Archive for November, 2010

Corrupt file in the system

Monday, November 29, 2010

Enter the Saviour

Dr Bruce Manners
Senior minister
Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church

Sorry. That was the message from the National Australia Bank (NAB) to its customers this week when its computer system failed. That meant millions of customers were left short of cash over the weekend, many didn’t receive their pay on time.

“The problem was caused by a corrupted file,” said NAB spokesperson George Wright on ABC radio this morning (Monday). He denied human error was responsible.

“We’ve identified the file and remediated the problem and have been working over the weekend,” he said.

I’m guessing “remediated” means fixed.

“And I’m able to report that this morning for the vast majority of our customers their accounts have now been brought up to date.” Only 19,000 customers still wait for their accounts to be fixed. Only 19,000.

Not being an NAB customer, I’ve barely noticed the problem. It’s been an interesting news piece, little more.

Sorry. That’s my message to NAB customers—particularly the 19,000. I’m sorry you’ve had the difficulty, and sorry I may not seem to have the concerns you do. It’s just it hasn’t made an impact on me.

It does remind me, though, of the corrupt file coming out of Eden, which makes an impact on all of us. Human error was definitely involved, and we can point to our first parents. It’s a viral corruption that’s infected every generation.

Let’s call this corrupt file sin. Mostly, we talk about sin as wrongful acts, which is true. But there’s also sin that can be described as the “earthly things lurking within you” (Colossians 3:5, NLT). It’s part of our being.

This can’t be easily remediated.

Enter Jesus. He could have merely said, “Sorry you’re in this situation. I hope you sort it out.”

Sorry was never enough. Not when we need a Saviour. Thank God for Jesus.

Stress: have it your way

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Study help for students

Julian Bremner
Public relations editorial intern
Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

It’s that time of the year, classes are closing, assignments are (over)due and examinations are beginning. Your stress levels are up. It feels like you’re drowning. Wait! There are beacons of hope.

Avondale Library, it’s the one constant, so it makes sense this should be your first port of call. The atmosphere is essential to successful study. It’s quiet, but it can also be productive, particularly seeing your classmates with their heads in their books. Choose to study by yourself in a cubicle or with others in a room.

Other library facilities or improvements to service include the addition of new computers and the extension of hours in the computer lab. A printer has also been added, so getting up the minute the library opens is no longer necessary. With EndNote and database searching classes on request, past examination papers and tutoring services, Avondale Library should be your next step in reclaiming sanity.

This is also Kim Pow’s domain. She’s the student counsellor on the Lake Macquarie campus. “This is the most stressful time of year and I see an increase in the number of students who visit for the first time,” she says. Kim sees this generation as the “better offer” generation—we tend to procrastinate. This often results in lack of sleep, which is a factor in the poor handling of stress. “All nighters can comprise your coping mechanism,” says Kim.

Bachelor of Arts student Joshua Zyderveld knows what it’s like to be stressed—he’s overloading units for his final two semesters. His advice: “Students who start early [on assignments or study] get the best marks and still manage to have a good time.”

The event experience

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

A reflection on the Jacaranda Banquet

Kerry Arbuckle
Bachelor of Arts student
Avondale College

Jacaranda Banquet. Sounds inviting, doesn’t it? Well, that depends on which side of the table you’re sitting. I helped organise the banquet this year, and I have new respect for event managers.

Looking back, I would now describe myself as a little naïve. How hard could it be to organise an event such as the Jacaranda Banquet? Create budget. Brainstorm. Set theme. Book venue. Seek sponsorship. Finalise menu. Update budget. Plan program. Research resources for best price. Update budget. Seek better price. Buy and hire decorations. Finalise design for collateral. Distribute collateral. Sell tickets. Seek money from sponsors. Sell tickets. Hire a DJ. Sell tickets. Decorate tables. This is just a basic outline of the work we completed for our Event Management class.

Learning to work with each other as classmates and with others and not taking rejection to heart: challenging. The things of most concern to the organisers of an event seem to be the things of least concern to those attending, yet without these things the event would have been lacking.

I found organising Jacaranda Banquet stressful. The semester seemed to ebb and flow—stress, relief, stress, relief—but I now have a real sense of achievement. I’ll remember the experience and perhaps even the Jacaranda Banquet itself, because never has an event I’ve attended seemed to end so quickly.

Jacaranda Banquet

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Inspired (from left): Heidi Bogacs; Nerissa Bellchambers; Sonja Larsen; Grace Gates; Rosanne Laredo; Sze Yee Lee; and Daniel Laredo. Credit: Ann Stafford.

Assistant editor Emma Hanna (centre) and editor Shelley Poole (right) present Jacaranda to senior lecturer in science education Dr Cedric Greive, to whom the yearbook is dedicated. Credit: Ann Stafford.

Phew! Lecturer in graphic design Donna Pinter and lecturer in communication Bruna Tawake celebrate at the Jacaranda Banquet. Donna supervised the production of Jacaranda in her role as manager of Avondale College student graphic design studio ‘that design.’ Bruna’s Event Management class organised the banquet. Credit: Ann Stafford.

Links
The event experience: Kerry Arbuckle reflects on helping organise the Jacaranda Banquet.

Common nakedness

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

How a confrontation with God strips alibis and disguises

Dr Bruce Manners
Senior minister
Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church

We spend a lifetime creating ourselves. We develop skills. Climb the ladder. Make a name. Band together for good or not. We can be so caught up in this, we forget underneath it all, it’s just us.

Peter Berger (in The Precarious Vision) writes: “As little men put on their terrifying masks and headgears and war rattles, and march into the arena with solemn chants, there is always some old lady who smiles at them, not unkindly, and suggests that the boys go play elsewhere where they cannot hurt anybody.”

He admits even unimpressed grandmothers can be killed in these war games, but suggests these “boys” may discover their own humanity if they listen to her. These grandmothers recognise something these little men don’t dare think.

What if we looked beyond titles, positions and status; and ethnicity, creed and cultural differences? What if we recognised our equality despite our differences?

We’re human. This is our commonality.

We all come into the world with nothing and leave with nothing. This is our common nakedness (see Job 1:21). We’re born without a name, without a role, without position. These come later and then we clothe ourselves with them to give ourselves identity.

This clothing has some value (grandmothers will still see the child beneath), but the shrug of death shakes them off. In the end, the length of your obituary, the size of the funeral crowd, the magnificence of your tomb makes no difference to you.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t aim for greatness, or plan to make a difference or to leave a legacy. It’s merely a reminder of our common nakedness—as humans.

So, how do you find the real you? Berger suggests a “confrontation with the living God of the Christian faith strips men [and women] of their alibis and disguises.”