The post Online Declaration of Results appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

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To be held ON-LINE from Tuesday 6 October to Thursday 8 October 2020

Nominations OPEN on Wednesday 26 August 2020 and CLOSE at 2:00pm on Friday 11 September 2020 for the following positions:

• President
• General Secretary
• Assistant General Secretary
• Education Officer
• Welfare Officer
• Postgraduate Officer to be elected by and from postgraduate students
• Women’s Officer to be elected by and from women students

• International Students’ Officer to be elected by and from students who hold an Overseas Student Visa

• Indigenous Officer to be elected by and from Indigenous Students of UTS
• 14 Student Representative Councillors
• 7 Delegates to the National Union of Students
• Vertigo Editorial Team (of between 6 and 12 students)

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Nominations must be submitted on the prescribed form which may be obtained from the Students’ Association office at Broadway (Ph. 02 9514 1155) or from the Returning Officer or from https://utsstudentsassociation.org.au/elections

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Each candidate requires 3 nominators.

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Candidate’s statements and photographs (to be published in Vertigo) must be submitted with the nomination forms and in soft copy form in the required format by the close of nominations.

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NOMINATIONS CLOSE AT 2:00PM FRIDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 2020

NOMINATIONS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS TIME

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Nominations may be received at the Association Office on Friday 11 September from 12 Noon to 2pm, OR may be emailed to the Returning Officer no later than 2pm Friday 11 September 2020.

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Group Nominations (Lists/Tickets)

Group nominations are possible where there is more than one position available for a particular office, ie for  Student Representative Councillors and NUS, and is required for Editors of Vertigo

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A person can only be elected to 1 position on the UTSSA, but may nominate for multiple positions. Where applicable, the candidate must email the Returning Officer stating their order of preference for the positions.

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Persons can be elected to both the UTSSA and NUS, as these are different elections

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The Draw for positions on the ballot paper will be held at 1pm on Monday 14 September.

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Voting will be on-line this year using the Universities system. Students will be emailed a link, and will log in using their normal credentials.

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THERE IS NO POSTAL VOTING AT THIS ELECTION

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Please direct all queries to Philip Binns (the UTSSA Returning Officer) via email to returning.officer@ozemail.com.au or phone 0432 218 026.

Philip Binns

Returning Officer

0432218026

Email: returning.officer@ozemail.com.au

The post 2020 UTSSA Election Notice appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

Visuals: Amy Toma | @amyytoma

I’ve already seen too many of my friends suffer for simply existing.

Melissa Sara, Queer Collective Officer 2020

A crowd gathers on the steps. We don’t really know where we’re going, and the rain hangs heavy. We’re all a rainbow here: groups defined by their difference. A caretaker shields a wheelchair-bound friend with a prismatic umbrella. A grandmother whispers to her granddaughter. Today, everyone does what they can.

We’ve all heard the rallying cry. The Morrison Government wants to pass their own ‘Hobby Lobby Bill’ — the Religious Freedom Act. Nothing free about it, cries the megaphone on the steps. The law is tantamount to the religious right hijacking of the narrative under the guise of equanimity. The rain thickens from mist; we struggle to peer over a canopy of harlequin umbrellas. This gathering takes place on stolen Eora land; the establishment wants to again use ‘Christian values’ to legalise hate and bigotry — and all in the midst of the worst climate crisis our nation has faced. “Well fuck that!” cries the megaphone.

There’s a righteous fury as we answer.

The rain’s coming in sheets now. Phones and cameras bead with drops, and my gum boots well with water. Listening to them later, my recordings crackle like old records: apt, because these issues are old. Marriage equality makes more than one mention (the hurt and victory laurels still fresh); even an original 78er, one of the fathers of the Mardis Gras parade, has come to speak his piece. We’ve all been fighting the same battles with the same foes ever since they decided we had to defend our existence. They say a human’s conservatism can be correlated to their disgust; what’s so disgusting about us? Judging by the crowd, ‘different’ applies to all.

My raincoat saturates; an icy drop slides down my spine. But the speeches have barely begun. A representative of PFLAG Australia reads out from her waterlogged pages. “I asked this woman what it would take to appease [the Liberals], and she just looked at me and smiled, and said, ‘Nothing.’” Her work of late has been pleading with the government not to abandon women, the LGBTQI+ community, people of colour, people with disabilities, religious minorities, and “any other group in the church’s vision.” A tireless, thankless job, defending practically everyone.

Indeed, the damage of the law could be far-reaching. Doctors could refuse to give care to single mothers, or to the children of same-sex couples. Businesses could turn away customers who require special access. They could refuse to insure reasonable and life-saving medical procedures. They could turn on their own employees who meet the qualities of the discriminated, or who refuse to do the discriminating. Companies could be allowed to weaponise their ‘religious freedoms’ as they see fit, and all under the guise of equality. 

“This bill is a Trojan horse,” roars one speaker. “This bill will fail at its objective. It will privilege religious rights, and it will weaken the existing protections against vulnerable members of this community. And as a Muslim woman, as a lawyer, as a council member for civil liberties, I say, NO. NO TO THE BILL.” The street echoes with our cry of approval.

Corporations aren’t people; they do not have the same unalienable rights of man, they should not have our freedoms. Real people, who deserve real protection, are being ignored. Until now. There’s a strength in this group. Bigoted voices scream loudly through the megaphone of the media, but here on the steps of Town Hall, there’s a hot-blooded, misery-fueled passion to our numbers. We need to see that we have each other. We need to not feel alone.

The rain stings, but the rage stings harder. There’s palpable abandonment in this crowd. Mehreen Faruqi, the first Islamic women elected to state and federal parliament, cries out her disgust at Labour for their silence and inaction. It occurs to me as she speaks about the seemingly endless struggle to rouse political support just how exhausting being this angry, being this cold and tired, truly is. It’s exhausting that this is even necessary. My throat feels raw from calling out; my fingers are blue. Our arms are stiff from holding umbrellas. 

Perhaps Morrison would like to know that if he has done nothing else, he has made things difficult for the people in this crowd. Not because of the rain, not because of the cold, not because we had to take off work or stand for hours. All in perspective, these things are nothing. This is difficult because we have to weather the revulsed looks and vitriol spewn at us from the streets. Because policemen watch over this crowd with boredom (and they’re not here to protect us). Because when we go home afterwards, there’s a legitimate, disquieting fear that none of what we’ve just endured will matter.

After the speeches, we march. We march through the flooded gutters, slosh through the streets. People point and raise their cameras. We are a sight to behold, psychedelic in the grey. We are weary. We can’t hear the rallying cries from up front, not over the gale-force downpour. I can’t tell if my umbrella makes a difference anymore. 

So Amy and I pull away from the protest, watch it pass us by. It’s a marvel just how many there are. A long stream of othered people: young, old. Still all a rainbow. We’re exhausted. But the guilt needles. Should we do more? Could we carry on? Sure we’re soaked, sure we’re weary. But what about the fight? We’re privileged enough to be here; we haven’t been beaten back, or gassed, or sprayed, or shot at. Have we made a statement?

Have we fought back hard enough?

Then I think: we shouldn’t have to. So everyday, we’ll do what we can.

A little (or a lot) of rain can’t, and won’t, stop us.

Annie Walker, Director of UTS Queer Revue 2020

The post MAYDAY: Cries from the ‘No Right to Discriminate’ Rally appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane is the Sydney Theatre Company’s final production for 2019 and closes the year with a show that is sure to keep you thinking. The show gives a glimpse into a world so different from our own that you can’t help but fall into it while watching greats of the Australian Stage flourish. Paige Rattray stuns audiences with this revival of Martin McDonagh’s 1996 play, with a standout cast that will make you laugh, cry, and probably text your Mum that you love her after the show.

Maureen (Yael Stone) is a 40-year-old woman who lives in the hills of Ireland, desperately wishing her life had turned out different. Her roommate and only companion is her mother Mag (Noni Hazlehurst) who is aged and grouchy. This mother-dynamic is far from warm and is probably best described as reeking of piss. The pair find anything to argue over, from their past to the best kind of biscuit, and from sexual freedom to the consistency of porridge. When two of the local boys arrive with an invitation for Maureen, she sees it as a way out and will do whatever it takes to get what she wants. As I came to understand, McDonagh has a way of writing dark, cruel stories and I promise that if you catch this show before it’s end on Sunday, it will leave your head thumping.

Rattray’s direction is poised and clever and her work with the designer, Renee Mulder, and lighting designer, Paul Jackson, brings a small house on a cold Irish hill to life. It has great attention to detail and presents the audience with a more traditional view  of the set that only becomes richer as the text develops. Her take on The Beauty Queen of Leenane portrays a mother-daughter relationship that is easily accessible to a lot of the audience, with deeper layers and details that speak to the reality of isolation, ageing, and poverty.

Given the show’s powerhouse lead performances, I would find it hard to believe that audience members had not been impacted by this show. Stone’s performance as Maureen is something I am so glad I saw, it is erratic and vivid and so tragic that you won’t be able to stop yourself feeling for this character, as deplorable as she may be sometimes. Hazlehurst’s performance as Mag is subtle and while her teeth are still bared, she finds gentle ways to remind us of the character’s reality. Both display extraordinary technical skills that are simply explosive when put together.

The rest of the cast consists of Hamish Michael as Pato Dooley, who is Maureen’s chance to escape and is played so sensitively that I damn near fell in love with him too, and Shiv Palekar as Ray Dooley is a force that will have you cursing with laughter. Palekar’s part in the final scene is worthy of buying a ticket for just on its own.

The Beauty Queen of Leenane is ferociously funny, darkly mortifying, and deeply sad. I will be thinking about it for a long time to come and I cannot recommend it enough. It is two hours of some of the best performances we have seen on Australian stages this year.

Find tickets here.

The post The Beauty Queen of Leenane | Review appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

If like me, you’re a person who spends the majority of your time on the internet, you have probably witnessed the transformation of Kylie Jenner from the baby Kardashian into the lip-kitted, superhuman, bone-structured billionaire of today.  Perhaps, you laughed. Perhaps you rolled your eyes at the inauthenticity of celebrities, or maybe the old Kylie made you feel a tiny bit better about yourself.

Behold friends, ye ol’ faithful glow-up.

My ‘research’ for this  consisted of many endless 2am YouTube spirals: “GLO UP CHALLENGE”, “NOT CUTE TO REALLY CUTE TRANSFORMATION”, “WHEN DID YOU GET HOT??”, “Forcing a glow-up in less than 24 hours!” While at first glance, videos like these may simply appear to be a clickbait. Worryingly, the concept of a glow up itself is somewhat damaging.

The glow-up trend is essentially social media’s repackaging of the humble makeover. One only needs to look to the myriad of makeover movie montages which saturated almost every film from the late ’80s to the early 2000s. Think: Pretty Woman, Devil Wears Prada, The Princess Diaries (Anne Hathaway had a lot of glowing-up to do, clearly), Clueless, etc. These films, while undeniably entertaining, perpetuate the idea that ‘improving’ one’s appearance corresponds directly with the improvement of the quality of life. If only. In debt? Get a manicure! Heartbroken? Fix your hair, sweetie.

If the cult classic film subtext isn’t enough for you, one only needs to look to how the magazines, which line supermarket shelves, hail celebrities as saints for shedding a few kilos or dyeing their hair. Still not convinced? Consider the countless weight loss or makeover reality TV shows which have dominated our screens for years.

I should, however, acknowledge that my issue is not with self-improvement. I am all for people being empowered by their own choices to make changes in their physical appearance. Not for that ‘revenge bod’ to spite your ex, not to ‘one-up’ someone else, but to simply feel confident. The issue lies in the emphasis placed around the value of the glow-up.

It is also impossible, not to draw attention to the economic factor behind all of this. Going back to our Lord and saviour Kylie, a lot of the jokes made surrounding her astounding makeover speak to the fact that her glow-up was only possible because of her billionaire status. Likewise, it is almost maddening to think of the sheer amount of money that some YouTubers are spending on their glow-ups.

Clearly, there’s also a massive problem around the language used around glow-ups, words like “forcing a glow up”, or, “my ugly to less ugly transformation in 24 hours”. Yet another concern: the need to make such a stark transformation in such a fleeting period.  Making changes to your appearance can obviously lead to heightened confidence, but the expectation to change so much, so instantaneously is alarming. It’s almost as if we are being expected to glow-up rather than grow up, resulting in us missing the awkwardness of navigating the world of fashion and beauty—we really don’t need to talk about my goth phase here. While such periods of our lives are excruciating, and sometimes painful to look back on, *deletes and untags old pictures of myself in black lipstick and fishnets from Facebook*, they’re certainly character building, and a part of the cliché of finding yourself.

While the very concept of the glow-up was founded almost solely for entertainment value, makeovers pose a perilous threat to individuality, as they predicate the notion that conventional beauty outweighs the value of uniqueness. To hope that someday we’ll get over our fascination with the quintessential ‘before and after’ transformation could be wishful thinking, but perhaps we can find healthier ways to approach self-improvement.

The post The Perils of Glow-Up Culture appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

Nominations closed at 2.00pm on Tuesday 2 September and the following Schedule details the nominations received and the current status of each nomination. Final checking is underway and there may be further changes.

Please find the election guide here.

The post Your Guide to the 2019 UTSSA Elections appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

UTS Central has opened its doors, and the new *iconic* Building 2 has more than just a pretty face. Inside the 17-level structure is a new library, reading room, 11,000 sq. metres of study space, a Superlab, collaborative classrooms, outdoor areas, food and coffee, and MORE. Building 2 is ready to show you she’s not like the other girls, with the only double helix staircase in the Southern Hemisphere. So, let’s take a look at your new favourite place to be on campus.

Not everything is opening this August, so let’s take a look at what you’ll be able to enjoy this August!

Study Spaces

Levels 3 to 7 will be open from August 19th

These study spaces are a step up from some of the dark and dingy corners on campus, where you can (literally) shine a light on all your studies with the abundance of natural light. Whether you’re studying solo, smashing out a group project or looking for a new place to watch Netflix, there’s an abundance of study spaces on levels 3 to 7. If you’re looking to avoid human contact, there are individual study desks that are available. For those who love a group study sesh, there are plenty of benches, group tables, lounges and bookable collaborative rooms. Unfortunately, these study spaces will not prevent people in your group from not pulling their weight, it’s a building, not a miracle machine.

If you’re looking for a place to rest on campus (we’ve all wanted a cheeky nap or Netflix binge at some point), snag a spot in the bean bag pods. Designed with student safety in mind, they’re highly visible and easily accessible by campus security. However, you’ve still got to keep your wits about you while you’re chilling in your jammies.

Food Court:

Arguably just as important to the student lifestyle as a place to study, the new food court will feature even more options to choose from. We’ll have to say goodbye to the Marketplace food court in the Tower, but we’ll also be saying hello to these new eateries:

·     PappaRich. Grab Hawker Eats right on campus. You’ll be able to grab all of your Malaysian favourites like roti, rice and noodle dishes for lunch or dinner.

·     Mad Mex. When the craving for Mexican food hits, you’ve got to do something about it. You’ll have enough options to choose from for every day of the week with burritos, nachos, enchiladas, and quesadillas on offer.

·     Stock Market Kitchen. If you’re a fan of fresh seasonal produce, grab something from Stock Market! You’ll be able to choose from pizza, pasta, sandwiches, salads and soups. If you’re unlucky enough to have a 9AM start, there’ll be brekkie and coffee options for you as well.

·     Chatime. Raise your hand if you’ve ever been victimised by having to walk for a bubble tea…Well, no longer! This study staple is even easier to get your hands on now.

·     Terrace on the Green. If you’re a bit of a brunch fiend, then come take a look at the new on-campus café. Opening from 7AM for brekkie (early risers, we’ve got you covered), the lunch and dinner menu offers poke bowls and protein plates.

·     Sushi World. Ah, sushi. Whether it’s a roll, nigiri, or temaki, you know you’ve got the perfect study snack. Not only will you be able to grab your favourite sush, but gyoza, noodles and rice bowls are also on the menu.

·     The Little Roaster. Can you even call yourself a student if you haven’t had three double-shot espressos in one day? Maybe that’s just us on the Vertigo team, but The Little Roaster will have all your favourite coffees and café staples ready to order.

·     Uni Bros. You can ignore everyone else on this list because your all-time favourite isn’t going anywhere except down the street. The lads (or should we say legends) at Uni Bros will still be serving up your favourite kebabs, pides and HSPs right here on campus.

If you’re not the type to eat out on campus, there will be microwaves and instant boiling water for all your BYO needs.

The post UTS Central opens its doors! appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

Two men were kicked out of UTS bar The Loft while kissing, in what they say was homophobic discrimination.  

20-year-olds Nathaniel Holdsworth and Andrew Brophy were on their second date at The Loft bar on 28 June 2019. 

Nathaniel, who works in film, and hairdressing apprentice Andrew were swaying closely when a security guard in a red jacket approached them. 

Nathaniel says the security guard began “separating us, mimicking us, claiming we were drunk.”

The men claim the security guard told them they had too much to drink. 

Andrew claims the security guard told him he was asked to “keep an eye” on the couple by another security guard. The guard told them if they argued with him, they would be banned from the venue, the couple alleged. 

“[We] were both level headed and weren’t seeming [sic] intoxicated at all,” says Andrew. 

The men moved to another area in the public access corridor near the stage door. They began to kiss. The red-clothed security guard came up to them and told them to leave. 

“I felt rage … and dismay that our moment had been ruined,” says Nathaniel.

“It’s always embarrassing getting kicked out of somewhere but even more so when you’re feeling exposed for kissing someone,” Andrew says. “It was more a surprise that it was happening in a bar with pride adverts around it.”

The men’s friends were outside and convened around them as they were escorted out. Friend of the couple Rebecca Tafra says she saw them outside with the security guard after being evicted. 

“Nathaniel was obviously upset,” Rebecca says. “The bouncer said they’d been asked to leave as they were ‘showing signs of [intoxication]’.We’d come as a group and were all barely tipsy at this point.”

Rebecca says she and her friend spoke to The Loft’s manager, telling them the incident “was a homophobic discriminatory act.”

Rebecca says she was told a bartender had asked the security to keep an eye on Nathaniel and Andrew as “she thought they looked intoxicated…The bartender had apparently said it was not her intention for them to be kicked out.”

Nathaniel and Andrew were let back into the bar. Andrew says the bartender and manager, “apologised for what happened once they realised what was going on…They were lovely.”

ActivateUTS, which operates The Loft bar, told Vertigo the removal of the men “was due to a miscommunication between our bar supervisor and security guard, who had actually been asked to escort Nathaniel and his friend away from our stage door which is off limits to customers due to the extensive AV equipment in the area. Unfortunately the security guard misunderstood his instructions as being to escort Nathaniel from our venue …”

Rebecca says the bar manager did not mention “anything about AV equipment” on the night of the incident. 

Nathaniel posted about the incident on Facebook the following evening. The Loft commented on a Facebook post, asking him to contact them. 

In an email to Nathaniel seen by Vertigo, a representative for ActivateUTS said: 

 “[B]oth Activate and UTS take these allegations very seriously and … they have been reported to the senior executive …

We understand that you felt you were being discriminated against, but that certainly wasn’t our intention and we apologise if this caused you distress.” 

They told Nathaniel staff “are going to be made aware of our anti-discrimination policy” and they have “requested the security guard who first spoke to you does not return to our venues.”

Nathaniel says he feels “gaslighted” by ActivateUTS’ response. “I feel like the trauma inflicted on me that night is not being empathised with. I feel I’m being treated with disrespect, like I’m overreacting.”

He says the incident has impacted his mental health. “[T]his event drove me to publicly comment on my sexuality in a space where certain family members would inevitably see. This past week I have felt myself drifting back into depression.”

Andrew says he doesn’t blame The Loft for the incident. Nathaniel told Vertigo he wants ActivateUTS to “step up and acknowledge what was done.” He wants a public apology, and for ActivateUTS to ensure security have anti-discrimination training.

Former UTS Queer Collective Officer, UTS student and community activist Dashie Prasad has followed up on the incident with ActivateUTS after seeing Nathaniel’s Facebook post shared by a mutual friend. 

Dashie spoke to the UTS Equity and Diversity Unit’s LGBTI officer, Jessica McGowan, who arranged a meeting with ActivateUTS Marketing and Communications Director, Janice Ly, to discuss the incident on Thursday 11th July. Dashie Prasad and Queer Collective Officers Rhiannon Soliman and Beth Williams were also scheduled to be in attendance. 

ActivateUTS Chief Operations Officer Kerry-Ann Plant declined to attend the meeting via email, stating: 

“Unfortunately, I am unavailable to attend this meeting. I am also not clear what this meeting is expecting to achieve … there has clearly been no discrimination involved.”

The meeting was cancelled as Jessica McGowan was sick on the day. As of time of publication, the meeting has not been rescheduled. 

ActivateUTS told Vertigo they conducted “a full investigation” into the incident. They say they reviewed security footage and interviewed staff and found no evidence of discrimination.

“While all ActivateUTS staff are educated on our organisational values and related policies, we will ensure any staff requiring training in this area are addressed. 

We have extended an invite to Nathaniel to meet with our CEO to discuss his concerns and are always open to feedback on how we can ensure we are creating a safe and welcoming environment for all customers.”

The post UTS bar accused of homophobia appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

When I asked one of my dear friends over the weekend what they thought of Taylor Swift’s newest single, they replied with, “I appreciate what she’s trying to do, but as a gay person, I never want to hear that song again.” 

A quick scroll though my Twitter feed confirms that this sentiment is shared by quite a few members of the LGBTQ+ community. You Need to Calm Down, which is already being both hailed and condemned as the newest gay anthem, and the accompanying music video has been streamed over 47 million times since then.  Is it merely another piece of profit-fuelled pride month “wokeness”, or does it go a little deeper?

 The song is a message to bullies and homophobes, who, she says, need to “take several seats” and reconsider their hateful rhetoric. The music video is filled with many notable LGBTQ+ celebrities making an appearance at what appears to be a gays-only caravan park, filled with food fights, beauty pageants, and Katy Perry. 

The video starts innocuously enough with all the hallmarks of a viral music video, with some very insta-worthy set design and a catchy melody. The lyrics  kick in, starting by addressing the online hate that Taylor has copped over the years. She burns down a caravan right before she launches into the chorus declaring: “snakes and stones never broke my bones.” 

This is nothing new. In recent years, much of Taylor Swift’s branding has revolved around her rising above her haters, from Shake it Off to the more recent Look What You Made Me Do, as well as many other songs on her latest album, Reputation.  So it makes sense that even though You Need to Calm Down  is allegedly meant to focus on homophobia, these themes would present themselves once again.  

There’s no problem with singing about personal experience, but comparing these experiences with homophobia and transphobia give rise to more than a few issues.

Online trolls who aim at Taylor Swift may be mean-spirited and are often soaked in misogyny, but she isn’t copping this hate because of her sexuality. A rich, straight, white woman at arguably the peak of her career would not be affected by nasty comments from strangers online in the same way that institutional and societal homophobia affects vulnerable LGBTQ+ people. And in a way, this trivialises our struggles. 

Which brings me to arguably the most contentious line of the song: “Shade never made anybody less gay”. What exactly is this “shade” she’s talking about? Is it the vile and hateful words that myself and many of my friends have heard from both strangers and those we thought supported us?  Is it that being gay is still illegal in 72 countries? Or perhaps it’s the shade thrown at trans people, especially trans women of colour, when they’re still being harassed, beaten, and murdered on our streets. 

The ‘homophobes’ in this video are painted by Swift as an old, unattractive, hegemonic bunch. Paired with the couplet “Sunshine on the street at the parade / But you would rather be in the dark age”, it’s a shallow critique of the way hate and bigotry manifests, and it reeks of the ignorant sentiment that bigotry is a thing of the past, that it’s 2019 and everything is fine and dandy, apart from a few stragglers who wave signs half-assedly at pride parades every once in a while. 

The truth is, it is 2019. Homophobia and transphobia present themselves in a variety of sinister ways, many of which lie just below the surface of a multitude of people and institutions. The “average homophobe” is no longer a country-dweller with misspelt signs and missing teeth. It’s the people who pushed for a marriage plebiscite, debating our right to exist on every available medium for months on end. It’s the two women who were beaten by kids for refusing to kiss each other for them. It’s the thousands of parents who kick their children out for being themselves.  

Of course, this is a pop song. Commercial success is at the forefront of Taylor Swift’s mind, rather than societal change. And in a way, you can’t really blame her. It’s her job, after all. 

But a celebrity with Swift’s reach and acclaim could have mobilised her fans to rally behind any cause she came out in support of. And while credit is due for her call to action at the end of the video to have viewers sign her petition in support of the Equality Act, it still falls a little flat. The video’s timing, production, and celebrity guests would have all been greenlit to gain one thing: money. And although there’s been an influx of donations to GLAAD after Swift name-dropped them in the song, this was just an extra perk that she didn’t explicitly intend. 

The music video comes to a close with an admittedly glorious food fight, amongst which Taylor Swift and Katy Perry embrace each other. For those familiar with the years-long feud between the two, this could be a heartwarming gesture. But once again, in a video that aims to combat homophobia and bigotry, shifting the focus to some personal drama isn’t a good look. And to me, it reinforces the grave misunderstanding of systemic violence against our community that many straight people share, in which if we all just forgave each other and hugged it out, there will be nothing left to complain about. 

But hey, maybe I need to calm down.  

The post Taylor Swift Has Done It Again appeared first on VERTIGO 2020.

Exam season means extended library hours, overworked students, and a whole lot more items left unattended. A ten minute coffee break could mean the difference between passing an assessment with flying colours or spending exam period crying in lost-in-found.

My eyes wandered over to a boy hovering over his desk. The student appeared to be deliberating something. And then he left. A full backpack strewn was across his chair, and laptop lay closed – abandoned. 20 minutes drummed by, and the boy hadn’t returned.

The student’s negligence is by no means uncommon. The ebb and flow of UTS Library sees just as many ownerless laptops as it does bean bag droolers and scattered retro style ‘No-Doz’ boxes. The proliferation of abandoned laptops however, marked by exam season, means greater chances of theft.  

I’m not averse to leaving a laptop for a quick dash to the loo. But this is never without anxiety or doubt. And never exceeding five minutes.

This boy however —and his lengthy absence—indicated a sheer disregard for his belongings. Politics of reserving seats aside, I was stumped he was able to avoid  anxiety-riddled trips away from the desk.

Is ignorance the key? Or am I cynical to question the morality of my student collective?

The negligent student fuelled my desire for a study session like his. One void of stress, of peaceful pees, with 20 minute breaks without losing my seat. Was that too much to ask?

Meeting Elvis – no, not the king

Elvis’ office is on the ground floor of the library, next to the magazine stands and installation art. But with the door closed and its clinical lighting and shelves, it resembles virtually any office anywhere in the world.

With 20 years’ experience in UTS’ security department, Elvis Petrov has seen his fair share of frazzled students.

“This one student was distraught she’d lost her USB. She said she’d rather have lost her phone or laptop, and that would she would have to start all her work all over again,” he said.

As Library Security Supervisor of the Haymarket Precinct, Elvis advises students on a regular basis. “Even though the library is pretty safe, you really don’t want your stuff to go missing. There’s a financial cost and mental cost. I see students stressing all the time. It only takes five to ten minutes.”

Elvis toyed with the tiny microphone I’d given him. “Students are always leaving valuables unattended. All the time. They study really hard. When you’re into your work, studying for hours, you go out for a cigarette break, toilet breaks, coffee breaks – you forget about your stuff.”

A walkie-talkie latched onto Elvis’ belt let out a tinny feed.He continued, “It’s a problem that’s been around for a long time. I’ve known that from talking to librarians from different universities. It’s a wide problem all over the place.”

Why? “Because they did”

Elvis had confirmed the problem, yet the psychology was still unclear. What assurances did those who did not forget, those who voluntarily left their belongings have?

I directed close friends to a rudimentary online survey, with questions including: ‘you leave valuable belongings because (a) you need to use the restroom (b) for coffee or food (c) to stretch your legs (d) save my seat’, and ‘what is the longest period you have left valuables unattended?’

Responses were somewhat predictable. Students chose ‘to save my seat’ as the number one reason for leaving valuables unattended. Others noted ‘working in pairs’ the best solution to protect belongings.

But respondents were spilt when asked whether they trusted their student colleagues. Half claimed to trust students not to steal, the other half assumed otherwise.

A branch of psychology called ‘crowd psychology’ may just offer some answers. Its founding father, Gustave Le Bon, suggests, “In a crowd every sentiment and act is contagious to such a degree that an individual readily sacrifices his personal interest to the collective interest.”

Crowd psychology suggests that crowd behaviour is heavily influenced by loss of responsibility of the individual and the impression of universality of behaviour. And this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Crowds generally follow what is right, what is rational, what makes sense.

Until they don’t. In a recent scientific study by Melbourne psychologists Cameron Pryor and Piers Howe, the ‘cascade effect’ describes social patterns where individuals unknowingly follow the irrational choices of others.

The psychologists use an example of walking past a busy restaurant, and a quiet one. One could easily assume the popularity and higher value of the busy restaurant, and choose to dine there. But the passer-by may fail to recognise the busy restaurant was only packed because it had opened hours earlier than its neighbour, allowing for more diners.

Applying this scenario to the library – the individual may follow actions of the student collective, driven by its own irrational, arbitrary reasoning.

But what compels us to follow is the desire to belong, or what Cameron Pryor calls ‘self-categorisation theory’: dependence on a group to allow for a personal sense of self to be defined.

Losing our sense of will in a crowd, dissolved in anonymity and propelled by a feat of impressive biological and subconscious voices, we follow and we neglect our expensive laptops.  

How often do thefts occur?

Leaving valuables unattended in the library may be neither irrational nor arbitrary.

Unless you consider 15 thefts a year a problem.

“Even though we don’t get many thefts in the library, we still warn [students] there’s a possibility their items could get stolen,” Elvis said.

Rates of library theft have drastically dropped since security gates were installed in 2002.

Signs reading ‘Help Stop Theft: Do Not Leave Your Belongings Unattended’ decorating library walls have also helped deter theft

What happens if you do lose your stuff?

If you find yourself in the pool of the 15, various mechanisms are in place to help retrieve back that thousand dollar MacBook air, or HD assignment-carrying USB.

Theft is punishable with exclusion from the Library, and further penalty decided by the Director of Governance Support Unit, as enshrined by UTS Legislation, Rules and Policies handbook.

Thefts are also reported, supported by CCTV, to be lodged and left in the hands of police.

Elvis says the return rate of lost items is very high.

“The amount of lost property handed in each year is well into the thousands. But 99% of valuables (laptops, watches) are returned. The items we don’t return are usually pencil cases, clothing.”

This can be seen on the UTS Library website, recorded as conversations between distressed students and library staff.

Tagging, chaining, studying in pairs?

But for those who prefer not to take the chance, various protections are available.

Some universities have advised students to study with others, place bag loops around chairs, and encouraged students even hold bags tightly when napping.

“I’ve seen students chaining their bags to the tables with bike locks,” Elvis said.

Tagging valuables with electronic devices was proposed by students at Macquarie University where thefts are rife.

Fortunately, and unlike Macquarie, UTS Library isn’t open to the public. “The thefts that do happen, happen outside the library, Market City. Most theft is by non-students, people coming from off campus, areas open to the public,” Elvis said.

Despite the low rate of theft, Elvis encourages students to protect their belongings: “We talk to students all the time, we don’t criticise them. We obviously understand they’re under a lot of stress because of their studies and we’re very understanding. But we let them know they don’t want the extra stress.”

…

Perhaps my negligent library friend was not so negligent after all. Perhaps his 20 minute absence wasn’t questionable. It was feasible he too had questioned the student collective, or sought justification from friends, and felt anxious during those long 20 minutes. Or, it was possible he just had more important things on his mind.

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