Opinion

Alpha – it seems to be one of the greatest buzzwords of our generation and gets thrown around as loosely as my phone does once there’s a single crack in the screen. Widely championed as the ultimate, albeit self-ascribed, indication of dominance and traditional masculinity, the notion of an ‘alpha male’ is praised by men and women alike. But whilst this archetype may seem harmless at surface level – and whilst I love a sickening alpha wolf meme as much as the next chronically online girl – could it be hiding something more sinister? And could its entire origin story

Do you also fear love as much as you crave it?   I spent all of my first year sem break religiously watching Love Island, specifically Love Island US Season 6. How the obsession began is beyond me. But what exactly made me so hooked? See, I could watch any show, movie, documentary even but never any form of reality TV especially one that surrounds love because well, it’s doctored, manipulated, and far from real. Oh, the irony.  But me, I was too deep into the lore, the drama, the mess and the secrets to let this rest. Naturally, I

As a new episode to a new season unravels with the new year, we might all experience a little deja vu. Perhaps it was the unusually heavy glass of wine in your hand that nudged the domino effect of recollection; the echoes of pressuring chants from the previous New Year’s party begin to ring in your ears… Anything symbolic of the past can be triggering during this nostalgic, and maybe even melancholic, period as another year has come to an end. Some may reflect with negativity, so much time wasted, yet none really at all. The advantages of the impetuousness

Good Lord! They are appraising me! —Lady Elizabeth Murray, Belle When The Mates walk in, I avert my gaze and tuck my hair behind my ears. To my left, a friend prints a title, pauses, erases, rewrites. To my right, another checks the volume on their tablet, mutes, un-mutes, then mutes again. The group behind us, mere seconds ago debating the effect of water on excretion, watch their inhibition walk through the door and take its rightful place in the front row. Seven minutes have lapsed since most students convened for today’s class, but a workshop in the absence of

  Nowadays I scrub myself clean of anything representing a stereotypical mentally ill person. No more will people say I remind them of Harley Quinn or Ramona Flowers, no more will I meet their sexualised expectation of a mentally ill woman.  I’m dying my hair back, thinking carefully about the tattoos I want, I don’t fall asleep at 3am with some depressing playlist, and I’m finally selling all my lifeless clothes at the Sunday market. I no longer identify with that. I’m not proud of it, I wasn’t happy, it wasn’t me.  I’m not insulted that I dress “basic” now,

Often the older generations liked to reassure young people that “the future is bright and everything will be fine.  But the conversation below says otherwise.   “How do you know that everything will be fine?”   “I don’t.”   “Well don’t say it then! I’m not a child!” (excerpt from unknown)    We live in a world where life is a mystery and nothing is certain. Yet there is this shroud of toxic positivity and bragging that surrounds our culture. One had advised those experiencing newly grieving and loss to slow down. We have the right to choose not to

  Content warnings: Mentions of self-harm, mental health, and suicide    I was self harming in primary school. I’ve been in and out of psychologists’ offices since I was in my third year of primary school. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression when I was in my second year of high school, at thirteen years old. I’ve been on and off antidepressants since then. I had a mental health relapse when my cousin died by suicide during my second last year of high school, when I was seventeen.    I say all these things not to brag about my

It’s no secret that Australia is in the midst of a housing crisis. With every passing day we’re one step closer to Jane Austen’s Georgian England, where you can only get a house through marriage or inheritance. Negative gearing and a capital gains tax concession for property investors are increasing demand, while planning restrictions, unsustainable immigration and government mismanagement is flatlining supply. A perfect storm. The effect of this housing quagmire impacts young people the most, locking them out of the housing market.   Naturally, this issue is becoming political. Max Chandler-Mather, the housing spokesperson for the Greens and one

Students across the country are set to see the education system turned on its head in the coming future. The release of the Australian University Accords comes as a 12-month long review of the university system to create a fairer and more equitable higher education system. The Honourable Jason Clare, Minister for Education says “The Accords will help to drive this change. It will help us build a better and fairer education system where no one is held back, and no one is left behind.” And to give credit where credit is due, I agree. However, as one of Monash’s

What is the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower? The ‘Sunflower’  is a global symbol for non-visible disabilities. The Sunflower is a way for people with hidden disabilities to let those around them know that they might need extra help, understanding, or just more time. Hidden disabilities come in many different forms. Some of our wearers live with chronic pain, Tourette’s, ADHD, and a lot of other conditions that aren’t immediately visible. Individuals can become Sunflower supporters by undergoing training about hidden disabilities and the Sunflower – this is done via a business joining the initiative.    How Did the Sunflower Come to

CW: Ableism  Embracing yourself has never been a great skill of mine. Less than a year ago, I was unsure if I should run for the position of MSA Disabilities & Carers Office Bearer because the thought referring to myself as disabled to a whole lot of people made me uncomfortable for reasons that I could not quite pinpoint.  The more I thought about it, the more I came to the conclusion that maybe it has got something to do with how my interactions in the world have changed since I have become disabled. It is a challenge to embrace

CW: COVID-19, Ableism  For most people, classes returning back to in-person was a huge relief. For me it meant a whole lot of stress.  In 2022, I completed my first year of my law degree and the second year of my arts degree online. This was not my first choice and was definitely not how I had pictured doing uni, but with COVID-19 numbers still very high and my immune system being compromised, my doctors advised that it would not be safe for me to attend in-person classes. This was not a decision that was made lightly and I would