BEDE POLDING COLLEGE ENTRIES - 2010

What Matters? is a writing competition that gives year 5 – 12 students in NSW and the ACT a chance to say what matters to them in society today. What actions do you think should

be taken to build a better society? What would you change if you could?

What do you want other people to care about?

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Ellenor Hoffler (Year 10)

Imagination

“Have I gone mad?”

“I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.”

To be denied an imagination, to be written off as mad, or “off-with-the-fairies” can be considered on par with cutting out part of someone’s brain. Imagination is the key to a rich and diverse life, a life where you can travel to ancient Egypt and converse with the Pharaoh, where you can reach far parts of the universe, previously untouched by humankind. You can assimilate an entirely new persona in an alternate reality where you are the king of the castle. Imagination is the key that opens doors, doors to success, to virtue, to prosperity, even to Narnia and Wonderland. The whole world is available without ever leaving your seat. Without it, we would be living in a world where even the concept of many, if not all of life’s pleasures are not denied, not forgotten, but nonexistent.

“Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure”

The ability and freedom to envisage and conceive ideas, to simply dream, is not one to be taken lightly. It is truly one of our most momentous gifts in life. Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso, Salvador Dali, Monet, Vincent van Gough and Renoir, they all had vision, vision they represented in aesthetically pleasing artworks. Iconic musicians, such as The Beatles, Queen, Michael Jackson, U2 and ABBA have wracked their brains, gone through many thought processes to reach new heights, and very catchy anthems. Imagination is the catalyst towards fresh and original inventions, inventions that shape society. It is the baby of ideas, of innovation. Where would TVs, computers, cars, art and music be without the base of imagination?

“Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it, we go nowhere...”

With each passing decade, new technologies are created, technologies that allow our imaginations to run wild. James Cameron’s Avatar, 10 years ago was a seemingly impossible concept, now is an extraordinarily real part of reality. Today’s generations have the whole world in the palm of their hands. Today’s children, infants are tomorrow’s artists, musicians, architects and writers. If we restrain them from letting their minds run freely, we’ll have a future full of numbers, right and wrong, a life without living.

“Imagination is the highest kite one can fly”

When you delve into your mind, anything is possible. You can leap away from the sadness and varying tones of grey, into a place you control, where you can be Superman, Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes, all in one. You can escape to a safe haven, a place where it’s ok to simply live to enjoy life...

Just imagine the possibilities...

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Alexander Blume (Year 10)

Roly.

He has been a part of our family for his entire life. He has been there for every major change or lifestyle upheaval. He has been a shoulder to cry on and an unwavering pillar of support. Roly. My 17 year old dog. My loyal friend. Is gone.

For the majority of my life, I was afraid of Roly. I don’t even know why. I guess it’s because he was bigger and more athletic than I was for so long. As my life progressed and I grew, I realised that he wasn’t scary, just fun loving and playful. The lack of attention that I showed him for the earlier part of his life made me reflect on the kind of person that I was. If only I had striven to overcome my fear of a playful and happy dog, I could have given him a more enjoyable life, and subsequently been left with a flood of happier, more heartfelt memories.

As his life went on, it seemed time was fast-forwarding. When I reached an age that I could easily approach and play with him, he was growing old and arthritic. Our respective lives were a see-saw: only at one point could we both be in the same position. Sadly, I missed this opportunity. I would try to compensate for this by being with him whenever I had the chance. It wasn’t the same, but at least it was something. In time, he grew to accept and eventually embrace my constant presence. The calmness and gentleness that he received from me was a stark contrast to the rough and often seemingly uncaring treatment that he received at the hands of my sister. This led to his fear of her and his acceptance of me.

Early last year, Roly was attacked by a pet from next door. He was in very bad shape and his survival was questionable. This attack was the moment when I developed my protective attitude towards him. I became even closer to him and made sure that he was treated right. He became an ‘inside dog’ and a true member of the family after this. He lived like this for the next 11 months. We loved him and often gave in to his humorous expressions and movements.

This way of life made him weaker than he already was. He grew accustomed to being pampered and to sleeping all day. This left him too weak to move on his own and he became extremely dependent on us to sustain him. On the 17th of February 2010, he reached the worst shape of his life. He could do nothing for himself. He refused to eat or drink and didn’t have the strength to move independently. We made the decision to put him down. Although he has left the world, he will live on forever in our hearts.

R.I.P Roly.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Alison Howard (Year 10)

Memories

As the days waste away I look back on all the memories we have had together. Themselves, the memories are not much, but they are all I have of what was once, a great man.

I can remember all the times he attempted to teach me how to play golf. He would stand there and watch with a smile on his face as I swung and missed over and over again, until finally, I hit the ball. It didn’t go very far but I got excited, and so did he.

When I see him now, his hair is a little more grey and his beard a little more grizzly, but that smile from the first time I hit a golf ball never seems to fade.

I will never forget the day when he took me on a bike ride even though I was meant to be sick. We rode for hours taking in the sights and sounds until I ran into the gutter and fell in a puddle of mud. We laughed until our sides were sore and I had to ride home with a muddy bum.

When we meet each other now, his face may be a little more wrinkled and eyes a little less bright. But I still hear that laugh from our bike ride long ago.

I will always remember the one afternoon when he took me for a drive in his truck. I sat in the tray and we drove around his backyard until we both got in trouble and told to come inside.

Now, his hands may be more scared and his steps a little less sure. But his sense of adventure and fun will never cease to be.

Memories are shared by every living being and mark important points in our lives, points that define who we are and what we are to be. Without memories we would never learn, never grow and be forever lost in the present and future, not looking back to see just how far we have come.

Not all memories are good. A memory to one could be the most cherished of all, but to another, be something they wish to never look upon again. Time is the key. With time, memories can become more feint in our minds, make sense when they once did not and open our eyes to what we may have missed.

My pop has a disease called dementia. Over the past few years it has slowly erased parts of his mind and will soon consume him completely. With the loss of his memories becoming more pronounced each day slowly he is losing himself in nothing but a battle of time. He may not be able to remember his past in his own mind, but I share memories with him that hopefully I will be able to keep long after he is gone to look back on and change my life forever.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Amber Funk (Year 10)

Jordan…

Is it a cliché? Perhaps, but to me…it matters.

Family isn’t made by genes but by choice. Someone once said “It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons”. Have you ever had such a deep connection with someone, with really no connection at all? Been so similar it’s scary, but look nothing alike? Someone you were totally yourself around, the one you knew would be there with you until the end? ...I did. This was Jordan and I, at least until a few months ago.

We were torn apart by a cruel twist of fate just as we were thrown together. Now I feel so guilty for wishing it to be, like it was somehow my fault. I never would have done it if I had of known. He is alone, I am miserable. My little brother and I. Now I don’t see him, can’t see him. We can’t speak and no one understands the pain I feel, the empty sadness which is my life without him.

When I recall the moments in my life which I hold closest to my heart, flicking through them like photographs, he is in every frame. They aren’t times in a crowd, no fancy dresses or sparkly shoes. We’re alone. Him and me. Jordan and Amber. Just hanging out, talking, laughing. Now everything reminds me of him. A song, a place, colour, a voice and its fading. My memory of him. I grasp at it and smile at the recollection until the tears come and the pain puts it away. People used to say it was like we were the same person. We told each other everything, no secrets and to an extent we were. I knew him as well as I knew myself. I think back to my darkest moments when I felt so alone, when I look beside me, he was there. Now when I want to tell him something, need him there he isn’t.

We shared no DNA, no similar features, we had different last names, went to different schools but none of that matters. He had no obligation to stand by me, but he did. Knew everything about me and still put up with me. He was my little brother, my best friends, my definition of family. We were supposed to be together until the end but none of that matters now. I’ve lost him.

The time I had him in my life, the memories we shared…This is what matters.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Brooke Hile (Year 10)

My Inspiration. My Grandad.

I’m walking along the sand of the beach, heading towards the water, when I hear that familiar voice, ‘Now, don’t get wet!’ I smile to myself, before running full pelt into the water. This was my Grandad’s and my ritual each day before going for a swim in the salty beach water of Boomerang Beach. I guess you might think that it got old or one of us got sick of it, but we never did. To this day it still puts a smile on my face.

My grandad and I are like best friends. We get into mischief together and have our own inside jokes. I always have to give him a ‘full report’ on the phone, about the goings on of my brothers. His jokes…Whenever there is a silence in a conversation you’ll be sure to hear, ‘Hey, did you hear about…’ There is also his inability to keep his eyes open in photos.

A few months ago though, Grandad was sick. I was really scared. I’d never thought about death before, but I was beginning to imagine it. How could I live without my best friend, my inspiration? What would I do at the beach each morning, on the phone, who would I give a full report to? All these questions and insecurities drowned me. Then I went to visit him at hospital, and he looked terrible. Good old Grandad didn’t let it get to him though. We got a full on rundown of the happenings at the hospital – the ‘old bugger’ in the next room, who by the way was probably younger than my grandad, the nurse who tried to give him the wrong tablets. All of these stories restored my faith in the fact that he would get better. And he did.

This event hasn’t made my relationship any different with my grandad. Sure, we don’t spend time at the beach like we used to, but I still give him a full report on the phone, and he is always trying to ‘look out for me’ when he advises me to chase one of my guy friends who has a lot of money. Good old grandad.

I suppose you could say I am more careful of him now. My grandad matters a lot to me, I wouldn’t be who I am without his guidance and support. My sporting abilities wouldn’t be the same had he not made me a diving board for our 6 metre long pool, or our high jump set to practice high jumping, or our sit up apparatus to help us with sit ups which we could of easily done on the floor, but grandad had to make everything the best for his grandkids, he never ceased to inspire me.

I always think back to when grandad was sick, it was only a few months ago, and when I do I still get upset, but I try to put it to the back of my mind and live on. I don’t know what I will do without his guidance, but I know that he will be looked after. All I can hope for is that I can grow up to be an amazing role model like him, and change others lives just by being me, because I know that then I will be living a good life. I love my grandad, and I’m sure that if you got to know him, you’d love him too. But for now, all that matters is that I have an amazing grandad who is a true inspiration, and always will be.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Ashleigh Kean (Year 10)

Family Matters

It is the one time of the year that my whole family is together and happy. Everyone is safe and smiling.

It’s Christmas.

Look at the bigger picture, Brianna and Brayden are in the pool, although it is way too cold to swim. Mum is contesting with Nanny in the kitchen, Poppy is taking his 10 000 th photo and dad is eating the food that has been prepared for days in advanced. This is the picture that I look forward to all year.

Reflecting back on the year that has been spent blaming family, resenting them, staying angry at them and refusing to apologise to them. This is how I treat the people that I love the most in my life.

Throughout the year there has been weddings, funerals, meltdowns and breakthroughs and throughout the whirlwind of activity the only thing that remains a constant support is my family.

In our house Christmas is spent with my family eating, drinking, smiling, laughing and the occasional split-second decision to pitch a tent. These are the good times that I enjoy. My family is irreplaceable. Whether it is Dad’s jokes that no-one understands but him, although you ask him and he would say that it is hilarious or mums warm and comforting personality. She has the ability to make everyone around her feel safe, valued and important.

To me my family is the most important thing in the world. Not objects or things, they can all be replaced. Once family is gone they can ever be replaced and all that is left of them is the memories that they leave behind.

During the year I spend all of my energy focused on the things that don’t matter rather than focusing on the important things. That is my mother’s support, my father’s encouragement, my sister’s enthusiasm and my brother’s energy.

These personal attributes may be small but they make a huge difference in my life. These are the things that get me up in the morning, to the sound of the kettle boiling, smell of coffee and the smiling faces waiting to greet you to a brand new day.

My family is the most important part of my life, my family matters most to me.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Gabriella Asciak (Year 10)

Cooper’s Sparkle

He had just celebrated his third birthday. We went out for dinner, and the following weekend, he had a big birthday party. He received an enormous amount of gifts, as many young boys do. Naturally, he wanted nothing to do with his family – his friends were there (and so was a small jumping castle). He had recently moved up to the coveted ‘Big Kids’ Room’ at pre-school. He could barely wait to meet his unborn baby brother, and cousin, helping to choose names and guess genders. He had so much to look forward to, so much potential, so much more living to do.

Less than a week later, he died.

It’s near impossible to live down the horror of losing one so dear. Seeing his cold, white face is still unbearable to think of. The worst part was I actually believed he would be able to pull through. Hearing the words from my father’s mouth still haunts me everyday: “Does she realise he’s...” After that moment, I hardly remember anything that happened. It was like the world had just frozen. It felt as if nothing would ever function properly again. I know my dreams don’t. My memory doesn’t. My heart doesn’t.

Ever since that horrendous day, I have begged the question: why? I voice my query often, to various people. One answer is made present many a time, although in numerous forms. Destiny. Fate. God’s Will. People tell me that it was meant to happen, that it was his time to go. Was it? They say that God wanted him to keep him close. Did he? What a selfish act! What about us?! They insist that he had fulfilled his purpose in life. He had done what he was meant to. How could he?! What could he have possibly done to make someone decide that he was no longer needed on Earth?

He may not have needed us anymore, but we needed him. We still do.

I often just replay his short life in my head. I relive the moments I spent with him, those moments so full of joy and love. His life is like a CD on repeat. I enjoy most of the songs. I can just sit there listening to my heart’s content. But there are always a couple of tracks that I never want to listen to. I skip those. Then there are also those few songs that everybody loves. I listen to those on repeat for a while, until I’m ready for the next chapter. They always manage to get stuck in my head. I often find myself humming along, or just smiling at the most beautiful song anyone could ever write...

I always wonder whether I could have done anything, saved him somehow. I know now that there was nothing I could do to help, but I still refuse to believe it. There will always be a part of me that says “You should’ve tried harder.”

We often don’t know the reason behind everything. That is why we ask. What is the question to ask? The question is “Why?” But what is the answer? Do you have one? Does one even exist...?

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Hayley Douglas (Year 10)

True friends

I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror. My light brown hair stuck out in all directions and the freckles scattered across my cheeks looked darker than usual. I sighed, put on my glasses and left for school.

I walked up the stairs on my way to Biology and looked up to see Jade Perkins coming down the stairs, flanked by her two blonde sidekicks. “What are you looking at you loser?” she snorted at me. I looked down quickly, trying to cover my face with my hair.

Jade Perkins is the popular girl in school; blonde, model’s figure, list of boyfriends longer than the Nile River and my ex-best friend.

In primary school we were unbelievably close; we did everything together. We were inseparable. That is before we hit high school. That’s when she realised she could get any guy she wanted.

Since then I have become invisible to her and her troops, except for when she feels the need to embarrass me.

I sat down with Emma and Laura for lunch when all of a sudden Claire flopped down beside me with a loud sigh. We all looked at her face and could tell she was about to break out into one of her notorious rants. “Mr Weston kept me in again!” she burst. “I swear he only picks on me. I didn’t even do anything wrong!” “Your constant talking had nothing to do with it then?” Laura teased. “Well that may have had something to do with it but he still hates me!” she exclaimed. We all laughed loudly as Claire pretended to sulk. “Ok, so movie night at my place tonight. Be there around 6 and don’t forget the chocolate” Laura insisted. The bell rang loudly as we set off to endure our final hour of class.

I sat in English thinking about my little group of friends while Mrs Murray rambled on and on about the beauty and grace of the character of Perdita in Shakespeare’s ‘A Winter’s Tale’. I thought about charismatic Claire and her brilliant, wild streak that sets her apart from the crowd. The way her bright, blue eyes sparkle, the way she fights for what she believes in, the way she stands up for those who are important to her.

I thought about Emma, the shy, innocent, hardworking girl whose intelligence amazes me every day. The way she can get so absorbed in the book she’s reading that she doesn’t notice anything around her, her commitment and her beautiful smile that will light up the whole room.I thought about Laura, the friendliest person I have ever met. The way her humorous comments make people laugh uncontrollably, the fact that she’s not afraid to be herself, no matter what anyone else thinks.

I walked past Jade’s house on my way home from school and remembered the day when we were seven years old, that we lay in her sandpit imagining we were on the beach together. “I want to stay with you forever” she had told me. I smiled back at her. “Forever”, I agreed.

“You bring the chocolate?!” Laura exclaimed when I walked into her room. Claire and Emma were painting each other’s toenails and laughing spasmodically. I looked at the picture before me and smiled.

These are the girls that accept me, freckles and all. These are the girls I can always be myself around. The ones who will never judge me. The ones who will always stick around no matter what.

These are my true friends. They are the ones that really matter.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Cameron Vos (Year 10)

Why must we kill our own kind?

I walked. I had to, there was nothing anymore. My house was destroyed. My family was dead. As I walked through what used to be the mall of Hiroshima city tears streaked down my cheeks. How did this happen to us? It had been 4 hours since the bomb had hit. Crying could be heard everywhere I went, coming from babies and mothers alike.

I reminisced about my family. My son, he was 10 years old and loved baseball. My first daughter, she was 7 years old and always wanted a horse. My wife, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, carrying what was going to be my second daughter.

As I continued to walk through the destroyed city, I began to wonder…about other people, and how this affected their lives and America, who would be celebrating the end of the war. Finally I began to think about war in general. Why? Why must war be part of daily life? Why is murder acceptable if it’s against someone you’re at war with?

If war did not exist, my family would still be here. Then I asked myself the question. Why must we kill our own kind? What is their too gain from taking another life. Honour, power, justice? How could these come about from taking the essence of life away from a human being? How could great respect be given to someone who doesn’t show it to another person? Who doesn’t offer any reverence for life? The answer is war. Murder is glorified by war. The American government committed mass murder today, and what consequences will they face. A death sentence? Life imprisonment? No, because “all is fair in love and war.”

I reached the city centre and looked at the destruction around me. For a moment I hated war. Then I realised, we can’t live without hate, without conflict, without war. There is hate in everything we do, there is no escape.

Confusion, overwhelming confusion overcame me at once. Thoughts rushed through my head. I had no house, no family, all I had was hate. Hate for war, hate for conflict, hate for hate. It was then that I realised I was at war. At war within myself. There is war everywhere and that was the inevitable truth. I could not live in a world with that.

I visited my family that night. The war inside me was over, I was at peace. In my death I hoped that people would realise that: “In war, it’s not about who is right, but rather who is left.” No matter what the outcome, what the product of a war is, there is death, pain and suffering. So I ask you; why must we kill our own kind?

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Jarrid Fyfe (Year 10)

FAMILY MATTERS

The phone rang and mum jumped up in a hurry. We all could tell she was waiting for a call the way she kept looking at the clock followed by the phone.

After a coffee and two cigarettes mum was off the phone and back inside, her eyes were watering and her voice was croaky as she said to us three kids, “go and pack your bags, where going away for the weekend”. As soon as mum said it, like robots the three of us got up and without a sound went to pack our bags. We had a slim idea where and why we were going, and it was obvious this weekend wasn’t going to be holiday-like.

The next morning we made the 600 km trip to Inverell, a town in country New South Wales. We arrived that afternoon to a warm welcome from half of the family. After half an hour of greeting everyone, Mum’s cousin took us and a few other family members into the hospital to see my great Aunty Fay. She was pale and weak, and didn’t talk very much; the tubes and machines hooked up to her made it look worse than what it was. After some tears and laughs we left her to get some rest.

The next day was an early start, tables and gazebos were being set up, food was being cooked and more family was arriving. When everything was set up and everyone had arrived, Mum’s cousin took another trip to the hospital. She came back with Aunty Fay, wheel chair and all, who had the biggest smile on her face when she saw all of us. I didn’t see the smile leave her face all day.

The rest of the day was great. Us kids spent most of the time amusing ourselves with Playstation, cricket, swimming and whatever else we could find. Meanwhile the parents spent most of the day chatting, bringing out the old photos and reminiscing on the good times through Aunty Fay’s life.

When it started to get late and Aunty Fay was getting tired we decided to call it a day. After a very emotional goodbye from everyone she was taken back to the hospital. The next day most of the family left, including us.

The next week we made the very same 600km trip again. But this time Aunty Fay wasn’t there to celebrate with us. She had died and the family was regathering for her funeral.

It was a sad day, but it was also good to know that Aunty Fay went happily after the reunion for her. Without family this would not have been the case; family is important, family matters.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Jason Corcoran (Year 10)

My Family

It’s that time of the year again. It’s Christmas. Everyone’s seated around the long-glass table as the fragrance of champagne and waft of potato bake fill the cool summer air. All the men are anxious to get their hands on some. I watch them, before I line up my next snooker shot. I miss blatantly, but thankfully nobody saw.

I am observing. Far from reality, as if I’m a fly on the wall. My grandmother and Aunty have their audience captivated; everyone leans in to listen to their ‘ancient stories’. Everybody laughs, wine is poured and the party carries on.

Meanwhile, my Dad and Uncle are flicking through some CD’s. They choose Meatloaf. “Classic”, preaches my Dad and Paradise by the Dashboard Light begins playing. Everyone immediately joins in singing like it’s the greatest song they’ve ever heard. Everyone knows the words, everyone enjoys the music. It brings us together as a family.

I decide to join the table. They’re at it again; Nan and my Aunty are retelling Dad’s childhood mischief, a tradition in our family.

It’s a cool day, the wind is amidst and my Uncles had a few too many. He’s going to go swimming. Everyone shakes their head in disbelief, but anxiously anticipate the event to come. Everyone thinks he’s mad, so do I to be honest. My Dad decides he’s game enough too, and off he goes. Two brothers reliving childhood memories, they’re having a ball. However, the wind suddenly picks up and their smiling faces transform into those of despair and pain. They exit the pool; dripping wet almost crying, while everyone else finds it hilarious.

Everyone’s eager to eat, including me.

Lunch is ready. There are lots, and everyone takes lots to eat. Shortly everyone is seated back at the table, drinking wine, eating plenty, having a good time. It’s a celebration of being together. We’re a unique family, but we have fun together.

We all finish eating and I return to the snooker table. My Dad rushes over to play another Meatloaf song, while everybody else gathers around my Nan for another entertaining story. Eventually everyone begins singing again.

This is my family. This is who I am. This is what matters to me.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Joseph Sawaya (Year 10)

Education

It has always been a dream for me to graduate from university with a good degree. Coming from a family that values education, I have been brought up with strong morals. My belief is that a valuable high school education is an essential prerequisite to a successful university education. During Year Seven through to Year Ten, I have considered my educational goals. This has led me to believe that education is a key tool to achieving success. For someone to be fully educated, they need to have a quality primary, high school and tertiary education.

As a hard working and committed student, I have obligations. They are to do whatever it takes to succeed. That is what matters. Success in high school will allow me to enter the university of my choice, and will equip me for the skills needed to succeed at university. In university, you learn something new, innovative and valuable. You learn how to be independent and how to be organised. These are priceless life qualities that can only be learnt through practice. By successfully attaining a university degree, I will be able to achieve my hopes and dreams, and that is what matters.

Throughout my childhood, primary school and high school, I have been reminded of the value of a quality education. The information learnt in primary school assists learning in high school. The information in high school assists with your tertiary education. The information you learn during your tertiary education, will help you in life and the career you chose to pursue. That is the importance of a quality education.

When I reach tertiary education, whether it is university, TAFE or college, I will learn important skills that are helpful for the workforce. These are qualities that are learnt through tertiary education. I have seen how a tertiary education has enabled my parents to pursue a career confidently and it has set them a platform from which to achieve goals. I have set goals for myself, and they can be achieved through a tertiary education. These goals are what matter to me.

Many people question the value of an education. They question whether it is an important investment and whether the time spent completing a degree is worthwhile. To me the answer is quite clear. Education is an important investment. Most people do not realise that education is an opportunity to achieve the fullest integration into life. I have seen this opportunity been put into effect through my parents. They both went on to tertiary education and they have made the most of it. They now both have degrees and I hope to follow in their footsteps. This is what matters to me. 

Tertiary education is important in the globalisation process for greater development of our country. If you have a higher level of education, it can give you a greater amount of control of your future. There are many advantages to getting a higher education. If you wish to work overseas, a higher career assists you in achieving this. By having this high position, you will be looked up to in society and maybe even in the world. This high position can only be achieved through a quality tertiary education.

Obviously, tertiary education is important to me. I have seen what a quality education can do and I feel it is very important that everyone takes this opportunity with both hands and make the most out of it. Tertiary education is what matters.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Lana Babazogli (Year 10)

Something Insignificant

What’s important in life?

What matters to me?

These are only a few of the tough questions that people ask themselves over the course of a lifetime. As human beings we are always seeking answers we don’t yet have. That’s why they call the game hide and seek not just hide.

You hear of people on their death beds wishing they had done something more with their lives, running through a list of things they regret not doing. These situations always make me stop and think, why do we need something unattainable to make our lives complete?

After asking myself these questions I’ve realised the things that have brought me the most joy are the small ones, the ones people take for granted, the ones that we breeze past without much recollection. When my family is sitting around the table on Christmas Eve and they start having this heated discussion about...I don’t even know what. My Grandmother has found an argument in pretty much every aspect of the conversation, my Dad has reached the point where he is yelling because God forbid anyone else is allowed to have their say in the matter, my Mum and Aunties are sitting in silence thinking “How did I marry into this crazy family” and my cousin Raquel and I are looking at each other knowing that the other is thinking “what a total nuthouse.”

This isn’t really a scenario that most people will think back on as being the best one of their lives but for some reason it’s one that I always go back to. I get the same feeling when I’m walking to feed the horses and I look up to realise that the black sky hanging above me has millions of tiny pin pricks, or when I awaken in the morning to hear raindrops shattering on the pavement and I can’t help but lie there for hours on end, totally captivated by this simple occurrence in everyday life.

Again, these aren’t things that most people would acknowledge as being a fundamental moment in life.

When I ask myself the really tough questions, these tiny, little, insignificant moments are always the ones that come to mind. True, they don’t make me jump for joy screaming, and true, they don’t make me open my eyes to the world and make me want to do something huge with my life, but they are the ones that make me feel content, that don’t make me want to move forward.

As humans we are always seeking, always moving at a hectic pace.

So, when I ask myself what’s important in life, I think back to the moments that make time cease, the ones that stop the world from spinning, because those are the ones that make life worth living.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Kaitlyn Durgali (Year 10)

‘It’s Just the Way It Is’

It was an average Saturday afternoon. The phone rang. It was Nonna (grandma). She was spluttering down the phone line trying to say something important.

Before we knew it we were rushing to the hospital. I didn’t know what was going on.

After 40 minutes of driving we arrive at the hospital and find my Nonno (grandad) in the emergency ward. Nonna was shaking and my aunties were arguing outside.

I was finally allowed to see him. I walked through the emergency room trying not to look at anyone. Nonna opened the curtains. There he was. Tubes to help him breathe, monitors glued to his skin, his heart rate beating. My heart was filled with sorrow and hurt to see someone you love in that condition.

Poor Nonno.

He was in hospital for two weeks and missed family Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. As Nonno has an irregular heartbeat a pace maker was fitted and he was released.

Four weeks later…

He was rushed to hospital once again by ambulance. This time it was serious. He couldn’t breathe properly. He was in the Emergency Room once again. I was in shut down mode and nothing else around me mattered. I couldn’t hear people talking and crying or the sound of busy doctors and nurses tending to patients in desperate need of help. I couldn’t feel Nonna comforting me. All I could feel were the tears that made my cheeks hot and eyes blurry. Tears rolled off my cheeks and made a small puddle of tears on the ground. I couldn’t talk. I wanted to be alone and wake up from this nightmare.

It was horrible.

A few weeks later we found out he had a stomach ulcer and that they would send a camera down to examine it. There was only one problem. The camera didn’t get that far. There was a lump in his throat.

Two weeks later…

Dad received a phone call from Nonna. Mum and Dad sat my brother, sister and I down on the lounge and said it was time we had a family meeting about Nonno. Dad was lost for words and I could tell something wasn’t right. Mum had a solemn look on her face and said, “Nonno’s got cancer.” It was like someone had just dropped a bomb on my life and shattered everything. I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. A small tear leaked out of the corner of my eye and I couldn’t stop the others following. It was then that I realised how fragile our lives really are and how much we take it for granted.

Nonno has Squamos Cell Carcinoma (SCC). SCC is the second most common form of skin cancer. Although it is not as harmful as a melanoma cancer, around 434, 000 people are diagnosed with SCC in Australia every year. The cancer has now reached its final stage and

there is nothing more the doctors can do without operating, which may cause more damage than the cancer and possibly shorten his life more. He is currently undergoing radio therapy. Unfortunately this won’t wipe out the cancer entirely. Sadly, the doctors believe that he doesn’t have long.

It’s hard finding out that someone you love and have known your life won’t walk this earth much longer. This is by far the most challenging and hardest experiences I have ever faced and it will take some time to recover.

Unfortunately, this is how some things have to happen. It’s a natural part of life. We’re born, we live, and we die. That’s just the way it is.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Laura Mansell (Year 10)

Twenty-first Century Teenage Communication

Hi, my name is Laura and I am a technology addict.

Technology...It has made an adequate impact on society. Without it I would definitely be lost. I know that I waste a large amount of my time talking to people I have seen a few hours earlier that day at school, yet I just sit there, like it’s something I am addicted to. Any spare time I have I spend it on MySpace, Facebook and MSN. I am like many other teenagers in society today.

Imagine going back and living before the internet and mobile phones were invented. I don’t think I could handle that. I find it hard enough spending weekends at my dad’s where I get no phone reception, let alone every day. I feel so disconnected from the world, like I am missing a part of me or a limb of some sort. We are so dependent on these small things. It’s oddly scary just how reliant we let ourselves and society get.

I find that on my way home from a day out the thought that is on the top of my list of things to do as soon as I get home is: sign in to MSN of course. It has gotten to the point where if I am not on the computer for a long amount of time I resort to going on the internet on my phone. It has occurred to me that I have a problem. Then I ask myself, ‘How can it be a problem when so many other teenagers are just like me? Or perhaps even more dependent than myself?’. Maybe I should attend one of these meetings for addicts...

Whatever happened to the times when you would sit and read a book before bed? When you would go out to picnics with the family on Sunday? When you would organise your weekends with friends at school? What happens when the only form of communication was the home phone? Or even just writing a letter.

The internet was invented, that’s what happened. Now the last thing I do before I go to sleep is sign out of MSN, I spend my Sundays chatting to friends on MSN and we organise our weekends on Friday nights.

When the internet wasn’t around how would we have found information for all our assignments? Books? I don’t see anyone wasting their time driving to a library to find the book with relevant information for their assignment these days. Why do that when you can stay at home and just ‘Google it’? Google gives us the answers to pretty much everything. I know that my sister is having a hard time in Year 11 as she is forced to use books as well as the internet as a resource. Not having to use books previously has made it a struggle.

I say all this as though the internet is negative thing yet there are many positive things in a result from this invention. I consecutively missed two days of school, without the internet I could not ask my class members what we had to do for homework, or even check our English teacher’s blogspot describing our lesson and homework for the weekend. I don’t want anything about my access to internet to change, but I think I should change my priorities and put more important things before MSN and MySpace.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Madeline Holt (Year 10)

When I Smile I Think Of You

I remember that day well. The day that they told me you were dying.

 Three months they gave you to live and that is all you had, slipping away from us day by day.

 Watching you go was hard, knowing full well that every visit we payed was possibly our last, seeing you in pain, struggling with the cancer that was slowly taking you from us.

 I had told you in one of my visits that I had been to see an orthodontist and that he had told me that I needed braces. I had also mentioned that there was a chance that I would not be able to get them, as they are very expensive. The subject of the conversation then changed to school which it had a habit of doing and no more was said on the subject.

 More visits passed and we could see that the time was nearing where we must say goodbye.

 It was harder than I thought it was going to be, saying goodbye. I think that it was so hard because you were like a grandfather to me. You always wanted to know what was going on with me and my life and quite often you were one of the only people who genuinely wanted to know. I found that I had a deep love for you, one I didn’t realise I had till you were gone.

 Your quick passing was a blessing, because it meant you didn’t have to suffer anymore.

 Your funeral was huge. It was nice to see how many showed up to honour and celebrate what a great man you were.

 That day I felt extremely proud to be your grand niece.

 A few years had passed since your death and your will was read. It was a complete shock for me when I found out that you had left me the money I needed for my braces. It was thanks to you that I was able to have straight teeth, that I no longer had to be embarrassed about smiling or being photographed. It was a small boost I needed to help move on from losing you.

 Even on your death bed, you still acted selflessly, thinking about me when you should have been thinking of you. You had again shown me that deep love we shared, as now every year I celebrate the day my life started, I also remember the day your life ended.

 Three years have passed and the braces are gone, but the memory of you isn’t because now I have a constant reminder of you. Now when I smile I think of you.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Marika Zorlu (Year 10)

Christina Rose Matthews

I’ve never had a student quite like Christina, and I probably never will again.

I watched her as she walked silently into the room, head bowed. She greeted me, and then slumped down in her chair and as gently as possible dropped her head down to the cool surface of the table. Every part of her body was covered with clothing apart from her face. I knew she was hiding something, but what? After all she was only five, and it wasn’t like her respectable parents would ever let her cover her body unnecessarily. So what could it be? I wrote on the board for Christina to see me when the ‘end of day’ bell went, and the date- 16th February 2008.

At the end of the day, she walked over to me slowly, her head still bowed. As she reached my desk she lifted her head. Her eyes looked as if they were pools of water. Quickly I stood up to give her a hug, but she just backed away from me, her eyes, frightened. Confused, but not wanting to agitate her anymore, I sat back down. Tears started to roll down her face and I could see she knew what I was enquiring about. Without a word, she started to take off her jumper. I watched eagerly, curiously, to find out what she had been hiding. What I then saw still frightens me today. Black, blue and purple bruises all over her small arms and chest. I closed my eyes; I couldn’t bear to see anymore. My mind started to put the pieces together. At last I realised what had been in front of me the whole time. This child, this poor little girl, had been a victim of child abuse.

That afternoon I visited Christina’s parents, and enquired about the bruises. All I got in return was a load of swearing and a door slammed in my face.

********

I paced down the corridor quicker than usual that day, the day’s routine running through my mind. The noise of my high heels was the only sound in the hall. I reached the room that had “5B7” engraved on the door, but my mind was venturing off to something quite different. My mind was thinking about Christina. With one hand on the door I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Turning the door knob, I forced a smile onto my face. I walked into the room scanning the faces staring at me as I walked to my desk. Just by glancing around the room I could see that there was no sign of the girl. My smile disappeared, my heart dropped, and felt as if it had just turned to ice. I was distraught with worry. With a shaky hand I wrote the date on the board- 17th February 2008.

Asking the teacher next door to watch over my class, I rushed out of the school building and started my car as quickly as possible. Relieved that there was hardly any traffic, I sped to her home. Finally arriving at her house, I felt a load of relief, and that everything would turn out alright. Walking up the stairs I brought up the courage to knock on the door.

Nothing could have prepared me for the coming events. A rather large man in his early 40’s answered the door with a polite, “Yes Maam, what can I do for you?” After explaining to the man who I was and what I was enquiring about, his gentle look turned to a serious expression when I mentioned Christina’s name. Then I heard the words “Maam, my name is Police Inspector Neil. I’m very sorry to tell you, that that girl was admitted into hospital early this morning, and has recently passed away due

to internal bleeding caused by a severe broken rib cage. Her parents are nowhere to be found”. My heart stopped beating. I lost all sound around me. Two words were going through my mind - if only…

325,000 children are victims of physical abuse each year. And now it’s time to make a change. Child abuse is wrong, and even though we don’t know it, each and everyone of us is affected by it- if not by your family, but by the families of your friends or their friends. The prevention of this form of abuse is what matters to me the most. I can imagine a world free of child abuse. Help me to bring this word wide dream to a reality.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Matthew Bennett (Year 10)

Still Remembered

Throughout my life I have continually been compared to a person I am unfamiliar with. After I see pictures of him continually on the walls of my grandparent’s home I am able to recognise him by face only. With my visions of him formed by what others have said, it is hard to comprehend how we are so alike.

His name was Mark. He was an uncle-to be that I never met nor had my life conscientiously influenced by. This is all because of an incurable benign brain tumour which changed the life of my family forever. Being the eldest son of the family his loss dramatically affected my grandparents. How powerless they must have felt when the tumour was first discovered, caring helplessly for their first born child as a cure was unavailable. Burying a child, however old they are, is something one just never gets over.

If you find that hard to imagine, try imagining what it would have been like for Mark’s two younger siblings, 6 and 9 years younger. Mark was 30 when he died, meaning his younger brother was 27 and his younger sister was 21. How heartbreaking it would have been to experience such a thing. To see a person you look up to and admire disappear from your life forever. This life changing moment will always impact both my mother and her brother.

 Although it led to family grief and sadness it prompted my grandparents to purchase a holiday home for the rest of the family to appreciate. As a child I did not realise the significance of the home, although I now realise it was bought, not because the money was available, but because it was important to keep his memory alive.

With blonde hair and blue eyes, I am compared to Mark who had dark brown hair and brown eyes. However, the comparison is made through mannerisms and character traits, not through appearance. For example, I enjoy strawberry jam sandwiches yet loathe fresh strawberries. Similarly Mark also adopted these tastes when he went through school. He was also left handed and had similar handwriting to mine.

Cups of orange juice constantly fill the freezer at home. My grandparents often tell me how Mark used to do the same. It is quite strange when a greater significance is expressed through my actions and how simple traits spark thoughts of the past.

However, as my childhood was filled with many comparisons to an uncle I will never know, I now have a new approach to life. I will always appreciate what I have and who I have in life. I know that at any moment life can be given and taken.

This matters.

Appreciation matters.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Rachel Ward (Year 10)

Life Matters

Jason felt like there was no point. Things had gotten this way ever since his mum died. His dad was working long nightshifts and didn’t spend enough time with him and always seemed angry. Whenever he and Jason talked it only ended in yelling and Jason running away.

Jason had just failed a science test, he was afraid of how angry and disappointed his dad would be. In the past, he would always talk to his girlfriend and he would feel better. She was the only person who seemed to understand. But they had broken up the week before and now Jason felt all alone and miserable.

Jason knew where his dad keeps his guns. But as he was unlocking the cabinet, he heard his little sister arriving home from school. He didn’t want Mia finding him, so he locked the cabinet and went to play games with her instead. Later, Jason realized how close he had come to ending his life and summoned up all of his courage to talk to his dad about how he felt. After a long conversation it was evident that his father actually cared. For the rest of the night all Jason could do was think of how close he came to ending his life.

Worldwide, every 40 seconds a suicide takes place. In 2007, just fewer than 150,000 teenagers between the ages of 15-19 years of age committed suicide. Most teens commit and attempt suicide try to escape situations that seem impossible to deal with or to get relief from really bad thoughts or feelings. They also try to escape feelings of rejection hurt or loss. Other may feel that they are angry, ashamed or guilty about something.

We all feel overwhelmed by difficult emotions or situations sometimes. But most people get through it or can put their problems in check and find a way to carry on. So why does one person attempt suicide when another person in the same situation does not? What makes some people more resilient than others? What makes a person unable to see another way out of a bad situation besides ending his or her life?

To answer that question is simple; it all depends on the person. One person might be mentally tougher than another person who is also dealing with the same or similar situation. They may handle the situation rationally and calmly, while the other person may “go off the deep end”.

There are strategies implemented to cope with suicidal thoughts. When struggling with problem the support of councillors or therapists is vital. They provide emotional support and can help teenagers build their own coping skills. It is important to seek help and overcome these problems.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Thomas Galea (Year 10)

Passion Matters

It is the second half. I look up at the score board.

Not long to go.

Fully pumped and full of adrenalin, I hear the crowd roar with anger, as the home team gives away a filthy penalty. My Dads voice egging me on from the sideline echoes through my head. Looking around at my exhausted team mates, their expressions filled with desperation. My heart pounding vigorously, nerves have taken over my entire body, as I kick the ball into touch.

The football flies into touch, grabbing some helpful metres. Claps from our away crowd fill the packed stadium. It doesn’t last long as the dirty opposing team start intimidating and mouthing off at us, knowing that they’re in trouble. Nathan, our hooker, taps off and here we go…

A rush of apprehension takes over my body. I pause, thinking of the blood sweat and tears my team has gone through. This focuses me on task.

Towards me is the football. I catch it perfectly and take off, doing what I love to do and showing off my skill. I look to the left, Mattie screaming for the ball, ignoring his call because in the corner of my eye I see a big hairy and scary Islander lining him up, I chip the ball over the line and pump my legs as hard as I can. Just like practicing at home the ball lands beautifully in my arms and I’m away.

St Clair’s fullback powers straight at me. Support is on my outside and I dummy to Reece and I back myself. Being blinded by the lights of the grandstand I push and push and dive, sliding to score under the posts.

I was so high in spirits and thrilled with my performance as I won our qualification into the grand final. Getting trampled by my wound up and overjoyed team mates, I realised that this is what matters. Passion matters.

Passion is a powerful and strong feeling or emotion about something.

There is the passion to work, passion for music, passion sports, passion for fashion, passion for singing or dancing, passion for parenthood or love, passion for God. Passion helps shapes our identity.

Passion is what drives us. It’s what pushes us further than we can go, giving us something to strive for.

Now stop and think about life without passion. Imagine not enjoying anything and not wanting to do anything, going to netball or footy training and participating for no reason or even getting married because it is just tradition, we would fail because passion would not exist.

Passion Matters.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Wade Smith (Year 10)

Freedom

What matters to me? Well at first I had no idea. But to be honest there are a lot of things that matter to me, friends, family, but those things are just clichés and everyone writes about them. The one thing that truly matters to me would have to be something which I am passionate about. And along with all the other things that I am passionate about, there is only one thing that really stands out, GLIDING. For those of you who don’t know what gliding or a glider is, It’s an airplane without a propeller and relies only on the thermals created above the earth’s surface to keep you in the air. They have a huge wing span to increase lift and are towed up into the air by another plane called a tug.

I guess the thing I love about it is the total freedom of being in the air, the soft whistling of the aircraft, as it glides like a paper airplane thrown from the top story of a skyscraper, until it makes a gentle landing back on the ground. When the tug starts up the rope tightens and the glider rocks forward. The tug accelerates and the instructor and I are increasing in speed. Then the glider takes to the air. I am up about a meter above the ground, waiting for the tug to gain enough speed to take off. A mistake now could be costly. When the tug lifts off it climbs about 2 stories above me. Then the huge force of the tug pulls me up into the air. The glider climbing’s at an alarming rate over open plains, trees and houses. The adrenalin is pumping as I look down and see the houses getting smaller and smaller, the huge trucks on the high way look like tiny ants crawling and scurrying along on the ground. I now know that I am up in the air.

As I detach from the tug I can feel my stomach drop as the glider gets caught by the earth’s gravity for a split second. I bank right, away from the tug, and I hear the instructor in the back saying “a bit more rudder and pull up a little bit”. As the aircraft banks I can see the ground opening up on the right side of the aircraft. I look around to make sure that I’m not on a collision course with another plane. As I do so I look out into the distance and see the mountains and hills which seem to go on forever in every direction. I look up through the clear Perspex canopy and see a perfect blue sky with a crescent moon just hanging in the sky as if someone had nailed it in place.

This is what matters to me, Freedom, independence, and up their there is nothing around me, just me the aircraft and the limitless sky. As John Denver, (not just a great singer but also an experienced glider pilot) once said…… “I am the eagle”…… He always saw himself as an eagle because of how gracefully they flew through the air. Well now, I am the eagle and that’s what matters to me.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Bradley Vos (Year 10)

Two Wrongs don’t make a Right!

It is stated that capital punishment or the death penalty is the ultimate form of punishment. But how can governments allow this to happen when it is considered by society as both unethical and unjustifiable? However a minority of countries including China, some American states, Japan, South Korea and Singapore still enforce this ridiculous and utterly unwarrantable law. How is anybody meant to respect their countries leaders when they know that they are taking the lives of men and women who have done wrong? I for one am strongly against ‘an eye for an eye’ justice system.

In some cases, the people who are executed are wrongly accused and therefore innocent. Even if proven guilty these people would not get the chance for salvation nor would they be able right their wrongs. When the victim’s closest relatives argue that they should be killed, they are doing this on raw emotion. I’m sure that if they thought about it they wouldn’t choose to take the life of another person even in these awful and tragic circumstances. However you cannot be sure of these things until you are actually in the situation.

Capital punishment comes with the expense of executing someone rather than imprisoning them. It would be of great cost to society and the taxpayers. The fees to go to court to make the ruling final and also killing them would be expensive as well. Not only is the government committing an inhumane act it also expecting us to pay for it as society and taxpayers. This is wrong for the government to be allowed to get away with this.

Why is the government playing God and not letting these people who have done wrong make forgiveness and amend their mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes at sometime in their life, some simply make more dramatic and full scale ones. Can this lead to them losing their life? This is not the society I would want to live in. Have we gone back to medieval times where killing someone would be entertaining. If the government could just stand back and look at what they are doing they would realize that this is wrong and something needs to be done.

If society doesn’t believe in it then why do the governments? Do they think they can do what they want and just be allowed to carry on? It is not socially just to kill a man just because he has done wrong and it is not right to rid someone of their life for the sole purpose of revenge. An eye for an eye is an unfair and brutal justice system that would not be allowed in our times of great knowledge and understanding. However it is going on right in front of our noses affecting the lives of many wives, daughters, brothers, sisters and parents without us knowing about it. This should be a major issue in both the media and within you. Who are you if you would allow this to happen to another human being?

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Keanni Diaz (Year 10)

Wide awake Dreams

In today’s society, enjoyment, entertainment and happiness come with a price tag attached. The world had become all about money and has caused so much pain and stress. Our world has transformed into a dull and truly unhappy place but what if there was a world where everything went right? Where everything was free and to get there, you simply had to close your eyes and fall asleep.

Everyone, no matter what age, gender, race, political or religious views, all dream. Some people dream of becoming president or rockstars, while others, purely of a better life.

Some find dreaming wrong, others live to dream and depend on their dreams to guide them through life. Which would you prefer to be? The type of person who goes around and destroys people dreams or the person who knows that if the real world gets too tough; their dream world will always be there.

As children, our imaginations were left to run wild. We had no conception that we couldn’t be a mermaid or make a profession from finding Wally. Our dreams were left alone and we were allowed to dream up anything and we often did. We had no idea that things could and are impossible. Everything seemed achievable in our dreams.

As a child, I was told I could be whatever I wanted to be, as long as I was happy, that’s what mattered. Most children grow out of this stage but I seem to be stuck here; stuck in my perfect, amazing dream world. Most, once grown, they realise their dreams and reality are two different things but not me. My dream world is so close to being achieved. The only problem with believing in something that isn’t there is that it only takes for someone to point out that, it really isn’t there, for your ‘perfect’ world to be destroyed.

But what do people do that? That gives people the right to destroy someone’s world by telling them that what they dream about doesn’t matter, that it’s not real and that it’s unachievable? Do they have the right?

Dreams are personal; dreams are your imaginations way of showing you things that the real world can’t always provide. Dreams are a release that anyone, no matter how right or poor, can go to when they need. It’s that constant shoulder to cry one, the little nudge in the right direction, the thing that puts a smile back on your face.

We all have the will to dream, yet we all have the capability to destroy someone’s dream and that is what defines us all from one another.

A dream is a dream, there are no limitations. There is no wrong or right, it’s a dream, it’s up to you to decide whether it’s real or not.

Just like when we were children, the sky isn’t the limit; it’s just another play ground to let our imaginations run wild.

Dream yourself to a new world, as long as you’re happy, that’s what matters. So just dream…

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Yasmin Horner (Year 10)

The New Kid

A new country, a new life. If you’re new to a country the social changes and different cultures can be an overwhelming thing, a feeling of isolation can impact on the individual.

I was eight years old when I was first told we were going to move to Australia. A rush of excitement and disappointment ran through my body. We had been to Australia a couple of times previously and I knew what a beautiful place it was. Yet we had no family or friends living there, I didn’t want to be the person people picked on because I was the new kid. I had a 5 year old sister and an 11 year old brother looking after me, so what could go wrong?

Getting on the plane was one of the best parts of moving countries; I had always loved the feeling of defying gravity. As it was my thrill, was my sister’s fear. Screaming blasted out of her mouth as she didn’t want to fly in a plane, so very cleverly my dad told her it was a flying bus. She believed it, the squealing stopped and we could finally get on the flying bus without the screaming. Yet saying good-bye to family and friends was the worst part. Tears rolled down my cheek as I hugged my family knowing I wouldn’t see them for a few years. I said good-bye to England and hello to Australia.

The first day at a school was one of the most terrifying days I ever had to endure. Even worse, I felt my first Australian teacher hated me. The very first day, I had a maths test. I didn’t understand what it was about or what to do. I asked for help but my teacher told me to complete the test by myself. I ran out of the class crying, the children thought I was the ‘weird English kid.’ I only made one friend at that school. Six long months, I endure at that school, luckily we eventually moved house and I changed to a new school.

At my second school in Australia, I was nervous and hopeful that this school wasn’t like the first one. My brother, sister and I all walked into the school together. Assembly was taking place, so we joined our new classes and participated in assembly. I looked around at the students who were in my class, they looked friendly. As soon as the assembly finished, I was swarmed with children introducing themselves to me, asking me to say different words like, forty and cola because I had a funny accent. Everyone wanted to be my friend; it was the first time I felt like I had friends in Australia. The first piece of school work we got was a worksheet, it was on Australian slang. Dunny, fair dinkum, sheila, I hadn’t got a clue what these words meant. So I sat in my seat, wondering what to do, not wanting to ask for assistance as I didn’t want to get yelled at. After 10 minutes of sitting silently in my seat the teacher came over to me and asked what was wrong. I told her I didn’t understand the worksheet and didn’t know what the words meant at all, she talked over the words with me and helped me out.

Feeling a sense of home makes you feel safe and secure, where no harm can get to you. When you feel like you belong, it’s easier to make friends and be able to be yourself. As time progressed, Australia now feels like home.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Elese Gallen (Year 10)

Mothers

They bring us into this world. They care for us. Teach us valuable lessons. Allow us to become the people we are today. They’re Mothers.

Without our mothers we would all be people lost in a world full of violence and hate. They bring stability into our life allowing us to feel safe, protected and like we belong somewhere. Knowing that we can be depicted by a certain family group allows us to have recognition that we are a part of society and we belong. Mothers protect us from the people in our world that can influence us into something that we may regret.

My mother is not just my mum; she is also my best friend and protector. If I didn’t have her there for me I can imagine my life being like a black hole, dull and lifeless. I know that I fight with her all the time but I can’t imagine not having her there. There is a bond between me and my mother that I find hard to explain. While I sit here and contemplate I am left with one simple word. Rope. It is like a rope that no matter how far away from each other we are there is a tie that keeps us together. She is the one person that I know I can always rely on when I am in need of support or comfort. If I didn’t have mum in my family then we would be a mess. Week’s worth of dishes in the sink, a dirty house, pots in the sink, dirty floors and an unstable family that doesn’t get along. Having her there allows me to feel protected and safe as I know that she will always give me a helping hand when needed. I receive the best in life and nothing less, well, except for home brand food. I appreciate her care more than anything even though it may not seem it at times.

Mothers do not just give us support though; they also give us part of our identity. We are depicted by others in society by our family and culture. Having a family identity allows us to feel complete as it makes us feel like we belong. Many of us would be lost souls if we didn’t have our mothers, we wouldn’t be able to rely on them to make our lunches, get us up in the morning or get us to school.

Mum has turned me into the person I am today. Happy, bubbly and healthy. At the end of the day I can only say thank you to let her know that I am grateful for what she does for me, but I know that secretly even after all the fights and hard work she loves knowing that she is an amazing mum.

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Brandon Beneke (Year 10)

Only One Life

We only have one life

One go at it.

One chance.

So what matters?

Making the most of our life does.

So how do we make the most of our lives?

There are so many different ways.

It is finding the right way that can make our life so much better.

We use our strengths, our talents and we enhance our skills. God created us all as individuals. No matter what we might think we all have a particular part of ourselves that makes us special, unique and different from everyone else.

This could be a talent or gift such as beautiful voice for singing. Or maybe it is a creative mind and way of thinking; perfect for art and design. We could be a large, strong boy who could pursue football as a later career or we may be an agile girl, a natural to take on gymnastics.

Whoever we are, we all have a talent or strength that can be harnessed and used to make our lives better in one way or another. It may be easy or hard to find, but once it is being used the rewards can be greater than we may have ever imagined.

Another way to take our life to its fullest potential is to take every opportunity, every chance and every moment that will make us a better person for ourselves, our family, friends and the community.

We can do this by helping others whether it be great or small; something like holding open a door, helping someone up when they fall down or if the time comes; even saving someone’s life.

Taking opportunities to improve our talents, our mind and our body are also a way to ‘seize the day’ and improve our life. In doing this we can unlock many doors which can lead to great things in our future such as a long lasting friendship, a family or a career.

What else can we do?

Lastly we can be true to our self and present our identity to others with pride.

We should stand up tall and be proud of who we are and what we believe in. We shouldn’t stop what we want to do or throw away our dreams because someone says it’s dumb or not worthwhile. We should follow them until they are completed and we have achieved something that stays with us for the rest of our lives. We should make each day special, make it worthwhile or as said by the character John Keating in Dead Poets Society (1989) , “Seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.”

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Thomas Daley (Year 10)

Media and teens

Media throughout the world perpetuate negative stereotypical views on society. One of these includes their portrayal of teens. We are considered ungrateful, rebellious and hoons in cars. It is because of the unruly wrong actions of some that the wider group is dubbed the same. We don’t all get drunk, party late and sit around all day. Some of us actually have intelligent views on the world and great things to say. This is what matters.

Our teenage years, as quoted by Dr David Bainbridge, are the most dramatic, intense and exciting periods of our lives. Should the media be affecting this excitement? It is because of some people, Corry Worthington for example, that we are wrongly labelled through the media and society’s eyes. Through television and newspaper there is a large focus on the actions of young people when there are many complications within the wider society. Things like this are a negative representation on the stereotyped “Generation Y”. This is what matters.

In the media we need more of the “feel good” stories that portray Australian teens in a good light. After all “Generation Y” are the future leaders of our country, and what is the media saying about our confidence in them? Story’s like the one of Grafton teenager, Corey, who jumped off a bridge to save a lady in danger of drowning risking his own life are the stories GEN Y needs. This is what matters.

Sure we don’t do the right things all the time but it is not fair that we are all stereotyped because of a minority. In society there is a large amount of stereotyping but I believe it is essential not to do this. Having stereotypes may mislead people and create negative attitudes towards teenagers preventing them from achieving their full capabilities. We don’t want this to happen to Australian teens. This is what matters.

The media can be a helpful resource. At times they can become misleading and create stereotypes of individuals that are not completely correct. This is seen in teenagers. We need to look at the positive side of people through the world and not base our interpretation or understanding of people through others experiences or portrayals.

Do you Stereotype?

The Whitlam Institute 2010 What Matters? CompetitionSchool: Bede Polding College, South WindsorName: Lauren Casey (Year 10)

Shelby

I couldn’t wait for my little cousin to be born. I’d always had so much fun playing with her older brother. I thought with Shelby, it would be no different. But it was.

Shelby grew up differently to everyone else. On her 1st birthday, I knew something was wrong. She didn’t want to join in the birthday games, instead, she just wanted to be by herself, and play her own games. She hadn’t smiled as yet, which was odd, for a girl of that age and personality. Soon after, Shelby was formally diagnosed with Autism. At first we were told that she would grow out of it, but at the age of 5, things weren’t looking so good. She could walk, but wasn’t talking and wasn’t toilet trained. Shelby’s condition meant that she couldn’t express her emotions like others, and didn’t see things the same as we do. She couldn’t speak to people, or convey her feelings.

I was surprised when Shelby turned 5 and wasn’t at school like her older brother. She was at this school called Giant Steps, but I thought that was pre-school. I soon found it there was a lot more to it. I realized that Autism affects more than 1 in 150 children, and varies from child to child. Shelby’s school at Giant Steps is a school just for autistic children. It helps them to understand and communicate, and express their emotions. It’s hard for Shelby, just as it is for her family. Her brother is only two years older, and has to deal with an autistic sibling. He strives for attention, but at the same time, understands that Shelby needs it too. It’s hard for families to look after an autistic child. They have to be watched consistently, and looked after in a way suitable to that child.

Sadly, some don’t understand the complexity of her disability and offer uninformed hurtful, and unwarranted criticism of her parents. For example, out on a fundraiser, with the school, I was taking Shelby for a walk around the park, when a lady said ‘that girl has an iPod, she must be a spoilt child’. Little did she understand that the value is not measured in a dollars sense, but in the way she engages with the item, that provides constant hours of enjoyment, not found with most toys. Shelby doesn’t play with regular toys that other children play with. As her parents knew, an iPod was the answer. It was given to use as a toy, as well as a learning tool. As Shelby had always shown interest in toys that play music, sing and speak toys and help her to understand others.

Shelby is well on her way to reaching her potential. With the love, support and help from family and Giant Steps, Shelby will be nurtured and educated enabling her to live a fulfilling life.

What Matters? is a writing competition that gives Year 5-12 students in NSW and the ACT a chance to say what matters to them in society today. What actions do you think should be taken to build a better society? What would you change if you could? What do you want other people to care about?

Write a 400-600 word opinion piece on what matters to you and why. Entries must be typed on A4 paper and include a title and your name. Entries must be submitted by Friday 30th April 2010.

2010 COMPETITION CRITERIA

The following criteria will be applied by judges when selecting winning entries:

Criteria one Original work of between 400-600 wordsCriteria two Careful attention to spelling and grammarCriteria three Focus on a matter or issue of significance, expressed with passionate convictionCriteria four Articulate through appropriate and effective use of language with logical cohesionCriteria five Creative and imaginative approach to the subjectCriteria six Readable and engaging