Student News

Word from the Editors

Welcome Back, this is our second edition of NHS Student News!

With a uniquely varied student body involved in everything from leadership to the many clubs and societies that add to Nossal's trademark love of learning in any field, we felt that for the average student frantically checking emails, scrolling through NEO and reading the newsletter, it can be a bit of a pain to stay on top of the unpredictable Nossal lifestyle. Ladies, gentlemen, welcome to Nossal Student Newsletter.

The student newsletter aims to change that for the better. Keep an eye on this page for all the information on big student events, news from clubs, reminders about important student matters and much more.  We sincerely hope that it aids you in not only surviving your busy student life, but thriving in it too.

There's a lot to see and do here at Nossal. With all of the tests, assignments and homework tasks, it can sometimes be incredibly difficult for the average student to truly be aware of all the opportunities at their fingertips. This newsletter aims to help you cut through to the information that YOU need.

So stay awhile, have a browse for a few minutes and come again soon!

Indira Unnava and Abhishek Kumar

Student News Editors

Meet the Writers

Meet a different writer here each issue:

Indira Unnava

Hi!! I’m Indira Unnava, a Year 12 student and one of the editors and writers of the NHS Student Newsletter. Being involved in many extracurricular activities in Nossal, I strongly believe that student participation and voice is important. I am very passionate and enthusiastic about NHS Student News and hope that it will open a space for student expression and become a place for students to publish their writing and talk about things they want to discuss. I hope you enjoy your read! :)

NSU News

Nossal Societies Union (NSU) is a student body that which works for the stability and support of the clubs and societies of Nossal High School. The NSU aims to reform clubs and societies to enable students to take part in the culture of Nossal High School. So far, the NSU has created a calendar listing the times and locations of all clubs, societies, and student groups for students’ convenience. We’re organising the budgets of clubs and societies, meeting with the SRC to discuss fundraisers, assisting with organising the Sir Gustav Nossal Medallion, and helping clubs and societies run events! You can find our information on the NSU Noticeboard, opposite the canteen.

Currently, NSU has been dealing with the financial side of things, sorting through the budgets for clubs and societies. Within the past couple of weeks, the NSU has received funding requests from several individual clubs and societies. The money is used to enhance the quality of the club and the experiences of the group, as well as provide funds for summits that will be held in Nossal. The majority of funding requestions have been approved by the Executive Team and Ms Shute, and official notifications will be sent out shortly.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any Executive member of the NSU - our contact details are on the NSU Noticeboard! If you have a club that is yet to be registered, please contact Malhar Palkar for more details.

Indira Unnava

NSU Secretary

Quote of the Week

The Stork has visited Nossal in May

Congratulations Mr Jose and Mr Hamilton and welcome Eden and Eddie!!

Congratulations to both of your families on the safe arrival of your new bundles of joy. May this time be one that you always cherish and can look back on with fond memories. As new parents may you be filled with much joy and happiness with your babies.This is such a wonderful time for your families and we hope that parenthood is filled with lots of fun, love and cuddles. All the very best!

Meditation Club

10 simple quick ways to relax and unwind, when you are really stressed:

Meditative Colouring 

Stand up and do stretching

Close your eyes

Drink a glass of cold water

Run on the spot

Listen to your favourite song

Watch a cute cat video

Laugh

Take a tiny nap

Write down your worries in a notebook, then set it aside for tomorrow

Meditation Club runs Tuesday lunchtimes. :)

Indira Unnava

Meditation Club Leader

Caption This!

Are you good with words? Caption this photo!

Each fortnight there will a photo and in 10 words or less simply caption the photo. The most creative caption will appear in the next edition.

Please email studentnews@nossalhs.vic.edu.au with your caption.

Creative Writing Club

Peace 

Peace.

It is defined as ‘freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions’ as per the definition of the Merriam Webster dictionary.

I sincerely agree. There is nothing flawed in that definition. However, as I scroll down the page of the online dictionary, I find that there are other definitions of ‘peace’. Peace, like love and fear, is a concept with no materialistic weight, but rather an intuitive depth. I can’t touch peace, but I certainly can feel peaceful or at peace. Just as all concepts, peace too has more than one concrete definition when the calling of peace arises. It is a subjective notion to each individual, rendering my clarification of peace as different, and a world away from a Syrian refugees.

Peace too, can be twisted out of its speaker’s nuances to appear as a deformation of something opposing the purposes of the idea of peace. This idea of peace holds above all differing classifications, an authoritative positive connotation. This connotation is a wisp of an idea of peace that we all hold onto so close to ensure a shred of stability in the word’s ever-changing meanings. Human as I am, I prefer to delude myself that this meaning is what I truly ever need, but upon contemplation, I come upon a sliver of experiencing what ‘peace’ may potentially mean to me. What I experience is once again only unique to me and only touches briefly on the possibility of which is peace. It is by no mean imperative for others to define peace by my terms as we often do in everyday language, but people should reflect too on what peace means to them and carry out actions which pertain peace for them.

Peace to me is an understanding between desires and reason. The two opposites coexisting in an equal distribution of power. There is a balance between the constant tug of war between satisfying my needs and obeying the law. In psychoanalytic literary perspective, my subconscious desires, the id, and my reason, the superego, exist within my ego, the conscious self. The id is amoral, always wants and more often than most, does not listen to the superego. The superego performs what is right and lawful, but not necessarily moral. My ego strikes a balance between these two elements to reach a compromise where both sides will be appeased. For most of the time, my id will suffer casualty as its pure nature is want and the things I want are not always beneficial to others or function well in a structured society, in which I strive to repress my id. Because of this, I often suffer conflicts within myself because my id is unsatisfied with the decision I consciously carry out.

But peace is an understanding and agreement to have a compromise from both spheres of my subconscious, in that whichever decision I carry out, my desire and reason are content. I believe that this experience of contentment is a concept of spiritual significance as I cannot see peace but I can feel peaceful. Feeling at peace is a completely reasonable feeling and not unknown to others. I want to note that peace is a reflection of the human truth, that as humans we may be made for war biologically but in our minds, we are set for peace. From my understanding alone I can see the importance in which peace is explicitly stated in religion, specifically Buddhism where nirvana is a state of enlightenment, of spiritual contentment from the suffering of the mortal world. Peace is a human truth as it is sought after by humans ever since we developed cognitive abilities and glimpsed the world beyond the materialistic realm. Peace has the potential to direct individuals like me to enlightenment and is present universally in any religion. It is inherent in me and just like any other ambiguous concepts, I haven’t yet found the true peace. Perhaps it does not exist. Perhaps this peace I speak of only exist in the Realm of Perfection and my understanding of it is far from the perfect Peace.

But I shall make a comment about external peace with regard to inner peace. What I feel internally translates to my outward actions, so that my inner peace translates to external peace. I feel at peace with myself and therefore feel no obligation to start conquering lands to the north of my eyes or board a plane to shoot at civilians.

There is a Vietnamese saying which surmises on the teaching of Confucius, “When the personal life is cultivated, then the family life is regulated; when the family life is regulated, then the national life is orderly; and when the national life is orderly, then there is peace in this world.” Confucius speaks truth in which only when I am at peace with myself then I can cultivate peace to others around me on a larger scale beyond the personal. Conflicts ever only occur because people are not at peace with themselves, instead thinking that portraying the conflict they harbour inside them, they will bring peace to others. This inverse thinking will only bring us as a civilised species backwards and dampen our ability to love one another. My peace promotes understanding and empathy, not wounds and torture. I actively believe in the salvation of others without the use of terror as a mean of persuasion. I strongly encourage the practice of any religion as faith opens a spiritual space for others like me to seek the peace within and beyond them.

My peace is wayward, but as all intuitive notions, I am entitled to my own definitions. I do not believe in conflict as the conclusive decision to attain peace. Peace should be exercised in all forms of negotiation and communication, and organisations such as the United Nations and the Commonwealth attempt to execute decisions on the premise of peace, and I believe that this movement of peace is important. Above the notion of peace and first and foremost, I believe in human factors which instigate and search and contemplate peace. Humans are valuable resources and being measured as the statistics of death and inferior to monetary expenses is a degradation of we all as people as our humanity is replaced by the desire for wealth. I am disappointed, truly, but I believe that this is an era where the youth and the media have power over wealth and we can execute peace in a way that will not compromise human lives.

As Albert Einstein enlightened us,

Huynh (Jennifer) Nguyen Y11

Creative Writing Club

Call for Writers!

Students are welcome and encouraged to email any pieces that they would like published to Abhishek and Indira.

Saying that, we aim to publish some regular columns in the paper, and we need some regular writers for columns like:.

·        Hot Topic – a feature article on a current issue

·        A How To Column

·        Recipe Column

·        Events Column

·        Sports Column

·        Person of the week (so like an inspiring person)/ Guest Interviews

·        Rundown of important student dates

·        Human Interest Articles

·        And of course, General Interest Articles. So if you want to run a Fashion or games column, please let us know.

Those who are interested in being part of the Editorial Team for the regular sections, please write an expression of interest (no more than 200 words) and also a sample article for your preferred column. Expressions of interest for writing the  regular columns are due by the end of this week, Wednesday May 24 at 3pm, and should be emailed to the email address below.

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR REGULAR COLUMNS DUE: Wednesday 24th 3pm!

Please email  studentnews@nossalhs.vic.edu.au with any questions and your expressions of interest.

Wishing everyone peace and light...

Good luck to everyone for your upcoming tests and SACs. Don’t stress and stay smiling! And everyone, please try to remember: School is not your life, you are your life, so treat yourself well, because you deserve it.