A stroke of creativity
Like many students across the country, Hamilton and Alexandra College year-12 student Ben Mccure and year-11 student Annabel Hetherington are eager to get back into the classroom.
However, both are making the most of the extra time they have at home.
Ben and fellow student Riley Alexander launched a podcast called ‘Chewy on ya boot’, which covers all things sport related including interviews with ‘sporting legends’ across the country. The dynamic duo has posted 30 episodes and has nearly 2500 followers on Spotify in 10 countries.
The pair has spoken to cricketing greats Merv Hughes and Michael Hussey, interviewed AFL journalist Jon Ralph and AFL’S 2019 number-one draft pick Jack Rowell.
“Riley and I have been able to organise and deliver six podcasts over the past eight weeks,” Ben said.
“We’re very lucky to have a supportive network at school and through the college cricket club, which is where many of our leads and connections for our podcasts have come from.
“Having conversations with these inspirational sports people has helped me grow in confidence.”
Ben aims to study sports journalism or media and communications at university next year.
An avid cricketer and footballer, he hopes his passion for sport can develop into a career.
Ben said the skills developed from being a boarder at the school had helped him create long-lasting connections.
“One of the great advantages of the college is the size and at the boarding house we form close bonds with students from years seven to 12,” he said.
“I set up a Whatsapp group to make sure I am staying in contact with the younger boarders.”
Annabel is using the remote learning experience to tap into her creative genius.
Annabel, also a boarder at the college, has to date spent more than seven weeks at her family farm in South Australia.
She said she was missing her friends and the social aspects of the boarding house.
Annabel said she had tapped into her artistic creativity and was delivering new approaches for her studio arts subject, including tying a rope over the forks of a tractor to create a trapeze to make some fun paint canvases.
“Both my parents work in essential service roles, so I am home alone three days a week. It can be hard to stay motivated when the house is so quiet, so I have used my studio arts subject as an opportunity to get outside and be creative,” she said. • Hamilton and Alexandra College seeks the best for each and every student and helps them to define and follow their own confident future. To learn more, visit www.hamiltoncollege. vic.edu.au or call 5572 1355.