr Herbert Vere Evatt oversaw the declaration’s adoption during his tenure as President of the UN General Assembly. Dr HV Evatt was a renowned champion of civil liberties and reportedly predicted that millions of people worldwide would turn to the declaration for “help, guidance and inspiration”.

BUSINESS, LAW & STEM

The push for equal pay was further accelerated during the early years of World War II. As an influx of men joined the military, the door opened for women to begin working in traditionally male industries, such as engineering and manufacturing. Following this shift, in April 1941, the Australasian Council of Trade Unions announced the following motion:

Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration, Australia has shown its continued support for human rights, ratifying almost all major human rights instruments to date. 1975: Racial Discrimination Act and Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Amendment Act

1948: Universal Declaration of Human Rights On 10 December 1948, during its third session, the United Nations passed the Universal Declaration of

1975 was a year of social change in Australia. In June 1975, the Whitlam government introduced the Racial Discrimination Act, which criminalised

discrimination based on race, colour, nationality or ethnic origin. By the close of the 20th century, the Australian Human Rights Commission had received over 10,500 complaints, including 4,000 from people from non-English speaking backgrounds and 3,500 from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.11

BUSINESS, LAW & STEM

Further, 1975 saw South Australia become the first Australian state to fully decriminalise consensual homosexual acts, with the introduction of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Amendment Act.12 The legislation came three years after the 1972 murder of LGBTQ+ academic Dr George Duncan at Adelaide’s Torrens River, which drew awareness to violence against LGBTQ+ people and resulted in a demand for law reform by parliamentarians and lobby groups. 13 The amendment abolished several sexual “offences” and equalised the age of consent for hetero- and homo-sexual activity.14 Following South Australia’s example, legislation equalising hetero- and homo-sexual acts was passed in the Australian Capital Territory (1985), Queensland (1990), Tasmania (1997), Western Australia (2002), New South Wales (2003) and the Northern Territory (2003).15 1976: Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act In 1973, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam appointed Justice Edward Woodward to head the Aboriginal Land Rights Commission and explore appropriate ways to acknowledge Indigenous land rights in the Northern Territory. The Commission recommended a process for First Nations peoples to claim land and stipulated that such areas should be held under “inalienable freehold title” — barring them from being bought, acquired or mortgaged.16 However, before the new Bill could pass through parliament, the Whitlam government was dismissed during the 1975 constitutional crisis. Fortunately, with historic bipartisan support, the Fraser government passed the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act in December 1976, the first piece of legislation to recognise Indigenous title of land in Australia. The Act allowed First Nations peoples to claim title to land if they could show “traditional and historical association” with an area. 17 Today, approximately 50% of the Northern Territory and 85% of its coastline is recognised as Aboriginal land. Further, Indigenous land rights and interests are now formally recognised across approximately 40% of Australia’s landmass.18

1987: Crimes (Family Violence) Act For hundreds of years, many acts of violence against women were not criminalised by Australian legislation. There was a common belief that husbands were permitted to “chastise” their wives’ behaviour. It was not until the 1970s that feminist scholars brought public awareness to the physical, emotional and sexual violence experienced by Australian women. The once hidden domestic violence gradually evolved into the complex criminal offence it is today.19 The 1980s saw an expansion of legal protections offered to victims of domestic violence. In 1985, the Crimes (Amendment) Act criminalised r*pe in marriage — almost 250 years after Sir Matthew Hale stated that a husband could not be guilty of r*ping his wife “for their mutual matrimonial consent and contract the wife hath given herself in this kind to her husband which she cannot retract.”20 Moreover, in 1987, the Crimes (Family Violence) Act was introduced to expand legal protection for domestic violence and child abuse victims, providing for restraining orders against perpetrators.21 Today, Australian domestic violence legislation covers a variety of personal relationships, including couples of the opposite or same gender and those who are engaged, in a de facto relationship, or married. The type of harm constituting domestic violence has also expanded to include social, verbal and spiritual abuse, as well as psychological and economic harm.22 However, despite increased legislative protection over the past 40 years, domestic violence is still disturbingly prevalent in Australian society. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that one in six women have experienced physical or sexual partner violence, and one in four women have experienced emotional partner violence, since the age of 15.23

The 20th century was a period of economic, political and social reform in Australia. Legislative change acknowledged several minority group rights, including the right to equal pay, the right to claim land, and the right to be free from discrimination. However, although each event paved the way towards equality, equality is not yet synonymous with reality. Thus, moving forward, the persistent progression of social attitudes is vital for Australia to truly realise its potential as a fair and just society. Every sunset brings the promise of a new dawn.

N OF A N E W W A AG ED E: H T

New Beginnings for the Legal Industry REFERENCES:

(1934) 52 CLR 335.

The Honourable Justice Virginia Bell, ‘2008 Law and Justice Address’ (Speech, Justice Awards, 29 October 2008). 4 Mickey Dewer, ‘Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda (1900-1934),’ Australian Dictionary of Biography (online, 2006) https://adb.anu.edu.au/ biography/dhakiyarr-wirrpanda-12885. 5 National Archives of Australia, ‘Yolgnu Elder Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda – High Court case,’ NAA (online) https://www.naa.gov.au/learn/ learning-resources/learning-resource-themes/first-australians/ history/yolgnu-elder-dhakiyarr-wirrpanda-high-court-case. 6 Margaret Anderson, ‘The Question of Equal Pay,’ Old Treasury Building (online) https://www.oldtreasurybuilding.org.au/work-forvictory/equal-pay/. 7 Leonora Risse, ’50 years after Australia’s historic “equal pay” decision, the legacy of “women’s work” remains,’ The Conversation (online, 19 June 2019) https://theconversation.com/50-years-afteraustralias-historic-equal-pay-decision-the-legacy-of-womens-workremains-118761. 8

Australian Human Rights Commission, ‘What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?’ Australian Human Rights Commission (online) https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/what-universaldeclaration-human-rights.

Ibid.

Museum of Australian Democracy, ‘Milestones in Australian Democracy,’ Museum of Australian Democracy (online) https:// explore.moadoph.gov.au/timelines/milestones-in-australiandemocracy. 11

Ibid.

Barry York, ‘40th Anniversary of Decriminalisation of

Ibid.

National Museum of Australia, ‘1976: Australian Government passes Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act,’ National Museum of Australia (online) https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/ resources/aboriginal-land-rights-act.

Ibid.

BUSINESS, LAW & STEM

2 National Archives of Australia, ‘Yolgnu Elder Dhakiyarr Wirrpanda – High Court case,’ NAA (online) https://www.naa.gov.au/learn/ learning-resources/learning-resource-themes/first-australians/ history/yolgnu-elder-dhakiyarr-wirrpanda-high-court-case.

Homosexuality,’ Museum of Australian Democracy (online, 27 August 2015) https://www.moadoph.gov.au/blog/40th-anniversary-ofdecriminalisation-of-homosexuality/.

National Indigenous Australians Agency, ‘Land and Housing,’ Australian Government (online) https://www.niaa.gov.au/indigenousaffairs/land-and-housing. 19

Terry Goldsworthy & Matthew Raj, ‘Out of the Shadows: The Rise of Domestic Violence in Australia,’ The Conversation (online, 4 August 2014) https://theconversation.com/out-of-the-shadows-the-rise-ofdomestic-violence-in-australia-29280.

20 Australian Women’s History Network, ‘Rape in marriage: Why was it so had to criminalise sexual violence?’ Australian Women’s History Network (online, 7 December 2016) http://www.auswhn.org.au/blog/ marital-rape/. 21

Museum of Australian Democracy, ‘Milestones in Australian Democracy,’ Museum of Australian Democracy (online) https:// explore.moadoph.gov.au/timelines/milestones-in-australiandemocracy.

22 Terry Goldsworthy & Matthew Raj, ‘Out of the Shadows: The Rise of Domestic Violence in Australia,’ The Conversation (online, 4 August 2014) https://theconversation.com/out-of-the-shadows-the-rise-ofdomestic-violence-in-australia-29280. 23

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, ‘Family, domestic and sexual violence,’ Australian Government (online, 16 September 2021) https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/family-domesticand-sexual-violence.

TENSION Over TIME TW: Murder, racism, sexual assault & police brutality

SOCIETY & CULTURE

2019

Greta Thunberg rises to prominence with her weekly strikes for climate action. She spurs the climate crisis movement to transcend the boundaries of the scientific community and become a worldwide cause relevant to everyone, everywhere. Strikes of over 80,000 people fill the streets of Sydney, calling for the Morrison government to deliver change. Our Black Summer follows soon after: a culmination of increasingly severe droughts and winds which decimate entire towns. In 2022, survivors of the climate crisis in Australia still living in caravans after their homes and communities were burnt to the ground. Two years later, Scott Morrison attends the Glasgow Climate Summit (COP26), arguably the most important summit since the United Nations Climate Change Conference of 2015, where the Paris Agreement was signed. He returns with no new targets for net-zero emissions and continues to emphasise finding alternatives to coal and gas as the responsibility of private companies, rather than the government. After three years of calling for change to save the planet, it is clear that the climate crisis simply doesn’t affect him. Climate change primarily affects those who contribute to it the least: those living in small Pacific Islands such as Tuvalu, in low-lying coastal areas of Bangladesh, in drought and war-ravaged Afghanistan, or in central African nations where monocropping has devastated the land - people without the power to relocate to escape the climate crisis. They will feel the brunt of the next century the most, not Australian Parliamentarians, and certainly not Scott Morrison.

Written by Ruby Hartley

2020 George Floyd is murdered by Minneapolis police after allegedly providing a counterfeit bill to a corner store. People of colour have been screaming out for centuries at the racism and violence perpetrated against them by police, and Floyd’s death is the catalyst for white people to finally listen. In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people build upon the Black Lives Matter movement to propel their own experiences into the spotlight, highlighting the hundreds of deaths of First Nations people in police custody. Those in power don’t act on these issues. Why would they? White men and women have always benefited from racism, and ignorance of the pain we have caused indigenous people and people of colour is the easier option, because knowledge signifies guilt, and having to change.1 Australia’s political and legal structures are overwhelmingly white. Consequently, the key recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991 have still not been adopted, no treaties have been signed, and we continue to face the Invasion Day/Australia Day debate on a yearly basis.

2021 Grace Tame, founder of the Let Her Speak campaign, is named Australian of the Year for her activism in changing Tasmanian sexual assault laws. Brittany Higgins speaks about her alleged sexual assault in Parliament House at the hands of a male staffer. Chanel Contos begins a petition exposing the toxic rape culture within Australia’s private school system, sparking a national conversation about consent education. These women set the climate for the March 4 Justice, which calls for safer laws, accountability, and harsher punishments for gendered violence. Our Prime Minister’s response to the march? The women of Australia are lucky not to have their protests met with bullets. We hear Scott Morrison say that he has to use his perspective as a father of daughters in order to believe and empathise with victims of rape. Evidently, a toxic rape culture does not affect men in positions of power.

Now I hope that the 2022 election ushers in a very different demographic driven towards change. I hope to see more First Nations Peoples, more women of colour, more migrants, and more people with disabilities in political spaces. I hope that our government opens its ears to society’s demands for change. I am tired of white men taking no one seriously but themselves, but then again, why would they? We are asking men who have never been oppressed to empathise with those who often experience intersectional oppression of race, gender, disability, or income. We need people in leadership who have lived experiences, not just connections and an Arts/Law degree. My biggest hope for this new year is that people will not have to be homeless, dying, sexually assaulted or dead before they are finally listened to.

SOCIETY & CULTURE

Throughout all of this, we are facing COVID-19. The massive toll on our health system highlights visible gaps in aged care and the unique challenges for immunocompromised individuals. We’ve had to contend with a virus in an era where fake news travels six times faster than real news,2 and algorithms enable echo chambers to thrive. As such, the anti-vax movement has succeeded to the point where 50% of ICU patients in NSW are from the 5% of unvaccinated in our state.3

Hamad, R., 2019. White Tears/Brown Scars: How White Feminism Betrays Women of Color. Melbourne University Publishing. 2 The Social Dilemma. 2020. [film] Directed by J. Orlowski. Netflix. 1

NSW Covid-19 update: the 5% of population who are unvaccinated make up 50% of ICU patients

DARKNESS AND DAWN: PERHAPS POINTLESS PHILOSOPHY BY LIAM COLE

SOCIETY & CULTURE

CW: death

“The night is darkest just before the dawn… and I promise you, the dawn is coming.” - Harvey Dent Salvation from certain peril, rebirth from destruction, light illuminating a shrouded path, and the sun’s warm rays fighting back against the night’s icy cold tendrils of dark. That’s the image Harvey Dent wants to paint in our heads when we think of dawn: the inevitable interaction between light and darkness. Dawn is proof that the sun rises and the world will continue to turn.

So, what’s so bad about darkness?

A controversial public figure with a tough side profile, Harvey Dent, while fictitious, largely captures the sentiment of humanity: Light is the ultimate symbol of hope. Why? Because in both a literal and figurative sense, it is the opposite of darkness. The famous idiom “light at the end of the tunnel” provides a perfect example — a suffocating pitch black counteracted by the closeness of its end. Symbolically, darkness represents hope reversed: despair, frustration and fear.

“The religious symbol of a burning flame is an ancient one. Agni, the God of fire, is one of the most important Vedic gods and is central to Hindu rites and rituals … In the sacred Upanishads, the soul (or ‘self’, atman) is described as a small flame. Similarly, in Christian scriptures, light is said to burn inside the believer, like a candle in a temple.” 2

In his book A History of Nighttime, Roger Ekirch notes how mankind’s “inherent, age-old fear of darkness”1 traverses through different cultures and religions, as does its fearquenching opposite: light. The UK National Gallery has noticed patterns in religious art that highlight this dualism:

From a practical standpoint, the ancient world was a dangerous place under the cover of darkness: an opportunistic time when violent deeds could be committed under the anonymity of night. Similarly, darkness in the early-modern world, at least according to its literature, appears to summon the worst features within man, nature, and the universe3. Ekirch claims that: “In African cultures like the Yoruba and Ibo peoples of Nigeria and the Ewe of Dahomy (now Benin) and Togoland (Togo and Ghana), spirits assumed the form of witches at night, sowing misfortune and death in their wake.”4

peers, travelling to faraway places and the good health of loved ones. The darkness of recent events may have left negative impressions on us, and for a reason. Death and even more subtle forms of loss can produce deeply unresolved grief and mourning.

The idea of the night as a period of reflection and free thought is perpetuated by Plato. In The Laws, Plato’s work on political philosophy, the members of the ‘nocturnal council’ meet at night - a time free from all other obligations7. It’s unlikely the ‘nocturnal council’ moonlighted as bartenders, but it’s evident in Plato’s writing among others that darkness’ ability to dim the world brings clarity. As 2022 begins, bringing with it a myriad of new dawns and realised hopes, we may soon have the opportunity to bask in light. Relationships with physical connection, studying alongside

However, as darkness continues to enter our lives this year and years to come, maybe its usefulness can be realised while we wait for the next coming dawn.

SOCIETY & CULTURE

Many of us don’t have to look further than the mirror to find someone tormented by a childhood terror of the dark, perhaps one that still lingers long into adulthood.

when humans see the stars and get a glimpse into the universe, when we realise, we are no more than a small part of the cosmos.”6

Can no good come from time spent in the dark? Logically, as Harvey Dent pleaded to the citizens of Gotham: the darker the night, the deeper its day’s contrast. The ancient Greek philosopher Hesoid summarised: “day follows night in a causative, aetiological sense: Day exists because Night has produced it.”5 Practically, the frustration and fear associated with darkness helps contextualise our contentment and comfort in light. Without the tantalising distractions of daytime and its gluttony of social options, our minds can be set loose in the darkness. Even the concept of an ‘allnighter’ connotes a lucidity and freedom of thought that arises in the night time.

German litterateur Antje Wessels says that “the night is the period of time

2. 3. 4. 5.

6. 7.

Ekirch, A.R., 2013. At day’s close: a history of nighttime. Hachette UK, pp. 3-7.

Ekirch, 2013, p. 3 Ekirch, 2013, p. 4 Wessels, A. and Ker, J., 2020. The Values of Nighttime in Classical Antiquity. In The Values of Nighttime in Classical Antiquity, pp. 1-20. Brill. Wessels & Kerr, 2020, p. 7

1000 WORDS: PHOTOGRAPHY VARIOUS ARTISTS

SHEA DONOHOE These are images of my beautiful friends on New Year’s Eve. I like to think that as time passes, we are saturated with new experiences and memories and that at the dawn of a New Year, we are at our brightest, more radiant than the year before.

SHOWCASESHOWCASE

ZOSIA FRANCKA Soft Edges is a project developed over the Christmas break last year, progressing from a photo series I’d begun the previous year on the Australian bushfires and moving to the South Coast as a child. I began to notice some specific themes emerging: the comfort of an ice cream shop on a warm afternoon and the calm of walking back from the beach down coastal streets. For me, this was a familiar feeling that clashed with memories of childhood holidays, and that’s exactly what I want to convey in these images. With the dawn of a new year, I’ve found myself graduating university, coming out of lockdown, finding new jobs and beginning a completely different life to what I’d anticipated. These feelings of nostalgia are easy to find comfort in, and I hope others find comfort in them too.

SHOWCASE

MAGNOLIA MINTON SPARKE Each image in this series is a souvenir of a time not spent in isolation but enveloped in intimacy, friendship and adventure. Simple, tiny punctuations of joy and personal moments that carry the same promise and optimism of each new dawn.

SHOWCASE

JAYAN PASCOE

SHOWCASE

A place where we don’t belong. The moments we don’t understand. The experiences that shape us.

OLI POIGNAND For many, COVID was a chance to reevaluate what it means to live and be human. In this escape from the toxic effects of the Anthropocene, I am left feeling lost as to who I am. I await a new dawn and a new hope for the world.

DANIEL SMIDMORE These photos were taken between the 16th of November and the 11th of December 2020, only weeks after finishing high school. Together these photos represent the dawn of a significant shift in my life. When I reflect on these images, I’m reminded of my blissful unawareness of what the future held. I envy that ignorance and simultaneously wonder about how little I know now.

SHOWCASE 89

SHOWCASESHOWCASE

JACK MORAN

PG#

SHOWCASE

Nature's Gold 92

Artist Statement: The first glimpse of sunlight at dawn is nature’s reminder of new beginnings. In this photography series, Tim soaks up the warm light, wearing traditional hand-drawn and handdyed Indonesian batik. Through Tim’s styling, we wanted to showcase our roots, our genesis, and the idea that entering new heights does not always mean leaving our origin behind - is a story that we should proudly carry and humbly offer to our surrounding world.

This photography series was born during the COVID lockdown of 2021. As creatives, we found it hard to find an outlet during this isolated winter. Usually, we work together to create music videos for Australian artists but, because of the pandemic, our productions and plans went cold. We missed working with each other, so as soon as things reopened, we put together a small passion project sparked by our experiments with colour gels and studio lights.

THe Team: Creative Director: Kezia Suryaputra Photographer: Daniel Cai Gaffer: Sandra Giarta Model: Timothy Worton

SHOWCASE 93

Contributor Bio:

Kezia Suryaputra

Kezia is a UTS Media and Arts Production graduate currently working as a producer. She has many big dreams, including being an art director and making a moss garden. You can find her on Instagram @kezsurya

Contributor BIO:

SHOWCASE

Timothy Worton

Tim is a UTS Business and Medical Science graduate. In an alternate timeline where Leonard Cohen and Nicki Minaj have a son — Tim hopes to be said child. When he’s not working as a Solution Engineer, you’ll find him brooding and/or shaking his booty as a songwriter and rapper. You can find him on Instagram @tthetimm

Contributor BIO:

Daniel Cai

Daniel is a VFX artist, cinematographer, and editor. A UTS MAP graduate, he is currently working as a Flame artist on long-form and commercial projects. His free time is dedicated to restoring vintage and anamorphic glass before testing them out on his friends’ passion projects. You can find him on Instagram @danielcai_

Contributor BIO:

Sandra Giarta

Sandra is a recent Media Arts & Production graduate. She spent most of her teen years making fan edits and, because that's the only skill she's developed since then, she's now trying to make a career out of it. You can see how that's going for her on Instagram @sandragiarta

SHOWCASE

24/7 SHOWCASE

by Oriana Peralta Marino

Change is a constant presence in our lives. At times welcomed and at times unexpected — it is an unavoidable fact. However, when one actively tries to create change, it feels like a different story. It can feel like time slows down, stretching out the moments of anticipation before action, tempting you with longer minutes to fail at what you’re trying to attempt. Those longer minutes are there 24/7, so we make routines and mantras to make them go faster again. 24/7, explores those moments when time feels excruciatingly slow and you’re trying to make it move fast again: the in-between moments of what you have been and what you will be, sitting on the precipice of change.

SHOWCASE

SIANN LAU

CW: Blood

100

A COLLECTION OF WORKS

By: Siann Lau

Fishy (2021)

SHOWCASE

The Bennets Would Be Jealous (2022)

101

SHOWCASE

Victory Stance (2022)

Woof (2022)

102

Having academic issues? Speak to our Student Advocacy Officers for independent and confidential advice.

Drop in

Appointments

10:00am-12:00pm, Tuesdays utsmeet.zoom.us/j/484728509

To make an appointment email students.association@uts.edu.au

12:00pm-2:00pm, Thursdays utsmeet.zoom.us/j/120281737

104 CHANTELLE CORTEZ MAGLALANG

When I think of Dawn, I reflect on the newness it brings and what remains familiar and tender.

Hopeful for Softer Moments is an accumulation of this invitation to softness, even as the hum of life ebbs and flows. In the coming year, I wish myself and those around me more gentleness.

SHOWCASE

Throughout the past year, I grew fonder of the mundane — sitting at my desk with a book in hand, the sweetness of ripe fruit lingering on my lips as I gazed out at sunsets.

By: Chantelle Cortez Maglalang

105

106 SOPHIA RAMOS

SHOWCASE

107

108 CREATIVE WRITING

CREATIVE WRITING

109

110 CREATIVE WRITING

CREATIVE WRITING

111

by Minduli Withana

CREATIVE WRITING

SNOW , CW: self-harm th mental ill-heal

I remember the day I met you: a frigid winter night in 2019, walking empty moonlit roads as harsh winds chattered our bones. It was 2:00 a.m. We walked with our friends’ past streets doused in shadows, eerie alleyways and residences that stood our hairs on end, all for those steaming noodles. I shivered as the cold seeped through my thin jacket. I didn’t know you; you felt so unknown, and I felt so incredibly shy. But it was the first time since I’d arrived in this foreign land that I’d laughed so hard and the warmest I’d felt inside for a long time. I was happy. It’s been three years since, and it’s still difficult to know the exact moment when things changed. I didn’t think it was possible, and the hit was harder than I could take.

Perhaps it was that night during dinner when you cracked that atrocious joke; it was so blasphemously terrible. I tried to tell you off but was wheezing too hard to succeed. I remember the loud chortle that left your lips, and I returned it with a glare. Still, it warmed my heart, for I knew what a numbingly cold week you’d had. Perhaps it was that day under the warm summer sun when I finally opened up to you, saying things that I’d never envisioned telling you, but realising in

112

the moment that I wanted you to know. The sadness that I no longer wanted to hide away like a dirty little secret. Still, a part of me was worried, terrified even, that unveiling my scars would change the way you saw me. Instead, you showed me only kindness, rolling back the sleeves of your thin blue hoodie and baring your own. Perhaps it was on those long train rides home in the freezing night, watching the little spheres of light speed past us in the dark nothingness outside, or during those long days in the library, seeing you bent over your work. Your silver-rimmed glasses would slip down your nose and you’d barely notice, too absorbed in what you were reading.

I always imagined I would somersault into these waters if the day ever arrived. Instead, I tripped and fell, slamming face-first and realising I couldn’t swim. I’m far from perfect. I can be dramatic and an emotional wreck at times. I overthink and overstress, and this uncanny grey area I seem to be stuck in feels mind-numbing. Perhaps you feel my exhaustion too, although I would hate it if you did. Sometimes, when my thoughts run unrestrained, I ponder over life and its many unknowns, about how terribly you want to move overseas and those long months you spend dreaming of working in the Arctic. I’ve never experienced a snowy winter, but I see the way your grey eyes light up when you speak of it, the radiant smile that drifts across your face. Knowing you, you will follow the winter wherever it goes. I would expect nothing less. But in those moments when I fear our friendship is a ticking time bomb, and I feel a strange sinking in my chest, I remember that one conversation — when you told me about last summer, and how hard you try every day not to return to that dark place. I feel grateful to have you here with me, as short as these precious seconds may be.

CREATIVE WRITING

Perhaps it was sometime during those long hours we spent talking about ridiculous things — mindless arguments about whether the frosty winters or balmy summers were better than the other. I, with my tropical roots, insisted warmth meant comfort, joy and love. You, shamelessly donning that same thin blue hoodie on the iciest day of the year, asserted that the cold, with its chilly winds and overcast days, meant comfort, joy, love and warmth. I called you a psychopath.

Perhaps it was your god awful sense of humour and the roar of ugly laughter that would erupt from our mouths at your every dreadful joke. Your grey eyes were so crinkled at the corners that they were nearly closed, and your grin so wide with gums on full display. You laughed so hard you snorted.

It’s the dawn of a new year — a fresh chapter in life’s uncertain terrain. I have not yet witnessed my first snowfall and I know not when or where I will. But I know, with certainty, that the day will come. I will stand there bundled in a warm jacket and woollen boots under the golden hue of the rising sun. I will feel the first flakes of icy white land atop my palms and I know I will think of you. And perhaps my heart will warm just a little, despite the god-awful cold.

113

Patsy’s Flat Written by Isabel Conti

the day’s break is cool that of a butcher’s metallic backroom. Methodical sectioning and dismembering peacefully calculated; memories passed strung on like- metal hooks upstairs sit the edible forest green vines, a head gazes down the side of another bed backlit against textured grey plaster a key, a crushed plastic bottle, the antique amber of last night’s pinot gris the walls hold unwavering Venetian clay, no, not here she is; non always comes before è plates stained with dolmades say otherwise she came to; blinking with tender eyes, the world curious; ebbing with possibility at day break she’d catch a glimpse at the moment before wake; escape through a crack in the door, and listen to the birds sing their beautiful cacophony her feet bruised from lawn weeds she’d sit under the veranda and pick them out, one by one

114

dawn still comes, less of blessing, and more of a certainty she hasn’t learnt; still trails out barefoot into the lawn full of Bindis down to the gumtrees, where flecks of oyster shells still sit; the same her Nonna threw habitually, a pseudo pavements for Patsy’s Flat, a trail from the ocean preserve it, in brine each memory—immortalised; like the young girls finger prints; they sit there in pastels, blue tacked on the wall dawn has changed now, the gum inhales our memories; shedding itself of it’s skin his shells still shine, a mirage of opalescent purple

115

CREATIVE WRITING

A Day in the Life of an Online Uni Student It’s 8:57 a.m. I open my eyes and reach for my laptop that I tossed beside my bed after last night’s frantic assessment submission. The blue light burns as the laptop powers on — I click the Zoom icon, copy and paste the class link and press ‘join’. Good — my camera and microphone is already turned off, the same as everyone else. The lecture begins, and I zone out to the sound of the tutor desperately trying to convince everyone to turn their cameras on and say hi. I was asleep 5 minutes ago. I wonder what’s new on Instagram. Maybe I should have a shower. Maybe later. A few people feel sorry for the tutor, and their faces pop up on the screen with a greeting wave. Most are in pyjamas or trackies. Some of us are still in bed.

Words and Illustrations by Jess Prowse

It’s 9:30 a.m. I roll out of bed, connect my Airpods to my laptop and make myself toast. The lecture drones on in my ears and I think about the 7 a.m train I would’ve had to catch to make it to uni in person. Thank God for Zoom. Yesterday, I had a wild burst of motivation and put on some jeans, a cute top and some mascara (!!), but today, soft rain patters against my window and I decide to stay warm and comfy in my pyjamas.

My current study setup is a coffee table and our old couch in the lounge room. My lower back HATES me. Come to think of it, my upper back hates me too. After lockdown is over, I should book a massage to reward myself for my mediocre efforts this semester. Whenever that may be. I glance at the time on my laptop screen. It’s 11:45 a.m? I’ve been on TikTok for over an hour?? Class is in 15 minutes?? I haven’t done any of the pre-work.

116

It’s 3:04 p.m. I slam my laptop shut. That was painful. That last hour spent in a dead silent breakout room was the cherry on top. It’s crazy how much the shift to online learning changed the class dynamic. The introvert in me kind of loves it, but I was just beginning to make new friends. Oh well, right now, I’m more disappointed about the fact that we didn’t even go over the pre-work. My three hours of productivity were wasted — Ooh, look, another online shopping delivery! As if I didn’t have enough clothes. When am I even going to wear this dress?

It’s 1:09 a.m. I stop watching Kath and Kim for the 10th time. I should find a new show to watch tomorrow.

CREATIVE WRITING

Time for the daily walk with Mum for our stupid mental health. This is the 36th time we’ve walked around the lake, and my dog still gets excited. We bump into a few familiar faces along the way and stop to have a chat. It’s nice to see people in person instead of through a screen.

It’s 5:12 p.m. and the sky is flooded with shades of pink, orange and purple. The lake reflects these colours and I take a billion photos. It’s beautiful.

I can’t remember the last time mum and I spent time together like this before lockdown.

117

CHAOS THEORY By Ashley Elworthy

I don’t believe in determinism. I think we are all free to make our own choices. But isn’t it much more terrifying, that your actions can alter the future?

When your heart skips a beat, does the universe change its course? Sequences of reality are undone by your own will

Fate unbecomes, and the unknown is altered.

118

CREATIVE WRITING

I second guess my choices Fearing that I have strayed too far From what destiny had planned That maybe I was better off in its hands

Maybe it would be easier if everything was set in stone from the start But the butterfly does not falter its wings, in fear of creating storms it is a proud harbinger of the beauty and destruction that follows

119

CREATIVE WRITING

COMING BACK TO LIFE By: Pragya Paneru

CW: Death, mental ill-health Do you remember, How my comfort was set ablaze? How my greens, greys, and browns scorched in the clutch of fire? I know when I was flaring a slight smoulder had blurred your vision giving you a smoky taste. Was it too hard for you to endure the smoke? My cracking, twisting, and purring nothing in comparison to the smoke in your city? Can you explain, Whose price of greed was I paying?

Photography by Sophia Ramos 120

Have you seen me spewing fumes? Have I ever played violent tunes? When I spreaded forever shades Why did I get boiling glares? This tragedy no one could explain, it seemed there was no end to my pain. On the Earth and above my head I saw only and only death Neither winged nor without could escape on my bosom no one was safe I lounged for downpour everyday, in the hope that I could stay.

CREATIVE WRITING

I heard the howling of sea and the screaming of Mother Earth at my loss I thought it was my apocalypse. I thought my light was gone. my life was gone. But each dawn healed me and like the Sun shining after many rains life shone through my sprouting new buds from my charred trunkstiny, red, soft, and young buds. My greens, grey, and browns were once again back to life Now we vibrate with life in all shapes and colour Isn’t life so precious? I know, this is your time to suffer. A mysterious fire has surrounded you from all around Alpha, Delta, Omicron, the list goes on. I can understand, in the time of despair, it seems like an end But you need to learn from me, In all the battles against darkness and death light wins, life wins. Soon, a new dawn will bring your freedom back Until then keep planting hope.

121

I’m so excited about the work we will do this year! I want to lead a student union that fights for the quality and accessibility of our education. Once you look past UTS’s highly curated marketing, you will realise that, unfortunately, being “Australia’s No. 1 young university” means very little in the grand scheme of things. Just like many universities across Australia, our university is being ravaged by course cuts, staff casualisation, and job cuts. The student union fully backs all university staff and their union, the NTEU, and will stand in solidarity with their strikes in the coming year. I also want to keep all the work of the SRC transparent and accessible. We need your help and engagement to make meaningful change. From environmental activism, legal services, Pride Week events, student caseworkers, to free BlueBird Breakfasts and Night Owl noodles, you deserve to know what’s going on. Our Student Association genuinely seeks to fight for all students on this campus, but we need to hear your concerns to do that. COVID permitting, my door will always be open for a chat. Otherwise, shoot me an email! (president@utsstudentsassociation.org) I highly encourage you to follow the Student Association on Facebook or join one of our collectives to help advocate for an autonomous group or issue you are passionate about. Can’t wait to see all the great things we get up to in 2022.

122

T EN ID

Hi! My name is Anna, I use she/her pronouns. I am an Enviro Science student and am your union president for 2022! My job, along with the rest of the SRC, is to amplify your voice, making sure that student needs are being raised over the corporate ideas of our university management.

STUDENT’S ASSOCIATION REPORTS

Anna Thieben

GEN E

RA L

ARY RE T C SE

Sabrine Yassine Hello all and welcome back to a new year at UTS! My name is Sabrine, and I am the General Secretary of the UTS Students’ Association. UTS really is a vibrant, dynamic space for us as university students to reach our potential in all areas of our lives, from academia to activism to artistry. The opportunities for unique experiences are endless. However, there are various challenges that come with being a university student, especially for those just starting their university journey. The UTS Students’ Association is your student union. Run by students, for students, we operate a number of completely free services to make everyone’s time at university a little easier. From the UTSSA’s free food initiatives, legal service, academic advocacy, and peer tutoring, we’ve got something here to help. We also run campaigns on various key student’s issues where we think the university can do better in giving us the education we pay for and deserve.

A part of my role within the UTSSA is the responsibility of ensuring a 50% quota of Vertigo’s content is related to student issues. This quota remains as an endeavour to maximise the wide readership of Vertigo to all students and allow students to stay up to date on what is happening in the ecosystem that is university life. My role as Welfare Officer last year assisted me in seeing the various challenges that university brings for students, especially during an era of online learning, and what a post-pandemic UTS might look like. For many students, their university years fly by. They face challenges and difficult processes during this time and, believing they don’t have the power to change or improve their situation, they deal with what they’ve been given. That’s not the way university should be. As your student union, we have the resources and the drive to continue improving UTS for students and, if need be, changing the system, so it works for students, not against them. Student voices need to be heard, so if there’s a challenge you keep finding yourself facing at UTS or an initiative that you think would benefit students, please contact me at: generalsecretary@utsstudentsassociation.org Thank you, and here’s to a great (hopefully inperson) year at UTS!

123

I’m Nour Al Hammouri, your 2022 Welfare Collective Officer and a final year Bachelor of Advanced Science (Pre-Medicine) student. I’ve recently been elected into this position following a year of being the Welfare Collectives Convener in 2021!

WEL FA RE

Hello Vertigo Readers,

ER FIC F O

Throughout my time as Convener, I was exposed to a myriad of issues, initiatives, and problems that students face at UTS, on and off-campus. It is the responsibility of the Student Association and the Welfare Collective to respond to these matters and work towards better conditions. The Welfare Collective was founded and continues to operate to improve student betterment. We have regular meetings in which we discuss exactly how to approach different items — through these collaborative meetings, we’re able to respond directly and hopefully, assist students in having a better experience at UTS. We aim to encourage mental health and academic support, accessibility awareness, anti-racism, social justice activism and whatever else the collective has on its agenda! For 2022, The Welfare Collective will push for and focus on: • More wellbeing services, including; trauma-informed S.A.S.H. and ethnically diverse counsellors, then opening them up to international and linguistically diverse students • More dialogue and opportunities to support marginalised communities • STEM students gaining access to paid internships to further support throughout their studies • Easier access to Accessibility, Counselling, and Special Consideration processes • Compulsory Lecture Recordings and universal 11:59 submission times. Collectives work most effectively with workshops, collaboration and coffee. Another way we increase efficiency is by relying on you — the students — to come and talk to us about what they’d like to see us work towards.

124

Nour Al Hammouri Without your introspection and perspective, we are slower to respond to the important issues which affect our daily student lives. The changes made to E-Requests were fast-tracked only because students came forth and shared their stories. We’d love to see you drop by at our meetings, keep an eye out on our socials for when they’re happening!

Instagram: @uts.welfare.collective FaceBook: UTS Welfare Collective Email: welfare@ utsstudentsassociation.org

Hi, my name is Cal, and I am so excited to be your Disabilities Officer for 2022.

DISA BIL ITI

OFF S E

ICER

The Disabilities Collective has been inactive for a number of years, so you might not be too familiar with who we are and what we do. We are an autonomous collective, meaning you must identify as having a disability, mental illness, chronic illness, auditory or visual impairment, neurodivergent condition, or other health conditions in order to become a member. We aim to provide a space that simultaneously provides social connection and community for disabled students, as well as participating in activism and advocacy to improve the lives of disabled people, both at university and in broader society. As Disabilities Officer this year, my main goal is to get the collective up and running again and build a radical, accepting space that emphasises the voices of disabled people most often neglected by a mainstream discourse on disability. This includes Indigenous people, people of colour, and queer and trans people. I aim to hold fortnightly meetings throughout the year in which all disabled people are invited to attend. A safe space where we can discuss our plans and ideas for what we will achieve as a collective. If you would like to get involved, email accessibility@ utsstudentsassociation.org, or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/utsdisabilities.

125

QUE ER

IC FF

Gracie Abadee

Hi! My name is Gracie, and I am the UTS Queer Officer for 2022. The Queer Collective is a safe space for LGBTQIA+ and questioning students to make friends, attend events, and discuss their experiences with other LGBTQIA+ students. The Queer Collective has its own space on campus where students can hang out between classes and meet other queer people. It is private and autonomous, meaning that only Collective members gain access to this space when they sign up (which therefore makes it a fantastic place to make friends!). We hold regular meetings to socialise, plan events and discuss LGBTQIA+ issues. Privacy is paramount within our Collective so that closeted and questioning students can feel safe. We have a private Facebook group and Discord server where students can chat with other members of the Collective, and share advice with one another. This year, we want to help all LGBTQIA+ and questioning students to connect more with the LGBTQIA+ community, host fun social events after a year of lockdowns, and help queer students to make lifelong friends. Activism is also really important to us so we hope that we can help students to become more engaged with social issues and learn about social justice topics within and outside of the LGBTQIA+ community. Sign up for the Queer Collective on the UTSSA website or send me an email at queer@utsstudentsassociation.org I am so excited to see what the next year will bring for the UTS LGBTQIA+ community!

126

WO ME N’

FICER F O

TW: Sexual assault The Women’s Collective (WoCo) is the UTSSA’s organisation for feminist activism. We are a network of misogyny-affected students (open to all students who are not cisgender men) who seek to incite social change.

Eshna Gupta

So far this year, we have been organising two main campaigns. Firstly, we’ve been aiming to improve Respect.Now.Always by creating more comprehensive and intersectional consent education at UTS, without the fruit-centric messaging that trivialises the experiences of survivors of sexual assault. Secondly, we are working with midwifery and nursing students to combat the epidemic of violence and harassment on placement. WoCo is also collaborating with the Education Action Group and UTSSA to fight for paid placements. We are also hosting a variety of social events around O’Day, including: a drinks night, speedfriending, and a picnic. UTS Women’s Collective meets every two weeks, and we are always excited to see new faces! If you are keen to get involved, you can: • sign up to our mailing list by visiting https:// utsstudentsassociation.org.au/collectives/ womens and filling in your details at the bottom of the page • join our Facebook group: https://www. facebook.com/groups/utswoco2021/ • follow our Instagram page: @utswoco • come say hi to us at O’Day! We can’t wait to see you around!

127

E DU CA TI

ICER OFF

Cat Doherty Hey everyone! I’m Cat, the UTS Education Officer for 2022. This year will certainly be a big year for education. We have the upcoming federal election, potential industrial action from the NTEU, and the continuing unpredictability of COVID. We need students on the frontlines fighting to protect our education more than ever! The UTS EAG (Education Action Group) is a student body that fights together for an education that is: high quality, accessible, decolonial, and free. We welcome all students in the collective and work alongside UTS staff members. Our activities centre around causes for education, including meetings, banner paints, hosting forums and rallies amongst wider social-cultural events. We have many great campaigns coming up throughout the year — to get involved and stay updated, follow our social media! We are ‘UTS Education Action Group’ on Facebook and @uts.ed.action.group on Instagram. The EAG is very keen to see new involvement in 2022 and to build student momentum!

128

Passionate about change? Get involved with your UTS Students’ Association.

Photographer: FJ Gaylor

utsstudentsassociation.org.au facebook.com/UTSStudentsAssociation

DAWN CONTRIBUTORS Jacqueline Adams

Jacqueline is a Visual Communications Honours student. Other than graphic design, she’s right into photography, music, and, shockingly, films. She once managed to squeeze seventy-five movie theatre trips into a year. She’s unsure whether that’s a flex or an admission. You can find her on Instagram @jacquislostnegatives

Clara Atkin

Clara is a third-year Digital & Social Media and Creative Intelligence & Innovation student. She loves painting her nails and laughing. You can find her on Instagram @claraatkin

Madhumita Mukherjee Bandyopadhyay

Madhumita is a Finance (Masters) graduate (2020). She loves painting landscapes and cartooning. You can find her on Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhumitabandyopadhyay-mukherjee-89a229106

Daniel Cai

Daniel is a VFX artist, cinematographer, and editor. A Media Arts & Production graduate, he is currently working as a Flame artist on long-form and commercial projects. His free time is dedicated to restoring vintage and anamorphic glass before testing them out on his friends’ passion projects. You can find him on Instagram @danielcai_

130

Isabel Cant

Isabel is a third-year Journalism and Social & Political Science student. She secretly plays the recorder in her spare time You can find her on Instagram @isabel.arrabella

Joey Chalita

Joey is a third-year Journalism and Law student. When his head gets filled with super necessary uni content, you can find him walking hour-long distances in an attempt to use exercise as a healthy excuse at procrastination. Or you can find him on Instagram @Joey_Chalita

Timothy Chan

Timothy is a fifth-year Journalism and International Studies student. Taylor Swift is his favourite singer and songwriter. You can find him on Instagram @timchanofficial

Eve Cogan

Eve is a third-year Media Arts & Production, Journalism and Creative Intelligence & Innovation student. You can find her @evecogan on all social platforms, as well as on her website: www.evecogan.com

Liam Cole

Liam Cole is a third-year Journalism and Advertising student. A courageous fact about him is that he unironically likes jazz.

Isabella Conti-Morato

Isabella is a third year student studying Media Arts & Production.

Shea Donohoe

Shea is a third-year Media Arts & Production and Social & Political Science student. You can find her on Instagram @sheadonohoe and @sheadonohoe.part2

Max Facibeni

Max is a third-year Media Arts & Production and Creative Intelligence & Innovation student. He hates movies. You can find him on Instagram @max.facibeni

Zosia Francka

Zosia is a Polish-Australian Media Arts & Production near-graduate. Most of her uni work centres around cinematography, though in her spare time she's passionate about different means of photography. You can find her on Instagram @fosharz

Lucinda Garbutt-Young

Lucinda is a third-year Journalism and Public Relations student. She loves art and photography, as well as writing articles for Central News and other news outlets.

Sandra Giarta

Ruby Hartley

Ruby is a fourth-year Law and Social & Political Science student. She usually writes serious opinion pieces and always feels a bit silly giving a fun fact after discussing intense topics.

Joe Hathaway-Wilson

Joe is a second-year Journalism, Creative Writing and Creative Intelligence & Innovation student. He had a dream last night that he turned into a cyclops. Find him on Instagram @joehwilson

Nick Huynh

Nick is a postgraduate Design student. He used to model uniforms for his primary school. You can find him on Instagram @the_missingphotos.

Apoorv Jaiswal

Apoorv is a second-year Media Arts & Production student. He screamed at Beyoncé during a concert when everyone was quiet and she responded. You can find him on Instagram @apoorvjazzwal.

Siann Lau

Siann is an illustrator and Bachelor of Design in Animation graduate (2021). In 2021, she learnt how to read analogue time properly. You can find her on Instagram at @ladysiann.

Andy Lee

Andy is a third-year Media Arts & Production and Creative Intelligence & Innovation student. He loves to make all sorts of things and is continuously winging his way through life. Stalk him @andaelee

131

Chantelle Cortez Maglalang

Chantelle is a third-year Visual Communication and Creative Intelligence & Innovation student. She is an avid sticker collector, especially for childhood cartoons and toys, and has been collecting since she was a little kid. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter @mellechant.

Oriana Peralta Marino

Having recently finished her Bachelors in Design majoring in Photography, Oriana’s passions lie within fashion and conceptual photography, often using one to inform the other. You can find her on Instagram @orianaqeralta.

Jack Moran

Jack is a multidisciplinary artist practicing on Dharug land, Sydney, Australia. Working in archival and documentary frameworks, his work investigates historical counterpoints, studying people and places. You can find him on Instagram @jackmoran_76.

Alexander Kingsford Mortensen

Alexander is a second-year Visual Communication student. One of their favourite things to do is dramatically listen to Melodrama by Lorde whilst riding a bus. You can find out about their design journey on Instagram at @alexanderkingsford.design, or just their personal account @iamalexanderkingsford

132

Georgia Neaverson

Georgia is a third-year Business and Law student. She has lived in three different countries. You can find her on Instagram @georgia.neaverson

Pragya Paneru

Pragya is a Masters by research student in her final year. She is currently doing research on how young students understand textbook images. She likes to write poems, opinion articles, and fiction.

Jayan Pascoe

Jayan is a third-year Business and Creative Intelligence & Innovation student. He enjoys finding beauty in everyday life and exploring different modes of storytelling. You can find him on Instagram @jaypascoe_

Oliver Poignand

Oliver is an Anglo-Australian photographic artist who works within documentary aesthetics to highlight conflict within the Australian geographical and sociological setting.

Jess Prowse

Jess is a third-year Visual Communication student. She loves her vast indoor plant collection, art and design, and she occasionally dabbles in creative writing. You can find her @_jessprowse and @jessprowse.design

Ashley Sullivan

Ashley is a third-year Journalism and Law student. She spends way too much time on Pinterest and gives unsolicited film recommendations every chance she gets. You can find her @ashleys.xo

Sophia Ramos

Kezia Suryaputra

Charlotte Sheridan

Jada Susas

Sophia is a second-year Visual Communication student. She loves to journal, do yoga and has the attention span of a goldfish. You can find her illustrating once a year at @nyoomiee/@phia.png and sometimes touching grass at @sopheeyuhh

Charlotte is a third-year Writing & Publishing, Journalism and Creative Intelligence & Innovation student.

Will Simmons

Will is a third-year Social & Political Science student, UTS Labor Left Secretary, NUS NSW Education Vice President, and passionate Socialist and activist.

Daniel Smidmore

Daniel is a second-year Digital & Social Media student. He's passionate about natural wine and other good drinks and loves eating out with mates and loved ones. You can find him on Instagram @danielsmidmore_

Magnolia Minton Sparke

Magnolia is a photographer who graduated with a Bachelor of Design in Photography in 2020. You can find her on Instagram @magnolia.msparke

Kezia is a Media Arts & Production graduate currently working as a producer. She has many big dreams, including being an art director and making a moss garden. You can find her on Instagram @kezsurya

Jada is a second-year Journalism and Social & Political Science student. Filipino-Australian, queer and with a weird Cancer sun and Sagittarius rising combo, she writes/rants about almost everything. You can find her on Instagram @imnotjda and Twitter @cancerszn4eva

Minduli Withana

Minduli is a third-year Pre-medicine student. When she's not geeking out over all things neuroscience, she loves jamming to Japanese rock on the daily. Unfortunately for her friends, she is not a master of singing or Japanese. You can find her on Instagram at @sprinkles.of.rainbow

Timothy Worton

Tim is a Business and Medical Science graduate. In an alternate timeline where Leonard Cohen and Nicki Minaj have a son — Tim hopes to be said child. When he’s not working as a Solution Engineer, you’ll find him brooding and/or shaking his booty as a songwriter and rapper. You can find him on Instagram @tthetimm

133

TAURUS

ARIES

LEO

CANCER

VIRGO

134

GEMINI

LIBRA

SCORPIO

CAPRICORN

SAGITTARIUS

AQUARIUS

PISCES

135

ABEL CANT BY IS

HOW TO STICK TO YOUR

FOOD RESOLUTIONS Food is one of the few constants in the erratic lives of students that gives us happiness, health, and (seemingly now more than ever) connection to our peers near and dear. Whether it’s the instant noodles that deserve half the credit for the final assignment you wrote at 1 a.m or the delicious food devoured by you and your mates at Drunk Dumpling to celebrate finishing said assignment, food truly grants us the energy to work and play. However, it can all be too easy to forget prioritising your health and a good relationship with your body once life gets busy. But it doesn’t have to be like that in 2022! Although I’m a firm believer that you don’t need to wait until the beginning of the year to make a change and start fresh, it’s as good an excuse as any to make your food resolutions stick. Here are my top tips for doing so. (No diet culture allowed!):

136

START SMALL Sometimes it’s not about going big. Here’s an example for those of us out there trying to cut down on animal products in light of climate change-induced pending doom. Some people take to vegetarianism and veganism like a duck to water, but it can be a big feat for others, and that’s okay! Coming off the back of ‘veganuary’ content on social media, the idea of completely changing your routine every day for a month is understandably a bit intimidating. Instead, start small with a meat-free Monday so that you can fully commit to a day and not get burned out trying to live the perfect plant-based life. Once that’s cemented in your routine, you can keep eating meat-free for more and more days of the week until meat-free Monday becomes meat Monday, which could then become just another Monday in your new meat-free life. Even if your goal isn’t to eliminate something like meat from your diet, there is no limit to how small you can start! You can even commit to having a plant-based breakfast every day (which most people already do), and then build up to committing to the same for lunch and dinner.

SAVING MONEY? GET CUNNING Are you a material gworl who eats all their money too? Join me in my resolution to be less reckless with food spending, while not skimping on the sacred time with friends that food can afford us. Budgeting can seem intimidating, especially when looking at it from the precipice of being too ashamed to track your spending. But once you get a budget going that works for you, be it weekly or monthly, it’s time to get cunning. We’re scouring the internet for the best cheap eats, the happy hours that go hard, and the best BYO restaurants. We’re memorising the daily specials at our local pub. We’re doing more potlucks and picnics, romanticising our home-cooked meals (see above), bulk buying groceries where we can. Last but not least, we’re limiting our use of food delivery apps (we’re breaking up with anything that isn’t Menulog in the spirit of workers’ rights — not that they’re perfect, but that’s another can of worms). The money you save on pesky delivery fees is now yours to enjoy, whether it’s saved or spent on things more important to you.

PLAN YOUR MEALS! It might sound like the most boring thing in the world, but if your goal is to channel your inner Nigella domestic goddess and cook more this year, meal planning will save you. Personally, there is nothing more exciting than sitting down on a Sunday with a computer screen beaming with all the recipes ever to be put on the internet and finding ones that match your fridge and your cravings. You can make it the ultimate Sunday ritual! Make a cup of tea, sit in your favourite spot, and put on your playlist of the moment while you think about all the fantastic meals you can nourish yourself with in the week ahead. Maybe there was a noodle dish you saw on TikTok yesterday that you wanted to try, or maybe your parents keep sending you Good Food recipes on the group chat out of pity. Whatever your prerogative is, let’s get excited about it! After you’ve made your menu for the week, put on a cute ‘fit, and grab everything you need at the shops. Take your time, put in your headphones and vibe, buy yourself a little treat. Once your groceries are sitting pretty in your fridge, you get to bask in anticipation of all the delicious meals you will make yourself. No more crying because you forgot you’re out of onions, and now your whole meal is ruined (anyone else or just me?). You’re prepared for anything.

137

MISCELLANEOUS

DEAR VERTI

How do I get over a breakup? (anon)

138

Oh de I can e ar, the ageold mp Heartb athise with question: h ow to you, d reak is ge ea argue p a rite o art of the h r reader, as t over an ex uman . many f pass less p e o a heartb ainful. Whet ge, but this xperience, s f us can. her it ’s o reak v d me ma oesn’t ete er from yo y m these ran, there a ur first brea ake it all th r a k e e man Once gonisin u p o r you’r y less you s g, y e safe to ur vive thes et defining m ons you can a e tend assum gatho m e n e t r e that s o f yo you’ll e moments o more f heali ur life. merge ng Reme resilient ver into a mber s strong , it ’s this: in ion of your er, se hurt , y ou wil lf. l heal.

Be consc ious of y our thou and com ghts. Allo w on Don’t all passionate word ow more s to fill yo ly loving heartbre ur mind. with spit ak eful and degradin by hurting yours better, b e g words. oth from You dese lf yourself do it ’s th rve and othe ing. You rs. Let tim will have this does e go n meantim ot mean you are od and bad days n’t progre , e, live for ssing. In yo to discov the er yourse urself. This is the p lf, withou one else t the burd erfect time . Su en of som never do rprise yourself by ene before doing th in , things y ou’ve alw gs you’ve to do. Sp ays wan ark your ted build you curiosity and r identity .

MISCELLANEOUS

To the heartbroken: sly and . Take it slow Hold your pain shameles ember rem and , feel it. Feel until the pain subsides gth. stren is it s; knes that feeling isn’t wea a lot of them. Accept all emotions — there will be and your You will be angry, both at yourself for letting and you ing significant other, for hurt good the er emb rem ll You’ . yourself get hurt ents mom bad the but , them miss and moments ed. end it will remind you why

I recomm e spoken w nd listening to th e two ord piec es below Carter, a by Miles s they ’ve he my own healing a lped me in encomp ass the tw nd perfectly o of roman tic relatio essential parts nships: le love fearl arn essly, an d knowin ing to g when to let go. “If You Decide To Love Someone” “If You Decide To Leave someone”

139

140

SONDER CALL OUT And for our next magazine, we present to you …. Sonder. Think Conan Gray’s “People Watching”. Feel the triumphs, sufferings and memories of others. Look at the revolving world around you with its surprises; the good and the bad. Hear the conversations of others in cafés and in the trains. Absorb the world around you, and once that’s done, make something from everything and send it into our submission box. We will see you soon with Sonder.

141

HOW TO SUBMIT

Vertigo is always on the lookout for pitches and submissions of creative writing, non-fiction, visual art, feature articles, news and reviews in the following sections:

FICTION

Short stories, poetry, flash fiction: we want it all!

NON-FICTION

We want non-fiction and creative non-fiction writing from all facets of life: essays, opinion pieces, memoirs and campus issues. Anything you’re interested in, we’re interested in too.

Have something you wrote a while ago? Or maybe an assignment that you’re quite proud of? Send in your completed piece to submissions@utsvertigo. com.au with a brief summary and what section you would like to be featured in!

PITCHES

Home to culture, music, fashion, arts and lifestyle. This section showcases individuals in their creative elements. We’re looking to support and promote the creative scene of UTS and cover events near you.

Have an idea that you’re not quite sure how to finish? Send it over with the following: • Title • Summary of themes and content • Style and tone • How long you’d like the piece to be If you have any examples of previous work, please attach them to your email too!

OFFHAND

AMPLIFY

This weird and wonderful section features quizzes, games, playlists, satire and comics. Nothing is too quirky or weird!

SHOWCASE

Interested in presenting some visual art you’ve created? We’re always looking for standalone artworks, as well as visuals to feature alongside written pieces. We want to see any of your architecture, fashion, photography, typography or any other art-related works.

142

COLD-SUBMISSIONS

Email your work or ideas at submissions@ utsvertigo.com.au and one of our editors will be in touch! Remember to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for callouts! For other inquiries, please contact us at editorial@utsvertigo.com.au

SOCIAL MEDIA @utsvertigo @utsvertigo

FOR READING

Dawn 143

UTS Vertigo The University of Technology Sydney Building One Lv3 15 Broadway BROADWAY NSW, 2007

Cover Design Sophia Ramos, Alexander Kingsford & Siena Zadro

Volume 1: Dawn

Articles inside

SONDER CALL OUT

by Various Contributors

by Ashley Elworthy

by Isabel Cant

by Jess Prowse

by Izzie Conti

by Minduli Withana

by Chantelle Cortez Maglalang

by Daniel Chai, Sandra Giarta, Kezia Suryaputra & Timothy Worton

by Ruby Hartley

by Madhumita Mukherjee

by Elodie Jakes

by Joe Hathaway-Wilson

by Will Simmons

by Georgia Neaverson

by Ashley Sullivan

by Joey Chalita & Clara Atkin

by Charlotte Sheridan & Eve Cogan

by Alexander Kingsford Mortensen