College students rock on with a class act

By Tania Martin
EMERALD Secondary College students put on the performance of a lifetime last week to take home third place in the Premier Division of the 2007 Rock Eisteddfod.
This latest result comes after the students won 10 awards in their qualifying heat last month.
The Rock Eisteddfod is a performing arts event, which is held across Australia and gives secondary school students the opportunity to express themselves through music and art by producing an eight-minute act.
Emerald’s award-winning performance titled Labyrinth of Life followed the students as they journeyed through a maze and were confronted by their fears and overcame obstacles.
Principal Wayne Burgess said it was fantastic to be ranked third in the school’s debut performance in the Premier Division.
Mr Burgess said although the school won the Open Division grand final in 2005, this year was a step up for the students and he was thrilled to see them do so well.
“We are ecstatic to be ranked third,” he said.
“We were always hopeful that we would place third or fourth.”
Mr Burgess said coming third was a fantastic achievement and that the whole school was thrilled with the result.
“To just make the grand final was an achievement and to do so well now was just remarkable,” he said.
“We knew how good they (the students) were but just didn’t know what the other teams were like – we didn’t know what to expect.”
Mr Burgess said it was also great to see the students giving support to the other teams in the final.
“That is what the competition is all about – not only performing but recognising other schools,” he said.