A house remix of Bittersweet Symphony drowns out Eastern Avenue. Welcome back to Semester 2, all those new and old! Like all society execs, office bearers and student-obsessed companies, Honi Soit has been enjoying their time on a stall on Eastern Avenue, and has some observations on the University of Sydney Union’s fête.
First up, the stalls promoting real estate investments, lip filler and sanctuary products. As one slightly tipsy 4th year noted, “the University said no to divesting from Israel but yes to plastic surgery”.
Interestingly, the USU has gifted the Quad lawns – the space previously occupied by the Gaza solidarity encampment – to the university branches of Australian political parties. The Conservative Club’s stall is adjoined by some chalk drawings, a curious parallel to the chalk drawings of the encampment. Is this a flagrant and ironic breach of the Campus Access Policy?
A RUSSH correspondent is spotted running around handing magazines out, FilmSoc are advertising their new publication, and PULP are doing voxpops. Long live the magazine milieu!
Year after year, it seems crowd crush is a possibility on Eastern Avenue. It is curious that the USU doesn’t seem to take notes — always a bottleneck around the City Rd and Fisher Avenue ends of Eastern Avenue. Is this overwhelming by design? Ishbel Dunsmore, an SRC office bearer, compares the melee to a hardcore gig they attended the prior night (Shady Nasty).
Elsewhere, the Socialist Alternative are co-opting the SRC stalls to sell tickets to their Marxism conference. We are yet to investigate exactly where these funds go.
And the best freebies? If you’re looking NOT to give your data away or follow an Instagram account (that you’ll forget to unfollow later), the BOSS coffee and Trident noodles stalls are the way to go.
As per usual, there are some curious figures and outfits. On the first day, we spotted a Jack Sparrow, Pikachu, and a sculptural lion.
There have been many complaints about the music, or, some may say, noise pollution. The Sydney Uni Marching Band reportedly emailed the USU complaining that the Side Bar stall were playing their music too loud. The DJs on the Law Lawns have also received complaints. There appeared more DJs (we counted five) on Eastern Avenue than anything else.
And another Welcome Fest ends, students now burdened with unnecessary bags, a few coffees, and bad music ringing in their ears. None of these stalls tackle the cost-of-living crisis, purportedly one of the USU’s major goals. No commercial stalls are selling anything that will financially aid students, instead they lure them into vile hospitality monopolies, curious real estate investments and data insecurity via QR codes.
Instead of spending your time at the USU’s Welcome Fest, come protest the Campus Access Policy at the Unauthorised Stall Day, on Eastern Avenue from 12 to 2pm on Wednesday 1 August.
