Magis

Media Club

Our film crew met on Friday after school to film the weekly "Wrap" This week featured a special Easter item from Year 7 students. They are to be congratulated on their fine effort.

http://youtube.com/watch?feature=m-ch-fea&v=8jFaKZv1cPk

Students begin work after Easter on a short film production.

Philosophy

There will be no Philosophy Club in week 9.

Mock Trials

Our next trial is on 23 May in the Supreme Court. We are the plaintiff against Christ Church Grammar School. Meetings to prepare for the case will begin in week 10 after Manresa.

Library

As examinations get closer the Library will again be open until 7pm for three nights during the week. This will begin in week two of Term Two. Students from Years 11 and 12 can stay in the Library for private study and tutors will also be available in some subject areas.

Author-in-Residence

This week the Library had an author-in-residence, Scot Gardner, who worked with students from Years 9 and 10. He was interviewed by Year 9 Media Club student, Alex King.

Interview with Scot Gardner

Why did you decide to start write? What got you into the career of writing?

"Well, mental illness, really, a kind of madness. I literally fell into writing; an editor from a magazine picked me up hitchhiking and told me that I should write something for the magazine. I met John Marsden and he introduced me to a publisher."

Where do your ideas come from? What is the source of your Inspiration?

"My ideas start as seeds and these seeds have gravity and they attract other ideas until it reaches critical mass and I know that I have a story worth writing. I get inspiration from places like rubbish tips, and many of my ideas come from young people's stories. Many acknowledgements in my books are to young people that shared their stories with me. I get ideas from the news and make things up to hold them all together."

Why do you keep writing?

"I keep writing because it pays the bills. Every book is like a lotto ticket because you never know how well it will sell. I write because I like the creativity of it. Some days are spent putting ideas on a page. It can be lonely and isolating. The antidote to that is coming to schools like John XXIII."

How long have you been writing for?

"A couple of years ago I trained as a teacher. After 10 years of writing I needed a break. Teaching is harder than I thought. Last year I had to choose between teaching or writing, because I was offered a job. The book I released last year, "The Dead I Know", won an award and that just made writing more appealing to me."

Who are some authors that you admire?

"I admire Tim Winton, Markus Zusak, John Marsden, Julia Lawrinson, Phil Gwynne and Barry Jonsberg. They're all Australian authors and I know some of them."

Why do you come to visit schools like John XXIII?

"Well it's the antidote to feeling lonely. I collect stories from young people that I might use in my books. I come to talk about books and to hopefully spread my enthusiasm to other young people, and it pays the bills."

What advice do you have to young people wanting to be authors?

"Push your own buttons and challenge yourself. Write about something that pleases you, but also things that frighten you. You need to make writing a habit and keep it up."

Dr Annette Pedersen
Magis and Ignatius Centre Coordinator