Issue Seven - 2014 by UTS Vertigo

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CREATIVE DIRECTORS

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Tom Lodewyke

EDITORS

Larissa Bricis Rachel Eddie Andrea Huang Lachlan Mackenzie Lily Mei Nathalie Meier Hattie O’Donnell Nicola Parise Kristen Troy

News

Emma Sprouster Alex Barnet

CREATIVE TEAM

Avi Bamra Alex Glossop Darcy Green Peita Keilar Jacqui Lee Astrid Milne Bryce Thomas

COVER DESIGN

Hugh O’Brien

ADVERTISING

Stephanie King

CONTRIBUTORS

Tanja Binggeli Rachel Clun Daniel Comensoli Alex Dalland Lidiya Josifova Amy Grady Elliot Holder Ninah Kopel Jessica Looi Emily Meller Maggie Neil Melanie Nicol

WITH SUPPORT FROM

UTS Students’ Association Spotpress Pty Ltd, Marrickville

News Between the Cracks

The Fight for the Block

Lauren O’Connor Lara Paijmans Arabella Peterson Christopher Quyen Emily Rorich Brittany Smith Bella Westaway Lauren Williams

The Legal Black Holes in the Migration Act

Throwing Like a Girl Culture

Trending: Houseboats

Zinegeist: Refugee Art Project

Science, Tech & Gaming

Here Comes the Boom

A Brief History of: Sanitary Products

Cultural Wastelands

Deja Entendu

Swimming in a Sea of Approval

Justice League: Leard Blockade

The Road to Justice

Century 22: The Unreal Estates of the Future

Showcase: Hugh O’Brien, Elliot Holder, Christopher Quyen

Reviews Fringe

The Defamer

Puzzles (yay!)

Rookie’s Guide: Public Sex

Grad’s Guide

SA Reports

Vertigo is published by the UTS STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION Proudly printed by SPOTPRESS PTY LTD, MARRICKVILLE Email us at advertising@utsvertigo.com for advertising enquiries. Vertigo and its entire contents are protected by copyright. Vertigo will retain reprint rights; contributors retain all other rights for resale and republication. No material may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the copyright holders. Vertigo would like to show its respect and acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Land, the Gadigal and Guring-gai people of the Eora Nation, upon whose ancestral lands the university now stands. More than 500 Indigenous Nations shared this land for over 40,000 years before invasion. We express our solidarity and continued commitment to working with Indigenous peoples, in Australia and around the world, in their ongoing struggle for land rights, self-determination, sovereignty, and the recognition and compensation for past injuries.

VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

EDITORIAL “I sat upon the shore Fishing, with the arid plain behind me Shall I at least set my lands in order?” – T.S. Eliot, ‘The Waste Land’ “Ooh wow, they’ve got T.S. Eliot in here. They’re so deep.” “What a bunch of wankers. Anyway, isn’t he dead?” “It’s a quote, stupid. And I happen to quite like it. I think it adds a touch of class to an otherwise trashy publication.” “A trashy publication that you read every month, or 23 days or whenever it comes out.” “Excuse me Michael, did you just call me trashy? Is that what you’re implying?” “That’s not – ” “I have very refined tastes thank you, Michael. Maybe if you took some interest in my life you’d understand that! What about that pottery class we were going to do together? What about Italian? WHAT ABOUT ZUMBA, MICHAEL?!” “I – ” “YOU WOULDN’T EVEN TRY JAZZERCISE!” *** Vertigo, destroying relationships since ’91. ‘Wastelands’ is about waste, consumption and how we live. It’s about wastelands – both external and internal. Coming to the city from the Blue Mountains (often by horse and cart), it’s sometimes overwhelming to see the sheer amount of people and realise that this is just a tiny slice of the world’s population. I wonder sometimes how long the planet can sustain us. Much like Michael, we stand to lose everything we love. But I digress. Inside these papery walls you’ll discover features on The Block in Redfern (p. 10), mining in the Leard State Forest (p. 18), and the indefinite detention of asylum seekers (p. 12). There’s also an interview with the incredible Rabia Siddique (p. 24), and we learn that Australia may not be the ‘cultural wasteland’ that some would have us believe it is (p. 22). And if that’s not enough, we’ve got an extract from Elliot Holder’s subtle short story Ada (p.44), an interview with indie pop maestro Andy Bull (p. 40), and an open letter telling those pesky Baby Boomers where to shove it (p. 36). Special thanks to Rachel Eddie, who was my right-hand lady for this issue, and as always, our regular contributors (we love you), design team (thanks for making us look good n stuff), and everyone who we interviewed/harassed/squeezed information out of. We hope it’s not rubbish. Peas and love from Tom and the Vertigo Team.

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THANK YOUS: Sharknado 2 NoViolet Bulawayo The flowers in the springtime

FUCK YOUS: Hay fever (from the flowers in the springtime) Richard Dawkins Decaf Exams (why, Lord?) Sir Hornbag

CALENDAR OCTOBER MON

TUES

WED

THURS

FRI

SAT

SUN

MUSIC: Justin Timberlake @ Allphones, 8pm – $99.90

IN CONVERSATION: Julia Gillard @ Riverside Theatres, 7pm – $20

FILM: Broken Flowers @ AGNSW, 2pm & 7.15pm – FREE

NATIONAL YOUNG WRITERS’ FESTIVAL until 5/10

ART: Ken Thaiday Snr. @ Carriageworks, until 23/11 – FREE THEATRE: Is This Thing On? @ Belvoir St. Theatre, until 26/10 – $38

ART: On Return and What Remains @ Artspace, until 12/10 – FREE

ART: My trip @ AGNSW, until 7/12 – FREE MUSIC: DMA’s @ OAF, 8pm – $18.50 ART: Reko Rennie: No Sleep Till Dreamtime @ AGNSW, until 30/11 – FREE

MUSIC: Safia @ OAF, 8pm – $15.40 ART: The List @ Campbelltown Arts Centre, until 12/10 – FREE

MUSIC: Alt-J @ Enmore Theatre, 8pm – $85

DANCE: Obscura @ Carriageworks, until 18/10 – $35

MUSIC: Courtney Barnett @ OAF, 8pm – $18.40

THEATRE: It’s War @ Factory Theatre, until 19/10 – $19

MUSIC: Orphans Orphans @ Newtown Social Club, 8pm – $18

FILM: Kids @ Alaska Projects, 6pm – FREE

THEATRE: Emerald City @ SBW Stables Theatre, until 6/12 – $32

MUSIC: The Cat Empire @ Hordern Pavilion, 7:30pm – $46 FESTIVAL: Soulfest 2014 @ Victoria Park Camperdown, 12pm – $145 COMEDY: Eddie Izzard @ Sydney Opera House, 7pm – $130

TALK: Brian Cox – Making Sense of the Cosmos @ State Theatre, until 22/10 – $80 MUSICAL: Wicked @ Capitol Theatre, until 16/11 – $90

COMEDY: Brad Garrett @ Enmore Theatre, 8pm – $81

MUSIC: Bluejuice @ Metro Theatre, 7:30pm – $39.30

COMEDY: Enmore Comedy Club @ Enmore Theatre, 8pm – $10

MUSIC: Steve Smyth @ Newtown Social Club, 8pm – $13

DANCE: Encoded @ Riverside Theatres, until 25/10 – $38

MARKET: Night Noodle Market @ Hyde Park, until 26/10 – FREE CALENDAR / 5

VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

Vertigo accepts all kinds of mail: electronic, voice, carrier pigeon, snail and owl post. Send your postcards, love letters and hate mail to: Letters Vertigo Magazine University of Technology, Sydney PO Box 123 Broadway NSW 2007 We has the internets too! Drop us a line at: editorial@utsvertigo.com.au

PHOTO BY ALAN ENGLISH AL_HIKESAZ

NEWS BETWEEN THE CRACKS OFTEN NEWS OUTLETS LIKE THE TELEGRAPH AVOID SOME TOPICS DUE TO MORAL AMBIGUITY, LACK OF CLICKABILITY, OR CONFLICTING AGENDAS. BELLA WESTAWAY INVESTIGATES THE NEWS BETWEEN THE CRACKS. The ‘study drugs’ you’re taking could be worse than MDMA An Australian study has found that around 1 in 12 students misuse prescription stimulants such as ADHD drug Ritalin to help them focus and improve their grades. However, according to pharmacist Vivienne Hill, many people are unaware of the serious long term damage such drugs may do. “Considering the huge number of children who have been prescribed this drug and others like it over long periods of time (sometimes over a decade), there is scant research investigating the long term effects of it,” said Hill. The short term side effects of these drugs might feel similar to a weekend at Splendour in the Grass: depression, fatigue, irritability and long periods of sleep being the primary repercussions of a night on study drugs. However, the long term effects can be far more sinister – especially since people think they’re safe. “Ritalin is strictly controlled and can only be prescribed by certain doctors. It is a stimulant, similar to amphetamines, and like speed or ice when abused can very quickly lead to a psychosis,” said Anthony Kemp, Nursing Unit Manager at Manly Hospital’s psychiatric unit. “Just because it is prescribed by a doctor doesn’t take away from the fact it is quite a dangerous medication when used illegally,” Mr. Kemp said. The nub and gist? Stick to pingas – at least you know they’re bad for you.* * This comment is made in jest. The writer neither condones nor condemns illegal drug taking.

Get some sun into ya Doctors across Australia have begun prescribing exercise and time in the great outdoors for many chronic health conditions. The innovative program, where doctors may prescribe ‘green scripts’ advising patients to spend time in pleasant environments, such as forests, parks or beaches, has been successful in a pilot study in Geelong, Victoria. This means it could soon be rolled out across the rest of the country. “We’ve been using open spaces around us for health for many years – before medication we used to send tuberculosis sufferers up to sanitariums to sit with nature,” said the Australian Heart Foundation’s National Director of Cardiovascular Health, Dr. Rob Grenfell. The program would encourage doctors across Australia to recommend weekly exercise programs including yoga, tai chi and walking to sufferers of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, back pain, depression and stress. But when people want a quick fix and no one is making money from your soft sand jog, ‘cures’ like anti-depressants and gastric banding win out. “We have been very successfully indoctrinated to believe that illness is something that happens to us, and is not something we create ourselves, and that the remedy for illness is medicine. So for many, the thought that exercising could in any way cure illness has an absurdity to it,” says John Toomey, of the RMIT School of Health Sciences Program Advisory Committee. Considering that according to Beyond Blue, 45% of Australians experience a mental health condition at some point in their lives, and the obesity rate weighs in at around 60% of Aussie adults, we might just need to get back to nature – dirt, sweat and tears notwithstanding.

NEWS / 9

VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

THE FIGHT FOR THE BLOCK THE REDFERN BLOCK SITS ON PRIME REAL ESTATE, BUT IT ALSO LIES WITHIN THE LANDS OF THE GADIGAL PEOPLE OF THE DHARUG NATION. ONE OF THE FIRST PIECES OF LAND OWNED BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN WHITE AUSTRALIA, THE PUBLIC HOUSING IS NOW BEING CONSIDERED FOR REDEVELOPMENT. ARABELLA PETERSON LOOKS AT ITS SIGNIFICANCE AND HISTORY. Beneath Redfern Gym’s famous mural of the Aboriginal Australian flag lies the Block. The first urban Indigenous community housing provider remains a cultural landmark, but now stands in the path of major development. The tumultuous past of the Block has been a combination of joy and tragedy. In the early 1970s, many local landlords campaigned for the eviction of all Indigenous residents. This sparked an assembly of protestors, led by a local activist who would later be the first Indigenous Australian judge, Bob Bellear. They successfully lobbied the Whitlam Government for a grant, which allowed the Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC) to begin acquiring dwellings from 1972. The area accommodated up to 100 households and was significant as an affordable source of low-cost housing for disadvantaged members of the Indigenous community. In the 1980s, as Redfern industrialised, the Block shifted from a fundamentally ‘contemporary haven’ for Indigenous families to a stigmatised district. After years of being emaciated by poverty and low employment, discrimination, crime, forceful policing, riots, hostile politicians and adverse media coverage, the Block changed. The Thomas Hickey tragedy – a contentious case following the death of a 17-year-old Indigenous boy – led to the infamous Redfern Riots in 2004. The public image of the Block worsened, and a lot of the remaining housing was demolished that same year.

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The Block rouses great sentimentality in Indigenous Australians, viewed by the largely rural New South Wales Indigenous population as a communal space and spiritual home. This, along with the area’s rich history, is part of why plans for commercial development have been met with resentment. For 30 years, the AHC has developed extensive plans to rebuild the Block as a new and reasonably priced housing borough for Indigenous Australians. These plans have now come to fruition in the form of the vast $70 million Pemulwuy Project. Central to this scheme, however, are some elements that divide the community. What has caused concern is the commercial portion of the plans, which is to occupy a sizeable amount of the redevelopment, as well as the linchpin of the structure being a possible 14 stories of student housing. Jenny Munro, Wiradjuri Elder and one of the founders of the AHC, believes that the plans for development disregard the historical significance of the Block. “Our people consider this little piece of land iconic and sacred and sovereign. Iconic in it was the first piece of land that we actually negotiated and purchased in our battle for recognition of our rights to our land.” Named after the Indigenous Australian warrior who led the resistance to the first white settlers in Sydney, the title ‘Pemulwuy Project’ has also caused debate. Some see this as an almost ironic affront to the legacy of Pemulwuy.

PHOTO BY MIKA MESKANEN

“It’s an insult to a man that stood and defended land, not dispossessed his own people of land,” Munro continues. Conversely, the plans for commercial development are seen by some as a positive move in the renewal of Redfern. A mass of prime real estate right in the centre of the now gentrifying Redfern and less than two kilometres from the CBD, the Block is perhaps the most valuable lot in Sydney. With the number of international students increasing, and university prices on a sharp incline, the demand for affordable student housing is at an all-time high. Sydney is Australia’s most costly city and one of the most expensive in the world. There is a clear struggle for local and international students to find reasonably priced accommodation within close proximity to the universities they attend. Mick Mundine, the long-standing head of the AHC, says the Government and banks in Australia are hesitant to provide money for affordable Indigenous housing. As a result, the reconstruction of the Block is to begin with the commercial development. He has made it clear that the AHC hopes to produce income from the retail spaces and use that money to invest in the second phase of the development, the Indigenous housing. Many are sceptical as to whether this phase of the development plans will ever eventuate, leaving the Block a purely commercial zone. “It was created to provide housing and that’s what it should remain as, the other pie-in-thesky plans about commercial development or student accommodation should really have never ever entered into this equation,” says Munro.

A Tent Embassy was established on the Block in May this year, with several of the original founders of the Aboriginal Housing Company and numerous former residents setting up camp in protest of the impending plans. There are approximately 20 people residing in the Tent Embassy currently and they have no plans to leave until the issue is resolved. “The people that are here are determined to maintain the embassy until the situation is resolved, until this madness about commercial shops on this site instead of houses stops and we start talking about what we should be building here, houses for our community,” says Munro. More than 150 people gathered at the Tent Embassy on July 7 to protest, fearing the bulldozing of the site was to start that day. Protestors scaled buildings to unfurl banners with slogans such as, “Sovereignty never ceded”, and tensions flared between Mick Mundine and numerous Indigenous protestors. Protestors succeeded in bringing widespread attention to the cause and no bulldozers entered the site, however the future of the Block is still uncertain. Ms Munro maintains that protesting will continue until the Block is recognised as the hub of Indigenous Australian experience in Sydney. “I’d like to see housing so that our people can come back here, I want to see the vision of the housing company go back to what it was, that this was a viable, sustainable, loving and nurturing community, what it was intended for.”

NEWS / 11

VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

THE LEGAL BLACK HOLES IN THE MIGRATION ACT WORDS BY MELANIE NICOL 1 Australia has an obligation not to send a person back to a country in which they fear persecution on the grounds of race, religion, nationality or membership of a particular social class. This is law under the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (the Refugee Convention). Many of us would also expect that the Government wouldn’t let a person enter Australia if they presented a threat to the Australian community. So what would happen if you couldn’t let a refugee enter Australia, but also couldn’t send them back to their country of origin? That question has been raised repeatedly over the last decade in relation to refugees who receive adverse security assessments from the Australian Security and Intelligence Office (ASIO). The issue gained media attention in 2012 when the Government placed a pregnant Tamil woman named Ranjini in detention. But she is far from alone in her predicament. The reality is, the Migration Act permits a situation in which a person can be detained indefinitely, except, that’s just not what we call it. This legal black hole arises from the compulsory detention of asylum seekers under section 189 of the Migration Act, with release only permitted if an asylum seeker obtains a visa, is deported, or chooses to return to their country of origin. The High Court considered what should happen to people in the situation where none of these options were available in the 2004 case of Al-Kateb v Goodwin. Mr Al-Kateb was stateless, as an unrecognised Palestinian man who did not meet the definition of a refugee. He asked to be “sent back” to Gaza, however Israel rejected him. The Australian Government

proposed that he be held in detention until a country decided to accept him. Mr Al-Kateb then brought his case to the High Court and argued that he should be deported “as soon as reasonably practicable” in accordance with the Migration Act, meaning that if deportation was not practicable, the Act did not apply and he had to be released. Ultimately the High Court accepted that Mr Al-Kateb’s detention was not unlawful because it was for a finite amount of time, ending when he was deported. The fact that no one knew the exact amount of time he would spend in detention was irrelevant based on the language of the legislation, which required detention in all cases.

Al-Kateb’s case is significant because it illustrates that the Government has the power under the Migration Act to detain people for as long as required, if the purpose of the detainment is either to arrange deportation or determine a visa application. This power has been used to detain people like Ranjini, who are recognised as refugees, but who have also received adverse security assessments from ASIO. Under the Act, protection visa applicants are required to be assessed by ASIO for potential security risks. The definition of a threat to security is broad, and asylum seekers are occasionally given adverse security assessments because

1. Melanie Nicol is the Treasurer of Friends of STARTTS (Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors), but the views expressed in this article are her own.

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PHOTO BY THE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION

of their involvement in “politically motivated violence”. For example, it is not uncommon for Tamil asylum seekers to have links to the now defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka.

Ranjini was one such Tamil Refugee, and she now faces a difficult situation: she cannot be returned to Sri Lanka, but she cannot be released into the Australian community as she doesn’t satisfy the visa requirements. Her request that the High Court reconsider Al-Kateb’s case was rejected in December 2013. This isn’t to say that Australia should ignore the potential security threat posed by some asylum seekers. In fact, there is an exception to the non-refoulement principle under Article 33 of the Refugee Convention if the refugee is a risk to Australia’s national security. However, earlier this year, the Liberal Government passed the Migration Amendment Act which made it clear that an adverse security assessment from ASIO is a separate disentitling criteria to Article 33. Under the Migration Act, the Minister must have reasonable grounds to reject a person’s application on the basis of being a security threat. The Minister also retains the discretion to accept an application if they believe it is appropriate. However there is no set definition of the “reasonable grounds” that must be met prior to a person being assessed. This makes it impossible to determine whether a person with a negative security assessment is also entitled to protection. In 2013, a complaint raised by 46 people caught in indefinite detention (due to an adverse security assessment)

was held by the UNHCR to amount to “Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Behaviour” confirming a breach of Article 7 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights. The UNHCR demanded their immediate release with compensation. Is there hope for those with adverse security assessments? As a part of the Labor Government’s response to asylum seekers, they introduced an Independent Reviewer in October 2012 to look behind the reasoning for ASIO’s security assessment and make recommendations as to the validity of that assessment. The Independent Reviewer has already made numerous referrals back to ASIO, highlighting the need to have these assessments reviewed. The Reviewer is currently the only mechanism in place that tempers ASIO’s power to deny asylum claims without giving reasons. This is why the Government’s proposal to remove independent review is so frightening to human rights advocates. As a result of their parents’ adverse security assessments, there are presently children living in detention indefinitely, creating all the more reason to put mechanisms in place that ensure ASIO exercises its power correctly, and also to provide asylum seekers with a method of alternative review. If a person poses such a significant danger to our security, it is arguably necessary to return them to their country of origin as a matter of priority. Alternatively, the threat the asylum seekers pose is not so significant, and could be managed using other controls which we presently utilise when releasing prisoners on parole. The Australian Human Rights Committee put together a list of alternatives in May 2013, which can be accessed at: www.humanrights.gov.au/ refugees-adverse-security-assessments. There simply has to be a better alternative to indefinite detention.

NEWS / 13

VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

THROWING LIKE A GIRL IN AUSTRALIA, WE PURPORT TO VALUE SOCIAL EQUALITY, EQUAL ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY – BUT DO WE PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH? EMILY RORICH LOOKS AT THE INGRAINED TRIVIALISATION OF WOMEN’S SPORTS IN OUR MEDIA COVERAGE AND ASKS WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR CHANGE. Women get only 9% of sports coverage in mainstream Australian media. “In a country with such a rich sporting culture as Australia, where women’s sport is competitive and very successful on the international stage, it is incredibly disappointing that female sport remains so starkly underrepresented in the media,” said Kate Ellis, Federal Minister for Sport. Netball is no exception, even though our Australian Diamonds are among the best netballers in the world, and the sport is played by over 1.2 million Aussie girls and women.

But even the coverage of Australian teams is poor. Speaking of the current Commonwealth Games, netball fan Lauren Giaquinto said, “I know they can’t show everything, but it could be made much better. Channel 10 have two channels to show the games, however hardly any netball has been shown on either. Most of the England vs Australia game was shown but literally only about two minutes of the previous Australia game was shown. And I rarely see netball in the news – the best I see is a quick popup of the score.”

Participation in sports has recently increased as the global women’s rights movement has encouraged women to pursue their sporting interests, but the media fail to reflect this in their coverage of sports. This leaves young girls with few female athletes to look to as role models.

So what can the media do in order to achieve equality? Lauren suggested, “Something like a viewer’s choice option”, where you’re given the option to watch different live sports at the same time. “So if I didn’t want to watch swimming but netball was also on, I could choose that. There’s something like this on Foxtel, but not on regular channels.”

Free-to-air TV coverage of the recent World Cup was fantastic, right? We could watch men from various countries show off their speed and fancy footwork in real-time. But if you’re a netball supporter without Foxtel, the ANZ Championship and Commonwealth Games matches aren’t always available. Netball enthusiast Jenny Philips said, “It annoys me that not only is the coverage of the Australian team bad, the coverage of any other team is worse. Why can’t they take a leaf out of the World Cup coverage and understand that it’s all about the competition as a whole, not just how the Australians are going?”

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The issue could require more long term solutions however, such as more women taking on decision-making positions and elite coaching and admin roles, and more female reporters who can cover sport from a woman’s perspective. Australians should also learn and educate others about discrimination in sports, and work to bring men and women together in sporting experiences. Or we could take the easy way out and just tell the Diamonds to grow penises.

VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

HOUSEBOATS The only thing rising faster than sea levels is the price of houseboats. Manufacturers are being flooded with a record number of orders, as residents of low lying areas prepare their arks for the coming apocalypse. Shares in the iceberg market have hit an all time low. Analysts are warning that the market will not bounce back. This is the end.

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF:

SANITARY PRODUCTS SURFING THE CRIMSON WAVE HASN’T ALWAYS BEEN AS EASY AS IT IS TODAY. THROUGHOUT HISTORY WE’VE DEVISED COUNTLESS WAYS OF DEALING WITH THAT TIME OF THE MONTH. RACHEL CLUN GIVES US A LESSON IN THE HISTORY OF MENSTRUAL SANITATION. Disclaimer: If you have a bad time reading synonyms for menstruation, i.e. aunty Flo, aunt Irma and the rest, now may be a good time to stop reading. While periods are a sign of ‘growing up’, menstrual blood is one of those things few want around. Luckily for us, these days we can take pads and tampons for granted as a way to stem the flow while the painters are in, and the disposal of said products is usually discreet and convenient. By and large, most these days use disposable products to prevent a very literal blood bath, save the few earth-conscious among us who use moon pads. But how did one cope with their monthly visitor before the invention of menstrual hygiene bins and disposable products, which now allow us to bleed much more discreetly? Both disposable and non-disposable sanitary products have been around for a long time, but perhaps as less slim-lined, leakfree versions than today’s. In ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, those suffering the monthly curse made tampons from various products including lint and wool. Our forbears had to become quite crafty with moss, wool, animal skins, rags (maybe where the term ‘on the rag’ comes from?) and basically anything that could at all stem the crimson tide. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, those with uteri began pinning cloths to their underwear. They could also buy

a handy rubber apron, worn underneath their skirts, which would prevent any unwanted leakage ruining their petticoats. The first commercially available pads hit the market in the late 1890s, and disposable pads in the 1920s. However, it wasn’t until the 1960s and 70s that pads with sticky strips took off. This meant one had to wear a special period belt to hook their pads onto when they were on the blob. If you’re a bit scared to Google what a sanitary belt looks like (I know I was), try to picture a Sumo wrestler sort of arrangement. As a side note, all this difficulty dealing with that time of the month explains a lot about women’s fashion – who’d want to wear tight fitting pants if you’re wearing a pad as thick as a nappy underneath? Anyway, the modern tampon was made popular by Gertude Tendrich, who bought the patent for the design in 1933 and actually sewed the tampons herself at home to begin with – she founded Tampax, so I’m guessing she hired someone else to do it pretty quickly. It’s true that we have moved far from bespoke tampons (probably for the best), but there are still many in less developed parts of the world getting by with makeshift pads. So next time you’re on the rag, going through blowjob season or experiencing shark week, spare a thought for those past and present who can’t simply toss their sanitary products into a conveniently placed bin.

CULTURE / 17

VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

LEARD BLOCKADE LAUREN O’CONNOR AND LARA PAIJMANS ARE TWO ACTIVISTS INVOLVED IN THE LEARD BLOCKADE, OPPOSING COAL MINING OPERATIONS IN THE LEARD STATE FOREST. THEY TELL US A BIT ABOUT THE NON-VIOLENT, COMMUNITY-LED ACTION, WHICH HAS SEEN PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE COME TOGETHER TO PROTECT LIVELIHOODS, CULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT. It’s a special moment in Australian environmental history: the Leard blockade has just celebrated its second birthday. Set up in 2012 by Front Line Action on Coal, the camp is the first coalmine blockade in Australia. It aims to save the Leard State Forest from destruction by the creation of Whitehaven’s Maules Creek open cut coalmine. Located near Narrabri, Central NSW, the blockade is inspiring hundreds of people to take direct action to defend the forest in what is becoming one of the defining battles for our climate. The camp provides a place for a diverse range of people to come together and take a stand against the destructive coal industry. Farmers come to stand up for their industry and our precious water systems; local residents come to stand up for their community, which is being strangled by the mining industry; students, young people, parents and grandparents come to stand up for our futures. The Leard Forest contains some of the last White Box Grassy Woodland in Australia, an ecological community that once stretched west of the Great Dividing Range all the way from the southern Queensland border to Victoria. This last remaining piece of forest is a small sanctuary for more than 30 endangered species including koalas, woodland birds, and 21 different species of bat. The creation of Whitehaven’s Maules creek mine and the expansion of existing mines in the area will destroy more than 5,000 hectares of the Leard State Forest including 1,082 hectares of Box Gum Woodland. The loss of this last remaining habitat will dramatically threaten

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the survival of all the species that live in the forest. The White Box Woodland in the Leard is also important because it contains an average of 100 hollows per hectare. These hollows only form in older trees, taking over 100 years to develop, and provide nests imperative for many species such as Corben’s long-eared bat and the Yellow-bellied Sheathtail bat, which rely on them for roosting. Unlike the existing mines in the area, the Maules Creek mine will be a behemoth. If it reaches full production, the carbon dioxide output will be 30 million tonnes per year – roughly equivalent to New Zealand’s energy sector. If Whitehaven’s Maules Creek mine is completed it will emit over 18,000 tonnes of coal dust, a figure that does not even take into account the large amount of coal dust created during the transportation of the coal to Newcastle by train. Adults in coal mining communities have higher rates of mortality from lung cancer, and chronic heart, respiratory and kidney diseases. They also have higher rates of cardiopulmonary disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung disease, hypertension, kidney disease, heart attack, stroke, and asthma.

IMAGE ©GREENPEACE/LEARD FOREST ALLIANCE, WWW.FLICKR.COM/PHOTOS/LEARDSTATEFOREST/

A global temperature increase of about two degrees is now inevitable, and much of the next few generations’ energy will be put to dealing with the severe results. We simply cannot allow this coal to be mined and burned. Nor can we allow the destruction of the last remaining original forest of the Liverpool Plains.

Earlier in the year, Whitehaven began the process of clearing the forest to make way for the coal pit. However, in a small victory, Whitehaven has been forced to stop the clearing during the winter after a legal injunction request from the Maules Creek Community Council. Whitehaven’s winter clearing was controversial because so many species of the Leard go into torpor – a hibernation-like state – inside the hollows of the trees. Whitehaven Coal claimed that they used a ‘gentle bulldozing’ technique to fell the habitat trees – shaking them to wake up any animals inside, then bulldozing them a few days later. Watching the forest get bulldozed brought home the fact that there was nothing gentle about the clearing.

needs to be stopped. A joint railway project with Idemitsu is still charging on, and Idemitsu’s Boggabri mine is also set to expand and clear more of the Leard State Forest. At every step in the creation of the Whitehaven mine there have been a diverse group of people taking direct action to slow down and hinder the process. So far 226 people have been arrested, including 92-year-old war veteran Bill Ryan. As reported in No Fibs earlier this year, “The mass arrests, road blockages and high level security at the Idemitsu and Whitehaven Maules Creek mines have not deterred demonstrators like Lyle Davis, a Yuin traditional owner from the Illawarra, who said, ‘It’ll go until there’s not a tree or blade of grass on the planet, until there is no drinkable water... Until they stop, we’ll be here as a preventative to their stupidity.’” The blockade is a chance to be on the front line of the struggle against fossil fuel, and is also an exceptionally welcoming place, full of folks with an astonishing array of knowledge and skills. We must stand up for what we believe in and halt the senseless march of fossil fuels. Will you join us?

The halt to winter clearing, while a great success, is by no means a complete victory. As they wait to start clearing the forest again, Whitehaven coal will soon start digging the open cut pit. Currently, Whitehaven is in the process of transporting and building the Coal Handling Processing Plant (CHPP). The CHPP, which would allow Whitehaven to load and export coal, is the next big construction phase that

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ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

IN 2010, A GROUP OF LOCAL ACADEMICS AND ARTISTS GOT TOGETHER AND FORMED REFUGEE ART PROJECT. THROUGH ART WORKSHOPS, PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS AND ZINES, THEY’VE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN INSIDE AUSTRALIAN DETENTION CENTRES. CO-FOUNDER SAFDAR AHMED TELLS ANDY HUANG ABOUT THIS INITIATIVE.

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Tell us a bit about yourself and the lovely folks who help out at Refugee Art Project… I’m an academic and artist who’s always loved comics and zines. I’m the director of Refugee Art Project and I conduct most of its art workshops. We’re a small but dedicated team of students, artists, teachers, filmmakers, and a web-designer. We are Fernanda Miranda, Zeina Iaali, Anjali Vishwanathan, Daz Chandler, Agnieszka Switala, Anton Pulvirenti, Ahmed Salameh, and a few other awesome volunteers. Our most important participants are of course the asylum seekers and refugees we collaborate with, whose work fills our zines and who have made the project into a beautiful and compelling thing. Can you give us a bit of background on Refugee Art Project, what it’s about and how it started? Refugee Art Project is a small not-for-profit community arts organisation that supports the art and self-expression of asylum seekers and refugees. We have conducted weekly art workshops with people inside the Villawood detention centre for the last three and a half years, and have held an art workshop for refugee women in Parramatta since last year. With the material from these workshops we hold public exhibitions, engage in collaborative projects, and gather contributions for our zines, of which we’ve made seven to date. The art is fascinating because it reflects the personality, resilience and agency of people who are locked up in indefinite detention, despite committing no crimes, sometimes for up to four or five years. We are ultimately trying to create and activate art in the struggle for refugee rights and social justice. When you started the zine, what was it you were trying to do? And now that you’re seven issues in, is this still the same for you today? When we made the first zines, it was about producing unique collections of comics, drawings, poetry, and writing by refugees, which most Australians have had no exposure to. The vision behind that hasn’t changed and we’re hoping to create a whole library of refugee art zines – to stand as a powerful and unique historical record of what refugees are currently experiencing. While the content is very diverse, there seems to be thematic link in each issue. For example, there’s one issue that focuses on young people, and another that’s about the experiences of women. How do you decide what to feature in the issues? The zines are largely directed by the circumstances, thoughts and reflections of our refugee participants, and are developed through a process of collaboration. This is especially true for

the two zines that contain the art of individuals, one being Murtaza Ali Jafari, a Hazara Afghan refugee who made his first drawings in Villawood, and the other being the work of Mohammad, a talented Burmese refugee. Sometimes a dominant theme will hold sway and the strongest in this context is a tribute zine that we made for our friend, Ahmad Ali Jafari. He had been in Villawood for one year and was a regular presence in our art workshops, before he died of a heart attack at the age of 26. He was mocked and ridiculed at the time of his death (you can read more about that here: https://overland.org. au/2013/08/eulogy-for-ahmad-ali-jafari/) and the coronial inquiry is still unfinished. What are some of the things we can look forward to in your latest issue? Our most recent issue was a young person’s zine made with refugee kids at Fairfield High School, which we are very proud of. It emerged from a workshop conducted by Zeina Iaali, who is an excellent artist and educator. The kids made single page comics that were inspired by the vivid imagery of our participants in detention. Crucially, it gave them a chance to tell their own stories. As for what’s happening now, we are currently working on a huge collaborative drawing on the theme of ‘utopia’ that will be exhibited in Sydney and Vienna this year. The drawings for that are incredible and I think a fascinating zine will come from it. I would also like for us to make some slightly larger, colour-printed zines, because thus far we’ve only worked in black and white. What have been some of your personal highlights so far? [A] personal highlight has been the comics refugees have made to express their feelings and experiences. I think underground comics are a fascinating artistic and political form with a proud history of subversive truth-telling, so it’s great that our zines have added to that. Another highlight has been the warm reception our little books have found within the zine community, and from the public in general. How can we get involved with the project? You can check out our zines and recommend them to your local libraries, schools and universities. Otherwise we are always in need of donations to keep afloat, be they financial or in the form of basic art materials, such as pencils, sketchbooks, watercolour paints and brushes.

Who: Safdar Ahmed What: Refugee Art Project Where: Berkelouw Books (19 Oxford St, Paddington) and Jura Books (440 Parramatta Rd, Petersham) More: refugeeartproject.com

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ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

CULTURAL WASTELANDS ‘AUSTRALIAN CULTURE’ – TWO SIMPLE WORDS THAT ATTRACT A LOT OF RIDICULE OVERSEAS. BUT ARE WE REALLY AS CULTURE-STARVED AS OTHER COUNTRIES BELIEVE? EMILY MELLER REFLECTS ON BAD JOKES AND OUR NATIONAL INFERIORITY COMPLEX. “What’s the difference between Australia and a tub of yoh-gurt?”

political capital is ‘wasteful spending’. How did our cultural industries end up in that category?

I was having a blood test and the Englishman sticking a needle in my arm thought it was a good time to test out some new material. He had been living in Australia for ten years but told me with some pride he had almost completely lost his accent.

Having lived in Glasgow for six months, I can also say with certainty that there is something very different about Australian urban life. Whether it’s the cold or a love of drinking, one thing you’d rarely see in the United Kingdom was an empty pub. Said pub would also be more than likely hosting an open mic night featuring kilted storytellers or dreadlocked jazz saxophonists. Theatre posters plastered the tube station and the clubs rarely dared play anything in the “Top 40” chart.

“If you left a tub of yoh-gurt out in the sun for fifty thousand years, it would at least grow some culture!” I looked at him, confused. I pretended to think for a minute, count something on my fingers. “Oh, you mean YO-gert,” I said. “Mate.” The rest of our interaction was silent and I was not offered the usual lollipop. Mine was a cheap shot, sure, but he had chosen a highly sensitive test subject: a communications student who hopes to make some semblance of a living out of our apparently invisible culture. Maybe the joke is on me. Somehow, I don’t think so. After all, 6.9% of our GDP was generated by the creative industries, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics in its 2008-09 analysis. While most of that comes from design and fashion, the third biggest sector is the literature and publishing industries, which contributed $13 billion to the GDP that year. But ask anyone working in the magazine business, and there is not much money to be found. In a recession, the last thing that will gain

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I tried in vain to dissect the difference. There is no reason that Sydney shouldn’t have as thriving a culture. We have a bigger population, an equal affinity for alcohol, and you can leave the house without thermals. But what I have learned is that comparison is probably our biggest cultural problem – all it leads to is the ‘cultural cringe’. From the Bondi Hipsters to King’s Cross to the proposed giant milk crate we are apparently building as public art, a lot of the time our culture does seem like a joke. But unlike many Glaswegians, we take it a little personally. Tell someone in Glasgow about how rough and unrefined they are and they’ll laugh with you – diss Australian hip hop in public (looking at you, Azalea) and prepare for the wrath. From the outside, it makes us seem insecure. We have an inferiority complex, and it’s killing any hope of our culture developing.

PHOTO BY BRYCE THOMAS

Enmore Comedy Club and Comedy On Edge (Chippendale), not to mention a new weekly Comedy Circuit at the Forresters.

So, instead of ‘Australian culture’, perhaps what we should be focusing on is ‘Strayan Kultcha’ – something that can truly be ours. Here’s the great news – it’s already out there. It’s underfunded, poorly advertised and hard to find if you don’t have your ear to the ground, but it is definitely there, if you are willing to look. Australian Theatre, for example, is currently thriving – particularly if you are under 25 and looking for a creative outlet. Between projects run by Shopfront, Carriageworks and the Australian Theatre For Young People (ATYP), there is an almost constant stream of raw works whose survival relies on being subversive. Then there’s Rock Surfer’s Theatre Company based at the Bondi Pavilion, who host everything from comedy to storytelling nights, as well as the annual Bondi Feast. Westside Writers are an innovative group of Western Sydneysiders who write plays about what it’s really like in their home suburbs – outside the media hype and mildly racist Current Affairs rhetoric. Let’s talk about Australian comedy. Sure, it’s hit and miss. But guess what? When it hits, it hits hard. It’s a personal taste though – one man’s Louis C.K. is another’s Dane Cook. While living in Glasgow earlier this year, I went almost every week to a £1 comedy night where amateurs and seasoned comics would jump up on stage to test out their material. Imagine my delight at returning to find out that we have both

For a constant supply of fresh talent, the recently opened Giant Dwarf hosts plenty of new comedy. Bear Pack, who are now touring Europe for the International Edinburgh Comedy Festival, had me crying with laughter – no easy feat when your hour-long set is totally improvised. Other nights include Erotic Fan Fiction and Story Club. Then there’s the music scene. FBi Social brings local musicians onstage for very intimate gigs at the hefty price of $10. It’s a mixed bag, sure, but it’s all local and one of the few places in Kings Cross where high heels are not the dress code. There’s also a resurgence of music at local pubs – everything from shoegaze to garage rock to hip hop. Lansdowne, Beach Road Hotel and the Annandale all offer free music with your brew, lockout laws be damned. Jazz is a not-so-niche but close-knit community housed in places like Venue 505 and Spring Street Social. So next time I’m faced with a yoghurt punch line, or someone talks about how crap Australian whatever is, I’ll be able to laugh along. To me, it looks like the tides are turning against the idea that our culture is low value. People are starting to stand up for our creative industries. We still need more to follow suit, but I think that it will happen, because most of the people working in these fields are driven by passion. Maybe they give up sooner when there is no money to be found, but passion doesn’t have a price tag. The truth is, if you are willing to ignore our culture in favour of the myth that it doesn’t exist, the joke is on you. Mate.

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ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

THE ROAD TO JUSTICE IN HER 43 YEARS, RABIA SIDDIQUE HAS WORN MANY HATS. CRIMINAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER. BRITISH ARMY LEGAL OFFICER. TERRORISM AND WAR CRIMES PROSECUTOR. NEGOTIATOR. MOTHER OF THREE. BUT, AS JESSICA LOOI SPOKE WITH HER IT BECAME CLEAR THAT ONE STANDS OUT MORE THAN MOST: RABIA SIDDIQUE IS A SURVIVOR. It’s September 19, 2005. Two SAS soldiers are being held hostage by insurgents known as the ‘Basra Murder Squad’. Rabia is summoned to negotiate their release. She finds herself staring down the end of an AK47 and is lucky to escape with her life. When she returns to base, the army not only refuses to recognise her contribution but also swears her to silence. From dealing with insurgents, to suing the British Army for discrimination, Rabia Siddique has overcome adversity at every turn.

As a daughter of an Indian Muslim father and white Australian mother, what was it like growing up in AngloAustralian Perth in the 1970s? As someone who spent her early years in India, Australia in comparison was definitely a clean, safe, sunny place to grow up. When we arrived in Australia in the late 1970s, it was a welcoming place but there was a lot of pressure on migrants to “fit in” and become an “Aussie” – what that meant, I was never entirely certain. Living in a very white, conservative, modest neighbourhood, I felt I stood out, and as a little girl I resented looking and sounding different compared to everyone else around me. I disliked my unusual Muslim name (that noone could pronounce or spell) and my English accent, and just wanted to be invisible. As I grew older … I became proud to call myself an Indian, Muslim Australian and realised I deserved to be treated and regarded equally to all those around me. How did the challenges you faced when you were younger influence your career choices? At the tender age of nine I was sexually abused by an elderly neighbour. When I eventually told my parents they told me never to speak of the abuse to anyone. The shame, humiliation and shock was too much for them to bear and no police complaint was made and I never received the justice I deserved. I felt so incredibly powerless and voiceless and I am certain that this traumatic experience influenced my decision to become a lawyer – in the hope that I could play a part in

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seeking access to justice for others and giving those that had also suffered in silence a voice. A career in the Armed Forces was never part of my plan. [A] good friend from the Army … convinced me that commissioning as [a legal] officer … would allow me to work in The Hague alongside International Tribunals, with victims of the most abhorrent human rights abuses and would allow me to access war-torn countries and victims of war crimes that I would never have access to outside of the Armed Forces. Why did the Iraqi authorities reject Major James Woodham, and demand to speak only to you regarding the release of the two SAS soldiers? I believe the reason I was requested by the Iraqi authorities to lead negotiations on that fateful day was because I had proven to them that I was someone of integrity and someone they could trust. I always approached my work with them with dignity, mutual respect and [was] very much aware that I was an uninvited guest in their country. I always tried to speak a little Arabic and wore a hijab to all my meetings with Iraqi officials – both as a sign of respect and courtesy. These small efforts went a long way to establishing and building strong and productive relationships. When I was requested by the Iraqis and ordered into the Al Jamiat compound to start negotiations my first reaction was that I was ill-prepared and not equipped for the job. I was a legal officer. I had no training as a hostage negotiator, nor was [I] trained to a high level in close hand-to-hand combat. But it became clear very quickly that there was no other option or choice [as] the two SAS soldiers’ lives depended on me, so I realised I had to step up and embrace this new mission.

How did the events following your return influence your sense of justice? On our return to base, James received a hero’s welcome and was sent in for immediate military intelligence de-briefing – which was standard military procedure and what I had expected we would all be subjected to, especially me, since I was the only Arabic-speaking person in our group that day. However, I was greeted by my Commander with a kiss on the cheek, a cup of tea and told to return to my tent to rest. The silence in relation to the role I had played in leading negotiations that day was deafening. In the weeks and the months to come it became clear that my involvement was to be covered up and I was to be written out of history. I was ordered never to speak of my involvement in the incident. At that point I had a flashback to the powerless and voiceless Rabia – but this time I wasn’t the insecure, naive little girl I had been all those years ago… In light of this, how did you feel when you were later posted to promote equality and diversity? It really was an inspired decision by the Army to post me into a role as the Armed Forces first Equality and Diversity Legal Officer! I spent every day in this new post, on my return from Iraq, drafting policies and raising awareness about equality and diversity, and played a key role in trying to bring the British Armed Forces into the 21st century – to become a more diverse and representative Armed Forces. So what sort of a hypocrite would I have been if I wasn’t prepared to take a stand against the very personal discrimination I was suffering from … [or] have the moral courage to act and defend the values I had dedicated my life to?

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ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

What compelled you to pursue a case against the British Ministry of Defence? I spent almost two years exhausting every informal avenue available to me to address and right this injustice, until the only option available was to submit a discrimination case against the British Armed Forces and therefore to also sue the British Ministry of Defence. It wasn’t a decision I took lightly, and I knew it would mean the end of the military career I had come to love, but this was a sacrifice I knew I had to make in order to take a stand against this unacceptable conduct. I needed the justice more than my military career. I needed to speak up and be counted – for my own authenticity and wellbeing. How did you balance this with the challenges that you were facing personally? The journey from mounting my discrimination case to eventually succeeding was an extremely traumatic one. In the lead up to the case being heard I suffered a rare ectopic pregnancy that almost cost me my life, just after finding out that James Woodham had been awarded a Military Cross for his role in the Al Jamiat incident [whereas] I received nothing but a hug and [was] ordered to remain silent. As I was recovering from this serious condition, which I believed would mean I would never become a mother, my husband was diagnosed with cancer. As we were awaiting my husband’s diagnosis, I then received news that a close Iraqi colleague and friend had been murdered, as a direct result of the human rights work we had been doing together in Iraq. He was survived by a beautiful wife and two small children, and I was devastated and felt responsible for his death. To say that the road to justice for me was hell was not an understatement. In addition to everything my husband and

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I were dealing with personally, the British Government tried every trick in the book to intimidate me into dropping the case, but they underestimated my strength and resolve – a mistake they would live to regret! In law, it is often said that “justice should not only be done; it must also be seen to be done.” How did this play out in your case? My discrimination case became a UK landmark case, and received much media attention. Thankfully we no longer live in a world where bullying, harassment, discrimination and abuse can go unnoticed and hidden, and our leaders and military commanders have no choice but to acknowledge the problem and tackle it head on. For entrenched, institutional attitudes and cultures to truly change, it will take more brave men and women to stand up and share their stories, for leaders to set a new tone and lead by example, and for Government policies and legislation to robustly address and enforce breaches and violations of our right to equality, fairness and justice.

Rabia’s memoir, Equal Justice, is available as a paperback and e-book through Pan Macmillan. To grab a signed copy or to keep updated about Rabia’s work, head to rabiasiddique.com.au You can find the full version of this interview at utsvertigo.com.au

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recommended by 9 out of 10 dentists submissions@utsvertigo.com.au

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VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

SCIENCE, TECH AND GAMING

WASTE NOT WANT NOT RESEARCHERS AT UTS HAVE DEVELOPED A WAY OF RECYCLING URINE. TURNS OUT IT’S PACKED WITH NUTRIENT GOODNESS, PERFECT FOR USE AS FERTILISER. AMY GRADY INVESTIGATES THE INS AND OUTS OF URINE DIVERSION. We refer to it as waste product, but perhaps our urine has more value than we’ve been led to believe. That’s right, apparently our urine contains valuable nutrients that are essential for plant growth. Sure it’s a strange topic to discuss, but given that urine diversion (UD) pipework has been installed in UTS’s new Engineering and Information Technology building, it’s something worth knowing more about. So what on earth is UD pipework, and why is our urine so important? Well UD pipework is a part of a greater urine diversion system, which aims to separate human waste. This in turn allows for waste to be treated and used as a potential resource.

The main component of most UD systems is the urine diversion toilet or UDT. The UDT bowl usually has two separate receptacles, which aid in the separation of urine and faeces. Provided that an individual is healthy, this waste can be readily used as a fertiliser. The advantages to using this system include the fact that it doesn’t require a constant source of water, has low capital and operational costs, is good for areas where pit latrines don’t work, and allows large scale nutrient recovery, as discussed above. Now, the recycling of urine isn’t exactly something you’d expect to read about, but it does raise questions as to how many valuable resources we unknowingly waste on a daily basis.

According to Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Researcher Fellow Dr Dena Fam, “Urine contains all the essential components for plant growth,” including “phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.”

So let’s look at the bigger picture for a moment. Let’s talk about recycling. Yes, yes, we get it, recycling is important. But are you actually recycling as much as you could?

Currently, “Our sewers carry these nutrients, essential for agricultural production, away from our urban centres and discharge them into waterways where they have the potential to negatively impact aquatic ecosystems,” Dr Fam said.

Like our urine, there are so many valuable resources wasted every day that have the potential to be salvaged and reused. Thousands of items are thrown away and taken to landfills, which serve no other purpose than to destroy and pollute our environment.

Fam, who is a driving force in Australian and international research on UD systems, last year completed her PhD examining the issues surrounding the trialing of UD systems in Australia, and similarly, whether or not urine recovery and reuse is viable in practice. As a result of her research, the pipework was installed at UTS, and was incorporated into the design plans for the Barangaroo development in Sydney’s CBD.

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Here’s a few things you may not have ever thought to recycle, but could start to: •

Make up/skin products: Many companies run programs that provide their customers with the opportunity to recycle their packaging, and in turn be rewarded for it. One example is MAC makeup’s ‘Back to MAC’ program, where in exchange for returning six primary MAC

•

packaging containers, the customer is rewarded with a free lipstick of their choice. Clothes: The notion that you can rock someone else’s hand-me-downs was cool long before the release of Macklemore’s hit ‘Thrift Shop’. Don’t just throw away your old clothes once you’ve outgrown or tired of them. Donate them to a charity – give them to your local Vinnies or Salvation Army store. Not only are you saving these materials from being sent off to sit forever in landfill, you are also potentially making another human being much happier with your fabulous (or not so fabulous) fashion choices. Batteries: Instead of buying thousands upon thousands of batteries and throwing them away like crazy, invest in a set of rechargeable batteries. Sure it’s a bit pricier up front, but in the long run it’s worth it. You’ll never have to buy batteries again, and once they start to die you can just throw them on the charger. You won’t even have to leave your house to buy more. Score! Food scraps: Composting food is tops. It’s great for your garden and even better for the environment as a whole. Alternatively, if you have a furry friend at home, why not treat them to some nice leftovers instead of throwing them away? Ink cartridges: These can often be refilled once they’ve run out, or properly disposed of/recycled if taken to the right places. Glass jars: If drinking coffee/milkshakes/alcohol in certain parts of Sydney has taught me anything, it’s that recycled glass jars are actually really fun to drink from. Go figure.

urban populations. It is largely for this reason that so much research has been undertaken in an attempt to preserve and protect our valuable resources, as evidenced by Dr Fam’s research into UD systems. While Dr Fam acknowledges that the topic is a squeamish one, the opportunity to recover these nutrients is invaluable and something “we can’t afford to pass up”. In today’s society way too many valuable resources are wasted on a daily basis. Not only is it damaging and polluting our planet, but it is also negatively impacting on our quality of life and general wellbeing. So be diligent, reuse and recycle, and don’t be that person who throws away something after wearing/using it once. P.S. Next time you go to the bathroom, have a think about all those valuable nutrients you are flushing away.

In recent years, we’ve seen major global strain placed on food production and infrastructure due to rapidly growing

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VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

SCIENCE, TECH AND GAMING

MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DO BIOMIMICRY – IMITATING THE SYSTEMS, STRUCTURES OR WAYS OF NATURE IN ORDER TO SOLVE COMPLEX HUMAN PROBLEMS – IS BRINGING ABOUT BIG DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WORLD OF TECH. BUT, AS BRITTANY SMITH EXPLAINS, ITS IMPACT COULD BE FAR GREATER. If I told you that architects in Zimbabwe are studying termites to help construct more sustainable buildings, you’d probably laugh at me. Termites may be hated for their destruction of buildings, but their earthy homes are self-cooling and stay roughly the same temperature regardless of the weather outside. As it turns out, we should’ve thought to copy those white ants long ago. Collaborating with engineers, architect Mick Pearce has already saved $3.5 million in air conditioning costs, while using 90% less energy, by taking his lead from termites. Scientists are constantly inventing technologies inspired by nature, a process called biomimetics. I know humans are supposed to be super brainy and far superior to any other creature but when it comes to technology, nature could really give us a hand. One of the most useful examples of biomimetics is the prevention of human death in natural disasters. Catastrophes such as fires and tsunamis can lead to thousands of deaths and millions of dollars in damage. It is often said that animals have the ability to predict natural disasters, but this skill isn’t what scientists are currently utilising in their attempts to save lives. The technology placed in deep oceans to warn people of an approaching tsunami is unreliable because sound waves can easily get mixed up in the journey through kilometres of water. The information reaching early warning centres is often inaccurate, possibly leading to preventable deaths. Cue the ever helpful and friendly dolphin. Scientists from company EvoLogics have adapted the dolphin call, which with its multiple frequencies, is able to be reliably understood from a long distance. This data transmission is currently used in the

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Indian Ocean so that a tsunami, even when it is way out in the ocean and only thirty centimetres high, can be detected. Insects are also proving useful, in alerting humans to fires before they cause too much destruction to homes and lives. The beetle Melanophila acuminata is being studied for its ability to sense infrared radiation from fires. It has about 70 dome-shaped sensors in pit organs, which scientists are mimicking using glass, thin silicone membranes, and water. The infrared radiation is absorbed and creates pressure, which is transferred to a signal alerting people of a distant fire. Although humans are pretty smart, biomimetics clearly shows just how much animals and nature have really got it goin’ on. From saving money and becoming more energy efficient, to saving lives and entire ecosystems, going back to basics with nature can advance technology far more than you would think.

SCIENCE, TECH AND GAMING

GO WITH THE FLOW WITH GAMING TECHNOLOGY ONLY GETTING BETTER, WHY DO WE KEEP SEEING NEW RELEASE 2D SIDE-SCROLLERS? LACHLAN MACKENZIE LOOKS INTO THE FLOW OF COMPOSITE GAME DESIGN THAT KEEPS DRAWING INDIE DEVELOPERS BACK IN. As we move further into the era of indie games the market is becoming increasingly segmented, with a surprising amount of games replicating the style of 2D platformers from the days of SNES and SEGA past. Are indie developers relying on past successes and nostalgia to make cash money, or are they just working with the familiar? When most people create things, they work with what they know. Therefore it’s no surprise that some developers will make the same kind of games they grew up with – these are the games they understand. A lot of – not all – 2D sidescrollers are composite games; games where players use mechanics from one genre to solve the problems of another. These games create variety by switching between genrespecific skills to solve problems. Something like Super Mario Bros. is a composite game because you use elements of the platformer genre (controlled jumps) to solve problems from action games (killing enemies). Without getting too far into the specifics, the difficulty of these games is altered along an axis of obstacles (by adding more enemies, difficult block placement) and abilities (through different power ups, player abilities). Developers alter the difficulty along these axes, aiming to find a balance between boredom and anxiety to achieve a state of ‘flow’.

the new-yet-familiar mechanics and controls quickly. There’s less teaching for the developers to do and a greater base of assumed knowledge from which to build a game. Traditional composite games turn the axis of obstacles and abilities into numbers that are simple to manipulate. A lot of modern games complicate the equation, meaning that finding the right balance of story and gameplay, anxiety and frustration is often beyond the capabilities of the independent developer. There’s a huge list of story-driven, high-level concept indie games that are being produced and failing due to a lack of focus on gameplay mechanics, both in terms of controls and the way players are introduced to initial and progression-dependent abilities. Whether the replication of old school mechanics and concepts with a modern skin and refined mechanics should be viewed as an homage or clone is difficult to say. But due to the timekilling potential of games with a heavy flow it’s unlikely the composite games of old are going anywhere.

Flow is that feel you feel when you’re completely engrossed in a game and lose all track of time. It’s when skill and difficulty are perfectly matched, and you lose your sense of self to an extreme focus on what’s happening on-screen. Flow is a psychological state that all developers strive to achieve and it is much easier to accomplish with a composite game due to the mechanics of the form that have been all but perfected over the years. Most players are more than familiar with side-scrollers and therefore are likely to understand and learn

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ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

DEJA ENTENDU IT’S HARD TO MAKE MUSIC, BUT IT’S HARDER TO MAKE NEW MUSIC. DANIEL COMENSOLI LOOKS AT THE GROWING PHENOMENON OF MUSIC WASTE AND OUR INABILITY TO ACCEPT THAT SOUND IS RECYCLED AND REUSED. Did anyone notice that Kings of Leon put out a record last year? Me neither. For a band that were everywhere in the 00s, they’ve certainly slipped from the public consciousness pretty fast. They haven’t done anything particularly shocking (Sundown wasn’t that much worse than Aha Shake Heartbreak), but they still somehow floated into the netherworld between commercial crossover and underground heroes. No-one talks about them anymore. And strangely, this is a trend repeated throughout all levels of the music business. Probably the most striking example is what has (or has not) become of Lady GaGa, from her unfailing ascendancy postThe Fame to her current Artpop-era irrelevance. We used to care about everything she said and did. It seems that in pop culture, some kind of change is now required to maintain relevance. The reinvention of an image or a sound is a salvation for those with long term plans of staying visible in the industry. The public greedily consumes anything new, only to remorselessly spit it out later pending the next transformation. Sometimes these changes work, while others go unnoticed. The result is a seemingly random spread of artists with their finger always on the pulse (Queen Bey, etc.), and a growing list of sickly, wasting ex-stars. Hopefully soon we can put Justice Crew with the latter. Then there’s the oversized hype surrounding rising bands, to the detriment of older blue-collar artists still churning out decent records. New artists get swallowed in the maelstrom of currency, rocketing skyward in a wave of conversation and counterpoint past their mundane peers. The argument always centres on a ‘new sound’, but the Arctic Monkeys

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and The Strokes were buzzed about because they went back to a sound. Alt-J are some freak mix of Macy Gray and late Radiohead. And all those chillwave artists were just redoing things that had been done a decade earlier, or in the 80s.

The point is that there just aren’t new sounds to be found. A recent study, using a massive archive called the Million Song Dataset, found that there is little difference between songs spanning from the 50s to now. On average, modern pop songs have substituted variety with volume. They’ve been recorded louder and are played louder, but the study found that there were far more variations available between note changes in the 60s. Beyond this, we don’t have new sounds because our Western music is governed by a strict, fairly tight group of notes and chords, where anything outside sounds dissonant to our ears. To clarify before every EDM or noise fan loses their shit, I’m talking big scale, mass appeal. I’m sure there are new sounds coming from your laptops that will revolutionise things – some real wicked blips. Even in EDM though, a lot of experiments and decisions around what sounds good are informed by the past. No-one creates in a vacuum. That’s why it’s disconcerting when ‘pioneers’ seek to present something completely removed from what has been. Successful experimentation comes from an exchange between the past and present. That can’t

happen if we keep forgetting formative artists, and it won’t happen if ‘the next big thing’ is always marketed as the Second Coming, inventing everything and healing the music biz over some sweet new beats. So if there aren’t new sounds, why do we want so badly to lose the past? One of the finest acts of the 80s, Minneapolis’ The Replacements, were a rock band that released consistently brilliant music but are now largely forgotten. The same can be said of a slew of bands from this era: Hüsker Dü, The Psychedelic Furs, X, Minutemen, Wipers, The Chameleons, and Australian bands like The Triffids and The Go-Betweens. While it can be argued that these bands came from – and stayed in – underground scenes with little reach beyond them, modern rock would not be the same without their existence. Increasingly, in music journalism and in the essential mythologies, REM stand alone as a champion of 80s college rock radio, and as the kicker for alternative rock.

A couple of years ago I stumbled on The Replacements. I don’t know how many times I’ve listened to Let it Be since, with its full-blooded closer and crushing middle-third. But then I started hearing them in all the recent bands I love, who are huge fans as well. They’re all over the boozy swagger of The Hold Steady. They’re in the playfulness and frenzy of Japandroids. In the heart-on-sleeve rattle of New Jersey’s Titus Andronicus and The Gaslight Anthem, often more Replacements than Springsteen.

Star’s singer. Yet Big Star also seem to only hold a place in the hearts of purists, music historians, and the odd guy with his Dad’s taste in everything. It’s absurd, given that even deep cuts from their 70s catalogue wouldn’t be out of place on a late Beatles record. Both bands, on their vast influence alone, should at least figure somewhere in the thinking of the common man, sunk as us rock fans are in hearing the next big thing before it’s a thing. Surely we should realise that the next thing, especially in our present moment, and especially for guitar bands, will draw heavily from the past. But strangely we don’t. We seem not to really care about the bulk of what came before, even as it shapes what will come. We have the established classics, of course. The Stones will tour forever, and Ringo Starr will always struggle with being the worst member of the best group. But somewhere in between are thousands of mid level bands and artists that are fading faster and faster into white noise. That dead wasteland isn’t reserved for musicians though, it’s full of books and films and art that were better than the crap that deserves to be there. The middle is only really remembered in the ailing hearts of a few. It’s a sobering thought for anyone in creative practice. But here’s the thing: some of that stuff is still good. It doesn’t mean we need to live retro and mercilessly grasp at anything remotely vintage. Bloody hell, please don’t do that. There’s just some gold out there that a girl strummed away a few decades ago, or even a few years ago. So go out and buy some music that wasn’t from this year.* It’s probably great. *Or you could download it. It is 2014.

But The Replacements looked to the past as well, especially to Big Star – their song ‘Alex Chilton’ was written about Big

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VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

CENTURY 22:

THE UNREAL ESTATES OF THE FUTURE HOUSES ARE MADE FROM WOOD OR BRICKS, RIGHT? WRONG! THEY CAN ALSO BE MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BECOME WASTE. TOM LODEWYKE SHOWS YOU AROUND SOME WEIRD AND WONDERFUL ECO-HOMES THAT ARE A WHOLE LOT CHEAPER THAN LIVING IN SYDNEY. Shipping container home There are several companies that will deliver a used shipping container(s) straight to your door (read: empty block of land). Container homes are growing in popularity, as they are strong and durable, and their modular nature means they’re pretty much giant Lego bricks that you can put together however you like. There are also pre-fab models available, if your welding skills aren’t up to scratch. They’re crazy cheap as well. One Australian company is offering a basic container home for $13,000 (roughly equivalent to two weeks’ rent or three packs of ciggies in Sydney). Container homes will need added insulation though, unless you want to open your own sauna. That’s not a bad idea actually. Note: Vertigo shall not be held responsible if you wake up on a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It’s your own stupid fault for putting a container home next to a dock. Think of it as a free cruise.

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Sustainable city home That’s right, you can live sustainably and still be close enough to the city to go out for a Pimm’s and lemonade whenever you damn well please. Sydney resident Michael Mobbs (Google him) has pimped up his Chippendale terrace house with all the latest eco-gadgets. Think of it as the Prius of houses. His daytime electricity comes from solar panels on his roof (although he barely needs his lights during the day thanks to all the windows and white surfaces he’s got goin’ on). Every year he saves around four tonnes of coal from being burnt. His drinking water is rainwater that’s filtered using its own kinetic energy and a simple ball float system. The water for his washing machine, toilet, and hose is sewage that’s been cleaned up by worms and bugs in a tank under his garden. So he’s also some kind of Dr Dolittle worm whisperer. Good onya Michael. Way to make us all look bad.

lol no

ILLUSTRATIONS BY PEITA KEILAR

Recycled tyre home (rammed earth technique) Recycled tyres make a great building material. They’re cheap – even free sometimes, as companies would rather give them away than pay to dispose of them. Once you pack them with earth and cement, they’re very stable and also muffle sound well (recommended for those who like to engage in coitus of the high-decibel kind).

Aeroplane home Bruce Campbell, American engineer and president of the mile high club, has his own plane. That he lives in. WTF. The ex-commercial Boeing 727 airliner is enjoying a peaceful retirement in a Portland orchard, where it weirdly doesn’t look that out of place – sort of like it crash-landed really slowly, not wanting to bother anyone.

An additional layer of mud-cement (heaps legit technical term) completely hides the tyres from the outside and inside, and gives the house an earthy, organic appearance. This technique means you can pretty much have your house any shape you want, as you can lay the tyres out and curve the mud walls to your specifications. And as it turns out mud and tyres are pretty damn good insulators, so you’ll save gazillions on your heating bill.

Bruce has used his engineer skillz to transform the jet into a home and office. It did cost him US$220,000, and must have taken a fair bit of work. But he doesn’t have to worry about termites, strong winds or earthquakes (due to the suspension provided by the landing gear). Nor does he suffer any of the normal pain-in-the-arse aeroplane issues, such as going through customs, sitting next to people with BO and verbal diarrhoea, and watching duck à l’orange getting taken up to first class. He also gets to pretend he’s a fighter pilot whenever he wants. But most importantly – HE LIVES IN A PLANE. We love you, Bruce.

Alternatively, you can use straw bales instead of tyres. Finally, a use for those 200 straw bales you’ve got kicking around.

0 (but lots of tyres)

189 reclining chairs

Many cost. Such Dollars.

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VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

HERE COMES THE BOOM IF GEN Y ARE SELFISH, ENTITLED HEDONISTS, THEN PERHAPS IT’S TIME WE LOOK AT THE GENERATION WHO RAISED THEM. NICOLA PARISE VENTS HER SPLEEN. Dear Baby Boomers, Generational generalisations should always be avoided. Except for when they’re useful. I recognise the vast, sweeping generalisation I am making in addressing a heterogenous group made of unique and varied individuals as if it were one, single-faced mass. Sometimes, however, there is occasion for it and I am hoping that you will cut me some slack, given the prolific discussion (frequently instigated by your kind selves) about the horrors of Gen Y. In most cases, I am not an advocate of two wrongs making a right, but I feel it’s time we young’uns had a right of reply. I’m angry, frustrated and sad. I look at the world in which I live and I feel at times overcome by a distinct lack of hope. The number of homeless, unemployed and disadvantaged peoples is phenomenally high and it continues to expand rapidly. The planet is sick: its waterways polluted, its ecosystems and habitats destroyed. Changing climates are undermining food security and threatening to submerge islands. Now, I wouldn’t go so far as to label all Baby Boomers “parasites” as Jim Tankersley from the Atlantic does in his article ‘Who Destroyed the Economy? The Case Against the Baby Boomers’. That said, I find it hard to disagree with his premise. As he puts it, “The facts as I see them are clear and damning: Baby Boomers took the economic equivalent of a king salmon from their parents and, before they passed it on, gobbled up everything but the bones.” Finding a job and supporting oneself – not to mention a family – is inordinately harder for young people today than it was for

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their parents. The facts speak for themselves. It’s been said before, but it’s worth reiterating: as a generational group, the baby boomers are responsible for substantial societal and environmental damage. Yes, there’s the argument that humans have always been selfish, but using that to justify indulgent and myopic lifestyles is like saying, “Cigarettes have always caused cancer – smoke some more!”

Today, resources are fewer and therefore more costly. Finding employment is more competitive than ever before and not about to get any easier while a burgeoning ageing population, out of necessity or desire, maintain an active presence in the workforce. Shockwaves from the Global Financial Crisis that followed decades of excessive consumption and greedy pursuit of private profit still abound, and the chasm between rich and poor is widening. Instead of allocating money to social welfare reforms, the powers that be have opted for tax breaks that only benefit big business and the wealthy few, something we are witnessing in Australia under the Abbott Government. And just to make sure those young hooligans aren’t being too lazy, the 2014 Federal Budget proposed measures that target young Australians, among other vulnerable sections of the

population, to bear the brunt of “financial recovery”. Now that’s logical, given that 55% of the nation’s wealth resides in the Boomers’ hands.

I can’t help but get the feeling that Baby Boomers have left Gen Y a gift, neatly wrapped in the burden of these decisions and tied with a tag that reads, “Not my problem but yours – many happy returns xoxo.” But what’s that? Generation Y are a bunch of selfish hoodlums, nasty punks, who just won’t get off their backsides and get a job? “Oh the audacity! How very dare they?!” For the record, it’s not that young people are unwilling to work, it’s that there aren’t a whole lot of jobs going around. Recent figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicate that there are at least five job seekers for every job vacancy. In light of all this, there is something very wrong about your vociferous negative assessment of our generation. Is the hypocrisy not glaringly obvious? How can you call us irresponsible, when you refuse to acknowledge your role in the creation of so many of the problems we face today? In Samantha Nelson’s words on Elite Daily, “Please judge us as we clean up the worst economic recession ever seen domestically and internationally that your generation had a hand in creating.” Aside from the significant amount of empirical evidence to suggest otherwise, there is very little purpose in spending time arguing our generation have it better than yours ever did. It almost goes without saying, each generation is different,

characterised by specific social, political and economic factors present at any given historical moment. Yes, the internet may have made it easier to communicate, particularly on a global scale, and it may have opened up opportunities for the youth of today that were previously unavailable. But, it has also brought with it a set of challenges and complications. Entire industries have been forced to reshape the way they do business in the digital world (take the case example du jour: journalism and the dying out of tabloid newspapers) and countless jobs have disappeared into the ether of progress. Strictly speaking, it isn’t entirely your fault. There happen to be quite a number of your lot who have done a great deal of good for the world, and of whom I am particularly fond. I am aware that a complex assortment of historical factors outside and beyond your generation’s control have contributed to the current kerfuffle in which we find ourselves. Which brings me to my final point: ourselves – collective, plural, communal. The issues facing our world such as widespread poverty, climate change and collapsing economies are not selective. Eventually, and you may not be alive to experience it (which I suspect is ultimately the crux of the matter), we will all fall victim to the social, environmental and economic problems we have created, which are clearly far too big to be addressed in or by a single generation. At the end of the day, whosever fault it is becomes secondary to the more pressing need to find solutions. As the saying goes, we’re all adults here, and if we’re honest, I think we all know that finger pointing can only get us so far. So please, Baby Boomers, before you jump to criticise Generation Y, take a moment to remember the old adage that people in glass houses really shouldn’t go around throwing stones.

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VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

MIXTAPE:

TRASH OR TREASURE? HATTIE O’DONNELL HAD A CHAT WITH SYDNEY-BASED FOLKTRONIC SONGWRITER CAITLIN PARK ABOUT WINE-FUELLED MUSIC-MAKING, EMBRACING YOUR INNER DF DIVA AND HAVING EYES LIKE CAT POWER’S MOTHER. What was the first album you ever bought? The first album I ever bought was What’s The Story (Morning Glory) by Oasis. I bought it on cassette from Fish Records in Balmain – I was obsessed with ‘Wonderwall’. What memory of music stands from your childhood? Watching Fantasia when I was four. It was my favourite film – I remember being mesmerised by the way the characters moved with the music, and afraid of the dark beasts at the end. When did you start getting into music, and why? I’ve played music in different forms since I was young, but I got into songwriting at university, when I was about 20. I had some friends who were older doing a similar thing, and I loved the lifestyle and creativity. What sort of music are you into now? The Books, Cat Power, Bill Callahan, Jane Tyrrell, Joanna Newsom, Brother Ali, Lauryn Hill, The Sleeping States, First Aid Kit, Oscar Key Sung, Beyoncé, and so on. Has your taste in music changed over time? I’ve always listened to Australian music. I used to listen to Jebediah and Grinspoon as a youngster – and as I grew up, I listened to more folk music, like Joni Mitchell and even older songstresses, such as Ella Fitzgerald. My very early songwriting was strongly influenced by the likes of Sarah Blasko and Holly Throsby – I think they were part of a strong shift in Australian female singer-songwriters coming to the forefront. Have you ever met one of your musical heroes? I have met a couple. I met Cat Power only a year ago, and I was upfront about being a mess in front of her, she told me I had her mother’s eyes… they welled up for days afterwards.

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Where is your favourite place to make music? On the back step of a house, alone in the dark, with red wine. If you could go back in time, what would you give the younger version of yourself to listen to? Beyoncé – younger me had an inexplicable ignorance of pop music. Do you have a signature dance move or an amazingly awkward dance floor story you could share with us? Haha, not really. I wish I had an awkward dance experience, I’m sure it would be an enjoyable story to tell. I never used to dance in public, I used to be quite insecure – but now I love dancing. Who cares if you’re not amazing at it – it’s about selfexpression, right? What is your ultimate car jam tune that you rock out to? ‘Fu-Gee-La’ by the Fugees. How has music has influenced your outlook on life? It has affected a lot of aspects of my life tremendously – as my life affects my music. Most importantly, I think music has taught me to be assertive, and openly emotive. What instrument do you play, and what do you like about it? I play a number of instruments, but most of the time I play the guitar. I like it because it’s very versatile, and it’s deep, and it sounds like wood. It also suits my voice. Finally, what are your top 5 track recommendations? ‘Closer’ – Joyride ‘All I Could Do’ – Oscar Key Sung ‘Another’ – Seekae ‘That Right Ain’t Shit’ – The Books ‘All Coming Back’ – Sarah Blasko

PODCASTS

GUARANTEED NOT TO WASTE YOUR TIME HEARING REPORTS OF EXTREME WEATHER, STATS ABOUT RISING SEA LEVELS, OR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY DOESN’T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE BORING. THERE’S AN EASY AND FUN WAY TO ABSORB KNOWLEDGE: HERE ARE THREE PODCASTS THAT MAKE LEARNING/CARING ABOUT THE EARTH COOL. RECOMMENDATIONS BY LIDIYA JOSIFOVA. 60-Second Earth: ‘Urban Growth Defines This Century’ Broadcast: July 14, 2014 If you’re a true millennial, chances are your free time is pretty scarce. This is where 60-Second Earth comes in handy. Produced by the Scientific American, each episode goes for as long as the name claims: 60 seconds. Each week brings a different report on the environment, science, and the future of energy. With such a time constraint, it might be hard to address the complexities of various environmental issues, but each episode will definitely leave your interest piqued for further investigation. The episode in question unpacks in a very short amount of time where our planet’s future is headed in terms of urban growth. The connections between infrastructure, greenhouse gas emissions and an ever-increasing population are made clear enough for you to brag to your friends about your newfound scientific knowledge. The statistics too serve as some serious food for thought. Costing the Earth: ‘Chemical Weapons 100 Years On’ Broadcast: April 29, 2014 Where 60-Second Earth gives quick overviews to reinvigorate our brains after staring too long at blank screens where essays should be, BBC Radio goes in-depth. Hosts Tom Heap and Dr Alice Roberts tour the UK and the world to delve into a different environmental issue each week. There’s a mixed bag of expert interviews, in-the-field reporting and locational sounds that make it more immersive than your average podcast. Thanks to clever editing, it never drags on,

even at 28 minutes long. This time, Costing the Earth puts the magnifying glass up against the issue of chemical weapons. There’s a plethora of questions on this topic, the most relevant of which includes, how are we dismantling Syria’s chemical weaponry? Not only do we get the answer, but we get transported to where it happens through on-location reporting. The episode also covers the fate and consequences of old chemical weaponry, as well as the impact of previous use of chemical weapons on cities. Can you ask much more of a podcast? Probably not. Future Tense: ‘Pump up the Volume’ Broadcast: July 13, 2014 Future Tense is one of ABC Radio National’s offerings, but before you shy away from what you think is maybe your dad’s station of choice, consider this: it’s the design and innovation show you didn’t know you needed. As the world evolves, new needs and predicaments develop, meaning that new technological and social approaches also surface to meet them. The flavour of this podcast might be more urban, but its direction looks forward towards our future — not backwards, upwards, not forwards, and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom. This episode takes a look and a listen at our changing perspectives on noise. Notably, Gen Y might actually be more at home studying in areas with background media noise, given the technological world we’ve grown up in. At least that’s what I’ll be telling myself when I have Arrested Development on in the background the next time I’m ‘studying’. But it goes further – noise pollution considerations impact product design, and there are even health implications.

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VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

SWIMMING IN A SEA OF APPROVAL ALEX DALLAND CAUGHT UP WITH SINGER-SONGWRITER ANDY BULL AHEAD OF HIS UPCOMING AUSTRALIAN TOUR. THEY CHATTED ABOUT THE NEW SEA OF APPROVAL ALBUM, SELFPRODUCTION, GROWING UP WITHOUT SPOTIFY AND DISCOVERING 70S SOUL MUSIC. Andy Bull’s sound is definitely unique: a blend of glam-rock, pop and piano rock. His music is inspired by artists like David Bowie and Prince, but also shaped by what he listened to growing up in Sydney’s suburbs. “Napster was sort of happening, the internet was not quite the place it is now. You couldn’t just stream music; if you wanted to download a song it took a couple of hours. I think it affected my music in the way that I discovered [it] – by accident or I had [it] handed down to me. I guess I didn’t necessarily feel that I had the key to the labyrinth that people have got now with Spotify,” says Bull. “I think it led me to a certain kind of music; I went to record shops and stuff like that. I was into a lot of soul music, 70s soul in particular. Just because it seemed to me like the most interesting thing you could get at the time. Then, by extension, 90s hip hop that referenced that [70s soul] kind of thing.” For Bull, releasing his second album Sea of Approval was a return to basics – an album produced entirely on his own. “I want it to feel personal, but maybe a bit cold as well. A bit strange but a bit familiar, a bit futuristic but a bit nostalgic – I wanted to marry polar opposites.

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“I put a lot of time into it. I haven’t worked with another producer in about four years and it took me a while to get all the necessary technical skills. If I was working with another producer, I never would have done this record – it would have been completely different.” Despite his enduring sound, Bull describes the creative process as inefficient, with the song ‘Baby I Am Nobody Now’ taking two months to write. “I think ‘Baby I Am Nobody Now’ was kind of a breakthrough for me on a personal level because I worked on it for a long time. I must have done half a dozen versions at one time but I didn’t want to give up on it because I thought there were some nice lines and stuff like that. It didn’t have a chorus for a long time. Had I been working with someone else I would’ve had to give up on it or settle on one of the versions I didn’t like as much.”

The Sea of Approval Tour will kick off in Brisbane in early September, before going to Canberra, Newcastle, Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Rottnest Island, Hobart and Melbourne – giving Bull the opportunity to perform for new live audiences. “We don’t always get to go somewhere, and we’ve had some amazing tours in Brisbane and Melbourne in the past. We don’t often get to go to Perth or Adelaide… it’s going to be quite novel touring outside of the east coast.” Bull enjoys touring – expressing his love for performing on stage to a welcoming crowd – but has a dislike for the logistics of it. “Hanging out with the band is what makes the tour generally tolerable. Being on stage is the easy part but it’s the getting to and fro – that’s hard.”

tour as an extension of the album rather than a performance of its contents. “When we bring it to the stage, I want to re-interpret it. It’ll be a band show,” says Bull. “We play it all and make it comparatively rocky – it’s quite ballsy, the sound of the band. People can expect a compelling, live reinterpretation of the record. “Actually seeing someone on stage and playing, it’s very live – you can see us playing, see me singing and I think that adds a human dimension that you might not necessarily get on the record because it’s all finely constructed. I love being on stage, and I’m always very happy to see the audience. When you get on stage, people are giving you a lot – you see these faces in the crowd and you kind of feel like they’re opening their hearts, and in return I open mine.”

And touring, like self-producing an album, is not always easy. When asked about his worst experiences touring, Bull recalls several early gigs that turned violent, even one where someone was shot in the parking lot just after they left. “In the beginning, when you get support tours… you just do so many shows where there’s no one there or the booking agent sent you to some regional place where the people drinking at the pub don’t want you there. There was tonnes of that to begin with… People throw shit at you and try to start fights. Any time when someone’s aggressive, I think that’s the worst.”

Andy Bull will be playing at The Metro Theatre on September 13. His album, Sea of Approval is out now. More at andybull.com.au

For the Sea of Approval Tour, Bull promises a dynamic “band show” experience, bringing his music to life. He sees the

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VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

SHOWCASE: ART

HUGH O’BRIEN Hugh O’Brien is a third year Visual Communication Design student, one third of EK Collective and an awesome photographer. See more of his work at hughobrien.tumblr.com

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ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

SHOWCASE: WRITING

ADA WORDS BY ELLIOT HOLDER Cars blur past the café. They create a machine wind, an almost natural replication of white noise, or of water running, and not far from where the women sit, people wait for the bus, school kids walk to lunch, and life runs just as it always has. Over the road there is an ice-cream shop and a massage parlour and on that side too, people are waiting. The women sit where they always do and discuss Ada’s upcoming birthday. Both her friends, Wendy and Alice, revel in the discussion while Ada half listens and half dreams: Here, she stands outside of herself, watching her brother laugh as he swings higher and higher on the tyre that hangs from a length of rope. In the eyes of her friends, in the sounds of the café and of the road, she can feel and hear and see the sun as she did on that day. And why this memory has struck her now is a question distant in her mind. As her friends talk, it occurs to her that memory is like a movie screen on which the film of life is projected. And it’s the static warmth of this projection and others like it that so often take her to a place of strange eternity. And while this left behind moment fades almost as soon as it originates, the space between its dawning and death lasts forever. Perhaps there was a time in Ada’s life when she would have considered her eighty-fifth birthday something to celebrate.

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In fact it was not so many years ago that she still had the eager energy of youth pumping through her veins. Despite a few more wrinkles and weaker knees, on the outside Ada remained the same. They always said she was a quiet little thing, and no one noticed the transformation that had befallen her in recent years, for she held it deeply within herself. She scarcely recognised this transition, this fatigue that had, it now seemed, swept upon her like a mid-afternoon desire. It was only recently that these feelings had risen up to bear the scrutiny of thought. The meeting of these three women was one of regularity. They would gather together at this café at precisely 10am every Thursday. Discussions would range from simple gossip, to books, to children and grandchildren. Rarely did the women discuss much else. To Ada it seemed as though they had been having the same conversations for years now. This did not seem to bother Wendy or Alice, and they approached each topic with exaggerated enthusiasm and curiosity – as if on stage, adopting the role of listener or speaker, they recited these tired lines over and over again. Ada felt these Thursday morning meetings occurred simply for the sake of occurrence, for regularity and structure. More so, after each passing week, Ada recognised that her friends

also sensed the cyclic nature of their meetings. Despite this, both Wendy and Alice seemed to maintain an almost wilful air of ignorance. They would sit and recall times gone by years ago, as if the utterance of those times might solidify them as fact. They’d serve up shared memories as a form of validation, as proof that these events did indeed occur, and that they were not the false memories of an unfortunate mind lost in the meanderings of old age. And so it fell into the hands of her friends; the choice to spend her birthday quietly and alone was no longer hers to make. It was as if she had been granted almost exactly what she did not wish. But she shouldn’t make a fuss, after all, these were her friends, and they quite clearly cared for her. It troubled her that she was so put out by the idea of a celebration of herself. Where was her sense of fun? She knew she should be thankful for friends like Wendy and Alice, and yet some deeper part of her resented them. Upon recognising this, Ada was reminded that perhaps she was not the woman she had once thought herself to be. Now, at nearly 85 she had, in her mind, lost a key element of herself. She wondered whether after all these years she was just only now shedding the skin of her youth. Never had she felt so tired. Had it not been for this fatigue perhaps she

would have stood up for herself in the café that morning. She felt if she had the strength or the care she might have told them how it really was. And what a wicked, twisted thing! For without this fatigue she mightn’t have minded a small party. She may even have been the one to have made the suggestion. None the less, the business was sorted. Whether she liked it or not she was going to have a party. And so Ada sipped from her coffee and watched the cars carry on by. The bus had come and the people waiting had left. The school kids had their lunches in hand and were heading back to school. She sat half listening and half dreaming, thinking of where she had been and where she would go, submerged completely and unknowingly within the eternity of everything around her.

Elliot Holder is a second year Writing and Cultural Studies student. He enjoys long wanks on the beach.

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ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

SHOWCASE: POETRY

CURL

PHOTO BY CHANG LIU

VERTIGO

WORDS BY CHRISTOPHER QUYEN Starlit haze Drifts around the city. I hold wealth In the palms of my hands. I walk like a robbery, Misty eyes seeking for crimson Posted on rooftops Just waiting for that exit route. A sneaker scuffs against the pavement, A six pair shuffle in the emptiness. All their desperate eyes Meet mine. The leader speaks money, He folds my heart like a paper bill. I offer them charity from leather pockets But they refuse my warmth For a spectacle of violence, A hoodlum parade throwing fists Until both my eyes cloud over And I sympathise for the liars no more. They scatter and I chase them Across the midnight road when A pair of headlights Bleed into my peripherals. I turn And my misty eyes are washed in it. Crimson. But not mine. I peel my wallet From the ooze, Turn them onto their sides, Call for help. My warm breath Hits the frost. A natural discord I curl into.

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Christopher Quyen is a first year Journalism and Law student. When heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not juggling his degree, he finds solace in moments of peace and noisiness, like a cluster in your granola. He wonders if heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll cease to exist if he deletes his Facebook.

REVIEWS: MUSIC & FILMS

EVERGREEN - BROODS

VENUS IN FUR

SOUNDS LIKE: THE VOCAL STYLINGS AND ELECTRO-POP AESTHETIC OF LORDE AND MS MR WITH DANCE ELEMENTS AKIN TO CHVRCHES.

A battle between love, lust, language and logic, Roman Polanski’s Venus in Fur is enthralling. The film is an adaptation of Tony Ives’ award winning play, and explores the tantalising realm between reality and imagination. Based on Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s semi-autobiographical novella, the film not only captures the complexities of a society that dabbles in masochism (named after Sacher-Masoch, in light of his themes), but also the taboos of discussing it.

Kiwi brother/sister duo Broods have had a swift ride to fame since the release of their first hit single ‘Bridges’ late last year. It was a good taste of what was to come on their debut album – Evergreen sees Georgia and Caleb Nott pursuing electro-pop with sweeping synths and catchy choruses. Combine this with Georgia’s smooth vocal melodies and it’s not surprising that these guys have had listeners drawing comparisons to neighbouring Aucklander and pop singersongwriter Lorde. As well as hometowns and musical styles, the artists share producer Joel Little, which no doubt accounts for a few of the sonic similarities. However, Broods tend towards the dancier end of electronic pop, with beat driven choruses and shimmering, pulsating synth progressions enveloping much of the album. The duo finesse this sound on numerous tracks, building from ambient verses with steady percussion, before sliding melodies into dense choruses with layered instrumentals and vocal manipulations. While many songs stand solidly as individual pieces, the album as a whole grows somewhat monotonous with its repetitive nature and absence of variation between structure and style. Although deviations to slower, moodier pieces, including ‘Killing You’ and ‘Medicine’, showcase more soulful elements, repetition tends to make these languid numbers drag even more. Standout tracks like ‘Bridges’ and ‘Mother and Father’ underpin Broods’ ability to craft hooky choruses and synthpop melodies within a distinct sound. Perhaps a few more years will see this young duo develop a more eclectic approach. If Lorde’s success is anything to go by, this could just be New Zealand’s next chart topper. Words by Lauren Willams

Just when Thomas (Mathieu Amalric), first time director and playwright, is about to lose hope in finding his play’s leading lady, Vanda (Emmanuelle Seigner) bursts in and throws the night into chaos. The old Parisian theatre they find themselves in is shabby, dark, and littered with the remains of past theatrical attempts. However, within minutes, Vanda fills the place with energy, transforming not only the space, but also herself and Thomas. Seigner and Amalric bring a balance of wit and intensity to a story that would otherwise be extremely dark. Through theatrical lighting, costume changes and sound effects, the film blurs lines between screen and stage, performance and reality. Like a dream – or nightmare – Thomas and Vanda move beyond acting to a realm of imagination and role-play. They never really depart from reality however, and the challenges of their day to day life soon seep through their night. As the film progresses it is clear what real dangers lie in the realm of role-play: for those who dabble in it, there is the possibility of losing control. But Thomas, Vanda, and those watching their unconventional, irrational relationship unfold, are left wondering whether losing control is such a bad thing after all. The French film with English subtitles won Polanski Best Director at the César Awards, and featured at the Cannes Film Festival. Venus in Fur makes for an entertaining and emotion evoking escape. Words by Ninah Kopel

CULTURE / 47

VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

REVIEWS: VENUE

KO AND CO 6 Hunt Street, Surry Hills Hidden in a huge concrete block at the bottom of Hunt Street in Surry Hills, Ko and Co is the sort of place you would walk past and say, “Hey that looks pretty groovy,” but never actually enter. Well, let’s just say that is the biggest mistake you could ever make. Ko and Co isn’t just Mexican street food, it isn’t just Korean BBQ, it is the two most delicious and popular street foods found around Sydney combined in a somewhat confused marriage. I was hesitant about launching into the menu at first glance – but I had absolutely nothing to be scared of. Korean style fried chicken inside a piping hot, cheese-oozing quesadilla: just looking at the small parcel was enough to send me into a food coma. Ko and Co is a great location for a date night, a quick bite after uni, a birthday shindig or even a romantic motherdaughter bonding dinner. Despite the floor space being quite small, the high ceilings and open bar make the room feel somewhat spacious. An assortment of high bar stools, benches, low seats and tables fill the room, accompanied by dim lighting and an undercurrent of 70s tunes. In order to work your way into the evening, I would suggest starting with a cocktail. The Margarita is sharp and fresh, spiked with honey-yozu tea. The Paloma is potent but accompanies the spice of the food. All cocktails are $12 – a splurge, but you won’t regret it. There is also an assortment of Korean and Mexican beer to choose from, all at a set price of $7. My top three food recommendations would firstly include the sliders. Choose the Korean spiced pork – it works exceptionally with the kimchi mayo – on a brioche bun. It just melts in your mouth and will leave you craving more. The

48 / CULTURE

burrito – not just a regular burrito, but a bibimbap burrito. The traditional Korean dish is rice, vegetables and a fried egg covered in a chilli sauce. Now put that in a tortilla with chicken. It’s one of the more healthy options but will definitely fill you up. Finally, the spicy edamame beans. Served piping hot with a chilli infused oil, it’s a whole lotta finger licking goodness in one bowl – trust me. You have to stay for dessert, simply because of the Chocopie, otherwise known as the Korean wagon wheel. Imagine this marshmallow treat, covered in ice cream, encased like an empanada, deep fried and served with chocolate sauce. Enough to clog an artery, enough to make you think you could eat this dessert-god for the rest of your life. “The reason this fusion food works is because we have strived to keep it simple,” explains Ko and Co’s head chef. I couldn’t have said it better myself, because Ko and Co understand flavour combinations and the consumers’ desire for ease and convenience when eating. What makes the whole experience so much more enticing are the warm smiles and friendly attitude of the staff. They are happy to assist you out of your food coma, and cheeky enough to convince you to come back next week for more. Words by Nathalie Meier

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WORDS BY HUGH J. DEFICIT In a move that totally surprised everyone and made nobody cringe at all, the Minister for Funemployment, Senator Eric Abetz, has announced the creation of a new employment taskforce. At a press conference last week, Senator Abetz claimed that the Future Unemployment Kancellation Taskforce (FUKT) will cut youth unemployment in half by 1985. This taskforce will be an integral part of the Government’s proposed plan of 40 job applications per dole bludger per month. The move will see jobseekers employed in ‘Job Creation Specialist’ jobs, creating

NATHALIE MEIER REPORTS Australia’s favourite budget airline, Jetstar, have experienced a 420% increase in ticket sales in the last month, according to reports. This follows an incident on a Byron Bay to Gold Coast flight, in which a flight attendant did the young festival goers a solid by assisting them in flushing their pingers down the toilet. In the come-down from the

AUGUST 2014

employment for the unemployed to create employment for people to apply for. But the move has puzzled many, leaving even Abetz tongue tied on ABC Radio. “This scheme will employ the unemployed in positions which create employment for the unemployed. Employing FUKT members creates jobs as Job Creation Specialists who specialise in job creation. This will lead to infinite job creation,” Abetz said. But when 7:30’s Leigh Sales pushed the Senator to clarify, Abetz responded, “Sometimes in the heat of the moment we don’t make much sense. But, I have not read my report so I will not be able to comment further at this time.”

When asked whether the spelling of the word ‘cancellation’ with a ‘K’ was intentional, the Senator mumbled something about “lazy, entitled youths” before making more sweeping generalisations regarding the low socio-economic demographic. It was later confirmed that the spelling choice was deliberate, demonstrating the government’s knack for being down with the #kidz. Treasurer Joe Hockey has publically defended the FUKT scheme, calling it the “perfect accompaniment” to the monthly application quota. “Abetz has earned a well-deserved cigar for his hard work – not that I would

know what a cigar tastes like.” Abetz concluded that “The Government believes the taskforce will lead to a significant rise in soul-destroying unproductivity nationwide.” In related news, several enterprising companies are cashing in on the exponential increase in mandatory job applications, and in response are providing fake referee services for jobseekers’ CV’s . For a small fee, an applicant can list a phone number on their resumé and when called, the operator will assume an identity and lie about the applicant’s work experience – not unlike a budget phone-sex hotline [*wink*].

ordeal, it is rumoured that Jetstar CEO David Hall is racking up a promotion for the unnamed flight attendant. “It is our duty as an airline to hold the needs and wellbeing of our flyers as our top priority, and this flight attendant has gone above and beyond to provide that support,” Hall told Vertigo. French DJ David Guetta has recently signed a contract with the

company, and will feature in Jetstar campaigns in exchange for infinite flying privileges. Along with providing Guetta with first class services, Jetstar are offering the DJ his own private cubicle for mid-flight stash flushing. Innovative Jetstar engineers have also created new designs to replace on flight emergency relief with on flight emergency drug relief. “Everyone knows that

turbulence on a flight can induce a lot of stress and anxiety. Yes, drop down oxygen masks can provide assistance – but you want something to calm those nerves. Drop down bongs are the future,” said one Jetstar engineer. All in-flight movies have been replaced with continuous showings of Pineapple Express and The Big Lebowski, to ensure passengers receive that “full Jimi Hendrix experience”.

FRINGE / 51

VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

ROOKIE’S GUIDE: PUBLIC SEX

HOW DOES ONE GET INCONSPICUOUSLY INTIMATE? MAGGIE NEIL GIVES HER PERSONAL TAKE ON PUBLIC PIV SEX. FITNESS REQUIRED – CHECK YOUR SHAME AT THE DOOR. There is a fine art to getting away with banging in public. But before I go giving away all my sexy secrets of deception there are some things you should know. • DO NOT expect to orgasm – this is really essential for you to know when you are weighing up the risk vs. reward as that sexy Italian guy you met in the bar is ripping your pants down. • If caught, there is the potential risk of being arrested. Yep. Bumping uglies in public is illegal. • Clean up for the most part is awkward and shameful. I’m looking at you, girl with the suspicious stain on the bottom of your dress! That’s about it. If you have carefully looked at and considered the above warnings and you are still keen on public penetration, then good for you! You are a horn bag! Because this is a rookie’s guide I’m only going to mention the easy spots. If you want harder ones to pull off, then you should sit down a have a good long think about your life decisions. Okay, lets begin with: PUBLIC RESTROOMS This one speaks for itself. Go into the toilets in a public place and get it on. Most commonly used/seen at festivals. THE PARK This one is a little trickier, especially if it’s a busy day. Try to

52 / FRINGE

find a somewhat quiet part of the park, where you can have the illusion of privacy. Girls should wear a skirt on the day. Once you and your partner have found a spot, you should innocently sit on your partner’s lap. Under the safety of that skirt I mentioned before, undo the button and fly on your partner’s pants and you are ready to whip it out. Then you can get on down to funky bang town. THE BEACH The beach is about as publicly sexual as the average person can get. Everyone is in underwear that is conveniently named ‘swimwear’, depending on where you are there are women with their boobs on show, and everyone is lathering each other up in sunscreen and/or tanning oil. Also, for some reason libido seems to rise with the heat. Go figure. Your best bet for getting dirty at the beach is to take your partner and swim out into the ocean. Don’t go crazy and swim out further than you should. It will not be fun when the lifeguards have to come and save you – unless they’re hot and totally down to join. So once you are in the water at a nice distance from the beach, away from children (don’t be gross), you can slyly pull down those bathers and slip it in. Just a note – although a simple enough task, this does require a certain level of fitness. You will be trying to keep both of you afloat while also slyly thrusting at each other. Work that core. Congratulations! You’re educated in public sex. Go make mum proud. This article was written from one heterosexual woman’s perspective. It does not represent all types of sexuality.

GRAD’S GUIDE: DESIGN

TANJA’S GUIDE TO #GRADLYF TANJA BINGGELI IS A LETTERPRESS ARTIST AND DESIGNER. SHE IS ALSO A TECHNOPHOBE. Why do you choose to do freelance work? I do freelance work so that I can work independently, but also as I haven’t seen anyone advertise recently for a type-setting, letterpress artist! I work with letterpress in what might be called the ‘true’ sense of the craft – as in, I press letters (tanjabinggeli.com). Over the last few years, I have collected metal and wooden type from all over the world, to use with my 1894 Chandler and Price treadle driven letterpress. My process is 100% nondigital – I sketch drafts, hand-cut the images (mainly out of linoleum), and hand-set the type. Working [like this] is a real response to the digital, ‘flat’ media that we are surrounded by all day, everyday. Having a screen-free process makes my relationship to the work very direct and more spontaneous. When it comes down it, I think I’m probably just a massive technophobe who has taken quite an extreme route to avoid having to learn InDesign… How much direction did your course provide for you? When I started the degree – Master of Design (text and image) – I didn’t have a background in design. [It] gave me a sense of the scope of design in the world today – from problemsolving in the banking sector, through to designing scents for museum installations. We were shown how to apply the skills we had to a very broad spectrum of work. I think this meant that, by the end, we were empowered to choose whom we wanted to work with and where we wanted to be within this ever-broadening industry.

I think that as creative people, our sense of self or creativity really needs to be nurtured. Growing up, I was very involved in music and performing, but I had no [idea] how that connected to a broader sense of ‘creativity’. I went to a very academic high school and we were taught to see ourselves with respect to our academic achievements. Life is so much richer than that – people are so much richer than that. Having said that, I think we tend to find our way, eventually. And the journey is how we learn. What are some of the exciting things that have come from the work you do? By far my favourite aspect is meeting like-minded people to collaborate with. I work with a lot of people who work in food and wine. There is something beautifully tactile about letterpress – the inks, the colours, the texture, the manual nature of the process – that really appeals to cooks who work with beautiful and colourful seasonal ingredients to create delicious, nurturing food. Having an opportunity to come together with these people, often on a special occasion menu or invitation, is very fulfilling. I also do quite a lot of small batch, very bespoke business cards for creative people. Coming up with a design on the press to represent someone’s identity is something I consider a real privilege, and a very stimulating process. It’s crazy time-consuming, and absolutely a labour of love, but I feel really lucky to have found work that can be so energising.

What’s some advice you wish you’d listened to earlier? You are a very creative person. Do something about that.

FRINGE / 53

VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

PUZZLES! Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.78)

1 6

2 5

5 4

2 1

5 4

1 7

8 1

2 8

3 8

Puzzle 2 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.48)

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Tue Aug 19 07:42:58 2014 GMT. Enjoy!

7 3

3 2

3 7

2 6

54 / FRINGE Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Tue Aug 19 07:42:58 2014 GMT. Enjoy!

STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

ETHNOCULTURAL REPORT Howdy, Yay for Semester Two! Hope that everyone had a pleasant mid-year break! In the holidays, myself, Fatima and Jess – two other members of the Collective – busied ourselves in the faraway land of Perth, where we attended NOWSA. A student conference, the Network of Women Students Australia is an annual conference of women students and this year it was hosted by the Women’s Community at Edith Cowan University. Across the five days there were workshops with the topics ranging from circus skills to cultural appropriation, and there were also keynote speakers and caucuses of autonomous groups. This was my first NOWSA and it really was a week full of so many feelz and twinkles (the action we adopted to replace clapping, like spirit fingers but more subtle with the dynamics). During this week, I was a part of my first Women of Colour Caucus and got to share experiences of living outside the dominant culture of Whiteness with the raddest bunch of women evvvveeerrr. On one night, there was a poetry slam and talent evening where delegates got to share their writing and musical skills. Then some of us continued onwards with a two-hour d-floor sesh at one of Perth’s nightclubs – NOT RECOMMENDED that we go to but it turned out to be very fun actually! On the other hand, NOWSA was also a shit-storm for political factionalism, which unfortunately pervaded spaces that were meant to be safe and accessible, and this was heatedly debated at a four-hour long Conference Floor. But all in all, NOWSA was such a great experience and I now have many more Facebook friends. Coming up this Semester, the Collective will be helping to organise an evening event as part of the In-Fusion Cultural Diversity Festival at UTS. If you are interested in being part of a working group, get in contact with the Collective. Stay tuned, friends! Jennifer Pham Ethnocultural Officer 2014ethnocultural@ utsstudentsassociation.org

FRINGE / 55

VERTIGO

ISSUE SEVEN: WASTELANDS

STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Andy Zephyr wrote this report before they resigned as President in August. This year I’ve given Vertigo Reports regarding frequently asked questions about accessing health services, sexual health, what happened on QandA and why the UTSSA was involved and the ‘How can I get involved’ question. This edition I want to identify the biggest DEMAND I’ve had from students (particularly since the Budget 2014’s announcement). MAKE THINGS LESS EXPENSIVE. Curiously, students aren’t all cashed-up as the Government makes us out to be. In fact, the average student leaves an undergraduate degree with 10 years of debt. Two thirds of university students live under the poverty line. The support students currently have access too is youth allowance, which is only $29 per day. “$29 per day is MORE than enough!” claims many Liberal and Labor pollies. It’s an awful response because it obviously comes from a place where they never have lived off $29 dollars a day, unlike our diverse student body. Students that come from minority groups are also more likely to have less access, and ability to higher-economic jobs. The gender pay-gap between begins expresses itself just one year after graduating between female graduates, who on average earn 3% less than equivalently qualified male graduates. This climbs to be around 18% in Australia on average, and has been growing since 2004 when it was around 14%. Many of us come from Rural or Regional areas, or have even travelled overseas to study here. It’s a myth that International students are filthy rich, many struggle to simply get transport in NSW due to backwards laws that mean they can’t apply for a Concession Sticker! To list a couple of the things you’d have to take consideration of in constructing livable Welfare assistance, you’d need to factor in; three meals a day and all utensils to eat, cook and clean them, clothes to wear (factoring in all forms of weather/climate), public transport (once again, student travel concession makes a huge difference here), rent or board, textbook, stationary (like notebooks, pencils, pens and highlighters) and class-specific needs like calculators

56 / FRINGE

for exams or lab goggles for your classes. Let’s not even think about tutoring for that hard subject you’ve picked up. It’s also a necessity for students to get their head out of the books and socialise and relax, but even simple breaks like a cinema ticket cost $20. I regularly see someone spending $80 for a textbook, and I wonder how people who aren’t as privileged get by. That’s why I 100% support the UTS Students’ Association. We run services and campaigns that take the heat off you, so you can stretch that measly $29 dollars a day. A Second Hand Bookshop to buy and resell your textbooks each semester. A Student Survival centre where highlighters, rulers, pens and pencils are available for free. We run a loan system for all different sorts of calculators, lab equipment and are always open to new suggestions of what we stock and hand out. We run clothes swaps and repairs, to fix up or swap in old clothes for things that suit your new style, a change of weather or just need a bit of love and stitching. We run services like the weekly free Bluebird Brekkie Bar and have just implemented a Food Bank outside our Community Space (CB01.03.22) for students who can’t afford to buy a meal. We’d rather no one went hungry, some pick something up if you need it. Importantly, we also campaign on issues such as Student Housing, Overseas Student Concessions and increasing youth allowance. It’s only from you, the student body, that we find out what you need and do our best to support you. Let me know what you need, by sending me a quick email. What do you want to pay less on? Andy Zephyr President UTS Students’ Association president@utsstudentsassociation.org

STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION

EDUCATION VICE PRESIDENT REPORT

SECRETARY REPORT

The world of politics continues to move at light-speed right now. At last, some good news, with the government’s regressive changes to s 18C of the Discrimination Act being dropped and the punitive changes to higher education being stonewalled by minor parties in the Senate.

There have not been any SRC meetings since last issue at the deadline of submitting this report, but there will be a meeting tomorrow (Thursday, August 7). The following items will be on the agenda: •

I know I harp on about it an awful lot, but please get involved in the fight to stop these changes. A lifetime of interest payments on debt awaits you if they succeed, as well as no hope of ever getting income support, and degrees costing a shitload more for those that come after us. You can show support by pinning a red square to your clothing (available from any Vertigo stand in the Tower building), and thankyou to everyone who attended our rally on August 20. Closer to home, and the Students’ Association can’t seem to keep itself out of legal trouble! I’m pleased to say that the UTS students arrested at Villawood Detention Centre a few months back have escaped conviction. I’m less pleased that police are pursuing a case against another member of the Association for being a whistleblower in the Whitehouse Design School scandal involving Tony Abbott’s daughter. Here at the SA, we all hope that these rubbish charges are dropped, and are proud of people doing what’s right even when it challenges the boundaries of the law.

• • • •

Vertigo items – including printing, advertising, and conference attendance Affiliation to CISA (Council of International Students Australia) and NUS (National Union of Students) Changes to the constitution Changes to SRC election regulations as recommended by the independent returning officers Collective items – including Pride Week spending and the printing of ‘Queer Vertigo’

Also, super excitingly, we are updating the Students’ Association website and you can now read this year’s SRC meeting minutes at www.sa.uts.edu.au/SRC

Andie Yates Secretary UTS Students Association secretary@utsstudentsassociation.org

Chris Gall Education Vice-President UTS Students’ Association education@utsstudentsassociation.org

FRINGE / 57

UTS STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION’S

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