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CONTENTS Edition 27 | May - June 2019
02 Editor’s Letter 04 A Humble Guide to Your Zen Space 10 Imagine: Brian Bolado 16 Songs to Reflect and Gaze at the Stars 18 Pages 19 Fragmented 20 Cake 22 Apology in Three Sequences 23 I Complete Me 24 Visualising Health - Match Studio
30 Humans of UniSA 34 Horoscopes: The Signs as Sports 36 An Ode to Footy 37 Rock Climbing: More than a Hippy Sport 38 Mind over Body 40 Photography: Joshua Lamb 44 Space Jam: The Hijab Edition 46 Interview: Dr Evangeline Mantzioris 50 Photography: Sarah Langley 52 Unisa Campuses Review 54 Photography: Jordan White 56
What's On Calendar
57 USASA President: Grace Dixon 58 USASA Advocacy Column 60 USASA Club Feature: UniSA Buddies 62 Helpmann Academy Above Image Tom Little • page 46 for more Cover Image
Joshua Lamb We respectfully acknowledge the Kaurna, Boandik and Barngarla First Nations Peoples and their Elders past, present, and emerging, who are the First Nations’ traditional owners of the land that are now home to the University of South Australia’s campuses in Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Whyalla.
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EDITOR'S LETTER Edition 27 Head Editor | Ryan Colsey
To all our readers, welcome to Edition 27 of Verse Magazine and congratulations on continuing your studies beyond the census date. With uni back in full swing we’ve been out and about at all four Campus Fairs, handing out free t-shirts and connecting with students young and old to encourage them to read and maybe even submit some of their own work to us too. The theme for this edition is Zen | Health | Lifestyle and as a result we’ve had a wide range of submissions. You will find the more ‘Zen’ themed works towards the front, followed by the ‘Health and Lifestyle’ submissions. Our Graphic-Designer-turned-journalist, Oliver, spoke with West Thebarton guitarist Brian Bolado, while the rest of our editorial team have put together some great features including a UniSA version of Humans of New York, a review of the Helpmann Academy, and an interview with one of Adelaide’s leading dieticians, who has busted some of the most common food myths out there. This is my last edition as Head Editor, after which Annabel will be in charge for Edition 28. It’s been a pleasure, and I wish everyone the best in 2019.
Head Editor Ryan Colsey | Co-Head Editor Tanner Muller | Co-Head Editor A nnabel Bowles Communications and Digital Editor Geena Ho | Graphic Designer Oliver White | Printer Newst yle Print Design & Production Consultant Jack son Polley | Design & Production Consultant Rachael Sharman
The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily representative of the views of USASA or the editors.
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Created by students for students
Verse Magazine Submit @ versemag.com.au
Opinion
A Humble Guide to Your Zen Space
Words by Zoe Kassiotis Illustration by Dessy Georgescu
As a self-proclaimed overachieving stress-head, I’m no stranger to the odd guided meditation session. However, since flying the coop, I’ve come to appreciate that your space, whether it’s a room in your parent’s house, a corner of shared accommodation, or a place of your very own, is sacred. This precious space can provide some much needed tranquillity for the grind of a part-time working, full-time studying, social life having and fitness maintaining, modern student. Tried and tested (and tested and tested), here are some ways to bring some Zen into your space. Music If you happen to spend a lot of time alone, like me, then you’ll probably have also found yourself in a relationship with music. Music is hands down my go-to way of alleviating loneliness and putting a spring in my sleepdeprived step. My favourite album to cook, eat, sway and study to right now is Scenery by Emily King. Oh and even if you’re not musically gifted, having an instrument around to tinker with is literally Zen on strings. Experiment with the notes of your musically talented housemate’s ukulele or harmonica … just don’t tell your neighbours it was my idea.
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Zoe Kassiotis
Light
Plants
Natural light: it makes flowers bloom and birds
You know who loves catching dem rays as
sing, so there’s no surprise it’s a real mood
much as us? Our foliage friends … so next
booster for us humans. Allow the sun into your
time you’re at your local market or Bunnings,
space and feel positively invigorated for it.
why not snatch up a five-dollar succulent? I
Alas, at this time of the year old mate sunshine
promise the accomplishment of nourishing
doesn’t seem to want to spend as much time
life into your friend will make you hella happy.
with us, and for that we have the humble (and
There’s definitely some truth to all that our
affordable) salt lamp. Let the crystallised
primary school teachers told us about plants
honey-orange glow become your very own
using carbon dioxide to release oxygen. Yay
makeshift sun. Whether or not you buy into the
photosynthesis. Though I warn you, plants
associated health benefits of this Himalayan
and tattoos have one thing in common:
creation, it’s deffo a must-have addition to your
they’re mighty addictive. I hereby challenge
calm. I don’t think I’ve turned mine off since
you to transform your space into a whimsical
May 2017. Hello ambiance.
bohemian minimalist sanctuary.
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Opinion
Diffuser I think it has become rather apparent that engaging the senses is a crucial part of that Zen life. When we’re consciously in tune with our senses we have a deeper awareness of our surroundings and investing in an essential oil diffuser is a great way to achieve this. My diffuser is absolutely my best friend and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Her name is Jasmine and she Netflixes and (literally) chills with me, sleeps next to me and gets ready with me. Quite the intimate relationship isn’t it? Look, if my crippled finances weren’t that of a struggling uni student, then I’d for sure have an oil diffuser in every room. Get yourself faithful Jasmine and feed her with lavender oil to chillax in times of stress or peppermint oil to energise when that mid-semester lethargy strikes. Yoga mat You’d be surprised how much more inclined you are to a downward dog or two when your yoga mat has a permanent home on the floor. Turns out the gruelling effort of reaching to the depths of your wardrobe and contending with a film of dust and cobwebs is enough to deter you from unrolling that ancient artefact, I mean, yoga mat … who knew. So leave it out, perhaps by a window, and start your day cross-legged on your yoga mat, basking in the sun with breakfast (yes, students, breakfast).
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Zoe Kassiotis
Cosy corner This is a place for you to be unapologetically you. A place for you to ponder, rest, reflect, smile, cry, love and just be. Things to include in your cosy corner: throw rug, books, herbal tea, travel trinkets, photos, artwork, chocolate, candles, quotes and anything that brings you clarity of mind. Basically this is a space to engage your senses and surround yourself with stuffs that make you feel good. â—ź
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USASA Leadership & Club Grant
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Imagine
IMAGINE: West Thebarton guitarist Brian Bolado Interview conducted by Oliver White Images supplied by Brian Bolado
After transferring from law to communication design, all while touring around the world with West Thebarton, Verse designer Oliver White speaks to Brian Bolado about his dramatic degree change and the nuances of wellbeing while on tour.
Brian Bolado, flash photography, 2019 photo by Nick Astanei (@nnixz)
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Brian Bolado
Tell us a bit about your creative background. Who is Brian Bolado and how did he get here? My name’s Brian Bolado. I’m the only child of two Filipino migrants who worked super hard to give me a good education ahead of my twenties. I also have a tattoo of a mango on my arm. I didn’t have any siblings growing up so I spent most of my childhood being creative or trying to be creative. I had heaps of coloured pencils, crayons and textas which meant I was always drawing, colouring and making up games or stories. After high school, I took an interest in art, graphic design and photography but held it at arm’s length. I felt like I had missed the boat to hone my skills to the standard of people whose work I looked up to. After mulling it over for months, I quit my job last year and started studying again. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. What enticed you into the field of communication design after pursuing law? Design is the degree I’ve always meant to do. I honestly thought about doing it after graduating high school but fell into the trap of a traditional career and financial security. I studied law and enjoyed aspects of it but, as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t identify with other students or people who practised it.
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Imagine
I worked a couple of years in health regulation before pulling up stumps and studying design. I came to the understanding that I needed work that engaged my creativity. Some people walk into work, switch off, do the job and leave like clockwork, but I couldn’t. I found it more and more difficult to find a sense of fulfilment and purpose there, so I looked at my options. Even though I thought about studying teaching and urban planning, my mind kept wandering back to design. I figured there was a good reason for it. I spoke with a few friends about the course and they felt like it would really suit me. They weren’t wrong. It ties together all of my interests – art, photography, literature, history, philosophy – in a way that looks forward. It’s developing as a discipline and that’s what I like about it. Being the guitarist of West Thebarton, I see you go on some lengthy tours. How do you settle back in to normality after travelling for extended periods of time? Most Australian tours run for a month or two over weekends. There’s plenty of early rises, late nights, waiting around, bad food and sleepdeprived tension to keep you busy. It can be an absolute grind on you both physically and mentally.
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Brian Bolado
"There’s plenty of early rises, late nights, waiting around, bad food and sleep-deprived tension to keep you busy. It can be an absolute grind on you both physically and mentally."
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Imagine
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Brian Bolado
I find the normality of routine to be pretty therapeutic. I like to do boring things like cooking, reading, running, swimming and riding my bike, so if I can tick off most of those
How does your background in music and law influence your design process? Law’s pretty different to music and design.
within the week, I’m pretty happy.
It’s more structured and methodical but I
Could you tell us about maintaining healthy
communicating ideas, interpreting language
wellbeing while on tour?
and constructing arguments.
guess my background’s helped with
It’s hard to say whether or not music has a It can be tough, that’s for sure. There’s a lot
direct influence, but I’ve definitely learned a few
sitting around – in planes, lounges, cars,
things about song writing and performing:
soundcheck, cafes – so it’s good to make the most of the time on your feet when you’re
• Go with the flow and chase that idea as far as it
not doing any of those things. In Europe, we
takes you.
travelled across land by coach, so I brought
• You come up with good ideas (sometimes), bad
my runners and ran every few days.
ideas (always) and that’s okay.
Recently, I’ve been trying and go for a
• Lay it down and come back to it tomorrow.
swim wherever there’s a pool around. We’ve
• You can work on something for as long as you
also made an effort to plan ahead and look
like. Nothing helps more than showing people
for a decent place for a feed these days but
you trust.
sometimes we’re so time poor that we have to settle on something.
I just do my best to enjoy every stage of the
Between weekends, I ride every day then
process these days. Having two creative outlets,
run or swim a few times, but I tend to do that
both professional and personal, is a pretty
even if we’re not on the road. I figured if this is
fortunate position to be in.
something we’re going to do long-term, I better get on top of it and look after myself so the tour
Do you have any advice for others looking to
lifestyle doesn’t avalanche out of control.
change career paths?
In terms of mental health, we try and give each other the space and support needed. We
Talk about it. Chat to your friends, family, peers
talk on the regular and see each other every
and staff. Chances are they’ve done something
week. Most of the band have dealt with mental
similar or know someone who has and are all
health in the past so it’s encouraging to be part
the better for doing so. It helps to reframe what
of family that’s super understanding. Killer
you don’t like about your current career path,
shows and rehearsals are great but it means
into what you personally need from a career. ◼
next to nothing if your best mates are having a hard time.
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Spotlight
Songs to Reflect and Gaze at the Stars Words by Tanner Muller Illustration by Oliver White
@VerseMag Listen to the playlist through our Spotify!
Tanner Muller
1 My Heart Is Full Norah Jones 2 Jupiter Kelela 3 Lost in Neon Marconi Union 4 Desafío Arca 5 Paths Sea Oleena 6 What Did I Do The Correspondents 7 The Ghost of You Caro Emerald 8 You Have Another Lover Kill J 9 Blissing Me Björk 10 Two Weeks FKA Twigs 11 Just a Memory (feat. Regina Spektor) ODESZA 12 Takk… Sigur Rós 13 Water Sign East Forest 14 Paradise Circus Massive Attack 15 It’s Okay to Cry SOPHIE
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Poetry
PAGES Words by Olivia Madonna Illustration by Oliver White
I love the idea that words can take you to another place. Reading a book takes you into a completely different world, a world where you forget all your troubles. Where you can live the characters’ lives, feel their sadness, share their happiness and grief their losses. You are transported to a few blissful moments in another universe. You are completely and utterly content in a world where your problems do not exist, where you do not exist. Every page turn engulfs your spirit and the eagerness to continue on pulls you in deeper until you no longer feel alone. Every word speaks to you as you allow yourself to descend into the depths of the pages, unwilling to return back into the real world. And before you know it, the last page interrupts your time of contentment and returns you back to reality; allowing you to explore once more.
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Poetry
Fragmented Words by Vanajakumari Vanity Transitory Remya Illustration by Oliver White
Paths untrodden, winding ceaseless: memories one or two crushed here and there hue-less dry leaves in mind, ambiguous fragrance, wind kissed blossoms never in full bloom! an idle dawn rosary behind the door, prayers unanswered cold nightscurled into warm blankets perturbed sleep, passionate snoring, smell of wood and varnish nasal infections coughing laughs. double images in mirror: envy with fear lingering of multiple hopes anguish reins supreme! one question and too many answers confusions of choice. an abyss in the darkbroken words, emotions pain unexpressed intermittent subdued cries; a birth here and a death there.. interplay of souls! I’m pregnant with fragmented reverie: my senses fail to comprehend sense and time, put me into the realm of silence let me lie there dormant, dormant, my eyes wide open with slumberless dreams‌
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Creative Writing
CAKE
Do we do great work in spite – or because – of our suffering? Words and Images by Isla
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Isla
I
was in the winter of my life. Deeply thirsty for purpose,
desperately in search for meaning. Despite the agony that is depression, I did not want to deny myself the experience. I did not want to bury or delegitimize it; I did not want to be restricted by the very things that tormented me. I did my best to hold off the demons that sought to destroy me by creating an artificial state where the grotesque was explored. A place where both emotion and intellect could work together; a place where uncomfortable became adaptive. This state both thrilled and terrified me, and in the most wondrous and brutal way I lost myself in a kaleidoscopic world of ‘dark’ and its negative connotations. I became vulnerable in a way that was not weakness. I became vulnerable in a way that birthed innovation, creativity, and change. Baking allowed me to keep the monsters at bay whilst expressing the ever-shifting desires of my heart. Baking became enlivening, life-affirming, and exactly what I needed to re-engage with the potential of my life. Baking
became a flow state, where I got so lost in the task it became meditative, holistic. Self-destruction turned into self-preservation, and I found solace in the engrossing rush of it. I nurtured the places where clarity and energy emerged from, in a territory bordering dreams and reality. Through baking, I was able to understand conflict without necessarily living in it. And so, welcome to my brainchild – a world I call my own. A world transfixed by the phenomenon that is cake. A world that greets the odd with a smile. A world so wildly and absurdly decadently tasteful. A world that keeps the viewer suspended between attraction and repulsion. A world where sensitivity is used to navigate difficult paths in life. A world where every ingredient has its own texture and taste, and each cake has its own history and personality. A world of potions, and dim themes. I have always been strangely comfortable with the peculiar. Seeing a heart-wrenching phrase on a cake - one of the most identified and hopeful expressions of care - does not distress me. In fact, I feel mildly comforted by it. ◼
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Poetry
Apology in three sequences Words by Arnis Silvia
1.
Reasons A long train of excuses Running on the rail of defense
3.
Understand me You said that as if I selfish if I did not accept your apology
Its loads are:
In the most instant way that you
Running out of time
want it to be
Having no chances to tell Being too tired to make it up
There was a long train in me And the passengers are
I am a disappointed passenger
disappointment,
Sitting on a brown cold seat
rejection,
of an empty wagon
disapproval
my brain was instantly switched off
waiting too long
your long train of excuses
to be served
does not even have my name
to mend
on one of its passenger lists
to treat to recuperate to recover So I am sitting in your wagon
2.
While walking in a train of my mind Sorry You’re sorry for not doing
My train is busy serving its passenger
what you’re supposed to do
One by one, sweet and kind
you’re sorry for not making
Rushing, each passenger should be quickly fine
a situation better
In this very moment, they cannot whine
instead of being sorry for hurting me
I breathe and I hope my passengers are calm
And I have to say “I forgive you”
or deeply hurt
And when I say I do
or deeply numb
That means I don’t need to elaborate
who can tell?
What happened actually
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Or how I felt really
I am getting back to my cold brown leather seat
It was bragging – in your dictionary
Your train is still running
So when I do explain about how I feel
My tears are still falling
It makes you feel guilty,
You go back to sequence number two
and I have to say sorry
And to cover my wound, I said “I forgive you”
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Creative Writing
I complete me Words by Jordan Byrne Illustration by Lucas Shaw
Y
ou have been going through a tough time. Tough may mean difficult, but tough also means being able to endure hardship and
pain. Endure, now that’s what you will do. Look at yourself in the mirror and say ‘pain is only temporary’ because it is just that, temporary. That throbbing pain in your heart, that anxious feeling in your stomach will fade. Day by day you will feel fuller, fuller with life as now you will no longer dim your light in fear of outshining others because those who truly love you will celebrate your achievements as you do theirs. You will embrace those who are there for you and cut ties with those who aren’t. It’s important to expose the gentle, raw, tenderness of your heart to others. Yet, have the perseverance and power to fight for yourself when needed. The world we live in is both savage and beautiful, to survive and thrive you must be both the deer and the wolf. You will take care of yourself. Now there’s a strange concept. Putting yourself first may feel strange as you’re so used to putting yourself second, third, fourth even, but no you are first, and should always be first in the
game of life.You know where you truly live? In that head of yours, and that is the home that needs spring cleaning because it’s the only one you’ve got. Surround yourself with doers and dreamers, who inspire you to be the best 'you' imaginable, to get out of bed and make your day an adventure. Surround yourself with thinkers and believers, who will stimulate that overfuelled mind of yours to create a better world than you live in today because there are bigger things to worry about than what’s happening now. If it's not something that will impact your life in five years then it isn’t worth worrying about now. Prioritize. Prioritize presence over hustle, compassion over judgment, progress over perfection, and community over competition. You are now done. Done trying to figure out who is with you, against you, or wandering around between the two. Life is way too short to leave the key to your happiness in someone else’s hands. So take it, it's yours. Take charge in forming the life you want for yourself, to build the future you deserve, because only one person can: you. ◼
Spotlight
visualising mental health
Words by Ethan Haylock Photos supplied by Match Studio
Mental wellbeing is often neglected when students struggle to balance study with work, home and their social lives. Whether you suffer from a mental illness or not, maintaining a healthy mind is
important for success at Uni. Unfortunately, the complexity of many psychological concepts means that most people don’t know how to deal with specific mental health challenges in practical ways. Match Studio is aiming to change that with their ongoing Visualising Mental Health initiative.
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Match Studio
O
ver the past four years Visualising Mental Health has allowed psychologists and third-year Communication Design students
to collaborate and develop unique solutions that address specific aspects of mental health within the wider community. Led by Course Coordinator Dr Doreen Donovan, students are briefed by Psychology and Health Forum Manager Dr Gareth Furber, and Match Studio Director Dr Jane Andrew. Students are then divided into small teams and tasked with developing a professional communication piece based on a mental health related topic. This year’s topics are Emotions, Courtesy,
Empathy. Throughout the process, psychologists from a number of different backgrounds work with the students to help turn abstract mental health concepts into viable outcomes. This year’s student work will be exhibited at the Kerry Packer Gallery in the Hawke Building from October 8th to the 14th, to coincide with Mental Health Week. At the opening night, representatives from the Australian Psychological Society and the Psychology and Health Forum will assess the designs and select some to receive awards, with the potential for prototype testing and trial within a professional setting.
Evidence in Health, Mental Fitness and
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Spotlight
"Designers are taught to be objective when coming up with solutions, but understanding that aspects of mental health are ubiquitous certainly helped in the success of the project."
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As a recent design graduate, I took part in
After a preliminary client presentation,
the project during its second year of operation.
we narrowed our three concepts down to one;
The design team made up of Isabella Whittaker,
a card game called Deal With It. The game
Sarah Fazzini, Sarae Morella and myself were
subtly conveys the principles of CBT, while also
tasked with adapting the principles of Cognitive
encouraging players to manage stressful or
Behavioural Therapy (CBT) into a design
problematic scenarios creatively. Our targeted
piece. CBT can treat an array of mental health
demographic are young adults and our goal
problems; in a general sense it helps people
is to broaden CBT into a social context. The
change unhealthy or unproductive aspects of
main feature of Deal With It, and perhaps what
their life. One of the foundational ideas behind
exemplifies the tenants of CBT most clearly, are
CBT is that thoughts, actions and emotions are
cards based around ‘think’, ‘act’ and ‘feel’.
interconnected. This would end up informing the outcome of our design more than anything else.
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Spotlight
The game would begin with the dealer
These were essentially the rules of play at
distributing three ‘think’, three ‘act’ and three
the time of assessment, however, during the
Amitea
‘feel’ cards to each player. The dealer would
game's development this changed frequently.
then draw a card that shows the character Olivia Hill | Leigh Down | Adam Lockier | Chloe Grimes trait each player must get in the mindset of,
My group and I struggled to make something
and then another card showing the scenario Amitea is a tea-based product that is designed which thatbuild character faces. Fromand their allocated to help social connections to stimulate cards players draw one ‘think’, one ‘act’ conversations about emotions that can beand to talk out about. one uncomfortable ‘feel’ card, reading their completed Amitea some customisable invitations scenario inincludes order, building a narrative in the to hi-tea, a play on the concept of high-tea, that is a process. Through discussion the group would great way of meeting new people. When hosting a thenhi-tea, unanimously the be round’s winner. the teabagdecide labels can used as prompts for asking questions that canon help people to Winning could be dependent many things: express emotions more easily. whether thetheir thoughts, actions and feelings fit Amitea is targeted at elderly people, particularly the specified character trait, whether a positive those that are in or moving into aged care. However, outcome is reached, ormany how other creative theasplayer it is also suitable for groups a way is of in justifying their choice of about cards.emotions that are engaging in conversations sometimes seen as being off-limits.
accurately portraying CBT and other aspects
FLYER
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that was both fun and engaging while also of mental illness. I eventually drew on my own experience with mental health to inform the project’s development, as it helped recontextualise the concept. Designers are taught to be objective when coming up with solutions, but understanding that aspects of mental health are ubiquitous certainly helped in the continued success of the project.
Match Studio
Last year, Deal With It was one of two Visualising Mental Health projects from 2017 selected for prototype development through SA Health’s Office of the Chief Psychiatrist and their South Australian Suicide Prevention Community Grant scheme. The other is Amitea, a tea-based product created by Olivia Hill, Leigh Down, Adam Lockier and Chloe Grimes. Targeted towards the elderly population, Amitea is designed to help build social connections and stimulate conversations about uncomfortable emotions. With Dr Melinda Gaughwin as design lead, Isabella Whittaker and myself have been working hard to redesign Deal With It for use within a clinical setting, which has included changing the name to Let’s Deal With It, as we found it to be more gentle. We have also redesigned the game’s logo, rules, and packaging. Most bachelor-level design projects never extend beyond a hypothetical form and concepts remain stuck in portfolios. University is one of the only avenues where unique design ideas are shared without budget constraints, which grants some design projects to be developed further. What makes Match Studio so unique is that it filters and utilises students’ creative concepts into reality. Having dealt with my own mental health issues and seeing the stress and anxiety many students go through, I understand the importance of communicating and finding solutions that have both an individual and broader impact. By establishing this collaborative framework between psychologists and designers, Visualising Mental Health is able to address both aspects of the issue. ◼
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Humans of UniSA: Edition #27 Everyone has a story. A defining moment of their existence that makes them the person they are today. For Humans of UniSA, we delve into the depths of human nature and speak with some students to discover a slice of their personal history.
Humans of UniSA
Chloe Cannell PhD Creative Writing
I feel as though I’ve always been shy, but there has certainly been a progression in myself. The person I am now is nowhere near the person I was back then. I’m so much more confident with who I am and the university setting has, in
Interview conducted by Tanner Muller
a way, allowed me to gain the voice I thought I
Image supplied by Oliver White
never had. I’m able to speak about my opinions in this environment and to have that received in such a positive way is humbling. I’ve always trusted in my intelligence, but had insecurity about it at the same time. Undergoing my study has reassured me that I do have a voice and it’s important for me to have one. What drives me most about my research is raising the voice of the queer community. I’ve always been interested in exploring diversity and I’m stumped by this idea that if you don’t fit within a certain mould, you are considered different and, often times, are discriminated against because of this. It really makes you consider ‘what is normal?’ and the assumptions surrounding that. I myself have fallen victim to this ‘othering’ because of my uniqueness. But, if there were any piece of advice that I would give to my younger self, it would be to own your weirdness and to love that aspect of yourself. As I mentioned before, I have always been a bit reserved, and as I reflect back on my high school experience I was the typical quiet girl. In saying that, I eventually found my place and became this massive music nerd. My friends and I would always go out to these gigs every Friday night. I cannot emphasise enough in saying that we were the biggest fangirls back then, to the point where some of us would write fan fiction and even stalk our favourite musicians on social media, in hopes of getting recognised. It was a lot of hard work, you know, and I have the biggest respect for any fangirl out there. I won’t drop any names of the bands we admired to save myself the embarrassment, but let’s just say there were quite a few local names.
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Humans of UniSA
Josphanie Loh Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting)
My name is Josphanie. Lots of people, when they hear ‘Josphanie’, their first reaction will just be ‘huh?’. But then I’ll explain how I came up with my name. So my name, ‘Josphanie’, is actually ‘Josephine’ plus ‘Stephanie’ because I didn’t
Interview conducted by Geena Ho
really want to have a name that’s similar to
Image supplied by Oliver White
someone else. I wanted to have a unique name. I chose my name before I came to Australia. I’m from Malaysia. It’s common for us to choose our own English names if your parents didn’t choose one for you. I grew up in a part of south Malaysia called Johor Bahru. It’s a smaller city. It’s not like Melbourne or Sydney or those big cities. It’s kind of similar to Adelaide. But Adelaide’s quiet and more peaceful. When I first came to Australia, I was completely homesick. When I was in Malaysia, my parents pretty much did everything for me like the laundry, dinner, and breakfast. They covered everything for me. Actually, the reason why I’m studying accounting now came from my mum’s ideas. My dream was originally to be a fashion designer and I wanted to study fashion design but my mum said it’s competitive. Even if you step into it, you’ll either be very famous or no one will know you. So she said accounting is a better choice because you can learn a professional skill. It’s a more stable job. When I was studying in high school, bookkeeping was one of my best subjects. I got good marks in it. That’s another reason why I chose accounting rather than fashion design. Plus, I had never touched any fashion design stuff before so I was kind of afraid that maybe I couldn’t handle it. But I still like to design and decorate stuff. So when I have spare time, I like to draw something, or I have a scrapbook and I like to do all the designs, and I like making cards for my friends as well. Sometimes I still follow fashion to see what’s come up and what’s new but I think my mum’s right. It’s too competitive.
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Humans of UniSA
Micah Elder Master of Teaching (Secondary)
After training, I became a truckie in the army. That was awesome in itself because I got to travel all over Australia and even did a couple of deployments overseas. I did some peacekeeping operations in East Timor and the
Interview conducted by Geena Ho
Solomon Islands. It was my first time overseas
Image supplied by Oliver White
but obviously it was for work so it wasn’t exactly a paid holiday. But the Solomon Islands I really enjoyed. We did a joint operation with the Solomon Islander army and helped to train them up so they could manage their own people. They were at a time when there was a lot of civil unrest. It was a cool experience. I managed to get my scuba diving ticket while I was over there and, because we had most of our weekends off, we basically spent them exploring the island. I was in the army for about seven years. After I left, I moved back home to Mildura and went into personal training, working in a gym, for about a year. I really liked it but needed an excuse to get out of Mildura again. I’d been to most of the capital cities in Australia with the army. Except Adelaide. So I decided to make the big move. I just needed a new place to start over where no one knew me and I could just basically build myself up from the ground again. This is when I decided to go to uni. When I was at school, I was one of those students that fell between the cracks. I didn’t excel but I didn’t fail. I was kind of in the middle and, because of that, I never really got the attention that I maybe needed. So when it came to Years 11 and 12, I really struggled with writing essays and, when I came to uni, I had to basically reconstruct myself and teach myself how to write an essay because I hadn’t
As soon as I was eighteen, I moved out of
written one in nine years. From then, I saw how
home and joined the military. We did our
important teaching was and saw that, when
basic training in Kapooka–about 15km out of
people learn something that you’ve taught
Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. Kapooka
them, it gives you nice, warm, fuzzy feelings
was basically where all recruits go to do their
inside. I think that really ignited my passion for
basic training, no matter where you’re from. I
learning and actually becoming a teacher and
spent eight weeks there and finished my basic
educator. I want to make sure that in the future,
training on my nineteenth birthday so it was
when I’m teaching, that each individual student
kind of like a birthday present to myself.
gets their time in the spotlight. ◼
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Spotlight
THE SIGNS AS:
SPORT Words by Geena Ho
Illustration by Oliver White
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Geena Ho
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
Bowling
Golf
Badminton
• •
• •
• • •
March 21 - April 20
•
Uncoordinated Always shouts their friends food In bed by 9pm
April 21 - May 21
•
Likes PEACE and QUIET Looks after houseplants very well Watches documentaries
May 22 - June 21
Terrible at video games Thinks everyone’s a winner Lightweight
in spare time
CANCER
LEO
VIRGO
Soccer
Tennis
Archery
• •
• • •
• •
June 22 - July 23
The popular one Can be melodramatic
sometimes
•
“Can I have the AUX cord?”
July 24 - August 23
Loud Only wears brand-name Will watch their phone ring out
August 24 - September 23
•
A bit too good at everything Tries too hard to flex on Tinder Has to have the volume on an even number
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
Pool
Basketball
AFL
•
•
• • •
September 24 - October 23
• •
Colour-coordinates wherever possible Likes trips to IKEA Actually has really bad aim but just lucky af sometimes
October 24 - November 22
• •
“Yeah, I go to the gym five times a week” Has too many pairs of shoes Secretly has a reality
November 23 - December 21
Netflix snob Bandwagoner “Macca’s run after?”
TV addiction
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
Cycling
Surfing
Volleyball
• •
•
•
Only good at sport
•
Definitely peaked in
•
Always hypes up
December 22 - January 20
•
Always first to arrive Drives a manual and makes sure you know it Wears sunglasses indoors
January 21 - February 19
• •
Won’t stop talking about life-changing Contiki tour Stalks friends on Snap Map Has initials monogrammed on phone case
February 20 - March 20
because they’re tall high school their friends Edition 27 2019
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Opinion
An Ode to Footy Words by Mark Vawser
S
ome say footy is just a game. To them, I
the fire in your lungs, and the taste of dirt. It
say you're not looking hard enough. To me,
doesn’t take any skill to play football, just the
Aussie Rules Football is more than aerial
will to persevere.
ping pong; it’s controlled chaos on a grey-green
Some say it requires no thinking. To them,
battlefield. It's a hard fight in the blazing sun
I say, that's the point. Once you step onto the
and belting rain. It's the song you sing arm-in-
field the world strips away, nothing matters but
arm with your fellows in victory or defeat. It's
that red spheroid full of hot air. Once you cross
the speed of soccer and the roughness of rugby.
that chalk line you are no longer a labourer, a
It's a bastard of a sport but it's our own.
student, rich or poor; you are vaulting ambition
Some say footy ovals all look the same. To
in a jersey, you are only the person you want
them, I say, you're wrong. Each are as unique
to be. The war colours plastered on your breast
as the human body. Some curve out ever so
draw the battle lines, determine friend from foe.
slightly, some slender and long, some dip at
Your greatest enemy becomes your greatest ally
the ends and rise in the centre. Some home to
as you take the field together. We few, we happy
the hard rolled earth of a cricket pitch, cracked
few, we band of brothers, in victory and defeat.
and cratered. Others a mountain of swampy
They push you to work a little harder, run a little
mud masking the concrete hidden beneath. And
further, stand a little taller, until battered and
finally those rare beauties with no cricket pitch
bruised they speak of your deeds over a beer-
at all, unblemished and perfect.
soaked bar-mat. The world is never so simple a
Some say footy takes no skill. To them I
place as on the footy field.
say, you're right. Anyone can play. But prepare
Some say footy is just a game. To them, I say
yourself for the hardball, the battle of wills that
you're right, but this game saved my life. â—ź
asks every man and woman the question: Who wants this ball? And 40 others answer in chorus. Me. Be prepared to curse the heavens when the ball strikes the side of your boot sailing sideways to bounce off the bonnet of a car. Or the sweet hollow thud as the ball hits your bootlace out, tumbling through the air towards the intended target. Be prepared for the bruises, the burn of the grass, the swollen ligaments,
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Reflection
Rock Climbing – More Than A Hippie Sport Words by Forum Bakrania
“
I have been climbing for as long as I can
climbing became a constant in my life. I climbed
remember”. I wish I could say this about
week after week and got better at it. Now, I can
myself just like Alex Honnold, who became
do climbs the shirtless guys excel at. But, I am
the first person to climb El Capitan ropeless.
not done yet, because better is never enough
Trust me the gods felt powerless when they
in the rock climbing world. You can never
saw him climb.
reach your full potential because each climb is
I was introduced to the world of rock
different and would require a different strategy.
climbing six months back on a date. I enjoyed
The best part about rock climbing is that it
it so much that I joined my university’s rock
keeps you grounded which is ironic because
climbing club. Honestly, that’s the best thing
you’re off the ground most of the times. The
that happened to me. It was my escape. A
climbing community is the second best part,
place, where I could focus on myself and be
because they motivate you and help you
disconnected from all my problems. Rock
constantly to reach your goal. Imagine being
climbing is not just a hippie sport, it has so
on the rocks 15 meters off the ground and
much more to it than just providing pictures
not being able to find a foothold to make that
of shirtless men with ripped bodies on the
ascend and other climbers who are on the
rocks overlooking a vast blue ocean (TBH, I
ground shouting “C’mon you can do it” or “You
am not complaining).
got it girl” and you magically find a foothold.
In her piece, In Climbing as in Life, NYC
That’s the power of the climbing community –
cartoonist Connie Sun says: “One aspect of
constant motivation and belief in each other.
climbing is holding on with all of your strength.
There are no rivals here. You can only rival
The other side, just as essential, is learning
your own progression.
to let go to begin again”. Yes, letting go is as
To top this off I’ll list the vanity that comes
important as going up. It gives you a chance to
with getting into a sport like rock climbing;
start again; the same way you do in real life,
piqued interest from non-climbers when you
except letting go is much easier in climbing
tell them that you rock climb, insane photo
than in actual life.
opportunities while climbing outdoors, cool
When I first started climbing I was terrible
climbing gear and shoes that could rival pointe
at it, but the consistent motivation from the
shoes, new friends (because let’s be honest it’s
community helped me climb beyond the
hard to make friends once you leave high school)
overhang of one of the easiest climbs. That was
and a newfound cool persona. ◼
my first successful climb. I did that. After that,
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Opinion
Mind over Body
T
Words by Matthew Besz Image by Oliver White
he KEY to SUCCESS is to BELIEVE, VISUALISE
I would spend each day visualising my
and TRUST that by taking small steps each
chosen aesthetic and took steps to achieve that
day, even if you are met with never ending
desired physique I dreamed of receiving one day.
obstacles, you will reach your goals. Those
I trained for an hour and a half, six days a
obstacles will encourage you to push further and
week, performing weight exercises as well as up
challenge your mind in ways you never thought
to 15 minutes of light cardiovascular exercises,
you could.
such as walking on the treadmill. I ate three
When I first began my health and fitness
large and two small meals a day. I regularly set
journey back in 2013 I wanted to challenge
a new goal for myself to achieve and, in just ONE
myself in ways I never had before. I had grown
year I gained a considerable amount of muscle
up in a family where alternative practices and
mass and dramatically transformed my body
treatments were prevalent, and the use of
beyond any of my expectations.
organic and natural remedies over mainstream
Since then I have applied the KEY to SUCCESS
pharmaceuticals was a must, unless the latter
strategy to different areas in my training and
was absolutely necessary.
soon hope to in all areas of my life. I just want
In 2014, I decided I wanted to test how much
to end with emphasising that if you choose to
muscle mass I could build using a holistic
experiment with a non-conventional approach,
and natural approach as much as possible.
I strongly advise that you don’t speak about
This method consisted of no supplementation
it with peers until you have completed what
natural or artificial, minimal meat and high
you set out to achieve or showcase your work
carbohydrate and fruit intake. I had conducted
through example in order to reduce opposition
a lot of personal research on bodybuilding
from peers which may impact your results.
and nutrition, and what I discovered was that
Always choose what works for you even if it’s
consuming a diet rich in vegetables, fruit,
different from what others choose.
healthy carbohydrates and minimal meat was
The main point I would like to get across
excellent for building muscle mass without any
with this story is that although conventional
additional supplementation or support required,
practices have a high success rate and have
as the five major food groups were being met as
been used for decades, for example, protein
well as the necessary vitamins and minerals one
supplementations such as shakes, bars, cookies,
must consume.
caffeinated pre-workout powder, pancakes etc.,
As you can imagine I was met with opposition
they may not always be the healthiest, best
by gym peers and friends because I was taking
option for every individual or the only option
an alternative approach over mainstream
for that matter. Don’t be afraid to experiment
practices to build muscle. Some of the
with different methods to discover what works
statements I received were, "There’s no way you
for you, even if it sounds absurd, as there is no
can get big without supplements or steroids,”
one size fits all and I am living proof that it can
and, “You would be lucky if you gained one kilo
be achieved without additional support of these
a year on your diet.” Despite these preconceived
highly popularised products. ◼
beliefs, opinions and perceptions from peers and friends, I continued with my natural method and BELIEVED wholeheartedly that I could achieve my goals.
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Photography
Joshua Lamb
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Creative Writing
Space Jam: The Hijab Edition
A
uni dances swiftly from side to side as she
in Space Jam. Maddy yells something incoherent
dribbles the basketball with her right hand.
as she jostles with Aasma, who is readying
Her dark eyes, framed by a magenta head
herself to catch the rebound.
scarf, are trained on Maddy’s lightly sweating upper-brow. Every so often Auni glances toward
'He feels his sweat-saturated toes
Mariam and Aasma who are flailing their limbs
sliding in his Birkenstocks and
by the edge of the court. Auni breathes deeply and bounces the ball toward Mariam just as
marvels at how deftly the girls are
Syahirah leaps in.
able to move when thick layers of
“Sya Sya I’m open,” Maddy yells. Syahirah knocks the ball from Mariam’s grasp
cotton cocoon their bodies. '
in a flash of turquoise and gold. Mariam fumbles
“Shoot Jeb,” Syahirah cries.
through a sea of cotton and attempts to chase
And with that, the Jeb from Davoren Park is
after the ball, but she’s too far away. Syahirah
gone. Forgotten is the tomato sauce-stained
grabs the ball with both hands and chest passes
Adidas top that is in dire need of a dry clean.
it, hard and fast, towards Maddy. Out of habit,
Forgotten is the humidity that clings to his
Maddy does not dribble. Instead she plants her
skin in a constant clammy sheen.
feet and pivots towards Jeb.
Jeb, a red-faced man with a backwards
Standing in the corner of the court, Jeb has
trucker cap, sees every woman on the court
a clear shot for a three-pointer. He feels his
for what they are. His equals. Basketballers,
sweat-saturated toes sliding in his Birkenstocks
netballers, athletes and scholars gliding
and marvels at how deftly the girls are able to
together in perfect harmony. Each dressed in
move when thick layers of cotton cocoon their
the way that feels most natural, these women
bodies. While Maddy is dressed more casually,
do not hide behind their hijabs or scarfs.
in navy shorts and a plain white t-shirt, the
The woman and her abiding cotton move
arms, legs and head of every other woman on
as one.
the court is obscured by colourful garments that
Propelled by Jeb’s momentum, the ball sails
trace patterns through the wind as they run.
toward the hoop. Rubber kisses the wind and
Receiving the ball, Jeb inhales through his
moulds gently into the backboard.
nose as he bounces it by his waist. With his
Auni, Maddy, Mariam, Aasma, Syahirah
plastic bags of dirty laundry cheering him on
and Jeb stare toward the ring and hold their breath
from the side-line, Jeb feels like Michael Jordan
as the world continues to rotate beneath their feet. ◼
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Nina Phillips
Words by Nina Phillips Image by Tom Little
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Interview
Interview: Dr Evangeline Mantzioris Nutrition and Food Sciences Program Director
Words by Ryan Colsey Image provided by Dr Mantzioris
Although it sometimes feels as though we live in a world where there are always differences and no one can seem to get along, there is one thing that unites seven billion people across the globe – food. Whether you’re sitting in the Oval Office furiously tweeting, or going on a highly unsuccessful Tinder date at Rymill Park, at some point during the day your stomach will tell your brain that your body needs food and fluid. Dr Mantzioris is one of Adelaide’s most experienced and respected dieticians, with more than three decades of experience in the field. She has done advanced research on the effects of fish oil on inflammatory mediators and is regularly consulted by media for her take on any issue –even during this interview she received a message from a journalist at the ABC. For this edition of Verse, we got her to bust several commonly held myths on nutrition.
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Dr Evangeline Mantzioris
What is the number one myth you hear about diet?
stored in our body is with two water molecules, so if you deplete the carbohydrates in your diet,
Oh gosh the number one myth … there are so
you then use up the glycogen that removes the
many of them!
water molecules, and that’s why people see this
I’ve got a bottle of coconut water there and
rather immediate ‘weight-loss’. You lose this
I’ve got it there not because I like it, but to
immediate water, which comes up as weight on
display the amount of misinformation that
the scales, but in reality when people want to
there is on food packaging. Coconut water
lose weight they don’t want to lose water they
doesn’t offer you any nutritional benefit at
actually want to lose adipose tissue [fat], so it
all. It says it has ‘some’ electrolytes in it, but
defeats the purpose of losing weight.
if you are relying on that for your source of
Another problem is that you then start
electrolytes you are never going to get enough of
using fats to produce glucose and that causes
them. They [electrolytes] are so abundant in our
ketosis, which makes you crabby and have
diet that you don’t need to go to coconut water.
bad moods. By depleting carbohydrates from
It’s a great marketing scam. You get hydrated
your diet you also lose the nutrients that come
from just drinking plain old water.
with those carbohydrates.
Is it true you need to drink two litres of water
A guy I know went on a diet where he only ate
per day?
eggs, cucumber and oats for two weeks with the purpose of losing weight. Would that
It’s not true. You need to have two litres of fluids
actually work?
a day. Whether they come from tea, coffee, milk or the fluids in fruit and vegetables – that all
Apart from being incredibly boring in terms
contributes to your total fluid count. The best
of weight loss, yes, it would lose weight and so
measure of working out if you’re well hydrated
people would say it’s successful; however the
is the colour of your urine in the morning which
issue is what happens alongside that.
should be a light hay colour.
That diet would have been low in calcium, which may not be that problematic when you are
Should we be cutting carbs from our diet?
young because you are still building up bone, but we know by the early twenties you stop building
Another myth that’s been said for many many
up bone. If your calcium intake was dodgy to
years is that carbs are bad and you need to
start with, that’s going to be put at further
remove carbs from your diet to lose weight.
risk. It’s more of an issue for women, who have
When we consume carbohydrates our body
higher rates of osteoporosis and are more likely
needs to regulate the amount of glucose in our
to get it.
blood level and it’s a pretty tight regulation
That diet has got the protein that comes in
system. What the body does is it converts the
through the egg, it’s got the fat that comes in
glucose in our blood into glycogen and when
through the egg, it’s got the fibre that comes in
our glucose levels run short, the glycogen gets
through the oats … I’m not quite sure what the
converted back to glucose and overnight your
cucumber is replacing, however that said I love
glycogen gets refuelled again, so it’s got a store
cucumber but cucumber is not going to replace
of it for the next day. But the way glycogen is
all the other nutrients you find in all the other
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Interview
types of fruits and vegetables. To limit yourself to one item in a food group is risky because you’re not going to get all the nutrients you need. What are the benefits of supplements? Unless someone has a diagnosed deficiency in a particular nutrient, there is no benefit from taking any supplements. It’s no use taking iron supplements unless you know you have anaemia, likewise it’s no use taking B-group vitamins unless you know you’ve got a B-group deficiency. That’s one of the other great myths that’s been perpetrated by the supplements industry that we ‘need to’ take supplements to feel better. We are better off spending the money that we spend on supplements on the food we like. On average, how good is the diet of your average uni student? Well our nutrition students are pretty good! For a university student, typically, they are time poor, and it’s probably worse if they live out of home and have to do all the housework and duties, so I guess cooking becomes the last thing that is on their mind. With an abundance of quick food that can be purchased there’s a tendency to get take way or easily prepared meals. I know there’s a limitation of funds but when you look at a whole box of Cheezels and you think, “How can they sell all that for a dollar?” And I always think, “What are Cheezels?” Like can you describe what it is, what food group it is? I can’t, I have no idea what a Cheezel is, but everyone loves sticking them on their fingers!
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What advice would you give to uni students?
but it also depends on your body size as well. Some countries have included in their national
Uni students need fruit and veg in their diet.
guidelines that drinking tea and coffee is
Going for the seasonal fruit and veggies will
beneficial, but Australia hasn’t done that yet.
always be cheaper. Frozen or canned fruit and veg is also good; you’ve got to be careful with
So what about alcohol?
the canning though because of the amount of sugar that is added to fruit, and salt to veggies.
Well interestingly there’s been a lot in the
Frozen fruit and veg is quite cheap, and it means
media about alcohol recently, because the World
they’re accessible for you all the time and it
Cancer Research Fund released a report that
minimises food waste which is another big
any alcohol consumption increases your risk of
concern we have at the moment.
death from cancer, no matter what you have.
Other cheap foods which are still really
Once upon-a-time we always used to say
nutritious are your pasta and your rices and
there was a J-curve, so that those people who
they can be bought at fairly cheap prices. It’s
completely abstained from alcohol had higher
also important to be sure that dairy comes in,
risks than those that had one-to-two glasses
such as the yoghurt, the milk and the cheeses.
per day. It seems like that may not be the case
The other thing I would say is not to exclude
but, having said that - having a little bit of red
any food groups. One of the larger expenses for
wine, with a good diet, may be protective for
students is meat, but you can replace meat with
heart disease but it’s a really murky area in
beans and you get most of the nutrients you get
the science with what people are saying. The
in meat in beans, plus all the fibre.
evidence that shows us that a little bit of alcohol might be good for heart disease is
When I told people I was interviewing an expert
mainly the epidemiological evidence and
in diet and nutrition, they begged me to ask
they often cite the blue zones [areas where
this question, so I’m going to ask it. How much
populations have a high longevity].
caffeine is it okay to have in a day? It’s a difficult statement because I know Normally it’s about 400mg per day which
students are going to drink, right? For me to say
equates to about two-to-three cups of coffee
you can’t drink isn’t going to work, so then it
per day. So the reason why uni students use
would be a matter of not having more than one-
caffeine is so they can stay up later and do their
to-two glasses at a time. Certainly it’s binge
assignments and what it does is restore your
drinking that causes the most problems.
alertness to what it was before you started becoming tired. It’s also used by athletes
Finally, if you had a magic wand and you can
because it makes the effort they put into work
complete eliminate three foods/drinks out there in
seem less.
the world, which three do you pick?
I’ve read that you shouldn’t start the morning off with a coffee because your
I’m a mum with kids, and the three things I
adrenalin gets you going anyway and your first
don’t let them have are: potato crisps, lollies,
coffee should be 10am. We know that there are
and soft drinks or fruit juice. Having said
health benefits to coffee but once again it’s
that I know my husband sneaks them in when
limiting it to not more than two-to-three –
I travel! ◼
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Photography
SARAH LANGLEY
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Spotlight
UniSA Campuses Review Words by Geena Ho Illustration by Oliver White
It’s not that I don’t like City West campus,
Ah, the concrete jungle of the UniSA campuses.
it’s more that City West gets all the attention.
City East is both way too easy to get lost in
Because it’s UniSA’s main hub and can boast the
and a bit boring (sorry!). Yeah, they’ve got
Jeffery Smart Building, MOD., Pridham Hall, and
some awesome tech in their science labs that
West Oak, everyone raves about how good City
definitely one-up the classrooms at the other
West is but I just don’t see it. Yes, it’s nice with
campuses but the buildings are just a little too
Jeffery Smart open 24 hours and the brand new
cramped for my liking. BUT, in saying that, City
gym and sport facilities available at Pridham
East does have the best location of any of the
Hall, but it’s a little bit overrated because
campuses, just one street over from Rundle Mall
there’s always so many people around. It’s got
with plenty of public transport options.
a lot going for it and I can see why it’s home to many of UniSA’s events but we gotta share the love around a bit!
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Geena Ho
*Disclaimer: Please note that this review includes only UniSA’s metropolitan campuses, not because we, at Verse, love Whyalla and Mount Gambier any less, but just because I have not personally visited either of the rural campuses and wanted to present a fair and honest review.
Mawson Lakes feels like a nice mix between
First of all, yes, I may be biased as Magill is my
the modern industrial vibe and the green
home campus but maybe I’m just lucky that
nature vibe and we love it! Not only is Mawson
my home campus just happens to be one of the
Lakes home to the iconic UNISA letters but
best? Hear me out. Magill has a nice, peaceful
it also has a community garden that’s very
setting with only a few buildings sprawled
well looked after. Paired with loads of places
across endless patches of green grass which
to grab a bite between classes and you’ve got
makes studying outside something that many
yourself a winner! (The only downside is the
Magill students enjoy. There’s also a creek
airplanes constantly flying overhead can be a bit
that adds extra tranquillity points when it’s
distracting sometimes!)
a-flowing! Like Mawson Lakes, Magill has minimal stairs with all classrooms spread across just two floors. Plus we have friendly neighbourhood koalas?!
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Photography
JORDAN WHITE
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May & June
What’s On Here’s a whole stack of things to do
May 7&8 9
Chill Vibes - Wind down, relax & enjoy. Games and Chats - Evangelical Students Magill
10
Showpony Open Mic - Showpony
10
PSS Pub Crawl #1 - UniSA Physiotherapy Student Society
14, 15, 21 & 22
UniTopia SP2 - Free wellbeing event for all students.
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USASOE Mario Kart Crawl 2019
31
USASA Leadership & Club Grant May deadline
June 14
PSS Trivia Night
17
Verse Edition 29 Submission Deadline
28
USASA Leadership & Club Grant June deadline
Recurring Events Weekly
The Bible Talks - UniSA City Evangelical Students
Weekly
Psychology Study Group - UniSA Psychology Society
Weekly
Social Studio Sessions - UniSA Art Club
Weekly
Friday Sessions - Overseas Christian Fellowship
Weekly
Ballet Classes – Ballet Club
Check out these events and more at USASA.sa.edu.au/Events
USASA PRESIDENT Lifestyle … Zen … hmm, well. By nature I’m a very anxious soul and I often need to take a step away from the daily hustle and bustle of life, take a deep breath, and check in with my mental wellbeing. I wouldn’t say I have the healthiest lifestyle; I often skip breakfast, run purely on double-shot lattes, and I haven’t gone to the gym in over 12 months (just this week though I joined UniSA’s very own Pridham Hall gym, so look out yoga class, ‘cause I’m about to get my ‘Zen’ on). When I’m not running around like a headless chicken, I do like to take time for some self-
I grew up with a mum who had crystals and
care, as I think it is very important.
essential oils for everything so I guess you
This time of the semester can be stressful,
could say I’m one of those ‘spiritual types’
with first assessments barely finished and
*pause for eye roll*.
second assessments already due, just as you’ve
Keeping my home clean, as well as smelling
gotten into the swing of things. For those that
nice, also helps me relax; which is difficult for
attended a Campus Fair, we hope you found
someone who has to chase their two walking
something that’s made the beginning of this
excessive-lick-giving teddy bears everywhere
year a little easier; whether it was a friendly
with a vacuum or a lint roller. If you’re a dog
new face, a freebie, or a new club to be involved
lover as well, then make sure you go to an
with. The semester will no doubt pick up from
upcoming UniTopia event. You’ll be able to
now on, so this is your reminder to prioritise
cuddle to some therapy doggos, pick-up some
your wellbeing and regularly take time to relax.
awesome giveaways, and find many other
Whenever I get too overwhelmed, I always
things to perk up your day.
make myself a cup of green tea and buy a
Another great way to get stressful or
new houseplant for my room (which is often
upsetting things off my chest is to confide in
counterproductive as I’m usually stressed
someone I trust, and to give them the same
about money, but then spend another $50
sort of trust and comfort with me. If you’re
without a second thought). If you are also
new to uni (or even if you’ve been here for a
feeling overwhelmed balancing uni alongside
while) there are plenty of counselling services
work or other commitments, there’s help to be
available or social USASA clubs to join. There’s
found. USASA is rolling out its pilot Financial
always new people to meet, someone to talk
Counselling and Emergency Financial Grants
to, and loads of opportunities to escape your
program this month, so by all means, look into
computer screen for a while.
the options available to support you. To declutter my mental headspace, I often
Until next time,
have to declutter my room. I’ve always believed
Grace Dixon
that the space and environment you’re in play a
2019 USASA President
big part in your overall health and wellbeing.
Dixgl001@mymail.unisa.edu.au
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USASA Advocacy Column University can be a stressful time for any
start thinking about the worst-case scenario.
student. When facing the sometimes-complex
Take a moment to breathe and remember that
requirements of assignments, or strict
you have access to support from the USASA
structures surrounding referencing, students
Advocacy service. Send an email to the USASA
can feel like even the slightest mistake could
Advocacy team and organise a meeting. The best
result in significantly detrimental outcomes.
thing you can do for yourself is to be open to
Having an advocate, especially one who is
seeking support and following the advice of the
experienced and knowledgeable in university
advocacy team.
policy, means that students have strong support in what can be significant, difficult
Imogen Leech: USASA Advocacy Intern
and stressful moments in their life. If a student encounters a problem during their time as a
The Advocacy service offers support to students
student, it can be difficult for that student to
facing academic issues and means that students
understand what to do next. This is where an
do not have to face these issues in isolation.
advocate, like USASA Advocacy Service, can help
Throughout my experience at university I’ve
in navigating difficult situations and supporting
observed that many students are impacted by
the student with their experience, knowledge
mental health and personal issues, which can
and understanding This free service which is
result in late submissions and lowered grades.
provided by your student association can help
The impact of mental health on academic
you figure out what to do next. The services they
success can foster a great deal of anxiety and
can offer you in these moments can not only
shame within students. The overwhelming
provide you with knowledge and understanding
nature of these emotional triggers can impact
of the situation, but importantly help reduce
upon the ability to manage and maintain our
your stress and worries, by knowing that you
academic workloads. There are support services
have someone there to support you through
available for students experiencing these issues,
these moments.
such as counselling, extensions granted with appropriate supporting documents, and student
Christopher Regester: USASA Advocacy Intern 2019
access plans. It is important for students to be made aware of the support services available to
I think that having access to a service like
them, to help students struggling with mental
USASA Advocacy helps you feel supported in
health issues to succeed and flourish within
your life at university. If an academic issue
their university experience. You don’t need
arises, students can feel less stressed knowing
to tackle these issues in isolation. The USASA
they have a service that is working in their best
Advocacy service offers support to students
interests. Students face all kinds of academic
facing academic issues; make use of these
issues that vary in severity and scope. I believe
services! Educate yourself on your academic
a lot of these academic issues come down
rights and responsibilities and access the
to misunderstandings between people and
support services made available to you as a
quite often all you need is that independent
student of UniSA. Don’t let the stress take over
person to look at the situation from a different
and remember that there are always options
angle. Academic issues can be stressful, and
available to you if you reach out.
everyone reacts to stress differently. I think it is normal for people to go into panic mode and
60
Edition 27 2019
Alanna Abbey: USASA Advocacy Intern
USASA Academic Advocacy
Free, confidential & independent advice. Advocates help you to pursue your rights on a wide range of academic troubles & can increase your chances of receiving a positive outcome. To book an appointment visit USASA.sa.edu.au/Advocacy
USASA Clubs
USASA Club Feature: UniSA Buddies Words by Ryan Colsey Image supplied by UniSA Buddies
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Edition 27 2019
Ryan Colsey
They say time flies when you are having fun and uni is no exception. Whether you’re just starting out in your first year or doing your third PhD researching the floccinaucinihilipilification of Australian males aged seventeen to nineteen, it will soon be over before you can even Google what that means. If you thought your two-year Master’s degree went quickly, spare a thought for the exchange students from overseas, who usually only have six months to truly get the most out of their short-term stay both at UniSA and in Australia. Moving to an entirely new country without knowing anyone can be a daunting prospect. Fortunately for them, there are local students who are here to help.
O
perating since 2017, UniSA Buddies is a program run by UniSA students whose mission is to welcome exchange students
studying at UniSA and help them to embrace Australian culture. As of 2019 it is now a registered USASA Club and also receives assistance from the University’s International Office. The club’s membership currently consists of twenty local students, five of whom are executive members. At the time of writing more than 150 exchange students are supported by UniSA Buddies. This year the new exchange students attended a large welcome event during O-Week, which featured several games to help everyone get to know each other. Some of the activities included playing ‘two truths and a lie’ as well as a campus tour of City West Campus. The exchange students were put into groups of eight and assigned a local ‘buddy’ who acted as a point of contact.
Once this was done a group-selfie competition took place with the winning group receiving the most Australian of prizes – a packet of Tim Tams. Kudos to the committee who spent a lot of time and placed a lot of thoughtful planning into organising activities to ensure that all these new students felt included and were well orientated. As exchange students, many are only here for a semester so the UniSA Buddies club also runs a program in SP5, for those coming later in the year. The Buddies offer support throughout the duration of the exchange offering advice and practical assistance. This is a great initiative and the UniSA Buddies scheme is instrumental in ensuring the experience of students here on exchange is a positive one. However, it is incumbent on all of us to make sure we make guests at our uni feel welcome and comfortable. ◼
Edition 27 2019
63
HELPMANN ACADEMY
Words by Annabel Bowles Photos supplied by Helpmann Academy
In our last edition we interviewed Sam Gold: Bachelor of Contemporary Art graduate and recipient of two Helpmann Academy grants. Like me, a financially-deprived student pursuing a creative career, your ears may have pricked at the word ‘grant’. I looked into what it was all about, and discovered that Adelaide’s growing rep’ as a thriving artistic hub owes a lot to Helpmann Academy.
H
elpmann Academy was established in
affirmation. “That’s part of what we do, we
1994, in honour of Sir Robert Helpmann,
acknowledge that it’s a valuable pursuit, it’s a
an internationally-recognised actor and
valuable contribution to our society, to pursue
dancer from Mount Gambier. It was, and still is,
a career in the arts,” said Olivia. She, along
the only Australian non-for-profit organisation
with the rest of the small team behind
specifically designed to support final-year
Helpmann Academy, also encourage people
students and graduates in creative disciplines.
to come in for a chat. They’re there to help
While Helpmann’s career spanned fifty years,
students and graduates navigate what isn’t “a
his legacy will likely last much longer. In 2018,
very linear pathway.”
Helpmann Academy assisted over 460 students,
Thanks to Helpmann Academy, as well
and the support it provides continues to expand.
as her brilliant work that earned her the top
Olivia Power, the Academy’s Marketing
undergraduate prize in the 2019 Helpmann
and Engagement Manager, is one of just five
Academy Graduate Exhibition, Sam Gold is
personnel operating Helpmann Academy. Olivia
currently undertaking a six-month residency at
and the rest of the team are passionate about
George Street Studios. Yusuf Hayat and Tamara
the arts, and that’s exactly what underpins
Baillie are another two UniSA graduates that
the organisation’s success in bridging the
received rare opportunities through Helpmann
gap between study and professional careers.
Academy. Last year, they both completed three-
Without financial support, many would never
month residencies at the British School in Rome,
successfully make this transition, so Helpmann
one of the Italian capital’s most prestigious
Academy also help students and graduates draft
foreign academies. Other international
their applications; whether it's for the Academy’s
residencies offered by Helpmann Academy
own grants or for other institutions. “Writing
include a visual arts placement in New Delhi,
a grant application isn’t necessarily something
India, and a handcraft placement in Jingdezhen,
people learn at uni, but when they’re in the arts,
China; which is widely considered the porcelain
they have to. It’s an absolutely essential skill for
capital of the world.
any creative practitioner,” Olivia tells me.
Until this year, Helpmann Academy have
Financial support is just one type of
only financially supported tertiary final-
assistance provided by Helpmann Academy.
year students and graduates in disciplines of
Through its many events and exhibitions,
visual arts, theatre, dance, music and film; for
emerging artists can form connections with
UniSA students, only those who have studied a
one another, and gain practical advice and
Bachelor of Contemporary Art
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Edition 27 2019
Sam Gold with her work at the 2019 Helpmann Academy Graduate Exhibition, photo by Georgia Matthews
(formerly Bachelor of Visual Arts) degree. However, the grants have recently been extended to a long list of degrees across all of South Australia’s four tertiary institutions. Under the UniSA banner, that includes media arts, performing arts, creative writing, illustration, animation, screenwriting and stagecraft. Substantial financial support is only eligible to final year, or recently graduated, students in one of these disciplines at a South Australian tertiary institution. However for emerging students that don’t fit into this category, there’s a bunch of masterclasses and seminars offered throughout the year. They’re on a variety of topics, such as maintaining resilience and wellbeing in the struggling lifestyle of a creative, designing kickass social media to complement your work, or hearing from those who have successfully developed their practices into careers. These events are free for students of the disciplines listed above, or just $10 for
Tom Borgas, recipient of the Helpmann Academy Emerging Artist Commission with his installation work at the Hilton Adelaide, photo by Michael Haines
anyone else. To find out more, and to keep up with the awesome opportunities on offer, check out helpmannacademy.com.au and sign up to their mailing list. Or, drop them an email at info@ helpmannacademy.com.au. ◼
Edition 27 2019
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USASA Clubs & Societies Find your flock.
Make friends with like-minded people, celebrate cultures & boost your resume by joining a studentrun club! Find your flock with over 90 special interest, cultural, academic & social justice clubs. To join a club visit USASA.sa.edu.au/Clubs
through... · Student Representation · Academic Advocacy · Student Clubs · Social Events · Club & Leadership Grants · Verse Magazine · Financial Support · USASA Student Spaces
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