The day they announced the prefects at my school assembly, was also the day I was asked to perform a comedy song. 

I was incredibly confident at the time and decided that I would perform a song that I had written called “I Wish I Knew Emma Watson”. 

The song was about how I’d wish I could have sex with Emma Watson and consisted of a long list of Harry Potter based sex puns.

At no point did I think that this was a bad idea, in fact I was incredibly confident that literally the entire school would love this. 

I remember while I was playing the song, a song that involved ideas like me taking polyjuice potion and looking at myself in the mirror naked, the kids at the school we’re just losing it. 

But not only that, but half the teachers were too. 

I say half because I remember catching a glimpse of my Principal's face afterwards and she was not really happy at all. 

After I finished playing my song, I remember feeling this deep sense of panic and elation - a mix of “what have I done” and “haha lol”. 

Either way I knew I wasn’t going to be invited back on stage anytime soon. 

That turned out to be wrong because immediately after my performance, they announced the Year 12 Prefects for 2012. 

You can imagine my surprise when they called my name up. 

Scream’s of laughter echoed through the hall as I made my way back up on stage to shake my Principal’s hand and receive my little badge. 

The optics of the whole situation couldn’t look more troubling for the school. 

They’d ask me to perform, I’d sung a dirty song filled with sexual inuendo (in your endo…boom) and then instead of punishing me, they had rewarded me with a highly respected and sought after leadership position. 

I’d never been a bad boy up until this point, I didn’t know what to do with it all. 

One of the first things we got to do as prefects was attend this conference in Sydney called the Halogen Leadership Conference. 

Student leaders from all around the state came to Sydney to attend the conference, meet other kids and hear the guest speakers. 

The conference filled what used to be the Darling Harbour Conference Centre, there were over 3000 kids and teachers. 

On the train down, my teacher Mr Gill said to me that after every speaker they do a Q&A with the audience. Mr Gill told me that in all his years of running this trip down for the conference, no one from Merewether had ever been successful in asking a question. 

He looked me right in the eye and he said: “Rowan it’s your job to make sure you ask a question today.”

I told him I’d give it my best. 

He added, “And it’s got to be a good one!”

There were two main guest speakers, Jessica Watson - the chick that had sailed around the world by herself and Delta Goodrem the Australian pop singer. 

Not exactly great examples of “leaders” considering one was a solo artist and the other was famous for doing something without the help of anyone else, but you know - that’s the best we can do here in Australia. 

So when we made it into the auditorium it was pretty late and we had to get seats all the way up the back. Already this positioning was not conducive to getting a chance to ask a question. 

Jessica Watson jumped up to speak immediately everyone groaned because no one really gives a shit about Jessica Watson. 

She babbled on about how sailing around the world is tough or whatever and we all didn’t listen. But then a few dudes with microphones started running around. We were on. 

The MC said it was time for some questions. I stuck my hand up high in the air trying to attract the attention of one of the dudes with microphones. 

They seemed to pick their audience at random and I was almost out of my chair trying to make sure he saw me. 

I had a job to do, and I wasn’t going to let Mr Gill down. 

The microphone man picked a few people before he came over to me. He said that there may be time for a question from me but that I’d be the last one for this speaker. 

I waited as all the other chosen kids asked their questions and by the time the last one finished there was no time left from me. 

He looked at me apologetically and went back to the stage. 

I looked at Mr Gill, shrugged and said “Maybe Delta?”

Then Delta Goodrem, Australia’s sweetheart, came up to the podium to teach us about leadership. 

I’ll be honest it felt like listening to a blind man talk about the seven wonders of the world, vague and dull. 

After she finished talking about being born to try or some other bullshit, it was time for questions. 

This time I didn’t even have to put my hand up, the guy with the microphone must have felt bad I couldn’t ask my question and he found me and asked me if I had a question for Delta, I said I did. 

He asked me how it was, and I immediately made up some floozy question - “How has the media affected your personal life?”

Some dumbass question, no one really cares about.

He gave me the okay and he said when he gave me the signal to ask my question. 

They had cameras set up all over the auditorium, and because we were so far back I had to go to the front of the landing so the camera’s could actually see me. 

While I was waiting to ask my question, I can’t remember why I thought this would be a good idea - but I thought that I would ask Delta Goodrem if I could give her a hug. 

I thought it was hilarious and I didn’t have much time to think of anything else, so I went with it. 

When it was my turn to ask a question the guy came over and handed me the microphone. 

Rowan: Hi Delta, my name is Rowan and I’m a prefect from Merewether High School

Delta: Hi Rowan

Rowan: Firstly, I just wanted to say thanks for speaking to us today and also that you look really beautiful. 

The Darling Harbour Conference Centre exploded in an eruption of laughs. 

Kids and Teachers were losing their minds at the audacity of some brown kid way up the back from Newcastle telling Delta she looked beautiful. 

I’d never felt that much adrenaline in my life. 

She said something else afterwards but I couldn’t hear exactly what she said, I thought she hadn’t heard me so I doubled down on what I had just said.

Rowan: I said you look beautiful today. 

More laughs, but less - so, you need more material Rowan. 

Rowan: The question I wanted to ask you was about how the media and your public life has affected your personal life. Also, can I give you a hug?

I just heard every Delta Goodrem fan in the audience audibly gasp as she opened her arms and walked off the stage towards my direction. 

Immediately I handed the microphone back to the guy, who at this point must have been feeling incredibly ripped off, and began running down the three flights of stairs. 

Camera’s were pointed at me and the whole time I was doing everything in my power to make it look like I was athletic but also making sure I didn’t trip and fall down the stairs. 

All I could hear were the screams and cheers of the kids (and possibly teachers) who were losing their minds at what was going on. 

After I made it down the three flights of stairs I ran into Delta’s arms and gave her a hug. 

The crowd erupted even more as I triumphantly stuck my arm in the air. I felt like the kid at the end of the Breakfast Club.

She kissed me on the cheek and I knew that I needed to get out of there otherwise my arm wouldn’t be the only part of me that was stuck up in the air. 

So I pulled away and said thanks, and that it was really nice to meet her and she was like “You’re beautiful, You’re so lovely”

And I was like yeah cool, cool I’ve got to get back to my seat. And then I sprinted back up to my seat. 

As I was headed back up, people were still applauding when I turned around to see Delta. A group of girls began to swarm her for hugs. 

I had started like some mass swarm hug and it looked like she was about to be eaten up. As I headed back to my seat, my friends were laughing and I looked at Mr Gill and I said, how was that? 

My favourite part about that story is when I moved to Sydney for university two years later. 

Every couple of months I’d meet someone who was also at that conference and they’d recognise me as the guy that hugged Delta.