Ignatian #2 2012

Ig nati a n

December 2012 Ed it ion Volu me 21 Nu mb er 2

w w w. r ive r v i e w. n s w. e d u . a u

Welcome to Riverview

Editorial Staff:

Editor: Peter Herington Journalist & Media Co-ordinator: Lauren Sykes Administration: Suzie Marks Design & Layout: Peter Barker

Alumni & Special Events Manager:

Christine Zimbulis Telephone: (02) 9882 8595 cszimbulis@riverview.nsw.edu.au

Contributions:

Please forward to: development@riverview.nsw.edu.au or Fax: (02) 9882 8200

Published by:

Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview Tambourine Bay Road, LANE COVE, NSW 2066

Front Cover:

‘Ignatius the Pilgrim’ Stained glass window in the Dalton Memorial Chapel

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he College Council and the entire College Community welcome the impending arrival of the new Principal of Riverview, Dr Paul Hine. Paul has over 30 years’ experience in Catholic education and, over the course of his career, has been immersed in three denominational traditions: Lasallian, Dominican and Marist.

Currently he is Principal of Sacred Heart College Senior in Somerton Park, SA, a Year 10–12 Catholic co-educational senior secondary school in the Marist tradition, with over 1,027 students, including 120 boarders. Paul has outstanding Dr Paul Hine academic qualifications, having completed a Bachelor of Arts (1977), and a Diploma of Education (1978) from Flinders University, a Master of Education Studies from the University of Adelaide (1991) and a Doctor of Philosophy from Curtin University (2001). He is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Science and Mathematics Education Centre at Curtin University.

A distinguished career Paul began his career in 1979 as a teacher at Blackfriars Priory School, a Catholic day school, in Prospect, SA. He subsequently spent periods in the UK and then at St Michael’s College in Adelaide where he was acting Principal from 1999 to 2000 and then again Deputy Principal from 2001 until 2002. In 2003, Paul was appointed as first lay Headmaster of Blackfriars. He held this position for five years until his appointment in 2008 as Principal of Sacred Heart College Senior.

In a career characterised by a strong commitment to continuous professional development and educational excellence, Paul holds numerous external appointments in the education community including Chairman of the Multicultural Education Committee (Ministerial Advisory Committee); and Member of the Management Committee of the Australian Council for Human Rights Education. Paul has been a former Chair of the South Australian and Northern Territory Branch of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA). Paul currently sits on the Ethnic Schools Board (ESB) in South Australia.

The text paper in this magazine is chorine free. The paper manufacturer has been independently certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council

Printed on FSC certified paper

Approachable and accessible Paul is well known for being approachable and accessible to students, for his love of sports and co-curricular pursuits and his strong commitment to quality, Catholic education. Paul’s strong commitment to social justice has been demonstrated in his efforts to increase access to education, especially to those from disadvantaged populations. As Principal of both Blackfriars and Sacred Heart, Paul developed strategic links with local and regional communities, which significantly increased enrolments and initiatives to support Indigenous and refugee students. Paul is a practising Catholic, enjoys community involvement, tennis and football, distance running, cycling, swimming, reading, philosophy and travelling.

Married with two adult sons, Paul’s wife, Ann, holds a Master’s Degree in Primary Health Care, has extensive experience in the health sector and among other roles teaches medical students at Flinders University. Paul is very much looking forward to taking up his appointment at Riverview at the beginning of Term 2, 2013.

Peter Herington, Editor

Ignatian

Ignatius the Pilgrim

In this edition

Around the College

2 From the Rector 4 From the Headmaster 7 Indian Bazaar 14 Immersions

26 Insignis Award 28 The Arts 32 Learning and Innovation 34 Student Leaders 2012–13 41 Riverview Gold Cup Regatta 42 Winter Sport 46 Cross Seasonal Sport

Around the Community

8–13 In the Footsteps of Ignatius Ignatian Leadership Pilgrimage

48 From the OIU President 52 Family Celebrations 53 Reunions 56 Parents & Friends 56 Past Parents 57 Resquiescant in Pace 60 Tribute to Robert Hughes

Dare to do so much

36

Book Review A tribute to the 54 Old Ignatians who gave their lives for their country during World War II, written by James Rodgers (OR71)

18–25

Any profits from the sale of this book will go to the Riverview Bursary Program

Spark! Student Work

l HSC Visual Arts Bodies of Work; l Design & Technology; l English

Ignatius the Pilgrim

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n 1991, former Rector, Fr Andy Bullen SJ, produced a suite of poems which traced Ignatius of Loyola’s pilgrimage from Pamplona to Jerusalem whilst, concurrently, reflecting on the essence of Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises. With notes or Annotations guiding the way, the Spiritual Exercises are a carefully arranged sequence of prayers, meditations and contemplations, which can bring a person to

commit themselves to the praise, love and service of God, by following Christ as fully as possible.

Fr Andy’s poems were originally published in a small booklet with some accompanying line drawings.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary, they have now been updated and brought into the digital age through the mastery of Riverview’s in-house graphic designer and digital art specialist, Peter Barker. The result is a computer, iPad and smartphone-friendly digital edition, with stunning colour photographs and an updated map outlining the pilgrimage, which can be accessed from the home page of the College website, or http://tinyurl.com/at5wddn

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Ignatius the Pilgrim

The road less travelled Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost, ‘The Road Not Taken’

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s Ignatius’ life was drawing to a close, his Jesuit companions were pressing him to pen his autobiography so that the story of his early life, conversion, mystical graces and experiences might not be lost to posterity. He resisted for a while, but finally acquiesced.

Rather than write them himself, he dictated the events over quite a number of years to young Portuguese Jesuit, Luis Gonçalves da Câmara.

The book is written in the third person and, in the text, Ignatius styled himself ‘the pilgrim’. Thus recent editions of the biography are often subtitled ‘a Pilgrim’s Testament’.

In Ignatius’ time, pilgrimages to sacred places were not uncommon. In our English tradition, The Canterbury Tales were told by pilgrims en route to Canterbury Cathedral, the sacred site of St Thomas à Beckett’s martyrdom. In Europe, the three most famous pilgrimage journeys

were to Rome, to Jerusalem and to the Church of Santiago de Riverview went to Tanzania on an immersion for the first time this year.

Compostela By way of contrast, as American Jesuit in north-western Spain, walking Fr Howard Gray suggests, the Camino. This last trek enjoying a pilgrim comes to encounter the enormous popularity today, the theme sacred in a particular place and of many books and, more recently, a focuses on the religious significance movie, The Way. But the pilgrimage of where he or she is. The pilgrim is more than a walk. It is a rich appropriates, whereas the tourist symbol and metaphor in the realm of watches. The pilgrim moves with religious experience. So the Christian reality of the culture where he or she experience may be styled a pilgrimage. is seeking God, to change their life The Church is also called ‘the pilgrim or give it deeper direction. But the people of God’. A people journeying tourist is seeking to satisfy curiosity. both with God and to God. Two There is a profound difference between realities. God is both companion along travelling for the sake of entertainment the way, and the destination. and travelling for the sake of spiritual What is the difference, then, between appropriation, and wanting to a pilgrim and a tourist? This is a incorporate that into your life. question we regularly raise with our Our Year 11 boys who choose boys about to embark on immersions. to undertake an immersion are The tourist comes to new places as a pilgrims. We style our programmes spectator, to see, but not to be really ‘immersions’ because, as far as is immersed. They are often cocooned possible, we immerse the boys in a in fast and air-conditioned transport. new culture – living simply, adapting They reside in hotels, so classy and to strange foods, risking illness, so alike that the guests might be struggling with language, and (in cosseted in any one of the globe’s great reversal) knowing what it is like to cities. The world they experience is now be in a minority group, to be interpreted through guides and seen themselves a foreigner. A good term, only through windows and lenses. ‘immersion’. When you are immersed, you struggle a bit, you are shaken out of your complacency, you can lose your footing and flounder, you go under once or twice. Then, you are offered a hand, you steady. You have a new perspective. You come out stronger. You change.

The chapel in Montmartre, where the First Companions took their vows, was visited during the Leadership Pilgrimage this year.

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I believe it is critical to get the language right because language shapes our understanding. On immersion we work with and alongside and not just for; we serve, not help others; we offer companionship, not charity; we see

From the Rector and perceive, not stare and sightsee; we give and receive. Importantly, we soon realise that we are ministered to by those whom we serve.

If a medieval pilgrimage was a geographical journey to a holy place or shrine, then our present-day immersions are nothing less. ‘The world is charged with the grandeur of God’, as Jesuit poet Gerard Manley Hopkins puts it so well. That is our reality. So our boys can echo Jacob of the Hebrew Scriptures when he said, ‘This is holy ground and I never knew it’. It is holy ground because God has been here before us and is to be readily seen by those with a discerning gaze.

There are many dimensions to a ‘holy place’. In English, the root word for holy is shared by whole and hale and health. I have been on enough immersions now to have seen boys, as a result, become holier (ie, more faith-filled and prayerful), sometimes healed of personal dilemmas which have made them anxious or unsettled, and frequently more whole (ie, more integrated, more fully developed as they have taken time to reflect upon the great mysteries of life, such as an understanding of self and who they are called to be, such as the reality of goodness and suffering, and such as the nature of God and their relationship to that God.) Upon return, we spend considerable time with re-entry and de-briefing.

On coming home, the ‘old’ culture can be strangely foreign for a time. The transition is a quantum leap in both directions. And, of course, we have to milk the experience as much as we can for the richness of its meaning. The end of the immersion becomes another start – a portal into a new way of seeing and understanding oneself, others, the world, and even God. The kind of knowledge that T S Eliot might have been suggesting in Little Gidding: We shall not cease from exploration And the end of our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.

Fr Ross Jones SJ, Rector

Riverview students attending the JECAP Conference, in Manila.

Inaugural Student Leadership Program, in Manila Fr Ross Jones recently lead the inaugural Student Leadership Program in the Philippines organised by schools in the Asia-Pacific Jesuit region.

Boys participating in the nine-day immersion come from Riverview and four other schools: Sophia University High (Fukuoka Japan), Canisius College (Jakarta), Wah Yan College (Hong Kong) and Xavier School (San Juan, Manila). Boys were nominated and invited as prospective school leaders and the immersion focused on leadership from an Ignatian perspective, including reflections, leadership forums, visits and two days house - building in a former squatter area on the edge of Manila, emphasising that leadership always goes with service.

The immersion was a great success and had a profound impact on those boys attending,their progress punctuated by a daily blog posted by Fr Ross.

One extract follows: ‘This morning, we piled aboard a bus to visit a few of the significant Manila sights. We drove past the slum housing area by the docks. Shanties cobbled together with bits of sheet metal, plastic, rags and paper. Old car tyres to hold the roofs on during a typhoon. Water underfoot after the heavy rains. Kids everywhere. The schools can’t cope with the numbers and those that try have classes up to 90 – and no text books. Yet the littlies were all spick and span. Cleanliness is everything, even amid nothing. We passed the notorious Smokey Mountain, former rubbish dump of Manila where families formerly squatted, eking out an existence searching for recyclable materials. It was like a scene from Dante’s Inferno, black-faced children prodding the rotting mess with long steel reinforcement rods to try and strike something of value to grub out of the stench. The ‘houses’ have been removed, but families are creeping back, even growing vegetables on the ‘soil’ of a cocktail of toxic ingredients.

After the slums and the dump, the bus had suddenly became hushed. No one had any words — no words to rationalise, or to vent anger, or to ask why.

I reminded the boys that education without reflection is not Jesuit formation. So they had to wrestle with these contraries and try to make sense of the human condition. And somehow find God in it. A big ask for a sixteen year old. But that’s why you sent them to ‘View’.’

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Ignatius the Pilgrim

Changes and challenges

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ooking back over the years, especially the past 12 years, there have been many changes at the College since I was appointed Headmaster in 2000.

However, rather than focus on these changes, which are many, for this edition of the Ignatian, I am going to reflect on four areas of College life which I believe are central to the distinctive education a boy receives at Riverview.

In the past 12 years, there have been significant changes in the spiritual, the academic, the co-curricular and service programs at the College.

Undoubtedly, in years to come, there will be ongoing transformation in these areas as well as many challenges for staff, students and parents.

The first and most important area is the spiritual formation of our students, our staff and our families.

It is this spiritual formation which underpins all we do at Riverview – it is at the very heart of Jesuit education.

Following his conversion, Saint Ignatius had a desire deep within himself to help others, to bring them to God. He knew he had certain personal qualities and skills to realise this desire. He went back to school at the age of 33 in order to obtain the best education possible and, having been educated, he had the courage of his convictions to make sure that this desire became a reality. And throughout all this time he prayed, he thought, he reflected and he discerned.

This vision of Ignatius led to the establishment of the first Jesuit school in 1548 in Messina in Sicily. Some 330 years later, it was this same vision that led to the founding of this school, Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview.

Initially, as you are probably aware,

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Shane Hogan, Headmaster with a group of students in front of the Main Building.

the school was staffed by Jesuits and just a couple of lay teachers. For many, many years it was the Jesuits who taught in the classrooms, who took boys for sport, who ran the boarding divisions and who even did playground duty. Even as late as the 1970s and 80s there were more than 25 Jesuits on staff.

Now this has all changed and there are fewer and fewer Jesuits at the College. However, as I said recently to the Rector, Fr Ross Jones SJ, these days we are going for quality, not quantity, in our Jesuits at Riverview.

Lay teachers, including women, now do much of the work the Jesuits used to do. They are involved in every aspect of the spiritual life of the school. That is one way the spiritual area of the College has changed.

There are many more. Boys now have a very strong involvement in liturgies and some of our senior boys are Eucharistic Ministers. Such initiatives were either novel, or unheard of, 12 years ago.

In other areas, such as days of reflection and retreats for students, there has been a significant shift in the focus of our spirituality.

The emphasis these days is more on finding God in all things as well as on reflecting at a much deeper level and developing their understanding of discernment. Staff, too, take part in days of reflection and retreats and there is a compulsory program of Ignatian formation for all staff at the College.

We also have an extensive Ignatian formation program for parents.

It is the depth and quality of this reflection, particularly when students take part in immersions and service experiences that makes us different from other schools and distinctively Ignatian.

We have let go of some spiritual traditions and experiences and have introduced others – one most significant experience being that of the Daily Examen, where the whole school pauses at midday each day to reflect on where God has been in their day.

From the Headmaster We still celebrate Mass on week days at the College, however, it is no longer compulsory for students to attend them, although, students do participate in class Masses and many attend our voluntary student Masses held every three weeks during term time.

offers over 25 different sports and co-curricular activities. This diversity is meant to challenge individual boys in activities that will give them broad experiences of success and failure, team building, satisfaction, enjoyment and challenge.

However, in the future, having Mass daily at the school will become a rarity. This is just one ‘spiritual challenge’ we will have to face in the future.

Without our co-curricular program our Jesuit education would certainly be incomplete. The challenges for this program are many, including the contentious issue of schools providing sports scholarships for students.

The question is: how can Riverview remain in the GPS, if we are no longer competitive, when other schools take sport to such an unrealistic level?

The other challenge is this: with our commitment to keeping fees low, how can the College commit to having such diversity in its co-curricular offerings, when the cost of providing that diversity to every single boy is increasing significantly every year?

Other challenges include the boys praying with and having spiritual conversations with women and making our boys feel proud of being Catholic, when in the next five years our Catholic values will be very much called into account.

The next area is that of academic excellence. Jesuit schools throughout the world tend to be a hotbed of educational rigour. Many are academically selective.

While Riverview can boast outstanding academic records, particularly over the past 10 years, we also believe in the academic excellence of students whose ATAR may be 45, 60 or 80.

We believe our academic education differs from many schools in that we expect out boys to question and to deepen their knowledge rather than skimming the surface of their subjects and focussing solely on academic results.

We are very proud of our academic support teams which include staff working in our Special Education Support Program (SEIP), the Saint Michael’s academic support team and the tutors who work with our boys outside of class times, particularly in boarding.

The future challenges in the academic sphere are enormous. For the first time we are being truly faced with an academic revolution.

Classrooms are changing in design and purpose –

Playing saxophone with students at the Owen House Mass & Dinner, in 1996

walls and desks now have a different function and the manner in which lessons are being delivered through the growing use of computers and technology is revolutionary. Under the pressure of so much change, our greatest challenge is to remain true to the importance of creating a sense of wonder in learning and helping our boys understand their subject in depth, i.e. continuing to focus on the ultimate goals of Jesuit education.

The third key area is that of cocurricular involvement. A Jesuit education is an education of the whole person, which means being challenged in mind, head and soul.

Over the past 20 years, Riverview has emerged from a school that had just two winter sports to a school that

Liam, Shane and Catherine Hogan, during Shane’s 50th birthday celebrations at the College.

The final key area of College life is that of service. In the past 12 years, our Ignatian Service Program has grown and has become a key element of the education a boy receives at Riverview.

The question is: why do we insist our boys do service while at school and why is it such an important part of our Ignatian education?

The answer to this is that going on an immersion, assisting the poor, being involved in raising funds to help programs in countries where people are not as fortunate as ourselves, is about seeing God in the marginalised and providing our young people with the opportunity to be courageous.

However, with more than 1500 students and their families now involved in our service program and coming to an understanding of the purpose of service, we are currently supporting a diverse range of service activities.

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Ignatius the Pilgrim My challenge is this: what if we put all those hours of fundraising and involvement in service activities into assisting just one problem 1993 Shane at St in Sydney – Aloysius’ College focussing on one issue such as homelessness, or youth poverty?

Couldn’t we make a significant difference if we all focussed on one area?

Another significant challenge is the quality of the reflection and discernment that takes place during and after our students go out on service. Without reflection and discernment, we are just another school doing good works.

something, a conviction of the heart; you also have to know what you are capable of doing, ie: you have to discover and appreciate the skills, gifts and talents God has given you; you also have to believe that you are capable of using your gifts; you have to learn the most appropriate way of using them and, ultimately, in order to bring about the desire of your heart, you have to go out and do something –you have to be a person of action.

If we want our students to have the courage of their convictions, we must help them develop the capabilities they’ll need to be courageous. It’s no use expecting them to ask questions, to seek the truth, to show initiative, to be a leader, to defend those values

And with so many of our parents walking alongside their sons in this program, we have to keep asking ourselves: what reflection and discernment opportunities are we offering them?

As I wrote earlier, our Ignatian spirituality underpins all we do at the College, academically, in cocurricular sport and activities and in all our service programs.

One of the key values that are central to this spirituality is courage. It took courage for Ignatius and the first Jesuits to come together and form the Society of Jesus; it took courage for them to set up schools; it took courage for Francis Xavier and the others who followed him to set out into the unknown, new world. The story of the Jesuits and the Society over the past 470 years is one of courage.

We are a school in the tradition of Saint Ignatius and our mission is to produce men of courage who are prepared to take on the world.

Courage is about desiring, it’s about knowing, it’s about believing, it’s about learning and it’s about action.

To be courageous, you have to have a desire deep within you to do

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2012: Shane Hogan presenting prizes, as the Speech Day Guest of Honour, at Saint Ignatius’ College – Adelaide.

and beliefs that are at the heart of a Jesuit education, if we don’t offer them opportunities to be questioners, initiators, leaders and defenders.

That’s why in the classroom we want them to be questioning. We want them to be curious; we want them to challenge current norms and practices; we want them to be genuinely counter-cultural.

That’s why we have such a diverse cocurriculum program, so that our students can not only discover their many gifts and talents and have

confidence in using them, but they can also discover God within them.

That’s why we develop student leaders in all areas across the College, so they can learn how to stand up and take responsibility for their decisions and their actions.

That’s why we encourage them to go on immersions, to participate in our Ignatian Service Program. By challenging them to serve others, to go outside their comfort zone, to see God in the marginalised we are providing them with opportunities to be courageous, to act on the desires within their heart, to put into action the courage of their convictions.

Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview, like any good school, must be accountable.

As a Jesuit school it is most important that we are accountable in the four areas I have been speaking about – the spiritual, the academic, cocurricular and service. Each of these areas must state explicitly who we are, what we stand for and what we are prepared to be measured by.

If all these areas are places where prayer and action do not meet then we will no longer be true to the vision of Ignatius and the mission of the Society of Jesus. We need to be a school that helps students, staff and families how to name the presence of God in their lives, on terrible days, wonderful days and just ordinary days – to help them to discover God’s will for them.

Shane Hogan, Headmaster

2002: Shane with the 2nds Soccer XI

From the Province Ministries

In the true Ignatian Spirit

D

uring the weeks leading up to the Indian Bazaar, you may have noticed a few men, wearing Jesuit Mission orange caps, working in the area around Ramsay Hall. They are most likely to have been Denis Eade’s band of volunteers, who give their time every year to set up the Bazaar. The two younger members of this troop, Kevin Byrne (OR72) and Doug Meagher (OR81) take a few days leave each year to help out in this charitable cause.

Doug Meagher (OR81) I started volunteering for the Bazaar when I was a boy, helping my Dad on the Dollar Wheel, now technically a Five Dollar Wheel, which has been in the family for 60 years.

Although I’ve been involved for a very long time, I’d never really appreciated the work that goes into preparing the Bazaar, until several years ago.

Amazed at the quiet generosity of the volunteers assembling stalls, and noticing their silvering hair, I thought I could lend a hand. For many years now, I’ve been lucky enough to be welcomed onto the Bazaar’s organising committee. I have been inspired by the volunteers’ working tirelessly to raise money for people they will likely never meet; their positive spirit is infectious.

Terry Meagher (OR50) I have been actively involved with the work of Jesuit Mission since approximately 1958. Having been educated at Riverview, and with two brothers who are Jesuit missionaries, it was the natural way for me to go.

During the past 54 years, I have served on committees charged with planning and implementing the annual Indian Bazaar.

I have enjoyed the friendship and satisfaction of working with the various teams of volunteers in the week leading into each Bazaar. The best way to sum up the feeling of these volunteers was expressed by Peter Currie, now deceased, who said of these yearly working bees ‘this is the best week of the year’.

Another element of volunteering for the Bazaar is the ongoing sense of community, fostered by many like-

Indian Bazaar – stalls outside Ramsay Hall

both men and women the Bazaar brings together.

Reference must be made to the backbone of mission work, and especially to the efforts of Clare Givney, in past years, and currently Edwina Macarthur. Also, our appreciation goes to Riverview’s staff and management. Finally, we recognise that we are each called to do this work for the poor and that God enables us to do it.

John Hazell Being a convert to Catholicism after marriage, I had no personal background in the wider Catholic community. After settling into Mosman in the late 70s, our family became involved in the local parish and we also frequently attended mass at St Mary’s North Sydney.

Shortly after my retirement in 2008, we happened to meet Fr Phil Crotty and I explained that I would be happy to help out with the Bazaar. Two days later, I had a call from Terry Meagher and very soon thereafter, joined up with Denis Eade’s Band of volunteers, and have been with them since.

I consider myself very privileged to have stumbled into this happy group of workers We work very

minded people, harmoniously, rarely get in another’s way, and actually have a lot of fun together. What impresses me even more, is how the wider Catholic community comes together so effectively and efficiently to mount such a big show as the Bazaar and produce the wonderful result for the very needy overseas missions. I look forward to my Bazaar week every September.

Denis Eade I am 68 and am on the executive committee for the Jesuit Mission Indian Bazaar. I first began as a volunteer back in the early 80s through my parish, St Mary’s North Sydney. Late in 1999, the new Mission Director, Fr Steve Curtin SJ, called me to say he was forming a new Bazaar committee and invited me to join.

The committee was formed in early 2000 and comprised former Riverview and St Aloysius’ Old Boys, along with some members of the P&F from both schools. We worked well, due to the generosity of spirit shown by all members and the willingness to work together as a team.

Why do we do it? As a member of an Ignatian Spirituality group for over 20 years, we have shared the gift of Saint Ignatius’s Spiritual Exercises, in which he writes of the quest for interior freedom and generosity of service—the call to love and to serve.

Generosity affects both the giver and the receiver; it changes us, personally and collectively. I see the work we do on the Bazaar committee as a ‘conversation’ with others. Somewhere we are making a difference to someone through the support of our Jesuit missionaries.

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Ignatius the Pilgrim

In the footsteps of Ignatius

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Photographs: Sally Tranter

gnatius used to say, ‘The labourers in the Lord’s vineyard should have one foot on the ground, and the other raised to proceeed on their journey.’ He was speaking, of course, of mission, availability and adaptability for his Jesuits.

Loyola Castle, the ancestral home of Ignatius of Loyola During the last term holidays, 15 members of staff from Jesuit and our Partner Schools across Australia packed their bags and took to the road ‘in the footsteps of Ignatius’. Gus Masters (Director of Boarding), Sally Tranter (Director of Staff Services) and the Rector comprised the Riverview contingent.

Over more than two weeks, we traced Ignatius’ path from his birthplace

at Loyola in northern Spain, which so much shaped his character, through the towns of his pilgrimage to the special sites of Manresa and Montserrat and Barcelona. We visited Paris to see his simple student ‘digs’ around the University of Paris and celebrated Mass in the Chapel of St Denis below Montmartre where Ignatius and his First Companions

At Loyola Castle , the room where Ignatius recovered from his injuries, at the Battle of Pamplona, has become a chapel.

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vowed their life together. At the tiny chapel at la Storta, north of Rome, we saw where God had graced him with a powerful and confirming vision. In his restored rooms by the Church of the Gesù, we could almost see him penning the Spiritual Exercises and the Constitutions, and governing his flourishing ‘least Society’ over an 18 year period.

Why do we invest so much time, energy and resources ‘to take to the road’ like this?

It is to keep the College on track (if that is not clashing metaphors). To maintain an authentic Ignatian identity in all we do and decide. To hold on to ‘our way of proceeding’, as Ignatius called it. On the road, we deepened our sense of the Jesuit charism. So important, because our shared charism gives us a story to enter, a language to speak, a sense of belonging, a way to pray, a work to share and a face of God to see.

Fr Ross Jones SJ, Rector

Ignatian Leadership Pilgrimage

The geographical, social, psychological

The serrated mountains of Montserrat ,overlooking the Benedictine Monastery and town of Manresa.

Š Some rights reserved: Misburg3014

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majestic and profound part of the Camino Ignazi (the Ignatian Way in Spain) is the experience of the twin impact of the alluring peaks of Montserrat and the industrial town of Manresa below. Ignatius walked this way with only one shoe, a cloth and a small sack containing nothing but his writings and a picture of Our Lady of Sorrows, which was to stay with him until Rome. His sword, symbol of a different life, was laid and left before the famous statue of the Black Madonna in the mountain monastery. Never does the spectre of Montserrat leave you, with its jagged outline looming over most of the views from the trail and the town and embedded in your memory. We know a great deal about Ignatius’ time in the town because the canonisation process began so soon after his death and many first hand accounts were recorded from local people.

Statue of the Virgin of Montserrat, before which Ignatius left his sword and continued his journey to Manresa.

and spiritual contrasts are striking and contributed to Ignatius’ great experience on the banks of the River Cardoner. His own description of his new understanding and intellect was surely underpinned by the shift from the sanctity and stillness of

the mountains (with all of their association with centring Catalonian nationalism, a place of religious and secular pilgrimage for centuries and a revered Benedictine Monastery, to the grime, hard-scrabble and work-a-day struggles of Manresa).

Initially, he fasted and abstained, scourged himself, lost joyfulness in his prayers and fell into a phase of depression and infirmity. He was to shift from this desolation to a time of illumination and consolation which built the bedrock of the Spiritual Exercises. A shift in his Christology becomes evident; away from the elevated spirituality as practised by the mountain-based monks to a more pragmatic ground-level vision that indeed, God is all around and can also be found through service to the sick, the poor and the marginalised.

Centuries of spiritual practices of the Society of Jesus were formulated on the banks of this surprisingly (to the pilgrim) small river, not far from Barcelona.

Guy Masters, Director of Boarding

Sally Tranter

The Ignatian Way

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Ignatius the Pilgrim Manresa

of St Paul by the Cardoner where Ignatius had his vision) and the Canon of the Seu Cathedral who advised him to write them all out all over again. It was a disaster, and his sins returned in more and more detail. While he was living at the Dominican priory, he was at such a low point that he said he would even follow a stray dog if it had the means of leading him from his desolations.

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The first was what we might call ‘the honeymoon phase’ when things went very smoothly.

Ignatius’ prayer was good and he was content. He wanted to emulate his favourite saint, Onuphrius, who was a desert hermit, so he let his hair and fingernails grow. The local children thought him an oddity and nicknamed him ‘the sack man’.

Then came a severe period of desolation.

Ignatius experienced a number of temptations and trials. The overriding one was the temptation to what has been known since the time of the early Church as the heresy of Pelagianism, that is, the belief that we can save ourselves by our own good works, penances or devotions. It is sometimes described as believing we can pull ourselves up off the ground by tugging on our bootlaces. But we can only be saved by God’s grace. It is all free gift – not earned, bought or merited.

Ignatius’ self-imposed routine was severe. He imposed a harsh regime on himself: Seven hours of prayer each day, including one at midnight, and all on his knees. Fasting and abstinence (no meat or wine). Scourgings. Daily Mass with Vespers and Compline.

Weekly Confession and Communion (in days more regular Communion was rare). After a time, a voice

Sally Tranter

gnatius had three major bases for lodging during his ten-month stay at Manresa.

Firstly at the Hospice of St Lucy (just outside the city walls), then with the Dominicans, finally in the cave. From time to time, various ladies having care of Ignatius would take him elsewhere for a time when he was ailing to restore his health.

There were also three phases of his spiritual life in Manresa, though not related at all to the places of residence.

The cave at Manresa is a place of pilgrimage.

attempted to undermine him: ‘How long can you keep this up?’ When he thought of the seventy years of his hero Onuphrius in the desert, he must have paled! Then his formerly rich prayer (consolation) became dry (desolation). Turmoil ensued.

Then Ignatius was given to major bouts of scruples. Scruples is believing one has sinned, but in fact has not. It comes from a Greek word meaning ‘a little piece of gravel’ which might lodge in your shoe. At first it is a minor nuisance, but by day’s end it can cripple you. When he first went to Montserrat, Ignatius made a three-day general confession to one of the monks there. But thereafter he kept recalling sins he had forgotten to mention. So he kept going from priest to priest for confession and spiritual direction. These included the Cistercian at the hostel (who was also the priest in charge of the Chapel

The worst temptation was to commit suicide (also while staying with the Dominicans).

He said he wanted to jump into a large hole (though we do not know where that might have been exactly).

Only the realization that this option would be a mortal sin and condemn him to Hell prevented him taking this step.

Finally, Ignatius bargained with God that, like one of the saints, he would fast until he was freed of his temptations.

This lasted a week until a priestconfessor told him to stop. He had a desire then to confess all over again.

At this point God intervened. God’s mercy broke through. Ignatius’ temptations left him. Consolations returned. He went from selfpreoccupation to seeking to help others. He begged alms for the poor and helped them. He began to eat meat once again.

Then began the final phase of his Manresa experience – the so-called days of illumination. In this time, Ignatius gained a deeper (experiential) understanding of discernment of spirits. He also noted that in discernment sometimes ‘the good can be the enemy of the better’. This was when he was tempted to undertake even more prayer, which would, however, cut into his sleep. That, in turn, have affected his health or ability to function properly.

Sally Tranter

Ignatian Leadership Pilgrimage

The Basilica of Santa Maria at Manresa, overlooking the River Cardoner, which was visited by Saint Ignatius.

Little remains of the Romanesque church which was rebuilt, commencing in 1322, with work continuing for more than a century.

So, ‘the good’ (prayer) was the enemy of ‘the better’ (sleep).

hand of God in creation is a recurring theme in the Exercises.

In this phase, Ignatius was given five significant illuminations where he felt God was teaching him.

3. The Real Presence in the Eucharist Ignatius had a vision of seeing Jesus bodily within the consecrated host.

Such an affirmation may in some way explain why his later Masses were such mystical experiences for him – prolonged and characterized by the gift of many tears (of consolation).

1. The Trinity While at Montserrat one day he saw the Trinity (Father, Son and Spirit) as three keys (notes) which, though individual, produced one chord. He experienced prolonged bouts of tears following this and the insight lasted a life-time. Ignatian spirituality is often described as Trinitarian.

2. Creation He was given an insight into the creation of the world. Ignatius does not offer much description, but the

4. The persons of Jesus and Mary Ignatius experienced multiple visions of the humanity of both Jesus and Mary, in their bodily forms. Ignatius tells us that these visions were experienced 20 or 40 times in his life. So much did they confirm his belief in the Incarnation, Ignatius said that even if there were no scriptures,

he would die for his belief in this doctrine solely on the basis of these experiences.

5. The vision at the Cardoner River The final vision occurred outside the little church of St Paul (cared for by the Cistercian who was one of his spiritual directors) a few hundred meters downstream from the cave.

Here Ignatius was given a great clarity of understanding of things, so much so that he says he became ‘a new person’. After this he moved to a nearby cross to give thanks to God. The plague by this time had moved on from Barcelona. And it was also time for Ignatius, with his rich insights and graces, to move on.

Fr Ross Jones SJ, Rector

Ignatian 11

Ignatius the Pilgrim Ignatius’ Vision at La Storta

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ne of the most profound mystical experiences of Ignatius is described by him in his Autobiography in a somewhat understated way: After he became a priest he had decided to spend a year without saying Mass, preparing himself and begging Our Lady to deign to place him with her Son. One day, while still a few miles from Rome, he was praying in a church and experienced such a change in his soul and saw so clearly that God the Father had placed him with His Son Christ that his mind could not doubt that God the Father had indeed placed him with his Son.

I, who am writing these things, said to the pilgrim, when he told me this, that Laínez had recounted it with other details as he had heard it. He told me that everything that Laínez said was true because he did not recall it in such detail, but that at the moment when he narrated it he was certain that he had said nothing but the truth.

He said the same thing to me about other things.

Ignatius Loyola, The Autobiography, Chapter 8 (The event described occurred in November 1537)

Laínez described the experience at La Storta in this way:

He told me that it seemed to him that

Sally Tranter, Director of Staff Services, Fr Ross Jones SJ, Rector, and Guy Masters, Director of Boarding (first second and fourth from left), on the Ignatian Leadership Pilgrimage.

Rome.’ Another time he said that it seemed to him he saw Christ with the cross on his shoulder, and the Eternal Father behind, saying to Christ, I want you to accept this person as your servant.’ And thus Christ accepted him and said, ‘I want you to serve us . . . And because of this, getting great devotion to this most holy name, he wished to name the congregation the Company of Jesus.

God the Father had imprinted these words in his heart, Ego ero vobis Romae propitius (‘I shall be favourable to you in Rome’). Not knowing what these words might mean, our Father said, ‘I don’t know what will become of us; perhaps we will be crucified in

‘In the matter of the name,’ wrote his secretary Juan de Polanco, ‘he had so many visitations … that I heard him say that he would be acting against God and offending Him if he were to doubt that this was the proper name and that even if all the Society thought that it should be changed … he would never agree to it … Master Ignatius always had this unshakeable sureness in matters he had learned in some higher than human way and so does not yield to any reasoning.’

Sally Tranter

In recent times, with the Society’s emphasis on faith and justice, Colombian Jesuit Roberto Jaramillo, wrote this about the la Storta experience in an article, A Mission for the Body of the Society:

Preparation for Mass in the rooms of Saint Ignatius, at the Gesù , Rome

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Commentaries on the Ignatian texts have traditionally placed much emphasis on the Trinitarian dimension of Ignatius’s experience in La Storta: it is time to concentrate now on the Christological dimension of this event. It is Christ carrying his cross who invites Ignatius to be His servant; it is not the baby Christ in the crib, nor the pilgrim Christ who cures the sick, nor the glorious

Ignatian Leadership Pilgrimage Christ of the resurrection. Clearly it refers to the Risen One; but it is Jesus Christ carrying His cross who chooses Ignatius ‘to serve him.’

It is Christ crucified again today who continues to invite us to be His companions and who chooses the Society in His service. It is His call which unites us; it is in His mission and in His service that we come together; it is by following Him (a process involving nearness and contact at the same time as availability and change) that we can be truly companions: a body in mission.

In the mystery of the living Christ, the Alpha and Omega of History, we find passion and glory, the cross and the resurrection. If we wish to be faithful to the classic call of Ignatius and his companions, the place of our encounter with salvation is the life of the poor, the true figure of the One who is crucified and whom we recognise as Saviour. It is their sufferings that challenge us and should shame us; it is their cross we should embrace, take up and accept as our seat of glory. If we wish to be authentic Companions of Jesus we must be Servants of those who are crucified and agents of their liberation in today’s world.

The mission of being servants of Christ carrying his cross becomes real for us in the faces and lives of the poor within our reach: the neighbour who lies fallen in the path of the Samaritan. On our nearness or distance from his life (and therefore conditions of life) and on the reply his cross awakens in our own personal and institutional life (our openness and change of mentality), depends the authenticity of our following as disciple and our service to Christ’s mission.

Wherever men or women are deprived of their rights: to study, to rest, to create, to work, to share in, to disagree; wherever people are excluded from social or political realities, stripped of their ancestral land, deprived of their cultural rights; wherever Christ is crucified again, there we Jesuits are called to be present as Christ’s servants and companions to each other.

Madonna della Strada Our Lady of the Way

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he Chiesa del Gesù [Church of (the Name of) Jesus] was the first church of the early Jesuit companions in Rome.

In 1541 Pope Paul III officially gave the chapel to the Society of Jesus. Immediately, Ignatius wished to replace it with a new, larger church and dedicate it to the Name of Jesus, as he had done with the Society. So it was to become the Church of the Gesù, mother church of the Jesuits.

Saint Ignatius prayed before the Marian shrine in this Church on his first visit to Rome in 1523, and so began a life-long love of the painting and of devotion to Our Lady under this title. It also became a favourite for other early members of the Society of Jesus, men such as Sts John Berchmans, Stanislaus Kostka, Aloysius Gonzaga and Bl Peter Faber, while Jesuit missionaries like Francis Xavier sought the intercession of Our Lady of the Way before setting out on their travels.

During 2006, the Italian Province decided to restore the image.

Two layers behind the image, the original image was discovered.

The first Madonna della Strada was not an oil painting but a

Fr Ross Jones SJ, Rector

‘Our Lady of the Way’ with later adornments, as it would have been seen during the time of Ignatius.

The restored Medieval fresco of ‘Our Lady of the Way’

fresco, a fragment from a wall painting. Substantial retouching and the addition of pious accessories — gold crowns, diamond earrings and sparkling necklaces rather crudely attached to the image’s surface — had disguised it.

When the later details were removed, Mary and Jesus were clothed in more subtle colours. And the book that Jesus holds is fastened with a golden clasp. Restoration, too, uncovered the hands of Mary and one of Jesus’ feet.

The cleaned and restored image is older than the 15th century dating formerly attributed to it. Art historians believe it to be about 200 years older than previously thought, which means that it is not an image of the Renaissance, but of the late Byzantine in its Western stream.

As he did with Our Lady of the Desk, Ignatius prayed before this image often. Ignatius was a great one for intercessory prayer, and from the Spiritual Exercises and his other writings, we know that Our Lady played an integral part in his prayer life. It was through Mary that he so often sought to be led to Jesus, the Way to the Father. In this image, no doubt he found great confirmation and consolation.

Fr Ross Jones SJ, Rector

Ignatian 13

Ignatius the Pilgrim Making an impact on the lives of others

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went to Micronesia and it was the best experience of my life. We spent seven days on an island called Pohnpei, where we visited many primary and high schools and compared them to ours, realising how lucky we are to be at a school like Riverview. Most of the schools we visited had very limited resources, such as having only two classrooms and a lack of teachers. Looking at the houses around the island made us realise how fortunate we are in Australia.

Riverview students, with local children, in Nepal

Out of our comfort zones

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n 2012, over 90 Year 11 boys took part in Immersion experiences within Australia and overseas. They travelled to Borroloola in the Northern Territory, Cape York in Northern Queensland, East Timor, Cambodia, Micronesia, Nepal, India, Tanzania and the Philippines.

We often talk of taking our students ‘out of their comfort zone’ during an immersion experience. They will witness many people lacking of even the most basic of comforts and advantages, and their awareness of the world leads them to question why things are the way they are. Many boys who take part in an immersion have a new awareness of the obligation that comes with their relative privilege.

Vital to an Immersion’s success is the reflection process.

During the immersion itself and on their return, much time and effort is giving to deepening the experience by reflecting on its impact. Contained within these pages are some student reflections on their life-changing experiences.

Immersion group at Xavier High School, Chuuk.

After spending seven days in Pohnpei we hopped to Chuuk, another island of Micronesia, which is poorer than Pohnpei and has a larger population.

Here we went to Xavier High School, where we each had a buddy who guided us around and taught us about their culture. While the boys board at the school, the girls stay with host families and get picked up by the bus every morning.

We accompanied them on the bus to school one morning, along the main in road in Chuuk, which is full of potholes . . . We also stayed a night in the boarding house with our buddies and it was fun to see how it is different to our boarding life. In the morning, we would go down and teach English, Maths and Australian Geography at a primary school called Sepuk. This taught me something about how I could make a difference to people with just a small little thing like three days of teaching.

On the last night at Xavier, we had a feast night with the boys and gave performances by our group. I did an Aboriginal dance for them—I was so proud of my indigenous culture, as I painted up and performed the Creation Dance. They also did their own island dances and it was amazing. That night we stayed with some host families in a village near the school. I slept on the floor with a sheet and had a bucket shower.

Immersion group at Borroloola, Central Australia

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Before we left, Xavier held a farewell assembly for us, where the students sang songs for us. This was amazing and it was very hard to leave. Though we only stayed for a short time, I feel overwhelmed to know that I have had an impact on their lives.

Alex Barker (from Riverview Indigenous News)

Immersions

Burning with pride in their hearts

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hen I sat down to write this, one of the first things I thought about was which aspect of Tanzania I wanted to write about. We know all about the great work immersions do, so then what insight could I possibly impart?

In the April holidays myself, seven other boys and two members of staff made the 23-hour journey to Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania and home to roughly 4,000,000 people.

Here, there were some rare flashes of ‘opulence’: a five star resort and a few discrete high-rises, but the overwhelming majority of the city was a mixture of decrepit cement houses, dirt roads and shantytown slums. We travelled to one of the poorest areas, a small district known as Mabibo, where we worked with the local Jesuit parish.

The Jesuits had done an amazing job, setting up two churches and schools especially for the impoverished, orphaned or homeless. Over the 10 days we were there we worked with the local parish and their youth group, working and (attempting to) teach in the schools, providing meals and going on medical runs to help support the local doctor. Most importantly, we formed a very deep and genuine connection with the youth group.

Despite all the tiring work, the loving relationships we formed with our friends in Tanzania made the trip so amazing and worthwhile. They looked after us the whole time, navigated us through the mess of streets and met with us each night to share our cultures and beliefs. At the very heart of it, they became some of our closest friends. There was no shortage of tears flowing during the impossible moment of saying goodbye.

Geordie Lee, Year 11, amongst a group of children, during the Tanzania Immersion

Where does that leave my original questions? In Tanzania we faced poverty everyday. We worked with orphaned children, younger than most of your kids, who had no family, home or food.

These children would beg for a home to sleep in each night and some food to eat—for many, their only meal for the day. The only one constant in their life was their education. The Jesuit schools managed to provide some very limited schooling free of charge, and despite the fact that the teachers often didn’t turn up and that most of the children couldn’t afford pens or books, they would turn up each day ready and unbelievably eager to learn. While this was something truly beautiful to witness—a generation of kids so desperate to learn—the hopelessness I felt when working with these children raised its ugly head often.

While we provided some valuable help, our dealings with 100 schoolchildren could easily be seen as insignificant. I couldn’t shake the feeling that even if we managed to help these children, once we left they would be just as badly off.

It was on the fourth day then, after my thoughts had run wild with despair, desolation and anguish that I began to realise the real value of our trip: what we brought the Tanzanian people might not be financially nourishing, or pull them out of

poverty, but our work is far more valuable than any sum of money.

What we brought was value: meaning and self worth and integrity of the human spirit. Simply by showing up, by being there and listening, we showed that people care about them.

For us, living in a world where we are showered with love and respect on a daily basis, it is hard to understand how much self-respect and self-worth our sheer presence can bring. But for them, just knowing that someone knew about them gave them so much value to their life. It is after seeing the spirit we were able to instil into these people just by showing up, that I truly believe the best thing we can do with our lives is to be able to provide value to another’s. I know that though we have left Tanzania, the self-worth we were able to impose into their lives is still burning with pride in their hearts and will continue to do so for the rest of their lives.

So, that is why we do these immersions. Not for the financial gains, not to give us a taste of service (although these are beneficial and hugely positive) , but for the meaning and value we can impart on those people’s lives. And although we haven’t changed the world, we have tried to make it a better place.

Geordie Lee, Year 11

Ignatian 15

Ignatius the Pilgrim

Filled with the happiness of God

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celebrated in the same way, we gave each other the Host so that all could experience Christ’s love from both perspectives.

atrick Rodgers (OR2011) spent seven months volunteering in Cambodia. Here are his reflections on the experience.

Eventually I was moved away from the work I had been doing previously due to the arrival of other volunteers.

Jesuit Mission Initially I was frustrated with Early on, I was reacquainted this move, as I felt that Sr with Tun Channareth (Reth), Denise was unwilling to give the most well-known landmine me responsibility, due to my campaigner around the world. age and lack of experience. It During the war, he lost both took some time to overcome of his legs to a landmine and Mgr Enrique ‘Kike’ Figaredo, this frustration. For some suffered greatly for many years.

Bishop of Battambang, washing the feet of a baptismal time, I felt that I was in the He came to know JRS in its candidate, during the Holy Thursday Mass. way of the others. Denise once early years and helped set up asked: ‘Do you think it was a good the International Campaign to Ban ‘We are creatures made for idea to come here after school?’

Landmines, which won the 1997 life in community, for life in Nobel Peace Prize. He accepted the I saw this as a sign that I was not relationship. Only with others award on behalf of the campaign. wanted. However it made me all the Reth was eager to take me to visit rural areas and see the lives of the people assisted by JRS. He showed me the issues in the village that JRS was assisting with and straight away asked me what I thought they should do to help. I was taken aback by the huge responsibility that was being given to me. This was intimidating at first, but soon it became apparent that I was being treated with respect and maturity.

The one thing that stood out on the first day was Reth’s strong advice on how to use the money that I had brought over. ‘It is your money. You must see the real lives of the people and choose yourself what to do. It must be your choice.’

My first experience with the extreme situations in which many find themselves was when I met two disabled people who had leg injuries that had been unattended to for years. Reth wanted to convince them to come to Battambang and have amputations. Both said that they were unable to go.

16 Ignatian

can we achieve our full human flourishing.’

Reth was disappointed but told me that their choice is their choice. I found this hard to understand at first, but have now learned we need to give people the freedom to make their own decisions. In this way they will be truly independent.

Holy Week I spent Holy Week at the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang, one of the largest Catholic communities in Cambodia. Mgr Enrique ‘Kike’ Figaredo has transformed the lives of hundreds of people by creating a lively and joyful parish where everyone is filled with the ‘happiness of God’.

I was especially moved by a communal washing of the feet, in which the entire congregation participated, during the Holy Thursday Mass. To wash and then to be washed signified the generosity of the community, even those who had no feet to wash. The Eucharist was

more determined to prove that I could be of use. In a way, it helped me validate my reasons for being there.

I accepted the decision and tried to apply myself as much as possible.

Fr Frank Brennan SJ came to the centre in May to give a talk on Faith and Social Justice. His words were inspiring and relevant to the dream that JRS shares with the Cambodian people: ‘We are creatures made for life in community, for life in relationship.

Only with others can we achieve our full human flourishing.’

The inevitable loneliness that I sometimes felt was always alleviated by the spirit of the above quote. This is how the Cambodian people are overcoming the struggle for dignity after the terrible crimes committed against them.

Meeting the Immersion Group I planned my time in Cambodia so that I would be able to spend some time with the Riverview Immersion group in July.

Cambodia Immersion

The Riverview group enthusiastically building outdoor toilets.

The most memorable moment happened on the first day that I went out with them. Reth took us to a village to build outdoor toilets, which was done with high spirits and enthusiasm.

I suggested that the group take half an hour so that Reth could tell them his story. I wanted them to know just how much he had done for Cambodia, through his own experience of rising from hardship. It was a reminder of my own time on the Immersion to see how attentive the boys were. He urged them to keep striving for good, and to spread the message of justice back home.

After the talk, Reth asked me if I wanted to take them to see someone.

There lived in the village an ex-army deminer who had lost his arm and eyes to a landmine in 1999. He lived under a sheet of plastic outside his mother’s house. Due to tuberculosis he had been ostracised by his family.

Reth warned that there was a good chance that we would cry. Surely enough, for the first time in three months I was almost moved to tears.

This was not, however, a cheap method of eliciting a feeling of guilt or sentimentality. It was the perfect chance to see the absolute poverty in which many people still live in the modern world. We gave him a meal and listened to his story. There was complete silence. Mrs Sarah Harrisson and Sean Bowmaker both said that this encounter came up frequently in

Riverview students listen intently as Reth tells his story.

the boys’ final reflections.

He died two weeks after we met him.

Reth went to his funeral and came back without a shirt. The family was so poor that they could not afford a burial cloth, so Reth gave the shirt he was wearing.

The Marist Mission in Pailin In August I moved to spend four months with the Marists in Pailin Province, near the Thai border. It was the last Khmer Rouge stronghold, and was isolated from the rest of Cambodia until as late as 1997.

Retired soldiers from the regime live in the area with their families in the countryside. They withdraw and live out the rest of their lives quietly.

Working in Pailin was a reminder that compassion does not take sides.

I was treated to a confronting experience when Br Francis invited me to a dinner with a very wealthy local figure and his friends. Sitting at a table with five ex-Khmer Rouge soldiers and men of high influence made me feel uncomfortable, not because of their past, but because of our proximity to some of the poorest people in Cambodia. I felt as if I was contributing to the corruption of the country. I told Francis about this afterwards, and he said that he would soon ask: ‘What are you doing to help the suffering people in your country?’

He said that everyone we meet has potential to help. By making these

connections, we can put them to great use. This was a profound lesson in humility for me.

I now understand that if we remain reluctant to be friendly with the ‘other side’, then we are making it much harder to change society.

Pailin was a way to renew my enthusiasm and to meet another group that is dedicated to bring Christ’s love to the people. The Marist mission in Cambodia has great potential and is one that I am excited to follow throughout its development.

Due to the kindness of the Riverview community, I was able to bring with me $1400 in donations. I was encouraged to use it ‘as I saw fit’. I met each beneficiary personally and considered what the best option would be to help them.

The donations financed: • Clearing the debt of a seamstress and providing her with new sewing equipment.

• New tools for a barber and spare parts for his electronics workshop.

• The construction of five wells in four separate villages.

• The treatment of four cancer servservseaapatients in Pailin.

My time in Cambodia gave me so many opportunities for the future and has taught me things that I will carry for the rest of my life.

Patrick Rodgers (OR2011)

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Spark

2012 HSC Visual Arts Bodies of Work

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ur 2012 HSC bodies of work are the physical traces of unique journeys. Each of our Year 12 Visual Arts students undertook his personal artmaking quest, in order to investigate a conceptual interest that was of deep personal significance. All works were created with passionate intentionality. The Year 12 artmakers left nothing to chance. Marks, surfaces, sizes of particular works within the submission and arrangements of pieces were carefully crafted to ensure that audiences could readily comprehend the intended messages. The HSC artmaking journey is constant, reflective and intense. It offers each boy an opportunity to grasp a deeper insight into the significance of his chosen focus. Like all journeys, the decision to start and to continue on a particular path has often been made by the traveller long before the journey has commenced. This year’s HSC artworks are complex and nuanced philosophical and spiritual entities. They can be experienced in a myriad of ways. This allows the audience to come to terms with all possible meanings that are associated with every work. Each body of work has been born out of deep and courageous engagement with a challenging and rigorous journey of artmaking practice. These truly compelling works were presented to the Riverview community on 27 July 2012 at the Opening of the Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview HSC Visual Arts Bodies of Work Exhibition. The majestic Memorial Hall housed this very special event.

Student: James Kelly Teacher: Ms Julie Stevens Title: Sigh No More Media: Painting – Water based oil paints, canvas, impasto, acrylic, trumpet, copper wire, headphones, tracing paper, paper and digital images This work pays homage to the specialness of a very significant relationship in James’ life. James’ eleven paintings represent the enduring nature of the bond that exists between himself and another treasured person. James’ series of works represent this deep connection as a wonderful gift. The complex and subtle qualities of the paintings clearly evidence the depth of the journey of reflection that James has undertaken in Visual Arts during his HSC year.

Student: Oliver Gohl Teacher: Mr Mark Anderson Title: Origins of Form – A Lost Spiritual Journey Media: Drawing

James Kelly with his HSC Visual Arts Body of Work Oliver’s five drawings recognise the spiritual significance of the land. The diverse formations shown in the work record earth features as magnificent monoliths. The latter represent the enduring quiet sustenance that is provided to humanity by the earth.

This work evidences a student’s journey in recording the features of Australian landscape as gifts of Mother earth.

our society. The work uses simplified caricatures of farm animals, the dictator pig and the sheep henchmen, to address sophisticated concepts of control and power in a subtle manner that registers on a number of levels.

The blimp represents an escape—a return to a simpler time? We are not sure. There are no easy answers for the audience in this work and it is this ambiguity that makes it so compelling.

Student: Patrick Hayes Teacher: Mr Mark Anderson Title: Chemical Ali and his Friends Media: Drawing –

‘Origins of Form’, Oliver Gohl

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Patrick’s conceptual drawing work explores issues around surveillance, power and authority in

‘Chemical Ali and his Friends’, Patrick Hayes

Student Work

Students can gain a deeper insight into their chosen subject: ‘Journey to Regret’, Ruben Rizzello (left); ‘A Study Bustos Provincial Jail, Philippines, Framed in Black’ Patrick McElhone (centre); ‘A Brother’s Treasure’, James Cheok (right).

Student: James Cheok Teacher: Ms Julie Stevens Title: A Brother’s Treasure Media: Drawing – Graphite pencils (HB, 2B, 4B, 6B) on watercolour paper, 300 gsm, monolith graphite pencil (2B), watercolours, all surface pencil (black), blending stick and paint brushes (0,1,2) James’ six drawings visually present instances of closeness that have been key in the history of his relationship with his brother. The delicate drawings record the growth of an enduring bond. The series represents a journey of the human spirit as it evidences the growth of unconditional appreciation and affection between two brothers.

Student : Samuel Connors Teacher: Ms Julie Stevens Title: Oceanic Fantasy Media: Painting – Acrylic on canvas Samuel’s triptych resulted from an aesthetic quest involving a desire to show landscape as a representation of

hope and delight. He has gone further than just documenting landscape forms. Sweeps of sea, sky and earth are deliberately shown in imaginative and exaggerated ways. They represent the wonder and joy that physical world settings give to humanity.

challenging plight in which the prisoners of Bustos Provincial Jail find themselves. Images of the cage like prison conditions together with the imposing black frames prompt the audience to confront the unfairness of inequity.

Student: Patrick McElhone Teacher: Ms Julie Stevens Title: A Study Bustos Provincial Jail, Philippines, Framed in Black Media: Drawing – Watercolour pencil and gouache on watercolour paper, 300 gsm

Student: Ruben Rizzello Teacher: Mr Mark Anderson Title: Journey To Regret Media: Printmaking

Patrick’s seven paintings show an interpretation of the crowded conditions that exist in a Philippines jail. The works have not just resulted from a journey to another country.

They have been brought about by a journey of ongoing reflection concerning human rights, social injustice and worldwide resource inequity. Heavy black frames were deliberately chosen to present these paintings. The latter represent the

Ruben’s series of five prints document a journey of the criminal mind from innocence to remorse for unhelpful deeds. His work investigates concepts of temptation and criminality but ultimately remorse and a desire for redemption is the final reflection. The rough carving of the block print aims to capture emotion in a powerful way, while the symbolic colourful ‘thoughts’ allow the audience an insight into the criminal mind. Ruben has beautifully shown a journey of reflection and discernment, a process at the core of Ignatian values.

‘Oceanic Fantasy’, a tryptich by Samuel Connors, resulting from a quest to portray landscape as a representation of hope and delight.

Ignatian 19

Spark

L to R: ‘Ode to Life’, John Weston; ‘Demise of the Great Dictator’ Mathew Edwards; ‘The Whole of Anything is Never Told’, Thomas Flood Student: John Weston Teacher: Ms Julie Stevens Title: Ode To Life Media: Painting – water based oil paints on watercolour paper, 300gsm John’s five paintings document the plight of those caught in an Australian underclass. Images of homeless men prompt the audience to reflect on the injustice of poverty and disadvantage.

John’s HSC Visual Arts artmaking journey involved participation in the College’s Night Patrol program.

His Visual Arts journey evidences ongoing reflection as his paintings compassionately represent his vulnerable subjects. John’s beautifully rendered works clearly show men of dignity and courage.

Student: Thomas Flood Teacher: Ms Julie Stevens Title: The Whole of Anything is Never Told (Henry James, Portrait of A Lady) Media: Painting – Water based oil paints, graphite and marker pens on watercolour; paper, 300 gsm.

Thomas’ eight paintings have resulted from a philosophical investigation.

His HSC artmaking journey prompted him to consider contemporary understandings of truth and varied constructions of reality. His paintings investigate the notion of incompleteness. Visual qualities of his paintings suggest transience and

20 Ignatian

‘The feeling remains that God is on the journey, too.’

(Teresa of Avila) multi dimensional realities. They suggest the impossibility of the existence of one cohesive reality.

Student: Mathew Edwards Teacher: Mr Mark Anderson Title: The Demise of the Great Dictator Media: Drawing Mathew’s five sophisticated pastel drawings represent the desperate journey of the dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The intensity of the pastel colours combined with the depiction of the intense eyes and facial features give the audience an insight into the madness, grandeur, authority and ultimate demise of this complex

‘Hong Kong 1941’, Graeme Law

figure in Libyan history. Beyond this journey, Mathew has captured the human, fragile aspects of this man.

Images, compositional arrangements and pastel techniques intentionally suggest a vulnerable man in life as well as death.

Student: Graeme Law Teacher: Mr Mark Anderson Title: Hong Kong 1941 Media: Drawing Graeme’s six graphic, mixed media drawings reflect the cultural complexity and division of Hong Kong during World War II. Hong Kong is part of Graeme’s personal HSC artmaking journey, as he lives there and loves the city. Graeme has brought together aspects of Chinese, British and Japanese influences in the region to create a range of clever compositional arrangements. Graeme has also combined various techniques and mediums including acrylic painting, pencil and ink drawing, spray paint stenciling and collage. This richly infuses the work with a sense of contemporary design practice. The work subtly represents the diversity of various cultural influences upon this great metropolis at a time of great upheaval and change.

Miss Julie Stevens, Head of Visual Arts & Mr Mark Anderson

Student Work

HSC Major Work by Luke Harris

HSC Major Work by Matthew Laba

Design and Technology HSC Major Works

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his year’s Higher School Certificate class for Industrial Technology had two students—Luke Jarvis and Louis Schirato—nominated for the display of major works presented at the annual Timber and Working with Wood

Show, for their innovative Multimedia projects. Ms Selina Giles and Ms Kobe Perdriau assisted the Multimedia boys in achieving a number of uniquely interesting projects. This year’s timber projects, while not gaining selection for this display, displayed a great deal of skill

and a love for the work that goes into their creation. Thank you to Mr Don Gock and Mr Gerard Carson, who each spent many hours helping and guiding the boys in these timber projects.

Ralph Guthrie, Head of Technology & Applied Studies

HSC Major Work by Samuel Hartwig

HSC Major Work by Joseph Sheridan

HSC Major Work by Luke Jarvis

HSC Major Work by Fergus Hassall

Ignatian 21

Spark

Truth ‘In a moment of Truth, we discover ourselves’.

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was going to happen and screamed out ‘STOP’. It was too late. The boy, completely oblivious to where he was, stepped out into open air.

6.15 David had just received a phone call about his brother’s location and sped to where there was a large crowd at the base of a building. David shouted, ‘Is he alright? My brother, is he alright?’

ine Year 9 students were given the opportunity to immerse themselves in a once a week, two-term Extension English program exploring The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth ‘Its OK! He survived.’ the concept of TRUTH, this year. The following pieces David slumped onto the something peculiar. He sees a boy provide a minuscule insight into their ground, relieved. The commander of walking precariously along the journey through this course. the quick response unit approached scaffolding beams of the semi-finished skyscraper.

He knows what this him, ‘Your brother did not attempt 6.00 What is the point in life? The situation is and immediately stops his to jump but fell accidently. Luckily, thought swirled around Tom’s head as car to dial 000. we were equipped with BASE jump he looked down from the roof of the parachutes, landing them both safely semi-constructed building. He took a 6.05 Tom walked cautiously across on the ground. He is being taken to deep breath, savoring its freshness; the beams, 30 stories above the ground. a mental illness clinic and will need beauty and awe of the city, under the For once he felt free. He heard a to stay for a while. You can visit him beautiful sunrise, struggling to find a shout from down below and glanced tomorrow, he needs to recover now.’ reason for why he should turn around at the pavement. To his surprise he David thanked the commander and sat and go home. He knew he was trying noticed a man staring straight back back in his car. He would have liked to to make a final attempt to change at him, yelling and waving frantically, see his brother immediately, but had his mind and live another day, to go confusing Tom. He began to feel back to bed and wake up for another complied without any dispute. nervous. He heard the wail of sirens in dreadful day of school. No. He had had the distance; a crowd forming at the He was just glad everything was going enough. With that final thought he base of the building. Tom felt dizzy; to be OK. took his first shaky step out onto the all calmness and peace lost. He felt William Cronin scaffolding beams 30 stories above the trapped again. He felt scared.

This is Truth early morning traffic..

6.10 John was part of the quick I believe that the truth is not definite 30 minutes ago David, Tom’s older response unit and had arrived at the but this is impossible in our divided brother and carer, lay in bed waiting base of the building at exactly 6:07 and extremely varied society. If the for his alarm to go off. He hadn’t slept am. He hated seeing kids end up like truth is not definite, then what is it? well. Recently Tom’s depression had this. Once the unit reached the top I believe that there are, in fact, several gotten worse, he was possibly suicidal. of the stairs, the squad slowed their types of truths. Personal truth is For the past couple of nights David movement. They had to take it slowly undeniable, differing from widely held had been imagining his worst fear: A from here; a mistake potentially truths. The concept of a universal knock on the door, with the news of resulting in the death of the boy. truth, while tempting to believe in, is, Tom’s tragic suicide. When suddenly, Slowly the four men exited the stairs David’s phone buzzed, ‘I thank you for in fact, impossible. and caught sight of the boy but the boy you efforts to convince me otherwise, How do these ideas about truth affect simply stared. John called out to him, but this is a mean world where I don’t our modern society? Nowhere is this ‘I would like you to slowly make your think I ever belonged. Thank you for way back towards us.’ While the boy’s discord between truths more evident everything you have ever done for attention was completely focused on than in our justice system. We rely on me.’ Within 5 minutes David was out John, two of the other men sneaked our justice system to create order and the door, in his car, beginning the out onto the scaffolding towards the to enable a sense of security and peace desperate search for his little brother. boy. Strangely, the boy nodded at in our community. But how is truth 6.00 An ordinary man with a John’s command. He seemed to be in defined in our justice system? How do nondescript name makes his routine a trance like state, forgetting where we know that the truth the jury arrives journey to work, when he notices he was. John suddenly realised what at is really the truth?

22 Ignatian

Student Work Is justice just a representation of the truth? Perhaps this is the best we can do. Will the jury’s memory be coloured by stereotypes and negative experiences? Will their beliefs lead them to suspicions or as yet unproven conclusions?

What if we examine how the justice system represents widely held truths such as religion, especially in Australia? The Westminster system was created in a country where Christianity was the most commonly held religious truth. England exported this system to Australia more than 200 years ago, and to this day, it remains our system of justice, just as Christianity remains our most widely held religion. But in our modern multicultural world, is this system still relevant? In this country, the jurors, judges and prosecutors are more likely to share a common Christian belief.

Does this tarnish the possibility of a fair trial for those with minority beliefs? I believe it does. These widely held truths, tainted by mass stereotyping, may create a barrier between the jurors’ belief systems and the definite truth of the case.

I believe that our Australian justice system here is not perfect; it is impossible to have a system that is not affected by both personal and widely held beliefs. This leads me to believe that our justice system, while imperfect, is the closest we can come to the definite truth of any specific case.

Declan Curtin

An Essay on Truth Truth is that which is in accordance with fact or reality.

Truth sounds like something which is objective. It seems like a term that can be used interchangeably with terms like fact and reality (as I have already done), however, that in itself couldn’t be further from the truth...

Truth is a subjective term. For some truth is all about correspondence.

Thomas Aquinas once said ‘A judgment is said to be true when it

conforms to the external reality’.

Many Ancient Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, supported this theory.

The correspondence theory is not an objective answer to truth, as there is no yardstick to determine the degree to which truth may conform to an external reality. There are many other theories on truth; here are some of the more notable ones.

Coherence theory: The coherence theory states that for something to be true, it must require the proper fit of elements within a whole system. A more believable recount of an experience is one where every component adds up and does not refute the reality of one another.

Constructivist theory: The constructivist theory holds that truth is constructed by social processes, is historically and culturally specific, and is shaped by the power struggles of the community. This statement entails a few key tenants, such as the idea that history and culture are man made.

Consensus theory: The consensus theory views truth as whatever is agreed upon, or might be agreed upon. This is an interesting theory, which can be seen in society today.

Many people argue that popularity is the ultimate pursuit in life, and thus being popular is what makes that thing superior. Therefore it is a contest to measure the degree to which one thing is more popular than another. If I might add my own opinion here, I personally discourage and don’t support this idea on truth.

I don’t discourage trying to objectify truth, but I do discourage trying to objectify truth and prove it on the premise of popularity.

So, in a basic way I have shown four forms of truth - Correspondence, Coherence, Constructivist, and Consensus; the 4 ‘Cs’ of truth, if I may alter a phrase from the PDHPE department.

It is of my opinion that truth is just an interchangeable term.

In petty playground disputes, truth is the determination of whether Led Zeppelin is superior to The Beatles (which of course they are).

As such, the application of truth is endless, and therefore the definitions of truth are as well.

Before I conclude, let me explain one last thought: If truth were easy enough to define in one blanket theory, then we would have already done so. In truth, truth is unobtainable!

I can say no more than this: Truth doesn’t exist... if you want to consider it objectively.

Quite honestly I don’t know how to define truth, but I can tell you, with certainty, when I see it Liam Donohoe

Truth

Dictionaries struggle to define truth and it cannot be simply defined. It can only be explained by accounting for all theories. A summary of these will follow and thereafter I will present my own theory on what truth ultimately is.

The correspondence theory of truth examines the relationship between thoughts and objects; it is supported by incredibly influential philosophers such as Aristotle, Socrates and Plato.

In essence, the correspondence theory seems to use the word ‘truth’ to define ‘truth’. The theory states that things are true if they accurately define the given ‘things.’ But what of the English language that cannot capture the entire meaning of things?

The coherence theory requires a proper fit of elements within a whole system.

When judging if something is true, it must be considered to lend mutual inferential support to everything else which is ‘true’. It requires complete, supporting underlying factors to be considered true.

The constructivist theory states that the truth is constructed by social processes. These apparent truths are therefore historically and culturally specific. They differ between every individual’s unique beliefs, and therefore there is no ONE single truth.

Ignatian 23

Spark A month later:

The consensus theory is a fairly simple concept. It says that something is true if a specified group agrees upon it. Whether opinion can define truth, however, is debatable.

The pragmatic theory suggests the testing of something to validate it as being true. The theory states that truth is verified by putting one’s concepts into practice. What works may or may not be true, but what fails is false, as the truth always works. The theory also states that truth is ‘self-corrective’ over time, and so as new ideas arise, they are validated at the same rate.

In evaluating my personal truths, an element of bias is unavoidable.

As a faithful Roman Catholic, one could argue that my ‘truths’ are very different to, say, a Muslim. Although unlike most, I believe that truth is the reason for life. It defines our purpose on Earth and I believe that the majority holds the one and only truth.

When analysing specific circumstances within the ‘Xavier Eales theory’, something is true only if it leads to this agreed upon purpose of making the world a better place. Whether a specific belief benefits the human race or not will always be debated upon between religions. Maybe, however, these specific truths aren’t meant to be known.

Maybe, by fate, man is not meant to know the whole coherent system of truths. If so, let it be.

It is important to view truth as not being small, specific facts, but rather, as the broader meaning of life. Different religions, ethical groups and social groups may have their own paths to this ultimate truth, but they all eventually lead there. All will lead to the truth, as the truth cannot be denied.

It is, after all, true.

Xavier Eales

Emotions Owen looked at the screen with the face of a born skeptic. He was the sort of man who didn’t trust anything new; the internet, computers, or any other technological advancement from the

24 Ignatian

He woke up and looked at his phone: ‘questioning, understanding’.

Year 9 students in the dock, at the Truth & Justice Museum, Sydney past 20 years. Even the mobile he was holding, he did not trust.

He was being paranoid. Everyone else relied on their mobiles for their emotions, why shouldn’t he? For the past few years all he had heard was how good the Emotions program had been, but the fact was, he still wasn’t comfortable with it.

How could the little brick in his hand, even with all its flashing lights and strange noises, tell him how he would feel that day? ‘It looks exactly like the thing you shouldn’t trust.’

He heard a shrill pop from his phone!

His first day’s emotions had come through. ‘Well no point waiting,’ he thought nervously as he opened the message: ‘Anxious, angry’. Well that was wrong, he did not feel angry, nor have anything to be anxious about.

Annoyed at having already spent the $10 joining fee he threw the little brick hard at his bed. ‘I’ll make myself have a good day, just to prove that it doesn’t work. Then I can cancel the stupid subscription and get on with life how it used to be.’

He took a cab to work and made sure to buy an expensive lunch, taking care to pick only his favorite things.

However, he was still anxious as to what his emotions would be the next day and, angry at himself for being anxious.

He went to bed in a state of anxiety and anger and awoke the next morning to the sound of a shrill pop! It read: ‘Happy, optimistic’. Well at least it is better than yesterday, still not wanting to believe what was on the screen but not wanting to be upset.

Owen went straight back to the research; surely there had been some mix-up in the system. He came across websites that claimed Emotions was controlling the way you felt, not just telling you how you will feel.

‘Could this be true? Have I been living on lies for the past month?’ The truth?

The emotions were only true because Owen perceived them to be true.

Enlightened by this new understanding Owen boarded the subway on his way to work. On the subway he looked around, he noticed many people staring miserably at their phone, others happily.

He tried to convince them that the emotions texted to them each morning were not true. ‘Don’t believe it,’ he said to a happy young mother.

‘But it’s right,’ the mother replied. ‘I am happy.’ To another man who was obviously sad he offered him part of the cookie that he had bought on the way to work. The man just grumbled something and turned away.

How could he do it? How could he convince these people that everything they felt was false. How could he change the way that people had been living for over a year? He couldn’t.

The next day he woke up, angered and distressed that he could not get through to these people. He heard the sharp pop! and looked at his mobile: ‘Angry, distressed’.

Samuel Eaton

This is MY Truth

Male or female, old or young, good or evil, we will all eventually die. That is an incontrovertible fact.

Fact is truth, yet truth is not always fact.

Simply put: fact is real, fiction is not. It is a fact that I am a man; it is fiction that I am a woman. Fact is universal.

Truth simply put is one’s personal facts. Truth is a concept that contrasts with that of lies. You can lie about

Student Work facts, yet you cannot tell falsehoods about truth, for truth is honesty.

There are two strong representations of truth that can properly and coherently exemplify exactly what truth is. One of these is religious truth. For Catholics, Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and the second aspect of the Trinity that consists of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. That is the Catholic truth but truth should not be confused with belief. It is a fact that I believe in God, and it is my own personal truth that I believe in God. The other is the fallible court system.

Everyday, thousands of men, women and children are tried for crimes varying in extremity from shoplifting to sexual assault. Some are guilty but some are innocent. A few years ago, back when I lived in the United States of America, I remember my mother recalling a news story about a man who had been convicted of a very serious crime but thirty years later they found he was not the perpetrator and let him go. Convictions are not facts; they are truths, truths that the law system seeks to prove. The verdict in a court of law is considered fact, however it is only truth, the truth of the law.

The truth versus fact argument can be complicated if one slightly alters the definition of fact, and adopts a slightly relativist point of view; if one believes fact can only exist once the human eye has seen it. For example, the sun may rise in the east and set in the west, yet until we actually see this natural occurrence for ourselves, can we still call it a fact? Is fact really just another manifestation of truth, or even less than that, a claim to truth?

In conclusion, truths are both subjective and objective and will stay that way whilst facts become objective through subjective experience. We will always have facts, but we seek to find truth. It is possible to find truth utilizing reason and logic. To ultimately discover truth is beyond man’s finite ability but to find one’s personal truth . . . it must be revealed.

Raphael Jaquette

The Lowest Common Factor in Truth I don’t want to do this assignment… that’s the truth of the matter. Of course, that’s not the whole truth, because if it were, I wouldn’t be doing it, would I? That’s my truth. But that’s also not the truth, not the ultimate truth.

Out of the following, you can probably pick which one is you: ‘I don’t want to do this, but I have to’ ‘I don’t want to do this, so I won’t’ ‘I don’t want to do this, and I should do this and it’s wrong not to, but I’m going to try to justify my actions by wildly trying to convince myself that I can manage it later.’

Does the last one seem familiar?

Perhaps not, depending on who you are, but judging by the fact that this assignment is being completed less than twelve hours before it’s due, you can probably work out which category I fall under .

Knowing that truth is linked to opinion and perception rather than fact, isn’t new. So what do I have to say that is new? It’s my perception of truth, of the ultimate truth. And here’s how I see it: The ultimate truth is the truth that encompasses everything. It is the truth that unifies all truths.

Lets take the sample size from before: people procrastinating.

‘I don’t want to do this, but I have to.’

‘I don’t want to do this, so I won’t.’

‘I don’t want to do this, and I should do this and it’s wrong not to, but I’m going to try to justify my actions by wildly trying to convince myself that I can manage it later.’

What do you notice about these different truths? The thing that is unified across all of these truths is that the assignment is not wanted. So what is the ultimate truth for us, as humans? Well I would say this: The ultimate truth is truth in

its simplest form. It is the lowest common factor in all truths. It is the building block for all other truths.

This ultimate truth is the truth we should feel free to interpret and use as we want.

‘You were born, and you will die.’

Everything in between is up to you . . .

Questions Unanswered Truth is personal though universal, Simple, though so ‘unearthly’ complex.

Impossible, though inevitable Shaped through our experiences, or with us at birth?

Is there any truth?

Is it wrong or is it right, is it Absolute or Relative, Confirmed though refuted, Philosophical or scientific.

Contradictory in many ways Justice, the truth or the logical action after the understanding of facts?

Is a jury ever wrong?

As each person has unique stories of events, is one person’s true?

Are there multiple truths?

Indefinable, deep, and esoteric.

The discovery possibly being the purpose of philosophy.

The answer to the ultimate question, may be the answer to the understanding of truth, but is there a truth to understanding?

Is it true that truth is real?

Epilogue: Truth and reality.

What we see might not always strictly be the ‘Truth.’

Truth is a very hard thing to understand .What we see may be a projection of the truth, an alternate truth, or not the truth at all. There is a difference between truth and reality so is reality itself an illusion? Yet again, truth describes the world, and when the world changes, the truth must also change.

Reality is subjective and possible to explain whereas ‘The Truth’ is obvious and cannot be captured by words.

Hugh Weber

Ignatian 25

Around the College

Insignis Award

Michael has held prominent positions of leadership: Captain of Gonzaga House, member of the Student Representative Council, Captain of Music and Vice-Captain of Drama.

He is a Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awardee. But it is a modest, quiet yet solid influence that is his present style and will be his lasting legacy.

Michael O’Sullivan – Citation for The Prize for Outstanding Academic Achievement, 2012 and the Insignis Medal Recipient 2012

In a remarkably mature selfreflection, written in the last few weeks, Michael admits that at Riverview for the past eight years he has sought ‘to delve into many wide-ranging opportunities … with an aim to develop my whole person and that of those around me … I have been able to discover new talents and passions . . . The College has instilled in me a thirst for justice and for the Ignatian values.’

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he Insignis Award recognises influence. It is the shaping of a person or a project. The hallmark that one recognises in the product. Or the stamp someone leaves on a place.

The style may be in bold and largefont, or it may be understated. Nearly three millennia ago, the prophet Isaiah was describing a leader for his people this way: He does not shout or raise his voice, A broken reed he will not crush, nor will he snuff out the light of the wavering wick.

Yet he will make justice appear in truth. (Isaiah 42: 2a-3) Michael O’Sullivan is such a one.

Michael O’Sullivan, Insignis Recipient 2012

A solid and steady influence for the good. A quiet beacon that invariably points the way. At different times in this place, he has nudged and beckoned us all, boys and staff, towards all that is good and just and worthy.

‘My whole person and those around me’ he says – an attitude that binds the other to the self in a common enterprise. Never about ‘just me’.

If the College has generated such a thirst, as Michael describes, then he has drunk deeply at its well.

In a distinguished academic career, Michael has earned many Gold and

Archbishop of Sydney Award

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he Archbishop of Sydney Award for Student Excellence is an annual distinction bestowed upon one student from each of the 48 Catholic secondary schools in the Archdiocese of Sydney. It is presented at a beautiful ceremony at St Mary’s Cathedral and its recipient is a student who has displayed outstanding Christian leadership. Each of the recipients has a brief citation espoused by a fellow student from their school, providing an insight into the reasons for their nomination.

The expectation is that the recipient has ‘gone beyond’ an involvement in the academic, spiritual and co-curricular dimensions of their

26 Ignatian

Mr Bernie Winters, His Eminence Cardinal George Pell AC and Joseph Wehbe

education. While an industrious and wholehearted attitude across these spheres is a pre-requisite for the award, the representation of their ‘love of Christ’, to use the language of Dan White (the Executive Director of Catholic

Schools who addressed the congregation at the ceremony) is what distinguishes them. In our language at Riverview, this can be translated as the Magis or the desire to seek more and to be more.

Our recipient for 2012 is Joseph

Valete other level Certificates for application to his studies and has twice been awarded the Bryan Veech Prize for Application. He has excelled in subjects as diverse as English and Chemistry, History and Maths, Latin, French and Science. With a questing mind, he delights in the pure desire to know. He shares that enthusiasm.

It is in his co-curricular pursuits that Michael has blazed a trail, stretching his already considerable talents, nourishing his passions. In embracing Track and Field, Tennis, Basketball, Rugby, Sailing, Surf Life Saving and Football, Michael never saw boundaries, but only opportunities.

But it is in Music and Drama that Michael has excelled – from his role in The Pied Piper of Hamelin in Year 5 to his most recent Voices in Conflict in Year 12, from various percussion ensembles to his stellar roles in musicals, Michael has been the heart and voice of the performing arts, so valued in any school within the Ignatian tradition. A gift that can, at one time, give joy to the spirit, and yet challenge one’s too-easy comfort at another.

Wehbe and I have included his citation below, courtesy of James Rodgers who composed it so expertly, Bernie Winters, Joseph’s Housemaster who provided the relevant information and Henry Gallagher, a Year 11 student and the newly appointed MacKillop House Captain, who articulated the citation superbly at the ceremony on behalf of the College.

Joseph Wehbe is Captain of MacKillop House at Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview. He has led with gentility, initiative and confidence. He has been deeply involved in the cocurriculum, curriculum and spiritual life of the College. He is a Minister of Holy Communion and is a principal organiser of the College’s group which advocates

Michael has transformed those around him in these activities by his strong values and sense of the team.

He has a realistic grasp of the magis, daring to imagine and live out what is possible; not to be scattered, but to savour and plumb the depths.

During his years with us, Michael has been serious about exploring the relevance of a personal faith to his everyday life. He appropriated it in his Religion classes and in the Arrupe Academy. He deepened it in the Kairos retreats which he has both participated in and led. He has brought Christ to others in different ways as a Eucharistic Minister and in the St Vincent de Paul Society and Night Patrol. He has wrestled with deeper issues in the Discernment Seminar and as an inaugural member of the AT Thomas Advocacy Group.

With the Starlight Express and at Teresa House he served those on the margins in different contexts. He has accompanied the poor in India and shared the lives of indigenous communities at Borroloola and Bowraville. All this he has done with integrity and a quiet reverence for the other – simply learning to serve for Prisoners of Conscience. Joseph has taken prominent roles in his own Parish, St Kevin’s Eastwood, and in December 2011, travelled to Cambodia to conduct work in the villages. Joseph has embraced all opportunities with passion and used his talents for the service of others, in a faith that does justice.

Clearly Joseph provides a wonderful model of the servant leadership that we hope for all of our students at the College. Central to this is the ability and willingness to truly ‘live in the presence of Jesus’, to cite Dan White again. In reality, this is not an easy thing to do and it was interesting to hear His Eminence Cardinal George Pell AC, in his address tothe congregation, refer to the need to ‘commit to the struggle of faith and goodness’.

and serving to learn. Reflecting on experience. In the Jesuit tradition, having Faith and Justice go hand in hand.

Time and again Michael has trod this stage to entertain or to be acclaimed.

Many platforms lie ahead of him, surely. Many and varied roles to assume. But one character always – the man of character we acknowledge to day.

On this occasion, Michael is once again the worthy recipient of a number of awards: The GPS Old Boys’ Unions’ Council Prize for Modern History; The Prize for Drama; The Prize for French Extension; The David Ell Prize for Senior Dramatics; The Prize for Outstanding Academic Achievement; and the highest honour that this College can bestow upon one of its sons.

The deserved winner of the Insignis Medal for 2012 – Michael Charles O’Sullivan.

Adam Lewis, Director of Students I was unsure how I felt about his use of the word ‘struggle’ in this context and to be honest, it did not sit comfortably at first. However, on reflection, it would seem to be pretty close to the mark. That is, one’s spiritual and faith journey should be challenging. Indeed, it should be demanding and uncomfortable and even confronting at times. In short, it is a ‘struggle’ (in the most positive sense of that term) and at the very least involves a very definite and necessary process. While this process may be difficult or indeed a ‘struggle’ at times, it is, nonetheless, one that we unashamedly present to our students as a central part of their education so, like Joseph, they have the opportunity to seek more and to be more.

Adam Lewis, Director of Students

Ignatian 27

Around the College

O

Aladdin

ver 100 boys and girls sang, danced, acted, moved sets around and generally had fun in this year’s Middle School Musical, Disney’s Aladdin Jr. Memorable songs, amazing costumes, brilliant sets, wonderful

lighting and sound and the sheer joy on the faces of the performers guaranteed a most enjoyable night for all. Sincere thanks to Kate Moore, Angela Newey, Kirk Hume, Myriam Moysey, David Verdejo, the dozens of parent helpers and

other members of the community who helped in so many ways. A production of this magnitude does more than just showcase the phenomenal talent we have at the College; it also brings together the whole community.

Scenes from ‘Aladdin Jnr’, starring Benjamin Legrande as Aladdin, Annelise Hall as Princess Jasmine and Tom Osborne as the Genie.

OnSTAGE Selection

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ongratulations to Year 12 student Joshua De Angelis, whose script was selected for this year’s OnSTAGE, a showcase of HSC Drama group and individual performances and projects. Joshua will work with professional directors and actors as part of the process. Only three scripts in the state are chosen, so a tremendous achievement. We wish him all the best with the project.

Joshua De Angelis, Year 12, on stage (right)

28 Ignatian

Performing Arts All for one and one for all Year 11 Production: The Three Musketeers An edited review by Debra Williams

‘S

acre Bleu!’ So begins Willis Hall’s adaptation of The Three Musketeers, faithfully delivered by a talented and multifarious cast and crew of Yr 11 students. This swashbuckling exploration of heart and honour, directed by Belinda Clark and Assistant Director, Paul Bevis, traces the journey of D’Artagnon and the Three Musketeers as they unite to defeat the deceit of their King and country. Playful background music provided a segue into the double-entendres within King Louis XIII’s opening lines. As each new actor came to the stage the audience became more deeply immersed in 17th Century France and the cast dazzled in their costumes. As the famous

The cast of ‘The Three Musketeers’

line—‘All for one and one for all!’— resonated throughout the theatre, choreographed swordfights emerged, which added an element of danger

and authenticity to the play. The play is one of sacrifice, trust and thanks to the zesty delivery of cast and crew, truly is ‘one for all’.

Ned Kelly

Year 10 Production: Ned Kelly An edited review by Jacob Bicknell

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ed Kelly is the story of Australia’s most infamous bushranger. It is a remarkable tale of four relentless outlaws in 19th century Australia who choose to rebel against the Victorian Police Force. In late August, some of Riverview’s Year 10 students saw this vibrant piece of Australian history come to life on the O’Kelly stage.

Director Cassie Cochran created a very dramatically driven performance, which had audiences constantly enthralled by its suspense, action and occasional comic relief. From the opening scene Adam Ryan (Ned Kelly), Jordan Hunter (Joe Byrne) and Christian Beatty and Liam McGlinchey (The Kelly Gang) brought the legend to life with tight, cohesive and fluent acting.

The cast of ‘Ned Kelly’ (above) and Ned in armour (below)

All cast members, including the girls from Monte Sant Angelo Mercy College, are to be commended on their sustained and believable acting, which ensured that the audience was always in suspense. The drama ensued throughout the production, right to its conclusion when the Kelly’s made their last stand. The wellstructured gunfights assisted in developing the ongoing action that arose throughout the production.

testament to the cohesive dramatic talent of Cassie Cochran, and the entire Year 10 student cast, who ultimately they proved they more than capable at bringing a renowned piece of Australian history to life.

This production was a true

Ignatian 29

Around the College

Chapel Concert

The College Orchestra performing during the Chapel Concert, in July this year.

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his year’s Chapel Concert, held on 26 July, showcased the College Orchestra, the Ignatian Choir and a number of soloists.

As always, the Chapel was packed to capacity and from the general feedback this concert seemed to emotionally move quite a number in the audience.

Congratulations to all involved on a wonderful evening.

The Ignatian Choir singing in the Chapel Concert

Riverview in Concert

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Dev Gopalasamy conducting the Orchestra, during Riverview in Concert

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here was a strong turn out of more than 500 people at Riverview on 13 June for the annual Riverview in Concert event, despite clashing with another cultural event—The State of Origin. The night was a great success, with performances from 20 Music Ensembles from the Senior School. With more than 350 students involved, this was a wonderful evening of music, and all involved are to be congratulated.

The Arts Photographic & Digital Media Show

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ur annual Media Show drew crowds of over 600 this year, all eagerly awaiting the announcement of the winners of the Media Competition. Many prizes were given to students for their efforts.

The most outstanding entries were James Middleton’s animation (Year 9), Jesse Tibbertsma’s photography (Year 10), Harry Upfold’s video (Year 5), and Tom Jilek’s HDR timelapse (Year 11). An exhibition of all 2012 student work created in curriculum & co-curriculum Photography, Video and Digital Imaging was on display.

Student animations, television advertisements, film trailers and

‘Light Orb’, by Jesse Tibbertsma, Year 10

posters, photography, a live news production and student portfolios completed the line-up. Thanks to our ongoing sponsors Hoyts who generously supplied the popcorn and drinks for all to enjoy on the night.

Congratulations to the recipients of the ‘Iggie’ awards Bejamin Orme (Year 10), and Xavier Fitzpatrick (Year 9), as well as the ‘People’s Choice Award’ recipient Zac Gleeson (Year 10), for his National Geographic cover.

Year 9 sports anchors Jack Codling & James Navybox, People’s Choice award by Zac Gleeson and presentation of prizes by Joe Machart (OR2007).

The annual Riverview in Concert was a great success, with performances from 20 Music Ensembles from the Senior School.

Ignatian 31

Around the College

Learning and Innovation

Students at Regis Campus using iPads

active learning walkers. The Learning and Innovation Reference Group was also established to represent all aspects of College life. The Group met throughout the year to analyse the data, interpret the findings and share innovative practices. A learning framework is under development to enable all stakeholders a greater understanding of what, how, when and why we learn. Some of the process and outcomes of the school evaluation are summarised below.

Ian Fairhurst

A Learning and Innovation Team was formed involving key leaders across the College. The Team has met weekly to read, share and engage in conversations about learning, review survey and focus group data and were

Ian Fairhurst

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ver the past year, Head of Learning and Innovation, Mrs Sally Egan, has been working with all levels of College activities to define the current state of learning and innovation at the College and what needs to be done to ensure Riverview stays at the forefront of educational excellence.

A key part of that work has been to conduct a ‘school self-evaluation’ with students, staff and parents. During the process, we have sought to be authentic in asking: How good is our school? How do we know? How do our core values align to what we do?

What could we be doing better?

Regis Robotics

32 Ignatian

The Process The School Evaluation process has been an opportunity for all members of the community to be actively engaged in reflecting on the strengths and to consider areas for consideration to develop and build capacity across the College. The data collection was extensive – all students completed a survey about their learning experiences, 550 parents completed the survey and all teaching staff were given an opportunity to respond to the survey.

In addition to this the boarding community also participated in surveys

and focus groups. All stakeholders were given opportunities to engage in conversations/focus groups about learning at Saint Ignatius’ College Riverview. Throughout the data collection observations were made to validate findings and highlight patterns identified throughout the process. By gathering a range of data including student data, focus group discussions, and observations the College was able to identify its successes and make evidence based, well-informed plans regarding its future development in relation to learning. Throughout the process all stakeholders were kept informed and the results of all data collection was made transparent. This led to a greater understanding of the data, collective responsibility and ownership.

Action Plan 2012+ This comprehensive plan includes a number of key strategies to be implemented in order to enhance our capacity for teaching and learning in areas such as pastoral care, Ignatian Pedagogy, boarding, co-curriculum and technology at the College. The plan also outlined the Directors responsible for the implementation of these strategies in the different areas of College life. All staff, students and parents (including boarding parents, staff and students) have had many opportunities to engage in the process and there has been a high level of transparency.

College News

Greg Skeed

NSW Independent Schools The goals underpinning our sector. As technology becomes action plan are: more readily available and 1. Promote and maintain the integrated into the teaching integrity of the College vision, and learning process, it is mission and core values important that teachers through our daily life. continually upgrade their 2. Enhance all aspects of our skills set. In this way they will care and well-being. then be able to challenge their 3. Meet the individual learning students to use technology to needs of all students. deepen their knowledge and 4. Develop a culture of authentic understanding and to then feedback to support staff and share this with others. More student engagement. than 150 teachers attended Frank Crawford with John Wilcox and Paul Robertson AM, 5. Develop and implement the conference. Each of these Chair of College Council research-based teaching and teachers has a specific role in learning experiences.

Chief Inspector of Education in schools to be innovators and Scotland for more than a decade and 6. Strengthen implementation of integrators for other teachers. currently works beyond Scotland technology to maximise all Laptops and iPads speaking and advising on a range of learning experiences.

From the beginning of 2013, all educational issues. He challenged us 7. Develop clear and consistent students at the College will have their on learning in the 21st century and high quality communication own one-to-one IT device to support where are we? Frank highlighted strategies for all stakeholders of their learning experiences. Students and questioned what is our core the SIC community. in Years 5, 6 and 7 will have iPads business in schools, what makes a 8. Support for all learners throughout while those in Years 8–12 will work great learner? What makes a great their time at SIC and beyond. with laptops. The College has worked teacher? He reminded us of the reality 9. Create and promote flexible hard to ensure that through the use we face in teaching and learning learning spaces throughout the of these devices we will be able to within the 21st century environment.

SIC grounds. further challenge all students. This In September, Frank visited the initiative has been achieved with no Over the next year, all staff will College and worked with members direct increase in school fees or an IT be engaging in the strategies for of the Learning & Innovation Team levy to cover this initiative, although implementation and the indicators and Reference Group on addressing this may change in the future. of achievement. ‘understanding change’. We look Professor Carol Dweck forward to welcoming Frank back to the Throughout 2012 every Faculty across College in January to work with teachers Well-known educator, Professor the College developed 12 month goals and facilitate a presentation for boys and Carol Dweck, visited Riverview in in relation to teaching and learning.

September to speak to staff, students their parents.

Each area has developed a three year and parents. Carol Dweck, PhD, is plan to address the key issues outlined IT Conference At Riverview one of the world’s leading researchers in the Action Plan. A timeline has been In November, Riverview hosted an in the field of motivation and is the put in place, and already new programs ICT Integrators Conference for the Lewis and Virginia Eaton have begun. For example, a team Professor of Psychology at has been established to research, Stanford University. Her trial and implement a tracking research has focused on why system to ensure that the progress people succeed and how of each student is monitored and to foster success. While at known. We have also introduced Riverview, she shared her a Mentoring Program for staff. research on how we can This program, which will see staff consider the challenge of mentoring and ‘accompanying’ a fixed mindset and work other staff, will commence in 2013. towards a growth mindset.

Frank Crawford About 550 parents and Our professional learning began students attended Professor with international speaker, Dweck’s lecture in Sally Egan, Head of Learning and Innovation, Professor Carol Dweck and Guy Masters, Director of Boarding Frank Crawford. Frank was Ramsay Hall.

Ignatian 33

Around the College

Student Leaders

2012 / 2013

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ew Student Leaders for 2012 / 13 were announced at College Assembly. Using the Society of Jesus as a model, in his book Heroic Leadership, Chris Lowney identifies four pillars of strong and effective Ignatian Leadership as a framework for what we hope for our students: Selfawareness, Ingenuity, Love and Heroism.

Proctors Henry Amey; Samuel Bell; Joseph Boneham; Mitchell Butler; Joshua Buttenshaw; Max Dillon; Seamus Frawley; Charles Gehrig; Oliver Hassall; Michael Kennedy; Joshua Mackaness; Nicholas Maunsell— Beadle; William McGrane; Michael McManus; Cormac Meehan; Thomas Moloney—Sacristan; Hamish Mort; Brendan Murray— Captain of Boarders; Michael Roche; Denzel Tighe; Henry Tucker; Lincoln Whiteley; Liam Woods

College Captains 2012 /2013

College Captain: Harry Gaynor (centre) College Vice-Captain (Captain of Boarders): Brendan Murray (right) College Vice-Captain (Captain of Day Boys): Daniel Gray (left) House: Campion ................

Cheshire ................

Chisholm ...............

Claver .....................

Dalton ....................

Gonzaga ................

MacKillop .............

More .......................

Owen ......................

Ricci ........................

Southwell ..............

Xavier .....................

House Captain: House Vice-Captains: Geordie Lee ....................... Daniel Stuart and Tom Flannery Nicholas Maunsell ........... Oscar Dean and Sam Howard Billy Bellew ........................ Adrian Vipond and Henry Sinclair Nicholas Skerritt ............... Joshua Mackaness and Jeremy Smith Joseph Boneham ............... Jack Fleming and Jacob Bicknell Nicholas Meagher ............ Chris Rothery and Alex Cobb Henry Gallagher ............... Thomas Molloy and Conor Slocombe Scott Evers ......................... Alec Hope and Thomas O’Brien Alfred Tagliaferro ............ Patrick Teys and James McKenzie Noah Vaz ............................ Tomas Masi and David Cistulli William Thackray ............ Lincoln Whiteley and Tom Cavanagh Tom Keenan ...................... Jack Carlton and Jack Ryan

College Prefects: Tomas Masi; Oscar Dean; Angus Higgins; Kieran Dale; Liam Ahern

‘Moree teens lead the way’

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Rodney Tighe

here must be something in the water in Moree, as four of the College leaders for 2012 / 2013—College Captain Harry Gaynor, Vice-Captain and Captain of Boarders Brendan Murray, Max Dillon and Denzel Tighe, both Proctors—hail from the small country town.

Denzel Tighe, Proctor; Brendan Murray, College Vice-Captain and Captain of Boarders; Harry Gaynor, College Captain for 2013 and Max Dillon, Proctor.

34 Ignatian

It is quite a remarkable accomplishment to have the College Captain and Vice-Captain both begin at the College as boarders from Moree, and this has created some talk among members of the community! While Harry, Brendan and Max are following long-established family traditions in attending Riverview, Denzel, an Indigenous student, is a Yalari scholarship recipient. All four boys began at Riverview as Year 7 boarders.

College News

2013 Middle School House Leaders V

oting recently took place for the 2013 Middle School House Leaders. Congratulations to the following boys, who have been chosen by their peers to lead their respective Houses in the Middle School in 2013. The Leaders were acknowledged and presented with their badges at the Middle School Assembly.

2013 Middle School House Captains with Edward Codsi, Director of Middle Schooling

Middle School House Captains 2013

Campion .........................................................

Cheshire .........................................................

Chisholm ........................................................

Claver ..............................................................

Dalton .............................................................

Gonzaga ..........................................................

MacKillop ......................................................

More ................................................................

Owen ...............................................................

Ricci .................................................................

Southwell .......................................................

Xavier ..............................................................

Prize for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching

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Lewis Liu, Teacher of Chinese

ongratulations to Mr Lewis Liu, teacher of Chinese, for being selected as one of two recipients of the 2012 Australian National University Prize for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching.

Captain: Andy Dupont ......................................

Captain: William Dougall ................................

Captain: Nicholas Greene ................................

Captain: Jack Duffy ...........................................

Captain: William Hayes ...................................

Captain: Jesse Gray ............................................

Captain: Thomas Dillon ...................................

Captain: Rhys Hope ...........................................

Captain: Luke Rossi ...........................................

Captain: Connor Langford ...............................

Captain: Xavier Rickard ...................................

Captain: Nicholas O’Sullivan...........................

Mr Liu was nominated, by Patrick Mayoh, as an inspirational teacher who made a particular difference in his life. Patrick left Riverview in 2005, and he is about to graduate with a Bachelor of Asia-Pacific Studies (Chinese), a Bachelor of Laws, a Graduate Diploma in Asia-Pacific Studies and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.

Mr Liu is a highly committed and highly regarded teacher, passionate about sharing his knowledge and

Vice Captain: Douglas Bolger Vice Captain: Macintyre Bird Vice Captain: Max Gaynor Vice Captain: Lachlan Raper Vice Captain: Jake Pollard Vice Captain: Nicholas O’Brien Vice Captain: Joshua Muzik Vice Captain: Oliver Harris Vice Captain: Charles Rorke Vice Captain: Dominic Edwards Vice Captain: Luke Weber Vice Captain: Benjamin Leotta

experiences with his students. Over the years, thanks to Mr Liu’s guidance many of our students of Chinese have obtained prizes and state rankings in the HSC in recognition of the high standard they have attained in the language. Several have won scholarships to further their studies in China. We are delighted that the contribution of Mr Liu, their most worthy mentor, is now being acknowledged.

Louella Perrett, Head of Languages

Ignatian 35

Around the College

Dare to do so much Book Review: James Rodgers Dare to do so much (2012) ‘Ἡροδότου Ἁλικαρνησσέος ἱστορίης ἀπόδεξις ἥδε ὡς μήτε τὰ γενόμενα ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τῷ χρόνῳ ἐξίτηλα γένηται’ (These are the researches of Herodotus of Halicarnassus so that things done by man not be forgotten in time). Written 25 centuries ago, the opening lines of Histories are just as applicable to James Rodgers’ Dare to do so much. He has artfully blended three of his great pathoi: Riverview, history and classic languages.

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n a great service to the Riverview community, Dare to do so much restores forgotten aspects of the evolving Riverview story. From Foundation to the lean years of the Depression to the tension of the war years and almost to the present day, strands of the Riverview story await in the pages of this book for scholars to follow and produce new works of scholarship.

Following the Hellenic victory over the Persian Empire at the Battle of Marathon (490BCE), cities across the Hellenic world erected the first monuments to mark this and other battles with sculpture, paintings and poetry. ‘War memorials thus became

a major part of public art, decorating urban spaces, and serving as a powerful reminder of past sacrifices’.

Dare to do so much is as much a war memorial as the engraved stone slabs that line the Main Building cloisters. It brings another layer to Riverview’s memorialisation of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Rodgers’ meticulous research has restored the eponymity to the rather names recorded etched in stone: faces, personalities, achievements and fates are returned to their names.

In true Herodotian tradition, Rodgers weaves the lives of the 54 Old Ignatians who were lost in World War II into the context of the global conflict. ‘The day that [Maurice Barry] died was a momentous one in the history of World War II. This was the eve of Operation Barbarossa’, the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union [page 32]. The personal is given a place in the impersonal.

In this volume, Rodgers is just as seamless with his blending his pothos for classical scholarship with his pathos for Riverview. ‘Tobruk had been an agricultural colony of the ancient Greeks who called it Antipyrgos’ [page 157]. The ancient and the modern co-exist, distinct

but inseparably conjoined.

In keeping with this theme of history being a continuously evolving narrative, Dare to do so much also reminds the reader of the continuity of warfare in the human story. Within days of the official launch of Dare to do so much, another round of conflict erupted around Gaza. Almost 72 years after Maurice Barry was laid to rest there, the region continues to struggle to find peace.

At least one of the stories will resonate with every reader, regardless of their relationship with the Old Ignatian on the page. The biographies of Maurice Anivitti and Tom Coughlan definitely struck a chord. Sires of migrant families from Europe, they found themselves on opposite sides of the conflict, yet were bound together by their Riverview educations. This personalisation is (arguably) its greatest success.

Just as with To Give and not to Count the Cost, Dare to do so much is a work of true scholarship that avoids pitfalls of academia. Through its pages the reader can trace the story of the College, as much as the 54 personal stories of those who died. It belongs in the home library of everyone associated with Riverview, past, present and future.

Lest We Forget

Sr Margaret McKay addressed a large gathering at the launch of ‘Dare to do so much’.

36 Ignatian

Αιωνία τους η Μνήμη (May their Memory be eternal) Panos Diamadis

College News Junior Volunteer Award

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ick Needham (Year 11) has been awarded the Junior Volunteers Award for 2012, Special Olympics Upper North Shore.

The Special Olympics initiative has become an significant part of the Ignatian Service Program at Riverview. The Region is assisted by over 80 school student volunteers, who help their coaches and athletes each week by participating in weekly sports training programs, to support, coach and mentor their athletes to prepare them for competition.

The Region recognises through its Junior Volunteer of the Year Award, the important contribution that one

Nick Needham (Year 11) receiving his Junior Volunteer of the Year award.

of their young volunteers has made in supporting, encouraging and leading their athletes.

The award committee was so impressed by the positive feedback and comments submitted by coaches, parents and athletes in support of Nick’s nomination that they shared

Fundraising Initiatives

some of the following feedback at the presentation of his Award: Nick is a 15 year old student from Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview and one of some 80 junior volunteers involved in our programs. He has been involved as a volunteer for two years and the group relies on his consistent attendance and positive interaction. Initially, he assisted in a more supportive role but, week after week, he kept coming, while other volunteers came and went and is now so trusted that he coaches and leads individual groups and has been assigned roles to mentor new athletes with special needs. He is patient and very encouraging to athletes who really enjoy his training sessions.

Saint Ignatius’ Feast Day The College community celebrated the Feast Day of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, on Tuesday 31 July, with a day of service. A morning mass was conducted by Fr David Braithwaite SJ (OR90), who gave a powerful and thought-provoking sermon, while in the afternoon, the boys spent time in their respective tutor, homeroom, or class, groups committing to the ‘service of others’.

Ian Fairhurst, Patrick Crossing and Alex Jalloh with Anthony ‘Harries’ Carroll from ‘Bondi Rescue’.

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n 27 May, 16 Riverview teams represented the College in the Balmoral Burn, a charity fundraising event organized by the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, geared towards raising funds for over 150 children’s hospitals and health.

Similarly, on Sunday 12 August the entire Division of Year 8 boarders, staff, some families and boys and families from Year 11 participated in the annual City2Surf to raise money for Westmead Children’s Hospital’s Oncology Ward in honour of Andy Jalloh.

Collectively the teams raised $28,000, very near to the hospital’s target of $30,000, needed to purchase a bioanalyser. This is an important piece of equipment that will anlayse the quality of DNA and RNA of the genetic material stored in the hospital’s Tumour Bank. Our participation in this year’s City2Surf continues a long link the College has with Westmead. In October the College’s ongoing support of the Hospital was recognised by a Patron’s Award, awarded to Riverview for its contribution in excess of $100,000 in donations.

Saint Ignatius’ Day Walkathon

Refugee Week

Throughout July, staff, students and members of the Riverview community participated in a wide range of activities in recognition of Refugee week.

At the College Assembly and during class time, the College focused on the plight of refugees, and the work of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS). There were a number of memorable talks during the week: Rector of the College Fr Ross Jones SJ delivered an inspirational speech to students and staff about Australia’s current treatment of refugees; current Year 11 student Alex Jalloh, who came to Australia as a refugee from Sierra Leone told his very moving story; and students met and spoke with a number of refuges as part of the ‘Living Libraries’ program.

Ignatian 37

Around the College

Science Week

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Living Festival

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he College’s first ever Sustainable Living Festival was held on Regis Campus in June, as a celebration of World Environment Day. Many members of the Riverview community took part in initiatives, including an E-waste collection, sustainable living talks and workshops. The inaugural Environment Debate was held between the College’s 1st Debating team, comprising Patrick Hall, Joseph Baine and Daniel Gray, and some of the College’s Old Boys, Michael Falk (OR2006), Dominic Thurbon (OR2001) and Ben Williams (OR2006), on the topic ‘Rio +20 and Riverview, what do they have in common?’ Much fun was had by all and we look forward to a bigger and better festival next year!

Catchment Day

The second annual Lane Cove River Catchment Day was held on 24 October, with 65 students from nine schools from the local catchment area coming together to participate in a range of environmental initiatives. This

38 Ignatian

year’s event signified the College’s participation in Water Week, of which the theme for 2012 is ‘Valuing our Water’. Local government educators, the Sydney Metro Catchment Authority and the Field of Mars EEC taught the students environmental leadership skills, while Bev from Habitat Network and Thor from Leapfish gave students some great perspectives of catchment issues.

Freshie refill stations

In the name of the environment, the College recently became a

plastic bottle-free zone, banning the sale of all bottled drinks and replacing all vending machines and drinks sold at the canteen with a drink refilling stations.

The machines have been a huge success, with a noticeable reduction in rubbish, resulting in a reduced carbon footprint. In the 100 days since May, when the machines were installed, 3,500 refills have been completed at the machines—this correlates to saving 410 litres of oil and 1,480kgs of CO2!

Students from nine schools produced videos with iPads, promoting environmental sustainability, during Lane Cove River Catchment Day.

Lachlan Murnaghan

Sustainable

Students participating in National Science Week

Rodney Tighe

iverview celebrated National Science Week in style with a range of activities involving staff, students and parents during August. The Teilhard Science Club made the inaugural visit to the Regis campus for some explosive demonstrations involving Coke and Mentos fountains; Year 7 students were involved in a Science Fair; Year 8 students were busy solving a murder; Years 9 and 10 were treated to scientist talks; and the Observatory and Seismometer were open for visiting. A huge thank you to all who made this year’s events go off with such a bang!

College News

Storylines

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number of past and current students were involved in this year’s Storylines festival. Developed by past Riverview staff member Suzanne Millar, the festival was hosted by members of Sydney’s African communities and included traditional performers from Guinea, South Sudan and Sierra Leone. Year 11 student Alex Jalloh and Year 10 student Elijah Williams both performed in A Land Beyond the River, a one-act play for which their personal stories formed part. The festival, which also included an art exhibition, music, dance and photography, aimed to raise awareness and money for the work of the South Sudan Educates Girls organisation, which is helping to fund the first ever girls school in Sudan.

Opening of Barangaroo House

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riday 20 July signified the official opening of Barangaroo House, a College property recently renovated to accommodate ‘Year 13’ Indigenous graduates. The house, which has eight bedrooms, a kitchen and dining area, and a breakout room for study, will enable Year 13 students to establish themselves in Sydney and prepare for university and or work. It will also allow families to come and support their sons at the College.

Encore Nominations

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ongratulations to HSC Music students Fraser Perrott and Lawrence Hughes, who have been nominated for Encore, a program of outstanding performances and compositions by music students from the HSC exams.

Workplace experience

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he Special Education Immersion Program (SEIP) at Riverview was established in 2007 after the successful application for a Commonwealth grant to provide an holistic education for students with an intellectual disability. It is one of the outstanding achievements of the retiring Headmaster, Shane Hogan.

Taught and supported by trained Special Education staff and teacher’s aides, SEIP students access mainstream classes in Visual Arts, Music, Technology, PDHPE and Religion. The students also attend their year group excursions, sport, home-room and tutor group activities. In addition, all SEIP students access a stage 6 Life Skills program in Years 11 and 12 which

provides the students with a well rounded course of study including work experience for one day each week in term time. Importantly, Riverview has made a commitment to partnering with the parents of students with a disability to educate their sons and to prepare them for life beyond school.

An important part of that learning program is providing the SEIP students with workplace experience.

We would be most grateful to hear from business owners within the broader Riverview Community who may be able to assist us in providing work experience placements for the SEIP students. All the students are fully insured under the Work Experience program and, when necessary, are provided with additional support in the workplace.

Not only will it provide the SEIP students with irreplaceable skills but it will also allow the broader Riverview community to gain an understanding of, and empathy for, people with a disability.

The types of experience undertaken (and sought, but not limited to) are: • Mail room / simple, repetitive administration duties; • Pizza shop / Chicken shop (fast food); • Pre School / Daycare; • Pet shop / Dog washall; • Gardening; or • Retail.

If you are able to assist, or know someone who can, please contact the SEIP unit on 9882 8409 or Jill Smith at jcsmith@riverview.nsw.edu.au or Julie Crockett at jkcrockett@riverview. nsw.edu.au

Ignatian 39

Around the College

Riverview students aboard the Chilean Sail Training ship ‘Esmeralda’, during her visit to Sydney.

‘All I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by’ (John Masefield)

T ‘Young Endeavour’

his year uniquely presented some Riverview boys with a chance to see two tall ships: Brendan Murray (Year 11) was lucky enough to sail on the Young Endeavour with 26 other youth members from around Australia.

While, in June, a group of our boys visited the Chilean naval training ship, the Esmeralda, upon the invitation of the Chilean Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Pedro Pablo Diaz.

Transitions

Leavers in 2012 Paul Adams .......................................................... Teacher - Learning Support Monica Appleby .................................................................. Languages Teacher Regina Argar .......................................................................... Teacher – English Cigdem Aydemir ............................................................ Teacher – Visual Arts Carlos Barteleme ..................................................... Regis Homeroom Teacher Kathleen Bowie ...................................................................... Teacher – English Michael Brake ................... Business / Economiucs / Year 11 Co-Ordinator Ed Crematy ................................................................................. Science Teacher Lisa Davies ......................................................................... ICT Senior Engineer Tina Di Sano ............................................................................ Teacher – Maths Robert Graham ........................................................ Head of Faculty – Science Kathleen Hodge ................................................... Homeroom Teacher – Regis Lisa Hopper ....................................................................................... Regis Music Rebecca Jones .............................................. Admin Assistant – Maintenance Steve Lobsey ...................................................... Homeroom Teacher – Therry Nadia Merchant .................................................... Teacher – Digital Learning Gregory Palisi ............................................................ Maintenance – Plumber Rose Reid .......................................................... Teacher – Religious Education Jennifer Richardson ........................................ Head of Professional Learning Sunny Shirazian ............................................ ICT Fleet Service Co-ordinator Stephen Smith .................................. Strength and Conditioning Supervisor Matthew Taylor ........................................ ICT Infrastruct Services Manager Claire Thomas ......................................... Teacher RE / Retreat Co-ordinator Damien Thompson ................................................................... Science Teacher Caterina Troncone .................................................................... English Teacher June Wall .................... Head of Digital Learning and Information Services Niel Ward ..................................................... ICT Infrastruct Services Officer Philip Young ............................................................................... Science Teacher

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Congratulations

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ongratulations to Jeremy English, Year 10, who has won a gold medal at the World Rope Skipping Championships in Tampa Florida.

Jeremy won gold in the Freestyle 15–17 year old category male with the same routine which saw him gain the National Champion Freestyle in June 2012. He also won silver overall in his age category. In addition, the team he was in competed in the open 18+ category and won three silvers and one bronze for the various team speed and freestyle events.

The team came third overall. His mother writes that competing at the world championships was ‘a fabulous experience for Jeremy, representing his country on the world stage. He and his team mates competed with aplomb!’

CIS Rugby

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ongratulations to Max Moore and William McLennan for being selected to represent the College at the recent CIS Rugby competition in Armidale. As a result, William has been selected in the NSW Primary Schools Rugby Team, and will attend the Australian Championships later in the year.

College News 12 9 th Riverview

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GOLD CUP REGATTA

he Riverview Gold Cup has been an integral part of the history and tradition of the College since its inception in 1885.

It is a unique event in so many different ways: it is one of the last harbour regattas in Sydney; the closeness of the spectators to the racing adds excitement; the verdant, bushy ambience of the river bank with the rocky outcrops and sandy foreshore of the Lane Cove River, together with the distractions of the numerous vessels moored beyond the ‘leaning ‘ pile; the unpredictability of the rough water; and the ‘dog leg’ course all to the uniqueness of the event.

This year’s 129th Riverview Gold Cup Regatta was held in hot, steamy conditions on 1 December. The race conditions for the crews were fair with relatively flat water and minimal breeze disturbing the languid surface of the Lane Cove River.

The new Cova Cottage hosted its first

(Left to right): Dan Noonan, Will Thackray, Tom Cavanagh, Sean Drennan, Jacob Bicknell, Henry Gallagher, James Harrington, David Cistulli, Max Stuart, Sam Meagher, Craig Williams

official function, the Headmaster’s Friends of the College gathering, where plans for the new Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview Rowing Shed were also on display.

The Women’s Open VIII event was held for only the sixth time ever, with the Mosman Rowing Club crew winning for the first time.

Dare to dream, dare to excel

modern storage facilities on the lower level, with the upper level accommodating training equipment, a team coaching room and coaches’ offices, a change room and kitchen facilities, plus a viewing deck.

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he present Riverview boatshed, the Fr Gartlan Memorial Boatshed, was built on the current site in 1953 to replace the original 1883 rowing shed, situated in the same location.

During 2010/ 2011 the College completely rebuilt the old timber decks and pontoons at a cost of over $1000,000 increasing the available boat manouvering area by over 50%, creating much-needed boat pens and bringing order to the foreshore. Now, as part of a special capital works project at the College, we will provide a multi-purpose rowing shed that offers both comfort and safety for the Rowing

The Open Men’s VIII saw the fifth consecutive win by the Sydney University Boat Club. Riverview’s 1st VIII crew had a meritorious row in the final, placing third and winning the Schools Challenge Cup as the best performing school VIII in the Open VIIIs race.

Alex Rybak, MIC Rowing

Architect’s impression of the new boatshed

Club and the general College community.

To be re-named the Fr John X Ramsay SJ Boatshed, the upgrades are scheduled to take place from March to October, 2013, likely to be at a cost in excess of $2 million.

The two-level boatshed, which has been designed by Mayoh Architects to reflect the shape of the original 1883 shed, will have

John Ramsay SJ, student, priest, teacher, rowing coach and friend, enriched many lives during his time at Riverview.

For John Ramsay SJ, rowing was a spiritual experience.

We need the assistance of the community, and particularly the Rowing Community, to make this project a reality. During early 2013 we are looking to raise $1 million from donations. By becoming a donor you can help us to . . . ‘dare to dream, dare to excel’

Ignatian 41

Around the College AFL

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and tremendous heart as the season wore on. The 1st XVIII once again showed glimpses of what is capable of however a lack of preparation and early season fitness meant the boys missed out on finals action.

Replicating an extremely successful 2011 was always going to be a tough task. Our 16Bs started very well and continued through to the holiday break with an unbeaten record. The Under 12s had mixed results but showed that even with an interrupted training schedule they would be a force during the year. The 16As came into the competition with a relatively young team compared to most oppositions, though the development and game style played during the back half of the year demonstrated what these boys are capable of and

We also had some outstanding individual achievements from all ages: Ethan Harvey and James Cubis represented CCC/CIS North at the U15s NSW CHS All Schools Competition; Rory Barkley, Peirce Roseby and Patrick Green all represented CIS at the U12s NSW PSSA All Schools Competition, with Rory continuing on to represent NSW at the Australian All Schools competition; and Oliver Wetzlar played for the U16s NSW/ACT Rams during the National Championships.

To these boys, and anyone who represented Riverview in AFL, congratulations.

Brett Somerville, MIC AFL

he 2012 season provides us with some perspective on this great game. To the credit of all teams, the boys showed determination and good sportsmanship throughout the season and I would like to congratulate all players and volunteers for this.

Henry Back

will leave them in a great position for 2013. Our Under 13s and 14s each had slow starts, however the boys showed considerable improvement

Cross Country

team; his best run a 55th place at the Shore and Grammar Invitation. William McGrane showed potential with his best performance of 51st at the Grammar Invitation until he was ruled out early with injury.

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leven full-time runners whole-heartedly took on the challenge of Cross Country this year, ably joined by three part-time runners juggling other sports.

There were a number of outstanding performances throughout the season: Charlie Doherty became the first Riverview runner in a number of years to win in an age group despite being of bottom age; Lachlan Raper made a commendable 11th place at the Joeys and Scots Invitation and Monte Prendiville contributed strongly, finishing in the top 20 on every occasion.

James Benson placed a season-best 17th position on two occasions; Lachlan Williams ran a personal best of 40th before being struck down early with injury; Dominic Jones produced some worthy performances and the Intermediate

42 Ignatian

Dominic Bullock and Angus Callister

team welcomed new competitors Sam Zimbulis and Tim Bullock.

The Opens team was courageously led by Michael Wright, a well deserving captain of Cross Country, and vice captain Dominic Bullock.

Michael’s season best was 19th at the Shore Invitation, while Dominic placed 26th at the Grammar meet.

Christopher Best finished in the top 10 at four out of five meets. Angus Callister returned for another season and scored well with a 22nd place at the Grammar Invitation.

Opens debutant Sean Beaumont added charisma and laughter to the

Eight Riverview athletes qualified for the 2012 CIS Championships: Charlie Doherty, Angus Callister, Dominic Bullock, Lachlan Raper, Monte Prendiville, Alexander Fitzpatrick and James Benson. All boys represented the College and GPS tremendously well and displayed sportsmanship at all times.

Many thanks to all the parents for their support each Saturday and to James Zimbulis for his dedication, motivation to assist, and conscientious efforts. Cross Country is one of the hardest sports to compete in at the College, however there’s just something special about being a part of this sport.

Kate Hilyard, MIC Cross Country

Winter Sport Football

of all games played. Having lost most of the boys in the 13A team of 2011, the Under 14 teams found this year’s season particularly tough. Of the Under 13s age group, the 13A XI was the most successful team, losing only two of its matches by a single goal each and generally outscoring opponents by more than three goals to one.

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n 2012. GPS Football embarked on its 25th season, with Riverview again striving to retain the mantle as one of the leading schools in terms of participation and recent success. The College fielded 28 teams this year, including five from the Regis campus, with four of the Senior School teams—the 3rd, 5th, 7th and 16C XI— each completing the season undefeated.

The College contributed six players to the combined GPS teams: Caleb Russell, GPS 1st XI; Edmond Scougall, Daniel Drakopolous, Thomas Keenan and Neil McCraith, GPS 2nd XI; and Billy Bellew, GPS 3rd XI. In results for the season, the 1 XI, with only three returning players from last year, won two, drew three and lost two of its seven GPS matches, finishing in equal fifth place. The 2nd XI, with only one returning player, st

Dan Drakopoulos takes control of the ball

won four and lost three of its seven matches, landing third place overall.

The Opens age group as a whole competed strongly, as has been the case in recent years. The Under 16 teams won 28 of 54 matches, while the Under 15 teams won roughly half

Special thanks to all who assisted in this year’s activities. The involvement of a range of people was necessary to the successful completion of the recent season. The participation of parents as supporters, morning and afternoon tea makers and aids in a variety of roles is most appreciated. It would also be remiss not to recognise the efforts of the teachers, players and other interested parties who have worked to build Football at Riverview to its current level of recognition.

Peter Steffan, MIC Football

Futsal

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he introduction of Futsal (Indoor Soccer) as a summer sport at Riverview was met with enthusiastic participation from a range of students comprising Futsal representatives to Futsal rookies.

This year, Riverview entered three teams in various Sydney competitions. The Riverview Wolves competed with style, class and athleticism in the competition at Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre, where three pools of six teams were readjusted each five weeks until the top six teams were matched against each other in a round robin followed by semi finals and a final. While the Wolves reached the grand final after winning 15 of their 17 games, they were

Chris Chung, Noah Landelas and Jack O’Leary performing a drill at training.

unfortunately beaten by some strong opponents. The Riverview Blue and White teams competed in the Northen Suburbs Futsal Association’s U16 compeition. The Blue team, largely underage, made a credible fifth spot by the season’s

end—a fantastic achievement. The Riverview White team also enjoyed a strong season, scoring plenty of goals and finishing third in the overall point score.

Sab Trovato, Futsal Co-ordinator

Ignatian 43

Around the College Rugby

strength, size and speed. We can only embrace the challenge that is ahead of us.

To all of our rugby coaches, thank you for the ongoing development of our players both on and off the field. The dedication and professionalism that you display each week is second to none.

J

ack Gibson often stated that it is ‘Harder to defend a premiership then to win one’. No truer words have been spoken. This has been a tough year for our 1sts and 2nds, and it is obvious that the results did not go our way. Can we be disappointed? Yes, we can, and we must improve next year.

To the parents who have supported their sons throughout the year, getting him to early pre-season training and weight sessions each week and the encouragement you have provided to all of your sons in picking them back up after a loss. This year must have been especially difficult! Thanks for your support.

If we gauge the success of our rugby season purely on results, then the coaching staff and I have failed.

However, rugby, and especially schoolboy rugby, should be much more than results oriented.

Regardless of what the scoreboard indicates, if we have somehow developed your son as a person; in the love and admiration they have for the game and created a willingness in them to participate in rugby, in future years, then it has been a successful year. If the players have developed in character in any way due to their involvement in the co curricular program than it has been a successful year.

This does not excuse our results in

Mitchell Whiteley

the opens, but puts everything into perspective. Such perspective is often being lost in schoolboy sport. We fervently refuse to offer scholarships and I wholeheartedly agree with the stance that the College takes.

We will improve, although it will take hard work and dedication in the development of our players from a younger age especially in their skills,

To the players thank you for the enthusiasm and passion you have displayed every Saturday. You typify the amateur ideals of what rugby is all about. Such ideals are often lost in the modern game, corrupted by greed and selfishness. Yet, each Saturday we see a brilliant display of mates playing for mates, regardless of what the scoreboard indicates. Thank you for your involvement in the 2012 Rugby season, Dane Inman, MIC Rugby

Snowsports

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he 2012 Snowsports season started well with the Snowsports camp, where all participated in morning and afternoon coaching sessions from the Thredbo race instructors. Many of our students in the Thredbo race club showed great development, culminating in some great times at the Riverview Championships and some great results in the Interschools competition.

Throughout the season there were many memorable results: our Regis competitors won the overall Champion School Shield for the fourth year running, and we finished second overall, beating Redlands, at the Sydney Regional Interschools

44 Ignatian

Champion Moguls Team

competition and Max Hayson placed a commendable third in the Cross Country event at the State Snowsports Championships.

Several boys qualified for the National Championships, where we performed very well: Max Evans placed eighth in the Snowboard GS and 12th in the Boarder X; the Moguls team of Max Hayson, William Lenehan and Tom Lo took third place; Max Hayson won gold

in the individual Moguls event; Matt Weeks, Luke Griffin Jake Perko-Bennett and Max Zekulich finished third in the Alpine and fourth in the Skier Cross, with Jake taking fourth place in the individual Skier Cross. A huge effort—thanks to Natalie Hayson, Paul Evans and Brad Weeks for their support. We look forward to a bigger and better season year next year!

Simon Causley, MIC Snowsports

Winter Sport Track and Field

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fter the squad welcomed former USA Olympian, Mr John Marshall, all athletes drew inspiration, confidence and motivation that would shape this year’s GPS Track and Field season.

75 athletes made the trek to the first GPS Invitation at Blacktown, where Nick Madden, Christopher Best and Jack Dempsey ran personal bests.

Akech Kir Deng, on debut for the College in Track and Field, finished second in both the 200m and 400m events. Several boys ran personal bests at the second Invitational, at Homebush, including Lachlan and Hugh Raper, Jack McGregor, Charlie Payne, Tom Doust, James Loneragan, Alex McGuire, Henry Weston, Lachlan Williams, James Benson, Matt O’Brien, Josh Roche, Sam Mete, Angus Higgins, Alex Cobb, Joe Sheridan and Dominic Bullock. There

were also many credible performances at the second last Invitiation of the season. Thomas Glascott ran two personal bests in the U13 100m and 200m; Cedric Danso Boame ran a personal best in the 400m with his time of 1:13; Jamie Bennetts fought hard for a seven-second personal best in the U13 1500m; and Monty Prendiville ran an excellent 400m with a personal best time of 1:03.

The squad had an air of confidence leading into the GPS Championships on 5 May, arriving at SOPAC to an atmosphere perfect for running personal bests. While Christopher Best unfortunately withdrew from his 800m and 1500m events, due to a knee injury, the squad remained calm and replacements were made. Dominic Bullock made a personal best of 2:24.65 in the 800m, and Michael Wright ran as Christopher’s replacement in the 1500m, finishing in 4:46.98.

This year’s wonderful results can be attributed to the unwavering support

Volleyball

This year, again, highlighted the success of the 1st boys, who were set with the challenge of facing the two strongest teams in the state: Sydney Boys High and Sydney Grammar. After an unsuccessful first round against those two teams, Round 2 started with an absolute bang as we took on Grammar on their home turf.

This proved to be the game of the season; with Riverview winning a hard fought five–set game lasting

of all coaches, a sincere thank you to all of them. Heartfelt thanks also to all the parental involvement in the 2012 season—you have contributed greatly to the success of the season.

To Peter Caine and his physio team, thank you for putting the athletes back together at times. Finally, thank you to Fr Ross Jones and Fr David Strong. Your boundless support for the team each week inspired us all.

Kate Hilyard, MIC Track and Field sport and some did not adapt as quickly as others, each game was fought to the wire and every boy contributed his best. The best game of the season, against Sydney Boys High, was an amazing match in which the boys lost by a mere three points.

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he Riverview Volleyball teams are a testament to how hard work and commitment can truly pay off. Many boys started the 2012 season with limited, to no, knowledge of the sport, but came away with a wealth of growth and understanding.

Jamie Cheok

Volleyball in the Gartlan Centre

nearly two hours. In the final game, we took on Sydney Boys, including two of the best players in Australia. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful, nevertheless the boys put in an excellent team performance, ending the year on a potent note: that Riverview will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years.

While a majority of boys in the 2nd Volleyball team were new to the

I would like to thank Oliver Konakoff, Jason Chow (OR2011) and Mrs Sarah Harrisson for their work throughout the season.

To the boys, in particular our Captain of Volleyball, Tom Tait, it is amazing that for three years in a row we have been runners-up in the 1sts competition—an amazing achievement. I look forward to your continued dedication to the sport in 2013.

Maryanne O’Donoghue, MIC Basketball

Ignatian 45

Around the College Cycling / Mountain Biking

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n 2012, the Cycling and Mountain Biking team experienced some wonderful results. This year is also noted for the growth in interest from other GPS schools, so the future of the sport looks to be very good.

During Term 1 the team competed in our own Interschools competition and it was a wonderful sight to see our boys competing in some close racing. Knox Grammar again took home the trophy this year, which has been renewed and named the Greg Whealing Interschools Cycling Trophy as a tribute to our late coach, colleague and friend.

In March the team competed in the Australian Interschools Mountain Bike Championships in Thredbo, where in excess of 600 students competed in three days of three events: the Downhill, the Dual

Compressor (slalom), and the Cross Country.

Jake Morrison, Year 10, excelled in the Downhill event, showing beautiful downhill mountain bike skills and completing the course in 7:55. Charlie Gundy, Year 8, also did very well, his time of 8:30 placing him in the top 15 in Australia.

Charlie also impressed Angus Frawley, Alec Wilson, Lyndon Collins in the Dual Compressor and Robert Harrison race, lasting until the last four competitors in the boys keep me young and adventurous knockout event, despite the constant but the sport could not be successful and torrential rain. Angus Frawley also without the energy and enthusiasm did very well to last to the final six. of Mr Alex Damo who has provided much inspiration for us to compete In August ,the team travelled to in. My assistant in the winter season, Canberra to compete in the ACT Marcus Collignon, is always ready to Interschools competition, a course do all he can to make our Saturday purpose built for Mountain Biking outings organised and enjoyable. with many different trails to Thank you to Mr Alex Shevlin, Mr experience. In very cold conditions Michael Mitchell and Mr Peter Lyndon Collins, Joshua Woods, Colledge for helping with the Thredbo Declan Curtin, and Sam Stockwell and ACT events. competed as a team against 66 others Jeremy Bennett, and placed third—a marvelous result.

MIC Cycling /Mountain Biking The year has been very enjoyable. The

Fencing

2012

has seen a great improvement in the calibre of fencing at Riverview, with many successful individual and team performances. Term 1 and 2 saw an influx of young and eager Year 6 and 7 students and hopefully many will become committed to the sport.

Matthew Goodson, Jnr Fencing Champion

Throughout the year, many students participated in numerous individual and team events. All boys showed good sportsmanship, very good fencing skills, intelligence and dedication to the sport. At the State Schools Championships in July and August, the Senior A team, comprising Christian Damiano, Oscar Eggleton and Alex Lamond, was ranked third after the round

robin and in direct elimination finished fifth out of 32 teams. At the same Championships, the Junior A team of Matthew Goodson, Joshua Bennett and Marcus Pannozzo was ranked second after the round robin and in direct elimination got through to the final, where the boys won gold. This year’s Riverview Fencing Championship, held in September

46 Ignatian

was a huge success. After almost three hours of elimination format, the senior division Championship bout came down to Joshua McKenzie and Christian Damiano. Joshua won 15–8, winning the senior division and leaving Christian to take second place overall. Rounding out the division was Alex Lamond in third place. In the junior division, first place went to Matthew Goodson, second went to Joshua Bennett, with Marcus Pannozzo in third place.

Congratulations to all fencers for the effort and determination they have shown throughout the year.

New skills have been learned and friendships made. All students at the College have ‘dared to do their best’ this year and have made the College proud.

Andrew Szandurski, MIC Fencing

Cross Seasonal Sport Taekwondo

Thomas Lucchese, Nicholas Lucchese, Nicholas O’Brien and Timothy Egger. Michael Rodgers, Jono Barnes and Euan Smith each won a silver medal, and Benjamin Hinchley took away bronze.

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his year, Taekwondo has gone from strength to strength: the numbers have never been better and the enthusiasm and drive to improve and succeed has been superb.

The sport has been lucky enough to have two great leaders: Lawrence Hughes and All Schools Taekwondo Tournament Squad Matthew Stow. Both young men led by example, earning the champion of the Tournament—a respect of both staff and students, and significant achievement considering that have excelled in skill development and he was still completing his schooling. competition. Lawrence performed Full contact competition has become particularly well, winning a gold an important part of our Taekwondo medal at the All Schools Taekwondo schedule. This year the boys earned Tournament and progressing to outstanding results in the NSW the Taekwondo National Open All Schools Tournament. Joining Heavyweight Red Belt Tournament.

Lawrence in winning a gold medal At just 17, Lawrence defeated multiple were Ruben Rizello, Matthew Stow, adult opponents to be crowned

Tennis

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t is particularly good to present a report when we have some tangible reward for our efforts during the hot summer months. As you all know our boys work very hard on their games, some even keep their Tennis up in the ‘winter’ months by playing Badge tennis and in other weekend tournaments.

Sometimes these efforts can be considered by some to remain largely unrewarded.

Thankfully this year we returned to the higher echelons of GPS — our 1st team finished third, while the 2nd team was runner-up in its competition. Boys in both teams performed with great distinction this year, both on and off the court.

Our two Autumn Badge teams also performed well: the Riverview 1 boys acquitted themselves well for their first year in the prestigious

Edmund Scougall

Premier League competition, while the Riverview 2 boys also played good tennis in the second level of Badge competition.

This year we also hosted a highly successful Australian Jesuit Schools Tennis Carnival, placing second behind the strong St Aloysius’ team, which boasted two Australian Schools team players.

We have been blessed throughout this season with two Riverview old boys who have assisted in training the squad. Lincoln Mark (OR2011) and Chris Brassil (OR2011).

It is wonderful that they have been able to continue their involvement with the College.

Greg and Steve Wyllie have, once again, provided expert tutelage to the boys. 2012/13 is already looking like a strong Taekwondo season.

Michael Brake, MIC Taekwondo For the most part of the last 20 years of GPS competition, Riverview has been the benchmark for all things tennis: over this period of time, we have always been recognised for our discipline, comradeship, durability and individual sacrifice.

These are the keys for success in any school that hopes to produce its own quality players, year after year. Many of these attributes can be seen in the 1st and 2nd GPS teams of 2012, and our coaches are deservedly proud of the boys.

We also have a fine group of younger players. In coming years we expect these boys to help lift the overall standard across their own age group, and this will help us considerably when each of these players reach their final year.

Richard Hart, MIC Tennis

Ignatian 47

Around the Community

Thank you for your wonderful support

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treatise as – it is about how we respond with our faith to a situation rather than looking to blame God, someone or anything else.

’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has worked with me and given their great support during my most enjoyable time as President, including my Committee, Shane Hogan, Fr Ross Jones SJ, and numerous members of the College staff, especially Christine Zimbulis in the Development Office.

In September, the final breakfast for 2012, barrister and Old Boy Julian McMahon (OR81) joined us for breakfast. Julian is a strong advocate for social justice in the legal system and talked about Julian McMahon (OR81), centre, with a group of Old Boys his career as a criminal from his peer year, at the OIU City Breakfast, in September. barrister (representing when his sister had a car accident many of the marginalised in our OIU Careers Expo and Seminars and became a quadriplegic. Richard community) and experiences working The annual OIU Careers Expo was provided many intelligent and on many overseas death penalty cases held on Monday 14 May in the hopeful words for us in the face of – and in fact he is currently acting Gartlan and had over 80 exhibitors terrible moments – how we can hold for two of the Bali nine still on death this year. The OIU have been to a loving God who walks with us row, Andrew Chan and Myuran working with the College for over when we are in the ‘valley of tears’ Sukumaran.

30 years bringing this Expo to the and in ‘the shadow of death’.

‘View community. The five Career The thread of Julian’s presentation is Seminars commenced in late May where we had Old Boys and friends of the ‘View community presenting on Medical Sciences, Armed Forces, Law, Information Technology and Agribusiness and Rural careers.

Many thanks to John Allen (OR81) and Charlie Pidcock (OR87) for supporting the College in organising the Expo and to the five seminar hosts from the OIU Committee.

OIU City Breakfasts The purpose of the breakfast forums is to hear stories from those in our community working with the marginalised, exploring the promotion of justice, and discussions on sensitive topics such as depression and mental health.

In June, we heard Fr Richard Leonard SJ speak about his recent book Where the Hell is God? Finding God in pain and suffering, which was written from his and his family’s experiences

48 Ignatian

Richard was able to debunk many populist theologies in a most endearing and light hearted way and in essence challenged many of our entrenched ways of thinking.

Richard suggested for example we stop praying for rain – God is not a meteorologist and God does not cause tsunamis – tectonic plates move; God does not send the biggest crosses to those that can bear it; God does not perpetrate evil in this world though he may allow it. Richard reminded us ‘God is light; in him there is no darkness’. Richard argued it simply is not possible for God to send us (bad) things so we can learn from them or because we deserved it – God does not punish us. God wants us to be faithful, hopeful and loving. Richard reminded us God and Jesus are waiting for us to invite them into our lives, hold us close when the going gets tough and help us find our way forward. I would summarise his

that we, the privileged / well educated live in fear to act, speak up, seize a problem and deal with it and the challenge he threw out to us is to take a leadership role in the issues we face or fear. He used the death penalty as an example, noting the Catholic Church as a major contributor and advocate in the death penalty debate, and the Church’s action, over many years – with many others, has helped increase the number of countries opposed to execution and reduced the number that still openly execute.

Julian wrapped up his presentation with a brief discussion on Jesuit Social Services, who have operated in Victoria for many years and play a significant role in research, policy development, advocacy and capacity building for the most marginalised in Victoria, and ended with a call to action – to get actively involved with the newly established Jesuit Social Services team here in Sydney!

From the OIU President Ignatian Services Association – Indigenous Mentor Program Now in our sixth year, the Mentor Program continues to grow from strength the strength and the program provides mentoring support to the 30 indigenous boys now at the College. An example of the strength of the Program was when one of our mentors had to move on from his role as mentor and we were able to invite another mentor to quickly take over.

The robustness of the program has seen this ‘new’ relationship grow and blossom.

There are two highlights on the Mentor Program calendar – the farewell barbecue in September and the annual camp in November. At the farewell barbecue, we celebrated the cohort of five Year 12 mentees graduating from the College. This was the first time the mentor program has had boys graduating who have had mentors since they arrived in Year 7.

The OIU is very proud of this and the success of this program, however we acknowledge the tremendous support given to the program by the College and especially Chris Farnsworth – without whose unwavering support, the program would not be the success as we see it today – and into the future. Thank you Chris!

And the other highlight is of course the Camp – held this year from Friday night 9 November through to Sunday 11 November. Many thanks to all those who participated to make it another great success, especially John Allen (OR81), and Glen Joseph (OR72) at whose property (Rainville – out of Lithgow) the Camp is hosted. The photos say it all!

Ignatian Services Association – Social Justice & Community Service In line with our mission of charitable works, the OIU have continued supporting the works of the Cana Communities and St Canice.

During this year, we have further strengthened our ties with Cana in many and various ways, including

taking over the role of manager of Theresa House, honourary Old Boy Michael Woodham, father of Jamie Woodham (OR2012), managing the OIU roster, as well as increasing the number of volunteers and number of nights the OIU is rostered on at Theresa House – Dan Moran (OR85) and Christine Zimbulis – and becoming increasingly involved with Cana Farm at Orchard Hills (the largest community farm in western Sydney) and our Cana camp each January – Tim Gavan (OR79).

Peter Cahill (OR65) continues his great work taking boarders to serve lunch on Sundays at St Canice, Elizabeth Bay. OIU Golf The OIU has had a most successful golf year – you may recall we came second at the Jesuit Mission Golf Day back in March nd to round out the year we scooped the remaining trophies on offer. The OIU defeated all other GPS Schools and won the GPSOBU Golf Day at Manly Golf Club in August with Derick Borean (OR91) and Nick Cuschieri (OR91) winning the 2 Ball Trophy and Derick also taking out the individual event.

This was closely followed by another great win in September at Avondale GC with the OIU defeating St Josephs’ College Old Boys for the 33rd Annual Challenge Trophy - our third consecutive annual victory! Seasoned golfers Charles Cuschieri (OR 5) and Paul Duffy (OR65) were winners of the Kevin Slocum Memorial Shield for the 4 Ball Best Ball event.

GPS Gold Challenge 2012: the battles continue . . .

The GPS Gold Challenge 2012 is for Old Boys who left one of the GPS schools in 1979 and 1980; an event held every two years to rekindle friendships among former class mates, develop new contacts among the GPS fraternity and raise money for the designated charity, Redkite, an organisation which assists children and the families of children suffering from cancer.

The GPS Gold Challenge was held over two days in early October, with shooting (at King’s) and golf on Friday 5 October and rowing, indoor cricket, basketball, touch football, athletics and swimming hosted at the College on Saturday 6 October, followed by the Great Debate during the dinner, with over 550 in attendance!

Congratulations to the Year of 1980, who continued their winning style (from 30 something years ago!), taking out the winner’s trophy for the 1980 competition, while those of us from 1979, well, where we came doesn’t matter because on the day, all of us were winners!

I encourage the Years of OR81 and OR82 – whose turn comes up in two years - to start planning now to continue our winning ways! Photos at www.gpsgoldchallenge.com.au

OIU Long Lunch – Friday 26 October 2012 As this was an Olympic year, we thought we’d celebrate the OIU’s participation in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

There were seven Old Boys involved with the 2012 London Olympics that we are aware of: Sir David Higgins (OR72) construction, Joe Donnelly (OR69) rowing coach, Dan Noonan (OR97) rowing, Paul Birmingham (OR91) swimming coach, James Templeton (OR83) athletics manager, Ed Fernon (OR2005) modern pentathlon and AJ Roach (OR2008) water polo.

At the lunch, we were entertained by stories from Joe, Dan and James, who were available to join us on the day.

For me, the highlight of the lunch was welcoming Shane Hogan, our wonderful and supportive Headmaster, as an honourary Old Boy and presenting him with his Old Boys tie!

Chris Tait (OR79) OIU President 0410 611962 ctait@christaitandassociates.com.au www.oiu.org.au

Ignatian 49

Around the Community

Chief Justice of NSW

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n the evening of Friday 23 November the College and the OIU jointly hosted a dinner to celebrate the appointment of the Honourable Thomas Bathurst (OR64) as 17th Chief Justice of NSW and Lieutenant Governor General. This is a very significant event for the OIU, and the College, as Mr Bathurst is the first Old Boy to be appointed Chief Justice of NSW. NSW State Minister Mr Chris Hartcher (OR63) was the MC for the evening and entertained us with many anecdotes from his time at the College, unearthing the source of Tom’s tennis prowess and regaling us with numerous stories of Tom’s school days – particularly Tom’s daily

Student Leaders with Tom Bathurst (OR64) at the celebration dinner.

jousts with his Latin master. Chris also provided an invaluable insight to the unanimous support the NSW Government had in approving the recommendation of Mr Bathurst as Chief Justice.

Justice Tony Whealy (OR59) then provided a wonderful introduction to Mr Bathurst as a leader both at the Bar and on the Bench.

Mr Bathurst, who said to me he was most humbled by the idea of the

Black Hawk Pilot and Taskforce Battle Captain

Although he changed his mind on his degree choice—switching to a straight Bachelor of Science—Joe never changed his mind about joining the Armed Forces, and decided to go full-time once he had completed his study. Transferring to the Australian Army in 2003, Joe commenced training at the Royal Military College in Duntroon

50 Ignatian

The evening concluded with the presentation of a gift pack from the College and the OIU of the 2008 Sevenhill Br John May Reserve Release Shiraz – which was well received!

was embedded with the United States Army, 82nd Airborne Brigade as a Black Hawk pilot and Taskforce Battle Captain. He says it was a ‘real privilege to have commanded a Troop of 16 pilots and aircrew and four Black Hawk helicopters in overseas operations.’

W

hen Joe Cleary (OR99) left Riverview, he joined the Army Reserve because it seemed like a great part-time job while studying veterinary science at the University of Sydney.

dinner, talked about what the College had enabled him to do. He noted the Jesuit education nurtured and encouraged the idea of free speech and he also encouraged the students at the dinner to embrace this as they moved through their lives.

Joe Cleary and Tony Abbot, Leader of the Opposition, at the Royal Military College, Duntroon.

and, on completion in 2004, was commissioned as Officer and allocated into the aviation division.

Joe completed a pilot’s course and became a Black Hawk pilot with the 5th Aviation Regiment in Townsville. He has completed five tours to East Timor, as a Black Hawk pilot and troop commander, and has been deployed to Afghanistan once, where he

Now posted in Duntroon, as Instructor Captain at the Royal Military College (RMC), where he is filling a twoyear placement, Joe says he ‘is grateful to have had a blessed run so far and a great time overseas’.

Joe is pictured in this photograph with Leader of the Opposition Tony Abbott (OR75) at a parade in Duntroon, earlier this year, at which the Queen presented colours to the RMC.

Community News

The five year old and a rubber ring

70

years ago a little morning was not only boy in a rubber high-tide it was a ‘kingy’, ring learnt to a Christmas king tide. The swim. The boy, his father sun-splashed water was and a skinny older brother, lapping just below the deck. would trek through the bush The boy and his skinny picking their way carefully brother were racing one in single-file along a scarcely another, to get out of their identifiable track, alert for clothes and into the water. the rustle of a snake, or But the boy couldn’t swim. perhaps a blue-tongue, even The father had to inflate the occasional goanna. Our the rubber ring and secure destination – the old Riverview Riverview Baths, 1930 – from a glass negative by Fr Lockington SJ it carefully with a stopper. baths. The boy with the rubber The contest was grossly ring struggled to keep up. In this the northern end was favoured – the unfair. The skinny one was dense bush, you never knew what critter angle of the sun just right to capture already in the water gently taunting would attack you. the full impact of the sun, with a few the boy with the rubber ring. bodies (often elderly Jesuits) draped out The time – a January Sunday morning There is a moment in life – never to on the decking soaking it up, in those in the full blast of summer along the be dismissed lightly – when we have innocent days, like lizards starved for foreshore of Tambourine Bay. So hot to let go the ring. Once in the water, vitamin D. In later years the boy would that you could almost hear the gum clutching the ring, that moment had encounter those same Jesuits, dressed tips crackle in the sun. The noisy arrived. The boy took a deep breath for action in their winged sopranos, harbingers of endless summers the and let go - thrashing around in the a uniform demanding respect for the cicadas made conversation difficult water, flailing arms and legs inventing magic of ‘the cloth’. But the image of – the yellow Mondays, the black some sort of primitive dog paddle, those pasty bodies lolling in the sun Princes, the double drummers and a mouth-full of Lane Cove river, a would never leave him. the deafening Greengrocers capable desperate feeling of sinking to the of drowning out a car backfiring.

Low-tide on Lane Cove river was to bottom never to be seen again.

(Where today have they all gone?) be avoided. Charts were consulted.

A skinny arm reached out and held The imposing Spanish-styled College, The timing all important. But this the boy. A never-to-be-forgotten fashioned in all the golden brilliance moment. Reaching the surface, of Sydney sandstone, stood tucked coughing and spluttering, and to away on the top of the hill hidden the smiling applause of the small by coastal bush. On the bush track, audience all colluding in this small there was even dark mystery. Halfdrama. Above all, that astonishing overgrown with Lantana and Tick experience of human flotation gripped bush was a square hewn out of the boy. How did it happen? Despite sandstone, filled with fetid, slimelater hours dedicated to the study of covered water known as ‘the Convict In an intriguing twist of Physics, he remained unsatisfied with pool’. Why it was there, what timing, Bill Critch (OR50) who any scholarly explanation offered. purpose would it have served, who was at school with Tony Doherty, were the convicts who shaped it? All Returning down the bushy track, and would have swum in the same unanswered questions to feed a fivethe boy now on his proud father’s Riverview baths, sent this update, year-old’s imagination. shoulders, was being carried like in the form of a poem. Bill and his some sort of Olympic trophy. Up After the lurking dangers of the bush, wife Bunny now reside in Arizona.

Tambourine Bay Road, heading home and struggling over slippery rocks, the with his skinny brother to a baked Thirty metre pool, sight of the baths was sheer relief. The dinner, apple pie and whipped cream, Water pattern crinkled, blue. rickety wooden structure of the baths, clutching his deflated rubber ring – to had solid planked decks at both ends, a Aussie Crawl, be passed on, no doubt, to some other springy diving board, aided by wooden Desert hills, shadows wimpy kid who yet couldn’t swim. ladders helping the swimmer back to changing colors, black and pink. the safety of the deck. This morning, Sauvignon Blanc.

Mgr Tony Doherty (OR50) Drink!

Ignatian 51

Family Celebrations Weddings

Baptisms

JANUARY Toby Charles, son of Kirsten and Thomas Tancred (OR96) FEBRUARY Havana Lucca, daughter of Holly and Matthew Pond (OR2001) MARCH Lachlan William, son of Rebecca and Sam Cuschieri (OR97) Emily Anne daughter of Sarah and Anthony Hourigan (OR98) Theodore Alexander, son of Alexander and Alison Mclennan (Staff) Julian David, son of Elizabeth and Benjamin Stack (OR97) APRIL Chloe Laura, daughter of Thomas and Corinne Crouch (Staff) Samuel Robert, son of Abbey and Robert Mcgregor (OR94) Jack Benjamin, son of Sally and Tom Virgona (OR97) MAY Scarlett Letitia Rose, daughter of Gretchen and Simon Clark (OR97) Ryan Stanford, son of Melanie and Matthew Clarke (OR90) Hugo Samuel, son of Emily and Samuel Manion (OR97) Thomas Henry, son of Michelle and Christopher Polin (OR96) Bianca Claire, daughter of Nicole and James Wedesweiler (OR94) JUNE Harry James, son of Gabrielle and Dane INMAN (Staff) Austin John, son of Juliette and Damien Wright (OR98) JULY Ryan Michael, son of Caroline and Timothy Delaney (OR2000) Claire Emily, daughter of Johanna and James Fisher (OR91) Maeve Norm,a daughter of Alissa and Thomas Malone (OR97) AUGUST Toby Leroy, son of Emily and Mark Daley (OR90) Maximilian Marcus, son of Brooke and Marcus Hill (OR2000) Alexandra Juliette, daughter of Claudia and Benjamin Matthews (OR90)

52 Ignatian

Baptism of Havana, daughter of Holly and Matthew Pond (OR2001)

Lucy Victoria, daughter of Sally and Toby Matthews (OR94) Lilly Joyce, daughter of Trudi and

Timothy Metcalf (OR2000)

Eloise May, daughter of Edwina and Hamish Stuart (OR96)

SEPTEMBER Eloise Rose, daughter of Evelyn and James Christian (OR94) Oliver Richard, and Emilie Cahaya, son and daughter of Mark and Sri Florance (OR79) Axel James, son of Summa and William Knox (OR99) Jack William, and Charlotte Rose, son and daughter of Jane and Nicholas Le Fevre (OR94) Xavier William, son of Kelli and Simon Peisley (OR96) OCTOBER Larry William, son of Nadja and Kevin Lynch (OR91) Xavier, son of Laura and Sebastian Ugarte (OR95) NOVEMBER Archie Brendan, son of Natasha and Brendan Allen (OR97) Thomas Morton, son of Fiona and Timothy Brewer (OR94) Ella Millie, daughter of Katrin and Thomas Hughes (OR99) DECEMBER Thomas, Geoffrey son of Jacqueline and Brian Shanahan (OR87) Additional Baptisms omitted from the December 2011 edition: March 2011 Conor, son of Orlagh and Andrew SaCordeiro (OR88) April 2011 Mackenzie, son of Tamsin and John Leach (OR90)

JANUARY Jye Collins (OR2000) and Tanja Mojsin Stephen Drury (OR97) and Astrid Thorpe William Harrington (OR2001) and Monika Walsh Dane Inman (Staff) and Gabrielle Sheehan Andrew Sherrah (OR2001) and Veronica Bressi Keith Yong (OR96) and Min Young Heo MARCH Jeremy Byrne (OR96) and Joanne Robertson Mark Walsh (OR2000) and Amanda Nixon APRIL Patrick O’Halloran (OR2003) and Emma Tyler JUNE David Morris (OR2002) and Ragini Dalvi SEPTEMBER George Nimmo (OR2007) and Anita Kamenyitzky Joshua Stephenson (OR2002) and Rebecca Muscat OCTOBER James Auswild (OR2003) and Jessica Mattick Dominic Hogan (OR2003) and Rachael McNamara Michael McNamee (OR99) and Jemma Mailman Simon Norris (OR2002) and Olivia Blumire Quincy Wong (OR98) and Wai Yee Ong NOVEMBER Luke Latter (OR2004) and Melissa Walker Gregory Lee (OR2002) and Yuki Mori Alex Longley (OR95) and Anna Salter Ben Mason (OR99) and Melissa Grounds Jonathan Tighe (OR2001) and Amelia Toole DECEMBER Richard O’Rourke (OR86) and Michelle Clarke Grant Willatt (OR99) and Natasha Luschwitz

Reunions

Class of 1962 – 50 year Reunion Class of 1967 T he 50 Year Reunion of the Class of 1962 was held on Saturday 13 October at the HarbourView Hotel at North Sydney. It was a very successful evening with old boys flying in from London, East Timor, Malaysia, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland. Many from country New South Wales were among the 76 at the dinner. Some said the reunion was too short and will be following up old friends. All expressed great joy at being alive and to have been tracked down by the planning group. An enormous amount of effort was put into the reunion. A particular highlight of the evening was the viewing of a commemorative video produced by Paul Keighery showing Old Boys recalling what it was like at View 50 years ago. A number of interviews were held, mostly at locations around the College and at the Indian Bazaar. There was also a magnificent book containing 50 stories written by members of the class, telling of lives well spent or ill spent since leaving Riverview. There was an audible reflection: ‘We have certainly had our ups and downs—that’s life’. A BBQ was held at First Field, the day after the dinner, attended by partners as well.

Many thanks to all who made the weekend a success but Alan Hamilton and Paul Keighery are due special acknowledgement.

Reunions for 2013 Please enter these dates in your diary: Class of 1928–962 Nostalgia Mass & Lunch Tuesday 7 May at the College Riverview in Dubbo Saturday 18 May – venue tba Riverview in Griffith Saturday 15 June – venue tba Class of 1953 60 Year Reunion – Tuesday 25 June at the College Riverview in Tamworth – Saturday 27 July – venue tba Riverview in Singapore & Hong Kong – 16–21 October – venue tba The Development Office helps co-ordinate reunions so if you want further information or would like to assist with the organisation of your class reunion, contact Christine Zimbulis 02 9882 8595 or email cszimbulis@

riverview.nsw.edu.au

5 Year Reunion (Class of 2008); 10 Year Reunion (Class of 2003); 15 Year Reunion (Class of 1998); 20 Year Reunion (Class of 1993); 25 Year Reunion (Class of 1988); 30 Year Reunion (Class of 1983); 35 Year reunion (Class of 1978); 40 Year Reunion (Class of 1973); 45 Year Reunion (Class of 1968); 50 Year Reunion (class of 1963)

Class of 1977 About 45 of the Class of 1977 gathered for a casual reunion at the Blues Point Hotel on 8 September.

Given there were 50 apologies it was quite a roll up. Some enthusiastic classmates had an early start by taking in the Swans vs Adelaide game prior to the

reunion’s scheduled 6.00pm kick off. They were monitored closely by the hotel’s RSA staff. Whilst name tags were available most attendees were recognisable despite the extra pounds, thinning hair and beards.

Particular appreciation to those that travelled from Adelaide and the Barossa Valley, King Valley in Victoria as well as Tumut, Scone, Gunnedah, Nowra, Jindabyne and

Held on Friday 12 October this was a testimony to the great affection this group has for Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview and fellow class mates. The organisers went to extraordinary lengths to contact and include each class member. The evening was punctuated by excellent and occasionally irreverent words from Tom Cullen and Paul McClintock on the subject ‘what Riverview taught me to be equipped for life.’

Fr Romanin SJ gave a fascinating and expansive dissertation on the sub structure of the Australian continent and then tied it together with his high regard for the College and its intellectual and values-based education. The class was able to thank him for the kind and thoughtful funeral service for Tim Martin at Xavier. Tim had become a lightning rod for the class, as his plight brought together the best elements of the Ignatian ‘Men for Others’ ethos. All in all a great night.

Many retold exploits were embellished and those who were not able to attend were remembered with fondness.

Bring on the 50 Year Reunion!

the Northern Beaches. It was a great night with an appropriate moment to reflect on the 11 classmates no longer with us especially Simon Geddes, John Horsley, John Hancock and Marty Hawcroft who have died since our last reunion. Many thanks to Chris Cahill and Roger Byrne’s assistance with chasing down email addresses and organising the evening.

Ignatian 53

Around the Community Father & Son Golf Day

Olympic Connections

C

ongratulations to all Riverview Old Boys who competed and were involved in this year’s Olympic games: Aidan Roach (OR2008), a member of the Australian Men’s Water Polo team; Dan Noonan (OR97), who rowed in the Australian Men’s Quadruple Sculls Team that won bronze; Ed Fernon (OR2005), who competed in the modern pentathlon; Sir David Higgins (OR72), the former Chief Executive Officer of the Olympic Delivery Authority in England; Joe Donnelly (OR69), coach of the Vietnamese Women’s Rowing Team; and James Templeton (OR82) manager of the Kenyan middle distance runners.

L

egend has it that in 1861, the horse Archer rode from Nowra to Melbourne to participate in the Melbourne Cup. The truth of the Legend of Archer is fiercely disputed, though this didn’t stop Ed Fernon (OR2005), pictured above, from choosing to re-enact the journey in October. The five week and 1100km journey, beginning at the farm where Archer lived, raised $50,000 for the Black Dog Institute, an educational research and clinical facility offering specialist expertise in mood disorders.

Legend of Archer Facebook page

Following the Legend of Archer

T

John and Neil (Year 11) McGrath, winners of the Fr Chris Gleeson Trophy

he Annual Father & Son Golf Day was held at Moore Park, with close to 100 attendees of boys from Years 5–Year 12 and their fathers.

Golfers ranged from those who play regularly to once a year, but all would agree it was a great day spent together. The winner of the Fr Chris Gleeson Trophy were John and Neil (Year 11) McGrath with a score of 62.25 and the group winner of the OIU Trophy were Tony and Andrew (Year 11) Bouffler and Brett and Angus (Year 7) Clarebrough with a score of 126. Thank you to Nick Cuschieri for organising the registration of players and then spending the day on the course encouraging both fathers and sons, Len Antcliff for supplying the trophies and donating the prizes, John Allen for his ongoing commitment to ensuring the day runs smoothly and to all the fathers and sons who came along to make the day such a huge success.

Christine Zimbulis, Alumni & Special Events Manager

team finished 16th in the world at the Olympics, where ot content with they came fifth in the C Final. steering the Kinross Attending Olympic functions Wollaroi School Rowing team in Hanoi and seeing where to the most successful year the Vietnamese athletes lived ever, KWS rowing founder Joe gave Joe a new appreciation Donnelly has been making for their achievements. dreams come true for the He was amazed by their Vietnamese Rowing Team as happines, despite their well. Joe and the Vietnamese living conditions, as well as team recently returned from the physical commitment the London Olympics, where and dedication they put they were the centre of plenty into rowing. The Olympic Joe with the Vietnamese women’s lightweight double scull team of hype and excitement. experience was also invaluable for the Vietnamese A former Australian Men’s VIII Under Joe’s guidance, and despite rowers who have now set their sights cox, Joe became associated with the lack of financial assistance and on the 2016 Games. the Vietnamese rowing program in medical support, the Vietnamese (reprinted from the 2009, having travelled to the country women’s lighweight double scull team Kinross Wollaroi School magazine) with his wife for many years. managed to qualify for London. The

Olympic Dream

N

54 Ignatian

Parents and Friends

Corgi Trainer Peter Gummer, HRH Angela Hinchley and Mad King George, Allan Phillip

Nothing but Royalty: Peter Huxley, Robert and Jane Higgins

As much as we have dared to do

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his year, we celebrated our community. Not a virtual community, but a real one, where people connect, join together to support each other and to deliver a common goal. During the second half of the year, there were a number of social and community events.

She’s a little bit country and I’m a little bit rock ‘n’ roll The annual City Country Mother’s lunch is always a highlight of the Riverview calendar. We celebrate all the best that a boarding school has to offer.

This year, 240 City and Country Mothers and one bloke (Shane Hogan) gathered together to solve most of the problems of the world – as you do at lunch. Entertained, enthralled, enraptured and enticed by our very own opera diva, Amelia Farrugia, Shane Hogan was initiated into the sisterhood, something we had to make sure happened before he left. I can say no more because I have already said too much!

We were very amused In August, the British Trivia Night was anything but trivial. Ramsay Hall was full to overflowing, with punks, football players, James Bond and Pussy Galore. We even had a visit from HRH and a few impostor Royals.

In what was essentially a night of frivolity, when it came to the trivia it was very serious. Who says we are not

competitive? A great night was had by one and all.

Solo but not Alone In October, we hosted our first solo parents get-together. This is a significant segment in our community.

The drinks were hosted at Unwined Bar in Lane Cove. The first gettogether saw about 20 solos, with a good mix of parents and friends made up of Riverview Old Boys, nevermarrieds, divorced, separated and marrieds, whose partners were either away, or not as sociable as them. There were some great new connections made and everyone is looking forward to the next monthly social. This will be held on a monthly basis.

A change in emphasis 80 years is a long time, and as a such it seemed only right that we took the time and effort to consider the purpose of the Parents and Friends and the way that we do things.

We had an extraordinary general meeting in September to consider our fundraising options and changes to the constitution, in order to bring us into line with the way the organisation actually works in 2012.

At this meeting, a number of options were put to the College community and discussions were frank and forthright. It was recognised that the level of funds raised from ViEW Exhibits has fallen year on year, over

the past four years. However, the level of effort, which requires a significant team of the people working over approximately six months leading up to the event, has not fallen.

The outcome of that meeting was that the focus of the Parent’s and Friends Association should be on building community. With the agreement of the Headmaster and College Council, in 2013 we will not hold ViEW Exhibits, but instead focus on supporting the College to raise funds for specific purposes.

At the AGM, a new constitution was adopted that included supporting the Bursary Fund in our objectives. We also created a named P&F Bursary, which means that for six years we will fund a bursary position at the College.

Other funds raised this year were given to the College – $85,000 and a further $30,000 to the Bursary Fund (in addition to the named bursary).

Finally, we welcome the first male president in 80 years, Matty Lunn.

We know that not only will he carry on the traditions of the College and the position but also he will forge on in the traditions of the College and the position but also he will forge new frontiers and take our community where nobody has boldy gone before.

A happy and safe Christmas to all.

Angela Hinchley, President 2012

Ignatian 55

Around the Community

Three cheers

100

at cricket - not very special, $100 in your pocket – not very special, 100 years of age, now there is something very special – and who better to achieve it than a very special person, Mrs Kath Raper (née Powell) – what a fantastic achievement, what a fantastic person!

We all dream about living to 100 years but very few of us achieve it.

My mother Patty was 94 and probably would have made 100 years except she got pneumonia; both Kath and she played bridge very well and enjoyed one another’s company; both had a bit of Irish in them and both had similar dispositions, above all they were very good friends. The Raper/Pfafflin friendship goes back more than 100 years, with my great grandfather August and Kath’s father-in-law, named Sid also, good friends who both lived in Mosman.

Mrs Raper is one of the most kindly and really good women you could ever meet. She is what I consider the epitome of the ideal Christian woma,n especially with her disposition – quietly spoken, ready to offer a good word, and never a bad word spoken about Kath Raper and Shane Hogan, Headmaster anyone. I spoke with her when her husband Sid died (OR24), Sid Junior (OR56) and John (OR58) all prematurely deceased and with great forbearance, yet, grief stricken, she said ‘It’s God’s will’ – what faith and what acceptance! She came as a special guest for the Class of 54 Golden Jubilee – she attended the Chapel and luncheon after and I do remember very clearly her words: ‘I love Riverview’. She was married in the Dalton Chapel in 1936 after a long association with her husband Sid, as they were childhood sweethearts at Loreto Kirribilli. Of course, she is the mother of our past Provincial the Reverend Father Mark Raper SJ (OR59), who is now the Provincial of South East Asia. So, three cheers for Mrs Kath Raper, may she have many more years.

Terry A Pfafflin

Christine Zimbulis (left) and Diane Edwards (right)

Past Parents

I

n September, the annual luncheon was held at the Sir Stamford Hotel in Sydney. Over one hundred past parents attended the occasion featuring guest speaker former Riverview parent and media celebrity Geraldine Doogue.

Geraldine, a multiple award winning journalist, gave an enjoyable and informative presentation on the changing nature and possible demise

56 Ignatian

Geraldine Doogue (left) and Maree Whybourne

of print media in the digital age.

Looking to the future, our first function for 2013 on Monday 8 February will be the Mass and light luncheon generously catered for by the committee. You are warmly encouraged to attend as this will be an opportunity to farewell Shane Hogan, who is leaving Riverview after 13 years at the College, the last decade as headmaster.

Other dates for 2013 will be posted

to those on the mailing list. If you wish to be added to the mailing list please contact Di Edwards at redw3310@bigpond.net.au or Christine Zimbulis at cszimbulis@ riverview.nsw.edu.au Participation on the Past Parents committee is not onerous and we welcome new members. Please contact me if you are interested.

Diane Edwards, Past Parents Association President

Requiescant in Pace Dermot William Joseph McDermott (OR32) died in

Amsterdam 11 November 2012 aged 98. He was the second child and eldest son of William Frederick and Mary Eleanor McDermott (née Chisholm) of Lismore in northern New South Wales.

In 1929 he was sent to board at Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview where he completed his Leaving Certificate in 1931. On leaving school, at the height of the Depression, he obtained employment in the family business until 1937 when he started working for himself as a photographer. He travelled to Newcastle where he qualified for his pilots’ licence.

When World War 11 broke out, Dermot volunteered to join the RAAF expecting to be sent to Canada and then to Britain but Japan’s entry into the war in December 1941 led to him being sent to Northern Australian where he flew ‘biscuit bombers’ in New Guinea and subsequently Martin Mariners (flying boats) patrolling the Coral Sea and other coastal waters searching for enemy submarines.

When the war ended he applied for employment with Qantas Airways but was initially told he was too old.

Seeing an advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald for ‘pilots willing to go anywhere’ he responded and was offered a job flying for KNILM (the Dutch East Indies Airline – now Garuda) and accepted the offer. He went to Indonesia and flew various types of aircraft over the next few years until shortly after Indonesia obtained its independence. He then joined KLM (the Dutch Airline) and moved to the Netherlands. He enjoyed a wonderful career with KLM being at different times stationed in South Africa and South America.

In 1959 he married his wife Gai and there followed a wonderful partnership which remained strong and loving until his death.

In 1974 Dermot entered into a very active retirement. He and

Dermott McDermott (OR32)

Gai returned to Australia for the Australian summer on an annual basis, most recently in 2009. On that visit, as a guest of the Headmaster at the Gold Cup, his first since 1932, the Headmaster asked Dermot whether anything had changed since 1932.

Dermot replied, ‘not much . . . Shore are still winning!’

On his 92nd birthday he celebrated by going gliding with a pilot colleague.

When his health began to fail early this year he was cared for lovingly at home in Amsterdam by his devoted wife Gai and died peacefully at home on Remembrance Day. He is survived by his wife Gai, his sister Mary, his brother Bill (OR45), nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews too many to mention and a number of whom attended Riverview.

A true Australian gentleman from the pre-war period – he will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Thomas Kearin (Bill) Magney (OR33), died on 13 September 2012.

Brother of John (deceased) (OR35) and Philip (deceased) (OR40); father of David (OR65) and Geoffrey (OR72); grandfather of Richard (OR98) and Andrew (OR2000).

William Adrian Fitzgerald (Adrian) (OR40) died on 9 January

2012. Brother of Francis (OR37) (deceased), Neil (OR40) (deceased) and Joseph (OR34) (deceased). Father of Anne.

Brian Ricketts (OR42) died on

18 September 2012. Brian was born on 18 February 1926, the fourth son of Stella and Gilbert and attended Riverview between 1940 and 1942.

He enjoyed playing cricket and was good at athletics, winning the 100 yards race at one carnival. Brian was a member of the senior school debating team, while still in second division and a bell warden. Bell ringing allowed him to attend special picnics and cook sausages in the bush. Brian, with others, had the pleasure of rowing out to see the Queen Mary, when in Sydney Harbour. They then rowed around her, all in school tub fours.

Brian’s brothers Stan (deceased) (OR34), Frank (deceased) (OR36) and Laurie (OR51) also attended Riverview.

Brian gained his Leaving Certificate at the young age of 16. He then began his cabinet making apprenticeship at Ricketts and Thorp, the family firm, before joining the RAAF where he trained as a wireless operator and gained his wings. Brian’s two older brothers were likewise in the RAAF. Stan was awarded the DFC, which is housed in the Riverview Archives.

After the war, Brian resumed his apprenticeship, rising to the position of Manager at Ricketts and Thorp.

For several years, he also taught at night to furniture trade apprentices.

When the firm closed in 1977, Brian gained employment with other furniture firms before retiring in 1994. He was highly respected in the furniture industry.

Brian faced many complexities and challenges but faith and the gospel teachings centred him and were at his core. This was shown by involvement in Randwick Parish for 50 years, including 30 years serving as an acolyte.

Pat and Brian were married for 55 years. Their six children – Anne, Jenny, Phillip, Lisa, Tim and Vincent – survive them. Brian had a love of stories and family. A good and faithful man.

Laurie, Anne and Jenny Ricketts

Ignatian 57

Around the Community Ross Victor Johnson (OR43)

died on 20 June 2012. Husband of Shane; father of Richard, Jacinta, Sylvia, Luke and Sophie; brother of Richard (OR45) and Terence (OR49) (deceased).

Myles J McLachlan (OR43)

died on 24 June 2012. Husband of Catherine; father of Catriona, Alastair (OR74), Edwina and Richard (OR83).

Myles spent a considerable time in the Navy and in business.

John Henry McKay (OR45) died on

30 August 2012. Husband of Philomene (deceased); son of Bert (OR10) (deceased); brother of Michael (OR50).

Brian Alexander Higgins (OR48) died on 1 October 2012. A

real estate property valuer, he worked up to his 80’s. Condolences to his widow, Betty, and children Anne, Catherine and Mark and brother and sister Ross and Gail.

Kenneth George Evans (OR50)

died on 9 November 2012. On leaving Riverview, Ken returned to his father’s property Tambua at Cobar, which he took over on his father’s death. Ken was a member of the Cobar Show Committee (Sheep and Wool section) for many years. Three years ago, Ken moved to Brennan Street, Cobar, for medical reasons, on behalf of his wife and himself. Husband of Ann. Ken was a good supporter of the country reunions. Our sympathy goes to his widow, Ann, son Paul and his wife Jane, as well as to Ken’s two grand children, Michael and Scott.

De B

Robert Studley Forrest Hughes AO (OR55) See following spread.

Alan Joseph Mooney Jones (OR55) died in October 2012.

Husband of Toni.

Stephen (Steve) Tully Fennell (OR58) died on 22 July 2012.

Husband of Patricia; son of William (deceased) (OR21).

Martin John (Tim) Talty (OR62)

died on 9 September 2012. Husband of Jill, father of Amy, brother of

58 Ignatian

Michael (OR55) and Peter (OR58).

He came to Riverview from the Newcastle area, part of the ‘push’ also comprising the O’Sullivans, Kinsellas, Enrights, and the Holleys. Though of comparatively light build he was an aggressive and capable rugby player as a breakaway in the 3rd XV (1961) and the 2nd XV (1962), competing in the by-then-well-established Novocastrian tradition of playing the man and not the ball.

He was sparing with his words, but could be persuasive (playing Decius Brutus in 1962s Julius Caesar). Tim was popular among his peers though not necessarily among the teachers, but despite this, as an ‘A’ class student Tim matriculated to read for Medicine at Sydney University and, after graduation, settled down as a general practitioner at Woollahra and later at Mortdale. He was well regarded by his patients, not only for his expertise but also for his willingness to listen and to give them time. This carried through beyond, when he as a camper would cheerily and patiently treat and stitch up slashes and cuts in kids (and adults) suffering mishaps on camping holidays. He married Jill Lawrenson in 1986 and they had one child, Amy, whom he adored.

Tim was a compassionate and gifted GP, devoid of arrogance or hubris. He had a keen sense of humour, sharp wit, and interest in people, as friends, acquaintances and patients with some of whom he liked to share a glass of red. He could be conservative, and certainly quietly emphatic in his views, (some of which would have sounded not at all out of place at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas). He had a seemingly perpetual, and hearty, laugh which was infectious, making him a delightful companion. He was a gentleman sailor, a gentleman golfer and a keen and daring surfer throughout his life, preferring the big waves and the back blocks behind them. He liked to wear shorts and long socks, owned a succession of

unfashionable cars and deeply enjoyed being a late developing father.

Tim was an old boy whose life and achievements fulfilled the spirit of Riverview we all aspire to and are comfortable with. Tim died on 9 September 2012 finally succumbing to cancer. Vale Tim John Timbs (OR64)

Timothy Curtis Martin (OR65)

died on 16 August 2012. Cousin of Stephen Curtis (OR64) and nephew of William Curtis (deceased) (OR32).

Tim Martin was an unlikely hero.

No hero at school there was, however, something heroic about his life that earned him the admiration and affection of his classmates in later years.

Tim Martin was born on January 23, 1949, and grew up in Yass. He did not have a happy life at home and at six was sent to the notoriously harsh Our Lady of the Sacred Heart boarding school at Bowral where he struggled, as he subsequently did boarding at Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview.

He was bullied. Square and stout, he acquired the nickname ‘Bulldog’.

Cruel at the time, it proved accurate to describe his unfailing courage in later life. He never gave in.

After school, while schoolmates soared, Martin fell. In the 1970’s, he found himself living on the streets in Sydney, at times sleeping on a park bench he labelled ‘Gilligan’s Island’.

Alcohol and depression enveloped him, but did not stifle his initiative.

He and a friend would check the paper for deaths, attend the funeral of a prosperous stranger, learn something of the deceased and then, well-briefed, arrive at the wake for a free feed.

In the late 1970s, Martin joined Alcoholics Anonymous and took control of his life and his demons.

AA became his church, his sustaining community and the locus for his support of others. He beat alcohol and outlasted depression. In the 1980’s Martin moved to Melbourne, where

Requiescant in Pace Dick Florance

the course and facilities for the historic Riverview Gold Cup Regatta.

died on 2 July 2012 at the age of 81, having been an integral part of rowing Dick was at Riverview for outstanding over 30 years both as as a coach, Boatshed administrator, Manager and supporter and as a coach; he friend and had a great colleague. Dick’s knowledge of involvement the technical with Riverview aspects of the rowing started sport. More after his sons importantly, Mark (OR79), he was a true John (OR83) and Dick Florance and Don Roberts with the 1994 4th IV, which they co-coached gentleman, Simon (OR87) Back row: Matthew Busteed, Ben Dobbin, Andrew Riordan, Hayden McHugh; with a gracious Seated: Dick Florance, Don Roberts; Front: Nathan Pearce took up the sport. and friendly He had a great manner, a and long service to the Riverview love of boats and the water possibly mischievous, irreverent sense of Rowing Club as a coach was nurtured by his life long association humour and a genuine concern for recognised with a IV being named with marine insurance. both the boys at the College in his honour at that time.

From 1981 until 1993 Dick coached and the coaches.

In 1996 Dick took over the new role Junior VIIIs and then, with Everyone who knew Dick was a of Boatshed Manager responsible Don Roberts made a formidable better person as a result of knowing for the fleet, repairing boats, coaching team, coaching the GPS th him. Riverview Rowing has been 3rd and 4 IVs together in 1994 and purchasing equipment, organising the richer for his presence. rowing camps, and significantly, 1995. Dick’s commitment, passion

he worked for the Mental Health Foundation. He travelled to an AA conference in the US and took on a bus tour through Germany. On the tour, his kidneys failed and he ended up in hospital, unable to speak German and unsure of his location, but he survived.

Martin was an unreconstructed conservative. He was grumpy, opinionated, loyal, kind. Above all he was forgiving and not bitter about his experiences. In the last 10 years of his life he reconnected with his old Riverview classmates. The bullied boy, positive supporter of fellow alcoholics, sufferers of mental illness and Riverview classmates, became a hero.

Extract from the Sydney Morning Herald

Peter Howard Coats (OR65)

died on 19 June 2012 at home with his family.

A popular member of the classes of 1964 and 1965, Peter studied medicine at the University of Sydney.

He was called up for National Service and served in Vietnam before returning to resume his studies, meeting a younger medical student Diane Spooner, who became his wife; Peter and Di partnered in a medical practice at Wyoming on the New South Wales central coast until Peter retired.

During the particularly wet winter of 1962 Peter honed his bridge skills – which was later to serve him well

when he and Di travelled widely playing bridge. In between running a busy medical practice, bridge and an interest in horse racing) they raised five children, Daniel, Gemma, Brenton, Leah and Shelley.

Peter was a caring and sympathetic medical practitioner, a loving husband to Di, a wonderful father to his five children, a delighted grandfather and a loyal friend. He will be greatly missed.

May he rest in peace.

Maurie Stack OAM (OR65)

Michael William Roche (OR79)

died on 15 October 2012.

Son of Peter (Deceased) and Marjorie.

Brother of Philippa, Adrian (OR83) and Justin (OR86).

The College extends its sympathy to all members of the Riverview family who have lost loved ones. While every care is taken with the accuracy of these obituaries we cannot accept responsibility for errors in material provided in good faith.

Ignatian 59

Around the Community Robert Studley Forrest Hughes AO (OR55)

A

rt critic, historian and among the most notable of Riverview Old Boys, Robert Hughes died on 6 August 2012.

There has been much written about Robert Hughes which we do not look to repeat here.

Interested readers are able to find very fine obituaries at: http://www.

guardian.co.uk/books/2012/aug/07/ robert-hughes and http://www.smh.com. au/entertainment/art-and-design/roberthughes-turned-criticism-into-an-art20120807-23r1m.html

The extracts below are edited reflections, provided by school contemporaries of Robert.

I first remember meeting Robert Hughes (he liked to use both syllables of his Christian name, but he was also happy to be called ‘Bob’, or, as was the custom of those days, simply ‘Hughes’) when in 1948 he came to Campion Hall, the Jesuit preparatory school for Riverview, on the summit of Point Piper. We became and remained firm friends during the rest of our school career, until after Bob left Riverview at the end of 1955. Our paths then diverged; and in later years we met only very occasionally.

In our youth, we always enjoyed one another’s company. I was always made very welcome at home at ‘Marsland’ in Cranbrook Road, not only by Bob, but also by his mother and father, and

by Tom, Constance and Geoffrey if they happened to be there.

From his young days, it was clear that Bob possessed many and considerable talents. He could develop

60 Ignatian

an argument at any conversational level, about almost any subject; and in the formal context of a school debate (he was a splendid colleague to have in a debating team), he could deploy an impressive range of rhetorical techniques, using the clear and wellmodulated voice that in later years was to engage the attention of television audiences throughout the Englishspeaking world. He was not one of Riverview’s celebrated sportsmen but he had great natural abilities as a spin bowler to delude and then dismiss a competent batsman. And Bob could draw. With pen in right hand he would rapidly sketch an amusing figure, and (as a trick which he knew would startle the onlookers) he would sometimes use his left hand to draw something else at the same time.

As a young man in Sydney in the late 1950s, Bob proclaimed the value of throwing off what he then represented as the stifling conventions of his upbringing and of our society. In large part, that was a young man’s unwisdom. But Bob’s restless and penetrating heart and mind did not remain content with brilliantlyarticulated rejection.

From the time he left school until his later years, Bob published recollections of his life in more than one form. He was very modest about having been appointed early in the 1970s to be the art critic of Time, attributing it merely to good fortune; but he saw that post in New York as setting him among the most creative artists of our age. In the event, his own pieces of critical writing, whether in his hundreds of review articles or in his full-length illustrated presentations, never failed to be perceptive and creative: and (as always with anything he wrote) his clear, strong and supple English style makes them a pleasure to read.

I shall always remember Bob’s conversation (recorded at some time in the 1980s) with Jeff Koons, and the friendly courtesy with which, as an enquiring critic, Bob addressed a

man whose industrialized production of large plaster figures seemed to have little or nothing to do with genuine artistic endeavour. And, in a double-page interview published in the 1990s in the Sunday Times, Bob said that he had watched the art market as it became little more than a fashionable branch of the investment market. It is clear that amid all the preoccupations and troubles of his life, Bob continued to dedicate himself to the task of illuminating through his own responses and his critical exposition the efforts of artists to show something of the truth about the world we live in, and the things and people that constitute it.

It is a joy to know that during his last painful years, helped by the intervention of members of his family, Bob was given the wisdom to see again, with the eyes of faith, that all the goodness, beauty and truth that is to be found in this world has been created and assured for us by God through his Son Jesus Christ.

Extracts from the eulogy given

by Christopher Flynn at the Memorial Mass at St Mary Magdalene, Rose Bay, 8 October 2012.

When I think of Robert (Bob) Hughes, I am trying to do justice to the man for his intellectual perspicacity, stunning voice and ‘genius like’ qualities.

Like all things in life, people included, everything is of comparative nature. I hope I am making a fair comparison to Bob, when I consider him a ‘modern day Ernest Hemingway’. He wrote and spoke frankly and honestly, no matter what his audience thought – like Hemingway. He said things that many would like to say, but did not have the intestinal fortitude to say for fear of ramifications. He was his own man. Bob was not a politician nor did he aspire to be. He opposed phoneyism and political humbuggery.

He was outspoken and saw the frailties of things in society.

One could consider him an eminent

Requiescat in Pace social critic - as indeed Hemingway was also. He was as much a philosopher as anything else - always questioning!

I disagree with Peter Carey when he said that Robert had a ‘tormented mind fated with doubt’; troubled he may have been like most philosophers, but I feel that the evidence showed in his writings and speech that there was no doubt in his mind that he knew what he wanted to say. As Edmund Capon the past Art Director of the Sydney Art Gallery said, ‘’Bob had a special knack of getting to the core of the matter’.

I first knew Bob when he was behind me in the study hall in 1952, (he was a class behind me). He did not have to study hard and was always in the top three or four in his class being intellectually gifted. He was a ‘bit of a free spirit’, somewhat non- conformist with an irreverent wit. He was debating society captain and when he graduated in 1955, topped the state in English, and placed fifth overall.

He was not an unlikeable man and one could not but admire his qualities or be stunned by his statements; even as a 15 year old youth he once said to me, which some might find unpalatable, but true,’’ everyone has some prejudice in them’.

He did arts and architecture at Sydney Uni and played an active part in the Honi Soit movement.

Then Bob literally roamed Europe, mainly Italy and France, observing and taking in the art and architecture of those countries. He felt he should express those findings in writings and as a television presenter. Bob’s presentations on art and culture in a series on the BBC were outstanding and the whole world admired his knowledge and beautifully spoken voice. Bob lived most of his life in New York and was the Art Director for Time Life magazine. He was one of the famous Hughes family, his grandfather donated his home to the Sacre Coeur nuns, namely Kincoppal.

He was the brother of two famous lawyers Tom and Geoff and the uncle of Lucy Turnbull.

He leaves behind his wife in New York.

Contrary to other beliefs he was not Robert Hughes as a boy an atheist and he died a catholic, with the full rights of the church. Indubitably one of Riverview’s brilliant minds.

Extracts from the eulogy given at the Memorial Mass at St Mary Magdalene, Rose Bay, 8 October 2012 When I think of Robert (Bob) Hughes, I am trying to do justice to the man for his intellectual perspicacity, stunning voice and ‘genius like’ qualities.

Like all things in life, people included, everything is of comparative nature. I hope I am making a fair comparison to Bob, when I consider him a ‘modern day Ernest Hemingway’. He wrote and spoke frankly and honestly, no matter what his audience thought – like Hemingway. He said things that many would like to say, but did not have the intestinal fortitude to say for fear of ramifications. He was his own man. Bob was not a politician nor did he aspire to be. He opposed phoneyism and political humbuggery.

He was outspoken and saw the frailties of things in society.

One could consider him an eminent social critic - as indeed Hemingway was also. He was as much a philosopher as anything else – always questioning!

I disagree with Peter Carey when he said that Robert had a ‘tormented mind fated with doubt’; troubled he may have been like most philosophers, but I feel that the evidence showed in his writings and speech that there was no doubt in his mind that he knew what he wanted to say.

As Edmund Capon the past Art Director of the Sydney Art Gallery said, ‘’Bob had a special knack of getting to the core of the matter’.

I first knew Bob when he was behind me in the study hall in 1952, (he was a class behind me). He did not have to study hard and was always in the top three or four in his class being intellectually gifted. He was a ‘bit of a free spirit’, somewhat non- conformist with an irreverent wit. He was debating society captain and when he graduated in 1955, topped the state in English, and placed fifth overall.

Bob was not an unlikeable man and one could not but admire his qualities. One could not help but be stunned by his statements; even as a 15 year old youth he once said to me, which some might find unpalatable, but true,’’ everyone has some prejudice in them’.

He did arts and architecture at Sydney Uni and played an active part in the Honi Soit movement. Then Bob literally roamed Europe, mainly Italy and France, observing and taking in the art and architecture of those countries. He felt he should express those findings in writings (he wrote the best seller, The Fatal Shore) and as a television presenter. Bob’s presentations on art and culture in a series on the BBC were outstanding and the whole world admired his knowledge and beautifully spoken voice. Bob lived most of his life in New York and was the Art Director for Time Life magazine. He was one of the famous Hughes family, his grandfather donated his home to the Sacre Coeur nuns, namely Kincoppal.

He was the brother of two famous lawyers Tom and Geoff and the uncle of Lucy Turnbull. He leaves behind his wife in New York.

Contrary to other beliefs he was not an atheist and he died a catholic, with the full rights of the church.

Indubitably one of Riverview’s brilliant minds.

Terry A Pfafflin.

Men & Women for Others Ignatius the Pilgrim

T

he symbol here is a simple image of a meandering path . . . a simple, uncluttered spiritual journey in the manner of Ignatius. This is the Ignatian journey of the ‘feet and the heart’. It endeavours to address the notion that to the Jesuit, home is the journey and so the symbol has no clear end. Home and Journey are not separated. The text which occupies a large swathe of the background is taken from the ‘Autobiography’ of Saint Ignatius that recounts what happened to him in Jerusalem.

T he Chapel has always been, and remains, the centre of College life,

not only structurally but also as the spiritual heart. A suite of six new windows was created in 2009, as part of a larger ‘renewal’ of the Dalton Memorial Chapel. In the initial stages of their design, the committee adopted an approach based several key points. For example, it was important for the windows to create the sense of one, coherent suite.

Further, the windows that faced each other on opposite sides of the Chapel needed to visually relate to one another.

Transparency and simplicity were to be the principle design elements of the windows, aiming to reflect the uncluttered journey of Ignatius— the journey of ‘the feet and the heart’. A key part of the simplicity of the design was the use of one central symbol that reflected each of the six key themes of Ignatius the Pilgrim, faith that promotes justice, men and women for others, God in all things, the founders and the Magis. In addition, each theme would be personified by an individual or individuals through the use of either a direct or oblique reference.

Finally, it was intended that the windows would promote contemplation, meditation and investigation through the layered complexity of the central symbol, intended metaphors and textured backgrounds.

H

Artist’s preliminary drawing for the ‘Ignatius the Pilgrim’ stained glass window in the Dalton Memorial Chapel

Fr Andy Bullen SJ

e was seized with a great longing to visit Mount Olivet again before he departed, since the Divine Will would not suffer him to remain in those holy places. On that mountain is a rock from which Our Lord ascended to heaven, on which even now His footprints are visible. And this is what he wished to see again.

Ignatius of Loyola (Autobiography)