MAGAZINE Issue 20.01- Feb 2012 | www.unilifemagazine.com.au
WELCOME TO 2012 FROM UNILIFE MAGAZINE
S
ay hello to your new team: Cat, Tom, Sam and Sean. This year UniLife Magazine is celebrating its 20th birthday so get set for a massive year! If you see us at your campus or event during the year, please do say hi, especially if we’re wearing a yellow t-shirt (for reasons that need no explanation). Introductions aside, what we would really like to say to you is…this is YOUR magazine! A nice, crispy, clean edition that we want you to rip, doodle, destroy, flame, yell at and so forth. Sure, we like seeing people flick through it at Aroma, but if you pick it up and take it home with you that’d make us even happier. But hey, if you don’t like what you’re reading, tell us and we’ll change it. Reckon you can write better stories? Then prove it by sending them to unilifemagazine@unisa.edu.au. And at the risk of sounding like a needy charity, we really do need your support. This magazine was very close to being reduced to two issues a year, though thankfully (thanks to extensive negotiations) we’ve locked in six issues for 2012. Do the right thing and support the student voice by picking up this magazine.
A link to our online magazine unilifemagazine.com.au can be found on almost every page. Check it out and have your say, browse through current and previous years’ articles and access our regularly updated web exclusives.
Tom: Chief of Staff (Left), Catherine: Head Editor (Middle), Sean: Graphic Designer (Right), Sam: Web Editor (Forefront)
mini games. Illustrators, photographers and Creative Writers, your work. We’re keen to expand our website, so help contribute and we’ll do the rest! Last thing – follow us on Facebook (Hint: search ‘UniLife Magazine’) or Twitter @unilfemagazine. You can even text us on 0427 842 479 for something different. That’s all from your team right now. So enjoy what’s on offer and remember to PICK THIS UP! Cheers,
Drama and music students, we want your VLogs and demos; Game Designers, your
Cat, Tom, Sam and Sean
CONTENTS ISSUE 20.01
President’s Welcome 02 U-Week: Dance your Way into 2012!
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Tuning In, Taking Action 05 Chlamydia likes Everybody
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Student Advocacy 09 Indie Games 10 Reading Room 12 February - March Dates
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The Grand Academy of Lagado
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The World’s Biggest Pub Crawl
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Adelaide International 2012
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The Ten Commandments 24 Calling All Wannabe Comedians!
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The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo 29 Creative Writing 30 Graduate Profile 31 UniLife Clubs 32
Cover art by Bridget Anderson Visit www.unilifemagazine.com.au Follow us on Facebook or Twitter @unilifemagazine UniLife Magazine is an affiliate of UniLife Inc. Published 13/02/2012
UNILIFE
WRITER: MELISSA DAVIES
PRESIDENT’S WELCOME
To the oldies and the newbies, Prepare yourselves. 2012 is going to be EPIC! In fact, I am prepared to say it will be the best year yet! (Big call, I know) First of all, stop what you’re doing, head to your UniLife counter and grab our limited edition FREE wall planners. This year, I challenge each and every one of you to become more involved with your university. Let’s bring back campus culture and create a vibrant UniSA student experience. There is heaps of UniLife stuff you can get involved in: 1. Join a sporting, social or academic club This is a great way to keep active and meet new people. You can view a list of all our clubs at www.unilife.edu.au or on pg 32. 2. Hang out at THE ACADEMY (our student bar) Yes, that’s right...we finally have a bar on campus! It is located at City West but will be home to students from each campus. I encourage you to check it out and let me know what you think. There is cheap beer and cider on tap, as well as wine, spirits and soft drinks to choose from. You won’t believe how cheap the drinks are! 3. Come watch a Fringe show at The Academy There will be a Fringe show performed at The Academy every night for the first three weeks of study period 2. Check out our website for all the details.
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4. Attend the WORLD’S BIGGEST PUB CRAWL This is listed as a Fringe event. It will run from 24 Feb - 18 Mar with drink specials at venues across Adelaide. 5. Join us on Facebook Let us know what you think about UniLife and please pass on any ideas you may have to make your student association even better. If you want to find out more information on any of the things listed above then simply visit our website at www.unilife.edu.au, talk to the staff at your nearest UniLife Counter or speak to your campus representatives (their details can be found on our website). I look forward to seeing you at The Academy. Stay cool. Stay smart. Stay yellow. xx Melissa
UNILIFE
WRITER: NADIA BOSCAINI
DANCE YOUR WAY INTO 2012!
Who says university is all study, study, study? U-Week is seven whole days dedicated to free food, drinks and activities, and is a perfect way to start the new uni year. Not just for new students, U-Week keeps continuing students informed about UniSA’s diverse range of activities offered. U-Week team members Clair Alford and Felicity Dennis believe the week’s activities keep students involved in university life. “U-Week gives students a sneak peek into the fun and festive side of uni life. It’s an orientation week to help familiarise students with clubs and other services.” The first semester’s theme is ‘Happiness is Dance Shaped’ in honour of the many social and sporting clubs at UniSA. Clair and Felicity hope this year’s theme gives clubs a chance to show students that university has a buzzing social scene.
Students can enjoy demonstrations throughout the week from UniSA cheerleaders, Dance SA, and other sporting and social clubs. But U-Week isn’t all dancing and free snags; it also provides information on student accommodation, printing and all those other niggling questions you may have. U-Week starts 10am on Tuesday 28 February at Mawson Lakes Campus and will visit other UniSA campuses during the week. Dates are as follows: Tuesday 28 February – Mawson Lakes Wednesday 29 February – Magill Thursday 1 March – City East Friday 2 March – City West
Excited about U-Week? Tell us! Visit unilifemagazine.com.au/home/u-week-dance-yourway-into-2012 to have your say
“UniSA has some great cultural and dance clubs who in past years have not been showcased, and this study period we are giving them the opportunity to make themselves known to students.” “We understand that studying at university can be stressful and by getting involved with clubs, students find a way to de-stress and relax.”
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FEATURE
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FEATURE
TUNING IN TAKING ACTION
WRITER: BRODIE PAPARELLA ARTIST: LISA DAVIDSON / NICKY IRVINE
Well if you haven’t been privy to the loud voices and pumping fists of the gay, lesbian, transgender and multi-sexual Australian population before, 2011 was the year we all tuned in. Close to home, marriage equality has been the hot-button topic with rallies, government dinners and one nail-biting conscience vote. On December 3 last year, the ALP took same-sex marriage rights into their platform, promising to have it on the political agenda in 2012. Overseas, Hillary Clinton made a speech about gay and lesbian people being the last group to receive their basic human rights, while Nigeria passed laws making homosexuality and support for homosexuals punishable by 14 years in prison. We talk so much about equality yet many people just think about the squealing dads on Modern Family. But pushing equality for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) means people have a far bigger impact than they might think. LGBT equality demonstrators are looking for a basic right even other marginalised groups take for granted: recognition. LGBT people have only been specifically mentioned in any legislation over the last five years but there are still countries where homosexuality is a crime. There is no other group that can be imprisoned based on an orientation they can’t control. People might see marriage equality as a frivolous right to fight for, but at the heart
of each rally and pro-vote is an understanding gay people deserve to be recognised for their basic humanity (in the same way women once demanded). We can take two things from this comparison. First, the recognition debate is completely changing the way people think about diversity as a wider global issue. LGBT people are actually pioneering a lot more than they realise; by demanding equality for their own group, they encourage many other groups to stand up as well. It is no coincidence we have seen resurgence in discussion about Muslim women’s human rights, and a growing need to better help troubled children. It has become part of developed society’s moral code to be more accepting of diversity as opposed to difference; a distinction made more prevalent by antihomophobia movements in schools. As the acceptance of diversity becomes more prominent, society is better prepared to handle discrimination and marginalisation. Newer generations are shaping society around values of acceptance, community and social change, as opposed to elitism, bureaucracy and social control.
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FEATURE Does this mean that we Generation X and Y cohorts should just leave the young ones to it? What role do we play? To begin with, we live in a lucky country – a developed nation who is much further along in the fight for recognition and acceptance of LGBT members of society. Various not-for-profit organisations are working hard to bring the rest of the world up to speed and to secure the safety of LGBT people worldwide, particularly African and Middle Eastern nations. By supporting these organisations, we can help progress LGBT acceptance and become a globally holistic movement. Closer to home, we can show stronger support for LGBT people. According to a national report on sexuality, 8 to 11 per cent of young people are attracted to the same sex . The likelihood is if you, the reader, aren’t same-sex attracted then you are almost certain to know someone who needs your support, your recognition and your understanding. You can make a difference to how someone feels about themselves, their lives or their family by thinking twice about offensive terms or jokes you may make. When we are born we are given a name, a sex and even a prescribed set of colours that entangle us in a matrix of semantics and cultural codes. The time has come where individual value is being acknowledged and we can break free of these codes, which for some are strangleholds. The liberation of LGBT people is the first step in a true coming together, where we can take on global issues like poverty and global warming as one concerted human race.
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FEATURE
WRITER: CATHERINE MOORE
CHLAMYDIA LIKES EVERYBODY
Chlamydia: the often silent sexually transmitted infection that affects many Australians, especially people aged 16-24 years. In 2010, approximately 4500 people were diagnosed with chlamydia in South Australia alone, many of those university students. “It doesn’t matter what gender, type of sex or sexual partner you’re into; chlamydia likes everybody,” said Natalya Giffney, a Regional Schools Coordinator for Sexual Health information networking and education (SHine SA). SHine SA is promoting the prevention, testing and treatment of chlamydia for Sexual Health Awareness Week in February and throughout 2012. “It’s a bacterial infection that is transmitted from person to person through sexual body fluids,” Ms Giffney said. “It can be quite serious, but very easy to treat.” Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics, but Ms Giffney said the biggest issue is testing and treating the infection before it progresses. Left undiagnosed, chlamydia may lead to infertility in men and women.
“Even though the number of tests performed each year in the state has doubled between 2000 and 2010 to 67,000, the number of positive cases has quadrupled, so there’s definitely an increase in the community,” Ms Giffney said. “There are a range of reasons as to why it’s increasing, but there are often no symptoms in men or women and so they may be passing it on without realising.” SHine SA encourages students to use condoms and have STI tests every time they start a new relationship or have unprotected sex. UniSA lecturer and SHine SA’s Workforce Development and Resources manager Dr Helen Calabretto said students shouldn’t dismiss the tests. “It’s just another health check that people need to have,” Ms Calabretto said. SHine SA recommends testing should be done every 6-12 months, which only involves a urine test for men and a quick self-swab test for women.
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FEATURE
Clinic 275 opposite the Royal Adelaide hospital is an ideal place to have an STI check. “I like it because it’s free, it’s confidential and you don’t need a Medicare card, you don’t need an appointment and they’re the experts in STIs,” Ms Giffney said. “It’s the sort of thing where you go, ‘Oh I have half an hour before my bus arrives and I haven’t had my STI check, I’ll just hop in there’.” You can also go to a SHine SA clinic or your local GP clinic for a test. If you are diagnosed with chlamydia or any
other STI, it can sometimes be difficult to notify your previous partners. The Melbourne Sexual Health Centre has created a website called letthemknow.org. au to help facilitate the process. Just type in your sexual partner’s name or phone number and they’ll get a text or email message, telling them they may have come in contact with chlamydia and it would be a good idea to go and have a test. You need to let people know or it will just keep spreading. If you would like more information on sexually transmitted infections, contraception or pregnancy, visit www.shinesa.gov.org.au.
UNILIFE
WRITER: CATHERINE MOORE ARTIST: BRIDGET ANDERSON
STUDENT ADVOCACY
If you have ever logged onto your UniSA portal to find that you have an unsatisfactory grade, you’re up for preclusion from your degree or you’ve been caught plagiarising, UniLife student advocates Marieke de Graaf and Luis Gardeazabal are here to help. “Basically as student advocates, we try and help students to understand the Assessment Policy Procedural Manual and we try to help them out in whatever conflict they’ve got,” Ms de Graff said. “We try to mediate and help give them a voice. “A lot of students, especially international students, struggle communicating their needs and can often be scared,” she said. Student advocates have students’ best interests at heart and they offer friendly, free advice on academic issues and how to deal with them. “We’re confidential. We’re always on the student’s side, not on the University’s,” Ms de Graff said. “We usually invite them (the student) over for a meeting, have a chat about what’s going on and find out what their options are.” From there, student advocates will accompany a student to any meeting they have with an academic or university committee. Ms de Graff said it’s better to contact UniLife student advocates sooner rather than later.
“If you feel like you’re going to get in trouble for whatever reason, I think it’s always better to come and see us before anything goes wrong,” she said. So if you’re in academic trouble do not hesitate to book an appointment with a UniLife student advocate at any UniLife office, or you can send an email to unilife.advocate@unisa.edu.au.
If you have any questions or queries, visit unilifemagazine.com.au/unilife-news/studentadvocacy
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FEATURE
ADELINDIE: INDIE GAMES AND ADELAIDE
WRITER: CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON
Ten years ago if you asked any avid video gamer what their favourite independent game was they probably wouldn’t be able to tell you. However, with the internet enabling small teams and individuals to publish their games online, this question today would get many different responses. Much of the discussion is not only from large developers, but also from small communities that exist beyond the popular games you see in stores. Play testers, students, critics, journalists and aspiring game developers are banding together to help indie games thrive, pushing them to success and possibly even fame. This community has been building in Adelaide over recent years and consists mostly of students, small independent companies, groups and individuals.
A still from action puzzle game Critical Mass
Last year a small group created ARGGGH (Adelaide’s Really Good Gathering of Game Developers), a platform for avid game developers to network, socialise, showcase their games and kick back with a few beers in The Goody Pub at Goodwood. The pub is a meeting place for local developers to network, share resources, celebrate victories and introduce new people into the community. Another relatively unknown event is the Indie Games Room (IGR) held in July as part of AVCon, Australia’s largest anime and video game convention.
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Developers and gamers at the Indie Games Room 2011
IGR allows local developers from around Australia to showcase their games to thousands of anime and video game fans. Developers bring their machines, decorate their booths and even dress up as characters from their games. Last year 30 games were on show, most developed in Adelaide by independent teams. Student groups have also been popping up at several of the local universities. UniSA has the South Australian Game Makers Association (SAGMA), a club for members who want to learn about game development. SAGMA is also working on several largescale games and plans to form development companies in the future. Similarly, the University of Adelaide has a club called Jamalaide, which regularly holds events known as game jams. Students are challenged to make small theme-specific games in 48 hours. Game jams are open to all students and at the end of each session everyone plays each
other’s creations and offers advice. It’s an intense, fun experience and a novel way for game developers to improve their skills. So why am I telling you all of this? The indie game community will always depend on the people involved. If you have an interest in developing games, especially independently, then check out the groups and events mentioned. It’s an open community and it’s a great experience, so give it a go. If you would like to play some locally developed games, look for Gem Thief, Pilot Winds and Gelati Safari on the App Store, or Critical Mass released on Steam. To join SAGMA, visit www.unilife.edu.au/Clubs or Jamalaide www.jamalaide.org.au.
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FEATURE
THE
READING ROOM
WRITER: NICOLA HAYWOOD PHOTGRAPHY: AMY HERRMANN
You’re adrift in the city, jaded and blue A little bit lost, crying out for something new With very little cash, you’re down on your luck You’ve nowhere to go and are feeling sort of stuck. But hark the herald angels sing! – there is a haven near Yes! Go west, my friend, tread West without any fear For there down on Hindley is a place you can bloom Yes, just there down on Hindley, you’ll find the Reading Room.
So, what exactly is the Reading Room? The Reading Room, for those out there yet to be enlightened, is the brainchild of Becci Love who, like the phoenix rising from the ashes, saw the need for an intimate cultural hub amongst the casual sleaze and seediness of Hindley Street. Becci shared her vision with Renew Adelaide, which rejuvenates unused spaces across the CBD, and so began the Reading Room. This unique space is a library, gallery, cinema and music venue, all rolled into one cosy spot where friends can gather to soak up some of Adelaide’s best innovative artistic talents. It’s impossible to leave here without becoming creatively enriched. It has even become a weekly after-work dance club – the perfect place to dance away your worka-day blues! The Festival of Unpopular Culture, which inhabited many Adelaide creative spaces
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during October, gave the Reading Room a chance to host discussion nights debating philosophy, literature, poetry and music. Adelaide’s Choral Grief, made up of members from some of our city’s most talented bands, have performed there, much to the delight of an enthusiastic crowd. Thanks to Becci and her small, dedicated band of volunteers (especially Art Coordinator extraordinaire Kat Coppock), the Room hosts monthly art exhibitions. There is always new and inspiring art on the walls waiting to be devoured. A recent collaboration between Daria HealyKoljanin and Shaylee Leach produced the visually provocative exhibition Pretty/Ugly, leading the viewer through the darker side of innocence. It examines feminism, teenage sexuality and the duality of roles our fastpaced, ever-changing society places upon us.
FEATURE
This February as part of the Fringe season, Kat has teamed up with fellow artist Tiffany Hampton to present Hard Lines; a thrilling exploration of human nature’s murky depths, confronting us head on with the often ruinous consequences of our insatiable appetites for destruction. This is a PG event – the Reading Room offers many child-friendly activities encouraging kids to pursue arts in a creative environment. The Reading Room is open every Tuesday through to Saturday from 2-7pm for regular use, and will open later for launch nights and other events over the coming year.
It is just one of many innovative and exciting places popping up across Adelaide, designed to entice folk into discovering (and rediscovering) the delights of our fair city. So my fellow seekers of fantasticchillabulous-sometimesconfrontational-but-foreverinspirational creative pursuits – get around it!
Have you been to the Reading Room? Tell us at unilifemagazine.com.au/feature/thereading-room
CALENDAR
FEBRUARY / MARCH 2012 M. 13 (March)
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01 (March)
U-Week (Mawson Lakes) 10am-2pm
U-Week (Magill) 10am-2pm
U-Week (City 10am-2pm
seven
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Welcome Week starts
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Orientation Week starts
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Global Experience Art: Mobile Images starts City West: BH Wall
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Acoustic sessions at The Grand Academy (4pm)
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Adelaide Cup Day (SA) Public Holiday
We know this calendar is looking a latest news on events head to ww
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- The Grand Academy of Lagado Launch Party - WBP: Coopers specials start
East)
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- U-Week (City West) 10am-late - World’s Biggest Pubcrawl Launch - FREE CONCERT
The Academy Live: Little Two Eyes EP Launch (9pm)
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The Grand Academy International Student Party
The Academy Live: Hard Rock/Metal Night The Baron special guests (8pm)
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11 The Grand Academy Live local band night (9pm)
of your busy schedule!
a little bare (because is everything is still being organised), so if you would like the w.unilifemagazine.com.au/calendar to find out what’s happening at your campus!
EVENTS
WRITER: EMMA MANSER ARTIST: BRIDGET ANDERSON
GRAND ACADEMY OF LAGADO
The whimsically-named Grand Academy of Lagado will be brought to life at UniSA City West as part of this year’s Adelaide Fringe Festival. Launching on February 24, the venue will open daily from 3pm till late for three weeks. It will showcase four art exhibitions and 32 performances. Performances will range from cabaret to comedy, magic to music, plus a food market and chill-out area. In Jonathan Swift’s classic Gulliver’s Travels, The Grand Academy was an educational institution where weird, wonderful and completely preposterous ideas were explored. Extracting sunbeams from cucumbers, anyone? Although you may not discover an answer to that here, the venue aims to showcase innovative performances and artwork, creating new opportunities for emerging artists.
“This Adelaide Fringe initiative was put in place to stimulate people to discover new things in our city that you wouldn’t normally have noticed.” Mr Phoa said UniLife aims to create a relaxing, comfortable atmosphere with the event, and will present a variety of shows for students and the general public. On top of performances and art, The Grand Academy will launch The World’s Biggest Pub Crawl, where crawlers can get Coopers drink specials at CBD pubs from February 24 until March 18. T-shirts cost just $20 and will save you heaps. Mr Phoa thinks the uni-based venue will enjoy similar success to last year’s National Campus Band Competition. “(It will) create a platform that fosters student art, music, career, events and work experience opportunities,” he said.
UniLife Marketing Officer Eugene Phoa said the time was right to introduce the event, given student lounge upgrades and a desire to showcase local talent.
Performer Felicity Le believes it is vital to showcase South Australia’s talent, and will use her Grand Academy-based act Fist Full of Aces Variety Show to do just that.
“(There were) several reasons to start up a Fringe venue in 2012, including interest from students for a place to hang out and… to support events outside of the east end.”
“It’s become a passion of mine to do what I can to inform people about the amazing, talented people we have here in South Australia,” she said.
EVENTS
“The Fringe is a perfect platform for people to really see outside that little box we live in.” Her performance features burlesque and live music reminiscent of the 1920-40’s, and will show on February 25-26 and March 1. She strongly encourages everyone to support Fringe acts and to truly experience what SA performers have to offer.
You can find The Grand Academy of Lagado at the old student lounge on UniSA’s City West campus (60 North Terrace; access through UniSA). Visit the Grand Academy of Lagado’s site here: www.thegrandacademyoflagado.com
Looking forward to Lagado? Tell us why at unilifemagazine.com.au/unilife-news/grandacademy-of-lagado
“It doesn’t matter what you are interested in. Trust me, the Adelaide Fringe has it.”
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EVENTS
THE WORLD’S
BIGGEST PUBCRAWL
Sorry, what? Biggest? In the whole world? Not to mention those beautiful words ‘pub crawl’. Give me an ill-fitting Comic Sans t-shirt and cheap Jagerbombs and I’m the happiest girl in the world. But The Grand Academy of Lagado, in partnership with Coopers and the Adelaide Fringe, have something a little more ambitious in mind than hitting up PJ’s, Heaven AND Hungry Jacks within three hours. They propose not one night of debauchery, but 24. Three weeks with the potential for amber-soaked revelry? Sign me up. Taking place between February 24 and March 18, the event’s official launch is March 2 at UniSA’s City West campus, with participants braving a whirlwind tour of some of Adelaide’s finest establishments.
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WRITER: LUCY AHERN
Can’t make the launch? Here’s the best part: much like those brilliant childhood books (oh Goosebumps, how I loved thee), this is a choose-your-own-pub crawl adventure – you can decide what day, which pubs and how long your pub crawl will be. You can even design your own shirts, providing you gather a group of 30+ Coopers enthusiasts. Premade shirts entitle the wearer to discounts at almost 20 pubs across the CBD, and at only $20 are well worth the investment. So gather together friends, workmates, club members – hell, innocent bystanders – and get your t-shirt from the UniLife counter or from worldsbiggestpubcrawl.com.au.
Will you be attending? unilifemagazine.com.au/ special-interest/the-worlds-biggest-pub-crawl
FEATURE
ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL 2012: RESTLESS
WRITER: LUCY AHERN
Sometimes it seems as if we live in a world unable to sit still. We can’t go an hour without checking Facebook, fidgeting during lectures or cursing slow walkers. The Adelaide International 2012: Restless is a collection exploring the “restlessness of our times” – but this show delves far beyond the realms of compulsive social networking and kids who’ve had too many red frogs. Curator Victoria Lynn approaches Artistic Director Paul Grabowsky’s theme of ‘Heaven and Hell’ more conceptually than literally; there’s no fire, brimstone or feathers here. “These works ask a question without necessarily answering it,” she said. 18 international artists will display their work across four local venues as part of the Adelaide Festival. Most pieces will be housed at the Anne and Gordon Samstag Museum of Art on UniSA’s City West campus, but venues also include the Australian Experimental Art Foundation, Contemporary Art Centre of SA and Flinders University City Gallery. Hosting work from some of the contemporary art world’s most respected names, alongside pieces from exciting upand-comers, Restless encompasses three galleries with multiple viewpoints. The unifying concept creates a dialogue between pieces; an exhibition to be
Lisa Reihana, Pelt: Camarillo, 2010, image courtesy the artist
absorbed as a whole instead of separate artworks. Samstag Director Erica Green said it aims to explore “the tensions of living between the extremities of ‘heaven’ and ‘hell’”, where artists expose the space we inhabit, the space in between.
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Restless highlights the importance of ‘threshold experiences’ – the emotion associated with endings, transitory periods, and especially new beginnings – and emphasises examining human events universally encountered, such as Anri Sala’s break-up film Answer Me.
Contrasting those pieces discussing somewhat unsettling subjects like war, torture and economic crises, are works celebrating life and beauty, such as N.S. Harshar’s mural and New Zealand photographer Lisa Reihana’s stark and magnificent Pelt series.
At times thrilling and beautiful, others painfully uncertain and even petrifying, Restless is a sensory extravaganza.
“It’s a contemporary art exhibition, which a lot of people can find impenetrable, but the context is really strong,” Gillian said.
The exhibition combines a cornucopia of media, including film installation and painting, into a show that curatorial assistant and project manager Gillian Brown said audiences can “expect to connect with some, if not all of the works...to feel personally involved”.
“(Currently) the world is quite unsettled and our generation is really coming of age in a time when nothing can be relied on...I think it’s really something that reflects our era.”
Gillian gives us a few hints on what to expect: Indian artist N.S. Harshar, who constructs site-specific installations, will paint a mural across a wall of the gallery (one of the “unusual” requests so far, said Gillian, had been hunting for sugar cane for the piece). Particularly exciting, she enthused, is the inclusion of the late Nancy Spero’s installation Maypole: Take No Prisoners as the exhibition’s centrepiece. The provocative sculpture is adapted to fit each new space with every move and will extend through the museum’s two levels, offering a different effect from each viewpoint. With its hanging chains and disembodied heads, this political commentary literally gets in your face and will confront Adelaide audiences with images society often shies away from.
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However, Gillian believes Restless will resonate with all ages: “There is something that everybody has gone through. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you’ll have gone through something that you can relate back to it.” Among the five works premiering throughout the Adelaide International, audiences can really look forward to a onenight-only live performance during the Samstag exhibition opening. Divertimento – 4 movements for voices, whistles and strings, a collaboration between Sweden’s Annika Larson and French musician and choreographer Augustin Maurs, involves 20 local musicians and performers, giving Adelaide artists an incredible opportunity to be part of a historic show. Restless forces audiences to examine their perceptions, limits and, perhaps most importantly, current social, cultural or relationship environments. An exhibition of this magnitude featuring artists of such high calibre is a rare event for our city – one not to be missed by those
FEATURE
who wish to push their own boundaries and explore raw human experiences and emotions. And true to form, we impatiently await it. For more details on exhibitions, workshops and speakers occurring throughout Artists Week, visit adelaidefestival.com.au.
Nancy Spero, Maypole / Take No Prisoners II, 2008, image courtesy of Galerie Lelong, New York.
The exhibition at the Anne and Gordon Samstag Museum of Art runs from March 2 – April 18. Admission is free.
Image courtesy of stock.xchng
1. Thou shalt not be a hermit. Be friendly and sociable in your first few lectures no matter how weird the people sitting nearby may seem. In most degrees you’ll eventually get to know everyone anyway but you’ve got to start somewhere. You don’t want to build a reputation as a recluse.
Second mistake you’ll make. You might feel the urge to approach your tutor after class to explain your timetable confusion/bus issues/ wardrobe being unexpectedly free of clean pants. But it’s your problem, not theirs, and you’ll look funny. Especially if you’re grovelling to a Type 2 renegade tutor.
2. Thou shalt not fret over textbooks. First mistake you’ll make as a new student: “But I need all of them before I can start studying, right?” Wrong. It’s all to do with your tutors, who come in two species. Those who do everything by the book; facultyfearing disciples of the course outline who daren’t stray from so much as a tutorial sub-topic all semester.
4. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s computer. You’ll quickly learn there’s never a free computer on campus when you need it. After several disappointments you may begin to get quite angry at the world. Keep calm and carry on. One day a vacancy will appear. It does happen.
And those renegades, who simply disregard the mere existence of a course text and allow their classes to descend into a free-for-all discussion. It’s as simple as going to your first tutorial, classifying your tutor and purchasing textbooks accordingly.
5. Thou shalt learn to use a photocopier. Don’t wait until halfway through second year for someone to teach you. Even if the librarians don’t unintentionally patronise you with their motherly manner (“And THIS is where you put the CODE in”), you will become a spectacle for bored students in need of a laugh. Get it out of the way in week one.
3. Thou shalt not apologise profusely after showing up late to a first-week tutorial.
FEATURE
TEN UNIVERSITY COMMANDMENTS
THE
6. Thou shalt be humble in domination of the table tennis table. Nobody likes a rec-room hero, especially not at Magill at 5pm. It’s around that time when – for some reason – the Caf becomes full of silent, studious types. Until a psych PhD candidate gets to the bottom of the phenomenon, it’s probably better to keep the peace for sake of majority. There are only so many exclamations of “SHOT!” the book-worming masses will tolerate. And they keep their pencils rather sharp.
7. Thou shalt be aware of the nearest place to purchase Red Bull. Maybe you’ve started uni already addicted. Or perhaps you’ve managed to stay clean all these years. Either way, as the semester wears on this will become a location more important to know than the bathrooms, so make sure you find out.
8. Thou shalt remember Pub Crawl Day – and keep it holy. Pub crawls are a key part of the social calendar and great fun, but there are standards. Ladies, stay relatively classy and uphold the honour of the university logo you’ll be wearing on
WRITER: NICHOLAS PIPE
your back. And fellas, as tempting as it may be, this is not the moment to hit on a classmate. It’ll be some tutorial the week after if you fail.
9. Thou shalt not steal. Don’t plagiarise. The computerised checking system always wins. Don’t hoard library books because the library will fine you and hold a savage vendetta against you. Fight whatever strange compulsion is within you to flog computer keyboard legs because you just make life annoying for everyone else. And those Caf sauce squeezer packs cost 15 cents, don’t you know?
10. Thou shalt persist. Last but not least, for goodness’ sake don’t walk into uni like it’s a prison. Walk into it like it’s a playground. This is likely to be the final chapter in the period of your life that allows you to waft through your days using the term ‘student’ as both an excuse for not having to do much for yourself and a password for cheap social services. So enjoy the experience, and down as much student union fairy floss while you can.
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FEATURE
WRITER: TOM ANGLEY ARTIST: LISA DAVIDSON
“Wow, you’re funny. You should be a comedian,” your friend says, rolling their eyes.
“The first year I didn’t win Adelaide. I got knocked out of the semi-finals and that was my second ever show,” he said.
Ignore their taunts. We both know your one-liners are comic gold, your delivery flawless. But unfortunately humour is subjective; your mates just don’t ‘get’ you, right? You need to prove yourself. Thankfully, entering Raw Comedy can do just that.
“Over the next year I did a couple of shows, but my goal was towards the next Raw comedy. I was like, ‘Look, if you win the Adelaide final, then you’ve got some sort of ability and you can keep at it’. ”
Established in 1996 and held annually, Raw Comedy is an Australian competition for emerging comedians. Stand-up novices are encouraged to enter the contest, held state-wide from January to March. Survive the heats and you’ll progress to the semis, then state finals, before heading off to Melbourne for the grand final. Win that and you get sent to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, taking on comedians from around the world. Competition is fierce. Although judges don’t use a ‘scoring’ system, if you want to take out top prize, you’ll need original material, a confident stage manner and an ability to make audiences laugh. Obviously. 2011 SA Raw Comedy winner Tom Gaynor said entrants shouldn’t worry about being knocked out.
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CALLING ALL WANNABE COMEDIANS!
Tom said performing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival after winning the state final was an “insane kind of rush”. “I finished second. I won a bunch of flowers. The winner got sent to Edinburgh in Scotland. They were good flowers, though,” he said. But hang on, how do you actually prepare for a show? And how do you win over your audience? Australian comedy legend Greg Fleet has one simple rule: start with your second best material and end with your best. “And then everyone forgets what happens in between,” he said. Greg, or ‘Fleety’, said even if you’re not naturally funny, you can still have a successful stand-up career. “I’ve known comics who are deadly serious people. They approach it like a science, like mathematics: a plus b divided by c equals funny,” he said.
FEATURE
“They have a formula for it and they write to that formula. They don’t improvise, they don’t muck around and it’s all very serious.” However, Fleety said improvisation is an important part of comedy, encouraging newcomers to have fun on stage. “I go about my comedy in a very haphazard way. I just let it occur to me for the most part…my writing process is basically on stage and just kind of mucking around,” he said. Adelaide Comedy promoter Craig Egan loves having big names like Fleety over here, but he recognises supporting local talent is critical to our comedy scene. “With the big names… they’re there to basically help the local crew at getting better at what they do,” he said. “They’ll sit down with the young guys after each of their sets and see if they can help them out.” Craig said 2012 Raw Comedy has had a record number of entries, but stressed even if you miss out on the heats, there are still plenty of opportunities throughout the year.
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FEATURE
Tom Angley looking a little teary-eyed with comedian Greg Fleet
“Just come and see us after the Fringe. Come down and say hello,” he said. “There are open mic nights at Rhino Room on Monday nights and we’re always happy to see new, fresh faces jumping up and giving it a go.” One fresh face you can expect to see this year is aspiring comedian and UniSA student Taylor Goodwin. Taylor, who’s entering Raw for the first time, hopes the competition will help him gain exposure on our local scene. Despite his friends and family scoffing at suggestions he’ll be comedy’s next ‘big thing’, Taylor is convinced he can do well. “I’m one hundred per cent confident I will win the state finals. It’s always been my realistic attitude that has made me the funniest man alive,” he joked. “I’m a one-liner comic; people can expect dry humour and puns.”
Taylor has no hesitation in stacking the audience with his friends either, though he admits he’s a little worried about how they’ll react. “I have a few close friends coming along (to my show) but I’m confident in my routine and will try to earn my laughs,” he said. So what inspired the second-year middle and secondary school education student to enter Raw? “It was the words ‘I never want to be forgotten’ – Anonymous. I also never want to be forgotten.” I wish Taylor and all Raw contestants the best of luck. May the last stand-up standing win! For competition heat times, visit adelaidecomedy.com.
REVIEWS
THE GIRL
WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
WRITER: AMELIA SKACZKOWSKI
What can only be described as a drama/thriller/high nudity movie, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will certainly get your heart racing (pun intended). For those who haven’t read David Fincher’s novel, which the film is based on, I’ll give you a little run down: the story centres around journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig aka James Bond) and social outcast Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). The pair become entangled in a murder mystery, and entangled in each other’s legs, again and again and again. And again. The story follows closely to the book and graphically details sexual assaults, deaths and psychotic tendencies. I would suggest seeing it on an empty stomach and having a big strong man around to cling to. Unfortunately, I had neither of these things (Hi Tom). Moreover, not everything is easy on the ears. Set in Sweden, all characters have a wellrounded Swedish accent – except James Bond. Perhaps 007 thought he was above changing his drawl. Perhaps he thought we’d be staring at his chest rather than listening to his accent. And if this is the case, then well played Mr Bond. The film certainly fits its thriller genre and gets a solid two-thumbs-up from my untrained, unskilled, slightly silly brain. So if you’re into rape, torture, bigotry and murder, why not get the family together and see this little beauty.
Want to score a free ticket to go and review our next film? Email us at unilifemagazine@unisa.edu.au
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CREATIVE WRITING
MUSINGS AT THE PAINT COUNTER
WRITER: ISABELLA PITTAWAY ARTIST: LEAH ZAHORUJKO
Room of nothing, Endless humming, In the distance; beeps are loud. Darkened skies, downpours threaten, Boredom looms in the distance. Sliding doors open and close, Wanderers from across the land. Smiles and ‘thank you’s’ fill the room, Friendly niceties for passers by. Ask me questions; I will answer, Directions to places you don’t know. Beeps are consistent, reminders of reality, Of where we are and what has to be done, Preventing me from fully slipping into a daydream world.
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GRADUATE PROFILE
WRITER: ERIN WILLIS
KYM ROBERTSON: GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Kym Robertson, 25, completed his Graphic Design degree focusing on photography in 2007 at UniSA. After graduating, Kym furthered his photography studies at the Gainsborough School of Professional Photography under renowned mentor, Norman Weedal. During this time his work has featured in two exhibitions, including one as part of last year’s Fringe Festival. Titled The Experiment of Elegance: Fire and Glass (I & II), Kym’s photography featured beautiful photos capturing the harmony between fire and glass. “It’s been a long road that’s for sure. It’s difficult to break into the photography industry and there are a lot of difficulties. But the Australian Institution of Professional Photography is supportive and if you have the drive and motivation you will be able to find work,” Kym said. Kym has also established his own photography business KRP Photography, specialising in portrait, creative, fashion, commercial, corporate and event photography. Looking into the future, Kym plans to continue using the skills he developed during his time at UniSA while managing his company. “I intend to continue doing new and exciting exhibitions and hopefully work towards advertising art, working with some big labels around the world,” Kym said. For more information visit www.krp-photography.com.au.
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CLUBS
SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUBS
Would you like to meet new people and have some fun? We’ve listed some of the clubs on offer and for an extensive list visit unilife.edu.au/Clubs to find out more.
SPORTS CLUBS Surfclub - UniSA Boardriders Table Tennis Club for UniSA Taekwondo Club Tennis Club for UniSA Touch Football for UniSA UniSA Eagles Gridiron Club UniSA Ski Trip UniSkate Volleyball Club of UniSA Waterski Club UniSA Women’s Football Club
SOCIAL CLUBS Student Exchange Society Filipino Students United Films Flashmob French Club Gamers Association (UniSAGA) Hong Kong Student Society IAESTE LC Adelaide Indonesia Students Association Inspire Islamic Society at UniSA Journalism and Photography Club Journalism Events Society Labor Club Liberal Club of UniSA LIM/BIM Social Club Malaysian Students Association Marketers Club for UniSA MED RADical Club
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SOCIAL CLUBS (Continued...) Nature Foundation SA Nursing and Midwifery Social Club Overseas Christian Fellowship UniSA OXYGEN PakSA The Pakistan Student Association Persian Association of UniSA Pi Club Pride Club for UniSA Projekt GEEK Red Cross Resistence RuShi Buddhist Youth Group Sahaja Yoga Meditation Sohbet Society for Human Rights Taylor’s Students Group Team Vista The Oaktree Foundation The Sports/Rec Project - Mawson Lakes Tia International Aid UniSA Branch Travel Club for UniSA Unisa debate club Unisa Hallowean Club UniSA Indigenous Social Club WAKOU Australian Aid Association Whyalla Social Club Work experience project Working Students Society for UniSA Yearbook Club
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MANY THANKS TO: To our writers, illustrators, and photographer Amy Herrmann; we couldn’t do it without you. Also thanks to our sub-editors: Laura Pietrobon, Lucy Ahern, Marty McCarthy, Sionnie Kelly Printed by Newstyle Print: www.newsstyleprint.com.au