Edition 10 | 2015

The Voice EDITION ten

Hello Spring!

FANS ARE ON, ICE-BLOCKS ARE IN THE FREEZER SUMMER IS COMING...

Day light savings has started, bringing us closer to warm summer nights. After a few shifty weeks of rain and wind we’re finally hitting November where things really start to warm up - both weather wise and in college.

This term is sure to be a hit with heaps of up-coming events to end the year on a bang! Do not fear however, even though Conception Day has been taken over by “FAME’ (which is actually a struggle to figure out what it stands for) there may be a few events you can attend to keep your spirits high. A favourite of course - harbour cruise this week.

As exams are coming closer we advise some serious pre-prep to ensure your last semester of 2015 creates some fond memories to end the year. Enjoy the last term with the class of 2015.

Jack + Ivana

THEVOICE 1

Spring Festival

Spring Festival Spring has sprung and so has Spring Festival. A time to enjoy a chilled Friday afternoon with friends, Spring Festival is one of the more relaxed events on the Menzies calendar. With the chemical smell of tie dye wafting through the air, the 2015 Spring Festival, held on the 2nd of October, saw paper cranes and lanterns hanging from the trees and picnic blankets scattered across the courtyard. Homemade chocolate crackles and honey joys disappeared in a blur of hands, whilst soft drink overflowed from cups as people enjoyed spiders. For the more arty amongst us, henna, colouring in and bracelet making was also available for entertainment.

Iron Person The annual Iron Person contest was held after Spring Festival, and saw men and women competing to be named Menzies strongest person. Pushups and planking awaited the contestants on the astroturf, before the finalists moved out to the carpark to push Kate’s car.

In the end, it was Lara Abu-Zarour who won for the women and Jim Johnston who won for the men, showing us that they are the best Menzies has to offer.

THEVOICE 3

E M A L FAME FESTIVAL You probably should have considered it was a little too close to the word ‘lame’...

THEVOICE 4

Most of us have probably seen the rant that Ex-RMC resident Nick McShane posted on Macquarie Uni’s Facebook Page. Clocking up thousands of likes in just 24 hours, it perfectly summed up what many of us were feeling - that the brand new ‘FAME’ festival was nowhere near a successful replacement for Conception Day. From the start of the festival snapchats were flying everywhere, showing awkward events devoid of people.

For us College kids in particular, Conception Day represents not only tradition, but more importantly, community. On what other day are we happy to be woken up by music blasting in the courtyard? What other day sees us congregate in the forest to dance and play beer pong? What other day sees us wear matching teeshirts? (O’Week is a week and not a day, so the question still stands). Quite frankly, the actual music festival wasn’t even the point - it was that, as RMC, we bonded together in a way like no other.

October 14th - 15th brought us Macquarie’s new FAME Festival. Why they chose this name is a mystery, with people almost instantly renaming it the LAME Festival. And they weren’t far off. There was the silent disco, which had 6 people using the musical headphones. There was the second hand clothing stalls, which had old jeans for $150. There was the selfie booth, which took grainy, unflattering photos. But best of all, there was the constant barrage of student bands echoing out of the Central Courtyard. One thing FAME Festival proved - only a few at Macquarie have talent. Although those who do, are really talented (shout out to the girl singing at lunch time on the Wednesday).

On a more positive note, there was a few attractions that were good. Well only 5 really. And they were all obstacle courses, water slides and air jumps. These failed in there own way, with mainly Menzies students utilising the water slide. So money well spent Macquarie.

It is unlikely that Conception Day will be back at Macquarie during our time as students. This is a sadness we will just have to bear.

THEVOICE 5

Josh Pyke

Chris Lilley

This one time I met... (famous people we’ve met)

Neel Kolhatkar

Michelle Bridges

Ernie Dingo

Gigi Hadid

To Infinity … and E7B On Thursday, October 1st, a group of Menzies students took a trip to the Milky Way and beyond. Well sought of. Led by Peta Hathaway, we made our way to E7B (the Mason Theatre), at which point we had the opportunity to enter the Macquarie University Planetarium. The Planetarium makes use of the Digitarium Epsilon projector system, being able to project images onto the inside of a 7metre GoDome, which is inflated with air.

Whilst inside, we were privileged to see some amazing sights, such as what stars we could see during the day if the Sun wasn’t there. Supernovas, nebulas, white dwarfs, red giants. The world, and all of space, was our oyster. Until someone let of a fart, that is.

A big thanks to Peta Hathaway for organising the event.

The Super Blood Moon

On September 28th 2015, a rare lunar eclipse event took place, referred to as a “Super Blood Moon”. At the time of the eclipse, the moon was only an hour past its closest approach to Earth, meaning that it appeared larger than normal. This is where the phrase ‘Super’ comes from. The ‘Blood’ part of the title comes from the colour the moon turns as a result of ‘Rayleigh scattering’, in which sunlight is scattered through Earths atmosphere. This is the same phenomena that causes sunsets to appear orange. The lunar eclipse was also the fourth in just under two years (starting with a lunar eclipse in April, 2014). The eclipse was a part of a prophecy, “The Blood Moon Prophecy”, which apparently signalled the end of time. The signs of the prophecy were 4 consecutive lunar eclipses, occurring on Jewish holidays, with 6 full moons in between and no partial lunar eclipses. Thankfully, the signs didn’t signal the end.

THEVOICE 7

Handover Day Handover Day is the day when members of the incumbent Student Executive gather with the members of the following years Executive. The day is designed to give the future Executive the skills and knowledge they will need for when they take over. The day starts with a few words from the Master, although this year Tim Mildenhall kindly stepped in to take Bruce’s place. The two Executives then work together to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (aka a SWOT analysis). Following this, the teams split up so that the new Executive member has one on one time with their predecessor, who will give them the information they will need for their specific role. This is accompanied by some words of wisdom on what worked well and what didn’t. Finally, everyone treks up to the Ranch (ok drives), to sit down to a meal together. Thankfully this years handover day was not held the morning after harbour cruise, as it was last year.

Inter Varsity Free Indian food, water fights… and rugby. Not exactly three things you would expect to find together.

But on Saturday the 10th of October the three came together at the Macquarie Sports Fields. We also saw the one time a year that RMC, DLC and MUV combine forces against a greater enemy - UNSW. With strong support from the sidelines, the RMCDLCMUV team put a valiant effort for a patchwork team, and were only just pipped to the post by two points late in the game.

Players representing Menzies were; Leon Dhemba, Jim Johnston, James Ridge and David Cant, who all played a good game.

Off the field, an even greater war was being fought.

Jasmin and Jack reignited the post Ball water fight that engulfed the Top B bathroom. Maddie joined in on the fun and took aim for Ivana. Taylor, Kate and Avanti all got some water action as well. Perhaps the greatest surprise of all was the free Indian food that was given to us, it certainly added some spice to the day.

THEVOICE 8

The Fable of Sable One dark and stormy night, Sable the cat sought shelter in B Block. Making her way to Middle B, Sable saw that Avanti’s door was open. Thinking that the room would provide warmth and safety for the night, Sable made her way inside.

Avanti was studying with her friends, Jack and Jasmin. After taking a cursory glance of the room, Sable realised she had made a mistake, Avanti’s room would not be suitable for the night. Making her way to the window, Sable began to claw the mesh netting to try and go back outside. Believing he was doing the right thing, Jack opened the window and let Sable out onto the roof.

“What on earth are you doing?” Avanti’s shrill voice rang out.

“What? Sable wanted out.” Jack responded.

“She can’t make that jump.” Jasmin chimed in.

A fierce argument erupted between the three, as they tried to get Sable to re-enter the window. Jack grabbed a bag of Honey Soy Chicken flavoured chips, trying to lure Sable back inside.

“What’s going on here?” Kurt had been drawn from Top B by the frantic screaming of the three in Avanti’s room.

“We can’t get that stupid cat back inside.” Avanti by now had worked herself into a state.

Within two seconds, Kurt had removed the mesh screen and was climbing out onto the roof. He grabbed Sable and pushed her back inside, the cat racing to the other corridor of Middle B. The humans shared a collective sigh of relief. Sable, for now, was safe.

SEP 12 - OCT 26 Darcy Albert: ‘I could pull off Converse pants’ Charlotte Harrison: ‘This is my orange. It's also a bong’ Jack and Darcy: ‘What?’

Avanti Joshi: ‘This is embarrassing, Jim is smarter than us’ Immy Southwell: ‘Ooo it's going to be really hot on the weekend and I don't have my summer wardrobe ready!’

Maddie Martin: ‘Or your summer body’

Whilst talking about Halloween Harbour cruise.

Kimberly Rose: ‘Is there a theme?’

Ryan, Hannah, Izzy and Jack: *in unison* ‘Halloween’ Hannah Murray: ‘Dimogen’

Immy Southwell: ‘You don't do hickeys Jack, you experience them’

Jasmin Harvey (whilst threatening the innocent Jack): ‘Do you want to be bald of hair?

Cos I'll do it’ Maddie Martin: ‘Taylor is so lame nowdays’ THEVOICE 12

Maddie Martin: I think I can fit this in my mouth ... whoops I nearly dislocated my jaw’

On being late to 'Ugly Sweater Party" Patrick Newall: ‘We're going to be fashionably late’

Scott Carter: ‘We're going to be fashionably not let in...’

Andrew Cottee: ‘I don't smell nice...I need girls to be deceived’ Laura Coleman: ‘I'll lick anything’

Jasmin Harvey: ‘Jack’s brother just has a placenta’ Kate Roughsedge: ‘.. the Chinese gymnastics team!’

Evie Menhnick: ‘I love Chinese’

Kate, Laura, Jasmine and Ivana: ‘Oh we know’ Avanti Joshi: ‘What do you call a line of clothes?’

Ryan Stoltz: ‘A clothes line’