Pelican Edition 4 Vol 94 2023

ED4 • VOL94 • 2023 GOSSIP Anyone want to share some bloody marys? pg 48 The Voice Referendum and what the polls say pg 10 “Trust me, this tea may be old but it’s still piping hot.” Get the century old goss on Mona Lisa pg 42 Women in science speak to their experiences pg38 They say the book is always better, but not this time pg 45

Pelicreators Facebook Page Get in contact with our team! Visit the Pelican Facebook Page for individuals’ details, they can be found in the ‘Meet the Teams’ posts pinned to our homepage—as you may like to submit to one of our specific sections. For general prompts, and submission timelines for our next print, join our Pelicreators Facebook Page! We also accept submissions for our online magazine, which is now up and running for the year! Anyone is welcome to contribute, and we want to hear from as many different types of people as possible. Pelican Magazine Facebook Pelican Magazine Website Show your guild card and grab a piup pi a for offer applies to large pizzas only 165 BROADWAY, NEDLANDS 9389 8500 OPEN 5PM - 1AM FRI & SAT, 5PM - 12 MIDNIGHT SUNDAY, 5PM - 1AM WEEKDAYS WWW.BROADWAYPIZZA.COM.AU PIZZA Broadway WE WANT YOUR OLD PELICAN MAGAZINES! The UWA Student Guild wants to complete our collection (back to 1930) because there are gaps. If you, or your parents, or even your grandparents have copies stashed away – before you throw them away, please consider donating them to the Guild Archive! Please contact the Guild Archivist, Melissa Hetherington for further information. [email protected] +61 6488 2832 $13.95 PIZZA Broadway $16.95

Show your guild card and grab a piup pi a for offer applies to large pizzas only 165 BROADWAY, NEDLANDS 9389 8500 OPEN 5PM - 1AM FRI & SAT, 5PM - 12 MIDNIGHT SUNDAY, 5PM - 1AM WEEKDAYS WWW.BROADWAYPIZZA.COM.AU PIZZA Broadway WE WANT YOUR OLD PELICAN MAGAZINES! The UWA Student Guild wants to complete our collection (back to 1930) because there are gaps. If you, or your parents, or even your grandparents have copies stashed away – before you throw them away, please consider donating them to the Guild Archive! Please contact the Guild Archivist, Melissa Hetherington for further information. [email protected] +61 6488 2832 $13.95 PIZZA Broadway Holly torial Angie torial Presi torial I love nothing more than sitting in public places and absorbing the gossip. It’s informative! Educational! Motivational! I have a 735 day Duolingo streak purely so I can (almost) successfully understand the Japanese ladies on my bus… “My husband did something” (I think?) “and then we went to the park and…”(Who knows? Not me, maybe I will one day!). To curb my gossip addiction I have been patching my cravings with podcasts. Everyman and his dog is now willing to share their useless little nonsenses, about who even cares? Me! I do! Fill me with all of that trash! It is nice to know that everyone is floating around the cosmos just as randomly as I am. I am always listening, but don’t worry—your secrets are (mostly) safe with me ;). The Guild President is bad at gossiping but sends his love; pelicans are a little more gregarious, they spread messages as if they were pigeons! Rumour has it Geemal’s crush on Pelican Magazine means he is too shy to share any more… That’s the scoop! —xoxo Guild Girl Some fellow Uni-goers have shared their light-hearted concerns with me about the theme of ‘gossip’ for this issue. Even in my own head, it is effortful to tease apart theming a magazine ‘gossip’ versus facilitating it. Yet, there is a certain light in which all publications appear ‘gossipy,’ by the very nature of their critiquing, analysing, and relaying of current affairs, speculating on ‘What the heck is going on in Russia?’ to reviewing Barbie (which was fantastic btw!). So don’t be fooled, Pelican is not gossiping ‘extra,’ but we do want to interrogate the power of word of mouth, and the varying positive and negative impacts of information-sharing. Within the microcosmic UWA landscape these are certainly relevant conversations to be had, and I predict increasingly so, as methods of dissemination become more and more, and more and more. We hope you enjoy! With love, Angie The Pelican Magazine team acknowledges the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Custodians of the land—Whadjuk Boodja—on which we live, write, and work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and recognise their continuing connection to land, sea, culture, and community. Rumour has it that the 2050 Guild president is already being designed in a test tube! Pelican Fact 3

Contents Edition 2 Sugar Cultural Comments: 8 Our First Monarchs Deb Broad, Politics 30 “The rumours are terrible and cruel. But honey, most of them are true.” Maia Steele, Pop Culture and Fashion 38 Breaking Barriers and Forging Paths: Celebrating Women’s Impact in Science David Paik, Science 42 The Juicy Affairs, PR Scandal, and Nepotism Behind the Success of Mona Lisa Arya Beltaine, Visual Arts Creative: 6 Poor Old Mrs. Monroe Elizabeth France, Literature and Creative Writing 14 Gossip in its Indexical Form Amity Smith, Literature and Creative Writing 41 The Social Doctrine Dorian Winter, Literature and Creative Writing 48 Critter Confessions Aadhikesav Ramkumar and Rohanne Carroll, Environment Entertainment: 22 Gossip Crossword Angela Aris, Entertainment 23 Caption Contest Winner Joe Chen, Entertainment 24 Gossip Horoscopes Holly Carter-Turner, Entertainment The views expressed within this magazine are not the opinions of the UWA Student Guild or Pelican Editorial Staff but of the individual artists and writers. #UWAStudentVoice #EditorFavourite #funny Pelican Fact Gossip + Fact Checks = Articles 4

Edited by Holly Carter-Turner & Angela Aris Design & Layout by UWA Student Guild staff member Alexander Sinclair Sub - Editors Analyses: 10 What’s the Chatter on the Voice Referendum Chas Underwood, Politics Campus Affairs Dionne Sparks, Tobias Langtry Economics Lana Pavlovic Entertainment Joe Chen Environment Abbey Wheeler Film & Production Aleena Flack, Aron Morris-Black, Patrick Eastough Literature & Creative Writing Aishath Sara Arif, Alexander Lwin Music Ethan Dodson, Deb Broad Politics Jack Cross Pop-Culture & Fashion Claire Nelson, Selina Al Ansari, Maia Steele, Science Alifa Ayman, David Paik Sport Declan Mason Visual Arts Arya Beltaine Voice Aleeya Tamandl, Ava O’Sullivan, Talina Buckingham Media & Artists Alsace Thompson, Alyssa Lewis, Sarah Tan, Takoda Laidley, Talola John, Udhaya SK Reviews: 32 Gossip Girl: Awfully Brilliant, Brilliantly Awful Jack Canning, Film and Production 45 The Norms in Normal People: A Review of the Screen Adaption, Aleena Flack, Film and Production #relatable Interview: 17Interview with Former Greens MLC Tim Clifford Abbey Wheeler, Environment 26 Ask the Experts: Gossip in the Mining Industry Angela Aris, Voice 34Interview with Aadhikesav Ramkumar: Masters in Zoology Student at UWA Ava O’Sullivan, Voice #UWAStudentVoice What’s black and white and read all over? This Magazine! Pelican Fact 5

Poor Old Mrs. Monroe Elizabeth France Pelican Fact Perhaps if Mrs. Monroe had used more sunscreen she might’ve aged better? She was believed to be somewhere between the age of seventy and eighty, but she looked as if she should have been buried decades earlier. Her house was the smallest on the street, a sturdy building that remained upright despite it being built fifty years ago. It looked as if it had been through the wars, but was still standing—much like the old woman herself. 6

Pelican Fact Never be ashamed of your imperfections — they’re a sign that you’ve lived. All she did was sit in her living room and stare out the window. When you passed by her house late at night and saw her face, faintly aglow beneath a nearby streetlight, her eyes would not be looking at you but through you, sending an ice-cold shiver crawling down your spine. She lived alone. The stories ranged from reasonable to impossible, and I wasn’t even certain what I believed. Layla said her husband left her to chase after an actress. Years ago, a musical was playing in the city theatre. Mr. Monroe was infatuated with the lead actress, so he paid her a visit after the curtains had been drawn. A mere three days later, Mrs. Monroe came home to find no trace of her husband except for a speedily scribbled letter, explaining how he could not be with her as his heart longed for another woman. Connor is certain that the reason she lives alone is because she murdered her entire family. During a psychotic episode, she killed them in the middle of the night and buried their bodies in the back garden. She never moved out of the house because she was too afraid that the bodies would be discovered, and she would be prosecuted for the crime. Allison believed she never even had a family because she was a ghost. That was why no one ever saw her move from her position by the window. It was why her face never revealed a single emotion, as if her flesh was set in stone. In some strange way, it made perfect sense, but everyone made fun of Allison for believing in ghost stories. I think they were too afraid of the possibility that she was right. Being of an incredibly impressionable young age, hearing these stories made me just as frightened of Mrs. Monroe as any kid in the area. No one truly knew who she was, or how she ended up alone, because her neighbours were too apprehensive to speak to her. Mrs. Monroe was the dullest and most fascinating woman I have ever laid eyes on. 7

Our First Monarchs Deb Broad Both Nannup (2006) and Winmar (2002), Noongar people from Western Australia, state clearly Aboriginal people believe that land owns and sustains people; people sustain the land but do not own it. There has been manipulation of human rights language in Aboriginal land rights (ALR) legislation by our government. To alter this language to benefit the First Nations peoples of Australia (FNA) we must first identify Aboriginal cultures as constituting a sovereign nation that existed before invasion. This will legalise Aboriginal connection to Country and preserve Native Title (NT) for future generations, as stated in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). To focus on the significance of land rights being equal to human rights (HR) for FNA I will investigate the histories of anti-colonialism and McGlade vs Native Title Registrar (2017). This case is evidence of this manipulation of language for the benefit of the government. Hannah McGlade (2017) suggests western political thought needs to acknowledge diverse cultural ways of organising land. First Nations Australians believe land is not an owned asset but a link to past knowledge and ancestors (Nannup 2006). This is difficult for western people to understand, as it is a spiritual not an economic link. The Kaartdjin Noongar Council state, connection to Country is a human right for FNA people. This connection was recognised in WA by the Noongar (Koorah, Nitja, Boordahwan) (Past, Present, Future) Recognition Act 2016 (WA) and included in the Southwest Native Title Settlement (SWNTS) package, an agreement allowing Noongar people to self-manage lands under an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA). The SWNTS was rejected by Noongar people because the word ‘settlement’ meant the end of land rights in exchange for token payments that did not acknowledge their connection to Country (Carstens 2019). McGlade vs Native Title Registrar (2017) was won on grounds that all involved land claimants were required to agree to settlement (Quartaert et al 2017). The McGlade decision impacted the validity of 126 ALR decisions across Australia. Two weeks after the decision, the government amended the Native Title Act which overturned McGlade. The Amended Act of ILUA disenfranchised Noongar people in favour of government and corporate profitability, by removing the human right of Noongar people to manage their ancestral lands for future generations. McGlade outlines colonial discrimination and the dispossession of Aboriginal people. From the first steps of settlers on our soil until 1992, Australia was considered ‘Terra Nullius’. Pelican Fact We must always be considerate of how our actions impact the world… 8

The Native Title Act (MABO) in 1993, enabled FNA to pursue claims for recognition as the traditional owners of the land, but post-Mabo lobbying by corporations against NT resulted in further disenfranchisement and dispossession. ALR legal victories fitting the UNDRIP resulted in the manipulation of HR language in legislation further discriminating against FNA. These past legal manipulations and policies were designed to keep Aboriginal peoples in poverty and legalise the removal of their future generations. Assimilation was aimed at annihilating Aboriginal culture and bringing the race to a level of extinction. This genocide was required by the colonists to remove an existing sovereign culture from the land that western law asserts it itself owns. For ATSI peoples, land is central to spiritual and cultural identity. Western thought requires a value change to recognise unfamiliar cultural ways of organising land. Connection to Country is a spiritual link to the land which means human rights and land rights are joined, and equals social justice. The UNDRIP is an attempt by the UN to give recognition to Indigenous peoples’ link to their lands, but Australia refused to sign it. When Noongar families won against the Native Title Registrar in the McGlade case by rejecting ‘settlement,’ the federal government altered the laws to further disempower Indigenous peoples. Laws put in place to ‘protect’ the First Nations peoples was a process of politically manipulated and covert genocide. Article fourty-six of the UNDRIP prioritises the land rights of sovereign states over Indigenous land rights. This is evidence of the importance and need that First Nations’ sovereignty be acknowledged as existing prior to colonisation. We need to acknowledge our first monarchs to preserve our Country for future generations. For ATSI peoples, land is central to spiritual and cultural identity. Western thought requires a value change to recognise unfamiliar cultural ways of organising land. References Karda, Noel Nannup. Moondang-ak Kaaradjiny : the carers of everything / Noel Nannup Karda Batchelor Press Batchelor, N.T 2006 Winmar, Dorothy. 2002. Oral Interview. Transcribed in 2002. Cited in Nidja Beeliar Boodjar Noonookurt Nyininy: A Nyoongar Interpretive History Of The Use Of Boodjar (Country) In The Vicinity Of Murdoch University. L Collard, S Harben. Murdoch University Hannah McGlade (2017) The McGlade Case: A Noongar History of Land, Social Justice and Activism, Australian Feminist Law Journal, 43:2, 185-210 page 186, DOI: 10.1080/13200968.2017.1400371 South West Aboriginal Land & Sea Council,Kaartdijin Noongar–NoongarKnowledge(online) <https://www. noongarculture.org.au/list-of-wa-legislation/> (last accessed 16June 2017). Page 187 Carstens, Margret. “25 Years of Native Title – Mabo and Beyond.” Verfassung Und Recht in Übersee / Law and Politics in Africa, Asia and Latin America 52, no. 2 (2019): 224–45. The Routledge History of Human Rights, edited by Jean Quataert, and Lora Wildenthal, Taylor & Francis Group, 2019. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral. proquest.com/lib/uwa/detail.action?docID=5891139. Created from uwa on 2023-05-06 05:34:48. Page 436, 437. Pelican Fact …not just the people, but the land and animals too. 9

What’s the Chatter on the Voice Referendum? Chas Underwood As you’re probably aware by now, there’s a vote to amend the Australian Constitution coming up at the end of the year. The Federal Government has proposed to add a new section establishing an Indigenous advisory body to Government—the Voice. Much like a federal election, it’s compulsory for Australian citizens to cast a vote. To go ahead, the proposal must be approved by a ‘double majority,’ a majority of voters, both nationally and in at least four states. Much ink has already been spilled arguing for and against the Voice. This article intends to do something a little different: investigating what the Australian public thinks about the Voice, and by extension its chances of passing. Rather than looking at any individual poll to try and understand public opinion, it is best practice to aggregate many polls and uncover an overall trend. To the best of my knowledge, there are four major, public, and regularly updated aggregations available—one from Nick Evershed and Josh Nicholas at The Guardian, one from Tasmanian analyst Kevin Bonham, one from Simon Jackman at the University of Sydney, and Figure 1. They differ in their statistical sophistication: which polls they admit, and how their trendlines are calculated, and their precise estimate of the vote varies slightly. However, they are all in agreement on the general trajectory of public opinion. The polls sat at around 65% ‘Yes’ last year, and had dropped to Pelican Fact What’s the difference between unicorns and politicians who don’t share gossip? 10

around 50% ‘Yes’ by time of writing. And this decline is not smooth—it is accelerating. Some ‘Yes’ supporters may dismiss these results, insisting polls do not match lived experience, emphasising outliers, or questioning pollsters’ reliability. However, speaking as someone who does place weight in the reliability of polling, the overall trend speaks for itself. As bad as the situation appears for ‘Yes’ based on this evidence, the reality could be even worse. It’s plausible these results have been influenced by social desirability bias— the tendency for people to modify their poll responses based on what wins social approval. This bias was made famous as a factor which affects poll accuracy, when the polls did not predict Trump’s election win or Leave’s success in the Brexit referendum—the idea being that supporting Trump and/or Brexit attracted social stigma, causing supporters to conceal their preferences from pollsters until they reached the privacy of the ballot box. In Australia, one recent instance of social desirability bias comes to mind—the 2017 same-sex marriage postal survey. Wait, really? Didn’t the postal survey win with a crushing ‘Yes’ majority? In fact, according to an analysis by Bonham, polls underestimated the ‘No’ vote in the postal survey by nearly seven points, on average. This was inconsequential in 2017 because ‘Yes’ margins were so comfortable, even a seven-point overestimate left ‘Yes’ on 61%. The margins in this referendum will undoubtedly be tighter. A similar polling underestimate could turn an apparent narrow victory into a narrow defeat, or, an apparent narrow defeat into a large defeat. Another interesting dynamic to observe, is that falling poll results for ‘Yes’ may be selfPelican Fact Unicorns might exist! (Figure 1: Polling aggregate, Teratix, CC-BY-SA 4.0) No=Top line, Yes=Bottom line. Note: This chart is one of four primary aggregated polls available (named above). It has been selected as a copyright-free illustration for the reader. It visually represents the major trends discussed in the article. 11

reinforcing. A pillar argument of the ‘Yes’ campaign is that the Voice will be a unifying institution that transcends partisan politics, and symbolises Australia’s commitment to reconciliation. Yet, if almost half the country opposes, and/or is seen to oppose, the Voice, then once established, would the Voice have credibility as a unifying institution? A tight contest could thus lead to a cycle of disintegrating support; a fall in support leads people to question whether the Voice is truly unifying, which causes a further fall in support, and so on. This concept also works the other way around. One circulating argument for a ‘No’ vote, in contrast, argues that a Voice selected solely by Indigenous peoples will be divisive rather than unifying. Tight poll results bolster this case and could lead to a cycle where rising opposition to a ‘Yes’ vote leads to a stronger belief in the Voice’s divisiveness, which leads to further opposition, and so on. A further factor to consider is the role of state results. As the Yes/No split reaches 50/50 on a two-answer-preferred basis, the doublemajority requirement will begin to bite. A national majority of votes is not sufficient for victory; the referendum must win a majority of votes in at least four states to pass. In the past, this requirement has downed referendums with national support as high as 62% (Simultaneous Elections 1977, the second of four unsuccessful attempts to require the House and Senate elections to be held on the same day). In fact, of the six referendums with national support between 50–55%, only two have passed. The lowest national support for a successful referendum has been 54.39% (Social Services 1946). In these close cases, the double majority requirement reduces referendums’ chances of success in two ways. Firstly, if we liken the referendum to a roll of the dice, the referendum not only must ‘roll well’ for the national majority, but also roll well four out of six times in the states. In other words, it is harder to win a close referendum than to lose it. Secondly, states with lower support become relevant. Reliable state-by-state data is difficult to come by. State-specific polling is scarce; analysts have been forced to scour the crosstabs of national polls, which can be unreliable, particularly for Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia. Despite all of these uncertainties, here is what the statistics say: • Queensland and Western Australia Pelican Fact We do not approve of politician jokes (we’ve seen too many get elected). “In fact, of the six referendums with national support between 50–55%, only two have passed.” 12

are probable ‘No’s. Queensland was the first state to record absolute ‘No’ majorities in polling, and has fairly consistently seen support tracking below the national average for ‘Yes.’ Support in Western Australia is slightly higher, particularly in some rare state-specific polls, but overall the state tracks only a few points higher than Queensland. • New South Wales and Victoria, the most populous states, have not recorded much notable polling, sticking close to the national average if not a little higher. If ‘No’ were to win these states, it is extremely likely the referendum would be defeated nationally anyway, meaning their state-specific results are somewhat moot, but very possibly ‘Yes.’ • Tasmania and South Australia are wild cards, neither has seen enough polling to give a clear indication of their probable stance. South Australia has a legislated Voice—what effect this might have on the local debate is unclear. Tasmania may be the swing state in a close referendum: either joining Queensland and WA to give the third, decisive ‘No,’ or bringing ‘Yes’ its fourth state and, potentially, victory. It appears that support for a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice is falling, and that if things continue as they are, the referendum will fail. But things may not continue as they are; what could change? One saving grace for the pro-Voice faction is that the pro-Yes campaign may be yet to get fully underway. The ‘Yes’ camp may enjoy a similar advantage to the ‘Yes’ campaign in the 2017 same-sex marriage plebiscite: with a considerable financial arsenal and the support of many traditionally apolitical organisations—sports leagues, businesses, and so on—the Voice campaign may drown out its critics. Some ‘Yes’ campaigners also argue their position is supported by a more enthusiastic base of activists, giving them an edge on the ground. But all the advertising and activism in the world is useless if your campaign is unconvincing. Think of Clive Palmer’s electoral record: dismal, despite the millions of dollars he has invested. A fifteen-point decline in support for ‘Yes’ over the course of the year is not promising. As they stand, the polls should worry ‘Yes’ supporters, not only does it seem the referendum is on track to fail, but it’s also not obvious how it will switch onto a winning course. Pelican Fact Don’t waste your vote! 13

Gossip in its Indexical Form Mother Dear Agony, For as long as I can remember, my mother has had a habit of throwing things at me. Please do not interpret this as me confessing on my knees, my lips trusting a god that is often too busy. Nor should you take these words as acquiring salvation from a protector now that I am 5’3 and supposedly grown. My Mum’s sharp aim was not intentional, I think. Just, sometimes as I was growing, her arms were heavy from the phantom weight of a life she almost got to call her own. Her arms, collapsing in atrophy from the weight of all the things inside of her tired brain that she had been trying to cradle through half a century of turbulent emotions. These things pullulate. Just like the starved leeches that lurk at the bottom of pulchritudinous lakes in the summer as they look through the moss-stained water for their next pound of flesh to feast on. Like the leeches who do not have a preference in whom they consume, neither do the thoughts that escape my mother’s brain and find their way onto and into my skin. Just last month, I was in the bookstore down the street. My phone was on do not disturb, cradled in my right hand as I googled a new release to see if it qualified for the asking Pelican Fact What’s the best way to catch a fish? Have someone (your mother?) throw it at you. Amity Smith price of $34.99 when I saw a Messenger notification. This is sometimes the only way we communicate with one another, my mother and me. Months will go by with the only correspondence being the exchange of small blue and white bubbles, orbiting through the digital sphere. The blue logo seems to be the bearer of all the most debilitating news. Its irrelevance in social circles is questionable as it takes the leading role in the soap opera about to unfold. “Grandpa passed last night, Bub. Lots of great memories”. My first encounter with death pulsating through a luminescent glow. Creviced nicely between the verbal blows is the eeriness of all the emotions that coincide on the outskirts of something language can’t quite reach. Yours truly, Mummy Issues? Mathilda closes her laptop and feels the moisture build behind her knees and between her breasts. The kind of hot rash that always seems to slowly spread over her flesh after she is finished expelling her insides out to a stranger on the internet. The guilt of sharing something that is not wholly hers to disseminate. Fingers stroking the keys, most of the time composing something she forgot to feel at some point in 14

time. Sometimes, it feels almost trance-like; she will finish the process and bring her hands to her cheek and realise that she has been crying. Each time, she concludes that this will be the last time she will spill the contents of her loved ones, inviting them to be ridiculed by strangers on the Internet. But Mathilda cannot stop. Writing to Agony has become habitual. As normal as placing a tea bag in a mug and then knowing to fill it with hot water. This month, it was her mother. Last month, it was the story of her childhood best friend Melissa whose father liked to drink—which does not sound so alarming considering most adults that performatively cohere to their socioeconomic duties need a drink to metaphorically peel off their artificial outside skin. However, Frank didn’t leave the house much. Unless it was to get more booze. Even then, he had become quite skilled in his ability to convince his neighbours in public housing to shout him a few beers until he could make it to the store next. If his neighbours weren’t feeling especially generous on a given day, Frank could always rely on his dealer. Buying just the right amount of methamphetamine, he would sell it off to his neighbours whilst getting high off his supply and still managing to turn a small profit. As you can imagine, all this time spent on scheming and manipulating didn’t leave a lot of time for his only daughter Melissa. So, when she came home from the first grade with hands perpetually scratching at her scalp, her nails crusted with dried blood—the only thing to be done was to get out the razor. She pretended that the clean shave was her idea—a new way to be chic. Melissa’s charismatic hold on the world almost convinced Mathilda to beg her mother to free her of the weight that sat atop her own head. Melissa moved back to her mother’s sometime soon after the Shaved Head Incident. Mathilda never really spent much time exploring Melissa’s dad’s behaviour, or if her mother in a different postcode behaved any better. Not until writing to Agony Aunt did she begin to question this, a decade or so too late. Melissa and Mathilda never had a formal goodbye. One afternoon they put away their DS’ and said some variation of goodnight for the last time. So, it came as a surprise when Mathilda received an Instagram request one day from MelissaSchooder97. They had fallen out of each other’s lives before the internet had the capacity to keep them intertwined. Years later, not only did it somehow have the capacity to reunite the two, but to also share a story that was never intended to be read by one Melissa Schooder. Coincidentally, as the world often goes, Melissa was an avid reader of the Agony series, something Mathilda had not Pelican Fact Student Assist and the UWA Guild offer a lot of great services to help you if you’re struggling with your family. 15

considered when freely using the authentic names of people and places in an almost autobiographical way. For weeks, Mathilda would mindlessly wander into her message requests, her finger acting as a barrier between a war zone, thinking ‘if something is never opened, can it spread its poison?’ One afternoon, her curious finger tapped the message into reality. ‘Hey, I hope this isn’t strange, how r you? I came across this submission the other day. To Agony Aunt. Some of the content seemed familiar, names and places that exist in a place I’ve locked away. Is there a time we can grab a coffee?’ Now, Mathilda sits in a dimly lit coffee shop. Also a second-hand bookstore, it has books from floor to ceiling, bursting out of their designated homes. She counts sixty-four stacked books which, realistically, means the ceilings are high. However, the books only make the roof feel closer to the ground. Normally, she would find comfort in being surrounded by the scent of old paper and glue, but under today’s circumstances the glue and paper make the air thick, making it harder to draw a full breath into her shaky lungs. She sees a woman with long, brown hair walk through the arched doorway, eyes scanning the room. Eyes settling on Mathilda’s. “Hi, Mathilda?” Pelican Fact Do they sell candles that smell like books? I want to stock up before the world goes fully digital. 16

Interview with Former Greens MLC, Tim Clifford Tim Clifford represented the Greens Party as the Member for the East Metropolitan Region in the Legislative Council of Western Australia 2017–2021. He is currently the Campaign Manager at the not-for-profit environmental organisation, The Wilderness Society. Abbey Wheeler: You mentioned that you’re from Albany, do you think growing up in a regional town has had an impact on how you view environmental protection? Tim Clifford: Yeah, I think not being very wealthy and always sort of worrying about poverty and homelessness, even now, … it’s always close to you if you grow up in that situation. But the one thing that was a circuit breaker for me, and I didn’t realise it when I was growing up, is that I could always get on my bike and cycle down to the beach. There are some amazing places on the South-west coast, Denmark is just up the road, and [there are] places like Walpole and the Southwest jarrah forest. So, it was just an underlying thing which I appreciated. I appreciated nature as the escape that it was from the reality of some of the challenges that were going on when I was growing up. … When I go back down south, it’s almost like there’s an energy there, … that’s motivated me now to do more to try and protect it. Abbey Wheeler Interview continued next page... Pelican Fact “OmG did you hear about climate change???” 17

Interview with Former Greens MLC, Tim Clifford Continued... I’d like to see a pathway to resetting our political discourse right now, where we’re not just, you know, throwing rocks at each other. I hope to see the culture-war issue in politics go away, and focus on real issues. Pelican Fact Who teaches money (in a rich-man’s world) to be funny? AW: You tabled a bill for net zero emissions in WA by 2040, were there any particular challenges you faced while advocating for the bill? TC: Well, the challenges that we face in WA is that [we are] a resource state, and the gas industry has a lot of influence over the politics here; we’ve got Woodside Petroleum, we have Chevron, we have a whole range of different other players like Buru Energy—that work in the fracking space in the Northwest. The gas industry pretty much do their best to lobby and buy social licence in WA, … because they’re the ones that [say] if you legislate any of these targets you’re going to cost the state jobs. And so that’s a narrative you have to challenge, that you have to push back on, and campaign [against]. I see climate change as an absolute threat to our wellbeing and our society and environment and people. … The government does their best to try and ignore any meaningful change [because it is] driven by those industries [which] made it really hard. Having open dialogue with the government over the bill was something we wanted, but they just didn’t want to listen. AW: Do you have any thoughts on the current net-zero emissions target the WA Government has set for 2050? TC: Yeah, the ‘aspirational target.’ Well, that was announced while I was in Parliament and it was really disappointing because aspirational targets don’t mean anything. Aspirational targets are something that, yeah, you aspire to, but they’re not binding. And industries, unless they are given real hard guidelines, they are going to go where the profit is; they’re private companies, you know, they’ve got boards, they’ve got shareholders. 18

I don’t apologise for the idealism, although I have people, even my former colleagues in the Parliament outside of the chamber saying, ‘you’re just too idealistic, or it’s not the reality.’ Pelican Fact Taking a step towards change can feel overwhelming… So, an aspirational 2050 target was a real cop out, and that was more in reaction to the public outcry over the government not doing anything. And they used it as cover, as like a shield, to make sure that they were seen to be doing something. They focused on domestic emissions and not their exported gas emissions. They tried to deflect and say, “look what we’re doing here, we’ve got a battery. We’re passing a renewable energy project near Perth—or whatever it is—but just don’t look over near where Woodside’s operating off the northwest shelf, where they’re just going to export fifty years’ worth of gas to these other players.” So yeah, it’s not good enough. … And the fact that it was 2050, I think it was sort of offensive because there was no ambition, even with an aspirational target, you know? It was just really laughable what they were trying to do. AW: How important do you think mobilising the public is in creating positive environmental action? TC: Oh, it’s everything. The biggest tragedy of early 2020 was the fact that when Covid hit it was a crisis … and it knocked the wind out of the climate movement. In 2019, we had thousands of people on the streets, even in Perth; we had massive rallies, people calling for more action and [we] weren’t accepting the status quo. Once Covid hit, we just had to be like, OK, we’re just dealing with the health crisis now. [The public are] pivotal in getting governments moving. You saw what happened to the Liberal Party in Australia. Teal Independents took out Liberal Party members over the fact they weren’t doing enough on climate change—so the public does have an influence. And I think, you know, even though we’ve come out of the tail end of Covid, the public had to deal with worrying about a pandemic and [now there’s] the cost of living and we’ve got a housing crisis. But I do think I can already see the public turning their eyes 19

Interview with Former Greens MLC, Tim Clifford Continued... Pelican Fact …the best starting point is to gather information… to what’s happening in the climate space because they remember what happened with the 2019 bush fires. So, I think we’re going to have more actions. We’ve got ‘Disrupt the Burrup Hub.’ Groups like those are shining the light back on inaction, and also on the actions of companies and what they’re doing to cultural heritage [sites] and all those kinds of things. So, I do think that’s simmering in the background, and that we’ll get back to where we were in 2019. That support is pivotal. AW: Do you have any advice for people looking to get more involved with environmental activism? TC: Yeah, you don’t have to know the ins and outs of everything. You don’t need to know, like, down to the ‘clause 1.5’ of a bill to understand that things are under threat and need to be dealt with. It’s about getting involved. It’s about having conversations. Things can be really overwhelming to the point where people go, ‘well it’s just too big and I can’t deal with it, I can’t get involved in that because what can I do anyway?’ It’s not about that. I understand why there is that anxiety, but every person that gets involved does change things, and we want people to be involved for the long haul. It’s also about trying to have fun with it and celebrate the wins. That’s the big thing, because you never know where a conversation can lead you. Like I said before, I’ve met people not only in those protests, but I’ve had conversations with people who have totally changed their career path based on wanting to get involved in work that is actually more meaningful to them. So, my advice to people is just come with an open mind, reach out to people and try and have fun in the process. AW: In your inaugural speech to parliament, you said you would never apologise for your idealism. How do you stay so optimistic? TC: I don’t know, I think even with that bill—you read the bill in—and in that speech I talked about [how] it’s not just a Greens’ thing. I see it as apolitical, if I can talk to everyone in this chamber, Liberals, Labor Party members, the Nationals, I do believe that we can change, and we can get behind this. And you know, behind the politics, these people believed it was the right thing to do as well. So, the idealism, you’ve got to carry it, because things change so quickly. You need to 20

fight for the world you believe can be a reality and not just accept the trajectory that we’re on. So, I don’t apologise for the idealism, although I have people, even my former colleagues in the Parliament outside of the chamber saying, ‘you’re just too idealistic, or it’s not the reality.’ It’s like, well, actually, you’re worried about those students out there protesting trying to stop the gas industry. They, [the students], are actually worried about [climate change] and without idealism and motivation, they wouldn’t be there. So, I try and share [the idealism] because I think it will lead to positive outcomes. I can’t sort of step back from that. I do have moments where I’m like, oh geez, there’s so many things going on and the opponents are so big. But I think everyday people can defeat those sorts of opponents, and I do think [idealism] leads to better outcomes. So that’s why we’ve got to keep going. AW: What’s the most important thing you’d like to see taking place in WA and in the rest of Australia, in terms of environmental action, over the next five years? TC: I’d like to see significant action on the climate issue. I think it’s an umbrella issue that impacts everything. And you think about the way that things are spiralling out when it comes to climate events—fires and everything else. But the way that we actually live, you know, it’s going to hit housing standards, it’s going to hit the most vulnerable people the worst. In the next five years, … I’d like to see more people involved, because I think the next ‘2019 fires’ are just around the corner. We need to remind people: we have to stop, and we can stop, these events. I’d [also] like to see … a pathway to resetting our political discourse right now, where we’re not just, you know, throwing rocks at each other. I hope to see the culturewar issue in politics go away, and focus on real issues. .. The culture-war thing is so toxic, and is driven for political means to protect the status quo. It’s not just a Greens’ thing. I see it as apolitical, if I can talk to everyone in this chamber, Liberals, Labor Party members, the Nationals, I do believe that we can change, and we can get behind this. Pelican Fact …and then spread it like hot tea! 21

Caption Contest Winner Winning comic caption: I called my dad to tell him my car was making a funny noise. He said to describe it and I said “uhhh BOOM?” Pelican Fact scared of seeing bad drivers on the road? I’ve found closing my eyes helps. 22

Peli-CAN YOU ACROSS 1. Out of proportion in the larger direction (9) 2. With 9 down, time and place where gossip thrives (4) 3. A verbal contract (7) 4. Annoying noise (2) 5. Forgive and ___ (6) DOWN 4. Nutella and peanut butter are examples of it (6) 6. The subject of gossip often feels this way (5) 7. If they gossip about you they are not your ___ (6) 8. A common response to 4 across (7) 9. See 2 across (6) 10. Type of natural disaster (4) 11. The opposite of false (4) 12. Shape of fusilli pasta (6) 6 1 7 8 3 5 11 4 12 10 2 9 Solve It? Pelican Fact Pelicans are black and white to save on printing. Edition 3 Screens Answers ACROSS 1. Hal 3. Siri 4. Banned 6. Loops DOWN 1. Handle 2. Grid 3. Snapchat 4. Bing 9. Offandonagain 11. One 12. Reality 5. Doomscroll 7. Bluelight 8. Search 10. Free 23

Horoscopes Edition4Gossip Leos have a reputation for having very big egos, thinking highly of themselves, and expecting others to do the same, is this true? Leos crave praise, and sometimes they can’t confirm their worth unless someone else does. But you don’t really need public recognition to feel proud of yourself. Practice balance by celebrating your victories, without overdoing it. Ring ring, hello this is your gut, please get back to me when you can, I’ve got something to say. You are very intuitive and yet still second guess yourself. While it is important to take on other people’s points of view you need to make sure you aren’t giving them too much power over your life choices. After all, you’re the one that has to live with the consequences! Aries, it’s about damn time you stopped worrying about what other people think of you and instead start to improve your relationship with yourself. Get that negativity outta here! Do what you need to do to restructure your life and move away from all that stress. Have a big ol’ vent to a close mate, go for a walk, do whatever you need to do to clear your system to make space for new, more positive, views. The headstrong Taurus will often take pride in how well they are able to do their job. What they will often miss though, is the fact that there’s more to life than making a name for themself in their industry. Are you reliable and easy to depend on for those outside of work? While it is inspirational how much effort you put into your career, work shouldn’t become another family member. Maintain balance and you’ll be fine. Gemini, breathe. You’re okay. You’ve grown accustomed to life moving a million miles an hour and now your legs are still running, even though the treadmill is turned off. Life will eb and flow and the better you get at knowing which waves need a boat and which need a floatie, the less burnt out you’ll feel. When you’re used to fighting, lowering your guard can feel too vulnerable; get used to the discomfort of rest until you learn to accept peace. Knowing the gossip can be great but are you asking questions you’re not ready to hear the answers to? While some things are important to know, do you really need to know everything about everything? Taking a step back and letting the information flow your way as it is does might save you heartache. Maybe the things that don’t find your ears don’t actually need to be heard? Leo (July 23 – August 22) Virgo (August 23 – September 22) Aries (March 21 – April 19) Taurus (April 20 – May 20) Gemini (May 21 – June 21) Cancer (June 22 – July 22 Holly Carter-Turner Pelican Fact If you want to know what’s up ~ ask a Gemini. Apparently they’re the zodiac’s biggest gossip! 24

Grab some tissues and get ready for a good cry. Find a safe space and have a sob. Okay, done? Good! Letting yourself wallow can be very helpful but there comes a time when you need to say goodbye and leave the pity party behind. This isn’t to say you should fake a smile, but that it’s time to figure out how to get back to feeling good again. Reach out for help if you need to, even if it feels awkward, it’ll be better in the long run. This month has you feeling springy and generous. You are grateful for what the world has given to you and you’re ready to pay back the kindness. Reach out to any friends that might need a bit of T.L.C., now that your cup is full enough to help them out. Enjoy the good feelings that come from making someone’s world a little brighter. Poor old Scorpio cops a reputation for being, well, a little bit heartless. You’re unquestionably passionate, but passion can come from… other body parts, like the brain! Your charm and intellect are definitely your preferable tools for conquering the world, but this month encourages you to become comfortable feeling. Appreciate the beauty in vulnerability (from others and yourself). Aquarians love a philosophical chat. They love having deep and meaningfuls about the great questions of the universe. If only they dug so deeply into their own life issues. You are good at finding the problems and hypothesizing all of the potential solutions, but often avoid taking the final step and considering which is the best fix. Connect the dots, flick the domino, and watch as the puzzle pieces finally fall into place. Why think inside the box, when you can think so far away from the box, that you totally forget it exists? Where is the line between what will always be a fun little fantasy and what could become reality? If you channel your motivation you can make anything happen, but will you? That’s up to you… You have been working on finding your groove and now you have, life is going well. You have a sense of comfort and fulfillment, knowing your life is finally a little more stable. Just because you have found your rhythm, don’t forget that others may still be struggling. Approach the world with kindness and offer your support if others come asking. Libra (September 23 – October 23) Capricorn (December 22 – January 19) Scorpio (October 24 – November 21) Aquarius (January 20 – February 18) Sagittarius (November 21 – December 21) Pisces (February 19 – March 20) Pelican Fact Whisper your secrets to the stars ~ maybe one day they’ll whisper back. 25

Angela Aris interviews Morrie Goodz Could you roughly outline different kinds of roles you’ve had? I’ve probably worked at every level in the industry. I started working at what we call ‘the face,’ … doing mapping and collecting samples, to working in mines doing surveying and planning, and eventually worked my way through to management, ultimately I ended up managing a company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange which was quite a significant and humbling experience. Would you say there is still gossip in the workforce? I think there’s always gossip, it doesn’t matter at what level; information is always a powerful instrument, and people always desire to feel that they are in a position of power, [and] they might, knowing something that someone else doesn’t know. That’s how it generally starts … and just the tone of the gossip or the theme of it will change depending on where someone sits. However gossip is often incorrect or knowingly untrue. How do you feel that you would you define gossip? A rumour may start because there’s some truth in it, some concern, some need to Gossip in the Mining Industry spread a message, but then as the message gets conveyed from the source to the destination there is an incredible amount of distortion, and often the end result is very far removed from why or what the message was supposed to convey. And I think that’s good gossip, that’s when perhaps it’s unintentional, and it’s through the whispers that it evolves into something else. What we might call misinformation, is intended gossip that is intended to mislead and unfortunately I think in the modern era, the digital era, where we have social media, I feel there is more intended misleading and misinformation than there has ever been. Have there been any positive changes to the mining industry you think have been really effective? A huge change during my career has been the move to zero-tolerance on alcohol, and a reduction, broadly speaking now, to onsite substance abuse. That’s been a great thing that has improved the mental and physical states of people at work. I can remember when I started my career that we had eight hour shifts, three shifts a day. When you knocked off at four or five in the afternoon on a Friday, everyone would go and collect at the social room to have a couple of drinks and have conversations. There are some advantages to ask the Experts: Pelican Fact Beware of the office water cooler, it is laced with gossip-telling serum. 26

sitting back and relaxing, but I think everyone would agree there is a sort of trigger point in that transition where you go from having one or two drinks and being relaxed, to having excess, and not being safe to drive home go to work the next day. Has your approach to managing stress changed as you’ve moved through the industry? The way I assist risk has changed. When I was young everything was exciting, and that’s not to say that everything isn’t exciting today, but you know I grew up in Canada, and at age twenty-one I wanted to travel the world. There were no limits to the risk. To pack what I needed in a backpack and get out on the road and just start hitchhiking was second nature. Wouldn’t even think twice about it, going from point A to point B without any money in my pocket and without any plan. Today everything has to be organised, to where when and how, and that came from experiences of getting myself into predicaments. … I came to realise that when one assesses a task you really need to look at ‘what is the likelihood that something can go wrong?’ and ‘what is the consequence if it does go wrong?’ After experiencing a fatality at work and having to manage coworkers and family members, and seeing the interaction between the event and people’s lives, I can understand that the most important thing is that we don’t hurt ourselves and we don’t hurt others. If something goes wrong and no one has been hurt it’s potentially a good outcome; we’ve learned something and we’ve been saved the grief. How do you find a good work life balance? I think we should value family and relationships far greater earlier in life. … I’m pleased to say that I know some life partners who have been together fifty plus years, but in this industry that is a rarity because so often people put the wrong things as the priority, and often the wrong thing is work, or making money, and I think that ends up being a very harsh cycle for people to get out of. This is an area where I don’t blame the mining industry, I blame the Keating government well and truly, they created a tax situation which changed the mining industry from being a residential-based industry to becoming a FIFO-based industry. They did this by changing tax laws, and by making FIFO not only convenient but actually penalising residential operations, essentially ending opportunities for families to live and work in the same area. And I know it’s the specific Pelican Fact Don’t shoot the messenger! But if you must, please step outside, we just had the cleaners in. 27

reason for many failures of relationships. When a decision [needs to be made] between family and relationship versus career I would ask someone to seriously think about where they see themselves in fifty years’ time. If the answer is with their current partner, then they should immediately cease a FIFO-lifestyle. Why do you think there is so much pressure to be successful and how do you define success? When I’ve reflected on mentors I’ve had, or wanted to have, in other words seeing a life well lived and thinking it’s one I aspire to, I’ve come to realise that … we should be flexible. We should be able to take opportunities in life and to change our destinations. When I look at people who’ve lived rich lives the vast majority never intended to get to where they are. They started on a journey and then some challenge—and I think we should always think of challenges as opportunities—and they changed direction and went with it. I think that our goals should always inspire us, I think they should be fun, and we should have a passion to do them, and in that respect they shouldn’t be stressful. One should really be looking forward to the task, the challenge, and the opportunity, and when that’s our mental state, then we overcome pressure. In your personal opinion, what does the future of mining look like in an ideal world? The most important thing I feel society needs to understand and recognise, is that virtually anything we do, any tool we use, any object, is either grown or mined. In an ideal world everyone would understand that these are activities that we have to do to survive as a society, especially with the expectations we have based on our standard of living. Taking that into consideration I’d like to think that the mining of the future would [strike] a reasonable balance between an organisation which make profits and benefits society. I think rather than the vast bulk of minerals being sent as a raw product around the world we should have more concentrating and refining in Australia, and manufacturing. That will deliver a number of benefits: it will upskill our workforce, provide more alternative employment, .. and mean less raw, [more valueadded] materials moving around the world. … Today we send a lot of raw materials halfway around the world, have them processed and manufactured there, and then sent back to us as final products. Mining in Australia is regulated far more than other parts of the world, and so when we make something here, we generally do it with less pollution and higher purity standards. People might say ‘well we don’t want that pollution,’ but if we think of the planet as being a single object and we value the health of the planet, then having industry in a country that is regulated like Australia, means that the outcome for the planet is far better. … But what it means is that Australians need to invest in Australian products and not buy something from overseas because it’s cheaper. There are things that we can do in mining that would improve the planet, I believe. Moving away from a carbon based energy system, to what people call renewables or green energy, is not a simple change. When we change to solar, wind, hydro, batteries, that change requires a phenomenal amount of mining to be achieved. So on one hand, there are members of the community who might be anti-mining, and at the same time there saying we want to change to a renewable energy system, and we can’t have both. To affect change, you need to mine Pelican Fact A little birdie told me that they think the boss is cute. 28

a whole lot of different minerals, but you need to actually mine more of the same minerals. Solar panels are major mineral intensive things, a wind turbine requires an amazing amount of mining, not only to build the structure but the components within, batteries require particular types of metals and elements that we haven’t really mined much of in the past. The other thing that I think I’d like to see mining change is the incorporation of nuclear energy. Renewables require storage of energy through batteries, but the quality and capacity of batteries won’t give us the energy we need out of hours—at night—for a number of years. I really feel that we have an effective alternative that is safe and has been proven to work in a number of countries, … if we embraced this technology for ten to twenty years we could actually speed up the transition out of carbon, and I think we would maintain the living standards that we’ve come to expect in Australia. When you look at the very big difference between Western Australian and Eastern Australia at the moment as far as energy reliability and energy cost is concerned, because Eastern Australia has turned off too many of its carbon based power plants too early and renewables haven’t filled the gap consistently and so they end up with a lot of power outages and higher costs. What are some of the recurring opinions and gossip that you hear about mining? Can you think of one which strikes you as accurate, and maybe one which surprised you? Negative: Blaming coal mining for climate change I think the number one cause of climate change without a doubt is people. … Erosion caused in particular, by cities and populations changing the way we manage the flow of water across the country. I don’t see floods as being an issue that is created by climate change, I see floods as being an issue that people have created by changing the natural positioning of water flow, and what’s even worse is that people have built in the floodplains. Claiming carbon dioxide is bad If we understand the process of life, carbon dioxide with oxygen are the most important gases on the planet, and no plant will survive without carbon dioxide. And so I think to affect climate change we really need to seriously think about reforestation, revegetation; we need more plants than we need solar batteries, solar panels, and batteries. Positive: High standards of living Australia is not a lucky country, Australia is the lucky country. Having worked and lived on all seven continents I can say we are lucky because Australia is blessed with amazing mineral and agricultural resources. Proceeds of Mining have given us the health, medical, social services and support, that our government supplies us, and it is what has maintained our water and food quality. We take that for granted, many other countries can’t even imagine the quality and the lifestyle that we have … and this is all underwritten by our resource industry. Pelican Fact For those surprised at a talking bird you’ll be amazed to know that this was typed by one! 29

Maia Steele “The rumours are terrible and cruel. But honey, most of them are true.” Pelican Fact How long do you have to stand next to someone before people assume you’re dating? 30

As a generation, we were raised on tabloids, gossip blogs, and social media news. From dating rumours to criminal accusations, celebrities have always been at the epicentre of public discussion. Whether you’re for it or against it, it is undeniable the chokehold juicy gossip about strangers has on us. So why do we care so much? And when exactly do we draw the line and admit that it has gone too far? In her sensational hit ‘New Romantics’ Taylor Swift sings, “the rumours are terrible and cruel. But honey, most of them are true.” But can this be applied to every piece of celebrity gossip we hear? Those who stay up to date with their celeb gossip may argue that because celebrities have chosen careers which consist of being in the public eye, viewers are entitled to the ins and outs of their personal lives. And can celebrities ever truly keep their personal lives private? Perhaps a counter to this argument would be to consider how this rule applies to famous people who did not necessarily choose their lifestyle—think of the children of celebrities (e.g. the Kardashian kids). On the topic of celebrity gossip we should also consider how true the constant parade of news that we read is. From People Magazine to TikTok users’ speculations—these are not exactly highly reliable sources. Even a photo of two celebrities standing next to each other can spark rumours of romance with no other proof (arguably Matty Healy and Taylor Swift?). However, dating rumours are far more forgiving than other accusations and assumptions in the media which have ruined celebrities’ careers and lives. On the topic of photos, just months prior to the death of actor Chadwick Boseman he appeared at a red-carpet event and rumours spread surrounding his visible weight loss and tired appearance. Whilst several conclusions were drawn by magazines and on social media, it was kept hidden that Boseman was actually battling cancer. One of the most well-known pieces of celeb gossip in the early 2000s surrounded Britney Spears and her alleged ‘meltdown’. Paparazzi swarmed the singer for years as the pressure of fame and living in the public-eye essentially destroyed her entire life. It was said that her paranoia grew so strong she would stay up for days at a time, convinced her mobile phone charger was taping her thoughts. Fifteen years later, Spears’ breakdown is still discussed and even joked about in the media. Sure, we all saw the pictures of her shaving her head and hitting cars with umbrellas, but is a woman’s mental illness really all that entertaining? So, what do you think? Has celebrity gossip gone too far? Has it worsened with cancelculture and social media? Or do you believe that if celebrities are going to appear on our movie screens and live in multi-million-dollar mansions that they should just suck it up… Pelican Fact I stand by the Socrates statue for an hour every day and no one seems to care. 31

Gossip Girl: Awfully Brilliant, Brilliantly Awful Trigger Warning: This article contains content with strong and confrontational themes that may impact trauma survivors. I’ll preface by saying that, in my twenty-three years of existence (yes, I am a twenty-threeyear-old male watching Gossip Girl, yes I am proud of that fact), I have watched THREE (3) TV shows for any considerable length of time: • Seinfeld • Arrested Development • Gossip Girl I’m just not much of a TV show guy. Even when I find something that hooks my interest, I usually flame out in the first five–ten episodes and never pick it back up again. With this in mind, it really goes to show the sort of affinity I have for Gossip Girl. Granted, I don’t think I would’ve gotten this far if it wasn’t for my housemate literally dragging me to the couch to watch two–three episodes every night, but it’s gotten to the point where I have a Gossip Girl character tier list written on my notes app that gets updated daily. Oh, how far I have fallen. That being said, this show most certainly lies in the ‘so bad it’s good’ category. I’m not entirely Jack Canning sure where to begin, but all I’ll say is that it has dumbfounded me that everybody involved in the production of this show unanimously agreed that this is somehow an accurate representation of how humans behave. From the script-writing, to how the lines are delivered, all the way down to how the characters stand, manifests a nightmarish alternate reality of humanity and social behaviour. Of course, a show about upper-class teens in New York City is going to have its fair share of divisive personalities, but believe me when I say that every character in this show is AWFUL, even the ones you are supposed to like. For example, the character who gets a lot of the comedic spotlight is one Chuck Bass. Often portrayed as the loveable ladies’ man, who is on a constant quest to make money and intermingle with members of the opposite sex, he is shown in the pilot to be a perpetrator of sexual assault. Despite this seemingly pivotal moment in Chuck Bass’ character arc, the show quickly brushes past the incident, moving the story along without ever mentioning the incident past the first episode. As if the show wants its audience to forget about it?... Only in 2000’s television! One of the redeeming qualities of the show is its lightning pace. Gossip Girl moves between stories of boyfriends seducing their partners’ Pelican Fact Bathroom break! Take care of your bladder and Go piss girl. 32

mothers, parents gaslighting their children into thinking they are terminally ill, and arson all within a couple of episodes. This break-neck speed ends up being the show’s greatest strength because the subplots are so bad that you want to almost forget each one immediately. The sheer volume of subplots that get thrown at us as viewers, allow us to quickly form and change our opinions on characters, which makes for great conversational pieces amongst friends! However, because of this pacing, the writers really ran out of ways to up the ante, leading to some even more ludicrous plot points in the latter seasons, one of my favourites being the ghost of Chuck Bass’ father coming back from the dead to haunt his son (the show is not meant to be supernatural, this just happens!). Do not watch this show with a genuine interest in the plot, you will actually want to concave your own skull with how infuriating all the characters and their behaviours are, and how incoherent the plot is in terms of its genre and tone. Another enjoyable aspect of the show definitely lies in the terrible acting and awful dialogue. The writers try way too hard to cram quippy remarks and clever statements into every line, which, to their credit, can be entertaining, but to absolutely drench every line in this style of writing creates the impression that Gossip Girl is intentionally created for viewers to hate on it. Combine the most pretentious of characters with the most pretentious of dialogue and you get (who would’ve guessed) a pretentious show. The actors who play the romantic leads of the show (Penn Badgely and Blake Lively) are absolutely shocking actors, having the combined emotional depths of a spoon, and have caused me to enter a state of perplexity as to how either of them could have possibly gone on to have decently successful acting careers. Did we not all see Penn Badgley fail to deliver one compelling line of dialogue in eighty-six hours of television? That must have just been me then! In conclusion, Gossip Girl is a very entertaining show that is bound to become a slog unless you watch it with a friend. In that sense, it’s kinda like going to the gym; you’ll find it exhausting and painful, but you’ll probably be a lot stronger after watching it (mentally and comedically). I give it one out of five Pelicans Pelican Fact xoxo (o3o) xoxo 33

Interview with Aadhikesav Ramkumar: Masters in Zoology Student at UWA Ava O’Sullivan Pelican Fact Fly sex - when you’re stuck in your pants so open the zipper to make it work. 34

My name is Aadhi and I’m pursuing a Masters of Biological Science, specialising in Zoology. I’m an international student from India but I’ve lived most of my life in the Middle East. I started my UWA journey in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Zoology. Clearly, I couldn’t get enough of subjecting myself to academic masochism, so here I am doing a higher degree with an added research DLC. I’m currently the Lead Residential Advisor for University Hall (UniHall) and a Peer Supporter at The Living Room (TLR). These jobs give me the opportunity to work with tertiary students to support them through their University journey. Being a student isn’t always easy, and to be there for those who need support is an honour and a privilege. I spend most of my time at the library, playing switch games, or generally being a nuisance to those around me. I also love coffee, Mario, and animals (would be weird if I didn’t). If you see me around, don’t hesitate to say hello (or don’t….I’m not your mom). Why did you choose this field of study? What’s not to love about understanding animals doing animal things? Every time I watch one of those videos of monkeys looking off into the great unknown, it makes me wonder what goes on inside their heads. The evolution of form and function, decisionmaking, and perception in animals is far more complex than what we observe on a day-today basis. This is what draws me into Zoology and more specifically into ethology! That is the intellectual answer. The not-as-intellectual answer would be, “Hey, animals are cool. Hopefully I can get a job with this.” Up until the final year of my undergrad this was my rationale. But then I soon found out what I was really passionate about; the entire paragraph before this one. What is the topic of your research? My research focuses on studying the ability of male competition and female choice in the removal of deleterious mutations in fruit flies. Or if I don’t feel like explaining the whole thing—fly sex. I have no idea how I got here, but I’m also definitely not complaining. Drop by the Zoology building for more projects like this—you won’t regret it! Why did you decide on this specific topic? I can’t say that I came into this project being passionate about fly fornication. However, it does involve experimental evolution and animal behaviour within it, which is something that I am passionate about. Being surrounded by experts in the field, who share a great deal of love for their research, inspires me to continue pursuing this field of Zoology. Having a wholesome community of people who like working with animals and enjoy learning is a definite plus. So I’d say the science, and the science people, are the driving force here, not necessarily just the topic of my research. Have your feelings towards your discipline or education in general changed since you began your educational journey to now? It most certainly has. As I said, I had no clue what I wanted to do and that’s what led me to Zoology. During the first few years of my degree, I was quite lost. I studied because I had to, not because I had a specific goal in mind. There were moments where I lost interest and thought this really wasn’t the subject for me. But that all changed with the onslaught that was third year. It was the hardest year for sure, but by far the most interesting. I had discovered a field in Zoology that I wanted to be a part of, with really amazing research being undertaken. I had no interest in pursuing higher education up until that point, and yet now I find myself doing a Masters degree. So yes, I’ve found a greater appreciation for my field and the hard work/ creativity that goes into scientific research. Pelican Fact I’ve made hundreds of friends at uni (as long as I can include the koi fish and ducks). 35

What do you see yourself doing for your future career? Has it changed much since being at UWA? I would love to answer this question, but I have no clue. If you, dear reader, have any ideas, please let me know by stopping me on the street and giving me a brief rundown of potential employment opportunities. In seriousness, I have considered going into academia and continuing into a PhD. After seeing the fantastic work by a lot of my professors, it has inspired me to take on teaching within the university setting (and maybe even UWA at some point?). I will need to acquire a giga-brain and develop a lot of patience to reach that goal. TLDR; it has changed from ‘I have no idea,’ to ‘I have slightly more of an idea.’ What have your social experiences been like at UWA as opposed to other environments— e.g. has campus affected your well-being and happiness? The UWA campus social experience has been very neutral. I can’t say much since I don’t get involved in too many social events taking place on campus. Beyond being stopped and asked about my religious proclivity and/or election voting, I’d say most of my experiences have been good. People are usually friendly and super helpful if you require assistance with anything. The dogs at The Living Room and the ducks that chase people on Great Court South have also both been very good for my well-being and happiness. I am unsure if this counts as a social experience though. Pelican Fact Dear younger self: please please please be brave enough to say yes to new adventures. What does your routine look like?—is study a large part of it? Studying is most definitely a big part of my routine. This is for two main reasons: (i) I need good grades and don’t want to fail, else I’ll have to pay again; and (ii) I am legally required to, as stated by the Department of Home Affairs. I have come to Australia primarily to study, thus it does take up the majority of my time. I definitely relish my free time though, either by working, volunteering, playing games, or just hanging out with friends. It’s not much, but it’s honest work. Do you feel you have balance? Currently, I’d like to think so. If at any point I feel like I’m overworking myself or I’m extremely stressed, I will prioritise things for myself. So much so that I forget to study (but that is a necessary sacrifice). I will definitely be focusing on more Zoology-specific activities and my studies rather than doing too much and burning myself out. It’s always about finding that healthy balance between work and not-work (???), which is something that I’m always actively trying to improve. Are there any groups/communities within UWA you strongly align with/or similarly feel intimidated by? I don’t think I’m drawn to or intimidated by communities as much as people. There are definitely people who either do great work or are super wholesome. Similarly, I feel like some people are definitely a bit suspect. But 36

I don’t feel anything as such towards other UWA groups/communities (at least not at this moment). What would your advice be to your younger self? Don’t be a wuss. When a new opportunity presents itself, accept it with open arms. It’s not always the case that something amazing comes your way, so take hold of it when it does happen. Sometimes we get caught up in our own bubble and are just happy staying there. I’d rather live knowing that I tried and hated it, rather than not trying and wondering what it could’ve been like. Do things now, so that your future self will look back at you in pride. Very abstract I know… but a lot of time to think does that. What is your favourite book/film/piece of art you’ve consumed so far this year or recently, and why? Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This is a two-in-one banger: a film and piece of art. MILD SPOILER-WARNING AHEAD The MUSIC, ARTSTYLE, DIRECTION, PLOT, TOBEY, VOICE ACTING, DINOSAUR, MEMES, REFERENCES, SPIDER-PEOPLE, EVERYTHING. Such a good movie and everyone should go watch it. The ending… oh lawd …what even was that? Very saucy. I’ll give it a rating of 1610B out of 42, i.e., about 5/5 in pelican units. If you know someone who hasn’t witnessed this masterpiece, please, for everyone’s sake, take them on the enlightening journey that is this masterpiece. If you would like to share your student story, please get in contact with our Pelican Voice Team by scanning the QR Code at the back of the Mag or by emailing us at [email protected]. Pelican Fact Peter Parker works in an industry full of webs of lies…Spiderman works with webs full of bad guys! 37

Breaking Barriers and Forging Paths: Celebrating Women’s Impact in Science Science, the relentless quest for knowledge and exploration, has long stood as a testament to human innovation and intellectual brilliance. Yet, amidst its towering achievements, the invaluable contributions of women often flicker in the background like extinguished whispers, like gossip. This article aims to shine a spotlight on the significance of women in science, illuminating their triumphs, challenges, and the profound influence they wield in shaping the scientific landscape. Women in science emerge as fearless trailblazers, dismantling barriers and demolishing long-standing stereotypes that have hindered their progress for centuries. Armed with determination and resilience, they defy societal expectations, proving their mettle in every imaginable scientific discipline. From the ground-breaking chimpanzee studies and environmental advocacy of Jane Goodall, to Mae Jemison’s bold voyage into space exploration; from Jennifer Doudna’s revolutionary gene editing inventions, to Elinor Ostrom’s paradigmshifting perspectives on common-pool David Paik resource management, women’s impact reverberates throughout the scientific realm. Conquering Gender Bias Despite the strides they’ve made, women in science still confront the lingering shadows of gender bias. Implicit prejudices and stereotypes cast doubt over their capabilities and question their unwavering commitment. Research, such as Stout’s 2011 study, shows that women exposed to stereotype-threat experience heightened anxiety, reduced performance, and diminished interest in pursuing science-related careers. Nonetheless, women persistently challenge these preconceived notions through their dedication, intellect, and ground-breaking contributions. The scientific community must actively confront and address these biases to foster an inclusive and equitable environment. Mentorship and Nurturing Talent Mentorship is a cornerstone in empowering women to pursue science-related careers. Accomplished female scientists become Pelican Fact Men? Leave a seat at the table. 38

guiding beacons, offering support, encouragement, and invaluable advice for upcoming women in the sciences. Mentorship programs provide a safe space for aspiring scientists to navigate the challenges they may encounter, fostering resilience and bolstering confidence in their abilities. Within academia and industry networks, these programs serve as vital resources for seeking advice and inspiration. A third-year student at UWA noted, “One thing I appreciate about studying science at UWA is the emphasis on mentorship. I’ve had the chance to connect with successful female scientists and professors who have guided me along my academic journey. Their advice and support have been invaluable in shaping my career aspirations.” Fostering Diversity and Collaboration The inclusion of diverse perspectives holds the key to scientific progress. Women bring forth unique insights and approaches to problemsolving, enriching the scientific discourse. Collaboration across gender lines amplifies creativity and innovation. Embracing diversity in science is not only a matter of social justice, but also serves as a catalyst for scientific advancement. Inspiring Future Generations Visibility plays a pivotal role in inspiring future generations of female scientists. By showcasing the achievements and narratives of women in science, we ignite the flames of ambition in young girls, urging them to fearlessly pursue their scientific passions. Encouraging STEM education, providing accessible resources, and fostering mentorship opportunities will nurture a diverse pipeline of talented female scientists for generations to come. Another third-year student in STEM said, “being a science major at UWA has been an incredible journey of discovery. I’ve been inspired by the remarkable women in my program who are pushing boundaries and excelling in their fields. They’ve shown me that gender is not a limitation in pursuing a career in science.” As we unveil the silent flames, let us acknowledge their invaluable contributions and ensure that their voices resonate loudly within the scientific community. By embracing their brilliance, we fuel the transformative power of science and pave the way for a future where women’s influence in this field is no longer sought to be extinguished, but celebrated and revered. Fostering Diversity and Collaboration: Testimonials from Female Students The inclusion of diverse perspectives holds the key to scientific progress. Women bring forth unique insights and approaches to problem-solving, enriching scientific discourse. Collaboration across gender lines amplifies creativity and innovation. At UWA, an institution renowned for its multicultural and diverse community, this collaborative spirit thrives. One female engineering student at UWA writes, “One aspect I love studying at UWA is how multicultural and diverse it is. I have seen female students from various cultural backgrounds excel as project managers, club presidents, and even as lecturers, breaking down barriers and inspiring others with their leadership and expertise. “Moreover, there are incredible clubs and organizations at UWA, such as Robogals Pelican Fact Women? Be a girls’ girl, the world is hard enough — help each other out. 39

and WiEMS (Women in Engineering and Mathematical Science), that actively encourage women in STEM fields and work tirelessly towards gender inclusivity. These clubs provide a supportive and empowering space for female students to explore their scientific interests, gain practical skills, and network with like-minded individuals. “Robogals, for instance, aims to inspire young girls to pursue careers in engineering and related fields through workshops and outreach programs. WiEMS, on the other hand, fosters a sense of community and provides networking opportunities, empowering women in engineering, computer science, and mathematics to excel . . . I have seen female students from various cultural backgrounds excel as project managers, club presidents, and as professors, breaking down barriers and inspiring others with their leadership and expertise. “UWA’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity empowers women to embrace their scientific passions and thrive in their respective fields, further reinforcing the importance of celebrating and supporting women’s impact in science.” Another female student, twenty-three year old Romy Stoner, studying Psychology at Curtin writes, “For me, studying psychological science as a woman has been a positive experience. I feel as though my university (Curtin) has created a safe space for women to feel comfortable to speak their mind and be assertive in the direction of their academic journey. “I feel as though certain traits I possess as a woman such as sensitivity, tenderness, and nurturance have been celebrated within my subject, which in the past have been viewed as weaknesses within society. The flipping of this narrative has subsequently improved my self esteem and confidence within my field! “Although my experience has been a great one so far, I have noticed an imbalance between the number of women and men within my cohort that I think needs to be addressed. There is no doubt that I love the overwhelming interest and contribution women have provided to the world of psychology, but I think that more men should be encouraged to study the subject. “It is no secret that in society the number of men suffering behind the scenes from mental health issues is ever increasing. Society is driven and functions, around us conforming to gender roles and expectations. Although we like to think we are immune to conforming to these roles (as many of us can agree they are not helpful in the slightest), it’s not as easy in practice. “Being a woman in our society is a very unique and nuanced experience and the same goes for men. By nature of these experiences, women and men grow up to be very different, that’s a fact. In the context of providing effective psychological services to men, I truly believe that there is a level of understanding about what it is to be man in today’s world that can only be nurtured and explored in a therapeutic relationship between a male psychologist and male client. “Of course, this isn’t true for everyone, but maybe encouraging more men to study psychology to become psychologists could be a great first step in helping reduce the number of men silently suffering.” Pelican Fact Everyone? Just be nice — It’s so much easier that way. 40

The Social Doctrine We all have veins saturated with unspoken conversation. Mold spores called “gossip” will drift through the air, Sometimes deadly, sometimes innocuous, A way to pass the time. Engrams of Me¹ pervade the public consciousness, Wispy in form, deep burgundy in colour, Every time I forgot to extend my hand, Or say ‘thanks’, Or simply decided to forego our social doctrine, Now stitched into the collective weave of perception. Sometimes I stutter at coffee shops, Opposite a friendly cashier, Whose well-rehearsed script rings through my ear, “How are you?” Me¹: “Good, thanks.” Me²: And you? And it’s not Really good, I mean it Has been a tough day. Do you ever wonder what the world would be like, If we didn’t talk about friends like they were strangers And if we spoke to strangers like old friends? Me¹: the public face Me²: the private face Dorian Winter Pelican Fact Hello, I’ll have one large thank-you, have a nice day, bye I’m going well thanks, with a side of fries please. 41

The Juicy Affairs, PR Scandals, and Nepotism Behind the Success of Mona Lisa Psst… have you heard about the hottest star in the art world? Everyone loves her, but I’ve heard she’s had a pretty scandalous past… and even though she’s getting old, everybody still wants a piece of her. She just cannot escape the paparazzi! Honestly, the lack of respect for her privacy is appalling, there are always crowds of fans swarming her house. Celebrities have it rough these days… I heard she hasn’t had a day off in years. Of course, I’m talking about the primadonna Mona Lisa—star of the Louvre, living behind a glamorous 1.52 inch-thick casing of bulletproof glass, permanently kept at fifty percent humidity and six degrees celsius, with a minimum of ten security guards around her at every moment. Talk about luxury! The clamour and mystery behind it all! Everybody wants to know everything about her; scientists are itching to conduct experiments, millions of tourists flock to see her every year, art historians just cannot resist scrutinising every unassuming detail. But fame like this doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. For Mona Lisa, the fame stacked up upon fame, stacked up upon fame throughout Arya Beltaine the years, word spreading so far and wide that even the most apathetic towards fine art knew her mischievous little smile. Like Kim Kardashian’s sex tape, or Paris Hilton and nepotism, the origins of the Mona Lisa’s fame became so obscured with time that she is now simply seen as ‘famous for being famous.’ What’s the big deal about her anyway? You must be curious about all the juicy details that created her fame. Trust me, this tea may be old but it’s still piping hot. Let’s take it back to 16th-century Italy, in the chaotic, raunchy, homoerotic workshop of Leonardo da Vinci; he obsessed over her. So irresistible was her charm that he carried her everywhere with him for four years, eventually leaving her unfinished. After his death, da Vinci’s relatively few works became so highly coveted that the fate of Mona Lisa seemed to be that of an unquestioned status symbol: passed around between Kings, and Dukes, and Generals… at one point hanging above the bathtub of King François I, and above the bed of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1799. Pelican Fact If you look deep into Mona’s eyes you will probably see yourself reflected in the bullet-proof glass. 42

A few people say Mona Lisa only became famous because she slept with Napoleon— and I remain Switzerland on this topic—but she did land a gig at the Louvre, and let’s just say nobody was talking about her artistic merit. Between her affair with Napoleon, and the (undeniable… sorry!) nepotism of being created by Leonardo da Vinci, it was enough to elevate her to B-list celebrity status for a while. Famous enough to be in the Louvre, sure, but still eternally glanced over among the greats—all bigger, better, and more colourful than herself. Yet, you can’t deny the value of good PR… in the publicity stunt to end all publicity stunts, she was stolen in August 1911 from the most secure gallery in the entire world, which many claimed was impossible. Trust me when I say you should’ve been there. The gossip surrounding the Mona Lisa’s disappearance was endless—on all the front pages, the topic of every conversation, her face plastered on every newsstand across the globe until she was found. The mystery behind it just added fuel to the fire—there are theories, sure, but to this day nobody knows who exactly the thief was. At one point, art-world fuckboy Pablo Picasso was even implicated and questioned (he didn’t commit the crime, but can you imagine the drama?!). Some say it was an act of Italian nationalism, others a crime of passion. Anyway, she was eventually found when a Louvre employee was caught trying to sell her to an art gallery in Florence for $100 000 (about three million today). The scandal of it all! After that mess, crowds flocked to the Louvre just to catch a glimpse of the new ‘Renaissance it-girl’ and nobody could stop talking about her… leading her fame to grow to unprecedented heights. Pelican Fact Da Vinci rates Pelican 5/5. 43

So who even is this chick? People love to gossip. And Mona Lisa is such an easy girl to gossip about. Even after the whole theft mess, so little is known about her… despite her fame, she’s done a great job keeping her personal life so private. With all of the new attention after 1911, the unknown details that professionals previously shrugged off were now top priority research missions within the art world. Starting at the basics… What was her identity? Most people say the Mona Lisa is Lisa del Giocondo, the middle-class wife of a silk merchant who struck gold to score a Da Vinci portrait. There’s pretty solid evidence of this, but until we get a hand-written note confirming it from Da Vinci himself, people will always speculate. Through the grapevine I’ve heard a few fringe theories, (but they promised me not to tell, so keep it to yourself), some say she might be based on Da Vinci’s wild-child apprentice and lover Salaì. Others say she might be Isabella d’Este, ‘Renaissance it-girl’ known for badgering Da Vinci endlessly for a portrait (talk about desperate…). Artist Susan Dorothea White even claims it’s a disguised self portrait—because, get this, of the ‘masculine proportions of Mona Lisa’s cranial architecture.’ This theory became so convoluted and blown out of proportion that some academics even requested to dig up da Vinci’s remains to analyse his skull… yikes. Mr. two-for-one Mummy-and-Daddy issues Sigmund Freud even pitched a great idea himself, saying the half-smile of Mona Lisa was a ‘recovered memory of Leonardo’s Mother.’ The Scandal and Mystery! The hot gossip doesn’t end here. My personal favourite scandal of Mona’s career, however outlandish, is that she was originally painted nude, and Leonardo added clothing for the more ‘official’ version of the Mona Lisa. This is supported by the copies made by his apprentice of the subject with the same pose and a similar background, completely naked… cheekily titled ‘Monna Vanna’ (Vain Woman), this painting by Salaí might show the minxy side of the usually chaste facade of Mona Lisa. Of course, the tea is endless, from scientists, art historians, and the boldly unqualified… including (unfounded) reports of tiny letters and numbers in her eyes to reveal a hidden code; professors of anatomy claiming she has a variety of metabolic disorders and lipoma (as if it’s any of their business…); and psychologists using programs to analyse her emotions to ‘figure out’ the optical illusion of her smile (turns out she’s eighty-three percent happy and nine percent disgusted, who would have thought?). Point is, everybody is still talking about her. Everybody wants to know her, yet she remains mysterious, which just further fuels the intrigue. The face of Mona Lisa is on everything you can imagine—from tote bags to toilet paper, shoelaces to t-shirts—we know nothing except that she is everything. The other paintings in the Louvre are stuck eternally, staring at the backs of hordes of tourists who are desperate to get a glimpse of a woman they’re not sure why is so popular. Like Kim Kardashian’s sex tape, or Paris Hilton and nepotism, the origins of the Mona Lisa’s fame became so obscured with time that she is now simply seen as ‘famous for being famous.’ Pelican Fact This year’s magazines will be shipped off to the Louvre for display by the end of 2023. 44

The Norms in Normal People: A Review of the Screen Adaptation The contained one season television series Normal People (2020) gives a snapshot into the lives of two teenagers navigating the ins and outs of high school, by accurately representing the awkwardness of young love and the gossip which follows it. The hit series was directed by Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie Macdonald, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal as Marianne and Connell. Based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Irish author Sally Rooney, the coming-ofage storyline of Normal People is impossible to put down and walk away from. I found myself thinking about the characters and their relationship for weeks after. Rooney has been described as ‘the voice of the millennial generation.’ What impacted me the most was the truthful and honest writing style that Rooney has incorporated into her novel, which is well-reflected in the screen adaptation. Marianne and Connell interact in a manner that is very matter of fact, and there is minimal Aleena Flack censoring of their sexual relationship. When constructing her characters, Rooney has a tendency to focus on ‘telling it how it is’ and I believe this strengthens the appeal of Normal People for audiences. Naturally, gossip plays a significant role in high school culture, whether than it is for better or for worse. I think it was convenient to break the series into twelve chronological episodes, detailing the moment Marianne and Connell become more than acquaintance, their hidden relationship, and the lengths they go to keep it a secret from the outside world. Connell holds a higher popularity status in high school than Marianne, who is dubbed a loser, and Connell continuously refuses to admit to his friends that he has fallen in love with her. While watching the screen adaptation, I found that Normal People does an incredible job of depicting the conflict that Connell feels within himself over his loyalty to Marianne versus his mates at school. In Connell’s mind, Pelican Fact High-school — A series of social hurdles where you navigate how the hell to fit into society. 45

two options seem to contradict each other, he is unable to fully convince himself that Marianne will be accepted into the top ranks of the school hierarchy, which she has been ostracised from. The scenes I think mainly showcase the inconsistency of Marianne and Connell’s relationship are when they hang out at each other’s houses—safe places where they can be themselves. It was excruciating to see how in the school corridors, they ignore each other completely and pretend not to be close at all. Bullying is a hot topic in the series, and sadly, Marianne ends up experiencing most of it. She is subjected to hurtful rumours and gossip from other classmates, while Connell watches on without intervening. Therefore, the bystander effect is conveyed through Connell’s character as he appears comfortable with gossip if it isn’t about him, or him and Marianne. There is a certain anxiety that also plays a part in the series; both characters are aware of how their presence, and being associated with one another, may have a negative effect on the other, which I thought was an interesting concept to explore. Another aspect of Normal People that I found fascinating was how social classes were represented. Connell comes from a poorer background to Marianne, yet still manages to create a popular image for himself at school and thinks of himself as better than her, which is ironic to say the least. His mother works as a cleaner for Marianne’s family, which is a truth that Connell tries to hide from his mates at school. My take is that Connell uses his mother’s job as an excuse for spending time at Marianne’s house. It’s a safe coverup and a way for him to avoid any unnecessary gossip at school regarding his closeness to Marianne. On the other hand, Marianne never looks down on Connell, despite her higher social class status. She can see him without all the popularity labels that are attached to him and overall, she is a much nicer person. As the series progresses, Marianne and Connell enter university. Marianne remains in the same social position, and despite attending parties she gets labelled as a ‘baby’ and isn’t seen as cool enough for the other students she hangs out with. She is asked multiple times if she thinks that she is ‘right’ for Connell, which further damages her selfThe novel centres around how stereotypes can have a negative effect on a relationship, so it seems ironic that an actor could be criticised for simply the way that they look. Pelican Fact University - Throwing out almost all of your high-school knowledge and realising there is no set rule book. 46

esteem. As a viewer, it is interesting to watch how even though they are years out of high school, both characters still feel the need to sneak around and keep their relationship non-exclusive, as though they have been conditioned to think this way since they were teenagers. Marianne and Connell are still awkward around each other, and they keep receiving questions about the status of their relationship. I was drawn to the camera movements, and how they made me feel as an audience member. This is down to the very intimate scenes between the characters that are depicted realistically, to the point where they are almost uncomfortable to watch. Normal People received criticism for its portrayal of Marianne’s character. In the novel, she is described as ‘weird’ and ‘ugly’, to the point that she struggles to feel loved at all. This is the opposite of the appearance of the actor, Daisy Edgar-Jones, who plays Marianne in the screen adaptation. I disagree, because Edger-Jones’ delivery of the character was realistic and therefore, it didn’t matter if she looked like the book Marianne or not. The novel centres around how stereotypes can have a negative effect on a relationship, so it seems ironic that an actor could be criticised for simply the way that they look. In contrast, there was barely any criticism of casting Paul Mescal as Connell, which I believe is an unfortunate double standard. Receiving a high 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and 8.4/10 on IMDb, Normal People (2020) is clearly popular with audiences. If you have already read the book, don’t hesitate to check out the series. Unlike other screen adaptations of popular novels, the Normal People series is very true to the original novel and even if you aren’t familiar with the storyline, it is easy enough to catch on. The series is currently available through a free subscription to SBS on Demand or a paid subscription to Stan and Apple TV. I give it four out of five Pelicans. Pelican Fact The day I become normal is the day I’ve forgotten how to be myself. 47

Critter Confessions Welcome to Critter Confessions! A one-of-akind column where animal-folk from around the world can enjoy a safe space, talk through injustices, seek advice, or vent frustrations. Let’s just say we have a ‘wild’ twist on therapy. Howls, shrieks, chirps, barks, growls, whatever it may be, we love you all the same! QUESTION Dear CC’s Team, My name is Desmodontinae, or Desmond for short. I’m a vampire bat from Panama and I’ve been having a tough time recently. My friends and I have had a bit of a falling out and I just don’t know why. We used to always go out for drinks at the local pub, and by always, I mean EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. It was like a ritual, almost like we had to go to keep ourselves alive. But I digress. When we’re there, we all get a Bloody Mary, have a couple of laughs, hang upside down— the usual. Recently, I’ve noticed that they’ve been sponsoring drinks for each other. I thought I could get in on some, but they keep giving me the cold wing. Have I done something wrong? Am I not worth buying a drink for? I haven’t been through anything like this and I’m trying my best to fix it. Please give me some advice. Cheers, Dessie Aadhikesav Ramkumar and Rohanne Carroll Critter Confessions ANSWER Hello Desmond, I’m so sorry to hear that man. I know how bad a day without a drink can be… I think I know what might be happening. Vampire bats have a reciprocal system for sharing blood, kind of like a ‘you scratch my back, I scratch yours’ situation. This just means that your bat brothers will share their drinks with you once they’ve come to expect that you’d share your drinks with them too. The greater your tendency to share, and the more frequently you interact, the more likely they are to be cooperative with you. So, this might be down to you making the first move. Give them a drink and see how it goes? I’m sure they’d welcome you back, open wings and all. Hope that helps. Critter Confessions Pelican Fact I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine. But what if I’m not itchy? 48

QUESTION Dear Critter Confessions, I recently married a Dicaeum hirundinaceum, but she goes by Ms Mistletoebird now. Everything was going well between us; she’s nice, and she’s got a great personality… but everything went to shit when she moved in. At first things were going smoothly, we unpacked her things, argued about where to keep her teaspoon collection—and then she needed to poop. She marched outside, flew to the top of my mistletoe tree, and started to do a strange, contorted dance. At this point I thought I should call for help, but deep down I knew nothing would be able to help me. She finally paused and proceeded to wipe her faeces on a branch of my tree. AND THEN SHE FLEW DOWN AND ASKED ME WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE FOR DINNER. In other news, my mistletoe tree has never looked better. I’m at a loss for what to do. I’m too embarrassed to confront her about it, so I’m thinking we’ll live out our lives together. I’ll keep this to myself, but every time she goes outside I’ll quietly cry in the bathroom. Unless you have any other suggestions? Please? I’m desperate. Thank you, Mr Mistletoebird ANSWER Dear Mr Mistletoebird, Firstly, congratulations! I’m sure you’re enjoying married life (except for the current browns causing your frown…). Like most marriages, sometimes it can help to look at things from the other persons’ perspective. Perhaps you could consider why Ms Mistletoebird is ‘dancing while defecating’. I’ve heard that after Mistletoebirds eat mistletoe berries and defecate, the seeds of the berries can stick to the mistletoe tree branch (with a little help from some ‘contorted dancing’). This allows the seeds to safely await germination and will eventually produce more berries for Mistletoe birds to eat! It sounds like your wife has the right idea. Maybe you could try it sometime and see how it goes? Hope this helps, Critter Confessions Pelican Fact There would’ve been less toilet paper battles if people were more open to using leaves. 49

QUESTION PLEASE HELP!! I ANSWERED A CRAIGSLIST AD FOR A FEMALE PRAYING MANTIS WANTING TO MATE BUT NOW SHE’S TRYING TO EAT MY HEAD! I’M CURRENTLY HIDING IN THE BATHROOM! I DON’T HAVE RECEPTION TO CALL FOR HELP SO I HOPE SOMEHOW THIS GOES THROUGH! PLEASE SEND HELP I’M AT 123 VUREANSWER We’ll be praying for you. Haha… Too soon? QUESTION Greetings and salutations, My name is Sir Taeniopygia G. Chirpson and I have a burning query that I must have quelled immediately. I recently invited my subordinates (mind you, they are simpleton pheasants) from work (a company which I own) over to my three-story nest, with a floating veranda, and an imported birdbath made by Doveatello during the Heneissance. I had requested them to bring with them their families, and certainly a lot of people attended (of course they would, I’m rich). My beautiful wife (who thinks I’m exceptionally attractive by the way) had prepared the most exquisite bird seeds, never before seen on this side of the forest. As their miniscule and unimpressive automobiles pulled into the driveway, I noticed something quite strange. Families that brought their children had extremely small eggs. My son who is yet to hatch (most surely a handsome chap) is within an egg that is by contrast, quite large. Is this an indication of my son’s destiny to be a great entrepreneur and look as dashing as his father? P.S. I think I heard some screaming coming from the Mantis household. We live on 125 Vurenis lane, Forrest, 4200 WA. Must I call the police? I do not wish to involve myself in the lives of the insect-folk. Sincerely, Sir Taeniopygia G. Chirpson Founder and CEO, ZebraFinch Seed Corp. ANSWER Hello Taeniopygia, Thank you for taking the time to talk to us. You may not like what I’m about to say, so buckle up. Female zebra finch are known to lay larger eggs if their male partners are … unattractive. Typically, female investment into egg volume and yolk content increases, the lower the ‘genetic quality’ of the male is. I’m not here to draw any hasty conclusions, merely stating the facts. I believe the conclusions are for you to draw. Hope your party went well. Also… I don’t think you’ll need to involve yourself with the Mantis household. I believe everything is now resolved. Would not recommend flying that way for a few days. Hope this helps, Critter Confessions Pelican Fact When a mantis gets sex ed, do you think they include the head eating part, or do they leave that as a fun little surprise? 50