\”Everything I Wanted,\” from Militia\’s latest CD
Central Queenslands’ yet another successful band with a big heart for music.

CENTRAL Queensland’s latest talent, Militia, have recently released their CD along with a jam packed tour filled with performances along the eastern sea-board.

After recording for the last eight months, Militia’s lead singer Penny feels the band has finally got the CD right.
“We have been recording and re – recording our new CD, just playing around with the sounds a lot, getting it right.

As Militia follows in the successful foot steps of Tooheys Extra Dry Uncharted Competition nominees, Ellington, Militia’s lead singer Penny believes Central Queensland has produced such talent due to the tight knit music community in the area.
“Here in Central Queensland, we sort of help each other out a lot. We have a big heart for our music. But in saying that it is a big industry, we are all just fighting to get heard.

For years, Penny has always been interested in music, having written some of his own songs and played in cover bands throughout high school. He helped form Militia during the bands high school years. In 2007, the band began to really focus on their music.
“We became fully serious into writing and getting shows for our originals in 2007. Our first show was on New Years Eve in Rockhampton,” Penny says.
From there the band has played several shows and recently announced their tour.

Militia acquired its name from its old base player, who found it in the dictionary.
“It’s an army created by the public fighting for there own cause, we want to eventually, make a difference somehow,” Penny explains.

With their bright future ahead of them these boys are remaining themselves and just looking forward to the journey.
“We are just keen for people to like what we are playing and maybe come share some adventures with us.”

WITH the rate of indigenous high school graduates low, the Queensland Teachers Union is encouraging those who do graduate to study teaching.

Griffith University student, Leona Yunkaporta, is studying the Bachelor of Education to become a primary school teacher.
“I always wanted to be a teacher,” Leona said.

She is aware of the low graduation rate and hopes that by becoming a teacher she will be able to influence indigenous students.
“I want to teach in an indigenous community. Try to influence them, because the rate of graduating from high school is so low.”

Leona experienced first hand how difficult indigenous students find it to graduate.
“I was the only student to graduate from my year eight class.”
Leona is studying teaching with the help of the Noel Pearson Scholarship. Without the scholarship she would not be studying to become a teacher.

Vice President for the Queensland Teachers Union, Julie Brown is very supportive of indigenous students becoming teachers.
“The Queensland Teachers Union encourages all people with indigenous background to become teachers, as this would be very reflective of the student population in Queensland. If a student had an indigenous teacher they would be more likely to pursue tertiary education. Not just to become a teacher, but because they can see that an indigenous person can do it, so they can too.”

Kevin Rudd has pledged $2.1 billion with the hope of improving indigenous education over the next four years. This is expected to improve the indigenous graduation rate.

With the teachers union strike on tomorrow hopefully their wage increase is addressed, thus encouraging more indigenous teachers.

THE financial down turn has forecasted the loss of approximately seven-hundred and five jobs in the Gladstone region.
This includes twenty permanent positions at Boyne Smelter Limited, fifteen at Yarwun alumina refinery, plus the reduction of seventy maintenance contractor roles.
One hundred at Rio Tinto Alcan Weipa, in Cape York and approximately five hundred contractor roles at Yarwun 2 expansion unit Gladstone.
“These reductions will occur progressively over the next seven weeks”, said Rio Tinto’s project manager Keith Nugent.
Rio Tinto Alcan announced in early April, that it will slow the construction of the Yarwun alumina refinery expansion unit in Gladstone due to the sharp fall in alumina and aluminium demand and prices in recent months.
“Even with alumina capacity cuts around the world there is still little improvement in alumina prices. At current prices around 70% of the industry is currently operating at a financial loss,” said Mr. Nugent.
As workers braced themselves for the job reductions workers question their efforts and security of their jobs.
“I’m not there to please anyone but myself. So that when I walk home I know I have done my best,” said Yarwun two contractor Allen Rand.

Rio Tinto Alcan Bauxite and Alumina president Steve Hodgson, announced that work on the Yarwun alumina refinery expansion will be slowed to reduce the rate of capital expenditure.
Those workers who manage to secure their jobs after the job cuts will have a job up until 2012.

a diagram of the way in which Swine Flu spreads

With the Swine flu spreading and the death toll rising, the Australian government is considering its options to combat the deadly virus.

NOT only is the government considering its actions so are the general public, with commuters wearing masks at Brisbane’s International airport along with a few people in the Central Business District.

South African Kelvin Bugler has come up with a plan if the deadly virus was to spread to Australian shores,

“If it got really bad I would move off campus, because college is a breeding ground for bacteria.”

Sam Huxley believes that the medical masks being handed out in Mexico are a ridiculous idea of a preventative measure.
“I think the mask is incredibly unattractive and if I was to get the swine flu I would get it, a mask is not going to prevent it.

MATTHEW plays Australian Football League for the Redlands reserve grade, in the hope making it into the A grade.
“My coach thinks I can get into the draft this year,” Matt said.

He plays football eight hours a week and finds travelling difficult.
“It makes it difficult to get to games, because I don’t have a car.” Matthew explained.
He would also like to get a part time job.

Along with his football commitments he attends fifteen hours a week at university.

With his future uncertain, focusing his passion on both football and his studies is proving difficult. Adding a job to his already busy schedule will increase the pressure and expectations. Hopefully his sporting and university ambitions with be recognized and financially supported.

GRIFFITH University colleges have changed its Internet Service Provider to Star Tech Communications, who has disabled the Local Area Network, preventing residents from sharing files through peer to peer networks.

An online petition has been setup by students, its creator; Pelham J Whitmore said,
“So far we haven’t confirmed exactly why this has happened but we believe it could be the inability to control internet usage with the local network, the desire to stop students from sharing internet connections and an attempt to stop malicious activity behind the firewall.”

The internet fee is a minimum payment of twenty eight dollars and fifty cents for the internet which includes only two gigabytes. This alone is just under twice the amount residents were paying last year. This fee becomes more expensive for greater amounts of internet access. This internet fee is to be paid once a month in order to access the internet in dormitories.

File sharing was not only for recreational purposes it was also for assessment and education.
Many film students live on college and used the file sharing system when completing assignments. There were also documentaries shared which assisted many other students particularly in science courses.

Griffith University film student Jonathon Martin believes that the new internet system is hindering his ability to study for his course.

“Last year I would just log onto the peer to peer sharing network and get all the movies i had to write assignments on. This year it’s more complicated then that. This year I have to go to a video store or actually purchase the movies, and that is an inconvenience and costs money.”

Not only does the new internet connection prevent sharing of files, it sometimes does not work all together. Thursday March 26, the internet was down for at least 24 hours. Many students, particularly multimedia and information technology students had assignments due and required the use of the internet. On other occasions, the internet connection cuts out, sometimes up to an hour many times for an entire day.

With the recent removal of the seventy-percent alco-pop tax the youth of today could not be more pleased.

But for newly eighteen year old Georgina Nichols, who is yet to see the affects of the lifted tax it is a very frusterating time.

“The tax was lifted a month ago, and it is very annoying to not yet see the changes in bottle shops,” Georgina said.

That is not the only issue. The government is not sure what to do with the billions of dollars they made from the alco-pop tax. The givernement offered it back to the acohol companies, but they do not want anthing to do with the money, they would like to see it put into more anti-binge-drinking campaigns.

Griffith University student, Amy Ketter recognises that technology is changing the way we receive our news. “Instead of going to get a newspaper, computers allow for quicker and more efficient access to current affairs.” In today’s society people interact with computers daily. This allows for people anytime anywhere to receive their news through online news productions. Technology is continually upgrading making for rapid advances on news websites Improving the way news interacts with its audience.