SB&W | Vol. 1 | Issue 2 - Christmas Special

SB & W INSIGHT HEADMASTER’S NEW RIDE GETTING INTO THE FESTIVE SEASON MOTORBIKES, MUSIC, TIKTOKS, AND MORE

DECEMBER 2023 | VOL. 1 | NO. 2

CONTENTS 04

05

06

MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

MEET THE CHARACTER EXECUTIVE

HEADMASTER’S NEW RIDE

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13

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CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD

MY PICKS FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS WATCHLIST

SUMMER SPORT UPDATE

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MOTOCROSS: A WHEELIE GOOD SPORT

I THINK I HAVE CANCER

MODERN MUSIC: EVOLUTION OR DEVOLUTION?

EDITORS

Editor In Chief Ethan Zhu Creative Director Tully Salmon Senior Editor Jonathan Pan 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 Circulation & Production Charlie Maple-Brown Photographer Peter Wang SB & W

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HOLIDAY WISHES FROM THE EDITOR Well, we’ve made it to the end of another year!

I, like many others, feel that Christmas has lost some of its ‘magic’, from when I was younger. It’s the ancipation I felt, baking cookies for Santa the night before, the long, restless night tossing and turning in bed, running down the stairs at the crack of dawn to find presents under a glowing Christmas tree, stockings stuffed with candy and toys, and spending the day curled up on the sofa watching Christmas movies on repeat. Even though Christmas is still a great time for me to relax and spend time with family, I don’t think it will ever match that excitement. Is it growing up and maturing, or losing an innocent appreciation for the little things in life? I’m not too sure. But it doesn’t stop me from enjoying the end of year festivities as much as I can.

My favourite Christmas fun fact? According to MIT, presuming there is at least 1 good child in each household, with a global average of 3.5 children per household, and 378 million children in families celebrating Christmas, Santa must serve around 91.8 million homes. With 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to different time zones and the rotation of the Earth (assuming he travels east to west), this works out to 822.6 visits per second. In this time, Santa has to park, hop out of the sleigh, jump down the chimney, fill the stockings, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been left, get back up the chimney, get back into the sleigh, and move on to the next house.

Assuming that each of these 91.8 million stops are evenly distributed around the Earth (for the purposes of our calculations), each house is around 1.25 kilometres apart, leading to a total trip of 120 million kilometres, not counting stops to do what most of us must do at least once every 31 hours, plus feeding, and etc. This means that Santa's sleigh is moving at 1000 kilometres per second, around 3,000 times the speed of sound. For purposes of comparison, a conventional reindeer can run, tops, 50 kilometres per hour. Just some food for thought...

So — without further ado, it gives me great pleasure to gift this second issue of the Sky Blue and White Insight. Wishing you all a happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Ethan Zhu Editor in Chief

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MEET THE

CHARACTER EXECUTIVE My name is Isamu Naito, and I am the Executive Monitor for Character.

I am Japanese and English, and I moved to Australia in 2018 from Hong Kong, where I lived for 12 years. I have lived in Bishop Barker Harris since Year 8.

Throughout my time at King’s, I have enjoyed playing rugby and cricket while also participating in different school bands. Looking back on my time at King’s, there are no regrets. And whilst reminiscing about being a part of King’s is largely positive, bringing back many fond and dear memories, I often find myself thinking, “what I would do to spend another day in…?”

In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we often find ourselves racing against time, chasing success, and striving for perfection. We become so engrossed in the pursuit of our goals that we sometimes forget to pause and acknowledge the beauty of the journey itself. The holidays provide us with a rare and precious chance to do just that — to hit the pause button and reflect on the intricate tapestry of experiences that make up our lives.

Let us take a moment to appreciate the simple pleasures that often go unnoticed. The sun shining, meals with our loved ones, living everyday — these are the threads that weave the fabric of our existence.

It's in these seemingly ordinary moments that the true richness of life is found. Let's not shy away from acknowledging the challenges and setbacks that have shaped us. Adversity, too, is a part of our journey. In the face of difficulties, we discover our strength, resilience, and capacity for growth.

These holidays let's make a conscious effort to be present — to savour each moment, whether it brings us laughter or tears. Take the time to express appreciation for the people who have touched our lives and the experiences that have moulded us.

Boys — as unappealing as it may be, we should complete assigned holiday work. Nevertheless, no matter what deadlines or tasks may loom on the horizon, these holidays still remain an opportunity to unwind, recharge, and embrace the freedom that comes with a temporary escape from the hustle.

This is a short time to set the textbooks aside, put away the stress of impending assignments, and revel in the joy of carefree moments.

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HEADMASTER’S NEW RIDE AN IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF THE 2023 LANDCRUISER 300 SERIES GR SPORT | F. LAWSON The news is out! Multiple sightings have been confirmed: our Headmaster, Mr George, does indeed have a new car.

This car in question is the Landcruiser 300 Series GR Sport, as pictured above. In this article I hope to provide a little bit of information on the car. We’ll look at the interior, driving dynamics, fuel economy, and the specifications of Mr George's newly delivered wheels.

Please note that I have not driven the vehicle, so all observations about specific driving dynamics are from ‘Which Car.com’.

4/5 Things we like: Design, colour, and unmistakable presence Comfortable interior and commanding driving position Excellent ride and drive Not so Much: Car infotainment starting to show its age GR branding and sports identity is confusing Lacks a split tailgate

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OVERVIEW: So, what exactly has Mr George bought?

Starting at $146,654 driveaway, the Landcruiser GR Sport is a 5-seat, 4WD SUV powered by a 3.3L twin-turbo V6 diesel. This is mated to a 10-speed automatic gearbox. The GR Sport model is the second from the top in the Landcruiser line-up for the 300 series, and accordingly comes with a suite of upgrades and luxuries.

Inside, Mr George receives a luxury leather interior with customised GR branding, along with an upgraded sound system, providing that satisfying extra boost in sound quality for those long drives between our campuses.

INTERIOR: The interior of the Landcruiser 300 Series GR Sport performs well in its segment, in terms of luxury and comfort. The seats are reported to be plenty comfortable and spacious (Mr George is yet to invite me for a test drive), featuring ventilated leather, whilst also being fully adjustable.

iReviews suggests the vehicle has a good driving position, providing a commanding view of the roads of The King’s School. Being a five-seater car, the third row of seats has been removed, creating more than ample space in the back of the car for rear legroom and boot space.

However, with this comes a vital compromise: the car cannot seat 7.

While this is not always necessary, it is useful for certain scenarios.

Consequently, Mr George would need more than one car for a large road trip with friends and family to Tudor House, for example.

One area where Mr George’s vehicle (and modern Toyotas in general) lacks in, is car infotainment technology.

The cabin looks noticeably dated, even containing a CD player. Compared to the 12-inch screens found in the much cheaper Ford Rangers, for example, the GR Sport only features a 9-inch display.

Whilst it is true that the Landcruiser does have Apple Car Play and

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Android Auto as standard, the Toyota lacks the ability to connect these apps wirelessly — a feature expected in this segment of luxury SUV. The upside is that it’s a tried and tested interior that we know will be reliable.

manually selectable electronic front and rear differential locks, electronic kinetic dynamic suspension, as well as ‘Multi Terrain Select’. All of these technologies form the base of a highly capable 4WD.

Furthermore, compared to Mr George's previous vehicle, the 200 Series Sahara Landcruiser, this new car lacks a split tailgate — a major loss in my opinion. A split gate is often handy to have. For example, it could be used as a tablespace or seat when watching the footy on the White. I think the lack of this feature in this model is a real shame, and I am sure it is a compromise that Mr George considered deeply in his purchase decision.

I think, however, a major flaw of this particular Landcruiser is that it seems to be experiencing an identity crisis. I don’t think Toyota have clarity about the actual purpose of this car.

On the one hand, in this model we see the top-of-the-range Toyota 4wheel drive technology included, which is expected in a high-spec Landcruiser. However, we also see the inclusion of gloss black accents and sporty highway tyres, which you would expect to find in a sportier SUV.

DRIVING DYNAMICS: Being a Landcruiser, this vehicle has a reputation of being one of the best 4WD vehicles on the market to live up to. And it mostly certainly does.

Rated with a 3.5 tonne towing capacity, this Cruiser is more than capable of hauling any average civilian payload, and easily competes with other options. In terms of offroad features, the GR Sport features a high and low range gearbox,

As a result, in off-road tests performed by several reviewers, the advanced multi terrain technology simply can’t compensate for a basic lack of ground clearance. Further, the grip and stability from the road tires leaves a lot to be desired when compared to proper off-road tires, and this can all be traced back to its confused identity as a sports SUV/offroader.

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I suppose I could understand if Mr George viewed this as a positive, though. Perhaps this car may better suit the needs of someone who is looking for a ‘jack of all trades’ car that is comfortable on the highway, and that can handle some lighter offroading too. However, it is clear that this car is specialised in neither department, but rather, seeks to ‘do it all’.

FUEL ECONOMY: Regularly reported to do about 11.15L/100km, the fuel consumption is quite reasonable for a car of its size.

For reference, a similar car, the Nissan Patrol, does about 16.5L/100km.

However, with the astronomical costs of fuel these days (especially for diesel), and the frequency of Mr George’s driving, I can see those servo bills getting quite pricy…

VERDICT: Ultimately, Mr George has selected a highly capable car in the 300 series GR sport, and I think that it will serve him very well. While there are some shortcomings such as the tyres, tailgate, and infotainment system, I think that in perspective, benefits such as the advanced 4WD assists, as well as the luxurious interior, quite easily outweigh these flaws. From what I have seen, I definitely think that Mr George has chosen a quality vehicle.

I have also heard from various sources that he is looking at making some modifications, hopefully fixing some issues such as the tyres. I look forward to taking another look upon completion. Until then, thanks for taking the time to read my ‘review’, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the magazine.

MR GEORGE’S SPEC: In terms of the spec of the car, honestly, I think it all comes down to personal preference. I, for one, really like what he has ordered. I think the graphite paint along with blacked out accents go well together. And the sky-blue brake callipers, undoubtedly a subtle reference to King’s, are a great touch. I also think the wheel rims look clean. Without a doubt, this car states ‘King’s culture’ through and through.

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CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD MARIAH CAREY, BLISTERING HEAT, KFC, AND MORE F. NICHOLLS The first twenty-five days of December hold an immeasurable cultural significance in many places around the world – the Christmas season! If you’re ever in doubt about how close you are to Christmas, just count the number of times you hear Mariah Carey play on the radio.

In Australia, we celebrate our Christmas a little bit differently to many. Compared to what is shown on American and European TV, we spend December under the sweltering summer sun — beside a pool or in airconditioning surrounded by glistening Christmas lights (usually on a fake tree).

What we miss out on in Australia (unfortunately, in my opinion) is the snow you may see adorning the rooftops of places such as Switzerland. But it’s not only the weather that differentiates our Christmas from other places around the world. Each country has its own variation of the holiday, even down to the month that they start celebrating.

For example, the Philippines begins celebrating their Christmas season as early as the 1st of September (which I am rather jealous about). Of course, for most countries, Christmas

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decorations only start appearing after the hype of the spooky Halloween season dies down, apart from, perhaps, the North Pole, which celebrates all year round!

It’s not just the start of the Christmas season that varies globally. In some countries, such as Greece and Cyprus, Christmas isn’t even celebrated on the 25th of December!

The Orthodox Church, after the schism in which Catholicism split from Orthodoxy, adopted the “Julian Calendar”, meaning that traditionally, Christmas is often celebrated on or near the 7th of January. Or, as the famous carol, “The 12 days of Christmas” describes it, after the 25th.

The tradition of a turkey for Christmas lunch isn’t a staple across the world either. In Japan, “Kentucky for Christmas” is, in fact, the norm — yes, you read that right — KFC for Christmas. This Christmas tradition dates back to the 1970s when a marketing campaign began advertising KFC as an “elegant” and “authentic” way to celebrate Christmas in true, American, commercialised style. The idea of KFC for Christmas lunch spread very quickly, and to this day, lines of people stand outside KFC’s doors in Japan, awaiting their lunch on Christmas Day. But this marketing tactic doesn’t bother them — I guess you could say, “[they] don’t care, [they] love it!”.

However, you will find that the most common Western approach to Christmas is the Greek Orthodox one, celebrating Christmas on the 25th of December. Year after year, this becomes more standardised (with the rise of globalisation and the internet eroding these more minor traditions). But that topic is for another time.

Even the tradition of Santa Claus isn’t universal. Santa Claus is often referred to as “Saint Nick”, and in Russia, Saint Nicholas is actually highly revered and associated with gift-giving. In Russia, New Year’s is the most significant holiday for giftgiving and celebrations. On this day, Ded Moroz, or Father Frost, plays a role similar to that of Santa

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Claus for their Christmas celebrations, delivering presents to children on New Year’s Eve. Christmas in Russia is still significant, of course, but the emphasis on giftgiving and finding Christmas presents under the tree isn’t a tradition generally adopted.

And even then, Christmas is not celebrated everywhere. Beginning as a Christian tradition, religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism did not traditionally recognise the holiday. However, the season has spread to citizens around the world as it commercialises, crossing the boundaries of religious affiliations or cultural backgrounds.

So, what exactly is ‘Christmas’ if it differs so much from country to country? In my mind, Christmas is not about the Christmas tree, or the gifts, or the snow, or even Santa Claus. Instead, the reason Christmas has persevered throughout history for more than two thousand years

across the world is because of the fundamental morals it was borne from — all the way back to the day of Jesus Christ’s birth in Bethlehem (if you believe in Christ, that is).

In essence, no matter your beliefs, Christmas — even if not celebrated everywhere — is the season of giving, kindness, and compassion, a moral ethos held regardless of where in the world you live. So, if it is a holiday you recognise, I hope you have a very merry and safe Christmas. And enjoy hearing “All I Want for Christmas Is You” everywhere you travel!

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MY PICKS FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS WATCHLIST SIT BACK, RELAX, AND ENJOY THESE MOVIES THESE HOLIDAYS | R. CROCKER The Christmas Season is swiftly approaching, which means that it is the time to fill up on some Christmas cheer with some festive movies to watch over the holidays.

In this article I have picked what I believe are some of the best and most timeless Christmas movies that I can never get bored of. Before starting, I would also like to give some honourable mentions to ‘Elf’, ‘National Lampoon’s Vacation’, and ‘You’ve Got Mail’.

Hopefully you can use this list as a movie for the car, to cure some holiday boredom, or even for a movie night. Ahead are some spoilers — but most of you should be somewhat familiar with these movies already.

And in my opinion, knowing the plot of these films doesn’t detract from the experience.

They are, at their core, ‘feel good’ movies

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Die Hard — Action It’s not often that you see a Christmas action movie. However, the thrilling movie ‘Die Hard’ will leave you on the edge of your seat. Starring Bruce Willis as New York City policeman, ‘John McClane’, the film follows his visit to his wife's work party in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve. When a Japanese skyscraper is taken over by a terrorist group, led by the cunning Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), McClane manages to escape the terrorists who are rounding up the civilians. Gruber is

holding the hostages and demands a payment of $640 million in exchange for the hostages to be released.

McClane is trapped within the building and can’t escape. From there he must work with the police, and against the odds to take back the building from the crafty terrorists in time for Christmas day. The movie contains some iconic action sequences and several of McClane’s best known one-liners. This intense, high stake hostage situation is a great watch for these upcoming Christmas holidays.

Home Alone — Comedy ‘Home Alone’ is an endearing and timeless holiday classic that is also my personal favourite Christmas movie.

The story follows 8-year-old Kevin McCallister, played by Macaulay Culkin, who accidently gets left behind when his family flies away for Christmas vacation. Kevin takes full advantage of his newfound position as ‘man of the house’, and does what any 8-year-old would do with this newfound independence. Eat junk food, jump on the bed, and watch TV. However, when two burglars known as ‘the wet bandits’ target his house, he lays makeshift booby traps inside the home, to defend it as he waits for the cops. While this is all happening, Kevin’s mum is making her way across America to try and reunite with her son for Christmas.

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These crafty traps lead to iconic scenes of 'the wet bandits' attempting to rob the house, only to discover that Kevin is home. ‘Home Alone’ is a must-watch, timeless Christmas movie for all ages that you should watch these holidays.

Daddy’s Home 2 — Comedy ‘Daddy’s Home 2' might be considered the 'dark horse' of this list, being less well-known and recognised. Nonetheless, it is a great watch, especially if you’re in a family with younger siblings. Starring Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell, ‘Daddy’s Home 2’ is about two ‘stepdads’ trying to put together a multigenerational ‘together-Christmas’. In the movie, Dusty (Mark Wahlberg) and Brad (Will Ferrell) must manage not only their own families but also their dads (who happen to be polar opposites of each other), who also tag along for the trip. They rent out a massive log cabin in America’s North-East that might not be big enough for the contrasting personalities on the show. Brad and Dusty’s partnership is challenged as they strive to achieve the perfect Christmas. However, it all goes pearshaped when they do various activities like bowling, illegally cutting down trees in a forest for the perfect ‘together-Christmas tree’, and teaching their kids how to hunt.

Throughout the film, characters learn valuable lessons, develop relationships, and end up having a great Christmas — even though things didn’t work out as planned.

Love Actually — Romantic Comedy Featuring an all-star cast, ‘Love Actually’ is a heart-warming Christmas romantic comedy covering a range of different love stories in the frantic period leading up to Christmas. The movie closely follows 8 different love stories, including romances, enduring partnerships, family bonds, and unspoken infatuations that are all loosely intertwined. Set in the holiday season in London, the stellar cast of Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, and many others play relatable characters that all represent different stories as they ride the rollercoaster that is the holiday season. The movie is filled with iconic moments, from the cue card confession scene to the Prime Minister dancing in his house on Downing Street. Personally, the film strikes an emotional chord by reminding me of the everyday imperfections of life. ‘Love Actually’ is a captivating, timeless Christmas romcom that is a great watch for these upcoming Christmas holidays.

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SUMMER SPORT UPDATE TAKING A LOOK BACK ON THE SEASON SO FAR C. MAPLE-BROWN Although it feels like the Winter Season was just coming to a close not so long ago, the Summer Sport season at King’s is already racing past. Many sports have already reached the midway point, so now is a perfect opportunity to look back on how they have fared so far.

Our 1st XI cricketers are currently sitting in first place on the ladder, halfway through the games, and are 4 points clear of the second-placed Scots team. They’ve won three games in a row, including a comfortable victory over Shore at home on the White, thanks to a dominant performance with the ball, including 2 wickets each for Aaryan Gupta, Oscar Guazzarotto and Sam Scott. They are definitely a team to watch for the second half of the season as they attempt to go backto-back in the AAGPS.

The 1st V basketball have now played 5 games and are sitting in 5th place.

Although they suffered a tough defeat to Shore on Saturday, they are sitting on the same number of points as 3rd placed Scots and 4th placed Shore, and find themselves only 3 points behind the leaders, Newington. The form player of the team, Brooklyn Ili, is coming off topscoring in the past 3 matches and will look to continue that momentum forwards as the team attempts to work their way up the ladder. They will need lots of support ahead of a massive game coming up against second-placed Riverview, which is shaping up to be a crucial clash in the context of the premiership.

Our 1st VII water polo team continues to punch above its weight in the 1st XI competition, sitting narrowly

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behind third-placed Shore. The team, led by captain Josh Payne, will compete in the Whalen Cup on Saturday and would love your support.

Our 1st VI tennis is currently in 3rd place, 7 points behind 1st placed Shore. Despite their poor fortune with the weather, missing opportunities to climb the ladder against Newington and Shore due to washouts, they are still well in with a chance for the premiership and have shown what they're capable of with dominant wins over Riverview, Sydney Grammar, Sydney Boys High, and St Joseph’s College.

Undoubtedly, they will aim to bring home another tennis premiership.

Meanwhile, our rowers have continued to build momentum towards their push for another Head of the River victory. Motivated by a tight second-place result last year, they have come out firing with race results of 1st and 2nd in all races within the first two Regattas of the season. They are looking strong against Riverview and Joey's competition. Notably, the Shore

crews are reportedly ‘nowhere to be seen’ at this stage of the season.

Getting down to games and supporting our top teams during the summer can be difficult.

However, these teams continually put on a show for spectators on Saturday, so it will be worth your time if you get a chance to watch some of them play and race. They thoroughly value your support, and it definitely contributes to pushing them towards new heights. Your support can undoubtedly play a huge role in bringing home a few premierships this summer season.

All fixtures and results will be on the @tks_spirit Instagram page or on the Kingsnet sports page, and we look forward to seeing you out on the grounds this Saturday.

FOLLOW US ON @TKS_SPIRIT SB & W

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MOTOCROSS: A WHEELIE GOOD SPORT WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH MOTOCROSS AND A RECAP OF THE 2023 AMA MOTOCROSS SEASON | B. BUNDA I’m sure there are many of you out there who have no idea what motocross is. So let me paint you a picture. You’re 10 metres in the air, with 110kg on two wheels, travelling at approximately 80km/h and as you look left to right you see 100,000 fans watching you. Or maybe, you’re behind the starting gates, with 40 other riders 2cm away from the edge of their bars, 40 other bikes revving at 11,000 RPM, ready to take off into 30 minutes of arm pumps, doubles drifts, endos, g-outs, high sides, kickers, lappers, lemons, pileups, rhythms, roosts, scrubbing, squids, stoppies, swappers, tank slappers, and whips. The AMA Motocross

The championship season has 11 rounds, beginning during May in California and then going through the American Summer in various states before finishing up in Indiana.

Each round consists of two ‘30minute-plus-two-lap’ races called ‘motos’, with the points earned from the results of each moto combined to determine an overall winner and the finishing order.

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Points are accrued at each event throughout the season and the rider who possesses the highest total in each class (250cc or 450cc engine size) after the final event will be crowned champion. To keep things simple, I will focus on the 450cc class.

Spoiler alert: this season was historymaking because the same rider won every race. And even though this might turn some people off the sport, I still think it was every bit as exciting and thrilling.

We started off at Fox Raceway, in Pala, California, where 19-year-old Jett Lawrence, the best Aussie rider in the series, had just moved up from winning the 250cc class two years in a row. Eli Tomac, considered one of the best riders in the sport right now, was defending his title.

From the beginning, it was already clear that there would be a fight between the old-timer, Tomac, and the 19-year-old rookie. Jett turned heads when he ‘holeshots’ (which means to get to the first corner in first place) in both races and wins both, too.

Moving onto Hangtown, in California for round 2, Jett holeshots (again) and wins both motos (again), whilst narrowly avoiding a massive pile-up in the first corner, where 8 guys go down.

Then we’re in Colorado, at Thunder Valley, where — you guessed it — Jett holeshots and wins both motos.

The more exciting part was a massive battle for second and third between riders Plessinger, Webb and Ferrandis.

At High Point in Pennsylvania, we saw the track in its roughest state.

One of the best riders in history, Ken Roczen, raced his first moto for the year with the Suzuki team, coming back from a hyperextension knee injury. Oh, and Jett took the holeshot for moto one, and won both motos.

Going up to Red Bud in Michigan, Sexton seemed to put up a fight against the unstoppable rookie, getting close to Jett twice, but we saw no pass. His attempts led him to crash in both races, an unfortunate price to pay.

Out east in Southwick, we saw Jett take the dub again for both motos, but oddly, no holeshots this time.

Sexton comes second and Ferrandis comes third.

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Spring Creek, Minnesota. We saw Jett win both motos again, holeshotting for the second moto.

Chase Sexton went down in the first moto on the first lap and narrowly missed another rider flying down the hill.

Now up to Washougal, Washington, a race Sexton had won for the past two years in a row. But Jett wasn’t keen to let that happen, winning both races. Again, we saw a mad battle for second between Ferrandis and Sexton in the first race.

Then we were in New York, at Unadilla, with Jett winning both races again, going for the perfect rookie season. We saw two massive pileups in the start of the first moto.

At Budds Creek in Maryland, we saw Jett winning both motos with Chase Sexton following very closely in moto 2. Meanwhile, a mad battle for third place took place between Justin Barcia (nicknamed Bam Bam — don’t ask me why) and Plessinger.

Finally, at Ironman Raceway in Indiana, our last race of the season, Jett took out both wins again easily, winning the outdoor motocross title as a rookie, and winning every race this season, with a record of 22-0.

Some people have asked me, ‘Boris, don’t you ever get bored watching the same guy win every race?’ And whilst I get where they’re coming from, to be honest, I don’t. Sure, maybe I’m a bit biased, as an Australian and overall Jett Lawrence mega fan. But he’s so clearly a GOAT in the making, and who knows what he’ll achieve in the future? He’s already pushing the boundaries and forcing other riders to step up their game — and he deserves every bit of glory and victory for that.

So, Jett Lawrence won every race and the championship, as a 19-yearold rookie, with a history-making, dominant performance. It hadn’t been done since 1985, and not even the widely considered GOAT of motocross, Ricky Carmichael has accomplished such a feat.

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He has put in the time and effort for sure, but we all know that without a good coach somewhere down the line, it is very hard to be the best at a sport. So, coach Greg Moss from Moss Institute, who coached Jett and his older brother Hunter through their early motocross days, deserves recognition, too.

Motocross is an extreme sport that combines endurance, strength, power, speed, agility, flexibility, nerve, durability, hand-eye coordination, and analytic aptitude.

Whether you just got into the sport or are winning the King of

Motocross NSW State titles, or just an average person who doesn’t ride but knows what’s good when you see it, you can enjoy the sport too.

Next season we will see Jett Lawrence in the 450cc class again with his older brother Hunter also moving up to join him. Will there be another upset? Other big names to look out for are Eli Tomac who ruptured his Achilles during the supercross season this year, and is looking to take back the title. But don’t sleep on Kenny Roczen, Chase Sexton, Dylan Ferrandis, or Justin Barcia either.

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I THINK I HAVE CANCER “BUT THEY’RE VERIFIED!”: WHY TRUSTING THE ‘EXPERTS’ ISN’T THE ANSWER | E. ZHU Like any other healthy, proactive, overthinking human being, I often find myself googling my symptoms when I'm sick. Even when it’s the usual symptoms, and even when I know it’s nothing more than a common cold.

Though, Google, I've found, can be quite misleading.

Runny nose? Cancer.

Headache? Brain aneurysm.

Sore throat? Six weeks left to live.

Maybe less.

I think most people can relate to this experience. Sure, the internet means we have a plethora of medical information at our fingertips, and in so many ways, it truly is a great innovation. But it has created a generational predisposition to hypochondria, or ‘illness anxiety’. It seems that, partly thanks to the internet, we are more worried than ever about our health. I think it is because we seem to have an endless curiosity about ourselves — within us lies a desperate need to categorise and label things in an easy-to-understand way. But the consequence of this behaviour is, unfortunately, paranoia.

And whilst we might be able to laugh at friends worrying about Google results to relatively basic medical issues,

for the genuinely serious concerns, it can be more alarming. In fact, I think this phenomenon applies not just to our physical health, but also to our mental health.

In the past decades, incidences of depression, suicide, and anxiety have gone through the roof. Part of this might just be the necessary consequence of living under our high-stress, career-obsessed world, or perhaps the impact of a certain global pandemic that locked us inside for months without warning.

But part of it seems to come from the success of awareness and destigmatisation campaigns, where people start finding it easier to contemplate their struggles through the lens of a diagnosis rather than just the swings and roundabouts of life.

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So, our current approach to mental health of: “it’s okay not to be okay”, may be well meaning, but I think there are some side effects that we should be aware of.

‘Social media therapy’ is a perfect example of this. Recently, TikTok has been flooded with videos that can apparently ‘diagnose’ mental health issues. They provide a list of statements and the more you relate, the more likely you are to be affected. Not only does this feed into this paranoia, leaving no room for the most likely scenario, but it also leads to bad diagnoses, which some people do believe in. Surely feeling down sometimes or having a lot on your mind doesn’t automatically

mean you have a mental health problem? Shouldn’t it be a perfectly normal thing to struggle with sometimes?

People increasingly report being ‘depressed’ or ‘having so much anxiety’ or ‘PTSD’ — part of, I believe, an increasing trend of mental health diagnoses. It’s something author Jonathan Haidt calls ‘Concept Creep’. The harm of this is that when we make mental illness terminology more ‘inclusive’, we are hurting people who really need help. By over diagnosing and overusing these labels, we take power away from language and terms that could be used to help people.

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The term ‘trauma’ used only to describe physical symptoms.

However, nowadays, it encompasses a broad range of effects and is used in everyday conversation much more frequently. Ranging from PTSD to emotional trauma, it does beg the question: does the word trauma even mean anything diagnostically, or has our paranoia taken power away from the word?

Because of course, it’s normal to have sad thoughts, to be in a bad mood, or to wish things were different. But depression should not be considered normal. Depression — what it is medically defined as — is persistent sadness. Being physically unable to get out of bed. Real depression is incredibly debilitating,

and we could lose sight of that if we continue down this path.

As a result of ‘concept creep’, the people who are really struggling might find it difficult to identify their difficulties and thereby seek care.

This is a complex issue to navigate.

On one hand, destigmatisation and encouraging people to seek help is crucial. Yet on the other, it must not be overdone. It is crucial to not become paranoid, but also not to be dismissive or flippant of others’ experiences with mental health.

So as with many things, the answer probably lies somewhere in between — an answer I don’t have right now.

And another answer Google probably doesn’t have either.

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MODERN DAY MUSIC: EVOLUTION OR DEVOLUTION? ARE TAYLOR SWIFT AND KANYE WEST AN IMPROVEMENT FROM MOZART AND BEETHOVEN? | A. LAN

A passionate English Extension teacher, who loves fine arts and music, critiques the shallowness of modern pop. A friend I watch a piano concert with, mourns the commercialisation of music. A music classmate questions the quality of modern music when it recycles the same ideas over and over...

A common consensus I hear from classical music enthusiasts is that modern mainstream music is a clear downgrade, both in technical and conceptual content.

They find discomfort in not only the loss of musical complexity but also its commercialisation and how that has caused the essence of composing music to be lost. Modern music, they say, lacks flair — and apparently, “it literally all sounds the same”.

The first thing the classical musician will critique about pop music is its simplicity. And to be honest, I don’t think they’re wrong. Most pop songs use the same 4-chord progressions over the entire song, or have the

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same sampled hi-hat trap beat and bass-boosted audio underneath the lyrics.

Harmonies and instrumentation in modern music are also simpler: no more massive orchestras with live instruments from the string, woodwind, brass, and percussion families. In other words, the complexity and sophistication of sound itself have decreased.

However, to me, this has been a continuing historic trend within music that dates to the Classical period. Whilst Baroque music from around 1600-1750 was exclusive to the aristocracy, and made to be complex and flaunt status, Classical composers from 1750-1820, such as Mozart and Beethoven simplified music to make it more accessible.

Shifting away from intricate and complex lines, these composers repeated ideas that were comparatively simple so that the music was easy to understand for all audiences. Sounds familiar? It is now classical music which seems complex and intricate, compared to modern ‘pop music’ for the ‘unsophisticated, common folk’.

Now where does that leave us? Simple, catchy pop songs now cater for the masses, whilst ‘Classical’ music has been relegated to being a niche for people with supposedly ‘nerdy’ and ‘boring’ music tastes. You will catch almost any teenager enjoying The Weeknd or Doja Cat — but few still resonate or find the music of Mendelssohn or Schumann accessible.

I do not think simplicity has been a loss, I think it has been a function of accessibility.

For example, the simplification of music has significantly reduced the barriers to entry for being a musician. From my experience, those who have never had any musical education find music very daunting, in terms of writing and creating. The rise of Garageband and easy-to-follow formulas in songwriting has increased the number of musicians who want to enjoy the magic of creating music, which can only be a positive.

If this is the case, what makes me think the development of music over time is so problematic?

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One word. Commercialisation.

At its core, music has always been about self-expression. The main distinguishing factor from the music of old and the music of now, is what it is conceptually used for. Even when composers from classical periods of music made money from their pieces, their desire to write music was always driven by an innate desire to convey one’s personal thoughts and expressions, the same way artwork and literature does. It was a tool of expression that transcended barriers of language, race, gender, age, and religion.

Nowadays, that sort of sentiment seems to have faded dramatically.

Mainstream music has been filled with ghostwriters, mass produced labels and a focus on repeatability for streams and revenue. The rise of K-pop is potentially the best example of this. I am not here to debate the quality of the music, but the way the industry works is quite simple: gain popularity by marketing attractive singers, mass produce music based on formulas that

“work”, attract people to stream their music, buy merch, and attend concerts. The routine for a K-pop idol is no longer just singing but is now heavily influenced by dance and choreography, being attractive eye candy in music videos and concerts. Such idols do not even write their own songs: producers who are hired to write songs and lyrics for idols to sing clearly indicates how mainstream artists have become spiritually and emotionally disassociated from their own labels. The music of the mainstream has become a method to make money, and a lot of it. It has lost the spiritual attachment and self-expression that music once had.

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That is not to say that commercialisation is always a force for bad. In fact, a lot of modern music represents increased freedom and limitless possibilities.

Music is no longer limited to traditional writing styles for composers.

Innovation and experimentation in contemporary music has re-evaluated previous ‘rules’ about writing ‘good music’.

This has created leeway into all sorts of contemporary music.

Commercialisation has accounted for music now complementing other forms of media, and producing new sound moods and aesthetics that have never existed before. Composers are developing new ways of thinking to find unique ways to express themselves and their ideas.

Improvement, engagement, and expansion is, at its core, what constitutes musical evolution.

Overall, I think that when you look at the current state of music, it is true that modern pop music is simpler.

But that is not necessarily a bad thing. At the same time, groups within the music community have found new ways to make contemporary music more purposeful and unique, whilst the increased ease of creating music has allowed for more people to be able to make music. This has created new songs in all kinds of genres that I really enjoy listening to. And I have been introduced to new ways of expressing myself: new musical cultures and styles of music that I never would have been exposed to, had music not evolved the way it did.

Isn’t that what music is all about?

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