GSM ed. 1 vol. 2 "Retro"

“Retro” GSM ed.1 2011

Editor: Tom Reynolds (08) 9370 6609 editor.gsm@gmail.com GSM - ECU 2 Bradford street Mount Lawley WA 6050 Cover: Ali Alatas www.alialatas.com Desgin: Tom Reynolds

Photos: pg 5, 6, 7, 14 Luke Pegrum, pg 5 Ben watson (self pic), pg 10 Delshard Mozhdehinia, pg 15 Muse Sun, pg 3, 18 Tom Reynolds, pg 3 Tim Sandhu (self pic) Advertising: Tom Reynolds (08) 9370 6609 communications@ecuguild.org.au

Printed by Vanguard Press The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Editor or the ECU Student Guild. The Editor reserves the right to make changes to submitted material as required. gsm reserves the right to republish material. Contributors retain all other rights for resale and republication.

This publication is made possible by your Guild membership.

Hello Little Ones You hold in your hands the sum product of a month-long creative process combining the talents of designers, photographers, sub editors, writers and section editors. But GSM is more than just the magazine in your hand. It is also a community.

Student Press exists to give opportunity to every student to advocate and articulate for themselves. We don’t aspire to be Vogue or the New York Times, we’re here to experiment, to have fun and to practice our skills before moving onwards and upwards. And just remember, some of the people you see in this magazine will be writing, editing and photographing for the Vogues and the Times of tomorrow.

As Editor it’s exciting to see the transformation of an abstract concept into a tangible and public product that’s shared and engaged with by hundreds of people who are curious to read and see the point of view of students. It’s also deeply rewarding to see the refinement of our writers, editors and photographers over the year and their developing confidence in expressing themselves publically.

GSM is open to anyone and everyone studying at ECU and I strongly encourage you to get involved and make the most of your time at University.

And finally I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our subeditors this edition: Aldy Hendradjaja, Ana Victoria Neves, Chris Gibson, Prayitno “David” Wignjopranoto, Delshard Mozhdehinia, Dina Waluyo, Gemma Cavoli, Jasmine Reilly & Larry Fife. Your efforts were extremely appreciated.

I expect to find hair all over the salon and for it to smell like a giant can of hair product but the floor was completely clean of hair, the cutting instruments were all neatly stacked and the towels folded, and it didn’t smell like chemicals, this atmosphere is a big plus to me. The appointment was delayed slightly. Nonetheless the haircut started off with a hair wash, I didn’t know this was included – other places usually cost extra or they simply don’t do it.

Then the hair wash strangely started to feel more like a head massage than a simple washing of the hair, because it felt more like a much needed head massage, so much to the point I was drifting in and out of consciousness. None the less my hair was towel dried and out of the hair washing basin within minutes. Sitting down on the chair is the biggest hurdle of them all. This is the point where I have an image in my head of what I wanted my hair to look like.

But conveying this image is almost impossible for me. So I made some hand gestures and quoted some words I heard mum say. Say no more and the hairdresser was on the job.

Slowly I watched the strands of my hair fall to the ground, but while I was pretending to text, I was watching how much detail the hairdresser used, it was like she was performing micro-surgery on each strand of hair, moulding my once leggo-man-80’s-style-bowl-cut hair into some funky shape. Some minutes passed, some pretend texts sent and a haircut that somehow looks exactly what I gestured it to look like. Perfection. Thanks Crown Hairdressing.

Worry about your deadlines not your parking No one �ants to spend all day stressing about parking fines. So stick to the rules and you’ll have one less thing to �orry about. �ll vehicles parked on campus from 8am to 8pm �eekdays need a clearly displayed, valid permit or ticket. Student Red zones require a Student Red permit. You can buy Short Term Student Parking Scratchies for $3 per day or $6 per �eek. Your vehicle must be �ithin the marked bays to avoid a penalty, and parking rules apply all year including semester breaks.

Unfortunately having a permit doesn’t guarantee you a spot, so make sure you arrive early and allo� enough time to find one.

To make finding a spot even easier, check out ECU Carpooling. It’s a free service to help you find a carpooling partner and reduce the number of cars on campus. Or get public transport to avoid the hassles of parking altogether. There are lots of buses to and from ECU, �ith free C�T buses and excellent train services at Joondalup.

For more info and to order permits, go to ���.ecu.edu.au/fas/sts

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23/2/11 10:53:28 AM

Name: Jasmine Reilly Age: 21 Position: Books editor Year & Studies: Fourth Year. Writing and Mass Communications, French Favourite book: Night World Series by L.J. Smith If you could have one super power, what would it be: Shape Changing What was the last thing that made you laugh: Serenity What do you eat for breakfast: Mostly whatever I can find in the fridge Three things you couldn’t do without: My boyfriend, my phone and my laptop What did you want to be when you were a kid: A doctor What do you collect: Books (honestly, I do) If you HAD to get a tattoo where and what: On my foot and a rose

Music Name: Ben Watson Age: 28 Position: Music Editor Year & Studies: Final year Media & Cultural Studies / Mass Communications Favourite band: t I’ll say Bad Religion as they sum up most things...

If you could have one super power, what would it be: The ability to not sleep.

It keeps getting in the way of deadlines.

What was the last thing that made you laugh: Either the Internet or one of my buddies.

What do you eat for breakfast: 2x eggs, low GI toast with a rotating chorus of bacon tomato or mushrooms depending on what is left in the fridge. You gotta make breakfast matter!

Three things you couldn’t do without: A guitar, access to food, my legs.

What did you want to be when you were a kid: A rock star.

If you HAD to get a tattoo where and what: I’ve got two, both on my left leg. One’s a kanji which means ‘spirit’. I don’t speak Japanese, nor am I a suburban bogan, but it felt right at the time. I also have Hunter S. Thompson’s Gonzo symbol, which didn’t heal too well so I need to get it re-done.

Name: Larry Fife Age: 20 Position: Film Editor Year & Studies: 3nd History and Politics Favourite film: Toy Story If you could have one super power, what would it be: the ability to fly (though not over Libya) What was the last thing that made you laugh: a picture of a friend being a general nutter in the US What do you eat for breakfast: wheatbix + banana + nut mix + honey Three things you couldn’t do without: car + facebook + boyfriend What did you want to be when you were a kid: employed (I come from Forrestfield) What do you collect (everyone collects something): humanoid figures, little obsessed with the human body If you HAD to get a tattoo where and what: on my back. Pictures in squares, each square representing an important time in my life

Games Name: Avee (Ana Victoria) Age: 17 Position: Sitting, Legs crossed.

Year & Studies: First Year, Creative Music Technology Major Favourite game: Kingdom Hearts! Easily!

Without a doubt! No question!

If you could have one super power, what would it be: To turn situations into musicals...

What was the last thing that made you laugh: Larry’s face... Just thinking about it makes me laugh!

What do you eat for breakfast: I don’t eat breakfast...... :/ Three things you couldn’t do without: Music, Imagination and HUGS! What did you want to be when you were a kid: A carpenter.

What do you collect: Sunnies... LOTS OF SUNNIES! If you HAD to get a tattoo where and what: A sleeping fox with a sleeping owl on its head... probably on my ankle.

Luke Pegrum The makeshift spotlights assembled above illuminate the concrete landscape. A tiny stereo overpowers the grumble of the generator; it’s straining speakers giving a suitably rough texture to the thrashy punk rock sounds blaring out from them. As I take in the surreality of the scene before me, the instantly recognisable sound of skateboard wheels cut through the clatter of noise.

Eventually tiring of skateboarding on our veranda, the skateboard was relegated to the back of the cupboard.

Deep down however, the desire remained, and when I dusted off the cobwebs this extraordinary bunch of boarders were the first thing I encountered. Their energy left me certain that my board wouldn’t be going back into the cupboard any time soon.

Calling themselves the WA Bowl Scum (or depending on how official they wish to be, the Perth Old School Skaters), this ever-growing group of middle-aged men have rediscovered a teenage passion that has seen them shun

A regular at the weekly Thursday night sessions admits, “I’ve broken a wrist; I’ve done a couple of shoulders.” the golf course and embrace the skateboard. Inspired by the 2001 Dogtown & Z-boys documentary that chronicled the rise of skateboarding out of Californian surf culture, a whole generation of skaters found the urge to get back on the board.

“I can remember grabbing a few surf mates and heading down to the ‘Outdoor Luna’ in Leederville one hot summers night in 2001” relates skater Carlos Izan, “Back in the 1970’s these dudes were the crew most of us got our inspiration from. Not only was I blown away, I realised what fun I had been missing out on.”

Skaters fly around the bowl, building speed with every carve and fearlessly attacking the lip of this intimidating 9ft deep behemoth. It looks like a scene from a movie and I’m blown away, not just because these guys are some of the craziest shredders kicking around, but also because most of these guys are pushing 50.

This is a typical scene at the Vic Park Skate Bowl on a Thursday night, where a collective of mature age skateboarders meet weekly to test the limits of gravity and natural ageing. I stumbled across this awe-inspiring bunch when I picked up my skateboard for the first time in 5 years at the ripe old age of 19. An avid skateboarder as a child, I was hamstrung by the fact that I grew up in a tiny country town with a somewhat limited skateboarding culture.

However daring this renaissance may be, skateboarding is still considered by many as a wasters pastime, and some people, my sister for example, suggest they “get a life.” But this is far from the reality. These people come from a vast variety of backgrounds and professions, from bricklayers, to teachers to photographers. For them skateboarding is an outlet, a chance to feel the rush of living on the edge and the adrenaline, and pain, that flows through the body when you realise you are still alive.

Skateboarding takes them out of the artificial confines of the everyday and throws them into a raw and exciting environment, an environment where all that stops you from slamming into an unforgiving concrete slab is a combination of courage and physical aptitude. This is the reason that they loved it as teenagers and this is why they continue to do it today. It’s an experience Ten years on and the passion is still strong. Thanks to the internet this misplaced group have been able to reconnect and reorganise. As well as the weekly session at Vic

Park they organise regular gathering at skateparks all over Perth. Equipment such as lights and stereos are set up, and every now and then they might even arrange a barbeque. They also put considerable effort into lobbying local governments about the creation of new and better skateparks throughout Perth, an effort that has seen them covered by the ABC’s Stateline program.

Although their bodies may not bounce like they used to, these guys push themselves to the limit and take on challenges that are placed deep in the too-hard (read shit-scary) basket for many younger skaters.

But it’s not like they don’t get hurt, as Damien Smith, a regular at the weekly Thursday night sessions admits, “I’ve broken a wrist; I’ve done a couple of shoulders.”

The threat of injury isn’t enough to stop what has been somewhat of a renaissance of the sport among its veterans, many of whom were among the first generation of skateboarders.

Feminism: notes from a Young Asian Woman Dina Waluyo The World celebrated 100 years of International Women’s Day this March. The newest Bond Daniel Craig dressed in drag to show his support for Women’s Rights with Judy Dench narrating. Equalpayday.be reshot Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction” video clip, featuring working-aged women to promote, as you can guess, equal pay for women. For more than two centuries women have been fighting for the same cause through three waves of feminist movements to date, not to mention the various ideologies that fall under the feminism umbrella including Liberal, Radical, Black, Postmodern, Lesbian feminisms and many others I simply can’t list.

In mid 19th century, the women of the United Kingdom, led

by Barbara Bodichon and Bessie Rayner Parks, gathered and took a stand for women’s rights. Initiating the First Wave Feminist movement, these women fought against the injustices they suffered then. Post-World War II, rose the more radical Second Wave movement. These women burnt their bras for the sake of gender equality. Then came a more open Third Wave Feminist movement. While the Second Wave feminists swore off any form of traditional women’s roles in the patriarchal system, Third Wave feminists acknowledge options. To put simply, they believe that women have their own choices.

Whereas feminism has grown and continues to grow significantly in the West, women in the East are still struggling with highly regarded and protected conventions they (or should I say we, considering I’m speaking as an Asian women) hold highly. Until now, most Asian women are still expected to be reserved, and to put men’s need before theirs. What is it that holds back feminism from advancing in the East?

Personally, I believe it isn’t the patriarchal tradition Asian women hold so high. I believe it is the ability to open up to the idea that every woman has the choice to do what she wants in life.

I was struck with disbelief when I learnt that almost fifty percent of my junior high and high school female friends who are either as old as I am or younger than me by one year (I’m 24) are either planning their weddings, married, with child or already mothers. While I may sound like a Second Wave feminist by frowning upon this fact, I completely support the decision to settle down by choice. It is the fact that

When I was still in a long-term relationship with my last ex-boyfriend, my mother expected me to come home from Australia only to settle down. When we broke up, the first thing she said to me was to find an Australian boyfriend and settle down here. When I expressed my wish to travel, she turned me down right away.

This may have turned out to sound more like a rant, but from that I’m now even more convinced that women, in this case Asian women, are still unaware of their rights to choose despite of all the hard work their fellow women from all around the world have been fighting for. Drawing a rationale from that, I see a monotonous pattern of the Asian expectations of a woman: study, work, marry, mother.

“Behind every great man there is a great woman.” This lyric may very well describe the situation Asian women are in. They were and still are expected to dwell in the shadows of the opposite sex. Think about it. If this tradition carries on when the fuck will this gender equality succeed?

On a Tumblr discussion Max, a web and graphic designer and a Tumblr blogger, quoted another blogger: “The outside world needs to change, but we [women] have to change the way we think about ourselves, our roles as women and each other first. […] Until women treat themselves and each other with respect, and stop denying themselves and each other of their rights, there’s no point in changing the outside.” (imnopicasso. tumblr.com) The idea may take feminism a step back, but this is a good one forward in the society I was raised in. With the exposure to the more progressive western ideologies through so many forms of media, the Internet being only one of them, I think young Asian women can and should be able to think more critically and recognise the opportunities to make a change.

A very dear friend of mine once told me he perceived me as westernised simply because I do what he thinks most Asian women don’t: I drink, smoke and swear on a regular basis, but predominantly because I speak my

The Twenety-Seven Club Sophie Bates Tragically, we have faced the death of too many musicians near the height of their powers. The 27 Club is a curious phenomenon in which many have died at that ripe old age. The most renowned are Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Kurt Cobain.

These five Rock and Blues artists were all at the height of their careers, but lived their lives precariously; having issues with drug and alcohol abuse. Is this a coincidence?

“I don’t have the passion anymore, and so remember, it’s better to burn out than to fade away.”

Kurt Cobain

There are many parallels among the deaths, beginning with the frivolous detail that four out of five allegedly had a white Bic lighter in their pocket at the time of death.

All their exits were drug related.

Four were within a two-year period and Jim Morrison died exactly two years after the first club member, Brian Jones.

Brian Jones was the founder, namer and guitar player of archetypal rock band The Rolling Stones. Due to diminished contribution, Jones was kicked out of the band in June 1969. Less than a month later his body was found in the bottom of a pool at his home. His death was, surprise, alcohol and drug induced. This was the start of The 27 Club,little did we know this would be a dreadful trend in years to follow.

Considered to be the greatest electric guitarist in musical history, Jimi Hendrix was an extremely influential guitarist and singer-songwriter. Hendrix was an original American who made it successful in England. Freed from the racial prejudice of his stateside musical past, he embraced the hedonisms of 60s London and lived carefree. He was quoted saying, “I’m the one that has to die when it’s time for me to die, so let me live my life, the way I want to.”

At the prime of his career Hendrix died of drug-induced asphyxiation, on September 18th 1970.

Two different trajectories, same age, same outcome.

The combination of living within the public eye and risky

behaviour as a statement and a lifestyle seems to be both an occupational hazard and wish fulfilment. Some see Jones’ death as an inevitable culmination of his life and career yet the loss of Hendrix was seen as more of an artistic blight to society.

Just 16 days later, Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose in a hotel room. Joplin was 28th in Rolling Stones top 100 singers of all time, and was a great icon to her generation.

Although Joplin had issues with drugs, like Hendrix she was at the prime of her career. A people pleaser living her statement lifestyle fitting in with the blues stereotype as per her quote; “Audiences like their blues singers to be miserable.”

Coincidence or not, exactly two years after Jones’s death, The Doors front man, Jim Morrison, passed away.

At the time of his death, The Doors were recording their last album, L.A Woman, after having had a lengthy break.

Morrison’s life was back on track and he had moved to Paris, enjoying long walks and continuing to record with his band. However his body was found in the bath of his Paris apartment and his death was believed to be drug related. Morrison was not terrified of death and was even quoted saying: “People fear death even more than pain. It’s strange that they fear death. Life hurts a lot more than death. At the point of death, the pain is over. Yeah, I guess it is a friend.”

Over two decades later Nivana’s Kurt Cobain unfortunately shot himself after taking heroin and valium. Cobain was well aware of this group, even admitting to his sister at a young age that he would like to join The 27 Club. The month before his death, Cobain was suicidal and had many friends and family concerned for his wellbeing. Especially Courtney Love, Kurt’s wife or two years, with whom which he had 18-month old daughter Frances. “I can’t stand the thought of Frances becoming the miserable, selfdestructive, death rocker that I’ve become.”

“It’s funny how most people love the dead, once you’re dead your made for life,” said Hendrix, and to an extent we believe this to be true. All five of these members are legendary names still in today’s society and still recognized as some of the best musicians of all time.

Delshard Mozhdehinia Callum Hann, runner-up from MasterChef 2010, was in Perth in March and took the time to sit down with GSM to talk about food, life after MasterChef and what he’s up to now.It’s stereotyped a fair bit, granted. You hear about people whose fame has gone to their head, and then you read about others that are rather quiet and normal despite being well known.

Contestants on TV, once off their show, can go to work on their own personal goals with the backing of having created such a name for themselves in the media. Network Ten has poured millions into the MasterChef series with the backing of large corporate sponsors, such as Coles, Qantas and San Remo over the last two main seasons; and it’s paid dividends; despite worries at the beginning of 2010 that it would be a flop after so much reality TV in the last couple of years.

Since MasterChef, Hann has been travelling around Australia giving lessons to other university students like at ECU, and planning to open up a Cooking school back in his home town, Adelaide. But he hasn’t forgotten about the long eight months of recording period last year to film the series, nor the people he met along the way.

“Lots of the contestants I’ve remained really close friends with. We kinda spent so long doing the same thing, you know, living together and cooking together every day... my family and friends still don’t quite know [about it] because it was quite an intense experience.

When I do travel, I endeavour to catch up with people.”

Although Hann has had no one from the top 20 in Perth to see while he is here, he has just finished a three month scholarship at The Press Club restaurant in Melbourne with its owner, George Calombaris.

But sitting down to talk with the runner-up of the 2010 MasterChef series, and then going for my own group cooking lesson afterwards didn’t quite turn out how I expected (aside from me burning the rice for everyone).

Arriving at the ECU Village, I went to the Rec Area and it took me a minute to notice there was someone in the corner, quietly hunching over his mobile (and having to be told that this was indeed Callum).

Working professionally in food like this has radically changed the direction of his life since the beginning of last year. Before getting into MasterChef, Callum grew up enjoying cooking with his family but decided to study mechanical engineering at Adelaide University. Since then he’s left this as his backup plan in case the food industry isn’t for him, but by talking to him and participating in his cooking class it’s doubtful that he’s going to change path anytime soon.

After a polite “hello” and discussing the summer heat ECU’s international students have come to love, we got down to business before the photographer from The Sunday Times came. I wasn’t sure what he was going to be like in person, but the guy we saw on our screens last year is pretty much the same guy in person. Before, during and after my notepad was gone, this was the guy that hadn’t let the hype of being on TV get into his head, and make him a ‘Charlie Sheen’.

And the cooking class? We got to make a Green Chicken Curry, with Hann’s instructions, and with different people focusing on different things, and myself on my questions.... well, I let the coconut rice burn to the bottom of the pan.

My father, who can make an amazing rice dish, would be ashamed.

Delshard (pictured left) is the Mount Lawley Campus representative on the Student Guild: mtlawleyrep@ecuguild.org.

Callum’s future in the food industry is bright, but I’m going to stick with my studies – you can’t burn lecture notes by leaving them unattended for a while. You can follow Callum via his blog http://callumskitchen.com/

Hayley Chandler Do you take illicit drugs? If not, have you tried them? I bet you know people that have, or currently do use — friends or acquaintances, perhaps? Everyone knows someone who takes drugs, right? They mightn’t be labeled drug addicts or do anything too hardcore, like smack or gear or anything, but you know someone who takes illicit drugs of some sort.

The fact that we all know someone who does drugs suggests that it’s normal.

Taking illicit drugs is a normal thing to do in today’s society; but… how?

Why? And when did this happen?

Remember the 60s and 70s? Perhaps you didn’t exist then – I didn’t – but I am sure your parents have told you stories about what went on in that era.

The only drugs that really existed were dope and LSD. The dope (AKA – weed, green, marijuana, pot, etc.) was for the hippies who liked being chilled out, and LSD was merely a phase for a small minority of people who took it to ‘party’. The majority of these party goers only partied on weekends. The joint-smoking hippies’ predominant usage was also on weekends.

In this psychedelic era, the effects and dangers of taking drugs weren’t fully known, yet it wasn’t normal and it didn’t consume and control people’s lives as it does today. Whilst it’s completely mind boggling, there has to be a reason why today’s society (our society) is riddled with drugs.

I am sure there are many reasons— some similar to those of the 60s and 70s—but I would argue that the most

common reason people take drugs today is to escape reality.

But following this is another question: why do we need to escape reality? Is there too much pressure on us today?

Perhaps there’s too much pressure to succeed?

There is an expectation today that we have to finish school, go to uni, build a career and live for ourselves.

Expectations in the era I mentioned previously consisted of being able to provide for yourself and family (as a man) and get married and have children (as a woman). This is still an expectation of today—though perhaps not so stereotypical—but the concoction of this and other expectations is a hell of a lot of pressure.

There are other emotional and mental pressures too; perhaps larger than the expectation to succeed. I know these are the elements of reality I like to escape from. Sorry, need to escape from. Emotional pressures could be family, friend or spouse related. We all have these pressures to some degree and at some point in our life.

Mental pressure is an interesting one; this could be depression, anxiety, perception or even conflicts between the conscious and the subconscious.

An ex of mine smoked weed regularly—daily at a minimum and a morning cone wasn’t unusual. I didn’t approve; I hated it. In fact, hatred is an understatement. During a regular attempt to figure out why he needed this drug; I hit the nail on the head. He was too smart. Smart actually mightn’t be the most appropriate word, perhaps intelligent beyond his control was a better description.

All he did was think; he analysed everything. His mind didn’t stop working; he couldn’t even sleep at night.

He needed a break from his mind; and drugs, marijuana in particular, were his escape.

Whilst I could see that there were other solutions to his lack of ‘thinking downtime’, he couldn’t. He would say, ‘It’s normal! You’re the only person I know who doesn’t take drugs!’ And he was right; it was everywhere. Once we broke up, my boyfriend search criteria had an additional clause: no drugs!

There was no way I expected the results that matched my criteria to come back so low. It’s almost like you need to promote that you don’t take drugs and if your non drug-taking attribute isn’t in your proposal, it basically means you take drugs.

People who don’t take drugs are the isolated, odd ones out. People who want to be in control of themselves, people who don’t want to pump themselves with mind and body altering chemicals / substances / toxins, and are happy to escape from reality through a good book or a glass of wine are the isolated ones. When did we, straight-edges, become the minority?

You will make what you want out of this; whether that be a ranting straight-edge chick, or a random chick who doesn’t understand. All I am saying is that drugs are normal in today’s society.

But I want you to consider: is this what you want? Do you want your children to grow up with this being ‘the norm’?

Perhaps they have already been born into it? It hasn’t always been this way; we have created it.

RETURN TO OZ

Tom Reynolds The steel pipe hit the back of my skull with enough force to throw my glasses from my face onto the restaurant table in front of me. As my head bowed forward I vaguely registered the sound of metal hitting the pavement below. Staring back at my own glasses in disorientated shock, time froze for a moment before I registered tingling numbness spreading between my ears.

As the pulsing pain of the impact began to overcome my physical shock I reviewed what had just happened: In the middle of a busy alfresco courtyard, and in full view of staff and patrons a stranger had just attacked me from behind.

His only words were angrily shouted at us in a slur as he left: “fucking faggots!” We had again become victims of yet another hate crime.

This didn’t occur in regional WA or in one of the seedy dives of the far northern suburbs. It happened only two weeks ago in South Perth, walking distance from my own home. Less than an hour before the man who attacked us had verbally insulted my friends at the bar. I later learnt that although the bar staff at the time had considered him too drunk to serve, his intoxication and derogatory insults were not sufficient motivation to have him removed from the premises or at least monitored by security.

Immediately after the attack the entire alfresco courtyard sat silently staring at us. Despite the apparent attention we eventually had to hunt down a waitress who sauntered over to our table and inspected the patio umbrella before casually asking what had happened to it.

Statistically ours was a run-of-the-mill assault. Three out of every five assaults target men. 70% of these occur outside the home, are more likely to be perpetuated by strangers and predominately effect 15-24 year olds. Even the fact that this occurred in January coincides with the seasonal peaking of assaults nationally. According to data provided by the Australian Institute of Criminology assaults in the period 1995 - 2007 have increased 5% each year, or about four times the rate of population growth in the same period1.

Comparable data about the prevalence and severity of assaults targeting gays and lesbians is not collected by the WA Police despite ìrecent evidence and official reports indicate [sic] that sexual prejudice is a widespread problem in Australian society, linked with incidents of serious harassment, discrimination, assault, and homicide.

Furthermore the WA Police no longer maintain a gay and lesbian community liaison to assist victims, many of whom, according to what data is available, have been victims of previous assaults. Generally they are often reluctant to report such incidents to the police because of perceptions that the police are either indifferent or hostile towards gays and lesbians and that the process of reporting the crime outweighs the probability of a satisfactory outcome.

Having spoken to other gay men in Perth I can vouch that this remains the popular perception. The reality is that despite the lack of data being collected on these crimes there is strong anecdotal evidence that gay-bashing and other forms of public harassment and abuse continues to be experienced at some stage by most gay and lesbian people in Perth.

These kinds of experiences include friends who have had bottles thrown at them for being ìpoofsî. Who have been severely beaten while being called a “dirty faggot” after they were spotted leaving gay nightclubs like Connections.

Friends who have been threatened and chased through shopping centres, followed down darkened streets and shouted at with emasculating cat-calls and insults.

When targeted abuse occurs unchallenged it generates and sustains a perception of legitimacy amongst perpetrators and victims alike. The she-was-asking-for-it mentality is rife on both sides of these incidents. If you behave or appear ìtoo gayî you are effectively asking to be harassed, assaulted or humiliated because that’s just the way it is. Abuse becomes acceptable when it’s treated as the norm rather than the exception.

Personally I appreciated the attitude of the officers I dealt with, they treated my report with seriousness and sympathy, but institutionally more needs to be done. In the absence of a dedicated liaison officer I and my friends were left to find relevant support services on our own. Additionally, considering gays and lesbians habitually under-report incidents a liaison officer would help promote members of the community to come forward.

Given that gays and lesbians in WA continue to be regularly victimised in public places it is especially difficult to understand why this information isn’t being collected.

Without it the police, policy-makers and community groups are hindered in prioritising and developing strategies that can minimise the incidence and impact of these crimes.

Given the situation faced by Western Australia’s gay and lesbian citizens we deserve policing policy reflective of our reality.

Marion Lopez Have you ever heard your parents saying, “OMG, how can you listen to this?!” Yeah? I thought so. This phrase often comes right after your Mum or Dad caught a few seconds of nonsense that makes up most of the lyrics our generation listen to. Sadly but truly, it seems that today’s music has been stained and spoilt by artists who appear to know nothing but sex, violence and drugs. The reality is that the importance of lyrics, although they are essential to the writing of a song, has dropped drastically over the years; especially since the turn of 2000. You might wonder why?

Today’s international stage is widely dominated by American artists affiliated to R&B, rap and hip-hop genres. In fact, if you were to meet someone from India, Africa, Spain or Japan, they would all know people such as Akon, 50Cent or Eminem.

Don’t take me wrong because I cited only male artists. Everyone would also be found mumbling lyrics of Kesha, Rihanna and Britney Spears.

While male artists’ lyrics endorse violence, drugs, sex and illegal activities, female artists seem to specialise their lyrics towards partying, drinking and getting laid. What kind of influence does this have on us? What kind of image does it give to younger audience? As for us, it seems quite normal to hear such meaningless, dirty and “shocking” lyrics all the time. The awareness of the musical world lying in the ambush of decadence can come to us through people who were born about two or three decades before.

Indeed, these people (like our parents, for example) have experienced the shift in music and have the legitimate right to be upset by what music has become. When they were young, music meant something. It was precious and the lyrics were written with care. A song had an ability to take you somewhere and make you dream. This is something simple to realise as our parents have many of their best memories linked to a song of their time. What beautiful memories do we have from the kind of songs we hear today? What happened to the romantic, passionate and adventurous lyrics of the past?

Some could say that the rise of dirty and violent lyrics illustrates the rise of violence in society. This would mean that the lyrics we hear today reflect what our lives are mostly about: sex, drugs, alcohol, clubs and violence. Is it true?

Probably not for everyone, but as hard as it is to admit it, a good portion of our peers find happiness in binge drinking, drugs, and countless sexual encounters.

Then this legitimate question comes in: are we the ones responsible for the development of artists singing nonsense and daring lyrics? The answer is hard to nail because even though we are the ones buying the songs and cheering the artists, we often don’t care what the lyrics are about.

This brings in another phenomenon attached to the problem: the lyrics come with widely appreciated dance music.

In an era where clubbing is the first choice of many people on a Saturday night, the lyrics almost get ignored, leaving full attention to the rhythm and beat of the music.

People do not really pay attention to the meaning of the lyrics because of two things: first, they heard millions of lyrics that were just about the same things, and second, what counts now is the sound of the instruments and transformed voice. While most music is now digitalised, the most popular artists seem to focus their attention on getting the best beat and computerised sound that will bring people to the dance floor. This is even truer when we hear songs that have just a couple of lyrics that get repeated over and over throughout the song between long sequences of instruments playing alone.

As devastating as it can be to hear music going into total decline, some hope is left for artists that stay true and try to be inventive and respectful of their fans.

In Australia we get a lot of British influence that’s mainly focused on pop rock music. We could see it as the kind of music that saves us from going totally wild and lost in these ear-aching lyrics that form that hit-parade each year.

Let’s hope that this balance of American and British influences stays at more or less even levels since it looks like it is our last chance to avoid getting entirely consumed by the rubbish American artists call lyrics.

Photos by Luke Pegrum

Photos by Muse Sun

Type-Me-Not why you should not abandon

Handwriting Aldy Hendradjaja Handwriting? Oh, please, how lame is that? Dude, we’re living in 21st century. It’s the computer era. It’s time for typing.

Why must you write when you can type? Get a life, man...

Have you heard that kind of statement? Or have you said the same thing? If the answer is yes, you might need to think again.

As you may have noticed, our technology is growing fast. In the past, back when we were still hunting dinosaurs, writing couldn’t be differentiated from drawing. Our ancestors wrote with some doodles on the wall. Alphabets were invented, paragraphs were developed, then pages and finally books, not to mention a nightmare by the name of “grammar.” Then our predecessors created a machine to print alphabets mechanically. That was the era of printing media.

The latest era, also known as the Modern Era, began when computers came into existence. With computers, even writing can be done faster. With a high-tech QWERTY keyboard, you can type with ten fingers, which is of course faster than handwriting with two or three fingers plus a pen.

Even better, if you are and experienced user, you can even type without looking at the keyboard. You can fix your eyes on the monitor all the time, while your fingers do all the work. To make your job easier, computers even provide a spelling and grammar check feature that identifies grammatical mistakes. Not just pointing out with red and green underlines, sometimes the computer also corrects the typos automatically. That’s so ... modern. But what about handwriting?

The computer has been so important that some schools teach children how to type before they even know how to write by hand. Is that good or bad? Sure, they know how to make a complete sentence with the correct structure and grammar, but can they write it properly? Do they know that, for example, to write the alphabet’s “A” you have to begin from the left leg, up to the pointy peak, down to the right leg and then finish with a stroke between the legs? Furthermore, does this even matter?

Following the previous example, it might seem unimportant whether to begin with the left or the right leg, but it actually does. Our alphabet was specifically developed by the Romans to be easy to write. Back in the days when handwriting was vital, our ancestors kept researching on how to improve the speed of writing by hand.

They combined the natural movements of the human hands and the writing pattern to create the alphabet we know today.

They never predicted, though, that we would come up with something as advanced as computers and keyboards. If we keep typing, will we know how to write?

Another threat in typing is the understanding of spelling and grammar. How often do you, when seeing a word or a phrase get spell-checked, instinctively right-click on the passage and let the computer correct it?

Spelling and grammar checker was originally created to aid the computer users, but it turned out to be another flaw.

Handwriting doesn’t have this feature. As a result, even though we can type one word confidently, often we don’t know how to spell it, which letter should come after which.

We are so dependent on spelling and grammar checker that we never thought of how to not make typos.

Still think your spelling is good enough? Then try typing “P neumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis” without making a single mistake. This word does exist and is still not the longest word in the world. If you seek for the longest, please type “chemical name for Titin” in Google and behold!

Even Wikipedia refuses to write it down.

Furthermore, don’t forget that our handwriting also makes us unique. There are no two persons on Earth whose handwritings are perfectly identical. The way we write each alphabet, the way our pen creates different thickness, reflects our personality. That’s why we have our own signatures: to differentiate us from others.

With this culture of typing, it is possible that writing will eventually disappear. In this case, what makes us different from others? What makes us human? If this keeps on going, even the next generation won’t have signatures.What will be left, then? Nothing but a piece of rope that fits beautifully around your neck. Happy suicide.

Typing isn’t bad, and it does come in handy because of its speed, but that doesn’t mean we can depend solely on computers. We still need to know how to write each alphabet correctly, how to use the right tenses and how to spell words.

Without knowing this, how can we still call ourselves literate people?

Prayitno Wignjopranoto Complex subjects such as science and technology, which were often avoided by people due to lack of familiarity in the past, are starting to generate interest and positive impact because of remarkable developments and clever representations of the two subjects. Unlike Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton who probably possessed the “12th level intellect” that enabled them to explain the law of physics in the universe, retro science fiction films played an important role in getting me interested in science and technology.

While I was recapturing my childhood memories of watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and the grotesque symbolic dehumanisation of Alex Murphy in Robocop, it somehow became obvious to me that there was a rise of interest in science and technology which was depicted in science fiction movies of the 80s.

Back to the Future, for example, reintroduced a lot of popular elements from quantum physics such as time travel and the memorable “1.21 Giga Watt” remark by the eccentric inventor, Dr. Emmet Brown.

The first moon landing in 1969 was probably one of the most important historical event that brought Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey to reality. A friend of mine from that generation told me that the event was so sensational she joined a group of people and gathered together in front of her neighbour’s television (back in that day, not many people could afford to own a television) to watch the broadcast. All of a sudden, unknown space was widely open for exploration and became a limitless source of materials for film and literature.

The omnipresent Japanese flying-advertising that dominates the bleak sky in Blade Runner are the equivalent of junk mail and billboard that are mounted on top of public transports. The street vendors and food kiosks that are equipped with high-tech computers reflect user friendly technology that we use in the present, such as netbooks and refrigerators that are linked to the internet with specific IP addresses. In some ways, the movie has made a contribution in making the tech-savvy society a reality to a certain level.

Back to the Future might have done a decent job in portraying it in such a comical way, but the movie did not really explore the physics. In 1988, Stephen Hawking, a British theoretical physicist, became an instant celebrity after his famous book (A Brief History of Time) became a popular science best seller.

The book is basically a complete guide of physics for those who are completely unfamiliar to the subject, presented with some jokes and clarity. Hawking has demonstrated his ability in explaining complex physics by using examples from common situations that readers face on daily basis. It is difficult to believe that after reading about singularity and the Big Bang theory, one might find him/herself unable to put the book down.

The 1969 moon landing, along with all the great science fiction movies, and Hawking’s book basically act as stimuli for members of the general public to develop interest in science and technology. The applications from the increase of interest towards science and technology are quite enormous. Science and technology have made a lot of positive impacts in our lives because they make things easier. For example, without endorsing or condemning products of certain tablet computer manufacturers, I have to agree that they have somehow managed to promote technology-minded lifestyles.

The internet which is probably the largest source of information has become portable and accessible through the push of a button and interactions with touch screens.

There has been some significant research in bionic technology; renewable sources of energy, and quite surprisingly, scientists have been able to accelerate a particle up to 99.9% of the speed of light. The bottom line is, there is no need for people to be afraid, either due to differences in educational backgrounds or being labelled as a “nerd”.

GSM is looking for an Arts Editor.

Responsibilities include attending Writers’ Nights once a month, collecting articles for the section by deadline and liasing with people in the Arts community to line up interviews, invites and reviews for your section writers.

We are looking for an enthusiastic student to join our team and put together a kicking Arts Section.

This is a great opportunity for anyone with an interest in the arts, or wanting to work in a creative industry.

The position is compatable with full-time studies and no previous experience is required.

Please contact the Editor by April 13.

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS

presents...

A riotously entertaining musical comedy with music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin

REGAL THEATRE 10 - 18 JUNE 1300 795 012 ticketek.com.au waapa.ecu.edu.au

Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin Book by Ken Ludwig Co-Conception by Ken Ludwig and Mike Ockrent Inspired by Material by Guy Bolton and John McGowan Originally produced on Broadway by Roger Horchow and Elizabeth Williams

Director - Crispin Taylor Music Director - David King Associate MD - Derek Bond Choreographer - Jenny Lynnd Set Designer - Steve Nolan

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1/5

4/5

4/5

ROAD WENCH Shannon Meadows

Driven to Distraction Jeremy Clarkson

This Charming Man Marian Keyes

If you are seeking a handbook covering life as a low-cost tour guide, this is the book for you. Readers, apart from the possible use described above, don’t bother.

I don’t like cars. Until very recently I did not know how to open the bonnet on my car- is that even its name? And yet, just five minutes into Driven to Distraction, Jeremy Clarkson’s fanatical opinions had me hurling obscenities at Peugeot drivers on the freeway. Such is Clarkson’s conviction about these modern atrocities on the roads that you can’t help agreeing.

This Charming Man, covers controversial issues like alcoholism, cross dressing and domestic violence and isn’t for the faint hearted with 870 pages. Although engaging and interesting, it doesn’t shy away from graphic details, raising the question, how do people become so screwed?

On her international journeys, Meadows obviously took the time and trouble to record events and places, yet never takes the reader past the most mundane – even when trying to shock.

The book is basically a vehicle for Meadows to air her thoughts - even as she experiences life in some of the most un-trite and most inspiring places in this world Using the first person view, readers are tortured with awful, intimate anecdotes.

On page 7, Meadows reveals her love affair with technology, and on page 10, she recounts tedious snippets the tour-guide employers refused to listen to. In case the reader hasn’t yet died of boredom, she provides equally-inane comments about a fellow guide on page 12 – and far too many other pages.

So it goes on. The reader is expected to fill-in details; on a tour in Romania, suddenly Meadows is in Lauterbrunnen.

That’s it. It is several pages later before Meadows conveys a vague reference to Switzerland and the German border.

Yet all the while writing about a place she describes as “impossibly beautiful.

Like being in the middle of a postcard, it seems too good to be true.” Don’t read this book for travel inspiration.

Driven To Distraction is a collection of columns from Clarkson’s weekly column in the British Sunday Times newspaper. Each column consists of Clarkson’s review of some sort of motor vehicle, letting us know everything that is wrong with it and how he could fix it.

But his opinions are not held just to the cars.

Come along for the ride and learn what’s wrong with British politics, why women will not date Lexus drivers, and why Germany is the last place to holiday.

See why a man who was deemed “too boring” for a biography considered forming a homosexual motorcycle stunt team.

This book is definitely not for everyone.

Readers who have not seen his television show may not understand his indignation towards flappy-panel gearboxes or his obsession with power.

Clarkson’s humour seen on Top Gear flows seamlessly onto paper, providing multiple laugh out loud moments for those in the know. Do yourself a favour and read this book.

Jen Wake Susanne Harford

Keyes engages the reader in the stories of three women who all have a connection to the charming Paddy De Courcy, a successful politician. Each of these women was treated with a different style of writing, to emphasise the individuality of each.

One style of writing in particular was frustrating to me however. Grace is presented through the use of writing similar to a diary. The writing had a lack of grammar and full, correct sentences.

An example of these basic sentences: “Funny thing is, when first met Paddy de Courcy in graveyard, didn’t know would end up falling for him” which has a lack of pronouns and is short and precise. I understand that Keyes is trying to represent a true character, but these short abrupt sentences take a while to get used to.

Overall She manages to take a lighthearted look into the world of cross dressing and even with the horrifying truths of alcoholism and domestic violence we are left with hope. It is a good read.

Jasmine Reilly

The first thing you notice is the cinematography of Robert Richman and Eric Roland. By creating day-for-night shots right at the beginning, and occasionally throughout the movie they assist Guggenheim to create an intense feeling of isolation. This flows throughout the movie, experienced by the children who form a major part of the documentary’s very difficult subject.

This documentary is in the form of a narrative, and their deep-focus shots, command of lighting, and magnificent colour control make the movie a very moving experience – yet the director has removed all emotion from his direction, which is a curious sensation.

Guggenheim takes in the historic and the last decade. The main storyteller is Geoffrey Canada, an American school teacher who has dedicated his life to demonstrating effective education reform is achievable at any socio-economic level. Guggenheim also employs innovative editing techniques, including inserted news items, interviews, and vintage footage (both real and fictional). Strangely, he makes statistics riveting. While I enjoyed Guggenheim’s mastery of spectacle throughout, I did not like the predictable build-up and pathos of the auction. I found some of the central parts of the movie a little drawn out.

Waiting For superman Guggenheim G. Canada, G. Reeves

However, it is one of those all-American stories we are all uplifted by. This is reinforced by a superbly-positioned profile shot of Canada towards the end – see if you can identify the moment. And I loved the classic treatment of the denouement, which I am not going to tell you about here – you will have to go see for yourselves.

3.5/5 Susanne Harford If you’ve seen the previews for this movie, then chances are you have no idea what the film is about. A quick run-down; nine child aliens have landed on Earth having escaped their previous planet’s destruction. The bad-guys responsible for this destruction have caught up with these nine, killed the first three and ‘number four’ is next in line. Two genres operate in this film: Sci-fi and Romance. The Matrix did this, got it right, and was a massive success as a result. I have no doubt that the makers of this film are attempting to piggy-back off of this winning formula.

Unfortunately, they miss the mark.

The love story is two-dimensional, unconvincing, and predictable. Boy moves to a town, falls in love with girl and tries to hide his secret from the world at the same time. The lack of chemistry makes viewing this love story that bit more boring, which is weird because the two lovers were in a relationship while filming.The supernatural aspect is done better, even if it is quite shallow.

The plot is somewhat intriguing, the lead’s superpowers are interesting and the bad guys and their monsters are pretty cool. In fact, this aspect of the film could have redeemed the whole movie, were these elements not largely limited to the very beginning and end of the film.

I Am Number Four D.J. Caruso Pettyfer, Olyphant, Agron

Too much of the bad love story, and too little of the half-decent sci-fi, makes this movie a flop.

2/5 Larry Fife

The problem with reviewing a film like Black Swan is that it is so easy to tear the fragile relationship between expectation and reception. At the heart of this movie is the idea of the ambiguity of reality. We are slowly drawn into the discordant world of Nina (Natalie Portman) as she prepares for her lead role in the New York City Ballet. The pressure quickly escalates; the implied cruelty of her mother’s love, the sexual manipulation of Ballet Director Thomas and the unsettling interventions of Lily (Mila Kunis) trigger increasingly vivid psychotic episodes.

Or so it seems.

The film was nominated for a Queer Lion Award at the Venice International Film Festival, a nomination made for the best film with LGBT themes and Queer culture. I find this interesting because I initially read this film as having a fairly obvious anti-lesbian subtext: Woman is uptight and sexless. Woman has (lesbian) sexual experiences. Woman goes bat-shit crazy. I mean really, that’s the essential storyline here. And while Darren Aronofsky is normally held in high regard the plot development was at times tepid and predictable.

Black Swan Aronofsky Portman, Kunis

There are a lot of ‘oh-god-look-away’ moments in this film. These scenes, although mild compared to anything you will see on the nightly news, are unsettling and play into the atmosphere of anxiety and ambiguity. Nina is a woman literally coming apart. And talking of things you will want to see, there is some excellent choreography and delightfully well constructed scenes heavy with symbolic story telling. This is a must-see film in 2011.

4/5 Tom Reynolds

Coming in 2011 - Sequels and the Big HP Sequels and prequels seem to be the go this year. Scream 4, Hangover 2, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, Kung Fu Panda 2, Cars 2, X-men - 1st Class, Final Destination 5, and many more. To be fair, how could big businesses not make sequels? When movies like Transformers and The Hangover make hundreds of millions of dollars it would be silly not to cash in. That being said, I’d rather eat my own testicles then have to watch another Final Destination movie. I am a hypocrite, however, and will love Kung Fu Panda 2 and Mission Impossible 4 more than my grand mother.

There’s only two ‘new’ movies that I find intriguing, Captain America and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. We’ve been shown with Batman that super-hero movies can be done right, and movies based on books haven’t turned about badly in the past either. Both could be bombs or big successes. Time will tell. I’ll be a Captain America fan-boy regardless.

In the end, though, this will be the year of Harry Potter. For dozens of weeks cinemas will sell-out, large numbers of people will wear fake glasses, and those who couldn’t be bothered reading the books will finally get an ending. The books and movies which this youngest generation grew up with is about to climax. We’re about to witness the biggest frenzy around a movie this world has seen. I’m excited.

Larry Fife, 2011 GSM Film Editor: film.editor.gsm@gmail.com

No Strings Attached very much falls from the Hollywood mould and bears all the hallmarks of the typical romantic-comedy. Having said that, it is better than you might expect, in large part I suspect because Natalie Portman was involved as an executive producer. Portman stars alongside Kutcher as a couple who agree to maintain a no strings attached relationship, which concludes with the inevitable outcome you would expect – weddings and mad confessional dashes included.

What makes the film bearable are the tweaks that borrow from the conventions of more serious cinematic storytelling. The fact that Portman and Kutcher share a comfortable chemistry on screen also gives some depth to the story. An example of this is the initial sex scene between the two, rather than prudishly withdrawing or cutting to the morning-after the camera remains fixed on their faces through the act. This gave the scene – and to the film overall – a touch of adult sensibility without being voyeuristic or exploitative.

No Strings Attached Ivan Reitman Portman, Kutcher

There is also a more adult-themed humour similar to The Sweetest Thing (without the farce) than the pussy-footing PG-13 orientated conventions of the genre typically allow. The fact that Natalie Portman asserts herself sexually and emotionally from the beginning of the relationship was a welcome break with the typical characterisation of woman as emotionally irrational objects of the male gaze. Sadly the film falls into convention with the ending, but overall it is better than you would except.

3/5 Tom Reynolds

My Afternoons With Margarette John Becker Depardieu

French acting legend Gerard Depardieu’s character, Germain is muddling through a seedy middleage. An uncouth gardener, he is beset by an eccentric mother and an equally impossible circle of friends. Yet in this charming and fast-moving French movie, My Afternoons with Margueritte, Germain demonstrates in warm, funny and very believable ways how life can, at anytime and without warning, deliver to us extraordinary friendships, and even love.

To reinforce the emotive message, Director John Becker devised a restrained score. He uses Depardieu’s magnificent voice as a primary element throughout the movie - and again after the visuals cease. Becker also uses his star’s spectacular physical presence to the greatest possible advantage. Often he fills almost the entire screen with Germain’s animated face, large belly and outrageous shirts. He contrasts Depardieu’s huge frame and humble character with the sophisticated and charming presence of Margueritte (Gisele Casadesus).

In real life, Depardieu says “Authenticity is the ability to listen to what Nature tells us.” This movie teaches us anything can happen to anyone - regardless of age, or who we are. With her animated face and delicate ankles enhanced by elegant heels, Casadesus, at 95, is a lesson in life herself. Their relationship provides a reverse-Pygmalion quality to the narrative. Even though the photography is occasionally a little wobbly and the youth of 63-year-old Germain’s beautiful and willing bus-driving girlfriend Annette (Sophie Gullemin) an affront, this is a highquality, classic, French movie entertainment. Also and you must carry tissues for this tale’s ending. Recommended viewing.

4/5 Susanne Harford

Thadeus Have you ever wondered what it would be like to gallivant across the countryside wielding a sword and shield all shiny and new slaying would be terrors that have spawned out of thin air? Well, I have... and I often find myself wishing our reality was just a little bit different. That aside, you can, in a manner of speaking, go gallivanting across beautiful worlds made of pixels and sound effects waving around a big shiny sword like you own the place. It’s called gaming and the type of gaming I’m talking about is fantasy role play that may contain mild fantasy violence and mature themes if not something worse.

In particular, a game series called The Legend of Zelda. The concept of the game began before I was born, yet I grew up on it. Imagine my delight when I first put a Legend of Zelda Nintendo game cartridge into my original Nintendo Entertainment System console - and yes I’m talking about a brick of a thing that is quite a dinosaur now. Still, it was fun! Really fun: so you had a few blocky pixels that made up your character and you really had to work the imagination engine to make it come alive. But the box came with a map with pretty pictures on it and that made all the difference.

But the game had even cooler repercussions for my little childish self. Know what Attention Deficit Disorder is? Well, I have that...

One minute I’m paying attention to some bug on the ground, and the next I have my hand in a puddle marveling at the shiny reflection of the murky don’t-put-your-hands-back-in-your-mouth water.

And yes, I did put my hands back in my mouth.

The game series worked wonders for me and I gained three things: (a) a gaming experience that was like reading a book that was so bloody good you’d scream at your mother when interrupted and get your mouth washed out with soap, (b) memory skills that enabled me to actually pass my schooling because I was sure to end up in prison by the time I reached 10 years of age according to my year 3 teacher, and (c) an addiction which was probably far more damaging than porn addiction could ever be. And to this day there is still no support group that I know of.

Back to the game ... totally sick. Totally life changing. If I could grow pointy ears and make wishes on golden triangles, I would. The original game introduced me to what we call “dungeon crawling”: raiding labyrinths, plundering its treasure, and then using these stolen items to slay even more perilous foes while gaining strength (or in this case “hearts” which give you more health to take more damage from attacks).Just collecting more of these “hearts” was enough to make me jump for joy -- Mario Bros. style.

The whole it’s-not-stealing-if-you-conquer-it thing sits pretty well with me even if it does mean wiping out an entire monster colony that never did anything but defend its territory, which I just happened to invade with a pointy weapon. If it’s any consolation they happen to respawn so I can kill them all again later.

The interesting thing about Zelda was that it provided me with a story to get involved in, one that left a lot to the imagination but didn’t leave you trying to figure stuff out on your own. Zelda has a habit of giving you all the tools you need and letting you figure out the solution. This happens with all the different labyrinths throughout the series. Then, when Zelda went 3D, the puzzles got even more interesting.

I think I got smarter by playing Zelda. I don’t know what it is in this day and age, but the old games seem to be respected in all aspects even though they lack what the newer games seem to be shoveling into our gobs with big-arse shovels. I’m talking about motion sensing, 3D graphics of near photo-realistic quality, massive worlds and numerous quests with innovative combat and interaction systems that can captivate you for hours on end.

The music score alone has survived my entire childhood and is still in use today. The Legend of Zelda theme song is a beautiful piece of music to play on the violin... you just have to look at YouTube and you can find them. Did you know that when busking, playing the Zelda theme song yields more Rupees and perhaps even a gold Skulltula? True story. Believe me, when it comes to a good video game, the music is as important as the gameplay.

See you on the streets *bows his violin*

Hello boys and girls. My name is Avee and this is my friend Chalkie the Chalk and today we’re going to teach you how to play a brand new game called “Hopscotch”. First, you take a piece of chalk and draw three squares going away from you. Then two squares next to each othe; now, it should look like a ‘T’.

Finally, add another square to the top of your T. That last square is “Heaven”.

Now, pick up a stone and softly throw it onto any square. The point of the game is to skip to each of the squares, and over the one that has the stone. When you reach “Heaven”, turn around and go back, picking up the stone on your way. Now, you can skip on the square that once had the stone.

Personally, this game takes me back to a simpler time and is VERY cathartic. Visually, the game is very aesthetically pleasing and physically stimulating. It can also get fairly competitive, so don’t worry about holding back. Just let loose. You don’t need much money to play and anyone can join. Don’t feel inadequate or immature… because soon enough, everyone will stop looking at you like you might be crazy, and someone is BOUND to join in! (Probably me, but I’m just biased!) Hope to see a few of you playing around campus!

P.S: Did you know that the first recorded reference to hopscotch dates back to 1677?

5/5 Ana Victoria Neves

Who would have guessed an arcade game developed in Japan 31 years ago would have such an impact on the world. Pac Man is a name well known by gamers and non gamers alike, quickly becoming a staple of retro gaming after its inception in the 80s.Our little yellow man had fair competition, with games like Space Invaders and Asteroids being the most popular at the time. One reason for Pac Man’s success is it was the first game of its kind to appeal to both genders, giving it a bigger fan base.

Gameplay consists of utilising a joystick to send Pac Man in a direction, eating little dots while keeping clear of those pesky ghosts Inkey, Blinkey, Pinkey and Clyde as their different behaviours give a unique challenge. It is amazing how much fun simple mechanics can create.

The music produced for the game are akin to any classic game with simple, easy to remember tunes. The sound produced by the Man himself is what the Japanese call paku-paku, the sound produced when one widely opens and closes their mouth. Try it out! Using examples of other games of the 80s, the graphics quality in Pac Man is much the same. Better graphics would be unnecessary as the game gives today’s gamers that nostalgic feeling of giddiness.

Pac Man is the most well known game of all time, and is the greatest retro game ever invented. Don’t believe me? Look it up on Google and play it for yourself!

5/5 Christopher Gibson Close your eyes, and picture this: You take the cartridge in your hand and slowly push it into the slit in the top of the console. You flick its switch and see the light glow, indicating life. Nothing appears on your screen. Immediately, you know what’s wrong – Dust in the cartridge. Time to blow. After years and years of dealing with Wii remakes, one might even think poorly of the graphics of this gaming console, but trust me readers, the Nintendo 64 is still loads of fun! With its flimsy joystick controllers, to its dusty cartridges, one would actually be surprised at the quality of gaming involved in the Nintendo 64. There isn’t much of a story to racing colourful karts and collecting powerup shrooms, but the element of surprise is grand! One can always count on a twist. And unlike Mario now a days, that twist won’t be “The princess is in another castle”.

Its music may sometimes remind you of the Madonna hit Express Yourself, but I can’t think of how that could possibly be considered a bad thing. One warning, if you’ve spent a while playing Mario Kart 64, when you move onto the Wii version, you will feel like your kart is on a permanent boost because the speed is SO MUCH faster than the 64 version. That is another good thing about the 64… The cars stay under 80k/h (even with the boost) and it’s a great way to learn about the laws of physics. Perfect for any kid. It’s why drivers who didn’t grow up with the good influence of Mario Kart 64 aren’t as good drivers as those who have.

4/5 Ana Victoria

Arts Vs Science The Experiment

The Kills Blood Pressures

Cut Copy Zonoscope 4.5/5

4/5

2/5

Unashamedly biting, with fierce skinnylegged beats and almost dream-like lyrical goodness, Cut Copy’s latest project Zonoscope takes Bright Like Neon Love and In Ghost Colours, reduces to a strawberry jelly and smears it on toast.

“Could be a nail in my coffin / and I don’t need another one / and lord knows ain’t ready yet / could be a line I’m crossin’ that I am never gonna get back from.”

Yes, we did Need You Now, Cut Copy, because a lack of strong electropop was making us get a bad case of twitchy eye.

So sings Alison Mosshart in Nail In My Coffin, one of the clear stand out tracks from The Kills’ brand new album Blood Pressures. From ‘go’ to ‘woah’ this is a sauntering, sensual record full of lush sounding fuzz guitars, samples, and analogue synth.

Here’s my problem with Art Vs Science: live, they rock the house, on CD, they have me reaching for the skip button more often than not. They blend instruments to create sounds that are fantastic, in a very Daft Punk style. No real surprise given the bands inception.

However, the effect when played through your iPod speakers or car stereo leaves you feeling rather underwhelmed.

Forever trying anything weird to find the wonderful, Cut Copy have proved again they are the sound of a generation with dancy tracks like Take Me Over lifting your arse off your chair and forcing you onto a dance floor, singing as if the song has come from inside yourself.

Moving on from earlier albums, where tracks seemed a bit same-same-butdifferent, the four boys have finally achieved a good balance of maintaining a distinct group sound but writing new, creative music that allows the listener to appreciate each song in its individual state.

Dan Whitford (vocals, keyboard, guitar), Tim Hoey (guitar, sampler), Ben Browning (bass) and Mitchell Scott (drums) have rocketed forward as unbreakable brothers since former bassist/synth player Bennett Foddy left the group mid-2004, fortifying their sound and pouring themselves into creating something magic.

Their new tracks (particularly Where I’m Going) reflect this, and Blink And You’ll Miss A Revolution a good one for mouthing along to when feeling silly and drunk.The latter half of the album has a few good space songs (Strange Nostalgia For The Future, Hanging On To Every Heartbeat) and a few rockier ones (This Is All We’ve Got, Alisa), but Corner Of The Sky is disappointing, luckily saved by the gorgeous 15 minute Sun God.

Georgia Foulkes-Taylor

The guitars are distorted as hell, sure, but they provide more of a warm drone rather than threatening to abuse the ears.

There’s heaps of space on this record, which is something that is often lost in modern recording techniques. The acoustic twang of Pots And Pans sits at the same level as the distortion of You Don’t Own The Road.

That said, this is an edgy record with plenty of lyrical depth. It reminds this writer distinctly of a time in the distant past (the 1960s) when producers (George Martin for example) would ensure that each of the elements in a song were not only in place but actually audible.

Art Vs Science’s debut album The Experiment fuses guitars and synths to create the familiar sounds of their festival epics ‘Parlez-vous Francais’ and ‘Flippers’. Opening track and single ‘Finally See Our Way’ gets you jumping, though the instrumental break mid way through sounds very similar to an 80s classic.

‘Magic Fountain’ reached #9 on Triple J’s Hottest 100 for 2010 and will no doubt become the band’s new festival anthem. ‘A.I.M. Fire’ is definitely catchy, but goes for about two minutes too long. And that’s the story with several of the remaining 10 songs.

Don’t get me wrong - repetition can be used in music effectively, unfortunately, that’s not what we have here. At 3 minutes and 40 seconds ‘Bumblebee’ is just that, 3 minutes and 40 seconds of the word ‘Bumblebee’ repeated.

This album pumps along at a chilled pace—it’s not a dance record—but one could still find plenty of ways to flail around to it. It’s full of contradictions: it’s dark but it’s pleasant, edgy and smooth. Yin

Ultimately, this album provides Art Vs Science with great new material to perform live. But I’d wait until one of the many festivals they will no doubt be attending next summer to hear them. Don’t worry about not knowing the words - they won’t take long to learn- trust me.

Ben Watson

Jen Wake

Hi Folks!

My name’s Ben Watson, I’m the new Music Editor at GSM. I thought I might do a little rant and say “hi”.

As I write, I’ve only been on the team for a week or so, so as I’m sure you can imagine it’s been a hectic time. Flat out on the edge of deadline—if there’s one thing journalism and university study have in common, deadlines are it.

Anyway, my main purpose in writing to y’all is to give you a bit of an insight into my vision for this end of the mag. I’m still feeling my way around—I haven’t done this kind of stuff before—but I have been a freelance music writer for about three years, a fanzine writer prior to that, and a mad supporter of (and participant in) Perth music for about a decade now.

For this reason I’m pretty pumped about the opportunity. In my experience at ECU (the VSU years, sigh), we’ve not had the infrastructure or support on campus to get a truly bitchin’ student mag happening.

But I do remember the glory years of certain other student mags, and I’ve watched the developments in GSM over the past year or so, and I reckon there’s a change in the air.

ECU5912 ECU Student Guild Magazine, �5, TB� 2011

There”s safety in numbers.

6304 3333 If you’re feeling even the slightest bit unsafe, don’t hesitate to call security. ECU’s qualified and professional security officers are there for all staff and students during the evenings, �eekends and public holidays. They �ill happily escort you to your car or any�here on campus. �ll you need to do is ask. You can also contact them via ECU’s many Emergency phones. Just lift the handset or press the call button and �ait for a response.

Security �ill respond to all alarms and emergencies and perform first aid �hen necessary.

Security officers are on campus 24/7 at Mount Lawley and Joondalup.

On the South �est campus, they’re available: Monday to Thursday 7am - 11pm, Friday 7am - 10pm, Saturday and Sunday 8am - 9pm.

Outside those hours a local security contractor �ill respond to all calls.

Remember, security staff are there for you anytime you need it. Just call 6304 3333.

303 ECU5912

CRICOS IPC 00279B

What I’m trying to say is, in addition to bringing you reviews of music from around the globe, I’d love to engage GSM with musicians on campus as well.

So, if you have a recording out, a show coming up, something cool happened or you just want to keep us in the loop, shoot me an email any time and let me know what you’re up to.

My email address is music.editor.gsm@gmail.com.

Do it!

Anyway, this issue’s the first one for the year so it’s been flat out. We’ve got a handful of CD reviews for you though. Hope you enjoy. Word out to our dedicated writers, and remember, if you’re reading this and you want to be part of the team just drop us a line.

This is your magazine, and we’re your student Guild.

May as well engage with it!

Man, I need a beer.

Suburb Review: Mount Lawley

Caroline Dale

Scents of Taste

Mount Lawley! Perth’s spiritual home of large hair and unusual shoes purchased on the Internet; where philosophers and pretty young things flock to make snide remarks about popular musicians. All of these places are within a five minute walk of the Beaufort-Walcott intersection.

Tucked in behind the Astor theatre, Scents of Taste is quite simply the hot place to be if you enjoy being served by two surly French men who dress identically. They do some of the better coffee and croissants in the area and will aggressively correct your pronunciation of “croissant”. “CWAH-son,” they bark at me. “I’m TRYING,” I bark back.

Antonio’s The Flying Scotsman The beating heart of Mount Lawley has a pretty swing’n ‘happy hour’, and on Sundays they do $10 Pizza and Pint specials.

Planet All of Planet is worth an explore, but Planet Books is best because if you don’t have any money you can sit on the couch and read books of Achewood strips for at least half an hour without getting dirty looks. If you plan to entertain yourself thus, make sure you have clean fingers and don’t dog-ear any pages. That’s just bad manners.

IGA Mt Lawley Apparently this is the cheapest supermarket in Perth. Can anyone confirm this? It seems pretty cheap. They inevitably insist on checking my bag, which I find a little distasteful since I have shopped there approximately once a day, every day, in the last year; our freedoms come with a price.

Martha Why not “chill out” with sweet blessed Martha, patron saint of the IGA? This ice queen dispenses magnificently frosted cans of soft drink (including the heavily underrated Kirk’s Kole Beer) for one dollar each, inflation be damned.

Fresh Provisions Or Semi-Fresh Provisions, as local wags would have it. Many are quick to criticise their prepared foods, but all too often my aura of worldly sophistication has been betrayed by a danged hankering for a vegetable bonda or spinach pie served in a greasy cardboard box.The kids that work there are very sweet and helpful, but strangely incompetent at heating up a darned pie, so you’d better be prepared to work them to the bone if you’re there on lunch break. Otherwise it’s thirty minutes in Oven Towne for you, or just lukewarm stringy potato.

Editor’s Note: this article was first published in October 2010

Just a skip and a hop down Beaufort in an alleyway is Antonio’s, a European deli kind of thing (although to be honest I wouldn’t know a European deli if I woke up and found myself the owner of an international chain of them, perhaps as a major plot point of a new reality television show). If you can’t bring yourself to order another sandwich from a fast food franchise, Antonio’s will custom-make rolls for you which range from the pretty good to the rather good. Last time I was there I accidentally did a somewhat loud and clichéd impersonation of an Italian man, for reasons that now escape me, and did not think to stop until my boyfriend grabbed my arm and muttered at me.

I haven’t really felt the impetus to return since then, but I am sure the rolls are still good.

Tan Po Po Tan Po Po is sandwiched into the alley across from Antonio’s and is full of shabby little plastic tables and chairs, so you think, “A-ha! What is this fabulous kitschy little Japanese diner I’ve discovered? Maybe I could bring fashionable people here to cultivate friendships.” The prices are cheap on first glance and you will want, so badly for it to be good. But I’m sorry. It’s not that good. It’s the cheapest Japanese in the area, though.

There’s a more schmick place next to Fresh Provisions, but they don’t do lunch and you will have to listen to Kenny G improvise over ‘My Heart Will Go On,’while you wait for your bento. Tough call.

Adultshop I have never seen anyone go into this Adultshop, nor have I ever seen anyone leave. Actually I just realised that they probably have a discreet back entrance, so it’s not that creepy.

The people who sell flowers Once you walk towards the city, past all the cafés, you will find a curious number of stores selling flowers. No one I know buys flowers on a regular basis, but it is always worth a wander because man it smells great down there! If you aren’t involved in a specific drug scene, this is a good cheap kick.

Larry Fife The year was 1983. Ronald Reagan announced to the world that something called ‘GPS’ would be made available to the public. The Red Hot Chili Peppers brought out their first album, Tokyo Disneyland was opened, and most importantly, McDonalds introduced the McNugget. It’s also the year that Bob Hawke, a Labor politician, came to power.

Bob Hawke. I’ve met the fellow. Quite a nice, firm handshake.

Didn’t like him. A few years ago, he Ah yes, equality stood in front of my high school and said something along the lines of “Don’t is describing aim for more then you’re capable of our Prime achieving”. I may not be a former prime-minister, but I think children Minister’s as being fucked, should aim for the skies. Anyway, I not based on should probably do more than bag a powerful Australian. Born in 1929, sex, but merely he was quite a smart chap. Raised in because we Perth, he attended Perth Mod, studied hate them for law and economics at UWA, and in who they truly 1953 he went to Oxford University (shouldn’t really be suprised).

are: politicians.

Oxford was where Hawke changed the world: he set the record for downing a yard of ale (equivalent to 1.4L), managing that in just 11 seconds. I know this not because of Wikipedia, but because of the talk he gave at my school. He bragged about it. To be successful in life then, you must (a) not aim high, and (b) have a drinking problem. That statement isn’t just merely a jestful one, though. In his memoirs, Hawke actually suggests that it was this act that may have contributed to his political success more then any other.

But that was how things were. You could have a drink, go to a gay sex sauna, have your secretary relieve your stress via alternative means, and you wouldn’t have to worry about the world scrutinising every single move you make, and comparing you to the Perfect Being. Politicians were allowed to have flaws; they were allowed to be Australians.

I don’t think this desire to have our politicians be ‘real people’ is necessarily gone, either. Remember when it was revealed that Kevin Rudd visited a strip club? Lots of people loved it. A politican, it was shown once again, could be human.

There’s also Julia Gillard. Julia Gillard has shown us her true self. I think we’re currently up to ‘Real Gillard’ number three.

The first two were alright, but the third one is much better!

Moving on from the beer drinker, let’s briefly talk about skirt wearers.. Could we have had a female prime minister in Hawk’s time? 1921, Australia get its first female parliamentarian: Edith Cowan. In 1943 there was a female senator for WA, 1984 (just a year after Hawke) saw a female given Ministerial portfolio for the first time, and in 2007 we had Julia Gillard elected as our first female deputy primeminister. In case you forgot, Julia Gillard became primeminister not by the voters (initially at least), but rather by stepping into a gap left behind.

This isn’t new for women in history. Australia got its first police woman in 1915. Did this represent an acceptance of women into the workplace? God, no. All the men had left to fight in World War One, and someone had to fill the gaps.

Personally I think there’s more to Gillard’s coming to power than this, but I don’t doubt that it’s a contributing factor.

To be fair to Gillard, sure, we didn’t vote her in when she took power, but she did win the 2010 federal election. It should be remembered too, that not only is she female, but she is also an unmarried atheist. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t fathom an unmarried atheist getting to power pre twenty-first century, let alone one that was female. Yet here we are. I don’t think anyone would mistake us for being a conservative nation.

To gauge the general public’s opinion about having a female leader, I took the most official and accurate route, and asked my next-door-neighbour. He’s your typical Aussie, boardies with our flag, has a super-duper car that’s loud, and loves talking about breasts. The conversation is as follows: “What do you think of our female prime-minister?”

“I think it’s fucked.”

“Why’s that?”

“I just think she’s terrible at running the country”.

“You don’t have issue with her being female?”

“No, I just can’t stand her”.

Ah yes, equality is describing our Prime Minister’s as being fucked, not based on sex, but merely because we hate them for who they truly are: politicians.

ECU Guild Annual General Meeting The Student Guild will be holding its AGM on April 15th at 12pm, in the courtyard of Building 10 at the Joondalup Campus. This is your opportunity for all students to give the Guild valuable feedback about our services and performance and to help shape the direction we work in 2011 and beyond.

Refreshments will be provided.

If you have any further questions about the AGM please contact the Guild Operations Manager Jim Benson: (08) 6304 5915 manager@ecuguild.org.au Building 10. Joondalup Mon - Fri 9 - 4 And Remember. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never too late to join YOUR Guild. ...Discounts. Clubs. Parties. Academic Assistance. Free Printing. Second-Hand Books. Kitchen Facilities & More...

For more information contact the Memberships & Marketing Office Tom Reynolds (08) 9370 6609 communications@ecuguild.org.au Building 12 Mount Lawley

The next deadline is April 11th Contact the Editor for more informaiton editor.gsm@gmail.com Building 12 MTL Mon - Fri