Volume 1. Edition 2.
Dircksey
THROWAWAY
What does the department do?
Equity and Diversity Department
The Equity and Diversity Department provides advocacy and representation to recognised equity and diversity groups at ECU, through the support of equity societies and collectives. Current departments include:
Ethnocultural Department Disabilities Department Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Department Mature Age Department Wellbeing [Mental Health] Department Queer Department Women’s Department Want to get involved? • • • • • • •
To join the Equity Board, any of the above departments, or to become involved please contact me or any of the relevant departments. Ngaire Powell
The ECU Ethnocultural Collective represents the interests of culturally and linguistically diverse students and promoting ethnocultural awareness.
The ECU Aboriginal Student Union is a representative group that focuses on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at ECU.
Vice-‐President Equity and Diversity Email: equity@ecuguild.org.au Facebook: /ECUEquity
Look out for:
AIME (Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience) http://aimementoring.com/ • Kurongkurl Katitjin www.ecu.edu.au/schools/kurongkurl-‐ katitjin Contact: Facebook: /ECUIndigenous Email: ecuatsi@gmail.com •
The ECU Disabilities Collective serves the interest of students with disabilities, both hidden and visible, and is a way for students to make friends around campus. Look out for: • Dining in the Dark (Semester 2) Contact: Email: disabilities.ecu@gmail.com Facebook: /ECUDisability
ECU Wellbeing Community aims to improve health and wellbeing on campus, by promoting mental health awareness, reducing stigma and
From market days, cultural events to foreign film and more, enrich your Australian university screenings experience. All culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse people encouraged to join. Look out f or: • • •
Ethno Space Fortnight Joondalup Ethnocultural Coffee Mornings Monthly at Joondalup “Racism, It Stops With Me” Campaign
Contact: Facebook: /ECUEthnocultural Email: ecu.ethno@gmail.com
Look out for:
supporting fellow students and staff.
RUOK? Day (Semester 2) World Mental Health Day (Semester 2) Contact: Facebook: /ECUWellbeing Email: ecu.mental.health@gmail.com • •
The ECU Queer Collective is a representative group for all LGBTQIAP+ students of Edith Cowan University. The collective advocates, supports and consults with the Guild and University on students behalf. The collective provides opportunities to meet fellow Queer students, make friends, and learn about all things Queer from political issues to safe sex, and most of all to have fun.
Look out for: • Queer Space Joondalup Fortnightly • Queer Space Mount Lawley Fortnightly • Queer Movie Nights Joondalup and Mount Lawley • Trans Space Joondalup and Mount Lawley • Queer Beers Joondalup and Mount Lawley th • Wear It Purple Day August 28 • Bisexuality Awareness Week September • Asexuality Awareness Week October • PRIDE November
Look out for: •
Contact
Contact: Facebook: /ECUniversityQC Email: ecu.queer.collective@gmail.com
The Mature Age Student Network @ ECU is an independent, student organized group with the objective to: • Represent and advance the interests of all university enrolled Mature Age students • Promote the right of Mature Age people to a quality education on an equal basis within a diverse university student population • Advocate for quality in education, access to education, quality services, academic freedom and freedom of association • Create social networks/events • Create and maintain peer support networks
Coffee Mornings at Mount Lawley Campus o Central Café from 10am Coffee Mornings at Joondalup Campus o Café 6 from 10am
CONNECT, NETWORK, COMMUNICATE & GROW
Website: http://ecumasn.blogspot.com.au/ Facebook: /ECUMASN Email: ecu.matureage.list@gmail.com
Equity Space
Look out for: • •
The ECU Women’s Community aims to provide an enriched university experience for all female and female identifying students and staff members. Our activities and events aim to be as colourful and diverse as the students we represent.
Swap Meets (Clothes and Books) Joondalup and Mount Lawley Blue Stockings Week (Semester 2)
Contact Facebook: /EcuWomensCommunity
Email: ecuwomenscommunity@gmail.com
There is an Equity Space located in Building 33C.102 at Joondalup Campus. The equity space is open to all students who identify as one or more equity groups and it is a safe space for students. What is a safe space? A safe space is an area on campus that students can go without the worry of being discriminated or harassed. Please respect others in the room and keep an eye out for autonomous events that may be in the space. Come to the Equity Space to utilise the resources in the bookcases, both fiction and non-‐fiction, hang out, grab a tea or coffee, and relax.
From the President
Editorial
Hey everyone.
Hey people,
As you would have gathered from the previous edition of Dircksey; the Guild is here for ECU students.
Firstly, I’d like to acknowledge how proud and privileged I am to be the Editor of this particular magazine.
I have spoken regularly about the importance of independence whilst at University, which is important for students particularly when it comes to their thoughts and experiences.
After five incredibly productive years at the helm of GSM, Sir Tom Reynolds has handed over the responsibility of editorship. After only editing one publication prior to Dircksey, I’m extremely lucky to have acquired Tom’s guidance to establish this new magazine with just its second edition.
Because of this, the students at the Guild’s Annual General Meeting recently voted to unanimously endorse the Guild’s constitutional recognition of a student publication (or other form of media) to receive support from the Guild, but remain editorially independent. Your voice, as a student, is truly valued and revered. Your Guild looks forward to seeing more editions of Dircksey, and having a closer relationship with students and seeing the student community create a wonderful publication. Regards, Lewis Price
As a university student myself for the last four years, I have come to realise the vitality of students having the space to voice their opinions about the world around them. This is why Dircksey exists... not just for the sake of objectivity, but in an effort to create a community for young and perceptive intellectuals. I’ve been very impressed with the amount of thought that has gone into this edition, as well as its mixture of material. In regards to the ‘throwaway’ theme, I envisaged the end product to be fairly brooding before I’d started. What we’ve accomplished is a warm contrast of lightheartedness to offset some of the darker tonalities. A special thank you to all of the contributors, old and new. I hope you enjoy this magazine and I welcome any feedback you have. Thank you,
4
M
Open For Viewing
6
Sentiments and Fragments
8
A Case of Political Incorrectness
10
Corpses of the City
12-16
One Man’s Trash
18
Throwing Away Your Dignity
20
Procastination
24
Identity Crisis
26
Music Reviews
28
Film Reviews
30
Book Reviews
31
Important Dates and Guild Events
33
What To Do With This Magazine
34
Editor Michael Donnelly editor@ecuguild.org.au Contributors Hanifa Abdiraihan, Rishi Rawlins, Andrew Douglas, Francesca Mann, Sita Carolina, Veronica Lowe, Michael Donnelly and Tim Nixon Design Layout Disclaimer Michael Donnelly THINK Green Dircksey is editorially independent of the ECU Student Guild. The views expressed in this publication are PAPER PROFILE Front Cover necessarily those of the Editor, the ECU Student Guild or South Fremantle Power Station the advertisers. The Editor reserves the right to republish Francesca Mann material in Dircksey amd its affliated formats, as well as to make changes to submitted material for clarity or spacing Advertising consideration. Contributors retain all other rights of resale SOURCE Environmental Tom Reynolds orFIBRE republication. Eco-Label ✔ communications@ecuguild.org.au PRODUCT
DESCRIPTION
MANUFACTURER
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
FSC® 100%
FSC® Mixed
FSC® Recycled
PEFC
Farmed Trees
Alternative Fibre
Recycled Post Consumer %
Recycled Pre Consumer %
5
Other
MADE CARBON NEUTRAL Mill Environmental Report Available
An Environmental Report is a public disclosure by an
Environmental
ISO14001
organisation of its environmental performance information
Mill Specific EMS
✔
EMAS Other
Feature
Very few acts in Parliament have demonstrated how fragile freedom is as much as the data retention laws have. It was introduced not long after the much disparaged counter-terrorism laws, the difference being that the laws advocated mandatory data retention – also called the metadata laws – which make everyone in Australia using communications service providers a target. And in today’s digital age, that is everyone. The passing of the laws in March was a huge blow to advocates of digital and privacy rights. “It hurts,” says Adam Bennett, known widely as the host of Anonymous radio show LoraxLive. “Where do we go from here? We’ve lost.”
Hanifa Abdiraihan
supporters have criticised as bizarre. He faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in jail. During Perth’s Greens CryptoParty in April, Bennett spoke about government overreach and the implications of the breach of privacy. “With the discovery of the average hack or security breach on Australian systems being 18 months, and with current government policy to not force data holders to disclose known breaches on data, the chance of you – the rightful owner of data – knowing of its exploitation until it’s too late is limited by any measure under the current disclosure laws,” he said in his CryptoParty speech.
Bennett had previously interviewed people on his show on topics such as digital freedom and human rights – including Alexa O’Brien, who extensively covered Chelsea Manning’s trial – before she was arrested. On the 22nd of May last year, the Australian Federal Police charged him with hacking into AAPT and Indonesian government websites with intention of impairment. The actions were later claimed by the hacktivist group Anonymous, of which the AFP alleges Bennett is a member.
In March, the Guardian reported that the Australian Immigration Department accidentally revealed Anonymous claims the AAPT hack was meant to personal details of world leaders attending the show the problems arising out of the mass storage Brisbane G20 summit, and had not thought it required by the metadata laws, rather than being necessary to disclose the privacy breach to affected malicious. In a bid to demonstrate the lack of parties. In February of last year, it had also security around the proposed massive data storage, unintentionally released personal information of the accessed data sans personally identifiable nearly 10,000 people in detention, including information was publicly released. Bennett’s original refugees. charges have since been dropped, with a number of new ones which many of his In his speech, Bennett also addressed the corporate 6
Hanifa Abdiraihan
interest driving “intrusive and exploitative proposals” in government bodies.
from selling it? They’re huge amounts, vast amounts of data.”
“Whilst our own rights to privacy dwindle, corporate rights to commercial confidentiality and intellectual property skyrocket,” Bennett said. “The Australian government continues to argue for new legislation defined by bad policy pushed by corporate international interests.”
In 2012, Wikileaks released a series of e-mails about TrapWire, self-described as “a unique, predictive software system designed to detect patterns of pre-attack surveillance”. Among its clients are law enforcement and military bodies across the world, as well as, to no surprise, multinational firms, including customers from one of the ‘big four’ Deloitte.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, or the TPP, is a secretive international trade treaty, which is widely distressing for its particular treatment of intellectual property.
One e-mail states that “they need something like TrapWire more for threats from activists than from terror threats. Both are useful, but the activists are ever present around here.”
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has said that measures in the leaked May 2014 draft carried “extensive negative ramifications for users’ freedom of speech, right to privacy and due process, and hinder peoples’ abilities to innovate”.
The situation sounds a lot like something out of a conspiracy website. Bennett remarks that the apathy around the issue is more astonishing.
“You’re talking David and Goliath stuff. I worry that we’re trying to create something that’s worse than what we’re trying to prevent in the first place,” Bennett tells Dircksey. “It’s all about profits. If we give access to these companies all this metadata, what’s stopping them
“It doesn’t matter where we come from,” he says empathically. “The differences of position in society are irrelevant in this issue.” Perhaps we’ve lost this round – but, he adds, “ it doesn’t mean the battle is over.” Photographs taken by Gemma S and Sita Carolina respectively
7
Feature
A short distance from the Shenton Park railway station, on the other side of a large oval, stands a motley collection of largely disused buildings. Originally established in the 1920s, they were added to over the following decades to form a disparate collection of structures formerly known as Lemnos Hospital. At the front of the complex is an impressive two storey administration building in federation style. Linking the two stories is an dark, aged jarrah staircase. While the offices on the ground floor are spacious with a conference room once evenly divided by panelled doors, upstairs contains a number of rooms and harks back to the days when nurses lived on the premises.
The complex owes its name to the Greek Island close to the Gallipoli peninsular which was the sight of the army field hospital nearest to this campaign. The soldiers who survived the First World War returned with a range of medical conditions, both 8
Andrew Douglas
physical and psychological. Among the latter category was a blanket term referred to as shell shock. It was with these afflicted soldiers in mind that the federal government set up a medical facility for their recuperation, Lemnos Hospital in 1926 in what was then an outer suburb of Perth. With time, wards were added and named after significant battles of the World Wars; to Gallipoli ward was joined by Flanders, Alamein and Borneo Wards. As the twentieth century progressed and the numbers of World War veterans diminished, the hospital was transferred from federal to state responsibility. As part of WA psychiatric services, it became an aged care facility.
Originally, it was a primarily a treatment hospital for military veterans. For some of these veterans who could not be rehabilitated, it became their permanent home. This focus changed in the early 1990s when it became a rehabilitation centre for the
elderly with behavioural problems. The main administration building is a fine example of federation architecture and heritage listed, together with two of the four original wards while the other two have since been demolished. While the two remaining wards are used by the nearby school, the main admin building sits empty and is gradually deteriorating from the ravages of neglect over many years. Despite being heritage listed, there is no compulsion for the government to maintain it.
Andrew Douglas
insane and put into an institution where he spent the bulk of his adult life until being leased to an aged care facility. One night he killed his roommate for no apparent reason. As a result of his unfitness to plead he was detained at Lemnos where he spent the rest of his days. Like this unfortunate man who was neglected and forgotten about, this hospital has been effectively discarded. Its fate has gone the way of various other institutions that once housed the elderly and mentally ill. Only a metal plaque on one of the brick columns of the admin building gives any hint of the place’s history. This is the only hint that it was once a hospital for World War I veterans and a psychiatric facility. When such a hospital closes, it is not only represents the physical loss of a facility, it is also the loss of a small community with its own unique atmosphere of pain, suffering and dedicated care.
Photos by Andrew Douglas.
Tiles are cracking, paint is fading and wood work is rotting. It is slowly falling into disrepair through neglect and becoming another throwaway of our society. When such a place closes, not only is the building lost but also the stories associated with it. A psychiatric facility would have numerous tales to tell about its staff and patients. For example, there would many instances of suicide or death by ‘misadventure’. One of the hospital’s most unfortunate patients was a man who had no visitors or family in the state. He had arrived on a boat from England sometime in the 1920s; virtually the moment he got off the boat, he was declared 9
Feature
With the recent outrage surrounding the executions of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, debate about the effectiveness of capital punishment has been sparked anew. Traditionally, the death penalty is meant to be a deterrent against crime for those who are not already deterred by the threat of jail time.
Hanifa Abdiraihan
related to the high percentage of drug deaths. This was a big factor contributing into the decision behind the executions of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan.
In the early 70s, Isaac Ehrlich published one of the first real papers to show that capital punishment prevented cases of homicide – but the findings did not hold up in subsequent attempts of replication by other scholars. Ehrlich’s paper was quickly and thoroughly refuted in just three years.
Other offences which seem to be a ‘fashionable’ target for capital punishment include anything related to terrorism and national security. For many reasons, the terms “terrorism” and “national security” themselves are troubling – one is their sheer scope, which is a boon to a few countries who might wish to silence separatist or otherwise political dissent.
One such paper is a comparison of studies by Hans Zeisel, who was considered a leading figure in the field of legal research. His article concluded that demands for further proof that capital punishment didn’t work was “the expression of an unwillingness to abandon an ancient prejudice”.
But setting that aside, one country that now imposes death for terrorism offences is Pakistan. Similar to Indonesia, Pakistan lifted its own moratorium in 2014, but it was in the wake of the Peshawar school massacre. It had previously been in place for six years.
“The logic probably runs as follows,” he wrote in his 1976 article.
Amnesty International calls the death penalty a “quick-fix” for some governments who neglect other contributing factors to crime. “…frequently they fail to invest in security measures… such as more effective policing, a fair, functioning criminal justice system and regulating and reducing the availability of firearms,” a 2013 report stated.
“If punishment has any deterrent effect (and surely it often has) then the most severe punishment should deter more than all others.” Since then, study after study has provided no palpable reason to believe that executions would lead to a decrease in crime levels. In response, some proponents of the death penalty seem to insist that there are only certain crimes which are affected by it. Indonesia, for instance, lifted its moratorium on capital punishment in 2014, citing a ‘national emergency’ 10
“Weaknesses in the justice systems of many countries often exacerbate the problems of societal responses to crime, starting from inadequate legal representation for defendants from disadvantaged backgrounds.” This assertion paints a relatively accurate picture of both Indonesia and Pakistan. Public trust in both
countries score considerably low on their rule of law, as measured by the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators. Indonesia is in the 31st percentile, while Pakistan is in the 26th; both scores are in the negative. Both countries maintain that executions are proportional to the crime, and that they serve as a strong warning. Pakistan lifted its death penalty moratorium completely in March to extend to all non-terrorism offences. Indonesia is still dealing with the aftermath of the high-profile executions of Sukumaran and Chan. The fallout has been significant: diplomatic relations are strained, and their image suffers internationally. This is especially in light of the fact that Indonesia fights for its citizens who are on death row abroad – of course it is hypocritical.
Hanifa Abdiraihan
and Iran, two of the world’s most prolific executors, continue to do so freely. Even the United States – according to Amnesty International, while their number of executions are decreasing, the number of death sentences imposed increased by 23 per cent from last year. The issue is not Indonesia, or Pakistan, or any one country on its own. It is why so many governments still believe capital punishment is effective, despite evidence to the contrary. And as long as they do, it is not deterrence that they champion; it is arrogance over human lives.
Photograph by Sita Carolina.
Yet the core of the debate is being steadfastly ignored. While Indonesia is being lambasted, China
11
Photographs taken at South Fremantle Power Station, Castle Fun Park, the old Swanbourne Mental Asylum and an abandoned residence in Guildford respectively. “I love old, abandoned buildings. There’s something about exploring the rooms of houses that were once homes and discovering loved objects left behind that is thrilling. Perth has a love-hate relationship with old buildings. Council’s love to declare them heritage listed; yet let them fall into disrepair. The South Fremantle Power Station boasts fines of up to $10,000 for trespassing, yet the fence surrounding it has several holes in it, allowing for easy access. It’s upsetting to see such extravagant buildings left to rot, with every bit of wall being covered by graffiti and tags. However, sometimes the murals and paintings add to the atmosphere, creating a space that is similar to an edgy, avant-garde art gallery. Most of the much-loved abandoned locations are now gone, others are currently being redeveloped into residential areas. The rare few are still rotting away, waiting for someone to explore every nook and cranny, uncovering the stories of those that once called these places home.”
Wisdom
“Our ignorance can be divided into problems and mysteries. When we face a problem, we may not know its solution, but we have insight, increasing knowledge, and an inkling of what we are looking for. When we face a mystery, however, we can only stare in wonder and bewilderment, not knowing what an explanation would even look like.� - Noam Chomsky
Looking to buy or sell text books? We can help with that. www.ecuguild.org.au
17
Feature
With so many new products in today’s society, it can be hard to know what to throw away. With food and drink which are often sold in disposable plastic containers, and electronics which become out dated very quickly as just some examples. However, often you feel a small sense of nagging guilt just throwing them away. As a general rule, the responsible thing to do is not to throw it away if you can use it again, right? So how can you get rid of these things responsibly? The answer to the question is to donate them to second hand stores, commonly known as ‘op shops’. Op shops are a rapidly expanding business in Perth and generally not for profit. You can get nearly anything if you know where to look. There are clothes for all occasions: casual wear, formal wear, work wear, kids wear etc. But that’s not all, there is kitchen ware, teddy bears and slightly outdated phones, nick-nacks, bric-a-bracs and things to decorate your home. Sometimes you even find things that are brand new. Other stores might be overstocked and give away merchandise, or people give away unwanted presents. Items could be ordered online and not match their description entirely and some people just change their mind about wanting things. It is interesting to note there are some unexpected things that are found very commonly in op shops and things that are almost impossible to find. For example, Bin-Tang singlets seem to be one of the most commonly found items (in the writer’s personal experience) for an average price of 4-5$ which is funny, as they are generally bought brand new for even cheaper. Also if you are looking for an item like a frisbee or boomerang you’re going to have a bad time as they are notorious for being hard to throw away. 18
Rishi Rawlins
The downside of purchasing items second hand, particularly clothes, is that they can show signs of wear and tear, colour fading, rips and stretches. Also they can posses a subtle aroma of the previous owner and sometimes old boxes where from the process of being given away, all of which can be a little off putting. Also it can be quite hard to find something special that you want, as the stock is only what people donate. You might have to travel to a few different op shops before you find the exact size or colour of whatever you are looking for. Also things can be more expensive than you expect as shop owners are cluing on to the fact that retro clothes can be fashionable. This means sometimes they might charge similar amounts to what they’d you’d expect for brand new clothes. Despite all that, op shops are definite an underrated resource that are worth checking out even if it’s just for a fun dress up party. Here are some of just two or three of the hundreds of gems you can find if you look hard enough. Go to an op shop, I dare you. You only live once, unless you believe in reincarnation. Either way its still worth having a look through some op shops.
Photographs taken at Fremantle Good Sammy by Sita Carolina
19
Feature
You may or may not have heard of a little dating app call Tinder. If you’re male, then you probably have. The truth is, it’s no little dating app at all… the world has been taken over by it. Quite seriously, the projection of total worldwide users for this year is 50 million people.
Michael Donnelly
exactly how many other men are on the app just like you. Well, the statistics are in and if you are indeed a straight male, you’re already off to a bad start.
That’s more than double the population of Australia. So, 50 million people is probably an indication that there’s a whole lot of people relying on this app for their romantic and sexual experiences… particularly in the current climate of meeting people online. Also, it’s free – so that’s one thing it’s got over the flood of all the other apps and websites out there. Just to start, here’s a little backgrounding information in case you don’t know how Tinder works. You sign in to your downloaded Tinder app, using the data from your Facebook profile. It simply takes your first name, birth date, interests and has access to all your photos. That’s all; no sign up fee, no rubbish. You choose a few photos, write a little bio and then you’re off – swiping through the profiles of your selected criteria (gender, age and distance), a right swipe for a like and a left swipe for a dislike. If you and another user swipe right on each other, you’re then able to delve in to conversation – known as a match. Sounds pretty simple, no? But here’s the tricky part and as mentioned above, if you’re male you’ve probably heard of Tinder (in fact you’re probably logged in right now, swiping your little heart away)… and given you’re heterosexual for the sake of this article; you’ve probably been wondering why you aren’t getting any matches and 20
The simple stat is that 63 percent of Tinder users are male (a total of 31.5 million bags of testosterone swiping worldwide)… which obviously leaves just 37 percent of total female users. That’s the generic number calculated for all dating websites/apps total user ship. This is unfortunately backed up a PEW Research Centre study in the US, which found 13 percent of American males are on Tinder and only 9 percent of American females. So in essence, your chances are already slim in terms of finding matches. So, this is where it gets really slim. Men on tinder seem to be able to see what they want pretty easily… it’s safe to say just from the photos alone. Tinder’s own studies prove this, with a whopping stat that men swipe right nearly 50 percent of the time! You have a lot of competition out there, bucko. Yes, that means the pretty girl you’re trying to talk to probably has hundreds of other men trying to talk
to her at the same time. This really doesn’t get any easier when the same study says that women only swipe 14 percent of the time. Of course, maybe this seems harsh or cruel, maybe this is making you sad or maybe you want to delete your Tinder app and forget you ever tried. But suck it up princess; this 14 percent is measured with good reason. Again, if you’re confused as to why you’re not getting any matches or perhaps why the women you’re messaging aren’t responding… you’re doing it all wrong. Here’s how to stay in front of the pack.
Firstly, before you even start talking to the girl… pick some appropriate photos. Perhaps photos you think are attractive are the best way to start. So that doesn’t mean countless photos of you holding dead fish on a boat in the middle of the ocean. Unless showing women how great your hunting skills are is your thing, those photos are most certainly unattractive. Find some photos of yourself where
Michael Donnelly
you’re smiling, some wearing your finest threads and group photos aren’t bad either (it shows you’re not a psycho and people actually like being around you). Next, your bio… Don’t write anything generic; write a short piece that leaves something up to the imagination. If you can’t think of anything to say, your best bet is to just leave it blank… but a bio is good because it can be a conversation opener. Say you’ve got yourself a match now. We’re going to take some of online broadcasters Simple Pickup’s advice on how to strike up conversation. These guys are reputable… they have a huge following on their blog and YouTube channel… simply because they speak the truth. They explain that “the majority of messages women receive are simply boring as shit”. By this they mean messages like ‘hey’, ‘hi how are you’, ‘how’s your week going?’ “Who wants to respond to that? These lines may work in person but you’re going to need to try something different.” Indeed you are going to need something different, because that’s what all the other men are saying. You want to stay ahead of the pack, right? Be creative, read their bio, incorporate their interests into your opening line… don’t be generic. It’s also important not to pester them if they don’t answer straight away… don’t be Mr Desperado. An Indiana University study revealed that 72 percent of the time you’ll get a woman’s attention with your looks and 17 percent of the time with a clever opening. Not bad odds. “Don’t filter yourself, subtle hints of sexuality are good.” So that means, being a little sexual is fine… but don’t overdo it because then you’ll come off as the dreaded ‘creepy guy’. Unsolicited nudes are NOT a good idea. And asking a woman if she wants to have sex with you straight off the bat will get you nowhere, period. If you’re going to objectify women like that, buy yourself a flesh-light and give up. Show your natural charm and don’t say anything you wouldn’t say to a woman in person, that’s the rule. 21
Michael Donnelly
“Slowly transition in to getting her phone number”. Given that you’re now talking to her like a normal human being and the conversation is going well… getting her phone number will “make you real in her mind, rather than that guy from Tinder”. If you manage to do this, then you’ve used Tinder successfully and the rest is up to the way you present yourself in real life.
of self-awareness and don’t seem to understand that casual sex and respect can co-exist. So in reality, if you’re making jerk off comments… they aren’t being received well by the women you’re trying to attract. In fact it’s making them strongly dislike you and in effect all the other respectable men and women out there are barracking for your public shaming.
If you’re doing all the things you’ve been told not to do, the truth is women are either repulsed by you or are laughing at your stupidity. Sorry to break it to you.
Nowak also said about her posts that women shouldn’t have to settle for being objectified and that consent and respect should be necessary in our online conversations. It would be rather rational to say that Nowak speaks on behalf of almost all the women who use Tinder and perhaps on behalf of the men who are actually doing it right.
Laura Nowak, from Toronto, recently set up her own Instagram account (@feministontinder) where she uploaded screenshots of her Tinder conversations with feminism being the hot topic of discussion. The messages she received in response from men were either completely ignorant or misogynistic. Unfortunately her account was shut down by Instagram as a breach of guidelines. This stirred a great deal of media attention and uproar from the public… Nowak explained that most of the messages she receives, have come from men with a complete lack
22
So for the men who aren’t wondering hopelessly and are using Tinder the right way, then power to you. But for the rest… being a gentleman isn’t rocket science so for your own good and/or extreme levels of sexual frustration... ...take the advice you’ve read in this article.
Images by Michael Donnelly
Guild Student Assist Officers are available to help students with any issues regarding their academic or personal welfare. Our main role is to provide information, advocacy, support and referral. Being independent from the university, we are your voice in any disputes with ECU and represent your interests during your time at university. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need help! Often a problem is not as bad as you think. If you are unsure of who to speak to first, a Guild Student Assist Officer can point you in the right direction. Please be assured that all information is kept strictly confidential. Below are the Guild Student Assist Officers located on each campus. Please email, call or drop in to make an appointment. Some of the issues we can assist you with include: • • • • •
Appeals Grievances & Complaints Academic Misconduct Crisis Care Emergency Financial Assistance
Joondalup Georgia Thompson
Building 34
Ph: 6304 5628 e: gsa.jo@ecuguild.org.au
Tue - Thu 10am – 5pm
Christian Dinse
Building 34
Ph: 6304 5628 e: gsa.ml2@ecuguild.org.au
Mon / Fri 8am – 3pm
Rosemarie Dale
Building 12
Ph: 9370 6821 e: gsa.ml1@ecuguild.org.au
Mon / Thu 9:30am - 4:30pm
Christian Dinse
Building 12
Ph: 9370 6821 e: gsa.ml2@ecuguild.org.au
Tue - Wed 8am – 3pm
Building 5
Ph: 9780 7786 e: gsa.bu@ecu.edu.au
Mon - Thu 8:30am - 4:30pm
Mount Lawley
Bunbury Dianne Webster
Poem
We live in a world where things are thrown away. We go out and buy anew when something goes astray. We indulge in therapy of the retail kind. We are restless and hardly seem to mind. We throw away money if we feel we have a heap to spare. Yet that same change could be better put in a person’s hand on the street somewhere. We fling words at people and ricochet our voices, We throw our words on people to restrain them from making choices. We limit what we do, yet we throw away our time. We are an uneasy bunch who insist our world is divine. We throw away our values and trade them for a treat. We get sucked in with what we do, and it’s sometimes hard to admit defeat. But one thing is for sure, that we know what we want. It’s just whether we can stick to a goal rather than playing with an essay’s font. There’s so much to change we often don’t know where to begin. Sometimes starting is harder than throwing twenty drafts in the bin. If you have a paper left to write and no words will leave your head, Perhaps it’s best to ask for help or nourish your mind instead. We’re not power machines and we have our wear and tear. No matter all the bumps in the road, if you pursue then someday you’ll get there. Procrastination seems to be on everyone’s lips, as they swerve from an assignment overload, But getting it over and done with, jeez, it’s better than feeling like you’ll implode. We all need a starting point to accomplish what needs doing. I recommend you start now and stop your pencil-chewing. Now is as good of a time as ever, as your mind is attentive enough to read, Go on, get started, show the paper who will take the lead!
24
Photograph by Sita Carolina
25
Feature
Radicalism. It really just means radical beliefs, but that’s probably not what popped into your head. A fair bet would be, oh, I don’t know. Let’s say… ISIS. Self-professed Muslims who are so radical, the rest of the Muslim world would rather throw out the idea that they’re ‘real’ Muslims. One of the best examples of this so far is an open letter: 17 pages of detailed argument and refutation penned by Islamic scholars, directed at debunking al-Baghdadi’s (head of ISIS) theology. “You have provided ample ammunition for all those who want to call Islam barbaric with your broadcasting of barbaric acts which you pretend are for the sake of Islam,” the letter accuses.
Hanifa Abdiraihan
primary reason for the violence. Most scholars agree that it is often something else; some, like Professor of History Juan Cole at the University of Michigan, argue that religion is so closely entwined with nationalism anyway – that that is the actual drive for such extreme ends that is ‘legitimised’ by religious doctrine. Didier François, a former journalist held hostage by ISIS until his release last year, said it best in a much-quoted statement. “It was not a religious discussion. It was a political discussion,” he told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in February.
Al-Baghdadi is certainly far from the uncontrollably mad villain some would paint him to be. He has been shown to possess a knowledge of religion – however, his and ISIS’ interpretation has an aspect At the other end, supporters of ISIS see themselves of literality which inherently means that it treats as reformers of Islam by taking it back to its roots. Islam as a picky child would treat a pizza slice with ISIS freely declares Muslims who refuse their undesirable toppings. It throws out a millennium of interpretation as apostates – and then beheads them. scholarship dedicated to studying the religion and These cases are hardly the exception to the rule, its scripture. either. In 2011, the US’ National Counter Terrorism Center estimated at least 82 per cent of Instead, it glorifies the verses of war without any their victims are Muslims. sort of contextual understanding - all this, in the name of overthrowing the ‘pollution’ of modernity It’s interesting to see this mutual rejection of one and establishing a so-called caliphate of Islam. party by the other. While ISIS is a mere single-digit fraction of the global Muslim community, it It’s no surprise, then, when most Muslims would dominates media representations of Islam. It’s about rather say that ISIS does not represent ‘real’ Islam who can invalidate the other’s ‘Islamicity’; it’s about – and there’s truth there in the sense that Enver who can claim and monopolise that collective Hoxha doesn’t represent atheism on his own, nor do identity and speak on behalf of Islam. violent Burmese monks represent Buddhism. It’s all about politics. Religion may not be wholly innocent, but it isn’t the 26
However, the rejection reflex – while understandable – gives little room to properly educate and address the concerns of those
who are curious and veering into dangerous ideological territory. According to anthropologist Scott Atran, a significant percentage of ISIS recruits are in “transitional” phases and seek a firm identity. Others are angry, coming from places suffering from great upheavals. Many are young and impressionable or have limited education, and much like a stubborn teenager, when they are not given access to answers by their guardians, they will look for it in other, more dangerous places. “Most [young recruits] have had no traditional religious education, and are often ‘born again’ into a socially tight, ideologically narrow but world-spanning sense of religious mission,” Atran said to the United Nations Security Council, in an April address regarding the role of youth in countering extremism.
Hanifa Abdiraihan
ritual are expelled from the mosque for expressing radical political beliefs, that the move to violence is most likely.” It’s an entirely human tendency to reject the ‘undesirables’; most of the world, for instance, believe in separating deviants in the enclosed spaces known as prisons. But in this case – and yes, the horrible irony – by simply throwing out ISIS as fakes, the real problem is also being thrown out. And, perhaps, even the solution.
Photograph by Francesca Mann.
“Indeed, it is when those who practise religious
27
Music Reviews third album The Almighty, following the 2004 release of Every Night Is A Black Knight and last year’s Medieval Chamber.
Michael Donnelly It’s a subtle foray into a new soundscape from the Californian hip-hop duo.
Medieval Chamber is still available for purchase through independent label Record Collection Music, as will The Almighty upon its imminent release.
After the release of Medieval Chamber just over a year ago with John Frusciante in the producer seat, rappers Crisis and Rugged Monk, known as Black Knights, recently dropped two new tracks in the space of a week. Again siding with former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist turned solo artist Frusciante, ‘Gang Related’ bursts through with a brooding acid house beat layered with a Frusicante familiar delayed, distorted and reverse-like synth loop. Lyrically, the song takes the listener on a journey through all that creates the image of a crime-fueled city, an image blown up and misconstrued by outsiders that boils down to one thing – gang relations. Following the same beat, ‘Shadows Of A Panther’ opens with the unmissable DMC-esque vocals of Rugged Monk, drawing on Gil Scott-Heron’s civil rights piece ‘The Revolution Will Not Be Televised’ to explore the current state of hip hop and to reignite what it takes to write real music. A recognisably fierce Frusciante guitar solo bubbles through the aether of the song, closes it out and undoubtedly warms up this politically motivated track. It’s a far cry from the harmonically driven sounds of Medieval Chamber, but the combination of dark, conscious hip-hop and avant-garde electronica is undeniably flavoursome and original. A taste of what’s to come as we anticipate the overdue release of what will be Black Knights’ 28
Photo by Dan Monick.
Music Reviews
Tim Nixon It’s as if Thom Yorke took control of a midi keyboard during an orbit of venus. The songs on this record, slide and warp out of conventional rhythm, it’s like essential pieces are being sucked away by gravitational pull. This EP conjures up blueprints for what could be a expansive electronic cathedral, but at times the beats fizzle out all too soon, lacking the inertia of a band to keep them full and moving. Many reviews condemned this EP as being half-baked, the best way to regard it while listening, is as a “rough draft” from the Radiohead frontman.
Radiohead fans will know that the theme of wrestling inner demons dictate a lot of Yorke’s lyrics. ‘Truth Ray’ follows this theme. The way the synths beam out from under a swing-timed beat in this track, fractals his sullen, desperate plea “…don’t let go, don’t let go, have you no mercy?” While in comparison to his first solo effort The Eraser in 2008, TMB certainly lacks a rock sensibility and insightful lyrical content. TMB is an electronic experimental piece, and, a small taste to satiate the hounding appetite of dire Yorke fans.
Francesca Mann 35 years later and Closer is still making soundwaves in the music scene. Defined as Joy Divison’s best album, Closer takes you on a turbulent ride through lead singer Ian Curtis’ mind, leaving you drained and exhausted. Released two months after Curtis’ suicide, each song is jam packed with emotion, painting a dark and messy portrait of his struggles with depression and health issues.
Each track is punctuated by Curtis’ deep, sombre voice, often contradicting the bouncy, post-punk sound. This is one album that gets better with age, as every listen introduces you to new feelings.
29
Film Reviews
Independent, 2014
Michael Donnelly Premiering to critical at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, David Robert-Mitchell’s ‘It Follows’ is a definitive answer to the new age and blend of psychological horror. On an amazingly strict budget of just two million dollars, the film is a portayal of a sexually transmitted disease in the form of a personified, supernatural deity.
After a shaky and unsettling introduction, the Detroit-set blink-and-you-die plot begins to take root with a booming, seamless 80’s inspired soundtrack clarifying that ‘it’ is near. With an inexperienced, although engaging cast ‘It Follows’ will certainly be Robert-Mitchell’s breakthrough and is a film that’ll make you think twice about what you get up to after hours. But hopefully not scare you out of it!
HBO Documentary Films, 2015
Francesca Mann Get ready to be taken on an immersive roller coaster through Kurt Cobain’s life with Brett Morgen’s ‘Montage of Heck’.
Kurt’s personal writings and drawings help carry the film, showing a side of the unfortunately glorified icon that’s never before seen.
Close family and friends tell the story of a little, happy blonde boy who grew up to be one of the biggest rock stars ever… known best for his music that “defined a generation”.
At times it’s surreal, making one feel completely submerged into Kurt’s life. Carefully crafted and full of eye opening home video, this is a film for those who want to believe Kurt is still alive.
Warner Bros, 1955
Tim Nixon “What can you do when you have to be a man?” Jim needs an answer from his father, fast, just a shield from his mothers distant, heavy handed ruling. He needs a rock, a guide of the masculine kind before he abandons his matriarchal household for good… the answer came too late. Few films made in the 50’s translate into enjoyable modern day viewing, ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ (1955) starring James Dean and Natalie Wood, has a timeless universality at its core. Knife fights, filial eroticism, fatal car races, inept 30
parenting, teenage gun violence, self harm, father figures; things all of us have experienced in our youth… almost all of us. In truth they run that close the bone in the film, that you almost feel involved. From Jim’s unbalanced attempts at finding a masculine role model, his suffocating household and estranged high school, he finds solace in the love of close friends. We all find home while pondering the mysterious universe, before dawn, when the world comes to an end.
Book Reviews
Andrew Douglas One of the most harrowing scenes in modern cinema is the shower sequence in the 1960 film ‘Psycho’. It is the high point of gore and fear and an equally classic film about a psychopathic killer. This film represents the climax of the director’s unique career… This is the latest biography (2015) on the film’s famous director, Alfred Hitchcock. Dubbed the ‘Master of Suspense’, Alfred Hitchcock’s career spanned over fifty years – from the era of silent films in the 1920s all the way to the mid-1970s. At 259 pages, it is one of the briefer versions of this director’s life. While short, it covers the salient features of the director’s journey towards his major films.For those who know little about Hitchcock, this book is a good starting point. Because of its
brevity, it concentrates on the stages of his film career and interactions with his peers and colleagues including his often tumultuous relationships with his leading ladies - Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak and Tippi Hedren among them. It also affirms the central role played in his career by his wife Alma Reville whose contributions ranged from practical expertise and advice to moral support. For the pedantic among us, the only major flaw of this book is that he does not reference the quotes throughout the book, some of which are intriguing (like an excerpt of a letter he wrote to Joan Crawford about ‘queerness’). The biography is a new slant on a flawed genius and larger-than-life legend of the screen.
Veronica Lowe Clockwork Angel, written by Cassandra Clare in 2010, is a spin off from the Mortal Instruments series (think a different version of the City of Bones movie that came out recently). This book follows the story of Tessa Gray, who finds she has a surprising untapped power. Meeting
Shadowhunters, her world is predictably changed as the magical world comes to focus on her - she is the centre of attention for some unknown reason. Clare has actually thrown in some interesting twists in the book but it is let down by the huge romantic focus rather than the exciting fantasy element.
Michael Donnelly Huxley’s 1954 short novel ‘The Doors of Perception’ is an LSD-driven exploration into what should be known as a religious antidote. This book, inspired by a William Blake poem, is penultimately a credible, under the influence account (credible only because it’s Huxley...) of nonsensical Christian aesthetics. Yes, it’s Christianity that’s nonsensical, not Huxley! Still inclusive of Huxley’s erratic behaviour and hilarious responsiveness during his trip, the
breaking down of the doors falls just shy of any great revelations... although the point of psychedelics, in contrast to alcohol, enhancing rather than hindering spirituality is well proven. An interesting read nonetheless, the biggest realisation being our easily persuaded humanity having it all mixed up. The sequel ‘Heaven and Hell’ is a more in depth and solidified analysis of religiously spiritual perogatives, based upon the open doors. 31
What does the Undergraduate Studies Department do? • Ensures students’ concerns are heard and addressed • Can provide help with academic issues • Can provide help with advocacy to the University • Can provide help with wider education issues The Undergraduate Studies Department is chaired by the Vice-President Academic, and has faculty representatives, school representatives and general members within the department. Each semester, every faculty hosts at least one event, and our faculty representatives attend faculty meetings. How to get involved? Attend our upcoming Undergraduate Studies Department meeting, email academic@ecuguild.org.au for more details, or check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ECUUndergrad
For more info please visit www.ecuguild.org.au/events
26th of May - National Sorry Day 27th of May - 3rd of June - National Reconciliation Week 29th of May - Wear White at Work Day 30th of May - Ethnocultural Coffee Morning 1st of June - Western Australia Day 5th of June - World Environment Day 8th-19th of June - Exam Period 14th -20th of June - National Refugee Week 20th of June - World Refugee Day 23-24th of June - C Programming Crash Course 28th of June - 2nd of July - ECU’s National Indeginous Games 13th-24th of July - Orientation Program for Semester 2 27th of July - Lectures Recommence 15th of August - TEC-CON 33
Feature
We here at Dircksey like to think of ourselves as environmentally aware and responsible. So for this edition we haven’t printed a normal magazine with pages that you read and just throw out, we have printed 1700 opportunities for fun. Each page is a little goldmine of adventures just waiting to happen once you've finished reading it. Please note that Dircksey Magazine takes no responsibility for the consequential actions of person(s) inspired by this article. Did you know that newspaper just like normal paper, can be folded? Have you ever sat at a table in a restaurant that wobbles? That never has to be a problem again as long as you have a Dircksey Magazine. First take a few sheets of Dircksey and fold it in half. Keep folding it over and over again until you have a small solid block. To fix the table with the paper, all you need to do is throw it at the waiter and tell him to fix the table. But it doesn't have to be folded into a throwing block. It can be folded into all sorts of delicate, creative shapes and styles like animals or tiny boxes... also known as origami. Don’t like origami? Good, me either. It can also be made into things like hats. Don’t like hats either? Fair enough, you can still use it to cover things like wrapping paper, wall paper, scrap paper, scrap booking and table cloths. You can rip it up and use it to mulch your garden, or make a bed for small pets. You can even use it to spy on people. To do this you simply cut holes in the paper somewhere that’s not obvious. This way when you hold the paper up, to the untrained eye you are reading the paper. To the trained eye however, you are actually seeing through the paper 34
Rishi Rawlins
and watching whatever is through the eye holes. If you're not the kind of person who has the time for tedious creative works, consider this; simply rolling up the newspaper creates a world of possibilities. Telescopes, didgeridoos, trumpets or swords are just a few ideas for annoying strangers and concerning your psychologist. We all know that rolled up newspaper is commonly used on disobedient household pets or spouses by whacking their noses. What people don’t realise is that rolled up newspapers can be used to whack all kinds of noses, not just dog noses. You can whack door knockers, sales people and people loudly talking on their phone on public transport. In fact as a general rule, if it has a nose, you can whack it with newspaper. The great thing about this magazine is there is enough paper in this magazine to make hundreds of hats, swords or planes. You could potentially make a whole air force of planes and put them on top of the ceiling fans at work. When the fans are turned on, BAM! A prank that is not only time consuming, but also not that funny. My point is that you can do lots with this magazine that doesn't involve just throwing it out.
Truth
“The world we want to transform has already been worked on by history and is largely hollow. We must nevertheless be inventive enough to change it and build a new world. Take care and do not forget ideas are also weapons.� - Subcomandante Marcos
We just wanted to say thank you. Nearly 12,000 ECU students chose to join the Guild in semester one. This means we can continue to grow our services, improve our events, and help more students like you. Good luck with exams, and see you next semester.
This magazine was made from a mixture of bio-degradable and recycled material. This means that the magazine is again recyclable or in fact buriable upon your disposal. If you choose to throw away this magazine, please do so correctly.