Volume 4 Trash

TRASH

DIRT CHEAP ASIAN FOOD

by Lynn Chen SELECTED ARTWORK

by Kazkom SILVERMAN & SPECTRE

by Kezia Holland THE ELECTION ISSUE

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Maree Graham Deputy Director, Students, and Community Engagement Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education & Research

Sunny Adcock and Sophie Tyrrell would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.

Vertigo would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians and knowledge keepers of the land where we lived and worked as editors and designers during the creation of this volume, paying respect to Elders past, present, and emerging. We extend that acknowledgement to any First Nations people reading this volume. We exist on stolen land, and we recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

We acknowledge that Indigenous peoples have endured past and continuing injustices and dispossession of their traditional lands and waters, and encourage our readers to educate themselves, pay respect to Australia’s dark history, and actively work towards reconciliation. If it is within your means to do so, please donate to Indigenous organisations such as in the following: https://thelatch.com.au/indigenousorganisations-to-donate-to/

Karishama Singh and Elby Chai would like to acknowledge the Cammeraygal people of the Eora Nation.

Jennifer Wen would like to acknowledge the Biddegal people of the Eora Nation.

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Amy Toma and Ella Cyreszko would like to acknowledge the Cabrogal people of the Dharug Nation.

Rachel Lee would like to acknowledge the Dharawal people of the Dharug Nation.

Evlin DuBose and Esther HannanMoon would like to acknowledge the Wangal and Gadigal peoples of the Eora Nation.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The University of Technology, Sydney would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the traditional custodians and knowledge keepers of the land in which UTS now stands and pays respect to Elders past, present, and emerging.

Blah Blah studied Degree. Find more on Platform @handle

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CONTENT WARNINGS Non-Fiction + CONTENTS 01 04

Acknowledgement to Country Editors’ Letter

06

Dirt Cheap Asian Food and the Orientalist Narrative

by Lynn Chen

44

Being a BTS Fan in 2020

by Melanie Wong

50

A Fanfiction About Fanfiction

by Esther Hannan-Moon

76

In Defence of Conspiracy Theories

by Kate Rafferty

106

I Hate Kale (and Other Confessions)

by Sam Lyne

126

A Love Letter to the Trashy Films That Shaped Me

by Phillipa Kennedy-Spencer

Vertigo readers should be advised that there are content warnings before relevant pieces.

Some articles and images contain themes or references to genocide, disordered eating, death, injury, suicide ideation, abuse, drugs and alcohol, discrimination, blood, violence, sex, and mental illness. Please keep this in mind as you enjoy our magazine; your health and safety are important to us.

Contact the UTS Counselling Services on 9514 1177, or visit the UTS Counselling Services website to find out more and access the extensive online self-help resources.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please consider speaking to your local GP, a healthcare professional, or calling one of the numbers below.

Lifeline — 13 11 14 Beyond Blue — 1300 22 4636 If you or someone you know is experiencing or has experienced sexual abuse, you can call or refer to the following confidential hotlines.

General — 1800 737 732 Counselling — 1800 211 028 Crisis Centre — 1800 424 017

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If you, or someone you know, is struggling with or has struggled with drug abuse and/or addiction, please consider speaking to your local GP, a healthcare professional, or calling the numbers below.

Alcohol and Other Drugs Information Service (AODIS) — 1800 250 015 Opioid Treatment Line (OTL) — 1800 642 428 Available Monday to Friday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

NSW Quitline — 13 7848 (13 QUIT) Available Monday to Friday: 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Available Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fiction 10

A Fugazi

by Jasmine Pirović

58

Silverman & Spectre

by Kezia Holland

86

Poems, I Guess

by Evlin DuBose

120

On Masturbation

by Meru Sharma

Showcase 16

Tourist Scam

by Janey Li

Amplify 20

Not Just Another Beach Read

by Sunny Adcock

28

The Department of Lost

by Fauzima (Faz)ilat Rafiq

24

A Moment With Jenna Guillaume

by Sunny Adcock

40

Illustrations

by Tayla Colley

92

An Interview With Kalanjay Dhir

by Ella Cyreszko, Amy Toma, and Karishama Singh

52

Party of Dreams

by Hannah Lauren Riley

144

tiktok songs that deserve better

by Ivy Cheung

65

Selected Works

by Haein Kim

78

You’re Keeping That?

by Thy Mai

Offhand 36

A Selection of Works

by Siann Lau

And She Gets the Guy...Again?

by Julia White

73

Friday Fraud

by Ruben Savariego

Are Diamonds a Girl’s Best Friend?

by Bella Kidman

134

The Art of Forgotten Record Stickers

by Tristan Miller

Level Up Your Anime

by Mauli Fernando

138

Collages

by Emily Wilson

Yummy Sticky Greasy Treats

by Sophie Tyrrell

142

What Kind of Person You Are (Based On Your Meme Preference)

by Vincent Trang

147

The Scribblio Game

by Annie Walker

152

Horoscopes

by Alice Winn

154

Dear Verti

158 161 183 184

UTSSA Reports UTSSA Election Candidate Information Vertigo Editors and Designers How to Submit 3

82 90 98 100 108

Unholy Matrimony

by Nadia Mueller

122

Error

by Aisling Rudge

130

Hyper Bodies

by Olive Jones-Evans

131

A Collection of Works

by Kazkom

It is a truth universally acknowledged that art doth border on the pretentious.

But yeah nah, none of that now.

COMIC SANS FOR DAYS Y’ALL! Woot woo, k thx bye ;D ...What? You thought you were gonna get a real, bonafide editors’ letter? Keep dreamin’.

We made this in our dang tracky dacks.

We don’t brush our hair for Zoom anymore.

We’re running on fumes and caffeine and way too much take-out. And yeah, like, we’re still here, and we’re gonna put in the effort, but is it really gonna be good? Doubt it, cuz honestly: F*CK PERFECT! Why pretend everything’s alright?! Why pretend we’re fine?! Why pretend that anything’s high art, when we’d all just rather be h —

Ughhhhhhhhhh.

Guess we’re actually doing a letter.

4

. e n i F

F $$

LET’S CUT OUR TEETH

$$

...ON DIAMOND S IN THE ROUGH

$0.00

SALE

Bye boo,

ORS’ GU T I D IL E *

LEASURE P S TY

We wear juicy couture — not haute. Embrace those ragged edges. Grin with lipstick on ya teeth, flash the finger. Text your besties peaches and poop coils, then pop a champers and sit ya self down, cuz we got something to say, and don’t judge us just cuz we got it from the TRASH.

BUY NOW

Tacky car seat covers Cringey chick-flicks / Yummy Mummies on Netflix Playing online Catan at work 90 Day Fiancé Character Ask posts on tumblr ;) “Bella’s Lullaby” (From Twilight) Chatime Avatar: The Last Airbender

ORS’ G U DIT IL *E

F

Look, let’s cut ourselves some slack, here, okay?

None of us have lived through a garbage fire like 2020 before. We said this at the beginning of the year, and boy, has it never felt more true: no one knows what they’re doing. So now: anything goes! It’s high time someone fought in the corner of the basic, brash, and loud. It’s high time we defend the honour of crocs with socks. Celebrate our lolcat memes and weird-ass fanfiction. Just cuz it’s popular, doesn’t mean it’s bad. We need popular. We need comfort food for the soul.

(Let’s be real: junk. We need junk food for the soul). We need a low bar to idle over — just something, anything, that isn’t so together, y’know? Mass appeal ain’t always pretty. We love us some lowbrow, kitsch, and campy.

S PLEA URES TY

$

$$

5

6

NON-FICTION

7

TOURIST TOURIST

16

BY

BY JANEY JANEY LI LI

SCAM SCAM

SHOWCASE

Tourist Sca m was devis ed out of fru audacity o stration at th f time to pa e absolute s s. In a linea promises a r fashion, n nd does no o less! It t deliver, b 1800-SCA ut I’d take w M-ME, bab h at I can get. es.

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JANEY LI 18

Tourist Scam changed my life!

Time is on its knees and I had the last laugh.

We are a proud independent business created out of the demand within the tourist market for more time. Don’t be fooled though, we truly believe there’s a tourist in everyone!

SHOWCASE

Kit may or may not include: pocket watches, sundials, metal springs, a flatpack buildur-own-coffin, inexplicable hourglasses, a resealable cryogenic chamber, unidentifable ticking sounds, alarmist pamphlets and promotional material.

We guarantee 50% customer satisfaction.

Janey Li is an Honours Visual Communication student. Find more on Instagram @jane.ey

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hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

NOT JUST ANOTHER ANOTH-

BEACH READ AUTHOR NAME

by SUNNY ADCOCK

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that female authors have to work ten times as hard to be taken as seriously as their male counterparts in the literary canon. While most contemporary novels written by traditionally cis, white, straight men sit comfortably under the ‘literary fiction’ category, those written by women of all kinds are just that, ‘women’s fiction’ — an inferior subcategory stereotypically defined by supposedly biased and surface level explorations of womanhood, romance, motherhood, and battling the proverbial glass ceiling. Men expose the human condition; women whinge. Our written or fictionalised experiences are rarely seen as disruptive or relevant to the zeitgeists of the time, and are applauded for their ability to distract rather than embolden their female audience. Rarely are women given the creative license to tell stories other than their own. Meanwhile men are rewarded for writing outside of their own positionality.

The assumption here is that women only know how to write about themselves and the other women in their lives. However, when we read books like Catcher in the Rye, The Great Gatsby, or Lord of the Flies, these novels are believed to speak for the universal human experience, representative of a wider social and political context. They’re granted greater visibility and authority on the shelves and in literary criticism. Women’s stories, however, are simply too grounded in identity politics to speak for or interest anyone other than the types of mothers, daughters, and sisters depicted within those titles. Ground-breaking classics like Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen — regularly excluded from too many co-ed school reading lists — are often deemed ‘too girly’ to interest male students (yet female students are widely encouraged to read from male authors). By adhering to this, we imply that women’s stories have little value to men or greater society at large. Consequently, men rarely get to understand the female psyche beyond a male author’s imagined and hypersexualised interpretation of it.

The centrality of male authors in mainstream literature contributes to a culture of male dominance and superi-

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Content Warning: Discrimination

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“if only cis white male fiction exists unbothered and unhyphenated under their respective literary canons, then the implication is that only men can offer the last word on the human experience ...”

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ority. How so? Well, to put it bluntly: if only cis white male fiction exists unbothered and unhyphenated under their respective literary canons, then the implication is that only men can offer the last word on the human experience — and therefore, any other gendered or racialised experience is abnormal or secondary to the dominant culture.

And if you’re non-white or non-hetero, forget it!

Is it useful to categorise and label certain novels to better attract their desired demographics? Yes. Is it immediately insidious or hateful to acknowledge that a novel was written by a female and not a man? No. But when these labels, cover choices, and PR strategies often contribute to an overly gendered publishing and reading experience, it’s worth asking ourselves why white men continue to be the cultural gatekeepers of literature when books are largely consumed by both genders?

AMPLIFY

It’s a dilemma that female writers, smarter than I, have coined ‘the gender seriousness gap’ (consider the success of male pseudonyms), and it’s something author Emily Henry knows well. “If you swapped out all my Jessicas for Johns, do you know what you’d get? Fiction. Just fiction.

Ready and willing to be read by anyone, but somehow by being a woman who writes about women, I’ve eliminated half the Earth’s population from my potential readers, and you know what? I don’t feel ashamed of that. I feel pissed,” states Henry’s latest leading lady, January Andrews. In Henry’s latest novel, Beach Read (2020), protagonist January Andrews is a former hopeless romantic and devoted optimist who writes happily-ever-afters for a living — that is, until a series of personal tragedies have her questioning her entire worldview, leaving her unable to pen another happy story, despite the approaching deadline set by her agent. Queue Augustus Everett, a complicated and brooding literary writer — and January’s neighbour for the summer — who’d rather kill off his whole cast than have them kiss each other. After a series of entertaining back and forths, the pair, who are both at crossroads in their careers, agree to swap genres.

Beach Read challenges many of the assumptions made about women’s fiction while indulging in the genre’s clichés with enormous skill and consideration. While wellsuited to fans of beach reads, the title and cover of the novel seems almost ill-fitting considering how versatile, and at times dark, the adult contemporary novel is. Sure, it’s definitely littered with moments that even I, ever the rom-com junkee, found cliché or dare I say, cringeworthy, but the story packs far too big a punch to be ignored because of its female protagonist. Yes, the romance is deliciously swoon worthy and the banter is to die for!

However, it was Emily Henry’s ability to deal with complex ideas around grief, trauma, abandonment, and survival that beautifully bared parts of the human condition in an incredibly profound and memorable way.

Beach Read’s simmering will-they-won’t-they relationship between January and Gus (who unlike many ‘well-read men’ actually has the likes of Toni Morrison and Roxanne Gay on his bookshelf) is used to explore how someone

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SUNNY ADCOCK

can be your opposite in the best possible way. Their worldviews are presumably incompatible, but Emily Henry manages to thoughtfully and fairly unpack their reasons for being. We’re products of our childhood and our worldviews are often crafted out of survival; we are what we know. But when what you know is challenged, it can often leave you hollowed out and vulnerable. Writing becomes a way to understand how people work, what motivates them, and what influences the choices ordinary people make in sometimes extraordinary situations. Spoiler: neither characters reject their personal philosophies completely, but they grow and evolve to balance each other in a way that is both convincing and hopeful. The beautiful takeaway of this? That we can’t really know or appropriately judge someone until we know their personal story. The idea of someone should never be more compelling than their messy reality. There is no right way to do things, only our way — and even then, we should always be open to further development.

Occasionally, some parts verged on preachy or overambitious (the novel benefitted from a storyline that was rich and complex, but could also do with fewer subplots and side characters) but Beach Read is incredibly self-aware. Its lessons hold us accountable for the selfdestruction we cause simply by clinging onto personal narratives that no longer serve us. It’s not just a feminist love story filled with sweet moments (boy, were they sweet). It’s also an ode to personal growth (moving past our own self-delusion, even when it’s uncomfortable), to healing, to the beauty of female friendships, to loving people fully (being so perfectly someone’s favourite person), and, in our uncanny ability as humans, to find light even in the darkest of times. Emily Henry doesn’t treat hope or optimism as naïve or weak (or even linear and unwavering, for that matter), but rather as a sign of strength. Yes, love is a formidable force in this book, but it’s not purely romantic. Love, if we let it — whether it be platonic, familial, or romantic — can make us infinitely better as people.

Books like Beach Read don’t just teach me how to be a better woman, they teach me how to be a better person.

In a world where softness is mistaken for weakness and where women are still gaslighted, undermined, or told their passions and perspectives aren’t valuable, so called ‘women’s fiction’ is a much-needed safe haven. Yes, they’re undoubtedly brilliant because of their escapism, but their commentaries impart wisdoms that we can all benefit from, no matter our chosen or assigned gender, racial, or sexual identities. If men aren’t being pigeonholed for exploring more domestic or personal issues, then why should we? If there are no novels classified as ‘men’s fiction’, then maybe we should consider ‘women’s fiction’ outdated. Not because their content is no longer relevant, but because as any genuinely well-read person knows, the assumption that women’s stories are frivolous and limited in scope is simply reductive and unfounded.

Female writers aren’t going anywhere, so give them the widespread coverage and praise they deserve.

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Sunny Adcock is a second year Journalism and Public Relations student.

Illustrations Findby more blahblaj at www.asunnyspot.com.au

For more information on gender bias in the publishing industry, check out the following resources: ‘The Hazards of Writing While Female’ by Helen Lewis ‘What Do We Really Mean By ‘Women’s Fiction’?’ by Rachel Howard ‘Male and female writers’ media coverage reveals ‘marked bias’’ by Alison Flood

Need a lawyer?

SA AD The UTS Student Legal Service provides free and confidential legal advice for students.

Contact us to make an appointment.

(02) 9514 2484 | studentlegalservice@uts.edu.au utsstudentsassociation.org.au/legal

A MOM WITH h JENNA

by Sunny GUILLA Q

24

ENT

We sat down with r L u O V fo

V

Ever taken a Buzzfeed Australia quiz? Chances are Jenna Guillaume wrote it. But she’s more than just a pop culture Boss Bae. This August, she published her second Young Adult novel, You Were Made For Me, following the success of her 2019 debut, What I Like About Me. Both novels are beloved additions to the growing #LoveOzYA collection, which aspires to raise the profile of Australian authors who write Australian YA fiction.

Jenna is also loved for her hilarious and often far too relatable tweets (@JennaGuillaume) on pop culture, feminism, and Australian humour.

You’ll regularly see her speaking on behalf of the Thirsty™ community (especially where the Hemsworths are concerned).

AMPLIFY

the writer to chat about her journey, her J works, and her unapologetic love.

Adcock F

UME

A

25

Y

ou’re now a published author, but it might surprise our readers to know that you actually started off as a book blogger!

What was your journey with that like, and what was it like to finally join the ranks of your favourite writers?

SUNNY ADCOCK

Haha! It’s true, not a lot of people know about my days as a book blogger. I had a book blog for about three or four years. I loved it, and I met a lot of wonderful people through it. Maintaining a book blog really helped me understand the book community — and the YA community in particular — a lot better, and also made me engage with books in a more active and thoughtful way. I think it all helped me become a better writer. Being on the other side of it is an incredibly surreal but exciting experience!

:8

V

Both of your books are so quintessentially Australian.

Is it important to you that your novels contribute to the growing #LoveOzYA collection? Why should people read local? #LoveOzYA is such a wonderful movement, and I’m honoured to contribute to it. It’s incredibly important to me that we have a range of diverse and authentic Australian stories. As much as I love a cheesy American teen movie or blockbuster YA novel, there’s something special about having our own culture represented and explored. We read to feel seen, to learn, and to be entertained — having all of that happen through a homegrown lens makes it all the more meaningful.

How has your long-lasting love of rom-coms and Young Adult novels informed the way you approach your writing?

'

I’ve always loved reading rom-coms and YA, so that quite naturally became what I wanted to write! For me, reading is so often a source of comfort and joy — an escape from the world. I want to give that feeling to the people who read my books, too.

A

Can you tell us a little bit about your second and latest novel, You Were Made For Me?

Katie is sixteen and never been kissed — and she really wants to change that fact (the never been kissed bit, not the sixteen bit). She’s holding out for the perfect guy, but just when her best friend Libby tries to convince Katie the perfect guy doesn’t exist — he pops up in Katie’s bedroom, come to life in a science experiment gone right. Of course, suddenly having a full-grown Hemsworth-looking teenage boy to look after complicates Katie’s life — and her friendship with Libby — in ways she never expected.

You Were Made For Me is a modern, feminist take on Weird Science (1985), and I had so much fun writing it!

Your job as a journalist has taken you to many interesting places. From features editor at Girlfriend Magazine to editorat-large for BuzzFeed, and now a freelancer. What has that journey been like?

I spent five years at Girlfriend and another five at BuzzFeed. It was quite a shock to the system to go from a monthly magazine cycle to a digital title that was published 24/7! I loved both titles for different reasons. I still write for BuzzFeed as a freelancer, but it’s also been good to branch out and explore different publications and writing styles. I think I’ve definitely grown as a writer.

,wIh{Q rw67tRIJ<.w 26

Many of our readers have grown up doing your quizzes. What goes into making the perfect quiz?

all time — it’s pure pink joy — and it got me into the band, who are an absolute force to be reckoned with.

They’re making waves in the music industry in really interesting and important ways.

Third is the end of Season 6 of Game of Thrones. I was going to say the series finale, because it was a moment, but it was a very bad one. The end of Season 6, on the other hand, was glorious — between “Battle of the Bastards” and “The Winds of Winter”, there were so many stunning shots, big reveals (R+L=J CONFIRMED!) and plot twists, it was breathtaking. And when it came out, we still had hope that the show would be good until the end (sob).

A good quiz is like life — the journey is as important as the destination. Sorry, that’s so cheesy, but it’s true. A quiz has to be fun to do as well as have interesting results. And, of course, you must have an understanding of everyone’s deepest, darkest secrets.

A

lot of this volume has been dedicated to unpacking the outdated notion that pop culture isn’t serious or political, particularly when governed by women. What would you say to people who express this opinion?

What does your perfect day look like?

Ooft, what a question! I think it involves sunshine, my dogs, my family and friends, good food, good stories… and BTS on loop.

What has been your biggest revelation of 2020?

M

Pop culture is culture — it shapes who we are, what we do, and how we think. It’s vital. And while pop culture can certainly be serious and political, I’d also note that something doesn’t have to be those things to be of value. Sometimes, simply providing joy is an important and valid purpose — especially in times like this!

s

AMPLIFY

If you don’t take pop culture seriously, I don’t take you seriously.

Snobbery is so boring, especially when it’s underscored by misogyny, as it so often is, because women’s work and interests have a tendency to be dismissed as frivolous.

Some people hate masks more than they love other people.

Just wear a mask, guys! In all seriousness, it’s been a weird, tough year.

I’m trying to find small moments of joy where I can, while recognising that it’s also okay to feel sad and stressed.

But also. Wear a mask.

0 01

2

Can you name your top three favourite pop culture moments of the 2010’s?

Number one, without any hesitation, is Tom Holland lip syncing to Rihanna’s “Umbrella”. If you follow me on Twitter you know I share that video on at least a monthly basis. It’s regular required viewing. Tom just commits to that routine in a really beautiful, sincere, and unashamed way.

Q

For more from Jenna, check out her Twitter @JennaGuillaume What I Like About Me and You Were Made For Me are out now in all good bookstores.

Q

Following on the theme of things that undermine and unpack toxic masculinity: in second place would be the release of “Boy With Luv” by BTS. The music video is honestly one of my faves of

Sunny Adcock is a second year Journalism and Public Relations student. Find more at www.asunnyspot.com.au

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THE

DEPARTMENT

by Fauzima (Faz)ilat Rafiq 28

SHOWCASE

OF

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FAUZIMA (FAZ)ILAT RAFIQ 30

‘The Department of Lost’ is a fictional organisation which provides lost & found services, collects stories, and provides information to its members and contributors.

This publication is a collection of items from ‘The Department Of Lost’ that forms a non-linear narrative around the everyday phenomena of losing things. The items are curated to allow members

SHOWCASE

to engage with content submitted by contributors and form a better understanding of the social psychology behind losing objects.

From advice on how not to lose things to a collection of stories about losing things, the D.O.L has you covered.

This piece was created as a response to the ISTD* publication theme, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lostâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. It has since won an AGDA* Distinction Award in 2019. *International Society of Typographic Designers *Australian Graphic Design Association

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FAUZIMA (FAZ)ILAT RAFIQ

“THE PHENOMENA

OF LOSING THI 32

E

DAY

EVERYSHOWCASE

INGS”

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FAUZIMA (FAZ)ILAT RAFIQ

SHOWCASE Fauzima (Faz)ilat Rafiq is a graduated Visual Communication student. Find more on Instagram @fauzima

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AND SHE GETS THE AUTHOR NAME

GUY ...

AGAIN? 36

by Julia White

Content Warning: Sexual References

SINGLE? I mean, of course you are. You’re batting a strong six in good lighting and have the body of an al-dente noodle. But hey now — hold off on joining that Siberian leper colony. There’s no need to become a recluse! May I present to you the answer to all of those lonely prayers you’ve wept into your pillow: The humble romantic comedy.

Predictable. Comfortingly cyclical. Endowed with that blissful sense of déjà vu — both in storyline and in reliance on a recycled cast of all your favourite B-listers. These little pearls of wisdom are full to the hot-pink brim with classic tropes we’ve come to rely on: the meet-cute, the grand gesture, the quirky and promiscuous best friend, and that final declaration of love (as stuttered by one Hugh Grant).

Fear not, dear reader, because your lonely nights are numbered! The formula for love lies ahead. What’s that — still single? Read on.

OFFHAND

1

It’s time for a makeover. Slide off those glasses, unbutton that blouse! Unleash that mane of hair that has been stowed away like checked luggage — it’s wasted in that man-repellent low-ponytail of yours. And while yes, your resemblance to a hairless ferret is uncanny, I implore that you do not panic — it is truly nothing that a little lipstick can’t fix. There are no hopeless cases here, my beastly friend.

Make like Mia in the Princess Diaries because it’s time for your complete reinvention. I’m not asking for anything drastic, but it would probably be best if you were unrecognisable.

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Success in your professional life is all for nought if you turn up to the party alone. There’s only one type of daily grind that matters here, so consider quitting your day job because it’s probably secondary to your storyline anyway.

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After all, you can’t go to bed with your career.

Mild stalking (note: mild) is sexy, and an excellent way to get someone to fall in love with you. This trope is blissfully ungendered, so everyone can feel free to have a go! Dust off your favourite pair of binoculars, crack out that crisp trench coat and baseball cap combo, and find a nice corner to hide behind. Remember, the cover of night time is your friend.

Attempting forced entry by prying open locked apartment doors can seriously spice up any relationship. Double points if you stand at the foot of their bed and watch them sleep.

JULIA WHITE

2

As in any good romcom, our lead is undoubtedly a journalist, caterer, or businesswoman who has seen notable success in her field but is hankering for some real fulfilment. Pity her! She is but a loveless spinster, an undesirable shrew.

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In a game of Romcom Wine-Bingo, be sure to down that pitcher of seven dollar Aldi rosé when our two leading lovers hit their rough patch at the sixty-five minute mark. This snag is essential — it provides the ultimate relationship test and a convenient plot filler.

The ‘rough patch’ can take many forms: a missed connection. A lovers’ quarrel. Perhaps even interference by a meddling third party, like that horsey witch mother in The Notebook (2004). In any case, when this trope rears its ugly head, remember to pop a long bendy straw in that wine bottle and get a-glugging! Bingo doesn’t discriminate.

After all, where’s the satisfaction in a relationship that’s smooth sailing?

Chin chin!

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5

Screaming matches? Rain. Steamy make-out session? Rain. Virgin Sacrifice? Rain. Slow dancing to orchestral background music? Get outside girl, it’s raining out there!

Flirty baking? Potentially, if you can install an outdoor kitchen (worth every cent for the heightened romance).

Being conventionally attractive is the name of the game, so if you don’t look like Kate Hudson or Matthew McConaughey crawl back under your slimy rock because no one wants to look at that.

Hey now, don’t cry — all hope is not lost! You could try flogging your personality or something (or perhaps try to find a lovely blind bachelor). It’s not your fault God made you look like an extra! Blame your parents for that unsightly mug (and if you mention it at Christmas time, you might even get another serve of pudding).

Also if it helps, I hear that somewhere in Vegas they’re doing a twofor-one special on facial reconstruction. Just a thought.

7

OFFHAND

6

Everything is better if you do it in the rain.

And finally: nothing, nothing, is as romantic as a flash mob. Profess your love in dance, for it is the only way.

There you have it. Seven simple steps to finding true love, as trialled by a washed-up cast of seasoned romcom veterans. Foolproof! User friendly! And best of all, entirely achievable, if only you believe.

Roll the credits, director, because our work here is done.

Julia White is a final year Law and Advertising student.

Find more on Instagram @juliawhite.66

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BT * BT Being a

fan in 2020

Content Warning: Mental Health

by Melanie Wong

In the last five years, BTS has skyrocketed from K-pop underdogs to global superstars. The group debuted in 2013 with seven members: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook. From handing out free concert tickets to amassing a Twitter following of 27.7 million at the date of writing, these seven South Korean men have undoubtedly made their mark on the world.

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S* TS But stepping back from the glamour and the music and the sold-out stadium tours, what exactly makes a BTS stan, or ARMY, tick? I’m giving you an up-close and personal chat with one of them: me.

With their own variety shows (RUN! BTS, Bon Voyage) and a number of movies and documentaries that explore the intensity of a world tour and its harrowing impact on the members, BTS have gone to painful extremes to deliver their music and the behind-the-scenes of their journey to the world.

That’s not to say that BTS’s music is completely removed from K-pop norms – far from it. But BTS have worked hard to create their own name and global brand, with collaborations across the music industry, fashion world, and even with UNICEF. Beginning with their Love Myself campaign, which advocated for ending global violence against children, BTS’s leader Kim Namjoon, or RM, gave a speech at UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited campaign, throwing BTS onto the global political stage and distinguishing themselves from the idea of being just another boyband.

Being a BTS stan is to be one amongst millions. But despite the idea of fandom being around for decades, influencing both individual lives and the course of history, perceptions of fans, and especially K-pop stans, are simplistic and unnervingly negative. From the pervasive and comparatively innocent assumption that most K-pop stans are manic teenagers obsessed with various celebrities of assorted talents that they will probably never meet, to the frankly ridiculous description of ‘radical protestors’ after K-pop stans ruined a Trump rally in Tulsa, fans of K-pop have been subjected to a lot of unnecessary hate. While some criticisms ring true, such as the existence of female stalker fans, sasaengs, broad generalisations have given K-pop a pretty bad reputation.

NON-FICTION

First, a bit of background information on BTS themselves. Bangtan Sonyeondan are under the Korean entertainment agency of Bighit Entertainment, a smaller company than the more well known SM, JYP, and YG Entertainment. This is, in part, what made their rise so shocking to the general population, as well as successful; everyone loves an underdog. They have released nineteen Korean and Japanese albums, EPs, and compilation albums, each one containing a different message and a plethora of genres that include loving tributes from the band to their fans. With iconic phrases such as “I purple you”, coined

by Kim Taehyung (V), and their interactive use of social media platforms such as Twitter, BTS is accessible and popular to their millions of fans. In fact, BTS contri-buted a whopping $4.65 billion to the South Korean GDP in 2019 alone. It comes as no surprise that they were awarded the South Korean Cultural Merit Award in 2018 for their work.

Now, having been well and truly immersed into the world of K-pop Twitter, I know that most stereotypes are untrue.

Plenty of fans are not teenagers. In fact, I see constant tweets of BTS fans saying that they just got accepted into law school, just got a promotion, just had their first child, or taught their kids the choreography of a new BTS song while in lockdown.

BTS fans come from all walks of life.

They are like you, like me, like teenage girls infatuated with their first boyband and like adults, finding a safe space to express their love for BTS’s music.

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MELANIE AUTHOR WONG NAME

I’ll be the first to admit that I used to look down on K-pop with similar disdain, back when I was a high schooler surrounded by people with the same opinions. It just goes to show how much we are a product of our environment; as soon as I graduated, I fell headfirst down the rabbit hole of the BTS fandom. To be fair, I was largely influenced by two of my best friends, but despite my newfound appreciation for BTS: music, performances, and genuine talent, there was a constant niggling sensation in the back of my mind that made me keep this passion a secret.

Unlike many other fans, who can pinpoint the exact date they became a stan, I fell into their music slowly, then all at once. I was beginning a strange new episode of my life called university. My life had split into two distinct categories: the reality of studying full time, working, and navigating new social circles, and the safety of listening to BTS ‘s music, learning the meanings behind the Korean lyrics, and unravelling the storylines behind their music videos.

For a long time, only my best friends from high school knew that I liked BTS – not even my family were aware, and certainly not the tentative new friendships I had formed with my university friends. I was so afraid of being classed as the manic teenage fan and of not being taken seriously. Perhaps, I was afraid that people would take my safe space and comfort and turn it into the worst and weakest part of me.

Why was it such a big deal anyway, to love this group and this music and find comfort in it?

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who likes the same group as you. It’s almost a meme, to put a small symbol of that group on your clothes, on your phone, your laptop background, and seeing who notices and knows. There is a moment when you lock eyes and see the symbol or the word or the photo and you think, ah. I know you.

Whether it’s a stranger on Twitter or on the street, you know that you can be yourself and not be judged for liking a particular brand of music.

I’ve made online friendships based on a mutual love of BTS that have lasted longer than relationships I’ve had in real life. Two of my good friends live in England. I’ve never met them in real life but, for a period of time, spoke to them every single day. We started off talking about BTS. We told each other who our biases (favourite members of the group) were. We analysed their lyrics and videos together. Then we sent each other birthday cards.

We video-called. We told each other about our lives and our dreams and I found people halfway across the world who knew me better than some people I saw in class every week. Now, we speak to each other less but we still send each other birthday cards.

People did the same with sports teams all the time. Now, I realise that it may not even have been the industry or the groups or the manufactured music that people criticised.

Maybe it was just the teenage girls.

It’s been almost three years since I first clicked onto one of their music videos.

There’s a funny anecdote that almost every K-pop fan can attest to. “I just wanted to learn their names”, you always start. In the beginning, their changing hair colours and fashion styles and even eye colours are confusing. Distinguishing their individual quirks and traits is the first step.

The second is identifying their individual voices. The third is making a Twitter stan account. The rest is history.

There is a strange, distinct comfort in meeting someone

Now, I don’t immediately go on Twitter when they post a new photo, I don’t stay up till twelve a.m. Korean Standard Time waiting for an announcement that might not actually happen and I don’t listen exclusively to their music.

I don’t track how many #1’s their new album gets on iTunes.

Illustrations by blahblaj

NON-FICTION SECTION

KIM NAMJOON! KIM SEOKJIN! MIN YOONGI! JUNG HOSEOK! PARK JIMIN! KIM TAEHYUNG! JEON JUNGKOOK! BTS! Blah Blah studied Degree. Find more on Platform @handle

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MELANIE AUTHOR WONG NAME 48

김남준! 김석진! 민윤기! 정호석! 박지민! 김태형! 전정국!

BTS!

I don’t stream their music videos on the day they are released. I have stopped following them almost religiously.

But something that BTS fans believe is that you find BTS when you need their message the most, whether that be about telling capitalism to fuck off, learning how to love yourself, or finding your own dreams and way in life. At the end of 2017, BTS had just released their new album, Love Yourself: Her, and that was when my mental health had taken a nosedive three years in the making. I cannot say that BTS saved my life, because that’s not quite true and is much more dramatic than I’m accustomed to being.

But there is a reason that music therapy exists; BTS’s music threw me a lifeline and a distraction and a hug all in one.

It was a reminder to keep living at a time when I didn’t want to, a reminder to reach out to friends, and find people in my life who would love me despite everything and not judge me. Even though I no longer watch their music show performances and every single episode of their variety show, being a BTS ARMY has changed my personality in more ways than one.

In saying all this, some perceptions of BTS fans have been true for me. There was that time when two of my friends and I learnt the chorus choreography of “Blood, Sweat and Tears” while drunk at two a.m. Another time, when my best friend and I were in Korea, we definitely lined up and went to the House of BTS, a pop-up merch store, just to take photos and spend an inordinate amount of money. I admit that my mother lamented the loss of my hard-earned income over the multiple albums of ‘those Korean boys’.

However, in life, I have learnt to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.

In this case,

I will ask for neither.

NON-FICTION

Now, at the tender age of 20, all the people I love most know how important that group has been to me. Because I am not in the habit of befriending people who are assholes, being a BTS stan is just another one of my hobbies to them. Some people will still laugh at me; they will ask me why I spent my time and money on something so trivial.

But BTS’s music was a soundtrack to my life at some of its best and worst moments, so I will be both unapologetic and unrepentant.

I will ask for neither.

Melanie Wong is a third year Journalism and Creative Intelligence & Innovation student. Find more at www.infinitesimal.home.blog

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Aabout FANFICTION fanfiction AUTHOR NAME

by Esther Hannan-Moon

Oh yes, we are going to talk about fanfiction. The genre that spawned many-a-terrible erotica and character pairings (AKA ‘ships’), and became a stepping stone for budding writers. I’m gonna take us on a deep dive, because this genre has been hiding in the shadows for too long. Too long, I tell you!

Let’s be honest: as much as it was hidden from view, a majority of millennials and zoomers have read at least one in their lifetime — particularly if you were recently in high school. It was the thing that everyone did that no one was willing to talk about. Including me.

I started my own fanfiction journey at the ripening age of fifteen. On a road trip that spanned two days of travel, what else was there to do besides read my favourite book and fantasise about what-ifs. And OMG, there’s a website that actually allows my headcanon to see the light of day?

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Illustrations by blahblaj

Sign. Me. Up! Those two days in the car went by in a flash of scrolling through the never-ending archives.

I had a few ideas up my sleeve and wasted no time in publishing them under my username (which will remain safely anonymous, thank you very much).

After returning from the trip, an instinctual part of me knew not to start blabbering about my new love. Even if you had never heard of fanfiction before, there’s a stigma that loving one thing too much — especially if it isn’t mainstream — and involving yourself in ‘fan’ anything, is seen as uncouth. In other words: you’re a raging uber nerd. When I finally tried to discuss it with my high school friends, I felt the need to broach the subject with caution. Instead of waving my fandom flag with pride, I asked my friends what they ‘thought’ of fanfiction, in the abstract. Some loved it; others looked at me like I had just farted.

“Wait, do you write fanfiction?”

“I just wanted to know what it was. That’s all. No other reason. I’m not writing it, no way. No.” I realised much later that by lying, I perpetuated the notion that writing fanfiction — being passionate, and creative, and developing my writing style — was ‘lame’, ‘gross’, or just plain weird. Something only fangirls did. As if being a teenage, female writer is the most unfashionable faux pas you could ever commit.

My partner (at the time) snickered when I mentioned it. Even laughed in my face! I was better off not advertising my growing online popularity.

While my social circle shunned fanfiction (although there were the whispered conversations at lockers with the odd person who was interested), my online

stories were gathering speed — and at an alarming rate, too! For every chapter I uploaded on a weekly basis — the only thing I was committed to doing on a weekly basis — my reviews doubled and my views skyrocketed until they hovered nicely sometimes in the hundreds for one chapter. Then came the fan art — fanfiction of my fanfiction!

Yet, I couldn’t help feeling like Peter Parker, harbouring a secret identity that didn’t match up to the real-world person walking with the masses. For a lot of people, fanfiction connects like-minded and passionate people with each other. I was in multiple communities, spanning a variety of fandoms, DM’ing a diverse array of people. I was gaining confidence in my writing ability, along with my peers. I even had a catchphrase! There was compassion and understanding. A place to belong. It was also a platform for young people to explore their sexuality. I certainly learned a few things about myself! This was almost a bigger deal than my story stats.

So why do I and many others still feel icky talking about their fanfics? You can declare that you adore Harry Potter, but if you mention that you read fanfic for it? Yikes!

If you’ve ever read a fanfic, you’ve likely come across something called a ‘disclaimer’: a heads-up declaration that nothing belongs to the author of this fanfiction. Fanfic writers are well aware that the foundation of their piece isn’t original, but everything I’m publishing — those thoughts, theories, and plots (and sometimes characters!) — are mine. Writing fanfiction is a way to learn, and to develop your skills and voice as a writer. You can’t expect a fifteen-yearold to pick up a pen and write a Jane Austen classic!

No sir, that’s not how it works (trust me, I’ve tried!).

But, that is the point of fanfiction: to make mistakes.

You can publish with mistakes and fix them, without fear of failure. Sure, there are the haters. You might not get many reviews, or followers, or favourites, but who cares! You don’t, I don’t, and it’s not inherently shameful. People who don’t like fanfiction can do their own thing — it’s impossible to argue subjective taste.

But putting down everyone else who does do fanfiction is in poor taste. One bad apple doesn’t spoil the bunch — and you can even stop eating the apples, or try another kind, or change where you do your grocery shopping. Just don’t chuck out all the apples who are just trying to ripen their craft. (Okay, I’ll stop with the metaphor).

All I’m trying to say is that fanfiction is a place to be brave. A place to put work out there without the fear of judgement from the community (although there are haters in the community too, no flames pls), it is purely for yourself, first and foremost. To this day, I’m still giddy when I discover another fanfic writer in the real world. Finding three new reviews in my inbox this year made me smile.

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The first arguments you hear: “It’s not original. It’s lazy. Write something yourself.”

A slow burn to the point of undercooked. Characters that are so far from the original source material, you may as well be writing your own novel. Some are so goddamn long they’re bigger than their source (such as the epic Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Less Wrong, considered to be the best of the best; I haven’t read it, though, because it’s apparently 661,619 words long!).

So let’s band together, not hide in the margins. Seeing the manifestation of your headcanon and fantasies — that, my fanfic fiends, is pure beauty! Own your imagination, gush about your passions and your theories, and grow. We live in a society where the arts are always under fire, so we should be embracing aspiring writers, giving them more than just a platform they can learn on, but validation and support in the real world — not just online.

Furthermore, fanfiction doesn’t come with the goal of publication that usually applies to original work.

There is no way anyone could make money off of this (ignoring the infamous Fifty Shades of Grey, i.e.

Twilight fanfiction gussied up with original names).

Fanfiction isn’t about complete originality: it’s about growth.

The second argument — and it’s a big one — is that: “Fanfiction is total shit!”

And yeah, okay. There are some meh ones, and terrible ones, and some really fucked up ones. Beware the horrors lurking in the dark corners – abuse, certain problematic ships, non-con, underage...and I’m going to leave the list there. Everyone is aware that some fanfiction definitely sucks. And some of it is just terrible writing. It can be boring. Annoying.

Esther Hannan-Moon is a third year Creative Writing and Social Political Science student. Find more on Instagram @esther_hm

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Content Warning: Discrimination, Suicide Ideation, Blood

KEZIA HOLLAND

Unit

Spider Man

Angry Flower

SHOWCASE

Free Bluebird brekkie!

If you would like a free brekkie bag, simply email students.association @uts.edu.au

Follow us on Facebook for regular updates www.facebook.com/BluebirdBrekkie

Marilyn Monroe said it best — diamonds are a girl’s best friend. And while diamonds are a symbol of wealth and beauty, an object of great desire, is this still the case in 2020?

Since the beginning of time, accessories have evolved to say more and more about a person’s wealth — just look at Cleopatra’s bedazzled crown, or the diamond headpieces worn by socialites during the 1920s. In 2020, what items do we crave and which brands are we all throwing our money at?

These days the options are endless. It begs the question: what are the ultimate accessories to own so that you know you’ve made it? For most of us, luxurious items are merely a dream, something to save up for our whole lives. No matter how hard we swear how evil consumerism is and vow not to fall for expensive celeb trends, we still can’t help but pine for these top dollar items.

The list below shows you how the iced out 1% live — it’s pure classism and capitalism, darling.

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OFFHAND

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by Bella Kidman 73

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The Cartier love set It’s safe to say that the Cartier love bracelet is a symbol of class, status, and wealth in 2020. Seen on the wrists of almost all Instagram influencers and all Kardashians, the bracelet, along with the remaining set items (ring and earrings) have become Cartier’s most sought after product.

BELLA KIDMAN

When Kylie Jenner splurged on a Cartier love bracelet for her then bestie Jordyn Woods, I wondered why my bestie hadn’t done the same. After some careful research, I realised that the bracelet, on its own, comes to a total of $9,400. Not something I’d be asking my bestie for this year.

 The Tennis Bracelet Believe it or not, a tennis bracelet is not a charm bracelet with tennis balls on it. It also did not become famous from the TikTok song you’re probably singing to yourself right now. The tennis bracelet is a piece of jewelry comprised of diamonds, set next to each other on a metal chain. If you ever wanted to communicate your wealth to someone, what better way to do it than wearing a subtle collection of genuine diamonds on your wrist?

You’re probably wondering, where did the name tennis bracelet come from? The name was coined by tennis professional Chris Evert from the US in the 1980s. During an infamous match, Evert played George Bedewi and her diamond bracelet broke and fell onto the court. Now, the likes of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova not only dazzle the competition with their stellar forehand, but with the bling on their wrist.

In 2020, diamonds still remain a girl’s best friend, made clear by Cartier who priced their smallest tennis bracelet at a whopping $65,000. But is it all worth it for the sparkle?

Growing up, this was the number one accessory I always wanted, and still is. After all, nothing shines like diamonds do.

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 Louboutin Heels ²

Red bottoms didn’t just come from the Cardi B song: they’ve long been labelled as the most desired pair of shoes of all time. Christian Louboutin, French designer, single-handedly created his own shoe line and has been attributed with bringing stilettoes back into fashion in the 1990s. Trademarked to the Louboutin brand, the red sole is an automatic indication of status. The subtlety of the red bottom, only noticed when a person raises their foot, is what makes the brand. Don’t try and replicate this or get it through fast fashion, there have been multiple occasions of litigation, even against competing designer brand Yves Saint Laurent in 2011.

So what’s the price of getting your hands on the world’s most desired shoes? The original Louboutins retail for $975.

In saying that, there are red bottoms for as little as $495 (don’t expect a heel!). Often, Louboutins can sell for up to $6,000 depending on the rarity and unique features. As Cardi B once rapped, “These are expensive, these are red bottoms.”

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Hermès Birkin Bag

There’s nothing better than the smell of leather. Capitalised

by French luxury designer brand Hermès with their 1980 creation of the Birkin Bag, and named after English actress and singer Jane Birkin, the bag is commonly known for its high price and long waitlists. You also may have seen thirteen of these in Kylie Jenner’s closet tour. But what is so great about this bag?

The luxury of a Birkin bag can be linked to one thing: its exclusivity. The Birkin bag has long been a symbol of status, however 2020 has seen them on the arms of celebrities including Kylie Jenner, Jeffree Star, Victoria Beckham, and Cardi B. Just one of these bags will confirm that you’ve made it in the ‘industry’. They range in price from $15,000 to $530,000, depending on the rarity and design. The choice is yours — buy a Birkin or put down a deposit for a new house — doesn’t look like choosing both is an option.

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It seems that the items that define an individual’s wealth remain timeless, and although we wish we could rise above the celeb fanfare and urge to keep up with the Joneses, we’re sorry to say we just can’t seem to shake off that materialistic devil we’re harbouring in our credit cards and Afterpay bills.

Bella Kidman is a second year Law and Journalism student. Find more on Twitter @KidmanBella

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∆

What’s not to love about a good conspiracy theory? It’s the art of taking an accepted fact and placing a big, looming question mark beside it. For example: The moon landing?

Tupac?? Finland??? Paul is DEAD???? Not to mention, 90% of the time those who point the finger have no credibility, evidence, or expertise to their name. It’s marvellous.

And if that’s not enough to entice you, what about the fact that these are events that we just shouldn’t be doubting?

As true as I had peanut butter toast for breakfast, the Holocaust also happened. And yet, Holocaust denialists persist, their literature still lurking online. It seems the crazier the question, the more famous and widespread the theory. And the more I start to sympathise with it. I mean, we have footage of 9/11, JFK, and the moon landing, and yet three YouTube rabbit holes later I’m sitting on my bed, convinced Lee Harvey Oswald is a wrongly convicted man.

So, what’s the draw? Why is it that these insubstantial objections seem to be making a mark? Speculations that — by definition — should be so easy to tamp down and brush aside?

For me, I think it’s about relishing in the absurd.

While conspiracies can be kooky and totally whack, and so ridiculous they make you want to cry for humanity, I just can’t help but be enthralled by the cultish worship they inspire in people. And I don’t use the term ‘cult’ lightly. Some of these theories have thousands of people backing them up.

Groups from the internet, different towns, regions, countries — everywhere — all coming together to peddle one bizarre piece of nonsense.

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What’s more, they fully believe in it. It’s devotion to the nth degree. (Seriously, I watched a thirty-eight year-old woman tour the ‘crop circles’ in her backyard with a kind of reverence the Sistine Chapel inspires). Each message is delivered with a distinct solemnity — something usually reserved for those burdened with some great sense of responsibility.

Like Gandhi, or Nelson Mandela. In the case of conspiracists, it might just be a sign of pure crazy. They believe they are ‘truth seekers’. Detective-types dedicated to unravelling the concealed and exposing the corrupt. In their minds, they’re public heroes. (The last time I felt that kind of purpose was probably as a line-leader in primary school).

b

As crazy as they seem, conspiracists are seriously driven.

They have a mission, and an enemy. And that kind of thing attracts people. It’s the reason their followings are so extensive and powerful. Just this year, 5G conspiracies circulated so wide and wildly that people were vandalising 5G towers and setting them on fire. Now, we have people refusing to wear masks because they ‘starve people of oxygen’. This is the influence conspiracists have. It. Is. Wild.

Not to mention the amount of effort that’s put in to ensure the theory stays alive! Groups are writing

pessimistic, or victimised, those who spread conspiracies are often the most influential. It’s no guessing game why elites might be So, why do they do it? Is it filling a void? driven to peddle a conspiracy (or four), Have these people really cracked? Or even though the reasons for the everyare they just a product of their time? day person taking them on are a little Because it’s not just ‘simpletons’ going more nuanced. around spouting these conspiracies — it’s successful, smart, rich, and power- Without arm-chair psychoanalysing the entire planet, there is a sound argument to be made that getting swept up in a ful people, too. conspiracy, to a degree, is in our nature. As humans, we’re books, manuals, manifestos. They’re managing chat rooms, filming documentaries, starting YouTube accounts. People are coordinating themselves around one belief, working like bees in a hive to ensure that we are literally inundated with conspiracy content. It’s all in just one Google search.

Ultimately, there are a few sides to this. For one, conspiracies serve an important role in terms of personal convenience.

They can help you escape a confronting reality, or give you a better reason to hate someone, or distrust something. Don’t like climate change? Easy, global warming is a hoax created by China. Don’t like Obama?

Join the army of people still waiting to validate his birth certificate. It’s a surprisingly simple exercise. And one in which our most powerful leaders (ahem, @realDonaldTrump) seem to be well practised.

What’s unsettling however, is that this is what people actually do. Instead of seeking out the facts, asking a few questions, raising a few brows, they move in the complete opposite direction. They throw their hands up, seek-out these crazy myths, conjure up ‘evidence’, and forcefully tie a neat little bow around it. Problem solved, reality ‘checked’. And while these bizarre theories might seem feeble next to the facts, there’s a whole lot of people subscribing to them.

They also, delightfully, give us a chance to ‘stick it to the man’ and take back control. And control is a biggie. In fact, it’s something we’re yearning for as a people. Because right now, we’re living in an era that is startlingly out-of-control.

The credibility of our institutions is rapidly disintegrating, distrust is rampant and rising, and we now have a pandemic and info-demic exacerbating the chaos. In a world more up and down than a game of Snakes And Ladders, who wouldn’t start feeling the edge?

NON-FICTION

Theatrics and dramatics aside, I do understand the motive. Conspiracies are strangely totally comforting.

There’s something seductive about, “Well, I don’t know the answer, and that sucks — but if I want, I could just submit myself to any one of these theories and happily live in my fantasy”.

Perhaps that’s defeatist, but on some days, it’s weirdly warming to know the option’s there.

pattern seeking machines. Without us even realising, our brains will scan for the familiar, locate it, and weave a narrative around it. We make the connections, seek the logic, and find the meaning. It’s innate to us as problem solvers.

Which is why, in the face of the random and uncontrollable, we crumble. When there’s no logical solutions and no seeds of a story, we reach further. Conspiracies offer the security we’re hungry for.

So, while I do think conspiracies are a little bananas, I get why they’re here. I mean, how can you believe the science, the media, or even your church, if your president is ardently telling you not to? Our appetite for ‘alternative truths’ is a critical mark of our era, and a barometer for the health of our society. To me, that’s not something to be scrunched up and tossed aside. Cuz after all, that’s exactly what the man wants you to do.

Which brings us to an important point: while those who believe conspiracies may be more socially vulnerable,

by Kate Rafferty Kate Rafferty is a third year Journalism student.

Find more on Instagram @kate.rafferty

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A selection of works

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SHOWCASE

by Siann Lau

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SIANN LAU

SHOWCASE Siann Lau is a second year Animation student.

Find more on Instagram @ladysiann

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POEMS,

by Evlin DuBose

A Love* Poem

Content Warning: Violence, Sexual References, Death

A Hate* Poem If we were lost in the desert and I had the last bottle of water, I’d use it to drown you.

You’re a celestial being, my dear, like the moon — white, wide, and fuckin’ hard to get to.

I’d die two days later, but I bet it’d be worth it.

And if our plane crashed on a remote island, I’d wrap my fucking dental floss ‘round your throat and squeeze.

*Not the romantic kind.

I’d gnaw off every extremity you have with bare teeth.

But I can’t say any of this, because I’m a wimp, and you’re a customer.

So please, tell me again how if I smiled, I’d look pretty.

*Waitress edition. For the waiter edition, see poem, “Went to Work.

Nothing Happened.

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Went to Work.

Nothing Happened.

A Rule* Poem Y’all, we need new laws cuz this shit can’t be tacit.

No loud phone calls on buses.

No eating fish on the lightrail.

No clipping toenails on trains.

And for fuck’s sake—

A burrito sounds nice.

That’s a funny word.

Burrito.

no eye contact.

*Ya bloody drongos.

A Happy* Poem

Label it: “Break, in case of emergencies, and use only in defense of opinions that are right.”

Contents include: “If you moved to India, you’d be worshipped as sacred.

Not because you’re divine, but because you’re a cow.”

FICTION

Keep an Insult ArsenalTM, because frankly, life is too short to spend more time thinking of ways to fuck** the haters.

A Sad* Poem Y’all! The single club is LIT! We have snacks, no judgement, and the bed all to ourselves.

Also, the lights are on.

*I’m fine. *Or: the Secret to Happiness **Try missionary. Better eye contact.

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And Finally: Just a

Yeah.

Is it wanky enough, yet?

Gotta leave ‘em wondering. Ambiguity.

Means ya smart. Say one thing, then the opposite.

Nah, stupid, just say one thing, dumbass.

Have soem fuckin’ conviction.

Some. ...Idiot.

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H

Poem. poEM? poh-emmm-mah Shit, do I use a full-stop.

Or not?

Dotty dot dot dot BIG DOT ENERGY. or maybe lower case because #important Lines and words and worrrrrds and liens Liens Liens LINES FUCK I can type and writ Shit WRITE! Line count.

Line.

BIG FINISH! The end.

L B

U

EVLIN DUBOSE

POEMS,

HN O,

HH

FICTION

c’mon. Big brain energy. You’re not like the other poets.

You got this!

You do shit.

Not like, you do SHIT, but like, you DO shit, cuz you’re not shit (well, maybe a bit shit) but you’re not HOT shit, or shit-hot, just a shit-maker, y’know?

Lukewarm shit. Like, it’s been there a while, it’s got flies and maybe there’s a boot print but at least it no longer smells.

That’s something.

Just light a match. You’re an artisan, just doin’ ya thing and writing ya lil’ heart out, cuz what else are ya gonna do, y’know?

Y’know?

Yeah, nah.

Yeah...

...Huh. Maybe that wasn’t the end.

I GUESS

Evlin DuBose is a third year Media Arts & Production and Creative Writing student. Find more on Instagram @evlin.dubose

89

AUTHOR NAME

Friday Fraud

My typographic poster unveils the fraudulence of the ‘Friday’. From happy hour to gutter guts, don’t miss out!

90

by Ruben Savariego

SHOWCASE Ruben Savariego is a first year Visual Communication student.

Find more on Instagram @rubenbaz

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The art of forgetten record stickers

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SHOWCASE

have lost the small but With the rise of digital media, we s. My work is a collection aesthetic world of record sticker stickplastic sleeve of records, these over the years. Often stuck to the raphic n yet teeming with unique typog sig de ir the in le sab po dis are ers ked, these how, despite often being overloo elements. I wanted to showcase I also created a CD mock-up to ce. pie g gin ga en an ate cre can stickers quickly temporary form of media which is frame the stickers with a more con vinyl. disappearing, similarly to that of

BY TRISTAN MILLER

Tristan Miller is a second year Visual Communication student.

Find more on Instagram @tristan_miller

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100

SHOWCASE

COLLAGES

BY EMILY WILSON Blah Blah studied Degree.

Find more on Platform @handle

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EMILY WILSON 102

A POLITICAL PANDEMIC

SHOWCASE

103 107

EMILY WILSON 104

GENERATION XX

SHOWCASE Emily Wilson is a third year Visual Communication student.

Find more on Instagram @emilyisabellawilson 105

Unholy Matrimon 108

ny

SHOWCASE

109

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NADIA MUELLER

SHOWCASE

111

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NADIA MUELLER

SHOWCASE

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NADIA MUELLER

SHOWCASE

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NADIA MUELLER

SHOWCASE

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NADIA MUELLER 118

Modelled by Lizzie Conlan @oldmandontcare Photographed by Puk Brills @pukbrills

SHOWCASE Nadia Mueller is a third year Fashion student.

Find more on Instagram @nadiamueller

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ON

oh oh

oh

Content Warning: Sexual References

MA

oOo

it begins with a restlessness:

h

words build on words, numbers, formulas, sentences like ants crawling across the *white buzzing flashing* SCREEN,

ST

footnotes, footnotes, full stops, comma, the wooden chair, aching back, numbers, numbers, words words words ds ds ds ds... an idea:

oh

a consciousness sprouts. you are aware — suddenly and keenly — of it sitting between your legs. the awareness is fully sprouted: from a speck on the floor of your mind — now, IT IS THE MIND. everything in the vast landscape comes to suggest it, to nod to it, to nudge to it, and soon you forget that you ever forgot or that you could forget.

uhuh

h...

you’ve been here before and you know what comes next. a whisper, in a quiet recess of your mind:

mmMm

U

when it’s in your hand: THAT is order;

*exhale*

everything

pre-release: movement = RepetitionRepetitionRepetition

the mist has been dusted off the goal, and it appears approachable and ACQUIRABLE. in the rhythm of your hand, you lose yourself to the destination.

120

is in control

by Meru

you want it. you want it a thousand times. how could you want something else, this is all that you could want. it is the sum of everything, the completed picture, the lullaby that finally lulls the night cry, the end of all roads, the answer to every question you have asked and every question you will ask, IT IS. there was Desire before, but nothing quite like this — now, now it’s a LONGING, and you seek completion.

To complete YOURSELF.

h h h yeah

release: there is a primal moment of PURE SENSATION. ( ) *uh* (

)

an exhale. a tension leaves. a burden is shifted slightly, like Atlas shrugging his shoulders. for a second, you’re a wind-chime held weightlessly by strings, freely flailing, your muscles ringing in the wind; it is weightlessness momentary. and you try to stay in it, to hold the moment in your hand so it never leaves, to call it back to you, to return...

hnng

hnng

FICTION

A B R uh

N O I T !!

f*ck

uh

uh

your serotonin drops. welcome ‘back to normal’.

oof!

it disgusts you, what you’ve done.

Sharma

h h h h a aaa Meru Sharma is a third year Law student.

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by Aislin

In the words of Bob Ross "We don't make mistakes, just 'happy little accidents'". Unfortunately, as a design student who often finds herself working towards a deadline, it's hard to see my mistakes as happy little accidents.

Until recently, my mistakes would send me into a spiral of stress, trying to figure out how to fix the mess I've made, usually in the early hours of the morning.

SHOWCASE

Recently, however, I've found myself consciously trying to incorporate my mistakes into my designs when creating.

This has been done in a deliberate attempt, rejecting the idea of perfection and embracing the very many flaws of this world. Allowing my designs to mesh more organically into their surroundings by accepting the errors i make along the way, give me the freedom to experiment and push my practice beyond my self-imposed limitations This collage series uses images that have corrupted on my computer as background layers for each piece. The colours are entirely random and unique to the square horrors that my images transform into when a file cannot be read properly. The series follows a theme using discarded items such as old stickers, scrunched up paper, collaged imagery and the ideas that popped into my head along the way

ng Rudge

123

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AISLING RUDGE

SHOWCASE Aisling Rudge is a third year Visual Communication student.

Find more on Instagram @ashrudgedesign 125

AUTHOR NAME

HYPER BODIES BY OLIVE JONES-EVANS Olive Jones-Evans is a third year Visual Communication Illustrations Findby more blahblaj on Instagram @firstb0rn 1130 student.

A COLLECTION OF WORK BY

KAZKOM

131

Illustrations by blahblaj

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KAZKOM

SHOWCASE Kazkom is a graduated Animation student.

Find more on Instagram @_kazkom_ 133

LEVEL UP YOUR

ANIME

YUMMY STICKY GREASY TREATS THAT REALLY HIT THE

FUCKING SPOT AT 3AM

by Sophie Tyrrell

138

YOM YOM QUESADILLA This one’s pretty easy! Perfect for when the munchies hit :)

½ a banana (can substitute for berries) A few squares of chocolate (approx. 4) Your favourite nut butter

ET G S ’ LET ING! K COO

R J)

TOASTE (IN THE

NU TE ALS LLA WO O RKS !

Lay out your tortilla and place all ingredients in one half of it, spreading the nut butter first. Add the chopped chocolate and slices of banana.

Fold it in half, and then half again.

Put it in the toaster (with the open side up) until the chocolate is melted, and enjoy!

OFFHAND

美味 139

SOPHIE AUTHOR TYRRELL NAME

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM MOCHI Thank you to @audreysaurus on TikTok for the idea. This one is vegan, but feel free to swap with dairy options if you’d like.

The recipe can be substituted with different fruit if you don’t have strawberries around!

Makes 4 servings Approx 4 strawberries, sliced ½ cup coconut cream ¼ cup and 3 tbsp sugar ¾ cup glutinous rice flour ¾ cup of water Red food colouring (optional)

Mush the strawberries with a fork in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk coconut cream with three tbsps sugar until it reaches soft peaks. Fold in the strawberries, then scoop out the mixture into 4 balls on a plate and place in the freezer.

Combine rice flour and the remaining sugar and water, and whisk till smooth. You can add food colouring at this point if you’d like. Cover the bowl and place in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir mixture with a spatula, then cover and microwave for another minute, stirring again afterwards. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and microwave once again for 30 seconds, before giving it a final stir. Let this sit until it cools.

1140 Illustrations by blahblaj

This one draws inspiration from a fancy-pants recipe by Chef Dan Hong. If you want to taste the real thing, feel free to head over to his restaurant Ms G’s in Potts Point.

100g mince (original recipe calls for beef, but any other substitute will do) ¼ white onion, diced 3 pickles, sliced 3 slices American cheese (you can substitute the cheese here, but the fake-tasting American cheese yields the best burger vibes) 1 tbsp tomato sauce 1 tsp mustard Rice paper rolls Salt and pepper Deep frying oil e.g. vegetable oil

Pan fry your mince on high heat with salt and pepper until cooked through. Allow to cool, then add onions, pickles, cheese, tomato sauce, and mustard, and combine.

Layout the rice paper roll on a plate with the corners facing you, then add about 3 spoons of your filling in a rough log shape horizontally in the centre. Fold the bottom corner over the filling, then the left and right sides, and then roll into a log. Voilà!

OFFHAND SECTION

THE BURGER SPRING ROLL

Makes 5 servings

Continue for remaining filling. Finally, deep fry in approx 200 degree oil and cook until light brown and crispyyyyyy.

If you don’t have a thermometer, try dropping a slice of onion in the oil once it seems hot. It should immediately sizzle, but if the edges brown within the first few seconds, it’s too hot.

Similarly, if the onion doesn’t sizzle, it isn’t hot enough.

Dust work surface and mochi dough with cornflour, and then split dough into 4 even pieces. Shape them roughly into circular disks, place our homemade ice cream inside, and pinch the dough around the filling to seal it.

Done! You can eat these now or freeze them for later <3

This mochi recipe can be changed and played around with! Don’t have strawberries? Try a plain filling with a chocolate dough! Or chuck some matcha powder in there.

美味しい

DELICIOUS! Sophie Tyrrell is a third year Visual Communication student.

Blah Blah studied more on Platform @handle Find Degree. more onFind Instagram @sophie.rose.tyrrell

141 2

SUGAR

BROCKHAMPTON 0:58

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3:25

Next From: tiktok songs that deserve better Myself

Chinese New Year

To Be So Lonely

Mariposa

Supalonely

Smile

Crush

i wanna be your girlfriend

Coffee Breath

Glitter

Vibe

CITY OF ANGELS

Gimme Love

Boys Ain’t Shit (feat. Tate McRae & Audrey Mika)

Mr. Blue Sky

Bazzi

Peach Tree Rascals Tessa Violet BENEE

Psycho!

MASN

SLOW DANCING IN THE DARK Joji

Stunnin’

Curtis Waters, Harm Franklin

death bed (coffee for your head) Powfu, beabadoobee

Harry Styles

BENEE, Gus Dapperton

Lily Allen

girl in red

Cookiee Kawaii

24kGoldn

SAYGRACE, Tate McRae, Audrey Mika

Sunday Best Surfaces

Opaul

Freddie Dredd

Say So

Doja Cat

ily

Surf Mesa

Cyber Sex

Sofia Mills

Electric Light Orchestra

Cha Cha

AMPLIFY

Joji

SALES

Freddie Dredd

Hungry Hippo Tierra Whack

Ransom Lil Tecca

Buttercup

Jack Stauber

Violent Crimes Kanye West

Doja Cat

Ivy Cheung is a third year IT and Creative Intelligence & Innovation student. Find more on Instagram @ivyraffe 145

Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keep up?

SA AD Make your academic life easier with our Peer Tutoring program.

Photographer: FJ Gaylor

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

OFFHAND

147

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I've been playing a lot of skribbl.io* recently with friends and I've taken to drawing Vin Diesel with whatever prompt I'm given for some added fun.â&#x20AC;?

ANNIE WALKER

*skribbl.io is a free multiplayer drawing and guessing game.

One game consists of a few rounds in which every round someone has to draw their chosen word and others have to guess it to gain points!

Gu

2.

148

t!

romp p e h t ess

1.

4.

5.

OFFHAND

3.

149

ANNIE WALKER

6.

150

7.

8.

Annie Walker is a third year Media Arts & Production and Creative Intelligence & Innovation student. Find more on Instagram @therealanniewalker

OFFHAND

1. distance 2. cheerleader 3. flagpole 4. hairbrush 5. dracula 6. hypnotise 7. samsung 8. shower

151

Aries

Recently, you may have been told, more than ever, to kindly shut the f*** up. But how can you help it when there are a gazillion topics to have an opinion on these days? Some (or most) people just can’t seem to handle your energy. That’s okay. Don’t start caring now.

Your boldness and fiery passion may just be what the world needs right now, even if people continue to call you a fool for it. Eventually, fools change the world.

Leo

Taurus

Yep, you called it: it’s time to get off your ass. As spring approaches, it’s time for you to whip out a checklist, write a bunch of stuff, and absolutely get it done with your infamous resolve. Aim for them HD’s, become the food blogger of your dreams, DIY your room, and most importantly, cut off the fake friends that don’t get you — your real friends know the cinnamon roll that exists behind your tough exterior.

Pisces

In the past, your pride has failed you at critical moments in certain relationships, and the consequences have become more evident to you these days. But now is not the time to dwell on the past. Rise from the ashes and show the world that you never stay down for long. You don’t need to act strong because you have the courage to be vulnerable now. Acknowledge your scars and keep moving forward. It’s only up from here on out, baby.

You are going through an epic phase of having romanticised your life where you are the main protagonist. Props to you!

As a water sign, it serves you well to let your emotions run wild and rain like a monsoon (to an extent). Don’t shy away from the turbulence of current affairs, but instead, let yourself be caught up in it. Be imaginative and express yourself to the world. In the story you weave, you are the glitter fairy that others need as an example. Whether you embrace grand narratives or challenge them, out of all the signs, you have the greatest potential to make the most out of these troubled times.

by GEMINI Alice Winn

You’ve been a neutral and calm exisence for a while now, but you can feel that your high key energy (the bane of your existence) is starting to slip out again.

You’re unsure if it’s really the right time to embrace your chaos again — after all, the world is already chaotic enough. So, try channelling all that brewing manic energy into yourself and your creativity!

Your superior mind is all you need to achieve your goals, as well as entertainment. The fruits of your labour will show sooner than later.

152

Cancer Even the stars don’t know WTF is up with you these days. Switching from hot to cold, from 0 to 100, and then back to 0, is not a good look, honey. But no one is composed 24/7 and it’s okay to be a hot mess sometimes. Maybe it’s time to stop overthinking and reach out to loved ones, even if it’s hard. No one will knock on your door if they think they can’t get in, so make it easier for them by reminding yourself that you are, in fact, a much loved and loving bean!

H O R O S CO P ES Sagittarius

Loving season is near. You crave those dramatic love affairs and a romanticised lifestyle. An attractive all-rounder like you will have no problem catching the eyes of others. But warning, even if you have a 100 people sliding in your DMs, it won’t matter if you can’t open up, sweetie. If you want to be in a relationship, you can’t go in being afraid of rejection and intimacy. Bring out that sensitive side and be vulnerable with someone, FFS!

You’re a ball of sunshine during these dark times. Even though you have your own problems and obstacles, you’ve been doing an amazing job of being an optimistic light for everyone around you. Lately, you’ve been positively channelling your weird, quirky energy into lifting others up, and for that reason, many consider you a reliable safe space. The dreadfully dampened atmosphere on Earth is in desperate need of your epic art and nature that only you as an individual can provide, so please keep it up!

The heavens know how long it’s taken for people to stop misunderstanding you and realise you are capable of providing high quality love and care. Now, your close loved ones, as well as others, rely on you more because they’ve recognised your strength and loyalty. But honey, you know that you can only take so much emotional labour.

As a Scorpio, remember to keep it real. Set appropriate boundaries and make sure you still have your precious alone time. If not, you risk your kindness being seen as a weakness.

Libra

A confident and secure queen! You are becoming increasingly comfortable with yourself and less reliant on others (especially a lover) to be happy. This is amazing, and you should be proud. It’s taken a long journey and many mountains to reach this point. But it takes continuous effort to be a positive and powerful force of nature. Just a lil’ reminder that it’s normal to feel tired every now and then, and you don’t have to be happy and strong 24/7. Take some time to be confused and sad and cry in your sleep if you need to. It’s okay to not be okay.

These days, you may be thinking that it’s getting harder and harder for you to differentiate between what you want and what the world wants from you. You feel like your public self and private self are getting farther apart.

You want to be the strong and shining person people see, but you feel weak and incapable…but seriously, stop that crap this instant!

Everyone has a vulnerable side, and it takes all your good bits and bad bits to be the radiant person you are.

Chin up, sweetie!

OFFHAND

Scorpio

Virgo Aquarius

Capricorn Lockdown and isolation have been difficult for everyone, but maybe Capricorns especially. Your ambitions and goals have been hindered and your journey to success delayed… More than anyone, that unchecked checklist drives you nuts.

But instead of dwelling on this self-destructive behaviour and indulging in all your unhealthy coping mechanisms (including obsessing over fictional characters), how about using these times as an opportunity to face your inner demons? It’s something that you’ve put off for probably your whole life. Not having your shit together on the inside can have significant ripple effects, you know.

Alice Winn is a third year Civil Engineering and International Studies student. Find more on Instagram @its.eiei 153

AUTHOR NAME

dear verti Q Hey, I just wanted to ask, are we supposed to grow out of things that we liked as kids? And what about if we don’t?

As a guy, I still really like comic books, anime, and DnD every now and again, but I don’t know if I should tell my friends I like this stuff if I’m not meant to like it anymore. For context, I have told a few of my friends about anime and two of them liked it too, which was awesome. How do I go about navigating this?

Before we kick this off, let’s start with this very simple fact: you can like whatever you like, no shame (as long as it’s not hurting anybody).

We all have those hidden passions which we have consigned to our bedrooms or our screens, never to be discussed and enjoyed in a social environment. But, as this whole issue of Vertigo is about, we encourage you to let them out! Set them free and see where they fly.

That is so great to hear that you have already dabbled in this — telling your friends you’re into anime is a good step. And look no further for reassurance on this matter than their reactions. Two friends were

31 Illustrations by blahblaj 154

A

totally into it too! Now you can threaten to spoil the ending of the season you’re all watching if one of you doesn’t do some serious bingeing to catch up.

It’s an old cliche, but if they care about you, part of the package should be respecting your passions and not judging you for them. They may not like them the same way you do, but that doesn’t mean your interests are ‘bad’ or invalid. We spend so much of our time worrying about what other people think that we, ourselves, can get lost in the crowd.

Don’t be afraid to be true to you. We know, we know — what a cringey, overused statement. But it’s true! There is no need to ‘grow out’ of things you still like. You like them for a reason; they resonate with you, inspire you, and in some ways shape you. If comic books are a source of entertainment for you, share it with the world. It’s a statement about yourself that your friends — if they are the right friends — will, at the

HAVE A QUESTION FOR VERTI?

Q

OFFHAND SECTION

very least, respect. Don’t forget to do the same; give your friends the space to air out their secret interests. Won’t it feel blissful to not have to bite your tongue when the new season of Attack on Titan or the latest Deadpool comic is released? You never know: your relationship with them could grow stronger. They might be harbouring the same love for Batman that you have, and every relationship benefits from a little vulnerability. So go nerd-out together: set those hidden loves free!

We want your big questions and your first world problems. If you need a sounding board, the read of your life, a check-yourself-before-you-wreckyourself, or some wise words from a friend said over the kitchen table...

Dear Verti is the place for you. Think of it as an anonymous advice column where no question is too wild or too stupid. Send in your dilemmas and Verti will try to answer as many as they can online, with the best saved for our print editions.

I'm kinda just realising how many memes are actually quite mean to Black people (or at least, the joke is making fun of their 'Blackness' in a way). Pulling exaggerated faces, adding 'trashy' slang/catchphrases to the lexicon, etc. And now I feel weird about it. Why is this the case, and what can we do about it in our anti-racist efforts?

F

Blah Blah studied Degree.

Find more on Platform @handle 155 32

ic response This specif or by our edit n e was writt o h w ock, Sunny Adc s African a s e fi ti iden n. nd Australia American a

A Hey, friend! You’re right. The way non-Black people thoughtlessly use Black memes, gifs, and reaction photos is to put it lightly...on the nose. Is it blatantly racist? Maybe, not always. But is it often deeply uncomfortable? Yes. Besides, like almost everything else, context is key — we’ll come back to that.

Firstly, well done for realising that yet another widely socially accepted practice is actually kinda racist. This is hopefully the beginning of an uncomfortable, but important process wherein you’ll realise that a lot of racist practices or comments are pretty normalised in our white Western society. Once you get this, you’ll feel like the only normal person in a room full of crazy people. And like most Black people who have lived their whole life feeling like that, you might feel bogged down by the ignorance of your otherwise intelligent friends. It’s not great and can make you feel a bit lonely. But I think it’s important that you feel weird about this, and I don’t want you to shy away from this feeling.

Feeling weird about this has now encouraged you to take a deeper look at the situation, and it’s only through looking deeper and employing some critical thinking that a not-so-fabulous dynamic reveals itself.

AUTHOR NAME

You’ve discovered a problem that Black writers and academics have called ‘digital Blackface’, where non-Black people distribute or use media that portrays exaggerated Blackness. I encourage you and our other friends to do some extensive reading on the matter: it’s a long and complicated history.

As I said earlier, context is everything — both personal and political.

If you’re a non-Black person who screams “All Lives Matter” or who raps the N-word, or who maybe constantly uses AAVE, yet has zero Black friends, then your decision to use entertaining but one-dimensional gifs or memes of Black people is inherently problematic. You’re reducing Black people’s humanity down to a caricature and are doing so within a social, political, and cultural context (which you uphold) that does not see Black people’s humanity, period.

Sure, it may be just a funny meme, but it’s a meme shared in a system that only values Black people for their ability to entertain or amuse, and it’s a system that has existed and harmed Black people since slavery.

This is important to remember because the history of white supremacy is bigger than us: it’s literally embedded in the way we do things today, even with all of our knowledge of racism. And if we forget that, even seemingly harmless acts can have negative consequences on the way Black people are perceived and valued.

For example, if you constantly overuse gifs that present Black people as thugs or criminals, then it’s easier to subconsciously internalise the idea that all Black people are inherently criminal — and we’ve seen first hand that this stereotype has contributed to BIPOC communities being disproportionately policed and murdered by cops.

33 Illustrations by blahblaj 156

It’s for that same reason that using memes or gifs of white people isn’t harmful or reductionist: the society we live in not only respects but benefits white livelihoods. In fact, we see white people as multifaceted human beings with an array of emotions, talents, and desires (in part because they are overrepresented in the media). Meanwhile, representation of Black people remains scarce and rooted in stereotypes.

If the reality is that the institutions or ideals that govern our interactions both IRL and online are built to serve white people to the detriment of Black people, then we have no choice but to question the innocence of everything. And until we stop seeing Blackness as something that can be performed, stolen, or consumed...then we can’t stop questioning our actions and deciding to do better.

So, I’ll refer you to some sources written by Black people who make their opinion incredibly clear, because my guidance on any matter of ‘can I or can’t I?’ will always be to hear directly from the people your decisions may or may not be affecting.

Please, please, please read these articles, because although your dear friend Verti is very smart, these Black authors are smarter and answer your question far better than I could.

I hope you continue to develop your anti-racist efforts and that you take their important feedback on board. Good luck!

OFFHAND SECTION

Look, it’s no lie that sometimes Black people simply provide the best responses. They’re emotive, creative, amusing, and inspiring. So maybe one could argue that using their responses while remembering that Black people are also soft, angry, vulnerable, or sad...isn’t all that bad. Would it be unproblematic if the gif user was an advocate for Black Lives Matter and was in every other way, a ‘good white person’?

Well, unfortunately, my friend, that’s not for me or you to decide. But I will say that I can almost guarantee that most Black people are more concerned by the increasing prevalence of police brutality and other hate crimes — and that concern doesn’t leave much room to challenge anything else. However, when Black people say that white users using Black memes makes them uncomfortable, it’s not our place to argue.

Oh, and before I forget, there is one last bit of concrete advice that I can give you: don’t use Black emojis if you’re not black. There is simply no good reason and it’s never not weird.

Love,



Resources on ‘digital Blackface’: ‘EXPLAINER: WHAT IS ‘DIGITAL BLACKFACE’?’ • Dr Aaron Nyerges ‘Reaction GIFs of Black People Are More Problematic Than You Think’ • Naomi Day ‘Why are memes of black people reacting so popular online?’ • Ellen E Jones ‘Is it OK to use black emojis and gifs?’ • Victoria Princewill Blah Blah studied Degree.

Find more on Platform @handle 157 34

SAM SILCOCK SILCOCK SAM PRESIDENT PRESIDENT

The Students’ Association has recently implemented new by-laws and election regulations which have taken a lot of effort to produce. In passing these, we are able to ensure that governance structures within the Students’ Association allow for a well-functioning organisation. Especially with our elections coming up, I feel satisfied that our organisation has sufficient structures at this stage to keep us in good stead for the future. In mentioning the elections, I encourage all of you to vote and have

158

O

I C I AT

REPOR your say regarding the student representatives that you want to represent you, or even, the new editors of Vertigo.

T

There are a lot of scary changes being announced by the Government in regards to changes to how universities are run at the moment, and the National Union of Students is taking a leading role in relation to speaking out against the changes. We will do our part to support the NUS and hopefully, we can advocate for Government legislation that won’t be excessively interfering with the learning experience of students. The changes to universities will be harsh if they are continued in their current proposed state, and if they are passed through both houses of Parliament, then it is undoubtedly the case that students will be worse off.

If there are any issues that you are facing with online or physical learning, feel free to email me at president@utsstudentsassociation.org, and I will advocate to solve your issues.

S

Well, we’re now a few weeks into the new semester and the continued experience of online learning has presented some new challenges for us all.

The university has given quite a lot of options about coming to campus and been quite accommodating about preferences and been cautious about safety when students prefer to stay at home.

The preference for many students to opt to stick with doing online learning definitely sets a clear message that some aspects of learning can be done online — something that the UTS Students’ Association has been pushing for years with our compulsory online lectures campaign.

S'

AS

SO

N

D E U N T T S

ERINSILCOCK DALTON SAM EDUCATION VICE PRESIDENT PRESIDENT The role of the Education Vice President is somewhat two-sided. In the recent past, there have been a number of successes with regards to the governance of the UTSSA. In our August council meeting, we finally approved our electoral regulations and by-laws, which have been an ongoing project for the whole year. On the other hand, there have been numerous setbacks in the fight for better educational outcomes for all students. Dan Tehan, the federal education minister, announced sweeping changes that will see students far worse off, especially those already facing barriers to access. The National Day of Action called on the 28th of August was a huge success across the country, with the notable exception of Sydney. Students gathering for a peaceful and socially distanced protest action were accosted by dozens of police, with a number of student activists detained and fined. The NSW police acted disproportionally to the risk posed by the event, and their response indicates an effective ban on students speaking out about issues that affect them.

Students’ Association more specifically, to focus on actively decreasing their carbon footprint.

I was fortunate to attend the International Students Welfare Roundtable Meeting to discuss key issues that international students face in Australia. We mainly focused on workplace exploitation and travel concessions. But I was able to bring up further serious issues that I understand to be hugely detrimental to international students. While I am a domestic student, I am proud to have attended, as it should not just be international students fighting for international students — we should all be fighting for them.

I have continued to help grow and support collectives, as well as helping grow bonds between collectives. If you’ve been following the Students’ Association social media, you will have seen the cross collectives social/games evening, as well as the video we created showcasing the wonderful collectives and what they stand for. If you haven’t seen the video, find it on the UTS Students’ Association Facebook page and sign up to a collective on our website!

We are still offering free Bluebird Brekkie Bags and free WiFi dongles for those in need. Don’t hesitate to reach out to receive one!

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me at education@ utsstudentsassociation.org.

MIRANDA CROSSLEY SAM SILCOCK SECRETARY PRESIDENT As secretary I have continued to ensure the admin side of the Student’s Association is well in order.

A reminder that all students are welcome to attend SRC meetings which are held every month. Please email me at secretary@utsstudentsassociation.org if you would like to attend. All minutes of previous SRC meetings are also available on the Students’ Association website.

I have continued with my commitment to sustainability this semester. I am working on ways to encourage UTS, as well as the UTS

TALLULAH WATSON SAM MOYLE SILCOCK PRESIDENT TREASURER `

This year is almost over! We are in the middle of the last semester and I feel like nothing and everything has happened this year.

The team and I have devised a plan to conduct the Student Representative Council (SRC) elections for 2021 online and nominations for them are open (they may have closed by the time you are reading this though). For that very reason, it is an exciting time. No other year have elections been held completely online and so this is also a proud moment for us. We are the first SRC team to have attempted this, even though it was necessary in order to observe social distancing, of course.

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Along with this, we are moving closer to becoming a completely environmentally sustainable university. UTS already has a plastic-free food court and was one of the first universities to declare a climate emergency, but there is more that we can do. This was something that we discussed in our last SRC meeting. We want to achieve this goal of complete sustainability, but we want to be able to offer you the same services that we always have. It is a delicate process but one that we are committed to because we are committed to our future.

Collective to continue the campaign. The Welfare Collective has discussed plans to create some infrastructure to continue momentum on the issue.

In all of my statements, I try to end on a good note and fiercely advocate for optimism because even though we are living in a time of crisis, you can always find something to be proud of and to be grateful for. I think this is something that can be easily forgotten but is one of the most important things for motivation, hope, and good mental health. I am writing this very statement on R U OK? Day and so, this sentiment is weighing heavy on my mind. It is a difficult time right now to feel in any way positive about the future and sometimes the present, but this is something that I believe we need to commit ourselves to. If I can leave anything as my legacy as UTSSA Treasurer for 2020, it would be helping others to always try to find the positives; to try to look on the bright side, even when everything seems dark.

Fourthly, I would like to state my vehement opposition to Dan Tehan’s attacks on students and note the productive correspondence amongst the exec on that issue. I also note our opposition which the Council adopted in the last meeting.

AIDAN O’ROURKE SAM SILCOCK ASSISTANT SECRETARY PRESIDENT The executives’ focus over the last month has been on the operation of the Association and enacting new governance as we transition into the new constitution.

Firstly, we have developed the election regulations for this year’s election in addition to the by-laws.

There has been a considerable amount of detailing and discussion about these documents, in the hope to rectify the institutional and governance gaps which currently exist.

Secondly, since the Council adopted the motion to endorse the Raise the Rate campaign, I have put up a post with the view to work with the Welfare

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Thirdly, progress on consolidating the Association’s policies has continued. To date, I have the Association’s policies and procedures enacted this year up until the most recent meeting. Inherently, collecting the changing policies and procedures is ongoing.

I will present the work so completed to date at the next Council meeting.

Lastly, I have been invited to participate in a conversation with the university regarding the use of smart technology and the use of smart technology to make campus life easier for students.

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RETURNING OFFICER'S REPORT ON THE CLOSE OF NOMINATIONS NOMINATIONS Nominations closed at 2.00pm on Friday 11 September and the following Schedule details the nominations received and the current status of each nomination.

CANDIDATE INFORMATION Associated with the nomination schedule is the information supplied by the candidates and their photos (where supplied) WITHDRAWAL OF NOMINATIONS The period allowed for nominations to be withdrawn has expired.

UTS STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION

VOTING

VOTING WILL BE HELD FOR THE CONTESTED POSITIONS DUE TO COVID-19 CONSIDERATIONS, VOTING THIS YEAR WILL BE ON-LINE. All enrolled students will receive an email to their Uni email address containing a link to the Uni on-line voting system. Voters will use their Student ID and UTS password to access the voting area.

This will be sent at the opening of voting.

WHEN TO VOTE On-Line Voting will be open at: 5.00am Tuesday 6 October and be open until: 8.00pm Thursday 8 October

Philip Binns Returning Officer 22 September 2020 0432218026 returning.officer@ozemail.com.au 162

CAMPAIGNING The authorised campaigning period will begin at 5.00pm on Sunday 20 September. No campaigning is permitted on Campus this year due to Covid19 considerations.

POSTAL VOTING Postal Voting was not available this election.

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You don’t need me to tell you that 2020 has dramatically changed how we study and interact with our university. But soon the time will come to decide how we should best transition back to a ‘normal’ student life for 2021. Some changes will need to be addressed immediately as we begin to move back to on-campus learning across the board, however I’m sure there will be students who may have found new flexibility in their study lives over the course of this past year.

The livelihood of Postgraduate Students can vary greatly from person to person and from course to course. The decisions that will be made moving forward will no doubt affect the lives of Postgraduate Students, who often juggle their degrees alongside full-time work, families, and other responsibilities. Should I be elected as Postgraduate Officer, I will strive to ensure that Postgraduate Students from all backgrounds and life situations have their voices are heard when the time comes to make these changes.

Postgraduate Students, I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to work alongside you, and to ensure your voices and concerns are heard.

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Hello, I am Qige Kang, a student of first year in animation design. The position I am looking for is International Student's Officer. UTS is a collage with a diverse studying environment. There are many international students from all over the world with different cultures. I from Beijing, China. As an international student, I hope to help more international students in their study and life more relaxed. And I also can feeling that way about myself. When I first came to Australia in 2018, I also felt pressure due to the strange environment and language differences.

Therefore, I would like to encourage international students like me to make friends, participate in school activities and solve problems together. At the same time, I hope to gain experience from it so as to improve myself. Thank you.

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ADEEB KHAN

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS' OFFICER

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AUTHOR NAME

Ed ito r s a nd D esi gn e rs Evlin DuBose Sunny Adcock Ella Cyreszko Esther Hannan-Moon

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Illustrations by blahblaj

Jennifer Wen Elby Chai Amy Toma Rachel Lee Sophie Tyrrell Karishama Singh

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Passionate about change?

Get involved with your UTS Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Association.

Photographer: FJ Gaylor

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