Issue 88.1

n Dit

ISSUE 88.1 FEBRUARY 2020

n Dit 2020

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Check out our content callout lists and submission dates at facebook.com/onditmagazine Find us on: Instagram @onditmag Twitter @onditmagazine

ON DIT CONTENTS Editorial What’s on?

State of the Union SRC President Left, Right, and Centre Vox Pop Club Spotlight Econ Dit Rural Student News International Student News ARTICLES Why I love the Socialist Alternative Corbynism should Stay, but Remain must Leave Banded Together Hot tips for our hot climate Constitutional circumvention Adjusting to uni life Burn Out Warning: Vacillation may be harmful to your campaign Biggest uni mistake Why we need a drastic culture shift Great Fires of London The University of Melbadelaide Inside Singapore Is that the drums of war I hear?

Cocktails to define your summer

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Democrats Abroad Interview Film Review: Parasite Pop Quiz

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ARTWORK AND CREATIVE WRITING Heartbreak 56

EDITORS Nick Birchall Felix Eldridge Taylor Fernandez Larisa Forgac

24 26 DESIGN 28 Larisa Forgac 32 34 37 38 41 42 44 46 48 50 COVER ART Stirling Mural 52 By Lucinda Penn Instagram: lcnd_

We wish to acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional custodians of the Adelaide region on which the University of Adelaide is located. We also acknowledge Elders, living and past, and understand that the cultural and heritage beliefs that the Kaurna people hold are still important to the living members of their community today.

EDITORIAL

Hello from Felix, Taylor, Larisa and Nick We wish you a warm welcome to the University of Adelaide in 2020, whether this is your first, last or intermediate year. This year is a big one for us because we are celebrating 88 years of On Dit. While On Dit has had an illustrious history and this anniversary is important for us, 88 years is a particularly special anniversary for the Chinese community. The number 8 is considered ‘lucky’ due to sounding like the Chinese word for ‘prosperity’. However, the more times an 8 is added to a number, the luckier it gets. 88 is twice as lucky as 8 alone. Since this is the 88th year of On Dit, we hope that our magazine will be blessed with amazing luck and prosperity and we also hope that the luck trickles down to all our readers.

The year 2020 also carries a lot of meaning for the editors. We entered this year having a clear vision of what we want for the magazine. In particular, we will be holding student representatives to account with increased quality coverage of meetings and elections, increase submissions from rural and international students and will bring in interactive activities for readers (with prizes). Finally, we are committed to enriching campus culture through the promotion of clubs, events, and activities on campus. Whether you plan to read the magazine cover to cover every time or to just skim through it every once in a while, we want to make sure there is something in there that will impress you and keep you entertained.

Finally, we would like to encourage you to enjoy uni life to the fullest. This doesn’t just mean catching up with friends over a coffee or at the Unibar (although both are good options). It means engaging with the services and facilities that our uni has to offer. The AUU not only hosts amazing events, but is also there to meet student’s needs. Check in with your AUU or SRC reps and see what they can do for you and how your voice can be heard. Last but certainly not least, contribute to On Dit! We welcome all sorts of submissions so this is a fantastic opportunity to have your work published and seen by many people. So keep an eye out for our callout lists on our social media pages and we look forward to reading your submissions!

Here’s to another great year of On Dit!

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N O S ’ T A H W ?

N O S ’ T A H W O’Ball/Skullduggery WHEN: 27th February, 7-11:30pm WHERE: Maths Lawns

Hello Adelaide: Faculty of Arts WHEN: 27th February, 10am-4pm WHERE: Botanic Gardens, Central Market, Glenelg

O’Week Lazy Breakfast WHEN: 27th February, 11:30am WHERE: Goodman Lawns

Women’s Collective Social Catch-Up Lunch WHEN: 4th March, 12pm WHERE: Hughes Building 806

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W ?

N O S ’ T A H W ?

N Vision Youth Pizza and Planning WHEN: 5th March, 5:30pm WHERE: Location TBA

Careers Fair with the AULSS WHEN: 12th March, 11am-2pm WHERE: Ligertwood Building

ABSS Shake Your Assets WHEN: 12th March, 7:30pm WHERE: West Oak Hotel

AUES Pub Crawl

WHEN: 27th March, 7:30pm WHERE: Various Adelaide venues

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STATE OF THE UNION Words by AUU President Stella Seung-Joo Woo

Hello everyone and welcome to, or back to, the University of Adelaide. I’m Stella and for 2020 I will be the president of the Adelaide University Union (AUU). I am currently studying Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with Mathematical and Computer Science. As the president, my role is to lead the AUU Board to make decisions and represent the students of the University of Adelaide. The Union is the student organisation on campus run by students.

As a student representative, I will always be interested to hear what you need on campus and want to see while you spend your time here.

For you first-year students, most of you would be incoming from high school. I’m sure you all would have heard stories about uni life, but just to let you know everyone has a different experience. It’s important to shape and build up your own experience. You may feel lost or unsure during the first few weeks but don’t worry, try putting yourself out there. And if you ever need help, we student representatives will be around to help.

I know my first step to feeling a part of uni was purchasing a Union membership. Not only did it give me discounts, but there’s a wide variety of events, giveaways and fortnightly member lunches. The Union also runs a wide range of services including academic advocacy, welfare and grants; events on campus; On Dit Magazine and On Dit Radio; Clubs; Employment and Volunteering Services and so much more! We run all sorts

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of events on all campusus throughout the year with music, food, entertainment and much more.

Not only that, we also have around 150+ clubs currently on campus. If you don’t find a club that you want to join you can just start a club yourself. Clubs are one of the easiest ways to make friends and enjoy your hobbies, and to gain experience! Starting something new in your first year may be quite nerve wracking but don’t worry, we are all here to help you.

On a final note, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our AUU staff for their countless hours of work organising O’Week.

Together, we are here to make your student life the best experience at university. If you have any questions, feel free to drop by at Level 4 Union House and while you are there, grab a free 2020 Diary from the AUU Office!

Stella Seung-Joo Woo President, Adelaide University Union auupresidnet@auu.org.au

SRC PRESIDENT Words by SRC President Henry Armfield

Welcome to another year at The University of Adelaide!

My name is Henry Armfield, I’m this year’s Student Representative Council President. If you see me around campus feel free to say g’day and have a chat about the SRC! The SRC exists solely to represent the interests of students. We operate both within the university and externally.

My advice to everyone, whether you are starting first year or returning as a grizzled fourth year, is to get involved! Whether it be joining a club, a big ball, a pub crawl, picking up a sport, volunteering, or even just grabbing a coffee or pint on campus, university life is what we make it. There is nowhere in South Australia where you will find more people, engaging in more communities, in a more open way than the University of Adelaide.

My goal this year is to oppose and stop the further commercialisation of the university, and advocate for an uncompromised high quality of education. The tertiary education system becomes more driven by money by the year. As new students commence their studies, they enter a fight to the bottom of the funding barrel.

Universities are forced by their funding structure to wring students dry for more funding, cut staff, reduce services, and ultimately degrade the education we attend for.

The proposed idea of trimesters at the University of Adelaide is simply another means of making money. No matter the format, they will lead to a reduced quality of education, less time for students to work, and must be fought by the collective student voice on all fronts.

I also aim to increase the services available to students who are struggling with their finances, life, and mental health. Student life can be isolating, boring, and stressful.

Reduced opportunity to work because of study, sweeping casualisation of work, and little support from government during study, puts us in an incredibly tough place in our lives.

The very least the university and union can do is to provide readily available counselling in our times of need. Around semester two exams in 2019, students had to wait a minimum of five weeks to get an appointment with a university councellor. Waiting over a month for advice in the most stressful period of the year is unacceptable.

The University has hired two more counsellors with the remaining SSAF from 2019 at the request of the previous SRC. The current SRC and I will continue to call for more until counselling availability is satisfactory.

If you would like to get in contact with me about anything at all, email me at henry. armf@outlook.com, or message me on Facebook.

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LEFT RIGHT & CENTRE LEFT

Ben Foster Socialist Alternative 1. The government hasn’t just responded inadequately, they’ve made everything worse. As the world’s leading coal exporter, the Australian establishment has driven these fires. Fire services have been severely underfunded, placing communities at risk. Futhermore, those who are firefighting do so without meaningful compensation. When people’s homes are destroyed, they are effectively ditched. Financial support for survivors is measly: $1000 for adults plus Newstart rates, capped at 13 weeks. The fossil fuel industry should be taxed to pay for a thorough reconstruction.

The Labor Party have made it clear that they don’t want to bring down this criminal government. Instead they continue supporting the expansion of coal/gas extraction. Thankfully, Uni Students for Climate Justice have responded by organising militant protests across Australia.

2. Imagine if Mike Pence were killed by an Iranian airstrike. This question wouldn’t be posed in terms of “dangerous

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precedents” or the need for a “higher burden of proof.” The US empire would immediately impose more brutal war on the world, and the international establishment would support it.

This assassination was an act of war from Trump, almost causing full-blown conflict.

Already this century, US war has left about one million Iraqis dead. They have no right to be in the Middle East.

3. The tax on beer is regressive and classist. Let people have cheaper beer.

Instead, tax the rich!

CENTRE

Henry Armfield Adelaide University Labor Club 1. It has left everything to be desired, namely an immediate change of government and real climate action.

Whitlam was dismissed for much less, so why not?

2. All imperial powers and their affiliates must withdraw from not only the middle east, but every country and region which is not explicitly theirs. This should not be a discussion about whether it was good

1. Has the federal government’s response to the bushfire crises been adequate, or left more to be desired?

2. At the time of Trump administration’s airstrike on Quesam Soleimani, no specific reason was given, beyond the fact that Soleimani posed a threat to US citizens. Does this set a dangerous precedent regarding the justification for US military intervention, and barring immediate threats to embedded operatives, should a higher burden of proof be required when undertaking such confrontational acts?

3. In August last year, tax on beer was increased. Historically Australia has not taxed wine at anywhere near a comparable rate. Is it time for this to change?

that the USA assassinated an Iranian general. It should be a discussion about how to dismantle the imperial machine that guarantees endless war. The idea that this action alone sets a precedent regarding justification of intervention without proof is A-historic and false. The USA has, and always will, manufacture public consent through lies, whether they be the existence of WMD’s, or the alleged threat that Soleimani posed. War is a racket, politicians who make decisions which incite war should be universally condemned for the blood they have on their hands.

3. Both taxes are anti-Australian, scrap them both and tax the rich.

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Isaac Trumble Adelaide University Liberal Club 1. The 2019/2020 bushfire season has been tragic. Homes, businesses and most importantly lives, have been lost.

In response, the Government has made billions of dollars available for families, small business owners and payments for volunteer CFS who have lost out

through their generosity. The Government is working to provide mental health assistance for those affected. Lastly, the Federal Government called in the ADF and ADF Reserves to assist. In my experience, the quiet Australians know the Government is adequately responding to this tragedy.

2. Soleimani was a reprehensible terrorist responsible for the killing of 603 US servicemembers and countless more injured by IED’s. Through the IRGC Quds Force, he supported the antisemitic terrorist organizations Hezbollah and Hamas. He was a high ranking official of a State which oppresses women, executes homosexuals and murders political dissidents. There is no way this evil man didn’t deserve his fate. As far as setting a dangerous precedent goes, that ship sailed when Obama ordered 563 drone strikes against targets far less important than Soleimani.

3. Yes. Wine should be taxed at a comparable rate to beer. The way to achieve this is to reduce the tax on beer to that of wine.

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vox 1.

2.

3.

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Are you happy to be back at Uni? Which of your courses are you most looking forward to this semester?

See any good movies over the holidays?

Go anywhere exciting?

One goal you want to accomplish this semester?

James Davies Marketing

Hugh Sutton International Development

1. Yes, keen to get back into it, and the social aspects of class.

2. None of them, as they all involve group assignments.

3. The only movie I saw was Star Wars and that was the definition of ‘Meh’.

4. Went down to Carrickalinga for a few days, but was working for a lot of the holidays so didn’t have much time.

5. I’d like to put in enough effort to pass well, while being able to drink bulk beers on the weekend.

1. Of course, as a part-time student it’s always good to be able to get back on campus!

2. I’m really looking forward to my Development Studies course this semester – ‘Poverty and Social Development’.

3. I saw Knives Out and it was excellent.

4. I went to Phillip Island in Victoria for a bit over the Christmas break.

5. Being better at not leaving assignments to the last minute.

pop 5. Stress less. Achieve more.

Sounds stupid but is a huge one for me. This year’s workload will be significantly less than I have experienced in years so I hope that I will be able to take some more time for friends, work and relaxing while still making an effort to contribute to my current commitments such as my sport teams and Uni committees.

Kate Chapman Veterinary Science 1. Ugh, yes and no. I’m always glad to be back studying after a long break but the novelty wears off pretty quickly. Just excited to be back into a routine again.

2. My one and only course is Physics and I’m actually really excited for it. Not exactly sure what physics has to do with vet science but oh well.

3. Frozen 2 is the one and only movie I’ve watched and I can’t fault it. Sorry not sorry. But the series on Netflix, ‘Cheer’ was also a great watch.

4. Went to lots of beaches and planning to go to more exciting places later this year, maybe back to Europe or Asia.

Also, I’ll hopefully visit my brother in Sydney soon.

Arabella Wauchope Law/Pyschological Science 1. Yeahhhh sleep ins are very, very nice though.

2. My Psych ones so I can read minds.

3. ‘Gone With The Wind’.

4. Shark infested beaches :( 5. Drink more green tea.

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GAMES Club Ashley Jayasuriya

CLUB SPOTLIGHT

1. Why did you join the club?

It took a while for me to join formally, as the club doesn’t require formal membership. Anyone can come along and enjoy board games, card games and other fun for free. I thought that games were an easy ice breaker and I was right.when you’re focused on a game you have less time to be nervous and structured ways to interact with others.

2. What sorts of events does your club run?

Three weekly events are our current staples, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, folks can come along for what could be termed ‘freeplay’, whether they’re bringing a game or trying one of the many we have available. Otherwise it’s club collaborations and seasonal based events, though we’re always hoping to expand and improve our offering!

3. What has been your best experience from your membership?

Like I’ve said, membership isn’t required to come along and have funbut honestly, the best experiences I’ve had are in being able to organise and supplement events for everyone to enjoy, and to bring folks together through lots of varied and fun experiences. Running a 15 player social deduction game across several weeks was uniquely placed in that, if I had to pick just one.

4. What are your club’s plans for the future?

We plan to expand and become wellknown to the Adelaide Uni and greater Adelaide community, so that anyone can come enjoy board games and

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fun folks whenever they feel like it.

To that end, we hope more clubs will collaborate with us, and take advantage of the approximate 150+ games that are available for folks to explore and enjoy throughout their Uni careers, and even beyond, considering we have some members who are past alumni.

French Club Solange Villanueva 1. Why did you join the club?

When I was a first-year student, I was very keen to meet new people and get involved. I joined the French Club as they were known for their friendly, energetic and inclusive nature. As a French major, the club is beneficial for language and cultural understanding through their events such as their conversation classes and French film nights. Throughout the years, I have witnessed the club grow and flourish into what it is today which is why I keep coming back every year to renew my membership.

2. What sorts of events does your club run?

The French provides a wide range of events to suit the numerous interests of our members while also maintaining the French culture and/or language. One of our more well-known events are our croissant picnics where members come and get to know students from different faculties, whilst eating croissants and pain au chocolat. We also have our annual French play where a very dedicated group perform a play in fluent French. Other events include: the cocktail soirée, French film night, pub crawl, weekly conversation classes and the AGM.

4. What are your club’s plans for the future?

This year, as we aim to enhance the French experience, we will be having collaborations with other clubs for some of our events. Furthermore, we will be revamping our list of events by introducing a new holiday event and keeping most of our traditional ones.

AMESS – Adelaide Mechanical Engineering Student Society Sarah Damin 1. Why did you join the club?

I joined AMESS at the beginning of first year because I wanted to know more about the Mechanical Engineering degrees and meet new people. I started my degree in Flexible Entry Engineering as I wasn’t sure that I wanted to pursue Mech Eng originally, and so I thought AMESS would be a good way to help me figure it out (and it was!). The club also runs a Design and Build Competition for first years during O’Week, which grabbed my attention and convinced me to get membership.

2. What sorts of events does your club run?

We’re revamping a lot of our upcoming events, and our main events will be our Engineers Experience (EE) and our Pubcrawls. EEs are an opportunity to hear directly from the Mechanical Engineering industry and get tips about life after graduation, hear about potential internships and form connections. On the other hand, our Pubcrawls are just for relaxing, destressing from study, and having a good time. We hope to run a range of other activities throughout the year that cater to everyone, with some being professionally focussed and others just social.

3. What has been your best experience from your membership?

My best experience was definitely an AMESS Pubcrawl in my first year, which was coincidentally just after my 18th birthday. It was my first chance to go out at Uni and I made some incredible friends, got to know the committee (which lead me to joining), and had a fantastic time. I know this will be a highlight of my Uni life and I hope we can provide similar experiences for students in the future.

4. What are your club’s plans for the future?

For 2020 and beyond, we are looking at expanding as a club and really focussing on delivering events and activities that all our members can enjoy. The new committee is incredibly hard-working and plans are already well underway to ensure AMESS is a club to be a part of this year. Get keen to see some big things coming from us!

CLUB SPOTLIGHT

3. What has been your best experience from your membership?

Definitely seeing the friendliness and the inclusivity of the club. In AUFC, everyone is welcome – regardless of age, faculty, interests, etc. You don’t need to have previous French studies, nor a French background to be part of la famille. The French club encourages members to take advantage of their social events to get to know different people. Even those who are shy or introverted are not left behind, there is always someone from the committee who will look out for them.

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ECON DIT AIconomics Words by James Barber

The thing that seriously bugs me about studying economics is the lack of certainty. I figured a mathematics dependent subject would provide objective solutions to defined questions. However, that could not be further from the truth. Instead I found models that relied on so many assumptions, I wonder if they are of any use at all? I could fill up an entire page with dummy/indicator variables and would still feel my regression analysis is not only missing but hiding important factors that could shed light on a question, and don’t get me started on the huge confidence intervals and the hurdles faced in experimental economics. That being said I do believe we are on the cusp of something great. Big data and the Computer Science that enables its collection and analysis has the power to broaden economic research and improve its accuracy. It is why I, as an Economics student have begun studying Computer Science concurrently.

I will not go into the gritty details as I myself have merely a surface understanding, but I believe the huge number of data points constantly being collected in real time will be capable of forming maps of economic trends that can account for irrational decision and seemingly unrelated factors that has made economics look like guesswork since the beginning.

Our models will seem archaic in comparison to what real time constant computational analysis and pattern tracking programs will be capable of telling us.

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Not only will computer science propel the field to new heights, it is seeping into almost every other field I look at. To understand the capabilities of computer science and the directions in which it is developing would be extremely advantageous to an emerging professional especially in the economics field. The impact big data and the branches of Artificial Intelligence will have on the world within our life time is immeasurable, and as policy makers, researchers and predictors it is vital we are not left in the dark about current and future uses of this technology.

While this article is mostly speculation, I hope I have motivated you to put further thought and research into the importance of computer science and how it may shape the world economists and the other disciplines it is interacting with, and how they go about their analysis.

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A Rural Student Survival Guide Words by Rory Spiers You’ve finally done it! You’ve made the change from living a life in the country and working your arse off over the summer or over a gap year, and you’re moving to the big smoke to chase your dreams at uni. Firstly, congratulations!

Secondly, this is going to be a massive change in pace for you, and it’s ok if you find this daunting and you’re a bit nervous about it. Conversely, if you’re ready to hit it with pace headfirst, that’s awesome too! Either way, here’s a few tips (from a country kid) that might help you get through your first year away from home unscathed.

You might get homesick, and that’s alright Moving out of home is a big change, especially if you’re coming from a rural area to the city. It’s noisy, it’s busy, it smells different and you can’t see as many stars at night. It’s more than understandable to miss home, in fact it’s nearly expected that you’ll miss home at some point in first year. At times when you’re feeling homesick, it’s more important than ever to stay connected to people back where you’re from. Whether it’s talking to your mum and dad on the phone or video calling your best mate from school, it’s the little things to keep you in touch that will keep homesickness from biting too hard. They take a bit of effort, but it will make your time at uni easier, and it’ll make it easier on you when you go back home.

It’s also important to make the most of your breaks, so when you do get an opportunity to go home, seize it with both hands. Catch up with your old mates, go help your folks with the grocery shopping, say hello to people.

Staying connected to home when you’re at home is equally as important as staying connected to home while you’re studying.

Go to your lectures (if you can) Look, I know how it goes, you start off bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and taking hand-written notes in every lecture, until eventually instead of going to your 9am lecture every Friday you’re in bed watching Netflix. It’s pretty crucial to not get apathetic towards your lectures, as going and actually watching them gives you a great opportunity to meet/catch up with your mates. It

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Take a look at clubs There are 130 clubs at the University of Adelaide, all doing very cool things and catering to all sorts of folks. With that many clubs to choose from it can be difficult to filter through which ones might be right for you. Most degrees (or groups of related degrees) have an association/society/club. At a minimum you should consider joining this club in particular. They will generally hold events that are relevant to your degree pathway, along with balls and pub crawls. These clubs are a sensational way to meet people in your course who can become your friends for at least the time you’re together at university, if not beyond.

If you’re athletically inclined (or even if you’re not), the Adelaide Uni Blacks will more than likely have a sporting club for you. From football, to shooting, to water skiing, and everything in between, Adelaide Uni has its fair share of sport, usually with divisions to allow all skill levels to get in and have a crack.

This is an excellent way to meet people outside your degree.

Go to things!

If you’ve moved to the city, you’ll notice very quickly that it’s a very busy place and there’s always something happening. This is a perfect opportunity to broaden your horizons and do things without needing to give your parentals all the details 5 business days beforehand to let you go. If you see something you want to go to, now is your chance, go to it! The most you’ll have to lose is a few bucks.

Remember to call your parents It’s easy to forget, but they will definitely miss you. Give them a ring every once in a while.

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will also save you loads of grief come SWOTVAC if you don’t have 12 weeks of lectures to watch in a week. Talking of SWOTVAC, make sure you do past exams for the subject if they’re available, this will help you get the hang of the style of questions you will get come exam time.

Lecturers can also be notoriously unreliable when it comes to making sure lectures are recorded online, going to the majority of them makes sure you don’t miss any important content.

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international international student student news news “I CAN’T PRONOUNCE YOUR NAMES. PLEASE PICK AN ENGLISH ONE.” Words by Trần Ngọc Lan SRC International Student Officer My name is Ngoc Lan. Ngoc in Vietnamese means pearl, Lan is orchid, and Ngoc Lan altogether is magnolia. I was named by my grandfather. During my school years, I was fortunate enough to study English with a native speaker, but on the very first session, he went through the roll and said: “Sorry everyone. I can’t pronounce your names. I will butcher them for sure. Please pick an English one.”

I was confused with how you couldn’t pronounce the name Ngoc Lan. It should be the simplest in the Vietnamese language. Ngoc is like a sigh, a tilt of the back of your tongue gliding to the front while dropping your voice. Toneless Lan, a touch of the tongue to your front teeth before retreating to the back. To me it was obvious, so why could he not do it?

When I moved to Australia to pursue my university education, I started to realize that my name wasn’t easy to pronounce for non-Vietnamese. I have seen people contorting their tongues and mouths to all kinds of foreign shapes and unnatural sounds that never closely resemble the effortless glide of my name. I go by Laura in Australia because I am tired of these people frowning profusely at my name, like putting together a puzzle. I grew exhausted of explaining how to pronounce my name. Mostly I am tired of being tired all the time, knowing that going by a western, English name allows for the erasure of my culture and the colonisation of my own identity. This makes me so conflicted, residing in this limbo culture that hosts my existence. ‘Who I am’ has become a question that I started to strive for an answer.

In Vietnam, I am Trần Ngọc Lan. I am a daughter, a student and a friend. I was taught to bow and pay respect to the spirits of my forefathers and the people who have walked before me. Similar to the Chinese, social connections amongst Vietnamese people are strictly hierarchical and revolves around the Confucius sentiment of respect. This notion has been embedded in my mind, and I conform by constantly trying to put

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myself into the shoes of others and appreciate them for what they have accomplished.

My education influenced me to love my country and my city impulsively, and I am fiercely proud that my father is an army officer and nationalist, because that means by association, as his daughter I am also a patriot.

In Australia, my name is a plain toneless Ngoc Lan Tran, but I call myself Laura due to a strong desire to assimilate and blend in. Most Australians do not understand that Ngoc is my generational and middle name – a tool to distinguish different Tran family lines, and they constantly leave the most important part out: the given name that everyone informally calls me, Lan. I soon became socialized into the Australian life, where people are strangely individualistic and patriotism is not even a quality, and not so highly valued. I began to consciously stop classifying people on the social ladder and begin treating everyone as equal. I began to doubt my learned patriotism and critically questioned how much this is a product of governmental indoctrination and control.

The result of my return to Vietnam after being in Australia for more than two years is an intense reverse cultural shock. After learning to be individualistic and radical, I cannot help but feel foreign in my own hometown. In my heart I know the conflict between Trần Ng�c Lan, Ngoc Lan Tran and Laura has begun to turmoil. I do not know where the line between these names begins and ends, but I cannot deny how they all represent a part of my identity (regardless of how these names come to life). I know that more than anything I want to embrace all those precious parts.

My identity is currently a work in progress. How do I want to be known is a difficult question because I have to choose whether to keep my name, embrace the new one, or introduce a hybrid. Maybe: Laura Ngoc Lan Tran. It makes more sense than Laura Lan Tran because the Ng breaks the two Ls in my name. Perhaps this is my starting point. Above being Vietnamese and an international student with an English name, I still remain a logical person, fundamentally constructed by culture and simultaneously challenging and breaking away from it.

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why i love the socialist alternative

words by joe mccicerathy

I will miss many things after I graduate from Adelaide Uni. My mates, the old unibar schnitzels, but most importantly, Socialist Alternative (SAlt). This last choice might surprise some people, but it is a logical one for several reasons.

SAlt is a uniting force on campus.

Everyone dislikes them. It is so hard to find issues that unite the moderate left, the centre and the conservative groups together, but mutual distaste of the far left certainly does the job.

SAlt is a huge employer.

Think about it, the sheer number of posters that they use every year are single handedly funding the deforestation effort in the Amazon. When they complain about the Amazon burning make no mistake, they begrudge not the environmental damage, but the skyrocketing paper prices.

SAlt run fantastic drama courses.

Their modern re-make of the film 1984 (mysteriously named “Russian History”) is amazingly realistic, portraying several notable themes from the original book including: ‘the re-writing of history’, ‘doublethink’, and ‘propaganda’. The passion with which the lines are delivered is truly inspiring, it’s almost as if they actually believe what they are saying is true.

SAlt can teach us so much about history.

Apparently, Lenin and Stalin were fundamentally different. Lenin only purged his party once and only 10 million died during his dictatorship. In stark contrast, Stalin purged his party twice and managed to kill 20 million people. Vast difference, am I right? SAlt claim that Stalin was the ‘Gravedigger’ of the Russian Revolution, so in theory that should make Trotsky the ‘Herse Driver’ and Lenin the ‘Funeral Director’.

SAlt are wise philosophers.

SAlt are a philosophical group who have dedicated themselves to achieving the perfect political stance: vitriolically criticising all people who have different views and then attacking their legitimacy of having an opinion at all. I’m sure that Australian political parties could benefit from this innovative new strategy. I know that One Nation was founded on this principle; it’s nice to see some far left-far right cooperation every now

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and then (I seem to recall the last time that happening was the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact in 1939).

SAlt hold amazing events.

In addition to the numerous protests, there are complaints about the lack of advertising for protests, complaints about the lack of endorsement for protests, complaints about the lack of participation in protests, running interference during AUU board meetings, and the full complement of sit-ins and hunger strikes. (Students should note that timetable clashes between a protest, a sit-in, and a hunger strike can be corrected at the relevant faculty office) SAlt offer fantastic non-academic courses.

You have SAlt 1032 ‘Vandalize federal government property’, SAlt 2056 ‘Inside a jail cell study tour’, and for postgrad students, SAlt 3024 ‘How to destabalize a democratic society’.

SAlt also improve fitness around campus.

Many students have taken to sprinting around the University to avoid being accosted by SAlt as they leave lecture theaters.

SAlt is a grassroots organisation.

By ‘grassroots’ I of course refer to the organization’s unofficial HQ near the Grassroots Café in the Hub, not a reference to any actual grassroots nature within the organization. In fact, despite their claims to represent ‘the student voice’, there only appear to be about fifteen members in a University of 27,000. But hey, Lenin called his party the “Bolsheviks” (Russian for ‘majority’), even though numerically it was in the minority the majority of the time.

Another instance of foolproof Communist logic.

SAlt has contributed so much to this University. They deserve a place in our hearts (like a cancer) and our minds (like a tumour). There are some who will disagree with my arguments and will still express disdain for SAlt. I would tell those people to cheer up because it could be worse. They could be in government.

Corbynism should stay but Remain must Leave Words by Stasi Kapetanos

Corbynism and Remain are the two legacies facing off against each other in the UK Labour Party’s leadership elections. The former, a transformative political movement that emerged around a populist leader who fought for the sorts of policies the British public demanded, but now left crippled with the defeat of its once effective electioneering leader. The latter, an outgrowth from a failed referendum and re-referendum campaign that aimed to preserve the status quo and had the backing of the entire political establishment and even Jeremy Corbyn himself, yet was still absurdly defeated by the once laughable demand of leaving the European Union and clobbered to death by the 2019 general election result.

Corbyn himself once seemed like a political rock star and received Glastonbury’s equivalent to a standing ovation; a man who came to power purely due to the underestimations of his rivals; but gained a massive following due to the agenda of reversing neoliberalism, renationalising certain vital, but now privatised services, pledging to protect the National Health Service, instituting a more humane foreign policy and transcending the growing divide between diverse urban areas and the forgotten traditional heartlands of the Labour party. Despite all his strengths, he became a highly controversial figure, attacked by a political class that would sooner accept the 2016 referendum result over him (though fundamentally opposed to both) and slandered by a hostile press without the slightest sense of shame and cynically branded him an anti-Semite and a cultural Marxist. They also called him a populist and a globalist, an economic nationalist, a threat to the nation and even a terrorist sympathiser, despite being one of politics’ most consistent voices for peace in the middle east.

These attacks combined with a general refusal on the part of British progressives to acknowledge a referendum result, caused an entirely avoidable election defeat to Britain’s most successful political opportunist. They did this by flocking to the Liberal Democrats in polls and other elections, while refusing to accept a soft Brexit as a compromise between those on the winning and losing sides of the referendum respectively. Too many of Britain’s progressives alienated their fellow working people by dragging Corbyn kicking and screaming to 24

accept their pseudo-woke zeitgeist in defence of the EU, a pan-European crony capitalist enterprise that seemed primarily aimed at spitting in the face of Greek, Irish, French and seemingly all European democracy.

Now in the new decade, Labour members, according to the polls, unfortunately seem prepared to elect Keir Starmer, the primary proponent of the second referendum and the architect of Labour’s approach towards it, as leader. This is over Rebecca Long-Bailey, a woman of a truly working class background who, sympathises with and represents the interests of, northern England and Wales, the heartland of the Labour Leave vote and not only fights for the values that guided Corbynism but aims to build on them. Long-Bailey recently proposed to further democratise the UK and scrap the House of Lords (think a more useless version of the Senate, full of priests, failed MPs and the vestiges of a progressively less inbred European aristocracy).

Comparing the candidates to those of the US, we see some striking parallels; Starmer, like Joe Biden, is a simultaneously highly decorated, yet mediocre man of the party establishment, and is doing quite well in the polls, despite representing the very failure it needs to move on from (the 2nd referendum and the Obama administration, respectively). Rebecca Long-Bailey, like the ‘dangerous radical’ Bernie Sanders, is fighting for populist common sense policies that every working person across the political spectrum is aching for, but seems unlikely to get a fair shake in the hostile and cynical corporate press or among the centrist factions of the party. Onto the less serious contenders, we have Pete Buttigieg, I mean Lisa Nandy, a young upstart who claims to be able to win the economically declining part of the country by the sheer force of being from there. This is despite being from an extremely privileged background and having class interests antithetical to those of these constituents while also being the biggest fan of suppressing ethnic minorities by a militarised police force (think South Bend’s treatment of its Black residents or Nandy’s desire to replicate Spain’s treatment of Catalonia unto Scotland). Emily Thornbury seems to be Britain’s answer to Elizabeth Warren, a figure who has moved from right to left (a rare move in the world of politics) but seems to lack a clear appeal to either.

To win elections again, Labour should follow the lead that Americans from Iowa to California seem prepared to take and vote for their Bernie Sanders. If they don’t, Britain’s Left may find a new future without them.

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Words by Melissa Griffin

Banded Together-

How the Australian Music Industry Showed Support for Bushfire Releif It seemed to hit home within Australian music industry just how devastating this bushfire season was set to become, when the announcement came that Falls Festival in Lorne was cancelled due to extreme weather conditions, the day after it kicked off. No doubt many music lovers were devastated by the news, but acts performing at the festival were quick to recover. Triple J presenter Bridget Hustwaite began tweeting updates for Falls replacement gigs not long after the announcement, with international acts like YUNGBLUD and Halsey some of the first to bring together shows. Within a few hours, there was a packed 2-night gig schedule for Melbourne, as local acts came together to put on replacement gigs fundraising for bushfire relief efforts.

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It was a quick turnaround from the music industry that sparked a reaction from acts around the country who soon followed in the fundraising efforts. Courtney Barnett and Camp Cope pulled together a twonight run at the Corner Hotel, Richmond with ticket sales, merch and raffle profits going directly to bushfire disaster appeal, VIC/NSW fire services, and wildlife rescue.

Hockey Dad, Tones And I, Hermitude and many more Australian artists also announced their own fundraising gigs with proceeds going towards similar appeals.

Brisbane band WAAX teamed up with a local clothing label to produce fundraising merch, with many other bands donating profits from existing merch to relief efforts.

Heavy weights of Australian music Gang of Youths, Tash Sultana, and Angus and

Julia Stone revealed they will be joined by a festival-worthy line-up of acts for ‘Down To Earth’ – A Fire and Climate Relief Concert at Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne on the 26th of February. The concert is set to raise a sizeable amount of funds according to Triple J: 100% of profits from tickets, bar and merch at the show will be donated to fire relief via Red Cross and WIRES (NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service), as well organisations focusing on long-term solutions and education. Namely, Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, and Firesticks Alliance Indigenous Corporation.

Closer to home, Adelaide music company Five Four Entertainment pledged to donate 100% of door sale profits from two of their regular club nights Transmission and Taking Back Saturday on January 10th and 18th respectively. And for the music lovers out there, Lion Arts Factory have teamed up with Karma and Crow Café and local band Bad//Dreems to bring us a stellar line-up for ‘Fire Aid’ on Saturday 1st February, featuring the likes of POND, Horror My Friend, and West Thebarton.

Perhaps it’s not surprising that such an overwhelming response has come from an industry that has been seriously underfunded by our government in the past (and therefore understands the frustration).

In fact, it seems the same creative industries that fall short of the direction of government funding time after time, have been at the forefront of relief efforts these past few weeks; donating everything from specially made prints, to commissioned tattoos and signed copies of books. It was only recently the Morrison government announced it would be merging the Department of Communications and the Arts into a department that oversees roads and rails, preparing many in the arts sectors for the potential of even more funding cuts. Many have been outraged by the government’s lack of response during these devasting bushfires, but it’s the arts industries that have managed to turn that outrage into an outpour of love and support despite it all.

And for me personally, it’s incredibly heartwarming to see how our music industry is really just one big supportive community; coming together, like most Australians at this time, to support one another in the best way they possibly can.

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Hot tips for our hot climate Words by the Adelaide Sustainability Association Anyone else feeling the heat this Summer? It’s time we all take action on climate change, and we think uni’s a good place to start! Read our hot tips to find out some easy ways you can improve your carbon footprint on campus in 2020.

1. Get Educated!

It’s difficult to spread awareness of climate change without having a thorough understanding of the science behind it. Make more of your time at University, so that you can make a positive difference in the future as a graduate in whatever industry you study!

If you’d like to learn about climate change in the classroom, check if your degrees offer any valuable electives, to name a few; law students are offered LAW 2568 Climate Change Law, Geography students GEOG 2142 - Climate Change and Economic students ECON 7221 - The Economics of Climate Change.

The library offers a tonne of extra reading through books and hundreds of Journals, so why not do some extra-curricular reading paid for by your future hecs debt!

If you’d rather ****** and chill, stream some zesty eco-docos through ‘Kanopy’; a free streaming site all students have access to through the library. Kanopy has an abundance of documentaries on the environment for you to learn about climate change at your leisure.

2. Disposables are Officially Cancelled You know what they say about plastics; they’re here for a long time, not a good time. Bring your reusable cups and water bottles to uni, and help prevent unnecessary waste! In case of an emergency, Ecoversity’s created a Mug

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Wall in front of Grind & Press in Hub Central; so if you forget yours, pick from an array of odd yet charming secondhand mugs for your caffeine hit! Just use your favourite (ours is Mr Happy) and return it for the lovely staff to wash and hang back up for the next tired and forgetful nugget. For an extra bonus, Grind & Press offers a 50c discount if you use a reusable cup. Keep your eye out on Ecoversity’s Facebook for KeepCup and reusable bottle giveaways as well, which happen each term around campus.

If you’ve also forgotten to bring lunch (RIP), dine on fine china instead of disposable plastics by eating in at Penang’s Corner in Hub Central or the Unibar, we know the schnitzels are small but to be honest, we like it; the less meat the better (for the environment)!

Alternatively, everything from straws to plates to cutlery at Grind & Press is recyclable, reusable or compostable - just remember not to contaminate, and put your waste in the right bin!

3. Travel in Style Luckily our North Terrace Campus is located in the CBD, so most people can use public buses, trains or trams instead of a car. In case you’ve been under a rock, trams in the city are also free - hitch a ride to Chinatown or AHMS without paying a cent. If you’re feeling frisky, why not go for a sweaty spin? To gain access to the bike shed, where you can safely secure your hot ride 24/7, fill in the ‘Bike Sheds Access Form’ on the ‘Infrastructure Campus Services’ page of the Uni Website. There’s also multiple areas to store your equipment around uni, including the 3 and 8 hour free lockers with power outlets in Hub Central, or the Adelaide University Union lockers, which you can hire affordably in Hub Central or Union House for the whole year.

No one likes smelling fresh sweat in their tutes, so after you’ve got physical, for the love of humanity, please take a cold shower in one of the many showers on campus, including Hub Central Ground Level and in the Fitness Hub. Thanks to Treadly, the popup bike maintenance shop on the Western side of Hub Central, you don’t have to be an expert at bike repairs; it’s $15 for 10 minutes worth of repairs or $5 for lock

hire. Check out the Ecoversity website for all the info on campus bike facilities; including SAPOL engraving, water/air stations, or the buy-back scheme where you say bye-bye to your bike in exchange for cash, and someone else can say hi to their more affordable, secondhand treasure.

4. Time for our Shameless Promo Join a sustainable community on campus and build your green network; The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC), University of Adelaide Vegan Club and Adelaide Sustainability Association (us!) are just a few student clubs who aim to engage students in environment focussed events and initiatives. Rumour has it, we’ve got a tonne of cool events coming up this year, including an ethical Fashion show and the largest student-run Sustainability Festival in the Southern Hemisphere (crazy right?!

- check tip 6). We also run YSL (Young Sustainable Leaders), an award winning program which places students across all degrees with a sustainably-focussed industry mentor to gain professional development.

5. Bad Jokes Aren’t the Only Thing We Recycle If you’ve “bin” around campus, you’ve probably already seen a confusing number of bins, with different names and colours. Let’s break it down for you; put your food scraps in the green compost bins, recyclable cans/bottles and cartons in the yellow recycling bins, and paper/ cardboard recycling in the blue bins. If you’re not sure, put it in the red landfill bins. Yeah we know, landfill’s depressing, but it’s better than contaminating the recycling. Ask Adelaide also has a recycling bin for ink cartridges, old electronics and old batteries.

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Society may be trash, but you don’t have to be. Ecoversity also runs Reuse Events, the next is Wednesday 11 March, and you can pick up secondhand stationery items here (binders, books, pens and more!) for free in the Hub. 6. You’re Invited to the Party Ecoversity offers $10 000 of cold hard cash every semester for students to attend a local, national or international event focussed on environmental issues. You can apply for up to $2000 to cover the costs of attending an event related to your degree’s industry - the 2nd round of applications closing June 19.

Join us at Sustainability Week 2020!

We’re putting on a week long program of exciting and engaging sustainability focussed talks, movie screenings, market stalls, activities and more in Week 5. Last year 23 clubs were involved and this year will be even bigger and better!

Lastly, be part of the global university student climate movement. The next Uni Students Climate Strike is on Friday, March 13 - we hope to see you there!

And remember, make love, not fossil fuels!

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constitutional circumvention: rising militancy in japan Words by Felix Eldridge

With the exception of micro nations, Japan is the only country in the world that is constitutionally prohibited from maintaining armed forces and waging war. To put this into context, after World War Two, Japan adopted a new constitution which was meant to bring peace and security to a country ravaged by war and an oppressive regime. It was drafted by the United States of America, passed by both houses of the Japanese

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Parliament and came into effect on May 3, 1947. To this day, Japan’s constitution has never been altered, yet one feature provokes much debate. Article 9, the so called ‘peace clause’, prevents Japan from maintaining armed forces and officially renounces Japan’s right to wage war. Japan’s external security was dealt with by the US who left soldiers in Japan through a separately agreed upon military treaty. It all sounds very peaceful

and very reasonable. Over time however, the Japanese Government has found ways of circumventing this provision.

In 1950 the government created a ‘police reserve force’ of 75,000 personnel. This force was supposed to maintain order within Japan while the American garrisons would protect the country from foreign threats.

In 1952 the force was expanded to 110,000 personnel.

In 1954 the force was renamed the ‘Self Defence Forces’ and was expanded to include military style ships and planes.

In 1959 the Japanese Supreme Court ruled that Japan may take any means necessary to defend itself. This essentially allowed Japan to fight a defensive war, provided it was directly attacked.

In 2014 the government allowed Japan’s Self Defence Forces (SDF) to assist Japan’s allies in defensive wars overseas.

In 2015, the government enacted laws that allowed material support to be given to allied forces fighting overseas.

In 2017, the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, set a deadline in 2020 to review and potentially alter Article 9, so that it officially justifies the existence of the Japanese Self Defence Forces and clarifies their role. This deadline was reaffirmed in a speech in 2019 on Japan’s Constitution Day, where Abe referred to a poll which indicated 90% support for the SDF as justification for changing the constitution.

both physical capabilities and legal abilities previously denied to them by their constitution, a document whose responsibilities they have neatly dodged.

So, we are faced with the question, is Japan’s rearmament justified?

While there are some reasons to the contrary, on balance, Japan’s government is justified in rearming for three crucial reasons.

The United States, once so committed to Japan’s defence, is pulling out of its responsibilities in Asia, leaving a defensive gap that must eventually be filled. President Trump’s sudden withdrawal from the middle east and his desire to make his NATO allies ‘pay their fair share’ of their defence costs would be of particular concern for Japan because it still relies on US troops.

Japan is facing increasingly hostile neighbours. North Korean missile testing and China’s militancy in disputed islands are particularly concerning to a nation who supposedly cannot raise arms even in its own defence.

Finally, Japan’s constitution was written by foreigners whose aim was to ensure Japan remained stable and loyal to the US. That goal has been achieved and is unlikely to be undone. Japan has a reinforced culture of peace and prosperity; it has embraced democracy and is a leading economic power. If it chooses, why should it be hampered by a 20th century provision that demeans it in front of the world?

No other country of commensurate size and history has such a provision in its constitution. Why should Japan continue to be the exception?

These changes imply that Japan is steadily rebuilding its military forces. It now has

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ADJUSTING TO UNIVERSITY LIFE

WORDS BY KATIE MOULARADELLIS

~An experience so nice, I’ve done it twice~ (well, maybe nice isn’t the right word) Having just completed an exchange to Germany last semester, you could say that I’m pretty used to adjusting to university. Adjusting to Australian Uni as well as going overseas and adjusting to another university’s life (and language!), means that I have plenty of experience figuring out just how to set yourself up for success.

So, let’s start with the basics.

A good time timetable is maybe the best way to set yourself up for university. What is a good timetable, you ask? Well, really, one that works for your life. Aiming for at least one class-free day a week is a good place to start, as well as minimising the gaps between classes on the days you have to drag yourself to campus. E.g. if you have a 9am seminar, picking the tutorial that starts at 11am on the same day instead of 2pm will mean you’re not waiting around all day, and give you an afternoon free. This however, doesn’t mean you should compress your timetable to the point of no breaks. A lunch break is the most important break you’ll have. Not stopping to refuel in the middle of the day will result in a 2pm energy burnout (That said, I would like to issue a PSA: Yes, the Uni has lovely cafés on campus with delicious food options. No, that does not mean you should buy lunch every day).

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Making friends might very well be the thing you’re most worried about, which is understandable. If you’re like me, you probably spent your childhood hearing stories from your parents about their university days and what good fun they got up to with their friends. Inadvertently (or maybe on purpose), they made you believe that making friends at university would be easy. While it’s not hard, it’s definitely not a walk in the park either. The thing to remember is that friends will not just magically appear out of nowhere; you have to work to find them. At the beginning that work might look like chatting to the person sitting next to you in your tutorial, or joining a club to find like-minded people. I found my circle of friends through a group assignment for one of my classes. There are potential friends everywhere, you just have to look. And don’t feel bad if it doesn’t work out either. Not every person you’re going to talk to is going to be your friend, and that’s okay.

After you’ve settled on your timetable and which play you’re going to use to make friends, it might be a good idea to think about logistics, e.g. how and when you’re going to do what.

Travel time is a big one. Rush hour traffic (approximately from 7:30am – 9am and 3:30pm – 5:30pm) can often add half an hour to an hour onto your travel time. My big tip? If your class schedule means you’ll be travelling during these times, leave the house half an hour before you need to. This buffer time means that if there is any unexpected traffic, a big pile up, cancelled trains, or assignments that need to be printed before class, you’ll be covered.

Don’t forget to schedule designated study time into your timetable too. Unlike in high school, no one will be on your back about studying. While liberating, this can also be a tad terrifying. You will suddenly have to self-motivate and figure out how to get all the work done on your own. One strategy a lot of students use (intentionally or not) is to just sort of ignore the work, leading to a stress spiral at the end of the semester while you’re trying to study for 3 exams and write a 2000-word research essay. I don’t really recommend this approach (having tried it once before and collapsing in a heap once it was all over). Instead, find a rhythm that works for you. Study at the library away from distraction (if you can find a spot), swap notes with friends in your classes, or keep a planner with all your due dates and exam times. If all else fails, remind yourself that you are paying at least $850 per course to study; I always find that to be a sound motivator.

With all that being said, university life is much more than timetables and studying. The University and the student union (the AUU) will almost always have an event going on. Going to events, joining clubs, and volunteering; these are just some of the things that take university life from just study to something you’ll look back on fondly in 20 years.

There’s just so much going on at any given time that it would be a shame to waste the experience glued to your phone or hiding away in the Hub. You just have to take advantage of everything!

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Burn Out Words by Melissa Sparrow There is something seriously wrong with Australia’s climate of late. Floods in Queensland, fires stretching from one end of the country to the next and the drought that is destroying the livelihoods of farmers have been broadcasted in the news on a daily basis. Whether we agree that the root cause is climate change or not is a separate matter, we equally disagree on the best methods to curb these issues.

The government has made it clear that it plans on “meeting our Paris targets at a canter”, but precisely how or at what speed this canter is likely to take is something that continues to remain elusive. You see, the speed of a canter is something that can vary significantly, and depending on whether a horse has a long or short stride it can appear to take dramatically more or less time to reach the finish line. In this regard, if we are indeed to take the Prime Minister at his word, we can only assume that not only does the government have a slow stride but that it will periodically lessen its speed when coming to a tricky slope. While Australia has burned, the Prime Minister chose to take a holiday, indeed as is the right of any citizen of Australia. The decision however to holiday overseas while the rest of Australia burned was one that got many of us asking: “where the bloody hell are you”?

The Labor Party, having a prime opportunity to call the Prime Minister out on his lack of action on climate change, chose instead to take the root of bi-partisanship, arguing against politicisation. I can only assume this was an attempt to appear pragmatic and balanced, rather than weak and hypocritical, having only months prior been advocating for a 50% emissions reduction scheme and strong action on climate change.

Throughout this crisis I have been asking myself: where is the Albo who “loves to fight Tories”? I would argue that perhaps that Albo has left the building in an attempt to regain the faith of Australia’s ‘sensible centre’.

It is clear that we will not see an end to the above disasters in the near future. It is equally clear that we will not see an ambitious and bold approach to climate change for some time. Perhaps media coverage will improve and Australians will come to terms with the issues that we face. If by then it will be too late is another question.

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warning: vacillation may be harmful to your campaign Words by Felix Eldridge

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In 2019, Australia and the United Kingdom held general elections for their national legislatures. Both the Australian Labor Party and the British Labour Party lost those elections, partly due to their inability to take a particular stance upon a national issue and effectively communicate their stance to voters.

While they are undoubtedly localised issues, one thing appears to unify them both: In politics, vacillation is deadly.

Very few rules in politics are fixed.

Sometimes voters like costed and tested policies, sometimes they like slogans.

Sometimes voters like bold agendas, sometimes they like modest tweaks.

In the current political climate, voters reward parties that take a stance on something and stick with it to its natural conclusion, regardless of that decision’s merits. In other words, dithering is now out of fashion.

In Australia, this change in the political climate was made evident by the Labor Party’s inability to articulate a simple yes or no to the problem of the Adani coal mine. From various speeches, Bill Shorten’s position was “that if this project doesn’t stack up commercially and environmentally then we don’t support it”, which lacked any criteria for what constituted commercial and environmental needs, and failed to substantially capitalise upon either the pro or anti-Adani vote.

The ALP walked a very shaky tightrope. It simultaneously tried to please voters who were pro-coal due to the employment opportunities Adani created in Queensland, and also placate those who were hostile to coal mining in Victoria and elsewhere. From the election outcome,

it is clear that they failed to convince either group that they truly supported them. Despite bringing to the table 6 years of unity, (itself an achievement after the tumultuous Rudd-Gillard era), a bold, comprehensive, fully-costed suite of policies, and a wealth of criticisms to scuttle the Coalition’s chance of victory, Labor lost the 2019 election.

Now, while it would be foolish to blame any single reason for the loss, the issue of Adani was a testy one, especially in Queensland. Not only did it hurt that people believed the mine would not be built if the ALP won, therefore risking potential jobs, it hurt that people believed the mine would be built and therefore damage the environment.

Scott Morrison exploited the chaos by openly supporting the mine and provided a clear message that it will be built, regardless of any consequences.

While conventionally Labor would have exploited this disregard, in this instance they were unclear in their own message and thus were rendered vulnerable to attacks from across the political spectrum.

In the UK, Brexit was the British Labour Party’s “Adani”. Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn was perhaps even more evasive on the topic of Brexit. The Labour Party faced difficult internal challenges, with large portions of the party actively supporting the Remain side, while other factions backed variations of a ‘soft’ Brexit and second referendum.

UK Labour, like its Australian counterpart, was caught between constituencies.

Should they turn to a minority of the country but a majority in their party, or

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embrace the view of a majority of the country, but a minority in the party?

Again, the party dithered, attempting to walk the line between two irreconcilable options. Much like Shorten, Corbyn eventually attempted to please both.

And just like Shorten, Corbyn failed to truly win the support of either. Staunch Remainers wanted the party to take an active stance against Brexit like the Liberal Democrats did. Other groups pushed for another referendum, which would have given the people an option to choose on what terms they would leave the EU and give them another option to stay if they so wished. There was even a substantial push to leave based on the “democratic will� of the people as per the results of the 2016 referendum.

This attempt to please everyone stretched the party to its limits, confining Corbyn to weasel-worded explanations rather than letting him give a firm answer.

In turn, the unequivocal message of Boris Johnson cut through the indecision and savaged the party in its traditional heartland.

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A similar yet more tenuous link can even be drawn between the populist rhetoric of Donald Trump and the policies of the Democrats, where complex policies regarding immigration, foreign policy and employment were distilled into simple, targeted slogans. While many of these ideas were unrealistic in practice, they were decisive, and unhappy voters seized upon that decisiveness.

In this era, logical and nuanced policy is on the decline and bold, slogan-based agendas are on the rise. It appears that voters value politicians who can choose a policy and stick with it, regardless of its merits, rather than attempting to balance competing interests and crafting a wellresearched policy agenda that benefits the majority. The proverb about the man who tries to catch two rabbits and ultimately catches neither is a bittersweet lesson for today’s politicians.

In politics, vacillation kills.

Biggest uni mistake Anonymous: One day I was kinda disengaged with a seminar so I was on a cringe website that I can’t even name because it’s embarrassing. Anyway, I tried to airdrop a screenshot of it from my Mac to my phone. It doesn’t work. Try again. Didn’t work.

I then realised what’s happened and a look of horror comes over my face. I’m sitting across the room and notice that I’m not the only person in the class with my name. The whole time, I’d been trying to airdrop cringe screenshots to someone else! The poor girl must have been so confused.

Emma Mustaca: The biggest mistake I ever made at university was in my very first assignment for my very first course. It was a close reading of an excerpt of A Room of One’s Own for my English course. I thought I did so well. After years of reading sneakily in the back of my high school maths classes, I could finally focus entirely on studying literature. I got my grades back and only got a P. On an assignment I had worked so hard on. I was shattered. What had happened? I checked Turnitin fervently, and was shocked to find that most of my assignment had come up in red. Plagiarism. I had thought that as the text was given to us there would be no need to reference it. Boy, was I wrong. My faith in academia shattered that day, and I coasted through the rest of my arts degree, slowly becoming more disillusioned with the pomp and circumstance of the academic world. Was my biggest mistake forgetting to reference, or was my biggest mistake trusting the arts faculty to use common sense?

Amy Simons: Once when I was at a club stall in the hub, one of my lecturers saw me and came over to speak about an email I had sent them. Then as they were leaving, as a joke I asked if they wanted to buy a pub crawl t-shirt – and they took me seriously. The only thing equal to their level of politeness as they declined was the level of embarrassment that I felt.

Sarah McLean: My biggest uni mistake was taking a pamphlet from a political club.

A harmless act of politeness quickly turned into a situation so hostile that I suffer from PTSD when I see the club’s red flag on campus. During Orientation Week three years ago, I walked past the club’s stall with a friend that I had just made. Naïve was I, a firstyear newbie, who assumed that student politics was a friendly and safe space. Upon commenting to the pamphlet-distributor that communism would never work in practice, I watched as my new friend was, well, destroyed by the pamphlet-giver’s references to Marxist theory. Twenty minutes later in the 40 degree heat, I managed to slip away, but not without the new knowledge that, as one of the sleepwalking proletariat, my unwillingness to revolt made me responsible for economic exploitation...

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WHY WE NEED A DRASTIC CULTURE SHIFT Words by William Miller Life is bleak, uni sucks, you never have enough time to do what you want, the train is always late and the news is always bad.

So what’s the point? How did we come to this?

There is a culture of anxiety that pervades the social consciousness. It speaks to the innate shyness of humanity, and it’s getting worse. Social media and technology plays into this shyness and allows it to grow and fester. The advent of widely accessible social technology is affecting our abilities to interact with one another to our detriment.

It is so easy to fall into your phone, and while catching public transport and you can see it clearly. Practically everyone is on their phone, most also with headphones in. You used to be able to have a chat with the person sitting next to you. Now even attempting it, it is very unlikely you will be taken at face value.

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What is your motive behind speaking to a stranger? It couldn’t possibly be simple human interaction. A lack of trust in our fellow man now means we can’t speak to new people unless it’s over a keyboard.

So instead, you tuck deep into the recesses of your phone, scrolling the same news feed that you’ve seen a dozen times today already. You like your friends posts, you tag them in memes, and you get on with your day until you can speak face to face with someone familiar, someone you know. Is this the modern condition? To quote Freddie Mercury, “is this the world we created?”

We don’t read for pleasure as much as we used to, I know I certainly don’t. And yet I spend hours on my phone wasting my time reading nothing of substance and hoping it kills the time. Why do we give in to this bleakness, why can’t we as a society, who stand up for each other in times of drought, bushfire, or calamity appeal to the commonality of humankind in the simple times?

Why can’t we speak to our neighbour without our motives being questioned?

Why can’t we speak openly and candidly with our mates because we still have that feeling deep down we can’t speak to them about everything?

Urban life will only get more bleak and dismal unless more people take a step back and realise we are at war with ourselves, with the way we act and react with each other. We play into the notion of “Don’t trust strangers”, instead of “a stranger is a friend you haven’t met yet”.

There seems to be a strange Freudian push to celebrate or fetishise the depression we feel. There needs to be a massive culture shift for the people of today to say no to the discourse of abject sadness and misery and see that we are all yearning for that special membership of society. We as individuals can be introverted, but we as a society cannot.

If we go further down this rabbit hole we will become more divided, and less understanding.

It is not just about mental health to stop depression. It’s not about destigmatising depression, it’s about societal change, about a broader sense of optimism that we lost somewhere down the line. What we need is sympathy and solidarity, not just online but in real life. That’s what counts.

Individuals need to step out of their comfort zone and they just might find they enjoy themselves that little bit more.

And when this happens, the joy spreads whether you realise it or not.

I really don’t have an answer, but when suicide is the leading cause of deaths for Australians aged 15-44, and more young people die from suicide than motor accidents, I can’t help but vent my frustrations. Are we doing enough to make ourselves and others happy, or are we stuck in a rut on our handheld device?

Just because there’s an app for that, doesn’t mean we should be using it.

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Great Fires of London Words by Konstantinos Zekirias On September 1st 1666, King Charles II’s baker was preparing for the Sabbath, retiring to his bed without properly extinguishing all the embers in his oven. Unbeknownst to him, his blunder would diminish 80% of London into ashes, imparting us with valuable lessons which we unfortunately have not learned. The Mayor of London visited the scene early in the night, being unimpressed with the fire. However, once the fire reached the streets, firefighting equipment was ineffective as the fire was too great to be smothered.

A vast number of pigeons died. The fire turned Londoners into gypsies, leaving 200,000 destitute, seeking shelter in ruins and nearby towns. A royal declaration insisted that people in the countryside took in the homeless.

The price of a cart to carry possessions increased tenfold. The annual income of the city was £12,000. The estimated cost of the fire was over £10,000,000.

The subsequent overcrowding is emblematic of the spatial fixes capitalism had to developed to procure the land and labour necessary for globally expansive regimes of capital accumulation. Feudalism did not provide the coercion nor the incentive to secure rising productivity.

Market forces could not displace peasants from their land, fostering a system where peasants produced to

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survive, as opposed to sell to survive.

Increases in productivity were quashed by appropriation from seigneurs.

Therefore, feudalism limited the surplus available for investment in agricultural improvement. Soil degradation led to malnutrition and epidemic diseases (such as Black Death, which infested London at the time of the fire). Three self-limiting solutions were developed within the feudal system. The implementation of three field-rotation required more fertiliser, reducing the land available for pasture, thus reducing the livestock which was otherwise needed to replenish the soil’s nutrients.

Conversion of forests to pasture had much of the same repercussions.

Finally, urbanisation meant that the countryside’s surplus population was absorbed by the cities. However, the growth of the non-agricultural workforce meant further pressure on the land. Eventual geographical expansion was the only solution for the system’s spatial problem.

Interestingly, King Charles II warned the Mayor of London of the ease of which a conflagration could occur. The King gave royal authority to imprison those who flouted regulations, commanding houses to be equipped with buckets and ladders. These measures were inadequate. Pulling down houses to create firebreaks was the only way to extinguish the fire. Businessmen

and homeowners saw the flames to be far off and refused to pull down their houses and businesses. This is a testament to capital’s tendency to avoid any action which hinders wealthbuilding, even if the repercussions of doing so are vastly more catastrophic.

Londoners believed that the fire was a deliberate attack. At the time, some encouraged immigration via means of naturalisation because there were not enough people in the country. Strong anti-immigration sentiments led others to believe that if aliens were to enjoy the same rights as Englishmen, Englishmen would be disadvantaged. Antiimmigrants suggested that immigrants were economic opportunists and did not wish to mix culturally with Englishmen, some may even be acting as instruments of their native countries.

Robert Hubert, a Roman Catholic from France, confessed he started the fire by throwing a fireball through the window.

During the trial, it was discovered that Hubert had not disembarked until 2 days after the fire begun, the bakery had no windows, and Hubert was so crippled he could hardly walk.

Regardless, he was still found guilty by confession and hanged. Such racism is baked into capitalism’s rationality, it is utilised to dissuade working class unity.

damage to the environment will last for years to come. But most importantly, the warning signs existed long before.

In the late 19th century scientists discovered that human emissions of greenhouse gases could change the climate. However, people downplay the effects of anthropogenic climate change in order to protect the capitalist interests of accumulation. Even Mr. Morrison has finally acknowledged the impact of climate change. Yet all solutions offered are milquetoast, self-limiting, and ignore the spatial problems which exist. Even ‘green’ terminology such as sustainable development implies the perpetuation of profit piling. We have 10 years to turn this around, however, US$300 billion can buy up to another 20 years.

To put this into perspective, in 2019 the world’s wealthiest 500 people gained US$1.2 trillion. This system allows the depletion of Earth’s resources to uphold grotesque inequalities at the expense of the people who create the wealth in the first place. In order to save human life on this planet radical change in how the means of production are organised is required.

Recent discussions surrounding Chinese immigration bear too much of a stark resemblance with the aforementioned discussions of immigration in London to ignore. More than 480 million animals have died, 18 million acres have been burned, the air quality is 11 times what is deemed to be the ‘hazardous’ level, and the

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The University of Melbadelaide Words by Nick Birchall Earlier this year, the University of Adelaide announced a partnership with Kaplan to offer 11 different degrees at a Melbourne campus. In its press release, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Pascale Quester stated that they’re seeking to attract more individuals to study with them, and “more students from interstate, more mature-age students, and more online students.” As of the moment, the degrees offered at the Melbourne campus will only be available to international students. Currently, the university has given no indication as to if or when this will change.

The university has also announced that courses will be run by Kaplan staff, rather than by university employees.

The Melbourne Campus will offer the following undergraduate courses: • Bachelor of Accounting • Bachelor of Accounting and Corporate Finance • Bachelor of Corporate Finance • Bachelor of Commerce • Bachelor of Information Technology And the following Post-graduate courses: • Master of Accounting • Master of Accounting and Finance • Master of Applied Finance • Master of Finance • Master of Professional Accounting • Master of Computing and Innovation Following this, it has been publicised by the UofA (albeit, not in their press release), that the degrees undertaken at the Melbourne campus will all feature the ‘Trimester’ model. In the past year, the university announced that it was exploring the possibility of implementing trimesters as the norm for its Adelaide campuses, to which there was large, vocal opposition from students.

The fact that they are being implemented at the Melbourne campus goes to show that this idea of Trimesters has not died amongst university brass, and is more prevalent than ever.

One’s mind can’t help but immediately go to thoughts of university greed. Yes, universities are businesses, but they are also allegedly learning institutions. Trimesters do not help students.

They limit course content, shorten holiday breaks, do-away entirely with mid-semester respite, and only allow for a fractional shortening of one’s degree. Trimesters realistically only benefit universities by allowing for higher intakes of students, through shortened degree length. This however, is a story for another time.

At the moment, it is unknown whether the UofA’s foray into the eastern states will be a worthwhile endeavour for students, or simply a haphazard cash-grab attempt. Only time will tell.

We are waiting with baited breath.

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Words by Leah SchamSchurin

Inside Singapore The Inside Singapore Study Tour is more than just a quick holiday to the other side of the equator. Rather than look at the concrete metropolis through rose-tinted glasses, long and humid days interspersed with the occasional workshop, the tw o-week program was an intensive, hands-on experience. Yes, there were many opportunities to swap the textbook and classroom for sunscreen and shopping, with countless photos as evidence of this change in pace. While these opportunities offered lifelong memories with newly made friends, they remain a mere fraction of what the study tour has to offer. Through the exploration of historical, political, social, cultural, and environmental factors, a shockingly new and raw side of Singapore was uncovered, as though one had peeled away the glossy layers to reveal a crowded and overworked machine.

Situated in Southeast Asia, the physical size of Singapore is almost eleven thousand times smaller than Australia.

It boasts no natural resources, has a national identity made up of profoundly different and conflicting races, and has

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only been an independent city-state since 1965. How is it possible, then, that the “Lion City” is the seventh most prosperous country based on Gross Domestic Product per capita? Or that the three major ethnicities, making up 98% of the population, live in harmony despite sharing historical tensions? Or that in fifty-five years the city-state has managed to become an international powerhouse, having attracted foreign investment and been branded as the “Garden City”?

These questions were just the tip of the iceberg, the answers of which were uncovered during daily workshops and excursions to landmarks including the National Museum, Battle Box, the Bicentennial Experience, Parliament House, and Gardens By The Bay. Out of the eighteen landmarks and activities that accompanied the ten modules, the visit to the Bicentennial Experience was, in one word, enchanting. Having studied citizenship earlier in the day, ‘From Singapore to Singaporean: The Bicentennial Experience’ told the story of Singapore’s evolution from its origins in 1299 to the

present day. Across the five separate, yet interconnected acts, multimedia displays utilised water, lights, videos, and live acting to immerse the audience in the narrative. Historical roots of the city-state were depicted, from its time as a maritime emporium, to the settlement of British colonies, to the impact of World War II. Political influencers and actors were shown to have been central in helping Singapore evolve into the thriving international hub it has turned into. The ways in which society has come to include and exclude certain groups and cultures was presented with great subtly, yet were easy to spot thanks to the adoption of a critical lens. Taking it on face value, the Bicentennial Experience was emotional and enthralling, having captivated the entire audience from start to finish. Beneath the outer layer, however, were reoccurring messages pertaining to who a true citizen of Singapore is, and how they ought to act.

Much like this Experience, it seemed that once the critical lens had been adopted, everything in Singapore serves a greater purpose beyond initial assumptions.

While the academic side of the study tour was engrossing, having offered new ways to think about Singapore’s policies, polity, and politics, the time spent away from the classroom was equally as enjoyable.

Accompanied by like-minded students from the University of Adelaide, each day was a new opportunity to try cheap and delicious food; to explore the nightlife of the city; to try and navigate through the ridiculously efficient MRT (public transport system). The combination of independence, minor sleep deprivation and excitement over being in a city so unlike Adelaide consumed every person on the study tour. One night was spent on a riverboat cruise, the water aglow with

lights from restaurants and bars along the water. Another day was spent on Sentosa Island, with some people off and away at Universal Studios, others at the waterpark, and other still who chose to relax on white sand beaches. On the final night, the entire group gathered at the Lantern Rooftop Bar, the drinks expensive and view priceless. While locals held glasses of wine and chatted over the music, the twenty-six representatives of the University of Adelaide performed the Macarena, quickly earning the attention of everyone in a five-metre radius. Every single outing, be it during an academic endeavour or social getaway, was an opportunity to learn about Singapore and make new friends. It was, to put it simply, one of the greatest experiences of my life.

While the University of Adelaide has a plethora of opportunities to study overseas, there are none quite like the Singapore Study Tour. In just two weeks it feels like the entire history of the city-state is explored, both in textbooks and in the streets. There is not a single thing that I regret about my experience, and if I could offer any advice to those considering the study tour, it is to take the leap of faith and apply.

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Is that the drums of war I hear?

Words by Habibah Jaghoori

There are moments throughout history that you can pinpoint and say: “Yes, this is what started it all.”

On the 3rd of January 2020 during the dark, quiet and early hours of Baghdad, General Qasem Soleimani was killed by a U.S missile strike. The drone strike also killed Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis; the military commander of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, a military group formed to fight ISIS. However, this will not be one of those moments. Instead, the world will look back on it and say: “Yes, this is what ended it all.”

Mourning processions and protests condemning the assassination were alive and dynamic in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Palestine, Yemen and Kashmir. Candlelight vigils took place in Toronto and London. In each city millions of Iranians flooded the streets in grief, tears and rage. Who was this man that the news of his death sent tremors to the hearts of the oppressed and every freedom lover? Qasem Soleimani was the General of The Quds Brigade, a subdivision of The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. In the 1980’s Qasem Soleimani defended his country against the U.S backed Saddam Hussein in the 8-year Iran-Iraq war. In 2006 when Israel invaded Lebanon it was Qasem

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Soleimani who was a key figure in the liberation of the region. In 2012 when ISIS emerged out of the blue and cast terror in their path of destruction it was Qasem Soleimani who came to the aid of the Syrians and fought against the American backed ISIS terrorists. In 2014-2015 when the American backed ISIS terrorists rampaged through Iraq, it was once again Qasem Soleimani who engineered and executed the defeat of ISIS and forced the terrorists to retreat, thus saving the lives of millions of people.

Qasem Soleimani was so famous for his countless efforts for the oppressed people of Palestine that Leila Khaled, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, spoke out declaring: “I say to martyr Qasem Soleimani you are the son of Palestine, and Palestine will never forget it’s children.”Furthermore, Qasem Soleimani pushed the Taliban menace away from Afghanistan.

So why did Trump send a missile to ruthlessly murder such a figure? The United States of America has a history of greeting any country they can no longer economically plunder as an enemy. On November 16th 2011, Donald Trump called out Obama by saying: “I believe that he will attack Iran sometime prior to the election because he thinks that’s the only way, he can get elected. Isn’t it pathetic?”

Since the U.S presidential election season is once more upon us, something certainly does smell pathetic. To understand the animosity the U.S has towards Iran we must travel back to 1953 when a CIA coup overthrew the democratically elected President Mosaddegh after he nationalised oil, and then replaced him with their puppet Mohammed Reza Pahlavi establishing a dictatorial authoritarian monarchy system in Iran. In 1979 the people of Iran shook the world with the Islamic Revolution by overthrowing Reza Shah and establishing the Islamic Republic of Iran through a magnanimous 98.2% approval referendum. In desperate retaliation America armed Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction that assisted him launch an 8-year attack upon Iran.

The crimes of the American empire include, but are not limited to: The shooting down of a civilian aircraft resulting in the death of more than 200 Iranians, funding and arming MEK terrorists who killed 17,000 Iranians, placing crippling sanctions on the country, kidnapping and murdering scientists, violating and withdrawing from the Nuclear Deal. On top of this, they also push relentless propaganda against the Islamic Republic in the hope to create disdain for Iran and discord in the Middle East with their dirty agenda to divide and conquer and finally as of late, the killing of Iran’s second most revered man. So, what now? Well, the world should know this: The assassination of General Qasem

Soleimani is not a strategic blow to Iran, but rather this move has guaranteed a long-awaited dream for the entire Middle East alongside every person who stands for human freedom and liberation.

In his address to the grieving nation of Iran, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei said: “Shahid (martyr) Soleimani is the international face of resistance and all who have a heartfelt connection to the resistance seek his blood revenge. All friends- and indeed all enemies- should know that the path of jihad (struggle) and resistance continues with increased motivation and certain victory awaits the mujahideen (those who perform the struggle) on this blessed path. The absence of our dear and selfsacrificing Sardar (commander) is bitter, but the continuation of the resistance and its final victory will be more bitter for the murderers and criminals.”

The world should know this, Revolutionary Iran will never surrender or compromise with global arrogance.

Iran has promised severe revenge, but their only targets are U.S military bases illegally occupying Iraq. The only position any leftist, human rights activist and anti-fascist can take right now is to stand behind and support Iran. My promise to you the reader is this, there will come a time in the near future, where humanity will agree the assassination of Qasem Soleimani set in motion the expulsion of the U.S in all regions it did not belong in and the collapse of the blood-lust Empire.

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cocktails to define your summer Hangover by Nick Birchall

What follows is a hand-curated list of 4 cocktails, complete with a bit of history to impress your tinder date, or your mum, or both at the same time.

Something to sip (or scull) on a hot summer day.

Japanese Slipper – Melbourne, Australia First made by Jean-Paul Bourguignon at Mietta’s restaurant in North Fitzroy, this cult 80’s classic became a staple in Australian night life for 20-odd years due to its palatable flavour.

- 30ml Midori - 30ml Cointreau - 30ml lemon juice Build the above ingredients into a shaker with ice, and thoroughly shake until chilled. Double-strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

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Margarita – Santiago De Tequila, Mexico

Painkiller – Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands

With dubious, and disputed origins, the most truthful fact I can tell you is that “Margarita” means “daisy” in Spanish.

- 45ml good tequila - 30ml triple sec or Curaçao - 15ml lime juice Rim the lip of a coupe glass with a lime wedge before dipping it lightly in sea salt. Build the above ingredients in a shaker with ice until chilled. Double strain into your prepared glass and garnish the rim with the lime wedge from earlier.

First served at the Soggy Dollar bar, which got its name due to the lack of docking space on the island, which saw many a sailor swim ashore to try this divine mix.

- 60ml of dark rum (traditionally, and legally, Pusser’s British Navy Rum) - 60ml Pineapple Juice - 15ml Orange Juice - 15ml coconut cream - 7ml simple syrup Build the above ingredients into an ice-filled shaker and shake thoroughly until chilled. Strain into a hollowed coconut (if circumstances permit, otherwise your choice of aesthetic vessel will suffice). Garnish with grated nutmeg, an orange wheel, and a sprig of fresh mint.

Americano – Milan, Italy Invented by Gaspare Campari, this bitter drink was originally referred to as the Milano-Torino, as its two signature ingredients came from both Milan (Campari) and Turin (Cinzano Rosso) respectively.

- 45ml Campari - 45ml Cinzano Rosso (or other sweet red vermouth) - - 200ml of sparkling water Build the above ingredients in a tall glass, before adding ice, the juice of an orange slice, and a twist of orange peel. Stir thoroughly.

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Democrats Abroad Interview Words by Kent Getsinger, Democrats Aborad Australia National Chair Interview by Felix Eldridge What is ‘Democrats Abroad’?

Democrats Abroad is the official arm of the Democratic Party for the millions of Americans living outside the United States. Democrats Abroad Australia is a recognised country chapter within the global organisation.

We operate in 41 established Country Committees that operate in 3 regions: the Americas, Europe Middle-East Africa and Asia-Pacific. There is a Global Leadership, with Vice-Chairs in each of the 3 regions.

Details of Global officers can be found here: https://www.democratsabroad.org/ executive_commitee Democrats Abroad Australia has a National Leadership with 5 active Local (State/ Territory) Chapters: ACT, NSW, QLD, SA, & VIC. Details of Australia’s officers can be found here: www.democratsabroad.org/au We are here to activate communities of U.S. citizens overseas in service of justice founded on values of equality, compassion, fairness and transparency. Specifically we: • Help Americans abroad vote in U.S. elections.

• Protect the right to vote for Americans abroad.

• Work with US government officials and elected representatives to advocate for issues that concern Americans abroad.

• Work with the broader Democratic Party to achieve our goals.

• Build communities of like-minded Americans around the world.

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• Help elect Democrats in U.S. congressional districts.

How successful are you / have you been in achieving your aims?

In 2018, Democrats Abroad Australia, as with our global organisation, launched the most ambitious mobilisation to register U.S. voters living here in Australia and overseas.

Our efforts saw new members and ballot requests (how U.S. citizens vote overseas) on par with a presidential election year.

This unprecedented result in number of U.S. citizens voting shows how passionate Americans are to improve the voting in the United States As of the first of February 2020, we launched our “Get-Out-The-Vote” (GOTV) 2020 efforts with canvassing in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney and will be building on successes of the 2018 mid-term elections.

What sort of challenges does your organization face?

The biggest challenge that we face is that U.S. citizens do not know that we exist and that we can help with voting and other issues that Americans face living overseas!

The next challenge is assisting with abroad voting. Literally, every U.S. state has different rules, deadlines and procedures for how ballots are cast. There is no federal election governing body, no mandatory attendance for voting and in fact, voting is often suppressed through conservative gerrymandering efforts to disenfranchise voters. We can help through this process to make sure that all U.S. citizens can vote!

in Australia and will be 18 years of age by election day in November 2020, can vote for their preferred Democratic candidate in the Democrats Abroad Global Presidential Primary!

We will be at the Gilbert St Hotel Sat 7 March from 11am – 4pm and U.S. citizens can join on the day as this is an open primary.

More details and RSVP here: https://www. democratsabroad.org/kentgetsinger/ adelaide_global_presidential_primary_2020

Why is it important that Americans vote in these elections, especially for primaries, which are between democrats not between democrats and republicans?

Are there any key statistics you would like to share about your organization?

It is critical that U.S. citizens exercise their democratic right to vote in all U.S. elections.

We are at a very challenging time with the current administration that is using divisive politics, removing protections for those most vulnerable and attacking the working class.

We are also at a very critical time in our history where many face vast inequality and face the very real and urgent threat of global warming.

We have members in more than 190 countries, with more than 41 organized country committees. We’re a 100% volunteerrun organization, with active chapters across six continents and members who vote in every U.S. state and congressional district.

We have several thousand members in Australia.

It is particularly important that U.S. citizens vote in primaries so that they may choose candidates that they think have the best policies and puts the best vision to go forward for our country.

Additionally - in the past two years, our organisation has endorsed the following policy platforms and will be pushing for these in the 2020 DNC Democratic Party Platform with other issues:

What key dates should people be aware of in this process?

The biggest key date is 7th March 2020 that will be our Global Presidential Primary. We have 7 locations across Australia in: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, and Sydney.

• Endorsed the Equal Rights Amendment that would guarantee equality for women under the U.S. Constitution.

• Endorsed Medicare for All – guaranteeing healthcare as a human right and is the most cost-effective universal proposal put forward • Endorsed the Green New Deal – that addresses climate change and economic equality • Endorsed Residency-Based Taxation – so that U.S. citizens living overseas are not liable for U.S. taxes on foreign income

Here in Adelaide, all U.S. citizens who live

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HEARTBREAK

by Jason Zhao After all the failures I’ve had, I thought this was the time, Where this would be my last attempt, Where my loneliness could have ended.

But history repeats itself, Like the cycle of life & death.

I thought this time I took all the right steps, But that wasn’t enough as life had its way.

All the closeness we have created together, Replaced by the former familiar distance.

All this makes me wonder, Whether this is my fate.

A Destiny of failures, A sad lonely existence.

I lie to myself about the pain, Pretending that I don’t feel.

Truth be told that part of me becomes numb, Every single time when my heart breaks again.

Truth be told I’m also afraid to try again, Afraid that I’m not good enough nor worthy.

Truth be told that I’m struggling with balancing everything, Struggling to live up to the expectations of others.

Now I’m alone again, Feeling empty inside.

Trying to move on, But I simply can’t.

Nor do I really want to, ‘Cause this shouldn’t be our ending.

I am once again flooded with waves of loneliness, Yet it’s different to that which I felt before all my life.

This new wave of loneliness, Loneliness being without you.

I wished that we would have stayed together & lasted, But all I could wish now for you is to be happy.

Even though it’ll be without me, Yet I truly mean it given the pain.

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Film Review: Parasite: Social satire at its sharpest Directed by Bong Joon-ho Review by Nix Herriot

As the first Korean film to be nominated for a best picture Oscar, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite has been making waves. It’s not hard to understand why: the film’s biting critique of social inequality gets under your skin.

fact that Parasite makes it painfully clear that such aspirations can only reach dead ends in neoliberal Korea. Bong’s film skillfully deflates the most persistent dictum of capitalism: that honest and hard work will lead to success.

From their cramped basement apartment, the Kim family assemble pizza boxes for the low wages offered by the gig economy. The Kims exist, quite literally, at the lowest level of South Korean society. But everything changes when the son, Ki-woo, lands a job as an English tutor for the teenage daughter of a wealthy family. As he enters the Parks’ opulent mansion, Ki-woo crosses a threshold to glimpse a world of polished glass and bourgeois privilege. Soon his sister and parents secure their own positions in the household – as art therapist, housekeeper and chauffeur – through a series of wickedly comical escapades.

Visually, Parasite is constructed through contrasts. In a brutally powerful scene set during torrential rain, the Kims descend from the elevated heights of Seoul’s wealthiest suburbs and return to their own deprived neighbourhood. What is an unremarkable downpour for the rich becomes an apocalyptic deluge of rainwater and sewage for those trapped in the city’s depths. Having given up on salvaging the family belongings, Ki-jung smokes her last cigarette while sitting on a toilet erupting dark wastewater.

As you might expect, Parasite satirises the sheltered and indulgent lives of the rich.

Mr Park is an abrasive entrepreneur who expects his chauffeur’s smooth driving to not disturb his coffee. Mrs Park believes her pampered young son to be the next Basquiat.

Although Ki-woo and his sister Ki-jung tutor the Park children, they themselves cannot afford an education. “I just printed out the document early”, Ki-woo insists as he holds up his forged college certificate. The entire Kim family dreams of a better life despite the

The film’s laughs darken as the home invasion reaches its climax. Comedy becomes tragedy as two incompatible worlds collide. Parasite has been a hit in South Korea where the challenges of unemployment, gentrification, pollution and ever increasing inequality are generating anxiety among many. It’s a story set in Seoul but one which could easily play out in London, New York or any other modern metropolis. Perhaps this must-see film has touched such a nerve because it speaks to a common understanding: in a world increasingly divided between rich and poor, it’s capitalism that’s the real parasite.

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Pop quiz!

What is the name of the cafe in Nexus?

A. Grassroots B. Mortar & Pestle C. Grind & Press D. Taste Baguette Which one of these people did not study at the university?

A. Julia Gillard B. Shaun Micallef C. Tim Minchin D. Guy Sebastian Where can the Tate Museum (which holds rocks, minerals, and fossils) be found?

A. Mawson B. Helen Mayo C. Napier D. Madley What is the name of our Vice-Chancellor?

A. Peter Rathjoy B. Peter Rathjen C. Peter Rathjin D. Peter Rathijn Which one of these is not a registered AUU club?

A. Pig Club B. Foosball Club C. Simpsons Club D. BTS Club Send us an email (onditmag@gmail.com) with your answers. The first person to get all the correct answers will win a prize!

?????????

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