EDITORSBridgette GloverAlana Young

COVER ARTStu Horsfield

BACK COVER ARTStu Horsfield

CONTRIBUTORSDavid MaillerMatthew RyanDesiree KingRegina AbernathyAshley EmmertonAshley PiancaHelen TaylorStu HorsfieldRach HopkinsClancy WallBelinda MarshKate Wood

IN-OFFICE COFFEE COUNT (RUNNING)90

ContentsVolume 2, Issue 5, July 2014

3 -

3 -

4 -

5 -

6 -

8 -

10 -

11 -

14 -

16 -

17 -

18 -

19 -

20 -

21 -

22 -

24 -

25 -

26 -

DISCLAIMERThe opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the staff of Nucleus or UNESA. If you have an issue with an item published in the paper, write a letter and we will be glad to print it. All contributions must include name and contact details. Ensure that all contributions contain nothing that may be considered sexist, racist, discriminatory, violence provoking, or plagiarised. We assume our readers can tolerate a degree of satire and the odd swear word, but anything containing unnecessary profanity will not be published. Publication is always at the discretion of the editors.

All content is published under the Creative Commons By 3.0 license. Refer to website for license information.

Editorial

UNESA President’s Report

Letters to the Editors

What’s Happenin’ Hot Stuff?

News

The Budget in Context: Beyond the Nuts and Bolts

Vice-Chancellor Duncan’s Response to the Budget:

Budget cuts no threat to quality education at UNE

UNESA Election Nominations

Address by the Hon John Watkins, Chancellor

REVIEW: Into the Woods

OPINON: Why We Need a Women’s Room

Interview with Tina Matthews

Beyond the Line in Bourke

(College) Recipe: Microwave Self-Saucing Chocolate

Pudding

Movie Reviews by Helen Taylor and Stu Horsfield

The Goodnight Kiss

Highway

Pilgrimage

The Adventures of Arabella Henderson – Episode 6:

Love, Not War

CONTACT USVisit www.nucleus.org.auOr write to us at editors@nucleus.org.auCome and see us at the office in the Union Courtyard, across from Campus Essentials.

We’re always happy to get new writers and artists on board, so send us an email for more information, or send us some of your work if you have it ready! We look forward to hearing from you!

PUBLISHING SCHEDULENucleus is published monthly—but not in January, June or October. The submission deadline is the first day of the month of issue. Issues may have a theme, but these are never exclusive — all content is welcome!

2

EDITORIAL

July Report - David Mailler, UNE Student Association President

3

Hello friends,

How was everyone’s break? Refreshing? Long enough? Feeling super prepared for Trimester 2?

Yes, it was perhaps a little indulgent of us to finish up with the May issue, and sit down to watch TV for half an hour. Now suddenly it’s July (what?), classes are starting back up and Nucleus has hit the shelves!

A lot has happened since the May issue, and surprisingly, it’s not just the Federal Budget. Game of Thrones also finished. Oh and also, our Chancellor resigned, which was unexpected. We spoke to John after his announcement to see what he had to say, and now we love him even more. Blast it. You can read the full story on page 6, and don’t forget to have a squizz at the fabulous speech he delivered at Chancellor’s Dinner that Mary White held a few weeks back. A lot of wise words and solid advice on everything from education to women; we’re all saddened to see him leave UNE, and we wish him all the best. He was a real fave.

So what are you going to find in your July issue? We’ve got a feature on the budget, an interview with author Tina Matthews, and all the UNE news that we’ve kept tabs on while y’all were blitzing your exams. You’re welcome. We’ve also got some great stuff in the creative section, and the always popular college recipe.

Don’t forget to check out the nominees for the UNESA elections. Get to know them and please vote, because the Association represents all cohorts of the student body, and in the short time they’ve been established, they’ve accomplished so much.

We would just like to say a massive thank you to everyone who contributed in this issue. Though there was a month off from Nucleus, it wasn’t exactly spent doing nothing. Everyone was working really hard, and to all those who kept going and sent something in, we’d like you to know you’re the bomb-diggity.

Another thank you goes out to our WORK300 babe, Ashlee Noonan, who has had to remember all that she learnt in ENCO100 and help us out with making

sure words are spelt correctly (among other things) in the pages you are about to embark on.

Now as for the next issue, get ready for a kick ass theme.

You ready for it?

Here it is:

SEX.

Yep, it’s finally happening. One of your editors has been waiting all year for this bad boy. Can you guess which one? More about that later though. You just sit back and enjoy this issue for what it is: true beauty.

Until sexy August is upon us,

Bridgette and Alana

A Big Year Firstly, if the news is slow in reaching you, it is with sadness I report that Chancellor

John Watkins has resigned as the head of UNE. Our big ‘Kahoona’ was well liked by students, always approachable and seemingly more concerned about the welfare of students and the UNE reputation as the premier external and collegiate university in Australia. At a recent dinner I was fortunate to hear John describe his halcyon days as a university student, filled will tutorial experiences that inspired and is still inspiring a life full of value. For me, in the time I have known John Watkins he demonstrated a deep intellect and integrity, providing me with sage advice that as I write these words I smile as I reflect on that advice. Selfishly, my regret is that John would have been that one person I would like to have, if I am lucky enough to graduate, hand me the ‘Holy Grail’.

I think and believe UNE will miss the steady hand and integrity that our Chancellor John Watkins brought to his time at UNE. I know that the decision to resign as chancellor was personally difficult and I would like to wish John well and thank him for the positive influence he has had on the future for UNE. He took on the job at a difficult time and has employed his integrity and energy to steady the good ship UNE.

To other business, there are a number of challenges facing tertiary students in the coming years as the coalition budget rolls over UNE students like a dark storm. It was heartening to hear our Vice Chancellor so succinctly sum up the special challenges in the budget for UNE students last month. Annabelle Duncan has demonstrated why her leadership is consistent with the purpose of any university. She has on a number of occasions expressed the need for student experience and welfare to be at the heart of UNE success. I have said a number of times, in a number

of forums, that universities have a huge responsibility in shaping the next generation of problem solvers and leaders. The fate of future generations of tertiary students will be sealed and shaped by politicians; something our federal leaders have forgotten in their single minded destruction of future equity as they battle the imaginary endless series of menacing hobgoblins.

For UNESA, my wish is that the incoming board can continue working with UNE academic and administration staff to ensure a sustainable and vibrant student association. There is some work to do and I continually marvel at how poorly the vision, values and purpose of the UNE Student Association is understood. The one thing students, and the student collective, have demonstrated over the past two years is solutions to problems. My pearl of wisdom and something I have learnt is that if I invest people in the problem, they find the solutions. If I don’t, they become part of the issue. Leadership is complex, although it is made a lot less complex with demonstrating respect for differences and finding points of convergence.

As this is my last report as the UNESA inaugural board president, I would like to especially thank the student members and UNE staff who have encouraged and supported UNESA in its first year. Without them none of what has been achieved in the past twelve months would have been possible. There have been some extraordinarily dark hours in the past year and without your support the student voice might have still been lost.

David Mailler

30 June 2014

4

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS

Have something to say? A rant, a compliment, a complaint, an idle thought? We want to hear it! Send your letter to

editors@nucleus.org.auor come and see us in our office and grab a Fantail while you’re there!

freecall 1300 853 700 email sales@evansprinting.com.au

215 Mann Street Armidale www.evansprinting.com.au your local printer proudly suporting the Nucleus

PRINT

DESIGN

POST

1

2

AOESA, who are they and what do they really do ?

Recently, in April, I was in Armidale attending a residential school. On one day, while sitting in the courtyard enjoying a

free sausage sandwich, I was approached by a gentleman named Colin Hargreaves. Colin was talking to us about AOESA, and extolling its virtues. I was very impressed, and delighted that the president of a national association would take the time out to talk to students. Being an external student at a few different campus’ now (I am in my 60’s) I was intrigued by the idea of a national external association to represent students. I was really happy to see UNESA formed and think they are doing a fine job at a campus level. But at national level, what a good idea.

Now for some reason Colin was berating UNESA, and I could not understand why. I asked him why he was doing this, and why would a national institute be interested in talking down a campus institute. He said it was up to him to keep all student associations on their feet. When I queried him about other universities and their student associations he quickly changed the subject.

Colin left me his card and I gave him my details as I am keen to beinvolved, and as mentioned I think a national association is a grand idea.

Until recently.

After three weeks I had not heard from AEOSA, so I decide to find them myself. All I found was an out-dated website and an out-dated facebook page. Then I noticed something else, a name on the executive list of AEOSA. A Mr John Drake.

Mr Drake, I do not know of him and I have never met. But I do have an opinion of him. Before the UNESA discussion page was closed Mr Drake was a reqular contributer. However it seemed to myself and many others that he had his own personal agenda. And this was to discredit UNESA at every turn. The forum got to such a bad stage that no one, including my self, would bother to post or ask questions in case this rude person would hijack the thread and turn it around to bag out UNESA, its board and its members. Many people ignored the forum and did not participate simply because of the actions of this person. I personally felt intimidated by him. The forum is still closed, but it can be read. Go and read it and you will see what I mean.

Now the title AEOSA, who are they and what do they really do?

Many topics on the forum by Mr Drake were demands that UNESA do things, and demands that minutes of meetings, financing and so on was posted publicly quickly. If this was not done within a couple of days he would start demanding that board members stand aside, and that UNESA is worthless and does nothing. A student association is meant to represent all students not just one single person, Mr Drake.

Well Mr Drake and Mr Hargreaves, I say that AEOSA is useless and does nothing. AEOSA obviously has some agenda on taking down an ACTIVE, WORKING student association. No matter how much I searched, I could find no minutes of their meetings, no dates of meetings, no finances, nothing at all. I, in the past, have found Mr Drake’s behaviour offensive

and insulting, and had written to university about it. Mr Hargreaves gives a good talk, but there is no backup. Why talk to students about his association and then not bother getting back to them when they are interested?

One thing, Mr Hargreaves promoted himself as the proud person whom saved millions of dollars to externals and it was him personally that stopped us paying the SSAF at UNE. Yet on his AEOSA page he says he argued for more of a discount? Which is it? You cannot claim both.

AEOSA, a national student association for external students. What a wonderful idea in theory. Maybe one day such an association will exist that concentrates on students and itself, not personal agendas which are obvious to anyone that does a little digging.

If AEOSA, their president and their executive are to have any respect from others, they need to practice what they preach, and actually do something solid rather than claiming achievements on the back of someone else’s coat tails. I would be a proud member of a National External Student Association . I just do not believe that AEOSA is such, or ever will be, such an association.

Regards

Pam from Maroochydore

Earlier this month, the UNE community was shocked to find out the resignation of our former chancellor The Hon John Watkins. His presence and adept leadership

will be sadly missed around UNE. John leaves UNE with students back to the centre and with our Vice Chancellor Professor Duncan who supports all students in any way possible.

UNE has been lucky to have John as Chancellor and Professor Duncan as our Vice Chancellor, who both take time to speak to students when approached. It would have been fantastic to see John continue on as chancellor, but he felt it was time. John and Professor Duncan are two individuals I have the utmost respect for. I will continue the good work with Professor Duncan as the undergraduate student rep on UNE council. I wish John all the best for the future.

Michael KirkUndergraduate Rep, University of New England Council

5

What’s Happenin’ Hot Stuff?*

*Obviously a reference to classic film Sixteen Candles (1984)

LET’S HANG IT!

18TH JULY 6pm - 7:30pm

@ NERAM

UNE School’s Acquisitive Art Prive event.

For details: 6772 5255

NAIDOC WEEK CELEBRATION

7th JULY - 11:30am

@ BOOLOOMINBAH FRONT LAWN

UNE will celebrate NAIDOC week with a flag raising ceremony and community tea. The event will be

attended by the local Aboriginal community, Torres Straight Islander community as well as the UNE

community.

For details: Darin Gorry @ dgorry@une.edu.auOR 6773 3474

THE BEARDS

10th JULY 9pm - 11th JULY 2am

@ THE STRO

$15 STUDENTS - $20 NON-STUDENTS

Tickets available from Campus Essentials of www.bigtix.com.au

freecall 1300 853 700 email sales@evansprinting.com.au

215 Mann Street Armidale www.evansprinting.com.au your local printer proudly suporting the Nucleus

PRINT

DESIGN

POST

IT MAINTENANCE

ONLINE

19th JULY from 6am

For details: 1800 763 040+61 2 6773 5000

servicedesk@une.edu.au

ART CLASSES AT NERAM

CHILDREN’S CLASSESACRYLIC PAINTING

DRAWING AND MIXED MEDIAADVANCED CLASSES

PRINT MAKING LIFE DRAWING

For details and to book: http://www.neram.com.au/learn-2/art-

classes/

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

@ BELGRAVE CINEMA

FESTIVAL PASSES ON SALE: 1st AUGUST

For details: ww.blog.une.edu.au/aiff

6

Welcome to the new Wright College

Media Release - 6th June

The new Wright College at the University of New

England has welcomed the first students through

its freshly installed doors. Last week 33 students

unpacked their bags in the state-of-the-art residence,

and more will be joining them in the coming months.

Despite being UNE’s newest residence, Wright

College has a long history as the new incarnation

of the original Wright College which stood on the

same location. The exciting new buildings, which

are spacious and filled with natural light, will offer

students modern facilities as well as a strong link to

UNE’s collegiate heritage.

Wright College provides students with self-

contained living in either studio or one-bedroom

apartments. Each of the buildings has common spaces

which will allow students to come together for social

and academic purposes. In addition, students will be

living at the college all year round, including during

university breaks.

Head of College, Caroline Pflaumer-Winter, said

that the response to the new college has been excellent.

“It is wonderful to have welcomed this group of

students into the first completed block of Wright

College,” Ms Pflaumer-Winter said.

“We have been extremely happy with the strong

demand for the apartments, which allow students to

enjoy independent living, while still having all the

benefits of being on-campus.

“We already have a very diverse group of domestic

and international residents who are studying across a

wide range of disciplines, both at the undergraduate

and postgraduate level.”

In a nod to their shared name and shared history,

Wright College will join forces with Wright Village

to establish a joint residential association with an

election occurring in Trimester 2.

“Wright College & Village will work in partnership,

particularly concerning the social welfare and

academic programing of the residents. It means that

new Wright College residents will join an already

strong and supportive community.

“In addition, the support shown by members of

the Wright College alumni has been fantastic, and we

look forward to further developing the Wright College

community in the spirit of its predecessor.”

For information about touring the Wright College

or any of the colleges at UNE please contact the

Future Students team to set up a tour: 02) 6773 5001

A Safe Space for WomenBy Bridgette Glover

The women of UNE finally have a room of their

own, designed to act as their secure place on campus.

The long awaited Women’s Space at UNE was officially

opened on 11 June, and was a huge victory for the

members of the UNE’s Women Society, who had

started campaigning for it early last year.

The grand opening saw Amelia Roberts, founder

of the Women’s Society, introduce the speakers of the

night after welcoming UNE’s Chief Financial Officer

Michelle Clark and acting Vice-Chancellor Annabelle

Duncan as the VIP guests.

UNEWS President Kate Wood gave the first

speech of the night, with a heart-warming thank you

and a depiction of the journey up until that point,

which naturally took place in an enchanted forest

accompanied by pixies and wizards.

Annabelle Duncan followed, and after ripping up

her speech that was according to her, full of “boring

statistics” she explained how she wished a Women’s

Space had existed when she was younger. Duncan

continued with Wood’s theme saying how pleased she

was with “the magical aura of the room.

This is what it’s about. It’s your university, and it’s

here for the students. The rest of us are just servants.”

Annabelle was presented with a tea pot from

UNEWS as a thank you gift.

The space according to Wood is a place where

women “if they want or need, for any reason, to get

away from the company of men.

Some women need a space to breastfeed, and others

may be seeking a place to avoid the stress of gender

politics

I think the greatest benefit is to the Islamic women

on campus. They now have a place to eat and to relax

in a female only environment.”

The space is located in the old Safety and Security

Vice-Chancellor Annabelle Duncan and CFO Michelle Clarke with Hanna Gilmour, Kate Wood, and Amelia Roberts

7

Office of the University courtyard, right next to the

Nucleus office.

It is open to all women on campus. For more

information on UNEWS or the Women’s Space, email

managementunews@gmail.com.

Interim Undergraduate Student Rep Appointed to UNE

Council By Bridgette Glover

Michael Kirk, a second year undergraduate student

at UNE, has been appointed a casual position on the

UNE Council.

Michael, who is in his second year of a Bachelor

of Education (K-12) degree, was selected as the

undergraduate student representative, taking the

interim position after his predecessor, Ben Crough,

graduated in March of this year.

Though Michael has only been at UNE for a short

time, he has already become President of the UNE

Indigenous Student Association, as well as a Board

Member on UNESA’s executive board. Both positions

have seen him successfully take on leadership roles,

and also become acquainted with the governance and

executive structure at UNE.

Kirk will hold the position until the formal elections

take place in October; til then his aim is to ensure that

the advocacy and representation of the undergraduate

student cohort is maintained. Kirk is also running

for Indigenous and General Representative in the

UNESA elections.

UNE’s Chancellor ResignsBy Bridgette Glover

John Watkins tendered his resignation on 20 June,

after 14 months as Chancellor of the University of

New England. Watkins was elected Chancellor at a

UNE Council meeting on 18 April, 2013, after the

early departure of Richard Torbay.

“I took on the position of Chancellor unexpectedly

and during a difficult time for the University. Since that

time, the University has gone through considerable

change, but it is currently stable and flourishing under

the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor

Annabelle Duncan.

“The reason I resigned was because I was just

incredibly busy. I took the role when Richard left

suddenly, and I already had a range of duties on my

plate then.”

Watkins is the CEO of Alzheimer’s Australia

New South Wales, he Chairs a Catholic healthcare

company as well as an overseas aid agency, and was

recently appointed by the Premier to an expert panel

that examines donation reform.

“But I wasn’t coping with the range of duties, and

that’s why this has happened. I’m not pulling back

from other things, and something had to give. I’m not

as young as I used to be.”

Watkins believes that his departure will enable

UNE to find someone with more time to devote to the

challenges that lie ahead. Watkins resided in Sydney

while he was Chancellor, and felt that his professional

responsibilities were preventing him from doing his

job.

“The extensive travel required, the intensity of the

role and its future needs have convinced me that the

University needs a Chancellor who is fully available to

fulfil the requirements in the long term”

The concern has been raised as to whether Watkins

left at the right time in light of the Federal Budget.

Watkins, however, stands by his statement that UNE

is doing well.

“The university is in a strong position in financial

terms and in morale, and I was faced with the decision

of “do I go now, when the place is stable and Annabelle

is doing a good job, or do I go through the process

of help choosing the new Vice-Chancellor, establish a

relationship with them, and then go?”

“But I made the judgement that it would be much

better for the University to have the new Chancellor in

place before the new Vice-Chancellor, rather than the

other way around.”

Watkins was favoured among both the academics

and the students.

Michael Kirk with John Watkins

John Watkins

8

It’s been more than a month (at time of

writing) since the release of the 2014/2015

Federal Budget. And so much for the

political ‘apathy’ of today’s youth—we’re all still

talking about it. This is certainly one of the most

controversial Budgets in recent history. Some

are even thanking the Coalition for re-igniting

the fire of student activism and outrage. But so

much of the coverage of the Budget, in all forms

of media, focuses on particular policies or areas:

a piece on university fee deregulation here, an

article on the GP ‘co-payment’ there, and plenty

of political cartoons depicting a cigar-chomping

Treasurer rolling in piles of money. One could

colloquially refer to these as the ‘nuts and bolts’

of the Budget. As important as criticism of

specific policies is, sometimes we get caught up

in these types of coverage, and fail to appreciate

how all these proposed changes fit into a broader

context.

That context is the current hegemonic paradigm

of ‘neoliberalism’. Those of you who have done

the kinds of Units where you do essays—politics,

economics, business, sociology, etc.—have

probably come across this term. If you haven’t,

however, don’t stop reading! I’ll try to keep this

accessible and brief. Your may have heard people

describe neoliberalism as ‘the ideology of free

markets’, but it is a little more complex than that.

Certainly we associate neoliberalism with the

rhetoric (or language) of ‘free markets’1, but it is

a multifaceted paradigm. In the words of David

Harvey, a key scholar in this area:

We can interpret

neoliberalisation either as

a utopian project to realise

a theoretical design for the

reorganisation of international

capitalism, or as a political project

to re-establish the conditions

for capital accumulation and to

restore the conditions for capital

accumulation and to restore the

power of economic elites.2

Basically, taking this definition of

‘neoliberalism’, there are two sides to what Tony

Abbott is doing. A dramatic oversimplification

of Tony’s reasoning for the budget is that

‘markets are the proven answer to the problem

of scarcity’3. That is the ‘utopian project’ aspect

of the Liberals’ neoliberalism. But what does

Harvey mean when he refers to the ‘political

project’ part of neoliberalism? This is where

things get interesting.

Generally speaking government spending as a

percentage of Australia’s GDP fluctuates between

24% and 26%. This figure is significantly lower

than many other OECD (or, more simply, ‘rich’)

countries. Most importantly, the spending cuts

that have been proposed by the budget lower that

percentage by 0.1%. That’s right. $80 billion cut

from health and education, wide ranging cuts

across the public sector4, further cuts to foreign

aid (which directly contradicts a plethora of

international agreements and treaties, by the

way)…I’m sure you know this list off by heart.

All of these cuts, justified by a manufactured

budgetary crisis, make essentially no difference

to the government’s bottom line. The rhetoric

of neoliberalism – which the Coalition uses

with panache – calls for reduction in the size of

The Budget in Context:

Beyond the Nuts and Bolts.

Photo: www.news.com.au

9

government, and yet the size stays the same? That is why all of this is a

political project.

The budget wasn’t just a list of cuts. In fact certain people and corporations

will either continue to receive entitlements without change, or even be

significantly better off, thanks to this budget. Hundreds of millions extra

to fund mining exploration (as if those mining companies can’t afford

it themselves). Hundreds of millions for a school chaplaincy program

(remember how hard-core-Catholic Tony is?). At least $24 BILLION for

Joint Strike Fighter jets, with some experts suggesting that figure will blow

out even more.

When Joe Hockey talks about ending the ‘age of entitlement’, it would be

silly to think that would apply to everyone! No, entitlement continues: $11

billion given in the way of subsidies to the fossil fuel industry; $9 billion

of funding for private schools, while public schools are looking at massive

cuts; even negative gearing in the housing market costs the government

$15 billion a year.

The ‘crisis’ that this Budget is supposedly solving doesn’t exist. I won’t go

into detail here, as this has had plenty of coverage in mainstream media –

suffice to say several Nobel Prize-winning economists, and even the IMF,

have said categorically that Australia does not face any kind of economic

or budgetary crisis. But the really incredible thing is that all of these cuts

don’t actually decrease the deficit. That is why we need a more nuanced

definition of ‘neoliberalism’. The ideas behind this budget are not new. All

it does is re-direct government spending: from public schools to private

schools; from foreign aid to fighter jets; from renewable energy investment

to further subsidies for fossil fuel; from pensioners to upper-middle-class

parents – you get the idea. It is about changing government spending, not

reducing it.

This Budget is not about a crisis. It’s not about creating jobs

(unemployment figures have been forecast to rise thanks to this budget).

It’s not about making hard decisions now so for the sake of long term

diversified growth. It’s about creating markets where there were none

(aka university deregulation), and creating structural conditions in which

wealth inequality can continue to grow. If the Budget is understood in the

context of neoliberalism, it can be understood for what it is – a purely

ideological project.

Matthew Ryan

Honours Student

Department of Political and International Studies

UNE.

Note: Any card-carrying Liberals reading this might assume that I’m a Labor

voter, or worse, a ‘greenie’. No I am not, and just because I am critical of the

current government does not mean I am not also critical of other parties.

Disagree with my ideas, fine, but don’t be lazy and pigeon-hole the writer.

1. ‘Free markets’ refers to the belief that all government taxation, spending,

and regulation stop the magical ‘market’ from working properly, and is

inherently bad.

2. Harvey, D. 2005, A Brief History of Neoliberalism, Oxford University

Press, Oxford.

3. Abbott, T. 2014, ‘Address to the World Economic Forum, Davos’.

4. By the way, why is it that 17 000 job losses in the PUBLIC sector is GOOD,

whereas job losses in the PRIVATE sector are BAD?

Matthew is the Senior Academic Mentor at Earle Page College, and

is currently studying toward a Bachelor of International Studies with

Honours. When he isn’t boring his friends by talking endlessly about

Afghan elections (fingers crossed for Ashraf Ghani) or political economy,

you can find him running around ‘The Triangle’. Or drinking red wine -

from a bottle!

Illustration by Sam Wallman (penerasespaper.com)

10

In light of the Federal Budget that was handed down in May, the University of New England, like every other higher education

provider in the country, will be forced to adapt to the biggest shake up of the sector in decades.

While it remains to be seen precisely what effect the budget proposals will have, this is an opportune time for UNE to confirm exactly who we are as an institution, and what we want to be in the future.

Regardless of where our students come from, what their personal situation, how they study and where they hope to go in the future, they all have one thing in common: they are striving for a better life for themselves, their families and their communities by furthering their education.

To help our students achieve this ultimate goal, UNE must remain an institution that provides opportunity on an equitable basis. We are about education for a better life, education for citizenship, and education that supports our communities.

One of the main issues that will affect higher education is the deregulation of fees and changes to the Commonwealth Grants Scheme. In essence, this means that from 2016 onwards, universities will be able to set their own fees. As I have indicated previously, I believe many of the so-called ‘Group of 8’ will move quickly raise their fees, but as yet it is impossible to know precisely how high they will go.

As a regional and online university, UNE has a large proportion of students from low to medium socioeconomic backgrounds, many of whom are the first in their families to attend university, and many who are working while studying part time to further their education.

At UNE, we understand that changes to the higher education system are not the only thing that will affect our students; changes to taxation, welfare payments and the healthcare system will

mean a greater financial burden on many. No doubt this may lead some to consider sacrificing their tertiary education as this added expense competes against the myriad of family financial worries.

So while it will take time for UNE to understand fully how the budget changes will affect our own position, our every step as we tackle this difficult question will be made with the student at the very centre of our thinking.

UNE is a five-star University. We are very proud of the quality of teaching we provide all our students online and on-campus, and we will continue to provide the best educational opportunities to these students which will allow them to become leaders in their communities.

UNE is about quality courses and programs. We are about inclusion, opportunity, mentoring, pastoral care, and nurturing good citizens. We are about affordability. Most importantly, we are about the students.

All of these things must drive our strategy into the uncertain world of tomorrow.

I have said it before and I will say it again: the cost of education does not equate to quality, and UNE will continue to strive to provide a lower cost education of first-rate quality.

Nevertheless, UNE will still be affected by changes to the Commonwealth Grants Scheme. The amount received from the government to run certain courses will be reduced, which will mean that ultimately, more money would come directly from the pockets of students – or, in most cases, added to their student debt.

This brings me to another particularly worrying proposal in the budget: interest rates charged on student loans. Previously, HELP loans were subject to a nominal interest rate linked to CPI. From 1 January 2016, however, these will now be charged interest up to 6% compounding,

meaning students could be burdened by debt for decades to come.

For our students, current and future, UNE opposes these changes.

Over the next weeks, I will be spending a good deal of time in Canberra lobbying parliamentarians, particularly in relation to the proposals concerning interest rates. We must keep in mind that these measures are still merely proposals, and that legislation will not go before the lower house until September. There is hope that some of the more concerning proposals will be softened or defeated outright, and I will do everything in my power to minimise the burden that will be placed on current and future UNE students.

I conclude by reminding all currently enrolled students not to panic. The changes to Commonwealth contributions will not come into effect until 31st December 2020, while indexation changes come into effect on 1st June, 2016.

For others still considering a tertiary degree, I would suggest that rather putting off your studies, you might instead commence as soon as possible in order to complete more of your degree before the changes inevitably come into effect.

UNE offers intakes for many units in Trimester 2 and Trimester 3. For all students, whether they have already commenced or deferred study, or are entering the Tertiary sector in the near future, I would recommend that you complete as much as possible between now and 2016.

Professor Annabelle Duncan Vice-Chancellor, University of New England

Vice-Chancellor Duncan’s Response to the Budget

Budget cuts no threat to quality education at UNE

11

UNESA ELECTIONSDAVID MAILLER - nominating for President

As inaugural President of UNESA, I have been involved in building and implementing the vision and values of the Association. The most important achievements to date have been contributing to the re-launch of the UNE student newspaper, Nucleus, the return of student amenity services to the student representative body in-cluding Independent Advocacy, Tune FM, Clubs and Societies, and the UNE Secondhand Bookshop. During my involvement with UNESA, I have worked towards returning a strong and proud student voice to UNE and have represented without fear or favour.

However, when someone asks what I do, I like to say “farming”. It is in my blood; I have managed a large family farming enterprise for a decade, and spent a lifetime on the land. My wife and I run a small property at Uralla, which

is becoming harder to sustain with my extra-curricular responsibilities.

After graduating from the Australian Rural Leadership Programme, I applied for mature age admission to UNE in 2011 and surprisingly received an offer to study Sustainability. I am now in my third year. Community is important to me, and I maintain an interest in various community groups. I am active in the Rural Fire Service as a Field Officer, as a Director with Southern New England Landcare and leadership roles within NSW Farmers.

My experience in managing a farming enterprise has been beneficial in finding solutions to some of the complex problems that have occurred in what has been a hectic and difficult start-up year for UNESA. If re-elected, I hope to further develop the student-centered culture at UNE and build on the impressive list of achievements in the first year. I believe the University of New England is a symbol of aspiration and UNE alumni, current students and future students have something of which to be proud.

AMELIA ROBERTS - nominating for Vice President and undergraduate rep

Hi I’m Amelia Roberts and I would like to represent you on the UNESA board. I have achieved a Bachelor degree in Arts majoring in Theatre and Philosophy at UNE and I am now studying a Bachelor of Science with hopes to work in the health and medical fields. I have experienced studying at UNE both on campus and externally whilst living in Melbourne.

In 2013 I founded and acted as president of the UNE Women’s Society. I am very proud of the work the UNE Women’s society contributed to various worthy causes; including last year’s Biggest Morning Tea and the very

successful “Well fair” event for R U OK? Day. We also ran a successful campaign for a women’s room on campus, which was opened earlier this year.

I’m nominating myself out of a genuine desire to serve UNE’s students. If I’m successfully elected I look forward to learning more about what students want and expect from UNESA, and putting in the hard work to ensure that every student can get the most from their time at UNE.

MICHAEL KIRK - nominating for Indigenous and general representative

My name is Michael Kirk and I am studying a Bachelor of Education (K-12 Teaching). During my time at UNE I’m currently serving in high roles in leadership, the most recent on is Undergraduate Representative (Interim) on the UNE Council. UNE students deserve to have student leaders who will represent them and place their issues on the table. I’m committed to be a strong advocate for students both internally and externally if elected on the

UNESA Board.

I moved to Armidale to focus on my studies, but along the way I ended up getting involved in leadership and am really enjoying the challenge. I’m also an Aboriginal tutor at Armidale High School and currently President of the UNE

Indigenous Student Association. I want to build on the success of UNESA and represent you strongly on the UNESA Board. I hope I can count on your vote. Happy studies.

12

UNESA ELECTIONSIAN MATTHEWSON - nominating for external rep

Many of you may already know me through my studies or my position as External Student Representative for UNESA since its inception 12 months ago. I am standing for re-election as I have committed myself to UNE for a few more years, doing postgraduate studies externally.

I have been proud to represent all students at UNE during the last twelve months and I am proud of the achievements UNESA has made in such a very short time - TuneFM, Nucleus, Secondhand Bookshop and the

shuttle service to and from the train station and airport for externals.

Most pleasing to me on a personal aspect is, during external practical schools, seeing some life on campus such as entertainment and free sausage sizzle lunches. These things were non-existent just a couple of short years ago. And it

is great to see external students getting some of the entire university experience, no matter how small a taste.

I have spoken to many, many, students in the last twelve months, be it in person or via email or phone, and the interest, views and knowledge on UNE are wide and varied. I, in conjunction with UNESA, have started and put forward many progressive programs for the future to give students a voice, and to ensure all students at UNE get a fair crack.

I hope to get the support you showed me last year in electing me. I reckon that re-election is important to have some continuity in the new incoming board of UNESA. I can pass my knowledge from a steep learning curve to newly elected members, as well as doing my best to keep UNESA running on its feet from the get go after the election.

SURA ADNAN – nominating for postgraduate, general, internal and international representative

My name is Sura and I am originally from Iraq. I am doing my PhD study in linguistics and sociology. I am a wife and a mother, and I love cooking Iraqi dishes most of the time. I have been through different experiences during my study, and they made me stronger and more determined to continue. I have many Australian and International friends, and I cherish them all. I am working towards helping students who need help and advocacy with their own problems. I will be happy to give something to the community and this university which has already given me more than wish for. Being part of the UNESA Board, I hope that I can help and be involved with whatever

students and community expect me to do.

I was involved and still with International Association, and Armidale Harmony Group; I learned a lot and I intend to be more involved.

I work in the Dixson Library and I have good communication skills; moreover, I know some French alongside to English and Arabic.

I worked in the United Campus Bookshop for two years, and I still recall everything I’ve learned there. I work casually with the Uni4me team and this added to my work experience and self-esteem.

JUDD NEWTON – nominating for postgraduate, internal and general representative

UNE is important to me. It is unique among universities in Australia offering small class sizes, beautiful vistas and as a general rule, highly competent academics. This, however, is not to say that we don’t have our problems, and here is where I attempt to step in.

My name is Judd Newton and it would be my greatest privilege to run for UNESA office. I have spent some 6 years at UNE and I am currently completing a Masters of Teaching (Secondary) - so you could say that I have a

vested interest in making sure that UNE remains a desirable place to study.

Some of you may already know me from my articles in the Nucleus, my theatrical endeavours or from my occasional broadcasts from TuneFM. If elected I will do my best to bring student issues to the forefront of discussion, that I can promise.

UNE is good, but it could be so much better, we cannot allow it to slip from our grasp.

13

SANAZ ALIAN – nominating for postgraduate, general and international representative

My name is Sanaz Alian and I am currently doing a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning at UNE. I did a master degree in Urban and Regional Planning at UNE and I graduated in 2013. Only four months after my graduation, I commenced a PhD on July 2013. I am very interested in different cultures and differences and similarities between them. This passion leaded me to do a PhD in relation to ‘cultural diversity’ and ‘multiculturalism’ in Australia. As part of my research I have to listen to the stories of people from various backgrounds in Sydney and their way of living in a foreign country. I believe that will help me to listen to the needs of UNE students and

help them to have an enjoyable time at UNE.

Being an international postgraduate student for three years, I have experienced both challenges and joys of studying at UNE. I am the Education and Communications Officer at UNE ISA (International Student Association) for

2014-2015.

As either the postgraduate, International or general representative I love to help other students to experience the best at UNE. Also, as an international student I believe that I can help other international student to deal with all the difficulties of living in another country.

UNESA ELECTIONSPOLLY WONG - nominating for postgraduate and gen-

eral representativeAs an elected general student representative at UNESA since last year, I have been so delighted and express my gratitude to the University for providing me this opportunity to serve and to work with the students both on and off campus. Being a board member at UNESA has been challenging, but it has also been a rewarding experience for me. For example, I have been managing the routine operation of the postgraduate centre at UNE

on A voluntary basis since I was elected as a board member last year.

I have a multi-cultural background and can manage a few different languages - apart from English, I speak Chinese in at least three dialects, Mandarin and Cantonese and ChuiZhi. On the other hand, I was born and grew up in a

cosmopolitan city, Hong Kong, so I have had many opportunities to explore and understand the cultural differences between east and west. I have a great deal of experience working with students from multi-cultural backgrounds.

Apart from my full-time work at St Peter’s Anglican Cathedral as an Overseas Student Minister, I am currently also doing a higher research program part-time on campus at UNE; it has been providing me with a chance not only to pursue more theoretical knowledge in my research area, but it also has offered me more opportunities to meet and to understand those overseas students doing undergraduate as well as postgraduate studies.

I hope that I can be re-elected to the Board of UNESA this year. I am very confident that I can once again contribute my knowledge and experience to benefit students at UNE.

LEAH McDONALD - nominating for postgraduate, general, internal and residential college representative

I’m Leah and I’m a PhD student in Chemistry researching metal complexes in wine. As I completed my undergraduate studies at UNE this is now my 6th year studying at UNE. During this time I have gained a lot of knowledge about the university itself as well as the students that study through UNE both internally and externally.

I live in the college system and have held numerous college positions including MB Representative (Female Sport), Vice-President, Academic Mentor, Resident Fellow and am now currently the Senior Resident Fellow for Wright

Village and Wright College. I have held other university positions including Residential College Representative on the Undergrads of New England Guild (UNEG) in 2011 before UNESA was established.

Through college, being a chemistry demonstrator and being involved in various sporting teams I interact with a wide variety of UNE students and hear various opinions on how students would like the SSAF spent. I understand how important the student’s voices are in the management of issues such as the expenditure of the SSAF. I would like to use the information I hear from students and the experiences I have gained during my time at UNE to represent the students by being on the board of UNESA.

14

I thank you for the invitation to your College dinner and I acknowledge the traditional owners of this place and pay respect to their elders past and present.

I have been Chancellor of UNE for just on 12 months. Increasingly, as Chancellor I find myself thinking back over my own University experience and wondering at the impact it had on me and whether I have sufficiently used the gifts that it provided.

I enrolled in Arts Law at UNSW 40 years ago this year.

Wide eyed and naïve, I had just left an all-boy’s school, had stopped shaving on the last day of my last HSC exam, had long hair, wore beads, king gee shorts and thongs. University was free and the Federal Government also paid a living allowance so I didn’t have to work. I had a girlfriend, played too much sport, read and reread Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and listened to Leonard Cohen.

In those days Universities were less serious, probably lower quality, struggling with the influx of the baby boomer generation but still really only available to a privileged minority. I lived at home and wondered why people would need to live in College. I was bright, shy and confused about life.

The 70’s were an odd time, like arriving at a party when the only people left were drunk, desperate or cleaning up.

The 60’s were over. The Vietnam War protest marchers had all gone home. Flower power had run out of steam. Yoko had broken up the Beatles. Marilyn was dead. The first Australian Labor Government in a quarter of a century was self- destructing. We were even bored with going to the Moon.

Looking forward I didn’t have the faintest idea what I wanted to do. I hated the Law Course and knew early that I didn’t want to become a Lawyer. I was enrolled in Sociology and Psychology as part of my Arts degree but found them uninspiring.

Sitting in Psychology lectures that held 1100 students and working out the statistical profile of rats in a maze was only slightly less valuable than Sociology tutorials where my spaced out, sandal wearing tutor believed the curriculum, setting assignments, exams and assessments were a conspiracy against educational freedoms. For him the 1960’s never finished.

I was the first in my family to attend University and the only thing that got me through those degrees was a desire to not offend my parents, and the notion that leaving a task once commenced was a sign of weakness.

I stayed because I didn’t know what else to do and because of the other part of my Arts degree: the absolute delight I took in studying English Literature—Shakespeare, Dickens, Austin, Keats and Melville. I remember lying for hours on the library lawn reading Wuthering Heights and rushing to get to the lectures on Dickens. Eventually that led to a career in teaching English in High Schools and from there into NSW politics for 13 years and then into the not-for-profit-sector.

In the meantime I completed a Diploma of Education and a Master of Arts in English Literature.

Most of my higher education wasn’t vocationally based and it certainly wasn’t part of a thought out plan. Nevertheless it gave me skills, qualifications and opportunities that changed my life.

Even with the Abbott government’s changes to Higher Education, those of us who have the privilege of studying at University like all of us here, will on average, be wealthier in our working lives and have a wider range of career opportunities. We will be more likely to own our own homes and to have better health outcomes. We will travel more overseas and have a more comfortable and secure retirement.

I know that’s not all down to our University education. Family circumstances and individual capacity are strong factors, but it is undeniable that having been at University gives you a leg up in life.

So one challenge for all of us is to consider whether we appreciate the gift of education we have been given. Too many of our fellow citizens don’t get this chance due to family circumstances, location, poverty. They may want to change their lives as much, be as academically gifted, it’s just that the lottery of life has not been as generous.

That is not to mention, of course, the literally millions of people in our region who yearn for the gifts and opportunities we enjoy but will never have the chance to experience.

ADDRESS BY ThE hON JOhN

WATKINS, ChANCELLOR

MARY WhITE COLLEgE DINNER

30Th MAY 2014

15

I figure that we owe it to them to be grateful for what we have, to value it and make the most of the opportunities we have been gifted. And to fight for its retention.

At this time there is a great deal of debate about the future of higher education in Australia; its strength, quality and sustainability. Education, especially at the tertiary level, is being seen as less a common national benefit and more an individual benefit. Both are undoubtedly true, but this is a critical time for the health of higher education and some will impact directly on you. Quite dramatic changes are being mooted. Some will fall by the wayside, but some will inevitably become law.

Our responsibility, yours and mine, is to have the courage, strength and enthusiasm to advocate for the health of the system, so that it remains a strong and viable sector available to as many Australians as possible, and of course, to those from overseas.

Here tonight, in Mary White College, in Autumn in Armidale, it may be hard to believe that we are amongst the most prosperous, comfortable and secure communities that have ever existed on this earth, but by any measure, it is so. And for that we should be thankful.

But I know that those feelings fade. That we also measure our happiness by the subjective surroundings we live in and the experiences we have.

At times when I look back on my University experience, it is with some regret.

I know Chopper Reed and Edith Piaf suggest that we should regret nothing and from what I know of regret, it is a sad and useless emotion but looking back at that time I do have some regrets.

I wish I had travelled more and drunk less alcohol. I wish I had been kinder to my family and more sensitive to the needs of

my girlfriend, who became my wife.

I wish I had listened to more Mozart and less Meatloaf.

I wish I had realised that a sense of humour and empathy were more attractive to women than a good haircut and six-pack (especially as I had neither)

I wish I had worked out earlier that life is uncertain, disordered, frightening and unfair but also mysterious and beautiful beyond measure. That it should be more like the running of the bulls and less like queuing for a bus. That God was more likely to laugh at us than judge us and that time spent in resentment, jealousy and anger was time wasted.

I wish I had been more willing to take risks, to let go and kick off into

deeper water. But mostly now half a lifetime later I wish I had been more concerned about the needs of others rather than my own.

And now I am here in Armidale dressed in this rather strange get up wondering about what I wish for you, what I hope UNE can do to help you.

I wish for you to be grateful for all the gifts you enjoy - your college, your friends, your family, and your teachers.

I want you to be happy with your lives, take advantage of the opportunities

you have. And have fun. Try new things. Enjoy your friendships and celebrate the enthusiasm of youth.

I want you to work hard at your studies. This University has a world class reputation in teaching and research. You can do exceptionally well here and the harder you work the more you will enjoy it—testing your capacity, satisfying intellectual curiosity, making sense of our world and your place in it.

I hope that you will be less self-absorbed, less judgemental, less individualistic, and more communal.

I hope that you fall in love more than once, desperately foolishly and recover and fall again.

But above all, my wish is for you to practice kindness to all those with whom you share the journey. The friend you haven’t seen for a while but who is in need. The college member down the hall who is struggling with study or relationships. Your colleagues at work and the stranger you see in town.

I hope that you work out a values system that puts the concerns of others upper-most in your mind.

Finally I hope your time here at Mary White College is life changing, exciting, joyful and memorable beyond measure. It needs to be because it’s here that you are building up that stack of memories that will be told and retold at reunions years hence. The recollections with which you’ll entertain your grandchildren and the memories that will comfort you when you are old and wise.

You have come here from far afield. From farms, and cities, interstate and from overseas.

And you will, after a while, leave here for all the unknown paths of your lives.

I am sure people do draw something from places where they have been happy and leave part of their spirit behind.

Your time here will add to the account of all who have preceded you here, and this place will never leave you. You will think of us years hence unexpectedly on a morning when you see mist rising or trees changing colour with the season or when you feel the biting cold of mid-winter, perhaps 40 years from now.

And in that moment you will be back here for a time remembering Mary White College, the friends you had, and the person you were back then, the person you are now, this evening.

For all of you I hope that they will be happy memories and that your journey of life is a blessed and joyful one.

Thank you.

16

‘ I n t o t h e Wo o d s’

A production by Earle Page College Musical Society

For the past 40 years Earle Page College has had the privilege of hosting its very own musical for the University of New England and surrounding community. This years production is an adaptation of the musical “Into the woods”, directed by Jono McAteer and produced by Desiree King.

This year’s addition to the many successful musicals hosted by Earle Page will be sure to shock, entertain and bewilder its audiences. In previous years, Earle Page College has produced shows such as “Beauty and the Beast”, “Rent”, “Wizard of Oz”, “Pirates of Penzance” and “Little Shop of Horrors” along with many others. Last year saw our residents test their talents in the Sondheim musical “Sweeny Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street” which received excellent reviews and was enjoyed by all who saw it. Many of last year’s performers are returning to the stage along with some new faces.

Bringing together previous members knowledge, and experience, along with enthusiasm and eagerness of new performers, this musical is a proud part of Earle Page College’s history and provides an amazing opportunity for residents to showcase their talents, expand their knowledge and experience, while also having a lot of fun.

“Into the Woods” follows the original Brothers Grimm stories of Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella. Throw in some hilarious rock star princes, a desperate baker and his wife, and a Witch on a mission to return to her former beauty and you have a musical full of adventure. The characters’ storylines interweave for some hilarious, saddening and exciting scenes that will have you questioning the fairytales you grew up with. By the end of Act 1, after much confusion in the woods, the characters finally make it to their happy ending. But….the story continues after the happy ending, twisting the stories further when a giant returns to the land wreaking havoc upon them all.

The musical is outstanding and delightful. Its movie version is currently in production and will be released later in the year with stars such as Meryl Streep, Jonny Depp, Chris Pine, Anna Kendrick and Emily Blunt. It is sure to be as amazing as the musical, but before you see it on the silver screen see it the way it was originally, written on the stage.

One of the most remarkable things about this musical is that most of the cast and crew don’t study theatre or haven’t been professionally trained in stagecraft, a fact completely forgotten when watching these captivating performers. Whilst some of the band is made up of students studying music, others are studying such diverse fields as medicine and teaching.

In addition, the residents have made almost all of the sets, costumes and props, a true testament to their ablilites. After many long hours, the production team, with the technical crew, has managed to create an atmosphere so reminiscent of the woods you’ll believe the characters are actually there.

The show is funded and supported by generous local businesses without who the show would not have had such amazing success over the past 41 years. It is an outstanding tribute of the Armidale community.

This year’s show is not to be missed. “Into the Woods” will open on Thursday 24th of July at 7pm with following performances on Friday 25th at 11am and Saturday 26th at 7pm.

Tickets can be reserved at epcmusical@outlook.com.au and pay at the door. Adults are $25 while concession is $20. Any further queries can be directed to epcmusical@outlook.com.au

Photo credit: Georgia Sleigtholme

Photo credit: Georgia Sleigtholme

A r t i c l e b yDe s i r e e K i n g

17

I did try genuinely hard to come up with a deft and moving explanation

for why women at UNE need a space that’s only for women. I really did.

I tried to craft a response that would offend nobody while striking just

the right chord with everyone who has weighed in on the subject. It wasn’t

until the eleventh hour (I actually mean the eleventh hour, it’s currently

10:22 and I’m still agonising) that I realised that would not be possible.

What you’re going to get instead is pretty much exactly what you need- a

clear cut, no nonsense guide to female only spaces and why we need them.

1. Women who wear the Niquab can eat while they’re on campus. This

doesn’t really require more explanation. If it does, Google is your friend.

This is a pretty basic request and shouldn’t be subject to questioning.

2. Women with young children need somewhere to breastfeed. If your

response to this is “I don’t care if a woman breastfeeds in the cafe/courtyard/

library!” it is not about you. It is cold as charity at this time of year, too.

3. Some of us are self conscious. We don’t like being looked at, we don’t

like being objectified. If you feel the need to say “I don’t objectify women”

then congratulations, you missed the point. The next one comes in about

forty five minutes.

4. As above, but if you’re one of the people who drive up and down Elm

Avenue hooting at women walking between up top and the colleges, you

should go somewhere quiet and contemplate your actions.

5. Universities have been the domain of men for hundreds of years. If we

need a space to get together and share the experiences we’ve had as women

in tertiary education, we deserve one.

6. If it would benefit the male student body to have a space exclusively

for men, then more power to you. Campaign. Fundraise. Discuss. Plan,

work, and make decisions. We support you.

Why We Need A Women’s Room

By Regina Abernathy

OP

INIO

N

18

TINA MATTHEWSAs if being an author wasn’t already impressive, Tina Matthews can also add illustra-tor, puppet-maker and musician to her list of talents. Born in New Zealand and now residing in Sydney,

Matthews appears to have lived several different lives, beginning with being part of a girl band called The Wide Mouthed Frogs in which she played the bass guitar (during which she managed to turn down being the supporting act for Split Enz during their tour in 1980). After The Wide Mouthed Frogs disbanded she joined The Crocodiles, and released the hit song “Tears” which got to number 17 on the New Zealand charts. In this same decade, Matthews had a puppet-making career, and worked on the sets of children’s shows as well as big budget films, allowing her to work with Jim Henson and Frank Oz.

Tina came to UNE in late May for the Writers and Illustrators in Residence program, during which she conducted workshops for the university and Armidale community.

BG: So your puppet-making career started in 1979. What interested you in this career?

TM: Well I always made stuff, even from when I was really small. I grew up in a house where a lot of stuff was made. My dad was always making wood work and my mum was always sewing; they were both really practical people, and I was the last of the family and got left to myself a lot, so I turned itinto what became my art form. So to actually combine devising stories and making stuff to go with it, which is what puppetry is, just made sense.

BG: Let’s talk about working on the 1986 film Labyrinth. It must have been amazing?

TM: It was a great and really interesting experience to sort of see the hard work that is involved in making huge movies like that. Jim [Henson] was really good; he lived across the road and he had good relationships with a lot of the puppet makers, and there were a lot of incredibly talented puppet-makers. A lot of them had their own jobs, and mine was specifically to put puppets together and make sure they moved really well. I finished working on the set before I could meet David Bowie though.

BG: So you were a puppet-maker and a puppet doctor for shows like Bananas in Pyjamas and The Ferals. How do you feel about the way children’s shows have shifted from puppetry to animation?

TM: When I do puppetry at NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art) I see the incredible power of making a little figure that has some essential human or animal movements in it, and what you can express with it. It’s so beautifully simply. A shadow puppet too; they can do such great stuff and tell great stories too, and so cheaply. But yes, it’s all animation now and it’s not the same.

BG: So what made you move away from puppets, and into making baby mo-biles?

TM: The main reason for moving into the baby mobiles was out of interest, having kids myself, reading stuff about what they saw and so making one myself, and also income, because it’s also a sort of cottage industry. So, that was just a little business and also, I’d seen that they really worked and that kids really liked them. The babies really like the complexity and the hard contrast of the black and white; no one quite knows what they see keep on selling. So the baby mobiles have kind of worked as a continuum, as has teaching at NIDA. Then of course there are books.

BG: Your first book called Out of the Egg was published in 2007. Tell us a bit about it.

TM: Out of the Egg was a story I just thought about years ago, and always wanted to write because it was just taking that original story of the Little Red Hen, which is a story about hard work, and turning it into not just an environmental story, but also focussing on the new generation and what they’ve got to offer. In fact, when I wrote that book, John Howard was in power and there was a big outcry about kids being kept in detention, and you can see in the corner of one of the pictures there’s a black area with the three little animals outside the fence, and the mum is big and saying that they can’t come in, and the little chick is saying “Mum, that’s mean!”. That was a direct reference to all the kids that were in custody.

The real irony of it is that the book is about listening to what your kid has to say, but the way I got it published was my son suggesting Houghton Mifflin Book Company, and I almost ignored him because it seemed so unlikely, after I had been trying to get it published for a year.

Tina has published three more books including Waiting for Later (2011), A Great Cake (2012) and most recently So Many Wonderfuls, which was published this year. Tina is now in the process of creating another book which focuses on the classic tale of The Three Sillies.

Talented illustrator, Anne Spudvillas will be visiting UNE from the August 2-17. Spudvillas has illustrated numerous children’s stories including The Peasant Prince and Woolvs in the Sitee.

19

Watching the flat, spinifex-dotted landscape give way to the first hills through the bus window I was sorry to be leaving Bourke High School, but inspired by my time there. In June

I took part in the DEC’s Beyond the Line program which gives teaching students the opportunity to spend time in rural schools and get a feel for the unique opportunities and challenges that teaching ‘beyond the line’ present.

Twenty seven students from UNE, the University of Newcastle and the University of Sydney attended the week-long program and visited schools in Moree, Narrabri, Warialda, Wee Waa, Brewarrina and Bourke. Those of us in Bourke had a tour of the school buildings and resources, observed and helped out with classes in our subject areas, and attended the school’s athletics carnival. We all had plenty of opportunity to speak with students and teachers about their experiences of the school and the Bourke com-munity, have our questions answered, our ideas clarified and learn things about teaching and living in Bourke that we hadn’t ever thought of; for example, it’s a three hour drive for a haircut!

I applied for Beyond the Line because I wanted to teach in schools in rural and remote areas. Having spent this time at such a school, I now know with confidence that the rural teaching environment is for me. There are many benefits, both professional and personal, of teaching west of the line. However, I also learned a lot about the challenges of life in quite an isolated community and feel like I have a more grounded and realistic conception of the difficulties of relocating to such areas.

Beyond the Line was an amazing experience and I strongly urge anyone considering teaching in rural areas to apply for this program. You will not only gain invaluable insight into the teaching environment and experi-ences of teachers already working in the school you visit, but make many wonderful friends and network with fellow teachers along the way.

Ashley is studying a Diploma in Education to teach English and Society and

Culture. She likes terrible jokes and reading about ornithology.

The event will involve a team of 6 students from each College competing in 6 academic quiz rounds (Law, Business + Economics, Health, Arts + Humanities, Education, Science). Teams from local high schools will also be included in order to keep the College teams on their toes. A ‘Brains Trust’ consisting of academics from UNE will be made available for teams to use as a lifeline, and the event will be broken up with fun activity

rounds between the quiz rounds.

Beyond the Line in

Bourke

Ashley Emmerton

20

(College) RecipeS by Ashley Pianca

Microwave Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding

Method:

1) Place butter, sugar, flour, cocoa and milk into your mug and stir until well combined.

2) Sprinkle the extra teaspoon of cocoa and the brown sugar over the top of the mixture before pouring the water over it.

3) Place in the microwave for approximately 1 minute and 20 seconds. (It is best to check the pudding at 1 minute and continue cooking depending

on the power of your microwave).

With winter at its peak, there

is nothing better than

snuggling up indoors with

piles of blankets, pillows, books, movies and

this deliciously warm sweet treat!!!

Remember to send your recipe requests in to: collegerecipes@outlook.com!

Ashley is studying a Bachelor of Criminology/Bachelor of Laws and can’t go a day without listening to Beyonce.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of butter

•

• 1 tablespoon of sugar

•

• 1 heaped tablespoon of self- raising flour

•

• 1 tablespoon of cocoa

•

• 2 tablespoons of milk

•

• 1 teaspoon extra of cocoa

•

• 1 teaspoon of brown sugar

•

• 2 tablespoons of water

21

When you are going to watch an action movie starring Tom Cruise it’s a good idea to hold your nose because chances are you’re about to enter a world of shit. This is not a place for small children, nor is it a place for adults, this is a place for people who

will pay to have a dwarf with a smug smile take them on a dizzying miasmic adventure down into deep wells of successively thicker and thicker shit.

Though after seeing him try his hand at a semi-decent Sci-Fi plot in Oblivion last year and not totally fuck it up I was somewhat hopeful about this movie, which looked like the same sort of thing. And I’ve got to say, it defied most of my expectations.

If you haven’t seen the trailer, here’s the basic premise: Aliens have invaded Earth, and Tom Cruise is a soldier who doesn’t seem to know how to die properly. He keeps living the same day over and over again, and this is supposed to help him do things. I’ll admit, the prospect of seeing Tom Cruise get shot, run over, blown up, etc. for a couple of hours was pretty appealing, if nothing else I was hoping for this kind of spectacle of retributive justice. The rest of the cast looked alright, Brendan Gleeson is fucking great all the time, and Emily Blunt seems to be good in whatever she does, so I wasn’t worried about her. And they all did a pretty good job.

The story - especially the first two thirds - didn’t feel like a typical action movie, but more like a Japanese anime; in Cruise’s pathetic reluctance to enter combat, his clear horror and bewilderment in facing some supernatural force when actually entering combat; even the aesthetic of the battle scene and the aliens themselves all made the opening scenes seem like a western stylistic appropriation of Neon Genesis or Akira. (after writing this I found out that the movie is actually adapted from a Japanese novel/Manga, so this makes more sense now.)

In taking this ‘groundhog day’ approach, it opens itself up to all kinds of plot holes, but it seems to have anticipated this and played out enough possible arcs to keep people satisfied. I can imagine people watching this saying “why wouldn’t he just do ___?”, only to have him immediately try that exact thing and have it spectacularly fail.

The last third of the movie is kind of disappointing though, the fantastic irregular plot movement is all but totally abandoned in favour of the typical action-driven “we must kill the thing!” Hollywood ending, and the final scene was so saccharine and lazy I almost threw up. It was all going so well!

Edge of Tomorrow is far better than it looks, but just be ready to leave when that thing happens (you’ll see it) where they totally negate the premise of the film and everything turns back to shit.

Oh and seriously, Noah Taylor, you’re usually so good in things. What the fuck, that sucked, try again.

3/5 satisfying death scenes

Transformers: Age of Extinction is latest epic masterpiece of the Transformers franchise. A friend said to me quite recently, “aren’t they all destroyed yet?” - as it turns out, no they are not. They will never say die.

A little known fact about me, soon to be known by all Nucleus readers, is that I love a cheeky action movie. I like when things explode - I am particularly fond of watching said explosions when hungover. Alas, I was not hungover while watching this movie, but I did have an English Toffee choctop (put together by the fine folk at the Belgrave – the choctops are highly recommended and almost worthy of a review of their own) which soothed me somewhat.

I don’t want to spoil everything for you all, but I’m pretty sure there are no glass things left in the whole of ‘Merica. That shit is all exploded by Transformers. And they all did it - the Autobots and the Decepticons and the *gasp* Dinobots. They all broke all the things. For a glorious 165 minutes (you’ve been warned) my inner action-movie loving self was contented with extreme levels of destruction.

It’s a story of trusting a rusty truck which turns out to be an alien Transformer (a parable for asylum seekers? perhaps). It’s a story of how Mark Wahlberg is just a simple poor inventor trying to support his daughter and kick some Decepticon arse. It’s a story about power hungry humans who have failed to grasp the fact that Galvatron (a sort of Megatron 2.0 with inherited murderously destructive tendencies) is just the worst. It’s a story about how awesome alien guns are (spoiler: really awesome). Listen, it’s the story of your life.

I feel like my trusty movie-going buddy sums it up nicely: “Transformers 4 said so many things that I felt and knew to be true, but didn’t have the wordage to say. I can’t wait to see it again with the boys from the ‘Babes, Beer and Boars’ club.”

Special mentions go to the inexplicably Irish (but well put together) Boyfriend of the Main Character’s Daughter, Kelsey Grammer as a CIA agent who just wants to kill all the alien robots, and the surfer guy who was really providing some great physical comedy until his untimely and overly visually descriptive end (oops, spoiler alert).

While the dialogue is clumsy (“Why can’t we make what we want to make when we want to make it?” bellowed by an angry bald man who wants to build his own Transformers) and the soundtrack pretty much hand feeds us our feelings, while the plot makes virtually no excuse for its flimsiness, and while there is no reason for all the shots of an underage teenage girl’s bare legs and short shorts, I still have to admit that Transformer dinosaurs are the shit.

1/5 Dinobot and half a Decepticon (coz that’s all that was left, waaaat).

EDGE OF TOMORROW

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION

- Stu Horsfield

- Helen Taylor

“There are no good aliens or bad aliens. There’s just us and them, and you chose them”.

22

The water that rushed from the tap didn’t look clean enough to drink, but it was all I needed to get rid of the blood dripping from my

knuckles. I flexed my fingers watching the red swirl down the rusty drain, water mingling with the thick coat of dust that decorated the sink. I felt the sting of a cut on my hand. I guess the tooth I knocked from his jaw got the last word. My eyes were drawn to the space above the sink where a mirror hung. It was nothing but a shiny spider’s web of cracks. The man in the mirror was blurred and broken, yet I still couldn’t look him in the eye.

I shut the water off and turned away from the sink, trying not to stare at the drops of blood glaring at me from the floor boards. As the cut on my hand started to glow red, I thought ‘at least some of what’s spilling is mine’. I fixed my attention on the man sharing my handcuffs with the radiator as he sat in a pool of dim yellow light. The shadows on his bloodied face moved around as the light bulb swung on its chain. His head was back against the wall as he tried to burn me with the fire in his gaze. I stepped up to the edge of the light so he could just see the front of my suit and the points of my shoes.

“Are you planning on answering my question, Seamus?” I asked. He spat a mouthful of blood in my direction by way of reply.

“If you tell me the truth I might help you.” I said.

“Yeah I’m sure you will, Grimm.” he said, his Irish accent glowing shamrock green. Calling me by my last name was just another brick in the wall he was building between us. I was not Derek to him anymore because Derek was a friend. Grimm was the guy

standing between him and his fairytale ending.

“Did you kill Javier?” I stared at him waiting for a reply, but all I got was a swollen glare dripping red.

“Sorry Seamus, but this innocent act of yours won’t make it past opening night.” I took a step forward into the swinging light, letting it turn my face into a dance floor for the shadows.

“The night of the murder I was at home pouring a second, maybe third, glass of scotch, not truly appreciating how simple my days had been. I have had a few cases that have left me black and blue from head to toe, but this case has beaten me to an inch of my life even though no person has so much as wrinkled my coat. Do you know why?”

Seamus was smart enough to stay quiet, so I kept talking.

“Because the only man I trust is waving a smoking gun in his bloody hands and telling me he didn’t do it.”

“I did what I had to. If you were in my shoes you would have done it as well.”

“You mean if Ms. Sinclair had batted her lashes my way, I’d be the sorry murderer making friends with a pair of fists?” His cracked and bleeding lips parted to let another venom-painted sentence slip through, but surprise seemed to stop the words in their tracks.

“You know about Clara?” his voice surrounded her name with cotton and a gentle caress, which was more than enough proof that the dame had this Irish dog chained up.

“Yeah I know about Clara. I know how she begged you to save her from Javier, and I know she told you he had enough cash to buy a happy ever after. It sounds like a bad joke to me. Tell me, Seamus, how many bodies does it take to screw a showgirl?”

“It’s not like that! What we have is real.”

I rolled my eyes at the battered man’s cheap Hollywood script.

“I’m not arguing that point, my friend. Those bullets in Javier’s torso are real as they come.”

I watched the frozen blue of his one good eye melt as he thought of the doll pulling his strings.

“Have you ever been in love, Grimm?” the words were delicate as china leaving his blood stained lips.

“I’ve been drunk on a merry-go-round.”

“You have no hope of understanding why I did what I did.”

I sent my fist across his jaw again. I felt another tooth loosen under the sense being knocked into it.

“I understand why you killed him like I understand why Punch and Judy communicate with a wooden bat. You see, just like those puppets you’ve got someone pulling your strings. One look at her and she got a hold, spinning you until you got dizzy. Yes, I understand exactly what happened. In fact I understand better than you do, thanks to a burned body that showed up a few nights ago.”

CR

EA

TIV

E

23

I got a cigarette and lighter from my pocket. As Seamus watched me light my smoke I saw recognition hit him like a train. He stared at the lighter in my hand, the orange flame dancing its light across the silver surface, giving a halo to the words engraved on the side. I flicked the cap closed and drew in a breath. As I let the smoke glide through my lips I read the engraving aloud.

“‘To my sweetheart Clara, love Seamus’.” I looked at Seamus as he cast his eyes down, unable to meet my gaze.

“Found it in the ashes of the back seat. I wonder if the charcoal fella we found in the burnt up car thought he might have a fairytale ending with Ms. Sinclair. It’s a shame he only found out she was pulling his strings as she was cutting them.”

“She didn’t kill him. She wouldn’t.” his voice was a hoarse whisper absent of all conviction.

“He got dizzy with a dame and got himself cooked. The same thing has happened to you.” I turned away from Seamus and put on my coat. “Only difference is, you weren’t watching as she cut the strings.” The wail of a siren screamed out on the street as I put on my hat and opened the door.

“Wait.” I turned as Seamus called out. The tough guy was gone, leaving the shell of a beaten and broken man. “Javier’s club. That’s where she’s going. She’s going there to get the money and his car.”

I knew he wasn’t lying. For a man to lie to a friend he has to have something he is fighting for, and there was no fight left in this one. I started to leave, knowing I didn’t have long to catch Ms. Sinclair before she got out of dodge. I tossed the lighter on the floor in front of Seamus on my way out the door. The engraved message glowed with every pendulum swing of the light bulb and the bloody fingerprints I left behind stood out on the silver surface like bull’s eyes. At least some of the blood was mine.

--

I tossed my spent cigarette and flipped the collar of my coat uselessly against the rain. Water poured from the brim of my hat as I stood in the dark beside Javier’s car. The lights were on in his club, in spite of the fact that it had been closed for a week. When people said there was no club without Javier, they meant it. The club died with him, which meant Ms. Sinclair could search for Javier’s stash unnoticed.

The lights went out and the door opened a crack. Slowly as she checked the street for witnesses, Ms. Sinclair made her way out of the club, clutching a black bag in one hand. She unfurled an umbrella and

started in my direction. Looking at her through the water pouring down that hand held canopy, I could see why Seamus fell so hard. She was a beautiful doll. If I didn’t still have his blood spotted on my fingers I might have gotten dizzy too. She came close enough to get a hold on the car door so I stepped from the shadow with my .38 in hand. She gasped as she saw me, almost dropping the bag of money in the flooded street. I stepped close so she didn’t try anything and as I did I finally saw her face in the light reflected from the car’s side view mirror, a face I had hoped to never see again. She smiled as she recognised me, her eyes glittering like emeralds. Or perhaps they were glistening like wet scales on the back of a snake.

“Derek Grimm. I never thought I’d see your handsome face again.”

“Sally McQueen. I thought this case was a familiar brand of tragedy.” She laughed at my dark tone and closed the gap between us as though I didn’t have a gun aimed at her stomach.

“Oh Mr. Grimm, how I have missed your dreary tone.”

“Hand me the bag, Sally.”

“Why are you so glum? The girl who got away is right in your grasp. Surely you can spare a smile?”

I slapped a cuff around the arm holding the bag of stolen cash. Sally looked down at my hand on her wrist.

“Well isn’t this an interesting last dance?”

“Shut your trap, Sally. I’m bringing you in.”

“Under what charge? Breaking your heart, or making you look bad?”

“How about robbery and murder? Seamus O’Malley will be sure to testify.”

“Looks like I’m cooked. I should have known the big bad P.I. Derek Grimm would be the man to lock me up.” She stretched the fingers of the hand holding her umbrella to slide them along the trim of my coat. “We certainly had some good times though, didn’t we, Mr. Grimm?”

I jabbed my gun into her ribs to give her an idea of where this strategy of hers was leading.

“You’ll come with me and you will not say a word. I don’t have any duct tape on me but I hear you can make an equally effective gag out of hot lead.”

In an instant the playful stupid act was gone and

Sally let her true colours shine through.

“You’re going to regret saying that, Mr. Grimm.”

“Is that so, Ms. McQueen? Because from where I’m standing the only regret seems to be radiating from–” before I could finish my sentence Sally locked me into a kiss. I should have pulled away, knocked her out or at least pulled the trigger, but it was too late. I was drunk on the merry-go-round and before I could remind myself of who she was everything went black.

--

Waking up on the dirty rain soaked street with a chill cutting me to the bone and my head ringing like church bells, I could taste the bitterness of a sleeping drug on my lips. ‘The Goodnight Kiss’ as the boys downtown called it. No doubt Sally had it spread on a clear seal over her lips in case she had to make a hasty escape from someone. Javier’s car was gone and my handcuffs were sitting on my chest. I never should have underestimated Sally. Since the first moment we crossed paths all those years ago she had gotten the better of me. I slipped my hand into my coat pocket to see if my wallet was still there. My fingers clasped around a piece of paper which I pulled free. It was a moment before my foggy head cleared enough for me to make out the message on the note: “Perhaps next time I will leave you with more than just a kiss goodnight.” Beside the message was a print of red lipstick. I checked all my pockets but I knew that while I may in fact see Sally McQueen again, my wallet was gone forever.

Rach Hopkins is a severe story addict making no efforts toward recovery. She is enrolled at UNE studying a Bachelor of Arts doing a double major in English and writing in order to feed into her filthy habit and increase the quality of her own product.ct.

By Rach Hopkins

24

You’re roaring along a crowded highway, slightly embarrassed to be listening to Avril Lavigne, but you can’t quite bring

yourself to change the station. Plus, you argue, it’s a brilliant song.

In any case, you can’t help but find it so very relevant to the situation you currently find yourself in. All these trucks and cars and buses, carrying a countless number of human beings—each bearing an almost identical DNA code to your own—in the same direction as yourself. You realize, every time you glance into a window, that there is some profound and endlessly complex story that has created the figure hunched over the steering wheel. And despite yourself, you feel for them. Without even knowing their names, you identify with these blobs of existence. They are not just the same species, but the same minds, all heading the same way—performing the same dull motions of holding a semi-constant speed, in a semi-straight bearing, on a semi-smooth, manufactured surface.

You look over to the passenger’s seat, the figure—who’s safe transport you are currently charged with—slumped, fast asleep, completely oblivious to the singularity of the incredible movement being played out. A sight that causes you to wonder who, at this very moment, is more of a friend. The figure slumped beside you, who you have known for years, yet is currently in a completely different state of being? Or all the

other drivers, whom you have never met, but who are all practically identical to you?

And as space revolves by—a substance you are so very separate from—you can consider yourself neither a part of the scenery, nor a passenger indulging in their separate, non-reactive experience. Thus, it must be the drivers that you trust in this moment. The temporary friend-strangers on a seemingly never-ending road.

You come up behind a truck and overtake, keeping an eye on the driver as you do so. They keep an eye on you too, slowing down ever so slightly to ease the process. You briefly flash your left then right blinker: Thank You.

The brilliant thing about driving, you think, is that for a split second you have this profound connection, profound trust, for those around you. But these people are only there for a moment, they come and they go. None stay around forever, and there’s no reason why they should. The worst thing you can ask of someone is for them to stand still.

“The district sleeps alone tonight after the bars turn out their lights. And send the autos swerving into the loneliest eveni…shhhhhhh”

The radio fades into static as you lose signal. Your passenger stirs in annoyance, before

reaching up and turning it off.

“Shame, I like that song.” “What was it?”

“The District Sleeps Alone Tonight—The Postal Service.”

“Depressing.”

You laugh, then after a pause start to explain to her your thoughts on your fellowship with the other drivers.

“…You know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I understand.” She pauses for a moment, yawns and stares out the window in silence. For a few minutes only the roar of bitumen and vehicles racing by fills the car. You’re about to ask her to find a decent station when she continues.

“But I don’t think it’s unique to driving… I mean you get a similar feeling at a bus or train station, or an airport, or just walking down the street of a crowded city, or a university library. I mean, you could even get the same feeling in a book shop. You know the ones packed with people in the self-help section? Or looking for some kind of inspirational romance novel? I think it’s a feeling you get wherever there are lots of people, regardless of what they are doing.”

She falls silent again and you try to think of a reply, because you’re not quite sure she’s correct.

H I G H WAY

“I don’t know who you are, but I, I’m with you…”

B y C l a n c y Wa l l

25

It seems strange that the specific-ness of your association with driving could be extended to people in general—as you only feel connected to other drivers, not their passengers or towns you pass by. For a moment you don’t think she actually does understand, but before you can articulate this she continues.

“I mean, it’s like… you feel among friends, as each one is the same as you… Flying for years and years, not for any particular reason, just because… Because to stop is to give up, to give up is to fail, and to fail is to never find out exactly what it is to be alive, to succeed in a vast emptiness, and to never find out why.”

“Why what?” “Does it matter?”

You pause for a second. She goes back to staring out the window. You’re not entirely sure how to respond, because you do feel like she’s answered your question, and that she understands the feeling exactly. But you don’t understand how. You don’t understand what it is she meant. So you say so.

“I don’t understand.” She laughs. “Oh, but you do. You’re just thinking too hard. You can’t

intellectualise everything you know.”

Her condescension irritates you, and you still don’t get it, so you fall silent. She goes back to staring out the window, softly singing “smeared black ink…” You crack a smile despite yourself.

“Thought that song was depressing?”

“Only if you look at it the wrong way.” She smiles. “I’m sorry.” “What for?”

“Does it matter?”

“Of cour… actually, no, not really. Thanks.”

You laugh together and you realise she’s right. You feel just as connected to her as to the cars around you. She’s driving just as much as you are.

“There’s no such thing as passengers, not really.” You murmur to yourself.

“Bravo.” She huddles into her chair. “Although I’m going to pretend as much as I can. Wake me if you get too bored.”

“Sweet dreams.” “I’m with you.”

And, while driving along this seemingly endless road, that makes you smile.

Clancy is currently studying computer science/law, and enjoys indulging his imagination far more than is probably advisable. Then again, he argues, wandering through the woods doesn’t break any promises, nor does it make the miles any longer.

PILGRIMAGEBy Belinda Marsh

My deep need to travel is an unknown animal that prowls the edges of my mind. I can feel her there; patient, calm, sensuous. When I dream of a trip to Europe, the animal

growls with desire and fury, and I have to quell the beast, and my tears of frustration, with my abject reality: a lack of money.

In two weeks I will be 43 years old. I have never been out of Australia. Recently (finally!), I got my first ever passport. The crisp pages excited me, and the animal was guttural as the tart scent of the paper tickled our nostrils and tantalised our imaginations. My UK passport is next on the list.

The plan is to fly next year with my lovely friend, The Frenchman, to France, other parts of Europe, and the UK. I am now one semester in to my Bachelor of Languages degree at UNE, majoring in (you guessed it) French. The savings do not match the time-frame at this point, but occasionally the animal urges me to throw caution to the wind, buy a one-way ticket with the little I have saved, and somehow find a way. The Frenchman, and my sensible Cancerian nature, remind me of my other need: security. So instead I ease the beast again, telling her to wait until we can afford it. The frustration is evident in my dream-world, and I clutch at my mind-pictures, sharing them with the animal, and discussing our coming adventures in whispered, hushed tones.

The animal’s eyes turn green at times, the envy flaring fierce and fevered, when we hear stories of those who have travelled. Listening intently, bittersweet emotions wash over me. She paces on my peripherals, eager and vexatious. I quell her again, knowing our time will come, and instead I immerse myself in the stories, letting my imagination wander.

Prowling, envious, carefree, patient yet impatient; the animal waits in the shadows to be free. And I wait with her. As the hunger grows ever-so-urgent, we wait to be fed. Who knows what will happen if we reach starvation point?

This will be a pilgrimage for me, a spiritual journey that feeds my soul. For my soul is the beast, and I need this nourishment to survive, to continue, to be.

This post was inspired by Alain de Botton (www.philosophersmail.com/perspective/

where-to-go-on-holiday-and-why/) and my friend and fabulous photographer, Goba

O’Brien (www.gobadirt.com/photo-gallery/random/item/13-paris)

Belinda likes to think she’s a writer, but honestly, she just likes to put on her rangry pants and have a good old rant. You can read her shenanigans at rangry.wordpress.com; she is also a regular contributor at thebigsmoke.com.au and theaimn.com.

26

Like Kate’s writing?

Check out her blog, where she promises you’ll find lots more to tide you over until the next episode of Arabella!

The Man In Room 13: www.themaninroom13.wordpress.com

The Adventures of Arabella HendersonUNE Time Detective

Episode 6: Love, Not War

IT WAS A TYPICAL MONDAY MORNING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND

There was a light chill in the air, and fragments of the fallen leaves crunched under the feet of hippies. Thin sunbeams shone through the

cloud cover to glint off their placards. Thick block letters demanded “END CONSCRIPTION” and “MAKE LOVE NOT WAR”. Someone had obviously misunderstood the purpose of the protest and held a sign calling for the legalisation of marijuana in Vietnam.

On the lawns near the library other students sat peacefully playing their guitars and bongos, their braided head bands keeping their long hair in place. There was a vaguely sweet smell in the air, and many of the youths milling on the grass held hand rolled cigarettes that probably didn’t contain tobacco. It was 1967 and baby, it was groovy.

Down the hill at Mary White College, a young man sat in the dining hall, flinching back from the bright light shining into his eyes.

Even with the cut lip and bruises from his interrogation, he was an attractive man. A crowd of the young ladies resident at the college stood in a huddle near the door, watching the scene unfold. Before the lamp had been turned on, they’d seen his piercing blue eyes and as the sleeve of his shirt tore, a collective sigh went up at the sight of his bulging bicep. As if that chiselled jaw and sculpted body were not enough, there was something about his uniform. Even with all the opposition to the war, there was something about a soldier.

As the ladies watched in horror, Senior Security Officer Archibald Carruthers landed another hit across the prisoner’s cheek. ‘Talk, punk!’

‘Never!’ proclaimed the soldier. ‘I’ll never tell!’

‘Please!’ protested one of the women, ‘Please don’t hurt him! He’s so dreamy!’

‘He’s a disgrace!’ bellowed Officer Carruthers. ‘I demand to know which room you visited, soldier!’

The only reply was a gob of saliva projected directly into Carruthers’ face. His prisoner was already prepared for the blow he received as punishment. The watching crowd screamed to see him take another hit. Carruthers was about to strike him again when his attention was redirected, along with that of the prisoner and the rest of the dining hall. Someone was opening the door, yelling as he did so.

‘I say, Arabella! There’s some manner of commotion in here!’

The man opening the door was himself a handsome chap. His top hat and cravat presented a somewhat

different image than the soldier, but his arrival led to a division of affections among the crowd. He had eyes as deep and soulful as any they had ever seen before and though he was not as rugged or muscular, he was tall and presented an air of sophistication.

Startled by the crowd staring at him, he took off his hat and bowed gracefully. ‘Good morning to you, Ladies.’

He was holding the door open still, and it soon became apparent why. A woman was wheeling a tandem bicycle into the building. She parked it against the wall by the common room, before entering into the dining hall.

‘What kind of commotion?’ she asked him. ‘Oh…’

‘Another man!’ yelled Officer Carruthers. ‘Get out, Sir! Leave the premises at once! THIS IS A LADIES COLLEGE!’

‘Then why are you here?’ asked the new woman as she entered.

There was a gasp of shock from the crowd. Had this woman really backchatted him? Carruthers was just as surprised, and could make no reply except to splutter at her in fury.

‘Allow me to introduce myself,’ she said. ‘I am Arabella Henderson, UNE Time Detective. My colleague here is The General. And you are?’

Carruthers drew himself to his full height. ‘Why, young Lady, I am Archibald Carruthers, Senior Security Officer and Head of Gender Segregation Enforcement.’

‘Gosh,’ said The General. ‘That’s an ominous greeting. Arabella, he seems to be torturing this fellow.’

‘What fellow?’ asked Arabella. It was then that she noticed the soldier tied to the chair. Being a detective, she was normally particularly observant and she was surprised that she hadn’t noticed him at once. When she took a second look, she was even more surprised. She took in his uniform, his strong masculine jawline and those eyes like shards of shining blue glass. ‘Oh… Gosh… Hi there.’

She patted her hair nervously, a pink blush rising up her neck. The soldier winked at her and that only made her flush redder and higher.

‘I… um… What is this man’s crime, officer?’ she asked.

‘He was in the building last night,’ Carruthers said, as though this were somehow tantamount to murder.

‘He was… fraternising with one of the young ladies!’

There was a loud thump as The General fainted from sheer shock. Several of the women rushed to his aid, fanning him with notebooks, scarves and whatever was available.

‘Do you mind?’ asked Arabella. ‘He has very delicate sensibilities. You can’t just be using words like “fraternising” in front of him!’ She turned now to the women crowding around the stricken form of The General. ‘Just drag him into a corner. He’ll be alright.’

Carruthers had taken the opportunity to turn his attention back to the prisoner. ‘Do you know what the punishment is for fraternising with a student of the opposite gender?’

The soldier held his head high as he replied. ‘Death.’

‘That’s right!’ Carruthers crowed gleefully. ‘Death by firing squad! But, if you tell me the young lady’s name, I might be able to grant you leniency.’

‘A gentleman never tells,’ said the prisoner.

Not even to save his life? thought Arabella, going weak at the knees. Wow. That is Gentlemanly.

‘Alright,’ said Carruthers, untying the ropes that bound his prisoner. ‘Then I sentence you to immediate death. Stand aside, ladies! I must escort him to the firing range.’

‘Wait!’ shouted Arabella. ‘Wait! I’m a detective. I will solve the mystery, if you promise to spare this man’s life.’

‘What about her life?’ asked the soldier. ‘If you expose her, she’ll be given the death penalty too.’

Arabella sighed. ‘Yes, alright. Her too. I’ll solve your gender segregation scandal if you promise to spare both their lives.’

Carruthers sighed. ‘I guess the firing squad are paid per shooting. It would be cheaper to just give them kitchen duty. Proceed.’

Arabella rolled her sleeves. ‘Fetch the pocket magnifying glass out of The General’s Pocket. We’ve got a mystery to solve…’

To be continued . . .

27

Thursday July 10 @ 9pm

Tikets: $15 for students, $25 for non-students

Available from Campus Essentials at UNE or www.bigtix.com.au.

COMING SOON:Skills Trade Society Sewists Group

Any and every skill level welome!

Learn to sew (or up-cycle) garmets that fit.

Bring your own sewing machine, or use ours!

Improve existing skills as part of a supportive

group.

Make a garment in time for the STS Recycla-

ball!

To sign up - join the Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/UNESewistsGroupor email us - UNESkillsTradeSociety@gmail.com