###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Fortune and Friendship, the prompt/s are - Misfortune shows those who are not really friends and here is the essay: Aristotle once quipped that “misfortune shows those who are not really friends.” In essence, Aristotle was correct in proposing that during our darkest times our true friends will emerge, and those who choose to surround us for their own personal gains will vanish. This concept is evident in many facets of our lives. Firstly, during wartime, where nationalism will always prevail any allegiance formed with external nations. Secondly, in politics, where political expediency will be at the forefront and will far supersede any friendly bond. And lastly, within our own lives, during some of the most difficult circumstances, we will think we have a supportive network only to realise that it is predominantly a feign.

The unique global symptoms of any war, which include the concurrent battle against an enemy force and the economic challenges faced by a nation, will result in the emergence of nationalistic virtues. This principle was clearly evident during World War 2, where Winston Churchill’s reliance on Australian troops at the front line was sadly a protectionist measure for his own soldiers. He demanded that the ANZAC diggers land at the shores and form the initial attack against the enemy force, only for the United Kingdom soldiers to enter afterwards and take the glory. While I do not considered success or winning to be metrics of war, clearly, during these times of heightened anxiety and financial hardship the human condition traces itself back to its homeland where there is a feeling of safety and security, and this emotive expression will always supersede our so-called duty to our allies.

Ruthlessness and callousness have become synonymous with politicians, almost as much as dishonesty. It is no secret that politicians will place expediency at the forefront of their every move and are more than willing to void any shred of morality in their bid to attain political supremacy. In the past ten years alone, we have seen numerous politicians within Australia backstab and whitewash the leaders of their own political party in order to attain a taste of a higher position. Unfortunately, it is these individuals who hold some of the highest and most influential positions in society, and these are the very character traits that they are teaching other young individuals to believe that is what it takes to achieve success. It is undoubtable that politicians will use the misfortune of their closest ‘friends’ for their own gains, however, setting this precedent for other individuals in society is absolutely unacceptable and shameful.

Misfortune in our own lives highlights the people who are truly our friends, and those who are only present for their own gains. Living in a democratic society, our psyches are shaped from a young age to believe that with hard work we can achieve anything that we dream of. Of course, this is not possible and the more material possessions we accumulate, the more dissatisfied we become with our current situations. The incidence of mental health disorders and suicide is rising at an exponential rate in developed nations which begs the questions as to why this is the case. Undoubtably, it is the result of a constant pressure from those around us, through our own comparisons to other people’s success, that we constantly feel the need to achieve and earn more. If we were truly living in a society where we all exuded a sense of community, love and caring, there would be much less misfortune and the idea of a friend would be much more meaningful than the fake associations it carries today.

In conclusion, it is evident that Aristotle was correct in inferring that misfortune will highlight the people who are our true friends, and in doing so, also the people who are not. This can be seen during wartime, where our expression of the human condition inspires us to default back to nationalistic values. Secondly, within politics, where there are no such things as friends and the character traits of deceit, manipulation and ruthlessness unfortunately filter down to the lay population. And lastly, through our participation in democratic societies, where we are all promised that we can achieve the world however this is only possible when we capitalise on the misfortune of others. We should all be striving for a world in which friendship bears the true meaning that the word entails, and in doing so, there will be a much lower rate of misfortune experienced among us.. ###Response: 75-79


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Democracy, the prompt/s are UNKNOWN and here is the essay: Democracy: To do or not to do

As a multifaceted construct of society, politics have always been a central component in the organisation of nations and its people. Since the introduction and evolution of democracy, it appears that society has finally found the ultimatum for an ideal ruling method. However, despite the merits of democracy, power of the people are limited and subject to undue influence by individuals of power. Often political parties alludes to fairness to all but upon closer inspection, the power of voting may not be significant as one believes.

Since its birth in ancient Greek city of Athens, it has been a revolutionary and egalitarian method of ruling. No longer shall we suffer under the tyranny of dictatorships! Indeed, when compared to the other systems of ruling in other nations, democracy certainly appeals to the majority in terms of equality and freedom. The ubiquitous government of North Korea demonstrates the horrors of dictatorship and restriction of freedom of its citizens. At a memorable TED-talk a few months ago, Yeoung-Su Kim, a refugee who has escaped across the border into Northern China, talks about the plight of individuals pinned under the relentless government. Freedom of choice is a fundamental human right that is entitled to all, yet millions in the world do not have access to this.

The strong control of government can also be exemplified by China’s internet censorship, more affectionately known as the “Great Firewall of China”. Deeming sites that allow free speech and foreign involvement as a danger to the central party and policies, the government tightens its grip on the webpages and content its 1.3 billion people can access, in an attempt to maintain control and dispel ideas of overthrowing the government. In contrast, a democratic government is one where individuals are entitled, sometimes enforced to vote for future leaders and politicians, in a healthy representation and competition between major contending political parties.

Nonetheless, despite democracy’s appearance of individual power, upon close analysis it is found that the vote does little to sway the momentum of the government. Often, democratic governments engage in activities to lull the individuals into a false sense of satisfaction and involvement. This was illustrated by the current futility of individuals protesting for gun reforms and regulations in the United States of America. Following the tragedy of the mass shooting at the Stoneman D High school in Florida, where 17 people were killed, distraught survivors resolved to change the loose gun regulations that is currently in place in America. However, despite an overwhelming response for the ban of

assault rifles such as ones used in mass shooting, the government is nonchalant and dismisses the protests and meetings as meaningless and irrelevant.

The Australian Same sex marriage survey was also a demonstration of governments attempting to lure its citizens into believing that democracy was taking place when big legislatures are being changed. The multibillion program was essentially- a survey, where the final say still lies within the power of the government. By involving the people, it enables a false sense of empowerment and government satisfaction.

Ultimately, although aspects of democracy outweighs the detriments of other ruling systems, it is not inherently perfect. Democratic actions often sway the individuals involved into a false sense of involvement and action, when in reality it is still those with power who make the final call.. ###Response: 75-79


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Beauty, the prompt/s are - Things are beautiful if you love them and here is the essay: THE BEAUTY WITHIN

Across the ages, beauty standards have radically changed from the large wigs worn by aristocrats of the 19th century to the designer clothes worn by the models of today. However with the improvement of every day life and the subsequent extension of the human lifespan due to upgraded healthcare systems, the focus on aesthetically beauty has dramatically increased as people find ways to live, not necessarily how to survive. Within this channelling of focus on physical beauty those that are particularly invested are the young people of today. Paired with the extension of the average lifespan, the sudden rise in social media has created a public platform in which young people constantly compare and denigrate their self worth in comparison to the unachievable goals set by professional fitness models online. What comes as a consequence to these constant toxic comparisons are the highest rates of depression amongst the young generation culminating in a degraded valuing of life; and in some cases, even suicide. Amidst this sole focus on physical beauty, the young need to remember that “things are beautiful if you love them.”

John Keats once stated “Beauty is truth - truth, beauty. That is all Ye known on earth, and all ye need to know.” The ‘truth’ that John refers to is not of philosophical substance; rather it is a reference to the personal and intimate nature of beauty itself. Although beauty does exist in its physical form, it takes many other forms which need to be appreciated and respected. There is a notion that beauty in its purest form resides in the heart, and is shown to the world through actions and words. This beauty is an innate trait inherent to every single human being, but is hidden from the eye of the beholder. As Ben Johnson claimed “underneath this stone doth we, as much beauty as could die,” the young people of today should be more open in accepting the goodness in the beauty within themselves, and not try to solely derive beauty from their physical appearance.

Regarding the topic of goodness and its relation to beauty Leo Tolstoy highlighted the fundamental flaw in understanding their relationship in recognising how “it is amazing how complete is the delusion that beauty is goodness.” Tolstoy, although much before our time was able to predict the current attitudes and reception regarding beauty in the modern world. There is a widely held biased perception in modern society that those who are more physically attractive have traits and characteristics that make them appear as being more ‘morally sound.’ However, it needs to be addressed that this is a large misconception, having its roots in the history of racism and prejudice against black people. Before the civil rights movement in America and the infamous marches and protest led by Martin Luther King and Rosa Parke’s, black people were enslaved purely on the basis that their skin was dark; hence socially and morally lower than the rest of the human race. This type of moral judgement based on the colour of ones skin is prevalent all over the world, whereby black people are looked upon as if crime and violence is an inherent part of their being, and Asian people are stereotyped and mistreated. However much like Tolstoy’s comment mentioned earlier, this is a misconception and a dangerous view to hold. This very tendency to denigrate and discriminate against other purely on their physical appearance and the colour of their skin represents a social view that is outdated and insensitive at best. In a world where values of unity and progression are cherished more than ever, derogatory claims of oppression based on physical beauty cannot coexist in the same social sphere. Therefore if we were to build a society that values the mental and emotional health of each and every individual, it would be crucial to eradicate all forms of discrimination based on physical beauty, and instead develop an accepting and appreciative stance towards individualistic representations of beauty.. ###Response: 75-79


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Utilitarianism, the prompt/s are - It is the greatest good to the greatest number of people which is the measure of right and wrong ~ Jeremy Bentham and here is the essay: Utilitarianism, a theory that believes in the greater good to greater numbers than what may be morally right or wrong as per our autonomy. However, categorical imperatives, a more central philosophical concept I agree with, argues otherwise; you must follow moral obligations derived from pure reason, regardless of your desires, religious beliefs or values.
Despite this, many countries enact honour killings in the name of the greater good of the community rather than the individual’s autonomous rights, which is ethically wrong.

Killing innocent human beings to make the world a better place is ethically and morally wrong as each individual has an equal right to autonomy. Unitarianism has benefits in that it states that good consequences is due to good actions. However, one can argue that consequences that seem good for the wider community, may in fact be wrong in that it disregards to your intentions, as well as compromises your right to autonomy. Such an example can be seen in a case of the death of Qandeel Baloch, the Kim Kardashian of Pakistan who was strangled to death by her brother in 2016 in the name of honour killing as he believed she brought shame to the family and community due to the pictures and videos she uploaded of herself on social media. This comes as a shock as Pakistan is said to be one of the youngest democratic countries, however, has been found to have the highest number of documented and estimated honour killings per capita in any country of the world. A documentary by BBC showed that many members of the society expected it as it is a consequence of her actions. For many years, people were able to get away with the murder if the killing was forgiven by the family as it was considered to bring back the reputation of the family and was for the greater good of the community. However, it took a celebrity’s death and 3 years to change the law in order to prohibit such an atrocious act and bring her justice. Did she deserve to die just because of posting pictures and videos of herself on social media?

Philosopher Immanuel Kant proclaimed “We’re not mere objects that exists to be used by others. We’re our own ends. We’re rational and autonomous. We have the ability to set our own goals, and work towards them.” So, to treat someone as an end in herself means to recognize the humanity of the person you’re encountering, to realize she has goals, values, and interests of her own, and you must, morally, keep that in mind in your encounters with her. Actions should not be taken for the greater good but for the good of all. Every individual has a right to a life. We should not be manipulated or manipulate others autonomous agents for our own benefits.

Decisions made for the greater good may sound like an ideal option, however, it is one not to be considered. Ideologies based on religious or political beliefs will always have a particular

side it favours more. Every individual deserves an equal right to autonomy. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “The only real, dignified, human doctrine is the greatest good of all.”. ###Response: 75-79


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Marriage, the prompt/s are UNKNOWN and here is the essay: I heard my parents fighting, once again. Day or night, it didn’t matter. It had become a constant thing. I could hear my mother’s screams. My father would hit my mother for even the smallest reasons such as the food having less salt. I would try to break it up but would always get pushed to the side. I would cry all night watching my mother suffer. I wished to have a family that was loving. It would hurt when friends would talk about the love between their parents and family. If only, I could have something similar if not the same. My mother didn’t get a choice as to who she could marry. It was all arranged.

However, finally the day came when my mother took a stand and got a divorce. She was segregated from the entire family as divorce is seen as a disgrace in the Indian society. Marriage being considered such a sacred bond; they believe it to be a bad omen if someone breaks this bond. But at least my mother was safe now. It was not until then she found peace and soon enough fell in love with another man that she is immensely happy with. It is from this I’ve realised the importance of love when forming an eternal bond with someone.

Marriage is one of the norms established by people, which reflect attitude, beliefs and behaviors. Marriage is an interpersonal relationship with communal or religious acknowledgment which is often created as an agreement. Marriage is rooted effectually in almost every society except where common law partners are recognized. It is the bond that exclusively consents a sexual relationship, especially in collectivist countries where sex before marriage is considered a sin, likewise some societies, especially collectivist countries also require official approval of religious or civil body. Across cultures, the anatomies of ancestral standards are different. Beliefs of what comprises a family are based on culture, dynamics, assets, and ethics. In many cultures, extended family which includes married couples staying in the home of their parents is a form of showing love and respect for example in Pakistan; marriage is also basis for having children in those societies. My mother always said that “successful marriage depends on two things: finding the right person yourself and being the right person”.

From my mother’s experience, I learnt how important it is to be love and be loved. She taught me on how to disregards society’s opinions and live a life of my own. It’s important to ensure who you’ll be securing this eternal bond with as it could have a huge impact on the quality of your life. Helen Keller said “Love is like a beautiful flower which I may not touch, but whose fragrance makes the garden a place of delight just the same”.. ###Response: 75-79


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Corruption, the prompt/s are UNKNOWN and here is the essay: The value of a good, robust, honest government must never be underestimated, because a government can make or break its nation. By definition, a government has the purpose of organising, controlling and allocating tasks to its people and ensuring the country is doing the best it can with whatever resources it has, but there are certain limits that must be placed to ensure this control is at peace with individual privacy. A good government influences the quality of life within its country, as plenty of poorly-living nations in our current day can be linked back to a poorly functioning, corrupt government.

Corrupt governments will lead to poor living standards in any country, making it crucial that we constantly monitor the bodies that govern us and fight for our rights when they are breached by the government. The Middle East, a pot of multiculturalism currently devoid of any proper governance, is a perfect example of how corruption at the government level trickles down and affects its people severly, in aspects such as education, standard of living and happiness levels. Iraq was ruled by Saddam Hussain in the late 20th and early 19th century, and for the longest time people respected that president and praised his steadfast approach, his commitment to his people, and his motivation in addressing the atrocities occurring in Palestine. Iraq in that time was a prosperous country, and Baghdad, the capital, was said to be the Paris of the Middle East, all due to the high levels of education, wealth, and happiness levels of the people at the time. Now, Iraq is in a much worse condition, where mass unemployment is seen, poverty and homelessness are widespread, and many citizens are choosing to flee the country if they can, and this all comes back to the numerous leaders who have taken hold of the country and who have committed innumerable acts of corruption. Those leaders have shown many signs of corruption and are said to only think of their own monetary self interests, and we can indeed see the impact of this on education, happiness, and the overall condition of the nation. Poorly functioning governments clearly lead to poorly functioning societies and mass unrest, and only by addressing these corrupt governments can reform and a refresh be possible, in the hopes of bringing a country back to its feet

In allowing the government certain powers, one cannot help but wonder to what extent should the government control its people, because excessive levels of anything, even government power, can be detrimental. In his book Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell discusses this concept of an omntipresent, all knowing, goverernment whose control reaches deep into people's lives, their media, employment, residence and even as far as thoughts. The novel explores the detrimental possibilities of a government that controls too much, and teaches lessons about how individual privacy must be maintained, how thought must not be controlled by the government, and why democracy is an essential aspect of a successful modern-day society. As such, we now have reservations when it comes to government access to citizens' digital data, not least of which is the acquisiton of Australian Federal Police of rights in 2020 that allow certain government police officers to attain encrypted data from telecommunications companies. This raises up concerns because it means everything in social media and texting services can be decrypted and presented to the police. While the intention behind the Australian Government's motivation to do this is to track and prevent terrorist activities before they happen, it does mean a high risk of breaching of privacy if this falls into the wrong hands, because all it takes is one corrupt agent in this system for information to be leaked. The issue of "nanny state" and the concept of a government that controls too much, places too many laws is worthy of questioning, becuase a government should not control an aspect of life

merely because it can. Governments must have certain limits on life, and any probing of ones personal life must be very careful and monitored, with checks and balances, to avoid a dystopian world such as Orwell's.

In conclusion, the link between a good government and a good nation is clear, judging from the current events seen in the Middle east. A government has certain rights and abilities especially when it comes to individual privacy, but those powers must be continually checked and limited so that personal freedom, democracy, and human rights can be maintained, because a government that knows too much is detrimental to the happiness of its people.. ###Response: 75-79


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Happiness, the prompt/s are UNKNOWN and here is the essay: The pursuit of happiness is not impossible as some may claim, it is possible to be happy in this world and it is up to the individual to choose how to be happy and the things that lead them to happiness. It is unfair for those who choose to be athiests or those who choose to be productive to shove their ideas of what is purposeful and what it true down the throats of those who do not agree with their ideologies. What should be agreed on is that this life has meaning, and we must direct our efforts to achieve that, and surely any fun or entertainment on the side cannot do any harm.

You decide your lens through which you want to view this world, you decide your own purpose of life and your own values and what makes you happier. I often think about the meaning of life, but whether I was an atheist aiming to lead a purposeful, impactful life that betters humanity, or a religious person whose aim is to live morally and please the creator who has bless me, it does not matter what I choose as long as I, myself choose it, and as long as I have firm belief that I am doing the right thing by my own choice. Too often, people see life as meaningless, superficial, a distraction by a distraction from the distraction that is life, and frankly I do not resonate with that sort of pessimistic view. Yes, to you, going to work can be meaningless and just a waste of oxygen and effort, while to others work can be a means to raise children and provide for them, and a means to further humanity whether be it in the arts or in the sicence etc. We choose our own lens, and we can be optimistic and hopeful, or pessimistic and depressing, and only one of those is constructive and leads to endorphins in ones brain and a drive to live. The most important thing is to not be swayed by external influence and to have a firm belief in a purpose in this life. As a person of faith, I do not think it is right to condescend on the athiests around me and claim their lives as meaningless, nor do i think it is right for athiests to ridicule people of faith for their imbecility and naive thinking. We have a right to think our own thoughts and do whatever brings joy to our hearts, and no one has the right to choose what makes us happy and what doesn't.

Enjoying this life is a blessing, an opportunity, and we must use it as a tool to achieve our life goals. I see fun as a means to an end rather than an end in and of itself. I think it is impossible to be satisfied if we only focus on sensory experiences. As an example let's say I enjoy driving and thirst for the thrill of acceleration, I will make it a life goal to chase and own the fastest car there is, or if I was after wealth I'd make it my life goal to be rich, but what next? This is my opinion; I believe chasing worldly pleasures is an empty pursuit and I will never make it my life's central goal to enjoy what there is and always be having fun,but no one is obliged to agree nor will I force people to believe in this opinion. I see fun and good experiences as a tool to help me achieve my goal. My goal is to be as good a human as i can be, guided by fairness, thoughtfulness, love of family and love of God, and a drive to be excellent and better humanity. Any fun I have is merely on the side, supplementary, and merely there to improve my experience and help me to achieve what i believe is the aim of this life. This is why workaholics exist, they think their purpose is to work, and if they allocate all their time to work and none to have fun, then that is fair to me, as long as they feel happy and purposeful at work.

In conclusion, our lives are led by our own view of the world, and what is valued by us should be chosen by us, and we must only do what we believe is right, and only what brings us joy. I think it is most productive to have fun if it supplements and aids our central goal of life, whatever that is, as long as we do it with conviction and fairness.. ###Response: 75-79


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Parenthood, the prompt/s are - There was a time when we expected nothing of our children but obedience, as opposed to the present, when we expect everything of them but obedience ~ Anatole Broyard and here is the essay: Often passed down by our parents is a certain definition of success, along with the required sense of discipline to fulfil it. Authoritarian parenting, colloquially known as tiger parenting, warps this definition in a way that has detrimental consequences on a child’s wellbeing. By setting overly demanding expectations that impose a parent’s needs on a child rather than facilitate the child’s own desires, authoritarian parenting culminates in a trade-off between happiness and success. This is a direct consequence of fostering extrinsic motivation in a child as opposed to intrinsic — the later of which upholds personal desires over appeasing external entities. Encouraging the development of intrinsic motivations in children, coupled with more supportive, authoritative parenting, curtails the discontentment that comes with inevitably failing to meet unrealistic parental expectations.

Imposing a preconceived idea of success on one’s child, instead of helping to facilitate their own, ultimately comes at the cost of their mental wellbeing. By neglecting children’s intrinsic desires, this imposition comes with overly demanding expectations that coerce a child into viewing the pursuit of success as a means of avoiding punishment rather than it being personally rewarding for them. Tiger parenting is a prescient example of this in how it and its various offshoots are renowned for their stringent forms of punishment if a child fails to meet the high expectations of their parent. In his autobiography entitled “Open”, Andre Agassi, a former worldwide #1 ranked mens tennis player, describes the continuous verbal and emotional abuse inflicted upon him throughout his childhood as a budding athlete. In the eyes of his father, missing the ball or hitting it into the net was not only a physical failure, but a moral one; one that warranted acute humiliation and endless drills against a ball-spitting machine Agassi’s father termed “the dragon”. Forced to prescribe to his father’s predetermined path to success, Agassi found himself losing his childhood entirely, prioritising his tennis ranking over his innate interests. The fact that he was still deeply unsatisfied with his life despite eventually ranking #1 worldwide in his adulthood — at last fulfilling his father’s astronomical expectations — serves as a testament to the dire consequences of authoritarian parenting. Raising a child to sacrifice happiness in favour of success is debilitative to their wellbeing and appeases only those who dictate such a mindset.

Fostering intrinsic forms of motivation in children, as opposed to extrinsic, ultimately sets them on a healthier path towards success — one that does not sacrifice their own mental wellbeing. Intrinsic motivation involves being driven to accomplish a task as a means of personal reward or fulfilling an innate desire. This starkly contrasts extrinsic motivation which is a key hallmark of tiger parenting. The extrinsic form involves pursuing tasks simply because they enable the participant to avoid punishment or appease an external entity.
While it is inevitable to act on both forms of motivation throughout one’s life, raising a child to prioritise the latter ultimately hinders their wellbeing by forcing them to sacrifice happiness as previously mentioned. The life of Andre Agassi yet again serves as a notable example of the way in which acting on one’s intrinsic motivations is more conducive to one’s overall wellbeing. After going through a depressive state despite ranking #1 worldwide in mens tennis, Agassi chose to retire and pursue a career in what he felt more innately passionate about — education. While founding a school ultimately went against his father’s wishes for him to remain an elite athlete, Agassi describes how he felt like he was finally living the life he wanted to live — not one that his father prescribed for him. Acting on intrinsic motivation thereby allows for one to determine their own path to success and self-satisfaction, which is vital for children to prioritise when navigating into adulthood.

It is essential to avoid the pitfalls of authoritarian parenting in its detrimental effects on mental wellbeing. Prescribing a preconceived idea of success on one’s child not only establishes unhealthy expectations, but also inhibits them from fostering their own innate desires. Intrinsic motivation, when facilitated by more supportive parenting, is the key to ensuring that children are able to pursue a definition of success that they themselves find meaningful.. ###Response: 75-79


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Travel, the prompt/s are - A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it ~ George Moore and here is the essay: Travel, in the diversity of experience it affords, is often viewed as a means of ‘finding oneself’ and escaping monotonous daily routines. However, like any other form of escapism, there are risks inherent in overly relying on travel as a source of self-contentment. Doing so points towards an inability to confront personal dilemmas head-on, thereby developing the harmful habit of resorting to short-lived solutions for long-term problems. Viewing travel as a guaranteed source of happiness also ignores the reality of its unpredictable nature and establishes false expectations that, upon inevitably failing to be met, incite feelings of hopelessness that could have otherwise been avoided. It is therefore important to view travel as only a possible avenue to occasionally pursue in the seeking of self-satisfaction, rather than hastily packing our bags after experiencing the slightest inconvenience.
The physical distancing afforded by travel does not equate to distancing ourselves from our problems — in fact, we only bring our dilemmas along with us. While a change in environment can act as a short-term solution to alleviating issues such as a lack of self- confidence, the reality is that viewing travel as a quick-fix only inhibits us from prioritising long-term solutions that cater specifically to the environment we are used to. This is especially true in the wake of so-called “self discovery” tours promoted by travel agencies. Within these, tourists take part in activities such as hiking, bungee-jumping, or interacting with locals, all of which are advertised as instigators of profound personal development. For the tourist, these may certainly provide a newfound sense of confidence immediately after the fact, however upon returning to their original environment this can easily dissipate in the wake of their not knowing how to integrate these new insights into their daily lives.
These insights may also prove to be ineffective against the same factors of their original environment that instigated their personal issues in the first place. This highlights the importance of actively reflecting on one’s environment and prioritising solutions that combat its unique factors, rather than approaching travel as the be-all end-all solution to alleviating deeply ingrained issues.

Viewing anything as a guaranteed source of happiness is a surefire way of inciting unnecessary feelings of hopelessness once one’s expectations are inevitably not met — and the same applies to travel. The sense of hopelessness that one might already feel in regards to their daily life and wishes to alleviate by travelling would only be further compounded by failed expectations, consuming the individual in debilitating feelings of guilt and defeat. This is a harmful cycle that could have otherwise been avoided had the individual approached their journey knowing that travel is inherently unpredictable and thereby not a guaranteed source of satisfaction. The unpredictable nature of travel is due to the wide array of external factors at play, the majority of which the individual cannot control by any means. Such factors include the behaviour of others one might encounter while travelling, event cancellations, weather, etc. Banking something as significant as one’s happiness on such extraneous factors ultimately proves to be a futile, wasteful pursuit. This is not to say that the act of travelling is futile. It only results in wasted effort if the single variable that the individual can control — their expectations — is ignorant of reality.

In order for travel to be most productive, it must be approached with the knowledge that it does not hold priority over solutions to personal issues that cater specifically to one’s environment. Only when such an option has been exhausted to no effect should one opt to travel as a means of learning from other environments. In addition, travel should not be viewed as an arbiter of happiness due to the reality of its variable, extraneous nature. Travel ultimately does not equate to happiness, but rather serves an available stepping stone for one to explore should they see fit.. ###Response: 75-79


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Technological Advancement, the prompt/s are - Technology is the science of arranging life so that one need not experience it and here is the essay: The Unseen and Blinding Veil of Technology

Echoed regularly throughout the media is the buzzword "disinformation age", referring to the extreme extent to which false information is regularly spread throughout the world, and its impact on society. Naturally, we as a race point the finger at the individuals spreading this false information, Facebook, modern tabloid news media and key social groups bearing the brunt of this blame. The reality is, the subtle but significant damage technology has done to our ability to interact with the world on a fundamental level is the cause, with these individuals who bear the blame simply being opportunists exploiting this situation.

True authentic interaction with the world has become a rare phenomena in modern times, with the intervening media of technology being the veil through which we experience much of our lives. At first glance, this is simply a worrying trend, which makes us more vulnerable to disinformation campaigns and efforts pervasive throughout modern communication platforms. The reality, however is that technology undermines us from an epistemological standpoint, interceding between reality and the knowledge it presents, and our own acquisition of that knowledge. From a psychological and biological perspective, we are no more advanced in many ways than we were thousands of years ago, and still rely chiefly, on our senses to gain knowledge. When an intervening media, such as technology intercedes between these two points - reality, and our experience of it, we become handicapped without even being aware of it.

This handicap becomes infinitely more sinister when we consider how adapted our brains are to filling in the blanks that are an unavoidable aspect of reality. We are unable to properly see when rapidly moving our eyes, and to account for this, our brain fills in the blanks created by this momentary loss of vision. This same interpretive gap filling also occurs with many of our interactions as a result of the limits of technology. A standard conversation via phone or text is devoid of body language, which our brain is sorely dependent on to generate and develop meaning, tone, and most importantly, emotional context. To handle this loss of information, just as with our loss of vision, we fill in the blanks to cope. This dependency on a limited scope of information to develop substantial meaning and context from an interaction is the cause of the disinformation we see present throughout modern society. Without even knowing it, we have lobotomized our ability to accurately and genuinely gather information and form opinions.

The resolution for this is not simple, human nature dictates that we will be unwilling to adopt any behavioral change which may inconvenience us. The failed attempts to enforce social distancing and masks throughout the COVID-19 crisis is testament to this.

Furthermore, the opportunities for disinformation this blikering of our senses has presented will continue to be ruthlessly exploited by those who stand to gain from it. While an answer is unclear, the fact remains constant - our pursuit of convenience and technological progress has in many ways, undermined our own ability to clearly and genuinely experience our lives. While our brain may compensate for this handicap, its effect on us at an individual and societal level remains steadfast, with further technological progress set only to further undermine our ability to interact with and understand the world in which we live. The machine does indeed plunge us more deeply than ever into the problems of our own nature.. ###Response: 75-79


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Crime and Justice, the prompt/s are - If poverty is the mother of crime. stupidity is its father ~ Jean de La Bruyere and here is the essay: When Justice is Unjust.

Conviction rates, as a percentage for states, judges and prosecutors are often used as a yardstick by which the effectiveness of the judicial system which they follow, represent and are a part of are measured. Furthermore, one only needs to look at how startlingly high these conviction rates are, to assumedly feel a deep satisfaction as to how well our justice system, and its constituents operate. Yet, this also leads on to the logical claim by Charles Dudley that “the faculties for getting into jail seem to be ample. We want more organisations for keeping people out”. Indeed, when framed in this context, the true socio- political and moral issue at the heart of these high conviction rates is brought to light. As a society, a mark of the success of our system of government, and by extent the legal system by which it is enforced should be instead measured by how many people we do not place into jail, either by clemency, compassion or more importantly, a lack of necessity.

If one was to go a step further and take a deeper look into these offense and conviction rates, and separate them by race, gender, socioeconomic status or location of residence, it would show a clear bias towards the conviction and imprisonment of individuals of non- white racial heritage, low socioeconomic status or people who live in poor neighbourhoods. The first two points expand on Charles’ point, and show how our current justice system leans towards the imprisonment of certain groups of individuals in a far from fair, even or unbiased manner. Furthermore, just as statistics show crimes do occur in “clusters” by neighbourhoods, so too does this show the folly of imprisonment, whereby such offenders are all mixed together, influencing and corrupting one another further, dragging everyone down lower, to the lowest common denominator. While different security levels of prisons does ameliorate this effect to a degree, the nature of group imprisonment brought about by logistical necessity of housing a large number of individuals, means that such a group degradation to the lowest common denominator is inevitable. These then eventually released individuals often re-offend, brought about by a combination of further lowered socioeconomic status, as it is near impossible to hold a job throughout the course of a prison sentence, and social influences experienced whilst incarcerated. This self- perpetuating cycle is evident when exploring re-offense rates in criminals, violent or otherwise across even modern, democratic “first world” countries such as America and Australia, where depending on the nature of the crime, and location of incarceration, re- offense rates can rise to as high as 80% in the years following an inmates release.

However, just as Dudley presents a problem in his quote, the solution, too is given. To prevent this self-perpetuation cycle from continuing, we must end it before it happens. While the social security, and cohesion brough about by a society wide and police enforced legal system is necessary, this same system is in part, responsible for some of the very issues it seeks to prevent and resolve. Nietzsche quotes that “speaking generally. punishment hardens and numbs. it produces concentration. it sharpens the consciousness of alienation. it strengths the power of resistance”. It is therefore under this unique consideration that a more lenient and compassionate balance between existing measures of social cohesion and justice represented by the legal system, must be struck with necessity. In this case, the necessity to recognise that in part, justice must give way to efficacy, if we as a society are to truly live by the reformative goals we set forth when creating our justice system. We must lean more towards a reformative goal when sentencing, both in our eagerness to dish out prison sentences, and the nature by which those convicted must carry them out. If the influences in prison currently push inmates towards becoming re-offenders, then these influences too, can push them the opposite way. Criminals can be looked down upon as violent, cowardly, stupid and undeserving creatures, dehumanised all to easily by a population overzealous with retributive fervour. Yet the criminal who commits a crime without knowledge of the possible consequences is few and far between, and while they may not respect the law, they are aware of it. It can therefore be concluded that what Jean de La Bruyere states when he says “if poverty is the mother of crime. stupidity is its father”, is a half-truth. Poverty, or the necessity it brings about for crime may be its mother, but society itself is its father.. ###Response: 75-79


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Inequality, the prompt/s are UNKNOWN and here is the essay: Aiming for what seems to be unattainable is the only step forward towards advancement. Resolving issues regarding over-representation of Indigenous Australians in crime, detention and recidivism has always appeared to be one that was impossible. Although there have been previous attempts by the government to close such gaps, beneath the concept of blanket and band aid solutions towards doing so, underlies the perception that fixing these inequalities is easy. What the Australian government has failed to do early enough is acknowledge such issues exist to even create a goal to work towards and failed to acknowledge that these issues, although difficult, when achieved they result in a great step forward in reconciling with Indigenous Australians.

To even aim, we require a goal and that goal is created once we acknowledge there is room for improvement. On the 13th of February 2008, Australia made a significant step forward in doing so, by issuing a formal apology to the Indigneous Australian people for past mistreatment and wrongdoings, especially to the Stolen Generation. This symbolised the recognition of failure and the need for reconciliation in closing the gap whereby the inevitable inequalities and injustices against Indigenous Australians were a result of past mistreatment. The formal apology issued by the Australian government not only acknowledged and validated the experiences of Indigenous Australians, but it also acknowledged the need for improvement in what seemed to be an unattainable goal - to completely close the gap between non-Indigenous and Indigenous people of Australia. This first step allowed for the establishment of goals to aim for, which is far more important than achieving them because what is the point of aiming when you do not know where to aim?

The next step forward towards advancing Indigenous relations were the systematic changes to account for the historical injustices and inequalities that resulted from past mistreatment. Not to mention the cultural bias in the criminal justice system, the overrepresentation of Indigneous Australians in crime and recidivism rates are just one of many issues that the government are aiming to tackle. The Koori Court was implemented in several states aiming to reduce crime and in particular, recidivism rates of Aboriginal Australian youth. The Koori courts reflect the cultural differences, bias and discrimination of the law that Indigenous Australian youth face when confronted with the current criminal justice system, thereby creating a much more culturally appropriate and effective method of sentencing youths who have pled guilty. Some may argue that this is an easy way out of some sort, however what they fail to recognise is the years of systemic oppression that Indigneous Australians have faced historically and the impacts it had on the current statistics of crime and recidivism rates. The gap is yet to be fully closed thus demonstrating the difficulty of repairing years of systemic oppression, however the results appear to be positive in reducing recidivism rates among Aboriginal youth.

Just like how the moon landing was an idea so difficult and unattainable, once it was accomplished, humanity saw a great advancement in society and science. This analogy applies similarly to the idea of reducing the overrepresentation of Indigenous Australians as an attempt to reconcile and take responsibility for the years past mistreatment and oppression by the government. Acknowledging the problem and establishing a goal was the first step, now we must move forwards in implementing systematic changes in not only crime, but health, education and land right to make a significant advancement in closing the inequality gap between non-Indigenous and Indigenous Australians today.. ###Response: 80-84


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Racism, the prompt/s are UNKNOWN and here is the essay: Racial stereotypes even in "humourous" contexts, encompasses larger underlying implications of Eurocentricity thus making the use harmful. Often, these racial stereotypes are used as a mild form of microaggression towards people of colour and perpetuates the harmful normality and standard of caucasians. Furthermore, when such stereotypes that were previously used to make fun of or tease people of colour, are made to be trends and popular by those who made fun, highlights the complete disregard and invalidation of the experiences that people of colour have and are facing.

Unintentional or not, microaggression contributes to the large underlying subtle racism and eurocentric normality that exists in our society. Microaggression, daily verbal and behavioural remarks that are often subject to racial stereotypes. As a person of colour, there are numerous times where I have heard joking comments about my apparent surprising fluency in English although it is my first language. Such comments that appear to be a joke or a compliment at face value, have much more harmful implications associated with it. In particular, when I have qualities that appear to go against my racial stereotype, some people appear surprised or amused. The hidden "us and them" mentality behind these comments perpetuates the divisive nature of caucasians versus people of colour. Furthermore, there is an assumptive idea that being caucasian, or having the qualities of a caucasian is the norm or standard - which is again, extremely harmful in creating a harmonious and open society.

Cultural appropriation in fashion or beauty trends over the past few years have displayed the harmful nature of using cultural elements as humour. Due to the increasing prevalence of social media in current times, the awareness and perhaps "exposé" of previous cultural appropriation has come to surface. One prime example is the use of "blackface" in comedy whereby actors or comedians paint their entire face black to replicate and make fun of black people and their mannerisms. Although it may have been funny in the 20th century, the increasing awareness of cultural appropriation has condemned blackface as offensive and unhumourous. A more recent example would be the "fox-eye" trend on social media whereby certain makeup techniques and poses are applied to make the eye look more slanted - the exact same way Asians were primarily made fun of in the past. The problem with taking cultural characteristics and making them a trend is that often these cultural characteristics were used with derogatory and offensive intent in the past to perpetuate racism.

Although ongoing, the continuous cultural appropriation of racial stereotypes are harmful and contribute to the underlying racist, eurocentric sphere of society. In a society where explicit racism is frowned upon, we must draw our attention to the implicit and subtle racism that goes on strong. Especially types of microaggression whether they are verbal or behavioural have extremely dangerous implications due to their frequent and "undetectable" nature. By focusing on moving away from a eurocentric normality mindset and aim to create and accept multicultural norms of many cultures.. ###Response: 80-84


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Democracy, the prompt/s are - Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage. and here is the essay: A fundamental assumption in the democratic process is that of equality - equality of votes and voters. That every vote cast has the same weight and bearing on the outcome, billions of equally weighted votes falling in unison like billions of rain drops. However, when we examine democracies around the world, this assumption is undermined. In Australia, elections usually come down to a few swing seats, so voters living in those electorates have a greater bearing on the outcome than those in a safe seat. In the United States, due to the electoral college, a vote cast in Wyoming is counted for more than a vote cast in California. And during slavery, ensalved Americans were counted as 3/5s of a person drastically changing the distribution of population and thus votes. Yet, despite this, Australia and the United States are seen as firm democratic societies that advocate for democracy. This begs the question, how important is equality of votes and voters in a functioning democracy? Equality of votes in a democractic society is paramount, however there are circumstances where weighting votes is appropriate. Overall, (conflict between idealised democracy and real a democracy)

This essay will examine this question in three ways. First, it will argue for equality of votes in a democratic society. Second, it will examine cases where weighting votes is appropriate. Finally, it will look at the conflict between idealised democracy and a real democracy.

Firstly, equality of votes is incredibly important in a functioning democracy because it allows all citizens to be heard regardless of gender, education, wealth or race. Systems that only allow the wealthy to vote (such as the United States in the 1770s where only landowners could vote) inevitable only benefit the wealthy while the rest of society is forgotten. When more groups are brought into the democratic process in a fair and equal way, issues they care about become important and (hopefully) laws follow. Statements like “we the people” are not true when they exclude majority of the population. Thus, a democracy must allow all citizens to vote in an equal manner.

Secondly, on the other hand, there is an argument that votes should be weighted based on certain characteristics - primarily age. For example, in the 2016 Brexit referendum majority of citizens over 70 voted to leave the EU whilst majority of citizens under 40 voted to remain.
Given the economic, social, and political impacts of England leaving the European Union is it really fair for those under 40 to be living with the consequences of a decision that was made by those who will probably not live to see its impact? Here it is important to draw a distinction between elections and referendums. Elections are used to vote in politicians that will make laws based on the will of the people. Elections are constrained by terms limits, meaning that in 3 or 4 years politicians can be removed. However, referendums like Brexit,are an example of direct democracy and there is no term limit on the outcome. The UK will not go to the polls in another 4 years to re-vote on Brexit, like they would an election, and whilst referendums can be undone and the UK could rejoin the EU, it will be decades before that could realistically occur. Thus, given the finality of a referendum that occurrs every few decades, the argument to weight votes based on age is compelling.

Finally, here we come to the crux of the issue around equality of votes in a democracy - the conflict between reality and idealism. In an ideal democracy, all votes will be counted equality, but in reality that is not possible. For example, in the United States, if everyone voted directly for the President the votes in cities (generally more liberal) will outnumber the votes in rural areas (generally more conservative) and thus, the President will almost always be more liberal and may not sympathetic to the cause of the conservatives which effectively eliminates their votes and voices entirely. In a referendum, ideally every vote should count equally but if the outcome will shape the country for decades then weighting should be given to the younger generation that will live with the consequences. However, any politician will be comitting career suicide by suggesting to weight votes, even if it is the fairer thing to do - another conflict between the ideal and reality.

We often picture democracy as a perfect system developed by the Ancient Greeks on Mt Olympus that cannot be touched or changed. However, the reality is that democracy is messy, imperfect, and constantly changing. If we aim for a perfect democracy then we will fall far short. Instead we should accept the flaws in the system, and strive to have a flexible system where some elections allow weighting of votes and others do not depending on the circumstance. The fundamental tennent of democracy is not the equality or votes, it the the ability of votes to cause change, it is our responsibility to ensure that change is decided in a fair way that reflects the will of the majority.. ###Response: 80-84


###Instruction: You are an essay marker for the GAMSAT Section II. Please mark the following essay fairly and consistently. ###Input: The theme is Humour, the prompt/s are UNKNOWN and here is the essay: If you ask someone what they look for in a partner one of the top three responses has to be “a sense of humour”. This is because humour, laughter, witt, and comedy are ingrained in our society and communication. Politicians who can write humourous speeches are seen are more “down to earth” and “relatable” which increases their popularity. Little kids get so excited and proud the first time they make up a joke. And I have more than one male friend who can’t wait to become a dad so they can embarrass their children with Dad jokes. The essay will explore the role of humour in our society and the impact it has on our way of communicating and subsequent consequences.

Firstly, humour is an excellent tool in communication because it makes a story or point more memorable and significant. For example, over the last four years under the Trump Presidency, late night shows such as Stephen Colbert and Seth Myers have gained significant popularity due to their ability to convey complex political stories in a digestable way using humour. As such, audiences are more engaged and likely to remember the key aspect of a story and relate it to friends and family extending the political conversation. On a soceital level, humour is a great tool to aid communication and enhance human interactions.

On the other hand, the use of humour in communication can have the opposite effect, where instead of enhancing a point it undermines it. I noticed this when I lived in the Netherlands. During that time whenever I was in engaged in a difficult conversation I would crack a joke to lighten the mood. My Dutch friends thought this was extremely strange and rude, infact I would be accussed of not taking a matter seriously. I came to learn that I use humour as a way to hide my true emotions and feelings and shy away from difficult conversations. I believe the use of humour in this way is very Australian and may explain why the Aussie “she’ll be right” attitude can cause more harm than good. Thus, humour can be used as a pillar to hide behind, which can have damaging consequences for society.

In order to understand this we need to dig a little deeper into the anatomy of a joke. In short, a joke has two parts: set up and punchline. The set up is used to build tension and the punchline relieves the tension. The issue with this model is that not all tension can be relieved. This can result in serious issues being taken less seriously as the tension associated with them is released in a punchline. For example, Australian stand up comedian Hannah Gadsby has a skit where she tells her coming out story. Her story is full of tension and punchlines, it is very funny. However, her experience, and the experience of lots of LGBTQ+ people is not one of humour or laughter. It is one of tension, lots of tension, extreme tension, sometimes so much tension it results in mental health problems or suicide. Furthermore, there are some jokes that are so persuasive that they can freeze in time. Lots of sterotypes today have their origins in comedy and humour. For example, black face originated from minstral shows where white actors would apply black face and mock African Americans, degrading them in the process. Using humour in these instances is a double edged sword, on one hand it can make a confronting topic more digestible, on the other hand, it risks downplaying the severity of the issue.

In summary, humour can be useful in making communication memorable and more relatable, but the laughter must not come at the expense of the topic at hand. If it does, then humour perpetuates stereotypes and it relieves tension where it ought not to be relieved. Given the recent political and social issues, instead of reaching for the punchline to relieve tension we should all get better at living in the tension because that is the only way progress can be achieved.. ###Response: 80-84