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BOY KILLER ESCAPES DEATH SENTENCE
A SHOCKING VERDICT at the County Courthouse has drawn controversy after a teenage defendant accused of patricide walked free. Martin King, 16, was charged with the stabbing murder of his father, Luther King, in their Harlem flat on Wednesday. Neighbours reported seeing Mr King fleeing the scene after hearing a scream moments earlier. Luther’s body was discovered with a stab wound to the chest on the floor at approximately 9:42 PM. The cause of death was haemorrhaging of the heart and heavy blood loss, according to the coroner. Evidence began building up when two eye witnesses came forward. 51-year-old Queenie Jackson and 73-year-old Benjamin Woodrow both gave testimonies to the night of the murder, which occurred in a slum neighbourhood known for turning out dangerous criminals. Found at the scene of the murder was a 10-inch switchblade, reported to be the exact same make as a weapon owned by Mr King. King claimed the knife fell through a hole in his pocket on the way to the Harlem Street Cinema. King had several convictions prior to the trial. At age 10, he appeared in the Children’s Court for attempting to bludgeon a teacher with a rock. Four years later, he was sentenced to a year in Reform School for grand theft auto. In 1951, he was arrested for mugging. And in recent years, a spate of assault charges has shadowed the troubled youth through adolescence. Police say he is a known knife fighter in the area, and that the murder charge does not come as much of a surprise. All things considered, it was all but certain the jury would turn out a guilty verdict. A statement from one of the jurors, who has chosen to remain anonymous, described the case as a “sure thing”. The juror proceeded to talk about an upcoming baseball game the night of the trial. Another juror added, “Dirty, rotten kids. You work your life out, and for what?” He proceeded to take a deep breath, as if smelling the summer air, then added with a mean-spirited grin, “I can practically smell the sizzling flesh!” Instead, all twelve jurors voted “not guilty” in the final ballot, making the verdict decidedly not guilty. It was indeed a unanimous vote – just not the kind people were expecting. One of the jurors released a more telling statement about the proceedings. “A tragedy,” he lamented, with a sad shake of the head. “An absolute tragedy. I come to America seeking peace and democracy – and instead I find a courtroom seething with prejudice and hate.” “It’s a miracle it didn’t come to blows,” he exclaimed. “Thank God logic and reason prevailed.” The juror proceeds to check an exquisite gold watch. “Ah, it’s time to go home,” he says. “And by home I mean my native Germany. This country’s people are far too – what is the word – bigoted? Yes, too bigoted for my liking.” King will be released from police custody this Thursday. Meanwhile, some are calling for a re-trial, while others suspect leniency due to the boy’s unfortunate upbringing. Judge Alexander Westgate, who presided over the case, declined to offer a statement about the verdict. However, a third juror had this to say about the proceedings: “Boy, I don’t know. It was a tough one. I suppose he could be guilty or not guilty. Say, what do you think of this sketch? It’s part of a promotional ad for Rice Puffs cereal.” The juror proceeds to go into great detail about his corporate advertising business. “Now on a billboard near you!” he beams proudly. Indeed, we can never know for sure exactly what happened in the courtroom, but from the sounds of it there were twelve very angry men!
Sebastian Starcevic - Year 10
MY TOWN IS THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE
After living in Geelong for 13 years, I feel that Geelong is no doubt a fantastic place to live for kids and adults. Geelong’s lifestyle gives its residents a warm and fuzzy feeling whenever they wake up in the morning. The low crime rate in Geelong combined with the fantastic infrastructure and great location, makes my town somewhere not to miss. The low crime rate in Geelong has been something we have always valued. Statistics state that 98.7% of people in Geelong feel safe walking during the day (Community Indicators Victoria 2011). This number is one of the highest in Victoria! Who wouldn’t love the safety of being a citizen of Geelong? And what sought of person enjoys looking behind there back every few minutes? Our crime rate not only gives our city a sense of kindness and ease, but also encourages our council to build lots of new and needed infrastructure. The City of Greater Geelong has fantastic infrastructure. When it comes to shopping, there’s no need to leave Geelong; the range is a good as anywhere. The size of the retail sector in Geelong is reflected in the $2.4 billion spent annually by Geelong’s residents. The reasonably new Westfield also represents an investment of $200 million and includes more than 170 outlets. But shops aren’t all Geelong has to offer. Our top quality schools offer families a huge range of 58 schools to pick from. Because of this vast amount of choices, there is almost always a school within walking distance. The perfect size of Geelong also means that parents can forget worrying about their children’s safety on the way to and from school; there are roughly 18 times less cars in Geelong than there are in Melbourne (Community Profile 2011)! I strongly believe the best thing about Geelong is its size and location. Geelong’s location makes it so easy for families to get around. Only 20 minutes from anywhere else, for beach lovers, there is always the option of shooting down to world class beaches after school or work. Within the city there are beautiful parks, the botanic gardens, the river and the waterfront. Geelong size also means tourists can see everything in one day. Rather than having to spend multiple days running around Melbourne. Not only is our size convenient, but it also allows people who call Geelong home to have a peaceful night in. Without of course, any of the loud noises and lights that the majority of Melbournians
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have to experience. For families, tourists and just the average citizens, life couldn’t get any easier. Geelong is no doubt one of the best places in Victoria. And it’s not just me who thinks so. Almost 80% of our residents say they are happy or very happy with their lives (Community Indicators Victoria 2011). So have a think to yourself. Are you really happy with your life? Do you wake up in morning, loving where you live? If not, come to Geelong and experience the difference.
- Charlie Roache
WHY GEELONG IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE
I strongly believe that Geelong is a great place to live, I have grown up in Geelong and I believe it’s a great place to live because it’s a quick drive to the beaches, it’s only an hour away from Melbourne, and also it is a peaceful place to live with a lot of friendly people. Firstly, Geelong is close to a lot of beaches most beaches are a 15 to 20 minute drive. At the beach there is a lot of things to do such as surf, swim, play beach cricket, go for a walk or just spend a relaxing day out with your family or friends. And also there is a famous beach called Bells beach it is only about a 25 minute drive, Bells beach is popular because each year they hold a surfing comp called rip curl pro its where all the best surfers compete, it’s a great day out so if you’re not doing anything get down and cheer your favourite supporters on.
Secondly, Geelong is a good size, Geelong is pretty big and a lot of space to live. Also in Geelong the is sporting events such as the Geelong cats which is down at kardina park, there is the supercats which is a basketball team, this is a really good place for if you want to have a party or spend a night out with friends. Then there is Iron man which is sometimes down at eastern beach.
Thirdly, Melbourne is only an hour away from Geelong there a lot of things to do you can go to the MCG or you and your friends could go to Melbourne for a day and go shopping or go to a café. Do you hate getting stuck in traffic? Well they ran trains from Geelong to Melbourne, so you can catch a train and not worry about getting stuck in traffic. In conclusion, Geelong is a great place to live it’s a beautiful city with lots of friendly people, Geelong is close to the surf coast and is only an hour away from Melbourne. This is way I strongly believe Geelong it the best place to live.
- Sam Bourke HERO SPEECH - MY AUNTY CHAGAI GUM MALONG
Hello teachers and class today I will be talking to you about my aunty Chagai Gum Malong. I definitely believe that she is a hero in my eyes. My aunty has the heroic qualities of being a strong hearted, a caring and an honest person. She is an inspiration to me and my family she cares about her family and her people the people of south Sudan. Aunty Chagai, is the youngest of my mum’s family, of roughly 9 siblings. She came to Australia in 2002 as a refugee with eight children. Chagai hated to see people of her country living in poverty and she wanted to make a difference and one of her quotes were “Why is this happening, what can be done to make a difference, I’m sick to always see people struggling, I hate to see people suffering. Hope is not an answer, we need to do something about the poverty in order to end it”. Chagai gave up her time by going to south Sudan and help supply food and water to the people that are living in poverty. Although she has had tough times throughout her life she is honest expresses her feelings to her friends and family. In 2011, together with a close network of women Chagai established the non-profit organisation Geelong and South Sudan (Agouk) community coming together. She is also studying a Bachelor of social work at Deakin University. At times she was willing to leave her family to help others in need so therefore that shows she is a caring but also a strong hearted independent women. She went to a village in south Sudan where the people lived in poverty. As quoted ‘So far we were able to do three water wells in three villages in Sudan. People of these villages now have enough water to drink, shower, wash and grow crops. The most important thing is that women and girls do not have to walk for five or more hours to get water so girls have time to go to school. I am still on my journey to do more this year.’ Chagai has been through tough times and not having her husband with her, Chagai kept with a strong and continued her studies. Chagai was inspired to continue the studies of community welfare so therefore this proves she is a strong hearted independent women. In 2014 Chagai graduated from her studies and achieved her goal of getting a diploma. Chagai my aunty is one of my inspirations. My aunty has the qualities to adapt and willing to help others in need but also she has the qualities of an independent woman.
- Manywon Thiep, 7I
THE ANZAC SPIRIT
Soldiers who’ve gone And soldiers who’ve came Soldiers who battled To uphold the Aussie name Soldiers who lived And died for our honour Soldiers who were there For one another Soldiers who went off Without any say Soldiers who are still missed Here everyday Soldiers who witnessed Terrible blood and gore From Gallipoli, to Vietnam To the Afghanistan war For these are the qualities We all should seek They still shine today Every day of the week Courage, Integrity Loyalty and Respect These ANZAC Spirit qualities We all still expect But there are still many ways We see the spirit of the ANZACs From helping an old lady To having your best friend’s back For all that they went through We can easily repay them By showing ANZAC Spirit
