Comments Off on The Definitive Guide to Crying on Campus
Everyone needs a cry once in a while. And whether you’ve failed your supplementary exam, your ex has started dating someone else in your pod, you’re drunk and Kebaba is closed, or you’ve once again forgotten to check the prices at Harry Hartog’s before reaching the register, there’s plenty of reasons to cry on campus. So, we’ve teamed-up to provide you with our hard-won knowledge, rating places to cry on campus. While the first two criteria, ‘privacy’ and ‘cleanliness,’ are self-explanatory, the third – ‘vibe’ – is about the je ne sais quoi of a spot. An inexplicable warmth or cozy comfort; the feeling you could be watching yourself cry in a movie; that you’re somehow suddenly connected to a hidden beating heart of campus; or that you’ve become a character in a Donna Tartt novel about to experience an eerie, irrevocable epiphany…
ANU Sport
It’s been a bad week. Uber eats and energy drinks have done little to stave off crushing feelings of emptiness. Hot girl summer seems a million miles away. With great (and admirable) mental fortitude, you wrestle on a sports bra and source a pair of questionably clean leggings. You head to the gym in a monstrous mood, trying to sell yourself on that whole ‘happy workout endorphins’ thing. You shuffle a playlist and pray for the runner’s high to take the pain away. And then, because you couldn’t change the song in time, you find your eyes streaming, running at 13 speed to Death Cab For Cutie. On the upside, if you go hard enough, people will just think you’re like, really sweaty.
Privacy: 1/5
Cleanliness: 2.5/5
Vibe: 3/5
Marie Raey Gender Neutral Bathrooms
While (in)famous for their use for sexual activity, the Gender Neutral Bathrooms are incredibly flexible due to their privacy and equal accessibility. Indeed, you could say they are well-suited and flexible for excreting all kinds of bodily fluids.
Privacy: 5/5
Cleanliness: 2.5/5
Vibe: 0.5/5
An Undisclosed Abandoned Building at an Undisclosed Location on Campus
It’s the third day I’ve slept less than three hours. The sun is starting to peak over the horizon. It’s been another all-nighter. Two science students are hunched over desks in a shabby, musty-smelling classroom of a building constructed in the 70s—an architectural dark age. You wouldn’t even notice it even if you walked straight past. The hideous building is a haven for a tiny group of poor students working at cursed hours of the morning with alarming regularity. The blue glare of a computer screen lights up my gaunt, mascara-smeared face. My thesis remains unwritten. It is due in three hours. Another tear rolls down a well-worn path on my cheek.
Privacy: 5/5
Cleanliness: 3/5
Vibe: 5/5
Sullivan’s Creek Table
Monday Week Eleven. A shit weekend with your not-boyfriend is followed by an even shitter day full of text message arguments and watery eyes. You agree to meet up, to talk things through. Between listening to him (“I don’t like when you tell me that I hurt your feelings”) and speaking yourself (“but this is how you made me feel”), walking becomes too great a challenge. You sit down at a table, one of those generic forest green ones found in all public parks.
He finally says he’s sorry for trying to ditch you to go meet his mates at the pub immediately after you have sex. He’s sorry he made you cry after he’d been away for two weeks and he’s sorry that after meeting your father for the first time he sought to use your home and bed (and body) as a hotel room. Then he says he knows now why he did these things. He has no feelings for you: he never has and he never will.
At the table with attached wooden chairs you tuck your knees up to your chest and stare at your feet. He tells you that it’s not your fault, that you’ve been perfect to him and you are perfect, but that he just doesn’t feel anything. You cry. Then, two hours later, you attend a study session for your exam tomorrow. Then, after that, you finish writing a paper. Then you go home and cry again.
Privacy: 0.5/5
Cleanliness: 4/5
Vibe: 3.5/5
Chifley Library
No matter the floor, Chifley Library should be avoided by crying aficionados. While at first glance promising, the bookable study rooms are too fishbowl-ey for proper privacy. And the bathrooms are too dirty for comfort. Their only positive feature is the motion-sensored lights which allow you to cry to your heart’s content, perched in a dark cubicle, warning you to muffle yourself with a wad of toilet paper when the lights flicker on as another patron enters. (But you haven’t known pain until you’ve left the bathroom and run into the cleaning staff who’ve patiently been waiting for you to finish your teary sesh.)
Privacy: 1/5
Cleanliness: 0.5/5
Vibe: 0/5
Australian Centre on China in the World Gardens
The courtyard of this building is so lovely. So peaceful. So tranquil. It’s the perfect place to sob while listening to Sufjan Stevens. It’s far enough from Daley Rd that if your friends see you on snapmaps they’ll be concerned, but not concerned enough where they feel the need to start checking up on you. At night there is just the right amount of lighting, enough that you feel safe but still dim to hide how tragic you look when you inevitably cave and post a crying selfie on your private story. Refreshments are provided by the sprinklers that are running 24/7. The mindfully designed feng shui puts your mind at ease. On the walk home you’ll be so distracted by passels of possums that by the time you get to your res hall, you’ll have forgotten about why you were crying in the first place.
Privacy: 4.5/5 (sometimes couples come here to make out)
Cleanliness 5/5
Vibe: 4/5
Uni Ave
Nothing beats a full blown tanty in the middle of Kambri. Lose the inhibitions and let the people know you’re crying. Dress the part by letting your mascara run down your face! You’re in the middle of all the hustle and bustle and you get to enjoy Telstra Tower and the mountains in the background—what could be more fun!? Anyway, no one will notice anyway because they’re busy running to their next class or paying for a $6 coffee.
Privacy: 0/5 or 5/5 depending on your showmanship
Cleanliness: 5/5
Vibe: 4/5
I never thought of myself as a vulnerable person, who would put up with abuse at the hands of a man. I grew up on a farm where Dad expected the same toughness from meas he did my brother. Dad’s greatest role models were the strong independent women he had grown up with, and he expected the same from me.
When I was in my first year of university, I met a guy who was 6 years my senior, handsome and keen on pursuing a relationship with me. I was intrigued by his cultural background. I was flattered that he was interested in me.
My Dad never liked him and wouldn’t engage in any conversation with me about him. I didn’t understand why he couldn’t just be happy for me. I spoke incessantly about him, and Mum indulged me in this hysteria. She was excited for me. My relationship with my Dad started to fray.
After a year together, my boyfriend’s lease came to an end, and we decided to move into a share apartment at UniLodge. He was desperate for a place to live, and things had been going well. I am a spontaneous person and had thought, why not?
Not long after we moved in together did his true personality start to unravel before me. I got to know that he smoked a lot of weed, spent a lot of time on his phone, and was exceptionally vain, spending hours obsessing over his appearance.
I started to witness him getting into punchups with random people on nights out. He got into these drunken rages. It was vile. The first violent night I witnessed was a horrible punch up with a guy outside the Melbourne building. I ran in to intervene and pulled him off the guy. He pushed me out of his way. I was thrown almost off my feet. I tried to drag him away as bouncers yelled at him to disappear. I walked past two bypassers and overheard one say to the other, “I bet he hits her too”. I was shocked. Did they really think that? As I walked home he started to shove me in the back. He shoved me again and again, laughing. I yelled at him to stop. I looked over my shoulder and noticed that the police were following us home. Perhaps they were watching to see if he would assault me. They eventually turned around.
The weed smoking was confronting. He couldn’t operate without it. If I tried to raise it with him, he would shout at me that “I was causing his depression.” He yelled at me if I dared to talk or argue with him while he was high.
The violence on nights out became a weekly occurrence. We went home and I was consumed by shame, humiliation, anger, and disappointment. He yelled at me that I was his woman and I should not have undermined him by apologising to the guy he assaulted. I threatened to move out. I started packing stuff in my car and drove off. But I felt like I had nowhere to go to. I hadn’t confided in anyone what was happening. I was too ashamed. I stayed in the car for hours until he convinced me to drive back.
Another night, we fought because I discovered he was flirting with another girl over text. I ran upstairs and started sobbing uncontrollably on the floor of our apartment. I felt trapped. He came in and started shouting at me to stop crying. “Shut up!!!” He grabbed a 15 kg dumbbell and raised it above me, threatening to drop it on my head. I was sure that my neighbours would hear what was going on, and the police would be knocking on my door. But nobody came.
The next day he apologised and rang the girl he had texted in front of me. He told her he had a girlfriend, that he was really drunk and to please not contact him again.
I discovered medication in another language and a psychiatric report from a doctor in his home country. I couldn’t read it. I didn’t know whether it was reasonable to understand that his violent behaviour was a result of whatever he was being medicated for. I forgave him.
But things didn’t get better, they got progressively worse – I discovered abusive messages to women I’d never heard of. When I confronted him he completely denied it. He deleted the messages so I couldn’t see them again. I messaged one of those girls to ask what was going on: “Why did he say what he did? I don’t understand. I’m revolted, what is going on?” She responded saying I should speak with him about it.
I suffered for several more months. I isolated myself from my friends. He began tormenting me by hinting that there were other women in his life, but then trying to convince me I was going crazy.
I felt that I was dating a complete monster, but I didn’t want people to know that I was dating such a horrible person. I was consumed by shame. How could I possibly tell my friends, let alone my parents what I had been putting up with? How could I break the lease? I couldn’t afford to pay by myself.
Not long after this incident he came home drunk and high, and attempted to cook food in the apartment. It was 3:00 am. Oil was going everywhere, and I was scared he was going to start a fire. I tried to stop him from cooking and he shouted at me. He grabbed a knife and started stabbing at a pan. I pleaded with him to stop and tried to take it off him. He lurched at me with the knife, threatening me with it, sneering. He smashed a glass at my feet. With shaking hands, I messaged a guy who knew him at Kinloch. I asked him to come over and get rid of him. He came over and removed my boyfriend from the apartment. He was sweet to me – saying that what he did was not okay and trying to comfort me as I cried. I was so grateful for him for helping me out, that is, until he sent me a message hitting on me the next day.
Another guy from campus who had witnessed a few incidents came up to me and said he realised I must be really struggling to cope with my boyfriend’s behaviour and if I wanted to chat he would be happy to. I took him up on the offer, only to have him hit on me.
Not long after this incident my boyfriend went overseas for his brother’s wedding. I felt a wave of relief. I didn’t know what to do, how to get out. We had a lease together and I felt like I wasn’t in a financial situation to continue it myself. I guess 20-year-old me didn’t think that there was help out there. I thought there is no way that UniLodge would let me break my lease, which I realise now was wrong.
When he was overseas I received a message from a random woman, telling me that she had been dating my boyfriend for a few months only to find out that I existed. We spoke on the phone, and she told me everything.
I asked her if he had been sleeping with her without a condom. She said yes. She asked me. I said yes. We both sat on the phone in silence. That was the moment that I felt like the most abuse had been committed against me. I went on birth control pills on the condition that it was just him and me. He had exposed me to an STI risk that I did not consent to. He had thoroughly violated my body.
I ended the relationship on Skype. I rang my Dad. He couldn’t understand a word I was saying but got the gist. He dropped everything and came straight from the farm to pick me up.
I had exams and sobbed to the Dean of the Law School. He let me destroy every tissue in his tissue box. I am still so grateful for the compassion and empathy he showed me that day. He deferred my exams and listened to me for as long as I needed.
We had run-ins in the months following: I ran into my ex-boyfriend in the carpark, only to have him follow me back and knock on my door. He spotted me at Mooseheads, only to punch the guy I was dancing with in the face. He sent me endless abusive messages.
He lurked around ANU and tried to toy with some of my friends. He threatened to run one over.
Every time I would walk around a corner at UniLodge my heart would drop – would he be around the corner?
I started to open up to my friends about what I had endured. I never told my parents. They think that him cheating on me was the extent of it. I also saw an ANU counsellor for one session who tried to encourage me to look into getting an apprehended violence order. I thought about it thoroughly but decided that the risk was too high. I didn’t want to provoke him.
He had tried to contact me several times by different means over the last few years – using a random person to add me on Snapchat and then sending me an intimidating snap of himself and his friend. Using a different Instagram account to send me a message. Sending me a message on LinkedIn. Sending me several emails with creepy memes.
I desperately wanted to rebuild my life, and I did. I buried everything: my feelings, my fear. I blocked him on every social network and managed to avoid seeing him again. I assumed he must have left Canberra.
He managed to get a message through recently on LinkedIn. I saw he worked in an organisation linked to government in Canberra. I thought, “shit.” He would have access to my address working for that organisation.
A few days later I went outside my house and I saw a car parked on the street down from my house. There were two men inside. I was sure one of them was him. I started shaking. I jumped in my car and tore off. I kept thinking, “surely not. Surely not.”
A few weeks later I was in a bar that I frequent, where I have always felt safe for the last three years. No way he would go to a place like this. I was with my new boyfriend. We were kissing when I saw someone out of the corner of my eye. It was him. A few people between us, he was staring at me. Glaring. He walked into my circle of friends, to stare me in the face. He turned around and proceeded to stare at me from farther away. I felt faint. I wanted to get out of there. I was terrified he was going to king hit my boyfriend. I rushed us outside and quickly jumped in a taxi.
This latest experience has really shaken me. I do not feel safe. I have expressed this to several of my friends, some of whom understand completely, others who do not. I had one male friend say to me “Maddy, you can’t live your life in fear.” Another said, “Oh but he didn’t actually punch anyone so I’m sure you’re fine, you’re safe.” These comments are deeply concerning. I know the man better than anyone else. If I say he is capable of harming me or the people I love, who are you to say otherwise?
Since this incident, I have started to come to terms with the fact that I have not fully recovered from the trauma I experienced from the relationship. These traumatic memories are the most vivid. They are etched in my brain. I have decided to take steps to properly heal.
I hope that in reading this, university students such as yourselves will be more attuned to how abusive relationships can occur. Even though we’re educated, fun-loving, university students, it doesn’t mean that abuse could not be happening in the dorm next door.
A vulnerable woman is not meat, or fair game.
If you have a friend who is isolating themselves in a relationship, it is vital to persist in keeping the connection alive and ensure that a safety rope for them is still there.
To those who are experiencing abuse – help is out there. It will surprise you how seriously most people take abuse and are willing to go out of their way to help you.
Domestic Violence Crisis Service ((02) 6280 0900)
The DVCS provide 24/7 crisis intervention services to anyone who is experiencing, or has experienced, domestic and family violence. The crisis services include telephone support, attendance with police at domestic and family violence incidents, access to safe emergency accommodation, safety planning and referrals to support services. Concerned family, friends, colleagues, neighbours and medical and allied health professionals are also very welcome to call the 24/7 telephone crisis line for information and guidance on how to support someone. It is a free, confidential service that does not require a medicare card.
ANU Counselling
(02) 6125 2442
This is the phone number to book an appointment with ANU Counselling. You can book a standard appointment (50 mins) anytime. To book an on the day appointment for urgent help (25 mins) call at 9am or go into the Counselling Centre just before 9am, as these appointments are first in first served. You can receive 6 free sessions per semester. You do not need a medicare card to access this service, but you must be an ANU student. They will not tell the police or the university that they have spoken with you.
1800 RESPECT
1800 737 732
This is over the phone counselling and it is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They can also refer you to local services. It is free of charge. 1800 RESPECT has a triage system, so the first person you speak to is not a counsellor. We recommend that you request to be put through to a counsellor straight away.
ANU Women’s Department
Contact the Women’s Officer, Laura Perkov:
sa.womens@anu.edu.au
The Women’s Department is part of ANUSA, and it advocates for and supports all ANU Women and non-binary students. As Women’s Officer, Laura can provide pastoral care, referrals to local support services, and give information about options for reporting within ANU and the support ANU can offer.
ANU Queer* Department
Contact the Queer* Officer, Matthew Mottola:
sa.queer@anu.edu.au
The Queer* Department is part of ANUSA, and it advocates for and supports all Queer* identifying students. Matthew can provide pastoral care, referrals to local support services, and give information about options for reporting within ANU and the support ANU can offer.
Comments Off on Peer-to-Peer Support at ANU Residential Halls
I’m worried – and I need to know if the student body is too.
In 2017 I ran in the ANUSA elections with a clear commitment to safe, sustainable and fair peer support models in ANU residential halls. In my experience they haven’t been any of these things – but I need to know if that was an anomaly or if it’s the norm.
I was elected with a strong majority, so I know I have a mandate to look into this issue – but for the university to be convinced of any real change I need you to share your experiences.
While I was a senior resident at B&G, I’m almost certain that I received more sexual assault disclosures than my male counterparts – and overall I would have contributed more hours and more emotional labour to the job. I was a woman doing more work than the men in my role – and receiving the same pay.
I would avoid being in my room alone because all I could think of was the harrowing stories I’d been told by my residents, friends, and peers while they sat on my bed.
The people running your training call this burn out. It’s not burn out. It’s vicarious trauma, and the university needs to do more to support students in this situation.
Because I was being paid via a scholarship and therefore wasn’t an employee, I couldn’t access an Employee Assistance Program. This is where your workplace covers counselling costs for you. If I needed time off, I had to apply for leave. If I was going to be away from the hall for longer than 48 hours I had to apply for this leave. There are so many structural issues like this one that make peer support at ANU residential halls unsafe, unfair and unsustainable. I’ve spent the last six months talking to people about these issues, but I haven’t spoken to everyone.
There are some questions that I still can’t answer on my own.
Should SRs and RAs be paid as employees if they are doing overnight shifts and some are taking on more hours than others?
Should CC’s be responsible for overseeing and training other students, while they are students themselves?
What kind of structural support do we offer these students, and who can access EAP (employee assistance program) to get free counselling outside of ANU?
Why isn’t anyone talking about vicarious trauma?
What are the benefits and non-negotiable aspects of peer support that we must maintain?
Should SRs get penalty rates for being on call over a long weekend?
My experiences were not all bad. I had incredible residents and a supportive SR team to work with and I am so grateful for having the opportunity to befriend these lovely people. But this issue is a systemic one that is disadvantaging women, and people from linguistically and/or culturally diverse backgrounds – people I believe are often receiving more work than others, but not being remunerated for it.
I need to know if this issue is widespread or localised to some residential halls – and I need to know what the student body wants me to advocate for. Should we have trained mental health nurses on call overnight? Do we need paramedics? I know I would have appreciated both of these when I was 19 years old, dealing with mental health crises and doing CPR on my peers.
Your experiences will help to inform a report that will make recommendations for peer pastoral care models in ANU residential halls in 2019. If you’ve been an SR, CC, RA, Women’s Officer, Men’s Officer, Gender and Sexuality Advocate, Mental Health Advocate – or any other peer support role – please fill out my survey, or get in touch with me to talk about your experiences. I want to hear from you.
Survey: https://goo.gl/forms/zDl5OQryEFrFDIYB3
Email Tess Masters, ANUSA Vice President: sa.vicepres@anu.edu.au
Woroni is committed to standing with survivors of sexual harassment and assault. If you or someone you know have been affected by this piece, please reach out to the support services listed.
Canberra Rape Crisis Centre (6247 2525)
CRCC are on campus and available to support you if you have experienced sexual violence, harassment, or anything that has made you feel uncomfortable. You don’t need a medicare card to see them, all appointments are free, and nobody will be told you have spoken to them. You can call CRCC on 6247 2525 between 7am and 11pm.
ANU Counselling
The ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community. It is a free, confidential and non-diagnostic service available to all currently enrolled ANU students. No referral or Mental Health Treatment Plan from a General Practitioner is required to attend appointments.
http://www.anu.edu.au/…/…/counselling/anu-counselling-centre
1800RESPECT
Provides support for people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, sexual assault, domestic or family violence, their friends and family, and workers and professionals supporting someone experiencing, or at risk of experiencing sexual assault, domestic or family violence. Call 1800 737 732.
https://www.1800respect.org.au/about-1800respect/
Lifeline (13 11 14)
A national charity providing all Australians experiencing a personal crisis with access to 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services. Call 13 11 13.
https://www.lifeline.org.au/
ANU Women’s Department
Contact the Women’s Officer, Laura Perkov:
For non-urgent inquiries: sa.womens@anu.edu.au
The Women’s Department is part of ANUSA, and it advocates for and supports all ANU Women and non-binary students. As Women’s Officer, Laura can provide pastoral care, referrals to local support services, and give information about options for reporting within ANU and the support ANU can offer.
ANU Queer* Department
Contact the Queer* Officer, Matthew Mottola:
sa.queer@anu.edu.au
The Queer* Department is part of ANUSA, and it advocates for and supports all Queer* identifying students. Matthew can provide pastoral care, referrals to local support services, and give information about options for reporting within ANU and the support ANU can offer.
Comments Off on ANU Student Rebecca Beath Joins NRL Touch Premiership
ANU Engineering and Science student Rebecca Beath has made it into the NRL Touch Premiership, playing for the Parramatta Eels Women’s team. I asked Bec a few questions about her experience as a student athlete after she won her first game in the competition earlier this month.
How long have you been playing touch and what drew you to the sport? Can you tell me a bit about your involvement with ANU Touch?
‘I’ve been playing touch since I was 10 years old. I always enjoyed running around with the footy at recess and lunch throughout primary school, and from there I made my first ACT rep team and haven’t looked back since! I think I got drawn to touch because I always wanted to be like my big brothers playing footy, but was never a fan of the contact involved in tackling, so touch was a great middle ground! I got involved with ANU Touch in my first year of uni (2013) when I signed up for Uni Games. From then I’ve made my best mates at uni through the Touch Club, and was President from 2014-15 as well.’
Has ANU played a part in shaping you as an athlete?
‘ANU has played a part in my athletic career by offering awesome facilities to train in, and the elite athlete program run by Billy Mason. I’m not involved with the program any more due to time constraints but it is an awesome way to get the guidance needed in the gym to achieve great results! Support from lecturers and tutors has always been great too, they’ve always been understanding if I miss a class or need an extension due to my sporting commitments.’
How did you become involved with the NRL Touch Premiership?
‘I play Touch football up in Sydney for the Manly Sea Eagles, and also for the Alliance at the Elite 8 competition. When the Premiership was announced, players from NSW were selected into squads for the three NSW teams, and I was lucky enough to get picked in the Parramatta Eels side!’
What has it been like balancing commitments to study and work with playing professional-level sport?
‘It’s been really difficult, but with strict time management it’s possible! Travelling to Sydney twice a week takes its toll, but by preparing early and knowing what I have coming up, I can make sure I get all the work done that I need to.’
What advice would you give to ANU students who are aspiring to achieve similar heights in their athletic careers?
‘I would say don’t be afraid to approach lecturers and tutors if you need a little extra help! It’s always hard to manage both study and sporting careers, but when plenty of notice is given, lecturers can be quite accommodating and do all they can to help you out. Depending on your sport, elite level opportunities may not come around too often, so be sure to take them when they come!’
Are you feeling optimistic about prospects of winning the Premiership?
‘I think we have a really good shot at winning the Premiership. We’ve got a bit to work on from our first game, but if we play the best touch we can I know we can get a win on the 30th and then in the final up in QLD. It’ll be tough against some of the best players in the country, but hard work can get us there.’
Upon mentioning quidditch to the uninitiated, there are two questions that a player always receives. The first is, “wait, do you fly?”, and this is easily answered: “No. Sorry”. The second is, “so then – how does the Snitch work?” This, I will explain in due course, for there is much more about the game that must be explained first.
Quidditch is a full-contact, mixed-gender sport. What does that really mean? It means that women, men, and everyone in between play on the field together. Gender inclusivity is literally written into the rulebook: no more than four players (on a team of seven) of the same gender may be on the field at once. These players may play one of three positions: Chaser/Keeper, Beater and Seeker.
Chasers and Keepers have a very simple goal: put the quaffle (a volleyball) through the opposition’s hoops, and stop the other team from doing the same to them. The ‘quaffle game’ might be likened to basketball or rugby, and each goal is worth 10 points. There are three chasers and one keeper in a ‘quaffle team.’
Beaters, unlike Fred and George, do not hold bats – instead, they hold bludgers (dodgeballs) that they can throw at any member of the opposition (just like dodgeball). Getting hit with a bludger is called getting ‘beat’ and knocks you out of play until you can run back, touch your defensive hoops and re-enter play.
Seekers, again, play an entirely different game. The tiny, shiny, Golden Snitch from the books is represented in real life by an oz-tag style tag on the back of the shorts of a Snitch Runner who really, really doesn’t want you to pull it off them. The Seekers have the unenviable job of running to and fro across the pitch after the Snitch Runner, and once they catch up, they must then wrestle the Snitch Runner to pull off the tag, earn 30 points for their team, and end the game.
And just in case that wasn’t enough confusion, quidditch also incorporates a handicap. In basketball, you must bounce the ball. In soccer, you can’t touch it with your hands. In quidditch, you must have a stick (PVC pipe or wooden dowel, not an actual broomstick) between your legs at all times. In addition to looking a wee bit silly, it throws in the twist of making the already complicated game now, essentially, one-handed.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re now asking yourself why on earth anyone would play such a complicated, confusing game. However, the chaos of quidditch is in many ways its primary attraction – it’s simply FUN. In a game where you’re running around with a stick between your legs and balls are flying everywhere, it’s impossible to not smile. That being said, the sport isn’t rapidly growing by merit of its ridiculousness alone. Many female players leap at the opportunity to play quidditch simply because it’s mixed gender and full contact – in what other sport is a woman going to have the opportunity to square off with a male as an equal? While feminism continues to rise and women are gradually being offered more opportunities in the world, sports at large are lagging behind the trend, with segregation of both play and pay still prevalent. Quidditch provides an opportunity for people of all genders to come together and make a difference on the pitch. I really do mean it when I say that the largest, strongest man and the smallest, daintiest girl (or the other way around) may be equally as effective on pitch. Quidditch is a sport that, due to all its complexity and chaos, rewards a good thinker just as much as it rewards physical prowess.
“So then, what about Harry Potter?” you say. Well, he’s not really in the picture anymore. Quidditch has rapidly matured away from the glorified roleplay it originated as in 2005. People who first hear about quidditch may mock its players as ‘a bunch of book nerds’ but will very quickly retract the statement after watching a match. However, the essence of the world and the sport that Rowling dreamed up still remains; for so many of our generation, the world of Harry Potter and quidditch represents a safe space where individuals and groups have the opportunity to prove themselves despite adversity. That has certainly been my personal experience as a quidditch player; while I discovered my own drive, fitness and enthusiasm for the game, and formed friendships and team bonds, the ANU Owls team has progressed up the ranks, rising to the top of the NSW state league.
Not only is there league-level play; Quidditch Australia annually hosts a State Shield competition (akin to NRL’s State of Origin) where the best from each state face off to play the highest-level quidditch in Australia. Last year, seven members of the ANU team were involved in the NSW state representative team. And yes, there is even a World Cup for quidditch, just like in the books. It’s held biennially, and in 2016 James Mortensen, ANU’s coach, captained the Australian team to victory in Frankfurt, Germany. This year the World Cup is being held in Florence, Italy, and one of ANU’s long-time members, Danny Fox, is leading the team as assistant coach. While quidditch on a global scale is accessible for any player to pursue, the game still comfortably accommodates everybody: competitive or not, big or small, athletic or slow, thinkers and doers alike.
Term one is jam-packed with Interhall Sport. Social lawn bowls the first event of the year, taking place in week one. This is followed by, Frisbee, Touch Football and Road Relay; with Volleyball finishing off the term in place of tennis (which will now be played in term four). Interhall Sport is built upon sportsmanship, a culture of friendly rivalry and everyone having a go, which makes you all so essential to it running smoothly and successfully! I look forward to seeing you all out on the field again after such a long break, and next up are the college previews.
UniLodge
After last year’s victory for the men and the strong performance for the women in touch football, the Vipers are confident. With the superstars Pat McCallum and Teddy Johnson leading the line and Polly Sayers taking charge, they believe they have a great chance of taking home the big win. Unilodge can only go upwards in its quest for the top spot this year, having come seventh on the shield in 2017. With ex-private school captain of volleyball Will Noonan leading the team, this may be their year. After a while on the sidelines over the holidays, Lodge is ready and raring to get some distance in their legs. With runners like Isabel Marsh and Jon Settle, Lodge is sure to produce some strong competition in Road Relay.
Burgmann
Burg’s disc team is aiming for nothing lower than the top spot however they must face an incredibly tough pool in order to get there. Coaches Edward Treloar and Tash Salisbury are confident their team has what it takes. In the volleyball, no doubt superstar Margaux Huey will be an asset for the girls team and they are looking forward to seeing Seb Szambowski graduate from star player to coach. The new residents program is already unveiling some keen touch players who will no doubt boost the college’s performance. Rumours are also circulating that boys touch coach Nick Finney’s search history is filled with nothing but touch footy videos. The college expects big things from its Road Relay team in 2018. The college has again made special room changes to place star runner Josh ‘Stevo’ Stevenson in a top floor room, aka ‘the 3B altitude chamber’.
Griffin
Under the watchful eyes of coaches Keny Arcangeli and 2017 Best & Fairest winner Kimberly Dunbar, the Griffin Volleyballers now have plenty of players, among them Maddie Kibria and Michael Liang with match experience, looking to get some massive kills. In Road Relay, expect another Griffin win this year as running away from their uni work has only made the team faster than last year, led by star runners Jonathan Fearn and Jess Ronan. The Griffin Touch teams have only improved on last season with key players Monica Pascoe and Angus Proudfoot returning for this year’s tournament. Building off a close final loss last year, the Griffin Frisbee team is still one to watch out for with a lot of strong additions to the team, guided by key player returning from injury, Chris Jende.
Ursies
Ursies will have all the halls quaking in their boots this term. In Road Relay, the team is keen to improve on our finish of fifth last year, with Tom ‘the Tuckwell Triathlete’ Driscoll leading from the front. Yet to discover a new handler after their star American import left last year, the Frisbee team will be reliant on a great intake of first years to beat more teams than just Fenner this year. Moving on to Touch, the men’s team is eager to get a win this year, which should be possible with the crucial input of Reg Wintle and Zac Duchen. The girls are looking to better their sixth place finish in 2017 and will be guided by Nila Norbu. Volleyball is also looking promising this year, with ex-ressies Gaia Ewing and coach Marcus Dahl key to their success on the court.
Bruce
The combination of experienced coaches Dawn and Broden, with a hoard of new energy-filled first years, should lead to a steady improvement in Volleyball for Bruce this year. With an all-star disc team (literally the majority of ANU Ultimate) ready to whip incoming first years into shape, coaches Maya Suzuki and Patrick Phillips are confident in Bruce’s ability to continue last year’s legendary undefeated season. Players to look out for include Rosie Happ and Pat Phillips. Bruce Hall will also be a force to be reckoned with this Touch season. With the girls’ placing a record second last year, they are hungrier than ever to be named this year’s champions and hold the trophy high. The men’s team will see the introduction of rugby prodigies amongst the first year cohort, with some returner talent being formidable as ever.
Fenner
After a huge Frisbee season last year, this Fenner side is ready to return to winning ways, with Kelvin ‘The Hawk’ Cui’s rapid speed their primary offensive weapon. They will continue to prove themselves in volleyball, as Maree Armstrong’s tenacity and awe-inspiring jumping technique will strike fear into the hearts of the opposition. Fenner Touch will look to improve on previous seasons, as star player Lachie Jones and the teams will raise their hair game, as well as their A-game. Road Relay will be very competitive this year, serving as a prime IB scouting opportunity, with Maddie Wait being the engine of this quality machine.
Johns
Johns has a strong team for Volleyball this year, with Ruairi Biollo looking sharp for the boys team, and Bella Happel for the girls. Last year, Johns trained hard for Road relay coming out with a placement of fourth. They will train harder this year with a team of true athletes, led by Jess Raupach and Yoann Colin. The Johns girls are aiming for their 10th consecutive win in touch this year, and the boys are keen to do better than last year’s second place. Watch them come out firing, with Claudia Hodge and Sean Slocombe ones to watch. Johns will make your heads spin with the fresh talent they are bringing to disc this year. Watch out for devoted returners like Mimi Hall playing alongside first years just as eager to take out the title!
B&G
Get ready for another nail biting term ahead for B&G! With a promising new pool of ressies and fiery returners, B&G will put up a fight. Keeping the momentum of volleyball in 2017, D’arcy Taylor and Zoe Oldfield will not back away from the net. Turning up the heat in touch, look out for Brooke Farr and Angus Headon to continue their consistent play on the field. Yet again, B&G will bring their A-game with the likes of Mambo Wiya and Alice Patterson-Roberts defying wind in Ultimate Disc to lead them to success. Pushing through the very tight finish from last year, B&G Road Relay team is looking straight to the finish line with the likes of IB go-getter Kieran Casey.
Comments Off on Why Is The State of Origin So Successful?
The State of Origin is without a doubt the pinnacle of rugby league. The annual best-of-three Australian rugby league series involves two rival states, NSW and Queensland; the Blues and the Maroons; the cockroaches and the cane toads.
The popularity of this state versus state contest is unique to rugby league and largely unparalleled across Australian and international sporting competitions. Of those attempts to emulate the formula, none have even come close. No other sport sees international players, such as New Zealand’s Josh Hoffman or Papua New Guinea’s Adrian Lam, publicly expressing a wish to play not only for a foreign nation, but for a foreign nation’s state. By way of example, imagine an All Black expressing a strong desire to play in an NSW v Queensland rugby union match. It certainly seems unlikely.
In direct comparison to other sport’s non-international all-star or representative games, the State of Origin is on a different level. Players routinely miss up to three regular season games over the course of the year, thus significantly weakening their respective club’s performances in those weeks. In other sports, such as football, representative games are played on stand-alone weekends while, Australian-centred sports such as Aussie Rules, tend to leave international fixtures until the post-season. Yet, in this case, tens of the best players in the game take a week off from playing for their clubs to play for their state. No other sporting code deals with such a concern.
The dominance and pull of the State of Origin are borne out by the facts. Attendance during the second game of this year’s series broke records, with 82,259 people attending Sydney’s ANZ Stadium. 185,189 people attended the three games combined, and game three was the most viewed television event of 2017. Now, compare these figures with those of international test matches this year: when Australia played New Zealand in Canberra, 18,000 spectators watched on; 72 per cent of the stadium’s capacity. During Origin, it is an utter disappointment if the games do not sell out.
So, this begs the question, how can a state rivalry garner greater regard than international fixtures and, in the process, be allowed to strip the national club competition of its best players for at least three weeks every year?
One reason is the formation and structure of Australian rugby league. The success of NSW and Queensland’s clubs has seen them rise to be the two most dominant states in the league for more than a century, with the State of Origin existing as a formal competition for almost half that time. The NRL itself primarily operates in NSW and Queensland, with only three of the sixteen teams located outside these two states. Hence, any other sporting code’s attempts to create a similar series would be met with less complication for the domestic competition as, in the case of AFL for example, players originate either from Victoria (who would most likely dominate an Origin-style competition) or a variety of other states. A two-team state versus state rivalry is not so organic there. In other codes, such as union, cricket and football, players not only develop in different regions of Australia but around the globe. A state versus state rivalry would seem even more contrived in their case.
In addition to the historical development of Australian rugby league, there is another factor that truly stands out – the enjoyment of the game that it brings. Though to the frustration of week-in-week-out rugby league supporters, the State of Origin, as the game’s showcase, attracts everyday viewers around the country. The build-up lasts for weeks, the contests are heated, and the players’ skills are apparent. The enamoured fan will travel hundreds of kilometres to games, buy hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise (jerseys can sell for $160, if not more) and spends countless hours re-watching highlights and analysis. It is an economic boon for the NRL and a unique experience for the rugby league fan. Though one of the most popular sports in the country (on the east coast, it’s the preferred), the experience of sold-out stadiums and elite-level football are reserved largely for the State of Origin, the finals or the odd domestic game. Of these, however, only Origin produces this with almost certainty.
Origin is a fascinatingly unique part of rugby league in this country and unparalleled globally. While some things remain the same – fans will watch the game with interest, complain about the opposition and the referee – something makes Origin particularly special. As the rugby league season comes to an end, it’s particularly telling that the thing many fans look most forward to next year is not the new NRL season, it’s the thought of their respective state getting over the line and winning the State of Origin shield. That’s what makes Origin so distinctive.
Comments Off on Uyen Ha: ‘There is no aspect of MMA that isn’t tough.’
‘Outsiders will never understand why we do it, but the rewards are great.’
For most students, striking up an appropriate work-life balance is tough. Yet, Uyen Ha, in the unenviable position of combining a Law/International Relations double degree with full-time combat sports training, seems to have her priorities in check. An Australian junior freestyle wrestling champion and member of the Australian Olympic Wrestling Shadow Team, Ha is also one of Australia’s most exciting prospects in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA). Right now, she is fighting for a place in Australia’s Commonwealth Games contingent at the Gold Coast next year. Despite this, Ha takes training for all disciplines in her stride: ‘Olympic Wrestling is different to MMA wrestling, however, the fundamentals are the same… training in one helps me with the other. I want to focus on MMA for the next few years. I am in love with wrestling however I only started it to supplement my skillset for MMA.’
The fact that this near Olympic-level athlete can seriously say that, despite her success in the discipline, wrestling is a lesser priority is a testament to her dedication to one of the most arduous and gruelling sports groups in the world. Training upwards of 28 hours a week, wrestling is only a small part of her training regimen. And, while that means that her training regime may involve more physical combat than would be expected of a wrestler, for Ha, the physicality is part of the art form: ‘what I love most about MMA is how raw it is. The sport goes to the very core of human nature. Fighting and violence is in our blood. The human body and soul on its own. It is maybe the most beautiful art form to me. If you watch a fight, you will witness a spectrum of emotions: anger, pure despair, tears, extreme happiness, hopelessness, fear… I think there is something really primal and amazing about it. And to feel all those emotions is even more incredible.’
It’s common for boxers to go from fighting in the Olympics at an amateur level before moving on to box professionally (Muhammad Ali and Anthony Joshua are two well-known examples). Though, it is less common for MMA fighters to double-up their work training in their chosen combat sport with competition in an Olympic discipline such as boxing, wrestling or judo. The reasons for this are clear — the fact that boxing is its own Olympic sport and MMA is not, is one clear example. But, for Ha, the challenge is made even more intense by the relative youth of women’s freestyle wrestling at an Olympic level (it’s only been contested for just over a decade). This is exacerbated by the public’s past reticent attitude toward not just MMA but female MMA in particular; ‘it is a much harder sport than people give it credit for.’
However, despite being a female trailblazer in a historically masculine sport, she feels no pressure to be a role model even if it is a function she knows she will have to contend with: ‘there is no pressure… I had a lot of female role models at the start of my career, and I wish to be one as well. I aim to continue on this path in order to be able to have a bigger voice in society and tell my story. A female fighter is a different breed and goes through different experiences to the average male fighter. Therefore, it takes a female fighter to be a role model to other young girls interested in the sport.’
Despite her success thus far, Ha is certainly not resting on her laurels. Having moved to Thailand full-time last year, she is hoping to make breakthroughs in each discipline that she competes in, moving into Commonwealth Games and Olympics squads almost as a by-product of her dedication to MMA. And it is a real dedication. Beyond the tens of hours per week that she puts into the sport, training in mixed martial arts is particularly tough: ‘there is no aspect of MMA that isn’t tough, you go to training every day, and you get beat up. You come home with injuries, you prepare for a fight and you put your head and your body into hell. It is mentally exhausting, and it is physically draining.’ For Uyen to be competing so fiercely while also dealing with her academic responsibilities reflects a determination and intelligence that will surely contribute to her great and continued success in the future. Especially considering that she only took up MMA at the age of 16, as well as the impressive improvements in the few short years since then, it’s difficult to gauge just how far she could go in combat sports.
She is a credit to the University and it is disappointing that we don’t get to hear more about athletes such as herself competing at the highest level. Perhaps it goes back to her initial point that ‘outsiders will never understand why we do it’ and a pervading sense that MMA — particularly in its female variant — is yet to be taken seriously as a sport. But, hopefully, with some more successful fights under her belt and representation of Australia at Commonwealth Games or Olympic level on the cards, we will be seeing and hearing a lot more about one of this country’s most promising combat sports talents.