Woroni Edition Twelve 2017

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Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

Woroni ISSUE 12, VOL. 67. Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

2017 IN REVIEW

Vol. 67 , Issue 12 News campus 10

The ANU Has a Class Problem Vanamali Hermans 11

Running on Fumes Anonymous 12

OBWAYRF - Reflections 12

Digital Media in an Analogue Australia Rebecca Jellie 13

Marriage Equality Kate Humphreys

Shae Maree Nicholson 23

Not An Excuse Laura Wright 24

CBT Anonymous 25

Wait, There’s Something Wrong With My ‘Mental’ Health Too? Alana Cunningham

Art 27

Saving the Arts Kat Carrington 28

INTERNATIONAL 14

Taking Action for SDGs Maggie Chen 15

The Truth About the CSSA Alex Joske & Wu Lebao

The Umbrella of Arts Ben Lawrence

Reviews 29

Brockhampton’s Saturation II: Rap is the New Pop Jane Inyang 29

16

Life is Beautiful?

Richard Haowei Hong 16

The Myth of Encounters Between East & West Boya Li

We Are All American Teens Grace Dudley 30

Complicit Daniel Magnussen

life & style 31

MULTILINGUAL 17

Meat Me in the Middle James Atkinson

Avant L’Hiver (Before Winter) & Cartas De Amor (Love Letters) 32 Campus Horoscopes Akka Ballenger Constantin Annabel Chin Quan 18 Sawjig: A Response to Jigsaw Moments Environment 33

FEATures 19

The Sombre Reality of Journalism Anonymous 19

Poetry Michael Hatsavos; Emily Dickey

Sustainable Campus Bulletin Grace Dudley 34

Universities and SDGs Maxwell Warren 35

Union Court & Water Recycling Shengnan Wang

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What the Fluff?

Una Chen, Anna Miley, Eleanor Armstrong, Phoebe Lupton

The spoons pullout 22

Reconciling Wasted Days

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There’s Something About Coffee Cups Ester Versnel 36

Ecotourism: Prospects & Challenges

This paper is recyclable.

Protect the environment and recycle me after reading.

Xavier Anderson 37

Neoclassical Economics: Can We Move Forward?

Lauren Riggall

Science 38

A CRISPR Way Forward Michel Watson 39

Das SMACC. Das Gud. Ninya Maubach, Ahmed Khalaf and Marc van Zeyl

Business & Economics 40

Seriously, Ten? Rhys Dobson 41

CEO Pay: Too Much?

Sam Walker

Sport 42

Football Has a Homophobia Problem and We Must Find a Solution Adam Mayers

Satire 45

How to Identify a Gay or Lesbian Person Tanya Ma 46

Cryptic Crossword NWJ 47

100 per cent Transparent Troglobitic Isopod Crustacean Finishes Up 30 Million Year Preparation for ANUSA Just One Month After Voting Closes Will Fletcher 47

Ode to the Public Servants of the Pop Up Lizzie Storor 47

Ken Ken Sebastian Rossi 48

The Book of Hugh Elizabeth Harris 48

Sudoku Sebastian Rossi Woroni apologies for leaving Jonathan Tjandra’s name out of the caption and misspelling Mariana Segaram’s name in the caption of the front page story last edition

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 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: 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 Reporter: Casley Rowan Reporter: Elvis Gleeson Reporter: Ajai Samra Reporter: Reza Mazumder Photography: Zayana Zaikariah Photography: Chloe Tredea Photography: Daniel Greiss 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.

Want to contribute?

Send words to write@woroni.com.au and visuals to art@woroni.com.au.

Woroni is a multifaceted hive of ideas.

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AMY BRYAN ELECTED DISABILITIES STUDENT ASSOCIATION OFFICER Text: Kat Carrington Amy Bryan has been elected the ANU Disabilities Student Association (DSA) officer for 2018. Bryan and Mackinlay Tikoft are acting as coofficers for the rest of 2017 following Aji Sana’s resignation from the role.

Bryan, on ref lection of her election, told Woroni that in 2018 the DSA aims ‘to push for a University wide Disability Action Plan to ensure students with disability are not discriminated against during their time at university.’

This entails ‘creating clearer documentation around the EAP process and access requirement negotiations’ as well as ‘develop[ing] orientation videos for students with disabilities.’

The DSA will also focus on community building, with the new Spoons Space, as well as holding creative and inclusive events.

The Spoons Space is the autonomous space on campus for students with disabilities.

The redevelopment process moved the Spoons Space from Union Court to the Copland Courtyard where the DSA faced issues of providing access to members.

Bryan ultimately aims to ‘broaden this community to beyond the DSA and provide clubs with the incentive and know-how to ensure their daily operations are both inclusive and accessible.’

‘I want to help add a creative aspect to accessibility using current technology. I want to push that access isn’t really that difficult most of the time it is just being really considerate of other needs and refusing someone access really is discrimination.

‘I want to continue to redefine what disability is and create many positive experiences for students with disability on campus,’ Bryan said.

The DSA is the collective for all ANU students who identify as having a disability. It became an ANUSA Department in 2006.

Aji Sana could not be reached for comment.

Week Week11, 11,Semester Semester2, 2,2017 2017

NEWS

INELIGIBLE ANUSA MEMBER PARTICIPATED IN MEETINGS

No change to meeting procedures after breach identified The ANU Students’ Association will not change meeting procedures after a person was able to take part in student representative council meetings while not being an eligible member.

‘It is our understanding that this is a complex matter, with the student [sic] being unaware that they were ineligible to be a member of the Association until the issue was brought to light,’ Reed said in a statement.

The ANUSA general secretary, Kat Reed, said it was ‘impossible’ to check whether everyone who turns up to Association meetings was a student or not and ‘will respond to complaints and inquiries in a timely manner when they arise.’

A spokesperson for the University said that: ‘In all instances where students lose their place temporarily or permanently at the University, they are notified and the reason for the action taken provided.’

ANUSA confirmed in a statement to Woroni that the person had acted in SRC meetings while ineligible to do so.

The general secretary, Reed, whose role it is to ensure meetings of the students’ association comply with the constitution, confirmed that someone who was not an eligible ANUSA member had been told to ‘cease attend[ing] meetings of the Association’.

Reed said that ANUSA had sought legal advice and found the person’s actions in the meetings could still stand.

‘I can confirm that all involvement the student [sic] has had in meetings of the Association still hold true as per section 6.6 of the ANUSA standing orders,’ they said.

meeting is not void by reason only of a departure from these Standing Orders which was not detected until after the decision had been made.’

Reed said: ‘All who attend meetings of the Association are required to sign in using their uni ID for record keeping. While it is impossible for us to check consistently everyone [who] turns up to our meetings on whether they are a student, we will respond to complaints and inquiries in a timely manner when they arise.’

Woroni has introduced new measures after recently identifying a similar breach. U-numbers of students who sign into Woroni meetings are crosschecked with the ANU’s public, webbased directory during the meeting.

This practice quickly identifies any attendees who may be ineligible to participate in proceedings.

Section 6.6 reads: ‘Subject to the Constitution and Regulations, any decisions made by a validly-constituted

FUNCTIONS ON CAMPUS FORM TO MOVE ONLINE 10 eForms will eventually replace 47 paper applications Text: Kat Carrington

Functions on Campus in the Facilities & Services division at the ANU are developing a new eForm for applications for events on campus. The project, which began in December 2016, has reached the development phase.

The eForm will automate and digitise the current Functions on Campus application form, as well as the BBQ booking form and the Forestry Fire Pit application form.

The new eForm will streamline the process, reducing processing time and double handling across Facilities & Services divisions.

This initiative is being run in collaboration with the Intelledox Digital Transformation Centre (IDTC). IDTC was established in early 2015. It has released 10 different ANU eForms including; Special Considerations or Deferred Examinations, Manage My Degree –Coursework and HDR, and Extension and Withdrawal of

Parking Infringements. These 10 forms were based on 47 different paper-based processes.

Cameron Allan, the 2017 ANUSA social officer and clubs council chair, is ‘confident that moving the form online is a positive step … as long as there is clear feedback mechanisms for continuous improvement on the form.’

He told Woroni: ‘An online process will do much to reduce wasted energ y and time. An online process will make the process more straight-forward for first-time event organisers, with a more intuitive, logical layout and more step-bystep guidance. An online process will also allow more automation, which reduces manual labour delay from the various ANU departments involved.’

Allan commented on some of the inefficiencies of the current process, saying ‘that it isn’t the simplest and smoothest process it can be.’ The process requires ‘a lot of additional follow-up communication required to get an event approved ’ with ‘consistent bottlenecks,’ he said.

Jeevan Haikerwal, one of the 2017 O-Week Directors, told Woroni that the O-Week team completed ‘32 Functions on Campus forms’, not including Clubs and Societies or Department based events. He said the current Functions on Campus form system was inefficient.

‘Often, I would have written 1000+ words, with schedules, management forms, maps, access routes, food ingredient lists – but still an FoC form was expected, to introduce the event into the system… The form doesn’t seem to be aimed at allowing the transmission of that information.’

User experience testing (UXT) with various ANU and student association stakeholders will be held at the end of October. The release date of the eForm will be ‘as soon as possible’ but the project co-ordinator, Yolandi Vermaak, declined to comment further until the completion of UXT. The ANU Pop-Up Village events team, Dionysus Events, launched their online event booking form at the beginning of Semester 2.

NEWS

Issue Vol.12 67 Vol. 67 12, , Issue

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ALL ROADS LEAD TO NAT CON

STILL HOPE STUDENTS WILL GO AS DELEGATES, NOT OBSERVERS

Text: Jasper Lindell

Those who are yet to experience the madness of the National Union of Students national conferences are not so secretly excited. Soon they will descend on the playground of every serioufes student politics operative.

At the beginning of this year, ANUSA voted to reaccredit with the National Union of Students on the condition that the NUS improved their transparency. So far, the NUS has not met ANUSA’s conditions.

The older hands, those who have done this a few times and been in the midst of their fair share of campaigns, elections and scandals, are rolling their eyes and shaking their heads.

In 2016, ANUSA was affiliated with the NUS, but did not pay accreditation fees.

‘Are you mad?’ they ask.

The NUS is always contentious. It is either seen as the most useful body to organise and campaign for causes which affect students and young people, or it is seen as an arcane, ingrained mess, three parts factionalism and one part tribalism.

Sprinkle ideology as required.

Two tickets fought it out on the NUS in elections this year. Activate your ANUSA fielded general representative candidates and was led by prominent campus Labor Right figure and NUS ACT state branch president, Nick Douros.

Ashish Nagesh, the treasurer of the ANU Liberal Club, led the Stand Apart ticket, on a campaign of masterful doublethink. While opposing ANU’s involvement with the NUS he also ran as an NUS delegate, and would have been elected on preferences if there was just one more spot.

Instead, the ANU Students’ Association will be sending Cameron Allan, Tess Masters, Harry Needham, Howard Maclean and Freya Willis. It remains to be seen whether they will act as delegates or observers.

But is NUS NatCon all student elections were about this year? Or were we actually interested in our campus?

Evidently so. Passions for the NUS

A National Union of Students banner at a campus protest

surely didn’t drive the highest voter turnout in a decade.

with potential voters in a campaign which at times didn’t seem to sleep.

More than 2,000 undergraduate students turned out for the elections, with Lift ANUSA’s Eleanor Kay receiving 1,114 votes to be elected the next ANUSA president on first preferences.

In an age of internet saturation, when political tiffs can play out totally in online spaces, what importance does physical, boots on the ground campaigning have?

Kay, who had served this year as vice president, said during the campaign that she was ‘objectively the most qualified person to be president’ while running on a status quo campaign that sought to continue the work of the current executive.

One student politics operative reckons this was a stroke of rhetorical genius. It did a ‘really, really, good job of conveying Lift’s policies.’

‘People valued that experience and people got around that rhetoric,’ they said.

And there was an abundance of rhetoric you could have got around during the campaign. Shake Up gave their policies the BuzzFeed treatment while Lift took to Tinder to connect

One 2017 campaign veteran thought it is what gave Lift the edge. ‘It’s always good to have people on the ground, and I think the work that Lift did on the field is what helped them over the line,’ they said.

Schmidtposting, still known to many as Stalkerspace, risks being a ‘storm in a teacup’. One campaigner unfollowed the group, saying it was ‘too fucking stressful’ and engagement with tickets’ individual Facebook pages was a better indicator of the tenor of the campaign.

Though perhaps the biggest storm in a teacup of all is NUS National Conference, slated for 4 - 8 December in Victoria. It goes to show that despite all the sound and fury online, politics still really happens in person, face to face and on conference f loor.

Earlier in the year, the University of Canberra Student Representative Council (UCSCR) voted to disaffiliate with the NUS completely. The UCSCR president said the decision was based on the NUS’s failure to provide any services of real value.

With the UCSCR’s disaffiliation, and ANUSA yet to officially accredit, the NUS ACT Branch could be forced to dissolve. ‘If the ANU doesn’t accredit there will be no ACT NUS branch next year,’ newly elected NUS delegate Freya Willis told Woroni.

Willis said that despite not having officially accredited yet, the ANU has worked closely with the NUS this year. She is optimistic that ANU students still support the NUS. Every year, the NUS runs a National Conference, which is a forum for delegates from Australian student unions to debate national issues facing students.

It remains to be seen whether ANUSA’s newly elected delegates will represent ANU students at the NUS National conference this December. Willis told Woroni that if the NUS doesn’t fulfill ANUSA’s conditions, her and the other delegates will be sent as observers to the conference. This would be the second year ANU student attended as observers.

Luke Kinsella

Constitutional changes proposed to reform College Representative Council Text: Bella Di Mattina-Beven Constitutional changes dominated ANUSA’s fourth ordinary general meeting, with significant changes brought to the College Representative Committee, and other smaller changes to the Club’s Council funding procedures.

The changes to the College Representative Committee (CRC), which is comprised of the College Representatives, General Representatives and Education Officer, come after a year of discussion about the role of the CRC in the ANUSA structure.

The constitutional changes officially

bring the CRC under the ambit of the ANUSA SRC. The change will allow for the CRC to provide recommendations, and issue specific advice on related topics and issues.

The ANUSA president, James Connolly, said, ‘A more focused body would be more supportive for college representatives.

Representatives haven’t felt supported and it’s important that we have a body going forward that supports them.’

The move follows several resignations of college representatives throughout the year.

The group will, as a result, become

more informal and allow for more effective discussion-based meetings.

One member at the OGM suggested at the beginning of the year the meeting would go for several hours, and then the work would get done once it ended.

However a concern for many, both prior to instituting and when voting in the change, was that the subordinating of the CRC would result in longer SRC meetings.

Meetings regularly run over three hours, with the first of the year not concluding until well after 10pm.

The change means that the SRC would have final say and could debate

CRC resolutions, and would receive submitted CRC minutes.

Further motions added to the constitution the role of affiliations officer and communications officer, to make the existing CRC executive roles more manageable.

Another allowed for a specific grant for clubs in financial difficulty. The motion attracted heated debate, with some concerned that the grant would provide incentive for clubs to get into financial difficulty. However others suggested the requirement of super majorities in both the Clubs Council and ANUSA to attain the grant would deter any malicious action.

Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

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NEWS

tudent ad ocates continue fight for N sur i ors ANALYSIS

Text: Bella Di Mattina-Beven CW: sexual assault and sexual harassment The 2017 academic year was rocked by the Australian Human Rights Commission’s survey on sexual assault and sexual harassment.

With the responses and recommendations released on 1 August, advocates from ANUSA, PARSA and Restorative ANU have worked with the ANU to ensure adequate support for survivors. Advocates have also been holding the ANU to account as the University begins to alter ANU policy.

1 AUGUST The report was released to the public on August 1, although it had been made available to university administrations across Australia weeks prior. The advance notice allowed the ANU to ensure the new counsellor from the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre would begin at ANU early to provide additional support.

It also allowed them time to craft a response to the huge media outcry which the survey caused.

‘I also want to say sorry to any student, to any staff member, to any member of our alumni community who has not received what they needed from the University in dealing with sexual harassment or sexual assault,’ the vice chancellor, Brian Schmidt, said in a press conference, and again in a blog post.

The day featured a ‘Sit In and Speak Out’, co-ordinated by ANUSA and PARSA, and the women’s and queer* departments. The protest, which was held to coincide with a meeting of the vice chancellors, was widely attended and featured prominently in media

reports.

Students spoke of an institutional failure to provide adequate reporting procedures, which resulted in disclosures being disregarded, mismanaged or provided to others without the consent of the survivor.

view that it would put a delay into the procedure that I found unpalatable.’

He hoped that the swift return of the report, which was provided to the working group two weeks overdue, would allow ANU to quickly redress the most pressing issues.

The report found that 57 per cent of ANU students had been sexually harassed or assaulted, with a disproportionate number saying that this occurred on campus (35 per cent).

The report was provided to the working group on sexual assault and sexual harassment last week. The working group includes student representation from the ANUSA president, James Connolly. Their input will be provided to the steering committee, who will implement the recommendations.

The ANU was worse than the national average by a wide margin. The report also found that it was those in residence, completing Higher Degree Research or identifying as a minority that faced the most sexual violence.

In response, the ANU accepted all of the AHRC report’s nine recommendations.

These include an independent review, which has now been completed.

THE REVIEW The ANU quickly announced a review into their policy on sexual assault and sexual harassment, to be undertaken by consultants Rapid Context. The review was initially lauded by advocates, but later came under attack after it was found that no community consultation would be undertaken by consultants.

Advocates quietly suggested that the ANU was not willing to spend money on such a broad review into sexual violence at the ANU. However a spokesperson for the ANU asserted that the remit of the review had not changed.

On the decision to not include women’s officers in the committees, Schmidt said: ‘It was put to me that the broader student representatives would be more effective’. He also indicated that the chair of the committee, Donnelle Wheeler, was in support of this.

An ANU spokesperson said that the student community ‘would be kept informed,’ but would not comment on whether students would have full access to the review provided by Rapid Context.

ANUSA AND PARSA DEMANDS The spokesperson was also evasive on the topic of the ANUSA/PARSA demands. The most radical demand was for a centralised policy on sexual assault and sexual harassment, and the disclosure or reporting procedure. Such a policy would include specialised staff and a centralised location.

Schmidt said at a student forum with students that the lack of consultation was due to the time it would take to provide a safe environment for survivors to participate.

However the ANU is yet to suggest they will be acceding to this demand.

It is unclear how ANUSA and PARSA will respond to the ANU’s rejection of demands, particularly as those who have led the charge on the demands leave their current positions.

‘It would have caused more hurt and trauma,’ he said. ‘For the review for the procedures and other things it was my

Other demands for restorative justice have been taken into consideration, with a pilot project undertakenrest by

Richard Baker, pro-vice chancellor for student experience. The reference to the project by Schmidt took students by surprise.

Restorative Justice has been an essential element of long-standing sexual assault advocacy, with advocacy groups campaigning and protesting on campus for several years. The pilot project is being undertaken in conjunction with Regnet, an ANU School which has a Centre for Restorative Justice.

ANUSA and PARSA also suggested that the ANU’s module on consent could be built upon. They called for community standards, and training on consent and sexism to be a prerequisite to enrollment at the ANU. It appears that the ANU is broadening their implementation of the Consent Module, with returners to ANU halls of residence required to complete it if they wish to return to their hall. However the ANU does not have further plans for more interactive training on sexism and related issues.

ANUSA and PARSA continue to advocate for greater support for ANU Counselling, which is often seen as overburdened and underresourced.

The ANU and ANUSA/PARSA have jointly funded a professional trauma counsellor to begin working at the ANU, a feat which ANU heralds as a nation-first. The counselor has been funded for two years, and ANUSA is pushing for their placement to be extended.

ON HIGHER RESEARCH

DEGREE

BY

Postgraduate and HDR students are more vulnerable to sexual violence on campus, as the survey saw them disproportionately represented. The PARSA women’s officer has called for better training and systems in place for supervisors of students. At a second report back, Professor Imelda Wheelan suggested a register was needed.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Vol. 6712, , Issue 12 Issue Vol. 67

NEWS

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MORE CHANGE AHEAD FOR ANU IN 2018 Text: Isabella Ostini T he Universit y a nnou nced its st rateg ic pla n for t he nex t f ive yea rs i n Febr ua r y, w it h a st rong focus on cha nge: f rom bu i lt ca mpus env ironment, ad missions processes, equ it y i nit iat ives, a nd to t he st r uc t u re of teachi ng a nd resea rch.

T he pla n is clea r f rom t he outset. ‘ T he Universit y’s excel lence, of which we a re rig ht ly proud, must not d isg u ise t he i mperat ive for cha nge,’ it reads.

But how has t his cha nge prog ressed i n 2017, a nd what ca n st udents a nd sta f f ex pec t i n t he comi ng yea r?

T he st rateg ic pla n emphasises t hat a ny cha nge must be shaped by ‘ev idence of lea rni ng a nd sat isfac t ion’, w it h one of its key per forma nce i nd icators bei ng i mprovement i n t he overa l l sat isfac t ion of A N U st udents.

However, t he federa l government ’s Qua lit y Ind icators for L ea rni ng a nd Teachi ng repor t, released i n Ma rch, revea led t hat t he u niversit y is st r ugg li ng w it h st udent sat isfac t ion.

St udent rat i ngs of teachi ng prac t ices t ra i led bot h t he nat iona l average a nd t he Universit y of Ca nberra’s score, w it h on ly 60 per cent of A N U u nderg raduates repor t i ng a posit ive lea rni ng ex per ience.

T he u niversit y a lso d ropped one place i n t he Ti mes Hig her Educat ion ra n k i ngs, whi le cli mbi ng to 20t h i n t he world, a nd f irst i n Aust ra lia, i n t he QS ra n k i ngs. T he u niversit y has a lso d ropped to 97t h i n t he Academic Ra n k i ng of World Universit ies ra n k i ngs.

But t he deput y v ice-cha ncel lor (academic), Professor Ma rnie Hug hes-Wa rri ng ton, emphasised t hat ‘rei nv igorat i ng ou r teachi ng a nd lea rni ng spaces’ wou ld ‘ensu re we a re at t he foref ront of educat iona l ex perience a nd technolog ies.’

T he Union Cou r t redevelopment, which bega n mid-yea r, ma rk s t he sta r t of t his ‘rei nv igorat ion’. T he new, as yet u nna med, space is set to open i n Ja nua r y 2019.

As wel l as housi ng reta i l a nd enter ta i nment venues, a sw i m mi ng pool a nd new teachi ng spaces, Fenner Ha l l w i l l be mov i ng to t he redeveloped Union Cou r t, despite protest f rom residents.

T his pla nned move is not t he on ly cont roversy t hat resident ia l cha nges have at t rac ted t his yea r.

T he demol it ion of t he 56 -yea rold, former Br uce Ha l l went a head, despite ca mpa ig ni ng a nd a cou r t cha l lenge lau nched by Br uce Ha l l a lu mni.

Br uce Ha l l residents a re cu rrent ly liv i ng i n t he new st udent

Fight goes on for ANU survivors as they wait for review

the learner is reliant on one person, and they often hold the keys to a particular industry or employment prospect.’

FROM PAGE 5

CONTINUED LOBBYING

‘We need registration for supervisors.

At the moment there isn’t a register, so we can’t deregister supervisors,’ suggesting that staff members who cross boundaries in their role continue to supervise students.

Students continue to lobby the ANU for comprehensive action, particularly a centralised policy. A key aspect of this was a ‘Sit In and Speak Out’ held by students on Open Day at the Pop Up Village. The event came as prospective students and parents gathered for lunch, and was aimed at providing awareness of the issue of sexual violence at the ANU.

The ANU will soon implement training for supervisors on the nature of their role and their obligations, particularly in light of the report.

These measures are welcomed considering the large power imbalance in the relationship between a supervisor and student.

Wheelan said ‘The supervisor relationship is dangerous, because often

Advocate Codie Bell suggested the event was also to provide prospective students with awareness of the advocacy groups there to support them. She said the engagement with prospective parents was particularly striking, with many mothers saying they had protested on similar grounds thirty years ago.

accom modat ion, SA5, u nt i l t he new Br uce Ha l l opens i n 2019.

T he st rateg ic pla n com mits to prov id i ng a l l st udents who wa nt to live on ca mpus t he oppor t u nit y to do so. Meet i ng t his dema nd by 2021 mea ns t hat more a nd la rger residences a re on t he way.

But t he redevelopment w i l l bri ng cha l lenges beyond resident ia l ha l ls. Wit h t he demolit ion of t he Ma nni ng Cla rk bu i ld i ng, la rge classes have needed to be i nnovat ive i n ma nag i ng lec tu re space.

T his is not set to cha nge, as t he new Union Cou r t w i l l not featu re a ny teachi ng-on ly spaces w it h t he seat i ng capacit y of Ma nni ng Cla rk ’s lec t u re t heat res.

As pa r t of its com mit ment to creat i ng a n ‘ i nnovat ive’ academic cu lt u re, t he u niversit y w i l l a lso ex pa nd its eng i neeri ng a nd computer science capacit y. Dea n of t he A N U Col lege of Eng i neeri ng a nd Computer Science, Professor Ela nor Hu nt i ng ton, a nd former Intel v ice president, The two main tickets for ANUSA, Shake Up and victorious Lift ANUSA, both promised continued advocacy on sexual assault and sexual harassment.

While James Connolly, outgoing ANUSA president, accused the tickets of politicising the issue (especially Shake Up’s claim that they were ‘objectively better’ on sexual assault), there is undoubtedly genuine intent behind the tickets’ claims.

The president elect, Eleanor Kay, is a 2017 executive member and thus has strong working knowledge of the ANUSA/PARSA demands. The successful Shake Up candidate for the NUS delegate role, Freya Willis, was a women’s department deputy officer, and played a prominent role in Sit In and Speak Out events.

The ANU has obviously begun to implement some key changes to the support and training provided, so that staff and students are aware of

Professor Genev ieve Bel l, w i l l lead t he process. T he Universit y w i l l shor t ly a nnou nce t he f irst of a nu mber of ‘A N U Innovat ion Inst it utes’, a key i nit iat ive i n t he st rateg ic pla n.

Professor Hu nt i ng ton sa id t hat t hese t wo i nit iat ives w i l l ‘ develop people who f i nd a nd solve problems t hat t ra nsform t he way t hat science a nd technolog y a re i nteg rated w it h com mu nit ies a nd societ y i n t he 21st Cent u r y.’

A not her major aspec t of t he st rateg ic pla n is its com mit ment to i mprov i ng equ it y i n teachi ng, academic a nd professiona l spheres.

As such, d iscussions a rou nd t he new ad missions process have had a st rong focus on a meliorat i ng educat iona l d isadva ntage.

A nd i n a n env ironment where f u nd i ng is i ncreasi ng ly preca rious, we ca n ex pec t t he u niversit y to cont i nue t r y i ng to remi nd t he government of its i mpor ta nce, i mprove ef f icienc y a nd f i nd new resea rch f u nd i ng met hods. their rights and obligations in their respective roles. The survey has provided some much-needed and often called for urgency to the changes to ANU policy.

In the coming year, Woroni will continue to report on the policy changes that result from the Rapid Context report, which so far is unavailable to all but the executive and the student representatives they use as their rubber stamp.

However it seems that the ANU has listened to some of the advocacy that ANUSA, PARSA, departments and Restorative ANU have provided in their projects on restorative justice, counselling support and training programs. These advocates have committed to continued lobbying of the ANU to ensure that students have access to due process, consistent support and a safe and respectful ANU.

Week Week 11, 11, Semester Semester 2, 2, 2017 2017

77

Men’s Network splinters after political AGM

BOTH PRESIDENTS SPEAK OF SIMILAR VISION DESPITE DIVISION Text: Bella Di Mattina-Beven

There is no objective science to journalism, especially in an era when readers can engage more readily and more critically with everything that we do. This can only be a positive.

We encourage that engagement. It makes us work harder and better.

The meeting comprised of elections for a new executive, as candidates with deep ideological differences vied for control.

In 2017 we brought news back to the front page of Woroni, whence it had been absent for some time. Those front pages record a story of the changing face at the ANU in 2017 – from the loss of old Bruce Hall (pictured) to student politics, activism and causes important to us as students.

Emerging victorious was a diverse group of students hoping to continue the Men’s Network ’s work of creating an inclusive space and continuing ties with Canberra mental health groups. A group of unsuccessful candidates have created a splinter group, the ‘ANU Men’s Support Network,’ which aims to ‘de-politicise’ the support available to men and remove politics, such as gender politics, from the community.

If a newspaper – a product which goes off faster than a dead fish left on a hot dashboard in the sun – can remain relevant even 30 minutes from the moment it is ‘put to bed’ and sent to press, it must say something more than just what has happened.

Woroni spoke to both leaders to hear about the split, how it has affected their groups and their plans for the future.

The newly elected Men’s Network president, Eben Leifer, said that for many, this undermined the hope that the network would be a place where ‘men could be men’.

The president of the Men’s Support Network, and failed presidential candidate for the Men’s Network, Brandon Hargraves, said that: ‘We were painted as “the right”. When in reality, I have nothing to do with politics … The left/right divide really detracts from the purpose of the group.’

Hargraves said that, ‘We try to keep it open to all kinds of guys, and that includes people with outdated views.’ He likened the approach to the Men’s Shed, a group that the Men’s Network executive hopes to connect with and utilise as a resource.

This is seen by some members as a juxtaposition to the Men’s Network, which moderates discussion when it overlaps with contentious topics such as sexism or homophobia.

Leifer suggested that members ‘didn’t want to face scrutiny for saying things or voicing certain opinions.’

Some

Men’s

Support

Network

Journalism is no perfect science.

Here’s what we attempted in 2017 In one of the great newsrooms of the print-era Fleet Street, which brought forth a crusading newspaper each Sunday, the editor’s indecision was final.

Men looking for support and advice at the ANU now have a few communities to choose from.

The Men’s Network, borne out of controversy and ideological division, is divided following a political annual general meeting.

The Men’s Network, the group which affiliated with the Clubs Council under the promise of support for men’s issues, elected a new executive on 25 August. The majority of the executive were feminist, and it was a genderdiverse group.

NEWS

members criticised the moderation used to ban a member who repeatedly insulted the gender identity of an administrator.

Moderation of sexist and homophobic opinions also occurred throughout the year.

Hargraves, of the splinter Men’s Support Network, suggested that his group would not be intended for the political discussions that permeated the Men’s Network.

However he also asserted that the aforementioned opinions would not be moderated.

Leifer suggested that the division was deeper than opinions on online moderation. ‘[The Men’s Network ’s] formation was at a time when there were lots of arguments regarding feminism and whether it was unfair that men should not get a department. There has always been disagreement about the Club’s role on campus.’

On allegations by the Support Network that Leifer was an ‘illegitimate president’, Leifer said that he has ‘a vision for [the Network] as a place where male identif ying students can seek advice on every thing from mental health to relationship advice. I articulated that vision at the AGM and was endorsed by the membership.’

Brandon Hargraves accused the new Men’s Network executive of

‘ branch stacking’, and Eben Leifer of nominating for the role in response to conser vative interest.

Leifer said that he ‘ had been a member of the club since its inception.’

One conser vative-leaning student also allegedly put up a public call to vote at the AGM, according to ANU Obser ver reports.

The groups have now gone their separate ways, though when it comes to physical meetings and mental health support, many of the plans are the same. The Men’s Network hopes to instigate a week ly meetup, frequent BBQs and connect with Menslink and the ANU Departments.

The Men’s Support Network said they also had a BBQ planned for just prior to the final Semester 2 exams. However they suggested that their plans were to build the online advice forum. After an initial f lurry of activity following the split, activity online has died down. The BBQ is to be funded by members of the executive, raising questions about the sustainability of the group into the future.

Leifer said: ‘It’s unnecessary to have a second club… We will continue to work on the current Men’s Network as the official affiliated club and host events – such as the conversations with Menslink.’

We’ve tried to bring you the reason behind decisions, to probe the motives of events on campus.

We’ve tried to be curious and to explain how this campus interacts with itself, the country and beyond.

When I took on the role of news editor, I declared as journalists we ought to direct our frustrations with society into something productive: journalism which held people accountable and demonstrated the capacity for improvement.

‘We get angry at society because we know it could be better. We demand answers from those in charge because we believe there is always capable leadership. We seek to explain the society which we shape and which shapes us by asking: Why do we live like this?’ I wrote.

Flip through some of the old issues of Woroni this year. Ask yourself again, Why do we live like this?

And then, if you feel it’s needed, take action and engage. That’s what good journalism should prompt.

If you’ve picked up this paper for the first time this year and were more intrigued, more engaged and more interested in the world around you – even if that only happened once – we achieved something worthwhile.

The editor’s indecision will always be final just as the editor will not always be right. But keep giving journalism a chance.

Jasper Lindell, News Editor

NEWS

GRIFFIN HALL CAME SECOND LAST IN ARTS SHIELD 2016.

THIS YEAR THEY WON

Vol. , Issue 12 Issue6712, Vol. 67

8

Burton & Garran Hall wins Inward Bound. Again.

Text: Max Koslowski Despite coming seventh last year, Griffin Hall has pulled off a remarkable turnaround to win the Interhall Arts Competition, with a second place in the last event of the year.

Griffin Hall’s performance in interhall choir rounded off a series of strong performances in Semester 2 arts events. The Hall placed second in both the art show and the creative writing competition, as well as first place in the spelling bee, second at Big Night Out, and second in debating.

At the end of the first semester Griffin Hall was equal with eventual silver medallist Fenner Hall, but were able to pull ahead to 169 points by the end of the year – four more points than Fenner. Burton & Garran Hall placed third.

Griffin Hall president Lachlan Smith was quick to praise the work of his Hall’s arts representatives. ‘I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to do but it’s an absolute sham for me to take any credit.

The arts portfolio this year was handled extremely professionally by our reps, but they still managed to keep it fun and engaging for everyone - from most artistic, to newbies coming for a try.

‘There was a good arts culture to begin with thanks to previous reps but this year we started strong and really focussed on performing well and managed to bag the choccies,’ he said.

It’s clear that the Griffin Hall Members Association managed to get more support for their arts events this year.

‘We did our best to encourage participation and to create a supportive atmosphere by having audiences and supporters,’ Griffin Hall arts representative Amelia McGrath told Woroni.

‘Also, we utilised the specific talents of older members to “coach” or “direct” events that they had applicable skills in.

‘And obviously we are so, so proud of all the hard work everyone put in this year – Griffin has a bunch of really talented people who put in so much effort all year and at the end of the day that’s what got us across the line.’

Griffin Hall became ANU’s only off-campus hall in 2010, and has grown significantly in member size since. It currently has 475 members, and is expected to expand to between 500 and 600 students in 2018.

Burgmann College won the Arts Shield in both 2015 and 2016.

Burton & Garran Hall Division 4 team: Claire Fitzgerald, D’Arcy Taylor, Emily Rowbotham and Joe Casey ... Photo: Facebook

‘We had massive help from amazing volunteers and drivers. We were able to facilitate ten mock/navigation drops and this wouldn’t have been possible without them.’

Text: Bella Di Mattina-Beven Inward Bound, the infamous cross country navigation competition, took place on Saturday 7 October. Reigning champions B&G took the top spot once again, while 2015 leader Burgmann took second place. The event ran smoothly thanks to the work of the Inward Bound Committee, while colleges worked hard to achieve greater diversity in their teams.

They also said that they’d worked hard this year to promote gender equity in their team. When they won IB in 2015 they only had three women in a 28 person team. This year they’d increased their female cohort to nine. They attributed this change to a ‘cultural overhaul’.

The event took place at Denison Campground, in the Kosciuszko National Park. The area, south-west of Canberra, provided the usual hilly terrain and frequent opportunities for bush-bashing.

The space also provided confusion for students driving to the location. With students departing on buses and by car from 5.30 in the morning, some struggled to find the location. This provided a contrast to the previous year’s location at Dalmeny. However there were still strong contingents of supporters from each hall to welcome runners as they arrived at Endpoint.

Burton and Garran hall took first place, after winning three divisions and placing second or third in the remaining four.

The B&G coach, Charlie Henshall, refused to explain the training techniques that got the teams such results.

‘All I’ll say is that generations of B&G residents have run IB and countless will continue to. Win or lose, all we know is we love it,’ he said.

‘We had a huge emphasis on inclusivity, and a large starting squad, giving all runners an equal chance to make the team.’

Fenner Hall competitiors Photo: Supplied

Burgmann College elaborated further on the source of their successes. They focused on running long distances slowly and frequently.

‘It keeps an ideal level of fitness over a long training period and minimizes chances of injury,’ coach Ruben Seaton said.

Injuries were more familiar to the B&G team, with several core members of the team suffering injury in the weeks before the race.

Burgmann coaches also said that a large and dedicated volunteer team allowed them to psychologically prepare over the course of ten mock drops. Most colleges will only do a handful before the event.

However they hoped to make gender equality a focus again next year, this time aiming for more women in the navigator role. Women in IB are often given the role of ‘scout’ rather than navigator, a trend also seen at winning college B&G. Inward Bound rules specify that women must make up one third of the total number of people from each college. For a full team of 28, seven women must run.

There are no regulations regarding women in the navigator role.

Bruce and Griffin Halls had the minimum number of women in their team, all in the lower four divisions. John XXIII also had seven female runners, in divisions three to seven. The Fenner team consisted of nine women distributed through divisions two through seven.

Ursula Hall had eight female participants including several female navigators. Unilodge also had eight female runners.

Hugh McClure contributed reporting

9

Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

NEWS

In 2017, ANU’s down to Earth research advanced understanding of planet, universe Text: Isabella Ostini This year ANU scientists have contributed to our understanding of the universe and Earth’s history, are fighting hunger, and helping to better address climate change. The University even contributed to the Nobel-Prize-winning detection of gravitational waves.

This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to three American researchers – Professor Barry Barish, Professor Kip Thorne and Professor Rainer Weiss – for their leading role in the detection of gravitational waves.

They are the main figures in the establishment of the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), which uses an incredibly sensitive system of lasers and mirrors to detect tiny ripples in space-time. Einstein predicted the existence of these gravitational waves, produced by cataclysmic events such as the collision of two black holes, in 1916.

The ANU led the Australian contribution to the four-nation collaboration, supplying equipment and expertise.

The ANU vice chancellor, Professor Brian Schmidt, himself a Nobel prize winner, congratulated the winners.

‘A triumph of physics,’ he said. ‘The discovery of gravitational waves has led to a new age of gravitational wave astronomy, allowing scientists to unlock many secrets of the Universe… On behalf of ANU, I congratulate the winners, and ANU and Australian researchers who have helped make this amazing discovery possible.’

ANU astronomers have been busy making other discoveries too.

In April, two citizen science projects were launched on the ABC’s Stargazing Live program. In part of one, called ‘Exoplanet Explorers’, Australian citizen scientists found four ‘super earth’ sized planets in close-orbit around a small star 597 light years away from Earth.

The other project, run by the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics (RSAA), used data from the ANU’s SkyMapper telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, to search for a mysterious ninth planet in our solar system.

PhD student at the RSAA, Ryan Ridden-Harper, told Woroni that citizen science projects like these are ‘a very valuable thing to have if we want to bring people into science, and include them in the process.’

The University has also been part of

an international project, along with the University of New South Wales and University of Sydney, to develop and launch miniaturised satellites, called CubeSats, to explore the lower layers of Earth’s atmosphere.

Consisting of 10 cubic centimetre units, CubeSats are less expensive than larger satellites, allowing students to be more involved in their development, and to access the data they gather. They are also a more sustainable response to the increasing congestion of Earth’s atmosphere.

As part of its commitment to developing Australia’s capability in this field, the ANU signed a memorandum of understanding with UNSW Canberra in September, creating a collaboration with ‘endto-end’ capability from the design, to the testing of CubeSats.

contributed pieces to the puzzle of Earth’s history.

Geological detective work, examining ancient zircon crystals from granite in the Jack Hills region of Western Australia, led to the conclusion that early Earth did not have plate tectonics.

Because of this, the early Earth would have been much f latter than the planet we know, with islands emerging from the sea covering most of the planet, and a high concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere.

The research built on ANU work going back to the 1980s, when a machine specifically to analyse zircon crystals was built, as well previous examination of zircon crystals found in the Lachlan Fold Belt, in southeast Australia.

The University announced in September that it will also be working more closely with the German space agency, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft Raumfahrt (DLR), on future research projects.

ANU researchers also contributed to the ANU Climate Change Institute’s climate science update in July, where a representative from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change spoke on the most recent climate science developments.

Closer to Earth, researchers at the Research School of Earth Sciences

ANU Research School of Earth Sciences’ Professor Eelco Rohling

presented his research on rising sea levels, highlighting the new vulnerabilities in Antarctica that had been discovered. Professor Sharon Friel, of the ANU School of Regulation and Global Governance, spoke on the need to acknowledge the health issues climate change will bring.

Also looking to secure future human wellbeing, in September ANU biologists joined an international consortium seeking to engineer more productive crops, by improving the process of photosynthesis. Their contributions build on 20 years of expertise as one of the leading plant research groups in the world.

In particular, researchers are focussing on improving crop plants for smallhold farmers in the developing world. Plants will be field tested to ensure they can be farmed using traditional methods, and will be made available royalty-free to farmers in the developing world.

Researchers hope that their developments, which will be fieldready in 10-20 years, will help to ensure greater food security, and feed Earth’s growing population.

Photos: ANU Media

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

COMMENT // CAMPUS

10

The ANU Has A Class Problem Text: Vanamali Hermans Graphic: Zoe O’Leary Cameron It’s hard to deny that the ANU is an elite institution. An obsession with world rankings and becoming the ‘Harvard of Australia’ encapsulates a vision for our university where only the best and brightest can step foot on campus. For a Vice-Chancellor like Brian Schmidt, this may seem like a noble goal. But for a working class student from country NSW like me, best and brightest only has one meaning – rich.

Class has a monumental impact on the type of education you’ll receive in life.

Whether it’s being able to afford a ‘better’ private education, pay for extensive tutoring during the HSC or even having the means to finish year 12 at all, your family’s income is the great determiner. For many living in poverty across Australia, higher education isn’t on the cards. Working class kids have instilled into them that they aren’t smart or good enough for university, and deeply flawed admissions processes like the ATAR system in NSW are ‘evidence’ that the best and brightest come from schools like Sydney Grammar and SCEGGS Darlinghurst, not schools like mine.

But for those of us able to overcome the challenges of admission – likely with the help of bonus point schemes – tougher obstacles stand in the way of moving to the ANU. It’s no surprise that moving costs money, and when you add up airfares, accommodation bonds and the array of personal goods needed to live independently, this skyrockets into the thousands. For those relocating from regional and rural areas, the Centrelink Relocation Scholarship is crucial. For those from places like Western Sydney, who may not be eligible for this payment and without the means to move, hopes of going to the ANU never eventuate.

A one-off Centrelink payment, however, does not easily solve the problem of finding accommodation in Canberra.

With some weekly college rents equivalent to nearly the entire fortnightly sum of the maximum away from home rate of Youth Allowance (around $430, subject to additional rent assistance payments), even someone who is lucky enough to find casual part-time work will struggle to cover this cost. This is not only because Youth Allowance rates are heinously below the poverty line, youth unemployment is staggeringly high, and being expected to balance study and work can be an impossible task. It is largely because accommodation on campus isn’t affordable, meaning working class students at the ANU miss out on the pastoral care and communities that are so valuable to young people moving away from home for the first time.

As someone who was lucky enough to receive a scholarship and able to afford to live at a college during my first year, I spent some of my initial few nights at Bruce Hall in my room miserable, convinced that the ANU wasn’t the place for me. Everything was different. The people were different; they talked in a different way to me, they used different euphemisms, they dressed differently, had different interests or hobbies or habits that had all been informed by affluence.

This made for an alienating period of adjustment, compounded by paranoia that I wasn’t ‘passing’ for middle class, and that people would find out I was secretly poor.

As much as I’d hoped these feelings would go away, they never really did, simply because class is ever present in our lives. It’s challenging to find others at the ANU who share a similar experience, largely because we’re conditioned not to talk about class and poverty, as if they are moral failings and something to be inherently ashamed of. And, when we do talk about it, we speak of generalised student poverty as if this is the first time in our lives we have ever had to live off two minute noodles. What significantly adds to this challenge, however, is the lack of working class students on campus to begin with.

One of the most recent ANU Student Data Summary Reports released in July this year reveals just how few of us there are. Out of a total 23,761 students enrolled – including non-award and enabling students, undergraduate students and postgraduate students – the report says that only 551 came from a low-SES background. That figure means low-SES students make up roughly 2.3 per cent of the ANU population. That percentage is the lowest in the country and has not risen but fallen since 2012. Some may be surprised, but for those of us who’ve come from poverty, this only reflects the reality we already know: the ANU has a class problem.

Universities having a problem with class is nothing new. The academy itself has traditionally locked out working class people from its ranks, the middle class elite studying inequality from ivory towers while continuing to perpetuate it. As British ethnographer Lisa McKenzie has written, working class students, who are rooted in their communities and people who could help highlight the topics

important to them, see nothing but the high, unjust prices now demanded by our universities – especially at postgraduate level.

What is surprising, however, is the fact the ANU management and advocacy bodies like ANUSA believe they are doing so well. Truly convinced they will still meet the 8 per cent target of low-SES enrolments by 2020, Vice-Chancellor Brian Schmidt and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Marnie Hughes-Warrington talk about their grand aims for low-SES inclusion, most recently using plans for admissions changes to feign genuine concern for working class students. I find the words of Brian and Marnie hard to believe when most of us can’t even afford lunch in the Pop-Up Village.

Meanwhile, ANUSA holds workshops on low-SES inclusion and accessibility, while its executive body largely remains a playground for wealthy stupol hacks.

It’s hard to imagine this class problem changing anytime soon. Our University is descending down the neoliberal rabbit hole of corporatisation, and the government continues to wage its war against young people. Meanwhile, the administration is extending upon its shambolic redevelopment plans and locking out students from their own campus. While this is all taking place, working class students will find it hard to not only achieve but survive at the ANU. I’m not ashamed to be a part of ANU’s 2.3 per cent of low-SES students, and neither should anyone else be. Being able to excel academically and muster the means to move interstate has made us exceptions to the rule that says growing up in poverty will limit your chances at getting a degree.

But the rules are unjust, and we need to fight to change them so that coming to university as a working class student is no longer considered exceptional.

We fight by campaigning for things like free higher education – a campaign in which every protest is a deeply personal experience for me. At NDA’s, at Parliament house and inside the National Press Club I fight for the right for my friends, my family and people from working class communities like mine to have a shot at being here.

On Thursday 19 October we’ll again be meeting on the lawns of Parliament House, holding the Senate to account for continued higher education cuts. If you believe class and money shouldn’t hold anyone back from learning, come join us.

11

Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

COMMENT // CAMPUS

Running on fumes Text: Anonymous Graphic: Zoe O’Leary Cameron Inward Bound. IB. Two letters that conjure up so many different thoughts and feelings. For me, they’re thoughts of the organisation, feelings of stress, and hours in the car. They’re about checking out possible locations for practice drops, spending hours poring over maps, looking at possible routes, and challenges.

For the last six months, IB has been all-consuming. Chatting to runners about how their bodies are holding up.

Chatting to them about their stress levels, and how they are managing the training workload with their study workload. It’s been tough, for everyone involved.

I sit back and think about EndPoint, watching them all come in, team by team. Arms raised in triumph, regardless of the place they finished. And r ig ht f u lly so, because they’ve pushed themselves to

the very limit. Not all uni students sign up for this experience – being dropped in the bush in the middle of nowhere, blindfolded with only a map and a compass, and race to the point they’re given.

Normal uni students haven’t been up for 36 hours, on a cocktail of painkillers, caffeine, sugar and carbohydrates, as they stumble around in the dark, trying to make their way home.

That doesn’t mean it’s been smooth sailing. For every runner that makes it to EndPoint, two runners put the effort into training and will never get to run the race. Injuries, fitness, speed, commitments, and timing may all conspire against them to prevent them from being one of the final 28. IB is so much more than just those 28 runners, and that’s why. There are runners from each college who never make the team.

There are the supporters who volunteer to drive out on practice drops. There are the roommates and neighbours who help make sure there is a bit of food left in the fridge for when they come home from a run at 2am. There are the group assignment members who might have to pick up a bit of slack for that paper due the day before the race.

There are people at college who have never heard of IB before this week.

They’ve seen the crazy runners coming back from training, but they’ve never put two and two together. Until now, standing at EndPoint, dragged out of bed at an unpleasant hour because of a promise to an SR about getting involved and coming. They’re standing at EndPoint because one of their friends has been crazy enough to give it a go, and made the final cut. They’ll be coming in soon, exhausted but triumphant.

I stand at the recovery session, chatting to the runners.

They have all manner of injuries today.

Sprained ankles, twisted knees, pulled muscles, ruined tendons. Many of them can hardly walk. Yet they smile and laugh and joke, standing in the icy pool, and I lock eyes with one of them. They are all thinking one question now: ‘Was it all worth it?’

One of them locks eyes with me, and with a single nod, I know the answer.

It’s one, deep down, I understand, but won’t ever experience it myself. There is an addiction to pushing yourself against the challenges of your mind, and of the committee’s course. There

is an addiction to the adventure and the team spirit. There is an addiction to the exhaustion, the pain, and the satisfaction that comes with it. And in that single nod, I understand. She’ll be back. She may have struggled this year, but she’s caught the bug. She can’t stop now. She’ll be back next year, better than before. It’s all worth it. Worth every second.

Inward Bound took place over one weekend, with the EndPoint at Denison Campground. A new adventure: IB going alpine. At 5pm on Friday, Division 1 runners entered B&G, to be dropped out in the wilderness, in the Namadgi National Park, to run the best part of 100km over the following 24 hours.

Division 2-7 would follow over the following 6 hours, to be dropped varying distances from Denison Campground, with the expectation they would return before 7pm on Saturday.

Most of them did, some, much faster than expected, with a stroke of genius in the navigation (Johns Division 3, Griffin Division 1), or just by working cohesively as a team to finish quickly (Burgmann Division 7). All in all, 224 runners were out in the wilderness. They came to Endpoint, trickling in, all kinds of injuries and pains with them, but all with the same sense of triumph.

Griffin Hall may have taken out the marquee competition, Division 1, but Burton and Garran Hall were the overwhelming winners. The Redbacks took out multiple divisions on their way to defending their 2016 crown. Johns, Burgmann and Bruce all returned to their form as IB powerhouses, while Ursula, Fenner and UniLodge all languished towards the bottom of the standings.

It’s an interesting point of difference. In many ways, 2017 was a triumphant IB for UniLodge. For the first time since 2014, they fielded a team in all seven divisions. Despite that, they had two teams outside the cut-off time, and didn’t place higher than fifth in any division. While Fenner did better on the scoreboard, they also did not challenge for overall honours. And yet, to those two colleges, it seemed like there was more to Inward Bound than the result. It was about the camaraderie, the teamwork, and the success of pushing themselves harder than they imagined at the beginning of the process.

And to me, that’s what makes IB great. It isn’t just watching colleges come home, and sweeping the field. It’s about watching regular people, regular uni students, push themselves through massive physical challenges. Navigating in the dark, crossing rivers, wading through swamps, climbing mountains, running 25-110km, and being awake for 36 hours.

These physical challenges seem so huge, but we watch 224 uni students complete them with a smile on their face every year. And that’s what makes IB great, and that’s why it’s special to the ANU.

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

COMMENT // CAMPUS

12

Reflections from the OBWAYRF Team Hana Yabuki It was a little scary initially, tackling something controversial head on. When it comes to more contentious topics, I prefer the backseat or the middle ground. Being a part of this radio show meant that I would be actively starting uncomfortable discussions – and to some, unnecessary discussions. As the show progressed and I got used to speaking into a microphone and immortalising my thoughts on Mixlr rather than on Echo360 (ya asian nerd), there was this sort of transition from, ‘I’m afraid of the backlash,’ to ‘what can we tackle that will bring about some sort of thought-provoking discourse?’ Right now I’m earnestly interested in learning even more from our guests and so proud of the team for the work we’ve put in so far.

Jharna Chamlagai Choosing to join the team and be a part of ‘Oh But Where Are You Really From’

has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve grown a lot I’m at the point where I’ll be hosting an episode by myself (a little intimidating I’ll admit). I think the best thing about doing OBWAYRF is the team and knowing we are producing content that facilitates important discussions. Mostly, I like that I can go on air, just to rant about things that have happened to me and I really hope that the people who listen to our show can feel a little more confident speaking up, knowing that they’re not alone.

Manaswini Iyengar Choosing to join the team and be a part of ‘Oh But Where Are You Really From’ is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

I’ve grown a lot I’m at the point where I’ll be hosting an episode by myself (a little intimidating I’ll admit). I think the best thing about doing OBWAYRF is the team and knowing we are producing content that facilitates important discussions. Mostly, I like that I can go on air, just to rant about things that have

happened to me and I really hope that the people who listen to our show can feel a little more confident speaking up, knowing that they’re not alone.

Sumithri Venketasubramanian We’re over halfway through the season, and I can feel how much I’ve grown and learnt in the process. Throwing myself into this process, into a medium I’d never explored before, with nothing but an idea and an incredible team. I’d had no idea how it would be received, or whether we’d have anybody even listening to us. We were bringing something so explicitly challenging to the student body, and that was such an exciting thought.

We never boasted 100 unique listeners per episode - something to work towards I guess! - but I think the most important thing about our work is that we’re creating content, a resource people can come to and think about, and starting conversations. There’s lots to come, and I wanted to thank my team for challenging me and all I took as known in my

world. We’re getting more comfortable on air with each week, and every long e-mail, every frantic ‘ahhh where’s the Facebook event for this week’s episode’ and every shameless plug of OBWAYRF is totally worth it.

Yashi Kotnala I joined the OBWAYRF team after seeing an expression of interest post that Sumi made on the Ethnocultural page.

I remember frantically sending her a message because I’d missed the deadline and thankfully one crazy long, life story-esque email later, I was introducing gmyself to the rest of the team at Gods (RIP). The highlight of this experience has been to watch entire episodes come together from what might have started as a conversation had months ago to something read in an obscure crevice of the internet. Personally, my lowest point was my first moments on air. I was asked ‘how was your day?’ and my reply was ‘no’. I’ve learnt to form whole sentences since, and can’t wait to work with OBWAYRF to produce more engaging and thought provoking content!

Digital Media in an Analogue Australia Text: Rebecca Jellie Open a new note on your phone. On it, write that you want your favourite person to get all your earthly possessions and, for good measure, give a couple of reasons why. Now sign it off with your name at the bottom, say it’s your last will and testament, along with a smiley emoji. Voila. You have a will, typed in a rush on a bus to university or on the way to work. You may think that that’s not possible, that these few words couldn’t possibly be an indication of testamentary intention. You’d probably be wrong, but you should be right. A will is a legal document for which the preparation should require deep thought and diligence, not merely the writing of a text message in anger or elation without any further thought to the consequences.

A recent Queensland Supreme Court case (Nichol v Nichol) determined that a text message, in certain circumstances, can constitute a valid will because it is a statement of intention. The user did not even send the text message in question.

This follows recent judgements about other forms of digital media, such as videos, counting as valid wills.

One of the biggest questions posed for the courts and lawmakers in the 21st century is how they can control such an ever-changing medium like digital media and everything that goes with it.

It seems that the codification of court judgements is a satisfactory method, but is this not just an extended game of catch up for our legislators? These questions such as the one raised in Nicol should be dealt with outside of court before it even becomes a litigious issue. The arduous nature of the legislative process in our parliament often makes it an outdated process that inhibits our ability to change laws quickly enough to keep up with technological advancements that develop every day.

This changing of the times and the technological development associated with this is not just an issue for legislators and the parliament. Many of the services that we once heavily relied on within society are now obsolete, or close to it. Print media is a dying form of journalism, and to its immense credit, the industry has shown exponential ability to change with the times to embrace digital media without sacrificing its core purpose. If these century-old services can adapt to digitisation, then there is no reason why our parliament cannot also.

We can’t accurately predict the future of the impact digitisation will have on our society. However, we know that technology is changing rapidly, and we must prepare for it with a real contingency plan for the parliamentary process.

More politicians are turning to social media to engage their constituents, despite not growing up in the digital world.

Why should the legislative process be any different? The process from a bill’s proposal to passing it through parliament, to enactment can take months – even if it is urgent.

Revelations in the digital world seem like they spring up overnight, in the same fashion a tweet can go from barely seen by your followers to viral in a manner of minutes. We are in the middle of a turning point in history, and our parliamentary processes must adapt to accommodate these changes. Australia needs to become adaptable to this changing context. We must accept that digitisation is not just our future, but also our present.

13

Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

marriage equality Text: Katherine Humphreys

It has almost been five weeks since the survey forms arrived in our mailboxes and now ten million people are estimated to have voted in the marriage survey.

One of those people who has sent their vote back is Jackson.

Jackson is a second-year law and psychology student at the ANU, and he is one of the many people voting yes in the poll. But what separates Jackson from your average ‘yes’ voter is that he grew up in a conservative Christian household.

Despite the common view that conservatives err on the side of a ‘no’ vote, he finds that his experience allows him to have a familiarity of both sides of the debate. For him, the distinction between voting for or against lies in how it is necessary to ‘divide the religious aspect from the moral aspect, and from the legal aspect.’

He has a very straightforward view on the discussions around marriage equality and believes that voting should be an issue separated from the Church.

‘Voting yes, I think, is about separating it from the church and religion and keeping it purely on, I guess, on whether or not the politicians in the state should govern relationships between people. It’s important to keep religious traditions separate from what the state does and who the state recognises as being in love and together and I guess united in that sense.’

We asked his opinion on how the Government handled discussions around marriage equality, to which Jackson gave the Government credit for how it has dealt with such a ‘tricky situation.’

With it being such a polarising topic, it was going to be difficult for any government to deal with it without alienating some of its voting bases.

He considers that the way the marriage equality vote has become so politicised is saddening, that ‘it’s become so political that it’s not even about morality anymore.’

He thinks there is equality in marriage to some degree, but it’s the ‘benefit of those rights may be different.’ He points out that the majority view has always had power over the minority, however in this day and age with social media the minority ‘actually have a voice now, I

think it’s much easier for that voice to be heard.’

Making several references to his courses in university, with special mention to Legal Theory, Jackson acknowledges the ‘very dynamic’ relationship between morals and the law shaping one another. He, along with many others, are hopeful that a yes vote will have a ‘snowball’ effect for the queer* community and its fight for equality.

Jackson believed it is essential that everyone gets the chance to share their voice.

For him, it is about voting for what you believe in and moving beyond the peer pressure of those around you or those with opposing opinions.

‘I think, for everyone, where they draw their own distinctions is based off their own views…but I’d encourage everyone to vote and at least have an in-depth understanding of why they’re voting what they’re voting for. What it means for them, what it means for other people.’

For Jackson, it is important to vote based on your personal identity and experiences.

‘For me, I voted yes and I didn’t have a problem with it but I know, I think, if we’re pressuring people into voting one way or the other or if society is making one way acceptable and one way the other that’s when it becomes dangerous. It’s the social influences that can ‘make you doubt or just regret what you’ve done.’

Jackson, which is not his real name, believes that there is more backlash toward people on the ‘no’ side than those voting yes.

Throughout the conversation, Jackson emphasised the freedom of choice along with giving his own opinion with ‘I think’ and ‘I feel.’ However, Jackson does make a compelling argument for voting yes.

When asked about the postal survey, he points out the necessity of it. Without it, he says, people would be left feeling unheard or questioning whether the decisions made by parliament are representative of the public. He believes that it would have a positive move for those whose mental health is affected by the inequality they’re experiencing. ‘Marriage is a good first step.’

Jackson provided a very detailed and well-informed view of the discussions around marriage equality, through both his personal experience and his education at university. However it boils down to a simple statement; ‘Should same-gender relationships be covered under marriage?

I think the answer to that should be yes.’

COMMENT // CAMPUS

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

COMMENT // international

14

Taking action for SDGs lessons from my six week exchange

Text: Maggie Chen

For my last summer break at uni, I was committed to make it count by spending it on something meaningful for myself. I had planned to do an internship of some sort to build my resume. Things took a sharp turn when I sat down and did a personal SWOT analysis - I realised I had little to no clue of who I was, who I wanted to be and where I wanted to go in life.

I asked myself whether I needed that internship or whether I needed to place myself in an uncomfortable position outside Australia. Having lived in the same country for most of my life, I had a simple yet straightforward plan for myself. Finish uni, get a grad job in Australia, work a nine to five, retire and die. I thought to myself, is that all there is to life? Am I content with just living life, checking off to-dos lists that someone else wrote for teens with no directions to follow? Those thoughts didn’t sit well with me. I wanted to make the most of the life I was blessed with. The only problem was, I didn’t know where to begin.

All I knew was that I needed to get out of my comfort zone, to get lost to find myself (as cheesy as that sounds).

Thus began my journey to go on an overseas exchange through AIESEC, focusing on youth leadership through the exchange.

How I took action to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) AIESEC’s Global Volunteer Projects are all SDG aligned. I wanted to take practical steps towards SDGs rather than just advocate or raise awareness.

This was one of the key factors, which motivated me to take on a Global Volunteer program. The project I applied for was designed to contribute towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 4.7:

‘By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.’

The project was to ‘Educate Slovakia,’ it aimed to improve ‘intercultural understanding and global mindset of Slovak youth to support their development in leadership skills.’

3 Lessons from my teaching project 1. To seek to understand before judging someone in accordance with my values

Incoming Preparation Seminar with volunteers from Turkey, China, Czech Republic and Taiwan.

I use to think that there are universal truths or values that everyone abides by. I lived my first two to three weeks trying to align people to what I thought was ‘common sense’ for everyone. Needless to say, it was exhausting for the people around me and myself.

Since then, I’ve taken steps to learn to let that go. I’ve felt more liberated day by day as I accepted the differences in thoughts and peoples’ way of life.

2. Let go of certainty to learn: to live with the change and uncertainty in this world I love planning my day and vacations.

It eliminates most of the uncertainties that could ever throw me off-guard. At the same time, my over preparation for the ‘adventures’ I wanted to have defeated the original goals I set for my exchange. I was visiting places that I spent hours researching and reading about. I followed routes I had saved on the google maps, downloaded for offline access. I dined at restaurants and cafes I searched up on three different food review apps.

I found myself chasing time. I had my eyes almost glued to my phone to make sure that we were staying on schedule: in the right place at the right time. I only spent around 20 per cent of my time enjoying the things I planned. I realised that my obsession with finding certainty was eating away at the rare opportunity to immerse myself in these amazing European cultures.

Ultimately, I decided to spend the last two weekends enjoying myself in Budapest and Bratislava, only allowing myself to list three things to accomplish for the day. It was definitely worth the change!

3. Cross-cultural understanding comes from a place of curiosity.

I went on exchange thinking that I was going to educate Slovak youth. Instead, these students have inspired me to do more with the privilege I have. Although the knowledge they had of Australia didn’t extend beyond ‘kangaroos’ and ‘koalas’, they were inquisitive enough to ask many questions about our flag that bears the union jack, the stolen generation and why I went to Slovakia.

All these questions showed the relentless curiosity they had about the world and other people. It made me think about all the times I had taken knowledge for granted, to accept ‘facts’ the way they are. I realised that I had numbed my curious mind in response to the large flow of information that I shove into my brain every single day. Hands down, this was the most confronting lesson for me on my exchange.

‘Without action, the best intentions in the world are nothing more than that: intentions.’

- Jordan Belfort.

My six weeks in Slovakia were the perfect opportunity for me to take action, develop myself and make a difference in this world. I would like to thank everyone who made this experience possible!

Maggie Chen is currently the president of AIESEC, which is a global youth-led organisation striving to achieve peace and fulfilment of humankind’s potential.

Find out more about AIESEC and the exchange programs via anu@aiesecaustralia.org

Made it on a local Hungarian newspaper when we went to teach in Kormano in Slovakia. Most students in Kormano are actually Hungarian.

15

Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

COMMENT // international

The Truth About the Chinese Students and Scholars Association Text: Alex Joske & Wu Lebao

Almost exactly a year ago we were followed and intimidated by members of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association at its annual Chinese National Day gala. While we had tickets, they surrounded us and tried to kick us out under the direction of CSSA executives, including Vice President Jack Wang.

We attracted the CSSA’s ire that night for two reasons. While living in China, one of us tweeted about the Chinese democracy movement and was subsequently tortured and jailed, and now studies at ANU as a refugee.

The other investigated the CSSA’s connections to the Chinese government and its oppressive ideology.

But you wouldn’t know that from Woroni’s recent interview with Wang, who claims ignorance of the CSSA’s connections to the Chinese communist state and its role in intelligence gathering.

We hope to set the record straight.

The CSSA currently calls itself ‘The only Chinese student organisation in Canberra officially approved by the Chinese government.’ Last year a Woroni investigation revealed that CSSA executives from across the country are flown to Canberra each year for meetings with embassy officials. It found that two years ago the ANU pharmacy inspired the CSSA’s rage for stocking copies of the Epoch Times, the only Chinese newspaper in Canberra that dares publish content critical of the Chinese government.

CSSA President Tao Pinru intimidated staff at the pharmacy until he was allowed to throw out all copies of the newspaper.

arrived at ANU to train hundreds of CSSA members. Students at these training sessions were divided into ‘security squads’ and told: ‘Male comrades must protect female comrades.’ They were instructed to watch out for the ‘five poisons’ — meaning activists for Tibetan independence, Xinjiang independence, Taiwanese independence, the human rights of Falun Gong practitioners and democracy.

When the president of the Tibetan government-in-exile spoke at ANU in August, a dozen CSSA members including Jack Wang and President Guo Xiaohang came to observe the event. Half the seats at the event had been booked out under fake names, including ‘Chinese family’, and were left empty in an apparent attempt to prevent people from attending.

An ABC–Fairfax Media joint investigation of Chinese influence in Australia included University of Canberra CSSA President Lupin Lu admitting that she would inform the embassy if dissident Chinese students were organising a human rights protest. It also revealed that the parents of Tony Chang, a Chinese student in Australia, were questioned after he became involved in pro-democracy and Tibetan independence groups.

Here at ANU, a lecturer was quoted by Forbes expressing concern that some of her Chinese students fear speaking up in class ‘because they fear their compatriots will report on them’.

Whatever the extent of such surveillance at ANU, Chinese students fear it and many are reluctant to associate with dissident students.

Perhaps this is what Jack Wang meant when he said, ‘We do have freedom of speech, but not in the Australian way’.

In fact, in this area we are in agreement with Wang, who said that the CSSA has ‘more interesting things to do than spy on Australian students.’ CSSAs are indeed uninterested in spying on Australian students, preferring to devote their efforts to informing on Chinese students. In 2014 this fact was confirmed to Fairfax Media by Chinese intelligence officials.

This year the embassy used the CSSA to drown out protestors when Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Canberra.

Ahead of the event, embassy officials

The CSSA is not, as claimed by Wang, just a ‘brotherhood or sisterhood’, but a government-supervised institution that is hostile to freedom. It is part of

a global network of Chinese student associations supervised and used by Chinese government. In one case, a former Canadian CSSA leader’s permanent residency application was rejected because he had acted as a Chinese spy, providing the embassy with intelligence on pro-democracy students.

While Chinese student groups have a legitimate role on our campus, groups like the CSSA that stand for China’s government more than its people have none. We disrespect Chinese students by treating the CSSA as their legitimate representative[Office1] [A2] . The Chinese student community is more diverse than the CSSA acknowledges and it does not always stand for the best interests of Chinese students.

The issues faced by Chinese students are great — the language barrier, isolation from the rest of the university, and cultural differences.

Yet the CSSA’s hostile mentality and the insular attitude that comes with it leads Chinese students to live in their own bubble at ANU, one in which they find themselves with almost no non-Chinese friends and having little interaction with Australian culture and ideas.

The CSSA’s actions speak far louder than its words.

Alex Joske is an ANU student and a China researcher at Charles Sturt University. Wu Lebao is an ANU student and Chinese political refugee.

COMMENT // international

CW: gun violence

Text: Richard Haowei Hong

1 October was one of the bloodiest days in American history. More than 50 innocent people were killed, and more than 500 were wounded during the ‘Life Is Beautiful’ music festival; to some people, life might not be that beautiful after all.

‘Thirty people will be shot dead in America today. On average. It could be more. If it’s less, then more will die tomorrow. Or the next day.’

Gun-related homicide has always been a controversial topic in American politics. Despite the significance and impact of these incidents, US politicians cannot reach a consensus on the preventive method. While left-liberals have been trying to push for stricter legislation on gun control, right conservatives have always bid against this. Conservatives suggest that tougher laws are not going to change criminals’ behaviours. Instead, they advocate prevention through improving education on guns and other hazardous weapons. As controversial as gun reform seems to us outsiders,

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

16

Life is beautiful? it is significant to consider if there is a correlation between gun control and gun-related homicides. In other words, would the establishment of a tougher law prevent gun violence? To answer this question, it is important to recognise the fact that the law on gun control varies from country to country, and so do corresponding gun-related homicide rates.

In 2016, the US Supreme Court ruled that ‘ ‘bans on civilian ownership of handguns are unconstitutional’. Under the Second Amendment, the ownership of guns is a fundamental human right.

The underlying presumption is that the ownership of firearms can protect citizens and guarantee the constitutional right of self-defence. For this reason, any action against this doctrine (often cited by the right-wing), is unconstitutional.

This argument is the most significant hindrance preventing the establishment of a tougher gun bill. Beyond the debate of left and right, it is important to cautiously consider if the assumption that having more guns will make us safer is valid.

According to domestic institutions including Harvard University, the US gun homicide is 25 times higher than

other developed countries over the past 30 years. In comparison with other developed, high-income states such as Japan and Germany, this rate is rather astonishing. Japan has one of the most stringent and intolerant laws on the gun ownership. Many argue that Japan’s intolerance on gun ownership contribute to the low rate of gun crimes. The legal ownership of guns in Japan was less than 300,000 in 2011, and accordingly, the reported gun deaths were only six in 2014. Does this mean that tougher laws on gun control will correlate to a lower rate of gun violence?

In the past, there have been several cases of mass shootings in Australia. In 1996, a shooting spree resulted in 35 deaths.

The then prime minister John Howard, after rigorous consideration, proposed a new package of gun reform – including enforcing the licencing system as well as requiring people to have ‘genuine reason’ for possessing firearms. The implementation of this policy has economically lost country millions of dollars, yet there have been no mass shootings for over 20 years. Purely based on Japan and Australia’s experiences with guns, it is premature to conclude that tougher

law is equivalent to the low crime rate.

On the contrary, Germany has one of the highest weapon ownership rates in the world but has one of the lowest gun homicide rates in Europe. The death rate is 0.05 per 1000 people in Germany whereas the number is 3.34 in the US. Germany’s experience can easily challenge the established conclusion – that the tough gun control is equal to the low gun crime.

As a result, it is not difficult to conclude that there is no noticeable causal relation between the strictness of gun control and the number of gun homicides.

Considering the complexity of the American social-economic context, banning guns might not be the best measure to stop gun homicides. Particularly with the presence of the Second Amendment, it is not only economically challenging to restrict guns; it is also politically infeasible considering the environment of the US Senate. Notwithstanding, from a political point of view, it is a kind gesture for the US government to show the public their determination to end the gun violence.

The Myth of encounters between East and West Text: Boya Li ‘East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.’ I first heard this quote not through Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Ballad of East and West,’ but from an English Speaking competition held in China when I was in year six.

The national winner of that competition, Mr Rui Chenggang, a student studying at the China Foreign Affairs University at the time, struck a note with judges by arguing how wrong Kipling was: ‘a century later, the east and west have met in business, education, and art.’

For a long time, I thought it was a clever and politically convenient argument – the past century has seen unprecedented globalisation. Many confrontational views of the relationship between the East and West are now dismantling.

I didn’t have a chance to read Kipling’s work until fairly recently when I found out that Mr Rui had actually misinterpreted his words. Following ‘never the twain shall meet’, Kipling wrote ‘there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth.’

It turns out that the British author was relating to his own experience in Asia

by describing how an English officer and an Afghan horse-thief Kamal discovered friendship by respecting one another’s courage and chivalry.

It was an interesting discovery. Although I pondered this quote for a long time, I came to understand the true meaning of Kipling’s. Nevertheless, the myth about the actual relationship between the East and West, in my mind, has not diminished. Instead, it is exacerbated by anti-globalisation sentiments and a resurgence of racism that we’re seeing more frequently.

Indeed, when Mr Rui talked about globalisation in his speech in 1998, he spoke of the ‘honeymoon period with the West when the low-hanging fruits of globalisation are only beginning to make themselves available.’

It took less than a decade for people like him to find problems with the rosy picture of globalisation. Harmonisation is difficult: the East and West are expected to meet and work together.

In 2007, Mr Rui, who then became a well-known bilingual news anchor for the state TV station, criticised the presence of a Starbucks shop at the

Forbidden City in his blog. He said that Starbucks invaded a site of Chinese heritage and that this was a negative influence of globalisation.

Rui’s comment is a poignant reminder of what he dismissed ten years ago of the risks of an identity crisis in globalisation.

Fast-forward to the problems that we are seeing today, such as rising trade protectionism, a surge of nationalism in both the East and West. The willingness to meet between the East and the West is so fragile that it starts to wear thin in times of economic difficulties. The question that lingers in my mind is: where is the sweet spot of infusion between the East and the West?

I doubt that I would subscribe to any side of the argument on globalisation.

Cultural conflicts will occur if the East and West do meet. Can they meet productively and graciously? Or will the future will be characterised by cultural conflicts?

It appears to me that different civilisations do eventually work their way into each other through migrants and trades. However, it will take a lifetime if not several generations, for cultures

to merge. Once that is done, a complete conversion (naturalisation) will also mean losing the majority art of one’s original identity.

I’ve heard so many stories of how American born Chinese kids grow apart from their parents because the kids find themselves having to choose between rejecting their Chinese identity or conforming to Western culture.

In a revealing TEDtalk titled ‘I’m not your Asian Stereotype’ by Canwen Xu, she, as an 18-year old Chinese-American felt the need to reject her identity to feel integrated in the States. She spoke about how she eventually found it was not right to completely lose her attachment to her Chinese origins.

Canwen said at the end of her speech, ‘I’m proud of who I am, a little bit of American, a little bit Chinese, and a whole lot of both.’

Canwen was brave and lucky to find her sweet spot between the East and the West. For others in today’s globalised world, the possible sweet spot between the East and the West is found when we keep our identities and make an effort to live with a growing awareness of the other.

I see no other way around this.

Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

17

Avant L’Hiver Before Winter Text: Akka Ballenger Constantin

Eblouie Pour des raisons mal-comprises, Inconnues.

Comm’elle me tombe bien, cette pluie Et comme mon cœur danse, Ma petite âme, qui suive l’automne et la lune.

Ce soir, on va partager les ĂŠtoiles Une Ă une.

Rien pour moi ; je n’en veux aucune.

Je ne veux rien de cette pluie belle de l’hier

Sauf pour une feuille jaune Pour emporter chaleur dans mon hiver.

prompted // multilingual

Cartas de Amor Love Letters Text: Akka Ballenger Constantin

Dazzled For reasons not understood Unknown.

How I love this rain And how my heart dances, My little heart, who follows the autumn and moon.

Tonight, we will share the stars One by one.

None for me ; I don’t want any.

I don’t want anything of this

Hoy encontrĂŠ el verde de mi corazĂłn: Amor sellado en una carta de madera, sin razĂłn Atado con dos cuerdas de acero.

Toda la paz y luz te doy, bonito extranjero.

Today I found the green of my soul: Love sealed within a wooden letter, without a reason Tied with two steel strings.

I give you all the Peace and Love, beautiful stranger.

beautiful rain of yesteryear Except for one yellow leaf To bring warmth into my winter.

;;; ĂœIĂ’ Â&#x; Ă’H Ă“I HÂ&#x;GĂœÂ&#x;

HĂ›HÂ&#x;Ăœ * HĂĄ* Ă“5Ă› ĂœH

prompted // multilingual

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

18

‘Sawjig’: A Response to ‘Jigsaw Moments’ Reading ‘Jigsaw Moments’ was like looking in a mirror, but in reverse – maybe it was more like looking at myself on a flipscreen front-facing camera. Just like her, I straddle countries and cultures. The difference, however, is that I am a (white) Australian who grew up in Singapore, where the racial majority is Chinese.

While there are many expatriates and expat children in Singapore, my parents sent me to a local public school instead of one of the exorbitantly expensive international schools. This meant I was the only white student in a school of 1000 or more Asian kids. (Well, there was a Finnish boy once, but he got expelled).

I was very lucky: no one was overtly xenophobic towards me, I could handle the much higher standards of education, and I moved there early enough to pick up Mandarin naturally. Yet the predominant feeling I will remember about my 14 years of living there is one of discomfort.

I felt constantly awkward. Even my dark brown hair shone out amongst the black in the school canteen; and as we sung the national anthem every morning, my head would stick out as I stood amongst my naturally shorter peers. Every school change – primary, secondary, then junior college – brought the added angst of having to endure the visible surprise of my new schoolmates. No, I’m not Eurasian, I’m Caucasian. Yes, I’ll be in your Chinese classes. No, we don’t eat hamburgers for dinner every night at home.

After a week or so I’d be as integrated into the new school community as any other student, but those stares were

always around – on the train home, at debating competitions in other schools, at tuition classes. I’ll never forget the look of shock on the face of my examiner when I walked into the room for the Chinese Oral component of my Primary School Leaving Examination.

So when I left Singapore to do my last two years of high school in Sydney, I thought the discomfort was finally over.

I won’t stick out! People will understand my family’s dynamics! I’ll belong!

Ah, naivety. I arrived to find that while I didn’t feel Singaporean, I certainly wasn’t all that Australian either. My new classmates greeted me with ‘oh my god, I heard that you’re like, a genius’ – indeed, the education standards here were, at first, disorientingly low. I also had to re-calibrate my personality. To this day, for example, I can’t articulate what exactly makes this so, but people have a different sense of humour here. That first year was hard.

It’s been a while now, so I’m pretty much adjusted, but I’m still not a ‘normal’ Australian. I still pronounce some English words incorrectly. My friends dismiss my ignorance on noughties-era Australian politics with ‘oh yeah, that’s right, you’re foreign’. And for the life of me, I really don’t see what’s so funny about Rhonda and Ketut. But, like the author of ‘Jigsaw Moments’ said, I don’t have to make myself fit in anywhere. I am me, and I make my own space. And as the world continues to globalise, our little niche, the web of third-culture kids, will grow. I look forward to it.

THE NOISE

读郑尹莉 (Cherry Zheng) 的文章《碎

讶的眼神仍然会频频跟随着我，无论

片空间》仿佛像是看着一面颠倒的镜

是在地铁上，在另外学校的辩论比赛

子、又或是像用手机的翻转屏幕照相

上，还是在补习课等等场合。我永远

一样。和她一样，我跨跃不同的国家

都不会忘记走进小学六年级会考的口

和文化生活。不同的是，我是个白人， 试时，考官那满脸惊讶的神情。 我从小住在百分之八十五人口为华人 的新加坡。

当我回到澳大利亚上高中后，本以为 那不舒服的感觉会一去不返，记得当

虽然新加坡有许多外国孩子，但是我

时我曾得意地想到 ：“我终于不再是

的父母决定送我去一个公立学校，而

不同的那个了” ！事实却证明了我的

不是一个非常贵的国际学校。所以， 幼稚。回到悉尼上学后才发现原来我 上学时，我是一千亚洲学生中间的唯

并不能够像想像中那样很快的融入我

一一个白人。（虽然有一次来了个从

的社会。虽然我感觉上不像一位新加

芬兰的男孩，但是他很快地被开除

坡人，但是我到底也不完全是澳洲

了。）

人。我的澳洲同学们都对我说，“雅丽， 听说你是个天才！”（这是因为澳洲

其实，我感到非常幸运。在我旅居新

的教育水平比新加坡低很多）。我甚

加坡的那十四年，我从未感觉曾有被

至需要调整自己的性格。澳大利亚和

排斥。我在忍受着新加坡严苛教育的

新加坡的幽默有种难以言喻的不同，

同时也能得心应手地学习华语 。然而， 直到现在，我依旧不能洞悉那分别到 回想那十四年地时光，我最深刻的回

底是什么。

忆其实是一些不自在的感觉，它使我 在新加坡上学时一直有种人在他乡为

我回澳洲许多年了，现在也大致融入

异客的彷徨。记得在人头攒动的礼堂

了当地社会，但我还不是一个 “完整”

里，因为我比新加坡的同学们要高， 的澳洲人。有些英文字我还会发错音； 不仅我的棕色头发熠熠发光 ,，早上站

我的朋友们还说我是 “外国人” ；而且

着唱国歌时也是宛如鹤立鸡群。我每

我也不懂为什么澳洲人觉得《Rhonda

换一个学校便增加一番愁苦 ：我总是

and Ketut》的广告那么好笑。不过，

需要忍受新同学们对我表露的惊奇。 就像尹莉写的，我们这样的人不需要 我经常需要解释：“不，我不是欧亚（混

刻意去适应所有的地方。我是我，我

血？）人，我是高加索人” ；“对，我

创造我自己的空间。随着世界的不断

可以跟你一起上中文课” ；“不，我的

全球化，我认为我们这小小的 “第三

家人不会每晚都吃汉堡包”。每到新

文化孩子” 的空间也会持续扩大。对

学校一个星期左右，我的新同学们才

此我十分期待。

能对我的存在习以为常，但是那些惊

回应郑尹莉的 《碎片空间》

The Sombre Reality of Journalism Text: Anonymous Image: Cormac Relf Student journalism is an interesting concept. Often the idea is seen by most to be unrealistic, as students lack the ability to properly convey ideas that are authentic and ‘adult’ enough for the ‘real world’ to read and interpret. This is not usually the case at ANU. However, it is important to realise that most news provided to the public is equally, if not more, detrimental to the entirety of society. That’s the thing with the news nowadays, it is so much more than the news, there’s now a deeper meaning, or perhaps there always has been one. An ulterior motive, to send a message to society, to create action and change and make others feel better, worse or confused about their decisions. This invades people, taking over their wellbeing and livelihood all for the sake of a story, for sales, for people to pick up the paper and read. Some would assume students would be different, in this new culture of ‘PC’ and ethical reporting, yet the sad reality is we do nothing of the sort, instead we are so much worse.

Passive aggressive behaviour is popular at university and in life; it’s safer, smarter and easier. Instead of having to actively face a person and give them a piece of your mind, you instead give subtle remarks, act in ways that sends a message to a person or provide a piece of writing that hurts an entire group of people. The power of the pen is a phenomenon newly introduced to our society as a glorified manner to create change, however it can be used in a way that is destructive and intrusive. The pen has a power that can hurt more than it can achieve. Acquisitions with words full of hate and anger

features

Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

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are thrown, slapped in print by the methodical crush of industrial printers, carelessly clicked and ‘published’ on a website, hastily ‘shared’ on the Facebook page, for all to see. There are very clear messages in some articles, messages inspired by one thing and one thing only, unjustified hatred.

What does this unjustified hatred achieve? Well it inspires something this world seems all too good at reproducing endlessly, a cycle of hate and anger.

To put an entire group down with little knowledge for their work… tireless endless work that drove them to the ground with exhaustion, lifted only by the victory and knowledge they have finally achieved what they intended after months of preparation. Only to be torn down, viciously all for the sake of superiority and a lack of research for review.

This toxic attitude is what is ending true journalism, what is ending the way the world works as we see it, as we are all given the power of the pen now, however some are unable to use it effectively and justly.

Journalism should be about sharing a message that will support the masses, a message that people will learn from, be inspired and change the way they think. Obviously controversial articles are important, that’s what reshapes society for the better, however only if they authentically provide a purpose, there is a large difference between challenging the norm and simply throwing hatred at others.

1.

A book of disquiet opened to its final page Scars borne of ink give way to a fibered aspect, burned and set by light Words laid prostrate across a paper navel, the sky a sight unseen The eye cutting against a pockmarked horizon, proof of stones turned The most primal passage lays on its final line The corners tug and gnaw against a mangled and howling truth Plain in the face To end as you intended to begin again Suffering in the silence roaring around your ears To cast out into the great nothing And grow pale upon a page 2.

Hazy lit smoke-screened rooms Dappled sunlight breaks through obscurity Warm words in dark places brighten the soul Lost in the same thought, hours on end Riding home in the dark to a final rest Horizon precedes the culmination of our gate Roads that all lead to the same place Lived all lives in jest Live and sight or until the day’s end

POETRY MUDDLED AND OTHER SANDWICH FILLINGS a vacuum somewhere or should it be a lawnmower? attempts to wake me but it has been a while since i collected enough parts of myself to leave bed. i think somewhere i am walking across potato fields or it could be snow covered mountains either/or, i am away. you can’t mess up in a foreign language mistakes are learning i am still confused but maybe you would say upset.

Burning sands aglow Sun setting, of dying fire Blackened colossus

a drop of sun breaks the fast i seem to be holding, and for a moment, with my eyelids lighting paths of fireworks beneath the light i can imagine myself waking.

Cast the coast in red A spear cast through the heart Bled, the maker’s hand

Text: Emily Dickey

3.

Shrivelling marble Withering in autumn’s breath A sombre winter

Text: Michael Hatsavos

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

features

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What the Fluff?

Una Chen

Eleanor Armstrong

If the trees were a giant, annoying scalp with bleached hair, the fluff would be huge pieces of dandruff that you can’t shake off. Or the upsetting moment when you shake too much salt into your scrambled eggs. This blimey fluff reminds me of my impending perpetual disappointment with myself as I lament over the grade I didn’t get from the work that I didn’t do. FML. It reminds me of the upcoming heat wave and sweaty doom. It reminds me of Magpies competing with me over my subway and my hair being torn out.

There comes a time, but once a year, a bizarre phenomenon that all students fear. ‘The falling of the fluff’, this event is called, and has truly become a legend for young and old. It signals the need to complete a task, of what, perhaps, it’s best not to ask. But do not fret, and do not frown, for some benefits are listed if you read on down.

Anna Miley cw: mentions of suicide ‘When the fuck starts to fall, you’re fluffed!’

A Stalkerspace user, 2015 Like many ANU students, I associate the second-semester fluff with pain and regret. In October 2014, I had a string of viruses and coughed so much that I tore rib cartilage and couldn’t move for days. In October 2015, I was quietly suicidal and couldn’t stop thinking about oven gas and sleeping pills. By the end of October 2016, I’d been used and ignored by one too many fuckboys, and sat amid the shards of my shattered self-regard praying that their dicks would drop off. By the arrival of each exam period, my fucks given would be minimal, and I would fluff my grades.

This year I had a serious think about how my behaviour had led to these different states of dreadfulness. I looked at the progression from pre-semester optimism to over-commitment and bad choices and decided to break the cycle.

This year I fucked off to Europe for the month.

1.

Nutritional value – unassumingly consuming these miscellaneous pale floaters is, as a matter of fact, an extremely good source of fibre. Whether they be stuck to your Universal Lunch Hour sausage, or dissolved into your morning coffee, there are plenty of ways to ingest them. No need to stock on Metamucil, just like your grandmother always tells you to!

2. Instant sickie – this one is for all the hay fever sufferers out there. Instead of waiting for some freak warm weather fever to strike, simply breathe in those ready-made sneeze-starters, and you’ll be good to go for any doctor’s appointment or pharmacy visit for the purposes of acquiring a medical certificate. Who knew the fluff could help you get better marks?

3. Fast fashion – always thought the flower crown was just a little too teenage hippie for your own personal style? Look no further than its more demure cousin – the ‘fluff in hair, don’t care’ aesthetic.

Having little puffs of white clinging to your strands signals that you are ‘easy, breezy, beautiful’ but not overly committed to a more permanent accessory, just like in your love life.

4. Otherworldly encounters – not sure whether the spirits really do walk among us? If you need some inspiration that forces beyond our control are operating in our midst, pay close attention to the cyclonic formations that gather near the edges of buildings. Most will say that it is just plain physics, but the more enlightened of the student body know it’s probably ghosts.

So, for all those of you who have been quaking in your shoes, you really have more to win than to lose. Keep your chin up, soak in the sun, for the best of the seasons has only just begun. With a spring in your step and books in your pack, go out, celebrate the year, as you begin to look back. Life is short, so embrace the fluff and tell the critics you have had enough.

Phoebe Lupton

Once on a sunny Spring afternoon, my mate and I were sitting, chatting, minding our own business when suddenly, a cloud of white stuff blew into my face. I coughed and spluttered – I felt like it was choking me!

‘What the bloody hell is this?’, I said.

‘Not a clue’, said my friend. ‘What sorts of substances are as white and fluffy as this?’

My heart stopped. I was brought back to all those depressing news articles: people having to evacuate their homes, building sites with signs saying: ‘caution! Do not enter!’, people being hospitalised with lung diseases. I started to panic.

‘Oh my god! It’s asbestos!’

‘What?’, said my friend.

‘Oh no, oh no, oh no…we’re gonna die.

We’re all gonna die!’

What the hell are you talking about?’

I looked at my friend solemnly and said: ‘ANU’s turned into a Mr Fluffy house!’

My friend just stared at me with a glazed-over look in her eyes.

‘I’m only 19’, I continued. ‘I had my whole life ahead of me and now…gone.’

‘Okay, just stop there’, said my friend.

‘Are we still breathing?’

‘Yes’, I said.

‘Do you feel at all…sick?’

‘No.’ ‘Does anyone else that you’ve seen around the place look remotely like they’re on the brink of death?’

‘Uhhhhh…’

‘See? Not asbestos.’

I sighed. I had nothing to worry about after all.

‘It does, however, mean that we’re going to have to start studying for exams soon,’ she said.

Shit.

Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

21

The

the spoons pullout. p.22 reconciling wasted days p.23 not an excuse p.24 cbt p.25 wait, there’s something wrong with my ‘mental’ health too?

INTERNATIONAL

INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

reconciling wasted days shae maree nicholson Wasted days are those days where you can’t get out of bed, where you struggle to get anything done in the day that doesn’t involve Netflix and a mound of blankets. We all have them. Typically, on these days you have a to-do list that you need to complete. It’s not necessarily urgent, but a list nonetheless. Maybe the pile of washing in your room, or that chapter in your textbook that you need to read, or the multiple assignments you should be starting. Whatever it is, it’s there. That list of things can eat away at you. It reminds you that you need to be doing something, even when your body is telling you that you are not capable of anything. You’re exhausted.

It’s easy to feel guilty. Sometimes, the feeling of guilt makes the blankets feel heavier and your body feel weaker – until the guilt is the one making you stay in bed. I used to call these ‘wasted days’.

I called them wasted days because the guilt reminds me of all the things I could have achieved if I’d just gotten out of bed. Even if I manage to do something later that day, I feel regret for not doing more. I’ve tried to stop calling these days wasted.

It’s difficult, and even as I’m writing this article, I can count a day this week that feels wasted. It

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doesn’t matter to me when I feel guilty if I’ve had a successful week. For me, last week was very successful: I did four assessment pieces and a first aid course, plus I worked at least two days. Yet the fact that I didn’t get out of bed until five in the afternoon on Saturday weighs heavily on me. I keep thinking about how I should start another one of my assignments, or read the book I need to for class, or the million other things that I need to do this month. But I needed that day. I needed to let my body rest. I would not get angry at my phone for not receiving a call when it has run out of battery, and I will not get angry at myself for resting.

It’s difficult because our society doesn’t regard sleeping all day and watching Netflix all night as helpful, productive or necessary activities. But let me tell you some things that I did achieve on Saturday. I got eight hours of completely unbroken sleep. I got to cuddle my cats and enjoy their presence. I got to relax my muscles and stretch. I got to watch the entirety of a TV series that has been on my list for months. Most of the time those things are unachievable for me. I scarcely get five hours of unbroken sleep because I wake at three convinced that I am running late for my nine-am meeting, or that I am unprepared for the day ahead. I rarely get to enjoy my cats because I’m always pushing them away when I need to get assignments done, or I’m angry when they want attention because I am focusing mine on ‘more important things’. I do not get to relax or stretch because it’s very much non-stop from the moment I get up to the moment I go to bed. And watching TV, yeah, I do so frequently but it’s always in the background while writing an assignment or while I’m falling asleep.

Yet these moments of enjoyment are never at the top of my to-do list for Saturday, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need them. Sunday was a struggle as well, but I was able to finish more assessment and do the online component of my first aid, and I wouldn’t have been able to manage that if I had pushed myself on Saturday.

So, I’m re-evaluating the term ‘Wasted Days’. I am not wasting my days.

These are recovery days, rest days, recharge days, or whatever you want to call them. They are necessary. We do not lose anything in these days that we can’t regain later but, we cannot regain rest when we are already overdue.

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Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL

not an excuse CW: references to self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Descriptions of panic attacks, depression and anxiety.

As someone with both anxiety and depression, I find that misunderstanding fuels much of peoples’ perceptions about who I am and how I react to things. Yet 45 per cent of Australians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, and in a single year one million people experience depression, and two million Australians cope with anxiety. These numbers are even higher for university students. One out of every three students has thought about killing or harming themselves.

Balancing work, studies, internships, extracurriculars, relationships, social lives, and physical activity is difficult for anyone. But it takes an additional toll on those with anxiety and depression. People can experience one or both diseases, and they manifest themselves in various ways. For some, they cope by overexerting themselves and signing up for every club, musical, ANUSA activity, work 50 hours a week, and take four courses. Others obsessively overthink about every decision and interaction.

Others remove themselves from social situations and lock themselves in their rooms. Some feel like sitting up and swinging their legs from the side of their bed each morning is as daunting as hiking Everest. Others experience the emotionally and physically exhausting hell that is a panic attack. For me, my anxiety and depression manifest in all of these ways and more at various points throughout my life.

Everyone has a different experience and mine is just one. But I want to share my experience with you because of the shockingly rude and misunderstood reactions some my friends and classmates had during the most recent battering of essays when I told them I received an extension. Because I’m registered with Access and Inclusion, I am allowed to receive extensions on my essays. However, being the overachiever I have always been, taking an extension somehow feels like a failure. So I either wait until the last possible moment to request an extension, or I receive a 24 hour one. For that little voice in my head that is incessantly telling me that I’m not good enough, this is a fair enough compromise. However, it seems that to others this makes me something else.

Oh, so you were just lazy this weekend and didn’t feel like writing?

Lucky! No one will ever give me an extension when I’m hungover!

Well, that’s not fair.

Scoff! I’ve never taken an extension, not even during Year 12 exams.

You only did well because of your extension.

When each one of these was said to me, my stomach turned, my chest clenched, and my eyes filled with water. These were people who knew I have anxiety. At first, I was sad and angry, but then I

laura wright

tried to picture it from their perspective: University students dealing with the same deadlines as me, the same amount of work, the same pressure to balance their social and academic lives. They were stressed too and probably felt it unfair that I was granted an extra 24 hours to finish my essays.

But it’s not unfair.

To me, what feels unfair is waking up every single day feeling like an elephant is sitting on my chest.

Missing class because no matter how many breathing exercises I do, I can’t calm down enough to go.

Taking a mental health day from work but not being able to go outside for fear that my boss will see me and think I’m not actually sick. Slightly hurting my friend’s feelings and being afraid for the next two weeks that she hates me and never wants to speak to me again. Afraid that if I take a Saturday to do uni work, my boyfriend will break up with me. Staring at a blank Word document for days, but every single time I look at it, I have a panic attack. Having a panic attack: quickened breathing, heart rate above 130, tight muscles, punching myself in the face, screaming, crying. Thinking every bad thought I’ve ever had about myself while simultaneously thinking absolutely nothing, scratching my skin raw, clenching my fists till I bleed, pulling my hair out, feeling completely alone.

My depression and anxiety were at its worst from August to October 2016. I was taking four courses, working 20 hours a week, exercising regularly, and doing my best to have an active social life. I earned excellent grades, lost weight, and was in a loving relationship. But what my classmates, friends, and professors (including one who wouldn’t grant me an extension because I wasn’t with Access and Inclusion and he considered my two-week old Mental Health Plan that said I had moderate to severe depression, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety outdated) couldn’t see were the panic attacks. At their worst, they happened three times a day, often each one lasting over an hour. I would scream and cry in private, and when they would happen in public, I would run away and cry behind a bush. I was trying to push everyone who loved me away because I thought it was what I deserved. Luckily they hung on and helped me get through that semester, and I will be forever grateful for their love and support.

Empathy can be difficult, especially when you can’t even imagine what depression and/or anxiety must feel like. But my advice to you is to be an ally regardless. No one wants to have these mental health issues; no one is proud to have them and feels lucky that it means they get an extension.

Be supportive, be understanding, ask questions, and no matter what don’t tell them it’s unfair.

And if you’re experiencing these or any other issues at the ANU, register with Access and Inclusion!!! I cannot stress this enough. It took me over a year to do because I felt like I was giving up. But when your brain is constantly kicking you and putting you down, it’s okay to go somewhere that is literally designed to help you pick yourself back up.

MULTILINGUAL

cbt

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

24

CW: references to depressive/ anxious thought patterns, medication.

anon

* Originally published in Resilience (ANUSA Mental Health Zine).

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Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

FEATURES

wait, there’s something wrong with my ‘mental’ health too? alana cunningham Earlier this year, I revealed to the world at large that for the past nine years, I have been living with Multiple Sclerosis.

I was heavily involved with Spoon Week and shared my story at several events. I then featured in the ANU Women’s Department’s intersectionality photo campaign. I shared the intersection of being a Woman of Colour with a disability. It was scary, I felt more exposed than ever, but all in all, it was a good experience.

2017 was also when my mental health got some attention for once. Upon seeing the call-out to write about the intersection of physical and mental health, I couldn’t help but embrace the opportunity.

I had been living in denial for a long time.

Having been diagnosed with a ‘physical’ disease at such a young age, I kept telling myself that ‘there was no possible way that there could be anything wrong with my ‘mental’ health too.’ While I understood that others who suffered from poor mental health would benefit from the many ‘youth mental health’ campaigns going around, I personally paid them no attention. I believed that my mental health was nothing less than perfect. I only had my MS to worry about.

I had always been aware that I would become easily stressed. I never thought that there was anything wrong with it though, rather, that it was just an inherent part of life. Last year, however, one bout of panic regarding something so trivial consumed me

for far too long. I had more important things, such as my Honours thesis, to concentrate on. After calling my sister in a fit of tears, we decided that something had to change.

In the summer holidays that followed, one of my close friends provided me with the necessary safe space to admit that I had a problem with panic and anxiety. Indeed, her own personal experience with anxiety meant that from the moment she met me, she could already tell that something wasn’t quite right. However, she never probed me about it; she knew that this realisation was one that I had to come to myself.

We were both relieved when I finally let it out in the open. For her, it was the go-ahead to put her mental health advocacy to work.

I am forever grateful for her support.

So, what does my experience mean for the ‘intersection of physical and mental health’?

Firstly, I shouldn’t have automatically discounted the possibility of having poor mental health just because my physical health wasn’t up to scratch. Secondly, the intersection is a real thing, and we should treat both types of ailments with the same amount of respect. Lastly, and to end on a more positive note, I now know that I can improve both my MS and anxiety by adopting a lifestyle of healthy eating, exercise, decent sleep and good company. Yes, that advice is generic, but that means it can anyone can take it, including you. So try it out and see what happens.

FEATURES

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

woroni wishes to thank Kat Carrington, Mackinlay Tikoft, Aji Sana & Amy Bryan for their assistance in collating this pullout.

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Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

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Culture // art

Saving the Arts Text: Kat Carrington The ANU theatre scene has been ‘saved’, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the theatre community. However, there has been a lot of confusion and miscommunication between student groups and the ANU administration about both the interim theatre plan and the final redevelopment design. Hence, due to popular demand, here is a comprehensive guide to ANU theatre in 2018 and beyond.

Background In late 2015 to early 2016, rumours circulated regarding the lack of theatre facilities in the new Union Court redevelopment plans. The Save the Arts Campaign was launched with the explicit aim to ensure the existence of ANU theatre - through the inclusion of a venue on campus and a comprehensive plan for the interim construction period. With the endorsement of the ANUSA Student Representative Council (SRC), the campaign culminated in a submission to ANU Council with 500+ signatures and 70+ testimonials from students, ANU theatre groups, alumni, and the wider Canberra community.

The Interim Theatre Plan A key facet of the Save the Arts campaign was to ensure that external venue hire was subsidised by the ANU during the construction period to the cost of the Arts Centre . The external venues available to student hire were almost double the cost of the Main Stage ($1,050 per week for 342 seats) for less capacity.

Canberra Repertory Society (Rep), the production company based in Theatre 3, supported the ANU campaign and later struck a deal with the ANU Administration to ensure the subsidisation of venue hire for ANU theatre groups. In 2018, Rep will provide up to 12 weeks of venue hire in the academic periods for student productions, by adjusting their own production season slightly.

There are approximately 20 productions operating at ANU so this deal with Theatre 3 was insufficient for sustaining the entirety of ANU theatre. And so the Save the Arts Campaign reignited to ensure that this subsidisation was extended to other external venues. Earlier this year, this agreement was extended to include the Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centre venues - those being the Ralph The submission and the campaign were Wilson and C-Block Theatre. considered successful, as members of the ANU Executive pushed for the inclusion This plan is not perfect. For many proof a theatre in the redevelopment. As the ductions, the subsidised venue hire costs 2016 National University Theatre Soci- are still too high for the capacity the ety (NUTS) Artistic Director and ANU- venues provide. Additional costs have SA CASS Representative, I was invited been added for the inclusion of staff and to sit on the Cultures & Events working ticketing for some venues. Most notagroup. This group was tasked with as- bly, the disorganisation of this plan has sessing the specific requirements for the led to problems of matching production Cultures & Events building. companies and venues. Small productions have been given access to Theatre 3, which has the largest capacity of the options available under the subsidy, whilst musicals and revues have not.

This is not by any means the fault of the student groups or Canberra Rep, but the fault of the ANU Administration for not providing enough structure for this interim theatre plan.

The Final Design The Cultures and Events building within the new Union Court precinct will include theatre facilities. This will include a dedicated theatre with flexible seating and staging, with capacity up to 120 seats. This will operate as a teaching space for ANU Drama as well as a venue for the majority of ANU theatre shows.

There will also be limited access to a 500-seat events space for larger musicals and revues. This space will further operate for other events and lectures.

An interior design working group was established during Semester 2 2017 to discuss specifics of the building. This group included the School of Music venue team, representation from ANU Drama, and student representation. The working group submitted a wish list to the architects working on the project.

This included specifics about seating, stage configurations, and technical components regarding sound and lighting. It remains unclear, currently, what elements will be included in the final design.

The Future of ANU Theatre Though the ANU will have theatre facilities available in 2018 and beyond, this doesn’t guarantee a sustainable or quality future. Our theatre community is remarkably decentralised. Before 2016, there was limited collaboration and resource or information sharing between production companies. The community came together in crisis. With high turnover of production teams and executive, this isolation has set in again. Answers aren’t easily obtained and support is not available. Without institutional support, ANU theatre will only be as good as the individual people who pursue it.

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

Culture // art

28

The umbrella of ARTS Text: Ben Lawrence When it was announced that a pop-up recreation of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre was to be opened for performances this year in Melbourne, I immediately started making travel plans. Seeing my favourite plays in the environment they were written for was an event not to be missed. Unfortunately, a quick check of my bank account ended that idea. Even the standing room of the theatre was just too pricey for me.

Many will groan at the thought of sitting (or standing) through a Shakespearian performance: such a ‘highbrow’ expensive exercise isn’t for everyone. But back in his day, Shakespeare was incredibly popular across all levels of society. Going to see one of his plays was as enjoyable as your Netflix subscription. In fact, going to any live performance was pretty inexpensive. So why is viewing a play like Twelfth Night (essentially just a story about a love triangle, cross-dressing and innuendo) so expensive nowadays?

It comes down to the accessibility of the arts, and also what we think of as art. When we think of the arts we tend to think of live theatre, art, dance and live music. These ‘high culture’ activities dominate the creative industries because they’re commercially successful. Unfortunately, they’re successful because they usually cost a lot to access, in comparison to other forms of entertainment.

Although this mainly comes from the practical need to cover the costs of live

performance, classifying the arts as activities that are largely inaccessible and abstract is a mistake, which contributes to general indifference towards the creative fields.

Art is not just the book of poetry a teacher reads out to a class: it is a malleable, creative medium used to convey a message.

This is why art can be a protest or a commentary, challenging or entertaining, or simply a thing of beauty. And context is so important in discerning the meaning; while the artist uses their own ideas to create work, the context that work is accessed in may enable reinterpretation and allow new meaning. Art has the ability to generate different meanings and experiences for each individual, and also exposes us to different perspectives.

For instance, Shakespeare’s Richard II has on different occasions been viewed as a historical account, political propaganda, a call to arms and simply a piece of entertainment.

Art is not just the domain of the elite, nor is it limited to the abstract. It is no accident that the most famous plays, songs and artworks are the ones which are relatable, meaningful or iconic. But importantly, the most famous artistic works are those which are widely accessible.

Many perceive the arts as inaccessible because if of the misconception that it is simply ‘high culture’. High culture activities are expensive, clustered around the inner cities and shrouded in traditions and social customs. But the arts are an umbrella under which creativity shelters, and expression is unlimited.

Creativity is not confined to the galleries, opera houses and theatres: it lives in the imagination, appears in the house, at the shops, and on your phone. Anyone can sing, draw or write, and it doesn’t matter what the perceived quality of the work is – that part is subjective. Art is accessible because although there may be some objective standards deriving from the development of particular skills, that doesn’t preclude the untrained person from producing something beautiful.

Art has the potential to be created by anyone, for anyone. For that purpose the arts should strive to be accessible to anyone. It is also the reason we should pay attention to and engage with the production of the arts. Student productions, community workshops and YouTube tutorials make the arts accessible both to people who want to become involved and wider audiences. Exposure increases engagement, and engagement increases attention to the arts. If people engage with and create demand for the arts, the creative industries will expand in what they cover and how they provide it.

Shakespeare is the most enduring and famous playwright, and at least part of the reason for this is because he made his art accessible to a wide audience. What is important is that even if you don’t want to engage with Shakespeare or you don’t like his work, everyone should be able to access it.

Shakespeare’s works are absolutely part of the arts, but they are no more so, or less so than a piece of slam poetry you hear at a rally, or a piece of street art on a carpark wall.

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Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

Culture // reviews

BROCKHAMPTON’S SATURATION II: RAP IS THE NEW POP Text: Jane Inyang

Rap collectives have always been a gateway to collaboration, genre-bending and creativity. Brockhampton, a 17-member team, is reminiscent of a K-POP boy band with the same awkward hairdos and overzealous fan base. Brockhampton could potentially bridge Death Grips fans and Lil Yachty fans and act as a nexus between entertainment and technicality as they introduce the world to alternative hip-hop. Brockhampton has had the quickest turnover rate of albums this year and each member – a diverse assembly of producers and rappers curated by Kevin Abstract – plays a signature role in the success of the group.

After gaining initial traction after SATURATION I in June 2017, Brockhampton returned with the same raw energy at the end of August with SATURATION II. The production of the album is very intentional and features a lot of recurring 4/4 chords and vocal stems which are diversified by different rappers on each of the 16 tracks. The third track, ‘Jello’ uses a repeated backbeat and a consistent and catchy la-de-da-de-da to set an ice-cream parlour vibe. Ameer’s ability to drop a reference to black economic empowerment on this track, without sounding preachy is essentially how this album may have put conscious rap under its belt with tracks like ‘Teeth’ and ‘Fight’, while simultaneously maintaining a ‘tunes to make out to’ vibe with ‘Gamba’ and ‘Summer’.

The appeal of Brockhampton is their ability to creatively express mundane activities and emotions, which seem to appeal more to their 16 to 21-year-old fan base, than living large. For example, ‘Tokyo’s lingering hook asking ‘what got you shook’ explores anxiety-inducing activities like paying your rent on time, recollecting your past and falling in love. ‘Junky’ is an uncanny, doomsday track prefaced by Kevin making sure the audience gets comfortable with

his consistent references to his sexuality because frankly ‘not enough n****’s rappin’ be gay’. Matt also champions respecting women™ through fiery lyricism in ‘Junky’: Where the respect? Is your ass human?

I look you in your eyes, say ‘ fuck you, are you fuckin’ stupid?’

Respect my mother, ‘spect my sister, ‘spect these women, boy These lyrics ultimately make this track my personal favourite on the album.

Brockhampton was formed in San Marcos, a Texan city where approximately 36 per cent of the population identifies as Hispanic. The ‘Scene 1’ and ‘Scene 2’ interludes on the album are spoken word by Robert Ontenient and are entirely in Spanish. ‘Scene 2’ is a prayer where it seems like Robert is praying for his family – Brockhampton – and asks for God to bless and protect them. This interlude is used as a segway into ‘Fight’, which sounds like it belongs in a Western showdown and could explain why Merlyn and Kevin ask, Who gonna be the reason why I turn over? (bloodsucka!)

Who gonna be the gunner that I don’t trust? (bloodsucka!)

Who gonna be the gunner that get they ass whooped? (bloodsucka!)

The next five tracks are a medley of genres and highlight the group’s versatility and skill, most notably ‘Sunny’ shining through with country chord progressions and Bearface’s ‘driving off into the sunset’ melodies.

SATURATION II was stable enough to set a particular mood but versatile enough to ring true to Brockhampton’s ability to experiment with rap and different genres. Furthermore, the brief gap between the first instalment of SATURATION and the second is more than impressive. The highly anticipated SATURATION III, the third and final instalment, is expected to be released before the end of 2017.

Text: Grace Dudley The first sound that you hear when listening to Khalid’s debut album, American Teen, is the familiar ring of an alarm clock. It makes sense; Khalid is just 19 years old. He’s writing about the monotony of high school; the cycle of everyday life and, more fittingly, about how to break out of the cycle and redefine yourself.

What follows from ‘American Teen’ are 14 more tracks exploring the ups and downs of life as a young adult, relationships and contemporary love in the heartlands of America.

It’s a kind of homage to American youth – the words are visual and visceral. Set in the backdrop of a dusty Texan city – his self-proclaimed ’lonely city of El Paso’– I like to imagine that Khalid takes us on a road trip through his story. From the traffic (‘traffic’s backed up from corner to corner so I guess I’ll hit the highway’), to friendships lost and found, late night Uber rides, and the honest realisation that we’re all ‘young, dumb and broke’ at times.

I don’t normally listen to lyrics (don’t judge me), but I did when I first listened to Khalid’s album. And it’s probably because the lyrics are so relatable. It’s straight up, honest and unapologetic about millennial lives: there is no defiance or rage, just real recollections and musings. He gifts the millennial generation legitimacy amidst a trend to dismiss our voices and experiences. Yes, we might be young, dumb and broke, but ‘we still got love to give.’

Intertwined throughout the album are cultural references that we can all relate to – in ‘American Teen’ he muses ‘I don’t even remember, but my friend passed out in the Uber ride.’ We’re all in solidarity when he refers to the way technology defines millennial love. In his first hit ‘Location’, he doesn’t ‘want to fall in love off of subtweets.’ In ‘Saved’, he poignantly sings: ‘So I’ll keep your number saved ‘cause I hope one day you’ll get the sense to call me’ – and again later: ‘I erased all the pictures from my phone of me and

you.’ We totally get it, don’t we?

His music does more than reflect his contemporaneity. Once I read a little about his life, I realised the introspection encased in his songs reflect his past.

Khalid wasn’t a popular kid at school – he wasn’t the typical athletic American high schooler. He’s had his fair share of heartbreak with his father dying early in his life. He’s an ‘army kid’: he spent his childhood moving from place to place with his mother who had a career in the military. He says he didn’t find his home until he moved to El Paso.

When he sings ‘I’m proud to be American’, my first reaction was why? Then I realised he’s re-defining and re-emphasising what it should mean to think of an American in what is a toxic political and social context. Khalid claims America as his own, as he should. In doing so he has carved out a new and timely American cultural reference for young people to identify with.

The album is definitely covering some serious issues, but it carries us on an upbeat journey – full of R&B/pop infused catchy riffs. It’s breezy and warm, and I can feel myself listening to it on an open El Paso road, dust and all.

With a sound that has a definite throwback to the 80s, American Teen has found top 40 fame, while retaining grace and originality. Khalid doesn’t just have one hit song, followed up by 12 other vapid tracks. This is a record that must be listened to from start to finish – many times.

By the time I finish the album, I feel like I’ve had a glimpse into Khalid’s life and the life of Americans in El Paso. But it also had value to me as a mid-twenties Australian.

When listening to American Teen over the course of a week, each day brings a new obsession. Through the weekdays I was feeling ‘Another Sad Love Song’, soon followed by ‘Winter’ and ‘Therapy’.

By the weekend all I wanted was to feel like an American Teen.

An American Teen that celebrates diversity, is honest, and is just trying to get through life.

We’re all American Teens

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

Culture // reviews

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Complicit A Harrowing Look Into China’s Electronics’ Manufacturing Industry Text: Daniel Magnussen Complicit is a harrowing and deeply moving documentary that shines a light on the ethical issues that plague the electronic manufacturing industry in China. It exposes audiences to the chilling reality behind the production of the products that are part and parcel of our daily lives. Directors Heather White and Lynn Zhang force audiences to face the harsh truth that comes with every phone, tablet or computer we own. The film teaches us that with every purchase comes not just a financial cost, but a human cost; the cost of family trauma and devastation and, in many cases, the cost of life itself.

The film traces the journey of millions of young people who leave their hometowns in the countryside to arrive at the thriving cities of China. There they undertake opportunities that will alleviate the financial stresses that rural families experience. Once in the city, these workers become consumed by the booming corporate manufacturing industry that is driving China’s economy. These factories are crucial in producing the electronics that supply about 90 per cent of the world’s electronics, including cameras, computers and smartphones.

Most factory employees endure unbearably long hours, with some workers recounting how they were forced to work up to three to four days straight. This is all done in airtight rooms with no natural light, and with exposure to toxic chemicals. Complicit contains interviews with a myriad of young workers,

predominantly females in their early 20s, who detail the dire conditions they endure. They all sought a common goal of earning money to support their families and make a better life for themselves, not ever realising the devastating impact this was having on their health.

While most developed countries are signatories to the 1971 Benzene Convention and have subsequently stopped using cheap solvents like Benzene, these are still commonplace in many Chinese factories. This is neglectfully jeopardising workers’ health for the sake of saving a few dollars in expenses. One such solvent is n-Hexane which – although widely prohibited – is the choice of many factories because it evaporates faster when wiping new iPhone screens.

Prolonged exposure to this chemical can lead to devastating afflictions including nerve damage, paralysis, cancer and leukaemia. The film shows this via the haunting scenes of female workers struggling to walk as their legs buckle beneath them, a result of their exposure to the n-Hexane chemical.

The film provides a disturbing exploration of occupational disease from a variety of perspectives. Audiences hear the feelings of shame, disappointment and suffering that plague the young women affected. One worker fought back their tears to explain: ‘I didn’t dare tell my parents (about her irreparable nerve damage) …I came out here to ease their burden, but the truth is, I have become their burden.’ This poignant moment of raw emotion really struck home just how tragic these stories truly are. These workers are often shouldering the hopes

and expectations of their entire families, only to have these crushed by the disgraceful neglect of their employers.

The film also explores how this issue touches families, who must navigate immense legal obstacles in the plight to attain compensation for their deceased children. It recounts the struggles of activists and NGOs who must fight a corrupt system and a government that actively tries to tear them down. In telling these stories, the film relies heavily on footage attained from undercover workers. This makes the film equally chilling and compelling as audiences cannot escape the nauseating reality of these working conditions.

Neglect, corruption and human tragedy, these are the unsettling thematic threads that tie this masterful documentary together. The directors’ ability to capture the tormenting stories of tragedy will make an indelible impression on the consciences of audiences and consumers across the world. There is no happy ending here. Aside from a few vague statements from major brands – such as Apple and Samsung – that utilise factories in China, the issue of workplace safety remains. In this way, Complicit is a call for action. It challenges audiences to educate themselves about the story behind the devices that have become an inescapable part of our daily lives.

Painful, compelling and deeply moving to watch, Complicit should be required viewing for any 21st century consumer.

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Culture // life & style

meat me in the middle Text: James Atkinson

Seems chill. Time to start eating, right?

I was recently at lunch with a friend: the two of us, seated comfortably with our coffees and waiting for our food. Our meals arrived, and the staff member placed them in front of us. In front of me was a classic beef burger and in front of her, my friend, was the vegan variant.

Nope. After switching our meals, I tell my friend that this is actually a common occurrence. As someone who identifies as male, chooses not to eat meat, and can’t really eat dairy, I’m regularly finding myself swapping meals back with my female friends when eating out.

You might quickly brush this aside as a mistake but, it happens enough now that I believe it is indicative of something broader. The food we consume is inherently gendered. Our society inextricably associates eating meat with masculinity and, as a result, places expectations upon how men must eat and act. Anything to the contrary is thus feminised, viewing plant-based eating as the antithesis of masculinity. Thus, these associations have implications on our eating habits and which plate is put in front of us while dining out.

You only have to look at the language used in recipe books and websites to see that plant-based eating has become feminised. Titles such as Ms. Cupcake: The Naughtiest Vegan Cakes in Town and Skinny Bitch dangerously associate veganism and vegetarianism with dieting and body consciousness. The target audience is very clearly women – creating the perception that plant-based eating is a choice that should be motivated by health and meeting patriarchal standards. Hence, the gendering of vegetaria nism and veganism in this way contextualises it as something that e xists for the

consumption (both literally and figuratively) of men. It, therefore, becomes something that men can observe and benefit from, but not actively take part in.

Taking this one step further, our society actively perceives the association between men and plant-based eating to be negative. One quick online search with words like ‘men’ and ‘vegetarian’ shows this to be true. The first few pages of search results tell us about how vegetarianism is difficult for men, or how it can lead to mental illness, lower sperm counts, and, not to mention, how not eating meat makes it harder to produce muscle. All of these results reinforce social perceptions that not eating meat somehow threatens masculinity. These norms go deeper when you think about how pop culture and mainstream media portray the ‘ideal’ man: muscly, lean, tall and strong. Manly. Mainstream advertising explicitly links eating meat with a desirable manliness, and this further intersperses throughout the culturally masculine fabrics of sport, bars, and providing for a family.

Already holding positions of power over other people, the expected consumption of meat extends this power over animals too. Historically and biologically, we learn about men being the hunters. Socially, we talk about men providing for the family and literally bringing home the bacon. We teach boys that they must eat meat and drink milk if they want to grow to be big and strong. These teachings then translate into perceptions as adults around protein-rich diets and keeping fit. It is no wonder, then, that we so explicitly view veganism and vegetarianism as anti-masculine.

If we can – even partially – divorce the gendering of our eating habits, we can start being more open toward how we perceive plant-based eating. The things that we choose to eat should not have anything to do with gender or the roles that society expect us to occupy. Swapping that burger with my friend is not indicative of my feigning masculinity, and it is not indicative of her rejecting her femininity. The things we do – or don’t – consume are irrelevant to gender; it’s about choosing to put things in your mouth that you want, not what someone else tells you to. Despite popular caveman rhetoric, manly doesn’t necessarily equal meaty.

Note: this article refers to the male-female binary for the sake of making an argument. Negative experiences associated with the gendering of food and eating are not exclusive to those who identify (or present) as male or female.

Culture // life & style

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

Campus Horoscopes

Text: Annabel Chin Quan Illustratons: Zoe Bilston

and a fluffy pencil – all of which you don’t need, but will walk out with anyway

ARIES (MAR 21 – APR 19)

CANCER (JUN 21 – JUL 22)

It’s nearing the end of semester, and your class attendance is slackening. As an accomplished role model, your week-12-blues are justifiably infuriating but you can’t seem to shake them off. Just this once, Jupiter suggests embracing your uncharacteristic idleness. Get yourself: A friend who goes to class and unfailingly passes on annotations that were oh-so-conveniently left off of Powerpoint slides Convincing routines to perform in front of your GP (SparkNotes doesn’t do screenshots of medical certificates) 3 days set aside for lecture catch-ups (ideally, you should really only allocate a 4-hour time slot)

Having hit a lull in assessments, your super sensitive conduct brings you to a reflection on the year thus far. As inevitable as the planets’ orbit of the sun, you are guaranteed to feel as underachieving as a burger-flipping Arts student (special mention to all the Arts kids out there xx). But don’t be disheartened; you still have a few months left to seize!

Cheer up, and source these in the meantime: Tissues (the larger and thicker, the better) A well-rounded playlist; equal parts mope-inducing, anger-emitting, and dance-party-prompting Your mum (preferably in person, but on the other end of the phone at the very least)

TAURUS (APR 20 – MAY 20) The waning of class turnouts doesn’t give you the warrant to decelerate even more. Your ‘it’s only due tomorrow’ mentality has amassed a swell of essays in need of completion within the upcoming turn of the moon. This calls for at least one all-nighter. Find easy access to: Any food chain with HSPs on the menu Containers full of leftover pasta, al-dente (al-dente because you weren’t patient when you last bulk-cooked) Deliveroo on speed dial

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Make the trek to Chifley, and smash out everything that needs smashing out overnight. Before you go, get your hands on: A sleeping bag (for Chifley) A tent (just in case you never make it to Chifley) Flares (just in case you end up outside of the ACT on your way to Chifley – thank you, campus re-vamp)

LIBRA (SEP 23 – OCT 22) For supposedly diplomatic and sociable people, your ability to regularly meet up with acquaintances is only intermittent at best. Given the upand-coming close of the semester, it is high time that you channel Venus’ rule and set overdue brunches into motion. Exercise your charm, and acquire these to help meet with others: The iPhone 8, so that you’re upto-date with both Apple releases and the people you’re contacting A follow-through mentality whenever you say, ‘we should catch up!’

The Snapchat update that lets you track friends’ whereabouts

CAPRICORN (DEC 22 – JAN 19) Quizzes? Essays? Exams? Please. You’ve completed everything from internship lock-ins to laundry loads and groceries. Your impeccable organisational skills have amounted to a head start; preparations for 2018 are under way, and it’s only… October? Mars suggests slowing down and taking the time to cherish the here and now. Grab a hold of the following: Stress balls/meditative playlists/acupuncture appointments All-expenses-paid flights for a beach vacay at least 4 hours away (Perth doesn’t count – leave the country) A slap in the face

LEO (JUL 23 – AUG 22) It’s time to count your lucky stars, because an abundance of student-run clubs and societies are looking for new members to join up for 2018.

As revealed by Neptune’s courses, the criteria are perfectly tailored to your contagious, can-do sense of conviction. To successfully apply now, procure the following: A new email address that says ‘I am professional’ in place of ‘hot2trot’, ‘guinea_pigz_lover’, or ‘lilangel_xoxo’ An updated CV (they’re called idealistic and enthusiastically-fabricated assets, not lies) Brounstein, Marty. Managing Teams for Dummies. Wiley Publications, 2002.

GEMINI (MAY 21 – JUN 20)

VIRGO (AUG 23 – SEP 22)

Uni? STUDY?! Your cry of turmoil has not gone unheard by the heavens. Take some time out and cure your (all too frequent) case of burnt-outitis. Why not focus your vacillating attentions on Halloween? Create an event on Facebook, and get your party outfit under way by taking inspiration from hit horror flick, “IT”. You will need: 1x red balloon Face paint and a red nose (or just a pale friend’s foundation and a red biro) A posse of children (you might need to source this off of campus)

The more elaborate the preparation, the higher the grade, right? Look to Mercury’s guidance and follow your heart (and Google Maps) to Officeworks.

It’s time to stock up on test materials. Include on your shopping list: Exactly 19 dark blue or black ballpoint pens, just in case 18 stop working in writing time Highlighters boasting every shade of Floriade’s colour spectrum (which you didn’t see for fear of aggravating your hypersensitivities to pollen) 5 spiral notebooks, a frog-shaped hole puncher, a set of embellished bulldog clips,

SCORPIO (OCT 23 – NOV 21)

Essay. Ess. S. Sti. Stinate. Crastinate. Procrastinate. The temporary dis-alignment of your planets indicates heightened levels of inactivity for you. Instead of fighting this dormancy by making empty vows to yourself promising the one thing you will not do (START!), embrace this lull in productivity and procrastinate like the pro that you are. Make sure you have: A minimum of one other person’s Netflix password An extensive selection of memes that capture your pain (and the hilarity of your situation as a living, breathing student) perfectly A closed tab on Wattle, just so you can keep an eye on submission deadlines if need be

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 22 – DEC 21) Finishing off those little, niggling assessments will be challenging, especially in light of the bigger picture: holidays. Your moon is in Saturn, which suggests that you’re putting things off because you’re in need of a change in environment.

AQUARIUS (JAN 20 – FEB 18)

It’s week such-and-such, you’ve got countless assessments due, the remnants of your winter flu are still up in your grill, and your UniDays promotion codes aren’t registering on ASOS. Nevertheless, you can’t help but look to the stars and count the days before Christmas! Pluto’s progressions predict a spike in too-keen festive preppers this year, so it’s good that you’re getting an early wriggle on.

Be sure to get: A super breathable, moisture-wicking Santa hat Perfected recipes for prawn marinade (ready for the barbie) and mince pies Either Michael Bublé or Mariah Carey on replay

PISCES (FEB 19 – MAR 20) And just what do you think you’re doing at UniPub it’s closed for refurbishments until further notice

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discover // environment

sustainable campus bulletin Text: Grace Dudley

Fun in the Sun: Conservation Volunteers Australia As the weather continues to get warmer, it is more and more enticing to get outside and enjoy the outdoors. It is also Mental Health Month this October, and while exams are important, so is your mental health; getting outside is proven to relieve stress and contribute to greater productivity.

We chatted with the Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) ACT/Southern NSW Engagement Officer, Miriam Adams-Schimminger about why working on their Summer projects is great idea to get some sun, with other enthusiastic people, while working on projects that preserve our local environment.

There are plenty of reasons to change up your routine and get involved. Being outside is inherently beneficial for people, and the CVA is keen to encourage volunteers to have a go at something that might be a bit foreign to many of us who spend increasing amounts of time inside.

Conservation Volunteers Australia is a country-wide initiative that organises projects to ensure anyone and everyone can get involved, do their bit for the environment and meet great people along the way. As the CVA says, ‘volunteering

on a conservation project is a fantastic way to connect with and learn more about the local environment.’

There are a number of projects running over the next couple of months that cater to different interests. If you’re interested in preserving cultural heritage, Maintaining a Travelling Stock Reserve is on October 30 and 31. If you like the sound of tree planting head along to Three Gullies Farm for a revegetation project on October 23. Weeding, flora and fauna surveys and restoration work are also common activities, like a project at Wandiyall nature reserve on November 27 and 28.

These projects are a great chance to meet people with similar interests in what can be a quiet summer period in Canberra.

At its core, the projects are aiming to connect people from around the region and the world. For example, the ACT projects have attracted students taking a break from Uni from places like Germany and Japan who want to experience Australian nature first hand.

CVA is also all about accessibility – nobody needs experience, and you don’t have to be an expert [insert practical outdoors hobby] to help out. The great thing about the projects is that they are non-committal - you can try it for one day and see how it goes. There is no pressure to come back, and there is no cost involved.

Miriam says that one of the most common testimonials she receives from

students and other volunteers is the realisation that it is quite easy to start off with the work. Another huge benefit people highlight is the realisation that it is ‘so much fun to do something practical’, in contrast to the normal routine of workers and students in the city. She recommends encouraging a friend to come along for a single day project if you’re not keen on going alone.

Logistics It is incredibly easy to get involved – the only thing you need to wear is some suitable clothing and footwear, and of course bring some snacks and a good lunch. Single day projects are free, with no transport costs involved. The CVA will pick you, and eight other volunteers, up from the city near the YHA or in Ainslie. Bookings can be made online, or contact the super friendly staff who are always more than happy to help with any questions you might have about the program. A full program of projects can be found on the website: https://bookings.conservationvolunteers.org/ Call 62477770 or email at canberra@cva. org.au for more information.

Trash Mob Join a newly formed group made of volunteers who aim to clean up Canberra’s environment, parks, waterways and neighbourhoods. They hold events most weekends and have fun while freeing our city of trash.

Frogwatch on campus ANUgreen is organising a frogwatch week which started last Sunday, but it’s never too late to get involved. Essentially this week consists of an ‘audit’ of which species of frogs exist on campus by listening out for their unique calls and recording them. Contact ANUgreen if you’d like to get involved.

RSPCA: animal shelter maintenance If animal welfare is more your style than conservation work, the RSPCA are always looking for volunteers to help maintain the facilities and help take care of the many animals that come to their shelters. Hours and opportunities depend on availability so check out their website for more details.

ANUgreen update: Campus Traveller ANUgreen has introduced a new service on our campus, a shuttle bus, the Campus Traveller, which travels around the campus several times a day and also goes to the Lindsay Pryor carpark (free car park 10 minutes off the campus). In doing so, they intend to decrease the number of cars on campus. This contributes to the development of ANU’s Transport strategy and the primary goal to motivate people to use other, more sustainable, transport options when coming to our campus.

discover // environment

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

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How can universities contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals?

Text: Maxwell Warren

Often the responsibility to be sustainable is left to the individual or small organisations and collectives, with universities rarely being active; or, at least, not noticeably so.

Universities are far larger contributors to climate change than initially perceived, and they have the potential to have far larger positive influences than we give them credit for.

The Sustainable Development Goals call on UN member states – Australia Included – to work towards development priorities by 2030. They aim to bring an end to poverty, address issues like climate change and resource conflict, and bring about peace, security, equality, and education.

The University Commitment to Sustainable Development Goals shows a growing commitment by these institutions to achieving the SDGs. Five Australian universities signed the agreement in 2016. The ANU was not one of them. These universities have ‘agreed to utilise their research and education resources to advance the SDGs.’ As well as providing this research assistance, they committed to ensuring their campuses are environmentally and socially sustainable.

This is a massive topic to cover, so this article focuses on a few ideas that universities can do to contribute to a more sustainable and equal world.

Most of this article will focus on Goal 13, ‘Climate Action’ (in turn linked to all the other goals), and some ideas to help alleviate poverty and hunger (Goals 1 and 2).

Engaging in research that seeks to alleviate global problems is important, but practical changes on campus should be the first step in demonstrating a commitment to a sustainable future.

Universities can lead on these issues: they can contribute by taking action and providing information to the university community. University administrations have enough power to implement changes and restrictions in the buildings and facilities running under their command. They can also have sway over the manner in which the student body and staff act.

There are many small ways that universities can contribute. They can attempt – like many villages and towns in the country (with Coles Bay in Tassie being the first in 2003) – to place a ban on the distribution of plastic bags when purchasing goods in their respective communal areas.

Many shops across the nation (and even worldwide) understand the pros of plastic bags but have instead opted to add an additional few cents, deterring the majority of customers from purchasing them and incentivising them into bringing their own.

Along the same line, the university could enforce the use of biodegradable containers, and where not possible (i.e. pho), recyclable plastic containers with facilities to ensure the cleaning/ emptying and recycling of the containers. I have seen the red landfill bins of the Pop-Up filled with recyclable plastic containers holding the small remains of lunch.

Evidently not only are facilities (like a bin for organic waste) required but sufficient education and signage too.

While it may not be fully within the

universities’ grasp, they could impose limitations on the energy and water usage of any residential colleges. This, of course, is something that may not be feasible, but even something as simple as setting goals for them, and rewarding/denouncing for results may create a change in student’s consumption and waste levels. Other options could include installing shower timers or environmentally friendly shower heads and light bulbs.

Universities should have and frequently update an Environmental Management Plan (EMP). The ANU has one and it, theoretically, helps to understand and effectively manage the University’s environmental footprint. Though even in the ANU’s, issues arise and flaws pointed out by student groups. Flaws often in these documents, such as the ANU’s 2016-2020 draft, occur in the area of refurbishment, construction, and demolition. The ANU’s current EMP mentions ‘adopting sustainable building practices’ in its new projects and refurbishments. However, this only considers the impact of the buildings after their construction or renovation.

Often it can be far cheaper and greener to renovate or retro-fit a building rather than commission a new building altogether. This process of dismantling the old, and bringing in the materials for the new building, as well as the construction, is often far worse for the environment (immediate and the wider areas) than perceived. While the ANU released Sustainability Specifications in 2012, to ‘guide the construction of all new buildings and retrofits’, the document ignores the cost of the construction process – as many current projects are doing. The question is: do the savings made by the new ‘green’ building cover the cost of building it? How many universities are

aware of the footprint of construction?

As we know, the Sustainable Development Goals do not only include climate change and carbon footprints; but a wide range of other socio-economic aspects of our lifestyles.

We must combat issues like poverty, hunger, water quality, inequalities, and justice on a global scale, as well as locally. In regards to alleviating poverty and hunger, universities can try help out their surrounds (or assist in charities for international aid). A small fund, which they could source money by divesting from fossil fuels (or small cuts in profit), could go towards helping feed, house, or provide new initiatives to help the homeless of Canberra.

This would show that the university cares about citizens, and is making an attempt to achieve the SDGs. We know that universities can influence the behaviour of their students and staff through, as well as lead by example in the wider community.

Changes made, actions taken, and education provided by universities could drastically improve their environmental and societal outputs, and show a commitment to investing in people and communities, rather than the destruction of the planet.

While groups of students are staff are advocating for change, action, and education in our universities, they often do not have the reach or resources to make a difference at the institutional level. These actions and efforts would be far more effective if provided with university support. We require cooperation and leadership from our universities and the administrations must be held responsible if they do not comply.

They must take action to assist and lead the student and staff populations to attempt to achieve the sustainable future that the SDGs aim for.

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discover // environment

Why the Union Court Redevelopment should include a water recycling system Text: Shengnan Wang As we all know, the Australian National University (ANU) is currently in the early stages of a major redevelopment of Union Court. I believe that quite a few people are frustrated by the site fencing and campus construction. However, the revitalisation of Union Court will be beneficial for everyone in the future.

This is because sustainability has been identified as an indispensable element of Reunion Court Redevelopment.

The aims of the ‘Reimagine Our ANU’ project centre on using sustainability to ‘shift our thinking’ and ‘create a shared vision for success’. This makes sense as it has been widely recognised that sustainability can contribute to the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of communities.

Although these aims are admirable, there are some practical flaws evident in the implementation of the Redevelopment strategy. As an environmental science student, I’ve noticed the space for a water recycling system. A water recycling system is essential in contributing to the sustainable revitalisation of the Union Court redevelopment. Essentially, water recycling is a process that recovers wastewater for further beneficial purposes.

There are six operation lines of a water recycling system: 1. Rainwater falls onto rooftops which is collected in a tank (Shown in blue) 2. Water stored in the tank is be used to irrigate fields and gardens (Shown in orange)

3. Water stored in the tank is be filtered and used for toilets (Shown in purple) 4.

Water from toilets is sent to local sewage treatment plants (shown in dark grey) 5. Stormwater is collected on site from roads, paths and sidewalks, which will be treated in the bioswale and used for irrigation (Shown in light grey) 6. Stream water delivered from ANU Sullivan’s Creek travels through a heat exchanger and is then be stored in a tank for irrigation purpose (shown in dark blue) So, how does a water recycling system enhance the sustainability of Reunion Court?

The water recycling system enhances the sustainability of Reunion Court in three dimensions: by improving economic, ecological, social and educational aspects of the university.

Economic Benefits The water recycling project saves ANU significant expenditure on water usage and waste disposal by capitalising on wastewater within the pre-existing water usage loop. As outlined above, the mechanism of this system allows for savings in a range of areas. By using treated storm water collected on site from roads, paths and sidewalks efficiency is increased. Water can also be delivered faster from Sullivan’s Creek via the process of travelling through a heat exchanger to increase the flow rate.

All of this water can be stored in a tank and used for toilets, and the irrigation of fields and gardens – keeping the grounds

of ANU greener with less expenditure on water usage.

students, their families and the overall waste diversion of a community.

Social and Educational Benefits

Ecological Benefits

This water recycling program provides ANU with an opportunity to gain public recognition for its efforts on water saving. Subsequently, this builds or enhances ANU students’ sense of belonging.

Given the fact that Australia is one of the driest continents on earth, yet its residents are one of the highest consumers of water per person, it is crucial to raise students’ awareness of the importance of water usage.

This water recycling system can be introduced to new students through a half-hour talk and tour in orientation week. Educational and eye-catching signs can be posted in toilets and garden areas to remind students that the water being used is recycled water.

We should also utilise our sustainability unit: collaboration with ANUgreen could result in the creation of a campus app about this water recycling project.

This app could show the real-time working process and corresponding benefits of this water recycling system, helping students understand that recycling water does make a difference.

The aspirations of students play a key role in shaping our future. Ultimately sustainable initiatives on campus arm students with the ability to take on future challenges concerned with finite resources and environmental changes.

The lessons students learn can set habits for a lifetime, and most importantly, this water recycling system could impact

This water recycling system enables ANU to actively promote ecological conservation. By providing additional sources of water, the system contributes to water savings through water reuse for irrigation and toilet flushing. Moreover, the water recycling system could also decrease wastewater discharge and prevent potential pollution. The system ensures that wastewater from toilets is sent to local sewage treatment instead of the local environment. Most importantly, the ability of the system to recycle water could enhance biodiversity.

Treated water will be sent to rivers, which keeps them flowing and able to support aquatic life during the many dry periods experienced in Canberra.

It is clear that a water recycling system would make important contributions to the economic, social and ecological sustainability of our campus. Therefore, it should be a vital part of the Reunion Court Redevelopment. I invite readers, like you, to think about and discuss what other ideas you think will contribute to a more sustainable ANU.

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

discover // environment

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There’s Something in Coffee Cups: Focusing on Culture to Improve Sustainability Policy Text: Ester Versnel Illustration: Kanika Kirpalani I recently attended an interesting guest lecture that led me to re-think how we prioritise sustainability policies. The person speaking was a public servant in the field of waste management. He shared his work experience and, with that, his views on the policy process.

He spoke very frankly to an audience that was mostly students, and his eloquence attracted our interest.

At one point, the discourse around single-use coffee cups came up. The guest lecturer was of the opinion that there are more pressing or more impactful challenges in the ACT, which have to do with energy and transport, than a vessel that holds caffeine. He suggested that there are fundamental policy areas and sustainable infrastructure projects that have more scope for meaningful change.

We must approach the design and development of our cities in an entirely different way if we want to engage in a more sustainable way of life. I had not thought about the real merit of focusing on this compared to smaller projects – like those targeting coffee cup usage – and I found his argument to prioritise other sustainability challenges convincing.

That was until I was cycling through Civic the other day. Despite being somewhat rushed because I was running late, I couldn’t help but notice the people on the street who were chatting,

taking breaks or on the move. In their hand: take-away coffee cups. There is something about the feeling of holding a coffee cup while on your way to the next important thing that represents a busy and interesting lifestyle.

Is this an image that we can happily sustain? I could not help but question whether tackling the use of disposable cups is a priority when we use them are so regularly and so visibly. Yes, politics is about making choices that regularly involves balancing conflicting values.

Pollution affects our environment in different ways, and there is a range of policy options that can tackle this problem. But, when has the emphasis on individual responsibility has gone too far?

It can be difficult to decide, in measurable terms, which approach avenue would deliver greater results. A campaign to discourage the use of disposable coffee cups might not be as impactful as a policy that emphasises individual usage of renewables – this, of course, being the argument put forward by the public servant at the guest lecture. However, when it comes to instilling patterns in sociocultural practices, discouraging the use of coffee cups might be more impactful in the long term. It engages with sustainability in a different way than a renewable energy investment program would. By encouraging people to contextualise our habits in terms of their environmental impact, we can change the way we think about sustainability in our everyday lives.

Australia is well known for its coffee culture, and the take-away coffee represents an important practice in our daily lives. It is a symbol for the intersection between the social and the professional, and how this informs our perspectives. Thus, promoting education to make this practice more sustainable is paramount. It can contribute to thinking differently about our actions and our impact on the environment.

Sustainability ultimately comes down to the relationship that we have with our surroundings and coffee cups can make us more conscious of this.

For instance, legislation seeking to reduce plastic bag usage has spread across countries in the European Union and has incited people to think about reusing bags. Policy action strengthened the effect of community initiatives that were already in existence. In the Netherlands, small and large businesses have responded to the legislation creatively by meeting consumer needs in ways that are less detrimental to the environment.

Shortly before the implementation date of the Dutch legislation, a local bakery handed out reusable bags that customers can fold into a small pouch with the image of a bread bun. For the bakery, the legislation created an opportunity to influence the connection with its patrons.

These examples certainly make a good case for the government to investigate policy options concerning the use of disposable coffee cups. Like plastic

bags, people purchasing disposable cups could, for example, incur a small extra charge to encourage investment in their own reusable coffee cups.

One might say that it is a waste of time or distracting to focus on take-away coffee cups as a policy issue. But that does depend on what we consider a problem to be and on how success is measured.

We should not underestimate the power of promoting cultural shifts in our everyday practices, and their importance as a springboard for encouraging wider shifts in attitudes toward sustainability.

Ecotourism: Prospects and Challenges Text: Xavier Anderson Ecotourism is becoming an increasingly popular form of tourism and travel, with a growth rate of 20-34 per cent each year since the 1990s. We can attribute this to the growing environmental awareness of millennial travellers. A poll conducted by Chase Marriott Rewards of 1000 people found that 84 per cent of millennials are interested in partaking in a charitable trip next time they travel, while only 18 per cent of Gen X and 17 per cent of Baby Boomers responded the same.

What is it?

Due to this changing sentiment among young travellers, many tourism operators are branding themselves as ‘Eco’. But, what exactly does this mean? According to The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), ecotourism is the ‘responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education. This ethos appears to be well thought out and beneficial for all parties involved, but as more business brand themselves as ‘Eco’, this reveals several challenges with this form of tourism. So, what are these issues, and what must we do to combat them?

Regulation So that they can meet TIES standards as an eco-operator, businesses must not adversely affect the areas that they operate in. However, there is no way to enforce this globally. In fact, any business can advertise itself as ‘eco’ without conducting any sustainable activities. This ‘greenwashing’ of the tourism industry is the fundamental issue of the ecotourism industry today.

Environmental Impact A key tenet of ecotourism is its low impact on the environment – a definite drawcard for many travellers who are seeking remote, untouched areas. The flipside of this is that these remote resorts can have relatively large carbon footprints due to their isolation, and the large amounts of air and ground travel required for visitors to reach the destination only enhances this damage.

Another issue is the increase in the scale of these ventures. On smaller scales, ecological sustainability in tourism is possible. We see this in Namibia and the success of its Wildlife Safaris.

The growing industry has led to the hiring of more native game wardens – significantly reducing poaching, and

resulting in wildlife numbers more than doubling in the region. However, if the management approach is incorrect or the resort is too large, then native animals and flora begin to feel the impact of overuse, especially when the destination grows in popularity.

Local Economy Ecotourism can inject much-needed money into struggling remote communities. It is often the case, though, that these ecotourism areas will draw multi-national developers or corporations because they see an opportunity to build hotels, shops and other attractions. These developments thus have a reverse effect on the original aims of the local community focused ecotourism. When larger businesses begin to use the ‘eco’ label, the local economy starts to feel this pressure.

A common compounding effect of an influx of wealthier tourists to these areas is a trend toward inflated prices of goods.

Local Culture Associated with economic exploitation of the local communities comes cultural exploitation too. This issue is very apparent in areas such as Costa Rica, where the rapidly growing ecotourism

industry is eroding the communities that people go to see. For example, as more eco-resorts develop, locals lose more of their land and their ability to perform traditional cultural practices. As a result, many take up service jobs within the ecotourism industry. Although this provides work for the community, it deteriorates their culture at the same time. As well as this, the traditional practices which visitors wish to see run the risk of becoming gimmicky and lose their meaning and importance.

Directions for the future Issues may be rife throughout ecotourism, however, they are just hurdles for an industry with great potential. Ecotourism, if managed correctly, offers a sustainable way to travel and can benefit local environments and communities as seen in Namibia.

With younger travellers drawn to more charitable and sustainable operators, it is fast becoming the future of tourism.

This is why we must get it right.

National governments must impose strict regulations on what constitutes an ‘eco’ business and what practices are acceptable to ensure that visitors, communities and the environment all really do benefit from the rise of ecotourism.

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Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

discover // environment

NEOCLASSICAL ECONOMICS

CAN WE MOVE FORWARD TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE WITH THIS MODEL? Text: Lauren Riggall Seven years ago, we regarded the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as the worst pollution incidents in years. Images of environmental travesties coated our social media feeds, and television screens, much like the surrounding ocean and marine species were in layers of slick oil. The pure tangibility of the ecological impact of the oil spill was clear. The incident threatened the lives of hundreds of thousands of aquatic species. The layer of oil glazing the top of the ocean was a clear depiction of the clean-up effort that would ensue, with the ecosystem never returning to its prior stage.

How did we get here? Whose fault was it? Who foots the bill for the immense rehabilitation struggle of ridding the affected area from this toxic death sentence? It’s easy to blame the oil company BP for ‘multiple failures’ of numerous preventative safety measures on board the Deepwater Horizon rig.

It’s easy to say that it’s the government’s fault for being too lenient on oil drilling companies and their economic and physical activities within vulnerable environmental areas. It’s easy to blame household consumerism; the everconstant demand for oil which drives companies to take risks to provide these products. What is often not considered, is how reasonable and straightforward it is to blame the system that allows detrimental environmental damage to occur.

The current neoclassical mainstream economic style does not account for the environment appropriately. We continue to see economic participants act in their own interests and the commercial outcomes that benefit themselves.

Businesses have a core economic focus underlined by profit-maximising goals.

It is clear, in the contemporary society, that these goals do not align with sustainability – unmistakeably shown by the environmental externalities like pollution having detrimental long-term impacts.

This economic system views the environment as an externality to economic that simply provides the physical foundation of which the economy operates. It is not a financial agent itself.

In recent times, methods for calculating the economic value of ecosystems has been developing, helping commercial agents to recognise the importance of environmental resources and activities.

It is doubtful that this is enough; individuals and businesses’ need to start making decisions that account for

environmental considerations.

Could we internalise and centralise the environment within a national economy? Systems that focus on both ecological and economic interests take an interdisciplinary approach to facilitate the interdependent interaction between natural and humanmade concepts. It seems like complex and non-realistic option, but the integration of economics with ecological interests make conceptual sense.

For too long, our economies have found their basis in outdated principles defined by neo-classicalism instead of devising alternative conceptual models for which the implementation never eventuates.

It’s time that we actually translate these new ideas into reality.

The research and real-life policy examples of ecological economics on a nation-wide scale is unquestionably lacking at this moment in time. It is only a relatively recent economic phenomenon that is still developing its fundamental concepts. Overall, it is a movement in the right direction for a more sustainable future for our economy, our society and our environment. It pushes economic agents to think more about the future viability of current activities in selfinterest and societal interest terms.

There are three key concepts that the current economic system remind me of: people act rationally, upon self-interest, and upon incentive.

Incentivising individuals and businesses to contemplate the environment first before economic interests is a way forward for our current economic model to develop a more 21st century appropriate ecological economic model. The incentivising programs and processes fall to society and government. We must actively consider the subsidisation of individuals and businesses for taking part in environmentally beneficial things. It will allow us to move forward to creating a better relationship between the environment and our economy.

We, as a society, need a more appropriate economic model to more appropriately address the environmental challenges we face today – and perhaps, with some fine-tuning, a model which considers ecological and economic implications is a solution.

To centralise environmental interests in our economy is to support the future of our society. By attaching tangible economic value to the environment that our society is reliant on, we can potentially avoid critical environmental disasters resulting from individual and corporate self-interest, like the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

discover // science

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

38

A CRISPR Way Forward Developments in Human Gene Therapy Text: Michel Watson

News is constantly flooding in about the latest medical and technology breakthroughs, and it is easy to get lost amidst all the noise. However, one advancement has risen above the rest and in 2017, CRISPR took centre stage in the technological revolution.

CRISPR has garnered a great deal of attention in the media, but why are we so interested?

What is CRISPR? I am glad you asked!

CRISPR (pronounced ‘crisper’) stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat… and that is why we use the acronym!

It is a simple and incredibly effective way to edit sections of DNA (the building blocks of life) by either adding, removing or altering the DNA sequence. Where CRISPR excels compared to other similar techniques is its way of targeting specific regions in the DNA sequence, which you want to manipulate. Instead of wishing for the right outcome, we can control it!

CRISPR achieves this accuracy by consisting of two key elements: an enzyme that causes a cut on both strands of DNA, and a guide that allows it to target specific sections of the genome.

Most DNA is double stranded, and CRISPR makes sure that both DNA strands are accurately edited. We can also ensure that every time it is replicated, the new strands will be stably inherited making the edited DNA a long-lasting change to the organism’s genetic makeup. Not only that, but one of the most exciting features of technology is the ability to create genedrives out of CRISPR. This means that every mutation we create has a biased inheritance. Instead of having approximately a 50 per cent chance of inheriting a certain mutation, it now has

close to a 100 per cent inheritance rate.

This is called gene-drive inheritance, and this feature is going to revolutionise the way we tackle problems. It’s super effective!

Because of the immense capabilities of this technology, the possibilities are limitless.

Why this technology is important With our increasing population, our current lifestyle is not sustainable. Food will become scarce, medical resources finite, and pure water sources less and less attainable. Diseases will evolve as quickly as our means of treating them.

This is where gene-editing and CRISPR can play a major role in curbing nasty side-effects of a booming population.

CRISPR allows for the alteration of the genetics of crops such that they can grow under harsher conditions and with fewer resources needed to keep the plants alive.

Scientists could also pack the plants with nutrients or change their growth behaviour so that they could potentially grow larger, faster and all year round.

Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, cause millions of preventable deaths worldwide each year. CRISPR could potentially save millions each year by altering the DNA of the mosquito to make the mosquito unable to carry the parasites, viruses or bacteria, which cause disease. Research into this is already well underway and has had promising results so far.

Most importantly, because of CRISPR’s accuracy and effectiveness, human gene editing (also known as human gene therapy) is no longer in the realm of science fiction but is poised to be the next medical breakthrough of this century.

Imagine a world where cancer could be cured by a simple procedure without the need for chemotherapy. A world where infections could no longer take hold, where inheritable diseases such as diabetes could be prevented and where disabilities such as blindness were unheard of. This and much more

is increasingly possible, all because of CRISPR. But why stop there? Humans always want to improve themselves. Geneediting may one day be used as a tool to allow people to enhance themselves, whether it be to increase athletic ability, intellectual capability or cosmetically (changing eye colour, for example). It is an exciting time to be alive!

Nowadays, human gene therapy is tightly regulated and in Australia and the gene-editing of embryos is forbidden.

This is due to ethical concerns based on religious and moral standings. Many people still feel uncomfortable about the thought of ‘designer babies’ and consent of the procedure. Yet despite all its history, the public seem cautiously optimistic about its potential.

However, with these immense capabilities come ethical concerns.

People should have their say

A cautionary tale

CRISPR has the power to revolutionise the medical industry. But with great power comes great responsibility.

People must be fully informed and allowed to have their say as to what the future may hold for this research. Key ethical questions must be answered and integrated into policy and regulation to ensure that CRISPR and human gene therapy doesn’t revert to its unscrupulous past.

Human gene therapy hasn’t always been this promising. It has a shady past.

The first volunteer human experiments took place in the mid to late 20th century.

Public fears of the risks posed by this new therapy were high, and for good reason.

A mixture of ambition, shortcuts, blind faith and little supporting science meant that the first 40 years from its inception in 1960 were unsuccessful and, arguably, morally dubious.

This culminated in the preventable death of Jesse Gelsinger in 1999, an 18 year old with a metabolism deficiency, which was kept in check by a modified diet and enzyme supplements. As part of a human gene therapy trial, viral vectors were used to insert a new DNA sequence in an attempt to cure his metabolism deficiency. This caused multiple organ failures and his eventual death four days after he participated in the trial, sparking outrage in the public and scientific community.

Gelsinger’s case was the first where a death could be directly linked to gene therapy treatment. As a consequence, and with further investigation by the United States Food and Drug Administration, the researchers were found guilty of misconduct. Gelsinger was not properly informed of the risks imposed by this procedure: under similar treatment, laboratory monkeys had died and fellow patients had suffered from serious side effects.

For a time after, human gene therapy took a backseat.

Is the ability to enhance ones intellect or strength a personal choice? Or one that should be decided by all? What if some couldn’t afford to use this technology and only the rich had access to it? More importantly: if we enhance ourselves, do we become less human? Is that a good thing? Can we reverse it? Humans are always evolving, but is it wise to meddle with nature?

These and many more questions are raised by the prospects provided by CRISPR. It is now, as we stand on the precipice of a new era that we must decide, as a nation, on the extent of our willingness to use human gene therapy.

We do not want to find ourselves in a position like Dr Ian Malcom from Jurassic Park: The Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at the ANU is conducting a survey to figure out where Australians will ethically draw the line between human gene editing as a way to cure disease or to enhance our abilities or appearance.

Have your say! Head to this URL to let us know what you think about human geneediting: https://www.surveymonkey. com/r/STFS9K7

Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

39

discover // science

Das SMACC. Das gut.

Text: Ninya Maubach, Ahmed Khalaf and Marc van Zeyl SMACC – Social Media and Critical Care – is no ordinary conference. Born out of the Free Open Access Medical Education #FOAMed movement, it is an educational conference that brings together enthusiastic medical practitioners from around the globe. This year #dasSMACC took place at Berlin’s Tempodrom, which is a purpose-built concert venue with a capacity of 2,500, that perfectly fit the vibe. SMACC is designed to be different, and devoted attendees ensure that registration tickets sell out within minutes of release. Following the official opening ceremony, the first session was an in-situ real-time simulation glimpsing into the future of pre-hospital medicine, complete with crashed car, extrication, and drone-delivery of blood products. Though this conference has its critics, the audience learned from a series of hand-picked speakers who knew how to avoid death-by-Powerpoint, delivering 15-20 minute talks on a diverse and thoughtful range of topics. Here are some of our favourites.

’Everything’ at the endof life - Dr Alex Psirides Is talking about death modern society’s biggest taboo? From very early in their careers, all doctors are trained to perform CPR. However, it is rare to be well trained in when not to perform CPR. Lifetime mortality is 100 per cent, and patients deserve care in a way that permits a good death. Skiing patients and their families if they want you to ‘do everything’ gives false hope, and saying ‘there is nothing more we can do’ likewise isn’t true. Two key points: ‘Talking

about death won’t make you dead any more than talking about sex will make you pregnant’ (Jane Goodwin), and ‘two weeks in ICU can save you one hour of difficult conversation’ (Will Cairns).

from our mistakes. Perhaps most importantly though, Dr Fong reminds us that ‘our failures come about as a result of love, and that we must forgive ourselves for those failures.’

How to fail - Dr Kevin Fong

Prehospital care: The future

Society’s expectations about risk and failure are increasingly moving away from an individual’s realistic ability to manage complex systems. This is especially true in medicine, where the modern doctor faces complexity and failure at unprecedented levels.

Brian Burns, an Irish prehospital and retrieval medicine specialist working in Sydney, took us through the up and coming approaches to the prehospital care of trauma patients.

But is it possible to fail in medicine while avoiding the deadly consequences? Dr Kevin Fong, a consultant anaesthetist and anaesthetic lead for an emergency helicopter response team in England, believes the medical world could learn a thing or two from NASA on how to embrace our very human tendency to fail.

He explains the concept of graceful degradation as ‘the design of a complex system to maintain all or some of its function despite suffering discrete failures.’

A good example is when an app crashes on your smartphone; in years gone by the only solution was to perform a data-losing system reset, but now you can just close the offending app, and away you go.

Dr Fong believes that this kind of systems design is vital for what is an increasingly complex job, and a key component to its execution involves learning from past failures and implementing changes to prevent recurrence. Indeed, many of the daily checks and redundancies employed to prevent incorrect medication doses or mistakes in the operating theatre were born out of previous errors. Of course, not all changes have to come from a systems level. As individuals, we should reflect on, learn and grow

is now - Dr Brian Burns

Trauma kills around five million people annually and is the number one cause of death in people under 40 years of age. A quarter of these deaths are due to motor vehicle accidents, and 90 per cent of prehospital trauma deaths are due to bleeding. So, what can be done to reduce this? The answer lies in many of the technologies that are becoming a part of our every day.

With the mechanism of the accident being evermore predictive of injury, the transmission of kinematic data on the passengers’ movements and the car’s movements during the accident can occur from the passenger’s smartwatch and the car, respectively. Activation of an early alert system via these mechanisms can also reduce the timeframe of alerting the emergency response team.

The improving capacity of smartwatches to measure our body’s vital signs, such as heart rate, allows emergency response teams to arrive at a trauma site already informed about the state of their patient.

Body cams and live transmission of point-of-care ultrasound can maintain communication between the response team and a base unit, which can provide real-time guidance without attending the scene themselves. This will allow

management of multiple concurrent traumas without exhausting resources on one injury.

Finally, drones can be used to deliver any necessary requirements for prehospital care such as blood products.

The live demonstration of this process in action with a simulated in-house car accident certainly set the tone for what would be a constantly engaging and dynamic conference.

If you want to know more about the conference, head to Twitter and search the #dasSMACC conference hashtag.

Recordings of all the talks will be made available online, via www.smacc.net.au.

Talks from prior years are available at our YouTube channel, TheSMACCchannel. The next SMACC will be in February 2019 in Sydney – and remember, tickets sell-out fast!

Discover // business & economics

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

Seriously, Ten? A Guide to the Events that Saw the Australian Media Landscape Change Forever

Text: Rhys Dobson Just weeks after the network went into voluntary administration, it seems there has been another seismic shift in the Australian media landscape. US media company CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) has bought Network Ten from administrators KordaMentha, marking its official launch into the Australian market. This agreement ends one of Australia’s most intensely fought battles for the control of free-to-air TV. A casual observer of this saga can be forgiven for being oblivious as to how this actually happened, so here is a full recap of this story.

It all began a few years ago as Network Ten drifted into decline. The network found itself in an all too familiar place for media companies operating in this age. A combination of the changing nature of content, the rise of online streaming services, falling advertising revenue and a series of expensive broadcasting agreements with US studios, forced the network to declare voluntary administration. This turn of events prompted the ongoing debate about the industry today and the need for it to reform.

Media reform has been on the cards for years. The rise of Facebook, Apple and Google have not only changed the way content is created and shared, but it has also fundamentally removed geography from markets and placed a higher emphasis on legitimacy and speed. These factors primarily contributed to Channel 10’s ongoing downward trend in advertising revenue. This led to consistent deficit spending and an over-reliance on capital from private investors. However, the network’s financial problems run deeper than just its decline in advertising revenue. The network made a strategic expenditure decision to switch its focus to competing with rivals Seven Network and Nine Network, as they did effectively in previous years. Shifting focus away from its usual youth audience, Ten spent big on programs to attract viewers and directly compete with the other two private broadcasters. As the situation failed to improve, the nail in the coffin was a refusal from primary creditors Bruce Gordon, Lachlan Murdoch and James Packer to extend more funds to service its deepening debts. It was a very strategic move from three formidable media players in the Australian market to force the network into

voluntary administration.

The commercial interests of these three players indicate very clearly why they made this move. Bruce Gordon is the owner of Win Corporation which provides a large quantity of regional Australian content. Holding the largest shareholding in Network Ten, he also owns a stake in Channel Nine. Lachlan Murdoch is a man who needs little introduction. As a member of the well-known media mogul family the Murdoch’s, he has been at the helm of Ten since 2011 serving in a variety of senior executive roles. James Packer, a friend of Murdoch’s also comes from a famous media-mogul family. He is a former owner of Channel Nine and currently owns a stake in Channel Ten and owns large stakes in other investments, including the Crown Resorts. Together, these three men effectively lent their money as creditors to Ten when times were particularly tough on the network’s balance sheet.

As it became clear that the network was going to default on its loans, the three confirmed they were unwilling to stake further funding.

Here’s the interesting part. By going into voluntary administration, there are several benefits the network could reap. For one, the costly broadcasting deals with the US studios could be renegotiated, saving potentially millions. Moreover, it opens the network up for sale to a private company or individual(s). News Corp, CBS and Fairfax already own significant equity in Network Ten, making it ripe for takeover. However, before it became open season for the media tycoons, there were several caveats to be addressed by the Federal Government. Broadcasting legislation had to be reformed to allow for the sale of Ten to Gordon and Murdoch because they already own media companies in Australia. This was because of the two-out-of-three rule that prevented companies or individuals owning a television station, a radio station and a newspaper in a single city at the same time.

These reforms have since passed parliament. However, before they did one of the other interested parties swooped in and took a majority stake in Ten. That was CBS. Just like that, Gordon and Murdoch missed the opportunity to pick up Ten when it was on the market due to the slow process of legislation through the Senate. CBS’s all-out bid

for complete control of the network was signalled as the strongest bid so far and it appeared that Gordon and Murdoch had lost.

What happens next is all but decided.

Gordon and Murdoch continue to fight a battle for ownership of the network after launching costly civil litigation proceedings. The two have continued to appeal to the NSW Supreme Court to have the sale stalled and overturned by suing administrators KordaMentha for misleading creditors. The grounds behind this suit rise from the lack of consultation CBS had with creditors prior to the sale of Network Ten, which Gordon’s legal team labelled as discriminatory and misleading. The creditors rebuked this after explaining that they gave ample time to all parties involved. KordaMentha has also reiterated through its legal representation that it remains their statutory duty as a creditor to state a preferred or recommended buyer for the network.

All the while, Gordon and Murdoch have tried to return with a more generous offer. While these proceedings are likely to before the courts in a variety of legal avenues for some time, offers for the network continue to be made more generous. At a recent creditor’s meeting in Sydney, CBS returned serve with a revised offer, beating Gordon and Murdoch yet again. The administrators KordaMentha have since agreed to recommend CBS purchases Network Ten. The deal will pay out staff and other creditors wholly, although ordinary shareholders will miss out on the payout.

As the fading media baron’s fruitless attempts at stalling the sale of Ten continues, media industry analysts have been trying to decipher what this will mean for the industry. In reality, it means more choice for the consumer and greater market diversity. Pending Foreign Investment Review Board approval, CBS will be a new market entrant on the revamped Australian media scene. It will likely launch its online streaming service down under, bringing what Aussie consumers want most – more online content available on demand. It also brings what media regulations intended to achieve initially, greater diversity. An Australian media landscape for the many, not the few big players.

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Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

Discover // business & economics

CEO Pay: Too much?

Text: Sam Walker Illustration: Katie Ward August in Australia is ASX reporting season, and what grabs most newspaper headlines outside of the profit of the big four banks, are the CEO salary packages for the top 200 companies. Are the men and women leading our biggest firms worth the big dollars they command?

After the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, the structure and way in which CEO’s are paid has fundamentally changed. Executive remuneration is slanted towards bonuses and share options based on performance as opposed to ordinary salary.

For CEO’s amongst ASX100 companies, average fixed pay is at the same level as nine years ago. However, this change has done little to the public perception that CEO’s are grossly over-remunerated.

The fundamental justification for such is high salaries is that it is appropriate compensation for the high risk, pressure and influence that are borne by a CEO. Alan Joyce (CEO of Qantas

Group) received an eye-watering pay of $25 million for the 2016-2017, primarily as a result of meeting long-term incentive targets voted by shareholders years previously. Joyce has led a $2 billion restructure of Qantas, which saw extensive cost-cutting and job losses, resulting in heavy criticism of both Qantas and Joyce. However, this restructure led Qantas back to profitability and has seen it’s share price jump from a low of $1.07 in late 2013 to a rate of above $6 today. Is his salary package not a just and fair reward for the pressure and performance he has overseen?

The influence of a CEO becomes increasingly apparent, when they are particularly bad! Destructive leaders can cause the workplace culture in their company to plummet, with lower employee engagement and higher levels of staff turnover. Those leaders who make poor short or long-term decisions can see billions wiped off a company’s valuation, with loss of reputation and consumer demand resulting in the CEO overseeing job losses. In August, a money laundering scandal hit Ian Narev the CEO of Commonwealth Bank of Australia

(CBA). This has seen the CBA exposed to a potential nine figure fine, enormous brand damage and a ten per cent drop in share value. Narev was forced to announce a departure date from the CBA, but will still take $5.5 million for the 16/17 financial year.

Currently, in Australia, transparency regarding CEO pay and how it compares to other employees within the company lags behind the world standard. As it stands, shareholders vote on board recommendations about the amount of the CEO remuneration package yearly.

A ‘two-strike rule’ was introduced in 2011, to provide for the re-election of a company board, on the occasion that more than 25 per cent of shareholders vote down the remuneration package on multiple occasions.

Unlike the US and UK, Australia does not mandate in company reports a metric which forces companies to compare CEO and executive pay as a ratio to the salary of the average employee within the business. Research has shown that if a company that pays its CEO a lower CEO to average employee, this often

receives little positive benefit. A company that pays a high ratio sees reduced employee engagement and satisfaction and an indirect adverse effect on investment potential.

CEOs are becoming more critical in a distributed business environment, and the strategic decisions they make not only on behalf of investors but also as some employers in the economy affects us all. Good CEOs who get increasingly risky and uncertain decisions right that benefit us all deserve to be remunerated well. However, to bring more public confidence and trust to the system, it’s incumbent on boards to be responsible when deliberating executive packages, mainly to underperforming ones.

Governments should also consider legislating ratios into company reports that would increase transparency to all stakeholders.

Discover // sport

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

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CW: mentions of suicide, homophobia, queer*phobia, racism, sexual assault and sexual abuse.

Football has a homophobia problem and we must find a solution Text: Adam Mayers Illustration : Katie Ward ‘I’ve had players over the years who were single and read books and so others said they must be gay… I think being openly gay would be something very difficult to live with in football…. You can get drunk and beat up your wife and that’s quite acceptable, but if someone were to say ‘I’m gay’, it’s considered awful. It’s ridiculous.’

The words of former Crystal Palace manager Alan Smith in 2005.

Football is Australia’s most popular sport and as its popularity grows so does the exposure of Australian fans to its distinctive culture. Unlike other major Australian sports, football supporters globally act not as spectators but as contributors to a raucous melodic atmosphere. Utilising chants, flares, flags and percussion uniquely (if you think AFL banners are impressive, look up tifo) to encourage their teams and intimidate opponents. Taking inspiration from their European, South American, Asian and African cousins, the rise of clubs such as Western Sydney Wanderers and their supporter base have redefined the Australian sporting landscape. No longer do football fans have to travel across the world to witness the unique atmosphere of a football game, it is right at our doorstep.

Footballing culture, however, is plagued by negative and destructive prejudicial undertones. When this is combined with Australia’s deeply rooted issue of discrimination, a disturbing picture of marginalisation and abuse is painted; particularly in relation to the LGBTIQ community.

In Australian sport generally, the number of openly gay athletes playing at the elite level is shamefully low. There are no openly gay players in any of the major men’s sporting competitions. Though there are multiple openly gay female athletes participating domestically, Canberra United forward Michelle Hayman was the only openly gay athlete to represent Australia at the Rio Olympics. Recent Out in the Fields studies highlight the root of the problem. Following a survey of more than 10,000 Australians and New Zealanders, the report found, ‘few positive signs in [either] country that LGB[TIQ] people are welcome and

safe playing team sports.’ The report also noted Australia’s aggressive physical education system, severe lack of gender diversity within the major sporting codes and continuing acceptance of homophobia slurs and behaviour, as contributing factors to the toxic homophobic culture.

In football, traditions of tacit acceptance and bullying exacerbate homophobia .

In England for instance, there have only been two openly gay men playing football professionally to date. Of these, the first, Justin Fashanu, killed himself eight years after coming out while the other, Robbie Rogers, retired at the age of 25. In both cases, media coverage was intense.

Most concerning, convicted rapists and domestic abusers not only outnumber the sum of ‘out’ footballers in the game, but are more openly accepted by fans, pundits and the media alike. How can it be that footballers with a certain sexual orientation have a harder time being accepted into the footballing ecosystem than criminals?

Starting at the very heart of the game, homophobia is inextricably linked to on-and-off field ‘banter’ between players and coaches. Rogers, speaking about his experiences in 2013, noted that dressing room conversations would inevitably contain homophobic slurs. He said; ‘I would get this awful feeling in my stomach… I would turn my head and try to chat about other things… It’s that pack mentality – they’re trying to get a laugh, they’re trying to be the top guy… But it’s brutal…. It’s like high school again – on steroids.

Many excuse these players’ behaviour as the manifestation of the macho culture and one-upmanship inherent in all sporting codes. Yet, one cannot help but feel that if such repartee were based on race rather than sexuality, the comments would be considered entirely

unacceptable, even within the confines of callous dressing room interactions.

While racism and homophobia are concerned with discrimination based on an individual’s characteristics, the fact that it is often far more difficult to obscure ethnicity than sexuality means players and coaching staff continue to express homophobia in the form of jokes and ‘banter’ with the tacit agreement of those around them.

Such tendencies continue when analysing fan behaviour. For decades in the UK, non-white footballers were subject to racist abuse from both home and away supporters, which was largely ignored. As recently as the 1980s, racist chants have been commonplace. Chants such as, ‘Everton are white’, Millwall’s ‘n*****s burn better than petrol’ (in reference to the 1981 Deptford fire in which 13 black youths were burnt to death) and the Tottenham targeted ‘the gas man’s got them’ (referring to Tottenham’s sizeable Jewish supporter-base) were routine. Individual non-white players were targeted through monkey gestures, personalised songs and so on. To counter this, the Commission for Racial Equality (CSE), the Football Supporters Association (FSA) and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) joined forces to launch the Let’s Kick Racism Out of Football campaign in 1993. The campaign, alongside the 1991 Football (Offences) Act, helped discourage racist behaviour (both individually and in concert) and encouraged the reporting

of offences. Hence, through the actions of the FA, CSE, FSA, PFA, stewards, police and advocacy groups such as Kick It Out, the volume of racist abuse in English football has decreased markedly over the last 15 to 25 years, with racist episodes being far more likely to be condemned and reported. For example, during the 2014/15 season, the FA revealed that the number of reported incidents of racism was 149 (and around 800 including statistics down to a grassroots level). This figure was greater than the previous season but, rather than indicating a rise in racist behaviour, was, according to FA’s head of judicial services Mark Ives, attributable to ‘people feeling more confident about reporting abuse.’ These statistics are encouraging and support the hypothesis that fan behaviour can be altered through the positive action of authorities.

However, when these statistics are analysed for incidents of homophobic abuse the release states that ‘reports of discrimination based on sexual orientation…

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‘does your boyfriend know you’re here?’, ‘go home you gayers’ and ‘the referee’s a gay boy’. Referee abuse is not unusual in any sport, but the fact that such abuse is inextricably linked with homophobia is disturbing. increased, from five to 15’ over the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons.

Five. To. Fifteen.

During the 2012/13 season alone, Brighton and Hove Albion supporters publicly reported incidents of homophobic abuse by at least 72 per cent of opposition fans as well as multiple players. As Brighton is home to the UK’s most popular pride march and has a historically strong gay community, there is a suggestion that, unlike racism, fans are highly unlikely to report homophobic incidents specifically.

The abuse is not isolated to opposition fans, with both players and officials being the victims of some of the most vitriolic instances of castigation. In 2016, Spain’s first openly gay referee, Jesús Tomillero, quit the game following a barrage of abuse from not only fans but also members of coaching staff. ‘That’s that f****t who came out on the telly!’ was one of the most egregious examples of abuse, with Tomillero reporting that the majority of the crowd laughed in response. In the Brighton report, Albion supporters recounted the commonality of chants such as, ‘town full of f****ts’,

In Australia, the situation is no better and what is particularly worrying is that the growth in fan participation in football will lead to a rise in such behaviour.

Just this year, a group of Western Sydney Wanderers supporters unfurled a homophobic banner targeting Sydney FC manager Graham Arnold during the Sydney Derby.

So what is being done to combat this problem? Many responses have been individual-oriented, with admissions that, while authorities do have some responsibility to change player and fan behaviour, it is up to the individuals themselves to make the change. Such an approach didn’t work with racist abuse and it won’t for homophobic abuse either.

In the case of racism, in nations such as England where authorities have taken affirmative action against racist behaviour via reports and tangible legislative changes, the results have been marked drops in the amount of racist incidents in football grounds. In places such as Russia, where both racist and homophobic behaviour are not only ignored but also overtly encouraged, there has been absolutely no change in fan or

player behaviour. The same could be said in Spain or Italy.

Such success in combatting racism for nations who have proactively attempted to stamp it out should surely be emulated in the case of homophobic abuse.

However, the Football Association (England’s chief footballing body) has not denounced homophobia nor supported LGBTIQ rights through reports or participation with advocacy groups. Apart from token gestures such as the distribution of rainbow laces to clubs and a 2013 ‘toolkit’ provided to Football League clubs (of which only 29 of 92 publicly supported), there’s been little to no action from any of the major English governing bodies.

Further, many of the token gestures have been ill-conceived. When Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore stated in 2015 that it would be ‘very strange’ if there were no gay footballers in the top flight and that ‘the environment would be entirely suitable for [players] to come out,’ he showed a clear lack of understanding. Earlier this year, Premier League chief executive Greg Clarke even suggested that gay players should ‘synchronise’ ‘coming out’ in order to increase the impact of their decisions, putting the onus of solving the problem on the LGBTIQ community itself.

How can the environment be suitable for players to come out when homophobic chanting blights over half of Brighton

Discover // sport

home games? Or when players such as Robbie Rogers feel they have to retire in order to express their sexuality? Scudamore said that he ‘wouldn’t like to say [the environment’s] perfect, but certainly, it’s better than ten years ago.’ It was just over seventeen years ago that Justin Fashanu took his own life and, while Rogers’ retirement from the game is certainly an improvement upon that tragic incident, it is not acceptable to surmise that the game is now anywhere near tolerant or inclusive. And finally, what, you may ask, has been done about the Brighton and Hove Albion report? The report was released in April 2013, and none of the major governing bodies in England have responded.

The football governing bodies in Australia need to be more proactive in dealing with the homophobia that pervades and undermines the sport. They must learn from the naive and disinterested responses of other organisations attempting to counteract the issue. This would leave the game in better stead by including and embracing thousands of people currently marginalised from the game, greatly improving the experience of all players, coaches and fans. Further, it would also enable the game to take a strong stance against homophobia in a way unmatched by any of the domestic sporting codes in Australia or the vast majority overseas. Unfortunately, this will take more than rainbow laces and fines. We need cultural change and strong advocacy in favour of material alterations in behaviour, something that has not been particularly evident in responses thus far.

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

from the archives

‘rock bottom’; sometime in the noughties

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satire

How to Identify a Gay or Lesbian Person Text: Tanya Ma Glitter: James Atkinson Before you begin your Freudian psychoanalysis, make sure to mention that you have a ‘gay-dar’, and don’t forget to detail how accurate it is and has always been.

Frame it as an insurmountable achievement of yours. After all, it is much more prestigious than being awarded a Rhodes Scholarship. There’s no need to think about the reliability or accuracy of your data collection because you don’t have any, so just launch straight in.

Not everybody can be a gay or lesbian.

There is a specific skill to identifying those of us who are. Here are some telltale signs that someone is a gay or lesbian: The first thing to take note of when deciding someone’s sexuality on their behalf, namely whether a man is gay or not, is to observe how high-pitched their voice is. The more high-pitched their usual speaking voice is, the more likely it is that you are talking to a gay person.

This is because the pitch of your voice has nothing to do with biology: it’s actually determined by your sexuality. Forget what scientists say – they’re all just conspiracy theorists, really.

The second hint to take note of is if they use excessive hand gestures, then they must be gay. The key to this one is that if you’re a man who is attracted to another man, you’ll tend to move your hands around more than the average person when speaking. This is evidenced by how the branches of trees tend to move around more outside in the wind than indoors. It’s the same logic as why witches, like Connie Booth, will weigh as much as a duck does. These species

of human beings also tend to be wellgroomed, wear strong cologne and enjoy going to gay bars. Just look at Christian Stovitz. How wrong can you be when the suspect is exactly like the gay man in Clueless? The answer is: not very. Hollywood is basically the comprehensive encyclopedia to understanding the diversity of minority communities within our society.

As for spotting lesbians, they will more likely than not have short hair, refuse to shave and wear bras, as well as be a part of the feminist movement. They also enjoy declaring their distaste for penises every five minutes of any conversation about politics, the economy or quantum physics. They graze in small herds and tend to be too busy reading The Vagina Monologues and braiding their underarm hair to care that you don’t think the patriarchy exists. Lesbians also commonly have tattoos and piercings on every ten square centimetres of skin surface area. She’s got a tongue piercing ? Definitely a lesbian. This is a flawless application of modus ponens logic; you should be proud, you’re halfway to a hypothetical syllogism.

Remember: brainwashing is a good thing. You’ve got to give it a good scrub.

But don’t forget to dab it dry afterwards, or it won’t make that squeakyclean sound when you rub your endless knowledge into it. If others are sounding convinced, be impressed with yourself, it’s not easy to be a human and a washing machine at the same time.

Now, continuing with your analysis: if they’re not white, then they’re probably not gay or lesbian. Just take a look at Legally Blonde, Modern Family, Glee, Orange is the New Black, Girls, Easy A, and the list of films and tv shows with homosexual side characters go on. All

the gay and lesbian characters are white.

So, if you’re someone of colour, how can you possibly be gay or lesbian? Don’t be too caught up in diversity; remember that every characteristic of a person is an obvious hint to the mystery of squeezing them into a category of gender, ethnicity or sexuality.

The last rule to successfully identifying a gay or lesbian is if they don’t have hair dyed in the colours of the rainbow and have a ‘marriage equality’ sign permanently stapled to the palm of their hand, then they’re probably not gay or lesbian.

They may be bi, pan or queer*, but not homosexual. If Hollywood says that sexuality is a gay man or a lesbian woman’s defining characteristic, then it is.

Unlike their heterosexual peers who come from diverse backgrounds and have a plethora of personal interests intricately woven into the fabric of their lives, the life of a homosexual will revolve around their sexuality. According to Hollywood, it will run something like this – you’ll spend the first several years of your life struggling to realise that you’re not straight, and then the next few years coming out and waiting for people to accept your ‘new’ identity (that was never really new). Then, you’ll spend the rest of your life doing something that revolves around being a homosexual.

Because, god forbid that, homosexuality is not the only aspect of your vibrant identity as a gay or lesbian. So, if you know someone whose life sounds a little like this, then they’re probably gay or lesbian.

You know you can be sure that someone’s a homosexual when they fit all of these descriptions. It’s not like any three-dimensional person could fit into your one-dimensional description of a gay or lesbian. After all, they are a

minority, so it’s pretty uncommon to see one around. The only reasonable thing to do is to assume everyone is straight until they perfectly fit this description. Don’t acknowledge that people can have other qualities and interests outside of your understanding of them. It’s too much for the brain to handle on top of having to figure out what you’re going to do with the rest of your life after university.

When you are concluding your final analysis, be sure to present yourself as a hero. Without your wisdom, how would the rest of us be able to identify those of us who are gay and lesbian from those who are not, end world poverty, eradicate all human rights abuses and prevent our globally warming planet from descending into chaos? The rest of the world is thanking you for your insightful analysis, so don’t be afraid to show it off to the next person you meet.

satire

Vol. 67 , Issue 12

Cryptic Crossword Credit: NWJ

Previous Edition Solutions

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Week 11, Semester 2, 2017

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satire

100 per cent Transparent Troglobitic Isopod Crustacean Finishes Up 30 Million Year Preparation for ANUSA Just One Month After Voting Closes Text: Will Fletcher Illustration: Katie Ward This brave troglobitic isopod crustacean began its extraordinary campaign close to 30 000 millennia ago with one radical idea not yet implemented in student politics: achieve an entirely transparent form.

This effort has come to a tragic end, due to a failure to account for minor shifts in the distance between Earth and the Sun, which occurred over the course of this little bug’s entire evolutionary span – what a fucking idiot.

transparent through a lack of exposure to light. This sort of strategy has never been employed before in an ANUSA election – although living in the cave that is the BKSS might certainly constitute a prerequisite to running.

‘Shit Happens’, an autobiographical post-mortem of the campaign will be released in two weeks. You can find it at all good bookstores.

Inhabiting an underground cave system for the whole period of the species’ existence, it has evolved to be entirely

Ode to the Public Servants of the Pop-Up Text: Lizzie Storor Walking around the Pop-Up, I see suits and lanyards all around.

I wish they would leave us alone, And respect the traditional Cupping Room boundary.

They flit in and out from 12 ‘til 2, Then go back to their offices.

I wonder what they talk about, Probably how good their Brodburger was.

The little emus and kangaroos on their APS lanyards, Look out to the world and say, ‘WHY ARE WE TRAPPED IN MINDLESS BUREAUCRACY??’

But I could be projecting.

At the end of the day, The most worrisome thing, Is that they represent a frightening future that all ANU students dread, A life of mundanity as an APS 6.

I mean, I guess it’s fair they want a tasty meal, But at the same time, uni should be a space for students, Not designed around corporate profit.

So, I’m sorry, but to the public servants of the Pop Up… Please fuck off.

Ken Ken Credit: Sebastian Rossi Fill in the blank squares so that each row and each column contain all of the digits 1 through to 6.

The heavy lines indicate areas (called cages) that contain groups of numbers that can be combined (in any order) to produce the result shown in the cage, with the indicated math operation. For

example, 12× means you can multiply the values together to produce 12.

Numbers in cages may repeat, as long as they are not in the same row or column.

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The book of hugh Text: Elizabeth Harris Collage: Katie Ward On 27 September, Hugh Hefner – philanthropist, cuniculophile and pornophile – passed away in his Los Angeles home. The media magnate is perhaps best wn for his carefully curated art magazine – ‘Playboy’ – featuring nudes reminiscent of those of Ancient Greece (mirroring Hefner’s careful critique of Greco-Roman hedonism in his highly influential publication).

Living to the grand old age of 675 (in rabbit years), Hefner is expected to be interred next to Marilyn Monroe, the crypt next to whose he bought in 1992, saying, ‘spending eternity next to Marilyn is an opportunity too sweet to pass up.’

A stalwart advocate for workers’ rights, Hefner started his publication after he was refused a $5 raise at ‘Esquire’.

Initially intending to call the magazine ‘Stag Party’ – paying homage to

Sudoku

Rousseau’s stag hunt, a game theory dilemma – Hefner eventually opted for ‘Playboy’, looking for a simpler title.

A lover of the arts, Hefner sought a return to the sensuality of classical Greek. And, of course, later he turned to Renaissance nudes, the image of Bo Derek on the March 1980 cover on a sandy beach in a ragged bikini harkening back to Helen on the beach after the fall of Troy.

Indeed, Hefner once stated, ‘Picasso had his pink period and his blue period. I am in my blonde period right now.’

Hugh Hefner was, perhaps more than anything else, a friend to the animals.

He once explained that, ‘from my point of view, I’m the luckiest cat on the planet’ – a blatant reference to his strong identification with the animal kingdom.

His strong identification with the primal behaviours of wild creatures certainly influenced his lifelong ethos. Indeed, it was surely for this reason that Hefner dubbed the waitresses at his Playboy Clubs ‘Playboy Bunnies’. The concept of having a creature of the Earth serve

food prompted the customer to consider sustainable sourcing, and potentially vegetarianism. Rules which forbade customers from touching Bunnies and the prohibition of dating between patrons and Bunnies nurtured a sense of respect and wonder for nature. But it was not just the wonders of the physical world that interested Hefner.

‘I guess you could say; I’m just a typical Methodist kid at heart.’ These solemn words uttered by Hefner perhaps best encapsulate his philosophy. Each Playmate became simultaneously a Madonna and a Mary Magdalene, Hefner embarked – throughout his editorial career – on an opulent, intellectual and salacious exploration of

biblical morality and ethics.

‘One of the problems with organised religion’, said Hefner, ‘is that it has always kept women in a second-class position. They have been viewed as the daughters of Eve.’ Through his exploration of themes of possession, control and biblical analysis, Hefner drew the eyes of his audience to the story of Hagar. Hagar was the Egyptian handmaid of Sarah, who was given by Sarah to Abraham to bear him a child.

Subsequently, Hagar and her son were cast out by Abraham. By mirroring this experience in the manner of a Playmate leaving the Playboy Mansion, Hefner encouraged us to turn a sceptical eye towards the Bible, to deepen our faith.

The Book of Hugh, the Bible of the modern world.

Rest in peace.

Previous Edition Solutions

Credit: Sebastian Rossi