Woroni Edition 12 2015 by Woroni

THE SPRING PARTY SPECIAL

PAGE 3. Freeze on Book Acquisitions in ANU Libraries - Ria Pflaum PAGE 4. Queer Pride at the ANU - Miguel Galsim

VOL. 67

PAGE 5. Unilodge Creates Mindspace for Residents - Miguel Galsim

Issue #12

PAGE 7. Engineering Student Kiara Bruggeman Wins ANU 3 Minute Thesis Competition - Matthew Lord PAGE 9. #LibSpill PAGE 10. Gay Cliche

- Giordano Borzuola - Isaac Dugdale

WORONI SEMESTER 2 - WEEK 8, 2015 - WORONI.COM.AU - FACEBOOK, TWITTER & THE APP STORES

WORONI No.12 Vol.67

CONTENTS No. 12

Cover

- Grace Sun

NUS Ballot Recount - Ria Pflaum Freeze on Book Acquisition in ANU Libraries - Ria Pflaum Proposed ACT Electorate Named After Renowned ANU Professor - Madhav Fisher

Queer Pride at the ANU - Miguel Galsim

6. ANU

Miss Saigon - Anna Kaufmann

Unilodge Creates Mindspace for Residents - Miguel Galsim How Youth Mental Health Care Needs to Change - Sarah Edwards

ANU and UC Combine to the Boost the Future of Science Teaching - Ria Pflaum

Open Day: Battle of the Brains - Anna Macdonald

Forget Cupcakes, Hands oﬀ our Ovaries! - Lizzie Storor

Engineering Student Kiara Bruggeman Wins ANU 3 Minute Thesis Competition - Matthew Lord 8.

In Conversation with Hugh White - Miguel Galsim

8. Europe’s

Refugee Crisis: A Conversation - Kathy Wu

#LibSpill - Giordi Borzuola

10.

Gay Cliche: A Look into Canberra’s Newest Club Night - Isaac Dugdale

12.

Moroni - Waheed Jayhoon

THIS EDITION WAS MADE SPECIALLY FOR THE SPRING PARTY.

WE HOPE YOU ENJOY IT. - THE WORONI TEAM

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

BOARD OF EDITORS

S TA F F

SUB-EDITORIAL TEAM

Woroni is published on the land of the Ngunnawal people.

Editor-in-Chief - Jacob Ingram Deputy Editor-in-Chief Giordi Borzuola

Administrative Assistant Simone Proctor

Science - Maxwell Jones Comment - Vishesh Agarwal Features - Vincent Chiang Satire & World - Ivana Smojver Arts & Reviews - Louise Keast Arts & Reviews - Jessica Masters Life & Style - Paroksh Prasad Sports - Zach Mackey International - Virginia Harding Radio - Kate Lawrence Radio - Caitlin Magee Radio - Finn Pedersen Radio - Sam Skinner Design - Joanne Leong IT - Manab Chetia Photography - Nic Bills Videography - Julia Faragher News Correspondent - Anna Kaufmann News Correspondent - Miguel Galsim News Correspondent - Ria Pflaum

‘Woroni’ translates to ‘mouthpiece’ in the Ngunnawal language. Advertising inquiries and submissions can made at: advertising@woroni.com. au Phone: (02) 6125 9574 Shop 15, Lena Karmel Building 26 Barry Drive, Acton 2601

Managing Editor - Mitchell Scott

Proofreader - Siobhonn Shannon Book keeper - Brendan Ofner

Creative Director - Rashna Farrukh News Editor - Waheed Jayhoon Contributions Editor Benedicte O’Leary Rutherford Multimedia Editor Maddalena Easterbrook Radio Editor - Isaac Dugdale

Woroni is printed by Capital Fine Print.

Week 8, Semester 2, 2015.

//NEWS

N U S BA L L O T R E C O U N T CAMPUS NEWS Concluding the highly publicized ANUSA elections, a recount of the National Union of Students (NUS) ballot paper was requested by the Ready platform on September 1st, anticipating a redistribution of preferences between candidates. Throughout the ballot count, candidates were excluded based on their number of first preferences, coupled with the secondary preferences provided by other candidates. Further preferences given to excluded candidates can vary widely depending on their political affiliation, which ticket they ran on, and their howto-vote cards.

RIA PFLAUM As such, even a one vote difference at any stage of counting has the potential to have major trickle down effects in the redistribution process. Ready asked for a recount from the point of exclusion of Priya De, a Let’s candidate, who had one vote less than Jed Buchanan, the next lowest candidate and fellow Let’s member.

staff and resources, and incurring additional costs. “I imagine their expectation was that if Priya gets up over Jed on the recount, Jed’s preferences may flow differently to the way Priya’s did originally and this could affect the final count.” The recount took approximately 5 hours to complete, and 2015 ANUSA Election Project Manager Steve Ireland stated that:

Sam Duncan, 2016 General Secretaryelect, and one of the scrutineers during the ballot counting, stated that if Buchanan had lost to Priya on the recount, all preferences would be redistributed and the counting would have taken much longer, utilising both

“With the number and level of staff we had working during this period, Elections ACT estimates that the additional cost payable by ANUSA for

the work performed on the NUS ballot paper recount was approximately $1,800 (incl GST).” Ultimately, the recount did not see any change at the problem exclusion. Although there were slight differences in the final ballot count in the amounts of votes that each winning candidate had, this was not enough to significantly alter the margin of victory for the winning candidates. The ANU NUS delegates for the 2015 are Laura Campbell, Odette Shenfield, Jack Gaudie, Eleanor Kay and Jed Buchanan.

F R E E Z E O N B O O K AC Q U I S I T I O N

I N A N U L I B R A R I E S CAMPUS NEWS Since January, libraries at the ANU have put a halt on acquisitions of all books, except for those required for critical reading, with an unfavourable foreign exchange rate cited as heavily impacting the purchasing budget. Over the past year, all six branches of the ANU’s library service have bought 60,883 books; however this only includes those considered ‘critical’, restricting the purchases to textbooks. This, however, leaves out up-to-date texts needed for independent student research. In an “ANU Library: Suggest a Book Purchase” email exchange sent to Woroni by a student, it was suggested

RIA PFLAUM that the University Librarian, Roxanne Missingham, had called for this action.

constrained quite heavily by the falling exchange rate.”

Missingham commented that the falling exchange rate was the main factor in limiting book buying, with online journal subscriptions also being cut for savings.

“The serials’ price increase of around 6% has also challenged us to have to meet this within our budget.”

A concerned PhD student raised issues of how the continuing cuts in the Library budget would affect student research, especially on constantly changing topics such as political development and linguistic theories.

If requested non-critical books are deemed to be an urgent purchase, these will be explored, but only on a discretionary basis.

“We can all understand if there has to be a cut back on acquisitions – but a total freeze?” they said.

A document released by Missingham in August 2013 outlined that the Library’s budget made up approximately 17% of the total academic and administrative support central area budget, with the total savings for 2014 expected to be around $6.73 million, based on the 2013 budgets.

“We do like constructing new residential buildings for $53 million, but new academic titles for the residents of those buildings aren’t needed, obviously.”

“Since many online subscriptions and book purchases are based from overseas, our budget is significantly affected by the exchange rate,” Missingham said. “66% of our purchases are in USD, and a further 24% in other foreign currencies. Only 10% are in AUD.” “As a result, this year our budget has been

P RO P O S E D AC T E L E C T O R AT E N A M E D A F T E R R E N OW N E D A N U P RO F E S S O R CAMPUS NEWS

MADHAV FISHER

The Australian Electoral Commission has planned to rename the current electoral division of Fraser to Fenner, as part of a set of proposed electoral redistributions. This change would honour the late Professor Frank Fenner, a distinguished virologist who spent many years at the ANU.

under Commonwealth electoral statute, as more than seven years has passed since the last redistribution.

The AEC’s proposed electoral redistribution would shift some inner north electors of the electoral division of Fraser to that of Canberra. This would ensure that both seats would meet requirements under the Electoral Act. Such a redistribution was required

Vice-Chancellor Ian Young praised the Fenner family and supported the proposed changes, stating that, “this honour will place ANU and its outstanding research strengths at the heart of the Canberra community, and demonstrate the university’s ties with

the city”. Professor Fenner, one of Australia’s greatest scientists, died in 2010 at the age of 95. He was a renowned microbiologist, who had a prolific research career. Professor Fenner was the Director of the John Curtin School of Medical Research at ANU from 1967 to 1973. Subsequently, he set up and was the Director of the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at ANU until 1979.

These changes will come into place at the next election. Ironically, the ANU will remain located in the seat of Canberra, not Fenner.

Even after his retirement, he continued to be an active and useful member of the ANU academic community.

During his career, Professor Fenner was the chair of a team working towards the eradication of smallpox, fought malaria in Papua New Guinea and was involved in the research of the myxomytosis virus. Professor Fenner also set in place the Bobbie Fenner and Frank Fenner accommodation bursaries. ANU has named the Fenner Building, the Fenner School of Environment and Society, and Fenner Hall in his honour, and also awards the annual Frank Fenner Medal for top PhD thesis each year.

WORONI No.12 Vol.67

//NEWS

QUEER PRIDE AT THE ANU CAMPUS NEWS Between the 21st and 25th of September, the ANU Queer* Department will host the annual Pride Week, creating a forum for LGBTIQ students to discuss their concerns, while also highlighting current issues regarding marriage equality, LGBT refugees, and bisexuality. Open to the participation of queer students and their supporters, the week’s events range from social gatherings (such as Monday’s interuniversity picnic and Friday’s Queer Ball), to some that are more academic and activist in nature. Whilst there is no overarching theme to the week, Queer* Department Officer Kat Reed told Woroni that the Department “[aims] to create safe space for LGBTIQ students to express themselves and to provide the opportunity for others to show their support.”

MIGUEL GALSIM “We want to make this campus a safe place for queer students to express themselves and we hope to encourage all to do that with this week. We’d also like the week to raise awareness of the current issues that surround the community such as misconceptions about bisexuality, LGBT refugees, marriage equality and being out in the workplace,” Reed said.

impacts on people’s mental health and wellbeing so it is essential for the Queer* Department to look into ways of educating and supporting individuals who identity as [bisexual] or [pansexual].” The Queer* Department also plans to host a panel on LGBT refugees on the same day, in conjunction with the ANU Refugee Action Committee, hoping to broaden the perspective of queer students in rights activism.

On Wednesday the 23rd, a panel on the misconceptions surrounding bisexuality will be held, educating attendees on the myths surrounding bisexual persons and their personal experiences, especially given the stigmatisation of the label in both the general public and the LGBT community.

Reed stated that while fighting for marriage equality in Australia was important, students should also consider the specific issues facing queer-identifying refugees fleeing persecution. “Many refugees are questioned intensively and asked to prove that they are queer in order to gain safety. The proving of one’s identity is something that we as a

Reed recognised it as an issue that still “needs awareness”, and that “Biphobia, which even happens within the queer community, really

community don’t agree with, so this is an opportunity to learn and see if we can help our fellow LGBT individuals.” On Thursday the 24th, a rally for marriage equality is also planned, at which experienced LGBT activist Ivan Hinton has been invited to speak. Hinton is Campaign Director of Australian Marriage Equality, an advocacy, lobbying, and educational organisation “working for equal marriage for all consenting adults”, as per their website. Reed hopes the rally will gather around 200 participants in Union Court and was created “for ANU students to show their support and to include the voices of ANU students in particular in the fight for our rights.”

MISS SAIGON CAMPUS NEWS The ANU Interhall Musical Production (IMP) for 2015, Miss Saigon, kicks off next week and promises to be one of the biggest productions ANU has seen yet. Miss Saigon is based on the Giocomo Puccini opera, Madame Butterfly, and tells the story of a romance between a Vietnamese barmaid and an American Soldier during the Vietnam War. The IMP Producer, Katherine Carrington, said Miss Saigon was a good choice as it contains a significant number of female leads, something of a rarity in productions. Carrington also said that Miss Saigon was chosen as it was a good musical production – since it only has 4 spoken lines in the entire show, it gives the Musical Director ‘a lot to play with’. The Production Director, Ellen Trevanion, said that she was extremely happy with how the show

ANNA KAUFMANN was coming together and that she has ‘never seen a show looking this good’.

last full run on Saturday’ she said, ‘and my choreographer burst into tears. The tech is spectacular, and the costumes are lavish’.

However, Trevanion also said that an immense amount of a work from a very dedicated team is needed to bring together a production like this. The entire process included about 40 hours of auditions across two weeks, plus casting, around 10 hours of rehearsal per week, and a final intensive rehearsal from 9-5 for six days.

Lead in the production, Will Collett, said that being a part of the Miss Saigon team has been a fantastic experience. ‘It’s not often you get to act alongside a group of people who are not only crazy talented, but super nice as well.’

‘I have been there until about midnight every night’ Trevanion said of the past week, but that it was also “very much a team thing’.

Collett said that the production team had ‘put an enormous effort into the sound, lighting and set design in order to bring the whole show together’ and that ‘the final production is going to be one hell of a spectacle, one which I can’t wait to be a part of.’

“The Musical Director and Choreographer have been dealing with equally intense workloads, but having a full production team of twelve people has made things easier,” she said.

However, the show has not been without its criticisms. Immediately after the casting process, several people voiced apprehensions that the

‘I was on the edge of my seat for a

production cannot be representative as an authentic ethnic-racial story, given that white leads have been cast for the Vietnamese characters of Miss Saigon. When asked about the concerns, Trevanion said that they ‘cast blind based on what we heard in the auditions’, a process whereby they judge those who audition based on vocals, acting and dancing alone, not on appearance or ethnicity. While this is appealing from an equity perspective, the effects of such a justification on critical opinion is yet to be seen. Miss Saigon shows start on September 24 and will run through to October 3. Tickets are available now from interhallproductions.anu.edu, or can be purchased at the door.

Week 8, Semester 2, 2015.

//NEWS

UNILODGE

CREATES

MINDSPACE FOR RESIDENTS CAMPUS NEWS The Mental Health Awareness team at UniLodge launched MindSpace on the 30th of August, a service designed to create a platform for raising awareness about mental health as well as to provide support for residents seeking assistance with mental health issues. MindSpace is located on the 5th floor bridge between Warrumbul and Kinloch lodges, and regularly has UniLodge staff – including senior residents and residential advisors – present to render assistance to concerned residents. Rebecca Sullivan, Residential Life Manager, told Woroni that the space had “a really positive atmosphere and a very welcoming environment.” “MindSpace was created to provide a safe space for residents to seek information on mental health, as

MIGUEL GALSIM could feel comfortable information.”

well as platform for us to launch Mental Health Initiatives. This is part of a broader goal to promote mental health awareness in the community, and works alongside other projects such as our work with Batyr and the creation of an online database of support resources,” she said.

seeking

“I also see MindSpace developing into a place for people to go that are concerned about their friends to get information on resources and things they can recommend to their friend who might not be ready to reach out yet. But most importantly I see MindSpace playing a huge role in facilitating the conversation about Mental Health and publicly showing that asking for help is OK and encouraged, and that support is readily available.”

Sullivan said she saw MindSpace becoming a “permanent fixture” at UniLodge to increase awareness about dealing with mental health issues – particularly during exam period – and she hoped to use the space to promote national campaigns such as the recent “R U OK” Day, although she noted many other directions could be taken.

In regards to inter-hall collaboration, Sullivan stated that the residences share extensive information and train their mental health teams together. Furthermore, when new resources and programs are launched they share information through college authorities and ANU Counselling.

Also, she expressed that she did not want MindSpace to be “spamming people with information”, but “creating a space where residents

MindSpace also held connections with organisations like Beyond Blue to assist with resources, and maintains working relationships with ANU Counselling and ACT’s Crisis Assessment and Treatment Team (CATT). Overall, Sullivan was pleased with the development of MindSpace, stating that “full credit goes to the Mental Health Functional Team. They have been so dedicated and passionate about this project, and the great results so far is a testament to their hard work” in creating the space and discarding stigmas around mental illness. “Most importantly I see MindSpace playing a huge role in facilitating the conversation about Mental Health and publicly showing that asking for help is OK and encouraged, and that support is readily available.”

HOW YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CARE

NEEDS TO CHANGE CAMPUS NEWS The inaugural public lecture of the ANU Research School of Psychology took place on the 10th of September, coinciding with “R U OK?” Day and the International Day of Suicide Prevention. The lecture was given by Professor Patrick McGorry, whose involvement in youth mental health includes his roles as Executive Director of Orygen (the National Centre for Excellence in Youth Mental Health); as a Director of the Board of headspace (the National Youth Mental Health Foundation), and as professor of Youth Mental Health at the University of Melbourne. The lecture was on “Early Intervention and Youth Mental Health Reform Paradigms” for which Prof. McGorry’s research is widely renowned and influential. The lecture focussed upon the

SARAH EDWARDS importance of increasing resources for mental health care throughout Australia, especially for the 12-25 year age group. McGorry argued that the rates of care for people suffering from mental illness in Australia “would not be acceptable in any other area of health care,” citing the statistic that only 10% of those who suffer from depression have access to evidence-based care.

in other fields - one where help is accessible to people in the asymptomatic stages of illness, and in which “prevention, early diagnosis, [and] sustained treatment” are key. McGorry credited Headspace as a “soft-entry” access point to 12-25 year olds seeking mental health care. He said the aim of the foundation was to provide services to youth not only in times of crisis, but also at any time before their mental health had reached that point.

He also discussed the particular requirements of youth in the field of mental health, stating that 75% of mental health conditions present in the sufferer before the age of 25. Despite this, McGorry said that there was a “tremendous problem” in finding resources tailored to youth mental health care.

Services available through Headspace include counselling, work and study support, as well as alcohol and drug services. “The main thing is we use the sciencebased approach,” said McGorry of the foundation’s early treatment methods.

McGorry’s ideal model of mental health care would involve an approach more akin to that used

There

are

Headspace

branches

around Australia, with more opening in the near future. 100 branches are expected to open by 2017. The lecture was the first of a series of annual lectures aimed at “[letting] the community know what the Research School does”, said Head of the School, Professor Michael Kyrios. The evening was also a chance to showcase the work of some of the School’s PhD students and staff, whose work was displayed outside of the theatre before the lecture’s commencement. Kyrios said he hoped that the lectures would demonstrate the relevance of psychology to all fields of life and policy, including business, climate change, and city planning.

WORONI No.12 Vol.67

ANU TO

AND BOOST

SCIENCE CAMPUS NEWS ANU and the University of Canberra (UC) have announced a new collaboration to offer a vertical double degree, combining an ANU Bachelor of Science (BSc) with UC’s Master of Teaching (MTeach). This would provide an accelerated pathway for those passionate about science teaching, shortening the combined length by 6 months. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor Marnie-Hughes Warrington, stated that the collaboration made “absolute sense”. “UC has particular areas of strength, and we’ve got particular areas of strength.” “We could see there was a national need to the support the next generation of science teachers, so instead of duplicating resources, we simply worked together to solve the problem.”

THE

//NEWS

COMBINE FUTURE

TEACHING

RIA PFLAUM Citing students as the primary driver of this new degree, Professor Warrington said that there had been high levels of positive feedback about the flexibility of the ANU’s double degrees, with students asking for more options.

“Everyone is very positive about this new collaboration… not a single person has raised a negative concern” she stated. ANUSA College of Science Representative Albert Patajo affirmed his support for the program.

She commented, “If we can do it within ANU, why wouldn’t we do it with our friends down the road?”

“I think it’s a great initiative,” he said. “There is a huge need for STEM teachers and at the ANU we’re really lucky to see students interested in teaching. We have great programs like PAL and Chemistry Peer-tutoring, so there’s definitely a niche that needs to be filled.”

Professor Warrington expressed that this vertical double degree was motivated by the importance of science teachers across the country, especially in rural areas, and that if the ANU could do something to address that need, then she thought “we were obligated to do it.”

Although a relatively new concept, vertical degrees are quickly gaining popularity as a streamlined option into transitioning towards postgraduate study. Patajo told Woroni that he would love to see more options for science students to participate in

Student consultation, Warrington said, had been facilitated through various committees and through ANUSA, and so far there had been no objections.

meaningful programs. “Science graduates are doing great things in and we should develop a degree that provides a strong foundation in many different fields,” he said. The program, like many other double degrees at the ANU, will see students relinquishing electives to combine core areas of study. However, the structure of the degree will still enable science students to complete enough courses to qualify for further science education, such as Honours. Warrington said there were plans in place to discuss further degrees of this kind with UC, describing the model as ‘highly feasible’, and then she would be in consultation with them in coming months.

ANU OPEN DAY BATTLE OF THE BRAINS CAMPUS NEWS The ANU hosted the inaugural Battle of the Brains forum as part of its Open Day information session on the 29th of August. The event consisted of representatives from seven Colleges, who only had four minutes to convince the crowd that their discipline was the superior one. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Professor MarnieHughes Warrington moderated the event, which showcased the wide range of possible paths at the ANU, and the passionate academics within them. The first speaker, representing the College of Arts and Social Sciences, was Professor Will Christie. He emphasised his discipline’s exploration of the complexities and limitations of humanity, or as he stated, “love, money and nothing less than what we are.” With Professor Christie’s speech

ANNA MACDONALD Dr. NIraj Lal from the College of Engineering and Computer Science, used various objects to demonstrate the concept of electromagnetism. He also attributed survival to his discipline, stating, “our very existence was owed to engineering, more so than any other discipline.”

running over the allocated four minutes, up next was Professor Michael Wesley, who was representing the College of Asia and the Pacific. Perhaps a little controversially, Prof. Wesley spent most of his time criticising the other disciplines for the current crises in the world rather than arguing for the merits of his own. He jokingly implored the crowd to “join us and fight stupidity..,know more to do more.”

In a more humanities-based approach, Dr Ryan Goss from the College of Law spoke to the real life implications of the law. To illustrate his point, Dr Goss used the example of the High Court’s decision on same-sex marriage in the ACT, which has tangible effects of our society.

Professor Shirley Leech had a different focus in representing the College of Business and Economics – one that focused on the significance and relevance of the field.

“The reasons [for decisions such as this] matter, and that is why Law matters,” Dr. Goss said.

“Money does matter… most of the great things that happen in the world are because of money,” Professor Leech stated.

Dr Anne-Sophie Dielen represented the College of Medicine, Biology and Environment. Dr Dielen talked

The first speaker to utilise props,

mostly about her background, and stated that studying her field meant that “you too could work for more chips, more cider and more chocolate”, whilst helping people simultaneously. However, it was Dr Brad Tucker, from one of the smaller colleges, the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, who ultimately won the debate. “[You] actually get to make science fiction a reality”, he stated, winning the crowd over by giving examples of the fun practical aspects, such as shooting lasers into space. Professor Warrington, ending the debate, got a laugh from the crowd by reinforcing the flexibility that the ANU offered. “Do a flexible double degree and you’ll never have to choose!”

Week 8, Semester 2, 2015.

//NEWS

F O RG E T C U P C A K E S , H A N D S O F F O U R OVA R I E S ! CAMPUS NEWS

LIZZIE STOROR

Question: how do you get hoards of students in the midst of exams to brave torrential rain? Answer: a good cause…and cupcakes. September 3rd saw crowds flock to a rainy Union Court for the ‘Repro Rights Picnic’.

While pro-life protesters have been holding demonstrations outside the ACT Health Centre in Moore Street for the past sixteen years, the ANU Women’s Department only began their public counter-protests earlier this year.

Run by the ANUSA and PARSA Women’s Departments collaboratively, the picnic was held to draw attention to a petition headed for the ACT Legislative Assembly expressing support for the creation of privacy zones around Abortion Services in the ACT. The Departments collected signatures as part of the wider campaign being run by the Women’s Centre for Health Matters (WCHM), and Sexual Health and Family Planning ACT (SHFPACT).

Although the pro-lifers congregating outside abortion centre invoke free speech, ANUSA Women’s Department Officer Loren Ovens affirmed that their argument ‘should be directed to the Legislative Assembly, not the people using the centres’.

Christopher Prowse. In her March 26 letter, Berry wrote; “Politicians are the appropriate focus of any objection to the legality of termination services or concerns about the kinds of support women should have access to when making decisions about their reproductive health”1. Since then, the issue has been brought to further public attention following ACT Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury’s introduction of the Health (Patient Privacy) Amendment Bill 2015 in July, which proposed creating privacy zones around ACT abortion clinics.

ACT Women’s Minister Yvette Berry echoed a similar argument in an open letter to ACT Right to Life Association and Canberra Goulburn’s Catholic Archbishop

time to be progressive”.. Bolstered with over five hundred signatures from ANU students and the wider ACT community, the petition was sent to the Legislative Assembly as part of the submission period on the Bill. The consultation period ended on September 11 and an announcement on potential legislative changes is expected in the coming months. If it is passed, the Bill will represent a significant win for supporters of women’s reproductive rights in the ACT.

Given that Tasmania legalised the creation of privacy zones in 2013, Ovens commented that “now is the

ENGINEERING

STUDENT

K IA R A B RU G G EMAN

W I N S A N U 3 M I N U T E THESIS COMPETITION CAMPUS NEWS Last Wednesday night, Kiara Bruggeman, a PhD student in the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, took out first prize in the ANU Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition at Llewellyn Hall. With a fascinating presentation titled ‘This is your brain on drugs’, Kiara won a $5000 research support grant. Bruggeman is no newcomer to the competition, having previously competed in the competition in 2014, winning 1st place and the People’s Choice Award in her college. Her research aims to help rebuild damaged parts of the brain, by using innovative biomaterials such as protein nanofibers as a drug delivery system. This method she says, has extended the window of

MATTHEW LORD time that the drugs can affect the brain, from “1 hour to 6 weeks”.

brightly dyed multicolored hair immediately won her the intrigue of the audience. Her presentation was dynamic – she jumped energetically from one spot to another, painting a picture of how her research might one day help stroke patients recover. After the 12 different students gave their presentations, a panel of 5 judges, amongst whom sat Labor politician Andrew Leigh and ABC Radio Presenter Genevieve Jacobs, had 15 minutes to choose a winner.

The 3MT competition has simple rules. Although a thesis project typically is 80,000 words long, the contestants must each present their research in under three minutes, with the help of only a single slide or other visual aid. Originally developed at the University of Queensland, the competition is designed to be the ultimate test of how well the contestants understand and can present their own work in an engaging and clear manner.

Competition organiser Professor Jenny Corbett told Woroni that Bruggeman was selected because she “ticked all the boxes, and for her stage presence”.

And it’s easy to see why Bruggeman has been so successful in these rapid presentation style competitions. Upon entering the stage, her

Bruggeman was delighted with the

win, dancing around the stage as she received her $5000 cheque. She said the competition was an important way for her to see the bigger picture of her thesis, rather than only worrying about the small details of “not getting the right numbers”. In 2nd place was Kelsie Long, for her talk on studying past climates by analysing fish bones, and Noushin Nasiri won the People’s Choice Award with a presentation on her research regarding early cancer and disease detection by examining a patient’s breath. Bruggeman will represent the ANU in the 3 Minute Thesis Grand Final, held at the University of Queensland on the 2nd of October.

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I N

C O N V E R S A T I O N

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W I T H

HUGH WHITE CAMPUS NEWS On the 27th of August, Professor of Strategic Studies at the ANU, Hugh White took part in a public discussion with Fairfax’s former China correspondent, John Garnaut. The talk was centred on the influential legacy of White’s Quarterly Essay “Power Shift”, which focuses on Australia’s shifting relationships between China and the US in a future where the latter’s preponderance in the region is not guaranteed. Australia would, according to the essay, have to accommodate for China’s rise to maintain regional order. When asked by Garnaut what he got wrong, White said that “I did get some things not as right as I would have... I underestimated how fast China would grow... how fast China was growing in maritime capability... and how slow the US has been to realise China’s challenge.” In regards to China’s relations with its neighbours, White said

MIGUEL GALSIM that “everyone in Asia values their Chinese relationship enormously,” which raises concerns especially when “America’s main goal is to preserve US leadership in the AsiaPacific.” Additionally, he noted that since the US “pivot” to Asia, Australia has tended to “talk big and do very little.”

regional players. Afterwards, White told Woroni that China’s rise may have implications for the Australian identity. “In the end the biggest foreign policy questions always end up about how you see yourself, and how we see China, its power, and how we react to it.”

On war, he said that “China absolutely does not want war with the US” and vice-versa. Also, while China’s military is inexperienced, “the US has no experience either” in a full-blown maritime war. Ultimately, in considering this with its ground strength, “China is in a very real sense uninvadable, and certainly uninvadable by the US.” Robert Lee, Political Counsellor at the US Embassy, was also in attendance and during question time said that White’s characterisation of US policy was inaccurate. Lee asserted that the US had to protect its economic interests at stake, and was against the use of coercive power by

any clear sense of endorsement of the broad argument I’m making, and that’s Malcolm Turnbull,” he said.

“But we do have to accept that Australian identity is more flexible than people often assume. The Australia of the 1850s, 1900, the 1950s, and of the 2000s were four very different Australia’s. And the Australia of 2050 is going to be very different again.”

White also commented that his fellow academics have received his ideas “very warmly, very vigorously, and very disputatiously. But the Quarterly Essay is not a scholarly work; it’s more a work of public debate. But I was supported in my thinking for the essay by conversations with innumerably colleagues at the ANU, including those who knew a hell of a lot more about China than I do,” and that the engagement of his colleagues “was one of the most rewarding parts” of his research.

He said that he does not believe a future government of either Labor or Liberal persuasion would adopt his thinking on the China issue, despite the support of some former policy-makers.

White was pleased with the night, and found his conversation with Garnaut, who he described as “a wonderful journalist, and one of the best analysts on the issue”, a “very special opportunity.”

“Only one [senior politician in parliament] has ever spoken with

EUROPE’S REFUGEE CRISIS:

A CONVERSATION CAMPUS NEWS On the evening of Tuesday 12th September, the ANU Centre for European Studies (ANUCES) hosted a panel discussion on the refugee crisis in Europe. The panel brought together researchers and representatives of the European Union (EU) delegation to Australia, including Associate Professor Matthew Zagor from the ANU College of Law, Dr Laurence Brown from the University of Manchester and visiting fellow at the ANUCES, as well as Bruno Scholl, Political Counsellor and part of the EU delegation to Australia. The event gave an insight into different reactions to the crisis and its global consequences, as well as a comparison between Australian and European refugee policies, with panellists also including Associate Prof. Francesca Vassallo of the University of Southern Maine and visiting fellow at the ANUCES, and Prof. Klaus Neumann from the Swinburne University of Technology.

KATHY WU The discussion began with a brief overview and history of the situation in Europe.

responses that Europe had been taking. The EU, the main aid provider, has been responding sufficiently to the crisis, he said. Improved coordination between various European institutions was also helping to solve the problem. The “HotSpot” approach, proposed by the European Commission, was one way to help EU member states to process, relocate and distribute refugees throughout Europe.

“What Europe is faced with today, as described by some commentators and politicians, is one of the most significant challenges the EU has had to face since its inception,” said Prof. Zagor, who chaired the panel. The crisis is not a rare phenomenon, but an accumulation over the recent years, with panellists referencing an increase in particular since the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011. Significant changes are also being brought about by this refugee crisis - for instance, terminology and legitimacy regarding the concept of refuge are being continuously and actively redefined.

Traditionally, Europe has displayed “good will and bad action” characteristics towards the situation, but now they are operating on the basis of putting “good will and good action” together to tackle the challenge. The cracks and divisions within Europe are also evident. The initial response divide between North and South Europe has now changed to one between the East and West. Historically, Eastern European nations are generally smaller and inexperienced with dealing with refugees. On the other hand, Western European nations are

“Europe as we talk about it today is, not simply defined by flows of refugees… it’s also marked by extreme mobility…” commented Brown. Scholl provided good insights into the

generally considered to be larger and more prepared for the refugee inflow. There is also no general consensus on the refugee quotas for the list of nations that are welcoming refugees. Vassallo expressed the internal divisions was something that “has to be dealt with.” The panel also discussed the difference between the European and Australian approach to asylum seekers; that the latter is extreme and largely based on the distinction between deserving and undeserving refugees, a conception based on compassion or fear instead of rights. “The bi-partisan agreement on asylum seeker policy in Australia is based partly on the mistaken assumption that elections are won and lost on asylum seeker issues,” stated Neumann. He went on to say that if Australia were to follow in Europe’s footsteps, a change of discussion on the topic is required.

Week 8, Semester 2, 2015.

//NEWS

#LIBSPILL COMMENT Last Monday evening, Tony Abbott was deposed as Prime Minister in favour of Malcolm Turnbull. Turnbull promised that this change would not merely be cosmetic, but would constitute a genuine shift in how the Liberal party operates. On the face of it, there appears to be grounds to support Turnbull’s promise. Turnbull has the capacity to steer the party away from sloganisms and engage in a genuine discourse with voters. The question must be asked, however, whether Labor leader Bill Shorten is correct in his assessment of the leadership change as constituting “a new salesman”, with the “same message”. In the past, Turnbull’s relatively moderate views on key issues such as climate change have been opposed by the more conservative members of his party. His support for the Labor Party’s Emission Trading Scheme resulted in his ousting from the

GIORDI BORZUOLA Liberal Party Leadership to Abbott in 2009. However, on his first day as Prime Minister, Turnbull endorsed the climate change policies that were devised under the old administration.

Turnbull’s decision to stand by climate change legislation, that in 2009 he stated was “bullshit”, is an indication of his attempt to “return to traditional cabinet (centric) leadership”. This is not a cowardly flip-flop to appease the far right of his party so that Turnbull doesn’t face a similar coup to the one he just orchestrated, it is simply a reality of Australian politics. In America, leaders are directly elected and therefore have a mandate to shape the country in their personal image, but in Australia our leaders have a mandate to shape the country in the image of their party.

Furthermore, on the issue of same-sex marriage, Turnbull has already been labelled by members of the Labor Party as a “sell out” for his endorsement of a plebiscite as opposed to a free parliamentary vote. An item that has been trending on social media has been a record of how Turnbull has voted on key issues since 2006. On that list, it appears that Turnbull has been: against tobacco plain packaging, against a carbon price, against increasing investment in renewable energy, and in favour of cuts to the ABC and SBS.

Voters who expect radical, overnight shifts in the policies of the Liberal party as a result of Malcolm Turnbull’s personal ethics are likely to be disappointed. Contrary to the impression given by Abbott during his term, politics cannot be a series of ‘captain’s picks’, but rather is a process by which internal debate leads to a course

Malcolm Turnbull’s voting record, as outlined above, is indicative not of his personal beliefs, but rather the beliefs of his party. For example,

of action that the majority of the party agree upon, and then presents as a united front to the people. The public can expect meaningful changes in the Liberal party, however like Turnbull himself, those changes will be subtle, understated and genuine. Giordano Borzuola is a member of the Editorial Board of Woroni. He is not politically affiliated.

WORONI No.12 Vol.67

//ARTS & REVIEWS

A LOOK INTO CANBERRA’S NEWEST CLUB NIGHT ARTS & REVIEWS After announcing her new club night GAY CLICHÉ, Woroni catches up with local promoter/DJ Megan Bones to talk music, Canberra and Queer* culture. You’ve been heavily involved with the local club scene for a minute now, and hosted some awesome nights. What have been the highlights for you so far? I was lucky enough to be a part of the Trinity Bar family, both as a DJ and an event manager. The calibre of artists that have played at Trinity Bar are insane - I was lucky enough to be a part of some incredible shows including Flight Facilities, Flume, Ta-ku and Ryan Hemsworth. I’ll never forget my time with the venue, I had some of the best nights of my life there.

ISAAC DUGDALE What inspired you to start Gay Cliché, and what should we expect? I think the whole Canberra nightlife scene has diversified a lot in the last year or so. Young LGBTI people want more options for queer events; we’re looking to cater to those with a different music taste to what’s already on offer, as well as creating a bit more of a relaxed vibe. For every club night we put on, 50% of all our profits will be donated to different local charities. For us, the aim of this project was never to make money off the queer community, but to create a safe, allinclusive space for people to have a good time and give something back to our city. In the first post to the page, you

mention your night will not tolerate “homophobia, transphobia, sexism, racism, or general dick head behaviour”. Is this a problem in Canberra’s current club scene? Not overtly, but I think that under the surface it is still an issue. Although the level of acceptance of the LGBTI population in Canberra is definitely on the up, there are still steps that need to be taken. I don’t know many young gay couples that would feel comfortable being overly affectionate with their partners in most of the Canberra nightclubs without expecting some kind of commentary about it. There’s a real issue with the culture in bars and nightclubs, too many people have been desensitised to the listed issues. Alcohol is being used as an excuse for behaviour

and actions that most people wouldn’t dream of doing in there normal everyday lives. I’d rather have an empty room than tolerate any kind of that attitude at Gay Cliché event. Favourite queer dance anthem? Ah, I don’t really know what I’d class as a gay anthem, but I particularly enjoy Scissor Sisters Lets Have A Kiki h t t p s : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m / watch?v=rEjNlgX8YUA Gay Cliche will be having a launch party on the 10th October. Woroni will definitely be attending. Isaac Dugdale is a Member of the Editorial Board.

Week 7, Semester 2, 2015.

MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE

29TH SEPTEMBER

//COMMENT

ORONI

BREAKING NEWS: WORONI NEWS EDITOR WAHEED JAYHOON

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Artwork by Waheed Jayhoon