2005 School Magazine

Co-curriculum

Co-curriculum

Opti-Minds

Literature Café

quest and the treasure. Each team also participated in the spontaneous problem division, which allows only a few minutes to produce an original explanation for a diagram of symbols. The girls were pleased with their performances, as they had juggled other commitments to write their own script and storyline, develop characters, make props and costumes and learn their lines. Although we were not prize winners, we were very happy with the day and look forward to the official results and feedback. Mrs H Boltman, Mrs L Arici, Mrs A Carmichael & Mrs J Winter

On Sunday 21 August three teams from Brisbane Girls Grammar School participated in the annual Opti-Minds Tournament at Bray Park State High School. First to perform were the Social Science team who had to answer the question, “If all the people in the entire world had equal, unlimited amounts of money, would the world be a better place?” We were very impressed with their marvellous performance and thought-provoking responses. Our two Language Literature teams were sent on a treasure hunt where all the clues were hidden in well-known books. Their challenge was to create a dramatic performance incorporating the clues, the

Brisbane Girls Grammar School 122 New members are always welcome and the Reading Group looks forward to continuing its success in the future. Clare Collyer (11G) & Cheryl Au (12E) GROUP LEADERS The Brisbane Girls Grammar Reading Group has gone from strength to strength with the number of members swelling to over thirty. The Group meets once a fortnight to discuss new books and to share their reviews. One popular activity involves members selecting a book from a lucky-dip, reading it over the holidays and returning to share it with the group. Cardboard footprints guided visitors to the Reading Group’s Open Day stall which included a colourful array of posters produced by Briony Lipton (12R), reviews of novels, new books available from the Beanland Memorial Library, and Harry Potter posters. To coincide with the recent release of the sixth Harry Potter book, The Half-blood Prince , a colouring-in competition of the front cover was held and all visitors were encouraged to participate. Entries were impressive which made it extremely difficult to decide on the winners. Prizes included a copy of The Half-blood Prince for the winner and a bag of Harry Potter goodies and laminated posters for other place getters. “Human language is like a cracked kettle on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to, when all the time we are longing to move the stars to pity.” (Gustave Flaubert from Madame Bovary 1857) Literature Café has continued to breathe literary life into our co-curricular activities at the School for staff, parents and students. Our first book for discussion was Tim Winton’s The Turning, which seemed to strike a common chord with all readers. There are turnings of all kinds – changes of heart, nasty surprises, slow awakenings, sudden detours – and all while people struggle against the terrible weight of the past and challenge the lives they have made for themselves. During the month of May, Mrs Murphy introduced Helen Garner’s Joe Cinque’s Consolation . The work was inspired by the 1997 death of a Canberra engineer, Joe Cinque, who was drugged and then administered a lethal heroin injection by his law Reading Group

student girlfriend. Despite controversy surrounding the treatment of “facts”, no-one could avoid either empathising with the Cinque family or reflecting upon the circumstances that led to the involvement of so many young, intelligent people in such a tragic event. It was probably our discussion of this book that moved us most. Our August selection was David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas , with discussion led by our guest speaker, Ms Linda Black, a doctoral candidate examining the poetry of Seamus Heaney. Ms Black’s reading was both erudite and enriching, returning us to the sadly lost paths of poetry appreciation. Our final book for the year will be Ian Mc Ewan’s Saturday followed by a social gathering to consider our Summer reading and plan for Literature Café 2006. Mrs J Colwill CO-ORDINATOR

Philosophy Café

The Philosophy Café is an informal symposium in which all interested members of the School community, past and present, can discuss a range of topics and ideas. Each session begins with a presentation by a guest speaker on a philosophical or topical issue followed by discussion and questions from the floor. Dr Gil Burgh from the University of Queensland Contemporary Studies Program presented at the first Café for this year. A stimulating discussion was initiated by his presentation on the ethical dilemmas arising from The Lord of the Rings movie. Our next speaker, Dr Pat Hoffie from the Queensland College of Art, encouraged us to ponder the nature of truth and perception, while in Term II, Dr Colwill, Mr Dale and Mr Pincott gave presentations about post-structuralism, current religious concepts and postmodernism. Lively discussions about tradition and ‘ways of knowing’ followed. Term III heralded the return of Dr Mark Colyvan and later in the term, Dr Fred D’Agostino, both from the University of Queensland’s Philosophy Department.

The Philosophy Café is an initiative of the Principal, Ms Bell, with Brisbane Girls Grammar School being the first secondary school in Australia to institute its own Café. It continues to be supported by a loyal group of parents, staff and students who contribute meaningfully to each Café with their comments and insights. Mr D Pincott CO-ORDINATOR

Our final guest speaker for the year was Dr Carolyn Windsor from Griffith University’s Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics.

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