ANU an elitist prison... says two elitist law students

I see a bright future for these two illiterate lawyers – maybe one day they could be Prime Minister

Ben_Dover said :

Those students who are local are disparagingly and then eventually affectionately referred to as “townies”. Most of us cannot believe that after living in Canberra for all their lives, they would choose to stay longer.

Agreed.

Disagree.
I have not ever heard of or been called a ‘townie’, something said behind our backs?

johnboy said :

Rosie’s response is well worth a read.

http://rosiesipsspiders.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/the-canberra-obsession/

I read that article last night; a wonderful piece of writing. I would really encourage people to read it too.

johnboy said :

Rosie’s response is well worth a read.

http://rosiesipsspiders.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/the-canberra-obsession/

Uma Patel has been in touch wanting parts of this article deleted but has declined our invitation to respond.

Very well articulated rosiesipsspiders and as for Uma well it appears riposte is not one of her strengths!

Those students who are local are disparagingly and then eventually affectionately referred to as “townies”. Most of us cannot believe that after living in Canberra for all their lives, they would choose to stay longer.

Agreed.

johnboy said :

Rosie’s response is well worth a read.

http://rosiesipsspiders.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/the-canberra-obsession/

Uma Patel has been in touch wanting parts of this article deleted but has declined our invitation to respond.

Surprise surprise surprise. Twit.

On the other hand if Barcham is a quotable example of all that is good in Canberra then angels and ministers of grace preserve us!

Maybe there should be a test of the ability to buy coffee on a Sunday before slagging Canberra.

johnboy said :

Rosie’s response is well worth a read.

http://rosiesipsspiders.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/the-canberra-obsession/

Uma Patel has been in touch wanting parts of this article deleted but has declined our invitation to respond.

Oh dear, you’ve angered a law student. Might as well just give up now and declare bankruptcy.

Rosie’s response is well worth a read.

http://rosiesipsspiders.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/the-canberra-obsession/

Uma Patel has been in touch wanting parts of this article deleted but has declined our invitation to respond.

Uni students bemoaning their lot in life… Who cares really.

Just take solace in the fact that two months after they their degree they will come to the realisation that no-one cares where they did their degree, what their GPA was, what their majors were and that no employer will ever ask to see an academic transcript. Shortly after this realisation they will then think about the 100K HECS debt attached to their degree and become as jaded and cynical as the rest of us.

Jesus, what a lame, pathetic and poorly thought out piece of writing from two students who probably have ATARs hovering somewhere around 96.

They’ll no doubt become successful lawyers one day…………NOT!

LOL, many people just don’t have any sense of humour. Some of you are on here commenting all day long. Get out much? *wink

As an ANU alumni that is quite possibly the most inaccurate piece if steaming dog turd I have ever read.

I really, really, hope they were taking the piss.

If they are representative of ANU today, then no wonder it’s slid so far down the rankings.

c_c™ said :

Interesting idea, let’s unpack it:

“There are no beautiful buildings (unless you are a fan of rectangular concrete slabs with small windows, juxtaposed with Alien-esque visions of someone else’s future). There is certainly no sense of history and no graffiti covered laneways to “discover.”

There’s a full stop at the end, it’s a definite statement. Where the ‘but’ ?

Don’t need it. The clear implication is ‘architecture’s not the be all and end all’. The ‘but’ is the rest of the article.

c_c™ said :

“ANU is a fate you chose but you cannot escape… The only exit pass is graduation except if you are sucked into the public service (as many are) – which just becomes ANU Series Two.”

“Fate” not necessarily having a negative connotation. Relates to the part of the article “ANU consumes your social life, your recreation time and where you sleep at night (or during the day).” This is a GOOD thing. The point is that other universities pale in comparison – for the vast majority they are just a place to study.

The bit about the public service is obviously in jest. At house parties you meet tons of public servants grads and realise their lives are every bit as incestuous as ours as students.

c_c™ said :

“At other universities, attending lectures can be like a dinner date. You plan what you wear, how you are going to get there, possibly even the conversations you will have.”

So people at ANU don’t do this, or people at other universities only do this?

People at ANU don’t do this – the campus has a way more chilled and unpretentious vibe than Syd or Mel where every day is a fashion/social showoff

—
I do agree that it’s poorly written in parts. However the beauty of creative writing is that the author shows rather than tells, so you should try reading between the lines.

As someone who moved from NSW to Canberra to attend ANU and live on campus I find this article quite insulting. I agree with ajd I think the writers are just living in a law school bubble where they have no idea how the rest of the students feel or think.
I am now a proud Canberra resident and couldn’t think of living anywhere else. I cannot stand this Canberra bashing..take a step out of your bubble, open your eyes and get out and experience things..
and as for the lectures and dinner dates.. Seriously?? Go back to Melbourne you pretentious idiots.

Geez, the amount of venom in you commenters. Give the poor kids a break instead of putting all this effort into dissing them. Great, now for the next 10 years if anyone googles their names it’ll probably come up with this hate page.

Ronald_Coase said :

Wow, some of you need to chill. All they’re saying is that they had a stereotypical view of Canberra when they first got here, then it started to grow on them and they think it has a whole lot more to offer than they would’ve expected.

Interesting idea, let’s unpack it:

“There are no beautiful buildings (unless you are a fan of rectangular concrete slabs with small windows, juxtaposed with Alien-esque visions of someone else’s future). There is certainly no sense of history and no graffiti covered laneways to “discover.”

There’s a full stop at the end, it’s a definite statement. Where the ‘but’ ?

“ANU is a fate you chose but you cannot escape… The only exit pass is graduation except if you are sucked into the public service (as many are) – which just becomes ANU Series Two.”

Well it’s bad writing. One sentence says can’t escape, two sentences later you can. But again, definite statement, not feeling the love for ANU yet. Sounds like two people who can’t wait to leave, lest they get stuck in the Public Service.

“At other universities, attending lectures can be like a dinner date. You plan what you wear, how you are going to get there, possibly even the conversations you will have.”

So people at ANU don’t do this, or people at other universities only do this?

Wow, some of you need to chill. All they’re saying is that they had a stereotypical view of Canberra when they first got here, then it started to grow on them and they think it has a whole lot more to offer than they would’ve expected. I had the same experience and I graduated over 20 years ago. Me thinks some of the born and bred are a little quick to judge.

ajd said :

Stevian said :

You’re upset because you didn’t get the joke?

I’m still not convinced that it’s actually a joke.

It was published in The Australian. Need I say more?

aussieboy said :

It’s clearly a satire piece. Why are people so up in arms?

No it isn’t, it’s clearly more anti-Canberra rhetoric from arrogant interstate students.

aussieboy said :

Of course it is. Search the authors on Google and you’ll see how much these guys have positively contributed to ANU campus life over the past couple of years.

I’m an active and involved ANU student myself. Yes, I know that Uma Patel is a former Woroni editor, and that Olivia Clark is currently ANUSA Social Officer. No, I didn’t have to Google to find that out – as someone who’s been an ANU club exec for three years and who reads Woroni pretty much every issue, I actually know these things.

No, I’m still not convinced that they are in fact joking. I don’t deny that they’ve contributed much to the ANU community – that doesn’t stop them from writing stuff like this. Since they’re well known ANU identities I’m trying to give them the benefit of the doubt here – but I still can’t see how this is supposed to be a satirical or self-deprecatingly humorous article.

If it’s a serious piece, then it’s terrible writing and their opinions are flawed.

If it’s satire (which seams more excuse after the fact than legit), then it’s still terrible writing because they failed to communicate effectively to the readers.

Either way, they’ve done themselves no favour. People won’t look to kindly on either possibility.

ajd said :

Stevian said :

You’re upset because you didn’t get the joke?

I’m still not convinced that it’s actually a joke.

Of course it is. Search the authors on Google and you’ll see how much these guys have positively contributed to ANU campus life over the past couple of years.

Well these two could only be considered as troll snobs so bugger off and return whence you came!

ajd said :

Stevian said :

You’re upset because you didn’t get the joke?

I’m still not convinced that it’s actually a joke.

I’m with you. It’s quite badly written and if that IS wit then I just don’t see it.

Stevian said :

You’re upset because you didn’t get the joke?

I’m still not convinced that it’s actually a joke.

ajd said :

aussieboy said :

It’s clearly a satire piece. Why are people so up in arms?

Because to myself, and at least a dozen other ANU students who I know, it’s not even remotely obvious that it’s satirical.

You’re upset because you didn’t get the joke?

aussieboy said :

It’s clearly a satire piece. Why are people so up in arms?

Because to myself, and at least a dozen other ANU students who I know, it’s not even remotely obvious that it’s satirical.

These idiots are university students? Jezuz – they’ll take anyone these days.

It’s clearly a satire piece. Why are people so up in arms?

Dilandach said :

p996911turbo said :

The problem with the ANU is people like this. People who go to a university for graffiti covered laneways and who treat lectures like dinner dates. God forbid people might actually attend a university for education and research.

That was a little bizarre reading that. I certainly never even thought of treating lectures / tutes or pracs as ‘dinner dates’. These people are completely detached from reality.

“gaffaw, Look Melanie, Thomas has only turned up to the lecture in a six piece suit.”
“oh shush Bristol, you know he only buys on the rack clothes just like the homeless.”

Making a mockery of overly fashion-conscious Sydney/Melbourne uni students.

DrKoresh said :

If living away from mummy and daddy is so hard and Canberra is so awful why can’t they bugger off back to wherever they came from?

This bit is praising ANU students for their independence – unlike big city students who don’t leave home till they’re in their 30s

p996911turbo said :

People who go to a university for graffiti covered laneways

A play on the regular jibes ANU gets for its lack of sandstone and architectural ‘culture’

—

This article was a fantastic idea – it’s just a shame that it was written in a way that means you only “get” it if you’ve spent a lot of time on both ANU and Sydney or Melbourne campuses

Read it properly and you’ll read a cheeky nostalgic and fond write-up of a much loved place

Poor darlings, forced to attend one of the nations best universities with mummy and daddy paying no doubt. As debate over the ndis rages, this article oozes self indulgent rich kid angst

As a research station, the University of East Bumcrack is a credit to our scrappy little city.

If living away from mummy and daddy is so hard and Canberra is so awful why can’t they bugger off back to wherever they came from? If you’ve got the score or the scratch to get into the ANU then surely there is little stopping you from going to a uni in Sydney or Melbourne.

p996911turbo said :

The problem with the ANU is people like this. People who go to a university for graffiti covered laneways and who treat lectures like dinner dates. God forbid people might actually attend a university for education and research.

That was a little bizarre reading that. I certainly never even thought of treating lectures / tutes or pracs as ‘dinner dates’. These people are completely detached from reality.

“gaffaw, Look Melanie, Thomas has only turned up to the lecture in a six piece suit.”
“oh shush Bristol, you know he only buys on the rack clothes just like the homeless.”

The problem with the ANU is people like this. People who go to a university for graffiti covered laneways and who treat lectures like dinner dates. God forbid people might actually attend a university for education and research.

No cafés open on Sunday? Where do these people live again?

Ridiculous. As an ANU student myself, I think they’re just living in a law school bubble with no idea how things work outside their little political circles.