synapses issue 6opt

1 - Synapses Sept 2015


Disclaimer

Synapses is a Port Macquarie Writers Guild student magazine and the opinions

expressed within are not necessarily those of the editor, staff or student

members. Association by person or companies with “Synapses” does not

necessarily reflect the religious, political, sexual, or racial beliefs of those parties.

The Writers Guild and Synapses members do not accept responsibility for any

omission, errors, misconceptions or the views and opinions contained in any

article accepted for publication. The right to edit or reject any articles submitted

remains with the editing body.

Contents

Cover:

Imaginarium

Fashions of CSU

Hong Kong: part 2

Cashman Report

Brilliant Blunders

Recipe of the month

5

8 - 9

11

4

12

10

Contributors

Yvette Coulon

Jessica Day

David Matters

Serena Irene

Clara Koch

Want to submit something to Synapses?

It could be a picture, a story, an article about relevant-to-student-life topic

(money, studying, food, sleep, drinking too much, food)… whatever you want

to read about and see published! Email your contributions to

[email protected]

Deadlines for October issue: 25 Sept

Kate found this lovely tree, what are some discoveries

you have made around port?


What up?… Greetings!

The seasons are changing, winter has vanished and

spring has sprung! I had a taste of sweet freedom for

two weeks and now find myself chained back to my

desk, typing away. I do this for you, my adoring public

(and you know, for my university degree which will

someday lead me into my life's calling)

During my freedom I should have been continuing to

exercise my big brain with study, but no… no.

The internet has a nasty way of sneaking in and taking

over all my time, so I found myself wandering aimlessly

amongst mouse clicks.

BUT when wandering one finds things of interest, which

I am only to please to share with all of you. Here are

THREE awesome internet things holidays lead me to:

1. Find the invisible Cow—The name says it all. Make

sure you have audio switched on, otherwise this will not

make any sense—http://www.findtheinvisiblecow.com/

2. The Awkward Yeti—Everybody loves a good web

comic, get lost amongst the adventures of Heart &

Brain, and medical storied retold. I know I did. (I have a

plush gallbladder coming in the mail) - http://

theawkwardyeti.com/

3. Habitica—A website and app that is a personal

organizer, but meshed with an 8-bit game to inspire you

to do things! I added a bunch of stuff and still haven't

done them, super fun though! - https://habitica.com

Enjoy the magazine its full of awesome, worthy of you

all, my fellow education fiends!

Oh heart, you are my spirit animal!

Monthly Mantra Whatever you are,

be a good one

This months cover was created by Yvette Coulon.

Isn't it neat? I like the bright against the dark background, very fetch.

You can submit your own photos or artworks for a cover by emailing them to csusynap-

[email protected]. Fame and glory await.


Hey all! Here again for another article on bleeding the wallet. The next two months I will share with you an interesting article written by Scott Pape, famously (in financing anyway) known as the Barefoot Investor. Check it out!

Five Rules to Get Ahead After Leaving School Scott Pape | Aug 18, 2007

Rule 1: No, you actually don’t need a credit card Rule 2: Pay yourself first Rule 3: Ten years from now no one will ask what course you studied Rule 4: Ten years from now know one will ask what your first job was Rule 5: Yes, this will be on the test (and there will be lots of them) I concluded my latest business deal over a foosball table, when I agreed to employ Aaron, a twentysomething arts graduate, to help hone my speaking skills. Although I sidestepped his offer of a celebratory drink (a $3 bottle of red served in a coffee cup) I was admittedly slightly sentimental as I looked over the dishevelled inner-city house he shares with his mates There is but a small window of time that blokes can live together, drink copious amounts of alcohol, never clean up and hang posters of busty babes on the walls. It’s called university (and perhaps divorce). As someone who has entered the real world, I wanted to warn them of what lay ahead – afternoons spent at Bunnings, the importance of separating coloureds from whites, and low-fat milk, but they probably wouldn’t believe me anyway. So as I drove home to the comfy, clean confines of suburbia that I now call home, I realised the best advice I could give these boozing blokes was the unvarnished rules of how to get ahead.

Rule 1: No, you actually don’t need a credit card. It’s fashionable to protest against the latest injustice when at university, but if students understood the manipulative methods the banks use on us, they’d

be chaining themselves to (bank) branches. It usually starts with some sort of fee-free student package, which comes with a credit card with a small limit just in case of an emergency (like running out of money at a nightclub). After you start on the slippery slope of spending, the bank will ply you with pre-approved credit increases. If you think it’s hard to pay the bills without a credit card, getting one can make it virtually impossible. So, march down to your bank, cancel your credit card, apply for a Visa debit and use your own cash.

Rule 2: Pay yourself first You’d be surprised how many people in their early thirties I meet who haven’t got a cracker to their names. Ten years after throwing their cap – and around half a million bucks – up in the air, they’re still standing where they started. So each time you get paid, make sure the first person you pay is yourself. It doesn’t really matter how much you deposit (it could be as little as a few bucks) – it’s all about developing sound long-term money habits. Bonus points if you have a part-time job and can manage to sock $20 a week into superannuation to take advantage of the co-contributions scheme (otherwise known as free money from the Federal Government). Slipping a lazy grand into super could be worth $30,000 to you by the time you look like John Howard.

Rules 3-5 will be in the October edition!! Or check out the article and more on the link below

http://barefootinvestor.com/five-rules-for-getting-ahead/


A review by David Matters

Ok so this is a review of the new media facility in Port

Macquarie library, it’s literally across the road.

So why did I go there? Media is quite different to the

accounting degree I have devoted to, but media is a passion. I

have always wanted to produce a radio drama ever since I

was in my teens, then I got into short films, theatre, and

photography and now I am focusing on radio. Now for the

review.

I went in to the library on Friday 14th August at 11am, this

was an introduction. Everyone that wants to use the facility

must first attend an induction course, it goes for under an

hour, mostly letting you know what not to touch and what

you can play with. The place is awesome, hands down. Like,

programs like Final Cut Pro, digital cameras, sound booth,

green screen and more! It’s all free to use!

When I first heard of this facility I thought it would be typical

rural standards, maybe a laptop and one of those budget-low-

cost mic in some abandoned toilet cubicle. But my

expectations were so wrong, I felt guilty. Ok so I’m no media

professional, I get an idea for a project then make it, so I have

used most equipment and this place has it all. Have an idea

for a short film? Animation? Song? Band recording? Sketch?

Design? Anything creative can be developed here!

My own projects include my drone, Phantom 2, and my radio

drama, which I have written and hope to try out their

equipment.

Check out their gear:

27" 5k retina display iMac

AVID Mbox Pro

Roland A-500SMidi keyboard

M-Audio Trigger Finger Pro controller/sequencer

Fender Champion 100w guitar amp

Eden EM25 25w bass amp

Acoustic guitar

Bass guitar

Canon xf300 video camera (freaking expense camera!)

Wacom Intuos Pro media tablet

Studio lights and green screen

Microphones, stands, leads, etc

Available Software:

Pro Tools 11

Logic Pro X

Audacity

Final Cut Pro X

Garageband

iMovie

Adobe creative suite

Sketchbook

FreeCAD

Blender (3D animation)

Interested? Be quick as other people are filling up the free

spots! To book a session phone Port Macquarie Library on

6581 8755 or email [email protected]


Special thanks to the organizers, Dane Rickwood, Jess Genders and Daniel Steinbeck, of the

000 Ball held recently which helped to raise funds for the purchase of defibrillators. They

successfully raised around $15,000 including 3 defibrillators, with one being presented to

Rotary. Fantastic Job to all those involved.

8 - Synapses Sept 2015 8 - Synapses Sept 2015

9 - Synapses Sept 2015 9 - Synapses Sept 2015


Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

2 cups chopped zucchini

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

Method:

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions.Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute zucchini and onion in oil until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, soup, cheese, milk, basil and mustard.

2. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 6-7 minutesor until cheese is melted, stirring often. Drain macaroni; toss with vegetable cheese sauce. Yield: 4 servings.

Colorful Mac 'n' Cheese Recipe

CHEAP and EASY


If you have a story, am adventure, or an amazing work of fiction guised as a real life experience-

share it! Send your submission to:

[email protected]

Serena’s epic placement adventure

Part Two: Study

We arrived in Macau to find several surprising

facts, such as: Macau is on an island only five

square kilometres large; it is home to the largest

casino in the world, the Venetian; though only 7%

of the population speaks Portuguese, it and

Cantonese are the two official languages; and it

was originally several islands, that were artificially

joined together.

We were filled in on these facts and more on our

way to the University of Macau, which was actually

built on the Chinese mainland. Connected to

Macau by an undersea tunnel, the University is

bordered by a moat and a thick wall that separate

it from China. Guards with rifles keep watch over

the wall.

The political tensions aside, we were settled into

Henry Fok Pearl Jubilee College, and introduced to

other students who resided there. They were

warm, friendly, and more than willing to help us

find our way around the massive campus. (And,

honestly, their help was invaluable in navigating.

The campus was one square kilometre large, and

with its own library, mall, restaurant, cafes, sports

parks, roads, bus stops, ATMs, bridges and lakes,

multiple residential colleges and dozens of

academic buildings. Without them we would have

been completely lost.)

The next morning we settled into classes.

As Psychology students, we were temporarily

enrolled in Psychology of Leadership, Cross-

Cultural Psychology, Addictive Behaviours. Our

group of Australians was divided up and dispersed

amongst the other students, and though a little

awkward at first, we soon found our footing and

made new friendships.

Psychology of Leadership dealt with (funnily

enough) leaders. It studied which qualities certain

leaders shared, and how these qualities were

shaped by culture, gender roles, race, education

and financial status. It also looked at the

relationships between leaders and their people,

whether that is as a team manager and a group of

employees, or a president and the nation. It

quickly became apparent that leadership styles

were immensely different, both within a singular

culture, and across culture.

Next was Cross-Cultural Psychology. This class

dealt with many of the divides between East and

West, but also differences such as England and

America, and China and Japan. This class also

bestowed upon us the following wisdom: in

America, if a cowboy is hurt, it is the fault of a

singular cow. In Japan, if a cowboy is hurt, it is the

fault of the entire herd.

I think something might have been lost in

translation there.

Finally, we had Addictive Behaviours. This class

was one that truly made us appreciate the

Australian education system, because as terrible

as those Year 7-10 classes of PDHPE might be,

what’s worse is not having them at all. What we

had learned at a secondary level of education was

only available to these students at a tertiary level,

and only if they’d chosen to take the class.

Having said that, a lot of what we learned in

Macau has been extremely useful to us here, and I

speak for all of our group of adventurers when I

say that we are incredibly grateful to CSU Global

for this opportunity, to the University of Macau for

inviting us, to Henry Fok Pearl Jubilee College for

hosting us, to the lecturers who made room for us

in their classrooms, and to the students for their

friendship.

If you’re a Psychology student, or a student with a

choice to travel with CSU Global, I can’t encourage

you enough to take the opportunity.


Bizarre yet Brilliant Blunders Many of us dream of creating that one fantastic invention that would lead

immediately to fame, fortune & an ability to travel never endlessly. However, it can

often be overwhelming hearing stories of the genius innovators responsible for the

inventions we find so vital in our lives today. But every now and then a successful

creation is born out of chance, coincidence, or mere mistake. If thinking about all

the visionaries and go-getters out there makes you feel a little inadequate, not to

worry, you too might stumble and fumble your way to success!

Post-it notes: 3M’s famous sticky notes took over a decade to make, and it all began with Dr. Spencer

Silver’s failure to make super glue in 1968. When

attempting to create super glue Silver ended up

with a weak, reusable adhesive that left no

residue. Silver was convinced there could be a

commercial use for his botched glue and

continued to promote it within the company,

distributing samples to his colleagues. One of

these co-workers, Arthur Fry, used Silver’s

reusable glue to keep the markers in his

hymnbook in place. After Fry told Silver and 3M

executives about his idea the Post-It note was

born, saving people the world over from a life of

disarray and disorder.

Coca-Cola: The Coca-Cola Company often attributes its

success to its top-secret recipe. However, the origins of

the soft-drink lie in the work of pharmacist John Pemberton whose French Wine Coca tonic was

developed to treat a whole array of ailments. The drink,

sold mainly in Atlanta, consisted of wine, coca and kola

nut amongst other ingredients. The introduction of

prohibition in 1885 forced Pemberton to change his recipe. He substituted the wine for sugar to create a

syrup, which was later added to carbonated water and

distributed at a popular soda fountain. It remains hotly

contested whether or not the addition of carbonated

water was an accident or a deliberate move, but either

way the redevelopment of the Coca-Cola recipe came as a result of necessity, timing and opportunity, rather

than pure invention or discovery.

Viagra: The now infamous little blue pill was discovered

by scientists at Pfizer unexpectedly during trials for a new

drug designed to treat heart disease. During the testing many participants left awkwardly pitching a tent. It failed

miserably as a preventative for heart disease but the side

effects were considered & they decided to erect a new

trial & test the drug as a treatment for erectile

dysfunction. The trial produced hard evidence that the pill was effective and as a result of the unanticipated and

accidental side effect, Pfizer was able to produce Viagra,

which is now one of its best selling drugs


Burger Maze!

synapses issue 6opt

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