Humanities News

Units 1/2 Legal Studies Excursion to Dandenong Magistrates Court

On 22 May, the Units 1/2 Legal Studies students visited the Dandenong Magistrate's Court, with the aim of gaining valuable insight into the inner workings of a court and learning the importance of each role in the court in upholding the rule of law. Our class could choose between four courtrooms to sit in, each one specializing in a different area of law. Court Room 2 in particular was extremely interesting as the magistrate spoke to us in between cases, asking our opinions on different rulings and decisions. One unforgettable moment was when he asked Shuree to present a one-minute argument on "Why oranges shouldn't be oranges"  after giving her just fifteen seconds of preparation time, an impromptu exercise which tested her ability to think on her feet. Shuree delivered, and the magistrate applauded her clarity and conciseness in effectively delivering a well-worded presentation. Overall, the trip was a highly educational and eye-opening experience, as we were able to witness for ourselves justice in action instead of just reading it from a textbook.

By Tim Koay

On 24 May, the 1/2 Legal Studies class were fortunate to go to the Dandenong Magistrates' Court to further enrich our learning of court proceedings and processes. After the completion of Unit 1, which touched on civil liabilities, summary, and indictable offences and how they are heard, it was interesting to see this applied in the real world. Split between 5 rooms, each court comprised of a magistrate, court registrar, a prosecution lawyer/police prosecutor, and defence lawyer to attain a suitable sanction for the accused or defendant. 

Immediately after we entered the court, we were mesmerized by the bustling activity inside. Lawyers, police, defendants, and prosecutors were moving in and out of different court rooms or discussing how they will present their case in the booth rooms. Students were able to access court rooms 1 through to 5. There were a range of different types of court cases including drug offences, traffic violations, domestic violence, and other minor offences.

At the end of the day we were given a chance to reflect on the court cases we witnessed and if we thought the sanctions given were appropriate for each of the cases. The overall experience was enlightening and assisted us in gaining a better understanding on key legal proceedings. 

Sahasra and Sanjana - Year 10

Year 10 Humanities excursion

On Monday 29 May, the first group of Year 10 students participated on the Humanities excursion helping us gain a deeper insight into war and everything that happened in them, with an emphasis on the holocaust. The first part of this insightful excursion was to go to the Melbourne Holocaust Museum where we were given more information about the Holocaust and what happened to the Jewish race of Europe in this time. We also got the opportunity to meet with a Holocaust survivor as well. The second part of this excursion was to go to the Shrine of Remembrance which was and still is an important part of Australia’s war efforts. Overall, this excursion proved to be very fun and personally I enjoyed it very much. 

Located in Elsternwick, the Melbourne Holocaust Museum (MHM) was constructed in 1984 by a group of Holocaust survivors in Melbourne, uniting through their grief and experiences. Their aim was to create something where they could commemorate their loved ones and cultural identity whilst also helping change the future by enlightening young people. When we first entered the building, we were given an introduction by Sue, one of the educators within the MHM, helping us to understand the Holocaust even more. After that we disbanded into two smaller groups and went downstairs to be greeted with primary artifacts from WW2. The artifacts were from different mediums, such as passports, newspaper articles, match box cards all promoting the Nazi regime. There were sources from Australia as well, giving us a deeper understanding to how our country responded to the eminent war threat Germany possessed. After that we were able to interact with a Holocaust survivor through Zoom. 

Bep Gomperts was born in 1938 and was only two years old when the war began to take effect in her home city of Amsterdam, located in the Netherlands. Bep and her mother went into hiding straight after her father was taken away by the authorities. She continued to move all over the country to escape the country, so for her to be able to tell us her story is truly remarkable. Even though she was very young during that war the experiences she had helped her throughout her life. One of the topics we got to ask her about was antisemitism and how universally spread it was. When she migrated to Australia in 1979, Bep experienced antisemitism from those around her even though it had been a while since the war. Even in today’s 21st century Bep’s grandson experiences some prejudice from those around him, showing that while the world might have moved on, some hatred still lies in society. Through our questions, we were able to gain a further understanding into her story and it proved to be very valuable to us. 

The second part of the excursion included a visit to the Shrine of Remembrance. A massive stone monument erected near the CBD, showcasing an essential part of Australia’s war history, the Shrine of Remembrance acts as a place of solidarity and reflection for war veterans and their families. Along with that, the recently constructed learning centre allows students to understand Australia’s war history from WW1 and WW2 to the Vietnam and Middle Eastern wars, we can understand the experiences felt by servicemen/women past and present. Our task set out by the teachers was to explore this vast exhibition centre and understand the different artifacts on display. We were also given the freedom to venture up into the crypt or sanctuary providing us with a sense of history.  

Overall this excursion has been fun and enjoyable and I personally enjoyed it very much. 

By Devmika Bogahapitiya Lekamalage

On Friday 2 June we visited the Holocaust Museum and the Shrine of Remembrance, to further extend our understanding of the World War II unit in Year 10 Humanities. 

At the Holocaust Museum, we met with Andy Factor - a survivor of the Holocaust. Andy shared with us his experiences and answered our questions with regards to the Holocaust. We also had a look at artifacts and primary sources such as postcards, letters, and evidence of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. Even after all these years, we must remember the names and the stories of the innocent lives taken, and never forget the impacts of division and prejudice. As German Ambassador Frank Hartmann says, “Never forget, and never again”. Following the Holocaust Museum, we visited the Shrine of Remembrance. By walking around the Shrine, we gathered information about the various wars from WW1 to the present day. This experience enhanced our understanding of the various periods, and how they interconnected with each other.

By Alice Li & Elaine Xia

Units 3 & 4 Business Management Excursion 

Atura Hotel, Yakult Factory and Dandenong Plaza 

During Term 2, the Units 3 & 4 Business Management students are focusing on Operations Management for their Unit 3 Area of Study 3 assessment. As part of this, they are to familiarise themselves with the difference between a service business and a manufacturing business. Special thanks to Ms Wen and Ms Bhola who came along and helped them throughout the day! 

The students started their day at the Dandenong Atura Hotel with an insightful tour about the facilities and sustainable practices used by the business. This helped students with their understanding of what a service business looked like, as well as providing detailed information on important topics in the operations management system, such as technology, materials management, quality, waste management, CSR considerations and global considerations. Students got to observe different amenities, including the hotel rooms, conference rooms, the hotel restaurant and brewery. 

Shortly after, the students arrived at the Dandenong Yakult Factory, where they had the opportunity to observe the internal production processes at a manufacturing business and enjoy a delicious Yakult drink along the way. Students were able to gain firsthand knowledge of factory operations, including automated production lines, robotics, quality control, and sustainable waste disposal. 

To end the day, the Business Management students explored Dandenong Plaza. In their separate groups, students interviewed business owners to learn more about their different operations and identify whether they were a service or manufacturing organisation. 

A huge thank you to Business Management teacher Mr Sacco who organised such an incredible excursion for students to gain valuable understanding of Operations Management! 

By Melissa Yao

Units 3/4 Legal Studies Excursion

On Tuesday 28 February and Friday 3 March, the two Units 3 & 4 Legal Studies classes each spent a day at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court to watch real Magistrate Court hearings and see in action the legal processes being studied. There were two different trips, so each group have different perspectives.

Going into the courts, we had the idea that Magistrates were scary people with harsh judgements. Our assumption was that they did not have the best interests of the accused in mind, but we were proven very wrong. Something we had not expected were the interactions between the accused and the Magistrate; conversations about the potential courses of action as well as the Magistrate helping the accused understand the consequences of their actions in a kind way. Magistrates did not try to give the harshest sentence, but rather they helped the accused have a second chance to prove they can be better. During the Q&A when the Magistrate was asked why they chose to have conversations with the accused, it was said that it often helps the accused to make more of a change in their life. Being told that they are trusted and want to be helped makes a bigger impact on the accused, assisting them in being able to make better choices in the future. 

The court environment was formal, and it was interesting to see how the knowledge we learnt in school is applied to real life. There were strict procedures and rules that were adhered to in the courts and being present there really emphasised to us, their contribution to the idea of justice. The court gave us an opportunity to apply the theory we had learnt in class to real life criminal justice matters.

 We were also lucky enough to have a mini Legal Studies Q & A session with one of the magistrates, between the hearings. Surprisingly, the Magistrate was quite pleased that there was a bunch of high school students in his courtroom and encouraged us to ask questions about the legal system and how the Magistrates’ court functions. We also had the opportunity to ask questions of a police prosecutor, a prison officer and a Victorian Legal Aid lawyer who gave us varying, but very interesting perspectives about the criminal justice system. It was particularly interesting hearing about the importance of building a rapport between clients and barristers, despite the often-short time frame available. It helped us see a more personal side of the criminal justice system.

Towards the end of our visit, one of the Magistrates relayed to us his journey to becoming part of the justice system, as well as how his aspirations changed throughout the trajectory of his education. Hearing his insights on his work in the courts allowed us to view the system in a different light and understand how the system actually works.

A massive thank you to Ms Loel for supervising and directing us on both excursion days.

By Avneet Pabla, Isabel George, Serena Shao and Sarah Idroos - Year 12 Legal Studies students.