Sam before losing his arm (3 stories)

Adult education focuses on youth

By Lucy Spurgeon

Hip hop, salsa, sushi and sea kayaking are on offer in the State’s first summer Adult Education programme aimed at 16 to 25-year-olds.

Adult Education regional manager and Get Out! Programme coordinator Lynn Jarvis said that Adult Ed courses were traditionally popular with people aged over 30.

The two-week January programme in the North is a pilot with 12 courses aimed at a younger audience.

“We picked things that we thought would be of interest to them, such as hip hop and designing Web pages,” Ms Jarvis said.

“We’ve never really targeted this age group specifically.”

Ms Jarvis said that young people tended to see learning as something that happened in a formal classroom environment.

“Learning’s lots of other things as well,” she said.

Hip hop course teacher Sam Cawthorn, 24, has been dancing since he was a “little kid” and has been professionally taught in hip hop and freestyling.

He said that hip hop had become popular because of the freedom it allowed dancers.

“People are really wanting to dance properly and dance to impress,” he said.

“They will be learning rhythm; I’ll be requiring them to bring a lot of energy; they’ll be learning things about flexibility and keeping in time.

“It’s all about having fun in a positive atmosphere.”

Instructor Phil Barratt has been sea kayaking for 10 years and the two-day course will include a day training on the Trevallyn Dam and a day at Badger Head. 

Courses will also be run in the mountain biking, producing music CDs, funky food fast, rock climbing, hair colouring basics, juggling and circus skills and nail art basics.

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Singers are tuned up for gigantic carols evening

By Ellena Midgley, The Examiner Newspaper, December 15^th, 2005

Northern solo vocalists Carol De Vereaux, Heidi Cooper and Sam Cawthorn are ready to project their voice to a crowd of thousands at Sunday’s Carols By Candlelight.

The vocalists had their final rehearsal last night – they were nervous, now they are just excited.

Sam Cawthorn, of Launceston, has sung at numerous carol concerts in Hobart but this is his first time singing in the Launceston Carols By Candlelight.

A singing teacher, Mr Cawthorn is looking forward to the event.

“It will be great if everyone can be involved – if everyone can sing along and make it an interactive concert between the kids and families,” he said.

“I expect a lot of entertainment, energy and fun and am looking forward to simply being a part of a community event.”

Mr Cawthorn, who said he had been practising all this week, will perform two songs at the carols.

He will sing Once In Royal David’s City as well as I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever.

Heidi Cooper and Carol De Vereaux were the lead roles from the Launceston Musical Society’s Guys And Dolls, and have sung at carols before.

Candles will be available at the gates and electric candles and glow-sticks will be available from the rotunda.

All proceeds go to The Examiner’s Empty Stocking Fund.

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