Woroni Edition 4 2015 by Woroni

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

NO.4 VOL.67

CONTENTS

CAMPUS NEWS

WORONI No.4 Vol.67

No. 4 1. Identity Cover - Rocky Hammer 3. ED Talks Highlight Students’ Concerns - Waheed Jayhoon 4. Reflections on Timor-Leste - Sophie Jones 6. Coda Conduct - ‘Butter Side Up’ - Pia Maselos 6. The Vanns & Slow Tourismo Review - Connor Gourla

6. No-One’s Apart - Adina West 7. Canberran Game-Makers Push Boundaries - Adam Burzynski and Paroksh Prasad 8. Stars In Their Eyes - James Ansell 9. Identity Special

10. On Being an ABC (Australian Born Chinese) - Katherine Prouting

17. Preventing Unwanted Sexual Attention in our Community - Richard Baker

11. Mind The Gap - Phyllida Behm

18. Man Bun. Grow One. - Nic Hall

12. Making The Cut - D. Patrick Lynch 12. Comic

- Rocky Hammer

14. You Know My Name, Not My Story - Paroksh Prasad 15. The Land I Made Cold - Zhao Shandao 15. Cracking the Genetic Code - Daniel Fox 16. First People’s Footprints: Journeys of Indigenous Students at ANU - Jessa Rogers

18. An Attempt at Style 19. Campus Style

20. The Trouble With Formula One - Ryan Graham 21. Social Life - Efigma 21. A New Era?

- David Ryan

22. The Seven Unwonders Of The World: The Aral Sea - Xeno 23. Moroni 28. Please Download the App. We had to mulch the Congo this week.

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

Woroni is published on the land of the Ngunnawal people. We respect elders past and present and recognise that the sovereignty was never ceded. 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

BOARD OF EDITORS

SUB-EDITORIAL TEAM

Editor-in-Chief - Alex Catalan-Flores Deputy Editor-in-Chief - Jacob Ingram Managing Editor - Abigail Widijanto Creative Director - Janis Lejins Content (Contributions) Editor - Beatrice Smith Content (Multimedia) Editor - Rashna Farrukh Content (News) Editor - Sophie Yates Radio Editor - Ellen Stokes

News Correspondent - Maddi Easterbrook News Correspondent - Waheed Jayhoon Science - James Barrett Comments - Jessy Wu Features - Vincent Chiang Satire & World - Hugo Branley Arts & Reviews -Benedicte O’Leary Rutherford Arts & Reviews - Ria Pflaum Life & Style - Paroksh Prasad Sports - Zach Mackay International - Virgina Harding Radio - Megan Shellie Radio - Jeremy Jones Radio - James Bernasconi Radio Music Coordinator - Isaac Dugdale Design - Rosemary Hammer

S TA F F Simone Proctor - Administrative Assistant Siobhonn Shannon - Proofreader Woroni is printed by Capital Fine Print.

ED TALKS HIGHLIGHT STUDENTS’ CONCERNS

CAMPUS NEWS

Week 6, Semester 1, 2015.

After a wave of student-led protests last year about proposed budget cuts on higher education as well as fee deregulation, it was felt that a legitimate forum to promote dialogue between the ANU and its students was necessary. As a result the ANU, in conjunction with the undergraduate and postgraduate student associations ANUSA and PARSA, hosted “Ed Talks” sessions – small discussion groups held throughout the year that gave students a chance to voice their concerns directly with teaching staff and the Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Young. One year on, these same bodies are facilitating another set of Ed Talks to reflect on the success of last year’s initiatives, with the inaugural discussion held last week on the 18th of March. Among those in attendance were Professor Young, College of Law lecturer Dr Ryan Goss (who spearheaded the discussion), and PARSA President Benjamin Niles. “Ed Talks provides students with an opportunity to talk directly with the Executive of the University,” said Niles. “As we saw last year, the presentation that is given to university does bring real change.” Although students were invited to express individual trepidations about their ANU experience, the conversation was dominated by a set of talking points, many of which mirrored the concerns brought up by students last year. Professor Young contended that a further expansion of residential accommodation was becoming increasingly necessary, given that there are currently too many students for the accommodation guarantee. Accommodation issues have recently spurred more general debate about the quality of the residential experience. This was then extended to the offcampus population, who, despite comprising of 70% of students, have even greater barriers to social inclusion and access.

WAHEED JAYHOON, NEWS CORRESPONDENT While last year’s Ed Talks focused on the affordability of a university degree in a deregulated environment, this year’s discussion considered the consequences that would follow if university fees were deregulated. This was surprising given that the Senate had voted down the deregulation legislation the previous day. There was general agreement that more scholarship opportunities, increased transparency in what fees were going towards, student support networks, a better learning experience, and increased technological access, including better Wi-Fi connectivity, would also be demanded. “ANUSA’s concerns are many and varied outside of the higher education sphere,” Jock Webb, ANUSA Education Officer, told Woroni. “Our support services will continue as they have through our Student Assistance Unit and we continue to consider ways to support students both on- and off-campus.” Professor Young claimed that current difficulties in delivering these services arose from a lack of resources. After acknowledging that “the university doesn’t always spend its money in the right places”, he said that “[the university] either needs more money or to spend more wisely”. An interesting point arising from the discussion of deregulation was the cross-subsidisation of research fees. As it currently stands, a set portion of undergraduate fees go towards supporting the ANU’s research departments. However, the ANU is provided with $200 million from the Government as part of its research budget, and is the only university in Australia that is given this type of funding. This scheme is called the National Institutes Grant. This is the first year, however, that the ANU has had to provide any type of financial governance to show how the money is being spent.

The discussion was disrupted by the National Union of Student’s ACT Education Officer Vishnupriya De who accused Professor Young of not caring about students through this lack of transparency and his persistence in pushing deregulation against the wishes of the majority of the student population. After asking him whether he would be attending a large student protest against deregulation of the 25th March, she promptly left. Speaking with Woroni, De was not convinced that Ed Talks were a viable solution to combating student issues, arguing instead that “protesting and mass-mobilisation were the best way to enact change”. Although there were many more issues to be discussed, this Ed Talk is only the first of many to come. While last year only saw 10 Ed Talk events in total, there are plans to have more consistent and timely talks across the academic year. “These are a fantastic opportunity for students to sit down with the VC in a relaxed environment and voice any issues they have encountered at the ANU”, said Education Officer Webb. “This face-to-face interaction removes the burden of an email trail that could last weeks before reaching someone who can actually effect change.”

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WORONI No.4 Vol.67

REFLECTIONS ON TIMOR-LESTE

CAMPUS NEWS

His Excellency Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao believes that better access to oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea will help the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste accomplish full sovereignty. In his presentation of the 2015 S T Lee lecture on the 16th March, Gusmao spoke of nation building, international unity and Australia’s relationship with Timor-Leste. Gusmao raised concerns about Australia’s usage of oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea, which is allegedly at odds with current international law principles. The Timor Sea Treaty between the Government of East Timor and the Government of Australia, signed in 2002, provides for the sharing of petroleum found in the Joint Petroleum Development Area. Timor Leste does not have permanent maritime boarders, damaging its sovereignty and resulting in a reliance on the treaty’s median line to divide the oil and gas resources with Australia. Debate remains about access to an overlapping area, as well as the fairness of the current position of the median line. Gusmao said that “negotiations are ongoing

SOPHIE JONES

and … [will help in] achieving full sovereignty for our nation.” Gusmao shed tears as he retold the story of an Australian soldier, who, whilst serving in TimorLeste, had invested financially in the education of a young Timorese girl and continued this support after his return to Australia. “This is humanity… this is what we need,” Gusmao said. Timor-Leste was invaded by Indonesia only nine days after declaring independence from Portugal in 1975. Following two decades of dissatisfaction and conflict, a majority of Timor-Leste voted for independence in 1999. A pro-Indonesian militia uprising, including a campaign of murder, looting and arson, began in response. The International Force for East Timor (Interfet), including many Australian soldiers, was deployed to bring the violence to an end and independence was restored to Timor-Leste in 2002. Gusmao was the country’s first democratically elected President. Gusmao said that it was the Indonesian regime that had been damaging, not the people themselves, and cited this as a key fact behind his nation’s process of forgiveness.

“It was our history. We don’t forget and it will remind us not to cause the same suffering to our people,” Gusmao said. Gusmao has been involved in deliberations with other nations facing issues similar to those recently overcome by Timor-Leste. Gusmao suggested that the way forward is to develop a global partnership, and sustainable global goals, through cooperation and communication, which may be based upon mutual respect and human dignity. “These people need all of us,” Gusmao said. “That should be the best link between people.” After voluntarily stepping down as Prime Minister in February this year, Gusmao has begun work in his new role as Minister of Planning and Strategic Investment in TimorLeste. This was the ninth annual S T Lee Lecture on Asia and the Pacific and was hosted by the ANU College of Asia & the Pacific and the ACT Branch of the Australian Institute for International Affairs.

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WORONI No.4 Vol.67

Week 6, Semester 1, 2015.

CODA CONDUCT – ‘BUTTER SIDE UP’

REVIEW

Feminism and hip-hop are two of my favourite things, but they are two worlds that have a lot of differences to settle. Although recent times have seen the rise of outspoken feminist rap and hip hop personalities such as Beyoncé, the objectification of women is unfortunately still a cornerstone of the genre. From classics like “Fuck You” by Dr Dre et al – “You actin’ like you don’t do dicks/That’s the kinda bitch I hate fuckin with” – to more contemporary examples like Groovy Q’s “Man of the Year”, hip-hop is more often than not an uncomfortable environment for women. Erica and Sally, the brains of the Coda Conduct operation, shit all over this sentiment of discomfort with their new EP Butter Side Up. To put it simply, Butter Side Up is five tracks of straight fire that

PIA MASELOS

will impress even the staunchest of #meninist t-shirt wearers. Coda Conduct pair genius punch lines and poetic rhymes with dance-inducing beats full of Hilltop-esque vinyl scratches and brass that’s bigger than Ben Hur. In terms of standout tracks, Pool Room is the obvious party banger - it is punch line city. I wanted to put some of the lyrics from the song in this review but they spit so fast that I couldn’t actually write them down. It is an experience that must be heard to be believed. The zingers continue way into Step to the Side (ft. fellow home-grown hip-hop artists Dawn Laird and Jedbrii) – “call me Shakespeare’s tailor, I fit the bill”. Coda Conduct saved perhaps the most empowering beat of all time for the closing track, Knowledge is King. A

track thick with swagger-rich brass , their insane rhymes become all the more powerful when combined with Ines’ refrain of “fight your own battles and do your own thing.” It was enough to turn me from “I Can’t Get Out Of Bed Or Look At Anyone” to “Female Yeezus ft. Based Goddess”. All in all, the Butter Side Up EP is as fresh as the Canberra hip-hop scene gets. This shitShit is going straight to the poolroom. It’s a solid 11/10, especially if you like Hilltop Hoods, Tkay Maidza, or dancing.

THE VANNS & SLOW TURISMO AT TRANSIT BAR REVIEW

After a late start, the seemingly aptly named Slow Turismo mounted the fabled Transit Bar stage. Wielding their instruments like weapons, the 5-piece ‘Turismo turned out to be anything but slow. To describe their sound, one must imagine a tasty, homemade Sangria; two bottles of jazzy vibes meets six sliced servings of Two Door Cinema Club - squeeze some rock riffs in over the brass section of The Cat Empire, and you’ve got yourself a decent Saturday night. Prior to the Chet-pocalypse that has struck the Australian music scene over the last year or two, it is rare to find a heavily bearded crooner with decent range. Slow Turismo has hairy falsetto in spades, basically there’s two dudes who sing real high and are probably twins. These Canberra locals can manage a commanding stage presence and can warm up anyone’s evening on the town.

CONNOR GOURLAY

Following the bristly baroque of the support act, The Vanns glided their way onto the stage with all the swagger of pub rock regulars. For those easily prone to pastoral imaginings, the prominent blues guitar crossed with a Beach-Boys-esque surf rock motif invokes visions of waves, bonfires and toasting to the sunset. Jimmy Vann, the lead vocalist’s dreamy, sun-touched, golden locks certainly didn’t shatter this impression.

time “Keep My Cool”, the latest single from their Scattered by Sundown EP, was played, the now swing dancing Transit patrons had reached peak form. Truly these Kiama locals, kept the audience on their feet (and later on stage) through their self-chronology of releases, from soulful blues shredding all the way through to a headbanging, almost grunge finale.

If you didn’t see David Caffery pacing around New Acton and gesturing at large open spaces late last week then there’s a good chance you have at least heard of or witnessed his brainchild. This year’s Art, Not Apart Festival offered Canberra locals and visitors alike an ever-growing insight into this city’s thriving collective of artists, musicians, performers, poets and more. On Saturday, all contributing artists gave birth to paintings, drawings, structures, words, movements and tunes in an effort to “say something” and engage with those around them. So how and where do we define and contrast contemporary art, contemporary life, and art as contemporary life? This is what I asked myself as I was suddenly immersed in a bustling stream of interaction and observation. As Mark von Behrens assembles his jenga-like structure of railway sleepers in the John Avery Gardens,

Mental, curated by Chloe Mandryk, ingested the view of south Canberra and discerned the inner mental workings of artists such as Hanna Hoyne and Daniel Savage. Hoyne’s mixed media sculptures leave one aware of their innate desires for comfort and nourishment while Savage brings attention to the movement of mind and body through an ever-active society. Westside finally blew its lid with an array of local artists and collaborators, including those of ANU’s very own students, working within the confines of the much anticipated precinct of heat-stricken shipping containers and open

In mid 2013, Canberra based ANU graduates Peter Castle, Tom Cox and Peter Simpson started on a colossal undertaking, determined to make their mark on the local (and perhaps international) gaming scene. With their passionate drive for gaming motivating them, this trio came up with a game which breaks the mould in more ways than one. Their creative flair, unique game play and intriguing storyline has led to a promising crowd-funding campaign, setting the gears in motion for what looks to be a tremendously successful venture. Woroni was fortunate enough to pick the brains of Tom Cox, Game Designer and Programmer, regarding his and his colleagues’ journey from passionate gamers to budding entrepreneurs.

1. What do you find most appealing in the genre and art style you have chosen for Tahira? Our game is a turn-based tactics roleplaying game. For the non-gamers reading, this means that combat takes the form of you controlling a group of characters on a grid, fighting against a group of enemies. This genre appeals to us as designers largely because it’s a genre that’s not well-explored by larger, established studios meaning there’s a whole lot of unexplored design space we can leverage.

plays to our strengths. Before Tahira, Peter S was an accomplished 2D artist, so we were always going to be creating a 2D game. The choice to rotoscope our animations was based on wanting to capture that classic “Disney” animation feel. We feel it brings a great warmth and sense of humanity to the world of Tahira.

primary means of getting people to engage with our product. Our Kickstarter campaign hasn’t gotten a great deal of press coverage, so it’s gotten to where it is almost entirely on word-of-mouth, and most of that stems from social media. So, at this stage, social media is of huge importance to us, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

2. How does a small game from Canberra compete with well-reputed multinational game developers?

6. What advice do you have for someone looking to enter not only your field but who wish to venture into unchartered entrepreneurial territory?

Largely, we compete by not directly competing. As mentioned, turn-based tactics games are largely unexplored by bigger game studios. This means that there’s a lot of room for smaller independent studios to create successful titles in this genre, and we’ve seen that happen in the last couple of years with games like The Banner Saga and Shadowrun Returns. 3. How has social media aided in establishing and raising funds for your company? Social media has been how we’ve built our audience so far - largely through Facebook, but also using Twitter and other services. We did an open Q and A on Reddit in recent weeks, which allowed us to engage with a new audience. Given that we have no marketing budget, this has been our

Australian National University Union Inc.

ADINA WEST

punters and festival volunteers scale their way to its summit. Eddie Botha steps back from his canvas on the Art Walk to draw passers by, and Canberra’s well-known Brass Knuckle Brass Band gather the masses with their bodyquaking beats

ADAM BURZYNSKI AND PAROKSH PRASAD

LIFE & STYLE

The art style was largely chosen because it

Fast fingering solos and a punchy, percussive, accompaniment achieved in bringing a sit-down crowd to their slightly intoxicated feet, with the layering of soulful, blues riffage on top of a shimmy-worthy 50’s rock-n’-roll rhythm was just catchy enough to even attract the attention of the hard-core pool crowd. Drawing on their earlier EP initially, there was quite a notable difference in the energy of both the performers and the crowd as the night progressed. By the

NO ONE’S APART REVIEW

W CANBERRAN GAME-MAKERS PUSH BOUNDARIES

spaces. The collaborators didn’t hesitate to bring forth a mind-expanding, psychedelic or feminist-charged conversation between their work and the observer. As the sun descended Westside transformed into an audio-visual playground where bodies were coerced into motion and one could indulge in the rain of fireworks from the overlooking edifice.

2015 Election of Directors to the Union Board of Directors The following members were duly nominated for election by the close of nominations at 12:30 pm on Tuesday, 10 March 2015 (names listed in alphabetical order) Group Ticket registrations close at 12:30 pm on Friday, 13 March 2015

Election for three Directors to the Union Board of Directors (2 year term) (From annual, life and honorary life members of the Union)

BOLITHO, Josh HABERLIN, Katie LEIKE, Jan LINGAFELTER, Thomas MCCARTHY, Fiona MOLLOY, Jillian OGILVIE, Hana PATON, Patrick Election for one Director to the Union Board of Directors (From annual and life members of the Union who are currently enrolled as postgraduate students or hold appointments as staff of the University) (one year term)

GRIFFITHS, Ashleigh (to be elected unopposed)

Phillip Green Returning Officer ACT Electoral Commission 10 March 2015

Don’t do it, unless you’re fully committed. I love my job, and getting to go to work every day and create something that’s truly ours is a wonderful feeling, but it’s an incredible amount of thankless work. Finally, you need to be self-motivated. Once you start your own business, there is literally no-one but you telling you what to do, or when and how to work. It’s all too easy to let self-imposed deadlines slip, and give into the temptation to procrastinate, but if you don’t put the work in to make your business successful, no-one is.

WORONI No.4 Vol.67

Week 2, Semester 1, 2015.

STARS IN

THEIR EYES

SCIENCE

A team of astronomers, including Dr Brad Tucker from the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, have captured a 9.3 billion year old explosion four times in a single photograph. The achievement is described in their paper “Multiple images of a highly magnified supernova formed by an early-type cluster galaxy lens”, published in Science. The exploding star, called a supernova, was directly behind a cluster of galaxies so large its mass significantly warps space-time, an effect called gravitational lensing. This formed a “magnifying glass” that created multiple images of the supernova. This effect was predicted by Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity almost 100 years ago, but it had not been used to observe a supernova until now. It lets astronomers do this for two different reasons. Firstly, the aforementioned “magnifying glass” effect. This supernova was so far away that we normally wouldn’t be able to see it as it would be too faint. But as the galaxy cluster was perfectly positioned to refocus the light towards us we were able to detect it. Secondly, because different areas of space are full of different things, by comparing the different images

JAMES ANSELL

astronomers can test our understanding of the universe. For example, since images of the same supernova began to appear several days or weeks apart from each other, the light must have travelled different distances. By comparing these measured differences with the expected differences the size and expansion of the universe can be analysed. In addition, by examining the galaxy cluster we can predict when we expect more light from the supernova to become visible and further test our understanding of the universe. Dr Tucker says it’s a very lucky discovery. “It’s perfectly set up, you couldn’t have designed a better experiment. You can test some of the biggest questions about Einstein’s theory of relativity all at once - it kills three birds with one stone.”[1] This discovery allows testing of the Theory of Relativity, the strength of gravity and the extent of dark matter and dark energy that could be out there “messing up” the universe, as Dr Tucker put it. When asked about his role in the discovery, Dr Tucker elaborated that he has been tasked with trying to get the light spectrum of the supernova. This information would have allowed the team to figure out exactly what type of star and supernova it was, as 8

well as how far away it was from the Earth. They tried using the 10 metre Keck telescope in Hawaii to do this. While they couldn’t figure out the type of supernova, they did find out how far away it is: 9.3 billion light years. But Dr Tucker wasn’t concerned about not knowing the type - they’ll just have to try again. And they plan to do just that very soon.

IDENTITY 9

WORONI No.4 Vol.67

ON BEING ABC (AUSTRALIAN BORN CHINESE) IDENTITY

At Interhall Trivia, much controversy was generated over the question “which Australian Prime Minister was the first to visit China and when?”. Gough Whitlam is the answer, 1971 not so much. You may wonder why I ponder this several weeks later. While many people know about Gough Whitlam’s trip, not many are aware of how Chinese in Australia have been part of the cultural fabric since before Federation. As someone who is of half Chinese descent, the answer I will give may surprise you. Although many people are aware of the existence of the “White Australia Policy”, not many are aware of the racism, characterised by anti-Chinese feeling, that lead to its conception. When I discuss my cultural background it is always assumed my mother must have moved here, with much emphasis on the supposed exotic nature of my heritage. It is only when I reveal that my mother was indeed born here, as was my grandfather and great grandfather, that people notice. The story of Chinese migration can be demonstrated through my family history. In 1877, my ancestor Lo King Nam, a boy of only sixteen, arrived in Australia on the SS Brisbane. He arrived intending to continue onto the goldfields, but a severe drought curtailed that ambition. Instead of seeking gold he went on to become a shopkeeper. By the time he was naturalised in 1882, Lo King Nam had become Young Cumines. There is no written documentation to support the name change; family lore suggests two possibilities. The first is the Anglicisation of King Nam and the

KATHERINE PROUTING second is that he worked for a family named Cumines, possibly of Scottish origin. After holding a number of different jobs Young Cumines opened his grocer shop, King Nam Jang, officially in 1913, although family papers show ownership two years previous. The shop is heritage-listed along with several other businesses - together they form the Unwin Stores located at 7785 George Street the Rocks. Another aspect of the business was the boarding house that allowed my family to branch out and befriend many of the Chinese community who were transhipping from China to destinations across the Pacific. The Cumines family also provided translating and interpreting services for Customs and Immigration based in Sydney. Growing up Chinese, especially postFederation, was difficult for my family. Somebody accused Messrs King, Nam and Jang of beingopium smugglers, based on a stamp on a package addressed to the shop. It is obvious that the accuser did not realise that the name of the business did not equate to three different people. The actuality was one policeman attempting to frame another. It seems that the racism present in this instance was to follow my family for generations to come. For example, my great grandparents had documents to prove they were exempt from the dictation test and were permitted reentry to Australia, in keeping with the White Australia Policy. My great uncles, to prove their identity as Australians, had to have front and profile headshots and be finger printed, even though their birth certificates showed they had been born here. My aunt was once teaching a 10

class on the Lambing Flat anti-Chinese riots when she was accused of making the event up. In my own experience I once wore a cheongsam, a gift my mother received for her twenty first birthday, to an event at college where someone came up to me and said “why do you have to bring race into everything?” As my story shows, for that unfortunate person I do not have to “bring up race”, I wear my Chinese Australian cultural identity with pride. Despite this, Young Cumines and his descendents have continued to involve themselves in the Chinese Australian community to this day. These include descendants ranging from my aunt Cheryl Cumines, who was a founding member and now president of the Chinese Heritage Association of Australia, my great uncle Henry Cumines who started a business trading in the South Pacific, and my great uncle Albert Cumines who started the first Chinese language school in Sydney. It is by some miracle that Young Cumines was able to come to Australia and make a home for a hundred and fifteen descendants and counting. I am proud of my long Chinese heritage, although it has taken many years to accept my biracial identity. As a very young child I identified heavily with Disney’s Mulan and my first Barbie doll was a Chinese ballerina. In the present day I have found myself bingewatching shows such as Maximum Choppage and Fresh off the Boat, both of which are centred on Chinese characters. During the interim between these periods I found that there was not much media that represented who I was. I am extremely thankful I have discovered my family history as it has truly affirmed who I am.

Week 6, Semester 1, 2015.

MIND THE

G A P IDENTITY

A few months ago I asked my friend why she wanted to go on a gap year. She told me, slightly melodramatically, that she didn’t want to be the same person at university that she was at school. For various and complex reasons, my friend couldn’t go on her gap year after all – instead, she cut her hair, dyeddied it pink, got a septum piercing, and moved to Melbourne. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that those things are a good substitute for a Gap Year, or that they’re unattractive fashion statements. But I do think that her response to my question was indicative of the pressure high school graduates feel to reinvent themselves for their first year at university. High school is a formative and turbulent time, where people try to work out who they are, what their interests are and how they fit in with the broader scheme of social groupings. It naturally follows that everyone finishes school with a lot of baggage. This is the baggage of puberty, teen angst and general awkwardness. It makes sense, then, that the transition to university is a perfect opportunity for reinvention. Your subjects can be as academic or as arty as you want; you can work as much or as little as you want; you can totally change your social group, if you want. For many high

PHYLLIDA BEHM

school graduates, the ability to pick the best parts of your school persona and move on to a new university identity is an extension of this new-found freedom.

So, you’re moving to university and you’ve got a good idea of the kind of person you want to appear to be, what’s next? The easiest way to signal the new you is by changing your physical appearance. Maybe you finally should get that dream catcher tattoo you’ve been thinking about for months, to match your free-spirited and openminded personality... What about your hair? Blue highlights will definitely suit you. But if all of that is a bit too much for you, maybe invest in some glasses – the sexy-librarian study-owl look is really in right now. These things are easy to do, and fairly superficial – as much as I might joke, you won’t hurt anyone by getting blue highlights in your hair. If you’re really serious about the reinvention, though, you could take it a step further. Revise your social media accounts, and delete any photos taken before 2013. Change your name or pick up a nickname that is more exotic and unique. Exile anyone from your life who remembers your year nine Twilight fan phase.

At this point, though, you have to ask yourself: how much are you willing to commit to this metamorphosis? In my mind, reinvention is both a good and bad thing. To some extent, it necessitates self improvement. Pushing your boundaries, trying new things and meeting new people is a challenging but healthy way to start university. The greatest danger, though, is that you might lose old friends and discount meaningful past experiences only to gain superficial character traits. And you wouldn’t want to start university with the mindset that your high school self was in some way inadequate, and not good enough to make friends or succeed in a new environment. Having only been here for five weeks, I’m in no position to preach about the formation of a university identity. It seems to me, though, that university is difficult enough as it is. So what I would say is this: don’t let worrying about how you appear to others get in the way of having a good time. Embrace your weirdness and your high school quirks, and when your new friends dig up your 2012 profile pictures, laugh with them.

WORONI No.4 Vol.67

THE CUT

MAKING IDENTITY

Cut or uncut? It’s a very personal question. Yet most men have no say in the matter unless we’re making the decision on behalf of someone else: our children. And while popular news sources are once again discussing supposed merits of circumcision, the verdict should be obvious: non-medical surgery without consent violates children’s bodily integrity.

D. PATRICK LYNCH

Muslim communities, with just 1.6% of boys being circumcised. Yet there are indications secular circumcision is increasing. In 1993 the national neonatal circumcision rate was 10.6% and falling, but today rates in NSW are approaching 20%.

Circumcision is a bizarre concept. Cutting off a bit of skin that naturally covers the tip of the penis. Whoever thought up the idea must have been having a bad day.

While most of us remain blissfully ignorant, debate on the ethics and health benefits of circumcision quietly rages. Just last year the American Academy of Pediatrics released data showing that circumcision may reduce the risk of transmitting HIV, herpes and HPV.

The history of male circumcision stretches back thousands of years to the dawn of the Jewish faith, where the removal of the foreskin was a sign of God’s covenant with his people. Thankfully, St Paul declared circumcision unnecessary for Christians (Gal 6:12-15). It nonetheless became popular throughout the Christian world in the late 1800s – puritans advocated it as a means of discouraging masturbation and reducing men’s sexual pleasure. These days the motivations for circumcision are complex and emotional, based on the personal bias of parents, perceptions of sex and sexuality, religious and cultural traditions and obscure health claims. The harsh reality remains: male circumcision causes significant pain, damages the “genital integrity” of the child and is practically irreversible.

However some important caveats must be acknowledged. As Australian medical bodies have consistently stated, it is dangerous to think circumcision could remedy ongoing sexual health issues. Circumcision is not and never will be an effective means of preventing sexually transmitted infections. Worryingly, a recent US study showed that as a result of perceived protection circumcised men are less likely to use condoms. An Australian study has also found condoms are more likely to slip off or break for circumcised men. Circumcision to reduce the likelihood of HIV infection might be beneficial where HIV rates are high and condom usage rare. However in countries like Australia, circumcision is not justified as a preventative measure and cannot replace condom use as an appropriate precaution against STIs.

In recent years, circumcision has become increasingly rare in Australia. In the early 20th century the majority of men were circumcised. Since the late 1980s, medical opinion has generally opposed the procedure unless medically necessary, and cosmetic circumcision stopped being carried out in public hospitals. Circumcision is thus much more common among men aged over 30. There is also significant regional divergence. Prominent procircumcision advocates in NSW and Queensland, (usually doctors benefiting financially from conducting these unnecessary operations) , have resulted in much higher circumcision rates in those states. In Tasmania on the other hand, circumcision is more or less unheard of outside small Jewish and

Circumcision advocates like Brian Morris have claimed circumcision reduces the risk of penile cancers. However rates of these rare cancers are not significantly different between Israel, where close to 100% of men are circumcised, and Scandinavia, where next to none are. Similarly, claims that circumcision helps prevent urinary tract infections have been rejected: infections are much more strongly linked to hygiene practices. With good basic hygiene, circumcision has no significant impact on infection risk.

Complications arise in roughly 3% of cases, and in the United States over 100 babies die every year as a result of botched circumcisions. The process is impossible to completely reverse and is always painful. According to the Italian Journal of Paediatrics, circumcision is “one of the most painful procedures a baby can undergo”. Circumcision is also legally contentious. According to the Queensland Law Reform Commission, non-consensual circumcision technically falls under the definition of assault, however no charges have ever been laid against doctors or parents. In 2012, the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute recommended that non-religious nontherapeutic circumcision be explicitly banned, as has already occurred in Germany and Sweden. Other European countries are currently querying whether non-consensual circumcision breaches human rights. In 2013 a Council of Europe resolution called the circumcision of young boys, even for religious reasons, a “violation of the physical integrity of children”. The real question here concerns consent and personal autonomy. A baby cannot consent to a body altering procedure. While parents have an obligation to protect the health of their child, a minor reduction in future susceptibility to HIV is not grounds to irreversibly alter a baby’s body, and deny him the opportunity to make his own decision when he is old enough to do so. In contemporary Australia, there is no longer any acceptable reason for mutilating the genitalia of infants. Leading medical bodies continually warn that the risks of circumcision clearly outweigh any negligible benefits. American fearmongering based on outdated cultural traditions and sexual prudishness, coupled with statistics from countries rife with HIV should have no bearing on medical practices in this country.

While it is generally thought that circumcision reduces sexual pleasure, this is supremely difficult to prove. However we do know that the risks of circumcision can be severe. 12

Week 6, Semester 1, 2015.

WORONI No.4 Vol.67

THE

CRACKING LAND

THE MADE G E N E T I C I

YOU KNOW MY NAME NOT MY STORY

IDENTITY

I’m not your stock standard anyone. I find it very difficult to stereotype or label myself because I find that I’m just too different. This is great. I don’t like the idea of being a sheep in the flock. Rather, I much prefer the notion of the ugly duckling – or in my case, the ridiculously handsome one. Our perceptions of ourselves and how we see ourselves as fitting into society are what come under the a term emblazoned with social significance: “identity”. The way in which we identify ourselves is the way we allow society to view us but not necessarily the way in which society insists on viewing us. However, doesn’t this whole identification process create problems we really want to avoid? For my part, I find that it does. I am an Australian; born and brought up in Canberra. Founded upon my Indian ancestry, I’m also a purohit (Hindu priest) at a local temple. I enjoy my spiritual pastimes but I equally enjoy a beer or two (or more) on a night out and a beef-filled meat pie (with sauce,

PAROKSH PRASAD

always with sauce) at the footy. Being a professor of a faith condemning the killing of cows while biting into a pie is not exactly typical conduct for a person of these identities. But what does this matter? The mere fact that I identify with cultures which infer other principles and values means that I am placed in line with these sets of ideology when I may not want to be. Why is it that others decide whether to accept the way in which we perceive ourselves? For what reason do we grant them legitimacy in judging us? People, you are free. You need not treat yourself as bound to the others’ perceptions. Don’t let them make you do anything but what you want. All these people are merely transient. When push comes to shove, there is only one thing which is constant in your world and that is you. Protect yourself. So why do we need to have identities? I argue humansfeel the need to identify with others who grant us a sense of belonging. Let’s consider the case of the “urban tribe”: a group of individuals 14

who do not identify with mainstream culture. The growing phenomenon seems to fit right into the Canberran scene where one cultural norm is yet to dominate. It is great to see people being proud of their individuality but now people appear to be recreating themselves to fit into these urban tribes – completely against the point! Why can we all not live our lives as individuals and celebrate unity in diversity? Is it not these distinctions themselves which are the cause of many, many evils in our world?This is why I implore all my readers to not get caught up in categorising and labelling each other but rather to rejoice in our differences because, at the end of the day, how boring would our world be without individuality?

COLD Zhao Shandao

A woodsman asides, Hardly leaning upon his ard[1]. I see by his back, stock forest, The hedges of felled gum Intimate upon each As the wind falls through them, Playing their earthen organ sounds. When his ard feels the ground, Soil only curves, Tired with each pulse. In this meagre clearing The ard’s rabbit furrows lose their minds, And from the loose canopy You can see exposed ant farms: Insect insanity. Sweat cools him under chimney draft, And I think there is a candle Becoming prone before a faded portrait. Each story I hew Leaves this man A dollar-store fake, Distant As any name given. Trying my feelings At the language game, Acting scribe to blunted words of thought, This man nimble moves, And wooden his stick Its crook and bow move together. With each thought I shudder, Crafting his frailty, His knowledge, Teaching him of light-bulbs and philosophy, Only to watch the woodsman withdraw From his ard, And the land I made cold. [1] The ard is a plough of the most primitive form, unable to fully invert the soil it drives through. It can be seen as a symbol of the shift from forager cultures to the agricultural societies that preceded civilisation.

IDENTITY SCIENCE

DANIEL FOX

Everything about us as a person is predetermined before birth, encoded in our genes. These genes provide codes for structures and their functions from the molecular level right up to the macroscopic level that is our body. Some people might argue that genes, with their specific sequencing and expression, are formulated codes for our own identity. This notion seems simple enough, but the concept of identity itself is a complex one. The biological nature of our genetic makeup is overwhelmingly confusing, so identity, it seems, is determined by perspective. From what could be a phenotypic representation of who you are,opinions differ according to a range of psychological and environmental factors. These factors can be analysed in real life situations such as in cases where the genetic coding has been mutated and become erroneous, resulting in a defect in the genetic sequence resulting in structural and functional abnormalities. There are some genetic disorders where gender identity can be particularly difficult to live with, as gender is not simply just black and white; in terms of biology, gender is more of a spectrum.

To put this into perspective, I would like you to consider Klinefelter syndrome. “Normal” humans generally have one of two of the following sets of sex-determination chromosomes: either XX for females, or XY for males. But for those affected by Klinefelter syndrome, their sex-determination chromosomes exist in a set of three: XXY. This is due to the failure of homologous chromosomes to separate during the first

round of meiosis when sex cells divide. This can be difficult when these people try to identify themselves to the gender binaries of modern day society. The Y chromosome is present, so technically speaking masculine characteristics can be visually present, but due to the extra X chromosome feminine characteristics can also prevail as well. This can disrupt and alter the amounts of gender specific hormones in the body. Thus, alterations from the “norm” occur. These people are neither stereotypically male or female. Gender lines blur, so these people generally identify with what they feel is appropriate or who they feel they are. This generally speaking could be male, female, intersex or gender neutral. Environmental factors can also influence the identities of persons with near identical genetic makeup – such as in twins. Genetics does not solely make up our sense of identity. Outside sources and factors such as differences in environment have been shown to heavily influence differences between people and is key to creating the differentiation between twins as they age as they cannot be subjected to identical environments, or be brought up in exactly the same way. Perspective is key and identity is subjective. Identity cannot be isolated or confined to specific forms and the sooner we realise this, the better.

WORONI No.4 Vol.67

FIRST PEOPLE’S FOOTPRINTS: JOURNEYS OF INDIGENOUS STUDENTS AT ANU SCIENCE

JESSA ROGERS, INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS REPORTER

Many ANU students often ask how they can learn more about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and peoples when they attend university in Canberra, the site of which has been a traditional Aboriginal meeting place for centuries. Positioned on Ngunnawal country, students are often unaware they are sharing classes with the very people they wish to meet and know more about.

finished year 12 in Laidley in Queensland. She just got into a Bachelor of Exercise Science. I’m involved in Close the Gap through the ANU Rural Health Medical Society, [and] running ANU events for the past two years. I’m also the Indigenous Health Officer for the National Rural Health Student Network and involved with the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA), trying to encourage Aboriginal people to study health-related degrees.”

In this issue, I interviewed a few of my fellow Indigenous students at the Tjabal Higher Education Centre. Their stories and identities as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, are as diverse as the nations that make up the country we now share, known as Australia. Before the invasion by British colonizers in 1770, this continent was comprised of 200-300 tribes, nations and language groups.

“For me, being Aboriginal is about culture, and family, and a sense of belonging into a group of people that has been around for thousands of years. “

Danielle Dries (Kaurna Nation) From South Australia Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Surgery “I started studying in 2005 at Charles Sturt University in physiotherapy. During that time I took a lot of time off due to medical issues and my father passing away; my Uncle also passed away in that time. I really became interested in Indigenous health during my undergraduate degree when I did placements in Coffs Harbour, Dubbo and Orange (NSW) and I became interested in rural health. I took seven years to complete that four-year degree, but I persevered and got there in the end.” “After working for a year at North Shore Hospital in Sydney, I moved to Lismore and got a lot more involved in the local Indigenous community up there. I always wanted to work remote, so I looked for job opportunities in physiotherapy in remote communities, but there were very limited jobs. I talked to the ANU and they said they would support me in sitting the GAMSAT to get into Medicine. I sat the GAMSAT thinking I would never get into Medicine, but I thought I would give it a go, and here I am. I’m now in the third year of my Medical degree, and I’ll be doing my medical placement for a year in Lismore. I’ll also be in Yuendumu, in the Northern Territory for six weeks.” “I recently won the Indigenous Rural Health Inspiration Award. I mentor a girl who just

Danni had the honour of introducing Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the Closing the Gap breakfast in Canberra on Wednesday 11 February. At the event she said: “Close the Gap is important to me because it means my grandmother doesn’t have to lose all her siblings before the age of 60 to diabetes. It means my uncle doesn’t die from stroke at age 53. It means challenging the thoughts and beliefs about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and looking toward a positive future in partnership where our children have equality in health care, education and life expectancy. “I hope that all of you do everything in your power to ensure that ours is the generation that sees health equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people become a reality.”

Lorna O’Shane (Kuku Yalanji & Western Yalanji Nations) from Cairns, Far North Queensland Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Commerce “I moved here from my home town of Cairns in Far North Queensland. I’ve lived up and down the East coast of Australia. I had worked for a really good period of time, and I wanted to go back to studies. I dropped out of university in my 20s; I was a science student at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. I’ve always wanted to come back, because I have a real passion. I wanted to come to the ANU because its one of the best universities in the country. Here I am.”

“Ten years ago if you asked about my Aboriginal identity I would have given you a different answer to the one I am giving you today. Part of the fight for Indigenous rights in any country is the right to be able to define yourself. My individual identity is very much tied up with my Aboriginal history, but all the other parts of me too. Being a black woman in this world is hard, anywhere. Here in Australia women are an important factor in taking communities forward. The education outcomes for women are getting better. I want to be a part of that.”

Brieanna Collard (Noongar Nation) From Perth, Western Australia “I did a pre-med program at UNSW last year. I realised it wasn’t for me. I needed a break from everything. Moving away from family made it a little easier to study. I came over to the ANU, tried it out, and stayed. There’s a lot of guilt associated with studying away from home, it’s really difficult. But I guess in the long term it’s better. It’s a bit fun too.” “I am so proud to be Aboriginal. I see my time as an opportunity to teach other people about our culture, and to learn for myself.”

Rory Larkin (Katherine/Darwin Mob, Northern Territory) From Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Bachelor of Arts “I had a gap year last year and worked full time. I realised I wanted to study, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do so I thought a Bachelor of Arts would help me find what I am interested in. I was going to do paramedicine and nursing at ACU but I came to the ANU because it’s a well-known university.” “It’s sometimes hard to explain to people what being Aboriginal means. They sometimes don’t understand why some of us are white-skinned, when they expect that we are all black-skinned. If you see my family, there are Aboriginal people in my family that are black-skinned. Its hard to explain the differences. I identify as Aboriginal even though I don’t appear how some people stereotype our people. It’s not as simple as white or black skin.”

Week 6, Semester 1, 2015.

PREVENTING UNWANTED SEXUAL ATTENTION IN OUR COMMUNITY

COMMENT

RICHARD BAKER, PRO VICE-CHANCELLOR (STUDENT EXPERIENCE)

Everyone has the right to participate fully in community life without fear of unwanted sexual attention be it sexual harassment, assault or stalking. With this in mind as the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Student Experience) I am determined to do everything I can to make ANU a safe place for students and staff to live, work and learn. As outlined in the Dean of Students’ annual report (http://www.anu.edu.au/dos/reports. php) in 2014, nine allegations of unwanted sexual attention on and off campus were reported to the Dean of Students. Each of the nine reported cases has been addressed, as is University policy, with an emphasis on ensuring the ongoing safety of students and access to ANU and external support services for the parties involved. While there is some evidence that the rate of incidents on campus may be lower than that in the broader community, there remains more we can do to improve the situation on our campus. ANU can show real leadership to Australia and the world by coming together as a community to do all we can to address these issues. I’m pleased to report back to the ANU community some steps we have put in place in this regard. Our proactive approach consists of preventative initiatives, programs, training and support which aim at ensuring a safe campus for all. In 2014, ANU completed a review of policy and procedures for responding to allegations of sexual assault on campus. A Staff Protocol for responding to an allegation of recent sexual assault was developed. A response to any allegation of sexual assault is treated with utmost care, and confidentiality is respected at all times. The response includes support being provided to all involved, including access to counselling from our professional student counselling team and external support groups like the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre. All

incidents are formally recorded, monitored and reported on.

a presentation from the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre.

I would like to applaud the work our student leaders have been doing on this issue. The ANU Student Association ran a ‘Safety on Campus’ campaign in July-October 2014. This campaign made great use of social media with the theme of ‘Our campus: make it safe’ and a range of awareness events including ‘the Pledge’ campaign, which aimed to shift understandings of violence away from a victimblaming culture, and work to ensure a campus that is safe for all students.

The knowledge and experience gained through these activities has been shared with other universities and residential colleges. For example, I took part in a joint presentation with the ANUSA Women’s Officer and the Head of ANU Security on ‘Enhancing Student Safety at ANU’ which was presented at the Campus and Student Security Conference held at the University Melbourne during 2014.

A training program for ANU Division of Student Life staff and student leaders was delivered in July 2014. Speakers included staff from the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre, ANU Counselling and Health, and ANU Residential Halls. In August, I participated with student representatives in a panel on “Sex and Consent’ run by the ANU Women’s Department. ‘Great Sex’ workshops were organised by the ANU Students Association, focused on developing a common understanding of what consent means. Four sessions were held in different residences on campus. In November, Dr Shannon Spriggs (Research Fellow, Griffith University’s Key Centre for Ethics, Law, Justice and Governance) came to ANU and presented the ‘Mentors in Violence Prevention’ train the trainer program. The aim of the program was to provide staff and students with training to assist in the development of a positive bystander-intervention culture at ANU. Following the recruitment round of student leaders for 2015, a full day of training was held to prepare student leaders for events that they may be organising and managing during the 2015 academic year. Approximately 380 student leaders attended the day. The training covered responding to unwanted sexual attention and bystander interventions strategies including

There will be more on the agenda in 2015 as we work to do all we can to ensure this is a safe and respectful community. If you have any suggestions on what we can do to improve safety on campus please contact me. Professor Richard Baker pvc.se@anu.edu.au Further Resources The ANU Counselling Centre has developed some online resources for students dealing with crisis and trauma - http://counselling.anu.edu. au/online-resources that include: “Responding to Family, Friends and Colleagues Affected By A Traumatic Event” http://counselling.anu.edu.au/sites/ counselling.anu.edu.au/files/Responding%20 to%20Family%20etc.pdf “A Guide to Responding to an Allegation of Sexual Assault” can be found on the ANU website under Student Leadership: http:// www.anu.edu.au/students/get-involved/ leadership

WORONI No.4 Vol.67

MAN BUN - GROW ONE

Five tips on growing your hair for a man bun. LIFE & STYLE NIC HALL

ATTEMPT

STYLE LIFE & STYLE LEON S. REBELLO

It’s not a hairdo for every Tom, Dick or Harry, but if you don’t mind waiting a year for it to grow, occasionally being mistaken for a girl when you let your hair down and being told at least twice a day to get a haircut, then it’s for you. The pros, not including those above, consist of job opportunities like barista at a vegan café or full time Bondi hipster: this goes to show that it’s not just a hairdo but a lifestyle choice. So you should start listening to Triple J most days, not just once a year on Australia Day. And if you haven’t already accepted Chet Faker as your Lord and Saviour, do so stat. Here are my tips for growing your own man bun luscious locks. 1. Patience mahn Don’t be disheartened at the length of time it takes to develop this godly look. Your fellow weaker bros may give up during that awkward transitional stage when you look like a dead-set mop head with hair not long enough to tie up, but just enough to have you being accused of emulating a Justin Bieber haircut. Persist, my friend, for at the end of that rainbow is a pot of gold. 2. Length is key Just ask any girl, they’ll all tell you that longer is better. Providing more leverage and increased number of positions you can

I believe fashion has developed as an art enabling individuals to showcase individualism, modernity and comfort (although depending on the situation there may be occasion for a slight compromise in this third department). Moreover, I consider fashion as a means for one tocraft their style. In attempting to develop a personal style, I have acquired a taste for accessories and unique clothing. However, it does pay to use safe, staple items to anchor outfit ensembles . Many accessories put aside for summerwill resurface over the next few weeks as we approach winter. Leather bracelets (Fossil and Coach have a nice selection of these), hats and sunglasses work well for both seasons, However it is the winter scarves, leather gloves, umbrellas and vests (among other things) that enable us to experiment. Concerning jewellery, consider switching up leather bracelets for stainless steel or silver ones with occasional matching rings. Similarly, opt for watches with thin stainless steel watch bands over leather ones – although if attending a casual event, do not rule out the leather option. Depending on the temperature, a pair of black leather gloves are worthy of being

put your man bun into. Some may tell you it’s better to get it snipped to keep it looking healthy, but this is your manhood we are talking about. 3. Rinse and repeat When it gets to a certain stage you’ve got to wash. Condition. Brush. Generally speaking, love your hair and it will love you back. If not, it’s knots, whether you like it or not.

C S

Week 6, Semester 1, 2015.

A M P U T Y L

S E

4. Don’t be afraid The unknown is scary, but don’t be afraid to commit to the bun. And when you’re having a shower and look down at your hand to see a clump of hair has come out, it’s probably not male pattern baldness, this happens when hair reaches such long lengths. Really, it’s a sign that you’ve succeeded. 5. Stop the knot If you feel like you don’t have the stamina to get all the way to a full bodied bun, which takes a hair length that’ll hit your hips, do not shave the sides and then use your little sister’s braces band to put your hair into a top knot the size of a frankfurt. Just don’t do it. You’re not fooling anyone.

whipped out from time to time. Scarves are the pillar of winter fashion, in my opinion. Scarves of different colours and styles add vibrancy and texture to an outfit. I’d suggest pairingscarves with trench coats, other jackets and single-coloured sweaters. A great way to vary your look is by incorporating jackets and jumpers with unusual cuts, patterns or materials. This is your opportunity to stray from the trends and explore your own individuality. Howeverit pays to accompany unusual clothing items with safer items such as single-coloured tops, black jeans and oxford shoes and boots. Whilst these are but a few of the elements for constructing a good winter wardrobe, I hope you will be able to relate to a few of comments mentioned above – perhaps even question them! At the end of the day, I see the ability to mould individual style as an opportunity that we should embrace in a way which makes us feel content about the way we dress.

Top Left: Christopher - Relaxed and enjoying the sun before winter sets in - look out for our scarf special in the coming weeks! Middle: Yining Xu Top Right: Celia

- Dressed ready for a day of study - Epitomises individual style and love the hair

Bottom Left: Lucy & James - Classic and simple is so good when done well

‘Fashion is about dressing to what’s fashionable. Style is more about being yourself.’ –Oscar de la Renta

WORONI No.4 Vol.67

Week 4, Semester 1, 2015.

Week 6, Semester 1, 2015.

A NEW ERA? SPORT

Australia’s recent Davis Cup tie victory over the Czech Republic has capped off a big summer of tennis and sparked renewed optimism in the future of the sport.

THE

TROUBLE

FORMULA SPORT

It used to be so easy to defend my love for Formula One. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of watching Formula One with my father on Sunday afternoons. As I entered my teens, the Sunday Afternoons became Sunday Nights, and then pretty soon the wee hours of Monday morning. I can still clearly recall the incredible day when Mark Webber drove his vastly inferior Minardi to a fifth place finish in Melbourne in his debut Grand Prix. I remember duels between Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen, which only Murray Walker’s impassioned commentary could describe. I remember how the cars used to roar in all their V10 glory. The sport of my childhood delivered drama, beauty, endurance and pure energy. But these are all memories. As hard as it is to admit, F1 has become boring.The drama once generated by racing on the field barely exists. Drivers struggle to overtake without the assistance of DRS, and races are often won from qualifying the day before. Fans have reacted – they simply don’t attend races, nor watch them on tv

RYAN GRAHAM

anymore. Even Bernie Eccelstone, the “benevolent” dictator of the sport who makes Sepp Blatter look transparent admitted last year that the sport was at an “unacceptable state”. So what can be done? Solving this isn’t as difficult as it sounds. The reality is that while it’s fantastic that F1 has made an effort to expand its calendar to include tracks in Russia, Korea, India and China, the tracks at these races bore fans to tears. Nearly every track introduced to the calendar since 1999 has been designed by one man – Hermann Tilke. And they’re all rubbish (with the exception of Istanbul). These tracks are designed to be safer – so much so that it’s nearly impossible for a driver error to actually be punished in a racing situation, as Jackie Stewart noted in 2011. Anyone who didn’t fall asleep watching the Russian Grand Prix last year will understand what he means. But Tilke-designed tracks make up nearly half of the races in the 2015 F1 season. They also make up races in countries that have struggled to attract a crowd for various reasons. Watching racing

WITH

ONE

in front of empty white elephants isn’t fun for anyone involved in the sport. Meanwhile, tried, tested and loved tracks such as Imola and Magny-Cours continue to be left off the calendar, whilst Ecclestone has thanked loyal fans with the prospect of more Tilke snore-fests in Qatar and Azerbaijan for 2016. The focus for Formula One needs to be to get the fans back by reengaging them in racing at its purest form. Ecclestone needs to forget about changing the rules every year and introducing prosthetic methods that encourage overtaking, and return the sport to tracks that encourage this naturally. But there is an inherent problem in this. The hundreds of millions of dollars rights paid by new frontiers such as India and Russia to host the sport isn’t something that traditional tracks are keen to flesh out. Ecclestone himself is more interested in earning money for his Formula One corporation from building terrible tracks in new countries than to see the sport excite and entice new viewers. Paradoxically though, it appears

as if the sport couldn’t continue without Ecclestone’s monetary support. Ecclestone is the fan’s worst best friend, and doesn’t appear to be about to voluntarily move on from the dynasty he has created for himself. Formula One for him is like one very long and lavish party that he continues to throw himself, and he doesn’t really have any incentive to stop so long as it continues to serve his own economic and social interests. Is the sport doomed to mediocrity and boredom whilst Ecclestone continues to run the show? I would argue yes, but as far as I can see there doesn’t appear to be an alternative. I’m still excited for the season to kick off, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep it up much longer.

Performing exceptionally well in his first Davis Cup singles rubber was 19 year old Thanasi Kokkinakis, who stunned Czech no. 1 Lucas Rosol in a five set comeback victory on the opening day. Bernard Tomic’s composed, straight sets win in the first reverse singles sealed a quarter final for the Aussies, their first since 2006. Little over a decade ago, Australia was at the forefront of world tennis, reaching four Davis Cup

DAVID RYAN

finals from 1999-2003 and sealing victories against France and Spain in 1999 and 2003 respectively. But over the past decade a dearth of talent and depth meant that the nation’s hopes were shouldered by the streaky, albeit dynamic, Sam Stosur and aging warrior Lleyton Hewitt. So what has given new spark to the Australian tennis fire? The emergence of Kyrgios and Kokkinakis has certainly helped to create more of an Australian contingent on tour, where camaraderie can be an important factor in a typically lonely sport. Furthermore, Tomic, whose talent for the game is never

questioned, appeared to regain his motivation in the latter half of 2014, perhaps influenced by Kyrgios’ Wimbledon heroics that mirrored his own in 2011. The trio of Kyrgios, Tomic and Kokkinakis will continue to benefit from the leadership and guidance of Davis Cup stalwart Lleyton Hewitt who has assumed a mentoring role. More grassroots initiatives driven by governing body Tennis Australia include junior programs which use modified balls and nets, as well as emphasis on funding our elite juniors have also paid dividends. But where to now for our nation’s rising stars? Nick Kyrgios,

provided his injury prone and still maturing body is managed properly, is a big time player and crowd favourite with a howitzer serve and potent offensive flare that is destined for the top 20 and likely the top 10. Tomic has seemingly reconciled his personal issues to recommit to the game which could easily make the top 30 by year’s end. And 19 year old man of the hour, hard hitting Kokkinakiss, is in for a big season. The three athletes will play a pivotal role in future Davis Cup efforts, and for the first time in some years, Australian diehard fans can be hopeful for a brighter tomorrow.

SOCIAL LIFE SATIRE

ThethingIfindtragicaboutallthis “university” business is how people feel the need to swiftly and unceremoniously discriminate between their social life and the other, presumably unnamed life that stays with them through their sorrowful soul-dredging, study and other unsociable activities. Do these people not realise or appreciate that almost every activity undertaken by man or woman is in fact social? Will psychology saps be leaking annoyed ejaculations at this point, bursting to write a Woroni response entitled “The Seven Sides to One’s Life”? Maybe, but I’m sorry, the last time I checked my life wasn’t a heptagon. Indeed, will arts students – the real arts, not the people who have no clue what they’re doing – draw us a drawing entitled “Life”, and expect us to sympathise with its noncommittal squiggles and impressionist blurs? Perhaps, but can’t we agree that none of us have really captured a full understanding of life and we would be better off to resolve ourselves to at least attempt to adapt our own individual sensitivity. Either way we only have one life,

EFIGMA

so why butcher its beauty into silly sub-lives – whence came the social life. Has this blemish upon the English language been around, as I suspect, not for long? Without reverting to the old internet blame game I would presume that it arose out of slave-driver parents outlining the routine to their unfortunate young fish, or else an independent law-reform “think-tank” board meeting discussing the impact of “social media.” Again forgive me, but what is our little obsession here with labelling everything to within an inch of its life? And since when was the normal media unsociable – have the people who come up with these words never seen Sacha Baron Cohen go onto a morning news show, or stuck-up oldies passiveaggressively split-screen bitching, or else commentary about Clive Palmer’s sleeping patterns (bless the old fish). Do they think that Channel 9 studios are full of people sitting alone, staring at walls with resolute indignation? Is reading a textbook antisocial? When I pick

up my Matter and Dimensions book, am I not waving a cheery hello to Mr Newton, sat at his wooden table devising the foundations of calculus and modern physics? When I plug in earphones, am I not entering a world of sound, floating with the truly deepest feelings people have ever exorcized? Maybe; or maybe that is antisocial, and it would be better to experience even these things with other people. Whichever way, the idea of a social life is a fallacy and should probably be seen as one.

THE SEVEN UNWONDERS OF THE

WORONI No.4 Vol.67

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To Whom It May Concern,

Recently I have witnessed some seriously bat-shit crazy behavior by my employer: • Tony Abbott’s ‘classic’ Budgie Smugglers. • Tony Abbott describing the death of an Australian soldier in Afghanistan as “shit happens.” • Tony Abbott refers to “the housewives of Australia as they do the ironing.” • Tony Abbott feeling “threatened” by homosexuality. • When questioned about the above, Tony Abbott’s bizarre and insane 28-second silence. • Tony Abbott highlighting candidate Fiona Scott’s “sex appeal.” • Tony Abbott kissing this baby:

WORLD: THE ARAL SEA SATIRE In this regular segment, Woroni takes you on a tour of the greatest man-made cluster-fucks ever to grace the surface of the Earth. This anti-guidebook will introduce you to the most spectacularly ruinous landmarks the world over, from the dying Aral Sea in Khazakstan to the smouldering ruins of the old French Pacific nuclear proving grounds. Whether their sheer folly makes you want to laugh or cry, these spectacular monuments to the supreme power of humanity are worth a visit. TheAral Sea, orAral Teñizi, if you’re speaking Kazakh, means two very different things, depending on where you happen to be placed on the timeline of world history. If you have the good fortune to be hanging out before about AD 1960, “the Aral Sea” means something like the Sea of Islands, a name that originates with the same Old Turkic-speaking tribes that produced Genghis Khan. It refers to an enormous inland sea in the Central Asian portion of the USSR, a giant turquoise jewel among the sprawling, monotonous plains of modernday Kazakh- and Uzbekistan, shot through with clusters of islands

XENO and teeming with fish – so many, in fact, that at this time the vibrant rural fishing industry around the Aral Sea produces one-sixth of the USSR’s supply of fish. This fact gains significance when you recall that, despite being short of probably everything else in the world, the old USSR was never, ever short of fish; hell will freeze over before you’re unable to get pickled herring in St Petersburg. If, however, you happen to be unfortunate enough to be living, say, about now, “the Aral Sea” means a whole different kettle of fish altogether. Today, the Aral Sea is pretty much an enormous, faintly-glowing desert, prone to toxic and acutely corrosive dust-storms and bearing the scars of a few decades’ worth of Soviet weapons testing. Scattered throughout the dry, flat wasteland at random intervals are the rusting hulks of Soviet-era fishing vessels, which were unable to be rescued from the receding tide, and now sit upright on their keels like an absurdly well-funded exercises in surrealist sculpture. If you happen to be amongst the few remaining Kazakhs in the old port towns of Aral or Muynak, now stranded

dozens of kilometres from the hypersalinated rump of the sea, “the Aral Sea” probably means something closer to what T.S. Eliot had in mind when he wrote about “… where the sun beats, And the dead tree gives no shelter, the cricket no relief, And the dry stone no sound of water.” The decline of the Aral Sea began in the late 50s, when Russian engineers had the idea of terraforming the reasonably infertile steppes of Uzbekistan into a fluffy white cotton-exporting mega-paradise – not the least because cotton, unlike fish, is a fantastic tool for procuring muchneeded hard currency To this end, the two major rivers flowing into the Aral sea were diverted into a leaky irrigation channel that ran out into the Karakum Desert. This, not unpredictably, was not an unqualified success for Soviet agriculture, and had the bonus side-effect of essentially tipping out an entire sea onto the ground. At roughly the same time, a weapons-testing station was set up on one of the sea’s many islands, where the military had

bit of a geeze at what one could do with anthrax, smallpox and the actual plague. Occasionally a little biological friendly fire leaked out of the island and killed some people in Aral and/or the local Saiga deer population, which, lets be honest, is pretty unavoidable when you’re stuffing anthrax spores into aerosolising bombs and then detonating them out in the open. Not surprisingly, the most of the old population of the Aral foreshore went the way of the water, and left. Today, the Aral Sea is actually three small highly-toxic lakes, covering only 15% of the sea’s original area. UNESCO and local governments are currently attempting to resuscitate the old inland sea, but I recommend a visit before they ruin its quality as one of the seven great Unwonders. Fishing rods not necessary. Don’t drink the water. Try not to get the plague.

Down 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

An island off the coast of Sicily A favourite around the campfire You're reading one right now. Head of Facebook Throw down the... Sheltered harbour A person from Holland is...?

Across

ACROSS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Someone who researches insects is a...? Japanese martial art A Hindu sacred text It's the 12th December 2014. What month will it be 79 days from now? The Maid of Orleans Georgian fiscal policy in the years after the 1992 civil war with Abkhaz separatists has ignored important taxable income elasticities among the rural peasantry in the Ossetian provinces. Discuss. Down

7. A political system involving a crown

DOWN 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

An island off the coast of Sicily A favourite around the campfire You're reading one right now. Head of Facebook Throw down the... Sheltered harbour A person from Holland is...?

• Tony Abbott speaking French to little kids while visiting President François Hollande. • Tony Abbott’s creepy fucking wink on live radio. • The “Suppository of Wisdom” comment. • Abbott suggesting that he will “shirtfront” Vladimir Putin. • Tony Abbott’s strange and patronising St. Patrick’s day video. • Tony Abbott eats a raw fucking onion. • Calling Bill Shorten the “Dr Goebbels of Economic Policy”

For these reasons I resign. Yours:

Tony O’Leary Communications Director, Office of The Prime Minster

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