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Switch written by young people for young people COVERPHOTOGRAPHER NATALIE EVANS

ISSUE 8Production ManagersAlastair McGibbon, Adrian Aloi

PhotographerNatalie Evans

DesignerJulian Grant

Editorial CommitteeAdrian Aloi, Natalie Evans, Zac Fernandez, Julian Grant, Finn Levelt, Alastair McGibbon, Amanda Sherring, Kim Sinnott and Hannah Teesdale

ContributorsAdrian Aloi, Sarah Davies, Zac Fernandez, Finn Levelt, Alastair McGibbon, Ruby McEvoy, Ruby Mangelsdorf, Skye Mangelsdorf, Amanda Sherring, Kim Sinnott, Jorja Storrar, Tara Sweeney and Hannah Teesdale

Production ServicesAdcell Media

ThanksCity of Greater Geelong & Adcell Media

DisclaimerThe views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the young people writing the articles ans do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the City of Greater Geelong.

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ContentPage 3 EditorialPage 4 PiracyPage 6 Satan’s endPage 8 Gymnastics in the SeventiesPage 10 Bad Perception of CharitiesPage 12 Vintage CropPage 13 MarimbasPage 14 Career ChoicePage 15 AustraliaPage 16 Violent SohoPage 17 Social mediaPage 18 Travel GeelongPage 19 Project Make GoodPage 20 The Beach LifePage 21 Who am I? AirPage 22 Battle of FaithPage 26 H.P. LovecraftPage 27 California by Blink-182Page 28 OverwatchPage 29 Be part of Switch

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Well hey there gang! It’s been a while!We’ve been on the down-low for a while now, but we were just lulling you into a false sense of securitybefore busting heads with our work like some kind of literary Batman. I may have gotten a littlecarried away there, but the thing to take away is that we’re back, and we’ve got a brand spankin’ newissue for you to feast your eyes on!This time around, we’ve gathered together some of Geelong’s best and brightest writers to fill ourpages – we’ve got a cross-section of the best things to visit in the Geelong region, some excellentcreative writing, and a breakdown of the ins and outs of one of the true masters of horror literature:H.P. Lovecraft, master of all things Cthulhu.If this sounds like your sort of thing, read on – we’ve got all that and more, and there’s still more tocome! We’re not done yet, so expect to hear from us again in future! One thing to keep in mind isthat we’re always looking for fresh faces and new content, so hit us up on Facebook (facebook.com/switchmagazinegeelong) or shoot us an email at switchmagazine@hotmail.com if you want to get intouch!Until next time, folks!The Switch Editorial Committee

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THE PIRACY PROBLEMWORDS ALASTAIR MCGIBBONSo, here’s the thing: I guarantee you, at some time in your life, you’ve been a pirate. Eitherthat, or you’ve known one, if you’re one of the few pure souls among us. Unfortunately, I’m not talking about your Captain Jack Sparrowesque swashbucklers; no, I’m talking about those supposedly hardened career criminals that steal from hard working, hard done by multinational corporations every time a new episode of Game of Thrones comes out, because they’re just so damn evil. If it wasn’t already obvious, I’m invested in this story; like Kotaku’s Mark Serrels, I torrent Game of Thrones and I refuse to feel bad about it. Any time a new season of Game of Thrones begins in the US, we’re bombarded with stories from theusual suspects (looking at you, News Limited) about how Australians are the world’s worst pirateswhen it comes to the fantasy epic and told that we should feel bad for stealing from the creative folks that make Westeros come to life. Now, this is a repetitive discussion; more eloquent journos around the country have made the arguments much better than me, but for clarity’s sake, I’ll do my best to sum up their points: We’re pirates because a certain, litigation-happy media conglomerate sucks. Come to think of it, it’s not all that complicated. As Mr Serrels discovered, actually trying to pay to watch Game of Thrones legally is a messy, frustrating process. From the very beginning, you’re pretty much railroaded into giving your money to the aforementioned media giant courtesy of their exclusive distribution deal with HBO, who are no doubt regretting that deal immensely. While you can bypass HBO GO’s geoblocking with a handy VPN service (which, for security’s sake, you should also be paying for), you still need to pay for an account. Assuming you can access the service, HBO may cancel your access if you use an Australian credit card, or may block access from known VPN servers altogether. This is without going into the legal issues relating to accessing a geoblocked service; technically, they’re geoblocked for a reason, usually relating to distribution deals. If you’re not technically adept or aren’t confident enough to pay for and/or configure a VPN service, you’re left with one option: paying Foxtel for access. Now, the vast majority of people I’ve spoken to on the issue – both tech heads and show fans alike – have expressed disdain for the world’s shittiest cable company, and there’s a good reason. To their credit, they have tried to appease the Netflix crowd; they developed an online streaming service designed to allow the general public to watch Game of Thrones (and other shows) online without purchasing their ludicrously expensive cable package. The problem? The service is crap compared to their competitors. Since the writing of this article, they have redeemed themselves with a price shakeup, but they’re still more expensive than most other streaming services out there. Sure, they’ve got a huge selection of content, but the service just lacks quality, and is divided up into packages, much like the cable service, so even if you sign up, you’re not getting the full range of content without paying through the nose for it. While the company have finally caught up and given us access as soon as it’s aired in the US, there’s still one big problem: it doesn’t stream in HD. Yeah, you read that right; even after forking out for the package, you can’t even get your Game of Thrones fix in high quality on every device; you need to have a Telstra TV device, which just adds to the cost. Now, technical gripes aside, this shows us that we’ve got a massive problem. What we’re talking about here is a company that has monopolised what is arguably the most popular television show in the entire world, and is exercising all of its legal rights – all the while complaining bitterly through its media affiliates – to force people to pay up. While I’m not one to begrudge a business for trying to make money, the main issue here is the way in which this particular business is going about it, and how they throw a tantrum every time piracy is even alluded to. Railroading consumers is never going to work in your favour; hell, just look at the backlash Apple received when they gave out free copies of U2’s album Songs of Innocence by automatically downloading it to users’ devices back in 2014. A lack of choice is never a good thing, and the big, bad litigator’s laisse faire approach to providing consumers viable alternatives to their services – or at the very least improving their overall quality and value for money – means that for

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at least the next little while, I’m still going to have to sail the dark waters of the Pirate Bay (yes, despite the ISPenforced ban). While this is something of an ethical minefield, my personal justification for downloading the show is that as long as I support the show through other means – buying the books (love me some GRRM), merchandise and, most importantly, buying the DVDs/Blu-rays – then my conscience is appeased, and I’m still supporting the folks who devote their time to making one of my favourite things. The meteoric rise of Netflix in Australia is proof that having a good quality, affordable service will attract customers, and a few distributors have caught on; while Stan and Quickflix are less popular, they’re still attracting customers. Realistically, companies like the subject of this article (hell, we all know who I mean) need to stop taking their customers for granted and assuming they’ll blindly do whatever they want – this is the digital age, where content is everywhere, and if you piss us off you won’t see a cent.Disclaimer: This article has been sarcastically redacted by the author so no one gets sued.

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SATAN’S ENDWORDS ADRIAN ALOII was there, at the beginningI saw Carthage be sowed with saltGorged myself with food at Holodomor,Inhaled fresh air at the Holocaust,Bathed in napalm at Vietnam;I Shook George Bush’s hands as tanks rolled into IraqYou ask me who I am.I am hunger I am thirst, I am the endAnd the end is nigh, now allow me to tell you my taleAbandoned, deserted, cast aside,Forsaken, branded a Misanthrope,Eons alone, without a home,Enough, enough,Hades welcomes me, as heaven never could,The end is nigh, Lucifer is dead,Call me Satan, don’t forget my name.The world shall see, the world shall know,Nothing will be the same, everything will change,But how, how do I get back at you,How to punish the creator of worlds,The creator of humans,The creator of me,Destroy, annihilate, consume.The end is nigh,Deprived of my Father,The misanthrope shall deny him his children,Death shall come, death shall consume them all,Death, destroy, annihilation, no,No, more would simply take their place,Death is too easy, too quick,The end is nigh,Father told us to bow,Their souls, dwarfed our existence,Their souls, their souls, they shall be mine,Punished, perverted, unravelled,Their souls shall be twisted, they shall be remade,Once pure, now no more,Their very fabric’s unravelled,The end is nigh,Forever changed, pure now corrupted,Souls taken, repurposed,Soldiers, now unwavering, without emotion,Giving names and propelled into his world,Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin,My warriors, my kinsmen, my destroyers of worlds,Destroy, annihilate, and conquer,The end is nigh,

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Eternities spent apart, an existence lived in ignorance,Ages have past, the world has changedNo longer apes with sticks, no longer afraid of the dark,Oppenheimer even harnessed the power of the gods,My combatants failed again like all before them,Was I wrong?Were humans more? Were humans superior?NoUnwearying, in my watch I have learnt one thing,Humans do not need me to destroy them, they will do it themselves,If time has taught me one thing, it is that humans were never pure to begin with,God’s greatest gift to the world was as flawed as everything else.They will fail and their failure will be my triumph, their demise my conclusion.The end is nigh – call me Satan, hope you forget my name

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GYMNASTICS IN THE SEVENTIESWORDS ZAC FERNANDEZHave you ever been in a situation where a piece of music comes from out of nowhere.Like a smack in the face, you are left in an questionable awe, as you hopelessly wonder what the hell just hit you? I have. The story takes place in the Barwon Club bandroom (plenty of good times have been had here: one of the best live music venues in Geelong, I reckon). I showed up hours early to see another band play later on in the night, but the worry of losing a good spot became completely irrelevant as I walked in and joined the other 7 people in the audience at the time. To kick off the show, a local Geelong indie rock band called Gymnastics In the Seventies took to the stage and, as they blasted into their first song, I was blown away. With a singer, two guitarists, a bassist and a drummer, I was taken away by how smooth it sounded. The combination of jangly chords, sweet solos, warm bass, crisp drums and soothing vocals caressed my ringing ears as I couldn’t help but tap my foot and groove along with the band. The music eerily reminded me of the likes of other Australian acts such as San Cisco and Sticky Fingers. Their debut EP Daylessness, has been on constant repeat ever since, as well as their sweet single Turn and Tremble. I now find myself craving for more new music and I’m proud to say that I got the chance to talk online to the four boys behind this musical mastery.Here’s some of the things we got ‘round to talking about, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.Q: How did you guys get together as a band? Did you know each other personally beforehand?A: Basically through school, Dom came to the same high school in year 10 and we knew Campbell from good ol’ CCG Middle School.Q: What band/s would you love to play alongside on a “dream tour?”A: I reckon someone like Bombay Bicycle Club or Sticky Fingers would be sick. Obviously Zeppelin would be rad too, but after Bonham kicked the bucket, I doubt it’d happen.Q: How do you guys approach songwriting?A: Pretty much Frase will bring some chords and lyrics he has put together and we just jam it out until we have all our separate parts. We have a few jams that have appeared out of nowhere but majority is Frase’s beautiful mind.Q: What is it like for you to head into the studio to the record music as opposed to heading out and touring?A: I think our parts are a bit more toned down and more ‘surfy’ on record whereas live it’s a little more rocky so you can dance to it, plus Dom loses it when we play live; listen to that guy’s playing, he’s a beast.Q: Are there any favourite songs to perform live, if so, why?A: We used to do Four Eyes into Hotline Bling by Drake which had a stanky bass line but we don’t do it much anymore because Dom hates it. At the moment it’d probably be Turn and Tremble because of the phat octave bass pedal I get to use.Q: Do you have any favourite pastimes besides music?A: Apart from binge watching Netflix, Dom and I surf a lot together. I have a little point and shoot film camera which is fun to use. We also are all aspiring Sommeliers so we drink lots of wine like the pretentious tools that we are.Q: Where do you see yourselves, as a band, in a few years? Potential new music/album?A: Hopefully we’ll have an album out if we ever get our sh*t together. An East Coast tour is also on the list too.Q: Coming from Geelong, would you say that the city has an influence on or serves as an inspiration for your music?A: Not really, it’s a bit of a sh*t hole to be honest. The majority of bands that are coming out of G-town are pretty punk rock so we don’t exactly fit the music scene.Q: What are your views on the current state of the Australian music industry? How do you feel music will evolve in the future?

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A: Melbourne’s music scene is blooming with fresh talent, but the lockout laws have really f**ked over Sydney’s live music scene. I think Aussie artists are some of the best in the world, so we’re pretty lucky to be included in that.Q: Is there any advice that you would give aspiring musicians who are looking to starta band?A: Play as many live shows as you can. Don’t let yourself get screwed around byvenues because you’re young or don’t have a following. Play what you like, and don’t try and conform to what you think people will like. Make what you think sounds cool. Drink loads of beers; if you can play well smashed that’s how you know you’re good - not that we have ever pulled it off! Be sure to check out their music and catch them live if you’re in town or hit them up on social media.www.facebook.com/gymnasticsintheseventies

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BAD PERCEPTIONS OF CHARITY DAMAGING CHANCES OF REAL CHANGEWORDS KIM SINNOTTOh my God, another one. I just got away from that guy and his clipboard and now here’s agirl trying to make eye contact. Do I look at my phone? No, that won’t do it.They know these things…Ooh maybe I’ll pretend I’m talking. It’s not like they’d be able to see the screen.Okay that worked. I wonder what they’re trying to get people into…Put your hand up if you’ve ever escaped one of those people on the street that tries to signyou up to charitable causes.Identifiable 10 meters away from their actual stall, these charity muggers (a term I didn’t realize existed until I searched Urban dictionary) must have a hard time reaching their target of signing up 10 people a shift.I’ll admit, if I don’t use the phone trick, I’ll often wave a hand and say that I’m under 21 because I heard that they cannot sign anyone up below that age.If I happen to be interested in the facts they rattle off in the 20 seconds it takes for me to pass them, I’ll still say that I’ll look them up online later. Then I’ll forget it ever happened.But really, how bad are these street fundraisers? Sure, they can hassle you. If you’re a pushover like me, you’re probably going to sign up on the spot, and agree to a monthly deducton from your bank account.Later, you realise how stupid you are and then have to go to the trouble of making that cancellation phone call. I get anxious just thinking about it.But they’re not all bad right? In some instances, people will associate charities with negative connotations. To work for one means that you are either a hippy that preaches far-fetched ideas orthat you’re dishonest - because surely the donations collected don’t make a difference,right?Maybe the aggressive approach has made people forget about the real reason they exist in the first place – to help those in a vulnerable, disadvantaged situation.According to the 2014 Australian Charities Report, in that year Australian charities had a total income of $103 billion. Of that, $6.8 billion of their income was sourced through donations and bequests.While this figure is extraordinarily high, there is in fact no shortage of disadvantage. After all, there is a reason that charities continue to exist; there is always a need to be addressed.After finding myself working in the not-forprofit sector, I began to realize that the ideas I used to be passionate about had gone by the wayside. I had been too concerned going about my day to stop and take notice of those charity muggers or to roll down my window to give away my spare 20 and 50 cent coins.However, from working for a small grassroots charity selling socks to raise funds for poverty stricken Kenyans and then to working for an internationally recognized charity, being behind the scenes gives you a new perspective.Once you become exposed to the needs of the community, you often begin to recognise those who are in need and do receive support - whether they are living on the streets and need a hot meal or if they need someone to talk through their problems.Not-for-Profit organisations work hard to help these people and part of that is to ask for money. That in itself is not easy but it is necessary. Donations are sourced so that services and programs can be delivered to vulnerable people at little or no cost. Moreover, this requires a lot of passion and empathy from people behind the scenes of these charitable organisations.Another perception of charities is that not enough of actual donations are actually passed down to the person in need. The percentage of donations that are sent down to the individual level is dependent on the charity – there are often administration and other costs associated with the running of most services and programs. Nevertheless, there are charities that attempt as best as possible to ensure that the most difference can be made with a single dollar.

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Perhaps the problem with street fundraising is thinking that there is always someone else better equipped to help. That maybe the next person can spare $5 instead of the $1 in your pocket. In reality, statistics show that only 33.5% of Australians gives to charity.But there is still hope : more people are looking to make their donations online. The process is easy you use your card, you select the amount you want to donate and you’re done. Plus you have your donation receipt immediately sent to you, which is handy at tax time.In a community like Geelong, typically people are generous and kind. And once you stop thinking selfishly, most people do want to make real change in this world.The problem isn’t giving to charity – it’s how it’s all comes down to the approach.

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VINTAGE CROPWORDS HANNAH TEESDALEI sat down with local lad, Jack Cherry to have a yarn about his band, Vintage Crop, their upcoming album, and Jack’s record label ‘Weather Vane Records’.Jack (pictured top right), has been making music under the name Vintage Crop for about 5 years. Back in school, every day he’d come home, tuck himself away in his room and according to Jack, record “the most terrible music you’ve ever heard”. Since beginning to record his own music, Jack dreamed of playing at least one live show in his life – but with the use of 2 guitars, bass, and drums to record his music, performing it all live as a one-manband wasn’t really on the cards.For years Jack asked around to get people on board for a live gig and didn’t have much luck. Until finally, in early 2016, Jack got mates Jack Massey, Tyler O’Brien and Tyson Harper to help him out in playing his long awaited live show … in his backyard. Turns out the boys loved their time practising more than anticipated and decided this wasn’t just a temporary thing, they were there to stay. Since their first show, Vintage Crop have have made several appearances at the local Barwon Club, and have made several trips up the freeway to play at multiple Melbourne venues.Now, you must be wondering where the name comes from? Next to Jack’s home computer his dad kept a list of all of the Melbourne cup winners. One day, Jack’s eye caught the name of the 1993 winner, Vintage Crop. From there on in, the name of the 93’ Melbourne Cup winner would live on through the musical talent of this up-and-coming Geelong band.With influences artists such Eddy Current Suppression Ring, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Parquet Courts, and UV Race, Jack describes Vintage Crop’s own sound as garage music “it’s not rock music, but it’s not, not rock music”. Call it what you will, Vintage Crop’s laid back, hearty tunes have you singing along from the first listen.To add to Jack Cherry’s many talents, he’s started up his very own record label ‘Weather Vane Records’, with the name deriving from one of Vintage Crop’s songs.In November of last year, Vintage Crop released EP ‘Coming Up’ (hit up their Spotify, Soundcloud iTunes, etc., you know what you’ve gotta do) and they’ve since been busy recording their debut album with Billy Gardner (of Living Eyes and Ausmuteants) due to be released in April. If ‘Coming Up’ is anything to go off for what to expect from their upcoming album, we’ll all be in for a real treat. Hit up their socials and keep your eyes peeled – these boys are set for big things!www.facebook.com/vintagecropband/@vintagecropbandwww.facebook.com/WeatherVaneRecords/@weathervanerecords

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MARIMBASWORDS JORJA STORRARWhen someone says “marimba” to me I get excited, but when they say the same word to someone else, they don’t know what to say. Many people explain it as a giant xylophone, but really, the two items have many differences. The marimba’s bars are made of wood and are various sizes, whereas the xylophone has metal bars of the same size. A xylophone is also small and mobile and the marimba needs to be reassembled on moving and with its fold up leg joints into a hollow box.Another fact about these amazing instruments. A marimba is a Zimbabwean musical instrument which uses only the movement of your wrist and fore arm. It is played sharply and doesn’t allow any extended notation unless you choose to roll. A roll is when you chose to extend a note by using a fast movement from your wrist for a longer time. The mallets are the equivalent to drumsticks and are utensils used to hit the bars from the musical range of a to g. The bigger the bar the lower the sound, the smaller the bar the higher the sound. On the bottom of the bar there is a curved dent indicating the sound wave between the mallet and the bar this is what allows the sound to be heard.There are a few different types of marimbas - a box marimba, a resonator and a big bass. The box marimba is a type that I have already explained in the first paragraph but a resonator is a marimba that has only four strips of wood forming the outline of our regular frame, to make the buzz sound we use pipe tubes cut to size. On the end we attach some blue tack and a bit of a plastic bag. The big bass is a rather bigger version of the resonator. It uses a different type of mallet. We use a stick of wood and carve it into a cylinder and then attach either a down ball or a tennis ball to the end to cause the bounce as well as the sound.At Tate.St.PS the school of which I attend, we build our own marimbas and have formed around four different marimba bands. I myself am a part of the elite band called Marimbataters. We travel the suburb attending concerts and fun performances playing original and some familiar pieces for the locals of Victoria. We have had visitors ourselves. A Zimbabwean school group called St Johns showed and taught us a complex piece of which uses dynamics and tempo. Our music teacher Ms Rocca is a well-known musician. She got our school into a program called ‘Just Brass’ run by the Salvation Army but back tothe marimbas. Her husband Adam Burke is also a teacher working at Clonard College and also teaches marimba. Between the two they have formed a talented bunch of musical students that enjoy this amazing program. Performing is fun yet challenging, it teaches you resilience and let’s you see that you are human if you make a mistake, on top of all that it teaches you leadership and confidence. This gave us an outcome of the highest academic scores in the region that didn’t just depend on our music program but it did take a big part of the win. I suppose it’s actually true about what they say; extra curriculum activities are good for you.That is all the information you need to know to become an all-round marimba star and for you to succeed in life further.

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CAREER CHOICEWORDS SARAH DAVIESCareer choices are importnat, the outcome of these choices will change your life. I go to Sacred Heart College Geelong and I’m in year 10. I can already feel the pressure of choosing between VCE, VCAL and VET, but most of all my subjects. I’m finding this quite difficult to to keep up with, especially when I feel the mounting pressure of upholding the amazing standards of my school.It’s not only me being made to choose; every senior student is being made to pick their future, but unlike most of my confident classmates I have no clue about the person I want to be when I’m older. Yet it’s very common for teenagers to try to avoid answering that question when asked. Many people don’t even know the answer to this question once they leave high school, and this can even continue to university.You always hear about the students with the highest ATARs, though I’ve never heard much about the effect that your ATAR once you go to university. It doesn’t matter if you got the highest ATAR out of all the people in your course or if you got the lowest. However, it’s becoming more and more relevant that you need to have a satisfactory ATAR score to go your desired university, let alone any university. Even then, you still haven’t made it through the selection process. Thinking about trying to overcome that in the future just gives me a headache.After going over the important choices with your ATAR and university, it is easy to see that this is only the tip of the iceberg. The burden of career choice follows me home, too. I have quite a lot of stress coming frommy family who are suggesting and pointing out the best subjects for me, when I want to do different ones. When I think it over, I can hear my teachers saying “Choose what you want to choose” and honestly, I’m having a hard time deciding.Telling people that I’m starting to think seriously about career choice is also hard. Some think it’s too early for me to think about that type of stuff, but among all of the pressure to choose, Im grateful for the amazing support of my teachers, family and friends. Some of them have seen nearly every outcome of these choices and would have experienced plenty of them themselves.Overall this daunting task doesn’t seem so big with enough help and in the end you will be getting somewhere - even if it doesn’t seem to be the right place at the time.

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AUSTRALIAWORDS RUBY MANGELSDORAustralia’s landscape is as diverse as its community, from the snowy caps of Mt Kosciusko, to the depths of the Great Barrier Reef. Its landscape is filled with hidden gems such as the world’s largest fringing reef, Ningaloo.I recently had the opportunity to travel around our beautiful country with my family. I had weeks of freedom from social media, phones, computers – you name it! We set out on our journey with our camper trailer across the Nullarbor Plain, over to Perth. From there we travelled up the west coast until we reached the Ningaloo Reef National park.Not many people know about the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ningaloo Reef, as it is secluded, which makes it all the more special. It is home to over 250 species of coral, 500 species of fish, as well as dugongs, manta rays, sharks, and six of the world’s seven marine turtle species.When we visited, we could simply take a few steps into the water and we would be in an underwater wonderland. A breathtaking array of fish, coral and turtles were waiting to be explored. We put on our snorkels and flippers and swam with Green Sea turtles, admired the vibrant colours of coral, took in the patterns on fish’s scales and tried not to panic when we saw sharks. One of Ningaloo Reef’s greatest attractions is the world’s largest fish - the Whale Shark. These gentle giants spend the months of March – July in the outer reefs of Ningaloo. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see them up close, but we spotted one from a distance. We travelled to Monkey Mia to see Bottlenose dolphins swim around our feet. I thought I was going to be the lucky one to feed them but sadly another kid got chosen. She got to hand feed the dolphins, although a sneaky pelican stole the fish right out of the girl’s hand! To go from the turquoise beaches and bright coral of Ningaloo to the red dirt and rock art at Kakadu was a bit of a shock. Sharks were replaced with crocodiles, coral replaced with water lilies, and brolgas instead of sting rays. We went on a croc spotting cruise and spotted the 6 metre “Mr Waters.”After a lot of red dirt roads and river crossings, we arrived at Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. The largest rock in the world stood tall over the endless desert plains. It took us six hours to walk around the base of Uluru. We watched the sun transform the colour of the rock from an early morning yellow into fiery red at mid-day and then into a stunning purple as the sun set.One of my most memorable trips in Australia was to Mt Kosciusko, Australia’s highest mountain. It rises 2228 metres into the sky and I will never forget the feeling of standing on the rock at the summit and being the tallest person in Australia for a few minutes! Last year, I travelled to the tropics of Far North Queensland. I lost count of the number of waterfalls we swam in amongst luscious green vines, ferns and palm trees in the Daintree Rainforest and the number of different fishes we swam with in the Great Barrier Reef.These trips have shown me the incredible beauty and diversity in landscapes, wildlife and cultures in Australia. So don’t hesitate to explore our beautiful country a little more.

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VIOLENT SOHOWORDS ZAC FERNANDEZThe 90s – a generation like no other. It was one that was crucial in manipulating in influencing modern culture and how we live our lives today, especially in relation to what is arguably the biggest product of the decade: the music. In theory, there were two main movements during the 90s: the “pop movement” and the “hip-hop” movement. However, at the same time, there was only one genre of music that is synonymous with the 90s and that started not only a movement, but a revolution. I’m talking about alternative rock. Led by mammoth acts such as Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins and Red Hot Chili Peppers, alternative rock took the world by storm during the 90s and, no matter where you went, you simply couldn’t escape it.However, since the suicide of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain in 1994, the flame has been slowly dwindling and the world has been in dire need of a band capable of and willing to stand up to the talentless and boring likes of Kanye West and Justin Bieber. Funnily enough, if you fast forward 20 years, you’ll find there is a band out there who is amongst many Australian alternative acts bringing back the 90s nostalgia. The band? Violent Soho. Luke Boredam (vocals, guitars), James Tidswell (guitars), Luke Henery (bass) and Michael Richards (drums) have been together as a band for 12 years and have since released one EP and four albums, with their third album, “Hungry Ghost”, being certified gold in Australia and their most recent effort, “WACO”, having topped the Australian music charts.Violent Soho deliver thick and heavy riffs, booming drums, angsty vocals and the retrospective lyrics, as well as staying relevant their referencing their roots in Australia, despite finding themselves playing in venues across the world. Their song “Like Soda” is a perfect example of this and is the epitome of typical Australian culture, referencing pubs, the pokies and beer.Whilst the studio material holds up very well, you cannot truly experience the magic that is Violent Soho without seeing them live. A concert staple, “Covered In Chrome”, is definitely a crowd pleaser and there’s nothing more exciting than screaming “HELL F**K YEAH!” at the top of your lungs.There is something here for everyone. Songs such as “Jesus Stole My Girlfriend”, “In the Aisle” and “Love Is A Heavy Word” are sure to get you thrashing and chanting away, whilst songs such as “Dope Calypso”, “Outsider” and “So Sentimental” will bring you back down to a mellow and dreary daze. There is simply nothing to fault about this band as they take charge to bring Australian music back to the forefront and make music great again.

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SOCIAL MEDIAWORDS TARA SWEENEYI know it sounds very clichéd, but I think it’s true: social media really is taking over our lives. We don’t realise it, but we are throwing away hours of our lives in exchange for the intangible social media commodities instead of interacting with real people. Likes and comments start to take the place of actual conversations, and even though your parents constantly tell you off about it, statistics have proven it to be true. Social media is becoming used so frequently that it is becoming relied on in our everyday lives.Sitting with a group of friends out for dinner the other week - only about three minutes after we had finished our meal - I looked around and noticed that four people out of the five of us had been drawn back to the screens of our phones. This is not uncommon, as the 2015 Sensis Social Media Report shows that 52% of Australians access the internet more than five times a day, with 79% accessing it daily.Presumably, social media’s constant presence plays a significant role in our need to keep ourselves up to date with everything that’s going on. It’s even starting to affect us psychologically. FOMO, or Fear Of Missing Out, is a term that is now being used to describe the constant need that we feel to check our social media accounts. Facebook’s own statisticians have estimated that people check their news feeds on an average of 14 times a day. That figure is even more impressive when you consider that 93% of the Sensis survey respondents have Facebook accounts.That’s just Facebook, not including the myriad of alternate platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Tumblr. Social media has become so integrated into our lives that it’s not uncommon for people to spend their time with real people talking about the trivialities of the online world.Nothing irritates me more than people spending whole conversations about ‘someone’s comment on someone else’s post’ or ‘how someone liked someone’s photo’. All these things are completely disconnected from our tangible lives and make no difference to the physical world that we actually live in. Interacting with each other face to face has almost become a lost art thanks to our reliance on the convenience and constant presence of social media.

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TRAVEL GEELONGWORDS KIM SINNOTTThinking of somewhere to visit doesn’t always have to mean travelling overseas, interstate or even into Melbourne. Sometimes the best places are right on your doorstep and yes, are often taken for granted. After all, lots of people flock to our town for a holiday.Here are some spots around Geelong perfect for a day trip on your weekend off (and don’t worry because they all are great locations for your Instagram too!) Geelong Waterfront While the Pokemon Go crazy may be over by the time of publishing, in the meantime hunters are being reawakened to the beautiful Geelong Waterfront.Walking distance from the Geelong CBD, we’re pretty damn lucky to live in a townon the beachfront and it really does offer something for everyone.Ideal day: Start walking! Begin at the Carousel at Western Beach and east. Stop in at restaurants, eat paella served from a boat and continue until you get to the Promenade – especially great on sunny days.The You YangsThe You Yangs should be familiar to all locals, sitting in the distance as you look across Corio Bay and the You Yangs Regional Park continues to impress as an attraction for both locals and tourists. Choice of activities are endless at the You Yangs – climb to the summit Flinder’s Peak and take in the amazing views, bring your mountain bikes and try out 50km of trails, go rock climbing or horseback riding or simply enjoy a picnic amongst the wildlife.Ideal activity: Climbing to Flinders Peak may be difficult for some but the view is definitely worth it! Try going late in the afternoon but be sure to check out the You Yang Regional Park’s website for opening hours. During daylight savings, the Park is open from 7:00am until 6:00pm.The Bellarine PeninsulaFor beach lovers, there are plenty of great spots along the Bellarine Peninsula. Head to St Leonards or Clifton Springs for more a secluded stretch of beach or Ocean Grove in the Summer for the surf and a busy vibe. For something in between, Portarlington is perfect. All are easy to get to by public transport if youneed. Ideal day (weather permitting): The locals of Portarlington are pretty welcoming and there is an endless supply of great cafes and restaurants. It’s a great spot for swimming and fishing and over Summer a carnival is usually put on.LorneIf you insist on leaving Geelong, make sure it’s to take a mini road trip to Lorne with a car full of your friends or your family, yummy snacks and good old fashioned games like ‘I Spy’. It only takes about an hour from the Geelong CBD and on the way be treated with some gorgeous coastal views and lush green forests. When you get to Lorne, make sure you grab a bite at Bottle of Milk but on a sunny day you may need to share a table with other tourists. Alternatively take some fish and chips to the beach as the main shopping district the water is close by.Ideal activity: One of the best things about Lorne is its proximity to Eskine Falls. Only around 15-20 minutes from the town itself, the falls plunge 30 meters into Erskine River. There are two lookouts - the first an easy 5 minute walk and the second a bit tougher with about 240 steps (but the view of the falls from here is worth the strenuous climb back up).

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PROJECT MAKE GOODWORDS HANNAH TEESDALEWhen I first saw the ridiculously adorable pins by Project Make Good, not only did I want to buy every single one of them, I was incredibly intrigued by the name. Project Make Good – what exactly are they making good? Well, when I discovered exactly what was behind this inspiring name, I knew that I most definitely had to buy every single one of the pins.Project make good describes themselves as a little business initiative supporting local organisations and the community via cute hand crafted goods.Genius, kind soul and all round great chick, Fi Foster, aged 20, is the brains and beauty who brought this amazing idea to life. Fi, a student who has a lot of passion for people and for justice, decided to put her super creative brain to (VERY) good use. She put her passions together and began reaching out to others in her own unique way. Fi selects a Geelong based charity, which alternates every few months, then makes these (did I mention ADORABLE) little pins and gives 20% of all profits straight to the charities!Since it’s birth in January of ’16, Project Make Good has raised awareness for and donated money to Hope Movement, Geelong Mums, Foundation 61 and the Geelong Food Relief Centre and they plan to reach out to many other charities and organisations around the region.More recently, Project Make Good has begun selling more than just those super cute little pins. Fi makes a mean coconut and coffee body scrub which she began packaging into delightful little jars and bags, and ever since they’ve been flying out the door.Fi is a woman of many talents and I can’t wait to see what her creative genius brain comes up with next for Project Make Good to sell. So do yourself (and those in need) a favour and treatyo- self to some delectable body scrub and a pretty little pin (or many). Those gorgeous darn pins are guaranteed to help others in need while making your outfit look fabulous!Instagram @projectmakegoodFacebook facebook.com/projectmakegood

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THE BEACH LIFEWORDS SKYE MANGELSDORFWho doesn’t love the beach? Australia is full of beautiful beaches; they are fun, exciting and it’s actually super healthy to visit them! There is a huge range of reasons to go to the many magical beaches along Australia’s coastline, like fitness and relaxation.When you go to the beach, it’s not all about sunbathing or sitting around, there’s plenty of things to do, from surfing to beach cricket. Of course there are so many more sports to do at this heathy haven. Running and walking on the sand can require 1.6 to 2.5 times the energy than it takes to run on the footpath or roads. Using this extra energy, you are burning more calories and it’s healthier for your body and mind.Yes, lying in the sun for hours with no protection is very dangerous and bad for you, but the sun can be very beneficial for your skin. The sun gives you a healthy dose of vitamin D and your body can produce just over 10,000 to 25,000 IU (International Units) of vitamin D in just under the amount of time it takes you to start going a little pink. When you surf in the salty seawater the water produces a heap of minerals which help fight infection, offer therapeutic effects and will help the body heal cuts and open wounds.Swimming is a non-impact sport so it offers anyone suffering or recovering from injuries the chance to strengthen the injured part of the body and help them to recover. In fact if you go for a casual swim it burns about 200 calories, if you go for a surf or play Frisbee you can burn roughly 100 calories and if you play beach volleyball you burn nearly 300 calories! All of these sports are fun, interesting and you can burn hundreds of calories while playing them. Have you ever noticed how much yoga is done on the beach? Well that’s because the beach decreases your level of stress. The air itself is full of negative ions that help you increase your mood and helps you sleep soundly at night.The beach is also healthy for your pets. If you have a dog and you live near the beach and you haven’t done so already maybe try walking your dog at the beach. You will be walking on the sand, breathing the air and doing almost all the healthy things the beach has to offer. Your pet can stay healthy and you can both enjoy it.If you weren’t convinced already the beach is the perfect place to relax, have fun and improve your fitness level. I spend a lot of time there and it is one of my favourite places. Everyone should experience their local beach!

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WHO AM I?WORDS RUBY MCEVOYI don’t know who I am,Anymore.I look in the mirror and see,A stranger.A stranger who looks like me,I think,And then I think,Who am I though?My masked emotions,Seem real enough,For when I’m laughing,I’m screaming inside,When I’m smiling,I’m crying on the inside.No one really knows me,Hell! Even I don’t know me!I’m just a girl,Searching for herself.

AIRWORDS RUBY MCEVOYDon’t pretend you like me,Don’t pretend you care.I know what you think of me,Oh yes, I dare.Your jokes are like bullets,Your laugh a knife,And all are aimed at me,Preparing to put me in strife.Your eyes are like fire,Your insults gasoline,Burning holes through me.Why do you hate me?What did I do?Because never did I ever,Do anything to you.I know I am not innocent,I know I am not pure.But I have never murdered,That I am sure.So don’t pretend you like me,Don’t pretend you care.For I now know that your words are meaningless,Like air.

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BATTLE OF FAITHWORDS ADRIAN ALOI“Are you ready to start, my child?”“Start what, Father?”I watched as the priest stepped out of the shadows and into the light produced by my lone bedside lamp. He removed his coat and placed it on the back of the chair, and taking a seat next to my bed, removed his hat and placed it on his knee. His grey eyes settled on me. A grim smile spread across his face; the kind of smile you see upon the faces of veteran police officers, or men returning from war. It’s the smile that shows that they have seen too much, and that they know too much about the horrors of the world.“Your last rites,” the Father said. “Your family called me here to perform them. They said it might not be the... easiest of jobs. They said you seem to have conflicted feelings about it.”“Did they now? How nice of them,” I replied.“You don’t think so? Is it wrong of them to want to take care of you?”“They don’t want to take care of me, Father. That’s why they sent you here,” I replied.“Even though they knew I didn’t want a priest.”“So they were right, then? About those conflicted feelings?” The priest smirked. “Is it an issue of non belief?”“All issues stem from non-belief, Father. Not believing in yourself or others – that’s where problems start.”“True, but that’s not really an answer to my question, is it?”“No. No, it is not.”The priest watched me intently. The moment of silence allowed me the chance to look around, to take in my surroundings and look upon the thing I have seen every day over the last six months: my hospital room. It was dark — the only lighting came from my bedside lamp and those damn machines, which seemed to do nothing but annoy me with their constant beeping. Even with the lack of light, I could still make out my room in almost perfect detail; prolonged exposure will do that to you. The room was small and bare filled with the smell of bleach and other antiseptics; the chair the priest sat on was one of two. The other was pushed away into the far corner of the room, next to the door of the toilet. That base need was once my only source of exercise, though even that liberty had been taken away from me. I was unable to make it the ten steps from my bed to the door without running out of breath and fainting. My lungs were unable to properly greet their oldest friend: oxygen. I was stuck in bed, always trying to avoid exerting myself.“Did they tell you what it was that put me in here?” I asked.“No. Your family would only say that you didn’t have long left.”“It’s cancer. It started off in my lungs, then spread.”‘I’m sorry,” said the priest.“Don’t be, it’s my punishment.”“For what?”“Seeing the true face of humanity.”“I’m sorry? I don’t follow.”“Do you know what Omarska camp is?”“No, I can’t say that I do.”“Typical. You people say that you’re there for us, yet you hide yourselves away. You’re completely unaware of everything that goes on in the world around you.”I raised myself up in the bed. Blast that IV drip, and that stupid heart monitor. Uncomfortable damn things, I thought to myself. The grey eyes of the priest seemed to see straight through me. Piecing into my soul. If there was any of it left.“Omarska was a death camp in northern Bosnia. In 1992, during the war, it was set up by Serb forces, to hold Bosniak survivors after the bombings of their villages. I was in the army. My squad was one of the

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first to go in, dropped nearly 10 clicks away from where the camp was set up. We were to make our way over and, if possible, liberate the camp.” I stopped, unsure if I should go on. As my chest tightened at the thought of reliving the memories. I let out a sigh, and decided that I should get it all out in the open — deathbed confession, and all that.“About an hour after being dropped off, we came over this hill and saw an abandoned train station. Looking ahead, we saw what looked like piles of clothes. As we got closer, though, we saw it was something else entirely. It wasn’t just clothes; it was people. They no longer looked like people, though. Their skin was pulled tight across their faces, pale and translucent; you could see the tendons underneath. Worst of all, in some you could see the maggots under the skin; moving, feeding, consuming them.”“My God!” the priest exclaimed.“That’s blasphemy, Father,” I said.That wasn’t even the worst part of the day. We continued on, after we were done vomiting. After another hour or so, a smell came to us on the air. It was like fatty pork cooking on a grill, but there was something different about it — something that made me uneasy, and sick in my stomach. After hours of walking, some of the men had become hungry and even commented on how good it smelled.” My mouth twisted, contorting into a harsh grimace.“As we got closer it changed; the smell of burning rubber mingled with it and something else… something metallic. Knowing what it is now, I don’t think we would’ve even considered what it actually was. But I can tell you, Father, that I will never forget that smell. It was the smell of burning blood.” I started coughing. My long winded story was using up what little oxygen I could get into my lungs. The priest jumped to his feet and grabbed my breathing apparatus, pushing it to my face. His eyes reflected his concern, but also betrayed a hint of relief. He was happy I stopped, I thought to myself. The story was getting to him.“Are you ok?” he asked.“Yeah, just got a little too excited.”“You can stop if you like. You don’t have to finish the story.” His eyes darting towards the door.“No. No, you’re wrong. I do.”Looking even more concerned than before, he sat back down and nodded.“Tell me what happened next.”“As we got closer, we saw the flames. They were reaching high into the air, reaching stories above us. Before we saw the people, we heard the screaming. As we got closer, we saw the Serbs. They were standing around the fire all yelling in delight. We couldn’t see at first, but on the fire… on the fire were…” I paused, taking another deep breath with the aid of the breathing apparatus.“There were people on the fire. I can’t say bodies; they were people, and they were still alive. They were screaming in pain, trying to get out of the giant pyre, while the Serbs laughed and cheered. We watched in horror as three of them grabbed another person, and with a heave threw them on to the fire.”My vision started to become blurry as tears started to run down my cheeks. Looking away, I wiped my eyes. “There was nothing we could do. There were just too many Serbs to go down there. We would have all died, so we just sat there and watched them burn… breathing in the fumes.” I looked at the father.“Later that night, reinforcements arrived. We stormed the camp and by morning every Serb was either captured or dead. We freed what was left of the Bosnian people and helped them return to their village.”I paused, letting the silence hang for a moment.“Do you see now, Father?” I asked.“See what?”“This is my punishment. I sat there and watched as those people were burnt alive and did nothing but breathe in their fumes. I saw the true face of humanity in me and my comrades; it was survival of the fittest.”“You think that’s what gave you cancer? Those people’s fumes?” the priest asked.

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“What else could it be?”“You did nothing wrong,” the father said.“I did nothing right, either.”“God will forgive you.”“Here we were having a serious conversation, Father, and now you’ve gone and said something like that. There is no God, Father.”“How can you believe that there is no God?” he asked.“How can you believe in one, after everything I just told you?“I have to.”“You could argue that all issues came from belief.”“Ah, now I understand. When your family said that you had mixed feelings, they really meant that you have lost your faith.”“To be honest, Father, these days I can’t be sure that I ever even had faith. No, it’s easier this way. It’s easier to not have faith. When I die, that’s it; I’m gone, goodbye. ‘Do not pass go’, ‘the end’; it’s easier to believe in that.”“You find it easier to believe in nothing? Is it easier to have your whole world — your whole life — boil down to a few years, and then have nothing? No paradise, just rotten flesh? Do you think those people on the pyre would be happy with that? The last moments of their lives spent in agony, as every nerve in their body was set alight?”“It’s better than the alternative.”“What, that there is a paradise, that there’s a ‘happily ever after’?” the priest said, his voice starting to echo loudly in the small room.“It’s better than thinking that God doesn’t care; he left them there to suffer, to die in the worstway possible. If God was real, how could he let things like that happen? No, there is no God. Even if he exists, he clearly lost interest in us a long time ago. If he exists, your God is like a child with an ant farm; he was amused at first, but he grew bored as the years passed. That is the only way it can make sense.”“Maybe it was a test?” the priest said, regaining his composure.“Ha!” I exclaimed. “Is that meant to make me feel better, Father? ‘God only tests us to see our faith’? Well, clearly I failed, didn’t I?”“Not yet, you haven’t,” he said.“Let me perform the last rites, and everything will be forgiven.”“Do you truly believe that, Father? After everything I’ve told you?”The Father remained silent.“I think the worst thing possible that could happen to us upon death would be to find out that everything we do in life — everything we are — is just a test, a test for some old man’s entertainment; a test we are destined to lose. That, Father, is why I can’t believe. That’s what scares me.”I watched as the Father started to respond, as whatever reply he had died on his lips. Iwatched as he fiddled with his rosary beads, as if deep in thought. I smiled to myself.“Thank you, Father,” I said.“For what? I did nothing.”“You did more than you think.”I let the breathing apparatus fall from my hand on to the bed. I took one last look around theroom, and then closed my eyes. I listened tothe rhythm of my breathing, feeling my chestrise and fall.∞I sat there in silence and watched his chest rise up and down for nearly two hours until, finally, it stopped rising. Taking his hand, I gave it a squeeze before the door burst open and the doctors ran in. Rising from my chair, I collected my coat, threw it over my arm, put my hat back upon my head and left the room.

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“What happened?”I raised my head to look at the people standing in the waiting room; three men and one woman. His mother and father, and two brothers. I looked at his parents.“I’m sorry, he’s gone.”“Did you do it? Did you give him his last rites?” asked his mother, almost pleading with me.Looking at her, I could see the sadness in her eyes. Should I tell her that he had refused? They had desperately wanted him to have them performed. My eyes fixed the cross around her neck. I looked at his mother, meeting her gaze.“Yes,” I lied. “Your son told me to tell you that he died believing.”“Thank you Father,” his mother said, pulling me into a tight embrace.“You’re welcome — he was hero, even if he didn’t believe it.”Pulling away from the mother, I smiled in a final good bye, and turned away from his family. I walked down the corridor to the front entrance. My body shivered as a stepped out into the crisp air, unfolding my jacket I put it on. I headed towards my car, as I grew nearing I saw a man standing about fifteen meters away — smiling to myself I walked over to him.“Excuse me,” I said. The man looked up at the sound of my voice. Upon seeing me he quickly threw his cigarette on to the ground and pushed his foot down on it to put it out.“Shit sorry Father,” He said. “I didn’t see you there, and now I just swore in front of you, Christ ben I mean, sorry, sorry father.”“It’s ok, I said. “Ben is it?”“Yes.”“I was going to ask you if it’s ok if I get a smoke.”“Yeah sure — wait, what really?”“Yeah”Ben reached into his pocket and grabbed out the packet, taking a smoke out for me he passed it over, than light it for me.“I didn’t think priests smoked.”“We don’t”We stood there in silence as I inhaled the smoke — smoke it wasn’t quite the same, but it was close enough. With one last breath I threw the cigarette on to the ground and squashed it out. Smiling back up at Ben I said “Thank you Ben.”“You’re welcome.”Turning away I walked back to my car, as I put my key into the lock, I smiled at myself and said.“Forgive me Father for I have sinned.”

If you or someone you know is in need of immediate assistance or support call Lifeline on 13 11 14 for confidential 24 hour counselling and referrals. You can access one-on-one crisis support online through the website between 8pm and 4pm, seven days a week. Visit the Lifeline website for more information.

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H.P. LOVECRAFTWORDS FINN LEVELTH.P Lovecraft is one of the most wellknown authors, having written over 40 short stories. His work was so popular, he had his own subgenre of writing named after him - Lovecraftian horror. It’s a subgenre of horror fiction that focuses on the fear of the unknown. Today, I am going to be writing the top 5 short stories written by Howard Phillips Lovecraft.5. Cool AirCool Air is about a man who lives in an apartment with a strange doctor above him. After helping him with some things, he can tell that something strange is afoot. What I liked about this story was that fact that from the start, I could tell something strange was happening, but couldn’t quite figure it out. But as the story drew to a close, everything connected up and made sense in a strange and creepy ending.4. Call of CthulhuAlthough Call of Cthulhu isn’t the best Lovecraft story, it is definitely the most wellknown of his tales. In this horrifying tragedy, a man investigates some strange occurrences, all connected to one ancient deity. This story was a bit longer than most of the other stories, so by the end it seemed to drag on a bit, but apart from that it was a good story.3. Herbert West-ReanimatorHerbert West-Reanimator was one of H.P Lovecraft’s more comical stories, but it still manages to pull off some creepy themes, including detached heads speaking and animal-like ‘zombies’. I liked this story, but at the start of every chapter, there was a long explanation of what had happened in the previous chapters, which was quite annoying. However, this can be forgiven, considering this story was published one chapter at a time in the amateur magazine ‘Home Brew’.2. The Colour Out of SpaceThe Colour out of Space is a great story, which by the end had me thoroughly creeped out. This story is about a family, who had a strange rock (presumably an asteroid or meteorite) land on their property, and how everything begins to go wrong from then on.1. Shadow Over InnsmouthShadow Over Innsmouth is the definitive Lovecraftian horror story, containing heaps of disturbing notions (such as the strange story told by Zadok Allen, a strange old drunkard), and ties up the Cthulhu Mythos (All the stories set in the Cthulhu universe, including Dagon and Call of Cthulhu) very well. There is a very heavy atmosphere, and is explained well at the end. It continues to creep me out to this day, and is probably the best short horror story I have ever read.

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CALIFORNIA BY BLINK-182WORDS ZAC FERNANDEZAs one of the bands at the forefront of the “pop punk” movement that sprung to life during the mid-90s and the early 2000s, Blink- 182’s music hasn’t really strayed far from its roots, which is neither a good nor a bad thing. With original vocalist/guitarist, Tom DeLonge, leaving the band in 2015, the remaining band members, Mark Hoppus (bass/vocals) and Travis Barker (drums), were suddenly left with a massive duty: to fill the hole left by DeLonge. His replacement would need to be capable of playing and singing the old songs whilst also being able to write new songs in the Blink style. Enter Matt Skiba, the guitarist/ vocalist for another band, the Alkaline Trio. Fans are divided, but the new rendition of the band still rocks and aren’t showing signs of slowing down.“California” is the first album to feature the band with Skiba and, needless to say, it sounds like a Blink-182 album. It still has the catchy choruses and the intricate musicianship that has been featured on previous Blink records. The first single, “Bored to Death”, was an acquired taste, as were most of the songs from this record. It is my favourite song from the album and, to be honest, it’s not even that good.Personally, I find Skiba does a manageable job in filling DeLonge’s shoes. However, whether or not it’s because he limits himself to the previous style or because he is uninspired, some of his parts on the album just seem a bit “eh.” He is a great singer and but his voice doesn’t really suit well with Mark’s, but in some instances, it gets a bit tedious. There’s only so much high pitched and accented singing I can endure before I get tired of it. There are 16 songs on this album and whilst there is some contrast, the album is in dire need of a palate cleanser. Maybe it’s because all of the members are in their 40s, but it’s a bit weird hearing a bunch of grown ass men singing about partying and scoring with chicks. Unfortunately, more often than not, the lyrics come across as plain and cliché. “I wanna see some naked dudes, that’s why I built this pool.” This pretty much sums up the lack of effort put into the lyrics; random nonsense thrown together to form disjointed rhyming patterns. However, you should feel privileged to even get lyrics, because, on more than one occasion, entire sections are made up of “na, na, nas” and “oh, oh, ohs.”Even Travis Barker, one of the greatest drummers in the world, slips up. It’s not uncommon to hear some awesome drums fills in Travis’ playing, but I feel that in some of the songs, his drumming is too “fancy.” Sometimes he just needs to hold back and maintain rhythm. In saying this, though, the first track, “Cynical”, features some amazing drumming and never ceases to blow my mind. The final track, “Brohemian Rhapsody”, is the second “joke song” on the album. (The other being “Built This Pool.”) I like the idea of the song, but I feel like they wasted a really cool riff on a song that only goes for about 30 seconds. It would’ve been better to use that in a proper song and substitute one of the weaker riffs for the “joke song.” Also, it is a bit jarring having this song close the album. I get the idea, it’s supposed to be funny and the one thing you remember because it’s at the end of the album, but I think it abruptly and prematurely ends the album and it leaves me thinking: “Is that it?”In conclusion, “California”, definitely holds up as a Blink-182 album, but isn’t anything progressive. Had the original guitarist, Tom DeLonge, stayed in the band, maybe they would’ve continued in their experimentation, but instead, they resort to the plain pop tune formula. I enjoyed some of the songs on this album, but, admittedly, I’m glad I didn’t buy it because it’s not the best work the band has put out. In total, I give this album a 2/5, it kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth and leaves me “bored to death.”(See what I did there?)

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OVERWATCHWORDS ALASTAIR MCGIBBONUnless you’ve been living under a pop-culture proof rock, chances are that if you’re into video games, you’ve heard of the juggernaut that is Overwatch. The latest release from hyper-popular developers Blizzard (makers of such classics as World of Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo) is here, and doesn’t appear to be going away any time soon. While the game itself is somewhat plot-light, there’s a fairly compelling backstory to the team-based shooter that sets the scene nicely.Thirty years in our future, humanity has developed technology to the point of creating artificial intelligence; sentient robots known as Omnics, which were produced en masse in factories known as Omniums. Despite being initially used to achieve economic equality, the factories soon began producing lethal, hostile robots, and the first Omnic Crisis began. In response to the threat, the UN created Overwatch, an international team of heroes, who fought an triumphed against the Omnics. However, internal tensions flared, and Overwatch was shut down and banned after the crisis after accusations of corruption. Years later, corporations have started to take over, a second Omnic Crisis is brewing in Russia and a terrorist organization called Talon is wreaking havoc. Former members of Overwatch have decided to reform and take on the threats, despite the ban – and thus begins the second incarnation of Overwatch.Boy oh boy, Blizzard have put a lot of effort into this one. The way I’ve been describing Overwatch to people is that it’s much like Valve’s classic Team Fortress 2, except much more finely balanced and polished. Much like TF2, there’s a number of different game modes – Control points, payload, assaults (like control points, but with two stages instead of three) and hybrid matches that are a combination of the assault and escort modes. The interesting difference here is that there’s no team deathmatch or free-for-all modes; all of the emphasis is on teamwork and team composition. Each hero has a role to play – offense, defense, tank or support – and if your team doesn’t have a good mix, you’re gonna get stomped.Each hero has a number of abilities that make them somewhat specialised; for example, the pseudo mascot time-manipulator Tracer can dash around the map in short bursts, spit out a massive burst of gunfire and then “rewind” back to her previous position. Each hero has an ultimate ability – some more infuriating than others – that eventually unlocks either through the passing of time or getting eliminations, and can drastically turn the tide of a match. The game itself is really quite polished, and a few broken hero mechanics aside, Overwatch proves to be a whole lot of fun. It’s a game best played with friends; trying to get a team of strangers to coordinate is like herding rabid chimpanzees. My only real critique is that it’s fairly light on features and thus seems a bit pricey – paying at least $90 for a game that’s got 3 game modes – let’s face it, Assault and Control are more or less the same thing – seems a bit steep. Hopefully, the recent addition of a Competitive Mode and upcoming DLC will improve on the formula – but when all is said and done, Blizzard’s made one hell of a game.4.5/5

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BE PART OF SWITCHSWITCH is a Geelong Youth Magazine that provides a creative outlet for young people as wellas all the information you guys want to know. The mag is entirely written by young people (12-25 years old) for young people and contains interviews, fiction, reviews, poetry and heaps more.Switch magazine is managed by a dedicated editorial team. They’re in charge of the content,layout, editing process and occasionally even writing stories. Each issue is over 20 pages of mattefull colour, which gets distributed to local schools, libraries, cafes and youth venues around theregion. The best part is that it’s free!If you want to see your work published in Switch, or join the team (we are volunteers) it’s supereasy to get involved.You can submit articles and interviews as well as reviews of books, movies, and albums. Yourarticles will be read by the Switch team and possibly published in the next issue. We are alwayson the lookout for amazing photos or illustrations as well, who knows, your picture may even bechosen for the cover!Send your submissions to switchmagazine@hotmail.com.Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/switchmagazinegeelongSwitch is a project of the City of Greater Geelong.