Empire Times 43.1

EMPIRE TIMES YOUR STUDENT MAG

43.1

Changes Student guide | alumni interview | drugs | colouring page | star wars

- Editorials -

Hey everyone and welcome back to another year of Empire Times!

I’m thrilled to be returning as your snarky and dutiful editor, and if you thought last year had too many obscure references, just wait until you see what I have in store for you this time!

Obviously a lot has changed in the past 12 months — hell, even in the past 6 weeks. Our bright shiny new hub has opened up, we’ve got a brand new overly-windowed office, and we’ve finally got a bar on campus again! All good things.

I hope you’re ready for an amazing year, because I foresee 2016 as being epic.

Being a new year (2+ months ago), I figured this would be a good time to share my resolutions with you all (because sharing is caring). My goals for 2016 are: finish my thesis (if I keep saying it, maybe it’ll happen), learn Italian properly, spend less time on Facebook, and to create the best damn student magazine ever in all history, that major publications around the country will be clamboring to hire me — maybe that last one is a bit of a stretch, but hey, a girl can dream.

I hope your resolutions are equally as ambitious, or otherwise achievable but important. You can do it! I believe in you!

Back to the new office, ET is now located on Level 1 of the Hub, room 166. Be sure to pop in and say Hi sometime, or just stand outside the window-wall and stare creepily.

Actually, don’t do that.

I said don’t.

Ah shit.

Change feels like the theme for this year,

not just this issue. I find myself in a new job, in a brand new office, in a brand new building.

I’ve gone from someone who will turn up to uni at the last possible moment to spending long summer days in the office with my fellow editors (and most importantly a copious number of large long black coffees).

For many of you, I’m sure change will figure prominently in your new year. There’ll be those of you who are just starting out in your first year at university, at Flinders, or even just a new subject. Whatever the severity of the changes you’ve taken in your academic life (and the rest of life) — good luck!

Speaking only for myself, 2016 has already been a wonderful, terrifying, anxietyinducing year in which I’ve learnt a hell of a lot more than I ever thought I would about design.

2016 was the first year I’ve made the mistake of setting myself New Year’s resolutions, so we’ll see the changes inherit in seeing all my due dates and goals shoot by.

If you’ve never been to O’Weeks before, or not taken full advantage of them, that is one important change you should make this year.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and return my caffeine levels to the normal high levels.

Have a great O’Week - and have a great start to 2016!

Liam

Simone

Eleanor Danenberg has vanished.

Since becoming an editor at your student mag, she spends the hours of daylight hidden away in her office, threatening her computer with abuse. However, with copious amounts of coffee, and support from her fellow editors, she’s made it out to the other side...

For those of you who are beginning at Flinders Uni, welcome! For those of you who are returning, like I am, welcome home! I am very fortunate to feel that Flinders Uni is where I belong; an atmosphere of constant learning and creativity, where I study things that I love, and that challenge me.

After reading and contributing to Empire Times (ET) for 2 years, I decided to finally bite the bullet and run for editor with Simone and Liam. We ran on the progressive ticket ‘Activate’, and we were voted in by the student body — if you voted for us, thank you!

Our editorial term began in December, and since then I have been editing articles, working with contributors, navigating new computer programs, slowly learning how to design pages, facing deadlines, and settling into our brand-spanking new office. My role as editor, so far, has sometimes been stressful, but always fun.

We’re not only in a new year, but a period of new beginnings, and changes. So, my advice to you is to embrace change, and to believe you can handle it. Nothing will change if we sit around and hope for it to happen, we have to actively make change.

I hope you all love reading this issue as much as we loved putting it together.

Eleanor

TOP PICKS FOR THIS ISSUE

TOP PICKS FOR THIS ISSUE

TOP PICKS FOR THIS ISSUE

p. 20 p. 26 p. 32 p. 46

p. 19 p. 46 p. 49 p. 34

p. 38 p. 19 p. 39 p. 32

Sex, Drugs, and Rock’n’roll Pocketchange Pantry Domestic Violence Twin Peaks

#WHERESREY? Twin Peaks (Ben Hall’s artwork!)

Comic What The FUC

Exposure #WHERESREY? Colouring Page Domestic Violence

1

- Contents -

OH HELLO there.

Vol 43 Issue 1 EDITORS Simone Corletto Liam McNally Eleanor Danenberg

SUB-EDITORS Kayla Gaskell Jess Miller

COLUMNISTS Aden Beaver Rhianna Carr Kevin Clark Ashley Curtis Richard Falkner Brenton Griffin Kelly Guthberlet Bethany Lawrence Seamus Mullins Karen Smart Elle Void

CHANGES

Empire Times is the student publication of Flinders University. All work within remains the property of the producers and may not be reproduced without their consent. Empire Times reserves the right to republish in any format.

Empire Times would like to acknowledge the Kaurna people who are the traditional custodians of the land Flinders University is situated on, and that this land was never ceded, but stolen. We would like to pay our respects to the elders of the Kaurna nation and extend that respect to other Aboriginal peoples, past, present, and future. ‘The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editors, Flinders University, or Flinders University Student Association. 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 Magazine for any errors or omissions contained herein.’

ILLUSTRATORS

WITH THANKS TO

Benjamin Hall

Craig Sinclair, for his advice, Stacy White, for all her efforts with out IT nightmares, and Steph Walker, for answering all our stupid questions and showing us how to turn on the Macs.

CONTRIBUTORS Meshal Althobaiti Jason Byrne Simone Corletto Sean Cullen-MacAskill Eleanor Danenberg Genevieve Danenberg Kayla Gaskell Jack Harrison Grace Hill Jasmine Koop Lisa Merlot Liam McNally Caleb Pattinson Lauren Reid Jemma Slevec

FRONT COVER

We also thank all our wonderful contributors, artists and sub-editors for their enthusiasm, creativity, and prompt email responses.

Contact us: empire.times@flinders.edu.au www.empiretimes.com.au @empiretimesmag @empiretimesmag

Amber Hall

INNER FRONT COVER Anonymous

/empiretimesmag Empire Times Contributors

INNER BACK COVER

Advertising: stephanie.walker@flinders.edu.au

Emma Hobbs

- Contents -

contents.

INTRO 1

EDITORIAL Words from the Editors

5

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS Talk to us!

FEATURES 7 FRESHER SURVIVAL GUIDE How to sucessfully navigate Uni life 10 SEX, DRUGS, & ROCK’N’ROLL Life at Flinders Uni Hall

COLUMNS

14 STUDENT LIFE: STUDENT RUN The SSAF explained

12 CONVERSATIONS WITH CALEB A word from your SC President

19 #WHERESREY? Sexism in Star Wars merchandising

13 SC INTERVIEW {Withdrawn}

22 ALUMNI INRERVIEW Sen. Robert Simms

16 GET SMART 1998

24 VOX POPS Voice of the People

17

26 POCKETCHANGE PANTRY Surprise Grilled Chicken

INTO THE GENDER VOID Second Puberty Blues

18 POLITICS Freedom for All

28 POLITICAL PLAYGROUND Drug Law Reform

20 TECHNOLOGICA External Hard Drives

30 JUST ANOTHER NAIL IN THE COFFIN Parallel book importation regulations

21 HIDDEN GEMS Onkaparinga River Wetlands Trail

32 DISCUSSIONS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE “Yeah, but why aren’t we talking about violence against men?”

34 WHAT THE FUC Flinders Speakeasy

CREATIVE 36 FICTION Preparing for Change 38 POETRY The Rocky Mountain Trolls Exposure

CULTURE CORNER 40 GAMES TALK Indie FTW 41 LEVEL UP Virtual Reality; changing the world of gaming?

43 MOVIE REVIEW Carol 44 MOVIE REVIEW Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens 45 MOVIE REVIEW The Revenant 46 10 SHOWS WHICH CHANGED TV Twin Peaks 48 MUSIC REVIEW Adele-Sarah Blasko-Coldplay

FUN STUFF 42 CROSSWORD Win movie tickets!

39 COLOURING PAGE Not just for kids!

3

MAR CH

- Calendar -

Monday Week 1

Intro to Marxism @ 5pm, lvl 2, 93 Rundle Mall

Tuesday

wednesday

thursday

1

2

3

8

9

10

16

friday

sunday

5

6

11

12

13

17

18

19

20

25

26

27

Frisbee Beginners Night @ 6pm (+BBQ) Main Oval

4

saturday

Thinking CAPS Labcoat Mixer

Waste Awareness day 10am -3pm

FUDGE Quiz Night @ 5:30 Tavern

7

Week 2

Intro to Marxism @ 5pm, lvl 2, 93 Rundle Mall

Last Day to Enrol in Semester 1 topics

Frisbee Beginners Night @ 6pm (+BBQ) Main Oval

14

Week 3

Intro to Marxism @ 5pm, lvl 2, 93 Rundle Mall

21

Week 4

15

HIRSA First Year Dinner @ 6pm Tonsley Hotel

Socialist Alternative meeting “Highlighting Women’s Oppression”

22

23

24

29

30

31

Intro to Marxism @ 5pm, lvl 2, 93 Rundle Mall

28

Week 5

Intro to Marxism @ 5pm, lvl 2, 93 Rundle Mall

Fill this in with all your upcoming events and deadlines!

If you would like your Flinders University event to appear in an ET calendar, please contact us at empire.times@flinders.edu.au

- Letters to the Editors -

s r o t i d E e h t o t s r e t t e L I can’t b el here. Y ieve you’re sti ou’re a l waste o l and I u f space se your magazi napkin ne as a .

- God of

Law Stu

dents

To Empire Times,

I overheard that Flinders is cracking down and limiting the smoking areas on main campus, and I wanted to publicly say Bravo! This makes me proud to attend Flinders.

- Jessica P, 2nd year student ’ ather s f d n a r g y M better empire was, “ e urs Empir than ”yo .

Times - K. Ren

W hy?

- Firs t Yea r Philosop hy Stu dent

Got a question? Compliment?

Complaint?

Send your letters to empire.times@flinders.edu.au, tweet us at @empiretimesmag or message the Empire Times facebook page.

5 5

YOUR NEW PLAZA & STUDENT HUB > One central location for front-line student services > New spaces and tech to connect your learning experience > A fun calendar of events to enjoy with friends > SA’s leading foodies to power you through semester S

Flinders Connect

Central Library

FUSA

Art in the Hub

Technology & Spaces

Retail & Food

#flindershub

N

N

O

T

I

I A A S S O C

S

D

O

I F L

T

U

N

U N I V E R

S T

U

E

S E R

Y

Y

S T

D

D

IT

N

T

I

U N I V E R

I

S E R

F L

D

IT

N

E

N

T

I A A S S O C

hub.flinders.edu.au CRICOS No. 00114A

Fresher Survival Guide

;) With Simone

Welcome to Flinders University, 2016!

Whether you’re a new student or an old hat like myself, the uni has made a lot of changes in the past year (hence the theme). And while I’m sure you newbies have probably received plenty of welcome packs filled with officially-approved buzzwords like “diverse campus culture” and “state-of-the-art education”, I’m here to give you the REAL lowdown on navigating campus life, and some handy tips to surviving your first few weeks/semester/year.

Food and Coffee: My personal run-down of all the places on Bedford park campus to fuel your education. For official opening hours, check the Flinders website.

THE HUB: The Eatery: Subway:

Anyone who was here pre-2015 will remember fondly the joy of having your own Subway franchise ON CAMPUS. It was easily one of the most popular outlets pre-Laneway and their bacon and egg breakfast subs were a life-saver during those dreadful early morning starts. They were also notable for employing students, so don’t be surprised to walk in and find that girl/guy you vaguely recognise from that one lecture asking you “6 inch or foot-long?”.

I shouldn’t have to tell you what Subway is/does, just know that I’m super glad it’s back.

Parwana Afghan Kitchen:

One of the brand new vendors to come to Flinders, as of writing I haven’t yet tried their food. But this is their fourth restaurant in Adelaide, so if you’ve been to one of their other locations, I can imagine the food is much the same.

Toly Gourmet Vietnamese Street Food:

One of our Laneway favourites which has graduated into the food court, Toly is fantastic if you’re a fan of Laksa or Vietnamese rolls (or all the deliciousness of a roll but as low-carb “Bun bowl” salad).

Also, $5 for 3 spring rolls!

Urban Paddock Co.:

Another Laneway convert, hipster-coffee van Myrtle and Mae are moving in for good with a brand new name. These guys are top marks in my book for service, quality and quirky hipsterstyle. They also have a changing selection of pastries, and have introduced me to the wonder that is chicken and pear balls, which can be eaten cold or warmed in the microwave. Previously their biggest flaw has been a lack of Eftpos, but finally this year they’ve now added this capability. Finally, no more having to choose between saving your coins for a much-needed caffeine hit or parking!

OTHERS:

Grind and Press:

Another new addition, this time located right when you walk in from the bus stop. Yet to try this place but since it’s located right under all the admin offices, I can imagine it’s pretty good.

Alere Restaurant:

The new fancy restaurant to replace Red Vines (if you remember what that was). Probably not in the price range of most students, but these sorts of places seem to be exclusively patroned by staff anyway, and the last thing you want is to worry about that lecuturer you hate overhearing you complaining about them while in line for Subway.

7

The Student Kitchen:

If you’re short on cash the cheapest lunch option is to bring something from home. Previously it’s always been a bit of a struggle to fight over the two working microwaves, but now we have a grand total of nine, so that should help ease the lunch time congestion. The new kitchen also has an urn (for all your instant noodle-goodness) and six sandwich presses (because nothing improves a sandwich more than toasting it to perfection). The kitchen itself is now a stylish feature, rather than a dingy backalley of the cafeteria like it was pre-Hub.

Tavern:

This is my 5th year at Flinders. My first three years, we had this bar in the front corner of the Cafeteria. It was okay, but didn’t really feel like a proper bar. It wasn’t the dark, dingy dive bar we apparently used to have that everyone loved. Last year was miserable, as what used to be the cafeteria went underconstruction and we lost the bar completely—or so you could be forgiven for thinking. Bar services on Bedford actually moved to McHughes, but you could only buy beer from 12 to 3pm and who wants to walk all the way up that hill? I bought beer there just once, on my first day working at ET with one of my 2015 fellow editors. Now we have this lovely, shiny new bar which is just metres from my office. Run by the good folks at Burger Theory, beer goes for about $7 a pint and that’s outside of the happy hours. You’ll probably see me there every Friday afternoon.

THE LANEWAY: Bon Voyage:

Coffee? Check. Gelato? Check. Massive sasusage rolls? Double check. These guys have a warm place in my heart for their excellent range and super friendly service. Plus they’re the only place that does TimTam milkshakes that tastes like (and contains) actual TimTams. Say bon voyage to your wasteline!

ELSEWHERE: OneByte Café:

Aka. The Library Café. Great for sandwiches, rolls, pies and sushi.

Conveniently located if you’re studying. A great meeting place.

One of my favourite coffee vendors on campus due to the taste (4/5), friendly baristas (5/5), and the 10% student discount that all Uni-vendors have. Plus they have a loyalty card which gets you one free coffee for every 10. And that’s a free coffee however you like it; small, large, mocha, dirty chai (my personal fave), at no extra cost.

Wholefoods:

THE place to go if you’re looking for a wider selection of vegetarian/gluten free options than the other outlets provide.

They have your standard sandwiches/baguettes/focaccia/salads, as well as a selection of lasagne and quiche. They also do tubs of yougurt which, along with a scoop of bran or muesli, is the cheapest, healthiest breakfast option on campus and my personal favourite. I’m not in love with their coffee, but they’re the only place that stocks the tall “large” sized cups (remember to make sure you’re actually getting an extra shot than in their medium size though). By far their greatest perk is the large selection of pick’n’mix snacks (Disclaimer: Don’t actually mix) where you can find everything from chocolate covered almonds, to those weird spicy cracker balls and banana chips. A great (probably) healthier alternative to vending machine study snacks.

Coffee Cart:

Located in the Law and Commerce courtyard, a great place for all you law and commerce kids to get your caffine/muffin fix without walking all the way down to the Hub.

SILC café:

For those of you on the other end of the lake, SILC comes highly recommended. I thrived on their coffee last year when the ET office was located in the ITS building, and they’re great about letting you buy gum so you can make change for the parking meters.

McHughs:

Located next to the Physics building, probably the best place for lunch if you’re that end of campus. They make a fairly decent burger, again without the hassle of going down the hill.

deCafe Food Hall:

The place to go on Sturt campus. Stocks all the usual fair along with a variety of hot options (like chips!).

TONSLEY:

Not being a Tonsley student myself, had to outsource this one: “Sakura Sushi has both sushi and hot Asian dishes like curry and stir fry. Three Little Pods and Funk Coffee & Food are Cafes which both serve light lunch like sandwiches and salads.” - Alex Chen

Carparking Parking at Flinders is a bit of a nightmare. If you can, take public transport. It may take longer, but that’s just more time you can spend catching up on those readings you’ve been avoiding.

However, if you HAVE to drive to Flinders, here’s my advice on where to park successfully.

Where are most of your classes? It’s tempting to get a park next to your main building, but if you’re going to be down the hill in somewhere like Humanities, I’ve got bad news: it’s not going to happen. Unless of course you can get there at 8am.

But really, if you’re an Arts student, that’s not likely. Sleep is too important. If you’ve got afternoon classes, you’re in luck. People tend to start leaving from midday. If you can get there at ten to (when all classes at Flinders end), you might be lucky enough to catch people walking back to their cars and take their spots in a technique I call “camping”. But you’ll also be fighting off all the other people doing it, and it can take anywhere from a minute (if you’re super lucky) to 40 (if you’re not) to get a park. Don’t try this if you’re running late.

Generally speaking, the higher up the hill you go, the easier it’ll be to find a park. In my driving days, I would do a lap of Humanities, then Social Science, and then Law, which I usually only had to park in as a last resort. As a super-last resort, I twice had to park in carpark 3, which truly is the arse-end of the carparks. The absolute furthest from any buildings. But it’s also the one place you’re almost guaranteed to get a park.

I’ve never had to park in Sturt, Tonsley or the Med centre, so I can’t help you there. But it’s probably safe to assume the same 8am jackpot exists there. And remember, if you have to park super far away from where you need to be (like in the overflow parking on the oval behind the hospital), be sure to take advantage of the free loop bus that stops at key points around campus.

If you think you want to drive, I recommend trying it for a week.

Still want to drive? Get yourself a parking permit, which you can get at Flinders Connect or online. This means you can park in the day parks without buying a ticket—keep in mind you will still have to buy a ticket if parking in the 2h parks. But if you’re going to be at uni all day, every day, the permits are your best option.

It’s much cheaper to get a year-long pass over two semester-long passes, but just be sure you’re ready to commit to a full year of the parking circus.

And remember: parking after 5pm and on the weekend is free. I know the idea of being at uni on the weekend sounds depressing, but trust me, once you get to Honours, it’s so much easier than working on that thesis at home and there’s no line for coffee.

When it comes to buying parking tickets, all of the machines only take coins and WILL NOT GIVE YOU CHANGE. Try and have the exact amount you’ll need ($4.60 for day parking, $1.60 per hour for all short-term parking) otherwise you’ll just lose the rest. Yes it’s annoying and you’d think they could upgrade the machines to take card, but they don’t and if that’s next on the University’s upgrade list, I don’t know. I can only hope. Luckily the parking inspectors are very kind and reasonable people. If they see you, they WILL let you run into campus to buy something to break your notes into coins. Just don’t abuse that trust and leave your car for several hours. And if there is a problem with the machine, be sure to call the number. Every time I’ve had issues with parking machines, they’ve been very helpful.

Final Tips: •

Always have your student card on you. You’ll get a 10% discount at all university-run food outlets on campus (which is basically everything outside of the Eatery). It’s also your library card that you’ll use for borrowing and printing. Just remember to do your hair on the day you pick one up. That photo will stick with you your entire time at Flinders, unless you “lose” it and need tp buy a replacement.

•

Talk to people in your classes. This is the best place to make new friends as presumably you’re likely to have common interests (the topic you’re studying, for one). Especially if you’re a first year, everyone is just as shy and nervous as you.

Talk to people. Eat lunch with them. These friends may well turn out to be life-long, and far more important to you than anyone you befriended in high school.

•

Buy your textbooks online. Unibooks is closing in April and I’m not sure what’s replacing it, but chances are you’re better off shopping online. Go to BookDepository.com and Booko to find the best deals.

•

Speak up in your tutorials. Contribute to the discussion.

Don’t just sit back and let other people talk. Tutors will remember you (especially when they’re grading), and this will be super handy when you’re trying to find a supervisor for a Honours/Masters/PhD.

•

Their collection of books is vast and varied, and if you’re in Honours or post-grad, you’re given the option to request books to be sent in from other libraries through the Document Delivery scheme, which is single-handly one of the most useful functions of the Library. Utilise this (if you can), and return your all books on time lest you be threatened with the replacement cost! Although if you need an extesion (on Flinders books) just shoot them an email. They’re super friendly and understanding.

If you need help, whether it’s for directions, with classes, looming deadlines you don’t think you’ll make; ASK SOMEONE. The university WANTS you to succeed, even if sometimes it doesn’t feel like it. There are so many people whose job it is to help you. Use them. Email lecturers/tutors/ course coordinators. Email your peer mentor (if you’re lucky enough to get one). Contact the Careers counsellor. The regular counsellor. Don’t just suffer in silence and drop out.

Talking to people will help you work out your next move. You can do this.

•

Flinders Connect: Anything related to student services can now be found here, on the first floor of the plaza. ID cards, enrolments, scholarships, transcripts, parking permits; you name it, they do it. They’ve even replaced Trim with their new helpdesk, Ask Flinders. Not as cool as a virtual cat, but at least they’re conveninently located.

Get a diary. Trust me on this. There’s nothing worse than realising too late you had a class moved across campus or a 4000 word essay due TOMROROW. Get a diary (perhaps one of the fancy free ones at FUSA), use it and use it often.

Even if you already use your phone calender, double-up your schedule and you’ll (hopefully) never miss anything important again.

•

Check your student email. Like, every day. This is the main way your tutors will communicate with you (outside of FLO).

Class cancelled last minute? It’s in your email. Assignment deadline extended? It’ll be in your email. Edits back on a piece you wrote for us? It’s in your email, so please check it before we have to track you down on Facebook!

•

Join a club! Regardless of your interests, you’re bound to find something you’ll like. Clubs are a great way to make new friends and hang out with people who are just as into video games/Harry Potter/Muay Thai/creative writing/singing/ philosophy etc as you!

•

Write for us! Empire Times is YOUR student magazine. That means we need YOU to give us content. We’ll take just about anything too; stories, poetry, photography, illustrations, reviews, non-fiction articles about whatever you’re passionate about; you name it, we’ll (probably) publish it. So if you’ve ever fancied seeing your name in print, send us an email at empire.times@flinders.edu.au or find us on Facebook at Empire Times for our submission guidelines. Do it. Go on.

I DARE you.

Finally, DON’T park in a spot that is not a carpark. You WILL get a fine. Is that really worth avoiding a walk down the hill?

Other Useful places: Central Library: Your one stop for books, powerpoints and napping couches. It’s everyone’s favourite study place, with a multitudes of computers, printing facilities, and even private rooms you can book out for all those fantastic and totally not murder-inducing group projects. I’ve personally spent many many hours here working on assignments, staying back until the 10pm closing time (which now doesn’t exist as from this year it’s open 24/7). Part of that was having OneByte café right there, next to my regular computer bay, providing ample access to fresh coffee and ‘yesterdays-donuts’ (much cheaper than today’s donuts, albeit cold).

FUSA: Your student association where you can get free pens and diaries!

They also provide a series of advocacy services and help for anything you need, from academic issues to welfare. And they run a bunch of excellent events like pubcrawls and FUSA Relax Days, which in the past have included free pizza and a petting zoo. Also they fund this magazine, so really they’re pretty damn awesome.

ATMs: You will find ATMs at several hot spots around Bedford park campus. These tend to be NAB or ANZ, so if you’re not a customer of either of those, you’re going to have the $3 usage fee. Luckily most of you can also get cash out at the Post Office, UNLESS you are with Bank SA, like me. The fact I can’t get fee-less cash out anywhere on campuses is one of my biggest grievances. Luckily the vast majority of outlets take card. Except for the carpark ticket machines.

99

- Features -

Sex,Drugs,and Rock’n’Roll: Life at Flinders Uni Hall

You know how they say that in space, no one can hear you scream?

Well, in Flinders Uni Hall, everyone can hear you scream; they can hear when you have sex, they can hear you when you’re vomiting the morning after a pub crawl, and they can smell when you’re smoking (and I don’t mean cigarettes). These are the realities of living on campus, dorm-style, at Flinders Uni. Living on campus at the Hall, which is essentially 250 dorm rooms, is like a school camp on steroids. Take the ‘no parental supervision’ and ‘no bed-times’, and mix it with some of the joys of adulthood, like alcohol and juicy gossip; of course, gossip can be very immature, but if you do it with a glass of sangria in your hand, it feels like much more of an adult activity. It helps to have friends in high places, who have connections with the cliques, and who can give you the inside scoop.

My friends and I were hooked up with the good goss; Emma and Gooch* had sex in a public bath on the first floor??? Someone is running an underground drug-dealing ring from their dorm room? Old news! Bro 1 is jealous that his fellow bro friend* is spending more time with his new girlfriend than with him, and he emotionally confronted him about this??? They had an orgy??? One time the gossip going around was about myself and a female friend of mine; we had been

spotted making out on the dance floor of The Woolshed. Or was it The Dog & Duck? I can’t remember, but apparently it happened…it wasn’t just news to everyone else, it was news to us too! When you’re a short-haired feminist, the ‘lesbian’ rumours fly, believe me.

The most scandalous thing that happened to me in my two years at the Hall was when I had to formally complain about my neighbour’s loud sex. I tolerated it for months when the noises woke me up from a peaceful sleep or distracted me from studying; I tolerated their midnight show, their 7am encore, and their mid-afternoon delight. One afternoon it was particularly graphic and I decided that enough was enough. The Hall is full of sexually active young people, and nearly all of them manage to do the deed without waking up the entire floor.

After I complained, I never heard the noise again…I actually have a feeling they broke up. You know what? If my complaint was the straw that broke the camel’s back, I’m not even sorry.

A fun part of college life is pub nights. During my time at the Hall, we frequented many different establishments, such as the Tonsley; the Coopers Bar (the old campus bar, pre-Hub); the Vic; and we even had a few pub nights right here in the Laneway! One of the best pub nights I had in my two years at the hall was a dress-up night, and the prize *Names have been changed for their protection, of course.

- Features -

for the best costumes was Kanye West tickets; therefore, we had to dress up as something beginning with ‘K’. My sister (who survived at the Hall for FOUR years), my friends, Maddy and Georgia, and myself, went as KISS. None of us were really huge Kanye fans (apart from Black Skinhead, that’s our jam), but we took the opportunity and went all out. We turned heads walking into the Tonsley, and we had complete strangers come up to us and compliment our costumes; that was awesome. The DJ played ‘Rock And Roll All Nite’, and called us up on stage, where we air-guitarred and I stuck my tongue out a lot (I was Gene Simmons).

Long story short, we didn’t even win the Kanye tickets, and I was still cleaning Gene Simmons off of my face days after…but nonetheless, what a night.

Of course, there was more to the Hall than all that though. It wasn’t all fun and drinking-games, pub-crawls, and wild gossip. There were quiet, boring nights when nothing was happening; people were either napping, or staying up until 5am desperately working to have that assignment finished before its looming deadline.

It was our home, and we became family. I made lifelong friends and memories, and the most special of those memories were the simplest ones, like the nights in with friends playing cards; we made up an additional ten phases to play in Phase 10, and now we play ‘Phase 20’.

Some of the hardest times I laughed was when we pushed our beds together and squeezed six or seven people into a tiny dorm room to watch movies. The very frequent midnight McDonalds runs will always hold a special, and delicious, place in my heart.

There was a very special sense of community amongst us Hallies, as we were all in the same boat; we’d all moved away from our homes, and our families, to come to Adelaide to study. It’s quite a big thing to pack up your whole life and leave your parents, siblings, pets, and the familiarity and comfort of your family home and hometown; for those of you who haven’t had to do that yet, I envy you, and sincerely hope you appreciate every minute.

I had 249 housemates, some of whom I never actually sat down and

talked with, but when you see the same faces every day for two years, it feels like you know them very well. And when you hear the same people fucking for months, you feel like you know them so well that you’re practically family; a very dysfunctional family, mind you.

Room 4309 on the top floor was my room for two years. It wasn’t just my room, it was my apartment; it was my kitchen, my dining room, my bedroom, my living room, my office, and my guest room, all rolled into one. Of course, my ‘kitchen’ was a bar fridge; my ‘dining table’ was my desk, which doubled as my office; the ‘guest room’ was a mattress on the floor that conveniently folded to be stored under my bed; and the lounge area was my modest beanbag. Oh, and it was just across the hall from the bathroom, and not just any bathroom, but the bathroom with the best water-pressure in the shower. I could see the uni from my room, and at night I would lie in bed and look through the window at the stars. My room was also a seven-minute walk to university, which meant I often walked back to the Hall between classes for a nap. Oh, I loved that room.

2015 was my second and last year at the Hall, and I am writing this article from my new digs, ‘The Village’, which is the other part of the on-campus accommodation. I wouldn’t trade my time at the Hall for anything, but I am glad to be here now. Instead of 249 roommates, I will only have 4 this year, and instead of living in a mass of dorm rooms, I live in a unit. I’ve only moved 100 metres away, but it’s a big, exciting change.

Change is scary, but it’s also inevitable; when you accept the change, embrace it, and jump in head-first, it’s really rather exciting. Toto, I don’t think we’re in the Hall anymore.

AUTHOR Eleanor Danenberg, 20, Bachelor of Arts High Achievers (Women’s Studies and Creative Writing)

A positive change she’s made recently has been not having any sugar in her coffee anymore; every little bit counts!

(L-R: Georgia as Peter Criss, Me as Gene Simmons, Maddy as Ace Frehley, and bottom: my big sister, Gen, as Paul Stanley.

11 11

- President’s Report -

FUSA Student President Conversations with Caleb

Caleb Pattinson Change is an inevitable part of life. We see it at home, with family and friends, as well as at Flinders University. As I extend a welcome to all returning Flinders University students, I wish to take an extra moment to introduce myself to those commencing in 2016.

As President of the Flinders University Student Association (FUSA), my role is to advocate on all student issues and be a voice for students when there isn’t already one. FUSA is still new and growing but has a remarkable list of accomplishments to date. Throughout the year, you will see our welfare initiatives such as free brunches around the campus or sausage sizzles on the plaza. We aim to support and empower all non-sporting clubs on campus (sporting clubs are managed by Flinders One) through grants and services so they can thrive. We are proud to have joined the thousands of students around Australia who banded together to fight against deregulation of fees proposed by the Abbott government in 2014. I encourage all commencing students to actively get involved on campus and enjoy every moment of your university experience.

Changes in the way we interact and study will continue to impact heavily on the structure of degrees and courses. The practical reality is that in a digitised age, technology will continue to increase in

importance for those studying. We must be cautious that technology does not replace the essential experience of learning in a physical environment that stems from conversations and the ability to question in real time. This is a real threat as university administrations look to cut staff further and replace the experience with a digital realm.

As we look to the next 50 years of the university, we need to realise what is at the core of the educational experience and how Flinders can empower graduates with real life skills in an ever changing world.

For Flinders, 2016 is to be a year of celebration as we mark the 50th Anniversary, yet I call into question the state of the university. Late last year came the announcement of a staffing freeze due to a budget emergency, and this year will follow with job cuts and further changes to restructuring of courses and structure of services. The neo-liberal attack on education is continued by the governance of the university, treating your degrees as a commodity and you as a customer. The changes in perception of education over the years are so disappointing, with many people viewing a degree as a privilege rather than a right. Education is a class breaker, an opportunity for anybody regardless of their parent’s wealth to be able to further themselves and society, and to have a brighter future.

Due to the globalisation of higher education, Flinders University is competing in a very open international market.

Flinders can only differentiate itself if as an institution, we realise the value in a strong and independent student union, and the power of student voice on campus. If we compare ourselves against other universities around Australia, those climbing the ranking ladders are those with the strongest student representation.

FUSA does what the university cannot, we endeavour to create a culture on campus that originates straight from your voice, ideas, and opinions as a student. When the university spends your student services money on their new Hub, we will be there to fight and stand up against the injustice.

Why should we reconsider expanding our welfare services, which assist the poorest students on campus, so that they can use the money to fund a hub? A Hub that ultimately ends up on the front of university brochures and advertising so they can increase enrolments. It doesn’t need to be funded from a very limited pool of student money for student services – let’s take the money out of the ViceChancellor’s million dollar salary instead!

As we look to change the university, so future Flinders students will be more powerful than ever, I ask that you sign up to FUSA and get involved with our campaigns throughout the year.

- Student Council Interview -

Meet your Student Council...

General Secretary

led l u p n e e b s a h e This articl d n o y e b s e c n a t due to circums our control. , n io t a m r o f in r For furthe please go to .au empiretimes.com

13

Student life: Student run Save the Student Services Amenities Fee (SSAF)

Campus culture; it’s great, isn’t it? All those clubs you see at O’week, and the funding that FUSA, your student association, provides them to host numerous events? That comes from SSAF. The amazing O’week we all get to enjoy is funded from SSAF. In academic or financial trouble? See the fantastic staff at Student Assist at FUSA. They are funded through SSAF. Facing legal trouble? See Flinders Legal Advice Clinic, funded by SSAF. Feeling ill, physically or mentally? Health, Counseling and Disability is there to help, funded

by SSAF. This lovely publication you are reading? Thanks, SSAF! So far, SSAF is sounding pretty awesome, huh? But what exactly is SSAF? If you’re a student, you have to pay SSAF. The maximum a full-time student will pay is $290 for the year. It’s not a bad price for all the services you get provided because of it. Plus, you can defer it thanks to SA-HELP, which is like HECS-HELP, but your SSAF deferment will pale in comparison to your rising student debt.

SSAF stands for Student Services Amenities Fee. A short article will not do the long history of student services and their funding justice, but the bottom line is that without SSAF, these services and events would not happen.

Unfortunately, many students are unaware of SSAF and what it does, which included myself until recently. FUSA recently conducted a survey which showed that 81% of students knew of SSAF, yet only 33% were aware of the services and amenities it provides. This is the failure of the university and FUSA to have the conversation with students and let them know of the valuable services SSAF allows. I hope that this article is the beginning of a conversation lead by FUSA, your democratic student representatives. If we don’t have these conversations, others will speak for us, like the federal government.

The federal government has shown it is no friend of students, with its continued cuts to social services, and its now ‘shelved’ fee deregulation proposals. These proposals could leave students paying over $100,000 for their degrees and still paying back their debt well into their old age.

The concern of many is that the government will now go after SSAF and try to abolish it. The last time the federal government tampered

with funding like this was under the Howard government; they removed it and campus culture died. You only have to ask anyone that went to Flinders from 2006-2010 to know that the campus was often barren. Empire Times died, as did the Student Union and its services and events. They were replaced with organisations run by university employees and corporations, not the students, and they provided poor services often lacking student input and focus.

Many students I know were pretty unhappy with the old Cooper’s Bar and how it was run, particularly with opening hours and trying to work with management. I think that’s what happens when you do not have student involvement or consultation.

Conservative members of the Senate who hate SSAF purely on ideological grounds tried to attack SSAF last year, proposing it becomes voluntary on a per-university basis. This of course would be disastrous as we have seen what campuses look like without funding, and that is an unfriendly, empty place that students do not want to be at.

So, next time someone talks about SSAF, remember it as the fee that supports students. The recent FUSA survey showed that students want the SSAF to support the services it already supports, particularly Health, Counseling and Disability, and the financial and academic advocacy support, offered by FUSA. Without SSAF, students will undoubtedly be worse off. We want Flinders to have the best campus culture and this can only be done with funding to clubs and events for all students throughout the year. We also want students to be supported as well as they can be, in all aspects of their lives, whether personal or university related. This is achieved through SSAF and those that want to remove it want to remove these services from you.

You don’t want that, do you?

AUTHOR Jack Harrison, 21, Bachelor of Law / Bachelor of International Studies

After two years living on campus, Jack has finally moved out. It was a fun two years but he looks forward to the year ahead and renting a place out in the big bad world.

15

15

- Get Smart -

“Things do not change; we change” - Henry David Thoreau Some of us return to Flinders this year after three or four months off, a little slower on the uptake after so long removed from the daily intellectual stimulation, and a little less taut in the thigh and buttock region after weeks without having to sprint the length of Lake Road in the ten minutes between lectures. Returning students, may your new tutors be both generous markers and flexible on deadlines. Godspeed.

For those of you who are new to the Flinders family, welcome. If you’ve come straight from high school, it’s a safe bet that most of you are (or will be soon turning) eighteen in 2016. This means that a large portion of you weren’t even a twinkle in your old man’s eye prior to 1998 (ew, parental sex reference). Life was different; food was cheaper, television was less inspiring (no The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones or Supernatural!), and jeans weren’t tight enough to cut off blood flow to the groin.

In 1998, we first heard the name Monica Lewinsky, realised the importance of prompt dry-cleaning, and understood that the term ‘sexual relations’ means something entirely different if you’re a President. Matthew Shepard, a gay student from Wyoming in the United States, was fatally beaten in a hate crime. The world was still reeling from the death of Princess Diana a few months earlier, while back home in Australia, the first National Sorry Day (now the National Day of Healing) was held, which recognised the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families.

In entertainment news, Titanic was the biggest movie of the year and Victoria Adams became engaged to David Beckham and never smiled for a photo again. The Truman Show starring Jim Carrey, which details the hyper-reality of a life lived constantly in front of the cameras, was released. The last episode of Seinfeld aired on American television, making way for the premiere of Sex and the City in the same year. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was published. Ricky Martin held the top spot on the Aria End of Year Chart with “The Cup of Life”, and The Offspring’s “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)” took out No. 1 on Triple J’s Hottest 100. Cathy Freeman was the Australian of the Year, and two

1 9 9 8

students over at Stanford University, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, established a little start-up they called Google.

You might think that the events of this first year of your life have little bearing on life in 2016. Not so.

In March 2015, seventeen years after the Lewinsky Affair became public, Monica Lewinsky’s TED talk on the dangers of cyberbullying and public humiliation went viral, proving that speaking out against your bullies can have a positive effect. And this year Hillary Clinton has a strong chance of becoming the United States’ first female President (relegating ol’ Bill to the role of FLOTUS - in his case, ‘First Lad’ is very apt) and potentially halting 227 years of male presidential rule in the US. This comes after Barack Obama himself ended a 219-year-long reign of white presidential leadership when he was elected in 2008. How rad is that? And America didn’t stop there; in 2015, same-sex marriage became legal nationwide, a goal that would have seemed impossible in 1998.

Poor old Leo, always a bridesmaid but never a bride, is finally tipped for an Oscar almost two decades after he played the illfated Jack opposite Kate Winslet. Reality TV has also exploded into our lives — with some good shows and some bone-achingly terrible. We’ve now had seven Harry Potter books and eight films, and a whole generation of kids learned to love the written word with Harry, Ron and Hermione right by their side. If that isn’t magic, then I don’t know what is. Google is our king, and we carry access to the world’s information right in our pockets.

Maybe the world hasn’t changed at all. Maybe we’re just finally beginning to evolve.

AUTHOR Karen Smart, old enough to be under the table but not over the hill (30+), Bachelor of Creative Arts (Creative Writing) A positive change that Karen has made was to return to uni to be with you fine people!

Second Puberty Blues

- -Feminism Column - -

It’s 2016 and so far the only difference between this year and the last is how often I have to alter a 5 into a 6. And after all the changes my life went through in 2015, I don’t think there could be that many this year.

In 2014 I came out as transgender to everyone I knew. The people closest to me were great with it, but people not so close or aware of trans issues had many questions and expectations. The biggest expectation of many people was that I would be changing everything about myself. I understand most people thinking that coming out as transgender is one of the biggest changes you can go through, but the reality for most trans people is far more subtle. Honestly, changing my hair colour was more of a change than coming out.

Over the first year of being out as trans there were many small changes that took place. I began growing my hair out and wearing it in a more feminine style. I began to teach myself more makeup techniques and eventually began wearing them in public. I slowly began giving away the more masculine cut clothes to friends, or trading them for more feminine clothes.

Nearly three and a half months ago, I began the next set of changes to go through. Remember puberty? Well, I’ve started it a second time. I began my first puberty a decade ago and because I obviously loved that so much, I’ve gone through the process again, but this time I get to go through the other version of it.

The first puberty I went through was a testosterone puberty.

Testosterone does a lot of fancy things such as promoting facial and body hair growth, deepening voices, and assisting with muscle growth, amongst other things. I’m pretty okay with the muscles that came from it, but the other stuff isn’t particularly my thing. I’ve heard other trans women call testosterone puberty “testosterone poisoning”, however I would advise against using this term as its implications aren’t nice for people who haven’t the opportunity to do anything about it.

My second puberty is a whole different matter. I take three magic blue pills every day which provide my body with oestrogen.

Oestrogen puberty does absolutely fantastic things for those who want it. Oestrogen puberty does pretty things such as softening skin and hair, breast development, allocating fat deposits to the breasts, hips and thighs, and many more things.

It usually takes around 5 years for all of puberty’s changes to happen, and I’m barely through the start of that, but already I (and others) have noticed changes of my appearance! I actually hoped to be sleeping with someone on a regular basis through all these changes because its sometimes easier for another person to notice subtle changes than it would be for myself.

One of the most pronounced changes that I have had so far has been a softening of my facial features. I have a photo from just before I started taking Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and one from two months on it, and while my facial features are still the same, my face is far more feminine and rounded. My facial hair growth is also extremely reduced, which is almost my favourite thing that HRT has done (facial hair makes me extremely dysphoric); it’s also great as I am a poor uni student so I am unable to afford laser hair removal at this point in time.

Breast growth has been extremely kind to me and I officially fill out B cups completely and am almost up to a C. This was one of the things I was most simultaneously excited and worried about. I have wanted breasts for far longer than I have known I am trans, and now they are finally happening. However, I was warned by many people with experience in this area that their growth might not be what I am hoping for, and while I have no qualms with breast enlargement surgeries, the cost makes it out of my reach for now.

A change I haven’t noticed myself, but has been pointed out to me by someone who has seen me naked, is that my figure is thinning out at the waist and widening at the hips. The process of my body relocating all the fat deposits is going to be the longest of all the changes (and there is a lot of it to move).

I’ve been getting a lot of compliments on my skin as well, people even ask me if I am wearing foundation. I don’t even have a skincare routine yet (I know, I know, I really need one). I was pretty lucky with my first puberty as I didn’t get very many pimples, but that’s changed this time around. I can’t remember a day in the last few months where I didn’t have at least half a dozen hiding all over my body.

Without testosterone being pumped around my body, there has been a huge change in the way I smell. Not only do I literally smell different, but my sense of smell has gotten stronger. I am also under the impression that my taste will change as well.

I’m supposed to be taking an anti-androgen (aka, testosterone blocker, or T-blocker), however the changes it will give me are things I don’t particularly want. My body no longer produces testosterone, but I can still get it from other sources, and T-blockers prevent them from being metabolised; however the most likely change would be a reduction to my sex drive, and right now I’m having the most sex I’ve ever had in my life and I’m enjoying it while it lasts.

While keeping with the theme ‘changes’, I have noticed there have been some rather drastic changes in how I am treated in public.

I definitely look trans (ie: I don’t pass as a cis girl and I don’t look like a boy either) and many people aren’t exactly very nice about it. Existing as an openly trans woman means I attract stares from almost everyone who sees me, and frequently the stares are accompanied by hushed whispers to nearby people.

I’ve also noticed changes in people I know. My family didn’t exactly take it very well in the beginning, but nearly a year and a half after coming out to them, they are correcting each other and themselves when they misgender me. My close friends are constantly educating themselves on issues facing trans people as well as doing everything they can to support me.

I am one trans girl and these are my own experiences which may or may not be the same for other trans people.

AUTHOR Elle Void, 24, Bachelor of Social Work

The best change Elle has made in the last year is taking pills daily.

17 17

- Politics -

Freedom For All

Enough is enough, Canberra needs to step up and do its fucking job 2015 was not really a year of social change in Australia.

Islamophobia, discriminatory marriage laws, sexism, and racism; these unresolved issues are a mere dip of the toe in the stagnant pond that is Australia’s political system.

This country needs change. Yet for some reason, positive, worthwhile, and necessary change is battled at every opportunity.

Politicians in Canberra uphold oppressive, antiquated laws causing many to go from confusion, to frustration, to anger. Let’s have a look at Australia’s ridiculous track record for social change in 2015…

Due to the horrendous atrocities that were committed by deranged fanatics throughout the world, Islamophobia has once again reared its ugly head. From Reclaim Australia to Jacqui Lambie, from Blair Cottrell (the egotistical, now retired, founder of the militant United Patriots Front) to the charming folks at the Australian Liberal Alliance, there has been bigotry, intolerance, and hatred drenching social and mainstream media. Brawls breaking out at various rallies throughout Australia became the norm as anti-Islam/halal/multiculturalism protestors and their “terrorist sympathising” lefty nemeses, clashed. The question has to be asked: why the fuck are people protesting multiculturalism, or wanting to take away someone’s right to worship? When a terrorist attack carried out by a deranged lunatic, who claims to be a Muslim occurs, Muslim leaders and communities are demanded to condemn the act. Let’s translate that unreasonable request for a second. If we were to apply that to Christianity, every time a family planning clinic is attacked by a ‘pro-life’ Christian extremist (the irony in that is painful), or a mass shooting is committed by a Christian, we need the Pope, the Queen and a myriad of priests, pastors and reverends to officially condemn these atrocities. Yet it doesn’t happen. Why? Marriage equality is something that should be a basic staple of human existence, but it is denied to many due to the fact that they were born a particular way. This is an insult to morals, fairness, and equality, yet there is next to nothing being done about it. Wait, sorry, that’s not true…there is to be a plebiscite on the issue. THIS IS NOT OKAY! This is a social rights issue, and it should not be up to the fucking public as to whether or not these people get the same damn rights to marry as everyone else in Australia. What. A. Farce.

Gender equality is another issue that needs resolving. The very fact that on average, women are paid 17.9% less than men shows that this is unacceptable. This inequality is more than the wage gap, however. It is the justification of rape culture that prevails in society, it is the sickening statistics to do with physical and sexual violence against women, and it is the acceptance and encouragement of sexism in many environments.

Similarly, the mistreatment of Indigenous communities and individuals has been appalling. It is more than the insane call to close down rural Aboriginal communities from good ol’ Tony. It is more than Andrew Bolt fighting against Aboriginal peoples being included in the constitution. It is more than the harassment of individuals such as Adam Goodes and Jack Charles based on their race. It is the attitude that this country has in relation to its First Owners. This wrong, misguided attitude was made abundantly clear in 2015; it needs to change.

Australia’s disgraceful lack of empathy in regards to refugees and their plight was likewise highlighted last year. The only decent thing that we did was to agree to take in 12,000 Syrian refugees.

However, before we go patting ourselves on the back, we should remember that we sent the majority of these poor, downtrodden asylum seekers to concentration camps. Fuck! Why does it need to be pointed out that doing this to human beings is the very definition of evil? Why do there need to be marches and demonstrations to tell the government that sending anyone to a giant prison, for the ‘crime’ of wanting a better life for themselves and their family is wrong? Why are we constantly ignored by the government when we fight for these peoples’ freedom?

The reason these issues have not been fully addressed or resolved is because they are human rights issues wrapped in politics, and that is where the water gets murky. Politicians will, more often than not, only do things that will appease the majority, or stick to the current tradition; that is where the lack of change comes in.

Australia is steeped in regressive and oppressive traditions, and it is up to the brave few to change the status quo. Unfortunately for us, such a trait is lacking in the capital. This is what needs to change. Politicians need to stop worrying about their polls and do their job. They need to make the tough yet remarkably simple decisions to make Australia a better place.

In conclusion: 2015, you were a major disappointment.

So, here’s to 2016; to a better world, to the legalisation of freedom, to basic human rights, and necessities being addressed and handled responsibly by those with the power to do so. Here’s to marriage and gender equality, multiculturalism, inclusion, tolerance, peace, hope, and understanding. Here’s to an end of bigotry, prejudice, hatred, and fear.

Here’s to change.

AUTHOR Brenton Griffin, 22, Bachelor of Arts (History)

Last year, Brenton made the positive change in his life by accepting that he doesn’t have any idea what the hell is going on.

- Features -

#WheresRey? Star Wars: The Force Awakens is one of the most successful movies of all time, having broken the records for highest domestic and fastest grossing films, and biggest opening weekend. And of course it is; it was one of the most highly anticipated sequels in one of the biggest franchises ever. It’s a work of pure genius that combines the nostalgia and snappy humour of the originals and the improved script writing and filming technology of the future, having learned from the mistakes of the prequels. It’s also the most diversely cast film, with a girl, a black guy AND a Guatemalan actor featured in the main cast. Main cast! Not just in the background or as forgettable side characters (face it, no one cares about Lando Calrissian). And speaking about women, they’re everywhere; from Rey, to Leia and Maz and Captain Phasma—a female stormtroop leader. Now that’s something special. And aside from those, women are just there, in the background, a part of the world. Finally 50% of the population is being represented in a galaxy far far away, and as more than just prostitutes. And after the excellence of Mad Max: Fury Road, another typically-male dominated series that had a noticeably feminist upgrade in it’s sequel, I think it’s safe to say 2015 was definitely a big step in the right direction, for science fiction anyway. Hollywood has finally listened to what we’ve been saying for years. So why haven’t toymakers?

would love a chance to have Rey and Leia included in these sets.

Other boys may get these gender-inclusive sets and completely ignore the female characters—but that’s irrelevant. Because by excluding female characters, you’re only narrowing your market potential.

Star Wars has always been a massive merchandise moneymaker.

You can get Star Wars-literally-anything; even BB-8 apples (because everyone knows droids are all about getting their 3 and 5 a day).

One of the biggest divisions of merchandise is in toys—naturally, considering that Star Wars with it’s simple Good vs Evil premise and flashy space knights have always appealed to the younger market, and its new ownership by Disney, the creators of all our favourite childhood stories for the past 50 years. But noticeably, a number of their toy sets have been created without Rey. This ordinarily isn’t strange, since of course you can’t possibly include every single character in every toy set—except she is THE central protagonist.

And when you’re creating a set that, say, contains a collection of 6 figurines, and have to resort to including a generic Stormtrooper commander and nameless First Order pilot before you include any female characters (such as the MAIN ONE), well, it looks like you’re excluding women on purpose.

Fortunately, Hasbro has since back-flipped and announced they WILL be including her in a re-release version of the game, after the backlash they received over Twitter, most notably using the hashtags #WheresRey and #WhereisRey. That’s consumer feedback in motion, friends. At least we know they’ll do the right thing when publicly shamed and pressured.

This isn’t the first time women have been notably left out from official merchandising. Black Widow was famously excluded from nearly all Avengers promotional products (despite appearing in far more movies than Hawkeye ever has or will), and Gamora received similar treatment with Guardians of the Galaxy toys. And it’s not really defensible. I find it hard to believe that boys are watching these movies IN SPITE of its female characters. Unless you’ve grown up in some sad, isolated all-male commune, all boys are going to know what women are, presumably even having grown up with some as relatives. Some boys may even like these female characters, and

Some have argued that figurines are made to be collectable, and that you can already get Rey as a stand-alone figure. Fair enough.

It’s nice she actually has a doll. It’s still weird but separating popular characters to force parents to buy more individual items is a legitimate marketing scheme (I mean just look at the Skylander series). But the character choice becomes a little less logical with another popular merchandise offering; Star Wars: Monopoly. These sets let you play as Finn, Kylo Ren, Original-Trilogy-Luke and Darth Vader. Hasbro, the markers of Monopoly, have previously defended this decision by saying that as the game was released before the movie premiered, they didn’t want to ruin the surprised that the movie had a girl in it, or some bullshit. Which IS bullshit, and J.J. Abrams has shared in this sentiment, as Rey already featured heavily in promotional posters and trailers for the film. Her inclusion in the game would have made absolutely no difference to anyone’s movie experience, but her exclusion speaks volumes.

This big issue with all this isn’t that toymakers such as Mattel and Hasbro appear to be focusing their marketing on boys; it’s that they believe boys are incapable of accepting or playing with a female character. It’s the same problem we have with video games, where corporate decision-makers believe and propagate the belief that boys and white men are incapable of empathizing with someone who doesn’t directly resemble them. And really, that’s just insulting to men. I personally believe they’re smarter than that. And all this gendered marketing is getting rather old anyway. Even if it is for a movie-tie in, it doesn’t make sense. Star Wars isn’t just a “boys movie”.

No, an entire gender can’t lay claim to a franchise or a genre. I saw The Force Awakens twice in cinemas, both times sans penis. Star Wars is for everyone. All movies are for everyone. Especially when they have a kick-ass female protagonist.

AUTHOR Simone Corletto, 24, Bachelor of Creative Arts Honours (Creative Writing) The most positive change Simone made in the past year was extending her Honours thesis deadline.

19

- Technology -

Technologica

External Harddrives Objectively I understand that, before the internet, research for a university essay was done using books. My life so far has not equipped me for these same skills, as hours slowly reading through books for that one relevant quote and trying to work out if you are even on the right track seems so much harder than compared with Google Scholar.

At the start of this article I used Google Scholar (logged into the Flinders library, to increase my results) to search for ‘Gartner’s Hype Cycle’ articles from academic sources since the start of 2015 as a way of looking for a theme and was greeted with 924 results in .05 seconds. As an aside, for those interested, the Gartner hype cycle is one research group’s assessment on the maturity of new technologies and is always an interesting way to see what the new buzzwords are.

The constant availability of information has reportedly changed the way that we think, with researchers at the University of Washington, amongst others, referring to “The external mind.” This concept proposes that, to a large extent, the internet is an external harddrive for our brain— remembering facts and quotes for us so that we can spend our thinking-power on more than recall. Instead of remembering a poem line-for-line we will remember the title, poet and the location of where to find it. Outside of high school English class, that has always been more than enough.

Similarly, the research has suggested that we spend less time on any given problem (or reading any given article) than preinternet.

But worse memory and shorter attention span is only part of the story, as that leftover brain-power doesn’t simply go to waste. Instead we spend a bit more time processing the information, trying to sort out the sound from the noise, as we are bombarded with mostly useless and incorrect pieces of information (although if too pressed for time to actually understand it all, you can always reference the sources on the Wikipedia page).

This access to external information has also had another impact on our society, increasing the ability for individuals to learn new skills. It’s not just about learning to tie a tie or change a tire, but about enabling people with a passion and dedication to better themselves. This allows people like you and I, who already have access to an higher education, to further our understanding in different areas (MIT, Stanford and other prestigious universities offer many of their courses complete with lectures for free online). In some cases, however, this opens up access to education that could not otherwise be achieved.

Duolingo is a popular app for learning a second (or third/fourth/whatever you are currently up to) language. One of their early missions was to open up English education for people who may not otherwise have access to language classes for free. The way they pay for themselves is by allowing advanced users to translate real world documents and aggregating the submissions of several users to develop a probable translation. In this way people can continue to use the app for free, advanced users can get some real word practice, and Duolingo can still make a profit.

This de-centralisation of knowledge, enabling anyone with a connection to the internet to learn and connect, increases opportunities for anyone with the right motivation. While this still isn’t a perfect system, it will allow more people than ever to access information that could improve their lives, or at least allow them to introduce themselves to as many languages as they choose.

AUTHOR Kevin Clark, 21, Bachelor of Engineering (Software) Kevin says that the most positive change he made last year was when he gave change for a $50

Hidden Gems Onkaparinga River Wetlands Trail

Hi all, Welcome to my ‘Hidden Gems’ column. For those of you who have just returned from university holidays, welcome back! To those who are just about to start at Flinders, welcome. You will find that Flinders is a very welcoming and inclusive university, where both staff and students are willing to help you out and show you where to go if you get lost.

As most of us know, we, as a population, tend to stick to what we know and what we are comfortable with, which usually results in us doing the same things day in and day out. In order for our lives to function successfully we all need to plan, organise, and structure our days, weeks, months, and years. A student’s typical structure is as follows; we wake up, we go to university, we do the same lessons every week at the same time, we do some study or ‘study’ (scroll down our newsfeed on Facebook), we go home, some of us head off to work for the evening, then we have dinner and go to bed, then the next day we wake up… and so on. Then the weekend comes around and we like to relax and socialise, and some of us unfortunate students have to work all weekend.

Due to our desire to relax, we usually don’t make time to go on a beautiful long walk somewhere new and unfamiliar to us. We may exercise, but it will be a run or playing some sport and that’s it; I mean, how many students do you know who go exploring and hiking over the weekend?

South Australia has over 100 walking trails which are located all over, ranging from 1km to over 20kms. You can climb up waterfalls, trek along a boardwalk, go exploring, get lost in the hills, and find rare plants, birds and wildlife; the opportunities are endless!

One of these trails is the Onkaparinga River Wetlands Trail. It’s located in Pt. Noarlunga, about a 25-minute drive from Flinders University. This trail is hidden, so you have to really go looking for it. One of the amazing things about this trail, is that it loops around a lake and you’re given the choice to either walk along the boardwalk or along the marked path. There are markers throughout the entire trail, so the chances of you getting lost are slim. The best thing about this park is that it also accepts dogs!

You can even let them off of their lead and allow them to wander.

For those of you who have hobbies such as birdwatching, photography, or exploring new places, this trail is perfect for you.

I’ve also managed to see some kangaroos there as well! And for those of you who, like me, are petrified of snakes, I have never seen a snake or heard of any in this area. So, if you ever get bored and fancy doing something different for a change, why not take a visit to this walking trail?

Take care, Ash xx NOTE: To get to this walking trail, it is best to enter though Gate 12 on River Road. There are also picnic benches near the entrance if you fancy a picnic by the lake.

AUTHOR Ashley Curtis, 21, Bachelor of International Tourism

A positive change she has made in the last year, would be focusing more on herself; instead of worrying what other people think, all anyone should focus on is themselves and creating a positive environment around them.

21

- Flinders Alumni Interview -

ALumni Interview 1: Robert Simms This is the first in a series of interviews following Flinders University alumni in their lives after uni. Each issue, we will catch up with a former Flinders student.

First up, Robert Simms, South Australia’s newest senator.

First thing’s first. I am a member of the Australian Greens. I go to the office of Senator Robert Simms as an Empire Times editor, though. It’s a relief to escape the sweltering heat outside and enter the cool office. I find Senator Simms individually hand-signing Christmas cards. It’s a task he will return to as soon as the interview is complete. He takes me through to his office and we settle down to begin.

Senator Simms is the newest South Australian senator. He took over the role vacated by Penny Wright earlier in the year. He was once president of the Student Association at Flinders University during his studies. He is 31 and South Australia’s first openly gay senator.

What drew you to politics initially?

I got involved in politics when I was at university. There were two issues that really concerned me. The first was the treatment of asylum seekers back in 2001 so I was at high school at the time of the Tampa Election and I felt morally that the government was doing the wrong thing in the way it was treating asylum seekers. The issues that got me politically engaged at university was that the government was planning on increasing university fees by 30% and I didn’t think that was fair. I got involved in the Education Action Collective on Campus. That was what led me to get involved in the Students’ Association and led me to political activism.

What particularly appeals to you about federal politics?

For me, politics has always been about trying to bring about meaningful change and through the work we do in the parliament you can directly change peoples’ lives. That’s the thing I’ve always loved about politics, and at a federal level there really is an opportunity to do that in a big way. Just these last few

months since I’ve been in the parliament, I’ve seen that capacity of legislation to have both positive and negative impacts and that opportunity to have a positive influence and try to change things for the better is what motivates me politically.

Considering your start in student politics, and work in local council, what have you found to be the different aspects of each level?

A lot of the fundamentals are the same. Some of the time in student politics, people focus too much on the games of politics, or the process and the theatre, but ultimately, you’ve got to be motivated by the ideas. You’ve got to have a strong values perspective and have a strong sense of why you want to be involved and what you want to achieve. If you have that, then that will sustain you when you get wins, but also when you have the many losses that often come in political involvement. Particularly if you are a progressive, a lot of the time you feel like it’s two steps forward and two back. If you’ve got your eye on the prize and have a long-term vision, and strong sense of values, then that will always motivate you.

You mentioned the games in student politics. What would you say of the way it’s often portrayed as particularly bitterly fought? An example being the recent SRC in the University of Sydney. Is that a fair portrayal of it?

Political culture can often be quite tribal. That’s just the nature of it. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having passion and in fact it should be encouraged. I guess what I don’t like is sometimes when you see it becoming a little too personalised and too factional. Not focused on the main game, and I think people need to focus more on the issues at hand. That said, we talk about student political culture often having that unhealthy dimension. There are lots of things about student politics that

- Flinders Alumni Interview -

are terrific. Look at the things student activists have achieved in this country. The work that’s been done in supporting the Queer movement, in supporting the Women’s movement, fighting things like racism, and the environmental movement. It’s student activism that has been really promoting positive change in Australia and that’s been the story of positive social change in our country over many decades. I think the student movement has a lot to be proud of.

Australia we have one [major] newspaper outlet in the Adelaide Advertiser and it is difficult to get other voices out there. I think student papers like Empire Times, which has got a proud history, play a really important role in offering an alternative voice and giving an outlet for students to express a view so I’d encourage them to keep pushing the envelope.

Do you think students ought to be more engaged with local student politics?

So, I can choose an actor to play me? Hugh Jackman. I’m a fan, I’d choose him.

Yes, I do, but the difficulty is that universities are structured in such a way that it makes it very difficult for students to have the time to be involved. That was certainly the case when I was at university and I think it’s got worse over the last few year because students are increasingly being cast as consumers and it becomes a bit like a degree factory. It makes it very difficult to get involved in the university community and university life. That said, I still think students should try to make the time to get involved because it’s very rewarding and it’s a way of building your own skills, and making a positive contribution as well.

And a soundtrack to your life?

What part would you say Flinders as a whole played in you choosing the path you did?

My experience at university was life-changing. I got to uni, I was very much in the closet, as a 17 year old guy and not very comfortable in terms of my place in the world. I didn’t have a very good time at school. I got to uni and met people I had common interests with. The first openly gay person I ever met was at Flinders uni, so I’ve got those positive memories and I also got involved in political activism on campus. I think had I not had those experiences at Flinders, I probably wouldn’t be in the role I am now because I wouldn’t have got politically engaged and activated.

Who would play you in a biopic of your life?

Something with Celine Dion.

What was your fondest uni memory?

Student elections. Active Left ticket back in 2006, we won every position on Student Council. That was pretty exciting.

What’s your favourite hidden gem or nook/cranny around the Flinders campus?

Actually, I used to really like the Clubs and Societies space. That was really good, but it’s now turned into an office/admin building, so that’s not quite such an exciting place to seek out. I used to like being around the lake too, that’s a nice area to sit. The Humanities courtyard also used to be quite a nice spot to sit.

Favourite movie this summer?

I haven’t been to the movies for ages. That’s terrible, isn’t it? I saw Crimson Peak. That was quite good. It’s worth seeing.

What was the defining experience in your work in the student association, particularly at such a turbulent time?

It was a really challenging time, actually. I was the Education Officer for the National Union of Students back in 2004, and in 2005 I was Education Officer at the Students’ Association.

After VSU [Voluntary Student Unionism] came in, I was student president of the new student organisation. It was pretty challenging because we had to deal with redundancies of staff.

There were some people who were made redundant who had been working for the Student Union for 40 years. For me, that was a real reminder of the power of decisions made in politics to directly impact on peoples’ lives. Think about what happens when industries close in South Australia and the political focus on trying to find new jobs which should rightly be the case, yet the Howard government made some legislative decisions that meant more than 150 people in SA lost their jobs who’d been working for student unions over many years and yet they did that purely for ideological reasons. There was no reason for them to go down that path of bringing in VSU. It was purely because they were pursuing their own ideological and philosophical agenda.

Fundamentally the wrong thing to do. Looking at what’s happened to student organisations around the country, you can see that.

Even though the Student Services and Amenities Fee has come in, students still don’t really have control of student affairs on many campuses, and that’s really problematic. That’s a direct result of what happened when the Liberal party were last in power.

What significance do you think student media has in student culture?

It’s really important. It’s an alternate, independent voice. We have a media market in this country that’s really controlled by Rupert Murdoch and there are very few other players. Here in South

23

x vo p 1. I finally got my licence after all these years

2. That mushroom pie that I just got was pretty nice

1. Started going to the gym more 2. Coffee

3. Dirty Grandpa 4. Iced Coffee 5. Bird

6. It’s nice, but haven’t been in there yet

Adriana Education/Arts

3. The Revenant with DiCaprio was an intense epic. I felt all the feels. Let’s hope he wins that Oscar

4. A lemon, lime and bitters always goes down well 5. Maybe a direwolf if you know what I mean ;) 6. It has some cool banana coloured couches ;) But seriously I’m excited for what it wil offer

Louis Psychology (Honours)

1. Started saving more 2. Coffee

3. Never Let Me Go 4. Iced Tea 5. A bird

6. It’s really nice, modern and looks like a good place to come to uni

Zoe Health Sciences

Q.

1.WHAT’S A CHANGE YOU’VE MADE RECENTLY THAT YOU’RE PROUD OF? 2. IF YOU HAD $5 SPARE CHANGE, WHAT WOULD YOU SPEND IT ON? 3. DID YOU SEE ANY GREAT/HORRIBLE MOVIES OVER THE SUMMER BREAK? 4. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE SUMMER BEVERAGE? 5. WHAT ANIMAL WOULD YOU CHANGE INTO, ANI-MORPHS STYLE? 6. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE NEW STUDENT HUB?

pops 1. I’ve started composing again

1. No girlfriend 2. Betting

3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

2. I’d like to say I’d donate it but to be honest it’ll prob be coffee... :) 3. No--I’m terrible with films! I saw some good local bands though

1. Doing uni leap

2. Give it to a homeless man

4. Vodka

3. The Fifth Wave

4. Corona

5. Panther

4. West End

5. Some animal on Buckleboo

6. Really refreshing, open & welcoming

5. Eagle

6. Nice

Mo Criminology

Grace Clinical Psychology (Masters)

6. It’s pretty sick

Sandon Business

25 25

- Cooking -

Pocketchange P Surprise Grilled Chicken A strange combination of household spices that creates a chicken breast with a succulent vibrant flavour. Every time I’ve cooked this for someone I get raised eyebrows at the ingredient list, but thumbs up after it is finished.

Ingredients:

Serves 2

2 x Chicken Breasts (skin removed) 2 teaspoons of minced garlic 2 teaspoons of minced ginger 3 tablespoons of mustard (preferably Dijon, but you can use normal sauce) 1 tablespoon of honey 1 teaspoon of sesame oil.

Step one: Marinade Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine, until it is an off-brown colour and has a strong mustard/ginger odour. Don’t panic about this, by the way. I haven’t had a single person who hasn’t screwed up their face at the smell/look and asked me if it’s going to work. However, once it’s on the grill and the marinade cooks, the smell changes to this absolutely mouthwatering scent of soy, garlic, and ginger.

If you’ve got time, cover the chicken in the marinade and leave to marinate for an hour or so. However, if you’re absolutely dying to eat, you can simply cover the chicken and go straight for the grill.

Step two: Sides The great thing about this recipe is that it can be served with mostly anything. Shredded and placed into wraps have received a thumbs up, as well as a simple dish with fries and a salad. Today however, I’m cooking a garlic mash with baby broccoli. Whatever you decide, make sure you pop on those sides now, as this chicken does not take long to cook.

- Cooking -

Pantry Step three: Grill Using a grilling pan, BBQ, or even a simple frying pan, cook the chicken breasts on medium heat. The final colour should range from a crisp yellow to a brown colour, and the chicken should be turned several times during cooking. If needed you can also brush the chicken with the remaining marinade as it cooks. To know if your chicken is done, I usually take one breast from the pan and make an incision in the middle. If the meat is a healthy white, it is finished. If it’s pink or bleeding, put it back into the pan.

CHEF / AUTHOR Bethany Lawrence, 21, Bacherlor of Arts (Creative Writing) Once you have finished, serve up with your side dishes and enjoy!

“I guess the biggest would be having a car. It’s still a weird sensation being able to go, leave, or stay wherever I want.”

27

- Student Politics -

Political P

Drug Law R

The Greens

Australia’s current drug policies do not deter people from using illicit drugs and, if anything, actively create harm rather than preventing it. The recent rise in methamphetamine use across the country has prompted the Federal Government to frame illicit drugs as a matter of law and order rather than as a complex social problem. Despite admission of the chair of the National Ice Taskforce, former Victorian Chief Police Commissioner Ken Lay, that Australia cannot “arrest its way” out of the drug epidemic, the current government announced a $1 million ‘dob in a dealer’ hotline while at the same time cutting funding for prevention services by $8.2 million. We need to recognise that drug use is a health issue, not a criminal one.

There is much Australia can learn from overseas. During the 1990s Portugal endured a drug use crisis which peaked in the year 2000 with almost 100,000 heroin addicts – almost 1% of their people. After trying and failing with a traditional policing approach Portugal opted to instead remove criminal penalties for the possession of all drugs and for personal drug use while maintaining serious criminal penalties for drug dealers. Personal drug use was reclassified to be an administrative violation managed by health and social work professionals rather than the police. The government also allocated 90% of its anti-drug funding into expanding and improving prevention, treatment, harm reduction and social reintegration programs with only 10% allocated to policing and punishment. Fifteen years on and Portugal’s drug use levels are now below the European average, especially among those aged 15-24 whom are most at risk of initiating problematic and injection drug use.

The Greens have always maintained that response to illegal drug use is best addressed within an evidence-based health and social framework and that a harm minimisation approach is the most appropriate way to reduce the adverse consequences of drug use.

Recently the Greens have taken the lead on drug law reform through securing bipartisan support in organising a summit of drug policy experts from Australia and across the globe to be held in Canberra this year. Although the outcome remains uncertain, it is clear that there is a growing push for change across Australia and the Portuguese approach is a compelling alternative.

Sean Cullen-MacAskill Flinders University Greens club www.facebook.com.flindersunigreens

Socialist Alternative

The papers and politicians say we’re in the grip of an ice epidemic. In reality, the rate of methamphetamine use in Australia hasn’t changed since 2001. Yet it’s all the media can talk about, and last year the Liberals pledged millions to a special ice taskforce, on top of the $1bn+ already spent each year on drug law enforcement. There are two big lies going on here – that drug crime is worsening, and that to deal with it, the state requires license to be even more brutal and invasive.

The emphasis on criminalising the most marginalised is part of the ruling class strategy of social control in the neoliberal era. Long gone are the days when governments even pretended to offer anything positive for us. Instead they kick the shit out of young workers by taking our penalty rates, secure work is destroyed in favour of “flexibility”, and the welfare state is gutted. Politicians cry poor when it comes to the basics for students and workers, but have bottomless pits of money for law and order policies, which not only provide convenient scapegoats for welfare cuts (stop those druggies leeching off taxpayers), but also create a climate of fear.

Meanwhile real crimes, which aren’t committed by the poor, but by the elite, are on the rise. It’s the rich who are fucking the planet for profit, not ice addicts. The oil company executives, the bankers, the politicians and military chiefs who send Australian bombs raining down on Syrians, and who throw refugees in concentration camps – these are the real criminals. The “tough on crime” agenda never targets these well-to-do murderers. Liberal, Labor, Greens, none of them want to touch these criminals. They spend millions going after the working class, the mentally ill, and the racially marginalised.

More cops and prisons won’t reduce crime. If politicians actually wanted to do something about crime, they would imprison themselves for Australia’s war crimes committed in the Middle East, stop locking up refugees, and go after big business. If they wanted to do something about drug addiction they would put money into treatment programs and welfare rather than cops and prisons. They don’t, because that isn’t the point of these law and order politics, they’re intended to strengthen state power over workers, brutalise the victims of the system, and build more prisons to warehouse the poor, ethnic minorities, and the mentally ill.

Grace Hill Flinders Socialist Alternative Club www.facebook.com/SocialistAlternativeAdelaide

- Student Politics -

l Playground

w Reform Labor Left

Drug reform is a highly contentious issue in society, and as such it is highly contentious within the Labor Party, with strongly held views on the criminalisation of the usage and selling of drugs.

Some within the Party believe that all drugs should be decriminalised, to encourage users to rehabilitate, with a focus on harm minimisation. Harm minimisation acknowledges that some people in societies will use alcohol and other drugs and therefore incorporates policies, which aim to prevent or reduce drug related harms for individuals.

I believe that there should be a strong focus on the individual or user involved, but I also believe that some drugs should remain criminalised, for example methamphetamines.

Methamphetamines: Having grown up in the rural Victorian country town of Mildura, which is struggling with the current ‘ice epidemic’, I would never support the decriminalisation of drugs such as methamphetamines.

Instead there should be an expansion of treatment services, education and community support programs. There should be a health-based approach, focused on the users, which complements a strong law enforcement aspect (focused on dealing and distribution) to tackle the widespread issue.

The current Liberal government has spent $20 million on graphic TV ads warning of the dangers of ice, while leaving treatment services chronically underfunded, with nowhere near enough rehabilitation beds available to help individual users.

Marijuana: The medicinal cannabis industry needs a national scheme and nationally consistent legislation, which allows everyone in the country to safely and legally access marijuana. Everyone should have a high quality of life, and pain can be debilitating. Where you live should not be the determining factor when it comes to accessing pain relief. The Victorian Labor government recently moved to legalise access to locally manufactured medicinal cannabis. This is not about providing free access to a drug for recreational purposes, but instead ensures there is a legal and regulated market for cannabis for pain relief purposes.

Genevieve Danenberg Flinders University Labor Club www.facebook.com/FlindersUniLaborClub

The Liberals

What is drug law reform?

The drug law reform movement focuses on making the drug issue one of health and social policy, with public funding its major focus. It shifts the emphasis from the criminal aspect of drug supply and use, and acknowledges that the war against drugs is a failure. Federal Liberal Member Dr Mal Washer says ‘If the purpose of prohibition has been to make toxic substances readily available to anyone who wants them in a flourishing market economy controlled by violent organised crime, then current policy has been a roaring success’.

The real problem is drug sentencing laws.

The war on drugs is not deterring people from using drugs. In fact, incarceration rates for drug offences have increased by 17% from last year. Many young Australians are losing the opportunity to work in the public sector, the defence forces and in the police department the moment they are found guilty of possession of cannabis, even in small quantities. According to US Attorney-General Eric Holder ‘a rare consensus has emerged in favour of ­reforming our federal drug ­sentencing laws’.

So what now?

Even though the war on drugs has proved be a failure it remains a fundamental task of any legislature to protect its citizens from harm. Liberals should always encourage the prevention of drug trafficking within the community. For example, Liberal NSW Premier Mike Baird’s policies aim to attack ice manufacturers and dealers whilst establishing treatment clinics. This is the liberal approach.

The Liberal way of thinking is based on empowering the choices of the individual.

However, drug reform campaigners, such as Dr Wodak, believe that unemployment and low job prospects, coupled with lack of optimism, put people at risk of drug abuse or perhaps involvement in the illegal distribution of drugs.

The drug issue is a compilation of complex social and health issues. Drug law reform should reflect the values and social outcomes desired by the majority of citizens. The Liberal sense of liberty and responsibility is looking to law reform to remove the demand for drugs and to decrease the negative impact that illegal drugs impose on our communities.

Meshal Althobaiti Flinders University Liberal Club www.facebook.com/FlindersLiberals

Labor Right

2015 saw a year of growing change and discussion regarding drug policy in Australia.

Investigations into the medicinal cannabis industry have been conducted, deaths from party drug overdoses, and a conversation around ice peaked with the tragic murder of the late Adelaide Crows coach, Phil Walsh.

The tide of reform is turning, and it’s time to have a conversation about where it’s leading.

The use of medicinal marijuana is growing nationwide. Prior to recent announcements surrounding cannabis cultivation, those buying cannabis products did so through illegal means in order to treat their illness.

These people faced large fines and criminal records as a result of their usage. This regressive policy is based on science from half a century ago. Labor will fix this by compassionately legalising medicinal cannabis in Australia in order to help support Australia’s most afflicted citizens. 90% of Australians support medicinal cannabis, and it’s time to embrace this progressive policy.

Ecstasy is the most common party drug in Australia with widespread national usage every weekend. With numerous deaths recently and more drugs being made than being stopped, it’s clear that reform is imperative. The current, overly punitive strategies aren’t curbing ecstasy death rates; therefore it is important that we rethink our approach.

Drug reform must predominantly shift towards harm minimisation. Pill testing conducted in Holland has been proven to reduce the number of overdoses and deaths.

Recreational drug takers are given access to independent on-site labs that inform them of the chemical makeup, strength and potential toxicity. Club patrons are then offered the chance to destroy the drugs and given advice on harm minimisation. This is not an argument for legalising ecstasy or any harmful narcotics, but there must be strategies in place that actually achieve results in getting toxic pills off of the market and saving lives.

These realistic and achievable policy goals are evidence-based and have been proven to achieve the most important goal we should be pursuing in drug policy, which is harm minimisation for both the individual and the community.

Jason Byrne Flinder Labor Club www.facebook.com/flinderslabor

29

Just another nail in the coffin

With Scott Morrison’s proposed changes to parallel importation regulations (PIRs) for books in Australia, wannabe authors are looking at an increasingly dire career choice.

sjsjsjsjsjsjsj After the confusion of the e-book and the rise of electronic retailers such as Amazon and Book Depository, the life of the writer already looks bleak, but it is set to grow bleaker. With an average yearly income of less than $13,000, making a living as an author feels like a fleeting dream. Morrison’s changes to parallel importation regulations (PIRs) are set to put the last nail in the coffin for what most perceive as a romantic career. Not only will these changes affect authors (who look to be published traditionally) but publishers and readers as well.

Parallel importation is the importation of a product into a country without the intellectual owner’s permission. The proposed changes to the current PIRs regarding books mirror those that were propositioned in 2009 (and subsequently thrown out thanks to the efforts of a number of authors,

publishing and marketing of works by local authors. Having the international version available at a cheaper price would inevitably, as the Australian Society of Author’s Chairman David Day says, allow “…London and New York to get an even tighter grip on the Australian book market”. With these two publishing powers, the removal of PIRs would inevitably ruin Australian publishers, and with it, Australian stories.

In addition to the monopolising of the market by the US and the UK, the abolition of PIRs would severely damage opportunities for Australian writers. Local publishers sell the rights of Australian titles to an overseas market (as we cannot sell directly to their retailers thanks to their PIRs) in order to introduce their authors to the world. Without PIRs, publishers will be reluctant

‘In addition to the monopolising of the market by the US and the UK, the abolition of PIRs would severely damage opportunities for Australian writers...’

publishers, and readers) and involve the complete abolition of these restrictions. This means that retailers would have access to international versions of books at a cheaper price than a local publisher could offer.

Without PIRs, Australian publishers would be at a severe disadvantage compared to publishers in the US and UK. Currently, when a bestseller is released overseas, local publishers have thirty days to procure a license and offer a local print run of a novel before an international version can be ordered. This allows local publishers to turn a profit which can then be invested in the

to introduce Australian authors to international markets in fear that their internationally published book will return ROYALTYFREE to Australia to undermine sales of the locally printed book.

As a result, Australian authors will miss out on more of their hard-earned royalties and local publishers will see their returns diminish, leaving publishers with less to invest in local authors.

Inevitably the Australian publishing industry will be destroyed and Australian authors will have to look at overseas publishers if they hope to publish traditionally and as author Richard Flanagan said, “…Australia as a nation will have had its tongue torn out.”

With these changes, readers will theoretically be able to purchase cheaper books from retailers. However, exposure to culturally relevant texts for young people will become unlikely. Australian children wouldn’t see Australian children in the books they read; this isn’t just a campaign to “buy Australian”, this is an effort to preserve our culture and pass it on, accurately, to the next generation. The marketplace will become inundated not just with international works, but Americanised or British versions of Australian texts (which are changed in the editing process to suit respective audiences). It is highly likely that international versions of Australian books will be marketed as the same product as the Australian and book-buyers will be unaware of the difference.

Authors such as Emily Rodda, Andy Griffiths and Nick Earls have all had their work altered to reach international markets and it would be a shame if future Australian children were exposed to these authors through a British or American filter.

We aren’t the first country to pursue abolishing PIRs. In New Zealand, these regulations have already disappeared. Instead of the predicted price drop in books, there was an increase. Having looked on the website of NZ chain-book store, Whitcoulls, it is evident that the mark-up has been considerable with more than half the available books sitting between $25- $50. Not just that, but local works make up only 0.036% of those on offer. After learning this, I discovered that I do not own a single book published in New Zealand, despite having New Zealand authors. Unfortunately it

seems like this might be a similar case for some of the locals as well. We can only hope that we can keep our PIRs and this never happens to Australia in the years to come.

Late last year a petition was started to allow the public to have their say about the proposed changes to PIRs. There has been an outstanding array of support for Australian authors, publishers and readers with some of Australia’s most prominent writers such as Andy Griffiths and Jackie French joining the cause. At this time, there is no sure result and anyone who wants to preserve Australia’s right to have their literary voice heard ought to consider signing the petition. Telling stories is part of who we are, and it’s not something that Australians should lose.

If you would like to sign the petition, please visit: https://www.change.org/p/scott-morrison-save-australian-literature-stop-parallel-importation-of-books AUTHOR Kayla Gaskell, 21, Bachelor of Creative Arts (Creative Writing)

The best change that Kayla has made in the last year is switching to only using Inkjoy pens. It’s so difficult to find the right pen and now she’s sticking with them!

31 31

- Features -

“Yeah, but whya aren’t we talking about violence m against men?”

Australia is talking about violence against women.

Domestic violence is the leading cause of death, disability and illness for women between the ages of 15 and 44 in Australia. Re-read that sentence; the leading cause. It is not ovarian cancer, heart disease, or car accidents. It is partners and ex-partners who are killing Australian women.

I only learned this fact recently and it shocked me to my core. How is this a reality in this beautiful country of ours?

It seems like a horror of less fortunate countries, but not Australia, “the lucky country”, surely?

As a 22 year-old woman, I am lucky enough to have never been exposed to violence by a man. I have never been punched or slapped or choked by any of my partners. So I have never had a personal interest in ending violence against women. I knew it was a serious problem and it concerned me, but I wasn’t personally invested - until I heard that fact. The leading cause. It resonated deep within me. I spoke to my family and

friends about it for weeks, I got involved in online discussions about it, and I am writing about it now.

What has surprised me since becoming more involved with this issue is the backlash against violence against women campaigns. “Surely only perpetrators could argue against ending violence against women” I naively thought.

But every tweet, every article, every Facebook status that promotes violence against women campaigns become the subjects of intense negativity. The common thread is – Yeah, but what about violence against men?

To be frank, those arguments shit me.

They often come across to me as those “yeah, BUT” arguments that some people feel necessary to make in every discussion, ever. It is common knowledge that no opinion can be expressed online without someone saying “yeah, BUT”.

“The sky is blue” “Yeah, BUT it’s not really, it’s actually tiny molecules in the air that…”

“SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!”

Most of the time these arguments are just irritating. However in this debate, they are damaging. Saying “yeah, BUT” to violence against women detracts from talking about one of the most serious issues Australia is facing right now. It halts the flow of conversation. It is a distraction from an issue that requires our full, undivided attention.

So, let’s get something straight. Violence against women campaigns do not deny that violence occurs to men. Just because we focus on one issue does not mean we are denying the existence of other issues, like–Just because I campaign against animal abuse, does not mean I deny the existence of child abuse.

Just because I fight for homosexual rights, does not mean I deny rights for heterosexuals.

Just because I want more purple snakes in lolly packets, does not mean I don’t support the existence of yellow snakes.

Those sorts of rationales are illogical.

It is unquestionably true that some men are abused by women. I doubt there

- Features -

If you have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, or if you’re unsure about whether you consented, seek advice and support.

1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) National sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service, free online counselling also available.

Legal Services Commission (1300 366 424) Free and confidential legal advice over the phone or by appointment.

Lifeline (13 11 14)

is a person on this planet who would be silly enough to deny that. Abuse exists everywhere; it exists from men to women, women to men, men to men, women to women. Unfortunately, abuse exists in every combination of human beings you can imagine. And it is always unacceptable.

However, what is also true is that the overwhelming majority of domestic violence victims are women. Violence against women is an epidemic in Australia. The leading cause. Only 4% of violent assaults committed against men are at the hands of a current or former female partner. More than 2 women a week were killed by their ex or current partners in Australia last year. One in three Australian women will be abused by an intimate partner throughout their lifetime.

Next time you walk down the street, count. First woman, second woman, third woman has been punched. One woman, second woman, third woman has had her arm broken. One woman, second woman, third woman could end up dead.

So, that is what we are talking about.

The same way that as a society we also talk about issues that pretty much solely affect men. Like the “one punch can kill” campaigns that raise awareness about drunk men being violent towards other men. We talk about that, because it is killing men.

We are talking about this, because it is killing women.

And we need to be talking about it. We need to be talking about how to protect and save Australian women. Right now in 2016, when we have a Mai Mach, a June Wallis, an Allison Baden-Clay dying every week, we need to have a conversation about protecting women.

Yeah, but why can’t we talk about violence against men as well?

We can. But we want to talk about it separately. It is important in such pervasive issues that we narrow in on the problem at hand. Dealing broadly with violence and abuse will not work, because the factors that contribute to different forms of violence vary. Most assaults against men are committed by

Police (13 14 44)

strangers in public. That is very different to assaults against women that are occurring in their homes. The early warning signs of an abusive partner, how to protect children, how to get women to leave their domestic situations – they are all factors unique to women, so we need to address the problem with a focus on women.

And that is why we are talking about violence against women. I do not want to live in a country where intimate-partner violence is the leading cause of female death. The leading cause. So yes, at least for a while, we are going to talk about this.

And please, I don’t want to hear any “yeah, but”.

AUTHOR Jemma Slevec, 22, Bachelor of Law / Bachelor of Arts (Political Studies major)

Jemma has always had secret dreams of being a journalist. Last year she decided to believe in herself, take risks and start pursuing a career in journalism. She ended up achieving more than she could have imagined and completely changed the direction of her life.

Photo: Charlie Foster

33

- Clubs -

FLinders WHAT THE University Clubs

Flinders Speakeasy

Come gather, you writers and lovers of the spoken word - the Flinders University Speakeasy Club.

Clubs and Societies are a dynamic part of campus life. Whilst topics provide you with an education, involvement in a club or a society broadens your horizons and enriches your university experience. Despite being fifty years young, Flinders has hosted many clubs and societies – sporting, common interest, religious, and political. Some have flourished then withered, whilst others have endured. Over the course of this anniversary year, each issue of Empire Times will profile a Flinders club or society.

Speakeasy Flinders is a club that underwent transformational change in 2015. Having operated as a community since its formation in 2010, Speakeasy transitioned to a FUSA affiliated club last year, adopting a constitution, electing a committee and becoming eligible for FUSA grant funding to strengthen and grow its activities. To help me explore Speakeasy Flinders and explain its functions, I sat down over coffee and questions with Speakeasy Vice President Simone Corletto.

Simone sees Speakeasy’s purpose as providing undergraduates with opportunities to read and publish their creative writing. Four Speakeasy reading events throughout the year provide the reading part of this equation whilst the publishing component is facilitated through the production of the Speakeasy Zine.

Two of the four reading events are held on campus before the start of the April and September midsemester breaks. All Flinders undergraduates are eligible to read in these events. To advertise, the Speakeasy Committee use posters, FLO posts, Facebook and Twitter, starting a month or so before the event. Undergrads nominate to read by contacting Speakeasy via e-mail and providing a 50 word bio.

As for what they read, the choice is theirs: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose, performance piece - short

story or an extract from a larger work. All Simone and her comrades request is the readings are creative and under five minutes (three poems or about 700 words).

The events are held in a classroom lovingly decorated by the committee and run for three hours. The readers are organised into three sets and are introduced to the audience by the dynamic MC duo of Simone and Speakeasy President, Jess Miller.

Simone recalls the first time she read at Speakeasy in 2013 as ‘a fun and scary experience.’ Leading up to that event, Simone received coaching and advice from predecessing directors, Lauren Butterwoth and Alicia Carter. ‘They taught me there was a skill to reading your work to an audience. You need to make your piece entertaining for the punters. You achieve this by not rushing, and not getting flustered if you get your words muddled up – keep the momentum going.’

Simone found her skill and confidence grew with each subsequent reading event. Her fondest memory of her Speakeasy readings was the first time she read a comedic piece, ‘It was sarcastic humour and people got it.’

The other two readings are public events, held at the Wheatsheaf Hotel in Thebarton. These events are held towards semester’s end in June and November.

Readers for these events are drawn from the readers at

- Clubs -

the previous campus event. These events are open to the public and feature guest readers, craft beer, cider and pizza.

Not long after each campus reading event, the Zine Team swing into action to produce a Speakeasy Zine for unveiling and sale at the next public event. The zine started off as a means to publish student work. The Zine Team edit pieces submitted by undergraduates, and once the editing is completed, they have a Craft Day. They divide the pieces up amongst the team members who have free reign to illustrate and compile the piece as they see fit. Simone says, ‘this creates a haphazard, scrapbook style - very student.’ The latest zine was the first to be printed in colour and the Committee are now considering creating a Zine Editor position to take charge of the process.

Other changes the Committee are contemplating include an expansion to the calendar of club events to include social activities such as a Quiz Night and perhaps a pub crawl through the growing number of literary themed Adelaide pubs.

With these changes on the horizon plus the good vibes emanating from the reading events, Simone sees Speakeasy as a great club for new students to join. ‘It’s a great way to become a part of a writing community and to meet students from across the faculties and year levels who share a passion for creative writing.

Speakeasy has always been well supported by English and Creative Writing academics who value the important role the club plays in developing reading performance skills.

The coffee has been consumed and there remains one burning question - which Star Wars character would be the best fit for Speakeasy Flinders? Simone replies, ‘Finn, he has the charm and quirkiness of a great writer and he would write adorable love poems to Rey. Plus, as a former Storm Trooper, he needs a new hobby.’

Founded

2010

Email

speakeasy.flinders@gmail. com

President

Jess Miller

Patron/Mascot Gnomewald Membership

40(ish)

Activities

Four readings a year, and two zines

Achievements

2015 FUSA Best Club Event award

AUTHOR Richard Falkner, 51 - not out.

The most positive change Richard has made in the last 12 months is returning to full time study after 30 years in the Commonwealth Public Service.

35

- Fiction -

Preparing for change,

with student exchange

Words by Lisa Merlot

‘It’s happening. I can’t believe it, it’s actually happening!’ Nikki

was jumping up and down on the spot with her acceptance letter for student exchange in her hand. She held the letter so tightly it was almost as if it was gold. It brought months of waiting to an end. She stood at her mother’s mailbox, bag slung over one shoulder and her cat, Simba, circling her feet. She was stuck, paused in time, breathing in the idea of the opportunity before her that she would be going to another country for a whole year by herself. No mother, no curfews, no responsibilities, just freedom! Freedom!

‘I have to tell someone!’ she turned and ran.

‘Mum, it came, I’m in!’ she screamed as she flew through the door, chucking her bag to the floor with Simba the cat in hot pursuit.

‘What came…? Hey! Put your bag away,’ Rhonda, Nikki’s mother instructed as she looked up from the chopping board and knife that had stopped dancing its way through the vegetables that were destined for dinner.

‘CANADA! I’m going to Canada. I can’t believe it!’ The warm glow of endorphins lit up her face like a full moon as she smiled as big as a galaxy.

‘Oh, Nikki, that’s fantastic sweetie, I’m so happy for you!’ Nikki’s mother stopped her routine chopping and flew around the bench to give her daughter a bear hug big enough to rival one of those grizzlies that Canada was so famous for. ‘My little girl is not so little anymore!’ The cuddle subsided as tears welled up in her eyes.

‘I have to tell Steph. I’m just going to run down to her house now

and show her the letter’ Nikki beamed. She floated out the door with haste as her cat looked at her, confused.

‘Don’t worry, Simba,’ Rhonda, said, ‘I’ll feed you today.’ # Steph read the letter with eyes as wide as headlights as the words registered in her mind. Her best friend was leaving her. They had gone to kindergarten together, primary school, high school and had even started their first year of university together. Now Nikki was leaving, and for a whole year. Her stomach sank as she tried to hold her tears back and force a smile. ‘That’s so great Nikki, I’m really happy for you.’

‘I’m going to miss you so much, Steph, I’ll message you every day and Skype you all the time! I can’t wait to tell you everything that I get up to! Oh my god, Steph, it’s going to be awesome!’

It was Nikki’s childhood dream to go to Canada. She was fascinated with moose and bears, Mounties and maple syrup. She even amused her mother at the age of seven when she reported matter-of-factly that she must have been Canadian in a previous life.

‘Your dream is coming true, Nikki, it’s amazing.’ Steph hugged her friend to hide the first tear that escaped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. Nikki was way too excited to notice anyway. # By the time Nikki made it back to her mother’s kitchen, Simba was purring loudly with a grin of satisfaction on his face, while keeping Nikki’s favourite chair warm. The aroma of lamb stew was in full

- Fiction -

effect and her mum had a pair of nice tall glasses of sparkling wine ready for both of them.

‘Cheers, kiddo’ Rhonda motioned with one hand outstretched and grasping the liquid gold contained in the flute.

‘Mum! On a school night, I’m proud of you!’ Nikki quipped.

Drinking was strictly a weekend event in their household but since it was just Nikki and her mum, the rules were changeable if they both agreed.

‘I’m just so happy for you sweetheart. You’ve had your mind set on this since you were a little girl. What did Steph say?’ Rhonda asked before taking a sip.

‘Steph was happy for me but I could tell she was upset. It’s going to be so much fun over there but I hope she is okay. We’ve not been apart before for more than 2 weeks.’ The adrenaline had worn off and Nikki had started her descent back into reality.

She was moving to another country for a whole year and now the weight of the decision was taking effect. She sat staring into space, contemplating not seeing her best friend for a year, or her mum, and her cat. A whole year. Nikki took a big breath, told herself to be brave and beamed another smile to reassure herself that she would be fine and so would the others.

‘Life is full of change, Nikki, it’s what tests our boundaries and helps us grow. It will be good for Steph too. Maybe she could go and visit you in the semester break?’ Rhonda had a cool demeanour that always helped Nikki to relax and take things into perspective. Nikki loved that about her mum.

‘That’s a great idea, Mum, I’ll mention it to her tomorrow when I pick her up for uni.’ Nikki necked the glass of bubbles and turned to smile cheekily at her mum.

‘Only one, it’s a school night,’ Rhonda said firmly as if to push that sparkling boundary right back into its place. # ‘What? I need a student visa?’ Nikki was now panicked. She had overlooked the fact that going to another country actually involved permission to enter and do whatever it is that you want to do there. Her flights were all booked, she had taken out travel insurance and she had saved as much money that summer as she could. She was as organised as she could be, but this last meeting with the people that organised the student exchange was indeed the most important. She weaved her way through the rows of chairs and standing students nattering, towards the presenter.

‘Excuse me, how do we go about getting a student visa for Canada?’ she asked, eyes wide and panic showing.

‘You mean to tell me that haven’t applied yet?’ The stuck up presenter barked.

‘I didn’t know I needed one.’ Nikki returned, her panic rising.

‘The starter pack. The forms have been in there from the beginning’

‘Starter pack? I went through that thing front and back and nowhere could I see a form for a visa, here, have a look, see if you can find one.’ She shoved the pack under his nose.

‘Look, if you don’t have the forms with you, just take another one. I’ll get one from my office.’ The presenter’s accusing tone ticked Nikki off but she remembered to take a deep breath and regain her composure as the man returned with a form that she definitely hadn’t seen before. ‘Here, you have to wait three weeks to get it so you’d better send it in quick smart with you passport.

You don’t want to waste this chance of a lifetime by being tardy.’

Nikki took the forms and flew out the door, visiting her travel agent, her faithful organising companion, it was on the top of her to do list. # The visa arrived with two weeks to spare. ‘So much for three weeks to process,’ thought Nikki. ‘That presenter might have been right in 1982, but not these days. Maybe the $50 rush fee paid off!’ This was the final phase of the planning and the sense of relief that it brought was overwhelming. Nikki took a large breath but this time it was accompanied by two welled up eyes and a severely emotional feeling. It was all moving so well, it felt like destiny had taken its course. It was all done, all set. Just now to wait the 2 weeks before departing on Air Canada.

‘Knock, knock.’ Steph poked her head through the door. ‘Nikki, are you okay?’ She recognised that look; that look of relief and excitement and quite simply, shitting her pants.

‘Hi, Steph,’ Nikki said excitedly. ‘Passport came’. This was all she could manage without fully pulling the plugs out of both eyes and letting the water run free. There were no more words.

They knew each other so well that it was almost as if they could communicate without talking. They launched into a hug and latched on so tight that only the jaws of life could separate them.

The inevitable separation was happening and no one could do anything to prevent it.

‘I’m coming to the airport with you,’ Steph spoke in an assuring tone that blessed the moment and reminded the girls to both be strong.

This adventure would be lived through three senses. Nikki would live it through the eyes, Steph would be live it through the ears, and Rhonda would live it through the intuition that her daughter was not telling her all the nitty gritty details, but was telling her what she wanted to hear. That was fine with Rhonda, she remembered being that age and going on adventures too. They would live it together. ###

AUTHOR Lisa Merlot, 38, Bachelor of Psychological Studies (Graduate Entry)

Lisa says the most positive change in the past year was in the past year was juggling life, kids, work, study. This year she is focused on her personal goals.

3737 37

- Poetry -

THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN TROLLS They say that down by the lake’s rocky side, You can find the frozen-breathed trolls — those beasts Of bloody, gnashing teeth with which to feast Upon the flesh of those too scared to hide.

As the night rolls in and the sky grows dark, Dreaded cries fill the skies above the cave Where only the bravest would dare to save You once the monster’s made its bloody mark!

Yet there is something that all Iceland’s known For hundreds of years, about their cold beasts.

They say that when the sun escapes east, A troll trapped beneath the sun turns to stone.

If there’s a warning, there is only one: To lead a hungry troll out to the sun.

J. R. Koop

EXPOSURE My body has been a battleground, its planes aren’t smooth, but scarred.

My body has been a weapon, to protect my heart, its guard.

When I think about my body, the torture it has sustained, I weep for women everywhere; this torment is ingrained.

My body is a warrior; she’s tough; she’ll not surrender.

My body is more than just its looks, its size, its shape, its gender.

My body is not a project, the object of a goal.

My body is not a temple, she’s the vessel for my soul.

My body is no longer one of shame, to hide amongst the crowd.

She’s full of tiny miracles, and of her, I am proud.

Lauren Reid

~Colouring page~

Uni stressing you out? Unleash your creativity and unwind...

Artwork: Benjamin Hall

39

- Gaming -

@ Indie Gaming FTW 0 The rise of indie gaming has led to a huge amount of change in the video game industry, and for the better!

The rise of small, short, and often independently (or “Indie”) developed games over the past few years has been dramatic, which has not only shaken how we think about video games, but how we play them too. And it is a change I couldn’t be happier about.

Ever since the launch of the Xbox Live Arcade back in 2005 on the Xbox 360, we have slowly seen a shift from large “Triple A” games, being developed and released by huge corporations such as Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft and EA to name just a few, to a more indie-focussed industry.

This is where small development teams are creating short and often very unique games, which take players far less time to finish and usually are much cheaper than the larger franchise games such as Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed.

These are the types of games I love to play now.

Whenever I hear about a new episodic series released, I’m smiling from ear to ear. Whenever a new game is announced to have a campaign or playtime of less than ten hours, I internally squeal with delight. Because I actually have the time to play them and enjoy the rich and interesting worlds the developers have created.

Before moving to Adelaide for university, I had all the time in the world to play any and all games, regardless of size or length. A new Final Fantasy? No problem.

Bethesda announces the next Elder Scrolls game? Not an issue. I, and I’m sure many of you too, had the time to become immersed encapsulated for days on end, without any worries. But now I just don’t have the time for games like that anymore. They are honestly just too big, long, and unforgiving in how much time they absorb.

When the Witcher 3 came out last year I couldn’t be more excited; a sprawling and huge fantasy RPG to lose myself in. But I’ve never come close to finishing that great game, simply because it is just too damn big! So now when I do find any time to play games, I try to find experiences which are shorter, at times easier, and normally cheaper; ones which fit a student life (especially the cheap part!) and an adult life a whole lot better. Luckily for us, there is an abundance of these types of games available now, and a lot of them are fantastic.

To name a few, Ori and the Blind Forest, Life is Strange, Gone Home, Until Dawn, Axiom Verge, The Order: 1886, Grow Home, Her Story, and Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, all of which came out last year and are fun and

unique games which you can finish in under ten hours.

Games, which I could never imagine playing just a few years ago, are now some of my favourite experiences.

Even mobile games, which normally aren’t my cup of tea, are more appealing now because they offer incredibly short and fun experiences which you can play on the go.

The success of these smaller indie titles has not only led to more diverse and interesting games, but has changed how the industry creates games. Previously, developers would need huge teams of people, with an incredibly large amount of funding from a publisher, to create a successful game. But now there are more developers than ever trying their luck at indie development, using smaller development teams and budgets, and switching their focus to giving the player smaller, more meaningful experiences — and successfully, too! Games which have been a huge commercial success, such as Gone Home and Minecraft, have helped popularise smaller, previously unheard of genres, through their success.

This is especially true in Australia, where a majority of the video game scene has shifted to indie development. And although many studios initially struggled in the early years of this transition, indie gaming couldn’t be any bigger today. When I attended PAX Australia (Penny Arcade Expo, a video game convention) last year, there were over eighty indie games on show, and throughout the three days of the convention, they were overloaded with people who are just as excited as me to try new, short and unique experiences.

In the long run, change is often for the best and can lead to outcomes we never could have imagined. In the case of indie gaming, and the rise of shorter and more unique experiences from smaller developers, it couldn’t have been a better result. Triple A gaming hasn’t died, there are more ridiculously huge and lengthy RPGs and shooters than ever—but the video game industry is now much more diverse and large; there is room for both triple A games, and smaller indie ones to coexist. A change I couldn’t be happier about.

AUTHOR Seamus Mullins, 20, Alumni/Journalism Student

“My most positive change? Trying new things, whether it’s through co-hosting a radio program, or submitting articles to student publications, it’s a hell of a lot of fun!”

- Gaming -

Level UP Virtual Reality, changing the world of gaming?

Wandering down your own street, exploring the depths of the oceans, barely surviving a thrilling rollercoaster ride, swinging a lightsaber with your own hands, shooting zombies in the face... virtual reality has always been amongst the most enticing and appealing pipe dreams of futuristic technology and now it is coming to life. Our desire for immersive virtual reality experiences has permeated our pop culture for years, seen in The Matrix, Avatar, Sword Art Online, and more.

Virtual reality is technology that simulates a physical presence in an artificial environment, created with software and constructed with digital displays and speakers, with some technology even involving tactile (touch and feel based) feedback, usually through controller vibrations.

Virtual reality has been present in our lives to some extent for years now, notably through 3D reconstructions of tourist attractions and Google Street View, which now even shows the inside of museums and several shops (I’m looking forward to the new shopping simulators, but the in-game purchases will be a killer). However, these uses have not been as immersive and imaginative as the virtual reality that is currently being developed as I write.

One of the most talked about gadgets for the past few years is the Oculus Rift, and unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve probably heard of it. The Oculus Rift is a virtual reality headset, featuring a head-mounted display, 360 degree positional tracking, and integrated audio, created by Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR. It is not a standalone device, and must be connected to a Windows PC running the required software; it is set for release on March 28, 2016, and so far is not compatible with any of the major consoles.

The Oculus Rift has many applications, with a networked Oculus Cinema program allowing users to watch regular movies in a virtual cinema, along with other users whose avatars appear in the shared cinema. Virtual reality movies are an entirely new medium that immerses you in the movie, with the movie world constructed in 360 degrees around you. Social applications are also being developed where you can communicate with other users, in a similar manner to the social media avatar game Second Life. However, the Rift was primarily designed for gaming, and Oculus’ main focus is on developing games to be used with the technology.

There are a whole stack of games already available for the Rift, from Zombies on the Holodeck, a zombie survival shooter with full

body tracking, to well-known games such as Team Fortress 2, which is being made compatible with the Rift.

The Oculus Rift isn’t the only virtual reality headset out there; Sony, Samsung, HTC, and Google are all getting in on the market with the Playstation VR, Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, and Google Cardboard respectively. I have had the pleasure of trying out both the Samsung Gear VR and Google Cardboard myself. These are both mobile VR headsets, and are essentially powered by your phone, with the front of the headset containing a compartment to slip your phone into. Both simulated environments I saw through these were beautifully immersive and well made.

Along with virtual reality, augmented or mixed reality is another area that is becoming big. Augmented reality involves artificial objects superimposed on the real world (usually through a phone screen, such as Pokémon GO overlaying Pokémon on the phone camera screen), and mixed reality involves a mix of both reality and virtual reality. The two companies making this big are Microsoft with HoloLens, and Magic Leap with their own headset device. Magic Leap hasn’t released a whole lot so far, but their demo video shows a holographic overlay of an operating system into your real world with folders and emails overlayed (almost like in the film Minority Report), and the ability to play relatively simple games overlayed in your own office.

Microsoft HoloLens is part of the Windows Holographic platform, an entire Windows operating system overlayed on the real world, which is expected to be released during the Windows 10 lifetime.

Applications showcased so far include a 3D modelling program, Skype, an interactive human anatomy curriculum, a first-person shooter game, and Minecraft. The HoloLens demo at the 2015 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) highlighted the ability to have your own Minecraft world existing on your coffee table, and frankly this is something I’m very excited for.

There are many different virtual and augmented reality devices being made with so many applications and games available that I have barely scratched the surface, but this new form of gaming is one that is exciting, innovative, and immersive with great potential for years to come.

AUTHOR Kelly Guthberlet, 21, Bachelor of Education (Middle and Secondary) / Bachelor of Science The biggest and most positive change she’s made in the last year was finding somebody to love.

h

41

Complete the crossword and send a picture of your answers to empire.times@flinders.edu.au and WIN one of ten free double passes to Palace Nova!

ACROSS 2.

Steve Martin is a struggling architect with a dream house that has no purpose. (1 word) 5. words)

Massive father/grandfather issues lead to galactic war. (5

7. words)

Is a monstrous rabbit really the best source of advice? (2

12.

Man doesn’t pay son enough attention. Son responds by trying to take over world’s intelligence services. (1 word) 14.

Eccentric scientist forgets dangers of eccentric science.

Becomes insect/man mutant. (2 words) 17.

Extreme weather events trigger scientifically dubious ice age. (4 words) 20.

Crusading American documentary maker looks into corporate greed and excesses. (4 words) 21. words)

A boy discovers the magical properties of a cupboard. (5

22.

Four people in finance foresee the Global Financial Crisis and decide to go after the big banks. (3 words) 23.

Masked left-wing terrorist works to destroy fascist regime.

(3 words)

24.

‘Nobody puts baby in a corner.’ (2 words)

25.

A story of women in early 20th century England and their fight for the vote. (1 word)

DOWN 1.

‘Rosebud...’ (2 words)

3. words)

America did in 2011 what Sweden did two years earlier. (6

4.

A cartoon town is put under a gigantic dome. (3 words)

6.

Long before Stoner Sloth, there was this spectacular anti-weed misfire. (2 words) 7.

Brand new remake of classic English comedy set in Second World War (2 words) 8.

Daniel Day-Lewis plays a painter and achieves Leonardo Di Caprio’s dream. (3 words) 9.

Orson Welles takes a boat. This being Welles, he’s soon embroiled in a plot. (4 words) 10.

Be careful what you wish for when David Bowie stars in this fantasy classic. (1 word) 11.

13.

The exploits of a fashion model not overburdened with intelligence. (1 word) 15.

The second wife of a brooding aristocrat is tormented by others’ memories of the woman who preceded her. (1 word) 16.

A bank employee’s life changes when he stops saying no to things. (2 words) 18.

Crossword clues by Liam McNally

Space raccoon, talking tree, and others team up. (4 words)

Women workers’ strike in titular English city. (3 words)

19.

Two men get more than they expected on a fishing trip near an Australian town of the same name. (1 word)

REVIEW Carol is a truly fascinating film capable of drawing great tension out of scenes of stillness and quiet. It scratches slowly deeper into the characters at the film’s core and shows them undergoing subtle and slow changes. It is adapted from the novel The Price of Salt by famed crime writer Patricia Highsmith. Due to the content of the novel in dealing with a lesbian relationship, and the 1950s original release, Highsmith published the novel under the pseudonym Claire Morgan.

This is a film that will labour great time and effort on seemingly minor scenes with little apparently significant. This inevitably makes the film one that is not to everyone’s taste. It will likely prove very divisive, and to those who it works its magic upon, they will be held in the grip of the events unfolding before them like some artistic car crash.

For those whom the film does not work will likely leave wondering if they even saw anything happen in the last two hours.

At the conclusion of the viewing I attended, one viewer exclaiming ‘boring!’ to be met with a chorus of agreement. It is not hard to see where she was coming from. The film appears to take great time in showing very little – and the reputation of the author of the original novel (Patricia Highsmith – creator and writer the of Mr Ripley novels) may leave one expecting something more obvious than what is on offer.

CAROL

Carol works because it relies so heavily on the abilities of Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. If these roles were in the hands of lesser actors, the film would have failed altogether. With Mara and Blanchett leading the way, scenes of slowly-unfolding emotional tension are sold to perfection. The two together present a masterclass in dramatic acting that could be used to teach a generation of actors. The two share glances that tell more than most actors could in a scene of overt dialogue.

There is no one scene in which a great deal happens but it all adds up to something much greater than the sum of its parts.

The force of the dual performances carrying the story always give the impression that more is happening, or is about to happen, than ever eventuates. This can explain the reason for it being declared ‘boring’ by any viewer. The direction does as it ought to: it highlights the film’s greatest strength and uses it for all it’s worth.

Outside of the two main roles, all other actors acquit themselves with great skill.

The husbands of the two main characters are very much in the background and the actors cannot help but be thoroughly overshadowed by the performances on offer from Blanchett and Mara, but still show plenty to draw praise. The two

most prominent male roles, played by Kyle Chandler and Jake Lacy, are slowly peeled away layer by layer over the film, offering them the chance to show their characters in full. Both male characters change their behaviour throughout the film; changing from amiable men initially, to more and more negative individuals as the film draws on, as they react aggressively to their loss of control over events.

The film is one that lacks any great plot driving it forward and is nearly devoid of major event, electing instead to follow the slow pace set by the exploration of character. Carol shines a bright light on the characters present and is a very successful character study.

It is no surprise to see Carol made an official selection of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and awarded the Queer Palm (an award for LGBTIQA-related films entered into the Cannes Film Festival).

aaaee AUTHOR Liam McNally, 23, Bachelor of Creative Arts

Liam says the most positive change he’s made in the last twelve months is becoming editor of Empire Times.

43

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Have you felt it? There’s been an awakening…in the massive and welloiled machine that is Disney’s publicity department. Yes, Star Wars is back. You didn’t know? Sorry about the spoiler! The hype was incredible and overwhelmingly positive, despite the prequel trilogy that is—according to common opinion—a human rights violation.

It’s almost impossible to recreate the excitement of the 1977 original trilogy, but JJ Abrams and co. have done an admirable job with The Force Awakens. This film is a visual spectacle like almost no other and manages to recapture the spirit of the originals that was buried under flashy graphics and digital trickery in Episodes I-III. The world feels tangible this time around and that, along with smart directorial work, helps to sell the effects-heavy scenes of aerial dogfights between the Resistance and the First Order.

The comic relief of this entry in the series is far better handled than most that have gone before and comes in the adorable shape of BB-8. BB-8 is given greater opportunity for characterisation than one would expect of a ball capable only of rudimentary sounds.

This little droid has the potential to become a fan favourite rather than the much-hated Jar Jar – a character to have previously inhabited the comic relief role.

The new characters, Finn (John Boyega) and Rey (Daisy Ridley), are front and centre, as they ought to be, while Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, returning as Han Solo and General Leia Organa respectively, excellently support them.

REVIEW

Finn’s story is the one that has received most attention in the build-up to the film and is a deeply satisfying one. Poe Dameron (Oscar Issac) does not get as much of a chance to shine as he probably ought to have been allowed which is a minor disappointment. The character shrouded in the most mystery—and the one most fascinating—is Rey; a scavenger living in the wreck of a destroyed AT-AT (the fourlegged walkers from the original trilogy) left over from a battle on the desert world of Jakku (which looks bizarrely like Tattooine).

She’s shown as having waited for something for many years—setting up a strong storyline for the trilogy to follow.

The film builds towards an epic climax, using the impressive effects, the actors’ skills, the direction and writing, and the great score by John Williams. All the grand set-up comes to nought when the film is able to deliver one of the heaviest and most heart-wrenching scenes with little more than the power of two actors giving a stellar performance.

The Force Awakens presents a stellar group of villains who are excellent additions to the pantheon of great Star Wars villains.

We have the pitiful wreck of a man that is Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), hiding behind his mask and black robes. Domhnall Gleeson delivers a good turn as General Hux, and Andy Serkis’s enigmatic Supreme Leader Snoke raises a great many questions for the future. The only disappointment is Captain Phasma, who despite having an amazing look to her armour and being the first female stormtrooper, is woefully underused. One can only hope there is

opportunity to rectify this and give her a position fitting of such a promising villain in the future.

The Force Awakens blows the prequels out of the water, but the matter of where it fits with the original three is a more difficult question to answer. The film’s greatest weakness comes in the form of its similarity to A New Hope but even this is intentional on the part of the filmmakers who sought to present a film that reintroduced the saga.

The complaints are small compared to the major achievements of the film. This is an excellent and intelligent picture that has managed to collect almost all the strengths of the six films that went before it and neglect their failures.

This film is noteworthy not only for its quality, but its success. It has a list of records to its name like no other film and reached $1.5 billion worldwide in record time, even without the benefit of a Chinese release. It swept away competition from Spectre and Mockingjay Part Two and kept travelling on to reach unprecedented box office success.

The characters are well rounded, the world spectacular, and that intangible something that can inspire such passion in the audience is back.

aaaae AUTHOR Liam McNally, 23, Bachelor of Creative Arts Liam says the most positive change he’s made in the last twelve months is becoming editor of Empire Times.

REVIEW

THE REVENANT Revenant: ‘a person who has returned, supposedly from the dead.’

The Revenant is a thrilling story that is told in a way that forces the audience to fully participate. It is a fantastic cinematic experience in a stunning but hostile land.

The tone of the movie is set early on as a group of fur trappers are assaulted by Native Americans, who slowly but brutally slaughter members of the group. The Native Americans are portrayed as the ‘white man’s’ enemy. Some men survive this attack by fleeing in a nearby boat.

Amongst these men are Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) and John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy). It is revealed that the Native American tribe was looking for their leader’s daughter who was kidnapped.

If you had heard of this movie prior to reading this, it is more than likely you have heard of the “bear scene” where Hugh Glass is mauled by a bear. This “bear scene” was done using CGI, but it was, as one can only imagine, incredibly realistic. I was on the edge of my seat as I was pulled into this scene by the film’s cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki (Oscar winner as the cinematographer for Iñárritu’s Birdman). Glass was on his own when this incident occurred. He was later found.

As the group struggle to carry and care for Hugh Glass, they decide that three members will stay with Glass and give him

the burial he deserves; the deceitful John Fitzgerald, young Bridger (Will Poulter), and Hawk (Hugh Glass’s half Native American son). Yes, Will Poulter is the “eyebrow kid,” but his acting is so good that you forget about those Jack Nicholson eyebrows of his. Fitzgerald betrays an immobile Glass who is then deserted and left to die. Revenge is the only thing pushing Glass to fight for survival in an unrelenting land while being tracked by its native people, who are unforgiving. The land itself is a being, a living character.

The forceful and engulfing presence the environment has on this story and the characters is shown through the use of very wide lenses; even during close-ups of characters the land is still visibly present in the shot. Luckily for Glass he knows how to navigate the land. Glass is not alone in seeking revenge, the journey of the Native Americans is a vengeful one also.

The characters, especially Hugh Glass, are shown to survive experiences you would have thought impossible. Yes some of those scenes can be unbelievable but since when does a movie have to present only the realistic? A small negative is that the movie could have been scaled down from its running time of 156-minutes as it feels stretched out and as though the focus has been forgotten at times.

Unsurprisingly, as it was such an immersive and captivating film, The Revenant won three Golden Globes: For Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (drama); for Iñárritu, Best Director (motion picture); and for the whole cast and crew, Best Motion Picture (drama). I saw Birdman, also directed by Iñárritu, last year and was excited by the experimental camera work of the seamless one shot long-take.

The Revenant also managed to thrill with interesting camera work. The camera is close and constantly on the move tracking the characters. We as the audience are brought so close to the face of a character in a few instances that the character’s breath coats the camera lens with condensation.

I recommend you see this film even if you just go for the immersing winter landscapes to escape from Adelaide’s heat, but you will enjoy the ride, I promise you.

aaaae AUTHOR Rianna Carr, 21, Bachelor of Media Arts

‘The most positive change Rianna made in the past year was to change her minor from business to visual arts.’

45

- Television Showcase -

10 shows that changed television #1

Twin Peaks ‘That gum you like is going to come back in style.’

Throughout the history of television there have been many shows that have altered perception or proposed new opportunities to tell more varied stories. Few have been as revolutionary as Twin Peaks, a two-season series that ran on American broadcaster CBS in the early 1990s. Under the unique vision of David Lynch, in partnership with Mark Frost, the series brought police procedural, soap opera, and psycho-drama together in a peculiarly-balanced union. The influence of this series can be found throughout modern television in both subtle and overt fashions. Few shows can lay claim to having reshaped the television landscape as fundamentally as Twin Peaks – and in only 30 episodes.

The core mystery of the show that utterly dominates its first half is the murder of Laura Palmer. This murder mystery transcends typical mysteries as it gives way to an exploration of the town’s various local eccentrics. This style of broadening the focus to human behaviour is used in other series such as True Detective and British and American counterparts, Broadchurch and Gracepoint.

The unusual stylistic choices elected by Lynch prove influential in dream sequences of The Sopranos, as acknowledged by creator David Shore. The series delves into the surreal and the dreamlike Artwork: Benjamin Hall

in a way very similar to Twin Peaks. It bends the realistic out of shape.

The considered and holistic approach is favoured by Lynch and Frost in the both in the narrative and in its crafting by FBI agent, Dale Cooper. There is an acceptance of the otherworldly and spiritual that permeates the series. The spectre of the supernatural grows as the show continues, morphing from a philosophy in the minds of both characters and creators, into a fundamental aspect of the series. Despite the terrors that lurk below the surface and the nightmare world always just out of sight, the town of Twin Peaks is conjured up as an idyllic representation of country town life. Of course, much of the purpose of the series, in true Lynchian fashion, is to undercut the perfection with allusions to a host of terrible secrets related to illegal activities and other vices. The initially small scope of the series allows for a truly thorough examination of the interplay between characters and makes for a setting that is oddly real considering the host of spirits to whom the town is home.

The central mystery of the series was solved about halfway through, despite Lynch’s hope that the murderer would never be

- Television Showcase -

identified. There remained many other mysteries and queries on the nature of some characters and the forces at work in the woods and beneath the surface.

Twin Peaks presented a world so strange, so tangible, and so steeped in philosophy and spiritualism that perhaps it never could truly last. Its effects, however, have lasted. The merging of the strange and the basic is something that many have tried to emulate with varying degrees of success. It paved the way for more adventurous storytelling as it took an initially simple story into darker places where a drug cartel mixes with a prostitution ring.

Despite this, it still entertains the lightness of its various characters’ eccentricities.

The series is often credited with being significant in paving the way for less conventional and more imaginative series such as The X-Files (which shared some actors including David Duchovny, who would play central character Fox Mulder), Northern Exposure and even Lost. In some regards the influences of Twin Peaks are so thorough and far-reaching that it become difficult to identify them.

It is certain that in the years after Twin Peaks, the landscape of television changed quite significantly. Lynch and Frost had created a series that is still admired by many today, and is cited as an influence by a number of the most successful of today’s television writers. It is a testament to its success that it could achieve the remarkable feat of inspiring excitement and anticipation in so many for the return of a series that lasted only thirty episodes and ended twenty-five years ago.

world itself, using elements of the police procedural genre. All three of the series employ fantastical characters appearing as spectres and portentous figures to the protagonists. All three also have a connection to the recently deceased David Bowie – Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes being named after two of his songs, and Twin Peaks featuring him in the spin-off movie Fire Walk With Me. Nods to Twin Peaks can be found in as varying selection of works as The Simpsons to The Killing. Homer can be seen watching Twin Peaks and remarking ‘Brilliant!’ followed closely by ‘I have absolutely no idea what’s going on’ – acknowledging the show’s reputation for quality and strangeness. The Killing is known for its allusions to the series in aspects it has borrowed, and general similarities between the two shows.

Some have attributed to Twin Peaks’s pioneering styles the subsequent commissioning of NYPD Blue on the same channel. The series featured a darker tone and soliloquies that may well have not found themselves a place in the world of television without Twin Peaks as a forbear. As if to confirm this and acknowledge the debt, a 1998 episode of NYPD Blue is named after the series.

There are very few series that could ever claim such a long shadow as that cast by Twin Peaks – and in so few episodes. With another series of indeterminate length promised next year, the series has the chance to create a new era of ripples and influences spreading out again through the world of television and out into the rest of the world and all its many facets.

The reach of this series extends well beyond the small screen and can be found influencing novels and garnering their authors’ admiration. Haruki Murakami, known for his novels Kafka by the Shore and Norwegian Woods (among others) often explores similar elements to those present in Twin Peaks and he has been known to praise the series and Lynch’s broader ouvre.

It has been credited by some as ushering in a golden age of television, and with it returning for another run next year, there is still much more it may achieve in a time when the television landscape still bears its indelible mark.

Life on Mars, and its successor, Ashes to Ashes bear significant marks of having been influenced by Twin Peaks. The two British series both follow a prolonged mystery in a setting that blurs the everyday and the surreal as truth is searched for both within the mind and in the

AUTHOR Liam McNally, 23, Bachelor of Creative Arts

Liam says the most positive change he’s made in the last twelve months is becoming editor of Empire Times.

47 47

- Music Review -

The Music Column In today’s episode: the Queen returns, Chris takes hard drugs, and Sarah recounts her new love...

Hello. It’s me. Returning to the helm of the music column at Empire Times reviewing not one but three solid records from returning musicians.

The final months of 2015 saw the critically acclaimed Soul-Queen return to reclaim her throne. I’m of course talking about Adele, and her third record, 25. I can appreciate Adele. She has a magnificent voice and treats it with respect on this record. I suppose it’s too much (and hypocritical of me, for one) to ask her to sing about something other than heartbreak. I found myself getting bored after a few listens of 25. When the first single “Hello” was released, I was keenly looking forward to what was in store. I realised, however, that I could have saved my money and bought 21 for a discounted price. 25 features similar instrumentation and lyrics, with only a few standout tracks scattered across the record.

Sarah Blasko makes her Eternal Return to music with another album. Blasko is an Australian classic and can be compared to Adele on the topics of Love; with this record, however, she makes a new appearance with an album clothed in love, and capturing the feeling of new love. Her lyrics don’t hide behind metaphors and she sings over a slightly electronic undertone, with synths and programming joining her usual instrumental line-up, dropping the orchestras from 2012’s I Awake. I have always enjoyed Blasko’s music; she can create a pleasing melody, especially on the single “I’d Be Lost” which bleeds 80’s pop and is a sweet summary of the record. While her 2009 record As Day Follows Night always holds a special 5/5 place in my heart, Eternal Return is a beautiful album, and her performance always makes the songs feel that little bit more personal.

With every new record from the British rock-pop outfit Coldplay, fans have learned to expect a new and reinvented sound, as is the case with their seventh and (debated) final record, A Head Full of Dreams. This album fits well into Coldplay lore; after Chris Martin’s divorce with actress Gwyneth Paltrow and the resulting period of sadness that culminated in their previous record, Ghost Stories, Martin has embraced psychedelic drugs and is feeling happy, and has forced the other band members along for the ride. A Head Full of Dreams attempts to capture the magic that Mylo Xyloto bought to life; it’s as if Martin has managed to liquidise the sounds of Mylo Xyloto and injected them directly into his veins. The songwriting has gotten simpler with this LP but the instrumentation is louder, brighter, and colourful from start to finish. A cast of backup singers (including Beyoncé) and producers join the band on songs such as the feel-good tracks “Hymn For The Weekend” and “Adventure Of A Lifetime”, which have quickly become my favourites.

A Head Full of Dreams is an emotional finish for one of the world’s most loved bands.

AAAee

aaaae

AUTHOR Aden Beaver, 18, Bachelor of Creative Arts (Digital Media)

A positive change he’s made would be wearing sunscreen on hot days to avoid becoming a human tomato.

aaa e

By Emma Hobbs

49