Campus

Visual By 3.20 Those who live in on-campus accommodation here at Monash are often the first to extol the virtues of the residences, praising the residences, the community, and the ease of access to general university life. Such praise is not unwarranted, demonstrated by the continued willingness of residents to return for a second year. However, lurking behind these public affirmations of enjoying where they live are a number of systemic issues plaguing the residential community: externally, students living in on-campus accommodation are disproportionately underrepresented in the broader social sphere of Monash, while within the residential bubble, the student voice

Content warning: toxic behaviour, gatekeeping of queerness  My mind goes blank when I try to think about queer culture. There isn’t anything particularly emblematic of our culture at large. Is it the spectacle of Mardi Gras? The dialogues of Leftbook?   But if I home in on my experience of university queer culture, specifically in the autonomous spaces, I find insights into queer culture generally. These insights come from a line of constant questioning and investigating. The questions I ask are not uniquely about university queer culture, but the answers I supply come from there. To know university queer culture, we

Congratulations!    If you’re reading this it means you’ve made it this far in the semester without dying!   A rare feat indeed, and for that, I commend you.    But, knowing the busy bee you are, I bet you’re in dire need of some TLC, a big bowl of comfort food, and a good ol’ fashioned pep talk to get you through the last leg of the semester.    So my dear friend, here is a list of some (potentially) helpful tips, just to think about, while we’re approaching the end of the semester.       1) No last-minute cramming (ah, duh!)   Now

The smell of freshly brewed coffee is enough to give my brain cells the push they need early in the morning. While this has been my routine for the last decade, there has been a notable difference in the last few months. Initially the coffee helped me juggle between interviews and submissions as a professional journalist, working for a daily newspaper. Today, it works wonders in getting me to my lecture on time. While most of us can’t wait to get done with studying, for me, I couldn’t wait to get back to it.   Taking notes, hoarding up on content

Fake news is not a new phenomenon. Inaccurate or partial truths have been spread in the media for hundreds of years, be that propaganda or overtly biased news. Yet, fake news distributed online continues to cause problems in social and political realms. As we saw during the 2016 American presidential election, fake news content can influence citizens’ opinions and alter their behaviour.   Gunther, Beck, and Nisbet from Ohio State University conducted a study in 2016-2017 observing the influence and impact fake news had on the decisions of voters during the American election. They concluded that fake news “most likely did

The ABC, whether you like it or not, is a pillar in Australian society.   Yes, times are tough, the ABC does not make as much money as it once did.   However, it is a government-funded network which allows for it to report independently from commercial interests.   Many branches of government absolutely despise the ABC, because they do what they do best, hold government departments and organisations accountable for their actions.   The ABC published that the Indian company Adani was planning on building what would have been the biggest coal mine in the southern hemisphere, to which the Resources and Northern

Q: When do you start your graduate position at McDonalds?  A: How original. Fuck off.    Q: How does it feel being a disappointment to your parents?  A: See above.    Q: So, what do you actually study? Painting?  A: Ha. We have a comedian on our hands. You’re thinking of fine arts. A bachelor of arts provides a wide range of fascinating and rewarding areas of study across the arts, humanities and social sciences.    Q: What are you, a walking ad for Arts at Monash?  A: No, why would you insinuate that? Besides, with the Arts at Monash

So, you’ve been sitting in Student Union Recreational Library  for what seems like years, decades even. It’s been a tough day, where you’ve knuckled down and studied (okay, procrastinated) hard. Your brain is exhausted, your stomach is aching for some attention. “Screw it,” your tummy grumbles to you. “You deserve a break!”  But where should you go for a good feed? We hear you ask desperately. Well, look no further because we’ve got you and your hangry alter ego covered.    Neptune’s  Seafood Catch  If you’ve stepped foot onto Campus Centre before you’ll know of this treasure of a place for

I’ve spent most of my life listening to people say “follow your dreams”. It’s everywhere from high school lectures to motivational Instagram accounts, but what no one ever told me was that sometimes that dreams turn out to be a complete nightmare. Realising the dream that you’ve spent your whole life pursuing is not as amazing as you thought is a unique type of disappointment. It seems like you’ve failed; you’ve given up on this “five-year plan” that you’ve been telling anyone who’ll listen. People say “no one likes a quitter” but sometimes quitting matters, sometimes dumping a dream means

As an international relations and politics student, I picked up the habit of reading my daily copy of The Age to keep up with current events. I’ve always been a bit of a news snob, snubbing the Herald Sun for their biased articles, and paper selling attitude. The Age was perceived to me, to be the raw news, and the only paper in Melbourne that I could be sure would give me all the unbiased facts.  I was wrong. Papers need to sell. Papers need readers. Papers need an audience. This makes The Age no better than the Herald Sun. It is nigh impossible

Two years ago, my brother passed away, suicide. The word sends shivers down my spine, and with it, a rumbling wave of emotions; primarily, confusion. Why did he feel the need to end his life? Was the love that his family and friends gave not enough? Did he think - even for one second - about the grieving people he would leave behind? These questions still haunt me. We are currently living in a crisis. A crisis where men and boys are confined and trapped by rigid gender stereotypes. Stereotypes which lead to poor mental health, depression, and suicide. From

Bart Lewis A little boy from Darwin went to a couple of medium music festivals in Melbourne (See: Groovin’ the Moo) and came out with a big appetite for electronic music, recommending the stylings of Cosmo’s Midnight and Lane 8. Maybe he takes one step up this year and goes to Earthcore? Annabelle Ballard If you know a local band, chances are AB knows their entire catalogue off by heart. She showed us feminism’s answer to King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, aptly named Lizard Queen, as well as the queer pop band, Crystal Myth. Stop listening to those mainstream