curio may/june edition 2012
TRANSCRIPT
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CURIOSITY
CURIOWrittenbyStudents.ForStudents.The Degree
Changes...A conversation
with Jason Paris
+ Sally Sara,
Mass Effect III,and the great
device debate.
May/June 2012
Revamped Issue 1
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CURIOPDFIT!
All the CURIO content.
No paper.
2012. Curio is not a registered trademark of anything but
if it was this is where we would put that information.
If you like reading random drivel and
want to take it with you visit:
http://www.theucsa.org.au/
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CURIO
Features
4 Degree Changes and how they effect you.An in-depth look at the changes to the communication
degrees at the University of Canberra
6 Sally Sara.Foreign Correspondent visits UC and offers advice to those
interested in joining the crazy world that is the journalism
business. (Plus her top 10 tips for staying in the business alive.)
2 Editors
Welcome
3 Inbox
8 Music
9 Jeremy
Stevens
10 Tech Support.
Dealing with the
device debate.
13 Mass Effect
III all its cracked
up to be?
15 Game of
Thrones.
16 UC Write
A poem on the
Lighthouse
experience.
17 Loves Hard.
How to get over
that heart-
crushing breakup
19 Ali Ardern.
Doing whats
right.
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F r om t h e Ed i t o r
So this is it; my first column as Editor. My firstand perhaps only chance to make an impression that
lasts, or and more likely, the first thing you read inthat line after picking up the magazine to just pass
the time. (No judgement; Ive done it too.)
So Ive spent all my budget on the red layout and all
of my personal paycheck on that photo with Karl
Stefanovic and Richard Wilkins, now what?
I guess the main point of this, well drivel, is to
explain that this isyourpublication. Im merely the
person that puts it together, procrastinating my time,
and extending my university experience by doing so.
This is not a personal blog from the UCSA. There
will be no in-jokes, and no prejudice when it comes
to content. If you want to submit something ... you
do it directly to me, because everyone deserves a voice.
Everyone deserves the right to have their say.
Email me and I will do my best to get back to you.
While not everyone can write with ease (I know
because I struggle) everyone wants to be heard and
perhaps needs just a little guidance. Your work is
what drives Curio so I will do my best to help you,
guiding your work getting help myself along the way.
My email address is: [email protected]
Your submission deadline is: Thursday May 24th
2012
Get writing!
- David Sharaz (Ridiculously out of my depth.)
ABOUT ME:
Im a journalism student;
The word no is my least favourite;
I love things wrapped in brown paper;
My dream pet is a Golden Retriever,and I plan to name mine Walkey;
I will one day be a Foreign
Correspondent for a national network
(just a heads up) like my idol Anderson
Cooper;
I am the most feminine straight-man youll ever meet, and I make no
apologies for that;
Im adopted;
I have Welsh and Indian in me.Ironically, the same ethnicity of my
adoptive parents (luck or fate, you
decide);
I want a Range Rover, like thepretentious guy I am; and lastly
Humour is the most important thing
to me.
Today Work Experience 2011
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Inbox
So theyve appointed a new
Editor, does this mean that
the content will improve
also?- Dave Wales
I can already spot a typo.- Cree McRae (departing Editor)
The ABC wont return my
calls, so I thought Id
complain elsewhere. Your
publication offends me.- Anonymous
Good luck as Editor David!
Im not holding my breath
though; Ive seen how lazyyou are.
-Jean Sharaz (Davids lovingmother)
It would be lovely if this
student magazine
contained less in jokes, and
less random drivel now that
there is a new person in
charge.- Name omitted per request.
Im sure youll do a great job
as Editor David, but what
about having some actual
student news with the
revamp?- Sam
Write to us!
Editor: [email protected]@DavidSharaz on Twitter
Tweets
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Holy smokes Batman, theyve changedmy degree and didnt tell me!By David Sharaz (Journalism Student)
As you step through the
University of Canberra Student
Associations glass doors and
into their newly tenanted office
space, you start to feel angst.
There has been so much talk of
late about their consultation with
the university in relation to therestructuring [removal] of
many degrees that the mere
mention of their name is tainted,
and tarnished beyond belief. But
as a journalist were taught to
find the truth, and that there are
two sides to every story.
In steps Jason Paris, who by
name, has been mentioned a lot
of late. With his casual attire and
jovial attitude, its hard to believe
this man could be the centre of
any accusations. Stepping
through the green office he
delays our interview when a
student steps through the door
needing his attention. He has
recently relinquished control of
the UCSA by stepping down as
President (something Im assured
has nothing to do with the recent
theatrics by the media) but
remains as Advocacy Officer for
students at the University of
Canberra. If a student needs help,
hell delay a chat with the media,
which made sense, as my pen
never goes dry.
My Postgraduate in Education
meant doing three jobs was
impossible. I had to pass the
torch onto someone worthy
which is why Harry Mott was
voted in. It was unanimous, Mr.
Paris said.
If I continued the UCSA would
suffer because my full attention
couldnt be given and I didnt
want that. It was time for
change.
I could write an entire novella on
the appointing of Mr. Mott as
President, but that wasnt why I
was there. I was there to talk
about the accusations made to
Mr. Paris while he was President,
and the changes to the journalism
degree. (Something relevant to
myself.)
In case you werent aware the
university has decided to make
some changes, significantly to the
Journalism Degree where 12
units (practical units) are being
cut down to six. Now while this
might seem non-significant the
changes also coincide with the
renaming of the journalism
degree changing it to a Bachelorof Communications (majoring in
Journalism), something relevant
to any communications student.
The degree means many
communication-based degrees
are losing their official title. For
example: Bachelor of PR will
become Bachelor of
Communication in PR. Which
causes many students to believethe changes diminish the quality
of their degree and hard work
over three to four years of study.
But Mr. Paris believes differently,
The Bachelor of
Communication in Journalism
actually broadens your scope of
employment which I feel is a
greater issue to students.
When questioned on the changes
and the retirement of specific
practical units in the degree Mr.
Paris points out something I
believe personally. Now, while
Ive known Ive wanted to be a
journalist since I was 14-years-
old not everyone feels the same
way. Some have entered the
journalism degree because they
needed to pick something after
high school. Mr. Paris aside, and
as a student myself, if I had
finished three years of study and
knew I didnt want to be a
journalist (which lets face it, not
everyone wants to be) I would be
upset if my degree only meant I
could start out in a small
publication, or a small media
outlet getting coffee for those
higher up. In my personal
opinion some people want to
have a degree that allows them a
broader scope of employment.
Ive spoken to past students,
present students, and media
outlets. They all agree that the
changes better reflect that of the
industry, Mr Paris says. But
when questioned on who those
people were Mr. Paris steps back
into his Student Advocacy
position. We as the UCSA have
to respect the rights, and privacy
UCFEATURE
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of students. Which is why Im told
the exact consultation participants
wont be released.
The fact of the matter becomes clear
over my time with whom Ive started
to call Jason, the university had
decided that they wanted to change
the degrees before even consulting
the UCSA. Sadly however, both the
UCSA and Mr. Paris got caught in the
crossfire. Its important to remember,
as I found out, that the UCSA and theuniversity are completely separate
from each other.
Personally, I believe that cutting
practical units, or changing the name
of a degree wont stop anyone who
wants to make it. A degree is a degree
in the media industry, and its only
through hard work, a dogged
commitment, and a hell of a lot ofluck that youll make it in the
industry. I know this because Ive
been knocked back again and again
and Im still fighting. If you want to
become a journalist, truly want to
become a journalist my advice to you
is this: Finish your degree, and get as
much experience as you can.
DEGREECHANGE
Dear Student
In 2013 the Faculty of Arts and Design will introduce a new suite ofCommunication courses. These changes, outlined below, are the resultof extensive internal and external consultation, and reflect the changingnature of the communication industries.
Each degree will have a strong spine in your chosen professional field.The new degrees will give students the foundational and specialistskills to thrive in industries that are facing rapid technological change
and convergence, such as advertising, journalism, public relations, andpolitical communication. The revamped Communication Studies unitsalso mirror the way different communication professionals worktogether in their careers and often move between communication fields.
These changes are reflected in the new degree titles, which willdemonstrate to employers that you are a communication professionalwith a strong industry specialisation.
The important thing for you to note is that you have the choice to
remain in your current degree. Or you can choose to convert to thenew degree. From 2013, new students will be able to enrol only in thenew Bachelor of Communication degrees.
A copy of the new course structure is available on the Journalismmoodle page. More information about the single and double degreecourse changes, transition plans and how to transfer to the new degreewill be made available on 1st June 2012.
An information evening has been scheduled for Wednesday 8 August2012 at 6.00pm in Building 9, level A, room 01.
If you have any further enquiries about the changes to the
communication degrees at UC, please contact the Faculty of Arts andDesign, Student Liaison Officers [email protected].
Sincerely
Professor Lyndon Anderson
Current degree New degree
Bachelor ofAdvertising andMarketingCommunication
Bachelor ofCommunication inAdvertising
Bachelor ofJournalism
Bachelor ofCommunication inJournalism
Bachelor ofCommunication andMedia Studies
Bachelor ofCommunication inMedia and PublicAffairs
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B r i e fing
Running, running, running. Every single stepcould be the last. Every single stepfor your life.Every single step in order to getthe truth.Knowing youre being watched, and possiblychased in the middle of a warzone inAfghanistanthat,is the dream job.This time last year, that was Sally Sara. At thepeak of the Australian BroadcastingCorporation(ABC) journalists, she was reporting as a foreigncorrespondent in Kabul, Afghanistan.Since her homecoming she has recently guestlectured to broadcast journalism students at theUniversity of Canberra (UC).Friend of Sara,andconvener of the broadcast journalism units at UC,
Julie Posetti (ex-radio and television journalist with
the ABC),alsoopened the rare opportunity to thepublic.I invited the general public and the wider UCcommunity because I think Sally's story has appealbeyond journalism groupiesgiving them theopportunity to learn more about the machinationsof contemporary journalism", Posetti said.A member of thegeneral public, Terri Landford,said it was interestinghow technology has madelone, self-sufficient journalism a reality.Sara explained in the lecture that in a world of
modern-day journalism information comes inquicker on Twitter than on the news wires inAfghanistan.Shesaid there had even been Twitter warsbetween security representatives of differentcountries.She then highlighted the importance of computergear and how it has shaped journalism. There isnow smaller, lighter and more powerfultechnology to report from, even in remote areas.
Sara said, field reporters must be geeks.Broadcast journalism student, Nip Wijewickrema,said she also taught us that you make things
work, no matter where you are and whatequipment you have.Sara inspired students to persevere and make themost of any situation.I thought she gave the journalism students very
sensible and helpful advice, and we were amusedthat she never finished her journalism degree,Landford said.Admitting she didnt complete her undergraduatedegree at UC, Sara encouraged students to driveforth in their journalism endeavours, no matterwhat or who may set them back.It was inspiring, as she is so down to earth andnormal, said Wijewickrema.Posetti said during the lecture that you cant be aSally Sara without working outback.
The hard work and passion of Sara, from startingin regional Australia, has led to her19 years withthe ABC, even after being knocked back by theorganisation three times prior to success.She said the workload in Afghanistan involvedreporting for 11 radio and television programs,ABC online and ABC News 24. Which meant heraverage workload in one day would be to reportone TV story, three to four radio stories and astory for ABC News 24. On average, this equates
to a 15-hour working day and being awake for 34hours straight.Sleep was a luxury, something that trauma couldtake over. It was an act of covering trauma andconcealing your own.Sara said, what you see and what you broadcastare often two very different things.Although working alone meant she had flexibility,it also brought upon loneliness in the foreign land.Sara described the gym as her mental health unit.Wijewickrema said, shes faced so many things,
and is so well planted. She acknowledges shes nota robot and needs to take measures to debrief and look after herself and her mental health.
Sally Sara.A lesson in tenacity.
By Charlene Broad
@charlenebroad
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Posetti said by inviting Sara to guest lecture shehoped to bring the inspiring and challengingrealities of foreign correspondence and multi-platform reportage into the classroom.Students and public alike were awed, as opposed
to frightened, by the fact that you could be killedby a bomb in Afghanistan that costs merely $10 tomake.As part of a military family it was especially ofinterest to me to get an insight on Afghanistanexpressed by a journalist and how she dealt withthe fears and sights she encountered, saidLandford.No matter what background people came from,the 600 people who filled up the Boilerhouselecture room at UC were thoroughly enthused by
Saras lecture. Her passion forherjob, her career,her life;flowed through the air and enteredpeopleas they watched and listened to her speak. As aforeign correspondent, Sara said, people are sodesperate to tell their stories, they want you toget close into their world. Those words in someway inspired every person in the room to takeaction in whatever field they were in.
Sally Saras top ten tips for
becoming a successful journo:
1. Be the best journo in Dubbo.
Wherever you are based, no matter how small orbig the community, be the best in that community.The local paper can follow you!
2. Never be afraid to play catch up.
If you missed a story, dont freeze, continue on.
3. The best way to get a story is to do a
story.
No-one can find the story for you, but you. Everystory can lead to something else.
4. Dead journos dont write many story
stories.
There is a fine line between risks. Is the storyyoure writing worth it?
5. If you experience trauma, get some
help.
Trauma will only ruin your work and your health;
two of the most important things to uphold as ajourno.
6. Beware of the 27 Blues.
When you reach the age of around 27, dont fret ifyou are not based in Kabul. Chances are none ofthe other 27-year-old journos are either.
7.Remember the two books contacts and
diary.
Call your contacts even when theres nothing
going on. And, keep organised and on track.
8. Resilience, resilience, resilience.
Be patient and persevere. Dont stop trying. Ever.
9. Look for the gaps.
What stories arent being reported?
10. Reputation is everything.
The way you deal with people is important.Everything feeds into that be respected.
Quotes that make you go,nawww.
Were all put on this planet for apurpose and we all have a differentpurpose. Its our Journey.- Ellen DeGeneres.
I dont believe in failure. Its notfailure if you enjoyed the process.-Oprah Winfrey
Nobody in life gets exactly whatthey want. But if youre kind, and
youre open, amazing things willhappen. Its just true.
-Conan OBrien
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Early in the Morning.Worthy of my Morning, Afternoon, or Evening.By Dave Wales
James Vincent McMorrowsdebut album Early in theMorning shoots chills down yourspine as his falsetto voice fills
your mind. McMorrow has beenasked to perform with the likesof Al Green, Tracy Chapmanand Bon Iver, and has done soopening shows and playingbeside some of the most famousfolk singers of modern times.There is no doubt he has thepower to break hearts and wowaudiences, but his appeal is
wider than that.
If you read my music rant youwill see folk is not my focus, ormy favourite music genre.McMorrow however has gone along way to change this, or atleast has given new life to the
folk genre in my musiccollection. TechnicallyMcMorrow is listed as a pop-folkartist, which I cant really get myhead around as his EP's, andnow album are very much folk.In trying to think of somethingcomparable I thought ofsomething ... not. Listed as aIndie Folk group from LondonMumford and Sons are what isee as pop-folk. Not to belittlethem, they are a fantastic bandand brought out an incredibly
popular album.
None of this however takesaway from the sheer enjoyment igot from McMorrows album,Early In The Morning. Playingthe album to a group of mypeers i found fans of all genres
willing to leave the entire albumto play gently swaying ortapping their feet to the morelively tracks like Sparrow & TheWolf and just sit and listen toothers. From start to finish thealbum didnt have any lulls ordisappointing tracks with eachsong having something a littledifferent yet special.
The lyrics are simple butexpertly delivered and the musicis beautifully crafted, standing
up well to my personal love ofdrums and chilled out melodies.I definitely recommend thisalbum to anyone that likes Folkmusic or are looking forsomething a little bit different totheir usual listening experience.
UCMUSIC
@yay101
As a twenty-something male I like to think my taste in everything has been refined and developedthrough my life so far. Saying this, 360, the Australian hip hop artist is my current favourite music artist. Iguess you could say he just gets me. Or, perhaps I get him? I dont know, nor care. This alone will make alot of readers dismiss what I have to say thinking I have a narrow music palette. Feel free to check out mylast.fm account, davidjwales to prove yourself wrong and see I have an appreciation for all types of music,or just to see what else I enjoy as much.
DAVES RANT
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Music Roundup; or something to that effect.By Jeremy Stevens
UCMUSIC
At 4pm yesterday - the day beforedeadline - Curio editor DavidSharaz sent me a tweet asking howmy article was coming along. I toldhim Id have something for him bythe end of the night.
Its now 2.30am, and Im finallystarting. Luckily, like most unistudents, my poor time-management skills are balanced by adisregard for normal sleepingpatterns, so its okay.
Anyway, I told the Editor I was keento write about music. He thoughtthis was a cool idea, and told me Ihad a page and I could do whateverI wanted with it.
Sounds like a pretty easy job, right?Its actually the equivalent of yourlecturer giving you an essay, but thequestion, word count, and markingcriteria are all a secret. Also peoplewill laugh if you mess it up.
I have no idea what Im doing, but Ihope you like it.
@jeevens
Splendour announces its 2012 line-up;
people openly weep in the streets.
In case you missed everyone banging on about it onFacebook, Splendour in the Grass recently
announced their line-up for 2012.
Theyve assembled an interesting array of artists thisyear, with Jack White, Bloc Party, SmashingPumpkins, and the newly-reformed At The Drive-Inall making appearances, alongside a handful of otherinternational acts and a bucket-load of Australianones. Though what possessed them to putWolfmother on the bill, well never know.
This is probably the closest event Australia has to
something like Coachella, and from the reactions Iveseen, many seem more attracted by the idea of aweekend festival than the actual music itself.
Regardless, for those interested, youre looking atabout $450 for a 3-day ticket with camping. Add ontravel costs, plus festival-priced food and booze, and
youre looking at a fair amount more.
If you survive selling your spare kidney, Splendour isheld from July 27 to 29 in Byron Bay. Check outsplendourinthegrass.com for the full line-up.
Groovy Baby
If were mentioning Splendour, it only seems right to remind everyone that Groovin The Moo is rapidlyapproaching...
Sunday May 13 will see City and Colour, Public Enemy, Kaiser Chiefs, Matt Corby, 360, and whole bunch ofother excellent musicians play UCs The Meadows (that big field of grass out the back).
For those of you who dont know, GTM is a one-day, all ages music festival, and its not to be missed. Its also atthe very end of week 14, so theres no excuse not to come along. Unless you hate fun.Anyone who didnt catch hypothermia last year will tell you it was amazing, and anyone who was stuck oncampus listening from the outside will tell you it was excruciatingly painful.
Next month... Youll get your GTM roundup!9
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UCTECHRemember when a phonewas just a phone?Me either.By Dave Wales@yay101
With great devices comes great debate, and some ofthe most debated modern devices are mobile phonesas almost everyone has one, or at least an opinion onone. It is my hope to deliver a clear conscious guideto choosing a phone operating system which is rightfor you, and not just most popular. Only the 3 mainoperating systems are to be included, so if you are
hoping for Bada or Meego devices to be included Iwill have to apologise.
The feature sets of each operating system overlapquite a lot so like any good article I have made up atable to present the differences visually. This article isbased on the latest versions of each operating system.
Feature Android iOS Windows
Multitasking Full Service Based Cached
Recent App View Yes Yes Yes
Folders and Sorting Yes Yes Yes
Spell Checking (not auto correct) Yes System Apps No, coming inwindows 8
Widgets Lockscreen andlauncher
Notificationdrawer
Launcher
Gestures OEM dependant System wide System wide
Accessibility Blind and visuallyimpaired support
Blind andvisuallyimpairedsupport
Blind and visuallyimpaired support
Camera Support Video and photoeffects
Only with 3rdparty apps
Basic or through3rd party apps
Near Field Communication Yes No, iPhone 5onwards
Yes
Wifi All modes All modes All modes
Cloud Yes Yes Yes
Available on a range of devices Yes No Yes
Open Source (only a benefit fordevelopers)
Yes No No
Store Apps, Music,Video, Books and
Devices
Apps, Music,Video and
Books
Apps
Sync Any MTP Itunes Zune
Mapping Google mapswith full voice
guidednavigation.
Mappingwithout
navigation.
Bing Maps
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TECHTHISBy going through the main features ofeach you can see they all cover the basics,whether through the system or through 3rdparty apps there is very little left to want.Once you see the features outlined like thisit is clear there is no single winner onfeatures alone.So instead below i have outlined eachoperating system as simply as possible,starting with windows phone, perhaps themost appropriate operating system for theaverage person.
Windows phoneIdeally windows phone is marketed ateveryone, much like the Windows PC OS.And feature wise it is probably theOperating system that should be mostwidely used. It is easier than any of theothers to navigate and use and is veryintuitive. Because of this only the hardcoreMac users should think twice, instead mostapple users would be happier with windowsphone, and its similar walled garden
approach but simplicity in everything else.Much like Apple microsoft has gone thesoftware package method for syncing andtransferring files, thankfully the softwarethey made to do so was refined well beforeany windows phone devices were releasedavoiding all of the issues early iphoneadopters had to deal with. The Zunesoftware for syncing is not only welldesigned and attractive but also easy for firsttime users. Sadly the Live store only offersApps and games currently putting it behindits rivals as to market content.iOSApple really took the world by storm with itsiOS operating system on the first iphone.Realistically the original iphone was nothingspecial technology wise, it was the operatingsystem that set it apart, even as crippled andrestrictive as it was, and is, it was far betterthan the touch support hacked onto
Symbian, Nokias then operating system.Well that and the millions of people whowill buy anything with a Apple logo. Herewe are many years and generations of iOSlater and it is still a viable option on themarket, and the favourite of many.
The walled garden approach of lockingpeople into a ecosystem has worked verywell for apple, securing previous Itunes andIpod users and now users of previousiPhones. iOS is a great general purposeoperating system whose real downfall is howlocked down the market is and the lack ofdevices available, having just one phone andtablet option available each generation.iTunes and the market attached to it areseen as one of the largest and mostcomplete online stores.
Android
Google's Android operating system singlehandedly destroyed the rich business andpersonal partnership Google and Apple hadin the early to mid 2000s. Seeing it as arival Steve Jobs was quoted to have damnedandroid and that he wished to destroy iteven if it is the last thing he did. Havingfailed, Android is the most popularoperating system today on thousands ofindividual devices giving it a massiveadvantage and accessibility not seen by any
other smartphone platform. This gives theuser a massive range of choice as to phoneprovider and device. This in turn allowsdifferent devices to be sold at different pricepoints all having the one unified operatingsystem. The Play Store, previously known asthe android market is very robust offeringApps, Music, Movies, Books and evengoogles own nexus range of devices forpurchase right on your android device.Androids large drawing card is definitelythe tie in to google's own services, includingthe google drive, google's own cloud.Realistically if you are a developer or in theICT business and you arent using a androiddevice you are missing out. The developertools, IDEs and community make buildingapps and tools easier than any of its rivals.
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TECHAHOLIC
The breakdownWindows Phone is for everyday people, your mum,
your dentist, maybe even you. It is for people whowant a device that just works and will rarely touchthe app store. It makes even more sense if you are awindows desktop fan, as the experience with windows8 will be seamless between devices, both running thesame programs and capable of the same things albeiton different scales.
iOS is very much the OS X (Mac) users phone
choice, you like the lack of options and see it as apositive not a negative. You like being told what youcan do with your phone and dont even care for what
you cant. You love using itunes and like theuniformity Apple products give.
Android is for the people who jailbroke their iphoneand love being able to play with the settings thatallowed. Or anyone that loves googles services andwant a phone that ties them in flawlessly. Cheapandroid devices make great first phones as they are
feature rich but cheap and easy to replace, allowingan easy upgrade when the users are ready.
Android is just as easy to navigate as iOS howeverwindows phone beats both when it comes tosimplicity. All three are targets for developers howeverandroid usually has more free or ad supported apps.Windows phone will receive more productivity andenterprise apps windows users are used to thanks to itbeing a microsoft product.
Three superpowers all wanting your business nexttime you get a new phone, so please, go and look atthe range available before deciding on your nexthandset. You may just find a new favourite.
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Theepicconclusiontoahalf-decadelongstory,MassEfect3
showseveryonehownarrativeandchoiceshouldbehandled.
By
Nathaniel
Crouch
Mass Effect 3 is the kind of
game that comes around once in a
generation; maybe once in a lifetime.
Mass Effect is franchise entirely
encapsulated within a single
hardware cycle that captured the
hearts and imaginations of gamers
worldwide. The franchise made huge
promises in regards to size, scope and
the revolutionary impact of an
individuals decisions. Its been five
years five long, yearning years, but
finally the trilogy is at its close. Mass
Effect 3 is arguably the most
anticipated game of the year, and the
catalyst for the fulfilment of a fiveyear promise. Lucky for us all, then,
that Bioware have created a
monolith of unparalleled
proportions, showcasing possibly the
very best game design and narrative
of this generation. Playing Mass
Effect 3 is an experience you will not
soon forget.
For those not caught up with
the story so far, Mass Effect 3 joins
Commander Shepard on Earth,
placed under house arrest following
the events of Mass Effect 2s Arrival
DLC. Despite repeated warnings
about the oncoming Reapers, the
galactic government is slow to act
and are ill-prepared when the
omnipresent, sentient machines
return to the galaxy and begin their
reign of terror. Their mission: To
eviscerate all life-forms across the
galaxy and start anew, just like they
have every 50,000 years since the
dawn of civilisation. Shepard, and
his (or her) crew onboard the
Normandy must set out across the
galaxy and unite all together under
one common flag to repel the
invasion and save all sentient life.
The impacts of Shepards
journey across Mass Effect 3 and the
decisions made along the way are
mind-bogglingly huge. Centuries-old
wars and vicious prejudices are
assuaged to unite under a common
banner and fight for survival.
UCGAMING
Nathaniel CrouchTakes a look at MassEffect 3 for our newlyrevamped edition ofCurio.
@Nat_Crouch
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For long-term fans of the
series, there is an incredible sense
of accomplishment to be derived
from helping to solve these massive
struggles that have dictated theactions and personalities of dozens
of characters over the course of the
entire franchise. This has always
been where Mass Effect has
thrived, with deep, branching
options of gameplay dictating the
future of the series in incredibly
differing ways. It makes you feel as
if the choices you make are truly
important. Gameplay has been
tightened in some very important,
key ways. As it was with the jump
from Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2,
the shooting element has been
tightened even further making it
feel less like dice rolls behind the
scene is dictating damage and
more like a solid, third-person
action game. I genuinely love the
action in Mass Effect 3 the tight
integration of shooting and special
powers still feels incredibly unique
to the series and gives players a
type of visceral action not available
from other shooters or RPGs. I
played as a soldier, a character
archetype focussing more on the
guns and leaving my allies to use
their different tech and biotic
powers to eviscerate enemies, and
never felt as if I was missing out on
any key features. It controlled well
and was entertaining to play.
CombatinMassEfecthasbeenrevamped,withanincreasedfocusonmeleeattacks.
Outside of combat, other little
tweaks have been made to help simplify
gameplay and restore some of the
RPG roots that were lost in Mass Effect
2. Powers are now more customisable,
with upgrades presenting players with
a series of choices, diversifying the way
they will affect combat. Would you
rather a concussive shot affect a greater
area, or hit a single target harder? It
allows for a deep customisation of the
way you enter into combat and how to
approach different enemy types.
Additionally, weapon management has
been edged further towards the original
Mass Effect days, with players choosing
two attachments for each gun to go
into battle with. This buffs weapons in
a variety of fairly key ways, changing
everything from clip size to adding a
piercing power to bullets. Armour
management is fairly similar to Mass
Effect 2, but with a far wider variety of
parts and armour types. It was cool to
see the DLC armour packages from
Mass Effect 2 available at the different
shops across the Citadel for sale it
was a nice legacy touch.
The absurdly high quality of
the writing and the story arc of almost
every character you interact with
across the length of the series makes
them feel like more than just regular,
forgettable NPCs.
I guess, then, that those moments are
the kind of thing Ill take away from
Mass Effect 3: the incredibly poignant
moments that only exist because of the
time and care I placed into my
Shepard and his galaxy. Things like
saying goodbye to my favourite
characters; solving galaxy-wide
conflicts that have lasted decades; even
something as simple as staring at the
memorial to the various men and
women that were lost in the war
against the Reapers onboard the
Normandy. These are moments that
couldnt be fostered in any other
medium, or in any other franchise.
When this incredible writing is coupled
with punchy, well-balanced combat
and even more phenomenal visuals, its
hard to look at Mass Effect 3 as
anything short of masterful.
Closing Comments:
Mass Effect 3 is gaming perfection in
my eyes: it is exactly what a game
should set out to do to the player from
the get-go. The story is heart-
wrenching and inspiring all within thesame breath, the combat is intensely
satisfying and the pay-off for five years
of gaming is easily the most rewarding
gameplay experience Ive ever had. It
will take an absolute juggernaut of a
title to make me feel like I did playing
this game. This is as close as weve ever
been to the pinnacle of gaming, in my
humble opinion.
5 Stars.Nat Crouch is a writer for
AustralianGamer.com.
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UCREAD
I like many before me have jumped on thebandwagon, but who can blame me the televisionseries is a hit and it features perhaps the mostdevious creations of imagination, TyrionLannister. Spanning close to 800 pages, George R.R. Martin's, A Game of Thrones, is not for thefaint hearted. If you are a fan of Tolkein-esqueepic fantasy, it is definitely worth the challenge.Martin frequently strays into long-windeddescriptions of the history of noble families, or thelandscape, and so for those with a short attentionspan the television series will probably be morepreferable.At the core of the novel is ambition, Martin
documents several noble families engaging in astruggle for control over the Iron Throne of thefictitious kingdom of Westeros. Ned Stark, a closefriend of King Robert Baratheon, is drawn intothe conflict from his isolated Northern domain,
and finds he is ill-equipped to handle thecomplexity and duplicity of court life. Across theocean the remnants of the deposed royal line areamassing an army of barbaric horse-lords to claimtheir throne. Underlying the political tension is aconstant threat of the destructive power of nature.Winter is approaching, and believe it or not, it isworse than Canberras. Winters in Westeros canspan generations, and with the longest recordedsummer drawing to a close, it will be catastrophic.Despite this very real threat of the starvation of
their people the nobility are more concerned withtheir deceptions and power plays.Martin's mastery lies in his ability to create a cast
of complex characters. The only happy endingsare payed for during sojourns to the seeminglyabundant brothels littering Westeros. Martinseems to relish unleashing a variety of brutal andgraphic fates upon his creations. Label me asadist, but I believe this is also part of the appeal.Despite the fantastical setting of this novel, Martin
provides a realistically brutal world in which the'good guy' rarely wins. This is an interestingchallenge to the fantasy formula. A Game ofThrones is a promising start to a series that iscomplex and challenging enough for a discerningfantasy-lover.
A Game of Thrones - A Song of Fire and Ice Pt. 1Lord of the Rings with more sex and violence.
By Rebecca Davies
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UCWRITE
Wednesday night has come around
It's time for us to go
On our weekly pilgrimageTo where tequila flows.
Goon pong comes before the trek
Through that pitch black park.
Line up, line up to get it
For the toilets and the bar.
Toga tied or Traffic Light,
Shit Shirt or Tequila Night,
Feel our shoes stick to the floor
As we dance away the night.
Chat u that guy from chemistry
Play 'Spot the Drunk RA'
Think about going home
Getting McDonald's on the way.
Start to feel those Mother Blues
And swear 'Never again'
But when wednesday rolls around
We'll be back, my friends.
LIGHTY TONIGHTY
ByYsabelle Moriarty
Why Curio?
Are you an amateur writer? Getting published is what sets you apart from your writing
peers, and thats where student publications can help you. Curio gives you the chance to
have your work seen, and gives you clippings to promote yourself in the field.
Email us to have your work published:
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UCADVICE
It happens so quickly and if you blink youll missit. The moment when you finally let go, acceptand move on from someone close to you. Thetough thing when a relationship, anyrelationship, ends is that sense of waste. Yourealise that youve lost a little portion of your lifeand youre never going to get it back. Youve
wasted time, energy, respect and sometimes lovethat could have been used on someone else orsomething else. You start to question yourself, buteventually youve got to accept that everything
just happens for a reason. Whether its afriendship, a romance, or a television showgetting cancelled you ultimately have to get toknow yourself again and its tough. Who am Iwithout that person in my phone? Who do I talkto about my problems? (Unless youre like me,
and a perfect specimen without any problemswhatsoever. Im pretty darn cool I know. Feel freeto ask me for tips and Ill make something up.)
There are moments of darkness duringbreakdown of a relationship. Mainly because
youre too down to get that bloody light bulb inyour room changed, meaning that you spendmany a night guided by the flickering of yourlaptop screen to get things done. Sometimes yousleep on your floor. Sometimes you distract
yourself by eating as much Nandos as possible(even though that jerk Erin messed up yourorder each time. Im sorry Erin; I snapped anddidnt mean it). There are times when you startto question yourself, what youve done, and whythe takeaway containers are starting to pile up on
your desk Its a tough time! Its hard becauseyoure forcing yourself to accept, to realise thatyou just werent supposed to be with that person,that it just wouldnt work. But no one likes toquestion his or her own judgement. We spend somuch time in our lives sifting through the crappypeople in this world that its hard to accept thatweve got it wrong at least once. Friends,girlfriends, boyfriends, employees, and pets (sorryBailey, I just wished you liked me a little more.
Youre close to Mum. What did I do wrong?).Sometimes we just get it wrong its okay, wereonly human.The stages of grief are pretty simple, and itsonly upon looking back that you realise you wentactually went through them in this instance. Forthose lucky people it happens quickly, and for
others its long and tremendously tiring.
Shock & Denial:Well obviously I can make this situation work.A sentence we often repeat to ourselvespromising well change, theyll change, or thesituation will change. You cant trick yourself tobelieve the situation will work. And when werealise that we get to move on, to the next stage.
Pain & Guilt:What did I do wrong? You didnt do anythingwrong, but you surely do think you did. Was Inot handsome enough? Was it my eyes? (No thatcant be it. My eyes shine like diamonds.) Was itmy taste in daytime television? Was it my dreamof one day hosting daytime television? Was I too
jealous? I knew I shouldnt have got my hair cut.We start to feel sad and question everything. WasI too romantic? Not manly enough? (Again, notme. And why is that funny!) Once this stage is
complete we inevitably move on to the nextstage, and the more childish stage of grief
The man thats never dated anyone offers advice on relationships when they end.
(Think of it like an overweight person telling you how to eat properly.)
By David Sharaz
@DavidSharaz
Bailey
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ANIDIOTSGUIDEAnger & Bargaining:I hate her so much. You dont, and youre
being a child. You think you do. You want to;you really cant as she did nothing wrong, shejust wasnt in the right space. It wasnt you. Youdidnt do anything wrong. This stage is perhapsthe most stressful of them all because you start tobecome someone youre not really a fan of a
jerk. You start to trick yourself into believing thatyou hate the person, or the creators of LOST forcancelling the show, and angry text messages andemails (or if youre 50-years old inside, the oddfax) are sent. Your main hope is to, deep down,
hurt the person as much as theyve hurt or arehurting you. But it doesnt work and you realisethat its cruel. I wish I could show you a fewemails Ive sent over the years but to protectmyself in the future and to remain popularamong housewives when I get that midday show,I wont. I know it was mean and youll be
pleased to know I have since apologised to theperson Ive sent those messages to.
Depression, reflection & loneliness:This is another stage thats pretty darn hard toget through, as its a time when you really have toget to know ourselves and that can be tough. Itsa sad time that often involves a lot of romanticcomedies (for the women, I dont watch thatcrap), crying to Taylor Swift songs (sadly, I dothat one), and binge eating of chocolate, icecream and my new favourite diet Nandos oncea day only. This stage often includes us isolatingourselves from the world not wanting to get hurt
again and its only when youve got great supportaround you can you get past this stage. If yourecurrently in this stage I want you to know that itdoes get better, youll be okay. Hang in there!
Reconstruction:Much like renovating the house again Dad Imso sorry I cant be there to help I really wanted to
this stage involves rebuilding. You start to lookat yourself and decide a few things have tochange so youre not hurt so badly next time
around. Your emotional guard is put back upand that wall is strengthened with industrial,emotional concrete (available at all goodpsychiatrists). You promise yourself that nexttime, youre not going to let someone in so easily.Theyll have to work for it, and hard.
No more flowers for random people, no morebeing nice to people when they dont reciprocate
it, and no being the sweet guy! Sweet guys suck.
Acceptance & hope:This is my favourite stage and for the simplereason that all of the aforementioned becomesabsolutely moot. Sure you still have thatemotional guard up, as concrete is pretty tough,but youre not going to change the person youare; its our uniqueness that makes us all humanafter all. You realise youre not perfect but
youre also a great person and have finally
accepted that fact. Youve moved on fromwanting to have that person back in your life.You want them there of course, as caring forsomeone never goes away, but you know deepdown that being friends is better off. Its better toend things nicely, than end them with resentmentand angst. Its great seeing someone that youused to have a hard time seeing and feelingpeace. Youve accepted that that was a learningexperience that that relationship, whatever it was,is gone for the better, and you can learn fromthat. Its not a mistake; its life experience. Itreally is my favourite stage of grief (as apart frombeing the last one) it involves hope. Youre readyto move on (you have moved on) and youre backto sifting through the crappy people to find theright person for you. And right person is outthere for you. This goes for friends, pets (sorryBailey), and television shows too if youve lostone of those in your life.
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UCHELPBecauseIwantedtohelp.Sometimescharitycomesfromtheheart.
ByCurioStaf
Its not the gorgeous smilefrom her face, or the radiation of joy
that oozes out of her, rather its her
passion and genuine care for those
less fortunate that makes Ali Arderns
cause something worth supporting.
So often you hear ofindividuals raising money to travel
overseas and you want to scream,
Why bother, just send the money
instead of paying for flights! But as I
recently learned from Ali after
meeting with her at a local fundraiser
the money she raises is directly spent
on the cause.
The cause, Children on theEdge, an organisation that exists to
help marginalised and vulnerable
children, by providing a safe haven
Shop] send over a few employees to
the project in East Timor, Ali says.
My flights are paid for, and
Im just trying to raise enough money
to buy toothpaste and toothbrushes
to teach the children about dental
hygiene. As in the past when I have
travelled to developing countries, thatwas something that was lacking.
Her last fundraiser, a
combined effort with the Body Shop
and local bands who waived their fee
to support the cause, saw her raise
over $1200. However Ali says she
doesnt want to stop there and will be
having another event in June. I just
dont want to leave anything to
chance, these children need our help
and Im going to do my best to raise
as much money as I can.
Charity is one of those things
where every little amount helps, and
whether that be one-dollar or
thousands, every little bit helps.
If you want to help Ali and
Children on the Edge
Visit:
www.childrenontheedge.org/east-
timor-child-and-community-
centre.html
Or email:
Ali Ardern