A Memory of Lockdown
By Damon Rowston
I spoke with Isaac after work. Nestled in a coffee shop shielded from the eager streets of a freshly hibernated Melbourne, Isaac sits with a warm coffee in hand. He ruminates on the year that was.
"I moved to Melbourne to study acting at the Howard Fine Acting Studio," he told me, "the course was only gonna take a year." Isaac later realised that it was going to be the longest ‘one-year’ course ever. COVID Nineteen forced Melbourne into a multitude of lockdowns, ending Isaac's studies.
"I stayed in Melbourne because I kept thinking that things would open up so I could find work and head back to school."
Isaac, 21, was hopeful. Border restrictions were imposed across Australia, closing any backdoor home. The only key out was a two thousand- and five-hundred-dollar ticket. "The next few months would turn out to be extremely difficult for me," he said.
A Distraction
By Damon Rowston
The evening breaks and Melbourne rumbles. The summer sunbeams upon the steps of the State Library.
An older man positioned away from the sun’s intrusive glare sits attentively to a game of street chess.
A single spectator, he displays an inspiring passion for every move, unfathomed by the unconventional shin-high pawns.
A group of teenagers move the pieces. The man shuffles in his seat. He gains a better vantage point between moves, offering nodding critique. He bestows an aura of authority as the teenagers look to harvest his advice.
A library worker arrives and abruptly ends the game. The steps to the state library morph as the group disperses. The older man going one way and the teenagers the other. They blend into the noise. Undistracted, the rumbling city intrudes the space once again.
Covid-19 has Made Uncertainty a Certainty for University Students
By Damon Rowston
University students already struggle with turbulent lives. COVID nineteen has added fuel to the fire for many students, leading them to question the certainty of their future.
Isaac Reid is an acting student. He began his studies last year, just before Melbourne’s lockdown.
“Not to be a pessimist, but I went into last year a lot more optimistic, but now I’m more aware that things might not always go as planned,” he said.
Gabriela Sumampow, a final-year journalism student, echoes Reid’s concern.
“I think not getting a job and not getting a job straight out of uni is quite stressful. I want to have a job in journalism; I don’t want to go into retail,” she said.
Sumampow and Reid don’t stand alone in their worry, expressing the feelings that many young professionals are currently experiencing.
Abolishing Melbourne City Library Fees
By Damon Rowston
At a meeting on the 27th of April, Melbourne City Council noted that in March 2020 the City of Melbourne suspended fines for the late return of library materials.
During the meeting, the council noted that all historic fines would be void, clearing all past fines from the records.
The Melbourne City Council "endorses management's decision that historical charges in relation to fines for overdue library material will not be pursued and shall be removed from Council records," according to the minutes' document.
Council hopes that the abolishment of fines will promote library membership and service use, assisting those most financially disadvantaged, such as young people and those suffering from homelessness.
Cr Hakim moved the notice of motion, seconded by Cr Doidge.
The Key to Security
By Damon Rowston
The key to my home is not like your standard key. It's shiny like other keys but rectangular and flexible and fits snug into my wallet.
Although flimsy and frail, it's the key to all my material possessions. It's the key to my room, my kitchen, my bathroom.
But it's more to me. My key is also my sense of security.
The plastic film which lines the key slowly retreats from days of wear, taking with it the encoding which gives it substance and purpose.
Last week I misplaced my key. The lost key became a source of insecurity and anxiety. As I stood outside my home, I began to question this key with flimsy, frail features and the power it has over me.
Sky High Skyrise Window Cleaners
By Damon Rowston
Skyrise window cleaning looks like one of the most dangerous jobs but is it as fatal as it seems.
The International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) published a report showing that between 2010-2014 one cleaner died each year, compared to 1932 levels, where one out of every two hundred was killed each year in New York alone.
Skyscraper Window Cleaning is a company based in Seattle. They say that fatalities are rare because of the focus those working in the industry have on personal safety.
“They inspect all the harnesses, cables and scaffolding to make sure they are in good working order. And properly installed safety equipment guarantees successful completion of the cleaning tasks, fewer cases of injuries and the result is more satisfied clients,” according to the company’s website.
Even though the job has its risks Tom Bulawa, Skyrise window cleaner, said in an interview with Architectural Digest that “when you’re out there, you get to appreciate the views as well as some of the architecture and history of the buildings.”