Yak Magazine - Oct/Nov 2017 Issue

Yak Magazine // October 2017

FREE Issue 43 // October 2017

By Students, for Students

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FUTURE OF: COSMETICS, MEDICINE AND NEWCASTLE

Yak Magazine // October 2017

Yak would like to acknowledge the Pambalong clan of the Awabakal people, and the Darkinjung people, traditional custodians of the land in which Yak is made and distributed.

We pay respect to elders, past and present.

Cover Art // Jackie Brock

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YAK

Yak Magazine // October 2017

MAGAZINE The Future Issue

Editor’s Letter The idea of the future is an ever changing one for University

a post-apocalyptic wasteland where you had to use mortal

students. The age-old adage is that no one knows what

combat to obtain your degree? What if.

the future holds… but is that necessarily true? Sure, I may

So students of UON, we on the Yak Team encourage you to

not know everything about my future, but I can certainly

consider all these ideas and explore how they apply to your

tailor my life in some ways. I’m here at UON completing a

own future path. Whether you’re studying med, law, arts,

communication degree, therefore I can safely assume that one

science, design, education, it doesn’t matter. These things are

day I may have a bachelor’s degree. And sure, there’s always

all relevant to you as a student, Novocastrian, and… (yes, I’m

a ‘what if’ but I’ve decided to take control of my ‘what ifs’ and

going to say it, please try not to cringe) a global citizen.

am now looking at my future through new eyes.

No matter what your ‘what if’ is, it’s shaped by your right now.

There are so many things about this issue that have inspired

And right now, you’re reading this mag, so you’re already doing

me to feel this way, the exploration of cool religion, the insane

pretty well in my book. The future for us at UON is tipped to

sexism within the makeup industry and of course, the list

be a glorious one as our city expands and thrives and our uni

of amazing inventions that are too ridiculous to be true, but

continues to grow. So, my tip for this issue is to take a break

somehow are.

from the stress of worrying about the future and just immerse

This issue, we take the concept of ‘what if’ and explore it

yourself in the science, the arts, the music, and the whole

through various genres and fields. What if diabetes could be

existentialism of it all.

tested with new science? What if Newcastle becomes one

From Monique and the Yak team.

of the next great super cities of the world? What if UON was

Submissions

We are YAK Media: the University of Newcastle’s student media channel, run by UoN students. Our three platforms: YAK Magazine, YAK Online, and YAK TV – are run by dedicated teams of students.

The Yak editorial team is always on the look out for passionate student writers and graphic designers to contribute to the blog and magazine. If you would like to take the opportunity to get your work published, please send a sample of your writing or graphic design work to:

Yak works hard to bring you stories covering all aspects of student life, from health and wellbeing, to travel and entertainment, to politics and study tips.

Let us know if you like what we do, have any suggestions for

yakmedia@newcastle.edu.au

story ideas, or if you would like to get involved.

Stay connected

Printed by PrintCentre on Callaghan Campus.

www.yakatuon.com facebook.com/YakMedia Yak Magazine is a free publication supported by Student Central at the University of Newcastle © 2017. www.newcastle.edu.au

twitter.com/YakMedia instagram.com/YakMedia yakmedia@newcastle.edu.au

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Designed by: Reid McManus

Yak Magazine // October 2017

HAVE YOUR YAK

EDITORIAL TEAM “What did you want to be when you were little?”

Monique Aganovic

Sophie Austin

Jack Moran

Madeleine McDonald

Managing Editor

Deputy Managing Editor

Managing Editor (Yak Online)

Deputy Managing Editor (Yak Online)

Hannah Montana!!!

I wanted to be a cow farmer, no joke. I even had a brand name. I called it ‘Daily Dairy’ and I thought it was super neat.

I was obsessed with becoming a spy when I was a kid until someone convinced me that if you die as a spy they erase your existence.

Nadene Budden

Jackie Brock

Reid McManus

Promotions Coordinator

Lead Graphic Designer

Graphic Designer

Graphic Designer

A popstar. Yes, I was that child.

A dancer.

I wanted to be a host on playschool.

I wanted to be a teacher, but my preschool teacher prophesied that I would do something more creative.

Contributors:

Artists Joanna Lewis & Joe Palmer

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Being a detective was the glamorous dream of 6-yearold me. I used to stand on a big flowerpot to peek over the neighbour’s fence, and kept a little notebook of all my observations.

Amy Lewis

Yak Magazine // October 2017

Angelique Carr

Shea Evans

Marissa Alexiou

Nikola Jokanovic

Editor

Editor

Editor

Editor

I wanted to be a writer ... not much changed!

A paleontologist, an astronaut, a dinosaur, a writer, and taller.

When I was in preschool I wanted to be a doctor and had a doctors kit and coat but as I grew older I realised I had a fear of blood so that dream ended very quickly!

Usually just the last thing I thought was cool or was on TV. So a doctor, a tennis player, racecar man, Sonic the Hedgehog, career criminal like in the movies, so on.

Laura Kebby

Amy Mckenna

Bridget Gunn

Jessica Worboys

Editor

Editor

Editor

I wanted to be the first female Prime Minister!

I always wanted to be a teacher because I loved bossing the neighbourhood kids around and giving them homework.

What a cliche but I used to want to be a model or an actress!

Editor I literally wanted to make things up for a living. That or be a Pod racer like in star wars. Same same but different really.

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Designed by: Reid McManus

Yak Magazine // October 2017

WHERE IS THE CHURCH HEADING? Angelique Carr explores the future of the Christian Church in Australia

It has been said that Australia doesn’t have Religion, it has Sport. Yet, at 70 percent, most Australians reported themselves as religious on the 2016 census, with Christianity holding the majority at 52 percent. Although Islam is the fasting growing global religion, expected to match Christianity in as little as 50 years, it’s Hinduism that has seen the most growth in Australia, due to immigration from South Asia.

From 2006 to 2016, the amount of Aussies reporting as ‘non-religious’ jumped from 19 percent to 30 percent, with young adults being the most likely to be non-Christian or to have no religion at all. This coincides with a decline in the rate of church goers. But don’t read too much into it, there has also been a steady decline in the numbers of social groups and clubs, both secular and not.

Of the younger people who do identify as Christian, many of them are rejecting the more traditional style of church, preferring ‘cooler’ and more modern congregations such as the massively popular Hillsong.

To a non-religious person, it can seem that the Catholic Church has no sway over their life, but it still has a large hold over the public domain.

There are quite a few hospitals, schools and aged care homes run by, or supported by the Church, often on land exempt from property taxes. The Church also has some exemption from anti-discrimination laws, meaning they can hire and fire staff, and choose to turn away students or patients based on sexual-orientation. Not to mention the horrific acts that were revealed to the public during the Shine the Light investigation.

A first-year biomedical student, who chose to remain anonymous, told me about her faith after growing up in a Catholic family. “[Faith is] not a very big part of everyday life. We do a prayer before we eat but that’s about it.

I don’t partake in weekly church or anything else that my family does.” As for the future of the Church she knows “they want younger people involved more. So, the Catholic Church as whole tries to appeal to them, through youth groups and youth masses.”

She thinks that less young people are religious because the church is too traditional. “There are a few issues that the youth support yet they oppose the church by doing so, like same sex marriage or even abortion.

The church has its beliefs and don’t seem willing to change anything to fit into the changing open-minded society we live in.”

I also talked to Elliot Lee, a former youth minister and current mathematics student, about his faith. “In my everyday life, faith forms the lens through which I view the world. My love of mathematics is born out of an

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Yak Magazine // October 2017

“The church has its beliefs and don’t seem willing to change anything to fit into the changing open-minded society we live in.” understanding that God creates order. As we discover the way the world is ordered we see the very creative nature of God at work.”

Lee sees the future of the Church as needing to be more flexible “It will consist of groups or satellites which will understand themselves as part of a larger body. These groups will need to have the capacity to create intimate communities where people can know others and be known truly.”

Shea Evans, an Open Foundation student, believes however that the Church “won’t take a different direction, it will remain eternal as long as the humans in it maintain God in their heads and Christ in their hearts.”

As for the 11 percent jump in non-religion in the past ten years, Lee believes it “is a combination of a couple of factors. I think people are becoming increasingly comfortable to ignore religion as it becomes generally considered that organised religion does not contain all the answers as was supposed in generations past. I also think that with recent publicity that organised religion as a whole has received in light of the deplorable actions of people, who do not represent the Jesus I believe in, has definitely pushed people who previously may have identified with Christianity to become disenfranchised.”

The decline in church attendance, Evans says, is “a sign of the times [..]

The reason for this turning away is probably the deceptive comfort of modern society, there is no perceived need to rely on God for anything so he must never have existed in the first place. […] People are quick to judge the church for wrongdoing, and of course the largest grouping of people in the world is going to have some bad seeds, and they say to themselves ‘it must all be bad, I want no part in that’.”

For young people, Lee believes that faith can help them see the true beauty in the world; “Faith in Jesus Christ, the man who lived a life defined by radical love, who healed the sick and broken, who valorised women and turned the world on its head...that faith is life changing.”

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Designed by: Amy Lewis

Yak Magazine // August October2017 2017

RECIPES OF THE FUTURE Monique Aganovic pulls together some sustainable plant-based recipes, on a budget.

As climate change continues to commandeer the future, many people are turning to plant-based diets in order to create less of a carbon footprint. These recipes are perfect for a uni student on a budget, who wants to be more sustainable in their diet!

Sw eet Potato Taco s INGREDIENTS:

Method:

2 Cups of Sweet Potatoes

Roast sweet potato until soft.

1 Cup of Black Beans

Sautee beans and potatoes for about 4 minutes, and mix in seasoning.

1/3 of Taco Seasoning Package Tortillas

Breakfast

Fill tortillas and top with tomato and avocado. Serve.

1 Avocado

Average

1/2 large Tomato

Hom e Ma d e Two Min u t e N o o d les INGREDIENTS:

Method:

Vermicelli Noodles

Combine all the ingredients and add boiling water.

1 Cup Mushrooms 1 Thinly Sliced Carrot

Lunch

Cover the noodles and wait 3-4 minutes before eating.

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

Average

1 Veggie Stock Cube

CUT ME OUT!

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Yak Magazine // October 2017

INGREDIENTS:

Chilli

6 Garlic Cloves 1 Brown Onion Mixed Spices (Cumin, Oregano) 1 Can Diced Tomatoes 1 Bottle Tomato Paste

Method: Cook garlic and onion over medium heat.

Add the tomatoes, stock, tomato paste and spices and simmer for 30 minutes.

Dinner

Add the beans and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Serve.

1 Can Mixed Bean 1 Cup of Veggie Stock

Cheap

Avoca do C h o co lat e Mo u sse INGREDIENTS:

Method:

2 Ripe Avocados

Combine ingredients and blend until smooth.

60 g of Cacao powder

Divide into serving jars and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until set and chilled. Serve.

125 ml of sweetener (maple or rice syrup)

Desert

125 ml of coconut cream 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Millenial Price tag

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Designed by: Reid McManus

Yak Magazine // October 2017

STABBED, JABBED & PRODDED: A PANCREATIC PROBLEM Madeleine McDonald explores how technological advances are playing a role in reshaping the future of Type 1 Diabetes

Every year in Australia, around 86,000 children develop Type 1 diabetes (T1D). It’s a disease without a cure, and it causes one person to die every 6 seconds. T1D is an unpreventable autoimmune disease that develops in 1 in 100 Australians. For these people, their pancreas begins to shut down and their Beta cells stop producing insulin.

This means that when they eat food, there isn’t enough insulin to process sugars into energy. Because the body can’t use glucose, it starts burning muscle, which leads

her mother Alison. “We would walk past her room and assume she had spilt varnish on the carpet. ‘Open your windows!’ I said one day. ‘Your room stinks.’ We didn’t realise that the smell was her body being poisoned.”

When combined with other symptoms, Caitlin’s parents decided to go to their GP. “They said that she would have been in a coma if we’d waited a few more hours.

She got rushed into hospital, put on an insulin drip, and they started giving her saline to rehydrate her. The first

to a buildup of chemicals in the bloodstream. This growing acidity in the blood is called ketoacidosis, and it causes a strong nail varnish smell to be released.

thing they told us was, ‘Your daughter has diabetes, and it’s for life.’”

For UON Engineering graduate Adam, the tell-tale symptoms were extreme thirstiness and abnormal sleeping habits. “I was so dehydrated that my tongue dried to the top of my pallet,” he recalls. “I was sleeping in the 5 minutes between classes and I lost 7kg in a week.”

“It’s a disease without a cure, and it causes one person to die every 6 seconds.”

Maintaining a stable level of blood glucose is vital in the management of diabetes. It’s a tricky process, and can be painful, too - small needle pricks on the finger tips to draw blood and be read by a sensor. A reading between 4 and 8 is ideal, but it’s impossible to avoid fluctuations in blood glucose levels—even with round-

This was one of the first signs that lead to 11-year-old Caitlin’s diagnosis. “Caiti had always enjoyed painting her nails, so the smell wasn’t unusual at first,” says

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Yak Magazine // October 2017

the-clock testing. Diabetics often experience multiple episodes of hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) and hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose) throughout the day and night. What are the consequences of these wavering extremes? Having highs increases the risk of kidney damage, blindness, amputation, nerve damage, heart attacks, and other severe complications. The repercussions of lows include nausea, tiredness and dizziness, and can lead to seizures and comas.

undertaking clinical trials through the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI). “The onset of T1D is said to be linked to both genetic and environmental factors…

However, the mechanisms which cause the onset of are still unknown.”

Further complications arise with the patient’s predisposition towards other diseases. Alison explains, “With autoimmune diseases, it’s usually ‘get one and it’ll bring a friend’. Caitlin’s body has this tendency to attack itself, and we don’t know if and when that’ll happen again. We have to be hyper vigilant and on the lookout for other conditions. Things like MS, celiac disease, thyroid disease, Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis… It could be anything.” Although recent years have brought many positive technological advances to the field, controlling blood glucose levels remains difficult. “If a diabetic goes low too often, their body stops sensing that it’s low.

There may only be 3 points of difference in glucose levels between being awake and being in a coma. If you’re driving a car, you might still feel okay—but if you drop another point, you’re in a coma. There’s no way to predict that, and it’s a worry.”

“When Caitlin goes low, she doesn’t function. It’s quite scary,” says Alison. “She’ll get angry and disorientated, and she can’t answer you or help herself. Once, her friends found her collapsed by the school lockers. She was mumbling incoherently and fumbling with the lock; she had no comprehension of how to open it to get her diabetes kit.”

There is a startlingly high incidence of children and adolescents being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in our area. In the Hunter Region alone, 60 children develop the disease every year. “The Hunter Region has one of the highest incidences of T1D in Australia,” says Jordan Rafferty, the Research Coordinator

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Yak Magazine // October 2017

The physical costs of the disease are high, but diabetes can be a burden on the pocket, too. Although new technologies such as pumps and patches exist, not everyone can afford them. Former UON student Adam explains the financial cost of his disease. “The supplies I use in a month are 2 boxes of glucose strips, 10 vials of insulin, 1 bag of jellybeans and 10 muesli bars. The net cost to me is $60, with an unsubsidised cost of $470.” Glucose monitoring systems that give a blood reading without the need for finger pricking can be dear.

“It was great to see the government roll out a program to provide glucose monitoring for people under 21.

However, more support is still needed.” says Research Coordinator, Jordan.

“Technology has come such a long way,” says Alison. “We get automatic alerts sent to our phones when Caitlin’s blood sugar levels go high or low. Now she wears a semi-permanent implant patch on her upper arm, which reads her levels constantly. We didn’t have that when she was diagnosed 2 years ago—she was pricking her fingers 7 times a day and during the night, too.”

"Having highs increases the risk of kidney damage, blindness, amputation, nerve damage, heart attacks, and other severe complications.”

The Federal Government is currently deciding whether to subsidise devices like the Freestyle Libre under the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS). The Libre is a patch worn on the upper arm that allows diabetics to check blood sugar levels without pricking their fingers. The device costs $95 for the reader, and $92.50 for a sensor patch, which must be replaced every fortnight. For those who can afford it, it’s a huge help.

It’s exciting to see that much of the research into diabetes management is happening right here on our doorstep. UON Engineering student Jonathan Farnworth did his thesis on non-invasive glucose monitoring, and explains his invention: “The diabetic effectively

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Yak Magazine // October 2017

lives life on a tightrope. I designed a fixed wavelength spectrometer that is continuous, providing individuals with greater data. It’s an exciting method that is also non-invasive and pain-free; giving the battle for blood glucose control back into the hand of the diabetic.”

that is underrepresented… Living with T1D can be very taxing. Our research hopes to improve the lifestyle and overall wellbeing of people living with T1D. I believe glucose monitoring will continue to become more accurate and reliable—but it is just one piece of the puzzle. It is important that we continue to work in a collaborative environment and develop all aspects of diabetes treatment; from insulin delivery systems to improved guidelines on how to dose insulin for food and exercise.”

At the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), trials are soon to be underway for a newly developed ‘artificial pancreas’. The research project is the result of collaboration between engineers at UON and researches at the John Hunter Children’s Hospital. The algorithm for the artificial pancreas is designed to predict the patient’s insulin needs for food and exercise using their own history. It’s a ground-breaking area of study, and has the potential to greatly change the lives of diabetics and their families.

Type 1 diabetes may be a disease without a cure, but there’s a lot to look forward to. Technological advances have already drastically improved the lives of those living with the condition, and Newcastle is setting a cracking pace for leading research studies in the field. Adam expresses his hopes for the future of diabetes management: “I see my generation, and those developing the illness now, to be among the last generations to develop the disease,” he says. “I look forward to the next big development they have for us.”

Research Coordinator Jordan Rafferty is currently conducting clinical trials as part of a study into a new insulin pump that communicates with a glucose monitor simultaneously, allowing a more stable method of treatment for participants. Jordan chose this area of research because believes “it is a health condition

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Designed by: Jackie Brock

Yak Magazine // October 2017

VOX POPS Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Alex Graham

Jade Nicholson

Lachy Taylor

Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Social Science

Bachelor of Science

“Absolutely running the show for the biggest corporate firm on Wall Street, I’ll be out here finessing while y’all are paying off your HECS Debt.”

“I would like to be an Indigenous Engagement Officer working for the UON.”

“Hopefully not broke and hopefully with a job.”

Ethan Wilkinson

Alison O’Connor

Brandon White

Bachelor of Physiotherapy

Bachelor of Education

Bachelor of Science

“I’m not sure honestly….”

“A teacher, hopefully overseas.”

“Finding a career that I enjoy and staying happy.”

HAVE YOUR YAK

Yak Magazine // October 2017

CLUBS & SOCIETIES SNAPSHOT // NUSEC: NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY STUDENT ENVIRONMENT CLUB Club Name: Newcastle University Student Environment Club (NUSEC) Co-Convenor: Scott Munro & Cody Henderson Objective: NUSEC is all about the preservation and conservation of the environment. The club is active within local environmental efforts including beach clean ups, excursions into nature, and campaigns for positive change.

Cost: Membership is a small $2, and anyone is welcome to join!

Location: The Collective is run from the Callaghan campus of UON, and mainly operates online, via Facebook.

How to join: Email nusec.uon@gmail.com, visit their website (https://nusec.tidyhq.com/), or shoot them a message on their Facebook, (NUSEC).

COURSE SNAPSHOT // INFO1010

INTRODUCTION TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS Course Name: INFO1010 Introduction to Information Systems Faculty: Engineering and Built Environment Course Outline: This course is the perfect introduction to computing and software. It touches on basic computer skills like word processing and spreadsheets, and presentation software. One great thing about this course is there are no specific prerequisites, only basic computer skills. Take this course if you need some help navigating the various computing software you’re bound to encounter in your personal and professional life.

How to enrol: The course is offered as an elective and is ran through the School of Electrical Engineering and Computing. To learn more about the course visit UON’s Course Handbook online. To find out if your degree offers electives take a look at your Program Plan, accessible through the UON website.

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Designed by: Reid McManus

Yak Magazine // October 2017

MASS DEBATE

Bridget Gunn and Monique Aganovic argue the ethics behind genetic modification

Should embryos be genetically modified?

Byline

YES

NO

Monique

Bridget

This subject is a real tricky one, and it certainly isn’t crystal clear. As an able-bodied person my automatic response to this was “of course! If you’re carrying that thing in you for nine months then pushing it out, you should be able to decide if it has blonde or brown hair!” It wasn’t until I realised the intricacies of the situation that I reflected on that.

While I wholeheartedly support gene therapies that provide hope in eradicating genetic diseases, the possibility of genetically modifying embryos is a dangerous game to be playing.

Now I know you must be thinking I’m a terrible person for thinking that, and frankly I’m in no position to say I would genetically modify my child, as there are no significant untreatable diseases running through my family that I’m aware of. And this being said I don’t believe one child should be loved any less for their features, regardless of their abilities, skin colour, or gender. But I don’t believe that’s what this debate is about. Pursuing genetic modification is not about favouring one feature over enough, or ‘designer babies’, it’s about potentially saving millions of lives.

The question we need to be asking isn’t ‘can we?’: it is ‘should we?’ There are countless dangers in altering the DNA of an embryo, and any mistakes made in this process could be passed down for generations. Are we willing to run the risk that a mistake made in the editing of the DNA could inadvertently cause new diseases, which could become a permanent part of that family’s genetic blueprint?

I think we could all agree that it would not be a bad thing to eradicate Huntington’s disease, cystic fibrosis, even breast and ovarian cancer. But what cost are we, as a society, willing to pay for genetic modification?

And of course, who is to say where the line of ‘medical necessity’ stops and ‘designer baby’ starts? Who has the right to decide the traits of future children, and subsequently choose the genes of the generations of the future?

Should genetic alterations become commonplace; DNA could be selected to enhance the appearance, intelligence, or other traits of a baby, traits that are not medically beneficial.

The world is constantly evolving when it comes to STEM, and the idea of eradicating life threatening illnesses or rare genetic diseases is something that should be explored. As for this research falling into the wrong hands? Well it when it comes down to it we have to have faith in the world around us and weigh the benefits to the cost. At this stage, genetic modification is hardly available, especially not to the general public, so the research is sitting at ‘pipe dream’ levels, rather than ‘world domination’ levels, so for now I’m not too worried.

And, once again, the line between picking and choosing the traits of a baby and the idea using genetic modification to ‘improve’ the human race by controlling genetics and reproduction is very thin.

Allowing embryos to be genetically modified could lead society in a whole new ethical direction, and market-based eugenics may exacerbate pre-existing discrimination, inequality, and conflict.

In our politically turbulent society, do we really want to hand this sort of power to the leaders of the world? For some people in particular, it really is quite a small step between generically engineering embryos to eradicate diseases, and genetically engineering embryos to create a ‘perfect human race’, or a ‘perfect soldier’.

Perhaps, with greater involvement with the general public, the idea of genetic modification will become a more open and honest discussion, and the taboos surrounding the subject will be erased.

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Yak Magazine // October 2017

STUDENT PARENTS AT UON How does having children affect the university experience?

Shea Evans investigates.

All students at university have at least two things in common; One, we’re here for the betterment of our futures, and two, we all used to be small children. But what about students who actually have small children of their own? Is it harder to plan for your future when the lives of others depend on you? What kind of challenges

Sally, 28, has an eight year old, a five year old, and a two year old. She currently studies science and language alongside Chloe, and echoes the perception that the task of studying with needy children is an exhausting one. It’s a juggling act, she says, “trying to study and do something for yourself and your family’s future but

arise from juggling the future, studying, parenting, and work? Two Open Foundation students, Chloe Graham and Sally Yates, tell us just how they manage it all.

also trying to be there for your children… I would be sitting reading whilst I have my two year old climbing on my back. Then if the kids are sick, there goes your studying altogether.”

Chloe, 27, has a four year old, a two year old, and a one year old. She lives an hour away and finds that setting aside time to study is very hard. “Sometimes I find even an hour of studying seems impossible as there are days where I am completely burnt out from my kids,” she says.

“My main challenge is switching from student to mum mode. There are times when I’m thinking about what I need to do to be prepared for classes or assignments but there are times when my children need my full attention.”

Currently Chloe studies science and language. Her love of children has put her on a path to start a Bachelor of Midwifery next year, and in the future she hopes to become a midwife in a local hospital.

“ I had many times I would be crying because I had no time to do anything.”

The thought of delivering babies into the world is an exciting one for Chloe, “having experienced it myself it’s just such an indescribable feeling,” she says. “When I imagine doing it and seeing families fall in love, it makes me so happy.”

For Chloe, the future is something she is both looking forward to and wary of. “I definitely feel good about the future,” she says. “I have my family and a beautiful home and thinking about watching my children grow up and making memories with them excites me.

While she has always maintained great marks and managed to get things in on time, Sally says it was hard to get there. “I had many times I would be crying because I had no time to do anything,” she says.

Recently Sally was offered a change of direction that would ultimately benefit her family in greater ways than studying now offers. “At this point in time I have decided to stop my studying as I have been given a career opportunity that would provide for my family greatly,” she says.

The decision to exchange study for work was, for Sally, a conscious one based off a plan for a better future, “I think if I was going to continue with my studies it would be very hard as I would have to give up my part time job to commit to studying and financially my family couldn’t afford that at the moment.”

The idea of having to deal with not just your own future but that of multiple children as well is a sobering one, and something that most students probably do not consider.

The university experience of student parents is evidently more challenging than not, but is also highly rewarding and should be acknowledged with more sympathy.

If you are a parent who is studying and require support or advice, you can visit the UON Career Centre or the UON Counselling Services by emailing onlinecounselling@ newcastle.edu.au

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about the future. The idea of the unknown is also terrifying.”

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Designed by: Reid McManus

Yak Magazine // October 2017

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Yak Magazine // October 2017

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Designed by: Amy Lewis Images courtesy of Unsplash

CREATIVE WRITING

Yak Magazine // October 2017

The World Ends With New If Lara Saunders had to decide what the most important thing she had learnt during her five years of study at the University of Newcastle was, it would be how to stitch up a knife wound. As she stuck a bandage over the wound on her abdomen, she couldn’t be more grateful for that emergency field medicine seminar she’d taken in her first year.

Looking herself over in the bathroom mirror to make sure there weren’t any more injuries to take care of, she pulled her shirt back down and got to work washing the blood off her hands. Some of it was hers, some of it wasn’t, and the last thing she wanted was to leave a blood trail behind her.

She packed away her trusty first aid kit and hoisted her backpack over her shoulders. Before she left the relative safety of the bathroom, she picked up the hunting knife she’d left on the sink. She opened the door slowly, carefully sticking her head out to look up and down the corridor before she made the rest of the way out. It was empty, luckily. It was only day three of Graduation so she knew there’d still be a fair few students left alive.

Graduation, of course, was what they called the two-week-long death match that Lara was competing in.

The Graduation tradition had started fifteen years prior, when the Holy Australian Empire was formed. In order to cut even more funding to tertiary education and ensure that the workforce wasn’t becoming overqualified, the Emperor himself decreed that every April all students who had completed their coursework would be required to fight each other to the death to earn one of the ten degrees allocated to their university for that year.

As soon as Lara had started her degree at Newcastle, she had spent every spare hour training - as most others did – in the hopes that she’d be able to survive the brutal fourteen days and get her Bachelor of Teaching. If she managed to survive then she’d be given living quarters in new NeW Space with all the other surviving Graduates and would be able to work off her HECS debt in relative peace.

She tried not to think about it as she walked along the decrepit corridors of the McMullin building. She couldn’t waste time thinking what might happen if she won, she had to focus on actually winning.

Lara froze as she rounded a corner and made eye contact with a man at the other end of the corridor.

He was tall and dressed in the same worn leather as her and had the same desperate look in his eyes. They eyed each other off for a moment, daring the other to make the first move. In the middle of Graduation there was no point in backing down, any fighter you left alive was just another barrier to getting your degree.

Tired of waiting, the other student surged towards Lara. It didn’t look like he had a weapon but she’d long ago learnt not to take anything at face value. She readied her blade, waiting for him to come within range. She was ready and willing to kill him, eager even. There was no way he’d beat her. She’d gotten a high distinction in FGHT3040: Advanced Knife Combat, after all.

By Jack Moran

20

Yak Magazine // October 2017

If the present never seems to last, And a constant death it dies, And the future it becomes the past, From the moment it arrives,

In a wave she rolls around once more,

Then where does time come from?

And becomes our future then,

And where then does it go?

Is found upon the present shore,

Will it circulate forever?

So the past occurs again.

Does anybody know?

Unknown, unknown, the future calls,

How big is the future?

But where is the present shore?

Or the length and breadth of past?

The time we know as now,

And how heavy is the present?

And is it a place we journey to?

How long will it last?

Or does it arrive to us somehow?

All mankind is born upon,

If now is now and then will be,

And lives and breathes and dies,

But then’s already happened,

On a turning wheel we’re borne along,

Then who’s in charge of your present ship?

By circulated rhyme,

And who is your boat’s captain?

Thus time, the eternal ocean,

Questions, questions, all unsolved,

Is a chronologic sea,

Life’s eternal riddle,

On which all events occur perfected,

Is your right now of high esteem?

In synchronicity.

Or is it just a middle?

Then what do we mean when we use that word?

In two directions the present stretches,

Is then the mystery?

The ship of time sails on and on,

Both east and west since time unended,

When is then and how was when?

To the future west and bright,

The past and future are its edges,

Your mind cannot understand,

And in her wake she leaves the past,

And its esteem is not pretended.

For there’s more to life than you comprehend,

Running eastward out of sight,

With a most familiar face, And offers us the chance of hope, If we but accept its grace, What will we do, what will we choose?

As a species and a whole, Will we seek the future’s light?

Or fall into the hole?

If the things of old did happen then, And ahead things will then be,

And time kills the worldly man,

Away, away, and evermore,

The future it then comes ahead,

Answers here they can be found,

The past trails out behind,

A looming wave it rolls,

Life’s not short enough,

Lancing like a shooting star,

Across the sea of time and space,

But will you use the key you find?

Out of sight and out of mind,

To crash on our resolve,

Or look for other stuff?

To the westward crew it disappears,

The future changes situations,

Unlock the door, the future waits,

At the far horizon’s yawn,

And brings old problems to the fore,

Just beyond it lies,

But to the Lord it lasts forever,

But in it lies our true salvation,

For the present never seems to last,

And is next millennia’s dawn,

And this we can’t ignore,

And a constant death it dies.

By Shea Evans

21

Designed by: Amy Lewis

Yak Magazine // October 2017

STEEL TO SMART, COAL TO CREATIVE: THE FUTURE OF NEWCASTLE AS A ‘SMART CITY’ 22

Yak Magazine // October 2017

Nikola Jokanovic traces the growing pains of Newcastle’s transition from steel city of yesterday to cultured ‘smart city’ of tomorrow.

Newcastle is a city of many faces. Surfest rolls in with the summer waves each February, and international eyes would be forgiven for seeing us as little more than a surfing town. The heavy industry on Kooragang continues to make apparent our ‘steel city’ roots. Recent developments like NeW Space and the 2017 Supercars further complicate things, each seemingly tugging the city in opposite directions. Neither Sydney-sized, nor small enough to be dismissed as merely ‘rural’, Newcastle sits at an awkward transitional point between what it was and what it will be. But above the confusion of this ongoing identity crisis, an idea is taking shape: that of Newcastle’s future as a ‘smart city’, a city building from a bedrock of industry to be led by innovation, education, creativity and culture.

Newcastle’s past and present as the world’s largest coal port weigh heavily on its future. For two hundred years, since the region’s first shipment left Nobbys Head in 1799, there had been little dispute over Newcastle’s identity being one of coal, industry and export throughand-through. The opening of the BHP steelworks in 1915 cemented our course for the next near-century, bringing great prosperity and populace to the growing city. The steelworks were the region’s largest employer for the next 84 years, as Newcastle became a tight-knit, blue collar town.

The times had changed, and no one was quite sure what to make of a post-industrial Newcastle.

This paints a starkly different picture to the Newcastle known and loved today: exciting, energetic and truly busy, something happening on every corner, the recovering CBD working its way back to the bustle of the industrial period. Much of the change can be credited to the efforts of redevelopment initiative Renew Newcastle, beginning in 2008 and working to make creative and stimulating use of the many empty spaces in Newcastle’s CBD. Renew Newcastle works directly with private property owners to allow empty, untenanted spaces to be briefly ‘lent’ to local artists, creatives and communities. After a trial period, successful ventures can try to gain permanent tenancy, otherwise something new is installed. One third of the projects trialed continued operation, and in 2016 Renew Newcastle returned $3 million to the city on only $200,000 of costs. The model is simple, the numbers impressive, and the effects profound.

“We have a rule that anything we sell must be handmade. This is all about artisans and the handmade, the bespoke; that’s what we support.”

The first cracks appeared at 10:27am on December the 28th, 1989. The fabled Newcastle earthquake rocked the region, the city centre left in total disrepair.

50,000 buildings were damaged, the bill coming to $4 billion total. 160 people were hospitalised, and 13 lives lost. Although the psychological scars took time to heal, rebuilding efforts were quick; the real shock to Newcastle’s steeled economic foundation came ten years on, with the 1999 closure of the BHP steelworks. Previously well below the Australian average, Newcastle’s unemployment soon spiked to almost 12 percent, a national high. The effects were felt hardest in

“What we knew was missing in the city was activity,” says Christopher Saunders, General Manager for Renew Newcastle. “Property owners had empty properties, and creative people are sitting at home, doing things in their rooms and sheds. What if we could get those creative people out of their rooms and into the city to do things that are going to include people, and in doing so, maybe that will have an effect on the city?” Christopher described Renew Newcastle’s bottom-up, local-first ethic: “we have a rule that anything we sell must be handmade. We get people calling all the time saying ‘I wanna open a gift shop’, imported goods. But this is all about artisans and the handmade, the bespoke, that’s what we support.”

the once-bustling central business district, which took on the appearance of a ghost town; over a third of the spaces on Hunter street were vacant as recently as 2009.

After a century of steelwork and digging the dirt, Novocastrians have lifted their heads from the sand

Photos by: Reid McManus.

23

Yak Magazine // October 2017

“I think culture always spearheads change.

Anywhere, in any city in the world, culture will spearhead change.” and found that culture and creativity sell just as well as industry. Maybe even better: Newcastle made Lonely Planet’s list of the top 10 cities worldwide to visit in 2011, noted for our beaches, nightlife and diverse arts scene. The once well-kept secret of our leisurely lifestyle, where many can walk past the beach on their way to work, has made Newcastle an attractive spot for keen investors. Newcastle’s cultural revolution has put us on the map, and Christopher believes it was a grassroots, bottom-up change: “people wanted to participate, so we created a space where people could participate, and fail cheaply. We wanted people to trial stuff, to fail, and learn by failing. Property values went up and the city has come alive.”

own NeW Space, an oddly angular addition to our otherwise flat-roofed skyline, has been heralded as a hub for future innovation.

It’s clear that Newcastle is a changing city. But change is always difficult, and Newcastle can expect its fair share of growing pains along the way. Squeezed by investor interests and a growing population, with a predicted increase of 33.4 percent by 2036, housing affordability may soon be an issue for locals. Likewise, future transport could prove troubling. In April of this year the council made mightily unpopular proposals to increase CBD parking fees, a move widely sledged as a simple cash grab and at odds with council efforts to attract CBD activity.

Following suit, the city has been gearing up for the future by adopting the position of a ‘smart city’. Earlier this year, the city council unveiled a $25 million ‘Smart City’ strategy. With funding for a dedicated ‘innovation hub’ and smarter infrastructure city-wide, the plan aims to put Newcastle on the right track by “maximising opportunities in the fields of technology, advanced manufacturing and the emerging digital economy,” in the words of Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes. The university’s

However, nothing sums up the tensions and uncertainties surrounding Newcastle’s immediate and long-term future quite like the ever-controversial Supercars, kicking off this November. The choice to hold the event here for the coming five years is testament to Newcastle’s recent growth, and supporters say the races can take us even further. The event is being sweetened with promises of new infrastructure, tourism dollars and an international

24

Yak Magazine // October 2017

Photos of NeW Space supplied by University of Newcastle

audience of millions. But community whisperings have been less kind, sometimes even manifesting into vandalism and graffiti, as anger over the removal of over a hundred trees, poor community consultation, and the impact on east-end residents boils over.

and CIFAL in Newcastle will be an important benefit in meeting these challenges. Life after carbon is a complex issue requiring joined up thinking to generate innovative, creative and perhaps even left-field solutions. It is a huge challenge, but also an even bigger opportunity.”

Perhaps the largest stumbling block on Newcastle’s future path is the tricky issue of coal. With the Newcastle port shipping a record amount of over 167 million tonnes only last year, it’s clear that coal is here for at least a little longer; the question becomes what place it will soon have in a supposedly ‘smart city’ such as Newcastle.

Newcastle is already near-unrecognisable from how it was only ten years ago, and it’s likewise near-impossible to picture us ten years on. We know the general shape of things, that Newcastle will be getting larger, richer and smarter, but no one knows quite how we’ll be getting there. But if one thing is certain it’s that change and growth are a grassroots effort, led by the creativity and innovation of new generations. Christopher worries that this important element, key to breathing life back into the city some eight years ago, is being forgotten by the council, in the face of local cuts to arts and culture and an overall disregard for the central role they play in growth.

The answer isn’t simple, and isn’t coming any time soon.

In the meantime however, future sustainability has played a role in recent Newcastle development, particularly with Newcastle becoming a branch of the UN’s sustainable urban development initiative CIFAL in 2015. CIFAL (an acronym of a French term translating to ‘International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders’) promotes environmental sustainability in key urban areas around the world by working directly with businesses and institutions to implement environmentally friendly policies and practices. Newcastle is one of only 15 CIFAL branches worldwide.

“Government loves to control. That’s why Renew Newcastle is difficult to get funded, we’re a little unpredictable. We do have guidelines, but we’ll say ‘yes’, we’ll try something new, we celebrate that idea of the ‘what if’. That sends a shiver of fear down the spines of bureaucrats and governments.” Although Christopher senses a lack of vision and leadership in the council’s cultural efforts, he hopes that it’ll be Newcastle’s young creatives leading the way on our journey forwards as a smart and creative 21st century city. “I think culture always spearheads change. Anywhere, in any city in the world, culture will spearhead change.”

“Cities are increasingly becoming the place where humanity resides,” says Graham Brewer, Executive Director for the Newcastle branch of CIFAL. “All the good things, like employment, creativity, innovation and opportunities, and all the bad things, waste, pollution, poverty and C02 generation, are being concentrated in cities. The Hunter region is typical in this regard,

25

Designed by: Reid McManus

Yak Magazine // October 2017

GENDER NEUTRAL MAKEUP AND THE FUTURE OF COSMETICS Amy McKenna shines a light on the gender bias in the cosmetic industry

When you think about it, makeup really is gender neutral, anyone can pick up a product and turn their face into a masterpiece.

What’s not gender-neutral though is the Cosmetic Industry and their marketing tactics. If we think about the classic makeup advertisement we see a female model seductively applying lipstick in a mirror or batting her long eyelashes, male involvement in traditional beauty advertising is nonexistent to say the least.

Men wearing makeup is certainly not a new phenomenon though, think fabulous David Bowie or Boy George, who revolutionised gender beauty standards. These style icons paved the way for a gender-neutral makeup revolution, and to quote Bob Dylan, times they are a-changing. The influx of male beauty bloggers in the contemporary digital age, such as Jeffree Star and Manny MUA, are unashamedly flaunting their makeup skills in the public eye, and in-turn smashing gender stereotypes.

Travis Jenkins, a self-confessed makeup lover, said more men are wearing makeup because influencers such as Jeffree Star are giving men the confidence to express themselves.

This being said however, he also believes there is a lack of gender-neutral advertising in the industry.

“I think the products that are on the market cater for both men and women wearing makeup as the products are genderless

in my mind. However, I do think makeup industries definitely need to embrace males wearing makeup and perhaps use males in advertisements for makeup or male makeup campaigns.”

Companies such as Anastasia Beverly Hills and Too Faced are already embracing gender diversity in the beauty world and claim to support the LGBTQI community.

Even large companies such as MAC are jumping on the bandwagon of gender diversity, collaborating with varying genders and members of the Queer community also.

“Men wearing makeup is certainly not a new phenomenon though, think fabulous David Bowie or Boy George, who revolutionised gender beauty standards” However, there is still a huge lack of gender-neutral advertising, with male beauty bloggers across the world calling for a change. Manny MUA states with his Instagram bio, “I think boys deserve just as much cosmetic recognition.” Patrick Starr has a similar statement, saying “makeup is a one-size fits all,” while Bretman Rock calls for his followers to “be your own kind of beautiful.”

Unfortunately, men who choose to embrace makeup still face a lot of negativity and backlash. You only have to look at the comment section of any male beauty

26

blogger’s social media account to see the harsh criticism that could easily deter a man from picking up a makeup brush.

Hairdresser Jack McGrath says, “I face a lot of criticism for choosing to wear makeup in public. I usually just put it past me because the way I see it, of course I’m going to get those sorts of comments if I’m a male wearing makeup, but I’m doing it because it makes me feel good and I won’t let someone’s 30 seconds of hurtful words ruin me being able to do what makes me feel good.”

Jack also agrees that makeup companies need to become more gender-neutral.

“I would love to see men on the cover of beauty magazines, or on the makeup posters. I’ve never thought too much about it before but there definitely is a lack of male representation in traditional cosmetic advertising.”

The answer to redefining gender-stereotypes in makeup, is not as simple as releasing a male-targeted line, as many companies have done, rather the answer is in the advertising.

It is really positive to see large makeup companies embracing gender-neutrality in their advertising, such as Loreal in their recent True Match campaign using makeup artist The Plastic Boy (aka Gary Thompson).

Let’s cross our fingers that more companies get onboard and embrace the male makeup revolution.

Yak Magazine // October 2017

MIC DROP Sophie Austin knows all about the future of Pop, and it’s Korean.

“Why haven’t I heard this before?” might be the question that comes to anyone’s mind when they first hear K-Pop. For me, it was 2011 and all it took were a few lines of ‘ ’ (‘Lies’) to get me hooked.

It’s not easy, either. Some idols are recruited for intensive training up to five years before their debut. In 2013, YG Entertainment broadcasted a rivalrous survival show between two trainee groups, Team A and Team B, which showcased the training cycle of an average rookie. Sleepless nights, monthly evaluations and working through serious injury was a normal occurrence for both teams, who were battling each other for a chance to debut.

Since then, K-Pop has grown to be much more than viral sensation PSY and a horse-riding dance. Earlier this year, new generation group BTS visited Sydney the second time, performing BTS visitedfor Sydney for the second time, to thousands of fans. More recently, King of K-Pop performing to thousands of fans.

Moreproclaimed recently, proclaimed King G-Dragon took over took threeover Australian capitals, reigning crown of K-Pop G-Dragon three Australian capitals,his reigning after ten years in the business.

In the September just passed, his crown after ten years in the business.

In the September just

“Not only do group members sing, but they also dance, rap and monitor their expressions through weekly shows and sell-out stages.”

Sydney thehosted super-convention KCON, bringing groups such passed,hosted Sydney the super-convention KCON, bringing as EXO, Wanna One, Girls’ Day and Monsta to our front door. groups such as EXO, Wanna One, Girls’ XDay andown Monsta X to our own front door.

As K-Pop thrives in Australia, it also sweeps up records internationally. Big Bang’s ’Fantastic Baby’ currently sits at over three million views, and crowd favourite Twice’s ’TT’ at over 2 million. In 2017, BTS was the first Korean artist to receive a Billboard Award and was recognised by famous Western artists like Halsey and The Chainsmokers.

It seems everyone is falling in love with K-Pop’s flair, fashion and faultless stage essence. It’s never too late to look up what it’s all about on YouTube, and you might find yourself a K-Pop stan in the making.

Photo Photo by: by: SBS SBS PopAsia PopAsia

The Hallyu Wave isn’t anything to scoff at. Hallyu ( ), or the Korean Wave, hasisn’t beenanything coined as the phenomenon The Hallyu Wave to scoff at. Hallyu ( of),Korean or the entertainment.

K-Pop is now widely recognised for its ostentatious Korean Wave, has been coined as the phenomenon of Korean style, catchy one liners performances.

Not only do entertainment.

K-Pop is and nowperfected widely recognised for its ostentatious group members sing, but they also dance, rap and monitor their style, catchy one liners and perfected performances. Not only do expressions through weekly shows and sell-out stages. group members sing, but they also dance, rap and monitor their

“How to do a Korean “finger heart”

expressions through weekly shows and sell-out stages.

Korean music is not only shaping the industry, but also the way we viewmusic artist integrity.

In South Korea, entertainment companies Korean is not only shaping the industry, but also the way have primary over every process of a comeback.

This has we view artistcontrol integrity.

In South Korea, entertainment companies recently become moreover lenient, with entertainment companies have primary control every process of a comeback.

Thissuch has as YG, Big Hit and JYPlenient, allowing their artists to write and produce recently become more with entertainment companies such their own playtheir a large part to in write the content that is as YG, Bigtracks.

Hit andStill, JYPCEOs allowing artists and produce created, are often the determining whether group their ownand tracks.

Still, CEOs play a largefactor part inon the contenta that is is successful or often not. Talk about pressure. created, and are the determining factor on whether a group

Start with one hand and pinch your thumb and index finger together at the top. The shape your two fingertips make looks like a heart. This is the “finger heart”! Try it out in your next selfie.”

is successful or not. Talk about pressure.

It’s not easy, either. Some idols are recruited for intensive training

27

Designed by: Amy Lewis

Yak Magazine // October 2017

INTERESTING INVENTIONS (THAT ACTUALLY EXIST)

28

Ever wondered what the future would be like?

These inventions might give you some idea.

Motorised Ice Cream Cone

Can-Wich

If you’re too lazy to twirl your ice cream while eating it, this cone will do it for you.

Like the name suggests, sandwich in a can. Hungry, anyone?

Wand Remote

Beard Beanie

A remote shaped like a wand, for all the casual wizards out there.

For all those luscious beards that get cold during the winter.

One-Armed Pillow

Beer Belt

A pillow with an arm on it so you’ll never feel lonely again.

A wearable belt that also holds your cold one for you.

29

Designed by: Reid McManus

Yak Magazine // October 2017

E-books are also a fantastic resource for students. Stuck for sources in your upcoming 2000-word essay? Google some key words and read an e-book online instead of searching for an available hard copy.

But of course, there are a number of downsides to e-readers.

Reading your Kindle in the bath may sound like a lovely idea, until you drop it in the water and realise its is now useless. While real books would not fare that much better, they can at least dry out.

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A GOOD (E)BOOK

It is also incredibly difficult to read ahead on an e-reader. While the idea of a book in the first place is to read the entire thing, sometimes you just need to know what happens right at the end. Flicking a chunk of pages out of the way is easy enough to do with a physical book, but this is not the case for e-readers.

E-books VS print books: Jessica Worboys weighs in

There’s just something about books which is just better than e-readers – the saying goes ‘curl up with a book’ after all. Being able to turn the pages instead of pressing a button so the screen changes is just a much nicer feeling! (Book lovers out there, I’m sure you agree with me).

As one of those odd people who loves the smell of books both new and old, and whose weakness is book sales, the technological takeover of e-books and e-readers is something a wee bit saddening to me. While I really am a book-lover, admittedly there are a lot of positives to e-books and e-readers also.

You also certainly don’t hear about ‘e-book fairs’ or ‘e-reader sales’ happening in your local area. Real book fairs and sales are a fantastic way to pick up some bargains on second-hand books.

Admittedly I visited the latest University book fair five different times, picking up handfuls of books each visit. I now have a large number of extra books added onto my already incredibly long list of books I have to read.

As much as I would like to say I’d prefer their technological counterpart, the physical, papery goodness of a book will always be my favourite. What else would I fill up every inch of my shelving space with at home?

One obvious positive is how compact they are. Recently coming back from a 3-week holiday in Europe, I managed to read 5 books. Unfortunately, if I had packed 5 books in my suitcase I would’ve had barely any room for clothes, so I took Mum’s Amazon Kindle instead. Not only was the size helpful, but being able to load as many books as you could possibly want into it is also mighty handy.

Growing up, my Mum would tell me ‘don’t watch the TV too long or you’ll get square eyes,” while this may be physically impossible, as a kid you certainly wouldn’t want that to happen, so naturally I would switch to a book. As someone who is always on their phone, I would suggest taking a break every now and then, and get stuck into the book you’re currently reading – it’s a great way to simply avoid technology for a while.

With nearly every piece of digital technology comes WiFi, and with an e-reader you can simply download a book with a few presses of a button. Rather than having to run to your nearest bookstore once you’ve finished your latest novel, a new one is ready and waiting in your hands.

Designed by: Jackie Brock

So, will books last or will technology win once again? I think if there’s still oddballs who like smelling paper like myself out there, books will conquer.

30

Yak Magazine // October 2017

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Laura Kebby chats with UON Alumnus Hollie Newman about using her degree to create change

Where does your mind go when you think about the future? What is it that you’re hoping to do, with the hours you spent slaving away at your degree? Despite what society sometimes begs us to believe, we actually weren’t born to simply pay bills and die. Morbid? Perhaps. But it’s also a nice little fun fact to keep in your back pocket if you ever find yourself trapped inside a cubicle. Sometimes you meet someone who is not only willing to break outside of that mould, but smash it to flipping smithereens and take life into their own hands. Since this issue is all about the future, we decided to chat to one particular UON alumnus, who really embodies the notion of tenacity, combined with an unbridled desire for change. As a graphic designer, illustrator, and passionate creative, Hollie Newman is the person you aspire to be.

If you love what you do, you don’t have to work a day in your life. If you’ve ever wondered what this actually looks like in practice, all you really need to do is seek Hollie out and ask her about the ocean, or more specifically, how she combined her love for the deep blue and her skills as a graphic designer to found her own clothing company, aptly named - Elasmo. Derived from Elasmobranchii (fancy word for our shark and ray friends) Elasmo is so much more than producing fancy threads, it’s about the notion of: “understand, educate, and protect” as Hollie elaborates. “I’ve always

wanted Elasmo to change perspective. I want it to create and foster a community of people who want to fight to protect these amazing creatures. Lots of us together as a family will eventually make a bigger difference than we could ever imagine”.

For a time however, Elasmo was really just a big idea, an exciting whisper of ‘one day.’

But together with a small team, and a lot of hard work, Hollie has now made this dream a reality. “It’s always been in the back of my mind that I needed to do something with this idea, but I realised it wasn’t something that I could do alone. I ended up finding three of the most incredible people ever and all of us are actually willing to fight for the change that we want to see in the world”.

unparalleled love for our finned friends, that really forged the ethos behind Elasmo, says Hollie. “It was my way of combining a passion for the environment with a love for design. It was a way for me to use my design to actually make a difference.

Fashion is such an influential tool, and I wanted shirts centred around, educating and inspiring others to make a change. Oh and I just really, really love sharks”.

Wanna make a difference? Head on over to elasmo.com.au and splash your cash on some sweet threads, knowing that you’re directly promoting ocean conservation, breeding and protection programs. You look good, the world looks a little brighter, and the ocean just that little bit bluer.

It’s true, our finned friends definitely cop a ridiculously bad wrap particularly in the media but Hollie says it’s all about changing perspective, and combating this malicious fear mongering within an extended and caring community. “The media will always attach this ferocious imagery, and it’s all fear mongering. People are scared of sharks simply because they don’t know about them - it’s always that fear of the unknown”.

When most of us were learning to add two and two together, Hollie had her sights set on saving the world. It was this passion and fierce curiosity combined with an

31

Photo provided by: Elasmo

Designed by: Amy Lewis

9.

Labour Day Public Holiday

2.

MON

Semester 2 resumes

Stress Less Week, Ourimbah

Stress Less Week, Ourimbah

Team America, Derkenne Courtyard

Sails, Ourimbah

31. Free BBQ Lunch, the

30. Monday Movie:

Newcastle Entertainment Centre

24. Alice Cooper,

23.

Free BBQ Lunch, the Sails, Ourimbah

17.

32

16. Monday Movie: Ant Man, Derkenne Courtyard

Stress Less, Oval 4, Callaghan

Ride To Work Day

10. Mental Health Day

3.

TUES

Free BBQ Lunch, the Quad, Ourimbah

Trivia, 2pm, Café Bar, Ourimbah

Auchmuty Courtyard, Callaghan

25. Free BBQ Lunch,

Stress Less Week, Ourimbah

Trivia, 2pm, Café Bar, Ourimbah

Happy Hour and live music, 12pm-2pm, Café Bar, Ourimbah

Campus Life Awards, Derkenne Courtyard

RENT, Civic Playhouse

Sydney Blues and Roots Festival

RENT, Civic Playhouse

On The Hill

How To Adult, Café Bar, Ourimbah

Granny Smith Festival, Eastwood

The Entrance Market, Memorial Park

BOO SEEKA, Cambridge Hotel

Midnight Oil, Hope Estate

21. RENT, Civic Playhouse

Sydney Blues and Roots Festival

Graffiti Removal Day

Shelly Beach Markets, Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College, Shelly Beach

The Entrance Market, Memorial Park

Saskwatch, Small Ballroom

27. Halloween Party, Bar 28. RENT, Civic Playhouse

RENT, Civic Playhouse

Stress Less Week, Ourimbah

Space Green

26. Free BBQ Lunch, NeW

Stress Less Week, Ourimbah

How To Adult, Café Bar, Ourimbah

music, 12pm-2pm, Café Bar, Ourimbah

20. Happy Hour and live

Space Green

The Entrance Market, Memorial Park

Newcastle Fashion Weekend, Newcastle Jockey Club

Sydney Wine Festival, Rosehill Racecourse, Parramatta

Lionel Richie, Gosford Stadium

The Gooch Palms, Cambridge Hotel

14.

Olive Tree Markets, Civic Park

The Entrance Market, Memorial Park

Newcastle Fashion Weekend, Newcastle Jockey Club

18. Free BBQ Lunch, Auchmuty Courtyard, Callaghan

Hotel

7. Killing Heidi, Cambridge

SAT

Happy Hour and live music, 12pm-2pm, Café Bar, Ourimbah

13.

First date of Carl Barron, State Theatre, Sydney

19. Free BBQ Lunch, NeW

Sarah McLeod, 48 Watt Street

How To Adult, Café Bar, Ourimbah

Free BBQ Lunch, NeW Space Green

12.

6. Happy Hour and live music, 12pm-2pm, Café Bar, Ourimbah

FRI

Folk Fest, 11am-4pm, the Quad, Ourimbah

Trivia, 2pm, Café Bar, Ourimbah

Stress Less, Auchmuty Courtyard, Callaghan

Auchmuty Courtyard, Callaghan & the Quad, Ourimbah

11. Free BBQ Lunch,

Good Food Month begins, Sydney

Trivia, 2pm, Café Bar, Ourimbah Kibble Markets, Kibble Park

Stress Less, NeW Space

5. Free BBQ, NeW Space Green & the Quad, Ourimbah

THURS

4. Free BBQ Lunch, Auchmuty Courtyard, Callaghan

WED

Sydney Blues and Roots Festival

Last date for Carl Barron, State Theatre, Sydney

Hotel

29. DRAPHT, Cambridge

Fernleigh 15

ends, Sydney

22. Good Food Month

Sydney Wine Festival, Rosehill Racecourse, Parramatta

15.

8. My Fair Lady ends, Capitol Theatre

Yours & Owls Festival, Wollongong

Maitland Markets, Maitland Showground

This is Not Art – last day

1.

SUN

WHAT’S ON // OCTOBER Yak Magazine // October 2017

13.

First date of Muriel’s Wedding, Roslyn Packer Theatre

6. Semester 2 exams commence

MON

Pyrmont

28. ARIA Awards,

27. Trimester 3

STUVAC begins

21. Lorde, Sydney Opera House

33

20.

14.

Khalid, Hordern Pavilion

7. Melbourne Cup

TUES

16.

9.

Kibble Markets, Kibble Park

Free BBQ Lunch, NeW Space Green

2.

THURS

STUVAC concludes

29. Trimester 3

House

exams begins

30. Trimester 3

Trimester 3 concludes

Vance Joy, Enmore Theatre

Coates Hire Newcastle 500

Kingswood, Cambridge Hotel

Semester 2 exams conclude

On The Hill

24. The End Party, Bar

Miranda Sings, Civic Theatre Newcastle

British India, Cambridge Hotel

17.

10.

Newcastle Food and Wine Weekend, Lambton Park

Tonight Alive, Cambridge Hotel

RENT, Civic Playhouse

Semester 2 concludes

Happy Hour and live music, 12pm-2pm, Café Bar, Ourimbah

3.

FRI

Thirsty Merc, Cambridge Hotel

Space Green

22. Lorde, Sydney Opera 23. Free lunch BBQ, NeW

Paul Kelly, Newcastle Entertainment Centre

15.

8. Khalid, Hordern Pavilion

Bernard Fanning, Cambridge Hotel

Trivia, 2pm, Café Bar, Ourimbah

Free BBQ Lunch, Auchmuty Courtyard, Callaghan

Community Garden Day, Community Garden, Callaghan

1.

WED

Harry Styles, Enmore Theatre Coates Hire Newcastle 500

Shelly Beach Markets, Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College, Shelly Beach

The Entrance Market, Memorial Park

Newcastle 500

26. Coates Hire

19.

12.

Newcastle Food and Wine Weekend, Lambton Park

Bitter & Twisted Boutique Beer Festival, Maitland Gaol

5. Maitland Markets, Maitland Showground

SUN

Ceremony, Singapore

25. Graduation

Memorial Park

18. The Entrance Market,

AUS-X Open, Qudos Bank Arena

Memorial Park

11. The Entrance Market,

Olive Tree Markets, Civic Park

Newcastle Food and Wine Weekend, Lambton Park

The Entrance Market, Memorial Park

Bitter & Twisted Boutique Beer Festival, Maitland Gaol

THIS THAT, Wickham Park

4. RENT, Civic Playhouse

SAT

WHAT’S ON // NOVEMBER Yak Magazine // October 2017

Designed by: Reid McManus

Created by: Joe Palmer

Yak Magazine // October 2017

BOOKMARKS “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ― Dr. Seuss

CUT ME OUT!

CUT ME OUT!

CUT ME OUT!

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Mandala Art: Joanna Lewis Designed by: Amy Lewis

Yak Magazine // October 2017

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