SWINE 2019 Issue 3

ISSUE 3

SWINE

2019

ISSUE 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS MEET THE TEAM

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EDITOR’S LETTER Sophie Evans

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SPICE UP YOUR SOCIAL CALENDAR WITH THESE MELBOURNE GEMS Isabella Murphy

NATURAL BEAUTY Aiden Watson PRETTY FACES & GORGEOUS SOULS Aazaad Faraz

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INTIMACY Syed Saif

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RECIPES FOR UNDER $10 Sophie Evans

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NEW ZEALAND Therese McMahon

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AN ATTEMPT TO FATHOM THE OCEAN Vishwa Patel

COFFEE WITH A FOUNDER Maulik H. Desai

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SHE WASN’T SURE Jessica Murdoch

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PERSON SUIT Claire PIcouleau

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ON THE PERIPHERY Tina Tsironis SAFER COMMUNITIES: WHAT WOMEN REALLY WANT Therese McMahon

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SWINBURNE ENGINEERING STUDENT SOCIETY

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ENGINEERS WITHOUT BORDERS

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FILM PREVIEW: BOOKSMART Jessica Murdoch

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FILM DISCUSSION: TOP END WEDDING Sophie Evans

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BOOK REVIEW: MONASH’S MASTERPIECE Jaiden Connell

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FINANCIAL HEALTH TIPS Maulik H. Desai

THE REAL TOY CITY Duong Nguyen

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VISUAL ART Dumi

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ADVICE FROM ALUMNI: DUSTIN BARTER Sophie Evans

A MELBURNIAN’S GUIDE TO ENJOYING YOUR DAILY COMMUTE Isabella Murphy

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Meet The Team SOPHIE EVANS EDITOR Currently wishing I was in a warmer climate as I put on six layers to leave the house (#Melbs), trying to save money for my upcoming holiday whilst always wanting to go out for dinner, and rekindling my interest in art by hand-drawing some things as presents or just out of pure boredom. Watch out for your job, Zoe!

ZOE ABLETEZ DESIGNER Currently wishing for a milder climate as I struggle to wear business attire in weather excess of thirty degrees. I’m currently on the Business Innovation in Asia Pacific study tour and absolutely loving it. Ever since submissions have closed, I have been attemping to finish assignments, explore Asia, do business visits and also complete the beloved mag!

Very much looking forward to sharing Issue 3. All the best to everyone for semester two xx

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Editor’s Letter Hello to all,

I encourage all students new and old to branch out and challenge yourself in the units and electives that you choose while you are here. If not languages, think outside the box at what could add an extra string to your bow that employers will choose you over someone else for. It’s never too late to learn something new!

We are finally in the back half of the year and moving head strong into some warmer weather! We may not be heating up for a while yet, but I am counting down the days until I can revel in some Italian summer sun.

Recently, I was officially awarded my Charles D’Aprano scholarship at a Swinburne ceremony. It was so lovely to meet the donor’s family and pass on my sincere gratitude for their kind support of students studying Italian. Charles D’Aprano was one of the first lecturers in Italian here at Swinburne after its inception as a subject in 1971. He promoted the language as a whole and had a significant impact on the students learning it. This award serves in his memory to keep Italian studies at Swinburne and encourage students in the subject.

Lastly, I would like to take the opportunity to openly apologise for some errors in the last issue of Swine. Due to an editing error, I accidentally cut off a student’s story which therefore omitted the conclusion to her piece. Jessica has requested her story be reprinted to allow readers to properly understand the intent, so please re-read and enjoy She Wasn’t Sure in this issue.

There were a couple of other typos that I have acknowledged and addressed with those involved.

As my first year as editor, it has been a great learning curve and allowed me the chance to benefit from a role that I aspire to be in professionally. As the adage goes, everyone makes mistakes! I endeavour to continue to edit diligently and better understand the process as I go.

Without languages, where would we be?

It is a shame that Italian Studies here at Swinburne is only a minor lasting two years. I would have loved to undertake an Advanced class and would love even more for universities including Swinburne to acknowledge languages as the valued subject that they are. Language is a technology too—aren’t we at a university of technology?

I hope you enjoy the third issue for 2019, and with some luck, typo-free!

Sophie

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Spice up Your Social Calendar with These Melbourne Gems

By Isabella Murphy

As much as we all love a cozy Netflix & chill night in, it’s always fun to dress up and go out with friends on the weekend.

Although brunch and the movies are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, there are lots of hidden gems and new trendy places around Melbourne worth exploring with your friends for your next gathering.

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Pink The Restaurant Pink officially opened in June this year and is a healthy Italian restaurant where wholesome (and pink) food meets authentic self-love. The interiors are all pink, there’s a flower wall, lots of cute statement quote walls and even an upstairs “selfie studio” – it’s basically Instagram opportunity heaven. Located on Swanston Street, Pink is all about bringing good vibes and an oh so aesthetically pleasing meeting place to Melbourne’s CBD. Hipster Atmosphere & Live Music Talent The Train Yard Heidelberg is a modern café, bar, beer garden and event space. Every Friday night they have amazing line-ups of fresh local talent and artists who perform in their covered and heated beer garden complete with festoon lighting. Their dinner menu includes a range of delicious antipasto grazing boards and meat from the smoker. Note: it’s best to book ahead online to secure a table.

Explore Melbourne’s Laneways Whether you’ve recently moved to Melbourne or a local, there’s always something new and exciting to discover just around the corner in Melbourne’s creative laneways. From colourful street art ‘galleries’, hidden coffee shops, boutiques and bars, there’s something to suit every hipster’s taste. Plus, these laneways make the ultimate artsy Instagram post. A few note-worthy lanes worth exploring are Hosier Lane, Duckboard Place, Tattersalls Lane and Union Lane, but there are lots more hidden gems to find too.

Peaches If you’re looking for a sophisticated bar to go for drinks with your friends on the weekend, then look no further than the cocktail bar Peaches. This new and note-worthy bar features blush-coloured suede booths with gold edging, monstera plants, an enormous disco ball and a notable cocktail menu. Plus, there’s even a rooftop where The Hamptons meets Miami (you had me at hello), including crisp white furniture, cooling water misters in summer and built-in seat warmers in the cooler months.

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Recipes For Under $10

By Sophie Evans

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Those student purse strings may be feeling a little tight after a long semester break of letting loose (and so you should have!), so some cheap eats are crucial for surviving the next semester on a budget.

The thing to consider is that these recipes may not cost $10 initially but they will after the first shop. You need to have staples in your pantry, which you will use a little bit of and keep the rest for next time. Staples like dried pasta, rice, oil, and dried herbs and spices add enough flavour to your dinner to avoid tuna-and-crackers-style blandness.

Look in the fridge and pantry and see what’s there! Get a little creative and avoid wasting food by chopping up leftover vegetables into sauces or added to homemade meatballs, or base the meal on what you have, and just go and buy what you need. (Sorry to get all Jamie Oliver on you, but it’s true.)

Always think of value too as a student. Why buy one onion, when there are bags of 1-2kg which you can store and have on hand? Buying one bag once is cheaper than one every time you visit the supermarket.

Also, push aside your pride and buy the supermarket’s own brand of products—most of the time they are exactly the same… if not better.

Think about growing herbs and/or vegetables if you have the space. A balcony is all you need for some little pots of herbs to bloom!

So, here are a few ripper meals to get you going.

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Pesto chicken and broccoli pasta Serves 4 Half a roast chicken from a supermarket deli or charcoal chicken One head of broccoli Couple of spoonfuls of pesto, to taste Juice of a lemon Garlic clove (there is plenty in the pesto but feel free to use extra) Chilli, optional Orecchiette pasta (little ear shape), or another small-sized pasta Parmesan to serve Fill a saucepan with water and put on to boil.

Chop up the broccoli and put it in the water to let it soften as the water temperature rises.

Roughly chop garlic, and chilli if using. Shred the chicken off the bones.

Take broccoli out when soft and set aside.

(The water may turn a bit green but soon everything will be!)

Put pasta into the boiling water and take out a couple of minutes before the timing instructions on the packet.

Cook off garlic in a frypan in the meantime with the chilli.

Drain pasta, keeping a tablespoon or so of pasta water in the pan. Combine all ingredients on heat so it all cooks in together.

Add a couple of heaped tablespoons of pesto and mix through.

Serve with Parmesan on top and season to taste.

Any leftovers can be frozen for lunch or another night.

Egg and bacon pie Serves 4 (adjust quantity ratios evenly for a bigger pie) 1 cup pastry flour 1 cup short cut bacon, diced 1 cup shredded cheese (tasty works best but whatever your preference is will work fine) 1 cup milk 4 eggs Handful of parsley, roughly chopped Leek, rinsed and sliced (optional) Steamed vegetables/mashed potato/ salad to serve Sauce or relish to serve (optional) Preheat the oven to 180°C (with the fan on).

Combine all of the ingredients (except serving ingredients) well in one bowl.

Pour into a round pie dish.

Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until golden on top.

Serve with accompaniments.

Any leftovers can be frozen for lunch or another night.

Madras Roasted Vegetables

Serves dependant on quantity of vegetables Any preferred vegetables. The below work great: Potatoes, skin on and roughly chopped into quarters Sweet potatoes, as above Red onions, outer skin removed and chopped into segments Carrots, skin on and roughly chopped into chunks Garlic cloves, outer skin removed and thrown in whole Beetroot, skin peeled or left on and roughly chopped into quarters Capsicum, deseeded and roughly chopped Leek, washed and sliced into chunks Mushrooms, whole Jar of madras curry paste (from the Indian section of the supermarket—can use tandoori or other pastes according to your spice tolerance) Olive oil Fragrant spices, such as fennel seeds Salt and pepper Preheat the oven at 150-190°. The temperature depends on whether you want them to slow roast, or roast faster for eating as soon as possible.

Throw all of the vegetables into a large roasting tray, and gradually spoon in the curry paste to taste.

A tablespoon or two should be plenty, and then massage in using your hands or by shaking the tray around.

Pour over a good glug of olive oil and season, shaking the tray to cover evenly.

Put into the oven until the vegetables have roasted and are caramelised.

Serve as is for a healthy vegetarian meal, or with your protein of choice. Fish is great with these spicy vegetables.

New Zealand

By Therese McMahon

The great Capitan Cook had two talents: unearthing new places and guzzling rum.

While the latter is less celebrated, his name remains etched in our history books forever as the legend who discovered Australia. Another one of his less celebrated feats was when he discovered the home of our cousins – you know, the ones that consistently wallop us in rugby, eat only fish and chips and have a tectonic pet dragon.

New Zealand!

While these cousins of ours only live next door, we often ignore their play date invitations in favour of white sands and the coo of different languages. But that’s enough of that—I’m here to assure you that you’ve been a real snob-face, and it’s about time you go say hi to the neighbours.

New Zealand is a country where sheep outnumber people by a factor of six, and its scenic landscapes have a timelessness that feels wholly exempt from change. A place where you go for the mountains and stay for the food and wine, because NZ is a diehard overachiever and does both in equal measure.

I went in early June, at the beginning of their deeply coveted snow season.

(For those of you who have been living under your pet rock since grade three, Queenstown in New Zealand’s South Island has been dubbed the adventure capital of the world.) However, I did not go there to bust out stunts. Instead, I rented a van, bought some thermals and steered my way through NZ’s South.

A pinch cold and at times inelegant, living in a van is not for everyone. But if you’ve got the itch to see New Zealand, please for me, do it by car/van/train with your best mate. You will see so much, laugh so hard and pay no heed to whatever personal space is.

From the enormity of Mt Cook to the irreverent, easy-going locals (somehow less cynical than Australians-- could it be their sweetly mangled vowels?), you will always find yourself both disarmed and delighted. And somehow wishing you’d inherited that grimy lust for hitting the slopes and eyebrow piercings as a teenager. Oh, to spend as much time as them in the mountains!

New Zealand is a place of extremes. Bring along someone who is up for everything but also nothing. With its adrenalinefuelled inhabitants and an encyclopaedic list of adventures, bored somehow does not seem to make it into their vocabulary.

Yet still, it’s a multi-faceted destination and it can be calm, cosy and a little hygge-ish at times. Even if you must drive twenty minutes.

So, while there is no room for sideline spectators here, there is room to kick back by the fire.

Henceforth, spiel to any Australians who are yet to endure the arduous two - three hour flight over to NZ goes something along the lines of: FIND A FLIGHT AND BOOK IT TODAY. Even if it’s just for a weekend of wandering around Queenstown and munching down Fergburger by the pier. It really is the best holiday you’ve never been on.

Coffee With A Founder

BY MAULIK H. DESAI

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D

uring the month of May, I was searching to interview someone who was influential in the tech world and had been a part of it for a really long time. I was not finding anyone that matched my picture of a perfect founder. Finally, my course convenor Dr. Jason Sargent connected me to David Banger.

David was listed as one of the top 100 technology leaders for 2016 by ComputerWorld Premier. He had a wide range of experience, which includes his inception at Commonwealth Bank in the 1980s, as a management consultant at IBM and working at Microsoft in the 2000s and finally, starting his own firm under the name of CHANGE lead in 2018.

CHANGE lead is an advisory business and a partner to organisations wanting to shift their digital capability and their employees’ contribution. It highlights how exploring sustained incremental shifts within a business over time reduces or potentially avoids the need for significant transformation.

Preparing for the interview was quite nerve-racking for me because there were so many questions in my mind. I had to filter questions again and again, so that they were relevant and could accommodate the time duration of the meeting.

Finally, the day of the interview arrived. It was kind of a surreal moment for me. The time and the venue of the meeting was decided and there was David, right on time.

The first learning for the meeting had started: always be on time.

We started the interview process, which included some generic questions and some personal questions: 1. How will you define the role of a CIO? 2. What are the skills required to become a CIO? 3. Do you think coding is an important aspect to become a CIO? 4. Do you think a university degree is mandatory to go up the management ladder?

5. How was your experience studying at MIT? 6. You recently founded a company, CHANGE Lead. Can you highlight your body of work and your vision for the company?

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Key learnings from the interview: 1. No predefined path to success According to David there is no book or paper that can provide predefined steps to becoming a success. You just need to be persistent and keep on working on your end goal.

He has also registered the davidbanger. com for his upcoming book.

6. Accept change where necessary David gave an important example from his professional journey. He started his professional journey with Commonwealth Bank. During his time with the bank in 1990s, they used to hardly receive any emails— maybe around 10 -15 emails a day— and how more people preferred coming to the bank physically. When he again became a part of Commonwealth Bank in 2016, everything had changed.

People were now using technology instead of physically coming to the bank.

Adapting to this shift is important for both the employee and the customer.

2. Education is important to be successful In the interview, David suggested the importance of education and how he returned to Swinburne for his MBA. He suggested that postgraduate degrees might be a bare minimum requirement in the future for senior level roles because everyone is investing in quality postgraduate education.

3. Start addressing your scratch In the interview, he told me that he had a wish to start his own firm and thus, CHANGE lead was born. He suggested you should always go for things that you might regret not doing on your deathbed.

Find out the things that you enjoy doing in life and start pursuing them.

4. Work-life balance During the interview, he explained how he is using the one third method to maintain his work-life balance. He suggested that he has divided his entire year in thirds.

First third for the clients, second third for his content and book, and the entire last third for his family.

Currently, David is working on writing a book. At the time of the interview, David had completed 20,000 words and was targeting to release the book in the second half of 2019.

The biggest learning for me from the interview was this one quote: “20s is for education, 30s is for working and 40s is for harvesting."

This made life really simple and helped me built a roadmap for life.

5. Importance of domain registration This was an eye opener for me. David has registered domain changelead.com in 2006 and the company came into existence in 2018. He had a vision for the company 12 years before it came to life.

The interview was an amazing learning experience and I enjoyed every bit of it. It was amazing to understand the undisclosed approach of a successful founder.

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SESS swinburne engineering student society When you’re a new club you kind of want to start small while you find your feet.

That’s what SESS set out to do. But then we had our engineering industry night.

much interest there was from engineering students. Very quickly we scaled our event up to 200 and 300 people within 24 hours, before reaching a cap limited only by ATC 101’s capacity. This added more work on The Swinburne Engineering Students’ our end to execute the event (think name Society (SESS) is a brand new club tags and catering), but we were thrilled chartered at the start of 2019. SESS started with the challenge. If you saw any of us with a mission to unite engineering during the event you would have seen students from all engineering majors how delighted we were to see the hard Posts: Avenir Medium together - from civil to biomedical to work pay off. product design - to help them get ready for the dynamic engineering workforce.

While we have only run a couple of events so far, we at SESS are proud of what we In May, we organised our first engineering have achieved so far. SESS has become industry night which saw 350 students and one of Swinburne’s largest clubs in a really 60 representatives from 19 companies short time with over 300 members. under one roof, interacting, engaging and networking. The night was structured We are loving the support of students who into an hour of presentations by leading have signed up as members, shown up to companies followed by two hours of our events or followed us on our socials. networking at business stalls. Attending We would not be doing this without you. companies included Metro Trains, John We have also had amazing support from Holland and IBM. Swinburne Student Life, FSET, and other student clubs that have helped us learn I can tell you this sort of scale was not what the ropes.

SESS had in mind when we first started planning the event. In our original plan we Most of all we want to thank our dedicated were thinking 50 to 100 attendees would committee of twelve and our associate be nice. When we published the event on members for their continued hard work. social media it soon became clear how This is the type of group you dream of

or Palette: #000000 #a01622

Font: Avenir

Titles: Avenir Black

when you’re given a group assignment and someone drops out, another disappears until submission, and another does their best but it’s really not helping. Thankfully, the SESS committee is an efficient team and everyone does their part. But I guess that’s what you get when working with a team of engineers!

So what’s next? Now we have started planning for Semester 2 and we’ve found our feet and hit the ground running, you will see SESS organise more events and activities catering to the many engineering majors. Feel free to let us know what you would like us to do!

Sadly a few of our committee members will be leaving us at the end of the year.

The good news is, we’ll have room for you to join the SESS team! If you are interested,

shoot us an email or keep an eye out on our social media.

Become a member for free https://unione.swin.edu.au/Clubs/SESS Facebook | @swin.sess Instagram | @swin_sess LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/swin-sess Swinburne Engineering Student Community Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/swin.sess Email swinengstudentsociety@gmail.com

SWINBURNE TANGO CLUB Swinburne Tango Club is a student-led group, bringing together people for weekly tango classes, performances, and other social events at Swinburne in Hawthorn.

Come dance with us!

Membership is open to all students, staff and members of the community.

Beginner classes are held on Mondays and intermediate classes run on Thursdays.

Classes run from 6:30pm until 8:30pm.

First class is free!

Swinburne students: $20 per semester.

Others: $30 per semester + $10 annual membership fee.

Contact us at swinburnetangoclub@outlook.com https://unione.swin.edu.au/Clubs/ TangoClub h tt p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / g ro u p s / SwinburneTangoClub/

“We’re here to engineer a better world.”

EWB Swinburne exists to promote, educate and inspire Swinburne University students to apply Appropriate Technology and Human Centred Design concepts in the real world.

Engineers Without Borders is a not-forprofit company with a mission to connect, educate and empower people through humanitarian engineering and does so through a variety of programs run within the engineering community.

Engineers Without Borders offers overseas study tours to India, Cambodia, Nepal and Malaysia as well as offering teaching opportunities to local schools within Victoria.

schools at the end of the year with other university EWB groups. This is a fantastic opportunity to work on public speaking and presenting skills, teaching skills, and a great way to make new friends.

Study Tours – Travel overseas on the journey of a lifetime as you learn about different cultures, frugal innovation and intercultural knowledge sharing.

The tour consists of learning about the Design Process and the importance of communication when working with other people.

With a focus on sustainability, clean energy, poverty and clean water, EWB Swinburne provides you with a community of like-minded people to solve whole world pressing problems.

Committee – Join our committee and learn about how clubs at university can be run. This is a great way to learn skills on organising events, taking minutes, submitting and controlling budgets and contacting potential schools for us to run sessions at. We have a range of shadow positions available for new members to the club who want to learn about these roles without taking on the full load of responsibility themselves.

Opportunities with EWB: School Outreach – Come and teach a set class to school students. We offer both day sessions to local schools around Melbourne as well as a weeklong regioneering trip to visit regional

For more info email us at swinburneuni. president@ewb.org.au or find us on social media: Facebook group: EWB Swinburne Volunteer Group Instagram: @EWB_Swinburne.

Film Preview: Booksmart

BY JESSICA MURDOCH I’d heard a lot of hype on Twitter about Booksmart (Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut), so when the opportunity came along for an early viewing I was excited to check it out. Nerdy girls concerned that they had missed out on the fun of high school? Seems like a premise that was just a little too relatable. In an early scene we see one of our main protagonists Molly (Beanie Feldstein, who you may have seen in the best friend role in 2017’s Lady Bird) sitting on the toilet correcting the basic grammar errors in the graffiti.

I’ve never seen myself so clearly on screen.

While she’s sitting there, she overhears a few of her classmates talking about her and her best friend Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and — here’s where she and I differ— walks

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out confidently to confront them. (I would have sat silently in the stall until it was safe to leave. But anyway.) She’s so secure in the choices herself and Amy have made – to focus on academic achievement so they could get into the best colleges, as she self-righteously boasts – until she is horrified to learn that she is not better off than all her peers. In fact, it seems they may have miscalculated. It turns out, you can have both. These “partiers” have awesome opportunities lined up too.

to say, don’t really include any villains – which was pretty refreshing. Just plenty of complicated humans who don’t always act the way our protagonists would like, working out how to negotiate their way through high school, plus the totally random Gigi (scene stealer Billie Lourde).

I wasn’t a fan of the teacher storyline – even if they go out of their way to try to show why it may not be illegal, student/ teacher relationships are always icky and for me it was one of the few missteps.

The rest of the film follows Amy and Molly as they attempt to cram four years’ worth of fun into one night. There are definitely some predictable tropes: they’re searching for the cool kids’ party, they’re both hoping to hook up with their respective crushes and finishing up at a high school graduation ceremony. But things don’t necessarily fall the way you might expect.

I imagine that some people will feel like the feminism is a little over the top but honestly, I freaking loved it. I wish I had been as sure of my politics when I was in high school. Besides, I think that heavyhanded, somewhat self-righteous whileI’m-figuring-all-this-stuff-out is pretty accurate for young people, especially for young people today who tend to be much more politically aware. Either way, as role modelling and wish fulfillment in a teen comedy goes, I thought it was awesome.

The highlights for me were the aggressively joyful love between Amy and Molly— it’s beautiful; teen girls’ friendships should always be so unapologetically celebrated— while also addressing the potential challenges friendships can face; the adorably awkward portrayal of Amy’s first kiss/hook-up at a party (I don’t ever recall a same-sex coupling so naturally handled in any teen movies I ever watched); and the diverse and eclectic group of classmates, who I have

Plenty of laugh out loud moments, poignant high school touchstones and a lot of fun. My first thought as I was leaving the cinema was, I can’t believe the people I tell about this movie will have to wait over a month to go and see it. Lucky for you dear reader the wait for you will not be so long. If you’re reading this now, the movie is already in cinemas. I’m already making plans with friends to go see it again.

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Film Discussion: Top End Wedding

By Sophie Evans

I remember first hearing about the Wayne Blair directed film Top End Wedding with a strange feeling of surprise. An Australian movie in cinemas, huh. An Australian movie with predominantly Indigenous Australian actors? At this point, I realised it wasn’t just surprise, but ultimately a moment of thinking: why haven’t I seen a movie like this before?

Australian films have had a slow and steady rise into mainstream cinemas locally and on the global stage, but it is disturbingly rare for there to be any Indigenous Australian films. We have

seen plenty of American Indian stand-offs, and periodical dramas from England are sickeningly overdone. Aside from Wayne Blair’s other venture, The Sapphires, there is no other predominantly Indigenous Australian film that pops into my head.

Which begs the question: Are we ashamed of our history, and our Indigenous cultures and traditions?

The high school curriculum, at least in Victoria, dates Australia’s history to the arrival of the Endeavour ship into Sydney Harbour. This is quite the oversight for a history dating back thousands of years prior. The language barrier of the upwards of 300 Indigenous languages could be seen as a deterrent, but this just shows the richness of a broad culture many white

Australians know very little about. All we need is a discussion to begin—our history does not begin from 1770.

The film opened with a character talking in the Tiwi language, spoken in the Tiwi Islands north of Darwin. We see the sprawling landscapes of Kakadu, Katherine and the Tiwi Islands, as well as the humid roads of Darwin. We as white Australians are happy to acknowledge our beautiful tourist spots that work wonders for our social media but fail to recognise the deeper happenings in local Indigenous communities. Public health organisations are continuing to work to reduce the incidence of many diseases and behaviours that are much more prevalent in Indigenous communities. But it seems that governments in Canberra

and other major cities are just happy counting their dollars.

There has been recent awareness and advertising about the desire for a treaty and reconciliation between all Australians.

We can’t just have a politician (of course, a white politician) saying sorry here and there and expecting the media circus on the issue to blow over. This is our history, these are our people, and they deserve the recognition of their long-standing cultures and traditions to be properly acknowledged.

A lot of white Australians in government or conglomerate organisations seem to use the Indigenous culture when it suits them most, discarding it when it is not deemed relevant. It is great to see the Welcome

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to Country recognised frequently in ceremonies and speeches, but I feel uncomfortable seeing an Indigenous tribal dance group being brought out like circus lions to perform for visiting royalty or presidents. Why just for those events?

New Zealand honours their ancestry with the haka prior to many occasions, whereas the Indigenous Australian culture is seemed to be shown “because we should”.

that treats its history like half of it never happened. We laud our soldiers who fought in world wars, but what about our unofficial soldiers—our first citizens—who fought for their stolen land and their lives in 1770?

Whilst the film is a light-hearted comedy about family and heritage, it raises all of the issues that haven’t been addressed by our so-called leaders. With the appointment of Ken Wyatt as the first Indigenous Australian as Indigenous Affairs minister (how this hasn’t happened before 2019 is crazy), we are still making baby steps to reach equality and reconciliation.

Co-writer and lead actress of Top End Wedding, Miranda Tapsell, worked many contentious topics into one film without any hint of preaching. There are clear discussions to be made of toxic masculinity in Australia, relationship dynamics when one half is financially better off, and LGBTQI awareness especially in Indigenous communities. The reason that all these topics work together in the film is that they’re simply never addressed as issues, and this is really bloody inspiring.

There is a generational shift occurring in our world, and whilst some of it is negative, there is a lot of change in attitudes among the millennial generation. We are young, opinionated and willing to give a damn about topics and actions that have not been properly tackled and resolved.

Watching a film may be a small step, but it is the feeling a film leaves you with that allows a discourse to begin.

Can a man cry in his own home? Can a man cry at all? Yes! Can an Indigenous Australian man identify as a woman? Proudly!

Can a woman be promoted “above” her husband on the corporate ladder and still be in a healthy, supportive relationship?

Seems so.

And if you’re the supposed “problem” in one of those scenarios, then the people telling you so are likely jealous of your sense of self.

I remember feeling a sense of pride watching Top End Wedding that this was our country and these are our First People. Why does it take watching a film to have this reaction? I saw the plethora of traditions—dances, activities, languages— that are alive and well in 2019. Whether we admit it or not, Australia is a country 32

Book review: Monash’s Masterpiece

By Jaiden Connell

‘A perfect modern battle plan is like nothing so much as a score for an orchestral composition, where the various arms and units are the instruments, and the tasks they perform are their respective musical phrases.’ – Sir John Monash Monash’s Masterpiece: The battle of Le Hamel and the 93 Minutes that Changed the World by Peter Fitzsimmons explores the rise of Australia’s greatest general, arguably the greatest World War I had seen: Sir John Monash. If you haven’t heard of him, the next time you come across a $100 note you will find a man accentuated by his bushy moustache. This is Monash.

Why is he such an important figure in history? This is the aim set out by Fitzsimmons, as this is the story of a man whose accomplishments are not celebrated as they should be. Not only did Monash innovate modern warfare by coordinating troops, tanks, and air simultaneously, but developed a cult personality that convinced so many of his men that his plan would work.

Monash’s personality and traits for war can be traced back to moments such as meeting Ned Kelly during a heist in 1879 (as Monash had claimed), and graduating from the University of Melbourne with a Master of Engineering. Working as a civil engineer is cited by Fitzsimmons as an important cog in the workings of one of Australia’s greatest military minds. It is clear throughout my reading that the intricate nature of Monash’s plan was due to his civil engineering background.

As a Jew, a large amount of adversity occurred in Monash’s life, especially when in the position of Commander of the Australian Corps. Fitzsimmons accounts

the at best strenuous relationship between Monash and Australia’s two most important war correspondents of the time: Keith Murdoch (Rupert Murdoch’s father) and Charles Bean. This part of the book plays out as a political thriller to a degree as Murdoch and Bean conspired against Monash and the eventual position he took.

His rise to the role of Commander of the Australian Corps is littered with anecdotes dedicated to the loyalty soldiers illustrated in regard to Monash. He was a collected, introspective and highly intelligent man who showcased authority through his actions rather than words. “A man of the people” as one soldier under his command had said. Fitzsimmons builds the character of Monash to perfection, as we soon come to learn that his plans lay the catalyst the for Allied victory in World War I. On the 4th of July 1918, the battle of Le Hamel came at a breaking point for both sides in the war. The town of Le Hamel is located in Northern France, south of the River Somme, to the North East of Amiens, and to another famous town and subject of another Fitzsimmons book, VillersBretonneux. Monash was chosen by Commander of the British Fourth Army, Lieutenant General Henry Rawlinson, to plan the attack.

Fitzsimmons takes the reader through the inner workings of the brains trust for this battle: how concise the timing and motion of each troop, tank, and plane was planned, and the trust imposed on each man to deliver their role to perfection.

Monash planned the battle to the duration of 90 minutes exactly; it lasted 93. Through the use of Aussie slang, spirit, and larrikinism, Fitzsimmons portrays

the young Australians as fearless, brave, and forever a loss of their innocence in the face of such atrocities. Some actions taken in the Battle for Le Hamel will shock and at times ignite the patriotic side. Men running at machine guns manned by a dozen Germans, leading the line with one working hand and eye. These are just some of the stories and actions only an Australia soldier could somehow pull off.

The roots of this book point toward a disregard for our own history in comparison to that of the great Western civilizations – something I have been guilty of in my early life. It is important to acknowledge men such as Monash, as they shifted the landscape for what is it to be a leader and tactician in the delicate context of wartime. After the guns fell silent on the 11/11 1918, at the 11th hour, Monash has not been rewarded by any Australian government to this day. In the aftermath of the battle in August 1918, Monash was knighted by King George V outside Villers-Bretonneux – the last person to be knighted on the battlefield.

Fitzsimmons provides a touching epilogue in dedication to the memory of Sir John Monash and his lasting impact on Australia. The $100 note, Monash University, and towns and suburbs named after him are examples of his legacy among the Australian people and culture.

Monash’s Masterpiece is a highly important book that I would recommend to anyone with an interest in history, war, leadership and significant Australians. It is vital for us as Australians to preserve and celebrate our lucky nation and the historical figures who fought for the peace we so often take for granted today. Peter Fitzsimmons graciously reflects this for the entirety of this investigation of Australia and war.

The Real Toy City

By Duong Nguyen (@thelazyphotographer2k) Do you want a real toy city of Melbourne? Where you can play with the props and figures as you please? Where everything looks so life-like you think they are all real? ’Cause this is for you!

I’m joking of course. Except the last part. Maybe.

This is Melbourne, the real Melbourne you may go to everyday. But it looks different. It looks as if the whole city has shrunken and now you are just playing with a model of it. But I assure you, all of those crazy miniature effects that you are seeing are straight out of the camera lens, or more precisely, a tilt-shift lens. This lens helps blur the difference between reality and replica, literally and figuratively, so that you can see Melbourne in a way that you might have never seen before! So, enjoy!

The Game of Patience

La Rinascita Dumi @comfy_gram

Stone Cold

Natural Beauty |

Aidan Watson

Sunset at Whisky Bay, Wilson's Promontory

Sunset at Red bluff, Black Rock

Sunset at Point Ormond, Elwood

Pretty Faces & Gorgeous Souls

By Aazaad Faraz

Years and years have passed, Each one is such that they are kept In a chest of treasures right in the heart, Often I remember all those times that I wept, Now there are layers upon layers in the chest.

With each step closer, each shot nearer, Each message longer, each walk slower, Each sip warmer and each breath greener, I see more colours in the light of the moon, From which I frame and paint with, of you.

Those first greetings I now recall, The thought of those first steps, hugs and all.

Rose-coloured whispers each night in bed, Sweet memories but somehow tears I shed.

Intimacy

By Syed Saif

What do you crave most in times of utter despair?

When your soul is shattered, in tatters beyond all repair Longing for intimacy in someone’s arms laying out your dreams upon their lashes Whose name does your heart ponder over when awoken by hot flashes Give up your insecurities, lay down these walls of pride We are all too human, let your frail heart be set free in full stride Alone we have come unto this land, alone we shall depart Meanwhile find solace in making them a guardian of your lonesome heart Too long do people go about their lives too afraid of vulnerability Racking their brains and churning their guts over someone else’s fidelity Everyone gets broken, betrayed and left with nothing to show for The price is high for something real, throw out that mask you wore Intimacy is what we all yearn for from the depths of our very being Let your heart loose and open up, the feeling shall be truly freeing.

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“Just dive. It might take you down, you might not be able to keep afloat, but I promise you won’t die”

An Attempt To Fathom The Ocean

By Vishwa Patel

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you feel you are not good enough? or are you made to feel not enough? sometimes you wish you were that apparition of yourself who chose the other path but you have made the dive and the ocean only takes you down. you might meet a mermaid there or might just become one maybe you’ll hit the rock bottom and reach further down than you ever were but you know your existence only when you hit the bottom, hard don’t know if you’ll die. you see them all up on the brown ground in the glistening sun. criticism grows profound as they talk of you but you cannot hear for you are deep down retaining your buoyancy not wanting to die you still wish you were not you nor were your decisions and you you do not wish to regret it and who up on the ground knows what it takes to drown so better chase your crown, I promise you will not die you might meet a mermaid or become one if fortune shines either way you swim against the odds or float with the weeds most importantly, you still made the dive before them, without them and you, did not die

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She wasn’t sure

by Jessica Murdoch

‘Love will come when you least expect it.

You just need to make sure your mind is open...and that you’re doing everything you can to be ready for it.’ The words drifted towards Jen in her dark little corner.

She rolled her eyes. She hadn’t snuck out of work early – risking the wrath of scary boss lady – just to hear how these problems were all in her head.

Next, they’d be selling her a little positive thinking.

She looked furtively around at the (almost exclusively female) crowd seated in the workshop. The waves of an almost frenzied desperation were palpable, tightly held back, sure, but threatening to spill over.

Jen gripped her pen (that she’d optimistically pulled out of her bag for note-taking) and muttered, ‘I’m a feminist but...’ She sighed again. There’s nothing wrong with wanting something, she reassured herself, wanting something and seeking out help when you can’t achieve it.

She warmed to her theme.

That’s like a fundamental step to being successful, right? Knowing what you want, setting goals and then making plans to achieve them. No shame, no fear! She was almost convinced. There was a cute

guitarist down at the local bar and he wasn’t completely terrible. He seemed different to the flashy types that demanded attention for all the wrong reasons.

Taking steps like this; I’m being proactive and brave. She rounded out the subconscious pep-talk. She just needed to trust her gut. Put herself out there.

Then she rolled her eyes again, this time at herself. What did she actually want?

Lisa, her best friend of twenty years, was getting married to the perfect man (for her) and Jen’s mother was constantly voicing concerns - always with the plausible deniability of being right on the edge of her overhearing - about the benefits of long-term relationships and the risks of childbirth in older mothers.

Every second reality show was banking on the idea that everyone desperately wanted their happily-ever-after and would be willing to humiliate themselves publicly on what had to be a mathematically improbable way of finding it.

So much external noise but...what did she really want?

Children are cute, she mused – for short periods of time. She loved her nieces and she definitely wanted kids of her own.

Right? Everyone did!

She paused to examine that thought.

Picked it up in her mind and weighed it carefully. Not everyone wants kids, she conceded. Do I want kids? It hit her again – this time with more certainty – that she’d never actually, explicitly, asked herself the question and she realised the answer was...no.

She did love spending time with the children in her life...but not more than the time she spent doing so many other things... Certainly not as much as she loved handing them back over to their responsible adult.

She realised this was a decision that had been made over a long period of time.

She was just figuring it out now. She felt a heavy weight release from her. If she didn’t want kids, then there went that strangling pressure of time that was constantly being held over her head.

With the ticking biological clock out of the way, she really didn’t have so much to stress about. She had all the time in the world to find the perfect mate.

That night she went down to the bar and reassessed her options. The guitarist noticed her sitting in the corner. Perhaps he smiled in her direction. She didn’t notice.

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Content warning: body dysmorphia

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Person Suit

Now I know that everyone perceives me in this way, that I am athletic but not the thinnest. Just plain fine. But it has become a part of me and now every time I look in the mirror, anything different becomes an unwelcome presence. It’s not part of the identity that I have garnered from others. It’s like treading water and any trivial change will cause me to drown. I have always looked a certain way, been privileged in knowing my weight doesn’t fluctuate easily. I grew into my adult body at thirteen and so I have had years to adjust. I admire the women who change suddenly in the last years of high school or their early twenties and take it in their stride.

By Claire Picouleau In almost all aspects of self, I feel strong and sure. I know who I am, what I want and what I believe in. But I do not trust myself when I look at my body. Some days, I see someone wide and weird. I see an undertone to my skin that makes me look sickly. I stand a centimetre away from the mirror and wonder how those fine lines got so big. I turn sideways and think that my proportions don’t even make sense, I look like an alien stuffed into a person suit. In these moments I have learned to be sensible if not kind. No one is watching the circles under my eyes to see if they crinkle when I smile. No one is watching my tummy when I sit down to see if it bunches under my jeans. These are things we have been taught to know, we have been made aware of them by something at least: advertising, someone in high school, a well-meaning family member?

Because every day I wonder if I have crossed the threshold into not looking the same as the positive comments I’ve received before. I feel I’m walking the razor’s edge-- yes I tried hard enough today but it can be lost in a second.

Sometimes I don’t really think it matters how you look at all. It’s that daily pressure wearing you down, making you wonder if this is the day that everyone realises how ugly you are.

I know there is no right way to have a body. That all bodies are amazing proof of the lucky coincidence of existence. All bodies work as hard as they can for us, for as long as they can. And every size and shape have a grace and subtlety to it that only the most intimate acquaintances can begin to guess at.

There is only one way I can get out of this line of thinking that could make me reconsider how I feel about myself. I think about the way I can look at my best friend of the last decade and I notice for the millionth time how beautiful she is when she learns something new. How my grandma’s hair was white and fluffy but still the best cloud I have ever seen. About how when someone leans in close to me to tell me a secret, I’m excited to hear them speak and not to look at their skin. I know my friends must look at me like this too, so I take it into my identity.

I have found that most people, including perfect strangers, feel it is okay to say anything they want to about my body. I have had women tell me their daughters are skinnier, only to find out later their daughter is twelve. People say lovely things as well. But it’s the way all of those words worm their way inside you.

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On The Periphery

By Tina Tsironis

Content Warning: Homophobia

‘How many freckles do I have on my face? Could you count them for me?’

My first inkling crept up with a girl in primary school, Holly. She was just so cool, with her bright orange t-shirts and her relaxed, hippy demeanour. Half of me wanted to be her, but the other half wanted to be with her as much as possible.

So count her face freckles I did.

‘Um…about seventeen, I think,’ I said, a flush spreading through my ten-year-old cheeks.

That flush returned some time later, during a conversation with my good friend Tammy about our classmate’s mother.

‘You know Clare’s mum is a dyke, don’t you?’ Tammy said, with a tone suggesting she definitely knew that I didn’t know.

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‘What’s a dyke?’ I said.

starting to receive attention from the opposite sex, and after being ignored my entire primary school life and a good chunk of high school, being desired was still a novelty.

‘As if you don’t know what a dyke is.’

‘Well... I think I know, but I’m not totally sure.’

The other half of me, though, welcomed Jesinta’s request. Maybe I was drunk and confused or mistaking attention-seeking impulsivity with actual desire, but damn were her lips velvet-smooth and oddly comforting. Even to the sound of Lynxbathed boys jeering.

‘God Tina… a dyke is a lesbian.’

‘A what?’

‘A lesbian. Instead of kissing boys, she kisses girls.’

Girls can kiss other girls? Now this was an interesting development.

Even the next day when Jesinta spilled to her sister, who spilled to her mum, who threatened to call my parents and yell at them about my drunken escapades.

‘Wow.’ ‘Weird, yeah? Anyway, she’s a dyke. That’s what we call lesbians. Dykes.’

The truth was, I enjoyed kissing my female friend. It was wildly different to any romantic or sexual experience I’d had at that point with guys, sure. But it was a good kind of different.

The second inkling spliced its way through a drunken Year 10 party, amidst the deodorant-sweet splashes of Passion Pop and horny sixteen-year-old boys bathed in Lynx.

Not that I could ever let anyone know.

My parents being treated to a screaming match from Jesinta’s mum wouldn’t be ideal, that was for sure.

One too many cheap wines later and my close friend Jesinta suggested we make out in front of the boys.

The screaming match that would ensue from my own parents ensured that for years, I kept my inklings secret and my mouth sewed sharply shut. My family, as it turns out, aren’t exactly well-versed in

Half of me wanted them to see me as attractive. I was so small and mousy and spotty-faced and weird. I was only just

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LGBTQIA rights.

‘Gay people are sick Tina, I’m telling you.

It’s an illness and they need help,’ said my brother.

‘Stop that,’ said Mum. ‘They’re not hurting you, they’re not hurting anybody.’

‘Tell me something Tina, can the gays have kids? Can they? No. They’re an anomalia,’ said Dad. ‘Well I’m gay and I’m attracted to girls.

What does that make me?’ I said, completely sarcastically of course.

‘You watch your mouth.’

‘What? You wouldn’t dare disown me if I was gay, would you?’

Dad laughed. He grabbed my face and plants a kiss on my cheek.

‘Oh boy, you know I love to rile you up, Tina. You fall for it every time.’

‘But I do like girls, Dad. I’m so bisexual, didn’t you know?’

My faux-admission inspired nothing but a death stare. As if having a thing for the same sex was akin to being a murderer or a paedophile or even a bully.

‘Don’t rile him up,’ Mum says through gritted teeth.

‘Oh okay, cool,’ I spit. ‘You’re happy to not be a complete homophobe when they’re not around but once they’re back, you go back to your No-voting, sheep-like homophobia. Real cool, Mum.’ Sometimes, I can’t stand saying nothing, so I rip open my sharply shut mouth. And it hurts – at least, when my family is my witness.

But other times, my witnesses are far less weird about the thought of being gay.

Like when my (male) partner mentions my “bisexuality” as casually as recalling what he had for breakfast that morning.

Or when Australia votes YES to marriage equality and I realise that most of my country isn’t completely bigoted, or when a close friend I’ve had a crush on for the longest time admits that she too has a thing for my small, mousy self.

You see the LGBTQIA rainbow flag?

I’m located on its periphery. The thought of identifying or “coming out” as bisexual scares the crap out of me a lot of the time. Why should I open myself up to ridicule by telling the world who I’m attracted to? Why can’t the world just let me be attracted to female-identifying people, without throwing in their two bigoted cents?

I’m not weird or wrong or sick. I’m me.

You’re you. We’re us. Let’s try a little

harder not to measure someone’s worth and morality based on their sexuality.

I may not be ready to let my inklings bloom into full-blown, velvet-lipped public declarations of love, lust and in-between, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to let my words out for air every so often.

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Safer Communities: What Women Really Want

By Therese McMahon 54

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Oftentimes, the stories that we relate most to in the news are ones that strike a chord with us on a personal level. Generally, it is in the minor details: a common interest, a certain name or a place we frequent.

But other times the details can be more pressing, something that galvanises us to feel a certain way. Christina Bricknell knows this experience well.

18 per cent of young men. These are statistics that show women are bearing much more anxiety in their daily lives than their male counterparts. And frankly, this is unsurprising.

According to a 2018 report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), on average one or more women are killed in Australia every week. In some exceptional circumstances, they will be killed by a stranger. However, more frequently it will be by someone known to them. Almost always they will be killed by a man. Tragically, these numbers just represent those who are killed. They do not include the thousands of women who are assaulted, harassed or abused.

One Friday evening in June last year, the 24-year-old found herself running to her boyfriend’s house in heavy rain. She was distraught, panting heavily with tears streaming down her face. Her phone had died, she had caught the wrong tram and didn’t know exactly where she was.

In that moment, she was acutely aware of two things: her vulnerability and an overwhelming sense of fear.

More than ever, women’s safety is becoming a real concern in Australian society. Though consequently, there are positive signs of action, particularly in Victoria.

It had been two weeks since the tragic murder of Eurydice Dixon in Princes Park and like many of us, Christina had been following the case closely. In some ways, Eurydice had reminded her of herself: she was involved in the arts, they had similar lifestyles and were of a similar age. And now, she was alone in the dark, not far from where the incident had happened.

Jessamy Gleeson and Karen Pickering, both feminist activists and academics, have been drawing attention to these crimes and how regularly they happen.

The pair hold silent vigils for any women or children who are murdered as a result of violence at the hands of a man.

So, she followed her instincts and ran, gripped by the fear that she was not safe because she was a girl. A fear that many young women in Australia share.

We Keep Vigil began in the middle of last year when thousands gathered at a silent nighttime vigil that they organised for Eurydice Dixon. Jessamy and Karen are now determined to mark the theft of every woman’s life in this same public way.

According to Mission Australia's Youth Survey in 2018, nearly half of young women do not feel safe in their local communities after dark.

Except for some of the high-profile cases that have garnered a lot of media attention such as Eurydice Dixon and Aiia Maasarwe, the turnout for the vigils is typically low. But Jessamy said this is beside the point.

The survey, which involved over 28,000 young people aged between 15 and 19, found over 46 per cent of young women felt "unsafe" or "very unsafe" when walking home at night, compared to just

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‘By holding these vigils each week and marking the death of each woman, it gives people a visual and visible reminder of the scale of the issue,’ said Jessamy.

‘This will require action, re-educating and an openness to change,’ Jessamy said.

‘And it will take many generations.’

The Victorian Women’s Trust (VWT) is another group doing the important work of drawing attention to the issue of women’s safety.

The independent body who advocate for women and girls have committed their entire Small Grants Program towards safety this year.

As each life is honoured by Jessamy and Karen, it is done in silence. Jessamy told me that they have chosen to conduct the vigils in silence as it can be a form of resistance.

‘People associate silence with powerlessness but it’s not. It’s a deliberate choice to remain silent particularly in the face of really strong emotions. It sends a really powerful message.’

The grants will go to organisations that work with women and girls in Victoria, to fund steps towards enabling women to participate fully in society and creating a safer future.

While it is a distinctly different approach to what we typically consider a “protest”, it is exactly what these actions are, whilst simultaneously affording the victim a level of respect.

Jessamy believes that if we want change, we must attack it on multiple levels concurrently.

Claire Duffy, a project officer from Victorian Women’s Trust, said, ‘it is abundantly clear that targeted investment is urgently needed towards safety in society.’

‘We can’t just expect change to come from a law that says no violence against women because that’s just not going to work,’ Jessamy reasons. ‘What will work is if we draw attention to these issues, in whatever way that may be, and give people the incentives to change.’

‘There are a million different ways women experience fear in society,’ she said.

She described the many ways women constantly have to check themselves, citing thoughts like: have I got enough clothes on? Have I spoken or laughed too loudly? Is it safe to walk home or should I catch an Uber? Should I keep someone on standby to call just in case something happens tonight?

Another issue associated with these deaths is victim blaming. With public criticism often suggesting that these women were complicit in their own deaths because “she was catching the tram late at night” or “she chose to stay with him”.

Jessamy explained that it is much easier for people to put the onus back on the woman for not having done more to protect herself, rather on the man for committing the violence.

But she also lamented that this was not exclusive to women out in public or in the workplace, but that so many women don’t feel safe in their own homes.

‘The truth is, we’ve got to change our entire cultural understanding,’ she said.

According to the AIHW, family violence is 56

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now the biggest health risk in Australia.

And that’s before smoking, alcohol and obesity.

physically safe, so knowing how to protect themselves with self-defence. Some women see it as being emotionally safe, so free from abuse. And other women see safety as being able to speak up in a boardroom or being equipped with knowledge to manage their finances.’

The reality is that the family violence sector has always been chronically underfunded and there are significant gaps emerging in Victoria. This is why organisations like VWT have had to step in.

‘Feeling unsafe is a huge mental and emotional burden for women to bear,’ Claire said. ‘And as long as women are not safe in society, they will never be equal with men.’

‘Safety is more nuanced than what most people assume,’ Claire said. ‘Women interpret the idea of safety in so many ways and this has been reflected in the applications we have received for our grants program.’

‘Some women see safety as being

Howard Kimber, founder of Fight Back Self Defence, is another person taking actionable steps to make women feel 57

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safe in our communities. He runs short self-defence courses around Victoria for women, teaching them effective and practical ways to defend themselves if ever necessary.

women’s fear. But he does believe it is a step in the right direction.

‘We must actively educate people and do things that will create change. That is what will make the difference.’

‘Flight Back is about empowerment and confidence, not fear,’ Howard said.

After the deaths of Eurydice and Aiia, enquiries about Flight Back Self Defence doubled over night. Many of the enquiries were from parents of girls from Melbourne University, who live interstate but were aware that Princes Park is just over the road.

There has also been a big rise in enquiries from employers, as people are feeling more responsible for their employees.

Particularly for women who need to travel home from work late at night.

‘Random violence is a huge motivator for women and people close to women, to worry about their safety. I suppose it’s because a lot of women can identify and be identified with the victims. In a sense, it could have been them,’ Howard said.

Through his work, Howard has observed an addressing of societies historical acceptance of violence. He sees that women want to, and are trying to, feel safe.

‘With things like #MeToo, which is a verbal movement, I think people are starting to realise that power is a lot closer than they thought it was. That you don’t need to go off and do thirty years of martial arts. You just need to do something,’ he said.

Much like Jessamy, Karen and the Victorian Women’s Trust, Howard acknowledges that his effort is not a panacea and will not eradicate male violence, inequality or

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A Melburnian’s Guide to Enjoying Your Daily Commute

By Isabella Murphy

It’s a well-known fact that Melburnians love to complain about public transport and their struggles to arrive at uni on time due to delays or just missing their ride (we’ve all been there). But given that commuting is an inevitable part of our daily lives, I’ve rounded up seven simple ways to make your commute more enjoyable, or at the very least, something you don’t dread…

your favourite subscriptions) the night before at home, and then listen carefree in the morning.

Connect With Friends Looking for company? It’s worth checking your commute route with friends to see if there’s any chance you might cross paths on your way to and from uni. If you’re in luck, why not sync your commute so you can have some lovely company and conversations whilst you travel to class…

Stay Active Although exercising in the morning sounds like most people’s worst nightmare (I’m not suggesting anything strenuous), a gentle stroll to your local station or touching off one stop earlier to walk for a few more minutes (when possible) is beneficial. This is a great way to wake up naturally, breathe in fresh air, and get fresh blood pumping through your body – which we’d all have to agree makes for a pretty good start to the day.

Liquid Gold Warm up with a cup of your favourite warm drink and bring some joy to your morning commute, whether it be coffee, chai, turmeric, matcha or a classic hot cocoa. There’s lots of trendy cafes and takeaway spots around campus, but you might even like to scout out cafes nearby your local station, so you’ll have a warm drink to enjoy during your commute.

Obviously, takeaway isn’t exactly cheap but if you have particular days when you treat yourself (Mondays and Fridays are hard), you can still keep your savings on track!

Be Inspired Now I know this one might sound like a far stretch, but believe it or not, you can actually make your everyday commute inspiring and uplifting. Podcasts, e-books, or music playlists are a great way to add some zest to an otherwise boring commute and forget that you’re standing on crowded public transport (the idea of sitting in peak hour is for optimists). Plus, since the booming popularity of podcasts, there’s something for everyone’s taste: murder mysteries, interviews with beauty gurus, lifestyle hacks, news, wellness advice, and blogging are just a few! If you’re worried about chewing up your data, you can download the episodes (or simply turn on automatic downloads for

Organise Your Life If you’re already feeling stressed about the day ahead, you might like to take a few moments to do a “brain dump” of everything you need to achieve in your day. You can use a paper diary, but if you only have your phone on hand (because let’s face it, when do our phones leave our hand?), there are a number of free to-do list apps such Wunderlist, Todoist, and TickTick which will help you plan your day and keep you organised.

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Return Messages & Emails Do you ever see your Messenger group chat exploding with 17935 messages right before you’re about to go to sleep or *finally* start that major uni assignment?

Well, if you’re like me and leave these messages to answer the next day, it can sometimes feel like you just don’t have time or feel guilty for leaving friends on read for more than 24 hours. This is why I like to reserve the first 5-10 minutes of my commute to responding to messages from friends and any emails about uni or work. This means I arrive at uni feeling organised with my social life and with a clear mind for the day ahead.

Squeeze in Some Study Time I personally think it’s a bit of a nightmare to pull out handwritten notes or my laptop during my commute; the potential of the train/bus/tram suddenly stopping or judgmental stares are something I’d rather avoid at 7:30am thanks… BUT if you have an upcoming quiz or exam, you might like to make some digital cue cards you can flip through or even a mind map. Even if it’s just for part of your commute, a little goes a long way, and you’ll be surprised how quickly you remember key terms.

Some interactive and easy to use study card apps include StudyBlue, DuoLingo, Evernote, and SimpleMind.

Get Your Social Media Fix Lastly, as much as I could recommend staying off social media during your commute (hello FOMO), you might like to try using the Pocket app. This handy little app allows you to save content to view later (whether it’s interesting articles, videos, blog posts, etc), so you won’t just be scrolling endlessly through social media. The added bonus is it’s free and you can view everything you’ve saved at any time on any device and even whilst you’re offline. It’s a double tap in my eyes.

One book that had an incredible impact

By Maulik H Desai

Reading books was never my thing.

I used to always make excuses to opt out of reading books and used to ignore it completely in my early childhood. My grandma was an avid reader of mythological books. She used to always tell me the importance of reading and how it could change my life. She started reading books to me and I was fascinated by the stories. This developed my interest in reading books, across all genres.

I started reading two books a year at the age of thirteen. Gradually, it became twenty and finally, I read one new book per week.

One book that had an impeccable impact on my life is "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert T. Kiyosaki.

Here is a list of eight important things that I learnt from the book: 1. Always develop your financial IQ The book explains this in a very vibrant way. Rich people get rich because of their financial IQ; they see opportunity in things that common people most certainly miss.

It is important to understand that life throws opportunities every day but common minds (non-financial IQ) miss it, and people with financial IQ grab it with both hands. Working hard and being rich is an option but it is time-consuming, and results might not be in your favour. You might still end up being worse off after all your hard work.

2. Learn accounting and start maintaining a balance sheet This took me a while to understand but I started maintaining a balance sheet.

Initially, for two or three months, I made a hell lot of mistakes but later on, I figured it out. Now, I have started spending less on greed and more on need.

I am procrastinating about this purchase because at this point my asset column has around $500. If I spend everything on the iPad, I don't have money to survive a rainy day. I can go another semester without an iPad and then my asset column will have money to accommodate both an iPad and a rainy day.

Example: A few of my friends bought iPhones and iPads on a contract with telco networks but they missed an important point. They are adding another item in their liability and not in the asset column.

This liability will be there for 12/24/36 months. When I calculated the entire amount, my friends are paying around 30% more than the actual cost of the device because of the contract scheme. If they bought the iPad/iPhone off the shelf and paid full price and they would be opting for BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) scheme, they will be opting for a better deal.

So, don't go for impulse purchases instead, work to improve your asset column.

3. How the book helped me to come out of this rat race Say I want to buy an iPad for making better lecture notes. I started my research and found out that the cheapest one that can cater to all my needs will cost me around $490 plus $100+ for the pencil. This was expensive and will add to my liability column. I searched for a refurbished Apple iPad and found it will cost me around $350, and I can buy an Apple pencil for around $80 on Facebook Marketplace.

The refurbished iPad also comes with a one-year warranty from Apple. So, even before the purchase, I am saving around $160, and will have a minimum hit on my liability column.

5. Understand the law and save tax The book provides an example where poor people think rich people should be paying more taxes, and that life is unfair towards the poor. The book has a very good counterargument: rich people always find a loophole in the law to save taxes. They hire lawyers to do this for them, increasing the taxation on them which will indirectly impact the poor. Instead of complaining about the situation, start understanding the law and find out how you can save on taxation.

4. The more you earn, the more tax you pay.

People have the wrong perception in mind that more money will solve their problems. Simple answer: more money won't solve your problems. Instead, you will be paying more in taxes. It brings in a few extra bucks but again, if you don't have a habit of maintaining a balance sheet, you will start spending on greed and ultimately will be back to where you started.

6. Start investing and not saving Hard-working middleclass have it in mind that if they save enough they will be rich someday. You will be part of the rat race if

you go for this option. Saving is good but it won't make you rich. Most people rely on saving money and getting a good ROI (return on investment) from the bank, but the problem with this is that you will be taxed, even on your profit. So, the profit you get over a long period of time will be in pennies.

Investment can be in real estate, the stock market, a valuable painting etc.

Your investment should be in different domains because at the time of recession, you can even out your losses. Investment should also be in something that you are passionate about and have some degree of expertise in.

I have started investing with the help of an app called Raiz in Australia. It is still in its infancy in this country but instead of saving and keeping money in the bank, I have started investing in the stock market.

“If you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.”

- Warren Buffett I completely believe in this quote.

7. Never have a single source of income Most people die financially dependent because they have a single source of income. You can be working in an office from 9-5 with no issue but what if you are kicked out someday? You may be in panic mode to put food on the table and maintain a luxurious lifestyle. Instead, you can find a secondary source of income— it can be anything you like. Once, you have a secondary source of income, you will have some brownie points in the asset column

and would be a step closer to financial independence.

8. Surround yourself with intelligent people and hire intelligent people Most people become successful and financially independent because they surround themselves with people who are ambitious or who are motivated to achieve their goals.

Always hire and surround yourself with people who are better than you, and this will allow both you and your company to grow. Last but not least, don't hire intelligent people to tell them what to do.

You hire intelligent people so that they can tell you what to do.

I make it a point to meet a new Chief Information Officer (CIO), product owner or some other person of influence at least once a month. This keeps me motivated and helps me analyse the steps that are required to be successful in life.

I hope this article helps you to make better financial decisions in life and helps you become financially independent. As a student, we never know what is the right thing to do with our hard-earned money and hopefully this article will help you understand the importance of investment and financial independence.

I hope this article has been helpful and potentially has a positive impact on you and could make your future a little bit brighter and more prosperous.

Advice From Alumni: Dustin Barter

By Sophie Evans

ISSUE 1

Which course/s did you study at Swinburne?

I studied a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from 2005 to 2009 at Swinburne, with majors in Philosophy & Cultural Inquiry and Media Studies, and a minor in Politics.

for debt relief for Somalia. I’ll soon be meeting EU actors to advocate for them to better respond to the immense humanitarian drought crisis in the Horn of Africa. Since graduating in late 2009, I moved to Cambodia in early 2010, and have subsequently worked in Laos, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Myanmar, Bangladesh and now Somalia. More importantly, I get to meet such a diversity of wonderful people!

What are you doing now?

I am currently working with Oxfam as the Senior Campaigns and Policy Manager, based in Somalia. It’s an extremely challenging context with immense humanitarian need from intense drought and armed conflict, with 5.4 million people needing humanitarian assistance and 2.6 million people displaced within the country. My role involves working on a broad spectrum of issues, such as humanitarian response, women’s rights, youth empowerment, localisation of aid, national debt cancellation and many other areas. This means issuing statements, supporting research endeavours, engaging authorities, lobbying the international community and much more.

I’m fortunate to work with many brilliant people, including many activists that are challenging the status quo and standing up for some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

Any tips for earning scholarships or internships?

For scholarships, it’s critical to do your research – decide what you want to study and look for potential funding opportunities.

Depending on the scholarship, it’s also really important you have a strong story of why you want to do the study and how it will contribute towards the interests of the scholarship provider. Persistence is also useful. I got an interview for the first round of the John Monash scholarship, but didn’t go further.

They were fantastic in providing feedback that really assisted my application the year after (2018), which was successful.

It’s also really important to build up a foundation of achievements, so that you have something to demonstrate your commitment.

Where has your job taken you?

My current job is focused on Somalia but includes travel to Ethiopia and Kenya. For example, we did a lot of lobbying at the African Union in February to get support

For internships, there are many great opportunities, but it can just be a matter of asking around or taking the initiative to

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approach different institutions. If you’re enthusiastic and interested in something, then institutions are more open to internships. It’s also good to understand that it can be seen as a burden for an institution, so you need to demonstrate how your internship isn’t just about them giving you an opportunity, but how you can also provide some tangible benefit in return, such as preparing communications material or doing research. My engagement with Oxfam actually started during the third year of my Bachelor in a media project subject, where there was the potential to do an internship.

Professionally, building up different experience while studying is really useful and internships or volunteering are really good avenues.

What is the worst part of what you do?

The worst part is seeing large-scale apathy, indifference and even malice towards human suffering, particularly from wealthy countries. I get to intimately understand many of the causes for people being displaced or facing various injustices, and how people just want to live in peace with access to opportunities.

It then breaks my heart when countries such as Australia treat asylum seekers the way we do, amongst various other injustices perpetuated by those in power.

Such indifference and inward-looking attitudes are extremely disheartening, but least I get to meet the amazing people challenging such systems of oppression.

Let’s hope the oppressors are on the way out, but at least the recent election in Australia wasn’t promising.

What is the best part of what you do?

I get to meet dedicated, inspiring people doing brilliant things all the time, from people that have been displaced doing amazing initiatives to activists that put their neck on the line for really critical human rights issues, to people that just work with tireless energy. My work is diverse, challenging and interesting, but it’s these people I meet along the way and get to work with that are really the best part.

What is the most challenging aspect?

The most challenging part of my work is finding that balance between speaking out on issues and it actually being useful, and working more discreetly in ways that aren’t as visible, but can be necessary. A key example is the increasing hostility towards international actors (perceived to be) intervening in other nation’s affairs, yet when there are clear instances of injustice

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there is an obligation to do something.

However, international voices aren’t always going to improve the situation, so where do you find that balance and also not be complicit or a bystander to atrocities? Unfortunately, people tend to also use this as an example for standing by rather than thinking of alternative ways of influencing.

supported my writing and advocacy skills. Politics has been essential for understanding various political dimensions and ideologies. Overall, the Swinburne education was about learning how to critically analyse, think and take appropriate action, which I use every day in and out of work. I’m still in love with and use Gramsci’s ideas all the time!

Career highlight?

Working with local civil society in different countries. They do the most impressive work for the least (financial) reward.

Whether it’s people working on LGBTQI rights in hyper-masculine contexts or others risking losing their lives to support some of the world’s most vulnerable people, the people behind civil society are just exceptional!

Any advice for Swinburne students?

Study what you want to study because if you enjoy it, you’ll do better and it opens up interesting opportunities, and the most of various opportunities (such as volunteering) or just create your own. It’s interesting and meeting different people can give you a better sense of what you might want to do after study.

Is there an aspect of your Swinburne education that has stuck with you and you use day-to-day?

Perhaps a bit cliché, but it’s all stuck with me a lot. At an overarching level, the philosophy I studied at Swinburne has really guided a lot of my thinking and approaches to engaging with different power and cultural dynamics, which is absolutely fundamental. Media studies

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