woroni VOL. 69, issue 4, 2019
WO R O N I T E A M CONTENT
Sophie Johnson Riddhi Mehta Olivia Carney Rachel Chopping Ellie Flintoff Emily Fursa Canada Gavin Emma Giessmann Eammon Gumley Lucinda Janson Thomas Opie Lily Pang Ruth Purcell Annabelle van Raalte Johann Wagner
ART Claire Gaspar Maddy McCusker Adrian Schmidt Eliza Williams Millie Wang
NEWS Caitland Coulson Elena Couper Yakub Garrett Amber Jones Isobel Lavers Grace Sixmith Ronan Skyring Charlotte Ward
TV
Nick Ang Claire Holland Krishna Gogineni Scott Koh Cathy McGrane Jasmine Ryan Lucy Skeldon Prakash Singh
RADIO
Eve Crossett Rishi Dhakshinamoorthy Tarsha Dickenson Louis Festa Michael Katsavos Isobel Lindsay-Geyer Dot Mason
CONTRIBUTE
WORDS TO: PHOEBE@WORONI.COM.AU ART TO: GEORGIE@WORONI.COM.AU
ARTWORK : GEORGIE KAMVISSIS // 1
3 NEWS
29 CREATIVE
47 DISCOVERY
4 NUS Education Conference Grace Sixsmith
30 Photographs Phoebe Lupton
6 How the Recent HECS Changes May Affect You Amber Jones
31 I Am Called Half-Asian Julia Faragher
48 What Morrison’s Tax Reforms Mean for Australian Families Eammon Gumley
8 CAMPUS 9 ANUSA and Me Brandon Tan 10 Caught in the Bubble Ben Lawrence 12 Gavens and Gowns versus Scapels and Scrubs Kelsey Walsh 14 How to Run for ANUSA: Lessons from the 2018 CAP Rep Race Kai Clark 20 The Value of Protest Nick Carlton 22 The Euthanasia Debate Elvin Zhang 24 To Tatt or Not To Tatt? Connor Luck-Cameron 25 The Blood of the Covenant is Thicker Than the Water of the Womb Rowan Everard 28 Dear Diary, I Think I’m a Workaholic Chew Jia Yi
32 1450 Brianna Muir 34 Light and Warmth Zena Mason 35 Incel Elvin Zhang
36 CULTURE 37 A Second-Wave Feminist Take on Family Planning Zena Mason
50 The Mediterranean Crisis: Whose Cross is it To Bear? Cahill Di Donato 52 From Plastic Ocean Waste to Eco-Friendly Clothing Canada Gavin 53 Instagram and the Rise of Environmental Activism Tash Salisbury 54 Four Simple and Achievable Ways to Eat More Sustainably Jennifer Kerr 56 How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? Ruth Purcell
40 ‘Miley, What’s Good?’ Miriam Sadler
58 Microscopy Images Ruth Purcell
42 Families in the Media Sophie Johnson
62 Photography showcase Julia Faragher
44 Let’s Talk About the Matriarchy Instead Eloise Rattle 46 Impressionist Perspectives Phoebe Lupton
Cover page art : Georgie Kamvissis Divider page art : Georgie Kamvissis Layout : Adrian Schmidt
2
e d i to r s
JULIA FARAGHER
PHOEBE LUPTON
NICK RICHARDSON
JONATHAN TJANDRA
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CONTENT
NEWS
MANAGING EDITOR
JOSIE GANKO
GEORGIE KAMVISSIS
STEPH DAVID
JAIME HOWELL
DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
AR T
RADIO
TV
EDITORS’ WELCOME Welcome to Edition Four of Woroni, and my first edition as Editor-in-Chief! The theme for this edition is Bloodties and it’s full of stories about family, relationships and identity. I first joined Woroni as a Video Sub-Editor in my first year at ANU. Now in my fifth year, after several years away working as a contributor, I came back to join the board. I thought maybe the gap would be too long and I wouldn’t fit at Woroni anymore, but it didn’t feel like that. It felt like coming home. I hope you enjoy this edition, from my Woroni family, to yours. Julia Faragher – Editor-in-Chief
NEWS
4 // NEWS
2019 NUS Education Conference AUTHOR // GRACE SIXSMITH
The National Union of Students (NUS or the Union) held their annual Education Conference at the University of Sydney from July 1 – 5. The critical difference between the NUS Education Conference (EdCon) and the NUS National Conference is that EdCon serves as a way for students across Australia to come together to learn about issues facing students and how they could take the new information to help them for campaigns on their campuses. EdCon is split into two main types of events. The first is plenaries. Plenaries are attended by all conference participants. Plenaries are run or presented by the Office Bearers of the NUS, usually in the form of a panel with experts on the topic. Issues that impact all students form the basis of these plenaries. This year, the NUS presented their first disability plenary, which gave insight into the campaigns and issues that students with disabilities have involved themselves in. Much of the discussion centred around the Union’s action against the laws in Australia that led many to be deported because of their disabilities and perceived cost on the Australian health system.
Most notably, the Union’s discussion focused on this year’s successful campaign to stop the deportation of Kinley Wangchuk on the grounds of his disability. As with many discussions at NUS conferences, the plenary became heated as certain factions disagreed with the views of those on the panel. This resulted in one student being told he had a voice resembling “white noise” from a member of the panel after the student began attacking the panel member’s sceptical position on open borders. The other event format is workshops. Workshops are conducted in smaller groups and are run by volunteer attendees discussing more specialised topics that relate to the student experience. Braedon Waddell, Jarred Armitage and Liam McConnell presented a workshop titled ‘From Poverty to Postgraduate,’ which discussed the issues facing students who come from low-socioeconomic and rural backgrounds. The workshop touched on the lived experiences of these students, focusing on their decision to move to university and how their financial situation continued to affect them throughout their entire degree.
ARTWORK : GEORGIE KAMVISSIS // 5
Other informative workshops included ‘Take a Chance on Memes: How to Win Social Media’ run by the University of Sydney Union President Connor Wherrett and ‘Student Voice: Partner of the Future’ by University of Adelaide Union President Ali Amin and Education Officer Sam Chapman.
With university students coming together to create a network of students and student associations, it allows us to work together to create changes that benefit our fellow students and to make sure that both the universities and governments meet our needs.
The ANU had several students attend the conference, including ANUSA General Secretary Lachy Day who sat with the Grassroot Independents, acting as a negotiator for the faction.
The main outcome from the conference for ANU students was the NUS National Day of Action Climate Walk Out to occur on August 9. More information regarding this event can be found on Facebook.
Other ANU students attended as members of National Labor Students, Socialist Alternative and Student Unity.
Grace Sixsmith sat with Student Unity at EdCon 2019 and NatCon 2018.
With ANUSA’s reaccreditation to the NUS looking more likely due to the removal of the independent Returning Officer KPI from the Exit KPIs, it is becoming more crucial for ANUSA to attend these meetings to build their profile in the NUS. EdCon is a fantastic opportunity to meet with university students from across the country, to forge relationships with them and to understand their differing experiences.
6 // NEWS
How the recent HECS changes may affect you AUTHOR // AMBER JONES The onset of the new financial year heralded a slash to the income threshold for repaying HECS-HELP debt last week.
While the reduced threshold has disgruntled many current students and graduates, not everyone holds this view.
Under the Morrison government, the previous threshold of $51,957 has been cut to a mere $45,881. As of July 1, university graduates must begin repaying their student debt once they earn more than $45,881 per financial year.
In a recent article by the Daily Mail, ANU academic and economist Professor Bruce Chapman contended that “the only way you can keep the [taxpayer] subsidies low is to have a relatively low threshold.”
This latest reduction is part of a downward trajectory for the scheme. In the past two years, the threshold has dropped significantly from $55,874 in 2017-18 to $45,881 for 2019-2020. This year’s cut was the second largest drop in the history of the HECS-HELP scheme since its inception in 1989. It is anticipated that this reduction will particularly impact graduates with high course fees and low wage jobs. Graduates with minimum wage jobs may now be pushed into a pay bracket that qualifies for student debt repayment. For graduates earning between $45,881 and $52,973 during 2019-20, the repayment rate is one per cent of income. Those who fall into this pay bracket are required to make repayments, including those who are still studying.
Since its inception in 1989, HECS-HELP has improved access to university education for domestic students across the nation. And despite the claims of every subsequent government that education is a priority, the recent HECS-HELP changes seem to suggest otherwise. According to data from the Department of Education and Training released in January, the total amount of outstanding HELP debt has increased consistently between the 2008-09 and 2017-18 financial years. The number of people with outstanding HELP debts jumped from 2.7 million in 2016-17 to 2.9 million in 2017-18 alone. Questions can be raised about the relationship between the decreasing income threshold and the increase in outstanding debt. If the number of graduates struggling to pay off their student debt is already so high, what will this latest threshold reduction entail?
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campus
ARTWORK : MADDY MCCUSKER // 9
anusa and me AUTHOR // BRANDON TAN The annual election for ANU Students’ Association (ANUSA) positions is bound to be overwhelming for any first year. How do you engage in this election discourse? Keywords such as ‘NUS accreditation goals’ or ‘low SES representation’ will be foreign to people who have just settled into university. At the same time, it’s impossible to ask someone to click and read up on every General Representative’s profile picture to learn about their background and goals. To a certain extent, both ANU Observer and Woroni have done a fantastic job in recent years of providing election coverage that has narrowed this information gap. My personal experience with the elections has been unique: I’ve always supported my friends’ endeavours to run for something that means a lot to them. In my first year, I found the ANUSA elections overwhelming, as a large number of strangers – as well as my friends – ran for roles I didn’t quite understand. In the next year, Observer election breakdown articles and explainers gave me a better understanding of what candidates were advocating for. This even prompted me to take part in some of Facebook group ANU Schmidtposting’s Q&A sessions. Finally, I gained the courage to run on my own terms after being involved with ANUSA opportunities such as the Clubs Council and volunteering on a first-year camp. ‘Selling yourself’ on ANUSA’s official expression of interest form is one way to get involved. However, the creative freedom (whether that be aesthetic design choices or the goals I wanted to achieve) I would retain from organising my own campaign appealed to me. Elections challenge you to think outside the box and consider how you might differentiate yourself from your competition. Anyone who saw me during last year’s campaign zone knew me for my ‘Believe’ campaign slogan and the large banner that I frequently used. Branding will be your most important element to set yourself apart. As always, logos have to be ‘catchy,’ but must retain
important properties such as being visible when shrunk. In today’s modern age, do-it-yourself graphic design is made easier with apps such as Canva. At the same time, it’s important to have a dedicated website ready at the same time as when you launch your Facebook platform. This way, interested readers will know what to expect immediately. In another instance, running solo means you’ll have more time and space to promote your own content, whereas group tickets have to equally dedicate their time on social media to promote their members. I think that my greatest advice would be to hone in on what makes you you. I’m referring to this in two ways. Firstly, the flexibility of the Gen Rep role means that you’re able to determine what you’d like to do during your time at ANUSA. Developing this comes easier when you choose to run on something you’re passionate about. Coming from a clubs and societies background, I refrained from dabbling in things I never fully understood such as residential policy. Next, keep close to your own core values, and only do what works for you. I was adamant on running as fairly as possible on my own terms, and made the conscious decision not to have endorsements from any of the platforms I was running at the time. I also decided not to implement certain tips I was given, whether that was the suggestion to use Mandarin to communicate with native Mandarin speakers or using a spreadsheet to keep count of whom I had messaged. Although I was running as my own candidate, I was never alone. I recruited my friend Alexa Malizon, who generously created my campaign advertising materials and gradually became my pseudo-campaign manager. I sought advice from members of last year’s General Representative cohort and people with previous experience with ANUSA elections before knowing for sure that I wanted to run. At the same time, I took a break from physical campaigning during the third day of open polls, because I was falling behind on completing an assignment. Overall, contesting elections the way I wanted to was an eye-opening and rewarding experience. I would encounter old friends on the campaign zone while meeting new people with whom I’d be working in the next year. I think one of the most exciting aspects of being on ANUSA was attending a Kambri student focus group shortly after the election. One last thing: remember that being in ANUSA isn’t everything, and there are many different ways to contribute to student life at ANU. I wish you good luck if you’re reading this and will be running for something you’re passionate about.
10 // CAMPUS *SECTION| LIFE OF MAGAZINE* & STYLE | *SUBSECTION*
Caught in the bubble AUTHOR // BEN LAWRENCE
Exams were over and the semester concluded. Along with it went many time constraints and commitments, leaving me pondering what to do with my Canberra winter. I didn’t have the money to travel, and my life didn’t stop with exams. But after a semester of studying, all I wanted to do was to take a break from ‘normality.’ By chance, I had been invited to a couple of parties one weekend, and I decided that if I was unable to go to Europe or ‘find myself’ in Bali I could at least escape the cold for a weekend. The scene was set; my Murrays bus to Sydney was booked. The week leading up to my adventure was as hectic as it could have been, as it dawned on me that I definitely still had a shopping list of things to do. Maybe it was a hangover from exams when all the stuff that I had postponed finally needed to be done. The business intermingled with bizarre attempts to relax, to ensure I fully enjoyed and appreciated the holiday… only between the hours of 6pm and 9pm. It all culminated on the interstate bus ride (which I almost missed) where I intermittently alternated between napping and emailing on my phone. I tried to cram in as much as possible into this long weekend, complete with family time, sightseeing and a multi-city bender. But in the end, what stood out about the experience were the people I had made the time for. The weekend was structured around seeing three people in particular, all of whom, distance dictates that I don’t see for months on end. I spent many hours with each of them in largely unplanned, sprawling interactions that we simply allowed to naturally progress. My grandma and I, started off with lunch and ended up hiking in fog so thick you couldn’t cut it with a knife. In some way we compensated for the infrequency of our interactions by squeezing out every precious drop of time.
We talked. We talked about each other’s lives, our plans and apprehensions. We skipped over many of the small things that could be said over messenger. Since time was so limited we caught up on the more complicated stuff, which doesn’t translate into faceless communication. We told stories of the memorable moments, forgetting the minor details surrounding them. And so it was that I not only found out about how they were, but I actually found out how I was. As I would describe events which had happened or explained where my head was at, I had to provide more background and context to ensure my listener could follow me. In order to understand the chapter, I needed to reread the book from the beginning. And guiding them through the story with hindsight meant that they could offer me perspectives that weren’t always available in the moment. They were able to humble me on things that seemed like great achievements at the time, and really appreciate the enormity of some moments of which I thought insignificant. The realities I had avoided facing by being busy or distracted unfolded before me, and I was confronted when more than a few truth bombs were dropped on me. These weren’t my best friends or exceptionally close family members, but their perspectives as people more removed were just what I needed to hear. My best friends had been there every step of the way while I had been performing the daily grind and had helped me navigate the obstacles as they appeared. But with distance came broader appreciation and perspective on some things that are hard to evaluate up-close.
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12 // CAMPUS | ACADEMICS
gavens and gowns versus scapels and scrubs AUTHOR // KELSEY WALSH
Professor Thomas Faunce of the Australian National University pioneered a cross-disciplinary opportunity for medical students to partner with health law students. The activity culminated in a mock trial at the ACT Supreme Court before a bench comprising of Justice Michael Elkaim and Professor Thomas Faunce. Here, law students put their expert witnesses on the stand for direct and cross-examination. The medical students acted as expert witnesses to explain both the medical facts of the case and their characters’ opinions on the issue to a lay jury.
Medical practice today involves a plethora of legal rules. More importantly, good patient-centred care requires physicians to act in accordance to ethical, legal, and human rights models. As such, there is an increased necessity for medical professionals to be legally literate. Although medical school curricula often contain a legal component, law students and medical students rarely interact with one another. Medical students frequently report difficulty engaging with law and humanities subjects in favour of the more ‘high yield’ hard science subjects:
Global change is reflected in every sphere of society. Intersections between environmental, technological and social challenges are becoming increasingly more complex and unpredictable. Preparing students to adapt to these novel situations involves using intricate and interdisciplinary thinking. Addressing these issues requires consideration of the compounding and interacting factors, and there is an increasing need for graduates to integrate perspectives from outside their area of expertise. However, traditional models of university education are inherently siloed. Students in different faculties rarely interact with one another in an academic context.
“As part of our registration we are taught all these cases and law concepts. It is difficult to make connections with science and clinical skills, and often these concepts are lost in favour of higher priority subjects.” – Halim Francis (medical student).
Law and medicine are two of the most conservative colleges; both curricula have deep roots in tradition. Additionally, law and medical students are often isolated from the rest of the university, as course structure excludes students from other disciplines. This means that the student experience can be insular, not preparing students for the diverse careers ahead. From the outside, law and medical degrees seem to attract vastly different students, but there is an overlap. This is both in terms of content (bioethics, for example) and in the professions to which each degree leads. Specifically, both fields require professionals to analyse and synthesise information while interacting with clients or patients. Although both curricula involve problem-based and collaborative learning components, these experiences rarely involve branching out of each respective faculty.
For many there exists a deficit between the teaching of important law concepts and the visible applications of those concepts: “I found the experience highly engaging. Being able to witness the case as a juror gave me an applied understanding of how medical negligence cases are handled legally.” For both faculties, the moot experience offered its participants a rare insight into the ways in which the other operated, as well as an opportunity to apply their own medical and legal knowledge to solve a problem. Many medical students in particular reported that the exercise was important for them to recognise and engage with the real world applications of the legal theory that they had previously been taught. Medicine and law are indeed conservative colleges. Nevertheless, graduates are not immune to the challenges of the dynamic modern career landscape. Reshaping university thinking and finding creative ways to motivate students to engage with broader communities is fundamental to producing well-rounded and career-ready students. Such an outcome would also greatly benefit healthcare and community engagement in both professions.
ARTWORK : ADRIAN SCHMIDT // 13
14 // CAMPUS | STUDENT POLITICS
how to run for anusa: lessons from the 2018 CAp rep race AUTHOR // KAI CLARK
ANUSA elections are inherently inaccessible. Most people lack the institutional knowledge, connections or time needed to run a successful campaign alone. While running on a full ticket increases accessibility, under the current election culture joining a ticket requires the social connections to be shoulder-tapped and a willingness to campaign for the entire ticket. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Why do you want to run?
Last year I, along with my partner, contested the College of Asia-Pacific (CAP) Representative positions. Without any guidance, we made many mistakes. And yet, we still (mostly) succeeded. With the 2020 ANUSA elections just around the corner, I want to share my experience and advice so that any passionate individual can feel confident running for ANUSA.
When communicating what you want to do, focus on your broader vision. Candidates running in ANUSA elections have often focused too much on the small policy fixes, ignoring the big ideas needed for meaningful change on campus. This means you should find an important structural issue to focus on and build a policy around that.
If you are interested in running for ANUSA, I encourage you to read the electoral guide publication that the association has published for this year, as it provides official advice and guidance on how to run. This article will focus on my personal advice.
If you want to run, you need to first ask yourself ‘why?’ Why do you think you’re the best candidate? Why do you think ANUSA is the best place in which to achieve your goals? Forming a clear vision for what you want to do if elected will help you convince people to elect you and guide you through your term.
ARTWORK : MILLIE WANG // 15 It’s important to remember that you actually need to stand for something. Many candidates in the past have promised vague goals or bland policy, like improving mental health services. Here’s the thing: no one is against that. However, a more specific policy stating that ANUSA should scrap Clubs Council and use its funding to pay for a full-time counsellor is something you can campaign for. Likewise, words like ‘accountability’ and ‘transparency,’ need to be backed up. Do these words mean you’ll be overly critical at Student Representative Council (SRC) meetings at the risk of alienating your colleagues? Or, will you maintain your campaign page and give frequent updates on your campaign promises? Taking a specific stance on a complex issue, promising actionable goals, and showing a commitment to work towards them will make you a strong candidate. How do I get started? To run for ANUSA, you first need to nominate yourself and register a ticket. Even if you’re running by yourself, changes in the electoral rules mean that you must be either on a ticket or placed in ‘group unspecified.’ If you’re on a ticket you’ll be able brand yourself, spend money to campaign, and have access to printing credits. If you choose the latter, you will only be listed on the ballot. The new rules have removed the option of running as an ‘Independent.’ But it’s still possible for you to run as an individual. There is no minimum number of people needed for a ticket. This means that you can organise a one-person, two-person, or small group ticket. You need to come up with a ticket name, list yourself as the convener, and then have five students sign off on the ticket nomination (they do not have to be on your ticket). Then, you nominate yourself on a separate form and list your ticket.
How do I campaign? Now for the intimidating part: campaigning. This can be far easier for individuals and small tickets, with good preparation. If you don’t have to manage a group of 30 or more people, it’ll be easier for you to find photographers or graphic designers. Plus, you will have more time to focus on campaigning for yourself, rather than for 30 other people on a ticket. You can also take advantage of your underdog status when campaigning. Additionally, if you’re running for a college rep position, you only need to campaign to the students within your college. Depending on your college, this can range from just over 100 people to over 1000 people. Previous election results, available on the ANUSA website, can paint a picture of how many people in your college tend to vote. In ANUSA elections, there is often an emphasis on in-person campaigning. But here’s an open secret: physical campaigning at ANU is on its last legs. Most students don’t engage with campaigners, and the ones who do usually don’t understand such campaigns. Instead, focus on digital campaigning. This can include an attractive Facebook page accompanied with eye-catching graphics that clearly outline your policies. It can also mean securing endorsements from relevant people in ANU or within your college. Some Facebook pages or groups will also organise discussions or opportunities for campaigners to introduce themselves. The Facebook group ANU Schmidtposting has a rule that you may campaign in there twice: once to announce your ticket, and another time to share your page. Other groups have their own rules, so it’s best to get in touch with the admins of these pages. Residential colleges, however, generally have a policy against campaigning.
If you’re running as a college representative, you also should think about whether to run alone or with a partner. The benefit of having a partner is that the two of you would ideally have a good working dynamic, similar ideas, and the ability to support each other during the election process.
A caveat to this advice is that it’s still important to have a physical presence. While campaigning in person might be a waste of time, putting up posters around campus can help you break outside of your social media and friendship bubbles. ANUSA provides tickets with 300 printing points with conversion determined by the probity team, so use them!
The downside, however, is that because college reps are decided proportionately, you are effectively competing against each other (if the race is contested). If you decide to run with a partner, you can always choose to preference yourselves to let votes flow or make preferencing random.
For my campaign, I focused on putting up posters around relevant student spaces. It’s also best to mix up your poster designs; put simple, image-based ones in high-traffic areas and more complex, policy-focused ones where people might linger. A good example of this is outside of tutorial rooms.
After this, you need to familiarise yourself with the electoral regulations. The important bits are the financial regulations and electoral offences. They can be confusing to read, and I recommend getting in touch with the probity team if you have questions. They’d be more than happy to help you – they helped me several times during my election. Probity will also run information sessions after nominations close.
16 // CAMPUS | STUDENT POLITICS Anything else I need to know? When student media contacts you for comment, it’s best to respond quickly. But ask for more time if you need it. If you believe that student media should help organise a debate or write an article, get in touch! Please remember that reporting is hard, and sometimes facts get misreported. Politely get in touch for a correction, and it should be sorted. Since most campaigning takes place on social media, you might feel pressured to respond to tags or queries immediately. Do so when you have time to think through your responses. You may also feel pressured to message friends to encourage them to vote. Only do this if you confidently think it’ll work, and not because other candidates are doing it. I didn’t message anyone, because I felt that most of my friends already knew I was running and had voted for me. Most importantly, take care of yourself. Set boundaries on how many hours you’ll commit during the campaign, and take time for yourself the weekend after the election to recover. Rely on your friends not just for emotional support, but, if they’re willing, to help with your campaign. Last year, we even had strangers reach out to offer support! Ultimately, the ANUSA election is not worth losing sleep over or sacrificing academics or friendships for. When you’ve been preparing for weeks and spending days campaigning, it can feel like ANUSA means everything. But it’s always good to take a step back and keep perspective. While running for ANUSA can seem intimidating, just know that it’s a lot simpler than it seems and that there’s support at each step of the process. I hope that through this informal guide, more people can become engaged and lead ANUSA to new and exciting places. Woroni does not endorse Kai Clark or any other potential candidate in the upcoming ANUSA election, or in any other ANUSA election henceforth. At the time of publishing, the author confirmed that it was unlikely that they would be participating in the 2019 ANUSA elections.
ARTWORK : CLAIRE GASPAR // 17
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ARTWORK : CLAIRE GASPAR // 19
20 // CAMPUS | POLITCS
the value of protest AUTHOR // NICK CARLTON CONTENT WARNING: War The prospect of another three years under a Liberal government, headed by a coal-loving Christian fundamentalist who wears photoshopped sneakers, is frankly alarming. How we respond to Scott Morrison’s attacks on refugees, workers, and the environment is an open question: the ball is in our court.
rial conflicts in the Middle East, or widening levels of inequality, the global poor and oppressed face a worsening situation year after year. For anyone who is serious about fundamentally challenging the system that produces all these horrors, the key question is one of strategy.
The situation is set to get worse for the majority of the world’s population. Whether it be the rise of far-right formations on every continent, the protracted impe-
In the wake of the election, the mainstream media
ARTWORK : ADRIAN SCHMIDT // 21 were quick to denounce the strategy of protesting. The Age published an article titled “I Doubt I’ll Bother Attending Another Climate Rally,” which blamed disruptive rallies for alienating bystanders. A cursory search of the Internet reveals a litany of op-eds lamenting the uselessness of mass demonstrations. Contrary to the conjectures of cynics at Fairfax, the humble protest has been the motor force for change in society. Basic democratic rights such as the extension of the franchise to working men, and later to women, had to be fought for by the Chartist and Suffrage Movements. They achieved this through organising mass protests that drew crowds of tens of thousands. The historic “I Have A Dream” speech, delivered by Martin Luther King Junior on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, drew its power from the 250,000 people who marched alongside King. In 1964, after many decades and many protests, the civil rights movement saw its primary goal of ending racial discrimination enshrined in legislation. The US and Australian governments were forced to withdraw troops from Vietnam after sustained rallies across both nations. This made it untenable to continue the war. Lyndon Johnson, the US president, was dogged by lively protests at every public appearance he made until he stopped appearing in public and withdrew his candidacy for the presidency. Some commentators bemoan the era of social media, claiming that it has made it impossible to mobilise young people. But the climate strike earlier this year, which saw 150,000 Australians take to the streets, shows that mass demonstrations have not been cast into the dustbin of history. Mass protests have won significant gains for the oppressed around the world. But critics of the strategy point out that most of the time, the government does not concede to the demands of protestors. The Marxist art critic John Berger explains that “theoretically, demonstrations are meant to reveal the strength of popular opinion or feeling: theoretically, they are an appeal to the democratic conscience of the State. But this presupposes a conscience which is very unlikely to exist.” Berger also points out that there is more to a protest than its demands. Even demonstrations that do not immediately achieve their stated aims can have a transformative effect on the participants. Berger observes that for participants in a mass demonstration, “the numbers cease to be numbers and become the evidence of their senses, the conclusions of their imagination. The larger the demonstration, the more powerful and immediate a metaphor it becomes for their total collective strength.” When 4,000 people crammed into Garema Place for the student climate strike, the feeling of confidence was palpable. Imagine what it was like when 250,000 rallied for civil rights. Protests that inspire confidence are the building blocks for social movements, because they attract layers of people who want to actively – rather than
passively – support a campaign. In his speech at the Anti-Inauguration, Anand Gopal observed that “a single protest has never changed anything, but the social movements that link protest, that is the lifeblood of resistance.” If there was ever a time to build a social movement, it’s now. The threat of climate change cannot be exaggerated: it is existential. Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate striker, told world leaders to “act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.” Since we cannot rely on politicians, the responsibility to address the climate crisis falls to the public. Fortunately, we don’t have to build a response to climate change from scratch. That work has already been done by generations of committed scientists, journalists, and activists. The majority of Australians already oppose the Adani coal mine, and an even greater number support a transition to renewables. When millions of people fight together against oppression and exploitation, they show the possibility of living in a better society than a capitalist one. Socialism seems like a distant prospect under neoliberalism, where people are encouraged to feel alienated and atomised. Mass protests cut against the feeling of isolation, and demonstrate the possibility of creating a more just and democratic society based on cooperation instead of competition. If we want to stop irreversible environmental damage to the earth, we need to build a sustained mass movement. Even the most inspiring mass movements have humble origins, prompting a nod to Paul Kelly’s iconic lyrics, “from little things, big things grow.” Nick Carlton is a member of Socialist Alternative.
22 // CAMPUS | COMMENT
the euthanasia debate AUTHOR // ELVIN ZHANG CONTENT WARNING: Death, Suicide, Terminal Illness, Sexual Assault, Mental Illness On the face of it, euthanasia appears to be a rational and pragmatic practice that can reduce the suffering endured by many patients nearing the inevitable end of their lives. Dig a little deeper, however, and the implications and consequences are no longer so clear. As is typical for complex issues, the contemporary debate is often riddled with misconceptions and myths. Figuring at the centre of the debate is the assertion that people have the right to self-determination. This is one of the primary reasons for the modern rise of interest in euthanasia. With the value society places on personal choice increasing, it seems only natural that people should be able to decide their own fates. Euthanasia, then, is not only a matter of pragmatism, but of liberty and freedom as well. The majority of us might prefer our deaths to be painless. It is a myth, however, that most patients who want to die choose euthanasia due to extreme pain. The most common reasons for requesting euthanasia are instead a loss of dignity, fear of burdening others, or depression and hopelessness. Surveys conducted in the United States and Netherlands show that less than a third of requests for euthanasia are because of severe physical pain. Similarly, of the seven patients who were euthanised in Australia during its brief period of legality in the 1990s, three reported no daily pain and the pain of the remaining four was adequately managed.
There is genuine concern among bioethicists that euthanasia would put those suffering from mental health issues, as well as other vulnerable people in society, at risk. The legalisation of euthanasia may eventually provide a path to assisted suicide for those who are neither terminally ill, nor in extreme physical pain. The standard response from advocates of euthanasia to these concerns is that such a slippery slope argument is a logical fallacy. They believe that clear legislation can require only patients who are both terminally ill and suffering from extreme physical pain to be allowed to be euthanised. This would protect vulnerable people who do not meet such a strict criteria. The reality, however, is that in countries such as the Netherlands, where euthanasia has been legal for the better part of three decades, evidence does not support such a conclusion. This unbearable suffering (with no possibility of improvement) is a condition that is required by law for euthanasia to be administered. However, the Remmelink Report on euthanasia practices in the Netherlands revealed that in only 32 per cent of all cases did pain play a role in requests for euthanasia. Indeed, pain was not the sole reason for requesting euthanasia in any of these cases.
ARTWORK : MILLIE WANG // 23
In addition, the report found that of the roughly 4,600 cases of euthanasia each year, around 1,000 cases constituted non-voluntary euthanasia. Patients who were often no longer competent were euthanised even though they could not possibly have freely, explicitly, and repeatedly requested it. The euthanasia of newborns, despite being contrary to Dutch law, was also acknowledged in the report. The Netherlands fails to demonstrate that clear legislation on euthanasia can prevent physician misconduct from placing vulnerable groups in society at risk. Physicians are, after all, humans just like us and are susceptible to the same kind of private motivations that might affect our own conduct. It is no secret that euthanasia may, in fact, make their jobs easier by providing them with a shortcut to avoid the painstakingly difficult task of ensuring that dying patients receive professional and extensive amounts of care. If society begins to rely on euthanasia as a means to alleviate physical pain and mental distress then interest, research, and concern for pain management and mental health support would necessarily decrease. This has been witnessed recently in the case of seventeen-year-old Dutch girl Noa Pothoven, who died from passive euthanasia as a result of her unbearable psychological distress after experiencing sexual assault and abuse as a child. Noa, who self-admittedly suffered from severe mental illness, was not only permitted to commit suicide, but was actively encouraged and indirectly assisted through palliative therapy to facilitate her starving to death.
Society’s response to suicidal tendencies and depression should not be to give people the means to end their lives. Instead, we should offer support and counselling in a caring manner. Rejecting the option of euthanasia is an important step in recognising that mental illnesses and distress are not incurable and that there is hope. From here, we can go on to create a culture that is more supportive of mental health issues. Finally, by affirming the status of euthanasia as illegal, we acknowledge that life is of paramount importance and that we are grateful for it. This is not to say that there are no cases in which euthanasia is not appropriate. Overall, however, it would be largely counter-productive to its own original purpose of benefiting patients. As Cicero once said: “There is said to be hope for a sick man, as long as there is life.�
24 // CAMPUS | MEMOIR
ARTWORK : ADRIAN SCHMIDT // 24
To tatt or not to tatt? AUTHOR // CONNOR LUCK-CAMERON CONTENT WARNING: Brief Mention of Crime I love tattoos. Both on me and other people, but not everyone feels the same way about them as I do. There is something about tattoos that makes them still taboo to some people in society, something about them that people relate with gangs, drugs, and crime. Of course, this taboo when compared to 30 years ago has relaxed significantly, but it is still there. I have experienced this personally both within and outside of my family. I currently have only one tattoo on my body (but plan to get many more). It is decently sized and on my forearm, so it is fairly visible. My parents, especially my mum, abhorred the idea of tattoos before I got mine. So much so, in fact, that I partially planned my tattoo around the idea of heritage and family to appease them. Don’t get me wrong, I love my tattoo, how it looks, and what it stands for, but I would be lying if I said the previous factor was not a significant one. I am of Scottish descent and belong to two of the Highland clans, specifically the Cameron and MacGregor clans. Part of the Cameron crest is five arrows tied together by a ribbon. My tattoo is of these arrows, however instead of five arrows I have six, one for each of the six people in my immediate family. To me, the tattoo signifies a blend of heritage/ancestry and family (plus, I think it looks cool). To make the tattoo even more special to me, I got it when I was on exchange in Scotland. Being on exchange was also convenient, because when I told my parents over Skype that I had gotten one, I would not see my parents for another three months.
Their first reaction was a mixture of surprise and disbelief. However, as I told them the significance of the tattoo and that it stood for family, they seemed partially appeased (just like I had planned). In the year since I got my tattoo, my family’s thoughts on tattoos have relaxed significantly, so much so that my mum (the initial biggest critic of my tattoo) seems proud to tell other family members and family friends what my tattoo stands for. I do deal with people who are still prejudiced against tattoos, and I have come to expect that not everyone will change their ideas on them. For instance, my best friend’s mum has said multiple things about my tattoo to me. These include, “Are you okay?”, “Are you depressed?”, “Is this a cry for help?”, “What gang are you going to join now?”, and “Now you’ll never get a job.” On the idea of tattoos and jobs, she may still be partially right. I eventually plan to get a three-quarter sleeve done. I’m deliberately not getting a full sleeve so that if I need to, I can wear a long sleeve shirt to hide my tattoos from potential employers, as workplaces and companies seem to still view tattoos in a negative light. As for my next tattoos that I have planned, they have far less meaning to me, and I have designed them simply as works of art and because I think they look cool. I believe that many people with multiple tattoos can relate to, and really, what more reason do we need?
ARTWORK : ADRIAN SCHMIDT // 25
the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb AUTHOR // ROWAN EVERARD CONTENT WARNING: Queerphobia The month of June has ended, and we weep the fall of the endless rainbows, glitter showers, proud folk, and corporations jumping on a trend to exploit a group of marketable consumers. The month of July has inevitably rolled around, dubbed ‘Pride Wrath Month’ by many a Tumblr user. This month signals not only the break between semesters, and both the relief of the end of exams and the gruelling hours of part-time work, but the return of many proud people to their families. Families that, in some cases, don’t and maybe never will know the truth about the pride that lies in their children’s hearts. Humans are a tricky species. We’re pack animals at our core, and we’re obsessed with fitting in and being fit to fit in. We mock outsiders, and treat those that are different with distrust and suspicion. Thus, within a society that has standardised the heterosexual nuclear family, the reveal of LGQBT+ members to an presumably straight family causes this normative entity to shatter. This is particularly jarring on the sad occasion that this unit is unwilling to evolve and accept that normality, aside from being a ridiculous concept, is also a flexible one. Though many would spout that ‘Blood is thicker than water’ and would preach that the family you were born into is your family for life, these individuals have ignored the true meaning of this twisted analogy. The original line, ‘The blood of the covenant is thicker
than the water of the womb,’ was intended to signify that the family you choose will be the family that stays with you forever, and that shared experience will bond people faster and more firmly than simple genetics. Giving birth or raising a child does not guarantee unconditional love, though Hollywood would have you believe otherwise in many of their heteronormative sensationalist films. Similarly, it does not always guarantee you happiness. The breaking or frayed ties of a split or splitting family will leave the sharpest wounds, but the blood that ties you to your chosen family will lift you up when you need it most. This year there will still be those who have walked home removing pride stickers, flags, rainbows, makeup, and suspenders so as to avoid scrutiny from those who will never be fully removed from their lives. To you, I say that those friends, teachers, acquaintances, strangers, idols, and inspirations that marched beside you in June (whether in the comfort of your own home or loud and proud out in the streets) will remain with you through this homecoming, and maybe even for the rest of your life.
26
ARTWORK : SAMANTHA CORBETT // 27
28 // CAMPUS | UNI LIFE
ARTWORK : ADRIAN SCHMIDT // 28
dear diary, i think i’m a workaholic AUTHOR // CHEW JIA YI Asia-Pacific Forestry Week (APFW 2019) is one of the biggest forestry conventions in the Asia-Pacific region. In 2019, it was held alongside the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission (APFC) from June 17 until June 21. Karen Khoo and I had the opportunity to attend the event as the ANU delegates to the APFW. Not only were we the ANU student delegates, but we were also representing the International Forestry Students’ Association (IFSA). I was also the coordinator of IFSA APFW taskforce, and was therefore responsible for organising events and sessions for the APFW. First, some context. The APFC is held every two years, while the APFW is held every four years (in conjunction with APFC). This year, the APFW and APFC were held in Incheon, South Korea at the Songdo Convensia. APFW is an informal forestry gathering for APFW delegates with various seminars, workshops, and creative events organised by different organisations. It is attended by more than 1,000 delegates from academia, government, NGOs, and the private sector. As a result, it is recognised as the largest forestry convention of the year in the region. The APFC, on the other hand, is a high-level political decision-making arena aimed to facilitate member countries and invited international organisations addressing forestry issues at the regional level. It was attended by ministers and Heads of Forestry, as well as representatives from international organisations, NGOs, and civil societies. All of these organisations came together to discuss and address forestry issues in the region. At the start of this February, at the time unaware of how the decision might impact me, I bravely accepted the challenge from IFSA to become the APFW taskforce coordinator for the organisation. I was expected not only to organise events at the APFW, but also to recruit a student delegation team to attend the event. As an impoverished student, I was well aware that it was essential to attract any possible financial resources to support the delegation team. The costs of flying to South Korea and staying there for a week-long event would be a significant blow to most students. It was a rollercoaster ride for me to juggle my master’s degree, volunteering work, and organising events for the APFW, while simultaneously fundraising, and recruiting a forestry student delegation. I had so many extra calls and meetings on top of my daily responsibilities that I was constantly finding myself on the edge of mental breakdown. Despite the challenges, there were definitely a million moments that made it completely worth it. We successfully attracted enough sponsors to support a group of 45 students from India, Pakistan, Indonesia,
Australia, South Korea, and the Philippines who attended the APFW 2019. Furthermore, we were also able to host a youth-led session called the ‘Young Foresters Summit’ with the support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). We co-organised a session called ‘Youth and Gender inclusion in Forestry’ with the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). We also co-organised nine creative events in conjunction with 13 organisers from different international organisations in the exhibition hall. Lastly, we supported the APFW daily newsletter production. Our presence at the APFW and APFC was important and rewarding, as we were representing not only our institutions, but also advocating for more emphasis on youth inclusion in forest governance. It has been almost a month since the end of the most intense and hectic week of my life. Now, looking back to those days of preparation for the APFW, I’m glad it wasn’t a lonely ride. I was accompanied by great friends and colleagues who helped me, and made sure that I wasn’t doing it all alone. I gained not only new friendships, but also personal development that I wouldn’t have been able to obtain while studying at a desk. If nothing else, I hope this short story can be another message of inspiration to you, repeated by many before me – step outside of your comfort zone!
ANU delegates Chew Jia Yi and Karen Khoo were both supported by Fenner School of Environment and Society and PARSA Student Extracurricular Enrichment Fund (SEEF).
CREATIVE
30 // CREATIVE | POETRY
ARTWORK : ELIZA WILLIAMS // 30
photographs AUTHOR // PHOEBE LUPTON
I’ve spent so many days looking at photographs of me as a child. These photographs remind me of how much I’ve lived how much I’ve loved how little I have left to lose. The most striking photographs show me sat on my father’s lap while I smile like the cheshire cat, not knowing what will come of my life, not even caring that I don’t know. That little girl is gone now but a new woman arose. People grow and people change and the colours of those photographs fade. Is anything really wrong with that? The days I spend looking at photographs show me just what time really is: it cannot be chased, it cannot be faked, it cannot be escaped and maybe, that’s okay.
ARTWORK : MADDY MCCUSKER // 31
i am called half-asian AUTHOR // JULIA FARAGHER
I am called half-Asian because my mother is Vietnamese. No need to ask about my father; you assume he’s white. I wonder which half of me is which. Top and bottom or left and right or mind and body. My body is made up of atoms that used to be other things. So maybe I am half-cat half-kangaroo half-orchid half-rooster. I like to think I am half-star. That my body shines so bright I could light up an entire sky.
32 // CREATIVE | VISUAL
1450 AUTHOR // BRIANNA MUIR [In the year 1450, a pack of man-eating wolves invaded Paris. Over the space of a season, they killed and consumed at least 40 people.]
She with golden eyes & shadow-dark fur s t a l k s cobblestone streets in the dead of winter one f r i g i d January. H o m e i s b a r r e n; too few deer dwell in the forest. to feed such f e r o c i o u s appetites. T h i s f i e r c e & f r i g i d J a n u a r y, G o l d e n
E y e s
h a v e
k n o w n
h u n g e r & d e s p e r a t i o n & d e f i a n c e, & now they will know
f e a r. Forty lives worth.
The time has come. The walls they built brought c a t a s t r o p h e, but the walls have w i t h e r e d.
ARTWORK : MADDY MCCUSKER // 33
The pack has starved p r e y
c a n
&
w a l k
the pack has learned: o n
t w o
l e g s .
Every night of that f r i g i d January, she leads them as they haunt & hunt the alleyways s p u r n e d by the scent of warm flesh & cold d r e a d. The city is s e i z e d in a chokehold o f b l i n d t e r r o r, it
will
not
last,
(blood will spill on the steps of our Lady of Paris) but for now, Golden Eyes & Dark Fur rule the City of Light one f r i g i d January.
34 // CREATIVE | POETRY
light and warmth AUTHOR // ZENA MASON
Sitting alone In a cold dark room Is pain
The brain shrinks And becomes small Where to go where to go?
Light shoots forth a single ray Down into the living room I can’t breathe I can’t breathe
Curtains draw in display Of the night of day Open the curtains And let the light stream in It’s warm
And the body tingles The cold ember heats a little Just a little
Spread the arms and feel the warmth Caress the body tenderly A new breath lights the world away From this once cold dark room
35
incel AUTHOR // ELVIN ZHANG CW: Violence against women
Beauty is contemptible, for me It is useless, that is why. Their bodies, warm Others, who epitomise injustice. I mean they could give, Giving how much pleasure to him? I have no desire to know, When I will never know Who these men are And just how euphoric It might almost be Like for her to go to waste — Never to warm again And her as well. Waste for all, if not I would not stand that He would make use, As would he; While I do not exist, Until beauty ceases to be.
CULTURE
ARTWORK : CLAIRE GASPAR // 37
Z
Z
Z
Z
a second-wave feminist take on Family planning AUTHOR // ZENA MASON CONTENT WARNING: Abortion, Cisnormative Language, Sex, Transphobia Feminist writer Germaine Greer published her second edition of Sex and Destiny in 1986. She says in the book that in the modern world (that is to say, the Westernised and global present) we have lost touch with our senses of self. According to Greer, women who become pregnant and have children become isolated because society does not value children. Thus, a woman’s sexual identity has changed since the past when the whole community would help to raise children, and a woman’s ability to reproduce was valued. In this volume, Greer discusses gender roles in many different cultures around the world, but she focuses on Western culture. She mentions that in traditional European societies a relationship would arise from a prolonged courtship that would have been sanctioned by the community to which they belonged. Men would feel that they had to control women’s reproduction due to their usage of the withdrawal method and abstinence. On the other hand, women would have a long period of time to familiarise themselves with their respective sexual partners. This way, the two people in the relationship would be able to start their own family with the support of the community around them and the resources to bring up their children. I think that in the modern context we can adapt this way of doing things. However, this should depend upon how long it takes to decide whether or not two people are suitable for each other long term; both
parties’ networks of friends to draw on as their ‘community’; and both parties’ practices of safe sexual health and family planning. After reading about this, I became convinced that this would be possible in today’s society if both parties in a relationship were part of a supportive community and were to take charge of their own reproduction. According to Greer, people in a relationship in which cisgender male-female intercourse is the main form of sexual activity are able to practice coitus interruptus (‘pulling out’). Because of this, they effectively have no need for chemical contraception or even condoms (or, as Greer cheekily calls it, ‘rubber hardware’). Coitus interruptus is a risky form of birth control which may result in unwanted pregnancies, and therefore, abortions. However, Greer also makes a point regarding this: An abortion could be chemically induced at extremely early stages of conception without any harm to a baby or foetus. Additionally, avoiding the pill would allow women to avoid the side effects that artificial hormones could have on their bodies.However, Greer argues that this is not possible unless the couple have a ‘tenderness’ for one another, ‘creativity’ and probably the sense of intimacy and oneness required to be aware of the moment when they have reached the climax. Nonetheless, she focuses heavily on traditional roles in cisgender, heterosexual relationships. Regardless of culture, ethnic background or definitions of relationships, the quality of the relationship
38 // CULTURE | FEMINISM is generally determined by the amount of energy that each party is willing to put in. People have different ways of showing care. They can show care through physical affection, acts of service, gifts-giving, taking each other out for meals and so on. In pursuit of what she feels would be best for society in general, Greer seems to have glossed over what is important for people individually. Another point that Greer raises is that when people in contemporary Western countries form relationships, they can have the pressure of what their parents and grandparents have told them they should do. This may have been handed down from cultural traditions, which conflicts with the possibilities that modern technology has enabled. For instance, in some traditional cultures, such as the Italians of Tuscany, a lack of reproductive responsibility was frowned upon amongst men and not required of women. There was a certain kind of Italian man who felt that women’s usage of oral contraceptives could expose themselves to selfish men who would take advantage of them. Thus, they would figure out for themselves how to refrain from impregnating their female partners. However, as Greer argues, this kind of attitude that these men held was centred on ensuring that men felt they had complete control over their reproductive capacity, rather than fostering cooperation between the genders. I think that if we can understand this issue in terms of biology, in any relationship in which reproduction is an issue, there is a constant state of change between those who do the fertilisation and who receives it. In humans, there is a stereotype in cisgender relationships that a man can plant the seed in a woman, and that women can get her eggs fertilised and have children. This stereotype is of course highly variable. However, the ability to do something does not mean that either of those things should be done without the complete and explicit consent of both parties. Greer’s take on the issue of family planning seems to be connected to her take on the adoption of the ‘nuclear family.’ She argues that we have sacrificed the sense of community that is conducive to raising well-rounded, social children and releasing the pressure, poverty and isolation that parents of these children suffer. She thinks that we should subscribe to the pre-Western traditional roles of the Tuscan, Kenyan or Indian villages, with their ‘wise women,’ ‘shamans’ and group birthing. Incidentally, the kind of community for which Greer advocates bears a striking resemblance to that shown in The Handmaid’s Tale. In this fictional world, the top priority is the health and wellbeing of pregnant mothers and young children. It is also assumed that it is (or should be) the destiny of women to be closely involved with the process of bringing children into the world.
While it would be considered anti-feminist now, that outlook, if it is modified to suit the needs of people today, is not without its merits. People who have a wider ‘support network’ are undoubtedly better off in relationships. In our modern culture, instead of the traditional village, we have networks of friends and acquaintances from work, school or family. We may keep in touch with these networks in person, by text message or social media. Those who are better connected to their networks will have more opportunities to learn from the mistakes of others, as well as pass on what they have learned. In support networks such as these, it is possible to get any kind of personalised information about family planning you could ever want without fear or embarrassment, and in a familiar environment surrounded by close friends. The ideas that Greer discusses are interesting. However, there are reasons why her way of looking at these topics could be considered outmoded by feminists today. She looks at these issues from a solely binary perspective, when in fact people’s identities around sexuality are more complex than this. Nonetheless, Sex and Destiny raises some salient issues for relationships, family planning and sex.
ARTWORK : ELIZA WILLIAMS // 39
40 // CULTURE | CELEBRITY
‘miley, what’s good?’ AUTHOR // MIRIAM SADLER
Fun drinking game to play whilst reading this: take a drink every time I mention Taylor Swift. Everyone loves a good feud. Many of us, although we probably wouldn’t like to admit it, love to engage in or watch a little cathartic conflict play out at work. The mass tabloid and social media attention given to celebrity feuds plays into this fascination with conflict and drama. From Kanye West and Taylor Swift’s ongoing angst to the war of words between Drake and Meek Mill, the film, TV and music industries are littered with rumours, half-truths and actual physical evidence of drama (see: that huge lump on Cardi B’s head after her run in with Nicki Minaj at Fashion Week).
But why do celebrities appear to hate everyone they meet, and why, when the formula is nearly always the same, does the mass media consume these stories with such insatiable hunger? The answer to both these questions is largely centered on the fact that celebrities are ‘just like us’: normal people with emotional range and, often, thinly-veiled rage. It’s comforting to know that famous people also have shitty ex-boyfriends who run off with their best mate, or hate everyone they work with. Although celebrities have access to a plethora of perks and wealth, they, like us, live in a world that is made of infuriatingly imperfect (or just annoying) people. Their lives take weird icky turns like us. For example, people loved the feud between Blac Chyna and every single Kardashian because, let’s be honest, dating your son’s dad’s girlfriend’s brother is kind of weird. Infighting
ARTWORK : CLAIRE GASPAR // 41 in TV and film casts is also a fan favourite, mostly because it reminds us that they also have to spend long hours at dreaded jobs with interminable people. On a more cynical level, feuding is also a great publicity tactic when done right. If your career is ailing, a quick attack on Twitter can get you back in the press (I’m looking at you, Azealia Banks and 50 Cent). Feuds, and their ends, can garner mass interest in a new release. I haven’t seen the new video for Swift’s ‘You Need to Calm Down,’ but even I know that her reunion with Katy Perry in the video is A. Big. Deal. The 2007 feud between Kanye West’s Graduation and 50 Cent’s Curtis drove them both to record-breaking sales, and also marked a turning point in rap. Fiddy ended up in second place, and certainly his career has taken a very different trajectory from Ye’s. A more recent, but similar, ‘feud’ happened just this year when Nicki Minaj accused baby Stormi Webster (by way of her famous parents) of stealing her number one album spot. While Minaj was genuinely aggrieved, no doubt having a little dig at Webster (and thus by extension her famous Kardashian aunts), it gave her album sales a little boost. The mass interest in the public lives and scandals of celebrities has, however, a more unpleasant side. Whilst people love feuds that show the ‘normal’ sides of celebrities, there is a tendency to clump all of them into a dimwitted bunch of talentless people. This creates the proliferation of rumours surrounding conflicts, feuds and petty comments that are often simply not true. It also means the media, and social media comments sections, tend to portray their tragedies as something deserved, and meaningless fodder for our attention. I recently watched an interview with Natasha Lyonne for Larry King Now in which she was asked about the biggest misconception of Hollywood. She answered that people think the industry is full of phonies, when in fact she has met ‘real characters’ and smart, genuine people. I’m not saying that every famous person is a fantastic individual. But rather, they probably don’t hate everyone they meet, and if they do then there’s probably a valid emotional reason for it. The obsession with celebrity feuds reveals another unpleasant truth. It is contributing to the pervasive myth that women must be pitted against each other in order to be successful. Overwhelmingly, the interest is in conflicts between female actors and singers and their counterparts. Taylor and Katy, Paris and Nicole, Nicki and Miley, Nicki and Cardi – the list is endless. What these so-called feuds are teaching young girls is that women cannot work together. That you have to tear down other women to reach the top. That all women are hell-bent on stealing your look, your sound, your partner. This is even worse when we consider the way that women of colour are pitted against each other. What the media is saying when it reports on feuds between Nicki Minaj and Cardi B is that two women of colour can’t both be rappers. Lil Kim was threatened by Nicki Minaj, and later Minaj was threatened by Cardi. This was because they had been told that there could only be one female rapper of colour. What this complete-
ly disregards is that each of these women has paved the way for the other. Without Lil Kim there’d be no Nicki, and without Nicki there’d certainly be no Cardi. The stereotype of women of colour as divas always in competition is repeated across the celebrity world: Brandy and Monica, Beyoncé, and Rihanna. Maybe they don’t get on, but that’s largely because they’ve been taught to always be in competition; there’s no room for friendship. This is also reflected in the ‘feud’ between Nicki and Miley Cyrus. Minaj clapping back at Cyrus at the 2015 Video Music Awards actually originated in frustration that Minaj expressed on Twitter, that her video for ‘Anaconda’ was not nominated for Video of the Year. Minaj noted that black women are “rarely rewarded”for their influence on the industry. Enter Taylor Swift who took this as an attack on herself, forgetting that she has profited from black culture. What she also forgot is that the argument was not about her, but about race disparities in the industry. When asked about this by The New York Times, Cyrus waded in with some frankly appalling ideas, claiming what Minaj had said was ‘very Nicki Minaj’ (read: rude) and a ‘pop star against pop star war’. By saying this, Cyrus glazed over the very real race and power imbalances from which she profits, and turned it into a petty feud. And she hasn’t rectified this; she sang on her most recent album ‘I love you Nicki, but I listen to Cardi.’ This was, again, an attempt to pit the two women against each other, the underlying assumption being that you can’t listen to two female rappers of colour. So, when you’re next declaring yourself Team Cardi or Team Nicki, take a minute to think what this obsession with celebrity feuds means for these women who are both producing excellent music, and who both deserve space in the industry.
42 // CULTURE | FILM & TV
ARTWORK : ADRIAN SCHMIDT // 43
families in the media AUTHOR // SOPHIE JOHNSON
Family relationships saturate the media. From the Kardashians, to Thor and Loki, to the family-centered TV show Schitt’s Creek, families have taken over popular imagination. This is because such relationships are a key part of all of our lives. The effect and significance of family relationships vary dramatically from person to person, but ultimately we all know what it is to have a family, and we all understand the trials and tribulations that come with it. Growing up with people is difficult. History is hard. My sister has seen me through my worst teenage years, and I’ve seen her through hers. We’ve done things to each other that we don’t like to speak about: we’ve been our worst selves and made more than our fair share of mistakes. These mistakes often hurt, and there are scars that may never heal, topics that might always be taboo. Despite this, my sister is one of the few people who really know me. I, along with a lot of other people, can be hard to get to know. In no way does this make me special. But, the history and the intimacy that my sister and I share bypass this barrier. It’s impossible to put up walls when she’s been there through thick and thin, and at my core, I love my sister more than anything. What I’m trying to say is that family relationships are, to a certain extent, inescapable. I will advocate forever for the ability of all of us to choose our own families. I will never be the person who assumes that sharing blood is what brings people together. But I will say that it’s nice to have someone who knows you. And, purely because of timing, it’s family (whether chosen or genetic) who really, truly knows who you are.
Family relationships are universal. They are fraught with tension, they are multi-faceted and nuanced, but they are simultaneously eternally relatable. We all have families, and deciding to have someone in your life for a long time inherently involves drama. This universality is what prompts the saturation of families in the media. Harry Potter is basically adopted by the Weasleys, Moira fights with Alexis and David on Schitt’s Creek, Thor and Loki are consistently entertaining and unpredictable. Beneath all of these relationships is one core idea: family is making someone a permanent fixture in your life. It’s about allowing them to know you, and it’s about being there even when it’s hard, even when it doesn’t suit, even when people aren’t necessarily their best selves. This kind of long-term relationship necessarily involves drama, and will always be applicable and relatable to the masses. It’s why their depictions are so popular in the media, and all we can hope for from them are nuanced, multi-dimensional, and diverse representations of family in the media. Really, all anyone ever wants is to see things that they’ve gone through reflected on screen. The best characters are those we can relate to, not because of magic hammers, but because of who they are. And families are an important part of that. We are forged in the fire of family: I sure as hell don’t know who I’d be without mine.
44 // CULTURE | VISUAL ARTS
Let’s talk about the matriarchy AUTHOR // ELOISE RATTLE CONTENT WARNING: Colonialism Whilst trying to ‘overthrow the patriarchy,’ are we actually giving it undeserved airtime? In a world that tends to recognise negativity over positivity, perhaps it’s time to shift our perspectives and look back to the pre-colonial era at some traditional egalitarian societies. Maybe then, we might be able to discover where it all went wrong. Contemporary Indigenous artist Wendy Red Star uses her own image to creatively approach the sensitive subjects of race, gender and indigeneity. Her playful, bright photographic utopias gently present feminism; they are easy for viewers to digest, without compromising artistic intent. Red Star is a descendant of the Crow tribe, which is one of the eight remaining matriarchal clans in which heritage descends through the maternal line. Here, women determine the lineage and bloodlines, proving the power of women outside of post-colonial gender structures. Within groups like the Crow women are not seen as ‘uniquely privileged,’ as the matrilineal principle is based on co-operation and support. The key to success is the allocation of practical and behavioural roles within the clan, dispersed evenly amongst members. Men and women’s responsibilities were equally significant for the success of the tribe. Unfortunately,
the latter part of the 19th century saw an attack on these traditional gender roles. The US and Canadian governments implemented schemes to abolish tradition and create a society resembling the familiar Eurocentric concept of a ‘nuclear family’ and ‘civilised’ society. Unfortunately, this shift continues. However, through the work of artists and activists such as Wendy Red Star, the memory of the Crow’s egalitarian society and cultural heritage prevails. Red Star’s double portrait series Apsáalooke Feminist features herself and Beatrice, her eight-year-old daughter, posed and gazing steadily at the viewer. In these images, Red Star’s daughter represents the enduring ancestry of the Crow tribe and her descendance through the female bloodline. Every pose Red Star makes, her daughter copies, but with an added air of childlike playful disobedience; where Red Star’s hands are neatly clasped, Beatrice adopts a mischievous smile and slumped shoulders. Within these playful scenes of colour and familial comfort, female strength is celebrated. Beatrice and her mother direct unwavering outward gazes at the viewer, challenging and defying the colonial notion of Indigenous peoples as passive objects. In this way, Red Star dictates the importance of maternal teaching, lineage and fe-
IMAGES : WENDY RED STAR // 45 male power. Alongside their portrayal of feminine power and identity, these images satirise colonial misinterpretations. Firstly, the artist’s use of vibrant red and blue along with patterns on the clothing are eye-catching, creating a theatrical aesthetic of the stereotyped ‘American Indian.’ Those of you familiar with the work of Aboriginal artist Tracey Moffatt can see a clear similarity with the use of a theatrical diorama or backdrop to display colonial assumptions and misunderstandings. Furthermore, Red Star and her daughter are set against psychedelic wallpaper, which engulfs them in a hypnotic, dream-like atmosphere, as if they are apparitions instead of living people. This is, in fact, their living room at home. By setting the photo series in her own home, Red Star enforces the continuing resilience of Native Americans alongside the paramount importance of family and bloodlines. Contrasting with the theatrical backdrop, Red Star and her daughter are dressed in traditional elk-tooth dresses, shawls and beaded bags, highlighting the importance of female identity within the Crow society. Dresses carry great significance for women and girls within many Native American tribes, as they represent their connection to ancestry, community and family. Within the Crow community, men’s roles constituted more dangerous operations such as hunting, warfare, weapons manufacture and political matters. The elk teeth, therefore, tell the story of a traditional custom in which a man would collect teeth over years
of hunting and then save them for his mother or sister to sew onto the dress of his prospective wife. On the other hand, women would take charge of physical labour, including agriculture, building tipis and foraging for wild plants, alongside household and child-rearing responsibilities. At a glance, it could be argued that the gender ratio here remains unequal. However, these women held a unique political position due to their place in a matriarchal society. They were allowed to divorce, unlike contemporary American women at the time, and to keep the land and house, as they were in ownership of them. Additionally, women were revered for their healing powers and craftwork, and were enlisted to care for sacred objects: an esteemed responsibility. Interestingly, art was something both men and women were involved in, whether it be embroidery, carvings, music or storytelling. Through examining the structure of pre-colonial societies such as the Crow, we can begin to understand the importance of unique historical roots and traditions. Wendy Red Star uses her artistic flair alongside familial connections to heritage to create a powerful, engaging piece of work that gently provokes thought and understanding. Crow society no longer works entirely as it used to. However, all is certainly not lost thanks to the endurance of memory and representation of history by visual artists such as Wendy Red Star.
46 // CULTURE *SECTION| REVIEW OF MAGAZINE* | *SUBSECTION*
ARTWORK : MILLIE WANG // 46
impressionist perspectives AUTHOR // PHOEBE LUPTON Claude Monet is arguably the most influential Impressionist painter of all time. The National Gallery of Australia exhibition Monet: Impression, Sunrise certainly indicates this! The exhibition displays Monet’s works alongside those of several other Impressionist painters who have followed in the French artist’s footsteps. If only one thing is clear from the popularity of this exhibition, it is that the impact of Impressionism on art past and present will likely never die. When I was lucky enough to attend this exhibition recently, I was amazed by the unique technicality of Impressionism. From leaves on trees to reflections in water, the attention to detail is remarkable. Monet and his protégés left nothing to the imagination. Every brush stroke, every shade of colour, every bit of texture is right there before our eyes. It is almost hard to believe that these paintings are, in fact, paintings at all; the artists represent each scene so literally that they almost appear like photographs. Perhaps it’s not even a stretch to imagine that the invention of photography as we know it today was influenced by Impressionism! At times, I made the mistake of looking too closely at the paintings. In some ways, this ruined the artistic impact for me: it was almost like discovering how a magician performs their trick without experiencing the awe of the trick beforehand. On the other hand, however, standing close enough to a painting to see how the painter achieved the effects of the artwork provided me with a new insight into the creative process. I was able to observe how the literality of the
paintings were created, and appreciate the time and effort that this must have required. One painting in particular stood out to me in this way: Monet’s ‘Les Tuileries’, a landscape artwork which represents a 16th century Parisian garden. When I looked close enough at this painting, I was able to experience the bird’s-eye-view that Monet was presumably trying to achieve. This is what I think was the true impact of this exhibition: perspective. In seeing each painting up-close, one can empathise with the artist’s technical and creative vision. In displaying Monet’s artwork in addition to artwork that followed, one can imagine how the Impressionist movement began and evolved over time. In placing Monet at the centre of the exhibition, one can easily believe that he was the man who started it all. Close to a century after his death, Monet continues to make an impression on the ever-evolving artistic landscape. The fact that an exhibition like this has been created and transported around the world demonstrates that since the publication of his works, art and culture have never been the same. I know that the next time I observe and analyse a work of art, I will not be able to help but compare it to what I saw in Monet: Impression, Sunrise. Therein lies the power of timeless art. Monet: Impression, Sunrise is at the National Gallery of Australia until 1st September.
DISCOVERY
48 // DISCOVERY | BUSINESS & ECONOMICS
what morrison’s tax cuts mean for australian families AUTHOR // EAMMON GUMLEY
Australians will see the first of several tax reforms from the Morrison Government in this year’s tax return. The latest election has led Prime Minister Scott Morrison to claim a political ‘mandate’ to pass some of the largest tax cuts in a generation. But will the average Australian family benefit, or is this just another political promise with little real advantage for Australian households? The answer is both yes and no. While all Australians would hypothetically financially benefit from these tax reforms, the reforms also bring along budgetary disadvantages. This means that the negative impacts of the reforms on government services will outweigh the financial benefits for numerous Australian families. To summarise the tax reforms, they will take the shape of three separate policies, labelled tranches. The first tranche will be implemented in the 2018-2019 financial year, and lifts the low- and middle-income tax offset to include levels of income up to $126,000.
The maximum amount of the offset will be lifted from $530 to $1,080. Importantly for lower income earners, the base amount of the tax offset will be increased from $200 to $255. The second tranche will be implemented from the 2022-2023 financial year, and lifts the 19 per cent and 32.5 per cent tax bracket. The third tranche will be implemented in the 20242025 financial year, and will lower the 32.5 per cent tax bracket to per cent. This tranche will also extend the bracket to cover what used to be the 37 per cent tax bracket. Additionally, it will push the minimum income for the highest tax bracket of 45 per cent from $180,000 to $200,0000. These reforms can be seen as a move towards a flatter, rather than more progressive, tax system. The most significant aspects of these reforms for families are their implementation schedules and their impacts on essential services. Low- and middle-income individuals will experience the fastest change as they receive tax offsets this year. However, the second and third tranche, primarily regarding middle-
ARTWORK : MILLIE WANG // 49 and high-income individuals, carry a start date of at least 2022. For Australian families this three-year delay could see multiple movements between tax brackets as their fortunes change. It undermines the ability of families to adequately prepare and form economic expectations. Perhaps the most important aspect of these policies is their estimated cost to the government of at least $158 billion over the next decade in foregone tax revenue. If the reforms are fully implemented the government may find that they have to pull the purse a little tighter. Programs like Medicare, Centrelink, and the National Disability Insurance Scheme that underpin the health and prosperity of families, especially lower-income families, may find themselves the victim of smaller government budgets. It is unlikely that the money these households save from the tax offsets or lower rates will be able to cover the services provided by these programs.
An often-overlooked segment of society that will not see any benefit are families with members working in Australia’s black economy. Frequently a source of employment for disadvantaged and underprivileged Australians and non-naturalised immigrants, the nature of their work precludes them from reaping any of the rewards of the new system. Due to the reform’s impact on government services, these members of society and their families may find themselves the victims of reduced government services without tax offsets or lower marginal tax rates. An aim of Morrison’s tax reforms is the intention to put more money into the pockets of Australian families. However, the small financial gains Australian families will make are outweighed by the subsequent cuts to essential government services. Nowhere will these cuts be felt worse than by lower-income families and members of Australia’s black economy.
50 // DISCOVERY | INTERNATIONAL
the mediterranean crisis: whose cross is it to bear? AUTHOR // CAHILL DI DONATO
On 6 May 2019, power was cut to one of Rome’s state-owned apartment precincts, leaving the 430 occupants without lighting, refrigeration or hot water for almost two weeks. The power outage came in the wake of a collective €300,000 electricity bill that the tenants, predominantly consisting of migrant families, had been unable to pay. In response to this, Pope Francis sent Cardinal Konrad Krajewski to visit the apartment block to offer food, medical and humanitarian assistance to the struggling families living in the dark. What the residents were probably not expecting was for the Cardinal himself to climb down the building’s manhole and reconnect the power to the main line. When asked who would pay the bill, he responded with “I’ll pay it, no problem.” The cardinal’s compassionate yet seemingly political act drew the attention of Italy’s deputy prime minister and leader of the right-wing Lega Nord Party, Matteo Salvini. In a tweet, Salvini blasted the Cardinal’s action as “illegal,” and asked when he would start “helping the Italians who respect the law.”
tions peacekeeping missions, was at the apex of the 2018 national Italian elections. Italy has taken the brunt of crisis, having received over 650,000 illegally arrived refugees from Africa and the Middle East since 2014. Cripplingly high levels of unemployment coupled with growing fears against foreign communities has provided right-wing parties with the perfect opportunity to elicit support from Italian nationals. A joint parliament was formed on 1 June 2018 between Salvini’s Lega Nord and the anti-establishment Movimento Cinque Stelle two months after the general election was held.
Krajewski and Salvini’s spat echoed the rising tensions between Italy’s populist government’s response to European migration and that of the Catholic Church’s. The Mediterranean Immigration Crisis, which has been exacerbated since 2009 by the lack of a globalised response and ineffective United Na-
It has been little over a year since Salvini’s ascension to parliament, and he has already vowed to instigate a variety of counter-measures to reduce the number of migrants entering Italy’s southern borders. The most contentious of these measures was his ban on European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organ-
An interesting aspect of Salvini’s campaign in particular was his continual referral to migrants as ‘profughi’ which translates more closely to ‘boat people’ than to ‘migrants.’ While both terms can be interchangeable in this situation, ‘profughi’ carries with it a certain racist connotation, which Salvini subtly exploited to further his anti-foreign rhetoric. Even major news outlets began to adopt this mannerism as Salvini used it.
ARTWORK : MILLIE WANG // 51
isation-sponsored naval ships having undertaken search-and-rescue missions in the Mediterranean from docking in Italian ports. The parliament’s decision left two rescue ships carrying a combined 340 migrants stranded at sea for almost a week before they were allowed to dock in neighbouring countries. However, Salvini didn’t wait for the end of the election to pick a fight with the Vatican. Throughout his campaign, he directly appealed to Italy’s Catholic majority by envisioning himself as ‘chosen’ to lead Italy’s parliament. He kissed rosary beads, invoked the names of patron Saints and prayed live on national TV during press conferences. He has no theological diction, nor self-dedication to religion. However, his reliance on vulnerable traditional Catholics scared by Pope Francis’ liberal approach to doctrine has glorified his façade of a religious leader. Given the rigorous anti-immigration sentiment he has adopted, it’s no surprise that the Vatican has rebuked Salvini for his appropriation of Christian symbols. Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin condemned Salvini’s actions, calling it “dangerous” to invoke religion for his own political gain. Contrary to Salvini, the unreserved welcoming of migrants has been a central and reoccurring theme of Pope Francis’ pontificate. He has provided over USD $500,000 to construct housing for migrants on the Mexico-US border, and has strongly advocated for more lenient border laws in countries on the forefront of the people movement. He has also played a prominent role in the Mediterranean Crisis. Following a shipwreck that killed over 360 African migrants off the Italian coast, the Pope has continuously begged European governments to provide incoming migrants with a “dignified welcome.” The theme for the 2019 World Day of Migrants and Refugees was recently released at the end of May by
the Pope as Non si tratta solo di migranti – It is not just about migrants. The day aims to shift the focus from the victimisation of migrants onto ourselves. More specifically, the Pope drags into the spotlight the temptations of developed nations to foster an increasingly visible trend of individualism to demonise migration. It is a subtle yet direct strike against the rise of anti-immigration parties in Europe, such as that of Italy’s new government. It is difficult to guess the extent to which Salvini and the Church’s feud will fester. On a global scale, the Church’s influence in the political sphere is deteriorating, and the allure of right-wing populism is on the rise. Despite what these governments try to propagate, migratory movements in the 21st century should not be symbolised as a new phenomenon. Since the beginning of mankind, migration has sown the seeds for the creation and integration of new communities and cultures in all corners of the world. It is when these fluxes are forced that a collective international acknowledgment is required. The Mediterranean Crisis and the unprecedented number of refugees in the hands of human traffickers reflect the failure of this response.
52 // DISCOVERY | ENVIRONMENT
ARTWORK : ELIZA WILLIAMS
from plastic ocean waste to eco-friendly clothing AUTHOR // CANADA GAVIN Plastic has rapidly become a negatively geared word in the world of environmental sustainability. According to Ocean Conservancy, eight million tonnes of plastic waste end up in our oceans each year. Recycling plastic has always been at the top of the list for ways to reduce an individual’s ecological footprint. This philosophy is no different in the fashion industry, with brands from Adidas to Patagonia using ocean pollution as a free market for new textiles. Recycled ocean waste has been turned into a variety of fashion pieces ranging from shoes to wetsuits. Adidas have used ocean plastics to create 3D printed sports shoes in partnership with Parley for the Oceans. This company promotes repurposing ocean waste and improving the catastrophic issue of plastic waste. Similarly, Kelly Slater’s surfwear brand Outerknown is made from recycled fishing nets and plastic waste. The overall message of these companies promotes a positive environmental message, so what is the issue? Whilst these initiatives are being dubbed by society as a major step forward for the eco-fashion industry, there are numerous negative implications from these pieces. In fact, the main purpose of these clothing brands – to reduce the implications of plastic pollution in the ocean – is often exacerbated through the way we interact with these clothing items. The major source of damage is occurring due to microplastics being introduced into the washing cycle, which filters tiny plastic particles into the water cycle. Synthetic clothing, which includes clothing made from recycled plastic, continually pollutes waterways due to tiny plastic threads being extracted from the garment. Current technology does not allow washing machines to capture these fibres; they instead end up in the oceans, further polluting the ecosystems. An article in Environmental Science and Technology states that a single synthetic garment can produce up to 1,900 microfibres per wash, which when
multiplied across the entire globe results in an enormous amount of pollution. Whilst this in itself seems like a major issue with recycled plastic clothing, there are other problems. It has been found that microfibres can absorb other toxins such as pesticides and chemicals. This means that when aquatic species eat the plastics, they are also ingesting other dangerous chemicals, which can end up back on our plates when we consume seafood. The company Five Gyres, who campaign against microfibres, has stated that there are over five trillion plastic pieces on the ocean, and another 33 billion tonnes are estimated to fill our oceans by 2050. So, whilst many textiles companies think they are helping the environment by using recycled plastic in their pieces, it is actually having a catastrophic impact on aquatic ecosystems and the health of the overall population. In order to combat this, there are a few solutions. Firstly, to stop using synthetic materials to create clothing and textile items due to the highly negative implications. Recycled ocean plastics can still be repurposed, but they are better off in the form of products that don’t need to be washed frequently such as furniture or toys. Secondly, to reduce the amount of microfibres being released into the water cycle, we can fit our washing machines with microfibre filters. These filters trap microfibres in each wash cycle, preventing them from being released into waterways. In the long term, it would beneficial for all washing machines to be pre-fitted with such filters, however currently filters need to be bought separately from machines. Overall, there is a long way to go in improving the state of ocean waste in response to the fashion industry. Moving forward, it is crucial for companies to research whether their solutions are actually improving environmental conditions, rather than making the situation worse as is currently the case by using ocean waste in clothing production.
ARTWORK : MADDY MCCUSKER // 53
instagram and the rise of environmental activism AUTHOR // TASH SALISBURY I first heard about Plastic Free July last year on Instagram. Being a science student with a marine science major, I’d been continuously exposed to the threat that plastic has on our marine ecosystem, in particular, the wildlife. Like many others, I didn’t realise how much we rely on plastic in our current society until I tried to remove it. Everything from hygiene and beauty products, to both fresh and pre-packaged foods, to clothes, is packaged in plastic. It seems almost impossible to remove plastic from our lives. This is why I think social media-based movements like Plastic Free July are so effective. Not only do they create a community online where information and tips can be shared, but it also makes it very clear how to get involved. I’ve found the @plasticfreejuly community to be very inclusive, as it encourages people to reduce their plastic consumption, without the pressure of entirely eliminating plastic. Their goal is for everyone to reduce their plastic use as much as is feasible for each individual. This contrasts to many other movements that advocate an ‘all-or-nothing’ approach that ultimately pushes people away. On the Plastic Free July website, there are options to pledge a variety of goals for the month, including trying to remove only coffee cups and plastic bags, becoming plastic-free for just one week or going cold turkey for the whole month. Having inclusive options like this means that more people feel like they can get involved without having to completely change their lifestyle. In environmental activism, this is extremely important. A million people trying to remove some plastic from their lives, even if the amount is small, is exponentially more effective than a handful of people being completely plastic-free, which is often what happens when people are shamed for not entirely removing plastic from their lives. Small steps across a whole community make enormous impacts. I’ve seen a few things on social media lately laughing at those who use KeepCups and think they are ‘eco-friendly.’ While using a KeepCup is a first step to reducing plastic waste and your environmental
footprint, so many more steps can be taken. In my opinion, making fun of those who only use keep cups is so stupid. Yes, the KeepCup has become ‘trendy,’ but isn’t this something we should be celebrating? It shouldn’t matter if some people only use a KeepCup to be fashionable and not for environmental reasons. I mean, it would be great if they could do it for the environment and consider their footprint in other aspects of their lives, but they’re still using a KeepCup. It’s ultimately a win for the planet, so who cares? Personally, I’m stoked to see anyone using a KeepCup regardless of their motivations. The reality is that becoming more environmentally conscious is becoming more and more mainstream. High-profile public figures and influencers are talking about it more than ever, and the market for environmentally friendly food, clothing and retail is bigger than ever before. Back to Instagram, people with huge followings are spreading their message of sustainability such as Grace Beverley (one million followers), DJ Tigerlily (604,000 followers), Zanna van Dijk (280,000 followers) and David Pocock (202,000 followers). With such a wide reach, public figures have an enormous influence on encouraging sustainability to their followers. Social media has been crucial to Greta Thunberg’s school strike activism for climate change, which has now spread across the world. The attention garnered by her large following has pushed her into the spotlight as the face of environmental activism for our generation. And while Greta’s feed, on first glance, has very little in common with Grace Beverley’s, the message is the same. Encourage, not discourage, bring people in and don’t leave people out. Keep your KeepCup, encourage discussion, but most importantly, accept everyone into the environmental activism movement. Like Plastic Free July, encourage people to take any step, no matter how big or small. And be stoked that environmentalism is finally becoming fashionable.
54 // DISCOVERY | ENVIRONMENT
four simple and achievable ways to eat more sustainably AUTHOR // JENNIFER KERR
From school climate rallies, to KeepCups and the movement against straws, young people are championing a more sustainable future. However, amidst all of our sustainable attempts what is often ignored is the enormous impact that our diets have on the environment. One third of total global greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture alone and Australians have one of the largest per capita dietary environmental footprints in the world. But fear not! Although veganism is an ideal solution (I’m patting all the vegans on the back here, especially because you’ve made it very clear who you are), there are many more achievable ways for us mere mortals to help the environment by what we eat. It all starts by what you put in your supermarket basket.
MONDAY AND TUESDAY DINNER Healthy roasted chicken and veggies 2 medium chicken breasts 1 capsicum 1 zuccini 1 clove of garlic
1. Plan your meals
1/2 an onion
It’s simple. A well planned supermarket shopping list translates to less food wastage, less impulse spending and more money in your pocket. You won’t have sad and soggy vegetables sitting in the fridge and will also ensure that you have the right ingredients to cook with (rather than opting for another packet of two-minute noodles). Sit down at the start of each week or fortnight and plan your meals. This can be all your meals or just your nightly dinners. Basically, just list the ingredients and quantities you will need to buy.
1 cup of broccoli paprika
BUY BUY BUY BUY Pantry Frozen in freezer In cupboard
2. Moderate your meat intake Avoiding meat is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet. Try making Mondays meat-free! Red meat, lamb (if you are feeling particularly boujee) and processed meats such as sausages, salami and ham have particularly high eco-footprints. Eating beef just one to two times per week over an entire year is the equivalent of driving 2,482 kilometres in a petrol-fuelled car. Attempt
ARTWORK : ELIZA WILLIAMS // 55
to substitute them for lower-impact meats such as chicken or pork. In addition, alternatives such as flexitarianism (eating meat more rarely) are feasible for most people. Another great tip is to experiment a bit and learn to cook your favourite recipes a little differently. Why not make a vegetarian lasagne or pork tacos instead of beef! There are also a huge range of legumes, tofu and nuts that can act as meat-like substitutes. Similarly, junk food and most dairy products have a reasonably large environmental footprint as they are heavily processed. Swap some of your processed snacks for fruit or home-baked products (particularly if they are lovingly baked by a parent or grandparent). 3. Eat seasonally Eating food that is abundant and in season means that produce does not have to be transported internationally from countries such as the US and China to appear on our plates. Buying produce that is seasonal will not only reduce transport emissions but it is often fresher and less expensive. It is easy to tell what is in season based on the fruit and veggies that are the cheapest and most abundant in supply. If in doubt, just check the label. Here are some of my personal Autumn faves in season: - Fruit: Most apples are in season, kiwi fruits, avocados, bananas, most oranges, pears - Veggies: beetroots, broccolis, Asian greens, cucumbers, carrots, spinach, pumpkins, leeks, zucchinis - Some ‘treat yourself/I’ve just been paid’ fruits: strawberries, raspberries, grapes, mangos 4. Eat locally While lowering your environmental dietary footprint can be achieved by shopping at the big two supermarkets, it is even better to support local stores and producers. Right here at ANU, the Food Co-op under Lena Karmel Lodge sells affordable and sustainable
local produce. They also sell weekly veggie boxes filled with seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables. Their foods are sold in bulk to reduce excess packaging and plastic. In addition to places such at the Food Co-op, Canberra is surrounded by quality farms and growers who are passionate about cultivating great produce. The Farmer’s Markets are held every weekend and are a great chance to feel like a prised millennial, walking around in your activewear (with no intention of going to the gym) while holding a bunch of kale. Choku Bai Jo in Lyneham and Curtin also aim to give local farmers another outlet (that’s open during the week) to sell their produce and foods. Another fantastic thing about shopping at smaller, local sellers is that you are helping to reduce food wastage associated with the big supermarkets. Shockingly, up to 60 per cent of fruit and veggies never even make it to the supermarket shelves because they do not meet the narrow cosmetic standards they set. For example, Woolworths has an 11,000-word document just to describe their standards for bananas. While some stores have introduced ranges such as ‘the odd bunch’ selling ‘ugly’ produce at a discount, local producers will sell you what they grow. They may sell you a slightly bend-ier carrot, or a mysteriously large zucchini, but ultimately it’s what’s on the inside that counts. The KeepCup revolution and the switch to reusable shopping bags shows us that if small changes are done consistently, they can have a huge impact. Planning what you buy, swapping high-carbon footprint foods for lower ones and eating locally and seasonally where possible are some of the easiest ways to ensure that our planet can support future generations. A more sustainable diet is not only healthier for the planet but it is also better for your cash-strapped student wallets and your health.
56 // DISCOVERY | MEDICINE
how can you mend a broken heart? AUTHOR // RUTH PURCELL
The powers that be love blaming millennials for just about anything and everything. Unsurprisingly, next up on the list of millennial faults is reduced organ donation from motorcycle accidents. Millennials aren’t riding motorcycles to quite the extent that Baby Boomers did. As such, motorcycle deaths are decreasing, dragging down organ donation rates from ill-fated bikers (heaven forbid a statistic relating to millennials should be positive).
stem cells. These are then induced to become the cardiac cells that are required to build a beating human heart. In 2016, it took just two weeks for scientists to grow such hearts, but the researchers are clear that although well structured, the hearts resembled immature organs. Consequently, much work remains to be done before we are able to create individualised hearts for patients to order for transplantation.
Organ transplantation has a colourful and convoluted history. The first autograft-transplantation (movement of tissue from one part of the patient’s body to another) took place in the late 1800s. This was a skin graft from the inner thigh used to repair the patient’s nose, which had been destroyed by syphilis. By the early 1900s, effective skin and cornea allograft-transplantations (movement of tissue from a human donor to human recipient) had been performed. However, it was not until the 1950s that successful transplantation of larger, more complex organs began. The first of these was a kidney transplant. The first heart transplant was performed by South African cardiac surgeon Christiaan Barnard in 1967, and transplant technology has followed an exciting trajectory ever since. Doctors can now transplant a huge variety of tissues and organs including intestines, pancreases, hands, testes, penises, bones, heart valves, and, recently, faces.
- Growing heart patches: A heart attack can result in up to a billion cardiac cells that can never regrow after being destroyed, but this doesn’t mean the whole heart subsequently becomes completely dysfunctional. Nevertheless, heart attack patients frequently receive heart transplants because a partial transplant (excluding heart valve transplants) isn’t a procedure that can be performed. However, early 2019 saw the announcement of successfully grown swatches of cardiac muscle that are capable of conducting the electrical signals required to make a heart beat. These can literally be used to patch up a broken heart. This has been a work in progress for the past 20 years, and the patches will imminently be tested in clinical trials. Once widely available, these heart patches will reduce the need for entire heart transplants and improve survival outcomes for heart attack patients.
The heart is one of the most in-demand organs for transplantation. Unlike liver and kidney donors who can share their organs and then live to fight another day, heart donors must, of course, be deceased to give their recipient a new lease on life.
- 3D printing hearts: The technology is still in its infancy but, earlier this year, researchers at Tel Aviv University 3D printed a tiny vascularised heart using the patient’s own cells. This made the miniature organ an immunological and biochemical match. The heart was printed in the same manner in which all other inanimate objects are 3D printed: layer by layer, additively growing the heart from the bottom up. It will be many years before a 3D printed, human-sized heart is stitched into Ruth Purcell, a patient. However, when this does happen, two huge barriers in organ donation will be overcome: lack of supply from donors, and organ rejection.
Thankfully, medical researchers have been working to ensure that the lack of millennials involved in fatal motorcycle accidents doesn’t severely impact the number of patients getting the new hearts they need. In an attempt to make organ donors obsolete, scientists are seeing to it that the wild notion of hearts being grown in labs is becoming increasingly more realistic. As a side benefit, synthetic hearts mitigate an enormous risk that comes with transplantation: the patient’s body rejecting the new organ and mounting a massive immune response against the foreign cells. Scientists have been seeing to this in a number of ways: - Regenerating old hearts in the lab: Using a detergent, cells from human hearts unfit for transplantation can be stripped away, leaving behind only the extracellular scaffold of the heart. This matrix can then be repopulated with the patient’s own skin cells that have been reverse engineered into
Although you may not yet be able to hit ‘print’ and receive your new heart ready for transplantation tomorrow, synthetic hearts are well on the way to saving lives. Of the thousands of people currently in need of a heart transplant, many of them won’t survive the waitlist. This tragic lack of supply is an issue I have every hope we will not face for many decades more.
ARTWORK : GEORGIE KAMVISSIS // 57
58 // DISCOVERY
MIcroscopy IMAGES
Pap smear
IMAGERY : RUTH PURCELL // 59
Crypts and villi of small intestine
Trophoblastic villi of placenta
60 // DISCOVERY
Placental villi and membranes
Crypts and villi of small intestine
IMAGERY : RUTH PURCELL // 61
Goblet cells
Crypts and villi of small intestine
62 // PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE: NEW ROMANTIC
ARTWORK : JULIA FARAGHER // 62
63 // PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE: NEW ROMANTIC
ARTWORK : JULIA FARAGHER // 63
64 // *SECTION OF MAGAZINE*
w
We acknowledge the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, who are the traditional owners of the land on which Woroni is written, edited and printed. We pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge that this land – which we benefit from occupying – was stolen, that sovereignty was never ceded and that no acknowledgement will ever bring it back.