Latest Articles

Editorial Assistant George Logan muses on how, sometimes, being incorrect can be much more fun There are several things that a person might expect to see on a first trip to New York City, a place that some, mostly Americans, state brazenly is the greatest city on Earth. Hot dogs, bodegas, speakeasies, and a man yelling “watch it” from a yellow cab. I saw, felt, and heard all of these things on a recent trip to the Big Apple in December. What I did not expect to find, howev

Editorial Assistant Leah Genc dreamily hikes the Pacific Crest Trail before returning to LinkedIn I think I like knowing it’s there. I think I like knowing that snow settles on the High Sierras in Northern California, a snake glides across the Mojave Desert in search of something seemingly nebulous. Vast scenes that are bound to its own interests. Places that are completely indifferent to your presence, who you pretend to be, who you are, or how many movies you racked up

Editorial Assistant Vanessa Bland defends Mr Toad and investigates how abandoned passions aren’t necessarily failures Have you ever watched the 1984 stop-motion animated tv series of Wind in the Willows ? I love revisiting classics and started binge-watching this one recently with my husband. Yes, it’s a children's show, but after checking the doom sday clock and seeing that it’s at 89 seconds to midnight, I needed to soothe my nerves. The series is sweet, earnest, and very B

Contributor Olivia Jackson gives us a conservation run-down on the world’s largest and heaviest parrot 2026 will be a year to look forward to. Its arrival will bring the next long-awaited breeding season of the critically endangered kākāpō ( Strigops habroptilus ). There are currently 236 individuals left [1]. Their low numbers are due to terrestrial predation and poor reproductive success [2][3]. These rotund, nocturnal, green parrots are endemic to New Zealand and curr

Editorial Assistant Maryam Bokhari covers the inauguration and progressive platform of freshly-appointed Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani “Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously” - Zohran Mamdani [4] January 1 2026 marks a historic milestone for New York City, as Democratic-Socialist state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani was officially inaugurated as the city’s first immigrant and Muslim mayor. Mamdani is also the second-youngest person to hold the offi

Editorial Assistant Maryam Bokhari reports on the poorly-received release of American government files documenting the criminal activities of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein On 19 December 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) released a much-anticipated collection of documents detailing major developments regarding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. These latest releases included large datasets of legal documents, emails and photographs [1]. Multiple photographs included c

Editorial Assistant, Amy Shelton, reports on everything happening in 2026. Get ready for a new year filled with sporting action and entertainment buzz. As calendars are organised and New Year’s resolutions are shared, 2026 has plenty of big changes and events to jot down. MQ UNI Proposed changes to staffing and courses: Macquarie University has proposed changes to the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Science and Engineering in 2026 [1]. The aim is for more ‘streamlined’ co

News Section Editor Siya Pujari probes into the new reign of CBS News led by Bari Weiss and what this represents for the contemporary American media landscape Bari Weiss’ decision to delay a 60 Minutes CBS documentary about the conditions within an inhumane El Salvador prison where ICE has been deporting many citizens and non-citizens alike has struck a deep chord everywhere, with this act being construed as a blatant roll-over by Weiss to adhere to the Trumpian standards as

Editorial Assistant Alicja Krotofil reports on the fatal public shooting of a Minnesotan woman by an ICE agent in the US in a widely disputed self-defence action On 7 January 2026, Renee Nicole Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent during a raid in Minneapolis, Minnesota [1]. On Wednesday morning, Good parked her car across the road, blocking a convoy of roughly seven ICE vehicles [2]. Eyewitness Emily Heller watched the event unfold from her lawn, drawn out by ICE whistles

Deputy Editor Chantelle Mackintosh provides a detailed overview on the US’ military action in Venezuela leading to the shakeup of international diplomatic relations In the early hours of 3 January 2026, the United States launched a surprise airstrike on the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. This attack on the South American country resulted in the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, with the intention to charge them on drug and terrorism

Editorial Assistant Jordan Jayanthi expands upon the presence of undergraduate, student-led research initiatives at Macquarie University. Everyone has researched something in their own time. Whether it's to prove a point in an argument, or a deep dive into the North Korean dictatorship, everyone has opened up Google on their phone at least once to delve further into an area of interest. Undergraduate research provides the perfect avenue to pursue this to a greater extent.

Looking to make friends with similar interests? Or maybe to attend some fun themed events? Look no further than Macquarie University Student Societies! For new and returning students, we’ve got you covered with this short guide on some of the university's societies. Arts and Craft Society MQ Arts and Craft Society provides a stress-free space for people to share in making art. We run events on an almost weekly basis. Our club is for all skill levels, providing a stress-free

Editor-In-Chief Kayleigh Greig dissects the flaws alongside the rigidity within Macquarie University’s Biology Major On 10 December 2025, Patty Hodgson sent an email on behalf of Simon Griffith to students enrolled in the Biology Major, detailing several “updates” to its units. Those previously on track to study ‘Life Processes’ will now need to enrol in ‘Animals’ or ‘Plants’. Likewise, they will change from ‘Invertebrate Biology and Behaviour’ to simply ‘Animal Behaviour’,

Deputy Editor Kayleigh Greig deep dives into Grapeshot’ s origins and evolution. Grapeshot 2009, Volume 1, Issue 1 If you’re reading this, you probably already know a bit about us, but just in case: this is Grapeshot , and we’re the student publication here at Macquarie University. That means that every one of our issues has been entirely made by students, for students. Of course, since its inception in 2009, Grapeshot has changed a lot over time. So, for Nostalgia , let

News Section Editor, Chantelle Mackintosh, covers the Protests in Nepal against government corruption and how in a few days, changed the course of a nation. In September 2025, thousands of Nepalese citizens took to the streets to engage in anti-corruption protests which became known as the “Gen Z protests.” These protests began after a nationwide ban on many social media sites which combined with the display of corruption and wealth by their government in their mismanagement

Editorial Assistant Siya Pujari discusses this vexed issue with Professor Niloufer Selvadurai There has been significant movement towards introducing effective regulation for AI-centric technology, including apps and tools that allow for illegal ‘deepfaking’ of individuals and facilitate online sexual abuse. ‘Deep fakes’ are AI-generated videos, images, or audio recordings. They include ‘face swaps’ where a person’s face is replaced with another and ‘voice deep fakes’ which i

Editorial Assistant Imogen Grebert discusses the extensive course cuts happening at UTS and how this will further debilitate Australia’s teacher shortage. On 17 September 2025, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), announced that it will be closing its School of Education, as well as Public Health and International Studies, as part of a cost-cutting initiative to save over $100 million. As a result, it means the loss of over 400 jobs for University lecturers, tutors and

Editorial Assistant Juliette Allen tackles the various tremendous losses suffered upon the gentrification of Sydney’s cult landmarks, Paddy’s Markets being one of her nearest and dearest. For many Sydneysiders, like myself, Paddy’s Markets in Haymarket is a vibrant microcosm and a longstanding beating heart of the City, and in a lot of respects, still is, despite all its changes. For many, Paddy’s ‘is not just a market, it’s an Australian icon and an integral part of Chinat

Editorial Assistant Elizabete Lasmane muses over her complicated relationship with nostalgia and its romanticisation, presenting itself as a double-edged sword of an unshakeable dilemma. Nothing ever hurts us as much as our thoughts. And nothing ever heals us as much as our thoughts. It's all about perception: no matter the event, conversation, situation—it is a thought or an insight changing your perception. Well, my perception is that nostalgia’s a nasty bitch. Nostalgia f

Nathan Colebrook contends that Charlie Kirk’s death was symbolic of an elusive monster, and we have only ourselves to blame; an alternative perspective on the mystique of nostalgia. 4-(2-Aminoethyl)benzene-1,2-diol. A synthesis of tyrosine and DOPA. The substance is a catechol, where the hydrogen that would normally slot in at the 4 th position on the benzene ring is, instead, substituted for a 2-aminoethyl group. It occupies the role of a cardiotonic drug, a beta-adrenerg

Ash reflects on their discoveries of being neurodivergent. Discovering I was neurodivergent when I was 19 led me to feel a mixture of emotions; I felt like I finally had answers to the questions I didn’t even know I was asking, but I also mourned the person I could have been if I hadn’t grown up undiagnosed. I reflect on my childhood, and the signs of ADHD and autism are like neon lights; how did nobody realise? I unfortunately know the answer to that question; I was AFAB a

How does Grapeshot work? Why does it take so long for issues to hit stands? Deputy Editor Kayleigh Greig answers your questions and more. All content within our beloved Grapeshot is produced by currently enrolled MQ students. That includes the writing, editing, illustrations, layouts, cover art, and even the social media posts. Our team consists of a dedicated group of student volunteers run by our Editor-in-Chief, with help from the Deputy Editor(s), who are also students

Editorial Assistant Rahima Bilgrami reminisces on the unmatched childhood delight of discovery. She lovingly recounts the first rifles through a treasure trove—her mother’s makeup bag. When I was a child, there was no object in our home more mysterious or magnetic than my mother’s makeup bag. It was never left entirely in the open, though it wasn’t hidden either. It lived in the corners of drawers, on the bathroom counter, and sometimes in her handbag when we were going out.

George Logan examines the familiar stresses of picking the perfect outfit and why we could learn a thing or two from orcas. Going to a friend’s wedding is a stressful affair. Do I bring a date? Should I tell an inappropriate story about the bride to her 90-year-old grandmother? How do I dance to anything other than the Macarena or the Nutbush? These burgeoning questions keep me up at night, yet for all my worrying, a thought much more distressing has only just entered my mind