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THE BUZZ ISSUE 5 BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 1
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 1
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 2
IN THIS ISSUE… BUZZ Media Team:
Year 11
Vy Hoang
Angelina Kosena
Queenie Nguyen
Tanya Truong
Natalie Veljanovska
Sereen Omran
Year 10
Aditi Kulkarni
Deane Ngo
Jessica Phan
Hadeel Salam
Year 9
Alicia Nguyen
Sabrina Sadek
Year 8
Nithya Iyengar
Anooshay Omer
Khadija Salim
Cover by Natalie
Veljanovska
Special thanks to all of
our additional
contributors!
Winner of the Director General’s School Achievement
Award, Curriculum, Provision and Delivery
▲MONA STREET▲BANKSTOWN▲2200
▲PHONE (02)9709 6788FAX▲ (02) 9796 3971
www.bankstowng-h.schools.nsw.edu.au
Contents 1. Cover
2. Contents
3. Principal’s report
4. Deputy principals’ report
5. Winter Mania 6. Confidential Coding
7. Pmma night
8. Abcn focus 2
9. ABC Excursion
10. Quantom physics
11. UBS
12. Day with a Director
13. Visual Arts
14. X –factor
15. Be All In
16. Rec Sport
17. School Tree day
18. Environmental Notices
19. Sustainability
20. Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital
21. Don’t be like Heba
22. Pokemon Go
23. Marina Joyce
24. Food Recipes
25. Book Club
26. Book Reviews
27. Movie Reviews
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 3
I would like to welcome
everyone to our first
edition of the Buzz for
Term 3. As I sit here
typing I can only marvel
at how quickly the year
is moving forward and
how lucky we are to be at
Bankstown Girls’ High
School. I am proud to
talk about how hard our
teachers work and the
effort that they are
putting into given the
girls the best
opportunities to engage
in a vast range of
experiences. I will
outline a few of these
here and I hope that you
enjoy reading about all
of the other wonderful
programs being run in
this edition of the Buzz.
At the beginning of Term
2, 8 students from years
7 to 10 and two intrepid
teachers set off on a
journey into the mystical
world of coding. Our
school was chosen as a
pilot school for a new
community program
being funded by the
Commonwealth Bank
that was focussed on
introducing careers in
technology to school
students. The girls were
inducted into coding in a
two day intensive
workshop run by the
Coder Factory Academy
and this was followed up
by weekly sessions of 90
minutes for the
remainder of term 3. The
girls developed a
website that allowed the
creation of interest
groups and provided the
opportunity for the girls
to discuss within groups
areas of interest. As you
can imagine with the
current craze of
Pokémon this was one of
the first groups created.
The girls were taken on a
number of excursions to
organisations like
Google and Dropbox to
see how they run and
what it is like to work in
those organisations. The
culmination of the
project was a full day
excursion to the
Commonwealth Bank
Innovation Centre where
the girls were given a
guided tour and spent
some time exploring
new technologies and
the taking a tour of the
Bank’s offices where
they develop all of their
digital technologies. A
group of girls presented
their completed
application for staff of
the Commonwealth
Bank and the Coder
Factory Academy and
were then awarded
certificates for their
participation on the
program. This was a
great experience for the
girls and recognised the
hard work they had put
into this program. The
Commonwealth Bank is
now planning on rolling
this program out to
other schools based on
the advice provided by
our organising teachers,
Mrs Saisanas and Ms
Martinsons. This is the
first of what will be
many ventures into the
world of STEAM
(Science, Technology,
Engineering, Arts and
Mathematics).
On Wednesday the 3rd
August our Creative and
Performing Arts Faculty
held their Winter
Festival. It was a
wonderful celebration of
the girls at our school
who show an incredible
talent for Creative and
FROM PRINCIPAL LEARY’S DESK
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 4
Performing Arts. The
girls’ talent was on
display for an audience
of almost 300. All of the
girls who performed,
created artwork and
decorated the hall
should be proud of their
efforts. I always look
forward to seeing the
talent of our girls and
how enthusiastic they
are in sharing. I would
like to congratulate our
amazing teachers Ms
Carpenter, Ms Voros and
Ms Vassiliou who
worked so hard in
putting this exciting
event together.
Mr Nadile has been
working hard over the
last term to establish a
relationship with the
Australian
Broadcasting
Corporation (ABC) to
provide opportunities
for our girls who are
interested in careers in
journalism or
communications. Our
Buzz team with their
coordinator Ms Alam
will be spending time at
the ABC developing their
skills and learning more
journalistic techniques
that they will bring to
the Buzz. Angelina
Kosena attended a
function for the
Multicultural Youth
Awards as a guest of the
ABC due to her interest
in pursuing a career in
journalism. She spent
the night developing
contacts, learning about
the role of the ABC and
meeting a mentor who
will guide her in pursuit
of her goals. As the
program develops more
girls will have the
opportunity to work
with the ABC and gain
insights only possible
with this relationship
between the school and
the ABC. Mr Nadile has
worked hard to establish
this relationship and the
opportunities for our
girls are incredible.
I do need to write about
the use of mobile
phones at school and
reinforce our
expectations of the girls
in using them
appropriately. We allow
the girls to bring mobile
phones to school as we
recognise that they are
an important part of
their lives and that there
may be a need before
and after school as
parents might need to be
in communication with
their daughters. This
also places an onus of
responsibility on the
girls to use them in a way
which complies with
school rules and our
“Guidelines for the
acceptable use of
electronic devices”. In
this edition of the Buzz
you will find the
guidelines published and
I would like to encourage
you to discuss this with
your daughter to
reinforce what is
acceptable use of these
devices at school. I
would also like to
highlight that if you need
to get an urgent message
to your daughter during
the day that you contact
the school on 9709 6788
and one of our office staff
will pass that message
on. The girls are not
allowed to make or
receive voice calls
during the school day so
any urgent messages
should be send through
our office staff.
As a reminder if you
have changed any of
your contact details can
you please pick up a
change of details form
from the office and
complete it so that we
are able to contact you
about your daughter
about her progress or in
case of an emergency.
I hope you all have a
great second half to the
term.
Mr M. Leary Relieving Principal Bankstown Girls’ High School
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 5
Not many days until
Spring is springing and
the birds are singing!
BGHS had a wonderful
celebration to farewell
winter with our Winter
Mania night.
Congratulations to all
the musicians and artists
who entertained us on
the evening. A sea of
onesies coloured the hall
and made for a fun night.
Pouring rain and
freezing winds outside,
couldn’t stop the
warmth of laughter and
celebration in the hall.
We would like to
particularly thank the
three blue haired
wonders: Ms Voros, Ms
Vassiliou and Ms
Carpenter. They bring a
whole new meaning to
the “blue rinse set”.
Another winter…this
time one of discontent is
Year 12 and their
approaching exams. We
would like to wish you
all the very best for your
Trials. You can only do
your best if you are on
time and sitting in your
chair in the hall!
What a lovely week,
week 4 was! Kindness
and sparkles and
happiness and joy and
smiles filled the air at
BGHS. Random Act of
Kindness was a roaring
success and brought lots
of good feeling to the
school. Thank you to all
the randoms!
Now that we are half way
through the year, we
would like you to reflect
on all the wonderful
learning opportunities
happening in the school.
Year 10 and Year 7
Debating teams are
undefeated in their zone.
We have a
representative going to
state athletics in Year 7.
Year 12 generously
fundraised and donated
a cheque to the Caroline
Chisolm School for
Special Purposes. The
Best Me program is
encouraging positive
relationships. The Be All
In UWS - Canterbury
Bulldogs program is
developing sporting
skills and youth
community
involvement. The
University of NSW
ASPIRE Yes We Can
program is empowering
young Women of African
background, whilst the
Say It program from the
Muslim Women’s
Association is helping
young women of Muslim
background find a strong
voice in society. The ABC
Television and Radio are
mentoring our girls and
exposing them to the
world of journalism and
current affairs. While the
Sydney University
mentors continue to give
their valuable time to
assist our girls in their
writing. STEM is an
exciting new project that
is embracing the world
of coding.
Wow….phew….we are
exhausted with all that is
happening.
Ms Carmody & Ms Porreca Deputy Principals BGHS
FROM THE DEPUTY PRINCIPALS’ DESK
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 6
WINTER MANIA
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 7
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 8
Written by Anooshay Omer
Edited by Deane Ngo
A whole term of coding,
creating websites,
exploring different
languages that we
thought never existed,
endless amounts of code,
and sets of instructions
in the oh so infamous
eerie command prompt
(“The scary black thing
that the hackers use in
movies” – Jamie The
Coder 2016)
On the 25th of July, the
STEM girls had the
amazing and fortunate
opportunity to go on a
fun-filled excursion to
Commonwealth Bank.
We got to experience
how coding is used in a
work environment and
to graduate. IT WAS
FINALLY GRADUATION
DAY!
And then in a matter of
what only seemed like
seconds, we were there.
To our surprise, it didn’t
complement society’s
stereotypic bank visual.
It wasn’t dull. No
cubicles. It wasn’t quiet,
it was actually quite the
opposite end of those
stereotypes. People
were hustling and
bustling, talking about
their projects and it was
practically a beehive.
It was incredibly
inspiring as well as
motivating to see a huge
amount of people using
their teamwork skills to
create beautiful arrays of
code every day. It was
extraordinary to witness
great ideas come to life
as our tour guides
showed us around many
levels. This office was
like a peek into the
future, with those cool
see through lifts and
advanced technology
giving it an edgier and
futuristic effect.
Who thought a bank
could be so cool? So
advanced and so
futuristic?
First up, we were
greeted warmly by the
employees and then it
was off to a tour which
was a brilliant kick start
to our wonderful day.
Our mouth hung open in
awe. I mean I had never
seen so much sticky
notes in one room. We
had entered “Garage 1”
where coding teams
usually meet to discuss
new ideas. There were
endless rows of
whiteboards and
whiteboards AAANDD
MORE WHITEBOARDS
with sticky notes on
them in different
colours!
After that shock of a
lifetime, we encountered
these REALLY COOL
virtual reality glasses
with joysticks which
absolutely turned my
whole life upside down.
The Virtual Reality
Glasses formed this
whole realistic world
where you are the
character that manages
financial issues that
arise throughout the
story. Moving the
character was the hard
part. There was a VERY
EXTREMELY WOBBLY
joystick that moves the
character reaaaaally fast
#thejoystickstruggleisre
al.
Anyways, it was scary
especially because of the
cartoon people because I
swear I saw one of them
give me a death glare
THE TIME WE BECAME HACKERS …. JOKES!
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 9
and SHE HAD RED EYES!
Same happened to one of
the other girls. Yep, it’s
confirmed. The weird
virtual reality people are
after us. DON’T BUY
VIRTUAL REALITY
GLASSES KIDS!
Then, there was a blue
hologram in the corner
of the activities room
WHO ACTUALLY
EXPLAINED A GAME TO
US AND HER MOUTH
WAS MOVING. A PIXEL
LADY WAS TALKING TO
US! And it was just SO
COOL! Next thing you
know you can snapchat
your friend’s hologram
selfies in the future. That
would be cool.
Next, a few employees
presented, explaining
how to work in a team
and how learning to code
is a very useful skill for
the future. They wanted
to encourage females to
enter this field as it is
stereotypically male
dominated.
Finally, it was time for
what we all had been
waiting for. THE
SHOWCASE! A few brave
girls presented their
work to the people who
invested their money
and support to make this
pilot program possible.
So a shout out to them! A
few of the students stood
up and were ready to
give their speeches as I
looked intensely at a few
of my friends, you know
just to tense things up a
bit, haha. After I received
a few death glares from
my friends in return, the
STEM girls began to
explain their webapp.
After that, we had
LUNCH! Definitely the
highlight of the day! The
aroma of the food was
slowly travelling into
our noses. I was literally
drooling as I couldn’t
wait to get my hands on
some delicious food. We
were all pretty tired and
this was a good way to
finish off the day and
finally graduate by
getting certificates.
After some hardcore
group work,
presentations and a
yummy lunch, it was
finally time to head
home. HOME SWEET
HOME!
On behalf of the STEM
girls we would like to
thank Mrs Saisanas and
Ms Martinsons for
organizing all these
amazing opportunities.
Special shout out to
Jamie the Coder and
Steve the King of Coding.
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 10
Written & Edited by Angelina Kosena
Being chosen- I mean,
nominated for a possible
career with the ABC
seems like a dream
right? Something that
would definitely come
straight out of a book,
literally the equivalent of
getting a McLaren P1
(check it out- it’s my
smexy car in the
future^_^) for my 21st
birthday. But then,
thinking about how
weird I am and
wondering how I even
got this far in life- this
would seem more
believable.
So, here’s how
everything happened
from my literal
perception of the series
of events:
Mr Nadile waltzed into
my Drama class (that
consisted of only 4
students) and waved his
wand at me telling me he
had some grave news. I
pouted and wondered
what more could I have
possibly done to ruin my
reputation at this school.
As my mind boggled
along with the possible
excuses I could give, he
told me that he was
giving me the gift of
interpreting my future:
He found- that the ABC
TV has chosen a student
to be mentored by a key
ABC journalist in the
field of Media
Communications- it is
YOU *pointing at me
with his wand*. As he
told the future, my main
thoughts was simply the
most brilliant answer to
the entire revelation:
Huh? … *eyes widening*
… wow… OMG… *almost
faints* … *Mr Nadile
grinning from ear to ear
nodding at me* … wow…
O_O
But yeah - you get the
point now right? So,
mind you he told me the
future last term… And
the first day back he
fluttered towards me
again and pretty much
said: “… Hey, you’ve been
invited to the NSW
Multicultural Media
Awards on Thursday,
think you’ve got a formal
dress on ya? …” Maybe it
was because I was
distracted by his wand
again or his wings this
time, but I don’t think it
ever came to my mind
that he gave me 2 days to
look for a good dress…
But when I finally
realised that I thought: …
WHAT THE HECK? ONLY
2 DAYS? *screams* and
another problem was - I
was utterly broke… from
all the spending during
the holidays *shrugs
sheepishly*. But luckily,
Miss Carmody
understood what it’s like
to be a female - and
fluttered along to help
me out with Mrs Helwani
and Miss Elsayed (I am
forever thankful to the
three - thank you so
much!)
So I had my dress, my
makeup, my hair and my
transport ready- Mrs
Stevens my designated
Taxi Woman *wink
PMMA AWARDS NIGHT
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 11
wink*. Getting there was
a struggle - with the GPS
taking us to the Blue
Mountains, and then
consulting the help of
Maps on the phone made
us well on our way to
being - late *cringe*.
Although, we actually
weren’t as it seemed - we
were just in time for the
beginning. After
wondering around the
place with my mouth
half open (the
chandeliers were
beaooooootiful *sigh*),
we met with Johanna
Elms who works with
the ABC. She took us to
our table that consisted
of the following people:
Paula Kruger, Sally
Jackson, Raveen Hunjan,
Peter Gotting, Danuta
Kozaki, Gunes Gungor
(ZAMAN Australia
advisor on Turkish
affairs), Angela
Calabrese (Settlement
Services International)
as well as Kanwal Singh
(from the Indian Sun
newspaper).
All had amazing stories
to tell - how they work,
who they work with
specifically (I found out
that I would be working
with Paula and her boss
for a bit during my
program, so all smiles on
that) and even how they
came about their jobs.
Although I chatted a lot
with the guests on the
table over a mouth-
watering 3 course meal
(slobber slobber), I just
had to be a creep and
stare at everything and
everyone!
Everyone was constantly
talking, exchanging
business cards,
interviewing even -
despite the fact that
there was a presentation
of awards being held.
However, overall - how
the heck could I have
been this lucky? I have
no idea but I thank
everyone who had a
helping hand in giving
me this shot in pursuing
my career goal as a
journalist. Thank you to
Mr Nadile, my English
teachers, Mrs Carmody,
Mrs Helwani, Miss
Elsayed and extending it
also to my family -
wouldn’t be here
without your timeless
lectures about doing
something good with my
life. :) And so, I therefore
sign out with a note that
whenever a chance
reveals itself - snatch it
up when you can, it only
ever comes once… twice
if you’re lucky. XD
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 12
Written by Tanya Truong
Edited by Vy Hoang
And… your girls are
back!!!
Previously on ABCN
Focus 1, eight Year 11
students of BGHS set foot
in the business district,
into a professional
building to review the 7
major keys to success…
(MAJOR KEY ALERT).
Back in March we were
given the opportunity to
start a program whose
basis was “leadership”.
(We are all about that
WOMEN
EMPOWERMENT!) It so
happened to be that on
the 8th of March, when
our first session started
which was also
International Women’s
Day. Arriving early at a
tall building and riding
the elevator to the 4th
floor with photos of
women we aspired to be;
with the curiousness of
George and the shyness
like that of a
kindergartener, we
made ourselves comfy.
After our third session, a
new and rowdy bunch
left speaking in tones
louder than the inside
ones to bid adieu to
newly made friends.
Continuing on in July, we
have returned and
anticipated new
mentors, fresh food and
another firm - TAL. New
and exciting sessions
brought to us by town
planner, actress Louise
Taper, we could not wait
for the endless
possibilities to come
from our recent journey.
These 3 sessions about
the importance of
leadership,
characteristics of it and
communicating as a
leader have helped us to
further develop our
skills as seniors of our
ABCN #FOCUS 2
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 13
school. All sessions have
helped us individually in
various ways whether it
be a reflection on our
own skills and
capabilities, realisation
that not only will we be
seniors of the school but
practically leaders, role
models, THE influencers.
Closely collaborating
with those with
leadership roles in their
workplace has given us
insight to their
experiences along with
the course of action they
chose and opportunities
that arose for them.
We’d like to thank Ms
Arambatzis and Mr
Owen for putting up with
our rambunctiousness
when they were joining
us to these sessions, and
an especially big THANK
YOU to Ms Alam for
organising the details of
this excursion for us.
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 14
Written by Vy Hoang
Edited by Tanya Truong
On Wednesday 10th
August, the Buzz team
and an additional 5 year
7 students attended an
ABC workshop about
Journalism. Leaving
Bankstown at 8:30am,
eager for what was to
come from the session
that day, we hopped on
our 45 minute trip to
Central station.
After arriving at Central
and tapping off (don’t
ever forget to tap off!),
Miss Alam and her sense
of direction guided us
around the block. So
much for Google Maps…
Reaching the famous
ABC Studio, we were
greeted by Sasha and
Johanna Elms whom led
us and helped us find our
way around the giant
building.
Our first session was all
about photography and
getting our angles right,
non-selfie style. We saw
equipment used by
social media reporters
and journalists and
practiced our own
photography skills using
the rule of thirds grid.
After putting our skills to
the test and many photos
later, we reunited and
moved onto the next
session about writing an
article to captivate
readers and engage the
audience. In this session
Sarah McVeigh from
triple j’s Hack and Jason
Om, a Lateline reporter
talked about choosing
the latest scoops and
reporting them. Triple J’s
Hack is targeted at
young people and talks
about the topics
important and relevant
to teenagers in this day
and age. Lateline is
produced by the ABC
and features current
affairs.
Nearing the end of the
session, as we are guests
and act professionally,
Queenie of our Buzz
team went to thank the
reporters. However
there was a mishap with
names and she
accidentally called Jason
Om, John. She was
terribly apologetic and
Jason Om was forgiving;
even Miss Alam was
having a laugh about it.
Queenie was unaware
that this was only the
beginning of her day of
embarrassments.
Sitting for lunch and
waiting to be seated on
the terrace at the top, we
ABCTV EXCURSION
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 15
met an ABC Sports
Editor named David who
offered to show us the
newsroom – claiming
that journalists should at
least visit the newsroom
once when they visit the
ABC. After the tour and
meeting many friendly
faces working to bring
the news daily to us, we
headed to lunch.
Lunch was over and we
went on our way to UTS
to finish off our next 2
sessions. We discussed
in the first lesson upon
arrival what is
newsworthy to us and
touched on many events
and headlines in the
news that we found
interesting and deciding
whether the headlines
were true to the context
that was provided.
Towards the end of our
conversations, we were
informed of the
opportunities that UTS
had to offer and if we had
any further questions.
One question in
particular about needing
to use the toilet as a
student was inching
away from the table to
the door.
Heading into the second
session, we had looked
at the use of social media
and the way news is
spread through those
different mediums. One
of the tasks required the
girls to report on a
recent event or issue at
our school and publish it
to any type of social
media platforms. Each of
the groups talked about
different events such as
the recent stray dog
intrusion, the ‘Random
Act of Kindness’ for a
week and Sandeshia
Walker’s record
breaking records as well
as Malcolm Turnbull’s
legislative plan. Majority
of the groups chose
Snapchat as a way of
spreading the news
around school to the
students.
It was an eventful day
full of laughter and
enjoyment from all the
girls as we went on our
merry way back home.
All the Buzz students
would like to thank the
teachers involved with
making this day possible
and bringing together a
new partnership with
the ABC. We have
enjoyed this new
learning experience and
insightful event. Thank
you to Miss Alam for
taking us around the city
in a day we’ll remember
you when we’re all
journalists.
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 16
Written by Aditi Kulkarni
On the 17th of August,
whilst most of the Year
10 students attended
crossroads, 5 students
were given the
opportunity to attend a
physics lecture at the
ABC Studios escorted
by none other than Mr
Blanksby. The physics
lecture was based
around an interview
with Michael Biercuk,
an experimental
quantum physicist.
Throughout the
interview, we learnt
about quantum physics
theories explaining the
nature and behaviour of
matter and energy on a
subatomic level. Not
only did we learn its
everyday applications
but we also learnt
quantum physics future
applications such as the
quantum computer.
“The future of research
in quantum physics is
promising new
applications that sound
more science-fiction
than science. Today,
scientists and engineers
like myself, are
studying how the
strangest phenomena
in quantum physics –
concepts long thought
to be nothing more than
exotic mathematics –
can be harnessed as
resources powering a
new generation of
disruptive
technologies.” - Michael
Biercuk.
QUANTuM PHYSICS
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 17
Written by Queenie Nguyen
Edited by Tanya Truong
UBS Finance Academy is a
5 day program (from the
11th to 15th of July) for 50
students across NSW, ACT,
and VIC. It was an intense
5 days; I learnt about
finance at UBS and about
the jobs that were offered
at the UBS Academy.
Day 1: 49 other students
and I had to meet up at
11:45 at Dunmore Lang
College, Macquarie. I was
extremely nervous
walking in with my
luggage and having to
make friends straight
away. Alan and Sharon
whom were our very
genuine and caring
coordinators greeted us
and Caroline Stewart gave
us an overview of the
week. Nervousness was a
common feeling that we all
suffered and was what
bonded us at the beginning
of camp.
After the grand tour of the
college where we would be
staying, we did some team
building exercises and ice
breakers. The activity that
I dreaded the most was
public speaking. It wasn’t
as bad as I thought it would
be because of the moral
support I had. After that,
we had a presentation of
basic financial concepts
and our case study was
introduced as well as
learning outcomes
presented by Sharon and
Alan. A previous UBS
Finance Academy
participant who is now
employed by UBS was
Maggie O’Neill; she talked
about her personal
experiences and life after
her tertiary education.
After the first day blues,
we were given the key to
our rooms for some much
needed rest.
Day 2: Tuesday the 12th at
6:30am, we started our
intense day off with a
morning run. By 8am we
UBS FINANCE ACADEMY
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all got into a bus and made
our way to UBS. We were
given our personality test
results and listened to a
presentation about a day
in the life of a UBS
employee and the different
roles that they have in the
finance sector such as in
the operations department
or in equity research. After
getting to know the people
and place, we were
assigned our first case
study.
Based on our personality
test results, we were
categorised into groups of
3 introverts and 3
extroverts to work on
another case study, buying
of video game
technologies, which we
had to prepare to present
it on Friday.
Day 3: Wednesday the
13th, we were briefed on
Equity Capital Markets
Funding which was very
interesting as it explained
how money is raised for
companies to buy other
companies and merging
with other companies. At
11am we were off to Stone
& Chalk; an independent
and non-profitable
organization helping
people to start their own
business. After our visit to
Stone & Chalk, we met with
the CFO of the Art Gallery
of NSW. I was given the
task of introducing him to
everyone. He talked about
his occupation and the
finances of the Art Gallery.
Arriving on the 16th floor at
UBS, we were met with an
amazing view. At the
Canapé function we met
the wonderful employees
passionate about their job
and how they got to where
they were today.
Day 4: Thursday 14th,
hopping onto the bus after
breakfast, we made our
way to the CNBC TV studio.
The network updates the
finances and economy
nationally, in Australia and
internationally. We were
given a tour of the studio
and the chance to debut
our news anchor personas.
We retired of our positions
in current affairs to
physical exercise. Greeted
by trainer Josh from
Metamorphosis Personal
Training, we were exposed
to intense boot camp
training. A workout to be
proud of for finishing to be
honest!
Day 5: Friday 15th, the last
day ! Ensuring that I had
everything packed, we
travelled by bus to UBS for
the last time to present our
case studies that we had
been working on all week.
SUCCESS! Presentations
were above expectations.
A closing address was
made and the award
ceremony proceeded. We
then had a graduation
lunch where we watched
our graduation video made
by Jackson, a participant at
the UBS Finance academy.
When it was time to say
goodbye at the airport,
tears were shed and hugs
were spread. After being
reunited with my family
again after a week, we
were well on our way
home.
This whole experience has
definitely been
worthwhile; I'd do it all
over again. I had so much
fun whilst learning and
this opportunity met me
with happiness and
laughter. I developed more
confidence in public
speaking due to the
speeches we were to
present each day and
many skills that I will
apply in my own learning. I
met the most amazing and
passionate people and
gained some lifelong
friends during my stay.
I want to thank Mr. Dalton
for reviewing and helping
me with my application
and to Alan and Sharon for
being the most welcoming
people at UBS. Especially
Sharon – mini story time
with Queenie. It was
Wednesday (Day 3) and I
was wearing my new pair
of flats. Have you ever
bought new shoes so
beautiful that you wait for
a special occasion to wear
them? Well, upon wearing
the flats for the first time, I
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 19
was attacked with blisters
to the ankles; ABORT
MISSION! Sharon being the
lovely person she is, went
out of her way to buy me
more comfortable flats
that I could wear the rest
of the day.
I am extremely thankful
for Sharon and everyone at
UBS Finance Academy who
made the camp the best
week ever. To those doing
business studies in 2017, I
highly recommend that
you try out and apply for
this prestigious program.
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 20
Written by Deane Ngo
Edited by Sabrina Sadek
On the 1st August 2016,
Sabrina Sadek and I sunk
our teeth into the
internal life of a member
in the NSW Department
of Education. As part of
the Director for a Day
program, we were
privileged enough to
have shadowed the
Education Director of
Bankstown, Ms Jan
Green.
The day commenced
with a visit to our
neighbouring schools,
Bankstown Public
School, where we were
proactively greeted by
the schools’ principal
and deputy principals.
Throughout the visit to
the public school, we
popped into the
kindergarten classes and
the new arrivals class
where it was evident
that the school
recognises the
uniqueness and worth of
each individual student.
Sabrina and I were both
very amazed at the
quality of teaching that
the school provided- the
teachers provided
support for the students
and showed effective
and different ways of
approaching certain
situations to help
support students
learning.
Progressing from the
visit to Bankstown
Public School, we were
then driven to one of the
offices (situated in
Glenfield) where
meetings are held with
different directors of
education
communicating with
each other through
video conferencing. As
part of the program,
Sabrina and I, alongside
two other students,
discussed ways in which
directors can enhance
students’ education. We
then projected our ideas
to other “Director for a
day” participants (who
visited different
directorial offices)
through video
conferencing.
Personally, this was the
highlight of the day
because I was able to
voice out opinions to
people enthroned to
positions who can make
a difference in the
education system and
hear opinions from other
students. With these
subjectivities from
different students, I will
be bringing these ideas
back to the Student
Representative Council
in hopes of improving
the school’s learning
environment.
Rolling the ball of
inspirations, our last
stop was to Sarah
Redfern High School.
Sarah Redfern High
School catered for over
200 primary and high
school students who
competed in the
Campbelltown Academic
Challenge and the Battle
of the Arts. We visited
the art classrooms
where we were
astonished and
speechless with the
products both primary
and high school students
can create. The school
was very vibrant and the
reason behind the
school’s vibrant colours
DIRECTOR FOR A DAY
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 21
is to encourage the
school’s core values of
independence and
individuality.
The day coming to an
end showed an
instantaneous frown
from me and Sabrina.
But looking at the
positives, it became
appallingly clear to us
that the roles of a
teacher is not as easy as
it looks. As students, we
don’t see the hard work
they put into preparing
classes each day. The
eye-opening experience
showed us the behind
the scenes of what
teachers go through and
after realising all
teachers’ tremendous
efforts in pushing their
students, we would like
to acknowledge and
thank all the staff at
Bankstown Girls’ High
School for their endless
support and motivation.
Also, a big thank you
goes to Miss Alam and
Mr Leary for nominating
myself and Sabrina-
within a day, we were
able to make friends
with students from
different schools around
NSW. To Ms Jan Green,
we would like to thank
you for taking time out of
your busy schedule to
allow us to shadow your
role as Education
Director of Bankstown,
your hard work is highly
commendable.
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 22
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 24
Written by Angelina Kosena & Sereen Omran
Edited by Vy Hoang
Angie’s Perspective:
Being one of those poor
souls out there who
dreams about being up
on the stage, standing
over the X that marks the
spot in front of 3 judges
on television - you could
say that I’ve dreamed a
lot about being on X
Factor and having THE
voice… *eyes dart
towards Serena Sabine
and clears throat* … I’ve
always thought that the
judges would help you
out and be so kind, and
you know - the usual
sunshine and lolly-pops.
^_^ But on the first of
July, 60 music students
from BGHS managed to
score free tickets to
watch the auditions of X
Factor this year… and
that was when our eyes
were finally opened - to
the light, and to the
truth.
[Insert dramatic music]
dun-dun-duuuunnn!
We never got the chance
to be on camera! Like
what kind of injustice is
that? Sorree, we had
places to be *cough
cough* and couldn’t stay
till 5pm to watch
auditions! But
nevertheless, we made it
our day! *war cry*
Obviously, we had our
amazingly mind blowing
performances that got 4
yes’ (mind you I was one
of those weirdoes yelling
‘YAS!!! SAY YAS!!!’ at Iggy
and Guy - so it was 4
yes’) and the not-so-
good performances
which were… turned
down by the judges who
were booed on
constantly by the
audience (BGHS
included *laughs* *no
shame*) But what stood
out to me the most was
the fact that everything
was so… (how should I
put it nicely?) Scripted?
Fake? I don’t know how
to explain it properly,
but it was really hard not
to judge Adam Lambert’s
and Guy Sebastian’s
sarcastic but ‘mean’
comments on a
contestant’s singing.
*sigh* Oh yeah, and the
warm up guy like really
annoyed me, always
made me wonder why
the judges didn’t even
react to his snarky
comments about them…
-_-‘ Oh well.
But despite the day
feeling really short, it
was an exciting
experience for all of us -
and that’s all thanks to
Miss Carpenter for
organising this
excursion for us and to
Miss Fox for
‘chaperoning’ us to the
venue. Oh yeah and
thanks to all of the girls
who came, not only were
you well behaved but
some of you guys even
sang with us when we
were waiting outside
and had nothing to do
but play around with
songs. *grins* Awesome
present ever.
Sereen’s Perspective
Unlike my great friend
Angie here, X factor was
never really my dream
(since I don’t have a
singing voice) all I’ve got
is ten fingers that even
Australia’s Got Talent
would still not put me
through… Not the point
though! I am very proud
to say that I’ve got the
best music teacher as
she always manages to
X-FACTOR: EXPECTATIONS VS. REALITY
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 25
amaze me every day, I
mean what the heck?!
Free tickets to see three
of the biggest celebrities!
Who doesn’t want that
right? (Can I mention
that Iggy waved at us?
HELL TO THE YASS!!!)
As I got the chance to
attend the excursion
with few of my other
friends, we didn’t expect
what we saw. For 5
whole hours straight,
only 4 people got
through! (That’s not
even one person per
hour jeez *insert
grumpiness here*). The
whole time I was
wondering, how much
money does each judge
get paid to throw a few
comments? Must be
getting thousands of
dollars… still, I’m not
about that life
#brokeforlyf. Did I
mention that we never
saw the host? All we saw
is a warm up guy that
kept cracking jokes and
saying “Asalamo
Alaykom” (Islamic
greeting meaning:
peace be upon you)
every time he passed by
me (great guy *insert
laughing face emoji*).
Other than the jamming
battle we had outside the
venue spitting some
lyrics with music
students, the show was
pretty scripted and not
what you see on TV.
Unfortunately all the
people that touched my
heart with their voices
didn’t make it through
(huge bummer) but good
luck to all the
contestants who did get
through to the next
round. Good luck acting
for the next couple of
months of your life.
Cheers! ;)
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 26
Written by Sereen Omran
Edited by Angelina Kosena
As a great bulldogs
supporter (after
countless times
mentioning the game
scores on assembly), the
GREAT *lol not really xx*
Miss Alam and
HARDWORKING Ms
Kalivitis, went above and
beyond to organise this
after-school sports for
development program,
hosted by UWS-Bulldogs
for selected students
from years 7-11 to
experience social
cohesion through sport. I
am one of the lucky
students to have been
selected to attend this
program for a duration
of 8 weeks in term 3 and
participate with
community
organisations.
On the first day of the
program, we were all
really excited to hop
onto the official
‘Bulldogs’ bus. That itself
was overwhelming for
our girls. Our first
session was held at the
Belmore sports ground
home to the almighty
bulldogs. Upon arrival
we were reminded to
remain silent as we walk
through the
headquarters as it is a
place of business. Then,
we were directed to a
UWS-BULLDOGS: BE ALL IN PROGRAM
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 27
lecture room where we
met with Leena Mourad
from the Lebanese-
Muslim Association. She
prepared a presentation
for us on a significant
and relevant topic:
Valuing Diversity. Leena
had prepared a range of
different activities
prepared which helped
us better understand the
meaning of stereotypes,
prejudice and
discrimination, and
learn about each other’s
differences. She
managed to engage
everyone in a game
where she asked
different questions such
as- “Have you
experienced any racial
discrimination?” If the
answer was yes, we had
to stand up, if no, we
stayed seated.
After the presentation,
we were introduced to
our two trainers, Alex
and Paige, who prepared
some rugby drills for
us…sport is always the
fun bit!
After the first couple of
sessions I have realized
that his program is not
just about ‘playing sport’
after school (which is
awesome don’t get me
wrong) but to work
together as a team,
increase our confidence,
tackle our stereotypes
and accept each other’s
differences.
As Martin Luther King Jr.
once said “I look to a day
when people will not be
judged by the colour of
their skin, but by the
content of their
character.”
I would also like to thank
the Bulldog’s General
Manager for Community
Fayssal Sari and
Community Manager
Saree Boutros for
selecting our school to
be part of this exclusive
and worthwhile
program. We appreciate
it
STAY TUNED AS I WILL
BE BACK WITH
ANOTHER ARTICLE AT
THE END OF THE
PROGRAM
REPORTING ON THE
FINAL OUTCOME!!
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 28
Written by Alicia Nguyen
Edited by Sabrina Sade
“It’s rolling… it’s rolling…
and.. yep I knocked down
zero pins again.”
It’s safe to say that I’m not
the greatest bowler in our
school. Recalling the time, I
threw the ball into the next
lane like a 10-year-old.
Well despite this awkward
event, I was especially
keen on attending this
year’s recreational sport
excursion.Rec sport is a
program organised
annually by the PDHPE
faculty, which offers
grades 9 & 10 a fantastic
opportunity to expand
their fitness abilities. This
is achieved by
experiencing diverse
varieties of recreational
sport throughout the year,
from yoga to ice skating.
On Wednesday the 10th of
August, year 9 and 10
students from BGHS
eagerly made their way to
Villawood’s AMF bowling
and laser tag. We each had
the opportunity to
participate in 2 vigorous
games of laser tag and a
nail biting round of ten-pin
bowling.
With sweaty palms, a
whole lot of laughter and
surprisingly good food, it
was an unforgettable day
which brought us all closer
together. I have to admit,
my friends and I got
slightly carried away in the
competitive atmosphere
during arcade games
(regretting the $12 spent
of air hockey).
Overall, it was a feel good
day that everyone
undoubtedly appreciated,
with great memories, great
food and great people.
Special thank you to the
PDHPE staff who organised
this event. We appreciate
it!
RECREATIONAL SPORT
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 29
Written by Insharah Imran Khan & Hannah Haddad
Edited by Vy Hoang
On Friday, the 29th of
July, our environmental
group dedicated some
time spent interacting
with the nature
surrounding our school
as we celebrated the
annual School’s National
2016 Tree Day. This year
was very special as we
partnered up with Noble
Toyota who provided us
with tree guards, gloves
and shirts.
We wore their gloves
and worked all day
beautifying the area
around the school and
adding a greener touch
to natural environment
surrounding our school.
We worked productively
most of the day behind
the art rooms and near
the hall removing the
weeds from the garden
beds, cleaning the areas,
and planting a number of
native plants and trees.
Noble Toyota’s
Customer Service
Consultant Amina
Cheikho and Retail Sales
Manager Warren Hooke
surprised us by driving
the new Hybrid Corolla
car to our school. They
explained to us about the
benefits of driving a
hybrid car to save petrol
and minimise its impacts
on the environment. We
were fascinated by the
advantages of this
powerful and economic
vehicle that is capable of
generating its own
electricity by paddling in
order to keep going
without worrying about
petrol and its bad smell.
We also had the
opportunity to take
photos and ask
questions.
The School Tree Day was
a fun and productive
day. We enjoyed getting
our hands dirty, being
active and working as a
team gardening and
planting new shrubs and
trees. We also enjoyed
learning and improving
our knowledge about
hybrid cars and ways to
sustain our
environment. The day
was a success as so much
was experienced by the
members of the
environmental group
and a lot was
accomplished with the
planting process. We are
very thankful for
TOYOTA’s visit to our
school as it contributed
to joyfully celebrate an
amazing national tree
day.
SCHOOL TREE DAY 2016
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 30
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 32
Written by Hariet Owusu
Edited by Vy Hoang
Plants are truly amazing,
living and generous
creatures. They produce
oxygen, remove carbon
dioxide from the
atmosphere, provide food
and shelter for animals and
beautify our gardens,
parks and outdoor setting.
They also provide building
materials which are used
to build our cities. These
environmental reasons are
the driving force behind
our school to always be
part of National Tree Day.
Working actively outdoor
away from the TV and
computer screens and
electronic devices will
make us healthy and
happy.
One of the many positive
findings about working
outdoor is that spending10
minutes outside is enough
to lower our blood
pressure and improve our
wellbeing. Eating lunch in
the park or dinner in the
yard, taking the laptop
onto the balcony to do
some work are all simple
actions that can have a
positive impact on our
health and happiness.
Adding a little bit of nature
to our everyday activities
can enhance our health,
happiness, ability to learn,
calmness and
relationships. This means
that the simple act of going
outside, into the garden,
the local park or one of
Australia’s beautiful
beaches is a free, enjoyable
and easy way to help us
reach our potential and
live a more fulfilling life. So
let’s celebrate The School
Tree Day every day by
spending around 10
minutes working outdoor
and enjoying the nature.
A FREE PRESCRIPTION FOR
GOOD HEALTH AND HAPPINESS
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 33
From the Environmental Team
Environment Club Meeting
Environmental club meeting is on every Wednesday,
recess in room 2 run by our environmental leaders Grace
Sabine & Christina Sunday. Be punctual.
- Grace & Christina
Interested in knitting?
Are you interested to learn how to knit or even teach
others how to perfect their knitting?
The knitting club runs every Friday during lunch in Room
2. It is an opportunity for our girls to learn/teach how to
knit using the crochet hook and/or the knitting needles.
You do not need previous experience. Anyone and
everyone is welcome.
If you know how to knit and you would kindly like to help,
please join our knitting club to teach interested students
how to knit so this fascinating art work will pass on and
stay alive.
- The Knitting Team
ENVIRONMENT CLUB NOTICES
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 34
Written by Khadija Salim, Nithya Iyengar & Anooshay Omer
The Malthusian Theory
The Malthusian Theory is
about how the human
population grows
exponentially
1,2,4,8,16,32, whereas
agriculture grows
arithmetically 1,2,3,4.
Basically, soon there will
be too many humans for
the Earth to supply food, so
for all those food lovers out
there, THERE ISN’T
GONNA BE ANYMORE
FOOD IF THE
POPULATION KEEPS
GROWING!!!!! However,
we can limit population
growth through:
-The postponement of
marriage
-Abstinence
-Increased cost of food
The Purge Theory
The Purge Theory is
basically a consequence
and solution to
overpopulation. To solve
overpopulation there are
only 2 solutions - either
decrease the fertility rate
or increase the death rate.
The Purge is a 12-hour
period of time in which all
crime is legal including
murder and all weapons up
to class 4 are permitted.
This keeps the human
population in control and
unemployment down to
1%. In the next few years, if
our population becomes
out of control, some drastic
measures will have to be
put into action. No matter
horrific it may sound, it will
become a reality if we let
our population rise at this
rate. There will only be one
solution left. One cruel yet
effective one. The Purge.
The 4 Horseman Theory
There are 4 horsemen that
are predicted to be the
start of the apocalypse
stated in many holy books
in different forms. A
horseman for death, a
horseman for famine, a
horseman for pestilence
and a horseman for war.
Do you see one thing in
common or linked between
overpopulation to the 4
horseman? All the things
that the 4 horseman
represent are exactly all
the CONSEQUENCES of
OVERPOPULATION.
Therefore, this is a sign
that overpopulation is the
ultimate core of the
apocalypse of earth. For
instance, overpopulation
causes famine which is
scarcity in food. This
causes pestilence which is
fatal epidemic diseases.
Now, this can be the cause
of war between people for
cures and food or more
space for humans to
consume, then in the end
this all leads to death.
Right now humanity is
going through all these
stages.
There aren’t any four
individual horsemen. Its
overpopulation and
humanity combined that
creates these threats. We
are the threats to
ourselves.
But what does this all
mean? It means that the
world is coming to an
end. Who’s the big
mastermind behind this?
Overpopulation.
Soylent Green not-so-
much-theory because
there’s way too much
evidence
Probably many of you have
heard about the movie
Soylent Green, which was
made in 1973. It is defined
as science FICTION, but is it
really? This movie follows
the storyline of Detective
Thorn who tries to find out
the mystery behind
Soylent Green, which is a
new food produced with
REVENGE OF MOTHER NATURE:
BRINGING ANCIENT PREDICTIONS TO LIFE
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BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 35
crushed humans-including
bones.
This movie is highly
unsettling, and based off
the book “Make Room!
Make Room!” by Harry
Harrison who was
exploring the
consequences of
unchecked population
growth on society. This
book was written in 1966,
which is 50 years-half a
century ago! Imagine how
bad overpopulation is now
if they were so concerned
then?! This very old book
predicted that the
population would rise to 7
billion. It also thought that
ALL resources would run
out in 2022.
What year is this? 2016.
How many years to 2022?
Just 6! 2 years after we
(year 8) graduate.
What is our population
now? 7 billion and
projected to rise to 11
billion, 4 billion more than
now!
Are resources running out?
Yes.
Does SG actually exist? Yes.
Not in the form of crushed
humans, but of animals.
In fact, in City of Industry,
California, a McDonalds
company are going to start
selling a very “cheap”,
“healthy” new burger
called “McSOYLENT” for
people who don’t have
much money, according to
Ken Green. He also
mentioned that it would be
available in the same
colours as in the movie,
green, red and yellow.
The weirdest thing is that
while interviewing him,
Ken Green brought up the
topic of “death” himself. He
wasn’t even asked to! He
started talking about how:
Poor people can’t afford to
bury their loved ones. The
number of unburied
corpses in California is
rising, and we want to help
these people in times of
need, and feed them, with
our cost-effective new
burger.
Ok, ok. Let’s get this OUTTA
THE WAY: What he meant
by “feed them” was much
more gruesome than what
he actually said. Ok, so the
price will go down, but for
what? The dead bodies of
all those unburied corpses.
Why else would he bring
up the topic? Why else
would they name it
“McSoylent” out of all the
creative names (*coughs*
note sarcasm.) they could
think of? Furthermore,
during the interview Ken
Green also had a tendency
to say “Soylent Green”
instead of “McSoylent”. I
mean, come on, you work
for the place you should
know what the product’s
called!! McSoylent will be
launched in America, and
then shortly after, be
launched worldwide.
Please, make healthy
decisions XD
Mother nature – Rising
Natural Disasters
On a global scale,
irrespective of the
frequency or strength of
her blows, Mother Nature
is always at work. One
thing we noticed while
researching this notion of
“The Revenge of Mother
Nature” is that it had one
clear, red string connecting
two topics. Rising natural
disasters occur in densely
populated countries…with,
yep, you guessed it,
overpopulation. Do you see
what I’m trying to say?
Mother Nature is angry at
us and showing what she
can do through rising
natural disasters that are
clearly impacting the worst
on countries that are
OVERPOPULATED.
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 36
Don’t believe me yet? Here’s some of the most-up-to-date proof to back it up:
In these statistics, China,
US, India, Indonesia &
Japan are counted as one of
the Top 10 most populated
countries in the world with
a projected rise in
population. The rest of the
countries follow on,
Philippines with 98.39
million, Mexico with 122.3
million, France with 66.03
million and Thailand with
66.03 million. Notice the
similarity of the order of
countries between both
graphs in the beginning.
Watch out Philippines!!
So in summary,
overpopulation DOES
exist. It’s impacting us
slowly but tragically.
People from the past and
even ancient predictions
are coming to life, so why
don’t we STOP making
predictions when we know
that they’re real. Let’s start
making a change for the
sake of our global
community. What appears
like a good sci-fi book or
movie now could just be a
few of the many ways that
our world might end up if
we continue to be ignorant.
The only difference is, it
won’t be CGI and…
…there won’t be a happily
ever after…
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 37
Written by Sereen Omran
Edited by Angelina Kosena
As I would like to think of my
life as always being positive,
everybody still has to face
the ugly truth of reality. I’m
not usually the one to write
about horrible events- but
this is life as we know it:
TWO newborn babies at
Bankstown-Lidcome
hospital were left mentally
unstable after they were
given doses of nitrogen gas,
instead of oxygen.
Unfortunately, one of them
didn’t make it. This
devastating error left the
Ghanem family in grief with
the mother retelling the
tragic moment - “I held my
baby ... just looking at him,
shaking my son. Wake up!
I would tell him, wake up,
wake up. What have they
done to you?!?” A medical
error which has changed the
lives of those families
forever.
I might not be a mother, but
my heart goes out to those
families, as I know exactly
how it feels to lose a loved
one under such tragic
circumstances. Being a
‘newbie’ in Australia can be
a little hard. Even after 4
years in this country, you
can still be unaware of the
right places to go to or the
right choices you’re
supposed to make. In the
tragic month of February, an
18 month old beautiful girl
named Lara Hashish was
suffering from a high fever,
rash and vomiting
uncontrollably. Her mother
took her to the emergency
room of Bankstown-
Lidcombe hospital but was
sent home and instructed to
give nothing but Panadol
and a cup of apple juice. The
mother, followed the
instructions given by the
medical staff but it did not
help. The following day the
family returned to the ER
department of the same
hospital and waited for 11
hours before Lara was
attended to by a medical
professional. She was given
an anti-viral
medication…unfortunately
it was too late. Later it was
found that Lara had a rare
strain of hand, foot and
mouth disease and she died
the next day…
I, Sereen Omran, would like
everyone to know that Lara
Hashish was my niece whom
I loved dearly and could
never forget. The tragedy
happened unexpectedly and
was so shocking that I did
not realise the impact the
circumstances of her death
would have on my life.
Hearing about the two new-
born babies suffer in a
similar tragedy to Lara
brought back painful
memories. Knowing that
Lara died because she was
medically neglected by the
same hospital has
encouraged me to speak up
and share my story. My aim
is to raise awareness of
medical negligence – it can
happen to anyone. I want
the families and anyone who
has suffered under similar
tragic events to know that I
understand their pain and
grief.
My hope is for the Ministry
of Health to take this matter
seriously and recognize a
need to improve their
medical system to prevent
this tragedy from ever
happening again. I also hope
the Australian government
recognizes the need to fund
public hospitals to ensure
hospitals are not
understaffed, nurses are not
overworked and medical
resources are used
appropriately.
May all those angels rest in
peace.
I dedicate this article to my
beautiful niece, Lara
Hashish. I miss you.
Your best friend and aunt,
Sereen.
THE TRAGEDY AT BANKSTOWN-LIDCOMBE HOSPITAL
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 38
Written by Emily Boskovski & Natalie Veljanovska
On Thursday 21st July,
year 11 students had
their weekly dose of
sport in the afternoon.
The term 3 competition
for sport had begun and
the game was on! From
the moment we were
allocated our teams, we
were eager and set on a
win for our team.
However…
That afternoon “Heba”
who was part of the
black team took school
sport a little too
“competitively”. She was
determined to win by
putting up a fight…no
matter what it may
take…or break.
During the game of
Newcomball, Heba
fractured her finger but
she didn’t think much of
it, even though she
noticed the bruising and
swelling. So, Heba the
tough sport she is, went
home that afternoon
thinking it was nothing
and when she showed
her parents her finger
they were convinced she
will be fine. But that
wasn't “CLEARLY” right.
The next day in her
PDHPE class she showed
Emily and myself her
finger retelling the story.
We, as "doctors"
predicted that it was
either broken or
fractured- so we
prepared a splint for her
finger to help support
and heal the fractured
bone. We approached Mr
Ristevski to see what he
thought of her finger – he
also believed it was
fractured or broken and
that she needed “proper”
medical treatment. Heba
"FACEPALMS" herself as
she didn't realise what
had happened. That
afternoon she had gone
to the doctor to get it
checked out and the
doctor did "EXACTLY"
what we were going to
do, tape it. After doing an
X-ray it was brought to
her attention that she
had actually fractured
her finger. You would
think since she was
currently learning about
fractures and first aid
she would have known
this, but clearly she
didn't even realise or she
hasn't been paying
ATTENTION in class.
I think that Emily and I
would make great
doctors in the future
*grins*. Currently, Heba
is in the recovery stage
where her finger is
healing nicely. Always
get checked out- just to
be on the safe side.
DON’T DO WHAT HEBA DID…
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 39
Written by Jessica Phan
Edited by Vy Hoang
Pokémon Go. A game
taking the world by a
storm. Its fitting that
Pokémon has created its 20
year evolutionary game on
the mobile phone making
headlines crazier than the
24 pack chicken nuggets at
McDonalds. It mirrors its
platform on the mobile
phone something portable
just like the Gameboy.
Nintendo had created
Pokémon with good
intentions such as
connecting with friends,
battling for gyms, making
friends and even a little bit
of exercise in the process.
Swiping forward and
throwing the Pokéball is all
it takes to trap and capture
a single Pokémon.
While Pokémon has its
good intentions there were
as few negative and not so
great moments such as the
server constantly being
down (WHY MAAANNNN).
The adventures in
capturing your lapras can
be pretty ordinary… at
least that’s what everyone
experiences right? For
some rare circumstances
where many players are
oblivious to their
surroundings many have
had quite… let’s just say
unforgettable experiences?
I mean this one girl got hit
by a car, her blaming the
game itself - “It is
Pokémon’s fault for leading
me there!” Yes, I feel
sympathetic that she got
hit by a car BUT REALLY?
THE DUDUO WAS ON THE
HIGHWAY!!! HOW DO YOU
WALK ONTO THE
HIGHWAY?
Another example of… what
would you call this … Hmm
… situation? A 19-year-old
girl was mindlessly taking
a walk finding some
Pokémon where there was
a sighting of Magikarp.
Imagine her excitement
turning into horror when
she finds out she stumbled
across a dead corpse.
Many of these situations
are quite unforgettable
aren’t they? How can
catching a charmander
lead to such uncomfortable
situations. Nevertheless
you gotta do what you
gotta do and catch squirtle
- the slippery guy.
My personal experience
has not been so great.
Going ALLL THE WAY TO
RHODES AND WASTING 45
POKEBALLS ON A
PIKACHU I DIDN’T EVEN
CATCH. You can see where
all my frustration comes
from so stressing.
Now I’m not one to keep
secrets so if you want to
catch them all visit places
such as:
Hyde Park
Rhodes
Our very own Paul
Keating Park
Not to mention the endless
amounts of pokéstops
around Bankstown -
maybe its destiny (I’m not
sorry for the song
references).
Stay safe and catch em’ all.
#TeamMystic
#TeamInstinctSucks
#TeamValorSucksToo
GOTTA CATCH ‘EM ALL
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 40
Written by Nithya Iyengar, Anooshay Omer & Khadija Salim
Edited by Angelina Kosena
A jealous 13 year old
Australian boy,
unaccepting of his
brother’s fate, leads
himself to London and gets
into all sorts of whacky
situations.
2 weeks with the queen?
More like 2 weeks
without...
This is a heart wrenching
story about two brothers.
One is dying from cancer,
the other is dying to find a
cure- but their love
remains undying. Chapters
that are bound to cause
tears yet still, with
glimpses of hope, maybe
Luke, an innocent eight
year old might survive….
Will Collins take it to the
EXTREME and push his
limits? Would you go on an
aeroplane trip across the
world with no guardian at
such a young age?
NOT ME! That's cray cray
but...
...would you do it for
someone who had cancer?
Can Collins put his
jealousy aside to save his
brother's life? Turns out,
he can. His determination
and patience are put to the
test, but time is not on his
side...
Now a few words *looks
down* Ahem, paragraphs,
from the great critics who
toootally have a degree in
criticism.
Dr. Anocshay- Rating: 6.5/10
Comment: Although, this
story has a great storyline,
in some parts it lacks a bit
of connection with the
audience and the story gets
a bit dragged on and
repetitive in some
chapters. Overall, it was a
great read that kind of
awakens us to what
families go through- if ever
a family member was to
suffer from such a horrible
disease like cancer.
KJ the DJ- Rating: 5/10
Comment: This book is a
great read! It definitely fills
you with curiosity and then
feeds it, and looks at
unfortunate events in a
more fun, adventurous and
child-friendly way. It opens
up your mind and teaches
you that, no matter how
cheesy this may sound, you
have got to keep reading
diss maaaan. Oh wait, no,
wrong quote, no matter
what life throws at you,
you have to overcome it,
and Collins ends up
accepting that in the end. It
took an interesting take on
a subject that is usually
extremely heart-breaking.
However, one thing that
wasn't so great about the
book was that it was
excessive in the sense that
it dragged out particular
events too long, and Luke's
fate is still unconfirmed!!
>.< ugh read all that just to
reach a cliff!!
I would advise the author
to keep things simple,
short and sweet but
otherwise, it’s an action-
packed, drama-filled, eye-
watering comedy
(ALTHOUGH THE FAULT
IN OUR STARS Is
BETTER..........NO
OFFENSE).
BOOK CLUB REVIEW
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 41
Written by Angelina Kosena
Edited by Vy Hoang
A Game of Thrones (A
Song of Ice & Fire #1)
TRIGGER WARNING:
*clears throat
awkwardly* Uhm… I
suggest not reading this
book if you’re in year 7, 8
or 9 even… It’s really
intense and VERY
graphic for the innocent
mind… *eyes darting
here and there* you’ve
been warned, lovelies…
A Song of Ice and Fire- A
Game of Thrones.
Something daunting
about the names huh? A
must read for all fantasy
fans and if you happen to
be watching the TV
show… *cough cough*
(though you shouldn’t be
anyways) the actual
books have the better
details. Honestly, my
favourite characters are
Jon Snow and Daenerys’
in the book, but it’s a
different story in the
show. It has its moments
when you cringe and feel
objectified for being a
female, but believe me,
the storyline was jam-
packed and had uh-
mazing plot twists…
surprising at most. Give
it a try - though don’t if
you can’t handle the
extreme ^_^
Talon (The Talon Saga
#1)
TIGGER WARNING:
There are dragons in
there… and the slaughter
of dragons… *sniffs* the
poor dragons…
A change of scene, you
could say, comparing
this series to A Game of
Thrones with the
exception of dragons
being ambitious for
power that is *winking at
all the AGOT fans*. Talon
is an organisation of
dragons aiming to
assimilate within the
human society and after
relentless training,
Ember and her twin
Dante go out into the real
world. Obviously, being
a dystopian type of book,
Ember chooses to rebel
and explores the human
world - typically through
Garret Xavier Sebastian -
an undercover soldier of
the enemy. Definitely a
must read, and a plus?
The covers are pretty!
Lol. I have the tendency
to judge a book by its
cover. Though I
guarantee that this book
is exceptional for fantasy
lovers.
BOOK REVIEWS
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 42
Written by Sereen Omran
DISCLAIMER! This is
not a promotion and I’m
not getting paid to say
these things but it is
GENUINELY a great
movie.
I’ll start by saying…
It has been 32 years
since the last
Ghostbusters movie.
That is 11,680 days.
WHICH MEANS IT’S
BEEN TOO LONG SINCE
THE LAST
GHOSTBUSTERS! This
year it comes back
strong with a lot of girl
power *fans face*. DO
NOT expect to be
watching an action
movie because this
movie will make you
laugh more than
anything plus fighting off
animated ghosts is more
like the cutest action
movie you’ll ever watch
in your life. In this new
version of Ghostbusters,
we get to see the
incredibly handsome
Chris Hemsworth *fans
face harder* playing the
role of an Australian
clueless boy that will
leave you giggling
throughout the film.
While this movie can
provide a lot of
entertainment, it also
sends a beautiful
message on how to
never give up on your
beliefs and friends- no
matter what. Abby Yates
played by the hilarious
Melissa McCarthy does
not give up on her belief
that ghosts are real, and
works (secretly) in her
lab to find evidence to
share with the world.
Watch this movie to see
the beautiful
relationship grow
between four girls and a
hot bloke of a secretary.
Better watch it or I’ll find
you and I will…(Ugh
never mind, I‘m not Liam
Neeson *rolls eyes*). I
don’t know what I’ll do,
JUST WATCH IT! TRUST
MEEEEE! :D
MOVIE REVIEW: GHOSTBUSTERS
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 43
Written by Aditi Kulkarni
Edited by Deane Ngo
“I love your perfume.
What is that, the stench
of death?”
– Harley Quinn.
Based on the DC Comic,
this movie is the perfect
mix of action, comedy,
and nostalgia. Based on
the world’s worst
villains, the government
plans to use evil to defeat
evil. Fire against fire.
How? You’ll have to
watch the movie to find
out. This movie will
make you fall in love
with the kind of
characters you’re
supposed to hate—the
antagonists, the bad
guys. It shines light on
the fact that maybe
there’s more to them
than being evil; it
reminds us that nobody
is born evil, that even the
coldest people were
once as gentle as water.
Monsters aren’t born,
they’re created through
circumstance—and even
then, no person is
infinitely evil. People are
much too complex to be
just good or just bad. This
movie merged the bad
with the good until you
couldn’t tell which was
which, and I thought that
was beautiful. The hero
and the villain; when’s
the last time they traded
stories?
Many DC Comic readers
may argue that the 2-
hour film does not
deliver, despite the
critics, we thought it was
a brilliant change from
the day-to-day hero vs.
villain movies.
“Here's to honour among
thieves” - Floyd Lawton.
Rating: MA15+
Score: 8/10
MOVIE REVIEW: SUICIDE SQUAD
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 44
Written by Hadeel Salem & Jessica Phan
Edited by Angelina Kosena
A 19-year-old London
based vlogger by the
name of Marina Joyce
has stirred some
controversial concern
over her health and
safety. The YouTuber of
600,000 subscribers
practically broke the
Internet and has raised
quite abit of publicity
over the few days, taking
the world by storm.
Her most recent
YouTube video “Date
Outfit ideas” in which
she seems disorientated
and fidgety many have
speculated that:
a) she’s being abused by
her psycho ex boyfriend
b) She’s being held
hostage by extremist
c) She’s overdosing or
under the influence of
illicit substances.
Pretty crazy right? I
mean the whole world
has flipped out heck
even I flipped out after
reading various news
articles.
#savemarinajoyce is a
trending hash tag on
twitter. A fellow twitter
user by the name of
“@rtificialove” states
“people think this beauty
youtuber is being forced
to do her own videos, I
hope she’s okay omg”
with several photos
attached to the tweet. In
each photo there are
timings from the video,
which has raised
concern. Commenting on
her weird body language
and almost unnoticeable
details such as:
a) Seeing a mysterious
paper almost as if she’s
reading off a script
b) A faint “help me”
(doesn’t that creep you
out?)
c) How her eyes look
beyond the camera with
fear
d) Forced smiles
e) Some sort of
shotgun???? (you know
its serious)
f) Mysterious containers
on her night stand
Many people complain
that her personality and
body language is
changed and seems
forced. After Marina had
tweeted that everything
was okay and how she
was overwhelmed by
love and support she live
streams to then people
start sending her “secret
messages” not to
mention the two blue
lines under her right eye
which is the meaning of
domestic violence.
Some messages
throughout the live
stream chat include
a) make a love heart sign
to show that your in
trouble
b) touch your hair (I
know this girl is in
trouble but seriously?)
There is again lots of
speculation about what
exactly is happening to
her and I myself am
curious too.
#SaveMarinaJoyce
#savemarinajoyce
THE BUZZ ISSUE 5
BANKSTOWN GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL 45
