Pelican Edition 5 by UWA Student Guild

2 Show your guild card and grab a pi up pi a for offer applies to large pizzas only 165 BROADWAY, NEDLANDS 9389 8500 OPEN 5PM - 1AM FRI & SAT, 5PM - 12 MIDNIGHT SUNDAY, 5PM - 1AM WEEKDAYS WWW.BROADWAYPIZZA.COM.AU PIZZA BBroadway$13.95PIZZAroadway GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE! 6 EDITIONS SPREAD OVER UWA & PERTH! SMALL MONETARY INCENTIVE! LIVE AND BREATHE CAMPUS CULTURE! Become a 2023 bit.ly/pelican2023

As I see my Instagram feed filled with all my mates finding themselves in Europe while I’m stuck in Perth, it feels like I couldn’t be further away from the place of enlightenment. However, my fix for European heritage has been more than met by Bridgerton. What I’ve found more gratifying than the massive ballrooms and classy fashion is finally seeing people who look like me in mainstream

Esteemed members of the UWA ton, I hope this print find you well and that after your winter travels or stay-cations you feel truly cultured/ enlightened. For all of us not fortunate enough to go to Europe, the Van Gogh Live offered a nice substitute! This print is all about sourcing reason, stepping into the light enriched by newfound knowledge, and a logic that helped birth many of the modern ideologies we hold today. This era was a breakout of cultural phenomena from scientific discovery, political revolutions, and a societal reformation of rebellious philosophers, writers, and artists. Not to mention the elegance and refinement of regency architecture, fine arts and a breakthrough in fashion. The Literary insurgence of the Romantic Era with the sublime and picturesque still heavily influences our reading, writing, and thinking to this day. Everybody has read a Jane Austen novel, perused Frankenstein or definitely heard of Lord Byron, Wordsworth, or Percy Shelley. Enlightenment may have you thinking of period films and dramas such as the infamous Bridgerton. (For those anxiously awaiting Bridgerton season 3 I recommend trying a Jane Austen movie or The Duchess (2008), The Favourite (2018), OR Marie Antionette (2006) Yet, Enlightenment in a more modern context opens us up to take a moment to reflect, look back, take some time out of our busy schedules to make more time for ourselves, critically assess our surroundings, and make changes in our lives where they are needed. I encourage all of you to have a scroll, and with any luck, this print will make you feel refined and sophisticated in your newfound knowledge, ready for your own enlightenment. (For a chance to write your own Lady Whisltledown Letter, turn to 62!) Yours PelicanTruly,Editor

Themedia.transition to representation of people from diverse backgrounds in film has meant that more kids from around the world can find role models they identify with, and look up to from a very young age. To me, this is the new age of enlightenment, and it is so so exciting to see.

CAMILATORIAL TORIALEMMA TORIALPRESI

This Pelican edition is all about seeking and finding the truth, much like how journalism works. This edition reminds us of how important and significant having access to the truth, developing our curiosity, and critical thinking are. Many of the articles in this edition motivate us to question things around us to discover our true selves or realities we had ignored in the past. In our daily lives, we often make mistakes. We get so confident in our own skin we forget how much we do not know about the world. So, please, dear reader, I know some of the key figures of the enlightenment were not the best of people, but it is still worth looking deeper into their thirst for knowledge and open attitude to learning new things. We must be critical of ourselves and look within to become a version of ourselves we can truly say we are proud of. After all, this is the only way we can ever become enlightened.

4 INSIDE 8ARTWORKARTSPortraitofMary Wollstonecraft By Talola John 25The Enlightened Reality By Pauline Wong 61Colouring In By Sarah Sheikh 62Lady Pelican Wordsearch By Anya Constantine 58ASTROLOGYSeptemberHoroscopes By Abbey Durrant CAMPUS AFFAIRS 9 A Self-Defeating Guild & Its Frail Campus Culture By Anonymous 16COMEDYEnlightenment Article By Amanda Winton 31Quotebook By David Paik 12DIVERSITYListeningLoudly By Charlotte Butler 42Enlightenment is a Lie By Ruby Phillips ECONOMICS AND FINANCE 53Enlightenment By Nathan Cuthbertson ENLIGHTENMENT VOLUME 93 ISSUE 5

Edited by Camila Egusquiza & Emma Forsyth by Xander

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5 14FASHIONTheMaking of a Runway By Alexia Denys 24FILMWhat The Matrix has to say twenty (three) years later By Benjamin Marshall 22LIFESTYLEHowIce-Skating Turned me into a Motivational Speaker By May Tia Loo 45What I Talk About When I Talk About Meditation By Brendan Dias 47Love in Hindsight By Adam Elyousef 38LITERATURESpeak By Christina Charteris 18MUSICShambolic Enlightenment: A Brief Reflection on the White Album By Victor Arul 26POLITICSThe(Digital) Age of Enlightenment By Chloe Pester 55New Australia or How I learned to stop worrying and Love Paraguay By William Schmil 34SCIENCERelatively Strange By Owen Cummings 49SPORTSTheEnlightenment of Representation By Mary Rose Macdonald 51Reformers of Society; Takeaways from the Women’s Euros By Libby Caldwell TECHNOLOGY AND GAMING 28Conspiracy and the Rise of Social Media By Tremaine Noel 36Brain-Computer Interfaces: TechnoEnlightenment, or Potential Dystopia? By Ahmed Suliman andThePelicanteamacknowledgesthattheUWACampusesarelocatedonthelandsoftheWhadjukandMinengpeoplesoftheNoongarnation,theoriginalandcontinuingstorytellerscustodiansoftheirlands.Theselandswerestolen,andsovereigntywasneverceded.TheviewsexpressedwithinthismagazinearenottheopinionsoftheUWAStudentGuildorPelicanEditorialStaffbutoftheindividualartistsandwriters.

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Dearest reader, By now, I’m sure you have a solid understanding of the five W’s of the Enlightenment Period. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Europe experienced a rebellion against the ideals of the Renaissance period (if you don’t know anything about this era, please refer to this year’s Pelican edition 3 ;)). There was a marked shift in philosophical and intellectual ideas, which largely revolved around the importance of ‘reason’ and ‘logic’. Many influential names spring to mind when one speaks of the Enlightenment. John Locke (political philosopher), Thomas Paine (the writer) and Isaac Newton (everyone knows who he is!) are just a few. But in my opinion, the most revolutionary and timeless name associated with the Enlightenment is that of Mary I’mWollstonecraft.sureyou’ve heard her name before – she was the torch bearer for women’s rights in the late 18th century, the author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, and arguably the mother of modern feminist philosophy. Yeah, that one. Well, this legend lived during the Enlightenment Era (witnessing the French Revolution in 1789), so I imagine she knew a thing or two about logical reasoning, basic human rights, and rebellion against the old social order. As some of our favourite period dramas demonstrate, the women living in this age had vastly different rights and freedoms to the modern person (think of the worlds portrayed in Bridgeton, Pride and Prejudice, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, etc.). Whilst men were expected to shoulder the task of managing the financial, social, and political affairs of the family, women had to carry the burden of being dependent upon a male figure. From birth, people were reduced to the binary definition of male and female. Young girls were moulded into obedient wives, while young boys were groomed for the role of breadwinner.

Enlightenment, Wollstonecraft,MaryandthePlightofWomen

Tessa Moulds

Wollstonecraft published two vindications. Lesser known is her first published vindication, titled A Vindication of the Rights of Men, which was a response to Edmund Bourke’s rationalisation of the dangers of the French Revolution and his belief in the importance of the Monarchy and Aristocracy. Wollstonecraft, being the Enlightened legend she was, argued that such a conservative view of the Pre-Revolutionary world would see no change - slavery would

Both of Wollstonecraft’s works questioned and directly challenged the mess that was English society during the Enlightenment Era. She was clearly ahead of her time, with logic and reason enough to challenge all of the era’s major philosophers. We can all repay the efforts of this incredible woman by living our lives to the fullest, grasping every possible opportunity, enjoying every freedom, and continuing to fight for and maintain the rights that Wollstonecraft so stridently campaigned for.

Wollstonecraft argued that it was not a product of biology that created such a distinction between the genders but rather, a result of a system that refused to educate women in a manner that would put them on equal footing with their male counterparts. She also called out the artificial practice of ‘accomplishments’ (non-practical skills expected of women during this time, such as knowledge of modern languages, the piano, drawing, the harp, etc.), which she argued widened the divide between men and women. One of her most famous quotes touches on this idea; “My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if I treat them like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces, and viewing them as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone.” You can see why she was such a boss and still remains such a prominent feminist icon.

7 continue, and basic human rights would remain non-existent for many people. This was the first political work that established her as a known writer within the era, and rightfully so. Her more well-known work today is A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, which is still referred to and quoted in modern academia. Again, her text was a much-needed response to previously published works (mainly written by men), which denied the right of women to access an adequate education. Among these male authors was Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who wrote in his work Emile (1762) that “a woman’s education must…be planned in relation to a man. To be pleasing in his sight, to win his respect and love”. Doesn’t that just make you angry?! I’m not just asking my femaleidentifying audience here… Women were classed as naturally inferior due to their over-excited sensibilities, limited rationalisation, and frivolous lifestyles.

Artwork by Talola John

GuildSelf-Defeating&ItsFrailCampusCulture

9 A

Well, dear reader, then, you would understand my confusion at being a part of a student union that doesn’t represent its students. Now, don’t get me wrong - you’re a member of this union as much as I am. That pretty little golden hexagon on your student card… Yeah, our membership is a given. And yet, no one knows what it means to be a member of the Guild and part of a student union almost as old as the country itself! You’d think such an institution would be as familiar to students as the 950 or the Business School’s hook-up culture, but alas, here I am writing to you about this.

Beloved reader, it’s because of me. Well not quite, but I’ll show you why. I’m a second-year student and an apparent small ‘BNOC’. What should mean ‘barely knowledgeable, ordinary caterpillar’ is instead a ‘big name on campus’ as a part of a niche, elitist community made up of extroverted socialites who run the big clubs, the Guild, the colleges, and every other ‘notable’ facet of the university’s social life. We organise the coffee catch-ups, smile and wave our way into your Facebook friends’ list to chat about our next big vibey initiative. We’re characteristically extroverted, tend to flock to one another and know what it means to fervently compete. In truth, none of those qualities are negative by themselves, nor in small degrees, but in this context, it’s monstrous. It’s the line-up for the perfect performance of Britney’s ‘Toxic’ beset by two-faced personas, a toxic culture of ‘who you know’ rather than Sub-editor’s note: For this edition’s theme of Enlightenment, I put it to the students of UWA to share their experiences of Enlightenment at the university. One such component is the idea of a “social contract”, which concerns the way in which people are expected to behave in a certain way under a type of loose authority. In this sense, comparisons can be drawn relating to the Guild. A member of the current Guild Council came forward with his perspective on this.

It makes me laugh, truthfully, that the greatest vessel of a student’s ability to have that quintessential university experience is unironically the one that students are least involved or represented within. With yearly budgets exceeding hundreds of dollars at least, an army of staff, an array of outlets, clubs, event influences, and the means to break or create campus culture, why is it that our Student Guild is unknown, unmemorable, and frankly deadass boring?

How bizarre is a football team made up of one player? A circus with no tents? An emu without its neck? Bloody funky right?

The Guild must reform its elections. It must This was a body of students elected by all that worked tirelessly for three aims: the advancement of student welfare, the empowerment of campus culture, and student participation within larger societal issues

In the early 1900s, the Guild was a place that cemented the relationship needed between the students and the university’s administration.

During both world wars, it aided the families of students who served and worked to ensure the campus stayed as lively and supportive as it was in peacetime. In the 60s, it elected its first female President and began a long line of activism, famously leading to the prevention of Army Reserve stalls and initiatives being set up throughout the university in the early 1970s for Vietnam. Throughout the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, it was an institution that not only championed Aboriginal and LGBTQIA+ rights throughout the state but also worked to create some of the social and physical traditions we enjoy on campus today, including the large club festivals and the creation of the underpass. This was a body of students elected by all that worked tirelessly for three aims: the advancement of student welfare, the empowerment of campus culture, and student participation within larger societal Contrastissues.this to the two previous years of Covid, alongside an increasing disinterest of the Guild amongst the student populace, which has brewed a resilient class of ‘guild hacks’ and toxicity in what used to be a noble and representative institution. But, kind reader, I also see hope. The Guild isn’t just a place for activism, no more than it’s just a place of management, funds, and planning campus outlets, activities, and initiatives. The Guild is the beating heart of what it means to live, study, or work at UWA, and just like my grandpa’s cardiologist would say, we can turn this ailing situation around. I believe in community because I eagerly believe in you.

10 ‘what you know’, and a needless cesspit for gossip, drama, and scandal. I wish I could say I’m being mindlessly melodramatic but hear me out.

11 bring back mandatory voting and must pay its office-bearers. What may look like a step backwards is the very jump forwards we need! Campus culture and involvement were the greatest when voting was mandatory. Elections were least toxic before convoluted partyline electoral tickets. When realising that the representatives of the students were composed/ comprised of merit and character rather than influence, it was when there was a reward for the work they did. For too long, the Guild has gone without an optimistic future or a means to fuel enthusiasm. The elections breed vehement hate and sectarianism when all I can see is a chance to have fun, make friends, and build bridges for future cooperation. I dream of the day I may see an introvert or a fresher student on that opaque council table. It’s time for someone’s passion, rather than their popularity, to be the most important factor influencing student-led decisions.

Please stop me from reminiscing further about the 70s. Help me make the time spent here worth remembering. Yours Anonymoustruly,

Patient reader, I end on a bittersweet note. While the election reforms have begun (blackout period, reduced ticket limits, etc.) and the worst impacts of Covid-induced distancing have eased, UWA hasn’t stopped facing an existential crisis for the future of its student interactions and the culture on campus. With unprecedented low levels of club engagement coupled with a general disillusionment of the university experience, I fear the worst is yet to come. What once was the chance to build life-long friendships, enjoy campus cuisine and learn through experiences is now slowly but inevitably dying.

Charlotte Butler is the unofficial queer representative of St. George’s College.

Safety can be found in people, places and, more significantly, spaces dedicated to merging this together. Creating spaces like this is essential for the well-being of diverse groups of people, as it provides them with opportunities to connect with others who share their experiences and build support networks.

At St George’s College, there are two examples of this: the bi-semesterly “Ladies’ Night” and “Gents’ Night”, where residents are encouraged to come together and discuss topics of relevance based on gender. The Ladies’ Nights, which I have attended previously, have explored issues such as sexual assault/harassment, body image, mental health, and plenty more. These sessions are crucial for recognising that the women living at St George’s are a distinct group of people with their own set of issues unique from men (and vice versa). However, over the course of my time at college, the heteronormative and binary nature of these groups became increasingly obvious. The more comfortable I felt in my queer identity, the less I could relate to the issues discussed at Ladies’ Night. My queer friends expressed that they felt the same way, specifically my non-binary friends, who did not feel welcome in either space. During my first two years at college, I knew something had to change, but I waited nervously for someone more strongwilled, braver, and outspoken than myself to do something. This year I got tired of waiting. I am not an outspoken person. I have been quiet for as long as I can remember. In fact, my mum took me to a speech therapist when I was a child because she was worried as I didn’t express the urge to talk very often. I am not the person who frequently shares informative posts about topics I am passionate about on my Instagram story. I love engaging in discussions about these issues, but I am rarely the one to initiate them. My childhood speech therapist found that my talking abilities were perfectly fine. I was just more interested in listening than talking. This is still true as I love listening to other people’s stories and opinions. Nothing excites me more than hearing perspectives that challenge my own and finding common ground where I least expect it. This year it dawned upon me that even though I knew so many St George’s residents who

Listening Loudly

13 were queer, I knew none of their stories. This was when I decided that I didn’t have to be an outspoken social warrior to make a change. I figured that if I was going to be the person to say something, I may as well shout it. I organised an LGBTQ+ night, nicknamed “The Yassification of St. George’s”, and advertised it publicly to all of its residents in a post filled with rainbows, sparkles, and as much queer lingo as I could think of. It was a yass queen slay. Although the LGBTQ+ Night welcomed all people (including allies and those questioning their identity), the turnout was still far beyond what I expected. I started a small circle of chairs that expanded to the full capacity of the room within ten minutes. I prepared a few prompts in case the conversation died at any point, but the discussion flowed effortlessly from start to finish. It was genuine and heartfelt, with moments of laughter and tears coming into peoples’ eyes (especially the freshers). Many expressed gratitude towards me for initiating a space like this, and I felt just as grateful to them for sharing their experiences. As I wrapped up the discussion, I asked everyone in the room whether they thought there should be another LGBTQ+ Night. There was a unanimous agreement that it should continue and happen regularly – bi-semesterly, alongside Ladies’ and Gents’ Nights. It was clear that this had been a long time coming. Since then, I have organised one more LGBTQ+ Night and wish to host another two this semester. I also seem to have been recognised as the unofficial LGBTQ+ college representative and was gifted a pride flag pin by the administration office. After creating the beginnings of a supportive network for the LGBTQ+ residents of St George’s College, I have begun to define myself in a new light. I used to wish that I could be someone who speaks loudly and proudly about who they are and what they believe in, but the truth is that I am still figuring that out. Nevertheless, I have gained confidence in myself by learning that I can make a contribution while being true to myself and my own individual traits. After all, listening is just as important as speaking when addressing issues that are important to us. Yet neither can happen without a safe space to do so.

THE MAKING OF A RUNWAY

Have you ever dreamed of high fashion and galas?! Of having your name in lights or your artwork showcased? Well…… you’ve come to the right place! The Fashion and Beauty Appreciation Society, also known as FABSOC, is back with our annual catwalk cocktail night! Although this year’s event is still under construction *wink wink* It’s scheduled for Thursday the 23rd of September in week 8! (Tickets to be announced soon, so keep your feelers out...) So… what makes a fashion show? Is it the decor? The clothing? The models? Well, the first thing usually comes down to the venue, and that’s exactly where we started, almost a year ago now on Hay Street. Up in the peak of this mottled street lay the beautiful Moana Hall. A heritage-listed site, which is very popular for weddings, was where we would befall. Thus came the theme for our night: Dreams and Indulgences. And dream and indulge we did! Surrounded by fairy lights, vines, and cocktails, it really was a sight to behold! I found myself, the young and innocent fresher, working in the back rooms of the event. Head of the back of the house was the title I wore with pride, and, as such, I loved every minute of it. My main role was to make sure the models knew what to wear, where to go, and when. I’ve sewn on buttons, slicked back hair, touched up an eyelash or two and done many many snack runs.

Alexia Denys

Callouts are open now so get in fast!

What better way to boost your confidence and interpersonal skills than a runway? As most of our designers are students, our runways are more diverse than ever before! Everyone is welcome regardless of experience level, height, body type, whatever! We want to be able to celebrate all the diversity Uni has to offer. This year, we want the event to be bigger and better than ever, and with your help, we can make this dream a reality.

Although the night was a swathe of activity, it all seemed to flow into one. In the weeks leading up, we had the model fittings, which was honestly such a cool experience. Spending an afternoon creating unique outfits was awesome, and you could be a part of it! You either get to show everyone why you should design for New York fashion week or why you should grace the cover of Vogue Australia.

Callouts are open now, so get in fast! Hop onto our Instagram and Facebook for more info and sign-up sheets!

elightenmenttinder

From the get-go, Joel was signalling red flags left, right, and centre, but I had already shaved in places that take too long to shave to not receive the validation I crave.

After a few drinks (a jug) of ginger beer my Tinder date reminded me for the 10th time that it was so loud at the bar, so we went to his house.

‘My Uber account isn’t working, fucked hey, can you shout this one?’ Like I didn’t already shout the jug and hot chips he hoovered down.

DearToday’sDiary,entry will be about the concept of enlightenment. Before you compliment me on my new level of personal self-awareness, you should know that this topic was chosen for me by my therapist, not me. Something to do with me recognising my own decision-making progress or whatnot.

• No ex-girlfriend photos (like I need any more drama in that department)

I suppose my most ‘eureka’ moment (that is what enlightenment is, right?) was a life lesson taught to me by Joel. Joel was a late-night Tinder match. My finger had begun to cramp from swiping left when a rose amongst the thorns appeared. Or rather, a better metaphor would be a less thorny thorn amongst the thorns. He passed my Tinder test, which consists of the following:

• No fish photos (I will not be joining you on any ocean expeditions unless it includes cocktails on a yacht)

• No 6’5 and those are two separate measurements ;) (no explanation needed)

I know. The bar is low, but with the current pool of men in society... Had to cross that last

Amanda Winton bit out. I’m also meant to be focusing on being more Anyway,optimistic.afterafew riveting exchanges delving into sophisticated inquiries, such as ‘wyd?’, ‘hru?’, and ‘you’re not looking for anything serious, right?’, a date was set up. I know you’re probably thinking, well, if you’re not that into the guy, why are you going? The answer is simple and discussing its origin would probably put my therapist’s children through college. My self-worth is dependent on getting attention and validation from men.

‘Hey babes, my mum’s gonna be cleaning my room early tomorrow morning so can you like… Also, I can’t give you a lift, sorry, I’m already on my E plates.’

Long story short-actually, no, it’s a short story anyway when you look at it. After thirty seconds in paradise (if paradise was twenty-year-old’s crumb-filled sheets surrounded by his year twelve soccer trophies and dirty clothes), I was exhausted and ready to succumb to some solid drunken sleep.

It was after I had dragged myself into another Uber, threw up outside my house (I think it was my house), forgot to take off my makeup and then experienced a fresh round of hangxiety that I began to see this was not a sustainable way to spend my Thursday nights. However, the period of enlightenment did not reached its apex until a week later with the text, ‘A sexual partner recently tested positive for an STD & is notifying you via our Anonymous Notification Tool to recommend you also get tested.’ I can officially say that after a week’s worth of chlamydia medication. I am officially ‘enlightened’.

: A

Arul

on the White Album

Victor EnlightenmentShambolic ReflectionBrief

The White Album reflects the environment of creative conflict through its fragmentary identity.

Considering this idiosyncrasy, my favourite track in the album is Lennon’s “Revolution 9”, as it is a visceral testament to the chaotic collection it is a part of. The avant-garde collage marks a high point of drama in the album, a beautifully frightening organisation of sonic monoprints. Its channel-surfing soundscape provides a coarse but unalloyed listening experience. It is an exhilarating adventure embedded within another adventure.

Following their 1966 performance at Candlestick Park, the Beatles would abstain from further touring and focus on their musical output through studio releases. They would eventually seek to shatter the “Fab Four ‘’ identity, and instead adopt the personae of fervent counterculturists. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour (both released in 1967) leaned heavily into a newfound psychedelic aesthetic.

Of especial interest is the album released the following year, The Beatles (or more commonly, “the White Album”). The album’s primary recording sessions occurred subsequent to the members’ participation in a Transcendental Meditation course with Mahirishi Mahesh Yogi in India. The effort was conceived as a means to spiritually refresh and elevate themselves following their high-strung worldly endeavours. Despite this attempt, the White Album sessions are historicised as some of the group’s most stressful. The creative differences between the group members fostered an argumentative environment, rendering the situation so tense that individuals involved in the sessions, namely drummer Ringo Starr, producer George Martin, and engineer Geoff Emerick, had to leave at some point during the period (though Ringo would return after a two-week hiatus).

The White Album reflects this environment of creative conflict through its fragmentary identity. It makes reference to a wide range of styles, including music hall (“Honey Pie”), heavy rock (“Helter Skelter”), British blues (“Yer Blues”), country (“Rocky Raccoon”), and a Hollywood flavour (“Goodnight”). For me, this characteristic makes the album a mess and a sonic manifestation of aesthetic chaos. This ‘mess’, however, captivates me in that it proclaims a veracious attitude, almost so much so that it lampoons the refined concept albums that appeared in the years prior (including their very own Sgt. Pepper’s).

Contrary to George Martin’s arguments for pruning their cycle down to the standard fourteen tracks, the Beatles’ work was unleashed to the world on a two-disc set. Martin’s consternation, while perhaps understandable, was ultimately never made manifest; The Beatles was rendered one of the top-selling albums of all time.

The Death and Rebirth of Marat Pass Emma Horak the aux at your own risk to one of the bloodier chapters of human history: the French Revolution. Nestled within the Enlightenment period, which swept across Europe and appealed towards the pursuit of knowledge, the revolution saw huge interest in the ‘Divine Rule’ of the monarchy being overturned with political representatives such as Marat continually provoking radical sentiment against absolute monarchism. However, in 1793, Marat was violently murdered by a member of the opposing Girondin group, with the gruesome assassination artistically immortalised just days later by the physician’s friend (and founding father of Neo-classical art) JacquesLouis David, who penned the painting The Death of Marat. The piece is tragically masterful at placing the revolutionary’s death in a permanent stasis: still brandishing a bloodied piece of paper and quill, Marat’s body appears to peacefully tilt backwards like a saintly martyr, almost as though his revolutionary efforts were only able to be halted by death. The painting, awash in

The recent arrival of stormy weather,and an equally unwelcome torrent of assignments, have combined and created the perfect environment for returning to one of my all-time favourite albums: Deathconsciousness by Have a Nice Life. Released in 2008 and combining floaty, shoegaze-y vocals with rumbling melodies, the album remains equally immersive and melancholic, packing a stinging punch for its listener. Want to make an Anthony Fantano fan fall to their knees? Recommend them this LP. Perhaps one of the most immediately striking elements of the album is its cover, which features a man languidly reclined in his bathtub, renaissance-style.

At first glance, one might even assume he is sleeping if it weren’t for a large gash positioned just below his collarbone. But what would provoke an artist to paint such an image? And furthermore, what could possibly prompt a twenty-first-century post-punk band to slap it on the cover of their debut LP?

20 CW: MENTION OF DEATH

The man pictured is Jean-Paul Marat, a physician and political figure belonging

The English author E. M. Forster once proclaimed that “history develops, art stands still.” However, one must make the case that utilising and transferring existing art to a new context allows for the evolution of both

21 a glow of warm browns and greens and backlit by cool light, provides the perfect portrayal of the bloody cost of the Enlightenment period. Comparing the original piece to the Deathconsciousness album, the cover takes David’s already despondent painting a step further by saturating and darkening its colours; gone is the soft, pious glow, and in its place stands a grainy covering that perfectly communicates the apocalyptic and desolate tones of the album. Like those who experienced the French Revolution firsthand, Deathconsciousness envisions an end to life and the world as we know it. Its first track, “A Quick One Before the Eternal Worm Devours Connecticut”, implants this concept through a droning ebb and flow of reverb, communicating a mournful drift in and out of consciousness that mirrors Marat’s last moments. The album’s second and arguably most recognisable song, “Bloodhail”, then stretches this dystopian atmosphere to its extreme, accompanying its already desolate soundscape with lyrics that infer the killing of a God at the world’s end; perhaps not unlike the fears of the monarchists who saw any attempts to dismantle their institution as a direct act of treason against God. The endurance and resurfacing of classical pieces within indie and mass culture is always a fascinating phenomenon; a Van Gogh on a water bottle, a René Magritte on a tote bag, or even a Klimt on a bumper sticker. Similarly, although Marat’s death remains preserved in its own right within Jacques-Louis David’s artistry like the product of some kind of aesthetic embalming, its resurgence within musical spheres also ensures that the man not only remains a totemic symbol of the French revolution, but also one of sacrifice which is simultaneously enriching and enriched by other artistic spheres.

meTurnedSkatingIce-into SpeakerMotivationala May Tia Loo

How

I suppose this was my second enlightenment… Often we become our own barriers, and it’s important to be aware of that. Regardless of how you may have formed these self-limiting ideologies (e.g. cultural, media, upbringing), at the end of the day, you are in control and have the power to dismantle them.

Seeing as I devoted this year to rediscover myself, I thought, what better way to kick off my year, than by pursuing the dreams of little me?

Hiya guys! It’s been a while, and I hope you’ve all been well. Excitedly, I have begun a new hobby since my last article. From the cryptic title and the pictures, you may have already guessed… That’s right, I’ve started ice-skating! Something I’ve dreamt of learning since I was a little girl but never had the opportunity to pursue (I dedicated most of my childhood and early teenage years to rhythmic gymnastics instead).

And more importantly, why was being an adult the issue? When had I developed the idea that the ability to excel and succeed in a sport was reliant on the age you started it?

I have now passed my first term and am nearly halfway through my second. After fourteen halfhour lessons, I am now comfortable performing an array of skating techniques, both travelling forwards and backwards! I want to emphasise this (not to toot my own horn, but because I hope it convinces you) we are more capable learners than we give ourselves credit for.

If you’ve read this far, I encourage you to think about something you’ve always wanted to do but never had the confidence to try. Take a leap of faith and give it a go. Don’t let society’s expectations, fear of failure, or these self-imposed constraints stop you from reaching your potential. You’ll never know what you were missing out on if you never try. What’s the worst that could happen? You find out that whatever it was, wasn’t for you! And you know what? That’s okay! You have just learned something new about yourself. So do what you want. Do what sets your heart on fire. And if you ever feel doubtful, just know I believe in you.

This experience led me to resonate with something I read on Instagram:

A couple of weeks later, I found myself reflecting. I couldn’t help but wonder, why was I so afraid of learning to skate as an adult?

To be honest, I definitely had my insecurities about starting a new sport as an adult, but I pushed outside of my comfort zone anyway –and I’m so glad I did. During the first lesson, I was pleasantly surprised to meet so many other adults who had chosen to give skating a shot in their twenties. Even more inspiring was watching people in their fifties and sixties learning to skate! Witnessing my elders attempt more advanced skating tricks was absolutely refreshing! In hindsight, this introductory experience was not only enlightening, but fantastic exposure therapy, abolishing the stigma I unconsciously held that adults couldn’t do well at starting a sport later in life.

“It’s so funny how much of finding yourself in adulthood is simply getting back to who you were and what you loved as a child”, and honestly, I couldn’t agree more.

I understand that in certain circumstances this is a limiting factor. It may be unrealistic to aim for the Olympics, but does that mean you can’t still be pretty damn good at a new sport?

What The Matrix has to say twenty (three) years later

The Matrix (1999) is a film about the enlightenment of its protagonist and, by extension, its audience. The machinesimulated virtual reality it popularised has lasted as an unknowable and so everprovocative thought experiment. Currently, given the rate of progress of machine learning, the prospect that we all live in a simulation run by machine overlords has become more credible. However, as an action film, it is notably formulaic, executed at the highest level. The film, compared with contemporary action blockbusters, enlightens viewers about what is actually important to make a quality film. To suggest that The Matrix is, in some part, formulaic may seem sacrilegious. This can be judged from its sustained distinctiveness and recognisability. Audience members are filled with excitement at the prospect of being plucked from the mundane reality of their existence and raised to the role of ‘the one’. It plays on the viewer’s narcissism that they may be destined for greatness. However, the concept of a machine-controlled future or a false reality were not original. Furthermore, as the film progresses, it moves towards more settled grounds. Morpheus is captured after one of his crew members is bribed, and the protagonist attempts a perilous rescue mission where he must shoot, chop, and bullet time his way through hordes of enemies to finally confront the big bad guy. If the established setting was forgotten, the ensuing fight resembles a John Wick prequel rather than one of the most memorable action movies of all time.

This suggests that action is meaningful when it is couched within the context of an interesting cinematic world with stakes the audience has been led to care for. It must be said that execution in action cinema is not a given and The Matrix, in this regard, is also particularly capable. Besides its philosophically enriched setting, it still boasts a wonderfully utilised colour tone, satisfyingly meaty combat, innovative special effects repertoire, and believable acting performances. Its possession of these components is not unique. What is more distinctive is the use of restraint to maintain the focus of the movie in the direction in which it best shines.

Recently, I watched Dr Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The unstoppable expansion of technology lent this Marvel movie a more aesthetic sheen in its effects department. However, the special effects failed to captivate. It was by over-exposure to riches that the film convinced me that not one saturated moment was more significant than another. There was no time to sit in a white room with only two chairs and a television. The Matrix’s effects are outdated, yet they pack the weight of being properly utilised at the right visual and thematic moments. As more often than not, less is more.

Ironically enough, the power of the CGI machines has taken over the (cinematic) world, and resultantly we are now forced to ingest the liquid remains of previously well-made cinema; as in the dystopian world of the Matrix, it has become a truly tough (red) pill to swallow.

Benjamin Marshall

Artwork by Pauline Wong

The (Digital) Age

Floor to ceiling windows. The city skyline. Endless amounts of coffee. Much like any girl growing up on rom coms, this is always how I imagined the world of journalism. A slick, shiny world full of power suits and slicked-back ponytails. It wasn’t until embarrassingly late in life that I realised this was far from the truth. Between the ‘newspapers are dying’ and seeing journalists on A Current Affair harassing people in the street, my view of journalism in recent years has become far more cynical.

Chloe Pester of Enlightenment

In fact, I purposely distanced myself from any form of developing news and the outlets I knew it came from. TV, newspapers, and magazines were no longer something I wanted to pay attention to. All the way from the Trump administration to the pandemic, it all just seemed too much. I became exhausted seeing all that was wrong with the world. These feelings were only amplified with the coining of the term ‘fake news’, which honestly didn’t worry me too much. At first. It wasn’t until 2019 when a speech by Borat himself for the Anti-Defamation League appeared on my daily scroll in which he explains how this type of journalism and social media itself threaten democracy.

What I never could have expected is that I would be alive during a seemingly gradual, but, in reality, intense shift in cultural communication.

The shift to endless information, everywhere, all at once is seemingly grim. Not a day goes by where words like ‘attention economy’ aren’t thrown around, and you hear various comments from grandparents, parents and politicians alike. However, this is from the perspective of looking back to the past and what there once was.

Yes, the news is more contentious than ever. And yes, some days that scares the shit out of me. It also means that I have to use critical thinking far more than I ever have before. It turns out that I have been, even subconsciously, adjusting my behaviour to adapt to this world we now live in, and whether you are aware of it or not, you probably do it too. Social media is not the end of democracy. It is just a change. We now have the power to establish truths previously silenced and make our own institutions in this evolving world we are growing up in.

“It’s as if the age of reason is ending…and now knowledge is increasingly delegitimised.” His speech does far better justice than I ever could at explaining this phenomenon, and I highly recommend giving it a listen. Ironically the only thing these news sites picked up on was his supposed ‘attack’ on social media platforms, particularly Facebook. This triggered a renaissance of sorts in my feelings about journalism, as I realised it had now shifted far beyond my precious ideas of newspapers and glamourous writers. All this time, I hadn’t been avoiding the news, I just wasn’t actively consuming it. News is now accessible through every medium produced by people who no longer have editors or fact checkers to corroborate their statements. Where once there were trusted institutions, there are now algorithms and influencers paid to make posts. The impact, of course, is subtle. I became conscious of the fact that now every time I read something, I have to do a quick google, and consult a couple of links before taking it as fact.

Almost as if I actually had to...think about what I was reading for once.

The way we interact day-to-day has changed dramatically even within the last five years. Something you never notice until you look back, particularly when growing up with it.

The reality is that we are now in unprecedented territory. There is now a free accessible platform for everyone to use and interact with, almost in real-time. What is deemed newsworthy is no longer determined by white male editors. Content creators from marginalised demographics have a platform to share their experiences and raise awareness even between oceans. Movements are now global on a scale we never could have dreamed of before. Education goes far beyond the classroom.

reasoned inquiry, rather than blindly clinging to the words of the past.

Tremaine Noel

Social media has often been praised in the short time it has existed as a positive thing that has succeeded in bringing much of the world together. I would argue, however, that although social media has done this to some degree, it has also led to a far more insidious outcome slowly in the long term. The complete erosion of values that have been with us since the Enlightenment Era. This insidious outcome will be the subject of this article.

Reasoned inquiry into one’s circumstances or the world around them is the thing that led us to many different achievements moving forward. It allowed us to develop the technology we have and to do the things we have done. However, social media has changed all of this.

To begin, I will first outline what the values I speak of are. The Enlightenment was a period of philosophical, political, and scientific upheaval. Chiefly, reason was seen as the most important thing a person could possess, and the ability to reason was a major force that drove change forward in this era. Political revolutions occurred as the common people began to demand change from oppressive systems they were forced into arbitrarily by birth. New scientific fields were established, as the scientific method became the standard process by which people asserted facts about the world through

ofandConspiracytheRiseSocialMedia

Up until the advent of social media, I would argue that these Enlightenment values were the bedrock of how the modern world functioned.

The problem with social media is that it has evolved into a place where communities of like-minded individuals can share their ideas. If I want to make a community on Facebook or Reddit about a video game, for instance, I can do that, and anybody interested in that topic is able to join and post about it. Ideally, there are also moderators in that forum, who make sure the community’s discussions are on topic,

Most people accepted these principles as ones we should live by and approach the world.

29 and that everyone in the community is being respectful and following the community’s rules. This inherently does not sound problematic. If the topic the community is uniting around is a conspiracy theory or a hateful far-right ideology, however, then I believe it is clear how this can be very problematic. Instead of generating large, worldwide communities based on reasoned discourse into actual proven phenomena or situations, social media has instead led to many of these toxic and intellectually harmful think-tanks. Studies have shown there are correlations between social media use and belief in conspiracy theories. I think the next few examples I will provide will show that this is definitely the case. One such example I can think of in relation to this is the Flat Earth Society group on Facebook. Currently boasting over 210 000 members, the group has provided the ability for people to espouse the unscientific assertion that the Earth is flat in numbers that would not have been possible had social media not existed in the way it does today. This is especially harmful as it gives the conspiracy theory extra reach, meaning people that might never have seen it are now more easily able to be exposed to the conspiracy theory. Consequently, the unscientific theory is able to spread. As it does, a little bit of our society’s emphasis on Enlightenment values dies, as more people are likely to follow social media for their facts about the world instead of looking to reasoned empirical methods such as science. Another example is that of the QAnon conspiracy theory in America. This was the theory that many members of the US Government and American society were involved in a child sex-trafficking ring and that they were conspiring against Donald Trump for taking a stand against them. This was largely spread through social media. Platforms such as Twitter and Facebook were instrumental in the rate at which the theory went viral. This led to actions such as election interference. When Trump lost the election,

Studies have shown there are correlations between social media use and belief in conspiracy theories

When examining the Flat Earth Society and QAnon, it is clear that social media is harmful to enlightenment values. It does not lend itself to reasoned inquiry or discourse, rather, it creates echo chambers of people espousing the same things to one another, even if those things are untrue or unscientific. This is harmless in the case of things such as video games or movies. However, in the case of actual social, political, and scientific issues, this is extremely dangerous. It leads to the rise of harmful conspiracy theories, hateful ideologies, and those who advocate them (looking at you, Andrew Tate). It also makes it extremely difficult to reason with these individuals and get them back to a rational worldview, as they become immersed in a world of people that agree and validate their incorrect ideas. I am not saying social media is a wholly bad thing by any means, and it definitely has its place in the world for certain communities in relation to certain topics. That does not mean, however, that it does not have its issues, and I am of the belief that unless something is done to change the way these theories and groups spread across social media, the Enlightenment values our society has held in high esteem for hundreds of years will continue to be eroded more and more over time as echo chambers, conspiracy theorists, and hateful influencers exude their ideas onto more and more people.

attempts to overturn the result due to it being perceived as having been rigged by the cabal by the theory’s believers ensued. The devastating consequence of QAnon was realised on January 6th, 2021, when Trump supporters, many of whom believed in the theory, stormed the US Capitol building to forcefully assume control of the government. None of QAnon was true. However, this did not matter to people that believed in the theory. They did not need a reasoned inquiry to come to their belief. All they needed was to see enough people believing what they believed to validate their ideas.

David Paik Artwork by Savannah Regan (theQuotebookquoteedition)

Hey beautiful, I’m currently searching for an honest and worthy sugar baby to take care of. I will support your needs and rent and pay you a weekly allowance of $5,000…also, I support broke university students. Dm back if interested.

- UWA ConfessionMichael Brian (charitable broski who slid in my DMs)

If I had a nickel for every time I walked into a bathroom on campus that people were having sex in, I would have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice. -

Bro, like, I swear, indie band names are just two random ass words put together that have no fuckin relationship to each other. Like Tame Impala, Radiohead, and Vampire Weekend. Like WTF even is an Artic Monkey. So, the key to great presentation skills is *um* to reduce filler words like ‘um, so, and’ this basically allows you to like *um* sound more confident and comfortable in your presentation. - My woke mate on weed - WTF

(Proceeds to pay 15k a semester to major in mathematics) - A child - A clown

You a doo doo ahhhh I fucking hate maths.

Light, they found, travelled at the same speed regardless of its movement with respect to the AtEarth.this point, Albert’s suspicions were raised. He knew that the laws of physics are always the same for anyone, as long as their inertial reference frame isn’t changing, so, not Butaccelerating.thatdidn’t sit right with what M&M had found. If light was emitted from a source travelling towards you at a constant speed, it should appear to be moving faster than light emitted from a stationary object. Because if you were, say, on a train chugging along, and you threw a ball out in front of you, you’d see that ball move ahead of you at the speed you threw it relative to you. From the perspective of a stationary person on the side of the track, the ball would move at the speed you threw it, plus the speed of the train. A beam of light from the front of the train, you could assume, would behave similarly. Moving at the speed of light relative to you, and the speed of light, plus the speed of the train relative to a stationary observer. You would be wrong, and Einstein was smarter than you.

34 Owen Cumming also doesn’t brush his hair. Coincidence?

“Don’t know where this is going, but I’m loving your energy right now!”

Light is strange. Albert Einstein suspected light was strange, relatively speaking. His curiosity was piqued after reading Albert A. Michelson and Edward W. Morley’s search for “the aether” through which light travels.

“And, I mean, the Earth’s just like flying through the universe, whizzin’ along through the aether.”

“Okay, so, like, the light that’s coming at us from the direction the Earth’s moving through the aether, it should seem like it’s coming at us faster than light that’s coming in at an angle, yeah?”

“Right, yeah, yeah, I’m with ya.”

The following is a transcript from Michelson and Morley’s conversation regarding “the aether”, almost verbatim: “Yeah, but, like, light travels via the aether, right?”

“Fuck, yeah, I reckon you’re right, aye. We should measure that shit.”

“Fist bump me, bro. We’ll totally be able to measure the light moving faster in one direction and prove a stationary aether exists!” They didn’t.

RelativelyStrange

“Check it out, boys,” said the big A-Dog. “I know what’s up. Light is always the same speed, no matter how fast you’re going when you fire it off. That speed is ‘c’. ‘c’ for ‘constant’. ‘c’ for ‘can’t change it’. ‘c’ for ‘come get some’.” Science said, “yeah, but what about…?” “I’m not finished yet!” said the A-Train to Smartsville. “Light doesn’t change, but time and space do!”

Science was like, “Dude, seriously? When was the last time you even brushed your hair?”

“I like a natural look,” said Berty-Big-Brain. “But for real, to make up for all this weirdness with light, when things go really fast, time slows down for them, and space gets all squished up. Check my maths! It all works out! That’s what I call some pretty special “So,relativity.”you’re saying that time and space just completely change the rules of the universe when things are going “Yup.fast?”

Oh, and the aether is a load of bullshit.” “Well, we think you’re wrong.” He wasn’t. His relatively outlandish theory about the special things that light does, has been repeatedly, and un-frick’n-believably, proven true. It has had a profound impact on how we view the world around us.

Einstein later suspected there was something strange about that gravity. He proposed some general thoughts on the matter that have been relatively well accepted.

Ahmed Suliman

Consider a world where perfect memory is possible.Better yet one where conditions such as being hard of hearing or visually impaired are eliminated, and cognitive degeneration is a thing of the past.

Early attempts to devise BCI-like technology began with German psychologist Hans Berger, who first discovered that the brain produces electrical activity. In 1924, he successfully completed the first known case of recording electrical activity using electrodes in a process known as electroencephalography (EEG).

Developments continued until Jacques Vidal (a professor at UCLA) devised an experiment

At the intersection of high tech and neuroscience, proponents of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) argue that such a world is near. BCI refers to a family of technologies that facilitate communication between the electrical impulses in the brain and manmade computerised external devices. Such devices would be able to provide users with a communication outlet in the case of certain disabilities or even augment the brain with additional super-human capabilities.

Techno-Enlightenment, or Potential Dystopia?

Brain-ComputerInterfaces

in 1977 where he utilised EEG to control navigation through a computer maze game using only brainwaves. This is considered to be the first known use of BCI. His techniques have laid the foundation for many models of BCI developed during the 1990s and 2000s. BCI devices have used brainwaves to recreate imagined images onto a computer screen, move robotic arms, and decipher linguistic brain Whileoutput.there is a range of contemporary BCI techniques, they can generally be grouped into three categories: invasive, partially invasive, and non-invasive. Invasive BCIs require surgery to implant electrodes under the scalp and onto the brain. Their exact positioning depends on their function. For example, a BCI designed to deal with blindness may be placed directly onto the visual cortex. A partially invasive BCI can also be implanted within the skull but does not make contact with the brain. Meanwhile, non-invasive BCI relies on traditional EEG techniques, placing electrodes outside the scalp without surgery. While most BCI research is non-invasive, they typically find it harder to capture the same level of high-resolution brain activity as the more invasive techniques.

Over the past few years, a small handful of high-tech companies have been competing to bring the promise of BCI research to commercialisation and widespread use. Arguably, the most well-known of those is Neuralink, a start-up co-founded by Elon Musk in 2016. Neuralink takes an invasive approach, with a small computer – a “Link” (approximately the size of a coin) – implanted onto the brain through a delicate procedure undertaken by a robot. While the robotic procedure is impressive on its own, what is fascinating are some of the experimental results that Neuralink has had in animal trials, specifically with pigs. Through Links with 1024 electrodes, Neuralink BCI accurately interprets neural data from the pigs’ brains to predict activities like limb movements and snout interactions. These trials lay some principles that could have promising applications in humans living with movementrestricting disabilities, including restoring Itmovement.isvital to stress that for Neuralink, and similar technologies, many of their most promising applications are nowhere near ready for popular use and are likely years or even decades away. Companies like Neuralink hope that their promising trials and challenging missions will attract bright talent to help them accelerate research and development to meet their lofty goals down the track (with wealthy benefactors like Musk sustaining the costs in the Nevertheless,meantime).it remains relevant to ponder the potential costs, benefits, and ethical ramifications of advanced BCI technologies on a large scale. Many of these questions will revolve around privacy. Will we be able to upload our memories directly from BCI chips onto the cloud? If so, who owns that most intimate of data? Will governments be able to access it? More fundamentally, however, there may need to be a reconsideration of human nature itself. It is one thing to be inseparable from a mobile phone, but a future world where we live in a symbiotic relationship with technology directly wired into our brains brings about profound philosophical questions about the self, individual autonomy, and the border between artificial and organic intelligence.

Politicians attempt to placate their people by preaching they know it all. At this, revolution will find its grip, and slowly but surely begin to crawl.

Speak

Christina Charteris He stands on a binarized platform preaching words that waiver in the wind, to the people who protect the sanctity of subdivision in shades of skin. But to the good person who feels small as they are detained by a dirty pig, the voice of a man with his head held high lets them know they’re part of something big.

Why are we here? When children cry and mothers mourn over someone dear. The way the story unfolds is never quite clear. How are we here? A choice to choose who would speak. A double loss coin toss, the outcome: always bleak. In the past, empty promises made the golden heads of monarchs roll. Grand gestures brought uprisings, and through smoke we watched them fall.

A voice behind the stockade will scream; a cry for help, a quiet plea. A voice in front says: “I have a dream…” and the hidden voices we finally see. So, criticise the actions of the men with money and/or a family tree; those people who are so far removed from their societies. Who do they represent? What will come to be? If we sit back and relax, as they do as they please.

economic equality and encourages the growth of social progress, in studying the definitions of the term democratic as established in the 17th century, the correlation is not as positive as one would expect. In fact, a trend emerges that suggests that rather than social inequality being considered an issue that clashes with democratic values, it is the rigid allegiance to traditional democratic values, which stifles the opportunities to truly overcome inequality.

39 Steph Harding Enlightenment and Equality

Do ideals of liberal democracy actually allow for social progress and equality?

Since the enlightenment era, the notion of democratic values has been integral to the political identity of many Western nations, with most Western constitutions drawing largely from associations of democratic thought. However, the question of how such values interact with more modern issues of social inequality is an interesting pattern to investigate. Whilst the assumption is that democratic thought attaches itself thoroughly to the concept of social and

It was centuries after Locke’s publications that universal suffrage between all sexes and races became the norm. Locke did not advocate for collective liberation. The democracy that emerged from Locke’s liberalism was largely a way to protect individuals’ material rights, and if one did not have any possessions (like slaves and women who couldn’t own property) they could not be involved in democratic processes. In this regard, the very structures of liberal democracy were the structures that prevented the pursuit of equality. It was not until Marxism presented itself as a political ideology that the concept of universal social and economic equality truly gained traction, by which point democracy had been functioning throughout Europe and North America for at least a century.

Whilst notions of democracy can be traced as far back as the BC era, the concept of classical liberal democracy, on which our constitutions are based, originates largely from the works of John Locke during the 17th century. Firstly, it is relevant to note that Locke does present equality as a central issue on which he bases his argument; in fact, there is an underlying assumption that all men are naturally born into “a state of perfect freedom” and are therefore also entitled to a series of unalienable “natural rights”. However, this interpretation of man’s moral equality should not be confused with advocacy of any notion of socio-economic equality. Locke associates his definition of equality to the bible’s statement “all men are created equal” and therefore links to the concept that all men are considered equal at the gates of heaven. This distinction is important to note as it shows Locke’s interpretation for what it is. He is not trying to state anything new or revolutionary or place importance on the idea of equality; instead, he is defining a preconceived idea, which he builds off of. The concept that Locke truly prioritises above all else is the protection of individual “natural rights”, specifically regarding “life, liberty and property”. It must be pointed out that declaring individual rights does not simultaneously declare social equality. In fact, the emphasis on protecting individual property and liberty assumes each individual has varying amounts of such that need to be protected. This emphasis on the individual is extremely important when considering that the first democratic elections only allowed male owners of property to vote.

Such a conclusion regarding democracy raises questions about how we perceive our world today, particularly how we evaluate different democracies worldwide. Sweden, for example, is labelled as one of the most socio-economically equal nations in the world, but what factors make it so? Sweden is a social democracy and characterises itself largely as a compromise between a liberal democratic and socialist state. However, it is the need for such a compromise to exist that questions the relationship between democratic values and social equality. As a welfare state, Sweden has somewhat replaced the importance of individual rights that were fundamental to Locke’s beliefs with the concept of a collective benefit. A cohesive willingness to pay higher taxes and collectivise financing of welfare policy largely defines public attitudes and, in regards to Locke’s writings, completely the very structures of liberal democracy were the structures that prevented the pursuit of equality

abandons the concepts that prioritise the need for individual protections of property and liberty. However, it is not just in attitude that Sweden rejects traditional democratic values. Equality is emphasised throughout Sweden’s entire democratic structure. Sweden’s development of a multi-party system and use of proportional representation as a system of government, plays against the traditional definitions of democracy. Rather than collecting a single preference from voters to establish an electoral result, Sweden opts for a complex ballot system, allowing not only for multiple representatives and preferences, but also for a greater chance of cooperation within governments. Such a system not only encourages representation for all citizens but also means that Sweden has one of the highest consistent voter turnouts in the world. Progress towards equality of this level, however, would not be able to have been achieved without the integration of socialist ideology and values into the democratic model. Without the contributions of socialist thought, the democratic values of Locke would never have allowed Sweden, or any nation, to transform itself into a welfare state. The values surrounding democracy emerged out of a time that was extremely different to today, and ideologically, equality was not something on any widespread political agenda. Although such intricate attention to these traditional values does not seem influential given the centuries of experience between them and today, the impact of these values and the attitudes surrounding them in any given nation are still relevant. The success of Sweden in compromising the values of traditional democratic thought in order to pursue equality is an important case study. It shows that perhaps democratic values are not the final step for politics, and rather than being treated as a solution for freedom, there should be room for criticism and improvement in how we currently understand and view successful politics.

In Thailand, the days became weeks that blurred into months. Nights turned into days repeatedly while I barely slept. I escaped to my dreams and the internet through Dreamviews, a then-popular lucid dreaming forum. I became my alias, Cloud, as in the cloud walkers of Tibetan mythology, travelling the cosmic plan to enact their will through dreams. Mysticism entranced me, a certain kind of magic, and I needed to know more.

When I was sixteen, my family left Perth because my grandfather was dying. It was the end of year nine, just before Christmas, which meant losing my remaining education, childhood friendships, and all certainty for the Thefuture.hospital was in Bangkok, and the intensive care ward smelt like death and the poorly sponge-bathed sick and elderly. We saw my grandfather just a few times before he died in the last two weeks. He was unable to speak and desperately called for me to say goodbye. He wasted his final words and scribbled something illegibly for me on a scrap of office paper. To me, it was a secret code, lost unfairly to the shaking hands of his pain. His tired, usually sweet face left this world with an expression of shock and defeat. The brutal reality pushed me into a confused dissociation. A few days later, we held the funeral. Traditional, brightly coloured strings were paraded and weaved throughout the temple, meant to be a guiding path for his spirit. I never saw his ghost, not even in my dreams. Only Ruby Phillips

EnlightenmentisaLie

the black smoke from his cremation rose from a simple brick pillar through the sky. He was gone, and I couldn’t even cry.

Something was missing—a space once occupied by the busyness of school and my late childhood imaginations. So, I searched the internet for answers and found a website that promised Lateenlightenment.atnight,with my eyes closed against the dim light of my monitor. I attempted to wholly learn the one-hundred and twelve meditation techniques from a guru named Osho.

SydneyAustralia.offered new challenges to the spiritual beliefs I held. It was a dangerous place for an arrested youth, and I brimmed with untapped homosexuality that translated through my high cheekbones, gentle voice, and timid expression. A punchable face, they said. I was being attacked or harassed most days by kids younger than me, which caused a recession further Byinward.mytwenties, I was ready to become a monk. The seed which Osho had planted was growing. Fresh roses from my sacred inner spaces began to Onblossom.YouTube,

I found three more spiritual leaders. Truly enlightened beings, it seemed. Authentic in their wisdom, each with a unique Thestyle.first was sweet Papaji, whose words carried a message of love, overwhelming love for the world and for me personally. Through his teachings, I meditated and experienced my first tastes of peace. Next was Mooji, Papaji’s former disciple, who I felt spoke directly to me through his videos. Such emptiness, I found, through his guided meditations—a relaxation into natural states of being, effortless and free. Last was Eckhart Tolle, a European mystic who had obviously experienced deep enlightenment that resounded through his speaking. I explored the depths of my trauma and emotional pain through his teachings of the “pain body.” I experienced sudden and overwhelming, brilliant glimpses of enlightenment. The visions began shortly after, with more clarity than my sight in everyday life. I saw something which I can only describe as supreme, a pure light folding back upon itself in blinding brilliance, shaped like an hourglass or the body of a divine being. I became convinced of my enlightenment; however, it just wouldn’t stick. I was holding myself back from the truth in Onefear.night it happened. Meditating, I listened intently to the discourse of Eckhart in a way I hadn’t before. The words carried a new, the visions began shortly after with more clarity than my sight in everyday life.

I tried every technique in Osho’s discourse before restlessly seeking fresher details in his Zen Buddhism books. Zen was different. Direct like a finger pointing to the moon, a gaze which I followed intensely into nothingness. The simplicity was my style, and I began meditating on the teachings in brief moments of silence. A veil of immaturity was lifted, uncovering helplessness and emotionality that hid beneath my depression. The discovery propelled me further into the world of spirituality. During the next two years, my family’s money sank through the cracks of our apparently impoverished Thai relatives, clawed away by greed and false promises of return. My father reclused himself to entrepreneurial desperation until new business ventures dictated another new beginning. Suddenly, we had to return to

44 apparent meaning, and it felt as if I was not there, just a witness in the system, a coiled muscle waiting to be flexed. And so, it did. My sense of self stopped, and the space within me opened. It shone with a holy presence that stunned and welcomed me. I felt deep parts of the universe within my being as if the stars, galaxies and all the living beings resided within me. Extremely complex geometric patterns cascaded through my mind with potent clarity and serialised into layers which peeled back and back, rapidly toward simpler patterns and shapes, and then quicker, reaching the final layer where all shapes fell away. There, I found God. No God of men, but a pure, supremely intelligent force that beamed from without and within me. I realised that I am God. A part of God and the whole thing itself, impossibly. There was no more a question of enlightenment, and this was the truth I had been searching for. Since then, my life has changed. Enlightenment is somewhere out there or in, but it’s not for my pursuit. Life has shown me greater riches that I can finally appreciate with a bit of gratitude. I still have many problems, especially with how much suffering there is in the world. I don’t understand these great forces that I’ve witnessed, and maybe it’s not within my capacity as a human being to understand. All I found was that everything I was searching for was within, revealing itself with little effort but intense intention. The knowledge has made life easier sometimes but also difficult. I am not a master; I am a student of the world. Enlightenment is not somewhere else. It never was. It is in life and our everlasting pursuit of greatness. It is found in the graceful touch of sunlight on your skin, or the cool brushing of the wind on your hair, and in the silence of gratitude and awe at this beautiful world.

From whatever minute wisdom I might have, matched equally by foolishness, all I can say is to look around. Don’t chase spiritual enlightenment, and don’t avoid it. Instead, spread love, chase your dreams, and give yourself the space and things you need to grow. To me, you are everything.

Set aside a small amount of time each day, during which you can sit with your eyes closed, preferably in a dark and/or quiet space. For that brief period of time, turn your attention inward, and simply notice, without judgment, the contents of your own mind. convinced me of this. She told me more about the benefits of meditation and how it can be practiced. She knew of a meditation retreat centre run by a Buddhist society in Serpentine. They ran free, weekend-long meditation retreats, where you could meditate for a full day under the guidance of an actual Buddhist Nomonk.phones, no TV, no distractions. I booked myself into one of these, and what I experienced is difficult to articulate. By just sitting with myself, I learned that joy is not something bestowed upon you by the external world but something you can give (or take away from) yourself. I liked it so much that I went twice more. Each time, it became easier to be content, simply sitting with myself and doing nothing. All that said, you may be wondering if there is some great secret behind meditation and its substantive benefits.

Brendan Dias

Ibegan meditating about two and a half years ago. Anxious and depressed, I had fallen into a downwards spiral, watching YouTube videos created by a spiritual guru who gave me comfort. He preached about the benefits of simply sitting with and watching oneself and not engaging with every thought that flew by, just observing them as they came in and out of consciousness. I was hooked. These claims seemed reasonable, so I started meditating to the best of my ability for five minutes daily. At first, I didn’t really see the point of sitting and doing nothing, but I stuck to it anyway, trusting in the wisdom of others over my own intuition. Not long after, I learned that one of my colleagues ran forty-five-minute guided sessions every Wednesday. I began attending these and felt my practice deepen under her guidance. She was an experienced meditator and happened to sit at a desk directly across from mine! In her presence, I felt that she was someone who had discovered a deep inner joy. It’s hard to describe what it was about her that

I don’t think so. I still deal with the same internal issues that made me pick up the practice in the

What I Talk About When I Talk

MeditationAbout

There are resources available on how to meditate, likr apps that offer guided meditation. However, the practice is much simpler than that, especially if you are only doing it for five to fifteen minutes daily. There is no great secret. If you have some vague intuition that you would benefit from meditation, the easiest way to find out is by giving it a go. Set aside a small amount of time each day and sit with your eyes closed (preferably in a dark and/or quiet space). For that brief period of time, turn your attention inwards and simply notice, without judgment, the contents of your own mind. Payes 2016 “A four faced goddess emerges to lead humanity to regenerate the environment. This artwork is a homage to all future generations.”

46 first place, so it’s not some magical cure-all.

Whilst I try to maintain a daily practice of ten to fifteen minutes, I experience stretches during which I grow despondent and don’t see the point in doing it anymore. What meditation can do is give you space. I did not realize it at the time, but even those five minutes a day – giving yourself just five minutes in which to turn inwards and attend to your thoughts and emotions – can be so meaningful! The internet age we live in is rife with distractions and attention being pulled away from yourself in a myriad of different directions. Those five minutes can be your refuge. A time, a mental space, within which you can safely check in with yourself. Never mind the external world for now. Ask yourself if you are okay.

Growing up queer in a Muslim household, I struggled to understand my identity. In this way, I have been on the road to enlightenment since childhood, and it is a never-ending journey. I never thought I would find love. I never believed that someone would accept and love me for who I am and what I look like. Then, on a cold Friday night in June, I did find love. Just like that. After years of hiding who I was. I dived into it head first. I had never felt anything like it before. It felt precious and warm. I had found what I never thought I would and held onto it as tightly as possible. I found out just how much I could love someone. I wanted to give them everything I had and more, regardless of the love being reciprocated. Losing yourself in love and giving your all to someone you deeply care for is an intense experience. This bond has both ups and downs; joyful moments and moments of anxiety, insecurity and self-doubt. Am I good enough? And when I looked in the mirror: Is my body good Beingenough?surrounded by supportive, close friends who always offered a listening ear and seeking therapy was priceless. My counsellor reminded me that society’s beauty standards should not dictate how I view my body. It has been and will continue to be difficult. I am constantly growing and evolving, learning to embrace myself, current Adam, baby Adam, adolescent Adam, and future Adam.

Adam Elyousef

Love in hindsight

I gained so much from the experience. Falling in love helped me to recognise what I truly desire to be - happy and content. I wish them all the best. I will always hold onto the memories we had together. The message I want to send to those experiencing heartbreak is to not shy away from love because of heartbreak.

Love unconditionally and cherish the time you get. Otherwise, you might not experience the pain of a heartbreak, but you’ll miss out on the beauty and the lessons which shape you into a fuller human. Everything has a pay-off.

Sometimes I miss them and wish I could hug them to say thank you for the parts that were healing. It’s weird how someone can be so ingrained in your life, and then, on an ordinary day, silence, nothing at all. To aid me on this journey, I envision myself with a green aura surrounding me. It reminds me to give back to those in my life who matter the most and helps me get closer to my best self; so I can be there for the community that has given me so much! Keep spreading the love because everyone deserves to feel it. So, embrace your friends, family, and loved ones. Seek help when you need it, and be kind to yourself.

A fun activity for you: think about your aura, pick your favourite colour, and envision yourself surrounded by it. During trying times, maybe it could be enlightening.

The Enlightenment of Representation

Mary Rose Macdonald

While this article may not be an enlightened examination of Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, we’re sure she’ll appreciate the badass feminism behind it! In the last ten years, we have seen an enlightened flourishment of representation in sports. The latest example being Cheerleading being acknowledged as an Olympic Sport! Cheerleading has been a critical aspect of sporting for over 140 years! It first appeared in 1869 when Princeton and Rutgers University met for their first college football match. At the commencement of WWII, the sport grew into what it is today, with women joining pep clubs that saw additional features such as tumbling passes, acrobatics along with the use of spirit sticks, and pom-poms. The Netflix programme Cheer, shed light on how cheerleading as a sport is almost as dangerous and competitive as football. So why isn’t it still not considered a First,sport?let’s

look at the stereotypes we hold as to what is a cheerleader?” We think Bring It On, pom poms, make-up, short

50 skirts, and a bitchy personality come to mind. Most of this stems from the increased sexualisation and portrayal in movies and pornography. Instead, what we should think when we hear “I do cheerleading” is: high intense training and multiple days dedicated to learning a stunt or new tumble. Then there is the strength training and conditioning that would make even CBUM or Daddy Noel want to skip it. It shouldn’t be a question that the training cheerleaders endure is a strong example of athleticism at its finest. But the idea of it being a girly sport has held many athletes back, including men and non-binary individuals. However, on the twentieth of July 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted in favour of granting full recognition to the International Cheer Union and cheerleading. This will allow for funding of facilities, coaching equipment, and coaches needed to compete in the Olympics. Thus allowing millions of cheerleaders around the world an opportunity to compete in the Olympics.

A first will be seen at the 2024 Paris Olympics with a 50% rate of female athletes. Yet, cheerleading is not going to be on the list of Sports. So, the earliest we can hope to see Cheerleading compete in the Olympics will be in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. For this to happen, it will need a majority vote from the 102 international members of the International Olympics Committee. We can only hope that the IOC’s panel of voters approve cheerleading to appear in the 2028 Olympics to give the sport the fair recognition it deserves. With cheerleaders being associated with nearly every major league sport and present at major games at the Olympics, it shows that the Enlightenment we see is still a light held by someone else and not true Enlightenment. We have come a long way in fifty years, with ongoing progressivity and reform in female sports, from discussions of women’s ability to play sport to today’s discussion of increased coverage of female sport on mainstream media, equal pay, and better contracts. Let’s hope that the light continues to shine on women in sports and the amazing abilities they hold outside the “female sports genre”

The UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 Championship took place this past July. Resulting eventually in a well-deserved win for England, it is now time to set sights on the legacy that this victory could potentially have. England dominated throughout the tournament, both on and around the field. Records were being broken at a rate that appeared to be almost constantly. Attendance records, goal-scoring records and managerial records for England’s Netherlands-born manager, Serina Wiegman, occurred.

Reformers of Society Takeaways from the Women’s Euros

tournament, the focus shifts to setting up the foundations for successful women’s football systems throughout the country long-term. This includes proper funding for women’s leagues (from junior girls leagues all the way up to the top national women’s football tier, the Women’s Super League). As well as participation initiatives, working towards fair pay, and looking into programs that prevent and reduce social media abuse. England’s coach, Leah Williamson, touched on this relentless and harmful abuse in an interview during the tournament. Stating that a lot of the players have been “hit hard” by the Libby Caldwell

However, as the dust settles on a successful

As Leah Williamson said in her post-match interview, it’s now up to fans to go to Women’s Soccer League games and continue to support all the way down to the grassroots level. The season, which stars on September 10th, is now in its twelfth year. So far, a player that has dominated, broken records, and more is Perth’s own Sam Kerr. Kerr, recently becoming the first WA woman to be given the Keys to the City, will return to Chelsea F.C. again this Inseason.terms of the impact of this tournament globally, it is now less than a year until the FIFA Women’s World Cup takes place here in Australia and New Zealand. If the host nations can learn from England’s previous tournament, it will surely be the most successful women’s football tournament ever played. Only time will tell now how the legacy, and reforming, will take place. Only time will tell now how the legacy, and reforming, will take place.

52 levels of the abuse and continuing to say “I don’t like watching fencing, but I don’t tweet to say that. If you are a football fan, not a rugby fan, you don’t want rugby to not exist. You just think that football’s better. But if it’s women, then it means we need to remove it. But we’re not going anywhere.” It does appear that the tide is finally turning regarding women’s football in the UK. It’s worth noting that the culture in the USA has been far more encouraging for decades. This cultural difference was even acknowledged in the fundamental film ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ in 2002. Every single England game in the tournament was sold out, and during the final, over 17 million viewers watched nationally. Thousands of young girls will remember that day, and the players will become role models. This positive impact is limitless and hard to fully comprehend. The England team was shown an overwhelming amount of support on social media during the tournament. However, this support needs to develop into tangible progress as well. Especially whilst so much momentum is building around the team of this era. So how can new fans carry on this movement?

Without a doubt, the influence the enlightenment had on the colonisation of Australia is embedded into our national psyche. The enlightenment, originating in the 18th century, was a movement during which ideas we still hold dear today emerged. That of the virtues or reason, empiricism, and scepticism. These led to very important developments such as the separation of religion from state and the rule of law being widely adopted. Furthermore, the discovery of rights inalienable to an individual was emphasised. These include the right to life, free speech and communication, the right to property, political rights, and freedom of religion. To say more about the enlightenment would be intellectual negligence. More ideas and development occurred during this period than could reasonably be put to paper in this article. Simply, I could not do it justice. However, I will attempt to comment on the extent that these ideas influenced the development of our nation without any gross oversight. The enlightenment was in full swing during the period the United States gained independence, and later Australia was colonised. The influence of ideas around that period could have been no greater. Some of the enlightenment’s ideas originated in Scottish philosopher Adam Smith, the father of economics. His identification of land, labour, and capital as the three fundamental components of an economy still holds true today. Further, the concept of the division of labour, observed at the cusp of the industrial revolution, laid the bedrock for modern market economies. Smith lived to see the foundation of the colony of New South Wales. Furthermore, Smith’s decisive support of free trade and economic liberalism found its way into our nation’s policies. To this day our nation enjoys the honour of being one of the world’s most free economies. To overlook the influence of John Locke on any modern liberal democracy would be negligence of the highest order. His work on spreading secularism, liberty, and the rule of law has been etched in the fibre of our legal and political institutions. Locke’s presence may be felt in our legal systems in natural law and natural rights. Some of Locke’s laws are still respected to this day. His fundamental three laws boil down to: Nathan Cuthbertson

Enlightenment

On a similar note exists the idea of natural justice, where there is a “duty to act without bias”. Natural justice is composed of the right to a fair and unbiased trial, consisting of our recognisable judicial system with judges having no investment in the outcome of the trial and that both sides must be heard. Although not strictly from the enlightenment (many of our legal traditions date back to ancient Rome, hence the Latin), the widespread adoption of these ideals was cemented by their “rediscovery” during the enlightenment, through its focus on reason and truth being found in nature. The enlightenment has seen its influence in almost every single aspect of our nation’s identity. The legal, cultural, scientific, political, and economic institutions we all know would be unrecognisable if not for the enlightenment.

• The right to estate; everyone is free to own and to all that is proper from their possessions, provided they do not contradict the first two rights.

Freedom of speech, expression, and the right to association and protest are all inalienable. Without going into much further analysis, the enlightenment discovered natural rights, not positive rights. The easiest distinction being that natural rights are “freedom from x” and positive rights are the “right to x”. Natural rights originate from reason or nature and are not established through legislation or governments.

These Lockean rights (ok, well two-thirds of them) found themselves embedded in one of the founding documents of the United States. The declaration of Independence was founded on the principle of inalienable rights. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed … with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights builds upon this principle. People are born with rights that are irremovable by their neighbour, their community, or their government.

• The right to life; everyone is entitled to their life;

• The right to liberty; everyone is free to do what they wish, provided it does not contradict the first right, and;

For the last few weeks or so, I’ve been threatening the politics sub-editor to write this article. I struggled with how to broach this bizarre and niche subject in Australian history that seems more like a joke than an actual historical occurrence. I guess the best place to start would be the beginning of this story, which as all Australian stories of this sort of bizarreness, begins in Queensland. This story largely revolves around William Lane, who moved to Australia in 1885. His luggage to Australia included copies of Smith’s Wealth of Nations and Marx’s Das Kapital - bizarre luggage, perhaps (although this is coming from someone who dragged a copy of Piketty’s Capital in the 21st Century to the wheat belt for a summer job - an optimistic view of my eagerness to read complicated Economic literature, after working for twelve hours straight – I digress). Arriving in Queensland, Lane was a keen journalist and organiser who was hugely influential in Australia’s Labor movement. He was the key driving force behind the founding of several Labor organisations. Lane was prolific for his journalistic writings and famous for his Utopian Socialist ideology.

John Curtin, a former Labor prime minister, was quoted on many occasions defending the White Australia policy. Adela Pankhurst and Tom Walsh (husband and wife), founding members of the Australian Communist Party, later also founded the “Australia First movement”, a farright antisemitic political party. In 1891, one of Australia’s most important strikes occurred – the great Australian shearer strike. However, it failed with the strikers running out of food and having to conform to their unfair employment. This would mark a pivotal turning point in the Australian Labour movement, with the general mood in the Australian left turning away from revolution and striking as a means of bettering the workers of Australia and instead turning electoral (getting elected to parliament to make change instead of striking essentially). This resulted in the founding of the Australian Labor Party in 1891 under a ghost gum tree in Barcaldine, Queensland.

William Schmil How I learned to stop worrying and Love Paraguay

It was also here that the uglier side of Lane became apparent. In 1887, he published his first novel White or Yellow? A Story of the Race-War of A.D. 1908. Lane was a white nationalist. An uncomfortable truth lies that early Australian socialists and leftists were rarely not racist.

New Australia or

Of course, the Labour movement wasn’t a synonymous entity of all the same opinions. There were many dissenting opinions – with electoralism going directly against the writings of Marx, it would, of course, be controversial. Especially with our friend Lane being the Utopian Socialist he was. However, he was also aware of the hostile nature of the state governments towards left-wing movements, so he came up with a better idea. Clearly inspired by the words of Bender from Futurama, Lane went: “Well, I’m going to build my own Australia, and it’s gonna have life, marriage, and communism”. In 1892, Lane founded the “New Australia Co-operative Settlement Association” and, in 1893, the first ship left Sydney heading for Paraguay to found New Australia on 230 000 hectares of land given by the Paraguayan government. Lane made his society based on six ideals: 1) A Common hold, rather than a commonwealth, 2) A Brotherhood of English-speaking whites, 3) Life marriage, 4) Preservation of the ‘Colour Line’ (Segregation), 5) Teetotalism (No alcohol), and 6) Communism. However, considering that two of the six points were essentially just racism, one was banning divorce, and another was banning alcohol, I don’t personally get the vibe of solidarity, liberation, and freedom to the working class… Besides, who on earth would think it’s a good idea to build a settlement full of Australians and then ban alcohol...?

What we do know is a couple things: we know that in 1894, barely a year after its founding, Lane and fifty-eight other colonists left and founded a new colony seventy-two kilometres south named Cosme. Reasons stated were that people weren’t happy with Lane’s rigid ideals, his policy on alcohol causing problems internally (surprise, surprise!), his “racemixing” ideals caused particular problems with locals, and his leadership was also generally described as incompetent. Turns out throwing a racist journalist in charge of 500 people in a foreign land wasn’t the best idea…

Anyway, getting back to the story. Sources vary about the population of new Australia. The Paraguayan government had given them the land on the condition of bringing over 1200 migrants, although I have read sources stating they had 500 people at most. Sources are also sketchy about the timing of the collapse of the colony. Some stated that it fell apart almost instantly, while others say it started going downhill after a few years. It’s more likely a combination of both.

Sources also vary about the competency of the people travelling to New Australia. A representative for the British Consul in South America described them as “a fine class of men”. Other sources described them as “misfits, failures, and malcontents of the left wing of Australian democracy”. Regardless, by 1902 the Paraguay government dissolved the co-operative that controlled New Australia’s land and the land was distributed back to the original settlers. Some stayed in Paraguay whilst some left for Australia. Lane himself left his utopia in 1899, moving to New Zealand. He started writing again, this time extremely conservative and pro-empire, before passing away in 1917. Today New Australia does still exist under a more local name of Nueva Australia, and a recent renaming, making it Nueva Londres (New London). A small town no more than a few blocks wide, with only three stores lining the main street. Sources vary about how “Australian” Nueva Londres is. Some say there is still some influence of Australia there, with the occasional blue-eyed child in the settlement, while others feel there’s nothing left, apart from an Australian flag on the welcome sign.

The other main noteworthy point about New Australis was that the Primary school teacher in New Australia was Mary Gilmore. She would later move back to Australia, where she became a famous poet, known best for her poem “No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest”. She is probably most known to the average Australian as the Woman on the $10 note. So, what is the lesson in all this? I’m not really sure. Perhaps you could view it as a cautionary tale about the Left Wing’s origins in racism or as a prequel to fascism, which combined leftwing rhetoric with racism to produce its 20thcentury successes. Or maybe view it as a cautionary tale on idealism and taking it too far. Maybe, it’s just one of the many stories of failures you never hear about because failures just aren’t as Perhaps,interesting.it’s just an interesting story. A bizarre footnote on the biography of one of Australia’s greatest writers.

Themes this month: comfort and self. You may be facing some questions and chal lenges regarding yourself this month, but you have an innate ability to overcome battles. This month offers enriching experiences, both per sonal and financial.

Gemini (Twins)

Illustrations by Sally Thomas

HoroscopesSeptember

Themes this month: action and grounding. Rapid changes and new responsibilities can be disorienting, and you may be struggling to ground yourself this month. Take action to re claim your aspirations in a way that is realistic. Take it day by day.

Aries (Ram)

Cancer (Crab) (June 22 – July 22)

Themes this month: revitalising and organisa tion. Anxieties around the second half of the year seem to appear. However, you have a nat ural ability for organisation and intuition, so spend some extra time organising your calendar and trust yourself to reach your goals!

(March 21 – April Taurus19) (Bull) (April 20 – May 20)

Themes this month: transformation and family. Much to your frustration, plans may not work out or come to conclusions. It is a good time to spend more time with someone who inspires you, and gives you strength.

(May 21 – June 21)

Predictions: By Abbey Durrant

you to your goals

Themes this month: celebration and moving Theforward.past has been full of celebration and en joyment. Take strength from past successes and enjoyments as you move toward new challenges. Your carefree attitude can be a strength over the coming

Themesweeks.thismonth:

recharging and passion. Take some time to revitalise this month. The cards suggest a lack of interest and passion for life or a struggle adjusting to new situations. Emotional investments and speaking about your feelings can have profound benefits, especially over time. Friendships will be strong this Sep tember.

Scorpio (Scorpion) (October 24 – November 21)

Leo (Lion) (July 23 – August Virgo22) (Virgin) (August 23 – September 22)

Themes this month: safety and joy. This month you may struggle with feeling stuck in the mundane. So take extra time to under stand both others and yourself. This month also suggests celebration and valued time spent with friends.

Themesemotions.thismonth: strength and leadership. This month indecisiveness is at the front of your reading. Try different means of planning and organisation, as well as not trying to carry the weight of life alone. Speak to a trusted individual about your worries and fears, and make sure you allow support from others.

60 Aquarius (Water Bearer)

(November 21 – December 21)

(January 20 – February 18)

(DecemberCapricorn22–January19)Sagitarius

(Archer)

Themes this month: emotions and fear. Indecision may be troubling you this month, whether in reference to relationships, study, or career opportunities. Your strength this month will be your ability to deeply feel and evaluate your

Themes this month: community and strength. This month suggests wealth in the area of love and relationships. You have reason to trust those who help you. Tests against your skills will result in greater success. Themes this month: the unknown and oppor Thistunity.month suggests challenges that only re quire an open mind and excitement in order for you to conquer them. Your passion and growth mindset will come in handy this month.

61 Colour me in for your enjoyment - tag your submissions @pelicanuwa

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63 Polling for Guild Elections will be held on the week starting Monday 19th September. For students not able to attend polling booths, Postal Vote applications are now available on our website. Visit www.uwastudentguild.com/student-representation/elections for more information on the election process or contact elections@guild.uwa.edu.au. If you can’t attend polling week in person and would like to have your say by voting for the students who will represent your views to the University, government and wider community in 2023, Postal Vote applications must be received by the Returning Officer, Mary Petrou, by 4pm, Friday 16th September Ballot papers will be mailed out to approved applicants and completed ballot papers must be received by the Returning Officer by 5pm, Thursday 22nd September 2022. uwa student Guild GuildElectionselectionsPollingstartsmonday19thSeptember2022 Visit the Elections website or scan QR code here. Don’t delay! apply for your postal vote now