Elaine Obran is a Senior Writer at ANU Reporter and the Digital Communications Assistant.

Articles

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The remarkable story of Monte Punshon, the world’s oldest lesbian

At the age of 103, Monte Punshon, with her tiny frame, blindingly white hair and 19th-century diction, made…


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‘Growth comes from outside your comfort zone’: why Olympian Emma McKeon refused to give up

Emma McKeon has always loved being in the water. When she was very little, she wanted to become…

26 September 2024



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Forget everything you know about time – part of it could be all in your mind 

Time is largely a mystery. It stretches and shrinks, slows down, then speeds up unexpectedly. Disappears at one…

23 September 2024



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Is queerbaiting problematic or powerful? Internet culture is making it harder to draw a moral line

In 2003, when Madonna was locking lips with Britney Spears at the MTV VMAs and Prince was dancing…

27 August 2024



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What causes food poisoning and how can we avoid it?

We have all been there – gripping onto the toilet seat, beads of sweat forming, mouth like an…

20 August 2024



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ANU alumna brings Peruvian art to Australia

When artist Ximena Briceño is asked what inspires her, colour is the first thing that comes to mind.…

14 August 2024



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Super and human: What is the mental toll of being an elite athlete?

When Simone Biles withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics, a new term was added to our vocabulary: ‘the twisties’.…

9 August 2024



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From situationships to ghosting – how do we navigate modern dating?

Dating is not what it used to be. Where we once had poetic love notes sent to battlefields,…

7 August 2024



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Selina Walker’s vision for reconciliation: ‘There has to be shared accountability’  

Non-Indigenous Australians need to take accountability for unconscious racism and biases before our nation can achieve reconciliation, Ngunnawal…

26 July 2024



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How do climate experts feel about the future? We asked them

While it’s already too late to repair some of the damage caused by climate change, ANU researchers still…


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Meet the ANU graduate scooping out climate-friendly sweet treats

When Maddi Easterbrook graduated with a law degree from The Australian National University (ANU), creating her own business…

17 July 2024



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Is it still safe to fly? An aviation expert weighs in

It might be because we are in a cramped metal box, 35,000 ft in the air that makes…


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Rentals are grim and expensive. Should young people squat instead?

If you have ever shared a room with black mould, tiptoed over perpetually squishy carpet, or experienced the…


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Why Gen Z are obsessed with looking young

It only takes a few minutes scrolling through TikTok for the obsession with looking youthful to reach your…

14 June 2024



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Portraiture allows everyone to be a critic – just ask King Charles

“It’s the red that does it quite frankly.” Dr Robert Wellington, an art historian from The Australian National…

7 June 2024



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Now more than ever: Peter Yu’s lifelong commitment to First Nations Australians

When two of the world’s oldest cultures come together to form the backdrop of your childhood, ‘harmony’ might…

29 May 2024



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Yeehaw cowgirl! Beyoncé’s new album is making country music more inclusive

Beyoncé has always been a unifier. Even when that means following her down dusty roads, across honky tonk…

6 May 2024



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Family vlogging is an ethical dilemma we can’t unsubscribe from

Imagine a childhood where every aspect of your life, both good and bad, is documented and uploaded online…


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Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt is digging deep to fight gender inequality

Professor Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt refuses to call herself a victim. Born in a small town in India, Lahiri-Dutt married…

15 April 2024



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Iris Apfel: a fashion dandy who proved age is simply a number, darling

In a cultural landscape obsessed with women not being allowed to show their age and, indeed, being told…

8 April 2024



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Why a global day for women matters – today and everyday 

Over a century ago, in a time when hashtags didn’t exist, let alone #metoo, women in different parts…

8 March 2024



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Colour and conflict: Mardi Gras has always danced between two worlds 

The year is 1978. Homosexually is illegal and queer rights are non-existent, but on a cold winter’s day…


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Parasite insights: the award-winning scientist teaching the world about deadly diseases

When it comes to parasites and their reputation in the animal kingdom, it largely, well, sucks (literally). Small,…

27 February 2024



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Modern day Madonna? How Taylor Swift’s music takes inspiration from the 80s

There’s a Taylor Swift Love Story happening at the moment, and it will come as no surprise that…

23 February 2024



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Thought you had your partner’s love language figured out? Think again.

Whether you are in love, looking for love or have your Facebook status set to ‘it’s complicated,’ there’s…

13 February 2024



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Murder (is back) on the dancefloor: TikTok gives old hits new life

Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s hit ‘Murder on the dancefloor’ is being sung all over the world again, more than two…

24 January 2024



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From code to Vogue: the ANU student behind sustainable food start-up Ohna

When Kayleigh Sleath taught herself to code in her bedroom as a teenager — a start-up that forged…

22 January 2024



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“The world lost one of its best people”: Sophie Trevitt’s remarkable legacy

Few people make a lasting impact in some of Australia’s most challenging and important policy areas by the…

15 January 2024



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Racing with the sun: student-designed car lights up prestigious solar race

It begins and ends on the red road that connects Darwin and Adelaide. Three thousand kilometres of gum…

12 January 2024



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Drink, pray, law

What does Jesus Christ have in common with a decomposing snail? Aside from being unconventional conversation starters, this…


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“We all have a role to play”: addressing family and domestic violence over the holidays

Sometimes, the hardest conversations are the ones that are the most important to have – this is true…

22 December 2023



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Top glass: making Australia’s most famous trophies 

Hand-making 36 intricate glass sculptures is no easy task — but Australian National University (ANU) alumnus Louis Grant…

13 December 2023



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Has the Melbourne Cup run its race?

The Melbourne Cup was once famously known for its ability to ‘stop the nation’, but it’s become a…


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“I thought we could find a Voice”: Stan Grant on the referendum defeat

Professor Stan Grant broke his silence on the Voice referendum, sharing his reflections and disappointment about the outcome,…

31 October 2023



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