The Stream - 2023 - 2

THE STREAM FOR STUDENTS BY STUDENTS

NO.2

SEMESTER 2 2023

TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Veda Ramaswami

01

Table of Content

Editors

02

Change Theme

Editors

03

Letters from the Editors and Principal

04

Year in Review

05

Stella Gottcent & Clover Barnard

New Albums of 2023 Amy Taylor-Fick 22-23

Current Events Managing Change

In Your Stars 2024

Irene Park

Hope in a Changing Climate Anonymous

Deep Dive Into the Matildas Clover Barnard

SAG-AFTRA & WGA Strikes

7

Stella Gottcent

25

Arthouse in Three Words

Sughi Akilan

08-09

Personal Interest 10-11 12-13

Amy Taylor-Fick & Stella Gottcent

The Future: TBD

24

Anonymous

14

The Evolution of The Female Emily Hele Rockstar

27

Vintage Technology

28

Anna Chan

Why Community Radio is Ella Donavan 29 Important in the Changing Nature of the Media Landscape 30-31 Changes in Biodiversity in the World and Australia Genevieve Dinning Black Opal Rap Artificial Intelligence Explained & 15-16 Early Evolution of Artififical Intelligence Grace Susanto 16 Artificial Intelligence Regulation

Lifestyle

Olivia Kannegieter

The Taylor Timeline Jessica Grace

18

What Era are you?

(Taylor’s Version)

19

Jessica Grace

Through the Eras with Taylor Roza Azarbayjani Swift Mozzarella Cheese Recipe Year 12 Hospitality

20

32

Jacqueline Pawsey

Riverside Choice Changes

Isabelle Pont

34-35

Mysterious Appearances Chloe Song

36

Year 9 Elective Geography Round Up!

37

The School Musical

38

Poppy Nolan and Evelyn Stupart

Dear Observer Dania Ferhan

39

Student Art Submissions

40

Day by Day

Charlotte Stephens

41

Back Cover

Diana Appleton

42

21

02

Entertainment

Social Issues

Artificial Intelligence

Environmental Change

Economy

CHANGE Health Creativity

Personality & behaviour Women In STEM

Year in Review

When deciding on a theme for The Stream this year, the editing group looked long and far. We considered what was happening this year and what was yet to come, especially the disruptions of Chat GPT, the trailblazing Matildas and the cost of living crunch. And so, we decided that the theme of ‘Change’ would be the best theme for our second edition.

This year, the magazine will look at different ways that change permeates through our lives with sections on current issues, lifestyle and even Taylor Swift. It will show that change is ever present but also a rapidly accelerating force that will take the world by storm. Get excited!

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A Letter From the Editors and Principal The second issue of The Stream has been a few months in the making and what an issue it has been!

With the topic of change front of mind in 2023 - we decided to delve deep into topics like AI, climate change and the growing passion towards women's soccer. I am so proud of all the student writers and the student editors who were heavily involved in making this years magazine a great success. If you see them around, please thank them and all the contributors for their hard work!

Editor 2023

-Mr. Zabakly

We are thrilled to present the second edition of The Stream, and what a journey it’s been creating it! We would like to start off by saying huge congratulations to all the students who contributed this year - finding topics that interest and excite you is one thing, but actually writing about them is another. We really hope that you all enjoyed the experience and will be keen to contribute again next year!

For us personally, we have absolutely loved getting to be a part of the Stream. We’ve been able to interact with people from other year groups and gain new insights into topics we thought we already knew so much about.

We really hope that we ignite in you a passion to find out more about the huge variety of areas we explore in our works. Of course, we have to say a massive thank you to Mr Zabakly without whom this wouldn’t have been possible.

Student Editors 2023 Clover Barnard, Sughi Akilan, Stella Gottcent, Amy Taylor-Fick

Happy reading!

It gives me great pleasure to compose this foreword for The Stream. The Stream is a compilation of student writing, initiated by a group of passionate student writers and coordinated by Mr Zabakly. It is a wonderful whole school activity that provides a forum for young people who have ideas and who wish to express them in writing, in any subject or genre they choose. This is the second edition of The Stream and it is as fabulous as the first.

Literacy underpins all that we do at Riverside, and in life. The Stream provides a genuine learning opportunity for all students, 7-12, to develop their creativity and communication in collaboration with like-minded students who are keen to come together weekly, or more often, to share their passion for expressing themselves through the craft of writing. We are very lucky to have this outlet for our young writers and it is, indeed, a true testament to the commitment and dedication of the Stream writers and their teacher, Mr Zabakly, for the copious hours that they spend together creating this literary piece (most definitely a masterpiece in our eyes).

Kudos to Mr Zabakly for bringing this group together in such a cohesive, consistent way and for making this idea work. Credit to the talented writers who have crafted and finessed these literary works – they are as interesting as they are diverse. A true representation of the creativity and talent we nurture and nourish at Riverside.

I hope you enjoy reading this product of our passionate, talented writers at Riverside, as much as I did.

Riverside Girls High School Principal

Louise McNeil

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Our Year In Review

2023

JANUARY

Changes and events you might have missed

FEBRUARY 5th: Longest lasting tropical cyclone in history; Cyclone Freddy forms in the Indian Ocean

16th: EU banned three pesticides that harm bees 19th: Jacinda Ardern resigns as PM of New Zealand

MARCH

14th: OpenAI launches GPT-4, the language model for ChatGPT 17th: The International Criminal Court releases an arrest warrant for Putin accusing him of committing war crimes in Ukraine

APRIL 4th: Finland becomes the 31st country to join NATO 14th: Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer is launched by the ESA (European Space Agency) to search for life in the Jovian system

JUNE

MAY 5th: WHO ends declaration of COVID-19 as a global health emergency 19th: Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool on behalf of Ukraine, Sweden winning

18th: TITAN submersible implosion

JULY AUGUST 1-12th: 25th World Scout Jamboree in South Korea which experiences heatwaves and a typhoon

14th: SAG-AFTRA strike begins 20th: FIFA Women’s World Cup begins across Australia and New Zealand 21st: Barbenheimer phenomenon; Greta Gerwig becomes the highest-grossing female director in the U.S.

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 8th: Morocco earthquake of 6.8 magnitude kills at least 3,000 people 16th: The first anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death which ignited protests across Iran

7th: Israel-Hamas War begins 14th: Australian Voice Referendum fails 16th: Disney turns 100

NOVEMBER

20th: Australia beats India to win the the Cricket World Cup

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2024 Riverside’s 90th Anniversary The Paris Olympics Taylor Swift and The Weeknd are coming to Australia!

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BY CLOVER AND STELLA

Current Hope in a Changing Climate Deep Dive Into the Matildas SAG-AFTRA & WGA Strikes The Future: To Be Determined Artificial Intelligence Explained & Early Evolution of Artificial Intelligence AI Regulation Managing Change

Events 06

MANAGING CHANGE

The world is constantly changing, depending on human action. Babies grow into toddlers, young adults, and eventually the elderly, changing their physical and mental forms.

Generative AI has been developed, Twitter released their new logo going from a bluebird to the somysterious ‘X’ and the sea levels are rising.

Change is unstoppable, it is now almost impossible to remain constant.

Until recently, people’s lives were generally consistent. For more than a millennia, people lived in a single town for generations. But in the last century, there has been an increasing occurrence of major global changeseconomically, socially, politically and environmentally and the rate of change has risen exponentially not only on a global scale but also on a micro scale as small events touch individual lives.

Each individual’s experience of change is divergent and we cannot assume its impact. To use an analogy, you won’t know the force of a wave until you are in the wave itself. But while monstrous waves can be deadly, they are a leisurely pursuit for surfers. Thus, the impact can depend on perspective and personality.

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Everyone is subjected to some form of life-changing phase. And to most of the population, it is not over with a snap of the fingers. It can disrupt mental health by taking away your control. In extreme cases, it leads to anxiety and depression, as well as other physical and mental symptoms which can develop into long-term conditions. But if the mindsets are shifted, it can be less troublesome to admit and adapt to the new things. The theory for this is simple. Instead of believing that you have lost control, focus on gaining it back.

So how can we gain back control?

Try to visualise yourself from a different perspective as if you were a movie character, to gain an objective view of the situation you are in. Or look at yourself from the perspective of a novel writer formulating a story in the third person allowing you to see the bigger picture.

Now, I am not advocating for people to believe they are in a fictional world. What I am saying is, that by shifting your perspective, you may just realise that our experience is shared with many others. And if they can adjust, so can I. And so can you.

By Irene Park

Hope in a Changing Climate We’ve all heard about climate change. It is singlehandedly one of the greatest moments we as a society will ever face, something that not only affects our biophysical environment but also our communities and economies. It touches on our socio-cultural worlds, trade, livelihoods, and everything in between. So why are we sometimes reluctant to act?

It turns out psychology can actually tell us a lot about what should be done in the climate space. I was surprised too!

“It’s 2050. South Pole Permafrost is melting.

Pacific nations are submerged. Fire and extreme heat ravish’s Australia. We are doomed.”

Statements like this are very common. Not only are they incorrect, they aren’t even helpful!

When we hear about it, we seem to be less likely to want to take action and more likely to blame someone else, avoid the issue or hole up in grief.

This is why we are struck by climate reluctance. We are numb to the visions of a horrible future - that we don’t want to deal with it. A justified natural reaction to the threat we face.

Psychologist, Epson Stocknes defines it as “Apocalypse Fatigue”.

We can’t sugarcoat things, climate projections aren’t looking so good. But repeated doomified visions can become too scary. Fear can cause us to completely shut down or completely turn away. This is why we get “Apocalypse Fatigue”.

“What is the solution to all of this? Hope.”

As cheesy as it sounds - hope is the only antidote. This article will focus on two types - Passive and Active Hope.

Passive Hope is naive and evoked by statements like ‘things will turn out fine’, and ’we’ve got it under control’. It doesn’t contribute to meaningful work. It’s usually the first response to a scary situation.

Active Hope, however, is what we need to aim for. It is the idea that we try to understand that the situation is bad, but there are solutions and opportunities for growth. It is recognising that this moment in time is a pivotal, exciting and life-changing moment, the perfect opportunity to create a better world than we were given.

Say we are doomed to disaster due to climate change - this window of time, the next 10, 20 years are the perfect window of opportunity. Why would we not use this window of opportunity to try and fix it?

So what can we do “Apocalysypse Fatigue”?

to

challenge

1 Reframe climate change as a problem instead of a threat. I think about it as a puzzle. There are so many existing groups, actions and frameworks that are and need to be brought together to fill in the puzzle.

And each piece has their own special place as we collaborate our way out of the issue.

Framing it like this can take some imagination but seeing yourself as being part of a broader solution makes it easier.

08 03

2. Focus on what you yourself can do and not what must be done on a global scale. Whether it is signing a petition, advocating for changes or living a more sustainable life.

3 Educate yourself. The solutions ARE out there they just tend to be overshadowed by the scary yucky visions. Read books, follow helpful social media accounts, listen to podcasts and email people people who are working towards solutions. For example: Instagram: @aycc_bennelong (Our weekly ‘Active Hope’ section is sure to brighten up your week) @it’sthegarbagequeen, @theclimatecouncil,@elisejoshi.

5.. Follow the ACTIVATE acronym.

This is an acronym for coping with climate distress created by the Australian Psychological Society with a letter added to it! It stands for Acknowledge feelings, Create social norms, Talk about it, Inspire posiive visions, Value it, Act, Time is now, Engage with nature.

It’s turns out when facing a world of accelerating changes the study of psychology is really useful.

Books: Electrify - Saul Griffith, How to talk about Climate Change - Rebecca Huntley, The Big Switch - Sauth Grifith, How to avoid a Climate Disaster - Bill Gates.

Organisations: The Climate Council, Footy for Climate, Inside Climate News (they have a really amazing email service with so many things to learn!), AYCC, student Voice Network Podcasts: 100 Climate Conversations Powerhouse Museum, TED Climate, How to Save a Planet, The Nature Between Us, Hopeful Environmentalist, Climate Changers, Climate Psychology Podcast by Hannah Belitz, The Cool Down

4. Volunteer! The best way to feel hopeful is to be part of the solutions! There are so many organisations you can volunteer at, petitions you can sign and actions you can take!

For example, AYCC Bennelong is a group that is made up of local students. Follow our Instagram @aycc_bennelong and DM us about joining! Other groups include Greenpeace, Amnesty, School Strike etc!

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By Anonymous

Deep Dive Into the Matildas I want to bring you back to earlier this year. Back to August, while we were shivering through the cold, trudging through a monotonous term of school… there was something exciting going on. Over the course of a couple weeks, this excitement seemed to capture the entire nation, spreading further and further out as the momentum grew and grew. Yes, I’m talking about the Matilda’s historic run at the Women's World Cup across Australia.

Their miraculous run this year has been foreshadowed by many years of determination and hard work. This is your one-stop-shop for how the Matilda’s came to be where they are today.

Women’s Football in Australia The first men’s football club was formed in Australia in 1880, but the women's game only began to take off during World War 1. While men were overseas at war, many women would fill their roles in the workforce, during which they also took up the sport of soccer starting football clubs across the country.

The first National Women's Soccer Championships were held in 1974 after which the Australian Women's Soccer Association (AWSA) was formed. Eventually the Women's National Team was established in 1978, with the Matilda’s gaining their iconic name in the lead up to their first world cup in 1995.

Interested to learn more about the history of the Matildas?

Scan this QR code to find out:

An image of the first public match between two Women’s Football Clubs that took place in 1921 at the Brisbane Ladies Soccer Club that drew a large crowd.

However in the aftermath of the war the English Football Association swiftly banned women from playing the sport, with Australia following soon after. It was claimed at the time that is was on the basis of women playing the sport being ‘medically inappropriate’.

Eventually in the 1970s, during a time of massive cultural change, women came back to the sport, and clubs began springing up all over the country.

In the 50 years since their establishment the Matilda’s have accomplished a great deal on the national and global scale. They’ve cemented their place on the world stage through some impressive achievements: playing in 8 world cups (since 1995) winning the Asian Cup in 2010 becoming the first national sporting team to successfully go on strike in 2015 over their low pay and poor resources The Matilda’s determination and resilience have caused Australia became the first country where both the men’s and women’s national teams earned the same pay from the national governing football body (Football Australia).

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Current Phenomenon After all the change in Women’s soccer in the past few decade, 2023 has reaped massive rewards. This home World Cup, with the Matildas leading the charge, resulted in the longest penalty shootout, the highest position achieved of an Australian team (4th) in a World Cup and to top it all off an investment of $200 million from the Federal Government into women’s sport.

However, within all these tangible milestones, the most significant result of their journey was reflected in the eyes of individuals across Australia. The reaction and engagement from longtime and new supporters alike over the course of their seven games gave new meaning to the significance and vitality of the women’s game.

And with this came the breaking of many viewership records, the Matilda’s semi-final against England recorded the highest viewership across Australia with a peak of 11 million viewers on channel 7 alone (not to mention the hundreds of thousands of people at live sites across the country and on other platforms).

However, while this World Cup has shown that plenty of people value womens sports, their funding on the world stage doesn’t yet reflect this. FIFA still only offer women 1/4th the prize money as the men receive in the world cup. As such, the Matilda’s walked away with $2.45 million for coming 4th for the first time in history while the Socceroos received $9 million for simply qualifying in the Men’s World Cup. In the days leading up to the World Cup the Matilda’s released a video calling for equal prize money from FIFA and for better funding and opportunities for women in the Australian.

Womens A-Leauge.

"We call on those in positions of power across football, business and politics to come on the journey with us to make women's football as big as it can be, here and around the world," Hayley Raso says in the video

FIFA has now pledged to ‘equalise prize money between the Men’s and Women’s world cups by the next cycle (2026 and 2027)’, but only if they get significantly more investment from sponsors and broadcasters. We’ll see how far they’re willing to go to right their wrongs to achieve gender parity in the game.

What’s next?

One fact that’s unmistakable: the Matilda’s have garnered massive support from the Australian public and this ‘Matildas fever’ is here to stay. The word Matilda was even selected as the word of the year by the Australian National Dictionary!

So, will you be following them to the Paris Olympics next year? Our national team has already embarked on their 2024 Olympics campaign and will no doubt continue capturing the interest of the nation as they power forward into the future.

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BY CLOVER BARNARD

A R T F A SAG& WGA S E K I R T S

The year was 2023.

The setting; Hollywood.

For the first time in over 60 years, there was no writing, no filming, no editing and no producing.

For 118 days, Hollywood went dark. But why

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SAG-AF T R WGA ST A & RIKE

On the 14th of July, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) announced that they would be striking over the inadequate working conditions, pay and protection that actors have been facing while working under Hollywood studios.

They joined the Writers Guild of America (WGA) who had been striking since the 2nd of May, making it the first time since 1960 that they had struck together, essentially shutting down the American film industry.

SAG-AFTRA’s primary concerns were: The minimum wage increases not keeping up with inflation, The unregulated use of AI which could “copy” actors performances, The uptake in streaming services which SAG accused of reducing actor’s work hours as TV show seasons were shortened whilst the episodes were released over longer periods of time.

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One of the reasons these strikes became such a big deal was the massive impact it had on Hollywood. Not only did filming stop on several productions, pushing release dates back to as far as 2025, but promotion of these works also couldn’t take place due to the rules SAG-AFTRA laid out for actors. This meant no interviews, premieres, red carpets or even mentioning projects on social media.

Renowned actors including Emily Blunt, Cillian Murphy and Florence Pugh displayed their support for the strike by leaving the Oppenheimer premiere before it began.

Picket lines were formed outside of major Hollywood studios and marches were held, with writers and actors alike holding signs and chanting phrases like “No wages, no pages, no actors on the stages”.

Finally after almost 4 months of striking, on November 8 SAG-AFTRA announced a ‘tentative agreement’ had been reached and actors would be returning to work (the WGA strike had already been resolved on the 27th of September). This agreement was a result of the collective power and dedication of the 160,000 SAG-AFTRA members leveraged to have the Alliance of motion picture and television producers (AMPTP) meet their contracted demands. Although the film industry is starting to get back on track, only time will tell if it will last.

BY STELLA G. & AMY T-F

The Future: To Be Determined As a modern-day teenager, I can confidently say that I’m more worried by the looming threat of the HSC than I am by the fact that the price of bread has increased by 11.6% since last year. And although I understand that this is a luxury that not everyone my age has, I can almost guarantee that for many students, school stress, friendship dramas, mental health concerns and fears for the environment dominate the our psyche, as they have for decades.

Recently however, more and more young people have become conscious of the difficulties of living in a country subject to constantly changing conditions; the findings of the headspace National Youth Mental Health Survey released earlier this year showed that 53% of young people aged 12-25 are worried for the future due to climate change, financial instability and the cost of living were the largest concerns recorded for 54% of young people between 18-25.

Nationally, we are already witnessing an inundation of city dwellers moving to regional areas as a result of both COVID-19 and city housing prices, and it’s likely that this trend will continue into the future. Cities such as Sydney and Melbourne are notorious for their steep prices, making it a possibility that for some of us our first housing purchase will occur in a regional area.

While there’s no ‘crystal ball’ that we can use to gain an insight into what the future holds for us, there are trends we can observe in an attempt to determine where and how today’s teenagers will be living when we join the workforce.

Unfortunately, the realities of climate change are that it will soon render parts of the planet ‘uninhabitable’. Increased natural disasters and rising sea levels are already threatening the livelihoods of millions, including in the Indonesian capital Jakarta where almost half of the city is below sea level. Although Australia certainly won’t be sinking anytime soon, this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be planning for the potential impacts of global warming in our own country, whatever that may look like. Lismore, which suffered record-breaking flooding at the beginning of 2022, is one of many towns where citizens now and in the future will have to seriously consider relocating to higher ground above floodplains, as flooding will only become more frequent and severe.

By Stella Gottcent

For those hoping to move overseas in the future, your options will likely be more limited than now. Changing conditions, including temperatures, will lead to a sharp increase in “climate refugees”; people fleeing their homes due to the effects of climate change. This will mean that areas close to the Equator will be harsher and society will have to rely on new cities in the north, although unfortunately the fact remains that no country will be able to escape natural disasters. Wealthy northern nations including the United States and many European countries will have to relax their strict refugee policies in order to allow climate refugees a safe location, which could include anywhere from 1 to 3 billion people.

Whether you are amongst those leaving, or you are accepting them, the fact remains that the world will be a very different place, and we need to be prepared.

All of these changes, whilst scary, will also create new opportunities for current and future generations to play a larger role in shaping a new, more sustainable world where everyone has an equal stake in it’s future.

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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE EXPLAINED By Grace Susanto Artificial intelligence is the ability for a machine to perform cognitive tasks associated with human intelligence. Its prevalence and quality has greatly increased over the last few years. Artificial intelligence can be integrated into everyday life to increase efficiency and productivity, however, there are concerns that it may result in a loss of jobs. Uses of artificial intelligence include virtual assistants such as Google assistant, Siri and Alexa, chatbots, which stimulate human conversation using AI, and many others including speech recognition and facial recognition.

The media has often depicted AI as a threat to human society, something that may become smarter than humans. It is not yet advanced enough to do this, but the media’s depiction of AI can greatly impact its perception of among humanity.

AI Chatbots that collect and synthesise online information into the written form can be unreliable and mislead people. They may sound as if they were written by a professional, using with formal language. However, it can be difficult for machinery to differentiate between the truth and lies hidden within the internet, making generative AI less likely to provide accurate information than humans.

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Many students cheat on assessments by using artificial intelligence. Whilst AI detection is still developing it is often easy to tell when AI has been used and it is therefore not advisable.

AI use in academic assessments can have serious consequences, especially for those in university who may be removed from the educational institution. For this reason, the number of takehome tasks provided by educational institutions for students has decreased, with in class assessments becoming preferable.

Another potential issue as humanity adapts to this change is that we become increasingly incapable of processing and retaining information. Some worry that this would bring down human intelligence, but it has also been argued that it actually frees up more time to complete complex tasks.

The future of artificial intelligence cannot be easily predicted. People have varying opinions on the topic, with some sceptics believing that they AI is dangerous and will “take over the planet” if AI becomes too intelligent for humans to control, however, it is undeniable that AI will and already has a tremendous impact on the way humans work, how we go about our daily lives, and specific areas such as education.

EARLY EVOLUTION OF

By Grace ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Susanto

AI is a human concept that was conceived early on in the history of humanity, immortalised in literature and pop culture. However, it wasn’t until around the 1950s when this concept was began undergoing research and development, creating the modern AI that we have today. The following is a brief overview of some of the most significant events in the history of AI in the 50s.

John McCarthy Creates LISP

1950

At MIT, John McCarthy created a program called LISP, which is an acronym for List Processing.

This was the first AI programming language and is still widely used to this day.

Paper written by Alan Turning ‘Computer Machinery and Intelligence’ was an influential paper written by British mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing. In this paper, he introduced a proposal called ‘The Imitation Game’, which was later renamed “The Turing Test”. The Turing Test was created as Turing’s response to the question “Can Machines Think?”. The Turing Test involves a game with three players; the interrogator, another human, and a machine. The interrogator must determine which is the human and which is the machine based on conversations. According to this test, if the interrogator is unable to correctly determine which is the machine, the machine displays artificial intelligence and is able to think. This paper prompted further research into artificial intelligence.

1952

1958

Arthur Samuel’s CheckersPlaying Program

Arthur Samuel created an artificial intelligence program that was able to play checkers. In 1956, he showed the capabilities of his machine on television. His invention is widely regarded as the world’s first self-learning program.

1956 Dartmouth Workshop on “Artificial Intelligence” In 1955, John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Nathaniel Rochester and Claude Shannon proposed a workshop to be held in 1956. John McCarthy held a 6-8 week program during which was an extended brainstorming session. This is considered by many to be the event that started AI as a field of research. During this time, the term “artificial intelligence” was coined by John McCarthy.

AI REGULATION By Olivia Kannegieter

AI first came into light in 2022 when Chat GPT skyrocketed to over 100 million users in only two months. Since then AI has been subject to extreme controversy. AI can be used for many things and that includes cheating on tests. 680 students were found cheating with AI in just the HSC alone. AI-written essays have become so common that some schools have mandatory handwritten essays. The lack of regulations surrounding the use of Artificial Intelligence is clear. The Australian Government released a discussion paper titled Safe and Responsible AI in Australia on the 1st of June, 2023 outlining opportunities and challenges with AI technologies, the domestic and international landscape on AI regulation and managing the potential risks of AI. However, none of these things actually result in laws towards how we are able to use them.

Australia also has eight AI Ethic Principles which consist of, Human, societal and environmental wellbeing, Human-centred values, Fairness, Privacy protection and security, Reliability and safety, Transparency and explainability, Contestability, and Accountability. These all whilst are true and good principles that only address AI itself and not how people may use AI. Overall AI does not have good enough rules, laws and regulations surrounding its use.

Page16 #

Lifestyle Through the Eras with Taylor Swift The Taylor Timeline What Era are you? (Taylor’s Version) New Albums of 2023 In Your Stars 2024 Mozzarella Cheese Recipe Arthouse in Three Words

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WHAT ERA ARE YOU? (TAYLOR'S VERSION)

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG FROM THE FOLLOWING:

WHO'S YOUR FAVOURITE OF THE FOLLOWING CELEBRITIES:

Joe Jonas

Picture to Burn

Taylor Lautner

Fearless

Jake Gyllenhaal

Enchanted

Harry Styles

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Tom Hiddleston

New Romantics

Who are these people?

Delicate WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE LYRIC?

And you're tied together with a smile but you're coming undone

YOU'RE ACCEPTING AN AWARD AND SOMEONE TAKES THE MIC - WHAT DO YOU DO?

Say nothing Write a song about it Play it off

You used to shine so bright but I watched all of it fade.

Confront them after the award show

It was the end of a decade but the start of an age

Steal the microphone back

Maybe this thing was a masterpiece till' you tore it all up The monsters turned out to be just trees...

They say she's gone too far this time

Make a snide comment

SCORING:

Add up your points according to the key below and check your Era on the next page:

-1

-4

-2

-5

-3

-6

Total Points: 24 18

THE TAYLOR

TIMELINE

FIND OUT YOUR ERA AND WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT YOU 2006

If Taylor Swift is your era, you love the classics, are a very down-to-earth person and appreciate the simple things in life.

2008

If this is your era, you are into cliches and are not afraid to put yourself in the spotlight.

If this is your era, you are outgoing and adventurous and are likely to be a huge extrovert and are the life of the party.

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RED If Red is your era, you are a p assionate person.

You love autumn and all things red.

2014

2017

reputation If this is your era, you hold a grudge, don’t hesitate to stand up for yourself and don’t let what others say get to you.

Jessica Grace

22-24 pts

19-21 pts

1989

2012

15-18 pts

11-14 pts

2010

If Speak Now is your, era you appreciate the meanings of songs and enjoy theatrics.

FEARLESS

7-10 pts

4-6 pts

Taylor Swift

From writing debut album songs in maths class to taking up all top 10 spaces on the Billboard 100 just last year, Taylor Swift has completely transformed throughout her 17 years in the music industry.

Swift started out with her self-titled debut album, then wrote and released a new record once every two years. She was well known for her typically country-inspired songs in her first 2 albums, Taylor Swift and Fearless. However, by the 3rd and 4th albums, Speak Now and RED, listeners claimed that her music was starting to sound too pop and soft rock to still be considered country music.

Via Twitter, Swift described it as: “(… ) an entire brand new album of songs I’ve poured all of my whims, dreams, fears, and musings into...”.

Unlike all her previous work, this next album was about constant storytelling of a love triangle After not winning a Grammy award for RED, Swift between fictional characters Betty, James, and took it to heart and created her first official pop August. album, 1989 named after the year of her birth. Also unlike her previous work, the whole album The album consisted of the familiar synth-pop was heavily inspired by indie music, including style of the ‘80s and disassociated from country many alternative, soft rock and folk-pop elements music, while still revolving around the singer’s throughout. It was another large scale jump from own life. It has remained her most popular prior music, such as most recent; Lover. In that release to date, surpassing over 14 million copies same post, Swift mentioned that the surprise sold around the world and winning 3 Grammys. album came about as her and her producers and Then as a result of an infamous feud, Swift took collaborators ‘just couldn’t stop writing songs’. a one year break from the public eye and deleted Specifically ones that revolved around fictional every one of her social media posts, Swift characters and the storytelling element (though announced her 6th album, Reputation. The that is one thing Swift has been doing her whole album consisted of R&B, synth-pop and hip-hop career), and ones with that same encapsulating style songs and involved dark colours and folkloric style. snakes. It was quite different to the style of her previous album, and a large scale jump from her Not even 5 months after folklore’s release, Swift debut album, which focused on small town came out with her 9th record, sister album to romances in the country music style. folklore; evermore. Another first for Swift who had It was at that point that Swift became posted “I’ve always treated past albums as a one of enthralled in more controversy as her era. There was something different with folklore.” previous record label had sold her album masters to Shamrock Holdings -- resulting in Finally, her latest non-re-record was Midnights— a loss of creative control away from Swift for Tales told from 13 sleepless nights throughout her old music. It wasn’t until Lover that Swift Swift’s life. Moving on from the generally sad, folkfinally owned a piece of her own music again. pop genre of her two previous works, this new record was set in a 70’s style world of synth-pop, shiny things and clocks. Catchy beats and a variety This 2019 record was an ode to pastels, glitter and love with a slight altering of style with more jumpy, upbeat tunes. The synth- of digital sounds were used to enhance the songs as well as differentiate them from Taylor Swift’s pop style of Reputation remained, keeping her fans happy.

Following the success of the album, Swift was empowered with a previous records released over her past 17 years in the music industry. Currently, she stands as the renewed sense of self-worth and announced her pursuit in rerecording her masters, taking back control of her music. These number 1 artist on Spotify with 106.6 million monthly listeners and 6 Grammy nominations. has been dubbed ‘Taylor's Version’.

Then, during isolation in 2020, Swift began writing songs again to take up time. She eventually constructed a whole new album along with co-writers and producers Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff (her co-writer and producer since 2014), William Bowery and Bon Iver (whom she collaborated with on one track on the album). Less than 24 hours after the announcement, she released 8th studio album— folklore.

With the Eras Tour underway and generating billions in revenue and economic activity, there is no denying - Taylor Swift has become one of the most popular musical artists of our times.

I just wonder -- what’s next?

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Mozzarella Cheese Recipe 2 servings

20 Minutes Preparation & 25 Minutes Cooking

This term the year 12 Hospitality team made use of their hands to create some fresh mozerella and used it to create a simply scrumptious caprese salad. The class was surprised at how simple it was to make an everyday food item. This is a building block to these students and their growing selfsufficiency once they leave school.

Ingredients 2 litres of milk 7 tbsp white vinegar Salt to Taste

Method 1. Heat milk to 46 degrees, take off heat, add the vinegar.

Stir to combine, cover with a lid and then let it rest for 10 minutes.

2. Remove cheese curds from the liquid whey and shape into balls, squeeze as much liquid out as possible.

3. Heat the whey water to 65 degrees and add the balls of curd back into the whey for 30 seconds. Remove, stretch and pull the curd.

4. Repeat this step 2-4 times until the mixture is elastic and smooth.

5. Shape the curd into mozzarella balls, add salt during this process.

6. Place the mozzarella balls into ice water for 10-15 minutes.

7. Store in the fridge for 1-1.5 weeks in the whey water or cold water.

8. To turn your Mozerella into a one serving of caprese salad you will need take one tomato and a few basil leaves.

9. Chop the tomato into a few thin pieces.

10. Place the tomato and mozerella in alternating layers and top with Balsamic glaze and basil 11. Enjoy!

Keziah McCre

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New albums of 2023 KARPEH by Cautious Clay

Song spotlight: Another Half & Unfinished House

According to Clay, Jazz is not just a genre but also a way of thinking.

‘KARPEH’ is a rich album that explores the artist’s lineage and family history, separated into three acts; "The Past Explained," "The Honeymoon of Exploration," and "A Bitter & Sweet Solitude.” It is a journey of life, love and togetherness; of collective experiences.

Unreal Unearth by Hozier

Calico by Ryan Beatty “Haunting yet soothing”, the cinematic storytelling of Ryan Beatty shines through in this album with its stripped back, acoustic production that highlights Beatty’s ethereal vocals. The emotive simplicity of ‘Calico’ conveys unguarded Song spotlight: Andromeda & feelings that create a feeling of home.

Bruises Off The Peach

Influenced by Dante’s Inferno, mythological references are interwoven with Hozier’s own personal experiences as he navigates through the circles of hell. A combination of soul and rock, English and Gaeilge (Irish), ‘Unreal Unearth’ is a selfreflective album about the tumultuous times of the pandemic, love, and the complexities of human nature.

The Returner by Allison Russell

Supermodels

by Claud Claud romanticises everyday life and experiences of their early 20s in this Indie Rock album that embraces insecurities and the "universal trials of growing up", especially in a cultural behemoth like New York City. The album is remarkably comforting due to its nostalgic feel and the catchy synth alongside Claud's dreamy vocals.

Song spotlight: A Good Thing & Glass Wall

Song spotlight: Francesca & Unknown / Nth

Song spotlight: The Returner & Demons

Russell’s album is a celebration of the present, and a groovy medley of songs that is filled with light and healing.

‘The Returner’ transcends boundaries by embracing intersectionality between genres and uplifting the voices of black queer women & nonbinary people.

Seasons by Lloyiso

Scan this code on the Spotify app to play these songs (and more)!

Song spotlight: Run & What I Would Say

Lloyiso’s voice captured the ears and hearts of many through his viral covers on social media, and this debut album is confirmation of his powerful vocal presence. ‘Seasons’ is an emotionally raw story on the ups and downs of a relationship, with hard-hitting lyrics in multiple languages including Zulu, English and Xhosa.

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Javelin by Sufjan Stevens Red Moon in Venus by Kali Uchis

Space Heavy by King Krule

The Record by Boygenius

Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey

KAYTRAMINÉ by KAYTRANADA and Aminé

The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We by Mitski

Never Enough by Daniel Caesar

Lahai by Sampha

GUTS by Olivia Rodrigo

Bewitched by Laufey

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Raven by Kelela

By Amy Taylor-Fick

SAGITTARIUS

SCORPIO

LIBRA

Nov 22 - Dec 20

Oct 23 - Nov 21

Sep 23 - Oct 22

With Jupiter at opposition to Sagittarius this year some of its lucky energy will flow through to you. This is the perfect year to enter any raffles and competions during commerce in the quad.

You may find it hard, but this is the year to let your voice be heard in class. Answer questions and contribute to discussions. Just don’t forget to balance that with listening and learning from others.

CAPRICORN Dec 21 - Jan 19 2025 With the intensity of Pluto finally leaving your sign after 14 years - 2024 will be a time for peaceful contemplation.

Consider taking up meditation between studying for your tests and completing your assessments.

AQUARIUS Jan 20 - Feb 18

The Lunar eclipse falls over Libra next year, meaning it’s the perfect chance to bring more harmony to your day.

Plan things in advance, pack your back, prepare your lunch and do that assessment!

In Your Stars 2024

Have you heard the saying “you can’t learn if you don’t try?”

Embody this in 2024 by utilising the extracurricular opportunities offered at school to improve in areas you aren’t yet confident in.

VIRGO Aug 23 - Sep 22 Virgo’s sky will finally be clear in 2024 giving them space for new ideas and to take on new adventures at school. Consider joining a new club at O-Week - you never know where it could take you!

LEO Jul 22 - Aug 22 With the sun radiating so close to Leo In the new year, there is an opportunity to share your warm energies with others. When arriving at school in the morning, put that phone away and connect!

CANCER PISCES

Jun 21- Jul 21

Feb 19 - March 19 Saturn and Neptune have cluttered Pisces for most of 2023. Thus, it is essential to do some spring cleaning this year.

Clean up your room, your mind and your bag so that you can breath the fresh air of 2024.

Riverside Horoscopes

ARIES

TAURUS

Mar 20 - Apr 19

Apr 20 - May 19

The total solar eclipse this year will bring harmony to Aries.

This means that 2024 will be a time for calm contemplation before taking on the challenges that comes with a new school year.

With Venus rising into your fifth house, it will be a chance to connect with your creative side. This is the perfect chance to find the a playlist to revise to.

GEMINI May 20 - Jun 20

The stars have spoken Gemini’s.

Be agile! Don’t be afraid to Often headstrong in nature or change up your lunchtime feeling - Taurus’ can look to grow this year by seeking new routine. Talk to someone new, experiences to help develop try something different at the canteen and give their perspective whether it is handball a inside or outside the chance! classroom.

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Arthouse in Three Words.

Rated M

F I L M S

Rated M

Luca Guadagnino’s: Call Me By Your Name Jean Luc Godard’s : Alphaville neo-noir coming-of-age sci-fi dreamy summer unconventional romance

Rated PG

Celine Sciamma: Petite Maman tender slow journey ambigious

Rated M

Celine Song: Past Lives

Rated M

Krzysztof Kieślowski: Blue ( Three Colours Trilogy) sensory emotional rebirth

Rated M

Federico Fellini: 8 1/2 surrealist love letter to filmaking dreams

Rated M

Deniz Gamze Ergüven : Mustang female relationships bittersweet societal drama

Rated M

Agnes Varda: Cleo from 5 to 7 avant-garde melodic city experience

Rated M

Lukas Dhont: Close friendship coming of age heartfelt

Note: these movies are for mature audiences only and should be watched with parental guidance

25

BY SUGHI AKILAN

Personal The Evolution of The Female Rockstar Vintage Technology Why Community Radio is Important in the Changing Nature of the Media Landscape Black Opal Rap Changes in Biodiversity in the World and Australia

Interest 26

‘Girls just want to have fun’ The Evolution of The Female Rockstar By Emily Hele

her debut album “Let Go”, which featured her hit song, “Complicated”. She expanded rock’s listenership to a younger demographic and broadened the punk subculture which allowed for more young girls to feel seen in an often male dominated genre.

From Aretha Franklin to Stevie Nicks, Nicks’s ethereal stage presence, emotionally female rock has changed substantially over persuasive songwriting, and low, rich vocals the decades. The archetype of the female established her as a leading musical artist. She rockstar is one that has evolved from the was the first woman to be inducted twice into long-skirted 70s to the punk rock of the the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She embodied present. This article is a compilation of the hope, freedom, and was extremely influential decade's most influential female rock stars as a solo female rockstar of her time. and their impact on not just their listeners, Many years later a In early 2023, Daisy Jones and the Six aired on but the world surrounding them. new type of female streaming services. Based on a book of the In the 60s Tina Turner was often referred rock star would same name, the show depicts the rise to fame to as the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll”; a fitting come about. “What of a rock band in the 70s, with particular title for the singer-songwriter who the Hell” was the emphasis on the titular character, Daisy, who skyrocketed to fame in the early 1960’s. title of one of Avril embodies a female rock star from the 70s so During her career, she won a total of 12 Lavigne’s hits, and accurately. This is most likely because she was Grammys, including ‘Best Female Rock marked a rise in based on another famous female rock singer, performance’. She was infamous for her female angst in Stevie Nicks. The show is supposedly based ‘swagger, powerful gravelly vocals and music. on Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours era and unstoppable energy.’ Her music was upbeat, expertly reflects the period it depicts. funky, and broadened the pre-existing The early 2000s marked a pronounced change Nicks said that it “made me feel like a ghost boundaries of ‘female music’. A decade between rock of the 20th century, with sub watching my own story.” The modern female earlier, the term had been taken to mean genres such as pop-punk emerging. In the 70s, rock star has grown a lot from her funk and jazz and pop. However, in the late 50s and civil rights movements were at a high, and the soul roots. Hayley Williams, lead singer of 60s, the definition shifted. The era marked desire for passion and justice seeped into the the rock band Paramore is a prime example a cultural revolution and female rock music. Still, many decades later, female rock of the modern rock star. “This is Why” (2023) singers started emerging in greater singers sang with equal fervour and will for puts a much more mature twist on the genre. numbers, with several becoming music social liberation, but reflecting their own In the 2000s, female punk-rock was typically industry trailblazers. Turner epitomised the contemporary context. catered towards teenagers. “This Is Why”, With the rise of early foundations of a female rockstar and trembles with the paranoid anxieties of a bright colours and began to ossify its possibility in the public grown woman peering outside her bubble; it childlike fashion, consciousness. and inspire many successors. is more emotionally realised. Singers like pop-rock and punk The 70s were Hayley Williams are a culmination of the rock was a genre paramount for female values and characteristics of female rock that appealed to rock. It was an era singers throughout the decades. Although many teens. Avril marked by bohemian not as mainstream, the rock genre continues Lavigne took styling, long skirts, and to grow and adapt to the 21st century sound. inspiration from liberation from societal many female rock gender roles. With the The concept of a female rock star has visionaries in the commencement of the Vietnam War, people metamorphosised throughout the decades. preceding decades. needed to feel free. They needed an outlet.

She has evolved from her soul origins, and This was where female rock really began to She was inspired by singers like Patti Smith branched into multiple sub-genres of punk. thrive. Stevie Nicks was an American rock and the band Heart. She is considered a key She has adapted to the environment around musician in the development of popstar and member of the band “Fleetwood her and is a unique blend of the changing Mac'', often cited as one of the most rock/punk-rock music, as she paved the way ideas in society. She is a figure of change, influential rock stars of her for female-driven, punk-influenced pop modernity and liberation. She represents music in the early 2000s. decade. Her solo work hope and youth. She is the phrase, ‘Girls just Avril Lavigne was just 17 when she released 27 want to have fun.’

Exploring the rapid changes to technology over time

V intage TECHNOLOGY

By Anna Chan

Another way listening to music has changed is in the transition from tapes to Spotify. In the 80s-90s, people made mixtapes as a way to listen to music. And to record them, you had to wait by the radio until your chosen song played to record it. Sometimes the DJs would talk over the song to ruin peoples recordings. After a while we started using CD’s but they were quickly replaced by Digital music that is download or found on Spotify. It’s definitely a lot easier, but might not have the same satisfaction.

TELEVISION (TV)

Television Sets have undergone massive changes to the point where someone looking at the first TV may not know what it is. First there were CRT televisions, which were shaped like a box (since MUSIC Portable music players the back was a lot thicker). have made big changes in the last fifty years. It all started with the Walkman.

Jogging was becoming extremely popular, so SONY released the first CRT televisions were more portable music player. It square shaped, which is why was one of the most older TVs shows and films popular gadgets in the have black sides, and not 80s/90s. Sony estimated shown in full screen, since TVs they would sell about 5000 back then were smaller. a month, but in the end it Today, we have flat screen, 4K, sold over 30,000 in the first 10K, and even 16K screens. We two months! It was later can airplay our phones onto replaced with the MP3 the TV and stream Netflix from any television in the world. player and digital music.

Watching movies started off with the Video tape. Some TVs even had their own VHS players built into them. In the 70s, video tapes were insanely popular! Then around the 2000s, DVD’s were used. After a while, video on-demand streaming services became popular as smart TVs were being sold.

COMMUNICATION

Communication channels have become faster, from sending letters, calling and texting. People had to wait in order to receive a letter from someone through mail. It could have ranged from a few days to a few months or even years when things got lost! Then the telephone was developed which allowed immediate verbal and long distance communication.

However, it was held back by the landline meaning you could only use it at home.

Nowadays, with smartphones and cellular technology, people use text messaging as a way to talk to people rather than calling.

Some people are even scared to answer the phone!

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Why Community Radio is Important in the Changing Nature of the Media Landscape

By Ella Donavan

For this article I interviewed Dino Mancini, chairperson of 2RRR Ryde Regional Radio.

We had a chat about how important community radio is to the community and how it is absolutely still relevant even with the ways we experience media constantly changing.

“For me it presents a number of things for the This means that there's something for community. An arts workshop for those that are everybody, whether it be to listen or to creative and want to create material productions.” produce. Community radio stations aren't focused on winning audiences. Instead Community Radio is made for the community, by the giving the community a voice while overall community. So you can come here and produce boosting the Australian music industry by shows/podcasts with complete creative freedom playing non-mainstream music. which you wouldn't be able to do elsewhere. “It is really important for the community to have access ‘Radio may not be flavour of the moment to”. Most importantly, giving ordinary people training, because of podcasting…’ increasing people's confidence in their speaking and giving them a platform to express themselves gives The number of available podcasts has been the community a voice. This is further developed ever-increasing over the last few years, through outreach to local community groups Giving anyone with a phone the ability to providing them with the opportunity to share their have their voice heard. However, We have projects and raise their profiles. Both bring life to and seen how these podcasts could be sending shape the community that we are living in. the wrong message for example; Andrew Tate.

‘We're not so focused on winning audiences’.

In the 70’s-80’s, the federal government stressed the issue of community broadcasting licenses to ensure that content from and for the local community would be covered,as well as the local press. “So for example 2RRR's license says that we should be broadcasting for the Ryde and Hunters Hill areas”, with a focus on Australian music especially that of which is not broadcasted in the mainstream. Community radio is different from other types of radio because its content has to cater for the whole of the community.

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Community radio is free of prejudice and solely focused on boosting the local community. Podcasts can be long and hard to find one that you like. Community radio is there whenever you turn on your car. “Radio gives you a greater immediacy, a greater sense of life”. It's made for you, talking about news that is relevant to you and your LGA, listening to you and playing music that spans multiple genres meaning that there is something for everyone.

Changes in Biodiversity in the World and Australia

By Genevieve Dinning

The animals of our planet have experienced enormous change in the last few decades due to climate change. They have had to adapt to survive and evolve to the environment. Australian parrots, for example, have increased their beak surface area by 10% since 1871 to regulate their body temperature and adjust to the heat. While a larger beak may be useful to their body heat, it can make it more difficult to feed. Many animals around the world are experiencing this evolutionary contradiction in the face of environmental change.

The changes to our animal populations are monitored by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List which is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. The Red List is the world’s most detailed source of the global conservation status of the earth's variety of species. They provide information about population size, habitat and ecology, threats, and conservation actions which helps stakeholders such as government and conservation-related organisations, make conservation decisions. However, the List is also a sign of the bad news that biodiversity in the environment is declining. Currently, there are more than 150,300 species on the List, with over 42,100 species threatened with extinction, including 41% of amphibians, 37% of sharks, 36% of corals, 34% of conifers, 27% of mammals and 13% of birds.

The planet’s biodiversity is being threatened by invasive species, such as cane toads, along with changes to fire patterns, cyclones and human-wildlife conflict which are all disturbing our planet’s ecosystems. In 2018, the IUCN Red List reported that Australia’s reptiles, including lizards and snakes, face severe threats from invasive species and climate change, with 7% of them threatened with extinction.

Climate change is increasingly threatening Australia’s reptiles, including the vulnerable Bartle Frere Cool-skink. This is a cold-adapted species only found on Queensland’s tallest mountain, Mount Bartle Frere. Research indicates that if there is a 1°C increase in temperature it will probably result in a loss of 50% of the Cool-skink’s population within 30 years, as there are no cooler areas for the animal to move to. The IUCN wants countries throughout the world to urgently take conservation action for threatened species at the national level.

The new animal species declared ‘vulnerable to critically endangered’ in 2023 include: the Parma Wallaby, Grey Snake, Key's Matchstick Grasshopper, Gravel Downs Ctenotus (a small lizard), Oxleyan Pygmy Perch, Malanda Rainbowfish, and the Western Beautiful Firetail.

The Australian Government released its ‘2021 State of the Environment Report’ which highlights that the clearing and grazing of native vegetation has caused habitat loss resulting in biodiversity decline and large changes. The report indicates that Australia has ‘lost more mammal species than any other continent over the past 200 years and continues to have one of the highest rates of species decline among countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)’.

Animal and plant species will continue to become extinct unless we can manage the pressure of climate change, decrease our carbon emissions and work at conserving plant and animal species. It’s critical for the biodiversity of the world to thrive and to support all life on Earth for healthy ecosystems and a positive quality of life.

Whilst things might seem dire, there are some moves in the right direction as the current government seeks to establish a national Environmental Protection Agency and reform laws to increase the protection of biodiversity. As members of this country, it is our job to keep the pressure up on all governments to continue to support biodiversity and prevent further animals from becoming endangered.

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Changes in Biodiversity in the world and Australia Endangered Animal Profiles: Vaquita: Habitat: Vaquitas live in the northern part of the Gulf of California in Mexico Appearance: They’re about 5ft long with a rounded head and a dorsal fin Animal Family: Vaquitas are part of the dolphin, whale and porpoise family Diet: They eat small fish, crustaceans and cephalopods Fun Fact: Vaquitas are extremely important to the marine ecosystem and are uniquely adapted to warm waters

Turtles: Habitat: Turtles live in bodies of water, ranging from small lakes to large oceans Appearance: They have shells that cover most of their body, with short fins and a pointed head Animal Family: Turtles are part of the reptile family Diet: Most turtles eat algae, seagrass and seaweed Fun Fact: There are seven species of marine turtles, and an estimated 1 in 1 000 marine turtles make it to adulthood Giant Panda: Habitat: They mainly live in temperate forests in the mountains of southwest China Appearance: Pandas have white fur with black fur on their ears, eyes, shoulders and legs Animal Family: They are part of the bear family Diet: Pandas mainly eat bamboo shoots, stems, roots and leaves Fun fact: Pandas camouflage with their habitat, and can swim

Tiger: Habitat: They live in rainforests, grasslands, savannahs and mangrove swamps Appearance: Tigers have a coat of reddish-orange with dark stripes Animal Family: They are the largest member of the cat family Diet: Tigers eat cattle, buffalos, pigs, birds, fish, and other large prey Fun Fact: No two tigers have the same stripe pattern

Rhinoceros: Habitat: They live in tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannahs, and shrub-lands Appearance: Rhinoceroses have large bodies with short legs and one or two dermal horns Animal Family: Rhinoceroses are part of the mammal family Diet: They eat grass, shrubs, and leaves from trees Fun Fact: There are five species of rhinos. 7,100 rhinos have been killed and poached in the last ten years

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Genevieve Dinning

Page #

BLACK OPAL RAP

By Jacqueline Pawsey

Yeah let's go, let’s talk about black opal It’s real hard to find cause it’s not local It’s really pretty because of its rainbow flash It makes miners want to find it in a dash

Ethiopia, Mexico, Brazil & the USA The places where Black Opal is found but not in a great way Lightning Ridge in Australia is where the most is found Miners dig deep as it’s found underground.

When miners find good opal traces They dig or drill until dirt is in their faces, Using a ladder they climb down the hole And dig for opals as that is their goal.

When opal is found it’s covered in dirt, But you can’t just clean it with your shirt The opals are washed at a processing site, It can take 3 days to get this right.

They are cut and polished so they can be sold Black opal is expensive but so much better than gold They are valuable and unique and very rare If you ever buy one, treat it with care.

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Riverside Choice Changes Mysterious Appearances Year 9 Elective Geography Round Up! The School Musical Dear Observer Student Art Day by Day

33

By Isabelle Pont

Choice Changes

As the Year 10s eagerly awaited the results of their recent subject selections, they have prepared some tips and tricks for subject selections. This article also covers general information about just what the HSC and ATAR are, and what they mean when choosing your courses for senior years.

Note: This article has been formulated by a student based on information provided by NESA.

The HSC stands for ‘Higher School Certificate”, it is the credential you receive AFTER completing Year 12. More colloquially, the HSC refers to the exams every student in the state will take at the end of Year 12.

ATAR is a term you’ll hear countless times from the start of Year 10, but what exactly is it and what does it do? A common misconception is that the ATAR is your overall mark from all your HSC exams, however, it’s actually a rank. It stands for ‘Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank’. Your ATAR is a number between 0.00 and 99.95 that indicates your rank relative to the HSC performance of other students who completed the HSC in the same year. It is based on the HSC mark that you and every other student gets in the final HSC exam and in your school assessment mark.

When you start Year 11, you must choose a range of courses between 1-2 units. In Year 11, you must study at least 12 units. In Year 12, you are allowed to drop down to a minimum of 10 units. This is because you must have at least 10 units to be eligible for an ATAR. For a lot of people this can be a difficult decision. Whilst you may gain more study and relaxation time, just remember that if you only have 10 units then you have no backup if something goes wrong with one of them!

The ATAR is used to rank you against every student in the state, and first came into play when it replaced the Universities Admission Index in 2009. Though there were some changes in how things worked, the scaling process and rank order stayed the same.

But what exactly is scaling? If you haven’t already, you will definitely hear the term scaling tossed around a lot during subject selection.

The basic principle of scaling is keeping things fair; you shouldn’t be disadvantaged or advantaged by choosing any particular subject.

What this does is provide you with a ‘scaled mark’, based off of your actual HSC mark, that is used for calculating your ATAR.

As some subjects are harder than others, and therefore require more work to complete, the marks need to be scaled to ensure that no student is disadvantaged.

In simple terms, the scaled mark estimates what your mark would have been if every course that was studied had the same level of difficulty. That is how they keep the ATAR rankings fair!

So why does everyone mention scaling?

Certain subjects have been labelled as “ scaling better” than others, meaning that the marks in these subjects tend to scale up more significantly. Many people think that choosing a subject that scales well can assist them in getting a better ATAR. This is NOT how it works!

Generally, those subjects scale better because they are harder to get good marks in. And getting a terrible result in subjects that ‘scale better’ can still bring your ATAR down. Ultimately you will need to do well in a subject to get a good mark either way.

So there is good reasoning to the advice ‘pick your subjects based on what you like or are good at and not SOLEY based on scaling.

So what subjects can I choose?

Riverside Girls High School offers a wide variety of courses, and you can check out the currently offered subjects on the Riverside website. However, while these courses have been offered in the past, they aren’t guaranteed to run every year.

It all depends on what subject choices your cohort has made for that year!

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Category A and B: And why they don’t matter anymore In the past, courses were divided into 2 categories: Category A subjects (e.g. English, History and Biology) and Category B subjects (e.g. Hospitality, Business Services and Mathematics Standard 1).

Originally, the ATAR would only be calculated based on one category B course - so if you wanted to get an ATAR you could only really do one of these courses. As of 2023 this has been changed to remove the distinction between category A and B subjects meaning that as long as you are doing an ATAR subject, it will be counted.

Which subjects should I pick in Year 10?

You should pick subjects that you enjoy or are good at, and if you have any University courses in mind already, think about checking the recommended subjects for those.

Of course, there are some mandatory subjects that all students must take. Since the dawn of the HSC, English has been mandatory for everybody throughout senior schooling.

And as of 2024, English will be joined by everybody’s favourite subject, Mathematics!

So for all the Year 10s of 2024 and the cohort thereafter , get excited because whether you like it or not, you’re in for 2 more years of Maths!

Course Interviews and Preferences: In Year 10, you’ll be given many resources to help you out when picking your subjects, including a course interview with your year advisor, career advisor, and/or an executive staff member.

Here, they’ll ask you questions like what ATAR are you aiming for, any plans for university and after school, and of course the order of your preference list.

To be clear, you submit your subject selection in a list, with 1 being the subject you want the most, and moving down in order of how much you want to do them. There are no distinct ‘backup’ or ‘reserve’ subjects, only preferences. This doesn’t mean you can’t have backup subjects as you can put these at the bottom of your preferences. Just be sure you take into account how much you want to do each individual subject when ranking them.

Your classroom teachers will also spend some time suggesting what subjects you might be best suited for. Whilst these can be really good indictators for what you are best suited for, you can still make your own choices depending on your personal circumstances. If you want to know more about a subject, make sure you speak to your teachers before the deadline for subject selections!

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Hear from the 2023 Year 10s!

We have collated expert advice from the best and brightest of the Year 10 cohort to help you with next year’s subject selections!

THE MYSTERIOUS APPEARANCES OF GNOMES IN RIVERSIDE GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL By Chloe Song Over the last couple of days, a series of baffling creatures began to appear in the gardens of C Block in Riverside Girls High School. These mythical creatures look to be as short as 10-20 centimetres and their distinct facial features; like their chubby cheeks and extravagant smiles, give us a sense it may be the start of a mysterious appearance of gnomes…

We have heard of several gnome appearances in Australia and Germany, however, it is a first to be faced by such strange creatures for our school! Students and teachers seem perplexed and quite impressed by these little creatures that roam the gardens. Their appearance is shrouded in mystery. One by one they popped up in inexplicable circumstances.

Students taking photos of the first wave of the appearance of gnomes

There have been many allegations of the appearance of these gnomes. Many say the art students in Year 9 held a secret meeting in Term 2 to invoke these gnomes. Above is a gnome reclined to the side, with vibrant clothing and blushing cheeks. This gnome is wearing a strange coat with a large hat, and smiling to the side. This gnome is suspected to be one of the first gnomes to appear in the garden. Reports have been made by several students. They say the gnomes were a miracle! They have created a peaceful and natural place keeping order in the Science Block. Many students say that the garden hasn’t looked this good in years.

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Year 9 Elective Geography Round Up! This year in Elective Geography, students have explored the continents of the world!

Year 9 students kickstarted their global exploration in Australia, with a case study investigating the impacts of fracking in the Northern Territory’s Beetaloo Basin, before migrating to a study of oceanography in the Pacific.

Students then launched a study of the South American continent, examining its diverse physical and human landscapes, to create striking profiles for their chosen country - and learning to say Hola.

Check the profiles out by using the QR codes below!

Peru

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Argentina

The school musical (The Wizard Of Oz) was a great experience and a fun start to high school. It was a big change from primary school where we only did one small performance that was-- at most, 10 minutes long-- while for The Wizard of Oz, we did eight performances; 3 at night and 5 matinee performances.

We performed for the local community, family and friends and a few for the primary schools. I played a lullaby munchkin and got to sing with the microphone. I was a bit nervous at first, but when I got on the stage with the microphone, I had no nerves and had so much fun!

The school musical is fun and inclusive, and I will never forget the amazing experience. When the play was over, I was sad because we had spent so long on it and had so much fun performing it and then I felt it was suddenly over, but I am very happy that we get the chance to perform again next year, I wonder what it will be!

By Poppy Nolan The school musical (The Wizard of Oz) was a joyful experience as well as a nice way to dive head-first into high-school life. It was also a spectacular way to explore the drama aspect of school and get used to the older years.

By Evelyn Stupart

I asked other people who were in the play to describe their experience in the play and this is what they said...

A wonderful experience -Anonymous

I feel like after the play I became a different person.

The play just totally changed the way I -Anonymous viewed school -Anonymous

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Dear observer, perspectives from ‘The Flower’ from Margaret Olley's Late Afternoon I am a meek flower, whose life is always blown by those unceasing zephyr that empowers my body to oscillate in a dignified, refined manner. I’ve always looked up to my caregiver, who authorised me to commence sprouting as one astoppable star - and it was due to his absence that has transitioned me and given birth to a sad, melancholiac flower. The waver of my colours since had made sence slowly melt into the background - slowly fitting into the crowds of supplemented items, where the sombre weather of a late afternoon overshadowed in my fellow friends.

In 1972, amidst Australia's dynamic 1970s, I, a humble flower, witness the pulsating energy of the 'great debate’.

The era is charged with fervent discussions and social movements, challenging even the simplicity of my existence.

The Women's Movement gains momentum, advocating for improved job opportunities, contraception access, and childcare, symbolised by the government's funding of childcare in 1972 - the current, year. Amidst whispers from your ‘people’, I learn that refuges for victims of family violence are set to emerge in 1974, a promising step towards recognising and addressing this issue. In the same year, First Nations activists establish the Aboriginal Embassy in Canberra, a pivotal hub for land rights advocacy, self-determination, and sovereignty campaigns - an enduring protest in Australian history. As these transformative events unfold, I, a curious flower, contemplate the evolving world and ponder the mysteries that the future holds to understand the unfolding perspectives of the impactful decade.

Talking about your people, I'd like to introduce you to mine too! In the artwork "Late Afternoon', various objects carry profound symbolism. Wine bottles and glasses arranged, closely symbolise divinity, desire and human fragility -drawing parallels to our own vulnerabilities. The drawer signifies secrecy, hidden treasures and enigmatic depths of so the human psyche, suggesting an exploration of inner layers. A vintage mirror in the corner reflects self-reflection and introspection, whereas the orange, fish-shaped pot embodies nourishment and life's fleeting essence. Lastly, an antique water jug embodies the passage of time and life’s impermanence. The juxtaposition of these elements prompts contemplation of mortality and the transient nature of existence, inviting viewers to reflect on their own lives and humanity’s impermanence.

Despite that, the symbol and significant meaning I hold is what makes me the centre of the showcase. You see, I stand as more than just a mere flower; I symbolise the death of David Strachan and Margaret Olley's friendship.

In the painting " Late Afternoon', my slightly wilting form represents the grief and loneliness Margaret experienced after David’s passing. This tragic loss had profoundly impacted her - evident by the fact that the painting was created in the home of my owner, David Strachan. Margaret’s deep connection to him is also evident when she kept the 'Late Afternoon' in her personal collection until 2001, when she bestowed it upon the Art Gallery of New South Wales - underscoring the artwork's enduring significance in capturing a poignant moment in her life: In summary, I symbolise the bittersweet transformation from joyous beginnings to the sorrowful end of a cherished. friendship, where once-blooming flowers fade into the unexpected void of memories. To briefly explain their relationship - In the mid-1940s, Margaret Olley and David Strachan (my owner) first crossed paths at Jean Batt Belette's life classes. Their paths converged again in 1949 during painting excursions in Paris: After Olley migrated to Australia in 1953, Strachan settled in Padding ton in 1962, creating a home filled with treasures.

The close friendship endured until Strachan’s tragic fatal car accident in 1970 - deeply saddening Margaret Olley and myself. Strachan's family preserved his home's interior, which Margaret later utilised as a painting space, keeping his memory alive throughout her art.

In short, my journey mirrors the rise and fall of a once-admired superstar. Don't let others cause your downfall; everyone can grow and transform, much like a flower evolving into a better self. I'm signing off, dear observer.

Thank you for joining me!

With warm regards,

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The flower from Margaret Olley's Late Afternoon, 1972

By Dania Ferhan in Year 7 Art

STUDENT ART SUBMISSIONS

May Shanahan in Year 7

Keziah McCrea in Year 7

Madison Sin in Year 7

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DAY BY DAY

SAMURAI WOMEN

Day by day, waiting for my freedom to change by a book, The trapped feeling of weakness has us by a hook.

The samurai class, where our duties were defined, A woman's purpose, and roles were assigned.

Day by day, being confined by a man, The freedom of our lives would never expand.

Living for our husbands, fathers and men, Our choices were obliged by only them.

Day by day, living under the constant fear of rejections, Simply because of our body's imperfections.

Our only independant escape, being turned to the temple, The broken pieces of our life, we’re made to reassemble.

Day by Day, through the darkness of the war, There comes a time where we no longer can soar.

The result of warring conflict drives us to an end, Where we rest with our husbands and can no longer defend.

by Charlotte Stephens and Radiba Novo 41

By Diana Appleton