SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
College hit by racisim By Alesha Capone
Musical bond Tarneit father and daughter Karlo and Sophia Arcinue formed a music group as a way to keep busy during the pandemic lockdown. The pair, who make up the folk/ alternative band ‘The Ark Duo’, have found online success during the past four months. Their band’s Facebook page, where they post videos of themselves playing songs written by Karlo, has gained more than 11,000 followers since April. Ten-year-old Sophia plays drums, piano and ukulele while her father plays “everything else”. Karlo said they had always played together, but decided to officially form a duo as a result of the pandemic. The IT worker said that the lockdown had given him time to record songs which he had written in the past, and also work on new material. “It’s just so much fun, I never really expected to be doing this with my daughter,” Karlo said. Last week, Karlo and Sophia performed an acoustic song as part of a series of free online concerts for aged care homes and frontline workers organised by the Hobsons Bay Music Academy. Sophia, who is also in two other bands with her friends, said she was teaching her five-year-old sister to play ukelele. She also has a two-year-old brother. Karlo said he was not sure what his family was planning for Father’s Day, but that it would likely involve music. Details: www.facebook.com/TheArkDuo/
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The principal of a Truganina college linked to 210 coronavirus cases, says the school has been subjected to “hurtful messages” on social media since the outbreak began. The Department of Health and Human Services is continuing to investigate how infections started at Al-Taqwa College but has confirmed there have been no new cases linked with the outbreak since July 29. College principal Omar Hallak said the wider community had shown it’s support for the college but there had been some backlash on social media. “Sadly, there have been some hurtful messages sent to the school and comments on social media, and some isolated instances of negative treatment of people connected with Al-Taqwa College,” Mr Hallak said. Tarneit MP Sarah Connolly and Multicultural Affairs Minister Ros Spence have spoken out in support of the college. After an online meeting with Mr Hallak last month, Ms Spence posted on Facebook that the school community was “experiencing an increase in Islamophobic and racist messages”. “I assured principal Hallak, as I do to all Victorians, that racism and discrimination have no place in Victoria,” the post stated. Mr Hallak said that to have the support of the wider community meant “a great deal”. “Fortunately the good experiences of people and human nature have far outweighed the bad, and our staff and students have shown determination, resilience and real strength of character in dealing with not just the educational challenges of COVID-19, but the social challenges too. “We are all in this together. COVID-19 does not target people by race, nationality, religion or politics. It targets all of us.” Mr Hallak said the college had “done everything it can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from the outset of this pandemic”. “While the college has been closed, it has been deep cleaned and we have just completed further upgrades of our on-site precautions in accordance with Department of Health and Human Services requirements,” he said. “The local community … can be assured that the college campus itself is safe as far as COVID-19 is concerned.”
Alesha Capone
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