LW012025

Lot's Wife

EDITION ONE

1

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, shoot us a message on socials, email,

or pop your head into our office!

Writers

Artists

Editors

Contact Us

Disclaimer

(in order of appearance) Anonymous, Ash Dowling, Julia Fullard,

Yifan Jiang, Mary Elizabeth, Mahin Wahla, Georgie Mc-

Colm, Thisanga Serasinghe, Jing Tan, Ella De Souza, Sophie

Allen, Angus Duske, Samantha Hudson, Grace Binns, Lucinda

Campbell

Lucinda Campbell, Georgie McColm, Ella De Souza, Thisanga

Serasinghe

Aishwariyalaksmi Subramanian, Angus Duske, Mandy Li, Sophie

Allen

Email: msa-lotswife@monash.edu.au

Instagram: @lotswifemag

Facebook: Lot’s Wife

X/Twitter: @lotswifemag

Lot’s Wife Office

Level 1 Campus Centre, next to Sir John’s Bar

Lot’s Wife is the student Magazine of Monash Studen 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

dredistributed without consent.

Lot’s Wife is produced and punlished on Aboriginal land.

We acknowledge the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri Woi

Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation as the traditional and

continuous owners of the land. Sovreignty was never ceded.

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A Note on Teenage Dirtbag

Mandy Li and Angus Duske

Editorial

Lot's Wife Editors

Department Reports

Creative

Tea With Sugar

Anonymous

Teenage Dirtface

Ash Dowling

In The Paddocks With You

Julia Fullard

Makhan Choir (The Butter Thief)

Yifan Jiang

When Butterfly Wings Heal

Mary Elizabeth

Landed in A Strange Land

Mahin Wahla

Do You Like to Yap or Have An

Interesting Taste in Music... Come

Join Radmon!

Georgie McColm

Kaputas

Thisanga Serasinghe

Contents

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47

63

On The Impetuousness of Youth

Jing Tan

There is No Such Thing! (As a

Teenage Dirtbag)

Ella De Souza

Picnic

Thisanga Serasinghe

An Ode to a Generation

Sophie Allen

Non-Fiction

Lot's Wife Went to NatCon

Angus Duske and Samantha Hudson

Not-So-Shrinking Violet: How Patriarchy

Makes Puberty Even More

Hellish

Grace Binns

MSC 1/25 Recap

Angus Duske

Clubs and Societies

Arcade

Lucinda Campbell

Cover Art by Lucinda

Campbell.

Full Description on Page 63.

To Whom it may concern...

Fun fact: I (Mandy) am still 19 and in my third year of university.

I guess that still makes me a teenage dirtbag, although I’m pretty much as strait-laced

and uninteresting as they come. That doesn’t mean that we couldn’t do the Teenage

Dirtbag Edition.

When I put the idea to the team, it was met with enthusiasm. The idea itself is quite

invigorating – we revisit the idea of youth constantly, we worship it. We’re all young

but the idea of being younger, of feeling like a teenager again, that is what attracts us.

I wasn’t a teenage dirtbag in the traditional sense – I wasn’t spray-painting alleyways

or keying cars (though I was listening to Iron Maiden), but I wrote my fair share of

angsty poetry and constantly sat in my poorly ventilated childhood bedroom, watching

the ceiling fan spin, and thought that there was no person or experience in the

world that could possibly understand how I was feeling.

There were good moments between the bad ones – picnics with friends, nighttime passenger

seat confessions, cutting my fingers on guitar strings, but, as a member of the

nostalgia generation, I’m quite content to leave those moments where they belong – in

the past. The Lot's Wife Office is now my unventilated space of choice. The angsty

poetry helped develop my love of writing and literature. I guess I still feel misunderstood.

For now, though, I’m choosing instead to look to the future and the hoard of

things I’ll create then – I haven’t done them yet, but when I do, I’m sure they’ll be

spectacular.

Lot's of Love, Aish, Angus,

Mandy and Soph

4

5

Editorial

Editorial

Aish

Angus

Mandy

Soph

Feeling: conversational

So here’s the deal, I just got back from Europe

(well it's been 6 weeks but that’s neither here

nor there) and I have some serious post-travel depression.

And so in my infinite wisdom I thought that

the best way to cope with the inevitable travel withdrawals

was to dive headfirst into editing and so that

is how I find myself in my current predicament. I am

excited to be one of the new editors of Lot’s and I am

ready to help bring your stories to life this year.

My hope is that we get enough submissions

that I stop yearning for chimney cakes, honey wine,

and all the little cobblestone streets I walked down…

okay I’m digressing but the point is I need this okay.

So how about joining me in reading this edition that

is all about the hidden corners of teenage memories –

you know, the ones that need some love – and we can

all feel a touch nostalgic about stories we may share.

Feeling: lethargic

Greetings and salutations Monash, I hope

you all had as peaceful and relaxing a break as I –

in saying that the bar is in hell having spent a week

at the National Union of Students’s National Conference

(more on that later) not to mention putting

together this very edition. It’s always great fun sitting

in our windowless, at times stiflingly hot, office

reading through the array of works that are submitted

to us by students – we very much hope that they keep

coming.

In the time that I did get to truly unwind, I

was very happy to have a little down time, with a cup

of tea and a good book. After all, the year ahead is

going to be action-packed with all manner of literary

lumintion. So by all means, like I did over the last

couple of months, feel free to sit back (cups of tea

are optional) and enjoy this, the first edition of Lot’s

Wife for 2025.

Feeling: snazzy

Friends, we are in a time of dire need. Our

office is windowless and our InDesigns aren’t cooperating

– if only you were able to supplement our

misery with your submissions.

Anyway, I’m back from my sabbatical in

Queensland and I’m ready to rock and roll. It took

weeks of uncertainty and crashing out but we’re

back on board and ready to hear all about your Teenage

Dirtbag shenanigans. The new editorial team is

very eager and excited to start off this year, which is

great because I’m ready to go back to bed. Enjoy.

Feeling: whimsical

Whatup Monash! I’m new at being an editor

so please if you could all give us your best grammar

I would sincerely appreciate it. I can’t promise

that I will, but Angus is a whizz so I think we’ll both

be in good hands. Unlike Mandy and Angus, I was

not off jet-setting (to Ballarat) or on my sabbatical

– I was busy dedicating too much time to my New

Year’s resolution, learning the guitar! Instead of being

‘guitared at’, I will ‘guitar to’, immediately starting

with putting my capo on 2 (iykyk).

Learning all my favourite ‘sad girl Autumn’

Taylor Swift songs has given me new purpose, and

I’m looking forward to the many hours which will be

spent fussing over apostrophes and commas. Can’t

wait to read all your stunning pieces, Teenage Dirtbag-esque

or otherwise. May this edition bring you

pleasant, yet slightly unsettling nostalgic memories

of youth!

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MSA DEPARTMENT REPORTS

President: Sasha Braybrooke (she/her)

Hello Lot’s Wife readers! I’m I’m Sasha Sasha (she/her), your your 2025 2025 MSA MSA President, President, and I’m and excited I’m to

excited serve you to this serve year! you this year!

The

The MSA

MSA

is

is

your

your

student

student

union,

union,

here

here

to represent

to represent

and support

and support

you. Whether

you. Whether

it’s through

it’s

advocacy,

organizing events like Wednesday Sessions, or offering support from our student advocacy

team, we’re here for you. Our goal is to fight for your needs and make sure your voice is

through advocacy, organizing events like Wednesday Sessions, or offering support

from

heard.

our student advocacy team, we’re here for you. Our goal is to fight for your

needs and make sure your voice is heard.

This year, we’re focusing on key issues like parking, improving library and study spaces, and

This enhancing year, student we’re focusing safety. We on also key collaborated issues like with parking, our Indigenous improving department library and to study send a contingent

to and the enhancing Invasion Day student Rally. safety. I’m eager We to also get started collaborated and work with towards our Indigenous positive change. de-

If

spaces,

partment you have any to send questions a or concerns, feel free to reach out anytime—I’m here to listen!

contingent to the Invasion Day Rally.

Secretary: Felix Hughes (he/him)

I’m Hi, I’m eager Felix, to get your started 2025 and MSA work Secretary. towards The positive MSA is change. your student If you union have - any proudly questions run for

or

students,

concerns,

by students.

feel free to reach out anytime—I’m here to listen!

We’re unapologetically outspoken about our progressive values and will work to bring people

Secretary:

together while

Felix

ensuring

Hughes

students

(he/him)

have the best possible experience at Monash. 2025 is going to

Hi, be a I’m massive Felix, year. your We’ll 2025 continue MSA Secretary. expanding our services to support students through the costof-living

crisis, stand firm on our values, and raise our voices when it counts.

The MSA is your student union - proudly run for students, by students.

If you want to get involved with the MSA, a great way to start is by attending Monash Student

We’re Council unapologetically (MSC) meetings. outspoken The schedule about for our the first progressive three MSCs values is now and up will on work our website to -

bring please people get in touch together if you’d while like ensuring to attend students or have any have questions. the best possible experience at

Monash.

Treasurer: Campbell Frost (he/him)

2025

Hello everyone!

is going to

My

be

name

a massive

is Campbell,

year. We’ll

and I’m

continue

honored

expanding

to serve as

our

your

services

2025 MSA

to support

Treasurer.

I come to this role with pride as a Unionist, a progressive, and a fellow student who understands

students through the cost-of-living crisis, stand firm on our values, and raise our voices

when it counts.

both the challenges and possibilities we all face.

This year promises opportunities to expand MSA’s influence, while tackling important issues

If head-on. you want I draw to get upon involved my experience with the as MSA, your former a great MSA way Welfare to start Officer is by attending to inform our Monash strategies

and Council ensure we (MSC) consistently meetings. champion The schedule student needs. for the Already, first three we’ve MSCs begun is now our work up on by

Student

our attending website the - Invasion please get Day in rally, touch where if you’d I was like proud to to attend stand or alongside have any our questions. delegation. We are

also preparing for O-Week, collaborating with our hardworking staff and tireless volunteers to

Treasurer: create welcoming Campbell spaces Frost for everyone. (he/him)

Hello everyone! My name is Campbell, and I’m honored to serve as your 2025 MSA

Treasurer. I look forward I come to strengthening to this role with our community pride as a through Unionist, advocacy, a progressive, respect, and a collaboration, fellow

student

and I invite

who

you

understands

to join me in

both

making

the challenges

2025 a transformative

and possibilities

year for

we

the

all

MSA.

face.

Thank you for

your support.

This

Activities:

year promises

Fatima Iqbal

opportunities

(she/her) and

to expand

Raage

MSA’s

Noor (he/him)

influence, while tackling important

issues No report head-on. recieved I draw from this upon department. my experience as your former MSA Welfare Officer to

inform our strategies and ensure we consistently champion student needs. Already,


Creative & Live Arts: Anban Raj (he/him)

Welcome to the Creative and Live Arts (CLA) Department, where there’s something for everyone!

Here at CLA, we’re all about bringing creativity to life through a vibrant mix of events,

workshops, and collaborations that make your university experience unforgettable. Whether

you’re into jazz, dance, visual arts, or performance, there’s plenty for all to enjoy. Last year, we

rocked the campus with events like Skate the Night Away and K-Pop DJ Night, and we can’t

wait to top those this year! Don’t miss out on joining us for a CLA classic – Wednesday Sessions

– where you can chill in the sun with a cold drink in hand while catching up with friends.

So get ready to dive into a world of creativity, fun, and friendship – because at CLA, we believe

that art is best when shared with others!

Disabilities and Carers: Charlotte Sutton (she/her)

Hi! The MSA Disabilities & Carers Department is here to build community and support Disabled

students and carers. We have a lot planned for 2025 including advocacy projects and

events for the community and allies alike. We are here to help if you are having any access

issues, think something might be an access issue or need help getting support. Follow our socials

for any updates on our advocacy projects and events we are running. We are a department

that is led by lived experience. My messages, emails and office are always open if you need

anything.

Education (Academic Affairs): Naomi Drego (she/her) and Paul Halliday (he/they)

Hi everyone, we’re Naomi and Paul, your 2025 Education Academic Affairs Officers. At the

Education Academic Affairs office this year our overarching goal is to achieve an equitable and

accessible university experience for all students. We will advocate hard for necessary reforms

to university policy and to establish new student support structures. We’re determined to run

an activist department where students are put first. Last year showed that a student focused

MSA Education Academic Affairs Office can achieve real wins for students. This included the

5% late penalty reduction, the improvements to the withdrawn incomplete process and a trial

of a 24 hour Matheson Library. This year we will continue a fight to make the academic experience

at Monash better and support students. Our main initiatives include, a permanent 24/7

Matheson Library, increased class time flexibility, including options for classes both during the

day and the evening, a cap on assessment weighting at 50% and a simplification of the special

considerations process.

Education (Public Affairs): Madeline Curkovic and Luka Kiernan (he/him)

Hi! My name’s Madi, and I’m this year’s Education (Public Affairs) Officer at your student

union. I’m a socialist activist, and I want to fight for students’ rights at Monash. Education is a

human right, not something students should have to spend tens of thousands of dollars on, and

much of their working lives paying for. But that’s not how Monash management sees it. Just

last year, they told our tutors to prepare for 75 person tutorials (yes, tutorials! Not lectures).

Not only does that mean staff sackings, it also means a lower quality of education for students.

Class sizes have been increasing over the years as it is already. There are a whole swathe of

things we need to fight for at Monash, and I haven’t even touched the topic of stolen staff wages

yet.

And yet, still between all these cuts, seemingly they have enough cash stored away... (word

count exceeded)

8

9


But Environment these attacks & Social can be Justice: fought, Remus and I Braiser hope to (he/him) use my position and Max to Tory mobilise (he/him) students

and Hey! build I’m Remus left-wing and I’m politics hyped on to our be your campus. Environment If you’re & interested Social Justice in getting Officer involved, for 2025. The

come next twelve meet months us at 2 present on Friday some 28 big Feb opportunities on the Menzies to make lawn positive (next to change, campus and centre)! I’m looking

forward to working hard to make that happen. We’ve got some great ideas in the works already,

and we’re committed to being as inclusive as possible; catch us on insta (@msa.esj) or pop into

Indigenous: John Sopar (he/him) and Caitlin Carpenter (she/her)

the ESJ offices for a chat - we’re here to help!

Palya! We’re so excited to be the Indigenous Office Bearers for 2025 and are pumped

for

I’m

the

Max,

year

and

ahead.

I’ve been

For

a

the

socialist

past

activist

two months

at Monash

we’ve

for

been

two years.

hard at

Around

work planning

the world,

and

the oppressed

are and under are attack super and excited the far to right jump are into on the it! move. We’ve But got these a lot attacks of events can be planned, fought, and

preparing

from I hope regular to use my social position and cultural to mobilise events students to big and ticket build items left-wing like our politics Indigenous on our campus. student If

camp. you’re interested All events in will getting be clearly involved, signposted come meet if us they’ll at 2 on just Friday be for 28 Feb our Monash the Menzies mob or lawn

open (next to campus allies too. centre)! Keep an eye on our social media for upcoming events and ways to

get involved with our department’s events, we look forward to seeing you!

Indigenous: John Sopar (he/him) and Caitlin Carpenter (she/her)

People Palya! We’re of Colour: so excited Lana to be Abdelhalim the Indigenous (she/her) Office Bearers and Mahathir for 2025 Lutfullah and are pumped (he/him) for the

The year People ahead. For of Colour the past (POC) two months Department we’ve been is excited hard at for work the planning year ahead, and preparing with plenty and of are

super excited to jump into it! We’ve got a lot of events planned, from regular social and cultural

meaningful initiatives and events in the works. We’re launching campaigns, planning

events to big ticket items like our Indigenous student camp. All events will be clearly signposted

if they’ll just be for our Monash mob or open to allies too. Keep an eye on our social media

cultural festivals, and hosting activities which bring communities together in celebration

for upcoming

of the incredible

events and

diversity

ways to

on

get

campus.

involved

Advocacy

with our department’s

is at the heart

events,

of our

we

work,

look forward

and

we’re to seeing committed you! to driving policy changes that promote inclusivity and equity. We’re

also looking forward to working closely with cultural clubs in order to create spaces

where People everyone of Colour: feels Lana included Abdelhalim and (she/her) supported. and With Mahathir a focus Lutfullah on driving (he/him) positive change

and The People building of connections, Colour (POC) we Department are ready is to excited make for a real the year impact ahead, this with year. plenty Stay of tuned meaningful

initiatives coming! and events in the works. We’re launching campaigns, planning cultural festivals,

for

what’s

and hosting activities which bring communities together in celebration of the incredible diversity

on campus. Eden Rosen Advocacy and is Mallory at the heart Norman of our work, and we’re committed to driving policy

Queer:

Hey changes folks! that We’re promote Mallory inclusivity and Eden, and equity. your We’re 2025 Queer also looking Officers. forward We’ve to had working an amazing

start to the year, with the Midsumma pride march and picnic, which was on Feb-

closely

with cultural clubs in order to create spaces where everyone feels included and supported. With

a focus on driving positive change and building connections, we are ready to make a real impact

this year. Stay tuned for what’s coming!

ruary 2nd.

We’re Queer: looking Mallory forward Norman to (she/her) the return and of Morph/Eden our flagship Rosen weekly (he/they/it/ze) events LGBTea (weekly

Hey morning folks! We’re tea in Mallory the lounge), and Eden, and your Queer 2025 Beers Queer (an Officers. afternoon We’ve social had catch an amazing up Sir start to

John’s the year, with free the Midsumma food for queer pride and march questioning and picnic, students). which was We on will February also be 2nd. aiming to

resume our semesterly events like clothes swaps and social nights at Pixel bar! Additionally,

We’re looking we forward hope to to include the return book/zine of our flagship swaps and weekly craft events nights LGBTea into our (weekly semi-regular morning

event tea in the rotation, lounge), as and well Queer as expanding Beers (an afternoon our communications social catch up beyond in Sir John’s the lounge with free food for

queer and questioning students). We will also be aiming to resume our semesterly events like

We clothes look swaps forward and social to meeting nights new at Pixel and bar! returning Additionally, queer we and hope questioning to include students! book/zine Please swaps

and craft nights into our semi-regular event rotation, as well as expanding our communications

feel free to come to the queer lounge (opposite SURLY), or come knock on our office

beyond the lounge

door! <3 Eden + Mallory

We look forward to meeting new and returning queer and questioning students! Please feel free

Womens: to come to the Frances queer lounge Clark (opposite (she/her) SURLY), and Eloise or come Driver knock (she/her) on our office door! <3 Eden +

Hey Mallory Monash, we’re Eloise and Frances, your MSA Women’s Office Bearers for 2025!


Residential: Rafiad Ruhi Jewel (he/him) and Leroy Van Schellebeck (he/him)

We, Rafiad Ruhi Jewel and Leroy Van Schellebeck, serve as the office bearers of the Residential

Committee. We strive to enhance campus life by fostering inclusivity and support, especially

for international students and women. This year, we are focusing on initiatives that create a

safe and welcoming environment. We will work closely with the POC department to improve

support systems for international students. We are collaborating with the Women’s Department

to put in place measures that guarantee safety, accessibility, and equal opportunities for all

women on campus. We also aim to increase the frequency of the Nott and shuttle bus services

for safer travel, expand free food events, and collaborate with MRS to launch food trucks offering

a variety of cuisines. Last year, we successfully boosted social media engagement and

hosted more free food events. We are passionate about strengthening these efforts in order to

promote a more inclusive and supportive campus community.

Welfare: Mohamed Orabi (he/him) and Furqan Ahmed (he/him)

The Welfare Department has been hard at work making campus life more supportive and inclusive.

We’re revamping Free Food Mondays by introducing students to flavors from our

Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian backgrounds—because food brings people

together! We’ve also started working on improving the food pantry system so that no student

goes without essential resources. On the mental health front, we’re pushing for better access to

support services and launching culturally sensitive forums where students can discuss mental

health and important social issues in a safe space. In the coming weeks, we’ll be finalizing

partnerships and rolling out our first events—stay tuned on our social media and get involved!

Farewell from Welfare.

Women’s: Frances Clark (she/her) and Eloise Driver (she/her)

Hey Monash, we’re Eloise and Frances, your MSA Women’s Office Bearers for 2025! We are

super excited for the year ahead and have been busy planning various events and campaigns—

including two Safe and Sexy Weeks—one per semester!

We can’t wait to build upon the amazing work achieved by last year’s Women’s Office Bearers,

Katya and Zoe. Throughout the year, alongside our amazing committee, we will be dedicated

to engaging in important conversations with Monash to ensure we are continually empowering

women and gender-diverse people, fostering an inclusive and safe environment.

You can find us hanging around the Women’s lounge and office, please drop in and say hi!

Clubs and Societies: Jay Davis (he/him)

C&S has a busy year planned! Following a Training Day for club committee members held

in mid-February with a range of workshops and training opportunities, as well as a chance for

members of different club committees to meet and network, the C&S team is now busy supporting

clubs to showcase themselves to prospective members during O-Week. A new Grants

Manual has also been released for 2025 setting out the funding available to each club during

2025. Going into Semester 1, C&S has various events planned for club committee members

and is also working to update C&S regulations, documents and forms to streamline processes

to better support clubs.

10

11


But Towards these the attacks end of can 2024, be C&S fought, affiliated and I 4 hope new to clubs use which my position are now to up mobilise and running students for 2025,

and during build the course left-wing of this politics year C&S on our will campus. look at the If you’re possibility interested of further in getting new club involved, affiliations.

come meet us at 2 on Friday 28 Feb on the Menzies lawn (next to campus centre)!

Mature Age and Part Time Students

Indigenous:

This office bearer

John

position

Sopar

is

(he/him)

currently vacant.

and Caitlin Carpenter (she/her)

Palya! We’re so excited to be the Indigenous Office Bearers for 2025 and are pumped

Monash International Student Service: Bryan Law

for

Hello

the

everyone!

year ahead.

The

For

team

the

at

past

MUISS

two

works

months

on

we’ve

building

been

a strong

hard at

system

work

to

planning

ease the

and

burden

preparing and stress international and are super students excited face. to jump We deliver into it! exciting We’ve events got a lot and of support events systems planned, to help

from build a regular strong foundation social and for cultural many events encounters to big at uni. ticket We items understand like our how Indigenous overwhelming student going

camp. overseas All for events education will can be be clearly for many signposted incoming if students. they’ll just To help be for ease our that Monash emotion, mob we would or

open love to to kick allies off too. the Keep year by an throwing eye on our some social amazing media activities for upcoming at our O-Week events and stall. ways MUISS to

get eagerly involved awaits with introducing our department’s ourselves to events, you and we inviting look forward you to our to upcoming seeing you! exciting events.

The variety for the upcoming semester is insane!! Day trips for the adventurous and exploring,

People while the of industry Colour: nights Lana remain Abdelhalim for those (she/her) more professionally and Mahathir inclined. Lutfullah We would (he/him) also like to

The reintroduce People our of Colour renowned (POC) welfare Department lunches! With is excited different for cuisines the year available ahead, every with plenty 2-3 weeks. of

meaningful

Can’t wait to

initiatives

meet y’all!

and events in the works. We’re launching campaigns, planning

cultural festivals, and hosting activities which bring communities together in celebration

Stay tuned to our insta account for more details:

O-Week

of the incredible diversity on campus. Advocacy is at the heart of our work, and

we’re Day Trips committed (week 4) to driving policy changes that promote inclusivity and equity. We’re

also Industry looking Nights forward (sem 2) to working closely with cultural clubs in order to create spaces

where everyone feels included and supported. With a focus on driving positive change

and Radio building Monash: connections, Georgie McColm we are (she/her) ready to make a real impact this year. Stay tuned for

what’s After an coming! epic 2024, we’re bringing back all your favourite events like Band Matchmaking,

Training Night, Back on the Waves, Silent Disco, and Vibe Night (plus a heap of new stuff that

Queer: we are cooking Eden Rosen up in the and RadMon Mallory studio). Norman

Hey folks! We’re Mallory and Eden, your 2025 Queer Officers. We’ve had an amazing

In 2025,

start

we

to the

want

year,

to make

with

Radio

the Midsumma

Monash bigger

pride

and

march

better

and

on

picnic,

campus.

which

We’re

was

hoping

on February

2nd.

to get

Radio Monash broadcasted LIVE around campus like it was back in the 80’s and 90’s.

Our journalism team is also growing, so you’ll see more video and radio content popping up on

our website and socials (@radiomonash, just saying). Better yet, with our recording studio in

We’re full swing, looking expect forward more killer to the tracks return from of Monash’s our flagship own weekly local student events artists. LGBTea (weekly

morning tea in the lounge), and Queer Beers (an afternoon social catch up in Sir

John’s At the end with of free the day, food it’s for all queer about and the vibes! questioning We’re just students). here to We create will gigs, also ensure be aiming student to artists

can shine, our semesterly throw events events that like make clothes campus swaps life actually and social interesting, nights and at Pixel just keep bar! Monash Ad-

resume

ditionally, rad. we hope to include book/zine swaps and craft nights into our semi-regular

event If you rotation, see us around, as well come as say expanding hey—we’d our love communications to chat! beyond the lounge

Creative

We look forward to meeting new and returning queer and questioning students! Please

feel free to come to the queer lounge (opposite SURLY), or come knock on our office

door! <3 Eden + Mallory

Womens: Frances Clark (she/her) and Eloise Driver (she/her)

Hey Monash, we’re Eloise and Frances, your MSA Women’s Office Bearers for 2025!

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13

Tea, With Sugar

Anonymous

Two weeks after meeting Julie, Cara and I woke up to identical emails in our uni inboxes.

“I hope you don’t mind,” it opened in lieu of a greeting, “but I asked around for your emails. I’m having a

get together at my place on Saturday night. Something small while I’m in town. Come. It will be a good opportunity

to make some connections.” There was no formal sign off, just a space and a single J.

I sat for a moment, looking at that single J staring back at me. I wasn’t sure what to do with the email. There

was a degree of self-importance to it that hadn’t come across in our conversation last night. Though it wasn’t usually

my habit, I found myself wondering if that was her usual way of emailing. Was it a way she reserved for friends? Did

that mean she considered us friends? And why had she sent me and Cara the same email, but separately? Had she

bcc’d or had she copied and pasted the same email twice?

I wished to ask Cara these questions, but I had decided not to reply to the screenshot she sent me of her email.

“Look what I just got,” she’d typed. She was fishing for a reaction from me and I decided not to reply. She didn’t need

to know I was also going, I thought. She could find out on Saturday.

I wished to ask Cara these questions, but I had decided not to reply to the screenshot she sent me of her email.

“Look what I just got,” she’d typed. She was fishing for a reaction from me and I decided not to reply. She didn’t need

to know I was also going, I thought. She could find out on Saturday.

By the time Saturday afternoon came around the bravado that had filled me when I refused to answer Cara

was beginning to wear off. As I stepped off the tram I looked down and saw my hand was involuntarily shaking. I

knew then that the first time I would attempt to speak for the night my words would get caught in my throat and I

would have to awkwardly cough to try and clear my throat. I hoped desperately that Cara was already there and that,

instead of questioning why I had remained silent, she would take pity on me and spend the rest of the evening.

I had no such luck. The door to the house was open, despite it being clear that autumn had well and truly set

in by then, and I walked in. I had expected a throng of people, assumed that Julie was the type of person to have many,

many friends if she was inviting uni students at random to this kind of get together. Instead, I was greeted with only

five other people as I walked down the hallway into the open space living/dining area.

“Hi there,” one of the men, tall with big red frames, said as I entered the room. Before I had the chance to

choke out a response, he began to speak again. “You must be Olivia or Cara,” he said. “Is the other one with you? Julie

has just gone out the back for a sec, she’ll be back any moment.”

True to his word, as he was speaking, Julie appeared through the sliding doors which led out to a small backyard.

“Olivia. Glad you could make it.” She crossed the floor to where I was still hovering just outside the hallway,

and pulled me into one of those awkward side hugs that neither party commits to. “We were just waiting on you and

Cara.”

I hesitated. “Sorry I’m late.” I feel compelled to

make up an excuse for Cara even though I’m not sure she

would have done the same. “I think Cara’ll be here soon.”

“Ah, no, she won’t.” Julie looks round apologetically.

“She just texted me.” Julie doesn’t offer an excuse

for Cara’s absence. I wonder if she ever gave one.

Julie looks at my hands. “Let’s go put that wine

in the kitchen.”

“Oh,” I say, looking down at my hands. “Yeah. I

had forgotten I had brought it with me.” I follow her back

into the hallway into the first door on the right. When we

get there she gently takes the bottle from my hands and

offers me a drink.

It is some hours later when I find myself back in

the kitchen with Julie. Everybody else has either left or is

sprawled on the couches watching some French film on

the TV. The world is spinning slightly and I can tell I am

drunk. Julie can tell too, and I hear her huff out a laugh

under her breath as I stumble backwards into a cabinet.

We have come here to get another drink, but Julie seems

to change her mind. “Can I get you a tea instead, maybe?”

I think for a second. “Yes, black tea sounds

good.” I am just aware enough of myself to realise that

any more alcohol could result in me saying something

that I will later regret. So far I think I have impressed

the rest of Julie’s guests, although I am hard pressed to

remember their names.

“Milk?”

“Yeah.”

“Full cream.”

“Mmm.”

“Sugar.”

“I think. No, not anymore,” I add, hoping she’ll

think me interesting.

“Not anymore?” She takes the bait.

“Mmmhm,” I lean a little further back and slip

ever so slightly again. She laughs, that same huff under her

breath, and I can’t quite figure out whether she’s laughing

at me or with me. “When I was teenager,” I tell her, “I

used to have so much sugar in my tea that it wouldn’t dissolve.

Then I injured myself for a few weeks…” I look at

her face. Nothing serious, but I couldn’t bear the weight.

“My mum took the opportunity to wean me off it.”

“Well,” Julie says, “you could have sugar in it

now if you like?”

I pause. “Sure.”

Julie looks like she has more to say. “I’m trying

to imagine you as a teenager,” she says. “After tonight’s

dinner I have to believe that you were the person who

used to get in trouble a lot.”

“Ha,” I laugh at that, “no, not me. I was a teacher’s

pet, I guess. Very well behaved. I didn’t become like

this till uni.”

“Is that so?” She pauses. “And Cara, did you know she

wasn’t coming tonight?”

I shake my head. “No, I barely even knew she

was coming.”

Julie continues. “Were you two… during high

school…?”

20.”

“No,” I close my eyes, “no. We met when I was

I feel her hand touch my shoulder. “Here,” she

says, “tea with sugar.”

14

15

Teenage Dirtface

Ash Dowling

Content Warning(s): Suicidal Ideation.

I wonder if I scrub my face

hard enough, I can take away all

the bumps and blemishes

like polishing a shoe

makeup can cover things

but only temporarily

and when I take it off

my skin is even worse

like how my cheeks got redder

when the girls at school

asked if I had rosacea?

I didn’t know what it was

so I just said no

but then googled for three hours

straight that night

and cried for longer

at church, they tell me

I am fearfully made

I feel fearful when I look at myself I know how God must have felt

every mirror taunts me

I am the least fairest of them all

my thoughts turn to poison and

I wonder whether I should

wait and see if I get even slightly closer

to pretty, or just end it here.

In the Paddocks With You

Julia Fullard

For my uncle, Rob.

There were never many words. Words

fail. Who needs them when there are the

slides, sandpits, swings you set beneath

the sweeping peppercorn, just for us.

I remember: a child-sized cricket bat.

Pink footballs in green paddocks.

The cat purring at your feet, apricots eaten

straight off the trees, your audacious stories.

The rough floor of the trailer where we sat

bouncing as you drove that orange mower

over potholes, taking sharp turns just to hear

us squeal, collecting sticks for the bonfire.

I remember: latch dropping, gate swinging, paper

crinkling. How it all caught fire, our irises alight.

How you nudged those silver potatoes between

the flame-licked branches. Now that is love.

maybe I’ll wait

purely out of curiosity

for now

if beauty is in the

eyes of my middle school self

then I am a teenage dirtface

but do you know that Jesus writes in the dirt.

16

17

18

Makhan Chor (The Butter Thief)

Yifan Jiang

Content Warning(s): Blood; Abortion.

The story of Makhan Chor (The Butter Thief) is

one of the most beloved tales from Hindu mythology. It

revolves around the childhood of Lord Krishna, a mischievous

and charming incarnation of the god Vishnu.

Krishna’s fondness for butter, a staple in the homes of the

villagers, led him to sneak into houses with his friends to

steal it. Krishna’s innocent smile and playful antics melted

the hearts of everyone, even those whose butter he had

stolen, as well as his mother Yashoda who was outraged

to have caught him red handed in his theft.

His mummy has used face cream from La Mer

ever since he had memories. When she slathers her face

with it, violently massaging the stretchy flesh with her

palms, her features crumble up as if she is in pain. She

says she isn’t and indeed isn’t, but the image communicates

more effectively. Like every propaganda, the picture

comes first and the reasoning is only there to justify

how the audience feels towards it. Reasoning like why

vanity should be objected to derision. He swore he would

never be vain like his mum. She was the first woman he

met other than himself.

Personifying a foetus is not something he does.

He realised at thirteen that feeling sad was something he

could often opt out of if he realised the situation was not

that deep; that feeling sadness was a decision, along with

the performance of devastation and running streaks of

mascara. He picked the dumbest and sweetest of the boys

he fucked to have the conversation with and got the money

for the clinic. The boy couldn’t stop apologising.

If he could squeeze a pomegranate instead of

that toy bear he nearly tears apart with his nails, lots of

its juices would be milked out. It would be cold, sweet,

bloody, and sticky. It is cold, sweet, bloody, and sticky.

The doctor says he did well.

Every time he is back to his hometown he is a

good kid again. His wisdom tooth and clit share a fair

amount of similarities. The swollenness and agitation

The itch cooks itself into desperation. He thinks

about the boys he can’t have and spit isn’t enough to

ease the friction. Even a little bit of cream does a lot. His

mum pretends to not know a lot of things so he never

knows what she knows. He doesn’t think about it right

now though. Even the container for the cream feels expensive.

The lid is heavy and twists smoothly without

having to line it perfectly as the weight of the porcelain

guides itself back to the right place.

He doesn’t know if human beings are naturally

pure or evil. He thinks the truth is closer to the latter.

They are evil even before they develop a heart, which it

didn’t. Not that he cares.

When warmed by his finger, the cream softens

like butter. He doesn’t know what he should think

about. He misses a boy’s eyes, another’s hands, another

one’s way of talking. The way all of them make him

feel. Wanted and loved. Powerful. He likes slapping their

faces and stealing their money. He sometimes watches

their sex tapes and imagines fucking himself. His penis

disappearing into his body.

His mum wasn’t told about any of the boys he

had. His mum was there when he refused to wear dresses

when he was eight. Liking curing a steak in honey, his

mum raised him with so much love that he was drenched

and soaked and bursting with it. He takes love for granted

and says he loves people too liberally, which is part of

the reason boys accuse him of being a liar. He also just

has little respect for rules. Cowardice is the only reason

he has never cheated on his boyfriend.

When he was in primary school, he would secretly

meet this girl who had skin so pale she was almost

transparent in the sun. His mum didn’t like that kid because

she painted her nails red. He got one of his first

tastes for breaking rules which was tangy, bloody, and

sticky like eating chunks of pomegranates along with its

peels. They had different classes and would both ask to

use the bathroom at 11:30, stealing ten minutes of escape

together. She was one of the first kids who got their periods.

He doesn’t know why he is thinking about her

right now. He chews the enunciation of her name softly

with only his back teeth and it rings in his head like a

triangle’s chime and feels like a piece of sandpaper embracing

the inner lining of his stomach, then softly and innocently grinding itself against

it. It doesn’t hurt. It feels like wanting to sneeze. He doesn’t miss her, nor does he miss the

big fluffy dog his neighbour had, with whom he played when he was six. The neighbour

got way too many complaints for the dog’s barking and had to send her away to the countryside.

His boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend, whose Instagram he used to stalk every two days,

has jet black hair and the palest blue eyes. He wonders if she would make him feel differently

if he was also white, tall, thin, and had black hair and blue eyes. He cries after he

orgasms to the image of his boyfriend and her fucking. Her red nails leaving marks all over

his back.

She is really really pretty.

When he was eight, he visited Europe with his mum and saw too many paintings

and sculptures of the crucified Christ at museums. The marks of flagellation across the torsos

were too red, like polish spilled on snow. He was later educated in a western politically

liberal high school, where he was taught that Jesus might have had dark skin.

He bought a bottle of Sì Passione because he liked the bottle. He imagined her to

be the kind of woman who would wear it, who wore lipstick that was red enough to wear

it. The perfection of her face inhabited him like an inflamed wisdom tooth.

When he imagines licking the sweet scent and ethanol off of her sticky and buttery

neck, he feels like he has won a war. Her lips wrap around his red nails as he pins her

down with nails. Pomegranate juice springs from her palms. He can feel the marks painting

themselves on his back this time. She is bleeding just like him. He doesn’t know if he is

him or her or himself. He knows wings are clawing their way out of the wounds on his

back. He doesn’t know who she is. He doesn’t miss anyone this time.

He knows he prefers to be reborn on a white snowy day, for his mum to hold him

in her arms and caress him with her soft hands that smell of La Mer. He wants his name to

mean “a snowy morning” and the sunrise on the hospital window to reflect upon his body

as soft as a loaf of freshly baked white bread. He is floating on clouds, like a scoop of ice

cream dissolving on a glass of Coke. Bubbles race and fight to the surface of the cold soda

like desperate sperms.

He is falling asleep, a juiced fruit degrading into a puddle of fertile foetor. When

the butter melts on top of the warm lake of red juice, they are not mixing.

19

When Butterfly Wings Heal

Mary Elizabeth

A wild garden accompanied by the beaming

rays of The Sun. The grass is untamed, the flowers

prepared to bloom.

Hiding underneath the leaves, a little caterpillar

dreams of admirers touching her small beating

heart. Inviting her in, warming her soul, showing

her the light.

Exploring the greenery, she sheds her personality

as she grows, hoping to become beautiful

and that one day someone will notice.

To be seen, to be admired, to be loved.

A heart beating with youth, she watches the

other insects: the colours and patterns on their skin,

the way they soar above the leaves and glow underneath

the sun.

The garden’s keepers are drawn to this; desire

to catch them and store them away from the

outside world. The caterpillar yearns for this, to be

held by such strong hands and cared for by a giant

only drawn to her. She wonders what it feels like,

notices how others get what she desires. She is repulsive

in comparison, restricted to the earth where

all the grotesque insects reside.

She will learn to hide away in her cocoon,

concealed from the sun, embarrassed within the

shade, the dirt covering her hideous body. She goes

unnoticed and spends days away from all the others.

Momentarily, she is forgotten, if there was anyone

who ever once noticed her.

An eternity passes; the earth shifts. The

weeds grow taller, the flowers sprout, their petals

stretched out to the sun. Meanwhile, she envelops

herself in the shadows and suffers within her seclusion.

Then, one day, she emerges from the darkness.

She is unrecognisable, these new colours and

patterns mesmerising. With bright, gorgeous wings,

the caterpillar is now older, her body morphed into

a butterfly.

For the first time, she flies toward The Sun,

seeing the garden from above while the smaller insects

below watch her shine. The rays reflect the

colours of her wings, a multitude of hues that dance

on the leaves she glides past.

It is her new features, her growth into privilege,

that now draw the attention of the keepers as

they notice her newfound beauty.

Waiting one at a time, they each welcome

her into their grasp, hold her dearly and adore her

rarity. She is authentic and divine. This makes them

feel significant, with opulence in their hands. Such

disguises the horrors of their faces, their hideous

markings, and putrid figures that collide with nature’s

purity. To the butterfly, however, she feels

safe and doesn’t notice the disfigured butterflies

that came before her, their worth trampled on and

left within the smallest fragments of the garden.

She is finally seen, admired, loved. She

feels special, she is special.

Her colours are enchanting, but they cannot

glow in their eyes forevermore. Once appearing

gorgeous, the light begins to fade, and so too does

her purpose to them.

Other butterflies, new butterflies, fly past,

and she struggles to draw the keepers’ attention

back to her. She wonders why the sudden change,

grows weary and angry that their grasps are loosening.

She tries to keep her wings clean, ensuring she

remains put together despite the tears in her eyes.

When nothing changes, she is reminded of who she

once was, who she has always been. That little caterpillar

still exists. From within, she cries out

and hopes the butterfly will hear her warnings. But

the keepers speak over her, dismiss her, even laugh

at her words. How small she now feels, how naïve

she always was.

Whilst her beauty is no longer enough, they

still clip her wings, and she is tossed back down

to earth where the darkness looms. However, unlike

the other forgotten butterflies, she returns to her solitude

and does her best to mend what has been stolen. This is

a painful chore, yet she loses her heart to the struggle,

as though her new wings, made from scratch, will make

them all regretful. So, again and again, the cycle continues.

From darkness to light, held tightly then tossed

aside. Nevertheless, she continues to mend, despite it

being increasingly laborious every time her wings are

ripped from her fragile skin, the wounds on her back

still fresh.

These keepers have clawed at her skin, her own

blood imprinted on their hands. Yet she is just another

butterfly, she is not the first winged creature that will replenish

their fleeting pride.

Over time, she will grow older. Her damaged

wings display her gruelling coming of age. Despite her

maturity, however, another keeper will soon arrive. After

so much suffrage, the shadows a constant home she

reluctantly moves back to, she thought she would never

wish to be noticed again. However, despite her broken

wings, his gaze makes her feel young again, fresh out

of the cocoon, her colours brighter than ever in his eyes.

She holds onto hope far more than she has before, his

palms warmer than those who previously held her, for

he understands her fragility, as though he too were a defaced

parasite. Her disappointment will inevitably seize

her as he too must eventually let her go. However, he

does so gently, allows her to keep her mended wings, yet

this agony is crueller than ever before.

She rests on a leaf as she watches him go, the

dirt no longer her home, the cocoon buried within the

ground.

She thinks about that little caterpillar, what she

would think of who she has become. Despite her transformation,

she cannot forget who she once was, her

troubles inescapable. That caterpillar now holds her, it

was always holding her, too busy wishing these keepers

would notice her to ever realise. It’s this company

from within that now warms her, and she notices how

that youngling was always beautiful, sees how her colours

were as gorgeous as the ones she wears now. These

wings are her own, made with delicate hands that will always

be gentler than theirs. A temporary beauty to them,

she recognises, was always forever in that caterpillar’s

eyes.

20

21

22

Landed in a Strange

Land

Mahin Wahla

Inspired by the memoirs of immigrant Muslim women

of color—the insults and threats they endured have been

woven into this poem.

Muslim women,

women of color,

landed in a strange land—

a land of cold stares,

sharp tongues,

where whispers sliced like blades:

“Ya, maggot!”

“Go back to where you came from!”

When words failed to wound,

threats followed:

“I’ll take my shot,

put a bullet in your head.”

Their men stood under the same gaze—

not of curiosity,

but condemnation:

“Your men are

Oppressors,

Wife-beaters,

Extremists!”

“You should be grateful!

We’ve freed you!”

Freedom:

twisted into chains,

bars of scorn and pity:

“We’ve saved you!”

You are safe now!

You owe us!”

But the women fought back—

not with fists,

but with steps

FORWARD,

heads held high,

Voices

LOUD.

They built their own space—

to survive,

to adapt,

to thrive.

“Sorry, not sorry,”

they said.

“This is our home.

We are here to stay!”

Call us what you want:

“A terrorist with a backpack.”

“A letterbox.”

“A walking prison.”

“A whore.”

“A maggot.”

Hurl your venom,

all you want!

We will not leave!

And,

with unyielding hands,

we claim it—

This strange, strange land,

where we arrived

as immigrants,

as Muslims,

as women of color!

Mahin Wahla is a final year doctoral candidate in Literature

and Cultural Studies, supported by a competitive

international scholarship from Pakistan’s Higher Education

Commission and the Faculty of Arts International

Postgraduate Research Scholarship at Monash University.

She specialises in the intersections of gender, religion,

and race among Muslim women politicians in 21st-century

Australia and the US. Her research primarily draws

on feminist and post-colonial theories to analyse how political

Muslim women navigate identity, belonging, and

agency within Western political and cultural frameworks

shaped by post-9/11 discourses. In 2022, Wahla received

a paid commission from the Australian Book Review

(ABR), served as a Committee Member for the School

of Languages, Literatures, Cultures, and Linguistics

(LLCL) Colloquium at Monash University, and recently

represented LLCL in Monash University’s 2024 Three

Minute Thesis competition.

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23

Do You Like to Yap or Have an

Interesting Taste in

Music… Come Join RadMon!

Georgie McColm, President of Radio Monash

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE!

MUSIC PEOPLE. We have a RECORDING STUDIO THAT IS FREE TO USE. I repeat, free to use.

We have a fully usable recording studio if you want to create an EP, album, single, or something to make your

mum proud. Stocked with a bunch of interesting instruments that you can see on our website, come and meet our

recording team that know how to produce and engineer in the space. If you don’t want to record but are keen to

work in a recording studio, stop on by and meet our committee members who will be happy to show you how to

get involved.

Alrighty… we also have journalism. If you like finding new artists, going to gigs, discovering stories,

and working in a digital or audio format, then come write for us. We love people to tell us about music, local

campus culture, and art on campus. Honestly, we will let you publish almost anything, so get in contact with our

journalism team and start writing.

If I haven’t convinced you yet, then let our Training Night do so. Keep an eye out on our socials for

more information. We liked being stalked on our Instagram. We are always open to new and awesome people. It

doesn’t matter if you host a show solo or with 10 people (we don’t have enough microphones for that though),

come and create in a space that is like no other on campus. Make your uni life interesting, and join RadMon!

Do you like to yap or have an interesting taste in music, come join RADMON!

So, you like to yap. Your friends tell you that all you do is talk. Well guess what, we have the perfect

remedy for that. Come and start a radio show! Radio Monash, located on the second floor of Campus Centre next

to Sir John’s Bar runs weekly radio and podcast shows that any student can do. All you need to do is yap, (or

don’t, you can legit just have cool music taste and show off why your Spotify Wrapped is the coolest amongst

your friend group), know how to push the buttons and off you go.

Hosting a show is an incredible experience. It teaches you so much, but it is also just a fun and creative

experience. Uni life can be boring if you don’t put yourself out there and try something new. Hosting a radio

show will not only connect you to really cool and interesting people (like not to toot our own horns…), but it’s

a great opportunity to be a part of a warm and welcoming community that has fun events, cool gigs, music, and

so much more.

So… if this has sparked your interest, then head on over to radiomonash.online and register to run a

show, and attend our Training Night session that will happen in the first week of the semester. Sign up now! And

hey, at least with radio our mistakes don’t get printed and immortalised forever like in Lot’s Wife. What do you

have to lose?

24

25

26

Kaputas

Thisanga Serasinghe

I step out of the car, wearing a shirt with the number 17 on the back and the words ‘Big D’ on the front. I

wave to my mother and head inside the white building.

The A/Level exams had concluded a month ago, and our batch was eager to catch up on the two years we’d

lost. Since we weren’t doing this through the school, we couldn’t use our official house names or uniforms, but the

‘Big D’ kids’ shirts had a giant pink bear emblazoned on the front to respect the constellation. It was hardly the strangest

substitute name in use – one team, inspired by a joke from the omnipresent Aragalaya,* had switched from eagle

to crow.

I walk through the hall and expansive cricket grounds come into view. It is early, and the sun hovers above

the horizon. Ovals of lush, green grass stretch to the edges of my vision, far too large for a high school basketball

match. I pull my phone out of my duffel bag and search through WhatsApp for a number.

“Hello?”

“Hey, I’m here at the entrance, where are we playing?” I shift the bag on my shoulder. “Hold on, I’ll send

someone to get you.”

I hang up and note with some annoyance that my phone’s charge has already dropped. I look around, at the

scuffed marble tiles, and the polished reception desk, and the small store in the corner. Five minutes later, I see another

girl wearing a polyester T-shirt (In a few years, I won’t be able to remember her face or the secondary colour of the

shirt) walking along the path circumventing the cricket ovals. I follow her, my eyes drifting over the green ovals on

my left, the white lines on the grass and of the fences surrounding the ovals, and eventually a smidge of blue comes

into view.

We round the corner and see people gathered under tents, with a smattering of plastic chairs. The ground is

littered with backpacks, so I drop mine near the pole of a tent. There are benches on the right side of the court, with

captains trying to set up the banner for the first game. The basketball court is a dwarf in comparison to the grounds; it

hardly even holds up to the size of the school courts. 20 paces would be a generous estimate of the court’s size.

At the very least, the netting of the hoops is intact. Boys and girls are already practicing their shots, taking

turns with the ball in a circle. The former high school boys, no longer restricted by the establishment’s strict dress

code, already have traces of mustaches and beards on formerly clean-shaven faces. Tall and lanky, they look closer to

men now, but their energy and banter reflect their true nature – they are just kids who have been kept inside for far too

long.

It’s an unfortunate fact that the boys in our grade generally triumph over the girls in sports, yet the best players

of our sex are able to keep pace with them. I am not one of those best players, but I still squeeze my way in for a

much needed refresher on aim. My batchmates are encouraging, even though I miss frequently. Many times, the ball

bounces off the board and rolls to the back of the court, onto the grass and dangerously close to the drain. Fortunately,

there are people there to fetch it and prevent it from falling into the dubious water.

Unsatisfied but low on stamina, I step off the court and pull a bottle out from the insulated layers of my bag,

taking care not to drag my spare pair of shoes and towel out with it. The cool liquid trickles down my throat, relieving

the dry scratch there. I need to keep my energy up for the long day ahead – everyone else is abuzz with it. An

acquaintance invites me to sit with her. I make a hole in the carpet of backpacks, sit cross legged on the grass – less

green and scratchier here – and listen to them reminisce on our exams. For some reason, I can’t stop thinking about

that 10th grade boy who got attacked on his way to the exam hall, even though he was wearing a backpack. Though

we had had protection from our uniforms, there had still been an undercurrent of tension throughout our exams; the

undercurrent remains ever-present as fuel prices escalate, making it even more difficult for students to get here today,

and the Aragalaya persists. Most people are carpooling – that had been a fervent topic of discussion during our weeks

of preparation, almost as important as our actual practice.

A ball flies over the board and into the tent. Someone tosses it back.

I suddenly remember the captains’ request to bring oranges and scour through my bag for the polythene bag

of oranges, presenting it to one of them.

Eventually, everyone has arrived, and the official matches begin. After a few minutes of floundering about

the court, hopping around trying to catch and pass the ball, I switch out and fetch a larger water bottle from my bag.

Condensation forms around the bottle in the humid heat, and liquid pools on the floor around the base of the bottle

where I set it down, available for others to take. One of the captains brings out a box of the oranges to be peeled and

cut. It’s a hot day, and the players move fast, sprinting from one end to the other, jumping up to catch the ball, bouncing

around their opponents, running to fetch the ball when it rolls out of the court and towards the drains.

Someone gets hurt (In a few years’ time, I won’t remember where the wound was). They are taken to a tap

on the side of the building that borders the court, and they wash the blood and grit away. The gash is patted dry, and a

clean band-aid is applied.

The ball is thrown too far, and splashes into the drain. I fish it out and wash my hands. For good measure, I

rub sanitiser like soap into the crevices between my fingers.

Halfway through the morning, in the middle of the third match, some students gather near the tents, as a few

of them pull up something on their phones. My phone is already half dead and hooked up to the power bank in my

bag, but I hear snippets of their discussions. It sounds like the government is more unhappy with the Aragalaya today

than usual.

A ball goes through a hoop, and students cheer.

The sun beats down, and rivulets of sweat are forming on the players’ faces, beads of salt glistening like the

condensation on a water bottle. Half of the oranges have been devoured, peels kept in the polythene bags they were

brought in.

During the fourth match, the ball rolls into the drain again, and I fish it out again.

My hands feeling greasy with sweat and drain water, I walk towards the sound of running water. The bottled

water is running out, and a team of students is filling the bottles from the tap. Some players cup their hands below the

stream and quench themselves directly from the tap. I recall the store in the reception hall and offer to buy filtered

water. I take my purse and my phone with me and make the 10-minute trek along the path, the green ovals passing me

by on the right.

When I come back, the ball isn’t bouncing anymore.

I ask someone when the next match starts and who’s playing. They tell me there isn’t going to be another

match. They tell me that the government has sent helicopters; the police are arresting protesters, or anyone who looks

like one.

One of the teams is wearing shirts emblazoned with the words ‘Kaputas’ in bright red.

The Sun is directly above us. The bottles are full of unfiltered tap water, and half the oranges remain unpeeled.

Everyone is calling their parents. Friends discuss amongst themselves how many seats their parents’ cars have, who

lives in whose direction. Boys turn their shirts inside out to conceal the slogan.

The Sun is directly above us. The bottles are full of unfiltered tap water, and half the oranges remain unpeeled.

The next hour is dedicated to making sure that everyone gets home, ‘Kaputas’ most of all. Eventually, parents call

back, and groups of students head off to the reception hall.

By the time my mother arrives, the others have either gone or grouped up. The ‘Kaputas’ have all flown. I

triple check that everyone has a way home, before finally walking to the reception hall with my friend. As I see my

mother’s car, I wave.

Translations and Context Kaputas: Sinhalese word for crows / Aragalaya: The 2022 Sri Lankan protests

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28

On the Impetuousness of Youth

Jing Tan

As a new episode to a new season unravels with the new year, we might all experience a little deja

vu. Perhaps it was the unusually heavy glass of wine in your hand that nudged the domino effect of recollection;

the echoes of pressuring chants from the previous New Year’s party begin to ring in your ears…

Anything symbolic of the past can be triggering during this nostalgic, and maybe even melancholic, period

as another year has come to an end. Some may reflect with negativity, so much time wasted, yet none really

at all. The advantages of the impetuousness of youth are so often overlooked, so often looked at through the

wrong lens. Were all those reckless ‘bad’ decisions really so bad and disruptive to one’s life after all? “What

if they didn’t happen?”. “What if I had listened to the tiny voice in my head that advised me against it?”.

“If only I had listened to my parents…” Before you drown in the whirlpool of regret of your own doing,

let me try to pull you out with a few visual aids.

‘Characters in the puzzle of our own sit-com,

Fitting it with pieces of decisions and moments.

Every piece with its unique shape,

Why long for one that doesn’t even fit’

Each new year brings a period of reminiscence, like rewinding back on the timeline of a sit-com.

Often trailing with the train of regret, gratitude and pride, as you see how far you have come along. With

gratitude and pride often overlooked, we easily fall prey to regret and inadvertently enter the new year on a

bitter note. Appreciation, the seeds of the fruits of success and happiness, is a difficult but worthy skill few

hold. Every decision, good or bad, are unique shapes to the puzzle of our sit-com. Reckless decisions may

disguise themselves as useless white pieces, easy to be regretful of; however, without them, there would be

a hole in the puzzle. A missing piece would mean a missing scene, and the storyline no longer works. It is

difficult to look within and recognize its purpose, but even more so to appreciate it for the advantages that

trail after. Chandler and Monica’s relationship would not have existed without Monica’s rash decisions. A

bird wouldn’t have learnt to fly without first falling. You would not have learnt about the dangers of exceeding

your alcohol limits without that reckless decision. One cannot hope for the good without taking the bad.

There is no advantage in wishing for a piece that would not even fit in the puzzle of your sit-com; there is

no advantage in regretting a piece that is meant to fit.

‘In the midst of the lustrous, misty forest,

One can so easily lose their way.

A careess trip over a branch,

The necessary tip in the right direction.’

Reckless past decisions are so often taken at face value of undesirability and labelled as ‘mistakes’,

but are essential parts to the compass of life in disguise. Without them, the compass would not function-

as it should, you would not get to your designated destination in life, and you may become stagnant

or even lost in the forest of life. Recall the last time you felt lost in life, when you couldn’t make a decision

or when you couldn’t find passion in any field of work. Now think about the journey you took that led you

to who you are today; compare that to the current version of yourself. Maybe it was a mindless decision

to choose science because you always scored well, but you later grew a love for the arts. It didn’t matter

that you lost a few months or so being lost in the forest, because that ‘misstep’ bought you the necessary

time to find the right path. So why does it matter that you made that reckless decision in your teens? Those

reckless decisions benefitted us the same way, however, are masked with the shroud of ‘negativity’ for the

immediate consequences that make them undesirable. It is important to remember that all good things take

time. The fruit of its benefits is the strength it gives us overtime when we learn to overcome these ‘negative’

consequences. The seemingly useless white puzzle pieces have a place in the puzzle of your life for a

reason, clear or not.

‘In art, the centrepiece of a work

May come from a wrong stroke of the brush.

Like such, decisions masked as mistakes

May be the weights to the blossoming of strength.’

Our teens are the prime period of impulsive and ‘bad’ choices; we are meant to make nonsensical,

bad decisions that make us look foolish, like dirtbags. These ‘bad’ decisions build a safety net for greater

future misfortunes, to catch us when we fall. As we progress in life, the weights get heavier as the responsibility

and consequence of every mistake gets heavier. In our teens, we are to pick up these lighter weights

to train with, to learn how to deal with outcomes of our ‘lighter’ mistakes of our reckless decisions. Imagine

deciding on random one day that you wish to start training in the gym, it would be nearly impossible to start

with the heavy weights, you may even struggle with the medium heavy weights. Similarly, with experience

of the ‘lighter’ weights of our past mistakes, when handling the ‘heavier’ mistakes, instead of struggling to

even lift the weights of these ‘heavier’ mistakes, we will be able to handle them with more ease and grace.

There are a variety of ways to view the bad and impulsive decisions, even through the optimistic

lens, however the message here is that all things happen for a reason. You may not see it, or much less

believe it at first, but on reflection during each new year, may you come to discover and realise the benefits

it has brought you. May you be glad and appreciative that any events – good or bad – took place for you

may not be the person you are today; for you may not have come closer to the person you strive to be. For

you may not have even known who you are or what you want to be. All things happen when they should

and having an optimistic take to life, should you believe in the concept I have brought up, will help you

nonetheless to accept the past; to live in more peace, acceptance and appreciation, and anticipate for the

future as you await more experiences to come your way – as every moment is valuable and precious, good

or bad.

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30

There is No Such Thing! (As a Teenage Dirtbag)

Artwork and Prose by Ella De Souza

I remember the day that a small, little intruder set foot upon our yellow shores. I was small and

our village was small – and so were his little footprints. He tried so hard to wreak havoc on our little

coastal home, claiming he was the real Big Bad Wolf, who had come to blow down our little cosy huts,

and roast our sweet piglets for dinner. But I knew what he was – he was just a boy. A teenage boy, who

was young and carefree, and would go on to do whatever he liked – so long as he remained young and

carefree.

Our village, Sarvioksyelle, which means ‘eternal utopia’ in our language, was in fact, a peaceful

marine bay, with sand sprinkled on our huts like icing on a cinnamon strudel. We had the freshest

fruit and the softest sand that one could possibly imagine. But I still remember the day young Carlos

arrived with his worn out sandals, covered in mud. Wherever he went, he left a trail of splodge that

corrupted our Atlantean sands, and there were always cracked coconut shells in the path he left behind.

He was a restless, cheeky troublemaker – who upset our Chief Elders, and this was a very rare

occurrence, as our Chief Elders were the calmest of villagers and most wise too. They were as strong as

the winds that swirled around us. Holy winds that

made us a fortified village of people, and when

they

were angry, the winds would transform into mighty

thunderstorms. So when this disruption in the form

of a strange teenage boy came to stir up trouble, we

could all feel a change in the winds that protected

our village.

Our village had been strung together from

the roots of mangrove trees and flesh of lily pads

that were built on peace and smooth keeping. I

remember sitting in on one of our village meetings,

held in the Elder’s majestic sandy huts – their

abodes of safe keeping.

“Troublemaker!” One of them had raised

his voice, which bounced off the mangrove roots,

making the huts shake. They had tried to help him,

like a stray dog, to find out his origins. But our female

elder opposed. She whispered, her voice like

silken air, “We must help him - he is a poor, wandering

soul who has no home.”

That day, I pondered to myself…Why was

he estranged? Had he wandered off? Did the tides

pull him in?

On my walks down to the shoreline, where

I would go seeking periwinkles and cockle shells,

and of course the fresh foam of the sea, young Carlos

would follow me like a shadow, kicking the

sand slurry into my skirt and hair. He would taunt

me with his name calling, ‘Kara-ara-Kara-rara’,

which made me flow tears inside, as my sister he

named me, and she was no more. He would leave

his muddy sand trails in the water, and I noticed the

sea foam would no longer be snow white.

We had all tried to accept him, no matter

the pain we felt of having a disruption to our utopian

village. One day, I was daydreaming in my

hut… my little brother was making sand-cakes

and gurgling like the sun, and I seemed to nod off.

I was thinking about the calling of the conch-shell

– that perhaps we had summoned this teenage ‘ratbag’

as my papa called him, and that young Carlos

had followed our melody. Perhaps it was a calling

to help a lost soul, like our Chief Elder had said.

The next day, when I went to visit Aphrodite’s

foam, I noticed I was walking alone, with

no sing-song calling of my name trailing behind.

Instead, when I reached the shoreline, I noticed a

dark figure wading in the rock pools, stooped and

bent

over. I started running towards him, when I realised

there was a sea urchin, spiky like rusted nails,

being stroked by Carlos in the palm of his hand.

When Carlos saw me, his eyes widened like an

owl, and the red-faced troublemaker, who seemed

a different

person in this daylight, scrambled his toes out of

the water, and ran away.

That day, I realised two of three things.

I realised that we had been wrong to call Carlos

a ‘teenage dirtbag’ because he really was just a

young boy, who was a little lost right now. I realised

that Carlos had a good centre, like our village,

and that deep down – he was soft like the sea urchin.

And finally, I concluded that day – that ‘teenage

dirtbags’ don’t exist – as everyone has a heart,

and nobody has a heart full of darkness, as there is

always some golden swirl of goodness that manages

to seep in. Carlos may have been cheeky and

mischievous, but a teenage dirtbag? I think not.

31

Picnic

Thisanga Serasinghe

32

33

An Ode to a Generation

Sophie Allen

We were born into “the glow”

of screens that never dim,

A world scrolling by faster

than our hearts could ever hold.

The “inheritors” they praise—

Of chaos? Of burning skies?

Of wars etched with borders

that we didn’t even draw.

We learned to live with the hum,

The clock ticking us down.

What does it mean to carry this future?

One unravelling at the seams.

To plant roots in a soil,

that turns to ash in our hands.

We were told we were lucky.

“You’ve got everything now.”

But the shiny veneer of everything

feels more like nothing at all.

They say we’re the architects

of a dream no one dares define.

But how do you dream

when even your breath feels borrowed?

There’s no room in this future.

For lazy mornings or half-thought ideas.

Poised and polished, arriving as scholars,

as warriors for a world desperately in need.

We were made to be the answers

to questions no one bothered to ask—

What happens when the centre gives way?

When the earth shakes, and nothing stays?

We never signed up for the glow

or the burden wrapped inside.

We carry the weight of “potential”

Like a stone tied to our pride.

They say “You’re the change, the revolution!”

But maybe we’re just tired ghosts.

“The best hope of a generation,”

but I’m not sure we’ll make it to the toast.

So we throw back another “whatever”,

Laugh a little too hard at the thought of despair.

There’s freedom in the absurd,

in knowing nothing here was ever fair.

We’re spinning through a burning haze,

grinding sparks to keep the dark at bay.

We light up, we lash out, we fade.

And still, they think we’re the “hope” that they

made.

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35

36

Non-Fiction

Lot’s Wife Went to

NatCon

Angus Duske and Samantha Hudson

Content Warning(s): Sexual harassment; youth incarceration;

queerphobia; sexual assault; mental

health.

Ah – the National Union of Students’s

National Conference, to some an opportunity to

debate – a term used in this context quite liberally

– the most pressing issues facing students

around the country, to cynics an opportunity for

hacks who envision themselves in the chambers of

Parliament to hone their skills. Or to these lowly

student journalists, a lot of people yelling at each

other late into the evening…

The reason for this cynicism, whilst often

unfair, is found in the political foundations of

the Conference. Typically dominated by delegates

from three factions: Socialist Alternative (SAlt),

National Labor Students (NLS), and Student Unity

– the latter two of whom are affiliated with the two

major factions of the Australian Labor Party. Together

they made up 80% of the conference floor,

holding roughly 20%, 10%, and 50% respectively.

The remaining 20% of the floor was composed

of smaller factions, the Grassroots, a grouping of

progressive left-wing students who recently suffered

crushing defeats at USyd and ANU; Forge,

a collection of students from Queensland; and the

Windies, a group of independent students from

Western Australia – as the name suggests. Expectations

ahead of the conference were that Unity

would wield their majority to wave through motions

they supported, whilst blocking those which

they opposed.

Day One

Our four days of anguish began early on

Monday morning, aboard a train bound for Ballarat,

specifically Federation University’s Mt

Helen campus – arguably the most comfortable

experience of the week. Following a lengthy accreditation

process out in the gorgeous sunshine

– gorgeous until we realised the severity of our

sunburns – the conference was opened three hours

late by NUS President Ngaire Bogemann at 5:00pm,

launching into the first of 14 chapters of policy –

rules changes. Not two motions in, and we struck

our first contentious motion, an amendment to NUS

rules permitting a livestream of the Conference for

accessibility purposes, despite SAlt labelling the

motion “undemocratic” and then voting against the

change, the motion carried. It’s worth noting that the

chosen venue was criticised over its lack of accessibility

last year, and as a result of the decision to

hold this year’s conference at the same venue meant

the 2024 Disabilities Officer was unable to attend.

SAlt’s borderline ableism continued, as they voted

down the next motion to pay the NUS Disabilities

Officer, on the basis it would take pay from the

Queer Officers – which coincidentally is an office

held by members of their faction.

We then moved swiftly onto chapter two,

student unionism, where the grouping of motions

into blocs started ramping up. Topics of discussion

included fighting militarism, including an attempt

to call for the scrapping of the AUKUS contracts

which ultimately failed after Unity voted the bloc

down; supporting the National Tertiary Education

Union (NTEU); giving student unions greater control

of SSAF and on-campus spaces; and calling for

the NUS and student unions to do more to support

students. The chapter was disrupted by what was

supposed to be an hour-long break for dinner that

blew out to two owing to re-accreditation. Motions

concerning scab unions and the forthcoming federal

election saw another recurring point of contention

emerge, being SAlt’s accusations about the Labor

Party’s – and by extension the members of its student

political factions – culpability in various problems

facing the nation, often with varying degrees

of relevance to the motion at hand – though the ensuing

heckling from those factions was all but guaranteed.

Despite being scheduled as finishing at

10:00pm each evening, tonight also marked the

first of several nights to be extended by procedural

motion to past 11:00pm or the end of a relevant

chapter. In this case, chapter three on trade unionism.

The majority of these motions called for the

NUS to show solidarity with other unions fighting

for fairer rights and pay for their members, including

campaigns supporting gig workers, abolishing

37

junior wages, and ending wage theft. One particular

bloc of contention in this chapter included

standing against the decision to place the CFMEU

in administration, leading to a brief resurgence in

SAlt’s sledging of the ALP – “Labor is the party

of bosses” – as Unity voted the bloc down. And

thankfully for those of us who had been slaving

away at keyboards all evening – we polished the

final bloc off at 10:56pm, ready to start all over

again at 9:00am the next morning.

Day Two

The second day began at 9:44am, in what

was a noticeably more subdued atmosphere, either

the effect of having barely made it out of bed, or

more likely the aftermath of one too many glasses

of factional punch. Either way we were caffeinated

and ready to launch into the first of the four

chapters on the day’s agenda, First Nations.

This chapter proved to be a pivotal turning

point to the outcome of the Conference. It

started the same as many others: blocs of motions,

the occasional amendment to absolve the ALP of

blame from Unity, and heckling about the ALP’s

culpability by SAlt. Motion 9.5 (Raise the Age of

Criminal Responsibility – Kids Don’t Belong in

Court) turned the Conference on its head when

Unity proposed an amendment changing the proposed

raised age from 18 to 16 – we received reports

that prior to Conference this change was to

12, but this was abandoned in favour of 16. Amid

cries of shame from NLS, SAlt, and most other

factions on the floor, a campus count was called

for by SAlt. In which the doors to the floor are

locked and the number of votes held by each delegate

– varying depending on the size of their campus

– are tallied. The whole process took an hour,

and determined that Unity did not in fact have

the majority that everyone – including us – had

presumed them to have. Rumours suggested this

was due to some of their delegates being absent

from the floor at the time of the count, and the

groupings hailing from Queensland and WA voting

against the amendment. Irrespective, despite a

procedural entitled ‘Unity Has the Numbers’, this

new information formed the status quo for the remainder

of the conference – a win for the newly

minted majority-holding ‘Left Bloc’. Debate on

this chapter continued for the remainder of the

morning session, covering calls to close detention

centres, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander peoples across the country, and continued

support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

The afternoon session started with a bang

when yet another procedural asserting ‘Unity Has

the Numbers’, nearly ended in another campus

count, after a member of the Windies called for

one as a (sick) ‘joke’. Nevertheless, we launched

into the Education chapter beginning with a bloc

of motions condemning the corporatisation and

significant cuts at universities across the country.

Whilst all factions were in agreement with

the substance of the bloc, opinions differed on

how best to fight these cuts from the NLS’s “twopronged

approach” of activism and change from

within, to the militant activism favoured by SAlt.

And of course plenty of discord over whether or

not the Government should be to blame as well.

The debate on fees also proved quarrelsome, with

Unity breaking into chants of “HECS is best!” on

numerous occasions – to the chagrin of NLS and

SAlt who are wholly in favour of fee-free tertiary

education as had been the case from 1974 to 1989.

Other matters discussed after dinner included AI

and TurnItIn, motions described by SAlt as ‘unserious’

when courses are being cut; bolstering academic

freedom; and support for working students.

By now it was 9:30pm and bar a five minute

break, there was no signs of stopping as we

ploughed on into the Disabilities chapter, not before

several procedurals could be passed to enact

accessibility considerations for everyone’s benefit

– including AusLan clapping for applause, thumbs

down for shame, and clicking for here here, much

to the annoyance of SAlt. Particularly after last

year’s conference where the levelling of heckling

resulted in the conference’s closure for the year.

The opening motions concerning the NDIS – labelled

by SAlt as being ripe for profiteering and

incentivising privatisation – led to fierce debate

that was carried by some delegates into debate on

other blocs, concerning accessibility at NatCon, as

well as accessibility measures at universities more

broadly – with a particular focus on the recently

completed Australian Universities Accord’s ignorance

of disabled students. By 11:30pm, we were

through the chapter with – in the terms of NatCon

at least; but not necessarily reality – a relatively

civil manner.

Day Three

The next morning started slightly later in

the day – presumably in a bid to alleviate the poor

turnout of the previous morning that proved oh so

costly to Unity – with the Ethnocultural chapter.

The chapter opened with two blocs concerning the

conflict in Israel and Palestine – which were both

carried with unanimous support. Other motions

also called upon the NUS to take a stance on conflicts

in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

Sudan, and Armenia and Azerbaijan – all of which

also passed. A bloc concerning Australia’s alliance

with the United States saw a return to Monday’s

debates over AUKUS, though unlike Monday

morning the bloc carried in spite of Unity’s dissent.

Another contentious bloc concerning immigration

detention passed with unanimous support despite

a fairly heated debate over a series of amendments

moved by Unity that SAlt described as ‘gutting’

the motions of any substance. Two urgency motions

closed out the chapter, one concerning Peter

Dutton’s refusal to stand in front of the Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander flags which passed with

unanimous support, and one to encourage attendance

at the NUS Ethnocultural Conference on the

proviso “attendees are not disruptive” which also

passed albeit with SAlt dissenting.

It was then time for the largest single

chapter of the Conference, Welfare, comprising

53 motions covering a broad variety of issues facing

students. This chapter – like several before it –

brought opportunity for tempestuous debate even

though almost all votes had unanimous support

behind them. A particularly contentious bloc concerned

the housing crisis, in which NLS were labelled

“National Landlord Students” by SAlt over

their support of a Unity amendment to strike a point

to “...ban ownership of more than one residential

property…” – the motion in question later passed

with Unity dissenting. Other blocs discussed before

lunch included expansion of the recently introduced

paid placement programme particularly

to degrees not originally covered; public transport

concessions; and student accommodation. Postlunch,

the chapter continued with motions focusing

on the provision of mental health services;

designated smoking places on campus, which SAlt

decried as a distraction from “Labor’s failures”; a

motion highlighting the barriers – particularly for

women – posed by the conduct of some in StuPol;

further support for women including the provision

of contraception and childcare on campuses; an

increase to the rate of welfare payments, including

AusStudy, Youth Allowance, and DSP; free car

parking on campuses; and a return to the housing

debate. A motion calling for the nationalisation

of Coles and Woolworths led to Unity declaring

(unironically) “at the end of the day, everything’s

about profit” – the motion passed with their dissent.

It was then on to the Women’s chapter,

which saw the number of motions per bloc drastically

increased to facilitate quicker progress

through the remaining 7 chapters to be finished

by Conference’s end tomorrow evening. The first

bloc called for greater support for survivors of

gender-based violence, which was passed unanimously.

A bloc concerning increasing abortion

rights was passed unanimously, after Unity

reached a decision to bind on the matter, having

previously allowed a conscience vote. Other blocs

including support for mother’s undergoing tertiary

studies, overcoming the gender-pay gap and further

representation of women in male-dominated

industries; the impact of the cost of living crisis

on women; and calls for greater women representation

in student unions were all passed. A motion

to abolish the USyd Colleges proved contentious

as Unity had allegedly ripped up an unanimously

supported amendment to abolish the colleges entirely,

irrespective the motion still passed.

Conference was intended to continue later

into the night, however owing to a disagreement

between factional leaders over who ought to chair

the Queer chapter – Unity were pushing for the

incoming Queer Officer from their faction, whilst

SAlt argued for the incumbent Queer Officer, a

member of SAlt – led to the latter pulling quorum,

thus ending the conference early (10:32pm), to resume

tomorrow after balloting.

Day Four

The final morning of the Conference allowed

us all to rest our weary eardrums as balloting

occurred, before the Conference resumed

the following afternoon with six chapters to work

through. Prior though, for legal compliance, the

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39

2024 Financial Report had to be passed, which it

was although the Windies abstained – over a comment

from outgoing General Secretary Jono De La

Pena over the increased cost of hosting EdCon in

WA.

Having negotiated a resolution to the dispute

from the previous evening, we moved on to

the Queer chapter, though not before a procedural

to allow NLS to conduct a “business transaction”

to purchase one of the many articles of literature

SAlt had been selling all week. All motions in this

chapter were passed, split between 3 blocs and

2 stand-alone motions. The first bloc concerned

fighting against discrimination and for greater

representation of queer students in university settings;

the second and third concerned themselves

with queer discrimination more broadly – including

the ALP’s failure to include queer people in

the census, and their persecution of LGBTQIA+

refugees. Motion 7.16 – the final to be discussed

for the chapter – proved to be the most contentious

of the chapter, calling for the use of the full

LGBTQIA+ acronym, the motion passed with

SAlt – who prefer the acronym LGBTI+ – dissenting

on the basis that “oppression is not about

acronyms”.

The next chapter, Small and Regional,

was briefly delayed by a procedural to move the

two Vocational Education motions first en bloc,

which were passed albeit with SAlt – of whom the

newly-elected Vocational Education Officer is a

member – abstaining. The chapter was moved as

two blocs, both of which were passed. Focussing

on regional tertiary education, as well as supporting

disadvantaged regional students. Though as

per usual with plenty of debate. Specifically over

the character of those living in the regions, as SAlt

suggested “oppression isn’t when you live a little

way outside the city”, suggesting regional students

don’t require specific considerations.

The penultimate chapter of the Conference

focussed on supporting international students, primarily

focusing on two issues: the recently legislated

caps for international students; and the cost

of an international education in Australia. Which

included another rendition of Unity’s “HECS is

best!” chant as they voted against a motion moved

by SAlt calling for free international and domestic

education – thus ending the chapter.

The final chapter, Environment, rounded

out the conference and somehow after four days of

constant argument, the delegates’ rage and enthusiasm

hadn’t seemed to have dulled at all. As argument

over the final bloc of the conference – including

debate on Labor’s role in exacerbating the

climate crisis through the approval of expansions to

coal and gas mines, as well as Unity’s support for

the adoption of nuclear energy as a solution to the

climate crisis – raged on, resulting in the chapter’s

motions passing despite Unity’s dissent. Marking an

end to a long week for all involved.

For these two intrepid editors, who entered

the week with a sense of naive optimism – “how bad

can it be.” Duske, December 9, 2024 2:33pm – we

found ourselves leaving Ballarat knowing we would

never be able to hear the words “shame”, “Labor”,

and “outrageous” nor think of “punch” (IYKYK)

the same way again. It was a week of yelling, heckling,

and organised chaos – though at times pure

chaos seemed to be the victor of the day. Perhaps, at

the end of the day the conference was best summed

up by one of Monash’s own delegates bellowing:

“Yelling is incompetence!”

Lot’s Wife

Best Tweets

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41

Not-So-Shrinking Violet:

How Patriarchy Makes Puberty

Even More Hellish

Grace Binns

What are you ashamed of? That’s a bit broad. What was the last question you were too embarrassed to

ask? Bit tricky to recall on the spot, huh. What was the last thought you shared that left everyone in the room

evidently flustered and mildly uncomfortable? Oddly specific question.

What I’m getting at here is that there are things we are taught not to talk about and not to share. These

teachings are often inherited, and are usually given in the name of propriety, modesty, or discretion. Whilst that

might sound harmless, these teachings descend from beliefs that are inherently gendered, for example: that a

woman who wants to discuss reproductive health must be a brazen hussy, rather than a person merely seeking to

understand their own body, whose sex life is nobody’s bloody business. Women are so often taught to sacrifice

their power for the comfort of others; to avoid talking about the realities of womanhood and feminism; to not

“always make everything political” as if our very existence isn’t inherently political.

Well, not here friends. Welcome to Not-So Shrinking Violet – your one stop shop for smashing stigma.

Here we’ll be talking patriarchy, intersectionality, periods, vaginas, sex, mental health, anxiety, depression, sexual

assault, body image, self-esteem, and more. We will be holding shame hostage under a spotlight for interrogation

until it tells us where it came from and why. If nothing I’ve said so far has scared you off, then I’m glad

you’re here. Probably the worst thing about shame and stigma is that they make us feel alone in our experiences

when that could not be any further from the truth. In this way, I believe community and conversation are the

antidotes to shame and stigma – antidotes I sincerely hope we can brew together.

If you’d like to follow the conversation more closely, then head on over to @not_so_shrinking_violet on Instagram,

or otherwise keep an eye out for me here in Monash’s very own Lot’s Wife in 2025.

Lots of love,

Not-So-Shrinking Violet

Ah, puberty. Those blissful, glory days of

teenage angst, pimple popping, the crushing weight

of other people’s opinions, and seemingly endless

social awkwardness. Puberty is certainly no picnic

in the best of circumstances, but what about under

patriarchy? Let’s get into it.

Beauty Standards

For starters, puberty can mean increasing

social pressure to undertake more extensive cosmetic

practices, including makeup, hair removal,

hairstyling etc. Patriarchal cultural messaging often

makes it difficult for young women to discern

whether their participation in these practices stems

from a sense of obligation and a desire to conform

or from a true exercise of free will ie ‘am I doing

this because it’s what I want or because it’s what

I’ve been conditioned to want?’

Additionally, young women that refrain

from undertaking cosmetic rituals at the same rate

as their peers often risk judgement or othering. For

example, I can recall being 16 years old when many

of my peers started asking if I felt sick or tired. I

was neither, but most of the young women around

me had already started wearing makeup to school,

and so I began to look sickly by comparison. This

question vanished when I began wearing under eye

concealer.

Body Maturation

Perhaps the greatest change we associate

with puberty is the observable changes in our bodies.

These changes are loaded with both positive and

negative connotations by society, and whilst these

connotations can affect anyone, they are recognised

to have a disproportionate effect on young women,

who report a lower rate of body satisfaction than

their male counterparts. This impact is often explained

by the fact that male bodies are more likely

to mature in line with Western beauty ideals than

female bodies. For example, throughout puberty

many young men experience an increase in muscle

mass and the development of facial hair. It is

important to note, however, that, whilst young men

report a greater degree of body satisfaction than

young women, this satisfaction still decreases with

age throughout adolescence as they become increasingly

subjected to patriarchal messaging around the

importance of a masculine appearance and physical

dominance.

Contrastingly, young women often see an

increase in fat mass and the development of a fuller

body - changes that are often criticised or altogether

omitted by a fatphobic and misogynistic media

industry that fails to recognise the importance and

normality of these processes. Consequently, negative

beliefs about natural changes such as weight

gain are often internalised by young women, exacerbating

an already declining satisfaction with their

bodies. Whilst both young women and young men

suffer as a result of society’s bodily ideals, it is vital

to remember that in both instances these ideals stem

from patriarchy. In the case of young men, patriarchy

champions muscular, mature and dominating

physiques as symbols of manhood. For young women,

patriarchy demands petiteness and delicateness

that contradicts natural body maturation. By reducing

what it means to be a man or a woman down to

merely a body type, patriarchy neglects the complex

biological experiences of puberty and risks fostering

unhealthy relationships with body image and

self-esteem amongst all young people.

Increased Sexualisation

Whilst young women are criticised for

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43

44

gaining weight in the ‘wrong’ places, like our thighs

or our stomach, we are contradictorily praised

(read: objectified) for growing in the ‘right’ places.

It comes as no shocking coincidence that the

‘right’ places are those that further enable the objectification

and sexualisation of women – namely

our breasts and butt. According to a 2018 study by

the Australian Institute of Family Studies, 65% of

young Australian women between 16 and 19 years

of age had been sexually harassed in the 12 months

prior. Whilst anyone can be subjected to sexualisation

or sexual harassment at any age (and I really

mean any age), adolescent body maturation has

been, and continues to be, disturbingly used by perpetrators

to justify these acts; to rationalise illegal

and disgusting behaviour simply because the victim

has “grown into a woman.”

Changing Social Expectations

Throughout puberty, gender roles that have

often been introduced since early childhood become

solidified. For example, the value placed on attractiveness

for women can be seen to begin with an

introduction to appearance based toys (e.g. makeup,

princess dresses), or activities centred around a

patriarchal understanding of femininity as a strictly

nurturing and caretaking quality (eg hosting tea parties,

playing nurse or mother). Whilst at childhood

these notions may seem harmless, by puberty, young

women have been conditioned for years to perceive

their value as inextricably linked to what they can

provide for men – beauty, care and – eventually –

sex. By adolescence, young women are expected

to conform with Western beauty standards and to

regard desirability as the ultimate achievement and

indicator of worth.

Simultaneously, increasing social pressures on men

to garner sexual experience as a marker of status

and dominance generate an unhealthy environment

for sexual interaction.

This race to achieve sexual experience

– as proof of desirability for women and of dominance

for men – risks devaluing the importance of

informed and enthusiastic consent in sexual relationships.

Furthermore, patriarchal values promote

competitive natures in men particularly, thereby

risking perceptions of sex as a contest more than a

consensual and important interaction.

Additionally, the heterocentrism encouraged

by patriarchal norms often leads to the omission

of discourse or education around LGBTQIA+

relationships at this age. Consequently, LGBTQIA+

youth can be left unsupported and isolated when

navigating sexual relationships throughout adolescence.

Mental Health Stigmatisation

Changing hormones, neurochemistry, and

growing responsibilities all result in an increased

likelihood of mental illness or poor mental health

in adolescence. On top of this, patriarchal understandings

perpetuate dangerous ideas that further

stigmatise mental healthcare such as that “it’s weak

to speak”. These understandings are inherently gendered

as they align with traditional perceptions of

masculinity as strong and self-sufficient. As a result,

mental health stigmatisation can impact men

uniquely, with less men than women seeking professional

care when experiencing poor mental health.

Furthermore, when young women voice their concerns

about mental health, they are often dismissed

as merely emotional, ‘hormonal’, or are otherwise

undermined. This is an innately patriarchal characterisation

of femininity as often irrational, one that

dangerously risks the misdiagnosis or dismissal of

young women in need of mental healthcare and support.

Sources available on our website

MSC 1/25

Recap

Angus Duske

The Monash Student Council (MSC), the

peak governing body of the MSA, is responsible for

adopting the MSA’s positions on a variety of issues

and assorted administrative duties. The student body

ought to take an interest in MSC meetings as it is

the representative body for students on campus, our

intention is to provide coverage to keep students upto-date.

With quorum reached, MSC 1/25 was

opened by Chair Sasha Braybrooke (President) at

11:24 and immediately adjourned for 10 minutes

to resolve some technical difficulties. The actual

meeting resumed at 11:34am by acknowledging that

Monash University and the MSA are located on the

unceded lands of the Bunurong peoples. As with almost

all MSCs, the first item concerned the confirmation

of minutes, not just for a Special MSC held in

January, but for 9 additional meetings between July

and December 2024 – 7 general MSCs and 2 special

MSCs – owing to a spot of administrative atrophy on

the part of the outgoing Secretary Zareh Kozanian.

All motions concerning minute confirmation were

moved and seconded by Felix Hughes (Secretary)

and Jay Davis (C&S) respectively. All motions bar

motions #2, #6, and #8 – which were withdrawn

– were passed, as were an amended motion #5 as

moved by Paul Halliday (Ed(Ac)).

The second item, also administrative, was

the acceptance of reports from Office-Bearers – a requirement

of the Regulations for Office-Bearers and

Members of MSA Bodies. At this MSC, reports were

required and received from the President; Secretary;

Creative and Live Arts Department; Activities Department;

Lot’s Wife, including a report on our trip

to NUS NatCon; C&S; MUISS; and RadMon – the

latter two submitted their reports late. No reports

were received from MAPS nor from the Treasurer.

This motion like the previous was moved by Felix

(Secretary) and seconded by Jay (C&S) and passed

with 16 votes in favour.

The next item of business was to consider

the election of an Executive GenRep – these motions

were later withdrawn – however a procedural

moved by Jay (C&S) saw us move to the MSA 2025

Budget first. The budget typically would have been

passed in December however owing to administrative

delays and several inquorate meetings this was

not the case. This item consisted of three motions,

the first to adopt the budget as proposed by the MSA

Executive – again moved and seconded by Jay and

Felix (Secretary). Jay speaks to the motion, highlighting

the efforts made to reduce the deficit and fund

the MSA’s priorities. Rohan (Observer) foreshadows

a coming budget appeal, highlighting an agreement

struck with the previous executive. Charlotte

Sutton (D&C) speaks to her concerns with the budget

process. Imy Layfield (RadMon Proxy) and Anban

Raj (CLA) also speak to concerns raised by Charlotte

surrounding the CLA budget. Following discussion,

the motion passed with 18 in favour and 2 against.

The next two motions were appeals to the

budget that had just been passed. A budget appeal

from Radio Monash, was moved by Imy (RadMon

Proxy) and seconded by Charlotte (D&C). Representatives

of the RadMon committee then presented their

appeal – complete with PowerPoint presentation – to

the MSC discussing the severity of the cuts to their

capacity to maintain RadMon’s facilities – which

provide unique services to students. Felix (Secretary)

thanks RadMon for their services, but explains

the difficulties in compiling the 2025 Budget. Paul

(Ed(Ac)) expresses his support for RadMon, and discusses

how potential one-off expenses could be made

through capital allocations rather than their annual

budget. The motion failed with 7 votes in favour,

and 8 votes against. The second budget appeal was

from the Queer Department to increase their budget,

moved by Eden (Queer OB), however the motion was

ruled out by the Chair owing to a range of discrepancies

with the Standing Orders as noted by Jay (C&S).

This was followed by a motion to allow the

Executive to authorise spending of up to $10,000 per

item with exceptions for areas the Constitution bestows

exclusively on the MSC, in compliance with

section 23(e)(i) of the MSA Constitution. This motion

was also moved by Felix (Secretary) and seconded by

Jay (C&S). The mover and seconder explain the rationale

behind the motion. Alex (MAPS) raises concerns

which Jay (C&S) and Paul (Ed(Ac)) respond to.

The motion goes to a vote and passes with 16 votes in

favour.

Item I concerned two motions moved by Jay

(C&S) and seconded by Alex Self (MAPS) regarding

45

the standing orders by which MSCs are conducted,

both which require an absolute majority to pass. The

first motion sought changes to clause 2.1, 4.2, and

28.5, whilst the second sought to clarify standing orders

surrounding the calling of MSC meetings. Jay

(C&S) explains the changes, whilst Charlotte (D&C)

raises concerns with a point in the first motion to

which Jay (C&S), Paul (Ed(Ac)) and Alex (MAPS)

responds. The first motion passes with the requisite

absolute majority. The mover and seconder also both

spoke to the second motion explaining the rationale

behind what he viewed as common sense changes to

the manner notice is given. Debate particularly focused

on accidental omission of meetings. The second

motion failed to reach an absolute majority with

only 10 votes in favour.

this motion per legal advice. The motion was carried

unanimously. The second concerned expanding the

Do Not Approach Badge programme for students to

wear during election periods should they choose. Jay

(C&S) clarifies the changes that he is proposing to the

regulations, as well as the rationale behind it. Charlotte

(D&C) responds to concerns that Jay and Felix

raised about the use of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower

lanyards as indicators that a student does not

wish to be approached, and explains the community

consultation behind that. Jay responds to Charlotte’s

concerns, as Jos (Observer) speaks in support of him

on the basis it breaches the Equal Opportunities Act.

Imy (RadMon Proxy) seeks clarification on the discussion,

to which Jay and Charlotte each respond.

The second motion goes to a vote and passes.

46

Following those motions, a motion to oppose

and condemn the implementation of the Hodgkinson

Review at USyd was moved by Beck Riches

(GenRep) and seconded by Jay (C&S). The motion

also calls for the MSA to oppose any such measures

should they be adopted at Monash. The mover speaks

to the encampment movement and this report which

seeks to curtail similar movements from occurring

again and the wider ramifications for students and

staff engaging in political speech. Jay (C&S), as seconder,

spoke to some of the archaic requirements the

review suggests. Paul (Ed(Ac)) speaks to the importance

of the motion and a similar motion passed late

last year. Madi (Ed(Pub)) also appealed for support,

speaking especially to the consequences that staff

may face. Jos (Observer) spoke to broader implications

the implementation of such a policy may lead

to. The motion went to a vote and carried.

Two reports from the MSA’s Returning

Officer concerning the 2024 MSA Election and the

2024 MSA Carer Definition Referendum were presented

for acceptance – both motions were moved

by Jay (C&S) and seconded by Felix (Secretary). Jay

(C&S) explained the content of both reports, whilst

the seconder agreed with Jay and encouraged members

to accept the reports. The former was passed

with 14 votes in favour and the latter also passed


In addition to standing order changes, Jay

(C&S) also moved two motions concerning election

regulations – both seconded by Felix (Secretary).

The first ratified the regulations adopted at

MSC 7/24 to comply with his proposed changes to

notice periods in item I. Jay (C&S), Felix (Secretary),

and Paul (Ed(Ac) all explain the necessity for

The final motion of the meeting sought to approve

three months leave for CLA Officer Michelle

Grigorian, a motion moved by Felix (Secretary) and

seconded by Jay (C&S). The mover and seconder

explained the rationale on the motion, which passed


The meeting concluded with General Business in

which Paul (Ed(Ac)) implored members to attend

APC hearings; Sasha raised the National Student

Ombudsman; Madi raised the schedulings of MSC

citing clashes students may have with classes, to

which Felix responded explaining his rationale for

the scheduling; Beck (GenRep) makes a point on

procedure regarding speaking lists; Rohan (Observer)

invites all MSC members to visit RadMon to see the

work they do for themselves; Jay invites any interested

members to speak with Jay about standing order

changes; and Alex requests that technology is set

up prior to the meeting. All before Sasha (President/

Chair) closed the meeting at 2:10pm. The next MSC

is scheduled for March 5, 2025 and we of course shall

be there to keep you informed on all that happens.

All MSCs are available to observe on Zoom or in person.

The full schedule, including Zoom links is available

at https://msa.monash.edu/governance under

“2025 MSC Schedule”.

Clubs and

Societies

47

CLUBS AND SOCIETIES / ACADEMIC


Computing and Commerce Association

The Computing and Commerce Association (CCA) is the only joint IT

and Commerce Association in Victoria, helping to unite business and

technology students since its founding in 2000. It is through this that we

strive to achieve our aim: “to foster a link between the professionals of

today and the professionals of tomorrow.” This year marks our 25th anniversary,

offering even more benefits, exclusive networking opportunities,

and a special anniversary event. Join CCA to connect with like-minded

peers, gain valuable industry insights, and prepare yourself to excel in the

ever-evolving fields of commerce and technology!

ESSA - Economics Students Society of Australia

Economics Student Society of Australia (ESSA) is a passionate and nurturing

community bonded by an appreciation of economics. We welcome

students from all disciplines to reflect its interdisciplinary nature. We are

dedicated to connecting students, professionals and academics through

our professional events, which seek to guide students in exploring varying

study and career pathways within economics.

We publish articles, guides, podcasts, and run revision seminars to support

you! This year, our competitions and workshops support developing

your technical and soft skills, while our trivia nights and frequent social

events encourage students to connect with other econ-enthusiasts within

the broader community.

Faculty of IT Society (WIRED)

WIRED is Monash’s official IT Society dedicated to supporting students

in the Faculty of IT. As a member, you’ll enjoy a diverse range of events,

from grand social gatherings like our annual Ball to gaming nights and

drinks & games at Fortress with friends and peers. Network with industry

professionals at our exclusive events and explore various career

paths. Enhance your skills through academic workshops, covering topics

from machine learning to web development. WIRED is committed to

enriching your student experience, offering everything you need to thrive

both socially and professionally. Join us and be part of the ultimate IT

community!

GLEAM - Queers in STEM

GLEAM is a student-run group for Queer+ identifying students in STEM+

degrees at Monash university. We run popular social events including:

Crafternoons; BBQs; Queer Nights Out; and much more! We also provide

career and industry related resources and opportunities through our

newsletters and LGBTQ+ friendly STEM networking events. Be sure to

follow us on Instagram & Facebook and become a member to keep up to

date with events and newsletters! All are welcome :)

cca@monashclubs.org

Instagram - @

ccamonash

essa@monashclubs.org

Instagram - @essa.

wired@monashclubs.

org

Facebook - Wired-

Monash

Instagram - wiredgleam@monashclubs.

org

Instagram - @gleam_

monash

Facebook - @GLEAM

Law Students Society / LSS

The Monash Law Students Society (LSS) is the largest law students’ society

in Australia, and one of the largest voluntary student organisations

in the country. We strive to provide a variety of services, information and

events for Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Masters students undertaking

their studies at Monash University. LSS has activities and initiatives

for everyone including social events, networking nights, competitions,

educational seminars and social justice & equity initiatives. We hope you

will find something that piques your interest, and encourage you to be

brave and put yourself forward for all the opportunities that come your

way!

Monash Actuarial Students Society- MASS

The Monash Actuarial Students’ Society (MASS) facilitates peer support

and professional networking for students pursuing or interested in

actuarial fields. We provide a welcoming community to connect with

like-minded peers, gain insights from industry professionals, and access

valuable career-building opportunities. From actuarial course progression

resources to career workshops and social events, MASS equips

members with the skills and relationships essential for success in the

actuarial field. Whether you’re beginning your actuarial journey or preparing

to enter the workforce, MASS is here to guide and support you

every step of the way.

Monash Advanced Science and Science Scholar Society (MASS^3/

MASS Cubed)

Monash Advanced Science and Science Scholar Society (MASS Cubed)

is where we unite professional networking for advanced science students...

with total unseriousness.

We are open to all students undertaking an Advanced Science degree,

which includes the Research, Global Challenges, and Applied Data Science

Advanced variants. Our events might get you having a drink with

your professors, watching one-slide presentations on the most random

and absurd – but incredibly interesting – topics, helping film skits to raise

awareness of science in society, and plenty more.

Whether you’re here to discover the meaning of life or the free food,

you’ll be welcome at MASS Cubed :)

Monash Biological Society

The Monash Biological Society isn’t just a club – it’s a vibrant ecosystem,

teeming with a shared passion for Biology. Whether you love the

tiniest cells, or the largest biomes, BiolSoc has something for you! Flex

your creative green thumb in our Pot Painting and Planting Picnics, catch

a breath of fresh air as we hike, and kill invasive cacti at our famous

Cactus Camp. Maybe you’re more of a bookworm? We have study sessions

and academic seminars too! We welcome you into our community,

where curiosity calls and friendships flourish. Join us to discover life in

every detail!

lss@monashclubs.org

Instagram - @monashlss

acturial@monashclubs.

org

Instagram- @monashactuary

Website- @monashactuary.com.au

mass3@monashclubs.

org

Instagram - @mass-

3monash

X - @MASSCubed

biologicalsociety@

monashclubs.org

Instagram - @monashbiolsoc

Facebook - @Monash

University Biological

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Monash Biomed Society (MBS)

The Monash Biomed Society (MBS) is one of the leading society’s at

Monash Clayton! As a student run not-for-profit organization, we seek

to enhance the biomedical student experience by fostering friendships,

supporting students through post-graduate endeavours, and increasing

access to opportunities in the emerging biomedical space. We are here

for you - focusing on delivering fun and quality events for both the social

and academic sides of university life. These include, First Year’s Camp,

Mystery Bus, Corporate Cocktails, and our annual Biomed Ball which

attracts over 600+ members. We champion diversity and inclusion, seeking

to ensure our events are available to everyone!

clubbiomed@monashclubs.org

Instagram - @monashbiomedsociety

Facebook - Monash

Monash Enviornmental Engineering Society

The Monash Law Students Society (LSS) is the largest law students’ society

in Australia, and one of the largest voluntary student organisations

in the country. We strive to provide a variety of services, information and

events for Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Masters students undertaking

their studies at Monash University. LSS has activities and initiatives

for everyone including social events, networking nights, competitions,

educational seminars and social justice & equity initiatives. We hope you

will find something that piques your interest, and encourage you to be

brave and put yourself forward for all the opportunities that come your

way!

mees@monashclubs.org

Instagram - @mees_

monashuni

Monash Biomedical Engineering Student Society (MBESS)

The Monash Biomedical Engineering Student Society (MBESS) is your

point of contact as a Biomedical Engineering student, or if you are exploring

career opportunities in the field. This society will offer opportunities

for you to meet other students in the specialisation, connect with

industry for internships or future career opportunities, whilst providing

essential study support, course guidance, and semester abroad advice.

As a new and growing specialisation, MBESS strives to forge a strong

student community. Get involved to stay informed about your course,

expand your industry network, and confidently navigate your biomedical

engineering journey—whilst forming lasting friendships along the way!

Monash Education & Teachers’ Association (META)

The Monash Education and Teacher’s Association (META) is an inclusive,

fun-loving community where preservice teachers and students interested

in education can connect and stay informed on academic events

and issues. This year we are so excited to be holding regular academic,

social, and community events, including an International Women’s Day

Luncheon, trivia nights, Q&A panels, and our annual Education Ball!

META members also receive exclusive offers, opportunities, and discounts

to popular events and retailers. Become a META member now!

It’s free for MSA+ members and only $5 for non-members!

Monash Engineering Students’ Society (MESS)

MESS is Monash’s largest engineering club. Our mission is to support

the growth of all engineering students throughout their journey via our

four portfolios:

- Academic: offers helpful resources such as our Education Guide and

revision sessions;

- Industry: connects students with industry professionals via networking

events and our Careers Guide;

- Social: provides opportunities for students to socialise through events

such as Cocktail Night, MESS Ball and BBQs;

- Wellbeing & Equity: connects, educates and advocates for all Engineering

students, with various events and a podcast aiming to destigmatise

relevant issues.

See you at our events and stay MESSy!

biomedical.eng@

monashclubs.org

Instagram - @mbess.

clayton

education@monashclubs.org

@meta_monash

mess@monashclubs.org

Instagram - @insta.mess

Facebook + LinkedIn

- Monash Engineering

Students’ Society

Monash International Affairs Society (MIAS)

Monash International Affairs Society (MIAS) is a student-led organization

dedicated to providing its members with enriching opportunities to

examine global affairs. Some of our core initiatives include:

• Pivot: student led, online publication for discussing international affairs

• Atlas: official podcast

• Networking Night & Diplomatic Gala

• United Nations Youth Representative Meeting

• DFAT Graduate Program Info Night

• MUNash: Monash Model United Nations two Day Conference

• Global MUN program: two teams sponsored by MIAS to attend overseas

model united nations conferences

Monash Linguistics Society (LingSoc)

The Monash Linguistics Society is a dynamic community for anyone

passionate about languages, cultures, and linguistics. From engaging

talks led by Monash professors on topics like AI and language to fun

trivia nights and creative ConLang sessions, we offer something for everyone.

Network at our end-of-semester celebrations, join thought-provoking

discussions and connect with like-minded enthusiasts. Whether

you’re here to learn, create, or simply enjoy, our vibrant society we welcome

you to explore the fascinating world of linguistics. Join us this year

for discovery, connection, and a celebration of language in all its forms!

Monash Nutrition and Dietetics Society (MNDS)

Hello! At Monash Nutrition and Dietetics Society (MNDS), we’re all for

good food and good vibes! Whether you’re passionate about nutrition

and food, interested in wellness, or just here for a good time, we’ve got

plenty of events lined up this year for you. From networking opportunities

that help connect students with industry professionals and like-minded

peers, to game and trivia nights—perfect for unwinding and having

fun. Join our society and be part of a community that’s shaping a brighter,

healthier future!

mias@monashclubs.org

Instagram - @_mias___

Facebook - MonashIAS

lingsoc@monashclubs.

org

Instagram - @monash.

linguistics.society

mnds@monashclubs.

org

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Monash Philosophy Society (MPS)

Monash Philosophy Society (MPS) is aimed at discussing - and hopefully

answering - many of life’s most profound issues with our fellow

students. Our club is committed to tackling these topics in accessible and

fruitful ways. We invite students of all interests and perspectives to share

and discuss here, so that we can all take home something thought-provoking.

Pop by our weekly Philosophy and Tea event to discuss different

topics in a laid-back environment, or join us for a variety of talks, guest

speakers and collaborations throughout the year. Stay tuned to our socials

to see what we get up to!

philosophy@monashclubs.org

Instagram - @monashphilosophysociety

Facebook - Monash

Society of Arts Students (SAS)

At SAS Monash, we are dedicated to building a vibrant, inclusive community

within the Arts and beyond! Our mission is to connect like-minded

individuals throughout their degrees. SAS creates spaces where everyone

feels welcomed, valued, and celebrated. From unforgettable nights out to

lifelong friendships, we offer core university experiences you’ll cherish

forever. As one of Monash’s largest societies, our renowned events—like

SAS Camp, SAS Ball at the MCG, and Drinks & Links —are not to be

missed! Join us to discover what it truly means to be part of the SAS

family!

sas@monashclubs.org

Instagram - @sas.

monash

Monash Radiation Student Society (MRSS)

The Monash Radiation Student Society (MRSS) is all about bringing Radiation

Science/Radiography students together. In 2025, we’re focused

on building connections—whether it’s through fun social events, industry

networking opportunities, or study support sessions. Our goal is to

help you thrive, both academically and personally, while exploring the

exciting world of Radiation Science. MRSS is more than just a club; it’s

a community where you’ll find support, friendships, and a shared passion

for making a difference in healthcare. Come join us and be part of something

meaningful!

Monash Science Society (MSS)

Hey! Welcome to Monash Science Society (MSS). We’re so excited for

what 2025 brings and we would love to see you there every step of the

way. From our First Years Camp to Ball and Cocktail Night or our Academic

Networking Night, we’re sure to have something for everyone!

Come join us on our socials below! We hope to see you around.

With Love,

-MSS

Nursing Students Society, Monash Clayton (NSS)

The Nursing Students Society (NSS) at Monash Clayton is a supportive

community dedicated to nursing students across all Monash University

campuses, with a focus on Clayton students. Our mission is to foster professional

growth, social connections, and academic success. NSS offers

tailored programme like study workshops, networking opportunities, and

social events. By strengthening inter-campus ties, we create a more connected

and inclusive environment. Together, we forge a better future in

Victorian healthcare by empowering our next industry-leading Monash

students.

radiation@monashclubs.org

Instagram, TikTok and

Linktree -

@monashradsociety

science@monashclubs.

org

Linktree - https://linktr.

ee/mss_clayton

nursing@monashclubs.

org

Instagram - @nssmonash

Discord: discord.gg/

Society of Chemistry Students (SOCS)

Hi there, we’re the Society of Chemistry Students, a society to scratch

that mad scientist itch. Whether you’re a lab rookie or a titration expert,

anyone with an interest in chemistry is welcome!

Network at careers nights, claim a trivia crown and tour professional labs

all with SOCS. You can also connect with like-minded molecules or get

help with grinding out a lab report on our Discord server.

So why not join SOCS? After all, the best bonds start with a little chemistry!

Society of Physics, Astro and Maths (SPAM)

The Society of Physics, Astronomy and Maths (SPAM) is a student society

passionate about Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics. Whether

you’re seeking to pursue these fields in the future or are simply fascinated

by the forces that shape our universe, we welcome you.

Join us for insightful talks from professors and students within the field,

exclusive tours of real physics labs at Monash, and the chance to connect

with like-minded individuals. No matter your skill level, if you enjoy

asking “how?” and “why?”, SPAM is for you.

TeamMED

Passionate about global health? TeamMED unites students from all disciplines

to tackle health inequities through ethical and sustainable initiatives.

We collaborate with communities worldwide—including Nepal,

India, the Philippines, and Uganda—whilst running impactful local projects.

At our core, we believe in learning from communities and working

together to create a more accessible, interconnected healthcare system.

Whether you’re interested in medical volunteering, global health education,

or advocacy, there’s a place for you. Join a diverse, multidisciplinary

team committed to making a difference. Be part of the change—

get involved with TeamMED today!

spam@monashclubs.org

chemistry@monashclubs.org

Instagram and Facebook-

@monashchemsociety

teammed@monashclubs.org

Facebook - @Team

MED

Instagram - @teammedmonash

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53


CLUBS AND SOCIETIES / CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL

Transport Engineers at Monash (TEM)

The Transport Engineers at Monash (TEM) is the official academic club

for Transport engineering faculty at Monash University. We are a student-run,

not-for-profit organization.

We act as an intermediary for communication between the members of

the Transport faculty, industry and the student body, to ensure that students

have a fulfilling study experience and can expect a high standard of

education. We also act as a connection between students and the industry,

promoting events and opportunities which we believe can aid students in

their development for their career ahead.

tem@monashclubs.org

Facebook - Transport

Engineers at Monash -

TEM

Australia-China Youth Association (ACYA)

ACYA (Australia-China Youth Association) unites a network of passionate,

young Australians and Chinese who are committed to enhancing

cross-cultural exchange and engagement. With events centred around our

three main organisational pillars: Careers, Education and People-to-People

(P2P) Exchange, we aim to foster a supportive and inclusive environment

where individuals interested in the Australia-China space can

continue to develop their professional profile, become more culturally

aware and strengthen connections.

Korean Appreciation Student Association (KASA)

KASA is a social and cultural club, where students can learn, share and

enjoy traditional and contemporary Korean culture. Whether you’re passionate

about K-pop, Korean food, dramas or history, KASA welcomes

everyone, regardless of your background, or Korean language skills.

acyamonash@monashclubs.org

Instagram - @acyamonash

KASA holds a variety of events from trivia to sport games, and is a great

way to build friendships and socialize over delicious food and exciting

activities! Our annual camp in Semester One is the perfect opportunity

to enjoy time away and have fun, whilst connecting over Korean culture.

Stay up to date with club on our socials!

korean@monashclubs.

org

Instagram - @monashkasa

TikTok - @kasamonash

Monash African Society (MAfS)

Monash African Society (MAfS) is a community dedicated to celebrating

students and the culture, direct from the continent. We host game nights,

movie nights, and cookouts throughout the semester, and would love to

see you at our events! Come along and join the MAfS family!

african@monashclubs.

org

Instagram - @monashafricansociety

Monash Arab Society (MARS)

MARS is your go-to for all things Arab vibes, culture, community, and

advocacy on campus! We’re all about celebrating the rich and diverse

Arab heritage in the most authentic and fun way whilst helping you

form a community. Whether you’re here for food, laughs, or to socialise,

MARS is it. Think of us as your new family away from home—minus the

aunties asking why you’re still single. Yallah, join us for unforgettable

events, friendships, and memories (don’t worry, we take Arab timing into

consideration—and yes, we argue about the best dialect).

arab@monashclubs.orgs


arab.society

Facebook - Monash

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Monash Christian Union (CU)

What are you living for? Or, better yet, who? At Christian Union (CU),

we believe there is no one better to live for than Jesus. Maybe you’ve already

met Jesus. Or, maybe you’ve never even heard of Jesus. Or, maybe

you grew up in church but still feel something’s missing. At CU, we love

to help people question, come to know, and grow their love for Jesus. So

come along to an event (Tuesday night whole-club gatherings, Friday

night international student gatherings, weekly small groups, or one-off

events across the semester) to find out who you could be living for.

Monash French Society

As a group of French enthusiasts, the French club celebrates French culture

and everything it brings to the table—literally and metaphorically

(because who doesn’t love crêpes and croissants?). Open to absolutely

everyone, we hold weekly conversation classes for beginners and advanced

speakers alike, creating a fun and friendly space to practise and

improve spoken French. But language is just the beginning! Join us for

French film nights, Wine and Cheese soirées, wine glass painting, and

more. Whether you’re here for the language, the culture, or just the pastries,

there’s a place for you at Monash French Society!

Monash German, Liechtensteiner, Austrian and Swiss Society

(GLASS)

The Monash German, Liechtensteiner, Austrian and Swiss Society celebrates

the culture and people of German speaking countries. As a club,

we aim to spread knowledge and appreciation for the languages and cultures

of these countries and to embrace their traditions. Oktoberfest is

our event of the year, but we have social gatherings throughout, which

are socially and academically focused. We will also be hosting many fun

events with other cultural clubs for you to look forward to!

Monash Indian Cultural Society (MICS)

The Monash Indian Cultural Society (MICS) is Monash University’s largest

social club, enriching student life through exciting on- and off-campus

events. Focused on connecting domestic and international students,

MICS celebrates Indian culture while benefiting the wider community.

The success of the organization is driven by our four key committees:

Events, Marketing, Sponsorship, and Communications.

christianunion@

monashclubs.org

Instagram - @monashclaytonchristianunion

Facebook - Monash

french@monashclubs.

org

Instagram - @monashfrench

Facebook - @Monash

german@monashclubs.

org

Instagram - @monash_

glass

Facebook - @monashgermanclub

indian@monashclubs.

org

Instagram - @micsmonash

Facebook - @micsmo-

Monash Jewish Students Society, MonJSS

The Monash Jewish Students Society is your hub for a vibrant and supportive

Jewish community at uni! We host a range of social, cultural,

political, religious, and intellectual events to strengthen connection to

Jewish identity and help you develop new skills in life and your career.

With events running year-round, you’ll have the chance to make lifelong

friends and grow alongside like-minded students, whether you’re Jewish

or just curious about Judaism.

Monash University Italian Club (MUIC)

As one of the biggest cultural clubs at Monash University, we aim to

connect students of all backgrounds with Italian culture and language

through a variety of immersive activities and experiences.

We run so many different events all year round, from our “Parliamo”

conversation classes, pasta days, bar nights, games nights, and music

and sporting events, to our annual Italian Ball and numerous other events

with other university clubs and Italian-Australian organisations.

Everyone is welcome, so please come along and say ciao to us! We are

always ready to learn, socialise and celebrate with you... Andiamo MUIC

2025!

Pakistani Association at Monash (PAM)

The Pakistani Association at Monash (PAM) is the largest Pakistani student

association in Victoria and one of Monash University’s fastest-growing

clubs! PAM is an inclusive community aimed at promoting Pakistani

culture, language, and traditions to the wider student body.

From our award winning cultural nights and movie screenings to exciting

game nights and social events, PAM strives to offer a wholesome

university experience where students can make lasting friendships and

memories.

Stay connected with us on social media to keep up with our events. We

can’t wait to meet you and welcome you to the PAMily!

Power to Change (PTC)

Power to Change is an inter-denominational Christian club which aims to

journey alongside students and help them to explore their faith. Whether

you’re a Christian or just interested in finding out more about Jesus, you

are more than welcome to check us out!

We offer small-group meetings where students can help each other grow

in their faith, and larger group meetings to build fellowship with other

students. We also offer a “Christianity Explained” informal course, if

you’d like to explore what Christianity is all about.

monjss@monashclubs.

org

Instagram - @monjss

Facebook - @monjss

italian@monashclubs.

org

Monash Italian -

@monashitalian

pakistani@monashclubs.org

Instagram - @pammonash

powertochange@

monashclubs.org

Instagram - @powertochange.monash

Facebook - powertochangemonashclayton

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Singapore Association of Monash (SAM)

The Singapore Association of Monash (SAM) is a vibrant student-run

community that celebrates the heart and soul of Singapore. Fellow Singaporeans,

this is your home away from home. Through cultural celebrations,

social events, and meaningful initiatives, SAM fosters a close-knit

community, preserving the kampong spirit. Whether you’re Singaporean

or simply interested in our culture, everyone is welcome!

sam@monashclubs.org

Instagram - @sam.

monash

Facebook - Singapore

CLUBS AND SOCIETIES / POLITICAL AND

SPECIAL INTEREST

ALP (Labor) Club, Monash (ALP)

Hi! We’re the ALP Club here at Monash, and we are Monash’s biggest,

oldest and proudest left-wing club on campus. If you’re interested in

progressive politics, including women’s rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, and

climate change, then come along to one of our club events and meet

some like-minded people! We’ve got a busy year up ahead; we’ve got the

federal election, chances to meet MPs, and we’ll be working on progressive

policy, and there’s no better time to get involved than now. Whether

you’re an experienced campaigner or just looking to get started, we’ll be

around to help.

Fantasy and Sci-Fi Association (FASA)

The Fantasy and Sci-Fi Association (FASA) is the home of geeky media

at Monash. Whether you’re an avenger, whovian, hunter, pirate, or dragon-rider,

we welcome and celebrate all things Fantasy and Sci-Fi . FASA

runs a range of events throughout the year including cinema screenings

of new films, trivia nights, talks on Sci-Fi and Fantasy, annual dinners

and regular movie nights! Come check us out at O-Week or sign up online

to get emails about our events. So grab your Fez, ignite your lightsaber,

cast your spells, hold onto your butts and set your phasors to stun.

This… Is.. FASA!

alp@monashclubs.org

Instagran - @monashlaborclub

Facebook - Monash

debaters@monashclubs.

org


debating

Facebook - Monash Asfasa@monashclubs.org

Facebook - MonashFA-

SA

Instagram - monashfasa

Monash Association of Debaters (MAD)

The Monash Association of Debaters (MAD) is a welcoming and diverse

community dedicated to fostering a passion for debating and adjudicating.

The club aims to inspire members, whilst equipping them with valuable

skills that extend beyond debating. Through bi-weekly training sessions

featuring lectures on debating techniques and practice spars, members

have the opportunity to develop critical thinking, argumentation, and

public speaking skills. Beyond debating, the club offers opportunities to

network, make friends, and participate in tournaments. Whether you’re

a seasoned debater aiming to compete or a newcomer seeking to build

confidence, MAD offers a supportive environment where everyone can

thrive.

Monash Boardgames Society

We’re the Monash Boardgames Society, and we offer what you expect

– playing board games! Every Monday and Thursday night during semester,

we roll a big trolley with over one hundred games, and anyone is

free to play! From Exploding Kittens to Eclipse, Antidote to Wingspan,

we have a large range of games from the casual to the complex, and a

friendly community to play them with.

We also run a tournament each semester, pizza nights and collabs with

other clubs. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or join our Discord to

stay in the loop. Hope to see you there!

mbs@monashclubs.org

Facebook - Monash-

Boardgames

Instagram - monash.

boardgames

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SPECIAL INTEREST

Monash Card Collective (MCC)

Longtime TCG player? Interested in learning, but you’ve never found

your playgroup?

The Monash Card Collective (MCC) is a space to find friendly and

like-minded players of Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Android:

Netrunner. Beyond providing a regular casual play space and community,

we run MTG Pre-Releases, Yu-Gi-Oh! tournaments, competitive semester-long

leagues, cube drafts, and single night Swisse tournaments!

We invite players of all skill levels to come and hang at our weekly game

nights, play what you love the most, and join a thriving community. New

faces will always have a seat at our tables <3

cardcollective@

monashclubs.org


SPECIAL INTEREST

Monash University Greens Society - MUGS

Reading the news right now is difficult. Democratic decline, environmental

crisis, atrocities abroad, widening economic inequality, and politicians

acting like business-as-usual. But it only stays like that as long

as we let it.

The Monash Greens are a collective of radical, progressive, left-wing

students who understand that a world in crisis requires radical fixes. We

hold talks, skill-sharing workshops, doorknocking, and social events to

foster meaningful community, and campaign on the issues we know are

important to Monash students (like fossil fuels and weapons on campus).

It’s too late for band-aid solutions. Help us build something better.

liberal@monashclubs.

org

Instagram: @

monashuniversitylibergreens@monashclubs.

org

Instagram - @

monashunigreens

Facebook - Monash

Monash Chess Club (MCC)

Hello!

We’re the Monash Chess Club, a club for anyone who enjoys playing and

learning about the game of chess. We welcome players of all skill levels

so whether you are a new player trying the game for the first time or a

master-level player who has played chess for many years, this club is for

you. Our goal is to allow students from all backgrounds to participate in a

common game by facilitating engagement in casual games and competitive

tournaments. Additionally, by joining our club you will also have the

ability to get free pizza on pizza nights.

Monash Film Society (MFS)

Are you a dedicated cinephile or just someone who enjoys a good movie

night? The Monash Film Society (MFS) is the perfect place for all film

lovers, from casual viewers to passionate enthusiasts. Our club brings

members together through weekly film screenings, interactive workshops,

exciting trivia nights, and even event outings! — a great way to

unwind and connect with fellow movie fans. Whether you’re looking to

explore classic masterpieces, discover hidden gems, or simply escape the

study grind, MFS has something for everyone. Join us and experience the

magic of cinema!

Monash University Crochet and Knitting Society(MUCKS)

Hi All! We at MUCKS are the home of all things yarn-work at Monash!

Whether your interest is in crochet, knitting, or both, we’ve got you covered

with events, free patterns, social opportunities and more! New to the

craft, but interested? We have regular “Learn to Knit/Crochet” sessions

for people of all skill levels! More experienced and looking for inspiration?

Join us at our weekly craft sessions where we get to know each

other and share projects, or have a go at our monthly themes! We can’t

wait for you to join us here at MUCKS!

chess@monashclubs.

org

Instagram - @monashchessclub

film@monashclubs.org

Instagram - @monashfilmsoc

Facebook - Monash

mucks@monashclubs.

Monash University Liberal Club, MULC

Founded in 1962, the Monash University Liberal Club is the only center-right

club on campus, offering an outlet for students interested in conservatism

and liberalism.

In addition to regular weekly meetings every Wednesday at 1 pm, club

members will have the opportunity to attend numerous pub nights, campaigning

events, and dinners—not to mention the annual Canberra Budget

Trip!

Society for Anime and Manga Appreciation (SAMA)

Are you a fan of anime, manga, and anything in between?

Then the Society for Anime and Manga Appreciation would love to welcome

you! We host unique events each week and have weekly social and

art meetups, as well as anime screenings, providing perfect opportunities

to meet others with shared interests and enrich your social experience!

Our reputation as one of the biggest university anime clubs in Victoria

has given us the honour of offering our members discounts on anime

goods from both online and in-store merchants around Australia.

We hope to see you soon!

anime@monashclubs.

org

Instagram - @monashsama

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Arcade

Lucinda Campbell

Arcade: ‘Arcade’ seeks to challenge preconceptions

regarding the age barriers that exist surrounding

certain hobbies such as arcade games,

which are commonly associated with children

and teenagers. By depicting adults playing a car

racing game, it is suggested that one can never

be too old to try new things; to have fun. This

extends into fashion, with the figures’ fashionable

clothing highlighting that age should not

constrict one’s expression of self.

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63

Lot’s to look

forward

to...

Until next time!

Edition one, 2025 / Front cover art by Lucinda Campbell

LW012025

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