SETTING AN EXAMPLE

MY NAME is Clare and I teach at Parkville College, a specialist Victorian Government School that provides education to students who are, or have been, detained in custody. Parkville caters for students with disabilities as well as social, emotional, learning and behavioural difficulties. Our students represent some of the most disadvantaged in the state, with most being victims of abuse, trauma or neglect.

My students often ask me to buy your magazine and other car and fitness magazines to read. It is a pleasure to see them engaged in reading and learning. However, when I purchase some car magazines, I need to rip out half the pages due to sexualised images that objectify and degrade women.

I bought a student a skating magazine last week, and while it didn’t feature any sexualised images of women, it literally contained no images of women whatsoever. Not skating, or biking, or even watching on. Women were completely erased.

I have just purchased your September 2016 issue for a young man who is almost finished his equivalent to Year 10. As I sat down this morning to do what my colleagues and I call ‘boob check’ throughout your magazine, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only were these sexualised images completely absent from the pages, there were profiles on women who race and build cars. At Parkville College, we are trying to develop each student’s full personality. Being able to hand my students a magazine that so proudly respects and champions women – in an industry that still has grid girls – was just so fantastic.

Thank you for that opportunity. If you have any back issues lying around, I know my students would make great use of them. Clare Royall, Parkville College, Malmsbury, Vic

THANKS Clare! My predecessor Geoff Seddon made a conscious effort to make the mag more inclusive when he became editor in 2000, so hats off to him for that. I had a similar experience to you when I taught remedial reading years ago; Street Machine and The Phantom always worked a treat. We’ll get some mags in the mail for you. – Telfo

MY SHED STORY CARLY DALE PHOTOS BRENTYN WAKEFIELD 020 STREET MACHINE 156 STREET MACHINE STORY LEGEND SCOTT TAYLOR PHOTOS CAM I N N ISS & DAVI D CO O K STREET MA 157 STREET MACHINE