By Debbie Shankar: The neon lights dance, the beat drops and thousands of ravers throw their hands in the air in celebration. But there’s a darkness behind all the excitement. Electronic dance music (EDM) culture carries an association with substance abuse and...
By Fern Thompsett: dysphoria (n) – A state of unease or generalised dissatisfaction with life. It might be time to stock up on the Mee Goreng. Standing out from the crowd of cuts proposed by the Abbott government’s federal budget last year was a devastating...
By Beau Dunne: Malcolm Turnbull and the Liberal Party have gone against their famous mantra, of letting the Australian people decide who ought to be PM, and have staged a coup to save themselves from their own mistakes. In a fast and furious coup orchestrated by...
By Elliot Scanes: Humans are currently emitting CO2 faster than has occurred on Earth for millions of years. Currently, atmospheric CO2 concentrations are at their highest point in 800,000 years and don’t look like slowing any time soon. Inevitable global warming as a...
Every time you buy goods or services, you are entering into a contract. This means you will have certain rights and responsibilities, as will the trader. Under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL), products you buy come with an automatic guarantee that they will do what...
By Deanne Stindl: September 10th! An annual day on which we are encouraged to ask each other, R U OK? A day to connect with friends, family members or even someone you have just met, by starting the conversation and asking, R U OK?, in a meaningful way. Taking the...
By Aldric Chuah: Contemporary Australian society is one of the most culturally diverse nations on the planet. However it did not have the most humble of beginnings. In 1901 the Australian government enacted the Immigration Restriction Act. This involved a dictation...
By Aldric Chuah: National anthems have the ability to inspire and unite, to jubilate and invigorate. There are 200-plus countries of the world, 193 of which are members of the United Nations. All of these nations have their own national anthems, but the countries of...
By Aldric Chuah: This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest. For the first time Australia was permitted to compete in the contest. Our representative Guy Sebastian pulled an amazing performance – he was quite the guy ! This of course follows...
By Dawn Wade: Did you know that 1 in 4 Australians were born overseas? That 45% of Australians are either born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas? In fact around 7 million people have migrated to Australia since 1945. Australians identify with...
On 7 August 2025, Western Sydney University students and staff were encouraged to exchange free items to meet their material needs at the University’s Parramatta South Campus. ‘We’re trying to build a community on campus that reduces waste, creates social...
On September 9th, ‘Festival of Action’ – a coalition of Western Sydney University students, staff and partners focus on climate and social justice, hosted the ‘Climate Justice through Reuse and Repair’, panel with advocacy group, ‘Parents for Climate’. Blue...
On the 27th of September 2025, several Australian mosques and Islamic centres opened their doors for a different kind of gathering, one that could mean the difference between life and death. The Australian Islamic Medical Association (AIMA) hosted it's 5th annual...
i regret to inform i’m running out of time. it’s partly cloudy, with a chance of a storm. i never spoke about the future, because i didn’t plan on having one. i’m no longer eighteen, i’m turning twenty-one. i write letters i don’t send; they pile up in my room next...
In 2022, Western Sydney University trialed the provision of free period products in Parramatta City campus bathrooms. In 2023, it was announced that two high traffic bathrooms on each campus, including an accessible gender-neutral bathroom, would dispense free...