auspicia in Latin reading competition

Excerpt: Speech by 2020 Junior Orator, Daniel Cash (Year 9) How evil leaders are elected and what we must learn from this

We look these days upon history with a degree of complacency. That which occurred before us will not occur again; we are smarter, wiser – we have hindsight. But that is our grave mistake. For we have always had hindsight. Before a man like Mao was allowed to come to power, we had the examples of Hitler and Mussolini and Franco, and before them, we had Stalin. Before Stalin, there was Zulu, and, to go further back, Caligula, Nero and Sulla. Even earlier in history we may observe Qin She Huang, the original burner of books.

The mistakes which we think we will not make again have been made over and over, by the most civilised and educated peoples. How, then, does this happen? How are modern-day dictators born? How do they rise to power? And, once they are in their seat, how do they stay there? How do men like Mao and Hitler and Stalin and Franco and Mussolini – many of them men of civilised, developed countries – manage to get elected? And, most importantly, what must we learn from this? …

…Why do we go to school? … Because the ever-expanding portfolio that is our education comprises of experiences and lessons learned about ourselves, about others and about life. That’s why we’re here. That’s why school is vital for shaping future generations for it is the vessel by which we develop an understanding of how to be a good thinker, a good listener and a good person.

And where is it where these lessons are the forefront idea of discussion and reflection? For me, it’s Chapel.

Simply being at Chapel encourages us to introspect and learn about ourselves. There is a particularly vivid and even observable dichotomy between the ambiance and peace as we enter the Chapel, and the chaos and stress of the day that lies ahead. It is as though when we walk through those grand doors, greeted by a relaxing tune from the organ, whilst the herbal incense manifests in our nostrils, we are invited to stop looking outwards for a while, and look inwards; to reflect and meditate. …

Melbourne Grammar students have dominated the Classical Association of Victoria’s (CAV) Latin Reading Competition this year.

Achieving first place in their respective year levels were Jaden Taveira (Year 9), Roddy Dong (Year 10) and Harlan Wright (Year 11). Second place recipients were Kelvin Cao (Year 11) and Peter Frangos (Year 11, competing in the Year 12 division).

The competition asks participants to speak a provided Latin passage. Students are judged on accuracy , fluency and expression.

Latin is a relatively small VCE subject with around 200 – 300 students at Year 12 level each year. Fifty-eight students drawn from 10 schools entered the 2020 Latin Reading Competition. An annual event, the competition has been running for over 40 years.

In speaking to these high achieving students, Head of Latin, Mr Ali McWhirter said: “I want to congratulate you all on your most deserved successes. You should be extremely proud of the efforts that you made to prepare for the competition, and also your motivation to go far beyond the syllabus in this difficult year.”

Mr McWhirter also commended Mr Andrew Williams, Latin Coordinator at Wadhurst, for his expertise in preparing the students for the competition. “We have a real depth of teaching capability at Melbourne Grammar and this translates to excellent outcomes for students,” he said.

(Image source: Woolworths Group)

When asked about the defining challenges of his career, Christian Bennett (OM 1986) mentions two world events: the 1999 East Timor crisis, and COVID-19.

Working as First Secretary (Political) at Australia’s Embassy in Washington DC between 1997-2000, Christian’s role became dominated with an unfolding international situation on Australia’s doorstep. “Dealing with the crisis in East Timor took me to every corner of US politics, from the State Department to the White House Situation Room, to Congress, NGOs and think tanks, as well as the media, to help secure support for Australia’s position,” he explains. “It was a unique challenge for Australian foreign policy and a privilege to play a small role in navigating a successful outcome.”

Working for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) was the result of a keen interest in history and politics that began during Christian’s time at Melbourne Grammar. “The School instilled a real passion for knowledge largely because the quality of teaching was so high,” he says. “My American History teacher, Campbell Bairstow, was so passionate and enthusiastic. He started the obsession with international relations and US history that led to my choosing DFAT over other roles. I speak to Campbell every so often and remind him: ‘It all started in your classroom!’”

From Washington, Christian moved to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and progressed through senior DFAT roles including Assistant Secretary (Americas Branch), North Asia Adviser to Foreign Minister Downer and the Australian High Commissioner to Brunei. He later joined the private sector primarily in government relations and public policy roles, working for Santos, BHP and GE before taking on his current position as Group Head of Reputation at Woolworths.

Unsurprisingly, 2020 has been a particularly busy year. “Government regulation touches on every corner of the food supply chain. In a crisis such as COVID-19, my team was at the centre of many of our most pressing challenges to preserve food security, staff and customer safety, and store operations,” explains Christian. “I was incredibly proud of how my team, as part of the broader Woolworths effort, rose to this enormous task.” Taking a moment to reflect, Christian describes this extraordinary period in terms of future opportunities. “We’ve seen a permanent change in the role of digital platforms in meeting everyday needs, and the convergence with bricks and mortar assets,” he says. “What I’m most proud of is that, as a company, we responded in a purpose-led way. It was never a question of cost, it was about what was the right thing to do, and especially to support the most vulnerable groups in the community.”

With two sons at Melbourne Grammar, Christian sees a continuation of the values he learned during his own time here. “There was that underpinning emphasis on values, on excellence – on giving people the confidence and capacity to excel – and on contributing to the community,” he says. “Watching my boys, my sense is that all three characteristics are stronger than ever. The School has done an incredible job during this challenging year. I never underestimate the value of my Melbourne Grammar education as the foundation for my career.”