2023: Vertigo Wrapped

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You’ve heard of Spotify wrapped…

welcome d e p p a r W to Vertigo

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2023 has been turbulent lol.

We’ve published 57 online articles ranging from pretty art to crazy think pieces to current affairs. Our five issues cultivated the chaos of the current team’s minds. An intro of our outfits of the week showcased the best dressed of Sydney (viva la UTS Fashion). And, of course, our magnum opus was a like from Julia Fox. And so dear readers, as a thank you for your support, kind words, and your pieces, this issue is dedicated to you.

We hope this year’s pieces made you laugh, cry, and think.

From the current team, we hope you enjoy the fruits of your labour and we hope to see you soon.

Don’t be a stranger xoxoxo 3

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SHOWCASE PIECES ARTS & LIFESTYLE PIECES SOCIETY & CULTURE PIECES STUDENT NEWS PIECES POLITICS & LAW PIECES

EDITOR IN CHIEF'S PICKS JOE'S CHOICES

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At the end of last year, the 2023 Vertigo editorial team made the executive decision to throw “themes” out the window. The content of print issues would no longer be determined by abstract concepts or plays on words.

Submissions would be selected on the basis of quality alone, rather than adherence to the overarching look or feel of the publication.

In a tragicomical turn of events, this huge step was rendered largely insignificant, as the only abstract concept we dealt with in 2023 was our budget. Thus, due to reasons beyond our control, only two of these spellbinding and genre-bending issues went to print. Still, I like to think this busting of the dam manifested in the work that we did produce throughout the year.

When I look at Vertigo 2023 (the two print issues and the torrents of online content) there is undoubtedly a diversity of content which was not there before. In the absence of direction, contributors dug their fingers into exactly what it was they wanted to write about, and the end product reflected the bizarre, beautiful, and unique perspectives that UTS students have to offer. It is hard to pick the best of Vertigo this year because the differences between pieces was the best part about it. This was, of course, a long winded way of saying that, like Arshmah, I will be picking multiple works.v In Student News, Tyberius Seeto’s feature article, “For the price it is, it’s just not accommodating enough”: International students return, was significant for a few reasons. The calibre of reporting captured the high standard that student journalism is capable of. No source evaded Ty’s inspection,

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with universities, chancellors, student representatives and international students themselves all being cited in a piece that built into a scathing assessment of one of the most relevant issues facing the tertiary education sector today.

Politics & Law provided a broad range of work, from op-eds to investigations to explainer pieces. Aston Brown’s Dispatch: The Fossil Frontier shone an unflinching and allencompassing light on a NSW gas project that has slid largely under the radar. His words and accompanying images told a harrowing story that once again testified to the capacities of good student journalism (albeit, Aston’s piece was perhaps too good; shortly after it was published in Vertigo, he was recruited as a regional reporter by The Guardian Australia and swept out to rural Queensland. Farewell to a real one – don’t forget your roots, Aston xx).

Arts & Lifestyle and Society & Culture found a lot of common ground this year. I like to think that this says something about the intersection between art and life, but it probably means I assigned the editorial team the wrong portfolios. Either way, seeing the obscene number of shares and interactions that stacked up on our social media post of Claire Matthews’ Watchlist: 2023 Mardi Gras Film Festival was a heartwarming reminder of Arts writing, Culture writing, and grassroots journalism’s place at the centre of communitybuilding. I share sentiments towards Claire’s collaboration with Jacqui Adams: No Pride Without Protest: The past present and future of Mardi Gras.

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MANAGING EDITOR'S PICKS ARSHMAH'S CHOICES

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It’s difficult to pick one stand-out piece from this year, because each one has a small piece of my love and adoration. So, as an overachiever, I’ve chosen a couple.

Sonder… a recent feeling I have been grappling with and slowly coming to terms with. The modern renaissance of Public Frames, or ‘accidental renaissance’ as I read once, encapsulates the daily life of us and the complexities we all harbour. Tamsin gorgeously paints the enlightening feeling of sonder, as the juxtaposition of static and moving is shown in each brush.

Seeing the ultimate decline of people I dislike or have done me wrong is an unfortunate guilty pleasure of mine (no I will not be taking criticism). Axel expertly deconstructs this thirst of downward spirals in Why we love to watch people suffer: Deconstructing the downward spiral. From the analogy of Icarus to confronting our own morals – Axel wonderfully deconstructs this phenomena.

Society and Culture snapped so hard this year – it’s difficult to pick one. Joe’s Touchy Subject (lol) examined the media’s response to the death of George Pell, specifically Pell’s child sexual abuse imprisonment (or lack thereof). Rodger Liang and Claire Matthews wonderfully showcase the Trans Day of Visibility rally in their photo essay.

Yvonne Hong’s Revisiting the ‘Vibe Shift’ was one of our first pieces this year about Julia Fox (which she liked on Instagram?!).

And of course, Claire’s The Beautiful (Queer) Game – an ode to where queerness and soccer intersect and its origins.

Student News this year was like Scream – a horror, slasher, cunty film.

Bronte’s Latex, Leather, and Limitations explores consent at UTS and BDSM culture.

In an era where the words of Andrew Tate are held to a higher degree than basic rights

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such as consent, it’s an important piece.

Of course, it’s not a year at UTS without a couple of course cuts. Shout out to Joe’s report on the quick decision from FASS in cutting postgraduate Journalism and Creative Writing courses (there goes my sixth year at UTS :/).

Two great and current pieces that resonated with me was Zara Rasheed’s From Rivalry to Reconciliation where she examines China’s part in reconciling Iran and Saudi Arabia’s long-standing cold war and what this means for the countries and the world. Hebah Ali’s The Politics of Violence is a standout, as she organises the chaos of the news cycle and media in the current Palestine war. A well-thought, well-written, and wellobjective piece that readers should check out.

Gianluca Pecora’s piece Ghost of Ghan had me bawling my eyes out. So did Gökçe's To my Godfather House. Two sides of the same coin, wherein their poetry explored the complex human emotions of the past, present, and future.

Lastly, design. My fav pieces are the designers themselves (woof). Our designers truly put their blood, sweat, and tears into every piece this year, and I thank and congratulate them for this year <3.

To Bronte, Sapphire, Angelique, Axel, Fiona, Gökçe, Claire, Mary, Siena, Joe, Yvonne: thank you for letting me be your editor and trusting me with your works. Thank you for showing me all these cool pieces that I can carry around to the future.

Thank you to all our readers for supporting Vertigo ‘23. Love to all of you.

OoxxooXoXXx – hug hug, kiss kiss, hug hug, big kiss, little hug, kiss kiss, little kiss

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STUDENT NEWS GOKCE’S CHOICE:

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My favourite piece of student news has to be Ashley Sullivan’s UTS Revue Presents ‘Off Off Off Broadway’. I had the co-directors Belle James and Zara Zuccolotto message me with the hopes of writing an article for their C.R.A.P. society. I believe it is important to include this side of student news! Seeing, learning and even watching what the students of UTS are doing out of class. I sadly wasn't even in the country to watch the show but Ashley was and I was extremely happy for the student review of student work! I heard it was amazing and saw all the BTS photos, I know the students had a lot of fun and put all their hard work into their performances.

BRONTE’S CHOICE:

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The student news piece I have chosen is Tyberius’ piece: UTS students join in School Strike 4 Climate. I have given this event to Ty because I wasn’t able to go to the event and report on it myself. This was the first time I reached out to Ty, and he generously took on the assignment.

Despite the heavy rain on the day of the event, he put a lot of effort into capturing photos and recording quotes. It was a privilege to work with Ty and edit this piece, I wish him the best for next year's UTS Vertigo as editor-in-chief.

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ARTS & LIFESTYLE CLAIRE’S CHOICE:

It has been a joy to curate the Arts & Lifestyle section of the mag this year. One of the highlights was getting to interview the actors of Belvoir theatre’s play ‘Scenes from the Climate Era’ with Arshmah, my fellow editor.

It was special to be able to watch parts of the play and discuss it in depth with three of

the talented actors. We touched on all things climate anxiety, hope and the challenges of creating art that provokes action rather than simply emotion. I was particularly touched by how interested Belvoir Theatre was in welcoming and including student journalism within arts & culture spaces.

'Belvoir St Theatre’s new play ‘Scenes from the Climate Era’ invites audiences to sit with this discomfort. The play is made up of over 50 separate scenes and explores past, present and future experiences within the climate era, with characters ranging from frogs to business executives. It is written by acclaimed playwright David Finnigan, who wrote the controversial satire ‘Kill Climate Deniers’. The director of ‘Scenes from the Climate Era’, Carissa Licciardello, has described it as an “unflinching portrayal of a world in crisis, but also a celebration of the resilience of humanity and our ability to come together and confront challenges.”'

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SOCIETY & CULTURE YVONNE’S CHOICE

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Illustration M by ary Society & Culture covers a wide array of stories ranging from concerns around serious topics like climate change to think pieces on the ever dialectical discourses surrounding celebrity and pop-culture. One of the greatest pleasures of editing this section of the magazine has been reading from a vault of such varied yet deeply nuanced perspectives.

It has been an honour to edit this magazine, and though there are such exceptional pieces to select from, one of my favourite pieces to date has to be ‘Qatar was a test, Western media failed’ written by our dear editor-inchief Joseph Hathaway-Wilson.

An exploration of the bias by the West concerning the Arab world, this article remains a pertinent topic of discussion in-line with current media reporting around Hamas and the Israeli-Palestine conflict. Reflections on EDITORS

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our own internal biases surrounding Arabic cultures is ever-so important in the current climate and this article highlights the responsibility of journalists in maintaining cultural relativism when reporting on cultures external to the Western context.

On a final note, I would also love to give thanks to the incredible support given by our readership surrounding our social media. ‘Outfits of the Week’, a brainchild of fellow editors Axel Connell, Fiona Wang and I, was not necessarily something we predicted to be as fervently enjoyed by our readership.

It truly was a pleasure to film and interview all of the amazing, creative students on our own campus. Hearing words of encouragement

by UTS students in-person was definitely one of the many highlights during our incumbency this year.

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CREATIVE WRITING AXEL’S CHOICE:

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01 When it comes to choosing Creative Writing pieces that have stuck with me this year, I’m spoilt for choice. So many brilliant and talented contributors experimented and imagined expansively, and introspectively, in the realms of creative nonfiction, short stories and poetry alike.

One of my favourites was the short story Charpai by Vertigo’s very own Arshmah Jamal (this is not endorsed, I swear). Time, family and childhood warp and collide in on one another in a tale that is delivered with as much grace and poignancy as it is with

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an unflinching dedication to its difficult subject matter. It was an honour to edit this Everything-All-AtOnce-esque exploration of growing up and not only understanding your own upbringing but that of the people who shaped it.

I’d like to include one of my favourite quotes from the piece: “Whenever we drove down the dusty road that led to Mother’s Childhood, I would smell decay. Thick, milky smoke billowing from over the wall. A stark contrast from the greenery and life of her

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POLITICS & LAW ANGELIQUE’S CHOICE:

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01 All the work I have had the privilege to read from our contributors this year has been fantastic. To be quite honest, narrowing it down to just one article is simply impossible. As a consolation for my lousy answer, I present to you a quaint selection of faves!

From the politics and law section, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading Aston Brown's “Dispatch: The Final Frontier”.

As someone who has a tendency to skim reads, I must say that this was one I did not. It EDITORS

was a piece that really made me feel for the community. Bonus points for the beautiful photography!

To do a 180, I’m going to throw it back to one of our first online posts, “Revisiting the Vibe Shift” by Yvonne Hong. Interesting and thought-provoking, this discourse was definitely a highlight for me. To be a bit provocative, I’m going out on a limb to say that it was also one of the most iconic posts Vertigo has made so far - I mean, how many other teams can say that Ms Julia Fox approved of a story (answer: none).

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SHOWCASE FIONA’S CHOICE: Click for

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Coming into the 2023 Vertigo team as the only editor who isn’t a writer (as I’m sure you can tell) was quite intimidating. I wasn’t sure how useful I’d be for Vertigo, but I can confidently say that all anxiety has subsided now that I have seen the creativity and talent of the students of UTS. Being able to share student voices expressed through various mediums has truly been a meaningful 15

and rewarding experience. A highlight from this year was showcasing Ana Kim’s ‘Process to Purity’. Kim‘s capsule collection tells the ritual of undressing and washing in Korean culture. As she reflects her heritage and identity, and inspects the relationship between garment and body, viewing ‘Process to Purity’ feels like reading a short chapter out of Kim’s memoir.

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DESIGNERS'

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SAPPHIRE GOLDBERG MARY MORRISH SIENA ZADRO

DESIGN

ISSUE ONE: FEBRUARY 2023

SAPPHIRE'S CHOICE

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I think my favourite piece to design was Arshmah’s Lakemba Ramadan Markets piece, partially because I love food, love getting to doodle food and just love the way Arshmah writes. Through researching all the stalls and dishes she wrote about, I had my eyes opened to a place and dishes (so much hunger designing this article) that I cannot wait to now attend/try next year. Beyond being a cultural guide to what the Lakemba market stalls DESIGNERS

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have to offer, the piece was a reminder to the exploitation o f the markets and r a c i s m that attendees have faced; an issue that felt important to be addressed in conjunction with the sharing of an important cultural space. Luv you Arshmah.

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DESIGN

ISSUE ONE: FEBRUARY 2023

MARY'S CHOICE

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01 I think one of the most special and often challenging bits about being a designer is navigating how you honour other people's words, especially words that have had a lot of energy directed towards them. I think the piece that was the most challenging to get right, the most special and an absolute genuine pleasure to work on was Arshmah Jamal's Charpai (she deserves the double-up). Charpai struck me 19

almost immediately. Arshmah's ability to create something so tactile, emotive and rhythmic was both a challenge and a joy to figure out on paper. Working on this piece made me reflect on my role as a designer; and once again reminded me of the insane skill Arshmah has. Fab job Arshmah xxx

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ART DIRECTOR

ISSUE ONE: FEBRUARY 2023

SIENA'S CHOICE

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Getting to design Yvonne's piece - Two Weeks in Seoul, was one of the most exciting things I got to work on. Not only did I get to dive through the archives of my own trips to Seoul, finding photos, tickets, and other pieces to use in the spreads, but I also got the chance to look through Yvonne's own photography and rediscover my love for the city. The way the DESIGNERS

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article was sectioned also enabled me to be more experimental with my designs, allowing my imagery to divide the text, as well as getting Yvonne to hand write some messages in Korean to enhance it's playfulness. The collage-like nature of this spread was so fun to create, and almost felt like I was making my own travel scrapbook.

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