THE BULLSHEET
A JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY STUDENT ASSOCIATION PUBLICATION
A Forgotten Species
How I Wish
The True Heir
Factual Piece p.18
Poetry p.9
Novel Extract p.7
NOVEMBER 2021
JC0
Contents
Best of Study Period One
01 06
From the President Thomas Sherrington
Jewellery Erika Wiltshire
14
02 07
From the Editor Karla Destéfani
The True Heir Joshua Smith-Monaghan
15 Three’s a Crowd Michael Dare
Publisher Editor & Design Karla Destéfani
03 09
Meet the Counsilors JCUSA
How I Wish Simona Hamilton
18 5 Easy, Plastic-Free Alternatives Simona Hamilton
The Forgotten Fishes of the Genus Trimma Nisha Goldsworthy
Cairns Towsnville P (07) 4232 1160 P (07) 4781 4400 E studentassociation@jcu.edu.au E studentassociation@jcu.edu.au Freecall 1800 330 021 Freecall 1800 330 021 PO BOX 6811 PO BOX 1 James Cook University James Cook University Cairns QLD 4870 Townsville QLD 4811
From the President Well what a year that was! Hello everyone, my name is Thomas Sherrington and I’m your President for JCUSA in 2022. A little bit about me for those who don’t know me; I’m a third year Business and Law Student from Ayr who currently resides at a Residential College. In 2021, I was the Vice-President of the Student Association, a role I thoroughly enjoyed. I will be real with all students out there; it was not my intention three months ago to run for President this year or any position for that matter. The reason I ran again was because of the many issues that still exist for students, there’s many more battles to be won. We need to keep pushing the university to reconsider the trimester model and its severe impact on the wellbeing of students, trimesters indirectly or directly affect everyone. We need to work with the university on Student Safety, particularly on the findings of the Broderick Report, which I feel like the university isn’t giving their best effort to address currently. Most importantly we need to return all students back to campus fully. We have some beautiful teaching facilities on campus, as well as high quality staff and the university needs to make sure all students get to enjoy the on-campus experiences like I and many others experienced in 2019 and years before. Those are the key, but nowhere near the sole, objectives we will be pushing next year. I’m confident I’ve got the best team to do this, we are on your side.
Thomas Sherrington President E: jcusa.president@my.jcu.edu.au
From the Editor Welcome new and returning students! My name is Karla. I study English Literature, Design and Creative Arts at JCU. It has been a rewarding year as your editor in 2021. Seeing the variety of creative outlets from students of all disciplines has been incredible. Submissions for 2021 have ended, but if you feel inspired, you are welcome to work on pieces over the holidays and send them to me for next year. Our prices vary depending on length and medium. Fiction: $0.04 per word, paid up to maximum 1000 words = $40 Non fiction: $0.04 per word, paid to a maximum of 1000 words = $40 Poetry: $1.00 per line up to a maximum of 20 lines = $20 Photography: $5.00 low resolution / $10.00 high resolution Meme: $5.00 Drawing: $30.00 Comic: $30.00 Without further ado, this edition of The Bullsheet is filled with digital art, poetry, photography, fiction and facts - so get your favourite snack, take a small study break, and enjoy!
Karla Ana-Lía Destéfani Editor E: karla.destefani@my.jcu.edu.au
Get to Know Your Councilors
What is your favourite season and Why? 1. What is your favourite place on campus? 2. What is a hobby you could talk about for hours? 3. Do you have a pet? What species and what is its name? 4.
Emily Mulroy 2021 President 1. I love the North Queensland version of Winter because the sun still shines and it doesn’t rain. 2. Has to be the Uni Bar in Townsville and the Boathouse in Cairns is a great venue too 3. Probably genealogy, I’m fascinated about researching my family history 4. I don’t have a pet, but if I could I’d have a dog and take it to the dog parks
Thomas Sherrington 2022 President Favourite season is definitely Spring, not too hot, and not too cold. 1. Joe Baker Field/Uni Bar 2. Rugby Union/Rugby League 3. No pet. 4. .
Emily Gamze Townsville Campus Officer 1. My favourite season is spring, as it starts to get warm again, which means beach days and day trips! 2. My go-to study space is the Science Place of the Bebegu Yumba Campus. I love the fact that it is 24 hours and has a variety of different spaces to study. 3. I am a huge fan of participating in and watching theatrical shows! 4. I have a black and white Maltese Shih Tzu named Milly.
Get your Student Association+ membership today and receive exclusive discounts around town and campus! Sign up through our website www.jcusa.edu.au or come see us at the office
Cairns
Townsville 2021
2021
PAGE 06
Jewellery Erika Wiltshire, 1st Year Pharmacy Student ‘Jewellery’ is one of the older pieces in my gallery. Despite this, it stands out amongst the rest as an intriguing study of light. With the help of a reference, I attempted to illustrate a bold contrast between the deep shadows and the warm glow of the light. The reflections cast by the jewellery were a fun touch that I thoroughly enjoyed drawing. This piece marks a significant improvement in my skills and remains one of my best works.
Clip Studio Paint Pro | Medium 4961px7016px | Dimensions
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The True Heir Joshua Smith-Monaghan, Bachelor of Education (Secondary) English & History
The following is the first segment of my novel, The True Heir, which I have been working on throughout my degree. I.
Elayna
Standing just a little straighter, I held my ground. I wasn’t going to give in this time. Not anymore. ‘No.’ ‘What do you mean no?’ he said, towering over me. ‘You cannot just say no to this. I have been preparing suitable candidates for weeks and this is how you repay my hard work?’ ‘I shan’t do it! I refuse to do it. It’s humiliating having the castle staff constantly flurry around me, I don’t need a gaggle of girls following me around as well!’ My heart thrashed in my chest while my mind whirled with possible scenarios and counterarguments I could make. I felt light-headed. Narrowing his eyes, he straightened up and smoothed his jacket as he did so. ‘Elayna Rose de Louice you will do as commanded by your king and, to a lesser extent, your father!’ Helias Lucan de Louice, master of Rem and King of Trypticcia. My father. Standing almost a head taller than I, even without his crown of gold, his fierce green eyes glared out at me beneath well-groomed hair. Crows’ feet creased his eyes, yet fit oddly well with his hooked nose, broken in his youth. The sharp, crisp uniform of a modern monarch clung to him in the way that form-fitting clothes usually do to fashionable men. Navy trousers sported a yellow stripe on the outside pant leg while a white shirt, dark velvet vest and black, knee length jacket compliment well together. All it needed was a top hat to complete it. ‘I’m not a little girl any more father, I’m seventeen, and whether you like it or not I have the right to choose my own friends!’ Breathing in slowly, his face softened from the deep red of anger to his normal colour. A bronzed tone natural to the ruling family.
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‘Under my roof, in my city, the only rights you have are those of the royal line,’ he said calmly. The fury present before now firmly back under iron control. ‘And as a result, daughter, you should not take this opportunity lightly. It is for your own good.’ ‘But father I-’ ‘Elayna please,’ he interrupted, stepping forward and cupping my face with his hands, ‘don’t fight me anymore. I just want you to be happy.’ I looked into his bright green eyes, worn with age, and felt his love for me. ‘Father, please, just let me choose them.’ I asked, grasping his hands with my own and squeezing them, ‘please?’ He released a pent-up breath slowly and pulled his hands away, ‘I’m sorry Elayna, but duty is honour and everyone, even a Princess of Rem, must follow theirs.’ I stood dumbfounded, as with a sad smile and a nod of his head, he dismissed me and headed toward the throne room. ‘Yes, I understand father. Duty before everything, father,’ I muttered under my breath. As a little girl, I looked up to him as he doted on me, making sure I was happy and content. I suppose he felt obligated to take care of me once my mother died. A lot of the time it was constricting. It felt like I was always being watched and warned to be careful, that I could never be free. Today though, today I decided to demand more from him. I wanted the freedom to live. ‘Is everything all right m-my l-lady?’ A voice from behind made me glance over my shoulder. There, a boy no more than twelve was standing in a half bow. ‘No, it isn’t,’ I flicked an acknowledgement from my wrist and he stood up, ‘You’re from the grounds staff, aren’t you?’ He nervously patted down his straw coloured hair while attempting to flatten his uniform some. ‘Yes, my la…your h-highness, my name is Jonathan, I work in the stables.’ I can’t help it; I smiled at his awkwardness. ‘Come,’ I said, walking over and putting my hand on his shoulder, steering him in the direction I wanted. ‘Let’s take a walk.’ ‘Y-yes, highness.’ Continue Reading on Page 11
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How I wish Simona Hamilton, Marine Science I believe many people are afraid of the ocean because of its unfamiliarity, however, from the impact that humans cause on the Earth, I believe we are something to be more afraid of.
Water in my eyes, it stings Water in my mouth, it’s cold Water in my lungs, it hurts How I wish I could see through this liquid How I wish I had gills to breathe This blue that surrounds me is frightening. This blue that surrounds me is inviting How I wish I wasn’t afraid Yet I am. Of the feet that walk on the dirt, Of the chemicals they seep. They seep into my eyes, into my mouth, into my lungs. I am terrified. How I wish I could see through the smoke in the sky
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Wandering through the corridors I was silent for a time, lost in thought. ‘D-do you know that the palace of Remora always inspires me?’ He stuttered, breaking the silence. ‘What?’ ‘The palace, La Palais du Soleil,’ he added quickly, ‘Did you know that it was destroyed almost a century ago?’ ‘Was it now?’ I smirked, ‘History hasn’t exactly been my favourite thing to study.’ ‘Yes! June 10th, 2534 was the ‘Kingmaker’s Day,’’ he continued without hearing me. ‘When the Kingmaker tried to kill your ancestor, Allemande De Louice, he then tried to take over the kingdom and was stopped by...’ ‘Stop, stop,’ I laughed, ‘I’m not really interested, sorry.’ ‘Oh,’ he replied, slumping his shoulders. ‘so, you wouldn’t want to hear about it sometime then?’. ‘Are you offering to teach me my own family history?’ ‘I, I might be,’ he blushed a deep crimson that touched his hair, ‘That is, i-if that is a-all right with your h-highness.’ ‘I suppose it is, you never know, you might know more than my tedious professor does.’ It was as if my simple statement pronouncing the boredom of my teacher gave him new life. Jonathan began spouting information on the Palace as fast as he could. It was a while before I managed to catch up to what he was talking about. ‘…It was Queen Illyende De Louice who finished it, she took over the repairs from your great-greatuncle Arremande De Louice.’ ‘Oh, was it?’ I said offhandedly, distracted by a large mirror in the corridor. I smiled at my reflection as I walked past, mentally noting all my best features. My brown hair straightened this morning, my green eyes, my smile. I stopped for a moment and readjusted my earrings, so they weren’t caught in my hair. I looked good. I’m going to make an impact on the people today. ‘This way your highness. Did you also know that Queen Illyende was the one who fostered greater relations between the elves and dwarfs and stopped the fighting with the orcs and goblinoid races?’ I wonder if Lucas will be on duty today? No! No, you don’t need to be thinking about him now. ‘Would you look at that, the Great Hall gets me every time!’
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Snapping out of my reverie I followed Jonathan’s awestruck gaze upward. Massive stained-glass windows and exquisite arches made of both carved stone and timber marry together, forming a dome that cascaded sunlight. Dwarven stonework and elven trees sung to life create a wide, open space effect allowing light from the sun, moons, and stars to wash the hall in a brilliant ocean of light night and day. Le Chambre de la Lumiere. The palace of light; and my home for most of the year. ‘Good-day Jonathan,’ I said, departing for the stables, ‘make sure you are ready later today to receive my horse.’ ‘I s-shall my l-lady,’ he blushed, stumbling over his feet. Smiling, I walked through the wide, open corridors and out into the expansive gardens that cover most of the grounds the palace is built on. Animals of all species wandered the gardens freely enjoying the fruit, vegetables, and grass. Birds sang from the tops of most trees and ducks, chickens, geese, and horses roamed the grounds. It’s spring, so the gardens are beautiful, green, and flowering with fruit. Strawberries are my favourite. Approaching a nearby patch, I crouched down and picked a handful. They are the sweetest, most delicious morsels of heaven you could think of, and they are just for me. ‘Good afternoon, princess.’ Alarmed, I leapt to my feet and turned around. Lucas Elfsson, also called Lucas Half-breed amongst many other less subtle things, is casually leaning on his musket behind me in a uniform of the Kingsguard. The uniform, a surcoat, is emblazoned with a field of four rectangles, half-navy, half-grey, arranged around a yellow sun with two white keys diagonally crossed in the centre. Most of the time Lucas wears his usual clothes: grey or brown trousers, calf high boots and a tightfitting doublet made of linen, usually favouring blues, greys, and browns. Today must be an inspection day for he’s dressed in his surcoat over an elegant white doublet, his best grey trousers, boots that shine with fresh polish, and to top it off he sports the grandest feathered hat I’ve ever seen him wear. Not dashing at all. ‘Monsieur Elfsson, how are you today?’ He grinned and for some reason I wanted to run over and push him into the creek that ran through the garden behind him. ‘Oh, just out for a relaxing stroll in my favourite garden in the city,’ he said with a devilish smile, ‘Kingsguard things, you know? But then, a pampered princess such as yourself wouldn’t know much about the Kingsguard now, would she?’ He said, parodying a waltz as he walked towards me and bowed deeply, sweeping his hat off his head as he did so. Continue Reading on Page 17
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Three’s a Crowd Michael Dare, Bachelor of Education
I have been a budding photographer for the past few years and I recently found some time to purchase a new camera and take some wildlife photos. Note that the first three were taken here on the Bebegu Yumba campus! It is such a serene space to be able to enjoy nature and study at the same time!
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5 Easy, Plastic-Free Alternatives Simona Hamilton, Marine Student & Conservationist
In today’s society, where our needs and wants are almost always guaranteed, it’s easy to forget the harm we cause when attaining them. During the 1960s, the plastic industry boomed and has not stopped flourishing since. But all the convenience that plastic gives us has a downside; plastic waste causes communities to suffer, animals to starve, and our environment to degrade. All because of plastic pollution. The solution? Well, I would be naive to say the world should stop using plastics. Today’s society entirely relies on plastics for cars, furniture, appliances and even scientific research. What’s worse, it all comes in plastic packaging too! But we can all reduce our consumption of plastic. It’s a daunting prospect, so I’ve considered five accessible, plastic-free alternatives that you can choose TODAY and live by for the REST of your life. 1. Reusable Bags This one is super easy and super important! We all remember the racket Coles and Woolworths made when lightweight plastic bags were banned in July 2018. BUT, grocery stores are still legally allowed to provide shoppers with barrier bags (that store fruits and vegetables) and heavyweight plastic bags (the thick ones). Doesn’t it seem crazy that thin plastic bags are banned, but thicker plastics are still allowed and worse – advertised as the greener choice? What’s even crazier to me is that now you have to pay for a plastic bag too! Let’s burn the environment and our wallets at the same time! Some cheap, reusable, and sustainable bag alternatives include: - Paper bags - Hessian bags - Cotton bags - Metal or wooden baskets
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2. From Plastic to Glass It’s surprising how many options of the same thing you can find in a glass alternative – all you need to do is look! Some quick examples include: - Olive oil - Salt and pepper - Mayonnaise - Tomato sauce - Soft drinks And the best bit about it, it’s often the healthier option. Yes, you might be paying a dollar or so more for a glass packed product than if you chose the home-brand option in a plastic bottle or container. However, home-brand options are not just cheap about their packaging. They often rely on additives that are cheaper to produce than natural flavours from real, organic foods. So, by making the glass choice, you’re likely choosing a more delicious and nutritious option that’s in favour of our planet’s wellbeing! 3. Wrapped Fresh Fruits Fresh fruits wrapped in plastic is one thing I’ve always struggled to wrap my head around. Fruit has an organic cover around it. It’s called the skin! I understand most people don’t consider the waste they produce when they use carrier bags for apples. But consider this, if there are 7.8 billion people on the planet, and only roughly 25% are under the age of 18. So, there are approximately 5.8 billion adults in the world. Pretend half of these people go shopping (if only one person in the family does the shopping or some order meal boxes). Then 2.9 billion people would be using barrier bags for their fruit every week. That’s more than 2 billion bags thrown away every week, JUST from carrying our fruit around! And we haven’t even included all the barrier bags people carry their vegetables in! It gets worse. Grocery stores have decided to make life even more ‘convenient’ for us by pre-packaging fruits. Personally, this by no means makes my grocery shop any more convenient. So don’t buy your fruit in pre-packed containers, and try not to use barrier bags (individual plastic bags for
each fruit & vegetable item). Buy your fruit loose and pack it into a recyclable box at the checkout counter or straight in your carrier bags. 4. Wrapped Veggies As I’ve already stated, there is no need to use plastic carrier bags for our fruits and vegetables. Similarly, there is definitely no need to buy pre-packaged vegies. Often, stores package up the oldest vegies, so buying these is generally never a good idea. Large vegetables such as potatoes and lettuce can be placed straight into one of your reusable bags. Smaller veggies, including mushrooms and snow peas, can be put into the more sustainable paper bags provided by the grocery store. Again, they can also be put straight into your carrier bags too. 5. Bamboo Everything! Everyone loves throwing a party, having a picnic or camping on the weekends. These events are always made easier by using throw-away cups, plates and cutlery. But again, while it is the easier and more convenient option, it’s probably the most harmful and impactful choice we could make! So next time you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, picnicking with friends or camping overnight, I challenge you to swap from single-use plastic meal use options to bamboo choices. The best bit about it – bamboo is sturdy enough that you can reuse your cups, plates and bowls more than once! If you struggle finding bamboo alternatives at your local Coles or Woolworths, bamboo products can be found at many health-food stores.
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Glaring at his sardonic attitude, I look into his warm brown eyes. ‘Look here, you glorified spear-carrier, I know many things about the Kingsguard and their duties,’ catching him before he could interject with another witty remark. ‘And this I know to be true; you have to obey the royal family’s commands.’ ‘Is that so?’ he smirked, sweeping a hand through his long brown hair. I could tell that he was dreading the next part though, because the part of his face that usually responded to my empty threats had snapped into a wary look. ‘Yes, it is, and since I’m one of the royal family.... you can see where this is going, can’t you?’ He sank to a knee and bowed, ‘Yes, your highness, I can, your highness.’ ‘Good boy!’ I patted him on the head and walked off towards my horse lesson. Though I could feel his eyes on me. As I sauntered away, a gust of wind pushed me sideways, causing me to stumble a little. My stomach churned as I blushed, warmth flooded my cheeks and neck. ‘Gods I hope he didn’t see that.’
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The Forgotten Fishes of the Genus Trimma Nisha Caretta Goldsworthy, Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)
Turtles, corals, and beautiful bold clownfish are the poster children on coral reefs; they are marvellous creatures that every diver, snorkeler and funder love! However, these are not the only sea creatures that require our attention. Hidden throughout coral reefs are tiny fishes that have vital roles (Brandl et al., 2019). Yet, because of their small size and the fact that you can barely see them, the importance of these fishes is often undervalued (Bellwood et al., 2020). My PhD research focuses on small, cryptic coral reef fishes of the genus Trimma (pictured). Like many small and cryptic species, this genus has been forgotten in most existing literature. As a result, we know little about their basic ecology and life history (Winterbottom, 2019). Trimma include some of the smallest fishes on the reef, growing to a maximum of just 3cm! Throughout my research journey, I have uncovered some exciting details about their secret lives… Firstly, their small size suggests they do not contribute much energy to coral reef ecosystems compared to larger fishes. However, they are highly abundant, grow quickly, die young, and have efficient reproductive techniques to procreate before their short life ends. These characteristics indicate that new generations can be produced successfully and rapidly, so their energy contributions to coral reefs may be markedly high over time. Shortly, I will be looking at what they eat to uncover their roles on coral reefs further. For example, it has been suggested that Trimma may be importing energy onto the reef by ingesting plankton or they may be recycling nutrients by consuming food items on the bottom of the reef (Winterbottom, 2019). Any animal that can catch small cryptic fishes like Trimma can eat them due to their small size (Goatley et al., 2017). Novel research shows they provide almost 60% of fish flesh consumed on coral reefs (Brandl et al., 2019). Meaning these small fishes are fuelling larger animals on the reef! So even though they may seem tiny and insignificant, it is crucial not to overlook these forgotten fishes, because they are more important than you think! Full references on site.
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