Grapeshot Magazine

CAMPUS NEWS & LIFE | ARTS & CULTURE | STYLE & SUSTAINABILITY | REVIEWS | AND MORE

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06 Obituary to Gough 07 New Terror Laws 08 Behind the Veil 09 Absence at Climate Summit 10 Unstoppable Ebola 11 Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolution 12 Bushfire Season 14 Digging into Italy’s Carsulae

34 Photography: Suburbs of Newtown 36 Prose: When The Blues Just Keep On Coming 38 Poetry: Yiayia Maria Says grapeshotmq.com.au

16 Sustainable Media 16 Eating with your Hands 17 When Rust Met Rotty 17 Not Just a Girl Thing 18 Talkin’ Shit with Manisha 18 Street Style on Campus

20 Being Food Literate 22 All Green Lights 24 Puff the Magic Dragon 26 Young Money 28 Sorry, Mum 30 Green Houses 32 Ello, Ello

40 Smiling Chef: Christmas Desserts 42 The Stew: The Green Scene 44 Reviews 46 Puzzles & Horoscopes

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EDITOR’S LETTER “Started from the bottom now we here.”

– Aubrey Drake Graham, 2013.

T

hose famous few words kind of sum up this year of Grapeshot... except that we never really started at the bottom and I’m not entirely sure of where ‘here’ is. All I know is that nothing will be the same.

Nevertheless, we’ve had a tumultous year of many highs and an equal amount of lows. Our team has shrunk and grown, our magazine has shrunk and grown but thankfully, our fire burns bright – too much?

Finally, we discuss the young money (not a Drake reference, I promise) of Australia (p.

26) as you learn how literate you are in the language of food (p. 20).

Macquarie University Student Publication EDITORIAL & CREATIVE PRODUCTION Editor in Chief Deputy Editor Features Editor News Editor Regulars Editor Copy Editor Creative Director Illustrator

I can only assume that Grapeshot will continue to grow and improve. With the hard work of all our amazing contributors and team members, both past and present (mad crew love to y’all), we are going come thru and own 2015. So, just hold on (until next year), we going home (for now).

DISCLAIMER: I sincerely apologise for the disgusting overuse of terrible Drake references. It’s been a long year.

We’ve chosen ‘Green’ for our theme as it can be easily applied to so many topics, and to be frank, that makes our job a whole lot fuckin’ easier (I’m on my worst behaviour). However, it also means that we are able to include a great variety of topics that, if only vaguely, relate to the concept of ‘Green’.

Sarah Basford Kristina Cavanna Regina Featherstone Emma Vlatko Alessandro Guarrera Claire Catacouzinos Artistic Collaborations James Rotanson

MARKETING TEAM Advertising Manager Varun Fernando Marketing Manager Manisha Josephraja Social Media Manager Raelee Lancaster SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS Rana Al-Shibly, Neha Babu, Vanessa Capito, Alycia Crofton, Brendon D’Souza, Anna Glen, Sukriti Guatam, Fergus Halliday, Toby Hemmings, Mia Kwok, Michael Maglis, Natasha Michels, Ben Nour, Ingrid Pazderski, Nicholas Rider, Marie Claire Selim, Alex Slade, Jack Cameron Stanton, Rowan Taylor, Amelia van der Rijt and Nicholas Wasiliev.

In this issue, we discuss the legalisation of an old pal, Mary Jane (p. 24), we’ve penned an apology to Mother Nature (p. 28) as well as discussing the nature of green homes (p. 30). The up-andcoming comedy scene of Sydney makes an appearance (p. 22), as well as an exposé on the mysterious social media site ‘Ello’ that has been sneakily infiltrating your Facebook newsfeed (p. 32).

EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD Sarah Cameron, Kristofer Gilmour, Emma Grimley, Cindy Hoad, Nigel Khine, Jack Morgan, Natalie Morton, Gemma Quinn, Melroy Rodrigues RD SARAH BASFO OTOSHOP /PICASSO OF PH EF HI -C N R-I EDITO

PUBLISHER Craig Oliver The publication team acknowledges the Darug Aboriginal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which Macquarie University is situated.

CONTRIBUTOR OF THE MONTH Name: Alycia Crofton Age: 24 Studying: PhD Existential Research

WHAT GRAPESHOT MEANS TO YOU:

A creative team of cider-drinking fiends friends.

FUTURE ASPIRATIONS:

CEO of a social enterprise but I’ll let you know when I know.

YOUR FAVOURITE GREENS: Love a good shade of khaki. page 4 | grapeshot magazine

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NEW TERROR LAWS BEHIND THE VEIL ABBOTT’S ABSENCE AT CLIMATE SUMMIT THE UNSTOPPABLE EBOLA HONG KONG’S UMBRELLA REVOLUTION CAMBODIA: THE PRICE OF FREEDOM BUSHFIRE SEASON DIGGING INTO ITALY’S CARSULAE + MORE

NEWS

OBITUARY TO GOUGH

GOUGH WHITLAM (1916 - 2014) WORDS | Emma Vlatko

Aboriginal land rights, the arts, and infrastructure.

“Everywhere we look in our remarkable modern country, we see the hand and work of Whitlam.”

– Bill Shorten, 21 Oct 2014.

Internationally, the Whitlam Government was the first to recognise China’s communist government, a diplomatic relationship heavily relied upon by his predecessors. They also publicly denounced South Africa’s apartheid policy.

NEWS

local and global

Edward Gough Whitlam was born on 11 July, 1916.

Although born in Melbourne, Gough travelled between Sydney and Canberra throughout his schooling life. He eventually followed in the footsteps of his father, the former Crown Solicitor Fred Whitlam, and studied law at Sydney University. However, his studies were interrupted during the Second World War, when he joined the Sydney University Regiment and then later the Royal Australian Air Force. It was during this time that he joined the Australian Labor Party.

By 1952, Gough secured the South-Western Sydney seat of Werriwa, and by 1967 he was elected by the Labor caucus as Party Leader. As Opposition Leader, Gough Whitlam was the driving force of Labor Party reform, aiming to expand their voter base past the working class and unions. “He set about reforming and modernising and making our Party electable. He worked tirelessly to make the Labor Party a viable alternative government,” Senator John Faulkner said.

His hard work paid off, and after 23 years of conservative leadership, on 5 December 1972, Gough Whitlam was elected as 21st Prime Minister of Australia.

However, Whitlam was impatient for change. Unwilling to wait for his caucus to be selected, he and his Deputy, Lance Barnard spent their first two weeks in office in a duumvirate, juggling 27 portfolios between them.

Although only in office for three years, the Whitlam Government implemented one of the most ambitious reform agendas Australia has ever seen. He and his ministers ended Australian involvement in the Vietnam War, lowered the voting age to 18, abolished the White Australia Policy and conscription, introduced Medicare, made welfare payments available for single mothers and the homeless, implemented equal pay policies, and ratified the Racial Discrimination Act. He also brought drastic (but much needed) reform to Australia’s national anthem, environmental protection,

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Yet his most memorable achievement, for Grapeshot readers at least, is his efforts in education reform. Gough was a strong support of universal access to education, and within his first year in office, he abolished university and tafe fees, thereby allowing the working class to obtain a higher education.

“Nor shall talented young Australians any longer be deprived of opportunities for university education because of their parents’ lack of means ... We believe that university places should be provided wholly on the basis of merit.” – Gough Whitlam, 1969.

Unfortunately, Gough’s reforms came with a hefty economic price tag. As Graham Freudenberg, the former Prime Minister’s speech writer conceded, “we did too much too soon.”

In 1974, Gough called and won, a double dissolution, securing temporary support for his political policies. The success was short lived. Australia hit an economic slump, and the hostile senate withheld Whitlam the money to implement and finance his reforms.

On 11 November 1975, the Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed Gough and his government in what still is considered to be one of the most controversial decisions in Australian political history. “Well may we say ‘God Save the Queen’, because nothing will save the Governor-General.” – Gough Whitlam, 1975.

Gough retired from politics in 1978, after losing the 1977 federal election. However, he by no means shied away from public life. In 1983 he was appointed as the Australian Ambassador to UNESCO and in 1987 was appointed the Chairman of the National Gallery of Australia.

On 17 March 2012, Gough lost the love of his life, Margaret Whitlam, just one month shy of their 70th wedding anniversary.

And, almost two years later, on 21 October 2014, the Whitlam family announced that Gough had died at 2.00am in his Sydney nursing home. He was 98.

“I’ve never said I’m immortal. I do believe in correct language. I’m eternal; I’m not immortal.” – Gough Whitlam.

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NEW TERROR LAWS WORDS | Emma Vlatko

The government is calling for Team Australia to be alert, but not alarmed. In response to the escalating threat of Islamic State militants, the second of three new counter-terrorism law amendment packages has been introduced, passing through parliament with bipartisan support.

Objectors of the bill, the Greens and some key independents, have called the move “a gagging of debate”. They argue that the speed in which the amendments were rammed through both houses of parliament did not allow for any proper debate or scrutiny.

“I think this Parliament is being bullied to pass something in the heat of a national security crisis that we will later regret,” Greens Senator, Scott Ludlam told Fairfax Media.

However, both the government and opposition said these changes were necessary. Speaking at a press conference, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said his party would support the changes because “Labor believes our security agencies and national institutions should have the powers and resources they need to keep Australians safe from the threat of terrorism…”

The introduction of S35P also means that anyone, including journalists, whistleblowers, bloggers and tweeters alike, could be jailed for disclosing any information relating to a special intelligence operation.

Lastly, if considered necessary, ASIO officers now have the power to add, copy, delete or alter any data on any computer.

They also now, theoretically, only require one search warrant for the ‘entire internet’. The Greens also vehemently opposed this amendment, arguing for a limit of 20 devices to be included in one warrant. However, Senator Brandis rejected this, calling their amendments unworkable.

Putting aside the semantics, these laws have brought instanttangible-change to the Australian community. Security has been visibly increased in government buildings and at public events, Parliament House is now in virtual lockdown, and a series of high profile anti-terror raids, including one that left an 18 year old man dead, have left neighbours more terrified than ever.

local and global

“Regrettably, for some time to come, the delicate balance between freedom and security may have to shift.”

Tony Abbott, 22 September 2014.

And whether these laws have made our society safe… only time will tell.

Firstly, the changes expand what is considered to be a ‘terrorist act offence’. Now, a person can commit a crime if they plan or prepare, finance, provide or receive training for terrorist acts, or they advocate for terrorism.

The amendments also mean that the Australian Police may be able to arrest someone, without a warrant, merely for suspecting (on reasonable grounds) that the person has committed, or is committing a terrorism offence.

While the government was quick to assure the public that the expansion of these offences was, ‘a law of general application,’ deputy Greens leader, Adam Bandt, was unmoved. In a speech he said the changes overstep what is required. “The Parliament is dangerously close to giving the government unprecedented powers that would treat every Australian as a suspect.”

NEWS

So just what are these changes? Why are they so controversial?

And will they really stop the terrorists?

Secondly, under these proposed packages, those who travel to ‘declared areas’ (where terrorist groups operate) could face five years in jail if they cannot provide a valid reason for visiting, such as aid work.

Critics, including the Shadow Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, have slammed this change, labelling it unprecedented and draconian. “It appears to curtail not only freedom of movement but also the right to silence and the presumption of innocence.”

Thirdly, journalists can now be jailed for up to five years for disclosing information on covert intelligence operations, and up to ten years if that disclosure endangers lives. Reporters cannot escape prosecution by claiming their disclosure was in the public interest. The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) said these changes “overturned the public’s right to know.”

“The Bill muzzles the media from doing its job,” MEAA federal secretary Christopher Warren said. “It treats every Australian as a threat and denies their rights of access to information and freedom of expression.” grapeshotmq.com.au

grapeshot magazine | page 7

BEHIND THE VEIL WORDS | Rana Al-Shibly

Prime Minister Tony Abbott called them “confronting” and Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi called them “un-Australian” and Speaker of the House, Browyn Bishop called them “iconic items of defiance.”

The debate on the “banning of the burqa” is nothing new.

For years, politicians around the world have argued for its ban on the basis of national security. Indeed in 2010, France successfully banned all facial coverings, including the burqa and niqab, from public places.

NEWS

local and global

However, why has this issue suddenly re-emerged in Australia?

In late September, Senate President Stephen Perry and Speaker of the House Browyn Bishop announced an interim measure banning all facial coverings inside of Parliament house. Women wearing Islamic veils who wished to visit the government building, would be forced to sit in a glass enclosure – a room normally reserved for noisy school children.

While the Prime Minister quickly stepped in to formally request the “management measure” to be removed, it was not enough to quell the public outrage.

Firstly, it is worth noting that the very foundations of this campaign are wrong. A burqa is a type of veil worn in Afghanistan, where the face is covered by a form of mesh netting. The burqa is frequenly mentioned in the media but is more commonly known as the niqab.

Whether this mix up proves the ignorance of the campaign, or that those running it simply love a good alliteration, we don’t know. What is clear, however, is that whichever term is used, the effects of the campaign will be just as divisive and dangerous.

Politicians argue that the burqa and other religious facial coverings are national security issues. In a press conference, Palmer United Party Senator Jacquie Lambie, a vocal supporter of the campaign, stated that “it is like a motorbike helmet, it is like a balaclava. I will not allow you to wear that into my office because it is a security risk.”

However, representatives of the NSW Muslim Legal Network argue that the campaign is “very dangerous, hurtful, divisive and inflammatory” and that it will only fuel the aims of extremist groups such as Islamic State (IS). Not only does the campaign allow for IS to imbed an ideology in the minds of young Islamic Australians that they do not belong in the country, it also furthers the belief within the wider community that Islam is averse to the Australian way of life.

Independent Member of Dension Andrew Wilkie agreed, labelling it as “religious apartheid.”

Indeed, Islamic organisations in Australia say that since the move to ban facial coverings there have been over 30 religiously motivated attacks, most of them on women wearing the hijab.

This claim has been supported by ABC journalist Sarah Sedghi, who in a report for AM found that many Islamic women have been verbally abused on trains and in local parks, been labelled as ‘terrorists’ or even had their veils ripped off by complete strangers on the street.

“I’m used to being stared at because of how I’m dressed,” Mrs Jones told News.com. “Now people are starting to smile and say hello. It’s almost like they are trying to say they don’t agree with what is being said [in Parliament].”

Although there does seem to be a silver lining. Some Muslim women say that this latest attempt has pushed the issue into the spotlight, attracting mainstream media attention. And this, according to Kathyrn Jones, is in turn creating some positive conversation.

Clearly, the wearing of an Islamic veil has divided the Australian community and looks set to be a controversial topic for some time. The actions by some of our politicians have done nothing but fuel, and give legitimacy to, the rampant Islamophobia within Australian society today.

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ABBOTT’S ABSENCE AT CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is on a collision court with scientific facts and global discourse. Despite being in New York at the time, Australia’s Head of Government chose not to attend the 2014 UN Climate Change Summit, but instead sending Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

The move attracted global criticism.

“We can only succeed in combating climate change if we are joined in this effort by every nation – developed and developing alike. Nobody gets a pass,” President Obama said, a jab clearly directed at Australia and Canada’s absence.

“I’m disappointed but not surprised with Australia,” Pa Ousman Jarju, Gambia’s Climate Change Minister told the Responding to Climate Change analysis website. “What the Foreign Minister said was as good as not coming. It’s nothing … as good as not attending.”

Until recently, Australia had been at the forefront of climate action. For decades, our scientists and research institutions have played an integral role in climate change research. Their work has led to the creation of vital education programs and adaption strategies, implemented globally.

However, Australia is a large culprit in carbon pollution and recent domestic studies have shown we are not doing enough to tackle this global problem.

Earlier this year, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) informed Environment Minister Greg Hunt that the record temperatures of 2013 were directly linked to human induced climate change. They warned of more unpredictable and extreme weather patterns if Australia continued to do nothing.

Despite these warnings, Abbott’s advisors remain perplexingly unconvinced. According to Pedestrian.tv

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Tony Abbott’s chief business advisor, Maurice Newman slammed the BoM, labelling them as untrustworthy, bias and data riggers. This stance has not only put the Abbott Government at odds with the bulk of scientific research, but also the rest of the world.

While heads of State for both China and India, two of the worlds biggest polluters, were absent from the Summit, the 900 world and business leaders who did attend were in complete agreement. The world cannot afford another failure like the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.

Speaking at the conference, French President François Hollande said “it is very important for us to win this battle and ensure an agreement can be reached.”

Together, he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged one billion dollars each to a Green fund for climate aid for developing nations.

However, the New York Summit was not all politics. Amongst the governments were representatives from businesses and non-govermental organisations, all of whom were making their own pledges to help reduce global emissions. The biggest commitment was made by reinsurance company, Swiss Re, setting aside ten billion dollars to assist up to 50 poorer countries on climate risk resilience.

NEWS

“We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last to be able to do anything about it.”

– US President, Barack Obama, Sept, 2014.

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WORDS | Michael Maglis

Similarly, public pressure on this issue has never been stronger, with 310 000 demonstrators having marched on New York’s Sixth Avenue in the lead up to the Summit, which included celebrities such as Leonardo Di Caprio, Mark Ruffalo and Sting.

“We cannot pretend we do not hear them. We have to answer the call,” President Obama said, as he acknowledged the large protests.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott will have another, and perhaps final chance to redeem his environmental credentials next year at the 2015 UN Convention on Climate Change in Paris.

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The Ebola Virus has put the world on high alert, and unfortunately, it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

The global death toll is now close to 5000, with projections showing that this could more than triple by the end of the year. While the bulk of these deaths have been in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, the virus is very quickly spreading out of Africa. By early October, Spain had confirmed four cases of the virus, and the United States reported its first victim.

NEWS

local and global

Thomas Duncan’s death, and now Nina Pham (the nurse who originally treated Duncan’s infection, has finally sent a much needed wake up call to the Western world.

New York’s John F Kennedy Airport has introduced a screening process for passengers travelling from areas known to be infected with the Ebola virus. And these screening processes are expected to be implemented in other major US airports.

THE

UNSTOPPABLE

EBOLA VIRUS WORDS | Ingrid Pazderski

Australia has also been directly affected, when nurse Sue Kovack admitted herself to hospital showing symptoms similar to the Ebola virus. While Kovack, who had been working in West African Ebola clinics, tested negative for the virus, the scare gave Australia a shocking reality check that if left alone, Ebola is likely to reach our shores.

Aside from helping to stop the virus, Australia’s main focus now is to prevent the spread of misinformation.

Remaining educated about Ebola and its effects is imperative in fighting the disease.

NON-GO8 UNIVERSITIES NOT HAPPY WITH EDUCATION CHANGES

Middle tier and regional universities have come together to voice their concern over the proposed changes to higher education. The universities claim that the changes will leave them worse off, by hurting both their brand and their students.

At a conference in Melbourne on 1 October, Southern Cross University Vice Chancellor Peter Lee said the government’s proposed changes will leave his university at a competitive disadvantage.

Professor Lee argued that the proposed changes ignored the fact that not all universities would be starting off on equal footing in the marketplace. Well-established universities would then be able to use their market advantage to charge more to students and dominate research capabilities.

“I want Southern Cross University to be ‘competitive’ because students want to come here. I don’t want to be ‘competitive’ because we’re ‘cheap and nasty’,” he said.

Swinburne University Vice Chancellor Linda Kristjanson also expressed her concerns. Particularly, that the new system would lock out talented disadvantaged students.

Professor Kristjanson has proposed amendments to the changes, capping the annual loan amount students can borrow. Unlimited Student-HELP loans, she said, make it too easy for universities to charge students too much.

page 10 | grapeshot magazine

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WORDS | Emma Vlatko

Just days after the Hong Kong Government cancelled formal negotiations with student activists, forcing over 10,000 pro-democracy supports back onto the city’s streets, the first attempt has been made to put an end to the demonstrations.

Pro-democracy protesters have labelled the changes “a betrayal of the basic principle of one person, one vote.” They have vowed to veto the changes and are demanding for the resignation of Hong Kong Chief Executive, CY Leung.

On Monday 13 October, Hong Kong authorities tried to clear protest barricades in the Admiralty area, one of the main sit-in sites. The failed attempt resulted in violent scuffles with student protesters and frustrated Hong Kong commuters.

While for the most part, the Hong Kong Government have ignored the demonstrations, authorities have warned they will take whatever actions necessary to control the demonstrations if they get out of hand.

“I think they were testing us,” Jason Chan, a 20-year-old Hong Kong University student, told the LA Times.

Protests began in mid-September after China’s Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress announced electoral reforms to be put in place for the upcoming 2016/2017 Hong Kong elections.

The reforms mean that the candidates for Chief Executive will be selected by an election committee rather than civil nomination, effectively preventing any pro-democracy candidates from running. Furthermore, any new Chief Executive voted in would not be officially recognised until given full approval by the Chinese Central Government. grapeshotmq.com.au

local and global

NEWS

HONG KONG’S UMBRELLA REVOLUTION

“To restore order,” police spokesperson Steve Hui says, “we are determined and we are confident we have the capability to take any necessary action.”

In light of the latest scuffles, protest leaders are urging their supporters to remain peaceful “we also ask you to stand by the principle of nonviolent disobedience in the face of the police’s clearance. We believe that the success of the movement hinges on our perseverance in the spirit of democracy, love and peace.”

However, even if the protesters remain peaceful, it’s clear that the Hong Kong and Chinese Governments are quickly losing their patience, and that it’ll only be a matter of time until this impasse ends. grapeshot magazine | page 11

BUSHFIRE SEASON WORDS | Amelia van der Rijt Bushfire season is once again upon us, and with temperatures tipped to soar ten degrees above average, the NSW Rural Fire Service is urging all residents to get prepared. “I can’t risk firefighters’ lives to send them in to protect a property where the effort hasn’t been made to protect it in the pre-season,” NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Orana team manager says. “My plea to the public is, help us help you.”

NEWS

local and global

So what do you need to do to prepare for a bushfire?

First off, ensure your household has a bushfire survival plan. Fire can travel and change direction rapidly, and firefighters may not be immediately available in your area. It is crucial that you know whether you will stay and defend or evacuate. You should also ensure you have an appropriate back-up plan.

Next, consider ways that you can make your home more fire-resistant. Many plant materials are highly flammable, so ensure you cut back any overhanging plants, keep the grass short, and clear away dried leaves and plant waste.

You should also check your hoses, ensuring you have at least one that can stretch to reach every part of the house.

Creating a survival kit is another must. In a water-proof container, include torches, a battery-operated radio, a first aid kit, blankets, copies of important documents, a pocket knife, and emergency phone numbers. If you have to leave, remember to add other essentials like credit cards, a change of clothes, drinking water, and medications. And don’t forget to prepare for your pets – ensure they have appropriate identification, food and water. Make sure the kit is easy to access, and that every member of the household knows its location.

Lastly, familiarise yourself with the different fire danger ratings, for example, a ‘catastrophic’ rating means that you should leave as soon as possible. Make sure you also understand important terms such as ‘emergency warning’, ‘watch and act’, and ‘advice’.

For more information, a detailed guide can be obtained from the NSW Fire Service website, and apps for iOS and Androids are now available. ‘Liking’ your local fire station and emergency services on Facebook can also help ensure you are up to date on any fire activity in your area.

THE PRICE OF FREEDOM? WORDS | Neha Babu Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison’s agreement with Cambodian Interior Minister Sar Kheng to relocate asylum seekers from Nauru into the developing nation was signed amidst warm handshakes and the delicate clinking of ‘customary’ champagne flutes. The deal will see four of five refugees, currently on Nauru, resettled in Cambodia, with more expected to join the program in the future.

“We’re not rushing this – it’s important we get the arrangements right. There are many challenges in running a resettlement program here, we know that,” the Minister said.

A document leaked to Australian journalists shows that the deal would entirely be funded by the Australian government, expected to cost taxpayers over $40 million. Upon arriving in Cambodia, the refugees would be provided with health insurance and temporary accommodation in the capital city Phnom Penh, before being relocated outside the congested area. While participation in the resettlement program is voluntary, the number of refugees to be resettled would be determined solely by the Cambodian government. page 12 | grapeshot magazine

However, the five minute ceremony was at stark contrast to the mass of protesters rallying outside the Australian embassy. More than 1000 Cambodians, including monks, students and union representatives took to the streets of Phnom Penh, to voice their disgust at the deal, and demanded that it be abolished.

In Australia, the mood is similarly tense. Several human rights groups have accused the Abbott government of abrogating its international responsibilities regarding refugee assistance, labelling the deal as “shameful”.

“In January the Australian Government condemned Cambodia’s human rights record at a UN human rights hearing, but will now relocate vulnerable refugees, possibly including children, to the country,” Amnesty International spokesman Rupert Abbott said.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres agrees and has urged Australia to reconsider. In a press release he stated that it is “crucial [that] countries do not shift their refugee responsibilities elsewhere.”

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MQ HONOURS The spring graduation ceremonies at Macquarie University have seen a new round of famous and distinguished faces bestowed with honorary doctorates.

The list this semester included swimmer, Ian Thorpe, Reserve Bank Board Member, Heather Ridout, and Australian actress, Cate Blanchett.

Blanchett’s appearance caused particular excitement with the Macquarie graduates, some of whom used their time on stage to get a ‘selfie’ with the award winning actress. Even Vice Chancellor, Professor Bruce Downton couldn’t ignore the fanfare, acknowledging the high profile guest.

“Many of the students graduating today will feel great affection for Cate Blanchett,” he said. “Having grown up watching her in some of the most iconic films of their childhood and adolescence…”

President of the Australian Human Rights Commission Gillian Triggs was also honoured this semester, receiving a Doctor of Laws honoris causa. The Emeritus Professor used her speech to draw attention to the latest round of anti-terror laws.

“For we do live in troubling times,” she said. “Over the last few months and indeed recent days, we’ve seen unprecedented efforts by the Australian Government to expand its executive discretion… It’s more important than ever that we support the rule of law.”

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DO RANKINGS MATTER? Macquarie was one of many Australian universities to rise in international rankings this year, rising nine places to equal 254th on the QS World University Rankings.

However, should Universities (or their prospective students) care about world rankings?

The Grattan Institute’s Higher Education Program Director Andrew Norton doesn’t think so, calling the rankings unreliable. “They should not be used as a guide for which university to go to,” he says.

Australian Higher Education Academic Simon Marginson agrees, telling a conference last year that the rankings “were rubbish”.

“Rankings feed reputation, which feeds into resources, which sustain reputation and maintain ranking position,” Marginson says.

Although pleased with the latest rankings, Deputy ViceChancellor for Corporate Engagement and Advancement, Professor David Wilkinson says he understands the nature of world rankings. “Each of the major rankings systems measure different things, and each of their methodologies are controversial in their own way.”

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MACQUARIE DIGGGING INTO ITALY’S CARSULAE An international archaeology partnership has given 11 Macquarie University students the chance to learn excavation and pottery analysis techniques in Carsulae, Italy.

The Australian Carsulae Archaeological Project (ACAP), directed by Macquarie University’s Dr Jaye McKenzieClark, gives students the opportunity to get hands-on experience in archaeological fieldwork, giving them unique access to the basically untouched Roman site in the Umbria region.

An expert in ceramics, Dr McKenzie-Clark has also teamed up with fellow Macquarie University Lecturer and Professor of Radiology, John Magnussen. Together, they have used dual-energy CT (DECT), a technique commonly used for medical problems such as kidney stones, to quickly analyse ancient pottery compositions without touching or destroying the artefacts.

“We would never have gained permission of the Soprintendenza per i Beni archeologici dell’Umbria and the Italian Ministry of Culture to bring 360 samples back to Australia if we had to destroy them,” she said, speaking to the Macquarie University newsroom.

The program has received widespread attention, with the Australian Ambassador to Italy, Mike Rann, visiting the site in late September. “[He] came to visit us at the sight on Friday,” Macquarie student and program participant, Raelee Lancaster said.

“He helped us excavate for about 10 minutes, and then spent the whole day with Jaye.”

Lancaster, who is also the Grapeshot Social Media Editor says the experience has been amazing.

“The experience has been really enjoyable and I have learned quite a lot from just the first week. I’m looking forward to learning more about what being an archaeologist entails, as well as experiencing the richness of Italian history and culture.”

MQ ‘MOST INFLUENTIAL’ Five Macquarie University alumni and staff have been named in the Australian Financial Review and Westpac 100 Women of Influence Awards for 2014.

Recognised in areas ranging from climate change to

page 14 | grapeshot magazine

public policy, Professor Emerita Ann Henderson-Sellers, Professor Rosalind Croucher, Alumnus Christine Nixon and Alumni Stephanie Lorenzo and Jennifer Star all received awards for their individual achievements.

In an interview with the Macquarie University newsroom, Professor Henderson-Sellers said being recognised was a fantastic honour. “Women can, and do influence society every day. We need to applaud their...input and help girls and younger women succeed in non-traditional areas and roles.”

The women were officially celebrated at a Gala event in Sydney’s Town Hall on Wednesday 22 October. grapeshotmq.com.au

REGULARS Sustainable Media 16 History in Review 17 Talkin’ Shit with Manisha 18 Street Style on Campus 18

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TOP 10 SUSTAINABLE MEDIA WORDS | Alycia Crofton

S

ustainability is a word surrounded by way too much confusion.

However, those working to support the wellbeing of our environment are getting on the right track with social media. Find the good ones and you will be continually inspired to embrace a healthy lifestyle change. These are just a few of my personal favourite websites, pages and Instagram accounts.

Alycia’s Top 10 Sustainable Media accounts to follow:

SBS FEAST MAGAZINE (PRINT, @ SBSFEASTMAGAZINE) This one is to make you drool over food from around the world, motivate you to try new things and cook!

YOUTH FOOD MOVEMENT (FB: YFMAUSTRALIA, @YFMAUSTRALIA) A group of young volunteers building our food IQ through fun facts, events and supporting producers that are doing their bit for a sustainable community.

Follow on Facebook and Instagram for info on upcoming events and opportunities to get involved.

THE BHARANI EFFECT (@ THEBHARANIEFFECT) Cool people advertising events, products and profiling other cool people to inspire conscious living all round. Also yummy, healthy food porn.

RECYCLART (PINTEREST, WEB: RECYCLART.ORG) Recycling to the extreme. There are some seriously creative people out there turning plastic bottles into jewellery and egg cartons into tables. This will make you think twice before throwing anything out.

ALEXX STUART (@ALEXX_STUART, FB: ALEXX.STUART.BLOG) A super mum blogger that gets real with eating, cooking and reducing our everyday reliance on packaging and plastic. She’s good at cutting through all the internet crap and telling you what’s important with a holistic attitude. Also lots of good recipes that even her kids make and eat – so you can too!

LEXICON OF SUSTAINABILITY (FB: THELEXICON, @LEXICONPROJECT) If you’re a little confused by all the jargon surrounding sustainability, particularly agriculture and food, this one’s for you.

The project aims to educate people about the basic definition of sustainability so that we can make informed choices and educate others.

EATING B FOOD WITH HANDS?

urgers, french-fries, crisps or chips, pizza, wedges and onion rings are some of the most popular foods across the globe. Is it a mere coincidence that they’re eaten by hand?

WORDS | Sukriti Guatam page 16 | grapeshot magazine

According to Ayurvedic texts, all humans are made up of five elements and each of our fingers correspond to these elements.

The thumb indicates fire, the index finger correlates with air, the middle finger indicates sky, the ring finger stands for earth, and the little finger indicates water. All of these elements keep our body balanced, and any imbalance can cause diseases or indigestion.

Ayurveda further specifies that when we eat, our hands form a stance or mudra, which in turn helps in healing and energising the food.

SHOP ETHICAL! (APP AVAILABLE FROM WWW.ETHICAL.ORG.AU) If you’re concerned about the ethical production of what your next pair of jeans are, or trying to choose the better of two evils in the cereal aisle, this is a really simple guide that rates brands on their social and environmental impacts. It’s regularly updated to include information from reputable sources and new brand ratings. The guide is available online and as a mobile app for Apple and Android.

GREEN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE (PINTEREST, @GREENLIFESTYLEMAG) Their print version is no longer available but hopefully that means their Instagram and Pinterest pages will just get prettier.

They have everything you need to know about on their website too to infuse sustainable living in your diet, garden, wardrobe and more.

GOOD FOOD MONTH (@ GOODFOODMONTH) One more food porn account to follow PLUS keep up to date with all the cool events and happenings in Sydney celebrating good food!

DISCOVER TASMANIA (@TASMANIA) Just amazing photos of Tasmania’s natural beauty to keep you inspired about the world. There’s no place like it.

When we eat anything with our hands it involves an extra and an important sense to this activity: touch. Hands act as a very fine temperature sensor. When we touch foods with our hands, we can easily gauge the temperature, making us less likely to put food that is too hot into our mouths, preventing the tongue from any harm.

When food is touched with the hands, an immediate notification is sent to the stomach through the brain. This advance information helps food to be better digested.

If you don’t believe it then try eating frenchfries with a fork and feel the difference.

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WHEN RUSTY MET ROTTY HISTORY IN REVIEW WORDS | Claire Catacouzinos

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lose your eyes. Imagine a garden with Doric marble colonnades and a mosaic floor depicting a goddess reclining, a pillow under her arm, wearing a laurel wreath, her breasts exposed under a transparent chiton. In the centre of the internal garden there stands a waterfountain, a nymph bending over, pouring water from a jug, her face frozen in time.

A perfect example to visualise this scene is from Pompeii at the House of the Vetti. Or perhaps you want to picture the inside of an Egyptian tomb, or an enclosed garden in a temple, lotus flowers planted along a fishpond with palm trees.

forward to the 21st century and construction sites are littered with soot and machine tools, still with hardworking men, but their resources are industrial – concrete, slabs of brick, and metal.

Centrepieces. Statues. Terraced gardens.

Peristyles. Courtyards. Obelisks. Pyramids.

Temples. These are the natural artworks forged by the hands of craftsmen, architects, and artists over history. They used natural resources, like limestone, marble, granite, sandstone, clay, and alabaster – the stone quarries were their construction sites. Fast

National Geographic claims in Aftermath: World Without Humans that if mankind were to disappear from the Earth, buildings would begin to crumble under natural stresses. And what buildings do you think those are? Even Professor Will Steffen on The Anthropocene in TEDxCanberra shows us the

What does this say about our society’s future? About the historic buildings we’ll leave behind? Will our earth end up abandoned, and covered in pollution and waste like in the movie WALL-E? Are we a ‘throw-away society’, over consuming, and obsessed with excessive production of disposable items thanks to the spread of industrialisation and modernity?

overwhelming impact humanity has had on earth since the Industrial Revolution.

So what do you think is the future of our earth? And what stamp do we want our society to leave in history?

NOT JUST A GIRL

THING.

WORDS | Raelee Lancaster

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have something to say that some people might find highly controversial – men can be feminists too! When talking to a friend about Emma Watson’s recent UN speech and the introduction of the HeForShe campaign, she said that Watson’s speech was not about feminism because she spoke largely about men.

While I understand and acknowledge my friend’s view on the subject, I have to disagree. Feminism is the name, gender equality is the aim. It’s only because the title ‘feminist’ is usually associated with women, therefore men tend to shy away from the ‘F-word’ instead of embracing it.

By a man identifying as a feminist, he is furthering the feminist cause. In her speech Watson says, “Men—I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue too.” And she is right. Instead of being seen as strong and brave for advocating women’s rights, showing their emotions or tackling a stay-at-parenting job, men are fearful of being seen as weak or feminine.

What they need to realise is that they are

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needed to teach the future generation that gender equality is a serious issue which is to be fought by both sexes, and most importantly, that it is okay for boys to be feminists as well. Not humanists. Not gender-equalists. Feminists. Because at the end of the day, we all want the same thing and have for many, many years. We want to live in a world where our children are not disadvantaged or stereotyped because of their genitalia. So stop being afraid of one little word, because if you believe in equality, you might be one of those inadvertent feminists Watson applauds in her speech.

As she stated in her speech, “If we stop defining each other by what we are not, and start defining ourselves by what we are – we can all be freer and this is what HeForShe is about. It’s about freedom.” grapeshot magazine | page 17

TALKIN’ SHIT

PHOTOS | Natasha Michels Chantal Romeo

B Arts, mjr in Sociology & Cultural Studies JACKET Paper Hearts SHIRT Dangerfield Outlet LEGGINGS American Apparel SOCKS Dangerfield SHOES Online BAG Its a band bag.

WITH MANISHA

What do you do to make your wardrobe a little more eco-friendly?

Op-shop as much as possible, and resell things instead of chucking them out.

WORDS | Manisha Josephraja While Manisha is currently studying a Business & Psychology degree, talking shit is her passion. If there was a degree in talking shit, she’d definitely be awarded first class honours.

MY GIRLFRIEND HAS JUST RECENTLY BECOME A VEGAN. I’M HAPPY FOR HER TO LIVE HER LIFE THIS WAY, BUT SHE WANTS ME TO BECOME ONE TOO. THE ONLY PROBLEM IS I LOVE MEAT. SHOULD I TRY IT OUT FOR HER SAKE OR DO I STICK TO MY GUNS ON THIS ONE? You don’t make friends with salad.

I wish that could be my entire answer, but I have to fill the rest of this space with some kind of vaguely useful advice. It’s great that you’re being supportive, but it’s important to not feel like you have to sacrifice your own happiness in the process as well. Don’t patronise her with statements like “it’s just a phase” or anything else that minimises the significance of her choices; she has every right to make her own choices as you do.

A vegan diet has been shown to prevent a number of diseases, increase energy levels, and this one is the one that really blows me away – many vegans report no longer having morning breath! There’s no harm in giving it a go, and if it’s not for you, your girlfriend should be supportive of that decision too.

Sophie Peek B Law/Psychology

JACKET Myer TOP Dotti SKIRT Sportsgirl BAG Forever New SHOES Bettas.

What do you do to make your wardrobe a little more eco-friendly?

Sharing clothes with siblings.

ST ST REE YL T IN

We to to ok a t he s k a t o t h f a s i r w a fe w s e p a t e ve h i o n- rd r o t u d e n h s o f com nts a relat bes. F ts ab ca m h it i n g n d g i e d n e or m ou t pu s Fac up A to M veaw ws, ore e b o S O a c q ay s ok S at u a r .

MQ ie on

Masters in Neuropsychology JASHIRT Kmart CARDIGAN Somewhere in Newtown SKIRT From a friend who moved to New York SHOES Wittner SOCKS Japan SCARF From my mum BAG Portmans

As Adam Levine says “It’s not always rainbows and butterflies. It’s compromise that moves us along.” Adam has a mostly vegan diet and a smoking hot Victoria’s Secret model as a wife too, so I don’t think this should be a deal breaker for you. If it is, then you should revaluate your relationship. First, you’ll give up eating animal products, then it will be the beard, then your friends, then your dog, then your independence! Won’t somebody think of the children?! Have I taken this too far? In summary, animal product consumption and you = fine, no animal product consumption and you = also fine.

Steak it out and see what happens.

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Chloe Gott

What do you do to make your wardrobe a little more eco-friendly?

I get lots of things from friends.

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BEING FOOD LITERATE

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WORDS | Alycia Crofton

EVERYTHING YOU EAT HAS GONE THROUGH A PROCESS OF PRODUCTION TO GET TO YOUR MOUTH, BUT DO YOU REALISE WHAT IS INVOLVED FROM PASTURE TO PLATE? ALYCIA CROFTON WENT TO THE YOUTH FOOD MOVEMENT IN SYDNEY TO LEARN EXACTLY WHERE HER FOOD COMES FROM.

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ou might identify as a vegetarian, follow the paleo way or make do with whatever is on special at Woolworths. Whatever your flavour, we all have a relationship with food, whether it involves love, hate or general confusion.

The health of this relationship can influence our physical and mental health as well as our social lives and bank balance. Food plays an integral role in our everyday, yet likely because of its habitual use, we don’t take the time to really think about what we are putting in our bodies and where it came from. Our food choices not only impact the health of our bodies, but also the health of our communities, economy and natural environment.

Food literacy is not exactly taught in school, and unless you are specifically interested, not at university either. Your food ‘IQ’ and eating habits can be defined by your childhood, your parents, and cultural traditions. In adulthood it is often finances, convenience, and ego that determine what goes into your mouth.

Everything you eat goes through the organs of your digestive system and components filter through your liver, kidneys, blood, eventually interacting on some level with every cell in your body.

The more processed your food, the harder it is for your body to break down. The choices you make every day also affect the swaying trends of consumerism, the marketing of large and small businesses alike, and the income of producers and farmers. When you pay for a certain food item you are essentially casting a vote that says ‘I want more’.

Big names in the food industry such as Jamie Oliver and Stephanie Alexander are well known advocates of improving the food literacy of communities, especially children and youth. These two in particular have developed educational programs for communities to regain knowledge about cooking, growing food and taking responsibility for what you choose to put in your body and your families. Numerous bloggers, social activists and nutritionists have also jumped on the bandwagon to communicate their opinions and stories to a willing public. There is a growing movement happening right now that is asking individuals to take personal responsibility for their choices while

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demanding transparency and support for education from authorities.

This active movement comes from growing global concerns of food security, overpopulation and poverty. The concerning increase in obesity and disease in developed nations is also strongly connected to our love of new, highly processed foods. Coupled with savvy marketing and corporate sponsorship, our major food companies and government authorities are not motivated to backtrack such developments.

There are a growing number of youth out there that are starting to question the ways we’ve been eating as a nation.

The Youth Food Movement (YFM) is a wonderful example of these informed folks, sharing their knowledge and love of food through online campaigns and fun events.

One such event series is ‘Meet the Maker’ the second of which was a huge success last month. The team searches for farmers from a variety of backgrounds and industries that are interested in connecting with their young consumers. A fun night of discussions is facilitated in an intimate city bar where a hundred young people get to learn the process food goes through before hitting their plate and ask their questions direct to the source. Project leader, Helena describes the event as an “approachable, relaxed, and an experiential learning process. By bringing two farmers into a local city bar you can feed your mind and bellies.” You also get to taste the farmers produce – October’s event focused on eggs and dairy which the local chef transformed into milkshakes and fancy hors d’oeuvres.

Previous guests who do not necessarily have a foodie background were keen to further support the farmers they met, and as Helena puts it, “putting a face to the produce and having the opportunity to hear some of the farmers stories forges an emotional connection between the people who eat the food and the people who grow it.”

Helena herself has been working on the event and social media management side of YFM* which has been great experience for her own lifestyle and career being “empowered to test out new skills” in a “seriously supportive environment” of like-minded, passionate people. “I have become purchased savvy when I choose

the food that I eat, and am also much more aware of the businesses that I choose to buy my food because I want to support individuals who are passionate, transparent and environmentally light-treading when it comes to the way that they conduct their business. I literally put my money where my mouth is.”

The City of Sydney council is stepping up to the plate, having just laid plans for a new project to bring the farm to the city, literally. By the end of next year a fully functioning farm and educational centre will be built for inner city residents to visit and facilitate interaction with the source of their food. This acknowledgment of the lack of connection and education surrounding food is a great leap forward to developing more sustainable cities and reducing our reliance on corporate producers.

Stepping away from the supermarket every now and then, and walking through a farmers market is an enjoyable experience that indulges all the senses.

You can have a friendly chat with the producers, taste test their produce and see all the varieties of colourful vegetables and fresh meats that are often not available in a supermarket. It gives you more appreciation for the food you buy, allowing you to be healthy and sustainable at the same time. If you don’t live near one, the farmer’s market now comes to you on campus with a Harvest Hub stall every Wednesday (central courtyard) and Saturday (gym). I’ve personally started buying lots from these guys and it’s always fresh and comes way under budget.

There is no need to fit a standard or hierarchy over what everyone should and shouldn’t be eating. As long as we do not remain ignorant and are able to truthfully admit that we are the product of our choices – then that’s the best we can do. It’s not easy to change a lifelong habit, but it’s not hard to learn something new. Read a book, a blog, an article, or at the least the ingredients on a food package. You’ve only got one body so you might as well put good things in it while supporting a healthier, happier lifestyle change for everyone.

THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF MEET THE MAKER WILL BE IN FEBRUARY 2015 AND YOU CAN FOLLOW THE YOUTH FOOD MOVEMENT ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER FOR DETAILS OF ALL UPCOMING EVENTS. grapeshot magazine | page 21

ALL GREEN LIG WORDS | Anna Glen

EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT MELBOURNE IS AUSTRALIA’S COMEDY CAPITAL, BUT SYDNEY HAS SOME UKNOWN AND HIDDEN VENUES THAT ARE SHOWCASING YOUNG TALENT. ANNA GLEN WENT TO SURRY HILLS AND FOUND THE ‘ALL GREEN LIGHTS’ COMEDY NIGHT.

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ydney is not known for its bustling comedy scene. For most, Melbourne is seen as the comedy hub of Australia. What many Sydneysiders may not know is that they are sitting on the training ground for many of comedy’s best up-and-comers. With a number of comedy rooms popping up around Sydney in just the last two years, the city has become a lucrative base for new comedians or those who just want to try their hand at comedy. Green Lights Comedy Nights in Surry Hills is symptomatic of this trend; what began as a small venture between two friends now showcases the bestundiscovered talent in Sydney.

Green Lights is a particularly popular venue among comics Australia-wide. What began as a casual open mic night and has developed into a space where Sydney’s hard working comedians want to secure a gig. With no open mic spots on the books, Green Lights is now one of the only curated shows in Sydney.

Co-founders Alexei Toliopoulos and Nikko Maylon established the room nearly a year-and-a-half ago because of a perceived lack of opportunities in the Sydney comedy scene. “When we first came up with Green Lights, it was just meant to be an open mic thing. Fun for us.

We were just two uni students; we didn’t really know anything about the comedy scene when we started,” Maylon says. Since then, they say growth in Sydney comedy has been exponential.

By contrast, Toliopoulos and Maylon perform and attend shows almost every day of the week and handpick comedians they know and see on the comedy circuit.

Toliopoulos says he and Maylon put on “the best people that we see doing the work” and aim to provide a room that represents what the current comedy scene.

Toliopoulos and Maylon concede that Melbourne is renowned for comedy. After all, it is home to one of the biggest comedy festivals in the world, let alone Australia.

But it may be that Sydneysiders have greater access to the future leaders of comedy.

Toliopoulos says, “Melbourne is known but Sydney is strong. Sydney is on the burner.

It’s going to pop.”

Sydney also seems to be a spot where comedians thicken their skin before setting off to Melbourne. “You will see a lot of comics from Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth, and Darwin come to Sydney first because there is a bit of a reputation of Sydney crowds, they are harder crowds to please and so if you want to be good, you have to get good,” says Toliopoulos.

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Mug and Kettle Comedy – which the duo describe as the ‘backbone’ of Sydney comedy – was set up around the same time as Green Lights and is the main provider of open mic standup, where anyone can sign-up and is guaranteed four minutes of stage time.

Toliopoulos says Green Lights Comedy Nights are about producing “the best show for the audience” and creating “a culture around the room”. This culture is perceivable by the fact that the pair are familiar with their audience, whether they be friends, regular attendees or comedians themselves.

In this sense the audience is ‘familial’ and one of the only rooms where “comedians in our scene come to just watch.” It does not take long to realise that the comedy scene hosts a close-knit community of comics.

Maylon agrees, adding “There’s almost a show on every night. So we [the comics] have the opportunity to hang out every night. The fantastic thing about Green Lights is that a lot of the comics will not perform every month, but they’ll come anyway because they love the environment of it.”

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GHTS The room has attracted a cult following consisting of friends, comedians and those who have arrived through word of mouth.

It is a formula that has produced a palpable positive vibe in the room.

The name Green Lights reflects the affable atmosphere. “Green Lights means positive. Positive affirmation. Having a good time. Enjoying yourself. Doing the work. We have a reputation because of that,” says Toliopoulos. This does not mean that every comedian impresses. Most do, but some routines fail to hit the mark and not all the performances will be to everyone’s taste.

But Toliopoulos and Maylon are right about the atmosphere; the audience is warm. You want the comedians to do well.

When each comedian takes the stage, there is a feeling of both excitement and encouragement.

The venue itself also carries a certain charm despite being fairly no-frills. The room is large, but at the same time still feels cozy. The décor is a combination of vintage style furniture and stackable chairs. There are plenty of available seats and a couch near the front of the stage for those who want to get particularly comfy.

Even if comedy is not your thing, pints can be purchased for just $7, which is minuscule by Surry Hills standards.

Green Lights Comedy Nights is held in the Gaelic Club at 8pm on the final Friday of every month. Entry is $5.

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WORDS | Ben Nour

THERE’S A LOT OF TALK OF LEGALISING RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA, BUT IS EVERY UNIVERSITY STUDENT HAPPY ABOUT THIS AS POPULAR CULTURE WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE?

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eed, pot, hash, grass, hemp. There are numerous slang words used to refer to cannabis and seemingly just as many films, TV shows and songs about its use with Pineapple Express, Weeds and Afroman’s criminally underrated ‘Because I Got High’ coming to mind. The discussion for legalisation in Australia for both recreational and medicinal purpose is becoming more heated with Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently stating he approves of cannabis for medical purposes. The problem lies in the unknown long term effects and that everybody has a different opinion backed up by research, science, or personal experience.

While popular culture would have us believe all young people who used cannabis are bleary-eyed, couch-confined stoners, some Macquarie University students prove that couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Using marijuana started off socially because my boyfriend was doing it, and I saw friends doing it. I guess I liked that scene and the idea of having a laugh with mates, and even the music that goes along with it, like reggae.

That was all appealing,” says Jessica, a 21-yearold studying health science at university. “It’s social but also probably a fake pseudo-science thing, but when I have a sore stomach or nauseous, I’ll have a jay and feel better. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it makes me feel better,” she said.

“There isn’t one reason why I do pot in particular. It’s fun to do with a bunch of friends and it’s a good way to relax. Many of my friends smoke but don’t drink,” said 23-year-old Paige.

While it comes as no surprise to learn certain creative types like musicians and

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actors use cannabis (again, stereotypes), it is less publicly known that established scientists, politicians and business people openly admit to having used or currently kick back with the ol’ Mary Jane (and no, we’re not talking about Seth Rogen).Renowned author, astrophysicist and icon to nerds everywhere, Carl Sagan is known to have used the drug and secretly supported its legislation.

Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs admitted to smoking marijuana in the 70s. Most notably, US President Barack Obama revealed in his autobiography that he used marijuana regularly during his college years.

In Australia it seems smoking a joint has become just as common as having a night out at the pub, with cannabis topping the list of most widely used illicit drugs in the country.

It is reported 34.8 per cent of Australians aged 14 years and over have used cannabis once or more in their life. The 2014 Global Drug Survey found that marijuana is the highest produced, trafficked and consumed illegal drug in the world.

However, despite the huge number of people that use cannabis, the drug is still a contentious topic, particularly when discussion turns to the legalisation of cannabis for either medical or recreational use. Why cannabis is so divisive is unclear. The arguments seem to be completely for or utterly opposed. Recent discussion on SBS’ Insight seemed to centre around the unknown effects of medicinal cannabis on children, the potential pseudo effects for pain relief, and a call for regulation and legalisation as marijuana is already widely used recreationally.

“I think it’s only controversial because most people see it in the same category as

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heroin or meth, although in reality it’s safer than alcohol. Anyone who has tried it would agree with me that it’s harmless,” said Paige.

Likewise according to Georgia, a 21-year-old law student, the stigma of being an illegal substance somehow makes the drug more controversial than perhaps it should be. “I think because marijuana has the label of ‘illegal’ people think there must be something inherently bad about it. The problem is most of the arguments people use to critique marijuana equally apply to alcohol and tobacco, but because they’ve been deemed ‘legal’ people aren’t worried about them.”

In Australia it is illegal to use, possess, grow or sell cannabis, although the penalties for possession vary in each different state and territory. South Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory have all decriminalised minor cannabis offences. Citizens caught with a small amount of cannabis can be dealt with by a civil penalty, like a fine, instead of receiving a criminal charge. Meanwhile in NSW, it is unlikely that someone caught with a small amount of cannabis will be criminally prosecuted; citizens caught with up to 15 grams of cannabis may receive a ‘caution’ from the police.

life, drugs have always been a taboo and discouraged. But even after this I don’t see the appeal and haven’t seen anything positive other than the fleeting feeling of using it, which isn’t reason enough for me.”

Jessica, Paige and Georgia will be pleased to know that they’re not the only ones who advocate the re-evaluation of cannabis as an illicit drug, and that there is a growing support for the legislation of cannabis. In 1993 the Help End Marijuana Prohibition Party of Australia was founded and as recently as last month the New South Wales Government announced a clinical trial of the medical use of marijuana, a move which caused the ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher to urge the Federal Government to coordinate a national approach to the legalisation of cannabis for medical use. While the legislation of cannabis for the purpose of recreational use is seemingly a long way off, its legislation for medical purposes is the first step in a long road that may see Puff the magic dragon free to spread his wings.

For students Taylah and Scarlet, a lack of appeal and potentially negative side effects of using cannabis are more of a deterrent than the consequences of being caught with it. “I’ve been offered pot before...of course, but I have medical conditions already, and from what I’ve read it could possibly negatively affect my body so I want to avoid that,” said Taylah, a 19-yearold global studies student.

21-year-old arts student, Scarlet adds, “I suppose in my upbringing and schooling

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WORDS | Amelia van der Rijt

IF YOU USE COUNTERFEIT MONEY, WELL, THINGS ARE GOING TO GET A LOT HARDER. AMELIA VAN DER RIJT LOOKS INTO THE CHANGES TO AUSTRALIAN MONEY THAT WILL BE HAPPENING OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

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nlike the US, Australia’s money is different colours and sizes. This helps children learn, the visually impaired, and just about everyone after a couple of drinks to keep track of their dosh.

Soon, our money is going to change. Don’t worry, a pineapple will still be a pineapple ($50) and the illusive hundgy ($100) will still be green, but more bright and more difficult to counterfeit. So why is America’s money all the same and made of paper? Is it consistency or Illuminati?

Though many people have wondered, we have no idea why the first printers of the American banknote decided upon the colour green. What we do know is that in 1929 when paper money was made physically smaller, it was decided that green should remain the colour of printed money for a number of reasons. Primarily, the reasons for keeping the colour were practical. For example, the exact shade was already available in a large quantity.

Further, according to the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing, by 1929 green was associated with the strength and credibility page 26 | grapeshot magazine

of the government. There were multiple bodies printing money at the time, so all notes were green for uniformity’s sake. But importantly, the particular pigment was resistant to physical and chemical changes, and therefore made counterfeiting difficult.

While the greenback has remained largely unchanged since its inception, Australian currency, on the other hand, has undergone frequent changes for a number of reasons. For the period directly following colonisation, bartering was generally used in place of any official currency – after all, the convicts did not need to be paid for their work. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade maintains that rum was a popular bartering tool.

After Federation in 1901, Australia became responsible for its own currency, though the Commonwealth did not introduce its own coins until 1910. The first Australian notes were released in 1913, though the currency still conformed to the British system, also known as the sterling system.

Fifty years later, in 1966, the decimal system was introduced and the currency was forever changed. Soon after the switch from the sterling system, mass counterfeiting of the new ten dollar note was detected. Soon it was a challenge to find a shop or person who would accept a ten dollar note. It became important to develop banknotes which more strongly resisted counterfeiting attempts, and thus in 1988 we were the first country in the world to design and introduce banknotes made of polymer, able to withstand water and difficult to tear.

Australian banknotes incorporate a wide variety of security features to prevent counterfeiting. So how can you tell if a note is a fake? When you hold a note up to the light, a number of features should become visible, including the Australian coat of arms near the numeric value of the note, and a seven pointed star which can be found in diamond shaped patterns within a circle on either side of the note. The clear window should be resistant to scratching, and when held up to the light a sort of grapeshotmq.com.au

watermark within the window should display the value of the note (though the ten dollar note simply has a wave pattern).

as a result, the Reserve Bank has announced that it will be updating security features, and introducing a new banknote design.

The physical print of the note can also help with detection of counterfeits. The dark print on a note is actually raised, so you should be able to feel whether the note is genuine. The quality of the print should also be sharp and defined. The best place to check this is the microprint behind the portraits. And finally, if you have an ultra violet light handy, the serial number should fluoresce, and a patch on every note (except the ten dollar note) should illuminate the note’s value. Note: anymore patches than that and you should be putting that note away and washing your hands, stat.

Project ‘New Generation Banknote’ aims to give our notes a more ‘youthful’ and ‘energetic’ design, and incorporate new security features. These new features have not yet been revealed to the public, though we do have some idea what the new notes will look like. The size will remain the same as the current bank notes, as will the colours (though they will be quite a bit brighter!) The people featured on the notes will also remain the same, though different portraits will be used. There was some consideration given to the idea that Queen Elizabeth II should be removed from the five dollar note in favour of an Australian such as Henry Parkes, but this idea appears to have been abandoned.

According to the Reserve Bank of Australia, these measures ensure that on average there are just eight counterfeited notes per million in Australia. Compare this to the average of over one hundred counterfeited notes per million in the United Kingdom. But recently, a rise in the rate of counterfeiting has been detected, and grapeshotmq.com.au

Australia is not the only country to consider updating its banknotes in recent years. Both Canada and Britain have decided to make the switch to polymer notes and are currently effecting these

changes. Britain intends to introduce a new five pound note, featuring Winston Churchill in 2016, followed the next year by a ten pound note featuring Jane Austen. In Canada, polymer notes have just been rolled out in order to reduce the enormous counterfeiting rate of 470 fake notes per million.

Though the United States has also continued to update its currency, particularly since 1996, it appears that US bank notes will continue to be printed on paper. Though new security features have slowly been added and notes now have a slight colouring, they retain the traditional greenback look. Even the new $100 note, first unveiled in 2010, follows in the footsteps of its forebears.

Australia’s money continues to change and adapt to different needs while the US remains traditional with its all green, paper notes. Why the US remains resilient to this change is a question perhaps only Beyoncé knows the answer to.

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SORRY, MUM WORDS | Jessica Sheridan

INSPIRED BY BOLIVIA’S REVOLUTIONARY IDEA OF AFFORDING THE LAND WITH RIGHTS AKIN TO HUMAN RIGHTS, JESSICA PENS AN APOLOGY TO MOTHER EARTH ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US.

M

ost people are pretty protective of their mothers, grandmothers or aunts. Or all of the above.

We might not always show it, but we all really appreciate the mother-figures in our lives, because more often than not they are putting their happiness before our own.

They take care of us. They nurture us. We would be hopelessly lost without them – no matter how often we claim to stand on our own two feet.

There is one mum in particular that seems to be disrespected and constantly abused. A mum that we all have in common...as weird as that sounds. Not only does she create a beautiful home for all of us and provide everything we need. She goes unthanked and forgotten.

We all owe her. A lot. I am, of course, talking about Mother Earth. If countries were children – China, India, the US and Australia would spend an eternity in the naughty corner for the environmental atrocities that have been committed. As would every other country.

I mean, think about it. This planet we live on and the nature that surrounds us is so important that we personified her as a maternal caregiver. Often it feels like we don’t remember to treat her as kindly as she deserves. The air we breathe, the food we eat – it was all handed down from this entity we have called Mother Earth. Yet we still continue to destroy small parts of her every day.

Earlier this year, the Australian Government ditched the carbon tax that

page 28 | grapeshot magazine

was put in place to help regulate emissions and protect the atmosphere. So what are we doing to protect the old girl now?

Luckily, some of her children haven’t forgotten about her. In 2011, Bolivia was the first country in the world to provide legal protection of rights, similar to human rights but for nature. These laws, aptly named the Law of the Rights of Mother Earth accorded a number of protections upon the Earth; including a right to not be polluted, a right to life, and protection of air and water. Providing these basic rights to Mother Earth is incredibly symbolic, particularly in a country like Bolivia which thrives off a mining economy.

The laws were largely based on the indigenous beliefs of the area which focused on Pachamama, the goddess of earth and nature from which all life comes. Pachamama when translated means Mother Earth. Her protection was the sole focus of the law. It wasn’t to protect her for future generations necessarily, or protect her for our own good. It was, at its core, a reform designed to protect nature for nature’s sake. Not only were these laws the first to establish rights on the earth, but were also one of the first to directly reference a ‘Mother Earth’ entity.

Bolivia tried to push the rights even further, proposing a treaty to enshrine similar rights with the United Nations, but thus far no major action has come of it.

Global warming remains a very serious issue, with temperatures increasing and oceans changing. In fact

the ten hottest years on record have all occurred within the last twenty years.

At this point in time you would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn’t know about the negative impacts of climate change and how dire it is that we do something about it. So why aren’t we?

The human race is amazing. We can build cities, we can cure disease, and we can put custard inside a pastry. We can climb mountains and swim in the ocean and build machines that allow us to actually fly above the earth. There is little doubt that we are the most advanced species on the planet, but unfortunately it appears we are also the most destructive.

We continue to take away from the earth through pollution and deforestation. Even more unfortunate is that we have the technology and the intelligence to combat these environmental issues but aren’t using it to the best of our ability.

Australia, for example, is one of the worst offenders among developed nations when it comes to pollution. Yet we also have some of the most ample resources for alternative energy, such as wind and solar power. Even on a smaller scale, streets are still scattered with litter and many people don’t recycle. Is it financial barriers that hold us back, or is it sheer laziness?

Whatever the issue, nobody can deny that we need to start looking after Mum – Mother Earth – before she grows too sick to take care of us anymore.

Sorry Mum, we will try to be better from now on.

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grapeshot magazine | page 29

GREEN HOUSES WORDS | Nicholas Wasiliev

EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK IN SYDNEY THERE ARE NEW HOUSING UNITS AND BUSINESSES BEING BUILT, BUT ARE THEY ANYMORE SUSTAINABLE THAN THE PAST? NICHOLAS WASILIEV CHATS TO ARCHITECT KATHY BARNSLEY TO SEE IF MORE SUSTAINABLE OPTIONS ARE FINDING THEIR WAY INTO PEOPLE’S HOMES.

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T

he need to be green has become a controversial and diverse topic in recent years, and often it’s hard to actually see the full picture. The idea of having a green self-sustainable home is seen as being something only rich people can afford, or conversely something that is only suited to the ‘hippie’ lifestyle, living off the grid in Lightning Ridge. As is often the case with these topics, these stereotypes can be very deceiving, and it makes you wonder, is it really so hard to be green?

In recent years, the previous Australian Labor Government provided over-generous incentives for people to install green energy technology.

Now, the current Abbott Government is scaling back incentives and the lack of enthusiasm for green energy in Australia comes not from emissions or environmental concerns, but from cost. While we see the standardised McMansions of the outer suburbs and constant development of new housing units, in amongst them are greenhouses in various shapes and capacities.

The show Grand Designs focuses on people building extraordinary homes in which to live, and it is a great place to start to show that being green is not only surprisingly easy, but is actually becoming mainstream. Many home designs in this show place environmental sustainability as being a primary motivator in a building’s design, which has led to the creation of some amazing architectural buildings. An example was the construction of a Brittany Groundhouse in France, which was built using recycled materials like tyres, clay and earth, and even incorporated the use of glass bottles for windows. Not only did this create a beautiful building, but it cost a comparatively cheap price (just under $250 000). When you look at the cost of building a home from scratch today, building a totally environmentally friendly house for that price is a bargain.

The television series shows that social perceptions towards greenhouses are shifting. Once being seen as the domain of the hippie who lived in the middle of

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nowhere, today houses are not only being more eco-friendly, but this eco-friendly trend is feeding into different cultural methods of building houses. Houses are built differently throughout the world based on materials, location and cultural values (such as Switzerland having laws on specific house design, or the construction of traditional homes in Japan). But despite these differences of climate and economy, houses globally are being built to be more environmentally friendly. From the increasing usage of bamboo in building houses in Asia to volcanic stone as an effective natural insulator, the options and materials available to build these houses have become extremely diverse.

As luck would have it, houses are not the only thing being improved. With all the talk of the excessive prices of alternative power, many other options have arrived, especially in regards to solar power. Technology overseas in regards to solar power has developed enormously.

In the United States, solar power is the second fastest growing method of power behind Natural Gas. The Department of Energy plans to have 27 per cent of America’s electricity supplied by solar power by 2050, which is a huge jump from less than one per cent currently. There are signs of solar power globally becoming a serious viable option, such as the recent completion of the largest solar thermal plant in the world outside Las Vegas, which provides 377 megawatts of power (enough to power 140 000 homes).

But where is Australia in this movement towards green technology?

Unfortunately, behind. For example, Australia’s largest solar farm, located south of Canberra, can only generate 20 megawatts, and considering what a sunsoaked country we are, it seems ludicrous to think we wouldn’t be leading the way in some form with solar power.

Progress is certainly being made, in terms of house design itself. The ACT Government is aiming for a renewable energy target of 90 per cent by 2020, which is enormous compared to the national target of 20 per cent.

Additionally, laws around housing development have changed too.

Kathy Barnsley is an architect based in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales and says, “People are more focused about the environmental impact of houses. The NSW Government introduced Building Sustainability laws in 2005 that requires that every building maintains a certain level of sustainability. This has created and supported a market for a lot of new green technologies.” These laws don’t just focus on technology like solar power, but on the design of the building, including windows and passive solar design, the buildings orientation, or materials used.

These changes enable a building to be more environmentally sustainable, and according to Barnsley “it isn’t about extra money, it’s extra thought. Being smart about the basics of a building’s design. This method of design has brought people’s attention to sustainability, and it has become more mainstream.” There has been a cloud over sustainable laws, like the controversial home-insulation program under the Rudd-Labor Government or the over-generous solar power schemes. Barnsley admitted that Federal Governments had made mistakes with management of these programs and were been too generous with incentives adding, “these programs need to be affordable for everyone, including the government.”

So the question still remains, is it easy to be green? It may not be seen as being easy now, but it is almost a certainty it will be in the future.

Barnsley says that it will take time, as Australia is still behind the rest of the world. “It has to be economically viable, not just with materials and power, but with water and other services.” There is no denying that the ball towards a green future is certainly rolling. It is exciting to think that many of these technologies will be more readily accessible to our current generation when we are buying or building our homes. (That is, if we ever have the money to do so – but that is a different story!)

grapeshot magazine | page 31

ELLO, ELLO WORDS | Regina Featherstone THERE’S A NEW SOCIAL MEDIA SITE THAT GOES AGAINST SELLING YOUR DATA AND ADS, BUT THE CATCH IS, YOU HAVE TO BE INVITED. REGINA FEATHERSTONE TRIES TO RANGLE AN INVITE TO THIS ELUSIVE SITE TO SEE IF IT’S AS COOL AS IT SEEMS.

F

or a while there has been a collective dislike for Facebook even without the little thumbs down plug in to prove it. There is a general uneasiness about the fact that our data is constantly being sold and our moods manipulated by academics working with companies who work with Zuckerberg (who we know is mean from that movie because he tricked his friend and because Jesse Einsenberg never smiled). We are targeted and sold in a perpetual cycle of product and consumer. More recently, the angst was fueled by the Facebook Messenger app wanting access to all of our information on our phones.

Perhaps you have noticed how the ads on Facebook are specifically targeted to you. At first, I thought it just a reflection that I spent too much time on the site and that Facebook really gets me and my love for Michael Bublé. I grew to learn that I was constantly being targeted and tracked through my clicks, conversations and searches. The worse part was when I started seeing weight loss ads on my homepage. I GET IT, FACEBOOK. After I calmed down, I realised these ads came from Pinterest and google searches and conversations with friends that made their way onto my Facebook.

As much as most of us hate using Facebook which now has little to do with social networking and more about viral videos, brand management and information sourcing, we are stuck because we are addicted and rely on it.

One central feature of Facebook is that your name and account must be true. Duh, dummy – how can companies manipulate you if they aren’t sure who you are? Mark Zuckerberg has been quoted as saying "having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity." For drag queens with two accounts, this was problematic and (if they managed an invite) they signed up to Ello which allows you to have any name you want.

Slams down crappy, social media site that doesn’t serve purpose. ‘If only there was another way?’

Welcome to Ello. Well...that is, if you are invited. Awkward. I wasn’t. I couldn’t manage an invite in time to write this article. Yes you read that correctly. Ello is an invite-only social media site that brands itself as different, in more ways than one. You must be invited by a member of Ello, which can be a friend or family member and then you are allowed in.

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know and it turns out I don’t know anyone.

Its manifesto (fancy) is that it is a simple, beautiful ad-free social network that doesn’t sell your data. It promotes transparency and maintains that social media is a “tool for empowerment, not a tool to deceive, coerce and manipulate.”

“The site was built by seven well known artists and programmers as a private social network.” It was a reaction by some who were dissatisfied and felt used by Facebook who legitimately wanted to connect on an online platform. page 32 | grapeshot magazine

Ello is receiving more than 30 000 invite requests per hour. It’s new and exclusive but has just a pinch of ‘fuck the system’ to it with its monochrome colour scheme and American typewriter font. It’s the opposite of Facebook. Well kind of. It still sells your data, but anonymously, and only a little bit – whatever that means. Ello thinks ads are tacky and tells its members that they are a market and most definitely not a product.

When looking at user accounts, the site looks like a combination of twitter and instagram on a clean, sleek wordpress background. It’s nice but perhaps that’s also due to the elite members doing nice and artistic things. I wonder if it will maintain that edge with Red and Green blasted everywhere and ‘Glory, glory to South Sydney’ sprawled across the page.

You can try to sign up at ello.co or if you are already a member of the site, add me! grapeshotmq.com.au

CREATIVE Photography Prose Poetry

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grapeshot magazine | page 33

NICHOLAS RIDER WHILE THE MOST FAMILIAR EXAMPLES OF NEWTOWN’S STREET ART ARE THE COMMISSIONED MURALS ON THE SUBURB’S MAIN STREETS, IT IS THE CONFINED SIDE STREETS WHERE ONE CAN FIND THEMSELVES LOST IN A LABYRINTH OF COLOUR AND CREATION – A MIXTURE OF ‘PROFESSIONAL’ AND ‘AMATEUR’. THE COVERED GARAGE DOORS, FENCES AND WALLS. QUESTION THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN GRAFFITI AND ART. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN BEAUTY AND DESTRUCTION. THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN LEGAL AND ILLEGAL. PUTTING ASIDE THESE DISTINCTIONS, THE COMMON SUBJECT OF EXPRESSION ARE FACES – DEPICTIONS OF FAMOUS INDIVIDUALS, MONSTERS, ANIMALS, POPULAR CARTOON CHARACTERS, AND EVERYDAY PEOPLE.

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WHEN THE BLUES JUST KEEP ON COMING WORDS | Jack Cameron Stanton

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Everything in the last twenty-four hours floats like levitating dreams, as meaningless as doorbells to deaf men, without discoveries or reminisces or visions, only vultures and carnivores and other flesh-devouring parasites sinking fangs into sanity, ever since I left Frankie and Roach in the depths of a drinking binge on my balcony, listening to them chuckle at my frightful day ahead as I trudge along the pavement, they yell, “don’t worry Jay, don’t worry my boy, they aint gonna know they aint gonna . . .” and so on, I’m trying to cover the stench of nicotine by rubbing toothpaste on my fingers yellow as jaundice, but I drop my tobacco pouch and the leaves stick under my nails, growing unearthly roots from nailbeds, I toss a few Three Gents IPA in my khaki backpack (one shatters), and, suddenly, I feel pretty horrorshow about my commitment until autumn gushes smack over my skull (like a resounding kettledrum), and the road to work is evanescent, I cannot remember how I navigated the twelve kilometres, I definitely didn’t catch the bus, I fucking hope I didn’t drive, the first thing I really remember

is my manager, the looming scottish prick, staring from behind the bookstore glass, with serpentine eyes, beady and black reflections, hints of rainbow coalesce and dissipate against the translucent panes, I stumble in and trip, he’s robbed my legs, I think, I’m nothing but a torso flailing on the floor, I’m peering at him from the ground, head recoiling from acid, he coils his spineless limbs, reared like an enormous millipede, backbone audibly latching together like amplified jigsaws made of bone and marrow, and now I’m unsure what creatures has transpired before me – it’s not so spineless after all, so I side-step the venomous prick, my legs restored, my blessed comrades, all three of us ignore his crude remarks on my somnolent and crestfallen appearance, “you smell horrendous, beard made of shrubbery, skeletal cheeks, beer-soaked back, rip in your trousers right under the groin, and why is your head half shaved? It wasn’t like that yesterday,” I make it to the stairs, aching, sure, but alive, and in the changing room I shudder as the door closes – BANG – I drain a Three Gents in one eternal gulp to level the tingles in my mind, the first clear thought of the day arrives, it yells at me, Say you’re sick, no shame in abandoning now, a second, louder thought, you’re at the crossroads, Jay, my boy, you know he’ll fire you, thinkofthemoney thinkofthemoney, I suck on my jaundice fingers, tasting ash

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and misery, before stepping into the gaping abyss, customers approach, a limitless hive of hydra heads, forked tongues, greedy hungers, glistening coats of emerald and sapphire and vermillion, squaking vultures, snorting wildebeest, growling hounds, snoring antelopes, I spend a good hour cowering in the bathroom saying come on Jay, my boy, easy does it, but a giant manta ray lumbers along the ceiling, indifferently and deliberately, sweeping triangular wings back and forth, back and forth, and all I hear is ticktockticktockticktock as this creature floats above my head, mucus dropping from its mouth into puddles around me like acid rain, its tail a ceaseless pendulum like quicksand for the soul, so I smoke a pair of cigarettes to calm down until knock knock KNOCK on the bathroom door, I sweep my greasy brown locks, avoid the mirror, oh yessir not looking there, wipe an enamel of sweat from my temples, and swing the door open to see a bloodsucking man with bloodshot eyes and bleeding fingernails and bloody madness raging and creasing his face, or is it my face? the man says, “not long now, not long at all,” and laughs and I start thinking am I really going mad? clutching at the straws now, this really could be the end of my wits until I realise that I was still staring into the mirror, fogging up the glass with sweaty breath, then I think, oh my, the other man aint there, there’s nothing but you and your memories in the room, then

I think of sweet Melanie, my darling, my escaped gem buried in oceanic depths, I imagine diving downwards, holding breath, reaching for the shining gem in the deepest sea, watching blue become black, mountains invert, fish glow transparently, devolving into weird alien entities with eyes on stringy arteries and teeth growing on their face and other qualities of hallucinatory horror, and my romantic heart, rotten and frozen by endless ennui, floats into the dead air above me while another diver clambers, fully suited with scuba oxygen tanks, zooming past me, smacking my forehead with flipper fitted feet, reaching for the gem, my breathless lungs lunge, heave, son heave!

ENOUGH! dear sir, enough of that! I severed the memory, introspection is ill for the mind, and aha! the second healthy thought of the day, so I shake the rabbit-hole away, return to reality, in the bathroom cubicle peering at the spherical mirror with another Three Gents equipped, I down it before returning to serve with shaking wrists and a mind with sharpened edges.

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YIAYIA MARIA SAYS WORDS | Claire Catacouzinos At Lesvos Thia Eni walks us to the chorio of Agia Paraskevi she takes us to meet Thia Galatia

Yiayia Claire’s sister

i see the resemblance

eyes glasses hair, black-widow-dress, black-flat-sandals

we go out into narrow cobblestone and cracked cemented streets walk to the hub of a small open area that connects four passageways like a cross sit against half white-painted

concrete chairs

faded brown-red-grey chipped walls

slanting

white-haired women enter the area

thin-patched cats roam

green leaves branch over cobblestone-plaster walls

a canopy of shade

Helios’ rays pierce through tiny openings, pink peonies bloom we welcome the women

smiles and Yasas

i say my Greek name then

one talks to me

Mum cuts in i look at the lady

– she can’t speak Greek

attempt a smile

mouth closed, place both hands in my lap watch mouths open and close like rainbow-hued oysters

language is a pearl

i want to reach in and grab my own the past says pearls were tears of joy from Aphrodite i want her to charm me with her tears.

At home in Australia we sit in our family dining room walls adorned with reliefs of twelve Olympian Gods and myths plates of blue and white, chestnut wood, pediment houses and streets cousins, thias, thios, Papou and Yiayia have come to see us Mum and i show pictures tell stories of our everlasting holiday:

climbing the Acropolis of Athens and island hopping to

blue-white washed Mykonos and relics of Delos

and charmed by bountiful Santorini and colossal Crete

and back at Athens for our four day bustling bus tour

and seeing rapture ruins of Olympia and Delphi

and Mycenae and visiting mountain monasteries at Meteora

and spending nineteen days on our homeland Lesvos and never stopping, just going and going, and mum doing all the talking. i look at Yiayia Maria and smile she looks at me and says – Now you know how i feel.

CHECK OUT CLAIRE’S CREATIVE WRITING AND PUBLICATIONS ON HER WEBSITE: WWW.CATACOUZINOS.WORDPRESS.COM page 38 | grapeshot magazine

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E H T TH I W G N : I F K E O H C CO G N I SMIL

S A M T S I CHR

eam e-cr c i s u Delicio

! mas. t s i r h eat C r g a d to n e t c perfe e h t re gs a n i pudd

RECIPES & PHOTOS | Brendon D’Souza

I

can’t believe that it’s been four year since I first started writing this column. Over the years it’s been my pleasure to bring you, kind readers, a range of fun, tasty and healthy meal ideas that you could whip up for next-to-nothing. But the smiling and cooking isn’t over just yet. I’ve still got one more recipe up my sleeves (well two if you want to be technical). As we wrap up another year at Macquarie University, one big question I’ve always asked myself is how can you do Christmas on a student budget? Since December will no doubt be a scorcher, I’ve got two easy ice-cream pudding recipes that will put a smile on your loved one’s faces this Christmas. All you need is a couple of freezer-safe bowls and some cling wrap and you’re in business.

It’s been an honour to have had the opportunity to write this column and my special thanks goes out to you, the readers of Grapeshot, allowing me to share my favourite recipes with you. If you have time please feel free to check out my blog at brendonthesmilingchef.wordpress.com or via Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook @bthesmilingchef.

Merry Christmas, Happy Cooking and Keep Smiling !

Brendon D’Souza a.k.a. The Smiling Chef :)

BRENDON’S TIPS: •

• •

page 40 | grapeshot magazine

Make sure to use a full-fat, premium quality vanilla ice cream for the best results. Not only will the puddings taste better, but ‘light’ ice-creams are typically pumped so full of air that when melted, lose their density.

I used thick ceramic bowls for this recipe but plastic bowls may help with removing the puddings.

Of course both types of pudding can be made as individual puddings or one large pudding. grapeshotmq.com.au

CHOC-BANANA ICE CREAM PUDDING Prep Time 20 mins Freezing Time 3 hours Serves 6-8 • • • • • • •

1L good quality vanilla ice cream, removed from the freezer for 15 minutes to soften 2 ripe bananas, chopped 125g milk chocolate, chopped 100g shredded coconut 100g milk chocolate, melted, to serve 100g macadamia nuts or hazelnuts, to serve silver cachous and edible glitter, to serve (optional)

Line the mould. Line 4x250mL freezer safe glasses with cling wrap. Ensure the cling wrap sits flush with the inside of each glass.

Allow an excess of 5cm all around the sides.

Make the pudding. In a large mixing bowl combine the ice cream, bananas, chocolate and coconut with a wooden spoon. When combined, transfer the ice cream mixture to the prepared glasses, pressing down with the back of the spoon. Cover each glass with the overhanging cling wrap. Freeze for 3 hours or overnight.

BLUEBERRY, RASPBERRY AND COCONUT ICE CREAM PUDDING Prep Time 20 mins Freezing Time 3 hours Serves 6-8 • • • • • • •

1L good quality vanilla ice cream, removed from the freezer for 15 minutes to soften 125g fresh or frozen raspberries, plus extra to serve 125g fresh or frozen blueberries, plus extra to serve 125g store-bought chocolate cake or brownies, crumbled 100g shredded coconut 100g milk chocolate, melted, to serve silver cachous and edible glitter, to serve (optional)

Make the pudding. In a large mixing bowl combine the ice cream, berries, cake crumbs and coconut if using with a wooden spoon.

When combined, transfer the ice cream mixture to the prepared bowl, pressing down with the back of the spoon. Cover with theoverhanging cling wrap. Freeze for 3 hours or overnight.

Serve. Remove the puddings from the freezer for 5 minutes before serving. To remove the puddings remove by carefully pulling the cling wrap upwards. You may need to loosen the edges with a butter knife.

Invert the pudding onto a plate. Drizzle with the melted chocolate, pile on some frozen berries and decorate with cachous and glitter if using.

Line the mould. Line a 1.25L freezer safe bowl with a square sheet of cling wrap.

Ensure the cling wrap sits flush with the inside of the bowl.

Allow an excess of 10cm all around the sides.

Serve. Remove the puddings from the freezer for 5 minutes before serving.

To remove the puddings remove by carefully pulling the cling wrap upwards. You may need to loosen the edges with a butter knife.

Invert the pudding onto a plate. Drizzle with the melted chocolate, pile on the nuts and decorate with cachous and glitter if using.

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MALBOROUGH HOTEL WORDS | Alessandro Guarrera Marley Bar is easily my favourite spot on King Street. Many a night with ‘the boys’ has inevitably ended there; it’s better than, by virtue of quality and actually being open, most of the other places you could walk to. Marley is easy to get to and get into, provided you’re not unleashing your ethanol powered glory while the bouncers are watching. With three floors, a live band, and a host of beers and wines (not to their food) to choose from, there’s no reason to miss it!

TH GRE SCE

THE STEW Finishing all your greens might not be the first step you want to make when someone suggests going green, but checking out some of these vegetarian and vegan restaurants is a great place to start.

YULLIS WORDS | Vanessa Capito

page 42 | grapeshot magazine

Yullis offers up some of the tastiest vegetarian food in Surry Hills, and its warm and cosy interior will draw you in and snuggle you up while you’re feasting on one of the best substitutes to a chicken parmi (their eggplant involtini). Boasting a new spring menu, the edamame and coconut money bags are an excellent choice, as is the falafel plate. Like any good restaurant, Yullis has a pretty decent bar and with its own craft beer, courtesy of James Harvey. I’d definitely recommend the Norman, an Australian pale ale.

They’ve also opened a brand spanking new restaurant, The Veggie Patch Diner in Paddington, and if Yullis is anything to go by, I’m sure it will be worth grapeshotmq.com.au checking out.

THE STEW #DiscoverSydney

BOHDI

HE EEN ENE

WORDS | Vanessa Capito I don’t quite know where to begin with this place; the bad service or the yum cha that failed to impress. Having heard good things about Bohdi, I was excited to check it out, but what I thought was going to be yum cha ended up being one waitress walking around with three dishes on a black tray every 15 minutes. It certainly didn’t help that the dumplings were subpar. The overall experience of this place felt incredibly inauthentic, and if I can do you any justice in this review, it’d be to recommend you to Mother Chu’s Vegetarian Kitchen on Pitt Street instead - this place will be a good friend to your wallet too!

#DiscoverSydney Got a fun place, activity, or experience in Sydney to share? Tweet us your discoveries or Instagram photos, both @grapeshotmq to us with #DiscoverSydney and #grapeshot for a chance to win special prizes!

Visit online for more details.

VEGETARIAN BUTCHER WORDS |Sukriti Gautam The name might be deceptive but the food certainly isn’t. Most items on the menu are vegetarian with a ‘meaty’ name. The chilli dog with lentil and tomato soup is a ‘must try’. The restaurant offers assorted vegetarian like chicken schnitzels, sausages, and so on, all made with meat substitutes, usually soy. It not only offers food for vegetarians but also meat eaters who are keen to try innovative dishes. Exquisite salads like tempeh, consisting of fermented chickpeas roast veggies, cous cous and mixed lettuce in a vinaigrette dressing, portray their ideology of inventive vegan food. You should definitely have a go. grapeshotmq.com.au

grapeshot magazine | page 43

MUSIC

GAMES

SHADOW OF MORDOR

BLUE PLANET EYES | THE PREATURES

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor is an open world action game set between The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit where you play as Talion, a ranger of Gondor who is denied death after his soul becomes tied to the ghost of an enigmatic Elf Lord. The gameplay is a fun mix of Assassin’s Creed and Arkham Asylum, with players exploring and fighting their way across a Mordor yet to be conquered by Sauron.

The game’s biggest innovation comes in the form of its ‘Nemesis’ system which gives meaning to death by allowing enemies that kill you to level up and become ‘your nemesis’. Shadow of Mordor looks and plays gorgeously, and while a strong appreciation for Tolkien’s expanded work will add value, the game’s still a gem worth grabbing for those with a more casual interest in Lord of the Rings.

Sydney’s very own The Preatures, formed in 2010, have finally released the charismatic debut studio album, Blue Planet Eyes, after a string of successful singles over the past two years. If you had the pleasure of seeing them live at our very own Conception Day this year, you would have experienced first-hand a blend of classic pop, unspoiled vocals by front-woman Isabella Manfredi, and retro instrumental vibes. Standouts on the album include the slower ‘Two Tone Melody’, and of course, one of the year’s most popular, ‘Is This How You Feel?’ nominated for an ARIA and making Triple J’s Hottest 100. The songs all have a similar feel but each remains beguiling in its own way.

Listen out for ‘Business, Yeah’, more touching and distinctive, with any luck a route that the quintet chooses to take on their next venture.

Fergus Halliday

Marie Claire Selim

RIP THIS | BASS DRUM OF DEATH THE VANISHING OF ETHAN CARTER

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a unique story-driven adventure game that sees you take on the role of a detective investigating the mysterious disappearance of a young boy. While it’s certain to evoke similarities to last year’s Gone Home, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter expands this world-building formula (branded by cynics as ‘Walking-Simulators’) by throwing some interesting puzzles into the mix. The game gives you the freedom to approach the investigation how you wish and the setting is brought to life in stunning visual detail.

Fergus Halliday

SKY QUEST

is

a of

Imagine a bunch of metal trash cans in a dingy garage during an earthquake. This is essentially the sound of Bass Drum of Death. While the music does tend to sound like flimsy pieces of metal chaotically clashing together with rebellious lyrics and gritty yells, it’s not necessarily a bad thing. The lead single ‘Left for Dead’ gives good indication as to where the rest of the album heads, leaning more towards punk rock than the gritty, distorted garage rock of its predecessors. Pro-tip: would make a great addition to your road trip playlist.

Sarah Basford

Video games come in all shapes and sizes and online games are no exception. Sky Quest is the rough, not the diamond: part endless scroller, part bullet hell, all level grinding and bitterness.

What online casual game should require level grinding, throwing out enemies who leave our angelic hero curiously outmatched as he flies against the denizens of…hell? Whatever, despite the decent voice acting and slick cell-shaded presentation, the game failed to sell itself to me in plot and execution.

Time to Die delivers precisely what you’d expect – droning stoner metal. The heavy, lumbering riffs are sometimes crestfallen, often sinister, but infectiously angry. The album is an ordinary record. Sure, the appeal of horror-infused stoner metal caters for a reasonably niche market, but there’s something in the flangerdriven riffs, and echoing melodramatic vocals that feels helplessly lacklustre and half-realised. However, when a band reaches eightstudio albums, there comes a point where one is forgiven for ‘picking and choosing.’ So go listen to Dopethrone instead. It’s impossible to miss. Just look for the album cover with a stoned Satan standing in dark woods holding a bong.

Alessandro Guarrera

Jack Cameron Stanton

page 44 | grapeshot magazine

TIME TO DIE | ELECTRIC WIZARD

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FILMS

GONE GIRL (2014) In David Fincher’s mystery-thriller Gone Girl, adapted from Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name, nothing is as it seems. Ben Affleck is understated and convincing as Nick Dunne, a bar owner whose wife Amy is inexplicably missing. What ensues is a twisted yet compelling story, comprising not only Nick’s perspective, but also Amy’s, through a convicting diary, as well as the subsequent media frenzy surrounding Nick that seems to disregard the homicide at hand. The film critiques the idea of image and insinuates that marriage is necessarily permeated by lies; all the while the viewer is stunned and provoked, not only by Amy’s end, but also the underlying secrets and facades that tie this perverse puzzle together.

Inevitably, you are lead to question your own relationships and the fact that, perhaps, everyone is pretending to be something they are not.

Marie Claire Selim

BOOKS

NEW YORK TRILOGY | PAUL AUSTER

Paul Auster’s New York Trilogy is divided, ostensibly, into three postmodernist detective novellas. The stories dissolve the comforts and certainties of identity within a surreal, beautifully poignant, portrayal of mid-1980s New York. In City of Glass, writer Quinn adopts the persona of detective Auster. And in Ghosts, a man simply named Blue is commissioned to observe an enigmatic and haunted writer. The Locked Room tells the story of a man who finds it all too easy to absorb the life of his apparently deceased friend. What makes Auster such an excellent writer is his synthesis of self-reflexivity and mystery. Often, I avoid postmodernism for its impenetrability. But Auster’s novellas are more accessible than David Foster Wallace or Don Delillo, and far more suspenseful than any Lee Child or Agatha Christie. The inventiveness of the stories is so symptomatically unique that I can guarantee you will never read anything quite as surreal and thought provoking as the New York Trilogy.

Jack Cameron Stanton

THE EQUALIZER (2014)

There aren’t many stars left who can hold a movie on the strength of their name, but Denzel Washington is an exception, carrying The Equaliser on his shoulders.

He plays a character who decides to rectify the wrongs he sees in the world, an avenging angel, dispensing gruesome justice. Thankfully, Washington’s charm and charisma engages the audience through this grim flick. The Equalizer lacks style and substance; being filled with the senseless bluntness of Denzel’s kills. Don’t think too much watching this film and you’ll have a good time.

Toby Hemmings

ANNABELLE (2014) A prequel to The Conjuring, Annabelle attempts to recreate its success by telling the story of a hideous doll and its demonic possession. There are tense, scary moments, usually revolving around the mundane: a sewing machine, popcorn on the stove, and an elevator. Low quality actors and special effects prevent Annabelle from reaching the heights of true terror. Despite being an oftenexploitative low-rent horror, it is still effective in eliciting cheap fear in its audience.

THE DIRECTOR | DAVID IGNATIUS Whether you agreed with their actions or not, there is no doubt that Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning changed the world forever with their release of classified intelligence documentations. Author David Ignatius is all too aware of this, with The Director best described as a modern spy thriller that explores issues like whistleblowing, computer security and cyber-espionage.

Ben Nour

DRAGONBALL MULTIVERSE

Dragonball Multiverse is a fan-made continuation of Akira Toriyama’s epic work, with screaming, power-ups, magic wishes, and ludicrously awesome fights. Multiverse stages an inter-universal tournament to find out who is the strongest in all the ‘verses’.

Chapter 42 brings the second part of Emperor Vegeta’s fight against Dr Raichi to a close. With Vegeta suffering a large slash across his chest, can he stand a chance? More importantly, what can these B-List fighters do in the tournament. Find out next time on….

Alessandro Guarrera

Toby Hemmings grapeshotmq.com.au

grapeshot magazine | page 45

 CROSSWORD WORDS | Regina Featherstone

 HOROSCOPES WORDS | Mia Kwok SAGITTARIUS: Getting ready to draw another

v

ACROSS

3. Australian slang for a $50 note 10. Rihanna comes from?

11. Voice of Mike Wazowski in Monsters Inc. 13. Name for plant cultivation.

14. From which country does H&M originate from?

16. What does the S stand for in UNESCO 17. Country under Danish rule.

21. The tree that makes the Blue Mountains blue.

23. Three primary colours are blue, yellow and ?

24. Most homes have one out the front 25. Greenday’s front man, Billy Joe _____ 27. The green poker chip is generally worth how many dollars?

29. What is Bruce Banner’s alter ego?

30. Australian animal species with high chlamydia rate.

31. Alcohol also named ‘the green fairy’.

32. Rapper famous for his affiliation with marijuana.

33. Common bacteria in your bathroom, killed by bleach.

page 46 | grapeshot magazine

DOWN

1. Robin Williams’ film where he played a scientist.

2. Term for a thousand words.

4. Superman’s arch nemesis who discovers his weakness to kryptonite.

5. It is legal to smoke marijuana in this European city.

6. Gillian Flynn wrote this book; turned into a hit film.

7. Pop star who recently dyed their hair green.

8. Australia’s national flower.

9. Which Friends character has the last name Green?

11. Common term for Cyanobacteria 12. Which African nation’s traditional flag is all green?

15. The international time to smoke pot.

18. The green skittles is the flavour of what?

19. Which US president is on the $100? (last name) 20. Who recently bought instagram?

21. One of the seven sins.

22. Seth Green’s character on Family guy.

26. Popeye eats a lot of this.

28. The name of Bilbo’s home.

arrow, Sagittarius? Think again. Everything is about to blow up in your face and your envy is blinding you. Chill out. Take time to stop and smell the roses.

CAPRICORN: You do not like green eggs and ham, but now it’s a good time to try something new.

Step outside your comfort zone, sweet Capricorn and you’ll be surprised. If all else fails, take those eggs and smash them in someone’s face. No-one likes a pushy friend.

AQUARIUS: Did you see Scott Ludlum’s rap? Did you? Personally, it gave me horrible flashbacks to my Year 10 history teacher, who was adamant that she would connect with us young ‘uns by getting us to write a rap about JFK. Needless to say, I’m still harbouring resentment. But you go, Scott!

PISCES: Beware of Christmas trees.

ARIES: Turns out the grass actually is greener on the other side. I’m talking LUSH. I know it looks photoshopped, but this shit is real. This grass craps all over the other grasses, so quit what you’re doing and get other there.

TAURUS: It’s a turning point. A fork stuck in the road for you, Taurus. Time is grabbing you by the wrist and directing you where to go. So make the best of this time and don’t ask why. Particularly, don’t ask why this is your horoscope. Just accept and move on.

GEMINI: Time to reconnect with Mother Nature.

People today are always pushing pills and potions.

It’s time to get back to nature, man.

CANCER: Try and curb your enthusiasm. You’re a little too green to be bossing people around like this. That said, I say forget what your horoscope says and do whatever you what.

LEO: So you made some bad life choices. No regrets, right? Fortunately your Leo arrogance means that you’re never going to give a shit. You’ve never even been envious of someone else, have you?

Take some time to step back and think about your actions.

VIRGO: Virtuous Virgo, has your vigilant veneration of verdant vegetation made you vulnerable to vociferous… velociraptors? Stop being such a bloody hippie then. In my head, there’s a troupe of velociraptors holding court over your shitty decisions. That is all.

LIBRA: Lucky Afroman wrote that cautionary song, or you’d just be sitting at home… oh wait.

Dude, go to class.

SCORPIO: Fiery Scorpio, your sign is a-blaze.

Keep on doing what you’re doing and don’t let life get in the way.

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Thank you for 2014.