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TEACHER FEATURE

Sharing their words of wisdom

DRAWING NORTH!The EXCLUSIVE St Clare’s interview

In New York....Concrete jungle, where summertime RULES!

Get inspired today!

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editor’s note

AngieEditor 2014

For us mere mortals, we envy the perfection and invicibility of superheroes like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. However, invincibility should not be considered an aspect coveted for those who wear flowing capes and tight fitting spandex. I’d like to think that those who wear picnic plaid skirts, blue/white blouses and black shoes five days a week can be considered invincible too, but for a different reason.

Starting next term, it’s the home stretch to the end of the year and we’ll be bogged down in another melting pot of stress. For some, these future weeks will be their final ones here at St Clare’s. Of course, it’s easy to let anxiety and worry overtake us until all we can think about is finding that one girl who is selling chocolate. For those who live in the adult realm, I think fixing problems doesn’t come as easy as eating chocolate. In all fairness, if we were to judge a person by the Freddo Frogs they eat, I’d be either a Strawberry Twin Freddo or a Caramello Koala.

We are a generation who have yet to dip our toes into the “real world” and have been mostly untouched by the true anxieties and worries society has to offer. You and I are invincible right now because at this moment, we are the youngest we are ever going to be. We are at our freshest and strongest and most of all, we are invincible because our tower of resilience remains at its most wholesome and strong, yet to be worn down by time and burden.

This edition of The Seeker reflects our invincible adolescence with articles for all your adolescent needs. Relive the St Clare’s spirit on pages 4 and 8. Feeling nostalgic? Flick to page 21 to reminisce some great 90’s kid shows. Never been to a music festival? Find all the tips and tricks to keeping up with the crowd on page 25.

Have a fabulous break and remember; you are invincible.

Until next time,

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CONTENTSSEPTEMBER 2014 ISSUE 4

arts and entertainment DRAWING NORTH!!! An exclusive interview for you. #90sKids TVShows Oh the nostaglia.... Top 10 Futuristic Innovations You won’t believe where we’re headed 10 Common Sayings and Their Meanings Learn something new today! So What’s the Deal with Big Music Festivals? Find out why they’re so worth it

memes and competitions I’m Gonna Pop Some Tags... Our Selfie Comp winners show us how it’s done. Castilia’s Storm The Seeker’s Writing Competition Winner! Memes Back for round 3

cover story Advice to My Teenage Self Teachers part some wise words

school St Clare’s Day! Why it’s weird, wacky and wonderful Athletics Carnival Relive this fun and spirited day Social Scene See if you can spot yourself!

travel and lifestyle The Butterfly Effect One small change, one big difference Top 5 Coolest Events ....from around the globe Travelling to Timor-Leste An unforgettable experience Summertime in NYC Another one for the bucket list! Life Skillz Life tips? Yes please!

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School

St Clare’s Day 2014

It’s something more than just the regular Friday excitement, something more than even just the regular crazy antics, there’s something about St

Clare’s Day that gets everyone excited. The costumes get bigger and better every year, the yawning girls (because they stayed up all night on Thursday finishing their hand sewn Frozen Princess dresses) get tireder, and the teachers costumes get even more exuberant. It really is just one big party, but it’s a party with a moral and a meaning.

St Clare’s Day is not just about eating good food or having a great time on the rides ‘(although that may seem like the best part of the day)! It’s really about sweaty moshing in the gym to the headbanging (cool) band of Drawing North. Kidding, in reality it’s about running around in nothing but a morph suit that you manage to drag out every year but for a different costume!

In all seriousness, St Clare’s Day is all about remembering our patron saint, Saint Clare, who incidentally was a really cool woman! Not only was she an inspirational person who we can all look up to, she did everything in her life with good spirit.

That is really the best thing about St Clare’s Day; the amazing good spirit with which every girl in the school participates in the day completely. Whether it’s in the morning in the respectful silence of the mass as we commemorate our patron saint or during the afternoon as we celebrate the amazing talent that our school has on offer, everyone does it with such school spirit; a spirit that St. Clare’s is really well known for.

By Lottie Twyford, Katelyn Tsipiras and Jacinta Evans

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“No I wasn’t too cool for school so I’m making it up for now. It’s my second St Clare’s Day; it’s fantastic.”- Mr. Carroll

Dressing up as a sumo wrestler? Everyone should do it! - Erin, Year 10

The costumes are amazing! Ms. Gardiner and Mr. Garrity have amazing teacher outfits! - Helene and Tizana, Year 11

“Well it’s not freezing and not as bad as last year, we’re doing pretty well.”

- Madison, Courtney and Holly, Year 12

This year both the costumes and the exuberance hit record breaking highs and even the weather behaved itself for once! We even had costumes that were slightly more weather appropriate!!

Best Dressed

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School

By Clementine Wraith

Teachers you know and love tell us what they would say to their highschool counterpart.

Miss MoletaWhat advice would you give to your high-school self?Do more work. Embrace your individuality - you shouldn’t feel like you have to fit in with everyone else. Find your interest and pursue it. I spent a lot of time in high school doing what I thought was cool or popular, but it wasn’t what I actually wanted to do. If I could talk to my younger self, I would tell her to not be afraid to try something different, and if you want to do something, go for it. I didn’t think I’d get into uni, but in year 12 I discovered a love for documentary film-making and decided that that was what I wanted to do. I’d tell her to work harder.

Has your taste in music, fashion and film changed much since you were at school?My musical taste has been very consistent - I passionately hate pop music. It makes me angry inside. My fashion has changed a lot. I used to wear really low-cut flare jeans and midi-tops and horrible sparkles. I had a pair of silver plastic flares that were made out of actual plastic material from Suprè. They were really uncomfortable, but I thought they looked great. I dyed my hair blonde until it snapped off from all the bleach, product and straightening. Lesson to you ladies; don’t bleach your hair. My taste in film has always been impeccable. I’ve always had a passion for independent films and I used to make my own.

What was your favourite extra-curricular activity?At my school we didn’t have a very good drama program, but I’ve been acting since I was eight. As soon as I had the opportunity, I was doing theatre around Canberra. Once I got to high school and realised there wasn’t much of a Drama program I auditioned and did workshops outside of school. When I was in year 11 I would go to other schools and join their drama programs and I would also audition in adult plays. That was really valuable because I gained a lot more experience than someone who had just done drama through school.

Mrs DaviesWhat advice would you give to your high-school self?Biggest advice would be not to pay too much attention to comments made by Year 7 and 8 boys. They don’t know what they are talking about. The other thing I would say is that Maths actually is important, and that I really should have persisted in year 11 and 12 because that would have made uni stats so much more manageable! Missing classes turned out to be really silly! Also that you shouldn’t define yourself by the number you end up with at the end of Year 12, everything ends up happening for a reason and no-one cares anyway. It’s what you make of the opportunities that come your way that make the difference.

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On a lighter note, I would tell myself that a perm doesn’t look good on anyone who was meant to have straight hair - don’t do it twice!

What was your favourite year of school?Favourite year was Year 10; saw lots of great bands (INXS, U2, Crowded House several times, Simple Minds, to name few), was an extra in a movie so spent 3 days on a film set, had great friends and fantastic teachers. I loved school anyway so every year had different memories and favourite things...

Mr ClissoldWhat advice would you give to your younger self?In the words of the French poet, Charles Baudelaire: “be drunk.” He wasn’t talking about drinking, but what he meant was whatever you do, do it with full enthusiasm and all of your being. That’s really meant something to me, but it’s more about how I wish I’d lived my life, rather than how I have. My advice to my teenage self would be to try and emulate those words, but appreciating that it is difficult. I would tell him to take advantage of opportunities. I regret some things that I didn’t do. Fear of rejection stopped me from doing some things that I wish I had.

What was your favourite year of high school? Year 12 was my favourite year of school. I had the opportunity to go to school in the early morning to study English. I found that very enriching. I was also the front man of a pretty rocking band. I was the brooding lead singer. We played a lot of The Cure, which is my favourite band. We made a recording of one of our original songs, but that’s since been lost. Which in hindsight is probably a good thing.

Mr CarrollWhat advice would you give to your high school self?Set goals. Be persistent. Put in the time. Ask lots of questions. Maintain a large group of friends. Keep a balance between school and other activities

What was your favourite subject?During Year 9 I found that I really enjoyed the challenge of maths and achieved reasonable results. I got a real buzz out of helping others who couldn’t work out the problems so that enhanced my self-esteem.

What was your favourite year of school?I loved Year 12 and all the special events that happened during the year like getting my car license, Year 12 formal and getting ready for University because I knew what I wanted to do.

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School

The Athletics Carnival proved to be another great day of excellent spirit and participation. Creative themes were paired with brilliant costumes and every house proved to be a strong competitor in the running for the Championship and Spirit Cups. Congratulations to all of the age champions and runners-up for their exceptional achievement on the track and field. The Carnival was a huge success, from the competitive main events to the (just as important) novelty events – there was something for everyone and everyone had a go.

A special thank you to the Captains, House Captions, PE faculty and maintenance team for creating such a fun and exciting day!

Athletics Carnival 2014

Kipara in da Hood

Alinda Outer Space

Makara Monopoly

Japara Jogging Club

Aliens and planets and astronauts, oh my! Alinda Outer Space proved to be a theme that was out of this world.

Ready to get physical, Japara Jogging Club raced their way along the track and in their most fashionable tracksuit apparel.

Channeling their inner gangsters, Kipara showcased their “swag” with their gold chains and snapbacks.

Arriving with their game faces on, Makara came prepared to use all of their chance cards to get ahead and win the carnival.

by Sarah Smyth

Championship Results

1st – Wareen2nd – Japara3rd – Alinda4th – Kipara4th – Makara4th – Wibalu4th – Wirana

4th – Ulamina

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Athletics Carnival 2014

Wibalu Weathergirls

Ulamina Underworld

Wirana Mr Whippy

Wareen School of Rock

Risen from the dead, Ulamina’s zombie clan intimidated the other houses with costumes that sent shivers down their opponents’ spines.

Ready to rock, Wareen donned leather jackets and proved to be as fierce as their outfits throughout the day’s events.

Prepared for whatever weather the Canberra sky was going to provide, Wibalu stood out in their striking pink rain jackets and wet-weather apparel.

Bringing something sweet to the carnival’s atmosphere, Wirana looked great in their classic ice-cream saleswoman costumes.

Championship Results

1st – Wareen2nd – Japara3rd – Alinda4th – Kipara4th – Makara4th – Wibalu4th – Wirana

4th – Ulamina

Spirit Cup Results

1st – Japara2nd – Wirana3rd – Alinda4th – Makara4th – Kipara4th – Wareen4th – Wibalu4th - Ulamina

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Social SCENE

Book Week

Overflow: IGNITE

School

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Book Week

GLOBE

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Travel and Lifestyle

Think of ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’. We could:

Reduce the litter around the schoolReuse containers instead of packaging, andRecycle our paper.And make a real difference in the Canberra environment.

But the Butterfly Effect applies to more than just the environment. Our amazing charity work here at St Clare’s already has a great impact in the community and beyond, and even seemingly smaller actions like helping a stranger can have far-reaching benefits.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan spoke of the Butterfly Effect in terms of human rights, reminding us all that how we act within our small community reflects how people act in the world at large.

So what do you feel passionately about? Where do you want to see change? There are countless important issues that deserve attention, but there are also many of us. If we helped one another develop small initiatives to make changes, we could all become butterflies.

So next time you’re asked to donate to Caritas, use the recycling bin, or volunteer your time, be a butterfly! Remember the Butterfly Effect and realise the change you are truly making.

Change One Thing; Change Everythingby Nikki Kaylock

We’ve all been told we can help change the world, but how many of us actually believe it? It does

seem to be a clever ploy used to inspire us or make us donate to charity, but it has been proven with science!

Scientist Edward Lorenz coined the phrase “The Butterfly Effect” in 1961 while conducting experiments to do with weather forecasting. While playing around with figures in the forecasting instruments, he discovered that facts he thought were inconsequential had a major impact on the forecast. But, cutting a whole lot of science short, he deemed that the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil could set off a tornado in Texas. Aside from weather, the Butterfly Effect shows us how small, seemingly insignificant actions can have an effect on a much larger scale.

Maybe choices we’ve already made are starting to take effect. This idea might be sounding somewhat familiar to you. Well the phenomenon of the Butterfly Effect has been used in countless films and TV shows, often showing parallel timelines and how small decisions can change an outcome (such as Sliding Doors, starring Gwyneth Paltrow).

But aside from stirring our curiosity about what could have been, this notion is really something for us to consider in our everyday lives. That butterfly had no idea that it caused the tornado, but it was a catalyst for change and we can be too. Now I’m not suggesting we should cause tornadoes, but I believe we can make a difference. If we at St Clare’s all made little changes, we could have a major impact as a community.

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We’re all familiar with our own festivities; Christmas, Easter and Halloween (if you swing that way). However, I was determined to discover the coolest and most interesting off-the-radar events that we may not have heard of before. My research took me to far off internet-corners of the world, where I uncovered the weird, the wacky, and the wonderful.

Forget the Melbourne cup, baby racing is the next big thing. Possibly. Every year, Lithuania organises a national race to find the quickest crawler. What’s better is that the event is sponsored. Yes, you read that correctly: it is a nationally recognised sport. Thousands gather to watch the bubs crawl towards wacky parents waving toys at the finish line. I know you remember playing the classic

cheese rolling Neopets game, but I bet you didn’t know about the real life event. Annually on the last Monday of May in a little English town, contestants compete to beat their wheel of Gloucester cheese to the bottom of the hill. My money’s on the cheese, as in no person has beat the dairy king in 200 years.

December 5th in Austria is a terrifying night. When Santa’s away, his lesser known evil half-goat, half-demon beast brother comes to play. And not for a friendly hello either, Krampus comes to whip the naughty children and possibly collect them to take them back into the underworld. What is more horrifying is that this isn’t just a mythical legend: there are street parades. (Yes, it’s as scary as it sounds, as I’ve gathered from the pics. Take a look and see for yourself).

Welcome to Japan, home to Hadaka Matsuri which translates to “the naked man’s festival”. Keep this in mind when noting the date: the third Saturday of February – one of the coldest nights of the year. Participants strip down to loin cloths (or erm… less) and participate in tests of strength and bravery. Those who impress are guaranteed a year of luck and happiness.

Heading back to Europe, we visit Spain on the last Wednesday of august, home to the world’s most popular food fight. The idea is simple: over 30 000 people cram into the streets to be pelted with local grown tomatoes. For the next 90 minutes, the only rule: there are no rules. There are many speculations as to what the origins of this celebration are, but none have been confirmed. Everyone is happy enough to throw tomatoes and be merry.

Top 5COOLEST EVENTS

1 Baby Racing2 Cheese-Rolling

Gloucester

3 Krampus Night

4 Hadaka Matsuri

5 La Tomatina

by Ellen Davies

Honourable mentions: Scotland: Up-Helly Aa (Viking Festival of Fire), Mexico: Dia de los Muetos (Day of the Dead), India: Holi Festival (Coloured Paint Festival)

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Travel and Lifestyle

By Caitlyn Baljak

It takes only a 50 minute flight from Darwin and you will find yourself exploring the colourful streets of Dili (Timor’s capital). You’d think that this tropical country’s stunning landscape and cheap accommodation would make it an ideal holiday destination for adventurous Aussies, but most people don’t know that this hidden gem exists. I sure didn’t until I found myself on UN Youth’s Pacific Project Delegation 2014.

The thing is; Timor has had a rough time over the past 500 years. Portuguese colonisation led to extreme cultural oppression and in more recent years, the Indonesian occupation caused the genocide of around 180,000 peoples (around 20% of the population). Timor only gained independence in 2002 to become the first (recognised) country of the 21st century. Today is the first time that Timor has not been ‘at war’ since the island was under tribal control; so it has a long way to go to becoming a fully functioning nation. The process of building a country from the ground up is what Pacific Project focuses on; the process of the people.

We visited some (incredibly beautiful) cemeteries, prisons (whose graffitied walls and stories of horror brought us to tears) and museums to inform us about Timor’s troubled past at a very personal level. We then progressed to stay at Encouragement House; a boarding facility for high school students. Here we taught English, swam in rivers, raced around town in truck beds, visited the markets, got defeated by the locals in a soccer match and sang and danced our way through the nights. We said our farewells to travel the rugged countryside of mountains, rainforests, rice paddies and (more than a few) buffalo. We visited SOLS/24 schools; an organisation dedicated to educating people from all walks of life not only in English, science and maths, but also emotional and relationship education (something we could no doubt use in Australia).

It’s strange to be in a place where a single lane, lineless track constitutes a ‘highway’. Timor was a massive culture shock, but not in the way you’d expect. Everyone was so keen to associate with the ‘malae’

Timor-Leste (also known as East

Timor) is a nation home to over a million people on the eastern side of the island of Timor.

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(the affectionate term for ‘foreigner’) and quickly called you ‘brother’ or ‘sister’; a strange juxtaposition. The most overwhelming realisation that I had was that I am so incredibly lucky; not (just) because I have an incredible school, food on the table or a strong Wi-Fi connection (that’s great; don’t get me wrong) but because of the language that you are reading this article in; English. Being a fluent English speaker is just about top priority for the people of Timor-Leste; it’s the only way to access REAL opportunities.

Most people in Timor are (at least) bilingual; speaking both Tetum (the ‘local’ lingo) and Portuguese (#colonisation) but many people also speak Indonesian and several of the local dialects. It’s amazing that people know so many languages, but the problem (for the most part) is that they’re essentially useless outside of Timor’s small boarders. Portuguese is a great language but the closest (geographical) country that shares this national language is Brazil; which is pretty sucky when it comes to educational and trade opportunities.

So the best thing that Pacific Project could do to help people who had been through Hell and back was to talk. To listen. Not only did discussing life (during and after the conflict) give the Timorese people an opportunity to

practice their English, but it gave us the opportunity to piece together the giant puzzle of Timor’s fight for independence. Listening to people’s stories of strength and struggle made me realise the importance of communication; whether between leaders making decisions or friends deciding on where to hang out on the weekend.

If you’d like the opportunity to make some mad memories, gain some crazy insight and form friendships as strong as this small but incredibly resilient nation, check out the UN Youth website and keep up to date with all national and local UN Youth projects.

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Travel and Lifestyle

New York may be the most highly populated and coveted metropolis in the entire world, but it deserves this title! After a two week stay in Manhattan over NY’s summer vacation, I’m going to take you through my top

7 tips to either add to your bucket list or to see, if you ever visit the Big Apple.

Somewhat less iconic than the Empire State Building, the Rockefeller Centre is an amazing spot to view the greatest city on earth from 70 stories above the ground on the observation deck at the ‘Top of the Rock’ and take photos of the buildings that surround it! On the opposite side of the spectrum, seeing the city from the water with Circle Line Sightseeing Tours provides unique views of all five boroughs.

Rockefeller Centre: ‘Top of the Rock’; Circle Sightseeing

A cupcake ATM you say? Yes! Sprinkles Bakery located on 780 Lexington Avenue (a short walk from 5th Avenue and totally worth it) has a cupcake ATM which after ordering the flavour of your choice, immediately dispenses a boxed cupcake from a shelf re-stocked every morning from inside the bakery. Definitely an awesome culinary experience!

Cupcake ATM: Lexington Avenue

One of the most filmed and photographed locations in the world, Central Park, though almost entirely man made, is also one of the most beautiful attractions in the city which can’t be missed, whether you cycle or walk.

Central Park: Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge, Boat House Cycle Tours

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As a girl who is obsessed with Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Sex & the City and Gossip Girl among others, I was a tad excited to see locations from all of these fantastic New York based movies and TV shows! On Location Tours’ TV and Movie Tour was not only a really funky way of seeing the city, but went to places like Monica and Rachel’s apartment building from Friends in Greenwich Village, the Plaza Hotel from Home Alone and dozens more awesome famous spots!

by Ash Watson

TV/Movie Tours

Musi- CALS!

If you’re a fan of musicals, New York is a hub for performers and stage shows, on and off Broadway. A cool place to eat while in the city (perhaps before a show) is Ellen’s Stardust Diner. Staff and all performers who will usually end up on Broadway, will sing (and sometimes serenade you) throughout your meal. Whether you love the Lion King or Wicked, musicals in New York are crazy and unique experiences which you definitely should not miss.

Yankee Stadium

Brooklyn Bridge

Whether or not you are a baseball fan, while in New York, it is definitely well worth cracking open the piggy bank to experience America’s favourite pastime, baseball! The atmosphere is incredible and with a hot dog in one hand and cheesy fries in the other, you’ll feel like a total local.

Walking the Brooklyn Bridge has always had a spot on my bucket list, and not only is it free to walk across from Manhattan into Brooklyn, but it has some excellent views of not only the Manhattan Skyline, but all the way out to Staten Island and the Statue of Liberty.

People to see:Even just spending an afternoon people watching in New York City can be a fun and unique way to experience the city and it’s free! You’ll definitely see some weird, wacky and wonderful people wondering around.

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Travel and Lifestyle

YOUR GUIDE TO BEING A PERSON

1. How to make small talkRegardless of whether you think small talk is a waste of time, you are generally going to have to engage in it in order to be socially accepted. It is a great launch pad into deeper conversation. However, there is only so much you can discuss about the weather. And what is worse, is that people often mirror each other when they make small talk, because your brain automatically tries to be non-confrontational towards the other person (trust me, I’m a scientist) (sort of)) (this extra parenthesis is just because I don’t like even numbers, sorry))).

For Example:Cerise: The sunny weather today is lovely.Reginald: Yes, it is lovely.And then awkward pause.

So, here is how to REVOLUTIONISE the way you interact.

Firstly, don’t ask question with a monosyllabic answer eg. How are you? Good. Do you have a sister? Yes.

Also, sometimes it can be good not to ask people about their job. People are more than their profession, and the individual is often much more interesting.

Ask questions like these:

What did you do on the weekend?What are you looking forward to this week?How do you know (insert mutual friends name here)?What does your name mean?If you could have a dinner party with five people, living, dead, or fictional, who would they be?

Also, small talk is a great way to gain someone else’s perspective. For example, if you’re a student looking at going to university, ask about their experience at university! What they studied, where, did they like it, etc. Small talk can advantage you as well!

Finally, although it may feel a bit creepy, asking lots of questions and seeming interested is really important. The person you are talking to will feel appreciated, and people always love talking about themselves!

by Rosie Georgelin

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2. How to apologize like a mature adult (always in person!!):

Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody has those days. Eve-rybody knows what what I’m talking about, everybody gets that way. Just like Queen Miley tells us in her hit ‘Nobody’s Perfect’, people do make mistakes. However, the next step is being able to not only be sorry, but express it properly to those you’ve hurt.

Whatever you do, do NOT use the word ‘if’. You know what ‘if’ does? It shifts the blame back onto the other person. You are a mature, responsible adult; you take the blame!

Bad apology: I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, I didn’t think you would get so worked up about it. Honestly, it was just a joke, GOSH *sassy hair flip*

Good apology: I’m sorry I forgot about your guinea pig’s birthday. It was totally out of line for me to do that, and I will try to remember next time.

You’re a person. You have a life. But do you have life skillz (with a ‘z’ for extra street cred)? If you feel you are a little lacking in the finer technicalities of life expertise, then HAVE NO FEAR, for this article is a gift from me to you (aren’t I kind?).

Now this life skillz list could go on endlessly, because there are lots of things to know about the world, like how to identify a poisonous mushroom, how to tip properly, how to do anything remotely related to a computer (except for MS paint, I’ve got that down pat).But here is a few you will hopefully be able to use in your everyday comings-and-goings.

3. You’ve just sent a message to the wrong person:

Oh god. You just wrote this massive gushing message about the most GORGEOUS guy/girl you’ve ever seen and guess what. Instead of sending it to your best friend, your brain staged a mutiny and sent it TO THE PERSON. Abort mission.

Okay, straight away turn your phone on aeroplane mode before the sending bar reaches full.

Catastrophe diverted!

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As most of you know Drawing North played at St Clare’s day this year. Local Canberra boys

Chad Barnier, Drew Southwell, Ethan Sharp, Jake Allen and Michael Po (all of whom are totally on Facebook ladies!)

They gave us a good show and left about half of the school feeling faint after all that screaming. They have actually released an album as well as another one shortly. So get your hands on it! Read the following for an exclusive interview with Drew Southwell, from Drawing North!

When did the band start and how?We started in 2010 after Po (singer) and I met while looking at Christmas lights. Funky story I know.

What are some of your most memorable things about the band and the boys in the band? Some of our most memorable things- we went to America last year and recorded an album, sold out our very first CD launch at Albert Hall to 600 people. One time opening a car door onto an oncoming cyclist by accident and knocking him out!

Have you been signed yet?We haven’t officially signed yet but we have an incredible team behind us and are currently negotiating different deals!

Who in the band is single and who is not?3 out of 5 of us are single; I'll let you girls guess who they are, haha.

Drummer: Drew Southwell

A different sound: Drawing North’s album available on iTunes

By Chloe Aksenov

Arts and Entertainment

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#90sKidTVShowsBy Megan Braido

As a kid, we have all come across a weird but favourable TV show. Whether it was on Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network or ABC, you knew exactly what day and time it was. Personally I have to admit that in the past 6 years, there have been awful children television programs. Firstly, what has happened to the animated Bananas in Pajamas or Angelina Ballerina? CGI (Computer Generated Image) happened. From here I say this is a tribute to the 90’s kids and what shows we have grown up with (Sorry 00’s!). Here are the top 3:

Previewing on the ABC, Round the Twist is a legendary TV show known for its bizarre happenings, good laughs and profound weirdness. This show is based on bizarre magical adventures happening to a family who live in a lighthouse. One of the episodes includes a man giving birth to babies through burping. If that isn’t crazy enough, I had to turn to Wikipedia to explain another crazy episode: “In an effort to prove that he can do anything the older kids can do, Bronson befriends a water spirit who gives him the power to win a peeing competition”. The question I pose is: Have you eve-err (da-a da dum), ever felt like this?

Round the Twist

That’s So Raven is a humorous and easy to watch TV show. Suited for both children and young adults, it is based on a character Raven Baxter. She is a bubbly teenager who enjoys having fun with friends, being with her family and making her own clothes. Raven isn’t your average teenager though; she has the power of being psychic. “Ya Nasty” is one of the memorable quotes and a memorable scene is her ‘visions’. I have to agree with Raven on: Oh, Snap!

That’s So Raven

This is one of the best shows to grace Disney Channel. The first thing that came to mind was the clumsy teenage blonde with the desire to fit in at high school. Being a kid, I had a dream I wanted to fulfill, that when I reached high school I wanted to carry around my own folder AND have my own locker. With the success of Lizzie McGuire, they made a movie about it. I am currently studying Italian and this movie is always a winner to watch! This is why the TV was successful: we could relate, it made us laugh and we needed to know what happened with Lizzie and Gordo. So ladies, here’s to Lizzie McGuire: We only do the best we can and sometimes we make it, sometimes we fake it.

Lizzie McGuire

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Arts and Entertainment

Coming in at number 10 is the 3D Holographic TV. This TV will allow its viewers to be able to turn their heads and view whatever they’re watching from a different prospective. Futurists believe that this technology will be available to the public in 2020, which isn’t that far away although the expensive price tag will probably postpone the purchasing time for you and your family.

10: HOLOGRAPHIC TV

Top10

Although the title of the next invention suggests a personality change or a new brain for your brother Jeff, a future brain implant could actually help people with early symptoms of dementia, stroke and other brain injuries. Futurists believe that brain implants will be available to human volunteers by 2015 and by 2023 this memory restoring technology will be available to the public. This technology aids in memory restoration by stimulating damaged areas of the brain by using electrodes.

Who ëven wants to be the next Charles Xavier?” said no one ever! The first generation of brain/computer interfaces reached the market in 2010; simple commands were made possible by the use of sensors although this technology was slow and required lots of bulky equipment. Due to advances in modern technology and cognitive neuroscience, futurists predict by 2020 messages will be able to be sent via wireless headsets and visors, but these headsets require lots of concentration. By 2030 virtual telepathy technology has been perfected and even minaturised into cheap and implantable technology. In case you are wondering about your thoughts being stolen, virtual telepathy technology comes with free personal fire walls :)

In 36 years, MRI machines will be the size of a hand held camera, instead of taking up a whole room. Futurists believe that this pint sized miracle can take real time videos instead of taking only taking static photos. Not only would they be cheaper that going to an imaging centre, hand held MRI scanners could also help people in developing countries.

9: BRAIN IMPLANTS

8: VIRTUAL TELEPATHY

7: HANDHELD MRI SCANNERS

Here at the Seeker we have counted down many things: Top ten places you should visit and many many more. This countdown is a little different, it’s out of this world…. well you will be by the time these inventions have been physically made (Unless you’re a wizard)! Ladies and Ladies, I introduce to you The Top 10 Futuristic Inventions!

By Jacinta Evans

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Futurists believe that by 2065, the average person could stop aging. Wow, let’s take in that sentence for a few seconds… Well I’m done! Due to an explosion of information and technology in medicine, combined with advances in nanotechnology, it’s now quite possible to stop aging. Although the morality of these treatments are being debated, the general public seems to be in favour of it. Futurists believe in 2070 – 2075 treatments will be able to reverse aging!

6. LONGEVITY TREATMENTS

5. FLYING CARSThe title is not misleading. By 2079 futurists believe that flying cars will enter the market for middle-class civilians. At an estimated 4 meters wide these cars will have Artificial Intelligence (AI) and collision avoidance systems, not to mention personalised designs. These cars are able to ‘float’ above the ground which means they will be able to access rough terrain and if you are willing to spend some more cash, some models can even reach low earth orbit for a short period of time!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to fly in a bird’s body, with your conscience and thoughts? Thanks to some heavy duty software and a boatload of money, civilians will be able to ‘download’ themselves into another body such as animals, robots, other humans or even mythical creatures (all of which would be synthetic, don’t worry about your own body being hijacked by randoms!)

3. HIGH TECH CITIESImagine you are a civilian walking down a street in the nearest high tech city, the year is 2150 and any technological advancement ever achieved in the last century will be all around you. The cars will hover above the ground, there will be no traffic jams and everything will be still and silent. Welcome to the future ladies! It sure is quiet; maybe too quiet…. Anyway, futurists believe that by 2150, cities will become high-tech enough to be built (or renovated) into places with antigravity light sources that are hidden from the public. Crime is also almost absent, surveillance is everywhere and police can be summoned instantly. Our future sounds a lot like 1984, doesn’t it?

Thanks to advances in nanotech, it is possible for humans to become trans-human. This means future humans will be able to do a variety of things, which seem to us, like super powers. Some of these powers include: telekinesis (the ability to lift objects with one’s mind), elastic limbs that can stretch long distances and even the ability to manipulate their own atomic structure!

2. SUPERPOWERS

1.ULTIMATE COMPUTERS The year is 4000, and computer science has reached its final and last evolution. Computer science has reached perfection, it cannot get any faster or any more efficient, all knowledge in the computer science area has been achieved. This means that computer science has become an obsolete field of study.

4. MIND UPLOADING

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There are two different ideas about the origins of this saying. One is that a storm sounds a lot like cats and dogs fighting. The other is from Norse mythology. It was believed that witches caused storms and rode the winds in the shape of black cats. The God of Storms is described as being surrounded by wild dogs. So, put two and two together and you get “it’s raining cats and dogs.”

Arts and Entertainment

10 COMMON SAYINGS and their meaningsHave you ever said or heard a saying and had no idea what it means or where it comes from? Well, even though you probably don’t know it, you are actually quoting bits of history. Hopefully, these 10 common sayings will help you look at the things we say every day in a different way!

1. Raining cats and dogs: Raining really heavily

2. Put a sock in it: To stop talking

3. Go the whole 9 yards: To try one’s best

4. Saved by the bell: To be rescued from an unwanted situation

5. Spill the beans: To reveal a secret

6. Waking up on the wrong side of the bed: To feel grumpy; irritable; to be easily annoyed

7. Cat got your tongue: When you are lost for words

8. The walls have ears: To be careful what you’re saying because people might be listening

9. Double cross: An act of treachery, committed on a previous partner in dishonesty

10. Let the cat out of the bag: Reavling facts that were previously hidden

In the late 19th century gramophones or record players had large horns to amplify the sounds. The machines had no volume controls so an easy way to lower the sound was to stuff a woollen sock inside the horn.

In World War II fighter pilots were given a 9-yard chain of ammunition. Therefore, when a pilot used all of his ammunition on one target, he gave it; “the whole 9 yards.”

As scary and horrifying as it sounds, being buried alive was a common event. People who feared that this would happen to them were buried in special coffins that were connected to a bell above ground. At night, guards listened for any bells in case they had to save them “by the bell.”

In Ancient Greece, they used beans to vote. One container for each candidate was set out in front of the group members who would place a white bean in the container if they approved of the candidate and a black bean if they did not. Sometimes a voter would accidentally knock over the jar, revealing all of the beans and allowing everyone to see the votes.

The left side of the body or anything having to do with the left was often considered evil. To ward off this evil, innkeepers made sure the left side of the bed was pushed against a wall, so the lodgers would have no other choice but to get up on the right side of the bed.

There are two different origins for this saying. The first is connected to the cat-o’-nine-tails – a whip used by the English Navy for flogging, which caused so much agony it left the victim literally speechless. The second origin is that people used to cut out the tongues of liars and feeding them to cats.

When Catherine de’Medici was Queen of France, some of the rooms in the Louvre Palace were known to have a network of listening tubes so that what was said in one room could be heard in another. This is how the suspicious Queen discovered state secrets and plots.

In the old days, (when not many people could read or write) a person was asked to sign his name with an “X” or cross, which was perfectly legal. Many times this was done under pressure and the party making the “X” had no intention of observing the terms of the contract. The law said that if a cross was doubled (one was written over the other one) then the contract was worthless. So a double-cross was used to describe someone who promised in word or writing, but then changed their minds, or never intended to obey what they agreed to.

This saying got its origins from 18th-century street fraud. Suckling pigs were normally sold in bags, and a popular scheme was to replace the pig with a cat and sell it to a naïve victim.

by Caitlin Davies

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‘

by Holly Williams

For many of us, music is a big part of our lives and whether we love ‘mainstream’ or ‘indie’ tunes there’s definitely a music festival or two (or three or four) somewhere in the world you want to attend. Now in late July I was one of the lucky 27,500 triple j worshippers and flower crown wearers to attend the well-known Splendour in the Grass Festival in Byron Bay. Whilst having the best 3 days of my entire life, I also learnt quite a lot about why music festivals are such an amazing experience. Upon my return to reality, the most common question I received from those who knew what Splendour was (but were oblivious to the sheer size of it) was, “So was it a bit like Groovin’ the Moo then?”, to which I had no comment to give but silence. So let me break down the difference between small-scale, one-day festivals in comparison to a giant 3-day extravaganza in hopes that you will begin saving up this very instant.

Atmosphere What I didn’t expect was how massive a festival of this magnitude would be. For those of you who have been lucky enough to attend the single day festival here in Canberra, ‘Groovin’ the Moo,’ let me tell you now that the festival ground at Splendour is at least five times the size, minus the camping grounds! The 3 stages were about a 10-minute walk apart and they were all huge. The 2 ‘small’ stages were the size of the 2 main Groovin’ the Moo stages combined and the Amphitheatre (which was the main stage) was immense. Made up of a wide base and a steep hill around, it had the ability to comfortably fit the record crowd of 27,500. It is the sheer size of the place that separates 1-day from 3-day festivals all over the world.

Camping Ever wondered why you’re forced to go on school camps? Well it’s so you’re prepared for when you will someday camp out for 3 or 4 nights at a music festival. Don’t be disheartened if you’re not a fan of being stuck in a tent in the wilderness, because this style of camping is very fun. Firstly you have neighbors! Extremely close, and extremely loud ones! You will find yourself lost in the vast sea of tents and RV’s and you will be a little less scared of midnight visits from bears, but possibly more worried you’ll have someone trip over your tent strings and fall into the tent with you at some ungodly hour (but its less scary than a bear right?). Sure drop toilets aren’t great and you’d most likely go 3, if not 4 days without showering (queue up for 2 hours OR see live music – your choice), but that’s what makes the experience. However baby wipe showers are good at scrubbing a few layers of dirt off and tricking you into thinking you smell kind of nice. Dry shampoo is also a necessity so that your flower crown looks like it’s sitting upon freshly washed hair (but hey, a bit of that grease really helps to keep it in place when you’re jumping around)! Really the grossness is all part of the experience, and when everyone around you is unwashed just the same you won’t notice it!

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Arts and Entertainment

Food Breakfast is super important at a festival. What is advised is that you grocery shop before hand and bring a solid mix of the healthy and unhealthy stuff to get you through. You want to have a big breakfast, snacks through the day (usually you skip lunch, you really don’t have time) and buy yourself some dinner from one of the many delish places – I lived on Grill’d at Splendour and I have no regrets. The key is to snack on healthy food (carrots and celery seemed popular) and drink as much water as you possibly can. A one-day festival takes a lot out of you, but when you have to get up and do it 3 days in a row, your body needs all it can get to keep you standing!

It is all these things that make up why massive music festivals are so amazing. So whether it’s Glastonbury, Coachella, Tomorrowland or Splendour in the Grass – get saving and bring your best florals, your tent and your baby wipes ready to have the absolute best time!

Live Music The best element of these 3-day festivals is how much live music there is (duh). Splendour, for example, started at midday and ended at midnight each day, with bands playing for 45 minutes to an hour across the 3 stages so there was always way too much to see! What I love most is the diversity of bands at music festivals; so there was the popular ‘right now’ artisits like Foster the People mixed in with some oldies like Outkast who were mixed in with some even older (but very cool) Hoodoo Gurus (rock band from the 80’s, teachers you know who I’m talking about! They pulled a pretty impressive crowd!). What is also great is that while you may not love or even know all the bands that are playing, it is guaranteed you will come away with some new faves and those you may not have liked on record managed to impress you with their amazing live set. The one thing I like to tell people who talk about not wanting to see certain bands at festivals, (because they don’t like them) is that when you’re there surrounded by thousands of people and so much is going on around you, pretty much any live music will be good music!

Culture From Indigenous performances to monks and even Amish People, there is an appearance and appreciation of many cultures at festivals. In between stages there was always something going on that you could watch or even sometimes join in on. So not only are you surrounded by a variety of individuals but also so many different cultures too. What is nice is that major festivals encourage performances to showcase how diverse and open we are (and should be) to other cultures!

Splendour 2014: Vance Joy

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Memes and Competitions

Let’s Thrift...

Best bridesmaids outfit

Cost: $12

Favourite item/outfit: Well mine's a top and a skirt, but I really like the top I: Did anything surprise you?T: Yes! It was really good quality, and reasonably priced I: What did you learn about op shopping?T: To keep an open mind

TemaireOutfit most-likely-to-get -Millie-asked-on-a-date

Cost: The dress was $9 and I also bought a pair leather

pants for $4

Favourite item/outfit:Probably the pants because

I’ll likely wear them again

I: Did anything surprise you?M: I was actually really

surprised at how cheap everything is

I: Did you learn anything

about op shopping?M: That what someone else

might disregard, someone else might really like and then

it becomes worth something and the money goes to a

charity which is great!

Millie

One Saturday morning, the wonderful winners of the Seeker’s Selfie Competition were put to the test: can they really pop some tags with only $20 in their pockets? View their creations which would have made Macklemore proud.

by Catherine Langron and Angie Lu

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“I felt like Kim Karsdashian at one point”

Workplace sophistication

Cost: $20 Favourite outfit?Well I really like the wedding dress, it’s actually really nice I: Did anything surprise you?Isi: The clothes were actually really good quality, some stuff is amazing I: Did you learn anything about op shopping?Isi: It’s definitely worth going because there are some really fabulous pieces

Cost: In total it was $15 *We found out later her blazer was half price so everything was only $10.50, making Laura bargain hunter of the day

Favourite outfit/item?Totally the orange blazer I: Did anything surprise you?L: Yes! There’s so much variety! I: Did you learn anything about op shopping?L: Yes, that I should come in more often for more clothes. Thrifting is good because it’s all about recycling, old trends are coming back in so why spend $50 on a blazer when you can thrift and spend $9?

Isi

LauraBest Op Shop Outfi

Cost: $19 in total

Favourite outfit/piece?I would say my green plaid

jacket, it’s pretty funky.

I: Did anything surprise you?

A: The amount of people who are actually out op shopping surprised me

I: Did you learn anything

about op shopping?A: Recycling is great

Anastasia

Best Scottish themed outfit

Cost: $17 total

Favourite outfit/piece:G: I can’t decide. I love my

furry vest and my tartan skirt so much!

I: Did anything surprise you?

G: It was so difficult to decide, there was too much

stuff

Gabby

Memes and Competitions

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Castilia’sSTORMby Meg Richardson (Seeker Writing Competition Winner Term 2, 2014)

The sky that draped over the widened kingdom of Castilia was merciless. The rain beat down from the darkened heavens while flashes of lightning followed. Making the cobbled path surrounding the castle lit for few precious seconds before fading back into darkness. It was written fact that no one in their right mind would ever be outside in these horrid conditions. But then again, the folk that filled Castilia’s walls were not exactly ordinary. Between bangs of thunder that echoed over the town, merchants hurriedly exchanged products and gold with eager customers. Yelling at each other to try and drown out the storm. The knights, armored in their black steel attire would roam the streets with watchful eyes, occasionally stopping their shift to race eager youngsters up and down the muddy streets on their horses. The mothers of Castilia would laugh from the rain covered café lounge, yelling words of encouragement to the children as they sprinted next to the stallions of the soldiers.

A tall honey haired figure stood amongst the crowd on Clover Street and watched events unfold with a smile at the corner of her lips. Her figure was cloaked in a casual scarlet red gown with her hair unusually coiled around her head in a tight bun. Her name was Aurelia Falcon, fifth daughter of founder Colin Falcon and the only royal-blood successor. To be more precise she was Castilia’s first and only Queen.

As the thunder sounded a third time the queen tapped her foot impatiently and had a marvelous idea. With her right hand she signaled for the local musicians sitting on the sidewalk to strike a tune, kicking up her skirt as she ran onto the marble courtyard in the middle of town. This was the time to make a good impression.

“Dance with me David!” Aurelia yelled running to grab the nearest observer. The man seemed flustered for a moment yet obliged, grabbing the queen’s hands and joining her in spinning around the garden. Within five minutes twenty other people had joined the floor, letting down their hair and dancing in the storms eye. The music got louder as an invitation for the rest of the town to join the dance. Soon a line stretched from both ends of Castilia all members dancing to the far off music in an out of beat rhythm.

It was the thunder and music of that night that managed to drown out the cataclysmic crunch of the earth below. The darkened sky hid the rising of volcanic smoke just one hundred kilometres away. Castilia, a once thriving city of community and prosper, died that fateful night. Underneath the ashes of the volcano Mount Davao. All its citizens moulded into eternal rock, sculpted into the position they were last in before they died. Do not worry though, because their last position is not one of fear. The bodies were moulded together in pairs and lines, musicians to the far right;

a city dancing in the storm.

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Memes and Competitions

for you

Brought to you by Rosie, Ellen and Angie

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YOUR TEAM 2014Angie Lu

Ash WatsonCaitlin DaviesCaitlyn Baljak

Catherine LangronChloe Aksenov

Clementine WraithEllen Davies

Holly WilliamsJacinta Evans

Katelyn TsipirasLizzie Crane

Lottie TwyfordMegan BraidoMegan PhippsNikki Kaylock

Rosie GeorgelinSarah Smyth