Pelican_2018 - Edition 5 Broken

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BOOLADARLUNG

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VOLUME 89

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EDITION 5

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SEPT 2018

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EST.1929

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editorial Oh loves, so much is broken.

Water balloons. Glow sticks. Hearts. Glasses dropped from significant heights. The system. Eggs. The news. Parking at UWA.

presitorial

This edition is a drunk message to the things, the places, the people, the moments that are broken, or that broke you. It’s an ode to the ideas or institutions that grew from the soil of broken stereotypes or expectations.

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It’s easy to look around at the world and feel a little broken, and it’s easy to get halfway through semester, realise you haven’t watched a single lecture and feel deflated.

But, pop the kettle on, take a breath, and have a read. This issue is a celebration of the beauty in the broken, it’s the bottled sunrise of the day after the day everything fell apart.

We want to thank our amazing team of sub-editors and contributors for a banging issue and for all the work you’ve been doing to keep the online magazine chockers with ripper content. We want photos of you all and your words on our eternal fridges.

Big love from us to you.

Josh and Katie

We’re at the pointy end of the year, where I start to run out of interesting anecdotes and stories to go along with these themes. So prepare for this to be brief and rather broken when it comes to it’s message. Everyone’s pretty knackered at the Guild right now, but we’re gonna push through – three months to go! (Who’s counting? Not me!)

People can feel pretty broken at times. You could feel physically broken, like you just can’t seem to shake this round of sniffles, or your body just doesn’t seem to do/be/look like what it was before.

Or maybe you could be feel pretty shattered emotionally. That happens too, and it’s pretty crap to feel that way. Sometimes you just gotta let yourself feel crap, ride it out and you’ll come out the other end okay. Sometimes you need to talk to someone, get some support and do something to pull yourself out of that broken place. That’s also totally cool.

shattered, there is always support available. Again, it wouldn’t be a prezitorial without a pearl of wisdom (read: Guild services plug). Did you know we have an independent, confidential and free support service called Student Assist? We can help you with financial, academic and welfare needs. We have a food pantry on sight if you’re stuck in a bind and need some food to tide you over for the week, and we have a lovely well-being counsellor to help you out with those broken feels. Reach out, you will be welcomed with open arms – assist@guild.uwa.edu. au.

That’s all from me!

Megan Lee

No matter how you might be feeling broken or 3

contents

COMEDY 08 – REAL CAMPUS NEWS

Hugh Hutchison 46 – PETER RUSSELL’S PIANO LESSONS 47 – THE ADVENTURES OF THE PERSON WHO REFUSED TO CLOSE THEIR 106 TABS

Reece Cahill

FASHION 10 – MAKING MODEST MAINSTREAM

Susie Charkey 22 – MODERN SLAVERY - THE HUMAN PRICE OF FAST FASHION

Eloise Skoss 24 – DON’T DITCH THE DRESS

Frances Harvey & Cheyenne Chooi

FEATURES 12 – IF IT BREAKS, FIX IT

Sara Gentle 17 – BORN THIS WAY: LGBT+ PEOPLE ARE VICTIMS OF BROKEN SCIENCE

Pelican | Vol. 89 Ed 5 | Sept 2018 BROKEN

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25 – FIXING COMMUNITIES ONE TOY, TABLE LEG AND BIKE AT A TIME

Jordan Soresi 32 – WHITENESS HAS BROKEN ENVIROMENTALISM

Ishita Mathur 44 – I BROKE UP WITH MY TOWN

Ellie Honeybone 58 – LOVE LETTER TO MY SUBURB

Alana White

FILM 14 – A NEW KIND OF ROCKSTAR - HOW TOMMY WISEAU BROKE INTO HOLLYWOOD

Elliot Herriman 50 – WHICH BROKEN ARE YOU?

Ava Cadee

FINANCE 36 – INTERVIEW WITH UNIBANK GENERAL MANAGER MIKE LANZING

Laney Kunum

Conrad Hogg

BOOLADARLUNG - Pelican The Pelican team acknowledges that the UWA campus is located on the lands of the Whadjuk and Minang people of the Noongar Nation, who are the original storytellers and spiritual and cultural custodians of their land. This was stolen and never ceded. We’d like to especially thank Len Collard from the School of Indigenous Studies for sharing the Noongar word for Pelican with us, booladarlung, which will appear on the cover of all issues of Pelican this year.

PELICAN EDITORS

JOSHUA CAHILL & KATIE MCALLISTER PELICAN@GUILD.UWA.EDU.AU

COMEDY EDITOR

HUGH HUTCHISON

DIVERSITY EDITOR

ISHITA MATHUR

FASHION EDITORS

SUSANNAH CHARKEY & FRANCES HARVEY

FILM EDITORS

FINNIAN WILLIAMSON & CINDY SHI

FINANCE EDITORS

RACHEL HOLLICK & LANEY SHIRLEY

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

BRIDGET RUMBALL

LITERATURE EDITORS

VANESSA KARAS & ASHA COUCH

MUSIC EDITORS

SOPHIE MINISSALE & JORDAN MURRAY

POLITICS EDITOR

CORMAC POWER

SCIENCE EDITORS

CAITLIN OWYONG & MADDISON HOWARD

SPORTS EDITORS

MATTHEW MALTMAN & ANDREW MCDADE

VISUAL ARTS EDITORS

GRACE HUFFER & KARL SAGRABB

LIFESTYLE

POLITICS

SPORT

34 – NINTENDO AT E3 – BREAKING

18 – ZIMBABWE’S FUTURE DICTATED BY A

56 – CONSENT, CONCUSSIONS AND CTE

RECORDS, SMASHING GAMES

BROKEN PAST

Thomas Coltrona

Dickson Wamukoya-Garbutt

52 – GLITCH PLEASE

Bridget Rumball

42 – DOES IT NEED TO BREAK BEFORE WE FIX IT? – THE THIRTY YEARS WAR AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

LITERATURE 60 – GETTING TO KNOW SADNESS BY THE RIVER & LIGHT IS DYING ON MY FACE

Cormac Power

SCIENCE

Matthew Maltman

VISUAL ARTS 30 – SHEEP, WHEAT AND ART COUNTRY Stirling Kain 40 – THE ARTIST’S PUNK SPIRIT Molly Werner

28 – DRAGONS OF INACTION:

Emma Stokes

PSYCHOLOGY OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Michael Hayes

62 – PLUCKED

Jen Bowden

38 – PRETENDING-THE-EARTH-IS-FLAT FOR DUMMIES

MUSIC 20 – WORDS WITH MOSQUITO COAST

Sophie Minissale 26 – BREAKING UP WITH YOUR BREAK UP SONGS

Isabel Boogaerdt

Savannah Victor 48 – I WILL BE THE FIRST FEMALE PALEONTOLOGIST IN AUSTRALIA. Eleanor Beidatsch 54 – MAKE AND BREAK: THE IMPORTANCE OF FAILURE IN ENGINEERING George Knowlden

The University of Western Australia acknowledges that its campus is situated on Noongar land, and the Noongar people remain the spiritual and cultural custodians of their land, and continue to practice their values, language, beliefs and knowledge. The views expressed within are not the opinions of the UWA Student Guild or Pelican Editorial Staff, but of the individual writers and artists.

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Anne Barneston

Anne's interests include reading, single malt scotch whiskey, using glitter as a neutral, and showing people pictures of her cat.

Hugh Hutchison

Hugh has refused outright the prospect of other, funnier people writing comedy for Pelican.

Susie Charkey

Belongs to a bygone era and is looking to hitch a ride back.

Sara Gendle

Sara is a final year vet student just trying to stay awake until graduation.

Elliot Herriman

Elliot once got pulled aside in Rockefeller Plaza by a man who mistook him for Ed Sheeran.

Conrad Hogg

Conrad is very sleep deprived and loves the colour green.

Dickson WamukoyaGarbutt

Dickson is a Nigerian Prince with a booming investment proposition for you.

Sophie Minissale

Sophie is studying Media hoping to become Louis Theroux.

Eloise Skoss

Eloise wears the smug glow of someone who always remembers reusable bags.

Frances Harvey

A grandma at heart, in the body of a millenial.

Cheyenne Chooi

Cheyenne is an artist studying psychology with an overwhelming love for unicorns.

Jordan Soresi

Jordan enjoys attempting to unsuccessfully solve Agatha Christie mysteries before the end of the novel.

Isabel Boogaerdt

Is shamelessly suggests you check out her Spotify after reading her article.

Michael Hayes

Michael believes there is always room for ice cream.

Emma Stokes

Emma is a writer, musician, and visual art making pixie-person who sleeps a lot. Â

Stirling Kain

Stirling isn't even here right now, she's in Cheyanne, Wyoming.

contributors 6

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Ishita Mathur

Ishita is happy to say that she has slowly become obsessed with hiking and nature.

Thomas Coltrona

Thomas once started a Tinder conversation in 5 different languages.

Laney Kunum

Laney broke her budget for tickets to The Killers. She needs a grad job ASAP. Connect with her on LinkedIn, today!

Savannah Victor

Savannah is a Science Honours student who enjoys collecting KeepCups and following magpies around.

Molly Werner

Molly is a little too obsessed with costumes and her cat, Alfie.

Cormac Power

Cormac doesn’t just thank the bus driver, he thanks the bus itself.

He loves Pelican.

Ellie Honeybone

Ellie is a journalist who believes all dogs are better than all people.

Alana White

Alana is finally submitting to Katie’s peer-pressure to write something for Pelican. She is scared.

Eleanor Beidatsch

Eleanor is a disabled science student who loves dogs, palaentology, writing and RPG.

Ava Cadee

Ava Cadee is a lonely crusader in the fight against instant coffee.

Bridget Rumball

Bridget's obsessed with Breath of the Wild; yes, she’s behind the curve.

Matthew Maltman

Matthew hopes the LNP will bring in Jeb Bush to shore up the l eadership crisis.

Reece Cahill

Reece is a world renowned salsa dancer.

George Knowlden

George is an improving maker, optimistic dreamer, and expert procrastinator.

Jen Bowden

Jen is a writer, journalist and sausage roll connoisseur.

Xander Sinclair

Designed this magazine. Please send cake.

How mint are these people? You’re mint too! You should write for Pelican.

If you’ve got a really specific idea for a piece, check out the contents page for the contacts of our groovy subeditors. If you just want to find out a bit more, or aren’t too sure where your piece would fit, floss Josh and Katie an email at pelican@guild.uwa.edu.au. You should also definitely like Pelican on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter and pop up to the office above the Ref for a cuppa at some point.

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UWA’s Avowal to the Free Market of Ideas Results in the Reanimated Corpse of Heinrich Himmler Being Invited to Give Graduation Keynote The former Nazi leader is set to be exhumed and charged with thousands of volts of electricity, in time for the first semester graduation ceremonies. This comes as UWA reaffirms its commitment to exposing students to “difficult and challenging issues, ideas and viewpoints.” This year’s other keynote speakers included Matthew Pavlich, the former captain of the Fremantle Dockers, and John Bunting, the Snowtown serial killer.

White Bloke Desperate to Leave His Mark on University Culture Becomes Founding Member of the Khmer Student Association “I’ve never been to Cambodia but I really empathise with their plight. Do they have a plight? Honestly I just want to be able to say I was in charge of something.”

real campus news Hugh Hutchison

Disclaimer: Obviously this is not real or news, it is campus comedy. You’re welcome.

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All Accounts of Sex on Campus are at Least 80% Fictional, Study Finds A cross examination of nearly all sordid stories submitted to UWA Confessions has found that people are almost uniformly full of shit.

“I wouldn’t shit in those toilets, let alone root in them,” said one expert witness.

‘Woke Bloke’ Mature Age Student Definitely Vapes The fifty six year old History student with a background in urban planning and surprisingly palatable political views is almost certainly part of the vape nation, a Pelican investigation has uncovered.

“I don’t know how anyone can be proud of the British legacy of exploitation,” he said, probably while contemplating where his next hit of foul bubblegum flavoured smoke is coming from.

Student With Prepacked Lunch an Unstoppable Force

Guild Council Votes to Introduce Forty Individual ‘Micro-Semesters’ a Year

“Want to hit up Guild Cafe?”

Starting from next year, a full semester’s worth of unit content will be compressed into two-day long intensive courses. “This will definitely place more of a burden on academic staff,” one UWA executive remarked. “But we’re confident that students will be able to crack through course content in just over 48 hours. They’re bright kids. Plus, we’ve worked out the perfect cocktail of uppers that we can lace the water supply with to keep them alert.” When asked about whether this change would be accompanied by a reduction in tuition fees, the same executive responded that there were no plans to change the fee structure at this time.

“Thanks,” this titan of fiscal responsibility and selforganisation responds, slamming her partitioned Tupperware down on the bench like it’s a 12-inch schlonger. “But I came prepared.”

LAUNCH Unveil Their Unlikely Presidential Hopeful: the Mothman Little is known about the Mothman other than that he is part man, part moth and he haunts the Midwest of the United States, with a spate of sightings from the sixties to the present day.

Pundits are saying that LAUNCH is hoping to break the electoral drought of recent years by promoting a relatively unknown, anti-establishment candidate like the Mothman. While Mothman refused to provide a comment, he did steal my livestock and chew through my clothes, before screeching his commitment to a reduction in the SSAF and $10 jugs.

Big Dick Energy no Substitute for GPA, Say Concerned University Staff A disturbing trend sweeping the Australian tertiary education system has seen GPA requirements for post-graduate courses like Medicine and Law substituted for BDE. “How can we expect to maintain a world class system of public health if we’re admitting students on the basis of how confidently they carry their member?” said one small wanged member of the UWA medical staff.

Obstinate Old Bastard Buries Lecture Recordings on Distant Caribbean Island “I’ve fulfilled my responsibilities,” the technophobic law lecturer insisted. “I’ve made the recordings available to any student who’s willing to go out of their way to look for them. If kids these days are too slack to captain a vessel to Saint Martin, find the treasure map and dig for three days and three nights, then maybe it’s time they start showing up to lectures.”

Driverless Bus Passes Turing Test, Starts Mercy Killing Maths Students Witnesses report the bus bleating “THIS IS THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN EVER BE HAPPY” as it ploughed into an algebra lecture at full speed.

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Firstly, tell us about Modest Fashion Australia and why you created it.

Broadly speaking, Modest Fashion Australia is a platform that enables emerging and established designers to access the global modest fashion market that is currently estimated by Thompson Reuters to be US $3 trillion dollars. I started MFA because I had to - the demand for modest fashion is overwhelming and I saw both opportunities and gaps in the market. I completed three degrees at UWA in Political Science and International Relations, English and did Honours in Feminist Literary Criticism. I recently graduated with my Law degree this past July. Obviously, I don’t come from the fashion industry but my studies have the common theme about creating positive social change through disruptive means on an international scale and fashion is simply universal a language. Further, modest fashion is a powerful vehicle and I knew I had to do something with it.

So, what exactly is ‘modest fashion’?

Making Modest

Mainstream How Modest Fashion Australia is breaking stereotypes and boundaries in the fashion world and beyond.

Aisha Nancy Novakovich is a UWA graduate and the founder and CEO of Modest Fashion Australia (MFA), an enterprise bringing this booming global industry, that’s taking the fashion world by storm, to Perth. She sat down for a chat with Fashion Editor, Susie Charkey.

Photo taken by Robert Fullgrabe 10

Lots of people, especially in Australia, mistakenly believe that it’s about making Muslim women wear a black ‘burka’ but nothing could be further from the truth. Modesty is a choice and modest fashion is underpinned by choice because it is a spectrum where men, women and children have options where they might want to dress up in a more covered way but not look like they live in the 18th century; they still want to look modern and contemporary.

It sounds like a lot of misconceptions exist about modest fashion! What are they and how is MFA challenging them?

There are so many misconceptions about modest fashion, that it is old-fashioned, ugly, not sexy, disempowering, oppressive and all about forcing women into a black burka. However, this is not the reality for modest fashion wearers. Just go to Indonesia, the largest Muslim majority country in the world, and behold the vibrancy and diversity!

MFA is challenging these stereotypes by making it our very mandate to be inspiring, provocative and constantly pushing boundaries. My main rule is “no clichés allowed!” So, whilst we honour and reference tradition, we look further into the future to redefine notions of modesty in positive and culturally relevant ways.

You write that MFA is the new generation of “Global Fashion Agitators”. Why do you think it’s important that modest fashion ‘shakes-up’ the fashion industry?

A modest swimwear shoot you recently did appeared in the iconic Vegemite’s, ‘Tastes Like Australia’ advertisement. Do you think this was a breakthrough for modest fashion in Australia?

Modest fashion is exploding now, with major retailers like H&M and designers like Dolce & Gabbana and Marc Jacobs showcasing it in New York fashion week; with the rise of hijab-wearing supermodel Halima Aden. All these point to changes within the industry and a growing appetite and rising consciousness amongst consumers. Some are calling it a revolution at a time of heightened racial identity politics and the #metoo movement. But only time will tell. Also, modest fashion is so radically different in many ways in how it challenges the notion that you can only be sexy if you expose more skin. And certainly, it challenges popular beauty myths and pressures on particularly women to conform to certain beauty norms, that are often destructive. However, ultimately, modest fashion should always be a vehicle to empower, not oppress consumers. MFA is a team of “Global Fashion Agitators” because that is exactly what I promote; bringing the best talent to the table, being bold and provocative and driving forward positive change. I believe in creating a space for talented individuals to create and reimagine fashion and social identities in authentic ways.

I was pleasantly surprised at our image being featured in the brand’s ad campaign. I laugh because I think “Yep! You know you’ve ‘made it’ when Vegemite uses your image!” I joke, but it was a great validation of our hard work and that we need to continue to shift cultural perceptions. MFA is all about disrupting the status quo and giving designers, artists, and consumers an opportunity to redefine the social narrative, on their terms.

Fashion, friendship and making connections with the cultural ‘other’ humanises and disintegrates many false assumptions we can hold about people, just because they dress differently. So, yes! It was a breakthrough and so early on - the company is only four months old but we are definitely working overtime to meet our targets.

In what way does modest fashion break cultural boundaries?

Modest fashion is for everyone and actually smashes stereotypes because it’s so inclusive and can be incredibly unpredictable and surprising.

Many women from other faith traditions also dress modestly: Christians, Orthodox Jews, Sikhs, Hindus; it’s not just limited to Muslim women wearing hijab. In actual fact, a lot of Muslim women don’t even wear hijab, but still wish to dress in a more modest way. It was actually a senior government bureaucrat friend of mine who said to me why can’t any girl at UWA wear a scarf too! Maybe she won’t wear it as a hijab, she might wear it as a shawl, but why not normalise hijab in our society? And he isn’t even a Muslim but could see how modest fashion is very inclusive and simply about providing more choice. Also, many people are shocked to learn that modest fashion can be so beautiful, forward-fashion and even sensual.

Modest fashion can help people reimagine and relate to others in new and exciting ways that, maybe, they didn’t really expect.

What are your ambitions for the future? Where do you see MFA in the next five years?

The vision for MFA is to be inspiring positive change in the fashion industry and beyond; shifting cultural and social paradigms and building bridges across communities. The goal is to position Perth as the strategic capital of modest fashion for the South East Asian market and beyond. And that our company be a global leader, always fearless and authentic. In five years’ time, I see this company really becoming a global leader and authority on modest fashion but doing much more than that - nurturing innovation, empowering communities and creating deep and powerful social impact.

Interview by Susie Charkey

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If it breaks, I’ve always known I’ve been different. Not in the sense that everyone is unique, in a cosmic, we are all special kind of way. No. I’m different in the way that people can label. I’m a diagnosis. Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder. I am quite literally wired a certain way. My life is governed by ritual; a very particular set of routines that I don’t see as compulsions, but lifelines. They keep me afloat. They keep me sane.

When I commute between cities I spend the first few days aimless, trying to remember which routine fits into this particular landscape. I open the wrong drawers in the kitchen because I’m used to the plates and utensils being in a specific area. My body operates on muscle memory, and my mind obeys.

When I open the wrong drawer, the world is still for a moment. It’s like switching discs on a record player.

For a moment, the world falters and the music skips, so my mind can stumble around and catch up. Then a new track is playing and I readjust, and just like that, a restart button has been pressed.

I can handle this kind of pause. This little break in my world is minor and manageable. It is predictable and expected, and it only breaks my routine for a moment. It’s the bigger changes that make my stumble turn into a freefall.

I am a creature of habit. I order the same thing at restaurants, each time, without fail. My friends and family laugh it off and try to encourage me to try new things. I laugh with them, because my predictability has become the punchline of every joke, but that’s okay. Maybe one day I will embrace change, but not today. And probably not tomorrow.

When they ask me why, I tell them the same thing: If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.

So maybe I’m the broken thing.

Some people seem to think so. I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my own mind, more than once. I’ve certainly felt broken, more often than not over the past five years. Vet school has a

Sara Gendle 12

way of breaking you down. We rebuild ourselves over and over, but some days we get knocked down harder than others. We are told, from day one, that vets commit suicide at higher rates than any other profession. We are told to keep an eye on each other; to check in with ourselves, to be introspective. But for me, already stuck within the confines of my own mind, too much introspection can be damaging.

Some days we question whether we are having a bad day because the day was just shitty, or whether the day was bad because something isn’t right inside us.

Vet school has been simultaneously the most rewarding and challenging five years of my life. The workload is beyond intense. The fear of failure is all too real, and the pressure to succeed is debilitating.

Every day we learn something new and try to pack this new information into our tired, overworked minds. In final year, we leave the comfort of lecture theatres and navigate our hospital rotations with a new kind of anxiety. Now we don’t just have the fear of failing. We have the fear of responsibility; of having to make a decision and live with the consequences of that choice.

In my year, the vet students wear grey scrubs. Some members of staff joke that we look like ‘Angels of Death.’ And sometimes we feel that burden, because we see so much pain and suffering that it’s impossible not to feel affected. The university does its best to offer support. We are encouraged from day one to seek help and to lean on each other. We aren’t just colleagues in vet school. We are a family.

We look out for each other because we need to, and because, to be honest, this industry is a little broken. Vets have suicide rates higher than any other profession. This job, no matter how rewarding at times, can break us. And over the past five years, we’ve all felt broken. Some of us have deferred or dropped down a year or chosen to pursue another career path altogether. For those of us left, we have five months standing between us and graduation.

And then we will inherit pieces of this broken world and somehow, we will fight to keep each other afloat.

fix it For me, who finds comfort in routine and ritual, vet school has been dizzying at times. With my unpredictable schedule, the small pause that I’m used to coping with, has turned into a year-long falter. The record player is skipping over and over again. Yet somehow, I’m still going. I’m learning to adapt, to mould myself to new situations, to be resilient in the face of chaos. I’m constantly rebuilding the stories that I have constructed about myself and who I am. I’ve surprised myself, with what I can endure. I’ve surprised myself in the sense that I am not just a diagnosis anymore. I’m a vet student, who is five months away from being a veterinarian.

I’m a friend who is offering a shoulder for her colleagues to lean on. I’m a daughter and sister who is trying to devote equal time to her family and to her studies. I’m a person, who is broken into these many facets, and trying to find a middle ground to stand on.

students and the farmer. It was a team effort, but no matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t deliver the calf. And we were running out of time. The calf was compromised and the cow was deteriorating.

We were covered in mud and rain and blood and our arms were shaking from the pulling. But we didn’t give up. We performed a C-section, there in the paddock, with storm clouds above. We saved both the mother and the calf. We watched the calf take its first steps. We watched the rain wash away the blood-soaked ground. We watched a broken situation turn into something beautiful. It is a memory I will always cherish from vet school. A moment that has taught me that when everything goes to shit, and you are exhausted and out of options, that doesn’t mean you are defeated. If you don’t give up, you can’t be broken beyond repair.

And when you endure and help each other, you can achieve something beautiful.

So, yes, vet school has its challenges. And the vet industry is plagued by statistics of suicide rates and misconceptions about how much vets earn and what their intentions truly are. Every time a stranger asks me what I study and replies with, ‘Oh you are going to earn so much money,’ I cringe. One; we earn so much less than human doctors. Heck, we earn less than some librarians. Two; we aren’t here for the money. We are here for the animals, to give a voice to the voiceless, to spend our lives serving the needs of species that are often mistreated and overlooked and abandoned. But we are also here for the people; for the dedicated pet owners who share our heartache and our triumphs. We are here for the members of society who need to be educated on how to care for their animals. We are here to break down the belief that animals are lesser than us.

A lot of people feel broken. A lot of people view others as broken. But most people view that as defeat, as being damaged and tainted. Maybe we have been looking at it all wrong. Maybe being broken isn’t the problem, maybe it’s the misconception that everything and everyone who breaks can’t be fixed. Sometimes we need to rebuild ourselves to keep going; but sometimes we just need to embrace the change. So let the record player skip every now and then. Let the world falter for a moment and catch you off guard. Break the routine.

Open the wrong drawer. Take a risk.

And we are here for each other.

One memory from vet school this year stands out to me. Standing in the paddock, covered in rain, I helped a vet perform a caesarean on a cow. The cow had been pushing all night but she was exhausted and broken and couldn’t endure any longer. We tried to pull the calf from her naturally. A vet, two vet

IF IT BREAKS, FIX IT. BUT DON’T LET FEAR OF BEING BROKEN STOP YOU.

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A New Kind of Rockstar HOW TOMMY WISEAU BROKE INTO HOLLYWOOD 14

Elliot Herriman

Time was, you couldn’t drag someone to a midnight screening of The Room without a lengthy explanation. Released in 2003, The Room is an alleged romantic drama, but it’s far better known for its revival as a so–bad–it’s–good cult comedy.

A film that most independent filmmakers could create with a few thousand dollars and a handful of talented friends, The Room cost Tommy Wiseau a reported six million dollars to make. Screening in a pair of theatres for just two weeks — the bare minimum required to qualify for consideration by Academy Awards — The Room grossed barely two thousand dollars. Potential moviegoers were warned away by cinema staff, who prominently displayed a scathing review in the lobby, “This film is like being stabbed in the head.” Once the film was pulled from theatres, though, Tommy Wiseau was hit by a flurry of emails from fans, expressing their support of the movie. Through word of mouth, they’d found out about The Room. They thought it was hilarious, and they wanted it back in theatres. So Tommy organised the first midnight screening.

And now it’s a worldwide phenomenon. Fifteen years later, the film is still regularly shown in midnight screenings, all around the world. The Disaster Artist, an autobiographical book written by Wiseau’s co–star Greg Sestero that explores the making of The Room, was adapted into a film released last year under the same title, starring James Franco as Tommy Wiseau.

As The Room’s profile rose, so did the infamy of its writer, director, producer and star – Tommy Wiseau.

As Sestero tells it, Wiseau was obsessed with the idea of becoming a movie star. Inspired by the likes of James Dean and Marlon Brando, Tommy wanted to be a rockstar, a rebel heartthrob seen by millions. As it is, he’s a household name, if you can find the right household. He’s been interviewed on talk shows. He regularly travels to meet fans at midnight screenings all over the world. He’s even launched his own brand of underwear. But there’s an unmistakable disconnect between the fame that Wiseau has been chasing and the infamy he’s received — and nowhere was that more obvious than the 75th Golden Globes, earlier this year.

James Franco’s The Disaster Artist was released last year to near universal critical acclaim, with many praising Franco’s performance as Tommy Wiseau.

It wasn’t long before the film’s distributor, A24, had geared up for an award season campaign, resulting in two nominations at the Golden Globes. Having

just been announced as the winner for best actor in a musical or comedy, James Franco called Tommy Wiseau to join him on stage. The crowd applauded.

The two men hugged. And then Franco blocked Tommy as he moved to speak into the microphone.

It was an understandable moment. I can’t blame Franco for balking at the prospect of handing his microphone to a man who is arguably the closest thing we’ll ever get to a physical embodiment of chaos. But to me, this moment feels like a crystallization of a greater dynamic. Regardless of Wiseau’s success, whether or not you believe he’s realised his dream of breaking into Hollywood, the man is still treated as an outsider. Sure, he might have ended up on stage to receive a Golden Globe, but it wasn’t his. Wiseau was only allowed into the spotlight because he was invited — by a man who portrayed a more palatable, idealised interpretation of him, while still painting him as the butt of every joke.

It’s perhaps most interesting that the man who cut Tommy Wiseau off was none other than James Franco, though. Despite its initial success, the Golden Globes ended up being the only major nominations that The Disaster Artist received. In the days following the 75th Golden Globes, James Franco was accused of engaging in a pattern of sexually inappropriate behaviour by a significant number of women. It’s unclear as to whether these allegations had any impact on The Disaster Artist’s subsequent failure to secure any Oscar nominations, but the behaviour detailed by these allegations, alongside Franco’s self-confessed attempt to seduce a seventeen-yearold girl, raises a lot of questions in my mind. Because if Franco can continue to work in film despite these allegations, then how much further could Tommy Wiseau had come if he fit just a little more neatly into our definition of Hollywood handsome?

It’s a question with an obvious, immediate answer.

Putting aside the small matter of talent, the fact Wiseau has failed to find success in the same way that Franco has is due to more than just charm or good looks. Wiseau consistently refuses to answer questions about his past, telling anyone that asks that, yes, he’s from New Orleans, never mind the accent. Any inquiries into Wiseau’s fortune — reportedly described as a “bottomless pit” — are similarly off limits. I can’t blame Tommy for wanting to be the kind of person who might find success and acceptance in America, but his

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strangeness and mystery and inherent otherness have inarguably played a huge role in defining him as an outsider. Yet the same qualities that have kept Tommy from finding mainstream success in Hollywood have inarguably been huge factors in The Room’s bizarre success today. There’s something inescapably strange about Tommy Wiseau, and his almost cryptid–like appearances at screenings, or in communities brought together by The Room, only serves to further his unique brand of fame.

It’s weird to think about, but... is Tommy Wiseau happy with the way things have turned out? Because this wasn’t his dream. Not exactly. He’s well known in certain circles, but that doesn’t make him a movie star. Wiseau has publicly stated that he doesn’t mind people laughing at The Room, because it’s this very laughter that has helped bring communities together. But mockery isn’t exactly the sort of reaction you’d hope to get from audiences after submitting your film to the Academy Awards.

Late in Greg Sestero’s book, he recounts picking Tommy Wiseau up from his regular acting class.

Out of nowhere, for the first time in their friendship, Tommy voiced doubt over his future as an actor. He told Greg he needed to travel to London for a few weeks to sort some things out. He was gone for three months. During this period, the two men had limited contact — but the few voicemails that Tommy did leave were full of references to death and suicide. Yet when Tommy finally reappeared in Los Angeles, he was back to his old self. Still shaken, but back — and ready for Greg to read his script for The Room.

It’s easy to assume that a figure like Tommy Wiseau is incapable of self-doubt, or that he’s so selfpossessed his mind simply won’t process criticism.

But that story paints a different picture of him. One that’s at odds with the way that many have come to understand him. Even though those events happened almost twenty years ago, well before Tommy found his unique brand of success in The Room, I have to wonder where his mind is at today.

I have to wonder if he’s happy. Everything I know about the man — and it isn’t much — tells me he wants to be a true American, and a movie star. Not just any movie star, though. Someone like James Dean or Marlon Brando. A troubled hunk, or a rebel.

An outsider who finds their audience.

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If that’s the lens you choose to look through, though, maybe he has made it. He could never claim to be as famous as James Dean, or even Franco, sure — but that doesn’t mean he can’t still exist in a similar space to these rock stars and rebels. Outsiders who were thrust into the limelight that refuse to be normal, or just don’t know how. Artists who, by doing things their own way, revolutionise their medium. Because, looking at comedy in the early two–thousands, there’s a case to be made that The Room helped popularise a new style of comedy — one defined by finding enjoyment in the awful, through ironic appreciation, mockery, and meta commentary. Could acts like Tim and Eric or Mystery Science Theater 3000 be as big as they are today without the success of The Room? And by extension, would comedians like Eric Andre and Nathan Fielder have found an audience?

Maybe Wiseau thinks about these things. Maybe he doesn’t. I suspect that, like so much else concerning the man, we’re never going to get an answer to these questions. Personally, I suspect Wiseau is probably just happy that people find joy through his work.

Wiseau decided to fund production of The Room himself because he knew that no one in Hollywood would give him the money. They would never take a chance on an outsider like him. Now, he’s found his way to success by being that outsider. I’m not sure if Tommy has ever had the chance to not be himself — there’s so much inalienable strangeness to the man that it’s almost overwhelming — but last year, he finally admitted to being born in Europe. The man’s still a mystery, but as far as I see it, that’s progress.

CW: transphobia, homophobia If you also read Pelican online, or check your student emails, you probably saw that a transphobic doctor wanted to speak on our campus earlier this month, and after a lot of controversy was eventually sent packing. Dr van Meter is a member of the American College of Paediatrics. Seems official, right? Incorrect.

This is a small collection of American paediatricians who have split from the American Academy of Paediatrics (the official professional association) because they believe that the experience of Trans people is “delusional”, suggesting that being Transgender is a disorder that must be cured. This is an opinion that is opposed by thousands of highquality peer reviewed publications that recognise that gender diversity is an actuality.

Fact. A huge amount of research has gone into understanding the complexity of diverse gender experience. Although there is still a lot more to understand, we do know that in almost every way, neurological and neuroendocrine function of ciswomen is the same as that of trans-women, just as that of cis-men is the same as that of trans-men.

Clinical study also shows that the best way to help friends and family who come out as Trans is to be accepting and to help people to embrace their true identity. This places van Meter’s “research” in stark contrast to what is the main current of medical research.

Conrad Hogg

Born this way: LGBT+ People are Victims of Broken Science

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that LGBT+ community has been under fire for from ‘broken science’, or indeed marginalised groups have been persecuted by pseudoscience (@eugenics & white supremacy). For decades, scientists have tried to construe data to frame homosexuality as a choice (*yep that’s right, gay people in history have actively chosen social alienation, and rejection*), while review of the data always points to the conclusion that people are born with their gender and sexuality. This approach to science seeks to validate intolerance by the cis-hetero-patriarchy, and has produced everything from your homophobic uncle, to conversion therapy in Nazi concentration camps.

In post-plebiscite Australia we (thankfully) see an increasing amount of tolerance and acceptance of lesbian, gay, and bisexual Australians. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for transgender people in our community who are often shut out and targeted not just by our society, but also by our science. Sexuality and gender identity are intensely interesting and complex areas of the human experience, and of scientific study. All too often in history ‘broken science’ has been used to oppress people from these groups. As we have moved forward we have gotten better at doing real science that is supported by evidence, not bigotry, however it is always just so important to consider bias in the reporting of results, as this used form a false platform for hate speech and bigotry.

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Zimbabwe’s future IS DICTATED BY A BROKEN PAST

Pictured: Emmerson Mnangagwa, as seen in TIME Magazine

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“ONLY GOD WHO APPOINTED ME WILL REMOVE ME”, proclaimed Robert Mugabe in 2008. However as the world watched nearly a decade later in November 2017, it seems that in the same way that his people and his military had abandoned him, so had his God. The then 93-year-old president was pushed to resign from office, nearly 40 years since having come into power in Zimbabwe’s first and arguably it’s last credible election. The streets were filled with jubilant crowds from all walks of life, a large number of which had lived their entire lives under Mugabe’s presidency. For those who were lucky enough to make it to old age, the scenes were similar to the same jubilant celebrations in 1980 when Mugabe came to power. It was clear that not only were the scenes reminiscent of 1980 but so were the ideas and hopes behind the celebrations - hope for a better Zimbabwe. The crowds of 1980 saw Mugabe as their Moses destined to deliver them away from the broken state of affairs left behind the British, and into a prosperous promised land. However, the crowds of 2017 were celebrating in true African flare the demise of that same man.

Nine months on, we have seen the emergence of Emmerson Mnangagwa as president of Zimbabwe, who campaigned on a platform of free and fair elections and promises of drastic economic, social and political reforms. The eyes of the world once again turned toward Zimbabwe during July’s general election and the drama that unfolded (and is still unfolding) shows a broken system far from any prosperity. Marking the first election without Mugabe, the two major parties in Zimbabwe geared up for a fight; The Zimbabwe African Nation Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

In the red corner at 76 years of age, representing ZANU-PF, we had Mugabe’s not so loyal deputy, Emmerson Mnangagwa and in the blue corner we had 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa from the MDC. This was a battle of the old and new Zimbabwe. In his campaign trail, Chamisa solidified himself as a young politics crusader with an admirable ability to work the crowd with all the drama that African politics entails. Back to Mugabe for a second. It

seems you just can’t put the man down, still salty from his ousting last year by his “loyal deputy” Mugabe used the little political capital he had left to call a press briefing and throw shade against Mnangagwa. With manoeuvres like this, it’s fair to confuse him for Tony Abbott in the backbench.

Despite the promise of a credible election, the credibility of the July elections has been questioned by both Zimbabwean citizens and the international community. The opposition under Chamisa claimed a number of electoral registration anomalies with single addresses having as many as 141 people registered to vote. The Zimbabwean electoral commission was itself criticised for the management of the elections despite assurances that this would be the most credible election to date. However, reports detailed accounts of police officers being forced to cast their votes in front of their supervisors, Mnangagwa ruling out an opportunity for people in the diaspora to vote and even the delaying of results by the electoral commission.

It’s no surprise that Chamisa, despite declaring he had won the election before the results were announced, came out and accused the government of rigging the vote. This turned the streets of Harare into a riot ground by MDC supporters who clashed with ZANU-PF supporters. In the wisdom of the powers that be, the same army that was celebrated by the Zimbabwean people nine months ago in the ousting of Mugabe and the second liberation of Zimbabwe was out in force to put things down.

Despite all the promises of a drastic change in the conditions in Zimbabwe, it seems that there is no reprieve for this broken country ravaged by massive economic and political troubles. With the battle between the two parties now heading to the Constitutional Court with MDC challenging the results, the celebrations that filled the streets nine months ago are but a distant memory. It seems that despite the absence of Mugabe’s face as head of state and government his shadow “legacy” is set to continue under Mnangagwa. Once again, the people of Zimbabwe have had their hearts broken by a broken system.

Dickson Wamukoya-Garbutt

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Following their 2015 Triple J Unearthed High win, Naomi Robinson and Conor Barton of the sunsoaked, dreamy-pop duo Mosquito Coast have once again hit the musical ground running. Since the win, these WA locals have spent most of their time lying low, with an occasional release here and there. But now, they are back with their new single, ‘Skipping Girl,’ and a new album on the horizon. Music Editor Sophie Minissale spoke with them to find out what they’ve been up to and what life is like as a local band.

Sophie Minissale: It’s been about three years since your last musical release. What have you guys been up to in that time?

Conor Barton: After releasing our Television Love EP in December ‘16, we did a whole heap of touring; playing headline shows, festival slots and supporting Northeast Party House. After that we had some time to regroup and start writing again. Earlier this year we recorded an album in New York with Nicolas Vernhes, which was an awesome opportunity. Now we’ve just released the first single off the album called Skipping Girl and are off to play BigSound in Brisbane.

SM: I feel a great sense of development and maturity with your latest track, Skipping Girl, both in terms of lyricism and musical quality. What do you think has driven this development?

Words with

Mosquito

Coast Sophie Minissale

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CB: I think it’s mainly just age and practice. There was a definite goal to write more direct and thought-out lyrics on the album. It’s so easy to be vague and hide away behind lyrics, but I feel like they are more at the forefront this time around.

Naomi Robinson: I think having that break from releasing and just really trying to get better musically. I tried to learn a lot more chords. But also we tried to find more meaning in our lyrics and realised how they could be an important component of a song.

SM: Is there anything that has changed in your process since writing tracks like Call My Name?

CB: We’ve always worked in a similar way. Naomi will usually bring an idea to the table and then we flesh it out from there. We are using a lot more Ableton now though; it makes it so much easier to send ideas back and forth.

SM: Do you guys feel you’ve changed as a band?

NR: Yeah, I think we have grown up a lot since finishing high school and the band has changed members but the core of us are the same. Musically I think this album is a lot different to the EP as we’ve had a lot more time to think about what goes into it.

SM: I know it was a few years ago now, but what was the aftermath of winning triple j unearthed high?

CB: Winning Unearthed High really opened opportunities for us and forced us out of the basement to play some shows, which was a push we needed. We’re so lucky in the sense that triple j promoted our music to such a large audience.

SM: I remember watching the announcement video on Facebook years back and being so excited a WA band had won. What was it like still being in high school, WACE Exams looming, and having that kind of almost immediate success?

CB: It was a real shock for us; we were super excited.

We really tried to knuckle down with study until WACE was over and then focused on music. It was weird to have people looking forward to shows when we hadn’t even got our live set together yet!

SM: Did you feel any kind of pressure to perform and ‘make it’ as an act following the Unearthed High win?

SM: Is there anything you think needs to change or could be done better? How does it compare to that of other states you’ve been to?

CB: Longer and more flexible liquor licensing would be good.

SM: How can we as music lovers best support our local music scene from your point of view?

CB: Attending as many shows as possible! And buying some merch SM: Who are your favourite local up and coming musicians?

NR: I really enjoy Miraud who just released a killer new album, Grievous Bodily Calm, and my friend Ben Aguero who makes Ableton music.

SM: What other bands would you like to tour with?

NR: If we could tour with anyone at the moment I would love play with Molly Lewis who is a professional whistler. She does really good covers songs by whistling.

SM: Do you guys have any pre-show rituals you’d like to share?

CB: Vocal warm-ups and a hug.

SM: What is the best place or venue you’ve been able to tour?

NR: I guess so? I always felt pressure to have a strong stage presence and I realised only this year that that’s not really who I am. I’m a naturally quiet person so I think I’m just that on a stage too. I think I felt some kind of pressure to be good but ultimately now it’s about working as a team and doing the best you can. Music is a group project and there’s a lot of people involved in a live set so ‘making it’ feels more like something that doesn’t really exist.

NR: I really liked the Newtown Social Club in Sydney but its turned into a putt putt place now. The stage has its own hole so if you’ve ever wondered what its like to play golf on a stage you should check it out.

SM: How do you feel about the quality of WA’s cultural art scene and nightlife?

CB: Possibly Bayswater Festival’s Battle of the Bands competition when we weren’t Mosquito Coast yet.

CB: Playing the Astor Theatre for Gang of Youths was a real bucket list tick for me.

SM: On the other hand, what’s been the worst place you’ve played at?

CB: It’s so underrated. Although there aren’t many venues, Perth’s scene has so many people doing good things. Groups like WOMPP (Women of Music Production Perth) and Recycled Rainbow are putting on some great gigs and bookers like MOVE and Outer Body are really upping it in the dance scene.

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Eloise Skoss

Modern Slavery

The human price of fast fashion

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The new big thing. The social media campaign.

The rush. The pinnacle. The decline. The big sales.

The stock clearance. The next big thing.

Fast fashion is a buzz phrase that has been bandied around a fair bit of late, but what does it actually mean? Merriam-Webster defines it as: an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers.

It is particularly pertinent to younger customers (i.e. broke uni students), who are drawn to mouthwateringly low prices and the perceived social capital gained from fitting in with the main crowd.

By buying into a marketing model which revolves around creating temporary trends to increase the frequency with which people shop, we enable a wholly unsustainable industry to continue to exploit us, the environment, and their workers.

If we continue to turn a blind eye to the impact of our consumption, we choose to continue being a ubiquitous cog in the machine of capitalism, and we will not win. Fast fashion is insatiable.

Trends come and go with the seasons. Then it is on to the next big item that we become enamoured with, allowing ourselves to be deluded into believing it will be a staple in our wardrobes.

“This will go with everything,” you hear yourself say, “it is a timeless piece.” But fast fashion is not designed to be timeless, it is designed to elevate the spending frequency of consumers, through a marketing strategy which pervades society, cashing in on the desire to fit in which is innate to the human condition, and relentlessly rebranding what is “in.”

Slavery has existed in society since ancient times, with evidence of its existence in Mesopotamia as early as 3500 BC. While the slave trade of yesteryear incorporated mass abduction from traditional lands, forced procession in chains as a slave caravan, and bartering of human lives for money and goods, supporting the modern-day practice of slavery is as easy as spending $20 on whatever highly ironic, grossly oversized or culturally appropriated garment is trending for the current festival season.

Modern slavery is defined as any situation where a person’s freedom has been taken away by another person. The term encompasses human trafficking, forced labour, forced or servile marriage, child

exploitation, debt bondage and descent-based slavery. It occurs through means of violence, deception, coercion and abuse of power, and in all corners of the world, including Australia.

These abhorrent practices are particularly rife within the fashion industry. The 2018 Global Slavery Index, launched recently in New York by the Perth-based Walk Free Foundation, reported that clothing ranked as the second most atrisk product imported into G20 countries, in terms of vulnerability to modern slavery in the supply chain. Over 70% of Australia’s imported clothing is sourced from countries where the fashion industry is considered high risk for labour exploitation, representing $6.163 billion annually.

The issue is a direct result of capitalist and globalisation forces that enable companies to reduce production costs and therefore increase profit margins. By manufacturing products offshore, often in developing countries where there are huge gaps in human rights legislation, reduced law enforcement capacity and political stability result in exploitative labour practices and poor working conditions. Wealthier countries like Australia need to take leadership on this issue and take responsibility for eradicating forced labour from the supply chains of Australian companies that manufacture offshore.

Having a social conscience in 2018 is hard; we can’t always trust brands to behave ethically. And making responsible consumer choices in every aspect of your life can be like walking through a minefield. There is no need to despair, however, as there are some great resources available to help you make ethical choices. The Good On You ethical shopping app gives you access to over 1,200 fashion labels and their treatment of workers, animals and the environment, and Baptist World Aid’s Ethical Fashion Guide is available online with descriptive ratings of many international brands.

Buy some pre-loved wonders on Depop, or head to your local op shop to develop your sustainable, ethical and unique look.

The fashion industry is broken, and we can no longer continue to ignore the cracks. It benefits nobody except the profit-driven industry from which it emerged. The cost to the environment, the local garment industry, and most importantly, to the humans working in the supply chains for these global companies is too much to bear. No uni student is pro-slavery, so why support an industry that allows it to thrive?

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Don’t ditch the dress Life is rough. Our clothes get stained, torn, worn, poked, scratched, and damaged as we wear them over and over again. And when they get a bit too shredded for us to want to wear them anymore, we throw them away. It is now habitual to ditch a sock when it gets a hole in it, and discard a dress with a frayed hem.

up to it, go to a tailor or a dry-cleaning place. They will fix up these little things for actually not a lot of money, but with a lot of expertise. Spending ten to fifteen dollars on a zip replacement on a pair of jeans is so worth it. Plus, you’re saving the environment and supporting local business at the same time. Win, win.

Not that long ago, it was extremely common for people to fix their own clothes to prolong their life.

Clothes are items to be cared for, rather than thrown away when we decide they’re not worth saving. But we live in a world now where it is cheaper to buy a new t-shirt than to get one fixed. Never fear friends, for a garment to be ‘broken’ is not the end of the line. There are a few very simple methods anyone can use to give their clothes a bit more life.

COVERING A STAIN

STITCHING A HOLE/TEAR This is probably the most common issue we get in our clothes, and with a little time and patience, you’ve got this covered. Find a matching thread for the garment and a basic sewing needle. If you’re stitching lightweight and delicate fabrics, use a smaller, thinner needle. If you’re stabbing into a chunky corduroy or wool, you’ll need something a bit larger and fatter to pierce the fabric. There are many packets of different size needles at craft stores, and even the supermarket. Start by threading the needle, and putting a knot at the end of the thread. Pinch together the tear at the inside of the garment as neatly as you can. Always sew from the inside of the garment so any loose threads and ragged edges will be hidden. Start sewing along your pinched edge in the smallest stitches you can! There is many a YouTube tutorial that will get you through this process.

THIS HOLE IS TOO BIG… If it’s something a bit more complex like a crotch seam, or a broken zip and your sewing skills aren’t

I’m not going to wow you here with some home remedy of mysterious oils to magically remove stains. There are some funky little stains that just won’t get out, and are a tad annoying. But this is no reason to ditch an item! Try ironing on a little patch to the area for an easy cover up. Not a boring one though, get a little avocado or a cat to spice it up. If it’s in a weird spot, add more! Cover your whole item in little avocados! If you’re feeling creative, try hand embroidering a little picture or pattern to cover the stain instead. It’s quite easy once you get the hang of it.

IT’S JUST A BIT BLEGH Sometimes you just feel like you’ve worn it too many times, you’re not feeling that spark anymore. Mate, I get you. But that is no reason to ditch the dress.

Shake things up a bit to breathe new life into these drab pieces.

Cut off those pant legs to make them into shorts.

Remove or roll up sleeves on an old shirt or dress to change the look.

Use an old scarf as a belt, or headpiece if you’re feeling that vibe.

Different items can serve multiple purposes; you just have to get creative.

Saving an item of clothing from the bin is an easy task, and one which we should all endeavour to do.

So next time you think a piece of clothing is ‘done’, think again. You will probably be able to breathe more life into it.

Frances Harvey | Artwork by Cheyenne Chooi 24

Fixing communities one toy, table leg & bike at a time Jordan Soresi The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and there is a distinctly communal energy in the air, welcome and familiar. I’m at Academy Café, in hip Mt Hawthorn’s The Mezz, which an enterprising initiative calls home on the third Saturday of every month. That initiative is Repair Café, whose ethos is encapsulated succinctly by the slogan, “Toss It? No Way!” Repair Café is a global movement that began in the Netherlands in 2009, to encourage people to come together and fix what is broken, instead of throwing it away. It has grown rapidly, this year boasting over 1500 Cafés worldwide. It wasn’t until recently, though, that its influence touched Western Australia.

As co-founder of the state’s inaugural Repair Café, Elle Gonzales-Skuja, informs me, the closest branch was all the way in Melbourne up until last year. She and Angie Kings-Lynne together launched this – Perth’s first chapter – in November of 2017, and in the 10 sessions that have so far taken place, its popularity has blown up, with the number of guests expanding exponentially.

Outside, people mill about the triage desk, where they are directed to the most appropriate station for fixing their broken items. Working alongside of these volunteers are experienced repairers inspecting upturned bikes and other metal bits and bobs (my own sad, wonky-armed umbrella was sent here).

Inside, there is a collective buzz of productivity, and the occasional inspiring sound of a bell being rung, followed by applause, as another item is fixed. More repairers, all experts in their craft and who range from 18 to over 80 years old, work at stations around the room. There is a textiles corner, a station devoted to devices, one for furniture and toys, another for electronics, and of course, the glue, string and tape station.

On the face of it, the purpose of Repair Café is to reduce waste. After all, 20 million tonnes of waste are sent to landfill annually. However, as volunteer repairers, organisers, and guests tell

me, the Café achieves much more than that. In fact, part of its appeal (and success) is to bring the community together and encourage people to build personal connections with each other. A lady named Manisha, who has come for advice on why her laptop is working poorly, is one of a high proportion of returning guests. On her first visit she brought along a pair of jeans to be fixed because she strongly believes in not wasting anything. She has since returned because of the “beauty of it” – knowledgeable people helping others in a unique, community atmosphere. As she says, it is “awesome”.

In addition to bringing people together and reducing waste, Repair Café is re-teaching – or teaching, in many circumstances – what sewing volunteer Margo describes as the “lost skills” of repair.

Volunteers fix things alongside their owners, in such a way that they are participating in and adding value to the process, and ultimately, learning new skills, which they can take home with them. Not everyone has grown up fixing things, and increasingly fewer people live in homes with sheds or space for tools, as traditional detached homes used to. As such, and according to the organisation’s story gatherer Adele, the volunteers are actively spreading the Café’s ethos “beyond the two hours” of the monthly sessions.

Its popularity is more than evident in the lively, engaging chatter between guests and volunteers.

Indeed, the Café has been so successful that new offshoots are springing up around Perth, with a Belmont iteration in the pipeline, a Fremantle Café launching in September, and even ideas of a potential UWA chapter emerging.

I find myself cheering along with volunteers and guests as the bell rings out again through the café.

The sound seems to engender a palpable sense of shared positivity as it signals one more item being fixed, one less item going to waste, and one more step towards bringing our communities closer together.

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Breaking up with Your Break Up Songs Isabel Boogaerdt

My brain: Sooooo you know that time when your heart felt like it had stopped working?

Me: Um… yeah?

My brain: Well, you also listened to one of your favourite artists then, so guess you’re going to have to think about that pain every time you listen to them. Haha. Enjoy!!1!

Obviously, there wasn’t actually a conversation as explicit as this between my brain and my consciousness, but you bet that the residual feelings of heartbreak resurface when I listen to certain songs and artists. These artists happen to be some of my favourite and yeah, it’s frustrating as hell because feeling like crying every time I listen to J. Cole isn’t all that fun. But hey, I do. So that’s a thing.

My first mistake post-breakup was listening to all the songs that reminded me of my ex on repeat.

Yes, crying and wallowing in your sadness is great and super cathartic (most of the time), but, try listening to some generic sad songs instead. This will give you mental distance from that person and subconsciously reminds you that heartbreak is a universal experience.

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BREAKUPS CAN BE SUPER ISOLATING BUT LISTENING TO “LEAVE (GET OUT)” BY JOJO AND ADELE’S “SOMEONE LIKE YOU” IS THE MUSICAL EQUIVALENT TO WATCHING SILLY ROM-COMS. It’s validating because it shows you that we all feel pain and that even Elle Woods had her crying-whileeating-chocolate-phase post-breakup. If the thought of someone noticing that you’re listening to the playlist titled “songs for breakups (insert droopy rose emoji here)” is a bit terrifying, setting your Spotify session to private is a good way to make you feel less exposed. So, take this as permission to go ahead and listen to those ‘embarrassing’ cliché songs without any shame. It will be better in the long run. Trust me.

Secondly, if you’re a person who plays music during sexy time, do not even think about playing old songs with a new partner. Crying/thinking about someone else (or both) during sex is just not an enjoyable experience for any party involved. If they really were great songs or still hold a lot of emotional value, culling them from your playlist won’t erase them from your memory – you will most likely find yourself searching for them later, but that context is a much more appropriate one. Not whilst being intimate with other people. Not only does deleting them prevent an awkward conversation about how you aren’t actually over your ex, but also gives you an excuse to find new music. Yay! Also, finding new music for a new person is a step in the right direction because it shifts the focus onto moving forward rather than mulling about it old feelings. It can be very easy to spend hours thinking about all the traits of your ex and their music taste, which you either warmed up to or instantly clicked with, but it’s so much more productive to realise that they aren’t the only person you can share your SoundCloud finds with. They might have been your first love or even your twenty-first love, but you can and you will love again. You will live. And you will get to (eventually) enjoy those songs that you remind of them.

Something that’s out of your control, but important to note is time. At the end of the day, time does play an impact in healing. The distance from that period of your life will truly make it just that little bit easier to listen to the song that was playing in the café on your first date. It means that you are further away from the emotions you felt and consequently, you are more able to appreciate what the relationship meant at the time. Different people and segments of life have an influence on who we are, and there is power in recognising that. To acknowledge the significance of a relationship as well as the music we consumed in that time is truly powerful. It helps you to feel grateful that they showed you the song and you can then acknowledge the place that it had in your life. But know that heartbreak isn’t permanent, and sadness can and will fade over time. Sometimes it can reappear, but for the most part you will be okay.

Once a reasonable amount of time has elapsed, it can be useful to listen to those songs with different people and to slowly break away at the pre-existing connotations. This is best executed in the company of good friends because in the instance you are feeling a bit sad that day, it’s not the best of ideas to play it at a party as you’ll find yourself being awkwardly reminiscent and gloomy in the middle of a conversation. It also means that if you are just hanging out with a friend you can tell them the back story and be comforted by them in a healing way.

But, this is all at your discretion, because sometimes it’s nice to leave things as they are. Note that you are also totally justified in leaving it be and listening to the artist when you are in need of a good cry.

There is no shame in that. Crying is cathartic so why not do it with your own soundtrack? Ultimately, it’s up to you what that song still means to you and the context in which you listen to it. Make good choices and hopefully you will still be able to enjoy it regardless of the memories it’s associated with, even if that means you still feel your heart twinge a bit when you hear it play.

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Dragons of PSYCHOLOGY OF CLIMATE CHANGE

The human brain is arguably the most complicated machine on Earth. It’s capable of amazing feats of creativity, emotion and insight. It does such a good job at shaping our reality that is hasn’t evolved much in the last tens of thousands of years. Like any species, the brain is hardwired to face dangers and react to stimuli for survival. So why do we have such a hard time comprehending one of the biggest threats humanity faces – climate change?

Climate change is unlike any threat humanity has faced before. It is not an immediate danger – our inaction today doesn’t jeopardise our tomorrow. It involves gradual changes across the whole planet over decades. There are a number of psychological barriers preventing people from acting to prevent climate change. Robert Gifford at the University of Victoria calls these barriers “dragons of inaction.”

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1. It’s not an immediate threat Of course in reality, climate change is affecting all parts of the world right now. But that’s not how most of us think about the issue. It’s easy to think of climate change as affecting other people in far away parts of the world, or not affecting people at all if we don’t hear about it in the news for a few months.

When events seem far away in terms of both distance and time, we tend to discount them.

2. Glass half full!

When it comes to climate change risks, we also tend to be overly optimistic and have the mentality that the grass is greener on our side. We systematically underestimate the risks we face from environmental hazards, because the alternative, that sea levels are rising, the planet is warming up and we are all a bit fucked, is a bit too much too comprehend.

3. I’m just one person….

We doubt the impact of our individual efforts. In the face of such a complicated global problem, it’s hard to believe that we personally can make a difference.

This feeling of helplessness can prevent us from making crucial lifestyle changes.

4. But no one else is doing anything?

Then there’s the “why should I change if they won’t?” herd mentality. The behaviour of your community is an extremely powerful motivating force, more powerful than most of us realise. If you look around and see that your friends and family aren’t doing their part, then you’re more likely to not bother either.

5. But I bring my keep up everywhere

Michael Hayes

Inaction: 6. But climate change isn’t actually real

The final dragon of inaction is probably the most significant and damaging, it’s the ‘consensus gap’.

This involves the media portraying to the public that there is still a 50/50 debate among climate scientists, despite the fact 97% of climate scientists agree that humans are causing global warming. This sort of false balance drastically hinders the public’s inclination to accept the issue as incredibly urgent.

Plus, politicians do their best to make this a political issue and not a scientific one. They gain from maintaining the status quo, so instead of accurately presenting the science, they misrepresent it in a way that suits their agenda.

If we take climate science seriously, it calls for action, which involves changing the way we operate. If politicians don’t like the implications that the country faces due to climate change they simply deny or ignore the science. Some solutions proposed by the government involve carbon taxes or emission trading schemes. But because these government solutions meddle with trade, people with economic ideologies tend to reject them. Rather than age, gender, race, or religion, climate change denial is most heavily associated with conservative politics that emphasise the free market. Politicians consequently generate doubt about the scientific consensus in effort to win the conservative vote.

Politics fuels the media, which fuels the consensus gap. So next time you see two people debating about climate change, remember one side represents 97% of scientists.

We must fight these inaction dragons as a global population, lest they set fire to our chances of survival.

The fifth dragon of inaction is a false sense of contribution. People think switching to energy saving light bulbs or making greater efforts to recycle are enough. Unfortunately, these token actions don’t have much impact compared to more difficult, long-term behavioural changes.

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Sheep, Wheat & Art Country Stirling Kain Upon a recent visit to my regional hometown of Narrogin, I encountered a mood of something close to latent bereavement – a result of almost every second shop on the main street being vacant.

This is not a critique of the town; rather, I lament the loss for those locals who are watching the retail culture of their home crumble away. Perhaps, like me, they feel broken by a suffering tourism industry, the tangible effects of which can be measured by the amount of dust accumulating on the ‘For Sale’ signs in those abandoned shop windows.

FORM is an independent, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to all things arts, culture and creativity in Western Australia, and they are currently assisting in the revitalisation of country towns through their Public Silo Trail, a project that commissions artists to paint murals on grain silos and other rural landmarks. This is an unconventional approach to boosting the regional tourism industry, but it makes sense. As towering symbols of regional agriculture, the silos are an ideal canvas for generating tourism: proving that these structures can supplement towns’ cultures and serve a purpose beyond their intended agricultural utility.

What makes the Public Silo Trail so successful is the promotion of these towns through the artistic gentrification of their agricultural contributions.

To slap some arbitrary art on the side of a grain silo would be a disingenuous attempt to paint these towns as mere extensions of Perth. Rather, the Trail highlights the nuanced culture of each town, distinct from the city and from each other, through region-specific art. The project imports the international art scene without compromising on the celebration of Australian art by employing both international and Australian-based artists, attracting non-local and Perth based tourists.

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Beyond the economic ingenuity of the Trail lies its artistic value. The concept of placing art murals on staggeringly large grain silos resonates back to the Dadaist’s approach to the uncanny – the idea of seeing familiar things in unexpected places, such as with Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain, the presentation of a urinal in art galleries. The ideal of democratic accessibility espoused by artists such as Andy Warhol in his infamous Coca-Cola analogy, which tied art to popular culture, is also embodied in the ability for anyone in the vicinity to witness these murals, rather than having to enter the sometimes exclusive-feeling gallery.

I recently visited the silo art in Northam by artists HENSE and Phlegm, completed in 2015 and spanning across eight grain silos. HENSE’s vibrantly coloured mural contrasts with the landscape by employing the mix of fluid and geometric forms that are typical of his work, and the juxtaposition next to Phlegm’s more modestly illustrated piece delights viewers. The latter pays homage to Western Australian aviation through monochrome, vintagecomic depictions of people and aircraft. The surprise engendered by the size and location of these pieces makes them incredibly unique, and it was enormously refreshing to step outside the sterility of the gallery.

FORM’s Public Silo Trail certainly does not fix every problem but it is a fantastic use of funding in regional Western Australia, as well as a breath of fresh air to people who despise the stuffiness of the artworld and the often Eurocentric saturation of art in major museums and galleries in Australia. If you want to witness the magic happen, new silo art is being painted in Pingrup by Miami-based Evoca1, beginning on August 22nd.

Photograph by Bewley Shaylor, courtesy of FORM

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Whiteness Has Brok

en

Environmentalism is something that is close to my heart and has been for quite a long time. As a Hindu, growing up I was taught that ‘Mother Earth’ is one of the seven mothers who nourishes us in our lifetime. Our connection to our planet and the many things that it provides us is a sacred bond, and I know this bond is mirrored in the hearts of many people of colour around the world.

However, recently I have grown disillusioned with the mainstream culture surrounding environmentalism and its pretentious, self-centred offshoot – veganism. Too often I see white people adopt a holier-than-thou attitude and perch on their high horses to preach to people of colour, and often Indigenous peoples, about how they are superior for their environmentalism. At best this kind of behaviour is ignorant and condescending; at worst it is threatening and immoral.

Last year, 16 year old Chris Apassingok hunted a 17 metre bowhead whale near his village Gambell in Alaska. The animal was not endangered and his kill earned him praise from local hunters as the whale fed the entire village. This was an important moment in Chris’ life and was seen as a cultural rite of passage into adulthood. It should also be noted that Native Alaskans have been hunting whales in the region for over 2000 years, and that they follow a quota system from the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission which allows them to hunt only a few whales each year.

Unfortunately for Chris, his deed was featured in the local paper and that article soon found its way in the hands of Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s founder and environmentalist Paul Watson. Watson, with absolutely zero critical thinking about the fact that the whale wasn’t endangered, that the kill was not made in vain and actually fed an entire village, and that Chris was a 16 year old child, shared the article on Facebook along with an abusive and expletive-filled post. While Watson aimed to showcase his environmentalism, what actually shone through brightly was his lack of understanding surrounding Native American traditions and his latent racism.

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His post, which has since been deleted, read:

“WTF, YOU 16-YEAR OLD MURDERING LITTLE B******! SOME 16-YEAR OLD KID IS A FRIGGING “HERO” FOR SNUFFING OUT THE LIFE OF THIS UNIQUE SELF AWARE, INTELLIGENT, SOCIAL, SENTIENT BEING, BUT HEY, IT’S OKAY BECAUSE MURDERING WHALES IS A PART OF HIS CULTURE, PART OF HIS TRADITION. I DON’T GIVE A DAMN FOR THE BULLS**T POLITICALLY CORRECT ATTITUDE THAT CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE HAVE A “RIGHT” TO MURDER A WHALE.” IT is unbelievable to me that this white man had the audacity to say that respecting the traditions and lifestyles of Native American groups was political correctness. If we were actually being politically correct, we’d realise that the majority of environmental destruction created thus far was a result of white colonialism and imperialism, but I digress. Following his post, his barrage of followers hit a 16 year old child with abusive messages and death threats. Chris’ mother Susan later stated that Chris stopped going to school, barely spoke and had a dark mood. And although Watson took the post down, he remains unapologetic. Goes to show that in the eyes of white men, animals continue to be worth more than the lives and mental health of children of colour.

This is one small incident in a long list of many in which white environmentalists, and indeed white people as a whole, have mistreated people of colour.

In order to understand how we have ended up here, we need to understand the long history of environmental racism, and the history of apathy and antagonism towards race and social justice

Environmentalism Ishita Mathur

that is prevalent within environmentalist people and organisations, many of whom are treated as pioneers.

In many ways, racial exclusivity actually shaped the historical environmental mission since conservationists tended to elevate endangered plant and animal life over that of the lives of people of colour. This is especially visible in America with John Muir, Frederick Jackson Turner, and Madison Grant – the fathers of conservation, the public parks system, and forestry movements. In particular, Muir held views on the supposed ‘uncleanliness’ of Native Americans, Turner’s ethnocentrist theories framed the ongoing suspicion of immigration, and Grant was a eugenicist and white supremacist whose virulent xenophobia contributed to the racist Immigration Act of 1924. These men were putting their conservationist policies into place at a time of mass murder of African Americans, whose safety was not considered a priority at a moment when it should have been at the forefront of American lawmaking and politics.

This behaviour is egregious considering communities of colour are disproportionately susceptible to the effects of climate change and man-made pollution. The evidence can be seen worldwide from Standing Rock to Flint and all the way to our backyard in the Beeliar Wetlands.

The evidence is historical too – in the 1990s, the toxic work of dismantling obsolete computers began to fall mostly on cheap Asian and African labour, and Indigenous communities worldwide began to be ‘assigned’ the job of using their forests and native land to help absorb the carbon dioxide pollution from industries whose profits disproportionately benefited other racial groups.

Furthermore, between 1964 and 1992, Texaco subjected Indigenous and peasant (largely mestizo) Ecuadorians to an intense level of pollution from its Lago Agrio oil fields which would never have been tolerated by wealthy white communities in Western nations.

The environmental impact on people of colour due to colonialism is yet another persisting issue.

In 2013, the British government’s development

finance arm, the CDC group, invested public money in the Feronia oil palm company’s plantations in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This business is sustained purely due the fact that it occupies forest lands stolen from communities under Belgian colonial occupation between 1908 and 1960. Despite the immediate threat to the cultural way of life of people of colour as a result of climate change, colonialism and capitalism, white environmentalists continue to perpetuate the myth that people of colour are less concerned about the environment than their white counterparts.

The fact of the matter is that while people of colour are outspoken advocates for ending global warming and stopping climate change, they are less likely to self-identify as ‘environmentalists’ or align themselves with advocacy groups since mainstream environmentalism has continued to fail them. This is by and large because they cater to the demographic which created them – white upper-middle class folks. In order to bridge the divide, it is important that white people look beyond the mainstream environmental organisations that they have grown to lovingly espouse in the last few decades and support organisations started by people of colour.

Furthermore, mainstream green NGOs need to create a workforce in which people of colour are better represented since a study has found that a “green ceiling” is present whereby people of colour make up only 12% to 15.5% of environmentally focused foundations, non-profits and government agencies.

At the end of the day, protecting our planet is irrefutably important; however it cannot be done at the expense of the rights and interests of people of colour. Mainstream environmentalism needs to use more nuance when it comes to environmental issues, and needs to centre the voices of people of colour, specifically Indigenous folk. In an Australian context, this is more important than ever since the environmental web of life so closely intersects with the Aboriginal cultural web of life. Until these changes are made, environmentalism will be inaccessible to people of colour, and we as a society, will be unable to make the changes that are so desperately needed in order to save Mother Earth.

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Nintendo at E3 Breaking Records, Smashing Games As a kid, I had no choice but to be a Nintendo fan.

My Dad still had his old Calico system, which meant that I got to play the original Donkey Kong game, and I was given a Game Boy Advance at age six so that I could become hooked on Super Mario, Mario Kart and PokÊmon. I used to love going over to my godmother’s; her son had a Nintendo 64, and I could get in my fix of Super Smash Bros and the other classics that our generation looks back on with nostalgia. So, with my biases fully exposed, let me tell you how Nintendo destroyed their competition at E3 2018.

Nintendo has always been the biggest innovator when it comes to consoles, even if they have in the past not sold as many GameCubes and Wiis as their competitors have sold X-Boxes and

PlayStations. But with the release of the Switch, sales have skyrocketed, records have been broken and the industry game has changed. A handheld and traditional console in one? With not a greatly discernible difference moving from one mode to another? Unprecedented.

For the first time as well, Nintendo has opened their arms to third party game developers, and a large part of the E3 presentation was dedicated to demonstrating just how many of these games were available on the Switch system. Sporting franchises FIFA and NBA 2K make an appearance, alongside frustration inducing Dark Souls, and indie games galore. There seemed to be something that looked like Gundam warriors, and a crossover anime fighting game with Goku, Luffie and Naruto.

Thomas Coltrona 34

Perhaps most importantly, they’ve capitalised on the Battle Royale popularity by porting Fortnite from PC. Now they can keep the kids who traditionally start on Nintendo consoles from ever having to switch over (pun intended)!

But it wasn’t just newcomers on show. We got the latest edition of Mario Party, the announcement of Xenoblade 2 and Splatoon 2 DLC, the name of the next Fire Emblem game, and more insight into the new Metroid game. Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee, due to be released in November also got a run. This is a tie-in game to Pokémon Go which Nintendo was probably contractually obliged to make. It will be interesting to see if the game can save the mobile app from its fall-offa-cliff drop in popularity after taking the world by storm. It certainly doesn’t look anything like a traditional Pokémon game down from the catching mechanics to how the story looks to be set out. I am sad that the first Pokémon game on the Switch won’t be the Generation 8 games, but also I consider that Nintendo might be using this as a testing opportunity to help enable Game Freak (game developers of Pokémon) to make a stellar game with never before seen content and mechanics. I’m hopeful.

I am stalling here, because what really stole the show and put the jewel in the crown of Nintendo’s E3-winning performance was the more than half an hour showcase and announcement of Super Smash Bros Ultimate. The Smash Bros franchise has been a key part of every standalone console that Nintendo has made since the 64. Created by Masahiro Sakurai, for those who don’t know, the game pits all of Nintendo’s beloved characters (and some third party ones) against each other in a beat-em-up fighting game. In fact, some of Nintendo’s characters are known more for their appearance in Smash Bros games as opposed to their own franchises. Star Fox, the Fire Emblem characters and Samus come to mind.

For the uninitiated, Smash Bros announcements are traditionally framed in a hype train style, as fans anxiously try to figure out if their favourite characters are back in the next game, or if one of the newcomers is the one they have been waiting for forever. Nintendo embraced this at E3, even adding a joke slide saying “The End” fairly early within the Smash Bros segment. Then we hit the roster announcement trailer. Mario comes out of his warp pipe to the beginning of amazingly orchestrated music, which is the new theme of the game. The

animation style and art look similar to Smash Bros for Wii U, but also is of enormously better quality.

Battlefield, a fighting stage in every game, looks beautiful. Tension is high. Then we see a lot of the usual suspects from previous games: Fox, Samus, Kirby, Marth. But then we see some fighters from previous games that weren’t in the last one: Ice Climbers and Pokemon Trainer are back! We’re getting hyped up now. Previous DLC and third party characters, Mewtwo, Cloud and Bayonetta, are back and will be free. Hell yeah! The music comes to a crescendo and pauses. Solid Snake appears on the screen accompanied by the words “EVERYONE IS HERE”. Everyone has lost their minds! The music begins again and continues to build, as we see every single character from every single previous Smash Bros game appears in front of us. Pichu, Young Link, Star Wolf, all back looking better than ever. Some people are no doubt crying! And then we see the name, Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Nintendo’s win of E3 is complete.

Some notes to add concerning the game. Picking Snake to be the point in the trailer to overload the hype is perfect because he was a character never expected to ever be back in the game. Not only is he owned by Konami, who doesn’t have a great relationship with Nintendo at the moment, but the studio aren’t even willing to use his IP to make games themselves. If Snake was back, then truly everyone would be back. We also got two new character announcements. Inkling from Splatoon helps promote a game with a traditionally Japanese player and fanbase to the Western world, and Ridley, Samus’s arch-nemesis has been requested by fans to be in Smash for years. Sakurai has also changed the game to cater to the quite large competitive esport scene, by tweaking shield and air-dodging mechanics, as well as knockback and landing lag, if that means anything to anyone.

To summarise this game, it is a celebration of the Smash Bros franchise. It is “the” ultimate Smash Bros game. It is also perhaps the last game that Sakurai, its creator, will ever work on before it is taken in a new direction. It is also a huge coup in terms of Nintendo keeping so many third party characters in the game, and perhaps goes towards this brand new inclusiveness it has espoused towards these game studios. The only question I have for this game now is will this be enough to make me purchase a Switch as a now 22-year-old adult? If you’re looking to get a new console, I’m not sure there’s really a better choice at the moment.

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Words with UniBank General Manager Mike Lanzing Laney Kunum

Before they relocated to their current office in West Perth, many of us would have walked or driven past the UniBank branch on Broadway, unaware that UniBank was born out of the Chemistry Department right here at UWA way back in 1964, and has since grown to be a network of over 10,000 university staff, students, and graduates.

Laney Kunum asked UniBank’s General Manager Mike Lanzing a few questions about the UniBank Social Spending report, including how we can go about #FightingFOMO and ensuring our student budgets remain unbroken.

LK: Convenience is key, but it is also the culprit. The seamlessness of social media is cited by students as a major contributor to their online spending.

As such, would you agree that the “tap and go” culture, while providing substantial convenience, also desensitizes us from the financial effects of our spending?

Laney Kunum: The students surveyed in this report were predominantly from New South Wales and Victoria – only 17% were from WA. Given your research on social media spending across Australia, how do you think Western Australia compares to the other states?

ML: “Tap and go” convenience as a key and culprit is a great way of summarising the issue. “Tap and go” definitely makes our lives easier and less stressful when it comes to the basic payment function, that’s a good thing. Despite this, there is certainly existing evidence that taking out cash is an effective way of tangibly understanding how much you spend, versus solely using “tap and go”.

Mike Lanzing: Whilst the lived student experience may vary from state to state, digital lives for students can be quite similar. Anecdotally, you’d expect differences in real life to drive differences in what we engage with online, but I think we also see very similar themes for students, like a love of travel and sharing experiences. Though there is certainly a cohort of students that restrict their time on social media, the majority are definitely happy to spend at least two to four hours a day across Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.

LK: Clearly, social media significantly impacts the lives of students on a daily basis, with the actual numbers showing the startling monetary effect on students. Of particular concern is the fact that 82% of students spend their money on non-essential items on social media, even though 28% purchase things they can’t afford and 32% ultimately regret the purchases they make. What is your advice on navigating the myriad of offerings on social media?

ML: At one level we live in a global economy and the opportunity to follow, engage and buy your favourite brands is a great thing. Of course, there’s a difference between a considered purchase and an impulse buy and the last thing you want is to be caught short at the end of the month. That’s why many of the best tips to avoid regretful spending are tried-and-true ways of stopping impulse spending. For instance, 36

always give yourself a day or so to consider purchases and figure out whether your purchase is a ‘want’ or a ‘need’ buy. Our research also showed 20% of students are savvy in spreading payments across a period of time by using ‘buy-now, pay-later’ services.

Used wisely within their interest-free period these services can be useful in spreading costs.

Having said that, forming a budget and sticking to it is always one of the most meaningful ways to manage your cash-flow. Just tracking your general spending for a month can be a real insight, that kind of active monitoring can counter-balance the potential to be desensitized in a “tap and go” culture.

LK: The report shows that 31% of students live within their means and take advantage of discounts, but 76% of students regularly find themselves under financial pressure. Considering these statistics, what are your top three tips for students with regards to budgeting and fostering a healthy attitude towards managing money?

ML: First, as your question alluded to, keeping an eye out for specials and discounts can provide savings.

Students we speak to who are across their money often wait for sales to buy items they really like.

Second, take control of your money. Tracking your spending for just a month can give you a really clear picture of where you need to spend and where you might be able to cut back.

Finally, do your research. There is power in doing your own research on financial products, it’s a skill we need to promote more in Australia. Finding the best service providers for your circumstances

can potentially save you hundreds of dollars a year.

Ask family and friends, if they have made money mistakes they can also help you avoid costly financial errors.

LK: Travel takes up almost 40% of student spending, with both European sojourns and study abroad being popular aspects of university life.

How does UniBank support students in this area?

ML: A big part of supporting students who want to travel comes down to providing low-fee everyday banking accounts, we have a number of innovations across our brand like our cash-passport that lets you carry multiple currencies that help with travel too.

But we do want to improve our service to students on this front, and we’re currently investigating potential for discounted travel options for students through third-parties. So we’re definitely still investigating how we can continue our support for students travelling abroad.

LK: On a personal note, you were Channel Distribution Manager for AMP Bank in the late 90s/ early 2000s right on the cusp of the internet/digital age, focusing on alternative methods of promoting products and services through alliances and the internet. Today, as GM of UniBank, were you personally surprised by the results of this Social Media Spending Report?

ML: When I was Channel Distribution Manager for AMP Bank we were certainly exploring the internet as a new way to promote our services, but online service and promotion was really in its infancy. While our team at the time felt the internet was going to pave the way for a digital future, we couldn’t have predicted that in under 20 years that mobile banking and social media would be ubiquitous across Australia.

Having said that, UniBank has been able to achieve our objectives in large part to embracing digital transformation. We have a great mobile app that allows members access to control their banking on the go.

LK: UniBank was recently named by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the Most Ethical Companies of 2018, one of only four banks in the world to be recognised as such. How important of an achievement is this to UniBank, especially postRoyal Banking Commission?

ML: It’s really important to us that we put our ethics at the forefront of our business – both in how we operate and how we treat customers.

Operationally, we’re a carbon-neutral bank and we don’t invest in fossil fuel polluters. As our members are both customers and shareholders, we don’t have a conflict between those two interests. All profits are invested in the bank to expand member service and experience, and build better products.

Of course, this is important in the moment of the Royal Commission, but it’s action we’ve been committed years before it was announced. For us, ethical practice and community investment has been an ongoing focus since our inception. We’ve been acting, not reacting in that regard.

LK: What do you believe sets UniBank apart from other banks in terms of understanding university life and its specific needs, and how would interested students go about joining UniBank?

ML: One of the beautiful things about customerowned banks and credit unions is that they are started by people who are passionate about helping others in their community, it’s about putting people first.

I think that’s still our biggest point of difference, members as sole shareholders and customers.

It means our purpose is not about short-term dividends, it’s the long term financial interests of our members. Our vision is to promote this model of mutual and ethical banking to all Australians in the university sector.

If anyone wants to join UniBank, you can check out their website www.unibank.com.au 37

Science is amazing. Although, I probably have to believe that because I’m four years into a sci-ence degree and it’s too late to turn back now. Whether you’re Brian Cox, or just someone who avidly follows NASA on Instagram for great space pictures, science has advanced the lives of everyone. However, saying that, due to the complex nature of some scientific concepts, what were once legit scientific facts can be muddled and misconstrued to become fictional scientific ‘facts’. Much like that politics essay you started at 5pm the night it was due, sometimes sci-ence can sound true even though it was really written by someone with no idea what they are talking about.

There are plenty of examples of this; people who disagree with 90% of the scientific communi-ty and maintain that climate change is a myth, or those who inexplicably decide it’s better par-enting to risk subjecting their child to a smallpox infection than to trust decades of medical re-search. But there is one extreme case of fictional science that outshines the rest.

The followers of this scientific ‘field’ don’t possess any qualifications, but spout science as if their lives depended on it; the Flat Earth Society.

It seems inconceivable that anyone living in 2018, with heightened access to the world’s store of knowledge, more so than any generation before, could get such a simple concept wrong. So, let’s debunk. Firstly, it is a really obvious fact that there are many people who have circumnav-igated the

earth though history. Surely these people would not be able to do this if the earth weren’t a sphere?

According to the FES, the planet is a disc that has the North Pole in the cen-tre, and the Antarctic all around the rim. Attempting to travel east or west leads you on a circu-lar route around the North Pole, as your compass will always point towards the centre. It is un-clear why no one has ever simply tried to sail south to find the edge, or why other forms of navigation would not work, but hey, they have some pretty good pseudo-logic going on here.

There are plenty of Flat Earthers who use their own experiments to illustrate just how easy it is to disprove hundreds of years of astronomy and physics. The ‘Bishop Experiment’, carried out in the Californian Monterey Bay, is often cited as evidence of the earth being flat. The experi-menter sat on one side of the bay and observed the other side through a telescope (pretty sus-picious behaviour if you ask me). The logic uses some form of geometric theory to reason that the curvature of the earth prevents one from seeing the beach on the other side of the 37km diameter bay. Coincidently, the experimenter refuses to say exactly where he made the obser-vation from, preventing this experiment from being repeated and proved (or more likely, disproved). Many independent citizens have conducted similar experiments all over the world only to show the opposite of what was observed in the ‘Bishop Experiment’. It seems a bit fishy, but it is of course, highly likely that everyone other than the original experimenter is a liar…

Savannah Victor

Pretending-the-Earth-is-Flat

for Dummies 38

Furthermore, we literally have photos from satellites that show the earth as a sphere; how could anyone refute this? Well, this is where it all gets a bit tinfoil hat. According to the FES, space travel is a conspiracy formulated by the US Government and NASA. Apparently, the ‘real’ purpose of NASA is to militarise space rather than explore it. FES believe that NASA have actu-ally failed in all attempts to make it to space and so have no idea what the shape of the earth is. But, rather than just say they have been unable to make it to space, NASA has constructed an elaborate hoax, faking massive leaps in astronomical science which were then used to shape our understanding and knowledge base about space. NASA have merely elaborated on ‘evidence’ that dates back to Ancient Greece, and has used that fake historical evidence to come to the same wrong conclusion that the rest of the world has come to.

NASA is perpetuat-ing a belief, not a fact, according to the Flat Earth Society.

If you want to keep up with the constantly changing theories around, and defence of, the Flat Earth Model, the FES has helpfully compiled everything you need to know on their website: www.tfes.org. I highly recommend checking it out and seeing how many arguments you can dismantle with things you learned in your Year 9 Science class.

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The narrative of the histoy of art follows the origin of art as a tool for communication that gradually became more sophisticated in regards to reproduction of the ‘real’ world. Following the mid-ninteenth century, the mimetic purpose of realistic painting and sculpture became threatened by the camera, spurred by the invention of the Daguerreotype in 1839, and artistic expression became an experimental tool to communicate a more abstract sense of the human condition.

Later, in the early twentieth century, the retreat from traditional one-point-perspective in modernist art confronted the viewer with a variety of ways of seeing at once. Picasso and Braque’s experiments in Cubism (1910s) attempted to represent an object from all of its possible viewpoints. This is the usually accepted evolution point of modern art into abstract form. The subject was now the painting itself, not what it stood in for. It was a break from the tradition of representation, insisting instead upon the presentation of the experience of the non-visual.

The Cubists were hyper-aware of the art of the past (Picasso made impressionist-style images in his youth), and in this act of breaking the picture plane they were metaphorically breaking with an inherited tradition. They were the original punks.

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As the story goes, this modern abstraction became the norm and was eventually collated back into the grand narrative: the history of art. A new way of breaking the narrative was needed.

Andy Warhol begun the breaking of this narrative with his famous Campbell’s Soup (1968), a screenprint series that reacts to the commodity culture of American consumerism and the art market. He set up his studio as a place for creative production under the ironic title ‘The Factory.’ Warhol begun to make art in the service of artists and not the art collectors. By manufacturing his works as repeated prints, he directly disrupted the ability of his works to be collected as ‘unique’ objects.

Follwing Warhol, postmodern critique took aim at the tradition of art collecting and the art world.

Artists began to push the boundaries of what could be considered art, bringing new categories to the conversation: such as land art, performance art, socially engaged art, and other more ephemeral forms. These new categories of representation aimed to be uncategorizable by the institution.

Artists were pushing back against previous structural dynamics that perpetuated the culture in which they were participating.

Rosalind Krauss’ essay Sculpture in the Expanded Field (1979) presents an analysis of a collection of artworks, theorised under this postmodern critique of the institutions. Krauss believes that a handful of artists working with land manipulation were making art in critique of the collecting impulse. Their art was large-scale and poignantly situated outside of the art gallery setting, existing in the realms between architecture and non-architecture, and art and nonart.

Smithson’s spiral jetty is a piece of architecture that is not architecture, formed by human intervention on the landscape, referencing ideas larger than the work itself. Here we are asked to consider what the artwork actually is: the sketch plans for the jetty?

The outcome of the spiral jetty itself? The labour required to construct such an unfathomable task? Is it the enormity of the work and what it stands for in its environment? Or simply, the photo reproduction that we know it by?

Allan McCollum made art that highlighted the act of making art which is now ironically collected back into the canon of art. McCollum’s piece, Collection of Forty Plaster Surrogates (1982) are meticulously hand-cast framed paintings whose

“image” is painted black. They are hung salon style on the gallery wall, and at first glance look like black canvases, however closer inspection reveals their bespoke nature, referencing the labour of art-making with a highly conceptual sensibility.

Here, McCollum is questioning the nature of art in society as well as in the gallery space by drawing on the art of the past and pushing the boundaries of representation beyond the painted surface.

It is this punk spirit that redefined what art could be in the face of the institution itself. These artists sought to both create and destroy the history of art, by taking art back from historicising force of the museum. They turned their perception of the past into the new historical narrative; one of inclusiveness and identity, seemingly free from the clutches of commodity culture and the consumptive art market.

Molly Werner

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The conflict starts in one of the preeminent powers of Europe at the time was the Holy Roman Empire (HRE). The HRE was complicated and it was Catholic. It was so complex that Voltaire once said that the Holy Roman Empire was neither Holy, nor Roman, nor an Empire. The beginning of the Thirty Years War rests around religion. At this time, faith and conflict were so heavily intertwined that the main political considerations of European powers often weren’t political at all - they were religious.

When continent-wide conflict broke out between Protestant and Catholic forces, your allegiance was supposed to be determined by spiritual unity.

But Catholic France entered the war against the Catholic HRE, completely abandoning the accepted rules of how the world was supposed to work. In many ways, this break from norms marked the beginning of what we understand as the modern international system.

Cormac Power

THE THIRTY YEARS WAR AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Does It Need To Break Before We Fix It? 42

The international system has evolved in response to times when it was at its most broken. That all started with the Thirty Years War. As anyone who has ever taken an international relations course can tell you, the modern international system starts with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. What is often missed in this same discussion is an assessment of how and why this system came about and the struggles it took to get there. Indeed it is those struggles, more than the inherent strength of the systems they are replaced with, that seem to define the way our world works.

With the end of the war, Europe emerged completely broken. Many regions had lost nearly a third of their population to famine and conflict, and the entire system of politics had collapsed. The Peace of Westphalia emerged from this rubble, creating the notion of state sovereignty. The state, not an empire or religious affiliation became the building block of European society. To each their own – a brilliant system. Infallible even! That is until revolutionary fervour swept the content in the French Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars. The French came as close to dominating all

of Europe as anyone had in nearly 1000 years and upended the whole system in a fit of revolutionary fervour.

How to respond to this change? Westphalian sovereignty clearly wasn’t enough and it was decided to institutionalise a balance of power system, where all the powerful states would agree to preserve the existing order. If any one argument got a bit too hectic, the threat of all the other powers stepping in as a coalition prevented such anyone from even trying to go too far e.g. the Crimean War. This was known as the Congress of Vienna, and for a little while it worked really well! With Britain patrolling the seas and Russia’s enormous size and strength, it was thought that this fear would be enough to prevent a small dispute from snowballing in to something much worse. In many cases, it was!

Alliances would constantly change and shift and the system was adaptable. But when France became absolutely shit scared of Germany after getting their ass handed to them in the Franco-Prussian War, these alliances stopped being fluid. France and Russia signed an alliance, Britain stepped back onto the continent and Europe tied itself into a web. World War I firmly put an end to this system of alliances, plunging the continent into the worst war it had ever faced.

Coming out of World War I, Europe once again found itself with a system of international relations without precedent. The Ottoman, Russian and Austrian empires all stopped existing and everything was up in the air. In trying to put together a new system of ‘how to not have another World War’, the negotiations at Versailles faced the issue of putting a broken continent back together again. With the advent of the League of Nations, the world decided to ban war and to make sure that no country went to war by talking about it instead! But who is going to prevent someone from simply going to war? They faced the same issue as the Congress of Vienna. Except this time, they didn’t even have major powers to keep everyone in line. Of the states left to manage post-war Europe, Austria and Russia

had completely descended into chaos, Germany was being blamed for the whole mess, the UK was not really keen to be involved in continental affairs anymore and France was both drained and pretty damn bitter at Germany. There emerged an entirely broken system, where the League of Nations talked about a rules-based order of international law while doing absolutely nothing to enforce that order. It didn’t take long for the house of cards to completely crumble once more.

Coming out of World War II, Europe found itself physically and politically broken beyond repair. The United States and the Soviet Union became the arbiters of their respective spheres of influence. The precarious balance of power that existed in the form of mutually assured destruction managed to prevail, but the Cuban Missile Crisis and other close calls show just how fragile this balance was. The United Nations, a much better, totally not the same thing, amazing new League of Nations, was to oversee the international order without any issues. But in trying to find the legitimacy that its predecessor lacked, it created a veto power that ultimately made it near impossible to uphold the principles it was built to protect. While no major war broke out in Europe, failure to act and prevent genocide in Rwanda and Yugoslavia shows just how fragile this new and improved system was.

With the end of the Cold War, we reach the system of international relations we have today. All of the progress and change in international relations since the Treaty of Westphalia has been shaped by the shattering of the international system. As we lament the issues that our current system fails to fix, it’s important to recognise where our current system comes from. It isn’t as much a product of well thought out and reasoned discussion as it is the end result of catastrophically falling apart again and again. Where’s the breaking point for our current system? I don’t have the answer to that, but let’s hope it doesn’t take thirty years of war to figure out.

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I broke up with my town I used to associate heart break with relationships; one person doing something awful, changing their mind or just not being able to cope anymore and walking out.

During the last eight weeks of my life, I have learnt that heart break isn’t just caused by people – it can be caused by places, too.

I made the decision to move towns in pursuit of a new job; a new life and a new start. Nothing in my old life was bad – it was actually quite the contrary.

I had a brilliant job, cosy house, adventure filled weekends and most importantly, the greatest group of friends I could hope to find in a small-ish, country town five hours north of Perth.

I spent 18 months in that incredible place and I chose to leave all of that behind. Not for one second do I regret it, but it has shocked me how ‘heartbroken’ I am.

I broke up with my town and my friends. I broke up with my favourite take-away restaurant and my awesome little IGA down the road. I broke up with the beaches and the wide-open spaces and the horrible January wind. I broke up with the streets I had become familiar with and the sound of the ocean from my bedroom.

I made a promise to stay in touch with my friends and I am determined to make sure we are still close for many years to come. I made promises to visit that town again and again, even though I now live 820 kilometres down the road and it might be logistically impossible. I made a promise to never let the memories from the past year-and-a-half of my life fade. But nothing will ever be the same, will it?

As much as we hope to all be back in that place together again, the odds are not in our favour.

Some of those ‘family members’ as I came to know them have already moved on, following in my

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footsteps and in the footsteps of those who moved on before me.

Some will stay long term, settling down with partners they met and becoming truly immersed in the community.

I’ve come to realise that you can never have it all.

You can’t stay in the same place forever but also experience the thrill of moving somewhere new. You can’t avoid losing wonderful friends if you want to make new ones in new places.

This heart break hit me hard – I didn’t really understand how much I loved those people and that town until it was all fading in my rear vision mirror. I left in such a flurry of excitement for things to come that I didn’t really take the time to say a proper goodbye.

For many of those amazing people – this was not goodbye. We have and will continue to see each other and reminisce on those adventures we had.

Those drunken nights we shared in the backyard of our rental house, playing the music so loud that our neighbours called the police. The time we got bogged and then un-bogged on a camping trip up the coast. When we spent an entire summer holding hands and jumping from the pontoon into the clear blue water. The nightclub, the rodeos, the brownies, the kebab shop and most importantly, that weekly tradition of grabbing Saturday brunch at one our favourite cafes.

There were happy times and just a handful of sad times. But one thing we will never have is all of us, together again in that same place.

It’s okay because there are so many more exciting times ahead. Some of those amazing friends have been offered new jobs and will move to new towns and I am crazy excited for them. Some have big plans in the works and some are just living their best damn life right where they are.

I have started to find my new ‘family members’ in my new town and host of awesome weekend adventures. I am getting to know my handy IGA store down the road and can navigate myself around the streets pretty well. This town feels the same in many ways, but different in others.

The heart break is real, but I am thankful, for it reminds me of what I am sure was one of the best adventures of my life. I am thankful that I took that leap and moved to that town in the first place. I learnt so many lessons about friendship and I learnt a lot about myself. Moving to a small, regional town is not for everybody but I am proud to be the kind of person that can rise to such a challenge. My friends were a vital support network, but I also achieved a lot through determination and independence.

BEING HEART-BROKEN COMES WITH THE TERRITORY AND WHILE RIGHT NOW ITS MAKING ME NEVER WANT TO MOVE AGAIN, I AM SURE I WILL. BECAUSE IT’S ALL PART OF LIFE AND I WANT TO LIVE THE BEST LIFE POSSIBLE. Thank you to all the people who made those 18 months what they were. It is tough some days waking up in this new place and realising I won’t be able to jump on my bike, ride down the hill and meet up with you all. But I hope you know what a powerful impact you have had on my life and I hope you cherish those days as much as I do.

Ellie Honeybone

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W OW

T! NEA O S

IL

OV ET HA TO NE

WOW

NO

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WA Y!

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I will be the first female paleontologist in Australia.

AN AUTOETHNOGRAPHY Eleanor Beidatsch

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It’s August 2016 and I am parked at the top of Lunatic Hill opal mine at Lightning Ridge.

Aptly named for me I think: how will a student so very physically disabled as myself contribute to citizen science here at this dig for opalized fossils in this remote desert town? I have travelled over three thousand kilometres from rural western Australia to the outback of NSW to unearth my dream of participating in a paleontological dig. I have had friends and family modify an old Mazda camper van and fabricate a hoist. I’ve been in the news.

My local Rotary clubs have helped with funding and my Gofundme campaign has had numerous contributors. Aussie Geo is here! I’ve got to make this work. The only thing I’m really feeling at present is how brilliant this whole thing is. I’m finally doing actual paleontology.

The landscape is so different: so rugged and intimidating. It feels almost unreal to be so far from home and excited as I am to be here, part of me cannot believe I actually am. Throughout the planning phase of this trip the oft asked question has been “what can you do at a dig?” I have a ventilator to breathe, a joystick I drive with one finger and constant carers to be my “hands”. Yet I am pioneering the role of a disabled person in citizen science field work. I will successfully break down the preconceptions of a person with a disability and what they can achieve.

During my journey to Lightning Ridge, I was researching citizen science and disabled participation for background information on the autoethnography I will write about this experience.

I learned that disabled people like myself have a limited role in the world of academia and an even smaller one in citizen science and volunteering in general. As a disabled student, I have noticed the absence of other people like me on campus. I am unique in all my class rooms and I am rare in my field. These are the stereotypes that I am eager to break by contributing to the success of the dig. This also changes perceptions of disabled participation in wider society. I have never met a preconception

that I couldn’t break! Starting back at the diagnosis of my disability: the most common genetic killer of children under two in the world, the doctors told my family that I would be dead by two. In 2018, I am 23 years old. This condition is degenerative yet I have travelled all across Australia to spend 12 hour days in the desert digging up fossilised opalized bones from the Cretaceous. I have not become weaker as I have aged. There have been many challenges and many setbacks in my life but I have overcome them all, just as I will overcome the challenges of this dig.

The first day of field work begins and I meet the other participants. We sit around large tables at the front of the huge work shed. The coordinators bring bags of rock and dirt from opal mines and tell us to search through for anything fossilised. It only takes a few minutes and I have uncovered a fossilised shell from the ancient Eromanga Sea. It is a perfect bivalve, appearing exactly as it would have in life but transformed by time into opal! Finding this shell was the proudest moment of my life!

TWO YEARS ON FROM LIGHTNING RIDGE, I FEEL STRONGER THAN EVER. THE DIG INSPIRED ME TO STUDY PALAEONTOLOGY, TO WRITE MY EXPERIENCES AND ONE DAY BECOME A SCIENCE JOURNALIST. I HAVE ALMOST COMPLETED MY AUTOETHNOGRAPHY, AND I AM AS EAGER AS EVER TO BREAK THROUGH BARRIERS, AND BECOME THE FIRST DISABLED FEMALE PALAEONTOLOGIST IN AUSTRALIA.

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Which BroKEN It’s your turn to pick what to eat, what are you picking? a. Thursday nights are yogurt nights baby, pass the Chobani! b. I’m taking my girl out for romantic candlelit dinner at a hot Italian restaurant c. Soybean steaks and wheatgerm pie, washed down with a hot cup of coffee d. Some spicy Gorgon soup made with fresh apple slugs

How would your friends describe you? a. Short-tempered and energetic, allergic to bees b. Intelligent, supportive, smells like plastic c. Wow!!! Oh wow! d. Cautious, focused, and very traditional

You’re stranded on a desert island, what’s the one thing you wish you had with you? a. My trusty tennis racket/fly swat b. All I need is my surfboard and my lady!

Describe your ideal Friday night a. A couple rounds of tennis, followed by some delicious guacamole

c. My badge, my gun and a little artificial sweetener to take the edge off d. May the force be with me

b. Trying out a new career like professional surfing, astronaughting or moonlighting as Edward from Twilight

What is your life motto?

c. Going undercover as part of a drug ring investigation

a. OH! THAT BEE IS LIVING MY LIFE! WHEN WILL THIS NIGHTMARE END!?

d. Mentoring young Jedis and working on my lightsaber skills

b. Come on Barbie, let’s go party! c. I like your style! d. Only a Sith deals in absolutes

What do you most value in a friend? a. That they are not a bee b. A good sense of humour and removable feet c. A good partner is better than a great friend d. Impressionability, loyalty, honesty, truth

What do you consider your biggest weakness? a. Bees, I’m allergic b. I can never quite seem to get out of my box c. Dirty criminals d. The Dark Side of the Force

What is your stand out quality? a. My rectangular jaw and tennis prowess b. My love for inventing, adaptability to any role and lack of genitals

Who is your spirit animal? a. A yappy pitbull

c. My easy going nature and sweet, sweet rides

b. A flashy peacock

d. My wisdom and sage teachings

c. A relaxed koala d. A wise owl

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are you?

Mostly A’s Congratulations! You got Ken from Bee Movie. You are highly intelligent and have the ability to manipulate just about anyone. You have a bit of a short fuse and can be argumentative. Although you do have some deep character flaws and a serious bee allergy that may hold you back, you are a skilled asset on the tennis court!

Mostly B’s Cowabunga dude! You got the Ken Carson doll. Going off any Barbie movie ever made, you’re a serious bro. You are adaptable and can balance many plates at once. You are caring, attentive and are always looking out for your better half. You have a knack for inventing and you’re a confident, loyal dreamer.

Mostly C’s Wow! You got Ken ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson from Starsky and Hutch. Unlike your macho police buddy Starsky, you are chill, fast and loose. You have a knack for going undercover and blending in. Your blonde hair and cool intellectual charm is hard to resist and you know how to take care of your body and the people you care about.

Mostly D’s Awesome! You got Obi Wan-KENobi (yeah we’re really reaching here). You are full of advice and smart thoughts to share. Younger people flock to you for direction and counselling. You can be reserved and traditional and you aren’t afraid to disagree. You value the pursuit of the greater good and you see the best in everyone.

Ava Cadee 51

It’s the beginning of January, and a hotel function room is heaving with people. Some are wearing obscure pieces of gaming merch and extravagant cosplay; some are dressed as simply as a passerby on the street. But most all of them are staring transfixed at the massive screen at the front of the room. A single player navigates his way with precision through a pixelated video game, each move controlled by the muscle memory of a thousand plays before. A group of commentators sit on a couch at the back, watching with focus. One of them provides explanation as the player remains glued to the screen in concentration.

‘NOW HE’S GOING TO ATTEMPT TO SKIP THE SEVENTH BOSS STAGE OF THE GAME ENTIRELY.’ The smallest of movements of the character on screen make all the difference; buttons pushed with absolute precision and practice help the game to warp, glitch and break apart. The crowd cheers loud as the character’s head clips through the walls of the map and into the next stage of the game, completely unscathed. For this world record speedrun, these precious seconds could make all the difference.

At its essence, speedrunning is about breaking games. Players will attempt to complete parts of a game in the shortest amount of time possible,

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without any assistance from tools, programs or emulators. Pure persistence and ingenuity leads to ‘runners’ – most of which are diehards of the particular game in question – figuring out the loopholes and weakest points of what would be, to the casual player, a well constructed game. It makes sense that even the most polished AAA level game would have flaws; certain keystrokes that lead to a character’s body glitching through a ceiling, or a way to jump over a wall that cuts across map travel time to only a few minutes. In a fatalistic way, games ain’t nothing more than a series of coded numbers and letters; there’s only so far that you can stretch that code into the shape of an escapist fantasy without it breaking at some points.

The question then becomes- how easily can those flaws and breaks be exploited?

An ‘100%’ speedrun requires that the player completes the game to its full potential. This means, for example, solving all the puzzle shrines in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, or collecting every strawberry whilst platforming through Celeste.

These types of run are technically brilliant in their own way, with efficiency and strategy the main keys to success. This is contrasted with an ‘Any%’ run, requiring completion of the game in the fastest time possible. The player doesn’t need to collect every items or complete every side quest – their single goal is to get from Start screen to end credits as quickly as possible. This is where the magic happens, and where games are smashed apart and put back together into a Frankenstein’s monster of its former self. Completing the game out of its

intended order, skipping over cutscenes, passing through boundaries or specifically triggering certain events to occur. A lot relies on luck, as each glitch generally has to occur within the game itself - you can’t touch any discs or wiggle any cartridges.

Bridget Rumball

Each run attempt is usually recorded, verified and logged on a leaderboard. Different communities have different prerequisites dependent on the game played, but the base concept is nonetheless the same. The current Any% record for Super Mario Odyssey sits at 1:01:28; popular indie game Enter the Gungeon has been completed in 11:50, and Portal 2 in 1:02:46. Even Wii Sports Resort gets a look in, with the record holder boasting a time of 16:48. If it can be played, it can be broken; and if it can be broken, it can be speedrun.

The art of speedrunning is no longer just a niche interest. The audience for runs have grown exponentially since the 2010 inception of Games Done Quick – a biannual gaming marathon where runners play for a week straight, demonstrating speedrunning prowess whilst raising serious coin for various charities such as Doctors Without Borders and the Prevent Cancer Foundation. The week is streamed live on gaming site Twitch, with spectators watching and donating live and players bantering back and forth with commentators. Whilst Games Done Quick has not been without its fair share of controversy, it continues to be one of the most wholesome things to emerge from of the usually toxic community of gaming and gamers. Funny that the act of breaking games can lead to something so put together, wholesome and collaborative.

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The Importance of Failure in Engineering

Make and Break: 54

“You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs.� The expression is often used as an excuse for collateral damage, but it holds a different and particular truth in the practice of engineering, which could be divided into several parts: innovation, design, and production. In each of these fields, failure is inherent to the process.

The invention of a commercially viable light bulb by Thomas Edison is famously described as a result of many failed attempts with different filament materials, including cotton, paper, and even bamboo. In this case, as in many others, the repeated failure of the inventor simply drew him closer to a solution; as potential but erroneous solutions are removed from the set of possibilities, the likelihood of future success increases. Repeated failure results in inevitable innovative success, given enough time and determination.

Engineering design is a generic process, regardless of scale (from nanobots to skyscrapers) or medium (be it wood or titanium). Below is a simplified version of the design process: 1. Start with a design 2. Test the current design against the requirements 3. Find the bit that breaks, or celebrate if nothing does 4. Alter the design in an attempt to remove the flaw 5. Go to step 2

George Knowlden

(Note that this design process never actually ends every downloaded and installed phone update is an engineer’s acknowledgement of this fact).

Without things breaking, design doesn’t progress. The phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” demonstrates this: why bother to update a design if it already works? “Chaos Engineering” is a new name for an old technique, whereby one actively stresses or cripples one’s product to test it in a simulation of real-world conditions. Accordingly, a discovered weakness is simply a target for further improvement. Therefore, in terms of design, the greater the number of uncovered failures, the better the final product.

In recent years, there has been a revival of interest and research into Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). These modern data analysis techniques bring failure to the forefront. When engineers attempt to measure the accuracy of a prediction, they measure the brokenness of their model. Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) learn by making countless millions of mistakes, constantly updating their own function until they can correctly label data. Just as a toddler learns to walk by falling, a DNN must learn to classify by failing.

Failure is an integral driving force of the engineering process. Whether it be during inevitable innovation, iterative design, or imperfect AI, engineers should make countless mistakes as part of best practice.

One must expect to break many eggs before one makes a tasty omelette.

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Concussions and CTE WHAT WE DON’T KNOW CAN AND WILL HURT US No doubt you’ve heard the words “American football” and “concussions” used in the same sentence at some point over the past ten years.

Despite this, you probably don’t quite understand the full extent concussions have on current and former NFL players. Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Nobody, not the NFL or the scientific community, fully understands the true impact on players yet.

And the scary thing is that concussions and CTE may be worse than we think. Much worse.

CTE, short for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, is a disease found in athletes, military veterans and other people who have had several head injuries. Early symptoms can be as small as headaches, confusion and dizziness but can get as severe as dementia, speech impediments, loss of coordination, deafness, depression and potentially increased risk of suicide. As of right now it can only be diagnosed after death through autopsy. There is no cure and only supportive treatment. In 2017, the Journal of American Medical Association studied 111 former NFL players. 110 had CTE. It has been found in players as young as seventeen.

Contrary to popular belief, CTE rarely develops after a single large concussion, rather through repeated smaller ‘microconcussions’. While sports bodies have gotten better at improving rules around obvious large collisions and concussions, the risk of CTE comes from players who don’t show signs of the impact of a large concussion and keep playing.

Then, over the course of a career they sustain several microconcussions that build up the damage.

CTE is most well known and understood from the perspective of the NFL. American football is a prime candidate for causing CTE as the nature of the sport involves repeated collisions between players, with several small head knocks being seemingly part and parcel of the game.

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As CTE is impossible to officially diagnose until after death with an autopsy, the full impacts of microconcussions have only been made clear since 2002. Since then, there have been repeated murders and suicides committed by current and former players, like Kansas City Chiefs player Jordan Belcher, who murdered his girlfriend and then killed himself in front of the team’s general manager. He was diagnosed with CTE after death. Some people also argue that OJ Simpson was also under the influence of CTE back in 1995.

The NFL historically, and continually seems to be part of the problem. The biggest sporting competition on the planet financially, and with expansions planned in London and parts of Europe, they have a vested interest in limiting the impacts of the CTE scandal. In the past there have been problems with a lack of independent medical assessment of players. Team doctors instead wanted to keep valuable players out on the park and ignored symptoms. The NFL has also stifled accurate research into the true impacts of head injuries and instead promoted alternative research playing down the effects.

In 2012, around 4,500 former players sued the NFL for compensation, reaching a settlement of $765 million dollars, which would go towards research, medical exams and compensating past players.

There have also been rule changes to discourage the use of a player’s head and financial penalties for those who don’t comply. Medical teams and research have become more independent.

It only makes sense that the fear of CTE and all of its controversy and financial impacts would spread across the Pacific to our own sports, like Cricket and AFL: The risk of CTE in Cricket is actually rather low because it rarely involves small repeated blows to

Matthew Maltman

the brain, rather sporadic, large hits to the head by fast bowlers bowling bouncers. Prime examples of this was the death of Phil Hughes in 2014 or a severe concussion to Chris Rogers in 2015. These were horrible, damaging hits and can cause brain damage or be deadly but the effects don’t fly under the radar like CTE. Australian rules is more unclear, with few (if any) known cases of CTE. There are less bumps to the head, but there is a very real possibility that it exists to an extent. The AFL is quite good at managing head injuries with independent doctors having power to outright ban players of playing ever again after a severe head injury. Most notably there was Brisbane Lions player Justin Clarke being forced to retire in 2016 after suffering a concussion at training. The AFL has also introduced concussion subs and has been generally supportive of players who have suffered repeated concussions like Angus Brayshaw. While the AFL is focused on concussions, whether a high-profile AFL player will be found to have had CTE in our lifetime remains to be seen.

CTE has also been prevalent in ice hockey, wrestling and MMA, with some cases found in rugby and soccer (particularly in players who were notable ‘headers’ of the ball), and a handful of cases have been found in baseball and extreme sports.

PERHAPS THE BIGGEST FEAR WE SHOULD HAVE ABOUT CTE IS THAT WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WE DON’T KNOW. WE DON’T KNOW WHETHER RULE CHANGES CAN HAVE LONG TERM BENEFITS OR WHETHER THE SPORTS THEMSELVES

WILL ALWAYS LEAD TO LONG TERM DAMAGE. AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE DON’T KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. Can a young child, putting on a helmet to play American Football for the first-time, consent to all the future risks that even the top scientists do not fully understand? Can you sit down a young NFL linebacker and honestly say: “Look, there’s a chance – we don’t know how high though – that you will develop a significant brain injury – which we don’t fully understand by the way. Oh, and we have no way of diagnosing you until you’re dead. Are you ok with this?” That linebacker just got dementia and depression and speech impediment. Would you take that for a million-dollar compensation from the NFL? He didn’t even have the choice, because he didn’t know the risks.

This is perhaps best summed up by former Detroit Lions player Ryan Stewart who said after some of the risks of CTE became apparent: “I would have used my head a whole lot less, or not at all, when it came to trying to make plays. But I was coached to do that. I did what I was coached to do, not knowing the ramifications that I’d be dealing with today.”

Part of what makes sport great is that people are prepared to put themselves and their bodies on the line, that they are prepared to push themselves to their very limits. To fans of the NFL or MMA there is nothing scarier than losing that contest, and the game that they love. What might be scarier, however, is that across America and the world there is perhaps another generation of children being taught to play games that will hurt them for the rest of their lives. And they don’t even know it.

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LOVE LETTER TO MY SUBURB

Dear Industrial Area,

Firstly, thanks for this morning. You know how I like it when you wake me up like that: with the windy whoosh of a car on the distant highway; a screeching chorus of rainbow birds as they fly towards the best view in Freo to hang upside down and flirt; a minuet squeaked on a violin from the neighboring music school, all slowed down and syncopated by its novice player. Warm streams of gold ascend on my face, dripping light around the grooves of my eye socket and down my chin. I swear I’ll never get curtains.

I’m writing you this letter, though, because we need to talk. I think you’ve realised by now that I don’t spend those Thursday and Sunday nights at yoga. That, when I return so late at night to your unofficial nature reserves – where barbed wire hems in classical weeds, and holes in fences invite dogs and their walkers to breathe the charged air from the electricity station – my skin does not taste of Bikram sweat. You have probably noticed the smells of trucky intersection fumes in my hair; the tiny bitumen nuggets that tickle the floor as I remove my sneakers. I’m afraid that it is exactly what it sounds like. I’ve been with that Other Part of Freo again. But I can explain. Please please please let me explain.

You’ve got to understand, I was born in that neighbourhood. From the hot day where I entered the world: in the front room, watched by my dog and serenaded by sounds of Play School drifting down the hall. Staying there until my twenty-first year, that place shaped me. If it weren’t for its closeness to everything-I-ever-wanted, by now I might be blowing pay-checks on rego and petrol instead of long, cheap, hungover lunches with friends.

Despite being bound by the same postcode, the two of you couldn’t be more different.

And the differences... well they get to me sometimes. Your quietness, for example. I know, I know, I shouldn’t complain. Michael is fab, and I’ll awlays be grateful to you for giving me a friendly billionaire next door, whose mineral water lap pool with the window in the side is always there and waiting for the days when housemates are too drunk to drive to the beach. But... it’s kind of weird having only one neighbour. Or maybe that’s just me. I miss the evening chatter across the road from mum’s, when all the rehabilitating ex-prisoners come out of their apartment for soup van dinner. I miss waking up at dad’s to noisy, jammy traffic tooting outside. And you really are too far from the beach... and the cheap fruit and veg... and the free samples from the markets and the movies and the bus stop where you never wait more than five minutes for a three-minute ride to the station: my personal savior when it’s raining or I’m late or my ankle’s rolled.

I’m so sorry for not being honest with you up until now. And I hope I haven’t hurt you to a point of no return. But... if I’m going to stay with you, you’re going to have to be okay with me having dinner at that Other Part of Freo twice a week. Just dinner, I swear. I do this because I love you. And I want things to work out between us. And for that to happen I can’t just pretend the first twenty-one years of my existence didn’t happen.

I really hope you understand, And I’m sorry, And I love you,

Alana X

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Poems by

emma

stokes THE GLASS BOTTLE OF WATER SMASHES ON THE GROUND. HOLDS OUT FOREARM, ‘WATCH THE GLASS DON’T STEP IN THE GLASS’

getting to know sadness by the river Sadness is a malleable thing. rustle through bag of [sea glass big pieces glasses case, wallet, phone, notebook, water bottle, keys] you won’t find what you’re looking for in there. under the distressed Poplar scarf wrapped the city sits tall and lit, watching from the other sidea numbness a familiar black night water can mould it like clay, into something can make your head fall and your body throb.

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light is dying on my face light is dying on my face my emotional body to me is more tangible

than

my flesh

body. blood orange is everywhere. splashed to the kitchen cupboard, shadow of the railing, the bottom of the sky – dust by the skirting boards, mandarin rind stripped off and arranged in a line. on the tip of my nose in a reflection on the table-top of my downturned forehead. you see it too even though you are behind me.

I am squashed ground of my juices overripe grapefruit pollutes the sky as I am pulverised

down by

the twist

of the wrist – without much of a word we will lay coiled and soft – one last time. in the night as we sleep for a change, very deep someone steals your red suitcase. light is dying on my face.

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Plucked Jen Bowden

CW: Sexual Assault, Harassment, Sexual Violence.

The tweezers grazed the paper-light skin of her eyebrow as she nudged the hair that she was aiming for. It flipped itself in and out of place. She frowned.

Finally the metal closed around it, nipping a little.

She pulled – a sharp movement that yanked the root out and she had it. She blew it into the sink.

Others lay there already, like moulted eyelashes unable to be used for wishes.

Balloons of all colours covered the floor in the corridor just as the leaves outside hid the paths.

She’d mentioned it to him earlier, a snatched conversation in his room. It had taken a few attempts to tell him. It hadn’t happened before and she didn’t know what to say. What he would say.

‘I missed a pill last night.’

‘Is that bad?’

‘Not bad...I realised but not until this morning so I’ve taken it nearly 12 hours late.’

‘Ok. Sorry I don’t know much about this stuff.’

‘Do you want to know though?’

‘Yeah of course.’ His eyes were sincere then, thoughtful, he’d always been good with this sort of thing.

‘I dunno. I’ve never missed one before and it said it should be fine as long as you take it again straight away but it does kind of reduce the amount of protection you have. I think. I’m not sure. So, if we have sex can we use a condom? Just this once?’

‘Yeah, no problem.’

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She’s always been a worrier, cautious about letting herself live, or risking herself. Now, more than ten years later she still remembered that night and the conversation, how it unsettled her even though there was nothing to worry about, really.

‘Three and a half years, nearly four.’

She’d been looking forward to tonight for a while.

A chance to get dressed up, have a few drinks. She reached into the cupboard and pulled out her makeup.

He held out his hand for her to pull him up and she laughed.

She hadn’t bothered too much, had done enough to make it look like she’d tried. The pill thing had thrown her. Put her on edge until it was time to take the next one, which she did with obsessive care.

He’d be up til late getting drunk until the small hours, talking shit about who and where and when.

She’d sit and nod while they laughed and bitched.

The party started, people buried under the balloons on the floor. She’d sat herself down away from his group, on the edge of another. Stubbornly staying put to show him how little she was enjoying herself.

She felt spiteful and uncomfortable.

One of his flatmates bumbled down. Plonked himself next to her.

‘Alright love?’

He raised his eyebrows, ‘Nice. Want another beer?’

‘Yeahhhh.’

On the way to the kitchen she tried to catch his eye.

He saw her, but looked away again, his face in that brief moment confused, unable to understand why she might be searching for him.

She found blusher the hardest, could never quite strike the balance between too much and too little.

It came down to practice and she hadn’t had much.

She blew a little off the brush, hoping this time she’d have more luck. Stroked it softly up, just under her cheekbones.

She’d go through phases where she’d do a full face, finding an excuse for it in a way other women didn’t seem to need to. Other times she’d go weeks without doing anything other than just washing her hair. Walking a line between decoration and bareness.

She was exhaustingly drunk now. The need for sleep pulling her body down until she felt the weight of it would collapse her legs.

‘Yeah.’ Stuck a smile on.

‘Yeah? You all right?’

He was wasted, talking in that obnoxious, half-laugh.

She cringed, felt sorry for him, knowing everyone could see his awkwardness.

‘Just a few deadlines.’

‘Nice.’ He pulled a face. She liked him, he was unconsciously good. When he got drunk he was kind, affable.

She went and sat next to him. He glanced at her, then turned back to the conversation.

‘Can we go to bed?’

Further down the corridor he was laughing loudly.

‘Why? Everyone else is still up.’

‘How long have you two been together now?’

‘Because I’m tired.’

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‘You go.’

‘I want to go with you.’

That caught his attention, she wasn’t sure why. His eyes stopped on her for a few moments.

She took the chance, took his hand, leading him to his room. Whistles and shouts followed them.

Inside she started rooting around for her t-shirt then gave up and grabbed one of his. He was watching, and as she started to undress he kissed her. She was exhausted but excitement tingled in her. They saw each other so little. She gave in and he kissed deeper, faster. Chatting and laughing roared outside the door.

They made little progress toward sleep. He persisted, she, still exhausted, was gentle about refusing but he’d held her. Pulled back looking drunken and confused.

He finally took off her bra. She felt exposed and exhausted, but keen. Was she keen? There’d been times before when she thought she’d been too tired but soon perked up.

She gave in and touched him back, pushing the unnerved feeling to the back of her head. It was probably just worry about the missed pill.

In bed he pressed up against her. She wasn’t ready yet, not quite. But he, as always, made the move, keen to get in. She stopped him, the cold of the room suddenly pricking into her skin despite the blanket.

‘Condom.’ She tried to use as few words as possible.

Not the sexiest thing to have to ask for, but she’d worry and fret until her next period, weeks away, if they didn’t.

He kept going. She pushed back.

‘We need a condom.’

‘Why did you want to come to bed then?’ he said.

‘To go to sleep…?’

‘Does it not feel nice?’ He looked goofy now, playing around.

‘I haven’t got any.’ A mumble, his head pressed in her shoulder.

‘What?’ The sharp fear in her, checking again.

‘I haven’t got any.’

‘Well, yeah.’ She grinned at him, kissed him. ‘I suppose I could stay awake...’

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‘Are you sure?’

He pressed on, trying to get rid of her bra, stumbling over the hooks like he always did. Over his shoulder she rolled her eyes. Three years and he still hadn’t figured it out.

He was pushing her now, nudging her legs open, holding himself ready.

‘We need a condom.’

‘Yeah.’

He didn’t answer. She couldn’t tell if it was because he was drunk or because he hadn’t heard or because he was too focused on what he was doing.

‘Then we should stop…I want to stop.’

She looked down. He was in nothing but his boxers, noticed he was hard under them. The sight filled her with nerves rather than excitement.

‘Can we not just do this instead…?’

‘Are you sure!?’

He played with her again then and it felt good.

He didn’t respond. He got closer, the tip nudging against her, warning her she was letting pleasure take over common sense.

‘No. We should stop.’

He pushed into her then and pleasure mixed with a strange kind of pain. She wracked her brains as he moved in her, trying to think if it would be ok without. Her brain raced and the pleasure started to dull as the friction from him increased.

She shifted under him, but couldn’t move. She started to panic, used all of her strength to flail away.

He looked at her, annoyed.

‘Come on, it’ll be fine.’

Started again, trying to work her up.

He turned her over and went in from behind.

Any pleasure she’d started to feel in those earlier moments disappeared. She felt weak under him.

He was concentrating now, going hard and her face was smashed into the pillow, his full weight on her.

She couldn’t breathe so turned her head to the side.

‘No.’ The voices from the party outside carried on, creeped into her head. She started to cry.

‘No, stop. We can’t.’

He muttered and kept humping, harder and harder, as he did when pleasure took over.

‘No.’ She didn’t know whether to fight, confusion brimming from the knowledge that this was someone she loved.

‘Stop.’

He was almost there now and the fear and panic and tears flowed out of every part of her. She found herself wondering why he hadn’t noticed. How he couldn’t feel, couldn’t sense that she was crying. His breathing got harder and she knew he was close.

‘Don’t come, don’t come inside me. Please, please don’t.’

But he thrusted, once, twice more then stopped.

She felt his dick throbbing in her, his heavy breathing on the side of her face. He lay there too long, then she felt the slip as he pulled out and turned over.

She stayed there, pretending to be ok. He didn’t ask.

She lay, face to his shoulder, the tears coming faster now, but made herself quiet.

A moment later his breathing deepened and she turned the other way, curled herself up. It was quiet, everyone had gone to bed.

The clock said 3:16am. She squeezed her eyes shut, the numbers floating red in the dark of her body.

Next to her he shuffled, shifted, put his arm around her stomach and pulled her close.

She looked down at the blister pack, picking the right pill for the day. It stuck in her throat and she grabbed some water to wash it down.

At first she’d told no one. But the world moved and people began to talk more, and with it came the realisation that what she’d thought was right.

The word came up and lay in her mind like a slug until one drunken night many, many years later she blurted it out. Said it without hesitation or misunderstanding. The shame and uncertainty, questions of fault and memory came clattering out of her and disappeared with that sound she made.

She put down the glass, empty now, the blister pack perfectly shattered on just the right day.

He was in the kitchen. She felt empty, shattered, but when he woke she laughed with him about the hangover. She felt too quiet, stormy inside and sick.

But he hadn’t noticed.

She’d showered and was almost dressed when she opened the drawer where she kept her moisturiser.

Five condoms mocked her from inside.

65 65

Pelican Editor(s) (usually a team of two) are appointed by the Guild each year prior to November 1st and tasked with putting out six to eight editions over the course of the academic year. You’ll also run the online production of content and get a swanky office to work out of.

WE WANT YOU

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN BEING THE EDITOR FOR 2019

WHAT IT TAKES 1) You live and breathe the Pelican magazine.

Making the magazine the most wanted and needed magazine on the UWA campus.

2) You will work hard to ensure that Pelican actively represents, showcases, and develops the talents of the UWA student body.

3) You will be passionate about the printed and online magazine 4) You will have outstanding communication skills – with the student community, contributors, media agents, and with industry professionals - and use this to ensure different viewpoints are sought and represented 5) You will need to be highly organised and have strong time management skills adhering to deadlines 6) You will need to have a strong vision for the design, content, and overall look and feel of the mag – building on what has come before and taking Pelican in directions previously thought unimaginable 7) You MUST be an enrolled as a student for 2019 8) Having experience in writing, editing, coordinating, design/formatting software and art direction can never hurt If this is your JAM get amongst it.

Candidates must have been Guild members for the last two years (or as long as they’ve been at UWA) and not have run in Guild Elections over the same period of time. They must also be enrolled as students for 2019. Pelican can be edited solo or as a duo. If applying as the later, you’ll need to demonstrate how you’ll divide up the workload and handle differences that most definitely will arise.

Important things to consider when applying: - How will you get students to pick up, enjoy, relate to, and get involved with all aspects of Pelican?

- How you can ensure Pelican actively represents, showcases, and develops the talents of the UWA student body? What risks are you willing to take to innovate what Pelican looks like moving forward?

- How will you uphold the traditions of Pelican dating back to 1929?

- How will you maintain a politically unbiased approach to issues on and off campus?

Applications must consist of: - A resume including references – due Monday 24th September 5pm in an email to marketing@guild. uwa.edu.au and pelican@guild.uwa.edu.au - A mock-up design based on articles we will provide to you which should be edited and designed in whichever way you see fit.

You must also note your availability to attend the interview panels due to take place on the week commencing 27th and 28th of September. Basically, keep yourself free from September 24th onwards!

If you are interested in applying contact Josh at pelican@guild.uwa.edu.au to receive the necessary resources and you can be on your way!

If you have any questions about the position or would like more information, shoot a message to pelican@guld.uwa.edu.au, have a chat to our current Editor Josh, email marketing@guild.uwa. edu.au, or stop by the Engagement Office.

GOOD LUCK! 66

PELICAN PODCAST YOU COULD BE LISTENING TO:

What’s up Doc:

Sit down with UWA’s leading academics and thinkers and uncover their area of speciality.

What’s up doc?

SIT DOWN WITH UWA’S LEADING ACADEMICS AND THINKERS AND UNCOVER THEIR AREA OF SPECIALITY.

PELICAN PODCAST YOU COULD BE LISTENING TO:

thicc queens in cars:

Two women of colour chat on their drive to uni, derailed only by their GPS and laughing at their excellent jokes.

thicc queens in cars TWO WOMEN OF COLOUR CHAT ON THEIR DRIVE TO UNI, DERAILED ONLY BY THEIR GPS AND LAUGHING AT THEIR EXCELLENT JOKES.

PELICAN PODCAST YOU COULD BE LISTENING TO:

tortured artists aren’t:

Long form interviews with Perth artists and creatives about their practice.

tortured artists aren’t LONG FORM INTERVIEWS WITH PERTH ARTISTS AND CREATIVES ABOUT THEIR PRACTICE.

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THESE PODCASTS FROM LIBSYN

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OGM JOIN US FOR THE

THE GUILD’S ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING SEMESTER 2, 2018

TUESDAY 23 OCTOBER // 1:00PM THE REFECTORY

Registration starts from 12:30pm All Guild Members are invited to attend the Semester#2 OGM. Motions must be received by Tuesday 9 October by the Guild Secretary, Jacob Fowler.

Please email Motions to secretary@guild.uwa.edu.au and CC administration@guild.uwa.edu.au.

Agenda will be published for review on Tuesday 16 October.

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