A Dozen Diabolical Questions
In the spirit of staying connected and having some fun during Stage 3 Restrictions, we asked a Year 12 student and Girton staff member to share a little more about themselves. We asked them 12 questions which have been popularized by Marcel Proust, who believed that, in answering these questions, an individual reveals his or her true nature.
Finn MacGregor (12 Riley)
What is your greatest extravagance?
My greatest extravagance would have to be the post City2Surf breakfast, which consists of a drink (iced coffee/caramel milkshake) and a snack (pie/sausage roll)
What is your greatest fear?
At this point in time, I cannot list off this, however when I was younger death or dying would have certainly been it.
Which living person do you most admire?
Ben Shapiro is an individual who I admire because of his intelligence and wit in political debates.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
A phrase which my peers used to always remind me of was when I used to always link back common experiences to my World Challenge trip to India, such as the saying “When I was in India…”. There are other catchphrases though that escape me, but acquaintances in my year level are more than happy to remind me of them.
Which talent would you most like to have?
The talent which I would most like to have would be the gift of the gab. This trait is one that I desire as my interests such as politics require one to have this, and in debates this would enable me to be more coherent and appealing.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
A thing that I could change about myself would be standing up for myself better, as the lack of this ability for me has made it tough to deal with bullies.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
A few achievements which I am proud of are being appointed to the office of House Prefect, but also in primary school when I was appointed House Captain.
Where would you most like to live?
There are many places I would like to go (too many to list here), but my top ones are moving to my old home in Wollongong, moving overseas to Israel (because of my interest in the country, it’s politics and history) and America (meeting Donald Trump and Republican politicians, as well as Ben Shapiro and other conservative political commentators).
What is your most treasured possession?
My most treasured possession is a Bible that I got in Year 7 at Religious Assembly. This is because when my house was robbed at the start of the year whilst my family and I were on vacation, the thieves took everything out of my top drawer except the little Bible. Since that day I have regarded it as a good luck symbol.
What do you most value in your friends?
What I most value in my friends is loyalty and affableness; two traits which I believe are very important in life generally. Another trait is “agreeing to disagree”, in the sense that whilst they might not see eye-to-eye on everything with me, we still respect one another.
What is it that you most dislike?
One thing that I dislike/hate is the political ideology of Communism, which I have hated ever since I read the famous autobiography The Gulag Archipelago by the well-known Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn, in which he described the fundamental tyranny of communism in the USSR. My peers will also remember some incidents; one at the Year 12 VCE Conference, when I refused to smile (and almost left the photo entirely) as an unnamed student brought a photo of the infamous Vladimir Lenin, and recently when my History teacher was handing out CCP badges and I loudly refused to get one, asking instead for a badge of the Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek.
What is your motto?
My motto is “be your own person”. This is because I believe that a sign of strength in one’s character is to not cave into the mob.
Mrs Jenny Geyer
What is your greatest extravagance?
Brunch and scones with jam and cream.
What is your greatest fear?
Being disorganised.
Which living person do you most admire?
My best friend.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Lovely.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Singing.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Be able to order at a restaurant quicker.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Making state teams in gymnastics, raising my kids.
Where would you most like to live?
By the beach.
What is your most treasured possession?
My sense of self-worth.
What do you most value in your friends?
Honesty and loyalty.
What is it that you most dislike?
Lying.
What is your motto?
Give your best in whatever it is you are doing at that moment.