Lot's Wife Edition 6 2024

Lot’s
Wife
Edition 6

Thank you!
TO OUR
CONTRIBUTORS!
We are always on the lookout for new
writers and artists to contribute to future
editions. If you would like to get involved
next year, shoot us a message on socials,
email or pop your head into our office!
WRITERS
ARTISTS
EDITORS
CONTACT US
(In order of appearance) Lot’s Wife Editors, Kristy
Dodson-Geary, Angus Duske, Mandy Li, Sasha
Braybrooke, Georgie McColm, Nur Afifah
Widyaningrum, Marl Karx, Megan Lau, Anonymous,
Erica Di Pierro, Ella De Souza, Anonymous, Mary
Elizabeth, Selin Duran, Ash Dowling, Yifan, Julia Fullard,
Lucia Lane, Arathi Sasikumar, Voices for Marfa,
Ahmadreza’s Avengers and Team Triumph, Shreya
Naiddo.
Campbell Frost, Kristy Dodson-Geary, Eric Stone,
Georgie McColm, Brenna Dempsey, 2youn8, Calypso
Hayman, Shreya Naidoo,
Angus Duske, Samantha Hudson and Mandy Li
Email: msa-lotswife@monash.edu.au
Instagram: @lotswifemag
Facebook: Lot’s Wife
Lot’s Wife Office
Level 1 Campus Centre, next to Sir John’s Bar
DISCLAIMER
Lot’s Wife is the student magazine of Monash Student
Association (MSA). The views expressed herein do
not necessarily reflect those of the MSA, the printers
or editors. All material remains the property of the
accredited creators and shall not be redistributed
without consent.
Lot’s Wife is produced and published on Aboriginal land. We
acknowledge the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of
the Kulin Nation as the traditional and continuous owners af the land.
Sovereignty was never ceded.
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Contents
05 A Note on Solidarity
Lot’s Wife Editors
06 Department Reports
19 Democratic Process
Kristy Dodson-Geary
CAMPUS
20 60th Write Up
Angus Duske
22 Student Media Conference
Mandy Li
24 President’s Interview
Angus Duske, Sasha
Braybrooke
26 NTEU-view
Lot’s Wife Editors
28 Georgie NTEU
Georgie McColm
30 Fork the Waste
32 SURLY Poetry Contest
Nur Afifah
Widyaningrum, Marl
Karx, Megan Lau,
Anonymous
CREATIVE
36 Daisy Chains
Erica Di Pierro
37 Dearest Grandmother Willow
Ella De Souza
38 Late Night Talking
Anonymous
40 A Lamb to Slaughter
Mary Elizabeth
42 The Solidarity of Grief
Selin Duncan
42 Silent Connection
2youn8
43 Denial
Ash Dowling
NON FICTION
44 Chinese Tourist Groups
Yifan
46 Choose
Julia Fullard
48 The Tiktokification of
Psychology
Lucia Lane
ACADEMIC FREEDOM
50 ATS3950: Activism for
Academic Freedom
51 Scholar’s Anthem
Arathi Sasikumar
52 Marfa Rabkova
Voices for Marfa
56 Save Ahmadreza Djalali
Ahmadreza’s Avengers
and Team Triumph
60 Our privilege, His Punishment:
Free Dr Massir bin Ghaith
Shreya Naidoo
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Cover art by Campbell Frost, “Victorian Trades Hall”
“The current building stands on the same site where the first
Trades Hall building was opened in May 1859. The current
building was constructed in stages between 1874 and 1925, and is
the largest and oldest trades hall in Australia. It is a strong
example of the long-standing operation of trades unions and the
trades councils.”
SOLIDARITY FOREVER.

To Whom it May Concern,
The definition of “solidarity”, as provided by Oxford Languages, is
“unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among
individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group”.
This manifests in several different ways, as we’ll explore though
Edition 6 of Lot’s Wife, 2024. Whether you’re passionate or just
learning about the National Tertiary Education Union at Monash
and why tutors at Monash are absolutely not getting their fair
share, or about the stillness of grief, or the complexities of a homoerotic
friendship, then you’ve come to the right place.
Now, more than ever, is it time to show solidarity and
steadfastness. Amongst your peers, amongst your coworkers,
amongst the millions of people in the world suffering every day for
the slimmest, atomic chance at making life just a little bit better.
Our duty to each other is solidarity. I hope if you take anything away
from this edition, it’s that.
Lot’s of Love,
Sam, Angus and Mandy
5

MSA Department Reports / 2024 Summary
PRESIDENT: CHLOE WARD (SHE/THEY)
Hey Everyone! What a year it has been! It still feels like yesterday that it was O-
Week and we were all getting ready for another amazing year. This year has been
filled with so many amazing events, campaigns and initiatives about a variety of
different topics and ideas.
Semester 1 2024 was an amazing success, with the MSA handing out over 15,500
free meals to students, with this only set to grow into the future with the new
establishment of the MSA Pantry that myself and Joshua Walters (Treasurer)
worked so hard on; a foodbank that’s goal is to ensure no student on campus goes
hungry. The MSA has also hosted over 250+ student-led events this year to ensure
that the MSA is for students, by students. This means that there is always
something going on on campus, whether that be dancing at a Wednesday Session,
playing games at Snacktivities, or feeling empowered and educated at Safe & Sexy
Week, there is always something on campus to enrich your university experience.
The MSA prides itself on ensuring that students have every opportunity to access
student leadership opportunities, whether that is in a student club capacity,
volunteering or simply attending one of our events.
Myself and others have also worked hard on the advocacy front as well. At the
beginning of the year, in response to the University’s egregious parking fee
increases and introduction of ‘surge parking’, the MSA, NTEU and MGA all cosigned
a petition that now has over 2,200 signatures that oppose these changes. I
had countless meetings with the Vice-Chancellor and other members of University
management to ensure that student’s voices were heard and I was so proud to
announce the changes that came through from this fight! The MSA achieved free
parking on Fridays, an additional warning for students before a fine, and students
are now eligible to park in Red permit areas from 10AM instead of 10:30AM. The
fight isn’t over yet but the MSA will continue working until it is. Additionally, in
response to the reduced opening hours of Matheson and Hargrave-Andrew Library,
the MSA urged the University to open an additional 24 hour study space on
campus, and they listened. The new 24 hour study space within Campus Centre
means that students now have the ability to study on campus whenever they want.
But the MSA will continue fighting for Matheson to be open 24 hours on G and LG
floors to ensure that students always have a safe and accessible space to study
after hours. Finally, in collaboration with the Undergraduate Academic Board
representatives, the University finally reduced the late penalties from 10% to 5%,
making university that little bit easier for students doing it tough.
Overall, 2024 has been a hard year for many students but the MSA will always be
there to ensure that students are at the forefront of student advocacy and welfare.
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MSA Department Reports / 2024 Summary
SECRETARY: ZAREH KOZANIAN (HE/HIM)
Serving as the Secretary of the Monash Student Association (MSA) this year has
been a truly fulfilling experience, with numerous accomplishments that positively
impacted the student community. One of the key successes was our campaign to
reduce the late submission penalty from 10% to 5%. This change aimed to provide
students with more leeway during stressful periods, acknowledging the various
challenges many face when juggling academic and personal commitments. It was a
significant win for student welfare.
In addition, another achievement I am particularly proud of is the expansion of 24/7
study spaces on campus. Recognizing that not all students follow the same study
schedules, we pushed for more accessible study areas around the clock, providing a
supportive learning environment for those who need flexibility.
Additionally, this year saw the creation of the Monash Foodbank, a vital initiative
that assists students experiencing financial difficulties by offering food and
essential supplies. As the cost of living rises, the Foodbank has been an important
support system, fostering a sense of community care. Our social initiatives also
thrived, with the MSA hosting larger parties and events than ever before, enriching
student life and strengthening campus culture. These events played a key role in
fostering connection and inclusion among students.
As Secretary for 2024, I was responsible for the organization and scheduling of
Monash Student Council (MSC) meetings. This role required a high level of
coordination to ensure smooth communication across the student council. I also
focused on enhancing transparency within the MSA, keeping students informed
about our decisions and initiatives. Additionally, my goal was to ensure that our
processes were clear and accessible to all students. Reflecting on this year, I am
very proud of what we have achieved, and I believe the MSA has made significant
strides in supporting the Monash student community. I am also confident that a lot
upcoming wins await our student body at Monash!
TREASURER: JOSHUA WALTERS (HE/HIM)
It's been a big year for the MSA, and I'm proud to have been a part of it.
This Semester the MSA had their first Student General Meeting in around 10 years,
and we had an impressive turnout of around 500 students to vote on the important
issue of the genocide in Gaza. I had the honour of chairing and helping to organise
this historic meeting.
I also chaired many of the Monash Student Council (MSC) meetings this year, and
was happy to see lively discussions and debate return to MSC’s. We also saw a
much higher participation from students who weren’t members of MSA than we- 7

MSA Department Reports / 2024 Summary
-have in previous years, and it’s incredible to see more and more students getting
involved in their student council.
Also this Semester, Chloe, the MSA President, and I set up and launched MSA’s
Food Pantry. We developed this pantry to address the rising problem of food
insecurity on campus, and we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved with it
so far. This semester alone we have provided over 1000 students with fresh
produce, bread, canned goods, and other staples. This wouldn’t have been possible
without a lot of work in the background, so I want to give thanks to all the MSA
Volunteers who show up to every Food Pantry, I want to thank Stef and Maddie
from MSA Volunteering, who were instrumental in getting the Food Pantry planned
and set up, and I also want to thank Paul Halliday (C&S President) and Grayson
Lowe (EdAc OB) who have been a consistent presence and support at the Food
Pantry. I hope that the groundwork we laid this year can be expanded upon by next
years MSA Executive to deliver even more food to students.
This semester I also helped organise and run the MSA x MUISS One World Festival,
a large festival with food, performances, and activities from a wide variety of
cultures. We had the involvement of C&S Clubs, the MSA POC department and
MUISS. I want to thank everyone for their involvement in this great event.
I wish next year's MSA Office Bearers the best of luck in their term.
ACTIVITIES: FATIMA IQBAL (SHE/HER) AND RAAGE NOOR (HE/HIM)
No report recieved from this department.
CREATIVE & LIVE ARTS: GINA FORD (SHE/HER) AND ANBAN RAJ (HE/HIM)
The Creative and Live Arts (CLA) department has had an outstanding year marked
by several notable accomplishments, reinforcing its reputation as a hub of creativity,
innovation, and cultural enrichment. Fostering an interdisciplinary approach, the
department has pushed boundaries in both performance and artistic expression,
contributing significantly to the university and the broader community.
One of the major highlights of the year was the success of the Wednesday Sessions,
where students and faculty collaborated to present a wide variety of performances,
including cover bands such as Taylor Swift, Babba and Queen, Oktoberfest, battle of
the bands, and various other local artists . These events demonstrated the breadth
of talent within the department, drawing a large audience from across the university
and the public. Not only did it give student artists a platform to exhibit their skills,
but it also created opportunities for them to work with professionals in the arts
industry, gaining invaluable experiences.
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MSA Department Reports / 2024 Summary
CLA also made significant strides in innovation through various collaborations with
other departments. Working together with women's department for the iconic pink
party, welfare department for the craft market, and radio Monash for the battle of
the bands. This initiative showcased the department’s commitment to staying at the
forefront of liveliness and engagement, allowing students to explore new forms of
student activities and audience engagement.
In addition to its strong emphasis on student engagement, the CLA department
continued to excel in live arts, particularly through its partnerships with local and
student artists. Events such as Wednesday Sessions, Skate the night away: roller
skating events, K-pop, and afrobeats DJ party brought locally renowned performers
and creators to collaborate with students and faculty, further enriching student
activity on campus.
Through these initiatives, the Creative and Live Arts department has demonstrated
its unwavering commitment to fostering artistic innovation, providing student-based
events, and making a positive impact on both the university and the wider cultural
landscape. The department's forward-thinking projects and dedication to nurturing
talent ensure it will continue to thrive and inspire future generations of artists and
creators.
DISABILITIES & CARERS: GERARDIEN AFIFAH (SHE/HER) AND CHARLOTTE
SUTTON (SHE/HER)
Disabilities and Carers has had a busy year. A big thank you to our committee for all
their hard work this year and to our community for all their support.
Events & Community Building.
We ran ten Auslan sessions with over 350 registrations. Our beginner sessions have
continued to be popular. For Neurodiversity Celebration Week in March we hosted a
networking night, collaborated with Radio Monash to create a podcast series and
with Lot's Wife to publish an edition. Our first silent disco was a big success with
tickets selling out, thank you to Radio Monash for their work in organizing this
event. We have worked closely with other MSA departments to provide
intersectional perspectives including during ESJ and Safe and Sexy Weeks. We have
also hosted weekly morning teas for semester 2 to support community building.
Advocacy
Our advocacy work has involved addressing both individual student issues that have
been brought to our attention as well as broader systemic ones. During our
advocacy work we have identified three themes that we believe all the broader
issues stem from: the current reactive approach to accessibility, attitudes at all
levels about disability and lack of clarity around who holds responsibility for-
9

MSA Department Reports / 2024 Summary
-resolving accessibility issues. Physical accessibility has been a big focus this year,
we have been encouraged by individual members of BPD who have been receptive
to our concerns. This will continue to be a top priority for 2025.
We sat on the Disability Project Group. Its main task has been to finalize the
Disability and Accessibility Action Plan which will a framework and targets for the
2024-2030 period. We have continued to distribute Hidden Disability Sunflower
lanyards to our community and to offer Sunflower Supporter training to student
representatives. We have also worked with the NTEU to represent the Disabled
perspective on the parking issues at Monash.
We have worked with several other university departments to create more
accessible spaces and with staff who have shown interest in our work. We have
collaborated with Club & Societies to provide accessible event training and run the
first Most Outstanding Accessibility and Inclusion Program award. We produced an
Access Guide to provide information for all MSA departments to provide more
accessible meetings, events, social media and publications.
EDUCATION (ACADEMIC AFFAIRS) NAOMI DREGO (SHE/HER) AND GRAYSON
LOWE (HE/HIM)
The Education (Academic Affairs) department has had a very productive year,
working hard to provide support and ensure the best academic rights for students.
One of our major successes this year was in joint negotiations alongside the Monash
Student Association (MSA) and Academic Board to reduce the penalty students face
for late assignment submissions. The previous penalty for late assignments was
10% per day submitted past the deadline, however through our persistent advocacy
we have been able to reduce it to 5% per day late. This is such an important change
as we believe students shouldn’t be unfairly burdened by excess penalties should
they encounter unforeseen circumstances.
Part of our job is also to provide volunteers for Academic Progress Committee (APC)
hearings. This is where students at high academic risk are evaluated before a panel
of staff and one student, giving them an opportunity to review their progress and
decide on their future pathways through university. This year, we had the pleasure
of coordinating with over 300 passionate volunteers for hearings across all 10
faculties at Monash. Our volunteers are instrumental in ensuring that students are
represented and supported throughout the process and the work they do to protect
student’s academic interests is invaluable!
Additionally, for many years now the MSA Teaching Awards have been a major
event run by the MSA throughout semester two. These awards give students the
opportunity to recognise those teaching staff who go above and beyond and for us
to formally recognise the staff who actively invest in their students. This year-
10

MSA Department Reports / 2024 Summary
-we’ve also introduced a new award category specifically for student nominated
Teaching Assistants (TAs). TAs play such an important role within teaching and
learning, often being the face of staff that students see most frequently in class,
labs or during consultations. It goes without saying that this work should be
recognised as part of regular teaching so it will be great to see them formally
recognised! As we work to improve academic regulations, and as we honour the
commitment of our faculty and volunteers, we also make an effort to improve the
experience of being a Monash student. We hope to see the work we’ve put in this
year be carried forward through the department's continual investment in student
interests. If you would like to get in touch with us don’t hesitate to contact us at
msa-education@monash.edu.
EDUCATION (PUBLIC AFFAIRS): SAHAR FARUKH (SHE/HER) AND NAFIZ
ISLAM (HE/HIM)
No report received from this department.
ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL JUSTICE: SOPHIE ALLEN (SHE/HER) AND
AISWARIYA SUBRAMANIAN
The Environment and Social Justice Department has had a busy year in 2024!
We got right into it in semester one with our first event being before the beginning
of semester. This year, alongside the MSA Indigenous department we organised
and participated in sending the first ever MSA contingent to the Invasion Day rally
in Naarm on January 26th. During O-week, at our Office Bearer stall we facilitated
the painting of donated and recycled clothing with various activism slogans and
symbols that people could wear with pride. We had plenty of people come over and
chat with us about all things activism and had fun while crafting personalized t-
shirts that reflected their personalities.
During week 6, we had ESJ week which was full of free food, movie screenings, pot
plant painting and activism workshops. We also hosted two in-depth panel
discussions talking about veganism and climate change technology. All these
events were accompanied by some delicious wholefoods goodies which were fan
favourites this year. We ended the semester with a collaboration with the Rising
Tide collective where we hosted a movie screening to showcase their activism
efforts in blocking the world’s largest coal port to take a stand against fossil fuel
companies and climate change. Throughout the semester we also kept a close
watch on Monash University's emission statements and met with their Net Zero
team representatives to gain some further insight into their net-zero progress and
the accessibility of their data and environmental impact information.
Things quieted down a bit in semester 2 but we were busy planning the
Environmental and Social Justice department’s first ever Sustain Festival, which we
held during Wednesday of week 4. This day aimed to showcase how we could- 11

MSA Department Reports / 2024 Summary
-still hold large and fun student events with sustainability at the forefront of event
planning. We provided some sustainable food options to over 300 students
including kangaroo meat, vegetarian and vegan options, all of which were served on
reusable cutlery and crockery which were washed and reused throughout the event.
We had live entertainment to enjoy whilst perusing out activism boards decorated
with various articles, information and links to great campaigns. Additionally, we
facilitated a book swap and had recycling boxes present so that people could
dispose of unwanted textiles, batteries and old clothes sustainably. The day was a
huge success and demonstrated a new reusable plate initiative that we plan to
present to other departments which will hopefully be implemented in future.
To close out the year we’ll be doing some behind the scenes work in terms of
working on protest calendars of key dates for next year that can be published to
students and building a sustainability framework which can be used by other MSA
departments and shape further sustainability policy. It has been an incredible
honour to be your Environmental and Social Justice Representatives this year and
we hope you enjoyed hanging out with us as much as we enjoyed hanging out with
you!
INDIGENOUS: JOHN SOPAR (HE/HIM)
John recently came into this role. A report from this department was not expected.
PEOPLE OF COLOUR: ANSHUMAN DAS (HE/HIM) AND TOOBA JAVED
(SHE/HER)
Thank you, MSA, for giving Anshuman and I (Tooba) the opportunity to be your POC
office bearers this year, 2024. We accomplished so many great things and only hope
to see even greater things for the future. This year was filled with promising events,
collaborations, and initiatives that unified the POC community in numerous ways
across campus. It was a privilege to represent the POC community and assist with
various on campus queries and events. Here is what we accomplished this year!
We’re thrilled to announce that we, alongside the Islamic Society at Monash
University, achieved a significant milestone this year. After years of advocacy, we
successfully secured a dedicated prayer space on campus for the Muslim
community. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and collaboration
between MSA and MUIS, creating an inclusive and accessible environment. This
space will serve as a sanctuary for many students for years to come, and we extend
our heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in making this dream a reality.
In March, we hosted a memorable Ramadan Iftar event in collaboration with the
Pakistani Society at Monash University. The event brought together students from
all backgrounds to celebrate the traditions of Ramadan, creating a warm and
welcoming environment. With everyone dressed in traditional attire, we shared-
12

MSA Department Reports / 2024 Summary
-the blessings of Iftar, fostering a sense of unity and community. It was a night filled
with cultural pride, and we look forward to continuing these traditions in the years
to come.
In April, we hosted a free pizza and games night, providing students with an
opportunity to relax before the pressures of exams kicked in. The event had a
fantastic turnout, with students enjoying food, drinks, and games in a laid-back
atmosphere. It was a wonderful evening that allowed students to unwind, and we
were glad to have been able to give away extra food and drinks at the end of the
night, leaving everyone satisfied and smiling.
In collaboration with the Arab Society, we hosted a Shawarma Lunch, offering a
culinary experience that brought the flavours of Arab culture to campus.
Additionally, we partnered with the MSA Women’s Department for the Tea Time
Talk series, creating a safe space for women-identifying POC students to connect,
share experiences, and offer mutual support.
One of our most prominent contributions this year was through the One World
Festival 2024, which celebrated multiculturalism on campus. We collaborated with
over 30 different cultural groups, showcasing diverse performances, cultural attire,
and culinary experiences. This event served as a vibrant reminder of the strength
that comes from diversity, helping Monash University build a campus culture that
embraces inclusivity and respect.
We also supported smaller clubs behind the scenes, helping to promote their
events on social media and broaden their reach.
Thank you again for the opportunity to represent and advocate for POC students on
campus. It has been a rewarding year, and we look forward to continued growth and
success for the POC community in the future. Thank you, Tooba & Anshuman
QUEER: MADI CURKOVIC (SHE/HER) AND KELLY CVETKOVA (SHE/HER)
This year, the Queer Department has had a focus on staking itself out as an
explicitly left-wing office, and one that pursues activism. On both of these fronts,
we have made immense progress. We have raised issues such as inadequate access
to gender neutral bathrooms on campus, Monash's ties to weapons companies, the
importance of unionism, the plight of refugees in Australia, and more. We hosted
banner paintings for protests, multiple screenings of left-wing movies, and hosted a
guest speakers' event with two attendees of the very first Mardi Gras in Sydney.
Kelly and Madi have been part of organising two historic activist events at Monash:
the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, and the mass Student General Meeting for
Palestine. Both of these raised the important issue of Palestinian rights on campus,
in a way that has had lasting effects. We worked with groups like the- 13

MSA Department Reports / 2024 Summary
-Victorian Greens, the NTEU, Students for Palestine and Amnesty International to
raise the profile of our activism on campus. The encampment lasted just under 3
weeks, occupying the Lemon Scented Lawns to demand 3 things: for Monash to
disclose its ties to weapons companies, divest from them, and to rescind the
statement that was made regarding Gaza in October 2023. It attracted new
students keen to get involved with activism on campus, and created a flurry of
discussion around the campus about Monash's complicity in genocide in Gaza, and
what students thought about it. Even when the university put both Queer Officers,
and 7 other students, through a disciplinary process for organising the encampment,
eventually Monash's disciplinary committee ruled not to punish the activists for this.
The SGM campaign lasted over a month, and consisted of endless petitioning of
students and raising awareness about the issue of Monash's relationships to
weapons companies. The meeting in the end, attracted approximately 500 students,
with more that didn't make it in time for registration. This is easily the largest event
ever organised for Palestine on Monash Clayton campus's history.
Our forum this year about Radical Queer History was also a hit. With guest
speakers Liz Ross and Mick Armstrong, it attracted approximately 50 students and
it had a lively discussion about the importance of fighting back against oppression,
and the true activist origins of Mardi Gras in Australia.
Overall, our focus to have the Queer Office pursue activist aims and take principled
left wing stances on things was a resounding success.
RESIDENTIAL: ARIQ ILHAM (HE/HIM) AND AYLIN VAHABOVA (SHE/HER)
No report received from this department.
WELFARE: CAMPBELL FROST (HE/HIM) AND TEAGAN HAYWARD (SHE/THEY)
Welfare Week has come and gone and it was a pawsitive success, bringing students
together to foster community and well-being across campus. Our events, including
the pup-ular dog therapy sessions, mental workshops, and free food Mondays, were
well-received by attendees. The feedback is already overwhelmingly pawsitive, with
many students excited to get involved to have a chat. The week will highlight the
importance of welfare initiatives in creating a supportive university environment.
Moving forward, we plan to expand these offerings and lay a strong foundation for
next years office bearers.
We have also been slaying when it comes to Free Food Mondays and Welfare
Packs, lots of smiles and vibes. Obviously, the end of our welfare term is coming
close, but in the meantime, we’re determined to let the good times roll and continue
pumping the campus with good vibes around campus.
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MSA Department Reports / 2024 Summary
WOMEN'S: ZOE BINNS (SHE/HER) AND KATYA SPILLER (SHE/HER)
Dear MSA Women's Community,
We want to thank you for your continued support of our department this year. From
the regulars we see in the lounge, to those who came to nearly every event of the
year- we've loved getting to know each and everyone of you! With the support of
our community we've been able to achieve some fabulous things.
We started our year off with our unorthodox approach to International Women's
day, creating the 'feminine rage room' and the MUST space. It was great to see
everyone embrace the theme, get loud and feel comfortable expressing emotion.
Weekly tea time talks in the women's lounge were a great way to check in with our
community. At the start of the year we deep cleaned our women's lounge, and
throughout the semesters we restocked resources and supplies, bought weighted
blankets, lamps and pillows for the lounge and our on campus sleep room. In
Endometriosis week we partnered with DnC to provide essential information,
resources and a give away! This year we also launched our ‘Big Sister’ social media
series, set on debunking stigma and creating space for open conversations.
In Semester 2 we had our biggest Safe and Sexy yet! A week long extravaganza of
love, empowerment, information sharing and connection. We completely
transformed the conference room into a luscious relaxing space, with lots of
freebies, hang out spaces, activities, food and flowers. L'Oreal Paris ran street
harassment training, which saw some big names like Hannah Ferguson, Tarang
Chawla, Harrison James & Courtney Ugle attend events. Everyone loved our
expression events, including our clay workshop where students got to learn how to
create clay art, paint it, fire it in a kiln and take it home! Our ‘Pink Party’
collaboration with Creative Live Arts took us back to our childhood with pink fairy
floss, themed drinks, ice cream, cake and a face painter! We danced the night away
listening to our favourite pop songs. We also completely designed new social media
visuals, merchandise and a marketing campaign for the event.
This year we also created a new event dedicated to victim survivors of sexual and
family violence. We partnered with the survivor hub to run survivor healing group
sessions, collated relevant resources, ran a session about identifying red flags,
abuse and coercive control in interpersonal relationships and invited some welfare
dogs to campus for some ‘fur therapy.’
It was also a big year in advocacy for MSA Women's. We conducted our own audit
on lighting across campus, collated our findings and presented them to Monash
Universities Buildings and Property Department. This led Monash to commit to
regular lighting and safety audits on campus. We worked with Monash’s Equity,
Diversity and Inclusion department to provide feedback on their Sexual Harm
prevention documentations where we asked for greater intersectionality and- 15

MSA Department Reports / 2024 Summary
-accountability from the University. It’s been an absolute privilege to work with and
advocate for the fabulous female identifying staff and students of Monash
University this year.
We can't believe it's over- We'll miss you guys so much!
MSA Women’s Office Bearers & Committee Members
CLUBS & SOCIETIES: PAUL HALLIDAY (HE/THEY)
2024 was a big year for Clubs and Societies, with for the first time a return to pre-
Covid University enrolment numbers. Clubs were back in a big way and as of the 1st
of October the C&S Executive has met 28 times, supporting our 103 affiliated clubs
and 28,836 individual club memberships sold.
A key focus this year has been governance, which saw the C&S Executive re-write
the C&S Finance Regulations as well as the C&S Affiliation Regulations. These
changes saw the regulations updated to reflect current best practices, clarify
processes and simplify the regulations in general. The new regulations have
specifically been to be more accessible and relevant to clubs.
In terms of financial support, the C&S Executive has made a range of both
governance and administrative changes to the C&S Grants Program, in order to
make it easier and quicker for clubs to access grants. In total over $120,000 has
been approved in grants to financially affiliated C&S clubs so far this year, with
more to be distributed over the remainder of the year. In addition to this one-off
payments of $500 - $3,000 are being made to each financially affiliated club to
support their ongoing operations.
2024 has been complicated by changes to the not-for-profit process tax exemption
processes. After much discussion at C&S, MSA and Student Experience Network
(SEN) it was decided that the best path forward was for each club to apply for notfor-profit
status with the ACNC. This process has been a challenge for both C&S
and clubs applying which has taken a large amount of both staff and office bearer
time.
This year also saw the launch of the C&S Support Network. As part of this program
each Club has been assigned a member of the Executive as their "Buddy". This
program strives to make C&S more approachable to clubs and to support clubs and
by extension their members in running events and supplying services.
In September C&S held our Annual General Meeting which saw the C&S Executive
deliver reports to club presidents and elections conducted for the 2025 C&S
Executive, who will take office on the 1st of November. The incoming C&S Executive
consists of both members of the 2024 C&S Executive as well as new members,
reflecting a strong balance of continuity alongside fresh faces and ideas.
16

MSA Department Reports / 2024 Summary
Going into 2025 the key goal of C&S remains improving current structures and
finding new ways to support clubs in doing what they do best – creating memorable
and useful experiences for and supporting their members. With the term of the
2024 C&S Executive coming to an end on the 1st of November, many ongoing
projects will be handed over to the 2025 Executive who will continue to meet over
the summer break to get C&S ready to assist clubs with their operations in 2025.
MATURE AND PART TIME STUDENTS (MAPS): STUART GIBSON
No report received from this department.
MUISS - VEDANT GADHAVI
It was a great year for MUISS and all the international students of Monash
University. We nearly served 150- 200 students every fortnight which was a big
help for the students. In addition , we conducted weekly study sessions for students
along with Career Connect workshop. We also achieved the parking price hike win
along with MSA and NTEU which is beneficial for students. We also actively
supported the university against the foreign student cap and were successful in
getting more numbers for the cap. We had successfully taken 175 students across
the two day trips this year to Philip Island and Enchanted Adventures as well as
Arthur’s Eagle. We saw a huge rise in our social media presence and more students
showed up for the events. We even saw more students coming to MUISS lounge
and using it as a study spot and chilling area with friends. We also got the
multicultural grant from the government for the One World Festival which is going
to be one of the biggest event this semester in collaboration with MSA POC and
other clubs.
RADIO MONASH: GEORGIE MCCOLM (SHE/HER)
Radio Monash has made a killer comeback this year. After countless stream issues,
we hosted two stacked line-ups of programs featuring students from all
backgrounds. We had over 35 shows across both semesters, a massive increase
compared to the last few years during COVID and the renovations. Our listener
numbers went up, along with the interest in running a show. We also hosted some
really exciting broadcast events, including Neurodiversity Week in semester one
and Languages and Cultures Week in semester two.
This year, we’ve had some amazing events. We kicked off with Training Night,
followed by Band Matchmaking (where four bands were formed!), and wrapped up
with Vibe Night Volume 3. All three events had fantastic turnouts (all sold out), and
we’re so proud to see how far we’ve come. In semester two, things got even bigger
and crazier. Together with D&C, we held a Silent Disco in Sir John's, which sold out!
In week 8, we hosted Battle of the Bands, one of our largest events to date and the
first of its kind at Monash University in over 20 years. We closed the year with our
first off-campus event in over three years—Back On The Waves—featuring Monash
artists at the Bergy Bandroom, which was a massive success.
17

MSA Department Reports / 2024 Summary
This year has also been incredible for our recording studio. After months of issues,
it’s finally back up and running. So far, over six albums have been recorded in the
studio, with more EPs and singles on the way. An initiative set up by the RadMon
committee, Cosy Corner, has been hugely successful, with over three episodes
recorded, highlighting live student artists. We also got a new Mac computer to
handle the heavy duty work. The studio team organized a series of mini gigs at
Wholefoods as the team continued to grow as well.
One of our largest departments, Journalism, has been achieving great things this
semester. With over 65 articles published, RadMon journalism is back and better
than ever! Covering gigs, pop culture, campus news, music festivals, and much more
—all on radiomonash.online. With a team of 15+ staff writers, our journalism
department is bigger than it’s ever been.
Radio Monash as a whole has never been this large. With over 20 dedicated
committee members, 40+ in subcommittees and writers, 35+ show hosts, and 25+
student artists, the Radio Monash community has blossomed. It’s been absolutely
incredible to see what we’ve achieved this year. The outpouring of interest and
commitment has been amazing, and an incredible community has formed, creating
awesome content that resonates with fellow students. Other highlights include
Radio Monash speaking at the Student Media Conference in Sydney, playing more
student music than ever, getting a reliable stream up and running, acquiring a new
desk, and transforming the studio into a vibey creative space.
Of course, there have been challenges—from the great hole in the roof that stopped
us from broadcasting for a week, to after-hours access and soundproofing issues.
But despite these obstacles, we’ve had an incredible year, and we can’t wait to do it
all again and even more! Stay tuned for what’s in store next year (GET INVOLVED!)
and stay rad.
Stream Radio Monash at radiomonash.online
18

Democratic Process by Kristy Dodson-Geary
19

20
60th Anniversary Spectactular!
June 24, 1964 marked the 60th anniversary of Lot’s Wife taking the name
that it is still known by today. Of course, it’s not every day that a student
publication celebrates its diamond jubilee, so despite all the warnings of
former editors, we tentatively glanced back on our past, hoping that
wouldn’t lead to the appearance of several random pillars of salt
somewhere on campus.
And contrary to all expectations, none of us found ourselves in a salinated
state, we were still (mostly) ordinary human beings, however with a
renewed appreciation for the effort that editors past had applied to their
work. From delivering fortnightly issues to sparring with dissenting letters
to the editor, they truly were a different breed of human beings. Each of
whom brought their own unique flare to the paper, some which have gone
on to become staples of the paper. Which is where the idea struck us, it
shouldn’t just be a celebration of the paper, but the wonderful people who
made it all possible.
So the idea was born, so after literal months of planning, and what felt like
an eternity of cutting, laminating, and folding decorations, the night in
question, August 22, 2024, was upon us. The whole process of reaching out
to alumni had been long, often tedious but in the end it paid off. For once
we’d broken the ice, the enthusiasm that people still held for Lot’s Wife, in
some cases more than 50 years after the fact, was astonishing. And it
wasn’t just in emails either, of the more than 50 people that turned out, the
majority were alumni.
Whilst we couldn’t have promised nor afforded what Lot’s Wife had at
their Bacchus Ball (“Free unlimited wine! Floor show! Ancient Grecian
dress!”) in years gone by, we could have matched them on atmosphere, of
that I have no doubt in my mind. That enthusiasm that we had first
experienced digitally had greater vigour in person. I recall a 20 minute
conversation with two editors from 1970, who were full of stories of their
time working on Lot’s.
Above all the night was a chance to revel in the glory of student journalism
and chance a look back. It most certainly could not have been possible
without my co-editors Mandy Li and Sam Hudson; the wonderful team at
the MSA’s Student Union Recreational Library (SURLY) who had to put up
with my cuckoo clock like appearances to delve through the archives; and
most importantly everyone who turned out on the night it was lovely to
meet you all and share in the common experience of having worked on Lot’s
Wife.
By Angus Duske

Photos by Eric Stone
21

A Very Lot’s Wife
Guide to Sydney:
Student Media Conference
2024
What is student media? What is the importance of
student media? Lot’s Wife travels to Sydney to find out,
alongside more pressing questions: why is there a man with a macaw near the
Sydney Opera House?
Full artcile online.
Mandy Li confronts her
hatred of New South Wales .
Student media has an illustrious history – Lot’s Wife, among dozens of other
student media publications, serves as an alternative form of news and media,
specific to the University campus that the publication occupies. Each student media
publication has its own story, its own turbulent history and beginnings, and
whether that concerns Farrago’s (University of Melbourne) geriatric 100-year
history, or of Glass’s (Queensland University of Technology, shoutout to all
Queenslanders everywhere) humble 2019 establishment, Lot’s Wife slots itself in
as a chaotic, but well meaning contender to the student media team. Having just
celebrated our 60th anniversary of publication, and having scoured decades worth
of Lot’s Wife’s (Lot’s Wives?) for our archival and educational pursuits, the
challenge was on: how many times can we explain the history of the name Lot’s
Wife to all the conference goers?
Sam and I arrived in Sydney a few days before the conference; we saw the sights,
went on a ferry, had a pork roll, caught up with our friends over at Radio Monash
(who also attended), and then the conference was set to begin. The Opening
Ceremony with Antoinette Lattouf was a great way to start off the conference; if
you recognise the name, Lattouf was the plaintiff of an unfair dismissals case
against ABC, and was criticised over her ‘controversial’ views surrounding the
Israel-Palestine conflict. Student media, which remains one of very few
independent media outlets today, is in a unique position, where the voices of
students and student journalists
demand to be heard; Lattouf’s
coverage was not inherently
controversial, but her
existence as a Lebanese woman
of colour
speaking on a global conflict
was. It was an
important lesson that stuck
with all
attendees throughout the
whole
conference, and would
become
more pertinent with some
of the
other sessions we would
go on to
attend.
22

Shoutout to our team over at Radio
Monash, where President Georgie McColm
joined other student radios across the
country to talk about student radio,
podcasts, and all things digital media; I
wasn’t there (fatigue and generally being
in Sydney had been very bad for my
psyche) but I’m told it was great! Sydney
on Film by Georgie as well.
Thank you to the whole editorial team at
Honi Soit, you guys are legends and I’m
super happy we hopped on an impromptu
Zoom call a month ago where you
personally invited us to go to the
conference! Thank you to Zeina and
Sandra, who coordinated that interview,
you guys were so lovely in real life (“your
Angus has to meet our Angus”). Thank
you to Ariana, Joel and Ben who
coordinated the whole conference. It was
probably a logistical nightmare and I’m
glad it was you rather than me. To
everyone we met as well, thank you!
Whether the conversation was thirty
minutes or two, we all appreciated it
nonetheless. I felt like that scene in
Spider-Man: No Way Home where
Andrew Garfield says “I love you guys”
and no one says it back.
I suppose that was the theme of the whole
conference; you are not alone. Student media,
as controversial and messy as it can be, is
fraught with a whole slew of challenges that
are independent to us, and while they can
seem like the biggest deals in the entire
world when you’re in your office by yourself,
there’s a sliver of comfort that you can derive
from knowing that someone, somewhere, at
any given time, in New South Wales or South
Australia or even down the M1 at the
University of Melbourne, is also threatening
to rip their hair out over the same grievances
as you. For every time InDesign has shut
down your poor overworked Macbook,
someone else is having tech issues and is
trying the good ol’ turn it off and turn it on
again approach. For every time your budget
was cut or your work was censored, you’re
(likely to be, sorry Woroni you don’t count!)
begging your student union representatives
for more money or more lenience. For every
student journalist/editor who committed to
coming to Ballarat for NUS NatCon and never
went again, there are a million more even
worse NatCon stories.
While I don’t want to derive the threeday
conference into something as
Disney movie-esque as you are not
alone, it was the message that I derived
from it, and hey, if you don’t believe me,
I guess you’ll just have to go next time.
23

24
Say Hello to your
2025 MSA President,
Sasha!
Lot’s Wife gets the goss.
Lot’s Wife: First of all, tell us a little bit about yourself. What are you studying?
What do you get up to when you’re not studying?
Sasha: Absolutely! Well my name is Sasha and I’m a second year Computer
Science student. As well as my interest in tech and some other nerdy things, I’m
actually quite creative and really enjoy sketching, playing the drums, journaling,
and listening to music!
LW: Why did you decide to run for President?
SB: It took some thought, several days of thought actually! Because being
President is such a big role and not something to be taken on lightly. But in the
end I decided to run for President because I really do believe in student unionism,
and the important changes it can bring to students. I mean, late penalty reductions,
free parking on a Friday, travel pass programmes, and more. Plus I’ve always been
an activist and a unionist so this is something that I really feel passionate about. I
wanted to work with other passionate students to deliver changes that will benefit
the student body in their time at university!
LW: Obviously going through an election campaign is a tough task, how did you
find the campaign?
SB: I think you’ve perfectly surmised it there, it was tough! A lot of work goes into
a campaign, from things like making social media content to regular meetings,
deciding policies as a collective and all the formal administrative work of
organising nominations. Not to mention the actual election week, where myself
and others were out on the ground from 10:00AM to 4:00PM trying to earn votes.
At the end of the day however, I believed in our campaign and I knew that we were
wanting to work in the best interest of students, and I worked with a team of
supportive students and campaigners on the ticket who shared these common
goals which makes it far far easier.
LW: When the results came through on Thursday evening, where were you and
how did you feel?
SB: After the close of voting at 5:00PM, we as a team headed to the Roc Social to
have a nibble and chat. Regardless, we wanted to celebrate our hard efforts in the
campaign, win or loss. Frankly, I was so nervous about the results I spent more
time refreshing my emails and staring blankly at my burger than I did eating it.
At around 7:17pm my phone buzzed, which I was ready to ignore as another false
alarm. However Felix, our candidate for Secretary who was sitting opposite me
locked eyes with me and said “Let’s go”.The next part became a blur, as someone
shouted “WE WON!” and I was being swept up in hugs and congratulatory
comments.
It honestly took until at least a couple days afterwards for me to fully realise that
this was a reality. And if I’m being more honest, it still hasn’t sunk in yet!
Nevertheless, I’m excited to keep working for and with students.

LW: For the uninitiated, would you mind explaining the role that the MSA plays in student
life here at Monash?
SB: Of course! The MSA is your student body that represents all students across campus.
For anyone familiar with the concept of a union in the workplace, the MSA is similar and is
your student union.
The MSA provides both advocacy and service provision. For instance anyone familiar with
the ever-vibrant Wednesday Sessions might know that this is partially run by our Creative
and Live Arts student representatives. Similarly our Women's Department runs events like
Safe and Sexy Week, Environment and Social Justice ESJ Week and Sustain Festival, and
much more.
Just as importantly, the MSA seeks to do advocacy work as well. If you’re facing an
Academic Progress Committee meeting, we have student reps and volunteers present at
those to make sure you’re looked after, or even if you need some advice handling marking
difficulties. We work with various organisations and representatives also to implement
policies we think students will see benefit in, this year together with the Academic Board
we brought in the 10% to 5% late penalty reductions as an example. But the important
thing is, we’re directed by and represent the student body. When students come to us with
issues we want to do our best to support and be led by the students.
LW: As President, what are some of your plans for 2025? What can students look forward
to from the MSA next year?
SB: In the upcoming year, we aim to implement as many of the policies we campaigned on
as possible! So for us that’s things like fighting for a 24/7 Matheson, attendance flexibility
for classes after dark, campus lighting, assessment weighting caps, a permanent bi-weekly
foodbank, and of course bigger and better Wednesday sessions! There will be other things
that crop up as the year evolves, we’re in an ever-changing climate and we’ll navigate
those to the best of our abilities and in the best interest of students.
LW: Do you have any life hacks or useful tips and tricks you’d like to share with students?
SB: In my two years here I’ve picked up a few but I’m still learning myself! My number one
tip is to make use of every single resource you have. For instance, there’s the MSA’s
Student Advocacy Services which you can go to when in need of support or direction, check
out all your classes and join all the clubs that interest you (plus if you have an MSA+
membership you can join some of these clubs for a discounted price or even free!).
From a more fun campus perspective, Wholefoods has amazing cheap food and coffee!
Their brownies are incredible and the dahl is super cheap and a great lunch. There’s always
heaps of events held and run by the MSA which you can check out like Wednesday
Sessions, Snacktivities, and spaces like the Women's Lounge or D&C Lounge you can use.
LW: And finally, do you have anything
you’d like to say to students who might
be reading this?
SB: I’d like to wish everyone all the best
as we close out the semester, and head
into the exam and final assessment
period. And if you see me around on
campus feel free to say hi!
25

National Tertiary Education
Union-View
Lot’s Wife Asks.
If you’ve been following Lot’s Wife this
year, you’d be aware of our coverage
and support for Monash NTEU members.
From publishing articles, to covering
their stop work action on March 20th
and more recently their rally on October
7th. Whilst we’re proud supporters of
the NTEU, why should other students
care? To answer these questions Sam
and I had the pleasure of interviewing
Monash Branch Committee members
Blair Williams, Carol Que, and Tony
Williams.
Sam: First of all, what is the NTEU?
Tony: The NTEU is the National Tertiary
Education Union. Basically, anybody who
works at a University in an academic or
professional capacity is covered by us,
we’re their union; basically, anybody
who doesn’t work in the gardens, in
security or work in Monash’s retail
spaces are able to have us represent
them. The two biggest things that the
union does on an ongoing basis are
member advocacy, so if members are
pulled into disciplinary hearings or if
there’s any sort of trouble in the
workplace that they need representation
for, then we are there to send
representatives to help them and to help
them understand their rights and what is
happening to make sure that they’re not
getting screwed over by management.
The other thing that we do, which we
just finished up about six months ago
now is enterprise bargaining; we bargain
with the university for all of the pay and
conditions that we’re all covered by,
regardless of whether you’re a member
or not.
Blair: We’re grassroots organised, and
the rank and file, basically. Because
we’re all on the branch committee of the
Monash NTEU branch, and we’re trying
to move towards a more activist union
rather than an insurance scheme kind of
union. So obviously, we do the things that
Tony mentioned, but as workers, we want
to see more activism and pushback, like
the rally you saw today.
Sam: I wanted to ask specifically about
the ‘Closing the Loopholes’ clause, and
the University’s ‘bad faith interpretation’,
how will this clause actually affect staff if
it’s enacted in the way the University is
interpreting it?
Tony: Yeah, and so on August 26th, there
was a legislative change that redefined
what a casual employee is. The idea
behind that was to better align the
technical definition of casual with the
lived experience of the work that the
people were doing. So there’s a bunch of
people, including many many people who
are casuals in higher education, whose
reality of their job is that it is an ongoing
job. I’m in my 11th year of teaching at
Monash, I’ve worked consistently every
semester over those 11 years, but on
paper I’m casual, so I don’t automatically
accrue long service leave, or sick leave,
that kind of thing. So the idea in the
legislation was to make it clear that for
people like that there was a conversion
into an ongoing job because the work that
was being done was ongoing. When that
happened, Monash’s response was kind
of a combination of chaos and and
abdication, so there’s been nothing in
terms of a centralised response from the
university about the changes and about
the impact that those changes will have.
They’ve said to different people in all
different work areas of the university to
come up with your own solution and feed
it back to us for approval.

Blair: They’ve had two years. The
Australian Government made this
change two years ago, and they gave all
the universities two years warning that
this was going to apply to us. They’ve
had two years to do something and
consult staff, consult students, and
they’ve done nothing. It’s literally late
August and they’re like “oh shit, we can’t
rehire research assistants and it looks
like they’re not going to hire casuals
next year, goodbye”, and there’s been no
consultancy, as Tony was saying.
Tony: But the way that they have
decided to go about it, is to sort of… is
this kind of slash and burn approach,
where most of the people. So the
university has somewhere around 3,700
casual employees. It’s a bit hard to get a
set number because twice a year the
university has to report the number of
casual employees it has as part of some
kind of government legislation. One of
those counts happens in December,
National Tertiary
Education
Union-View
which doesn’t capture the academic
casual staff because they’re not in
contract anymore. So the numbers are
not as precise as they should be but
yeah somewhere around 3,700 casual
staff and somewhere around a little bit
over 2000 of those are academic staff.
So those are people that could have
been put onto ongoing jobs if that was
ongoing work and that was what they
wanted. But the university has decided
to take a different approach which is to
essentially render most of those 3,700
people jobless…
Carol: Yeah, we shouldn’t have to suck it
up and that’s why we organise as a
union. And I know this is like an
annoying tangent but when we talk
about the role of the university and I
don’t know I’m open to like a third
discussion and sort of debate and
criticism on this. But for me, the
sandstone unis – Melbourne Uni,
Monash – are very much like a colonial
product whereby these universities are
established to perpetuate colonial
frameworks like doing and organising a
society and part of the colonial aspect is
also the capitalist aspect where they
want to push students into some sort of
job or industry and you come back as an
alumni and can be like “oh my god, you’re
so special, we did this. We had a part in
this.” And for me the role of the university
in the most ideal sense, is like Blair said,
to help students learn to navigate the
world critically and not just having an
analysis of all the bad shit that’s
happening in the world but actually like
how you organise. And that’s one of the
huge things that I found constantly
missing in like university, like education.
Sam: And they’re not even entitled to
proper redundancy because they’re
casuals?
Blair: No redundancies, no good-byes.
Usually when someone leaves they get a
redundancy payout, a nice little goodbye
party, and its a thing because they’re
colleagues. But casuals aren’t treated like
colleagues. Casuals aren’t allowed to go
to staff meetings because they aren’t
paid to go to staff meetings, so they
weren’t allowed at this meeting with the
dean. And they don’t get entitled to any
redundancy pay any sick pay, nothing like
that. So they’ve not been consulted at all
in this process.
Sam: This new round of cuts will
disproportionately affect the arts faculty,
following on from cuts to live lectures,
and the Jobs Ready Graduates
Programme doubling the cost of degrees,
why is it important to continue funding
the arts?
Blair: But students really lose out here,
right? Like students are paying $50,000
for their degrees next year onwards
they’re predicting and what are they
getting for it. At Monash, in the school of
social sciences, they’ll be getting first
year 30 person classes, which I think is
disgusting in the first place. I think we
should be trying to fight that. When I-

at Adelaide Uni, back in the early 2010s,
the rule was first year courses should be
12 persons tutes and a second and third
year should be no more than 15. But
then changed to 20 in my third year, but
anyway. Thirty is too many for first year
and then you go on to second and third
year and you’re paying 50,000 dollars
for 75 person classes. Where the
lecturer won’t know their name. THere
won’t be any kind of personal contract or
you know getting to know each other.
We can’t do oral presentations in that
way, which is an important skill to learn
even if they’re not exactly the funnest
for students I’m sure. So they’re paying a
lot of money, for essentially not much at
all. And we’ve even been told by
it dramatically affects them. It just means
massive weakening and worsening of
their education, and that is completely
unjust and it’s not fair. They deserve
better, students deserve better, they
deserve the best education that they can
have, and we can provide that if the
University lets us but they’re not letting
us. They actively want to stop that, like, I
shouldn’t have to fight the university to
do my job properly. I just want to do my
job, just let me do my job. I’ve spent the
last three weeks organising to do my job,
fighting my bosses to do my job. And that
is why students should care. Because it
will hurt them now, it’ll hurt them in the
future and especially hurt them when
they look at tax time each year and their
management that they hope the HECS debt is exceedingly big. And they
students don’t come. They try to go what did they get for that? My tutor
persuade us into continuing by saying, didn’t even know my name because I was
“don’t
National
worry there won’t be 75 students one of
Tertiary
75. I didn’t go to any of my classes
for long because we know that students because I was one of 75 students.
don’t come to class after the first few
weeks.” So they’re kind of hoping that Sam: My last question was about just
students who are paying
Education
a lot of money how students can show solidarity and
for online lectures don’t come to class Nteu what (us) they can do practically to help you
and therefore probably don’t do the guys?
readings either. And so what are they
paying for?
Union-View
Blair: Email your displeasure to the dean.
Email the dean and be like I’m actually
Carol: Although this was like, maybe really angry about this as a student. And
like backtracking a bit, but when we say this is going to affect me. Email the Vicethat
arts is the ground zero, I mean what Chancellor. Email these people because
about the chemistry and like the FIT
team, because like they have untenable
classes too. Does anyone want to talk
about that?
Tony: And somewhere like FIT (Faculty
of Information Technology) has for many
years been I guess like a university
leader in fucking over the people that
work for them And so like they have
situations where like second year
students are teaching in a first year
unit…
Mandy & Sam: What?!
Blair: They should take an interest
because this massively affects them, like
you can and they need to hear that
students are really affected by this and
it’s deterring them from whatever. Like I
know students who were going to
Monash but now aren’t going to go at all
because of these changes. So why would
I, I’ll go to RMIT or something.
Carol: Or another thing, if you’re a
student worker and you have a contract
with the University or something. Joining
the union would mean that you can
become more part of it I guess. The active
people amongst us and I mean part of
what we’re trying to push is like more
support on you. People who want to
organise having training, like the three of
us went through conversation training.

And this is like you know. It’s very
essential that when people get active,
I’ll speak for myself. When I started for
myself, when I was younger, I had to
figure shit out myself. I was quite
confused about whatever groups and I
didn’t know that stuff. There would be
key skills that we would try to pass on
to anyone who wants to organise with
us. We would absolutely welcome
student workers even if your contract is
casual or a bit shit, I don’t know.
and say that there are people doing
things about these issues. To come back
to that atomisation point that I made
earlier. Some people just sort of live in
their own bubble and it’s hard to
penetrate into that bubble. But if a
student comes up to them and say
something like “I heard about what’s
going on and we support you” and that
tutor is like “what’s going on”. That can
be the avenue for that situation being
more enlightening for both people.
Blair: It’s only 8 bucks a month for
casuals.
Tony: Even sort of on a practical level.
The reason we can do something like
this casuals rally is because there’s
casuals in the union and we know about
these issues. So being a student worker
joining the union gives you an avenue to
make your concerns heard. You can tell
someone about the shit that is
happening. If those voices aren’t in the
National Tertiary
Education
Union-View
Conditions.
union then it’s a lot harder for us to
come across those issues and do
something about it. And for sort of just
general students who want to be
involved or want to know what’s going
on we will always do everything we can
to publicise out to everybody when
we’re doing something and ways for
which students can be involved.
Blair: Follow our Instagram account and
our Twitter account. But tell students
that here’s our Instagram and Twitter
account, link a QR code. Cause that’s
where we put out a lot of stuff. Actually
you know, student organisations if
they’re reading this, feel free to get in
touch with us, and we can do collabs on
Instagram. And yeah I guess I would
also like students to support their
teachers, if you know your tutor is casual
tell them you support them in their fight
for this because it's pretty rare that we
get nice remarks from students.
Tony: And even telling their tutors about
these issues. Introduce it to the tutors
Sam: Thank you guys so much for your
time today. It’s been a very good
conversation. Don’t worry we have your
back in this and all the best in your
campaigning and hopefully all goes well.
Instagram: nteumonash
Twitter: NTEUmonash
linktr.ee//nteumonash
Full interview (53 minutes!)
available online.
Teaching Conditions
are our Learning

30
Full article
online OR at
radiomonash.
online
Monash Staffing Cuts.
Will Arts TA’s Survive?
Teachers at the Monash Arts Faculty are under pressure over the
proposed new cuts by the University. While not yet confirmed,
Monash has proposed changes to expand class sizes to over 70
students, reduce consultation hours and cut staffing levels. The
Australian government introduced new labour laws in August
2024, with the aim of reducing the casualised workforce of
universities. Called the ‘closing loopholes’ law, the original intent
was to provide a more secure pathway for casuals to gain
permanent employment. It prevents employers from using casual
contracts to avoid giving their employees benefits. This law
applies to the 2.5 million casuals in the Australian workforce, but
the impacts for the university sector are huge.
Instead of placing casual staff into permanant positions, Monash
University has decided to let many of its casual staff go. From Arts
to IT, this is affecting every faculty. Most casual staff will not be
rehired in 2025, placing more pressure on the already over worked
full time staff. In 2023, Monash University employed over 10,475
staff total, with over 1,617 in casual employment and 3,952 on
fixed term contracts. Over the last five years, Monash has kept a
steady employment of casuals and full-time ongoing staff.
Figure 1 : Monash University staffing rates for
casual and permanent employment over the last
five years. Source, 2023 annual Monash report
By Georgie McColm
Over the last 12 month period
from December 2022 until
December of 2023, the hiring of
casuals fluctuated. The university
only hires casuals during the
academic year, as seen in the
increase at March, only to end
their contracts at December. This
leaves staff to only have secure
employment for 9 months.
One area that is getting affected the most by these changes, is the Monash
Arts Faculty. Having a student to teacher ratio of just 20:1 allows a small
intimate group of students to have proper one on one support from the
teaching assistants. Compared to other faculties like science, which can
have class sizes of up to 90 students, the Humanities has always had a
more personalised experience. Within the arts faculty, the Monash School
of Languages, Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics will be drastically
affected. Learning to speak, read and listen to a foreign language requires
time, effort and help from highly specialised staff.

Choosing to go anonymous due to
fears for their position, a unit
coordinator from the Arts Faculty,
going by Arts Coordinator A, spoke to
me about what this would mean for the
teaching staff if these changes went
ahead. “Existing staff will be
overburdened by increased workloads
as they are forced to assume the
teaching and administration tasks that
are currently performed by sessional
staff. Academic staff are already
largely overworked, and increasing
their workloads will lead to burnout
and, perhaps more importantly, a
sustained feeling of resentment
towards the institution and leadership.”
“Large class sizes are not conducive
with most learning ecosystems and
especially not with foreign language
learning which requires face-to-face
interaction. You cannot learn a
language effectively if you do not have
the opportunity to actively practice it
and, most importantly, to make
mistakes. An academic in a class of 70
students will not have the time to
perform the crucial small-scale work
required for students to advance in
language proficiency whether they be
at Introductory or Proficient levels.”
Figure 2 : Monash Univeristy’s
casual employment over a 12
month period. Source, 2023
annual Monash report.
“I long for the day when we will
finally understand as a collective
society that the Humanities are
crucial for fostering critical
thinking, empathy and
(inter)cultural awareness and that
the lack of these values plays a
role in sustaining much of the
violence currently being
perpetrated throughout the world.
In the era of intercultural war and
seemingly endless human rights
abuses, climate change and
gendered violence, investing in the
Humanities is more important
than ever. “
31

Fork the Waste.
Did you know roughly one-third of all food is never
eaten?
We are Fork The Waste, a Science Future Leaders
project. We know reducing food waste requires
targeted efforts at every stage of the supply chain,
and our mission is to inspire the everyday individual to
play their part in reducing food waste by taking small,
sustainable
actions at the consumer level.
Our free cookbook, which contains 25+
recipes, zero-
waste tips, and a
comprehensive food waste report, will inspire
you to turn your so-called scraps into
satisfying
servings! You can also
check out our
food
storage video
which
will help you
keep
your produce
fresher for
longer. You’ll
feel good
knowing you’re
doing your part to
help tackle
this
problem,
nourishing
with
delicious
Don’t throw
out your scraps
– Fork The Waste!
all whilst
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32

Banana Peel and
Coconut Curry
Ingredients
➔ 2 banana peels ➔ ¾ teaspoon
ground turmeric ➔ 1 brown onion,
finely sliced ➔ 1 small knob of
ginger, peeled and grated ➔ 1-2
birdseye chillies, finely sliced
➔ 1 tablespoon dried curry
leaves ➔ 2 teaspoons cumin
seeds ➔ 2 teaspoons coriander
seeds ➔ 2 teaspoons mustard
seeds ➔ 3 ½ tablespoons
desiccated coconut
Method
1. Completely submerge banana peels in a bowl with water and ground
turmeric for at least 30 minutes. Drain and finely slice, chopping off any
woody ends or very black spots. 2. To a pot over medium heat, add a splash
of neutral oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, cumin seeds, and remaining
turmeric. Stir for 30 seconds. 3. Add ginger and chilli to pot, stirring for a
further 30 seconds. 4. Add onion, banana skins, and desiccated coconut with
a pinch of salt, stirring for 2-3 minutes until the desiccated coconut begins
to brown and become sticky. 5. Add 1 ¼ cups of water and simmer for 10-15
minutes until banana skins become tender and the curry has reduced. Add
salt and pepper to taste. 6.Serve with steamed rice or roti and yogurt!
33

She is hunching down on
the roadside of a suburb,
hoodie thrown
over her head.
She rummages through her
bag and you can hear all
sort of things thinking,
twinkling.
You find yourself asking.
“Are you alright?”
“Yeah, sure. Why?”
“You seem cold.”
“I am. Shivering!” She
laughs, all raspy and
memories of ancient days.
“But it will pass.
The cold.
The wind.
I just need to sit in it for a
while.”
She is then really sitting
down on the side of the
road.
Her things spill over:
breakfasts and dinners and
lunches, toads and lizards
and
skeletons,
shards of glass, broken
promises and unstitched
trusts.
She pulls out a lighter,
which morphs into a threewheel
bicycle
then paper dolls
then a lunch box in
elementary school’s
cafeteria
HECATE
ON THE
ROADSIDE
Nur Afifah
Widyaningrum
then a dress printed with photos
of your grandmother’s cookies
then a bottle of hair dye then a
vampire romance novel
then your father’s reading
glasses then a cube of palm
sugar then
your mother’s old worn brooch
then two spoonfuls of cough
syrup then other two of honey
and lime then a lighter again,
after all those sentimentalities.
“Light it”,
she says, handing it to you.
“And remember why.”
34

Sparks is a
City in the
Nevada,
United States
Marl Karx
Sparks is a city in the Nevada, United States
that is commonly associated with the comedic
podcast "The Thrilling Adventure Hour"
is a fact as cold as your living
room when I thought of the perfect metaphor
for how you are destined to hurt me
which you won’t find interesting.
I wasn’t even conceiving a poem
A healthy person would not be attracted to electrical
sparks that are signs of faulty components
She would not be writing a poem
She would rather hug a moist tree
or be screaming gliding down a water slide and
get very sunburnt and text a friend about it
joking that someone would call the pinkness
Faye-Wong-in-1998-esque so that they can hit
You called it the rosey cheeks
Sing and Play is the Hong Kong pop star’s
fifteenth album which sold 2.5 million copies
It’s also what a healthy person would want to do
She would want to sing and play
She would prefer a higher room temperature than I do
like you
even though scientifically the optimal room temperature
for a male body is three degrees Celsius lower
She would know that firework is temporary glitters
and unreliable warmth
no matter how much the arrangement of those orange
dots of pigment in your eyes reminds her of an annular
solar eclipse which is known to last forever surely right?
There are stars in the sky
She would prefer a poem that finishes as gently as it
starts
I don’t want to be here and I am never coming back again
was what I texted my friend hours before you
called me an uber and told me
that you never wanted to do this again
in the same tone that you would tell someone that
Sparks is a city in the Nevada, United States
that is commonly associated with the comedic
podcast "The Thrilling Adventure Hour"
35

Popular Vote
winner.
My consciousness afloat in the stiff air
of darkness
Ever-expanding loneliness permeates
my body
My chest stings, even from just your platonic
caress
I can imagine light, yet I can never see
An ember emerges at the corner of my dimmed
universe
All at once, with my soul brightened, spirit
aroused, vision restored,
She gleams like a star, sparkling in my cosmos,
Resurrecting my hope that’s long gone
Her fervent touch of passion, my one and only
Eros,
My universe’s long-awaited dawn
Spark, Megan Lau
The purity of our bodies against the ink of night
My eyes of darkness illuminated by her star-kissed
lust
Immense heat amalgamates between us
My blazing sun, you’re a dazzling sight
Yet a spark is in its nature perpetually fleeting
I become yet another expendable asteroid
Knocked by a pendulum that is endlessly
swinging
Towards ephemeral ecstasy or another
eternal void
Perhaps I am once again toyed
A desperate cat chasing a flitting spotlight
Her mind would baffle even Freud
I reach then she flickers away from my empty
chasm of night
36
In her departure, my hopes and visions were
destroyed
Buried at an unknown sacred site
This time darkness engulfs my totality, now devoid
Of love, leaving me with only pain and fright

Little spark, what do you do?
"Ohhhh I don't know”, it said, so blue
A tiny speck of light, that's you
A good for nothing, through and through
Little spark, what do you say?
Resting on that strand of hay
"Just having a seat, if I may,
No one would miss a little ol' stray"
Popular
Vote
Runner-Up.
Little spark, a breeze is near
Your time has come to disappear
"What a life”, it wept in fear
"With not a soul to shed a tear"
Little Spark,
Anonymous
Little spark you're still around!
And the hay you've sat in seems to have browned!
"It appears you are right" the little spark frowned
"Hope thin as hay is still hope I have found"
Little spark, how you have grown!
Thought you'd fade, but who would have known?
The wind, though fierce with his whistles and groans
Has fed you full with his bitter draft blown
Little spark, now a big flame
From lowly beginnings, look what you became,
Dancing with pride, that nothing could tame
Once a little spark, now without shame
37

Daisy Chains
Erica Di Pierro
Female friendships, I can’t imagine
anything more intricate and beautiful.
We are raised to be quiet and static
but have loud hatred for each other. I
can’t help but look at women and
wonder why must we compete for
first place? Why are we forced to
fight a war? Peace is when our arms
are interlinked like daisy chains, with
laughter blossoming through our
bodies. Like age-old flowers, an
innate understanding of each other is
rooted in us, our shoulders are
stained with each other’s tears.
There’s a warmth on my back and I
feel a safety net of daisies behind me,
I know I’m safe to fall. Those daisy
chains have an undeniable
strength, intertwined with our
deepest secrets, inside jokes and
confidential nicknames. Gold
necklaces may be tempting, but
daisy chains are rare and expensive,
name the price and I’ll write a
cheque. Your flowers are mine, and
these daisy chains are ours. And in
the eyes of my female friends, I find
a love so nurturing that flowers
bloom from my chest.
38

I may walk alone, but I am never lonesome
For your kind spirit is always beside me
When they chopped you down, life had stopped
I bled tears and felt agony…a pain so hurtful, that I thought
I would never breathe again.
For, you, Grandmother Willow, gave me air
Air so fresh, my blood would boil with vivacity
I remember that every morning, I would look up to you
And watch as the golden light streamed through your
branches
And the birds would sing with delight, a song so sweet
and earthly
That I felt…this must be Heaven’s peace.
There was possum magic in your arms, and butterflies
Who formed a halo around your wooden head, because
you were oh, so, angelic
You were my Malaika, our Mother Queen, and always will
be.
You made everyone smile, uniting us as your dear forest
friends
Who by loving you, loved each other
And even now, when I walk down our path
And see no more of your gentle earthen limbs
That would stretch out to embrace me,
I feel you more than ever, with your spirit strong in the
wind
Stirring amidst these storms, magical as Demeter’s breeze
I feel your heart beating, the tender heart of nature’s core,
Which echoes the pulses of merciful stars,
For you make all hearts beat as one,
And when I feel your kind hand brush my hair
A smile creeps along my face,
For your gentle voice ripples all around us,
And I have found serenity
Our beloved tree of life, fallen now, but to rise again
We shall sprinkle your love and lay down your branches,
For your spirit will live on, in our realm of peace and nature
You will be my spiritual sister, forevermore
And our Grandmother Willow, to the ends of earth
Dearest
Grandmother
Willow
Ella De Souza
39

Late Night Talking
Anonymous
Alice was a good drunk. I was a bad
drunk. I do not mean by that that I had
a tendency to do morally ambiguous
things (or to become a liability). What I
mean is that whereas Alice seemed to
come alive, happier, brighter, the life of
the party; I became moodier, more
sullen. On more than one occasion I
had been known to sink a few, say
something spiteful to an ex-girlfriend,
and then finish off the night by sulking
in a corner.
It made sense, then, that it was on our
nights out drinking that tended to
cause Alice and I’s biggest fights. This
morning’s subject of debate? My
seeming inability to leave my latest
‘poor victim’ of my ‘commitment issues’
alone. Stumbling out of my bedroom
into the kitchen, it was immediately
obvious that Alice was not particularly
impressed with me.
“Had a good night, yeah?”
“Huh?”
“Don’t worry, I saw Clara leaving here
last night.”
“It was nothing.”
“Sure.”
“It was. She doesn’t want it like that.”
“Sure.”
“I swear. It was nothing.”
“Who do you think I am?”
“Someone who has a hard time
believing their best friend.”
“I wonder why?”
“I wonder why Jake left you?”
Alice has become even more
unimpressed. A few moments after she
leaves the kitchen, I hear the front door
slam. She’ll be gone a while. Long enough
for me to prepare an apology. By the time
dinner rolls around, we’ll be just fun.
It was, in hindsight, a low blow. The thing
is, talk of Clara gets me worked up. It’s
not a lie. Clara doesn’t want me.
I think back to last night. Alice and I had
been in the bar for some hours when
Clara entered among a group of people.
We made eye contact, but instead of
coming over, she followed her friends
onto the dance floor. Together, they
moved as a group, a mass of writhing
arms and legs. It was impossible to tell
where one of them started and another
ended.
Eventually she peeled off from her group.
I was at the bar when she did.
“What does a girl have to do to get a
drink round here?”
“Hi Clara. I didn’t know you were here.”
A pointed glance from Alice.
“What are you having?”
“What are you having?”
I hand her my beer. She leans close.
“Wanna get out of here?”
“Sure.”
“That’s okay, I’m not here.”
“Hey Alice.”
“You good to get home Alice?”
Another pointed glance.
“I’ll be fine.”
“Excellent. Sam, shall we go?” She
flashed a smile and stretched her hand
out.
Outside on the street, she shivers. I pull
my jumper off and drape it over her
shoulders. She stumbles slightly.
“You drunk?”
40

“No. Are you?” she stumbles again.
“No. Course not.” I careen into her. We erupt
into giggles. I steady her.
“Where to now, my darling? Another bar?”
“No. Not another bar. I’m all danced out.
Can’t we go back to yours?”
“Sure. Alice won’t be home till later.”
She kisses me in the uber.
“Isn’t it just terrible we can’t actually be
together?”
“You know, you never really explained that
one to me properly.”
She doesn’t answer. Something niggles at
the back of my mind. Her lips feel too good
to question it. Besides, I'm drunk.
She drags me to the couch when we get to
mine.
“Come here.”
She melts into my side. Almost instinctively
I reach up to stroke her hair.
“Hey.” She stares. “No. Sam… no. We don’t
do that.”
“Why not?”
You know why.”
“No. I don’t… Really, I don’t.”
“We’re not together.”
“But I want to be.”
“We’re not.”
“Come on, why not?”
She just moves further away.
“Oh, come on Clara, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“So why aren’t we together?”
“It’s not really the point though, is
it?”
“I kind of thought it was.”
“It’s hell you know. Knowing you
can’t be with the person you truly
love.”
“It’s hell, knowing that someone
doesn’t love you enough to want to
be with you.”
“Oh Sam, that’s not, that’s not what
it is.”
What is it then?”
“I” her face falls and I think she might
Late Night
cry “I can’t, Sam.”
“Alright then.”
“Do you have anything to drink?”
“Oh c’mon Sam, don’t leave. Where
“Let me have a look.”
are you gonna go?”
Talking
In the kitchen I find a bottle of prosecco I don’t turn back. I walk to my room. I
the cupboard. It’ll be warm. Somehow, I leave the door open just a crack.
don’t think that’ll matter that much. After twenty minutes I hear the front
door close.
When I bring the bottle out I find Clara
spread out on the lounge.
I hate that a tear begins to slip down
my face.
I’ve been waiting by the door for at
least half an hour by the time Alice
steps through it at 4:00pm.
“Al, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. You
know how I get.”
She hugs me.
“Oh Sam. I wish you would stop
doing this to yourself.”
“I can’t help it.” I whisper. Tears
threaten again.
She just hugs me tighter.
“For what it's worth, it was Jake’s
loss.”
Alice laughs wetly. There we stand
for a while. United by heartbreak.
41

42
A Lamb to Slaughter Mary Elizabeth
Paint chipping away, tainted with the old smell of blood. The fields were now dry,
the odour still lingering.
Whilst so long ago, their senses could not be ignored, forever polluted despite
time’s swift passing.
The siblings – brother and sister – stood their ground within the baron wasteland,
the livestock now gone, the windmill ahead still turning, the long grass swaying
around the rotting barn, termites nibbling at the decaying wood.
The two were now older, wiser, yet cursed with unwanted memories.
…
The father was first found with the cows.
Standing from afar, the brother was silent. Small and naïve, he’d wished to be a
giant like his father, unafraid of the big animals. He’d watched in awe after a
mighty bang echoed through his eardrums, having abandoned the back porch to
find the cause of such an unnatural sound.
Whilst away from the body, the smell was still putrid. Flies gathered and buzzed
around the lifeless cow, where the gunshot had left spots of crimson that covered
the dead animal. However, the boy instead stared at the blood on his father’s
hands. It dripped from his fingertips, trickled down his forearms. As he stared, he’d
moved them to his face and smeared the substance on his cheeks.
The source of that unnatural sound was spotted on the ground at his feet,
glimmering in the sun. The glare ceased to blind the boy, but he’d let it burn his
vision anyway. He was now curious, the colour of silver and red burning through
his innocence.
His mother had caught him watching and sent him to bed without supper. When
he’d asked about what he’d seen, she’d shrugged his curiosity away. It was simply
a fit of madness, something his father couldn’t control, a craving he had to fulfil.
The boy’s mouth had watered. His stomach growled as he tried to sleep that night.
He’d dreamt about flies filling his lungs, and blood that stained the machinery in
his small hands. Never had he slept so peacefully.
Those dreams came true later that morning, for his father had also noticed the
boy’s shy presence. He’d wished to train him, entrust him. Fill his eager heart with
steel and metal, rid the smell of flowers and wheat. His small, glowing eyes had
beamed as he’d entered a cavern of man-made treasures, hidden from the outside
world inside his father’s shed. Here were all the toys he could ever want. He’d
wished to one day crush bones with his bare hands.
His sister had been watching from her bedroom window and knew the giant was
to teach the little boy his ways. She too was fascinated but had been curious for far
longer – had witnessed far more disruptions within the farm. Her hunger had
grown ravenous; it pained her stomach. However, she’d always been refused this
privilege, despite her feet having trekked the earth longer than her brother’s. After
so much begging and yearning, she

had come nowhere close to his position. Her father would bellow, and her mother
would scorn. She knew her brother would soon taunt her, for he had earned a pleasure
she would never attain, all prepared for him as an entrée, the cooked cow the main
course.
So, as the days went on, she would notice more and more of this training, see her
brother hold the machinery that was as big as him, and feel her stomach throb.
Eventually, the brother was left unattended, clumsily swinging his new toy around as
he’d marched around the barn, aiming at the animals inside but, – for now – unable to
create that mighty bang he’d once heard oh so long ago. He hadn’t noticed his sister
was approaching him, taken aback as he was pushed to the ground, the weapon
dropped near the hay. She’d snatched it from him whilst growing aggressive as the boy
had attempted to fight back. He’d grabbed the steel tightly as though nothing else was
left of him, that, without it, he would cease to exist in his father’s eyes.
The boy was desperate and had bit down on his sister’s fingers, her cries loud as she’d
let go of the possession. He’d watched her grow taller whilst she’d bellowed loudly at
him from above. Her face had turned red, like the blood that was constantly stained on
their father’s hands. She’d become the monster he had always been.
A Lamb
The boy, with shaky hands, lifted the barrel towards her and pulled the trigger–
Silence.
The two were speechless, the weapon empty of ammunition.
But if it hadn’t been…
…they stared
to
at each other,
Slaughter
still.
However, their father had found them. They couldn’t speak as he’d snatched the
treasure away from them. When he’d stormed back to his shed, the two had thought
now was their only time to escape, that they were now only seen as cattle to him.
He’d come out with a tool they both hadn’t seen before, walking past them and into
the barn. When he came out, a lamb was flailing in his grip, fingers fastened around its
wool.
They’d been forced to watch as a silver blade collided with nature, disrupting the
tunnels of blood, uprooting the veins. Pure white wool was stained crimson. Its small
legs no longer moved.
It was a warning. He had wanted this all along. Have them all eventually collapse
from their own destruction. Their mother had grown weary as she’d watched from the
back porch. The children couldn’t look away.
…
They did not wish to peer into the shed, yellow tape barricading the area, the two
bodies still inside.
Whilst they’d collapsed from their own destruction, the two siblings were forced to
remain alive. Although escaping a while ago, they could never truly be rid of the
colours, the smell, the mighty bang.
Despite now feeling indignant, jealousy no longer plagued the two, now holding
hands, united by their silence and the lamb’s cries echoing in their ears.
43

Loss is a fundamental part of life that no one prepares you for.
We know that it’ll happen eventually and we must be accepting of this fact.
But this doesn’t mean we know how to grieve.
Is there a correct way?
Maybe, maybe not.
We all grieve, never the same but never alone.
It takes a moment to realise what happened.
The idea that someone will never come back.
The way he’ll never see another birthday, anniversary or milestone again.
He can’t have left, there’s no way
The sheer desperation one experiences because there is no way it could be true.
What do you mean that I’ll never see him again?
You rethink your family dynamics,
People who have spent years ignoring him want to say goodbye now,
But why?
How can you grieve him the same way I do?
How can you forget to visit?
How can you forget to call?
How can you forget to message?
Then be devastated when he’s gone.
Maybe you can bargain your way
to bringing him back,
Does the guilt eat you alive?
I was there, but maybe I should’ve
gone more
Talked more
What would you do for just one
more day?
Maybe this isn’t real,
I just need to wake up from this
nightmare and it’ll all be over,
I’m sure of it.
The Solidarity of
Grief, Selin
Duncan
There’s always one person missing,
An empty spot on the couch,
A full glass of wine untouched,
All we have left is a memory that stays
alive within us.
The world moves on without him.
The question remains, will everything be
ok?
Will I overcome this feeling of betrayal?
Yes, I will,
One day at least,
That’s the way life works,
You live, you die, you move on.
You go through the stages of grief and
find solace.
44
Silent Connections, 2youn8

Oh, how agonising
yet liberating it is
letting myself feel hurt
because it means
Denial,
letting myself feel.
Ash Dowling
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
Denial: refusal to satisfy a request or desire
The strings of assurances
that
this is what I would have
preferred anyway
fall away
and I realise they were
chains
suffocating my heart
Now my heart is free to
cry out
and make it known
to my body that
it didn’t want this
that it wanted you to show
up so badly.
All my thoughts,
my feelings,
my sinews,
my cells
come together in solidarity
and
we weep as one.
I was too scared to feel hurt
and maybe too proud to feel
weak.
But I feel safer now
and stronger.
United we stand,
in denial, we fall.
45

46
Chinese Tourist Groups by Yifan
Every time I walk past one, I neglect everything else to eavesdrop.
Without me noticing, a pickpocket can slide two fingers into my jeans’
right pocket that to be accessed would have to have its virginity taken by
removing a layer of t-shirt rim and the drape of the fluffy jacket that
usually hangs on the top. I keep my passport in my jeans pocket. When it
touches my thigh through the fabric I feel it burning, scarring my skin that
used to look pale like the belly of a dead fish. I feel meaningless stars
being etched into the inner side of my stomach. I hope no one else hears
the sizzle of my body fat.
Most of the time, I can only catch
one out of context sentence uttered in
Mandarin like a single piece of a puzzle. How
much I can hear the guide depends on how
fast I walk, how fast they walk and how
close I manage to get to them. It is simple physics.
Velocity, diameters, attenuation, and whatnot. I feel the
tour group's radiation that cooks my face to the point of bright
orange embarrassment. Like how embarrassed I would be if
I wore neon orange. Orange, that is neon like the scarves the
Chinese aunties wear always with the utmost joy and innocence,
and sometimes with the intention to turn it into a
prop in photoshoots. Aunties' scarves have been flying with
They stop
at a building that is just
another building and their
gaze rests burningly on its top.
When you look up at something higher
more pride than the pale foreign flags. We are foreign,
but the flags are foreign to us.
than you your
gulf between
you and whatever world you
raise your head to look at.
eyes are either wide open
you are looking at the sun.
burning. Burning is the Notre
what you say when you see
your head to look at. Damned
like you have to look up. You
that world.
mouth would naturally open halfway
letting your throat run dry. The two
centimetres by which your lips
part is the
Your
or squinting as if
Sun that is
Dame. Damn is
whatever you raise
is you when you feel
will never be part of

I look better when I look down
extensions.
I might look up when I
be an architectural wonder.
on my eyelashes. Me
people who remind her of
carries the weight of an
bleeds the colour of my
opaque beads. The number
lashes and the amount of
There is no collagen in
count. That was a single
wear lashes. Without my
the tour group. I am
followed them. I have
know my face is turning
They took photos of Paris
behind my camera with
fish and they are my
Chinese
at such an angle that displays my eyelash
please the man of the hour. I might
I might be a tower. The real me grows
whose only talent is looking down at
herself. The tip of each fake eyelash
anatomically correct heart. A heart that
passport. Eighty to a hundred semi
depends on the growth cycle of your
collagen you have been consuming.
semen. The number isn’t about body
piece of puzzle. None of the aunties
lashes I know I look like I am part of
already part of them because I
always been part of the group. I
red.
and I took a photo of them. I hid
my cowardice. I smell like a dead
Paris.
Groups
Tourist
47

For Amelia
Choose!
The night you told me you think
of me
when you listen to the lakes
I was torn between stanza and
statute, prose and prima
facie, friend and foe and faux
and whether
it matters, they all just fluctuate
anyway.
You said you think of me for
I am a poet –
Perhaps I am. Perhaps I am
more.
Perhaps you see me most clearly
of all.
For when you hear my name in
the lyric
poet, you eschew the
categorical.
And still, they ask, what will it
be?
Paths of wisteria? Glass
cafeterias?
Choose! Choose! And yet a voice,
your voice: Must you?
Words by Julia Fullard
48

An Ode to Trees
Angus Duske
Six years, though it seems like a long time for you and me,
Is merely a jolt. A flash. A flicker of time to a tree,
And then it is gone, vanished, quicker than it came,
Not to be relived, never to be repeated.
Six years, to a tree, is nothing but a chance for growth,
A passing of seasons, and nothing more. Branches spreading
Their wings taking in sun and air, intertwining through
Different paths never ventured before. Each to their own.
From afar, each tree is the same, in uniform – Brown and green –
Same stature, same leaves. But look closer – They are weathered
By their years; attempts to cut them down to size, Imprinted
Upon their branches, each one beautiful. Each one unique.
One tree is rarely alone, though each has its own story. Together
A forest of entangled memories, a woodland of stories. Nurtured
By their surrounds, midst their ancient brethren,
Come storm or come drought. Trees survive, together.
For centuries, trees leave their mark, imprinted across the
Earth. For centuries to come, to be seen, to be remembered.
Leaving a legacy that has thrived and shall continue to
Thrive – For that is what trees do; They thrive, together.
49

50
As the collective has become more aware of
mental health issues the language used to
describe specific mental phenomena has
entered the popular vernacular. This has led to
a colloquial understanding of the words which
differs drastically from their actual meaning. I
feel that this undermines the experiences of
those who have particular mental health
conditions or have experienced life-altering
trauma. I’m going to break down the actual
meaning of these terms and phrases. I’ve spent
the last three years studying psychology at
university so this is one of my biggest pet
peeves.
Intrusive thoughts: I cannot stand the way the
term “intrusive thought” has become popular
on the internet to describe something as minor
as randomly dying your hair or wanting to
throw something at somebody. I feel as though
the people who use this term incorrectly would
be filled with fear if someone with Obsessive-
Compulsive Disorder (OCD) described their
intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts are egodystonic.
Meaning that they oppose your
values and you disagree with them. That’s the
whole reason they’re so distressing! They tend
to attack the things you value the most and are
completely illogical. For example, someone
might get intrusive thoughts about committing
suicide which causes panic because they aren’t
actually suicidal! This is very different from
impulsively buying some hair dye. Common
themes include harm occurring to others,
personal safety, contamination, sex, and
interpersonal relationships. These thoughts do
not respond to logic. Everybody has intrusive
thoughts, but mostly they aren’t given much
attention. OCD involves the thoughts occurring
more often and usually meaning is assigned to
them making it difficult to let them go. This
ends up causing intense distress which is
frequently managed via a compulsion.
Trauma bond: I’ve heard people use this term
to describe bonding with another person over
shared negative experiences. I’ve also heard it
used when people tell others stories of their
trauma. These are popular ways of connecting
with others but this is not trauma bonding. A
trauma bond is when you develop a strong
attachment to an individual who has
traumatised you.
The term was developed to describe a
phenomenon which makes it harder for
victims to leave their abusers. It also
occurs within cults, sex-trafficking, and
kidnapping. It’s not the same thing as
oversharing with someone about your
toxic ex-boyfriend. One of the major
theories is that trauma bonds happen
because of the sporadic nature of
abuse. There are times when abusers
act lovingly and go out of their way to
please the other person. The contrast
between the relief felt during these
affectionate periods and the fear felt
during abuse can lead to an intense
feeling of closeness. This cycle usually
repeats which intensifies the bond
further. Individuals are likely to blame
themselves for the abuse and be
immensely thankful for the “positive
times.” Sometimes this unstable
emotional environment is created
intentionally by an abuser. Ensuring
that this term is properly understood
allows victims to be better understood
when they describe their experience
and to know that leaving a toxic
relationship is the right thing to do
even when you feel attached to the
other person
The
TikTokification
of Psychology
All citations on
website.
L u c i a L a n e
Gaslighting: This term was derived
from a film called Gaslight (1984) in
which a man convinces his wife that
she is losing touch with reality. His
goal is to have her institutionalised so
that he can take her wealth. He does
this by telling her that she must be
imagining things when she sees the
lights dim without being touched and
hears strange noises from the attic.
Gaslighting involves making the
victim doubt their understanding of
reality, including their memories and
emotions.

This can lead to someone believing that
they are '“crazy.” It frequently occurs
within abusive or toxic relationships.
Importantly, studies have proposed that
gaslighting is employed to silence
minorities when they speak out about
discrimination or harassment. I often see
this word being used to describe a
situation in which someone is simply lying.
The confusion is understandable because
lying and gaslighting exist on the same
spectrum of behaviour. But gaslighting is a
more specific experience.
Manic episode: The DSM-5 contains
diagnostic criteria for manic episodes. It’s
described as “a distinct period of
abnormally and permanently elevated,
expansive or irritable mood and
abnormally and persistently increased
activity or energy, lasting at least one
week present most of the day, nearly every
The
TikTokification
of Psychology
day (or any duration if hospitalisation is
necessary).” Symptoms can include risktaking
behaviour such as quitting one’s job,
increased talkativeness, a sense of
grandiosity or inflated self-esteem, and a
reduced need for sleep. This is the defining
characteristic of Bipolar type 2. The word
manic has historically also been used to
describe a more general emotional state.
The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as
being “very excited or anxious in a way
that causes you to be very physically
active.” So a person could say that they
feel manic. But this isn’t the same thing as
a manic episode. It’s similar to the way
somebody can experience the emotion of
depression without having major
depressive disorder. Manic episodes can be
dangerous and have a profound impact on
people’s lives. I’ve heard several people
say that they’ve been left unable to pay
huge amounts of debt after purchasing
things during a manic episode. I think it’s
important that this seriousness is
conveyed when we use this phrase.
Codependent: I’ve heard many people say
things like “We see each other every day.
We’re so codependent!”
Spending a lot of time with someone and
being a bit obsessed with them is not the
same as codependency. There’s still debate
surrounding the definition. It is generally
understood as when two people are
emotionally enmeshed to a harmful extent
and enable each other’s destructive
behaviour. The term evolved to describe
relationships that enabled substance abuse.
Codependency frequently involves one
person being the ‘caretaker’ or ‘saviour’ and
the other being the ‘saved’ or ‘taken care of.’
You can also be dependent on another
person (in a healthy or unhealthy way)
without being codependent. I think a lot of
the time the words people are looking for are
‘dependent’ and/or ‘attached.’
Psychotic: Psychosis describes a state of
hallucinations, delusions, and/or disorganised
speech. It’s commonly experienced within
schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.
It can be drug-induced or occur for a variety
of other reasons outside of long-term mental
health conditions. I’ve heard people using
this term to describe feeling angry or
emotionally unstable. You may be having a
mental health crisis or feeling very intensely
and it’s valid to express this. But it’s not the
same thing as psychosis. Psychosis is often
frightening, can make it impossible to
function and regularly requires
hospitalisation. Using this term incorrectly
takes away from the gravity of this
experience
Please subscribe to my substack for more:
https://substack.com/@lucialane
Note: The field psychology is flawed and
many of these terms are likely to become
outdated as our understanding grows. I do
not believe that these terms and concepts
are perfect. But because they are commonly
used I believe that it is important to
understand their definition.
Disclaimer: This is entirely based on my own
understanding of research and resources. I
do not have the same level of knowledge as
someone with a PHD.
51

Freedom
As a part of ATS3950 Activism for Academic Freedom, in which
students build real-world advocacy campaigns for imprisoned
academics around the world. Students were asked if they wanted to
submit their final research to Lot’s Wife, as a special nod to the
Solidairty Edition. The following pieces were submitted by the
students of this applied workshop; our thanks to the contributors,
and a special thanks to Tony Williams and Kate Murphy, the cocoordinators
of ATS3950. If this is a unit you think you’d be
interested in, keep it in mind for your unit selections next year!
All references for these pieces will be on the Lot’s Wife website.
52

SCHOLAR’S ANTHEM
Words by Arathi
Sasikumar and
Mombacho
This poem is dedicated to the scholars and students in Nicaragua who have
been oppressed by the infringement of their fundamental and academic
freedom. Their resolve to learn and seek truth in the face of hardship is truly
inspiring. With this piece, we aim to honour the unwavering fight of the
scholar Freddy Quezada, his courageous spirit and lend a voice to all those
who follow.
Beneath the sky, touched by golden sun,
A nation weeps, its spring undone.
Chains grip bones, weary, thin–
Breaths grow heavy, sinking in.
A scholar's mind, a clarion call,
Defied the waves as silence sprawl.
For those before, and those to come,
His words cavernous, a soul become.
In verses, ventures, and in
freedom's yoke,
Spring speaks, answering
bespoke.
From them, to us, to we, the
scholar beams,
A tale wrought in due, allundying
dreams.
Within his cell, his spirit chased line,
In the air, unmoving, refusing to define.
Each second in keen, to fold a woe all bore,
Where shadows perch, his country’s core.
They called it safety, in the dead of night,
As whispers fled from morning light.
But truth e'er festers thorough in hand
Unseen, but shaping all the lands.
But still, the scholars rise and stand,
Unbound, their voices loud, unmanned.
The days roll on – one, two, three–
They echo back to you, to me.
Despite alarm that held all in sway,
All voices soared, turning skies so gay.
Rooted firm, a pilot forbade,
Their stories thrive, as resistance braid.
With every step, each letter in bold,
A stone in place, to have and hold.
Building bridges that soon we would cross,
Carrying tales, no longer at loss.
53

Belarus is home to one of Europe’s
most oppressed societies, yet it is a
nation that is often ignored. Alexander
Lukashenko, elected in 1994, has
served as the only democraticallyelected
president of Belarus since the
dissolution of the USSR and the
declaration of Belarusian Independence
in 1991. Since then he has upheld his
power through fear and repression of
dissent, describing himself as “Europe's
last dictator”. The regime's brutality
reached its peak in 2020, following his
fraudulent re-election.
Thousands of peaceful protesters took
to the streets in peaceful
demonstrations, only to be met with
state violence. Protesters were
detained at mass, faced physiological
and physical torture, and at least three
were confirmed to have died from the
brutality of the authorities. Beyond
targeting demonstrators, the regime
purposefully targets journalists, human
rights defenders, and anyone critical of
Lukashenko.
Since the protests, a staggering 65,000
individuals have been detained, with
more than 1,350 remaining imprisoned
for politically motivated reasons.
Among them is Marfa Rabkova, a 25-
year-old student at the European
Humanities University. Marfa has been
charged under ten articles of the
Criminal Code, relating to her
monitoring of the human rights abuses
that had been carried out by the
Belarusian state. Her imprisonment is
symbolic of the regime's broader
attempts to silence students, human
rights defenders, and the ordinary
citizens of Belarus.
Despite this repression, Belarusians
continue to fight for democracy.
Raise Your Voices
for Marfa
Calypso Hayman, Harry
Minack, and two group
members who chose to
remain Anonymous.
Exiled activists continue to speak out
against the regime, despite the clear
and demonstrated risks to their
personal health and safety. We see this
in the work of Belarusian artists whose
art portrays their experiences of
oppression and protests against it.
Artists, such as Max Osipau
(@max.osipau.picture.show), Cemra
Dary (@cemradarya), and Nadya
Sayapina (@nadya_sayart), provide
their audience with the inspiration to
keep fighting for the rights and
freedoms that have been quashed
under Lukashenko’s regime.
Belarusians refuse to have their voices
stifled.
We are a passionate group of students
advocating for the release of Marfa
Rabkova. Her dedication to human
rights activism has inspired us to raise
awareness about her unjust detention
and to stand in solidarity with the
broader movement for justice in
Belarus. To take a step towards
improving academic freedom and
accountability for human rights
violations in Belarus, we have
organised a number of activities and
campaigns that reflect our team’s
goals. One of these included an
exhibition at Clayton Campus that
allowed us to showcase the powerful
work of some of these Belarusian
artists. The event not only celebrated
their creativity but also served as a
platform to highlight the ongoing
struggles for freedom and justice in
Belarus.
54

We are committed to amplifying voices for
Marfa to improve her daily living conditions
and access to aid. We post multiple times
a week on our Instagram (@voices4marfa)
with important facts and easily digestible
content for our followers. Similar content
appears on our TikTok (@voices4Marfa), to
help broaden our reach and allow complex
political information to be understood in a
more simple format. On campus you may
also see our posters, with QR codes linked
to an Amnesty International petition that
aims to urge key officials to act on Marfa’s
behalf. You may also see some red and
white ribbons around, which represent our
campaign and act as a small reminder of
Marfa’s case. Our website displays a
virtual version of our exhibition, where
viewers can examine the work of the
Belarusian artists in more detail while also
staying informed about the work we are
doing and ways to get involved.
We are deeply moved by the support we
have received so far and are hopeful that
our efforts will have a lasting, positive
impact. However, our work is far from over.
To continue making a difference, we need
your engagement and support. Together,
we can amplify Marfa’s story and
contribute to the fight for justice.
A Brief History of
Lukashenko’s
Belarus by Harry
Minack
Marfa Rabkova has never seen a free
Belarus. By her birthday on the 6th of
January 1995, Alexander Lukashenko had
already served nine months of his first
term as Belarusian President. Nearly
thirty years later, President Lukashenko
is still in power and Marfa is in
prison. espite the fact his body had other
suspicious injuries including a broken
ankle.
Marfa was born only early enough to see
her country slide into authoritarianism.
By February 1996, Lukashenko was
flouting the decisions made by the
Belarusian Parliament. Appointing
cronies and political allies regardless of
whether Parliament approved the choice.
The free press was starting to be
impinged on as Lukashenko took over the
Parliament's own newspaper as his
personal propaganda sheet. November
1996 is when Lukashenko truly started to
consolidate power. The two main
obstacles to total control over Belarus
were the Parliament and the
Constitutional Court (whose judges were
elected by Parliament). The
Constitutional Court had the power to
veto presidential decrees; so Lukashenko
held a referendum to amend the
Belarusian Constitution. The November
1996 referendum was not free, nor fair.
Independent observers were not allowed
to view the vote tallying process, there
was a lack of booths to be able to vote
privately and voters were not actually
provided information on what the
constitutional amendments would
actually be. These flagrant violations of
the electoral process were made
possible as the President had illegally
removed the chairman of the Central
Commission for Elections and National
Referendums, Viktar Hanchar. The
referendum passed and the President's
amendments were made. The changes
gave extraordinary powers to the Office
of the President to the diminution of all
others. They allowed the President to
pass laws by decree. The Parliament
could no longer make laws overriding
presidential decree. They also allowed
the president to pick the members of the
Constitutional Court. It also extended his
original 5 year term by two years, as the
change in the Constitution was used as
an excuse to restart Lukashenko’s
presidential term.
55

2012 – Marfa
enters Maxim
Tank
Belarusian
State
University
(Minsk).
Born
January
1995
2015 –
Marfa is
detained
2016 – The
University
forces Marfa to
discontinue
her studies.
She was in her
final year of
study.
during a
march
near a
University
building.
Art by Calypso Hayman.
Belarus then started to sever ties with more democratic nations. In 1997, foreign
embassies in Minsk had their electricity and water cut off in a move to force them
out of the country. Not only was this a violation of international law, it was also a
way of clearing the affluent suburbs the embassies were located in for the
oligarchic elite.
By May 1999, the year in which Lukashenko’s first term was meant to end, the
disappearances started to happen. Viktar Hanchar, who had fled into exile after his
removal as chairman of the Election/Referendum Commission, had returned to try
and organise an unofficial election to remove the Lukashenko regime and have
Parliament restored to power. By September 1999, he had disappeared and was
presumed murdered. From the late ‘90s to 2001, over 30 other people have been
presumed to be murdered on the orders of the Belarusian Government. Brutal
repression and violence is now the theme of the Lukashenko Regime.
Eleven years later, there had been three more sham elections in 2001, 2006 and
2010. The violence had continued, Oleg Bebinin, founder of the dissident group
Charter 97, was found hanged in his home outside Minsk. The authorities ruled his
death a suicide despite the fact his body had other suspicious injuries including a
broken ankle.
2012 is when Marfa truly enters the story. She had entered the biology and
geography programme at the Maxim Tank Belarusian State University (Minsk). Her
life as a university student marked the beginning of her open involvement in
politics.
56

A letter from Marfa to her Husband
“Today is exactly 11 months since my imprisonment. Time is flying. Hope it’s the
same for you. I’ve never been so ruthless with time. I don’t appreciate it at all, and
what’s to appreciate. A day has passed – and thank God for that. In terms of my
daily life, everything’s quiet as before, nothing much is happening. I read Turgenev,
as I wrote before, I’m reading it very slowly. Basically, I am in no hurry. At the same
time I read newspapers and magazines, and watch a bit of telly. Especially the
reports from Afghanistan, terrible things are happening there. I feel so sorry for
those poor people.
[…]
A lot of joy and happiness. That’s all I’m longing for. At the moment, my life is all
black. I thought I’d reached the bottom. But I was wrong, it wasn’t the bottom. I
don’t think that life can still surprise me with another hardship, because how can it
be worse? But my head tells me that it can get even worse. And in this pitch
darkness there is a single ray of light. This is you, my hope for a future life. After
all, isn’t it going to get better? Isn’t it, Vadim? Will it end someday? Sorry to ask
you such questions. Please write to me with something uplifting. I really need it.”
Interested?
Get involved!
57

Ahmadreza’s Avengers and
Team Triumph
Save Ahmadreza Djalali
Leading a life of public service, he came home to teach and share,
Little did he know, he would be robbed of his free air.
Now living as a prisoner, how could this be?
He was a doctor, a good man, couldn’t they see?
A forced confession, cruel treatment, this is all so unfair.
His death sentence is looming, unless we all demonstrate we care.
We cannot allow this to happen, to sit back and watch his plight.
Let’s band together, let's free him and bring the light.
58

In April 2016, Iranian-Swedish disaster
medicine doctor, lecturer, and researcher,
Ahmadreza Djalali, came to Iran on the pretext
of attending an event for which he received an
invitation from the University of Tehran. Upon
his arrival for this event, he was initially
arrested by the Ministry of Intelligence and
Security, initially without any cause or reason
for the arrest. Dr. Djalali was later told that he
was being held under charges of espionage
and for working with Israel against Iran. No
evidence suggested that the accusations
made against Dr. Djalali were substantiated.
In June 2024, there was a prisoner
swap between Iran and Sweden in
which two Swedish citizens were
released in exchange for the release
of Hamid Noury, who was serving a
life sentence on convictions of war
crimes and mass murder. Dr. Djalali,
whose execution has been
threatened multiple times, criticised
the Swedish government for leaving
him behind and started a hunger
strike in response.
Dr. Djalali, after being imprisoned for nine
months, was formally charged with espionage
and faced the death penalty as a result. All
attempts at seeking evidence for his charge
and appealing the courts' decisions have been
met with either no answer or inconclusive
evidence from both the courts and the
government. Since being charged, Dr. Djalali
has been denied access to a lawyer and
contact with his family in person and over the
phone.
Djalali is currently being held in Evin Prison,
which is known for its serious human rights
abuses. The imprisonment conditions of Evin,
particularly in Dr. Djalali’s case, have been
viewed by world health organisations,
including Amnesty International and the
World Medical Association, as contravening
all ethical and human rights conditions of
imprisonment and captivity. Since his arrest,
Djalali’s health has consistently deteriorated.
He has been denied timely and proper medical
care for a range of conditions, including
depression and leukaemia.
Following surgery in 2018, he was
immediately transferred back to Evin Prison
without the necessary aftercare. Djalali has
also engaged in multiple hunger strikes whilst
imprisoned to raise awareness of his case,
which has worsened his health. In a video
released to a news channel that involved a
staged confession under threats of harm
towards his family and himself, a stark
difference can be seen in his physical
appearance.
“
Contravening
all ethical and
human rights
conditions of
imprisonment
and captivity.
“
Dr. Djalali is one of many foreign
citizens, including academics, that
have been wrongly detained in Iran.
The regime has been criticised for
using foreign and dual citizens as
bargaining chips for prisoner swaps
and deals. Homa Hoodfar
(Canadian-Iranian) and Kylie Moore-
Gilbert (Australian-British) are
among those imprisoned after
arriving in Iran for academic
purposes in recent years. Whilst
Gilbert was drugged and beaten in
prison, Hoodfar suffered
“psychologically
brutal”
interrogations. Fortunately, the pair
have both been released, but other
foreign nationals, including Djalali,
remain unjustly imprisoned.
59

Iranian academics similarly endure
oppression under the authoritarian regime.
Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, academic
institutions have been subject to Islamisation
and the suppression of dissent. It is expected
that Iranian academics ensure that their
institution supports the regime, avoids
teaching non-Islamic or anti-government
ideas, and promotes Islamic values and
concepts. Consequently, students and
academic staff are constantly monitored,
including on social media, to ensure
adherence; they can face termination, arrest,
legal prosecution, torture, and imprisonment
if they do not comply.
The Islamisation of Iranian higher education
has led to the oppression and exclusion of
women and religious minorities within
academic institutions. For decades, the
Iranian government has exercised strict
control over women's involvement and
experience in universities, which has
included:
Gender segregation;
Compulsory veiling;
Textbook alterations to emphasise
domesticity and traditional family roles
for women;
Curriculum alterations, including
removing topics such as ‘women’s rights’
from studies; and
Gender quotas to limit women’s access to
“masculine” fields, such as STEM.
Most recently, female residential buildings
and campuses have been subject to chemical
attacks in 2023, resulting in the
hospitalisation of students. The government
is suspected of orchestrating these attacks to
intimidate female members of academia amid
the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement.
Religious minorities, most
notably those of the Baháʼí
faith, can endure prolonged
discrimination throughout
their lives and have limited
access to higher education.
Baháʼís that manage to be
accepted into a course are
often expelled once their
religious beliefs are
discovered. The systematic
exclusion of women and
religious minorities in Iran
undermines their right to
education and perpetuates
broader patterns of
marginalisation and
oppression.
Attacks on academic
freedom have grown in
recent years with the rise of
the "Woman, Life, Freedom"
movement which has been
led by university members
and was sparked following
the death of Mahsa Amini
whilst in police custody in
September 2022. In
response to the movement,
the Iranian government has
terminated academic staff,
expelled students, and
prosecuted and attacked
participants. By February
2023, the regime had
suspended, fired, or banned
at least twenty-one
academic staff members,
detained nearly seven
hundred students (in
addition to thousands of
non-students), and killed
over six hundred people.
60

In the following 14 months, Scholars at Risk
reported the dismissal or arrest of a further
thirty-four academic employees. The death of
President Ebrahim Raisi in May 2024 resulted in
another crackdown, with hundreds of activists
and academics being summoned, arrested,
and/or charged in the following month for
publicly criticising the deceased president and
his funeral.
After decades of constraints and oppression,
which have intensified with the recent "Woman,
Life, Freedom" movement, members of academia
in Iran remain at severe risk of persecution and
violence. Those unjustly imprisoned, including Dr.
Ahmadreza Djalali, experience prolonged
physical and psychological suffering and require
urgent release, but this fate of wrongful
imprisonment remains a threat looming over
many Iranians fighting for their rights and
freedom.
On October 23, we are holding an event to
discuss the importance of academic freedom, the
experiences of individuals like Dr. Djalali, and
how people can make a difference. You can find
more information and sign up to the event with
the below QR code. To support our cause, follow
our social media accounts:
TikTok: @ahmadrezas.avengers
Instagram: @ahmadrezasavengers
61

Change does not whisper,
it roars with great might;
A thousand bleeding voices,
Raging against the silence of
night.
Change does not whisper,
It burns bright, so bright,
Like a thousand ferocious
flames,
Charging against the dying of
the light.
Change does not whisper,
Nor come gentle in the night,
It booms with a thousand
heavy footsteps,
marching fiercely up the
flight.
Change does not
whisper,
So why do you?
Cowering in the
shadows, afraid to take
up room.
Change does not
whisper,
so raise your voice high,
for when the war comes,
be prepared to fight.
Words by
Shreya
Naiddo
Our privilege, His Punishment:
Free Dr Massir bin Ghaith
62

To speak one’s truth is a luxury to which very few are afforded. And
having a voice so powerful that it can incite change – is a privilege.
I created this poem and image to give voice to a privilege that we all so
freely enjoy yet take little notice of: Academic freedom.
What is academic freedom?
Academic freedom is the freedom to go beyond; and explore impossible
dreams. It is the voice of progress echoing through the ages and into a
future waiting to be discovered. Academic freedom gives you the voice to
be the change.
However, across our borders, we see the wheels of change grind to a halt,
as the voices of its people echo a deafening silence.
The United Arab Emirates, the ‘shiny oasis in the desert’– is everything
but it appears to be.
Our privilege, His
Punishment:
Free Dr Massir bin
Ghaith
When the hazy mirage of Dubai diamonds and luxury begins to fade, we
are left with a 4x4 prison cell, and a very solitary confinement.
For Dr. Nasser bin Gaith, this would be his home for the next ten years.
With a few peaceful tweets demanding political reform and human rights
from his government, resulting in his being charged under Federal Law No.
7 of 2014 on Combating Terrorist Offences, which imposes the death
penalty or life imprisonment.
Without the shield of academic freedom protecting him, Dr. Nasser bin
Gaith used his voice to speak his truth and push the wheels of change into
motion. And before his voice is swallowed by the deafening shadow of
censorship that sweeps the UAE, we have the chance to use our voices to
protect theirs. We have shattered glass ceilings and brought kingdoms to
their knees, all from raising our collective voice against great evils. If Dr.
bin Gaith’s story could transcend borders and capture international
attention, there must be real power between your two lips.
Now, whether or not you choose to use your ever powerful voice to
advocate for Dr Nasser bin Gaith’s – just don’t let his story fall vain by
losing it to the sieve of your mind. Instead, let it inspire you to make noise.
Make noise and take up space and use your power to incite a change you
wish to see. ANY change you wish to see.
You hold such immense power and though your lip may quiver – speak
your truth dear.
Speak your truth.
Academic freedom.
Be the change.
63

64
2024

2024
65

New Message
To: 2025
Subject: RE: Never Look Back
Dear Reader,
Do you dwell on the past or do you look towards
the future? To give a non-answer, shockingly, you
can do both. If you’re anything like me, you’ve never
gone a day of your life without thinking about the
past; that sandwich I had yesterday was really
good, I kind of forgot that I did band in high school,
why did I even say that thing 8 years ago. I consume
the world— quite greedily, too, in a way that
doesn’t allow me to slow down and see everything
for what it is, but rather what it could be. Maybe I
dwell on the past too much. Maybe it’s saved me far
more times than I will ever know.
Lot’s Wife isn’t the same. We don’t look back for a
reason (and you can read all about it in the last
edition), but without all the archiving that was done,
and without the legacy of 60 years worth of editors
breathing down our necks, we’d know a lot less
about Lot’s Wife than we do now. We can both
think of the past and push towards the future with
excitement— I have a morning tea on Saturday I’m
looking forward to. Summer produce season is
about to start. I’m trying to get tickets to Glass
Animals at the Sidney Meyer Bowl. These things,
however minute, are things that I’m content to wait
around for.
Lot’s of Love, Mandy Li
(On behalf of Mandy, Angus, and Sam, your 2024
Lot’s Wife editors).
66

Lot’s to
catch up
on...
See you next year!
Edition 6