Gifted Education Program News

EVATT 2021

Round 1 of UN Youth’s National Diplomacy and Debating Competition was held on Sunday 25th July at the University of Queensland. Delegates of the UK, Patrick Gilbert 11E and Thomas Reed 11F, and Delegates of Tunisia, Jaspar Driml 11S and I joined forces to participate in a simulation of the Security Council of the United Nations. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet our contemporaries at other schools and develop our skills in negotiation and debate. Being able to take in the very impressive UQ Law Library was an added bonus. 

Being successful in Round 1 meant that we were invited to the next round, the State Semi-Final, which was held on Sunday 15 August. The impacts of the pandemic necessitated an online forum for this round. With new resolutions to debate and new alliances to forge in the Negotiation Chamber, we took up the challenge and ….

The two teams were faced with three new resolutions: The use of social media and armed conflict; Refugee women; and French - Algerian reparations. Negotiating, proposing amendments, strategizing with other delegates and establishing alliances were key elements of our contributions. Despite some technical difficulties, both teams performed well and we now await the results. 

Whilst I have this opportunity to write in the newsletter, I’d like to take the chance to plug the school’s own Model United Nations programme - ASHMUN. Like the Evatt Competition, it’s a model of the UN Security Council. Students represent the views of a particular country on a topic, negotiating and debating to reach a favourable outcome. Speaking as someone who has tried almost every type of public speaking programme that the school has to offer, this is genuinely the most effective and comfortable environment in which to develop confidence in public speaking and an aptitude for analysing complex texts as well as being a great outlet for those interested in politics. I cannot stress enough the value of the programme for developing these essential skills. It’s held fortnightly (advertised in the daily notices) and we’re always eager for new participants.

Joseph Lewis 10F

Australian Brain Bee Challenge 2021

In Term 1 this year, eight Year 10 students registered for the Australian Brain Bee Challenge, a branch of the international competition. Under the guidance of UQ undergraduate medical student Tom Magee (12H 2019), the group undertook a course of study about the brain. Lobes, neurones, synapses and action potentials became familiar terminology in their conversations. Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s – the neuro-degenerative diseases – epilepsy and various other conditions were covered. Additionally, the course looked at the impact of sleep, effects of drugs, learning and memory and the brain’s role in maintaining homeostasis. 

Round 1 was 35 multiple-choice questions conducted online at the end of Term 1. From the results, students were then invited to the State Final. The impact of the pandemic is wide-reaching, and this year numbers invited to the State Final were reduced by two-thirds, from approximately 100 to 34 students. Only one of our students was successful in progressing to this second round. With the guidance of Miss Erinn Cash, Olly Gordon 10E had the challenge of revising the Round 1 content and learning additional content before attending the State Final on Tuesday 27 July. Unfortunately, he didn’t finish in the top three of the finalists, but the benefits of the day spent at the Qld Brain Institute are difficult to quantify. Finalists visited the research labs at QBI, where, among other things, they saw worm mitochondria. They were also shown QBI’s MRI scanner and had the opportunity to speak to undergraduate students, post-grad researchers and professors. Being able to participate in such an event provides students with the opportunity to learn about careers in Science that are not necessarily well known, and to hear from others about the paths they took that led them to careers at QBI. 

Congratulations to Olly Gordon for his achievements in Brain Bee 2021 and for his application to this course of study. 

Academic Co-curricular Programs Update for Week 6

ROLY SUSSEX SHORT STORY COMPETITION

• Sponsored by the English Speaking Union – Qld
• Short story on any topic.
• Word limit is 3000 words.
• Two divisions: Secondary school students and Adults
• Entries close on 30 September

Contact Majella Stevens – stevensm@marash.qld.edu.au for any entry conditions. 

TOURNAMENT OF MINDS

• All teams are now finalised.
• We have six secondary teams – 2 ARTS teams; 1 Language and Literature team; 1 Social Sciences team; and 2 STEM teams.
• We have three primary teams – 1 Language and Literature team and 2 STEM teams.

Regional Challenge

Date: Saturday 11 September

Venue: To be advised

Judges: As Tournament of Minds is a not-for-profit organisation, it is staffed by volunteers. That means we need parents, other family members, former students or anyone interested in judging, to volunteer for the job. No experience is needed. If you’re interested, please email me – Majella Stevens – stevensm@marash.qld.edu.au

CYBERTAIPAN 

This year we are again fielding three teams in the Australian Youth Cyber Defence Competition hosted by CSIRO. Two teams consisting of senior students are experienced campaigners, but our team of Year 9 students is very new to the program. 

Date: Sunday 22 August 2021

Venue: Room 506, Marist College Ashgrove

Time: 8:30am for a 9:30am start; finish time will be 3:00pm

Teams:

• MCA Team #1: Michael Gormley, Will Jennings, Liam Morris, Michael Nolan, Aiden Ortiz;
• MCA Team #2: Zac Apelt, Ben Hartfiel, Will Johnson, Luke Nisbett, Dylan Soll
• MCA Team #3: Alex Apelt, Max Bathersby, Harrison Dyer, Harry Lee, Matthew Nisbett, Remy Versace

ESPORTS

Date: Saturday 21 August

Venue: Online competition – students compete from home

Games include:

• Rocket League – start 9:00am (Estimate total 8:45am - 10:30am);
• Overwatch – start 11:15am (Estimate total 11:00am - 12:45am);
• League of Legends – start 1:15pm (Estimate total 1:00pm - 3:00pm)
• Final Cast posted – 3:00pm QUT_Esports - Twitch

Players: Each team consists of students from Year 11 and/or Year 12. Players include: Sam Allpass, Mitchell Cox, Jacob Doyle, Jaspar Driml, Finn Eldridge, Cadell Hendrikse, James Henselien, Cale Innes, Declan Ives, Ryley Leeper, Sebastian Luongo, Jack Morrison, Louie Mulders, Andreas Roszka, Orlando Gonzalez, Charlie Wilkinson.