WARNING: PLEASE respect and dispose of this newsletter properly AS IT CONTAINS THE NAME OF ALLAH
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“sometimes, all you need is a new perspective” ISSUE five
term 4, 2014
A thousand thanks By Amira Ismail A GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO… Alisha Rawal, Aishah Chao, Hafsah Chao, Iskandar Zulfikar, Farhana Ismail, NurAisyah Rosman, Noor Khan, Ruweyda Ibrahim, Munira Mohamed, Syukri Joffri, Zikry Joffri, Adib Zulkefli, Abdulaziz Mume, Furkan Erbasi, Zehra Sert, Louay Elmustapha, Yusuf Ades, Abdulkadir Soylu, Izzah Zulkefli, Zakariya Isaaq, Armaan Khan, AbduErrahman Tholia, Aida Ismail, Amal Hoblos, Hasheem Nasir, Yusra Khayre, Omer Hassan, Ayse Bolat, Fatima
Yaman, Moemina Shukur, Ms Aynur, Ms Koubar, Mr Hassan, Ms Maysoon, Ms Zeynep, Ms Senada Colan, Ms Hishama Saldin, Mr Sophiandy, Ms Derya Buyukyazici, Brother Sait Kanacevic as well as all the teachers and students I have forgotten to mention! I want to say HUGE thank you for contributing, developing, supporting, strengthening and appreciating the Ilim Rant. It is your involvement that has shaped and nurtured the project into the
wonderful pages of student greatness it is known and loved for today. Initiating the newsletter, I honestly had no clue what to expect. I did not anticipate the sleepless nights and tiring days composing it, the endless emails and the chasing up of team members, the stress of deadlines and the difficultly in balancing this initiative with my studies. I also did not anticipate the satisfaction and delight of handing out freshly printed copies to eager, outstretched arms. I was surprised by the enjoyment, the laughs, the smiles and gratitude on the students, teachers and parents, the positive feedback from strangers that left my cheeks wet with happy tears, and the joy of editing a new article. I will never forget the hilarity of Rant parties, the unwavering dedication, time and effort invested by our team of 20 hard-working students and everyone’s enthusiastic anticipation for each coming edition. It is these people, moments and memories that have etched a place in my heart and it is this experience that has given rise to so much invaluable knowledge.
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In need of a quick read but can't find your Do you have Articles, opinions, poems, stories, copy of the rant? You can now read it artwork, QUESTIONS, advice or suggestions? email us at: online at ilimcollege.vic.edu.au rant@ilimcollege.vic.edu.au Happy reading! Q Designed by NurAisyah Rosman and Farhana IsmailR
With your assistance, we’ve made history! The Rant is undoubtedly a humble compilation of articles, comics and crosswords dedicated to the student body, but when you look at it in a broader context, it is a luminescent pocket of young Australian Muslims sharing little bursts of knowledge with the rest of the world. It has proved to all that it is possible to play an active role in enlightening and strengthening the community around us with even the smallest of actions. The Rant has helped bring out the best in people, showcasing
and accentuating the capabilities and hidden potential of everyday teens. It has given us a voice - A voice louder than we have ever had before. And while my wild journey with the Rant comes to an end, I have a lot of hope for what it will bring in the future. My hope is that it continues to educate, motivate, inspire and propagate wisdom. My hope is that the attitude of positivity and empowerment spreads far and wide. My hope is that more of the youth will come to realise their true capacity in
making a difference. It began as a simple idea, a thought that was swept up in excitement and enthusiasm, and today, it has earned a place as timeless living-room-reading material; 16 pages of inky goodness reflecting the thoughts, opinions, views and talent of Ilim College students. No words can encompass the appreciation I have for all those involved (including you reading this right now!). So again, THANK YOU.
news & opinion Unicorns to Battle! A Brief History of United England. By Louay Elmustapha A few weeks ago, Scotland was faced with the most important (and only) decision in their history with the United Kingdom, whether or not to leave the union. The reasoning behind why Scotland may or may not want to remain with the UK is hidden in the murky depths of history, so READ ON if you are interested in the intricacies of Scotland’s three century long arranged marriage to England (and England’s occupied pet Wales). For centuries, the Kingdom of Scotland, and the Kingdom of England (+Wales) lived (not very peacefully) on the same isolated landmass. Prior to 936 AD, North Britain was comprised of an entanglement of petty kingdoms. After uniting under Constantine II as Scotland, they drew the attention of their southern neighbours for the very first time. The English have always had
a strong attraction to talking over tea and biscuits, and occupying foreign countries and that is exactly what they did for the centuries prior to Europe’s intellectual awakening. The difference between the English of the past and present however, lies in the fact that modern Englishman will talk till the cows come home, and achieve very little but aching jaws. In the past, they were quick to gossip, but even quicker to arm, and exactly one year after Scotland had consolidated itself as a united entity, the English attacked the Scottish at Brunanburh. The newly formed Scotland was routed by the English, who had been practicing marching to the beat of war drums since their independence from Rome. In the coming years, England would proceed to fight 17 individual conflicts with Scotland, while England itself constantly
changed leaders. In fact, Scotland’s first major victory didn’t occur until 1307, which happened to coincide with civil unrest in England, and the fatal illness of their monarch. In fact, Scotland had to fight two major wars for its independence from England (and the occupied Wales) at two separate times in history. It seems as though England looked up from the rims of their teacups and the expanding maps of the English empire to see a new country, and the immaculate materialists the English were (and are) perceived another potential asset in Scotland. So evidently, looking into history, England and Scotland have never been the happiest of neighbours, however come 1707, powers shifting within England had other plans in mind. In 1707, the English parliament drafted legislation that would forge
Scotland and England (do we even need to mention Wales at this point?) into a complicated union of political, monarchical and economical benefits. Nowadays, the idea of having a United Kingdom would make a lot of sense, and could easily be reached via diplomatic ventures. The problem is, diplomacy was quite limited in the 1700’s, and the primary source of diplomatic negotiations between Scotland and England was £240,000 Scots passed to key officials in the Kingdom of Scotland. The Queen’s commissioner and many other head officials allowed for ‘The Acts of Union 1707’ to be passed, and implemented that very year. While the Scottish parliamentarians sipped tea with the English, there was much unrest in Scotland. The majority of the population of Scotland had taken to the streets sporting banners saying “For every Scot in favour there is 99 against”. In fact, on the day the treaty was signed, St Giles Cathedral rang the bells to the tune ‘Why should I be so sad on my wedding day?’ These laws may have eventually been revoked, however the newly established parliament
imposed martial laws over the Scottish half of the union until the initial unrest died down. The controversy surrounding the acts of union remains to this day. Due to the fact that a very minor percentage of Scotland’s population willed to join the United Kingdom, the arranged marriage between the two seems much more like a forced marriage. In modern times, the benefits of having a union between the countries outweighs many of the negatives, so the eventual NO independence vote was definitely a possibility. Yet if this vote would have been had hundreds of years ago, would the union have been formed? This is the major reason why Scotland may want to reconsider their relationship status. After the failed referendum though, many Scots are looking back at the three hundred years in a ‘partnership with England’, and shaking their heads mournfully at the missed opportunity for independence. While there are pros and cons for the United Kingdom, the largest con will forever be the fact that the United Kingdom directly translates
into England and Co. To the extent where the national anthem for the UK was ‘God Save The Queen’, an old English song which contained the line ‘Rebellious Scots to crush’. This just reinforces the thought of England and Co, and further voices the cries of the failed referendum vote. Through the long course of English history, the centre of the world has always been Mother England and the great monarch. Looking back at the countless wars, the break ups, the make ups and the great Kingdom of England, the relationship between Scotland and England has always been somewhat of a laughing stock. Whether or not the referendum may have improved the lives of many Scots, the rest of the world rejoices as one of the most readily available historical comedies lives on (and as England is graced with Piers Morgan’s passport for the last time). As long as the United Kingdom stands however, England can always look into their backyard to find unicorns and whales living in harmony under the vast wing of the English Empire.
Ilim College sIra gecesi By Merve Uyar
Çiğ Köfte by Mr.Mustafa Caksak On the 8th of August 2014, Mr.Mustafa Çaksak organised a pleasant night for the former and recent Turkish students of Ilim College. The event was memorable and left students with moments of joy, with the company of Turkish cultural instruments. The highlight of the program was the appetising taste of the çiğ köfte that was served. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who were involved in this occasion for their timeless efforts and we look forward to see many other events in the future
the ILLUSION OF REALITY By YUSUF ADES
We live in a world that we interpret based on our senses, feelings and past experiences. However, we are each unique individuals with different feelings and experiences. Furthermore, we perceive our senses differently, meaning that we do not necessarily see the same thing as each other nor, as it exists in objective reality. In that case, we live in what can be more closely thought of as an illusion of the way we interpret the real world around us. However that poses the problem, if what we perceive is not real, what is? Why do we live in this illusion? Can we truly perceive objective reality? The Allegory of the Cave is a metaphor for our awareness of reality by the Greek philosopher Plato. In it, captives have spent all their life in a cave facing the back wall. Behind them, a fire burns casting shadows of the activity behind them onto the wall. For the captives staring at the wall, these shadows are what is real to them, more so than the objects and fire casting them. Like in Plato’s cave, we build our reality based on the limited information that we sense. As humans, we are fallible and we need to filter our perceptions so that in order to construct a useful view of the world, due to that, our conscious experience is not of the real world, but of an internal representation of that world. As humans, we can never ascertain beyond doubt the nature of reality, so we devise a set of rules for our own reality. This is not only done at a personal level but by society as a whole. The concept of consensus reality is the validation of things to
be real, based on the premise that everyone else also thinks so and is an integral part for society to be able to function. Consensus reality allows us to agree on the fundamental building blocks of any civilisation such as language, measurements and economic value, without these shared realities, our ground rules for society become meaningless. As a case in point, a fifty dollar note is only worth $50 because everyone else also believes it to be worth so. In reality however, it is not worth much more than the paper it is printed on. Yet despite this we all continue to believe in its worth because, without this shared illusion, it would become valueless. The denial of reality does not end there. The optimism bias is our tendency to overestimate the positive things in our lives and underestimate the likelihood of negative things in our lives. For example, we overestimate our probability of success and longevity while underestimating the probability of injury or disease. This bias continues even after we are aware of what the probability realistically is. The illusion of reality that we live in, despite not being true, has a very real impact on our lives. As with the case of optimism, it changes the way we see the world by acting as a self-fulfilling prophecy. Thus if illusions can be real enough to change objective reality and hence become reality itself: Are they still illusions?
THE TEeN BRAIN By Amira Ismail When I googled ‘characteristics of a typical teenager’, I was not surprised by the search results. Described as emotional, rebellious, adventurous and risk-taking. It’s safe to say that most of us moody teens tick all the boxes. As everyone knows, this adolescent stage of life is one that stands out, a psychologically and emotionally intense period that is saturated with thrill-seeking experiences, movie marathons, regretful acts of defiance and stubbornness, messy rooms, really late nights (as in staying up until 3am doing absolutely nothing) and groggy mornings, random mood swings that are beyond explanation, silly friendship fights, emotional whirlwinds, and of course, very stupid decisions. We are the kings and queens of awkwardness, our strides composed of try-hard swagger and down-right gawkiness. We have mastered the art of ‘selfie’ taking and are always violently yanking out the usb instead of safely ejecting it from the computer. We have trouble sleeping at night and even more trouble waking up for early mornings. So the big question is, why? Why is it that during these significant years, our level of risky behaviour and thirst for excitement and stimulation, reaches an all-time high? Why do our classrooms smell so heavily of the sickly stench of body odour and cheap deodorant, and resemble more of a zoo of demanding, food-deprived and restless primates than a room of civilised human beings? Well, it turns out that the rapid changes in our bodies account for the ghastly clouds of vaporised sweat, and as for our unpredictable and kooky nature? We can thank our underdeveloped brains for that! I’m not exaggerating; the fact that our think tanks haven’t finished maturing is the reason we’re so… different. I kid you not. Let me take you into the technicalities of it all. It turns out our brains actually takes a lot longer to fully develop than originally thought. Nobody just suddenly wakes up with a perfectly functioning, complex and flawlessly refined brain. It takes time to reach that stage. A lot of time. What’s exciting and also daunting is that most of the extensive refining, reassembling and reorganisation occur during adolescence. Yay? Research has revealed
rationally solve problems, analyse and anticipate the consequences of actions, control impulses and form judgements. Additionally, because this part of the brain is still under construction, teens often rely on the amygdala, associated with impulses, emotions and instinctive behaviour. In essence, our decisionmaking and logical processing is less analytical and more irrationally emotional. Yes, that sounds about right.
that it is in our teen years when our brain decides to undergo a bit of a facelift, ‘pruning’ away unused neural connections and strengthening the ones we frequently use and need. This has led to the theory that adolescence is the ‘use it or lose it’ period of development, in which our noggin becomes a more efficient, faster and sophisticated organ. That’s great news, right? Well, if we plan on spending these years expanding our knowledge, learning new skills and discovering all that is waiting to be discovered, then yes, it is definitely good news as it means we are positively setting our brain up for the future. However, if we’re spending these years glued to the glaring screens of social media sites and online gaming for hours on end, I’m not so sure we’re hanging on to the most appropriate skills necessary for the scary adult world that lies ahead. Our brains are most flexible, impressionable and vulnerable during adolescence, and as neuroscientist Douglas Fields describes it, “the wiring is getting upgraded, but once that’s done, it’s harder to change”. That still doesn’t explain our strange teen tendencies. Well, this remodelling of the brain actually begins at the back and slowly works its way to the front. Logically speaking, this means that the front parts of our brains are developed last. And what sits at the front? Why, the prefrontal cortex (don’t get put off by all this scientific terminology!) of course, which so happens to be the brain bit in charge of our ability to
But wait, there’s more! Studies show that our high level of risk-taking behaviour is possibly due to the fact that us teenagers evaluate and respond to reward more heavily than adults and kids do. In simpler terms, we give more weight to the attainment of a pleasurable outcome than the dangers and risks involved. As biochemist and popular YouTuber, Hank Green put it, “A jacked-up, thrill-seeking impulse, combined with an exquisite pang of peer pressure…can lead to some not good results”. While we are inclined to take more dangerous risks, our thirst for adventure is also what compels us to meet new people, make new friends, and master new skills. Impulsive, reckless and maddening, these characteristics are identified with the ‘typical’ teenager. Often overlooked however, is the intriguing reality that these traits arise from the mesmerizingly intricate remodelling of our head-goo. Neuroscientist B.J.Casey said it perfectly when he stated that “we’re so used to seeing adolescence as a problem…but the more we learn about what really makes this period unique, the more adolescence starts to seem like a highly functional, even adaptive period.” It feels quite nice knowing that there’s a really awesome reason behind our moodiness and erratic nature. Our belief that sleep is more important than studying and that we have the time to take the perfect Instagram photo and go to the movies, but not clean our rooms, will still be disapproved of. But the next time your parents scream at you for speeding on your L-plates or forgetting to take out the washing, simply apologise for your mistake and politely remind them that your brain just hasn’t finished yet.
b the straight PATH
The voice of hidayah: Dealing with Worries and Stress By The Male Islamic Enrichment Committee 1. Equipping oneself with Emaan (faith), accompanied by righteous deeds Allah says in Surat Al Nahl 16:97 (which means): “Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while he (or she) is a true believer, verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world, with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e., Paradise in the Hereafter).” The reason for this is clear: the believers in Allah whose faith is correct and motivates them to do righteous deeds that reform their hearts and characters, and change their status in this world and the next, have the basic principles according to which they deal with every kind of joy and grief that they may face. They receive blessings and joy with acceptance and thanksgiving, and put them to use in beneficial ways.
When they do this, they feel happy and hope that it will last and will bring them reward for their gratitude, as well as other things that will supersede the original goodness and blessings. When faced with distress, harm, worries and anxieties, they try to resist them and reduce them as much as they can, and they react with befitting patience to the things in which they have no choice. They gain many benefits as a result, such as: resilience and toughness as is appropriate; useful experience, strong willpower, patience, the hope of reward, and many other benefits that reduce the distress felt. Thus, their anxiety is replaced with joy and the hope of blessings and reward from Allah, as the Prophet (PBUH) stated in the authentic Hadeeth: “How marvelous is the affair of the believer! Everything that happens to him is good, and this does not occur to anyone except the believer. If something
good befalls him, he gives thanks for it, and that is good for him. If something bad befalls him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him.” This is the way in which we may view calamities in a positive perspective. 2. Understanding the reality of this world The believer knows that this world is only temporary, that its luxuries are few, and that whatever pleasures exist here are always imperfect. If it causes a little laughter, it gives many reasons to weep; if it gives a little, it withholds far more. The believer is only detained here, as the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “This world is the prison of the believer and the paradise of the Kaafir (i.e. the disbeliever).” This world is also fatigue, pain, misery and suffering, so the believer feels relief when he departs from it. Abu Qutaadah ibn Rib’i al-Ansaari used to say that a funeral passed the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and he said: “He is now relieved, and people feel relieved of him.” The people asked, “O Messenger of Allah, how can he be relieved and people feel relieved of him?” He said, “The believing slave (who dies) is relieved of the fatigue and pain of this world and has gone to the mercy of Allah; when the rebellious slave dies, people, land, trees and animals are relieved of him.” This understanding of the reality of this world makes it easier for the believer
to bear afflictions, pains, distress and anxiety; because he knows that they are an inevitable part of the nature of this life. 3. Making the Hereafter one’s main concern The concerns of this world overwhelm and confuse people, but if the slave makes the Hereafter his main concern, Allah will help him to focus and be determined, as was narrated by Anas (RA): The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Whoever has the Hereafter as his main concern, Allah will fill his heart with a feeling of richness and independence; he will be focused and content, and this world will come to him in spite of it. Whoever has this world as his main concern, Allah will cause him to fear poverty; he will be distracted and unfocused, and he will have nothing of this world except what was already predestined for him.” Whoever turns away from being a true slave of Allah, obeying Him and loving Him, will be burdened with servitude, love and obedience to some created
Making Du’a A comic by Zikry Joffri
being. Allah says in Surat Al Zukhruf [43:36] (which means): “And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allah), We appoint for him a Shaytaan (devil) to be a Qareen (intimate companion) to him.” 4. Relying upon Allah and entrusting matters to Him When a person knows that Allah is able to do all things; that He alone makes choices for His slaves, runs their affairs, He runs His slave’s affairs better than himself; Allah – thus – deals with His slave as He wishes, and the slave has nothing to do with it. Only after he has submitted thus will the slave feel the relief from his distress and worries. He gives the burden of his needs and interest to The One who is not concerned about how heavy or great the burden is. Allah will take care of it instead of him, and will show him His kindness and mercy, without the slave getting tired or worried, because all his concerns are now focused on Allah alone. His worry about his needs and interests in this world has been lifted
from him and his heart is now free of this concern. How good his life is now, how blessed his heart is and how great his happiness and joy truly is.
Text Adapted from: www.Islam-QA.com Coping with Adversity
the inside story Did you have any childhood nicknames? My parents called me Andy. I was called Andy by my family and my childhood friends; they grew up knowing me by Andy, they didn’t call me Muhammad, they didn’t call me Sophiandy, it was always Andy, which is actually just a portion of my middle name. How would you describe yourself as a teenager? Well, I went to an all-boys school, so most of my friends were just people from the same school that grew up with me. I didn’t really do many crazy things when I was in high school, so most of the time it was just studying because, unfortunately, I went to an elite school, so the only thing that was on everybody’s mind was just doing well and getting ahead of one another. But during my free time, I’d spend my weekends just going out to the city – In Singapore there’s this place called Orchard Road and in that area I’d hang out with my high school friends for a movie or lunch or sometimes we just go window shopping. Other than that, we would just hang out in this particular store that sells model tanks and model aeroplanes and we’d spend hours just striking conversation with the store owner. We were pretty much just into putting together model tanks and aeroplanes. In fact, we had a co-curricular activity in high school called the plastic modelling club. Basically what that meant for us is that we’d put together model tanks and set up dioramas to simulate a
teacher exposed! mr. Sophiandy Sopali
scene in World War II or something like that. That’s basically what I was like as a teenager, that’s all that I can remember about my high school days.
in high school and everyone was raving about it. I guess it would be to us what David Hasselhoff and ‘Knight Rider’ was to people in the 1980s, though right now I can’t remember the lead actor’s name. Do you have any interests or hobbies? Right now I’m into interfaith dialogues. I’m reading a lot into other different religions. I’m also interested in efforts to bring the Muslim and Jewish communities closer together, partly because of what’s happening currently in the Middle East and on the global stage. I think there is a lot that needs to be done and one way to do that is to start getting people interested about interfaith dialogue and how we can peacefully coexist with members of different faiths.
Did you have a favourite TV show? Back then we use to enjoy watching programs like war television series and I was pretty much into that type of show. I remember at that time there was this program called ‘N.A.M Tour of duty’- it’s a television series that chronicled the Vietnam War back in the early 90s. And I remember watching a television program called ‘Street Hawk’. It was about a guy who had a high tech motorcycle who goes around and catches crooks in America. It’s a very old TV program from the early 90s. He had this motorcycle that was fitted with laser guns and computers and had the ability to travel at 200 or 300 km/h. It was a very big deal for us back then
On the note of global affairs, which is your favourite soccer team? I would definitely support the Socceroos, but all in all, I’ve always supported the Germans, for various reasons. For one, unlike other soccer teams, the Germans are very technical and team-oriented, so it doesn’t really matter if they don’t have a
I was a child my parents would take me to go eat Indian food for dinner so I seem to have a special preference for Indian food- regardless of what region, north or south, they are from.
Which fantasy or Sci-fi world would you most want to live in? That’s a tough call to make but I think Middle Earth would be quite an interesting place to live in. I suppose that’s because it’s very close to nature, especially if you’re a member of the Elvish community or among the Hobbits in the Shire. I quite like the idea of having pointed ears, in fact, when I play online games my avatar is always someone with pointed ears, so I don’t actually mind being an elf, I think it’s really cool. Do you play a lot of games? Not a lot of online games- but I do play console games. I usually play single player because I have this
impression that online play gets very costly from all the subscription fees. So what kind of games do you enjoy? I play a whole range of games, but mostly I enjoy those tactical shooters like ‘Rainbow Six’ and racing games like ‘Forza Motorsport’. Other than that I enjoy Fantasy Role-playing games like ‘Dragon Age’. I play a bit of FIFA too but not so much into that than the others. I haven’t played a lot recently but maybe during the holidays I can do a bit of catching up from where I left off. What superpower would you most like to have? The ability to teleport. Yeah, I think that would be very interesting. I wouldn’t have to worry about traffic jams in the morning on my way to school or I could go to the bathroom and teleport myself to class the next second. If your old high school teacher came right now looking for your old overdue homework, how would you avoid that confrontation? Let’s see... that kind of thing is actually unheard of when I was in high school. Back in my high school days the whole notion of not submitting your homework was actually quite rare. Most of my classmates were on the ball when it comes to meeting deadlines. Of course there would be some cases where one
or two of my friends would simply forget – or even choose to forget about submitting their assignments. So I suppose if I were faced with that situation I’d just have to hope that they’d forget about it. You’re stranded on an island and all you have with you are 3 people or things or any combination of them, what would you have? Does that island have Wi-Fi? I suppose a Swiss army knife is something that I’d like to have with me - for practical reasons of course. Then I would like to have with me this character from a TV program called MacGyver. His program was a very big hit in the 1980s due to his ingenuity and ability to make do with all sorts of things and construct all sorts of contraptions to help him escape from tight situations. So a Swiss army knife, MacGyver and I think the last person has to be someone with survival skills. I think I’d love to have Bear Grylls with me. Together with MacGyver I think the two of them would make a very good combination. There you have it, MacGyver, Bear Grylls and a Swiss army knife.
Interview by: Abdulaziz Mume, Muhammad Adib Zulkefli and Furkan Erbasi
The next time your English teacher gets mad at you because of a bad mark, just read this poem to them! English is one complicated language...
HUMANS OF ILIM COLLEGE This is a new segment inspired by the famous Humans Of New York. Here, we aim to turn the spotlight onto you! Each edition, we will interview different groups of people from around the school to really find out what makes Ilim College tick. Enjoy!
Tarek, Jethro and Jihad Why do you play soccer all the time? We love the sport, it’s a good way to stay fit and “it is something that we are really are passionate about”. It started off with four boys, but soon other people started to join in. We were already friends, and we started playing soccer because “there was nothing else to do at recess and lunch” What do you all have in common? “We all like to play computer games” and sports (mostly soccer!). Possible name fot your soccer team? “I don’t really think about it” “The Rockets” Improvements to the school’s sport facilities? The soccer grounds are uneven which makes it ball bounce weirdly and it’s harder to run. Also, at lunch time, the primary kids always interrupt us and we have to move away. Favourite thing about soccer? “It’s our favourite sport”. What makes soccer special? It’s fun, you have to practice a lot and “you have to work as a team to win.” Who did you go for in the world cup? Germany. (good answer)
Rahma, Sara, Asma, Hamdya, Najma, Nasra, Hafsa, Reem, Aaiza, Ikhra and Kowthar How did you all meet? We were all in different groups but in year 10 we all came together to form one big group. “It was like a love story”. How do you feel when you’re together? 95.5% of coming to school is because of these girls, “It’s the happiest feeling” “I’d jump in front of a train for them” Possible group name? The Soul Sisters, The Clique, Keeping up with the crazies, The OGs (Original Gangsters). What do you have in common? We all like basketball, dancing and eating food. Most likely to... Go to jail: Ikhra. “If it wasn’t for the confines of Ilim College, the police would’ve already found her... they’re coming.” Become a gold digger: SARA AL AZHARI “with all of her Chanel” Become Prime Minister: Hafsa. Get married first: “One of the Arabs” Why do you scream so much? We’re all really opinionated and we don’t know how to take turns so we all end up shouting at each other! Greatest fear: Instects and losing each other. Any last words? “I want to tell everyone that I love you guys sooo much!” “That is so cheesy.”
o the bibliophile* *A person who collects or has a great love of books.
THE RIYRIA CHRONICLES
Magisterium: the iron trial
By Michael J. Sullivan reviewed by Halnix
by Cassandra Clare & Holly Black reviewed by Aida Ismail
I’m sure most of us have dreamed of that book that just has everything in it. The one with adventure, mystery, suspense, humour. The one with actually good language, and some moral concepts. Not just your average right vs. wrong, or self-discovery, but ideas that are far more complex and real than a couple of words. The one that doesn’t even have to be perfect — the perfectly imperfect book - or series. Allow me to introduce to you Michael J. Sullivan’s The Riyria Chronicles; a six-book series that are published in three omnibus editions. “Riyria” (pronounced rye-EAR-uh), Elvish for “two”, refers to the cold thief Royce Melborn and warm mercenary Hadrian Blackwater. The cliché of two very different best friends failing to agree to the detriment of the world? Nuh-uh-ah. They are two rogues who can be hired to do anything, including stealing a book for someone one night, then putting it back for someone else the following night. Being popular among the wealthier and more powerful families, yet still thieves, they are blamed for the murder of the king. No no no. They were not “somehow” blamed — a logical, series of events led to it. No clichés. Like many, I was concerned about the language — and coherence — throughout the series in the beginning, but I was not disappointed. At all. Turns out that Michael J. Sullivan wrote all six books before any were published, and had the chance to “weave them throughout”. Perfectly imperfect. Note: all six books have been ordered by the school library, so you can get the first book Theft of Swords pretty soon!
Although his mother and father are both mages, Callum Hunt has been told all his life to never trust magic. He was always told from a young age that it was the mage’s fault that his mother was killed. Upon her death, Callum was dropped, shattering his leg and resulting in numerous surgeries throughout his life. This left him with the inability to ever walk or run normally. Callum is always getting into trouble. He has never had a proper friend, and most people tease him whenever he tries to play football or when he sits out during every gym class. But things soon change. The Iron Trials are coming up, and he has been given countless talks from his father about how to successfully fail. Unfortunately, he fails at just that. Much to his father’s dismay, Callum gets into the Magisterium- a place where children are trained to become Mages. However, he soon realises that it’s not as bad as he’s been told. He meets two companions, one girl and one boy, that he lives, eats and learns with. Tamara is smart and has a long history with the Magisterium. Aaron is strong, quick and always positive. The Magisterium is a wonderful place, crawling with Elementals and enchanted creatures, one of which Callum soon befriends. There are underground rivers used to navigate through the countless rooms. It all seems fine, until Callum finds out that the Magisterium has a dark ties to his family’s past. Callum soon learns that all is not as it may seem and he is not the person he once believed he was.
Year 12 spotlight by Farhana Ismail and Alisha Rawal This is a special end-of-year edition of the usual “Department Spotlight”, this time focusing on our beloved year 12s. They’ve been through the ups and downs of school life, and soon they’ll be leaving us to bravely explore the outside world. 13 years of schooling is coming to a end, so why not make the most of their wonderful (or disastorous) experiences? We hereby present to you morsels of wisdom that will hopefully make your highschool life slightly less dismal. Thank you for your generosity and we wish you all the best, Class of 2015.
GIRLS’ ADVICE
BOYS’ ADVICE:
• Work hard from the start. • Sleep early. • Read your bedtime stories... *hint* Biology. • Hide your stationery. • Don’t leave things to the last minute, even if you work well under pressure. • No social media if you want to do well. • Laugh your stress away. • Eat, study, sleep, repeat... • Stay in school. • Dance your SACs away. • EAT • YOLO”... “YOLT” • Get a psychologist from now. • Patience, young grasshoppers. • Drop Methods like it’s hot. • Hugs not drugs. • Don’t wear makeup on photo day; they’ll airbrush your face anyway. • Your ATAR doesn’t determine your life. • Have fun! • Enjoy year twelve! • Close your books... go on Instagram. –Arwa Himeidan • “What is victory? To endure is all.”- RILK • We complain and complain, and leave things to the last minute; and then we blame our teachers... Don’t do this! –Merve & Feyza
• Strive hard. • Many things happen in life, but the only thing you can control is your attitude. –student quoting Mr Andrew • Think: “I am not number two, I am number one.” • Keep your attitude, I’ve got my own. • Never compromise your religion over your education. • Failure is cheap only to those who sold success; success is expensive only to those who bought failure. • Respect is not a gift, you have to earn it. • Valuable achievements are always underlined by an aching hand, a tattered pen and the priceless ink of sweat and tears. • Whoever plants thorns can never expect to harvest grapes. • Nothing is stable but change. • Never give up. • Follow your dreams. • Kick back –O.T • Stay positive –O.T • The power of fear fails when the fearful become the fearless. –H.E
WOULD YOU RATHER WALK LIKE A PENGUIN OR A SPIDER?
HAVE YOU EVER GOTTEN SOCKS AS A PRESENT?
Spider 22%
Yes 28%
Penguin 78%
No 72%
IPHONE6 OR IPHONE5S?
iPhone 6 35%
iPhone 5s 65%
The burning
`questions ` by izzah zulkefli
HAVE YOU EVER BITTEN SOMEONE BEFORE?
WOULD YOU RATHER TALK ONLINE OR FACE TO FACE?
DO YOU PREFER CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA ICE-CREAM?
Face to face 17%
No 20% Yes 80%
HAVE YOU EVER HURT YOURSELF DOING SOMETHING STUPID?
Online 83%
WOULD YOU RATHER BE A SUPER VILLAIN OR A SUPERHERO?
Vanilla 70%
Chocolate 30%
SKYDIVING WITH NO PARACHUTE OR SCUBA DIVING WITH NO OXYGEN TANK ?
No 10%
Skydiving
Yes 90%
Superhero 44%
Super villain 56%
18%
Scubadiving
82%
e The Ilim funny bone
Crossword
complete to win By Iskandar Zulfikar
THE RULES: 1. complete the crossword 2. cut it out 3. give it to a member of the ilim rant team 4. a winner will be randomly selected to win a fabulous prize!
QoverheardR real people. real situations. all, overheard.
This edition’s Overheard quotes have been plucked straight from the year 12 boys’ and girls’ “Wall Of Shame”. The Wall Of Shame is simply a compilation of odd, crazy or downright stupid quotes said by the year 12s throughout the year. Here are 5 of the best!
I"She curled her eyebrows." ces of en er mf cu r ci e th te a ul c l ca e w L, I"In VCA squares." ten." I"Turn off the lights, I can't lis they?" re a t ha w s rd a z i l n't re a s er d i sp I"If ing." d l i bu ge ra ve a e th n a th r e l ta 'm I"I