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First Year Guide

First Year Guide2

I don’t want to scare you, but the next three years of your life may be the most important of your life. The subject choices you make, the people you befriend, and the societies you join may

well dictate who you are and what you do in the years that follow.

O-week is where the ball starts rolling. But don’t feel disheartened if your O-week host was a bore, and the JAFFYs you met were all socially awkward. You’ve already made one important decision - and that is to join the Media and Communications Student Society (MaCSS).

Apart from a being an uncomfortable acronym, MaCSS is a place where you can fast-track both your social life and professional de-velopment in ways that your University tutorials cannot.

In 2013, MaCSS will introduce you to the movers and shakers of the Melbourne Uni media community, so that their nepotism will one day work in your favour. We’ll also introduce you to that cute looking girl from your Media and Society tute who you’ve been too afraid to approach. Yes, we know her.

MaCSS is a safe society where members can discuss their favou-rite nouns, adjectives, and newspaper columnists without fear of persecution. It’s also a place where you can admit you watch Today Tonight and read TV Week without your classmates judging you.

Your Media lecturers will no doubt tell you all about the value of networking. But at MaCSS, we’ll show you how to make contacts. We’re here to make your Media major as valuable as it can be.

Kevin Hawkins MaCSS President

President’s Welcome

Media and Communications Student Society 3

ContentsMedia ContactsFarrago Magazine [email protected]

Meld [email protected]

In Brief [email protected]

Mary Journal [email protected]

SYN (Student Youth Network) [email protected]

Kook [email protected]

The Drum [email protected]

Crikey [email protected]

The Punch [email protected]

Hitz 247 (online radio station) http://www.hitz247.com/contact/

What Degree? Which University [email protected]

Meet the Committee 4

Who We Are 6

Coffee on Campus 7

Subject Reviews 8

How Low Would You Go? 10

Media Super 12

The top three best and worst things about studying Media & Communications 13

Three ways to make the most of your BA 14

Twi-hard at writing; tapping the tween market 16

Campus Life 18

Connect with us!

fb.com/melbourneunimedia

twitter.com/unimelb_macss

mediacommsociety.wordpress.com

First Year Guide4

Meet the CommitteeKevin Hawkins, President

What would you get if you combined Kevin Rudd’s body with Jennifer Haw-kins’ brain? Me of course! I’m a third-year Med student (and by Med, I mean Media and Communications), who be-gan studying way back when they offered heritage degrees. I’ve been a Farrago col-umnist for the past three years, and now manage media for The Oaktree Foun-dation’s Live Below the Line campaign. I also write film reviews for Film Blerg, complain about living at home on SYN, and find time to be a diehard Melbourne Demons supporter. In between all that, I apparently study a bit at Melbourne Uni-versity. If you ever see me on campus, you win a free point.

Adeshola Ore, SecrataryI ’m a second year Arts student with an annoyingly hard to pronounce name. This year I’ll be majoring in Media & Communications and Sociology and trying to keep the dream of journalism alive! Am currently interning at Tone Deaf, writing for Farrago and attempt-ing radio at SYN. I’m interested in all things media related and also quite fond of Grumpy Cat, vintage clothing and big cups of tea.

Patrick Paevere, TreasurerHey hey hey! I’m Patrick. Unlike you, I’m studying a science degree; this in-

trinsically makes me good at maths, and hence a flawless treasurer. However, akin to you, I have a passion for Media and Communications and will probably end up taking the same amount of Media and Comms subjects as you throughout the course of my degree (oh, how I love the Melbourne Model). I enjoy candle lit dinners and long walks on the beach, and when I’m not being a computer science nerd, I’m a musical director for theatre. You should also join UMMTA – Univer-sity of Melbourne Music Theatre Associ-ation. Theatre goes good with Media and Comms. #jussayin.

Nathan Fioritti, Education OfficerHi, I’m a second year Arts student cur-rently completing a double major in Me-dia and Communications and Creative Writing. It is my role as Education Officer to manage the connection between facul-ty and our society to ensure we are not just another ‘fun club’, but a club which is both useful and fun. My main inter-ests are in multimedia, advertising, and the music industry, and alongside my studies I am undertaking a bit of writing for the contemporary online-magazine, T-SQUAT. Like many of you, I am eager to use the next few years to figure out exactly what career path is right for me, and wholeheartedly hope this means es-caping the unimaginable horror of a full-time job scanning groceries.


Sarah Layton, General CommitteeI’m Sarah and I’m currently studying my second year of the Bachelor of Arts ma-joring in Media and Communications and Politics and International studies with a diploma in languages in Ger-man because, well, German’s are sexy. I have a deep love of stand up comedy, breaking awkward silences with random trivia, and being a closet nerd. I have a secret terror of raptors, inspired by Juras-sic Park, which is why I spend so much time hiding in windowless rooms around campus and have a lot of time to write stuff for Farrago and other publications. I love sketching stuff and am heavily in-volved with marketing for clubs around campus including the Melbourne Arts Students Society and the Melbourne University Community Development Club and enjoy getting up to my ears in as much work as can be thrown my way.

Grace Yew, General CommitteeI’m a fourth-year international stu-dent who’s currently enrolled in Media and Communications Honours at Mel-bourne University. I hail from Singapore but spent over a decade in Hong Kong. In 2009, I came to Australia and decid-ed I liked it here. When I’m not por-ing over new books and my impending 15000-word thesis, I volunteer at Meld Magazine as a reporter and e-newsletter editor. I also contribute to Farrago when-ever possible. Do say hello if you see me! Beware: beneath my squishy, amicable exterior dwells an obnoxious pop cul-ture obsessive, ready to provide pointless rambling at the drop of a hat.

Rachel Withers, General CommitteeRachel was not kind enough to send in a personal essay. She’s usually pretty good with that stuff though.

First Year Guide6

So you’ve joined the Media & Communications Student Society (MaCSS) but what exactly does this mean? If you enjoy writing and editing, have an interest in journalism or public relations or simply are just keen to

get some free food then you’ve come to write place.

Here is what being a part of MaCSS means.

Socialising Yes, you came to uni to get an education but uni is so much more than lec-tures and tutorials. Making friends on such a big campus can be hard which is why MaCSS aims to create a community of like minded students with an interest in all things media related. This year we’ll be feeding you at our BBQs and hosting regular social events where you can meet and mingle with other media students.

Networking You’re keen to get into journalism but how do you get there? Networking is crucial in the media industry, which is why MaCSS allows you to meet other media students. We host out annual Media Industry Night which allows you to hear from media professionals directly. We’ll also keep you in the loop with internship positions, put you in contacts with local media publications and provide advice for how to break into the media.

EducationMaCSS members study a range of different majors and minors and therefore offer a wealth of experience. We want to make you get the most out of your degree which is why we’ll provide you with Majors information as well as put you in contact with faculty staff when needed.

By Adeshola Ore

Who We Are


Coffee on Campus

Coffee on campus is a con-tentious issue, but here’s the skinny on your flat white

(zing!)

Seven SeedsA favourite of mine, Seven Seeds boast some of the best quality coffee in all of Melbourne. Great place to soak up the atmosphere despite how busy it can get. Hidden away behind the law building though, some days it’s just too much to trek for a cup of coffee. Kere Kere Tucked away near South Lawn, Kere Kere is a great place for a latte be-tween classes. The coffee quality is comparable to Seven Seeds, and it’s a lovely place to sit on a sunny day. If you’re feeling socially conscious, you can elect that that the profit from your coffee go to a charitable cause instead of a café owner. Try to avoid Kere Kere during busy times though, its popularity makes for long lines. Castro’s KioskCatsro’s is a popular spot for students who frequent the North East end of campus. Not far from Union House, this little café has both perks and short-comings. No other location on campus can compete with their

extensive varieties of mocha and hot chocolate. In all honesty though, I’m not a big fan of their coffee. Lot 6Known for its luscious faux grass courtyard, Lot 6 is perched in front of the ERC. This is one of the more convenient cafés on campus. I can’t complain about the coffee, I can’t complain about the food and I defi-nitely can’t complain about their chair. Shanti Bhagwan This difficult-to-pronounce venue is one of campus’ most well-kept secrets. Silently hiding in the Alice Hoy building, not many undergrad-uate students walk past it often. Its coffee is fine, but the café’s true ben-efit is its peace and quiet. It’s the cof-fee vendor of choice for a quiet con-versation overlooking the grass, or a relaxing browse through Farrago.StreatIf you love your student union as much as we do, you’ll find yourself at Streat often. This makeshift estab-lishment of milk carton and chalk-boards is set up right behind Union House in North Court. The quality of coffee can vary, but it’s always fast and affordable.

By Zoe Efron

First Year Guide8

Subject ReviewsMedia & SocietyThe subject Media and Society is akin to a promising synopsis for a great nov-el, but rather than summing up the de-tails of an intricate plot, it outlines the empirical structure which is the world of media and communications. Media and Society provides a broad yet con-densed overview of the field, with a focus on the links between the media, politics, and the public. It will teach you to be both analytical and critical when looking at media stories, theories, and its global structure. Media and Society is highly recommended for students eager to pursue a Media and Commu-nications major, especially those inter-ested in news and journalism.

Introduction to Cinema StudiesCalling all cinephiles, Introduction to Cinema Studies is the subject for you! With a selection of movie screenings from a vast range of genres every week, which are then explored with great de-tail in lectures, tutes, and readings, you can be assured that you will learn about and experience something new from the world of cinema. That is not to say this subject is only for those with a deep passion for film. As the title suggests it also is a terrific way for someone with a developing interest to be exposed and introduced to this form of media. But before you say, ‘heck yes, movie screen-

ings every week!’, be warned that if you are not a film genius this subject can ac-tually be quite intense. Introduction to Cinema Studies involves learning about the history and aesthetic of film, and will introduce you to some key cinema theories such as genre theory, auteur-ism, the classic text, gender, psycho-analysis, postcolonial, entertainment, and new media theory.

Media, Identity and Everyday Life They told us at the start of this subject that we would ‘de-naturalise’ everyday life and that’s exactly what you do. The subject explores theories of culture and everyday life that affect the production of media. You will study the conno-tations of advertisements, television shows as well as look at the way the media affects our everyday life. Be pre-pared to do the readings as the subject covers quite tricky cultural studies the-oretical ideas. The assessment involves two major essays and a weekly blogging task which gives you the breadth to ex-plore your own opinions on the subject content. This subject will provide you with a firm theoretical grasp of ideas of culture, media and the every day.

Understanding SocietyThis subject is all about exploring your “sociological imagination” but don’t let that artsy phrase put you off. It essen-tially investigates the ways in which we are socially constructed, delving into topics such as identity, power and in-


equality, population and migration, communications and technologies and deviance and subcultures. There’s a lot of theory here, but it all ties in to contemporary events and issues and is pretty easy to get your first-year head around.

The Developing WorldIn this subject you’ll study the develop-ing world from different perspectives including geography, sociology and economics. A strong focus is on the divide between the developer North and the under-developed South. The subject provides a fascinating look at the inequality of wealth throughout the world as well as the role of aid organisa-tions and how development is affected by debt, trade and gender.

From Plato to EinsteinIf you’re one of those Arts students who can handle a bit of left-brain thinking, then From Plate to Einstein is tailored for you. It takes a journey through the history of science and intellectual thinking, from antiquity to present day. You’ll kick off in Ancient Greece with the birth of natural philosophy and the likes of Aristotle, before moving onto the Renaissance, Enlightenment and then the dramatic shifts of modern thought. It focuses on themes such as unity in nature, understanding the na-ture of gravity and understanding the physical world mathematically. Perhaps you’ll even be able to challenge Plato’s theories on the reality of the material

world, or come to appreciate Einstein as more than just a mad scientist.

Language and Power in Asian SocietiesThis subject looks at the relationship between language and power in East Asia, insular Southeast Asia and the Arabic world. You’ll gain an under-standing of how language is culturally and politically significant in Asia and the Middle East. You’ll also look at how nationalism and social hierarchy can affect language. For students interested in Aisian communications, this subject is for you.

Philosophy: The Big QuestionsThis subject provides students with an introduction to four major questions in philosophy: 1. What is knowledge and how do we know what w know? 2. What is a person and are you the same person you are now compared to your-self at birth? 3. How do we decide if an action is moral or not? 4. What kind of social responsibility do we have for others living in poverty? This is not an easy subject and you’ll often leave a tutorial wondering if you even exist or if you’re just a product of someone’s mind. However, the interesting ideas make for great tutorial discussions and allow you to develop your reasoning and argumentative skills.

By Nathan Fioritti, Adeshola Ore and Bec Jones

First Year Guide10

The five cent piece is becoming an obsolete relic of Australian history. It no longer affords us candy, and is useless at scrapping mud off our shoes. The currency only exists so that we can practise those rare moments of gener-

osity. That is, when paying for a $19.95 dinner with a $20 bill, we can say “Keep the change” and revel in the philanthropic buzz.

With inflation soaring, five cents can’t even buy you… five cents. According to the Australian Royal Mint, each piece of copper is worth 3.6 cents alone. Once you add overheads to the equation, a fiver blows out to be more trouble than it’s worth. The real question is, if you saw one lying on the ground would you bother to pick it up? Indeed, what is the lowest form of currency worth squatting down for?

One and two dollar coinsWhether it’s to reward a talented busker, to appease a needy beggar, or to pur-chase a train ticket for your unprepared (and stingy) mate, gold coins are an in-valuable commodity. There’s nothing more satisfying than finding one of these shiny blonde beacons on the footpath. With Albert Namatjira screaming “Pick me up!” to the hordes of pedestrians, you have every right to add his portrait to your personal collection.Fifty cent coinThe fifty cent faux-circle tends to be a little chunky. Weighing in at a whooping 15 grams, this monolith is hardly your ideal pocket companion. But for all its mechanical flaws, the fifty cent has a lot of street value. Not only does it share the name of 2003’s hippest rapper, but the world’s most famous dodecagon has some practical uses. Pig fat ice-creams are the most obvious buy, but op shops can open one’s world to a plethora of cheap options. Fifty cents should be enough to purchase 50 Cent’s groundbreaking single In Da Club, on either CD or cassette. So next time you pass by a rogue fifty, remember this; you’re not only rejecting Auntie Liz II, but Curtis James Jackson III as well.Twenty cent coinThere is a certain class linked with the upper echelon of Australia’s coinage. But there’s no glitz and glamour associated with twenty cents. If you’re making an ef-fort to claim one of these bland tokens off the sticky pavement, you’re probably in need of a job. But what the twenty lacks in social status, it makes up in aesthetic

How Low Would You Go?


value. Sure, the Queen isn’t much to look at, but don’t forget the flipside. Your coin may be a commemoration of Will and Kate’s Wedding, a primary school artist’s impression of Tasmania, or a celebration of the Australian Tax Office. It’s an exhilarating game of lucky dip, only that your prize lies discarded on the bitumen.Ten cent coinThere’s not much you can do with a dime. Indeed, with five cent pieces awaiting the imminent chop, these miserable slivers of silver are heading toward the bot-tom of the economic food chain. While infamous for their uninspiring lyrebird design, the ten cent piece is redeemed by one essential feature: its size. A single coin may be of little value to your typical Aussie, but two ten cent pieces form a penetrating combination. When lathered with super glue and spray painted gold, the double header is transformed into a united one dollar imitation. Sure, it’s a thrifty practice – and humiliating if you get caught – but who could argue against a cheap thrill?Five cent coinWith the Mint churning out 160 million five cent pieces every year, there are roughly four billion of these little buggers floating around the nation. That’s 175 per person. An inspection of my piggy bank revealed just 38 Echidnas, leaving 137 unaccounted for. Assuming that I am a representative sample of the Aus-tralian population, that equates to a national total of $155 million in unclaimed small change. Imagine that; $155 million is glued to the bottom of our public urinals; stuck to the gum in our jacket pockets; lost at the back of our vending machine coin slots. It sure balances out the public embarrassment of jumping into a wishing well for the sake of a solitary silver winning.One and two cent coinYou may see little value in leaning over for yesterday’s pathetic equivalents of the five cent scrap. But an eBay search reveals that these bronze treasures can fetch you a bucket-load. One opportunistic trader sells these seemingly worthless ar-tefacts for $4 apiece. A few optimistic vendors, meanwhile, auction off their sets to gullible collectors for $15.

* * *Pavement scrounging may not be everybody’s favourite money making scheme, but it’s a game that benefits all. Onlookers laugh sadistically at your over-zeal-ous coin detecting. You, however, may gleam with pride, pondering the copious spoils that await.

By Kevin Hawkins

First Year Guide12

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Best 33. Your fellow Media and Comm stu-dents: it’s a large but tangible cohort, and you’re likely to start seeing the same friendly faces pop up in tutes across var-ious subjects (note: making an effort to remember their names first up might save you years of having them say hi to you around campus and wondering if it’s too late/awkward to ask their name again). In my completely objective and unbiased opinion, Media and Comm students are the most interesting and funny students at Melbourne. Which makes tutes better. Which makes life in general a lot easier. You also get to read and workshop some brilliant articles written by some brilliant fellow students that will leave you in awe/burning with envy. But envy is good. It makes you learn harder2. Doug Hendrie: You’ll see.1. The Media and Communications Stu-dent Society: It’s only young but thanks to a few brave pioneers there now exists a way to meet and make friends with like-minded future journalists from all year leavels, who may or may not come in very handy down the track. We put on a Media Industry Night, which will help qualm some of those oh-my-god-how-will-I-ever-become-employed nerves, as well as many social events, which besides being contact-making exercises are just damn great ways to make friends.

Worst 33. “The Death of the Newspaper”. Not to mention serious news bulletins. And magazines. And basically anything that’s not the internet. You’re going to spend the next few years hearing about and studying the decline of the very indus-try you’re probably hoping to break into. Which can be disheartening at times. Unless you really like the internet.2. Theory: Who needs theory when you’re a writer as good as yourself? Un-fortunately there are only two strictly writing subjects within Media and Com-munications, so no doubt you’re going to have to study some theory at some stage if you want to walk away with those 100 credit points. Learn to enjoy it (doing readings actually helps in this instance). And remember, you sound really smart when you reference the “hypodermic needle theory” in everyday conversation.1. “You’re more likely to be drafted as an AFL footballer than make it as a journal-ist”: Kevin once passed on this nugget of demoralisation, and it has stuck with me (despite the fact this is obviously not true in my case). Don’t let that put you off! There’s so many ways to get your career started right now while you’re studying at Melbourne: send things to Farrago, or any publication you’d like to write for, get involved in SYN and keep an eye on the MaCSS page!

By Rachel Withers

The top three best and worst things about studying Media & Communications

First Year Guide14

The Melbourne Model can be perplexing to newcomers. To relics of the university’s heritage degree, such as yours truly, the system is practi-cally alien.

Nevertheless, as a grizzled old fart who made phenomenally poor choices in first year, I welcome all you whippersnappers to the University of Melbourne. As an O-week gift, here are three pieces of free – albeit questionable – advice.

Structure your courseConfused about your choices? Look at the subject handbook, talk to an ad-viser, and shortlist specialisations that catch your eye. You’re a first-year with slots to fill, so enrol in the prerequisite Level 1 units for all the majors you find useful or interesting. That way, you’ve got options later.

The double major route may be of particular interest to media students. While you can choose to continue with a single major, it might be wise to es-tablish a separate area of expertise. That is, find something to write about so you have something else to sell if Australian journalism does go pear-shaped.

If you have trouble deciding, consider your interests. Want to be a financial journalist? Perhaps a double major in Economics, with a Business breadth. Are you a political animal or legal eagle? Start International Studies; loads of poli sci kids go on to the JD. Love lifestyle, entertainment and Vanity Fair? Try Cultural Studies.

Some majors may sound impractical, but you’re BA students and therefore used to justifying yourselves. Go ahead and do what you love.

Addendum: Lectopia is not an excuse to skip classes. In my first year, I over-slept one time too many, failed an attendance requirement, and wound up with an H3.

Get involved in extracurricularsThere’s always room for creative types on campus. Hungry writers will be

Three ways to make the most of your BA


happy to know that university magazines Farrago and Melbourne RiffRaff accept submissions, and the editorial teams change every year to make room for new blood. If you’ve got a taste for the theatrical, Union House Theatre will likely call for reviewers around Week 1.

Another good idea is to start blogging if you haven’t already. You’ll get the word out about your own writing, and accumulate samples you can use for applications. Some media subjects will require you to make blogs anyway, so you might as well familiarise yourselves with WordPress templates.

Again, what really matters here is that you choose something you like and stick with it. In this case, you’ll find determined people rise quickly within organisations. A first-year friend of mine was socially savvy enough to nab an executive committee position after one semester, which looks great on résumés.

Imbibe CaffeineEssays and long nights are inevitable for Arts students, so coffee is now your new best friend -- second only to cheap alcohol. As Melburnian coffee is one of the better beverages I’ve tried in my lifetime, allow me to make a sugges-tion.

Drink plenty of it. It will keep you alive during the semester. Castro’s brews have a decent kick and a menu of intriguing variety, though the white choc-olate mocha at Union House’s first floor is made of sweeter stuff.

If that’s not your cup of joe, you can get your caffeine fix elsewhere. The green tea latte at Egg (Union House, basement) is sinfully milky, and I’m also par-tial to Shanti Baghwan’s (Alice Hoy) chai lattes.

Stick to decaf if you have a nervous disposition. I’ve ingested so much coffee over the last few years that I actually had some minor chest pains in early 2013. So watch your caffeine intake: you all may be young and healthy now, but I refuse to be responsible for any coronary diseases.

By Grace Yew

First Year Guide16

As a person one of my defining characteristics is my deep love of books. I’m a lifelong Bib-

liomaniac, I love visiting bookstores, roaming the shelves and tucking my-self away in a corner; I’ll read anything from a graphic novel to a book detail-ing how trains work, my requirements are words and paper. One of the biggest things that I love about books, however, is the way in which we can define our-selves through them. A book can be an icon for a generation as the words we pass down through history come to define a period of time. Reading is our way of looking back at the past and dis-covering the person we want to be in the future. Writing is how we remem-ber ourselves as we once were in years to come, and in some ways, how we be-come memorable at all.

As a person with a serious case of the bookworm it follows that I love hang-ing around bookstores. Walking into Dymocks in the city a few days ago I was stopped by a pretty dashing red shirted Dymocks man with an ‘I’m here to help you’ smile on his face that stretched from ear to ear. He shook his head indulgently when I mumbled a bit incoherently about ‘just browsing’ with a look that said ‘I know exactly what you’re after’ and offered to show me to the ‘tween’ section of the store. I gave him my best indignant face, which was meant to be disdainful but probably just made me look sick, be-

cause I was then insistently drawn over towards a huge corner of populated entirely with the kind of bright colours that give people epileptic fits. He started to point out a couple of their best selling books to me before he moved along to another customer leaving me stranded and confused in a sea of multi-coloured teenage angst.

Most of the books were about vampires, werewolves, ghosts, fairy’s or some oth-er supernatural element, with a female main character who was ‘just a quiet girl’ before she was ‘caught up in a web of mystery’ which usually saw her end-ing up with a ‘incredibly hot and badass boyfriend’ and saving the world; all while remaining cripplingly self con-scious about her appearance and abili-ty. The uniformity was overwhelming. ‘Torment’ ‘Crescendo’ ‘Envy’ ‘Rapture,’ names that would be more at home on a cruiser bottle than a book for 11-16 year olds now surrounded me. Even the bright front covers of topless men surrounding a clueless and vaguely sexualised female figure were a theme running from one end of the shelf to the other. It was the same book over and over again, the same plotline, and the same part idealistic part demeaning message.

Now I have absolutely nothing against the teen novel, books like the Harry Potter novels are great, fun reads amidst all the deep thought provoking stuff that

Twi-hard at writing; tapping the tween market


makes your head hurt. They embody a magical place somewhere between childhood fairytales and the stark, vaguely pessimistic region of adult works, allowing ourselves to imagine ourselves as a part of a different world. Other books like John Green’s novels or Stephen Chbosky’s ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ explore youth culture to-day with its exhilarating opportunity and promise while perhaps shedding some light on the realistic lows that can come with it, and provide us with a different way to experience our own lives. We can lose ourselves a bit in these books, just have a bit of an escape from the day to day, and they’re often the kinds of books that we pick up again and again to re-read when we just want something familiar and lovable.

But there is a big difference between the teen novels we all know and love and their recently emerging tween coun-terparts. Instead of adding any kind of meaning or memorable experience these books unapologetically cater to a generation of fan girls with all the rep-utability and realistic relationships of a romance novel for children. They follow the same formulaic structure book after book, their highly commercialized rip-ping off of all the other books around them leaving extended family members scratching their heads trying desperate-ly to buy informative birthday presents and coming home with a book about a fairy princess who can’t decide between her two love interests.

Authors and Publishers alike have found a profitable market and they’re sticking to it potentially at the expense of saying anything real and definitely at the expense of the way that today’s youth will see and judge themselves in the future. Historically to be a respected author was one of the most prestigious professions around. It meant you’d con-tributed. Authors were the people who changed the world. The authors on these shelves aren’t trying to be memorable; they’re looking for the safety of guaran-teed sells in a market of adolescent self doubt and desire for acceptance and be-longing. These books aren’t just a fad or a fandom; they’re an identity.

As a time period, the writing that’s starting to fill our shelves is beginning to reflect the increasing capitalism and commercialization that’s becoming a large part of our lives. Like fashion the popular books and stories in stores to-day are creating their own way of being a young person. I wonder what people will say when they look back at books today. Will they laugh at the multitudes of commercialized Twilight fan fiction or nod their head at it as one of the most profitable periods the book industry’s ever had? And how will this generation of girls and our culture be remembered and react to the pressures of adult re-lationships and independence? I don’t know, but one thing’s for sure; throw a couple of sexy werewolves and some serious teenage drama into a book and you may just have a new best seller.

by Sarah Layton

First Year Guide18

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That’s OK – we’ll take care of that. After all, we are your Industry fund.

If you’re creative, you should be with Media Super.

Super Helpline 1800 640 886 mediasuper.com.au

Award Winning Fund

There are three important things I believe to be vital to making your cam-pus life both enjoyable and practical. First and foremost there is coffee, closely followed by where to spend your free time, and where to grab lunch.CoffeeWith the many cafés on campus it is always easy to quickly caffeinate be-tween classes or catch up with a friend over coffee. I assure you that if you walk around with your eyes at least partially open for a few minutes, you will find one of these little treasures, and after giving them all a shot, hope-fully you will come to favour one enough to become a regular.Place to goWhen you’re not in classes/lectures or studying, there are a few pleasant places where you want to be seen enjoying life. Firstly there is South Lawn, which is probably Melbourne Uni’s number one place to be, especially in the summer. You will soon find that on a nice day at around lunchtime it becomes near impossible to find a vacant piece of grass on South Lawn. If the weather is not so great, why not try the Rowden White Library (library of fun). Famous for its “DO NOT STUDY” signs, the Rowden White has regular DVD screenings, as well as a vast collection of fiction, comics, DVDs, magazines, computer games, and music.LunchIf you’re looking for a place to buy lunch and you don’t want to wander the entire campus accompanied by the fear of getting lost, only to find that almost every place where you can buy lunch on campus is in fact in the same building, I would recommend heading straight down to Union House. Inside there is a wide selection of places where you can eat, so no matter what you may feel like they should have it covered. I would also recommend heading down to North Court (at the back of Union House) on Mondays and Tuesdays where the Student Union holds free BBQ’s ac-companied with live music at 1:00 PM. As it is now compulsory for all enrolled students to be union members, you do not even need to worry about membership.

By Nathan Fioritti

Campus Life

Low fees | Strong long-term performance | Run only to benefit members

Disclaimer: This advertisement provides general information only, and does not take into consideration your personal objectives, situation or needs. You should assess your own financial situation and needs, read the Product Disclosure Statement and consult a financial adviser (if required) before making any financial decisions. Investment returns are not guaranteed, and past performance gives no indication of future performance. Issued February 2013 by Media Super Limited ABN 30 059 502 948, AFSL 230254 as Trustee of Media Super ABN 42 574 421 650, SPIN PIN0100AU. MSUP 34578

Freelance? Contract? Casual? Cadet?

Super for creative people.

Whether you’re already working in media or simply waiting tables to get you through uni, thinking about your retirement savings isn’t a priority yet...

That’s OK – we’ll take care of that. After all, we are your Industry fund.

If you’re creative, you should be with Media Super.

Super Helpline 1800 640 886 mediasuper.com.au

Award Winning Fund

Logo Usage Guide for Affiliated Clubs 4.

Logo appearance in relation to othersBelow are examples of how the ‘Affiliated to UMSU’ logo should appear in the presence of other logos.

Other logos should not compete or overshadow the ‘Affiliated to UMSU’ logo. Clear space must be given from one logo to another.

Minimum logo sizeLogo must not be smaller than 15mm in height

15mm

© 2013Layout and typesetting by Patrick Paevere

Illustrations by Sarah Layton

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With thanks to The Faculty of Arts, Clubs and Societies, and Media Super.

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