Woroni Edition Eleven 2017 by Woroni

Woroni ISSUE 11, VOL. 67. Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

STUPOL HACKS’ FORTUNES RESURRECTED BY CLUBS COUNCIL RESULT Text: Jasper Lindell Some of the ANU’s student politics hopefuls have seen their prospects restored after failing to be elected in August’s ANUSA elections, successfully contesting positions on the Clubs Council. Nearly 40 per cent of those people who will serve on the Clubs Council next year ran in the ANUSA elections in August, while over 60 per cent of those elected have previously been involved in ANUSA, either as candidates or officials.

Clockwise from bottom left: Niall Cummins, Ian Fulton, Lauren Kightly, Howard Maclean, Marianna Segaram, Joel Baker, Matthew Mottola, Lewis Pope

Lewis Pope, who has been elected chair, said it showed those who were elected to the Clubs Council had clearly demonstrated their ‘passion’ and willingness to get involved with student life on campus. Previous experience was ‘overwhelmingly positive.’

Pope ran unsuccessfully on Eleanor Kay’s Lift ANUSA ticket for treasurer, and launched a bid for Clubs Council chair on a platform of responsiveness and optimising Council grants to clubs.

Pope beat Bodie D’Orazio and Jacob Mildren in an election which saw a low turnout of 37 of 158 eligible delegates. Pope, who has been running for ANUSA elections since his first year at the University, said it was a ‘positive thing’ about the characters of his new fellow Clubs Council members that they would continue to look for opportunities to work for the student body. Pope pointed to the incoming secretary, Howard Maclean, and the incoming community officer, Mariana Segaram, as people who had sought out these positions to work for students. Both are no strangers to student politics. Maclean is a current general representative to the Student Representative Council and ran unsuccessfully as an independent candidate for ANUSA general secretary and University council member. He was elected National Union of Students delegate. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Vol. 67 , Issue 11 News

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Untitled Ruohan Zhao

Sustainable Campus Bulletin: Five Fun Sustainable Designs At Universities Grace Dudley

So, I Was Talking To A Friend Sumithri Venketasubramanian

Coming Out of The Closet Anonymous 25

My Bubble Noah Yim 13

The Forgotten World Mason Britton

A Comprehensive Guide On When To Tell Your Non-Black Man That You’re Wearing A Wig Prisca Ochan

Being Clingy Is Not Cool: Why Beeswax Wraps Win Lyn Dong

Science 40

You Can’t Say That Luke Kinsella

A Letter from A Rohingya Woman of Myanmar Maria Bagum

(Un)Healthy Research: A Dilemma of Ethics And The Publication Bias Max Wang

INTERNATIONAL

Art

Business & Economics

Mongolia – A Trip To The Land of The Forgotten Nomads Casley Rowan

The Beginner’s Guide To The Symphony Clare Green

Short And Stimulating Boya Li

The Quiet Art Julia Faragher

MULTILINGUAL

About The Eyes Akka Ballenger Constantin

Learning about Other Cultures Through Music Zena Mason 30

Love Asefeh Abedini

The Emmys: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Miriam Sadler

FEATures

The Magic of Live Theatre Sophie Tallis 18

The Noise Mahalia Crawshaw 18

Coping Mechanisms for Chaos Willis Samson, Jim Macdougall, Edward Treloar, Olivia Ireland and Aislinn Grimley

‘Connecting the dots’ ethnocultural pullout 19

The Complex Nature of Conformity Anonymous 20

My Assimilation Into Australia Nadiah Kamilia Khairuzzaman 21

What’s In A Name Kanika Kirpalani 22

Maybe International Students Can Be Leaders Too Savitha Shankar B 23

Streaks of Vibrant Colour In A Painting Annabelle Nshuti

It’s A Memeingful Life Brandon Tan 31

Interview with Mark Opitz Cloe Sinclair

REVIEWS

Explainer: Much Ado About Inflation Garyn Tan 42

Playtime’s Over: Toy’s ‘R’ Us Files For Bankruptcy Vikrum Sithambaram 43

What Is An ICO and Why Should You Care? Conor Tarpey 43

Devil And The Deep Blue Fee Victor Sukeerth Munagala

Sport 44

Why Is The State of Origin So Successful? Nick Benecke

sATIRE 45

A Very Brief Look At The Game of Thrones Season Seven Soundtrack Clare Green 33

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: 50 Years On Conor Tarpey

Life & Style 34

Inked Zoe O’Leary Kat Zoe O’LearyCameron, Cameron, Kat Carrington, Grace Shalders, Carrington, GraceImmy Shalders, Bronte McHenry, Purcell, Bronte McHenry, Immy Purcell, Charlotte Goodman & Talei Holm Charlotte and Talei Holm 36

Why I’ve Stopped Looking At Mental Illness Memes Nick Wyche

environment 38

What Happened To The Live Exports Debate in Australia? Grace Dudley

The Ultimate Fresher Five (Tips) Liv Blucher 46

Tag Urself: Woroni Board Edition Zoe O’Leary Cameron 47

The Snail Trail Kat Duffy 47

Release Me From This Eternal Prison Will Fletcher 47

Cryptic Crossword NWJ 48

Four Ways to Save Money that doesn’t Involve any Relatable™ Avocado References Caroline Dry 48

Sudoku Sebastian Rossi

2 acknowledgement of country

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 future. We would also like to acknowledge that this land – which we benefit from occupying – was stolen, and that sovereignty was never ceded. Within this ongoing echo of colonialism we commit, as writers and editors, to amplify the voices and stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at our university. We will honour the diversity of their stories.

Board of Editors

Editor in Chief: Kanika Kirpalani Managing Editor: Kat Carrington Deputy EiC: Nathalie Rosales Cheng Content Editor: James Atkinson Radio Editor: Oscar Jolly TV Editor: Linda Chen Art Editor: Zoe O’Leary Cameron News Editor: Jasper Lindell

staff and Sub-Editors

Admin Assistant: Arun Murali Financial Controller: Brendan Greenwood Business Development: Jonathan Tjandra Marketing: Nicole Jackson Social Media: Daniella (Sunny) Tan Instagram: Fernando Goh Comment: Ruby Smyth Comment: Noah Yim International: Una Chen Features: Olivia Ireland Multilingual: Rosalind Moran Creative Writing: Georgia Leak Creative Writing: Prischa Ochan Arts: Ben Lawrence Reviews: Josie Ganko Life & Style: Nick Wyche Environment: Grace Dudley Science: Matthew Teh Business & Economics: Victor Sukeerth Munagala Business & Economics: Nivedita Shankar Sport: Adam Mayers Satire & Humour: Elizabeth Harris News: Isabella Ostini News: Lorane Gaborit News: Max Koslowski News: Isabella Di Mattina-Beven News: Luke Kinsella News: Josie Ganko News: Aleyn Silva News: Hugh McClure Executive Producer: Loretta Lackner Presenter Liason: Annika Law Radio Technical Officer: Will Fletcher Music & Events: Eilish Hensman Marketing: Ollie Brown Design: Rowan McGinness Producer: Imogen Purcell Producer: Zoe Halstead Producer: Steph David Producer: Iona Rennie Producer: Sonja Panjkov Art & Design: Katie Ward Art & Design: Zoe Bilston Camera Operator: Bremer Sharp Camera Operator: Shasha Ma Camera Operator: Ruben Thompson Camera Operator: Lachlan Townshend Camera Operator: Jeongyeon ‘Judy’ Shin Reporter: Casley Rowan Reporter: Elvis Gleeson Reporter: Ajai Samra Reporter: Reza Mazumder Photography: Dillon Vibes Photography: Chloe Tredea Photography: Marwan Elhassan Photography: Christine Song

Contact

Phone: (02) 6125 9574 Shop 15, Lena Karmel Building 26 Barry Drive, Acton 2601 Woroni is printed by Capital Fine Print.

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Send words to write@woroni.com.au and visuals to art@woroni.com.au. Woroni is powered by portable zen gardens made of Himalayan rock salt. Also, Sweet Bones.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

NEWS

Students continue campaign for marriage equality Text: Jasper Lindell

Students at the ANU are continuing to work towards a YES vote in the marriage equality postal survey as the divisive campaign stretches into its final weeks, with a higher than expected turnout anticipated. Students have participated in door knocking and phone banking initiatives organised by the Australian Marriage Equality campaign, as the No campaign has dug in its heels in an effort to galvanise support for its unpopular cause. Rainbow YES campaign posters have been displayed prominently in staff office doors and YES posters feature prominently on campus noticeboards. One campaign volunteer, Max, told Woroni that while the YES campaign isn’t trying to convince anyone, it is working to ensure that people send back their survey forms. He said it would ‘take up too many resources’ trying to convince every no voter encountered to switch their support, and those resources were ‘better placed in a “get out and vote” campaign.’ ‘Their main concern isn’t in investing 15 minutes in talking around a no voter, when 15 minutes could be better spent talking to people on that block who don’t have time to vote yes, but would otherwise support it,’ the first year ANU arts student said at the weekend. Despite long-held public support for marriage equality, there is growing nervousness that the outcome of the

postal survey could be closer than first thought. According to a Newspoll published last week, support for same-sex marriage has fallen to 57 per cent, from 63 per cent in August. In September 2016, 62 per cent support was recorded in the same poll. Support for a no vote has increased to 34 per cent from 30 per cent in August. It was 32 per cent a year ago. Nine per cent of respondents were found to be non committed. The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said that the result was ‘now in the hands of the Australian people’ but expected a ‘very high turnout’. Weekly

national

estimates

the turnout will be produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with the first expected on Tuesday, 3 October. The survey closes on 7 November, with results announced on 15 November. Meanwhile, the YES campaign hit out at the no campaign at the weekend after an advertisement highlighting the comments of supposed YES campaign supporters calling their opponents ‘bigots’ and ‘homophobic maggots’ was distributed online. The Equality Campaign executive director, Tiernan Brady, said the campaign had sought to be positive despite the abuse LGBTI* people were subjected to during the campaign. ‘Unfortunately lesbian and gay people understand what it feels like to be verbally harassed and bullied,’ he said.

‘We have chosen as a campaign not to highlight that because marriage equality needs to unite the country not divide it. ‘This ad is divisive. The majority of Australians are for marriage equality because they believe in the fundamental Australian value of fairness and they’re being called intolerant for believing in fairness.’ Student door knocking volunteer Max encouraged students to support the YES vote and also recommended getting out into the suburbs of Watson and Hackett. ‘I would thoroughly recommend that outside of statistical information collection season, you should walk around some of these inner north suburbs because there’s some stunning 70s architecture,’ he said.

CLUBS COUNCIL RESULT SEES FAMILIAR FACES ELECTED CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 He described himself in the Clubs Council campaign as a ‘failed ANUSA gensec candidate’, and pointed to ‘dozens of hours’ invested in improving meetings, policy and governance oversight. Segaram ran unsuccessfully for for ANUSA social officer on the Lift ticket with Lewis Pope. Pope and Segaram were the only Lift executive candidates who were not elected. Segaram, a third year engineering and business administration student, is the current discipline branch officer, and has been on the ANU K-Pop club’s committee, involved with the International Students’ Department, Ekta and the UniLodge residents’ committee. She was elected on a campaign of expanding on work she has already under-

taken to ensure clubs can be inclusive environments.

join incumbent Matthew Stuckey as general officers in 2018.

other like-minded individuals in a social setting.’

Familiar #stupol faces elected to the Clubs Council are Matthew Mottola, the incoming 2018 queer* officer; Joel Baker, a 2016 and 2017 probity officer in the ANUSA elections and current Clubs Council secretary; Jonathan Tjandra, 2015 Let’s ticket candidate for College of Arts and Social Sciences representative; Lauren Kightly, Lift general representative; and Ian Fulton, 2016 general officer on the Clubs Council and veteran of 2016’s Make ANUSA Great Again ticket.

Lily Iervasi has been elected arts and performance branch officer, Shirley Ruan will serve as discipline branch officer and Seren Heyman-Griffiths will be the humanitarian, advocacy and social justice branch officer. Tandee Wang, a 2017 elections probity officer, will be special interest branch officer.

‘There will be plenty of opportunities for the political clubs to work together, but I’m also very mindful of the fact that each club has their own philosophy and way of doing things. The last thing I want to do is upset that balance by being too overbearing,’ Cummins said, noting that if they were engaging with the student body that was ‘fantastic.’

Mottola will serve as affiliation officer, Baker as communications officer, Tjandra will continue as faith and religion branch officer, Kightly as language and culture branch officer, and Fulton as funding officer. Osman Chiu and Jacob Mildren will

Niall Cummins, a first year student and already an ANUSA campaign veteran of the Activate general representatives ticket, has been elected political branch officer and wants to bring a ‘co-operative approach to the role.’ He told Woroni in a statement he would work towards the Clubs Council being able to provide more support to political clubs on what ‘obviously such a politically charged campus.’ He said: ‘I think clubs are a great way for interested students to meet

‘Personally I believe that so long as their activities are enriching the experience of ANU students, they should be treated the same as any other club. ‘I’ll be pushing hard for Clubs Council to offer funding to political clubs, with the necessary oversight and regulation a strong priority,’ he said.

NEWS

Issue 11, Vol. 67

BRAVE NEW WORLD IN FUTURE TEACHING SPACES Text: Bella Di Mattina-Beven

Lectures and exams will continue at the ANU, the deputy vice-chancellor, Marnie Hughes-Warrington, confirmed as she provided detail about the types of spaces slated for the new ‘teaching and learning building’. At the Reunion Court Update Forum on 18 September, Hughes-Warrington confirmed the continued use of lectures and exams, but also signalled that new methods and spaces would be incorporated into the ANU. Yet to be finalised is how exactly teachers will be supported in using the spaces to their full potential. Following the demolition of the Manning Clark lecture theatres, questions were raised as to whether lectures would be removed from ANU courses. Hughes-Warrington confirmed that a lecture theatre with retractable tiers would be available to provide a 500 seat theatre. She suggested it would be the ‘replacement’ for Manning Clark. However the deputy vice-chancellor

Lectures, exams to continue at the University

also indicated that lectures had potentially passed their heyday, as originally implied by the building project. She said that ‘f lipped classrooms’ were being considered as a method of teaching. Flipped classrooms deliver lecture-style content online, and homework-style activities are provided during contact hours. The movement to alternative learning styles is perhaps given a mandate by the student response to live-streamed lectures. Some courses this semester provided live streaming of lectures to other spaces, where the lecture venue could not hold all students. Staff quickly found that the lecture venues themselves were not full and live streaming was not required. Other spaces promised at the forum included a top f loor which is to be f lat, and fit 300 students. The aim is for it to be used as an exam space, indicating that exams are also not to be faded out with the institution of new learning spaces and styles.

‘I’m not a lover of exams,’ HughesWarrington admitted, ‘but I’m aware we have a shortage of f lat f loor space’.

were working with Diane Joseph, an education consultant, on a one page teaching resource.

Exams are currently being administered off-campus at Barry Drive and the Croatian Club in O’Connor.

However Hughes-Warrington also indicated that support for staff in the new environment would be ‘the first item of business’ for education committees, following a merge that will reduce the committees from five to two. The committees will be given the mandates of ‘quality’ and ‘innovation’.

In the teaching and learning building students will also have access to a ground f loor commons, f lexible space for classes with 30 to 120 people, and a nearby outdoor amphitheatre. A drama theatre, cinema and two bars have also been earmarked for the Culture and Events space. However there is not yet a detailed plan for engaging with staff to provide support for use of new teaching methods and spaces. When prompted, Hughes-Warrington indicated a twofold plan. The first stage was ‘ramping up’ the Education Fellowship Scheme, which provides training and professional recognition to ANU staff. She also indicated that the associate deans

The changes might be a Brave New World for the ANU, but Senior Lecturer and Education Designer Tom Worthington suggested the spaces and practices to be implemented are common practice in primary and secondary education. They have also been implemented for years in other universities, such as the University of Canberra with its Inspire space. He suggested that part of the reason that the ANU lags behind is the prestigious lecturers, who hold more power over the styles of learning they use.

Vice-chancellor Schmidt grilled by student activists at pizza chat ANALYSIS Text: Bella Di Mattina-Beven

Pizza with Brian was not a lighthearted event on Monday, 18 September, as student activists grilled the vice-chancellor on casualisation of teaching, refugees on Nauru, the AHRC survey into sexual assault and sexual harassment, and ANU’s investment in Fossil Fuels. However the ANU administration seemed to hit the right notes regarding higher education fees, speaking against proposed federal cuts. With the Domino’s pizza arriving ten minutes late, the mood in BKSS was already tense before students began asking vice-chancellor Schmidt hard-hitting questions. Schmidt was accompanied by a handful of administration members. Students quickly brought up a Memorandum of Understanding, agreed to by Schmidt and Border Force several years ago. Schmidt explained the move as an attempt to ‘inf luence what they do for the betterment of Australia’. Schmidt said discussion when the MOU was signed regarded Australia’s future and ‘ensuring immigrants thrive and are included’. He also said the MOU regarded areas of mutual interest, and that asylum seekers were not of mutual interest.

‘We are not working with them on how to effectively manage Manus Island,’ he said. When asked about the lack of survivor input into the ANU’s response to the AHRC report, he said: ‘I acknowledge the disappointment’. He said the choice not to include survivors was made in the interest of providing a rapid response to the most urgent issues. He also said that the process ‘would have caused more hurt and trauma,’ and that the ANU was finding a way to include them in a respectful and safe way. On institutional mistrust, he said, ‘Trust will be earned by us delivering a process and an outcome... that is world leading.’ He also indicated that a pilot project into Restorative Justice, collaborating with RegNet, was being headed by the pro vice-chancellor of university experience, Richard Baker. On fossil fuels he also failed to appease. He abandoned the usual tagline af ANU being world-leading, suggesting that ANU simply followed the trend on fossil fuel investment. ‘I haven’t seen institutions with similar fiduciary obligations completely divest on fossil fuels.’ He suggested a forum would be held in February 2018 to discuss alternative solutions, saying, ‘I don’t think it [divestment] is the only thing that we should think about.’

ANU vice-chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt Discussion of the proposed cuts to higher education seemed to unite students and administrative staff. It proposes cuts to the Commonwealth Grants Scheme which would amount to $2.5 million loss a year for ANU. Schmidt spoke vehemently against the proposed cuts, and also admonished the government’s plan to increase HECS payments. However he wouldn’t comment on where the cuts would affect ANU, stating he was sure the changes wouldn’t become law. ‘I have heard from various people in the senate that it won’t pass,’ he said. Schmidt seemed to garner more support from students with his

discussion of casualisation of teaching. He clarified his stance on casualisation, saying, ‘I do not like casualisation of people post-PhD … My fundamental belief is that casualisation of the workforce is a stupid idea.’ He stated that he did not think hiring PhD students on a casual rate to run tutorials was casualisation. He also committed to ANU maintaining a semester system, as many universities change to a trimester system. ‘I don’t see a big push for it and I don’t think it’s the right thing for ANU,’ he said.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

NEWS

ANU STILL LOOKING FOR SOLUTION TO TRAFFIC DILEMMA Text: Bella Di Mattina-Beven The ANU administration is still struggling to find solutions to increased traffic on campus as further major building works begin. The changes in foot traffic caused by the Reunion Court demolition process, combined with the commencement of work on the Pauline Griffin Building, is causing safety hazards for students and staff. The two projects are occurring parallel to each other, following nearly a year of delays for the demolition of the Pauline Griffin Building to make way for new staff facilities. Tradesmen working on the Pauline Griffin Building rely heavily on Ellery Crescent as their only access to the site. However the street is now thoroughfare for students crossing Sullivan’s Creek to Pop Up Village, Llewellyn Civic.

the main and staff reach the Hall and

The street is currently congested with trucks of materials, students, bicycles and the cars which use the five-storey carpark opposite the site. Pedestrian paths on one side have been blocked with scaffolding. The deputy vice-chancellor, Marnie Hughes-Warrington, acknowledged the traffic was a cause for concern at an update forum for the projects. ‘We haven’t solved it yet but we’re aware of the problem,’ she said.

The abandoned Pauline Griffin Building fenced off and ready for demolition Hughes-Warrington said the street would be narrowed to traffic, and traffic controllers employed to maintain safety. Vendors at the Pop Up Village have been asked to limit deliveries to offpeak times, slowing down the move-in process for new vendors such as Lazy Su and Chicken Tikka. Hughes-Warrington also said that discussions were being had on how to reduce the speed of bicycles on the street, suggesting it was a key area of

safety concern. Ultimately both Hughes-Warrington and the director of major projects, Robert Hitchcock, conceded a solution had not been identified. The Ellery Crescent issues point to wider concerns among the community about the impact of construction on the ANU campus. It was confirmed in April 2018 there will be 500 construction workers on

the Reunion Court site for the building of several ‘superstructures,’ such as the new student hub. There is a temporary traffic management plan in place, and Hitchcock confirmed that in the process of appointing tenders to the project, contractors ‘would be encouraged to park offsite’. Upon completion of the project, new loop roads will lead to the new precinct to provide supplies to vendors. Completion is due in December 2018.

New names being considered for the post-redevelopment Union Court precinct change from the names on campus.

male-centric

Hughes-Warrington suggested that consultation with the local Indigenous community had also already begun. She noted that the space has a special place in Indigenous culture and history, and hoped to honour that importance. It was implied that this connection could be a significant factor in the naming of the broader precinct.

Demolition work in the old Union Court seen from the Haydon-Allen building at the weekend Text: Bella Di Mattina-Beven

The Reunion Court precinct is without a name, the deputy vicechancellor, Marnie HughesWarrington, revealed at an update forum earlier this month.

consultation with Indigenous groups, with regard to the space’s Indigenous significance. Names would also be made with regard to the contribution of women, Hughes-Warrington indicated.

Hughes-Warrington would not confirm the continued use of any former names, including Union Court.

Hughes-Warrington suggested the process for choosing the names of the new buildings and facilities would begin shortly, and hoped the process would bring recognition to female academics, and be made in consultation.

New

A naming committee will undertake

names

will

found

the momentous task of naming the precinct, buildings and further facilities prior to its promised January 2019 opening. Hughes-Warrington indicated that the process could provide recognition to groups previously unrecognised by ANU’s buildings. She noted that names are ‘currently very white and very male’, and she hoped to ‘increase’ the ‘number of women named buildings’. It’s not the administration

first time the has suggested a

Indigenous groups have already been consulted in regards to the development project, with Indigenous significance cited as a reason for the environmental rejuvenation of Sullivan’s Creek as part of the development. Indigenous culture is also being considered in relation to interior design and public art in the precinct, consideration of which is beginning shortly. The names will be considered by the naming committee, and also passed through the asset naming committee before being confirmed.

NEWS

Issue 11, Vol. 67

GETTING THE RIGHT INTERNSHIP IS WHAT COUNTS Are internships just a way for students to pad out their CVs? And do they really matter to employers? Woroni reporter LUKE KINSELLA investigates St udents a re a lways look i ng for ways to get t heir CV to sta nd out. Internships a re one such met hod people use to get t he upper ha nd. But a re t hey wor t h it? T he CEO of Ta i lored Accou nts, Ha rr y Hoa ng, a n A N U a lu mnus, t hi n k s i nternships shou ld be compu lsor y for a l l st udents. Hoa ng’s accou nt i ng busi ness work s i n conju nc t ion w it h t he CBE i n host i ng i nterns ever y semester. He st ressed t he i mpor ta nce of i nternships for i nternat iona l st udents i n pa r t icu la r. Hoa ng hi msel f was a n i nternat iona l st udent f rom Viet na m when he took his i nternship. ‘As a n i nternat iona l st udent who had on ly just a rrived i n Aust ra lia, I had no ex perience a nd my Eng lish was rea l ly poor,’ he sa id. ‘ T he domest ic st udents I was i n compet it ion w it h sta r ted work i ng i n jobs when t hey were 13 or 14, so t hey had much bet ter CVs t ha n people l i ke mysel f.’ He decided to ta ke a n i nternship because he t houg ht it wou ld g ive hi m t he ex perience necessa r y to compete i n t he job ma rket. ‘Wit hout t hat i nternship, I don’t t hi n k I cou ld have fou nd a job,’ he sa id. Hoa ng fou nded Ta i lored Accou nts, a n accou nt i ng busi ness i n Braddon. He sa id t hat ma ny busi nesses a re reluc ta nt to hire i nterns because t hey v iew it as a form of ‘slave labou r.’ Hoa ng has a d i f ferent opi nion. ‘It ’s good for t he i ndust r y... It ’s li ke a n i nvest ment,’ he sa id. Hoa ng prac t ices what he preaches as wel l. Ta i lored Accou nts r u ns a bi-a nnua l t ra i ni ng prog ra m ca l led ‘Accou ntCha nge #2020’, which is open to u niversit y st udents. It ’s completely f ree a nd f u nded ent irely by Ta i lored Accou nts. Li ke a n i nternship, pa r t icipa nts i n t he prog ra m ga i n va luable ex perience. Some have even been of fered jobs. Av ish k a Mu ni nd radasa was a n i ntern for Ta i lored Accou nts whi lst st udy i ng at t he A N U a nd ended up liv i ng ever y i nterns’ d rea m. She was of fered a f u l l-t i me job a f ter her i nternship.

She sa id t hat her i nternship taug ht her t hi ngs t hat u niversit y ca n’t. ‘I lea rnt about a l l of t hese except ions to r u les I t houg ht were set i n stone. T hat was eye-openi ng. It ’s somet hi ng school doesn’t teach you, because t hey ca n’t,’ she sa id. Mu ni nd radasa spoke g low i ng ly of her i nternship ex perience. She sa id i nternships def i nitely help one’s job prospec ts. ‘Employers a re more ent husiast ic when t hey see you’ve had prev ious ex perience,’ she sa id. T he A N U’s Professor Boyd Hu nter, who specia lises i n labou r economics a nd public polic y, told Woroni t hat i nternship ex perience ma ke ca nd idates appea r mot ivated at f irst g la nce, which may get a n employer’s at tent ion. ‘However, modern employers a re less li kely to pay at tent ion to what is w rit ten i n a CV a nd use a lternat ive mea ns of veri f y i ng t he produc t iv it y of potent ia l workers, li ke socia l net work s,’ he sa id. ‘ T he i nternship is not st ric t ly spea k i ng necessa r y i n my opi nion, but it may get you not iced i n t he f irst place.’ Mu ni nd radasa a lso spoke of a not her hidden benef it of i nternships. ‘You get a n idea of what t he i ndust r y is li ke, a nd i f t hat just helps you f ig u re out whet her you li ke it or not, t hat ’s st i l l a big step,’ she sa id But u npa id i nternships a re of ten crit icised for bei ng easier for members of wea lt hy fa mi lies. St udents f rom low socioeconomic backg rou nds of ten ca n’t a f ford to ta ke u npa id i nternships. Ded icat i ng t i me a nd ef for t to what is essent ia l ly volu nteer work is not possible for st udents who need to f i na ncia l ly suppor t t hemselves a nd jugg le st udy at t he sa me t i me. Internships a re usua l ly ta ken by st udents who a re f i na ncia l ly comfor table, as a mea ns of i mprov i ng t heir employabi lit y. Hu nter ag rees. ‘Unpa id i nternships a re more li kely to go to st udents f rom wea lt hy fa mi lies, because of hig her levels of socia l capita l i n such fa mi lies,’ he sa id.

‘Of cou rse hav i ng hig h levels of i ncome mea ns t hat t he fa mi lies ca n susta i n fa mi ly members doi ng u npa id i nternships a nd hence rei nforci ng labou r ma rket i nequa lit ies.’ Mu ni nd radasa sa id t hat t he A N U prov ides a way a rou nd t his problem. She completed her i nternship w it h Ta i lored Accou nts t hroug h t he Col lege of Busi ness a nd Economics (CBE). As a resu lt, her i nternship cont ributed cou rse cred it to her deg ree. So it was just li ke a ny ot her subjec t. At t he A N U, t here a re severa l i nternship prog ra ms which cou nt for cou rse cred it. Becomi ng a n i ntern ca n be a relat ively easy process for second a nd t hird-yea r st udents. Ma ny of t he A N U Col leges, such as t he Col lege for Busi ness a nd Economics (CBE), Col lege of Asia a nd t he Paci f ic a nd t he Col lege of Sciences, a l low st udents to u nder ta ke a n i nternship as a n elec t ive w it hi n t heir deg ree. Prerequ isites d i f fer f rom prog ra m to prog ra m. One of t he more popu la r prog ra ms, t he Aust ra lia n Nat iona l Internship Prog ra m (A N IP), requ ires applica nts to have a d ist i nc t ion average a nd to have completed a mi ni mu m of 96 u nits. Hu nter sa id t hat t he rea l problem w it h a n emphasis on u npa id i nternships is t hat it leads to ‘CV padd i ng.’ T hat is, people ta ke i nternships just to put t hem on t heir CV, rat her t ha n to ac t ua l ly lea rn new sk i l ls. ‘Some applica nts who have done i nternships may look li ke t hey’re mot ivated energet ic a nd work place ready but it been i n ef fec t been doi ng low sk i l led task s to subsid ise f irms,’ sa id Hu nter. Hu nter adv ises st udents to ensu re i nternships teach t he sk i l ls releva nt to t he f ield t hey w ish to work i n. It ’s not about get t i ng just a ny i nternship, it ’s about get t i ng t he rig ht i nternship.

JHARNA CHAMLAGAI ELECTED ETHNOCULTURAL DEPARTMENT OFFICER Text: Kat Carrington

Jharna Chamlagai, the current ethnocultural department secretary, has been elected as the 2018 ethnocultural officer. Chamlagai beat Prisca Ochan, another member of the collective. Chamlagai will take the reigns from Rashna Farrukh, the inaugural officer of the department. The ethnocultural department was formed to represent, advocate for, and provide support for ANU students who identify as culturally and ethnically diverse. The former committee became an ANUSA-affiliated department in September 2016. Chamlagai told Woroni that, in 2018, the department will focus on greater conversation and action ‘about how issues, such as proposed education cuts or changes in refugee policy, affect members in different ways.’ She plans to continue the department’s mental health project as well as producing the inaugural ethnocultural revue. ‘As for the election itself, I don’t know what else to say other than it was great to have people turn out, ask questions and engage in deciding the direction of our department,’ she said. Farrukh, the current department officer, told Woroni that she is ‘excited to see [Chamlagai] implement her vision for the department.’ During Farrukh’s term, the department saw a highly successful Ethnocultural Week as well as increased visibility. ‘It’s been really great building a community, increasing our visibility, and running a really successful Ethnocultural Week this year. Going into next year, we will see the department raising awareness on how things like cuts to education and the government’s policies on refugees affect our members,’ Farrukh said. Elections for secretary, deputy officer, and publicity officer will be held on 12 October during an autonomous collective meeting. Chamlagai officially takes office on 1 December 2017.

Got a news tip? news@woroni. com.au

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

NEWS

After election defeat, Cameron Allan considers what could have been – and what can still be Text: Max Koslowski

‘I remember sitting in the weird PARSA study pods,’ says Cameron Allan of the night the ANUSA election results were announced. ‘And Freya and Jessy came up to me, and I could just tell straight away. ‘It was that kind of blank emotion – and one of them shook their head, and I was just kind of numb. I was stunned. I was stunned because of the reality that months and months and months of work hadn’t paid off.’ Allan unsuccessfully ran for ANUSA president on the Shake Up ticket. ‘Actually, it had paid off – some really fantastic Gen Reps got elected. But it wasn’t the outcome I had wanted,’ Allan says. ‘If you’re vote’s being counted you can’t be in the room,’ says Allan. ‘So when the exec found out and it was so split, I wasn’t sure what the outcome was going to be – also recognising that Lift had put a lot of their campaign into Eleanor.’ Shake Up won two executive positions, while Eleanor Kay’s Lift ANUSA won four, including the presidency. Last year Allan was the president of the Interhall Arts Committee, spent two years as Burgmann College arts representative, while also being the ANUSA Social Officer. In his time at the ANU, he’s co-organised Asia Pacific Week and Big Night Out, and is directing Arts Revue this year. ‘Although I come across as a confident person, I doubt myself all the time. When I was running for social officer, and when I was running for president, there was never a moment where I was not always doubting myself. ‘You have to grapple with questions of: How much of this is a reflection on me? What could I have done to elevate other members of my team so that they could have got elected? You grapple with feelings of guilt. What more could I have done?’ Halfway through the interview, Allan stops himself and says he doesn’t want this piece to be a sob story, but instead a reflection on how the election went. What more could Allan have done? For one, if Allan had done it all over, he would have published Shake Up’s policies earlier, and held off on some of the BuzzFeed content. ‘I probably would have launched policy earlier, so when we did have those few weeks of purely playful content, there was less time for that mythology of us being “less serious” to develop,’ he says. ‘The reason we chose to put out content

like the BuzzFeed pieces was to show that content created by tickets could reach out to people outside of the ANUSA bubble.’ ‘The connotations attached to that were a bit frivolous, potentially … but I thought for us, complementing really engaging content with really creative and good policy – and I think our policy was good – would be enough to disprove that myth.’ Despite this, Allan seems proud of the campaign he had run. When asked for anything else that he would have improved on, he struggled to come up with anything. Instead, he turned to the faults with the ANUSA election process itself: Asked if there is anything else he would have improved on, he instead turns to the faults with the ANUSA election process. ‘Three days of campaigning is plenty,’ he says. Ever since elections moved online, inperson campaigning just hasn’t cut it. Of all the students who end up voting in the elections, more than half of them will traditionally vote by the end of the first day – and it was the same story in this year’s election. Woroni tracked the traffic to the election site during the week, and found that, of more than 2,000 votes, around 1,200 had been cast by the Monday night. ‘It’s a really huge commitment in Week 5,’ says Allan. ‘Shorter election periods would take the stress off students who are campaigning who need to be studying.’

Was it worth it? Did people actually listen to you when you campaigned in person? ‘Yeah! I don’t think everyone had the same experience – campaigning is one, an acquired skill and two, really tough. I’m lucky because I have an outrageously extroverted personality.’ ‘If you invest in the conversation, you take a genuine interest, and you tailor a conversation to them – what they study, what their interests are, and what their experiences on campus have been – you will find that people are passionate about things. They just often don’t know what avenues and platforms to use. ‘A lot of people care about parking. A lot of people care about libraries. A lot of people care about mental health. And a lot of people care about what they are studying. By tailoring the conversation, I was able to have a lot of really good chats – to the point where, when I wasn’t elected, on that night there were people that I had talked to, who I had never met before, messaging me!’ Allan laughs. ‘They were like, “Hey I heard you lost, I hope you’re ok.” It was really heartening.’ Allan clearly got a lot from the campaign. For all the time he spent trying to identify the problems with ANUSA campaigning, and with Shake Up’s effort in particular, he spent double that time talking about how great his team was and how proud he was of their policies and hard work. ‘The morale in our team was always quite high. And I think the reason for that was the policy was really genuinely

engaged with by the whole team before it went public. ‘We had 17 policy areas – and I asked, “Who’s interested in first year orientation?”, and five or six teams members put their hand up. They then meet two or three times, and fleshed it out over a Google Doc. And I think those people felt a really deep connection to that policy.’ ‘Logistically, it’s tough. You’re essentially managing 17 micro-teams. But it created a really great sense of teamwork, and I think that was really good,’ Allan says. Whenever we spoke about Allan’s attimes tense relationship with Eleanor Kay, he was always incredibly careful to not say anything that would hurt or offend. The Shake Up team members Woroni spoke to about the campaign all stressed how well-run the ticket had been. And it seemed it that the social media presence was clean, the ticket was cohesive, and Allan spent hours every day walking up and down the main campaign areas. Allan described it – with a laugh – as ‘slightly masochistic’ of him. But to his team members, it was a sign of his unfailing dedication to the campaign. But what is next for Allan? ‘I have a few ideas,’ he says with a smirk but fails to elaborate. There’s surely something in store – he’s still got at least two more years at the ANU.

NEWS

Issue 11, Vol. 67

BOUND FOR GLORY? B&G TO CHASE 5th CONSECUTIVE DIV 1 INWARD BOUND VICTORY Text: Luke Kinsella Burton & Garran Hall will be looking to defend their title as Inward Bound (IB) champions after a convincing victory last year, when the biggest event of the ANU’s sporting calendar kicks off next week. On Friday, 6 October, the ANU colleges will farewell their teams at B&G in the initial send-off event. Each college can enter up to seven teams of four runners, which will run distances ranging from 40 to 100kms. There are seven divisions, with Division 1 having to run the longest distance. B&G has won Division 1 every year since 2013. In 2016, the college won five of seven divisions. ‘While there is still some pressure on B&G, Division 1 is very much up for grabs,’ one of the B&G coaches, Charlie Henshall, told Woroni. But this year, they’re without IB guru David Baldwin, who has been in B&G’s Division 1 team ever since their winning streak began. Baldwin is serving as Course Setter on the IB Organising Committee this year.

UTS takes out University Games but ANU takes bronze in volleyball and men’s hockey University of Technology and the University of Technology Sydney in the final to cap off one of the best ANU performances at the Games.

Text: Adam Mayers Sports Sub-Editor

In the swimming, the Women’s 4x50 Metre Medley Relay team bagged themselves a silver medal, finishing just 0.8 seconds behind winners Bond University. The Women’s 4x50 Metre Freestyle Relay team also went home with a medal, securing a bronze behind the two Queensland teams of Bond University and the Queensland University of Technology. Meanwhile, in the Men’s 400 Meter Hurdles, Angus Proudfoot ran strongly in a closely-fought race, finishing second.

Coming off the back of a successful Eastern University Games, the ANU Owls descended on a sweltering Gold Coast this week hoping for their best University Games showing yet. Consisting of 148 athletes and seven coaches, the team competed in sixteen teams across 15 different sports. In the overall pennants table, the ANU came away with two bronze medals in mixed beach volleyball and men’s hockey (improving on last year’s single bronze). In other team events, the Owls came agonisingly close to gaining further medals, only to fall in closely-fought semi-finals or bronze medal matches. The six fourth-placed teams in the final tally are testament to just how close the team came to securing further podium finishes and will no doubt encourage the team heading into next year’s Games. Outside of the overall team tally, the ANU achieved a string impressive victories or top-three finishes across multiple disciplines. The University of Technology Sydney were the overall Games champions. ‘Aside from these strong results it is fantastic to see the team culture that is developing around the team. This was

highlighted on the Thursday night as all 150 students crammed into the Hockey Center to cheer on Men’s team in their important semi final against Melbourne University. ‘It is excellent to see the students taking such pride in representing the university and buying into being an ANU Owl,’ a spokesperson from ANU Sport said, adding that the perception of the University Games was changing and would continue to attract the University’s top athletes as a ‘fantastic way to make new friends and represent their University.’ Yosuke Okada impressively qualified out of his Kendo first-round pool before going onto win the event, beating representatives from the Queensland

However it was in the rowing events that the ANU had the most individual success. An impressive silver in the Mixed Four (Coxed) A Final was followed up by two gold medals in both the Women’s Single Scull and Women’s Double Scull A Finals. Outside of the medalled places, the Owls also managed a handful of fourth and fifth placings. Overall, the 2017 Games were an improvement on previous years’ results, with not only impressive final results, but also a plethora of near misses and closely fought losses. Heading back to Canberra, the team can be incredibly proud of their achievements, particularly given the trying heat they experienced throughout the week. The signs are promising heading into 2018.

Of B&G’s 28 person team, 22 are making their IB debut. ‘Yes, B&G has lost its strength and experience from previous years, but we’re still very much in the hunt for Division 1 and the overall win,’ Henshall told Woroni. The event runs for two days. On Friday, the teams are blindfolded and driven to their drop-off point. Once at their drop off point, the runners have to determine their whereabouts using only the environment around them and simple navigation techniques. If a team makes a mistake in determining the location of their drop-off, they can end up running in the wrong direction. Last year, several Division 1 teams initially ran in the wrong direction, costing valuable time. After determining their location, runners begin their journey to to the end point. The end point is kept a secret to everyone, including the runners, until the day of the event. Last year, the end point was at Delmeny Beach, south of Bateman’s Bay. Division 1 runners had to run around 100kms to get there.

UNI GAMES LOCKED IN TO GOLD COAST ANU students will need to head to the Gold Coast to participate in the Australian University Games until at least 2022, after Tourism Events Queensland locked in the event for four years. A new format for the Games will see student athletes heading to the Gold Coast twice a year: a Division 1 event in September will follow the Division 2 event in July. The Gold Coast Bulletin reported last week that the Games contribute $11.6 million to the local economy each time around 9,000 student athletes descend on the Gold Coast. The Queensland minister for tourism, Kate Jones, said the Games had ‘grown to be Australia’s largest annual multisport event and I expect this new format will continue to grow the competition and attract thousands of competitors, visitors and volunteers to Queensland. The Australian University Sport CEO, Don Knapp, said there had been ‘tremendous growth in elite student-athlete programs’ and the new format of the Games would align with education and sport pathways offered at the 42 member universities. The Games started in 1993 and were hosted by the Gold Coast biennially .

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

NEWS

ANU SECURES ITS PLACE IN AUSTRALIAN SPACE PUSH Text: Isabella Ostini

be applied across civil and defence sectors.

The ANU has moved to ensure it remains well-placed to engage with a growing Australian space sector, after the federal government announced the formation of an Australian space agency.

‘This project will produce a single sensor design that can be tuned to addressing remote sensing problems as diverse as detecting submerged objects, to assessing coral reef health in one single package,’ said Professor Anna Moore, director of the AITC.

The announcement of the new agency was made at the 68th International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, an annual gathering of over 4,000 industry professionals from around the world.

The University also signed a memorandum of understanding with UNSW Canberra at the International Astronautical Congress, committing to collaborate on satellite and space instrument development and testing.

Details are yet to be finalised, but will be announced in 2018, after the findings of the governmentcommissioned Review of Australia’s Space Industry Capability, chaired by former CSIRO chief Dr Megan Clark, are released.

The ANU has already worked with UNSW in the development of CubeSats, the kind of miniaturised satellite that the review’s Expert Reference Group has recognised are driving change in the international space industry.

However, the minister for education and training, Senator Simon Birmingham, said that one point is already overwhelmingly clear. ‘The case for establishing an Australian space agency is compelling.’

But now, with the ANU providing design knowledge and testing facilities, and UNSW providing technical engineering expertise, ‘we have a professional end-toend capability to conceive, design, build and test complete satellites so that they are ready for launch,’ said Professor Schmidt.

Despite being the third country to launch a satellite into orbit, after the United States and Soviet Union, Australia is now one of the only developed countries not to have a domestic space agency. In a discussion paper released earlier this month, the expert reference group for the review acknowledged that the development of small satellites, increased access to and value of information in the digital age, and new entrants to the sector, were the key drivers of change in the international space sector. The international industry is worth an estimated $420 billion, and the government hopes to cash in on the fast-growing sector, focusing on the thousands of new jobs that could be created. ‘The global space industry is growing rapidly and it is crucial that Australia is part of this growth,’ the employment minister, Michaelia Cash, said. How much the government is willing to invest, and where it will be invested, remains to be seen. However, the industry is expected to ‘pay for itself ’, through the growth predicted as a result of the new agency. The ACT has historically been a strong centre of the Australian space sector. The former Honeysuckle Creek observatory south of the city was the first to receive footage of the 1969 moon landing, which it relayed to the United States. NASA’s Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla is one of three stations worldwide capable of tracking NASA’s deep space missions. It currently supports over 30 missions and received the last

The dome of the Mt Stromlo Observatory at night data sent from the Cassini space probe before it’s destruction. The ANU is particularly well placed to engage with and benefit from a growing Australian space sector, already contributing to international and domestic astronomical efforts through the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA), and facilities at Mt Stromlo and Siding Spring. ‘A national space agency for Australia should allow us to coordinate our efforts – between Australian industry, academia and defence – to do bigger and bolder things than we have done before,’ said the ANU’s vice-chancellor, Professor Brian Schmidt. The ANU is home to the Advanced Instrumental Technology Centre (AITC) at Mount Stromlo, Australia’s most sophisticated facility for building and testing satellites and developing astronomical instrumentation. It features equipment that simulates the extreme conditions satellites and space instruments will experience during launch, and once in orbit, to ensure that they are up to the task. The university is also part of the Giant Magellan Telescope project, the international search for ‘Planet 9’, and other international collaborations, as well as operating the Skymapper telescope, at Siding Spring, which is in the process of surveying the entire southern sky. The ANU hosts the Cooperative Research Centre, using laser technology to track and destroy space debris, which poses a real risk to existing spacecraft and satellites.

Schmidt conducted his Nobel Prizewinning research into the expansion of the universe from the RSAA. Currently, an ongoing project into plasma propulsion for spacecraft is also being led out of the RSAA. ‘ANU is a national resource with leading facilities which drive Australia’s research, as well as space industry and technology,’ Schmidt said. The ANU shares its astronomical expertise with school students too, hosting the McNamara-Saunders Astronomical Teaching Telescope at its Mount Stromlo campus. In the days since the government’s announcement, the ANU has moved to cement its position at the centre of Australia’s space sector, announcing three major new initiatives. The ANU will be leading a government-contracted project to develop new sensors for lowaltitude satellites and drones, in collaboration with the Defence Materials Technology Centre, the University of New South Wales in Canberra, and CSIRO. The leader of the project, Associate Professor Rob Sharp, explained, ‘The mission uses simultaneous observations of light to build a 3D model of the sea. The model is the key to peeling back the layers of the ocean and seeing beneath the surface.’ The project will initially focus on creating models to determine underwater visibility, the structure of the seaf loor and local f lora, and to examine coral coverage and its health, but eventually may also be used to locate buried minerals, and

Moore said that the collaboration was a strategic choice that would help to grow the Australian domestic space industry. ‘As a part of our mission as a national university, the AITC establishes these strategic partnerships to focus the facilities and talent Australia needs to build its own domestic space industry,’ she said. The ANU has also been reaching out internationally, signing a memorandum of understanding with the German space agency Deutsches Zentrum für Luft Raumfahrt (DLR) on Friday. ‘The collaboration positions the University as a leading institution at the forefront of Australia’s development of space technology and research,’ Schmidt said. The university and DLR expect to work together on projects that combine DLR’s expertise in developing communication satellites, planetary exploration and human spacef light programs, with the ANU’s experience in laser physics, optical instrumentation and quantum technologies. Considering the its current position, as well as these developments, the ANU is optimistic about its future role in the space sector. ‘We are excited about what we can do together and look forward to collaborating with industry and other research institutes across Australia, and around the world, to drive innovation and establish a leadership position for Australia in space,’ Moore said.

COMMENT

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

So, I was talking to a friend... I want to tell you about my best friend. We met by chance a few years back, when Cupid (aka social media) brought us together. She lives on the other side of the world; sometimes we go months communicating only via memes, sometimes we talk for days on end. I recently had a three-hour phone call with her and, every time we hang up, I feel so much more alive than before. We laugh at everything, but we talk about things so thoroughly that I feel I learn so much with every conversation. I don’t realise the depth of our conversations until I talk to other people, and find myself saying, ‘Oh yeah, I was talking to a friend about this …’ over and over and over. There is knowledge within every interaction. The way we see the world is, more often than not, shaped by things people have said, written, and felt. Yes, we go to school/uni to study, but things mould us outside of that. People we meet out of the blue can have such a profound impact on our lives. We have mini revelations all the time, and our worldviews are sensitive and perpetually shifting. Oftentimes, it’s not until we take a step back and think about how much we’ve grown that we realise this. Words are important. They tell us stories from perspectives that we otherwise would never have experienced. While it may never be possible to understand where someone else is coming from

truly, because we would never have experienced what they have, words – written, spoken, sung, shouted from the rooftops – can give us a little taste. I am immensely grateful to those who take the time to share their stories for all I have learnt and will continue to learn throughout my life. I started writing, really, when I was 19. I was on my gap year, with an exceedingly boring desk job, and lots of thoughts about many things. It was a period where, having copious amounts of time on my hands, I began to read more about social issues, politics and just generally the world beyond my textbooks. I found myself forming new opinions, and raising questions to myself that I felt were important to discuss. I went through a particularly obnoxious vegan phase, where I watched documentaries on end and got caught up with some Vegan YouTuber Drama™. I had questions about identity, social justice, and privilege. I had so many thoughts, but nobody to hash them out with. So I wrote. I saved in my Tumblr drafts topic items that I would come back to and write about. My desk job wasn’t so dreadful anymore; I had something to look forward to. I was expressing myself, and could feel my writing improving. I hadn’t realised at the time, but expressing myself through words to articulate an opinion often required me to educate

myself further on a topic. That involved finding articles about, say, male privilege, which I could link up when I talked about those issues, with detailed definitions and explanations. I’ve found, through writing, my place in the movements I care about. I’ve helped draft statements at conferences, released articles about social justice concepts, and shared #relatable content about my experiences with my race, gender and queerness*. I love to write, and to hear that someone can relate to something I have written is one of the most validating and heartwarming things. This column is called ‘So I was talking to a friend …’ because it’s inspired by conversations I have with people in my life. Some of these chats are really casual, and some serious. The world isn’t just made up of Big Ideas, but also little snippets of experiences that make us laugh, cry and see things the way we see them. There’ll be cute anecdotes and broken-down jargony concepts, but most of all, a conversation. I love my friends and our relationships with each other so much, and this is my way of sharing how formative they’ve been for me in understanding and observing the world. I’m excited to unlearn, learn and write. And I’m excited for this column.

HOME I write this on a flight home to Singapore, to surprise my mum for her 50th birthday and spend time with my family. I’ll be coming home in a few days, to Canberra, where I’ll have assignments to do, dishes to clean and sheets to change. There’s a part of my heart in the excellent public transport system, good food and childhood memories of the country that I spent the first two decades of my life in. And there’s a comfort and warmth associated with spending winter nights bundled up in three blankets, independence and some the most fulfilling relationships I’ve made in my entire life of the place I’ve been granted a temporary visa to study in. Each of these places defines a specific stage of my life. I lived most of my life in the same house in Singapore, and that physical space extended across many formative parts of my growing up, from the various schools I went to, through to my gap year. My room, shared with my sister for many years until she moved into the basement, keeps secrets nobody knows, and hosts stories even I can’t remember anymore. The same 5.44km running route around

my neighbourhood I’ve been doing since I was 15 has seen me grow more confident and change the way I see the world, in conversations I have with myself on those gradual hills. The Chinese vegetarian restaurant my family frequents at least once a month has seen me through countless food cravings, appetite changes and family bickers. Yet, when I go back during my uni breaks, it doesn’t feel whole anymore. It feels like a visit (which it is), and after the catch-ups with friends and family get-togethers, I long to come back to Australia. Nothing has changed dramatically with the situation in Singapore, except that my life – for now – isn’t there anymore. Everything I have going for me at this stage is here. This is something many parents whose children have moved out struggle with: we continue to grow, and will be different people when we return. But to them, nothing has changed. They miss us because a part of their world is missing; it can be tough for my mum’s work to not be disturbed by me sticking my face up against the glass of the study door, or for my absence so crucial to the depletion of household peanut butter to be noticed.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

COMMENT

Stage As the middle child, young Sumi was always a little attention-seeking. But the one thing she wasn’t was patient. Ballet, Bharathanatyam, Carnatic singing - you name it; she’s dropped out of it. She had been taking drama lessons for a while, which was promising, but racist microaggressions – from not just her peers but the teacher as well – led to her dropping that, too. Her pursuit of the arts wasn’t looking too great. Things picked up after a couple of years, from a high school play (in which I played an aborted baby, fun fact), to annual family musicals alongside my siblings and cousins, to becoming a choir nerd by the end of my school days. Back in 2012, my high school choir had a trip to Olomouc, Czech Republic for a choral festival and competition. We were there in the ‘summertime’ – I remember getting caught in the freezing rain with only a light jacket on me multiple times – and those five short days were some of my most intense, fulfilling days. We’d wake up, have breakfast, rehearse until lunch, have lunch, rehearse until dinner, and sometimes even rehearse after that; on some days there was some sightseeing sprinkled in here and there, but there was a lot of singing – in parks, outside our lodging, in the town square. I absolutely love the crunch period right before a big performance, whether it’s dress rehearsals before a theatre performance or mumbling lyrics in our sleep. Over those days or weeks, I can feel myself improving in my art at a rate so much greater than when practices are peppers amongst the other

But on our end, our lives are whole, as we’ve moved away and developed support networks sans our families. It doesn’t mean we don’t value our parents and siblings anymore; it’s just that we’re making up our worlds from what is available to us, and that’s natural. No matter how ‘whole’ my worlds are, my entire life, the feeling of ‘home’ hasn’t been the simple warm and fuzzies I’d expect. As someone of a minority race, my experiences of racism and marginalisation through other aspects of my identity are inextricable from growing up in both Chinese-majority Singapore and white-dominated Australia. It’s difficult to call a place home while knowing that that place isn’t made for and doesn’t privilege you. But even if I were to go to Tamil Nadu, India, to find myself and ‘connect to my roots’, it wouldn’t feel like home. Although I would be of a majority, I am not as fluent in the language as I’d like, and having been inevitably influenced by values and norms associated with the places I’ve lived in, fitting in wouldn’t be seamless. I’m generations removed from that place, and while it

hundred-and-one commitments I have in my life. Applying myself solely to a particular task is such an exciting feeling, and to see how far the performers have come in such a short span of time is impressive. Also, being surrounded by others who are in the same boat, cracking inside jokes and whining about how annoying tech run-throughs are, is great for making some pretty strong relationships. Many of those relationships don’t continue on as the years pass, but to have made such specific memories with them is something that I hold dear. Getting on stage, facing an audience expecting to be impressed can feel like a lot of pressure. All eyes on us, the attention is flattering and intimidating. But I absolutely love it. There’s a rush of adrenaline when the curtains open and the lights come on, and a pride in expressing the emotions and meanings of our art. We can all take ownership of our collective efforts, time, and stress. When it comes to performing, that process would have started some time back from nothing but a script, a score or even just a concept. Now, to be able to present to the world something concrete, which can be seen and heard, is such an achievement and it’s all thanks to the people involved. Some may label pride and passion for performing as arrogance or self-absorption, but there is absolutely no shame in proclaiming one’s love for being on stage, for sharing their work with the world. There is so much more to performing than just the final product, and the entire process - all the ups and downs, the memories and friendships made, and dragging ourselves to day after day of early morning rehearsals - just keeps me coming back over and over again.

bears some cultural familiarity, it’s not home in all its entirety. And then, there’s the ‘home’ of the places that we’ve never been to or lived in. We derive them from people so important to us in our lives, but who are usually absent from our everyday lives. It’s the seamless comfort of spending time in a close friend’s house with their family halfway across the world, and the spaces we’re so accustomed to hearing about that we’ve formed our own pictures of them in our minds. Whether it’s Singapore, Canberra, or someplace I don’t know yet, my heart will always be in different places that I consider home. And, I’ll always be missing people no matter where I am. While it would be pleasant to have everyone in one place, and maybe then my idea of ‘home’ will be complete. But, I know that those relationships being where they makes them so beautiful. ‘Home’ isn’t just one city or country for me, but the comfort, memories and hopes of all of the places I’ve lived and known.

Text: Sumithri Venketasubramanian Graphics: Katie Ward

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

Comment

MY bubble

Text: Noah Yim Image: Kanika Kirpalani I was born in Seoul and after attending my first year of primary school; my immediate family immigrated to Australia. Though I didn’t understand and appreciate at the time, this honed my eyes to see the world with just a bit more understanding and acceptance than if my whole youth was spent in one country. As I grew up, I started to notice things that I favoured and disliked in the two cultures, and felt that I could critique certain aspects of each culture. One of my most shocking memories was when I was teaching Korean to a friend of mine who had grown up in Australia in a traditional European family. He asked me, ‘How do you write ‘f’ in Korean?’ and I told him that we had no such sound. He shot me a quizzical look, and asked me how Koreans pronounce words with the ‘f’ sound in it, and I told him that we had none with that sound. His sheer confusion at that, having grown up knowing only one language, was so shocking to my young self. How could anyone expect that all languages share the same sounds? Another poignant memory I have was when I was watching the morning news in Australia, after the budget had come out. The news host walked up to Joe Hockey, touched him on the arm, and

said, ‘Congratulations on the new budget mate’, and walked away. Nothing prepared me for such a culture shock. How could a news host talk so amicably with an elected representative, who held such a high position within the government? I was used to austere, sombre conversations whenever it came to government officials. Australia showed me that the individual carries immense value, regardless of gender, race, socioeconomic status, or political views. The mere fact that they exist gives them value, and this is represented in Australia’s excellent social security system. Korea showed me the value of a people. Koreans are bound together by a historical struggle among powerful neighbours, which provides the basis for a social glue that Australia just does not have. It allows individuals to care for each other in a way that is not found anywhere else, and cements national pride and patriotism within the people. This has, however, opened my eyes to how narrow-minded I am. How much more aware would I be if I were familiar with three cultures? What social undertones have I just taken for granted, from my mighty perch of having lived in two tiny microcosms within relatively wealthy, democratic nations which both bow down to the US? It turns out that I do not even know

these cultures as well as I thought I did. Max Koslowski recently wrote an article in Woroni titled ‘Why Neo-Nazis love Taylor Swift’s New Hit Single,’ which was a gateway into the world of the alt-right. Their articles and columns had high volumes of traffic and served a huge community by expressing their fear and anger about what their world has become, and what it will become. It was a subculture I had merely dismissed as a group of racist American fanatics complaining about the world, but it is too large to merely ignore. I found that similar communities exist in Australia. The Dingoes, for example, is a large news network that collects angry opinion pieces about how globalisation is ruining the Australian way of life, how white Australians are being oppressed by migrants, and other questionable opinions. One person cannot possibly experience every culture and way of thinking. My brief time sub-editing for Woroni has reinforced how very small my bubble is within the ANU community, and I shudder to imagine how small that bubble looks within the scale of the world. I think we are incredibly fortunate to be living in a society as multicultural as ours. It gives us the opportunity to have our opinions and preconceptions questioned in a way only another cultural background can; to stretch out our bubbles just a little further, and show us how big the world actually is.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

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The Forgotten World Text: Mason Britton Image: Kanika Kirpalani CW: mention of anxiety, depression, suicide I was at Floriade’s Night Fest on the weekend; which was colourful, vibrant and picturesque. The flowers had a sweet delicate perfume that was only noticeable when I paused and took the time to crouch beside them. The petals were smooth, soft and almost silky. I heard a click my right shoulder as a camera flashed over the scene. The photographer’s head was held low, as they wandered aimlessly taking photos of the displays. They took the photos disinterestedly, miserably and as if the photos were just taken to send on Snapchat, purely as evidence that they went to Night Fest. Hundreds of questions began spiralling through my head. Are they really taking the photos just for social media? Did they even want to see the flower displays? Would they have come if they didn’t have a camera? How much of the experience does a photo even capture? When did our inability to share the delicate perfume of a rose on social media make the scent insignificant? When was the last time we stopped to consider how inadequate a photo really is in capturing the whole experience? When did the experience of a place become less

important than the way it looks in a pixelated photo? I wouldn’t care if the only thing we reduced to pixels were the beauty of the environment, as sad as that is. But we do the same thing to our food, we do the same thing to our pets, and worst of all, we do the same thing to each other. Sadly, I feel the need to remind you that the value in food lies not in its appearance but in its taste, in the enjoyment of the flavours hitting your palate. We need to remember that the value of our pets is in the bond we share, not in the number of likes they get on Facebook. But these examples are trivial. We need to remember that one of the most amazing things about a flower is how the seed fought through the ground for weeks just to get a glimpse of the sun. We need to remember that the beauty of a person lies in their personality, their thoughts, their beliefs, their dreams, their ambitions, and not in the number of likes on their Facebook photo. I don’t think I need to tell you how our obsession with our appearance has led to a rise in depression, anxiety and suicide rates. I don’t think I need to tell you that we’ve become more addicted to seeing our phones than seeing our friends. But we need to remember that a real world exists behind our pixelated images. We need to remember that life has more beauty than a camera could ever capture.

YOU CAN’t say that Text: Luke Kinsella

During his 2016 campaign, Donald Trump said that people who disagreed with his proposed Muslim ban were just being ‘politically correct.’ And it appears as though Trump’s ‘blame everything on political correctness’ bandwagon has officially arrived in Australia. Pauline Hanson blamed political correctness for Australia’s reluctance to ban the burqa. And more recently, Tony Abbott had this to say about the same-sex marriage vote: ‘If you don’t like political correctness, vote no.’ Railing against political correctness evokes a standing ovation from a certain type of audience, and leaders like Abbott have noticed. Its constant use in seemingly irrelevant circumstances has devolved the term to sheer meaninglessness. In light of Abbott’s comments, I was curious about whether an accepted definition exists, so I went looking for one. The Meriam-Webster dictionary defines political correctness as the idea that we should avoid language that offends the political sensibilities of others, particularly in relation to race, religion and gender.

Political correctness, as Meriam-Webster defines it, is on the rise. In 2015, Pew Research found that 40 per cent of millennials think the government should prevent people from making statements that are offensive to minority groups. In comparison, only 12 per cent of the silent generation agreed. For many, the 2016 US Presidential election was itself a referendum on political correctness. In response to what they considered to be the stifling of free speech, many voters turned to the ‘tell it like it is’ candidate. But despite Team Trump having obviously misfired in their use of the term, political correctness is still not something we should encourage. So let’s not forget that it’s possible to oppose it without lying about what it means. Nothing is universally politically correct. And that’s because nothing is universally offensive. There’s PC police on all sides of the political spectrum. In 2003, the right-wing PC police came after the Dixie Chicks, of all people, for criticising President George Bush and the Iraq War. The band received death threats, had their CDs burnt and their music boycotted. To save their public image, they eventually apologised. Anyone can be the victim of political correctness. If the Left allows their PC police to run riot, the Right will do the same. If we accept political correctness, we accept it for everyone.

What one person individually finds offensive simply isn’t an objective standard by which we can regulate speech. Just pick a random political opinion of yours. Got it? I can guarantee that someone somewhere is offended by it. The Alt-Right and Trump supporters aren’t the only ones who are offensive, we all are. Mere offence cannot be the metric by which we censor people. If it were, we’d all have our mouths sealed shut. As Benjamin Franklin once said: ‘if all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.’ If an opinion hurts your feelings, the best way to defeat it is by offering a reasoned, evidence-based critique. Being offended by something isn’t a legitimate criticism of that thing. Being offended by same-sex marriage, for example, doesn’t automatically make it a bad idea. Just as being offended by Trump doesn’t automatically disprove what he says. The most impactful flaw of political correctness is how it stunts progress. It punishes political dissidents, thereby maintaining the status quo. By instilling a fear of offending the tragic sensibilities of established thinkers, it discourages political innovators from presenting unpopular opinions. As the late George Carlin said, political correctness is the most pernicious form of intolerance because it comes disguised

as tolerance. It designates certain opinions, topics and ideas as being completely off-limits. To many, it’s even politically incorrect to oppose political correctness. At most universities, its taboo to express anything that even resembles a conservative opinion. I get it. Political correctness doesn’t seem like a big deal. And it’s not when you’re in the majority. You get to say whatever you like with minimal backlash. It’s easy to take a ‘brave stance’ when everybody already agrees with you. You’ll be fine. In fact, you’ll be more than fine. If you do it enough, you’ll be crowned a #thoughtleader! Just don’t forget about the #thoughtlosers out there – the people you frantically scroll past on Facebook with your eyes rolled because ‘they’re just wrong.’ The people you only listen to when you want to remind yourself of what you’re up against. The people who can’t open their mouths without being laughed at, shut down or insulted. For them, political correctness is Big Brother watching their every move, waiting for them to step out of line and dare to utter an unpopular opinion. To you #thoughtleaders, don’t get used to it. A change of environment would quickly show you what it’s like on the other side. So don’t be PC. It might just come back to bite you.

international international

Vol. 67 67 ,, Issue Issue 11 11 Vol.

Mongolia a trip to the land of the

a trip to the land of the forgotten nomads nomads forgotten Text & Image: Casley Rowan Text & Image: Casley Rowan Two years ago, I became obsessed with the Two years ago, I became obsessed with the Joanna Lumley travel series on the ABC. Joanna Lumley travel series on the ABC. Joanna is a vivacious, hilarious woman Joanna is a vivacious, hilarious woman most popularly known for her role on the most popularly known for her role on the hit show Absolutely Fabulous and that is hit show Absolutely Fabulous and that is exactly what she is. In her youth she was exactly what she is. In her youth she was a model and actress, and she has spent a model and actress, and she has spent her golden years travelling the globe and her golden years travelling the globe and curating a series of utterly magical travel curating a series of utterly magical travel documentaries, including; The Land of the documentaries, including; The Land of the Northern Lights, The River Nile, Greek Northern Lights, The River Nile, Greek Odyssey, The Search for Noah’s Arc, JoOdyssey, The Search for Noah’s Arc, Joanna’s Japan and Joanna’s India. I highly anna’s Japan and Joanna’s India. I highly recommend all of these, but by far my farecommend all of these, but by far my favourite of Joanna’s adventures is that of the vourite of Joanna’s adventures is that of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Trans-Siberian Railway. The Trans-Siberian stretches the length The Trans-Siberian stretches the length of the Russian continent. It connects to of the Russian continent. It connects to the Trans- Mongolian line at Ulan-Ude, the Trans- Mongolian line at Ulan-Ude, Russia and travels through the capital of Russia and travels through the capital of Ulaanbaatar – meaning ‘Red Hero’ – and Ulaanbaatar – meaning ‘Red Hero’ – and onwards through the barren and ever-rollonwards through the barren and ever-rolling dunes of the Gobi Desert. ing dunes of the Gobi Desert. Joanna featured this bizarre and mysteriJoanna featured this bizarre and mysterious country for one episode in her series, ous country for one episode in her series, and I was fascinated by the nomadic culand I was fascinated by the nomadic culture of this historically powerful nation. I ture of this historically powerful nation. I was captivated by everything from yurts – was captivated by everything from yurts – traditionally called gers – to the mesmertraditionally called gers – to the mesmerising throat singing tradition and even, the ising throat singing tradition and even, the custom of passing around airag, a mare custom of passing around airag, a mare milk drink which is fermented in a cow milk drink which is fermented in a cow skin bag and beaten until one is left with skin bag and beaten until one is left with an acidic, weirdly refreshing and slightly an acidic, weirdly refreshing and slightly alcoholic beverage. alcoholic beverage. The image that most stuck with me was The image that most stuck with me was that of Joanna standing valiantly a top the that of Joanna standing valiantly a top the gigantic stainless steel statue of Mongolian gigantic stainless steel statue of Mongolian dictator and warlord Chinggis Khan – redictator and warlord Chinggis Khan – referred to in Western culture as Genghis ferred to in Western culture as Genghis Khan. This statue has got to be one of the Khan. This statue has got to be one of the most bizarre things I have ever witnessed. most bizarre things I have ever witnessed. Located about an hour and a half outside Located about an hour and a half outside of the capital, one drives for all of this of the capital, one drives for all of this time and sees nothing but the occasional time and sees nothing but the occasional yurt and roaming herds of goat, sheep and yurt and roaming herds of goat, sheep and yaks, and then suddenly, Chinggis Khan yaks, and then suddenly, Chinggis Khan on horseback emerges from the arid horion horseback emerges from the arid horizon. This statue is larger than the Statue of zon. This statue is larger than the Statue of Liberty and holds the world record for the Liberty and holds the world record for the tallest depiction of a man on horseback. I tallest depiction of a man on horseback. I put this sight on my bucket list immediput this sight on my bucket list immediately but had no idea that the opportunity ately but had no idea that the opportunity to experience it for myself would be just to experience it for myself would be just around the corner. around the corner. This winter, for the first time ever, ANU This winter, for the first time ever, ANU ran a winter course titled Modern Mongoran a winter course titled Modern Mongolia: Challenges to Empire, Economy and lia: Challenges to Empire, Economy and Environment as an elective through the Environment as an elective through the College of Asia and the Pacific, in collaboCollege of Asia and the Pacific, in collaboration with the Mongolia Institute. Direcration with the Mongolia Institute. Director of the Institute, historian Li Narangoa tor of the Institute, historian Li Narangoa and archaeologist Dr Jack Fenner took and archaeologist Dr Jack Fenner took 13 students of every different faculty and 13 students of every different faculty and area of interest on a two-week adventure to area of interest on a two-week adventure to Mongolia, which I was lucky enough to be Mongolia, which I was lucky enough to be a part of, and in fact the story I told on my a part of, and in fact the story I told on my application was very similar to what I have application was very similar to what I have written above. Apart from knowing that I written above. Apart from knowing that I

wanted to stand on top of the statue for the wanted to stand on top of the statue for the perfect photo opportunity, I had absoluteperfect photo opportunity, I had absolutely no idea what to expect or how much I ly no idea what to expect or how much I would learn from this epic country and its would learn from this epic country and its welcoming people. Mongolia has the lowwelcoming people. Mongolia has the lowest population density of any independent est population density of any independent nation state with almost half of the 3 milnation state with almost half of the 3 million population living in the capital city lion population living in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. While greater freedom, of Ulaanbaatar. While greater freedom, political democracy and a market econopolitical democracy and a market economy were gained after the demise of Soviet my were gained after the demise of Soviet inf luence, many Mongolians are nostalinf luence, many Mongolians are nostalgic for the days where a centrally planned gic for the days where a centrally planned economy provided an organised system of economy provided an organised system of education, healthcare and pollution maneducation, healthcare and pollution management schemes. agement schemes. The traditional nomadic culture of transThe traditional nomadic culture of transporting one’s yurt, family and herds to difporting one’s yurt, family and herds to different pastures with the seasons has shifted ferent pastures with the seasons has shifted into a more stabilised existence in the citinto a more stabilised existence in the cities capital. The tourism industry has only ies capital. The tourism industry has only recently begun to f lourish, with railway recently begun to f lourish, with railway tours and horse and camel treks through tours and horse and camel treks through the Gobi being the most popular way to see the Gobi being the most popular way to see the expansive steppes and experience the the expansive steppes and experience the truest form of Mongolian culture. truest form of Mongolian culture. Being in a landlocked position between Being in a landlocked position between the two great powers of Russia and Chithe two great powers of Russia and China, Mongolia has had to master the role of na, Mongolia has had to master the role of middleman. Finding itself in a very unique middleman. Finding itself in a very unique political and economic position, with its political and economic position, with its livelihood and export capacity reliant on livelihood and export capacity reliant on the cooperation of its two neighbours, the cooperation of its two neighbours, Mongolia has the addition of their ‘third Mongolia has the addition of their ‘third neighbour’ policy with other countries neighbour’ policy with other countries such as South Korea and Germany. such as South Korea and Germany. Throughout the two-week stay, we traThroughout the two-week stay, we traversed Ulaanbaatar, known as the worlds versed Ulaanbaatar, known as the worlds coldest capital – although we were there coldest capital – although we were there in summer which treated us to pleasant in summer which treated us to pleasant 30 degree days. We were fortunate enough 30 degree days. We were fortunate enough to visit the ger districts, various Buddhist to visit the ger districts, various Buddhist temples and the ancient capital of Karakotemples and the ancient capital of Karakorum. As we were there during the Nadaam rum. As we were there during the Nadaam festival – a cultural festival which puts on festival – a cultural festival which puts on display the national sports of horse-riddisplay the national sports of horse-riding, wrestling and ankle-bone shooting ing, wrestling and ankle-bone shooting (not as brutal as it sounds) – we were lucky (not as brutal as it sounds) – we were lucky enough to see the proudest displays of enough to see the proudest displays of Mongolian nationalism. On the days we Mongolian nationalism. On the days we left the city, we ventured to mine sites, arleft the city, we ventured to mine sites, archaeological digs, visited the iconic statue chaeological digs, visited the iconic statue that I had been so dying to see, and spent that I had been so dying to see, and spent some humbling days with Mongolian trasome humbling days with Mongolian traditional farming families, who welcomed ditional farming families, who welcomed us so warmly into their homes. My favouus so warmly into their homes. My favourite night was by far our evening of ger rite night was by far our evening of ger camping, where the group watched an epic camping, where the group watched an epic sunset light up the ‘eternal blue sky’ that sunset light up the ‘eternal blue sky’ that Mongolia is so famous for. Mongolia is so famous for. All in all, while it is a tricky place to get to All in all, while it is a tricky place to get to and has been long left off traveller’s lists, and has been long left off traveller’s lists, Mongolia is fast becoming a travel hotspot Mongolia is fast becoming a travel hotspot for those looking to experience something for those looking to experience something completely unexpected. Named number completely unexpected. Named number seven on the Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travseven on the Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel List 2017,’ I would highly recommend el List 2017,’ I would highly recommend doing some research about the amazing doing some research about the amazing experiences to be had here, and about the experiences to be had here, and about the unique and ever important role the coununique and ever important role the country plays in regional dynamics. try plays in regional dynamics.

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Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

Short and Stimulating Text: Boya Li

Lately, I noticed several of my household items have become electronic. A toothbrush, face washer, and an eye massager have slowly crept into my daily routine. They claim they do the job much better than their manual counterparts, and that they provide deeper cleansing and relaxation. They outperform their unplugged counterparts by repeating small circling activities in a highly intensive manner. Simple tricks but they each deliver much more intensive experiences. I wonder if it’s the idea of short and stimulating satisfaction that are behind these inventions. Unlike all the other machines that replace human labour, these personal care products have built-in programs and powers that aim at more than achieving efficiency. These products cajole customers into the habit of wanting ‘extreme’ user experiences. I somehow weirdly associate these devices with the growing prevalence of spicy food. I bet you all have watched vlogs of people doing the spicy ramen challenge. It’s so satisfying to watch people devour ‘nuclear hot’ noodles and be totally blown away by how stimulating it is to the point of it numbing your throat. I’ve seen people young and old, across the continents, recording the challenge over and over again. So, you see, whether it’s the modern tricks or person hygiene that excite us, these things all come under the increasing intensities that can physically and psychologically sting, prod, jab and do all kinds of tricks on us. The pursuit for short and sweet has now morphed into the pursuit for ‘short and stimulating’. And the pursuit is ubiquitous – viral videos such as smashing iPhones or squeezing lots of bubbles at one time attracts as much attention on China’s live streaming platforms as they do on western social media. The rule of thumb for a viral video is that it usually has to be less than five seconds. It is people who live in metropolitan megacities like New York and Beijing that increasingly fall captive to the pursuit of short and simulated experiences. The result-oriented minds (whether nature or nurtured)

lose patience for mundane processes due to their fast pace of life and work. As someone who has intimate living experiences in Beijing and a bit of New York, I’m wary of the effects that some of the experiences can have on me. Because unconsciously, accepting and growing into these products and experiences signifies a break away from the calm and not so hurried life that I was used to in the city I grew up in. The doubts boil down to the confusion over the dichotomy between two opposing living philosophies. Calm and not so demanding is juxtaposed with fast and demanding. There are serious trade-offs between transitioning between the two. Here are my experiences transitioning between the two. When I left Nanjing to Beijing back in 2009, I felt exactly like what the bunny cop Judy Hopps felt when she left rural Bunnyburrow to urban zootopia (Nanjing is not a rural place at all, but it is still a small city of 8.2 million people compared to Beijing’s population of 21.5 million). The most obvious trade-offs of leaving small cities to big ones are ironically the sacrifice of individual spaces and comfort. In my hometown Nanjing, southeast of China, it takes less than an hour to commute to work daily. But in Beijing, it takes at least an hour to get to work. It’s no joke that the most tiring thing is not working but getting to and off from workplaces. There are more unpleasant sides of living in big cities, such as the lack of access for people with less mobility. The point is, maybe it is these tradeoffs that motivate people for more demand of modern forms of short and stimulating experiences, which act as a temporal break away from their hectic day. These experiences then fuel them with some satisfaction to go on and take their world’s challenges. For me, I would still like to keep an arm’s length with my electronic personal care products. I am wary of needing them. Will I turn into someone who can’t function with a $600 electric toothbrush? Will simple things bring me joy? The question in my mind is, if it’s already making thousands of moves per minute, what could come next? Will I be able to get used to that? It claims that it can prevent ageing but will it instead of speeding up the process?

international

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

multilingual

About the Eyes Text: A onst nt n

en er

- Quizás, mis ojos son negros porque vieron demasiadas tormentas sin querer. Demasiada lucha, demasiada hambre y cosas que no deberían ver. Mis ojos son lagos claros; llenos del tormento de mi madre, tan gran, Quando ella no sabia adónde buscarnos el siguiente pedazo de pan. Hoy vivo en un país de gente con ojos azules y almas tan nobles. De gente que siempre sonríe. Yo también sonrío. Y a veces mis lágrimas siguen fluyendo, como un río. Pero mis ojos todavía son negros. Y fuertes, como los robles. - Mes yeux sont vertes, ou peut-être foncés De tous les orages que j’ai vu, de fracas et de bruit. Des fois, mes yeux changeants deviennent dorés Comme le printemps murmurant doucement dans la nuit. - Mi-s ochii bruni ca mierea de-asta vara Si-n ei port stelele si ploaia, alternand. Port curcubeu si soare, port lup si caprioara Toata padurea mea de-acasa o port ascunsa-n gand. - My eyes are blue like seas in summer days With shores of endless promises ahead Sunsets so bright, setting horizons in a blaze And plains of wheat – you’ll never worry again about the bread. Los ojos negros, les yeux vertes, ochii bruni and the blue eyes The same red blood runs through all veins and we all matter. We love the same green grass; we’re sheltered by the same bright skies, And all together, we drink the same colourless water.

- Who knows, perhaps my eyes are black because they saw too many storms, without wanting it Too many fights, too much famine and things they shouldn’t have seen My eyes are clear lakes, full of my mother’s agony, so great, When she didn’t know where to find us the next piece of bread.

LOVE UNTITLED Text: Ase eh A e n

Today I live in a country of blue-eyed people, with hearts so noble. People who always smile. I smile too. And sometimes, my tears keep flowing, like a river. But my eyes are still black. And strong like the oaks. - My eyes are green. Or maybe dusky. From all the storms I have seen and from noise and fracas. Sometimes, my changing eyes turn golden Like the Spring murmuring sweetly through the night. - My eyes are brown like honey from the yester summer Within them, I carry stars and rains in turns I carry the rainbow and the sun, the wolf and the deer The forest of my home – I carry it hidden in my thoughts.

Author’s note We live in times of great turmoil; worldwide, we are divided by power, greed, discord and famine. I think it is more important than ever to acknowledge that we live under the same sun and that we are all equal. I think we should all concentrate on the things that unite us, rather than divide us. In the poem “About the eyes”, I imagined 4 different characters, with different languages, different eye colours and different life experiences. They are made by the different memories each of them carries. The black eyes remember storms, wars and their mother, trying to find her children’s next piece of bread. Even when they find peace, living in a different country, a country of blue-eyed people, the memories come back. The green eyes remember different kinds of storms and spring nights. The brown eyes remember the enchanted forest of their childhood. The blue eyes have never known famine and they reassure the black eyes that they will never have to worry about the bread. In the end, we all have the same red blood running through our veins and we all drink the same colourless water.

Love is hearing mum and dad’s voice on New Year’s Eve, Love is the fresh unfolded note, my new year present inside the Quran, when my waiting small eyes are looking at your hands. Love is hearing Hafiz’s wisdom words at the start of New Year. Love, twists of grape leaves for dolmades under mum’s hands, Love, dance of red beads of dad’s rosary at his fingertips, Love is in my home, my home wrapped with music of love. My home found home in my loving heart, My love found home in my lovely home. Mulberries touching the ground ‘top top’ falling from the tall tree in the garden, Calming sound of water of the fountain near the tree, Chickens noisy in the garden, running around; The pumpkin is heavy, crying out: ‘Pick me up!’ Cherries are red as wine, crickets’ loud song; Tasty lettuce and doshab in the hot summer nights. Kittens waking mum up at the dawn for morning prayers, Chilled tender red sweet watermelon out of the river. Mum saved colorful lanterns for rainy day, Hanging above the cupboard on top of the silver tray. Love is my orchid’s soft delicate petals smiling behind the window, Love is your deep kind smile that passed me by, Love is the breeze of your perfume that I was left by. Love, watching the dance of goldfish at the New Year’s table, Love is the delish juicy kebab dad made on fire, Love is brother’s hand helping out father. Home means: peace, love and security. Love means home, my heart’s home, my heart full of love. I said it all so you know: the orchid behind the window, the smile of the old woman who loves me as her daughter, mum’s tired fingertips of knitting my jacket, dad’s restless looks waiting for his daughter, safety and happiness that brother wants for you, smell of fresh bread with butter and honey, or magpies singing loud under the rain, and all and all, … are asking you: “Come here, Sit, Fall in love and Stay forever!”

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

features

The Magic of Live Theatre Text: Sophie Tallis

It’s the classic tale of improvisation – two actors performing a scene set in a living room, complete with a prop phone on stage. They have their lines; they have rehearsed this scene for weeks, months even. The carefully crafted script means that this scene, like every other, has its significance. It contributes to the arc of the narrative and the development of the characters. This scene is a moment of a story that has already been written, the ending known by all but ignored by the audience, suspended by the illusion that what is happening has never happened before. But then something happens. Something unexpected. The phone rings. The actors look at each other. The faked spontaneity in the script becomes reality. As with the first rule of improvisation – accept your offer – one actor picks up the phone and answers. He looks to the other: ‘It’s for you.’ Audiences of theatre experience their desired entertainment unlike any other. Putting on a show takes months and months of preparation. There are rehearsals to be had, blocking to be determined, sets, and costumes and lighting to design. And yet when the house lights dim and the first actor steps on stage, there is the understanding what is unfolding is as events do in real life – spontaneously and for the first time. It’s the suspension of disbelief that theatre relies upon. The audience don’t simply believe that days are passing in the space of two hours, or that sets are moving without the aid of stage crew - the audience, fall under the spell of

the distilled chaos that every show is: the effort put into production is made to seem effortless, new, and fresh, every single night. But what happens when the planned spontaneity becomes unplanned? When the reality of life’s chaos seeps on stage? When actors forget their lines, their entrances, their blocking? When props break, sets fall down, and costumes fall off? Audiences pay to see the same show put on every night like it’s the first time these scenes have ever been witnessed, but there is something intoxicating about things falling apart on stage. Is it because we enjoy seeing the real talents of actors come out under pressure? Or is it because it lets us, the audience, in on the secret of theatre that: what is happening in front of us isn’t real, but a construed and crafted form of life? The irony of course is that often audiences don’t even realise things have gone wrong. I’ve come off stage panicking about the integrity of a show, after having improvised my way out of forgetting key blocking, only to later discover no one in the audience noticed those lines were my own rather than Bertolt Brecht’s. Then again, I’ve also witnessed a production in which one actor confused the scene he was currently in with a scene that occurred an act later with the same characters, resulting in the cast deciding to skip forward to that scene, perform that, and then return to the scene they were currently in. They might have also gotten away with it, if it weren’t for the ensuing chaos and confusion that arose when they arrived at the scene in act two only to realise they had already performed it.

But the fact is the audiences on those particular nights enjoyed the show just as much as those who didn’t see these unplanned moments that arise when things go wrong, and actors do whatever they can to pretend they didn’t. Arguably it is this element of live theatre that makes the form so appealing, the undeniably real human element. Emotions are right in front of you, relationships come together and fall apart, and there is a winner and a loser. Except unlike life off-stage, there is the safety of predictability that comes from the knowledge everything will have a resolution that releases the audience from the tension, whether it’s a happy, sad, or ambiguous (@Samuel Beckett, I’m still waiting.) Seeing things can go wrong in this controlled, safe, environment is reassuring. There, Peter Brook (look him up) is correct in saying ‘a stage space has two rules: (1) Anything can happen and (2) Something must happen.’ Anything can happen on stage, and quite often the Something that happens is not what was determined in the rehearsal room. If people love the theatre because of the power of the connection between actor and audience, then perhaps this is why the element of chaos coming from live theatre is so appealing. Seeing people change and adapt to their circumstances is a reminder of our own lives, and the inadvertent breaking down of the fourth wall that arises acts only works to strengthen this relationship between the safety being of the audience and the exhilaration of what is happening on stage.

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

features

THE NOISE Text: Mahalia Crawshaw Chaos is an endless openness of too many vowels in a row which somehow spills out of our mouths that makes sense but doesn’t It is a lost thought Or a vacant heart Or a heart full of so much noise you can’t hear anything I want to be chaos Because it is everything and nothing at the same time It is a clamour, a loud and extended shriek And it is silent It is a fucking ocean And it is fierce And chaos does not apologise for what it is For the paradox that inevitably follows But I do For doing everything and doing nothing For being too much or not enough For caring so much that it hurts But I am learning not to She taught me that The ocean did She reminds me that the swirling mess of blue and black and grey and purple is beautiful She is beautiful because of her chaos, not despite it And my noise is Loud and strong and present It is and it is beautiful I am beautiful. And terrifying

Coping mechanisms for Chaos Dealing with Chaos. Chaos starts with the build of mess in the confinement of my college room. It gets to a point where simply putting the clothes on my bed in the tightest ball and vacuuming around other random objects just does not help anymore. Cleansing your space and then getting out of the environment which encourages the detonation of the ‘bomb’, as my mum would call it, is the first step. My method continues with me getting in my car and driving around getting lost. (If the car is unavailable – walk or run). Despite the appeared chaos of getting lost, the auto-pilot mental exercise of driving helps me centre myself to push through the day. – Willis Samson Chaos can take over anyone’s mind and turn all thoughts into a negative mindset. To prevent myself from getting sucked into this cycle of negativity, I find it is important to take a step away from the source of chaos for short periods. Often it is the combination of a wave of assignments due and social activities that you must miss because of this, can seem like I am failing both my friends and my courses. Listening to relaxing music and lying down, and just taking some time away from people can really spark an emotional response, thinking about good experiences and people that you care about can really reinforce the fact that there are countless other chances to recreate that missed experience. –Jim Macdougall I get distracted and escape from what I need to do. I give myself false hope that I have some sort of sure-fire way to get through; all I need is time. This is often not true. Me washing though chaos usually involves more time than effort, I am often far too relaxed as I’m scared to tackle it head on. – Edward Treloar When things reach their peak of chaos I realise it has got to a point where I have not prioritised my own wellbeing. I’ll take the time to clean my room, have indie music playing aloud from my laptop and make a cup of T2 Melbourne Breakfast tea. Then, I will write a list of systematic tasks to do over that week. This list will have the simplest of tasks such as responding to my messages to the largest such as finishing an assignment. This is so I have a set of responsibilities I can easily tick off, avoiding the drowning feeling of chaos from a lack of control. My list puts control back into my life. I will often go for a long run as well, to clear my head and get out of the claustrophobia of college. – Olivia Ireland This would make more sense as a flowchart. First, I contemplate breaking down. If I’m capable of contemplating the breakdown, it’s clearly a preventable breakdown, so I move on to step two: I write down everything that needs fixing, so it’s all in one place. Then, I read over the list a few times. If the list looks smaller on paper, I can start fixing the things in ascending order of urgency. If I can’t fix a thing, it deserves its own list, so I return to step one. This process continues indefinitely. – Aislinn Grimley

Image: Cormac Relf

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

Comment

Connecting the dots ethnocultural pullout Thanks to rashna farrukh, joanne leong, aleyn silvA DESIGN BY Kanika Kirpalani

Artwork: anonymous The concept is being torn between two cultures, and feeling like you have to put on a different face depending on where you are and who you’re with. As a kid, I fell head first into the world of Filipino school and Filo dance groups, learning a lot of traditional songs and dances. It felt a bit like living a secret life -- being a regular Aussie school kid on weekdays, and donning a traditional Filo dress on Saturdays, trying to fit in in that in-between space. I’ve never planted rice in my life, but, thanks to a community of aunties and uncles invested in keeping their traditions and diaspora communities alive in a new world, I knew to dance as if I did. Sometimes, I felt awkward and fake, and I’d wonder if people -- non-Filipinos -- would see those dances and only see a stereotype, or a culture fixed in time, without appreciating the richness of it. But, on the other hand, it’s about sharing a history, and an opportunity for me to learn it and pass it on -- and it sure made my elders happy.

and cultural diversities are important to society, just like how biodiversity The complex Ethnic is essential to the natural ecosystem. Biodiversity allows the ecosystem to be more productive and resilient to disturbances Nature of because there are many niches. It is the same in our society: ethnic and cultural diversities social development by facilitating conformity promote knowledge sharing and introducing novel

Anonymous

ideas that challenge the existing norm.

I spent my childhood in Hong Kong, a place where eastern and western cultures meet due to its colonial history that only ended 20 years ago. Multiculturalism, to me, is a norm. My family celebrates both Lunar New Year and Christmas. The music, movies and TV shows that we consume come from all around the world. I had to learn three languages at school. I guess that is the reason why when I started studying as an international student in Australia, the only cultural shock I had was about how friendly Australians are. The environment that I grew up in was rather hostile in my opinion. Elitism and competitiveness destroyed the trust between people in the society. Within our culture, it is normal to be cynical. In fact, I was even judged by my relatives for being too nice. They believed that niceness is a disadvantage; in other words, only selfishness would lead to success. I feel like I have made the correct decision to study in Australia, where selfishness is less prevalent. All the friendly phrases that Australians use make me feel included in a welcoming environment. I enjoy living in Canberra because I can finally be who I am, knowing that no one

will judge me for that. Back home, I felt like I was judged for the values I hold. For example, no one back at home knows about my sexuality because of the potential judgements. But here, living in Canberra, I finally feel comfortable to expose myself. As an international student, I had to assimilate into the Australian culture. Interestingly, I did not find it a matter of conflict. My thought process was that, if I live in a country with different culture, I should respect their country and adapt to their way of life. Celebrating local holidays, being informed about Australian politics, learning the history of the landscape and cracking open a cold one with friends, these are a few examples of adaption, in my opinion. It is all about immersion. That does not mean that I should conform to the Western culture completely and change my identity because I believe multiculturalism is beneficial to social development. I have seen people who are not willing to adapt to a different culture, people who are ready to change but find it difficult and people who adapt completely and lose their original identity. Speaking from an international student’s perspective, one of the advantages of studying abroad is that we can broaden our horizons and become more open-minded through immersion of different cultures. If I do not at least try to adapt, I would ask myself, ‘why do you even study overseas?’ It is understandable that why sometimes international students are not welcomed by some students in the universities, if they refuse to assimilate to Australia’s way of

life, even to a minute extent. Assimilation is a tricky issue because, on the one hand, I want to accept the cultural perspectives of other people, but on the contrary, I need to preserve my own cultural identity. Striking a balance is often quite challenging. But, there’s one thing that I’m sure about, which is mutual respect. I think that racism stems from a lack of respect. It’s okay if you disagree with other people’s way of life or values, but always remember to be respectful. We should respect and be grateful to whatever country we go to. We should also be respectful of individuals from other cultures because assimilation is not as easy as we may think. Although I consider assimilation important, I understand that everyone has a unique set of values and attitudes, so we cannot force other people to adapt. But, I do believe an appropriate level of assimilation is beneficial to personal development. I understand that assimilation can be hard because English might not be our native language, or we are just too shy or scared. But, the ANU is such a supportive and friendly environment; we do not need to be afraid to step out of our comfort zone. Stepping out of my comfort zone has changed my life personally. Being able to openly talk about mental health, sexuality, political orientation and religion; the process of assimilation has truly inspired me. I hope for a day when words like assimilation and multiculturalism are no longer buzzwords, but the social norms. But until that day arrives, there is still a long way to go. .

rm’s to of ther egate s. hter Not ely g r w d d;

, one nd, ming on more ike, er,

and ed did

next-door neighbour greeted me, and after a quick survey of my dishevelled room, she kindly offered a helping hand in unpacking my suitcase. With her help, not only I did I manage to unpack quickly, but a friendship between her and I also bloomed that night.

developed an addiction to the dancing scene and a liking for Thursday nights. Through these parties, I had the chance to interact with other types of people and became closer to some. Besides assimilating within the Thursday nights party culture, I fell in love in how the Australians dressed; dressing in whatever you like because no one is going to judge you. This contrasts to Malaysia, where I was never adventurous in what I wore back home. In Australia, I am free to wear whatever I like and express myself in any way. Due to this type of mentality Australians have, I had become less judgemental and more accepting, as what the Australian culture is.

My Assimilation into australia

Finding a friend was the right step to settle to the Australian culture more comfortably because, as the week went on, not only I managed to forge new friendships through her, but I also became more confident and outgoing in meeting new people. The people I met consisted of both local and international students who felt the same way I did: nervous and wanting to make new friends too. Knowing how they felt made me more comfortable to express my true self to them, which subsequently helped my assimilation in Canberra. As my friendship extended, I embraced ‘Take care! Call circle us when you settle down!’ the mixture of cultures These words slowly sunkthat intosurrounded me as I me, particularly the leaving Australian watched my parents meculture. behind in Australia. Less than a week ago, I was What a better wayintomy settle into Australia enjoying my time home country, than by having myI local Malaysia; but now am anfriends officialshow ANUme their culture? Their first wasa few to drag student in Canberra, withattempt less than me into the dorm’s social Back in days to settle into this newnights. environment. Malaysia, I was the girl who did not go out night and instead around updating I at will be honest; I criedlazed buckets in the privacy In Australia, intome a ofher myTumblr. dorm room after myI plunged parents left offoreign bodies environment. gyrating to theHowever, latest beats. insea this it At first, I did until not know to to dodry except was not long I waswhat forced my and stood corner, bopping my dorm’s head tears so thatinI the could participate in the awkwardly activities. to the beat. friends left me orientation AsMy I slowly walked to while they surveyed and I was atofa the orientation hall, I the felt bar, self-conscious lossred on what to do because first how my eyes were. It didthis notwas helpthe further time I attended a social night. my when saw that the hall we hadWhen to congregate came back, pushed to the infriends was bustling withthey my new dormme mates. dance at chatter how everyone was As I sat floor. down,Looking bursts of and laughter dancing with careallinsides the world, I decided enveloped meno from of the hall. Not to movetoaround bit because, I didn’t wanting be theaodd one out, Ihey, tentatively seeon anyone else way hoping others put a smile andjudging tried tothe listen, socialtonights were a taste of the todance. have aThe chance engage in the chatter Australian culture but,not apparently, too. Thankfully, it was long untilitawas few just a mere sip of it.themselves The true taste is hitting people introduced to me and theorientation pubs and then the clubs on particular the ice-breaker games started; nights; my in Canberra, Thursdayinto nights shifting previous sadness joy. are the students’ time to party. Since we were first years,within my friends’ main was to However, all these funagenda and games, one party until we on drop. Due towithin how frequently thought keeps running my mind, they do hauled mefriends?’ to parties, I eventually ‘How I make Regarding forming friendships, I prefer one-to-one interaction where I can get to know the other party more and not limited to superficial questions like, ‘what is your degree and major?’ However, with everyone packed into one room, it seemed impossible to have personal interaction. Despite the initial merriness and pleasantries from the icebreakers, I walked back to my room with a heavy heart as I did not manage to make a single friend yet.

Nadiah kamilia Khairuzzaman

There Thereare aremany manyother otherevents eventsthat thathelped helped me meassimilated assimilatedmore moreininAustralia. Australia.Though, Though,II feel that forging these precious friendships feel that forging these precious friendships were werethe thebiggest biggeststepping steppingstones stonesininhelping helping me settle in Australia and to me settle in Australia and toappreciating appreciating aanew newculture. culture.So, So,thank thankyou youtotoall allmy my friends who stuck with me through friends who stuck with me throughthick thick and andthin thinand andmade mademe methe thebetter betterand and more moreadventurous adventurousperson personIIam amtoday. today.

developed an addiction to the dancing scene and a liking for Thursday nights.

Through these parties, I had the chance to interact with other types of people and became closer to some. Besides assimilating within the Thursday nights party culture, I fell in love in how the Australians dressed; dressing in whatever you like because no one is going to judge you. This contrasts to Malaysia, where I was never adventurous in what I wore back home. In Australia, I am free to wear whatever I like and express myself in any way. Due to this type of mentality Australians have, I had become less judgemental and more accepting, as what the Australian culture is.

Nadiah Nadiahisisaasecond-year second-year cat cat lady, lady, and andenjoys enjoysdancing, dancing, stuffing stuffing her her face faceand andgetting getting lost lost in in music. music. me, and after a quick survey of my dishevelled room, she kindly offered a helping hand in unpacking my suitcase. With her help, not only I did I manage to unpack quickly, but a friendship between her and I also bloomed that night.

Through these parties, I had the chance

My Assimilation into australia

the tears and settle down quickly. A few hours later, as I was unpacking the rest of my belongings, there was a knock on my door. Confusion struck me as I did not know anyone that well yet for them to come knocking to my room. Surprisingly, my next-door neighbour greeted me, and after a quick survey of my dishevelled room, she kindly offered a helping hand in unpacking my suitcase. With her help, not only I did I manage to unpack quickly, but a friendship between her and I also bloomed that night.

Through Throughthese theseparties, parties,IIhad hadthe thechance chance totointeract with other types of interact with other types ofpeople peopleand and became becamecloser closertotosome. some.Besides Besidesassimilating assimilating within withinthe theThursday Thursdaynights nightsparty partyculture, culture,II fell fellininlove loveininhow howthe theAustralians Australiansdressed; dressed; dressing dressingininwhatever whateveryou youlike likebecause becauseno no one oneisisgoing goingtotojudge judgeyou. you.This Thiscontrasts contraststoto Malaysia, Malaysia,where whereIIwas wasnever neveradventurous adventurous ininwhat whatIIwore woreback backhome. home.InInAustralia, Australia,II am free to wear whatever I like am free to wear whatever I likeand andexpress express myself myselfininany anyway. way.Due Duetotothis thistype typeofof mentality mentalityAustralians Australianshave, have,IIhad hadbecome become less lessjudgemental judgementaland andmore moreaccepting, accepting, as aswhat whatthe theAustralian Australianculture cultureis. is.

Nadiah kamilia Khairuzzaman

‘Take care! Call us when you settle down!’ These words slowly sunk into me as I watched my parents leaving me behind in Australia. Less than a week ago, I was enjoying my time in my home country, Malaysia; but now I am an official ANU student in Canberra, with less than a few days to settle into this new environment.

I will be honest; I cried buckets in the privacy of my dorm room after my parents left me in this foreign environment. However, it was not long until I was forced to dry my tears so that I could participate in the dorm’s orientation activities. As I slowly walked to the orientation hall, I felt self-conscious of how red my eyes were. It did not help further when I saw that the hall we had to congregate in was bustling with my new dorm mates. As I sat down, bursts of chatter and laughter enveloped me from all sides of the hall. Not wanting to be the odd one out, I tentatively put on a smile and tried to listen, hoping to have a chance to engage in the chatter too. Thankfully, it was not long until a few people introduced themselves to me and the orientation ice-breaker games started; shifting my previous sadness into joy.

What a better way to settle into Australia than by having my local friends show me their culture? Their first attempt was to drag me into the dorm’s social nights. Back in Malaysia, I was the girl who did not go out at night and instead lazed around updating her Tumblr. In Australia, I plunged into a sea of bodies gyrating to the latest beats. At first, I did not know what to do except and stood in the corner, bopping my head awkwardly to the beat. My friends left me while they surveyed the bar, and I was at a loss on what to do because this was the first time I attended a social night. When my friends came back, they pushed me to the

Before I could reach my door, however, I bumped into my next-door neighbour. Without hesitation, I greeted her with a big smile on my face, to which she responded, although I quickly went into my room as it seemed that she was in a hurry. After that, I just laid on my bed, wishing I could stop

Nadiah is a second-year cat lady, and enjoys dancing, stuffing her face and getting lost in music. me, and after a quick survey of my dishevelled room, she kindly offered a helping hand in unpacking my suitcase. With her help, not only I did I manage to unpack quickly, but a friendship between her and I also bloomed that night.

There are many other events that helped me assimilated more in Australia. Though, I feel that forging these precious friendships were the biggest stepping stones in helping me settle in Australia and to appreciating a new culture. So, thank you to all my friends who stuck with me through thick and thin and made me the better and the tears and settle down A few more adventurous personquickly. I am today. hours later, as I was unpacking the rest ofNadiah my belongings, there was a knock on is a second-year cat lady, my Confusion me her as I did not anddoor. enjoys dancing,struck stuffing know anyone that lost wellinyetmusic. for them to come face and getting knocking to myaroom. me, and after quick Surprisingly, survey of my my next-door neighbour greeted and aafter dishevelled room, she kindlyme, offered ahelping quick survey dishevelled room, she hand of in my unpacking my suitcase. kindly offered helping unpacking With her help,a not only Ihand did I in manage to my suitcase. Withbut herahelp, not only I did I unpack quickly, friendship between manage unpack quickly, a friendship her andto I also bloomed thatbut night. between her and I also bloomed that night. Finding a friend was the right step to settle Finding a friend was the right to settle to the Australian culture morestep comfortably tobecause, the Australian culturewent more as the week on,comfortably not only I because, week went on, not only I managedastothe forge new friendships through managed forge new friendships through her, but I to also became more confident her, I also became morenew confident andbut outgoing in meeting people. The and outgoing meetingofnew The people I met in consisted bothpeople. local and people I met consisted both and international studentsof who feltlocal the same international students felt the way I did: nervous andwho wanting to same make way nervous and wanting make newI did: friends too. Knowing how to they felt new friends too. Knowing howtothey felt made me more comfortable express made meself more comfortable express my true to them, which to subsequently my true self to them, which subsequently helped my assimilation in Canberra. As helped my assimilation in Canberra. As my friendship circle extended, I embraced my extended, I embraced thefriendship mixture ofcircle cultures that surrounded the of cultures that surrounded me,mixture particularly the Australian culture. me, particularly the Australian culture. What a better way to settle into Australia What way settle into Australia than abybetter having mytolocal friends show me than havingTheir my local medrag theirbyculture? first friends attemptshow was to their culture? Their first attempt was to drag me into the dorm’s social nights. Back in me into the dorm’s social nights. Back in Malaysia, I was the girl who did not go out at night and instead lazed around updating her Tumblr. In Australia, I plunged into a sea of bodies gyrating to the latest beats. At first, I did not know what to do except and stood in the corner, bopping my head awkwardly to the beat. My friends left me while they surveyed the bar, and I was at a loss on what to do because this was the first time I attended a social night. When my friends came back, they pushed me to the dance floor. Looking at how everyone was dancing with no care in the world, I decided to move around a bit because, hey, I didn’t see anyone else judging the way others dance. The social nights were a taste of the Australian culture but, apparently, it was just a mere sip of it. The true taste is hitting the pubs and then the clubs on particular nights; in Canberra, Thursday nights are the students’ time to party. Since we were first years, my friends’ main agenda was to party until we drop. Due to how frequently they hauled me to parties, I eventually

However, within all these fun and games, one thought keeps on running within my mind, ‘How do I make friends?’ Regarding forming friendships, I prefer one-to-one interaction where I can get to know the other party more and not limited to superficial questions like, ‘what is your degree and major?’ However, with everyone packed into one room, it seemed impossible to have personal interaction. Despite the initial merriness and pleasantries from the icebreakers, I walked back to my room with a heavy heart as I did not manage to make a single friend yet.

big d, it t, p

Vol. 67 , Issue 11 Week 11, Semester 1, 2017

Comment know anyone that well yet for them to come 5knocking to my room. Surprisingly, my

Malaysia, I was the girl who did not go out at night and instead lazed around updating her Tumblr. In Australia, I plunged into a sea of bodies gyrating to the latest beats. At first, I did not know what to do except and stood in the corner, bopping my head awkwardly to the beat. My friends left me while they surveyed the bar, and I was at a loss on what to do because this was the first time I attended a social night. When my friends came back, they pushed me to the dance floor. Looking at how everyone was dancing with no care in the world, I decided to move around a bit because, hey, I didn’t see anyone else judging the way others dance. The social nights were a taste of the Australian culture but, apparently, it was just a mere sip of it. The true taste is hitting the pubs and then the clubs on particular nights; in Canberra, Thursday nights are the students’ time to party. Since we were first years, my friends’ main agenda was to party until we drop. Due to how frequently they hauled me to parties, I eventually developed an addiction to the dancing scene and a liking for Thursday nights. Through these parties, I had the chance to interact with other types of people and became closer to some. Besides assimilating within the Thursday nights party culture, I fell in love in how the Australians dressed; dressing in whatever you like because no one is going to judge you. This contrasts to Malaysia, where I was never adventurous in what I wore back home. In Australia, I am free to wear whatever I like and express myself in any way. Due to this type of mentality Australians have, I had become less judgemental and more accepting, as what the Australian culture is. There are many other events that helped me assimilated more in Australia. Though, I feel that forging these precious friendships were the biggest stepping stones in helping me settle in Australia and to appreciating a new culture. So, thank you to all my friends who stuck with me through thick and thin and made me the better and more adventurous person I am today. Nadiah is a second-year cat lady, and enjoys dancing, stuffing her face and getting lost in music.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

What’s in a name Kanika Kirpalani Recently, I was getting a takeaway coffee with some new friends, and I had a chuckle when they were shocked that I order coffee under the name ‘KK’. For me, using the name KK, which is a nickname and my initials, is such a common, everyday occurrence that I never thought much of it. As someone who would inject coffee into their veins via IV drip if they could, my interest in using a coffee-name is solely concerned with getting caffeine as quick as possible. The effort that it takes to say my name two or three times and spell it out, only to have the barista call it out wrong in the end, not only holds up a line but also frustrates me. Don’t get me wrong – in tutes, I will make sure the tutor has the correct pronunciation of my name, and will patiently remind them of this pronunciation right up until week 12 (a special shoutout to all the tutors who write names phonetically). While I do use a coffee-name, I have been raised to always make sure my name is pronounced correctly. At a young age, my mum told me that a person’s name is important because it is a sound that resonates within them. My name, Kanika, means ‘first atom of creation’. My name is pronounced ‘Kahn-nik-kah’. Pronounced a different way Kanika can also mean ‘seed’ or ‘gold’. That’s why it’s a little frustrating when you tell someone your name and they reply

with ‘OH! Kanika like Hanukkah!’ It seems possibly too mean to tell them that your name actually doesn’t rhyme with ‘Hanukkah’, that it’s a completely different sound. In Indian culture, a parent will choose their child’s name according to the astrological details of their birth chart. This way, the sound of one’s name is the most positive energy, a vibration that hits you throughout your life. I do understand that a lot of the time people are trying really hard to pronounce your name right. I know it’s a little tough; I’ve grown up here and in Singapore, where Kanika is not a common name. Even in India, people pronounce my name wrong: ‘kan-nee-kah’ is another interpretation. Weirdly enough, I’ve had the most success in Thailand, where Kanika is a type of flower, and in Spain, where it’s similar to the world marble. People know names are important. I know my name is important. It is an inherent part of my identity and something that I am really proud of. As a child, I hated that I didn’t have a typical Aussie name, and I hated that I had to say it several times for it to be repeated back to me wrong, yet again. But as I’ve grown up, I come to understand that my name is who I am, and everyone really is trying their best, it just takes a couple of tries. At the end of the day, baristas are trying their hardest, and I just want my coffee as fast as possible.

INTERNATIONAL

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

INTERNATIONAL

Maybe International Students Could Be Leaders Too Savitha Shankar B The academic and research successes of the ANU is world renowned, making the university a worthy contender for the top 20 spots in world rankings. Such rankings bring about assumptions of excellent education and all-rounded focus. This is, without doubt, true – with the involvement of the University in sports and arts events internally and externally. The university participates in the University Games at the Gold coast and Inward Bound internally. The ANU also provides many opportunities for the artistic talents to shine, funding and allowing students to direct, set-up and perform plays, concerts and much more. Within this exciting environment, the university never loses sight of its academic goals and research advances. Due to this focus and emphasis, the university has been able to form academic relationships and partnerships with more than 100 universities in 28 different countries all over the world. We can safely say that these partnerships have made the Australian National University a hub for international students to pursue their tertiary education and participate in exchange programs. This has made the university the 25th most International University in the world according to the Times Higher Education Rank for 2016. According to the Australian Education Network as of 2014, the ANU has a total of 20,934 students with 26.6 per cent of them being international students. With this statistic, we know that there are five times as many international students in the past few years as there has been in the 2000s. The university prides itself on this very statistic – advertising itself to be an environment brimming with cultural understanding, representation and involvement. It places itself above the rest

regarding cultural diversity. We do need to acknowledge the amazing opportunity that the university is giving international students. However, the statistics that the University prides itself on is not coherent with the representation of international students in leadership in the University itself. Over the years, there has been a stagnant number of international students in leadership at the ANU, even though the number of international students has increased rapidly. For example, even though the percentage of international students is over 26.6 per cent, the percentage of international students in leadership positions at the ANU is drastically low, with one out of 30 possible members and candidates, being an international student in 2014. Admittedly, there are many reasons for this occurrence. One reason that is possibly the biggest most prominent one is that there are not as many votes of support for international students taking up positions in leadership. To be bluntly said, it plays into the idea of white privilege in which the social norm of the ANU community is to have white people in leadership positions. Additionally, you could assume that the majority of the University population would vote for white students unless the international candidate is extremely well-known. However, this can also be seen on the flip side, perceiving that less international students run for leadership positions thus, causing the small numbers among the chosen leaders. In truth, either perspective leads to a significant revelation. Even though there are many international students, there is not enough recognition of their abilities in the University. This leads to the two main things

hindering a more culturally diverse leadership team: fewer votes for the international nominees and less international students running for leadership roles in the first place. This can be explained simply by the fact that many international students could have less confidence in leading a body of people with many culturally differing values. This is evident even among colleges where international students find it hard to assimilate with the Australian crowd. Based on the views of some international students from the hall that I reside in, the main problem seems to be the cultural barrier and that most domestic students themselves do not take the time to understand and help them assimilate fully. Some have even commented that they give little to no thought regarding the ANU elections. This is possibly the opposite of what the University is aiming for. Some might say that the ‘minority’ would have to adapt to the culture of the majority, but that very idea defeats the purpose of having a multicultural environment in the first place. As the saying goes, ‘it takes two to tango.’ This means that both parties would have to open up to be able to achieve mutual understanding. This needs to start in halls and smaller communities so that international students can gain more recognition and have more confidence in their place in the University. This could be done in Orientation Week itself where an international student and a domestic in the same course, living in the same hall can be partnered up help each other academically throughout the year. This could help both parties get to know each other better and build a better environment for international students to showcase their potentials confidently. This could lead to the participation and voting of and for more international students in elections in the near future. Savitha is from Sydney but born in Singapore and loves being with her friends and chilling.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

INTERNATIONAL

Streaks of Vibrant Colour in a Painting Annabelle Nshuti I only ever have Vegemite when I’m overseas, but the saltiness and sticky texture brings me back to the stereotypical Aussie bush – with eucalypts galore, grandiose kangaroos and me sitting next to a billabong with a steaming cup of tea. Being separated from Canberra as a child and teen strengthened my bond to Australia. From Waltzing Matilda, True Blue and Home Among the Gumtrees among others, pulling out the flag when we’d play soccer (lol, we still lost, but I at least had to support the Socceroos), and keeping the Tim Tam wrappers as souvenirs. From me tightly holding onto Australia, I was unaware of how the same phenomenon would happen when I returned home. I was subconsciously collecting my own memories of the seven years I lived in Bamako, Mali, as well as the places I’ve visited – becoming puzzle piece in my identity. Whenever I see a fresh bundle of bananas, a road trip across Cameroon pops into my head and the pure abundance of fresh fruit that would appear on the door. When I taste sugary, sweet tea, I pop into a musky, enclosed café in Casablanca where my dad, sister and I were on transit and decided to sightsee. As I’m scurrying through Civic on an extremely rainy day, I think back to a similar experience in London when I had to race back to my hostel with two suitcases and no clue where to go. When I first saw The Grand Budapest Hotel, I was astonished at how the exquisite, glamorous hotel was

the same as one that I stared at in Nairobi for a month. As I’m browsing the classics section at Dymocks, I flashback to a bookstore in a secluded suburb in Paris, carrying a lump of books between my parents and I. Passing by cattle on the way to Bateman’s Bay reminds me of my grandma’s beautiful goats in Byumba, Rwanda, and how I ran back to say goodbye to them, at the expense of being ridiculed by my relatives. Those minor experiences form the bits and pieces of my life, like a mosaic. But Mali swiftly follows me around daily in a comforting manner. If I hear a slither of French, it reminds me of the daily chats I had with household staff and the bizarrely sweet French teacher at my school. When I eat a mango or papaya, I shake my head at how much juicier and delectable they were in Bamako. Halloween brings me back to the school celebrations that we had at my international school – the makeshift costumes, the terrifying haunted house and the trick-or-treat lollies that lasted less than a weekend at home. In Australian summer, as I’m dealing with the unholy creatures that Australia offers, I think of the one instant that a wasp entered our drama class in Bamako, and my friends and I frantically ran around the auditorium trying to escape its sting. A piano and drum kit will bring me back to my passion of music which was fuelled by the rhythms of Mali: the melodic vocals of a griot (classical singer), Salif Keita performing at Le Festival du Niger with the crowd raging and screaming. And, me playing the balafon and djembe throughout school – coming to

adore the sounds, texture and harmonies. I wholeheartedly used to wish that I were one of those people who had Christmas in the same place every year with the same people or lived in the same, stable neighbourhood with that one childhood friend that you did everything with: soccer, gossiping about Michelle, going shopping and attending the same high school. I’ve now come to accept that that would never have happened and, even if it did, I wouldn’t have been the same Annabelle as I am now. In my opinion, I wouldn’t have grown at all: I would not have wanted to expand my knowledge, get out of my comfort zone, or even attempt to try to understand and empathise with others. Our unique experiences contribute to who we are, and even though someone wouldn’t be the same if they’d lived my life, I definitely wouldn’t have been the same as I am today living theirs. A week ago, I saw a lone plastic bag floating next to Civic bus interchange, and there was a jolt to my heart: I instantly thought of Bamako, and the dormant and flying plastic bags that inundate it. It’s nice to be able to form a bridge between Canberra and Bamako: a steady, solid bridge that has different-sized lockets attached to it, each representing a particular memory that has formed who I am, like streaks of vibrant colour in a painting. I’m looking forward to creating another bridge from Canberra to elsewhere, with lockets securing the fond, warm memories I’ll have along the way.

Ruohan Zhao [I] I first learned to swim On the black sand beaches in Auckland. Now I swim Through an ocean of black hair at Beijing airport. I won’t drown, Because I bleached my hair blonde. [II] I have one citizenship Celebrate New Years twice Kowtow three times Avoid the number four Left China at the age of five Am connected to the world by six degrees of separation. [III] ‘Foreigner’ is not a dialect Recognisable on a map of China. ‘Chinese’ is not a face Recognisable on a map of New Zealand. ‘No where’ is not a home Recognisable on a map of the world.

[IV] At home we speak English, Mandarin, and everything in between. Two way miscommunications Peppered with broken accents and Chinglish. My parents do not understand me No matter what I say. [IV] Steak with chopsticks. Dumplings with a fork. Fried rice and cheese. Wontons and ketchup. Stir fry spaghetti. Soy sauce roast chicken. My belly is a melting pot, A smorgasbord of fusion food, Without a price tag, Without a place on a menu.

[V] Shakespeare said, ‘All the world’s a stage.’ And we learn as children To rehearse a script to the question: ‘Where do you come from?’ Until it becomes muscle memory. Performing, reinventing our identities With chameleonic range; Until our audience is satisfied. [VI] My life is a patchwork of stamps Sewn into my passport. Read its pages, not my face; It remembers my journey More vividly than my faulty memory.

[VII] Our lives are made of loose vignettes, Of fractured hellos and goodbyes, Strung together in a messy montage. Tears at the departure gate Are a bittersweet ritual, That never gets any easier. [VIII] I deliberately choose To wander aimlessly, While there is still so much world Left to see.

MULTILINGUAL

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

coming out of the closet Anonymous ‘I don’t don t want want life i e toto bee hard hard foror you. you itt isis hard hard enough enough being eing aa black ak woman wo anininthis thisworld. wor d Now owyou youwand want to to add add something so ething else e se to to that?’ that - Catherine atherine [Denise’s enise s mother], other Master aster ofo None one ‘I don’t want life to be hard for you. It is hard enough being a black woman in this world. Now you want to add something else to that?’ - Catherine (Denise’s mother), Master of None

accepting my sexuality. The likelihood of my parents accepting my sexuality is slim, and I am refusing to risk financial stability for ‘living an authentic life.’

Master of None’s beautiful episode Thanksgiving came out this year, prompting me to reflect upon how I navigate the world as a queer* woman of colour. The episode follows the character, Denise, and her journey of reconciling out her sexuality, and her mother’s slow acceptance of it. The scene where Denise comes out to her mother in the diner resonated with me as it reflected on my own fears about coming out. While I am not a queer* black woman, I see my experience represented in a way that I’ve never seen before.

Therefore, coming out to my family is not an option. I am of Chinese descent and, in my experience, there has been the assumption that everyone is heterosexual and cisgender within my culture. It denies other sexualities, and gender fluidity is not a concept. One only has to look at the vitriolic hate campaign on WeChat concerning Safe Schools and the plebiscite to witness it.

Coming out is seen as a milestone for individuals in the queer* community. Society presents it as a way to be your true self in front of others, to live an authentic life. However, this is a performative act requiring you to present an ‘authentic’ you to others, even though you don’t owe them anything. I’ve seen coming out parties and celebrations surrounding a person embracing their sexuality and opening up about that part of their life to others. I’ve seen videos of people coming out online whether to face the camera to tell an audience or it’s to others who react. These online videos (mainly featuring white people) generate so many views and clicks; they’ve made a spectacle of coming out. I hate this expectation of me to present other people with a truth I have barely begun to grasp. These white people have waited for when they feel safe enough to come out, and kudos to them as it is a terrifying act. However, as a person of colour, my experience of coming out would differ to that of my white peers due to cultural differences. I don’t have the safety net of being ‘white’, and I don’t possess that greater chance of my parents

I suspect my parents have their suspicions but prefer not to have a definite answer, assuming that I am straight. Cultural ideas of queer* people inform my parents’ homophobic beliefs. My parents would see my ‘deviant’ sexuality as a failure on their part to be good parents. My parents will never say ‘But we always knew you were into girls.’ My parents will never say ‘oh right, we assumed you were bisexual.’ My parents would tell me that I’m ‘going to hell,’ and that I’m a negative influence who shouldn’t drag my siblings down.’

‘Some black peoople think ‘Somegay’s blacka choice, people and think being a choice, and whenbeing they gay’s find out that their when find out their kid is they gay they try tothat figure kid gay they they did try to figure ouriswhat wrong’ out what they did wrong - Denise, Master of None enise aster o one Maybe one day, I’ll tell my parents. For now, I’m content in living in this liminal space where I am simultaneously straight and queer* to them, as a ‘Schrödinger’s queer*’.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

FEATURES

A Comprehensive Guide on When To Tell Your Non-Black Man That You’re Wearing A Wig Prisca Ochan Interracial dating is fun. From my experience, it has its pros. You get to learn about different people and their cultures. You open yourself up to new perspectives, experiences; you might even learn a whole new language while you’re at it! It’s really amazing! However, it’s not all fun and games. If you are a black girl who wears a wig, and you are dating a non-black man (or rather, just any man who isn’t familiar with black hair), there will come a time when you will need to let him know that your hair comes off at the end of the day. This can be hella awkward, and so I’ve come to your rescue and have compiled a guide based what I’ve learned on how to make this experience as pain-free as possible.

1. When he’s running his fingers through your hair

For some reason, men love to run their fingers through women’s hair. You start stressing that maybe you haven’t clipped it down properly, and then realised that there’s a possibility of him pulling it off! So maybe you should let him know that you’re wearing a wig while he’s doing this.

When he’s hugging you

You two are hugging, and maybe he’s taller than you. You’re scared that he can see the little dots on the lace front and ask you what’s wrong with your scalp. Or, if he doesn’t say anything, you don’t need to bring it up. Maybe even before he says anything, but you notice that he’s been staring at it for a while, tell him to not ruin his retinas.

4. When you’re in bed with him

Honestly, if you’ve made it to bed with him, maybe, just maybe you should let him know in case he decides to get a bit kinky and pull on it. You might chuckle a bit when he asks you if you like the pulling, but, like, you literally cannot feel a thing. Once again, there’s the possibility that the wig could come off. So really, the only pain you’re feeling is the pain of the imminent embarrassment if the wig comes off or becomes lopsided. Before this can happen, gaze deeply into his eyes and seductively whisper, ‘babe, it’s a wig!’

2. When he pushes some hair behind your ear

Men love being all romantic and push some of your hair behind your ear, just like they do in the movies. Why not tell him while he’s doing that? When he leans over to push the hair behind your ear, whisper gently into his ear that this hair will come off if he tugs too hard! When you’re done with that, watch his face. It’ll be priceless.

5. When you decide to swap the wig for your natural hair, or some box braids, or anything else When you tell him that you wear wigs, remember to reiterate how versatile black hair is. He might be a bit alarmed though, seeing you with long silky hair one day, and a pixie cut the next. Let him know that it’s like getting to date multiple people because of your multiple hair changes!

6. When he sees you without your wig for the first time You’ll be nervous the first time that he sees you without your wig on. You might be self-conscious. Even a bit scared. And that’s okay. You know that you’re not ashamed of your natural hair, and you know that you’re beautiful, but you can’t help feeling this way. Opening yourself up in this way makes you feel vulnerable and exposed. He’ll tell you that you look great, and he loves how you look without the wig. And, of course you do, you definitely look great with the hair you were born with! You’ll cheekily retort that it’s not up to him how you wear your hair.

7. When he’s a dick about the fact that you wear a wig

This isn’t something that you need to put up with. It’s your body. And even if you explain to him why you wear a wig (your reasons are valid, whatever they are), you don’t need to justify your choices to anyone. You need to be comfortable and feel safe. If he makes fun of you or makes you feel insecure about wearing a wig, then leave him!

All in all, reassure him that you do have hair, and no, you are not bald, and while you’re at it, teach him about protective hairstyles and why you wear the wig in the first place. Tell him about how black hair is typically very coarse and dry, so putting it in a protective style enables length retention, growth, and protects the ends of your hair because you’re not frequently combing or brushing it. He will be curious and eager to know more! Remember, there is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing a wig. You have your reasons for doing so, and no one should try to make you feel bad for doing so. Also, make sure to throw in a little talk about touching black hair: don’t you ever do it! Prisca Ochan is a second-year law/political science student and a frequent wearer of wigs.

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

FEATURES

A Letter from A Rohingya Woman of Myanmar Maria Bagum

Myanmar is a developing country in SouthEast Asia which suffered more than 60years under international sanction and civil war. Since independence from colonisation, the ethnic groups haven’t stopped fighting with the Myanmar military. At the time of colonisation, the British government favoured some ethnic groups over others to control the country. After independence, our leader General Aung San gave a huge effort to unite the whole country and he promised to establish federalism in ethnic areas. Unfortunately, it never happened as General Aung San was assassinated together with his fellows by Buddhist nationalists. Buddhist Nationalism is not new in Myanmar and its always being in Myanmar in the whole history. ‘Rohingya’ which Burmese accuse as ‘Bengali’ are one of the ethnic groups in Myanmar whose faith in Islam. The name ‘Rohingya’ is actually very new to all other ethnic groups in Myanmar as the name, and the whole ethnic group, were systematically destroyed and hidden from the media by Dictatorship. The geopolitics of the Rakhine state and May Yu district, where almost all Rohingya live, plays an important role in the genocide. Before independence, Rohingya also has an armed group called ‘Mujahadin’, and they fought Japanese army to help the British. In the Rakhine state, there are many other ethnic groups but Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya are the majority groups. Both groups share the same ancestors, but are different in that the faith divided them very strongly and they have hated each other throughout history. About 98 per cent of the population of the Mayu district, which is near Bangladesh, are Rohingya. After independence, Rohingya

controlled and leftist ideas were strongly prohibited. We couldn’t access any news or information that were truthful.

leaders and Mujahadens wanted to separate from Myanmar and unite with East Pakistan. Unfortunately, Pakistan leaders refused. So, they decided to drop the arms and unite with Myanmar. At that time, the Rakhine Buddhist group was also having arms and wanted to separate from Myanmar to establish a Rakhine Kingdom. So, Rakhine people hated Rohingya for uniting with the Myanmar government which constituted mainly with Burman people, a major ethnic group of Myanmar. Since that time, the two groups hated each other and Rakhine people have been fighting with the Myanmar military and keep holding their vision for the Rakhine Kingdom. Myanmar has more than 20 ethnic insurgent groups that fighting for federalism. Under dictatorship, all ethnic groups suffered. However, the Rohingya were victims of systematically genocide by the military. Before the dictatorship, U Nu’s democratic government recognised 143 ethnic groups in Myanmar. They recognised the Rohingya as ethnic but with the name of ‘Chittagong Muslims’ as Mayu district is close to the Chittagong state of Bangladesh. They were granted full citizenship, full civil rights and representation in Parliament. Under Military Dictator General Ne Win, all of these rights were removed from Rohingya and removed from the list of ethnic minorities. He declared only 135 ethnic groups as the ethnic of Myanmar. His military committed mass killing of Rohingya people. During the more than 60 years of Military regime, all people of Myanmar were subject to propagandised education system and media. We only had two TV channels, and two published newspapers. The military government censored these, and we had to learn manipulated history at schools. Western literature was strictly

The media will usually cast Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, and ethnic insurgencies as terrorists. Rohingya are not allowed to exist from the Rakhine state, and they need permission for movement inside the country. Rohingya are not allowed to marry without permission. Only thirty people are allowed to marry in a year in one quarter. If they marry without permission, they are arrested and extorted huge amount of money by the police. Rohingya are not allowed more than two babies. They can’t access any health services and education. The military regime intentionally destroyed all the evidence of Rohingya identity, national registration cards, family registration cards, literature and books. It is part of the genocide. Since the time of General Ne Win, no Rohingya children can get birth certificates, national registration cards or anything which can prove their identity. By this way, all Rohingya were forgotten in Myanmar and the world. The regime persecuted all educated Rohingya. My grandparents were one of the educated Rohingya who served for this country as school teachers. However, under the military regime, my whole family became victims of persecution. The military confiscated my grandparents’ farms and properties. My father ran from the Rakhine state to Yangon forty years ago where he met with my Buddhist mom, who is from another ethnic group. My wise mom decided to hide our identity for the sake of our education and, so, our persecution was not as extreme as other Rohingya people. But my whole life, I didn’t dare to say that I am a Rohingya. We survived under constant fear of persecution.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

My father didn’t get any chance to return to the Rakhine state and couldn’t see his parents until now. My siblings and I also didn’t get any chance to meet them. I am a doctor and served a few years for this country in the war zones, but my grandfather died in Rakhine state without any medication. Since 2010, the previous government which composed of military personals used Rohingya issue to take political advantage and to push Aung San Su Kyi political defeat. It is the most convenient way to put Aung San Su Kyi into this dilemma which they prepared for more than thirty years. The Rakhine state is very important for the geopolitics of China and also very resourceful. China bought all the coastal places of the Southern part of Myanmar as it is critical for Malacca peninsula. China also built the gas pipeline which transported the offshore gas from the Rakhine state to China. The majority of Rohingya were living in this area of the Rakhine state where China wants to build the business zone. In 2012, there was a conflict between Rakhine Buddhists and Rohingya which killed more than 4000 Rohingya and put more than a million Rohingya into the IDP camps. So, the military government backed by China confiscated all the lands of Rohingya and Rakhine people and put both communities into IDP camps. After this conflict, China was able to establish this pipeline project successfully. At that time, Aung San Su Kyi raised her voice not to bully Rohingya. For this reason, many Burmese people and Rakhine people accused her as pro-Muslim and nationalist monks attacked her in many ways. She took this as a lesson and on 2015 election, her party didn’t allow any Muslims candidate to participate in election, and Rohingya cannot vote.

Although Aung San Su Kyi’s party won the election, she can’t be a president because of the constitution. According to the constitution, she will never be a president and the country power is in the hand of the military chief. Soldiers occupy 25 per cent of the seats in the parliament, according to this constitution. ASSK government can’t change the constitution without revolution. She has no power over the military and the Rohingya issue is also not in her priority. She seems to differ from the reality which happening on the ground. Recently, torching of Rohingya houses is still happening. She raised her voice for Rakhine issue on 19 September, but there are many flaws and vague mentions of a detailed plan of repatriation and the verification of nationality for Rohingya people. However, I am very welcome for her effort towards Kofi Annan report which no previous government wanted to do. On the other hand, Rakhine Buddhists and the majority of Burmese people have an extreme view on this issue. Some Rakhine extremists are responsible for mob attacks toward the aids for the Rohingya people and torching and destruction of Rohingya houses that is highlighted by international media by a foreign journalist who witnessed these. Together with the ASSK, Burmese so-called democratic, human right activists and educated people including Burmese diplomats studying at the ANU have the desire to blame the victims by justifying ethnic cleansing on both sides. The whole country seems to forget the ill-treatment of the military for more than 60 years which they had suffered when it comes to Rohingya issue. Their hiding racism, nationalism and Islamophobia blindfolded them from critical thinking. Their racism, hate

and torture pushed the oppressed Rohingya to be radicalised. Before the insurgent attacks, Rohingya villages were blocked by Rakhine people and police for many weeks. They couldn’t go out of their villages to find foods and things to survive. Finally, they decided to fight back. You can see on the information committee Facebook page of the Myanmar government, the majority of insurgents which they captured after the 25 August attack were not well-trained fighters and most of them are ordinary Rohingya people who fight with a small knifes and bamboo stick. However, I strongly condemn the leader of ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) and his fellows for their stupid choice which costs the thousands of lives of my people including my cousins. We will need to find a peaceful solution, and I am sure it will take many years for reconciliation. However, the military and China will never let this happen. They will never stop their greed. My people won’t be suffering in this way if they are not from Rakhine state or my country is not between China and India. So, the only solution is international community and the government to work together to strengthen the rule of law in Rakhine state and to give safety for my people until Kofi Annan’s report was establish fully.

FEATURES

ART

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

The Beginner’s Guide to the Symphony Text: Clare Green So you’ve somehow found yourself with a ticket to the symphony, and you have no idea what to do? Never fear, all shall be revealed. Here is your (brief) guide to what to do at the symphony.

What to wear?

The ‘unofficial’ official requirement is to wear cocktail; however, some events may request more formal dress codes. For women, above the knee is okay, however, avoid mini-skirts as you will be climbing steps into raised seating. For men, a suit is de rigueur, however wearing a tie is optional. In summer – particularly if the concert is outside and during the day – you can get away with chinos and a button-down, neatly pressed.

When to arrive?

Try to arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. If you arrive after the start time, you probably won’t be let in until intermission. Arriving this early also gives you a chance to pre-order drinks for the intermission, as well as to get your hands on a program.

To buy a program or not?

Some orchestras give away their programs for free, but it is not usual, and usually, you’re required to pay a small fee. Whilst some view this as an inconvenience, the fee on the program is a crucial part of revenue-raising for orchestras. The program will also give you notes about the pieces being played, as well as information about any soloists and future concerts. In the end, it is up to you, but it is worth buying as it improves the experience tenfold. Bring cash.

When the Performance Starts

Before the start of the performance, you will normally hear a bell throughout the theatre reminding you to get to your seats. If you have seats in the middle of a row get to your seats as quickly as possible. If you’re on the edge of a row, wait for a couple of minutes before taking your seat, otherwise, you will constantly be standing and sitting while everyone else in the row takes theirs. A good rule of thumb is to switch your phone off the minute you enter

the theatre. This way you don’t forget and run the risk of an annoying ringtone going off in the quietest parts. If you absolutely have to check your phone, don’t. Either wait until intermission or leave the performance until the end of the next intermission. If you need to cough, clear your throat, or sneeze, your best bet is to hold it in until a break between movements or intermission. Do not talk to neighbours between movements, wait until intermission for this.

Post-Performance Etiquette

Clapping in classical music is one of the hardest things to understand. You don’t clap between movements, but you do clap at the end of a piece, but sometimes the end of a piece doesn’t mean that intermission is beginning. If in doubt wait until most of the room is clapping before you begin. At the end of the performance, continue to clap with the audience until they begin to fade away. The musicians will continue to bow until the clapping stops. Generally, it’s pretty rare for a piece of music to receive a complete standing ovation. While it can appear to be a very group driven thing, a standing ovation is actually quite personal. If it is the end of the whole concert, and you feel that it deserved it, feel free to stand even if no one else does. At the same time, if everyone is standing around you, but you don’t agree, you do not have to join them. Don’t throw flowers or tokens onto the stage at the end of the concert. Wait until afterwards where you can either go to the stage door or a designated autograph table set up by the orchestra.

Other Random Pieces of Etiquette

If you attend a performance of Handel’s Messiah, it is compulsory to stand for the Hallelujah Chorus unless you are not physically able. Do not eat in the concert hall. Some places allow you to take in drinks, but avoid food at all costs. Check any coats and large bags that you bring with you. However, if you have a shawl, take it into the theatre with you. This doubles as a blanket as the theatres are generally quite cool.

ART

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

The Quiet Art Text: Julia Faragher

Every day I feel feel like like II can can hear hear the the same monotonous voices in my head who tell me that art is not useful. They tell me that art is an addition to life, the icing on the cake, and the cherry on top of everything that actually keeps my life running. Art is a nice thought, but I should be spending my time on things that really matter. Forget my novel; I should be working on a cure for cancer: that would be a much better use of my brief life on earth. But these voices could not be more wrong. For most people, art thrives in a quiet but busy way in all the small corners of the day. The more I think about it, the more art I can find in my daily routine. Someone wrote the fun but slightly irritating tune that Apple chose to wake me up every morning. Someone designed the iPhone I use to call my mother who lives in a different state. Someone made the shirt that I pull over my head. Someone crafted the necklace I clasp around my neck. Someone sang the song I listen to on my way to class. Already I’m surrounded by art, and it’s not even ten o’clock yet. Artists have created so many moments of my day, so many things that I could not live without. And for some reason, we seem to presume that art is

a given in a world that wants to take it away. This is not to mention the home that art provides for those who are suffering. Sure, art doesn’t cure cancer. But it can help calm down the loved ones in the waiting room or the student walking to their exam hall or reach out to the teenager who feels like they are alone in the world. Art may not mend a broken leg, but it can fix a broken heart. It can pick you back up off the floor when nothing else can. There has got to be some use in that. Now that my eyes are open, every day is filled with crazy contradictions. People laugh at my Arts degree and then ask if I watch Game of Thrones. People ask how my writing ‘hobby’ is going, and then gasp when I say I haven’t read Hamlet. People ask why it takes so long to edit a photo, then flick through fifty filters to choose the perfect Instagram look that matches their aesthetic. Perhaps art is something that other people do, while I am expected to get a regular 9-5 and leave my art-making to school classes and fun side projects. Art makes the world go round when nothing else can. I encourage you to look for the quiet art that whirs away in your life and try to imagine the world without it. For me, it would be impossible.

Learning about other cultures through music Text: Zena Mason Learning about other cultures is great. But it pays to take note that if one does not recognise the small as well as the large cultures, it may be difficult to find anything which is distinctive or genuine. It is not commonly known that the original inhabitants of Taiwan were Austronesian. In the late 1990s, the German pop band Enigma was sued by Difang and Igay Duana from Taiwan’s Amis people. The song heavily features chanting of the Amis people, and yet there was no hint of this in the name of the song, the album or advertising. This was an example of music from a culture being used without credit. Without information about where the music came from, it is too easy to give it a broad, general label such as ‘native’ or ‘tribal.’ Damien Marley, a Jamaican jazz musician, released the album Distant Relatives, with Nas in 2010, and this time the label was ‘African.’ While the proposed intention of the album is to draw together and represent aspects of ‘African’ culture, it was interspersed with samples of the song Yègellé Tezeta by the Ethio-centric artist Malatu Astatke. In this way, the music of Ethiopia artificially becomes associated with the rest of African music. Andrew Alter of Macquarie University argues that it is the Rastafarian influences in Jamaican culture that has

lead Marley to incorporate Ethiopian music in the album. Rastafarianism has its roots in Ethiopianism, which was a movement of African Christians in the late 1900s and early 20th century. In addition, Ethiopia itself is only a single country of Africa which cannot represent all that the continent has to offer. Likewise, Waka Waka by Shakira, is largely based on the 1986 Cameroonian song Zangaléwa, in South Africa to represent the whole of Africa. Even the music of Disney’s Moana, which is supposed to represent “Polynesian” culture only has songs that are in English, Samoan and Tokelauan. It would make more sense to say that the music in Moana features Samoa and Tokelau, but it is easier and more profitable to claim that it represents the whole of Polynesia regardless of how many things they share in common. Because the mass music industry is so competitive, and with music plastered into radio broadcasts, movies and advertisements, it is difficult for any performers or producers to get people’s attention. Thus, it is easiest to use labels which will appeal to larger sections of the population. This is why we see ‘African Music,’ or ‘Native Music’ or other equally homogenising nomenclature. But it does not have to be that way. It is up to us to not only embrace diversity, but take it to the next level.

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

art

The Emmys: the good, the bad & the ugly Text: Miriam Sadler It’s that time of the year again; TV’s boldest and brightest stars lined the red carpet for the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. I sat down with more than a few vodka cranberries and an open mind to give you this analysis so you may never have to sit through anything as heinous as an American awards show.

The Good This years’ talking point was Lena Waithe who, alongside Aziz Ansari, won Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the Master of None episode “Thanksgiving,” based on her own experiences coming out. She is the first black woman ever to win this award and, as she pointed out, it is a testimony to the strides TV has made that ‘a little Indian boy’ (Ansari) and a ‘black girl’ could take out this award. This years’ Emmys truly championed women and people of colour. This is US’ Sterling K. Brown won Lead Actor in a Drama, which hasn’t been won by a black man since Andre Brown 19 years ago. Riz Ahmed won Lead Actor in a Limited Series for The Night Of, the first actor of Asian/ Muslim descent to take this award. Atlanta’s Donald Glover was the champion of the night, not least because his tux was so sharp, becoming the first black man to win for Directing in a Comedy. Big Little Lies and The Handmaid’s Tale, both series with extraordinary female casts, swept the board and SNL’s Kate McKinnon took home Supporting Actress in a Comedy, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus continued her annual domination of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy. No doubt, TV has aeons to go before it has efficiently tackled its diversity problem, but this year’s Emmys proved it is willing to open itself up to new voices and that Lena Waithe should probably be the next President.

The Bad This years’ host was The Late Show’s Stephen Colbert, and his opening monologue represented just about everything that was wrong with the Emmys (I think it’s important to point out here that I’m a Kimmel fan, Conan at a push). The show started with a musical number in which Stephen desperately tried to move his arms in time, while almost pleading

with us to ignore ‘global warming and the Middle East’ because ‘everything is better on TV.’ The number ended with an inexplicable rap from Chance the Rapper, whose feet were possibly nailed to the floor (c’mon Chance you’re better than this) and then moved into Colbert’s monologue. While I, vodka cranberry half drunk, had merrily appreciated the satire of the opening number, I grew increasingly uncomfortable with how forcefully Colbert seemed to want us to slump into a TV-induced trance, whilst America decays unnoticed. He raises a good point; the diversity amongst networks alone is extraordinary and coupled with the range of series and talents, TV has never been this good. Something about Colbert’s dead-inside smile and his insistence that TV will solve all our problems made me feel a strong urge to smash the television and go outside and protest something. Also, for all Colbert’s ditzy proclamations that the Emmys have never been more diverse, Sterling K. Brown’s measured, hilarious speech was inexplicably cut short, yet Kate McKinnon was allowed to dither on whilst Lorne Michaels watched over her like a benign dictator.

The Ugly Two words, Sean Spicer. I like a self-deprecating joke as much as the next person but, as much as I hate myself for it, I’m inclined to agree with Zach Braff who tweeted, ‘I’m not ready to laugh ‘with’ Sean Spicer.’ Spicer, ex-White House Press Secretary, was wheeled out to declare ‘this will be the largest audience to witness an Emmys period’, looking suspiciously like he’d been consuming a few of those TV drugs Colbert was trying to sell us earlier. Sean Spicer represents everything the Emmys was trying to abandon, hate speech, oppression and inequality. The Emmys weren’t ready to see Spicer pretend his lies were in good humour and certainly weren’t ready for him to get a laugh doing it. All in all, it was a cautious ceremony with no big surprises in the winners. Yet, perhaps this was what the Emmys needed; Sean Spicer aside, the show made quiet strides for women, for people of colour and the LGBTQIA community and, fingers crossed, points to a new direction for TV.

Text: Brandon Tan Memes, or a ‘memetic mutation’, originally referred to a recurring subject or theme, especially used within the advertising business. Hence, the phrase ‘Just do it’ was originally used by Nike to reinforce a brand identity, before becoming a meme itself through Shia LaBeouf motivational speech. However, since the Internet allows content to be easily distributed across the world, ‘memes’ have more or less evolved into modern day catchphrases and inside jokes of the Internet community. These inside jokes often appear randomly on social media platforms, such as the appearance of Turkish salt sprinkling chef Nusret Gökçe, which in turn prompts parody and fanart of ‘saltbae’, furthering the spread and penetration of the subject itself. Similar to the business product life cycle, memes experience periods of widespread growth (and usage) as well as eventual decline and are prone to being quickly outdated. ‘Rage Comics’ (and the trollface) were first used back in 2008 and can be argued to have fallen into disuse in comparison to the recurring memes more commonly used. Last year, we were introduced to two memes: ‘Damn Daniel’ and ‘Chewbacca mom’ after videos of each meme went viral, to the extent both parties appeared on national TV and received gifts that included a lifetime supply of Vans shoes and college sponsorships. Within five years, I doubt many would remember or reuse ‘Damn Daniel’, much less the Star Wars parody. A cynical observer might think of these as a marketing ploy by corporate brand managers to temporarily increase attention to their product. At the same time, it’s possible for a meme to arrive from content released

a while back. During August 2017, many places began conducting joke Facebook events with anime characters such as a ‘Naruto Run’ or a ‘Goku scream’, despite these characters having been around for at least 10 years. If the meme is based on a popular childhood show (such as The Simpsons), it arguably has a greater hold and usage. Memes can also be used for political purpose, or to parody someone’s bad character. Such was the bizarre word phrase ‘Pokemon-Go to the polls’ by presidential candidate Hillary Clinton last year, which in turn was decried by many to appear hip. Similarly, Donald Trump memes skyrocketed last year portraying how he may react towards certain scenarios. However, the use of inappropriate memes can lead to serious consequences. This year, Harvard used their right to rescind offers from various students who displayed questionable behaviour after they shared inappropriate memes regarding race, child abuse, and sexual assault. Arguably, Harvard wanted to preserve its image and integrity, where these individuals did not fit their mould for ideal students. Memes are often a parody of a situation, in an attempt to defuse a serious one. Technologically speaking, memes are easy to make, where they can be created through an online maker, or simply editing with Microsoft PowerPoint. To make an ANU-related meme, it’s easier to look at the current memes and ask yourself: How can I make this related to ANU? By focusing on keywords such as ‘Coombs’, ‘Echo360’, or any recent events, it’s possible to make a custom meme. On the other hand, organising real-life events take a bit more effort. Will memes persist as we eventually grow old? That’s the real question. However, I’m looking forward to what we’ll get and see the unexpected things life gives us.

It’s a Memeingful Life

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

ART

Interview with Mark Opitz Text: Chloe Sinclair Mark Opitz is an Australian recording legend and award winning record producer. He’s worked with the likes of The Divinyls, AC/DC, Australian Crawl and INXS (just to name a few). He’s now a visiting fellow at the ANU School of Music, so Chloe Sinclair had a chat with him about the industry and what he’s doing at the School.

What was unique about the rock scene in Australia in the 70’s and 80’s that produced so many seminal artists? I think the availability of venues for artists to play at was the big difference. Having pubs enabled all the acts to hone their craft four or five time a week, and sometimes twice a night. That had been going on since the 70’s and 80’s and into the early 90’s; then poker machines regulations and fire rules changed all of that. Those particular years were very productive in terms of Australian acts.

When you’re producing bands, do you see yourself as working together to create music, or do you step in after the initial recording is done and do the final polishing? No, I work from the start. From song selection in rehearsals, to arrangement and then into the studio. I say to acts “we’re not recording singles, we’re not recording albums, we’re

recording.” Because we’re working in both the digital and analog domain, it allows me to keep on re-arranging right up to the final mix stage. It’s a bit like a movie director, when a director receives a script they’ll change it, make it shorter, bring in different feelings; it’s the same deal what I do as a record producer.

Where do you draw the line between musicians having creative freedom, and imposing your vision as the producer? I don’t necessarily impose my vision. I always work with an act and I want to see what the vision of that act is. The minute you start charging people to buy your music you have a responsibility to the public to do it the best way you possibly can. So my idea has always been attracted by the act’s vision they already have. It’s all about working as a team and bringing to bear the experience I’ve had over many years to take the music up to another level.

Have you worked in international as well as Australian studios? I worked in both, literally half and half over my career. I love working in France and other non-english speaking countries, but I also work a lot in the United States and the United Kingdom. These days I’m really enjoying working in places like France, Turkey and Italy. Just changing it up, being refreshed and inspired.

What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened while working in the studio? I can remember on one particular project working with Kiss. I’d be working 12 to 18 hours a day, but you’d get to have a laugh once a day because Gene Simmons would ring up just out of the blue with a joke or a queer question. Probably lots of crazy things have happened, but you sort of don’t remember them much because you’re responsible for people’s working lives, you’re responsible for people’s dreams.

What are you planning to do at the ANU School of Music? Since I’ve been invited to be a visiting fellow obviously the regular things and I’ve already done some lectures and tutorials. What I’m trying to do also is bring international and Australian musicians to the University to talk about their music. I have some big plans going into 2018 that we’re still developing with the school.

The ANU spent over a million dollars on the new studio, what’s it like? I think it’s great. The fact that the ANU we’re brave enough to spend that sort of money on a studio. It’s a fantastic tool, a fantastic instrument, in fact, for all the music students. Professor Brian Schmidt said that part of his plan to making it one of the best music schools in the world is to

have world class recording facilities. I mean you can record an orchestra in Llewellyn Hall and in the studio, or you can record a large band or something very intimate. It’s a great instrument, and that’s the way it should be seen, for the students in general to use and learn and experiment with their own music.

What are you looking for when working with students in the studio? I’ve been working with students already in terms of tutorials. During the Open Day, we did a recording session and I basically handed it over to two of the students to actually run the whole session. I’ll be coming back in a couple of weeks and running more lectures and sessions in the studio.

With technology changing so rapidly, where do you see the music industry in 5 or 10 years time? Well technology is always going to change, and the music industry is always going to change. Music will change according to that image and its importance in the culture. One thing for sure, music is never ever going to go away. The changes in youth culture and culture in general will dictate how music changes. But the most important thing is, it’s the old cliche, music is the international language. Music is like air, like water, it’s like eating, like loving, music is so essential. The changes, well that’s up to how to world progresses.

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

reviews

A Very Brief Look at the Game of Thrones Season Seven Soundtrack Text: Clare Green Spoiler Alert: Contains spoilers from season seven of Game of Thrones. Some say that music is its own language, and perhaps that explains why soundtracks are so important to the success of movies or TV shows. In this case, Game of Thrones season seven, composed by Ramin Djawadi is no exception. In order of what I think is best to worst, here is my analysis of the best three pieces of score from this season.

Against All Odds Although episode six had many flaws (apparent time travel and an instant messaging service that rivals facebook to name a few), the soundtrack was not one of them. Against All Odds, the closing piece of the episode, is a seven-anda-half-minute piece of compositional heaven. There is so much that happens in this piece that as you listen to it, it really does feel like the whole show is coming together for the first time. The piece opens with the same theme that we heard with the White Walkers back in season six. It makes use of very grating strings (designed to sound like ice), deep brass, and a marching tempo to build the tension in the scene. By slowly building the tension in the opening of this piece Djawadi is trying to hint to the audience that this will be an epic battle. From 1:30 to 3:15 we begin to hear a slowed down version of the title theme of the show played over a low, held note (pedal note) that is designed to build tension. I remember watching this scene on the edge of my seat, desperately hoping that Jon wasn’t about to meet his end. From 3:15, Djawadi drops all bass out of the music, and this builds the tension further by raising the timbre of the music to a higher octave. As you watch the wights surround Jon and co., it feels as if all hope is lost. A heartbeat joins the music, which is the first we hear of Daenerys and her time travelling dragons (as the episode progresses, it appears that this is done to represent dragon wings). Then from 4:38 we hear possibly the best battle theme of the series. The dragons appear, and with breaths of fire at their disposal, any wight that crosses their path promptly disintegrates. Djawadi shows Daenerys’ power here through changing the piece to a major key and making use of repeated violin and brass motifs that fill the theme with the grandeur typically afforded to royalty. The theme builds on the dragon score that has been in use for all of seasons five and six but has an extra surprise for the keen of hearing. At 5:08 we hear the theme that has played whenever Jon and Daenerys have been around one another as they look at each other, and this serves to confirm that this theme is in fact, their love theme

(more on that later). Unfortunately, all is not well and from 5:49 we hear the White Walker theme return with a vengeance. They draw the spear, the music is dark and full of terrors, and, first, we watch as Viserion is killed and then as Jon disappears beneath the icy surface of the lake. At this point in the episode, the music and scenes cut to other parts of the episode, before returning as the knight king drags the dragon from the ice and ‘recruits’ him to his army of the dead. This piece is so layered that at every listen you will uncover something new.

Truth

Truth is a piece that, much like Light of the Seven was for season six, will be the defining score of the season. We hear the main motif (see below) multiple times throughout the season as we watch the love between Jon and Daenerys grow, but Truth is the moment that everything comes together.

I think Djawadi rose to the challenge of writing this piece superbly. This piece represents not only a culmination of love triumphing, but also the audience finding out that the love could never be, and that the entire war that is the basis for the series was built on a lie. It is an The Spoils of War emotionally charged scene with a score ‘The Spoils of War’ is a well written and to match. well-executed piece of music that fits the scene to which it is attached perfectly. As the piece grows, we see Djawadi blend When I heard this piece for the first time, Jon and Daenerys’ theme with the main it was before I had seen the episode and theme of the show. At 2:22 we hear a I heard it through my neighbour’s’ wall. very faint version of the main theme but Despite being heartbroken over spoilers, as the piece swells the Game of Thrones I can remember being so excited to theme speeds up and swells the music to watch the episode myself simply because another, heartbreaking level. Djawadi increases the volume and the speed of of this piece. everything to increase the tension that This piece is one of the moments where the listeners feel from 2:47. By the way Djawadi’s compositional skills really it’s structured, I think that this piece is shine. It’s written in 6/8 time to mimic proof to what a lot of people have been a slow but purposeful march, and from speculating about, in that the Song of the start, we hear a new motif that Ice and Fire is actually about Jon and appears only in this piece, attached to Daenerys. The adage that less is more is the Dothraki as they ride in. Djawadi very applicable in Truth, and Djawadi perfectly blends this theme with the has used a very simple melody to create dragon theme that has been present the full spectrum of human emotion in throughout seasons five and six, and by under four minutes. doing so, creates a melody that reminds the listener that the dragons and Overall, I was less impressed with this season than with season six. There Dothraki are one army. was less new content, and, at times, From 2:40 the soundtrack changes from it appeared to be almost lazy in its a Daenerys cantered theme to the Rains composition given that there were very of Castamere. It is at this point that few new themes. However, despite this, the listener really begins to worry that the sheer skill shown in the pieces perhaps Daenerys will not survive the mentioned above made up for the volley of arrows released by the Lannister overall lack of content. On its own, army at her. As the arrows reach her, this soundtrack is extremely good and the tension in the music increases until suits season seven perfectly, however, the melody switches back to her earlier judging by the success of the season six theme as the arrows rebound off her soundtrack and the almost constant flow of new content within it, it would dragon. have been a difficult challenge for this Djawadi skilfully blends two very soundtrack to top it. different personalities into a piece that is on the scale of the major battles of the show without sacrificing the quality of composition in each. My only qualm about this piece is that a lot of the content in it appeared to be reused from previous seasons and placed over a different baseline. While the piece fit the scene well, it well and truly lacked in the originality department.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

reviews

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 50 Years On Text: Conor Tarpey Image: Katie Ward 50 years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is an album that everyone has heard about, but not all have sat down and listened to it in its entirety. The eighth studio album by the Beatles, unquestionably one of the greatest bands in history, is commonly touted as a masterpiece of 20th century music by hipsters and crusty music critics alike. With a new stereo mix recently released, the album and its merits is back under discussion. But what really makes it ‘the best album ever by the best band ever?’ Just before Sgt. Pepper’s was released on the 26th of May 1967, the Beatles, having just released two singles, ‘Penny Lane’ and ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, had already created mass confusion among their devoted fans. The music videos for these new songs showed the Beatles with moustaches, bright outfits and funky glasses, a far cry from the four clean-cut, suit-wearing boys with mop-tops the public were used to. The world tried to adapt and people listened to ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ until they thought they

‘got it’. The Beatles had changed; they were looking to experiment, to innovate, to go against the grain. Sgt. Pepper’s represented this desire, an album that had the usual polished professionalism of the Beatles’ previous work, but with a new layer of artistic experimentation that pushed the envelope of what the Beatles had done before. At the time, most recording studios only had four-track tapes, which meant that they could layer four distinct audio recordings into one final record. Bands would usually have one track for vocals, one for drums and the other two for guitar or keyboards. But on Sgt. Pepper’s, the Beatles and their audio engineers pushed the boundaries of this technology. The Beatles would record tracks and then re-record those onto a single track until the tape was nearly see-through. They spent hundreds of hours in the recording studio, an inordinate amount of time for a regular band to create a studio album at the time. So much of Sgt. Pepper’s pushed the boundaries of what was possible and it is only from these innovations that the album sounds so ordinary to us now. That is what many modern listeners don’t appreciate, and especially something I didn’t appreciate

at first: the incredible modernity of an album that is nearly as old as my dad. But, why is the importance of this album being re-questioned now? On the 26th of May this year, a new stereo mix was released to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the album. A mix completed by none other than Giles Martin, son of the late George Martin, the famed producer of the Beatles and the ‘fifth Beatle’ according to Paul McCartney. This painstaking attempt to improve and rejuvenate the original work has resulted in a vivid and brassy album that really showcases the incredible band that was the Beatles. The most notable improvement is in the drums. Ringo’s drumming is booming and intricate at the same time, something which really improves the listening experience. Songs like ‘Good Morning Good Morning’ and ‘She’s Leaving Home’ benefit immensely from this improvement. Sgt. Peppers may not amaze many modern listeners. It’s not even my favourite Beatles album: I much prefer Abbey Road. But to listen to it is to participate in a musical pilgrimage to the place that many of your favourite artists owe a lot to. It’s an album that pushed

the boundaries of what was possible at the time. There is something for everybody: the sing-a-long fun of ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ the upbeat, more relevant than ever message of ‘Getting Better All The Time’ or the lush harmonies of ‘Lovely Rita.’ If I were to recommend you listen to only one song, it would be ‘A Day In The Life.’ Widely hailed as one of the greatest songs ever made, it’s wonderfully nuanced and becomes even more amazing when you consider the fact that it was made with only four layers of audio. Trendy university students and seasoned music critics may be a touch pretentious in their appraisal of Sgt. Pepper’s as an infallible masterpiece. But I prefer to see it as less of a musical Mona Lisa and more of a time capsule; a view into a world I will never see. But the beauty of the Beatles’ music, the charm of the bygone band, somehow makes me nostalgic for something I never even experienced. So, brush the pretentiousness aside, lie back, put Sgt. Pepper’s on and wonder what it’d be like to live in another time: a time when anything seemed possible, even with horrible moustaches and corduroy pants.

LIFE & STYLE

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

LIFE & STYLE

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

Why I’ve stopped looking at mental illness memes Text: Nick Wyche

Content Warning: Mental illness, disordered eating It’s a trend that’s swept forth inexorably, devouring vast swathes of Internet content and replacing the vacant space with variations of itself. Often edgy, occasionally uplifting and insightful, memes about mental illness are omnipresent across nearly every platform of social media. Facebook is awash with opportunities to tag yourself and friends as the kind of anxiety you’re feeling today. You can follow niche Instagram accounts that churn out memes about dissociation or borderline personality disorder, and many influential presences on the platform discuss their personal journeys in explicit detail. You can scroll through endless tweets hashtagged #depressionmeal and chuckle wryly as you reflect on your own adventures in this domain (for the record, my personal high/low point was consuming nothing but nacho cheese Doritos and raspberry Fanta for almost a fortnight). From my perspective as a mentally ill person, there is a twofold attraction to memes on this subject. On one hand, it’s empowering to realise that something you thought nobody else would ever feel is actually a circumstance you share with thousands of people. The empathy of friends, family and professionals is valuable and appreciated, but it only extends so far. As with most other experiences rooted in adversity, nothing combats the isolation that accompanies a diagnosis in quite the same way as being understood. In this way, making and engaging with memes about your struggles and victories is a powerful coping mechanism. It has allowed me, among countless others, to process emotions and incidents that dealt powerful blows to my wellbeing and sense of self. Better still, it has helped me get perspective on my problems. Reducing symptoms and behaviour

to humour, and then watching other people benefit from that humour, has been uplifting and has contributed to making those things feel manageable. But looking beyond this individual experience, it’s important to recognise that even though they’re often written off as lowbrow and disposable, memes are a cornerstone of this generation’s cultural discourse. One of the distinguishing features of memes that elevates them to this status is that they’re simultaneously original content and derivative commentary. As a result, they become embedded in moments of history while also propelling the narrative of that history forward. During the new millennium we’ve watched significant advances occur in the destigmatisation of mental illness among young people, and a major part of this process has been normalisation through the omnipresence of mental illness-themed content. Notably, however, memes on the topic often take a vital step beyond legitimising experiences of mental illness: they critique harmful and reductive stereotypes that closely intertwine with them. Memes contribute to a conversation that exposes a grittier side to mental illness, one that is less about tender and marketable suffering and more about the exhaustion and dehumanisation it can entail. Meme culture often brutally undercuts the quirkiness and whimsy that bystanders seem eager to attribute to the experiences of mentally ill people struggling with self-care. Lying in bed all day sounds fun and lazy to many people, but it’s a poisonous feeling to lack the energy to engage with the world – the longer you stay there, paralysed by your own apathy, the more the self-hatred mounts. When I mentioned living off Doritos and Fanta before, it might have seemed like I was living the dream, but it actually made me seriously unwell; at the time it felt horribly symbolic of the control I’d lost over my own life. Furthermore, the more introspective genre of meme has also helped me

unlearn dangerous constructs about mental illness. Up until very late in high school, I routinely romanticised my own depression as something that was necessary to fuel my creative process. I saw the pedestal upon which many people of my age and situation put depressed artists and writers, and wanted to emulate their lifestyles. Engagement with internet meme communities was the first thing that challenged this mindset and showed me that suffering is not an inherently artistic experience. Another important lesson that the meme culture has bestowed upon me is how much harder mental illness can be to navigate for people with additional marginalised identities. So far, this has read like glowing praise for memes about mental illness. You’d be quite right to wonder: where’s the stumbling block? The truth is, finding companionship in a meme community is at best a consolation prize for being incapacitated by your own mind. For me personally, depression, anxiety and mild psychosis often conspire to make life nearly unmanageable. Given these circumstances, where I am acutely aware of the raft of ways I could be a better and more functional person, it’s all too tempting to convert these difficulties into the social capital of engaging with trendy and relevant subcultures. Put simply, mental illness meme culture feeds my complacency with my own disorders. In dark and vulnerable moments, I wonder whether being mentally ill has become essential to my self-concept because it lets me access a fashionable aesthetic. More often, I worry that I use memes that normalise depression and anxiety as an excuse to be easy on myself, electing to laugh cynically when I should instead be trying to improve and grow. Sometimes, the commonality of experience these communities offer leads me to downplay just how difficult it is to stay functional and fulfil my responsibilities. If other people can brush it off and joke about it, why can’t I?

Trivialising the herculean effort many mentally ill people have to muster to get through the day is one thing. Another, more insidious flipside of normalising mental illnesses is that it causes healthy people to over-identify with concomitant symptoms and emotions. Interactions I have watched unfold all over the internet have often given me cause to wonder if memes are reducing mental illness to something #relatable. Casually throwing around the language and experience of mental illness encourages a mindset of erasure that equates long-term depression with having a rough week, or being ‘crazy’ with having kooky idiosyncrasies. At a fundamental level, I love memes about mental illness. Some of them have given me my longest belly laughs in recent memory, others have caught me off-guard with profound insights. My chat histories with many close friends are abundant with my favourite examples of things that have touched close to home. Ultimately, though, I’ve decided that they’re not good for me. I’ve lived with my diagnoses for a while, and thanks largely to memes and the communities built around them I’ve accepted I’m not necessarily going to ‘get better’, or live or think like a ‘normal’ person. However, this doesn’t mean I don’t want to live functionally or be as healthy as I’m capable of being. It’s taken a long time and overflowed my phone’s camera roll with screenshots and downloads, but I’ve reached a stage in my journey where the balance has shifted. The content that once helped me make sense of a challenging reality is now complicit in me perpetuating and glamourising my own sickness, and that’s where the buck must stop.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

LIFE & STYLE

environment

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

What happened to the live exports debate in Australia? Text: Grace Dudley A couple of years ago, live exports were a hot topic of conversation, and for a good reason. Scandals such as the MV Cormo Express incident and the ban on Indonesian live exports in 2011 exposed the poor standard of welfare inherent in the industry. Australia has been a major supplier of livestock, particularly sheep and cattle, to overseas markets through the live export industry, and the industry contributes an ‘average of 1 billion in export earnings annually for the Australian economy.’ Yet, countless examples of animal cruelty arose during the transportation of animals and upon arrival at overseas destinations where there are poor or non-existent animal welfare standards. At this juncture in time, it is interesting to see what has been happening since, if anything. Exports have continued Unfortunately, deaths at sea have been continuing to occur. In 2016, up to 3,000 sheep died from heat stress on a vessel bound for the Middle East, with many sheep unaccounted for because the bodies had already decomposed. In 2017, a live export ship travelling to Malaysia from Darwin had its certification revoked after, of the 1,236 cattle on board, 95 died. The cattle die because they are ‘unable to keep their feet due to unsuitable flooring’ and, as a result, develop open wounds, septicemia and respiratory diseases. In that trip, 7.65 per cent of the population onboard died – way above the legal threshold of 0.5 per cent for trips that last than 10 days. The laws are not stronger To be frank, the inherent nature of live exports makes it impossible to achieve substantive animal welfare: being shipped for ten days or more in confined conditions across oceans will never be a pleasant experience. It seems unlikely that the government will ban all exports and,

disappointingly, efforts to place stronger laws in this realm are failing. So, what is wrong with the legal framework? It’s voluntary and reactive The latest liberal governments have placed more focus on the industry becoming more self-regulated – establishing new export markets in China, Cambodia and Thailand. Disappointingly, the government has removed some of the key frameworks related to ensuring better protection in foreign countries – something we should be aiming for as a country with a growing animal welfare culture. Importantly, most of the additions to the live export regulations operate in a manner that is reactionary rather than preventative. For example, the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) was introduced to monitor the whole live export process. Exporters are required to submit an end of processing report and an independent audit report to show compliance with the animal welfare, control, and traceability objectives of the system. However, what use is there in producing this information when sanctions are hardly ever enforced? The whole system is not designed to prevent the mistreatment of animals – if the cruelty has already occurred, it is of little benefit to the animal that has already suffered. It treats animals as property Though not related to animals in particular, the Export Control Act is the legislative framework that governs the export of ‘prescribed goods’ – of which an animal is one. All vessels ‘carrying livestock’ must have an Australian Maritime Safety Authority license, and must comply with the provisions of the Navigation Act that specify the ‘requirements for animal pen sizes… and the possession of humane destruction equipment.’ This distinctly ‘non-living’ framework breeds an attitude that animals are property and commodities, which unfortunately helps legitimise the lack of legal protection

that animals receive. It’s complex Because many different instruments govern the live exports trade, the focus on animal welfare can get lost quickly. There are the Animal and Meat Livestock Act, the Export Control Act which is both administered by Biosecurity Australia. Then there are licencing orders, Cargo Handling and Navigation Acts involved. Finally, because there is no national animal welfare framework, state-based animal welfare law applies to the trade with regard to loading, transportation and handling of animals on Australian soil. This starts to get much more complex once animals reach their overseas destinations. We have no control over foreign laws There are no legal requirements that animals, once they reach foreign jurisdictions, to be stunned before slaughter. Animals get sent to countries where there are no laws surrounding animal welfare. While the ESCAS intends to meet the animal welfare recommendations and standards in the World Organisation for Animal Health, Australia cannot interfere with foreign jurisdictions, and international law is largely unenforceable. The welfare of animals is therefore out of Australia’s control when they are no longer subject to our animal welfare laws and associated standards in. It is morally inconsistent and unfair to allow welfare standards to apply to animals while in Australia, but then allow the treatment of animals to be significantly crueller in destination countries. Where should the debate go? At this point, the live export trade seems like a futile exercise from the perspective of animal welfare. It is a difficult issue to debate in Australia, where we celebrate agriculture and consider the economic interests of farmers. Recently, the Australian Farm Institute report called Enhancing the Competitiveness of the Australian Livestock Export

suggested that the animal welfare regulations, such as the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance, were reducing the competitiveness of Australian livestock exporters. While it is true that other countries with little regulation of the industry can provide cheaper animals, there is little merit in any argument for even weaker animal welfare protections. I would argue that, at present, the economic benefits felt by the industry do not justify the suffering of animals. Reports have shown that, in fact, the live export trade is not hugely significant to Australia. Farmers do not rely on it as their main source of income, and it equates to a very small percentage of overall livestock production in Australia. Furthermore, there is a viable alternative to live exports which ensures the greatest amount of benefit to both economic interests and animal welfare. Australian farmers can transition from live exports to the export of boxed and chilled meats, like our friends in New Zealand did a long time ago. A ‘gradual reduction leading to an eventual termination of the entire industry could improve the long-term condition of farmers’ through the expansion of domestic processing facilities. While it isn’t ideal for an animal lover, local processing facilities ensure better animal treatment as animals are slaughtered (humanely) at close as possible to the point of production, rather than being transported to foreign destinations first. It is also more economically sound. Not only does it ‘support growth in regional economies’, but it also has the potential to generate better economic returns. Interestingly, live exports are the lowest form of commodity export, and the domestic production of meat produces more economic value. Overall, the stagnation of the live export debate is disappointing and symptomatic of the slow progress regarding animal welfare law in Australia. There is scope for a much better system; hopefully, the debate will grab the attention of lawmakers again before thousands of more animals experience the inevitable terror of live exportation.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

Being Clingy is Not Cool Why Beeswax Wraps Win Text by: Lyn Dong If you tell an environment lover that you use beeswax food wraps instead of cling wrap, they will love you forever. Really. What is this funny sounding alternative you ask?

Sustainable Campus Bulletin Five Fun Sustainable Designs at Universities

Beeswax food wraps are made from 100 per cent cotton and coated with beeswax. Some brands even add in tree resin and organic jojoba oil. The beeswax wraps function like cling wrap, but with a difference: they bend using the warmth of your hands to make the wax mixture pliable. Then, you can simply press it onto half an avo (LOL jokes, we can’t afford them) or over the rim of your bowl of leftovers.

Text by: Grace Dudley

Here are some reasons why you should consider ditching cling wrap and getting yourself some groovy lookin’ beeswax food wraps:

There is a whole host of awards and certifications given to green buildings, like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. The LEED system evaluates the environmental performance of buildings and gives them a certification, encouraging the desirability of designing buildings sustainably. Due to these developments, the trend is to pay more attention to the way buildings are designed on campus. Universities often want to showcase cutting-edge designs to demonstrate that energy efficient and green aesthetics can work. And, it is true that green buildings have the potential to produce 62 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than the average Australian Building and use 51 per cent less water. There are social benefits as well. As Canadian Architect George Baird suggests, ‘if buildings work well, they enhance our lives, our communities, and our culture.’ While it might be an off-script concept, green buildings not only save money but can contribute to healthier study environments and better interactions between students and the environment.

They are better for the environment Beeswax food wraps are reusable. Just hand wash them under some cool water and very mild soap, and lay out flat to air dry. They last for up to a year, as the protective wax coating will eventually wear away over time with constant use. After their time is up, you can bury them in your backyard where they will break down quickly, leaving no wasteful trace.

They are better for your health Cling wrap contains many risks to your health. Higher temperatures cause it to be harmful when it comes into direct contact with your food, according to experts at John Hopkins University. Cling wrap can also contain hormone-disrupting phthalates, a chemical that is used to keep plastic soft. If you don’t have any beeswax wraps, just cover your bowl with a plate or paper towel, and then heat up your food. As much as I love these beeswax wraps, there are still some things to be aware of. For food safety reasons, the wraps cannot be used to wrap raw meat. But, hey, maybe that’s an excuse to reduce our meat intake (another story for another time). Some warn that you may not achieve a complete seal with the wraps as they’re not quite as pliable as cling wrap. I don’t find this problematic as I have not noticed my food being affected when using the wraps compared to cling wrap. Several online stores stock these affordable food wraps such as Regal Wraps, Bee Wrappy, and Biome, BeeKeepa. I have some Regal Wraps and not only are they stocked in cute patterns, but they also smell lovely too! They range from three to eight dollars each depending on the size you want. For those who are keen and want to save some money, making your own is also definitely possible. Getting rid of single-use plastics has never been easier!

environment

As the ANU undergoes redevelopment, we’re left wondering whether the buildings will be functional, sustainable, or even aesthetically designed. For this Sustainable Campus Bulletin, we look at the some of the more impressive sustainable buildings housed at different universities around the world.

These five examples will show you how.

Green star ratings: Frank Fenner Building - ANU

of the sun depending on the season: the shading on the outer façade is angled to ensure that maximum sun comes through in winter. Interestingly, it creates an ‘ephemeral pond’ from stormwater which, having been filtered naturally, provides habitat for our local wildlife.

open out into a ‘valley’ for students to easily escape into the outdoors.

Canopy views: Kroon Hall - Yale University

Solar Powered Housing: Stucco - University of Sydney

Photo: Grace Dudley

This is not a unique concept to you all – we have a coop at the ANU, and these living spaces promote a shared living environment that promotes equity. At Stucco, rent is far lower than the average Sydney apartment – think 90 dollars a week - and admission is means tested to ensure those who need it have access to accommodation. In 2016, they decided to become even cooler: they became one of the first apartment blocks to install a shared solar and battery system to prioritise green energy and lower bills. In technical terms, they act as retailer and consumer of the energy their solar farm produces – an arrangement that other apartments and households are encouraged to start taking up.

The building, home to the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, is constructed from locally sourced wood – red oak from a forest in Northern Connecticut that Yale manages itself. It is the literal dream of anyone who likes natural light for study – high ceilings, a glass façade, and a lounge and desk area that looks over a tree canopy. In technical terms, its design cleverly focuses on the long term. Tall central pillars dominate the building, with disconnected walls at each level of the building. This means that staff can rearrange the walls without having to deconstruct the whole building – a pretty neat innovation to create less impact on the overall structure of the building.

Using campus as an urban farm: Eden Hill Farm Chatham University

Green Roof: School of Art and Design Nanyang University Singapore

Photo: Bruce Damonte

Photo: CPG Consultants Photo: ANU Services

This building, familiar to most as the Fenner School of Environment & Society and the ANU Climate Change Institute, has six-star Green Building Council of Australia Green Star rating and incorporates many sustainable design principles as an exemplar for other new building plans. What does this all mean? Most of its electricity comes from a solar system on its roof, and it improves its energy efficiency through automatic deactivation of lighting systems and double-glazed windows. Attention to detail in design ensures that the most (or least)

This building looks like a more sophisticated version of the grass hill on our own parliament house. However, this building is specifically designed to be energy efficient, and socially cohesive. It is legitimate; with a platinum-certified Green Mark energy saving of 1119,134-kilowatt hours and significant water savings through innovations like a rainwater collection system. The wide, curved glass façade that falls below the outer ovular green sphere allows maximum light to enter the building. There is also a winding staircase to the open green roof where spaces for interaction exist. On the ground floor, the doors

Using campus as an urban farm: Eden Hill Farm – Chatham University Increasingly, universities are advocating for sustainability by integrating green practices and activities into the everyday life of the campus. The Falk School of Sustainability in the USA has taken this to a whole new level by creating a ‘satellite campus centred around a sustainable living experiment.’ Get this: the campus generates more energy than it uses! As part of their on-campus experience, students learn about renewable energy systems, waste management, and sustainable agriculture – producing food, recycling nutrients and helping to support surrounding habitats. And this is all carried out in an integrated building network that promotes student interaction and environmental flow – hard to top that.

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

business & economics

(Un)Healthy Research

A Dilemma of Ethics and the Publication Bias Text by: Max Wang When was the last time you read research reporting failed results? As worthless as they may seem, negative results are a fundamental component of science. Some hypotheses simply turn out not to be true after investing months of hard work. But what are your options after a negative result? Publishing is an option, and the result will undoubtedly help future researchers who may think of similar or alternative hypotheses. Unfortunately, it is near impossible to get a negative result published in a major journal or conference. Interestingly, some journals exist solely to publish negative results but, as expected, their papers get minimal exposure and citations, making them difficult to discover without a high level of Google-fu. Let’s step back a bit and understand what a negative result is, and why the reporting of a negative result is important for upholding the evidential rigour of research. Let’s say you had the hypothesis that left-handed people are less likely to develop Parkinson’s Disease (PD). From surveying 10,000 people, you find that 0.5 per cent of left-handed people have PD compared to 0.6 per cent of the righthanders. It’s not enough to say that the hypothesis is true, as it is possible that these numbers are purely from chance. Assuming that of the 10,000, we have 1,000 were left-handers and 9,000 righthanders, that leaves five left-handers with PD and 53 right-handers without PD. If you happened to stumble upon another left-hander with PD, that would have swung your result from positive to negative! A hypothesis test is what is used to either confirm or deny your hypothesis. There are many different types of hypothesis tests, and the goal is to check if the results that you’ve obtained are statistically significant and are not just from random coincidence. A statistically significant result which affirms a hypothesis is ‘positive’, whereas non-statistically significant tests are ‘negative’. Being a negative result indicates that the outcome attributes to random chance. You may have heard of the p-value test, which is the most common hypothesis

test used throughout the sciences. The test is easy to apply and, when used correctly, it’s a great measure of whether your results are indeed statistically significant. However, the p-value test is not without flaws. A major criticism is that researchers will often accept them as the sole measure of a hypothesis’s validity. This approach also neglects arguably more important factors such as the design of the study or an analysis of the results in favour for raw results. Another core issue is that if you repeat an experiment enough times, you may end up with a p-value which is statistically significant. This leads to a pervasive problem known as publication bias: research may be repeated multiple times, often by different researchers who have the same idea, to obtain a positive result. This positive result is the only result published, despite other potential results which may negate a hypothesis. While a p-value seemingly affirms the hypothesis, the actual research may remain highly objectionable. Another problem which leads to publication bias is p-value hacking. This is an unethical way of getting a couple of publications out of a dataset. Rather than starting from a hypothesis, the researcher starts with the raw data and tries to find interesting correlations which are statistically significant. This is like writing an aim of a test after conducting the experiment, and can lead to ridiculous correlations. Examples include the high correlation between the divorce rate in the state of Maine and the per capita consumption of margarine in the United States, along with the number of mathematics doctorates awarded in the United States compared with the uranium stored in United States nuclear power plants. All of this leads to bias in researchers, who manipulate statistics and research to affirm a hypothesis. Ultimately, plaguing research with fundamental statistical and evidential flaws because a research journal publishes this positive hypothesis.

the apparent widespread statistical flaws in psychology research. However, this remains a fairly controversial piece with criticisms such as failures to follow original methodology perfectly. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that a hypothesis may not be rigid if replication can only occur under a very specific circumstance. The problem of statistical and evidential flaws within research still stands, which is propagated by the bias of research publications to only publish positive hypothesis. As with the example with published works in psychology, this may lead to a substantial portion of literature becoming statistically and academically flawed. So what are people doing? Recently, the American Statistical Association has recommended against the use of p-values, promoting the Bayes Factor. Simply put, this is the ratio of the likelihood of the probability between two competing hypotheses, which is usually the testing hypothesis, and an alternative hypothesis. Hypothesis testing is still a field of debate in statistics. However, this move by the American Statistical Association presents a fruitful step in increasing the rigour of the statistics used in research. A Bayes Factor presents advantages over other statistical tests, such as increased interpretability. It may also be more robust to ‘overfitting’, which assigns an undue degree of complexity to results which may only allow for a more simplistic hypothesis.

How big of a problem is this?

A mass literature review was recently conducted using Bayes Factors to analyse the results of 35,000 papers in psychology. Based on the stats reported in the papers, over 27 per cent did not reach the level of ‘anecdotal’ evidence, and 45 per cent did not achieve ‘strong’ results. From testing using Bayes Factors, the review concluded that the general threshold of statistical acceptance for psychological findings is set too low since a substantial proportion of published results had weak statistical and evidential support.

Manipulation of statistics and evidence is much more problematic in some fields relative to others. A study replicating 100 previous works in psychology found that only 36 results were statistically significant after replication, highlighting

Another initiative being undertaken to prevent the publication of evidentially poor hypotheses is that some publications will only accept a research abstract for publication before determining the results. This prevents academics from

using p-value hacking to publish data which affirms a given hypothesis outright. Where to from now? Fundamentally, the problem of publication bias lies with the publish or perish mentality of research, and of the bias by publications to only publish positive results. It is no longer beneficial or even possible to invest time in outwardly far-fetched hypotheses which are unlikely to reap the rewards until far into the future. Instead we find more niche, somewhat trivial papers which offer only minor improvements to current research, since these are more feasible and make up a more impressive research portfolio on paper. In these cases, it’s easier to find a result which accords to a positive hypothesis. Research shouldn’t be so dismissive of negative results. While rigorous statistical measures can be employed to stifle the publication of evidentially unsound conclusions, it is ultimately up to publishers to uphold the rigour of academia by admitting the value of negative hypotheses.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

business & economics

Explainer

Much Ado About Inflation Text by: Garyn Tan Illustration: Katie Ward In September, U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen announced a stay of the federal funds rate at a range of one to 1.25 per cent. In her address, Yellen finally conceded the ‘mystery’ of this year’s lower than expected inflation figures, saying, ‘I will not say that the committee clearly understands what the causes are.’ Few could have predicted that, after seven years of an expansionist monetary policy of near-zero interest rates and a massive $4.5 trillion balance sheet, that inflation would be found drifting breezily below its two per cent target. In fact, the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) preferred measure of inflation, currently at 1.4 per cent has been below target for most of the last five years. In the near-term, this may be worrisome for two reasons: firstly, a central bank that cannot consistently hit its target does not, in principle, make for a very credible bank. If inflation expectations of business and households become less anchored to the central bank’s target, inflation itself becomes more fickle. Secondly, the effect of raising interest rates on prices is not entirely clear. Keep interest rates low, and inflation might suddenly skyrocket due to increased borrowing and overzealous growth, forcing the central bank to raise rates more aggressively in the future and risk tilting the economy into recession. On the other hand, raising rates too high or too fast may quash the long-awaited recovery from the Financial Crisis. Inflation is a worry, but if there’s one thing that’s worse than inflation, it’s deflation. This proves problematic as, in economies where prices are decreasing, people are more likely to save due to the decreasing value of money. This causes a decreased demand for goods, reduced prices and low economic growth-acting in essentially a self-fulfilling cycle.

So, what exactly is happening with inflation? The Phillips Curve derives from an empirical observation about the inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment. When the economy is booming, unemployment is low, and inflation is relatively high. When the economy contracts, unemployment goes up, and inflation goes down. Given the stubbornly

low inflation rate, we would expect the economy to be relatively weak. But the U.S. unemployment rate sits at 4.4 per cent, only modestly below the Fed’s projections of its longer-run normal level. The last time it was that low was in 2007 when interest rates averaged around five per cent. It appears the Phillips Curve is all in a tangle. Yellen has chalked up previous years’ low inflation figures to temporary phenomena, such as large reductions in energy prices, the large appreciation of the U.S. dollar and slack in the labour market. None of these were significant factors this year – nevertheless, Yellen maintains that the unexpected low inflation is the end, is transitory and she believes that the tightening labour market will eventually push prices up. This is because firms raise wages and consequently prices, to compete for labour. In contrast, Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney warned of more permanent forces pushing prices down in a speech at the IMF. He points to growing contestability in global markets and technological change as factors that are deepening trend disinflation in developed economies, including Australia. External demand (demand from the rest of the world) will have greater inf luence

over price-setting behaviour domestically. Conversely, cheap imports make prices intransigent. These forces are hard to control and present a more complex problem to monetary policy-makers tasked with balancing inflation and unemployment. The ‘gig economy’ – an economy where participants are paid to complete tasks rather than as full-time employees (think Uber) – provides an alternative explanation for the low unemployment, low inflation environment. The high flexibility of labour afforded to employers allows them to hire more people while simultaneously keeping wages relatively low. Meanwhile, economist Larry Summers thinks secular stagnation has something to do with it – a combination of slowing technological growth and an ageing population prompts firms to save excessively, leading to weak demand, weak growth and subdued inflation. If the forces pushing inflation down are indeed long-term, then the existing monetary framework may need revisiting. For example, some economists have suggested a downward revision of the inflation rate target. This would allow the Fed to normalise interest rates more quickly and mitigate the risks of an overheated economy. This would hedge against firms and households taking excessive risks in the low-interest rate environment, however, may have the unintended effect of leaving the economy uncomfortably close to deflation.

The end of the extraordinary? In her address, Yellen also finally began the long process of reversing the Fed’s controversial policy of quantitative easing, which describes an unconventional measure involving massive asset purchases to pump money into the economy and stimulate demand. If the measures the Fed took to bring in the global economy from the brink was extraordinary, then the act of unwinding the resultant trillion-dollar balance sheet must surely be a trepidatious affair. And many economists believe that the longer-run neutral interest rate, which is the level of interest rate that is neither expansionary nor contractionary, has lowered since the GFC. This means that in the event of an economic crisis, the Fed will have less of a buffer to reduce interest rates than it did pre-GFC before hitting the so-called ‘zero-lower bound.’ Once interest rates are zero, the Fed cannot stimulate the economy any further with conventional interest rate policy. As Yellen herself suggests, it’s not unforeseeable that the Fed might again have to resort to massive asset purchases to prop up the economy. The extraordinary may yet be the ordinary. Yellen has been meticulous in preparing the economy for normalisation, signalling gradual rate hikes over the next couple of years. But her stolid approach may be upended in as little as four months’ time when Donald Trump will have the chance to appoint a new Fed Chair, as well as three other already-vacated seats on the Board of Governors. Uncertainty hangs in the air. Meanwhile, U.S. stock markets remain unabashedly bullish, and the economic tea-leaves remain as inscrutable as ever.

business & economics

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

Playtime’s over Toys ‘R’ Us files for bankruptcy Text: Vikrum Sithambaram Image: Cormac Relf Toys ‘R’ Us has been a place of wonder for many a child, and a nightmare for parents, for over 40 years. With over 1800 owned or licensed stores across the world, that should be no surprise. What was a surprise was on the 18 September, Toys ‘R’ Us filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But what does that really mean? Well, it’s not as bad as you think. A Chapter 11 bankruptcy isn’t so much a ‘pack up, you’re closed for good’ but a ‘you’ve got a year to tell us how you plan on paying all your debtors back.’ So, no, it isn’t bankruptcy in the general sense of the word. The other important fact is that this is only in the US and Canada. For Australia, it’s business as usual. What led to Toys ‘R’ Us filing for bankruptcy? It started in the 1990’s when bigbox retailers such as Target and Walmart started undercutting Toys ‘R’ Us, selling below profitable prices to push Toys ‘R’ Us out of the market. What’s worse was what came in with the new millennium: e-commerce, specifically Amazon. Toys ‘R’ Us couldn’t divest enough money to invest in an online store with all the logistics and supply chain management that come with it. Though their strategy to become Amazon’s online toy shopfront was initially very successful, however, due to Amazon selling toys from Walmart and Target alongside their supposedly exclusive agreement, they sued to get out of the deal, leaving them out of the e-commerce market as well as the brick-and-mortar retailer market. In the hopes of increased profitability, they agreed to be taken private, by signing a deal with a consortium of private equity firms: KKR, Bain Capital and Vornado. The only issue was that the firms used a lot of debt to purchase the company. Now saddled with debt, and lacking the sales to meet their debt obligations, Toys

‘R’ Us started to drown in debt. What’s the step forward for Toys ‘R’ Us in the digital age of shopping? For a lot of brick-and-mortar stores competing against online competitors, the answer seems to lie in leveraging their physical presence to attract customers. Think of Ikea. Going to Ikea is more than a chance to buy furniture and a collection of utensils you’ll never use, it’s an experience. From the labyrinthian layout to the Swedish meatballs with lingonberry jam, it’s memorable. Toys ‘R’ Us could do the same; from simple additions like play areas to live celebrity appearances, a little could go a long way to enhance the toy-shopping experience. Another solution would be to cater to a different demographic: the Lego collectors, the hobby RC enthusiasts, the Warhammer model aficionados, the Magic: The Gathering lovers. With a lot more disposable income, and a lot of commitment to their passions, they could be the new cash cow of tomorrow. At the end of the day, maybe it’s better to commit earlier to an online platform sooner than later, given the impact of e-commerce on the retail industry already. As a company, it’s a lot harder to look at long-term goals if you’re struggling to meet your current obligations but if there aren’t any plans to make the experience itself more enjoyable, then perhaps cutting costs and deep-discounting through an online storefront is the way forward. Despite the dire outlook, things could be looking up for the former toy supergiant. Often a Chapter 11 bankruptcy is a moment of clarity, allowing the executives to think about what defines their company and restructure, coming out

leaner, but healthier in the long run. Their $400 million debt is due next year, and the bankruptcy filing allows to perform as normal during the all too profitable Christmas season. If they manage to weather this storm, then perhaps one day, it too can be a place of wonder for our children, and perhaps a little less banal for us.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

business & economics

Devil And The Deep Blue Fee Text: Victor Sukeerth Munagala Illustration: Katie Ward

ALERT: ATM fees are no more. We are f(r)ee. Our days of frantically scouring to find our ATM to avoid fees are over. We may now access a range of ATMs and not get a penalty for just being in the wrong place. This unexpected move was first made by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia to supposedly help Australians save hundreds of millions of dollars (it will save Australians roughly A$500 million per year). By the afternoon all four major banks, too, agreed to cut ATM fees. Though, while the banks are removing fees, the three others (NAB, ANZ and Westpac) won’t be abolishing their fee till next month. However, as it is with banks, I can’t help but wonder if there is some catch to it. Perhaps the ‘foreign’ ATM fee removal is limited to only the major banks. Perhaps there is another fee they are introducing that you don’t see it. Why would companies, especially banks, do something to help their consumers? Well, it isn’t in their interest to continue hurting consumers anymore through

the massively hated ATM fees. While it does bring in so much revenue for the banks, it led to a shift toward cashless payments. The revenue from the fees was falling, and as newer transaction technologies emerge, more people would move away from using cash.

an iota of the curse persists, we can’t help but smile at the future that awaits.

For example, a fantastic bright piece of technology coming out of the world of Financial Technology (FinTech) is the New Payments Platform (NPP). Typically, when you pay for something using EFTPOS, it takes a few days for the funds to move from your account to the supplier. NPP makes these transactions instantaneous, so bank transfers take a matter of seconds, thus removing the biggest disadvantage of card payments not being instant. As consumers move further from the utilisation of cash, it makes very little sense to penalise those that are still using it. However, it still feels as if there is some form of a catch to it. Certain ATMs such as the BankWest ones will still be charging you ATM fees. After all, there is an entire ATM industry that depends on the fees, and removing it would decimate them. However, it is good to see that the agreement to remove the foreign fee isn’t limited to the big banks but extends to the smaller banks such as St. George, Bank of Melbourne, etc. There is no replacement for the fee either. There doesn’t seem to be too bad of a catch. In the end, it is a victory for us commonfolk. We are not limited or bound by our geography, instead set free of a terrible curse that afflicted us for aeons. While

What Is an ICO and Why Should You Care? Text: Conor Tarpey Paris Hilton and Floyd Mayweather have supported one, the world is buzzing about them, but what is an Initial Coin Offering? Unless you’ve been living under a rock, it’s highly likely you’ve heard of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency in general. Many of you might just see it as deep-web wizardry, the currency of criminals and drug addicts, or even just a stupid fad. But like it or not, the world of cryptocurrency is here to stay, and savvy business people and famous socialites alike are looking to take advantage of that fact. Back thousands of years ago in the 19th and 20th century, companies wanting to grow and expand would list themselves on the stock exchange and do something called an initial public offering. An initial public offering, more commonly known as an IPO, is basically a big fundraiser: businesses sell pieces of

their company to a prospective buyer for a predetermined price. Companies get millions of dollars to fuel their enterprises, and buyers hopefully get profits from owning shares in a company that will rise exponentially in value. IPOs still happen very often; you may have heard of Snapchat recently ‘going public’ and holding an IPO. But lately, a new player has entered the ring, an initial coin offering, or ICO. An ICO is pretty much an IPO, but instead of shares in a company, buyers receive cryptocurrency instead. Entrepreneurs come forth with new ideas or themes for a cryptocurrency and get people to crowdfund it. There have been all sorts of coins, from DogeCoin and WeedCoin to more serious alternatives to Bitcoin like Ethereum and Zcash. You now know what an ICO is, but that’s not very helpful without knowing what cryptocurrency is as well. Cryptocurrency is unsurprisingly a currency designed to work as a medium of exchange that operates through cryptographic

means. The most well-known example of a cryptocurrency is Bitcoin. In 2009, the mysterious and anonymous Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin: the first decentralised cryptocurrency. Bitcoin is a secure and decentralised means of paying anyone in the world anonymously, all you need is an internet connection. The freedom and lack of governmental interference excites many people with libertarian values. People that are disillusioned with the power that banks and governments enjoy, and their role in various economic crises, champion Bitcoin and the blockchain as the way of the future. I’m not going to discuss the blockchain and how it works, but the combination of Bitcoin and the blockchain represent to many the possibility of a more decentralised, equitable and egalitarian society that can function for the most part without excessive bureaucracy and corruption. But to many, this vision of the future doesn’t come close to the allure of the near A$5000 per coin price tag. People who dreamily imagine what it would’ve been like to buy Bitcoin at 10

cents a coin and sell for $5000 hungrily search for the next big cryptocurrency, ICO’s represent the market trying to cater to these voracious buyers. Many argue that the onslaught of ICO’s are simply ‘get rich quick’ schemes, memes and fads that exploit people who think every new cryptocurrency will be as profitable as Bitcoin. Others argue that they represent something positive, improving awareness of cryptocurrency and fuelling innovation. Whatever your thoughts, right now we are all going to have to look on as Floyd Mayweather tries to get us to buy into the next big thing. Bitcoin and the blockchain are not without its flaws, and ICOs could pave the way for the currency of the future, but I won’t hold my breath over that new currency being pioneered by Paris Hilton.

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

sport

Why Is The State of Origin So Successful? Text by: Nick Benecke The State of Origin is without a doubt the pinnacle of rugby league. The annual best-of-three Australian rugby league series involves two rival states, NSW and Queensland; the Blues and the Maroons; the cockroaches and the cane toads. The popularity of this state versus state contest is unique to rugby league and largely unparalleled across Australian and international sporting competitions. Of those attempts to emulate the formula, none have even come close. No other sport sees international players, such as New Zealand’s Josh Hoffman or Papua New Guinea’s Adrian Lam, publicly expressing a wish to play not only for a foreign nation, but for a foreign nation’s state. By way of example, imagine an All Black expressing a strong desire to play in an NSW v Queensland rugby union match. It certainly seems unlikely. In direct comparison to other sport’s non-international all-star or representative games, the State of Origin is on a different level. Players routinely miss up to three regular season games over the course of the year, thus significantly weakening their respective club’s performances in those weeks. In other sports, such as football, representative games are played on stand-alone weekends while, Australian-centred sports such as Aussie Rules, tend to leave international fixtures until the post-season. Yet, in this case, tens of the best players in the game take a week off from playing for their clubs to play for their state. No other sporting code deals with such a concern. The dominance and pull of the State of Origin are borne out by the facts. Attendance during the second game of this

year’s series broke records, with 82,259 people attending Sydney’s ANZ Stadium. 185,189 people attended the three games combined, and game three was the most viewed television event of 2017. Now, compare these figures with those of international test matches this year: when Australia played New Zealand in Canberra, 18,000 spectators watched on; 72 per cent of the stadium’s capacity. During Origin, it is an utter disappointment if the games do not sell out. So, this begs the question, how can a state rivalry garner greater regard than international fixtures and, in the process, be allowed to strip the national club competition of its best players for at least three weeks every year? One reason is the formation and structure of Australian rugby league. The success of NSW and Queensland’s clubs has seen them rise to be the two most dominant states in the league for more than a century, with the State of Origin existing as a formal competition for almost half that time. The NRL itself primarily operates in NSW and Queensland, with only three of the sixteen teams located outside these two states. Hence, any other sporting code’s attempts to create a similar series would be met with less complication for the domestic competition as, in the case of AFL for example, players originate either from Victoria (who would most likely dominate an Origin-style competition) or a variety of other states. A two-team state versus state rivalry is not so organic there. In other codes, such as union, cricket and football, players not only develop in different regions of Australia but around the globe. A state versus state rivalry would seem even more contrived in

their case. In addition to the historical development of Australian rugby league, there is another factor that truly stands out – the enjoyment of the game that it brings. Though to the frustration of week-inweek-out rugby league supporters, the State of Origin, as the game’s showcase, attracts everyday viewers around the country. The build-up lasts for weeks, the contests are heated, and the players’ skills are apparent. The enamoured fan will travel hundreds of kilometres to games, buy hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise (jerseys can sell for $160, if not more) and spends countless hours re-watching highlights and analysis. It is an economic boon for the NRL and a unique experience for the rugby league fan. Though one of the most popular sports in the country (on the east coast, it’s the preferred), the experience of soldout stadiums and elite-level football are reserved largely for the State of Origin, the finals or the odd domestic game. Of these, however, only Origin produces this with almost certainty. Origin is a fascinatingly unique part of rugby league in this country and unparalleled globally. While some things remain the same – fans will watch the game with interest, complain about the opposition and the referee – something makes Origin particularly special. As the rugby league season comes to an end, it’s particularly telling that the thing many fans look most forward to next year is not the new NRL season, it’s the thought of their respective state getting over the line and winning the State of Origin shield. That’s what makes Origin so distinctive.

Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

satire

The Ultimate Fresher Five (Tips) Text: Liv Blucher From the moment when you announce to your family and friends that you’ve been accepted to a university, the bombardment of advice begins. From Aunty Carol’s time at Monash in the 1980’s when Blondie was the bomb, to the kid a couple of grades above you in high school who dropped out of his Arts degree who has now built a successful weed business. Everyone has their own little gem to pass on about life at university. Most of this advice is pretty standard: start your assignments early, manage your time, don’t party too much. Pretty no-brainer stuff, right? Well, that’s all the advice I got and, sure, it was helpful. Theoretically. It is the kind of advice I contemplated waking up after a night at Wolf, staring at my ceiling. So, there is some stuff that I wish I knew. The things that Aunty Carol and Mum have forgotten. And when I brought this up with others, it turns out there was stuff they wish they had known as well. Which brings us to now, with me writing what is hopefully the most helpful – and definitely the most eclectic – shortlist of first-year advice that you’ll read.

Dress How You Want/ Shop Exlusively at the Green Shed A lot of freshers come in with the belief that they have to dress to the nine’s every single day, particularly if you’re coming from thirteen years of wearing a school uniform as I did. This is not only inaccurate but also impractical. Once you’re trying to get to your 9 am tutorial on Friday morning after a big Thursday night, you realise that trackies and Uggs are not only acceptable but expected. And let’s face it; doing laundry is the worst. It’s expensive, boring, and for those of us from the North Shore, doing your own laundry is probably a foreign concept. Just dress however you feel comfortable, and no one is really going to care. This is the beauty of the ANU; in the space of 20 seconds you can walk past a law student in a onesie and an arts student in a three-piece suit, and no one could care less.

Conquer Coombs If you have a class in Coombs, ALWAYS do a reconnaissance mission beforehand. This is not a fun suggestion. This is ESSENTIAL. You can never truly understand the utter fear that Coombs strikes in your heart until it’s 15 minutes into your tutorial, and you’re stuck in the same hexagon as you started in 20 minutes ago, staring out into the courtyard from a balcony without having gone up any stairs. This comes from personal experience. Don’t let Coombs win: do your research beforehand. (And maybe text your loved ones goodbye first.)

Do Not Fear the Fresher Five Ah yes, the dreaded Fresher Five. For anyone blissfully unaware, the Fresher Five is the name given to the five kilograms that each first-year student supposedly gains in their first year of university. I do feel obligated to say that this is not an inevitable occurrence and not all first-years gain weight. If you do, however, that’s okay! Take it as a sign that you’re having fun! It’s hard trying to keep it all under control and if you happen to put a little bit on in your first year, who really cares? There’s just more of you to love! If you ever do feel the need to get healthy, try out the ANU Lettuce Society, where eating a whole iceberg lettuce in one sitting is a popular pastime.

Don’t Go in With Expectations Grow Your Own Rice Paddy This one sounds obscure, but is going out to all the first years moving into self-catered accommodation. Cooking for yourself can absolutely suck, and after days of lectures and tutorials, clubs and Coombs, it can be a lot easier to get UBEReats than to whip up a three-course meal. But, even though it seems unlikely, there will come a day where you cannot possibly fathom ANOTHER cheeseburger. I know, I too was shocked to discover this. These are the times you’ll need rice. It’s light, cheap, long-lasting, easy to cook, and you can chuck pretty much anything in there. Even humble tomato sauce. Not that I’ve ever been that lazy. Anyway, rice is a life saver. Keep some in the cupboard and thank me later. There is plenty of damp land around Sully’s Creek, so stake out a patch for yourself to ensure a constant supply of grainy goodness.

When everything is said and done, the best way you can approach university is without any expectations, because no matter what you’re expecting, it’s going to be completely different. The course that you thought was going to be awesome could suck, and your plans to be 100 percent on top of your work from the get-go probably won’t pan out as you expect. Chances are you won’t bump into the love of your life on your first visit to Coffee Grounds, and just because you did incredibly well in highschool, doesn’t mean any of that status will carry over. University is like nothing else, which is equal parts scary and exciting. And that’s all A-Okay. The best way you can prepare for it is to go in with an open mind, no expectations, and see what happens next. You might bump into your future husband on a Macca’s run, on Tinder, or, God forbid, at Moose. Just embrace it! From a 2017 freshman to the new cohort, good luck. But, please don’t ask me for advice in person next year. It would be so lame to be caught socialising with a first-year…

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

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Week 9, Semester 2, 2017

satire

Release Me from this Eternal Prison Text: Will Fletcher For the sake of all that is good and pure in this world, do not buy a subscription to The Economist. I used to be like you. A young, naive, second-year student. Perhaps a chip on his shoulder: ‘I’m two years into my PPE degree, and I feel like I know fuck all. Deep in my heart I know I need to engage with world events. But I don’t give a shit about anything. When I close my eyes, I see RCT matrices… I must improve… I need to be able to bring up tidbits at the dinner table. Anything!

Any sort of basic analysis. Perhaps a few retrospectives on key economic events. I don’t even know where Saudi Arabia is.’ I was just like you. ‘If only there were a fortnightly pamphlet, some kind of mass-produced informational text. Glossy paged, graphs, perhaps even an infographic’, I thought. ‘Surely, this would bolster my intellect.’ The cry of their siren song – ‘12 weeks for 90 percent off’ – led me into a daze. A dozen issues for a mere 20 silvers, the fruits of a brief conversation with Papa. A good deal. Perhaps too good... I floated upwards, divorced from my middling

body, observing my form take a Blood Oath – a Faustian pact with the Red Shirted Devil. To be enlightened, there must be sacrifice.

catalyst for a Soul Snare, a vile transmission of my Life Essence into an inanimate object: doomed forever to reflect on my hubris.

A free book that I would never read was thrown in to close the sale. The iPad signup form glowed a piercing green, imbued with the power of the Ancient One – my unending master. The fine print, alas, I did not read.

I am but a ghost to those checking their ties - my screams they cannot hear. If you can read this: I beg you, kill me. Smash the mirrors – smash them all. Who knows how many others have fallen victim to this hex. Avenge me.

It was but 84 nights later that I awoke in a sweat. Not in my room, no, but trapped in a Wall Street bathroom mirror. The subscription was automatically renewed on the eve of a Blood Moon, forming the

I beg you, help me. Help.

himself, David Stevenson, for May Donoghue to ‘get over it’, life has never been the same for manufacturers and snails alike. Numerous publications report that, despite Stevenson’s eventual decision to close the doors of Glen Lane, the subsequent plight of the snail community was overlooked in the wake of the developing neighbour principle. While Lord Atkin distilled that people must take reasonable care not to injure those who could be affected by their actions or omissions, his decision apparently did not give thought to the ‘reasonable care’ for the wellbeing of snails.

now live the streets. There is, however, a movement brewing (very slowly) within a fringe snail sector, with one member commenting that they simply can’t keep their feelings ‘bottled up any longer.’ As the anti-neighbour movement comes to a head in these fringe groups, one must ask if there are any legal remedies available for the snail community. Although the common law system has not historically been in their favour, perhaps Australia can be the first nation to draft legislation to remedy this injustice.

The Snail Trail Text: Kat Duffy Illustration: Katie Ward It is now 85 years since the infamous decision in Donoghue v Stevenson that fundamentally altered the state of torts law in common law nations. It seems that contrary to the rise of the duty of care provision that emerged from this formative decision, there is a complete disregard to any ‘care’ for the wellbeing of snails and their predilection for the sweet, refreshing taste of ginger beer. This landmark case precipitated the beginning of the end for the snail community and their affinity for ginger beer. While the quest to taste this ambrosia-like drink was not without danger for the bravest of the snail brethren, the sweet reward was worth the risk for the near thousands of snails that penetrated the barriers of the Glen

Lane Manufacturing Plant annually. The opaque, uncapped bottles provided a near perfect cover for any creature tempted by that mouth-watering brew, but ‘near perfect’ was not enough. It was, however, the inability of the snail community to fully comprehend time, sound or movement, that saw their undoing. When bottle capping commenced on the morning of 1 August 1928, one unfortunate soul would meet his end; his undoing? The very elixir that inspired his journey to the Manufacturing Plant would inevitably lead him to his demise. While stories such as this were not uncommon among the snail community; there was no way that anyone could have anticipated that his final resting place would be the mouth of May Donoghue. Despite numerous calls from within the snail community and the manufacturer

So, what has become of the snail community since this landmark decision? Unfortunately, they have been experiencing a steady decline following this ruling. Banished to the peripheries of society, small communities of snails have retreated to the lettuce caves of Subway sandwiches, while many others

Cryptic Crossword

Previous Edition Solutions

Credit: NWJ

satire

Vol. 67 , Issue 11

Four Ways to Save Money that doesn’t Involve any Relatable™ Avocado References Text: Caroline Dry Illustration: Katie Ward We all know that students love to follow quirky savings plans. It provides a temporary distraction from the fact that they have dropped tens of thousands of dollars on ‘hopefully’ getting a grad job. Various hip online publications seem to have picked up on this. Too often, we find ourselves inundated with those financial listicles – inspired by Westpac – encouraging us to get a credit card and actually incorporate the phrase ‘side hustle’ into our everyday vocabulary. This article, however, is here to provide you with some completely realistic tips which don’t hinge upon the premise that you somehow have the time to manage an Etsy store and become an Uber driver.

Become a Public Servant’s Personal Pop- Up Village Shopper The various public servants and lawyers working on Marcus Clarke Street seem to take issue with the fact that there are ANU students at the ANU Pop-Up Village. They want to purchase their $9.50 quadruple shot coffee in peace. They can’t deal with the temptation to eavesdrop upon millennials’ lunchtime orders and calculate the exact number of years they should spend saving up for a

house instead of wasting their money on lavish annual trips or, you know, eating. Well, there’s a solution to their problems. You can offer to remove this burden from the shoulders of some fifty-something grey-faced man who thinks climate change was invented by NASA and is probably named John. He already pays $85 a week for parking, so he’ll cheerfully throw a few fifties your way if you take his special tax deduction credit card and deliver his brunch to him every day. He probably won’t even notice if you shout yourself a Molo’s beer with his money.

Cancel Your Gym Membership You don’t need to worry about bulking. Your university is forcing you to embark on a Homeric adventure every time you to walk to class. The carbs at the Campus Bakery are literally the only food you can afford to eat. And, hey, the increasing fees hurt a little less when you tell yourself that a portion of them are going to towards the brand new mandatory ANU Taut Leader Bodybuilder Regime. Start Placing Bets on Who Will Win the Epic Battle Between Pedestrians and Cyclists

Start Placing Bets on Who Will Win the Epic Battle Between Pedestrians and Cyclists The conflict between pedestrians and cyclists has lain dormant for years,

Sudoku

punctuated only by the occasional ‘lively debate’ online. Since construction began on campus, the years of pent-up tension have reached a boiling point, and the battle lines now exist at the Pop-Up and that ridiculously skinny bridge that the entire undergrad population is now expected to cross at once. The cyclists have been strategically handicapping the enemy by running over their toes at full speed making their victory a safe option at 3:2 odds. However, if you’re willing to hedge your bets, there are whispers of a covert pedestrian operation to steal away with the enemy steeds and dump them beyond the Great Fence for the university to repossess.

Accept a Stupol Bribe You know that one guy in your tute? The one who prefaces every sentence with ‘Well, to play devil’s advocate…’ and sends you an annual message offering fake friendship in exchange for a vote in some miscellaneous campus election? It turns out that he does serve a purpose. Eventually, he’s going to realise that a credit average isn’t going to get him into PwC and that he needs to salvage his resumé before grad job applications close. And if that means stealing his dad’s credit card and engaging in some good old-fashioned election season bribery, then by God that’s what he’ll do. Whether they’re paying you to run for a certain position or just paying for your vote, student politicians provide endless

opportunities to make some quick cash. Be sure to shop around. Work out how many bribes you can juggle without anyone noticing. Don’t be afraid to contour some bags under your eyes, slip on a shirt that says ‘The Real World Frightens Me and I Will Never Leave the Safe Familiarity of this Womb’ and check out what’s on offer at the PARSA elections. If you’re feeling really frisky, you could even save evidence of the bribes you receive and use it as blackmail material. This will definitely scare the hacks. We all know that corrupt sociopaths get their comeuppance in the world of student politics, and will absolutely not just glide into an admin job at one of the major parties after facing absolutely no repercussions for their consistently terrible behaviour. Congratulations! You are now financially literate. With these tips, you should be able to save up a substantial amount of cash each semester, only to watch it immediately evaporate when textbook lists are released. Enjoy.