Page 10 - Luce 2020

N ews a nd Events

Speaking out
in the Oratory Competition

Eight speakers gathered in the Senior
Common Room after dinner with a
small audience of staff and students
and competition sponsors, barrister and Prof Maskell reflects on leadership Chloe Hooper keeps students enthralled
former JCH tutor Brian Kennedy and his at the Literature Dinner
wife, lawyer Laura Hartmann.
Leadership Dinner Literature Dinner
Judges for the event were barrister
W. Brind (Zich) Zichy-Woinarski Q.C. The College was honoured that Prof Chloe Hooper made a welcome return
and Brind’s partner, lawyer Angie Duncan Maskell, newly appointed to the College as 2019 Literature Dinner
Dickschen. Vice-Chancellor of the University of speaker. Her latest book The Arsonist:
Melbourne, took time to engage with A Mind on Fire unravels criminal
The broad topic given was ‘change’ and students at our annual Leadership psychology, human empathy and a sense
this was interpreted differently by each Dinner. A scientist and infectious disease of place in country Australia. The book
speaker. As the judges said, all of the specialist by training, he was the first was shortlisted for the 2019 Victorian
speakers used personal experience and in his family to attend university (in his Premier’s Literary Awards for Non-fiction.
some great lines. case, the University of Cambridge, in
which he ended up serving as Senior With her characteristic warmth and
After only a short time deliberating, Pro-Vice-Chancellor while also starting journalistic rigour, Chloe shared with the
the judges emerged to announce the several biotech companies). audience her journey into the Latrobe
winners. Third place was awarded to Valley to research the book. Our student
Hilly Pammer-Green for her speech Prof Maskell offered a wide-ranging panellists then engaged Chloe with
entitled ‘The Wheel: Change and reflection on the practical and ethical questions about character motivation
Struggle’. In second place was Allegra considerations which inform his own and the portrayal of fire in non-fiction.
McCormack with her speech entitled leadership style within and beyond Chloe last spoke at JCH in 2011 on The
‘Conformity’. First prize was awarded the university setting. Among his Tall Man.
to Shambhavi Mishra whose speech observations, he reflected that leaders
‘The Only Constant in Life is Change’ gain respect by showing interest and The inaugural Katherine Firth and Andreas
followed the course of Shambhavi’s from knowing things about other’s Loewe Book Grant was presented to
life. Claiming to have never wanted to areas of interest. Having made informed Charlotte Ekkel (left) and Islay McDougall
learn the violin, Shambhavi nevertheless decisions underpinned by thorough (right) at the Literature Dinner
continued to play for eleven years, research, he suggested, it is incumbent
through many house and school moves, to stand by these decisions, whatever
between the ages of six and seventeen the public response.
years.
Prof Maskell noted the importance of
Congratulations to our prize-winners Janet Clarke Hall’s collegiate history
and thank you to all of the students – and encouraged our students to be
Charlotte Ekkel, Lee, Evangeline, Eleanor open to any leadership opportunities
and Shamus – who braved the anxiety of which might unexpectedly fall their way.
public speaking and delivered excellent Above all, he stressed, the University
speeches. experience should be transformational,
not transactional.
Ms Margie Welsford
Deputy Principal

10 LUCE Number 18 2019