Pelican Volume 90 Edition 1

20 FRESHER ADVICE 08 FROM LECTURERS WORDS WITH YUNGBLUD

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WHY THE ADVENT OF CLEAN ENERGY WILL NOT SAVE EARTH

Booladarlung I Edition 1 I Volume 90. I Feb 2019 I EST. 1929

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PRES SOPHI SUSI TORIAL ITORIAL

Heya and welcome back. Whether this is your first semester or your thirteenth, I hope that it’s a really great one.

My name is Conrad, I am the Guild President this year. That means I do a lot of boring stuff to advocate to you – writing reports, advocating in meetings, answering emails – but I also get to do a lot of fun stuff to make student life as good as possible.

There’s a lot happening on campus at UWA, with over 180 clubs, as well as Guild departments, volunteering, college life, and (of course) the Pelican. UWA is consistently ranked as the best University in Australia for campus culture. My challenge to you is to go outside your comfort zone and try something new this semester – actually talk to that person in your tute that you’ve awkwardly smiled at for the last six weeks, go to that career event, grab your mates and head to a fun social event. There are opportunities all around, so grab them by the horns and have a good time.

The Guild is always here for you, so holler if we can help with anything.

Cheers, Conrad

TORIAL

In the first year of my degree, I admired the Head Editors of Pelican a lot. I was frightened to go to writer’s nights, scared to suggest any ideas and worried I didn’t know enough about indie Perth bands or obscure Japanese authors to get by. I didn’t have strong enough feelings about craft beer nor did I have any idea about what a BNOC was. I thought Pelican was about being super serious, artsy, and critical of everything.

Now, as a Head Editor myself, I realise it’s none of that. Or it shouldn’t be. In fact, sometimes, you just have to look at the ridiculousness of it all. Like how the Managing Director of the Guild can be delivering a super serious budget report in the Guild Council Room unaware that there is a pad stuck to the roof. Or how much I now know about email etiquette, paper stocks and the importance of business hours. The keys to this creative car have been well stuck in the ignition for some months now, and this little bundle of pages you hold in your hands is the product of it. I also want to thank my partner in crime, the wind beneath my Pelican wings, Susie. I’m glad we never let a little bit of Guild admin get in the way of us working together. Same goes for our fantastic crew of Sub Editors. So, watch as Pelican Magazine 2019 enters stage left with all the gusto and grace of a fresher at their first Uni Party. I hope you somehow play a part in it, too. Thank you for reading.

Sophie

I first stumbled across Pelican as a naïve fresher on the O-Day of ‘15. Delirious from the heat and my head buzzing from guzzling an excess of Dare and Redbull freebies – I was convinced I had unearthed ‘Nirvana’ in its tangible word form. Wide-eyed and mystified, I pledged to one day get published in this perfectly peculiar magazine.

Despite this, it wasn’t till 2016 that I actually mustered up enough courage to go to my first Writer’s Night. And even then, standing outside the door, fingertips on the handle, I almost turned right back. Except I entered; expecting to find a group of pretentious white dudes quoting Kerouac but instead found a group of wonderfully rad people. I made friends (like, my now co-editor, Sophie) and a ‘family’ that made the woes of this (never-ending and expensive) degree bearable. I found ‘my people’. And how my life grew. But I do kick myself, thinking, had I only walked through that door earlier, I would have saved myself a lot of heartache, friendless Fridays and awkward conversations, nodding and staring vacantly into empty cups. So, my dearest reader, whether you’re a fresher or long-timer, please don’t let my mistake be made in vain. Learn from it. Let this edition mark your beginning of entering the unknown.

Ask that girl out. Go to that party. Speak to that stranger. Make the first move.

Join that curious club. Find your people.

It takes one click. Just. Press. Enter.

Sometimes it’s the things that we fear, that bring us our best experiences and greatest gifts. We invite you to ENTER this new chapter of the magazine with us. Our door is always open - because you’re already welcome.

Infinite love, Susie

HEAD EDITORS: SOPHIE MINISSALE SUSANNAH CHARKEY

CONTRIBUTORS: X = Words, O = Art AVA CADEE X ELOISE SKOSS X

SUB EDITORS: ARTS: AIMEE DODDS & STIRLING KAIN CAMPUS NEWS: CAMERON CARR DIVERSITY: ELIZA HUSTON & ELANOR LEMAN FASHION: MAJA MARIC & SAMUEL WORLEY FILM: THOMAS TANG & DOMINIC KWACZYNSKI LIFESTYLE: AVA CADEE & ELOISE SKOSS LITERATURE: ASHA COUCH & LAURENT SHERVINGTON MUSIC: PATRICK ROSO POLITICS: JACOB MITCHELL & SHAMINA ROZARIO

ZOE CASTLEDEN X ELANOR LEMAN X ASHA COUCH X AIMEE DODDS X, O COHEN AUGUSTSTON X PATRICK ROSO X SHENADE TEVES O ISABEL BOOGAERDT X ROSE BELFORD X SUAAD MOHAMMED O CALLUM NOONE X, O MAX SILBERT X CAMERON CARR X

SCIENCE: ZOE CASTLEDEN & LACHLAN MACRAE

MAJA MARIC X

TECHNOLOGY AND GAMING: BAYLEY HORNE

MOLLY WERNER O

MEGAN DODD X JACOB BRINKWORTH X BAYLEY HORNE X SAM WORLEY X

The views expressed within this magazine are not the opinions of the UWA Student Guild or Pelican Editorial Staff but of the individual artists and writers.

The Pelican team acknowledges that the UWA Campus is located on the lands of the Whadjuck people of the Noongar nation who are the original story tellers and custodians of their land.

MIKE ANDERSON X JACOB MITCHELL X CONRAD HOGG X TONY LI X SAMANTHA LILL X NATASHA NICOLE O

pelicanmagazine.com.au/ fb.com/PelicanMagazine @pelicanmagazine pelican@guild.uwa.edu.au

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COVER ART BY SHENADE TEVES, @FELICIATHEBROKE DESIGNED BY XANDER SINCLAIR

CONTENTS 3 - Editorials and Presitorial 4 - Contributor and Subeditor List FEATURES 8 - Life Lessons from your Lecturers Zoe Castledon 40 - Words with Conrad Hogg, 106th Guild President Cameron Carr 49 - Pelican Personals 50 - The Official Pelican ‘Before You Graduate’ List LIFESTYLE 6 - Aunts in Agony Ava Cadee and Eloise Skoss 32 - Podcasts: The ENTERtainment Form That’s Blowing Up Isabel Boogaerd 18 - Enter 2019 with a Mission Cohen Augustston 26 - Little Fish, Big Pond Callum Noone DIVERSITY 10 - Entering a New Chapter Elanor Leman SCIENCE 44 - Why the Advent of Clean Energy Will Not Free Us From Environmental Struggles Tony Li FASHION 30 - Silly Thelma and the Student Designer Bean Stalk Maja Maric 38 - On the Public Catwalk Sam Worley TECHNOLOGY AND GAMING 12 - Enter the World of YouTube Gaming Bayley Horne 36 - Soulja Boy Has Entered The Game Bayley Horne 37 - An Ode to The Enter Key Maja Maric

LITERATURE 14 - Interview with Kate Noske Asha Couch 22 - Precipice Rose Belford ART 17 - How to Enter ALVA Aimee Dodds 23 - Unravel (60 x 80cm, oil on panel) Suaad Mohammed 24 - Enter the Art World with Molly Werner Megan Dodd 46 - Art That Makes You Enter a New Perspective Aninya Marzhol MUSIC 20 - Interview with YUNGBLUD Patrick Roso 47 - Thank U, Next Samantha Lill FILM 28 - Entering 2019 Through the World of Movies Max Silbert 34 - Australian Theatrical Film Distribution Must Enter a New Age Jacob Brinkworth POLITICS 41 - Barriers in Politics Mike Anderson 42 - Entering Politics at UWA, Interviews Jacob Mitchell SCIENCE 44 - Why the Advent of Clean Energy Will Not Free Us from Environmental Struggles Tony Li

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PELICAN’S AUNTS IN AGONY Eloise Skoss and Ava Cadee

Hi Aunts in Agony!

Hello Aunts in Agony,

I am currently living with a roommate from hell. They steal all my food, use my razors and the other day I came home and found them sleeping in my bed. I can’t keep living with this freak but I don’t want to give up my place - what should I do?

I am desperately in love with the cutest guy from one of my summer units. He’s so smart and dazzling!

Thanks!

Please help!

- Stressed and Hungry

- Crazy in Love

Hi there Stressed!

Greetings Crazy!

You’re experiencing a problem commonly faced by countless university students all over the world. The ‘shit roommate phenomenon’ is considered by some to be a rite of passage into adulthood, and serves as a gentle reminder that your unstable financial position prevents you from enjoying an ideal living arrangement.

Try adjusting your mindset about the situation instead; instead of seething with resentment every time your roommate steals your food, try taking it as a compliment that they enjoy your cooking! Perhaps they use your razors because unlike you, they can’t afford to buy Gillette, but they still want to support the dismantlement of toxic masculinity. Maybe by sleeping in your bed they are trying to make you a better person, encouraging empathy with those who do not have a place to sleep every night.

Instead of making the problem about them, you should undergo an attitude adjustment and realise that your whingeing is just another sign that the millennial disease is rampant in modern society. Suck it up, as your smashed avocado addiction will ensure you will not be leaving the share house market anytime soon. If after all that, you still can’t endure it – poison your leftovers, keep your razors nice and rusty and regularly wet the bed. You’ll be free to pee with the door open in no time.

In agony, Your Aunts

I really want to ask him on a study date but I’m so nervous! What do I say? Which library should we go to?

What do I do?

You must be desperate indeed if you’re falling for someone in your summer unit - anyone voluntarily doing uni over summer is surely brain damaged, or just incredibly lame. That being said, everyone deserves happiness, so your precious Aunty will be overjoyed to help you out. If he is super smart, your best bet for getting some one-on-one time with him will be to ask him to tutor you! Subtly compliment his knowledge and offer him a competitive hourly rate for a tutoring session. The private study rooms on Reid’s third floor are the best location, as their dingy and dimly lit interior will make an intimate and ambient study date atmosphere.

Study dates are notoriously ambiguous, so it’s important that when you are studying with your bookish beau that you demonstrate that your interest in him lies beyond his understanding of the sliding filament theory. Try adding some innuendos into your sentences- I’ve included some examples below: <<Him: During the excitation-contraction coupling phase, the sarcoplasmic reticulum is stimulated to release calcium ions. >>You: That’s not the only thing that is stimulated right now. <<Him: Myelinated nerve fibres are surrounded by an insulating sheath called myelin, which acts to speed up impulses. >>You: At the rate my impulses are speeding up, we’re going to need a sheath of a different kind shortly.

If all this goes to plan, you will successfully secure yourself some LCS and chill. If not, you’ll have spent $35/hr to be rejected, but you might pass your exam. Happy studying!

In total agony,

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Your Aunts FACT: UWA facts is back baby

Hey there Aunts in Agony,

Hiya Aunts in Agony,

Last week I accidentally locked myself in the Reid library showers. It is very stuffy and damp in here. Please somebody come get me. I keep calling for the cleaners but they never respond. I have consumed nothing but shower water for the past three days. I fear time is running out.

HURRY

I recently matched with this guy on Tinder, let’s call him ‘Tony’. We’ve been on a few dates and he seems really sweet, he dresses really well, and he has an amazing taste in wine. However, things are starting to seem a little fishy. Everywhere we go, three tall, dark Italian men follow us and people keep sending over drinks and steaks whenever we are out to eat. I’m worried he might be in the Mafia - What should I do?

- Naked and Afraid

Regards,

- Past-a My Limit Salutations Naked, What a predicament you have found yourself in! I didn’t realise anyone used those showers, let alone holidayed inside them! While I know emotions must be running high for you right now, I must remind you to not take your angst out on the cleaning staff. They do a marvellous job of keeping our university libraries clean and tidy, despite the best efforts of the all-nighter Reid crowd to create a biohazard red zone, but rescuing delusional students from shower cubicles simply isn’t in their job description.

Think about how you got into this situation. Visualise the process as you approached the shower, opened the door, stepped into the cubicle, and pulled the door closed behind you, and turned the lock. Now, do it in reverse.

This should solve the problem of your entrapment, but I don’t think anything can solve your total ineptitude in the problem-solving department.

In absolute agony, Your Aunts

Buongiorno Past-a, Congratulations on meeting such a suave gentleman!

While these occurrences certainly raise some questions, I wouldn’t automatically jump to the conclusion that he is involved with the Mob! Perhaps these men are just in awe of the picture-perfect couple you are, and simply want to thank you for reigniting their belief in the existence of love. Perhaps you were looking a little pale, and they sent over some steak to boost your iron levels- anaemia is a highly common affliction. I would suggest putting your Nancy Drew hat on and doing some detective work- gently question your date about his values, why he spends so much time with his relatives, and search for any clues that could confirm whether he is indeed a Family Man, or just a family man.

In excruciating agony, Your Aunts

WRITE TO US! This year, Pelican wants to reignite debate. Do you deeply disagree with the opinions in this magazine? Think it’s about time something at UWA changed? Our next issue will include Letters to the Editor, a ‘Devil’s Advocate’ column and good old campus rants. Send us a message! pelican@guild.uwa.edu.au I fb.com/PelicanMagazine I @pelicanmagazine FACT: There used to be a pad stuck on the Guild council room’s ceiling (this is actually true).

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BONUS MARKS:

LIFE LESSONS FROM

YOUR LECTURERS Zoe Castleden

Hey Freshers – listen to your lecturers. I mean, yeah, it is pretty important to learn exam content, but think beyond that.

They’ve seen waves of students come and go, marked hundreds of exams - and as hard as it may be to believe, they were once uni students too: Struggling with assignments, cramming for exams, and somehow managing to finish a degree without lecture capture. We asked the lecturers of some major first-year units what advice they had to give to freshers. This is what they said.

Leo Langa – ACCT1101 – Financial Accounting

Shasha Wang – MKTG1203 – Introduction to Marketing

They say there are 3 types of people in this world.

Are you ready for university life? It can be challenging and exciting. I would like to list some top challenges as well as give some suggestions.

Those who make it happen; those who watch it happen; and those that wonder what happened!

ACCT1101 can be very exciting and enjoyable if you are one of those people who make it happen and take the initiative and immerse yourself into the Financial Accounting material/readings early in the Semester.

Taking it from a personal perspective, money is not everything, but it is said to make the world go round. This unit will show you how to measure how much money your business earned, how you spent or distributed that money to the owners during the year and help determine whether the money was put to good use financially.

Firstly, learn how to learn. Use your Survival Guide: Unit Outlines, LMS resources (such as ‘assessments’ and ‘activities and resources’ sections), and STUDYSmarter.

Secondly, learn how to team up. Consider your commitments and responsibilities, and use other tips from STUDYSmarter.

Thirdly, learn how to manage your time smartly. Clearly define your learning goals and devote adequate time to them.

Your university life will be exciting! Here’s what not to miss out on: 1) Parties: The ones I can name include learning parties, exam and assignment preparation parties... and your real parties.

2) Clubs: They can keep you entertained while studying 3) New friends: They can be a strong support in your learning journey and even your whole lifetime 4) Volunteering: You can contribute to the community and build up your CV 5) Opportunities: You can apply your knowledge to solve real-world problems.

I wish you a successful, fruitful and exciting learning journey. I’m looking forward to seeing those who are interested in the marketing area.

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FACT: The Law therapy dog has the best self-care routine.

Jason Bell – PSYC1101 – Psychology – Mind and Brain Psychology teaches you how and why you and others think, feel and act the way that you do. Once you see that personal relevance, Psychology isn’t just another subject, it’s a path to insight.

Fiona O’Shea – ANHB1101 - Human Biology I: Becoming Human Studying 4 units per semester is equivalent to having a full-time job. If you need to do more than 8 hours per week paid employment then don’t overload yourself with units.

Be mindful of the census and withdrawal dates and be brutally honest with yourself. If you are struggling then reduce your study load or reconsider your workload. (3 units/semester still qualifies you as a full-time student.)

You can do anything, but you can’t do everything! Take your time, have fun, and enjoy your time at UWA. There is no rush; you will be out in the workforce soon enough!

Joseph Tomkins – ANIM1001 - The Darwinian Revolution Francesco Cangiano – MGMT1135 – Organisational Behaviour Being a student is in many ways similar to a full-time job.

Focus on building strong self-management skills and healthy study habits early on.

Most importantly, be proactive! Don’t wait for lecturers and tutors to chase you up, accept responsibility and take personal initiative with regards to assignments. Employers want proactive workers that can work without close supervision and don’t wait for problems to occur before taking action. Developing this skill will greatly enhance your employability.

Turn Up Mum and Dad have scrimped and saved, And at my school desk - how I slaved, To get a place at Uni. Everyone was oh so proud!

And little brother cheered out loud!

When I got my place at Uni. And now I’m here and settled in, I don’t quite know where to begin, Now I’ve got my place at Uni. Someone said: “the lecture class is a waste of time, ‘cause all the lectures are online.

Dunno’ why you stress your head, When you can watch lectures in your bed?

Why d’you even go in to Uni?” What that person doesn’t get, Is the massive feeling of regret, If they don’t turn up to Uni. Hundreds of people the same age as me, All young and smart and mentally free, Surround me at this Uni. In the workplace that won’t be true.

This is my last chance to enjoy the crew, Of like-minds here at Uni. So I still go to interactTo keep my social life intact…

And I’m enjoying Uni. (You see it in my grades.)

FACT: Your crush would dig it if you wrote for Pelican

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ENTERING A NEW CHAPTER Elanor Leman

Whether you’re fresh out of high school, returning for another year of Uni, or even a crusty old postgrad like me, a new year at UWA means... something. It’s a chance to make new friends, change direction, start afresh, embrace yourself. I usually dismiss ‘new year, new you’ platitudes, but last year I actually made a change in my life. I decided 2018 would be the year I stopped hiding. I came out fully and openly as transgender to the world at large.

From frantically changing my name in the UWA system the week before classes started to awkward conversations with lecturers, it was a nail biting experience - and yet, I couldn’t be happier with the decision - as it turns out, a new year really can bring a new you. So, for this first edition, I wanted to write about us, the students of the university. Share your stories about entering a new year and embracing, accepting, or understanding parts of yourselves that you didn’t previously. Enjoy.

Kyle Jayaseela and Wayne Adams Psychology, and Electrical Engineering Wayne: So basically, when we first got to Uni back in first year, there was I think just kind of people knowing each other, quite often like family friends, a big IndianSri Lankan community. People get to know each other, and so kind of at first you would just make a group chat, and then add all your I guess Indian/Sri Lankan mates, and then that kind of became your organising, like you know, whether we’d catch up with that group, so in there I’ve met some friends that have now carried on for the next four or five years. I think the difference there that Uni offered was that it’s such a bigger pool of people, so you can instantly have, you know, fifty people, fifty new mates all of a similar background to you, and very easy to connect with obviously because you have something big in common.

Kyle: I don’t know, it’s interesting. I don’t think I can ever really connect with someone just cause there’s shared heritage, probably because my background doesn’t really align with everyone else’s, so I wouldn’t really feel that like sense of commonality, you know. Because of my racial background, my blood and my actual parentage are really different, cause I’m Indian, but more Malaysian that anything, and I’m raised in Australia, so I don’t think racially, Uni connected me with more people. This is maybe a bit critical for the piece, but I think a lot of the more cultural backgrounds can be quite cliquey, and not

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very inclusionary, and like, I’m mixed, so I wasn’t really gonna blend well into that… but I think that’s more like any group.

Wayne: Yeah it can be more like, who you study with, and who you spend your time with, rather than anything else.

Kyle: I think for both of us like most of the friends were made through shared spaces, I mean it’s kind of a meme, but like, Reid is like the best place to connect with people Wayne: - yeah Kyle: - cause it’s the same people all the time, they come from all the different faculties.

Wayne: And I know for us we’re not picking and choosing, you know, we’re not picking and choosing based on cultural background. If there’s someone - regardless of what background - and you connect with them, then you’ll kind of, you know, be friends.

Kyle: But I think that shared values is what we would pick friendships based on.

Wayne: Yeah.

Kyle: And you’re more likely to have shared values based on cultural background.

FACT: The only thing broadening units broaden is your HECS debt

Laura Bullock Anatomy and Human Biology & French Honestly when I first came to UWA I still had long hair and didn’t even use the same words I use today to identify myself. It was like coming in as a blank slate because my time at Uni has definitely been pretty pivotal in shaping me into who I am now. I did know I was gay already, however. Because I already had the privilege of having supportive friends and family, as well as a strong sense of self-worth and self-assuredness, I never felt obliged to come out to anyone I met. I never hid who I was either, I just was — so I was always comfortable entering [new spaces]. I knew I was enough regardless of who I was — all the other words just fell into place later. I’m a proud Deaf butch non-binary lesbian (they/ them pronouns thank you very much!), and I owe figuring all that out to meeting the most wonderful diverse, encouraging, and strong friends through various Departments and Clubs. Shout out to the Women’s Department for showing me strength!

Ishita Mathur Embracing my identity as an Indian woman, and seeing the importance of aligning myself publicly with other women of colour was a slow process but once it began, I found a vibrant and defiant community of people who taught me so much. I have found the feminism of UWA too often to be overly white but the women of colour I have found have enabled me to create my own spaces, and I have also helped cultivate those further by editing for both Damsel and Pelican in separate roles. Writing is an avenue that has allowed me to enter the world of social justice and awareness in a more confident, accessible and meaningful manner. I can only hope that 2019 allows me to further develop my knowledge of the world around me, and gives me more opportunities to impact it in a positive way.

Wayne: That’s very true as well. It’s kind of good for that first step, you form that connection, but then, if you want to really connect with someone beyond that, you’ve got to have more in common.

Kyle: I think though, if you don’t talk about our exact cultural background, and you more just talk about our non-typical Australian one, I think it’s easier to connect with people who haven’t had the standard. If you look at the idea of maybe not like just Sri Lankans or Indians but you look at ethnics, right, there is a common culture between being not born and raised Australian or having immigrant parents. I think that is something I can relate to a lot more, than maybe the typical Indian experience.

Wayne: That’s true, there was a lot of that as well in first year, people kind of banding together for that same reason.

Kyle: Yeah like, there’s a bunch of people from like Chinese or Vietnamese backgrounds that you can relate to, because the parenting style of immigrant parents is kind of similar, or they would have had similar challenges, or the culture is different.

Rosemary Atwell English and Cultural Studies Uni isn’t just about pursuing knowledge and gaining qualifications in your chosen field, but an invitation to embrace curiosity – whether it be about yourself, today’s guest lecturer, or the contents of the book that would have been perfect for your presentation if it hadn’t already been borrowed by somebody else. The Uni campus must also be a thriving community environment for diversity and individuality, both of which should be promoted and supported with confidence and respect.

One of the best things about returning to study as a mature-age student is the opportunity to befriend many students of different ages, backgrounds and cultures and to once again fully engage with the liberating experience of just being curious. A loss of fervour and a disinclination to take risks too often become a familiar hallmark of maturity, which is why exploring my sense of identity, reinventing myself and constantly seeking out new possibilities to grow and shine are just some of the rewards that make me love being here.

FACT: Macca, the campus pig, is on Contiki

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ENTER THE WORLD OF YOUTUBE GAMING

Joshua Wong

I love video games. I caught the gaming bug during the Christmas of 1998. It was shaping up to be like any other Christmas, but little did I know that I was about to receive a gift that would infect me with a chronic case; a PlayStation console and a copy of Croc 2. Well, it was actually my parents’ gift to my brother, but the point remains – on that day, I became a gamer.

And I don’t just love playing video games. Whether it’s buying them, collecting them, displaying them, talking about them, reading about them or writing about them (as I am now) – if it involves video games, I’m interested.

However, as a child growing up in the 1990s – and in the isolation of Perth, no less – it was difficult to find anyone who shared my passion for the medium. Sure, I had those special friendships that were forged atop a couch with a pair of DualShock 2 controllers, but I knew nobody else who had thrice defeated Doctor Neo Cortex or had even heard of Sonic The Hedgehog. In those days, if you were looking for people with whom to share the joys of gaming, you were limited to the few relatives, friends or neighbours who happened to be gamers.

Things could not be more different for today’s gamers. Gaming is increasingly popular and mainstream – and the ability to play online with people living far and wide is an unspoken expectation of most multiplayer games. We can access a plethora of social media websites and applications through which video games can be discussed ad infinitum; some are marketed specifically to a gaming audience.

The platform that has had the biggest impact on the gaming community is the video-sharing website, YouTube. On YouTube, not only can video games be talked about but also shown to varying extents and in an assortment of increasingly creative formats. For example, a friend of mine recently claimed to have ‘finished’ Marvel’s Spider-Man for PlayStation 4.

After I astutely observed that he didn’t own a PlayStation 4 console, he explained to me that he had finished watching a series of playthrough videos uploaded by user jacksepticeye.

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FACT: Xander is the best designer in the universe

According to SuperData Research, my friend is but one of 701 million viewers who, in 2018, chose to experience video games in this way – that is, vicariously, through the creators of “gaming video content”. This year, that number is expected to surge by an estimated 42 million viewers.

Initially, I saw little appeal in watching videos of other people playing video games. But in 2010, I began following a small number of American creators (including cobanermani456 and TheCoDBrothersGaming) who played games like Ratchet & Clank and Super Mario Galaxy; the sort of games that I was obsessed with. I tuned in as they played and shared their thoughts on these games at the height of the ‘Let’s Play’ format’s popularity.

These ‘YouTube gamers’ were beacons to thousands of like-minded gamers who didn’t even know that the others existed. Finally, it was easy to find and connect with people who were passionate about the games that I was passionate about! I was inspired and started my own channel, ‘GamingAtOne’, in the hope that it would become a similar rallying point. That was seven years ago and my channel – since re-branded as ‘GameAndWongerz’ – has amassed a modest community of 900 gamers.

While I haven’t quite reached the heights of my mentors, my time as a YouTube gamer has been anything but a waste. In fact, it has been very rewarding! By setting myself as my target audience, my videos attract viewers with a similar taste in games to my own. This is how I’ve connected with gamers based in Perth, Tasmania, Copenhagen and even New York City. Occasionally, these people will also be YouTube gamers, and we’ll collaborate to produce videos about a game that we both like.

I’ve also picked up more technical skills than I know what to do with. This is a hobby that lives off of technology. At the very least, it needs a decent computer and internet connection. On top of those, I needed capture cards to record gameplay, microphones to record commentaries and software to edit videos with. It took a while to teach myself to use these devices and to edit (and it really shows in my earlier videos!). I was probably too ambitious at first – after all, a video about gaming can be as straightforward as playing through a game. But I had an advantage later on when I started creating films for classes at university – because I’d already learned the basic recording and editing skills.

Surprisingly, there are plenty of soft skills to be learned, too. If a video is particularly complicated, it can require as much hard work as a university assignment! My average viewer watches a video for only two minutes – so clear and concise communication during that time is critical to holding their interest! And of course, it takes planning, writing, time-managing and problem-solving skills just to upload these videos regularly.

There were also other perks. For a time, I was lucky enough to have my channel qualify for YouTube’s Partner Program. I received revenue generated from advertisements that were run alongside my popular videos. As my friends put it, I was “paid to play video games”. But before you drop out of university, it didn’t last for long and was a far cry from an income. As a Communication and Media Studies graduate, my channel is more valuable to me as a showcase to potential employers – a showcase of the technical skills that I’ve acquired over the years and perhaps even of my own personality.

If, like me, you struggle to keep your love of video games to the confines of sound and space, then you should think about entering the world of YouTube gaming. You’ll encounter hundreds of people with whom you can share that passion! And if you’re at all interested in a career in the media (or just fancy yourself the next PewDiePie), a YouTube channel is a valuable asset! But even if you’re neither of those things, dabbling in YouTube gaming is a proven way of learning transferable hard and soft skills while working on something that you’ve built and can be passionate about.

“I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE MY CHANNEL QUALIFY FOR YOUTUBE’S PARTNER PROGRAM.” FACT: James Cook led the First Fleet into Matilda Bay in 1787, and upon witnessing the lack of affordable healthy lunch options at UWA, rerouted to Port Jackson instead.

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ENTERING THE WORLD OF WRITING AN INTERVIEW WITH DR KATE NOSKE Interview: Asha Couch Kate Noske is a lecturer in Creative Writing and the editor of Westerly magazine at the University of Western Australia. Her research focuses on contemporary Australian place-making. She has been awarded the A.D. Hope Prize, twice received the Elyne Mitchell Prize for Rural Women Writers, and was shortlisted for the Dorothy Hewett Award (2015). Her first novel is forthcoming with Picador.

How did you get into the world of writing and editing?

The ‘world of writing and editing’ is huge, and there are many different pathways into it, as well as many different roles within. I got here by following my nose. I didn’t know, leaving school, what I wanted to do, or even what was possible. I knew the things I enjoyed, the subjects I loved studying, but had no idea how to turn them into a profession. So I took up a BA in the mode of exploration, trying out different versions of myself, and imagining different possibilities. In the end, I found I loved nothing more than English, and continuing on to an Honours year and then a PhD in creative writing became a way to fulfil that passion. Postgraduate research was a luxury, and a wonderful experience. I realised that part of what I was passionate about wasn’t just English and writing, but the research process as well. So I began to look at a career in academia, which is how I’ve ended up here. I moved to Perth to work within the English faculty editing Westerly, which is UWA’s creative writing and literary magazine. It was a chance to combine my love of work in the creative writing field while staying connected to the academic world, and still having some chance to continue researching. In 2017, I started lecturing as well.

My role now is wonderfully balanced across the ‘normal’ academic life of research and teaching, and alongside that, editing Westerly.

What did your ‘entry’ into the world of writing and editing look like? What was your first piece published?

I don’t know that I can pinpoint my moment of entry! It isn’t like there is a clear boundary to writing and editing, and there is no trumpet fanfare to mark arrival. And again, this is because the writing and editing world is so large

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and so diverse. It is an ecology, involving readers, writers, publishers, editors, designers, illustrators, and a whole array of different organisations like literary magazines, writers centres, libraries, bookshops, writing groups, spoken word… Entering the writing world can be a simple as being an avid reader. I spent a lot of time in libraries and bookshops as a kid – perhaps that was my ‘entry’.

But the first piece I had published was as a second-year student, in Verge – Monash University’s student anthology, like Tenderfoot here. (Now, all tertiary students across Australia can submit to Verge, and one of my students last year was accepted for publication there.) Then I went on to publish a couple of pieces in Lot’s Wife, which is Monash University’s student magazine, like Pelican.

Publications like this are really important for emerging writers. Once I had a couple of pieces published, I started to get more confident about developing my writing and submitting my work. ‘Enter’ isn’t always a static verb, an entry can be slow and ongoing. In other ways, I’m still ‘entering’ now.

What interests you about the WA writing scene? What prompted you to become involved with Westerly?

Westerly was a wonderful opportunity for me. It has a rich history of publication of over sixty years, and some of Australia’s most accomplished writers have appeared in its pages. The chance to work with a magazine with that legacy was too good to pass up. And for it to be attached to a university, where you know that there is going to be a dynamic group of lecturers and students all passionate about English and Literary Studies made it even more exciting. But I really knew nothing about the WA scene when I first moved over here, so I didn’t realise how wonderful the job was actually going to be.

FACT: UWA Faculty of Science will now be using tissue samples from freshers who forget their lab coats as lab specimens.

We are lucky in WA to have a sector which is diverse, active, collegial and supportive. IT has huge scope, from the peak body role of writingWA, advocating for literature, to the flourishing smaller organisations like OOTA Writers in Fremantle – an amazing writers’ group – and the local writers’ centres. It is also a highly welcoming scene, which makes it easy for people to get involved. I think this is what interests me most, and it seems to me to be an effect of Perth’s relative isolation. We have had to make our sector dynamic and collegial, to combat that.

What vision do you have for Westerly in the future?

When I started with Westerly, we did a lot of work in thinking about what the Magazine might become, and where it might go. The history it carries is important not only in and of itself, but as a form of social record – it traces the ideas and the forms of writing which were forefront in each decade of its publication. It also collects a legacy specifically of Western Australian writing – we aim for half the material published in each issue to be WA-written. So I want Westerly in the future to reflect the same – I want to show what is happening in writing in WA, and what is important to us. I’m also very keen for it to be a diverse and inclusive writing space. In 2016, we introduced an Editor for Indigenous Writing, and Dr Elfie Shiosaki from the School of Indigenous Studies is doing some wonderful things in that role. We’ve also introduced online publication, including Online Special Issues, which are designed as an ‘entry point’ for emerging writers and editors, a space for them to produce material important to them. (So if you have any ideas, get in touch!) We’re also trying to extend our connections with other magazines and organisations on the East coast and internationally, so that we can represent and support Western Australian writing being recognised by wider audiences. We have readers in every state, and in over twenty countries worldwide.

Discuss the entry into WA writing scene - is there more opportunity being in a comparatively smaller city, as opposed to New York, London etc?

There is different opportunity in being based in a smaller city. The benefit is that the sector is much closer – here in WA, you are much more likely to have the chance to make direct contact with a publisher or a high-level editor, and people are much more welcoming of new faces coming in. Something small, like getting involved in a local writers’ centre, can lead you to some really big opportunities here, because we are all working together much more closely than you’d find elsewhere. And when you start making good connections here, you’ll find you develop connections interstate as well. In a large city or a publishing centre like New York or London, (or Sydney and Melbourne here in Australia), you will be one of many.

There are possibly more opportunities, but there is also a

lot more competition, and a lot less help! The WA scene might be smaller, but it has a lot of possibilities for an emerging writer, and it punches above its weight on a national level.

Why is it that you place such a high emphasis on a sense of place in the writing that you publish?

I find place fascinating – and in particular, the manner in which the stories we tell can shape our places for us.

It shows us how powerful story and writing is, in ways that we underestimate. It is generally somewhere at the centre of my research – my PhD thesis involved looking at how we write landscape, and what it suggests about Australian society and culture, particularly in terms of colonialism. So partly, the emphasis on place in the writing I publish is a personal interest in that work. But I also think it is important for Westerly as a Western Australian magazine (and the only WA literary magazine) to consider carefully what it means to be here, living and working on this country. And for our office, our team, to consider the implications of working on Whadjuk Noongar Country in particular.

What about Western Australia inspires you in your writing?

We drove over the Nullarbor when we moved here, in a car packed to the gunnels with all our belongings. My partner got sick of me asking to stop the car so I could take photographs, and waxing lyrical about the scenery as we drove through. It is beautiful country, and I find that inspiring. It is also a place with a complex history, as writing like Kim Scott’s and Len Collard’s make clear.

And it has a complex present, with all the implications of our geographical positioning, connections to the Indian Ocean and Asia as well as the rest of Australia, the cultural and linguistic diversity of the community, the complex interrelations of mining interests, the sensitivity to ecological imperatives, and the wealth of biodiversity here… These things are all powerful and intrigue me in this place.

What do you consider to be some of the most important elements of creative writing when teaching your university students?

I have tried to structure the two main creative writing units here to move through what I see as the most essential aspects of creative writing – an ability to read as a writer (which is different to reading as anything else), a good basic skill-set in the tools of the trade, an awareness of the sector and what writing involves professionally, and an awareness of the diversity of possibilities in writing, the history of literary movements and the impact these have had on the way we write. Recognising that your writing style is the product of your social embeddedness is an important step – we don’t write like Shakespeare did, because the English language has progressed. And we are each individually informed by that progression.

FACT: Leaked WhatsApp messages from Conrad Hogg reveal plans to turn the Guild into a feudal system.

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But at the same time, we each experience the world in unique ways, and through the lens of unique experiences.

So every writer inherently has the opportunity to produce something new, something blindingly original as well. I think one of the most important elements of teaching creative writing here is encouraging students to explore through reading and see what it is they might contribute to history, to the progression of culture.

What avenues do you recommend for new WA writers to get their work out into the world? (literary journals, competitions, awards, publishing houses etc.)

It is important for new and emerging writers to start slow and build up your CV. The daydream of the publisher recognising your unpublished genius and offering you a five-book contract magically out of the blue is pretty rare – it isn’t a good business proposition for a publisher to risk everything like that! And publishers are working as businesses. So building a career slowly is important if you are looking to enter the writing world – it will demonstrate to a publisher that you are serious, that you are worth their time and investment. Starting with student magazines, with literary journals, with small local writing groups and competitions is very important. This also lets you make mistakes in an environment that will be forgiving, and that will help you learn. Experiencing rejection, experiencing the editing process for the first time, all these things are vital learning curves, and skills you need to be able to demonstrate. (Yes, rejection is definitely a skill!) So I would recommend emerging writers take advantage of the opportunities we have here at UWA, consider contributing to Pelican, and look for the writing organisations local to them. Get involved in a writers centre, or help volunteer in a writing group.

Would you be happy to tell us a little about the research you are currently working on or any creative pieces that are in the pipeline?

At the moment, I am working most on the final edits of my new novel, which will be published by Picador this year. It is a time-consuming and finicky part of the process, editing your own work, so I am trying to make the most of the summer to focus on it. Alongside, though, I am also working on a research project looking at Western Australian writer Randolph Stow. I have been studying and writing on Stow for almost three years now – he is a writer I find utterly fascinating, in that he seemed to reinvent his style of writing in each new novel. At the minute, I am reading the novels he wrote towards the end of his career in England, and considering the subtle connections he has embedded within them to the global space, and to Western Australia. He seems to me to use these connections to make what seem very localised stories much bigger than they appear at first glance.

If you could give one piece of sage advice to aspiring West Australian writers, what would it be?

Read! And there are many reasons for it. On a professional level, you need to know what is being published and where the industry is going, what style and forum of publication your work will best suit. But more vitally, on an intellectual level, you need to read to continue stretching and challenging yourself as a writer. The moment you stop reading is the moment you begin to stagnate. Reading is a way of ensuring vitality, of becoming dynamic as a writer. It also helps keep the love, and reminds you of why you are doing this in the first place. There is nothing more wonderful than stumbling across a piece of writing that seems to explain you somehow miraculously to yourself.

Why do you think it is important to involve young students in creative writing programs such as A Maze of Story?

Creative writing for young students is a powerful way to develop a sense of self. When you write, you are beginning to form the world around you through your imagining.

This can be essential for the confidence of young people.

A Maze of Story is a wonderful local organisation (always looking for volunteers!) who run workshops in schools for children who might otherwise miss out on this opportunity. They spend time with the students giving them the confidence to find their own voice. This isn’t just about writing – though that part of it is great. This is about giving people a way to express themselves. It is a really wonderful thing, to see the effects of that in a young student’s confidence and empowerment.

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To find out more, follow Kate Noske on Facebook @ catherinenoskewriter

FACT: Colour printing is expensive

HOW TO ENTER THE ALVA CAMPUS: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE Aimee Dodds

1. Reflect on your companionless existence and

come to regret all the unwitting choices that led you to be exactly where you are in this moment.

2. Find some accomplices to aid you on what is sure to be an unpropitious journey fraught with perils.

Recommended sources: • The Socialist Alternative • Thoreau himself • That weird cousin who lives in Perth • Tinder Gold • The guy in the fish van at Matilda Bay

3. Procure supplies.

You will need: • Pants that are 5 cm too short • Hair like Heath Ledger (doesn’t matter which film) • An unencumbered sense of pretentiousness Optional: • A decent referencing system

4. Leave a mark roughly every 7 km so as not to lose your way.

5.

Admire the immeasurable, sublime strangeness and commendable atrocities you encounter along the way – notable examples include college students, $6.50 coffee, and people who skateboard to Uni.

6.

Give up and call an Uber.

DISCLAIMER: This piece is intended to be a satire. The Faculty of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Visual Arts (Now called the School of Design or SOD, cos that’s definitely better) is very conveniently located – accessible via the intersection of Nobody Cares and Get Licked and Walk.

FACT: UWA facts returned by first ever unanimous vote of Guild Council

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ENTER 2019 WITH A MISSION Cohen Augustson

HOW CHANGING YOUR LIFESTYLE CAN HELP NEUTER GLOBAL WARMING UNTIL THE GOVERNMENT GETS ITS ACT TOGETHER As early as the nineteenth century, climate change has been attributed to changes in the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, mostly resultant from human activity. Over a century later, the science is effectively settled. Following the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2018 report (pretty much begging us to drastically reduce emissions in the next twelve years before things get really dire), it seems we’re up the tail end of shit’s creek. However, we may just have a paddle after all. As our government appears to be allergic to taking meaningful steps towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions to a suitable level, the task falls down to us.

The following are some steps you can personally take to reduce your climate contributions until the Government decides our planet is worth saving:

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1. CUT DOWN ON SINGLE-USE PLASTICS: Many corporations have recently mounted advertising campaigns around their own companies eliminating their single-use plastic straws in response to consumer demand. As horrible for the environment as the vast majority of these companies are, this is the direction we need to continue to move in. While cutting down on single-use plastic is paramount to the survival of ocean ecosystems anyway, it has a telling effect on the atmosphere too. Copious amounts of crude oil and other fossil fuels are processed in order to make products like straws and plastic bags, which are more often than not used only once before being thrown in with the sea turtles. To put the length of time these items take to decompose into perspective, think about the fact that if William Shakespeare had a McDonald’s Sprite while writing Romeo and Juliet, a dolphin could choke on his straw and die today. Here’s what you can do to help: buy a set of reusable straws, glass/ceramic keep-cups and reusable shopping bags to reduce how much plastic you use on a daily basis. Furthermore, making an effort not to buy products with ridiculous amounts of packaging does some good too. Cackle at the pre-peeled oranges wrapped in plastic as you reach for the sustainable alternative. Harshly reducing the use of these materials will create a wane in the demand for crude oil and coal, and the icebergs will thank you for what happens next. By choosing to reuse, your grandkids will applaud you, the glaciers will tell stories of your deeds and fossil fuels will curse your name as they retire into obscurity. Single use plastic? I don’t know her. Start 2019 off by being a bloody legend and just buy a (glass/ceramic) keep cup already.

FACT: Vice Chancellor confirms plans to turn James Oval into multi-level car park

2. EAT LESS MEAT:

3. ENTER THE POLITICAL ARENA:

I know exactly how I sound saying this – like the human embodiment of PETA, emerging from a cave in Margaret River to slap steak sandwiches out of peoples’ hands. So, I will preface this by making clear, no one is demanding that you completely veto meat from your diet if you don’t wish to do so, the recommendation is that you simply take steps to eat less meat. The livestock farming industry is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all the world’s cars, planes, boats and trains combined.

It is almost essential that if we are to meet the IPCC’s emissions target in the next eleven years, greenhouse gas contributions from the livestock industry must heavily decrease. Reducing meat consumption is important because livestock are notorious methane gas producers.

Methane, the “other greenhouse gas”, absorbs the Sun’s heat when released into the atmosphere, with devastating impacts on the global climate. Less meat consumption means less livestock, which eventually means less methane gas and a cooler planet. Limiting your meat consumption is easier than you think, and you can start simply by substituting meat in your favourite dishes for other options. For instance, next time you find yourself in a kebab shop at 3 am after a sweaty evening at the Ave, try ordering a falafel kebab instead of steak with the lot. It’s vegetarian and good shit. Make 2019 your year by going for two and five.

It is important to remember that everyday people contribute minimally to climate change, whereas 100 corporations count for up to as much as 71 per cent of global emissions. In addition, the biggest single polluter in the world is none other than the US military. Thinking about that, it seems trivial to ask your friends and family to try vegetarian alternatives and to switch their shopping bags out for reusables. The biggest impact that you can make on this issue is to enter political discussion and demand change from the top down. After the IPCC report came out, Environment Minister and former mining executive Melissa Price accused the peer-reviewed study performed by renowned global climate change scientists as “drawing a long bow”, essentially ignoring their findings. It’s clear that our federal government isn’t interested in combatting climate change unless they are physically forced to do so, so why not twist some arms? My next piece of lifestyle advice you didn’t ask for is to become politically active on this issue. Not sure where to start? UWA student Maduvanthi Venkatesan was successful in lodging a petition to the House of Representatives, urging them to put measures in place to further reduce carbon emissions before it’s too late.

While this particular petition has already gone before a Parliamentary Committee, there are countless others you can add your name to. Call your MP. Call your Senators.

Send the Prime Minister a strongly worded email. Join a protest. Vote out your Members of Parliament at this year’s election if they’re not serious about climate reform.

Because when politicians are funded by fossil fuel lobbyists, this movement has to be championed by us.

Start 2019 off by paying attention to what’s going on in Perth and Canberra and taking names.

Ask for your next drink out at dinner with no straw, then consider ordering the vegetarian option. Top it off with a little bit of participation in our nation’s democratic machine. While the list of steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint is the size of the Suez Canal, these three action points will arguably be the most effective.

The next eleven years hold the next millennium in the balance, so why not start now?

FACT: The Vice Chancellor is the admin of UWA confessions

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Interview by Pat Roso

WORDS WITH YUNGBLUD 20

Pat Roso (Music Editor) How’d you come about the name “Yungblud”?

To be honest I’ve always felt as if people expected me to say that I walked into a library and it hit me in the fookin’ face or some sort of mad metaphorical story about it being in the family heritage.

But nah man, I was the youngest guy on the agency’s roster and me manager always used to call me youngblood.

Dominic Harrison is just a little bit too polite ‘innit mate?

PR: Moving to London on your own at sixteen must’ve been pretty challenging. There’s a brief stint at Arts School and a couple of early attempts at finding your feet in the industry that didn’t quite pan out. How’d you manage to push through this sort of adversity, to today where you’ve got a debut album and an international tour?

Yeah man, where I was from it was hard. I have ADHD and all my life I was really opinionated and had a lot of energy, a lot of people misunderstood that and put me in a box. It’s quite suppressive if you want to be an artist and express yourself so I couldn’t wait for that move.

I was excited to go to Arts School, but it turned out they were worse! They was tellin’ me how I should write and play, how I should be as an artist.

That just didn’t fookin’ stick with me and it’s kind of made me the artist I am.

PR: Do you think that move down to London influenced your music?

One hundred per cent man. That move down there and the struggle, you know? My generation man, we’re so fookin’ intelligent and nobody can deny that. We genuinely care about the world we live in and give a fuck about the future, we see a future that we want to be a part of.

PR: Sexual assault, consent and the way we treat women is a pretty important issue across Australia politically and in the music industry at the moment. You’ve spoken a lot about the whole “lad” mentality that drives this and there’s Polygraph Eyes of course. What was it that prompted you to speak up?

It was a thing I grew up around when I was growin’ up.

It’s kinda’ the same as Australia, I had a fake ID growin’ up, so I was going to clubs as a fourteen-year-old. I would see what’s happening, see drunk girls stumbling out of clubs with boys that weren’t nearly as drunk as they were ya’ know? They’d put ‘em into cars and take ‘em home.

FACT: The Reid Moat once again made the UNESCO world heritage site list

The most fundamental fucked up thing about it was, to me, I didn’t realise how wrong it was until I grew up.

When you grow up in a society where that lad mentality is so vastly accepted you believe it’s okay. If Mum and Dad tell you the sky is fuckin’ green, then the sky is fuckin’ green for you.

PR: If you could take the time out and see any band live today, who would you go and see?

I wanted to create conversation, create awareness. It’s not right and it happens all the time, yet it’s not taken seriously. So, I wanted to create a song from a male perspective that would hit hard.

PR: Already? Shit.

PR: Guess that kinda’ puts your little collaboration with Thirteen Reasons Why into perspective then?

That show has got a lotta’ controversy about it but I like it man. Lotta’ folks say its triggering and glamorising, but to me, it’s what art should do. To highlight an issue or subject for people who would never otherwise relate to it.

Sure, it’s uncomfortable to watch, but it’s uncomfortable to not understand someone who’s going through these things. You need to recognise and relate to these things.

PR: Your old man ran a guitar shop back in the UK and I reckon it’s fair to say you’ve grown up around musical instruments in general, what with your grandad playing with T-Rex and all. Got a favourite old guitar or go to model that you love?

Shit, that’s the trouble you know? Rock and roll ain’t relatin’ to anyone anymore man. The Arctic Monkeys for instance man, they’re ten years old.

Yeah, it’s so isolated right now! It’s not movin’ anywhere, it’s not pushing forward. Rock right now is just full of middle-class white kids in leather jackets, so it’s gotta have a bit of fire again and a bit of energy! Put some fuckin’ passion back into it. That’s why hip hop is dominating, it’s saying something.

PR: Before you go, would you be able to share any plans for new music with us? Any little teasers?

Hell yeah, man! Single comin’ out in January, collaborations coming out! I wanna be a genre-bending disruptor. I want people to go fuck me, did YUNGBLUD do that? I wanna shock people. 2019 is my year man, there’s so much happening.

I want to make rock music relevant in every genre, I can’t tell ya who I’m collaborating with right now but it’s gonna shock people. Look out man.

Yeah, man, I grew up in that shit. I used to love playing with him, its weird in hindsight, but I grew up around ‘em. Couldn’t picture myself being a fookin’ accountant. I love looking at all these old guitars, they get me excited.

I’m such a fucking guitar nerd.

I’ve got a soft spot for an SG Junior.

FACT: Everyone has a Tim Winton story

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PRECIPICE Rose Belford

You’re on the precipice.

The edge of the ledge, Will you let yourself fall?

Or will you turn back?

Turn around, back down The mountain you suddenly Found yourself on.

I know it’s appealing, The thought that you could Stay.

Wait.

Lay down and look at the view, Look at the stars, Enjoy the moment.

But the ground is crumbling, The sun is coming undone; underneath Your feet you feel unstable.

You cannot stay here So where do you turn?

“You are drawn to the fall, It calls you to pour Out your inhibition And leap!

And later dancing in light, You might laugh: Why? Did you not run Headlong into the sunrise?”

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FACT: The water from UWA fountains raises your IQ

This piece is heavily inspired by my desire to strip away the conditioned and predetermined way of thinking hence the title ‘Unravel’. It’s predominately centered around entering a new state of awakening and grappling with what that entails. I have used a beanie to cover the subject’s face which is symbolic of the societal expectations/ norms that are often shoved down the throats of women especially. However, I have expressed this longing to dismantle years of social preconditioning by unwinding small sections of the beanie to reveal the subject’s face.

‘Unravel’, Oil on canvas, 2018, Suaad Mohammed 23

LITTLE FISH, BIG POND

Callum Noone

“Left. Right. Left. Take the second exit. Straight. You have arrived at your destination.”

As I look out at the Caltex my Uber has dropped me off at, I soak in the empty highway, lined by houses and footpaths that were not at all familiar. I look at my phone realise and that I have been dropped off somewhere 20 minutes in the opposite direction to where I wanted to be. The few beers and the expansive city had led me astray, leaving me lost somewhere new again.

Being born and raised in different country locations has allowed me to see how entering into the space of different communities feels. Boyuvp Brook, from my memory as an eight-year-old always felt expansive. There was opportunity to sit in harvesters and experience the land. Meanwhile, Margaret River is the not the country get-away that many of the tourists envision it to be. It is a space of development and expansion, encompassing the entire image that it is built up to be, as a beachside getaway.

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FACT: The Ref’s new food outlets: set to open Sem 1, 2034

The polar opposite rural experiences could of course be attributed to a young person who is constantly learning and viewing the world through developing lenses. However, over the past few years, I have driven back out to my birthplace and the surrounding country towns to take in the views that my Mum still loves. Looking at the businesses of the main street in Boyup Brook compared to that in Margaret River is like going from the remote Himalayas to the middle of Mumbai.

None of this compares, however, to what it was like as a country kid visiting the big city: Perth.

Perth for me as a child was a place of spoil, usually involving a visit to my grandparents at Christmas. Driving over the Narrows Bridge, looking up at the enormous towers, and hundreds of cars was an absolute trip. It always held such excitement and grandeur. This excitement persisted long after my move to the more developed Margaret River region, where, year on year, more cars and people can be seen.

As a young adult from the country, Perth seems like a place of opportunity, fun and the perfect escape from your parent’s house. I saw it that way exactly.

By the end of my gap year, I was ready to launch myself into the craziness of the city and experience the greater world rather than looking forward to when internet arrives that doesn’t drop out when there is a light shower.

Finally, moving to the city means you can go out and experience all it has to offer. The expanded nightlife, more people to meet, more places to go, and more ways to get into trouble. Over the past year, I have experienced all of this, and have enjoyed it more than words can describe. The move has exceeded all my hopes and expectations.

These are not the only thing I have experienced since entering into the ‘big smoke’. I have had many moments over the past year when things seem to ‘click’ into place or seen little things that put life in greater perspective. Every day you see hundreds of cars drive past, people hopping onto buses. You walk past shop fronts with people serving, people milling around, all converging together. For the first six months, it was a novelty watching all this happen on such a massive scale. Compared to that of Margaret River and Bridgetown, where you can walk down the main street and see 20 people you know and recognise, Perth was overwhelmingly large.

One day, however, sitting at a red light, I realised that I am that passing car to someone walking down the street. This opened up my mind, from being isolated by ego, to placing myself within the greater puzzle. Every single one of these people has a worry. Every single one has a history. Every single one will pass away like I will one day. This ‘click’ makes you feel so insignificant, as everyone goes about their own daily experiences of the world around them yet simultaneously alive, knowing that no one will have the exact same experience as I will, even within a city of nearly two million.

In my small country town, these thoughts never cross my mind. Everyone seems to know everyone and their business, but here all the different people are a mystery.

After a half an hour walk, and another Uber home, the Caltex in front of me now seemed a lot more in place, with Winthrop Hall in the distance, and the residential colleges lining the highway. As the Uber driver speeds away to his next ride, I watch as his taillights disappear into the distance and think to myself, “I wonder where he will end up?”

FACT: 2020 to see physical lectures phased out and replaced with VR simulations via LCS

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AN INTERVIEW WITH AN ARTS GRADUATE

MOLLY WERNER Interview By: Megan Dodd

Having recently graduated from a Bachelor of Design (Fine Arts & History of Art), Molly Werner was awarded one of four “Most Industry Ready” Artist” memberships from Artsource. This not only helps provide Molly with the resources she needs to broaden her work but also gives her the opportunity to refine her work in a three-month residency at Paper Mountain Gallery. Megan Dodd, on behalf of Pelican, sat down with Molly to discuss how she feels about ENTERing the art world in 2019.

Megan Dodd: As a recent graduate myself, I identify with the uncertainty that we are all facing and the looming pressure of the ‘real world’. How do you ensure that you stay grounded in the moment with your work and manage this pressure?

Molly Werner: I stay in the moment naturally I think – when I’m making work I just do it. I can’t help but think about whatever project I’m working on, it’s sort of all-consuming. I’ve also been working in the theatre industry making costumes throughout my degree, so I think that helps. Some things I practise to manage stress are; writing stuff down, thinking things through, eating properly, yoga, planning my time, checking out occasionally, and tidying.

MD: Being ‘industry ready’ is a very interesting term.

What does that mean to you?

MW: I guess it means that Artsource and Paper Mountain are interested in what I’m making or saying and that I should keep doing it. I’m not sure that I feel ready just yet but it’s nice to be recognised for my work.

MD: As an emerging artist, what do you think are the most important lessons you have learnt, or what do you think will be some important lessons you are hoping to learn?

MW: As a student I have learned that to improve you must actively seek out advice, listen to and then implement criticism according to your truth. My work from last year was very much driven by a desire to use what I had already at my disposal, and I think utilising the resources that the school has to offer was the reason I was able to find some success. Going forward I’m looking to learn about more varied ways of making meaning and to share those experiences with others.

MD: Your artistic style is very inspired and unique. Are there any local artists or teachers that have particularly influenced your work?

MW: Mike Bianco has been a big influence on my work.

Since taking his sculpture unit in 2017 I have found his advice sound and his guidance genuine. Although his work conceptually different to mine, there is a witty sensibility to his style of communication that I find particularly refreshing.

MD: How do you think being awarded this membership and residency will prepare you to enter the art world?

How do you see yourself using this opportunity, and where do you think that it will take you?

MW: I want to work in public education in the future and so I’d love to use this opportunity to learn something I don’t already know, meet some new people and make more art things.

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FACT: Health science tutorials now at Albany campus to promote cross country running

FACT: If you jump the Reid Library moat, you will receive an on the spot honorary degree in being a loose unit 27

Entering into the new year, it seemed only fitting to enter the imagined worlds of movies set in 2019. The goal of this article is to see what filmmakers imagined the future would be like and to analyse how close their visions align with reality. There was a lot to cover, eleven films in total, and most of them were very average action movies, but if I can lay on my bed for three days straight and justify it as part of ‘research’ for an article I’m writing, I’m happy to put in the hard yards. Having emerged on the flipside, I’ve been able to whittle down my film research to four favourites that I have chosen to look at in more depth.

ENTERING 2019 THROUGH THE WORLD OF MOVIES Max Silbert

AKIRA, KATSUHIRO OTOMO (1988) Set 31 years after World War III in 2019, Neo Tokyo (a cyberpunk Sodom or Gomorrah) is stricken by unrest and the evils that late capitalism brings with it. Akira follows the story of a delinquent biker gang. After getting into an accident, Kamina, a member of the gang, is taken in by the military where he is subjected to strange medical tests. In order to help his friend and gain the favour of a strong revolutionary girl, Tetsuo attempts to save his friend but instead must stop him from awakening the unknown power that is AKIRA. This is one of the best animated movie ever made, full stop. If you haven’t watched it you are doing yourself an extreme disfavour as its global cultural impact on animation and storytelling cannot be understated.

WHAT IT GETS RIGHT: It predicted the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games, which will hopefully not be as disastrous as in the film. We also finally have laser beam guns. The Chinese military has created a weapon that shoots an invisible, silent beam that burns flesh from 1km away, that’s terrifying.

WHAT IT GETS WRONG: WW3 is predicted to happen in 1988 and although it looks like we could be getting around to finally getting the gang back together for a new World War, it has not yet happened. In this beautiful reality, the Soviet Union still exists (if only). There are these crazy, hover-bike things with Gatling guns on them, I want one.

Unfortunately, for all we can tell there’s no universal energy that flows through all of us and give you psychic energies. Reagan’s ‘Star Wars’ missile defense system was never created; the inspiration for the SOL (the satellite system used to vaporise targets from space with a big ol’ laser).

Japan in the 1980 was experiencing unchecked economic growth. Looking to 2019, Otomo envisions a future of sprawling cityscapes dressed in ever glowing neon lights. While visually stunning Otomo’s 2019 has an unclean air about it with a sprawling network of streets sewers and pipes. Neo Tokyo’s endless concrete and steel layers invoke a strong cyberpunk aesthetic populated with delinquent biker gangs, mad cultists and fervent revolutionaries For all is fleeting beauty Neo Tokyo has a dark underbelly.

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BLADE RUNNER, RIDLEY SCOTT (1982) Los Angeles 2019, 6 rogue replicants hijack a shuttle from the off-world colonies and return to Earth. In order to hunt down these dangerous androids, retired ‘blade runner’ Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is forcefully brought back to track down and ‘retire’ the Replicants. However, after meeting a next generation replicant named Rachael, who is far more human than her predecessors, Decker and the audience must question what it means to be human.

WHAT IT GETS RIGHT: People definitely, really want to have sex with robots. As gender and sexuality become more fluid, anything can happen in today’s age regarding the advancements in technology. Again, shoulder pads are just very good and should be brought back.

WHAT IT GETS WRONG: Androids, or Replicants as they are known, are not on par with our technology in our 2019. There are no off-world colonies that you could escape to, just this hell world unfortunately. Ridley Scott’s vision of a sprawling Los Angeles is not quite correct. The city has not been taken over by constant rain and darkness as well as Chinese and Japanese neon signs. Again, no flying cars. All TV and computer screens are still old CRT screens. Polaroids are just for posers like me and are not widely used anymore.

Everyone still uses payphones. Unfortunately, Atari does not enjoy the same success it did during the ‘80s. And yes okay, let’s acknowledge the elephant in the room. The sex scene between Decker and Rachael has aged terribly, really uncomfortable and would not be acceptable in 2019 and to be honest, really shouldn’t have been acceptable then.

Los Angeles 2019 an alien future where robots are almost indistinguishable from man. In Blade Runner’s 2019, Ridley Scott envisions a sprawling city enveloped by night, invoking a strong noir feel to the film. Scott also foresees a future wholly different to the America of the ‘80s dominated by Asian cultures especially Japan. Scott wanted his visions of LA to shock Americans showing the influence that globalism and the free movement of people and trade would have on America

FACT: The Guild is legally obligated to buy you a cake on your birthday

DAYBREAKERS, MICHAEL & PETER SPIERIG (2009) An Australian movie, Daybreakers is set in reality where the world population has become vampires. Well... not quite. They were given the option to assimilate or be hunted and harvested for their blood much like the humans were used as batteries by the machines in The Matrix. The entire of vampire society is now facing a crisis with there being a shortage of blood. Chief scientist of the vampires Edward, is tasked to find a substitute for human blood lest the whole vampire world starve.

WHAT IT GETS RIGHT: Biometric face scanning is used in many different ways today. They have the vampire equivalent of Google home.

WHAT IT GETS WRONG: So, this is a bit of a weird one, but a lot of future tech has been developed so that vampires can exist in sunlight like special cars with cameras and tinted windows, so they can drive at day. I’m not going to bother including all of the technological changes because they are completely contingent on the entire population being vampires.

Since everyone now lives and works at nighttime, everyone is dressed like a goth or like they are in a 1940s noir film (but that’s to say that in this future fashion has died). Tires that have the ability to re-inflate. Yet another Nokia brick phone sighted. Somehow most of these movies could predict holographic computers and flat screen TVs but the idea of a smartphone really was just not on anyone’s radar.

The world of Daybreakers is one of darkness and night.

Living in fear of sunlight, large underground networks help the population avoid the perils of the day. The inability to do anything during daylight hours restricts the population, forcing them all to live in much closer proximity, leaving rural areas abandoned as there is also no longer any need for any food source but blood. This 2019 is a bleak future, the population is starving and literally going mad with hunger as they devolve into bat-like zombies from a lack of Blood. The last remaining humans seek refuge in the sunlight and hide far away during the night trying to gather numbers and live in peace.

THE ROAD, JOHN HILLCOAT (2009) A father and Son battle through a very beige, postapocalyptic America where most life has been wiped out by a nuclear holocaust. They must try and brave the nuclear winter on their quest to the coast with the environment not being the only hostile element…

Its cannibals, lots of cannibals. The tense relationship between Viggo Mortensen and his son Kodi Smit-McPhee carry the emotional weight of the film as the father does everything he can to equip him for the apocalypse.

WHAT IT GETS RIGHT: Even in the apocalypse there is nothing better than a Coke.

WHAT IT GETS WRONG: I feel like stating for every one of these movies that “no, the apocalypse hasn’t happened yet” is a bit of a cop out, but it truly hasn’t. Whole beige outfits have not caught on and I refuse to let it. Out of all the possible fad diets, cannibalism is yet to be popularised.

The Road’s 2019 is bleak, dark and dying. The few people are left have been forced to turn on themselves cannibalising others and treating them as if they were livestock. The cities, all but ruble and the natural world destroyed irreparably by nuclear winter. Life in The Road seems to all but coming to an end with little hope of ever recovering.

Ultimately, these four movies offer very diverse predictions of 2019. While their ability to predict the future may have been spotty at best, they still managed to offer visually striking renditions of the current year.

Whether it was the bleak futures of Daybreakers and The Road or the hauntingly beautiful megacities in Akira and Blade Runner, the rich and vivid worlds the films envisioned were each enticing in their own way.

FACT: Nobody in the philosophy department of UWA studies philosophy

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SILLY THELMA AND THE STUDENT DESIGNER BEAN STALK Interview by Maja Maric

Not letting the barriers of time and space stop her, fashion editor Maja Maric sat down for a quick interview with Psychology student and the creator of the groovyas brand Silly Thelma - Sarah Vrankovich. So hold on, as we climb up and enter into the elusive kingdom of student designers and their endeavours. These are their fashionable and funky stories.

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FACT: Level 3 Maths unit lecturer will buy a beer jug for every student who remains by the end of semester

How did you get started in creating your own brand and becoming a student designer?

I grew up watching “That’s So Raven”, which was honestly where my interest in fashion first started. I thought that Donna Cabonna was a real person, but little did I know it was a parody of Dolce & Gabbana! My grandmother and my mother both sew, so I’ve also had a sewing machine since I was 12. I’ve always been kind of making clothes and stuff like that. That’s where the designing aspect came from, because I’ve always just sort of been doing it.

And then 3 years ago I started doing embroidery work, making bags out of it, and that’s how the brand really became.

Where do you hope to see yourself in the future, especially in relation to your brand?

That’s a hard question, because I’m studying something completely different - Psychology in my fourth year. I would like to finish my degree and work as a psychologist, and then go back and study, maybe in New York or something like that. I grew up watching Project Runway as well - so going to Parsons would be quite nice.

I’d pursue design a bit later on, as I’m pretty practical with regards to what I want in my future. I know fashion is a bit of an unsteady and risky career path to go down, so I want something stable under my belt as well.

I guess ultimately I’d like to work as a psychologist for a bit and then do fashion professionally later on. But, I just really love seeing people in my clothes. As long as that’s happening, I’m loving it.

Were there any personal fashion milestones you’ve had that others might not be aware of? For example, I know recently you created your own label, as well as the creation of your website.

Probably the best thing that has happened so far is when this place on Hay Street called Fox Feet collective - they messaged me on Instagram and were like “we love your stuff, do you wanna come in for an interview?” And I did, and they put my clothes in their shop for a couple of months which was really fun and cool. I also ended up selling a fair bit which was nice. After that, I wanted to start my own website so going forward I decided to stop with Fox Feet and to continue with my website only. But that would probably be the greatest milestone for me being in a proper shop and looking at my pieces in the window.

On the other hand, what was the biggest barrier with regards to the creation of your own brand that others might not be aware of?

The biggest barrier I’d say is always second guessing yourself. When stuff doesn’t sell, it’s hard not to take it to heart. For example, I did a market once with just my bags and I sold only two, despite having twenty there. That was so tough. Looking back, I realise now it wasn’t the right market for me, but at the time I was shattered. You have to have so much confidence in yourself to put yourself out there as any sort of creative. I have been so lucky to not have had any really negative comments, but making sure you always believe in yourself and what you’re doing has definitely been the hardest.

How do you deal with constantly coming up with new ideas for your work? What gives you inspiration?

I’d say I take a lot of inspiration from the Y2k era, as well as looking at current designers such as Vivienne Westwood who also have a hard punk element to them.

Also, going to Bunnings is really good inspiration. I’ll always see a bit of chain or something that I’ll find will be really good as a part of a top or something.

What do you wish you could tell yourself before you started this venture?

Probably just to do it for yourself, don’t do what other people want - do what you want. At the start, I did a lot of floral embroideries because it’s what sold. But that’s not really me, I prefer embroidering words, on my shirts especially. I feel like I would’ve found my sweet spot a lot earlier if I had just listened to what I wanted to do.

Within the creative world, there’s sort of an expectation that artists give their services for free, or often are expected to devalue their work - do you find this sort of mindset affects you and your work?

I find that is partially true, because if I think about my embroidery and sewing work - If I were to factor in the hours that it actually takes for me to do it, then I’d be making way below minimum wage than what I sell it for.

But because it’s a hobby and I actually do love doing it, I never really factor in the time - more so just the fabric and stuff like that. I still want it to be affordable, I don’t want people to say they can’t afford it because it’s $200 or something like that. I want for people to actually be buying it and wearing it. In a sense, I do agree with that sentiment, but putting my work out there and even having a website is more rewarding than just money.

You can follow Silly Thelma @sillythelma

FACT: This entire issue was written by an actual Pelican

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THE ENTERTAINMENT

FORM THAT’S BLOWING UP Is Boogaerdt

In our individualistic society, busyness is praised and idolised. As our schedules have become fuller and fuller, the way we consume media has changed. This has led to a rise in popularity of forms of media that are easy to consume, whilst their more traditional counterparts are headed on a path towards obsolescence. This begs the question, how do you stay informed and sound as though you know lots of things, without having to swap your incessant Instagram browsing for reading a newspaper? Enter podcasts. Now you can now learn about the most basic, or the most complex, niche topic in only 15 minutes! The popularity of podcasts and their use as a medium for both entertaining and informative content has surged over the past decade. This emerging growth can only be attributed to the fact that not only are podcasts entertaining, educational and accessible but they’re also raking in the cash.

Whether you skipped your psychology lecture and need to learn about operant conditioning, are a sucker for true crime, or are super fascinated by *insert niche topic* – podcasts are the entertainment form for you! The huge range within the world of podcasts has enabled this medium to become so popular among a highly diverse audience. With other forms of media such as print and radio, it’s difficult to target your consumption to your interests in a convenient or efficient way. Often you end up trawling through pages and pages, searching for that one article or spread, having wasted your money on an entire newspaper or magazine that has remained largely unread. Or, you may be forced to listen to some middle-aged man talk about some dull economics theory while you patiently wait for the update on a juicy political scandal. Alternatively, you could listen to a nicely condensed and significantly more interesting version i.e. a podcast of whatever it is you want to learn about!

You don’t even have to learn though! There are so many content-light podcasts out there – Comedy Bang Bang, the Guilty Feminist and Armchair Expert to name a few.

Apple Podcasts, and other streaming sites such as Spotify and SoundCloud, stream hundreds and thousands 32

FACT: The Reid Library Moat once had dragons and a castle but they were removed by security due to by-laws

of podcasts, a myriad in which you are sure to find something that piques your interest.

Bringing up podcasts is a great way to fill a conversation that would normally be filled with excruciating small talk. In fact, here’s a challenge: next time you find yourself about to ask someone about what units they’re enrolled in, ask them instead what podcasts they’ve been listening to! Bad luck if they don’t listen to any, but don’t worry, because I’ve provided some as homework at the end of the article for you! Plus, you never know when you need to bring up a piece of info to sound as though you’re informed, so it’s always good to be prepared by listening to an episode of Freakonomics, Caliphate or Political Gabfest.

Podcasts are frequently associated with go-getters, and this is largely because listening to them gives you a sense of self-importance and self-improvement! You tell yourself that you’re learning about things, staying up to date and becoming more cultured! You feel superior to those people who solely listen to music because you’re actually growing as a person. Note the slight sarcasm in there, but in all honesty, when I’m listening to a podcast it does feel as though I have my life sorted out. This still holds true when I listen to the more entertainmentoriented podcasts, as just the mere nature of it being a podcast means I must be gaining some kind of intellectual nourishment from it, right? The explosion in their popularity has been the catalyst for the creation of even more engaging, thought-provoking and interesting podcast content. Podcast creators can no longer just provide news titbits, they also have to produce their episodes in innovative ways. This innovation has attracted a larger audience, as the formatting has steered away from that of traditional radio news – which only managed to grab a certain demographic of people.

In terms of the profitability of media forms, podcasts are crazy good for making easy bank. Sure, recording in a proper studio with proper equipment and so forth improves the quality of one’s episodes, but all that is truly

needed is a voice recorder. This has meant that many people are popping up all over with new and exciting podcast content, as it’s so accessible and inexpensive to produce! It’s not all that easy to successfully sell a printrun of a book, but spreading that exact same information, thought and conversation via an online streaming service makes for a much smoother road. Podcasts with wide reach attract sponsors and advertisers, who fund them (helping them to continue to run their shows) and, as it’s easier to pinpoint the demographic that is listening to a podcast, the advertisers supporting them will have more sales success! Turns out you can have your podcast, and a world-class shave too! What a win-win situation!

Lastly, while we are on the topic, here are a few winning podcasts that I would highly recommend plus some that I’ve been recommended!

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Serial – The O.G. American True crime podcast, super interesting format and excellent content.

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This American Life – Ira Glass’s velvety voice is the grand-daddy of all podcast hosts.

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Song Exploder – Musicians talking about the creation of their songs? It’s a yes from me.

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Queery – Comedian and lesbian icon Cameron Esposito chats with members of the LGBT+ community, mix of humour and deep convo.

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The High Low – Pop-culture/news focus by two posh British young women.

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Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness – Conversations with guests about pretty much anything and everything.

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The Party Room – Discussion of the latest news from Parliament House.

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Chat 10, Looks 3 – ABC queens, Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales discuss baking and books. Enough said.

If none of these are your cup of tea, ask your mates – you’re bound to find one with suggestions. But if they are, get listening!

FACT: Maths majors report highest levels of course satisfaction

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AUSTRALIAN

THEATRICAL FILM

DISTRIBUTION

MUST ENTER

A NEW AGE

by Jacob Brinkworth

We live in an instant supply and demand culture. We don’t have to wait in line at the record store when a highly anticipated album drops, we can listen to it the second it releases on Spotify or Apple Music. If we don’t want to make the effort to even pick up a meal, we can get a wide range of food delivered to our door within 20-30 minutes for a small fee. The point is, since the evergrowing reliance on the internet, our society has become more accustomed to the getting things instantly on demand, at the earliest moment.

The world of cinema and TV has also been shaped by this.

The rise of streaming services such as Netflix and Stan not only give us the chance to watch what we want, when we want but a lot of the time, with Netflix’s original content, they release the show or film worldwide at the exact same time. An online friend from America and I could both be watching Roma the very second it pops up on Netflix. However, one thing that hasn’t quite adapted to this instant supply and demand culture is the theatrical film distribution.

Let me preface this by acknowledging that I’m no expert on film distribution, let alone international independent releases. It’s without a doubt hard to gauge what should show when it should show and in how many places to return the biggest profit. It’s a tough business.

It’s also important to note that it’s inherent in theatrical exhibition nature for cinemas have to a) allot certain times for films to be screened and b) there are more steps involved for the patron to attend a film screening in a cinema than just going onto Netflix. However, there has been a notable backlash towards from the Australian cinema-going community and not so much with the mainstream blockbusters (those typically arrive around the same time as the rest of the world), but more so with the smaller arthouse films that do make money in other territories. Where films, by the time they were released in homes overseas, the specifics or even the existence of the Australian releases hadn’t been announced yet.

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Some noticeable examples of this in 2018 include:

First Reformed • Released in US cinemas on the 18th of May/DVD + VOD on the 21st of August.

• Released straight to DVD + VOD on the 5th of December (aside from a very limited release in Sydney).

Eighth Grade • Released in US cinemas on the 13th of July/DVD + VOD on the 9th of October.

• Released in Australian cinemas on the 3rd of January.

Sorry To Bother You • Released in US cinemas on the 6th of July/VOD on October 9th.

• Released in Australian cinemas on the 29th of November.

You Were Never Really Here • Released in US cinemas on the 6th of April. VOD on the 2nd of July.

• Released in Australian cinemas on the 6th of September.

You might be wondering why I’m putting so much emphasis on the VOD (Video on Demand) release dates.

And the answer lies in; the window of when to release an international film in Australia is often in between its cinematic release and home release within its country of origin. Why? Because Australians pirate a LOT.

FACT: 1 ot 3 students state to chosen UWA over Curtin because “it’s prettier and has nice trees

According to AHEDA (Australia Home Entertainment Distributors Association) 21% of Australians aged 1264 pirate films and shows illegally. To further enquire about this in a Twitter Poll, I asked Australian filmgoers whether it is morally okay for Australians to pirate films that haven’t been released in Australia and it’s already out on home release in other countries, 70% of 134 participants said yes. While I do believe there’s a larger moral argument about the ethics of pirating works, the statistics speaks for themselves. Australia, even despite the crackdown on piracy, is still rampant. Many will pay $10 per month to have a VPN (Virtual Private Network) making it easier to pirate material without any consequence.

While it is still technically illegal and there’s plenty of moral questions to ask around it, this cannot be ignored. Distributors have been at odds with piracy for years now and I believe the best way to reduce it, is to give pirates more of an incentive to go to the cinema (or to even pay for the film online). But the interesting thing is, from most of the written responses I got from the poll, they displayed a level of hesitation or even downright zero tolerance towards piracy. But all displayed true discontent with the way certain independent and arthouse films are distributed (or not) in Australia.

Twitter user @AaronBahamondes states, “…if the films would actually come out here, I wouldn’t stream or pirate at all. But they push us into a corner, where there’s pretty much no option left. Supporting the creators is essential, but … it’s about having the film seen.”

Conversely, @TheCurbAU agrees there’s an issue with the length Australian filmgoers must wait for some films, but it still isn’t an excuse for piracy. “Australian filmgoers need to exercise some patience. Yes, global distribution needs a workout, but that's no excuse for piracy. If you can't access a film legally right away, then simply wait until you can.”

However, the most interesting point comes from user @KeylightBlog who states “Economics is the study of distribution of resources under scarcity. How IP differs from other property is that it’s not naturally scarce. You have to create scarcity by restricting the flow through

a contractual agreement. In Australia's case, there is often a prolonged restriction of a good all Australians could access with the rest of the world, but for a bunch of arcane agreements that do little but hurt Australian consumers in the long term. It’s hard to consider this as ethically malignant as one would consider regular property theft.”

The emphasis of the importance in manufacturing scarcity of Intellectual Property is definitely a legitimate point. It is a means of creating more interest in a film, while also giving distributors more time to get an idea of how big a release of the film should be in Australia.

However, as “KeylightBlog” stated, that scarcity often results in prolonged restriction for films releasing in Australia, which is what is bringing many to pirate.

So, what should Australian Distributors of Independent Films focus on to decrease piracy and get more money in their pockets? I personally believe that more distributors should be looking towards some of the distribution work of Monster Pictures. In September 21st (only a week after it opened in the US), they released Mandy across the country for “one night only”. These sessions did very well, resulting in encore screenings. And according to Box Office Statistics site The-Numbers.com, despite the limited release it became the biggest non-US territory for the film in terms of box office percentages.

Perhaps this is a new and correct way to manufacture scarcity; a lower-cost, lower-risk way for independent films to be shown theatrically. The exclusivity of the time also works in the favour of scarcity by having fewer screenings. This will make sure more people will go out of their way to see a film, rather than waiting to see it another time. Also, attempting to lessen the time-gap between limited releases and their home release, may be a way to reduce piracy.

But most importantly, it’s about accessibility, in any form. While it might be hard, the importance of releasing a film in Australia, before a high-quality copy hits online, is imperative. It might not require a big theatrical release, but Australian Distributors have to be more ahead of the curve and release a film in Australia while the iron is still hot. It’s not just consumer friendly, it’s essentially beating piracy at its own game. There are fewer excuses one can make for piracy when the content is readily available for them legally.

FACT: All UWA Party Clubs have been added to the endangered species list.

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SOULJA BOY HAS ENTERED THE GAME Bayley Horne

When Ralph Baer created the first video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey, I doubt he knew that he had just invented an entirely new branch of entertainment filled with Italian plumbers and one small bandicoot. I also doubt that he could foresee a mediocre rapper with one great party song try his hand at making a console himself.

Move over Microsoft and Sony, because Soulja Boy has entered the arena, and he’s going to sell you his incredibly well-designed consoles.

When I first saw the tweet announcing this new empire of his, I immediately knew this was going to be an absolute mess. No one ever releases a project they’ve worked on in secret to any sort of success (well anyone except Beyoncé, but I refuse to believe she’s human). But I was still hopeful, after all, he’s pulled off some miraculous things in his career. His hit track, ‘Crank That’, was released straight to YouTube without a record label, yet somehow went to number one on the charts. That made him a Soundcloud rapper before Soundcloud was even a thing.

on this store is a knock-off product designed to fool unsuspecting old folks who know nothing about gaming to buy it for their grandchildren. All Soulja Boy does is change the names around and sell it at a ludicrously upscaled price to his adoring fans.

But that isn’t even the most egregious part, no, that honour goes to the games on the system. There is a staggering eight-hundred games pre-installed onto the SouljaGame yet I feel as if he owns the rights to none of them. They are all ROM’s, illegally obtained versions of classic Nintendo and Sega properties from the ’80s and ’90s, with a few original PlayStation games thrown in for good measure.

I don’t know why he thought he could get away with selling games that weren’t his. I don’t know why he thinks the law can’t touch him. I don’t know how he claims he’s sold five million units when he obviously hasn’t. And most of all, I don’t know why he tweeted,“Nintendo ain’t gon do SHIT” right as Nintendo went and did shit.

And I knew Soulja Boy cared about gaming when he released his magnum opus ‘Video Game Swag’ in 2011, so I thought he could bring that same passion into doing what Nintendon’t. But just like a balloon left after a threeyear old’s birthday party, I was left deflated when I saw his online store.

Nintendo had reportedly sent a letter to Soulja Boy right around the time of that aforementioned tweet and then suddenly the consoles disappeared from the store, never to appear again. While Nintendo never announced anything, it’s clear they used the argument of ‘stop selling stuff that we own’ to take down the counterfeit products.

The website screams of ‘template I got with the domain because I’m lazy’. It’s generic and bland, but his products are anything but.

But with almost perfect comedic timing, Mr Kiss-methru-the-phone releases a bunch of new products: a notquite Xbox One, a ‘totally genuine’ PS Vita and an Apple Watch that runs on Android.

My eye was immediately drawn to the SouljaGame, his flagship console. It had all the standard features, 4K resolution somehow running out of a thirty-two-bit system using an AV cable, two knock-off PS2 controllers, whatever “Game speed FPS 1:1 output” means. If that doesn’t scream ‘shady’ to you I don’t know what would.

It’s clear that this is not actually his product, in fact, nothing on his website was designed by him. Everything

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The word ballsy comes to mind. Ballsy, maybe endearing, yet ultimately stupid. It’s clear that he’s going to continue doing this forever, or at least until every major tech company sues him for patent infringement.

Let me offer some advice. Dear Mr DeAndre Cortez Way, if the creators of Fortnite want nothing to do with your console, it’s time to stop.

FACT: The next Pelican theme is REDACTED

AN ODE TO THE ENTER KEY Maja Maric

The Enter Key. Oh, how we take thee for granted.

Like the pinky finger or the subtle addition of salsa on one’s nachos, your importance is understated. Your presence we have come to understand as a constant, to take for granted. However, much like a freak pinky amputee accident or the tragic scene of a salsa-less fridge, it is only with your absence that we truly come to appreciate your worth.

To be honest, it wasn’t until I began teaching a basic computer skills class that I saw the error of my ways. Where I would simply hit that faithful enter for a new line (or twice for a paragraph) there were students who would spacebar all the way till they got the desired result. Much less of the same thing occurred with the search bar; each time a student would slowly take the mouse to the magnifying glass button was a moment I, and very likely you, would have just hit the trusty old enter key.

Of course, as the benevolent instructor that I am, I would rectify the situation and inform them of the gospel that is the enter key. But there was a period before where it didn’t even exist, and there was no good word to even be spread.

Before the beloved computer keyboard we have today, crumbs and all, and a little after painstaking hand transcription by monks in dark monasteries - we had the typewriter. Now, if I’m being frank, I don’t really know how the typewriter works. I’m not nearly old enough nor am I pretentious enough (or at least pretentious enough yet) to have ever had any experience using one. But, as per what my semi-lengthy google search has enlightened me to; the early manual typewriter did not in fact have an enter key.

Yes, in order to start a new line or paragraph, one had to do that satisfying ASMRwise but god-this-would-make-last-minute-essays-impossible lever pushing paper moving maneuver. Anyone who has watched an old-timey court drama would be familiar. Frankly I’m still confused by the mechanism, and evidently so were other people because the advent of the electronic typewriter also brought the advent of the beloved enter key (or carriage return key, whatever).

One could even be as bold as to say that the enter key symbolised the entry into a new technological era, for beyond just electronic typewriters, snazzy computers also relied upon the enter key, and by extension modern civilisation as we know it. In a given piece of coding for say, just a simple but super pimped-out profile, how many times do you think the enter key was hit? Dozens of movie and TV hackers would have their screen time cut short were it not for the enter key, as well as some of the university’s stats classes. The enter key does not just signify a new line, it signifies a command, the final championing of man over machine to do whatever our bidding may be.

And to that, I raise my pinky and pour my salsa extra thick. Bravo.

FACT: All mature aged students will talk about their life-changing trip to India in their 20s

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FASHION EDITOR, SAM WORLEY, INTERVIEWED STUDENTS TO EXPLORE HOW BEGINNING UNIVERSITY ALSO INVOLVES THE TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL UNIFORMS TO TOTAL FASHION CHOICE FREEDOM.

“CREATING AN OUTFIT IS FUN, AND WAKES ME UP IN THE MORNING. IT’S JUST SOMETHING I DO, LIKE WASHING MY FACE OR BRUSHING MY TEETH.”

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FACT: The bananas growing in the agricultural block are for the lab monkeys

By: Sam Worley

THE CAMPUS CATWALK

SAM WORLEY

I had previously delved into the fashion world in a limited manner in my last two years of high school. My Mum had always tried to instil a sense of style in me (I certainly wasn’t getting any suggestions from Dad). This was also around the time I started up a Tumblr account, one of my first sources of external style inspiration. But 2014, the year of a swathe of 18th birthday parties and my first year at Uni, became a real proving ground for me.

I relished the new fashion challenge, to wear a different outfit every day, that Uni posed. Whereas some of the people I talked to said they never really had to think about it before, and it became daunting, I was already initiated. Not that I’d look anywhere near perfect every day, in fact many days I think I looked fairly average, or just couldn’t be bothered. We all have those days. But the way I tried to overcome them was to have at least one nice piece amongst the lot – be it a quality pair of Filling Pieces shoes or a nice button-up. There was also a grey Politix blazer that got a fair workout, and a second-hand Timberland denim jacket that is still a mainstay of mine to this day (it’s now forever associated with me). Not that any of these is considered very adventurous these days, but anyhow.

That’s why I’ve moved on to some pieces like overalls, which are great for Uni – they’re super comfortable and just a little bit different enough to look interesting. They’re certainly not a menswear staple just yet, though they are growing in popularity.

I asked my fellow fashion editor, Maja, what she had to say about her experiences: “Even before I entered university I both made an effort with my wardrobe as well as took a keen interest in fashion - as such my closet already comprised of many cute choice pieces that made the transition from high school to university all the easier. It’s hard to have an ugly outfit when you only have cute clothes.”

I asked her because she’d set such a high standard whether there were some days that it became difficult to maintain that – If there was ever a day you were feeling crap or couldn’t be bothered? I questioned, “Did you ever think, dang, I wish I could be in a pair of trackies right now?”

“Ew, never! Creating an outfit is fun, and wakes me up in the morning. It’s just something I do, like washing my face or brushing my teeth.”

Maja continued, “However, not everyone needs to live a sweat pant and hoodie-less life, as long as people have a wardrobe filled with clothes that they find comfortable to wear they should be prepared for University. I definitely found that constantly having to find a new outfit to wear on the daily did challenge me to further establish my style and find a balance between my laziness and desire to look fab.”

Next, I spoke to an old high school friend of mine, Ash. “I used to think having uniforms in both school and my hospitality job was great. I remember thinking, ‘Thank God I don’t have to actively think about what I’m going to wear every day’, and the social pressures that that would bring. That was until I started university in 2015 and began working at Jay Jays (the retail fashion store) shortly after. University was this kind of safe space where you could reinvent yourself and be exactly who you wanted to be, and it didn’t matter. There was no one there who knew your life story or your background, and I realised this and really started having fun discovering who I was, fashion-wise.”

She continued, “I started wearing girly floral dresses and strappy sandals and I was literally worlds away from my old ‘I don’t really care what I wear tomboy self”. I found myself very seldom worrying about what I was going to wear at Uni. The old stress of assuming it would be a hassle having to pick and choose your clothes everyday faded as my wardrobe grew due to my job. I was excited to wear my clothes and I wouldn’t care if I wore the same outfit a few days that week”.

As you can see, style at Uni can be about really expressing yourself, or just feeling comfortable, and everywhere in between. It’s meant to be somewhere you can ‘find yourself,’ and if that means finding your sense of style, too – fantastic. For those that are unsure, a solid pair of sneakers and a reliable piece of denim that fits well (jacket or jeans) are a consistent must. Apart from that, I’d say, have fun and you do you!

FACT: The Octagon Theatre actually has eight sides

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WORDS WITH

CONRAD HOGG, 106TH GUILD PRESIDENT Interview by Cameron Carr

Introduce yourself, what you’re studying and how you’re involved on Campus.

My name is Conrad and I’ve just finished my undergrad in Medical Research and French, and I’m starting Med next year. I am the President of the Guild, which means that I get to do some really cool stuff, including advocating on your behalf to the university, and working with my team to make sure we have great food and drink on campus, opportunities to get involved and make friends, as well as providing support services and much more.

Did you face any personal challenges when starting at UWA, if yes how did you overcome said challenges?

Whether you’re interested in social justice, fashion, experiencing another culture, or something else entirely, there’s a club for you. Make sure you also check out your Faculty Society who will run social activities for people in your course as well as some great education and careers events.

UWA has a lot of different support networks such as free appointments with therapists, academic advisors etc.

- do you have any suggestions for students who need additional support?

THE BIGGEST PIECE OF ADVICE THAT I CAN GIVE YOU IS DON’T BE AFRAID TO REACH OUT FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT.

I think one of my biggest challenges when I started Uni was working out the transition from high school to university. In my first semester of Uni I struggled a little bit to find a group of friends that I really gelled with and found myself not sticking around campus all that much after my classes. Later that semester I decided to put myself out there a bit more and make some more friends outside people that I went to high school with, and met a lot of really cool people who have made my time at Uni so much more enjoyable.

Everyone goes through tough times and there are services here to help you. In my experience, if you don’t know where to go, Student Assist (in the Guild) is a good place to start. If they can’t help you, they know the system inside and out and can point you in the right direction.

There are a lot of great clubs and societies on campus are you involved with any, if yes what are some of your favourite clubs/ what were the benefits of joining clubs?

A few things:

There are so many clubs at UWA and being involved has added so much to my experience at Uni. You can have a lot of fun and learn a lot of new skills. My biggest piece of advice is to find ones that you are really interested in (check out the club directory and club carnival) and start attending their events and meeting people. These are a few of my personal favourites; MSU (Multicultural Students’ Union), HSS (Health Students’ Society), TEDxUWA who run a literal TED conference at UWA every year and EMAS (Electronic Music Appreciation Society) – what can I say, I like a good rave as much as the next guy.

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Balancing Uni, work, social life and self wellness can be very difficult, what recommendations do you have for people entering this new climate?

• Go easy on yourself look out for your friends, it can be hard to balance everything sometimes • Have fun, make new friends • Learn to manage your time effectively – it can be tricky to get right, but once you’ve mastered it, it’s a skill that will pay dividends for the rest of your life Lastly, do you have anything you’d like to add?

Not much! The Guild is here to make sure that you have an awesome experience at Uni. Get in touch with me on president@guild.uwa.edu.au if you have any suggestions or if there’s anything we can help out with.

FACT: The Dolphin Theatre used to be an aquarium

BARRIERS IN POLITICS Mike Anderson

While perhaps not the most common aspiration, many young people dream of becoming politicians, President of the United States, Prime Minister of Australia, or perhaps even just mayor of their local council. Most kids with these goals will never realise them. This may be because they lose interest, or start working in other areas, or perhaps they did try to, but encountered one of the many structural and societal barriers that prevented them from entering politics.

So what barriers are there to political engagement? For one let’s look at the structural issues that are in place.

This is how the system is constructed, whether this be the voting method, who can run, or the number of offices available. Secondly, we look at societal barriers - these can be major party dominance (often informed by the voting method and number of offices), systemic discrimination based on age, class, sex, disability status, sexual and/or gender identity, or race. These barriers usually result in legislatures being filled with cis-gendered heterosexual men who belong to either a centre-left or centre-right party.

Most systems that are descended from the British model of government (including the US system) are a majoritarian system that is dominated by two major parties. These are Labor and Liberal in Australia, Democrat and Republican in the US, and Labour and Conservative in the UK. The UK is the standout of these three, in that it often has multiple minor parties in the House of Commons, though this is more based on the different nations of the UK, and historical political movements. Australia is different in the Senate as it uses a more proportional model. Majoritarian models will be a major barrier in entering politics, unless you want to compromise on some of your beliefs or align clearly with one of the major parties. You already face a disadvantage in getting elected.

Can this be fixed? Somewhat. Adopting a more proportional system will result in a greater number of minor parties being elected. If we look across the Tasman, we can already see that New Zealand benefits from this, at least in the sense that minor parties are better represented. Now you might argue that this isn’t necessarily a benefit, but this is just a way to reduce barriers to enter into politics. But let’s say you’re right, a fully proportional system would allow very minor parties to enter parliament. How to do we mitigate that?

Most systems using a proportional method have done this with a base entry level, requiring parties to reach a minimum percentage (often 4 percent) to qualify for list seats. I won’t go into the minutia of each system, but this represents a happy compromise between the two.

Let’s move onto one that bridges us between structural and societal, candidacy requirements. This usually boils down to citizenship and age, but not always. The most obvious example is the US President, which requires you not only to be a citizen but a natural born citizen, and to have been a resident of the US for 14 years. Furthermore, to become President you must be 35 years old. Age requirements are also found in the US House and Senate, being 25 and 30 respectively. These are very clear barriers to entry, as despite being able to vote for them, you can’t run for them if you’re above 18 but under the minimum age of candidacy.

Now how does this link to more societally based barriers?

Well even where there isn’t a structural age barrier there is often a societal one. Despite there being no age barrier beyond the voting age, our parliament still has an average age of 51 while the population has a median of 38. Our parliament trends towards a higher average age. This is not to mention how poorly we represent people of colour and LGBTIQ+ Australians, or people with disabilities.

Let’s look back to the US. The average age of their Congress is well into their late 50’s. The current class has been heralded as a breakthrough in youth, yet still represents an average age of 47. Politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez catch media attention for bucking the age trend, but we still need to consider the fact that she’s still 29. She’s 4 years older than the age of candidacy. Now I’m not saying the recent mid-terms weren’t a step in a good direction, but it seems more remarkable when you consider how bad the US is on representation. There are always examples of young people that are entering parliament or congress; Chlöe Swarbrick elected aged 23 in New Zealand, Jordon Steele-John appointed to Australian Senate aged 23, Mhairi Black elected to the UK House of Commons aged 20. These are exceptions to the rule.

There are many barriers to entry in politics, many from diverse backgrounds, though most often young people, have broken through and have helped show that these barriers aren’t unassailable. We need to remember that these are often the exceptions. To see real change we need to change some of the structural barriers, and to take note of and work towards deconstructing the stigma and prejudice that lead to societal barriers.

Representative democracy needs to be actually representative. This requires that we reduce the barriers that prevent people from engaging with the system directly.

FACT: Peacocks are carnivorous. Watch out!

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ENTERING POLITICS AT UWA Interviews:Jacob Mitchell

Politics is a process for implementing change and putting your values into action. Pelican Politics Editor, Jacob Mitchell had a chat to the presidents of UWA political clubs you can engage with on campus.

UWA LIBERAL CLUB

UWA LABOR

Like the wider Liberal Party, the UWA Liberal Club is a broad church with members who come from a diverse range of backgrounds and who represent a number of different approaches to public policy. We are brought together by a shared commitment to limited government and individual liberty. In the past, these values have formed the basis for much of Australia’s success and we believe that they are critical to ensuring its ongoing prosperity. However, believing isn’t enough – at the UWA Liberal Club, we put those values into action. We believe that the best way to do this is by engaging with the Liberal Party, assisting at Federal and State elections and contributing to policy development through active participation within the organizational wing. Our Club is a gateway for UWA students to get involved in the wider Liberal Party community.

UWA Labor, as the name suggests, is the university’s main club representing the WA Labor Party. In a nutshell, we’re progressive, left-wing, and committed to advancing and protecting the rights of workers and students. But we’re also committed to having a bit of fun along the way as well.

The Club is planning for a big year in 2019, with opportunities for members to hear from Federal and State Parliamentarians at social events and get actively involved in the political process through hitting the campaign trail during the upcoming Federal Election. We are a party of free speech, and members can enjoy great debates while developing their speaking skills and policy understanding. In addition, Club members will have the chance to speak directly with Parliamentarians and apply for internships in their offices. With all of these great events coming up, we’re always keen for new members – so if you share our values, please get in contact via our Facebook page.

Jacob Kerspien – President of the UWA Liberal Club

We are a progressive organisation, so the policies we endorse and campaign for are politically left-wing. In previous years we’ve been heavily involved in a number of different areas, supporting the push for samesex marriage, and standing behind our Indigenous communities in backing the “Change the Date” campaign and supporting equity of Australian First Nations’ people.

In addition, we also advocate for refugee policy that allows for the humane treatment for asylum seekers wishing to come to Australia and have also been heavily involved in campaigning for better funding for universities, to ensure that every Australian has the right to a high quality, affordable tertiary education. Finally, as we have always believed women are human beings worthy of respect and autonomy, we have fully backed policies such as Labor for Choice and actively endorse gender equality.

Beyond all the policy stuff, we have a really great presence on campus, running various events throughout the year including Budget in the Tav (where we share a pint or two and watch the budget unfold, with a cheeky game of budget bingo), as well as discussion panels and branch meetings at Parliament House. We were also heavily involved in campaigning for the Perth by-election in 2018 and are gearing up to get involved in the 2019 federal election (remember to register to vote if you want your voice heard!). This year, we are also aiming to go bigger and better, and have more social and educational events (like a massive pub crawl that’d make Bob Hawke himself proud, keep an eye out for it).

TLDR: if you’re progressive and want to see real, tangible results from your political participation, UWA Labor is here for you.

Dylan Perkins - President of UWA Labor

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UWA is a smoke-free campus, except for the Arts block staircase

UWA GREENS

UWA NATIONALS

The UWA Greens is unique in that we are in no way affiliated with University political parties. This means that your Greens on Campus at UWA don’t get swept up in Guild Elections and can focus on real issues. We have held events tackling hot topics like workers’ rights and ensuring that LGBTI+ students have their voices heard and respected on campus. This year, Changing the Date and Pill Testing are the two of the biggest issues for students, and this year we would love to hold events to shine a light on what UWA students feel about these issues. We are lucky in WA to have a wealth of talented and engaging Greens Politicians, and a close relationship to The Greens party structure who support our events. This club believes in genuine change and fighting for the rights of everyone.

If you wish to contact the club you can find us on Facebook @uwagreens

The UWA Nationals aims to promote the interests of regional and remote students on campus. Currently, we are technically inactive but always open for new members to formally revive the club.

Tom Ballam – President of the UWA Greens

Kallen M White - Acting President of UWA Nationals

The club continues to maintain an online presence through our Facebook page (quality meme content assured). We also participate in the UWA Politics Club Mock Parliament by allowing people to speak out on the good name of regional WA. We are honoured that our inaugural patron, the Hon. Mia Davies is currently the leader of the Nationals WA in parliament. We hope that by continuing the independent tradition of the WA branch of the National party, in particular, we would ignite a broader debate on regional issues from a perspective unique to Western Australia at UWA.

All ducks on campus have become self aware after swimming for too long in the Reflection Pond.

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WHY THE ADVENT OF CLEAN ENERGY WILL NOT FREE US FROM ENVIRONMENTAL STRUGGLES Tony Li

Human-caused climate change is currently accepted as the result of carbon emissions caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Policies and initiatives to limit greenhouse gas emissions have been put in place across the world, and research institutions are actively looking for ‘clean’ energy sources which produce little-to-no greenhouse gases, with fusion energy being the ‘Holy Grail’: promising almost unlimited access to cheap, clean energy that would last for millions of years, even if Earth becomes devoid of sunlight.

Of course, if a large proportion of humanity’s current energy consumption can be satisfied with clean energy sources, we will greatly reduce the impact of human activity on the environment and avert a number of potential catastrophes. However, the threat of climate change will still remain even if humanity manages to satisfy all its energy requirements without any greenhouse gas emissions. To make sense of why this is the case, we will have another look at the basic model of climate change.

The Earth receives heat radiated from the sun at an almost constant rate, and it also radiates its own heat into space. The rate of Earth’s heat radiation increases if Earth’s surface temperature rises. Hence, we have a primitive model of the Earth with a stable equilibrium temperature: the surface of the Earth will heat up to the point where it radiates the same amount of heat into space as it receives from the sun.

If we have a higher concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the rate of heat radiation from Earth at any given temperature will decrease, because the greenhouse gases form a ‘blanket’ around Earth, trapping the heat underneath. This means that Earth would have to be heated up to a higher temperature just to reach an equilibrium state. This model becomes more complicated if we consider the effect of the biosphere and humans; every biological and human-induced activity receives input energy to do work via converting the energy from 44

FACT: There’s weed growing in the greenhouse in agricultural block

“THERE EXISTS A THEORETICAL CEILING FOR HOW MUCH ENERGY HUMAN CIVILISATION CAN USE, WITHOUT DESTROYING OURSELVES BY OVERHEATING EARTH, NO MATTER HOW CLEAN OUR ENERGY SOURCES ARE.”

one form to another, in the process releasing a portion of the original energy as waste heat.

heating the surface of Earth with it – that’s the scenario without the greenhouse effect!

Both biological and engineering systems devise ways to remove waste heat: humans and many other animals perspire when their body temperatures are relatively high, and many technological products have dedicated radiators to prevent damage from overheating. The waste heat removed by our thermal controls will dissipate into the environment, as energy cannot be destroyed. A good example would be the thermal control system (TCS) on a spaceship: the waste heat generated by a subcomponent will be dissipated into other parts of the ship, and the ship’s TCS must remove waste heat from all components by radiating it into space, otherwise the entire ship will overheat. And perhaps quite intuitively, the Earth is essentially a colossal spaceship itself, and the entire human civilisation is one of its sub-components.

If the energy source is independent of the sun (namely, nuclear and geothermal), it means we have created a heat source on Earth. These will have an impact on the climate system if they are large enough.

All waste heat generated by mankind would have to be radiated by the Earth, and its amount will increase as our energy usage increases. If our energy consumption continues on its growing trend into the far future, it could be difficult for the Earth to deal with. Although the source of our energy is important, there is no option that truly relieves our burden on the environment.

If the energy source is captured sunlight in real time (solar, energy from weather phenomena such as wind and water, or biological energy from agricultural products, etc), it means we are intercepting some solar energy that would otherwise be radiated into space, and then releasing a portion as waste heat back into the atmosphere – we are physically acting as a greenhouse, or so it seems.

If the energy source is solar in nature but has been trapped for geological time (namely, fossil fuels), it means we are releasing some solar heat that was supposedly lost (trapped underground) back into the atmosphere and

This means there exists a theoretical ceiling for how much energy our human civilisation can use without destroying ourselves by overheating Earth, no matter how clean our energy sources are. Of course, that ceiling is a few orders of magnitude higher than humanity’s current level of energy consumption, and is unlikely to be reached within a few generations. However, if we achieved commercialised fusion energy in the future, this ceiling could be within sight. And I’ll never be surprised by our ability to waste resources on zero-sum games, be it war and violence or conspicuous consumption of unnecessary luxuries for perceived status.

Maybe we will be forced to expand into space by then, which will remove a great burden from the Earth. Or perhaps we will use geoengineering to improve the resilience of the environment. Both scenarios probably require a large degree of international cooperation, which presents another problem: would the international community be able to cooperate and limit humanity’s energy consumption below that ceiling? Unlikely, given our track record of failed carbon emission agreements.

Even worse, a limit on a country’s energy usage equals a hard cap on its development and living standards with no way to overcome it, unlike carbon emission limits – which are painful in the present but can be eventually worked around in the future.

If we cannot reach an agreement via negotiations, it is probably inevitable that some country, interest group, or even individual might want to limit the energy usage of others by means of force. And that means more energy wasted on unproductive activities. Great job humanity.

FACT: Goonzebo to be relocated to one of the Ref outlets

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STEP INTO Aninya Marzohl

Art functions in our society as a mythology: select artists, curated by museums, galleries, and prominent individuals, become legendary figures; certain, often convenient, interpretations are held to be singularly true.

And whilst we may enjoy and pay attention to canonical works, movements and interpretations, their overstated importance takes up space that other artists and movements could occupy. Yet we need not do away with the mythology altogether, but create new perspectives within it.

The inaugural light show ‘Open at Night - Festival of Lights’ was staged in the gardens of the Villa Medici in Rome, and took place between December 2017 and January 2018. The Villa was established by the Medici family to legitimise their power, and it is a prime example of the Quattrocento architecture and Mannerist art styles that are typical of sixteenth century Italy. The exhibition took this classical Renaissance setting and transformed it through the medium of light: what was known became unknown, and what was old became new Curated by Chiara Parisi and featuring seventeen contemporary artists, the installation took the geometry and aesthetic of the gardens and flipped it on its head.

Artificial snow fell as I entered, detaching me from the reality of my location. The hedged squares, easily navigable by daylight, began to blur into one another.

Smoke machines obscured and disoriented. Equipped only with a headlamp and a map, I wandered through the pathways, entering whichever spaces I chose, entering new worlds inside a new world.

The largest and simplest piece was François Morellet’s Lamentable and the accompanying Dea Roma statue.

Morellet’s contribution involved fluorescent blue ropes of light, placed into the hand of the larger-than-life, marble idol: the Renaissance vision of Rome if she were a personfied in a Goddess. In this context, both works were transformed, and created a new perspective neither could achieve alone.

Other pieces were stranger still. The Luminiferous Aether

by Nina Canell & Robin Watkin was light heard, not seen; a recording of the Aurora Borealis. For me, the projected whistles added a spine tingling, almost horrific element to the show.

The artists all used light scarcely, closing in the hedged spaces, and ultimately unravelling the common perception of the gardens. For example, Otobong Nkanga’s space was only lit by glass boxes buried in the ground, containing barely-readable, condensationshowered poetry. I only managed to make out one box: “Let’s make love despite the thorns, ruins and debris”.

Nkanga’s work highlighted the central mechanism of the show: using light not to illuminate, but to cloak the Villa.. I began to envision the Villa as a space of decay and disorder, no longer just as a place of art historical significance.

By shifting the focus from the conventional narrative surrounding the Villa Medici, Festival of Lights allowed me to see a quintessential Renaissance setting literally in a different light. Primarily a sensual creation, the iconography of classical statues evolved, and the groomed hedges became vessels for the interplay of darkness and light. I hope all subsequent light shows at the Villa Medici continue to create new worlds to enter out of the familiar one.

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FACT: You can spy into the vice chancellor’s office from the top of the clock tower

Samantha Lill

THANKU, NEXT

Sixty-six awards, sixty million twitter followers, one hundred and eighty-two million Instagram followers and one Pokémon tattoo later and she’s one of the biggest names in pop music. At twenty-five years old, she’s already accomplished more in one lifetime than most. While the rest of us are drowning in debt, she’s off collecting six figure paydays and touring the world. Just who is this mystery overachieving millennial, you ask?

Ariana Grande is the name and you’d best remember it.

Although her PR team run a social media brand with the image of a sweet and level-headed feminist, the reality of fan encounters and interactions suggest a diva that’s struggling with not letting the dizzying heights of newfound fame get to her head.

Recent single ‘ThankU Next’ is basically every girls’ break up anthem, a more creative way of saying “Bye Felicia”.

There’s a music video featuring some big names in the YouTube community and a few nods to Mean Girls and Legally Blonde, helping to drive home the songs’ message of turning what’s usually a terrible experience into a chance for positive change.

At just twenty-five years old, Ariana Grande is going to be the youngest artist to ever headline Coachella in April and is the fourth female artist to headline after Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and Bjork. This comes straight off the back of ‘ThankU Next’ garnering a whopping 55 million views in twenty-four hours on YouTube.

“If ‘ThankU Next’= acceptance… ‘Imagine’= denial. Hope that makes sense” was the twitter post that introduced us to ‘Imagine’, the sensational B side single where Ariana Grande’s full range of vocal talent is displayed. It asks us to imagine a world of never-ending love where heartbreak doesn’t exist, causing fans to speculate on possible links between the lyrics and Mac Millers’ ‘Imagine’ tattoo.

Imagine a world where you didn’t have to go ‘ThankU Next’?

The timing of Grande’s split from Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson has served to pour fuel on the fire of internet speculation, with poor Pete being given the brush off only a month prior to these singles being released.

FACT: Warning to computer science students: for every assignment, the lecturer’s computer will randomly choose a good submission and refuse to compile it.

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After their whirlwind romance of dating for two weeks before announcing their engagement, the two announced their split early October but it’s been speculated that they broke up a bit earlier, not long after the news of Grande’s ex-boyfriend Mac Miller’s passing early September.

Some speculators on the split have said that Pete Davidson’s struggle with drug addiction caused friction within Grande’s family after Mac Miller helped Ariana’s brother Frankie, currently celebrating a year sober, to clean up his act.

Davidson also reported getting death threats from people due to his relationship with Grande, which could only have helped speed up the relationship breakdown. It’s rumoured that the two are still in contact and that it could be more of a break for the pair than a breakup but really, when has a break ever worked? We’re all dying to see if this is going to be another “ThankU Next” or more of an “Imagine” situation.

The singer’s personal life has been under the public eye ever since her first major role in Victorious in 2010 at sixteen years old playing the role of Cat Valentine. Since this role she has grown up in the public eye, with Ariana Grande being open about not wanting to be reduced to a sexual object despite the media’s constant scrutiny of her body’s appearance. You have to marvel at this stigma of over sexualisation for women in music, when stars such as Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez are all constantly held to different standards than their male counterparts.

The popstar’s recent change out to a more risqué wardrobe only served to underline this, as troubling struggles with weight loss were exposed to the public gaze. This can only lead you to wonder at how much pressure these young women are put under to look, act and conform with society’s idea of what women should be.

There’s no denying the pressure Ariana’s under to perform and perform well, with every action eaten up and overanalysed by a voracious internet. What comes up, after all, must eventually come back down and nothing expires faster than the relevance of popular young artists.

Yet for now, laying all the drama and worries to one side, you wouldn’t be mistaken for saying that she’s the next big thing. Ariana Grande’s new year sees her releasing some incredible new music, with her fifth studio album lurking just out of earshot around the corner under the promise of being one of 2019’s smash hits.

Ariana’s meteoric rise to fame is a millennial success story, something to rub in the face of every crusty old boomer that thinks this generation doesn’t have what it takes.

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FACT: Drugs that Changed the World is indeed, a drug that changed the world.

PELICAN PERSONALS

MISSED CONNECTION

PSySOC

Dear My UWA Love, I saw you carrying your UWA branded keep cup and jelly beans while walking across the lawn and I want to reach out to you. I want you to know that I would jump the Reid Library Moat for you, I would run to ALVA to Business and back again, I would wait in line at the food trucks, I would swim in the Koi Pond and take that Stats Unit. If we ever meet through the ill-fated hands of CAS automatic selection, I hope it’d be soon.

Are you a bit different? Weird? Psycho even? We used to be Psychos, but we are politically correct now. Ha, well so they think. If you are psyched (gotta stop using that pun now) to get in on the awesome events run by UWA’s highest fund-raising club, gain exclusive access to some of the most helpful resources for your Psychology (or other-discipline!) studies, and be party to some of the best banter on campus, PsySoc is for you! EMAS affiliates need not apply. Soz. Jk, we really do love everyone!

From,

Love always,

Your UWA Admirer.

PsySoc xx

STUDENTS FOR REFUGEES: A TAKE ON FLOCK GROWTH Are you concerned about plummeting social action on the charts (not just the ASX 200) & want to fight for a good cause (or take flight towards a solution?) Why not join a flock dedicated to not just Twitter advocacy, but also community support projects for one of society’s most vulnerable populations? We’re not only little birds chirping in ears beyond Uni, we’re also helping fill nests with food & restoring beliefs in empathy on campus (sadly not so much in the economy). Hit us up @StudentsForRefugeesWA on FB for more!

CWAP

UDS Wanted: someone who loves Drama with a capital ‘D’. Our perfect partner will love all things writing, acting and shameless promotion whenever one of our shows are on. We here at UDS are looking for members that we can take home to our parents, we’re not in this for a semester fling. If you love the stage, we’ll love you. Contact us on Facebook or via our email at uwadramaticsociety@gmail.com.

Blackstone “So You Want to Be Harvey Specter?

Future corporate sell outs seek cashoriented Freshers to feed their egos.

Perfect partner: Loves RMs. Avoid if: You don’t have LinkedIn. If you like the sound of meeting other like-minded law students, or you like the sound of cheap drinks, like us at Blackstone Society on Facebook, join UWA Prelaw Students on Facebook, and get ready to have a good time (as proven below).

Not-Sexually-Frustrated-Whatsoever™ writer’s club seeks to increase the production of quality erotica at UWA. Looking for inspiration and/ or fellow scribes of this noble art. If you’re a wordsmith of one of those lesser forms of literature (like, the stuff without the sex) you’re welcome to come along as well, we guess. Avoid if: doesn’t like puns. Perfect partner: appreciates wacky shitposting. Head down to our clubroom for some writing and chill, and hit us up (or just hit on us) at our Facebook page @Creative Writing And Poetry – CWAP.

Music Student’s Society MSS enjoys sitting on the beach at sunset with a ukulele singing Wonderwall. Searching for friends to play music together, go to the opera and cry about the number of rehearsals we have. Between that, we love a drink and a laugh. We enjoy music from Don Giovanni through to Avicii. You can find us on Facebook @ mss.uwa or Instagram @uwa_mss.

Chinese Students Association Lonely cultural club seeking a date for Chinese Valentine’s Day (7/7) Perfect Match: Someone who loves a good round of Mahjong over a pint of Tsingtao and a Shanxi Avoid: Anyone who has a thing against spiritual leaders from mountainous regions speaking on campus

Pelican Lonely Pelican bird seeks feathered companions. Looking for someone to do fringe binges & write scathing reviews with. Perfect partner: student of UWA. Avoid if: you’re a peacock. If you think we would be a match made in heaven then like us on facebook @ PelicanMagazine and slide into our pm’s.

FACT: You can save 4c a day by charging your laptop at uni

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UWA CHECKLIST

THE

“BEFORE YOU GRADUATE”

Say yes to everything you're invited to Stand up, clap, and shake your head with disbelief after a lecture Go to the Tav between your tutes Jump the Reid library moat Visit the archives and find your doppelganger Submit a fake UWA confession and tag your friend Skinny dip in the sports pool Order a Boost under a ridiculously fake name Rock up to lecture in PJ’s and shades Take a nap on James oval Get a selfie with Macca the campus pig Spice things up and have lunch at Broadway!

Visit Lawrence Wilson Art gallery, scrutinise the pieces and write a review for Pelican!

Get published in Pelican and make your Mum oh so proud!

Go fishing in the Koi fish pond when you forget lunch Match with someone at UWA on tinder Visit sunken garden and recite poetry in the stillness Stalk your tutor on Facebook and realise they’re human too Have a lunch date at tropical gardens Climb to the top of the clock tower and yell into the void Go to a Tav quiz night Join a club and get elected on the committee Tailgate in the parking lot Make it to an 8 am tutorial after a wild night out Actually learn how to reference Complain that the coffee on campus is not as good as Rocketfuel Embark on an adventure of discovery to ALVA campus Have a romantic picnic at Matilda Bay Get privately escorted by a security guard just to chat Read Pelican, get madly outraged and want to write a better article Write said article Go to Peli prom Get your degree!

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Pelican and the Guild take no responsibility whatsoever for the results of these actions

GET PUBLISHED! Do you have a way with words? Are you a budding artist? A philosophical genius?

Well, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time put your great talents to a noble use and write for Pelican 2019! There are no prerequisites to join our Pelican family. Previous experience is not essential and you definitely do not need a fancy writing degree.

We accept art, photography, graphic strips, campus rants, confessions, and more. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re also looking for a resident cartoonist.

Join our Facebook group to stay in the loop @Pelican Contributors 2019 or email us at pelican@guild.uwa.edu.au .

We waiting to hear from you. website. http://pelicanmagazine.com.au/ facebook. @PelicanMagazine instagram. @pelicanmagazine twitter. PelicanMagazine office. Room 1.90, above the Ref, enter from Ref Courtyard, Guild Village, UWA 51

STUDENT ASSIST The Guild’s friendly team of Student Assist staff offers free, confidential advice and support for any issues you may face, for example if: • You want access to free counselling on campus without a long wait • You’re considering late withdrawal from a unit • You’ve received a letter about academic misconduct • Uncontrollable circumstances are affecting your ability to complete assignments or sit exams • You’re stressed out and having trouble coping with life and/or uni

INDEPENDENT ADVICE WHEN YOU NEED IT

• You want to request a review of your grade or a UWA decision • You feel you’ve been discriminated against, harassed or treated unfairly • Your bank account/wallet/pantry is empty and you’ve got bills to pay • You’re just not sure where to ask for help!

Contact Guild Student Assist at: assist@guild.uwa.edu.au 52

6488 2292

uwastudentguild.com/assist