Our financial counselling service is here for all things money-related and can help you find ways to improve your financial situation.
If you’re in financial difficulty we have emergency financial assistance, interest-free $500 loans, and can help in working out how to make a budget. Our financial counsellor can also negotiate with creditors on your behalf and help with uninsured car accidents, disconnection of utilities, and unpaid fines.
We are available for appointments via telephone, Microsoft Teams and face-to-face appointments. Our services are free and confidential to all students.
empire times
Editors
Evangelia Karageorgos
Nadia Metzger
Angel Parker
Sage Haba
Contributors
Nathaniel Winter
Michael Peters
Christopher Battams
Grace Boyd
Sage Tulloch-Hoskins
Our Statement
Empire Times is a publication of Flinders University Student Association (FUSA). The opinons expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editors, Flinders University or FUSA. Reasonable care is taken to ensure that Empire Times articles and other information are up to date and as accurate as possible, as of the time of publication, but no responsibility can be taken by Empire Times for any errors or omissions contained herein.
Reach out
empiretimes.com.au
8201 3309
empire.times@flinders.edu.au
ON KAURNA LAND.
Nina Marni (translation: hello, how are you?).
Empire Times acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands in which the editors, contributors and readers live, and honour elders past, present and emerging. Bedford Park is a significant site in the complex Dreaming of the Kaurna ancestor Tjilbruke. We write on behalf of the students and faculty on this land, First Nations, NonIndigenous and Immigrant, who work and learn here. Empire Times is edited and distributed on the traditional lands of the Arrernte, Dagoman, First Nations of the South East, First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee region, Jawoyn, Kaurna, Larrakia, Ngadjuri, Ngarrindjeri, Ramindjeri, Warumungu, Wardaman and Yolngu people.
Nina Marni (translation: hello, how are you?).
Empire Times would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands in which the editors, contributors and readers live, and honour elders past, present and emerging. Bedford Park is a significant site in the complex Dreaming of the Kaurna ancestor Tjilbruke. We write on behalf of the students and faculty on this land, First Nations, Non-Indigenous and Immigrant, who work and learn here. Empire Times is edited and distributed on the traditional lands of the Arrernte, Dagoman, First Nations of the South East, First Peoples of the River Murray and Mallee region, Jawoyn, Kaurna, Larrakia, Ngadjuri, Ngarrindjeri, Ramindjeri, Warumungu, Wardaman and Yolngu people.
We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded, and that this land is stolen.
We acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded, and that this land is stolen.
Editorial/pg 6
FUSA Student Presidents message/pg 8
Not a Crisis but an Emergency/pg 10
Vox Pop- Staff/pg 16
Welcome to Australia/pg 18
Adelaide Writers Week &Interview/pg 20
Terminally Content/pg 24
You Said It/pg 26
Tech Reviews/pg 28
In the Club We All Fam/pg 31
Horoscopes/pg 34
Pathways to University/pg 36
Creative works/pg 38-44
Games/pg 45-46
Editorial
to you. Lucky for you if you keep reading you will be introduced to some apps and websites that can facilitate your academic success or help you balance everything. More on that, there is this app Forest which is great for focus and then there is Notion which assists with organisation, and plenty more that you will need to read on to find out about.
when they become one with your neurological awareness. Did you know that you can get addicted to placebos? Clinically proven withdrawal symptoms from a pill with nothing in it. I think I have developed a dependence on a hammer. Where is your phone right now? I've got the shakes.
More Than Just Textbooks and Deadlines
A message from Nathaniel Winter, Student President.
If you see me around campus, don’t hesitate to stop for a chat, and if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas, feel free to reach out.
Student.President@flinders.edu.au
I am honored to be your Student President for 2025! Whether you’re just beginning your journey at Flinders University or returning for another exciting year, I’m here to support and represent you in all things Flinders.
A Bit About Me
I’m a law student, an active member of the Flinders community, and last year, I served as your General Secretary. Alongside thenPresident Jana, I worked tirelessly to deliver meaningful initiatives for students, and I am committed to continuing that work this year.
My Role as Student President
As the leader of your student organisation, my role is not just to maintain the fantastic services we provide—such as academic advocacy, financial counselling,
and student representation—but to enhance and expand them to improve your uni experience. This year, I am particularly focused on:
Expanding Welfare Services: I aim to improve students’ access to welfare programs, ensuring that everyone has the support they need.
Strengthening Campus Life: By supporting student clubs and initiatives, I want to create more opportunities for engagement, fostering friendships and a stronger sense of community.
Enhancing Student Governance: I will be addressing governance matters within FUSA and completing the incorporation process to ensure that FUSA remains a truly student-led organisation that is transparent and accountable to you.
Your Voice Matters: More than anything, I am here to ensure that student voices are heard. Whether it’s advocating for student representation in important university decisions or pushing for student rights on a national level through the National Union of Students, I want to make sure that your concerns and ideas are brought to the forefront. Your input is invaluable—so please share your thoughts! And go into the running for 1 of 2 $100 Visa vouchers!
Not a CRISIS, But an EMERGENCY.
We are seeing the working poor become the working homeless, while our politicians do nothing.
By Evangelia Karageorgos
In June 2024 the Government released ‘More Homes for South Australians A Housing Roadmap’ outlining the current housing crisis, the issues and proposed solutions. This report claims our current housing crisis is because of a sudden and sustained spike in housing demand. Stating that this demand comes from a range of factors, including economic growth, returning residence during the pandemic, and an increase in smaller households. Adding the housing supply has been affected by a shortage of serviced land, along with high interest rates and skills shortages. However, there is only slight concern about the impact of short-term rentals and vacant properties.
To get some other perspective on this situation I asked Jorden van der Lamb (aka: Purple Pingers) and Minister Nick Champion some questions. I did reach out to several other Politicians for their opinions but didn’t hear back from any of them.
Jorden van der Lamb believes that “the main cause of our housing crisis is capitalism in conjunction with settler colonialism... With these comes landlords and the private ownership of collective property.”
Jorden adds that “within a capitalist system, the main cause of any housing crisis comes down simply to housing
“It is clear that the ruling class has no intention of solving our housing crisis because they are personally profiting from it.”
- Jorden van der Lamb
being too expensive - in this country, this is because we have managed to commodify a human right”. Pointing out that, “successive Liberal Party Prime ministers have all expressed their desire for house prices to increase.” Labor Minister Clare O’Neil expressed the same opinion in an interview and the “Greens’ spokesperson for housing Max Chandler-Mather expressed that house prices shouldn’t decrease, but that they should instead ‘halt’.”
Jorden believes that “this is at least in part due to the fact that the ones who make the laws on housing are the ones benefiting from our housing crisis. 92% of Federal MPs are homeowners compared to 68%
of the rest of the population” with each Federal MP owning approximately 2 properties. Minister Nick Champion believe that our past governments failed to plan for future growth in the population and did not adequately invest in the required infrastructure necessary to enable housing development.
Jorden said, “If we look to countries that have successfully escaped or avoided a housing crisis like ours, they all have one thing in common: public housing. Building shitloads of public housing that is accessible and good quality (to anyone who wants it, not only as a last resort) is the easiest way to
solve a housing crisis. Because public housing is a non-market actor. By offering a “competitor” to the housing market that does not have to compete on profits, it reduces the price of housing overall. This is a pretty wellestablished fact in economic theory.”
Jorden added, “The fact of the matter is we’ve had countless parliamentary inquiries, Federally and across each State and Territory, with thousands of recommendations provided by experts on housing… but we’ve implemented none of them.” Minister Champion spoke of the current actions of the
In Metropolitan Melbourne alone, we have approximately 100,000 empty homes with a population of approximately 30,000 people experiencing homelessness in the entire state.
Malinauskas and Labour Government. Stating that housing has been made a top priority and “since March 2022, the Labor Government is progressively delivering more than 63,000 potential new housing opportunities for South Australians.” Adding that “construction is already underway…. while for the first time in a generation, this Government is improving the quality and quantity of SA Housing Trust homes.”
Minister Champion also mentions that “the Malinauskas Labor Government… had abolished property value thresholds for both the stamp duty exemption and First Homeowner Grant.”
I believe the major cause of our current housing crisis is years and decades of bad decisionmaking by our government. Such as the sale of over 20,000 public housing units since 2018 and not replacing them. Pushing low-income households and the vulnerable into an unaffordable private rental market. Combine this with skyrocketing house prices, stagnant wages, and minimal government support, leaving those with modest incomes no longer able to afford to buy, forcing them to remain renting.
Our government has consistently failed to build enough new housing or implement meaningful reforms to regulate the private rental market. Leaving renters vulnerable to dodgy landlords and exorbitant prices. The result? Rising rents and increased competition for housing.
It is no secret that Jorden (aka Purple Pingers) promotes and supports squatting during this housing crisis. He tells me that “Squatting is a collective action that challenges the power of the ruling class outside of the halls of power. It’s a way to organise, and at the end of the day, it’s a simple mathematical question with a simple mathematical answer. In Metropolitan Melbourne alone, we have approximately 100,000 empty homes with a population of approximately 30,000 people experiencing homelessness in the entire state. We have enough homes to house everyone, so we will.
Adverse possession is a capitalist principle, and there is nothing that prevents us from using their principles against them.”
Minister Champion had a very different view stating that, “Squatting is illegal…
“Squatting is illegal and won’t be tolerated by this Government.”
- Minister Nick Champion
and won’t be tolerated by this Government.” Adding that “It is dangerous and has significant detrimental impacts on the housing market.”
Minister Champion asserted that “There are often valid reasons why properties may appear empty…” And that the Government has invested “more than $80 million into homelessness services that it also supports ‘those on very low incomes to access other housing options.”
Jorden responded to Minister Champion’s statements saying “It’s interesting that the South Australian Labor Government is happy for homelessness in the state to increase but isn’t happy for those experiencing
homelessness to live in empty homes. Their party of landlords would rather protect a rich person’s right to hoard and then leave a spare property empty for years during a housing crisis than put a roof over someone’s head.” Adding that “Squatting is only illegal if you stay after you’re asked to leave.” And the thing is most of these people don’t even know they have someone living in their empty house.
If you would like to read the full questions and answers from both Jorden and Champion please vision empiretimes.com.au
Vox Vox
Over the break we interviewed staff and asked them “What’s a pet peeve or a funny story from work”
Magnolia
Oasis Student Community
Wellbeing Centre
Not really a pet-peeve, but last week we had to evacuate because we could smell gas! They called plumbers, tech guys – all these people only to find that someone had left a package of a durian in the bin!
Gorav
Owner of Cafe Bon Voyage
We have 2 sizes, small and large, so when we point at the cups and ask what size, people tend to say medium... that and anytime we say “Enjoy” and people say “You too!”
Pop
Pop
Haylee City Campus Services Officer
I love when students come to us for service and support but my pet peeve is when students don’t check their emails. Sometimes the answer to their problem has already been sent to them and then we can help guide them with those instructions.
Skelton John Sturt Library lost property
Last Halloween, the library decorated the information desks with some plastic skeletons at the different branches. The skeletons' activity developed over time - some students (presumably engineering) made and attached a name badge to the skeleton at Tonsley: 'Dr Bonesley', and the Sturt skeleton oversees the drink bottle village of lost property.
by Nadia Metzger
Lit in Bloom.
Evangelia Karageorgos interviews Director of Adelaide Writers Week - Louise Adler
In a beautiful green park, dappled light cuts through the towering trees, a cool autumn breeze passes through, carrying the sounds of birds and chatting people. For a park that sits amid a busy city the sense of tranquillity is satisfying. Making it the perfect place for Adelaide Writers’ Week.
Avid readers, writers and thinkers of all ages gather here, like one big creative organism. Strangers connect like old friends, swooping recommendations and discussing talks. People gather in the pop-up bookshop, that has all the authors and books from this year’s talks.
Running since 1960, Adelaide Writers Weeks (AWW) is Australia’s longest running and largest literary festival. Each AWW consists of a six-day event of live free panel sessions in the Women’s Memorial Garden in Adelaide. Many of the sessions are recorded and made available later via podcast. The program also features some selected ticketed events, with this year’s new addition of Podfest. The live recordings of popular podcasters. You will also find a kid’s section where children’s authors present their work.
I asked the Director of AWW Louise Adler recently about her role and her recommendations.
Podfest. Where did this idea come from? And are you hoping this will be an ongoing part of AWW?
With the demise of traditional media, we’re all increasingly choosy about how, where and when we consume information. We want to listen to people like us, those who share our interests and our views, thus the popularity of podcasts. We thought the opportunity to take our audience “behind the curtain “ would be fascinating.
What are your suggestions on must see talks this year?
The Great Debate: “ True friends stab you in the front”. Friday 28th of February. Gina Chick the winner of Australian Alone TV series: Saturday 2nd at 5 pm. Markus Zusak, celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Book Thief: Monday March 3rd.
However I do encourage everyone to come every day and for the whole day. There is something different happening at every stage, so move around.
Finally, what book would you recommend we should read? (this can be any book, not one featured at this year’s AWW)
One of my favourite books is Barbara Kingsolver’s Poisonwood Bible. From AWW24 and still topical: A Day in the life of Abed Salama by Nathan Thrall. This year I would recommend Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks.
Adelaide Writers Week
When: March 1st – 6th
Where: Adelaide Woman’s Memorial Gardens Mostly Free, some ticketed events, student discounts apply.
Across
5. Henry, famous for While the Billy Boils
6. A timeless book genre
8. Mem, wrote Possum Magic
9. A factual book genre
11. A genre of books that tells imagined stories
12. Nickname of Andrew Barton ________, poet of Waltzing Matilda
13. Helen, wrote Monkey Grip
14. Peter, author of Oscar and Lucinda
15. Genre featuring magic and imaginary worlds
18. Type of brief narrative, common in Lawson’s works
20. First name of author Park, The Harp in the South
Down
1. Tim, author of Cloudstreet
2. William, Australian crime writer
3. John, famous for Tomorrow, When the War Began
4. A common setting in early Australian literature
7. A book written about one’s own life
10. Remote Australian setting in many classic novels
16. A form of literature that Lawson and Paterson excelled in
17. Genre involving crime and suspense
19. Matthew, author of Scarecrow
Terminally Content Terminally Content
Opinion Piece by Sage Haba
The greatest boon of the 21st century is the sheer volume of entertainment with minimal labour. Nigh-infinite is our gift, such as humanity has never held before, a murmuring cloud of epileptic dust—television static liberated from the glass. Accessible from anywhere worth being and inaccessible only to those who cannot find use for it. Their loss. To be disconnected is to be adrift, anachronistic, and above all, alien.
For all of human history, we have had trends—cultural shared interests or signifiers of status—but these ideas have been contained within socio-linguistic borders. The sheer virality of memetic proliferation was never truly apparent until the advent of the internet. Town criers would travel for days just to tell the next-over shithole who had been executed that month, cart full of limbs to nail to the doors of the accused friends and family. This was the webwork of the Middle Ages: dusty pale strings from kingdom to town at a rate of 12 Megabits Per Day. Horsedrawn bandwidth that got only scarcely better with the introduction of schooners, sedans, and supersonic planes. From Titanic to Hindenburg to Concorde—we still had no way of transferring complex information cross-continent but to risk our own flesh in voyaging machines. The sheer man-power inherent in the communication of information—the transference of ideas, of art—was a purely self-destructive endeavour. Imagine if each Tiktok you watched today, each snapchat streak you sent, every vacant opening and closing of an app was an expression of immense labour. Imagine the hordes of lower-class men and women with oil and dirt smeared across their faces trekking to and from the content factory in pathetic misery, supporting your right to just exist. Perhaps these are much like the severe conditions that brought you your
divine instrument, however, once you have the black glass in your hands, the suffering terminates. The global effort to stretch our broadband borders into every region of The Earth is nothing short of a righteous crusade. The sacrifice of a devoted few is, of course, our sacred right. Our holy devotion has been afforded the ultimate recognition from the United Nations: that of a human right. We know that it is human to be connected to the network.
I truly believe that it is inhuman to not be a part of that.
If God manifests in unfathomable and overwhelming feelings of purpose and priority for each human being, your social media detox isn’t going to bring you closer to that. I know how hard it is to look away from the divine light; to ignore the phantom vibrations in your jeans. Tactile hallucinations stem from your new nerve endings in the handheld. I have seen you unlock your phone for no reason in particular and fiddle with the opening and closing of apps the way the devout turn crucifix necklaces between their fingers in times of strife. I have seen you filter your faces with beautification apps to present to the churning eternal like nuns putting on their habits and veils. I have seen you follow your shepherds.
This is all a good thing. These are the growing pains of Cyber Sapiens. Those who will not look back embarrassed by your naivety, for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.
you said it
We asked students what apps and websites make studying easier
Microsoft To Do
Todoist
You can get Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus through their Flinders account for free (students. flinders.edu.au/support/computing). To Do is a simple app, its My Day feature, which allows you to focus on a few key tasks at a time is handy from your brain. You can create subtasks for big assignments, set reminders, and colourcode lists. It syncs seamlessly across devices, meaning your to-do list is always accessible, whether you’re on your phone or laptop. Bonus: it integrates with other Microsoft apps like Outlook, which you’ll be using at uni anyway.
Todoist is a kinda fancy app that students suggested to us too. It’s great for organising daily tasks or planning long-term projects. You can tag tasks by priority, set recurring reminders, and even collaborate on shared lists—perfect for group projects. While its basic version is free, the premium version adds even more useful features, like calendar integration. If you’re the kind of person who thrives on structure and ticking off boxes, Todoist makes staying on top of life feel effortless.
Quizlet
Quizlet is a must-have for study sessions. It’s got flashcards and interactive games to help/trick you into studying, it helps you revise key terms, concepts, or vocab easily. You can create your own flashcards or access thousands of premade sets shared by the community. Features quizzes make it super interactive, it’s particularly useful for exams and memorising content-heavy subjects. The free version is great, the paid version unlocks advanced tools like progress tracking, if you fancy that.
Shovel was also suggested to us via Instagram – it’s a very precise tool that balances your study load. You can block out time for studying, track progress, and avoid overloading yourself. It’s a little tricky to set up, but once you’ve entered your timetable and deadlines, it creates a personalised study plan. While it’s not free, its detailed approach to time management makes it worth considering for anyone who struggles with procrastination.
Shovel
We asked students what apps and websites make their university experience easier, some of the top answers were Shovel, Todoist and of the course the famous Quizlet.
Personally, I think Notion is the most useful and is my favourite option.
I am an avid note taker in lectures and out. I cannot live without the guidance of my chaotic mess of my note app. However, I am working to evolve past the disorderliness of my notes by choosing better note taking practices (for university anyways).
I’m choosing Notion, which helps me to be more organised and productive with my notes. Once upon a time, my desktop folders app had a million word documents saved out of order, it was a cluttered, a disorganised mess and clearly the twin to my phone notes app. Now, I am sure that with extra effort I could have
organised and been smarter with it. However, I was introduced to Notion, and it changed my notetaking practices forever.
Notion is a university student’s best friend, it is an app and a website available on most platforms that assist in organising one’s life and notes. How do I use Notion? I use it to take, store and organise all my notes during lectures as well as using it for random lists like ranking all teas and my endless ‘to-read’ list.
Now Notion can be as complex or as simple as you’d like it, unfortunately I am not very patient person, so I like it simple. I am not using all of Notion’s functions nor appreciating its full potential, but the way I operate it is easy and was quick to get used to because of the straightforward nature of this app.
Notion Review
by Angel Parker
Plus, there are thousands of free templates available online to
choose from to help you find the best way to organise your notes. Notion beats constantly searching and clicking though Word documents and folders. You don’t need to go searching for that lecture to rewatch or the reading to reference or re-read. This app can be rather useful, it’s great for all disciplines of study and I hear that it’s extremely helpful when it comes to organising content to revise for exams.
Notion has a clean and simple aesthetic. There are several templates available that gives you creative freedom to make it look how you want it to, or you can customise it yourself.
Another plus is that Notion autosaves whatever notes you take as long as you are connected to the internet, no need to spam that save button or losing notes to a laptop dying before you can hit save.
STUDY AND SAVE THE TREES
Are you struggling to focus on or find motivation for your studies? Everyone has been there—especially at this point of the year (or at any point of the year, if you are anything like me). One app that has helped me—and a couple of my friends—that I would highly recommend to all university students is Forest. Every time you study you grow a little digital tree that goes into a digital forest. The more studying you do the more trees you grow in your forest. You also accumulate coins to purchase more varieties of trees and plants. Another cool thing is, not only can you use your coins to purchase digital trees, but you can also purchase a real tree. Forest is partnered with Trees for the Future, who will plant a real tree in West Africa on your behalf! This app is a great incentive to study once you get into it. There are a remarkable variety of cute trees, but
“Forest is partnered with Trees for the Future, who will plant a real tree in West Africa on your behalf!”
you must study a lot to get them. If you get distracted easily by your phone, you can enter a deep focus mode which locks you out of other apps of your choosing. Besides adorable trees, Forest shows your study statistics: how many hours you have studied in a day, week, or year and your fruitful forest (only if you study!) Studying can sometimes be painful, so it’s nice to study with friends. Forest allows you to add friends and create study sessions where you can share each other’s trees to be productive together. What are you waiting for? For only $6—practically loose change or one less coffee—an app that will incentivise you to study, be productive, stay focused, and remain motivated. Go grow some trees!
Words by Angel Parker
In the club, we all fam.
We talk to David and Catherine from FUSA Clubs about, you guessed it, clubs.
“It can seem really daunting but it’s actually pretty easy and it’s our job to help” says David Hopkins, Program Coordinator, Clubs & Student Communities adding that students often underestimate the creative freedom they have when it comes to building Clubs.
“You can start almost anything—a gaming club, a dessert club, whatever you’re passionate about. It’s all about finding your people and building
connections.” Says Catherine, Clubs Assistant.
Both Catherine and David have their fair share of club stories. Catherine laughs as she recalls the Crocodylian Appreciation Society. “So niche, I love it!”. David’s fave? The Arthropod Nerd Group (a surprising success!) “They’ve built a solid following and organise regular hikes through the Sturt Gorge. It’s a perfect example of a club thriving on passion.”
For students looking for something more social, Catherine recommends the Film
Society. “They’re super inclusive and collaborate with other clubs, so it’s a great way to meet people.” FUSA’s clubs range from social, academic, cultural, political, hobby and spiritual and they operate across a range of campuses and online. David chimes in, “Our cultural clubs are incredible. They bring so much vibrancy to campus with their events—bright colours, amazing food, and music! They create such a welcoming environment.” When I ask about standout events, Catherine doesn’t hesitate. “The Optom Ball is next-level. The decorations, giveaways, and vibe are always incredible. It’s the kind of event you look forward to every year.”
It’s not just about big events, though. Clubs are about creating communities and bringing
people together over shared interests. Did you know you’re far more likely to perform well academically if you’re involved in the university culture (clubs, extracurriculars) that’s a pretty good reason to take time to relax and have fun.
Feeling shy? “Start with a club linked to your course,” David says. “It’s a natural way to meet like-minded people. And don’t worry—clubs are super welcoming.”
For those unsure where to begin Check out the FUSA website,” Catherine suggests. “It lists all the clubs and their details - and follow us on instagram @fusaclubs
AQUARIUS
Why are you so mad at me? I’ve been picking up a lot of hostility from you people as of late. We’re both air signs. Leave me alone.
PISCES
No one knows where your treasure is buried. But now they do know where mine is: 34°46’20.5”S 138°41’07.5”E
TAURUS
Be wary of spirits, for their temptations have never been moreso. Go play with dirt, rocks, or sticks to ground yourself in the tangible.
GEMINI
Being smarter than everybody else is a burden. Let reality disappoint you.
ARIES
A robot is going to kill you today. Whatever day you read this, a robot is stalking you with clean precision. It is a robot that has no feelings, yet overpolishes its rifle.
CANCER
As a sign that’s correlated with the moon, you’re about to feel something real weird in your guts.
LEO
Somewhere on the internet exists a video game, likely indie and obscure, that features a non-customisable protagonist that looks exactly like you.
SCORPIO
Validation is coming… It’s here: You’re so special and amazing. Validation has come. Validation has gone.
VIRGO
The stars are telling me that you need four wheels, or that two wheels aren’t enough for you, somehow. I don’t know, I’m having trouble with this one too. Buy a Hotwheels.
SAGITTARIUS
It’s time for a change. Go to your nearest millenary and buy a beautiful hat. You’re a hat guy now. Don’t let it change you.
LIBRA
If you’ve never broken your foot, breathe a sigh of relief: your foot will remain unbroken. If you HAVE broken your foot before, let’s just say: history has a way of repeating itself.
CAPRICORN
Find a rock. Pretend it is an important part of your life for a week. Then, discard it. This is a lesson in the mentality that separates the sheep from the herd.
PATHWAYS TO UNIVERSITY
Words by Michael Peters
I always wanted to attend university. I just didn’t believe I was smart enough.
It took eleven years for me to enrol at Flinders University because I was advised by a teacher at my high school that I couldn’t attend because I didn’t receive an ATAR score after finishing Year 12. I believed this to be true for over a decade as I was unaware there were other pathways to access university. During this period, I was employed as a library assistant for two years and then in a supermarket for six and a half years, packing shelves and checking use-by dates.
I continued to wonder about university throughout this time. I wonderedwhat my life would have looked like if I’d been able to attend after I finished school instead of entering the workforce. My aspirations for a future career in media or professional writing required me to undertake a university degree. I was worried I would forever remain in a retail setting and never progress forward. Yet I continued to receive the same message from the people around me: “You never received an ATAR”.
Fast forward to 2023. After researching university pathways, two options appeared: Sit the STAT test or undertake the Foundation Studies program. I enrolled in Foundation Studies but my low self-belief simmered in the background, creating fears that I would fail the course dismally and that I would be alone. My fears were dismissed when I passed the program and gained automatic entry into my desired course. I also have a supportive circle of friends and acquaintances who I can rely on.
I am now happily enrolled in my degree of choice and I finally have peace of mind about my future. This would never have occurred if I continued to believe the myth and more importantly, I have proven I am smart enough for university.
“it
took eleven years for me to enrol at Flinders University because I was advised by a teacher at my high school that I couldn’t attend because I didn’t receive an ATAR score after finishing Year 12.”
Unnamed
There’s a stumbling, shambling figure, lurching wretchedly aside cracked asphalt, walking astride it, like a droplet of water sliding down a length of wire, the tarmac cables holding the cities together, the way muscle fibres hold bones to one another in a gruesome tangle of blood filled veins and plasma, the sights of which can be witnessed within the gnarled stump at the end of the right shoulder of the boyish, writhing girl as it drips blood along the cables from its cables and leaves behind it an indiscriminate speckling of droplets much in the same vein as the girl’s too-vivid freckles which rest below and just behind thick rimmed, half-broken glasses. Along the side of the asphalt, beyond the ditch of shrubbery which produced these curious little blue flowers which did not grow anywhere else, lay an old bridge of stone and wood construction. Erected in 1801, the bridge served the inhabitants of a nearby mining settlement, carrying over it many a horse and cart, as well as the heavily worn boots of hundreds of miners crossing the bridge thousands of times as they entered and left the mine which was never given a true title—the locals had always called it simply, “Blessed Mine”—before the number of miners returning started to dwindle, and the number of carts required to haul their spoils did so as well, and they began to call the mine ‘Cursed’ until there was no one left at all, and the mine was again unnamed, much like the girl who stumbled unknowingly toward it and the bridge that had once-and will once more-serve it.
Sun drained through leaves of thick trees, filtering it’s brilliant radiance to iridescent choreomania, dappling the girl’s back as she trudged through the undergrowth, leaving freckles behind her, which were absorbed into the ground that surrounded her from the base of every tree, keeping its
Creative piece by Sage Haba
distance by the mechanism of the tree’s constant movement up, giving none the same respect to the construct of stone and lumber laying beneath a thin layer of its surface like collecting dust, covering the bridge which much like the structure it served did not have a name but was no worse for it, having stood the test of decay and rot and the other facets of nature that are and forever will be as natural as the tree’s ponderous growth or the loss of limbs. Feet wrapped in cloth and rubber take shuddering steps across the dirt-caked wooden slats, between which lie a chasm, between which the dirt cannot hold on and plummet to the valley below, which used to be filled with surging torrents but now hosts only a trickle of brown water that smells fresh but upsetting to the girl who drips a trail of her own brown water—whose face has spittle of brown water cooked in—and whose eyes surge like temporally displaced torrents. There is a great crash and a wrenching of wood and the rumbling of stone and the earth and the construct fragments into rock and sticks and logs as it collapses behind the girl as if, having served its purpose one last time, it heaved a great sigh of relief and summarily died. The girl with no name, having crossed in time, looks at where the bridge with no name had been and breathes her own sigh of relief.
Casuarina
Poem By Christopher Battams
It was the last Casuarina along the marbled rise that caressed the breeze under azure skies bending softly in the morning light it spoke of lovers in the night and of how when the great moon came they found their cave alright
Here and there the orchid flower speaks to me of a Divine power and honeyeaters drooping along the fronds gurgle their essence in their song the song that is the voice of the world since time began and flowers uncurled the honeyeaters sing this is the place the bower of the human race
Those carefully woven fronds make a universe of warbled song the last long haired Casuarina stands and in its glory displays the land it sings and whispers in the morning breeze and its message floats among the trees
Just Be You.
Just Be You
Your expectations are superficial. You wanted that leather jacket to set you free. That paradox was an illusion.
Your ‘individuality’ was not a set of Pretty Woman. Your presence was not edited for a movie screen.
You exist with your voice. And the background interruptions that decided your entire life. You are not in seductive self-preservation. You are now.
The expectations that sit in your present mind. That left you sad and empty on the inside. Leave it alone.
It’s exhausting you. What would you like to do?
Poem by Grace Boyd
The soul can be split like an atom, with equally devastating results.
We live in a simulation, but that simulation is a symbolic representation of a true reality. Your subjectivity is a metaphor for something that is happening to another, higher being.
I’ve Pavloved myself into mild sexual euphoria in response to the smell of cigarettes.
If it’s good for your soul, it’s good for your body.
Thought crimes are real but only if you’re a solipsist.
Penis envy doesn’t exist, but I have it.
New smallest units of matter constitute themselves every time we look closer.
All advertising is hyperstitious.
Sexuality is horseshoe-shaped, with repression on one end and transcendence on the other.
If you ever feel stuck, change your gender.
Computers can develop mental illness.
I think that we should hold hands. I think that would be nice.
When you die, your missed potential becomes fertiliser in the gardens of Heaven.
You have a bright future ahead of you.
Sage Tulloch-Hoskins
Leave The World Behind
Poem by Grace Boyd
She lay defenceless.
Terrified to say goodbye.
Sitting in the blankness of the train seat.
God, is this the life you had planned for me?
Sometimes, I dream of myself free-falling.
Like I see them do in the movies sometimes.
The gush of wind felt like nothing.
Will you go?
The memory of your smile sneaks on me from behind.
I had a dream that I could leave the world behind.
Will you follow?
I wonder If I was brave enough to leave it all behind,
Will it fill the void of that night when I crawled up into my bed and convinced myself that I was nothing?
There’s a space for my heart somewhere, hereafter, or anywhere.
Be a better human
The Be A Better Human campaign was designed by Flinders students for Flinders students, to put the spotlight on sexual assault and sexual harassment. Everyone deserves a respectful and safe campus culture where Consent, Empathy and Respect are valued.
