1995 School Magazine

6irlg' Grammar Sclrool rerigbgne 1995

KIRSTY DODSWORTH QUOTA STUDENT OF THE YEAR 1995

TZ irstv Dodsworth represented Bris- A.Unn. Girls' Grammar Schooi in this year's Brisbane Quota Club Student of the Year quest which, for the first time, selected students from Year Eleven only. The criteria for this competition include not only the ability of the student to speak in public but also to display wide general knowl- edge especially in the areas of Australian society, current affairs and culture. General grooming, sportsmanship and qualities of leadership and citizenship are also important considerations. At the end of the day's judging, Kirsty was chosen as the Student of the Year for 1.995. To the students of the school, Kirsty is possibly

She is a member of Athene, the Economics Society and Interact. She is on the Magazine Committee and also works on the Grammar Gazette. Kirsty is also a member of the Student Representative Council. Her musical interests include membership of the Senior Orchestra, the Advanced String Ensem- ble and Camerata. Kirsty also won equal first prize in the Year 11 Goethe Verse Speaking Competition. She at- tended the Youth Earth Symposium at MtrWarning during theJune school holidays and spent part of the September holidays attending a Seminar for the Queen's Trust in Canberra, as one of a small

best known as their chief motivator in moving so many of them to register their protests against the French Nuclear Tests in Muroroa as a member of GECO, the school's environmental group but this is only one of her many roles in school activities.

group of students from Queensland. \flith this wide range of activities, it seems fitting that she is Student of the Year.

THE QUEEN'S TRUST

,-frhe Queen's Trust was established in 1977 as an inde- I pendent philanthropic Trust to lurther the development of young Australians. \fith an average annual outlay of 1.8 mlllion doliars, the trust is primarily concerned with: o promoting standards of excellence and achievement in education training and development of young Australians . involving young people in the life and welfare of the community . developing qualities of self reliance, initiative and leader- ship in youth and . assisting groups of young people 'at risk' in the areas of health, education and welfare. The Trust achieves these aims through various projects including Achiever Grants, Forums and Youth Initiative Projects. Another annual project of the trust is the National Caprtal Seminar, held in Spring in Canberra. This year I was fortunate enough to be selected as one of 100 Australian Year 11 students to attend the seminar. Before applying I had never heard of the Trust, nor did I realise how challenging and rewarding the week would be. The eighteen Queensland students selected flew to Can- berra together on September 24, where we were transferred to our lodgings at the Boys' Grammar School. From this time on, the schedule was tightly packed with lectures, tutorials, outings, parliamentary sessions, dinners and receptions, all designed to lamiliarise us with the concepts integral to Australia's style of governance and democracy. The week began with a reception at 'Yarralumla'with the Governor-General and his wife, and ended with a dinner and address by the Prime Minister, Paul Keating. During our time in Canberra, we vlsited such places as

the \Var Memorial, National Gallery, High Courts and Floriade, as well as hearing addresses by leading national figures, both political and non-political. Senator Cheryl Kernot, the leader of the Australian Demo- crats, spoke regarding '\7omen in Politics' which was found tcr be highly relevant by all participants, both femaie and male, with aspirations for a political career. The leader of the Opposition, John Howard, also took time to answer questions regarding topical issues - including 'policy voids', unemploy- ment, constitutional change and the inevitable Republic debate. Participants were educated over the six days in areas ranging from the Doctrine of the Separation of Powers to Aboriginal Reconciliation, allowing for a greater understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the various components of our democratic system. The Seminar was, however, more than just an extended lesson in Australian Politics. It was also a learning experience about zs, the students, and about our involvement and beliefs. Before going, I regarded politicians and political parties with some measure of cynicism and disgust. After one week of living in the midst of political life, I still regard much of politics with cynicism and disgust. I do, however, have great faith in our system of governance. 'We have, in Australia, a thriving democracy, a system which allows for choice, fair representa- tion and peaceful rule. As a sixteen year old, I will be calied upon to vote in two years time, and yet a week before the seminar I was a prime example of the apathetic, ignorant kid who didn't understand the system, but didn't care an)'!vay. The Seminar was not about priming 100 Australian students for future political careers, although I fu1ly expect to see many of the lriends I made there in the public eye iq future. The

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