Autumn2021

Assembly Sports Report – Highlight of the Round – 1 – Seconds Basketball – Buzzer Beater to Win

There were many great moments in this fixture, but the one that’s been awarded The Highlight of the Round this week goes to the Seconds Basketball Team. The game was played in the Scotch gym and with only 10 seconds left on the clock and Scotch trailing by two points, it required a magical moment for Scotch to come out on top.

Josh Reid had the ball in his hands; he quickly flicked it over to Hunter Bergeson who grabbed the ball and dribbled it up the court. Hunter realised that the only way to win was to hit a three-pointer. He stopped, two steps off the three-point line, it was now or never. He took the game deciding three-pointer jump shot and the ball sailed through the air. The crowd went silent, and the only sound that filled the gym was – swish – the ball went through for a goal. Scotch secured the win by one point. It truly was a magical moment.

Assembly Sports Report – Highlight of the Round – 2 – First Water Polo – Clutch Goal to Win

Thanks a lot to everyone who put in entries for the highlight of the round; it was very hard to choose.

But, this week, the Highlight of the Round has been awarded to the Scotch 1^st Water Polo Team.

Scotch flew to a four-goal lead in the first half, but then they lost it. With forty seconds left in the final quarter, the scores were level, 10 to 10. A timeout was called, as both teams tried to quickly develop the perfect passage of play to score a goal in the next forty seconds.

Wesley had the ball and maintained possession, waiting for a scoring opportunity to present itself, but it wasn’t happening with Scotch’s brick wall of defence.

Then, defensive superstar Rory White stole the ball. Wesley attackers swarmed towards him, so he passed the ball to Will Marshall. Will proceeded to swim up the pool, turn a few Wesley players and pass the ball. The pass soared through the air, seemingly towards open water.

But then out of nowhere Fraser Davis launched out of the water and landed on the ball. “It was like a hump-back whale landing into the ocean,” team-mate Jake Marshall described. He caught the ball and steadied, the Wesley goalie was staring him down, anticipating his every move, but Fraser threw an absolute rocket. The ball rifled past the open arms of the goalie into the back of the net with so much power that the net almost broke.

The goal was scored, and Scotch were leading 11-10 with seven seconds left in the final quarter. The Scotch First Water Polo Team came out victorious.

Another couple of quick highlights in the 1st Cricket this week that I couldn’t leave out. An honourable mention must go to Year 9 Nick Langsford, who debuted in the 1^st team. He managed to get a wicket on his first bowl, finishing the game with four wickets in total. Another mention to Ned Gaffey, who hit a six so big that it hit the sight screen.

Great job to all.

Assembly Sports Report – Highlight of the Round – 3 – First Tennis – Tweener Shot

The highlight of the round last week against Hale goes to the 1^st Tennis Team.

It was a warm day on the Hale hard courts, as the Scotch 1st Tennis looked to continue their undefeated season.

Scotch player, Wesley Huang stepped out on to the court to play the number 8 singles, a match that would swing the fixture either way. It was the matchup everyone had been waiting for: Wesley Huang, the Year 12 veteran and singles specialist, against the Year 9 Hale prodigy. This was box office tennis and, man, did it live up to its expectations.

Wes took an early lead, comfortably taking the first set. But he didn’t get too comfortable, as he knew a strong start to the final set was vital.

In the second point of the last set, there was an opportunity for Wes to finish the point with a clinical volley. He took the chance and flew towards the net as if there was no tomorrow, looking to hit the winner. But surprisingly to Wes, the Hale player saw it coming. He lobbed the ball over Wes’s head with a shot that seemed to levitate in the air, only until it landed just one centimetre inside the baseline.

Wes reacted quickly. He sprinted back, but by the time he made it to the ball he realised there was no time for him to turn around and hit a forehand return to his opponent. There was only one way for Wes to return the shot. With his back facing towards his opponent, he opened his glorious legs, waited for the ball to drop to knee height, and boom. Wes hit the ball between his legs (aka a tweener); he hit it with so much power and precision that the bullet of a shot flew right past his Hale opponent and landed in, leaving the opposition with zero chance of getting it back.

The crowd erupted, and even manager Mr Bradley approved of Wes’s brilliance with a few claps. Captain and Vice-Captain of Tennis Ryan Mconkey and Will Hudson labelled the shot as, “the greatest to ever grace the PSA Tennis competition” and likened it to prime Roger Federer.

Thanks so much to Will Hudson who took the time to submit this inspirational highlight of the round. It was great.

Assembly Sports Report – Highlight of the Round – 4 – First Cricket – 100 runs (century)

Alright, let’s get to the Highlight of the Round.

The Highlight of the Round last week goes to Ned Gaffey in the 1^st Cricket Team against Aquinas.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Scotch looked set for a big first innings score. However, a top order batting collapse resulted in Scotch being 5 wickets down for 85 runs after 40 overs. For those of you who aren’t too familiar with cricket scores, this score meant that the team was under pressure and the remaining batsmen needed to perform.

Coming into bat at Number 7, star all-rounder Ned Gaffey looked very concerned when he arrived at the crease as it became clear as day that the Aquinas bowlers were bowling exceptionally well. The stage did not appear set for a Gaffey special.

However, to everyone’s surprise Ned survived the day’s play with a quickfire 45 not out, accompanied by Hayden Henschel on 53.

Ned resumed the second day of the match with bat still in hand, and with his trademark unorthodox style he sent every ball flying as if they had jet packs attached to them. Following a similarly stellar innings in a recent 3-day game vs Aquinas, Ned was given the very appropriate nickname “universe boss.”

One of the Aquinas bowlers even commented on how difficult Ned was to bowl to when he said, “I bowled him three different balls, and all three managed to go to the cow corner boundary.” For those of you who don’t know what cow corner boundary means, it’s a fielding position which gets its name from being positioned in a corner of the field which was safe for cows to graze on because very few batsmen would hit the ball there.

Finally, after nearly getting out on 97, Ned hit the shot everyone had been waiting for, an excellent cut shot that raced past the point for four runs, making his total to 101. Ned made it to triple figures. The big 100. A century. Something many cricketers only dream of, and he made it facing only 130 balls.

Ned finished the innings with an incredibly well made 101.

Perhaps the best part is that the name Ned Gaffey will now be immortalized on Scotch’s mycricket for Darlot centurions, next to the likes of Alex Chew and Australian test cricketer Cameron Green.

Congratulations on a wonderful achievement Ned, and thanks so much to Richard Walton, another asset in the 1^st Cricket Team, who submitted this awesome highlight of the round.

Assembly Sports Report – Highlight of the Round – 5 – Seconds Water Polo and First Basketball

The highlight of the round last week against Trinity goes to the Seconds Water Polo Team.

There were two minutes to play in the final quarter. It had been a very tight game thus far, with the Scotch currently ahead by only two goals.

After a foul on Trinity, it was a 1 on 1, five-metre showdown between goalie Taj Massey and Trinity’s best shooter. Picture this. The whistle blows, and the Trinity player picks up the ball and shoots it towards the goals in one lightning-fast motion. Taj reacts quickly, he propels into the air and, like a giant octopus, he reaches out one long, lanky arm to smack away the shot!

It bounces away, back into the field of play. The fight was on as everyone scrambled to get their hands on the ball, but Trinity managed to get there first.

The Trinity player takes the opportunity to score and throws another great shot. It sails towards the top corner of the goals, but, out of nowhere, Taj’s long arm again extends beyond what should be possible and he absolutely obliterates the ball. Two shots blocked within 10 second; Taj is on fire!

With thirty seconds on the clock all players from both teams are in a frenzy within metres of the Trinity goal. The Trinity team rapidly fire four more shots, but the great wall of Taj rises out of the pool and with his octopus arms saves every one of them! Finally, the whistle blows and it’s game over. Taj locked down the game stopping six goals in around thirty seconds, and secured Scotch the win, 7 to 5. Good job boys!

Thanks to Seconds Water Polo player, Ollie Barret for this submission.

Another spectacular highlight that I couldn’t miss out, occurred in the First Basketball Team against Trinity.

The team got off to a poor start, with Trinity excelling ahead 13 to 5 in the first five minutes, leaving Scotch trying to claw its way back for the rest of the game. With five minutes left in the game, Scotch was down 14 points, and coach CJ called a time-out. Most people in the team felt like they needed a miracle to win from this far down, but not Max Della Franca.

After the time-out Della starts going crazy and manages to quickly nail two 3-pointers and two free throws, bringing Scotch back in the game making them now only six points down. After a few more clutch buckets from Scotch, the score is 51 to 51; there are twenty seconds left, the ball is in Tim Imison’s hands, what will he do?

Take a look at the screen to see what happens.

Tim Imison flicked the ball to Tom Lynch, Tom pulled up from three and swish, the ball went in for three points. The final ten seconds counted down and Scotch won the game 54-51. What a moment.

A couple quick special mentions.

In the First Cricket, a huge congratulations to Ed Allan, who amazingly made 108 runs off only 96 balls, hitting 11 fours and an outstanding 5 sixes. That is an absolutely incredible achievement! Good job to Rory King as well who got five wickets.

And finally, congrats to the 4ths Cricket Team who got their first win for the season after being bowled out for 38 the week before. Special mentions to Jim Allan who made 50, and to George Bath and Jasper Blunt who both took screamers.

Assembly Sports Report – Highlight of the Round – 6 – Head of the River Win

The highlight of the round goes to the Scotch First 8 Rowing Team in the 2-kilometre race of the Head of the River.

You all know the result: First. Well done boys; that is unbelievable, and the school is very proud. But what you don’t know is what happened behind the scenes.

The starting marshals called the crews to the blocks; Cox, Terry Zhou positioned his boat, his line slightly crooked.

The race began and Sam Dyball strategically forgot to take the second stroke of the race, which ended up actually correcting their line to be, as the commentator described, “in the dead middle of the lane.”

250 metres into the race, Scotch pulled away to an early lead by half a boat length. The race was playing into their hands, as Christchurch and Guilford were desperately trying to hold onto them.

The halfway mark was coming up fast with Scotch being a full boat length ahead.

The time came where Cox Terry, had to make the toughest decision of his rowing career. With millions of possible scenarios going through his mind, there’s only one that sees Scotch come out on top. The famous Fly and Die strategy.

Flying and dying is a race plan few can bear to stomach. The process requires forgetting about the remaining segments of the race and going absolutely all out for around 300 metres, hoping that you can get enough of a lead to hold off the other crews.

The Scotch team knew what they had to do, they knew the pain would be next level, but they knew that if they wanted to win then they had to just dig deep and do it.

At the 1-kilometre mark, Ben Scott signaled to the crew that he was picking up the pace and with a massive display of courage, the boys went with him. It looked like their boat just grew a 400 horse-power motor, as Scotch took off from the rest of the field, extending their lead farther and farther to one and a half boat’s lengths.

Finally, they approached the 1300-metre mark, and the great surge was over. Scotch was two boat lengths in front of Christchurch who were coming second. The pain the crew was experiencing was like nothing before. The hot air dried out the last bit of moisture in the boys’ mouths, their muscles screaming and begging for it to be over, and the lactic acid produced by the boys could have filled an entire swimming pool. But no one gave up, they all knew that they were in this together.

The crowd of hundreds on the Champion Lakes shoreline and all those watching the live stream were screaming. With a minute left of the Head of the River, Scotch continued to pull away from the rest of the crews.

At a time of 6 minutes and 22 seconds, Scotch crossed the line first with a dominant two boat length lead in what was supposed to be the closest Head of the River race in decades. And for the second time since 1991, Scotch College came out victorious in the Head of the River.

Take a look at the screen to see a quick snippet from the race, coming from the cox, Terry Zhou’s GoPro.

From watching this video, it really makes you feel like you are in the race, and you can see the tactics, determination, and effort that comes with rowing. I love Terry’s final comment, “For the boat shed, for the school, for each other!” It shows what an incredible team effort it was, and the reward that comes with working together and excelling as one.

Special mention to all coaches, parents and members of the boat club who made the season’s result possible.

Thanks a lot to Terry Zhou, Ben Scott and Lachy Bowen for submitting this highlight of the round.

Mental health – a topic so important but, yet, so untouched in secondary schools. In the last decade it has become a norm to speak out about mental health and mental illness. So why does it always get left as a topic for “next year?” Young adults are struggling from this lack of education around the world. With the rise of stress and anxiety in teenagers it is paramount that mental health is added to the curriculum of every country. Firstly, it will change the way children act when under stress and when suffering anxiety. Solving many behavioural problems, it will help to diminish the risk of heart disease and will save millions from taking their own lives.

With behavioural problems in teenagers becoming a serious issue around the globe stemming from extensive stress and anxiety how have we not identified how mental health education can help? The Australian Bureau of Statistics study of 1000 young adults found that when tasked with an activity and placed under a stressful situation which brings anxiety, 46% of teens became hostile and angry whilst 40% of teens became sad and depressed and the other 14% remained calm and finished without fret. Uncoincidentally, those teens in the latter percentage had received some form of mental health education in their life, teaching them to meditate, helping them to stay calm in challenging situations. Isn’t it clear that mental health needs to be a part of a teen’s education to ensure their wellbeing?

Heart problems are becoming more prevalent than ever before, but everyone believes that salt and sugar are the main culprits. What always goes unnoticed is excessive stress and anxiety. High levels of stress and anxiety causes blood pressure to rise. Over time this increase in blood pressure damages the body to a point of no return and causes a heart attack. It has been proven by the Australian Heart Foundation that 42% or heart attacks are not from health-related problems, but high blood pressure related to high stress and anxiety levels. So why hasn’t mental health become part of every teen’s school routine? It will save them later on in life.

Some people may say that most victims of suicide are related to drug abuse, but this is simply untrue. 73% of suicide victims in Australia were going through a traumatic and stressful time in their lives when they ended it all. This could all be changed if they had received mental health education even as little as once a fortnight. With simple meditation activities you can learn to calm yourself down in an instant. Even meditating once a week can make a large difference which helps to flip your whole mood. There is simply no reason for mental health not to be added to the curriculum.

It is the government’s obligation to add mental health to the curriculum for the health of generations. It can be used to help solve the behavioural issues so prevalent in today’s society, eliminating the risks of life-changing heart diseases and can significantly lower the suicide rates around the globe. The government simply cannot ignore this. There has to be a change made now.

To My Fellow Year 9s,

I am writing to you to address my concern about deforestation and to inform you of the problems that it is causing. From 1990 – 2016 the world has lost a total of 1.3 million square kilometres of forest. “Forests are the lungs of our planet,” states Professor Vastenkop from the German Institute of Breath and Proceed. They’ve nurtured us for many years prior to reforestation; they are trying to nurture us now. If we don’t give them a chance, they won’t be able to nurture us in the future.

The causes of this rising, real, rapid problem go on forever; the issue is only a few are nature’s problem. Humans are cutting down trees for paper, timber products, agriculture activities, land for urbanisation. The list goes on; only a small percentage of deforestation is because of fire and floods.  As an expert environmentalist Sir Jason stated, “only 30% of the land is forest so we have to be wise on how much we use of it”. Reforestation alone is a very big problem but is part of an even bigger one. Think of trees as an air conditioner that produces fresh, clean, cold air for us to enjoy. Without it we would be hot sweaty and uncomfortable. If we continue to use, damage and abuse our air conditioners, life will become uncomfortable, a struggle and much hotter. Reforestation contributes to greenhouse gases, climate change and global warming. It may not affect us, but can you imagine if we keep going; what it will be like for your grandchildren, or and maybe even your children?

There is a way for us Year 9s, a new generation coming through, to make the change. We can start small by buying from eco-friendly stores, slightly changing our diet and educating others around us. From our generation starting to do these little things we will slowly save the world. Small acts will turn into big actions like government regulations coming into place.  A wise man once said, “From little things big things grow.” Some people think that technology will be able to help us with living and trees are not important, that deforestation isn’t happening! They are wrong. Deforestation is very real and more deadly than ever. We have to change for the sake of the future. The causes and impacts are plentiful, but so are the solutions.

Kind regards
Hugh Boxshall

Homework: it has been a part of our school for generations. It is common to see teachers setting their students work without any time to do it in class, but what if I told you that this instrument of learning is more like an instrument of torture. If we got rid of mandatory homework the lives of students worldwide will be vastly improved. This is because it does almost nothing to help students learn, it creates an unfair balance in school and home life, and the absence of homework gives students more time to pursue things they are passionate about.

Firstly, homework has little positive impact on a child’s learning. Studies have shown that the amount of homework you do makes almost no difference to performance in tests, with students doing hours of homework achieving almost exactly the same as those who did no homework at all. Four hours of time that makes essentially no difference – they might as well have been sitting in an empty room. Teachers significantly overestimate what homework can do and students would never do homework if they knew of the lack of benefits.

Next, homework creates a major imbalance between school and home. It is simply unfair how schools expect us to dedicate half our waking lives to them and then spend an additional couple of hours in our own home doing further schoolwork. If school is the dedicated place for work, then it is only fair for that home be the dedicated place for rest. School insists on being wherever kids are in their lives which can lead to it being overbearing and even inescapable.

Lastly, the lack of free time to do anything can lead to students being unable to do the things they enjoy or practise skills that they simply don’t get from school. Many students have outside school interests that they are unable to pursue because of the mountains of homework they are given. I personally enjoy making music with programmes like logicPro or Ableton, and it’s something I want to do in the future, but I often am unable to do so at home because of homework that I need to do. Homework can inhibit students from learning about what they enjoy by forcing boring subjects on them.

Without homework clogging a student’s life, they will be happier and enjoy life more because it has nearly no educational value, it upsets a school life balance, and it restricts kids from exploring their passions. It may seem like a small memory to those who have completed it, but for every child it shadows our entire lives.

How would you feel? Your whole body aches and screams in pain. You can’t move or say “I love you” back to your grandchildren’s tear-filled eyes. You lay there lifeless in agonising pain only wishing to pass on peacefully, knowing that this will be your reality for six long months until you’re released. This is a scenario thousands face in Australia. But it doesn’t have to be like this.

Like countless other countries including USA, France, UK and New Zealand. I propose that we as Australians make voluntary euthanasia legal. Firstly, what is euthanasia? It is a choice given to those suffering great, untreatable pain who are set to die in a 12-month period. Euthanasia injects the patient with a lethal dose of a drug. This kills them without any pain or suffering and family may attend. However, it may only be administered if the patient consents, set to die in the next 12 months and is of a stable state of mind. Statistics show that 90% of WA doctors agree to the introduction of euthanasia and vouch for its safety and benefits. Euthanasia is also legal in parts of Australia such as Victoria. Euthanasia has been trialled for us all over the world, so we already have undeniable evidence it works.

Secondly, I believe people who don’t agree are plain selfish. I understand that this law is not popular with the Christian community.  Euthanasia would classify as a sin to them. However, it is not their choice! They are not the ones lying idle in agony with tears streaming down their face in the hospital, so why should they make their decisions for them? I, as I am sure you are, am a firm believer that if it’s my life, it’s my decision. If people aren’t for euthanasia for themselves, that is OK as no one will force them, but if someone else wants to, let them. Picture this – you’re slowly being lowered into a boiling pot and it’s inevitable that you will fall in eventually. As you are slowly being lowered the heat burns your feet and it feels as if you’re standing on the sun. Would you want to live through all that only to die in a few hours? No? Neither would I. Someone has the option to cut you loose and end the pain, but they don’t. All because they don’t believe in it, or simply they don’t want to. Seems wrong to me.

Thirdly, this law will, if passed, make all our lives better. You may not need euthanasia now. However, you could wake up the next morning and you, your granddad, your parents, a friend or neighbour could need it.  What would you want? Would you like to see them suffer? Would you like to watch as they slowly became a shadow of their former selves? Would you like to have them suffer unnecessarily for weeks or even months? NO!

It’s time to stop thinking from our own selfish desires. It is time to realise that it is not OK to make someone else suffer for your arrogance and beliefs. I implore all of you, no matter your age or beliefs to get behind this cause. It is time for WA to stop thinking of the past and start thinking about the wellbeing of its citizens. It is time for WA and all of us to get behind this cause and legalise voluntary euthanasia in Western Australia.

Do you ever go to the beach and worry about what lurks in the deep dark blue?  Wouldn’t you do anything for peace of mind? Twenty years ago, the shark fishing industry was closed and twenty years ago the shark population started to increase at a rate never seen before. I believe that shark fishing industries should reopen in Australia. This is because the population of sharks has increased, more food is required for the human population and, if done correctly, shark fishing can yield higher profits than when it was first started.

Firstly, shark fishing should be continued as the shark population in Australia has tripled since the industries have closed. Due to the shark having no natural predator, they have been thriving ever since the fishing ban. According to Dr Gillard, the number of shark attacks in Australia has increased by 20% in the last ten years resulting in people avoiding the beaches and developing a fear of these large predatory fish.

Secondly, the population of the world has increased massively, resulting in people suffering from food insecurity in countries that aren’t as developed as many of the wealthier nations.  This problem can be easily solved as shark meat is very high in proteins and nutrients resulting in it being a highly sought-after meat. This is helped by the fact that sharks are an abundant species, and one shark can produce 200kg of edible meat. Cambridge University has proven that 30% of the world’s population suffers from food insecurity. Because of this shark can be the reliable, high protein and affordable meat that everyone needs.

Finally, shark meat can be sold at very profitable prices and the meat can be gathered in large quantities. As well as this, sharks can produce fat, fish oil, jaws and teeth. Fat and fish oil can be used in modern day medicine as well as cooking ingredients used in everyday foods, resulting in them being rather valuable ingredients. Jaws and teeth are also sought-after collectables and are often used in decorations and jewellery. Because of this when a shark is caught nearly all of it can be used.  Hence it is one of the most profitable fish to catch.

I believe that now is the time to reopen shark fishing industries in Australia to help solve the sharks’ growing population, to produce food for people suffering from food insecurity, to make Australia a wealthier country and finally give Australians the peace of mind that they deserve.

Agricultural farming is one of the leading causes of pollution and climate change. Not only does it release over 10 million tonnes of chemicals into the atmosphere like roundup and other chemicals, it also destroys the environment it is used on. It destroys everything in its path – trees, native flora and even killing off whole species of animals and insects. Farming is the number one source of deforestation and clearing of land in Australia and this has caused 50% of land that was arable in 1970 to be unused or useless.

The chemicals farmers use in their daily practice are extremely toxic and poisonous. You don’t want to be breathing in chemicals that have been linked to 14 types of respiratory diseases and cancers that can easily be fatal. The chemicals are not always used appropriately, and we should find alternatives to these poisons and dangerous chemicals. These chemicals have been linked to creating problems in the atmosphere that can’t be easily fixed. Farmers who spray near cities and towns are spraying these poor people and even children. Do you want your child breathing in these chemicals?

Agricultural farming is the main reason for the loss of native plants and animals. Because of these heavy-duty chemicals and machinery, animals’ habitats are ploughed through like they are nothing; millions of native animals are killed by farm machinery because of habitat loss. The longer we continue to let this happen the more animals will die and even become extinct. 60% of the chemicals that are used are not approved by organisations like RSPCA and Earth.co but are still allowed to be produced, sold and used without any precautions. Native plants and native flowers are being killed off as they are being sprayed with these chemicals and will die in at least two days. These plants will never reproduce or grow in that location again.

Farming is the number one reason for the destruction and deforestation of 30 million hectares of bush. Australia is the worst country in the world for deforestation. Just in the last 100 years we have cut down 80% of our bush just from farming. A crop is only arable for a certain number of years before nothing starts to grow there. 50% of the farmlands are arable that we have right now the other 50% go almost to waste. It would take 600 million trees to be planted to recover the damage we have already caused to our beautiful country that we are so fortunate to have. We can’t let our damage be our downfall and there are hundreds of organisations you can donate to help even to get just a few trees back.

Therefore, I think certain practices should be stopped or, at least, monitored carefully. We need to preserve our country and its natural beauty. Chemicals and other farming practices cause more damage than good, and I have seen this with farms around us change and become less arable. I have seen farms that had their natural bush cut down and die because they need more room; lakes, ponds, rivers all with a thick layer of gloopy liquid causing all species to die and become a wasteland and deforestation causing all the natural springs and lakes to dry up and go salty. This is why I think we should really start to think about how our farmers are producing our food and crops.

Mental Health. Perhaps the most important aspect of life. The mental health of teenagers especially is abundantly vital for a happy, enjoyable and productive childhood for both parents and kids. Firstly, school plays a major part in shaping one’s childhood and can have detrimental effects on an adolescent’s life. Secondly, teenagerhood is the transition between boy to man or girl to woman and is filled with dramas. You may say that teenagers’ mental health is no different from anyone else’, but there are many factors that make young adults the biggest victims of all.

School. A time of education, fun and friends. Right? Wrong. In this day and age, school consumes children’s day-to-day lives ever-increasingly as they grow older. According to Lifeline’s annual stress and trauma survey school is the biggest stress in the majority of teenagers’ lives, and it is 14% harder than in the 1950s. With homework constituting around 20% of a teenager’s home life and school taking up 47% of their daylight hours, kids don’t have time to be kids. There is no time to relax and do things kids enjoy because they wake up, go to school, come home and then do homework. Consequently, teenagers are not only stressed out by the amounts of homework but have no time to clear their minds to do something they love. This results in children becoming angrier and worried and leaves them not knowing what to do. Another major stress that school brings to kids is that of grades. Teenagers especially are pressured by parents and teachers to get good grades which stresses them to work harder and harder and lowers self-esteem if they do not achieve the demanded grade. Therefore, the combination of homework, due dates, assignments, no free time, and pressures on specific grade accomplishments, makes school the Number One stress and worry contributor to young adults.

There is no doubt that teenagerhood is the most social chapter of a person’s life. Catchups, gatherings, parties – it is the time of friends. However, teenagers can experience a multitude of harsh feelings due to exclusion, bullying and simply feeling friendless. Another pressure is wanting to be popular. There is a social hierarchy, and everybody wants to be the cool kid. People who are not the cool kid feel irrelevant and this decreases self-esteem. Another worry is teenagers in relationships, as there are constant dramas about crushes and asking someone out accompanied by an eventual breakup which again lowers morale. The whole social life of teenagers is a key factor in their mental wellbeing.

To conclude, a teenager’s mental health is the most vulnerable of all for many reasons. As previously stated, school provides an abundance of worries and stresses to an adolescent’s life due to the stress of grades, completing work in time and homework, making sure that one has little to no time to relax and enjoy life. Also stated was the aspect of social life. Friendships, girlfriends, boyfriends, fake friends, popularity, bullying they are all worries to young adults. They are kids and yet they have so many worries. To add to this, teenagerhood is when puberty occurs and brings stresses like body changes, mood swings and mixed emotions. It is all an incomprehensible amount of work and stress to handle which negatively affects the mental health of many teenagers. Teenagers’ mental health is very, very important.

Would you rather have 28 days of suffering before death, or seven suffering-free days of enjoyment?  I would choose seven. Euthanasia is a system used for people on their deathbed. It prevents them from suffering. Currently euthanasia is legal in Western Australia and Victoria. I believe that every Australian citizen should get the right to decide. Humans make decisions every day, small decisions, big decisions, even unconscious decisions. This is why I believe every Australian citizen should have the choice of when they want to pull the plug. Every citizen should be entitled to making their own decisions, dying with dignity and achieving as much out of life as they can.

Firstly, it is a basic human right to make your own decision. A recent statistic shows that WA families who have lost someone they loved through euthanasia are much happier than families in other states who lost someone who suffered until the end. This shows that being given the choice is vital and not only impacts that individual but the loved ones around them. Euthanasia should be legal in all states so that everyone can have the ability to make their own choices and so it is easier for their family to say goodbye. Choices are a part of human rights and a person’s choices should be counted.

Secondly, euthanasia allows people to die with dignity and have control of their situation. Sally Jenkins is a mother of four and had a very sick mother in hospital. Sally was caring and stayed with her. At one point Sally had to dash to the shops to grab a few things. When she returned her mother was dead. This is the unfortunate truth for some families. They say a quick goodbye to a loved one, without knowing it would be the last. If euthanasia had been legal in NSW, Sally would not be in as much grief and could have said a proper goodbye. People should have the choice to die in a formal manner and to be able to say goodbye to loved ones.

Some might argue that euthanasia weakens society’s value and importance of human life. Hypothetically, if you were given ten years to live from tomorrow, you would live the rest of your life as best as you could. You might go on trips around the world, go to shows and concerts and spend quality time with friends and family. However, if you weren’t told when you would die, you would live the same old life you have now. I believe that euthanasia does not weaken value and importance for human life but strengthens it. Once again, euthanasia can help people to live the best life they can in a short period of time. Euthanasia should be legal around the whole of Australia so that people can experience the optimum life they have left.

Decision-making is part of a human’s behaviour. We make thousands and thousands of decisions a day. Euthanasia should be one of these decisions for all Australian citizens. Euthanasia allows people to enact a basic human right, to die with dignity and control of their situation and to make the most of what precious time they have left in their life. Australia is a democracy. In line with this, I believe all Australian citizens need to stand up for change, for their rights and for their choices. Let’s make euthanasia legal for our life and our death.

Generalised, overlooked and laughed about; social division is the stereotyping and mistreatment of people of a certain gender, ethnicity or race. Social division comes from the self-centred egotistical natures of we humans. This disgusting view on categorising people based on looks rather than character is a trend which must end. Social division has skyrocketed throughout recent world problems and the growing insensitive cultures which circulate through social media.

One click is all it takes; one message, one repost, one clip from years back; that’s all it takes for perspective to change in a young mind. The rise in social media has masked the real things teenagers should be worrying about. However, they’re sucked into the screen following influencers who are ‘living the dream’. Notice how not once I mentioned talking face to face, talking to the person firsthand, understanding what’s actually going on in their life? Younger generations feel the comfort of adding to grossly rising trends in cancel culture and hate throughout the web. All of this is done from the comfort of their own home, hiding behind the screen, not knowing the actual scene. The blindness of our generations is only adding to this intangible practice of social division.

That’s not the worst of it, however; it happens face to face as well. Coronavirus put the world under economic instability, political mayhem and showcased the world’s true hierarchy. However, it affected some more than others. The Chinese people for example. Tweets, comments, reclicks, retweets. “China virus,” said ex-President Trump. “Coronavirus, a virus from China and all its people.” These disgustingly generalised comments are how social division is fuelled even more. However, there’s no consequence for tweeters but rather the Chinese people of course. Put yourself in their shoes for a day. Walking in Perth, stares, glares and muffled comments is what they receive; because of their features, they’re the spreaders. Because of the rumours they’re the ones to blame. This disgusting blindness is what comforts those who spiral our world to a slowly lost moral compass.

Generation, after generation, after generation. The curtains close faster, making the world’s problems most because there’s not enough time to do both; fight social division, but still get rich. Too much time has been wasted trying to find a culprit for this injustice rather than looking at each other and every brother and mother and deciding to take steps. Take a step to a greater world. A world where people are people based on their character, not visual features. It seems silly really because it’s such a small ask but, oh I forget, it’s easier to mask this issue than face it upfront. Why? Laziness. A human trait. To not do the thing that’s right and rather the thing that’s easy. Nowadays the western civilizations want two things – fame and fortune. It’s funny how people will do the ugliest things for the road to riches and diamond rings because this greed is like a gas which pollutes the air, and western civilizations breathe it without care because they want power above the rest and don’t care about what’s best for us.

Think to yourself and answer these questions. Why are we so quick to judge? Why are we so quick to alienate? Why are we so quick to hate? Think for yourself and answer; are you helping us make a change, or are you the reason we have a ball and chain?

Dear Mr Scott Morrison,

I am writing you this letter today regarding the most critical and prominent issue to our country and the world: deforestation. Queensland has the highest amount of land clearing out of any state in the world. With this, Australia has been labelled one of the WWF eleven deforestation fronts alongside countries like Brazil. The clearing of land in our country is immense, making it of even more importance that this problem is dealt with before it’s too late.

Forests provide so many significant contributions to our environment. They help in the regulation of soil, atmosphere, climate, water, nutrients and combat pollution. One mature tree can absorb 48 pounds (22kg) of carbon dioxide per year. Subsequently, cutting down trees contributes to 20% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Forests are crucial to the environment and are the living, breathing heart of this world.

Additionally, forests are home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, increasing biodiversity. 80% of the world’s terrestrial plants and animals live in forests, so it’s no wonder habitat-loss is their biggest threat in our country. 84% of plants and 85% of mammals in Australia are unique to our country. With 45 million animals being killed each year due to deforestation, we’re killing what makes us unique. Our biodiversity doesn’t just make us who we are, it’s also the key building block of ecosystems, so why are we still clearing masses of forest?

Not only do forests provide uniqueness, and stability in the environment, the benefits also extend to humans in our daily lives. Recreational, scientific, educational, cultural and social resources are just a few of these advantages we get from our forest. Old growth forests and other mature forests give an insight into our heritage and are a gateway into exploring the history of the places they’re in. In addition to this, 1.4 billion people directly depend on forests for their survival! There are also many benefits that indirectly affect us more than you would imagine. With deforestation contributing largely to global warming, pollution levels and unsustainable futures, these impacts have enormous effects on farming and agriculture, and the general health and wellbeing of our society.

In summary, the advantages we take from our forests mustn’t be looked past. They help balance and regulate the environment, majorly contribute to biodiversity and give direct social impacts on our very own lives. So, Mr Scott Morrison, I am asking that you join me and everyone else in our country and on this planet who cares about the environment, the world, and our futures.

I am looking forward to hearing a response regarding this matter.

Regards
Ben Langdon

I firmly believe that stay-at-home parents should not be entitled to government welfare/stimulus cheques. Last year the Australian government spent an astonishing $250 billion on social welfare. The government has specific guidelines that state who gets welfare/stimulus packages, which does not include stay-at-home parents. Many people believe that all stay-at-home parents should be entitled to government welfare/stimulus cheques. This will be detrimental for our current and future society.

Firstly, this approach will reward people for not working and cause our society to have a fundamentally unhealthy work ethic. If both parents in a household quit their jobs and receive the government welfare/stimulus cheques, the median price being $750 per week, that calculates to a $80, 000 annual income for that household. That is even higher than the mean after-tax salary for the average Australian, which is approximately $70, 000. Why would anyone work if the government was paying you more than the average salary to not work? This philosophy will be multi-generational. The children of these people will learn these behaviours and tactics from their own parents, causing a systematic decline of work ethic. We cannot let this happen to the future of our country!

Secondly, the Australian government does not have the financial backing to support this endeavour. Just last year, we spent one-third of our entire federal tax budget on social welfare. This money is helping many people who need more financial stability, but we cannot support any more people on this system. Let’s run through a thought experiment. If we give the 6.5 million stay-at-home parents in Australia the median welfare/stimulus cheque price for just one year, that will cost our country $275 billion or over one-third of our entire tax budget on the minority group of stay-at-home parents. To get this money, we will have to take it from other sectors. To support this initiative, we would have to take the cumulative value of the healthcare sector, the education sector, and the defense sector. Without these core sectors, our Australia that we know and love will be gone forever. Some people may suggest quantitative easing to support this new initiative, but this is simply out of the question. Quantitative easing will cause systematic inflation that will plague our country for generations to come. Our future and our children’s future are at stake; we must not let this thought experiment become a reality.

Finally, if this proposal goes through, the tax implications on the coming generations will be unbearable. The debt that will amount from this initiative will loom over our children’s heads forever. It will stop them from achieving their dreams and cause them great stress. The leading cause of suicide is financial hardship. I acknowledge that this proposal will relieve some financial difficulties in the present, but it will cause the future to have far greater financial problems than what this initiative will fix. I will not be responsible for the depression and inevitable loss of life that will be associated with this endeavour! We mustn’t be selfish in the present because if we are, our future is ruined.

In conclusion, there will always be tough times, but we must not look for short term solutions that will inevitably come back to bite us. We must work through the hardships, so we don’t destroy the future for us and our children! Australia is a great country, and we cannot let this initiative ruin it for everyone. I value our people and our future; this scheme will destroy both if not stopped.

Sanctuary zones should be placed in more areas to prevent overfishing.

Overfishing. The word that shudders the ocean. One day I was fishing with my dad and we couldn’t get a bite. Suddenly, the roar of a steaming motorboat powered towards us. As it passed I caught a glimpse of three buckets, full of fish. The fish had an empty, cold and blank look in their eyes, as the two fishermen laughed, proud of their catch. I am here to show the effects of overfishing in the future. This includes: the disruption of the food chain, the number of jobs lost in this process, and the political attention it catches.

Firstly, overfishing will cause dramatic long-term effects to our ocean in the future. One of these effects is on the food chain. If we fished out half the sardine population, who would the squid eat? Then if the squid die out, then who will the Dhu fish eat? This will keep going until the final species of innocent, harmed fish dies out and our ocean becomes empty and useless. We have done this. Now we need to fix it. Are you thinking of the next generation?

Furthermore, the causes of overfishing can lead to harmful impacts on land as well as the ocean. As there aren’t as many innocent fish in the ocean due to our careless and uneducated decisions, what is the local seafood restaurant down the road going to serve? Exactly, due to our selfish and cowardly decisions, some innocent people are most likely to lose their jobs, due to the lack of seafood. We have already seen the effects of people losing their jobs because of COVID-19 and I am convinced that this problem will have a major effect on us worldwide, just like the virus. Therefore, we need to repair what we have done.

Additionally, for the government the overfishing problem could catch much more attention than needed and this can cause people to panic which makes the problem more dramatic. Although this is a very serious problem, it does not need to cause panic across the world, as there is one simple solution – the placing of sanctuary zones around overfished areas. Sanctuary zones are places where it is illegal to go fishing. These zones create protection for our innocent fish to mate and breed. We have caused this problem by our unthoughtful and selfish decisions. So, take part in the solution to prevent extinction by 2080.

In summary, overfishing is a serious problem and we are the monsters who are killing these innocent fish. Before we know it, our food chain will start to crumble, our citizens will lose their jobs, our world will be in panic and our Government won’t find a solution. So, are you thinking of our world? Are you thinking of our people? Are you thinking of the next generation? Or are you just thinking of yourself? Are you just hoping someone else will make the change? Are you willing to be saved or save someone else? Or are you just lost at sea? Our empty sea.

Freedom of speech, a term more relevant than ever in modern day politics. From rioters to politicians, it is our right to express our opinions and morals freely and without prosecution. However, is this correct and moral? Freedom of speech should be reformed to avoid political unrest and spreading of radical views. Freedom of speech can lead to the spread of prejudice, and freedom of speech gives politicians the opportunity to lie.

My first point is that the freedom of speech leads to prejudice. More and more we see the bringing up of racism in modern media (i.e., social media). With freedom of speech, you allow a person to speak freely which is damaging to other people. Right wing politicians have a platform to spread often false and most hurtful messages to thousands of people. Therefore, in some cases we see blatant prejudice on social media. How is it moral for people to speak freely to others if what they say is prejudiced? Therefore, freedom of speech allows for the spreading of prejudice through modern media.

My second point is that politicians get away with blatant lies through the loophole of freedom of speech. My example for this is one of the most influential people of the 21st century, Donald J Trump. Through Twitter he was allowed to lie and mislead the public through the stolen election lies. He continuously and without consequence was allowed to lie to the general public in this case, causing civil unrest and radical views. These lies led to the raid on Government Hill. People carrying semi-automatic guns stepped into parliament because the leader had told them the democracy was at risk. Therefore, freedom of speech needs to be reformed to stop politicians from lying.

A popular counterpoint is that opinions would be censored through this, like a dictatorship. However, this is false.  Reforming freedom of speech doesn’t mean removing it, rather instead allowing more legal prosecutions to take place. This would help to allow people to express their views but stop radicals from taking advantage of the law. Therefore, the claim that censorship will become more of the norm is false as the law is not being removed, rather reformed to help stop the spread of radical and immoral (racist) views from being shared.

In conclusion, freedom of speech needs to be reformed to avoid the spread of prejudice, and the blatant lying from politicians. This reform needs to allow for more prosecution for those who see fit to cause division. We should all use words to the best of our ability.

Dear Leaders of the World,

You have led our generation to financial prosperity and world peace. However, I am writing this to you on behalf of your loyal citizens, to try to stop the biggest issue facing us, climate change. If this issue is not addressed and solved, we will see disastrous changes to the world we know and love. Our animals are losing habitats, your people are getting affected, and the earth is paying the ultimate price.

Firstly, the animals that you have grown up with might not be around for your kids’ generation. Could you imagine the look on your kid’s face when you tell them they won’t be able to see a polar bear anymore? Or the look on your kid’s face when you tell them that they will never be able to hear a kookaburra sing? Or maybe could you imagine the look on your kid’s face when you tell them they’ll never be able to hold a beautiful big bunny, with gorgeous shiny eyes like pearls? Research has shown that by the year 2050, all polar bears could be extinct, or close to it, if we keep up our polluting ways. In 60 years time our grandchildren might look at polar bears like their dinosaurs – extinct. Is that a future you want to be a part of?

Furthermore, animals aren’t the only species that could be affected; humans are going to feel the effects of climate change. Imagine the amount of money that would be lost, say if Los Angeles became the new Atlantis; it would be astronomical. Not to mention families losing their homes to rising sea levels. Dr Richard Miller has said, “If we don’t change our habits cities like Venice and Los Angeles which are close to sea level, will submerge in a 100 years or so.” With the amount of CO₂ we’re putting into the atmosphere, people are starting to notice some effects. Right now, 1 in 10 people will experience a form of cancer in their lifetime, that’s already up from 1 in 15 in 1965.  In 30 years’ time, however, that number will increase to more like 1 in 7. I ask you to not be sheep in this cause and follow everyone else. I ask you to be leaders and set an example for others to follow.

Finally, the earth is at most risk from this devastating plague that is climate change. I know each and every human on the great planet loves it to death. We only have one earth, there’s no second chance. We’ve got one shot, so we better make it count. We need to stop burning fossil fuels. We need to stop the sea levels rising. We just need to stop. As a kid I was told to stop and think if my actions would hurt others. However, I don’t think we think as deeply as we should. So, before you turn on your petrol-fuelled car, or before you leave rubbish lying around just ask – will this hurt generations to come?

This problem may be big, but the solution is not. Dr Oscar Williams has said, “We live in both the best time, with world peace and a booming economy, yet also the worst time with climate change at an all-time high.” The animals have suffered; humans are suffering, and the world will suffer. So, I plead with you, the leaders of the world, lead your country to not just prosper economically, but to prosper environmentally.

Your sincerely,
David Walton

Just as we’re getting started, please close your eyes and imagine. Imagine the beautiful planet we’re living on, the rich biodiversity and the marvellous place we’ve got on offer. Let’s think of what makes it alive and what makes this planet as wonderful it is …. trees.

Rainforests alone cover more than 30% of the land on earth, and they’re home to millions of animals/insect species never seen before. But as time flies past, deforestation can completely destroy the environment; for every year, 20 million hectares of trees are chopped down.  Why? Just for human’s satisfaction to fulfil our own desires? Could there still be a natural habitat, or could there only be a horrible scene of dead animals, chopped down trees and land that can be considered as ‘Aussie outback’, completely deserted: Can we not be so selfish?

Still don’t care? Consider your loved ones, your family, your job, your pets…. Yourself. Amazon rainforest, located in the South America, produces 20% of the oxygen we breathe and that’s just by itself. There are hundreds and hundreds of forests out there, each producing enough oxygen for a person to breathe in each day. Imagine the trees, GONE! You’ll be scrambling for your money to just pay for a day of breathing. Consider the future growth of the world population – 11 billion people that is! Can we still breathe normally as we can do now? Can we still think that we can live over 10 years? Can you still expect your children to thrive?

All the greenhouse gas released into the atmosphere causes the global issue we know now as ‘global warming’. We already know the consequences, but do we care? Before stomping down hectares of forest, know that deforestation contributes about 25% to global warming. Did we not know that trees take in carbon dioxide and, in return, give us the oxygen we all NEED? But back to reality – icebergs are melting, causing a massive 20cm sea level rise; temperature is rising, causing the fall of the fragile ecosystem and food chain. If we’re stubborn and selfish, earth will DIE, and it’ll die faster than the scientists’ mathematical estimations. By 2050, we’ll be living in a lifeless world that’s hot and humid, filled with water and less land. To stop this, reduce paper use at home, recycle and reuse paper; it’s all a slow process to prevent the ‘unpreventable’. Support eco-warriors and organisations for anti-deforestation, and even just pose trying to influence social media platforms.

Now let’s go back in time. Imagine the flawless – no global warming, no forest getting smashed to the ground, it’s just you and your loved ones, living your lives, breathing in air freely with the fresh aroma of pine trees entering your lungs, birds chirping, bees buzzing…. we can all enjoy our lives without massive deforestation. We do not need mass deforestation.  We need to live in a world of life.

Freedom. The concept of freedom has been around for centuries, from the stone age to modern day. Many believe that it is a moral right for people to have freedom, yet some argue against the notion. In recent decades, governments have been at the forefront of this debate and have altered the way we think about freedom. Democracy has constantly proven that the freedom and choice of its citizens comes first and is the most effective and just system of government. This is shown in the ability for the citizens to choose who leads their nation which leads to greater achievement in a nation. Secondly, the total power and control of dictatorship regimes lead to catastrophic societal issues. We are living in an ever-evolving world, and governments must too.

Democracy gives citizens the freedom to choose who they are led by which leads to greater stability within a nation. An interview done by the New York Times with a citizen of Australia said that with the freedom of choice, a country can be run with trust. He stated that, “We have trust in the government, that they will run the country we live in with their people and not against them.” Democratic ruling gives the basic human right of choice to the people, therefore putting trust back into the community. This ultimately leads to stability within a nation as the economy thrives in an environment in which the whole country is working towards a better future. Industrialism and urbanisation are always in the best interest of the community rather than the government, and though money is important it is weak in comparison to the will of the citizens. Additionally, a study put forward by the United Nations found that crime, vandalism and societal unrest were severely lower in democratic countries. This proves that a society can prosper in a free country, and the nation works together for a better future. Democracy puts the freedom back with the people and is the most just form of government.

Dictatorship regimes tear away these basic human rights of freedom and choice and this ultimately leads to greater societal problems. In a similar study the United Nations showed that 90% of the world’s most corrupt countries are under dictatorship regimes. This shows that dictatorships are more prone to political instability due to the lack of choice for its people. Little day-to-day things such as banning certain literature, songs and movies diminish the freedom of the nation. Moreover, the unrest within the nation often sparks mass protests and what do these governments do? They don’t listen. They declare martial law and begin to kill those who are seen to challenge the government. These governments don’t listen and are not open to change, and in an ever-evolving society, change is the most crucial thing. The people become fed up and this is when crime rates increase immensely. Once prosperous towns become run down towns. Cruel dictatorship regimes don’t give freedom to the people and this leads to a dysfunctional society.

Democratic governments allow the people to invoke their basic rights and choose who they are led by. Crime rates drop, mass protests resulting in graveyards are no more. Democracy is the most effective system today due to the fact that it gives the power to the people. Dictatorships lead to societal unrest and political instability. Democracies give the power to the people, from ancient Greece to today.  It’s the way of the future, the only way.

How can one of Australia’s cultural centrepieces get ignored in state and federal government? How can a national treasure near extinction get pushed to the side by media outlets? How can the beloved Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat be critically endangered without any form of government-funded conservation? These little creatures’ protection would massively affect Australia for the better in terms of environmental impact, nation-wide tourism and it would help eliminate bias towards certain species.

Firstly, the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat plays a crucial role in the ecosystems all around the East Coast and Tasmania. This type of wombat has, over hundreds of thousands of years, developed an appetite for hundreds of bush-berries around the nation that are poisonous to the majority of other species. This eradication of poisonous food is vital to the well-being of many species that may mistake the berry as a reliable and natural source of food. According to the University of Tasmania, over the last decade the number of animals (predominantly young) that have been declared dead via poison has increased by over 215%. Also, over the last decade, all Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombats in Tasmania have since being transported to Queensland in a last-ditch effort to help the species that has less than 150 left in the wild. As a whole, the Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombats have a positive effect on the environment that can’t be replicated.

Furthermore, the Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombats also play a significant role in tourism. If the news was to spread about the near extinction of the species, it would negatively impact nation-wide tourism, COVID permitting. Onlookers of Australia are jealous of our pristine wildlife and plethora of unique fauna and flora. However, what if they were informed that one of Australia’s most well-known, coveted creatures was critically endangered due to human intervention to their habitats and food sources? In his most recent public interview pre-COVID, Australia’s Minister for Tourism claimed 76% of the international tourists are visiting the country (Australia) with ambitions of seeing wildlife that is unique to our island continent. Overall, I feel that many international on-lookers would find this soon-to-be extinction heartbreaking and embarrassing and it would put an easily avoidable dent in our tourism industry and greater economy.

Finally, I feel that a government-funded conservation for Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombats would help eliminate bias towards a cute species. Unlike its bare-nosed counterparts, Northern Hairy-Nose Wombats don’t receive much publicity and care for in zoos and breeding programs. This is because, unlike the Bare-Nosed Wombat or the Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat, these poor animals are constantly deemed ‘not as cute’ and therefore not as popularised. This subjective mind-set means that when conservationists or zoos are looking to help protect a certain breed of wombat, they almost always opt for one of the other types, as it would be a better decision for their wallets. It’s time to think about the animals. According to Conservation Australia, only four Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombats are protected through conservational programs.

In conclusion, a government funded conservation for the Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombats would do wonders for the entire country’s environment, international tourism and would help eliminate animal bias drastically. It’s time for Australia to respect the wildlife, not their wallets. How would you feel if you weren’t catered for with basic needs because of the way you looked?

It’s time for Australia not to favour animals based on a subjective opinion and rather on how much they need to be catered for!

100. The number of Americans who die each day to gun violence. 38,000. The number of Americans who died last year due to gun violence. These killing machines takes so many lives, yet no change has been made to lessen these figures. These weapons have the ability to kill in the blink of an eye, but they can be purchased at a local supermarket. Guns are too powerful for everyday people, like you and me, to own. Even with background check processes, they are still falling into the wrong hands and with new technological advancements, guns are no longer needed for self-defence.

To begin with, guns are too powerful for somebody to have access to in their house or car. One misfire or mistake could have potentially detrimental and irreversible consequences. For example, two people are having a heated argument. One of them pulls out a gun and shoots the other person, killing them almost instantly. The dead person had no time to defend themselves and had to suffer the consequences. If the shooter didn’t have a gun, then it may have led to a different outcome, an outcome where a life wasn’t lost, and the people involved were able to calm down. This clearly shows how guns are too powerful for regular people to own as they have the capability to kill and must be banned immediately.

Secondly, even with high tech and extensive background check processes, guns will still fall into the wrong hands. Currently, the system looks for people who have mental disabilities and/or criminal convictions. What the system doesn’t account for is people with no previous record. This is clear as the amount of school shootings in the last decade has skyrocketed. The FBI found that 85% of firearms used in school shootings in 2019 were legally obtained. Whether it be purchased or a family member’s gun, this is a problem with a single solution – ban all guns. If all guns were banned, then obtaining them would make it harder and would deter many from committing deadly crimes. Thousands of innocent students and teachers have died because of this. Would you want your child going to school with the possibility of not coming home alive? Guns must be banned as no matter how many background checks there are, they will fall into the wrong hands.

Finally, guns must be banned as the excuse that they are essential for self-defence is completely invalid. With technology advancing extremely quickly new self-defence products are available that are just as good if not better than guns, with less deadly consequences. Some examples include: tasers and pepper spray. Some people may say using these products will not protect you from guns. This is completely untrue, as if guns are banned there will be no need to defend against such powerful weaponry. This shows how guns are not needed any longer for self-defence and must be banned.

In conclusion, guns are dangerous, deadly and destructive pieces of machinery that leave no room for error. Guns are too powerful for the average person to own and have in their cars or home. Furthermore, no matter how high tech or how many background check processes are in place, guns will always enable the wrong people to own guns and to commit despicable crimes. Moreover, guns are no longer needed for self-defence as technology has evolved over time. We humans have a responsibility to keep our earth as safe as possible and by banning guns we take a massive leap forward in fulfilling this goal.