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amanda vanstone, queen of the cuts

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4 - 7.30pm

Launch o f NUS Amti-Homophobia Campaign in the uni bar.

workshop: Coming O ut

Kemira Rms 1 and 2

Forum on the Duck Pond Lawn: Diversity and Sexuality plus Fun and

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Workshop: Sexuality and Mainstream Institutions

Kemira Rms 1 and 2

Sexy sexuality film night: Lecture Theatre 1, Pentagon

DRAG SHOW on the Duck Pond Lawn

Workshop: Sexuality, labelling and identity Kemira Rms 1 and 2

Night 7.30pm till late

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Workshop: Play Day! Kemira Rms 1 and 2

Night Queer film night

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B e tte r D ead T han G ay pp6

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C o m in g O u t Q_

Q_

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Sex E ducation and O ld Farts pp I 6

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Lesbian M um pp 17

"BETTER DEAD THAN GAY

B etter dead than G ay read the title o f a recently broad­casted docum entary show n on SBS. This program was about a young gay m an w h o com m itted suicide.But he was not only Gay, he

was a Christian who struggled with his love for God and his sexuality. He ultimately com­mitted suicide because he could no longer struggle with the con­flict of being Gay and a Christian. After watching the program completely I knew exactly why this young man could not go on living. He was driven to death by the very institution that is meant to save lives, which I think is quite

As a Lesbian, who has also faced the struggle of living two separate lives that conflicted so greatly with each other, I saw myself and the fact tha t it could have been me. Dead that is. I have been comfortable through­out my whole life with my sexu­ality and never once questioned myself for the sexual orienta­tion I knew I had from a very early age. W hen I allowed myself to be sucked into Christianity I set myself up for one of the biggest battles I have ever had to fight. I wanted to believe in God and practice as a Christian and felt it possible to do this without suppressing a part of myself - as God, to my understanding, loves everybody. As I was soon to find out, after coming out to a friend, this was not to be the case. Because it is such a big problem (i.e. it is considered a big problem within

Christian institutions) I guess my friend thought she had to save me from the clutches of the devil. She told certain members of the church, so I would be under immense pres­sure to change my ‘sinful’ ways. The logic was that I would thus ‘become’ heterosexual, and everything would be cool. Unfortunately it doesn’t work like that, and I got so mixed up that I became suicidal just because I couldn’t see a way out

of the situation.

It has often been said ‘love the sinner but hate the sin’, which is the treatm ent I would have expected from people striving to be Christ-like. Again I was very disappointed by the reac­tion and by the brutality of treatm ent I received. One W oman once said to me that I wasn’t even trying, and for that I would go to HELL. I wonder if people ever stop to think what

goes on inside a person. The agony I went through was hor­rendous until I was able to make a decision that living life as a Christian and leading a double life as a Lesbian was too much to cope with, so I left the Christian Church.

I feel my sexuality is a large part of who I am but doesn’t discred­it me as a worthwhile hum an being, Christianity had to go as it would never have allowed me to be PROUD OF W H O I AM.I am one of the lucky ones who could bring myself to make that decision, I have never looked back since. There are a lot of people who are or have been in the same position and who have ended up dead or undergoing heavy psychiatric treatm ent because they can’t see a way out of the misery that life has become for them. I have many Christian friends who accept me for who I am and for those I am grateful, but unfortunately they are a small minority w ithin a rather large institution. It sad­dens me when people th ink they can change and m anipu­late people to be who they want them to be because it doesn’t fit with their belief systems.

The father of the young Gay man who committed suicide has set up a group called ‘U /TU R N EVANGELISM’ which has its primary goal as, “converting Gay people to being straight”. It saddens me that Christian peo­ple, who believe that God can do all things, can’t leave peo­ple’s sexuality up to God; they feel the need to interfere. By doing this I feel they are being judgmental and hypocritical. People are too concerned with other people’s lives and they don’t look at their own. W hat gives an institution the right to

sexuality6

elections

try and play God and ruin peoples lives in the process? Homosexuals are not sick people, they carry out their lives in pretty much the same way as heterosexual people do. They do the same jobs, they have the same interests/hobbies, they partici­pate in sports, they laugh, they cry, they fight and they love. The only difference really, when it comes down to it, is sexual orientation. If that causes people to walk away from me as a friend or to fire me or discriminate in any way, then 1 find that very sad. Especially w ithin the Christian Community. The community often quotes from the Bible something to the affect of ‘we are all equal in Gods eyes no m atter what the ‘sin’ and because Jesus died for us, if forgiveness is asked for, it is granted because Jesus death wiped away our sins:- God no longer sees the sin but the person.’ Maybe if Christians followed this we wouldn’t have to have TV documentaries on ‘Better Dead than Gay’.

This is a pretty broad overview of the whole con­cept of Homosexuality mixed with Christianity, but one must look at the surface before one can delve deeper. The agony people can go through goes a lot deeper and the treatm ent can be a lot harsher, or it can be subtle. This doesn’t take away from the fact that as soon as you combine Christianity and Homosexuality a problem is cre­ated because of the stand point of the church in relation to such matters. 1 think its a person’s right to hate the ‘sin’ if they want to - as I’m all for free­dom of opinion and beliefs - but when those opin­ions and beliefs start to affect other people in a negative way I think that is where the problem lies. The Church should concentrate less on the ‘sin’ and deal with the ‘sinner’ as more of a human being.

If you are a Homosexual on campus, or anywhere for that matter, and you are struggling with Christianity, don t leave it till it is too late. I can be contacted through the SRC if you would like to talk about it. Ultimately the decision is up to the individual, but support through that process is available, whatever your decision might be.

[on being a woman]tire following is a

reprint from tire book: On Being a Woman -

clrapter: B ew are/,

P O E M

B orn I wasD iscrim in ated A g a in st From th e start N o ch an ce

; T o ch o o se W h eth er I w ould

B eP re ju d iced A g a in st It w asP red eterm in ed From th e start W h en I

W asB orn .

7

‘There is a freakish trick of human nature by which a woman sometines “falls in llove” with another woman, or a girl with another girl.This tendency to homosexuali­ty has been publicised so much that many teen-age girls have almost become fearful of falling under the “spell” of some older woman.IN the average mind a considerable mystery sur­rounds the subject, but do not konw whether to believe them. They therefpr remain mystified.This mystery naturallty leads to a certain aniybt if fear.My wife and I were once guests in a girls’ dormitory The dean in charge of this dormitory told us it had been rumoured amoung her girls that two of their group had developed this homosexual type of attraction for each other. As a result of the rumour, practically all the grils were panic-stricken, whether the rumour about the two girls was tru, I do not know. Nut ther panic resulting from the rumour was very 4real and it required considerable tact by the one in charge of the dormitory to convince the group of girls that no tragedy was about to occur...so there is such a thing as homosexuality! And it is true that there have been innocent young people who have become implicated in unhealthy friendships of this type. But there is no need for such a misfortune to befall you...Homosexual tendencies usually occur in persons who are otherwise poorly adjusted in life. If the development of the personality of such a p[erson had been normal, he would be attracted to someone of the opposite sex, not to someone of his own sex. In each person with homosexual tendencies there has been some factor that has caused him or her to react abnormally to life and ist relationships...’

sexualityelections

what is right and what is wrong.The whole point is of course, that together with instilling the belief that marriage serves a social function in the “creation and maintenance o f the good order o f society", it also serves to define sexual norms, and therefore taboos, threatening not only social ostracism for those who stray from the path of righteous- ness, but also eternal damnation to the sulphury lakes of Hell. And while there is a very strong whiff of such anachronisms like patriarchalism still lingering in the cloisters, there is an even stronger and more repugnant stench of sexual intolerance, fear, mistrust and loathing still thickly clogging the air within the Catholic and Anglican churches.Quite recently a friend of mine, w e'll call her Zoe , confided in me that she was a lesbian, but has not told her staunchly Christian parents the news. And while fear of this news becom­ing known and ruining her sister’s forthcoming wedding day looms in the background, Zoe's decision not to 'come out', is based on a fear of ostracism from her family, given the traditionally homophobic and vehemently vitriolic position the Church has taken on such issues.This strikes me as completely incongruous in light of what is actually said

in the marriage ceremony: "that m ar­riage is fo r the proper expression o f natural feelings ...that God has endowed us w ith”. And since we are all created in the image of God - if you buy that particular line - then the emotions that Zoe has for her girl­friend are every bit as natural and proper as were Adam’s and Eve’s. The problem is that the Church insists that homosexuality is sinful, corrupt, wicked and evil. Yet what about all of those girls and boys, Christian or oth­erwise, who through no fault of their own, wind up having the same sort of feelings that Zoe has? The Church has a simple solution however. The answer is to remain celibate, not acknowledge your feelings, live a good life but without the intimacy which the Church itself celebrates at every wedding ceremony it conducts. So what about the line: “It is not good fo r man/[woman] to be alone.” (Genesis 2:18), and that God created Eve to be man’s companion? It seems the Scriptures ring pretty hollow while the Church eagerly condemns homo­sexuality, calling for those like Zoe to deny the very essence of their humani­ty and live a life of solitude.Somehow this whole picture seems to be quite wrong, and ultimately the compassion and love promised by Christ is lost on those like Zoe because of the nastiness of the Church on issues like this.Rod Usher

oexuality Wedding cere­monies; if you’ve ever stopped chatting in the back pews of the

church long enough to hear what’s being said up front, you may notice that they are extraordinarily amusing, if not sublimely hilarious and ridiculous rituals, at the heart of which is a potent melodrama of sexu­al innuendo, metaphor, and plain old pornography.The ever-blushing beautiful bride in traditional white - accompanied by the usual cacophony of weeping maidens; either too happy or sinisterly jealous of the bride’s success in beating them to the alter - stands there trying to hold back the inevitable flood of tears that are sure to gush forth the moment the words spill from her lips, saying: “I d o ”. And not forgetting the blokes in all of this, there they are, standing along side the girls. The Groom, with a nervous twitch, drenched in sweat, stands before the minis­ter awaiting his life sentence, while his Best Man slowly builds up momen­tum as he sways back and forth, his head spinning round and round in giddy circles, as his face turns green - suffering the effects of too much alcohol from the preceding night’s last minute celebration of bachelorhood - and let’s face it .freedom]And when you get past the obligatory hymns and prayers, you’ll notice that the wedding ceremony is nothing short of a virile exclamation and celebration of sexuali­ty - or to be more precise - heterosexuality.From the moment the Bride and Groom enter the church, promising to “have and to hold” one another - and lets face it, it’s the wed­ding night that they’re both thinking of - to the moment when the happy couple march confidently down the aisle with friends and relatives vigorously ejaculating a rainbow of coloured confetti and rice all over them, it’s one big magnificent orgy of promised copu­lation, conception and child-rearing that tri­umphantly extols what we all know - that there’s going to be a hell-of-a-lot-of-bonkin’- goin’-on!! The very symbolism attached to the colour of the dress, virgin white, to the lifting of the veil, sealed with a kiss, to the sexually gratuitous vows: "to have and to hold, with all that I am and all that I have".Obviously this should be taken to mean “you get to play with all my bits, so long as I get to play with all o f you rs" . But what happens if your partner’s "all that I am " turns out to be a pretty darned disappointing, minuscule one - or that all that she is, just ain’t enough??? Perverse thoughts I ’ll admit, but after sitting through more than five dozen weddings over the last couple of years, it relieves the boredom - and in any case, when the bride does promise "all that [she] has”, I can’t help but quickly mentally undress her, to cast my eyes on what her husband gets to play with later that night. But the wedding ceremony does more than simply allow for us to indulge in some co-opted pagan fertili­ty ritual. Instead it affirms sexual mores while defining proper sexual expression - of

pAp sMeaRsSOME

T H O U G H T S

SEXA N D

O TH ER

RELATED

If you’re a sexually active woman, when was the last time you had a pap smear? Never? Once every

two years perhaps?

For any w om an w ho has been slack abou t getting a pap sm ear - w ake up - you could be developing a cancerous grow th as you read this an d you will have no idea until you have a pap sm ear.By then, it could be too late.

Every tw o years since I have been sexually active, I have had a pap sm ear. From m em ory, all w ere fine.Two w eeks ago I w ent for m y routine pap sm ear and got a m yster­ies call from m y docto r asking m e to com e in.Turns ou t 1 had a very abnorm al pap sm ear.If I’d w aited just a few m ore m onths to get the pap sm ear d one - the do c to r w ould have been telling m e I had cervical can ce r - at 23! (And I thought it was som ething that only o lder w o m en got).But anyway, I have a pre-m alignant grow th and I'm at the third layer.There a re th ree layers that the grow th m ust pen e tra te before it becom es cancerous. Mine was found to be at that crucial third, and final layer! (CIN3)So off to the gyaenacologist I m ust go to determ ine the extent of the growth.At the very least I will have to have parts of m y cervix lasered. At the worst, I m ay have to have part of m y cervix cut out.How does a w om an get a pre-m alignant grow th o r cancer (if you d o n ’t catch it in time)?It’s got to do with gential warts that 90% of us have and can get in a n u m b er of ways. As a kid in the playground, you m ay have had a w art on y o u r finger and then shoved yo u r finger in y o u r private b its... Get the drift...A lthough 90% of the population have these warts, only som e of us have the type of skin that will react to the warts.I am o n e of these people.A pparently it takes an average of ten years for the grow th to get to a cancerous stage, atlhough I think in m y case, the grow th was m uch, m uch m ore rapid.It is scary to think that while this thing is grow ing inside y ou r body, w orking tow ards being cancerous, yo u r are oblivious to it. I had no external signs. I had no idea.But there are crucial factors that affect w hether you will get a growth.If you are a sm oker (or even live with sm okers), if you get stressed ,if yo u r cervix has been exposed to sem en (depending on the am ount), you are a high risk person.Now I am n o expert in this. I have just found out that I have this growth. So please find ou t m ore about w hat it is, how you get it and w ays to look after yourself to avoid getting to the stage that I am now at.This will affect m e for the rest of m y life. I m ust now have REGU­LAR pap sm ears (I think every six m onths) and I m ust be careful in the areas ou tlined above.My do c to r im plored m e to be an am bassador for this. P lease get regular pap sm ears done and I strongly suggest you get them done m uch m ore regularly than every two years. Why no t every y ear or every eight m o n th s ...

'Love is pretty damn important.'Your sexual activity is not the sum ot your sexual identity 'Before Freud-invented it (thanks a tucking lot, mate) there was no such concept as sexuality- it was a behaviour, not an identity 'Heterosexuality is not normal, it’s just common 'Desire is unpredictable'In Tasmania, any sort of sexual activity apart from the missionary position (done in private between consenting heterosexual adults, naturally) is actually illegal!'Sex is kind of like pizza- even when it s not great it’s still pretty good (and it’s also better with anchovies...)'I t ’s not about who you fuck, it’s about how you fuck (or even IF you fuck...)'Masturbate - it s good for you'Even it you choose not to have sex, you’re still a sexual being (see above point)'T here ain’t no such thing as "normal’’'W e live in an anti-sex culture that, despite all the hype surrounding sex, is still rather puritan...'Experimentation is not a crime- “You’ll never never know if you never never go...'Bisexuality is far more common than you may think'Ever noticed how there’s no male equivalent for the word “slut”? Sure, there’s “stud", hut that’s not exactly an insult!' Do it safely- yeah, 1 know it s been said a billion times, but itstops you stressing about catching nasty, and downright deadly, things. Andtalk about safe sex - sex is infinitely better with trust.'Heterosexism is the assumption that everyone is straight 'and on that point.

When You Meet Clays and Lesbians For the First T ime:1 l ints for the Heterosexual:

1. Do not run screaming from the room. This is rude.2. If you must hack away, do so slowly and with discretion.3. Do not assume they are attracted to you.4. Do not assume they are not attracted to you.3. Do not expect them to he as excited about meeting a heterosexual as you may be about meeting a gay person6. Do not immediately start talking about your boy/girlfriend or husband/wife in order to make it clear that you are straight7. Do not ask them how they got that way. Instead, ask yourself how you got the way you are.8. Do not trivialise their experience by assuming it is a bedroom issue only. They are gay 24 hours a day.

A student s glide to campus

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If you plan on having sex on campus, or with someone from campus, do it with an audience - you might as well because the whole campus, including the cleaners, gar­deners and kitchen staff, will know about it by breakfast. People at on-campus accom­modation have this game they play every morning in the dining room, it's called whispers and moans (Chinese whispers regarding who bonked who, and how). Here are some tips on how to delay the inevitable and get in at least one safe bonking session before everyone on campus knows about it. Have a supply of condoms handy. Do not ask your room mate for one. They will smile sweetly, say, “Here, take two just in case” , and announce to anyone they see roaming the hallway that you are about to get lucky. If you happen to use the bathroom after sex, don 't be surprised to find a group of voyeurs with their ears pressed to the wall. If you decide to get a prophylactic from the dispenser in the bathrooms make sure you do a reconnaissance first. If no one is around, stock up.Sex in the shower is out of the question. The bathrooms are communal - so unless you are kinky, or have a very large shower, for­get it. People coming in and out of the bath­room will pop their heads in to say, “Hi” , ask if they can join you, and when you refuse they will stand at the door and charge people a buck a peep to see the circus.Do not believe the rumours circulated by lit­tle boys on campus. If those young, dumb and full of come 18 year olds brag about the babe they picked up, be aware that it was probably their pillow they were moaning and groaning with.A condom nailed to your door the next morning ( hopefully not the one you used the night before ), is a subtle hint that you got laid. If you would like your sex life to remain a private affair, have sex on the beach; less people will notice or care.You have been warned about the perils of having sex on campus, safe sex is not a problem, secret sex is. If you still choose to go ahead and copulate, be aware of the types that are on offer.Every campus has it’s jocks, computer nerds, grommets (surfers for those of you who have not encountered one), and barbie dolls.The jocks you can spot miles away, just look for soiled sneakers and get used to them because they are permanently fixed to the jocks feet, even during sex. The term jock has always struck me as ironic because

sExmost jocks do not wear any, and I find the notion of a jock strap incongruous. I am yet to meet a jock who has their balls strapped in, they are always out on the prowl looking for the next goal (chick) to score.If you enjoy sex that is virtual but not real, find yourself a computer nerd. Unless you can communicate in bits and bytes, verbal interaction is not necessary. Cybersex’ is the safest sex around besides masturbation, although be warned that unlike masturba­tion you may not reach orgasm during cybersex.During sex with the grommet do not be alarmed if he calls out someone else’s name. If you hear him moan, “Oh skipp, 1 wanna ride you baby” , he is referring to his surfboard. Don’t get jealous, the board is the least offensive part of the grommets anatomy.If you plan to have sex with the campus’ resident barbie, make sure you are a patient person. She will probably stop you in the middle of oral sex to make sure you didn't mess up her pubic hairdo. After all, it took her an hour to style. Her motto is, “Always j f... with fudge” , unfortunately not the chocolate type.The inaugural campus interhalls ball has all the ingredients for a gigantic orgy; lots of girls, lots of boys, and lots of alcohol. Someone will pick up a barbie doll, a grom­met, a jock’, or a computer nerd, or maybe even one of each, and everyone will know I about it - Except maybe the couple copulat­ing because they were probably too drunk to remember, but they too will be given all the details, if it was good, how long it lasted and what colour underpants were worn. There is a sober sex statistician at every drunken party. If you don’t want any linger­ing reminders of your night in a drunken stupor, make sure the sex you have is safe.

“...the best flick ever:”Confessions of a sex-crazed Scorpio

by Cazza and Mick (“....pass us a beer, will ya?)

You guys just aren t getting it right. You re going straight in for the rip and tear instead of a bit of a tickle. You re chomping on the cake when you could be licking the cream. Let s face it, no-one can do it like a Scorpio can.W e ve decided to get out of bed, and even put some clothes on for god s sake, to give you guys some inside information. The time has come to throw away your karma sutra, your Cleo 10-step guide to good sex, your strap-on, your bondage gear, your condoms and K-Y and get ready for the bonk of your life.Before you re bum ping nasties and even before you stick your tongue in, you ve got to have a tease. The thing to always keep in m ind is that it s all in the eyes. Scorpio s invented bedroom eyes. You can only give the look if you re good in the sack. A nd it s not about thinking you re good, sweetheart, it s about knowing you re good. Scorpios develop 360 degree panoramic technicolour sensorvision as soon as they re off the breast, and just keep getting bet­ter. That look can promise you multiple orgasms, back pain and lots of gooey stuff on the sheets. It could mean you 11 be in therapy for months and have access to really cool drugs. Read on and learn how it s done.Give this one a try, bu t only after you ve swapped spit in the shower...The person is sitting in the Uni Bar and you walk in. You assess the situation and decide that there s enough flesh exposed on the neck for a little nibble. You sneak up, as Scorpios are want to do, and clamp down with the fangs. Now pay attention because this is not your average bite, it takes skill and discipline. You sink in the teeth just to the point of pain then lock your teeth and fight not to draw blood. Every muscle in your face, neck and chest should be vibrating with tension, your teeth roll on the sinews and you want to take a big hunk with you. Then you just stop, walk away or sit down on the other side of the table. Ignore what just happened bu t have a good look in the eyes. If you ve done the job properly there 11 be a sign saying You and me babe, how bou t it? But, before you attem pt to pull the moves with

F O RB O Y S

DOUBLES

3. Even More Foreplay

8. Even More Wrong

yourteeth, you need to know how to use your lips. So few people in the world know how to kiss. Let s outline a few elementary principles. The first, and possibly the most im portant is: there is no place the tongue can t go, except the Vegemite Valley. Just consider this point for a few moments before proceeding...Right. O nce you completely understand this principle, in both theory and practice, you may move on to becom e the honorary pupil of the Kiss Master.LESSON ONE:A kiss is not a swordfight. In o ther words, for the slow ones amongst you, don t stick the tongue in too early, and, once its in, don t try to find out what they had for breakfast.LESSON TW O:This one is simple. If you w ant to go hard you ve got to start soft.LESSON THREE:If the passion ain t there, do not continue...If this means drawing blood to repel the invad­er, do it. The last thing you want is someone doing the claw and slobber in the night. Those who kiss badly inevitably turn to clawing and slobbering as soon as you get them between the sheets. They wont let you sleep and its hard to make them piss off in the morning.Now, down to stains, screams and handcuffs. This is real Scorpio stuff.You 11 notice we used the w ord stain . KY is for wimps. Let s face it son, if you can t get the juices flowing like wine from a two litre cask

then you need to work on your technique.W e re talking wet wet wet. A nd there s more to it than just that. The passion should be so intense that you d do it in the back of a police car , behind the clothes line at your mums fifti­eth birthday Barbie or on G erard Sutton s desk while he s popped out for his morning prozac. Every part of your body is screaming for release, your shoes are squelching, you could change a flat tyre without a jack.W hen you get down to the bum p and grind this is the thing to remember;G O HARD OR G O HOM E!It s an old Scorpio trait; it s better to burn out than to fade away. If you can t get a good hour out of it you ve been ripped off. N ot that the ten minute quickie in the bushes outside the Uni Bar isn t worth the effort once or twice a week, but there s more to it than having ants crawling over your gonads.This one s very important: no sex with red­necks. That simple. H ow can you expect some­one with the intellect and fashion sense of a Vice Chancellor to get you off. You want to moan and scream, not listen to someone squeal like a pig. We can t let these people continue to breed, and culling them out of the sexual equa­tion is the first step.Now Scorpios are the masters of the sensory. You have to learn how to touch, how to sweep your fingernails across a naked stomach so that muscles spasm, how to bite, lick and rub for maximum effect. Those sensible enough to have long hair will know how to draw screams from their victim, sorry, partner, by raking it across their body., especially on the beach at sunset as a storm rages by. Ah, memories...But alas, the word count is upon us. There s so much more we need to tell you and you need to know. Well, if anyone desires some personal instruction, me and Cazza can be found at the Uni Bar most days and we d be glad to take a look at it for you.Just remember, once you ve had a Scorpio you can never go back.And can 1 just say to the prick who stole my bike from the Bar in week 5, thanks a lot pal, it s done wonders for my sex life.

To Be Continued: Same sex time, same sex channel.

11sexuality

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fea tu re story

b y John Starr

^ s t t i |a d cf adIIE1John Starr is a survivor from multiple rape and molestation in both his childhood and adulthood. He was abused in a

homicidal cult (ritual abuse) and by two "mainstream ” uncles.

Men s conditioning

SPEAK OUT!Facts

One quarter of boys and m en are sexually abused in their lives (NSW Dept, of Health). In Australia this means there are 2 ,2 1 5 ,0 0 0 boys and m en who are sexually abused.Only a tenth of these m en feel they can obtain sup­port (NSW Dept, of Health statistics) leaving 1 ,9 3 3 ,5 5 0 not obtaining support.Support for m ale survivors is m inim al. There are only two governm ent survivor groups and four private groups in NSW. There is m inim al train ing on m ale sexual abuse and only one m ale sexual abuse w ork­er. The NSW D epartm ent of Health has only recently adopted a policy on it.

The aim of presenting these facts is to inspire revenge and anger and subsequently, political action. People, especially m en, need to organ ize around this issue. There are two groups who are organizing for political change - Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (02 9 3 3 1 2 4 8 7 ) and M en Against Sexual Assault (02 9 5 5 0 4 0 5 3 )

The reasons why male survivors are not supported is clear. The capi­talist economy has structured male conditioning so that we cannot be survivors. We must be continually working and never looking after our emotional needs. We are stopped from being sensitive. We are told that we could not have been or be sexually abused, so that we go back to work/study and perform our parental duties.

It is also reinforced within society that because men supposedly have “power” and are physically well built then we cannot be victims.There are glaring contradictions that refute this. Most men do not fit the stereotype in attitude or build. They can be drugged and brain­washed, as with homicidal cult (ritual abuse) survivors, and then raped, they can be raped and molested by many perpetrators and can be raped by a more abusively “powerful” man (for example by a phys­ically built man or a boss.) Men are also conditioned and falsely rep­resented as the seducer. This does not mean that a man cannot be raped. A perpetrator sees someone for sexual violence, regardless of gender, and will abuse a more powerful “position” and create/manipu- late an unsafe situation for this violence.

More contradictions are that perpetrators can abuse power relations where a boy or man has no control. These are economic, societal or family. Again the perpetrator abuses an unsafe environment. An older member of the family (for example, a grandfather) can abuse his posi­tion and tell the mum to go out for the day and then molest, or a gang of homophobic youths can abuse a societal anti homosexual atti­tude to lure and rape a gay man. Other forms of molesting and rape include multiple rape at a workplace (for example, apprenticeship gang rapes or molestation by an older sister.)

The effect of the general male conditioning differs according to the age of the survivor. We are also affected by the conditioning and soci­etal view of that age. Boys, as with girls, are told lies that we are mak­ing this up and can be threatened with death and, strangely, with telling other family members (I write ‘we’ here to talk to child peo­ple). Children are able to be easily coerced by the generally oppressive and foreboding nature of abusive adults. This is the age when male conditioning is heavily coerced, and so boys reeling under this pres­sure feel at a further loss when being violated. Adult men who are raped and molested as children are conditioned to think that we are not allowed to be childlike, and thus are discouraged from working through child memories, and that we cannot, because of work com­mitments and family/social responsibilities, be emotional. Adult men who are raped and molested as adults are lied to that adult men can­not be raped and must also adhere to men’s conditioning.

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SettingsMost sexual abuse occurs within the family. This comprises 90% of sexual abuse - with perpetrators from grandfathers through to sisters. Again, unsafe situations and power relations are abused. A dad at work, a mum at tennis, babysitting,or a family work shed are examples of unsafe situations which a real perpetrator employs. Outside the family, perpetrators can be anyone and abuse any unsafe area. Perpetrators here can be neighbours, complete strangers, students,“friends”, lecturers, and the whole gamut of society. Areas commonly abused are deserted public space, work/study and recreation places and neighbourhood housing.

Rape and molestation happens because we had an economy that was violent. Rape and molestation have been abused officially and unofficially in war; the major means until fifty years ago of obtaining land. Our present more peaceful society has provided security so that we can work on this sexual violence. It has allowed it to come out into the open and be addressed.There are four specific “reasons” for why it happens. Sexual violence is not about sex. It is about abusing the sexual act in order to obtain something.These can be singular or be used together. Firstly it is abused for expressing abusive power. The sexual act is abused in order for a perpetrator to control another person. Secondly, it can be abused for coercion such as into a homici­dal criminal organization or ritual abuse. Boys are raped violently in these mur­dering cults in order to stop them from disclosing and to create compliance. Thirdly, people who have been sexually abused may sexually abuse others - this is ‘acting out’; those who have been sexually abused may reproduce the sexually violent behaviour, thus a perpetrator is, in effect, continuing the cycle of their abuse. These perpetrators will still abuse power relations. Lastly, it can be abused for profiteering, as in child and adult prostitution and pornography. Both boys and men can be drugged and brainwashed when forced into prosti­tution and pornography with, for example, international paedophile rings.

Impact of sexual violenceSexual violence is a major personal invasion both upon one’s self and upon inti­macy with others. Survivors feel that with recovery, trust and finding and developing one’s personal boundaries is very important. Having intimate sexual relationships with lovers is also a major area to work through. With survivors from child sexual violence there is the added aspect of finding and supporting unaffected parts of one’s childhood that the assault never got to.Frequent issues also faced by men survivors are anxiety, depression and mood swings, low self esteem, feeling desperate, out of control, shame and guilt, iso­lation, insomnia and revictimization.Men and boys use many methods to combat the violence. These methods are

temporary because they do not address the violence. They are band aid in the positive sense of supporting the immediate and negative in the long term effect of healing the pain that can be gone forever. Such methods include the contin­ual addictive use of impersonal sex, overly idealised romance, drugs, over eat­ing, sport, gambling, overworking, partying, television etc. for escapism, acting out, particularly in a sexual sense, the overuse of sexualised places, for example beats and hotels, having an intense hatred/obsession with a particular gender and sexuality and of a certain look of a person (for example, someone with blond hair), continual dissociation or splitting off, multiple personality, spac­ing out and forgetting, denial and being overly analytical and perfectionism are specially related to the men’s conditioning of having to work. Men have to remove and distance themselves from the memories mentally and physically. Denial, continually analysing and being the perfect worker, is a product of this.

RecoveryAddressing the issue and working through the process of healing means recov­ering from the pain. It means that the man is really controlling his life and the pain and memories are not - he can choose not to go to the pub to escape and to work the way he wants.In sexual violence recovery the terms ‘victim’ and ‘survivor’ are used. Victim means someone who is forced to continually react to situations whereas a sur­vivor is someone who can control these reactions. These are not fixed and there are periods when a survivor can react. The terms have more to do with inten­tions. A survivor is someone who can commit themselves to recovery. Survivorship means self reliance, the ability to trust, organizing one’s life around recovery, working through memories and having assistance from a counsellor, or a support group, co-survivor (committed friend or family), other survivors or survivor organizations. Recovery is a natural process and if it wasn’t for the economic and social needs and wants of this society, it would be expressed naturally. A baby crying to recover from pain is a natural process that men have and still retain. It merely takes the remembering of this ability by the man to make it happen. Through counselling, being with other supportive people and being in a safe place by oneself, men can reclaim this ability. In the six years I have been involved in the men’s movement 1 have seen us change from your stereotype “broad shouldered” oaf to men who genuinely get what we want - the ability to be ourselves.

SupportThe public now accept that boys and men may be sexual violence survivors.The recent Royal Commission into the Police and the paedophilia hearings and the disclosures against the church have supported this acceptance. All well trained counsellors and those in the government agencies work well with sexual violence. The majority work well with men. The only ones who do not are those with anti-male attitudes, and they are to be avoided. There is a wide range of books on Male Sexual Violence particularly Mike Lew’s Victims No Longer, and they can be ordered and bought from the Feminist Bookshop or Gleebooks in Sydney or the Union Bookshop on Campus. There are two spe­cific male survivor agencies. The first is the private Male Sexual Assault Counselling Service in Sydney and the other is the government male sexual violence worker at either Newtown Community Health Centre or Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.

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seo

oming

One more

coming out story...

Dying summer of year 1994, Planet Earth, location MidEurope/Germany:

A straight heterosexualperson had to find out that love is not only focused on the opposite sex... Unless it was still possible in the early 90s to identify gay people like a subspecies of Homo sapi­ens. A theme totally out of discussion, especially in a small village in W estern Germany where possi­bilities like these were hardly known. But if you think it would be easy for a newcomer to enter the “homoscene” in a student city like Saarbriicken you are definitely wrong.

In the hightech and intercommunication century, whilst overinforming massmedia is over­taking everybody’s mind, fetishes are common and sado/maso habits are well known, homosexuality seems still to be treated as taboo in public. O f course it belongs to the sex experience repertoire you should have but as soon as it is more than an excursion or more than a frustrating event you will be in the same trouble in which gay poeple have found themselves for centuries. All the institutions postulated on TV as youth life savers in any con­fusing situation of their sex life, like “Pro Familia”, turn out to be really useless. After an annoying search of the most unknown comers of the city, all what they advise you to do is to go to U ni and look for an almost inactive W om en’s or Lesbian office, where you have been several times before without any success... Back on the street with three phone numbers which might possibly help you, you are already too tired to try anything and you feel more abnormal than before! So you are going to walk home to all your hetero friends to make up some strange stories about where you have been all day and why you missed your lec­tures, because how could you feel strong enough to tell the truth if everybody gives you the impression you’re behaving the wrong way!After a strong tea and a bar of chocolate you feel

strong enough to

have another try and pick up the phone

numbers. The fun starts again when you find out that two out of three has already been disconnected... Last try... a nice female voice at the other side of the phone ( what a relief!). Happy to have reached someone you start talking about your problem, tha t you don’t know where to meet like-minded people: at that point the nice voice interrupts you to ask about your therapy demands, so that you find out you must have been mistaken. O n a scale of 1 to 10 your mood is minus 10!

A knock on the door keeps you away from your suicidal thoughts. The surprising visitor is your ex-or what ever- girlfriend who wants to introduce you to her new male lover! So you invite them for a cup of tea, offer your last chocolate and appreciate their young love with a friendly smile on your face.

Several hours later, knowing that this day can not become worse, you decide to go to a party, because your friends asked you.As soon as you enter the big party room on campus your eyes focus on these four women dancing with each other in the furthest comer. A ll of a sudden there is the feeling that you aren’t alone on this planet. You keep on focussing them for the whole night to be really sure that this is not just an illu­sion. The bad thing is that in this room it is hardly possible to talk, because of the loud music. Therefore you decide to wait until they are going to leave the party, which proves to be really stress­ful... it is coming up to la.m , it is coming up to 2a.m.... you have to dance with several idiots to stay awake and to have the possibility to focus on them... and all of a sudden two of them have dis­appeared ...what a shock... but there are still two left and you focus all your concentration on not losing them too! They make you wait until 4 o’clock in the morning before they decide to leave the party. Abruptly all of your senses are awake again, you have forgot what you wanted to say, how to act and whatever... what if you are wrong and they are only good friends and send you to hell for asking whether they are lesbians or not? W hilst you are thinking about all these questions you dis­cover yourself following them outside and scream­ing an unsure 'hello,would you wait a sec for m e'. Surprised eyes are looking at you, expecting that you want a lift to the city. Your heart is going boom boom boom! Scattered phrases are coming out of your mouth, explaining that you have seen them dancing with each other which has made you guess they could probably be together... endless

onds of silence... you

expect any kind of reaction, especially an

aggressive one, after ages they look at each other and say: 'N o '. It

seems that you fall down in a bottomless hole and you try to save yourself with the question if they are at least following the principle of female relationships, because you think that the situation cannot become worse than it is! In order to legiti­mate your intimate question you keep on talking, explaining your situation that you do not know how to keep going up to the moment a ' yes, we are following that principle' reedems you ! It is fol­lowed by a hug and ageneral laughing and the promise that you are definitely not the only one who feels this way on this earth. After another five minutes an appointment for the following week in the cafe of the philosophy faculty is made.

Finally from that Tuesday onwards we met every week there and we became really good friends and we are still laughing about the bizarre first meeting story, when I 'a ttacked ' Jaquesline and Ute at this party. Anyway from this point there was almost no women event w ithout us (without me!) and several members entered our group since this time ( who are all studying at the same Uni, in the same subject and haven’t known each other as like minded people) by other lucky chances. Our group consist at the mom ent of seven people, Andrea, Isa, Jaquesline, Manuela, Marion, Ute and me( Sandra) who are attacking Saarbriicken and other cities' night- and daylife.A t the beginning of this year Isa and I went for example on our so called self-made 'purple tour' up to Berlin ( German capital) and Hamburg, where we discovered for example a women/lesbian Turkish bath and a hotel in the middle of the city only for women! Jaquesline and I went to the greatest lesbian event in Munich, the annual so called lesbian spring meeting, which takes place for one week, with different workshops and rallies and finally great night time parties.

1 am missing them and I am still thankful for the world they opened for me and hope tha t they all are missing me too and that 1 will have the chance one day to introduce them to all the friends I made here in Wollongong, especially at the “AllSorts” meetings.

Hook,

student from

by Sandra

exchange

Germany.

1 4se xu a lity elections

ready.Sex sells, and if the International Olympic Committee were smart they would relegate the status of everyone’s favourite physical pursuit, sex, to a sport.Freestyle fellatio, cunnilingus relay, muff diving, synchronised orgasms, the twelve inch pole vault and the rhythmic thrust may well be future Olympic events if we continue to maintain the ‘sex sells’ philosophy. The Olympic Games may soon be a redundant tradition, replaced instead by the World Bonking Games.If you think you might be eligible for any or all of these events, then start training now. If the old adage, ‘practice makes perfect’ holds true, those sex fiends out there should qualify for the games when a suitable time and venue (Thailand is top of the list) is announced.At the Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway, 40 000 con­doms were issued to athletes, offi­cials, volunteers and journalists. Copulation was probably enhanced by the sub-zero temperatures. In Barcelona 6 000 condoms were issued to the athletes alone, many were filled with water and dropped on unsuspecting victims, many more were used for their intended pur­pose.In Atlanta the number of condoms issued was considerably less, proba­bly because it was too damn hot to bonk and also because southern morality is so stringent that oral sex is considered a sexually deviant act, along with bestiality and necrophilia. Participation in these activities can carry hefty prison sentences. Necrophilia carries a jail sentence of two and a half years, while those engaging in bestiality face three months in the slammer. The crime of oral sex carries the heaviest penal­ty. If a person is convicted of engag­ing in fellatio or cunnilingus they could be sentenced to life imprison­ment, a prison category second only to death row. Most athletes in Atlanta, if they were smart, probably

15

pic by m ary A. breeze

kept their mouths shut and their jeans buttoned.While sex at the Olympics may have been non-existent, nudity in sport is a common practice. Danielle Drady, a squash player ranked number two in the world, realised the marketing value of nudity. In order to attract a lucrative sponsorship deal Drady wrapped herself in nothing but cling film and hung a for sale sign around her neck, while playing a game of squash in a glass court at Martin Place.The crowd pleasers at the Olympic Games proved to be the sports where the least clothing was worn. Swimming, diving, women’s basketball and athletics were all popular with perverts and voyeurs. Beach volleyball was an ogler’s dream.There is no better way to spend a summer’s day than drinking Daiquiris in the sun and watching beautiful bodies smash a ball over a net with skilful displays of athleticism.The perverts would enjoy their Daiquiris a whole lot more if the athletes were naked. By the end of the tournament some o f the women would probably have black eyes and the men bruised bel­lies from wayward balls, but the crowd would be getting their money’s worth. Isn’t that what sport in the nineties is all about; athletes and spectators getting their fair share o f the dollar?The public certainly got their money’s worth if they purchased the Atlanta Dream issue of Black and White magazine, which features nude photographs of elite Australian athletes. The early issues sold out within three days of publication. If you have seen the issue, the dreams you had that night were probably wet ones. It is impossible not to drool over physiques so perfect. Various pages of my issue have drib­

WELCOME TO NET

ble stains on them where I could not control my salivary glands.The chiselled bodies of the gymnasts are reminiscent of marbled statues of the Greek Gods. These athletes are not made of myth or marble like Adonis and Apollo, they are hot blooded hunks of muscled flesh (whoops, I am drooling again). The soft curves and hard muscle of the female swimmers, divers and cyclists are infinitely more perfect and pro­portioned than Botticelli’s Venus. Despite what the editors and athletes say, the photographs in Black and White are not merely works of art - they are a voyeur’s dream. That is why the early issues sold out so rapidly; sex sells.It seems that the Olympic Games have come full circle, athletes have

gone back to their ancient Greek roots and we may soon see them competing, rather than posing, com­pletely starkers. It is not inconceiv­able that in the future bonking may be an Olympic event.Until that time comes all those non­elite athletes out there should con­tinue their safe sex training regime for the future World Bonking Games. Voluptuous breasts and a twelve inch penis are all that is need­ed for the qualifying rounds, a wash­board stomach and pert bottom are desirable attributes to possess, but are not essential. If the judges like your condom rolling technique, appreciate the dexterity and skill you display with your hands and are in awe of your rhythm and stamina, you may be the future World

sexualityelections

Sex education and Old Chronologically ChallengedW h e n I was a pre-wet dream pre-teen my

father dutifully escorted me to Father and Son courses where I learnt all I needed to know about reproduction. That is, I learnt everything about sperm and eggs except the one pivotal question. How did one meet the other? For a time I thought that con­ception did not require touching. With Man standing in one corner and Woman standing on the other, the whole operation was rather like filling a bucket with a hose.

Thirty years on, Father and Son became Family Life. Fathers still bring their sons and mothers their daughters. The emphasis now is on vocabulary. My son now knows all the correct names for all the parts, so I shouldn’t have been surprised by this question,

“Daddy, when you stick your penis in Mummy’s volvo does she fall asleep”?

I’ve met a few penises in volvos so ......[Ed. Excuse me Old Fart, but you must have dozed off in the editorial meeting. You were supposed to write about sex and the mature aged student. SEX, COMMA, EDUCATION. O.F. Sorry, may I start again?]

Sex, Education and the Chronologically Challenged Mature A g ed Student

As I see it, the most depressing bit about being surrounded by long legged eighteen year old spunks in with rings in their navels

[Ed. Spunks? Spunks! We do not use antique sexist language in our Sexuality edition and don’t exclude gays, lesbians, bisexuals, queers, transsexuals and celibates. They can be old and frustrated, too.O.F. What is this? A Sociology essay?]

the most depressing thing is not that yourdaily fantasy wouldn’t come across even if you did ask her, it’s not even that you have a far better chance with her Mum. It’s when you find out you did try with her mother twenty years ago and she turned you down. That’s really depressing.

Not to say that University can’t be a sexual education for the mature aged in other ways. Take the rubber things the S.R.C. keeps

throwing at you. A dental dam looks just like cloudy glad wrap only stretchy. I always thought that lube was something you did with your car.

I found it hard enough to become computer literate. Doesn’t the Union or the Sport and Recreation People run courses or something? Damn those dams.[Ed. I guess you could say “The dam has bro­ken head for the hills” !O.F. Sexual puns in the Tert what is the world coming to?]

So sex is what everyone is doing except for those who aren’t doing it. Just like everyone at this university comes straight from theH.S.C. at age eighteen, single, without chil­dren and randy; except those who don’t.[Ed. Come? Excuse me O.F. I don’t want to interrupt your senile raving but Tertangala policy insists writers use the word fuck at least once in a Sex article.O.F. Tempting. I ’ll have to keep it in mind.]

All is wonderful right up to the class time when we discover the controlling gaze and gender as a social construct. [Ed. ???]

Had I better explain? When a man (as charter member of the Patriarchy) looks at a woman he sees her as an object o f his gaze control­ling her and reducing her to an inferior status. That’s true even if she turns round and abuses you. So when the S.R.C. hands out condoms the moral is, you can touch but you can’t look.

To quote Harrison Chadd, who never thought he would ever be quoted - certainly not in the Tertangala - “Where was the Patriarchy when I needed it”?

Can a mature aged student find love and true lust at U.O.W? He can if his wife doesn’t find out.

Which is why I am signing off as Old Fart.

O What the FUCK [Na-Na Na Na-Na to youEd.] David Guy

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Lest We Regret - [On being a

woman]." . . . P e tting gives rise to a sense o f guilt for hav ing sto len from th e fu tu re those sacred experiences w h ich sh o u ld have been reserved u n til a fte r m a r­riage. In p e ttin g , th e th rill o f physical pleasure becom es associa ted in th e m in d w ith th e sense o f g u ilt, the know ledge o f sto len treasures. O n c e estab lished , th is lin k in g o f a sense o f gu ilt w ith th e th rill o f in tim a te associ­a tions carries th ro u g h even in to m a r­ried life, fry as o n e may, a fte r m a r­riage, to b reak th is u n h a p p y c o m b in a ­tion , th e sense o f g u ilt persists, ro b ­b ing th e in d iv id u a l o f th e c o m p le te pleasure a snd full sa tisfac tio n w h ich righ tfu lly b e lo n g to h u sb a n d a n d wife. So, even th o u g h a p re sen t frien d sh ip does c u lm in a te in m arriage , a p e rm a ­n en t sense o f gu ilt is to o h igh a price to pay for th e tra n s ie n t th rills o f p e t­t in g .. .W h en a girl su b m its to p e ttin g she su rrenders p a r t o f herself. She bestow s certa in factors o f h er perso n a l c h a rm th a t can never be fully re trieved . She lowers those barriers th a t g u a rd her

innocence an d purity , as a resu lt, she becom es h a n d ic a p p e d in e s tab lish in g fu tu re friendsh ips w ith y o u n g m en o f h igh standards.

§R0Win§ Up

My m other came out as a lesbian about 12 years ago when I was 7. You might wonder what it was like to be bought up in a homosexual household I perpetuate the myth that homosexual parents will raise homosexual children. But it is not as simple as the courts and the Fred Niles of this world would have you believe.W hen my parents were separating, my m other was intimidated by the courts and made to feel like a second rate mother because of her sexuality. She was constantly reminded that her sexuality could be used against her in relation to custody issues and given reading material concerning custody cases that other lesbians had lost.Mum always provided a safe, secure and loving home for myself and my two younger brothers, we were never in want for anything and I was sur­rounded by a community of loving and supportive women who contributed to my growing in many varied and positive ways.This is why I get so angry at people like Fred Nile, who say that homosexual people cannot be parents. My m other has never been a sexual deviant, (she always wears sensible, cotton undies), and has worked extremely hard to provide for us. Her part­ners have always taken on the heavy responsibility of caring for us, showing the love and generosity that they would show to their own children.Tim Fischer (another tolerant, open-minded politi­cian), has declared that same sex couples with chil­dren do not rate as families. I wonder if he has ever observed a family like ours. If he had, he would have seen a group of well balanced people who care for, and respect each other.Like any other family, we have dramas, crises’ and many good times. If that doesn’t constitute a family,I ask, what does?It is very frustrating to feel as if society doesn’t recognise the group of people that I love as a family. O f course, there are negative aspects to growing up with a homosexual parent, but they aren’t what your prejudices may suggest they are.I was scared about what my friends with straight parents would think and what they would say about my mother. I was scared to “come out” as a child of a lesbian parent, not only because of the prejudice 1 could face, but also because I got the impression that it made people feel uncomfortable and restrict­ed around me.However, I was lucky because most of my good friends didn’t care. My father was also very angry about my mothers choice of lifestyle, which was hard to see and heightened my feeling of being torn

1 7sexuality elections

between my parents. But these negative aspects can be seen as positive, because they taught me about strength and not worrying so much about what other people think.All people have negative and scary experiences in their childhoods, I just feel lucky that so many posi­tive lessons came from mine.I must say that I am inspired by, and respect the bravery of those people who come out in isolated and often unsupported situations.I had other difficulties. Because I had a very bal­anced education about sexuality, I was never scared of my own queerness, the trouble was, I didn’t believe in it.W hen I tried to dissos my sexuality with friends, queer and straight, I got the feeling that they believed I only thought 1 was queer because my mother was. I carried this belief until only a couple of months ago, when 1 realised that my attraction to women was very real and not a product of my upbringing.I feel as if my balanced sex education left me with a more open option about my sexuality. But because I had no irrational fear of homosexuality, it also left me confused. I finally realised that I am not queer because my mother is, if I was straight, would it be just because my father is?There are a lot of people who believe that hom o­sexuality is abnormal or unnatural and I would like to finish by saying that homophobia is conditioned, it is not based in reality, but rather, in fear.In this sexuality week, allow yourself to be educat­ed, be open to the diversity of your university com­munity and the new experiences that this could bring.

B I S E X U A L I T YIn a society used to splitting

everything into simple, easy-to-under- stand good/bad pairs, that encourages rampant consumption o f everything from Sex to BigMacs to Individuals to Reeboks, and that STILL manages to cling to the puritan ethic that pleasure is almost as evil as free will and choice, bisexuals occupy an interesting position.

Bisexuality can currently be seen (or not seen) as something of a “no-man’s land”, mostly because those bisexuals who choose to be in relationships with one person at a time (like society expects) are conveniently perceived as gay or straight, according to that relationship, and so their bisexuality becomes imme­diately invisible. People frequently refer to the “gay and/or lesbian community”; its existence is a validation of the reali­ties that gays and lesbians exist (lots of them), and that sexuality implies more than just a particular sexual practice. Finding a “bisexual community”, on the other hand, is a little more difficult.Even though few people get through life having purely heterosexual or purely homosexual experience (if you factor in dreams, fantasies, childhood play, rugby changing rooms etc), it takes very par­ticular circumstances for that experience to be called bisexuality, and even then, the label is regarded as unstable - ever noticed that gays are gays, lesbians are lesbians, straights are straights and bisexuals are “calling themselves bisexual at the moment”?

How you define your sexuality will always depend on what you do con­sider as significant factors. Counting only relationships and conscious attrac­tions might give you a different result to counting the aforementioned dreams, play and “minor” sexual encounters, and taking into account your gut feeling, your moral/spiritual/intellectual stance and what you can see yourself doing in

the future might give you something else again — or leave you feeling kinda confused. The Kinsey scale, which plots sexuality on a scale of seven points, with homo- and heterosexuality at either end, breaks away from an either/or model of orientation, and suggests that sexuality instead exists on a continuum contain­ing potentially endless variations of the homo/hetero ratio. Kinsey doesn’t define which sector of the scale should be labelled bisexuality, but a degree of bisexuality is implied for everyone who fits anywhere on the scale except at either extreme - not something that’s reflected in the way we usually talk about sexuality.

W hat the Kinsey scale doesn’t fac­tor is time, and the habit humans have of changing in innumerable ways over a lifespan. I could call myself a “Kinsey 3” or a “Kinsey 5”, but ultimately what I want for myself is not the ability to react to people and situations from a fixed position on any scale, but the free­dom to respond according to the infi­nite, minute details of myself and my circumstances at any given moment. So if fluidity is the deal, why have a label at all? Because I see it as a personal and political necessity at the moment. W ithout a label that describes me rela­tively well, people tend to assume I’m something I’m not at all, and I find that large bits of me and my experiences get discounted - be they my relationships with boys, my dreams about girls, what­ever. I absolutely believe that discrimi­nation on the basis of sexual preference needs to stop - and that includes all kinds of harrassment, abuse, and the withholding of ‘family’ rights according to sexuality. I also believe in strength in numbers, so as more people make known that this discrimination affects them and is unnacceptable, the easier it is to create change.

18

(S O M E O F ) T H E M Y T H S A N D P R E ­

C O N C E P T IO N S :

*bisexuals are confused *bisexuals are fence-sitters *bisexuals find everyone attractive*bisexuals w an t the best o f bo th worlds *bisexuals spread A ID S *bisexuals steal fem ale en er­gy and give it to m en *it’s a phase*bisexuals can’t co m m it *bisexuals are being trendy *bisexuals can’t be faithful *bisexuals are too scared to com e ou t properly *bisexuals have no p o liti­cal/personal conviction *bisexuals are sex fiends in ten t on do u b lin g the chance o f ge tting laid *bisexuals are dam aged *above all:

bisexuality does not exist.

sexualityelections

An

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it

to

o!!!

B I S E X U A L I T Ycontinued...

why I am bisexual:*1 am attracted to men and women *1 don’t believe that who I love, romantically and sexually, must be restricted by gender *1 have been in both same-sex and opposite sex relationships - they were and are important

to me, regardless o f the nature of my current relationship ♦whether my current relationship lasts for the next two weeks or the next fifty years, I know

I have the potential to be with other people of either gender ♦all my attractions, all my history, all my fantasies and political beliefs are part of me

what I don t like about being bisexual:

♦other people’s prejudices ♦having a label attached to you can be restrictive ♦being invisible♦being defined only in terms of my current situation - I am bisexual when I am with a

woman, I am bisexual when I am with a man. I am bisexual when I am single♦the lack of resources, support net­works, community etc. that recognis­es and accepts all of

me

what I do like about being

bisexual:♦having a choice'♦labels that fit reasonably well can be personally and politically powerful ♦surprising people now and then ♦being true to myself ♦getting by happily without relying on a “community”♦recognising my own capacity for change

Assignm ents Thesis

Resumes W ord Processing

Desk Top Publishing Photocopying 8c Faxing

4 / Crown To^er 2 00 Crown Street Wollongong 2 5 0 0

Bovs, do you know anything about Prostrate C a n c e r4?

Do you tl?ink w o m e n only sf?ould Irave tlreir p r iv a te bitsc l reck ed regularly .

Well r e a d tlris/Some facts about prostrate cancer:

* There are usually NO symptoms*The incidence of Prostrate cancer has doubled in the last thirty

years*Bacterial infections, viral and mycoplasmal infections of the pros

trate eventually become cancerous as in cervical cancer

*Men who are zinc deficient, who smoke, and drink alcohol are more likely to develop prostrate cancer

*Men should be getting their prostrate (as well as their testes), regularly checked

W ant to find out more*?Well g o to a f r igg in ’ d o c to r / / / / / / / /

1 9sexuality elections

Shave a ChefOn Wednesday, 23 October,four University Union catering staff will be having theirheads shaved for a good cause - rais­ing the biggest possibleChristmas donation for C am p Q u a lity . C am p Q u a lity is a non-profit volun­teer organisation providing camping experiences forchildren with cancer, and support for their families.The University Union volunteers are D avid , M ic h e lle and Jason who work in the main kitchen, and Lisa who works in the Duck Pond Inn, also on campus.Donation tins will be located at every Union outlest on campus for cash donations.Sponsorship forms are also located at Union outlets for tax deductable donations.To donate, fill in a sponsership form and attach your check to Camp Quality and return to :

Shave a C h e fU n ivers ity o f W o llo n g o n g U nion B uild ing 11U n ivers ity o f W o llo n g o n g .

For more info, give the 'ovely Kim Gregory a call at the Union on

An Iraqi perspective on theGulf War

On Friday, September 6, 1996 an Iraqi student from this university came into the Tertangala office wanting to give his perspective on the current Persian Gulf conflict for the students of the University of Wollongong. Fie did not want his name to be used and he did not want to write anything.

He explained that he is a refugee from Iraq (having escaped to Turkey during the United States’ 1991 war against Iraq when things got des­perate - as he explained there was, “...no life, no job, no food and mili tary service”) who arrived in Australia last year and was able to enrol at university.

He also made it clear that he is an Assyrian Iraqi, and this had a bearing on the first of two points that he made on the present conflict.

1

His first point regards the question of Kurdish self-determination. He explained that the Kurdish people are not the original inhabitants of Iraq - the Assyrian people have been in the region for much longer, and are pursuing their case for a separate nation through the United Nations. In addition, he believes that the Kurds have more freedoms in Iraq than they are afforded in neighbouring countries such as Iran and Turkey, however, since Saddam Hussein has come to power he has made it clear that he wants a unified Iraq, rather than different and competing interests, people or nations.

His second point directly relates to the recent attacks upon Iraq by the United States. He stated that it should be a problem that America has with Saddam Hussein rather then with the Iraqi People, because, he said, it must be remembered that Iraq enforces compulsory military ser­vice and thus when America kills Iraqi soldiers it is killing Iraqi civil­ians. It must be remembered that this war is dealing in human lives. In addition, it should be remembered that the warring Kurdish factions, whose freedom this war is being fought over, have also been responsible for human rights violations.

“In this case I am not against the Kurds and I am not against Saddam. If the Kurds want land or a separate country, what about the Assyrians? W hat will happen to their case that is before the United Nations?”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 4c * 4c * * * * * * * * 4c * * * * * * 4c * * * * * * 4c * * * 4c * * * * * ** * 4c* * * * * * * * * * *

Although I do not agree with everything this man said, I think that his saying it highlights the fact that Iraqi perspectives have been conspicu­ous by their absence from the mainstream media’s reporting on both the present conflict in Iraq and the 1990-91 Gulf war. His concern about American involvement in Iraq and his highlighting of the perse­cution of the Kurdish people by other countries and regimes in the Middle East draws attention to the inconsistency and hypocrisy of the United States on issues of human rights violations - a fact that is also often ignored by the mainstream press. Why, for example, does America feel justified in bombing Iraq for attacking the Kurdish people but fail to take any sanctions at all on Indonesian violence against the people of East Timor? Why does America proclaim itself as the defender of free­dom and yet continue its blockade of Cuba which is having disastrous consequences for the Cuban people?I hope that other people will feel able to comment further on this issue through the Tertangala, indeed I would encourage you to do so.

Damien Cahill

20sexuality

elections

Hey there all you potential orgy participants, just a few point­ers for that perfect Sunday afternoon orgy.

My first orgiastic experience was in High school

Ingredients: 1 best friend, her boyfriend and an interested third

party, a bottle o f bourbon, a pinch of sexual frustration, parents overseas and an

empty house.

Method: all four participants can consume a little social lubrication to whittle away those inaugural orgy inhibitions. After this add a little dirty conversation and lots o f com ­ments like “wouldn’t it be fun if we ” remove clothesand there you have it.

Well let me tell you after that experience my friends and I were charged. We started to plan orgies, we had unleashed the orgy beast. Subsequent orgies never topped the all out experience of this evening, but it definitely got my group sex fetish going and I haven’t looked back. It got to the point where we had organised an O rgathon with some friends from the local boys school. It was quite well planned, but living at home, with only a few weeks until the HSC, circumstance got the better o f us.

My most recent orgy experience was quite fulfilling. After a fun filled evening at the pub with a few friends we caught a taxi home with some urgency. There was four o f us, two boys and two girls, and what a marathon. We had to have small breaks for conversation and the replenishing o f lost fluids and sugar.

First and most importantly the best orgy is an unplanned orgy

O ther essentials: people you trust (extremely im portant to avoid awkwardness the next day), you must have either sex­ual attraction or frustration, consenting adults, condoms, lube, dams, toys, latex whips etc.

Orgies range from your basic menage a trois to your all out fuckfest with anyone and anything. You can have whatever you want if you’re in the right place at the right time, so long as there is consensus within the group.

In my experience four is a good number, ideally everyone is bisexual with two boys and two girls. A little social lubrica­tion, some willing participants and you’re away. It’s a good idea to have condoms and dams handy and lots and lots o f lubricant just so there’s no halt in the proceedings.

always searching for new orgy partners (in the Wollongong region)

The Orgy GirlI f you have any questions on Orgy etiquette please address them to The Orgy Girl c/o the Tert

pic by m ary A breeze

Things have been going quite slow on the environmental front due to the ever increasing pile of uni work this session. Thankyou to those dedi­cated few that do all they can to save the planet (you make my life a lot easier). If there are people out there that are interested in doing something come and see me, there is always lots to do. Well, I will give you a quick run down on what has been happening.* T H E ENVIRO POLICYThings are finally happening, the policy commit­tee has met once (on the 5/9/96). The committee has representatives from all over the campus and there are two student reps, myself and Jodie Martire, that are there to let everyone know what the students want from their campus environment policy, so please let us know (telepathic messages are not being received, so more formal methods of communication will be suitable).The first three areas that the committee will be addressing will be energy use, water use and waste management. If you have any ideas or problem areas that you would like addressed, then please get your submissions in soon (submissions close on Friday October 11, or end of week 11). The first area to be looked at out o f this is energy use, dis­cussions will begin at the next meeting (Thurs September 19 at 2pm). Anyone that has interest in this area is encouraged to come along and observe the meetings (they will be held fortnightly).Others areas that the committee will look at are purchasing policy, transport, building design and location, landscaping, methods o f promoting envi­ronmental research and environmental education of the campus community. Submissions are wel­come on these topics as well.Lastly, the committee will also be developing a University Statement o f Environmental Principles and General Objectives, this is hoped to be put together by late October, so if you have any ideas for this please let me know by early October. Remember, student input on this is essential.

* TIBET CAMPAIGNThe Wilderness Society has launched their first international campaign aimed at saving what is left of the Tibetan Wilderness. Since China’s 1949 invasion ofT ibet the destruction o f the wilderness has had devastating effects.The campaign was launched in the Illawarra by the local branch holding an information night featur­ing a slide show on the current state o f the envi-

This campaign is being run by our friends up at Lismore. A road is being bulldozed up to the Iron Gates hosing development at Evans Head. Throughout the building o f this road sacred scare trees and a midden has been destroyed, and endan­gered species’ habitats have been lost. Also threat­ened by the building o f this road is koala habitat, a pristine wetland, a mangrove area and sacred Aboriginal sites. This development has gone ahead without the permission o f the traditional owners, in fact the land that is being developed is under a Native Title Claim. If you think this is disgusting (and you should) write a letter to the Premier expressing your concern that such atrocities are occurring, or if you are really angry and have some time, go up to Lismore and join the blockade. There is a dedicated group o f people that are doing all they can to stop the road going any further, however new blood is needed up there and they would love to see there to give some support. If you want any more info, as usual come and see me and I will be glad to oblige.

* FOREST PARKS C O U N T D O W N .A committee comprising o f state politicians and those involved in the RACAC process is meeting in Goulbourn on the 11 th o f September, to make the final decision on what areas of forest are to be saved and those areas that will be left open to log­ging. Keep your eye on the papers to see the what they decide and if it isn’t favourable write to Premier Carr and get up him for not keeping his election promise of saving all remaining wilderness and saving old growth forests. If the decision is a good one, write anyway and let him know that you are happy that he didn’t fold under the pressure of big business and four-wheel drivers.* W ILDERNESS SURVEYA poll released by the Australian Heritage Commission has shown that 99% o f Australians want wilderness protected and 81% believe that wilderness and other areas of ecological signifi­cance should be closed to 4W D ’s and horse riders. This survey supports what conservationists have ben claiming for ages, that the Australian public do care about our remaining wilderness and want to protect it.* HEM P NDAA hemp national day of action is being held on September. As part o f this Mark Lettfuss, our hemp dude, is organising bands and speakers to be held on the lawn. I hope that there was a good turn out and all that attended had a great time.

That’s about it for the moment, keep an eye on the environment notice board for the latest. Stay green (if you aren’t green then get green)Ali

ronment in Tibet. The night was held on Monday 9 September 9. The night was very interesting and quite upsetting. I was amazed to see to the extent o f the devastation, and the absolute mess China has made o f this beautiful and environmentally significant country. W hat is even more amazing is that China has been able to hide much o f their irresponsibility from the rest of the world.The highlight of the campaign will be a visit from the Dali Lama to this country and he will be in Sydney on Saturday September 28. I will be attending the conference held on this date. The emphasis o f the day will be the environment. If any one would like more info please contact me at the SRC or Sally at The Wilderness Society on 272314.If you would like to do something now, write to the Federal Foreign Affairs Minister, M r Downer, in Canberra, requesting that he, on behalf of Australia, request that China stop exploiting Tibet and it’s people. There will be letter writing stalls on the duck pond lawn over the next few weeks.* EN V IRO N M EN T FiANDBOOKAll I’m going to say is if you want to help or haveinput please let me know ASAP.*IRONGATES BLOCKADE A N D LETTER W R IT IN G CAMPAIGN.

Personal Problems: Masturbation

[On being a woman].Now that you have arrived at the years of your teens it is thrilling for you to realize tha t you have come into possession of capabilities that you did not have a few months ago...A teen-age girl may begin to lay treasures away in her hope chest. Her thoughts will run a bit toward the time when she will be having a home of her own. She cannoty help wondering what it will be like to be mar­ried and the queen in her own home. Once in a while, when M other is away and she fixes a meal for Dad, she just lets her imagination run, and says to herself, “Tgisis how it will be when I have a home of my own TheCreator has seen fit to arraane the organs of a woman in such a way that the clitoris and vagina are very sen- sitve. Delicate contact with these areas produces excit­ing sensations. The obvious reason is to enable a wfe to experience a feeling of belonging when in her hus­band’s intimate embrace. But there are teen-age girls who, impelled by an unwhloesome curiosity or by the example of unscrupulous girl friens, have fallen into the havit of manipulating these sensitive areas as a means of excitement. This havit is spoken of as masturbation. The practice of masturbation lowers a young woman’s regrd for her reproductive organs. It causes her to think of them only as a means of physical gratification rather than to emphasize the concept thast these organs con­stitute a sacred legacy.The stimulatin of the sensitve portions of the reproduc­tive organs in masturbation involves the expenditure of a tremendous amount of nervous energy - so much that the reserve supply of this nervous energy is used up. This is an important reason why maturbation is to be avoided. It consumes the reserve supply of vital

j force, leavin the mdivuidual tired, listless, and down- caste.W hen masturbation becomes a habit, it tends to rob a young woman of her incentive for accomplishment.She Hoses interest in worth-while enterpreses largely because her supply of nervous energy has been depleted and she does not feel equal to the demands for honest effort....The young person who has been so unfortuante as to develop the havit of masturbation feels constantly let down and fatigued. She adoptys an attitude of stupidity simply because she cannot muster sufficient energy to remain alert. Study no longer appeals to her. Thus her mental development lags. W henever two possibilities present themselves, the chooses the easier way...Every tissue of the body is controlled by nerves, which are activated by the availbale nervous energy jsut as a piece of electrical equipment is activated by the elec­tric current. There fore, when a person’s supply of nevous energy is at low ebb, the entire body suffers.The tissues lose part of their normal resistance to dis­ease. Infections overtake the body more easily. There is an increased tendency to catch cold. There is a loss of that sparkle and bounce which is characteristic of the person in the pink of condition.

This extract is from the book - “O n Being a W om an: A Book for Teenage G irls”, w ritten by H arold Shyrock, som etim e in the ‘50s.

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ITEM: Mr. Big John Male Doll

COST: $79

DESCRIPTION: Here’s something for those of you who feel that vibrators are slightly imperson­al. Yes, if it’s the whole package you’re looking for, you really can’t go past “Mr. Big John”. He’s a lean, mean, lovin’ machine, and what’s more, he can be folded up and stored under the bed once you get sick of him.Imagine - being able to feel the empty plastic of his artificially hairy torso rubbing against you, orstaring deeply into his vacant rubber eyeballs Iget chills just thinking about it (BIG chills - mostly in the stomach).One of the girls who works in the office here swears that Big John has more substance than most of her ex-boyfriends. She also compliments Big John for never leaving the toilet seat up or sleeping with her room-mate.Johnny boy comes with a detachable, multi­speed, vibrating penis, which is powered by two thoughtfully-provided AA batteries. Also includ­ed is a handy note that reminds you (in six lan­guages) that Mr. Big John should never be set fire to or impaled on a pair of scissors.Oh, and guys - don’t fret. There’s a female ver­sion too, complete with “realistic pulsating vagi­na” (but, sadly, minus the sexy moustache).

ITEM: Butt plugsCOST: $20-$30

DESCRIPTION: Okay - the one on the left I can understand. Even the one on the right I can sort o f (albeit painfully)believe. But the one in the middle whoin the hell is this intended for?? Elephants, maybe? OUCH! It looks like the Michelin Man, for Christ’s sake!! Why in hell would you want to stick a giant rubber replica of a Mr. Whippy cone up their butt?All of these “Doc Johnson” butt plugs are made of solid rubber, and are guaranteed not to split, break or rupture in the course of normal usage - though we can’t say the same for your rectum.

ITEM: Inflatable PenisCOST: $45

DESCRIPTION: Are you finding that regular dildos just aren’t satisfying you? Are they all too thin? Too thick? Too short? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then the Inflatable Penis is for you!This innovative sex toy can be inflated and deflated to suit individual desires. When inflating it looks frighteningly similar to those fish that puff themselves up to scare away predators, but if you’re using it correctly you won’t really notice. You need two hands to operate this toy - one to control the speed (oh no - another dangly cord bit), and the other to do the pumping. O f course, if you were really sneaky you could cut holes in your pockets and hide the controls in them. Then, as you wandered around town with your hands in your pockets, one hand could rev while the other pumped.The pumping is the fun bit, actually - you get to work out your forearm muscles at the same time you’re coming. There is a danger of over-inflation, however, so you have to be careful. It’s kind of like those thingies they use to take your blood-pressure; snug is good, but if you pump too much the pressure cuts off your circulation.I’m now wondering how long it’ll take for Reebok to market these.

part ii part H pdft H24

sexualityelections

things Hm te l i mmmmITEM: Various clothing

COST: $40 - $85

DESCRIPTION: O f course, we all need an outfit for those special occasions; there’s nothing worse than feeling over- or under-dressed. We can guar­antee that these particular items will never make you feel over-dressed.Whether you’re after crotchless panties, bras with nipple-holes, garter belts, stockings, PVC under­wear or just a single fig leaf, there’s a wide range of apparel from which to choose.Now you’ll always have something to wear when­ever you’re watching pornos, using your dildo, inflating your Mr. Big John or just having a few friends around for an evening of light S&M.

ITEMS: Various bondage gearCOST: From $50 - $285 (see below)

DESCRIPTION: This is kind of like a “Do-It-Yourself Gimp Kit”. These items can be bought as one package, or are available individually, as noted below.1) Face Mask; $285. This has a removable eye-mask and a mouth gag (there’s an open nose-hole so that your victim can still breath - just make sure they don’t have a cold). The point is to strap it on someone so that they can’t hear, see or speak. Apparently this makes them a perfect sexual partner. Hmm. It’s meant to be reallycool because the wearer never knows what you’re up to, and the antici .pationmakes them ultra-horny. Basically though, you could go out and catch a movie and they’d be none the wiser. O r you could invite all of your friends over to laugh at the masked idiot perched on your toilet. The mask is also cool for disguising yourself during convenience store robberies.2) Leather Manacles; $69.95. Not quite as painful as handcuffs, but still just as secure, these are a nice accessory for the Face Mask (they even come in the same colors - a nice consideration for the fashion conscious). A must for the power junkies among you who like to make your partner totally helpless before reading them passages from Paul Keating’s autobiography, or doing something similarly sadistic.3) Mouth Gag; $59.95. For the ultimate bondage experience, you can’t beat the good ole’ gag (and we don’t mean that joke about a priest and a rabbi). W ith a ver­itable plethora of uses, ranging from child control and Pulp Fiction re-enactments, to strapping it across your face on Red Nose day, these marvellous little inventions are a bondage staple (and we all know how much we’d like to strap one onto Fran Drescher). The only problem with the gag, considering it’s made out o f a dog col­lar and a Red Nose, is that the price is a little hard to swallow.4)Whip; $50. This final item is for you adventurous types who want to take the final step down the bondage path. W ith this you can enter the adventurous, exhil­arating and bandage-requiring world of whipping. You can whip, be whipped, observe others whipping, or even crawl around on the floor barking while someone rides on your back and jams the whip up your rectum. What fun.

ITEM: Willy the Wiggling Sperm

COST: $45DESCRIPTION: Direct from Sweden (those Northern European nymphs just never get enough, do they?), this technological marvel is for those jaded sex toy users who have become a tad bored with ordinary dildos. The insertable part of this little novelty performs a most amusing series of spasms, all designed to help you find your secret tender bits. Apparently this vibrator uses the same tech­nology as the mechanical squid in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It’s controlled by another one of those cord-operated “remote” controls that we complained about in Part One of this sexpose (last issue, in case you missed it), just like the ones we used to have on our toy cars before they invented radio remotes. I was actually going to try and patent a radio-remote-controlled dildo until somebody pointed out that they’d be suscepti­ble to stray broadcasts. Imagine that - every time a taxi cab passed your house, your vibra­tors would all go berserk.Little Willy’s remote control does have an excellent speed adjustment factor however, and it can easily be used one-handed. It also glows in the dark, which should make it pop­ular with the X-Files fanatics who fantasise about spooky alien insemination rituals.Other, more sane people may be a little wor­ried about the implications of tickling their fleshy bits with a giant radioactive-looking sperm.

ITEM: Pornographic videosCOST: $20 to buy; $5 to exchange DESCRIPTION: If the voyeur in you is itching for some satisfaction, then pornography is the way to go. Either that or peering in your neighbours’ bedroom windows. O f course, we can’t condone or encourage the latter, or we might get closed down by the Federal Government. Pornography is a risky wager - you can never be sure of what you’re getting. It’s not like there’s a trailer tape you can watch to get an idea of what these films are about. Likewise, you can’t pick up the SMH Arts section and browse through a review of the week’s porn releases. You basically have to pick a tape at random and hope for the best.The titles are no help whatsoever - most of them have names like “Anal Sluts & Sweeties from Bangkok: Part IV”, or are rip-offs o f Hollywood films, like “Forrest Hump” or “Porn on the Fourth of July”. The pictures on the cover are similarly misleading; ninety percent of the time you’ll find that these relatively cute looking people are models hired just for the photos, and the actual actors in the film bear a more distinct resemblance to your Great Aunty Thelma.If quality is a big concern for you, I suggest you shop around a lot, and maybe even take advantage of the very cheap exchange rates, until you find something you like. Nothing is more disconcerting than snuggling up with your partner to watch some steamy eroticism, only to dis­cover that the tape you have is about fat German people who piss on each other for laughs. Ergh.The tapes pictured here, by the way, are edited, R-rated versions. They are considered “soft-core”, which means no shots of actual penetration, oral sex, or male orgasms.Some people consider this tasteful; others consider it frus­trating. If you want fully explicit “hard-core” porn, then you have to get it via mail order from either Canberra or the Northern Territory, as X-rated videos cannot legally be sold in any of the other states. O f course, this is even more financially risky, considering the cost (average mail order videos are between $35 and $80, plus postage); you just have to make sure that the frustration of seeing edited videos outweighs the frustration of spending $60 on a blurry video of someone’s next-door neighbour being root­ed by a poodle.On a serious note, it should be mentioned that all of the tapes available are classified NVE - Non Violent Erotica. This means absolutely N O scenes of non-consensual sex, either simulated or real. Sexual violence is completely ille­gal, as is child pornography, snuff (sexual killings), etc. All of these films are made by legitimate companies with fully paid actors, and are totally legal.And on an even seriouser note - those of you who would like to try out a few X-rated videos better do so quickly. The Liberal government wants to ban them outright.

continued...

ITEM: Strap-on dildoCOST: $50

DESCRIPTION: Here’s a neat toy for all those girls out there who have a serious dose of penis envy. Now you too can have fun nights at home, parading around in front of a mirror and admiring the mam­moth appendage jutting out from your crotch. You’ll also begin to understand why dicks feel so uncomfortable when you’re wearing tight jeans.Whether you’re a lesbian who wants to give your girlfriend a thrill, or maybe a straight girl who wants to give your man a scare, you will find that the strap-on is a highly versatile and entertaining implement. The model pictured here is particularly exciting because it includes a “wear­er’s knob”, which provides the strapper with some jollies, and an extra flexible eight inch dick, which is more than enough to jolly the strappee right off the bed.The one drawback is that the belt part is a bit scratchy, and when you get all sweated up it tends to itch a bit. I’m not saying this from person­al experience, mind you. I swear.

The History of Women in the Olympic Games

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part. Just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle” These words are displayed on the score­board at the opening ceremony of every modern Olympic Games. The Olympic philosophy stresses participation rather than winning. Since the conception of the Ancient games in Greece and the first modern Olympics in 1896 in Athens, women have struggled for the right to participate in Olympic competition. They are still struggling today to be considered equally adept at athletic pursuits as men, while maintaining their status as women and without being accused of portraying masculine behaviour.In Ancient Greece, Spartan women devel­oped skills in racing, wrestling, and the throwing of the discus and javelin. This led Plutarch to remark that Spartan women were bold masculine and over­bearing to their husbands. The labelling of athletic women as masculine has become a cultural convention and has been maintained over the centuries as a means of discouraging women from par­ticipating in sport. Female sports partici­pation was seen as jeopardising the patri­archal notion of femininity and imping­ing upon, what has been for centuries, a traditional ‘masculine’ pursuit.In our culture, systems of representation such as the media, texts and media com­mentary, essentially represent men and women in terms of their physicality and body image. Gender and sexuality are understood as essentially and irrevocably embodied. In the 1930’s participation of women in sport, and the notion that ath­letic females were ‘mannish’, began to connote failure in accordance with soci­ety’s ideal image of a woman. Authors writing about women and sport in the 1930’s posited the notion that a conse­quence of sport’s masculising effect on women was a difficulty in attracting the most worthy fathers for their children.The extreme gender conservatism of the era created a context in which long stand­ing linkages between females and sport created the stereotype that women in sport were masculine. Although this notion is somewhat outdated today, one of the main reasons young females drop out of sport is because they do not want to develop extensive musculature and jeopardise their perceived femininity by being labelled ‘masculine’.Flistorically, sport functioned as a male

preserve, affirming maleness by encourag­ing aggression, physicality and competi­tive spirit; the supposed traits o f a ‘true man’. Arguments against the participation of women in sport centred around them adopting masculine-like traits, having their femininity jeopardised, and that sport would interfere with their menstru­ation, causing reproductive organs to atrophy. If these were to occur, women would no longer be able to perform what was once considered their primary duties: nurturing and breeding. The ban­ishment of women from ancient and early modern Olympic competition was based on these notions.The belief that sport was a bastion for men only originated from the rituals of hunting, war and religion - all outdated pursuits. Women were banned from com­peting in, or even watching, ancient Olympic Games. In 396BC a scandal erupted when a woman, dressed in man’s clothing, snuck into the stadium. She was disguised as a trainer to watch her son compete. Her cover was blown when her son won and she showered him with kiss­es. From then on trainers as well as com­petitors had to be stark naked.Despite the fact that women were banned from competing at the 1896 Olympics, a Greek woman named Melopomene ran the marathon before the event was offi­cially held finishing in 4.5 hours. In 1900 the International Olympic Committee (IOC) lifted the ban and women were allowed to compete in tennis and golf - two of the thirteen sports contested that were considered suitable for women. O f the 1330 athletes at the 1900 games in Paris, 12 were women, which represented less than 1% of the competitors.In 1904 eight women were allowed to compete in archery and in 1912 women were permitted to swim competitively after a significant struggle with the IOC. It was not only the IOC that was opposed to women perspiring in public. The NSW Ladies Amateur Swimming Association forbade women to compete in front of a man of any age. Public out­cry forced the Association to abolish the ruling, and Australian’s Fanny Durack and Wilhelmina Wylie qualified to swim at the 1912 Olympics. Durack swam a world record time to win the gold medal in the 100m freestyle, with Wylie coming second.to be continued next edition

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27sexuality

elections

Canberra Rally

Welfare Officer's Report

In the last month things have been really busy around the S.R.C. with the revealing of the dreaded Federal Budget. In case you aren’t already aware, the future is looking pretty dismal where the wel­fare of students is concerned.In the next year, Austudy and Job Search Allowance will be scrapped and reformed as a new common Youth Allowance. This will probably work out to be equal to or less than the already insufficient Austudy.More bad news: the age for independent assessment will be raised to 25 years - so that people will be expected to rely on their families for longer.The Budget also saw attacks to childcare provision for students. In an attempt to combat this we’ll be fighting these changes in a campaign this month. Just a reminder to women and men that the free Security Escort Service is always available if you’re at uni after dark. It’s really important to be aware that walking by yourself at night is not a good idea. Attacks on women in this area have always hap­pened around this time of year (August-September) so let’s try and do what we can to make ourselves safe.On a lighter note, if a free lunch sounds good, then look out for the next Soup Kitchen. These events have been a great success lately with heaps of soup being consumed. The next one will be held on the Tuesday before Austudy day- be there for vegie soup and info on what’s going on on campus to try and prevent the government from letting students fall into poverty.Emma Pierce

Strike Pay To Got Into Scholarship Fund

Campus trade Unions involved in recent industri­al action against cuts to education funding are negotiating with the university administration to have money, lost by workers through striking, placed in a scholarship fund. The fund would enable a number of University of Wollongong scholarships to be offered to trade union members and their immediate families. The Wollongong branches of the National Tertiary Education Union, the Commonwealth and Public Sector Union and the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers Union will all be involved in this fund.Pat Brownlee, from the Wollongong branch of the NTEU, said that, “Such funds as we are propos­ing exist in other industries. Workers have chosen not to receive their pay by going on strike, but are asking that this money be made available for scholarships that will benefit both union members and the university. This would recognise the time and effort that campus workers and their unions have put into the university over the years and the concern they feel over the proposed cuts to edu­cation funding and their consequences. And it’s

“Monday, Bloody Monday” (apologies to the Mockery) stirs up a bewildering, confusing, yet at the same time delicious sense of paradox for me.

O n the one hand I am amazed by the ferocity of the reaction to the action that took place. I was at the doors of Parliament House and saw first hand what went on. I can tell you that although the crowd very pissed off indeed, there was an obvious sense of physical restraint. People were constantly checking on those around them to see that everyone was O.K. If this was a “riot” then excuse me if I don’t start thinking of the 1917 Russian Revolution as just a bunch of peasants waving their pitchforks in a some­what agitated manner.

O n the other hand I totally understand the depth of shock felt by the media and those in positions of power. After all, we did bust open the doors to our national house of parliament. Symbolically, that is an event which carries with it an enormous amount of power - we, the Australian people, will never be ignored. We, the Australian people, will never be silenced.

“Monday, Bloody Monday” was a seminal moment in my life. I made decisions that day which will affect and guide the rest of my days on this planet. I am glad I was there. It is a day I will cherish forever. It is a day that, for good or ill, will reside in the Australian community’s memory for many years to come.Feargus John Macbeth Manning

Students and Staff Condemn

ReviewO n Tuesday, July 23, around 100 students

and staff congregated in the U nion Hall to dis­cuss the changes to the U nion Board of Management.The meeting was called in response to changes made by the V ice-Chancellor and the University Council that drastically cut student and staff representation on the union Board of M anagement. O ther changes institu ted by Council include altering the name of the Membership fee to a service fee and changing the name of the Union.

Those at the meeting on the 23rd passed motions condemning the decisions of the Vice- Chancellor and the University Council and called for a new review of the Union. Concerns were raised with the process by which the review of the U nion (the process that recom­mended the changes) was conducted. It was felt by many that the review was far from indepen­dent and that it was structured in order to pro­mote the Vice-Chancellor’s agenda. Students highlighted the fact that they are the major stakeholders in the U nion, contributing $1.7 million in membership fees and millions in patronage, and that therefore students should have a major input into the direction of their funds and of the Union. It was also argued that the changes in the to the U nion Board would inevitably have a detrimental effect upon stu­dent services such as Clubs and Societies, free bands and the prices of food, alcohol and books. Many of the students and staff present felt that this attack upon student and dtaff representa­tion by the Vuice-Chancellor set a dangerous and undemocratic precedent for the future.

A lthough a small number of students argued against action being taken on this issue, by far the majority of those present resolved to take the concerns of the meeting directly to the Vice-Chancellor and to organise an open forum on the duckpond lawn at which he would be invited to attend.

After the meeting, a contingent of around 30 students met with the Vice-Chancellor in the administration building and expressed their concern at the effects of the changes to the U nion Board. The students were met w ith con­descension and polite indifference by the Vice- Chancellor. “At the conclusion of this meet­ing students felt their concerns had been con­firmed by the arrogance of the Vice- Chancellor, but realised that they have been placed on the backfoot and that onlt strong action by large numbers of students and staff would resulted in the decisions of University Council being rescinded.”Damien Cahill

no loss to the university as they have budgeted for it. So we’re asking for a bit of goodwill on their behalf to donate money intended for our wages.”The unions hope to finalise the negotiation of this fund in the near future.Damien Cahill

sexualityelections

The Canberra Rally:Monday, bloody Monday; the manufacture of shame

On the eve of the 1996 Federal Budget, around 30 000 people gathered outside Parliament House in Canberra to protest the Howard Government’s proposed cuts to public services and Industrial Relations legislation and their far-reaching/savage con­sequences. In the wake of this,Australia’s mainstream media devoted many column inches and air time to portraying it as a “day of shame” and “un-Australian”.

Television pictures for the most part depicted hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people trying to gain entry to Parliament House, pushing against a line of police, yelling and chanting.With a voice-over, a headline and a few fairly arbitrary statistics (statistics for arrests and the numbers o f injured police varied incredibly between the different newspapers, television and radio programmes), it was not difficult to paint the angry protest as a “riot”. A host of emotive references were added to further debase the action. We were treated to the ridiculous sight of Laurie Oakes appearing on Ray Martin’s A Current Affair that evening (about five hours after the event) still wearing his paint-splatted suit - a symbol perhaps of his journalistic commitment. The Illawarra Mercury treated us to “Monday, bloody Monday”, and other newspapers carried the headlines, “A Disgrace” and, “Un-Australian”. The Sydney Morning Herald’s editorial claimed that mass direct action, such as that taken at Canberra, was bound to fail, and that negotiation was more like­ly to succeed.

Australia’s mass media left Australians in no doubt as to how such an event as that which took place in Canberra should be interpreted. But as Stuart Littlemore commented on his programme, Media Watch, haven’t they read their history? Australian history is rife with conflict and militant protests. Look at the early protests over Australia’s involve­

ment in the Vietnam War and the conscription of young men to fight in that conflict, the miners’ strikes of the 1950’s and just a decade ago, the1982 storming of Parliament House by miners......(The Illawarra Mercury carried pictures of this last incident on Monday, bloody Monday, alluding to possible action on that day - should the Mercury then carry some responsibility for incitement?).

The point is that such action as that which occurred at Canberra on August 19, 1996, is nothing new or un-Australian. Rather, it has been and no doubt will continue to be, an integral and necessary element of this country’s history.Perhaps Jennie George, secretary of the ACTU should take note of this. Her attempts to dissaso- ciate herself from the ‘riot’ reflect a lack of under­standing of the history of the trade union move­ment in Australia. W hat this also highlights is that the ACTU has become more bureaucratised and

less responsive and sympathetic to the needs and opinions of its members. Perhaps what Jennie George should have said was something like, “O f course I don’t condone the violence, but I can certainly understand why it happened”. Perhaps she should have investigated to what extent the protest was violent. Perhaps she should have levelled criti­cism at the police for employing violent and intimidatory tactics. Perhaps she should have used the event to highlight the destructive and savage nature of the Liberal’s new right agenda. Instead how­ever, George accepted the media accounts of the rally as riot and the asso­ciated tags of shame, guilt and un-demo- cratic.

Certainly it was an angry protest.People at the rally were responding to a viscious agenda, one that will leave many unemployed and desperate. One that follows in the footsteps of Reagan and Thatcher whose countries have borne witness to increased social despair, alienation and violence (not merely political). It is an agenda that will place more pressure upon families and individuals merely to survive, one that will take support away from those that need it most. It is an attack upon cultural diversity, community cenrtred

values and cultural diversity. Many people feel quite powerless against these attacks.

The anger of the crowd at Parliament House was the expression of something that has been fester­ing beneath the veneer of consensus politics in Australia for the last decade. The ugly reality of Australian society - resentment, frustration and inequality - that is so often glossed over by middle Australia, by the all-too-clean world of a Ken Done landscape.

On the following pages are comments upon the rally by students who were present and by some of those who weren’t. The idea was to attempt to get a picture of what happened at the rally, why peo­ple did what they did and what other Australians thought of this event.Damien Cahill

sexualityelections

“Yeah, I was there, and proud of it!

The bus ride was all silly games and antici­pation, and cold - it snowed on the Southern Highlands! O ff the bus outside the old Parliament House; heaps of work­ers, Kooris and sure, not heaps of students but we certainly made our presence felt. Chanted and laughed all the way up to the New Parliament House and the atmos­phere got better and better.Just followed the rest of the crowd and dis­covered people were heading straight for the front doors. So, not getting into any analysis or justification for where 1 was, just soaked up the atmosphere of being completely surrounded by workers - huu- uge burly miners, comedian firemen and matriarchal Koori women - we were all in this together and the feeling was great!!Got to the point where I had trouble breathing, talk about sardines! So moved to one side and found a safe perch near the wall. Had lost F who I’d arrived with, hoped she was breathing okay. Helped hand out drinks of water, we were all get­ting pretty dehydrated.Amazing to see that other UOW students had had the same idea, we were all there together - showed common sentiments, sure hadn’t planned what to do before­hand. F threw me a bag to mind as he hurled himself into the breach, well rather dived over the line through the inner door that had finally been opened, to great applause and cheering. Snapshots of famil­iar faces in the crowd.It had to happen. How long could we be there like that? Looking back it seemed like time had been suspended. Was proba­bly about an hour later, I guess, when the big push came and we sure felt it. The vibes went from comradeship and solidari­ty to a shattering. Those federal coppers had been given orders, were pumped with adrenalin and believed they had the power of truth and justice on their side. Which side that claim belonged to is still being media-fied (condemnation abounds - of course!) but all they were to us at the time was the force of state oppression. Sure we were storming Parliament House, but we had a right to be there and violence was not needed!Got grabbed by an enormous blond-haired cop, who shouted at me and forcefully

propelled me down an avenue of blue uniforms. Don’t remember much of the details apart from screaming, because I found myself on the ground amongst a sea of kicking legs and bod­ies, all closing in on me, then got hauled upwards and found I’d lost the capacity to breath. A cop held on to me and told me to just stay on my feet, which I did only with his aid. The only way out was over the top and away from the House. Not my choice but I wasn’t breathing sufficiently let alone making any coherent decisions. Had been clinging onto the bag given to me but came within a hair’s breath of los­ing it. The nice cop yelling “Forget your bag, your life’s worth more than your bag!” Well, standing with your mates includes not losing their bags right?O n the other side, back to a calmer, more caring vibe. “Are you okay?..Better move from there..” (I’d sat down against a pillar but the crowd had moved closer).Made my way slowly to the pond and was amazed to see people singing, oth­

ers wandering around almost like tourists. Man, did they know what was going on inside?? Anyway, calmed down after finding somewhere safe to sit. So there were speeches going on? Prominent pollies had something to say on this? Seemed a little lame after all the action up the front. If I was going to get to the bus I’d better get moving now. Made it there 25 minutes later, stiff and sore. Hey! where’s my watch? - gone, and the sunnies and my friend’s scarf. Whoops!On a high for two days afterwards, but even now not going to let the media coverage bring me down! As far as I’m concerned protesting is an important part o f the democratic process. If we can’t, well you can’t tell me that the 3- yearly voting process is really getting involved or sufficient platform for voic­ing opinions.Yeah, won’t forget this in a hurry, and yes, still proud to have been there!For those who weren’t there, well you really missed something BIG!! Maybe you were there in spirit. Maybe??? “ A.C.B.

30

Thurs Oct 17Hardware,Tweezer,TrobilitesUni tavern - n ig h t!

Moving Harps + announcement of poetry Competition Winners Union Function Centre7.30pm |

.

Thurs Oct 24 1Spiderbait Uni Tavern - n ig h t1

Wed Oct 30 !Jeff Lang lunchtime con­cert in Keira Cafe12.30pm

Thurs Oct 31Powderfinge,Nabilone

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leftGeoffI thought it was a bit exces­sive. They didn’t need to go that far to make a point.

rightand below Louise & MelIt was kinda strange to see that sort o f stuff in Australia. It obviously meant a lot to those people, and it shows you what the Howard gov­ernment is doing and how it is making people react.

right LeighI quite enjoyed it. I thought it was to the point - outrageously represented by the media - but otherwise an excellent expres­sion of politics and a great show of unity, and I thought it was positive as well because such unity is hard to achieve.

aboveDean

I thought it was pathetic that the media only covered the fact that a few windows were smashed, and that they missed the point of why thousands of people decided to turn up.

below RobI thought that it was very commendable that 95% of the people involved demon­strated peacefully. I was disturbed to hear how the police manoeuvred 5% of the demonstrators away from the main contingent, and I was appalled at the physical abuse that was handed out by the police to some of the Aboriginal activists in front of Parliament House. After this incident I thought it was a shame that the 5% of demonstrators reacted vio­lently to the violence ini-

belowLindaIn this present day society, unfortunately, corruption and violence is a fact of life. It may not be morally right but perhaps a neces­sary evil. However, vio­lence is not the answer and the demonstrators who did participate non- violently should be com­mended as they stood firm on their views and beliefs and had a real voice.

Martin

I thought it was pretty fucked. They can make their point any way they like, but they’re not going to be respected if they use violence.

C OI — »

a > —ocz

( Uua >

What I S a w that day was the blood on the steps o f our Parliament House, Australia’s political stooges and media hyenas quickly advertised that this blood had been spilled in an ‘un- Australian’ manner premeditated by ‘rad­ical fringe elements’. In saying this, they perverted any real significance o f that blood into their usual pathetic, self-serv­ing rhetoric - a rhetoric that bares no accurate sense at all o f either how that blood came to be spilled there or who’s blood it was.I witnessed as thousands of ordinary Australians converged simultaneously on the steps o f our Parliament House that day. They could not have all premeditat­ed their actions. Some were plumbers, some were pensioners, some were police. Others were grandmothers, mechanics, academics, nurses, administrators and truck-drivers. The ordinary Australians involved in this phenomenon have given accounts of their involvement which can demonstrate an acute sense o f anger and a bitter sense o f helplessness. They have given accounts o f both the flagrant dis­honesty o f our government’s self-serving rhetoric and the wanton cruelty of our government’s commitment to economic violence.There certainly was blood on the steps of our Parliament House that day. It was there for anyone to see. It was there as a result of ordinary Australians being involved in a desperate physical con­frontation with other ordinary Australians. I saw the same ‘blood’ on the faces o f the unionists, the Kooris, the students and the police. There was blood on the steps o f Parliament House and it was that o f very ordinary Australians.If there was any ‘blood’ spilled that day that was spilled in an ‘un-Australian’ manner then I didn’t see it. But I sensed it. W hat I didn’t see on the steps of our Parliament House that day was the ‘blood’ of the ordinary Australians which was already on the hands of Howard, Costello, Reith, Vanstone and their party-hacks. W hat I didn’t see was the ‘blood’ o f the ordinary Australians that the likes o f the Murdoch’s, the Packer’s and their cronies subsequently licked hungrily from their lips.

I went to the rally because,basically, I was sick of being shafted by this gov­ernment and couldn’t just sit back and do noth­ing any longer.Ultimately, I knew it wouldn’t change anything - Howard and his fellow Liberals are too arrogant and secure in their tight arsed economic rational­ist bubble to give a shit.1 was one of the first to be hauled away when the police pushed through, in all their frenzied glory.I watched the guy in front of me get knocked to the ground and beaten around the head with their truncheons, thrown through an opening in the wall and kicked a few times in the stomach before being led away.In the lock up I was with a 16 year old girl who’d been knocked unconscious trying to protect someone from being beaten to a pulp by the cops, and personally I received a punch in the back while I was being led away for not moving as quick as they wanted me to.I spent some time in the lock-ups under Parliament House before being transported into Civic, where I was kept until after the organised transport had left, and then released. Thank you forever to Canberra Uni, for paying to get me home.I was one of the people involved with trashing Parliament House and have no qualms about hav­ing done this, and would do it again.I’ll have respect for this government and their property when they have a place for human wel­fare above economic policies.I appreciate the fact that I live in a country where I can openly protest - in many I would have just been shot - and that’s one of the many rights I have that I want to protect.But more importantly, I want to make sure that this land is never commodified to the point where it is nothing more than a giant shopping mall, and that was why I fought back.

Snez

“I think it was good that they got their point across. W hat gets me is that half o f those protesting would have been those that voted for Howard - so they were aware of his policies in the first place. “

University of Wollongong Language Centre in

Crisis Foreign Students

Ejected from Building by Security Guards

In July of this year, a storm errupted at the Wollongong English Language Centre (WELC), part of the University’s corporate arm, in which stu­dents participated in a walkout from their classes. The protest was organised in response to the inade­quate and poor quality of instruction offered and because of the Centre’s openly bellicose attitude toward students and its initial refusal to deal ade- quatelty with course-related problems.

In a letter to Peter Day, Manager of the Language Centre, dated 19 July, students presented a detailed account of their greivances, in which they articulated the claim that courses were “sub­standard and inappropriate” to their needs. They also claimed that classes were organised so that all levels of ability were pooled into the one class - clearly and unacceptable measure.

As part of the coordinated protest more than 40 students from the language centre, representing students of several nationalities, participated in the “walk out” , meeting with the Centre’s management to express their disatisfaction with the quality of instruction. In speaking with Peter Day about the requests made by the students, he stated that all “complaints were taken very seriously, and in all cases, the language centre attempted to accommo­date their requests ” However, this concilatory approach did appear to extend to three former stu­dents of the Centre, Florence Ondicolberry, Patricia Felzines and Christian Flesch.

All three students, possess a high degree of fluency and were undertaking study at the Centre as part of a six month General English Langauge course. This course was designed to allow the stu­dents to undertake intensive study at the centre for 13 weeks, while the remaining 13 weeks would be spent undertaking an internship program with an Australian company - the goal being to improve their language use and ability within a English- speaking business environment.

Florence Ondicolberry claimed that after mak­ing several complaints to the Centre’s management about the course, believing that three weeks of valuable instruction had been wasted through adminstrative bungles and the absence of a perma­nent teacher. It was for these three weeks that Ms Ondicolberry and Mr Flesch sought compensation. However the offer made by Peter Day of an extra 15 hours of English lessons was not accepted by the students.

Instead, both Ms Ondicolberry and Mr Flesch were called into Mr Day’s office some time later

when they were given a full refund and escorted off the WELC grounds by two University security guards.

In questioning Mr Day on the rationale in using University Security to escort the students from the centre, I asked him whether it was based on fears of threatened physical or verbal violence. He replied that there had been an incident in the past, but did not elaborate further on this matter. Instead justified the presnce of the Univeristy Security guards by stating: “I could have guards [present at the centre] “at any time i f I wish to ”.

When asked further on this point Mr Day con­ceded that the presence of the two University secu­rity guards was not based upon any actual fears of physical violence from the two students, rather, it was based upon a concern that there may be debate from the students. “I thought it was going to become necessary” because of “verbal abuse of staff in the past” , said Mr. Day. This allegation of verbal abuse has intrigued both Christian and Florence, who claim that they were polite in all their meetings with the Centre’s management.

In discussing this matter at considerable length with Peter Day, it is extraordinary that while con­ceding that there were no fears of physical violence threatened by the students toward the Centre’s man­agement, the only justification given for having the University security guards present, related to the tone of the language used by the students. Such an admission is quite incogruous with comments made by Mr Day when interviewed by WIN news 6 September, in the way in which he handled the removal of the students from the Centre, stating that it was necessary to have them removed.

Another student to have major problems with the quality of WELC courses and its administration is Patricia Felzines, who, upon discovering a timetable clash between her study with the Language Centre and the University courses, claimed that no-one at the Centre would help her, demanding a refund for the WELC classes that she could not attend. She also enlisted the assistance of a Wollongong solicitor to resolve this matter, and obtain a full refund for the classes she was forced to miss at the Centre.

Given that the Language Centre belongs to ITC, the University’s corporate wing, it is surpris­ing to find that Vice Chancellor, Gerard Sutton has made no comment on this matter, despite requests from Florence, Christian and Patricia for assistance in resolving the problems with Mr Peter Day, the Language Centre courses and the Administrative staff..

Perhaps tha above events foreshadow a grim future, in which all students, not just international students, who enrol at this institution, will be treat­ed like customers, not students; that their money is the only and most important thing to grab, whilst dishing out half-baked, and incompetent courses of instruction.

jason hart

34

elections

You can rpw pick up tfe

Share Housind

V

Surivival Guide from

your friendlySRc.

Don’t You Hate Flatmates (Sometimes)?Here’s the scene: you’re sitting at home all alone, watching TV, peace and quiet all around you, and then click,

click - your idiot flatmate slides their key into the door lock Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate all o f the flatmates that I ’ve ever had, hut boy, I ’ve had some losers. When I search

my memory I fin d myselfputting my past flatmates into five categories, these are:

1. The Parent: These are the flatmates that call you up when you haven’t been home for a few days, to see if you’re okay. I always thought that they were worried that I’d moved out but then I remembered my furni­ture sitting obviously at home. No, they were worried about me. Parent flatmates are also the ones who talk to your parents/friends on the phone about you. “He’s not here, he’s probably down the uni-bar, he’s been spend­ing a lot of time down there lately. But that’s okay, we all miss lectures from time to time.” A recent flatmate of mine (from a place I hardly ever spent any time at, because of my flatmates) told a friend of mine that he was sick of me wasting my rent! It’s good to know he cares so much for me.2. The Know-It-All: These are the ones that

sit around in the lounge-room and correct you on everything you say. Some specialise in one subject, others specialise in all of them. I seem to always cop the ones who specialise in Paganism. Whenever I’d say something like: “Gee, I just can not wait for those Easter Holidays,” I’d hear about how Easter is in the wrong spot in Australia, and how people like me are ignorantly adhering to the holiday.3. The Accountant: This type of flatmate likes to have every operation in the house recorded in some way or another. They just love rosters for housework and, in particular, enjoy dividing up the STD bill. And they give you change from bills to the nearest five cents. These ones are also the ones who bore you absolutely to tears whilst caught in a conver­sation. They will tell you about their second uncle’s job at any opportunity, even during your most enjoyable television show.4. The Council Worker: These fuckers sit around non-stop: smoking dope, watching TV, eating chips, going to sleep, waking up, smoking dope, watching more TV, eating popcorn, going to sleep. The only known way to properly wake these flatmates up is by changing the channel, “Hey! I was watching that”.One ex-flatmate of mine used to fall asleep in her chair and when it came time to go to bed - sometimes at about 4.30am - I’d say, “Look

man, why not go to sleep in your bed?” “No..Stu...I’m..not tired,” would come the reply (while packing another cone).“Suit yourself.”The Council Worker-type flatmate is also a notorious non-cleaner. They are happy to see washing-up build up for weeks, they don’t mind, they’ll just keep eating out o f the same bowl. One flatmate had a glass of wine, as part of some voodoo shit, on the mantle piece, and would wait until the mould in the wine was particularly fat before she changed it.They don’t particularly like leaving the house either (unless it’s to score - with their rent money), so every time you get home there is no point dreaming of them not being home; all you can look forward to is the incessant, “Can I be a real scab and bludge a cigarette?” or the ever popular, “Have you got a spare cigarette?” Don’t they realise that something ceases to become spare when you plan to use it? I’ve never had a packet of cigarettes with some in it that have been singled out for the rubbish bin.5. The Rockstar: These are one of my worst kind of flatmates. They can’t help but play their guitar in the lounge-room. While every­one else is turning the TV up and up, of course, they get louder and louder. Eventually they start singing as well, and (not that I can), they can never sing well. One day I was sitting in the lounge-room wondering why The Rockstar does this: it’s because they think they are good and you actually want to hear them play (also you’re a captive audience). They also corner you with their latest song they’ve written which always sounds like one of the songs that has just left the charts.The worst flatmates that I ever had are a com­bination of all five categories. They hardly ever left the house, and they loved to devolve personal information to the whole phone world. They took it upon themselves to tell everyone exactly where I was and who I was with, and how long I’d been with them. This caused one or rwo problems for me so I wrote a note asking them to stop doing it. I got an angry note from one of them explaining that

she never does anything of the sort. And I do believe she believes she didn’t say anything. Once, I was out with them, a ‘couple’ of friends, my girlfriend and myself - it was a sort of triple date. My friends left to catch the last train back to Sydney and missed it. When they returned I told them that they could stay on my lounge-room floor for the night. My flatmates had already left at this stage so we stayed a while longer there at the Illawarra. We eventually went home and I gave them my quilt, pillows and some thin mattresses that lie about on the floor. My girlfriend and I went to bed and slept through the whole night. It wasn’t until the next day in the uni­bar that we found out that my flatmates did­n’t get back until after we went to bed. What had happened was truly amazing: they got back and the female flatmate saw my friends fast asleep on the floor. She started screaming at them (and the walls) that she had to get up in four hours and she needed her sleep. She started opening and closing the balcony door while yelling and screaming: “Wake up, I have to get up in four hours”. Finally my friend sat up and looked more awake, but her boyfriend was still sleeping on the floor. So my flatmate started to slap this guy fair in the face to tell him to wake up. The poor guy had done an all-nighter the night before so he slept through it. She eventually ripped the mattresses from under him and said, “Stuart has no right to lend these to you for the night!”My friends had no idea what was happening,I mean, who would? My flatmate only had four hours total sleep left, why the hell didn’t she leave the quietly-sleeping couple on the floor and get into bed? The girl needed a shrink. The icing on the cake is that her part­ner apologised for the disruption - to her!This same girl once told people that I’d been arrested when they rang looking for me. I turned up to uni and I wondered why every­body asked why I had been arrested. And then I remembered; my flatmate.Stuart Hatter...

E x c u s e m e . t hMe: G ood morning guys, I mwriting a review about you in the Tert, can I ask you some questions?Ricki: <YAW N! Stretch! Sniff -sniff, Licks nose a few times quickly fol­lowed by a yawn wide enough to make the previous look like a joke.>Me: Late night last night Ricki?Ricki: Can you hang on a sec, I need to crap.Me: Yeah, uhh, D rake are youcoming out to talk?Drake: W hat time is it?Me: It s quarter to 10.Drake: Hm m .. no I don t think sobut 1 11 talk to you from here if you don t mind.Ricki:Ahh, that s better. You see Jade, for the record, us ferrets have a bad image. If people don t mistake us for rats or possums, dogs, or mice; they believe we m ust be vicious and avoid us. Drake: But hang on, children like

do?Ricki: Unless I m in the middle of reliev­ing myself, come and play with me! Drake: Give me something to eat.Me: So do not feed the animalsdoesn t apply to you Drake?Drake: H uh? N o man, I m hungry!G et me some food.Me: Oops, okay. O h, one lastquestion: where do you stand on Education Budget Cuts.Drake & Ricki: (Blank look)Me: 1 11 take that as opposed.Thanks guys.

F e rre t pro le:

Ricki:Yeah, kids are cool.Me: You ve been mistake formice?Drake: Once, some guy tried to tellhis friends that I was a giant mouse or something. People can be very stupid. Me: So how friendly are you?Ricki:Very friendly, I like to snuggle into peoples arms and be carried. I like affectionate people who give ferret kiss­es.Drake: People are cool, bu t adven­turing into there belongings is much more fun.Me: O k, so when people see younext at a rally or at uni what should they

Eats : Meat! Ferrets are carnivores (look at their teeth). They eat a heap of protein, and little of anything else. They will sample fruits and carbohydrates. Strangely, D rake loves love hot and spicy pasta, and Ricki will steal your pizza slice if you re not careful.

Sleeps:

36

elections

Natural habitat:Cage, house, etc. They have never lived

in the wild. Ferrets will die if released into the wild as they do not have an

instinct for finding food or water.Unfortunately, if left alone for long

enough a Ferret may w ander off and never come back. The theory is that

they find the next thing just up ahead so interesting that they go and see what it

is. Then just a little further they see something else interesting, so they go

look at that... ad infin.

Does po o^oo jsfere?

Drinks:W ater, soy milk, tea! H ate strong alco­hol (never tried beer). They can t have milk because they are lactose intolerant

and gives them the runs (not pretty).

The natural instinct is to back up into a corner and poo. Their bum is spring loaded and when they ve got the runs, they can get quite a distance. They will never relieve themselves on a person, in a bag, where they sleep or play. Ferret are clean animals and don t like to hang around there own poo-poo.

L ots!! O n average 12-16 hours a day.D ependant on the tem perature and

whether there is anything to do or not. They 11 sleep if bored and wake up

instantly the moment someone comeshome.

Smell:Ferrets, like any animal, have an odour.

They call it Dook from cK. It s a musky smell that is released from a gland in there bottoms. They smell

more when they get really excited. Less if desexed. Females also smell less than

boys. (Drake and Ricki are B O TH

Since my arrival at this Uni back in 1993, the diversity of animals roaming this fertile soils has been slowly developing to the proportions of Noah's Arc. It was only a few months ago when the rabbits decided to colonise the expanse behind the art buildings, and now they are competing with the ducks for the attention sweepstakes.

There is, however, an introduced species receiving a lot of media, especially at certain rally's for education conducted here, Sydney and other campuses. They are the furry, bouncing, cling to your shoulder, poo- what's that smell?, dooking, swinging ferrets. I refer explicitly to Drake and Ricki.

Because of there growing popularity (and because I was beginning to get sick of the same monotonous questions), I decided to interview the little weasel's myself so they could set the record straight.

a t s m y F e r r e t !male). W ashing them helps, but

not when they decide to dry them ­selves under a tree. De-scenting is

a surgical procedure whereby the smell producing gland is removed. I believe this to be a cruel practice

of simply cutting out the bits of a pet you don t like. If you don t

like the smell, wash them, desex them, or don t buy a ferret. The

possible side affects of this opera­tion are the accidental severing of the sphincter nerve. Think about

that for a second, they don t make nappies for ferrets.

Noise:Ferrets don t make much noise. This is why there is a bell on their collars. However when they are happy they will dook . This sounds a bit like a squeaky toy bouncing along the ground.Similar to this is chattering. It sounds like a grumble version of dooking. It often means they are happy, but sometimes means they are interested, or planning revenge (if you just threw them on the lounge after they snuck into your kitchen). The third type of noise made is screaming, and I do mean scream. It s so loud my flatmate heard it while she was in the show­er, at the other side of the house, through 2 walls and 3 closed doors and over the top of a vacuum cleaner. Please don t tread on

them to hear this, it s very cruel and i 11 find out where you live.

Relatives:Ferrets are from the Mustildae family. This includes weasel s, skunks, minks, otters, polecats)?), and maybe even tasmanian devils (not sure). They are not related to rats (rodent family), dogs (canines), cats (felines) or horses.

W here did thev com e from r:

Ferrets were domestically bred in Egypt 2000-4000 years ago for the

purpose of catching dem pesky mices in pyramids. They were

replaced by cats rather quickly for obvious reasons. (Cats are psycho­pathic towards small moving living

things, Ferrets are too friendly). Next, England bred them for

catching rabbits, which is very cruel for the ferret. It involves

caging the animal and starving it on bread and water (or worse,

milk!). These ferrets were made viscous and gave the animal a bad name. (NB: A starving ferret will

bite anything that is offered to it and then run with it. A case of

eat now, work out if it s food later . This applies to fingers also.

But can you blame them?).

Lifespan:Ferrets in Australia live about 9- 11 years. They are called kits when they are young, and consid­ered adult after about 6-8 months. After 12 weeks of age, a ferret is 90% of its total size. A male s sex­ual doohickies develop after 6-8 m onths and should not be desexed until this time. American ferrets seem to live a shorter life as they are commonly desexed and de­scented at an early age (under 6 weeks) [source: me].

Getting Sick:Ferrets can be affected by canine distemper, rabies, worms, fleas, ear mites, and the common cold. Rabies is no longer a fear in aus, yet like canine distemper it will kill a ferret in days. Therefore a sick ferret is a dead ferret (get vaccinat­ed). W orm ing them is a chocolate flavoured solution every 3 months. Fleas is treated simply by washing the furies, drowning the fleas. Ear mites are treated with an anti-mite solution rubbed into there ears. Mites give them itchy ears all the way down the canal. If left for a long period of time, the mites can invade the brain and no amount of scratching is going to get that itch. Ferrets can catch your cold and give it back to you.

37

LegalitiesFerrets are considered a domestic animal in Australia and all but 2 states of USA where they are con­sidered wild or something equally stupid. I think New York is one of the two.

M ore inform ationNow you re a ferret expert, you want more info? O k, i m going out on a limb here but Ask Me (erk), otherwise contact the Ferret Association of Sydney (in Yellow Pages), see the ferret news groups alt.pets.ferrets, contact M odern Ferret magazine P.O .Box 338, Massapequa Park, N.Y, 11762, USA. O r see one of plenty of fer­ret sites via peniscape:Ferret Central : (has links to all other ferret URL s) h ttp ://www. op tics, rochester.edu: 8 080/users/pgreene/central.html

Jade Thomas.

elections

Tumbleweed - High In 1If anyone plans on research­ing whether constant drug smoking has an effect on a person s brain, then Ritchie of Tumbleweed would be an excellent study for the yes argument. The Weed from the W ong - as they are affec­tionately known - have just released their third album Return To Earth

really happy w ith it. The time that we spent writing it and creating it, was a real good time. There was a lot of energy circulating, and a lot of ideas were being expressed. It was a real release of... y know. It was a free time of expression w ith­in the band and we learnt a lot. W e w rote really quickly and the recording was real spontaneous, and it left us feeling really good. And now we re listening to it after 8 m onths, we can pick faults, bu t at the time it captured the energy really right, y know, for the point in time. At the m om ent we re thinking about how we re going to better it for the next record. Sort of, like, expand the creative scope.

W hich is something that Ritchie most certainly hasn t done since his rise to fame-dom a couple of albums back. For example, I ask Ritchie if he s happy with the way the latest album has turned out. He answers Yeah. N o elaborate dis­cussion leading into bizarre rock- n roll stories of wacky producers

or a myriad of coffee samples. No expansion on how it compared to all the other Tumbleweed record­ings, even though they have had a major change in line-up. Just a sim­ple Yeah. , which w ould ve be fine had he said it with a notch of enthusiasm, rather than someone who sounded like.they were half asleep and being disturbed by some fan-come-journo begging for an autograph. So I probe further. H ow does it rank in comparison

to the o ther albums? H e answers with a few more words than he did w ith the first question. Hmmm... I t ranks as the th ird record. I remain silent, hoping that will prom pt him into some talking. It w orked (kinda). O h let me think about this. All I can say is we re

As most would know, there has been controversy in The W eed camp with the expulsion of 2 in te­gral members, being replaced shortly after. W hat influence did this have in the song-writing?Nick was very vocal about his

ideas. It was good. Everybody threw their ideas onto the table and the best ideas were picked. And as far as the controversy goes... I won t even com m ent on that. Fair enough.

stay down to earth w ith popularity such as theirs? W ell basically we spend our whole week at hom e and take out the garbage and mow the lawn, and go around the shop in the m orning to get smokes. And it s norm al life to me and I don t know any different. I ve always lived here since I was 3 years old, and my friends are still around. I don t think our popularity should change that at all. I mean, sometimes when I m on tour I get a bit high in the head, bu t when I get hom e I m sick of it, and I just want to be myself and not have to live up to any expectation or anything, bu t just live day by day and be me. So I find it hard to answer that ques­tion, because I don t consider myself to be an incredibly popular guy. I m just me.

And w hat about the title for the new album? Are there any hidden Mary Jane references in Return To Earth? N o, it s just Return To Earth, because we thought it would be a good name after G alactaphonic. Although, I ve been reading a lot of tribal stuff, and get­ting into tribal symbolism and American Indian Religion, and also Australian Aboriginal. So a lot of the things were coming in dreams, daydreams, and imagination, with an association w ith the E arth - like animals, and hum an beings, and physical life. So the symbols that were affecting us and inspiring me when I w rote the lyrics seemed to be m ore earthly bound. So how hard is it then for Tum blew eed to

Some may feel that this is an unusual thing to say. Especially when the first single Lavabread sold out in 28 minutes! W ell, it was only 2500. People knew it was limited, so I guess the fans went out and got it straight away. But yeah. 28 minutes is a b it of a blowout. But it s not really that im portant. It s all by-product o f the actual reason of why we re doing this. I mean we re going to be h ap ­pier the m ore we sell, bu t really it s not going to effect us too much.

And how m uch of the live perfor­mance is just me ? I don t know.I sorta just lose myself really, and totally focus on the music and become a wave, and let it flow through. It s almost like a spiritual experience, even though that sounds corny. But when you ve been singing and breathing consis­tently for an hour, you do go into some form of meditation, and I don t really know w hat s happening in front o f me. There could be 50 people or 1000 .1 don t really notice.-W arren W heeler

38

S u b jec t R eview by D ean K im p to n .

A PAT333 Apathy, Torpidity and

Indifference

Spring Session; 6 credit po in ts (0 hrs

week, 0 h r Lecture, 0 h r Sem inar)

Pre-requisite: A n absence o f m em bership

in cam pus politics, university sport teams,

clubs a n d societies a n d non-attendance at

studen t rallies.

Assessment: either, 2 ,5 0 0 w ord essay 7 5 %

a n d a sem inar 15% ; or a b lank listing

on rollcall.

A n e x a m in a tio n on th e uselessness o f

u n iv ers ity life, w ith specific reference to

ac tiv ities th a t range o u ts id e those o f

n o rm a l academ ia. T opics such as p o li­

tics, sp o rt a n d in s titu tio n a l sp irit m ig h t

be d iscussed . T h e p a rticu la r issues an d

a u th o rs likely to be consid ered will

vary, q u ite possib ly reflecting on the

m o v e m e n t o f d eb a te a n d th e su p p res­

sion o f passion by th e lecturer, how ev­

er, th em es to be consid ered w ill p re ­

su m ab ly inc lude: lack o f feeling tow ard

fellow stu d en ts ; po litical aloofness

w h en d ea lin g w ith issues th a t m ay n o t

affect s tu d e n ts s tu d y in g at p resen t; a

general lack o f cu ltu ra l in fo rm a tio n

a b o u t fellow h u m a n beings; th e u n c o n ­

cern o f lifestyles such as tho se o f th e

tax ag en t, garbo log ist an d tho se peop le

w h o dress u p in koalas suits an d sw eat

a lo t. A m a jo r issue w ill be th e dissec­

tio n an d d e m o g ra p h ic ex p lan a tio n o f

th e ‘silen t m a jo rity ’ an d its uses an d

abuses in social con tex ts; th e m ain o n e

b e in g po litical.

Textbooks-. To be advised.

C o-ordinator : To be advised.

In The Head

39

elections

book reviews

The Greenway Jane Adams

Pan Books

What is it about the English countryside that makes authors go all strange and invent fan­tastical murder plots? Is it the quiet? The gentle­ness of the terrain? Or is there just something odd about English country society that makes people suspect their neighbours of all sorts of dreadful things? From Agatha Christie to Dorothy L.Sayers to Prime Suspect and the rash of detective serials popping up on our TV screens, the English don’t seem to be able to get enough of other peo­ple’s dark secrets and strange desires.

The Greenway is the first novel by Leicester author Jane Adams, who so impressed her pub­lishing company that her second effort, Cast The First Stone, will be released this month - a mere matter of weeks after this one. having said this, The Greenway is a fairly ordinary book - a most­ly sucessful attempt to meld vague Celtic mysti­cism with the good old-fashioned British detective story. The story unfolds, naturally, in a sleepy English village, it contains the requisite number of slightly jaded police officers, multiple red her­rings, tragic and sudden deaths and some very suspicious characters who mostly turn out to be innocent. When Cassie and her husband travel to the tiny Norfolk town of her childhood, she hopes that she may finally be able to come to terms with the mysterious disappearance of her cousin twenty years earlier, when the two girls had taken a short-cut through the ancient pathway called “the Greenway”. O f course, just as she starts to make progress, another girl disappears and in the ensuing town panic, Cassie is implicated as the most likely suspect. The ending lacks the twist required to make a mystery novel great: the answer is made too obvious too early, and yet there is enough substance here to amuse most readers. This is a mild holiday sort o f book, a mainstream TV show on paper without ads. The character of Cassie is more than a little irritating, especially as she becomes increasingly juvenile as the narrative progresses. Likewise, her husband’s patronising attitude sometimes grates a little too much to bear.All in all, not bad, but save this one for the day you want to turn your brain off.

Helen Dailey

The Teeth are Smiling Edited by Ellie Vasta

and Stephen Castles.Allen and Unwin219 pp (inc. Bib. and Index)

The teeth are Smiling is a new and timely work, carrying varied contributions from authors who are recognised analysts in the areas of multi-cul- turalism and intercultural relations.In the opening statements of their introduction, Vasta and Castles go to some trouble to paint an acceptable view of Australian attitudes to the questions of racism and multiculturalism before posing an important question: ‘But is this really true?’ (p. 2). What follows are interesting argu­ments that are designed to take a closer look at the issues of racism and multiculturalism in the 1990s.The work is divided into various topics, such as 'Signs o f the time: Race, Sex and media' which is adequately covered by Jeanne Martin. Also topical is the section covering racial issues, par­ticularly those dealing with the problems associ­ated with Australia’s Indigenous people, in par­ticular, Mis/taken by Wendy Holland, with titles such as Re/member or To name or not to name. There is always room for adequate and under­standable texts in the areas of sociology and mul­ticulturalism, and this book falls squarely into this niche. It has been capably and sensitively edited bringing into this volume a mixture of recognised voices with the newer contributors giving it balance without robbing it of strength. This book is a necessity for sociologists, sociolo­gy students and others who need a contemporary guide to multiculturalism in their library.

Review by Ernie Blackmore.Aboriginal, BCA student, Writing major

Gillham

wollongong 0 wollongong i love you very muchyou make me think of work and being out of it.

cd re v Little Three Robin HolcombNonesuch Records

This is for people who like their music esoteric and challenging in structure. Robin Holcombs solo piano effort Little Three is an impressive blend of careful tonality and playful humour which at times sends notes cascading out of the speakers, and at other times leaves single notes lingering heavily in the air. The structure here is decidedly modern, themes are few and far between and each piece seems to evolve out of its own system of logic rather than according to any predestined plan.The two vocal pieces are gentle and carefully measured, with the unidentified vocalist producing a lyrical chest-voice sound with more than a touch of Celtic lament about it. Other pieces reveal glimpses of a Jazz influence, weaving around the beat with an easy assurance and a fine sense of rhythm. Worth a listen if you can get hold of a copy, although I suspect this won’t be stocked in local stores.Helen Dailey.

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SEXUAL PERVERSION RIFE IN WOLLONGONG:MORRIS DANCING GAINS POPULARITY

In a world exclusive, the Tertangala has sent crack investigative reporter Helen Dailey undercover to examine the strange and deviant world of the Morris Dancer. Her report is truly shocking.......

I had no idea what to expect. Although I knew all the cliches about hankies and firm wrists, very few normal citizens have ever had real contact with these strange, lonely people. What drives them to meet in groups of six or eight in deserted alleys and Masonic halls to skip, sing and wave ker­chiefs till all hours of the morning? Experts are baf­fled: Dr. Will Cotswold, a lecturer in abnormal psychology at the University of Bampton-in-the- Hollow, England, has been studying the nocturnal habits of Morris dancers for twenty-five years and yet can offer no explanation for their behavior. “It is one of the great pressing questions of our times,” he says. “People have advanced all sorts of theories: some say that the high populations in cities place such pressure on the human brain that these deviant activities are required as a way of dealing with the confusion. Others believe that these peo­ple are the product o f broken homes, driven by their damaged childhoods to recreate their juvenile play activities. There is even a team of researchers in North Carolina who believe that they might have isolated a mutant Morris dancing gene. There are so many possibilities.”

One thing is for certain, these men, shunned by society and driven underground by prejudice and cruelty, have begun to establish their own shadowy subculture as they meet each night at secret city locations to perform their arcane rituals. After much persuasion, the leader of an inner-city Morris group allowed me to attend one of their dances and speak to the participants. What I found were a group of young men who seemed more mis­understood than dangerous. “Bob” (not his real name) told me that he lives in fear of social con­demnation. “I just can’t think what my wife would say if she knew. The shame of it might kill her, I reckon.”

“James” concurs. “My mum walked in on me once. It was awful. It happened last year. I was in my bedroom. I had just strapped on my shin-bells and I was just giving the hanky a few flicks, nothing serious, mind, and then the door opens and mum is just standing there. I never saw her look so white; she just gaped.” James’ parents took him to a psychiatrist in the belief that he could be cured of his unusual behavior. “It was so stupid,” recalls James. “At the end of each session the doctor would bring out a hanky and say ‘now son, what do we do with these?’ and, of course, I would pick it up, skip around the room and wave it above my

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head. After a while I got wise, though. I learnt to control my natural impulses and blow my nose on the hanky when the psychiatrist brought it out. My parents think I’m cured, but I’ll always be like this. It’s who I am.”

James’ insistence that he was born a Morris dancer is echoed by many of his friends. “Bruce” described his childhood to me, explaining that “It’s always been the same. Ever since I was a little tyke I’ve been attracted to the idea that I could jingle as I walked. When I was a kid no one said much, but later, all the skipping and holding hands seemed a bit odd, I guess.”

However, other dancers disagree. For “Peter”Morris dancing is a political choice, a way of life which reflects his dissatisfaction with mainstream dance techniques. “All that jumping about to loudmusic, stepping on other people’s feet it’s justnot right. 1 need something with a bit of structure, and the fancy hats are great.”

But Morris dancing is not all fun and games. The furtive nature of these activities brings its own share of problems. Ann Johnston, a worker with the NSW Morris Outreach Group has been work­ing with the Wollongong Morris dancers for three years. She tells of dangerous practices brought about by ignorance and the non-availability of hygienic materials. “We’ve had quite a few prob­lems brought about by people sharing equipment. There have been several dangerous cases of tinea brought about by people borrowing shoes from dancers they don’t know very well. Dancers can also get nasty splinters from poorly made knocking sticks, and last year someone caught a really unpleasant cold after using another person’s hanky.”

Perverted or just different? Either way, Morris dancing is on the rise, particularly in Wollongong, where a strong sub-culture has developed over the past fifty years. The recent confessions by two prominent local business men that they Morris danced in their youth sparked outrage and debate within the community, dividing families and friends. But the steady increase in the numbers of publicly open Morris dancers, and the increasing political pressure to have shin-bells legalised in some states, points to a gradual swing towards pub­lic acceptance of these people. Bob hopes this is the case. “Most of the people who condemn us are probably afraid that they might actually enjoy tap­ping sticks with a friend. I reckon anyone who wants to say we’re perverted has got to slip on a smock, strap on some bells and try it first.”

TIDDAS Tiddas

Id (M ercury) Records.

This album is an achievement to be proud of. Tiddas strong, distinctive sound is beautifully repre­sented here in a range of well crafted songs that are hard to fault. The three voices of Sally Dastev, Lou Bennett and Amy Saunders wind together in har monies reminiscent, in places, of the Indigo Girls, yet consistently original, and consistently Australian.Don t cringe the accents, the musical flavour, the lyrical content all have a strong and honest sense of time and place which only makes the work more rele­vant, interesting and listenable. These songs are political, but they are also personal, and the warmth and humour in them makes the GD a decidedly uplifting experience. The politics are grounded and anything but alienating it s hard to refute the logic in lyrics like Don t sing me an an them / when you don t know the w ords/ words are hard to rem em ber/ when they mean nothing at all/ to the hearts who re still waiting/ for their voices to be heard...what s pride in your country/ w ithout pride in yourse lf.

The instrumentation and arrangem ent have a gentle Pacific flavour that is engaging and refreshing but before the adjectives completely take over, 1 11

just say that these women are absolutely worth sup­porting. so treat yourself and buy the album.

jen.

Chequers Nitespot is nothing i f not diverse, and it's one o f the few alternatives to mainstream 'Gong culture to have survived long-term. It’s established itself as something o f a haven for people in the area who want to going out at night, but for whatever reason (and there are many) don’t dig the Waves & Splashes scene. Chequers has relied for a long time on the traditional drag act as mid­night entertainment, and most nights o f the week some variation can be seen - whether it’s done with Priscilla-style glitz or the more — well, homely feel that patrons know and love. But as the face o f gay culture is changing and expanding, so too is drag, and the changes are being felt even at Chequers. Wednesday night entertainment now features The Gerty Gerls, probably Wollongong’s first lesbian “drag” act, and one with plenty o f talent, an enthusi­astic (andgrowing) audience, and a will to survive.

The Gerls are Eva and Tanushka, and we chit-chatted one fine after­noon amidst a veritable flurry o f op-shop clothes and pre-show rehearsals...

J: Gerty Gerls, how did you get started'?Tanushka: Great question Jen (snicker). We’ve been talking about per­forming for a while, in different ways - me coming from a visual arts back­ground and Eva from more of a theatrical and musical background. We discussed there being a lack of lesbian performances at gay and even at les­bian venues...Eva: A lack of lesbian performance in general...! mean, there’s men or men as girls...it’s really disappointing.]: Did you intend what you do to be a critique o f drag.}T: In some ways it is...because I think we do make fun of the whole thing - we don’t take it too seriously. Yeah, and if we mess up the words while we’re miming it, then that can be part of it.E: I’d like to branch into singing itself instead of just miming the songs, and maybe a bit of theatre...but an easy way to start is with miming the words to someone else’s song, cause if you know the words it doesn’t matter what you sound like...T: At the moment our main concentration is on the aesthetics of a piece, the dramatics, the theatrics...so it’s not necessarily about typical drag kicks and twirls - it might be more about dramatic looks, or juxtaposition of characters, roleplay...J: Is there a particular politics behind it?E: Not really...as far as the song-picking goes, basically we pick songs that we like - not exactly songs that have a message, but that steer away from the typical drag ‘teeny’ feel...T: At this stage, if they’re songs that are reasonably current, then they’re more dramatic or alternative. We’re starting to investigate some older tunes, but again shying away from the traditional...E: ...the real “drag-slut” stuff...T: ...and we’re also just being very strong that, yeah, we’re girls, and we’re lesbians, and we can do it just as well as you do - but in our own way, we

don’t necessarily have to mimick what’s already been done...E: ...yeah, we can take a song and interpret it the way we want to, and be the characters we wish to play for that night, or that song.

T: I think we want to be pretty careful not to make it too full-on lesbian at the same time though - first and foremost we re performing because we really like to and we re having a lot of fun.E: Definitely - it’s got to be a show that we can perform anywhere.T: At this stage it makes sense that we’re doing a few lesbian gigs and per­forming in the gay public...and it’s great to have the support of young les­bians...E: ...and to have a club that we can perform at, even though were not get­ting paid or anything.J: So how does sex and sexuality impact on your actual performances?T: It’s something to play around with.E: You can use your own sexuality and your own “inner sexiness” - depending on the number - and that can help what we’re doing... and part of the attraction of being on stage is that you can be whatever you choose to be - play any role you like.J: It’s funny — drag’s traditionally associated with that very camp, but still very male sort o f humour...E: Yeah, really what we do is drag only because we re miming to songs still. T: But we’ve got some pretty big ideas about props that we want to use, and I think that aspect will develop once we’re more used to the space. For me, from an artistic perspective I’m really interested in using projected text and images to add to the performance.E: It makes a big difference to the dynamic to have two equals onstage, as well, instead of just having one performer, or one performer and a couple of backups — we really enjoy playing around with the variations possible with that.J: Why do you think that this sort o f performance is specific to gay culture?E: Because it’ accepting...because it’s traditional too - it’s the way it always has been, which is the same reason it’s probably unacceptable to straight culture.T: I think if you dig really deep, it’s probably also to do with getting that idea of “Hey, I can do what I want, and be who I want to be” - and tak­ing it to the extreme.

The Gerls’ very dynamic show can be seen at Chequers on Wednesday nights between 12 and 1 am. They will also be performing at the University during Sexuality Week - Thursday (Oct. 10), lunchtime, duck- pond lawn.

jen Crawford.

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I U N IV E R S IT Y O F W E S T E R N S Y D N E Y Macartfiur

Let No-One Live Rent Free In Your

Head Nicolette

Sure, it’s undeniably good advice - but can you handle a CD that sounds like a combination of Marilyn singing Happy Birthday Mister President, Bjork and synthesized music setting up house some­where in the recesses of your mind ?If the answer is YES!, then have I got a CD for you !(If the answer is no - well, ah, read on - you never know, you just might be tem pt­ed )I was fully prepared to be completely scathing, (just ‘cause I am in the mood to be), but it is actually a rather interesting sound - it varies effectively between a cyber-sound, an almost Japanese-sound and occasionally a dance-beat, not to m ention the haunting voice of the woman in focus: Nicolette, while it basically remains mellow (or mind-numbing - you choose) in style.All in all it is almost perfect for those gath­erings where all you want to do is just sit, chill out and relax with your thoughts - I say almost perfect because halfway through the CD the mellowness is lost, it becomes

more intense, and there’s a sudden spoken line - which asserts: this is it Now, I don’t know about you, but it can be rather disconcerting to start thinking the stereo not only knows more than you do, but it has arrived at the answer, which it is not going to tell you - and god alone knows what the question was !W hile the sound is occasionally challenging to listen to, on the whole the lyrics are rea­sonably palatable and easy to digest. They aren’t overly condescending - some are enough to induce thought, and others - well they just offer you loads of good advice. It is, after all good to be reminded to:

just look on the bright side there’s never a right side just keep on the wide side there’s never a long way to go just say I said so

There are a number of other really good aspects to this album, but I th ink one of the things I liked most was reading the section on the CD cover devoted to thanks and dedications. Thanks for the compilation of the CD (and life in general) go to a number of people, but my favourite bit is the dedi­cation - it is dedicated to Nicolette herself and her sweet little heart, which is bursting with love (a sight that could be disturbing

cd rev

The Devil Went Down To Newport (Totally Rocking)

Mono PuffOk, it’s kind of cute, and maybe if I’d heard it without any preconceptions (yes I do realise that this is a completely impossible task), I might have thought it was a slightly humorous concept and left it at that. But! from one of the guys who made up They Might Be G iants ?!?!?- well, frankly I expect more.In sum there are four songs - although one is just another version of The Devil.... (Totally Remade) - and I’m stilltrying to work out why they bothered to make it twice ?It is essentially a mixture of synthesized sounds, guitar and drums, and it’s ok, but ultimately frustrating because there really is potential there.......

The first song is a basic narrative explaining a surfing com­petition between God and the Devil, which is apparently a totally rocking experience - surfing for souls to the beat of rock n’ roll. It is fierce com petition (apparently), and it is the underdog who we’re supposed to be supporting - and let’s face it, because of the fact that:

Satan couldn’t hang five, he could only hang four, he had a problem - his cloved feet

we should all hear Go Satan go a number of times - actual­ly, more than a number of times - you could say over-and- over-and-mind-numbingly-over again!The second song - ah, well, I liked it more when I thought the lyrics were:

the space between the eyeballs is so long but as it turns out it is all about Oddballs, or something, which I now assume have a lot of distance between them.It really didn’t do much for me - a little too synthesized and just slightly more than a tad too uninspiring.However!, the third song - Tryptophane - I really like. It has an almost Beatles quality to it and is just basically fun - but since my CD player has only just decide to stop play­ing CDs for me, I guess I’ll be forced to resist boring you with the details.The last song ? - just another version of The Devil W ent Down To N ew port and I can’t be bothered com m ent­ing.If you really liked They Might Be Giants check it out - you might find it more impressive than myself - but I warn you: Prepare For Disappointment

lisa oxman

at the best of times).It is definitely not a CD that would force you to sue anyone who played it in your presence - but, by the same token, it certainly isn’t something that YOU SIMPLY M UST OWN!!!!!!!Basically, if you like mellow sounds then you’ll probably likethe album, if you don’t, you wont.......lisa oxman.

sexStatus

The Mirror

It happened — the first time — on a gilded mir­ror. Laid on the floor...black leggings (80 s style...well forgive me, it WAS the eighties then)...shine of the mirror, glint of the cum, double imagery making condensation and wet trails...

N ot bad...coulda been better...coulda been wetter...

2nd time was quick...quickie...against a cedar w ardrobe m arron the colour I was w earing...jacket/pants I think...sove and cold arse warm cunt even warm er cock...hard in me, tearing small then bang! The first (remember the first always the first) blend­ing...melding into 5m inute rush-pump...

G od, that one...laughing at his amazement, his open m outhness, fish m outh slack... Jeez (his words) I ve never blown that fast ...and he didn t again...not with me...

The Ice

...won t forget this one...the asphalt melting cliched heat...the fan...not quite broken...thud­ding...

Bailey s it was, a drink to make u drowsy, topped up with hazy cubes...milk looked like it had curdled...maybe that was the trigger? Juice-like...

The dresse...sitting on the dresser...inches away from spilling over onto us...friends...irri­tated...too much heat...

.. .reaching.. .tipping... anger... sticky.. .giggles from one girl...blaming...mock tones...lick­ing.. .chastising.. .beginning. ..

Ice on skin...sizzle...inside is too cold...too cold for me anyway (ouch!) nice on nipples...feather touching with drops...drip­ping...

The bed was soaked, the sheets still smell faintly of Bailey s...

Still gets me horny. Buy me one sometime.

First Time

was a joke pissed and kinda turned on by my Dad s friend a drug dealer (not!) a sleazy try-

hard in a cold hindsight light he was cute though with a regular brown vinyl jacket with zippers (too many) and one chipped tooth felt me up sometimes and I snorted drunk with him and fuck! he fucked and I ...well...I was- n t a V club m em ber anymore...over and out

Cloth

I thought of this one...today...after I fucked a cop...

W e d been out at a small-time nightclub; watered down drinks and lousy industrial techno. Still, it got us here, and me ripping up a stripy sheet out of desperation...tying knots around his ankles...wrists (one tattooed with barbed wire...bad taste maybe) ...one round his dick...but that came later...

Black hair m atted...too much salt in my m outh...tasting sweat (his/mine)...red welts...rivulets...

M ovement jack-hammer...toenails...needing pain edgings...thumb nail into soft flesh...belt buckle into muscle...tensings...phew...

G ot me going...going again...into a liquid phase...so much...almost

painful...leveling into it...not a harsh jum p...kinda cuming but not...better (for me)...

H e passed out after a while...had too much to drink...but I kept going till I couldn t any­m ore...didn t miss him that much...I woke up the next day with the marks to prove it...

The Com puter

This one was a real youngie..,17 (or so he typed)...a Eurasian electric...started off the usual way H i! Y ou go to M onash too? I m bored ...nu th in to do ...and then the

innuendoes started...tentative porno typed into a blank screen

with fingers strmbling...so hard to chat and wank at the same time! Getting him so turned on he was calling me up 8 times a day...begging...

Pathetic really...but getting off on the power...head and cunt rush...beautiful...

by Mary-Anne Breeze

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tHe aRT AnD pOiiTiCs OfChris Dubrow. A man of intelligence and opinions. The frontman of Sydney-based industrialists, iNsuRge, and a very personable and likeable character. Dubrow would almost certainly be the best interviewee I’ve had this year. A wealth of information would flow from his lips each time a question was asked. His answers not only answered the question at hand, but would inevitably lead into another thought-provoking question, and sometimes he posed questions to me. For example, the interview began with him asking me of my opinions on the Rabelais fiasco. Now, seeing this interview is supposed to be about him, and not me, I wont bore you with my opin­ions. But I will tell you of his. “Obviously freedom of speech is one thing, but in places like America it gets taken to the most ridicu­lous level. I think freedom of speech is really important, but I have a personal limit. For example, in any child pornography or some­thing like that, that kind of censorship and limitation is fairly universal and sensible, but it’s all the grey area that’s hell to deal with, par­ticularly with the music censorship coming up with ARIA and their voluntary stickering. The important thing is not to lose the right for artists to push the taboos and at the same time clamp hard on people who are taking that right and exploiting it, and trying to claim that child pornography is somehow art. And you don’t need a government to do that. You’d think the community could come together and regulate on their own will by not buying it or supporting it.”

Those familiar with the music of iNsuRge would also be familiar with the poli­tics of iNsuRge. I question Dubrow on whether he feels it an obligation to tell the public of society’s ills. “It’s just something that I’ve grown into, and I find it really easy to do, because I’m easily angered. Like last night I was watching this thing on the Greenhouse on ABC, and it’s really easy for me to see the absolute corporate, PR crap protecting the fos­sil fuel industry. And I don’t think that Australia understands or wants to take any strong line in supporting the rest of world in cutting Greenhouse emissions. We’re sort of lagging behind. And because I know the debate really well and I find it so entertaining,I just watch this asshole guy from the fossil fuel lobby saying absolute crap in a real slick way with his cool haircut, and it makes me angry. So I just feed off the anger and get riled

up, and want to tell people, and shout and scream, and write songs about it. But as far as an obligation... Well sometimes I’m really tired because I’ve been to Sydney to Melbourne to Adelaide in three days, and I get up on stage and people are going ‘Yeah, tell me something’ and I’m just like ‘I just want to drink a beer and shut-up and play a blues jam or some­thing. So sometimes it is hard to be that role/image that builds up around you.”

This role/image as he puts it, is demonstrated on their first full-length CD Power To The Poison People. The lyric topics are, of course, very political. “The main stuff that we concen­trate on is not local. 95% of what we do isn’t local. We’re only interested in local issues when they are part of a larger force or energy. And we’re challenging people to open up to an international economic order and an interna­tional system. Why we’re not getting jobs, and why the Australian economy isn’t doing well is not because of what our government does, but it’s to do with the world economic situation. And unless people understand that, and under­stand why they do things the way they do, and why the unemployment rate is like it is, and why so many of Australian kids are suicidal, they’ll never understand the forces that are affecting them. They look at politics and say ‘They’re a bunch of idiots in clown suits telling me lies’. All they see is team red and team blue. And they feel that no-one on the street is able to have any kind of say in things. And that’s not what’s it about. But we’re not even that political anymore, were looking at a whole world view, because I was getting wor­ried that people were going ‘oh, it’s just a polit­ical band’ and the negative connotations that go with that. But we’re about showing people that this is a real world, and this is how we live and why live like it. I don’t want people com­paring me to the Labor party or the Liberal party. And that’s what the album’s about. I’ve written a 3000 word essay in the liner notes which gives a clear, broad perspective on our beliefs, and the music highlights those points.”

As I said, time with Chris was very enlighten­ing. All his views have taken deep thought and, unfortunately, cannot be squeezed into one single write up. Or even on one album. Anyhow, grab the CD and get a taste for the ‘suRge.-Warren Wheeler

I weathered a raging debate last year over the merits and failings of The Lion King, and I have no intention of enduring this again (that particular ideological war transcended ridiculous and approached surreal when I discov­ered an inflatable dog with a mop glued to its head sitting on my front lawn, wearing a placard that declared "DOWN WITH PATRI­ARCHAL IM PERIALISTIC DOGMA”). To this end, I want to make it abundantly clear that I am reviewing Hunchback as enter­tainment, not as political state­ment. I am putting myself in the place of a human being, rather than an English lecturer. The only positioning I am undertaking is that of sticking my butt on a seat, so that I may type more comfort­ably.Right. On with the show.I loved it. From start to finish. Hunchback was a shining example of why those "radical” Japanese animators, with their bug-eyed, ultra-violent anti-heroes, will never be able to knock Disney out of the numero uno spot.The animation was, needless to say, superb. The crowd and riot scenes were particularly impressive, and the most realistic-looking to date. There was none of that skimping on ani­mation by using repetitive backgrounds and faces either - this was the kind of highly detailed artwork that gives you a real sense of depth (of course, they probably cheated a lit­tle and used some kind of computer whacky-do-ness to achieve this, but I'll forgive them). The character details are another reason Disney is top dog. They really know how to bring life to a two-dimensional drawing. Some of the facial expressions the characters in Hunchback come out with would put a lot o f real-life actors to shame (see Eraser review to the right for examples). The cast o f voices is perfect too - from Demi M oore’s unmis­takably husky tones (Esmeralda the Gypsy) and Kevin Kline's dry wit (our hero Phoebus), to the stuffy Charles Kimbrough and rowdy Jason Alexander (Gargoyles Victor and Hugo). The lip synching is always flawless as well, a side benefit of the fact that at Disney they always record the dialogue first, and then pencil the characters to the voices, instead of the other way around.I have no doubt that there are any number of you out there scoffing at this and thinking to yourselves “but it’s a kid’s movie, for chrissakes!” Really? How, exactly, are children meant to interpret the satirisation of politics and religion? What, do you suppose, they will think about gypsies doing erotic dances and gargoyles cross-dressing? And precisely how are they going to comprehend the villain’s musical number, in which he burns with lustful guilt? What will kids think of naked gypsies dancing in the fire, or faceless robed priests delivering eternal damnation?Sure, kids will love Hunchback. But so will adults. You have to remember that these films

are written, drawn and performed by adults - and, judging by some of the humor in this ver­sion of Hunchback, pretty twisted adults at that. Kids are going to love it for the basics - the comic characters, the excitement, the spectacle - but it is we adults who can look deep­er than that and love Hunchback for the timeless truths at its core. The message of love, compassion and forgiveness that it teaches is understandable by all of us, regardless of age. I know that if I had children, that’s exactly the king of “ ideology” I ’d want to expose them to.It’s also one helluva lot more mature than Eraser.On a final, personal note I ’d like to warn off my on-line arch-nemesis. She/He is the mam­moth imbecile who sent me an e-mail last year complaining that she/he found The Lion King to be “childish” . I shit you not, whoever you are - if you flood my virtual mailbox with similar proclamations about Hunchback, I will hunt you down and garrote you with my Mickey Mouse necktie. I’m nowhere near as forgiving as Quasimodo.

Harrison J. Chaddfeeling better about being ugly

46

ERASERThe opening titles of this film incorporated a really groovy special effect whereby the text kept fading out and vanish­ing from sight. It’s just such a pity that a similar fate didn’t befall the movie itself.It’s actually been quite some time since I saw a genuinely bad film - so long, in fact, that I’d almost forgotten what one looked like. Well, Eraser reminded me. In all of its widescreen, technicolor, DTS glory.I w on’t reveal the plot, because there’s only about two-and- a-half seconds worth of it.I won’t praise the actors, because they were uniformly flat (we can’t really expect much from Arnie, but I was very dis­appointed with James Caan, who must have agreed to do this movie on a dare or something).I won’t even rave for pages about the “sheer technical genius” of Eraser, because, to be honest, it all sucked. The cinematography, by previously reliable Adam Greenberg (Oscar nominee for Terminator 2), looked amateurish. The director, Charles Russell (whose less-than-distinguished list of credits includes The Mask), needs to go back to TV com­mercials, where he belongs. And whoever was responsible for the glaringly obvious lighting continuity problems should be executed at dawn (it might have been the DOP, or editing, or processing, or hell, they may have even used the wrong film stock - it doesn’t really matter, because it seems the entire crew slept through principal photography any­way).Never in my life have I seen such an utterly moronic col­lection of stereotypes, cliches and brainless idiots gathered together in one place (well, not since my last birthday party anyway).By all means, miss this one.

Harrison J. Chadd trying to erase the memory

C O M IN G S O O N T OG R E A T E R U N IO N T O W N C IN E M A STINCUP - Costner loans Rene Russo his three-wood and tries to steer clear of water world - oops - water traps (October 3). ESCAPE FROM LA - Kurt Russell straps on his old Snake Plisken outfit; Escape from New York director John Carpenter returns also (October 10).FIRST W IVE’S CLUB - Goldie Hawn. Bette Midler. Diane Keaton. Divorcees. Oh dear (October 24).FLED - Salma Hayek from Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn attacks the action genre; yum! (October 31).ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU - Again. Still, it ain’t over 'till the fat man sings; Brando and Kilmer go at it (November 7). RANSOM - The first post-Braveheart Mel Gibson. Directed by Ron Howard (November 14).STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT - Next Gen fans come out of the computer labs and dust off your Starfleet costumes - the crew of the Enterprise D returns - plus the Borg! (November 21/28?).101 DALMATIONS - Live action update of the old classic - Jeff Daniels as the goofy hero, Glenn Close as the villain (December 5).

G R EA TER U N IO NTOWN CINEMAS

elections

COURAGEUNDER

FIREOh dear - 1 can tell I’m going to be under fire myself for my opinion of this film (not that I'm much of a stranger to being publicly abused anyway). It’s alright - I ’ll just strap on my ide­ological flak suit and brace myself.Here goes.I loved Courage Under Fire.Ow! Ooh! Yipes! I can feel your cynical slings and arrows already.I understand that it’s horribly trendy to hate all things American. I ’m also aware of the dim view that most students, and in fact this very magazine, have of the military (particularly con­sidering the situation in the Persian Gulf at the moment). Fair enough - you’re entitled to your opinion.I could sit here and argue about conditioning and propaganda until the bovines return (or until I run out of room, which I personally believe is more likely to happen). I ’m not going to, however, because it would be beside the point.Courage Under Fire is about individuals. It doesn’t explore the broader issues of politics and economics, nor does it analyse the reasons for war. If you want those, you can watch a CNN documentary or read Norman Schwarzkopf’s autobiography. Courage Under Fire damns war for the most basic reasons - because people kill, and people die.That isn’t the driving point here, though it certainly is an important one. The real subjects of this film’s scrutiny are honor, courage and sacrifice.Denzel Washington plays Lieutenant-Colonel Nathaniel Serling, a Desert Storm veteran who commanded a tank platoon during the war. After the war, he is assigned to investigate the death and possible awarding of the Medal of Honor to a Captain Karen Walden (Meg Ryan). Walden was a helicopter pilot who was shot down in the desert whilst trying to rescue the crew of another downed chopper. This being the first time that a female is under consideration for the medal, the Pentagon is salivating over the PR possibilities, and the truth of the events surrounding Walden’s death are either ignored or buried.There is much of the traditional hero’s quest in Serling’s search for the truth, but Washington plays him as a distinct anti-hero. He is a man on the verge of destroying himself, wallowing in self-hatred over his own wrongdoings, refusing the love of his family, drowning himself in a bottle. He is searching for for­giveness from without, all the time ignoring the fact that he needs to be searching for it within.Serling’s investigation becomes his obsession, his way of understanding and justifying the war for himself. Despite bureaucratic stonewalling and varying versions of “the truth” , he struggles onward, sacrificing everything he has in order to earn everything he has.Yes, this is an epic, three-hanky, orchestra-reaching-for-your-heartstrings drama. And it’s a damn good one.Courage Under Fire certainly doesn’t sentimentalise war - it shows soldiers doing what soldiers do in a wartime situation (including depictions of what the military has euphemistically dubbed “friendly fire”; in fact, it was this part of the script that the US military didn’t quite like, and they refused to help the film get made - the film-makers had to use dressed up Australian tanks in the combat scenes). This may make us in the audience a little uncomfortable, but we’re civilians with the benefit of rational hindsight. This film treats killing as a soldier views it - a job to be done, and a necessity for survival. Unlike most guts ‘n glory war films, however, Courage Under Fire doesn’t ignore the consequences of the war for the individual. Serling’s personal demons best repre­sent this, but are far from the only examples. There are crippled soldiers, soldiers hopelessly addicted to heroin, and perhaps most tragic of all, soldiers hope­lessly addicted to violence. Lou Diamond Phillips turns in an intense performance as one example of the latter; despite his misogynistic, militaristic mind­set, he is still viewed with shades of sympathy, and his confusion at being persecuted for doing what he believed to be right drives him to the only act that can bring him redemption.Crippled soldiers, weeping parents, medal ceremonies - all of the traditional post-war images are present here; but beyond these is a deep and abiding respect for the courage of the individual. The film takes one death and displays it as an act of the noblest self-sacrifice, an act by one individual which gives purpose and meaning to an otherwise ugly and pointless war. It is this empowering of the individual, this recognition of the fact that human beings are capable of such compassion, that is the central message of Courage Under Fire.On a purely technical note, I cannot think of a better choice of directors for this film than Ed Zwick. With both Glory and Legends o f the Fall he demon­strated an instinct for combat scenes, coupled with a sensitivity towards the stories of the people involved. Unite this ability with an intelligent screenplay by Patrick Sheane Duncan, and you have a good story, brilliantly told. The aforementioned epic score was composed by Zwick’s (and my) favorite compos­er, James Horner; his looong list of credits includes Cocoon, Aliens, Thunderheart, Glory, Legends o f the Fall, Apollo 13 and Jumanji. Horner has a distinc­tive sound, and it is well suited here - he can swing between grand drama and subtle musical undertones with incredible ease.So there you go - 1 await your letters of cynicism and derision.I will always support films like this one, because they give me a little bit of hope. They encourage me to always value the individual over the system. They make me believe that honor, courage and sacrifice are not things that only exist inside some writer’s imagination. They convince me that there is still some­thing noble and compassionate about our race, and that these qualities can win victories in even the most horrible of times.We’re a doomed race if I’m wrong.

Harrison J. Chadd 47 G R E A TER U N IO Nelections

TOWN CINEMAS

p o e t R y

Sound HieroglyphicsPoets have commented on how their pens scratch; I am noting the sound as I write these hieroglyphics in their own language.

If they speak their sound as they are written could they ever be read?

I put a stick in the sandand draw the sound your

eyes make as they watch me

make this arc in the sand.

Then how would I tell you that if you died

the whole arc would crumple?

Poets have commented on how their pens scratch; will this scratching keep us alive?

Lucy Alexander 48

elections

DisjointingI am disjointing, pulling these balls out of theirsocketssimply to stop me from w hat I must do -

I am hurting myself.

If I could hold my heart still, and clutch my own essence, squeeze that life-beat from m e: if I could end myself and stop this dreadful now - then I could go on.

Lucy Alexander

I am waiting, but for what?I am failed by the simple certainty of words;a truth as unavoidable as shad­ow;a m om ent as com m on as a spar­row;a laughter as rippled as fingers; a pattern w orked upon a flower.

II

I didn’t miss the grave you slept in next to me; a smell of you that died because I no longer sm elt it:

and I cam e to see,what we ourselves can only dowe don’t do rarely,imperceptibly -but with the vigour and graceof the ordinary,until it becom esm undane.

Lucy Alexander

tattooes

HA T E

across her knuckles from w hen she was fifteen w hen he asked she said it was a joke and the joke was

she was too sm ashed to feel it those words

ram m ing her skin open her stain

in black ink

U C K

HF U C K AT E

now he’s fourteen and she’s laughing at him -you w anna be like m e bubby

doesn’t notice that it’s different just -how you gonna get a job

he says No d o n ’t call me that and it w asn’t cause of you

but it is it’s his mission writ in black to explode

white w ords love fisting hard into w hat kills her all the time.

tea on the roofIn the m orning, barefoot, I take m y tea to an apexhoping not to disturb all the birds.

Climbing, gently- the breakfaster on the roof -m y footed wayto drink,place the cupw atch itslideinto shatter.

Cicadas grate with grim insistence. Next door, the factory beast awakes

begins its daily m onologue. Each second coagulates on the last,

denying the pendulum passage. Time hangs heavy.

Swinging stretched taut; my body pinned

between last night and tom orrow morning.

49Lucy A lexander

elections

ction

Presenting the penultimate

Rock Hard ( he wasn’t rock hard at the time, but he had potential) was cruising through the streets o f the city in his new, red, shiny, speedy and adjec­tive-inducing convertible. It was one of his favourite pastimes.

He could check all the chicks (Rock is sure he’s hetero now), jut out his chin in time to the loud, pumping rhythm of his sub-woofers, put his base-ball cap backwards, fiddle with his chunky gold chains in the traffic. It was Saturday afternoon, it was spring, and he’d spent the whole morning cutting the sleeves off all his shirts. He’s also waxed his upper arms (but not his chest; Rock believes that on a real man you can’t find the nipples for chest hair), and the effect as he looked down at those big, brown, rippling-with-muscles biceps - shit it was turning him on.

It was just then that she caught his eye, walking down the left-hand side of the street, clad in black leather, her arse round, firm and pearfectly proportioned, tits like two ripe rock melons, black hair curling over honey-coloured shoulders. Hmmmm, thought Rock. Itonly took him two minutes to pull into the bus zone, and up beside her.

“Hey babe!” Standard greeting. He want­ed to say something about her bust, but thought at this stage in their relationship that it was probably better to reserve the compliments, so “What’s a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this?” would have to suffice.

“Oh!” She exclaimed. Her face was almost as good as her arse, her eyelashes so long and feathery that they brushed against her well defined cheek-bones. “I live around the cor­ner.”

Rock was hard at work, this was difficult for him you have to understand. Not only was he drinking in the presence of this beauty who was leaning against his shiny, speedy, red, long, hard . . . no, no! The other adjective-inducing implement that was also very useful?! Ah, the car, that’s it. Yes, you see, watching her hands to see if she had any signifying rings, taking in the nipples that were obviously wanting to get

versation was a bit difficult. Are you gonna go my way? was sounding promising until he remembered that was the line he’s used on Glory, and she said she’d heard it before some­where. So “W hat you doin’’ tonight?” was the best he could come up with while at the same time checking out her crotch, just in case there was something unwelcome nestling there. There wasn’t.

“Oh, I was going to sit all by myself in my lonely little flat and listen to Elton John.” That was unexpected, and Rock wasn’t sure he knew Elton John. But when he finally tore his eyes away from her juicy little crotch and saw her smile he knew she was just a big tease, and he smiled too, ‘cause a little teasing was fun.

There was a silence while he breathed in her bubble-gum scent. A bus honked at him. She must have been used to honking because she didn’t flinch. Then it struck him. Introductions! That’s what normal people, or at least people who aren’t as obsessed with sex (maybe it’s because they aren’t as beautiful as us, Rock thought, horrified that the thought seemed to be taking a really long time, and he couldn’t stop it.) do.

“I’m Rock Hard.” He managed ( he was­n’t though; something’s wrong! he panicked).

“And I’m Chlamydia, nice to meet you.”“ Will I meet you here at nine? We could

go for a drink, or back to my place for some­thing else.”

“That sounds great.” Chlamydia enthused. “I’ll be right here.”

“See you then!” Rock only just managed. He put his foot down and the speedy, red, long, though limp thing sped off.

Even when he got back to the penthouse Rock Hard was not himself. Usually a girl like that would make the old trouser-snake tango, but today, and actually for the last couple of weeks there was no life in him (the snake that is, Rock had a very fulfilling and interesting existence). Even Glory hadn’t been around for ages. He had a feeling that perhaps she was bored with him, and had found someone new.It was strange, but he felt that he needed to talk to someone who would understand, and give

50

elections

» * < « tit

* * I « * * ♦ * * 4 i I * » * I * t » I i » » ♦ » * 4 T * ♦ 1 i n T

Presenting the penultimate

sound advice. Farq, that’s it. They had told each other about their early conquests, and even when he was as old as eleven Rock had been able to speak to Farq about things. Fie flinched, but these were exten­uating circumstances, Chlamydia was going to expect him to perform. What if, instead, they had to talk all night?

Fie picked up the phone.“Fiello, Farq? It’s me, Rock.”I’ll spare you the details of their conversation,

except to say that it consisted of consisted of a lot of “Jeez, do you remember the tits on her?” and com­parisons of the benefits of wet-stuff and KY. Farq was setting up his own business, he told Rock, where they’d be “usin’1 a lot of that sort of stuff.” But Rock wasn’t diverted, he was never easily diverted from thinking about that long, red, hard (when it was, that is) tool, and here I don’t mean the car, or Glory’s vibrator.

“ I need your advice, Farq.” And he stumbled his way through the embarrassing scenario.

“I think I know just the guy to talk to.” said Farq, very helpfully. He gave Rock the number of a guy he knew at On Clinic . “ It’s really simple, go see this guy, and he’ll give you a sort of aphrodisiac; from there, you just inject it into the old piece of pork, and he’ll be rearin’’ to go in no time at all.”

Rock followed the instructions, and at eight- thirty his favourite tool was rearin’’, as promised.The problem was that he couldn’t wear his skin-tight and all revealing leather jeans. The of snake was just not going to be zipped in, and just as he was getting desperate Rock remembered the ‘cold spoon tech­nique’. He’d been taught it by a harem of nurses one night back in high school. Although it was painful it was incredibly effective. And this is what he need­ed, he couldn’t imagine going to pick up Chlamydia with a huge bulge in his own leather. He wandered into the kitchen and opened the top drawer, and quickly, without thinking about it too much, flicked the nearest spoon and brought it down on the rearing head of the serpent.

AHHHHH!!!!!

to be continueed...

You c re e p and k in d le w h a t m e m o ry I had o f you

(y o u 're d e a d you know ) in to s o m e th in g th a t w ill burn and n o t b e lost.

Ata p ro o t

canw a v e r to

its last

f ila m e n t, an d still b e w h o le .

(I've h eard th a tro o ts bu rn b e tte r , h o tte r , lo n g e r . . .)

W h e n m ym in d g ro p es ,

I k n o w th e re 's a w h o le in th e re .I'll ta k e w h a t it

ta k es ,(air,w a te r,love)

tochase you back d o w n ,

w h e re th e w e b b in gis th e on ly link -

and you w ill b e

p u t o u t.

i

51

elect

ctioni M i n own

By Adam Pedley-Smith

She was not there when he woke up. Her side of the bed had been neatly made, and she had left no note saying where she had gone. Which meant that she had finally done it. She had left him. The clock in the hall struck seven as he rose and entered the bathroom. He turned on the cold tap to splash his face, and the water coming from the faucet was warm. Had she left only moments before? Had he just missed her? He stepped into the shower, but it did not make him feel any cleaner. The water felt somehow dry and old. He thought he heard the front door open, and quickly turned off the water. Wrapping a towel around his waist he hurried to the door. The chain was off the latch, and swung gently back and forth. The clock in the hall struck six as he opened the door and stepped outside. To either side the corridor stretched past numerous identical closed doors, and its darkness was punctu­ated by the separate circles of yellow light thrown down by the ceiling lamps. The lamp directly above seemed to be failing, and flickered on and off irreg­ularly. As he stared further down the corridor he saw, far off, another lamp doing likewise. Beneath it stood an unidentifiable figure who stared further down the corridor, where a lamp flickered on and off irregularly. And beneath it....

The clock in the hall struck five as he re­entered the apartment and slid the chain onto the latch. Where would she have gone, he wondered.To a friend’s? Her mother? If he could only find her, he could perhaps persuade her to come back to him. He picked up the phone, but there was no dial tone. All he heard was the silence of a dead line. Alright then, so he had no way of contacting her. Surely she would get in touch with him. If for no other reason than merely to rub it in, that she had left him and he had lost her. He thought back to the argument they had had last night. Neither of them had been violent, or even particularly cruel. Perhaps it had just been that one fight too many, combined with all the others over the past several weeks. He remembered that she had always been delicate, sensitive. There seemed to always be a ten­

sion present between them, as if they were standing on the edge of a cliff ready to tip over.

The clock in the hall struck four, rousing him from his introspective dream. The room had grown cold, so very cold. He wanted her back. He needed her back. Maybe, he thought in a sudden surge of hope, she hasn’t really left me at all. Maybe she just stepped out for a moment, and hadn’t left a note because she thought she would be back before he woke up. That must be it, he decided. He would apologise to her, and she would forgive him, and everything would be alright again. He would give her a big, warm welcome when she returned. On a sudden whim, he hurried out to the small balcony behind the apartment. The outside world was washed in a very dim grey half-light. The nearby buildings seemed carved out of stone and the very air itself was lifeless and still. He picked a handful o f flowers from the window-box and went back inside.

The clock in the hall struck three as he entered the kitchen to find a vase. He immediately wrinkled his nose in disgust at the foul odour per­meating the room. It smelt as if something was rot­ting, slowly putrefying into a viscous ooze. He opened the refrigerator and peered inside. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He could see nothing which might be the source of the rancid smell. Packets of food lay wrapped in plastic film, looking rather like tiny mummified corpses, with the refrig­erator their mausoleum. The little light inside the refrigerator seemed to be failing, and flickered on and off irregularly. It made him feel slightly uneasy, but he could not quite put his finger on why it should do so. He closed the refrigerator door and quickly retrieved a vase from the cupboard, decid­ing to leave finding the source of the smell until later. He returned to the main room and, setting the vase on the table, began arranging the flowers in it. Their bright, lively colours seemed anomalous in the otherwise drab and colourless room. Their perfume reminded him of her. She liked flowers, he told himself. When she came back she would see the flowers and she would like them. And she

would like him. When she came back. He stopped arranging the delicate blossoms. She would not come back. She was gone forever and he was play­ing himself for a fool if he went on believing other­wise. The clock in the hall struck two as he rose and left the room, leaving behind the vase and the blackened, withered, dead stems it contained.

He stood on the balcony, staring out at the grey lifeless world. Lifeless. Everything was fading, winding down, dying. It was as if she had taken the very life of the place with her when she left. Damn it, he needed her! He had become so reliant on her to provide the colour, the life for his own existence that now, in her absence, his world was becoming as colourless and lifeless as the bleak cityscape before him. And what of him? would his life too fade, wind down with it? Would he start to flicker on and off irregularly, until his life-force was entire­ly spent and he began to rot and decay? The clock in the hall struck one as he buried his face in his hands and wept.

He was not there when she came back. The clock in the hall was silent.

elections

M—

Women’s roles in films have altered consid­erably over the past few decades. By encouraging social changes, films have pro­jected women’s issues onto the big screen across the globe. Women have successfully invaded genres and bravely tackled topics th at were previously considered men’s domain.

Mainstream films have been particularly instrumental in changing perceptions, p re­cisely because of their popularity. The big- budget films that H ollywood produces have a lot more influence, and are more widely seen, than films made anywhere else in the world; love it or hate it, you have to admit that Hollywood is a major player. For Blue Stocking W eek we decided to skim through recent Hollywood history and highlight just a few of the films and celebrities that have identified, advanced, encouraged, criticised or satirised m odern women s issues (of course, we ran out of room in that edition - apparently the women on campus had a lot to say - and so we ve put this little roundup here, in the Sexuality edition).Perhaps the toughest genre for women to break into was - for obvious reasons - action. Fans of Arnie, Sly and Van Damme would probably boycott the cinemas if Term inator 3 had petite W inona Ryder playing the next generation of robotic killers. No, on-screen violence has usually been the domain of the muscle-bound male. W e re more conditioned to accept­ing men as killers. There are certain pivotal films, however, that have set about chang­ing this misconception, by placing women in action roles - both as heroines and vil­lains.Ridley Scott s sci-fi classic Alien saw the birth of Sigourney W eaver s now-famous character, W arrant Officer Ellen Ripley. In this, the original and best film of the popu­lar Alien series, Ripley started out in a sup­porting role, only making a surprise move to the central protagonist s spot after all her higher-ranking male shipmates were eaten. The film became a cult classic, spawned two sequels (with another cur­rently in production), and now stands as the only successful sci-fi series that revolves around a female lead. The first sequel, Aliens, was made by up and coming James Cameron. Cameron went on to becom e an A-list director and he consistently makes films that contain strong female characters. His earliest success, The Term inator, had a young waitress nam ed Sarah C onnor (Linda Hamilton) outlive her hard-bitten male bodyguard and go on to single-hand­

edly defeat the seemingly unstoppable Term inator (played, of course, by Arnold Schwarzenegger). In the sequel, Hamilton was beefed up and totally intimidating, looking just as comfortable with a gun as the Arnie-cyborg-killer at her side.W ith characters like Connor, Ripley and even Lindsay in The Abyss (beautifully played by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), all of the strong women who outlive the very macho military men around them, Cameron is definitely providing an equal opportunity slant on the phrase Survival of the f i t te s t .In general, gun-to ting heroines are becoming more of a common sight. The recent resurgence of the W estern has included a few films with cow-girls lead­ing the posse - Sharon Stone in Sam Raimi s The Q uick and the Dead, and a four-w om an ensem ble in Jonathan Kaplan s Bad Girls that included Drew Barrymore, Madeleine Stowe and Andy McDowell.Even the traditional pirate film under­w ent a sex change w ith the much- m aligned bu t immensely entertaining Cutthroat Island, in which director Renny Harlin cast his wife Geena Davis as a pirate. It s a pity Errol Flynn wasn t alive to see it.The ladies have been getting into uniform too; from Demi M oore in A Few Good Men to Meg Ryan in the brilliant Courage Under Fire, we ve seen that girls can look just as good in khaki as the boys can. W omen in police uniforms have been popping up too - most notably Jamie Lee Curtis in the gripping thriller Blue Steel (which was also directed by a woman, and a comrade of James Cameron s - Kathryn Bigelow). Rene Russo displayed guts and one hell of an uppercut in Lethal W eapon

3 (as well as the thriller In the Line of Fire, in which she played a secret service agent) The most popu lar cop films o f recent years - Seven and H eat - had no female leads, bu t the women in supporting roles were reassur- ably complex and three-dim en­sional, especially Brad P itt s real-life squeeze, G w yneth Paltrow, as his on-screen wife in Seven; she barely has two scenes, and is exem plary in both.O f course, women have been working on both sides of the law, and there have been plenty of bad girls as well. Basic Instinct, from D utch director Paul Verhoeven, caused a bit of a fuss over its explicit nudity, sex and sexual violence. Lesbian and bi-sexual communities in the US took offence at Sharon Stone s portrayal of the bi-sexu- al(?), m urdering(P), novelist, Catherine. W hether or not she was the killer, her implied les­bianism and the now-famous legs crossing - uncrossing scene did wonders for Stone s career (not to mention the box office receipts). And boy was she bad. Verhoeven used Stone again in Total Recall, where she was so capably evil that she stole every single scene she shared with the film s star, big Arnie himself. The violence again caused a controversy, bu t V erhoeven (who later m ade Showgirls) seems to be making a career out of it.

The James Bond films, for all of their sexist over­tones, have still always been a breeding ground for sexually aggressive and physically capable women. Grace Jones was all that and black in A View to a Kill. The latest instalment, GoldenEye, was a more whimsical, self-satirising B ond Film , and the Russian tem ptress/k iller, O natop (played by Jamke Fansen), was the highlight of the movie.W e ve seen comic-book bad girls - Lori Petty in the dizzy Tank Girl, Pamela Anderson Lee in Barb W ire, and M ichelle Pfeiffer as the delicious Catwoman in Batman Returns.W eve seen witches too - Cher, Pfeiffer and Sarandon in The W itches of Eastwick, and a Generation-X version just this year called The Craft.W omen have also made plenty of headway into the psycho bitch/killer roles, encouraged by the suc­cess of Basic Instinct - Rebecca DeM ornay was chilling in The H and that Rocks the Cradle, Kathy Bates was ghoulish in Misery, Amanda Plum m er was suitably twisted in the amusing So I M arried an Axe M urderer, and Glenn Close was every m ar­ried man s nightmare (and just desserts) in Fatal Attraction. All in all it s been refreshing to see blood splattered hatchets, axes and ice-picks wielded by feminine hands for a change. If we re really lucky we may even get to see Friday the Thirteenth Part Fourteen: Revenge of Jason s Sister.

l i e at the Sic for mote details i t

don’t forget to VOtCi

ie following special election pages show some of the tickets running io the elections

¥1)*05

eer For ought

Read this!You N eed This Now!

You are sick o f being treated like shit!You want what you pay for!You think that the Uni Tavern is a rip-off!You deserve better than this!You want to see bands that are different!You are your ow n p e rso n !You want a university social life w ith fire!You need a break!You like to party!You want a real bar, no t a stinking booze hall! You are popular w ith your friends.You are pissed off w ith the current SRC!You are a good person!You w ant edible food and cost price drinks! You are being treated like an idiot!You think the SRC is duding you!You need to vote for M att Sw eeney!You will finally get a fa ir deal!You can vote M att Sw eeney fo r a new start! You w ill eat good food!You w ill get cheaper drinks!You w ill see new bands!You w ill be treated like a hum an being!You will vote M att Sw eeney for President!

m att sw eeney

rudo lph m at

Vote 1

Beer For Thought

we 11 liven up this campus !!!A lso see: “ M A D G E ” A quilina and R andolph M ar

Randolph Mar

In recent years the University social scene has deteriorated into a kindergarten style cavalcade of duddery. What has gone wrong? Simple:- there is only one bar on campus which closes before a five year old s bedtime four out of five nights a week- does this promote the high level of social interaction which is expected at a University of Wollongong s ranking that puts us in the same tier as Sydney University which has not one but three bars????? We think NOT!!!!!- the booze prices are an impediment to the long lost art of extensive and creative discussion which formerly contributed to the wholesome growth of many an academic mind,- and to top it all off, no weekend trading at all.With our colleague Matt Sweeney we come together as Beer for Thought, a Party to campaign for a renaissance of the social scene at this University. When we are elected to the XXIVth SRC, as a team, we will strive to rectify this terrible situation which currently exists on campus. As General Representatives, we will do whatever is neces­sary to;1. Reopen the old bar (Upstairs Bistro) which is currently a wasted asset. Why should we be subjected to zero choice of bar on campus? The old bar, with its cosy ambience, a bar that looks like a bar, nice soft loungeseats, will offer a totally different atmosphere from the existing ground floor Oktoberfest style boozehall.2. Open one of the Unibars until at least 10 pm during the week.Ever felt like a refreshing ale at UniMovies intermission, only to be greeted by lights out, shutters down? Yeh, us too.3. Instigate weekend trading. With a burgeoning student population in the local area, and a dearth of suitable venues in the CBD, don t you think it s time that the University bar cared? Get one open on weekends!!!!!4. Provide more subsidised lubrication on Campus by inaugurating a bona fide Happy Hour, or Happy Two Hours, at the Uni Bars, where drinks will be served to students at half price, not at two thirds the price which is the current dire situation.This is your Campus, you 11 spend at least three years here. It s a long time between drinks.Vote 1 Beer For Thought we 11 liven up this campus !!!

Andrew MADGE Aquilina

In recent years the University social scene has deteriorated into a kindergarten style cavalcade of duddery. What has gone wrong? Simple:- there is only one bar on campus which closes before a five year old s bedtime four out of five nights a week- does this promote the high level of social interaction which is expect­ed at a University of Wollongong s ranking that puts us in the same tier as Sydney University which has not one but three bars????? We think NOT!!!!!- the booze prices are an impediment to the long lost art of extensive and creative discussion which formerly con­tributed to the wholesome growth of many an academic mind,- and to top it all off, no weekend trading at all.With our colleague Matt Sweeney we come together as Beer for Thought, a Party to campaign for a renaissance of the social scene at this University. When we are elected to the XXIVth SRC, as a team, we will strive to rectify this terrible situation which currently exists on campus. As General Representatives, we will do whatever is necessary to;1. Reopen the old bar (Upstairs Bistro) which is currently a wasted asset. Why should we be subjected to zero choice of

bar on campus? The old bar, with its cosy ambience, a bar that looks like a bar, nice soft loungeseats, will offer a totally different atmosphere from the existing ground floor Oktoberfest style boozehall.2. Open one of the Unibars until at least 10 pm during the week. Ever felt like a refreshing ale at UniMovies intermis­sion, only to be greeted by lights out, shutters down? Yeh, us too.3. Instigate weekend trading. With a burgeoning student population in the local area, and a dearth of suitable venues in the CBD, don t you think it s time that the University bar cared? Get one open on weekends!!!!! '4. Provide more subsidised lubrication on Campus by tnau- gurating a bona fide Happy Hour, or Happy Two Hours, at the Uni Bars, where drinks will be served to students at half price, not at two thirds the price which is the current dire situation.

This is your Campus, you 11 spend at least three years here.It s a long time between drinks.Vote 1Beer For Thoughtwe 11 liven up this campus !!!

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PRESIMelanie G

II am an ordinary student,a politics major o f no particular brilliance or fame,who hasbecome seriously put off by the mewling incompetents who claim to represent the interests of students on lered around me a group of likeminded, ordinary students who simply want sane representation from a body who consults then guides rather than simply dictating in a brash, vulgar and unrep I All of US understand that for most students, the most important thing whilst at uni is getting through uni. Too often student representatives get caught up in national issues while neglecting c l(VSU) we also recognise that for the majority o f students the most pressing issues are access to quality services; food, parking and childcare prices, personal safety, queing for tutes, quality: I United students are committed to bringing your student orgnaisation back to you. We are not full of rhetoric, United students have spent the last six weeks surveying students to find out wha I students of the University of Wollongong.

I United Students are about accountability, accessibility, reliability and responsibilty. We recognise that in the current political climate the higher education sector is under attack. We also reco [detrimental impact on the quality o f our education and the services that are offered to us. United Students realise that it vital not to lose sight o f the day to day needs and wants o f students ii

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EDUCATION O FFICER Andrew Silver

11 am a 20 year old third year biomedical science who has become increasingly disillusioned with the way that campaigns are determined and run by the SRC. I 'atio n I like to see an SRC that appeals to a broader cross section of the student population. I understand the importance of the ‘big issues’ such as the Higher Edu: au 0 _

[Contribution Scheme (HECS) and cuts to universities, but I am also concerned with day to day issues like the fact that many students line up for hours for tutoria u n j. ■ cations or have trouble tracking down lecturers when required. United Students will implement regular student general meetings (SGM’s), to be held all over tlqbout versity - not just the duckpond lawn, to allow students at the grass roots level to participate in the decision making processes of the SRC. United Students are not £ j [

[telling students what their concerns are and deciding on the best course of action. For an SRC that is concerned with what you’re concerned with VOl U N I T E D S T U D E N T S .

ENVIRONMENT OFFICER Jo Mason

I During 1996 we have seen the im stigation o f a working party to develop a university environm ent policy . In 1997,1 would like to carry on the work of the current environm ent! [officer in prom oting and being active in this process. I believe that it is a case o f ‘look after your own backyard’ before worrying about anyone e lse’s. I would like to see the re cy - | | cling that has been im plem ented on the university cam pus expanded; serious lobbying for m ore noticeboards for students and a re-introduction o f the car pooling service. I w ould] I like environm ental issues to becom e an integral part o f any decisions made on cam pus and not ju st treated as an afterthought. M y experience with the Australian C onservation! [Foundation and G reenpeace, and the education I have received by attending a num ber o f youth environm ent conferences have consolidated my appreciation o f our natural envi­ro n m e n t and heightened my desire to develop m eans by w hich we can co-exist. For an environm entally friendly SRC V O T E 1 U N ITE D STU D EN TS.

1 9 9 6 S R c E le ctio n s: T ic k e ts ^

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l a i l i e G j isCampUS. Since I actually believe in students input into student representation as opposed to a screaming, vulgar minority telling us what issues we will be represented on, I have gath- udents on t l : tentative mannerand unrepr< i mpUS based issues. While U nited S tudents recognise the importance of fundamental attacks on democracy and the right to representation, such as anti-student organisation legislation iglecting cai education and generally getting through a degree with the least amount of fuss.s, quality ol y0ur concerns are. We could sit back and draft policy that might be vaguely applicable to you on an off day but instead we want to have policy that accurately reflects the concerns o f the id out what

nise that these attacks are not just about the regressive changes to the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) and cuts to Austudy/Abstudy but that cuts to the sector will have ae also reco g , ^ fight against the greater evil. That it is why U nited Students are students working with students, for students,students in

PRESIDENT Joe McKay

I want a good time, not a hard time at uni. I want a library with the book that 1 want. I want a cheap feed at university and have shops open when I want. II want to pay for parking and get a spot. I want my money’s worth and I think you do too.

In the past, the SRC has been run by a small, loud mouthed, self-serving, unrepresentative clique who protest everything and achieve nothing while I spending our money. So if you want an SRC that changes things and doesn’t just whinge about them VOTE 1 UNITED STUDENTS.

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MEDIA OFFICER Gene Awyzio

1 am a third year telecommunications (electrical engineering) student who has had considerable experience in all of the aspects required I lof the Media Officer. In terms of organisation I have been the president of TAFE board of directors, the principal of WASABIl ^Presentation Concepts and am a mother of a four year old (perhaps my greatest claim to organisational skills). I decided to run for this I Iposition after becoming very disillusioned with the Tertangala. What happened to the quality of your student newspaper? Do you even I Iread your student newspaper? It is my aim to make the Tertangala relevant and readable. I want to see a Tert that a student of this uni-1 f versity would be proud to show to their children or parents or off campus friends. United Students are committed to creating a news-

Fpaper that represents the views of the students and not just four people crammed in the media office. We will publish SRC and univer- rsity news, explain how decisions affect you as a student and give you the opportunity to voice your won views. United Students will I

^implement free classifieds for students; photo collages; controversial forum pages and inject a bit of fun back into the Tert because we I ^recognise the importance of a balanced student publication. For a student newspaper you want to read VOTE 1 UNITED STUDENTS.

HONORARY TREASURER Nigel Manns

My name’s Nigel and I am a politics major who is entertaining the idea o f . ‘tidying commerce. In a time when universities are facing major fundsing cuts, we can I see the same thing happening to student organisations. Universities will be forced to offer lower quota’s in many courses which will affect the overall student num-1 ber and therefore the level of fees paid to the SRC. This means that the SRC will have to re-evaluate their expenditure to ensure that any student money spent is I done so with the interests of the majority of students in mind. United Students believe students should be active particpants in deidng how their money will be I spent and our planned regular student general meetings will ensure that expenditure on campaigns and the like will be with students in mind. For an SRC who j realises it is your money being spent VOTE 1 UNITED STUDENTS.

WELFARE OFFICER Ron Woerz

I I ’m Ron, I have been an active member of the network of mature age students (NOMAS) and am currently a general representative of the SRC. If nothing else, my experincel I this year with the SRC has taught me one thing - rhetoric, sparkling ideologies and dreams about big pictures mean nothing if you are not available to listen and help the mem- Ibers you represent. This is especially important for the position of Welfare Officer. I believe it is absolutely essential for the Welfare Officer to be there. The Welfare Officer I I should not only investigate and inform students on how university decisions and government legislation affects them. They should also be available to help out with | I Austudy/Abstudy problems; Social Security stuff-ups; problems with childcare etc. on a day to day basis. United Students want to see the re-introduction of the Welfare sub- I committee to investigate such measures as emergency food parcels and ensuring student well-being. If you want an SRC that is there for you VOTE 1 UNITED STUDENTS.

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Katherine Pikehonorary secretaryHi my name is Katherine Pike. Some of you may know me as the Education Officer for the XXIIIrd SRC. My time as Education Officer taught me a great deal about the importance of the Student’s Representative Council. I am running with the VIVA ticket as I know these individuals to be very com­mitted to making the SRC more accountable and relevant to every single student on this campus. I am also committed to continuing my participation in the no fees for degrees campaign to ensure equal access to education for everyone regardless of your bank balance. I’m also interested in ensuring that the quali­ty of our education is not impaired. In my capacity as honorary secretary I will ensure that I assist every SRC member in achieving this goal of quality and accessible education.

AI Turnergeneral representative My name is Al. I am a first year creative arts student. In these elections I am running for the position of General Representative. I haven t had much experience in student politics but in the past year I ve been involved in a lot of stu­dent actions such as the rallies. I am also a member of the Education Action Collective,(a non-political student organisation,) through which I have learnt a lot about student s needs and the problems we are facing. I believe that student politics should be about the students, not about which political party you follow. If we are elected I plan to represent students, not a political ideology. I also think it s important that the Student Representative Council should appear more approachable, too many students don t want to get involved because they think we are too cliquey. I don t want this to happen again.Another thing that annoys me is the state of the Creative Arts buildings. For instance, the so called Writer s Room is just a couple of flim­sy demountables stuck together. They re cold in winter and hot in summer, and noise pene­trates through them as if they are not even there. The visual arts rooms are too small as well, and the facilities are just not good enough. Not to mention the pathetic lack of performance space. These are just some of the reasons why I am running as a General Representative.

VIVA!voices * integrity * visibility

active & accessible

Anthony Hopkins general representativeI m Anthony Hopkins, a second year Arts/Law student, and I m running for the position of General Representative. I want to be part of the SRC because I believe in quality, accessible edu­cation - and this ideal is under attack. A quality education involves gaining skills, learning about ideas, interacting with others, and most impor­tantly, learning how to lead out lives as produc­tively as possible. I believe that a dynamic, rele­vant, broad minded and accountable SRC is criti­cal to ensure students get the most out their uni­versity lives. Too many of us feel that the SRC is failing in this task. And, in my view, this failure is due to poor channels of communication. The SRC doesn t know what students ant and stu­dents don t know what the SRC is doing. This ties in with failures of communication between other student groups in the campus community.It is important that the SRC become involved in bridging these communication gaps. If I am elect­ed I will focus on forging links between students from all faculties, nationalities, ages, classes and sexual persuasions.

Bronwyn Dann general representativeH i! My name is Bronwyn Dann and I am run­ning for the position as general representative on the VIVA! ticket. I am particularly interested in sexuality issues and would be interested in filling the Sexuality Officer position on the SRC if elected. If elected, I would be interested in writ­ing for the Tertangala to keep you up to date with issues concerning sexuality and all its differ­ent flavours, continue participating in the bril­liant sexuality collective ALLSORTS that we have on this campus, spread the word about safe sex and raise awareness on campus about queer issues.My job will be to represent everyone and their interests, be they gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, trans­gender or straight. I will be there to talk and to provide information or advice on issues relating to sex and sexuality. I hope to work in collabora­tion with the sexuality collective to give you a year of questioning, learning, accepting and FUN. Even though we ve got Fred, it doesn t mean that queers can t be out and proud and queer-friendly people can t be supportive and accepting.

Carol Berry n.u.s. delegateBecause of my role as Vice-President on the SRC in 1996,1 have been involved with the National Union Of Students this year, however, this was as an independent activist, not as a delegate. I would like to get more involved in the National Union Of Students in 1997 because I believe that the N.U.S. has an essential role to play in ensuring that students have a united and organised voice on a national and state level. In 1996,1 was actively involved in the Cross-Campus Women s Network ,Cross-Campus Education Network and RASCIAC (regional and small campuses in a collective) which are all important bodies in controlling and directing the activities of state N.U.S. office-bearers. I was also elected on to a position on State N.U.S. Women s Committee and my experience there was also invaluable. If elected as a delegate on the National Union Of Students I promise to take an active role in implementing and further­ing the campaigns undertaken by the N.U.S and I also promise to take an active role in the re-structuring process which is presently being undertaken to ensure that the N.U.S. is a much more relevant and accountable union for all students.

Vanessa Badham media officerWhat would I do as Media Officer? I could write a zany little opener here, but simply:1.) Establish a student media collective.For a student paper to be a student paper, it must have student input. As Media Officer, I will establish regular open weekly meetings to which any student can bring ideas, skills or simple enthusiasm into the decisions, design and content of Tertangala. Student contributions to Tertangala are paid - I think they should also be encour­aged.2.) Give jobs to students, not jobs to the boys .As part of the VIVA ticket, I am committed to an accountable Student Council. The SRC offers paid jobs as media staff on Tertangala — jobs which, at the moment, can go to members of the very Student Council which employs them. As Media Officer, I will ensure that the SRC constitution is changed to prevent SRC members having SRC jobs.3.) Organise media workshops.Media Officer shouldn t be just about the Tertangala — it should be about providing media services to the Wollongong student body. As Media Officer, I will co­ordinate workshops for students in Layout, Editing, Photography, Desktop Publishing and Internet Publishing which happen on a monthly basis.4.) Publish a weekly classifieds/promotions/rental broad­sheet that will be free.The idea for this comes from the ridiculous state of notice boards on this campus. The media unit on this campus has the resources to produce a broadsheet which can include all the information usually lost in the plastered-over disas­ter of noticeboards, and get it into student hands - 1 will make sure this happens.5.) Produce a student paper which is interesting, well-writ ten, well-researched, open, easy-to-read, credible, respon­sive, informative, current, challenging, broad, memorable, critical, hilarious, fun and a real document to the University of Wollongong student body.

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David Branson general representativeMy name is David Branson, I am a first year Science student studying both science and arts subjects. I am running for the position of general representative on the SRC as part of the VIVA! ticket.I am running in these elections because I believe I can add to the diversity of the SRC and therefore make the SRC more represen­tative of the whole student body. Also, I am interested in finding out how the 40 odd dollars that we all give to the SRC (as part of our fees) is spent, and ensuring that that money is spent on stu­dents in a fair and accountable way. I am affiliated with no politi­cal party and believe that the SRC should be dedicated to addressing only student needs and not pushing the cause of any particular political organisation.If elected, I will make the SRC more appealing to the mainstream student by increasing its visibility on campus, let more students know what services are provided by the SRC and help them realise that these services are available to all students.

Involvement s the word! If you care about issues it s often only a fine line between concern and getting in there - doing and saying something about it. This year I ve crossed that line and been involved in almost every action we ve had on this cam­pus regarding education issues. Next year will be no different. Being a general rep­resentative for our SRC is a way for me to take up those concerns on behalf of stu­dents like you.If the powers that be hear no dissent to what they propose, be they government ministers like Vanstone or our own VC, Gerard Sutton then they 11 push through their agendas with scant regard to those who 11 suffer from their policies. It s up to us to let them know that there is a large number of students who disagree with them and say that people came before money and democracy comes before what s convenient for them.As a general representative I intend to continue the fight against education cuts and other issues that have a direct bearing on students on this campus. This ticket has some of the best people, with the highest levels of integrity and commitment that I ve met. The fact that it is made up of independent students who care about issues affecting all of us and is not aligned to any political group is evidence that students come first with us. Some of us, including myself, are members of political groups but political factioning is not what we are about - representing students in order to get a fairer deal is our aim.

Andrew Haas welfare officerG day, I m Andrew Haas and as part of the VIVA! ticket I m running as the WELFARE OFFICER.

My study at this point is STS as part of an Arts degree but for the last two years I was doing Science. During this time I have observed the various STUDENT REPRESENTA­TIVE COUNCIL s, getting involved in a few things. Now I want to take on a more active role'as part of the SRC and really get involved in student affairs.For too long I believe the SRC has been an unknown, unrepresentative body on campus for many people. As part of the diverse and vital VIVA! ticket, I aim to raise the profile of the SRC so that it does involve, include and

Ann Butler general representative

Rebecca Nissim women s officerThis Uni, like this country and in fact the rest of the world, is basically run by middle-aged men who do not always have the best interests of the majority of their populace that happens to be female, at heart. Having a Women s Officer is a way of ensuring that the needs of women students are represented in campus decision-making and within the fight for an equi­table education.Safety is an issue that tends to affect women the most. Women need to be able to feel safe from attack and harassment, whether it be verbal, sexual or physical, and if they are in trouble the should be able to go to someone who can do something about it: that person is the Women s Officer.My name is Rebecca Nissim and I am a second year psycho Creative Arts student. I have served on this years SRC as a General Representative and lately as the Sexuality Officer. I have always been heavily into women s issues and in my time on the SRC, I have attended conferences such as the Network of Women Students and FemX ( a women s policy-writing con­ference) in order to learn more about this stuff and things to do about it.I intend to be truly representative: I don t care if you choose to call your­self a feminist or not, if you re a women on the campus then the Women s Officer is here for YOU. To that end, I aim to make myself known to as much of the female population as possible through publicity, education campaigns and just plain getting around and talking to groups and individ­uals. The position of Women s Officer is one of support, consultation, problem-solving, action and visibility.Lastly, but not least, I will continue to be unceasingly active in the fight against what the Liberal Government is doing to higher education, and represent women s needs throughout. Feminism is not dead! VIVA - voic­es, integrity...!

Andy Cochran n.u.s.delegateI m a full-time philosophy student at Wollongong Uni. Politically speaking, I m an intellectual anarchist, insomuch as I believe that free philosophy, science and art will enhance the growth, integrity

and sustainability of any society. Free, that is, from any violent capi­tal restraint such as that which our own government seems to com­mand.I think that our government should significantly increase education funding. I think that the National Union Of Students is a legitimate body that can represent the best interests of students and society.I m an independent N.U.S. candidate without a factional agenda. If I m elected as a Wollongong Uni N.U.S. delegate, my a agenda will be to argue for a responsible N.U.S. campaign to make it clear to our government that industry alone cannot sustain the social the social benefits of a government funded education.

answer to the student body.As Welfare Officer I aim to work with you and for you on issues that affect the welfare of students and individuals on campus, University should be fun and not just learning in the academic sense. It may be a time of experi­mentation, questioning, branching out and finding out more about your­self. Whatever it is, you are not alone and I promise to provide you with avenues of coping with the many aspects of University life. If you need advice on financial problems, accommodation, counselling, discrimination of all sorts (sexual, racial, religious, etc), health issues, whatever, the W elfare

O fficer is there to help you and work with you to address them.Most of all I want YOUR input so that collectively we can all benefit, learn from each other and make sure the R in the SRC truly stands for REP­RESENTATIVE.

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Erin Cahill general representativeI believe a tertiary education should be an entire experi­ence producing whole people with concerns, ideas and opinions, not simply rote learning which produces automa­tons able to cite academic literature and scientific equa­tions. It is for this reason that I chose Wollongong Uni to study at, because in my opinion it provides opportunities to study at an excellent standard, but to do so in a friendly an supportive environment. At the same time, universities ultimately decide your qualifications and life path. For this reason, I believe student input is so very necessary to a uni­versity functioning - surely none of us wish to think our lives are being determined by a small elite to whom we are statistics? Wollongong still has, I believe from talking to people and from my own observations, needs to be met and wants to be heard. This means listening to all students regardless of race, class or political ideologies. As an SRC representative, I would hope to act, as a mediator for all student concerns, and as a starting point for action on these. I firmly believe a university is useless until this input made, an I firmly believe that I am the one to do this job. Its your university. Take a positive step in securing input into your education - VOTE 1 ERIN CAHILL, GENER­AL REPRESENTATIVE in the October 1996 SRC elec­tions.

Feargus Manning general representativeThe SRC forms a vital part of the University community. It provides an essential support system for students, supplying various student services as well as acting as an advocate, run by students, for students. A VIVA SRC, and I as your Gen Rep, will make sure that YOUR student association listens to you and strives to provide the SRC that you want.It is also important to realise that tertiary education is under a policy shroud at the moment. The policies that the current government are introducing will mean that many students will find it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to continue with their university education. This is unacceptable, especially in a country as rich as Australia. You, therefore, for yourself, for your fellow students and for the students that are comming after you, should vote for an SRC which is prepared to do whatever is within it s power to stop the neo-conservative grim-reaper from choking the life out of an accessible educa­tion system. VIVA comprises a team, myself included, who have been taking the fight to the forces of darkness for some time now, and will continue to do so in the furture.If you want an SRC which provides an efficient support system for students and if you don t want the breadheads to win, then vote for Feargus John Macbeth Manning for Gen Rep in a VIVA SRC.

Jade Thomas general representativeMy name is Jade Thomas, although some of you might know me as ferret-boy (if you haven t met Drake and Ricki yet, you will soon!) I m 21 and have been living in Wollongong since 1994. In have completed a Dip Comp Appl here and am currently 2nd year B.A. Psych. I have been supporting the SRC alot this year in the way of attendance at every rally; eating dogfood in front of the media for an Austudy protest/stunt, obtaining ads for the Tert; and picking up the Tert s from Sydney. I am now a general representa­tive since the October 26th bi-elections.

Michael Prior general representativeHi, I m Michael Prior and I m running as a candidate as a general representative position in the SRC elections as a member of the VIVA! party. I am an education student in my 4th year at university, and have been involved in this year s SRC in the position of Activities Officer, bringing many bands and activities to the cam­pus including jumping castles, international bands such as ALL (U.S.), national bands such as Spiderbait (OCT. 24 - be there!), and Front End Loader, and several local bands.As a general representative, I intend to continue, as a part of the SRC in the battle against HECS increases, Austudy cuts and changes, up front fees, and the budget cuts to university funding, as well as ensuring student services are maintained from the SRC and making sure that the SRC is accessible to all students.The position as a general representative is one that is very important as an access point between students and the SRC, and as I am also very visible on campus, if you have any concerns and interests, you can contact me easily to discuss anything you like, just look for the blond curly mop (often wandering around aimlessly or in the bar, or both).

Tara Matteson education officerHi! Writing this makes me feel as though I m playing one of those getting to know you games.Where you begin with sentences like, my name is... , my favourite colour is... and when I grow up I want to be... . Unfortunately, what is happening to higher education on a national level is anything but a game. I m Tara Matteson and I am in this year s SRC elections. I m running for the position of Education Officer (EO).This year on the SRC I have been a general representative. I found it rewarding to be involved in the SRC and want to continue my involvement in a more specific area, ie. education issues. Throughout the year I have also been attending meetings of the Education Action Collective (EAC), which is a group of concerned students who discuss many issues relating to higher education. I feel that the EAC is a body which is important and I will continue to take seriously as the most important part of my role as Education Officer. Every student, in my vie has the right to contribute to all discussions pertaining to higher education. The EAC provides the perfect forum for this.It is not acceptable that students be excluded from university on the basis of income. Furthermore, stu­dents should not be forced to pay back their HECS debt at a lower threshold or starve on AUSTUDY or ABSTUDY ( if they can get it).I promise, if elected to continue to fight for a quality and accessible education and I believe that the other members of the VIVA! ticket are as committed as I am.

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Mark Douglass general representativeAs students we may all feel the effects that economic rationalism will have on education; up front fees, an increase in HECS repayments and ruthless cuts to both Austudy and Abstudy. Who knows what will be next; coin operated toilets and com­puters, or perhaps corporate sponsorship of specific faculties. Speaking of science, when Issac Newton discovered gravity he did not take some of the faculties at the university into account, because they suck. For example, we pay $11 a kg for lettuce, there are no photocopiers or printers that use recycled paper, and bugger-all bus shelters for those wet cold days.If elected, I will work towards improving facilities, and achiev­ing equity in education.

Scott Bradburn general representativeI ve been at uni for three years now, doing creative writ ing. I think that it is very strange that there can be so many different people, with such a diversity of skills and ideas, all coming to the same geographic location every week, yet many people only get the opportunity to be involved with people in their own course. It s just nuts! The SRC, is a body that represents all students at Wollongong Uni, and hence has the potential to build a community atmosphere on campus that brings people from different faculties together. As a general represena- tive, I will be committed to building this kind of campus culture.

Chris Branson general representativeHello there! My name is Chris Branson. I m running for the position of general representative for the VIVA! party.I m 25 years of age and a mature-aged student, having started uni in 1994. I m currently doing an Arts degree, majoring in sociology and philosophy whilst completing subjects in other departments which interest me. aside from uni, I work part-time and enjoy reading, bushwalking, certain music, and Star Trek. I live in Wollongong.Recently I have been getting more involved in issues regarding students on campus. This is due to my frustra­tion and anger at attacks on education, student welfare and the slow cancer growing in this university, that of the con­trol of decisions of university policy being taken from stu­dent to people who are not students themselves.If elected I WILL help prevent any further loss of student campus control and fight for a higher level of student rep­resentation than th? present. I WILL also help implement more specific items of policy related to students. Examples being making the SRC more accountable by encouraging greater student awareness of who I am and who VIVA! is and what we are doing. Ask yourselves, do you know who the current SRC is at the moment, what do they look like, do they have names? If not, I believe that the SRC is not working hard enough to let students know the answers to these questions and to the question of what the SRC can do for you. These are the issues I am keen to address and I WILL produce changes regarding these issues.

Elisa Arcioni general representativeHi! My name is Elisa Arcioni, I m studying Arts/Law and I m running with the Viva! ticket for a General Representative position.What is the SRC? If you don t know, it means that the SRC needs to be made more visible and well-known on campus. This would be my first priority as the SRC has no influence if it doesn t have the support of all students. So, we need more noticeboards, publications and events on the lawn to raise the SRC s profile.What does the SRC do? To me, it is a service provider and advocate for students so it has to be accessible to all. Every student needs to be able to has a say in what is going on, so I m committed to opening up the SRC to input from everyone, this means suggestions, open meetings and access to the minutes of SRC meetings.Relevancy!!! The SRC is not a clique but a representative body, run by students. Therefore I m committed to form­ing links between the SRC and various groups at uni so there is input from all areas of uni life. This includes links with colleges, clubs and societies and faculties. SRC mem­bers will have to attend meetings of these groups and work with them to make the SRC a truly inclusive and relevant student body.

Phil Hutcheon activities officerMy job is to make Uni fun and exciting and, damn it, that s what I m gonna do next year if you - lovely bril­liant students of Wollongong LJni - vote for me in upcoming Student Elections.Work, work, work, I know all about it. But what about the unwinding part? Well I have done some erm researching and I think I have come up with the answer.1. Bring the best bands in Australia, plus special interna­tional bands to the bar. I will also have a BAND REC­OMMENDATION box where ALL students can have a say in what the SRC should get.2. Give local bands a break with a guarantee that EVERY SRC GIG WILL HAVE AT LEAST ONE LOCAL SUPPORT. I will also try and organise a cross­university rotation scheme where our bands play at other unis and vice-versa.3. Organise entertainment nights for other than Thursday. These will include Comedy Nights, Performance Artists, Plays, Big Reads, as well as Bands.4. Get a couple of rave nights happening at Uni.5. Start a Cheap Tix contact point where students can purchase cheap tickets for outside gigs (concerts, sport­ing events, plays, comedy nights, opera etc.) You would save about 30% on normal ticket prices.YEAH YEAH YEAH. Anyway I can do this plus lots lots more. I suppose you want to know my credentials huh? Well I run Flow Promotions which is that thing that ran the club nights Flow, Loaded, Most Excellent (Sight, Sydney), and Freak Scene. I was also involved in bringing Dinosaur Jnr, you Am I, Beastie Boys, Helmet, Violent Femmes, Spiderbait, Budd, and lots of others to Wollongong. I love music, so organising such events is lots of fun. I am a 2nd year Communications major (BA) and an honest, happy and approachable person. I like beer and my star sign is Leo, I was also on the SRC this year as Treasurer. Vote for me and guarantee that Uni will be fun next year.

NationalUnion Of Students

STUSTUART HATTERHello, I m Stuart and I am

running (by myself) as an independent for the position of a National Union of Students (NUS) delegate. For the past two years I have been in an elected student political position at other insti­tutions, and have always looked toward the NUS with a bit of scepti­cism . Particularly, I ve been worried about the amount of compulsory stu­dent dollars that have been spent into that institution, I was concerned with value for money that NUS provides (I ve always been a bargain hunter). It wasn t until this year that I actually came into contact with NUS (my other places of learning were not affiliated) and met the people involved in the running of it. I noticed pretty quickly that they tend to work hard, on a shoe-string budget, for the student movement. While this has alleviated my scepticism it hasn t removed my worries about Wollongong students getting their money s worth from NUS, so I believe the best way to ensure this is by running for a position that gives me, and Wollongong stu­dents, a say in the running of it.

My independence is a reflexion of my increased annoyance of student politicians around the country think ing that their positions are a platform for political parties or ideas. Clearly they should not be a part of a student representative s motivations. If stu­dents pay for a representative body then I believe that it s the students that should be represented. Voting for me will mean that I represent Wollongong Students only, not my political ambitions.

Stuart Hatter...

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Damien Cahill Vice-President

The next couple of years are going to be important for the future of higher education in this country. Universities are having their budget s slashed, HECS is going up, AUSTUDY is becoming less accessible for those that need it and up-front fees are closer than ever to being a reality.This is an issue that affects every student. It is therefore essential that students have a strong, active and vibrant SRC that will campaign against attacks upon the quality and accessibility of our education.

This year I have been involved in a dynamic and informative campaign against these cuts organised through the SRC and the Education Action Collective. Unfortunately I ve been disappointed with other important aspects of the SRC - aspects which raise serious questions about the account­ability and relevance of the elected organisation that is responsible for over $400 000 of student money. I am committed to making the SRC more accountable to those who elect it. Simple things can be done to help achieve this; such as publish­ing the minutes of SRC meetings, publicising SRC meetings, regular financial reports and changing the constitution such that the SRC must hold at least two general meetings a year that require the participation of ordinary students. I also believe that the SRC should broaden its role and foster a more diverse range of campus activities - from stu­dent run workshops (for example poetry writing, fire eating, recycling , permaculture etc.) to pres­suring the Union to carry out much needed exten­sions and renovations of the Tavern and to provid­ing a bus to be used as a shuttle service as well as for clubs and societies

Through my three and a half years of involvement in issues affecting students, I have gained valuable experience and skills which I believe I can bring to the position of Vice President and help make the SRC a strong, accountable and relevant organisa­tion that is able to defend the interests of its mem­bers against what is, at the moment, some pretty strong opposition.

Jodie Martire general representativeMy name is Jodie Martire and there is one very simple reason why I am run­ning for a general representative on the VIVA! ticket; I want to change things for the better. I see my role in the SRC as a catalyst for those changes that MUST be effected at Wollongong Uni; environmental issues, student s rights, education issues and women s issues. I think it is essential that stu­dents have a strong and organised voice on their campus, so I will be striving to be a true representative, that is, acting as the student body wants me to act for the goals the student body wants me to achieve. That s all I have to say: if you want to see change come about on this campus, vote for VIVA!

Carol Berry President

My name is Carol Berry and in 1997 I will be com- pleteing my 4th year of an ARTS/LAW degree. I am running for the position of President of the SRC on the VIVA! ticket.

There are a number of reasons why I want to be the President of the SRC and why I believe I should be the President of the SRC in 1997. This year I have been heavily involved in student politics both on and off-campus. In 1996,1 was the Vice-President of the SRC and I believe that during this time I have devel­oped the skills and capabilites that are required for the position of President. I have also developed an understanding of the university structure which is essential if one is to be an informed and effective spokesperson of the Student s Association.

In a time when having an organised student move­ment is essential, SRC s have a duty to keep students informed of their activites, not only to ensure that students are aware of what their SRC is doing, but also in the interests of accountability. Students con­tribute a significant amount of money to the SRC on this campus each year and the SRC has the responsi­bility to keep students aware of how their money is being spent. I have put a lot of energy in to the SRC this year because I believe that the SRC has a vital role to play for students on campus, not only to ensure that students have an organised, informed and active voice on campus but also because of the skills that students can develop through being involved in the SRC.

On a more personal level, I believe that I am friend­ly, compassionate and approachable person and that my ability to communicate and to relate to a wide variety of people would greatly assist me if I was elected to be President of the SRC. I am also very passionate about the ideals I believe in and put a lot of energy and time into achieveing the goals which I consider to be important. If elected, I believe that I personally, and that the individuals who make up the VIVA! ticket are committed to making the SRC at Wollongong Uni a more relevant, visible, active, accessible council.

Mark Lettfuss general representativeHi, boys and girls! My name is Mark Lettfuss and I m running for the position of general representative on next year s SRC. As a fourth year Commerce student and a current member of the SRC, my knowledge and experience of student/uni life will ensure that student s rights are upheld and that their needs are sat­isfied. Uni is more than just a place of study and I will try my best to provide students with a relaxed and entertaining social environment with heaps of interesting activities.My interests lie with a diverse range of issues and campaigns that don t just limit themselves to students, but are also applicable to the wider community. Education and environ­mental issues are of great concern to me, and I take a special and active interest in the HEMP campaign. I encourage all students to stand up for their beliefs and to become involved in issues affecting not only themselves, but oth­ers as well.

carol berry

1 9 9 6 S R c E le ctio n s: T ic k e ts

ResistanceToby Hawker - Vice President, National Union ofStudentsdelegateWe currentrly face the biggest attacks on education that we have ever seen in this country. So now is the time to get involved! Students have a long histo­ry of organising and fighting back against attacks on their right to ftree education: in the past mass cam­paigns have been able to change federal govern­ment policy.Even John Howard has effectively acknowledged that the cuts might be stopped, but this will only occur with the pressure and involvement of thou­sands of students and theirsupporters.That s why we need an activist SRC that will build the campaign against the education cuts, not try to wage the war by itself.The SRC plays a crucial role in organising a fight- back against the Howard offensive. The SRC exists to defend students rights, and if the SRC takes on more of an active and inclusive role we will be able to build a significant campaign of resistance to Howards attacks.To ensure that the campaign is as broad and inclu­sive as possible, we need an SRC that is open and accountable; that listens to the ideas and concerns of students, and is willing to work on students behalf. We stand for an open and democratic SRC, which will involve as many students as possible. I am a first year computer engineering stu­dent and have been involved in a range of cam­paigns over several years, in environmental, educa­tion and international solidarity issues.Vote 1 Resistance: a fighting SRC for a fighting chance.

Michael Sloggett - Education Officer and National Union of Students delegateThis is my second year at the Wollongong Uni where I have been studying Engineering and Arts. As an activist I have been heavily involved in cam­paigning for a wide range of issues - from East Timorese self-determination to getting concession fares for international students. Currently, the most pressing current issue is clearly budget cuts to edu­cation. Some reasons Resistance is opposed to the cuts to education : Cutting operation grants will direcdy reduce the size and quality of tertiary edu­cation.Allowing 25 % of students to buy their way into university discriminates against those of poorer backgrounds. Changing thresholds for AUSTUDY means that people will be considered dependent on parents until the age of 25 or higher.Whose parents can afford this?HECS changes mean that new students will be paying up to 125% more than current students.I m running for Education Officer because I think these attacks must be, and can be, stopped. But this can only be done by building an organised, inclu­sive and active campaign involving as many people as possible. Probably, much of this sounds a lot like other people running for Education Officer. So why am I any different to the others? Because, as anyone who spends much time at uni would see, as a mem­ber of Resistance, I am already active in building campaigns and will continue to be so whatever the election result. And being a member of Resistance gives me the advantage of being part of an organisa­tion which has nearly 30 years experience in cam­paigning for our education system.

Nikki Ulasowski - General Representative and National Union of Student delegateStudent elections are often filled with candidates campaigning, in the name of ordinary students , for a non-political SRC. Ironically, these non-politi­

cal demogogues areusually members of the ALP or Liberal clubs. Their real agendais for an SRC that acquiesces in Liberal and ALP government attacks with mainstream political career as their reward.Resistance beleives that the SRC and NUS must be political -an inclusive political voice for students - but we see noplace for careerists and trainee politi­cians in apolitical disguise.The Howard Government has attacked our living standards. These attacks will hit both students and the broader community. In light of these attacks we urgently need to organise our own campaign against them. As a member of Resistance, I will work in the SRC to build a fighting, accountable and active SRC.As an activist in Resistance (and an Arts student) I have been involved in a range of different cam­paigns. From women s rights, international solidari­ty, education issues, environment campaigns and many more.Resistance believes that the SRC and NUS can draw links between, an help coordinate, student cam­paigns that go beyond national boundaries.Students across the region are taking the lead in struggles for democracy and self-determination. A Resistance SRC will be committed to international solidarity and human rights.We also recognise that sexism, homophobia and racism are key problems that students face, both on campus and in the wider community, and we will struggle to eradicate them.

Carl Gosper - General Representative and National Union of Students DelegateI am in my second year of a PhD in ecology within the Department of Biological Sciences. Since mov­ing to Wollongong I have been active both on and off campus campaigning on a diverse range of issues of concern to the student population.In particular I have been campaigning for student rights and on other education issues, the fight against environmental destruction such as the woodchipping of our native forests and uranium mining, the fight for self-determination in countries under repression including East Timor and Tibet.In conjunction with other Resistance members, as part of your SRC I will continue to campaign on these issues on behalf of the student population. Resistance opposes the current Howard Government attacks on education and on the broader community.Included in Howards drive is the attempt to attack the union movement. For students this means the introducution of voluntary (read anti ) student unionism. Resistance believes the way to defeat these attacks is to inform and mobilise the student population. Similarly, Resistance aims to involve students in other campaigns. The Howard Government has also signalled an open slather attack on the environment, with increased wood- chip exports and planned new uranium mines (including one in Kakadu NP) of partiuclar con­cern.Tam running for the positions of general represen­tative and NUS delegate because I believe that these attacks can be stopped. But this can only be achieved by involving and informing students, which is the key role of the SRC.

Colin Salter NUS DelegateI am a third year Engineering/Arts student special­izing in Environmental Engineering. I have been actively involved for some time, but since my relo­cation to WoEongong again this year I have become highly active in a broad range o campaigns. Joining Resistance put me in touch with other activists who share my views for a free and equal world for every­

one and gave me a base through which I could be continually informed of upcoming events and activities. Along with my Resistance comrades, I am running for NUS delegate position because we believe this organisation canas- sist students in fighting the Howard government s move towards a user-pays education system and cuts to the educa­tionsystem overaH. A major component of this is to increase the accountability and democracy of the decision-making process in NUS, which in the past has wasted much student money on bureaucratic and iE-informed campaigns. This has been primarily been due to the dominance of the NUS of the ALP. NUS must operate effectively today to lead a national campaign to fight the cuts, and Resistance, along with other activists around the country, will seek to change NUS into a fighting, inclusive and active body.

HERETICFeargus Manning n.u.s. delegateMy name is Feargus John Macbeth Manning and I wish to represent WoEongong Uni as a NUS ( National Union of Students) delegate. The NUS is a national body which rep­resents student interests to Federal and State parliaments, to the AVCC (Australian Vice-ChanceEors Committee) and aE other groups involved in Tertiary education.WoEongong has a long and proud tradition of providing people who are prepared to step into the breach when things get nasty. WeE, higher education in this country is currendy facing it s ugliest and nastiest period in over a quarter of a century. I feel the NUS, especiaEy at a national level, has been taking, to put it kindly, a slighdy to sofdy, sofdy approach to the current repugnant reform agenda. I, as your NUS delegate, wiE work to put a bit more backbone into our union and to represent the interests of WoEongong Uni within this National organization.Nus wiE also be restructuring over the next 12 months. I feel that throwing a few HERETICAL notions into the restructuring pot can only help to forge an organization which is able to more effectively servr ot s student members. The NUS has the potential, with over 450 000 members Australia-wide, to be a force to be reckoned with in the cur­rent educational debate. Vote for Feargus John Macbeth Manning the HERETIC to give NUS the edge it needs in the fight to keep an education system which is open and accessible to anyone who has the talent to use it.

colin sa lte r

Resistance