Welcome back to this week’s edition of The Stag! With holidays just around the corner, this will be our final edition for the term I'd like to extend a huge thank you to Alaina Ray and Maya Hatzvi for stepping in on short notice to edit this week’s edition. They will now be joining The Stag as assistant editors, and I’m confident they’ll do an outstanding job moving forward. Term 3 has flown by, and Term 4 is sure to pass even quicker. Be sure to take a well-deserved break and recharge during the holidays. If you ’ re feeling creative, consider entering one of our competitions by submitting a holiday photo or creative piece. Enjoy reading, and have a fantastic break!
- Sarah Mueller and The Stag team
CurrentAffairs
Maya Hatzvi
America’s Future: Yummy Dogs, Hungarian Strongmen and More!
“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs!”
It Just Got Interesting Before this landmark presidential debate, polls in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania separated Trump and Harris by less than 2 per cent, so it’s safe to say the stakes were high Impressions were there to be made, key policies to be communicated on a national stage, and petty insults to regurgitate. This was the first time the candidates had met in person, in what will be their only debate this year. In preparation, Harris ‘hunkered down’ in a Pittsburgh hotel for intense debate prep, and went so far as to practice with Democratic consultant Phillip Reines, who stood on a box to match the real Trump’s height. Harris began with spontaneity when she walked over and shook Trump’s
hand; a very ironic move given what happened next. She began with some nerves and launched into a preprepared monologue, but gradually gained confidence in what was her first presidential debate compared with Trump’s 7th. Seeking to reintroduce herself to voters after her short-lived 2020 presidential bid, she drew parallels between her middle-class background and Trump’s inherited wealth. She detailed her plans to build an ‘opportunity economy’ and reiterated her stance on abortion rights, fracking and the Israel-Palestine war.
Honestly, though, debates and even elections are rarely won by policy, and the true success of her behaviour towards Trump is what clinched her victory. And she did win the debate; a CNN instant poll revealed that 67% of viewers thought she outperformed
CurrentAffairs
her opponent Trump tried to steer his answers towards the cost of living and inflation, as well as immigration, an issue that he has repeatedly claimed has worsened under the Biden administration Coming out of the debate, a majority of voters said they trusted him more with the economy. Trump also discussed the Ukraine war, claiming that it never would’ve started if he was in office, and also stated that Israel won’t exist in 2 years if Harris is elected. A tad melodramatic, I thought.
In between this (quite clunky) policy showing, Harris rattled him. What started with a claim that his rallies were boring ended with Trump yelling at the moderators that Haitian immigrants were eating people’s pets in Springfield, Ohio. The false rumour had been started by J.D. Vance and other far-right politicians, and despite his advisors pleading with him to stay on topic, Trump just couldn’t help himself In a bit of presidential playground bullying, Harris also told Trump that no one liked him “So many military leaders who you have worked with have told me you are a disgrace". Trump then responded with the prime minister of Hungary as a character witness, who he called a ‘strongman’ Trump dodged questions about the January 6th insurrection and his stance on abortion, failing to clearly answer whether he would veto a national abortion ban, which has been supported by his running mate
Harris also utilised the split screen during the debate, casting some major side-eye while Trump looked ahead or down whilst she gave her answers.
The verbal bashings continued for a very entertaining 90 minutes, with Trump mustering a final blow. Why hasn’t she done it?” he asked, referring to her policy promises. The simple answer to that is that she was Vice President, not President, and the Republicans held a majority in the House, but the comment did have some merit. After the debate, both candidates seemed pleased with their performance Trump claimed that all the polls named him the winner, and said it was his best performance yet (LOL), whilst Harris travelled to another rally.
At the time of print, Harris maintains a 5-point lead over her opponent according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll Whilst these numbers are still within the margin of error, the heist of the century seems poised to take place on November 5th.
PopCulture
Yearning for Yo-Chi
As I shamefully entered Yo-Chi for the second time this week, dragging my friends along and pressuring them into buying something so that I could feel better about myself, I wondered why I was so obsessed with the place. As I tapped my card ignoring the fact that I was deducting a behemoth 12 dollars from my account, again, I realised that I did in fact have a problem A serious addiction.
Jethro Jensen
I’m guilty of indulging in a sweet treat… probably more than I should. Whether it's bubble tea, pastry from Shuk, or my latest obsession Yo-Chi, I always find some reason to justify my cravings Now I know it sounds bad, but when I heard that a Yo-Chi was opening in Bondi, it’s safe to say I was a little too excited Now I’m seriously exposing myself with this article (I promise I do generally eat very well) but hopefully, I’m not the only one with this struggle.
So, in an effort to convince myself that it is not simply my lack of selfcontrol that causes me to return time and time again, I decided to research the tactics that the yogurt superpower uses to keep me coming back.
Now if you somehow don’t know already, Yo-Chi is a frozen yogurt chain that was established in 2013 and increased in popularity in recent years as it expanded into the Eastern Suburbs. Advertised as a healthy, cleaner, and high-quality alternative to other desserts, it is seen as a guiltfree option for people longing to satisfy their sweet tooth. With a selfserve concept and an alluring array of high-quality flavours and toppings, the dessert can be perfectly tailored to any person’s preferences and tastes, making it an option for almost everyone
PopCulture
Yearning for Yo-Chi
What I believe makes it so popular though, is the fact that it is so different from other frozen yogurt chains. Think about it. The industry was once dominated by places like Yogurberry that used vibrant colours, fluorescent lighting, and had angsty teenage staff and annoying children running around, when all of a sudden a new place entered the scene. This one uses neutral colours, warm lighting, and inviting staff members and a more mature clientele. With all of this considered, Yo-Chi proves to be undeniably superior to other franchises. Due to the inviting atmosphere and the overall rewarding experience, it seems like a luxury to buy. Encouraging people to not only enjoy their food but spend copious amounts of money on it without a second thought.
My initial intention when writing this article was to discourage the overconsumption of Yo-chi goods, but I fear I have done the opposite as I myself am already hungry But I would like to emphasise the message that everything should be consumed in moderation, including your favourite ‘healthy’ treat, as we all know, too much of a good thing becomes bad. Not just to your body, but also to your bank. However, I think it is even more important to remember that we are also still young, and our silly little addictions, the harmless ones that is, aren’t really anything to stress about. So enjoy your sweet treats while you can!
After writing this article I think I deserve one Yo-Chi perhaps?
Football and E-Sports Sport
Ashton Sacks
The first international break of the 24/25 season saw many unexpected results, heartbreak and triumph. To start, San Marino with a population of only 34,000 people got their first win in 20 years and their second win of all time against Liechtenstein. Happy for some, and frustrating for Messi fans, Christiano Ronaldo scored his 900th and 901st goals, becoming the first player to score 900 competitive goals and prompting the question of whether he will get to 1000 goals or not. Moreover, anger amongst the Irish was prominent with two former Irish players Declan Rice and Jack Grealish scoring over them in a 2-0 win
Sadly, Ron Yeats, a Liverpool legend died at age 86 in a battle against Alzheimer's on the 6th of September. He was a club captain, winning two league titles amongst 6 other major trophies and will be missed sorely. Luis Suarez announced his retirement from international football at the age of 37, ending his career with Uruguay with 69 goals and 143 appearances, making him their top goal scorer. Suárez almost made it 70 tallies with a dangerous scissor kick that went off the post in the 19th minute but ended the game with a farewell and messages from Messi and Neymar playing at the stadium on the screens.
Football and E-Sports Sport
And lastly, outrage over the Ballondor rankings which saw Mohammed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Rodrygo left out of the top 30. The 23-year-old scored 17 goals and registered nine assists in 51 appearances for the Spanish club last season along with a Champions League and winning la liga. But the Brazil international failed to secure a nomination for the prestigious award, unlike his Madrid teammates Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. He said "I don't want to belittle the players who are there, I think they deserved it also. But I think I had a place in the 30." Salah and Van Dijk, it seems, have always had a bias against them in the Ballon Dor. Even in 2018 when Salah broke the scoring record in the Premier League, winning the Golden Boot and Premier League Player of the Year only came 6th. Van Dijk in 2019 won the Champions League, getting into the final over Messi’s Barcelona and racking up 97 points in the premier league with Liverpool conceding the least goals in the league. Both players mirrored similar individual seasons in 2023 and 2024 but were excluded from the top 30.
In E-Sports, the Fortnite FNCS 2024 Global Championship has ended. Peterbot and Pollo were the duo to make the first-place spot, lifting the trophy and taking home a massive 2 million dollars USD Sadly, Clix and Veno, who were said to be the rivals of Peterbot and Pollo finished outside the top 10 in 11th place On a happier note for them, they brought a make-awish kid out on stage with them which was heartwarming to see but the loss leads to doubts on whether or not Clix will ever win an FNCS Peterbot, the star of the winning duo has now raised the debate on him being the greatest Fortnite player of all time, being so skilful at Fortnite that he was accused of cheating. These allegations have been washed away with his recent win at this in-person event, clearly showing that he wasn’t cheating and solidifying him as one of, if not the greatest Fortnite player of all time.
Fashion
Maya Hatzvi
Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking.
Spring has sprung! I can officially start thinking about shoving my Oodie in the back of my cupboard now The next few months are a chance to break out those flowing dresses and shorts you’ve been eyeing as you put on your trackies, and celebrate the fact that summer is growing ever closer Read on for all the spring trends of 2024; the bold, the beautiful, and the yuck.
Bandeau tops are making a refined comeback, with longer, tailored and sleek versions making their way from the runway into everyone’s wardrobes. They’re classy but still cute styled with jeans, shorts, skirts, etc but an emerging trend is wearing them over collared shirts for a laidback yet cinched look. It’s also a great way to adapt them for that Sydney September chill. Make sure they fit well though, the last thing you want is to constantly be pulling up your shirt at BJ - eek!
White jeans are in and once again, I don’t know how to feel. Coming out of those cold, dark, dreary winter months, a stark white outfit is just the thing to perk you up when you look in the mirror; then again, they’re white jeans (if you know you know). For those of us nervous to don them at times, lighter blue washes are also an option to replace those dark winter tones, but make sure that they don’t wash you out. For a fully trendified (it’s a word now) outfit, pair your jeans with that bandeau top I was talking about before!
Fashion
If you thought our Barbie days were behind us, you thought wrong. From fuschia that 6-year-old you would’ve been jealous of to a pastel more our age, take a trip back to the Barbenheimer era for your wardrobe inspo this season. As a neutrals person myself, I’d recommend incorporating it as an accent colour or investing in some pink floral pieces like this dress here
I’ll disagree with Miranda Priestly’s immortal quote above here It’s always best to buy timeless pieces at the end of the day; wardrobes don't have to be groundbreaking and new to look effortless this spring - I think I proved that in my last article
After 3 months of covering up my outfits with coats, it seems that the next few months of fashion are bright (if you keep your shoes solid). Have a great break and make the most of 2 full weeks of mufti!
Mesh ballet flats. Let’s just absorb that for a moment Picture someone spending $50, $100, $200 on foot netting As a fashion-lover and person with eyes, how did these become a thing? I already despised ballet flats with a burning passion - they add no height and are flimsy at best - but now they’ve made them see through? Do your dogs and your dignity a favour and steer clear of these. I guarantee we’ll look back on them and wonder what was going through our minds when we touted these as the height of fashion On the other hand, a new DIY project has been unlocked: rip apart your flyscreen and tape it around your feet for that Avante-Garde look all your favourite out-of-touch influencers and celebs have been sporting this spring. Much more fun than holiday maths!
Interview with Lunchbox TeacherInterview
We were so lucky to be able to interview Lunchbox this week For those of you who don’t know (and have luckily come across this interview), Lunchbox is a band featuring 4 Year 10 boys who have definitely become one of the most successful bands in Reddam When they become the next One Direction, we can all say that we went to school with them. If you are still unsure what I’m talking about, as you read the interview, you can find out how they came together as a band, got their band name and their greatest achievements. Thank you so much, Hugo, Gilly, Idan and Sam for meeting with us I’m sure this interview will be very helpful for other musicians in Reddam wanting to start a band or have a music career. Enjoy reading!
Follow @lunchboxtheband on Instagram
Maya and Sarah
How did you guys get together as a band?
Hugo: Well, from what I recall, we wanted to do some music!
Gilly: In Term 3, Reddam has the Battle of the bands competition, so we got together and originally it was us four plus Natasha, Tadhg and Max, so Lunchbox was originally 5 people
Sam: I wasn’t friends with Idan yet in Year 8.
Idan: Hugo and I were friends, Gilly and I were becoming friends, so I wasn't friends with Sam but Gilly and Sam were friends
S: Hugo and I were friends in Year 7 and Gilly and I were besties
H: We just needed the most cohesive group of musicians and people that could play their respective instruments well
S: We had about 6 of us originally and our first song we played was Golden by Harry Styles.
What’s your songwriting process?
S: We all write separately and produce our own songs, and every now and then someone has a really good phrase, and we have a group chat where they share it, and everyone gives their feedback and then in rehearsal we work it into a song together
TeacherInterview
G: There have been different ways we've done that The most memorable time was when Hugo had an idea for a song and he knew the words and the melody, but he didn't know what the chords would be underneath. It kind of started with that and became a late night drive
How often do you guys rehearse?
H: We try to rehearse every Saturday.
What’s your favourite song of yours?
H: My favourite song that we ’ ve written is ‘Blue’, and I love playing it as well
S: My favourite’s probably ‘Blue’ as well.
G: What’s weird is that was always my least favourite until recently
H: We constantly change and add to the songs Until they’re out they’re constantly being manipulated
S: When we had those 3 songs, I liked our song ‘Chaos in the Noise’ the least because it was just annoying, but once we started playing it live more it grew on me
H: As we get better equipment the sound just gets better
What’s your favourite popular song?
I: We all have very different music tastes. I get teased for liking more niche stuff
H: I think as a band, ‘Kilby girl’ is our favourite cover. We played it at the recital last year Jojo Malev was singing and Shiri Goodman was on the guitar.
Have you guys ever considered expanding Lunchbox as a band?
H: Not expanding in terms of people but expanding in terms of instruments It’ll always be us four, but adding more instruments in the background is always good
Have you ever had a major fight and how did you resolve it?
H: We just kiss and make up, huh?
S: In most rehearsals, we’ll have creative differences and it’s just about what we want to do with the song Usually when it turns into a massive fight, it just ends up with us just saying shut up, and playing the song
I: And then it’s fine because we end up having fun
H: The cause is just creative decisions and then the solution is just to play it out or compromise
G: It’s hard for us because we all have such varies opinions and so coming together can be a bit difficult, but being able to get through those decisions is what makes us so tight as a friend group
Is there a group leader or executive decision maker?
H: If there is one it’s usually Sam, he’s the most unproblematic one
S: If I ever get into a creative difference, I’m like, sure, let’s just do that I’m just happy to be there.
TeacherInterview
H: We rehearse at his house, as well.
G: He can just kick us out if we upset him.
What’s your band’s greatest achievement?
H: VCR
I: It’s a band competition for under 22s in NSW and Queensland where there were 8 semifinals and 200 bands and then 75 bands in the semi finals that made it through from the judging process And then 10 bands in the finals.
H: In all we came fourth out of 200 bands We won some studio time It was either that or also our greatest achievement could be just becoming more cohesive as a band and creating a tighter sound and actually writing original music that reflects us
S: With the VCR finals, there were 150 people which is the most people we ’ ve ever played in front of
G: It was the most incredible feeling.
H: When people support you and call you ‘their band’ it’s special
What hobbies do you guys have outside of the band?
I: I like discovering new music and making my own music with those influences of other music I like photography as well
H: I’m just kind of basic with hobbies. We don’t do classical singing in Lunchbox so I guess that’s a hobby. I love baking and
cooking. I love football.
I: Me too
H: My signature dish is profiteroles, and just desserts I’m not a very good savoury chef, but I cook some mean eggs
S: I live near Gordon’s bay, so now that it’s summer I go to Gordon’s bay a lot and snorkel with a GoPro and there are lots of sharks and stingrays that I follow. Obviously I play the drums but I also like picking up new instruments. I’m learning keyboard and bass and I want to try and learn guitar but I don’t think my fingers are ready for that yet. I’ve been writing a lot more this year I like playing video games too
I: I’ve really enjoyed learning French. I go to a class out of school every week
G: I’ve always liked film and making videos, that’s something we can always use if we make music videos
H: We’ll definitely have music videos. Gilly’s a cinematic maestro
G: I feel like when the band came together it became more difficult to have many other creative outlets
H: You do our graphic design!
G: Oh yeah! I love drawing and design, and we ’ ve been able to incorporate that into the band. We might have some Lunchbox merch soon
H: And a Lunchbox-sponsored canteen
What are your plans for the future of the band?
S: We don’t really look that far into the future
I: In the summer we’d love to play a few
TeacherInterview
gigs and connect with a lot of our favourite bands we ’ ve met, namely @crosspollinateband on Instagram and play shows with them
H: I think the plans for the near future are to play gigs, release music, pump out songs, make music videos Just be artistic Plans for the distant future: World Tour!
I: We’re gonna get Michael Jackson as our opener
S: We’re gonna break up like Oasis and 20 years later get back together
H: Lunchbox Superbowl.
Do you guys respect Taylor Swift?
H: I don’t listen to her music but I respect the grind because if you ’ re a billionaire, then who cares what people think?
S: Slay!
H: I think she’s an incredible woman and we should pump out as many songs as she does
Do any of you want to become musicians in the future?
All: Yes
H: For me, that’s the career.
I: I’d really love to, but as a guitarist it’s a lot harder to make a career, there’s a lot more competition. There are also lots of other things I’m interested in as well
S: I want to become a musician because right now my grades aren’t that much above average, and I think if I keep that up, then I've got no other choice but to
become a musician. I feel like there's nothing more that I want than to just live on a small boat with a phone, a fishing rod and a drum kit I’ll be happy Fishing’s another hobby, by the way
H: The question was “would you ever consider being a musician in the future?”
G: You learn something new about each other every day
Do you have any advice for people wanting to start a band?
S: Just do it The first people that you find might not always be the right people, but after a while it’ll turn into something solid You can all be really bad at the start but if you stick together as friends and as a band it’ll get better.
H: Find your passion first and make sure your bandmates share the same passion.
G: Friendship has to be separate from the band, think of the band like a job
I: At the same time though, you don’t have to be best friends at the start to make music together
How did you decide on the name Lunchbox?
H: My sister came up with the idea Shoutout to Camille. The idea was that we rehearsed at Lunch in a room which was like a box
I: MT1. It was like this dark quiet box.
H: There was also ‘The Lunchbox’ or just ‘Lunchbox’ debate too.
PuzzlesandChallenges
Reddam Connections - There are 4 categories and 4 words that fit into each category Write the words in the correct box to sort them into their potential categories by row. Tip: It’s not as simple as you might think
Phone Classes D&D Rock Climbing
Fishing Cycle Tests Locker Bag
Escape the Maze!
Chewing Gum Volleyball Students Debating comps
Golf Video games Diary Assembly
Solve the Maths Puzzles:
1
A 4-digit “step up ” number is a whole number in which the number formed by the leftmost two digits is 1 less than the number formed by the rightmost two digits For example, 1011 is a 4-digit “step up ” number since 10 = 11 – 1 How many 4digit “step up ” numbers have no repeated digits?
Extension: An enhanced “step-up” number is a 4-digit number such that the leftmost 2-digit number is any value less than the rightmost 2-digit number For example, 2730 is included because 27 < 30 How many enhanced four-digit “step-up” numbers are there in total?
2 Mrs K and Mr D teach in different classrooms If Mr D borrows 5 chairs from Mrs K’s classroom, they will each have the same number of chairs If Mrs K borrows 10 chairs from Mr D’s classroom, Mrs K will have four times as many chairs as Mr D How many chairs does Mrs K normally have in her classroom?
Extension: Miss H teaches in a classroom down the corridor from Mrs K and Mr D When they distribute their chairs equally, Miss H gains two chairs How many chairs does Miss H normally have in her classroom?
3 Neil made enough lasagne to fill two same-sized square trays One-third of the lasagne has been served from the end of one tray Two-fifths of the lasagne has been served from the end of the other tray Neil cuts the remaining lasagne in both trays into slices so that all of the slices are the same size, and as large as they can be. How many slices does he have?
Extension: Suppose Neil had a third similarly-sized square tray of lasagne, and served five-sixths of it. If he wanted to cut all of the lasagne remaining in all three trays into the same-sized pieces, what is the smallest number of pieces he would end up with?
PuzzlesandChallenges
Cryptic Crosswords Questions
Easy: w⬜⬜⬜t⬜e Struggle with siesta upsetting the Spanish (7)
Medium:
⬜⬜⬜⬜ Locks hotel vent (4)
Hard: ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ Alleged medical negligence (7)
Sudoku Answers Level 1
Cryptic Crosswords Answers!
Easy: Wrestle
The defining word is ‘struggle’. With - an abbreviation for this word is just the letter, ‘ w ’ , thus the first letter of this word which is already given Siesta - another word for siesta is a rest, thus providing the section of the word after ‘ w ’ Upsetting the Spanish - the Spanish word for the word ‘the’ is ‘el’, and upsetting it would be to change it around, giving us ‘le’. Put it all together now, and you get wrestle!
Medium: Hair
Although quite unclear, Locks is the definition of this word Keep this in mind Hotel is the word in the phonetic alphabet that represents H. Therefore, the word starts with H. Vent relates to air, because if you vent something, you air it Now, putting Hotel and Vent together, you get Hair This is the correct answer because hair also relates to locks, as in locks of hair!
Hard: Claimed
The word play indicator in this clue is negligence, an anagram indicator (not important!) In this case, you can take the word “medical” and treat it with “negligence” – in other words, poorly harm it If you take the word “medical” and poorly harm it (or rearrange it in wordplay terms), you can get “claimed”, which is another word for alleged. Therefore, the answer is claimed!
Level 2
Competitions
Want to get involved in The Stag?
Here are some weekly competitions that you can enter:
Photography competition:
Submit your coolest photo to The StagIt can be anything but if it has someone's face in it, they need to give permission
Joke/Riddle of the week - Submit your funniest/coolest/lamest jokes Just make sure it is appropriate for a school newspaper.
Creative Writing of the Week - Submit a creative writing piece This can be a poem, short story, speech, or anything you want. The word limit is 800 words.
Congratulations to our winner this week, Arran Jepps from Year 7!
Good luck!
CreativeWritingCompetition
Hurricanes
Arran Jepps Year 7
I believe hurricanes are becoming ever more dangerous.
One does not need to look far to see this. In July 2024, an extremely rare July Category 5, Hurricane Beryl ripped through the Caribbean The hurricane season in the Atlantic runs from June 1 to November 30. How did such a strong system form so early? It wasn’t just 2024 either. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina broke many levees in New Orleans and proceeded to flood the whole city and the hurricane caused over 1,300 fatalities overall Even Beryl, a Category 5, only caused 70 deaths. Examples of this are becoming more and more common
At the time of writing, there have been 7 developments in the Atlantic and 6 of them have been a tropical storm or worse. 4 of the 6 were hurricanes This isn’t even that active of a season compared to others. It is getting worse and worse by the year. The danger is rising.
Why? Hurricane strength is often defined by the water temperatures. If the water is hotter, there is more energy for a hurricane to form Climate change warming the waters affects hurricane formation severely and makes hurricanes even stronger. This is not good as hurricanes were already damaging enough and if they are stronger, they can cause even more damage. This is yet another reason why we must make efforts to stop climate change. The reasons are stacking up and this is yet another example of the dangerous weather it is causing.
It isn’t just current hurricane-prone areas that should be worried about this Warm water zones expanding means a hurricane will be able to form further and further away from the equator This means we could see a tropical storm or worse hit Sydney. I think we could see it by the end of the decade but others are more inclined to predict it happening by the end of the century The damage it could bring would be massive as building codes in Sydney were never designed for hurricanes
So what should we do? We should put in every effort to stop climate change as it is causing warmer waters that are making hurricanes stronger and expanding the hurricane formation zone. Either way, if we continue on this trend, they will come with all their damaging effects.
