SB & W | Vol. 1 | Issue 1 | November 2023 by tksspirit

SB & W INSIGHT EXPLORING THE ILLUSION OF ORIGINALITY WHAT IS THE DENIAL OF DEATH? IS SAUDI ARABIA RUINING FOOTBALL?

NOVEMBER 2023 | VOL. 1 | NO. 1

CONTENTS 04

MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAPLAINCY EXECUTIVE

ARTS AND CULTURE

SPORTS

EDITORIAL

SCIENCE & TECH

FICTION AND POETRY

POLITICS & SOCIETY

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EDITORS

Editor In Chief Ethan Zhu Senior Editor Jonathan Pan Creative Director Tully Salmon Circulation & Production Charlie Maple-Brown Photographer Peter Wang Arts & Culture Krishna Li Politics & Society Prash Sivagangabalan Current Affairs Ian Gao Fiction & Poetry Jack O’Brien Science & Tech Tom Hanley Asha Keshavarz Sports Rupert Begg Health & Lifestyle Cameron Schultz TKS Day 2 Day Daniel Payne Charles Baker SB & W

MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR Thank you for reading the first edition of SB&W Insight! We hope you enjoy reading this as much as we did making it. And of course, thank you to all the editors and contributors for making this possible. Reading and writing go hand in hand — and they are such crucial skills. Naturally, this is emphasised in school, because students who read and write better get higher marks! We’re also told that these skills remain crucial after entering the workforce. But these skills do so much more for us. For one, reading and writing can be incredibly enjoyable and fulfilling. So why not read and write for fun? Moreover, good reading and writing is crucial to understand different perspectives, and in sharing our own. In many ways, they connect us with other people. And in a world so divided and polarised by a wide range of controversial issues, reading and writing will be crucial in uniting us, and fostering empathy. When we read and write, we also critically think ourselves — and challenge our existing ways of thinking. The greatest developments in philosophy and the sciences have come from reading and writing. So when you read this magazine (and perhaps write for it), I hope you do so with an open mind. But also be ready to question and criticise — we encourage you to share your thoughts on the articles. So challenge us! After all, life-long learning and disagreements are key drivers in humanity’s constant pursuit of intellectual development. Finally, please don’t forget to have fun. And remember that the views included in this magazine are not endorsed by the Monitorial Team or The King’s School. Finally, we welcome you to share your thoughts on what you’ve read. If you would like to contribute your own article, please do share — we’d love to include them. Please email us directly at pan_jo@student.kings.edu.au. Happy Reading! Ethan Zhu Editor in Chief

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A MESSAGE

FROM THE CHAPLAINCY EXECUTIVE As we prepare ourselves for another fast-paced term, this is a great time to reflect and pause before all of us undoubtedly get caught up in the business of life at King’s. For those that don’t know, my name is Sam (not Scott), although I do go by Scotty. I started at King’s in Year 7 and have been playing cricket and rugby throughout my time at King's, being fortunate enough to win a 2nd XI premiership under the one and only Wayno. I’ve also enjoyed music and played in a few bands whilst also involving myself in Cadets. If you see me around, come and introduce yourself (unless you’re a Panthers fan)! If there is one message that I’d like to share with each of you it is this: You are not alone - you can be grounded knowing that you have an eternal Father who loves you.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. ISAIAH 40:31 Often, I find myself thinking that it’s me against the world. That everyone acts in their own interests that and it

is only myself that can shape the direction of my life. However, when reading Isaiah 40:31, we see that we can choose not to be alone. What a comforting passage! To know that we have the creator of the universe in our corner, who has our best interests at heart! His love is unconditional and steadfast, meaning that we don’t need to do anything to ‘earn it’. Instead, it has been offered as a gift.

Looking towards the year that is to come, I hope to be an example that the Christian message is for everyone. No person is too smart, too athletic, or too cool for what the Bible has to offer. All I ask is that during your time at King's, you stay inquisitive, ask questions, look at different perspectives, and don’t immediately box yourself in a corner. I challenge you to venture out - and that goes for every aspect of life at this School. I look forward to the year ahead, Scotty

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THE ILLUSION OF ORIGINALITY A JOURNEY THROUGH CREATIVITY AND MEMORY | P.SIVAGANGABALAN Memory is the seamstress, and a capricious one at that. Memory runs her needle in and out, up and down, hither and thither.

Virginia Woolf It was a composition lesson in my Year 9 Music Elective class, where I first understood the notion of an existential crisis. My teacher was explaining to our class how to compose music using the relative notes of a scale. He showed us how most pop songs nowadays have very similar chord progressions and drum rhythms. Hey Soul Sister by Train, Poker Face by Lady Gaga, and Someone Like You by Adele — they all have the same chord progression. But it doesn't stop in recent pop music. Sharing that same progression is also Man In the Mirror by Michael Jackson, Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver, Let It Be by the Beatles, and many, many more songs. All the exact same 4-chord progression, in the exact same key. So naturally, I started questioning: “How could these songs claim copyright validity?” But my teacher didn’t share my internal crisis. He seemed perfectly content that songs that fundamentally shared the same ‘music’ could be unique. He even encouraged me to use the same progression in my own work. This led me down a train of thought — what, then, in music, is an original idea? If the keys in these songs aren’t original. If their rhythms aren’t either. If the orders in which the chords fall aren’t. Then where on Earth can originality in music be found? And surely this applies to beyond just music?

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In that exact lesson, something changed in my way of thinking about creativity and production. The idea of people being defensive of others stealing their work started to seem funny — almost ironic to me. Now, I am not saying that I’m an avid supporter of plagiarism, or that copyright laws are invalid, or that this piece was ‘Chat GPT’d’, so to speak. But rather I can’t understand the notion that any work can be original. It’s quite a simple argument. Everything we can come up with originates from our knowledge of something else. Our ‘original’ ideas are not ‘original’ because they are informed by memories of things that already exist. Troubled by this thought, I wanted to continue my exploration of originality. Because if nothing is original, then how can people come up with ideas that no-one has had before? Perhaps then, I thought, originality is just the ability to rearrange what is ‘already existing’ in new ways. If you would like to entertain this idea, pause for a second and imagine a chair. The chair you are thinking of is based on other chairs you’ve seen in your life. Now, try to think of something you have never seen before. Let’s say, a dragon. But what you are thinking of right now is likely not original. The dragon

you currently envision is based on the cartoons and drawings of dragons you’ve seen before. So, in the quest for originality, what if we try to invent our own animal? How about... a dog with pink skin, a unicorn horn, and a pair of Gucci glasses that is holding a diploma in piloting? Again, everything you are imagining is a combination of existing memories and prior experiences. I think this is what Virginia Woolf was getting at when she said. “Memory is the seamstress”.

Now, Descartes, quite like me in that Year 9 elective class, was having an existential crisis about what he ‘knew’. It is a seemingly basic notion, but one that can not be so easily responded to. See, Descartes was not content with the fact that he could really ‘know anything. How could he ‘know’ that everything he was seeing wasn’t some form of simulation? Or some brain in a vat? When we try to trace back to what our fundamental knowledge is, we strip away everything we know.

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2+2=4 Why? Well, apparently, because we’ve observed it. The sky is blue — well, is it? If the self cannot be trusted, what can be? On the brink of this insanity, Descartes came to a realisation. A 5-word sentence that is as simple as it is infamous. “Je pense, donc, je suis”. I think, therefore I am. It means that the very fact that we are capable of asking questions about what we know means that, at the very least, we know that we are asking that question. And thus... we are? The purpose of sharing this piece of history with you was to illustrate why I believe that everything I ‘know’ comes from my experiences. And I think it’s very likely that that five-word phrase is the only original thought ever had. Assuming Descartes was the first person to think it.

But why does that matter? Is a thought still original if it has already been thought by another person? Or perhaps is an original thought, just one that has not been thought of before by that particular thinker. And if not originality, what makes someone a better writer? What makes someone more creative than another? Because if ‘originality’ is all that matters, creativity would describe a unique combination of ideas. The most creative would be the most bizarre and unique combination of things we could come up with. Here, two things come to mind. First, Rick and Morty. There is an episode of the infamous show where a giant floating head enters the Earth’s atmosphere in order to teleport Earth into a songwriting competition against other planets. Unfortunately, we learn all of Earth’s musicians have mysteriously disappeared — and so the burden falls upon Rick and Morty to write a winning song.

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I still cannot fathom how one comes up with such absurd ideas. I believe the youth of today would ask, “what was he smoking?” If we define creativity as the pursuit of originality, then creativity is simply the ability to ‘spam together’ all the disconnected fragments of our memories. Thousands of odd and seemingly unrelated memories. The other form of creativity I think of, though, is innovative inventions. The microwave, the car, the Olympics. Inventors create by identifying problems and then searching for solutions. In 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright saw a problem in their world. “We need to travel efficiently long distances”, they thought, and walking was proving insufficient. So, they came up with the plane. Inspired by the aerodynamics of a bird, they essentially drew upon a series of memories and then stitched them

together in such a way that a cohesive and life-changing product came out. Of course, many would argue that we are indeed capable of conjuring thoughts out of nowhere. Perhaps you might think that too. But for me, it is all about our memories. Our ability to look to the past gives us the ability to make sense of the present and imagine a future. So, next time I find myself composing in music class, I think I am going to do exactly that. Combine and align my personal experiences and memories to create something new and perhaps, hopefully, not entirely rubbish. After all, isn’t that what it means to be original?

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GAME CHANGER OR GAME OVER? ANALYSING THE IMPACT OF SAUDI ARABIA’S BILLIONEURO BETS ON FOOTBALL’S FUTURE | I. GAO On the 22nd of November 2022, Manchester United did, what, a mere two weeks earlier, was unimaginable. They terminated the contract of the legendary Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, widely considered among the greatest to grace the game. For over a month, rumours circulated like wildfire about his next club, and where he was willing to go (and if any club would accept his obscene wage demands).

he would receive: €200m annually, which equates to €16.7m per month. That is, €547,945. Every. Single. Day. This signing made him the highest paid athlete in all of human history, and by a long shot. But if this was the one isolated incident, involving one player, then perhaps it would not have been so significant. The move might have even been largely forgotten about after the initial shock

In that moment, it seemed as though being forced into retirement was a very real possibility. No major European clubs had a shown formal interest in signing him, seemingly suggesting he would become a liability. But on the 30th of December, in what seemed at the time a bid to elongate his career out of desperation, he joined Al Nassr, a shocking move to a team previously unheard of by many. And for good reason. Al Nassr played in the Saudi Pro League, a place few anticipated he would move to. Even more absurd were the reported wages

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of such a dominant player departing the dominant European stage. But to those staying ‘in the loop’, it was clear the state-backed Saudi Pro League was not stopping there. The ploy to bring a star to a league otherwise devoid of competition would have been inane. Instead, in the most recent transfer window, there was an exodus of players, fleeing Europe for the ‘promised land’ of football riches. Some of the best players left, a list that included the likes of Neymar Jr and Karim Benzema. And they all left to earn a very pretty penny, Benzema and Neymar earning €197m and €138m every year, respectively. Not bad. More ridiculously, bids that were not accepted by European clubs were even more absurd – €300m for Mbappé and €200m for Salah. Maybe it is still too early to call the traditional hegemony of European football under threat. But clearly, other leagues — at least those in Saudi Arabia — are beginning to catch up.

Perhaps it was an insecurity, or arrogance that has caused comments to lambast the practices of the league. High profile commentators such as Jamie Carragher suggested the “integrity of the game [was being] damaged”. But this itself cannot be the primary concern — never have these concerns been raised when other eye-wateringly expensive transfers have occurred. Instead, it is a combination of the… shall we say ‘unique’ methods Saudi Arabia uses to achieve this level of spending, and where the money is sourced from that creates these concerns. Most football clubs around the world are owned and funded by investors and fans. They almost never receive financial backing from their state. And yet, this practice, unusually, occurs in Saudi Arabia. Four clubs receive significant financial support from the nation’s ‘Sovereign Wealth Fund’. One must also remember where this money comes from. It comes from a state built on the destruction of the

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environment via the export of oil, and a nation with a disgraceful human rights record. Saudi Arabia is known for its neglect of the rights of women and foreign workers (often compared to modern slavery). The liberty of individuals is routinely suppressed, notoriously culminating in the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Considering their ambitious socioeconomic diversification project, commonly known as ‘Saudi Vision 2030’, it is evident why Saudi Arabia is so willing to shell out absurd sums of money. In fact, this pattern of behaviour has a name: ‘sports washing’. Their unique willingness to sportswash means that when they spend so much money on a popular global sport that attracts the greatest superstars on the planet, it seems the media starts to forget about its human rights abuses. When Saudi Arabia can afford to dominate headlines with the money they spend on players, it gives the authoritarian state more credibility. And when the country’s leaders are so nonchalantly careless towards sportswashing, proclaiming “if sportswashing is going to increase

my GDP by 1%, then we'll continue doing sportswashing”, one must wonder if, and where the boundaries for their spending have been drawn. Unsurprisingly, Carragher extended on his comments about the integrity of the sport, putting it simply and bluntly — “This sportswashing needs to be stopped!”. Their spending allows them to increase their soft power in numerous ways. Perhaps the most influential will soon be the 2034 FIFA World Cup — the most prestigious sporting event in the world, as they are the final nation left in the bidding process following Australia’s withdrawal and the lack of competing bids. This trend of spending is not just limited to football. In golf, they used a similar tactic that resulted in the merging of the PGA Golf Tour & LIV Golf, and they have begun to attract quite a few boxing matches in the nation. There are also rumours circling, around plans to create a new cricket league that threatens to rival the Indian Premier League.

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Clearly, Saudi Arabia uses sportswashing to their advantage. But if and how can this be stopped? In 2016, the Chinese Super League embarked on a similar journey, Chinese clubs signing a host of players, arguably also in an attempt to sportswash. But their efforts quickly lost steam; the foreign expansion of the League was as dead as a doornail by 2020, after the pandemic drove away the few that remained. And even then, a Chinese club’s most expensive bid was €60m for Oscar; a far cry from the numbers the Saudi League is putting up.

For reference, his teammate and compatriot João Cancelo, with a similar market value, is paid €12,500,000 annually. Only powerful global organisations can really challenge sportswashing. But when organisations such as FIFA, football’s world governing body decide to award her most prestigious trophy to Qatar — rewarding a country involved in several human rights scandals, it is questionable whether their ethical code can challenge cash’s charm. FIFA’s decision to respond to critics (only after backlash), suggests they’re not quite ready to make that stand. Claims that FIFA have exploited the hosting rotation rules to effectively usher Saudi Arabia into hosting the next World Cup won’t help either.

Very few clubs in Europe can compete with the wages Saudi Arabia can offer, and almost none can offer them sustainably. Perhaps it is only the passion for the game that will keep elite in Europe. The opposite of the Saudi transfer madness has also occurred in the same window. João Félix rejected offers from Saudi Arabia to join his boyhood club, FC Barcelona, for a ‘measly’ €400,000 per year, being the 2nd lowest paid player despite being among the most promising, in-demand youngsters in Europe.

Many football fans outside of Saudi Arabia will, no doubt, suffer. The argument that football has lost its essence to commercialisation will only strengthen. Only time can really tell if Saudi Arabia will run out of resources, patience, or if their inexorable upheaval of football will continue indefinitely.

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STARGAZING A REFLECTION ON BECKER’S DENIAL OF DEATH | J. PAN There are times when I’d lose myself in the night sky. Mesmerised by the deep unknown. There are times when I’d throw my arms up under the warm moonlight glow, as if I were the conductor of some great symphony, the lead of some classical play. A Little Prince from a faraway land. And the stars would shine like a thousand glimmering eyes. Understanding.

I seem to run from it. I seem to be so afraid of empty space. When we were kids, we were afraid of the dark. Or more accurately, we were afraid of what was in the dark: the terrifying monsters and poisonous snakes and man-eating spiders. Now, ironically, we are afraid of what isn’t there. The suffocating emptiness, the terrifying silences, and the consuming abyss.

Nowadays, these moments come few and far between.

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See, humans come and leave this world truly and frighteningly alone. Our entire life, we try desperately to escape that fact. To fill our voids with a hundred distractions and diversions. With meticulously constructed Instagram accounts and Snapchat avatars. With incessant TikTok clips and YouTube

to have shorter attention spans, to focus on the seductions of the moment, the shock of the new, and the bombardment of distractions.

videos. Trapped in an emotional limbo, half feeling, half living. Intoxicated and weary. Our phones glues to our hands. Our headphones to our ears. Social media and cigarettes and alcohol: the drugs of modern society. The great glass walls we build to hide us from reality. How ironic.

mortality, Ernest Becker, one such existentialist, spoke to us in his seminal work, “the Denial of Death”. He states, “The world places a trembling animal at the mercy of the entire cosmos and the problem of the meaning of it. It is fateful how the lie we need in order to live dooms us to a life that is not really ours”. Cheery bloke, right?

Our world has become one of ‘all-atonceness’. Of NOW in letters that dwarf the landscape: the NOW of contemporary distractions, of increasingly iridescent energetic entertainments, the NOW of technological clever-dickery, the NOW of gratifications that arrive ahead of the instant. We are trained

Our existence becomes confusing. So confusing so that it birthed its own study: existential philosophy. In an attempt to rationalise his

So… then what? Well conveniently, Becker also gave us a solution. “The healthy person, the true individual, the self-realised soul… is the one who has transcended himself. How does he transcend himself? By realising the truth of his situation, by

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dispelling the lie of his character, by breaking his spirit out of its conditioned prison.” When was the last time you enjoyed a silent car ride? A walk in the park? Tried meditating? Stargazing? It seems that we don’t appreciate these spaces enough. These pauses in our busy lives in our relentless modern worlds. As Ferris Bueller tells us, “If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Of course, it’s difficult. To surrender to empty space is to be just us and our thoughts, in all their beauty and ugliness. To shed our character armour and stand naked and vulnerable against the skies — against the paradox of the human condition.

Sometimes the vast space closes up around you. Sometimes, it sucks the air out of your lungs, and you become too scared to think. The universe is so big. And we, so small. Everything becomes nothing and nothing becomes everything. And all that is left is a terrifying emptiness. What was it all for? Money? Legacy? Status? Power? The friends we made along the way? Regardless of how cheesy it may be, friends might just be the answer. Life is made beautiful because it is fleeting. Because we grow old and memories fade, and our experiences are forgotten, we cherish them even more. The human experience isn’t supposed to be one of mindless hedonism and senseless pleasure.

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Wouldn’t that be boring? Doing the exact same things over and over for all of eternity? I suppose there’s a certain beauty in the bittersweet that just makes us so... human. That leaves us returning to it, seeking it, even as it results in tears and heartache and grief. Because those tears are those of relief as much as sadness, and of joy as much as pain. It’s saying goodbye to a long-loved pet. Laughing at a memory at a funeral. Stargazing, even when you’re afraid of the dark. Because only when it’s dark do the stars become visible. And “I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night”. Like a sobering punch, life reminds us of our vulnerability, of our imperfection and powerlessness. A passenger in a sea of fates, carried by some giant, sinister storm. Sometimes the storm is silent, but eventually — inevitably — mercilessly, it strikes, as we are, once again, confronted by how tiny we truly are. But it is then, when the cold midnight breeze hits your face. The breeze hits your face and you take in a breath of the rich sea spray. Or maybe you look to the moon and shout at the stars. It is in these moments, you can, at the very least, breathe a sigh of relief, and know that you are alive.

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IPHONE 15 & THE STORY OF USB-C TECH REVIEW | T. HANLEY The iPhone 15 line-up is here — and like all phone upgrades nowadays, it was ‘incremental’. Over the entire line-up, the cameras got a bit better, the aptly named ‘Dynamic Island’ came to all models, titanium made its way to the frame of the Pro models, and the system on a chip (SOC) is a little faster. There's a lot of media coverage out there criticising Apple for such a minimal update. But I think we have to adjust our expectations a bit — Apple is not making this phone for those with an iPhone 14 or 13. After all, they offer software updates to their iPhones for at least five years, giving them a decently usable life span. These phones are for those with an iPhone

12 or below. However, I'd like to take a closer look into a change that is both subtle, and significant. See, the story of why the iPhone 15 has a USB-C port is not so straightforward — and it’s a sign of what’s to come from Apple. First, let's get familiar with the different kinds of USB cables — there's probably more than you think.

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USB-A is the most common one, introduced back in 1996; it's the one that only goes in one way. USB-B is a square plug; you often find them on printers. USB-C is the smaller one we have on our MacBooks today and can be plugged in either way since the port is symmetrical. There are also mini USB-A and mini USB-B used on cameras and hand controllers. It seems like a brilliant decision to be able to charge all your Apple devices with just one type of cable. It reduces e-waste and makes charging more convenient for customers, but it wasn't Apple's idea.

If it were up to them, the iPhone 15 would still have a Lightning cable. And for a good reason — Apple makes billions from the Lightning port standard they've patented. For every Apple-certified Lightning cable and accessory manufactured, Apple gets a small commission, but the EU's new law called the ‘Common Charger Directive’ throws a spanner in the works by demanding most compact electronic devices (including the iPhone) to charge via a USB-C port. Apple were diplomatic with how they responded to this, saying they “would comply", which generated a community of people convinced the iPhone 15 was confirmed to have a USB-C port. But this didn't necessarily have to be the case. The law only states that devices capable of being recharged via a wire higher than 5 volts must use USB-C. If Apple moved to a wireless charging solution, they technically wouldn't have a physical port or wire; hence, they wouldn't need a USB-C port. However, removing the port doesn't make much sense for them, since they wouldn't get their revenue from Lightning accessories and cable sales anyways. Furthermore, wireless technology has not yet reached levels where we can remove wired charing entirely. There were also rumours that Apple would limit the charging speeds and other functionality of USB-C cables not certified under its “Made for iPhone”

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program. Apple did this with Lightning by placing a special chip in the cable, which verifies its authenticity. Manufacturers then needed to buy this chip from Apple to create ‘certified’ accessories. Based on this rumour alone, the European Commissioner sent Apple a letter, warning them that these cables would not be permitted and would prevent the iPhone from being sold in the EU. It's not clear if Apple actually considered doing this, but in the end, Apple made the ‘noble’ decision to adopt USB-C across their product line-up, with a USB-C version of AirPods and EarPods to complement. They've even made it so you can charge your AirPods or Apple Watch from your iPhone. USB-C has many other benefits, too, such as higher transfer speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second (GBps) or 1.25 gigabytes per second (GBps).

That's fast — however, you'll need to cash in for one of the pro models if you want to take advantage of this, as they're the only ones with a new USB-C connection point. The baselevel iPhone 15 uses the USB 2.0 standard, which is 20 times slower compared to the newer USB 3.0, and about the same speed as the previous Lightning port. As an Apple enthusiast, I've found the iPhone 15 to be an exciting update with a lot to love. But I'm more excited to see what they do with the Apple Vision Pro next. We've seen the first model, which really only revealed Apple's intent for the future. Undoubtedly, they're chipping away at a newer version in their labs. The day they release a version available to the masses may mark a new era for humanity — one built on spatial computing. Only time will tell.

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REDISCOVERING THE LOST ART OF READING A PERSONAL JOURNEY TO VIRTUE, KNOWLEDGE, AND SO MUCH MORE | J.O‘BRIEN

We are in the midst of a digital storm. This storm drenches us with Snapchat notifications, TikTok reels, and Instagram likes, blinding us from the world beyond our screens. In the bustling, tech-driven world we navigate today, the time-honored craft of reading has seemingly taken a back seat.

Once revered as the cornerstone of knowledge and culture, it has, over time, become a forgotten art, left behind in the wake of our relentless pursuit of the digital world. The roots of this decline run deep and tangled, but the undeniable truth remains: We've lost something invaluable.

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I know what you’re thinking. “I’m about to get the same spiel I get from my English teacher every lesson”. And sure, you’re probably right — this will be a spiel. So read further at your peril. But, no reward without risk, right? The value of reading extends far beyond the mere accumulation of facts and information. It's a gateway to self-improvement, an avenue for refining our tastes, and a stairway to the heart's deepest chambers. In essence, reading is not just a skill, it’s a tool. Now, let's venture into the transformative power of reading through the eyes of a young teenager like yourself. Picture a young lad, amidst the tempestuous sea of adolescence, in search of guidance and inspiration. You may have found yourself in this position. Perhaps you didn’t know where to look or seek guidance. Or perhaps you hurled yourself into the world of social media motivation. And I have to admit, the 60 second reels of David Goggins or Joe Rogan can sometimes be inspiring. But as soon as I scroll to the next video, I’ve forgotten what their message was.

A literary masterpiece with the potential to change your life is Fyodor Dostoevsky's, "Crime and Punishment". While this book was a challenging and long read for me, I still strongly recommend it. The timeless novel delves into the life of Raskolnikov, a young and troubled student who grapples with financial struggle. He justifies his decision to kill the pawnbroker for 3000 Rubles through a belief in ‘utilitarianism’, as he convinces himself that her death will ultimately benefit society. The novel explores his guilt and inner turmoil following the murder, challenging our societal notions of right, and wrong. So, if you’re willing to have your own perspective on morality confronted, I truly recommend Fyodor Dostoevsky's, "Crime and Punishment".

Which is why I say this to you – It's within the pages of books that one embarks on a voyage beyond his own reality, a voyage that shapes his character and moulds his future.

Literature also possesses the unique ability to transport readers to different eras and locales, broadening their horizons and sparking curiosity.

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Take Viktor E. Frankl's, "Man's Search for Meaning", which, again, I strongly recommend. It is a short book, but it isn’t exactly an easy read. Frankl’s profound work takes readers on a deeply introspective journey through his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp. It explores themes of human suffering, resilience, and the search for purpose, ultimately inspiring you, as young readers, to find meaning in the face of adversity.

As I reflect on these examples and the countless others, I'm reminded of the immense power of reading. It's not merely a pastime that should be shunned away with all the ancient and outdated things in our life. Rather, it's a gateway to virtue and knowledge. For a teenage boy navigating the labyrinth of adolescence, books can be trusted companions, guiding you towards self-discovery, empathy, and intellectual growth. Ultimately, let's not allow this ancient art to fade into obscurity. Instead, let's rekindle the flame of reading in our lives and in the lives of those around us. As I end, I implore you, fellow students of The King’s School, to embrace the wonders of literature. Let's embark on this journey together, seeking wisdom and enlightenment through the written word. So, the next time you find yourself doom scrolling social media, consider replacing your phone with a good, old, paperback novel. The decision is yours.

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AN ENTERTAINING SPECTACLE

UNPACKING POLITICS | N.HATZISTAMATIOU Politics. Even just reading the word might make you uncomfortable. Whether it’s a new Ariana Grande song, or another big policy announcement by The United States of America, our favourite ‘Land of the Free’, politics always seems to find a way to get involved. But don’t shy away — please keep reading. Because politics might just be useful to you. And unfortunately, for all of us, I just so happen to love politics.

The Issue at Hand The United States political system is one of the most entertaining spectacles there is to see. Yes, it occasionally features incredible brilliance, but these moments are orchestrally juxtaposed by sheer flops. One example of this is the Electoral College, and the process of a Presidential Election. However, in the past few months, this sovereign nation, which has self-propelled the phrase, “United we stand, divided we fall” to the forefront for many, has suffered from significant political instability within its lower chamber.

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We, as Australians have been institutionally forced to remain at least partially politically active. We have a legal obligation to vote, outlined in the ‘Commonwealth Electoral Act’ of 1918. Yet, not many Australians truly take part in politics. Most Australians, I’d argue, choose to remain relatively oblivious to what’s happening in Canberra. Apart from the headlines about the Voice to Parliament or populist tax changes peddled by the media, we seem mostly disconnected from what’s happening in our nation’s capital.

As a result of our political lethargies, we allow for the shift from what politics should be about (supporting the people to better support the nation), to a personal game of attaining power through malicious means and intent. Our politicians are often stereotyped as liars and untrustworthy folk — one that regrettably, often holds true. Despite our reputation as a stable state, corruption is a challenge for Australia. Just take a glance at the sheer amount of documentation that can be publicly accessed from the ICAC Website.

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We have the capacity to decide who gets to run what, so we must protect our democracy and political institutions to ensure Australia remains a fair and free country. And when I say ‘we’, I don’t just mean our politicians. I also mean ‘we’, as voters. Some of you may say that this isn’t our place. That we have organisations such as ICAC to keep our politicians accountable. While it is true that these organisations are in place to ensure proper conduct in our political landscape, it ultimately still comes down to you and I to hold these people accountable. The Solution I don’t mean to sound all doom and gloom, though, because the solution is simple: Get politically active!

Take an interest in how the country is being governed! We as, voters, get to decide what happens in our political system… So let’s have a good crack at it! We could also, as we have been over the duration of our country’s history, strengthen our corruption agencies. We can advocate for better systems, and bring in new laws. Finally, let’s maintain the most humorous consequence of becoming corrupt… being eaten alive by the press for the whole world to see! But how can we as citizens make informed decisions, rather than on a hunch or an ill suspicion? I suppose the answer is that we should all actively read the news and engage in current affairs as much as possible.

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I do, as always, have an admittedly, highly controversial suggestion… The implementation of a ‘none-of-theabove’ box on all ballot papers. Hopefully, this would force politicians in our society to change, for they would increasingly appear on the chopping block. Summary Overall, I believe this whole issue can be summarised very simply. Always take an interest in what happens with your leaders, because if you don’t, it might be too late when we suffer the consequences. Take an interest, because you do have a say. Your voice matters.

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SB & W INSIGHT