SWINE Issue Two 2017 by swine

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4. 6. 7. 8. 9. 11. 12. 13. 14. 17.

Meet the Team Contributors Editorial Presitorial Deferment The Dangers of hitting the ground running In favour of real talk Sexual Assault Rife: The Swinburne Response Centrelink system snubs students Why the effects of artificial intelligence might not be as bad for graduating students as we think

19. 22. 23. 25.

The Problem with Modern News Consumption Logan Kizumonogatari (wound tale) Fresh! Emerging Makers Showcase Craft Victoria

Gallery, Melbourne

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Michael Shafar - Jewish-ish Melbourne Internation

al Comedy Festival

30. 31. 33.

Silent Volcano Faraz Haider - Poetry I Am In a Box

MEET THE TEAM

IMOGEN BAILEY

RYAN CAROLAN

Avid lover of the well written word, dogs and a good coffee. I write, read and will correct your grammar without hesitation. Teaming up with these other legends to provide you with some sweet content throughout 2017. Love it.

I am 26 years old and have just begun my PhD in philosophy under the mentorship of the brilliant Arran Gare. I am shocked by peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s indifference both to politics, to education and to life. It is therefore my goal to change that in at least one person.

EDITOR IN CHIEF

EDITOR

MEET THE TEAM

SARAH SORDELLI

FELIX MCPHIE

Sarah is a third year Communication Design student. She has really bad OCD in graphic design, making sure everything is aligned, hence this issue! She is constantly on her phone no matter where she is. Sarah would rather injure herself than to let go of her phone.

I am the newest recruit! Happy to be working with Sarah and the team on the Swine magazine. Giving the magazine a brand new sheen, so that it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reek, so to speak. I know that was weak. I only had a week.

DESIGNER

CONTRIBUTORS

CONTRIBUTORS: Alex McGilvray Sophie Evans Faraz Haider Michael Schenberg Aaron Richards Felicity Oriander Brenna Dempsey Luke Te Moni Brigitte Lewis Renita Britz (photography) Z. Ixeas Neil Aitken Ana Tinc Sarah Sordelli Ryan Carolan Imogen Bailey Felix Mcphie Chloe Morgan (photography)

EDITORIAL

Editiorial Hello again! We’re back with another delicious edition of the SWINE! Now that we’re all settled into the #unilife, we’ve packed this mag full of stuff we think you’ll like! There’s loads in here to soak up; from Swinburne’s response to sexual assaults on campus, to the effects of Artificial Intelligence on the job market, to creative writing and poetry! There are some sweet reviews in here too, as well as an opinion piece on the consumption of news. If you want to chuck ‘Student Magazine Contributor’ on your resume, then shoot your stuff through to us! You’ll have something physical to show employers and they’ll be ~ultra~ impressed. Email: imogen.bailey@ssu.org.au Hope you aren’t too stressed with your workload and are finding time to sink a few bevvies now and then. Say hi to your dog for me! Cheers, Imogen Bailey Editor-in-Chief

PRESITORIAL

By Ana Tinc ‘Try, and try, and try, again.’ This has been our mantra in the office for the duration of this year. Tears, chaos, determination and care have delivered you a wide range of services to make your semester one that little more bearable. Perhaps you are one of our 3,000 members reading this as you await for your chance to print in our offices. Or maybe you aren’t a member yet (don’t worry, you still have time to join the family), and per chance you found a copy on your way to doing what Swinburne students do, which is probably leaving the campus. Well we’re trying our hardest to give you a reason to stay. Why? Because there is so much more to your degree than submitting assignments late and trolling on stalkerspace. Sure, these things are important in our everyday student lives, but how good would a cheeky F.R.I.E.N.D.S trivia night be to wind down from a big week? Or the copious amounts of food available to you at no cost? We do these things because we are dedicated to student issues and campus culture and we believe that enriching your experience, and ensuring your rights as a student are being upheld is paramount to the functioning and purpose of a university. Whether you are in need of services at a reduced price, assistance with education or welfare related issues, or simply want to broaden your horizon by joining a collective, come find us in the UN building, or email me on president@ssu.org.au

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Deferment In 2014, the school year after I finished secondary school, at a university institution other than Swinburne, it took me no more than four days to defer my Bachelor of Arts course. Just four. I thought to cancel my enrolment altogether, but considered that I might as well keep it open for myself for next semester. I hated the university that I was at – bleak, old, and very hard to get around. I knew no one, there were no good places to get a good coffee and I inconveniently had to move from campus to campus for classes. Out of the four subjects that I had chosen: I loved one, was bored out of mind in another, had learnt the content the year before in VCE and didn’t even attend a class for the last because by that fourth day, I had deferred. How could I stay for one subject? I doubted my decision throughout the day, wondering if I should just suck it up and continue with it. Ironically, on my way home from uni, I read my horoscope for the week. It read: ‘New opportunities to learn, see the world or branch out of your comfort zone roll in. Before you can plant, you have to weed and make sure the soil is fertile. If something falls through, a lot more opportunity is on the way.’ That day I learnt to trust my gut instinct, and never to ignore it. You can’t be there to please others, or to follow the societal timeline that seems regimented from when you start school; university following high school. It doesn’t for everyone, and it doesn’t have to. Like myself, even if your final VCE score is high, it is irrelevant to your life as a bigger picture, and how you want it to be lived. You can choose not to study for a while, or at all. So, what did I do instead? I kept my job at a supermarket and worked as much as possible to save money to travel, which I did during the next two years. I went to places that I had dreamt of going to my whole life – Paris, London, Italy, the Mediterranean... and I experienced things. I spoke French

in Paris, testing the knowledge that I had learnt for thirteen years at school. I went to fashion week in Milan, sailed along the canals in Venice, strolled through the phenomenal walls of the Vatican City, and stood on a cliff looking over the Mediterranean in the south of France. I did all of this alone, and it was the best decision I have ever made; it’s something I no longer have to be afraid of doing. Many people praised me for my bravery, and at the end of those trips, I proved to myself that I possessed many great individual qualities: courage, fearlessness, maturity, and a lot more confidence than I thought I had. However, it was tough. Aside from those weeks away, I was here at home working quietly and going out on weekends, but with no real direction. I was stuck in my own mind, doubting my decisions and sometimes, myself. What will I be doing next year? Who will I become in five years? These questions, thoughts and self-formulated expectations carried over into 2016 and after failed attempts at a university application interview, and several job interviews, I decided that I would live out the year that was, and make 2017 mine. I had to do something; I was sick of doing nothing. Now here I am, studying at Swinburne in a course that piqued my interest from the get-go. It took time - three years – but I’m here and doing something to get me where I want to be. In the end, you must trust that things will be okay. You can believe in clichés. It’s true when people say that life skills and knowledge are the most important abilities. They enhance your maturity, your view of the world, and may even sway you into becoming interested in fields you weren’t previously interested in. You may be wondering why I am telling you this, considering the premise of what you have just read is to leave university and come back when you’re ready. But it is much broader and simpler than that. Your own happiness comes first. The tertiary life suits many, however for others it can be a bore, or merely something that one needs to adjust to over time. It is not your parents’ decision, nor your best friend, boyfriend, girlfriend or secondary school teacher’s – it’s yours. If you want to continue or if you want to leave; trust your gut

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instinct. It isn’t always an irreversible decision, and you never know what lies ahead for you. I’ll leave you with a quote which resonated with me, which I have kept in the back of my mind since 2015. ‘If it is unappetising: do not eat, date or sign up for it. If the mere thought of it is depressing: do not major in it, sit through it, or devote your life to it. If it is not important to you: do not do it because it is important to someone else. You will thank yourself.’ - Jessica Hagy

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The Dangers of hitting the ground running At the start of any new term I always hear these words; “hit the ground running!” and I’m sure you have too. Inwardly I sigh and smile, perhaps nostalgically, perhaps ironically, but before now I had not come to appreciate their full meaning. Often this sentiment is expressed positively, meaning that you should not hold back because of any preconceptions you have, and neither should you anticipate that events will transpire against your wellbeing. In these circumstances, such professors, lecturers, or other academics, will regularly tell you that “anything is possible” or that “all options are open to you”, by which they seem to grant you unrestrained freedom without consequence. Beware such orators of arrogance, they spread discord! Nowadays, ‘hitting the ground running’ is portrayed as a message of hope and boundless potential to young people, whereas, I would argue, it in fact symbolises a person’s total descent into the ideology, morals, ethics, and practices of freedom without repercussions. In regards to someone experiencing everything they possibly can at university, i.e. going to all social events, studying for all recommended hours, participating in extra-curricular activities, being a “model student” – the person’s individual duties and responsibilities will become of secondary importance, and eventually will diminish to the position of least importance after 3 or 4 years of university immersion. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasise that the ideas I will be purporting are not to disconnect yourself from your fellow students, nor to disengage from your formal studies – both are very important and should not be neglected or frittered away. I would like to encourage you to foster responsibility and duty though, and by these terms I would introduce you to the idea of a grand narrative; a story of humanity. It is no doubt that we are living in unprecedented times, that the difficulties humans are facing are complex on a myriad of levels, and have much history behind them. Environmental, social, political, and psychological problems have become undeniably noticeable and are increasing in number every day. This piece of writing is not to alert you to these problems (because I really hope you are aware of them by now!), but instead to

introduce you to part of the solution as it appears to myself and others around the world. Some theories about our species- Homo sapiens, suggest that one of the things that really set us apart from other human species like the Neanderthals, was our capacity for a language that had very large scope with relatively few words¹. With this flexible language, we were able to create myths, legends, and religions, which enabled us to cooperate in huge groups of people from different geographical locations and family backgrounds. Before this, humans lived in mainly tribal or familiar groups and survived day-to-day, but after this, we had grander purposes and reasons to work together with people we had previously never met. Through this, we spread and covered the whole world; through this, we achieved great things. However, it is when this relationship breaks down that we start to see disorganisation. When oral history turned into ‘outdated mythology’, and when religion was replaced by the scientific dogma, nihilism and materialism became the priority of people, and thus we can see all the problems of the world as I have listed above. People stopped working in collectives and worked only for themselves, and started acting individually for individual or family gain. A part of the process of moving onwards to a more sustainable and prosperous future without all the problems of the present, is to again foster these cultures of stories, legends, and grand narratives. These stories helped the Sapiens of old come together in collective work and build marvellous things – I will acquiesce that these things are perhaps what started the journey towards our present difficulties, but with our current vast capabilities, surely we can produce solutions that will benefit all of life here on Earth for the next 10,000 years? Back to your time at university; how can you align your behaviours with such a grand narrative that doesn’t exist? Well, you can create it – after all, every myth, religion, or legend started with someone. Start engaging with people on a level that promotes this culture, start talking about these concerning issues and ways to find solutions. Don’t immerse yourself and lose sight of where the human race, and every other living thing on the Earth, is going – we can remember our families and our homes in our daily lives, and try to align our pathways to improve our neighbourhoods. Your individual actions will reap consequences for many years to come, as all of society and the universe exists as a whole. We can act as a collective; the choice is no longer yours, it is ours.

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In Favour of Real Talk by Felicity Oriander

Ugh, small talk. One of my biggest pet hates. I love deep and meaningful conversation. Small talk is, well…small, and generally meaningless. I like sparkly and small talk is stark. I like intriguing, and small talk is boring.

I’ve had a hundred exchanges where someone has attempted to exchange small talk with me, whereby my eyes have glazed over; my vibe changes to that of restlessness and the whole talk goes down the drain in the blink of an eye.

It is true that our culture encourages it. It is pleasant, safe, and easy. Perfect for the formal, swift and often surface-oriented business world and capitalist society we live in.

Laurie Helgoe, author of ‘Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life Is the Source of Your Strength’, says “Introverts do not hate small talk because we dislike people. We hate small talk because of the barrier it creates between people.” Yes!

Some folk say that small talk is a crucial key to warming up to the big stuff: hopes, dreams, religious beliefs, sex, politics and the Universe. Small talk is disheartening for introverts and those highly sensitive people- in particular, who just can’t stand it. Often, introverts and the socially uncomfortable are judged for being aloof or unsociable because they are on the fringes when fraternising. They are misunderstood because their brains are wired to use energy wisely. Like a battery, they wake up fully charged in the morning and naturally it continues to drop steadily throughout the day. Effective use of their energy is an introvert’s top priority. What’s effective about wasting your energy on small talk? Ultimately, I see small talk as a thief of human connection in this already fraught world of distractions, insincere exchanges and mistrust of one another. If we see time as precious, and veritably life as precious, we shouldn’t waste our breath on socially constructed scripts.

The barrier is real people. Last November I went to see the fabulous Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild, talk at the Athenaeum Theatre in Melbourne. As I bounced in my chair excitedly, I noticed no one had begun to occupy my row. A lady then immediately came and sat next to me. Bursting with anticipation I blurted ‘’Have you seen any of your favourite authors speak before?’’ She gave me a look of incredulity and shot back with ‘’Oh! Just straight in, I love it!’’ The next time you’re meeting someone new, get someone’s attention by asking something colourful like ‘’have you had any revelations this week?’’ If it shocks them and they react, then at least you’ll have been noteworthy. You’ll be remembered rather than disappearing into the grey fog of nondescript, bland interactions.

SWINE When sexual assault on campus came into media view late last year, Swinburne did not respond to freedom of information requests to release data on just how many people had lodged claims. However, the University’s recently updated website (2017) says there were only two reported cases of sexual assault in 2016 and three in 2015. Across Victoria there have been high profile sexual assault allegations made by students at Melbourne, Monash, Deakin and Victoria Uni. To its credit, Swinburne does acknowledge that sexual assault is underreported and states this is why they chose in 2016, to participate in Universities Australia (UA) and the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) first comprehensive national survey to assess the extent of sexual assault and sexual harassment within universities. We are still waiting on results to be released but watch this space.

What we do know is that 8 out of 10 female victims of sexual assault by a male perpetrator did not report the most recent incident of assault to police. When they do, only about four per cent of the incidents reported to police received a full time prison sentence. Why? Because overwhelmingly we blame the victim. What was she wearing? What was she drinking? How many sexual partners has she had? Instead of why did someone rape? Why did they feel entitled to violate another person’s body? Why did they enjoy controlling someone? What is it about our society that focuses the blame on women rather than the perpetrators? Why aren’t women allowed to be sexual? Why does it matter how many drinks she’s had? Why must women be responsible for other people actions?

Swinburne Manager of Behavioural Risk Assessment & Management (BRAM) & Safer Community Dr. Annabel Chan, says the university has many measures in place to try and address the issue of sexual violence and safety on campus. For instance, there is a night bus that the security team runs, between 7 and 10pm at night in a 2km radius around campus during the week where students can be dropped off and picked up, alongside security escorts that are available any time of day or night by calling 9214 3333. If an incident does occur, Dr. Chan says the university has one point of contact which is Safer Community, which provides the students welfare support and campus security services that are currently available. Wellbeing@ Swin also launched their afterhours crisis response line in February 2017 and have so far received 11 calls. Consent training is compulsory for first year students who live on campus and staff have a one day training session, but nothing currently extends to students living off campus which seems

Sexual Assault Rife: The Swinburne Response By Brigitte Lewis

SWINE like a huge oversight considering the scope of the problem and the fact that the majority of students live off campus. The University responds to sexual assault on a case-by-case basis. They take into consideration what the student wants to do and provide what they call “natural justice” and support to both sides. They’ll do an assessment of risk so as to identify whether someone has a risk of escalating, persisting or repeating acts of violence. Their aim is to make sure people finish studying. If there is an assault, the student in question will be sent a letter of misconduct on the grounds of sexual harm, disruption to the learning environme`vnt or compromising health and safety, the latter charge, they apparently use a lot.

Sexual harassment is when a person: Makes an unwelcome sexual advance, or an unwelcome request for sexual favours to another person. You know that dude that just won’t take no for an answer and thinks it’s a game to try and convince you? That’s actually sexual harassment. Sexual harassment also includes anyone who engages in any other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature in relation to another person. Crude jokes? Sexual harassment. Innuendo that you’re just not into? Sexual harassment. Cat calls? Sexual harassment.

Whether or not the person intended to harass is irrelevant. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, the onus is on the person to stop being an asshole or even better, actually practice consent. National statistics for sexual assault You know, ask someone whether are currently at their highest rate in six they’re into you, and respect that a no years according to the latest Australian means stop, and that any hesitation to Bureau of Statistics data (2016). Women do so, means you’re encroaching on aged 15-19 years are the most likely someone’s right to feel safe. to be victimised. The most common perpetrator is a boyfriend or a date. If you feel any distress related to this story support is available through Disgustingly Australia ranks 3rd Swinburne or by calling the National worldwide for rape committed by Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family someone other than their partner; so Violence Counselling Service 1800 add stats on partner sexual violence RESPECT(1800 737 732). to that ranking and our sexual assault problem is seriously endemic. Safer Community: The counter argument to our high Email: safercommunity@swin.edu.au. ranking is that the problem isn’t After hours crisis line: 1300 854 144 actually getting worse; it’s just being or text 0488 863 269, 5pm – 9am spoken about more openly. I’m not so weekdays and 24 hours weekends sure. and public holidays.

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Alex McGilvray Following a national debacle surrounding Australia’s welfare system, students around the country have shared horror stories about their experiences with Centrelink. Provoked by a wider campaign against the Centrelink automated system, the National Union of Students (NUS) Welfare Department launched a survey which gathered data on the experiences of students on income support payments affected by false debt collection notices.

Centrelink system snubs students #FixCentrelinkNow

Alex McGilvray

A recent survey run by the National Union of Students (NUS) ‘#NotMyDebt’ found that 58% of student respondents, who had received a debt notice, had in fact received fake debt. The Centrelink Twitter account had tweeted the details for Lifeline Crisis Support and Suicide Prevention, as their official response to a student struggling to find work and at risk of receiving a debt notice from the automated debt recovery system. “Students have previously waited weeks for their payments to start and are now being threatened with fake debt. And the only real response from Centrelink is that those impacted is call Lifeline. This is morally repugnant,” said National Welfare Officer Jill Molloy. Centrelink is inaccessible for a significant number of students nation-wide. For many, the age of independence is what excludes them. Students under the age of 22 are classified as ‘dependent’ on parental income, and NUS is calling for the age of independence to be lowered to 18, allowing more students to focus on their studies rather than part-time work. If you’ve been affected by the ongoing debacle that is the Centrelink debt collection scheme, feel free to get in contact with the Swinburne Student Union via the Welfare page on the Union website. Useful contacts: National Welfare Officer, Jilly Molloy – welfare@ nus.asn.au 0423 507 010 Swinburne Student Union Welfare Officer, Alex McGilvray – welfare@ssu.org.au 9214 5452

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The Victorian Government has announced a review into the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA). Possible changes include introducing some long term leases, limiting rent rises to once-yearly and lifting the no-pet ban. However, the Council on the Ageing (COTA) believe that these changes wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do enough to protect Victorian renters. Melbourne City Mission has combined efforts with Make Renting Fair, a tenantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s advocacy group, and the Tenants Union of Victoria to ensure the changes to the RTA remain fair and supportive of tenants. They have made four submissions to the review advocating for minimum standards for rental properties, elimination of rental bidding and greater lease security. However, according to recent research released by Choice, National Shelter and the National Association of Tenant Organisations, tenants already feel they have no rights, are often frightened to ask for a longer lease, and many have waited longer than two weeks for repairs. The proposed changes to the RTA may include a Housing Ombudsman to help mediate disputes between landlords and renters which would ease some pressure on tenants, but it is not a solution to the varied problems. The review of the RTA was announced in 2015 and will continue until 2018 with various opportunities for renters and landlords to give feedback.

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Why the effects of artificial intelligence might not be as bad for graduating students as we think By Neil Aitken

Anyone, including university students, would be rightly terrified reading headlines in the news about Artificial Intelligence (AI). From IBM’s supercomputer ‘Watson’ (who won the game show Jeopardy against two human champions) to Google’s ‘AlphaGo’ (winning the board game Go against a human competitor), barely a day goes by without a headline discussing the end of jobs as we know them. The reality, however, is that AI is far more likely to be an advantage for educated job seekers than it is a problem. Having worked for a big Australian bank recently, on a ‘Chatbot’ project (possibly the most accessible ‘build your own AI solution’ there is so far ) and having researched the problem thoroughly, I have a different view to what the headlines present. My day job involves a lot of digital strategy and my background in economics means that I consider the economic consequences of what I read first and foremost. This means that I start most mornings, imbibing the technology news with a coffee and a sense of alarm about how people will be interpreting the headlines on offer. If I was about to graduate and I was reading the news, fating every day that AI is replacing humans across the board, I would be fearful too. There are a number of threads running through AI related stories in the news and the research I’ve done. The most concerning relate to long term employment level reports, commissioned by various governments around the world. These reports herald the replacement of, in some cases, up to 50% of jobs over, let’s say, the next 10 years (the research can be surprisingly vague on both the number of people affected and the dates within which the effect will take place). Entertainingly, most articles on the subject reference Terminator 2 or 2001: a Space Odyssey. They also propose or reference a ‘plan’

to deal with the effects of mass unemployment (caused by AI replacing humans), called a Basic Minimum Income (BMI). A BMI is a payment to people so that they can be unemployed, with no requirement to seek or find work. The scheme is being tested Finland as we speak. The headlines very, very rarely, go beyond the concepts I’ve discussed. However, some deeper diving may reassure you that things are not all as bad as they seem. There is a great and growing body of research which says these terrifying unemployment levels may not result at all. - Firstly, there is no AI capable of innovative thinking: Films show us general AI – robots and computers which can solve any problem just as humans do. However, the only foreseeable AI technology is narrow AI. Narrow AI can accomplish things in a small domain; it can win a board game or a quiz show, it can arrange and rearrange appointments. It can spot cancerous cells. It cannot come up with a cure for cancer or, for that matter, tell a decent joke. This is why it is misleading to include a Terminator or a picture of HAL (both of which were general AIs) in stories about (potential) job losses. - It is parts of jobs, not entire jobs, which are being replaced: McKinsey (the famous consultancy company) have spearheaded a critical insight in to the way automation is affecting jobs. Instead of replacing entire jobs, McKinsey say it’s components of work that are being automated. This is an extremely important distinction. - It is the bad bits of jobs which are being replaced: You might be surprised how much time is invested in offices doing things like arranging travel, filing and scheduling meetings. These things are not the reasons people do jobs and they do not make companies any money at all.

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They are tasks; no matter how mundane, that have to be done. Automating them- using AI as a solution, provides more time to be productive, as opposed to entirely replacing someone with a more productive machine.

issues such as taxing the companies which will make all the money from AI solutions and redistributing the profits. As a society we will need to push for that if we want anything like a ‘fair’ social outcome.

- In almost all foreseeable circumstances, humans will still be required to oversee things: When much of the work occurs automatically, overseeing the flow becomes more- not less valuable . There are many examples of ‘intelligent’ automated systems which act in ways any human being would consider lacking common sense. In one example, two fighting algorithms in the financial market accidentally crash the system, wiping billions of dollars off the market. The whole thing has to be reset. Humans in this circumstance become extremely valuable overseers.

For now, however, I hope you will take solace in the fact that a baron jobs market, where robots replace humans, might not be the case just yet.

- Many jobs involve a ‘human touch’: In many fields such as entertainment, social services, hospitality and so on, humans are required to work with humans. Robots simply cannot quiet a screaming child or care for a pensioner. - There is no ‘fixed amount of work’ in society: It appears likely that as automaton replaces the repetitive aspects of work, productivity will rise and more jobs will be created. New technology creates a requirement for previously unimagined skills. Data analysts are, for example, very rare all over the world and are paid premium dollar, accordingly. Who could have imagined that even 10 years ago? Remember, even the gloomiest reports of the unemployment effects we might see do not discuss jobs created, only those lost. To a degree, scaremongering such as that posited by the media about AI, serves a useful purpose. Governments will have to face thorny

More on all of this in my personal blog: https://aitkenblog.com.au/ References are at the back of the magazine.

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The Problem with Modern News Consumption By Ryan Carolan

As many might have already realised there is a major problem in the news today; the inability to find the truth. Many have subsequently been calling the age we live in ‘post-truth’ and have been quick to point out that the content of news is questionable. Due to the ‘media bubble’ and the vast extrapolation of news, the ability to cut through the #fakenews has become difficult. But let us start with a quick definition. What is news? News is the information used to inform action in both social and private life, and aimsin some way, at maintaining stability for an individual; to justify their beliefs. Even for those taught to critically analyse, news tends to justify belief. The institutions of the news – newspapers, nightly news programs, radio etc. – tend to focus on new events or information that is highly politically relevant and thus aims to inform the individual, while claiming to be objective. However, because political views are based on belief and experience, both for reader and writer, this is not possible. The crisis in news delivery and consumption today is quite obvious. Social media now plays a critical role in news consumption. Jim Dowson, a far-right millionaire with a global reach of 50 million, which he calls the ‘Patriotic News Agency’, shows how individuals can capitalise on this changing media landscape to peddle their own views. In an interview with the Guardian, he stated that he spreads “devastating anti-Clinton, pro-Trump memes and soundbites into sections of the population too disillusioned with politics to have taken any notice of conventional campaigning.” And he plans to do the same to help Scotland gain independence. So if many have lost faith in politics, which seems to be the case in the West today; capitalising on the depoliticised has a powerful political influence. Thus, whether we

recognise it or not, our consumption of media is highly political. What about delivery? Newspapers have had to change the way they deliver news to suit the consumption habits of many. Yet, when dealing with an incredibly complex issue, balanced, long and often complex arguments are still required. How are these to compete with memes, which spread like wildfire, and often are relevant to only the smallest aspect of the truth? Indeed, a perfect example came from Trump recently. He stated, correctly, that Stockholm is the rape capital of Europe and suggested it was because of refugees. While this second point is more contentious, even if we do, for arguments sake, accept it, in reality Sweden has an extremely low threshold of requirement for classifying rape which means that they have a lot of rape cases. One can see a similar thing happening in Australia but in reverse. If 18C is amended to protect free speech the stats will show that hate speech has gone down, because the threshold for classifying speech as hateful will rise. This will ensure that less is done to help the victims of racial hate. So do these statistics bring us closer to truth? Or does efficiency trump reality? Another problem with social media is the much talked about ‘media bubble’ it creates, ensuring those who are not interested in the truth get fed information which only solidifies their beliefs. There is a belief on the left that this is only a phenomenon on the right. Or that dogmatic progressive beliefs are fine but dogmatic conservative beliefs are wrong. Dogmatism is the fundamental belief in one’s own truth, and a rejection of all that does not fit into that conception. One could say Einstein’s dogmatism was good for humanity, one cannot say the same about Trump’s. But why is dogmatism so prevalent in our society?

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As mentioned, some dogmatism may be necessary for mental stability. You cannot question everything all the time. Perhaps I am myself dogmatic, but it seems that there is a very basic (false) social assumption that might explain this phenomenon: subjective experience + ‘objective’ facts = truth. It once mattered where those facts came from, as if faith in a media organisation was included in this equation. But now it no longer matters where information came from. But in this crisis, we can make some interesting observations. It may have seemed like a utopian dream in the past to have ‘the facts’ available to everybody, so they could be the driver of society and rational discourse. Making the facts readily available, meant that the individual did not have to struggle to get them, allowing rational arguments to take place. But when people have different subjective experiences, they have different facts to inform these experiences (as cultivated by the ‘media bubble’) and thus argue on a different wavelength. Facts cannot overcome these problems only discourse can; an almost dangerous thing in our individual world. Implicit in all of this is the role of the media which has continued the subjectivism of news, catering to the consumers every need. And while this seems good in theory, has it lead to positive outcomes? Are we having more rational debates? This is emphatically, a no. Politicians are far less likely to participate in serious debates, and we are not getting any closer to dealing with the major problems of our time. Leaders instead commit to outlandish schemes and let the ‘facts’

fly about online - leading to depoliticisation, either through radical scepticism or nihilism. Yet, I am not suggesting that one should give up on the news. Just to remember that the truth is a strange concept. When you think you have it, it goes away. But one thing is obvious, it does not come from yelling. It comes from listening to those different from you and remembering that they do not have the truth either. So when reading the news online, remember that it has been customised for you and thus suits your dogmatic, false reality.

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SWINE REVIEWS

LOGAN By Luke Te Moni

In the year 2000, mainstream audiences laid eyes on a soon to be 'sexiest man alive;' Hugh Jackman. A rising star at the time, Jackman escalated his career with his portrayal of the Wolverine in the smash hit, X-Men. Fast forward to 2017, in the midst of superhero market saturation, director James Mangold helms Logan- the final foray, not just for Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, but Patrick Stewart's Professor X. In a world of big budget cross over's, team up's, and world ending explosions, Logan is a refreshing, emotionally driven character piece placing the focus on the characters as mutants with flaws and motivations, rather than spandex clad figures of truth and justice. Logan explores and dissects deep issues such as ageing, legacy, and death itself with the upmost reverence and complexity. When it comes to action, Logan lives up to the X-Men legacy. The violence is enthralling yet brutal, swift, and at times confronting, all too fitting for the tone and themes presented throughout. The cast delivers a powerful, heart breaking performance. Jackman highlights Logan's constant rage, disguised by a reserved and burnt out demeanor, while Stewart depicts a vulnerable Professor X, who maintains a sense of optimism, often acting as the beacon of hope in an otherwise bleak reality. A stand out performer is the young Dafne Keen as Laura. At the tender age of 12, she delivers a performance of great intensity and maturity, often confronting the audience with great success. Finding flaws in Logan is difficult. However, if I had to nitpick, the villain- Donald Pierce, could be described as a cookie-cutter-moustache-twirling-evildoer. Logan is a thrilling, emotional roller coaster, abundant with powerful character moments and brutal R-rated violence. The film takes not only the franchise in an original direction, but the genre as a whole and acts as a perfect send off for the beloved characters.

REVIEWS

Kizumonogatari (Wound Tale) A Review

By Aaron Richards Sparing the preamble, Kizumonogatari (or Wound Tale, as it has been locally titled) opens with an elaborate, multi-page description of a gust of wind lifting the skirt of a high school girl and revealing her panties. Such are we thrust into the mindset of Koyomi Araragi; the girl’s classmate, and the narrator of the eponymous tale of wounds that we are about to explore. It is perhaps fitting that we are given this window into Araragi’s mind, one which is simultaneously prone to needless brooding, verbose introspection and dysfunction when it comes to interacting with others. This is the frame of mind which, we are told, is the only one that is able to tell this story, for it is the only one that would have been able to enable it in the first place. Kizumonogatari is the story of Koyomi Araragi, a soon-to-be senior year student, willingly devoid of friends and unwillingly devoid of good grades. Over the course of his final Spring break, he is made into a vampire, fights to save a few important lives, and makes his first friend. It is at times comedic, at others intense; it is often steeped in horror, frequently borne of the supernatural, but always grounded. Author Nishio Ishin (stylised as the palindrome NISIOISIN) has a clear and distinct voice for Araragi that lends a rather personal touch to the narrative. It eschews what we might call “proper” punctuation and grammar to better reflect the way a 17-year old boy might think and speak. Famous for his wordplay, much of his skill is preserved in the translation from Japanese to English, though a few instances fell flat. I am loath to ascribe blame, however, given that the translator is stuck between the rock of retaining the original script and the hard place of retaining the original meaning. It was curious to note the use of a scant few

Japanese words in the translation. Proper nouns aside, only “yokai”—meaning monster— and “sanpaku”—a term to describe eyes whose whites are visible both above and below the iris, for which I know of no English equivalent—drew my attention. I should note here that a handful of similar instances appeared in Bakemonogatari (Monster Tale) Volume 1, but I’ll save my review of that for when all of its respective volumes have been locally published. In any case, it is perhaps a credit to the translation and a highlight of both the limitations of our language and the differing culture of Japan that these few forced loan words are used at all. The cast of Kizumonogatari is very small, limited to three principal characters and four supporting characters (offhand mentions of Araragi’s family notwithstanding). As a result, the author is able to explore these characters through some excellently written dialogue that hits the required story beats while meandering through their often less-than-direct thought processes. Some characters are decidedly self-aware, or even genre-aware, which may take away from the immersion for a portion of readers. It was a nice change from the unbelievably dense or wilfully ignorant teenage characters that plague Japanese media. However, despite several passages that felt appropriately filtered through Araragi’s sexual teenage brain, one passage in particular stretched the rubber band of absurdity a little too far for my tastes and could have been reduced to only its beginning and end with no significant loss. While action has never been a core component in the Monogatari series, it is at its most prominent in this entry. It was pleasing to see the author can carry a fight as well as he can carry a conversation, and at no point did it feel that the evolution of Araragi’s vampire powers was

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misplaced. The true draw of this title, however, is the horror-style tone it takes, which is similarly at its most prominent in this entry. As we are told in the beginning pages, Kizumonogatari is not a story with a happy ending and one which contains only misery for its characters. There are wounds aplenty, physical and emotional; hence the title. It is here I should note that Kizumonogatari is but one entry in a series. Chronologically the first—the catalyst for the following stories of the supernatural Araragi and his friends encounter—it is actually the second entry written by Nishio Ishin (third, if you count Bakemonogatari’s two Japanese volumes separately). Despite that, the author himself offers that either title is a suitable entry point for the series, a sentiment which I would like to echo. Currently, Vertical Press, Inc. has licensed what is known as the “first season” of books for Western release, which includes Kizumonogatari, Bakemonogatari, Nisemonogatari (Imposter Tale) and Nekomonogatari: Kuro (Cat Tale: Black). Given how much I have enjoyed this title, I have every intention of reading the others as they are released and hope that the following seasons will be similarly licensed in due time; for them not to be would constitute a wound tale of my own. *** Kizumonogatari is a novel originally published by NISIOISIN in 2008. It was published in the west by Vertical Press, Inc. in 2015, with a translation by Ko Ransom and an accompanying audio book. It is also part of an ongoing anime adaptation by Shaft.

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The FRESH! Graduate Showcase displayed in the Craft Victoria Gallery, Flinders Lane, Melbourne. (Image: M. Schenberg)

Fresh! Emerging Makers Showcase Craft Victoria Gallery, Melbourne By Michael Schenberg This year's FRESH! Graduate Showcase has opened at the Craft Victoria Gallery (CVG) in Flinders Lane, Melbourne. The annual competition, hosted by Craft, has been running annually since 1993. This year, the exhibition displays the work of 12 graduate craft practitioners. The works were chosen from the graduate shows of 30 Victorian tertiary and TAFE institutions in the disciplines of fine art, craft and design at the end of 2016.

This well curated exhibition is housed in CVGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basement gallery, predominantly lit by natural light from the windows that face onto the adjacent lane. Works are hung from the ceiling or the walls and as one meanders through the gallery the observer is forced to zigzag through the works, moving in close proximity to each work.

The FRESH! Graduate Showcase provides an important opportunity for young and talented makers to show their works publicly and to a broad audience, often for the first time. The range of works exhibited is diverse. The works include a wooden sideboard, clothing, accessories, sculptures, lace work and ceramics. Some works are purely ornamental; some explore issues such as consumerism, sustainability and objectification of the feminine form. Most have been beautifully constructed, with incredibly fine detail.

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The Works and the Makers Rachael Siklic: RUSS Sideboard This year's FRESH! Graduate Showcase has opened at the Craft Victoria Gallery (CVG) in Flinders Lane, Melbourne. The annual competition, hosted by Craft, has been running annually since 1993. This year, the exhibition displays the work of 12 graduate craft practitioners. The works were chosen from the graduate shows of 30 Victorian tertiary and TAFE institutions in the disciplines of fine art, craft and design at the end of 2016. The FRESH! Graduate Showcase provides an important opportunity for young and talented makers to show their works publicly and to a broad audience, often for the first time. The range of works exhibited is diverse. The works include a wooden sideboard, clothing, accessories, sculptures, lace work and ceramics. Some works are purely ornamental; some explore issues such as consumerism, sustainability and objectification of the feminine form. Most have been beautifully constructed, with incredibly fine detail. This well curated exhibition is housed in CVG’s basement gallery, predominantly lit by natural light from the windows that face onto the adjacent lane. Works are hung from the ceiling or the walls and as one meanders through the gallery the observer is forced to zigzag through the works, moving in close proximity to each work.

After completing her degree in Industrial Design at Swinburne University, Rachael studied an Associated Degree in Furniture Design at RMIT University. She creates “beautiful products for the home, with an emphasis on quality materials, finishes and design integrity,” she said. Rachael’s RUSS Sideboard was constructed from solid rock maple timber and birch plywood, inspired by Scandinavian design. The two front doors are covered by ruffles of curved maple wood veneer and are arranged in a radial pattern from the centre. Each ruffle was hand-made “after spending many hours and many trials perfecting the technique,” she said. The symmetrical threedimensional surface produced by the ruffles has a biological character, with similarities to the exoskeleton of coral. Although fascinating aesthetically, in practical usage there are concerns. Door handles were not evident; leaving the user wondering which delicate ruffle could be used as a handle to open the door. The collection of dust over time on the ruffles and cleaning is another, albeit, minor issue. This work showcases the admirable design, ingenuity and craftsmanship skills of this talented student maker. Her works are sure to be ones to watch for in future.

RUSS Sideboard by Rachael Siklic. (Images: M. Schenberg)

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Hannah Gartside: New Terrain (The Fantasies) Hannah is a Melbourne based textile artist and costume designer. She completed her Bachelor of Fine Art in Sculpture and Spatial Practice at the Victorian College of the Arts, in 2016. She uses sewing, quilting and wet-felting to depict the emotive and interactive capacities of the materials she uses. Her work “examines the desire and intimacy of the female-gaze,” she said. New Terrain (The Fantasies) is a textile sculpture draped across the space, constructed from petticoat lace trim, tulle, thread and garter belts from the 1960’s. The work, of delicate fine feminine pink lace, is composed of 42 hexagons stitched together. From the centre of each hexagon a cone protrudes. The “cone shape references breasts and spikes: it is both generous and aggressive” the FRESH Catalogue says. The visitor, meandering through the exhibition space, passes directly next to and under the work, observing at close quarters the protruding cones, the beautiful fine lace work construction and the feminine pink colour. This is an intricate work, designed and crafted by a talented maker. The FRESH! Exhibition hosted by Craft Victoria provides talented young maker’s exposure to a wider audience, much needed by the new graduate. The works flaunt novel design and inspiration; changing the reputation of a bleak academic environment into one that fosters fresh creation. After graduating into their chosen design fields, these talented makers are sure to go on to produce outstanding works for us all to enjoy.

New Terrain (of the Fantasies) by Hannah Gartside. This image shows the fine lace work of the piece while the hexagon pattern is further dramatized by its magnified shadow on the wall. (Image: M. Schenberg)

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Michael Shafar - Jewish-ish Melbourne International Comedy Festival By Imogen Bailey

It’s the second night of the 2017 Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) and my boyfriend and I have tickets waiting for us at the door for Michael Shafar’s show, Jewish-ish. I’d interviewed him a few weeks prior for the SWINE and he’d invited us to come and review the show. We walk in to The Archive Room; a small, stripped-back space with a singular spotlight. A black curtain is the background for the comedy tonight; inconspicuous and simple. It’s an intimate room and as soon a Shafar walks on stage, the audience buzzes with anticipation. He tells us that it’s his debut at the MICF and we all want him to do well. He begins the show with the recognition of his faith, a theme which threads itself through the show and highlights the poignant parts. He touches on the fact that he went to Monash and studied Law,

yet didn’t want to be a lawyer after an average, unpaid, internship. In our interview he discussed the pressures of growing up Jewish and the implicit expectations that are placed on young Jewish people. “Part of the Jewish culture is a huge emphasis on having a good, stable career. For the first few years of my degree, I tried really hard to like Law, but comedy was so much more fun; I wouldn’t have been happy doing Law.” And you can tell Shafar is happy doing comedy. He laughs with us, at a man in the front row whose colourful laugh fills the room and tops off the jokes nicely; “this guy’s providing 70% of the comedy tonight guys,” he says as well all laugh along together. Shafar uses his body to bring the jokes to life, often emoting through his eyes. For one joke he stands silent, staring at his watch, and the prolonged silence

brings the audience’s attention straight back to him. The lingering silence makes the joke work and Shafar holds it just a touch longer than expected, to ensure the punch-line hits. There he is, breaking expectations again. During our interview, I’d asked Shafar how he went about not offending people. “I’ve definitely had people come up to me and say ‘I thought that was funny but I was offended by this.’ And people totally have the right to be triggered.” Especially in his audience, where some people may have family who survived the Holocaust, Shafar has to be careful that those jokes are clear. “When I do make jokes about the Holocaust I make it clear that the joke is about the racists, it’s the Nazi’s, it’s Hitler being mocked.” When those jokes are told, there’s no mistaking who’s being laughed at.

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At one point, Shafar begins a joke with the fact that his grandfather didn’t want to put Judaism down on the census because he doesn’t trust the government enough. Shafar uses it to mock the government’s competency, but it says a lot about his identity. His grandfather is a Holocaust survivor and still has so much distrust for authority that he doesn’t want to identify himself as Jewish to the government. I’m fascinated by that and was so when Shafar mentioned it in our interview. “My grandparents are Holocaust survivors and it’s a huge part of my identity and my culture. I will say though, that I’m kind of in the position, where I’m detached enough from the Holocaust to not be triggered by it. I think my generation is fortunate enough that we don’t feel very strong ramifications of it.”

Shafar’s jokes circulate back to one another. He plants the seed of the joke at the start, and by the end, each joke has been referred to again, often intertwining with others. It’s the hallmark of a great comedian; using intertextuality to create jokes based on previous jokes he’s told. It gives the audience a richer sense of the show and so, we laugh even harder. The smaller details of Jewish-ish are what make the show brilliant. Throughout the performance, Shafar touches his Jewish bible which adorably has “Michael Shafar” written on the side. He tells us that someone has written in small letters “sucks” on there too, but we can’t make that out. Between jokes, he takes a sip of water and then his finger tips touch the bible, which he’s had since high school. Whether this is for

composure, confidence or just a habit, it’s present in the show. Jewish-ish finishes strongly and Shafar thanks us for being such a warm audience. It’s easy to laugh though, because the jokes are clever, varied and relevant. During our interview Shafar had said “I just try to say things that I think are funny and that resonate with me personally.” It seemed that everyone in the audience, Jewish or not, resonated with Jewish-ish.

Michael Shafar is performing Jewishish at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival from 30th March to 23rd April.

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Silent Volcano By Felicity Oriander

2 minutes in The crowd made me sweat An anxious pool On my face Gushing strong. Core temperature hot Subconscious overwhelmed Should treat it more carefully Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s better than me Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s better than the conscious For now.

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Faraz Haider - Poetry Unfortunatea They walked together A path not written on The path on which Heavens shall praise A long awaited Melodious affair They walked together In a lover’s embrace Like the tale of ‘Laila Majnu’ Ah! However, as usual! The poet lives in fantasies Ignorant to present realities The fate was all too grim Surely will they be together In an eternal sleep and The earths embrace -Faraz Haider (Aazaad)

Fairytale Let me tell you about another fairytale No knights in shining armour in this This may be the first one your read Like a melody from an ancient reed Distant fields and rivers apart The miles between didn’t matter anymore Bricks of red lay flat on each side They worked and shared a collective goal The river strikes with many stones Not pleased with love’s hold In adversity their passion grew more Writing on a shared scroll Now across the middle on the parchment they stood Dreams, hopes, glad tidings and more Bridging the gaps between all shores Together they happily grew old -Faraz Haider (Aazaad)

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Imprisoned Your thoughts and your dreams, hopes and prayers Those benevolent stories and heartfelt glares In the songs of the night you are imprisoned Heart-warming and touching, those nights and your presence Was a fool to not understand your essence Forever cherish those moments together, awakened by death Not a chance anymore, no opportunity, no hope Prisoner of choices, most often mistakes, a falling slope Life progresses you digress and now time is dead. -Faraz Haider (Aazaad)

Fall Falling, crushing, trembling defeat Days, months and years of feat The scorching sun and through many tempest The winters chill had it seeking mercy Singing, screaming, shouting and glee Wishes, visions and dreams, mere fantasies The light once seen, its thoughts now imprisoned As it fell from a status quite risen -Faraz Haider (Aazaad)

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I Am In a Box Aaron Richards I am in a box. It is four metres wide, three metres long, and two metres high. The box has a door, a window, and a light. There is a bed to sleep on. There is a cupboard filled with clothes. There are shelves stocked with things to do. There is a computer at a desk through which I can access the world. And there is me. This box is a normal box. There are many others like it; some the same, others very different—but only this box is mine. People use their boxes for a variety of reasons. Like the boxes themselves, some people’s reasons are the same, while others’ are very different. I use my box for a variety of reasons as well. But my box does not work the same way as others’ boxes do. The door is able to be opened, but I cannot open it. There are things beyond the window, but I cannot see them. The light either shines starkly or not at all, and I cannot control which. The bed is warm and soft, but I cannot sleep within it. The cupboards contain numerous garments with which to clothe myself, but I cannot choose from them. The shelves house plenty of entertainment, but I cannot partake in any of it.

The computer screen can show me anything I could imagine, but I cannot tell it my requests. I am told I should be grateful to have my box. Many people in the world do not have a box big enough for them, or shaped correctly, or in some cases, not at all. Others work hard just to be able to come back to their box at the end of the day and do it all again the next. In that respect, I am grateful to have my box. But I am always wondering why my box doesn’t work the same way as others’ boxes do. Some people use their boxes when they are happy. I cannot. Some people use their boxes when they are sad. I cannot. Some people use their boxes when they are angry. I cannot. My box simply does not respond to me as others’ boxes do for them. It is problematic for me both in that my box does not respond as it should and that I do not know why it does not. Or, perhaps, I do not know how others’ boxes do so. People have asked me why I do not make use of my box as they do. I am at a loss to tell people how this is a problem. When they look at my box, they see the door, the window, the light, the bed, the cupboards, the shelves, the desk, and they see that it is no different to their own. When I tell them that I cannot use those things as I should, they cannot understand how it is not possible for me, and even do it themselves to show me just how possible it is. And yet, when I try it myself, I am forever met with failure. Does my box simply dislike me? Does it intentionally withdraw from me and my attempts to interact with it? Does it intentionally allow others to interact with it simply to spite my existence within it? I have seen for myself that others’ boxes do not have this critical design flaw. I have seen for myself that all of the expected interactions one would expect between and box and its resident are able to be performed when the resident in question is not me. Why, then, am I rejected so? It is as if this box has been closed to me. There

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is not necessarily a person who has issued this command, or an action of mine that has earned this as a restriction, or an alteration to the box to prevent my interaction with it. Nor can I specify precisely when this closure occurred. I am certain that I was once able to interact with my box just as everyone else does. Any attempt of mine to ascertain when or how this shift manifested is similarly met with failure. So then I am trapped in a box with a problem I cannot comprehend—whose origin I cannot remember—a question I cannot answer—which in turn cannot be understood by others—and everyone else who cannot see what I am seeing. What use is there in knowing that something is wrong if I cannot know what that something is? What use is there in others knowing that my box exists if those others cannot see that there is something wrong with it? It is cause for great consternation. This is an inescapable labyrinth of indeterminate nothings. How can I even be trapped within that which does not confine me? How can I be plagued by that which does not sicken me? Everything within my box appears to be fine, yet I know that it isn’t and that contradiction simply sends me walking in circles. I yearn for the days when life within my box was as it should be, but all I can see—whether ahead of or behind me—are those days when it hasn’t been. It makes me want to destroy my box. To just get rid of it all, rip it apart, return it to the nothingness that it may as well be now. If I could simply erase my box and start over, perhaps next time I could construct one which operates according to the expected parameters. Perhaps then I will be able to open the door, see out the window, switch the lights, sleep in the bed, select from my clothes, make use of entertainment, or browse what my heart desires. Yes, that is the only solution I see. If my box will not work as it should, if I will not be able to know

why, if others will not be able to see where there is a problem, then I must erase the whole thing. My box, and everything within it. Only then can I ensure that whatever problem has besieged my box will be erased as well. It is an unfortunate conclusion, it should be said. I will miss this box. But this is my only choice. And so I begin. It is a difficult task to accomplish. Though I have my goals set in my mind, it takes a great deal of effort to move my hands and enact them. It is as if everything in my box is resisting my attempts to erase it: the door, the window, the light, the bed, the cupboards, the shelves, the desk, and even my own being. But that resistance is trifling compared to the resistance I have been shown when merely attempting to go about my daily life. Ripping and tearing. Smashing and crushing. Breaking and hurting. I do it all. Every possible action that can serve to tear apart my box. It crumbles with each movement, falling apart at the seams. Each of those components that have so callously rejected me cry out in pain and fear as I, in turn, reject them. I will not have this door. I will not have this window. I will not have this light. I will not have this bed. I will not have this cupboard. I will not have these shelves. I will not have this desk. I will not have this box. Finally, there is nothing left of it. A crowd of a great many people is gathered around the place where my box used to be. They are all confused, reacting in unusual ways to this unusual practice. So they should. They could not have known what this box was doing to me. To them, this is a complete shock. Unprecedented, unexpected, unable to be understood. Something from nothing, out of nowhere, and for an unknown reason. Much like the scourge my box was unleashing on me. That crowd begins to cry. Have my efforts impacted them so? Have they finally come to understand my plight? But as I look at each person within the crowd, I see that they are not looking at my box. It as if the box is not even there—or,

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more accurately, since it is not in fact there, that it was not there to begin with. No, what that crowd is looking at, is me. But the way they look at me is not as I expect. They do not look at my eyes as I look at theirs. It seems they are looking at the rest of me. I look at myself too. What I see is not my chest, followed by my torso, waist, legs and feet, as one would expect when standing, looking down at themselves. I do see those parts of myself, but not from the perspective I should be seeing them. Instead, my body lies crumpled in the centre of my box, similarly eviscerated and oozing bloody crimson. How can this be? How can I be standing here, looking down at myself lying there? It doesn’t make sense. The crowd breaks formation and moves towards my other self. Touching me. Shaking me. Begging me to open my eyes. But my eyes remain shut. I remain in position as I am removed from this place. That is the cruel irony of my circumstance. Existing within a box, desperate for that box to be like others’ and yet being denied. Unable to explain how I am denied, be it to myself or to others. Desiring to be free of that box, and yet never being able to see the day that it is shattered. That is my circumstance. That is the circumstance I have inflicted on that crowd. And that is the circumstance that is my legacy—a shadow cast over me as I am lowered into my final resting place. Of course, in this circumstance, there is only one situation in which I can be: I am in a box.

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REFERENCES Why the effects of artifical intelligence might not be as bad for graduating students as we think https://www.ft.com/content/063c1176-d29a-11e5-969e-9d801cf5e15b http://www.businessinsider.com/robots-will-steal-your-job-citi-ai-increase-unemployment- inequality-2016-2 http://www.economist.com/news/special-report/21700758-will-smarter-machines-cause-mass- unemployment-automation-and-anxiety http://venturebeat.com/2016/08/15/a-short-history-of-chatbots-and-artificial-intelligence/ https://www.technologyreview.com/s/519241/report-suggests-nearly-half-of-us-jobs-are-vulnerable-to- computerization/ http://basicincome.org/basic-income/ https://www.marketplace.org/2016/12/13/economy/basic-income-finland http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-insights/where-machines-could- replace-humans-and-where-they-cant-yet https://www.ted.com/talks/david_autor_why_are_there_still_so_many_jobs http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2017/02/the_lump_of_lab.html

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Notes

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SWINE Issue. 2 Published April 2017 ÂŠ Swinburne Student Union Produced by Franklin Direct, Moonah 7009. Printed on FSC accredited paper that has been sourced in an environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and economically viable manner.