1994 School Magazine

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Girls' 6taniniar School agrisbaiic 199+

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panel and students ensued willT strong support for bon\ cases The main argLiment for a republic was that a constitutional monarcl\y no longa' serves the needs of Australia today an <1 does not reflect our inLint-cultLiralism. The opposing atgLiment for a constitLitional nTonarcl}y was that a republic would give too much atithoriry to our politicians The convention was a wonderful experience as well as a The issues that were raised are the issues that necessai\, one face the Youth of Australia, and the Linanswered political questions are questions that can only be answered by At1stralia's Youth FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVmG hroughoui this year, as a part of GAS activities, four Year 11 SILidents (Philippa Ahem, Allson Meeking, NGrys 01ver and Trinity Ryan) tool{ part in the world-wide Future Problem Solving Competition. This was the first time the school ITad enterecl the competition, so it was a learning experience for all involved, and one whicl\ we thoroughly enjoyed Future Problem Solving in\, o1ves a tealTT of four students using their varied talents to solve the problems presented in a page-long scenario. whiclT is set in the future. The nTethods whicll Ilave to be Lised are strictly defined, and tool< us a WITile to learn. However, once we learnt these, we completed the necessary background researcli and attempted to, o practice problems. whicl\ dealt w^th robotics and ITTining Once these had been corrected by assessors in Melbourne, we begai\ researching for our final, 11nseen problem, which involved Antarctica. in the course of this research we managed (among other things) to contact Bob lones, the leader of Australia's A, lawson Base, and ITad an extremely inforiiTative discussion willT him. We then attempted the problem early in August, in a two-hour exain situation UnfortLinaiely, we did not qualify for an invitation 10 attend the Australian finals, but we learnt a lot about probleni solving - skills whiclT can be put to good use in 11Tany of our scliool subjects. We would like to than1< Mrs Riggs and Mrs Stubbing ton for giving up so much of Their time to help Lis, and also all the other staff niembers WITo assisted us NATASHA STIRLING

CONST!TT^TIONAL cowEN'ITON

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hould the constitution include the guarantee of:

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I. The right to fair, democratic, patha- mentaly elections in every legislature of 11Te country? 2. The right to trial by jury in eveiy state of Australia? 3. The right to freedon\ of religion in every At1stranan stale? 4. Protection against the Linfair acquisi- lion of property by state government?

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These were some of 11\e questions that I along with a group of 52 students attempted to address when I attended a consti- runonal convention on 8 August. organised by the Constiiu- lional Centenary Foundation The first political issue raised was that of Citizenship rights and responsibilities. This topic was addressed by Professor Mary 1

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