Verse Magazine - Edition 52

VERSE

Crushing Reunion

Flowers on the side of the Road

Which season are you? | Personality Quiz

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

It was and always will be Aboriginal land.

Verse Magazine acknowledges the Kaurna, Boandik and Barngarla First Nations People as the traditional custodians of the unceded lands that are now home to the Univeristy of South Australia’s campuses in Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Whyalla. Verse Magazine respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past, present and emerging. Verse Magazine also acknowledge the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia.

Welcome to Edition 52, our most versatile edition of 2023 thus far.

Curating this edition was a delight. Verse is akin to receiving a box of wrapped treats and chocolates. There is a flavour for everyone, and you cannot get enough of it!

This edition is unapologetically radiant. As always, it presents an array of diverse talents across the student community at UniSA, which is vast and boundless.

From an informative article on sexual wellbeing and HIV-testing vending machines, to pensive portraits and media reviews, this edition is brimming with artistic and idiosyncratic flair.

The Verse Team hope that you may adore this edition as much as we do.

Until Next Edition,

Tamara Montina

Scan the code using Search in your Spotify app to listen all the playlist.

Photography taught me to slow down and observe life around us, it taught me that two ends of a spectrum can co-exist in harmony, it taught me that no person is too small to have their big story to be told.

Greta Van Fleet have Met the Master

WORDS JORDAN DZWINIEL

Greta Van Fleet have returned after touring for the past two years to announce their extremely anticipated third album, Starcatcher, set for release on July 21st. The band have released their first single,

‘Meeting the Master ’,which is written and recorded by the band in RCA Studios in Nashville. The band consist of Josh Kiszka (Vocalist), Jake Kiszka (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals), Sam Kiszka (Bass, Keys and Backing vocals) and Danny Wagner (Drums, Backing Vocals). Three brothers and a family friend from a small town in Michigan, USA called Frankenmuth.

From the bands press release relating to the single it mentions, the love servants have for their teacher and their belief in his vision.

“Meeting the Master peers into an esoteric world heeded by the world of a wise teacher. Sung in the voice of a devout believer, and eventual group exclamation, the song details,” the band had explained. Meeting the Master may not be the opening track to the album, as it actually finishes second to last on the track listing, but, the five-

minute track most definitely opens you up to a new world and what to expect from the new album. The song begins with an acoustic introduction to set the scene. It’s a different start to what we have heard on their previous albums. The build up with the acoustic guitar helps introduce Josh Kiszka’s voice. The mellow introduction of him singing, ‘what a day to meet the master’, makes you picture a servant talking to his teacher. This is probably one of his best performances so far as he shows a different vocal range we haven’t heard before. Meeting the Master may have a slow build up for now, but it is worth it.

After the first chorus, we get introduced to Sam Kiszka on the keys, He plays a flute-type tune to go along with the guitar. Both instruments gel perfectly and really help paint the picture of

‘meeting the Master’. Bassist/Keyboardist, Sam Kiszka, mentions his take on Meeting the Master and Starcatcher.

“When I imagine the world of Starcatcher, I think of the cosmos. It makes me ask a lot of questions, like, ‘where did we come from?’ or ‘what are we doing here?’”

“But, it’s also questions like, ‘what is this consciousness that we have, and where did it come from?’” And Meeting the Master helps back this statement.

As we get introduced to the bridge, the song begins to pick up with the keys kicking into gear. We then enter the second pre chorus, we hear the drums of Danny Wagner, and Josh Kiszka, the voice we know and love from songs like Safari Song, My Way, Soon and When the Curtain Falls.

Jake Kiszka switches from acoustic guitar to electric switching up the pre-chorus and showing us the wow factor. Josh continues to wail over the guitar with, “ooh, hey!” giving us the feeling of being in the cosmos.

It then rips into a guitar solo in true Greta Van Fleet fashion, but it has a different take to the normal Jake Kiszka solos we have heard. It takes you out of this world as it pushes you side to side with the solo switching from left to right, it makes you keep complete focus on what is happening.

We then get a reference that Greta Van Fleet fans will get, with Josh Kiszka singing ‘ram, ram, ram’, referencing the track, ‘Trip the light Fantastic’ from The Battle at Garden’s Gate.

The song then leads us out to an impressive crescendo without

going over the top. It really has the perfect ending to a song.

Guitarist Jake Kiszka explains the ending well, “we didn’t really have to force or be intense about writing, because everything that happened was very instinctual.”

The band have taken a leap forward with this album and single. Showing critics that they are here to stay and to show the world what they can do.

If anything, Meeting the Master is only the opening to the world of Starcatcher and we’re going to be in for a wild ride when it officially comes out on July 21st

Crushing Reunion

I wish that I could change

More than just my hair

To prove time has whittled me

Temporary colour can’t compare

Why do you get to be tall

And tower over me

When all my roots grow out

It’s my roots that you will see

And I know that something’s different I see it in my eyes

I stare at all the pictures

I can’t relate even if I tried

But I wonder if you notice

The proof that I am me

Not who you’ve remembered

I promise now I’m pretty

Every heart contains A memory that we share

Does your silver screen watch me

Or am I projecting what was there

Why do you get to forget

While I hold it over me

For your peaceful apple orchard

I sit and feel the gravity

And I know that something’s different

I see it in my eyes

I stare at all the pictures

Can’t relate even if I tried

But I wonder if you notice

The proof that I am me

Not who you’ve remembered

I promise now I’m pretty

I promise now I’m pretty

WORDS RACHEL FORBES

Confortable is Bothersome

I have learnt to be comfortable is bothersome. I have learnt while young, to be a breeze, attractive, mannered and patient is lovely. Now when I speak I feel impolite. Rudeness seeps from my skin. I do not even have to speak to feel unwelcome.

I feel intrusive, as if I bother you through any movement made. From existing. From wanting to see you.

How dare I approach you and pretend we hold mutuality.

Must I wait for you to tell me I am your equal before I believe it?

Must I stay quiet and harmless?

I feel a need to, yet blame you for the instinct, excusing any submission of mine through your acceptance of it.

How dare you let me cower in conversation.

How dare you remind me of my calming presence, politeness or beauty, only after I ask of you to.

WORDS CHIARA ARRUZZOLO

Evil Dead (2013)

Good or bad?

Trigger Warning: Mentions of gore, supernatural elements and drug addiction.

In 1981, Sam Raimi directed Evil Dead – a gory, supernatural horror film about a group of young adults who discover the Necronomicon, a “book of the dead”, and unleash a plethora of terrifying demons. Raimi’s Evil Dead also helped jumpstart the ‘cabin in the woods’ horror trope and cemented Ash Williams (played by Bruce Campbell) as a horror icon, amongst the likes of Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees. There are two more films in the Evil Dead trilogy, with Evil Dead II (1987) and Army of Darkness (1993). Evil Dead II was iconic, as it was scarier, gorier and funnier than the first. It also served as a soft reboot of the first film. Army of Darkness went in a different direction, as Ash goes back to the medieval era. It sounds like a ridiculous premise but in the right hands of Sam Raimi, it worked. 1993 was the last Evil Dead project for 20 years, until 2013.

In 2013, it was announced that there would be a new Evil Dead film, but not one helmed by Raimi, or featuring Campbell. The new director, Fede Alvarez, had never even directed a feature film before. These decisions were met with criticism, as how could there be an Evil Dead film without either Raimi or Campbell? It seemed like a poor decision to do,

as Evil Dead had already done a soft reboot with Evil Dead II, and with no Ash Williams featuring, it would feel just like a nostalgic cash-grab. But Alvarez decided to go in a different route, use new characters to tell a different story. It also decided to strip away something else that made the original trilogy so great – it took away the humour. Whilst that might seem like a dumb decision, it worked. The film is intended to be horrific, nightmare fuel. Humour worked in the original trilogy, as Ash was a comedic character. Having humour like the original trilogy would make it feel like the original trilogy, and separating the two makes the 2013 version stand out.

Evil Dead was record-breaking, as at the time it was the film with the most fake blood used – over 70,000 gallons. It also used all practical effects, with only one CGI scene used for the film. Alvarez was dedicated to making the film look as realistic

WORDS CHARLIE MCATEER

NA

TU RE

I was searching for a way to be free from everyday distractions and I found myself escaping into nature, which motivated me to do landscape photography. Every time I take my camera and my drone out for a photoshoot, I hope to bring out a new perspective on places we see everyday, and to show the world how beautiful the things that we take for granted are.

PHOTOGRAPHY & WORDS SUNETH NERANJ

BY SUNETH NERANJ

A Career In The Making: UniSA Creative Industry Graduate. Katie Spain

By UniSA Creative Writing & Literature Student, Melissa Raymond

From UniSA to become Australia’s most inspirational female food and wine writer, author, and humble celebrant. The girl from the bush who once filled milk buckets for pocket money has taken the writing world by storm. Her dairy farmer parents had no doubt Katie would become a writer and surpass the pristine life on the family farm. After finishing boarding school, Katie excitedly enrolled in UniSA to study Professional Writing and Communication, Journalism. From a young age she loved books and knew studying an Arts degree would lead to a rewarding career.

Independent and full of spirit

Katie’s ambitious nature utilized UniSA’s resources which led her to complete the university degree overseas and accelerate career prospects.

“In my last semester I took a scholarship, an internship in Stuttgart (Germany) where I completed studies in journalism. Then I got the travel bug.” Katie said.

Recalling her youthful memories while sipping a lukewarm coffee, she gazes at a huge pile of ironing beside a suitcase, ready to hit the road.

WRITER the girl from the bush...

Germany to London at the time was the hub for graduating Uni students to immerse themselves in a transient city. Jam-packed with cultural experiences, diversity, and opportunities. The world was Katie’s oyster and a burning desire to become a successful writer drove her travels. Her first job as online editor for

...the BBC called

Magicalia gave her a taste for writing feature articles, specialising in lifestyle stories. Then the BBC called offering a gig on weekends.

“I knew to become a successful media writer I had to get this job. And I did! Seven days a week, six months on the go, managing the Russian editorial news feeds…”, she chuckles, “I didn’t speak Russian either.” A pursuit for success keeps the fire and midnight oil burning but speaking with Katie, it’s obvious, she just loves to write. Her vivacious charisma is captivating. She loves glitter and must wear colour, possibly a reflection spending time at London’s West End Theatre where she interviewed celebrities and wrote travel blogs.

Within a few short years, Katie’s life had transformed from a UniSA student to quoting mega stars. She has interviewed a screen goddess, Helen Mirren, and golden globe superstar Christian Slater. Not bad for a university scholar and a warm-hearted country girl just wanting “to tell stories with heart.”

“I remember interviewing Helen Mirren, my first major interview,” Katie said. “It was in a posh London hotel and I was surrounded by pushy male journalists. Helen was playing the lead role in ‘The Queen’ at the time and was wearing the biggest diamond ring I’ve ever seen. The journos fired questions at Helen like bullets. I couldn’t get a word in. Suddenly, she stopped talking, turned to me, and said, ‘Don’t ever let anyone push you around, you deserve to be heard.’ I’ve never forgotten it.”

From London to Sydney and back to her grassroots of South Australia, Katie has dabbled in radio, and remains a key editor for prominent lifestyle magazines. She is a freelance writer, a feature writer for Wine Business Magazine and national drinks writer for

Good Food sharing mouthwatering experiences and stories for Fairfax Media.

After initial encounters with artisan producers and winemakers Katie said, “I needed to school-up and learn the wine lingo. I love wine, particularly Coonawarra Cabernet. But how does a wine enthusiast decide what to pair with what, without being a “winewanker.”

From this, her ambitious nature

FROM A UNISA STUDENT TO QUOTING

MEGA STARS.

required more skills which led her back to the keyboard with numerous wine-tasting glasses in hand, an essential requirement to formally achieve commendation in Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) studies. In 2021, life stopped for a moment, it was one of the first times Katie realised she was a good writer. Driving at the time, she pulled over and watched Australia’s Wine Communicator Awards. Pen in hand and eagerly waiting to report the next industry star, she hears, “Best Published Feature Article, Katie Spain. Wine Communicator of the Year, drinks writer, Katie Spain.”

A lifestyle and feature writing career has its challenges. It entails endless travel to meet new and old friends. It demands experiences while consuming copious amounts of food and wine. Mingling with people is essential to sharing stories through creative writing. It is not just a job, it is a lifestyle.

Spending time with this down to earth country girl is contagious. Her vitality and intellect push boundaries with no sign of slowing down. During lock-down she became a celebrant, not just to tell more stories, but to become part of them. Her feature articles are on most Australian tables and online platforms. She is one of Australia’s most prominent female role models in the writing world. She’s a strong believer in mentors - “find one early!”

Image source

1. Linkedin/Katie Spain 21-4-2022

2-3. WBM/WSET Course 17-7-2017

4. WBM/Foolproof Tips 29-3-2017

“Wine brings people together, it’s a generous industry, full of inspiring people and stories, like riesling legend, John Vickery, and d’Arry Osborn, creator of d’Arenberg Wines.”

Katie tips:

Be tenacious, find your voice

Be

humble, kind, know your worth

White Sheets

Photographer Lindsay Rainey

Model Raiya Ernst

Editorial Assistance Tamara Montina

Bethsheba Barliea

Roger Malu

Winter flowers

Each day autumn leaves, And we creep closer to winter. We dance around like thieves, Avoiding the dead grass splinters. Me - the fire, you - the flood. Never, or always too much

I joke that you remind me a bit, Of a golden retriever my aunt owned. I stumble around to not admit, I still have the scar on my arm from his jawbone. People tend to forget that about youThat the kindness hides teeth, too

You were there, sweetheart, I learned what ‘autopsy’ meant. To take someone apart, So you could find their discontent. This is how I have always felt love , Buried open among the foxglove.

You try to tell me a story, Of pomegranate and bloodshed. Where the hero gets the glory, And the dragon ends up dead. I don't think you meant to imply, But I’m the dragon, promised to die.

You were always the hero in prose, I couldn't see you as any less. Couldn't picture the shadows, Hidden in the white lace of your dress. You hold me like water in your hand. Foolishly calling me your homeland.

Winter’s first day is warm, And it’s a pleasant surprise, Hiding threats of an imminent storm, And beautiful grey skies.

Whispered requests during winter showers, At my funeral, there will be no flowers.

WORDS JORDAN FLAY

Flowers on the side of the road

Poppies and roses freshly cut and arranged in buckets on the side of the road, a breath of Summer as the clouds gather overhead. A solitary, peeling shack stands sentry, reclaimed by the daisies and clove. A jar of change rests on the boarded window, and someone somewhere believes in the goodness of people. Dust is kicked into the air by the slowly picking up of winds, but in the country there’s no one to

A hand-painted sign leans against the shack: Sale – flowers $5. Dewdotted grass sprouts up around it, slightly obscuring the lettering. Fresh puddles gather around, like a flooded creek in miniature. A car appears like a pinprick in the distance, lone but not lonely, packed with laughter and life. The windows are down to let in the roar of the wind and the sweet, earthy smell of the air before rain. Poppies

and roses watch it approach much too quickly, stems turned towards it like sunflowers to a bomb blast.

The first drops arrive just before the thunder, rumbling beyond the horizons; the sounds of rockfall in the sky that promises Summer showers. The car is filled with strong coffee from a country town and the melodic drumming of rain on the windshield. Poppies and roses blow in the strengthening wind, bending at the stems and leaving behind petals like breadcrumbs.

Thunder and lighting, and rain. Coffee and laughter, and life.

Poppies and roses, and tacky cellophane wrapping, taped to a pole on a wet country road.

WORDS SARAH PETTINA

Vending machineswitha purpose:

the Adelaide organisation reducing HIV transmission in South Australia

In a nation-first initiative, one Adelaide organisation is connecting South Australians to free HIV testing kits, with the goal of putting an end to HIV transmission.

South Australia has become the first state in Australia to implement free HIV testing kits, thanks to ongoing federal funding.

On March 1, the Australian Government announced a new national action plan and a $26 million investment in health and medical research focusing on LGBTQIA+ communities at the WorldPride 2023 Human Rights Conference.

South Australia Mobilisation and Empowerment for Sexual Health (SAMESH) have created the Connect 2 > project, an initiative designed to ramp up HIV testing in South Australia without people having to pay or see a medical professional.

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler said the federal government’s new action plan will aim to eliminate HIV

HIV transmission data (AFAO 2023)

The vending machines can be found in five locations around Adelaide

transmission in Australia, and support initiatives like the Connect 2> project.

“While many LGBTQIA+ people live happy and healthy lives, others continue to experience discrimination, stigma, isolation,

“harassment and violence – all of which leads to poorer health,” Minister Butler said.

“The plan will build on the Government’s commitments to accelerate the elimination of HIV transmission in Australia and guide the reforms needed to ensure LGBTQIA+ Australians are given every chance to live healthier lives.”

The HIV test vending machines will allow access to those who may not otherwise test, which SAMESH Project Coordinator, Professor Nikki Sullivan says is essential for encouraging ongoing sexual health testing in South Australia.

“Seventy-four per cent of those using our kits have never tested for

The vending machines’ instructions are translated into eight different languages

HIV before,” Professor Sullivan said.

“HIV is most common among men who have sex with men (MSM), but whilst the numbers are dropping amongst that group, they are stable among heterosexuals, meaning cases of HIV are actually rising amongst heterosexuals.”

According to the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisation (AFAO), 27 per cent of HIV cases in Australia are made up of those who identify as heterosexual.

The Connect2> project is designed for people who currently experience multiple barriers to HIV testing including cost, time, privacy, stigma, and discrimination.

“HIV doesn’t discriminate, unlike us,” Professor Sullivan said.

Want a f r e e tset-flesVIH k i t

The Connect2> project is designed to be a culturally safe and accessible campaign, with all HIV kits translated into eight different languages and found in discrete and safe locations where target populations frequent.

The vending machines can be found in five locations around Adelaide, with four of the five

at Adelaide University and UniSA campuses, and the other located inside ‘Pultney 431’ (Adelaide’s only sex on premises sight).

Fourth-year Adelaide University International Development Student, Lauryn Farmer believes the implementation of the HIV vending machines will change the way young people view HIV for the better.

“The HIV vending machines help destigmatise the disease by increasing visibility and information,” Ms Farmer said.

“The machines also increase accessibility to prevention methods in a demographic that typically both struggles financially and are at higher risk for the disease.”

With the announcement of the federal government’s action plan, the Connect2> project will continue to be a successful and ongoing project, enabling South Australia to work towards ending the HIV epidemic  by 2030.

To learn more, or find one of the five HIV testing locations in South Australia, visit the SAMESH website for more information.

WORDS & IMAGES AMELIA WALTERS

Which Season Are you?

Personality

Quiz

1.

How would your friends describe your personality?

a) Optimistic and friendly

b) Moody and outspoken

c) Confident and organised

d) Passionate and impulsive

WORDS VERSE TEAM

ARTWORK TAYBAH HAMZA

2.

What's your weakness?

a) Passive

b) Self-indulgent

c) Unfiltered

d) Stubborn

3.

Which colour do you resonate most with?

a) Blue

b) Green

c) Purple

d) Orange

4.

What's your comfort activity?

a) Journalling by the beach

5.

b) Indoor movie night

c) Reading at a picnic

d) Strolling leisurely in a garden

Pick a song

a) Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles

b) November by Tyler The Creator

c) Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae

d) All Too Well by Taylor Swift

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Be Unproductive

President’s Letter

My name is Isaac Solomon, and I am the USASA President for 2023.

In this edition of Verse, I wanted to talk about what it means to be productive.

As students, we can sometimes become obsessed with the idea of being productive. If we don’t feel like we’re achieving great things every day, we tend to freak out or resign ourselves to being failures. Being productive is quite obviously a good thing; it means we can spend time with friends, do recreational activities, or earn

money, but sometimes the idea of needing to be “productive” all the time can become an unhealthy obsession.

Being productive has its place, but we’re all human. Viewing all our actions through a lens of productivity can not only be, ironically, “counter-productive,” but also harmful to our mental and physical wellbeing.

Often, we tend to use productivity as a measure of whether we had a good or bad day, saying things like “I didn’t get much done today” or “I got a lot done”. The fact of the matter is that not every day is going to be as productive as the last, and sometimes pushing too hard to get things done can result in one thing students are all too familiar with… burnout.

Almost all of us have suffered from burnout at some stage. The high number of tasks and the tsunami of information we receive daily can be overwhelming. We often struggle to take a step back and allow ourselves to de-stress.

While there is an argument that can be made for wanting to be as productive as possible during work or study hours, sometimes this can creep into our personal lives, driving us insane with the thought of “wasting time”.

If we push ourselves too far and are unable to turn off, it can result in the opposite effect; we become less productive at the times we would like to be the most productive. At the end of the day, we are all humans, and recognising our mental and psychological limits can sometimes be harder than recognising our physical ones.

If you are like me and like to keep busy, you probably know the feeling of wanting to take on every opportunity. Taking on new opportunities or seeking to help others are all worthy pursuits, but we also need to allow time for selfcare. Self-care is never a waste of time.

It is ok to take time to be “unproductive” and just focus on us. You don’t have to read books to

We often struggle to take a step back and allow ourselves to de-stress.

get smart; sometimes you can just read. You don’t have to walk or run to get fit, sometimes you can just walk. There is nothing wrong with watching your favourite show just for the sake of unwinding. Being “unproductive” is not the antithesis of all things good; in fact, it can be quite the opposite.

The challenge I would put to you as readers is to recognise the good things in your life that aren’t necessarily conducive to being “productive”. Not every activity you do needs a reason. If we are lucky, we’re studying or working in a field that we love, but humans aren’t

solely made to work. Take the time for yourself, and free yourself of guilt. Be unproductive.

Ngaityalya (Thank you)  (Nai-chal-ya)

Isaac Solomon

Take the time for yourself and free yourself of guilt".

“

Contributors

Amelia Walters

Charlie McAteer

Chiara Arruzzolo

Gail Carr

Isaac Solomon

Jordan Dzwiniel

Jordan Flay

Justin Leung

Lucia Rojas

Melissa Raymond

Rachel Forbes

Raiya Ernst

Sarah Pettina

Suneth Neranj

Tamara Molina

Tayba Hamza

Vivi L

@ameliaw.claire

@charlieeemac

@ft.chiaraarruzzolo

@jellie_art

@isaacdsolomon

@agnothesie

@_just_tin_

@picaronstudio

@rachel.eleanor

@raiyaernst

@amnestywrites

@sky_line_pictures

@bytamaramontina

@_designbytay