Unsw's Student Magazine / May 2017
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UNSW'S STUDENT MAGAZINE / MAY 2017 WOMEN C CREATIVE WE'D LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN US ON THE INTERNET. THARUNKA 10 MY BODY IS POWERFUL @THARUNKAUNSW @THARUNKA 23 BLEMISH GIVE US A LIKE AND A FOLLOW AND A RETWEET AND SEND 24 THE TRUTH WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO SAY TO [email protected] THE TEAM (WRITING, ARTWORK, IDEAS, FEEDBACK, LOVE LETTERS, PICTURES OF / 25 THEY TOLD US TO WEAR RED CUTE DOGS – WE WANT IT ALL). MANAGING EDITOR 26 NECESSARY AND DESIRABLE. BRITTNEY RIGBY O 28 HBO’S BIG LITTLE LIES TELLS A LOT OF TRUTHS FOR WOMEN SUB-EDITORS ALICIA D'ARCY, SHARON WONG, 29 HOW TO PLAN FOR IMMINENT DEATH CONTENT WARNING DOMINIC GIANNINI 30 YOU DO YOU THIS ISSUE DEALS WITH THEMES OF: DESIGNER 32 TO THREE WOMEN I'VE MET LEO TSAO -DOMESTIC VIOLENCE / -SEXUAL ASSAULT CONTRIBUTORS ABBY BUTLER, AMY GE, CATHERINE -TRANSPHOBIC VIOLENCE MACAROUNAS, CATHY TAN, ELLA CANNON, EMMA KATE WILSON, HANNAH WOOTTON, -SUICIDE HERSHA GUPTA, ISABELLA OLSSON, JENI N ROHWER, JUMAANA ABDU, KAIT POLKINGHORNE, LARA ROBERTSON, LIZZIE BUTTERWORTH, MICHELLE WANG, OLIVIA INWOOD, ROSE COX, SABEENA MOZAFFAR, SARAH HORT FEATURES / 09 WHY THEORY ISN'T EVERYTHING: THARUNKA ACKNOWLEDGES THE TRADITIONAL COMPLACENCY AND THE CASE OF THE CUSTODIANS OF THIS LAND, THE GADIGAL AND DISAPPEARING MAN BEDIGAL PEOPLE OF THE EORA NATION, ON WHICH OUR UNIVERSITY NOW STANDS. BLOODY WOMEN N 11 T www.tharunka.arc.unsw.edu.au O T 12 ARE COLLEGES SEXIST OR SAFE? THARUNKA IS PUBLISHED PERIODICALLY BY Arc @ UNSW. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED HEREIN 18 THE MANIC PIXIE DREAM GIRL AND ME E C ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE VIEWS OF ARC, THE E 19 A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A "PERIOD C REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL OR THE THARUNKA REGULARS N SKIPPER" EDITING TEAM, UNLESS EXPRESSLY STATED. 04 LETTERS FROM THE EDITORS ARC ACCEPTS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE T 20 ACCURACY OF ANY OF THE OPINIONS OR SEVEN THINGS THAT WOMEN MUST 07 AGONY IBIS REMEMBER N INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ISSUE OF O THARUNKA. 08 IT’S 2017 AND I CAN’T BELIEVE WE’RE 21 COMING OUT AS AGNOSTIC: THE STORY STILL DEBATING... N ANY COMPLAINTS SHOULD BE MADE IN WRITING OF ANOTHER PAKISTANI GIRL T TO THE MARKETING & PUBLICATIONS MANAGER. 14 SPOTLIGHT ON 22 WHY FEMINISTS NEED TO ACCEPT N E S T CONSERVATIVE WOMEN 33 REVIEWS T S 35 SRC REPORTS S ART BY JENI ROHWER Letters From the Editors “Women belong in all places where significant steps towards addressing regardless of their differences. It decisions are made … It shouldn’t gender disparity on campus is skill-sharing, supporting each be that women are the exception.” thanks to the work of unwavering other, and listening to the voices of "Brittney, I just had a look at and we will celebrate it. They advocates. The new ELISE consent the women too often silenced that your profile.....Studying Law..... will be given a platform. And GUEST EDITOR This quote from Ruth Bader module was uploaded for Semester will be the reasons for our success. Why am I not surprised. Let if men are sad that their work Ginsberg reflects everything 1 and will be further expanded This issue ofTharunka is focussed MANAGING EDITOR me guess. Human rights activist, isn’t included in a Women’s wrong with decision making in for future students, and ground- on women’s experiences – the Sarah Hanson-Young lover, issue, about women’s issues, as WOMEN'S OFFICER Australia. In 2017, you’d expect breaking consent training is finally experiences that we fight against Labor voter. Probably a lesbian expressed by women: we don’t LIZZIE BUTTERWORTH BRITTNEY RIGBY we wouldn’t still need to challenge being delivered in colleges. These and fight to defend. I hope you (not that there's anything wrong give a fuck. government cuts to essential moves mark a major cultural shift, are as inspired reading it as I am. with that). One thing, you are a women’s services, that abortion however, we cannot be complacent. bloody good sort. Shame !" access wouldn’t still be an issue, When the Respect. Now. Always. and that it would be obvious Survey data is released on 1 I received this message in that cuts to higher education August, we will hold the university June 2014 from a man named will especially harm women- accountable to the results and Mitchell Walton. Mitchell identifying students; you’d expect push for the accessible reporting Walton is a middle-aged father to have female leaders making the procedures and specialised support of two who disagreed with my decisions that affect women. Yet in services we need for there to be a assertion that asylum seekers 2017, women’s refuges continue to successful change. are not, despite what politicians be underfunded, announcements want you to believe, “illegal”. My were made that the vital services 2017 has been a year to rise up and reactions at the time: Amusing. provided by Rape and Domestic express our rage. It’s a year so far Weird. Offensive. At-least-he- Violence Services Australia will marked with protests – Women’s didn’t-threaten-to-rape-me. This be privatised, abortion clinics March Sydney, the International is why I need feminism. are still places of intimidation Women’s Day March, No Profit and harassment by conservative from Rape, and a counter protest I’ll keep this editorial short: if I protesters, and the budget will to The Day of the Unborn Child, attempted to express my every include a $2.8 million cut to the just to name a few. We need to thought on women, you’d be higher education sector, including grab ‘em by the discourse and holding a very, very large novel lowering the HECS repayment challenge the social norms that in your hands, rather than this threshold and further increasing remove women from decision humble student rag. the financial inequality between making. men and women in Australia. I hope this autonomous issue It has also been a year to focus is a symbol of solidarity. The At UNSW, we have seen some on sisterhood and valuing women women featured in these pages are talented. Their work matters, 5 4 BY ALICIA D’ARCY Agony Ibis Dear Agony Ibis, Whenever we have class discussions in this one tute, there are two or three guys FEATURES CREATIVE DESIGNER who often talk over me when I’m in the middle of answering a question. How do I deal with this?! ALICIA D'ARCY SHARON WONG LEO TSAO Yours Sincerely, Frustrated girl I’m so excited for this autonomous As James Brown put it, “This may currently be a “man’s world”, CW. Transphobia, violence. women’s issue. In it, we showcase is a man’s world.” And it’s only we can only also recognise that some excellent, funny and becoming more evident despite “it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing I dedicate this issue’s cover design challenging writing, written by our growth with women’s and without a woman or a girl.” to all the women and allies that some of the best female or female- gender rights, with a backlash took to the streets to resist and fight identifying writers at UNSW. through movements that strive against oppressive and controlling to tear down this progress. powers. From the thousands “Why must it be autonomous?” of women in Poland who shut I hear you ask, “Why can’t men It’s evident in the way the wage down whole cities by going on engage with those women’s and gap is still very real, but often Dear Frustrated girl, strike and rallying, successfully gender issues, too?” very much denied. It’s evident pressuring their government to Ah, my fave: when your explanation is interrupted by someone who can explain in the extra work women must drop a total abortion ban, to the it oh-so-much better by virtue of him having a dick and deeper voice. Didn’t They certainly can engage with put in for their credentials to millions of people from all over you know that you really just need to “stand up for yourself more” because, you such issues, and at times do so be recognised. It’s evident when the world that took over their know, it’s an ibis eat ibis world out there, right??? with nuance and insight. But that’s workplace quotas are seen as not the point. cities for the women’s marches threats to “individual merit”. It’s There are a couple of thingscould you take can thedo with“respectful” men who sufferroute. fromTo do an so, ego- you this year, especially the the people GE AMY BY ART evident in the way masculinised We are so used to hearing men’s who attended black lives matter competency mismatch. You women are lambasted, the way voices – whether that be in the marches, queer rallies and many plaster your face with that super-charming-I’m-very-likeable-even-though-I’m- feminised men are ridiculed, Parliament, in the news, or in more. a-girl smile you usually reserve for your homophobic grandparents and say, conforming feminised women the classroom. I believe that it “Excuse me, could you please let me finish my sentence?” are begrudgingly accepted, and is high time to give women’s The recorded murder rates of non-conforming queer identities The other, potentially more effective and acceptable-by-the-standards-of-the- voices unashamed priority and a Transgender women, mostly of completely rejected. It’s even patriarchy strategy is to sneakily let your tutor know that you feel you’re platform for celebration.