Issue 87.8

Page 1

On Dit

ISSUE 87.8 SEPTEMBER 2019




Editorial Radio Correspondence What's On State of the Union SRC Report Declaration of Provisional Results Student Elections 2019 Left, Right and Centre Vox Pop

5 6 7 8 9

Don't Forget Roseworthy Album Review: Brockhampton Film Review: Once Upon a Time‌ In Hollywood Artist Feature: Billy Oakley Top 5 Op Shops Of Adelaide Chinese, But What Type?

16 18

Birds of Tokyo Review DZ Deathrays Interview The Ramsay Centre and NUS OXJAM

30 34 37 38

Poem: “Yes, table for one please!" Poem: 'Cold' Poem: 'Where The Heart is Whole' They Speak AUU 2019 Elections double voting Review: Girl Asleep From the Archives Gig Guide

40 41 41 42 43 44 45 46

10 12 14

19 20 26 28

Editors Imogen Hindson Sam Bedford Maxim Buckley Emily Savage Subeditors Clare Dekuyer Felix Eldridge Ella Michele Stasi Kapetanos Design Emily Savage Cover Art Emma Sullivan

We would like to Acknowledge that the land of The University of Adelaide is the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with their Country. We also acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today.

4


RIAL ED O T IT DI

ITORIAL E

L

RIAL E O T DI

EDITORI A AL

TORIA L EDI E

EDITORIAL

IAL EDI R O

Thank you for picking up the eighth edition of On Dit! With student elections over, and a brief interlude from our sister publication Electi-On Dit, it’s time to embrace the looming dread of mid-semester assessments. It was great to see so many people out at the climate strike on Friday. In a time when thinking about the climate’s downfall isn’t much different than ruminating on our own, there’s an overwhelming temptation to fall into the hands of paralysing pessimism. In the words of David ‘Attenbruh’ “Planet’s fucked fam”. But, hope in social-driven change doesn’t have to equate to denial. The arrival at our ‘point of no-return’ really should motivate rather than discourage; we’re screwed but we do have a say in how screwed we are. So despite the temptation to declare that the world’s fucked and call it a day, (tentatively) go forth and conquer (with cautious optimism). (If you imagined this as a selfdirected 1am pep talk to a laptop screen reflection of the author not dissimilar to a jaded renaissance baby Jesus, you wouldn’t be wrong.) Moving to democracy at a grassroots level here at uni, in this issue we have a reflection on the recent student elections from a Roseworthy perspective. If you’re feeling roused, check out Sage Jupe’s report on ‘Fighting the right at the AUU Board-Meeting’ detailing the Ramsay Centre debate. If all you need is that sweet “Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared” facebook fame give Alexandra Karstens’ Adelaide Op shop ratings a squiz. I want to thank everyone who has contributed to the magazine this year. With only a couple of editions left there’s not much time left to contribute! Keep in the loop with our social media and if you want to chat about any ideas don’t hesitate to shoot us an email at onditmag@gmail.com. Love, Emily, Imogen, Max and Sam

5


6

For this issue, instead of giving a Student Radio update, I’d like to reflect on the purpose of student media and media in general, and what it sets out to do. I think it’s appropriate to discuss this because those of us who are part of Student Media get asked “what does student media even do?” a lot. Student Media is of service to you. Our job as media makers is to inform you of what is going on at your university and more broadly, what is happening socially and culturally. In doing this, we aim to tell you the truth and to mobilise for the common good. With the ultimate goal to stimulate public discussion and to inform the discourses that surround issues that we care about and that affect us.

There have been rumblings recently that there are particular actors who wish to have Student Media be of service to their personal ideologies- to censor media because there are things being published that do not align with their ideologies. This same person helped me run for Student Radio under the guise of ‘independent media’. Student Media needs to dissect and discuss issues that affect us, regardless of whether or not it may affect the outcome of a student election. That is literally the point of Student Media, and you would be naive to think otherwise. As Student Media, we will continue to be independent, holding those in power accountable and doing what we think is best for you, the audience.

I think that for the most part, On Dit and Student Radio has had a pretty good track record at fulfilling those aims. What allows us to do that is media independence- not having others with vested interests attempt to marre the aims of Student Media. Freedom of media allows us to hold those in power accountable and gives us freedom to critique and call out those who are actioning stuff that is not for the common good.

Love, The SR team PS. Ellie wrote this xxx

O


WHAT’S ON

SEPTEMBER27th

30th

What: AUMA Media Ball - Party Like It's 1999 Where: The Golden Wattle When: Friday 27th September

What: ABSS SGM Where: ABSS When: Monday 30th September

4th

10th

11th

What: AU Snow Ski Snowball Where: The Cumby When: Friday 4th October

What: UniBar ADL Open Mic Night Where: Unibar When: Thursday 10th October

What: ANSS: Semester Two Scrub Crawl Where: Hindley St When: Friday 11th October

11th

17th

18th

What: Fri-Yay Member Lunches Where: The Cloisters When: Friday 11th October

What: AMSS International Food Fiesta x Insight Jam Sessions Where: AHMS When: Thursday 17th October

What: AUSS and AIAA Pubcrawl Where: The London, Little Pub, The Blackbull, SuperCali When: Friday 18th October

OCTOBER 7


STATE OF THE UNION Words by AUU Board President Oscar Ong

Ah what an eventful end to the semester it has been. Student elections week, where student politicians are suddenly very engaged with you has just concluded. But thankfully, I’ve decided to use my column to feature the important work that I have been doing as your President, and showcasing the services that we deliver as the Union. Students tend to think student politicians waste most of their time debating issues that don’t matter or don’t affect students’ lives (if you don’t know yet, 35% of your Student Service and Amenities Fees (SSAF) goes to the AUU). This caused important groups on campus to feel left behind by their representatives, because they aren’t members of the faction, or ‘bringing in votes’. They are our international students, Roseworthy & Waite students, and apolitical students. In addition to our work this year, we will continue to support these students by making the Union more relevant to your student experience next year. We will put on more free events, expand the free breakfast program to five days, support our clubs and solve issues that actually matter to you. Alongside my team and other like-minded studentcentric directors, we have removed funding for the National Union of Students (NUS) and NUS conference fees, which I bet most of you reading this haven’t heard of, and you’re probably asking what they even do. (Imagine what we could have done with $18,600!) I was livid when I found out the Student Values survey, which they used to make a series of conclusions with, was only completed

8

by 336 participants (out of the 1 million students they claimed to represent). The closed-doors NUS conference where we send 7 elected delegates to is a total waste of money and does not benefit students. After all the negativity, I am glad to tell you that we have repurposed the funding to Student Care where we established a new Financial Advisor role to provide free, confidential and independent advice, information and advocacy to students who are in financial difficulty. Also, the Adelaide University Vietnamese Students Association, with the AUU’s support, will be bringing the biggest SA Vietnamese festival (Vietfest) to our campus on October 12th. Make sure you check it out and don’t miss out the great chance like how my predecessor missed out the chance to actually do good for students! Oscar Zi Shao Ong President, Adelaide University Union auupresident@auu.org.au


SRC PRESIDENT Words by SRC President Ali Amin

You may have recently seen an announcement from the University of Adelaide in regards to support for major art events at University in 2020. This huge announcement that will see the University enter into partnership with major arts events including the Adelaide Festival, Adelaide Fringe and RCC. Most interestingly for students it does mean that the RCC Fringe will return to campus in 2020. However if you were disrupted or negatively impacted by it this year, like I was, don’t be alarmed as your SRC and AUU having been working with students, Clubs and the University over the past 6 months to make sure that disruptions are eliminated or mitigated and the event will be even better. The RCC survey results make it clear that there are a wide range of views around having the RCC operating on campus and all views were taken into consideration, particularly of those students whose studies or university experience was adversely affected. We have made sure that performances on the Maths Lawns are limited to Friday evenings and weekends, and a blanket rule that sound checks will not occur prior to 4pm on any day. Building access will be maintained throughout the period and wayfinding signage will be improved. We are also working with the RCC to make sure that the benefits to students from job opportunities, free tickets to food and drink discounts are as expansive as possible and better than ever.

tied in with improved communication and feedback mechanisms for students that will allow you to enjoy the event, navigate the campus and report issues. This announcement will mean the University is an active participant in the community, contributing to the social and cultural fabric of society, and bringing students, staff and alumni closer in contact. While I am a critic of the process in regards to the RCC this year and the impact of the event on students, I am satisfied by a genuine commitment by all parties to improve the vibrant campus experience that students enjoy at the University of Adelaide. Lastly, the success of our partnership with the University is reflected in the broad range of arts organisations that complement the diverse interests of students apart from the RCC. This is a positive development for students that will strengthen our lively campus culture and provide exciting opportunities by engaging with the broader community. If you have any thoughts on this, as always, don't hesitate to contact me! Ali Amin President, Adelaide University SRC To stay updated like our Facebook page: facebook.com/adelaidesrc/ Email me at: srcpresident@auu.org.au Tweet me @le_hashimi

We have also created a new working group with the University that will oversee the RCC Fringe and other festivities on campus to make sure that students are at the heart of decision making. This will also be

9


DECLARATION OF PROVISIONAL RESULTS Declaration of Provisional STUDENT ELECTIONS Student Elections 201 2019 Board 1 2 3 4 5

SHAW, Ella LAI, Yoong Aun (Andrew) JAYASURIYA, Ashley RAMESHBABU, Tharun QIN, Chuyue (Angela)

Board

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

HEATON, Angus FERNANDEZ, Chelsea TOUGHTON, Emma RAU, Jack OBRADOVIC, Ana ELLIOT, David CACAS, Evelyn

NUS

Board Board Board Board

NUS NUS NUS NUS NUS NUS NUS

SRC President 1 ARMFIELD, Henry

SRC President

General Secretary 1 TRUMBLE, Isaac

General Secretary

Education Officer 1 ELLIOT, David

Education Officer

Social Justice Officer 1 ZANG, Zishen

Social Justice Officer

Disability Officer 1 MARTINEZ, Mitchell

Disability Officer

Ethno-Cultural Officer 1 NOYA, Jan

Ethno-Cultural Officer

International Student Officer 1 TRAN, Ngoc Lan (Laura) Mature Age Officer 1 GREENWOOD, Susie Postgraduate Officer

International Student Officer

Mature Age Officer


Disability Officer 1 MARTINEZ, Mitchell

Disability Officer

Ethno-Cultural Officer 1 NOYA, Jan

Ethno-Cultural Officer

International Student Officer 1 TRAN, Ngoc Lan (Laura)

International Student Officer

Mature Age Officer 1 GREENWOOD, Susie

Mature Age Officer

Postgraduate Officer 1 WANG, Hai

Postgraduate

Rural Officer 1 VOGELSANG, Andrew

Rural Officer

Environmental Officer 1 AZHAR, Ahmed

Environmental Officer

Welfare Officer 1 SCHAMSCHURIN, Leah

Welfare Officer

Women's Officer 1 ETIENNE, Rebecca

Women's Officer

ATSI Officer 1 TEMPLE, Kynesha

ATSI Officer

Queer Officer 1 KENNEWELL, Madison

Queer Officer

General Councillor 1

ZIMMERMANN, Billy

General Councillor

2

FOSTER, Ben

General Councillor

3

DARCY, Hermsen

General Councillor

4

YUHANG, Qian

General Councillor

5

PATEL, Kartik (Kai)

General Councillor

6

TANTALOS, Peter

General Councillor

7

SAHA, Sunit

General Councillor

8

YOON, Dahun (Dave)

General Councillor


LEFT RIGHT & CENTRE Left

Zanny Edhouse Socialist Alternative 1. Pauline Hanson’s disrespect of the cultural and spiritual significance of Uluru for the Anangu traditional owners should be called out as the racism that it is. It says everything about colonial Australia: this continues to be a racist country that was built on stolen land. The so-called “moderate” politicians in Liberal and Labor continue to carry out a genocide against Indigenous Australians through the disregard for their land rights, their dehumanising cashless welfare programs, their overseeing of racist police and justice systems, a total starvation of funds for indigenous communities - the list goes on. 2. Our house is on fire. We are facing a future of global climate devastation that will displace and kill billions in decades to come. It is ridiculous to talk about wrecking the planet even more for the sake of ‘the economy’ (read: businesses making

12

enough profits to compete on the international market) in this context. Bolsonaro, along with our coal-loving politicians here in Australia, should be seen as nothing less than climate criminals. We need to be making huge societal changes to offset the effects of climate change as much as possible, no matter what this may do to the profits of big business. I don’t think capitalism is up for that task. We need a society capable of putting the needs of humanity above all else. 3. I think it is appalling the way Universities take extortionist fees from international students and they should not be allowed to do this. However, when talking about this there can be a danger in contributing to an antiChinese racism that exists in this country. The problem isn’t that Chinese students are studying here, it’s that Vice Chancellors (egged on by the major parties) want to run our universities like businesses. Education should be a human right, accessible and free for all, whether domestic or international.

Centre Henry Armfield Adelaide University Labor Club SRC President Elect 1. Pauline Hanson will do anything for political clout amongst her base. This is yet more pandering to hard conservatives. I think it speaks to a larger cultural phenomenon amongst white Australians, including myself. We don’t have any real cultural or religious icons here, and the attempts we make at establishing such are immediately disrespected. Less than a year ago the government was considering projecting advertising onto the Sydney Opera House. People who think they have the right to climb Uluru should address their deeply ingrained jealousy of strong indigenous culture, move back to Western Europe, and go climb Notre Dame (once it’s fixed). 2. Bolsonaro is a fascist, the amazon fires are a direct result of his leadership, and the people of Brazil should overthrow him.


1.

Pauline Hanson recently defied the wishes of Anangu traditional owners and attempted

to climb Uluru before becoming stuck, comparing the ban to stopping tourists from visiting Bondi. She also recently asked “Where’s my land, if it’s not Australia?” to a group of indigenous teenagers. What do her actions say about the enduring entitlement of colonial Australia? 2.

According to leaked documents, conservative President Bolsonaro, planned to occupy

and destroy swathes of the Amazon rainforest to prevent conservation efforts on his claim that Brazil is being held back economically by environmental protection measures. What right does Bolsonaro, and by extension all sovereign states have to economic development without intervention, no matter how ecologically detrimental? 3.

Professor Babones of the Centre of Independent Studies has recently released a warning

about the overreliance of Australian universities on Chinese students, claiming that they are being treated as “cash cows.” Is this a symptom of increasing education privatization? What should be done to fix this?

You’re probably thinking to yourself; “Isn’t this the centre column?” “Where is the nuance?” “So much for the tolerant centre!” The fact is, there is no grey area here. Bolsonaro will dismantle Brazilian Democracy just as fast as he liquidates the rainforest. I strongly doubt there will be another democratic election in Brazil as long as Bolsonaro reigns, so he must be overthrown for the sake of of Brazil, and our planet. 3. I think this statement applies to all international students not just Chinese students. The freezing of higher education funding has forced universities to seek other revenue streams, one of them is international students.

International Students pay upfront fees without commonwealth subsidy, have no access to HECS or HELP loans, and often live in university-owned accommodation. They are the perfect customer in the eyes of not only the university, but also the government and student loan brokers.

Study help programs in different languages.

The system is exploitative, but international students continue to come to Australia for education because we offer a quality product. Regulated University fees mean that even without Commonwealth subsidy, our degrees are still cheaper than their US and UK counterparts.

Expanding cultural consideration clauses.

There are still ways to help International Students without unfreezing education funding:

Union support for international student societies and clubs. English language support for academics. VISA support through the university and union.

Befriending international students.

Right A response was not submitted.

Strong Student Unions.

13


VOX PO P

LUCY Diploma of French, Bachelor of International Studies and Bachelor of Laws

1. Yeah I’m aware of the Ramsay Centre. Something about Western classics. I’m pretty neutral if I’m honest. Seems really political and a crazy event. Seems like the right decision was made? 2. No but I’m going to and I’m going to participate because it’s very important to play an active role in your campus and decide who represents you

14

WILL Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws

1. I was actually at the meeting where the motion didn’t pass. I think it’s good that the motion didn’t pass because the Ramsay Centre would have been a dangerous presence on campus and I wouldn’t want anyone to support it 2. Yep, I’m actually a candidate! I’ve been handing out all week. It’s great to get people involved and get them thinking about the issues that are going to affect them

3. No, I don’t think the Australian Government acts appropriately on many things, especially issues regarding asylum seekers. But I don’t see that changing any time soon

3. I think they could off them a lot more support. They need residency, I believe some of the kids have health issues and things like that. We need to treat them with respect

4. Go to the uni bar? I don’t know...go for a picnic! I’ll get attacked at the river by swans

4. I guess taking a break, watching tv, playing a bit of basketball, beers with the boys you know that kind of thing

5. I’m going to One Night Stand, that’s free…

5. Ahhh probably Falls


1. The AUU recently did not carry a motion to explore a partnership with the Ramsay Centre. Are you aware of what the Ramsay Centre is? What are your thoughts on the AUU’s decision?

2. StuPol elections are upon us, have you participated this week? Why/why not? 3. Recently, the story of a Biloela Tamil family has reached the national stage, do you think that the Australian Government is acting appropriately? Why/why not? 4. Spring has well and truly not sprung and the days are looking as bleak as ever. What are you most looking forward to doing once the warmer weather comes around? Or are you hoping the cold days persist as long as possible?

5. Who’s got the better line-up, BTV or Falls?

Michael Law/International Relations

EVA

CHELSEA

Bachelor of Media and Bachelor of International Relations

Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Laws

1. I think it’s good to promote diversity. We don’t necessarily need more Western values put out into a community, but diversity in education is always good 2. No I didn’t at all. I just didn’t, I don’t know why I just didn’t 3. No I don’t think they are. I think we should just embrace people and not judge people on their differences. If we really want to create a harmonious society we need to accept those from all backgrounds 4. Definitely hoping for warmer days, looking forward to soaking in the sun like a lizard

1. Yep I completely agree with their decision. I think it’s absolutely disgusting to support the Ramsay Centre so completely agree with that 2. I sure have. I’m a hack and I like people hating me 3. I don’t think so no 4. Definitely looking forward to it getting warmer. Definitely looking forward to being able to sit outside and drink cool beers without getting cold 5. I would say, this year they’re equally ok

5. I haven’t even checked...Falls

15


DON'T FORGET AN OPEN LETTER TO THE SRC AND AUU

16


ROSEWORTHY; Words by Rory Spiers

R

oseworthy is a small country town situated roughly 50km north of Adelaide, far enough away to be overlooked by North Terrace based student leaders. This sleepy little town is also home to the University of Adelaide’s School of Animal and Veterinary Science. The Roseworthy Campus itself caters to Animal Science, Veterinary Bioscience, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Behaviour degrees, with a new Veterinary Technology degree due to start up next year. Currently 775 students study at the campus (all of whom pay the same SSAF fees as everyone else), and with increasing cohort sizes in Veterinary Bioscience and the introduction of Veterinary Technology this number is certain to increase in the future. Roseworthy is also the home base for 12 Union clubs. For the last 2 years, the student body at Roseworthy has been fortunate enough to be represented by the Rural Officer on the SRC, something that occurred just by chance. This election however, much to our collective dismay, Roseworthy’s voice has been silenced with no Roseworthy candidates being elected to either the AUU or the SRC. This sequence of events has left our campus worried, especially following the suggestion of completely de-staffing the Roseworthy Campus Library. This controversial decision was met with outstanding backlash from Roseworthy students, and our concerns were represented by SRC Rural Officer and Roseworthy student Tobias Threadgold. Tobias knew the importance of our library because he lives, works and studies here. Without a representative voice to stand up and speak on our behalf, what will happen when decisions are made for us by higher-ups who couldn’t point out where we are on a map? In terms of student politics, until very recently Roseworthy has been an untapped market for election votes. We might be a smaller campus, but with the potential for 775 additional votes for the faction which actually takes the time to bother to campaign out here, we are a force that can sway elections in the

direction of someone who cares enough to stand up for Roseworthy. Roughly 30% of our student body hold AUU memberships, a number which cannot be scoffed at. If the AUU were to turn their back on Roseworthy students, this would be an affront to any student at this campus who has paid for a Union membership. We are not asking for Roseworthy to be at the forefront of every AUU and SRC committee member’s minds. All we want is for someone to remember that we’re here too. We want representation. While we are a smaller campus, to overlook us would be of detriment to our student body. There is the backing of an entire campus up for grabs for the person who takes the time to let us be heard. Rory studies a Bachelor of Veterinary Bioscience at the Roseworthy Campus of the University of Adelaide Editorial Note from Max: As a student of rural background myself, I find it extremely disappointing that once again those who are out of sight are considered out of mind. It is a common theme for those of us who live beyond the limits of metropolitan Australia to be forgotten. Rural Australia is never considered to be of high interest or necessity, despite what federal and state politicians will try and have you believe. To be from a rural background is to be alienated politically. It would be my recommendation that a position for a representative of each campus, besides North Terrace, be created in the SRC and then elected at each election. In the case of the AUU, a position should be reserved for a member from each campus, with no official office bearing title to be created. This would allow for equity of representation in both houses of the Adelaide Uni political sphere. For students of Roseworthy and Waite, I’d recommend you remember those who are against this idea and work toward ensuring they are never elected because of votes from your campus. Show them you can’t be forgotten.

17


Album Review: Brockhampton Review by Maxim Buckley GINGER, like many recent albums from rappers and hip hop collectives in general, is a significant departure from Brockhampton’s usual style. The album, in my opinion, was best described by my housemate Sophie, who said it is ‘super vibey’, whatever that means. Personally, GINGER isn’t the Brockhampton album I was looking for. The album, unlike previous installments from the rag tag rap group, is far more cohesive. This typically by many wouldn’t be considered a bad thing, especially myself. One of my favourite albums of all time is Superorganism’s self titled first album, which has songs that flow into each other expertely, sometimes being indiscernible from one another. The album is so cohesive that you can listen to it on shuffle and still have a relatively similar experience, which is pretty impressive if you ask me. I think the difference here for me is that Superorganism is exactly that, one big, cohesive, super sized band. They, unlike the members of Brockhampton, require one another to produce music. All you need to do is watch their Like A Version (LAV) to see how they work together and support one another in order to create their trademarked big cohesive sound. On the contrary, Brockhampton isn’t a superorganism, they’re a collaboration between a bunch of independent artists. Perhaps in perfect antithesis to Superorganism’s LAV is Brockhampton’s LAV. Rather than working together and doing something like One Direction’s ‘What Makes You Beautiful’, especially considering they are the ‘world’s hardest working boyband’, they chose to instead have Bearface solo cover Alicia Keys’ ‘Unthinkable’, an extremely controversial decision by the band that received a great amount of criticism from their fans and the music loving community at-large. They’re individuals and always will be individuals, and that’s what makes them great. That’s why I keep coming back for more Brockhampton, it’s not to hear a choir of cherubian vocals, it’s to hear recognisable voices like Kevin Abstract, Merlin and Bearface all taking cracks at songs in their own ways.

18

Now, as a fan of the band, I do understand that there were a number of factors influencing their LAV decision and perhaps their wider discography at the time. Ameer Vann, one of the founding band members and perhaps one of the most recognisable voices of the band, had recently been asked to leave the band amidst allegations of emotional abuse. This all came to light just before the intended release of the band’s 4th studio album PUPPY, originally scheduled for June of 2018. The band was like any university group project that had lost one of its members to the census date, without direction and looking for inspiration. iridescence, was the album that resulted from this turbulent period, and though it was critically panned by many, I found it to be my favourite installment from the band thus far. Each song was so different, taking small cues from the previous but still managing to be an individual song in its own right. The album was certainly a grouping of singles all recorded at the same time, NEW ORLEANS is this driving opener that had you drooling for the next song. BERLIN really chucks the breaks on, but only in beats per minute. WEIGHT is an incredible introspective song by Kevin Abstract where he deals with growing up gay in a community that wasn’t necessarily accepting of this side of him. HONEY gets you pumped up again and then SAN MARCOS breaks you down. I could talk about every song on this album at length and I think that’s what’s important. They’re all individual, having their own energy and impact, each one is its own mood. Its own ‘vibe’ if I’m to take something from Sophie’s book. GINGER just doesn’t have that. I’ve listened to the album a number of times as I do every album from an artist I like and I honestly couldn’t tell you the name of any song on the album beside NO HALO, and that’s just because it’s the first song on the album and the one I always click on first. This album will fall by the wayside for me, it’s just not for me. It’s not the hardest working boyband I know and love.


Film Review: Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood Review by Kyle Dolan Tarantino has a career of overly self-indulgent films rife with alternate histories and obscure pop-culture references that internet think pieces just eat up. He is the perfect catastrophe of a human being; his personality alone keeps him in the news and generates buzz for his movies. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is no different. An almost three-hour odyssey of two old buddies trying to strike gold in Hollywood and save their careers is exactly the film we all expected from Tarantino at this stage in his career. The film is laden with a star-studded cast, massive budget and enough one-liners to support a film buff’s Instagram captions for an entire year. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is absolutely worth seeing, regardless of your opinion of its very controversial director. At its core, Hollywood is an introspection of a friendship between Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as they try to save their fading careers in a film industry that is growing away from them. Pitt falls at the centre of this story, playing an old stuntman who is long past his heyday. Cliff as a character is reserved but confident in himself. Initially reminiscent of the actor himself, Pitt fleshes out Cliff’s character to stray further from his likeness as the plot thickens. The structure of this film is very different from Tarantino’s other works and, as such, we understand the film’s two protagonists much more profoundly than Tarantino’s typical episodic style would allow. DiCaprio is a much bigger personality than Pitt, but his role reminds me of the work he has done in the past. Think a mix between his roles in Django Unchained and The Wolf of Wall Street. He brings that same

charisma to a character with deeper personal wounds and insecurities. The two have excellent chemistry together and their on-screen banter is what really makes the film. What separates this from the rest of Tarantino’s catalogue is the pacing. Where Tarantino’s other films have been snappy, episodic stories, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a slow burn. Instead of blasting through setup and punchline and then onto the next we get to spend time with Cliff and Rick through their parallel stories. We learn about them, about who they are and what they are like. We learn about what their careers have been and how they have ended up where they are. They act as though they are the last holdouts of the golden age of Hollywood as the dawn of a New Hollywood kicks into gear. This does make the film feel as though it moves much slower, but also makes the character development so much more meaningful. This is at times a little too slow, and some of Tarantino’s risks may be hit-or-miss for some (I won’t spoil them here, so take my word for it). Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is an event. The performances are all fantastic and the story is intriguing and deep. The slower pace may not excite all viewers but was just fine for me, I loved how invested I got in the characters’ lives and how much we got to learn about them. This is one of the year’s best films and is a must-see for any film buff. 4/5 stars

19


20


ARTIST FEATURE: BILLY OAKLEY Interview by Imogen Hindson

Self-taught artist Billy Oakley is on the rise in Adelaide - and for good reason. For editor Imogen Hindson, Oakley’s otherworldly abstraction evokes both feelings of self-reflection and a sense of contemplation of the future to come. With his upcoming curatorial gig ‘Heaps Good’ opening at Mixed Spice Creative Studio, it’s clear the artist’s star is on the rise.

B: Yeah definitely. When I first started painting, I debated with myself about whether or not I would study. It’s been four years since I decided not to study, and it’s now I can look back and really ask if I should’ve spent those four years studying or being in the industry.

Stylistically, I don’t believe that going to art school will make you any better at drawing, painting or On Dit chatted with Billy about the advantages of whatever. In my observations people who go to being a self-taught artist, and how he successfully art school have achieved a greater level of skill infiltrated an Adelaide arts community built on because they’ve been pushed to practice. But this art-school connections. Within this interview, is something you can do in your living room with Billy opens up about the importance of combined youtube, not an expensive degree. I personally mediums (in his case, painting and poetry) to create believe it’s always better to be in the field and a new form of work, as well as his stylistic choices; learning from experience as opposed to learning the colour blue, overt religious themes, and the about it on paper. You learn how to do exhibitions, vulnerability of self-portraiture. how to write proposals, speak with clients and galleries whilst actually doing it. I: How do you think Adelaide’s art scene has shaped both your work and your Art schools are great for a lot of industry-related experiences? Is it a particularly supportive knowledge, though. The reality of it is that by being community? technically uneducated, there are a lot more closed doors regarding residencies. But I also was capable B: I sincerely believe Adelaide’s art scene is a of working in the industry within a few months of supportive community, but I feel as though you first picking up a brush so it's more of a preference need to be actively involved and engaged with it to of what you want to do. get the most out of it. In the beginning of my artistic career, I went about working as an artist completely I: The colour blue is used regularly in your alone. At the time, I was very fresh on the scene and art, with one of your previous exhibitions I didn’t really know anyone, so it wasn’t exactly a even called “I’m Blue [Dadum Di Dadum choice. I’ve since come to find out that going at it Da].” Do you have a strong attachment to by yourself can be detrimental and dangerous… this colour, or is it purely stylistic? there’s power in numbers and there’s more joy, fulfilment and identity in groups. B: I feel like the colour blue was a stylistic phase for me. Honestly, it only came about because my I: Do you think being a self-taught artist mother had some blue house paint left over from gives you a different outlook in your painting one of her rooms. I started priming my creative process? canvases with that, and it got me thinking in terms

21


22


of blue off the bat. After a while I learnt to love it a lot more - I think blue is a really wonderful colour. It’s very cold, and I think at the time I just wanted to do more cold things! It’s all worked out quite well, because it was the crux of many of my exhibitions. I: Self-portraiture and nudity appears regularly in your work. What’s the motive behind these themes? B: A lot of my work centres around vulnerability it’s probably my favourite word as well! I think the nudity stems from my desire to very plainly express a lot of that. A lot of me painting my own body naked is mainly themed around me reclaiming my body along with the vulnerability theme. Also, I can’t lie it’s a lot easier to paint naked skin then it is to paint clothes. For a while painting naked women was my bread and butter for commissioned work, but I stopped after a while. It feels nice to help some women feel more liberated, but I realised although I can create a safe and comfortable environment for these women to experience something they’d like to do, I can’t control how the world perceives and values them for doing it… so I’ve stopped doing it since then. I: There are some pretty overt religious themes within your work. Where do these stem from? B: I’ve always been really interested in religious art. Usually very Abrahamic religious imagery as well, so Christianity, Catholicism, Islam and Judaism. I don’t identify as any of these religions, I actually spend most of my life studying the philosophy of Taoism. Although my interest in the stories and images from these religions always had a very cathartic and heavy tone historically, and I always resonated with that.

23


I: You often use poetry in your art descriptions. Do you see these as complementary, or separate mediums? Does the poetry influence the creation of art, or vice versa? B: I see them for the most part as separate to the painting. When I began painting I needed to name each painting something, and I struggled to think of names‌ so I decided I would just use some poems I had written. Then that grew into its own thing, where now they go hand in hand. A fun part in pursuing any specific art form is that there’s still room to express yourself through different mediums, separate to the artform itself.

24


Get more from your Uni experience Grab your Union card and...

GET AHEAD

Access the best professional and academic advice, tips and tricks on study and employment, and build your skills and your resume.

GET SOCIAL

Fill your calendar with amazing events, workshops, comedy, live music, trivia, festivals, pop-up bars, campus challenges and loads more.

GET FREE STUFF

Claim discounts all over campus, upgrades, free lunches, rewards, and the best competitions and giveaways.

GET BALANCE

Stay motivated with health and wellbeing support, activities, adventures, and a life outside of lectures.

$40

1.5 Years

or

$20

6 Months

auu.org.au/join

25


Words by Alexandra Karstens

TOP 5 OP SHOPS OF ADELAIDE

Straws are out, keep cups are in, and plastic in general is a big sad face in the current climate. People are becoming more aware of the harms that our unchecked usage of plastic can cause, and that’s great. But what’s this got to do with op shops? Oh, a bunch. It’s not just the takeaway container you threw away, or the extra wrapping that JB Hi-Fi put on all their DVDs. It’s also your clothes. Fast fashion, increasing landfills. The ethics of responsible consumerism never end, do they? But there’s one form of consumption that will never leave you feeling guilty after having a bit of a splurge: op shops. Specifically, at the best ones in Adelaide. Here are my top 5.

NO. 1: SALVOS ON GOODWOOD 307 GOODWOOD RD You can’t go wrong with a Salvos. This one’s great for the huge section out the back with colour-coded homeware and cheap furniture like desks, wardrobes, computer chairs and sofas. Shout out to them for not getting angry at me the one time I broke a thing. (Can’t remember what it was. A lamp? A vase? Something ceramic.) They’ve also got a nice selection of vintage(-esque) clothes.

NO. 2: RED CROSS 284 RUNDLE ST If you’re disheartened by all the clothes you can’t afford in Rundle Mall, the Red Cross down Rundle Street is not far, and they have a pretty great selection even though it’s smaller than some others. Definitely check out upstairs for vintage finds - some so hilariously out of fashion that the trip is worth it just to see the terrible dresses. Also a neat little selection of old PC games! This Red Cross slaps just for the upstairs alone.


NO. 3: MOSH CBD 64 KING WILLIAM STREET If you’re ever waiting at the bus stop on King William Street like me, you may have noticed the sign for MOSH, a sneaky lil op shop that is tucked away downstairs. This is a cute store that not only sells secondhand clothes and books, but also distributes local artist wares and offers a chill out zone prioritising mental health. They also hold regular crafty workshops.

NO. 4: VINNIES HAWTHORN 21 ABBOTSHALL RD This op shop has a special place in my heart because I volunteered here for a year, and I worked in the back sorting through donations. Meaning I got first pick of the stuff that came through, and also gave me an interesting look at the weird things people decided to donate. Like, cheers, we really appreciate your one odd sock. Someone’ll love that. Other Odd Donations included: a pair of handcuffs, an unopened mankini and a cane-knife. This place has a great book selection (even if the volunteers there can hardly tell the difference between general fiction and YA) and definitely a great source for niche finds.

NO. 5: OP SHOP JUNCTION 322 GRANGE RD, KIDMAN PARK If you’re not having any luck, you gotta go to what a friend of mine nicknamed “Op Shop Junction” in Kidman Park, where a massive Vinnies, RSPCA, Salvos and Red Cross all sit next to each other on Grange Road. You’re guaranteed to find something great in one of them. Those are my favourites where I’ve found something particularly neat, but there’s pretty much an endless source of op shops in Adelaide. Even if you don’t buy anything, you might find something a bit funny that you can post on the “Weird Secondhand Finds That Just Need To Be Shared” page on Facebook and get 1.6k likes.


CHINESE, BUT WHAT TYPE? THE PERSONAL STATEMENT OF A HAN CHINESE MILLENNIAL WORDS BY ANDREA WU

Being Han Chinese from South East China is a characteristic I identify with. This means as the majority in my hometown I didn’t have many experiences of living with minorities. However, when I came to Australia, I became one of the minorities, and found it is crucial to learn how to living with people from different cultures, which made my overseas life interesting and challenging for me. The Han culture is the largest culture in China. Minorities in China, including former colonists or invaders, were partially or completely changed by sinicisation, but their cultures also influenced the Han culture. Therefore, Chinese culture became more inclusive and complicated, and the concept of Chinese culture became a little bit vague. But in Australia, though people are living in the same place, different communities can keep their own life styles, and do not join each other’s daily life. There are many factors making China united as a polyethnic country, and one of them is language. Because I’m from the mainland, I was deeply influenced by the promotion of Mandarin. I can remember when I was in kindergarten,

28

my teacher told me it is bad to learn and speak a dialect as it will affect my Mandarin accent. As a result, I identified myself as one of the Hokkien people, but I couldn’t speak Minnan very well. I started to practice Minnan with my mother, but it couldn’t make up for things that I’d lost, and even my mother had lost - there were many traditional words in Minnan lost in my mother’s generation. The promotion of Mandarin built a strong connection among various areas of China, but also created a permanent trauma on different communities, especially the communities of southern areas.

THEY LOST THE CONNECTION TO THEIR HOMELAND IN THE GAP BETWEEN MANDARIN AND THEIR REGIONAL CULTURES,


AND FOUND NOWHERE TO GO, AS THEY LOST THEIR DIALECTS OR LANGUAGES. Feelings of not belonging partially create feelings of not being safe, and furthermore, they promote pragmatism; mutual support is no longer based on friendships or family relationships, instead, it is based on common interests. I’m one of the millennials of China - Chinese economic reform started twenty two years before the year I was born. In my generation, China has grown rapidly due to the reform, thus Chinese people have more opportunities to go outside and see the world, especially for middle and upper classes. I’m from the middle class, which means I can receive relatively good education, and don’t have to worry about surviving in poverty and homelessness. I can watch Japanese animation, learn new skills and study overseas, which makes me have more enthusiasm of thinking deeply and creatively, and incentive to change the world. However, because China doesn’t have a well-constructed social welfare system, I’m still worried about my future. A good job is almost crucial for the lower class and middle class students who have just graduated from universities, as they have to pay back the investment

they get from their families, and take responsibility of taking care of their families and themselves after the last generation retires or loses their jobs. For example, I found that one of the main reasons why many Chinese students studying in Australia have psychological problems is the pressure of studying - the price of studying abroad is so high that they can’t or don’t want to deal with the consequences of failing in school. And more complex cultural identities after living overseas for a long time also keep impacting most of them. They still speak Chinese, but engage in code-switching during conversation. They love China, while they feel good when they hear things about Australia somewhere else. The students have no complete feelings of belonging either in China or in Australia As a Chinese international student, I felt similar pressures and faced these problems a lot. As a Chinese millennial, I enjoy many resources that my parents haven’t had in their early ages, like studying overseas. But I also have to face challenges that they haven’t had, such as the higher pressure of living and the broken cultural identity due to the Mandarin promotion policy. Besides, I need to deal with the stronger feeling of not belonging, especially after living abroad for a while. I hope I can find a better strategy to cope with these situations in the future, and recommend it to people who are also struggling with similar problems.

29


Photo by Jonathan James/ The Trapdoor Project

30


Birds of Tokyo kicked off their Good Lord national tour in Adelaide on September 12th, with a sold out two-night run at The Gov.

31


Photo by Jonathan James/ The Trapdoor Project

Opening for the Aussie contemporary rockers was 21-year-old Melbourne singer Samsaruh, who quickly gained the attention of the fast-growing crowd. With her fiery dance moves and Triple J hits like ‘Beautiful Killer,’ Samsaruh was a well fitted warm up for the crowd. Her confident vocals and stage presence brought together a strong performance that reached every corner of the venue. The guitar heavy femme rock set the scene for the night; her powerful set will not disappoint for the rest of the tour.

audience was clear with some favouring the more traditional Aussie rock tunes and others belting along to the love ballads. It was obvious however, that the majority of the room were waiting for arguably the band’s most popular single. As the first chords of ‘Lanterns’ rung out the crowd cheered, and phones and arms went straight up. Kenny let the audience finish off the last line of the song with every voice in the room responding.

It wasn’t just the old songs that were a hit with the crowd, with new single ‘Good Lord’ being met Perth boys Birds of Tokyo walked on stage to a with enthusiasm. After a quick interlude offstage, dramatic display of futuristic spotlights and synths. the band were welcomed back to cheers and a They jumped straight into one of their heavier tunes slow clap from the audience. The encore featured ‘White Witch,’ with lead singer Ian Kenny visibly their latest single ‘Greatest Mistakes’ with the night excited to get the gig underway. Next up was ending on slow building ‘This Fire’ and a quick ‘Empire,’ which referenced the synths heard at the “See you next time folks” from Kenny. start. Fan favourite ‘I’d Go with You Anywhere,’ had the crowd immersing themselves in the Birds of Tokyo delivered an energetic performance experience, pulling out their phones to document for their fans, nailing the crowd favourites the first few lines but quickly tucking them away throughout the set, but the show wasn’t without again. fault. At times the vocals were a little lost to the guitars, but a majority of the crowd were singing Birds of Tokyo seemed to know the audience the lyrics, helping overcome this issue. The well, getting a response out of every song. Old accompanying lights added to the performance, favourites ‘Anchor’ and ‘Plans’ had the crowd however, the use of screens in the background to singing along loudly, with Kenny holding out the display stock images of flowers blooming and fires mic for the chorus of ‘Plans.’ burning seemed a little unnecessary, particularly given the size of the venue. The band had no trouble chopping and changing from slow to heavy songs, demonstrating their Overall, Birds of Tokyo are worth seeing live if range while still keeping the crowd’s attention. you’re a fan of the band or more broadly, classic During ‘Silhouettic,’ lead singer Kenny walked off Australian contemporary rock. They’re a finger stage to let guitarist Adam Spark lead the way in a pointed to the sky type of band. solo. Following with ‘Brace,’ the diversity within the

32


Photo by Jonathan James/The Trapdoor Project

33


w e In t r v i e

34

t h r ay ea

DZ DZ DEATHRAYS

D

s

DZ


Words by Samantha Bedford and Maxim Buckley

B

undaberg is the 9th largest city in Queensland with a population just shy of 100,000 people. What was it like growing up in Bundaberg and performing at friends’ house parties? And what are your thoughts on Queensland Diesel? I’m actually in Bundaberg right now! And I reckon Queensland Diesel (Bundaberg Rum) is pretty shit at the best of times. We didn’t really start out so much that way, not the way Wikipedia reads anyway. In high school, we’d all just hang out on the weekends, me and the music nerds, and just put on gigs at each other’s parties. I didn’t play at any myself and didn’t really play any gigs until I got to Brisbane. It’s pretty hard to book gigs around here (Bundaberg), especially if you’re young and starting out. Shane and I moved down to Brisbane for uni and the band just started from there.

of that list was The Bronx and then just under that was Justice. Ten years later we’ve got Matt from The Bronx playing alongside us, which is just about any musos dream really. We just finished recording Part II of the record and we got Ecca Vandal on that one doing a little guest appearance. We never pass up an opportunity to collaborate because we’re always keen to do stuff with other people. As an avid ‘Wiggles’ fan myself, I had the pleasure of running into the Blue Wiggle, Anthony. Was this a somewhat surreal experience for you having grown up with The Wiggles? What’s it like collaborating with a Wiggle? You know what, we were just outside age bracket of The Wiggles growing up, just a little too late. It was all of our friend’s younger

Why did you move to Brisbane? It was all under the guise of doing uni, most of our friends moved there for it. I was doing science, which I didn’t finish. Shane actually has a degree in business. You covered The B-52s’ song ‘Love Shack’ last year with The Gooch Palms. You’ve also just released a somewhat collaborative effort with Briggs, Jesswar and Trials. Does this mean more collaborative efforts are on the horizon for the group? Yeah totally, we love playing with friends and people we admire. On the record that just came out, we got Matt from The Bronx which was really cool. Shane and I are huge Bronx fans, so it was pretty wild playing with someone we idolise. There was a moment there where we were just standing in the control room just looking at one another saying, ‘holy shit, I can’t believe this is happening’. When we first started the band, Shane and I put together a list of acts we somewhat wanted to sound like or at least have the characteristics of. At the top

siblings when they blew up. We were definitely aware of them and exposed to them. Murray actually just lent one of his guitars for the last record. Murray’s got his own band called The Soul Movers and they just play everywhere. Did he actually help out at all with ‘Like People’? Or was that just an idea for the music video? That was just an idea because Murray is always hanging out in the music scene and is super approachable. We just sent him the idea and track and he was on board. Now he lends us guitars and stuff, it’s so cool! The Wiggles are actually really awesome when you think about it. Doing what they do would be so difficult,

35


especially when the majority of your fans need to be in bed by 6. At the end of the day though, they’re just a touring band like any of us. When we hang out we just hang out telling tour stories like any band would. The Wiggles get so many attendees at their gigs it’s wild. For example, when Prince sells out Madison Square Garden, everyone will hear about it- it’ll be in the papers and whatever for ages. The broadcast news might even report on it. The Wiggles can sell out Madison Square nine times over and no one really hears about it, they’re a serious underdog of the music scene in that sense. Given the popularity of bands such as Royal Blood, Polish Club and Hockey Dad along with the influential Death From Above 1979, in your opinion, are two member bands going to be something we’ll be seeing more of in the future? Are there inherent difficulties with this kind of set-up that makes it unattractive for most start-up bands? We did it because we started out as a three piece and then our drummer left, so we just had difficulty finding people who wanted to do it full time and shared our vision. Sam and I are on the same page about how we want to approach everything and so it was easy for us. We figured out how to make the sound and layer stuff. We take a lot from other bands’ music, so this really helped us initially. Once we really started writing, it became such a hinderance for us being a two piece because we couldn’t necessarily play it live. Then we decided we would just write and figure out the live stuff later- it works a lot better that way. It’s a necessity for us the two-piece thing. It’s also a lot easier. Shane and I started another band called Velociraptor which I think has 12 official members, but we have 15-20 people in that band. When we play live we have have so many people on stage and that’s way harder to tour live with. Initially Velociraptor was a three piece, but then Shane and I were away on a show or something, so we just told Jeremy to get some friends in to play while Shane and I were away. But then those friends were also in a band so sometimes all of us would be on tour, so we’d have to get more friends in. But then sometimes we’d all be in town and we’d all play on stage together, and it was just way more fun that way. Velociraptor has quite a different sound to DZ Deathrays. Do you have different influences? And do you have to be in a different mindset when you switch bands? Well, with Velociraptor it’s kind of more Jeremy’s thing. As you say, it’s a bit more pop rock that’s the vibe throughout the outfit. I think a lot of it comes from him because he’s the main writer. Because there’s so many of us and we’re all really shit at learning songs, the less chords the better, and typically that makes for a catchier song.

36


AUU BO A

E TH

FIGHTING THE RIGHT AT THE AUU BOARD MEETING

E RIGHT AT

THE RAMSAY CENTRE AND NUS:

G

RD

Words by Sage Jupe On Monday, August 19th, the Young Liberal board directors on the Adelaide University Union brought forward a motion to welcome the Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation to campus and for the "AUU President to discuss the possibility for the University to enter into a partnership with Ramsay Centre".

threatening academic freedom. He stated, "...the Ramsay Centre appoints Ramsay Centre executives at universities, they are not appointed by the University themselves...”

Another defence, this time by a member of student faction Progress waxed on about Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’ and the sad decline of Bible Reading, The [young Liberals] explicitly defended which the Ramsay Centre would apparently welcoming Ramsay as a way to promote somehow bring back. He was met with laughter. "Western Civilisation" on campus. Tony Abbott, It was made clear by several students throughout one of the main progenitors behind this Centre, the meeting: if you voted this motion up, then regularly argued that invasion and colonisation you refused to stand on the side of indigenous was “a good thing” for Indigenous Australians. Australians, of Muslims, of staff and of students Conservatives were motivated to set up the Centre who have suffered and continue to suffer at the because they believe academia, in Abbott’s hands of Western Civilisation and racists like Tony words, is too “pervaded by Asian, Indigenous Abbott. and sustainability perspectives.” Considering the rise of racist hate crimes around The motion failed, meeting thunderous applause. the world it is absolutely appalling that the But partly it failed because Progress members Young Liberals attempted to invite this chauvinist of the board abstained from voting. A victory institution to our campus. was won by making it too controversial to vote for such a racist motion. But the people who In an attempt to combat the passing of the abstained still made a choice: not to take the Ramsay Centre motion at the AUU board meeting side of anti-racism. In a time where the rise of the held on August 19th, collective action was taken far-right is an increasingly ever-present threat, in organising a Facebook page, postering the where we are seeing massacres like the ones in campus, and rallying approximately 50 students Christchurch and El-Paso, it’s not enough to be along to the board meeting. ‘not racist’ - you have to be actively anti-racist. There was, however, a bitter note. Another motion was raised to disaffiliate from the National From the very start, it was clear from the sheer Union of Students. NUS is a student activist number of students impatiently waiting to be body, recently involved in calling the National called to speak that this would not go well for the Liberals. Every time a liberal spoke there was University Climate Walkouts and bringing thousands of students to the streets. The union jeering and shouting. has also consistently been the primary body students mobilize within to fight attacks on student A Socialist Alternative student Ahmed Azhar rights: like Tony Abbot’s attempts to bring in fee expressed his concern and anger, especially deregulation in 2014. Moving to disaffiliate was since the shooting in Christchurch, at how this a blatant attack on the rights of student unionism would contribute to the rise of islamophobia. and activism. This motion passed. A response from a young liberal member was that the right to the Ramsay Centre was linked to ‘academic freedom’. This was quickly shut down by board director and Activate member, Patrick Stewart, on the grounds that the Ramsay Centre has been opposed by the NTEU on the basis of it

Monday night showed the kind of mobilisation and passionate student involvement we are going to need - this includes fighting for the National Union of Students going forward.

37


UOFA STUDENTS JANA HUMZY AND HANNA OSBORNE BRING TOGETHER CHARITY AND LIVE MUSIC FOR ADELAIDE’S 2ND OXJAM Interview by Imogen Hindson

Editor Imogen Hindson sat down with Adelaide University students and some of the organisers behind the OXJAM event, an upcoming gig raising funds for climate change. We talked about the gig itself, the important work Oxfam is doing to eradicate global poverty, and the necessity of collective action in order to push back against climate change. Adelaide Uni student Jana explained what OXJAM is all about, “OXJAM is pretty much the name of any gig that's held in August and September around Australia… the motto that they have is called ‘gigs for good’.” This year’s event will feature local artists Annita, Oscar the Wilde, and Neon Tetra at Lion Arts Factory on September 20th. Co-organiser and Adelaide student Hanna Osborne commented on why combining charitable events with local musicians is so special, stating “I really love that all artists that we've connected with are so eager to get involved… so many local artists have got on board, it’s really great to see the connections being made in different industries and across institutions… [and] it goes beyond OXJAM. I think that AYCC is organising a similar gig soon about the bight.” We can expect this year to be bigger and better than the last, says Hanna. “Last year’s OXJAM did surprisingly well… we started pretty small last year, it was our first ever year so we had no idea what to expect. I remember stressing out the week before, because we’d sold about four tickets… but it was a really exciting experience. In the end,

38

we had 190, maybe 200 people rock up. It was packed, we were really happy with it. This year we just want to make it bigger.” Last year, OXJAM raised money for their ‘What She Makes’ campaign, focused on paying women who make clothes a fair wage. This year, OXJAM is raising money for a very important cause close to students hearts: climate change. With the recent climate rallies around Adelaide, Jana explained that it seemed like a natural fit for the event’s theme. “This year, we decided to with climate change, just because it is such a huge issue at the moment and something that a lot of young people are really rallying behind...” “All over [the country] you've got the climate strikes. In fact, there's also one on the same day [September 20th], in the morning. It was a coincidence, but a great way to get people to come to OXJAM after.” All of the proceeds raised from the event will go to Oxfam Australia's Food & Climate Campaign. Adelaide Uni student Jana helped explain what this means, and where your money is really going. “Most of the things that Oxfam does with the environment with money that's raised goes towards helping people who have been affected by climate change. It tends to have more of a human rights slant than a preventative measures slant.”


Hanna says this has quite a direct impact on people internationally, as “Oxfam's work isn't necessarily directed at Australia, I’d say more so in the Asia Pacific region… a lot of the volunteer work that we do is for advocating in the community for awareness, but Oxfam is definitely focused on programs and funding and initiatives in developing countries for climate change, adaptation and leadership.” This sort of activism is especially important for Jana and Hanna, and they discussed the best way that individuals can take action against climate change. Although buying products to reduce waste, for example, is important - it’s sometimes more productive to put your money towards collective fundraising where NGOs and other larger scale bodies can make an active change and place pressure on world leaders. Hanna explained this position, saying that “I think a lot of climate change action needs to be taken higher up. That’s where the real change will come from.” H: And of course, you know, buying keep cups and reusable straws and stuff like that is great, and it does make small differences. But if we want to make a more active difference, we need to be demanding that our governments and the corporations and the university takes action to ensure that they're in line with practices, which are promoting a cleaner environment. H: It's like people obviously want to make a difference. And this is a way that they feel like they can, and they are, because one less coffee cup in the ocean is a great thing. Every single time. But obviously, we need to be taking stronger actions. J: Any action that's taken is like a good step towards something bigger. H: It’s like a gateway drug to being more engaged. J: Should there be action taken at a higher level? Yes. But at the same time, like you just do whatever you can… you recycle, you separate things, and you buy your keep cup. I think bolder steps need to be taken, but they are supposed to be taken by governments and companies. H: Putting the burden on the average Joe is asking too much because of the things that you're concerned with in your life. And to say, “oh, it's your responsibility to improve the world” is a ridiculous thing to expect from a lot of people. It should be the people in power who are working to make that change.

39


Your love was once my comfort food that turned into empty calories. A casserole of hugs and kisses, a buffet of happiness I overstayed my welcome at. I always went back for seconds, thirds, fourths… But now I’ve learnt the dangers of overeating. I put down the fork, dab my lips with a fresh napkin and leave the table unexcused. Your MSG still lingers on my breath, an aftertaste of all the feelings I didn’t know how to swallow. This broken heart: so bitter and unpalatable – I struggle to digest it. A balanced diet can not consist of only comfort food. When all you do is eat the words and thoughts another has force-fed you, nothing can be truly balanced. Your condiments are complements I no longer have the appetite for. I enjoyed the meal, I savoured the after-dinner mint, but I’ve learnt its time for me to sleep off the carbs. It takes a lot of guts to stomach the courage to tell someone you once loved that you’re full.

“YES, TABLE FOR ONE PLEASE !” Poem by Branndon Ryles


‘COLD’ Poem by Steph Komar today I let my legs ache find my clothes on someone else’s floor eat leftovers from not my fridge keep my mouth shut watching TV across the room the tension might be relieved if I had another line like last night another balloon lung I hate that I like it my brain will diminish it’s a temporary fixture of relief I’ll forget one more name than usual the make out in the club scenario that played out last night caught me fingers-down-throat try to extricate the intimacy issues that haunt me I don’t know if it’s the seeping down the back of my throat feeling that’s making me sick or if it’s your hands I thought I could handle it but I didn’t want them there I sleep next to you drug induced I think about someone I miss that I’ve never missed before but I could really use waking up next to someone I want to be next to but doesn’t want to kiss my forehead and faces the opposite way when I sleep and feels as cold as I do

WHERE THE HEART IS WHOLE Poem by Steph Komar I am here in Sri Lanka in Morocco in Vietnam as I am here too in Indonesia where the electrical wires kiss chaotically on the fringe of tangled streets. I am here where car horns yelp in signal of all but aggression here where scooters slither into backstreet abysses leaving behind a puff of dust for the bougainvillea. here on this nowhere street with coffee, always coffee and the pensive liberty privilege healing. I am here In this space between a place and the metaphysical. It is here that I am safe at last. See, The suffering always catches up With me and With you, so too the peace and clarity. I am closer now to the sisterhood of distant lands I can taste the complete existence.


WORDS BY SAMANTHA BEDFORD

JANGLE

01

02

03

Southern Sky (Sandy) Alex G

What Once Was Her’s

Oppsie Good Morning

04

05

06

Playground Steve Lacy

CHANCES KAYTRANADA

Letting Go Wild Nothing

SOFT

BUMP

07

08

09

DYSFUNCTIONAL KAYTRANADA

Breakfast Alex Gough

IF YOU PRAY RIGHT BROCKHAMPTON

10

11

12

Magnify Northeast Party House

Clarity Polish Club

Things Change Arno Faraji

HYPE

42


AUU 2019 ELECTIONS DOUBLE VOTING First Name

Xintong Ruoyi Thien Siqi Tao Hannah Joel J ie Rong Boyu Xin Xi Yinhong Jingyao Yanke Linbiao Siyuan Weipeng Shijie Siyu Yao Tongzhu Bozhao Emily J in Feng Douglas Shaomeng Mulin Chuyao Sanjib Hao Kunpeng Hutharsshiny Zhihuan Hinano Anil Fei Aryan Daiyu Hao Ankana

Last name

Liang Cheng Tran Yang Han Arnold Yeoh Wang Li Liu Deng Sun Xue Li Zhang Liu Mo Han Lu Zhou Zhang Lau Watson Zheng Hou Zhang Sutradhar Chen Xu Shunmuganathan Liu Shikauchi Yadav Hu Mathur Peng Huang Chakraborty

43


REVIEW: GIRL ASLEEP Charmingly awkward, funny and with hallucinatory surrealness, Windmill Theatre Company’s Girl Asleep returns to the stage 5 years after its first performance. The play originally premiered at the 2014 Adelaide Festival before being adapted for the screen in a film described as a stylistic fusion of “Napoleon Dynamite”, “Muriel’s Wedding” and “ Where the Wild Things Are”. Rosemary Myers directs this warm Australian coming of age tale and spotlights the Windmill Theatre brand of whimsy on stage.

WORDS BY EMILY SAVAGE

decides to face the party head-on, only to be plunged into a literal adolescent nightmare that brings the ominous chaos of her subconscious imagination to light in a weird and wonderful rite-of-passage. The six person cast play a diverse range of eccentric fantastical characters, in addition to the main core. Antoine Jelk’s energetic performance as Elliot was a particular standout, but the whole cast of actors shine in their comedic roles.

Jonathon Oxlade’s elaborate production design in partnership with Luke Smiles’ original 70s themed soundtrack also gives the performance a whimsical liveliness of its own. The design swings between eccentric 70s decor fit with purple floral Set in 1970s wallpaper and characters donning powder Adelaide, Girl blue suits, a fairytale fever dreamscape, Asleep begins on and a strange place that sits somewhere the verge of Greta in between. The destabilising surrealness Driscoll’s (Ellen of the dream sequence, with a wallpaper Steele) 15th birthday. Our unexpected covered horse, origami Finnish pen pal, ice hero teeters between the worlds of queen, and saliva goblin, is rendered even childhood fantasy and adulthood, old more hilariously absurd on stage. and new schools, with only exuberant new friend Elliot (Antoine Jelk) at her Greta’s journey shows us the surrealness side. Just as Greta thinks she has survived that seeps out of the adolescent rift an onslaught by mean girl duo Jade between childhood fantasy and the adult (Sheridan Harbridge) and Umber (Amber world with changing relationships in tow. McMahon), ‘cool mum’ Janet (McMahon) With equal measures of absurdity and and living incarnation of a dad joke familiarity, the play will be enjoyed by Conrad (Mathew Whittet, who is also the teenagers and adults alike. writer) reveal they are throwing her a ‘Sweet 15th’ with her whole class already Girl Asleep runs until the 21st of invited. Meanwhile, sister Genevieve September at the Adelaide Festival (Harbridge) is far too preoccupied Centre’s Space Theatre. with a love of Serge Gainsbourg to provide much support. Greta finally

44


FROM THE ARCHIVES: ON DIT ISSUE 86.11

45


WORDS BY IMOGEN HINDSON

EAT YOUR HEART OUT ‘FLORESCENCE’ TOUR Where: Jive When: Friday 27th September

SEEKER LOVER KEEPER Where: The Gov When: Saturday 28th September JUNGLE GIANTS Where: Thebarton Theatre When: Saturday 28th September STELLA DONNELLY: BEWARE OF THE DOGS TOUR Where: Lion Arts Factory When: Friday 4th October

FIELD GOOD FESTIVAL Where: Alma Hem Amphitheatre When: Saturday 5th October LISTEN IN FESTIVAL (FLUME, DIPLO, SCHOOLBOY Q, DENZEL CURRY, RITON, AND MORE). Where: Bonython Park When: Sunday 6th October

SEMAPHORE MUSIC FESTIVALL Where: Semaphore When: Sunday 6th October HOBBLEDEHOY ADELAIDE SOCIAL (KEESKEA, BEC STEVENS, WORLD SICK, COLOURBLIND) Where: Crown and Anchor When: Monday 7th October PIST IDIOTS Where: Jive When: Thursday 10th October THE CHATS - IDENTITY THEFT TOUR Where: The Gov When: Sunday 6th OCtober THE BETHS Where: Jive When: Friday 11th October CITY CALM DOWN Where: Lion Art Factory When: Saturday 12th October


Student-led Teaching Awards

Great teaching deserves to be recognised. Have your say and nominate the teachers, tutors and staff that have made a real difference to your experience at Uni. Enter your nominations at: auu.org.au/studentledteachingawards Nominations close Friday 11 October.


PROSPECT RD

It’s time to think about buying, not renting.

REGENCY RD

P RO SP EC T 1 83 8

House prices in Prospect are up over $200,000 in the past 5 years , at Prospect 1838 you can get into a 3 bed home at the same price as 5 years ago. Interest rates are so low that rent payments are almost the same as mortgage payments.

NORTH TERRACE

Book in a time to visit our display home prospect1838.com.au or 0488 802 472 There’s never been a better time to get into your own home! Display House Open 2pm – 4pm on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 271 Devonport Terrace, Prospect.

NTRAL STATION ADELAIDE’S CE

PROSPECT

NORTH ADELAIDE

ADEL AIDE CBD

THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.