Factual Story

Travel Bugs and Tiger Cubs.

Jamie Wadey, 23, is set to leave his eco-friendly footprint as he prepares himself for his next big adventure.

The flutter of nerves and excitement builds within your stomach as the Chancellor extends a congratulatory hand and a photogenic smile. In an instant, the flash of a camera and the overwhelming applause reminds you that today you stand as a proud Graduand of the University of Queensland. A unique version of this day replays in the minds of countless Australians; however the black and blue gown of 23 year old Masters Graduate Jamie Wadey will remain on the hanger for now, as he prepares himself for what may be the journey of his life.

As a self-proclaimed documentary enthusiast and a conservationist at heart, Jamie began his tertiary education in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in both Zoology and Ecology. “There were quite a few field components within the degree which let me see a fair bit of central Queensland, like Idalia National Park. We also went to Fraser Island, Stradbroke Island, and Binna Burra because the degree mainly focused on Australian animals and habitats.” 

Upon completing his undergraduate studies in 2010 Jamie left Australia to travel abroad, spending four months in Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. He concluded his trip with a visit to Thailand, which also lasted four months. During his time in Thailand, Jamie lived in a Buddhist Monastery in the country’s north-west. “[The Monastery] takes on wildlife and cares for it. If the mother of an animal has been killed or they been miss-treated, locals will pick them up and take them to the monks. While I was living there, I raised a litter of three tigers that were approximately three weeks old. They were no bigger than a lunch box, and for the first two months they required 24/7 care and attention. Every couple of hours I’d have to feed them from a bottle, so they slept with me in my bed to make it easier. It was great because if they were hungry they’d just wake up and bite me. They grew from five-hundred grams to about one-hundred kilograms in the four months that I was there. We had a good connection, and they always responded warmly to me, but by the time they were that size we didn’t sleep in the same bed. I’m excited to go back there in March, just to see if they remember me.”

In just a few short months, marking the completion of his Honours in Conservation Biology, Jamie is set to travel to Sumatra in the hopes of furthering his opportunity for international employment whilst undertaking research for his PhD. The Sumatran ecosystem has been the focus of Jamie’s thesis, comparing an active logging concession with an adjacent protected forest, and examining the habits of the Sumatran Tiger which roam freely between the sites. It is the first ever study that has assessed a population of Sumatran tigers in an active logging concession.

Jamie’s educational fervour has not always been encouraged though, with a secondary maths teacher questioning his potential to excel in more advanced learning. “I was told in grade 9 that it may be better for me to undertake a less intellectually demanding path.” Graduating with an OP 9, Jamie was eligible for enrolment in his preferred course, however since he did not study the prerequisites of Maths B and Chemistry, his first semester at university was devoted to studying a Bachelor of Arts. He chose to study Maths B, Maths C and Chemistry, receiving outstanding grades of 7, 6 and 6 respectively. “I feel like I probably would’ve learnt more had I studied the subjects in high-school. I would’ve had two years to get my head around them as opposed to six months, and I wouldn’t have had to pay for it. I’ve since seen that teacher, and I politely and politically informed them that the school needs to review their subject selection process and entry standards. Their tests aren’t the bottom line of where a student’s at mentally. I am a clear example.”

Whilst in Indonesia, Jamie hopes to spend some time learning the language in Jogjakarta. “I’m going to try and find a teaching school to learn the language, because I want to do a lot more study there. I was going to study Indonesian before I leave as I feel that it would definitely help break the barriers between governments and international researchers such as myself and aid in getting conservation policies in place. I’ve heard you can go to Jogjakarta and do a kind of ‘swap’ of languages, so they’d teach me Indonesian in exchange for me teaching them English. It would make it a lot easier to work there as well, which is another reason for me going to Indonesia. My thesis supervisor lives in Sumatra, so hopefully when we meet there he can land me a bit of field work.”

Jamie’s hopeful that he will be able to study his PhD whilst living in Sumatra. “If I’m able to stay, I definitely won’t be coming back…at least not for a while anyway. Who knows where it might lead.”

Love Interest #1

D'yer Maker. 

This song nearly brings me to tears.....absolute favourite at the moment! <3

Love Interest #2

Primus; the only band I've heard that can make untuned instruments sound awesome! Dirty, sleazy grunge, oh how you make me feel! <3

JOUR1111 Week 6

I ask for forgiveness this week, as I am feeling incredibly under the weather. This week's recount of the lecture will most likely be a painful and boring churn out of what was infact, a very interesting lecture.... 

While Dr Bruce spoke this week on commercial media, the only sound that was running through my mind was 'Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching'! Newspapers, telelvision and radio were all mentioned in the lecture and all acted as examples of commercial media acting as key players in the world of advertising and profit.

Media outlets such as Foxtel, Austar, Austereo, Fairfax Media and Channel 10 all fall into the commercial media category. There are a few defining characteristics of such media, as Bruce detailed in the lecture, such as it not being government funded and it's survival based on success rates of businesses. An interesting point (I thought) was that commercial media seeks to 'create audiences to generate profit through selling advertising to them'.

Another interesting part of the lecture was the questionability of commercial media in regards to the deliverance of both social and commercial functions. The Hutchins Commision (1947) outlines the social responsibilities of media in democracy:

• a truthful, comprehensive, and intelligent account of the day's events in a context that gives them meaning
• a forum for the exchange of comment and criticism
• the projection of a representative picture of the constituent groups on society
• the presentation and clarification of the goals and values of the society
• full access to the day's intelligence

....What a mouthful! These points have been well established, with organistions in place to help enforce regulations, however commercial media somewhat overlooks these responsibilites. Corruption of the news being delivered on through this outlet is evident, with profit coming before quality. In order for such sources to remain in production, they must sell their soul to the capitalist conglomerate with selective thoughts on what is important in order to make money, thus limiting their readiness to provide a full, comprehensive and unbias account of the daily national and international news.  

'Tis a scary state of existence when the news in which we trust is being fondled by money hungry giants who seek to make big bucks at the expense of an informed society.  

Political Who-de-whaty?

As a student of International Relations who is currently learning about the ideological and theoretical viewpoints of society's basic structure, I feel it necessary to empty my mind of all the fun facts and important political concepts it has been fed over the last few weeks.... 

ajdshdkghskjhWARlkjdkfhPEACEjkrsngkwjngrkjhgnWARksgjhsghWARsjrgksjhgPEACEnkejghejnhWARRRRRklsjrgiwkghrg!!!!!!!!!

.....ahhh, that feels much better. Now with that out of the way, perhaps I can begin my pondering on where I sit in regards to these social views through the ever-cleansing vice of blogging.

Liberalism, Realism, Marxism, Socialism, Feminism, and Anarchy have been tearing pieces from the tissue of my brain, all eager to act as the dominant engine fuelling all my thoughts, values and perspectives on the world. I left a 'Liberalism' lecture feeling as though the people I passed were wonderful beings driven by success, seeking to better their existence and improve their well-being while I so emphatically sought to do the same. One week later, I left a lecture on 'Realism' feeling as though everyone I passed were planning to steal my shoes and use against me the missiles which had been cleverly hidden in their bags. 'Marxism' had me planning a rally against sweat-shops while 'Feminism' encouraged me to beat man onto Mars. I won't even begin to describe the corner in which 'Anarchy' drove me to, but my phychologist assures me the visions will fade in time. All of these overwhelming and powerful foundations have left me questioning my thoughts on the world and it's people, and I am coming to realise that I do not need to utilise only one. 

I am a firm believer in equal rights for all people, and that the pursuit of happiness is a driving force of human nature. I understand that there are people in this world who seek money and power in their pursuit of happiness, and will stop at nothing in order to reach their goals with complete disregard for those that may be hurt along the way. I also believe that there are people in this world who seek wealth and stature in order to help those that have been down-trodden and disadvantaged by circumstance or consequence. 

I believe that a strong government for the people is necessary in maintaining order and achieving progress, acknowledging the needs of all who exist within its reach of power, and not denying the rights of some to accomodate for others. I am pro-individual and also pro-state, as I feel the two can work together in providing a safe, secure and properous existence for all. 

I trust easily, but have been lied to. I work hard to gain trust, but have told a lie or two in my time. I know that I am flawed and although I seek to better myself each day, I know that there are people who don't. I don't go out of my way to make life difficult for others, but I acknowledge that greed and  spite and jealousy are all players in the game. In saying that, so to are compassion, empathy, and sincerity. Consciousness and awareness lay within each person, however not everyone seeks to discover it.  

HOW CONFUSING!

I'm not sure how much this little debrief has helped in organising my mind, but I don't believe anyone expects me to understand how I look at the world with absolute certainty at a fresh young age of 20. I guess the only thing I can really do is sit back and take it all in, and hopefully find wisdom through my acknowledgement of knowing nothing (Socrates you magnificently eloquent man, you!). 

JOUR1111 Week 5

Let me begin this week my saying HOORAY for Visual Media!! This weeks lecture has been my favourite thus far, which can most likely be attributed to the fact that it was interactive and fun for my eyes!

Factual story-telling in the visual has certainly come a long way since the early 1900's (as one would expect) however it is quite a triumph for human-kind in regards to how much it has advanced in the last twenty years. Even now I am blown away by the fact that the first picture on the internet appeared in 1992. This really puts it in perspective for me, as 1992 is the year I was BORN! 

Everyday we are exposed to visual media in so many ways; the news flashing photos as you eat your breakfast, the countless billboards that you pass as you get from A and B, even that funny little meme your friend sends to you - it's all right in front of our eyes creating our entertainment and beginning our converstations. I can't even begin to imagine a world without this media (which is ironic, as if it didn't exist I'd only be left with my imagination!) and to think this has all come about in my lifetime just blows me away. 

I don't think I know anyone my age that hasn't had their parents tell them those gui inspiring phrases highlighting the evolution of technology and often beginning with the words ' When I was your age we didn't have...', which makes me wonder what I will be telling MY children one day!?

"When I was your age we didn't have 3D TV/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Mobile Phones/Mobile Phones with in-built Cameras/Mobile Phones with Facebook/Twitter/Instagram....." - the list is almost endless!

As something of an artist (obviously self-proclaimed), I have always been excited by expressing stories and meaning through visual media - dabbling in painting, drawing and photography quite extensively in my highschool years - however up until this weeks lecture I was almost adimant that I am here to command the written world. Now I am not so sure!  

I've always associated journalism with facts, figures and the humble biro, and have never thought of the visual side as being quite so versatile. I feel as if a new world of possibility has been put at my feet, as if I am Charlie entering the Chocolate Factory, eager to explore!! Also, as I'm sure Charlie would have felt in his predicament, I am hungry. Very hungry.... 

....so, until next week!!   

JOUR1111 Week 4

This weeks lecture was a little out of the ordinary, but I must say, it was one that I quite enjoyed. Listening to a radio interview conducted between a journalist and a radio host in order to explore the vice of sound in media is a great way (in my opinion) to help us understand the intricacies of this medium. 

In the sound lecture, Richard Fidler is being interviewed about his career as a radio host and explains to the interviewer and the listeners how radio compares to television. He states that "anyone who thinks you can get TV and stick on the radio, or vice versa, put a camera in a radio studio and make that compelling TV is wrong. You're going to end up with bad radio and dull TV if you do that. They're very different mediums". He describes the nature of radio and really makes clear the need to create a feel of intimacy and comfort between host and guest during an interview, while also keeping the listener feeling included. 

I found it interesting that before his career in radio, Richard began as a busker which then escallated into a stint on television. I think that maybe I've been approaching journalism from a strange angle, seeing it as having many paths but only one that I can choose to base my career on. Ultimately I would LOVE to be a print journalist, however radio is something that has sparked interest within me, as well as television (if I ever have a good hair day!). Perhaps my horizons are slowly being broadened...and on that note, I conclude my summary of this week lecture. 

Good-day!