2013 | TERM 1
www.stpauls.nsw.edu.au
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Student newspaper of St Paul’s Grammar School | By the students for the students | From M Block to L Block since 2012
Foundation Day memories in the making with many more to come
ITunes vouchers to be won! Enter our Grammar Eye competitions on PAGE 7
Take a Stand on the Student Soapbox
Editor Campbell Barnes Assistant Editors Andrew Coulshed Rashmi Singde Photography Tamara Muir
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
A Trip Down Memory Lane Campbell Barnes
Over the past few weeks, we have all noticed the buzz of activity around J-Block. The hallway in J-Block that had been closed for weeks has finally reopened as ‘The Heritage Corridor’. The lawn on the rear side that had been crawling with red tape has now been revamped as the Founder’s Garden. All the anticipation reached its climax last Friday, on our 30th Anniversary Foundation day. Foundation Day reminded me of something that I’d never cared to think of before. It seems strange to realise that our school is so much more than classrooms, lockers and bells; now, our school has “history”! For instance, on discovering that each of the bricks in the library had been made by school founders, I couldn’t help but look at it in a completely different way. Kelsey Mead, Year 10, put it so well, “knowing about our past makes me feel more at home”. The celebrations kicked off with an assembly led by our Junior, Middle and Senior School leaders. Highlights included Pastor Statheos’ impersonation of Martha from the Bible with a scarf around his head and Year 11 Music’s glorious rendition of “O Glorious Day” led by [future star] Kelsey Murphy. But then came the hard yards… House competitions! Mr Heath was particularly impressed by how involved students were in our epic tug-of-war battles. The Grammar Eye’s Deputy Editor,
Photo courtesy of Louise Goderie
Rashmi Shingde enthused, “It’s refreshing to see students, who are nowadays so caught up in technology and school, enjoying themselves in such a simple game like tug-of-war!” The revelries continued throughout the afternoon and into the night with the many subject workshops. The explosions of air pressure rockets from the science workshops, and the following raucous applause was especially impressing. The night markets, with the multicultural food stalls, were an original and funky element to the day and the alumni concert featuring graduated students showcased some fantastic music. For the workshops, hundreds of people from the wider community moved through classrooms and multi-purpose
areas, enjoying everything from science lessons and open music rehearsals, to sporting events. Many of the workshops were full up, with no further places available to accommodate extra people wishing to join in on the particular subjects. The visual arts workshops were particularly popular and dynamic; whole class rooms were full to the brim with parents and other members of the community sketching still life arrangement or trying their hand (and eye) at some pottery. The night markets were also a hit with the general crowd- after a full on day of celebrations everyone was pretty keen for some eats, and that was exactly what the St Paul’s Foundation Day night markets delivered, in style. The combination of crowd pleasers like a classic sausage
sizzle mixed with the Eastern European flavours of Gozleme, made for an awesome night filled with food and friends. The outdoor performances of all of the high school ensembles capped off the busiest and, for me, the best part of the night. And then came the alumni concert, in which the school’s amazing choir and Ceili Band performed alongside St Pauls graduates of yesteryear to culminate the first of St Paul’s foundation days- the first of many to come. I leave you with a thought from Xavier Walsh who believes that Foundation Day was special as it reminded him that although past generations have travelled through the school, so many more are yet to come.
Bring on 50 Years!
Many thanks to all our student contributors including: Frederick Webb, Caitlin Guerin, Campbell Barnes, Yijie Sun, Samuel McFadden, Rashmi Shingde, Andrew Coulshed, Darshana Dhanji and Merrick Andreone And special thanks to Mrs Wynne-Jones who organised the design and layout • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Grammar Eye
Page 1
2013 | TERM 1
www.stpauls.nsw.edu.au
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Awesome Arts!
River and the Road Frederick Webb - Campbell Barnes On February 13th, the band The River and the Road (often abbreviated to TRATR) visited the school. Although formed in Canada, one of lead vocalist is Andrew Phelan, a past St Paul’s student. He also plays guitar in the band, whilst occasionally performing on the drum kit and percussion instruments. The other members are Keenan Lawlor (vocals, banjo, guitar and piano), Cole George (drums) and John Hayes (upright and electric bass). They have recorded one album which was self-titled. Music elective students and ensemble members at St Paul’s were exclusively invited to attend a day time work shop held by the band. They played some of the music from their album acoustically, answered questions about the business of running, performing and being in a band, told stories of their travels as musicians and gave tips to the attendees about music and life in general. Describing their music as “non-instrumental”, TRATR have
combined the musical genres of soft rock, shuffle, country, blues and folk to create a unique and interesting sound. As part of the workshop, they mentioned specifically their repertoire, talking about how all of the members had grounding in blues music, yet wanted to steer clear of playing straight blues for fear of it becoming not as exciting as they felt they could become. The bands’ dynamic as a group was also a main focus of the half-day performance-comeQ&A. On song writing, they stated that “Show each other the respect you deserve,” when it comes to playing songs written by each other. An important part of their development as a band which was singled out was performing as buskers; indeed, they said that while they’re not writing, or at a gig, they are busking for a large portion of their income. On money, a central point to their talk was how they have not necessarily become wealthy from their
musical endeavour; however they said that they were happier doing what they love.
say that they write “rigid songs and fluid songs”, just as roads and rivers are.
A major highlight for the attendees was the “suitcase drum”. This bass drum is what you might call an original, handmade creation- having found a suitcase in the side of the road, Cole (drummer) transformed it into a portable bass drum for their gigs and busking- and he only completed it the night they were supposed to leave the country for a tour. Cole also says he stores the rest of his drum hardware inside the case, and often packs his clothes and other items inside when travelling.
To have their debut album released at all was a feat: most all of it was DIY. They recorded the album by themselves and had a friend who works in a CD factory, who managed to print the cover and burn the CDs for a good price, with them selling the CDs themselves rather than in stores. They use and recommend a website called TuneCore to distribute music online, on media outlets like iTunes and Spotify. They also recommend using social media to your advantage- a tool, and not something for time wasting, Andrew half-joked that logging onto the band’s Facebook site was work.
Their stories were yet another highlight of the day: from the bridge on Keenan’s banjo collapsing mid-song (which creates a shotgun-like boom) to having a deaf audio engineer at a pub gig. When they were asked how they came up with the name, they didn’t have much to say, other than all the good names have been taken, and that the name doesn’t matter much, as long as people like the music. They did
It was a great workshop, and everyone enjoyed themselves. If you want to listen to some of their music or find out more about them, you can find them in iTunes, Spotify, Facebook (click to go directly to their page), at tratr.com and the band is contactable at: theriverandtheroad@gmail.com.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Faus’T and St Paul’s: a musical theatre production Caitlin Guerin
When the announcement of a musical was made late last year, it was obvious a lot of us had been waiting a while for this (including myself, who actually began to cheer). The chosen piece, “Faus’T: A Modern Tale”, is one that not many people may have heard of, so I sat down with Mr Kidson to get a better understanding of the story, as well as his hopes and views about what our version of the tale of Faust will look like. “(Faus’T isn’t) a musical as such,” Mr Kidson explained. “It’s two pieces of great western theatre, put together with some great music to create the feeling of a musical production.”
The storyline goes that Faust, a cynical and unpleasant man, makes a deal with the devil to sell his soul for power, money and love. It’s all a bit dark, including a few deaths that Faust hardly seems to notice. “But there is redemption,” said Mr Kidson, “love and redemption.” Out of the upcoming musical, Mr Kidson hopes to see the students come out of the production with a few things, such as confidence and experiences that are truly unforgettable. For some people, this may be the highlight of their entire
schooling. I agree with Mr Kidson when he says that ‘It’s a chance for them to see that they can achieve something great.’ Putting on a production of this size and magnitude is always a challenging process. So with over one-hundred and fifty hours put in from an excess of a hundred people, the afterparty will be a collective sigh of relief and celebration from all involved! Now that the auditions have finished, the cast is finalised and many rehearsals have already begun, our musical is starting to take shape as an amazing production.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE GRAMMAR EYE - TERM 2 2013 We welcome and read all submissions for The Grammar Eye with an open mind. If you would like to make a contribution about anything for the school newspaper please email either our Editor, Campbell Barnes, or Mrs Wynne-Jones who is very friendly and helpful (and who wrote this!!) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Grammar Eye
Page 2
2013 | TERM 1
www.stpauls.nsw.edu.au
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Canned Laughter
gender. While it is not impossible for jokes based around those stereotypes to be funny, it needs a certain level of irony to it; for example a particularly rude joke spoken by an unlikeable character can be used to make the viewer cringe. Yet writers seem to think it is acceptable to have protagonists who are meant to be viewed as witty, fun-loving and likeable to say these jokes, and the audience is meant to accept these atrocious things. This is considered ‘OK’ because the fake audience just keeps laughing and laughing. For younger, more influential viewers especially, it creates a sense of humour that they would think is appropriate for normal day-to-day activities.
Samuel McFadden
You have escaped the horrors known as work, school or uni for a limited time. You want to make the most of it. So when you get home, you usually relax into your couch and turn on the TV. You get a drink and some snacks, get comfortable and prepare to have an entertaining laugh-fest. But no! The laughing riot is coming from the speakers, and not you. It’s a disgraceful thing known as the “laughtrack”, and it’s on a truckload of our comedy shows.
the jokes seem lame, laboured and above all it makes you selfaware. Like the “replicants” in Blade Runner, once you become aware, you can never turn back. No matter how engaging a show may be, once the laugh track occurs, you are conscious that you are watching a TV show with made up characters. You realise there is a blatant attempt at creating comedy. It completely destroys any possible attempt at making the show as relatable as possible.
of laughter at the appalling jokes, you feel as if you have no sense of humour. Yes, humour is subjective, but like opinions, if you are constantly forced to appreciate it, the chance of you genuinely enjoying severely decrease.
Oh, you’ve heard the forced laughter plenty of times. Somehow, you put up with it, and sometimes, (yes sometimes!), you laugh along to it. But never, ever, does it enhance the viewing experience in any way possible. In fact, it makes
As well as that, the canned laughter makes the jokes feel forced upon you! I don’t know how many of you watch things like The Big Bang Theory and Two and A Half Men, but I never laugh during those shows, and as the audience is dying
The canned laughter also implies we are forced to find certain aspects of humour acceptable. While we’re on the subject of Two and a Half Men, the main concepts of humour are based around stereotypes of race, sexual orientation and
The Laughing track pounds your eardrums like a chanting cult, urging you to join in to benefit by not “sticking out”. I urge you, to ignore these fits of fake laughter, and to laugh (and decide) for yourself.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
A Love Letter to School: Pt,1 School you have changed me, made me, broken me then fixed me, ready for another day. I tell myself I hate you, but I must remember you are not just formulas and worksheets but the sum of all parts. You are the friendships, the memories, the canteen
ladies, the make ups and break ups, the tears, the rivers and oceans of tears (you know who you are). I have been with you for thirteen years and you have stayed mostly the same, we have moved from place to place but you only want to help me.
Yet you still test me, year in, year out. After ten years you gave me the gift of technology but it seems as if it was destined to fail, always in the hands of another. Throughout all our ups and downs we still stick together. Our time seems to be coming to an end but do
not fret. You are the Craik to my Lockhart, the Pythagoras to my hypotenuse, the infer to my imply, the day off to my excursion and I will always remember you.
Anonymous
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE GRAMMAR EYE - TERM 2 2013 We welcome and read all submissions for The Grammar Eye with an open mind. If you would like to make a contribution about anything for the school newspaper please email either our Editor, Campbell Barnes, or Mrs Wynne-Jones who is very friendly and helpful (and who wrote this!!) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Grammar Eye
Page 3
2013 | TERM 1
www.stpauls.nsw.edu.au
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Sports’ Desk Sports’ Desk Sports’ Desk
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Grammar Eye
Page 4
2013 | TERM 1
www.stpauls.nsw.edu.au
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Sports’ Desk Sports’ Desk Sports’ Desk
The Swimming Carnival Frederick Webb
Every year there are two swimming carnivals for St Paul’s; in the High School and in the Junior School. For you, a swimming carnival may be something you dread all year, something you don’t feel obliged to turn up to, or a highlight of the school year.
Whatever your opinion, both of the swimming carnivals this year, the junior carnival on the 14th of February, and the 25th of February, were spectacular events. Colour, noise, water, Mr. Humble and plenty of enthusiasm and Melville victorious!
Alexandria Jones and Frederick Webb supporting Cornwallis at the Junior School Carnival.
Although, at first sight they might look the same there are plenty of differences. Most noticeably, at the Junior Carnival there are about half as many people, and things are a lot less crowded. The races go for a lot longer, and the timing system is a lot less sophisticated. There is no war cry competition and things are a lot quieter, apart from the high pitched screaming. Mr. Gorman did a great job as MC and as is mentioned earlier, Mr. Humble made an appearance for the first time in five years! The middle years leaders worked hard all day, working tirelessly to get kids to races, encourage the swimmers, lead cheers, hand out and eat lunches and generally keeping up the enthusiasm. Highlights were the relays and the races of the leaders and the teachers. Melville won the day loudly and proudly.
The people from ‘the other side of the road’ had their swimming carnival as well, on what seemed to be the hottest day this summer. It was loud and crammed, but a great time anyway. It was a lot more chaotic than the Junior carnival, oozed house spirit and lots of participation. It would have been good to have a teachers’ race, but it was almost made up for by having a novelty race. It came as a bit of a surprise and a pleasure to everyone when Claremont won the war cry competition with their selection of songs. The senior school prefects put in a huge amount of work and the day wouldn’t have been complete without them. We must thank all the teachers who did an excellent job managing every one, especially our Heads of House who put a lot of work in. One teacher whose expectations were exceeded was Miss Newby’s. She was overheard saying only days before the competition, that it was actually only between Melville, Castlereagh and Wilberforce. As it turned out, Strathdon came second, so well done the Reds! The trip back to school was certainly subdued for we were tired after a hot and busy day, whether we competed or simply cheered on our House. All the house points count too, towards that elusive Codrington Cup!
Above: The Middle Years Leadership Team after a long day at the Junior School Swimming Carnival ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE GRAMMAR EYE - TERM 2 2013 We welcome and read all submissions for The Grammar Eye with an open mind. If you would like to make a contribution about anything for the school newspaper please email either our Editor, Campbell Barnes, or Mrs Wynne-Jones who is very friendly and helpful (and who wrote this!!) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Grammar Eye
Page 5
2013 | TERM 1
www.stpauls.nsw.edu.au
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Mad About Languages! By guest writer: Jocelyn (Yijie) Sun As a grammar school with the IB program, St. Paul’s has a strong connection with languages of the world. Whether you’re a student of Chinese, French, Latin or Spanish, we’ve all those moments where it’s all too overwhelming and nothing seems to make sense. It’s not easy learning English either, as international student Jocelyn shares below… Could you imagine a group of students from different countries sitting together and using the same language to communicate with each other? Have you tried to imagine being bilingual, where you are never afraid to speak to local people? Have you ever dreamed of becoming multilingual so you can travel around the world without any language barriers? Whether you have thought about these questions or not… It’s time to be mad about languages!
We are young! We have the ability and the energy to learn a new language. Language can be a challenge but if we don’t feel confident, we shouldn’t worry too much. It’s a cumulative process. Try to put your best effort into the study of language and keep going. You will find that you’ll make great progress. Trust me, I’ve been through it myself and I have already become bilingual! I would like to tell you about my experience… To be honest, it’s not easy learning new language. I started learning English when I was in Year 3 and I never gave up studying. Despite being born in China and living there, I enjoyed learning English. Now that I have been in Australia for a few months, I realise how important the language environment is. In fact, I can nearly speak fluent English now. Today English is spoken by almost every country in the world as a second language. There are 2.86 billion people who speak English and it is calculated that 0.8 billion people will have learned English by the end of 2005. This is one
of the many reasons I want to learn English. On top of that, not only will you learn a language, you will learn different customs, cultures and a new history. You may even find yourself falling in love with learning a language! Some of my Australian friends often complained to me that it is very, very, very hard to learn Chinese. Compared to English, I have to admit that Chinese is more difficult than English. This is because of aspects like the pronunciation, the accent, the Chinese characters and the unique way of expressing the same things in different situations. But I must emphasise one thing: you can’t give up just because it’s hard. The world’s language system has evolved over centuries and by 2050, Chinese will continue its dominance, especially as its base of native speakers is so large. Chinese may even become the most widely spoken tongue in the world. From first-hand experience, I’d like to share with you my tips for learning languages. I have two
small word books that I use to remember new complex words. Wherever I am, perhaps on the school bus or at the station, I make note of new words. Anywhere can become the best spot to learn languages. I also try to imitate the accent. You can mimic the accent by watching soap operas or films. Last but not least, if you have a friend who can speak Chinese fluently, you‘ll be mad to miss the opportunity of making friends with them. In the beginning, I was shy too. I felt worried when I was chatting with local students because I thought my English wasn’t good enough. But later I realized that if I don’t have courage to speak English, I’ll never grasp the language. The whole point of learning a language is communicating, so you should be brave! And don’t be scared of making mistakes! We’ve got nothing to lose. Come on and enjoy a fascinating tour of the language learning. Let it become a wealth of wisdom in your life.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
10 Ways to Protect Your Laptop by ANDREW COULSHED
old brain of yours. 1. Never leave your laptop 4. Change your password to We’ve all had the unattended something even you don’t experience. You walk out 8. Have an automatic self Take it everywhere know of the classroom for a destruct sequence on classes, the bathroom, Foolproof! your laptop few seconds, come back funerals. We recommend fingerprint 5. Glue the laptop shut and “you’ve” sent 50 rude sensors, voice commands 2. Use an exercise book T hen they can’t open it emails to teachers, your and odor recognition Nothing like a bit of without breaking it, and laptop background is good-ole-fashioned paper then they have to pay for a 9. Soak your laptop in snot a goat and autocorrect - it also doubles as a light new one! Ingenious! Then nobody will want changes every word to snack. to touch it! And you have 6. Hire a laptop-guard lemongrass. Now, thanks an immune system for a 3. Drain your laptop’s A bit expensive, but to The Grammar Eye, you reason. battery and don’t invaluable in tight have a faultless guide on recharge it situations 10. Burn it • • • •how • • • • • •to • • •protect • • • • • • • • • •your • • • • • •laptop • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • I•f•there’s • • • • • • • •no • • •power, • • • • • • • •they ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Fun AND effective! 7. Change the language on from your supposed can’t do anything with it! your laptop to Yiddish You may not be able to ‘friends’… either, but it’s totally worth it.
othing like a few Yiddish N lessons to stimulate that
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Grammar Eye
Page 6
2013 | TERM 1
www.stpauls.nsw.edu.au
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Creative Writing Competition Darshana Dhanji
Life wasn’t always like this. At least I don’t think so. Skies were blue, as clear as crystal. Trees grew taller than the skylines. And starlight could be seen from miles away. At least, that’s what I’ve heard. Today, sky’s are filled with smog, trees are an endangered species and stars are merely seen beyond the pollution.
The year is 2055 and I have just recently turned 73 years of age. The streets are no longer safe, but as I meander towards an old second hand bookshop, people know I am not worth the fight. I chuckle even thinking about the times when the police cared about the lives of their community. I know, because I was one of them. I can feel the dust smothering my face once I enter the gloomy shop. I sink with each step,
wandering through the thick brown carpet. Finally reaching my destination, I look through the book rack, entitled ‘Drama’. It’s not long before a book grabs my attention. The cover is hard and the colours are rich and vibrant. The title reads “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Leea. It’s nothing like I’ve seen in a long time. I vaguely remember reading these kinds of books, but ever since the accident, I don’t remember much. Flipping through, the pages are thick and textured. I come to a halt. Sitting within the novel is a receipt. The date reads “24/7/2016” and is from a pizzeria. Pizza is a delicacy for the rich where the sweet tomato and melted cheese can only be appreciated by a few. The order continues, although it’s unreadable as blood has been splattered on the side.
I keep both the book and the receipt, taking it home, back to my small apartment. The rent is high, but it’s worth the hot running water. Remembering the book, I quickly open and take out the blood splattered receipt.
This story was started by one of our Year 11 students, Darshana Dhanji. Can you finish it? Prize awarded for the published piece: all entries to be submitted by Week 3 of Term 2 email to emma.wynne-jones@ stpauls.nsw.edu.au
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Guess the Teacher Below, is information about some of our teachers. You need to figure out which teacher is described by the clues. If you think you have guessed correctly, email your answers to: 0284373@stpauls. nsw.edu.au with each number, the teacher you think it is and the department(s) they teach in.
Eg, if you think Teacher #1 is Mr. Smith from the Maths department, write: #1. Mr. Smith (Maths). The first person to email with all the correct answers will win an iTunes gift voucher to the value of $20.
Teacher #1. This teacher is 45, their favourite foods are sushi and jelly beans. This person has two boys and two dogs, Licker and Boofer. This person drives a pink car.
Teacher #2.
Teacher #4.
This teacher calls their car Percival and drives over an hour to get to school every day. Their favourite book is Wuthering Heights and this person loves to watch tennis.
This teacher has a DVD collection of over 700. They have two younger sisters and drive an AWD. This person likes comedy and Sci-Fi.
Teacher #3. This teacher has never watched ‘Titanic’. This person was part of the ‘Crowded House’ fan club. This person has one husband and a cat. They drive a VW Golf and used to announce Radio at a University. They attended Maitland Grossmann High School.
Person #5. This teacher has taught at St Paul’s for 12 years and has moved staff room four times. This teacher has a car with a bike rack on the roof rack. They love the Routeburn Track in New Zealand.
*Remember to put the department or your answers won’t be valid!*
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE GRAMMAR EYE - TERM 2 2013 We welcome and read all submissions for The Grammar Eye with an open mind. If you would like to make a contribution about anything for the school newspaper please email either our Editor, Campbell Barnes, or Mrs Wynne-Jones who is very friendly and helpful (and who wrote this!!) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Grammar Eye
Page 7
2013 | TERM 1
www.stpauls.nsw.edu.au
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Cecil’s Corner Dear Cecil, I need help with my schoolwork. What is an easy way for me to get help from year 11 students in any subject, preferably on Monday and Thursday lunchtimes in J9? #Pythagoras4President Hey kid, I know just what you need…. Peer Tutoring for the WIN!
Dear Cecil, Just calling to say hi… I’m lonely. #I’mALonelyBoy Hey spud, Chin up son! You’ve got be
positive and realise that life is there for the taking. Everyone feels insecure and isolated at some point in their lives... unless you’re Chuck Norris. First thing is first. Learn to see the positive things in you because everyone loves to be around people who are confident and upbeat. I can already see that look of selfdoubt on your face. So fake it till you make it! If you don’t feel confident and positive in the beginning, pretend you are until you get the experience to make it for real. Though it will feel artificial and forced in the beginning, you’ll soon feel it becoming more natural
till you are actually happier and healthier. For example, you see a group of people who look nice but you’ve never talked to them. Seize the day and go over! If you’re scared of having nothing to say, talk about cheese. Everybody loves cheese. It would be easy for me to tell you to join clubs and pick a hobby etc. but I’m guessing it’s not that easy. You’ve really got to look at yourself first… find out what makes you cry, what makes you laugh so hard that you cry harder and what makes you so angry that you cry even more. Because the hardest part is knowing who you are. Once
you do, you can start looking to meet people just like you! And to cheer you up today, here’s a Chuck Norris joke… Chuck Norris doesn’t call the wrong number, you answer the wrong phone.
Want to write to Cecil? Email him at cecilscorner@ stpauls.nsw.edu.au
This Weeks - Horrorscope Aries March 21-April 19
Cancer June 21 - July 22
Libra September 23 - October 22
Capricorn December 22 - January 19
The alignment of Mercury and Uranus indicates that if you tickle your aunt’s chin whilst eating a seahorse your marks will improve by ∏% Lucky Day: Friday (Friday, gotta get down on Friday) Lucky Object: Locker 714
Scream and run around in circles. Lucky Day: June 10th Lucky Object: Aaron Heffernan’s wedding ring
Do not wear school sports uniform (see lucky object) Lucky Day: 2nd of November (Look for Circles’ Day) Lucky Object: Your mother’s sweatshirts.
Do a fancy jive. Lucky Day: The day before yesterday Lucky Object: The fourth starting block at the swimming carnival
Scorpio October 23 - November 21
Aquarius January 20 - February 18
Today is your lucky day! Everything you attempt will be a success – enjoy! Lucky Day: 28th of October (Plush animal lover’s day) Lucky Object: Cup-a-soup in a bowl (*gasp*)
Dye your hair electric blue. Lucky Day: 31st of June Lucky Object: School shirt breast pockets
Taurus April 20-May20 Do not take advice from the alignment of flaming balls of gas millions of light-years away ;) Lucky Day: April 23rd (You know who you are) Lucky Object: Tickle-me Elmo
Gemini May 21-June 20 Unless you do a pirouette whilst rubbing a Banksia against your left thigh a bird will poo on your bicycle tyres. Lucky Day: May 14th (unless you are ugly) Lucky Object: Exercise books (for your fireplace)
Leo July 23 - August 22 Avoid walruses at all costs. Lock your doors, board your windows - annual walk-your-walrus-towork day is approaching. Lucky Day: April 1st (Just kidding) Lucky Object: Finger Cymbals
Virgo August 23 - September 22 Try and guess which of these lucky days is made up. If you get it wrong, you will be cursed with long toenails forever........ Lucky Day: 8th of January (Ladies’ Bubble Bath Day) 15th October (National Cane Frog Day) Lucky Object: Your school laptop (haha)
Sagittarius November 22 - December 21 Do not take the advice of any horoscope! Even this one! Lucky Day: Walk-your-walrus-towork-day. Lucky Object: Goldfish
Pisces February 19 - March 20 ;) (you know what to do) Lucky Day: 23rd of February (International Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day) Lucky Object: The whiteboard marker your teacher will inevitably lose.
Student newspaper of St Paul’s Grammar School | By the students for the students | From M Block to L Block since 2012 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE GRAMMAR EYE - TERM 2 2013 We welcome and read all submissions for The Grammar Eye with an open mind. If you would like to make a contribution about anything for the school newspaper please email either our Editor, Campbell Barnes, or Mrs Wynne-Jones who is very friendly and helpful (and who wrote this!!) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The Grammar Eye
Page 8