Semper Floreat is the University of Queensland Union's free & independent student newspaper.
The following is an excerpt of a real journal entry I wrote in July, edited for publication and privacy. It is my attempt to word unspeakable violence, to mould the visceral with a vocabulary built for logic and softness. It is reflection, story, prose poetry, word vomit. I doomscrolled through videos of Gaza tonight and […]
Continue Reading
Asalam Alaikum everyone, may peace be upon you all today. My name is Shahzaib Farhan. I’m a member of BDS Youth Meanjin, and I stand here today as a student, a witness, and a human being grieving a genocide. Since October 2023, we’ve watched Israel’s colonial legacy subject Palestinian’s to an active genocide, a project […]
Continue Reading
I mourn for Palestine A land of peace and olive trees A land that has seen nothing but suffering for 75 years A land that welcomed everyone with open arms, only for their people to be murdered by ruthless bombs They steal our lands and steal our farms and swear it is their birthright Then […]
Continue Reading
Two weeks ago a photo was shared online of a family in Gaza. Mariam Al-Amassi and her four young children, Karim, Alma, Rima and Ramiz, are fighting to survive in Gaza. Their home was destroyed by the Israeli army in an airstrike. They have no shelter or safety, and are constantly struggling to find basic […]
Continue Reading
Mental illness has often been greatly misunderstood throughout history. Ignorance has fuelled stigma surrounding mental health conditions that sees its sufferers demonised, ignored, and shamed. Despite improvements in education and modern medicine, these damaging misconceptions continue to pervade modern culture and cause irreparable damage to those living with mental illness. However, art has long been […]
Continue Reading
Reflecting on my ADHD is something I’m doing more often now that I’m an adult, and I’ve found that a recurring source of grief is when my genuine effort and lofty goals get tangled up with my impulsivity and lack of patience. School assessments, particularly creative projects, are where this typically occurred. I would come […]
Continue Reading
It is no secret that people are infinitely more complex than what meets the eye. It is a near- universal acknowledgement that it is impossible to know the true nature of a person’s life from an outward observer’s perspective. However, despite this recognition, society still fails to recognise the struggles faced by those with an […]
Continue Reading
When I was younger, I connected to writing and reading more than to speech. Despite loving to socialise, at times speaking was more tiring than rewarding. This sparked my desire to learn Auslan. It came from curiosity of how it would be to speak a language that was visual-spatial rather than verbal. Returning to UQ […]
Continue Reading
This past July marked the 35th anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 and subsequent Disability Pride Month. During this month, the disability community celebrates Disabled identity and continues the fight against ableism (discrimination against Disabled people). This battle is increasingly crucial in a world of acute disability social welfare […]
Continue Reading
I’m me, everything good and bad that comes with that. I’m autistic, that’s who I am, and I’m proud of that now. I won’t say I’ve always been proud; it’s been a hard journey to get to where I am, a lot of self-hatred and self-doubt, but now I’ve accepted that my autism has always […]
Continue Reading